Wormhoudt massacre
Encyclopedia
The Wormhoudt massacre was the mass murder
of 80 British and French POW
s by the Waffen SS during the Battle of France
in May 1940.
towards Dunkirk, the 48th Division
was holding the road which runs southward from Bergues
through Wormhoudt, Cassel and Hazebrouck
to delay the German advance.
British units at Wormhoudt were overrun by advancing German forces. The troops at this point surrendered assuming that they would be taken prisoner according to the Geneva Convention.
, and Royal Artillery
as well as French soldiers in charge of a military depot were taken to a barn in La Plaine au Bois near Wormhout
and Esquelbecq
on 28 May 1940. When there were nearly 100 men inside, up to 12 soldiers from the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
, threw stick-grenades
into the building killing many POWs. Two groups of five survivors were taken outside and shot in the back as the grenades had failed to kill everyone.
A total of 80 men were killed, 15 men were eventually found by a regular German Army
unit. Their wounds were treated before they were sent to prisoner of war camps in occupied Europe.
The Waffen-SS-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
was under the overall command of Oberstgruppenführer
Sepp Dietrich
. It was alleged from post-war testimony that it was specifically soldiers of the 2nd Battalion under the command of then Hauptsturmführer
Wilhelm Mohnke
that carried out the atrocity. However, Mohnke never had to face a trial for any alleged part in the war crimes based on these hors de combat
killings. Mohnke strongly denied the accusations against him, telling author Thomas Fischer, "I issued no orders not to take English prisoners or to execute prisoners." Mohnke died in August 2001.
In 1988, after a campaign by British MP
Jeff Rooker
, the case was reopened but a German prosecutor came to the conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.
The incident was re-enacted in the 2004
BBC television
docudrama Dunkirk
.
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
of 80 British and French POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s by the Waffen SS during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in May 1940.
Fighting
As part of the retreat of the British Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
towards Dunkirk, the 48th Division
48th (South Midland) Division
The British 48th Division was a Territorial Force division. Originally called the 'South Midland Division', it was redesignated as the 48th Division in 1915.- 1914 - 1918 :...
was holding the road which runs southward from Bergues
Bergues
Bergues is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from the Belgian border. Locally it is referred to as "the other Bruges in Flanders"...
through Wormhoudt, Cassel and Hazebrouck
Hazebrouck
-Communications:The town enjoys excellent rail connections, with frequent daily services to Lille and Paris, some by High Speed Line. There is a small international airport, concentrating on business flights, at Merville-Calonne just 12 kilometre / 8 miles away...
to delay the German advance.
British units at Wormhoudt were overrun by advancing German forces. The troops at this point surrendered assuming that they would be taken prisoner according to the Geneva Convention.
Massacre
After their surrender, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, the Cheshire RegimentCheshire Regiment
The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
, and Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
as well as French soldiers in charge of a military depot were taken to a barn in La Plaine au Bois near Wormhout
Wormhout
Wormhout is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.The town's name is of Germanic origin.Neighbouring towns and villages :*Ledringhem to the south-west, separated by river Peene Becque*Esquelbecq-Heraldry:...
and Esquelbecq
Esquelbecq
- History :In 1436, Wautier de Ghistelles was seigneur d'Ekelsbeke et de Ledringhem and governor of La Madeleine hospital in Bierne.- References :*...
on 28 May 1940. When there were nearly 100 men inside, up to 12 soldiers from the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into a divisional-sized unit...
, threw stick-grenades
Model 24 grenade
The Model 24 Stielhandgranate was the standard hand grenade of the German Army from the end of World War I until the end of World War II. The very distinctive appearance led to its being called a "stick grenade", or a "potato masher" in British Army slang, and is today one of the most easily...
into the building killing many POWs. Two groups of five survivors were taken outside and shot in the back as the grenades had failed to kill everyone.
A total of 80 men were killed, 15 men were eventually found by a regular German Army
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
unit. Their wounds were treated before they were sent to prisoner of war camps in occupied Europe.
Legacy
1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into a divisional-sized unit...
was under the overall command of Oberstgruppenführer
Oberstgruppenführer
Oberst-Gruppenführer was the highest commissioned SS rank with the exception of Reichsführer-SS, which was a special rank held by Heinrich Himmler...
Sepp Dietrich
Sepp Dietrich
Josef "Sepp" Dietrich was a German SS General. He was one of Nazi Germany's most decorated soldiers and commanded formations up to Army level during World War II. Prior to 1929 he was Adolf Hitler's chauffeur and bodyguard but received rapid promotion after his participation in the murder of...
. It was alleged from post-war testimony that it was specifically soldiers of the 2nd Battalion under the command of then Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
Wilhelm Mohnke
Wilhelm Mohnke
SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke was one of the original 120 members of the SS-Staff Guard "Berlin" formed in March 1933. From those ranks, Mohnke rose to become one of Adolf Hitler's last remaining generals.Mohnke saw action with the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in France, Poland...
that carried out the atrocity. However, Mohnke never had to face a trial for any alleged part in the war crimes based on these hors de combat
Hors de combat
Hors de Combat, literally meaning "outside the fight," is a French term used in diplomacy and international law to refer to soldiers who are incapable of performing their military function. Examples include a downed fighter pilot, as well as the sick, wounded, detained, or otherwise disabled...
killings. Mohnke strongly denied the accusations against him, telling author Thomas Fischer, "I issued no orders not to take English prisoners or to execute prisoners." Mohnke died in August 2001.
In 1988, after a campaign by British MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Jeff Rooker
Jeff Rooker, Baron Rooker
Jeffrey William Rooker, Baron Rooker, PC is a British politician, who served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr from 1974 until 2001...
, the case was reopened but a German prosecutor came to the conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.
The incident was re-enacted in the 2004
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
BBC television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
docudrama Dunkirk
Dunkirk (TV series)
Dunkirk is a 2004 BBC television docudrama about the Battle of Dunkirk and the Dunkirk evacuation in World War II.-Awards:*BAFTA Awards 2005**Won: Huw Wheldon Award for Specialist Factual: Robert Warr & Alex Holmes...
.