Lizzy Davies: War story ... 64 years after massacre, villagers of Maillé may get some answers at last
[Lizzy Davies writes for the Guardian.]
On August 25 1944, as General Philippe Leclerc led triumphant allied troops into the newly liberated French capital, Nazi soldiers entered the village of Maillé and razed it.
Moving house to house through the quiet streets with machine guns, bayonets and firebombs, the Germans killed everyone they found - men, women and children. While Paris erupted in joy and patriotic pride, Maillé lay still: burned, ruined and bloody.
For decades, no one talked about what happened that day, even though, with a death toll of 124, the killings were the second worst to have taken place on French soil during the second world war. It was overshadowed then by the glory of liberation, and it has been passed over since. To this day, no one knows exactly who was responsible or why they chose this unremarkable village in the lush Touraine countryside for an act of such barbarism. Nor has anyone really tried to find out, until now.
The world is starting to remember Maillé, because of outside interest from television documentary makers and journalists, and because the survivors, 64 years on, find they are able to talk about what happened.
Yesterday, in a move of unprecedented cooperation, a team of investigators arrived from Germany to try to tackle the questions for so long unanswered. Although in France convictions for war crimes must take place within 30 years, the German legal system presents no such restriction.
"This is an incredible moment for Maillé," said the village's youthful mayor, Bernard Eliaume. "It is the first time since the war that Germans have been officially present here and it is of exceptional importance that they are here to find out both who and why: which troops carried out the massacre and why they killed who they did: little children, elderly people, adults ... why?"..
Read entire article at Guardian (UK)
On August 25 1944, as General Philippe Leclerc led triumphant allied troops into the newly liberated French capital, Nazi soldiers entered the village of Maillé and razed it.
Moving house to house through the quiet streets with machine guns, bayonets and firebombs, the Germans killed everyone they found - men, women and children. While Paris erupted in joy and patriotic pride, Maillé lay still: burned, ruined and bloody.
For decades, no one talked about what happened that day, even though, with a death toll of 124, the killings were the second worst to have taken place on French soil during the second world war. It was overshadowed then by the glory of liberation, and it has been passed over since. To this day, no one knows exactly who was responsible or why they chose this unremarkable village in the lush Touraine countryside for an act of such barbarism. Nor has anyone really tried to find out, until now.
The world is starting to remember Maillé, because of outside interest from television documentary makers and journalists, and because the survivors, 64 years on, find they are able to talk about what happened.
Yesterday, in a move of unprecedented cooperation, a team of investigators arrived from Germany to try to tackle the questions for so long unanswered. Although in France convictions for war crimes must take place within 30 years, the German legal system presents no such restriction.
"This is an incredible moment for Maillé," said the village's youthful mayor, Bernard Eliaume. "It is the first time since the war that Germans have been officially present here and it is of exceptional importance that they are here to find out both who and why: which troops carried out the massacre and why they killed who they did: little children, elderly people, adults ... why?"..