249:
destroyed and 220 partially destroyed out of a pre-war total of 1,605. Three schools, the town hall, several other civic buildings, and the historic local church were among the buildings destroyed. Several more civilians were shot, bayonetted, or died in the fire. Fossier noted that "In one courtyard, nearly 20 men were gathered. Several were retirees. One had been wounded by a bullet. There were also several
Algerians. They were made to dig a large pit after a pretend judgment." They were then killed with machine-gun fire and buried. Later excavation suggested that some had been buried alive.
17:
269:. Many of the dead were aged and invalids. The historian Jean-Marie Fossier write: "In each street, the same scenes were repeated. Houses were gone through from top to bottom, the people thrown violently into the streets, beaten with blows. The men were sometimes the machine-guns or bayonetted infront of the horrified eyes of women and children; others were taken and everwhere were found tortured corpses." A few captured Moroccan and Senegalese soldiers were also killed, with some found decapitated.
282:
74:
236:
349:
in
October 1950. Three other men, Ferdinand Holscher, Hans Kurt Höcker, and Paul Hemmers, were tried in absentia. All four individuals were convicted and Kolrep was sentenced to death. Holscher and Höcker were both sentenced to death, while Hemmers received a 20-year sentence. Kolrep was executed by
264:
As soon as they entered
Oignies on 28 May, German forces continued the atrocities begun in Courrières. The historian Fabrice Virgili writes that "as soon as the German soldiers surrounded the area, executions, pillaging, and destruction followed. Eighty inhabitants, including ten women, were killed,
248:
to protect German artillery pieces near the bridge. They also systematically began to burn the town. The historian Jean-Marie
Fossier wrote that soldiers went "street to street" throwing incendiary grenades into houses as they passed. According to post-war estimates, 951 buildings were totally
243:
Most of the civilian population in Courrières had sought shelter from the fighting in cellars and basements. German soldiers nonetheless massacred four local civilians on the street on 27 May. Early the following morning, they took roughly a dozen civilians hostage and attempted to use them as
226:. Several attempting crossings were successfully beaten back by the Allies on 24 and 26 May. Unable to achieve a crossing, the German units decided that their failure was caused by civilians at Courrières passing information to the French and the possible involvement of
272:
The victims at
Oignies were largely local residents who accounted for 70 of the dead. Aside from four unknown individuals and some refugees from the surrounding region, there were also a number of prisoners of war. 400 buildings were burnt at Oignies.
265:
shot for the most part, and the village was practically destroyed." A number of women were raped. Among those killed were the Polish priest Jean
Chodura and several Polish mineworkers in Oignies and nearby
65:. The massacre was one of the largest to occur during the Battle of France. Altogether, it is thought a total of 500 French civilians were murdered by German forces in Nord-Pas de Calais in May 1940.
294:
The atrocities at
Oignies and Courrières were not the only massacres of French and Belgian civilians committed in the course of the campaign in May and June 1940. Across Nord-Pas de Calais, the
814:
926:
252:
Altogether, between 38 and 46 civilians were killed by German forces in Courrières. 22 of these were inhabitants of the town, while the remainder were refugees caught up in
195:
German forces reached Courrières on 24 May as they moved towards Lille. They attempted to cross the Deûle canal across the only intact bridge known locally as the
350:
firing squad on 1 June 1951. Despite requests by the French government, the West German government refused to extradite the three officers convicted in absentia.
725:
936:
121:
777:
900:
851:
98:
931:
921:
56:
117:
870:
479:
109:
295:
175:
239:
Modern-day view of the Église Saint-Piat in Courrières, dating to 1534. The bell tower alone survived the burning in May 1940.
144:
along the coast. On the southern side of the pocket, German forces began to push north-eastwards towards the major city of
113:
51:
on 27–28 May 1940. The number of victims is reckoned at between 114 or 124. The unit responsible for the atrocity was the
956:
105:
128:
to halt the German advance. Although fighting some successful engagements, they were soon outflanked as a result of an
208:
397:
961:
951:
498:
Leleu, Jean-Luc (2001). "La division SS-Totenkopf face à la population civile du Nord de la France en mai 1940".
178:
approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south-east of Lille. A short distance apart, they were separated by the
82:
941:
844:
Konventioneller Krieg oder NS-Weltanschauungskrieg? Kriegführung und
Partisanenbekämpfung in Frankreich 1943/44
132:
to the south and forced to retreat westerwards back into France. As early as 21 May, German forces reached the
101:
against civilians including numerous large-scale massacres of civilians including both ethnic Poles and Jews.
815:"1940, la bataille de France au jour le jour : 29 mai, le naufrage tragique du Crested Eagle à Zuydcoote"
52:
946:
217:
212:
16:
129:
359:
86:
889:"Une guerre « correcte » ? Crimes et massacres allemands à l'Ouest au printemps 1940"
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317:
The victims in
Oignies are commemorated by a mausoleum inaugurated in 1947 by the French President
200:
281:
526:
440:
376:
223:
204:
48:
896:
866:
847:
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141:
108:, German forces launched a major offensive against France on 10 May 1940 with a simultaneous
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577:
538:
507:
452:
28:
748:
73:
330:
895:(in French). Villeneuve-d'Ascq: Presses universitaires du Septentrion. pp. 129–142.
657:
Virgili, Fabrice (2016). "Les viols commis par l'armée allemande en France (1940-1944)".
364:
318:
228:
90:
915:
167:
140:
cutting off a large proportion of French, British, and
Belgian forces in a shrinking
44:
314:, Wehrmacht troops of the 225th Infantry Division murdered 86 civilians on 27 May.
303:
245:
94:
36:
888:
235:
756:
636:
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with Oignies on its western bank and Courrières a short distance on the east.
157:
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Courrières was best known in France at the time as the location of a massive
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137:
133:
125:
61:
77:
Map showing German operations in Northern France in late May and early June
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40:
21:
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124:(BEF) surged into Northern and Central Belgium as prescribed by the
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280:
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161:
149:
145:
72:
15:
778:"Oignies: les gardiens de la mémoire du massacre du 28 mai 1940"
346:
153:
379:- massacre of British and French prisoners of war (28 May 1940)
333:
with Palms in 1948 and a memorial was inaugurated in 1964.
97:
in September 1939. The Polish campaign was accompanied by
726:"A Oignies, le mythe perdu du lieutenant Keith Davenport"
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692:
199:. This was defended by French troops predominantly from
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La guerre de 1940 : Se battre, subir, se souvenir
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Hitler's Soldiers: The German Army in the Third Reich
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420:
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749:"Oignies et Courrières (Pas-de-Calais), 28 mai 1940"
373:- massacre of British prisoners of war (27 May 1940)
345:
Horst Kolrep. He was brought before the Tribunal at
341:
The officer accused of instigating the massacre was
298:perpetrated a number of massacres of 92 people at
474:. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 77.
367:- massacre of Belgian civilians (26-28 May 1940)
927:German occupation of France during World War II
527:"L'invasion de 1940 dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais"
441:"L'invasion de 1940 dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais"
39:of French civilians in the two nearby town of
104:After a period of relatively inaction on the
8:
626:
624:
622:
285:Modern-day view of the mausoleum at Oignies
493:
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310:on 24 May. Across the Belgian frontier at
780:(in French). La Voix du Nord. 27 May 2020
863:Zone interdite : Nord-Pas-de-Calais
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712:
700:
683:
631:Stévenot, Frédéric (20 February 2021).
613:
564:
412:
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148:through the region around the towns of
120:. French forces supported by the small
728:(in French). Le Monde. 19 October 2002
633:"Courrières (Pas-de-Calais), mai 1940"
400:in which 1,200 miners had been killed.
321:who also declared it a "martyr town" (
174:were two small towns situated in the
7:
426:
306:both on 22 May, and a further 48 at
222:as well as the BEF's 2/5 Battalion,
20:Modern-day view of the town hall in
937:Massacres committed by Nazi Germany
659:Vingtième Siècle. Revue d'histoire
14:
582:Plateforme ouverte du patrimoine
209:106th Colonial Infantry Regiment
578:"Eglise paroissiale Saint-Piat"
33:Oignies and Courrières massacre
130:unexpected German breakthrough
110:attack through neutral Belgium
1:
329:. Courrières was awarded the
865:. Paris: Éditions Sociales.
861:Fossier, Jean-Marie (1977).
584:. French Ministry of Culture
325:). A major road was renamed
296:SS Panzer Division Totenkopf
932:War crimes of the Wehrmacht
176:important coal mining basin
122:British Expeditionary Force
978:
922:History of Hauts-de-France
191:Courrières, 27-28 May 1940
846:. Munich: R. Oldenbourg.
83:German invasion of Poland
887:Leleu, Jean-Luc (2014).
819:France 3 Hauts-de-France
753:Les Fusillés 1940 - 1944
821:(in French). 2020-05-29
543:10.3406/rnord.1994.4921
525:Le Maner, Yves (1994).
457:10.3406/rnord.1994.4921
439:Le Maner, Yves (1994).
57:267th Infantry Division
53:487th Infantry Regiment
470:Shepherd, Ben (2016).
286:
240:
78:
24:
671:10.3917/ving.130.0103
360:Siege of Lille (1940)
284:
238:
213:11th Zouaves Regiment
99:widespread atrocities
76:
19:
842:Lieb, Peter (2007).
747:Stévenot, Frédéric.
512:10.3917/rdn.342.0821
398:1906 mining disaster
260:Oignies, 28 May 1940
957:Massacres in France
371:Le Paradis massacre
327:rue des 80 fusiliés
197:Pont de la Batterie
81:In response to the
27:Occurring amid the
377:Wormhoudt massacre
287:
241:
224:Sherwood Foresters
79:
49:Nord-Pas de Calais
25:
962:Massacres in 1940
902:978-2-7574-1429-3
853:978-3-486-57992-5
686:, pp. 30–31.
300:Aubigny-en-Artois
207:serving with the
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952:Battle of France
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29:Battle of France
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134:North Sea coast
118:the Netherlands
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947:1940 in France
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665:(2): 103–120.
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569:
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487:
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431:
429:, p. 518.
411:
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365:Vinkt massacre
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319:Vincent Auriol
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229:francs-tireurs
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91:United Kingdom
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872:9782402417006
868:
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849:
845:
840:
839:
835:
820:
816:
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807:
804:, p. 35.
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721:
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635:(in French).
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616:, p. 30.
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531:Revue du Nord
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500:Revue du Nord
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481:9780300219524
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445:Revue du Nord
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277:Commemoration
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37:mass killings
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836:Bibliography
823:. Retrieved
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802:Fossier 1977
782:. Retrieved
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760:. Retrieved
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742:
730:. Retrieved
720:
713:Fossier 1977
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701:Fossier 1977
684:Fossier 1977
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662:
658:
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640:. Retrieved
614:Fossier 1977
586:. Retrieved
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572:
565:Fossier 1977
537:(306): 479.
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451:(306): 479.
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304:Vandelicourt
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95:Nazi Germany
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216: [
205:West Africa
180:Deûle canal
916:Categories
825:2024-04-28
757:Le Maitron
637:Le Maitron
506:(4): 831.
384:References
302:and 45 at
267:Ostricourt
254:the Exodus
168:Courrières
114:Luxembourg
69:Background
45:Courrières
427:Lieb 2007
408:Citations
343:Hauptmann
290:Aftermath
138:Abbeville
126:Dyle Plan
62:Wehrmacht
35:involved
762:19 April
642:19 April
588:20 April
354:See also
186:Massacre
89:and the
784:31 July
732:31 July
172:Oignies
158:Béthune
59:in the
55:of the
41:Oignies
22:Oignies
899:
869:
850:
478:
337:Trials
308:Beuvry
160:, and
142:pocket
116:, and
87:France
31:, the
312:Vinkt
220:]
201:North
162:Douai
150:Arras
146:Lille
136:near
897:ISBN
867:ISBN
848:ISBN
786:2021
764:2024
734:2021
644:2024
590:2024
476:ISBN
347:Metz
211:and
203:and
170:and
154:Lens
43:and
667:doi
663:130
539:doi
508:doi
504:342
453:doi
164:.
47:in
918::
891:.
817:.
794:^
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661:.
621:^
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490:^
449:76
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415:^
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232:.
218:fr
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