Dying SS Troops

Pantothenic · 04-21-2008, 08:33 PM

I am on a mission to identify the dying / near death SS troops in the attached footage. Can someone please tell me what unit these men are from and if you know anything about the massacre. The uniforms I can't identify. It appears they have been stripped of rank and insignia. Warning: extremely graphic. US Army Footage Film - May 8, 1945

Link is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE4wY-NniQQ

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 04-21-2008 08:33 PM

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**Adrian Stevenson** · 04-21-2008, 09:06 PM

Some troops seen marching alongside the vehicles and horse drawn field kitchens are POA (Russian Army of Liberation). The armshields can be seen on some uniforms.

Cheers, Ade.

**Ben Evans** · 04-21-2008, 09:14 PM

Were these men beaten to death?

**Adrian Stevenson** · 04-21-2008, 09:20 PM

I suspect so.

A scene that was repeated alongside many roads all across Europe in the spring of 1945.

Some of the film I recognised from the "Wolrd at War". The attractive girl who was no doubt raped and beaten stuck in my mind.

Cheers, Ade.

**Ben Evans** · 04-21-2008, 09:47 PM

I have seen men shot in iraq, blown up also, but to be beaten to death like this is no way for any soldier to die, SS or otherwise. I suppose such was life and still is

**Zeller** · 04-22-2008, 06:19 AM

yep...very sad footage. It was the same everywhere all around Europe those days.

**history-buff1944** · 04-01-2009, 04:58 PM

Did anyone notice the low quarter boots some of them were wearing as well as putees? I don't know postiively if this is a "dress rule" or not? but those to me indicate that some of those men were SS Gebirgejagers. Also, I noticed a mix of Army and LW personnel as well. Some still had on collartabs as well as specialty insignias.

**stonemint** · 04-01-2009, 08:54 PM

Along these same lines, I discovered a site in Czech that dealt with a Waffen-SS unit surrendering in the town of Beloves. The site was in Czech, so I couldn't understand what actually happened, but it appeared some SS men surrendered to the townsfolk, and the remainder tried to leave on Hetzers, and were massacred by the Soviets. I only have these pics remaining. This one is the beginning of the exodus by the Hetzer element: