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Take No Prisoners The Nazi Ss In Normandy

TAKE NO PRISONERS
The Nazi SS in Normandy



Produced by:
H. Clifford Chadderton


For:
The War Amps of Canada



Duration: 57 minutes, 30 seconds








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(including electronically) without the written permission of The War Amps.


Dedicated to the 134 or more
Canadian soldiers executed
by members of the 12th SS Hitler Jugend in Normandy.


Page 1 of 3

Take No Prisoners – The Nazi SS in Normandy


Introduction

Mike Red Beach, Courseulles, France

H.C. Chadderton:
This is the Mike Red sector of Juno Beach, where the Royal Winnipeg
Rifles landed on June 6, 1944. It was not until late in 1945 that
Canadians heard of the execution of our prisoners. However, very
recently new information has become available which has put a new
perspective on the heroism of those who were executed because they
would not give the information to the Germans which would have
allowed them to drive themselves right back to this beach.

Monument Debarquement

H.C. Chadderton:
This is perhaps the final chapter in the commemoration of the events
which took place more that 50 years ago. We believe, however, it is
an important chapter and one about which Canadians should have a
great deal of knowledge.



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Page 2 of 4

Personal Connection

Royal Winnipeg Rifles Monument, Courseulles, France

H.C. Chadderton:
This is the Royal Winnipeg Rifles monument in Courseulles in France.
Behind are the beaches where the regiment landed on D-Day,
June 6th, 1944. I confess to a personal involvement in this story. I was
with this regiment from the start. Less than 48 hours and within five
miles of where we’re standing, more than 50 members of this
regiment were murdered. We believe that this story should be more
than a footnote in history.



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Page 3 of 5

Fred Hodge

Outside Château d’Audrieu


H.C. Chadderton:
This is the Château D’Audrieu in Normandy in France. Early in June
of 1944 the 12th SS reconnaissance battalion established its
headquarters in these grounds. Major Fred Hodge, when
commanding “A” company of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, was taken
prisoner at Putot and he was brought to these grounds for
interrogation by the German SS. Fred Hodge had wanted to be a
soldier all of his life. In his teens he joined the Cameron Cadets. He
became a crack rifle shot. When the Royal Winnipeg Rifles mobilized,
he was one of the first officers in uniform.


It is understandable then, that when the 1944 invasion of Europe took
place, Major Fred Hodge would be found holding a position in close
contact with a German reconnaissance unit.


The battle of Normandy had just begun. Hitler and most of his
German generals still thought the main Allied thrust would come at
Calais. Then, a Canadian major commanding an infantry company at
a point of deep penetration became their prisoner. He could tell them
what they wanted to know. He refused. His interrogator blew him
away!



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Page 4 of 6

Tom Windsor

Outside Abbaye Ardenne

H.C. Chadderton:
The night before the senseless murder of Major Hodge at the Château
d’Audrieu another officer who was fairly familiar with the D-Day plan
had been subjected to frightening interrogation here at the Abbaye
Ardenne. He was Lieutenant Tom Windsor of the Sherbrooke
Fusiliers and, incidentally, a man whom I had met several months
before in training exercises in England.

Tom Windsor would give his interrogators only his name, rank and
number. The SS commander – General Kurt Meyer – was furious.
Windsor realized that the Germans were going to shoot all of the
Canadians. Meyer issued the orders for their execution.

In a final act of courage and leadership, the 31-year-old Montrealer
shook hands with his young soldiers and entered a garden where a
member of the merciless Hitler Youth Regiment shot him in the back
of the head. The rest of the Canadians met the same fate.



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Page 5 of 7

The Interrogations

H.C. Chadderton:
I would like to talk now, about how two Canadian officers faced a
brutal death, rather than tell their German interrogators what they
wanted to know. It should be remembered that Lieutenant Windsor
and Major Hodge were interrogated before we had an opportunity to
build up our reinforcements. Had the SS learned of the meagre troop
dispositions we had between this area and the beach, the situation
could have been disastrous.


Terry Copp, noted military historian, vividly describes the situation in
“A Canadian's Guide to the Battlefields of Normandy”:

“…If the Germans had broken through the Canadian position astride
the Caen-Bayeux railway, the 12th SS could have launched a
coordinated attack splitting the Anglo-Canadian bridgehead…”



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Page 6 of 8

Tracing the Route

Canadian Battle of Normandy Foundation, Near Buron, France

H.C. Chadderton:
In this film, we will trace the movements of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers
and the North Nova Scotia Highlanders in their movement from the
beach to the Abbaye Ardenne.

Also, we will trace the movement of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles from
their landing at Courseulles, through to Putot-en-Bessin, and on to the
Château d'Audrieu. Thirdly, we will tell of incidents at places such as
Authie, where the SS again brutally murdered Canadian prisoners.



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Page 7 of 9

Valour and Horror

H.C. Chadderton:
After the war, in December of 1945, Canadians were outraged when
they learned the details of these murders through the war crimes trials
which began in Aurich, Germany.

As one might expect though, the public lost interest - until the
docu-drama titled “The Valour and the Horror” rekindled the story in
January of 1992. However, “The Valour and the Horror” somehow
managed to get the good guys and the bad guys mixed up. Here is a
clip from that controversial film.

[McKenna]:
“…While the German atrocity in this garden and others like it were
prosecuted, reports of allied atrocities against Germans were never
pursued. The message seems clear. War crimes committed in a
good cause are politically acceptable, perhaps regrettable, but such
war crimes are prosecuted only on the side that loses the war…”

H.C. Chadderton:
We owe much to those young Canadians who were butchered without
mercy in the Normandy bridgehead area in June of 1944. Their
memory demands that we set the record straight.



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Page 8 of 10

Medals for Gower and Fulton

H.C. Chadderton:
Now, let's go to the story of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.

Mike Red Beach, Courseulles, France

H.C. Chadderton:
This tremendous pillbox was at the extreme left of the Royal Winnipeg
Rifles objective on D-Day. It was captured by our “B” Company under
command of Phil Gower, who won a military cross for that action.

The assault on the beaches to the west was carried out by “D”
Company of the Winnipegs. They penetrated the sea wall and
headed for Graye-sur-Mer.

Major Lockie Fulton received the Distinguished Service Order for his
leadership in the capture of this village.



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Page 9 of 11

Capture of Graye-sur-Mer

Well Monument to Royal Winnipeg Rifles

H.C. Chadderton:
Throughout Normandy, the local French inhabitants and Canadian
veterans have erected a number of monuments and plaques. This is a
very interesting one, it is actually a well. It commemorates the capture
of Graye-sur-Mer by the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. This area was stoutly
defended by the men of the German 716th Division.



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Page 10 of 12

Capture of Creully, France

Re: de Gaulle-Montgomery Monument

H.C. Chadderton:
This chateau is just north of Creully. On June 14th, General de Gaulle
and General Montgomery met here. However, eight days earlier this
was the scene of a crucial battle.

Seulles River and Bridge in Distance

H.C. Chadderton:
The town of Creully is protected on the north by the Seulles River. The
Royal Winnipeg Rifles reached this spot and had to fan out, but were
stopped by the Germans who were heavily defending the river and the
bridge which we see in the distance. There is another bridge which is
further east and that was the scene of a very large battle and we'll tell
you about that next.


This is the bridge at the eastern approach to Creully.

It is easily defended. The Germans were stopping us cold here. But
eventually a platoon of “D” company crossed the bridge, an action for
which Lieutenant Jack Mitchell was awarded the military cross. If the
Royal Winnipeg Rifles had not been able to capture Creully, there was
no way that the 7th Brigade could have gotten anywhere near its D-
Day objectives.



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Page 11 of 13

Capture of Putot

H.C. Chadderton:
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles reached Putot-en-Bessin on June the 7th,
the second day of the invasion. And a very sad day it was for this
western Canadian battalion. Terry Copp, Sir Wilfred Laurier
University Historian, tells the story.

Terry Copp:
Putot-en-Bessin was a scattered village which proved difficult to
defend. Lieutenant-Colonel John Meldram used “A” Company to
defend the Brouay Crossing. “B” and “C” Companies were deployed
in between. “D” Company was at the eastern edge of the village
where a dirt road went under the railway line.

Back in Putot, the Germans had broken into the village and by
afternoon, three of the Winnipeg companies were cut off and
surrounded. Sixty-four Canadians had been taken prisoner and 45 of
these were murdered by the 12th SS.

Recent attempts to justify this war crime by reference to rumours of
atrocities by individual allied soldiers missed the point. The Canadian
prisoners were well away from the battlefield under guard, when a
staff officer of the 12th SS ordered their execution.



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Page 12 of 14

Château Murders

H.C. Chadderton:
Major Fred Hodge became the first Canadian company commander in
the hands of the SS. The Major and two of his soldiers were taken
immediately to the SS advance headquarters.

Château Grounds, Path at Rear

H.C. Chadderton:
We are now in the grounds at the rear of the Château d'Audrieu.

About 2 p.m. on the afternoon of June 8, the three prisoners, Major
Hodge and Corporal Ralph Fuller and Rifleman Fred Smith were
brought in from the north along this road.

They came to this point and then the guards turned them and headed
them in this direction towards a very large sycamore tree.

The 12th SS had a tent here as its headquarters. In that tent, Major
Hodge was first interrogated. Major Bremer was the commanding
officer of this reconnaissance unit. He was wounded and away from
here at the time. His second in command was a Lieutenant Schenk
and the British war crimes unit identified a third officer later as a Major
Von Reitzenstein.

And we have here the actual sketch which was done for the court of
inquiry set up under the supreme headquarters of the allied forces,
that is, General Eisenhower, to investigate this incident. That court sat
in mid-July.

I’ve pinned this map to the sycamore tree and will take you through
step by step what actually happened. Here we have the sycamore
tree. This is the Château itself. The M stands for the place where
members of the Château d’Audrieu staff could observe everything that
was going on. And that becomes very important. In other words, they
could not commit murders in this area because they would have been
seen. Major Hodge and the other two prisoners were marched up this
road along here. There was an officer (or a non commissioned officer)
in the German army SS standing here, to direct them. They went
further along this road and into a very deep area known as “the park.”


This is a tragic, sacred and emotional place for me and for members
of the Canadian Army who fought in Normandy. This is where Major
Hodge, Corporal Fuller and Rifleman Smith were further interrogated
and were then executed because they would not give the German SS
reconnaissance battalion any information on the Canadian

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Page 13 of 15

dispositions. Major Hodge’s body was on the left. Corporal Fuller
was next, and on the right was Rifleman Smith.

Here we have a tragic accident of fate. Rifleman Fred Smith initially
belonged to the Queen’s Own of Toronto. He was transferred to the
Winnipegs as reinforcement and a day later, he was murdered.

Standing facing them would have been the interrogating officer, Gerd
Von Reitzenstein and standing near him was the Polish conscript in
the SS, Withold Stangenburg, who heard it all and later wrote a
statement about what happened here.



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Page 14 of 16

Stangenberg's Statement

Stangenberg:
“Three prisoners were brought to the Château grounds. There was an
Officer Major and two other soldiers. They had been disarmed and
were without helmets or caps. Hauptmann von Reitzenstein
approached the three men under guard. He had maps in his hand
and was making gestures indicating he wanted information.

The officer apparently refused to give any information. He appeared
cool but definite. He refused to look at the maps and just kept shaking
his head.

Hauptmann von Reitzenstein became very angry and drew his pistol.
He waved his map in the Officer's face. The officer turned to the other
prisoners and repeated this phrase: ‘Rank, Name, and Number.’

When he turned back, Hauptmann von Reitzenstein shot him, I think
in the face.”

H.C. Chadderton:
The evidence, according to the recent book, “Hitler's Last General” by
Ian Sayer, is that it was von Reitzenstein.

“…Twenty-five year old Hauptsturmführer Baron Gerd
von Reitzenstein was the officer responsible for ordering the
executions...”

Von Reitzenstein was implicated in the finding of a supplementary
report of a SHAEF Court of Inquiry and the book states further:

“…The activities of von Reitzenstein (who survived the war) were
submitted as evidence at the trial of the Major War Criminals which
opened before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg on the
14th of November 1945...”

Additional research indicates that the charges against von
Reitzenstein were not proceeded with. The chief witness against him,
Withold Stangenberg, had mistakenly been released and was
eventually repatriated to Poland where he died in 1982.



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Page 15 of 17

Sneath's Testimony – Outside Château D'audrieu

H.C. Chadderton:
Captain Lloyd Sneath had been a former NCO with the Royal
Winnipeg Rifles. He transferred to the Hallamshire Battalion of the
Lancaster and York regiment. He came across the gruesome
discovery of these bodies when the British Army came through and
captured the grounds of the Château d’Audrieu. He was thus able to
give evidence to the war crimes investigation unit.

Sneath:
The following morning I went down to the Château and saw the bodies
as they lay near the hedge. Each man had been wounded in the
head. In some cases, the top of the head had been lifted completely
off.



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Page 16 of 18

Geneva Convention


H.C. Chadderton:
Article 17 of the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of
prisoners of war states: Every prisoner of war is bound to give only his
name, rank, and regimental number. “The Valour and the Horror”
mentions some oblique reference in a notebook taken from the body
of a dead Canadian officer. It was supposed to have said: No
prisoners will be taken.

No officers of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles ever remembers any such
order. In any event, there is ample photographic evidence that many
German prisoners were taken by the Canadians in the early fighting.



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Page 17 of 19

Mclean's Evidence

H.C. Chadderton:
Only a few hours after the murder of Fred Hodge and his men,
another slaughter was carried out by the SS.

Fontenay-le-Pesnel

H.C. Chadderton:
It was along this road near Fontenay-le-Pesnel, on June the 8th, 1944,
near dusk, that about 40 members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, two
members of the 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment and a member of the
Cameron Highlanders were marched as prisoners of war.

These soldiers were herded into a bunch, some of them were
wounded. They were advanced upon by several Hitler Jugend with
schmeissers ready to fire. It was at this point that Bill Ferguson, a
lieutenant serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a man who hailed
originally from Vancouver, performed an act of sheer bravery.

Lieutenant Ferguson tried to reason with his captors. Laughingly, they
cut him to pieces with machine gun fire. Then they turned their
schmeissers on the other Canadians. Nevertheless, five did manage
to escape into a nearby grain field.

Concerning this terrible massacre, Corporal Hector McLean of
Inverness, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, risked his life to give the
following testimony to the war crimes trials.

McLean:
“…It wasn't even a minute afterwards, the firing squad moved towards
us in an extended line and... the order was given by one German to
fire. After the first round was fired, I made a break for it and escaped
into what I think was a grain field…”



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Page 18 of 20

Clark's Evidence

Fontenay-le-Pesnel

H.C. Chadderton:
Another Lieutenant, Reg Barker of the 3rd Anti-Tanks also risked his
life in an attempt to argue the Germans out of shooting these
Canadian prisoners.

Gunner Wildon Clark gave evidence concerning Barker's heroism.

Clark:
“…Lieutenant Barker told us to stand steady until the first burst was
fired. He was going to try and talk them out of it. I am sure they had
the idea of getting rid of us because nobody tried to escape until they
came forward with those automatics...”


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Page 19 of 21

Purpose of Executions

Fontenay-le-Pesnel

H.C. Chadderton:
Evidence in recent German publications indicates that the purpose of
these mass executions was to scare the rest of the Canadian
prisoners into giving information. It didn’t work.

The purpose of these atrocities was confirmed in a news story in the
London Daily Herald as early as August the 3rd of 1944. It stated:

“…The executions were ordered by an officer, said to be a major,
apparently because he was infuriated at the Canadians for refusing to
talk when interrogated.

It is confirmed that the men were shot on D-Day plus 2, near Pavie,
Normandy, north of the Caen-Bayeux Road which the Canadians
were battling to cross…”



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Page 20 of 22

Murder of British and American Troops

Mouen Monument

H.C. Chadderton:
We are in Mouen, an area just south of the Caen-Bayeux railroad.
The Hitler Youth butchers murdered many Canadians, some of them
carrying their own wounded on the roads in and around here. The
person held responsible was Wilhelm Mohnke, a Nazi general who
had previously been held responsible for a massacre of British troops
in the evacuation of Dunkirk, at a place called Wormoudt. And later in
the war this same Wilhelm Mohnke was held responsible for the
infamous massacre of American troops at Malmédy in the Battle of
the Bulge. Please don't ask me why he was never prosecuted.



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Page 21 of 23

Haut-du-Bosq Murders

Haut-du-Bosq

H.C. Chadderton:
Withold Stangenberg, who told us of the brutal murder of Fred Hodge
at the Chateau d’Audrieu, gave evidence to the war crimes trials about
another terrible tragic murder which took place at Haut-de-Bosq near
this factory.

Bruce MacDonald, in his epic book “The Trial of Kurt Meyer,”
describes what happened:

“…Three Canadian soldiers, Rifleman Allen Owens of the Royal
Winnipegs and Sappers John Lonel and George Benner of the
Engineers, were interrogated, shot and their bodies pushed into a
bomb crater...”



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Page 22 of 24

Transition from Mohnke to Meyer

Château d’Audrieu, Royal Winnipeg Rifles Monument

H.C. Chadderton:
This monument was erected in 1989 to the loving memory of 58
members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.




Also eight soldiers from other regiments and units who were murdered
in the grounds of the Château d’Audrieu, at Fontenay-le-Pesnel, at
Haut-de-Bosq and other surrounding areas.

This monument is mute testimony to the brutal murders carried out
under the direction of Nazi General Wilhelm Mohnke. The young men
were defenceless Canadian volunteers.

Other war crimes had been carried out the day before at the famous
Abbaye d’Ardenne by another SS General, Kurt Meyer.

The prisoners involved came mostly from the North Nova Scotia
Highlanders and the Sherbrooke Fusiliers.



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Page 23 of 25

Landings – Bernières-Sur-Mer

H.C. Chadderton:
Most Canadians, who have watched films of D-Day, will recognize this
beach house behind me, which is still intact more than 50 years later.
This is at Bernières-sur-Mer where, in the second wave, the North
Nova Scotia Highlanders and the Sherbrooke Fusiliers came ashore
at about 10:00 in the morning.



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Page 24 of 26

Les Buissons

H.C. Chadderton:
The vanguard of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, with the North Nova Scotia
Highlanders riding on their tanks, reached this spot early on June 7th.
In his book, “A Canadian's Guide to the Battlefields of Normandy,”
Terry Copp tells us about the first encounters with the German SS.

“…Kurt Meyer, in command of 25th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment
had watched the approach of the North Novas from the tower of the
Abbaye Ardenne and decided to counter attack with two battalions
supported by tanks. The North Novas, in Authie, were overrun after a
vicious close quarters battle. Buron was attacked and a fierce tank
battle raged around the village. The remaining North Novas and
Sherbrookes retreated to Les Buissons where the other battalions
were preparing a fortress position…”



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Page 25 of 27

Other Murders – Buron

Place des Canadiens

H.C. Chadderton:b
This is a very honoured place for Canadians. It is the Place des
Canadiens in Buron, France. Sergeant Stanley Dudka of the North
Novas rode one of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers’ tanks on the initial
advance into this town on June 7th. Stanley lived to give evidence
before the war crimes trials of the shooting of prisoners by the
German SS which took place later that day.

DUDKA:
My Company was the spearhead of the division. My platoon was cut
off once and we were told every man for himself. This time we got
into a rough fight. The Germans swarmed in and captured 15 of us.
Immediately they picked out one man, threw him in the street and one
of the Germans emptied a pistol into him. Then they walked us
toward Caen. On the way, we passed a row of Canadians who were
lying lined up in the street; they had all been shot through the head.



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Page 26 of 28

Tanks Disabled – Authie, Southern Outskirts

H.C. Chadderton:
In the late afternoon of June 7th, Tom Windsor and his tank crew were
captured about here, on the southern outskirts of Authie. Stan Dudka
takes up the narrative.

DUDKA:
We ran into a heavy mortar barrage. Within minutes most of our
tanks had been knocked out. Everything happened so fast, that the
crews never had a chance... The Shermans went up like torches;
explosions, fire, smoke and screaming men.



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Page 27 of 29

The Abbaye Murders

Abbaye d’Ardenne

H.C. Chadderton:
The first seven prisoners, including Tom Windsor, were taken to the
Abbaye and locked in a storage shed.

The inner walls of this 13th century Abbaye d'Ardenne in Normandy
have seen some macabre sights. But certainly, none more sinister
than that which took place here late in the evening of June 7th, 1944.
Seven defenceless, unarmed Canadian prisoners of war were
executed for obeying international law. The Geneva Convention
states that a captured soldier must give only his name, rank and serial
number. The German SS wanted much more from them and they
paid the penalty of their lives.

This is a panorama of the walls of the inside of the Abbaye. First we
see the main gate. Then we travel along to see the storage sheds,
next, the chapel. In the far distance the administration buildings and
still further in the distance the tower from which Kurt Meyer could see
the entire Normandy battlefield.

This was the area of the pump from which the Pole, Jesionek, heard
Kurt Meyer give the order to execute the prisoners.

JESIONEK:
I saw seven Canadian soldiers who had been taken prisoner. They
were taken to a stable on the right of the Abbaye courtyard, where
Meyer was standing.

Meyer said, “What should we do with these prisoners? They only eat
up our rations. In future no more prisoners are to be taken.”

This area looks exactly the same as it did on that terrible evening of
June 7th, 1944. This is the passageway along which the seven
soldiers were marched. They were held here momentarily. They
were then led on the way into the garden and, at this location;
individually they shook hands with each other and went up the stairs,
led by Tom Windsor.

This is the entranceway to the garden and it was at this location where
the executions were carried out.

Jesionek's evidence said:

JESIONEK:
After the shooting was over, I went to the pump at the passageway. I
saw the NCO reload his pistol as he walked out of the garden. I was

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Page 28 of 30

convinced of these cruelties when I entered the garden and saw the
dead bodies of the seven Canadians in a large pool of blood.

H.C. Chadderton:
The actual number of the North Nova's and Sherbrooke’s who were
murdered here on the 7th are buried in this garden, including that of
Tom Windsor.

Garden Monuments

H.C. Chadderton:
This heart rendering, little shrine was erected by the Vico family who
were the inhabitants of the Abbaye. They put it up many years ago.

Then in 1984, the larger memorial was erected. It contains the names
of 18 members of the Canadian army who were shot here on the 7th
and 8th of June, 1944, and two other members, Corporal Pollard and
Lieutenant Williams, who were executed here on the 17th of June,
1944.



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Page 29 of 31

Significance of Windsor's Death

Plaque, Main Gate of Abbaye d’Ardenne

H.C. Chadderton:
This memorial plaque, erected beside the main gate of the Abbaye, is
to the memory of 27 Canadians who were executed in cold blood by
the Hitler Jugend. Inside, the memorial names 20 of these. Another
seven were found later. On December the 27th, 1945, Kurt Meyer was
found guilty of the execution of these prisoners.

He was to be hung but the sentence was commuted to life
imprisonment, part of which he spent in Canada. He was released to
a German prison and died in 1961 at the age of 51.

Specific evidence regarding the policy of the SS concerning the
shooting of prisoners was given at Meyer's trial. We quote from a
report of the Canadian War Crimes Investigation Unit dated 12th
January, 1946:

“…Four German soldiers, members of the 25th Panzer Grenadier
Regiment, swore that, during training, Meyer had said to his troops on
different occasions: ‘My regiment takes no prisoners.’ These later
orders included instructions that if prisoners were taken, they were to
be shot…”

According to Sayer’s recent book, “Hitler’s Last General,” a member of
the 12th SS Reconnaissance Battalion stated that his company was
given secret orders, the relevant part of which reads:

“…The attitude at the front: SS troops shall take no prisoners.
Prisoners are to be executed after having been interrogated…”

Marcel Dagenais, a French-speaking Sherbrooke, had been taken
prisoner at the same time as Tom Windsor. Because Dagenais was
French-speaking, the Germans had held him apart from the other
Canadian prisoners. Dagenais survived but later described Windsor’s
interrogation.

DAGENAIS:
Lieutenant Windsor said, when questioned, he had only three things
he would tell them, his rank, name, and number. With that, the
Sergeant-Major slapped Windsor across the face.

H.C. Chadderton:
Bruce MacDonald, in his book “The Trial of Kurt Meyer” concludes:

“…It might be a fair inference, that Lieutenant Windsor's declaration
that he would answer only the three questions, which international law

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Page 30 of 32

prescribed a prisoner of war could be asked and be obliged to answer
accounted for the fact that he and the others in his party never got
beyond the Abbaye d’Ardenne, but they paid the price with their lives
for their loyalty to their comrades and devotion to duty…”

The strategic value of these acts of withholding information was
emphasized by historian Charles Stacey in his book, “The Victory
Campaign,” where he stated:

“…Anticipating a second invasion, probably to be directed against the
Pas de Calais, the Germans continued to retain very large forces idle
in that area, waiting for an attack which never came. Had these
forces been directed immediately against our bridgehead in
Normandy, the outcome of the battle there might have been
different…”



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Page 31 of 33

The Killing Fields

H.C. Chadderton:
We have dealt with the murders at the Château d’Audrieu, and at the
Abbaye d’Ardenne. There is, however, more information about the
murders at Authie.

Place des Canadiens

H.C. Chadderton:
The people of Authie have named this the Place du 37 Canadiens.
The number would have been much higher except for the courage of
a gung ho Major of the North Nova’s by the name of Rhody
Rhodenizer. Rhody spoke some German, and was able to reason
with his captors to stop the slaughter, thus placing himself in great
danger.

There were other atrocities during this time as identified by the
Canadian investigators.

First Aid Post, Le Mesnil-Patry

H.C. Chadderton:
This is the site of a German SS field aid post. We are near Le Mesnil-
Patry. It was here that on June the 9th, three Canadian soldiers were
executed in cold blood. They were Fred Holness and Ernie
Baskerville of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and Harold Angel of the
Camerons of Ottawa. These were the only war crimes trials
committed in this area for which the perpetrators, two German SS
officers, were hanged.

Major Bernhard Siebken and Captain Dietrich Schnabel were tried
and found guilty for these murders by a British court in 1948.

While on patrol on June 12th, Company Sergeant-Major Charlie Martin
of the Queen’s Own Rifles found the bodies of his friend, Tommy
McLaughlin, and five other members of the Queen’s Own Rifles, near
this position. They, too, had been executed.



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Page 32 of 34

Historical Research

H.C. Chadderton:
A project such as this requires a great deal of research, much of it has
been carried out through the study of books and documents, many of
them long out of print. As well, we have had access to archival files in
Germany, France, Great Britain and, of course, Canada.

While here in Normandy working on this film, I visited the “Memorial”
or the Caen Museum. I picked up a book called “The Canadians Face
the German SS.” Believe me; I was very annoyed to find a passage
which said that the murders at the Château d’Audrieu were in fact
retaliation for murders carried out by the Inns of Court Regiment of the
British 50th Division. This is not only pure nonsense, but it’s hindsight
at its worst.

A Count, Clary-Aldrigen, of the Panzer Lehr Division told a British
Court in 1948, that he and a Colonel Luxenburger and a Colonel
Zeissler were taken prisoner by the Inns of Court. They were tied to
the armoured cars as human shields as this patrol attempted to find
its way back through the German lines. They were fired upon and,
according to Count Clary-Aldrigen, two of them were killed.

A history of the Panzer Lehr Division, published in 1989, makes no
reference to this shooting of prisoners. Also, Colonel Zeissler
received an award for gallantry three months after this so-called
shooting, while he was supposed to be with the Inns of Court
Regiment.

Another major book, published in 1995 in France and titled “Album
Historique of the Panzer Lehr Division,” even has a photo of Zeissler,
identified as a Major, taken in October of 1944, three months after he
was supposed to have been killed by the British patrol.

Also, this publication “Zie Kommen,” published in 1960, states that
Colonel Luxenburger and Colonel Zeissler were in a German column
of vehicles which were bombed by the Luftwaffe.

For my money, the most reliable source as to what happened would
be the war diaries for the Inns of Court Regiment. We were able to
obtain the entries for June 8, 1944.

Yes, there was an incident where prisoners were taken. Yes, this
patrol was ambushed on its way back, but certainly no indication that
the officers were tied to the vehicles. What did happen was the Inns
of Court lost two of their best officers, a Lieutenant Yodaiken and
Lieutenant Wigram.

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Page 33 of 35


This film demands that we examine the events which led to the
recruiting of the 12th SS Hitler Jugend. These were all young
Germans between the ages of 16 and 19. They had been nurtured in
the ideology of the Nazi socialism system. They took a blood oath to
the Fuhrer.

The first time they were in action was against the Canadians in the
Caen sector in Normandy. They demonstrated the kind of brutality
that can arise from a system such as that foisted upon the German
people by Adolf Hitler.

These young soldiers were monsters in camouflage uniforms, killers
with no conscience. They formed a division of fanatics that killed
without rhyme of reason.

In his book “Blood and Honour,” Craig Luther, an American historian,
states:

“…Many Canadian soldiers admit freely that their own forces were
also guilty of shooting enemy prisoners in Normandy…”

In a footnote, Luther says:

“…Questionnaires completed for the author by veterans of the 3rd
Canadian Infantry Division confirm that German prisoners, particularly
those from the Waffen SS, were sometimes shot…”

Luther's book indicates, however, that a total of only nine Canadians
were interviewed and only three of those were infantry. This would
hardly be justification for the author's conclusion that and I quote:

“...many Canadians freely admitted shooting prisoners…”

One of the Canadians supposedly interviewed by Luther was Larry
Brabant, of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. I know Larry personally. I
spoke with him on a live radio show on July the 7th, 1995 in Winnipeg.

Live Radio

H.C. CHADDERTON: Larry, can you tell us just what was in that questionnaire?

BRABANT:
I don’t remember filling it out, Cliff.


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Page 34 of 36

Loose Ends

Wall of Honour, Caen Memorial Garden

H.C. Chadderton:
This is the Wall of Honour, erected by the Canadian Battle of
Normandy Foundation in the grounds of Le Memorial. It contains the
names of all of the regiments and units which fought in the Battle of
Normandy in June of 1944.

We shall proceed now to the reflecting pool.

As you can see, this is a peaceful place, a place for reflection. But
one cannot escape the reality that we are only a few short kilometres
away from the scenes of the most brutal murders in Canadian military
history.

After the war, the German government carried out its own
investigations under the War Crimes Bureau. The terms of reference
are quoted in the book “The Wehrmacht War Crimes Bureau, 1939-
1945.”

No evidence was found to substantiate charges that there had been
shooting of German PoWs by Canadians, even though this is strongly
implied in the CBC film, “The Valour and the Horror.”

The massive “History of the 12th SS Panzer Divison Hitler Jugend,”
written by Hubert Meyer (no relation to Kurt Meyer and published in
English in 1994), makes no reference to the murder of Canadian
prisoners. That, we could probably expect. It is somewhat strange,
however, that author Meyer, himself a staff officer with the 12th SS,
failed to turn up any evidence of Canadians shooting German
prisoners either.



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Page 35 of 37

Shooting Of American and British PoWs

Pointe du Hoc

H.C. Chadderton:
We are at the Pointe du Hoc, a fortification on the Normandy coast
between Caen and Cherbourg. This fortification was taken on D-Day
by the American Rangers. It is of interest to our story however, that
very few Americans, or for that matter British PoWs, were shot. The
reason: They were not up against the 12th SS.



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Page 36 of 38

SS Philosophy vs. Regular German Army

German War Cemetery, La Cambe, France

H.C. Chadderton:
We are at the German military cemetery in La Cambe, near Bayeux in
France. This cemetery is maintained by a private commission in
Germany with public funding. There are nearly 22,000 German
military personnel buried here. It is traditional in the German
cemeteries that there are two soldiers buried at each headstone.
And throughout the cemetery you will see symbolic five crosses of
stone.

The members of the regular German army fought by the rules of war,
as we ourselves did. In fact, the regular German army was always
severely critical of the SS, and particularly the military arm called the
Waffen SS.

A good description of the twisted philosophy of the young SS soldiers
is given in Bruce MacDonald's book “The Trial of Kurt Meyer:”

“…Their indoctrination included lectures in which they were reminded
of the destruction wrought at home by our bombers and they were told
that they must be hard and fight to the last bullet. They were told that
the Allied Forces took no prisoners and that they too should take no
prisoners…”



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Page 37 of 39

Gauvin Clip

Chaudiere Monument, Beny-sur-Mer

H.C. Chadderton:
We turn now to a clip involving a discussion between Captain Michel
Gauvin of the Regiment de la Chaudière and an officer of the 21st
Panzer Division who fought in Normandy.

Helmut Liebeskind: I must find out that in North Africa, due to Marshall Rommel’s
education and leadership, we fought a gentleman's war. We... it did
not happen that a war prisoner would be killed.

Michel Gauvin:
When you speak about that, do you recall an incident where the
Canadians killed their prisoners?

Helmut Liebeskind: No!

Michel Gauvin:
Ah!

Helmut Liebeskind: No! No!

Michel Gauvin:
That's what I just wanted to clarify.

Helmut Liebeskind: No! No! No!

H.C. Chadderton:
Helmut Liebeskind, later a General in the German Army, makes it
crystal clear. Canadians did not shoot PoWs.



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Page 38 of 40

No Reports of Germans Shot

de Gaulle Monument, Courseulles, France

H.C. Chadderton:
This is the Charles de Gaulle monument in Courseulles, France. We
are pursuing the subject of whether Canadians shot German
prisoners. As an infantry officer with four months experience, I think
I’m in a position to say that frankly, it was not in their nature to do so.

Sherman Tank Monument, Courseulles, France

H.C. Chadderton:
This is a Sherman tank which belonged to the 1st Hussars of London,
Ontario. It was sunk in the channel, but it was hauled out a few years
ago and stands in Courseulles. This seems to be the appropriate
place to talk about whether Canadians did in fact shoot German
prisoners as the McKenna's suggested. The idea is preposterous, but
it seems to be spreading. Watch this clip from a recent British
documentary.

“…Among the most able and savage units in Normandy were those of
Hitler's Waffen SS. Expertly trained and intensely motivated, they
were hated and feared…”

A former British officer Kenneth Macksey, Tank Commander with the
Royal Armoured Corps, states:

“…They did carry out atrocities and the Canadians in particular
suffered extremely badly from them in the early stages of the
Normandy thing... …Of course... …and then the Canadians
started going for them in a big way...”

We emphasize this British officer's statement, “…Canadians started
going for them, (that is, the SS) in a big way…” So we see the
damage that can result from inaccurate statements like the ones in
“The Valour and the Horror.”



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Page 39 of 41

Ashworth

Churchill Tank Monument, Courseulles, France

H.C. Chadderton:
This is a Churchill tank. It actually landed on D-Day. It’s called a
Petard, because the rocket launcher hoisted a huge charge which
would blow up the German fortifications. However, for our story, it
happens to be at a very interesting location because we want to talk
about Edward Ashworth. He was a British Naval Rating who claims
that he got out of his craft, came ashore and saw some Germans with
their throats cut.

McKenna:
One story comes from the day of the landings on the Normandy
beach. A British sailor claimed he watched Canadians march some of
their German prisoners behind a sand dune, hoping to get a helmet as
a souvenir.

H.C. Chadderton:
He said that he found those Germans behind some sand dunes. So
let’s look around and see if there are any sand dunes. I think not. It’s
a very, very flat place where no one could hide.



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Page 40 of 42

Meyer / Mohnke Evidence

Beny-sur-Mer Cemetery

H.C. Chadderton:
We are at the Bény-sur-Mer Cemetery, in the beachhead area in
Normandy in France. There are 2,048 Canadians buried here. Our
story directly concerns only five of them. Lieutenant Bill Ferguson,
Lieutenant Reg Barker, Rifleman Fred Smith, Corporal Ralph Fuller,
and Major Fred Hodge, a friend of mine for many years.

As the result of a long and careful military and legal inquiry, in 1945,
General Kurt Meyer was found to be responsible for the murder of the
Canadians in the Abbaye Ardenne. There is possibly a stronger
indictment against another General, Wilhelm Mohnke, who is living in
retirement in Germany as this film is being made. Mohnke was
responsible for the murders in and around the Chateau d’Audrieu.

During the period from the 7th to the 17th of June 1944, a space of only
10 days, hundreds of unarmed Canadian prisoners of war had been
murdered by the members of the 12th SS.

Why were no Canadian prisoners shot after June 17th? There is an
understandable reason. By that time, it was painfully apparent to the
Germans, that they might lose the war. They began to wonder if their
actions would eventually catch up to them.



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Page 41 of 43

Tom Windsor's Letter

Bretteville Cemetery

H.C. Chadderton:
And so we bring to a close this story of one of the most terrible
episodes in our military history. It lasted only 10 days. The brutal
German SS snuffed out the lives of Tom Windsor and another 133
young Canadians. They had fought bravely. They surrendered with
honour. They were prisoners of war. They deserved to be treated as
human beings under one of the oldest protocols of international law,
the Geneva Convention. They died but their stories should not.

Sometimes we tend to gloss over the tragedy of war in terms of
human loss. I would like to read to you part of a letter which Tommy
Windsor wrote to his wife, to be opened “only in the event of my
death.”

“Dear Roma,

As our time draws near to go into battle, I want to tell you, darling,
how much you have meant to me and how happy and complete you
have made my life. I have no regrets, darling, at going and I am at
peace with the world, knowing that you will be here to carry on for
me. I will always be waiting for you.”

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