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Just back from an adventurous trip to mid France, where we visited a village I'd heard of via the incredible World At War series many years ago
On 10 June, Diekmann's battalion sealed off Oradour-sur-Glane and ordered everyone within to assemble in the village square to have their identity papers examined. This included six non-residents who happened to be bicycling through the town when the SS unit arrived. The women and children were locked in the church, and the village was looted. The men were led to six barns and sheds, where machine guns were already in place.
According to a survivor's account, the SS men then began shooting, aiming for their legs. When victims were unable to move, the SS men covered them with fuel and set the barns on fire. Only six men managed to escape. One of them was later seen walking down a road and was shot dead. In all, 190 Frenchmen died.
The SS men next proceeded to the church and placed an incendiary device beside it. When it was ignited, women and children tried to escape through the doors and windows, only to be met with machine-gun fire. 247 women and 205 children died in the attack.
It was harrowing walking through the remains of the village, left untouched as a memorial to all who died, and a reminder of the insanity & atrocities of war
Seeing pots still hanging over fireplaces, the remains of twisted metal bed-frames and even a cot will remain with me for a long time
Taking photos almost felt wrong and yet appropriate too - here's just 3 to give a taste
Dave
On 10 June, Diekmann's battalion sealed off Oradour-sur-Glane and ordered everyone within to assemble in the village square to have their identity papers examined. This included six non-residents who happened to be bicycling through the town when the SS unit arrived. The women and children were locked in the church, and the village was looted. The men were led to six barns and sheds, where machine guns were already in place.
According to a survivor's account, the SS men then began shooting, aiming for their legs. When victims were unable to move, the SS men covered them with fuel and set the barns on fire. Only six men managed to escape. One of them was later seen walking down a road and was shot dead. In all, 190 Frenchmen died.
The SS men next proceeded to the church and placed an incendiary device beside it. When it was ignited, women and children tried to escape through the doors and windows, only to be met with machine-gun fire. 247 women and 205 children died in the attack.
It was harrowing walking through the remains of the village, left untouched as a memorial to all who died, and a reminder of the insanity & atrocities of war
Seeing pots still hanging over fireplaces, the remains of twisted metal bed-frames and even a cot will remain with me for a long time
Taking photos almost felt wrong and yet appropriate too - here's just 3 to give a taste
Dave