I finished reading 'Massacre on the road to Dunkirk' a bit ago now but Chapter 4 called 'Questions in the House' mentions a secret file(s) about the massacre at Wormhout. I'll not write the whole chapter out but it does mention a 'secret file' so much so that The Sunday Times ran a story on this subject in the late 80's. The file is thought to contain 72 pages, a 20,000 word report compiled by the British War Crimes Interrogation Unit in 1947. The file is not available to the public until 1st January 2021 under the Official Secrets Act. The story goes on to say that the officer who ordered the killings is named aswell as other SS men who were involved apparently still living in West Germany at the time of the story being published in The Sunday Times. It is believed the files are still under lock and key away from the public eyes because of a 'legal and political minefield' with Germany. The other reason being that with the British government having their own evidence the general public would force the government to act or be accused of 'protecting war criminals'. Anyone heard or know of these files? Cheers Andy
Not sure mate but it looks like this story may be a storm in a teacup.... SS oath of silence foiled massacre inquiry: Papers show investigators were certain that officer ordered killing of up to 90 British prisoners. Stephen Ward reports - UK, News - The Independent
Cheers, I was already aware of the Oath they took on Sepp Dietrich's orders mainly due for fear of an internal inquirey at the time. Apparently though after the war some SS soldiers are believed to have talked. The annoying thing is the author refuses to quote the file No. in his book and calls them 234 and 235 etc (Or similiar). Due the the background of the author (He is/was a Padre) and the fact The Sunday Times ran the story I suspect its not an urban myth.
Many thanks to Verrieries for this: It was not until 1988, when the Labor MP Jeff Rooker asked in the London House of the Thatcher government access to the files blocked by the year 2021 on the case Wormhoudt, German prosecutors have been active again. Fehlanzeige auch diesmal. Nil this time. Aus den Zeugenbefragungen und dem Studium der Unterlagen gewann die Lübecker Staatsanwaltschaft keine neuen Erkenntnisse. From the witnesses and studying the documents, the prosecutor Lübeck won no new insights. Google Translate It makes for interesting reading.
