Notice

Notice posted in Tulle on the afternoon of
9^th June 1944

Citizens of Tulle!

Forty German soldiers were murdered in the most abominable way by Communist gangs. The peaceful population has experienced terror. The military authorities want only order. The loyal people of the city desire it too. The fearful and cowardly way in which the German soldiers were killed proves very unfortunately that there are also French police officers or gendarmes who, by abandoning their post, did not follow the instructions given and made common cause with the Communists.

For the maquis and those who help them, there is only one penalty, the torture of hanging. They do not fight in open combat, they have no sense of honour. 40 German soldiers were murdered by the maquis. 120 maquis or their accomplices will be hanged. Their bodies will be thrown into the river.

In the future, for each German soldier who is injured, three maquis will be hanged; for each German soldier who is murdered, ten maquis or an equal number of their accomplices will also be hanged.

I demand the loyal collaboration of the civilian population to effectively fight this common enemy, the communist gangs.

Tulle, 9 June 1944
The commander of the German forces

Historical note

That day in Tulle, 99 men of all ages over 16 were hanged in the streets by the 2^nd Waffen-SS Panzer Division (Das Reich). A further 149 were deported to the Dachau concentration camp. 101 of them never returned.

The following day, 10^th June 1944, 642 men, women and children were massacred by another element of the 2^nd Waffen-SS Panzer Division (Das Reich) at Oradour-sur-Glane (about 50km north of Tulle). They then razed the village. After the liberation of France, the wrecked village has been kept as the SS left it as a memorial.

The anti-maquis actions of the 2^nd Waffen-SS Panzer Division (Das Reich) during May and June 1944 are thought to have caused some 4,000 deaths, many of these were civilians.

Afterword

This story was written very early in my writing career and I had not touched it since. It suffered from inadequate editing – something pointed out to me recently by a kind reader/editor. I have as a result extensively revised it

The story has not changed but I hope the telling has improved – but you are the judge of that dear readers. If approve of this new version, please change your vote accordingly (if you previously voted) and if this is a new story to you, please vote.

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