Late War News BLUNT BRITISH ACCUSATION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 229, 24 June 1944, Page 8

Late War News BLUNT BRITISH ACCUSATION

German Murder Of Airmen ENEMY’S EXCUSES

(By Telegraph.—Prese Assn.—Copy right.) (Received June 24, 1.40 a.m.)LONDON, June 23.

Addressing the House of Commons on the shooting of Royal Air Force prisoners of war at Stalagluft 111, the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, read the German explanation, which he described as a confession of an odious crime. The dead British prisoners were cremated, he said, which left only one possible conclusion: They had been murdered. Mr. Eden said the Government had no knowledge of any mass shooting of British prisoners of war other than that already reported in connexion with Stalagluft 3. Previous information had stated that 47 British and Allied Air Force officers had been shot as a result of escaping from the camp. The Government had now received an official communication from the German Government stating that 50 officers were shot, not 47. The German communication gave the same explanation and attempted justification as to the Swiss representative on April 17, namely, that they were shot while offering resistance on being, found after an escape or while attempting a renewer escape after capture. The German Note added that during March there were a number of mass escapes from prisoner of war camps throughout Germany involving several thousand men, that the escapes were systematically prepared partly by the Allied general staffs, and that jfhey had military and political objectives. This situation was said to have endangered public security in Germany. To suppress the undertakings specially severe orders were given to pursue at all costs those who failed to halt upon challenge, offered resistance, or made renewed atempts to escape a ft p r capture, and to make use of weapons till the prisoners were deprived ’of all possible means of resistance or further escape, the Note added. All the prisoners who escaped in March with the exception of about 100, the search for whom wag continuing, had been recaptured, but weapons had to be used against some of the rest, including 50 from Stalagluft 111. The ashes of 28 of the 50 officers reported shot, were taken to the camp. In Gestapo Prison. “I will now give the facts, as learned from officers who were at the camp at the time of the escapes, and who were recently repatriated.” said Mr. Eden. “Early this year a tunnel which had been excavated by prisoners was .ready, and an escape was made on th.e night of March 24. Some 76 prisoners of war got out of the tunnel, but four who were following were arrested at the mouth of the tunnel and removed to a cell. The Gestapo arrived on the following day and took control of the camp. The German commandant on April 6 read to Group Captain H. M. Massey, the prisoners of war representative, a German High Command statement which said that 41 of the escapees were shot while resisting arrest or in endeavours to escape again after being re-arrested. The. com-mandant,-when pressed for further information, said all the escapees were killed. A similar statement was posted up in the camp with the substitution of 47 for 41. It was learnt that some of the prisoners were taken to a Gestapo jail, where they were shot. The Government would never cease in its efforts to collect evidence identifying those responsible. Mr. Eden added.