War Crimes on D-Day?

Hi Andy,

Yes, Kurt Myer was acquitted of Count 2 but you didn't expect me to make your point for you, did you??

I thought this was a great Topic. Thanks.

 

I was reading OMG the other day and came across this in the book, a statement from Private John Hall of the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment at Arnhem describing his capture by the SS:

'I threw the Bren gun into some bushes; pack and ammunition pouches followed. This left me in my smock, which would give me some camouflage, I thought. I made it to the river bank, how I don't know, as we were still being fired upon. Using what cover I could from the shrubs I managed to make some headway, but then I came across a para who was shot in the foot. He asked if I could help him. I removed his boot-a bloody mess I thought-then I gave him a morphine injection. As I started to bandage him up, I suddenly heard a voice. Looking up, I saw a German SS, a light machine gun pointing at me. I honestly thought I was going to die there and then; we sometimes did not take prisoners, so I did not expect them to either. Perhaps he thought I was a medical orderly and spared me. I didn't ask'

 

I sometimes get very annoyed by the tales that are told, By men that have never been into battle. Another thing that is not recognised is ......British Army Discipline...... The idea that we, or anyone that we knew went round shooting prisoners is total rubbish..... British Discipline is rigid, and does not allow such idiotic deeds as shooting prisoners.
In the shooting war all is equal but once they give up.... THATS IT !

IN the heat of battle anything goes..... I am reminded of a recruit that had just joined the Suffolk's saying "There is a German walking down the road, what shall I do?"

He was told in no uncertain terms. But I say again outside of the actual conflict.I have never heard of abuse of prisoners apart from the SS that occasionally got mouthy; and got a smack in the teeth for his troubles.... The SS did try it in with their arrogance..Never got very far.... But no shooting.
But as usual these tales have habit of living far beyond their sell by date.
Sapper

 

Hi Sapper,

I'm only saying what I see mate and to say that Private John Hall has 'never been into battle' I would think is a bit of a understatement seeing as he was by all accounts in the thick of it at Arnhem with his battalion 1 Para.

Regards
Andy

 

No one, certainly not me, is doubting the word of this soldier "Bless Him" !
What he is talking about it seems to me, is that there is always a point where a man gives up or fights on.....That moment is one of very great danger. For the vanquished and for the captor. For at the moment of capture, both of these combatants must take their life in their hands. You never know what is going to happen....Specially with the SS.
When you capture someone. You, and you alone, must decide, is this man genuine in wanting to give up....Or will he drop a grenade in my lap, or have a mate cut me down....

When all is said and done, you are faced with a young man just like yourself. I always did the same thing. have him put his hands on his head lit a cigarette, stick it in his mouth and send them back on their own. No one is going to shoot a man with his hands in his head, and shuffling along smoking a cigarette!!!
Sapper

 

I think one has to accept that these types of things happened but only on a limited scale, very probably on both sides. There was no systematic killing of every prisoner – prisoners were taken by both sides. The SS did think they would be invincible and were ardently fighting for Hitler and Germany and as I’ve said elsewhere they were probably more ‘up for it’ as the Battle began because of their upbringing. As ardent Nazi teenagers in battle for the first time, shooting and killing for the first time and spurred on by their officers with Russian experiences it is not at all surprising that these things happen. It is not surprising that retaliations happen. But actually the numbers of soldiers that were killed as prisoners, on either side, is almost irrelevant in terms of the numbers of soldiers and civilians that were being killed overall. The victors occupy the moral high-ground and the further away from the events that ground becomes higher and higher. Imagine if we had lost the war what the victors would have said about our carpet bombing of villages and towns in France for instance. Ultimately the Allies killed more of the enemy than killed us, the Canadians certainly got their own back for the incidents that were reported at the time by killing ‘in battle’ more SS than they might otherwise have taken prisoner. 12th SS were all but annihilated and Germany got what they deserved for starting it all in the first place. That’s war That is.