Pyritz/Western Pomerania, January/February 1945. 

Waffen-SS battle group

Full name: Hans-Ulrich Freiherr von Luck und Witten (1911-1997), KC as Major and Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125 on August 8, 1944. Before that commander of the recce battalion of 21st Panzer-Division in Africa. After the war von Luck wrote down his memoirs in the book &quot;Panzer Commander&quot;. Van Luck was mentioned in Spielberg's Hollywood movie &quot;Saving Private Ryan&quot; as his unit (Kampfgruppe van Luck) was battered by Tom Hanks (although in reality not even close to the location and timeframe of the movie). (-;

Oberst Hans von Luck

On saturday 25 may 1940 German troops try to cross the Schipdonk canal in Deinze(Belgium).Civilians from the town were taken along as a human shield .Between 16.30pm and 17.00pm during an artillery duel between the German and Belgian troops ,a German shell exploded amidst a group of  150 hostages.38 of them were killed.The next day things began to escalate.Rumours ran among the German soldiers that civilians had been shooting at them.In the little village of Meigem hostages were taken and locked up in the church.The other village of Vinkt was still in de hands of 'Les Chasseurs Ardennais',Belgian troops.On monday the 27th was to be a dramatic day for both Meigem and Vinkt. The church in Meigem was hit,probably by friendly fire, and 27 people that were held there died in the blast.In Vinkt,the battle continued and around 15.00pm the 377 IR took the village.At that time the German soldiers were convinced they had been shot at by civilians and began a razzia.Men ,women and children were rounded up and the men separated.In little groups ,38 men were executed,4 survived.Other groups were also killed(those are the previous photo's).In fact the rumours were just that,rumours.Not one civilian had shot at the Germans.Some 25 years earlier  in Aarschot (Belgium) a German officer was shot at(later it was found, by his own soldiers).But a rumour spread that it was done by civilians.Retaliation followed and 29 men were shot.History repeated itself.