German civilians on trial for murder of American flyer. Dr.

German civilians on trial for murder of American flyer. Dr. Franz Mohn, German lawyer, takes notes from three German civilians he is defending against charges of murdering an American flyer. The trial, heard by a military war crimes court in Ahrweiler, Germany, started June 1, 1945. The prisoners are, left to right: Peter Kohn, 32, a crane operator of Preist, Germany; Matthias Gierens, 37, railroad worker of Preist, and Matthias Krein, 44, a blacksmith and member of the Landwacht (rural police) of Preist. They are the first German non-military personnel to be tried in Germany. They are accused of the murder of an American flyer who bailed out of his crippled plane and landed in Ahrweiler, a town in the Rhineland. The court is composed of eight officers appointed by Lieutenant General Leonard T. Gerow, Commander of the 15th U.S. Army. A vote by at least two-thirds of the members of the court is necessary for a conviction or sentence.