Printable View
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...337589_1-1.jpg
Signal Corps photo 27 May 1944 (Italy) Kamerad! Trapped in Cisterna by advancing Fifth Army infantry these Germans raise their hands in surrender while being searched for hidden weapons. The picture was taken immediately after the Nazis came out of a ruined building from which they kept sniping until out of ammunition. In front is captive's gear which they brought out with them. Germans will change from helmets to hats after being searched.
That really frosts me... they snipe all day and when they are out of ammo they want to quit? Too late in my book.
I remember a story that if an American surrendered with an empty rifle the Germans shot them conversely if surrender with ammo they were spared
The U.S., Britain and their allies were fighting the Nazis; it was important to try not to behave like Nazis while doing so.
Quite correct, although war crimes were committed on both sides. The winner determines the result. However, the Allies weren't fighting the Nazi, which was the political party, I believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
Agreed. There are accounts of crimes from all sides, and not a few of them also. Some people turn into beasts when they are given the chance to get away with it, independently from their culture and from their nationality.Quote:
Originally Posted by Daan Kemp
Shoot the officer or senior NCO in charge, take the men prisoner.
As an officer, I'm not sure I like that way of thinking...:sos:
Judging from what I've seen and what my parents have said Nazism was more than a political party, it was an ideology.Quote:
Originally Posted by Daan Kemp
The UK's most highly sensitive secrets from WW2 will be held for 100 years and so we have to wait another 19 years to find out some of the unpalatable secrets that occurred in WW2 that we in the UK would rather the rest of the world didn't know about. It will be interesting to find out how many files have "gone missing" over the last 100 years.
Italian prisoners of war were considered such low risk in the UK that their POW camps didn't always have a fence.
I agree with Ovidio. Murdering POW reflects extremely negatively on the leadership of the persons doing it, as well as informing the world what kind of country they come from. As well as being against the laws of war. As well as condoning the enemy to do the same. Etc.
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