La Plaine au Bois Site - The Massacre Barn - Esquelbecq

A cowshed into which a hundred prisoners were packed like sardines in the late afternoon of Tuesday 28th 1940. Subsequently rebuilt, it was inaugured in 2001 by two survivors of the massacre: Alf TOMBS and Bert EVANS.
Twelve members of the S.S. 2nd Battalion under the command of Wilhelm MONHKE began the slaughter by throwing five grenades into the barn. A British captain, Lynn ALLEN decides to try to escape, taking with him Bert EVANS who was injured, his arm almost severed in the explosion.
Running along close to the hedge, keeping their heads down do avoid the gunfire of the S.S., the two men arrived at a pound.
In the cowshed the bloodbath continued. As the S.S. had failed to kill everyone, two groups of five survivors were taken outside and callously shot in the back.
A storm broke out at that moment and the killing intensified, burst of gunfire mowing down men so far unhurt, the wounded and those who were already dead. Out of about a hundred prisoners, about fifteen survived. On Friday May 31th 1940 they were discovered and cared for. For several of the group, it was sadly too late; they died in agony after the S.S. had left the scene, laughing about what they had done.

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Source

• Text: Luc Van Waeyenberge
• Photos: Luc Van Waeyenberge