Yes indeed- 20th Century started quite a few murderous waves based on ideology- kill those who do not think the 'correct' way. 'We are the new men', 'Down with the four olds', etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
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Yes indeed- 20th Century started quite a few murderous waves based on ideology- kill those who do not think the 'correct' way. 'We are the new men', 'Down with the four olds', etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
Feels like those times are coming back again...
When I see how those who dare disagree with the politically correct hordes are treated...
Ovidio, as an example of how seriously we took the "threat", in the UK, from Italian POWs during WW2, I know of at least one former Italian POW camp that didn't even have a fence round it. I use to know one of the drivers who took the Italian POWs out daily to work on local farms. My understanding was that it was just the driver who drove the lorry and the POWs but no guards in the lorry. The POWs worked on the local farms all day, unguarded, and the lorry returned in the evening to return them to camp, again unguarded in the lorry.
I heard about similar situations in plenty of places, but there were even very different cases.
Especially for those POWs who did not decide to co-operate.
But that is a long story and I’m not judging. War is an awful thing, and no-one gets out clean.
We have surely had our share of criminals too.
The Chenogne massacre was a war crime committed by members of the 11th Armored Division, an American combat unit, near Chenogne, Belgium, on January 1, 1945 (shortly after the Malmedy massacre), during the Battle of the Bulge.
According to eyewitness accounts, an estimated 80 German prisoners of war were massacred by their American captors: the prisoners were assembled in a field and shot with machine guns. It was one of several war crimes which were committed during the Battle of the Bulge by members of both Allied and Axis forces.
The events were covered up at the time and none of the perpetrators were ever punished. Postwar historians believe the killings were based on senior commanders giving verbal orders that "no prisoners were to be taken"
ALLIED WAR CRIMES ww2 The Chenogne massacre German soldiers were killed after they surrendered - YouTube
George S. Pattons' war diary entry from January 4th 1945. Regarding the Chenogne massacre on January 1st 1945 Patton noted: "Also murdered 50 odd German med [sic]. I hope we can conceal this."
The wanton execution of enemy POWs without some sort of legal trial is a war crime in any book. In one of my chapters in my military career I had to get involved in the "investigation" and recovery of "witnesses" (dead citizens murdered by a military force) many of whom were old men, women and children. It was a team made up the war factions and members from the UN. Pretty bad sh*t!! I had a citizen pathologist (UN) who was being rather snarky ask me what I would do to the soldiers who did this if I had caught them. I told her that depending on the combat situation I would arrest them as war criminals and evacuate them to the rear. If the combat situation was too bad and they caught not be evacuated to the rear, I would hold a "drumhead" Court-martial and convict each as a war criminal. I would have them bury the people they murdered and I would give the enemy soldiers a choose, hang the officers who gave the orders to murder the citizens or they would all hang! I am a traditionalist, in my book being shot is an honor reserved for a soldier not a murderer/criminal. Hanging is for a criminal. The pathologist was shocked at what I said. I hold her she does not understand the full gravity of the situation of what she was doing having to recover murdered citizens.
I have actually talked with a number of WWII veterans who was in the 28th Infantry Division who told me that after Malmady they did not take SS prisoners. The German had slice through the area where the 28th was assigned during the battle of Bulge
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
That's true. The one at Mill Green near here where they dug potatoes during the daytime wasn't even guarded, I think. A lot of Italians worked in the brickfields near Bedford, many stayed on after the war.
There was a POW camp for Germans near where I live. They had Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, and Waffen SS there. Trustees were allowed to work in local factories. The SS folks and ardent Nazis weren't offered the privilege. Those POWs who were being threatened by the SS and Nazis were often offered this opportunity to give them peace during the day.
Bob