‘These men deserve to be recognized’: Historians search for photo of P.E.I. soldier killed by German troops in 1944
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — After the D-Day touchdown in France on June 6, 1944, a small group of Canadian troopers superior into the French countryside.
Amongst them had been 5 males from P.E.I.
In the present day, Island historians try to place a face to a type of names.
“The North Nova Scotia Highlanders reached the furthest level that day,” mentioned Joyce Phillips, an avid beginner historian.
Phillips and Greg Gallant, curator of the P.E.I. Regiment Museum, are looking for {a photograph} of a type of males, John Bernard Murray, who was killed within the aftermath.
Murray, a lance corporal from Charlottetown, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders fifth Division and was murdered on June 7, 1944, when he was captured by the 25 SS Panzergrenadier Regiment.
Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer, commander of the regiment, was identified to inform his troops they might take no prisoners. All of the Canadians he captured after D-Day on June 7 and eight had been killed, execution-style, mentioned Phillips.
Greater than 20 males, together with Murray, had been found by the SS troopers and died within the villages. One other 18 had been taken to Meyer’s headquarters on the L’Ancienne Abbaye in Ardenne the place they had been interrogated and executed.
Honouring the previous
“We needed to make word of the 5 Islanders who had been murdered by the SS,” mentioned Gallant, curator of the P.E.I. Regiment Museum when he met with SaltWire on April 12.
“John Bernard Murray of Charlottetown, we’re lacking an image. We’re going to see if we are able to’t discover him, to make the story full.”
Gallant was standing with Phillips in entrance of the show that includes the troopers who survived the D-Day touchdown however died whereas surrendering. Proper now, there may be an empty oval the place Murray’s face ought to be.
Phillips mentioned it is likely to be onerous to consider what occurred practically 80 years in the past.
“As troublesome as it’s … the purpose is, these males need to be acknowledged,” she mentioned.
Phillips mentioned the museum isn’t trying to expose any household secrets and techniques or take a stand in opposition to anybody who has a historical past with the opposite facet.
She and Gallant are hoping somebody finds a forgotten picture or doc of their attic that can assist full the puzzle.
Meyer was charged with warfare crimes for his half in killing the prisoners which violates a number of treaties, together with the Geneva Conference of 1929.
At his 1945 trial, Meyer pleaded not responsible however was discovered responsible of three of the fees and was sentenced to loss of life, which was commuted to life in jail. Meyer served 5 years in jail in Dorchester, N.B., earlier than being moved to a jail in the UK. He served 9 years and was launched in 1954. He died in 1961.
Private ties
Gallant and Phillips have private ties to the occasions in Normandy following D-Day.
Phillips’s father, Lea Birch, served with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, nicknamed the North Novies, and was pals with Frank and Joseph Arsenault, who had been killed at Ancienne Abbaye in Ardene. Gallant’s great-uncle, Allan Thomas Doucette, was injured by German artillery whereas burying the 18 Canadian troopers killed on the abbey. Gallant mentioned his uncle took a bit of shrapnel to his neck.
“He had an enormous, burnt mark on his neck for the remainder of his life,” mentioned Gallant.
Phillips added that it was not unusual for the Allies to be attacked once they had been performing burials.
Final sacrifice
5 P.E.I. troopers grew to become victims of a warfare crime once they had been killed on orders from Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer, commander of the 25 SS Panzergrenadier Regiment in Normandy June 7 and eight, 1944. Listed here are their names:
- Joseph Frank Arsenault, 33, Tyne Valley.
- Joseph Ralph Arsenault, 26, Summerside.
- William “Billy” Lewis McKinnon, 24, St. Peters.
- John Bernard Murray, 39, Charlottetown.
- Douglas “Bus” Sumner Orford, 23, Charlottetown.
Get in contact
- Anybody who has data or an image of LCpl John Bernard Murray is inspired to contact Greg Gallant, curator of the P.E.I. Regiment Museum, at [email protected].
Alison Jenkins is a reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. She might be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @ReporterAlison.
