BELGIUM

The next maneuver was to move into Belgium and look for any GI’s that may have been left in the area. Rumors indicated that German combat soldiers had killed and slaughtered several Allies on December 17th. Near the crossroads of Baugnez the German infantry saw the advancing American troops and opened fire on the squad. Any surviving Allies became prisoners and had no choice but to follow the Germans. After what seemed like miles, the Germans gave the Allies a break and a chance to rest. They were allowed to gather in a field far enough away from the Germans that they could be still seen. While the prisoners were trying to relax and appraise the current situation they were in, rounds of machine gun bullets whizzed through the area killing all 120 men. Some men remained on the ground feigning death but when the Germans discovered that they were still breathing, they were executed right on the spot. Buildings were burned and when everything was quiet and still, the Germans left.

A few stunned soldiers later emerged from their hiding places to assess the damage. They looked in awe at the devastation around them. Forty-three soldiers remained unscathed and took shelter among the American troops. The stories were all the same. Germans shot Americans without any warning and it was literally “every man for himself”. Bodies were littered all over the ground.

When the Gun Battalion approached the field, the scene was one so grotesque that it would never be forgotten. American soldiers were scattered all over the frozen snowy ground. Many of the bodies had been shot in half and body parts were everywhere. Torn pictures of wives and girlfriends were littered on the surface, GI identification papers were strewn everywhere and combat boots had been removed. Fingers had been cut off to remove any jewelry and any other object that might help to identify the soldier.

It took almost a month to cover the distance into the town of Huy. (January 1945) The terrain was rough and steep and mostly inhabited. Investigating the area with the vivid descriptions of carnage fresh in their mind, there was a new determination to make the responsible party help accountable. Troops of eight men, four on foot and four assigned to gun duty, pushed through the brush and wooded area of Huy.