Les crimes de guerre commis commis lors de la libération du territoire national SEPTEMBRE 1944 – REGION DE MONS – The official report of the War Crimes Investigation Commission on behalf of the Belgian Ministry of Justice, published in 1947. A documentation of the war crimes committed during the liberation of the Mons region (on the French border) in September 1944, with a focus on events that took place in the town of Jemappes. Published by George Thone, Liège (Belgium), 1947 – first edition. French.
The booklet before us details the findings of the special commission for the investigation of crimes committed by the Germans during the liberation of the Mons region (on the French border) in September 1944, That month, with the advance of Allied forces, the liberation of Belgium from Nazi occupation began. During this period, clashes occurred with retreating German forces. Throughout the liberation, severe acts of violence took place, including executions, the burning of buildings, and harm to civilians—sometimes as acts of reprisal for alleged collaboration with the occupiers or suspicions of treason. Among the incidents reported are the murder of the Fernand family in their home cellar; the execution by gunfire of Jews from the Blaugies area as punishment for not wearing armbands; the shooting of the Defaivre family, residents of Havay (Mons district); the execution of innocent civilians in Petit-Enghien; a horrifying scene of arson and murder carried out by the Nazis in the Jemappes area; the killing of innocent civilians by a group of SS soldiers fleeing France on September 3rd, who threw grenades into homes and basements in revenge for the deaths of their comrades at the hands of Belgian resistance fighters; a mass slaughter committed by the Nazis in the municipal park of Jemappes; killings by Nazi soldiers disguised as American troops, including point-blank shootings and systematic looting of homes; arbitrary arrests and executions in the Ghlin area; and horrific acts of revenge against civilians found in possession of German Luftwaffe documents, 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 showing the route taken by the SS soldiers during the commission of their crimes.
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.
40 pp. Tear with slight loss to the corners of the front cover. Otherwise, very good condition.
