The KLB Club

War often brings about countless stories of bravery, tragedy, resilience, and unusual occurrences. One such lesser-known episode from World War II concerns the “KLB Club” – the group of mostly Allied airmen who, instead of becoming prisoners of war, found themselves incarcerated in Buchenwald concentration camp, a place synonymous with the Holocaust and the persecution of Jews. Here’s their story.

During World War II, the skies over Nazi-occupied Europe saw frequent dogfights and bombing raids. Many Allied aircraft were shot down over enemy territory. In some cases, airmen managed to parachute out, hoping to evade capture and eventually return to friendly lines with the assistance of resistance groups.

However, as the war dragged on, the Gestapo – the Nazi secret police – implemented a brutal crackdown against these resistance networks, and any downed Allied airmen they found were often caught in the crossfire.

Typically, downed airmen, when captured, would be classified as Prisoners of War (POWs) and accorded rights under the Geneva Convention. They would be sent to POW camps where conditions, though tough, were considerably better than concentration camps.

However, in 1944, under direct orders from Hitler, the narrative began to change. Allied airmen, especially those found not in uniform or suspected of being involved with resistance movements, were branded as “terror fliers.” This classification stripped them of their POW status and rights, and they were deemed to be part of the sabotage and espionage network against the Third Reich.

Around 168 Allied airmen, representing various nationalities (including Americans, British, Canadians, Australians, and others), were arrested by the Gestapo between August and December 1944. Instead of being sent to POW camps, they were sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. The men arrived at the camp on August 20, 1944.

Buchenwald was not designed for airmen. It was a place of extermination, forced labor, and unspeakable horrors. The airmen were subjected to the same brutal treatment as other inmates: minimal food, hard labor, disease, and constant threats of execution.

Within Buchenwald, the airmen formed a close-knit group, referring to themselves as the “KLB Club.” The initials stood for “Konzentrationslager Buchenwald,” with ‘Konzentrationslager’ being the German word for concentration camp. This bond helped them support each other, share resources, and stay resilient amidst the dehumanizing conditions.

For weeks, the airmen endured the horrific conditions at Buchenwald, uncertain of their fate. However, their situation began to change when word of their presence reached higher-ranking German military officials outside of the SS and Gestapo. Recognizing the potential diplomatic disaster and the breach of the Geneva Convention, these officials ordered the airmen’s release.

By late October and early November 1944, the majority of the airmen were transferred out of Buchenwald to Stalag Luft III, a POW camp for Allied air force personnel. Unfortunately, not all of them made it; some had succumbed to the conditions at Buchenwald.

After the war, members of the KLB Club formed a tight-knit community, frequently reuniting and ensuring that the story of their unusual and harrowing ordeal was not forgotten. Their experience serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and offers a unique perspective on the vast and varied atrocities committed by the Nazi regime.

The story of the KLB Club underscores the unpredictable and often arbitrary nature of life and death in Nazi-occupied Europe. These airmen, trained for combat in the skies, found themselves battling for survival on the ground in one of the most infamous concentration camps of the Holocaust. Their story is a testament to human resilience, camaraderie, and the importance of memory in ensuring that such horrors are never repeated.