Interesting read..

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Marguerite & Steve
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Interesting read..

Post by Marguerite & Steve »

This is really a strange read, and really unbelievable, and extremely sad. Why ?? they still don't know why?


http://www.oradour.info/ruined/ruined.htm
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Post by Rose »

I went to Oradour sur Glane on the way back from the south in June. It is a 25km detour from Limoges, but well worth it. It was very moving and there was an excellent museum there, which also pointed out other massacres in the world.

If you ever get a chance visit the Memorial de Paix in Caen.
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Post by collioure_bee »

I have been there a number of times, the village is shown at the begining and end of the excellent World at War series.

It's true, people still don't know why. There are many theories, one being that it was a revenge attack for resistance activity but this is countered by the fact that they did their best to cover this up. Had it been a revenge attack they'd have done their best to publicise it to scare locals.

It is also thought that it was the wrong Oradour, but the attack was so well planned they knew which one it was they were in.

The most convincing explanation I read was by Robin Mackness. A thrilling book in itself but the fact it's true makes it even more horrific.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oradour-Massacr ... 0747500827

Looking at the price of it, I wish I'd kept the library copy and paid the fine for losing it!

My brother is over in September and wants to go, so another journey up is in the pipeline.
Do you have my facebook m and s? There are photos of it on there.
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Post by Marguerite & Steve »

collioure_bee wrote:


Do you have my facebook m and s? There are photos of it on there.
Yes...will have a look, thanks.
Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change.
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Post by collioure_bee »

I have just bought that book for a penny plus postage which came to three ninety five in total. Excellent. Will lend it to you when I've finished if you like.

The other horrific thing about the massacre was of course, the footsoldiers were French. They were recently forced to join the wermacht after Germany made Alsace German.
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Post by Debbie and Noel »

This was not the only such massacre in France. 124 civilians were massacred at Maille (Indre et Loire) on 24th August 1944. I understand the village was rebuilt afterwards whereas Oradour was left as it was. There is a great deal of information on the internet. Mostly in French.

Noel
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Post by polremy »

[quote="collioure_bee"]t
It is also thought that it was the wrong Oradour, but the attack was so well planned they knew which one it was they were in.

That reminds me.
I hear that there's a village somewhere in France called "lourde"
and they keep getting visitors hoping for miracles!!
maybe to cure their dislekseea!
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Post by collioure_bee »

There was also Vercours in July 1944,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquis_du_Vercors

Lot May 23 1944, and Cher in July but I can't find anything on them

or Ascq in the same year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquis_du_Vercors

Not far from Oradour and almost at the same time, June 9, in Tulle where the Germans hanged ninety nine men from lamposts and the balconies of houses. This atrocity was commited by the Das Riech division of the SS, the same lot as at Oradour. The number ninety nine was so specific because they were hung in reprisal for the killing of 139 German soldiers. It was one for one, but they only had rope enough for ninety nine so they sent forty off to death at, I think, Mathaussen.

Of course we can't forget our own local Valmanya, a massacre in the making had the maquis not hampered the journey for the Germans en route on that horrid road from Vinca, giving the vast majority of the villagers time to escape. Along with Oradour, Valmanya is one of only two villages in France to be awarded Croix de Guerre.
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Post by Rose »

Very interesting Bee.
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Post by collioure_bee »

Thanks Rose, it's a subject I am very interested in, and will bore the pants off anyone that will listen to the point of them pouring petrol over themselves lol.
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Post by polremy »

collioure_bee wrote:Thanks Rose, it's a subject I am very interested in, and will bore the pants off anyone that will listen to the point of them pouring petrol over themselves lol.
No, surely not, CB.


It's much too expensive to waste :lol: :lol:
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Post by Santiago »

Very interesting. I will definitely spend more time reading the links when I am less busy. Thanks
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Post by Marguerite & Steve »

I am intrigued by this and will pay it a visit, but feel sad that I want to, but I always reminisce on what it must have been like for these poor people, and then appreciate what they have gone through, under these very strange circumstances.
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Post by Rose »

Allow several hours. The museum is fascinating and I used the headphones. This takes a good couple of hours. You then take the tunnel underneath the main road to visit the village, which has been left exactly as it was on the day of the massacre. The amazing thing is that 3 people escaped.

The new village is also worth a visit for lunch. Park in the carpark near the museum and after the old village it is a short walk to the new village for a coffee or something stronger, after what you have witnessed - man's inhumanity to other men.
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Post by collioure_bee »

Also, after you have gone through the tunnel, the first corner you come to at the T-Junction, look on the wall on the right. Here you will see bullet holes where they lined, I think, three men that arrived after the massacre took place.
Another strange thing is, when the tram arrived, they made anyone not living in Oradour to stay on the tram and turned it back to Limoges. Although another tram arrived around 7.30 and soldiers got on and ordered those from Oradour off. About twenty were taken to a command post in nearby Bordes where they were lead to believe they would be shot. After an altercation between the officers they were told to go, but one soldier shouted, "Think yourself lucky, today we have slaughtered them all."
"She knew the price of everything, but the value of nothing"

If it's hard to do, it's not worth doing.
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