SOVET - Belgium. 4th September 1944

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seaburn
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SOVET - Belgium. 4th September 1944

#1

Post by seaburn » 08 Oct 2014, 19:42

Has anyone got any information about the killing of 20 civilians at this location possibly by members of the 12th SS Hitler Jugend.

Rob - wssob2
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Re: SOVET - Belgium. 4th September 1944

#2

Post by Rob - wssob2 » 08 Oct 2014, 20:29

Hi Seaburn - this is what I have:

Belgian partisans spray gunfire on 12th SS troops at Sovet, six miles east of Dinant, wounding two soldiers. In response, Hitlerjugend troops rampage through the town, setting multiple houses on fire. 12th SS troops shoot eighteen civilians dead, including three women and the village priest, Vicar Beusart. At Anhee, a small village on the left bank of the Meuse, 12th SS troops kill thirteen civilians and set fire to 58 buildings. Most of the victims are elderly men between 60-82 years old. Other Hitlerjugend troops pillage the riverbank villages of Bouillon, Godinne, Hun, Rivere and Warnant. Division troops rape two Belgian women at Annevoie.

Source: The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe by William Hitchcock, p.63


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seaburn
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Re: SOVET - Belgium. 4th September 1944

#3

Post by seaburn » 08 Oct 2014, 21:26

Thanks Rob, I hadn't come across this one before. I have a letter to the 'Under-secretary of the War Office in London' from the Headquarters of the 'British Army of the Rhine' which states that the 'Belgian representative on UNWCC. (General de Baer) had requested the extradition of Kurt Meyer to Belgium to stand trial for this atrocity. This letter was dated 24th July 1946. (WO311/691-p68). It was noted in the letter that Meyer was already in Canada serving his sentence at that time and obviously he never stood trial for this case.

Does anyone know if Kurt Meyer was considered to have been personally there or would the conjecture be that it was more about his position as Brigade Fuhrer that implicated him? Obviously he could have been there or thereabouts as he was captured a few days later and not so far away. In 'Meeting of Generals' it was stated that he returned to Belgium in the late 1950's and drove through the village where he was captured near Namur, therefore we can deduce that he didn't feel vulnerable to arrest. Was there ever a trial for this atrocity does anyone know?

PierreYvesS
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Re: SOVET - Belgium. 4th September 1944

#4

Post by PierreYvesS » 31 Oct 2021, 21:15

My grand parents and some of their children lived in Sovet at the time of these event. I wish I had found this blog whilst my grand mother was still alive a few years ago as she may have been able to share some info.
From what I remember from the family story is that as bombing was also happening during these times people were mostly living in the cellars. As it was winter times, cellar ventilation grates were covered with hay bales to prevent the cold seeping in.
German soldier after shooting people who were trying to rescue people after some sort of bombing moved through the place setting fire to house and the hay bales, smoking people out.
From what the family story tells, some German soldiers were also kicking these bales away so people would no suffocate. My grand parents were amongst the lucky ones who were in a cellar where the hay bales was kicked away.
The story also goes that my grand ma had a premonition and went to get my grand dad from the gathering rescue effort.
I am not sure if it helps this move in any direction but thought I’d share that little bit of information.

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seaburn
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Re: SOVET - Belgium. 4th September 1944

#5

Post by seaburn » 29 Nov 2021, 23:15

Thank you for posting that information !

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