On December 17, 1944, during the “Battle of the Bulge,” occurred an event commonly known as the “Malmedy Massacre.” The atrocities Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Stuart Dempsey describes actually occurred around the tiny village of Baugnez, Belgium, some four kilometers from Malmedy. American soldiers and Belgian civilians were also murdered at several other locations over the next few days by members of the German 1st SS Panzer Division. The final toll is in dispute, but at least 362 U.S. soldiers and 111 Belgians were executed between December 17-20. The actual number may be a good bit higher. One of those killed/murdered 65 years ago today was Private First Class Frederick Clark. He is buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
The Malmedy Massacre
… some Germans would later claim that the American prisoners tried to escape, or had recovered weapons and fired upon the Germans. However, autopsies revealed the following: At least twenty of the victims had suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the head, inflicted at very close range.
See the full Post Here