Biscari massacre - Citizendia

The Biscari massacre was a series of two incidents caused by U.S. troops during World War II, in which unarmed German and Italian prisoners of war were killed at Biscari in 1943. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Acate is a small town in the south of Sicily in the Province of Ragusa.

1 Massacre
2 Notes
3 References
4 Further reading
5 See also

Massacre

Following the capture of Biscari Airfield in Sicily on July 14, 1943, seventy-four Italian and two German POWs were shot by American troops of the 180th Regimental Combat Team, 45th Division during the Allied invasion of Sicily. Acate is a small town in the south of Sicily in the Province of Ragusa. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis These killings occurred in two separate incidents between July and August 1943. The first incident involved 34 Italians and 2 Germans, while the second involved 40 Italians.

Sergeant Horace T. West was charged in the first incident with killing the 36 POWs under his charge. West admitted that he had participated in the shootings, was found guilty, stripped of rank and sentenced to life in prison, though he was later released as a private. A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in In the second incident, Captain John T. Compton was court-martialed for killing 40 POWs in his charge. He claimed to be following orders. The investigating officer and the Judge Advocate declared that Compton's actions were unlawful, but he was acquitted. Compton was merely transferred to another regiment and died a year later fighting in Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This was seen at the time as a clear case of injustice and differing treatment for officers and NCOs. A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force

Those involved claimed in their defense they were following orders. They quoted General George S. Patton’s speech to them before the invasion of Sicily:

When we land against the enemy, don't forget to hit him and hit him hard. For the 19th century Scottish jurist/politician see George Patton Lord Glenalmond. When we meet the enemy we will kill him. We will show him no mercy. He has killed thousands of your comrades and he must die. If you company officers in leading your men against the enemy find him shooting at you and when you get within two hundred yards of him he wishes to surrender – oh no! That bastard will die! You will kill him. Stick him between the third and fourth ribs. You will tell your men that. They must have the killer instinct. Tell them to stick him. Stick him in the liver. We will get the name of killers and killers are immortal. When word reaches him that he is being faced by a killer battalion he will fight less. We must build up that name as killers.

—George S. Patton^[1]

Neither Patton nor the unit commanding officer, Colonel E. Cookson, was held officially responsible.

Notes

^ Botting p. 355

References

Botting, Douglas & Sayer, Ian: Hitler's Last General: The case against Wilhelm Mohnke. Douglas Botting (born February 22, 1934) is a noted English Explorer, Author, Biographer and TV presenter and producer Bantam Books, London, 1989, 354-9

Contents

Massacre

Notes

References

Further reading

See also