MASSACRE AT THE CHATEAU DE GRANGUES - D-DAY 6TH JUNE 1944

Thought you guys might like to read an enquiry I have been involved in for many years following on from the negative work carried by the War Crimes Unit in 1945 to find the perpetrator. The file, or, what limited information it contained, and where ALL the witnesses were initialled in the file, for reprisals sake, and not named, which made this enquiry even harder as I knew few would still be left alive. The file was only released two years ago on the 70 years ruling on SECRET documents, so this was an uphill struggle from the start.

It all started in my reseacrh surrounding the location of all their graves and to ensure they were "properly" buried under a scheme I started for all Parachute Regiment soldiers who have died in combat since 1940 to date called GRAVEWATCH, I hope you find it interesting:

Nice seing you Gil.
Good job!!!

Good report!

Bob

One can only hope the Marquis got to him Gil the testimony of a person that was there at the time despite the years in between the event and interview date must be considered as conclusive though small points must be lost to the fog of time one would never forget an event like that it would remain as a stark light in ones head the treatment of those brave young men.
And probably right that he hid behind that infamous order from Hitler about the treatment of Commandos to be shot off had without trial thing is these young souls were Paratroopers, if he is alive I hope justice finds him if it has not already if he is still kicking then I hope he gets trapped in a burning car with people throwing petrol on it to put it out!

Stirling work Gil a credit to their memory I salute you and your en-devours.:clap:

I have searched Mongolian records for him, as his description certainly sounded like someone from around the steps area bordering Germany/Russia who were recruited into the German Army towards the end of the war when numbers were needed.
He has slipped through the net under that name, (for the time being) which could have course been given to him when he enlisted.

I found the IRON CROSS list from the German Records office, and no Iron cross was awarded to a person under that name in WW2. Interesting as it goes on, he'll still be alive somewhere, these bastards outlive the good people in this world!!.:(

He’ll be dealt with later, by another judge.
Won’t be a nice thing.

If there is any justice in the next world then the devil will be waiting for him with a freshly sharpened red hot pitch folk...

Hats off to you Gil, your tireless efforts keep the memory of these brave lads alive.

There was a lot that slipped through the net Gil, but being the equivalent in rank as what we know as a WO2, I would of thought there would be something on him. An Iron Cross would of been recorded unless he was up for the award but didn't actually get it ? Just wonder if his name was a bit longer and he used the short version or a middle name etc?

I saved a WW1 Roll Of Honour from a salvage yard that had been stripped out of an old Church, they were only interested in the frame which I had to buy to get the Roll Of Honour...... I searched all the names and they all survived, turns out they were members or relatives of the Church, but when searching I can only think the Vicar may of been a bit deaf or the relatives couldn't spell....... some of the names were miss spelt and to throw a bit more confusion in the pot some service numbers were wrong........

Geoff,
I have to believe the living witness as she recounted to me, what is in effect heresay evidence that Veisseler told Count Noblet of his impending award of the Iron Cross for carrying out the killings.
Yes in one part it confirms from the horses mouth he admiited to doing the killing, by mentioning the award, but I think he was one of many in Normandy at the time ruthlessly executing on Hitlers direct order and therefore felt immunity from any action that could be meated out later by, locals or the Allies. Could have been a filed award, but it certainly doesn't register on the list under the name he was using in all the time in the Chateau grounds.

He'll be named somewhere, I have a few decent irons in the fire!!

Good luck Gil, Lets hope them irons strike hot.....

l'll say candidly that; The tentacles of justice know no boundaries such as time and the transgressor of this injustice brought upon those young Paratroopers will if they still live may they face the wrath of the system with the provision there is no premise for a plea that the sentence be meted out to the person the same way that he the perpetrator gave to those poor young lads.

That was a very informative article and of an incident I’d not heard of. It’s now an event in history that I will always remember.

Is it correct that the report stated the rounds were .38 calibre as I would have expected the service personnel to have known they would be 9mm for a P38 unless the confusion was .38 and P38.

Good work Gil.....I hope you find that old bastard!!

Brit Plumber,
Yes correct, a lot of my original work was cut down and a few mistakes made including that one typo error, which to us that know is important.;)

This is what was actually said at the court of enquiry in 1945 regarding this point:

The weapon used is stated by the pathologist to have have been of approximately .38 calibre, which would suggest either a sub machine gun or an automatic pistol of Luger or Walther type.

The pathologist was an RAMC Capt Rankin. Whether he would or could have told that accurately in field PM conditions is debatable. I would certainly have said it was a pistol from what the witness described and most certainly a 9mm round in each case, as his personal pistol was a P38. As I said in my article, with DNA and forensics today it is a shame the rounds were not kept!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

Brit Plumber,
Yes correct, a lot of my original work was cut down and a few mistakes made including that one typo error, which to us that know is important.;)

This is what was actually said at the court of enquiry in 1945 regarding this point:

The weapon used is stated by the pathologist to have have been of approximately .38 calibre, which would suggest either a sub machine gun or an automatic pistol of Luger or Walther type.

The pathologist was an RAMC Capt Rankin. Whether he would or could have told that accurately in field PM conditions is debatable. I would certainly have said it was a pistol from what the witness described and most certainly a 9mm round in each case, as his personal pistol was a P38. As I said in my article, with DNA and forensics today it is a shame the rounds were not kept!

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Having the bullets as evidence would be important if only to confirm what weapon fired them. The two questions that cross my mind are; a, whether Capt. Rankin was able to measure the spent bullets accurately (0.357/0.380 versus 0.355 is not that different); and b, whether the murderer might have used one of the prisoner's issue revolver to commit the atrocity with the intention of creating a level of deniability.

Paul,
Only him present and what he admitted to the Count that he shot them all one at a time in the back and one in the head. This was obviously found when they finally exumed the bodies corroborating his actions. Ranking was a Medical Officer and would probably know a .38 as he was probably issued a revolver, but the untrained eye would'nt probably know or see a difference!