The Malmedy Massacre Photo

[NickD]

dont worry nick that wont happen
im not the argumentative type

are these pics originals or re prints
they are very moving and thought provocking either way
cheers ian

hiya mate

its an original press photo

[ian]

nick im glad they are original
they are something special to get hold of
pride of place well done mate
cheers ian

[navyman]

Hello,
I had not heard of this massacre, can you let me know where Malmedy is?
Any incidents like the ones described in this thread are, in my mind, a disgrace who ever the perpetrators are.
With sadness,
navyman.

[ian]

hi navy man if you look at the first post there is a link put there by Nick
it will tell you what went on during the battle of the bulge in the ardens
at malmedy
all the wind to Nicks sails

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, many thanks for the way this thread has been conducted. This is what sets our forum apart. Cudos to you all I can tell you on other forums this would have completely gone downhill and have been closed or deleted.

Shooting prisoners out of hand was commonplace in all armies in WW2. I have spoken first hand to many Veterans , British, US and German who did this personally or witnessed comrades who did. Some were done cold bloodledly out of simple expediency, (no time to guard/care for POW's) others out of rage for friends lost in simple revenge.


Hi Nick, Press release photos are good collectable items and powerfull images like this one especially so.

Thanks for showing it.

Cheers, Ade.

[ian]

hi ade well from my side ide say its a real pleasure to be among gentlemen
and a good hearted debate is what its all about
cheers mate ian

[ian]

nick its good to see that navyman has shown an interest in learning about what went on at malmadey
wonderfull how a simple post of a pic can stir peoples interest in things
good on you mate
cheers ian oh and i learnd something from it to good stuff

[Panzer 3]

Hi nick,
Thanks for showing these moving photo,s, i have read the account of Malmedy, but this is the first time i have seen real pics of it. Very poignant time and a useless waist of life.
Dave.

[ahrtal]

Thought I'd jump into this one. I have a unique perspective. I knew a gentleman who was at Dachau at the liberation. After the prisoners were released, there was a blood orgy, so to speak, and the prisoners also took out vengeance on those who had been assigned to watch the camp after the staff ran away. These troops were a mixture of Waffen-SS troops of Florian Geier (one young trooper in a photo has an Edelweiss on his Bergmuetze), and, it has been reported, Wiking. Quite a few of them are wearing camouflage uniforms, not what garrison personnel wear. The G.I.s watched them kill some of the guards, and even loaned them .45s to administer the coup de grace. The prisoners not only took revenge on these "guards", but also on any German soldier near the camp. This gentleman showed me a photo of two Heer soldiers laying on the rail tracks running beside the camp who were terribly mutilated by the inmates. their eyes had been gouged out, teeth kicked in, and the struggle was so violent that the flesh was even torn off their fingers----when this officer took the picture they were still breathing. I made copies of his photo albums. I'll try to find the negatives and scan the picture.

One of the prisoners liberated was a 15 year old girl who later became my daughter's mother-in-law. She and her mother and father lived and worked in Building 7, the prisoners' "hospital". In 2001, I visited Dachau. When I crossed the foot bridge to the crematorium, I cannot explain the strong physical and emotional reaction. I almost could not take the last step across the bridge.

Steve Z.

[navyman]

Thanks Ian,
I will check it out, somehow it's a piece of history I've missed.
navyman.