War Crimes: Normandy Landings & Rape of innocent women by US Soldiers
- M.R Mishra
- May 9, 2024
- 5 min read
The Normandy landings, which began on D-Day (June 6, 1944), were a pivotal moment in World War II. It marked the beginning of the liberation of France from Nazi occupation. However, along with the heroism and sacrifice of Allied soldiers, there were also tragic instances of rape committed against French civilians, many of them women.
Estimates of the number of rapes vary, but historians believe that hundreds, and possibly thousands, of French women were raped by Allied soldiers, primarily Americans, in the months following D-Day. The reasons for this are complex, but they likely included a breakdown in discipline among some soldiers, the psychological effects of combat, and wartime propaganda that portrayed French women as promiscuous.
The rape of French women remains a difficult and under-discussed aspect of World War II. It is important to acknowledge this dark side of history, both to honor the victims and to ensure that such atrocities do not happen again.
Normandy Landings: A great invasion force stood off the Normandy coast of France as dawn broke on 6 June 1944: 9 battleships, 23 cruisers, 104 destroyers, and 71 large landing craft of various descriptions as well as troop transports, minesweepers, and merchantmen—in all, nearly 5,000 ships of every type. The naval bombardment that began at 0550 that morning detonated large minefields along the shoreline and destroyed a number of the enemy’s defensive positions.
To one correspondent, reporting from the deck of the cruiser HMS Hillary, it sounded like “the rhythmic beating of a gigantic drum” all along the coast. In the hours following the bombardment, more than 100,000 fighting men swept ashore to begin one of the epic assaults of history, a “mighty endeavor,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it to the American people, “to preserve . . . our civilization and to set free a suffering humanity.”
What was D-DAY?
D-Day, which refers to June 6, 1944, was the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy in France during World War II. It marked the opening of a new front in Western Europe against Nazi Germany. The invasion began with the largest seaborne assault in history, involving over 160,000 Allied troops landing on a 50-mile stretch of the
heavily-fortified French coastline.
The operation, codenamed Operation Overlord, was meticulously planned by the Allied forces for months. The goal was to establish a foothold in Normandy and begin the liberation of France from German occupation. The invasion involved a massive armada of ships and landing craft, as well as airborne troops who parachuted behind enemy lines.
The landings were met with fierce resistance from German forces, and the fighting was intense. Many Allied soldiers were killed or wounded on the beaches, particularly on Omaha Beach, which became known as "Bloody Omaha."
However, the Allies eventually succeeded in securing a foothold on French soil.
The D-Day invasion was a turning point in World War II. It marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe and paved the way for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.
"A Daughter's Quest for Justice for Her Mother."
In Plabennec, France, Aimee Dupre harbored a long-held silence concerning her mother's ordeal during the aftermath of the Normandy landings in June 1944. However, after eight decades of bearing the weight of this traumatic event, she resolved it was time to break her silence. The Normandy coast saw the arrival of nearly a million US, British, Canadian, and French soldiers following D-Day, marking a significant push against Nazi Germany's hold on Europe.
At the age of 19, residing in Montours, Brittany, Aimee eagerly welcomed the arrival of the "liberators," a sentiment shared by those around her. Yet, her elation turned to horror when, on the evening of August 10, two inebriated American soldiers made their way to her family's farm.
Aimee, now 99, recounted her mother's handwritten letter, recounting the soldiers' aggression towards her family and their subsequent assault on her mother, Aimee Helaudais Honore. Aimee's mother, in a selfless act of protection, agreed to leave with the soldiers, enduring a nightmarish ordeal of repeated rape to safeguard her daughter.
The events of that fateful night were not singular occurrences.
In the aftermath of the Normandy campaign, military tribunals prosecuted 152 soldiers for sexual assaults on French women. Despite the magnitude of such atrocities, many cases remained unreported due to societal shame and the stark contrast between the prevailing jubilation over Allied victory and the reality of wartime brutality.
Historian Mary Louise Roberts sheds light on the army's culpability, alleging that leaders fueled soldiers' expectations of readily available sexual encounters to bolster morale. The exploitation of sex, including prostitution and rape, served as a means of asserting dominance over France, undermining French men's perceived failure to protect their nation and women from German occupation.
The testimonies from Plabennec further underscore the profound scars left by these atrocities. Jeanne Pengam recalls the tragic loss of her father and the rape of her sister Catherine by an American soldier, an event shrouded in secrecy for decades. The systemic injustice within the military courts, highlighted by the disproportionate prosecution of black soldiers, perpetuated racial biases and shielded white soldiers from accountability.
Roberts' research exposes the complicity of racial stereotypes in facilitating the scapegoating of black soldiers and the whitewashing of wartime narratives. Despite facing backlash for challenging the idealized image of the "good war" and the "good GI," Roberts remains steadfast in her commitment to uncovering the truth, even in the face of resistance and hostility.
Laws Against War Crimes :
The Hague Conventions adopted in 1899 and 1907 focus on the prohibition to warring parties to use certain means and methods of warfare.Several other related treaties have been adopted since then. In contrast, the Geneva Convention of 1864 and subsequent Geneva Conventions, notably the four 1949 Geneva Conventions and the two 1977 Additional Protocols, focus on the protection of persons not or no longer taking part in hostilities
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
Article 8 : War Crimes
The Court shall have jurisdiction in respect of war crimes in particular when committed as part of a plan or policy or as part of a large-scale commission of such crimes.
For the purpose of this Statute, ‘war crimes’ means:
Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, namely, any of the following acts against persons or property protected under the provisions of the relevant Geneva Convention:
Wilful killing
Torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments;
Wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health;
Extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly;
Compelling a prisoner of war or other protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile Power;
Wilfully depriving a prisoner of war or other protected person of the rights of fair and regular trial;
Unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement;
Taking of hostages.
Refrence:
With inputs from AFP https://www.afp.com/en
US ARMY CENTER FOR MILITARY HISTORY
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