Les crimes de guerre commis commis lors de la libération du territoire national SEPTEMBRE 1944 REGION DES FLANDRES – War crimes committed during the liberation of the national territory, September 1944. Published by George Thone, Liège (Belgium), 1947 – first edition. French. The official report on the severe crimes committed by the Germans in the Flanders region (northern Belgium) toward the end of World War II, as they fled from the advancing Belgian army reclaiming its homeland.
The booklet before us details the findings of the special commission for the investigation of crimes committed by the Germans in the Flanders region (northern Belgium) toward the end of the war. In September 1944, as Allied forces advanced, Belgium began to be liberated from Nazi occupation. During this period, clashes occurred between retreating German forces, local resistance fighters (the Maquis), and the civilian population. Throughout the liberation, instances of extreme violence took place, including executions, the burning of buildings, and harm to civilians. Among the events reported are the execution—without trial—of resistance fighters by the Germans at the municipal school; the execution of innocent civilians in the Strijpen area; the execution of Belgian civilians in Termonde after they attempted to prevent the Germans from blowing up a bridge (the report includes detailed documentation of all the individuals involved and how they discovered the Germans’ plan to destroy the bridge); and an act of deception carried out by the Germans—calling on locals to assist wounded individuals who had been shot, only to then execute those who came to help. Also documented is the murder of farmers in the Caeneghem area without any cause, the execution of resistance fighter Gilbert Brackman after a secret document was found on his person, and crimes committed by the Germans during their retreat in the Astene area, including the execution of people who had offered them shelter in their homes. The report also tells of the murder of four residents of Lombartzyde who approached a railway line, believing the area to be free of German presence, and more. The booklet is accompanied by photographs documenting the various crime scenes where the Nazis carried out these killings, as well as a map illustrating one of the locations and the circumstances of the murder of innocent civilians by the Germans.
By decree of Prince Charles, a “Commission of Inquiry on Violations of International Law, the Laws and Customs of War” was established on December 13, 1944. The mission of the Belgian commission was to investigate all offenses committed—on Belgian soil or abroad—against Belgians, by individuals belonging to the enemy’s army or administration, with the aim of bringing the guilty parties to trial before Belgian courts or before other judicial authorities that might be created for this purpose.
The commission focused on war crimes committed by the Nazis, such as arson, theft, abuse, reprisals, torture camps, rape and forced prostitution, attacks against resistance fighters, as well as violations of international law, including the taking of hostages, persecution of Jews, deportation, forced labor, forced conscription—whether into the German army or into military or paramilitary organizations—destruction of property, attacks on military institutions in the interest of the German army’s defense, and damage to military institutions for the national defense of Germany. Systematic looting, etc. The commission published its findings every few months in rapid succession, in order to apprehend the guilty and bring them to justice.
Extremely rare. Only one copy listed in the WorldCat global library catalog.
33 pp. Very good condition.
