Oradour-Sur-Glane

[steve roberts]

on the 10th of June 1944,this tiny French town was eliminated by GermanSS Troops.Why?this has been asubject of discussion ever since,with even Rommel becoming involved.I have Been there and it is a sobering experience to walk through atown that remains the same today as it was then.There is a Plaque at the entrance to the town stating the same words as used in the BBC programme The world at war.Quote"Down this road on a summers day in 1944,the Soldiers came.No one lives here now.They stayed only a few hours.When they had gone,the community which had lived for a Thousand years,was dead.This is Oradour-Sur-Glane.The day the Soldiers came,the people were gathered together.The men were taken to garages and barns,the women and children were led down this road and they were driven into this church.Here they heard the firing as their men were shot.Then they were killed too.A few weeks later those who had done the killing were themselves killed in battle.We never rebuilt Oradour.Its ruins stand as a memorial.Its martyrdom stands for thousands upon thousands of other martyrdoms ,in Poland in Russia,in Burma,in China,In a World at war." I left that place with tears in my eyes and wished I had never gone there.The full story can be found on http:/www.oradour.info. Regards Steve Roberts

[Derek Dicker]

not realy wnsf

[steve roberts]

Thats why this was posted on WW2 Everything else.Why have a sight with threads on units and regiments,uniforms and badges etc.Tell me there not really wnsf? Steve Roberts

[astraltrader]

I think both of you are right!!

Steve is quite correct in that we do encourage other serious discussions about non-naval subjects in sections like Everythingelse.

Derek is also right in that I think he was implying it was a subject that most of us would know little about!!

[steve roberts]

Hi Terry.I Guessed not many forum members would know of this incident and thought it worthy of a thread.Cheers Steve

[emason]

If you are interested in the story about Oradour-Sur-Glane, this website is a good starting point - http://www.oradour.info/

If you have the chance, visit the actual town. But be prepared for a very eeirie experience.

P.S. Sorry Steve, just read you posting properly. You already mentioned this same website.

[steve roberts]

Hi Bill. Thats OK,twice is better than none!I take it that you have been to the town? Talk about shivers down your spine! Regards Steve

[emason]

Hello Steve, unfortunately I haven't, but I have a friend who has. He showed me his photographs and painted a very vivid and and moving aural picture of the quiet sadness of the town.

Subsequently I read a book from the library about it (I can't remember the title) and it still haunts me to this day. Some things just get to you and this did.

Maybe it was the shock of unexpected ruthless and inexplicable violence that was suddenly perpetrated upon an unsuspecting and innocent quiet little rural town, all over in a couple of hours.

[John Odom]

There were several small towns in Batangas Philippines done the same way by the Japanese. They have been rebuilt though. In the Batangas massacres some who were in the fields escaped. Preserving the town as a monument is good.

[steve roberts]

Hi John. Thanks for your post.I think everyone can think of some attrocity not really rembered by many,except those either directly involved or affected.I just thought that the plaque out side this little town was magnominious in not just remembering their own disaster.Regards Steve

[steve roberts]

Hi Bill. Sorry,forgot to put this in last post. The book you may have read would probably been "Orador-Sur-Glane Massacre" by Robin Mackness,widely published around the world as it put a new twist to the story.Another one not so widely published was "Oradour-Sur-Glane.The Tragedy Hour" by Robert Hebras. Regards Steve.

[emason]

Quote "The book you may have read would probably been "Orador-Sur-Glane Massacre" by Robin Mackness,widely published around the world as it put a new twist to the story.Another one not so widely published was "Oradour-Sur-Glane.The Tragedy Hour" by Robert Hebras."

Thanks Steve, I'll keep an eye open for them as I would like some reference material instead relying on my suspect memory.

[Polycell]

We live about 8 Km from Oradour Sur Glane in the Mont de Blond.
There are lots of stories as to why this massacre took place.
One of the most common is that a branch of the resistance called Le Maquis or maquisards called so from an area in the Corsican hills from where they were formed were holed up in Oradur Sur Vayre and had caused a lot of damage to German supply lines, capturing a high ranking German and killing a whole load of German troops. A unit of the 2 nd Panzer division "Das Reich" Waffen SS were moving North to take part in the Normandy landings offensive coming south from Montauben thru Brive to Limoges.
Of course the resistance were giving these people 'agro' at every step blocking roads etc Several scuffles on the way one being in the town of Tulle. The SS mistook Oradour sur Glane for Oradour sur Vayre where supposedly the Maquis were holed up alongside a cache of arms.
The most plausible reason for the massacre was one of intimidation to spread fear and terror into the rest of France to prevent uprisings like the one that happened in Tulle also to try ans stop the blockades across roads etc making it difficult for the Germans to move North to the coast.
The town was rounded up on Saturaday the 10 June 1944 the men were taken to a barn whilst the women and children to the church. The men were all shot in the legs and straw and hay thrown over them and they were set fire to. Some men escaped about two or three. A fire was started in the church and it was hoped the women and children would suffocate but some women attempt to break out of the church so they were all shot. One woman did escape thru a church window.
The SS then set to work and set fire to every house pillaging what they could find and spent the night in Oradour getting drunk before moving North on Sunday 11 June.
The town as it was has been left as it was on that day. A new town has been built within a few hundred metres of the original town and is quite a lively pretty little town.
A good book on the subject is 'Oradour The Final Verdict ' by Douglas W. Hawes.

[INVINCIBLE]

Originally Posted by Polycell

We live about 8 Km from Oradour Sur Glane in the Mont de Blond.
There are lots of stories as to why this massacre took place.
One of the most common is that a branch of the resistance called Le Maquis or maquisards called so from an area in the Corsican hills from where they were formed were holed up in Oradur Sur Vayre and had caused a lot of damage to German supply lines, capturing a high ranking German and killing a whole load of German troops. A unit of the 2 nd Panzer division "Das Reich" Waffen SS were moving North to take part in the Normandy landings offensive coming south from Montauben thru Brive to Limoges.
Of course the resistance were giving these people 'agro' at every step blocking roads etc Several scuffles on the way one being in the town of Tulle. The SS mistook Oradour sur Glane for Oradour sur Vayre where supposedly the Maquis were holed up alongside a cache of arms.
The most plausible reason for the massacre was one of intimidation to spread fear and terror into the rest of France to prevent uprisings like the one that happened in Tulle also to try ans stop the blockades across roads etc making it difficult for the Germans to move North to the coast.
The town was rounded up on Saturaday the 10 June 1944 the men were taken to a barn whilst the women and children to the church. The men were all shot in the legs and straw and hay thrown over them and they were set fire to. Some men escaped about two or three. A fire was started in the church and it was hoped the women and children would suffocate but some women attempt to break out of the church so they were all shot. One woman did escape thru a church window.
The SS then set to work and set fire to every house pillaging what they could find and spent the night in Oradour getting drunk before moving North on Sunday 11 June.
The town as it was has been left as it was on that day. A new town has been built within a few hundred metres of the original town and is quite a lively pretty little town.
A good book on the subject is 'Oradour The Final Verdict ' by Douglas W. Hawes.

Oradour - Sur - Glane is by no means the only place remembered today. The village close to us in the Lot et Garonne has preserved the wall, full of bullet holes, where the local farmers were lined up and machine gunned. Visitors to us stopped at Oradour -Sur-Glane on their way back home and told us it was an incredible experience to visit the site. Have not yet visited it.

[steve roberts]

Hi Invincible.Visit it when you get the chance.The only way I can describe the feeling when walking around the Village,is very akin to visiting Auswitz and Bergen-Belson. Regards Steve.

[emason]

One thing (among many) that I can't understand is that the date of the atrocity is 10th June 1944, four days after the D-Day landings. One would have thought that they had more pressing priorities at that time. It just illustrates what a paranoid, distorted view of their sense of purpose they had, when it was more important to them to exact revenge on innocent country folk instead of fighting the real enemy, who posed a real threat.

[steve roberts]

Hi Bill, You are right.If my memory serves me well,the "Das Riech" Division was actually in the midst of a move to the Normandy area,when this attrocity happened.Why the full truth naver came out,is that many of those involved in the act were killed themselves within a few days. Regards Steve.

[steve roberts]

For anyone who has never seen the Villiage here are a few photos. Steve
DSC_0018_0018.jpgDSC_0259_0245.jpgOradour1944.jpgSept1944Church.jpg

[steve roberts]

And a few more I could not find at first.Steve.
[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[nigelweysom]

Steve thanks for posting the pictures , i have visited Normandy twice to visit the D Day sites , but never been to Oradour-sur-Glane , as a general comment when i first heard of this , i was told that it was in retaliation for the resistance slowing down the panzers who were trying to get to the landing beaches
Nigel

[steve roberts]

Hi Nigel.It was never really established why the tragedy occured,as many of those involved were killed in action very shortly afterwards.Those who wern't obviously kept their mouths shut for obvoius reasons! The stories are,as you state,Resistance to troop movments,Resistance fighters hiding in the villiage,stolen gold,a kidnapped SS officer being held there,the wrong villiage! The list is endless,and I doubt the full truth will ever be known.If you ever do get the chance,do visit.It is a moving experience,as I have said before. Regards. Steve.