Revisiting the Malmedy Massacre | History Traveler Episode 58
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- čas přidán 3. 05. 2020
- One of the greatest tragedies of WWII is the Malmedy Massacre. In this episode, we travel to the spot where this atrocity took place in the beginning days of the Battle of the Bulge.
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Baugnez (Malmedy) was not the only massacre of American troops. If you go further south on the N62 from the crossroads where the more infamous massacre took place. Following the direction the 285th FA Observation Bn was going, you will come to the small town of Ligneuville. On the right is a Hotel where the Germans captured a number of Americans. They were brought behind the hotel and were executed. There is a small marker noting the site of this massacre alongside the current building that is on that site.
My grandfather is buried there - Harry Hubbell died at the Battle of Ramagen. God, thank you for doing this.
Oh wow. Thanks for sharing that. Glad that I could share the experience.
THANK YOU Mr. Hubbell for your service and ultimate sacrifice..another hero
hello sir your grandfather is a real heroes, greets from Belguim sir
@@robertneven7563 thank you sir.
@@danielh1830 you are welcome sir, but i am a Belgain and i jump with the 82 airborne in the year 2.000 for me U S Army parachute badge
After some research, I was able to find out that SGT. John H Bassarear, the man in the photo, was actually a survivor of the massacre and had even survived the war. Later in life, he told about what happened. "They had us stack all our rifles and had us put our overcoats and field jackets down, Then they put us out in a field." The article states that a member of the company yelled, "Drop dead, pretend you're dead." Bassarear followed the orders and laid in the snow for 2 1/2 hours before he and 18 other survivors of the 150-person battalion headed to the woods for cover.
Just to clarify the actual location - the field where the massacre took place is across the street (N62) to the southwest from the memorial area. In 2007, some friends and I were fortunate to accompany a veteran of the 30th Infantry Division to the massacre site. When the US retook the area in January 1945 the bodies were discovered. The 30th ID was in Malmedy at the time. Our veteran colleague said many GI’s raced to the Baugnez Crossroads area once word spread. He described the scene and his feelings to us firsthand. Pretty somber experience. The massacre site has a home built on one portion of it today. The stone building on the west corner of the crossroads was there during the war and can be seen in many period photographs. Good video. Glad to see others are taking an interest in keeping WWII history alive.
I agree. I visited the site with a British tour group a year ago.
Agreed. I was there in Nov 2019 and based on maps from the time, the actual ground where the Americans were murdered is now property with someone's home right on top of the spot where the majority of the soldiers fell.
once the word got out to rest of Americans, it made them fight harder against Germans, Peiper was tried and given death sentence, held for 8 yrs. and then released, none was ever executed
@@michaelsix9684 He said they executed forty of them. ??
Its a quite a location to see and look at and to think something so tragic happened there
My grandfather was a survivor of the massacre, thank you for bringing this to light and talking about this. I also have a great uncle uncle buried here, who was KIA in the Battle of the Buldge
We visited the Henri Chappelle American Cemetery in December 2018. It is a beautiful cemetery for our American Heroes. The Belgium people are so respectful of the Americans visiting their country and can not do enough for them.
Very moving video....thank you
Have visited the site of the massacre many times. The massacre actually occurred in the town of Baugnez Belgium. The site of the massacre is across the street from where the memorial is. The firefight between Peiper’s Kampfgruppe and the 285th Filed Artillery Observation Bn took place several hundred meters down the road from the intersection. The Germans attacked the convoy from the fields directly behind the memorial and would have been coming from left to right as you face the wall. The men of the 285th took refuge in the ditches along the road but were soon overwhelmed by Peiper’s Kamfgruppe. They surrendered and were marched back to the intersection and lined up in the field to the left of Madame Badawe’s cafe. Here they were disarmed and stripped of their equipment. German tanks pulled up in front with guns aimed at the American prisoners. It is not clear what triggered the massacre. Some reports indicate that some of the prisoners tried to make a break for it but that has been under dispute by several witnesses. The German fire was initiated by George Felps (spelling may not be correct). He was put on trial along with Peiper and was identified by several American survivors as the “trigger man”. Several Americans did manage to survive the massacre by playing “dead” even though German soldiers went though the mass of downed bodies and shot anyone who appeared to still be alive. Peiper’s Kampfgruppe moved on in search of gasoline but left a group of guards at the Baugnez crossroads. Hours after the initial incident several Americans who had played dead rose up to make a break for it. Some of these men were shot and killed by Peiper’s guards. A few were trapped in a building behind Madaem Badawe’s cafe. The Germans set the building on fire and shot the Americans as they tried to escape. There is a small monument behind the cafe building marking this spot. Not many visitors to the site are aware of this.
To the Tester family and every other family who sacrificed in WW2, thank you. To the History Underground...dude, this is one of my favorite videos you've made. Thanks to you for honoring these heroes.
🙏🏼
I have had the honor to visit this hollowed ground many times while working in Holland as a Dept of the Army Civilian. I was a only a 45 minute ride from Malmedy and Bastogne. Let us make sure that the men who made the ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten!!
Don Jamieson are you from western Pennsylvania
Where were you coming from Bitburg or Spangdahlem?
RunE Nope Arkansas
Amen to that.
@mysirius1000 You have a point but we are talking soldiers getting executed in the field. Those Storm Troopers following the Germany Army deserved that fate!
There is also the Ardennes American Cemetery an Memorial of Neuville-en-Condroz, about 20 km south-west to Liège, Belgium.
90.50 acres. 5,317 graves, mostly of fallen airmen.
Merry Christmas from Belgium and from somebody who knows and will never forget what we ought to the men who are buried there.
Every time I see a war cemetery I think of all the young people who never got to live their lives.
Paul Stan - Have to wonder what we lost in that war on all sides. Sad.
Paul Stan your point is true and the reason why monuments are built. If only we never had to build another one.
I visited kranji cemetary in singapore....very eery experience. ..they were just kids...but God bless 'em.
These were the soldiers who were young fathers of my age group. I grew up with some who never got to know their father.
@hiram hacklesworth How’s it going? Yeah love history. Finally Made it to Gettysburg a few years back. So many places I’d like to see in person. In the meantime there is CZcams’ 😁
As an immigrant from Belgium who still has family living in Belgium I took my wife, daughter and son in law, my grandkids, and my Belgian family to Ypres to visit the smallest American cemetery as well as the Commonwealth cemetery. I hope while in Belgium you make the time to visit the area and it's battlefields in Flanders Belgium 🇧🇪.
As important it is to appreciate the American losses and sacrifice in Belgium, my family was liberated by Canadian, English and Free Polish forces, reinforced by American forces in Flanders. The Battle of the Schelt and for Antwerp is under appreciated.
Well done. Thank you! 🇺🇸🇧🇪
Marc Van Cleven - I only had a limited amount of time in Belgium. I hope to return someday and hit those very places that you mentioned. Loved Belgium!
@@TheHistoryUnderground You're doing a great job! Well done. Envy that you are able to do this. Keep it up. When you go back, have some suggestions as to where to go.
Marc Van Cleven - Thanks. Feel free to send me an email. I’m always up for recommendations.
Is toch behoorlijk gekend als je er mee bezig bent ;)
I may never get there so I'll pay my respects here ..... God rest our men...
71superbee 3 - Remembrance is respect. Thank you.
AMEN!
Thank you for the beautiful video, and for documenting these heroes. I am so proud to be an American. God bless America & her allies, forever. ❤🇺🇲🙏
I made a trip to the beaches of Normandy and the cemeteries with my sons last summer simply to say thank you. I can tell you it was an emotional week. All of those brave young men who were terrified, witnessing the horrors of war, death every where, yet pushed on until their lives were ended.
Don - Definitely a moving place. So glad to hear that you brought your sons there.
Truly THE GREATEST GENERATION..men AND women
Excellent video. However, I was in the same area in 2018 and according to my guide, the massacre occurred just further down the road about a quarter of a mile in a field to the West. The memorial shown in the video is at the crossroads traversed by the Germans. The massacre siteis adjacent to the Baugnez 44 Museum, which shouldn't be missed. It is a fitting tribute to our soldiers. Never forget.
Not only are all of your videos touching, heartbreaking, wonderful and educational your taste in music enhances the stories. Thank you and God bless you and your work.
Thank you for showing this place and giving testimony to the memory of the men massacred at Malmedy
Incredible video.
My grandfather was a TSgt in the 106th Infantry who fought at St. Vith. He was captured but survived imprisonment at Stalag 9-A
Oh wow. I have a few videos on here from St. Vith that you might enjoy. Check out the France & Belgium playlist.
My dad was too, he was in the 106th. I have a map he made of all the places the Germans kept him
A man who honors those who have gone before him is a blessed man!
I’m struck by how the U.S. Government continues to maintain and oversee these cemeteries. One of the things I never forgot was when my father who was a medic wounded in the Bulge telling us, Uncle Sam never forgets it’s soldiers. These grave sites are proof that they do their best to guarantee every member serving knows that. We pray for those still unaccounted for in our wars. May they find eternal rest. Thanks again for all you do to guarantee that....
Cliff Right - Trying to do a small part to keep history alive. Thanks.
Yes the American Battle Monuments Commission designed, constructed and maintains all permanent American military burial grounds outside the United States. There are more than 25+ of these indicating the sacrifice that families made when asked for the one time decision as to where to bury the remains at home or with their comrades.
My Pops was a medic too, in the Battle of the Bulge.
Cliff Right They’re all over the world. See the PBS documentary “Hallowed Grounds”. It’s usually on PBS around Memorial Day
Cliff Right The Commonwealth Graves Commission looks after British and Empire war graves all around the world
OMG, You showed a gravestone of a relative. A cousin of my late father. I knew, he was buried in. Europe. I've never been to the cemetery. I checked the name and his birthdate against family genealogy to make sure. It brought tears to my eyes. Don't know what to say other than thanks for posting this video.
I’ve always wondered if I’d ever film the grave of someone’s relative and they’d see it. Glad that I was able to show it 🙂
Very powerful vlog. Coincidentally, I just finished a book on this terrible tragedy. Your videos are so important for the younger generations. I wish I can go back in time and speak to both my grandfathers even more about their time in Europe but unfortunately I was only in middle school when they passed. Out of 16 million that served, only a few 100 thousand are still alive today and in a few short years, they will all be gone. What these kids did for us so we can live freely today should never be forgotten. And with videos like yours, they won't be.
That’s the primary reason why this channel exists. Thanks!
Today is May 4th. Remembrance Day. At 20.00 o'clock everybody was silent, the whole country was put to full stop. During these 2 minutes we, the Dutch, commemmorated all those young men and women, no matter where they came from, for the sacrifice they made, or were willing to make.
LEST WE FORGET.
Thank you for remembering the sacrifices of these brave men.
Thank you.
Awesome. Thank you.
I work in a printshop and was at work during the 2 minute silence on Remembrance Day. I stopped my press to commemorate the dead. Video’s like this remind me why we do it and need to keep on remembering.
On that date, at approx 20.30 PM. when the German forces in the Netherlands, North-West Germany and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery at) Lüneburger Heath, we in Denmark are not quiet, but it is normal to put candles in the windows to celebrate the coming peace and remember those that died. A VERY Beautiful sight in Copenhagen where I live. Live candles in most windows.
Henri Chapelle is a remarkable place. Very beautiful grounds and uniquely laid out with the semi circle pattern to the headstones. I had the privilege of visiting in a group with a woman from West Virginia who's father had fought in the Bulge. His best friend and their next door neighbor was KIA near there and laid to rest in Henri Chapelle. It was very moving to see all the memories of this man who was the father of her best childhood friend come back as she paid her respects for the first time in 70 years.
My father, Jack was a combat medic that served at the Battle of the Bulge and received a Bronze Star there. When the murdered American soldiers were found at Malmedy and they knew it was done by Germans disguised as GIs, all the medics in his unit were issued 1911 pistols to protect themselves and the wounded. Dad said he never had to use it and the sidearms were handed back in. Dad said it was cold and miserable but he'd been colder back home in Amarillo! He's gone now and I miss him🕊🇺🇸
Wow. Thanks for sharing that. Hard to imagine what those guys went through.
William Keith The Germans in American uniforms were part of Unternehmen Greif and therefore had nothing to do with the shootings mentioned in this video.They weren't even there at the moment.
There was a local guy from here named Charlie Durning who became pretty well known as an actor, but he also saw a lot of action in WW2. He was part of the U.S. force that landed at Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion in June 1944. A few days later he was shot in the hip - he carried the bullet in his body thereafter - and after some months of recovery he was sent to the Battle of the Bulge where he was captured and somehow ended up as one of the few survivors (supposedly one of three) of the Malmedy massacre. He almost never talked about it though, so it's not clear exactly how he managed to survive. Sometime during the war he was attacked by a German soldier who was so young that Charlie couldn't bring himself to shoot. But after the kid bayonetted him several times Charlie ended up bashing the kid's head in with a rock he grabbed.
Gosh. Just imagine all of the stories that have never been told.
The memorial wall is actually across the street from where the massacre took place according to old Army aerial photo. However, when matching the old Army photo with a aerial photo from 2020 on Google Earth, it is amazing how all the roads are the same. There are more buildings but you can still find ones in the old photo that are still there today.
I'm jealous of you getting to walk the ground where so many historical events took place. I would love to be able to go there and other places. Thanks for the video!
Your coverage of sites and events is so appreciated and well done. From Cape Town South Africa I bend my head in sorrow for those that died for us all!
Thank you! I spent some time down in Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape awhile back. Love your country. 🇿🇦
Can't believe I missed that one. Thank God for people keeping them alive.
Out of respect for my father who was a veteran of the war in The Pacific and Korea as a Navy Corpsman I've been studying military history since I was a kid in the 70's. I'm also in a wheelchair and will never be able to visit any on these places. You bring them home to people like me and I thank you for that. You're doing more with these videos than you will ever know.
I've been to the Normandy beaches for the past 20 years, I've been to The Ardennes a few times also, but I never knew about this massacre. It's another very sad episode that our allied forces endured in the struggle to win this fight against tyranny and free the world .
I was in Bastogne 2 years ago, Malmedy 30 years ago, but never knew that cemetery existed or I would have visited
Thanks for taking me along
There is another one in Neupré. czcams.com/video/mwYvhjxyi4U/video.html
The Three Testers : James was one of three brothers of his family who was killed during World War II. Tester experienced a traumatic event which resulted in loss of life on September 17, 1944. Recorded circumstances attributed to: "Killed in action". Incident location: Germany,
His brothers Glenn William Tester died on January 9, 1944 in France and Robert Dent Tester died November 26, 1943, in North Africa.
Their family suffered terrible loss during the war. Another brother, and their father, both died in 1942. That left just their mother, and one brother and one sister alive in the family by the war's end.
The brothers were laid to rest alongside each other at Henri Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. The Testers are the only group of three brothers to be buried side-by-side after being killed in military action. At Henri Chapelle,
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Francis X McGraw was born in Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Camden New Jersey when he was 2 years old. After completing school, he worked for the Campbell Soup company before enlisting in the Army in February 1942.
On November 19, 1944, the 26th Regiment was fighting in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest near the German-Belgian border.
During a German counterattack on that day, near Schevenhutte, Germany, he manned his machine gun despite intense enemy fire and left cover in order to retrieve more ammunition. Although wounded, he continued to fire until again running out of ammunition. He then engaged the German troops with a carbine, but was subsequently killed.
For these gallant actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on October 25, 1945
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Bernard Fleige: Fleige experienced a traumatic event which resulted in loss of life . Recorded circumstances attributed to: "Killed in action"
He had been a student at Latimer and Allegheny Vocational High Schools
and worked for Fried & Reinenman Packing Co, before entering service
April, 7, 1943. He went overseas in February, 1944 and served with the
First Army in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
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Homer E White Jr : White experienced a traumatic event which resulted in loss of life . Recorded circumstances attributed to: "KIA - Killed in Action.
He Served with 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division
My gosh. The Tester story is even more tragic than I thought. Thanks so much for looking all of that up. Really makes the visit more impactful.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Wow, than you so much for making these short documentaries of important events during the second world war. I've seen a few. They really bring home the sacrifice and impact of the conflict!
@@TheHistoryUnderground ok this one was really hard , i have been looking hard for info on the man in the picture that was left at the memorial check this out !! .... As is his custom, 92-year-old John Bassarear doesn’t have anything special planned today for Memorial Day, certainly nothing to draw attention to himself.
He may have fought in WWII, doing his part to battle oppression and preserve freedom, but he’s never bragged about it and never will.
What he will do is remember and honor those soldiers who died so the rest of us could live.
In his case, quite literally.
He was just 19 in the summer of 1944 when he joined the Army and was sent to Europe to chase the retreating German army. He landed on Utah Beach in Normandy to a much warmer reception than those soldiers who had come ashore six weeks earlier on D-Day. A few days later, he was on the Champs-Élysées just in time for the liberation of Paris, where French girls showered the G.I.s with kisses and wine.
War didn’t seem so awful when his unit, the U.S. Army’s 285th Field Artillery Battalion, was sent to Belgium to take part in a titanic showdown history knows as the Battle of the Bulge.
Desperate to protect its border, the Nazis were throwing everything they had left to defend the rivers and mountains that separated France and Belgium from Germany.
On a frigid Dec. 17, 1944, a Sunday, some 120 men in Bassarear’s unit arrived in a Belgian village 15 miles from the German border named Malmedy. At the same time, a German panzer tank division arrived in the same place.
Outnumbered and outgunned, after a brief skirmish the Americans quickly surrendered, whereupon they were rounded up and taken to a clearing half the size of a football field on the outskirts of town. First, the German commandant, in perfect English, ordered them to lay down their weapons. Next they were told to take off their warm winter overcoats.
After that, eight machine guns, two each mounted in four trucks positioned on every corner of the field, opened fire.
As bullets ripped into bodies all around him, Bassarear heard one of the American officers shout, “Drop down and play dead!”
Next to him, a soldier whose name he did not know collapsed to the ground, mortally wounded.
“He was a big son-of-a-gun from Pennsylvania, 6 foot 3,” remembers Bassarear, who stood 5 foot 9 and weighed 129 pounds. “I grabbed my helmet and dropped underneath him.”
As blood dripped down from all sides, the next sounds he heard came from enemy soldiers walking through the field, kicking at bodies and shooting anyone found still alive.
Lying in 2 feet of snow in a light field jacket, with temperatures barely above zero, his biggest concern was that they’d see his breath.
“I’d hold it in as long as I could,” he says, “then let it out as easy as I could, with my hand over my mouth.”
After “what seemed like forever but was probably 15 or 20 minutes,” the field went quiet. And still Bassarear held his breath and stayed dead still.
Until someone, probably a U.S. officer, broke the silence another hour or so later by shouting, “Anybody left alive? If you are, on the count of three get up and run to the forest and don’t stop!
“1 … 2 … 3!”
Bassarear leapt to his feet and ran.
In the trees and out of breath, he was able to connect with four other survivors. Together they dodged German transports through the freezing night and into the next day until they heard the distinctive, blessed sound of a Jeep motor.
An Army major and his driver rushed the five frozen soldiers to Allied headquarters - where they joined a total of just 19 men who lived to tell about the Massacre at Malmedy. The survivors were separated, sequestered and questioned by military interrogators over the course of the next four days. Their stories, told independently, jibed completely, corroborating one of the most egregious acts of the war.
Today in the peaceful town of Malmedy, a plaque pays tribute to the 84 American soldiers who didn’t make it.
One of them a big 6-foot-3 man from Pennsylvania.
Ref : www.deseret.com/2017/5/29/20613186/about-utah-remembering-those-who-died-that-we-might-live#world-war-ii-veteran-john-bassarear-92-looks-over-war-memorabilia-with-daughter-jennifer-at-his-home-in-bountiful
Andre Guillette - Oh my gosh. Thank you for that. I need to see if he is still around.
@@TheHistoryUnderground i sent you a link to his daughter , maybe ask her ? i sent it to your FB
Those soldiers' mothers...my first thought. Glad you said it. What great sacrifices were made by all.
Thank you for taking me to a place of horrible acts against the men who paid with their life to service our country.
Heartening to see the Poppy Crosses and wreaths. “ Lest we Forget “
Greeting from Germany,
I have been following your History Traveler Episodes for a couple of months and I find them remarkably interesting and knowledgeable which brings back so many fond memories of past trips.
I am an American veteran living in Germany, born during the Battle of the Bulge (19 Jan 1945) married to my German Fräulein over 55 years.
I’m a member of the American Legion over 50 years and in the 1970s organized annual American Legion Department of France events of the major battlefields of Belgium, France, Holland, and Germany which actual veterans of those battles were honored in ceremonies by local dignitaries.
I was a sales representative for Harley Davidson Military Sales in Kaiserslautern, Germany over 40 years and a founding member of the 1st American Legion Riders Group as well as a founding member of the 1st Military HOG Chapter and 1st HOG Director in Germany.
Having a close relationship to WW2 in Germany, I spent a lot of time traveling to locations of both WW1 and WW2 and when I had the opportunity I organized many rides to Normandy, Verdun, Bastogne and most of the locations you have covered in your videos.
I am 75 and still ride and organize rides, although they are normally one day rides thru the beautiful countryside where I live.
I look forward to watching more of History Traveler Episodes in the future.
i did not want to stop and see this video. just another dork doing videos about the war......( i am a vet so forgive the language) i looked anyway and i must say SIR, you did an outstanding job and most respectful and knowledge filled. i was glad that i did take a look. thank you for caring about our veterans.
Thanks! I appreciate that. Although your initial impression about being a dork was spot on 😅
An moving and emotional video. When i watch stuff like this it really infuriates me on the way some people in the west take there freedom for granted. Much respect to the veterans and families that paid the ultimate price so i can live free. Thank you.
Hopefully people will see and share videos like this and get an idea of what that freedom costs. Thanks.
The closing line of your opening was epic…kudos to you for remembering these men…
Thank you for sharing this important part of our nation's history. I'm moved to tears. God Bless.
Glad that it connected. Thanks for watching.
That was a beautiful memorial. Thanks for sharing.
the Malmedy Massacre is not brought up much... another huge Thanks for this vid series, Amazing
That’s one reason why I wanted to go there. Thanks for watching and spreading the word to keep history alive.
As a kid I stayed in Malmedy as a sort of introduction week with school. We did a lot of hiking through the woods and one of my teachers told quite a few stories about what happened in the area, including the malmedy Massacre and several other historical battles/skirmishes that took place there. I was already heavily interested in military history and especially WW2 through my dad who told a lot of stories about when he was a kid at that time. Anyway, it fascinated me tremendously (sadly I was one of the few back then) and it sparked an interest that has never faded. Really enjoying these videos, really interesting to see places I visited before that bring back memories and picking up a few new things I didn't know along the way.
Thanks so much for sharing that and for the kind words. So glad that you enjoyed it.
Your History Traveller videos are great. They’re done with the right brevity and respect. The music and your commentary is so appropriate.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.
🙏🏼
@@TheHistoryUnderground peiper was ein zweinenhund
Thank you , you do such a great job .
I get emotional just watching.
Great job once again at researching and telling the story! Thanks for all you do!!👍😎👍
Thanks 🙏🏼
A buddy of mine, his uncle was a survivor, also there was a gentleman who lived a few miles away who also was a survivor , he was in the 285th field artillery observation battalion.
I got to meet Ted Paluch once. Very cool.
I passed this location many times while traveling the autobahn when I used to live in Germany. I knew that the town of malmedy held significance wrt WW2. Thank you for covering this topic and sharing the videos.
Thanks for remembering them!
I had the Honor over 20 years ago to Listen to one of the Malmedy survivors talk about his experenience to a Marine survivor of the 1st wave onto Iwo Jima. They had both show up to the very first battle of the Bulge reenactment held at Fort indiantown Gap..
What was amazing is they both felt they did nothing and were impressed by what the other had survived... I still think of them often and how lucky i was to be standing there listening...
Dennis Younkin - My gosh. How fortunate to have heard their stories. Wow.
I had know someone from West Virginia died at Malmendy but never knew who. Paul R Carr is from a town just 20 minutes away from me. I would have never known. Thank you!
Love this channel!!! My dad was a history teacher for many many years before he passed away and got me to be a lover of history myself. This channel has made me want to visit all these historical sites just like he did. 👏🏽👏🏽 awesome work @thehistoryunderground
Your videos are truly unbelievable and humbling. I hope to travel to the places you’ve been to. Keep up the content 👍🏼
Thanks a ton! That means a lot.
Interesting note on Peiper. I was stationed in Germany and have been to the exact spot you were at. Peiper moved to a small French village, and somehow his name and location leaked out to former members of the underground. Peiper sent his family back to Germany due to threats. He did put up a fight upon his attack. His house was set on fire. Here's the freaky part. When the local fire department arrived, they discovered all the fire hoses on the fire truck had been slashed.
good...
Justice delayed but justice in the end
I just found you and I have watched several I can’t put this down every free minute I have I watch I think you are fantastic. I didn’t know anything about this massacre while watching I couldn’t help but cry. I have enjoyed every episode you are one special man and I can’t thank you enough for all you are doing.
I was at Coriano ridge last week commonwealth war graves and Gurkas own site, with the way the UK has now moved towards control Its hard to stand in these places, unfortunately most of the young local people in Rimini do not know what is up on the ridge and why they are buried there. I travel through Italy a lot and how many Commonwealth, US and German sites are there all there because of what we face today again.
I always had a special feeling riding by these cemeteries on my American Harley Davidson. Almost like these brave men could feel the vibration. Their sacrifice enabled me to do that.
Kevin Altizer - Amen to that.
thank you very much for doing this outstanding article on this aweful happening. You treated it with such respect and infornation nothing was missed may they and all the others RIP stay safe thankyou
Thanks!
This son of a British Soldier that fought at Dunkirk , D Day etc ........ thanks you for this tribute
I had not known about this incident before. Thank you for educating me about it. This is one of my favorite episodes so far. What a great channel!
Thank you. The father of a dear friend of mine was taken prisoner by the Nazis the day of or day after the Malmedy Massacre and was marched past the site on his way to Auschwitz. He survived and died about a month ago at the age of 95. I will never forget Joe Soldo.
Oh man. Imagine the things that he saw. Wow. Thanks for sharing that.
My grandpa will turn 93 on May 10 he’s a WW2 vet himself
Margraten, Netherlands is another cemetery just up the road from here. Dutch families adopt the graves and visit each and every one where they maintain and keep them covered with flowers.
I wish that I would have mentioned how the Europeans care for the graves. I do plan on going back someday though. Thanks for including that.
..l have visited the cemetery of Margraten, as a young man ,41- years ago..
The solemness of the place still haunt me to this day, imagining how such a very peaceful place contained the mortal remains borne from unimaginable violence..
My grandfather was 28th infantry division 112th infantry regiment. He was at the battle of the bulge. He had 5 campaign ribbons. He never really talked about the war except for 1 time to my mom. He ended in the US Army at rank of SSGT.
Mark Hewitt - Those guys went through a lot.
While this memorial is close to the site, the massacre actually took place about 100-meters south of the memorial on the other side of the N62 in the open field next to the modern day Five Points Restaurant. You videos are fantastic!
A large house was built on the actual massacre site about 20 years ago.
The actual site of the massacre is the field across the road from where the memorial stands. Sombre place but well worth a visit.
I had heard that before but when I saw the memorial plaque that said that the massacre took place right there, I opted to play it safe and just go with the information available there.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I am not lucky enough to have been on the ww2 fields, but if it feels as intense as being at Gettysburg did ...
Yes, from the “ Battle of the Bulge , then and now “ they state the memorial was erected in that location across the actual site , as was “ visually more attractive “ when approaching from Malmedy .........think there was some sort of gravel surface front of a little car yard there ?...... again, I visited this location in Late Nov 2019 ( nearly snowing ,! ) after flying from 🇦🇺 Australia , to Munich .Germany ...... by myself , and visiting Malmedy , Foy, Stavelot, St Vith and staying in Bastogne .........another very sobering place 🙏🏻😔
Was going to say this as well. Looking at the memorial take the road to your right that takes you to the museum 44. About 100yds up from the roundabout and around 75yds into the field was where Peiper’s SS murdered these guys. Great videos, I’m enjoying going through your collection. If we were to ever met, I’m sure we could share a lifetime of travels and history. Thanks.
@Me Smith hi Mr. Smith, thanks for serving!! One of my Gramps was Navy ww2, but he joined late and was lucky, never deployed. (other gramps AAC/AF B17 gunner 301st 15th...1942,43,44)
That list of places is amazing!
I love your video's and documentation of all these amazing places. My sister recently adopted a grave in Henri Chapelle. We live in the Netherlands next to Margraten, did you visit Margraten also? Thank you for your video's!
35 pairs of brothers. The three Tester brothers. And so many American military cemeteries. Al the "tomorrows" that were given up.
Boy, just when when you think you've heard/read about so many things in WWII, I had never heard of this battle. So many battles, stories, campaigns, innovations, secrets, jobs in the military that we never heard of...
As an aside, my father's cousin died in a VOLCANO in the Aleutian Island. He was stationed at a "listening post". He took a walk and layer they found his footprints stopping at a lava flow. MILLIONS of stories from that war.
It’s out of the way. It’s not visited that often..... and that’s why we came! LOVE IT!!!
Really like your channel. Love history. Appreciate the reverence you always show to these fallen men and women. Both my father and father-in- law served in WWII ; my father in the signal corps of the Canadian army in The Normandy invasion; my father-in-law was in the Canadian Navy doing the Murmansk convoy runs. Neither of them talked about their service. Lost too many comrades. Both are gone now. Thank for your respect for them all.
Thanks! And thanks for sharing those stories.
The SS done the same to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, my dad said "we didn't take SS prisoners after that"
Peiper served in Russia, and executed prisoners there, it was how SS operated and they didn't stop doing it when they fought against us, US troops vowed not to take SS prisoners after Malmedy
So Glad your Dad came out of the war ok. I salute him. My Dad was USN at Normandy he came out om to. RIP to ALL vets of that war and service!
Love your videos! I did some research about the Tester Brothers who's graves were featured towards the start of your video. The oldest of the Tester brother was actually KIA in Africa, but his body was relocated, so he could be buried next to his younger brothers.
Keep up the great great work!
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK IN A TIME WHEN OUR SCHOOLS TEACH KIDS HOW TO TAKE TEST. OUR SCHOOLS FAIL WHEN IT COMES TO THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY.. WE CAN LEARN A LOT FROM HISTORY. IF WE DON'T LEARN FROM HISTORY WE ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT HISTORY.
Very sad story but very well told. Thank You.
Agreed. Tragic story.
I was born in Berlin in 1947. Today I'm an American citizen who 'volunteered' for two tours in Vietnam. It's been my experience that the victor in any conflict determines morality and guilt. Concerning the epic atrocities of the Germans against the innocent Jews, way too many guilty murderers escaped the hangman and punishment. Those evil humans may have eluded legal justice but what they should fear most is standing before God and someday they will. The standing order of D-Day was to not take any German prisoners because the battle was potentially in the balance. Dealing with the logistics of prisoners could have tipped that balance so German prisoners just 'disappeared'. No monument for them, they lost the war. Dresden, no monument for them as well. The winner always determines who committed atrocities and who didn't. Rosevelt was a democrat but not every American soldier was a democrat so not every Russian is a communist and not every German was a Nazi. My grandfather had the opportunity to help Jews escape so the Nazis hung a Jew from the lamppost in front of his house with a sign around his neck 'If you lose one more Jew, the next one hanging from this post will be you'. In democracies, people win or lose elections... in dictatorships, people lose their lives... millions of them.
war makes murders of men
Well Said
@@jahns6980 I stole that from one the last surviving Nurenburg trial US staff members. The interviewer asked how could people do such horrible things as the Germans did during WW2
Thanks for that insight.
Manfred Seidler Ein sehr guter Beitrag.Lassen wir z.B.auch nicht vergessen,was damals nach dem Krieg im Rheinwiesenlager abgelaufen ist.Geschichte ist niemals schwarz/weiss.LG
Poignant, Respectful, Brilliant, Moving.
Thanks for knowing your history, God bless you brave soldiers, this was tragic, but Valor of sacrifice
What a beautiful, pristine resting place for these war heroes. In everything that I have watched and read on WWII I have never heard of this place. As always, thank you JD.
My pleasure! Thanks!
That’s not the wind blowing so strongly in the American graveyard. It’s the last breath of all those soldiers that have given their lives for us and our country. 🇺🇸
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Very moving to watch, as it is very moving to think of so many who have died in defense of our country. Humbling.
Serves for me as a reminder to enjoy the life I have and be appreciative of simple joys.
Well said.
Beautiful job. I’ve been to the cemetery at Normandy, and I have to say of the videos I’ve seen about cemeteries in the area, yours does the best job of capturing the reverence that seems to simply hang over those places. Great job
🙏🏼
I read about the Tester Brothers a bit, and an article said that the mother also lost her husband in 42 to cancer, and a fourth son to heart issues. Just heartbroken for her. I hope she found some peace during the remainder of her life.
God bless these warriors who sacrificed all, for ALL of us.
Have you also been to the American Cemetery in Margrathen, The Netherlands? It's only 15km away from Henri-Chapelle (just over the border in The Netherlands). There soldiers buried there have all died in Germany, but were moved to The Netherlands because the American government didn't want cemetery's on German soil (or that at least that was what me was told).
I live really close to the American Cemetery in Margraten and come there often. My grandmother adopted 4 graves to take care of, I interited one of them and we bring flowers regularly.
Oh wow. I can't believe I was that close. I definitely hope to come back some day. Thanks for what you all do to care for our dead.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I looked it up. Its 17 minutes driving from Henri-Chapelle to Margraten (18km).
When you're visit again you can also visit these WW2 related places in the area;
- Part of the Westwall near Aachen (~25 km from Maastricht). Around the German city of Aachen a big part of the Westwall tank defences are still intact. They are really close to the Dutch border (often only a couple hundred meters) because Aachen was a major German city. There are three specific places on the border where the big concrete pillars arethe best visible. And if I'm correct you can even see them from the highway whe n crossing the border.
- Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium (~5km fom Maastricht). When it was built it was called the most modern fort in Europe, due to the implementation of some new defense tactics. Despite being the most modern fort in Europe at the time, the Germans captured it in 15 minutes by landing with gliders ontop of the fort. The 1200 man stationed there surrendered to the 86 Fallschimjäger.
There are also some other history spots in the area:
- Station Eijsden. German emperor Wilhelm II arrived on this train station on 10 november 1918. It was the first station over the border and he waited here for his train to come from Liège. There is a famous photograph taken at this station.
- Mesch. The first Dutch village to be liberated from the Germans on 12 seotember 1944.
Edit: You can also visit the historic cities of Maastricht, Aachen & Valkenburg if you want. Or if you're only interested in WW2, maybe think about driving to Nijmegen and/or Arnhem (~ 100km from Maastricht)
More of the excellent work that is present in all your videos. Thanks for a great job.
My dad was in the 285 Field Artillery Observation and was part of that convoy he was in headquarters battalion
The only way to ensure that this never happens again is to ensure that war never happens again.
"Only the dead have seen the end of war." Tragically.
The person who torched Peipers house also cut the hoses of the local fire department, so they couldn't put it out. Give that man a medal.
ALL the allied co beligerants in ww2 committed war crimes against the axis too, the US were no exception, and they have done the same in recent wars also.
Joachim Peiper was a soldier of the highest calibre, a highly decorated soldier who fought with distinction many times on the Eastern and western front.
Peiper and his men were tortured and forced to sign confessions under duress at the Nuremberg trials. Peiper was a popular selfless commander he without question took responsibility for some of his young mens actions, in order to gain them leniency,even though he was leading his men miles away and no where near where the unfortunate incident took place. This sort of incident wasnt uncommon during any conflict, it happens in the fog of war when POWs tried to escape, as what happened in this case.
Joachim Peiper served a sentence for the crime in question; he didnt deserve to be murdered by a bunch of cowardly communists who weren't man enough to face him one on one.
Communism the ideology that predates Hitler with genocide and death camps to the the tune of tens of millions dead and they have kept it going unchallenged since ww2 and we sided with them.
In the words of General Patton 'we've defeated the wrong enemy.' Which he said publicly, and which got him removed from his command.
Later Patton was dishonourabley assassinated by his own Intelligence services, and with the help of scumbag communist NKVD. Why would they do this to their famed General, because he was became disillusioned and was starting to voice his opinion based on the information he was privy to and his first hand experiences, that WW2 wasnt the just war that he and the public at large were expected to believe.
Ref book : Target Patton. The assassin Douglas Bazata.
Nuremberg was proven to be a kangaroo court, and if the allies had judged themselves by their own rules many of their key players would been in the dock and would have swung too.
History is written by the victors.
Here's a link to remind you of some allied war crimes.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_war_crimes_during_World_War_II
@@Spireites72 Peiper was a bastard and a criminal and your beloved 3rd Reich a genocidal regime. Go fuck yourself, nazi.
Thanks to the heroes who gave him justice.
@@miguimauJust because I dont agree with your warped views and I have a balanced view on history that doesn't determain ones politics . You are obviously a hate filled brain dead moron, take some advise go and reeducate yourself , develope your critical thinking skills and do some unbiased research, and while you are at it go and wash your mouth out with some soap.
You also have a strange degenerative concept of the meaning of 'hero.'
I offered facts and links in my previous post to get you started, good luck.
Ignorance is never better than knowledge!
Have a good day.
@@miguimau if that the best you can offer, I feel sorry for you.
@@Spireites72 Don´t. Fuck you, nazi.
Your video's are so powerful.I tear up everytime I watch them.
Just learned about this after reading The Longest Winter for the first time, was a great book. I love your channel bro and it renewed my interest in history all over again. Keep up the great work!
Great video & really well done. Never knew there was a memorial at Malmedy. Thank you!
Eastside Badger - Thanks. Glad that you were able to learn something from it along with me.
Not knowing what the site looks like today, I would've liked to see the area instead of only a rock wall built in remembrance.
Binge watching and catching up on past videos!! All very well done and I learned something from each one!
Awesome! Thank you!
Greetings from Holland! I just recently found your channel and I have to say I LOVE IT!! Thank you so much for the interesting video's you share with us!
Wendy van der Weg - Awesome! Thanks so much. Really hope to get over to your country someday.
Thank you for making this video. A story that all Americans need to remember.
marc Smiley - Thanks. It was my pleasure. Hoping to do a small part to keep history alive.
Man.. i am a history geek! Specially for WW1 and WW2. And its really a shame that i found out about youre channel just yesterday.... i am in love with youre videos! Keep up the good work 🙏🙏🇳🇱🦅
Thanks! Glad that you found it. Always enjoy sharing this stuff with fellow history enthusiasts.
Thanks for what you do brother! Honestly I didn’t even know about this! Now I know… very hard breaking… keep doing a great job! Love your work!
35 pairs of brothers......man that got me good 😔 rest in peace lads, now time to call my brother and tell him i love him.