Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, Commander in Chief, signing the final document of Surrender at Luneburg Heath on 4 May 1945. Born 15 July 1895 Admiral Friedeburg would commit suicide on 23 May 1945.

In the centre background is LCol Trumbull Warren, Personal Assistant to Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. To the left is Colonel Joe Ewart on Montgomery’s staff.

As Personal Assistant to Montgomery – one of the outstanding Allied commandeers of the Second World War – Trumbull Warren was the man who fetched the Germans to Montgomery’s caravan on May 3rd to hear Monty’s terms, and on May 4th to sign the surrender, ending more than five years of hostilities. It provided an indelible memory for the Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel and a 48th Highlander.

Warren later described the events in Monty, the three-volume biography of Montgomery by British author Nigel Hamilton. The senior officer was General Admiral von Friedeburg, Commander-in- Chief of the German fleet. General Kinzel, Chief of Staff of the German army was “a magnificent looking officer about 6’5″ … complete with monocle – a real professional Prussian,” Warren noted. Next was Rear Admiral Wagner, flag officer to the admiral of the fleet. And Major Friedel, who had “the cruelest face of any man I have ever seen.” A fifth officer – a Colonel Poleck joined the group for the signing.  Warren continued his description: “The German delegation went across to the tent, watched by groups of soldiers, war correspondents, photographers, and others – all very excited. They knew it was the end of the war.” “I had the surrender document all ready. The arrangements in the tent were very simple – a trestle table covered with an army blanket, an inkpot, an ordinary army pen that you could buy in a shop for two pence. There were two BBC microphones on the table.” More surrenders of the balance of the German military followed on May 7th, in front of General Eisenhower prior to Victory-in-Europe (VE Day) on May 8th.