Case Title: Close call to
German Fratricide
Subject: Retreating
Wehrmacht soldiers clash with
fresh SS troops en route to the
front.
Date: September 17th, 1944
Location: Eindhoven,
Holland
Introduction: The same
eye-witness who was our source
in
Case File # 5, mr. Theo
Bayens of Eindhoven, 18 years
old at the time, told us the
following story. On Sunday
September 17th 1944 Theo was
near the Van Abbe Museum when he
saw some trucks with fresh SS
troops driving South on Wal.
Obviously they had heard the
news of the British Second Army
breaking through at the Main
Line of Resistance on the
Belgian border that day. These
SS men were en route to engage
the British soldiers. At the
same time some trucks with
battle weary Wehrmacht soldiers
drove across Bilderdijk Laan.
The SS troops and the Wehrmacht
soldiers stopped at the
crossroads and the SS men asked
where the Wehrmacht men were
going to. The latter informed
the SS men of the numerical
superior British Army and that
they were in no mood to make a
stand against the tanks and
infantry.
The SS men became infuriated at
this lack of motivation and at
gunpoint they tried to convince
their comrades in arms to turn
around and follow them to the
frontline. The Wehrmacht
soldiers also got their rifles
ready. For a moment Theo thought
that this situation was going to
turn into a gun battle between
German soldiers. Cooler heads
took control of the situation
and it never came to a case of
fratricide. Finally, both
columns continued on their
originally planned ways.
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