I received an email today from an author unknown. The person corrected me on the fact that I have incorrectly referred to my Dad as a POW. I sincerely apologize to all who might be offended by this oversight on my part!!! I wonder why the person didn't sign it or say who they were!
Copy of what I received today:
I followed the link to your blog and read all the articles.
I think it is incorrect to say that your father was "a Belgian POW." A
POW is a soldier, wearing a uniform, who surrenders, or is captured, on
the battlefield where he is fighting according to the rules of the
Geneva Convention. A person who is not wearing a uniform, nor fighting
on the battlefield, but is a civilian aiding one side in a war, is
called "an illegal combatant." Such a person was not entitled to
treatment as a POW under the rules of the Geneva Convention of 1929
which was in force during World War II.
Buchenwald was one of the two main concentration camps where Resistance
fighters were sent; the other was Natzweiler. The first memorial that
was put up at Buchenwald was in honor of the French Resistance fighters.
After World War II ended, the Allies made up new laws, called
"ex-post-facto" laws, which changed the rules of warfare. After the
war, the Allies claimed that the Resistance fighters should have been
entitled to the same treatment as POWs and should have been put into a
POW camp, not a concentration camp. The Germans were put on trial at
Nuremberg, under these new laws that had not existed when their alleged
crimes were committed.
At the former Dachau camp, America conducted separate trials of the
Germans under these new laws, that had been created after the war. The
SS men on the staff of several of the concentration camps, including
Buchenwald, were put on trial in the American court at Dachau; the
Germans were charged with being criminals, under a new ex-post-facto law
called "common design" which was also used as the law to charge the men
at Nuremberg. Under the new law of "common design" there was no
defense; anyone who was associated with a concentration camp in any way
was convicted as a "war criminal" under this new law.
Under the laws that were in existence during World War II, your father
was a war criminal because he was fighting in violation of the laws at
that time, which were the laws under the Geneva Convention of 1929.
Because the Allies won the war, your father is a victim and a hero
because he fought for the Allies as an illegal combatant. The American
soldiers who killed the guards at Buchenwald were not war criminals, but
heroes. Under the rules of the Geneva Convention, the guards should
have been taken prisoner. Concentration camps were not illegal during
World War II.
The Soviet Union had not signed the Geneva Convention, but the Soviets
claimed that their soldiers were entitled to protection under the rules
of the convention. Soviet soldiers were executed at Buchenwald because,
under the rules of the Convention, they were not entitled to protection
because the Soviet Union did not honor the Geneva Convention with
respect to German soldiers. The Allies changed the rules of the
Convention, after the war, so that the Soviet Union was entitled to
protection, although they were not following the Convention themselves.
America had "internment camps" where German-Americans were held until
two years AFTER the war. Jehovah's Witnesses were sent to regular
prisons in America, not to the "internment camps." Jehovah's Witnesses
were released from the German camps if and when they agreed to follow
the rules of their country and serve in the Army.
The British sent enemy civilians to regular prisons, not to internment
camps nor concentration camps.
After Germany surrendered, the Germans did not continue to fight as
Resistance fighters, as other countries did. Poland surrendered after
fighting for only 28 days on the battlefield, but then continued to
fight as "the Polish Home Army" which did not fight on the battlefield,
but as illegal combatants, blowing up troop trains and ambushing German
soldiers from the forests in Poland. Belgium also surrendered, but
continued to fight illegally. France surrendered after 5 weeks, but
continued to fight as the "French Resistance."
Only the Germans followed the Geneva Convention to the letter. Other
countries just changed the rules and then put the Germans on trial after
the war. Sorry, but this makes me very angry.
Copy of what I received today:
I followed the link to your blog and read all the articles.
I think it is incorrect to say that your father was "a Belgian POW." A
POW is a soldier, wearing a uniform, who surrenders, or is captured, on
the battlefield where he is fighting according to the rules of the
Geneva Convention. A person who is not wearing a uniform, nor fighting
on the battlefield, but is a civilian aiding one side in a war, is
called "an illegal combatant." Such a person was not entitled to
treatment as a POW under the rules of the Geneva Convention of 1929
which was in force during World War II.
Buchenwald was one of the two main concentration camps where Resistance
fighters were sent; the other was Natzweiler. The first memorial that
was put up at Buchenwald was in honor of the French Resistance fighters.
After World War II ended, the Allies made up new laws, called
"ex-post-facto" laws, which changed the rules of warfare. After the
war, the Allies claimed that the Resistance fighters should have been
entitled to the same treatment as POWs and should have been put into a
POW camp, not a concentration camp. The Germans were put on trial at
Nuremberg, under these new laws that had not existed when their alleged
crimes were committed.
At the former Dachau camp, America conducted separate trials of the
Germans under these new laws, that had been created after the war. The
SS men on the staff of several of the concentration camps, including
Buchenwald, were put on trial in the American court at Dachau; the
Germans were charged with being criminals, under a new ex-post-facto law
called "common design" which was also used as the law to charge the men
at Nuremberg. Under the new law of "common design" there was no
defense; anyone who was associated with a concentration camp in any way
was convicted as a "war criminal" under this new law.
Under the laws that were in existence during World War II, your father
was a war criminal because he was fighting in violation of the laws at
that time, which were the laws under the Geneva Convention of 1929.
Because the Allies won the war, your father is a victim and a hero
because he fought for the Allies as an illegal combatant. The American
soldiers who killed the guards at Buchenwald were not war criminals, but
heroes. Under the rules of the Geneva Convention, the guards should
have been taken prisoner. Concentration camps were not illegal during
World War II.
The Soviet Union had not signed the Geneva Convention, but the Soviets
claimed that their soldiers were entitled to protection under the rules
of the convention. Soviet soldiers were executed at Buchenwald because,
under the rules of the Convention, they were not entitled to protection
because the Soviet Union did not honor the Geneva Convention with
respect to German soldiers. The Allies changed the rules of the
Convention, after the war, so that the Soviet Union was entitled to
protection, although they were not following the Convention themselves.
America had "internment camps" where German-Americans were held until
two years AFTER the war. Jehovah's Witnesses were sent to regular
prisons in America, not to the "internment camps." Jehovah's Witnesses
were released from the German camps if and when they agreed to follow
the rules of their country and serve in the Army.
The British sent enemy civilians to regular prisons, not to internment
camps nor concentration camps.
After Germany surrendered, the Germans did not continue to fight as
Resistance fighters, as other countries did. Poland surrendered after
fighting for only 28 days on the battlefield, but then continued to
fight as "the Polish Home Army" which did not fight on the battlefield,
but as illegal combatants, blowing up troop trains and ambushing German
soldiers from the forests in Poland. Belgium also surrendered, but
continued to fight illegally. France surrendered after 5 weeks, but
continued to fight as the "French Resistance."
Only the Germans followed the Geneva Convention to the letter. Other
countries just changed the rules and then put the Germans on trial after
the war. Sorry, but this makes me very angry.
