Walking in the Footsteps of the British Expeditionary Force 2008 to 2009

The next destination was some what harder to find (We went to the wrong Paradis) and put a four hour wasted trip into our itenary. We eventually made our way to the right place and on asking a chap if he could point us in the right direction of the massacre site he told me that his Grandmother and father helped the two sole survivors escape.

He kindly gave me a copy of their picture to post on here for you all to see.

Madame Duquenne and her son who helped Pooley and O'Callaghan escape.

 

After speaking to a very helpful grandson we then went and walked around the area to get a feel for what happened on the 27th May 1940. He incidently lives in Duries Farm below.

After fighting numerous fierce battles in the advance on Le Paradis the SS-Infanterie-Regiment 2 had suffered many casualties and were now in the small town of Le Paradis. 2nd Battalion,The Norfolks too had suffered many casualties and were down to around a 100 men of all ranks in the town and making a last stand at battalion HQ in Duries farm.


Major Lisle Ryder positioned his men in and around the farm and attempted to call in artillery support by radio-none was forth coming.


With ammunition running low the order was given for the survivors to converge on a cowshed to the rear of the farm. The CO informed his men that they were surrounded and with little or no hope of escape. A vote was taken and the decision to surrender was taken.

A white flag was displayed and the first attempt by the Norfolks to surrender was met with a hail of machine gun fire. The second attempt to surrender was more successful and SS troops from 3. Kompanie came forward to take the men prisoner.

 

The Norfolks were then marched along the road to a nearby field opposite Creton Farm where the men were searched. At this point the SS started to hold a summary court accusing the Norfolks of using 'Dum Dum' bullets against them which was against the rules of war.

 

The Norfolks (99 in total) were then marched back up the lane on to Chemin du Paradis outside the front of Creton Farm.


They were then taken into the yard of Creton Farm where two machine guns had been set up and were waiting for them. As the Norfolks drew level with the end of the building the machine guns opened up on them.

 

Then


Now

 

Two pictures of the mass grave at Creton Farm shortly after the massacre. Note the helmet on the left with what appears to be a bullet hole in the top -This could possibly tie in with what was said of the SS shooting any survivors after the massacre.

 

After the machine guns stopped firing the SS went through the bodies finishing off any survivors. Remarkably two men survived, Privates Bill O'Callaghan and Bert Pooley although wounded but still conscious they fained death until the SS left and escaped around the read off the farm to what now is the Duquenne Transport Company where Madam Duquenne and her son helped them. Unfortunately they were later captured by another German unit. Thinking they were ordinary soldiers their wounds were from fighting they were treated in a nearby hospital and sent to a POW camp.

Both men survived the war and through their evidence, SS-Hauptstrumfuhrer Knochlein was found guilty in a British War Crime Court. He was executed on January 28th, 1949.


The transport Yard where O'Callaghan and Pooley escaped to from Creton Farm.

 

On 28th May 1940 a Major Riederer who was an officer with XVI. Armeekorps's General Staff spotted the pile of dead bodies in the yard. Examination showed that many of them had be shot at close range in the head and some of the bodies had their skulls smashed in, a wound typically sustained by blows from a rifle butt. Riederer submitted a report of his findings and a medical officer was dispatched to the area. He arrived at 5.00pm on 29th May to find an SS Medical company burying the bodies in a pit. Enquiries were directed to the SS-Totenkopf-Division for an explanation but they soon left the corps command area and the matter was never pursued.











The local French Populus looked after the mass grave until 1942 when the remains were finally exhumed from Creton Farm (Above) and were buried in a special spot behind the local churchyard.








By 1942 sadly only 50 bodies could be positively identified, a fact sadly evident on many of the headstones which bears the inscription 'Known unto God'

 

I wondered if this chap was the CO's bodyguard?



CWGC :: Certificate

 

I found this lady tucked away in the rear left hand corner of the cemetery. I suspected her ashes were scattered in the cemetery and thought perhaps she was a sister to one of the murdered men but nothing obvious comes up on CWGC.



Anyone have any ideas who this lady was?

The man found responsible for this War Crime was Obersturmbannfuhrer Fritz Knoechlein


The page below is the 297th from a 297 page official document on the investigation to the massacre at Paradis and the trial of those thought to be responsible. Thanks to Brian (ADM199) I think it is fair to say that justice was served after the war.

 

We left Le Paradis with mixed emotions and glad that we never gave up looking for the location of where the men of the Norfolks were murdered.

From Le Paradis we made our way to Socx for another 'Then and Now'

Then


Now

A S-35 from the 4eme Cuirassiers of the 1ere D.L.M.

 

Now running out of daylight and heading back towards Dunkirk we managed to find two more 'Then and Nows'.

Then


Now

Not quite spot on but fairly close on this one south of Bergues.

 

The last one wasn't a million miles away at Bergues.

Then


Now

Ironically there was a bike almost in the same spot 69 years on.

 

At this point we decided to call it a day but watch this space as we are planning another trip to the Dunkirk beaches later this year.

Point to note I've changed many of the pictures and text at the begining of this thread (2008 trip) so it may be worth having another look from the begining

Cheers

 

Andy, Great photos.

Cheers
Paul

 

Super pics and research matey... enjoyed the thread from the start again...

 

Cheers all. Watch this space as there is now another trip in the pipeline later this year

 

Andy,

Great pictures.

Regards
Tom