Murders during the war

[Marina]

Pretty horrible - not so very different from today. The youths who kicked the man to death and got off lightly rings a bell!
Marina

[Owen]

Just read about a murder committed at Chiseldon camp.
Had a Google and here's some info for you.
sheptonm

Pte. Harold Smith had gone AWOL (absent without leave) in London in January 1943 and with another young soldier was staying in a hotel enjoying the town until their financial recourses dried up. He then returned to Chisledon Camp near Swindon to find his own unit had been posted elsewhere. He found a loaded pistol and then got into an altercation with Pte. Harry Jenkins whom he shot dead. He also fired at another soldier before escaping back to London, where he was arrested by a British policeman. He was handed over to American authorities and was court martialled at Bristol on the 12th of March 1943. He made a full statement admitting his guilt and was duly hanged on the 25th of June, 1943 by Tom Pierrepoint.

Anyone know anymore about the victim?
Pvt Harry Jenkins 116th Infantry, he had two serious bullet wounds to the stomach, one less serious leg wound. He was operated on at Swindon's Victoria Hospital (where I was born)but died later the next day.

[Slipdigit]

Originally Posted by Kiwiwriter

Slovik was the only American shot for desertion since the Civil War, and his case became a celebrated book and TV movie.

Slovik got what he deserved. I read about his actions, both before and during the war. He was a skank and never anything but a burden on society.

[von Poop]

Marcel Petiot, Parisian Serial killer who tried to claim 'resistance work' as a defence:
All about Dr. Marcel Petiot by Michael Newton

a telegram arrived from Paris police headquarters. It read: “Order from German authorities. Arrest Petiot. Dangerous lunatic.”

Anyone have any more on the RAF killer suggested in post #9?

[chrisharley9]

Just out of interest it was normal procedure for the British Army for those convicted at home of murder for them to be discharged from the army on the morning of their excecution thereby preventing them from receiving a war grave status - however this was not always carried out in every case

Chris

[marcus69x]

I don't like the idea of our 'heroes' acting in this way. It's the type of thing you'd expect to hear from the Nazis but not our brave lads. I suppose if a person is that way inclined though, then just because they put on an allied uniform it doesn't make them a better person all of a sudden. Very sad.

[chrisharley9]

Marcus

they are only a reflection of the society that they came from - add to that the pressures of a war & being cut from female company

Chris

[liverpool annie]

I found these ...... if you Google both names you'll find quite a bit ... I just posted the not so graphic ones !!

Incidentally years later, flying with Ralph Fisher in BEA it transpired we were club members at the same time. A drinking friend of his at the club was Neville Heath, also ex RAF. One night, walking back to his hotel room Ralph fell and damaged his nose producing a nosebleed. The following day he had to put his jacket and trousers in for dry cleaning. A few days later the police interviewed him concerning a murder, as initially he was a suspect. After another murder, Neville Heath was arrested and found guilty of being a mass murderer of women — the last a WREN in Bournemouth.

BBC - WW2 People's War - MY AIRCREW EXPERIENCES IN THE R.A.F. FROM NOVEMBER 1940 UNTIL APRIL 1946/ continued

And then there was Gordon Frederick Cummins

The Blackout Ripper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Annie

[soren1941]

Originally Posted by marcus69x

I don't like the idea of our 'heroes' acting in this way. It's the type of thing you'd expect to hear from the Nazis but not our brave lads. I suppose if a person is that way inclined though, then just because they put on an allied uniform it doesn't make them a better person all of a sudden. Very sad.

Not too distantly related, but the Kray twins were called up for National Service ( Royal Fusiliers I think ). So it goes to show that all sorts can be in the Army at anytime.

Most recently there was the case of a soldier who served with distinction in the Iraq war but found quilty of a random murder when he was a young lad. So perhaps sometimes the bravery and the dark side of human nature are not too far apart

[soren1941]

Originally Posted by von Poop

Marcel Petiot, Parisian Serial killer who tried to claim 'resistance work' as a defence:
All about Dr. Marcel Petiot by Michael Newton

Thanks for highlighting this chap, never heard of him before, gruesome