Execution of P.O.W's

[mazabuka]

Following up on a discussion on the B.B.C messageboards regarding the massacres at Malmedy, Wormhoudt/ Le Paradise farm, in which Allied P.O.W's were murdered by Waffen SS units , we must accept that this also happened on the Allied side. Does anyone know of German P.O.W's having been executed by Allied Forces and is there any documentation naming place names of such incidents?

[101stDoc]

Hi Mazabuka.

The Waffen SS are often theones credited with the murder of Allied POWs. Other entities were involved in these types of massacres aside from the Waffen SS, but nevermind.

There are a number of cases of Allied soldiers involved in murders of German (and other) POWs.

You can find several on George Duncan's WW2 pages. Go to the massacre section at: http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/

I make no claims for the accuracy of anything on that page (in relation to anything, not just the claims against Americans). I do have some concerns over accuracy over some statements he's made, but that belongs in another thread. But I posted the addy, and people will make up their own minds on what he's posted.

I remember going through those once and I THINK that Barry West's name is in err. Compton may be the John T Compton listed on the ABMC website, but I cannot be sure. Right unit and it would fit in the timeframe. Jerry is not an unheard of nickname for John. Otherwise he was probably buried in a private cemetary. Or the information is false. Who knows. Research might bare it out.

Certainly there are many "smaller" incidents from all sides that have been swept under the rug or never reported.

Doc

[Jesse]

There are a great number of these incidents, fully admitted to by troops who participated or observed. One of the better known is the lining up and shooting of a large number of SS men at Dachau by the Americans, and also the allowing of liberated camp inmates to beat others to death.

[blocknacker]

Every army wheither in heat of battle or due to the impraticalities of taking prisoners kill surrendering or surendered enemies.

Post falklands war there was a lot to complaints from argentinian side about the rape of pows by our brave boys. this was backed up by nobel prize winner luis borges.

its war, horrible stuff happens. done by every side to every side, its just that armies such as the nazi or soviet ones condoned much wider scale abuses than the british or americans.

[John Kilmartin]

Hi Mazabuka,
Are you talking about murders or executions? I know that two or three German POW were executed here in Canada after receiving a trial for their involvement in the deaths of other POW who they felt were collaborating with the Canadians or otherwise being disloyal to the Third Reich. Now I'm not a lawyer so I couldn't say if they received a fair trial but I do know that not all the men charged were executed and I'm not sure but if I remember correctly one was found not guilty. The deaths of the 'disloyal' Germans took place in the camp near Medicine Hat and the trials and executions in the town of the same name.

[Rudi Tuzla]

My Dad was in the Canadian Navy in WWII serving on Corvettes. He told me that once they were escorting ships from Britain back to Canada, and for some reason a group of German POW's were loaded onto a Free-Polish freighter. When they got to Canada there were no Germans left on the ship. I don't have any further details.

Also, I had 2 uncles in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles who landed at D-Day. A fairly large number of Winnipeg POW's were massacred by SS troops in Normandy. (sorry, can't remember any details, it may have been HitlerJugend) He told me that after they found the bodies it became unofficial unit policy not to let any SS prisoners live, and he remembered a number of incidents where they would send POW's to the rear, but as soon as they were out of sight the guards would kill them and come back and say they tried to escape.