Charlemagne soldiers executed at Bad Reichenhall
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Re: Charlemagne soldiers executed at Bad Reichenhall
Further posts containing personal remarks about other posters will be deleted on sight. Stick to the facts, gentlemen, and argue them as civilly as possible - DT.
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Re: Charlemagne soldiers executed at Bad Reichenhall
Here is probably the same photo but apparently uncropped.Panzermahn wrote:I found that I had actually saved the 3 photos of French POWs at Karlstein into my PC but unfortunately I can't remembered where I saved it from.
I am unable to link it thru the IMG command from the link below so I had saved it and then reupload.
Picture source: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/33dgren.jpg/
Re: Charlemagne soldiers executed at Bad Reichenhall
I had typed a nice reply including translating the German text in this post after making it through 14 pages. The forum timeout feature got me. Grrr.
Instead of translating all this again here is what HIAG had to say in July-August 1986
Instead of translating all this again here is what HIAG had to say in July-August 1986
Re: Charlemagne soldiers executed at Bad Reichenhall
Actually the word exchange between General Leclerc and the prisoners, in French language, went a bit different from the commonly reported English translation. (Note: in German language web sources, it apperas as a rough translation from English, as well.) As reported by Jean-Christophe Notin in his biography of Leclerc (Leclerc, 2005), the General said, as the men were assembled in front of him: "N'avez-vous pas honte de servir sous cet uniforme?", to which they gave the famous answer. While the General responded, to his staff officers: "Débarrassez-moi de ces gens-là!"
Which is pretty interesting, since none of the officers who testified later remembered which order exactly did they got and from whom (Chaplain Father Gaume and Lieutenant Morvan just said something like "the Divisional staff took the decision and we obeyed the order").
The General's words, at the first view, just mean "get me rid of those people". But he used the word "débarrasser" - to clear or remove something, as used in everyday life to say "clear the table". So a more exact translation would be "get me rid of (that garbage of) people!"
Enraged soldiers coming back to a devastated country and facing "traitors" interpret such language just as expected.
Which is pretty interesting, since none of the officers who testified later remembered which order exactly did they got and from whom (Chaplain Father Gaume and Lieutenant Morvan just said something like "the Divisional staff took the decision and we obeyed the order").
The General's words, at the first view, just mean "get me rid of those people". But he used the word "débarrasser" - to clear or remove something, as used in everyday life to say "clear the table". So a more exact translation would be "get me rid of (that garbage of) people!"
Enraged soldiers coming back to a devastated country and facing "traitors" interpret such language just as expected.