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Le Paradis Massacre
Le Paradis Massacre
Location Le Paradis village, commune of Lestrem, Northern France
Date 27 May 1940
Attack type Mass execution of Prisoners-of-war
Deaths 97
Injured 2
Perpetrator(s) 14th Company, 3rd SS Division Totenkopf
SS Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein

The Le Paradis massacre was a war crime committed by members of the 14th Company, SS Division Totenkopf under the command of Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knochlein against 99 British hors de combat soldiers from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment on 27 May 1940 during World War II. Lestrem is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais département in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull" is also known as 3 Fritz Knöchlein ( May 27, 1911 in Munich - January 21, 1949) was a SS Obersturmbannführer during the Second War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull" is also known as 3 Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945 Fritz Knöchlein ( May 27, 1911 in Munich - January 21, 1949) was a SS Obersturmbannführer during the Second The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Hors de Combat, literally meaning "out of the fight" is a French term used in Diplomacy and International law to refer to Soldiers The Royal Norfolk Regiment, originally formed as the Norfolk Regiment, was an infantry Regiment of the British Army. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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 The incident took place as the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was attempting to retreat through the Pas-de-Calais region of France during the Allied evacuation from Dunkirk. The British Expeditionary Force ( BEF) was the British army sent to the Western Front in France and Belgium on the outbreak of Pas-de-Calais is a department in northern France. Its name is the French language equivalent of the Strait of Dover, which it borders This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British was the Evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk

Soldiers of the Royal Norfolks became isolated from their regiment and occupied and defended a farmhouse against an attack by Waffen-SS forces in the village of Le Paradis. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" After running out of ammunition the defenders surrendered to the German troops. The Germans led them across the road to a wall and machine-gunned them. Ninety-seven British troops died. Two survived with injuries and hid until being captured days later. After the war, Fritz Knöchlein was located, tried and convicted by a war-crimes court, and executed in 1949.

Contents

Background

The German invasion of France through the Netherlands and Belgium began just after dawn on 10 May 1940. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Army Group A under the command of Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt fought its way through southern Belgium and north-eastern France. Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German German forces pushed the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to the Meuse river on 12 May, crossing it that evening. The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest The British Expeditionary Force ( BEF) was the British army sent to the Western Front in France and Belgium on the outbreak of The Meuse (in Dutch and in German: "Maas" in Latin: "Mosa" in Celtic:"Mus" (the rootword presumingly Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. [1] From there, the German forces rapidly advanced to the English Channel over the course of the next week. BEF units, including detached companies of the Royal Norfolks and Royal Scots, were ordered to try to slow the German advance in northern France to buy time to evacuate troops at Dunkirk. The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment, once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and therefore most senior Infantry Regiment of the line [2][3]

One of the participating German units, the SS Division Totenkopf, had been strongly indoctrinated with the Nazi Party ideology by its commander Theodor Eicke. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 Theodor Eicke ( October 17 1892 &ndash February 26, 1943) was a Nazi official SS- Obergruppenführer, commander Eicke's men had a fanatical loyalty to him and to Germany, along with an imbued hatred of Jews, Britain and the United States of America. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ [4] The men of Totenkopf fought recklessly throughout the campaign, suffering comparatively higher death rates that other German forces. [5]

The Battle of France was SS Division Totenkopf's first major engagement of World War II. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The division, part of the reserves of Army Group A, was called to the front line on 17 May. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. The unit was engaged in "mopping up" operations against Allied forces to the north and east of Cambrai. Cambrai (Dutch Kamerijk; old spelling Cambray) is a French town and commune, in the Nord département, [6][7] In total 16,000 prisoners had been taken by the division, but they had refused the surrender of 200 French-Moroccan troops, who were executed on the spot. The Army of Africa (Armée d’Afrique was an unofficial but commonly used term for those portions of the French Army recruited from or normally stationed in French North Africa [8]

By the time the operation had finished in Cambrai, the first German units had reached the English Channel, but the British, under Major-General G. Le Q. Martel, counter-attacked just west of Arras, on 21 May following on from the counter attack of the day before (Battle of Arras). General Sir Giffard Le Quesne Martel KCB, KBE, DSO, MC (1889 - 1958 familiarly known as "Q Martel" was a British Army Arras (Atrecht is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. The Battle of Arras (1940 took place during the Battle of France, in the early stages of World War II. The Totenkopf division suffered casualties of just under 100 men in repelling the assault. [9] The Totenkopf was then ordered to the town of Béthune by General Erich Hoepner and crossed the La Bassée river under British attack on 24 May. Béthune (Betun is a city and commune of northern France, sous-préfecture of the Pas-de-Calais département Erich Hoepner ( September 14, 1886 &ndash August 8, 1944) was a German General in World War II. La Bassée is a town and commune in the Nord département, in France. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned However, the men were ordered to retreat the next day on direct orders from Adolf Hitler, issued to preserve tanks for the upcoming campaign in Dunkirk and to allow the Luftwaffe to attack Allied positions in the area. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. [10] The men thus had to make the hazardous crossing again on the night of 26 May. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place The SS men took Béthune after heavy house-to-house fighting with the British, who withdrew to a line between Locon and Le Paradis. Locon is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais département in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. [11]

The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Norfolks, along with the 8th Lancashire Fusiliers, were holding the Allied line at the villages of Riez du Vinage, Le Cornet Malo and Le Paradis with the battalion headquarters based at Le Paradis. The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British Infantry Regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Headquarters (HQ denotes the location where most if not all of the important functions of an organization are concentrated The battalions had been ordered to hold out for as long as possible against the Germans to give time for the BEF to evacuate from Dunkirk. [12]

The SS Division Totenkopf emerged from the Bois de Paqueaut wood and attacked Le Cornet Malo at dawn on 27 May. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed The British troops defended stubbornly but were eventually overrun. The attack resulted in the deaths of four German officers and 150 men. Another 480 men and 18 officers were wounded. Later the same day, the German troops moved forward to attack Le Paradis. [13][14][15]

Battle of Le Paradis

The farmhouse where the survivors of the Royal Norfolks surrendered
The farmhouse where the survivors of the Royal Norfolks surrendered

After the engagement at Le Cornet Malo, C Company and HQ Company of the 2nd Royal Norfolks had fallen back to their headquarters at Cornet Farm, just outside Le Paradis. A company is a Military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 Soldiers Most companies are formed of three to five Platoons although the exact number may vary The company commanders had been informed by radio that their units were isolated and would receive no assistance. [16] They therefore dug in around the farmhouse, which lay on the Rue du Paradis, the boundary between the Royal Norfolk Regiment and the adjacent 1st Royal Scots. The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment, once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and therefore most senior Infantry Regiment of the line The Norfolk's last contact with Brigade Headquarters at L'Epinette was at 11:30 but despite no support and heavy opposition, the defenders held out against the 14th Company, 1st Battalion of the 2nd SS Infantry Regiment until 17:15, when they ran out of ammunition. [15][17] During the battle the Germans attacked the farmhouse with mortars, tanks and artillery shelling, which destroyed the building and forced the defenders to relocate to a cowshed. [15][17]

The 99 surviving defenders of the 2nd Norfolks were eventually ordered by their commander Major Lisle Ryder, the brother of Robert Edward Dudley Ryder, to surrender and they left the cowshed that they had been defending under a white flag. Robert Edward Dudley Ryder VC ( 16 February 1908 &mdash 29 June 1986) was an English recipient of the Victoria [15] Due to the boundary between the two British regiments being the road, Ryder's men surrendered not to the company they had been fighting, but rather to SS Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein's unit, which had been fighting the Royal Scots. [18] Mass graves found near Le Paradis in 2007 suggest that around 20 men of the Royal Scots who surrendered to an SS unit may also have been murdered in a separate massacre. [19]

Massacre

The British captives, a majority of whom were wounded, were disarmed and marched down a road off the Rue du Paradis. While they were waiting, two machine-guns from No. 4 Machine-gun Company were prepared and set up by a barn in a paddock of the farm. [14] The British prisoners were marched to the barn, lined up alongside it and fired upon by the two German machinegunners, who continued firing until all the British had fallen. Knöchlein then armed his men with bayonets to kill any remaining survivors. Satisfied that they had killed them all, the German soldiers left to rejoin the rest of their regiment. [20][21][22]

Fritz Knöchlein pictured on May 27, 1941
Fritz Knöchlein pictured on May 27, 1941

An account by Private Albert Pooley, one of only two survivors:

. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. . . we turned off the dusty French road, through a gateway and into a meadow beside the buildings of a farm. I saw with one of the nastiest feelings I have ever had in my life two heavy machine guns inside the meadow . . . pointing at the head of our column. The guns began to spit fire . . . for a few seconds the cries and shrieks of our stricken men drowned the crackling of the guns. Men fell like grass before a scythe . . . I felt a searing pain and pitched forward . . . my scream of pain mingled with the cries of my mates, but even before I fell into the heap of dying men, the thought stabbed my brain 'If I ever get out of here, the swine that did this will pay for it. '[23]

Ninety-seven British prisoners were killed and the Germans forced French civilians to bury the bodies in a shallow mass grave the next day. Despite the German efforts, Private William O'Callaghan had survived and pulled Private Albert Pooley alive from among the bodies in the field. The pair then hid in a pig-sty for three days and nights, surviving on raw potatoes and water from puddles before being discovered by the farm's owner, Madame Duquenne-Creton, and her son Victor. The French civilians risked their lives caring for the two men, who were later captured by the Wehrmacht's 251st Infantry Division. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 [24][15][25]

Aftermath

On the day after the massacre, 28 May, Gunter d'Alquen, a journalist in the Waffen-SS, arrived at the scene with Dr Thum, the SS-Totenkopf deputy legal advisor. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" d'Alquen made a report of what he saw:

It was possible to look into the back yard from the road. . . the corpses in British uniform were lying in the yard near the buildings. They were lying in such a position that one can assume they were killed by machine-gun bursts. It struck me at once that the dead soldiers were not wearing helmets, nor did they have any equipment on them. . . I took pictures of the dead bodies, and the whole farm. At Thum's request these were to be placed at the disposal of the division. . . I believe I was already sitting there in the vehicle when Thum. . . told me that in the field which he had returned the equipment. . . the shot British soldiers were lying in a heap, from which he had come to the conclusion that a summary trial had taken place. [26]

Major Friedkerr von Riedner, who was also at the scene of the massacre on that day, reported that "These people had almost all suffered head wounds from shots that must have been fired at close range. Some had their whole skull smashed in, an injury that can almost only be caused by a blow from a gun butt or similar means. "[27]

News of the massacre spread to neighbouring German divisions, eventually reaching General Hoepner, commander of the German forces in France. Erich Hoepner ( September 14, 1886 &ndash August 8, 1944) was a German General in World War II. He disliked the SS, especially Eicke, and was determined to have him dismissed if charges of mistreatment or murdering of prisoners could be brought. Theodor Eicke ( October 17 1892 &ndash February 26, 1943) was a Nazi official SS- Obergruppenführer, commander However none of these investigations were ever successful, possibly because Knöchlein stated that the British had been using dumdum bullets, thus violating the Hague Convention of 1899. The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and [14] Regardless, many SS officers were appalled by the massacre; some reportedly challenged Knöchlein to a duel, although none was ever fought. [28]

The Allies received no information about the massacre until the summer of 1943, when Pooley, who had spent the last three years in a German hospital due to the injuries he had suffered in the massacre, was declared medically unfit and repatriated. British authorities did not believe Pooley's story on his arrival; it was not thought that the German army were capable of such atrocities against British troops. [29] Private O'Callaghan did not return to the United Kingdom until 1945 after the liberation of his prisoner-of-war camp. A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of enemy combatants captured by the enemy in time of war and is similar to an Internment camp which is used for civilian His confirmation of Pooley's story prompted an official investigation. [29]

The bodies of those killed in the massacre were exhumed in 1942 by the French, but only about 50 of the 97 remains were successfully identified. The bodies were then reburied in Le Paradis churchyard, which now forms part of the Le Paradis War Cemetery administered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission ( CWGC) is a joint governmental organisation responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of members of the Commonwealth [30] In 1970, a memorial plaque was placed on the barn wall where the massacre took place and a large memorial was subsequently erected beside the church. [31][32]

Trial of Knöchlein

Further information: Fritz Knöchlein

After the war, O'Callaghan's evidence and the discovery of the SS-run extermination camps prompted the British authorities to look into the reports. Fritz Knöchlein ( May 27, 1911 in Munich - January 21, 1949) was a SS Obersturmbannführer during the Second The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Extermination camps were two types of facilities that Nazi Germany built during World War II for the systematic killing of millions of people in what has become The massacre was investigated by the War Crimes Investigation Unit and after Knöchlein's company was identified as the perpetrators in 1947, he was traced and arrested in Germany. [33] Knöchlein was arraigned on charges of war crimes in August 1948; to which he pleaded not guilty:

O'Callaghan and Pooley in Hamburg during the trial
O'Callaghan and Pooley in Hamburg during the trial

The accused Fritz Knöchlein, a German national, in the charge of the Hamburg Garrison Unit, pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Regulations for the Trial of War Criminals, is charged with committing a war crime in that he in the vicinity of Paradis, Pas-de-Calais, France, on or about 27 May 1940, in violation of the laws and usages of war, was concerned in the killing of about ninety prisoners-of-war, members of The Royal Norfolk Regiment and other British Units. War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied [33]

He was tried before Curiohaus war crimes court in Altona, Hamburg, in Court Number 5 on Monday, 11 October 1948. Altona (ˈaltona is the westernmost urban borough ( Bezirk) of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Knöchlein's defence hinged on the claim that he was not present at the massacre, although his lawyers did not deny that the event took place. They also claimed that the British had used dumdum bullets during the battle and misused a flag of truce; all of which were vigorously denied by the prosecution. White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale [33] Evidence was given by Pooley, O'Callaghan, Madame Duquenne-Creton, and a French civilian who testified to recognizing Knöchlein. [34]

On the 12th day of the trial, during his summation, the Judge-Advocate said that whether the British had used illegal ammunition or abused a flag of truce was irrelevant; the German troops still had absolutely no right to execute prisoners of war without a fair and proper trial. On 25 October at 11:30, the verdict was read out by the President of the court. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a This asserted that the defendant, Fritz Knöchlein, had been found guilty of war crimes. His lawyer, Dr. Uhde, made the following plea to the court for clemency on account of Knöchlein's wife and family, who had attended every day of the trial.

All that is left for me to say is that some little doubt may have remained in the minds of the Court which will enable the members not to award the extreme penalty. Spare the life of the accused. He has a wife and four children who are dependent upon him for support. Consider also the fact that he is a soldier, and the Court is composed of members of the British Army. I believe I am entitled to appeal to the Court to pronounce a sentence which will enable my client to come out of prison at an early date. [29]

Despite this plea, it was announced at 15:00 that he was to be sentenced to death by hanging; Knöchlein paled but showed no emotion. [29] He was hanged on 28 January 1949 in Hamburg. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. No other German soldiers or officers were prosecuted for their roles in the massacre. [29]

Notes

  1. ^ German Propaganda Archive. The Battle of France. Calvin College. Retrieved on 2007-12-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. , German Army Battles & Campaigns: Battle of France, 1940. Brown Online. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian , Jackson, The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940, pp. 221–556.
  2. ^ Jackson, The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940, pp. 94–97.
  3. ^ Wilson, Dunkirk: From Disaster to Deliverance, pp. 42–56.
  4. ^ Mann, SS-Totenkopf, p. 85.
  5. ^ Charles W. Sydnor (1977). Soldiers of Destruction: The SS Death's Head Division, 1933-1945 p. 108. Princeton University Press. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  6. ^ Sydnor, Soldiers of Destruction, p. 93.
  7. ^ Tim Ripley (2004). The Waffen-SS at War: Hitler's Praetorians 1925-1945 pp. 39–42. Zenith Imprint. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  8. ^ Mann, SS-Totenkopf, p. 76.
  9. ^ Major L. F. Ellis. The Counter-Attack At Arras. HyperWar Project. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  10. ^ Mann, SS-Totenkopf, p. 85.
  11. ^ Mann, SS-Totenkopf, pp. 74–82.
  12. ^ Major John L. Raybould. Le Paradis Massacre. Britannia and Castle. Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Royal Norfolk, East Anglian and Royal Anglian Regimental Associations. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  13. ^ Mann, SS-Totenkopf, pp. 80–83.
  14. ^ a b c Jackson, The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940, pp. 285–288.
  15. ^ a b c d e Uwe Schweisfurth. Ritterkreuzträger Fritz Knöchlein (German). Uwe Schweisfurth. Retrieved on 2007-12-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor.
  16. ^ Stephen Stratford. Private Pooley's Revenge. Stephen Stratford. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  17. ^ a b Jackson, The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940, pp. 288–289.
  18. ^ Stephen Stratford. Private Pooley's Revenge. Stephen Stratford. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  19. ^ Bruce, Ian. "21 Royal Scots executed by SS at Dunkirk", 11 June 2007. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Retrieved on 2008-02-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the  
  20. ^ Cooper, D. "Le Paradis: The murder of 97 soldiers in a French field on the 26/27th May 1940", BBC, 22 February 2004. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed  
  21. ^ Jolly, The Vengeance of Private Pooley, pp. 104–119.
  22. ^ Hürter, Hitlers Heerführer: Die deutschen Oberbefehlshaber, p. 189.
  23. ^ Mann, SS-Totenkopf, pp. 84–85.
  24. ^ George Duncan. Massacres and Atrocities of World War II: Le Paradis. George Duncan. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  25. ^ Jackson, The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940, pp. 331–379.
  26. ^ Jackson, The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940, pp. 301–302.
  27. ^ Wilson, Dunkirk: From Disaster to Deliverance, p. 73.
  28. ^ George H. Stein (1966). The Waffen SS p. 76. Cornell University Press. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  29. ^ a b c d e Major John L. Raybould. Le Paradis Massacre. Britannia and Castle. Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Royal Norfolk, East Anglian and Royal Anglian Regimental Associations. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  30. ^ Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Le Paradis. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  31. ^ Massacre of Royal Norfolk Soldiers At Le Paradis. War Memorials Trust. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  32. ^ Babbington, Andrea. "Wartime massacre commemorated by Dunkirk veterans", The Independent, 3 June 2000. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian  
  33. ^ a b c Stephen Stratford. Private Pooley's Revenge. Stephen Stratford. Retrieved on 2007-12-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  34. ^ Jolly, The Vengeance of Private Pooley, pp. 167–198.

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