I cant find any reference to this map anywhere - probably looking in the wrong place knowing me - but if anyone can help it would be appreciated Jerry email: murland@btinternet.com
The ASL Scenario Archive A hand drawn map showing the positions of companies of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment at Wormhoudt, May 1940 From that I would assume it might be an annex to RWR War Diary TD Reading a bit more the web site states : British (Elements of the Royal Warwickshire and Cheshire Regiments, 48th Infantry Division / Elements of the 52nd Heavy Regiment) So it could be as above in the RWR WD's annex or part of Cheshire or 48 Inf Div WD's annex's
The annotation for the HQs of Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler suggest to me that the source for this may not be a British War Diary...How would they have obtained this information prior to writing up a diary ? It must have been prepared / added to for a later publication.
Possibly a file similar to this? This was a private copy sold at auction `Dickinsons Real Deal` NA ref WO 309/1813 Report on Wormhoudt case by Lt Col A P Scotland, OC War Crimes Interrogation Unit.... | The National Archives more images of this and other massacre files here Original documents from wormhaudt and les paridis massacres investigations - HELP - Page 2 Kyle
It is the original map drawn by 2nd Warwicks and is not correct. B Company was later moved North of the Esquelbecq Road prior to the commencement of Battle. Since the position of the headquarters 2nd SS LSAH Battalion is shown, I would bet my life on its provenance being the War Crime Dossier. I have noticed that these Lawyers kept mixing up the positions of the Warks Companies - hopefully they would have corrected this before the Trial that never was.
The same map was captured and used by LSAH Otto (from memory) Baum, company commander of southern wing (again from memory 7th Company) whose men perpetrated the murder in the barn. Recaptured it formed part of the War Crimes Dossier.
It looks to me from the annotation as if this last map was given to him during interrogation to indicate his position at the time of the incident. The Warwicks didn't know where they were going to be defending and it would be surprising if they had time and access to a 'Banda' type spirit duplicator prior to the action.
Yes that makes a lot of sense. It also explains the writing in German - most likely position etc. So Baum is telling us that he spoke to Mohnke at the Bn HQ (18.00hrs) On the earlier map it seems to show the LSSAH Bn HQ very close to the town centre at 14.00hrs. We know the prisoners of D Coy Warks and Parry were marched up the Cassel Road into the area in front of the Church and from there along Rue d'Eglise adn down the Ledringham Road. Since the Germans were in full control of Wormhout before 17.00 hrs, I assume that the place where Mohnke gave the order to dispose of them was at the this HQ and not the later one shown at 18.00 hrs.