Sixty-two years ago today my namesake died, murdered actually. And although it may seem strange to talk about murder in the midst of war, he along with 133 other Canadian and two British POW’s were executed, well away from the front lines, by members of the 12th Panzer Hitler Jugen. He was 29.
Clare Davidson Kines was the son of my Uncle Clarence (Great Uncle really, he only had one arm as the result of a farming accident, and I have a vivid memory of Uncle Clarence driving up the valley at Naramata BC, taking his good hand off the wheel to shift gears), and Aunt Hazel Kines. He was a Lance Corporal with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and he landed with the regiment at Juno Beach on D Day.
The next day, during a fierce counter attack by the 12th Panzer, three companies of the Rifles were cut off and over run. Only a handful of them were able to retreat to safety, the majority killed or captured. Clare was one of those captured and taken prisoner on the 7th of June in the fighting near Putot-en-Bessin France. The next day on a road near Fontenay-le-Pesnel, along some grain fields, he was with some 40 other captured members of the RWRs, along with three other Canadians from other regiments. Near dusk they were herded into a group and their captors cut them down with machine guns. Five managed to escape into the surrounding grain fields. They were captured soon after by a different German Division, and they surrived as POWs until wars end. At which time the story of the executions emerged.
One SS General, Kurt Meyer, was convicted of war crimes as being responsible for the executions of other Canadian Soldiers the same day. He was sentenced to hang, but the sentence was commuted to ten years. No one was convicted in the deaths of the group that Clare was in, although it is generally accepted that another General, Mohnke of the 12th Panzer SS , was ultimately responsible.
Clare is buried in the cemetery pictured above, Beny-Sur-Mer, along with 2047 other Canadian Soldiers, including the other executed members of his Regiment. Somewhere I have a picture of his grave, and I have to admit it is a little freaky to see your name on a headstone. One day I hope to make it over there, and stand in front of that headstone, giving thanks to the man whose name I bear.
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Just a reminder that freedom wasn’t free.
Hi Clare,
I just figured out which blog is yours! It looks great. Thanks for linking our to yours! I really enjoyed your post for today- my husband loves war history so I will have to get him to read it as well.
kara
What a wonderful story. Thanks.
Wow, Clare, didn’t know you have a Davidson in your family, he could be a descendant of my great-great grandfather’s step-father if you know what I mean! It’s good you have a landmark too to remember him by. This is such a good blog, will keep up if I can. Best Wishes, FJ
I had the opportunity in August 2006 to visit the WWII battlefields in Normandy including the Canadian war cemetery at Beny sur Mere. I read with interest of the mureder of Clare Kines by the 12th SS. I have researched this matter and found Cpl. James Kyle of Swan River, Manitoba and Pte. Elmer Leforte of Inglis, Manitoba were also captured, disarmed, and executed. Elmer Leforte left a wide and 3 small children.
The book called “Conduct Unbecoming” – Murder of the Canadian POW’s tells the stiry in some detail. Kurt Meyer was convicted for the killings at L’Abbe Ardenne while Wilhelm Monke who was more directly involved in the killings in the field never was convicted for war crimes.
nice site. did you know that the Canadians also murdered German soldiers after they had surrendered?
there was an interesting programme about in on the BBC. one report told how a group of six Germans, captured on the beach were brought away and had their throats slit.
nothing ever happened to these guys and nobody really speaks about it.
maybe its worth researching but it won’t amke you popular.
Manus, I think it’s a given that prisoners were murdered by all sides after surrender, in all wars. I remember my grandfather telling me of a fellow in his regiment in the Great War detailed to take a small group of prisoners back from the line. He made it, the prisoners didn’t, and my grandfather did not believe his explanation that they were killed in a shell burst (which was something that happened all the time, the roads and trails to the back areas were almost constantly shelled). Witness also the story of the crucified Canadian Soldier in the Great War, which research has shown to be plausible, right down to who the soldier was. In fact part of the motivation of the 12 Panzer Groups murder of prisoners was said to be a story (unproven) that allied tank crews had bound prisoners to the front of their tanks.
What distinguishes the 12 Panzer Murders is that they occurred “hors de combat” Well away from the fighting, and appeared to be at the very least, sanctioned by those in command, and in some cases done by those in commands. The first murders that day occurred after interrogation by officers, at a HQ of the 12 Panzer. I suppose it is spitting hairs but I can see a difference between the two, the murder in the heat of battle and those outside of combat. Both are wrong no doubt, but one is more so.
And I’ve never really worried that much about being popular, although I’m happy when it happens.
I’d like to point any readers to this article on the murders and trial of Meyer for a very well written historical account, not of the murders but of the socialogical aspect of the murders and its evolution. I believe it contains a much better version of the arguement I was making in the above comment.
http://grad.usask.ca/gateway/archive9.html
Clare, I just “happened” on this site of yours while researching WW1 relatives … I thought your name sounded very familiar and then your mention of June 8, 1944 events reminded me … your namesake and my Uncle were together with all the others executed in that field that day … We will remember them … all.
Take care.
And I shall remember Kurt’s men as brave soldiers, without politics.
There is little doubt that many of them were brave men. But there are other types of courage apart from courage in battle. There is also moral courage, the courage to do the right thing. And while some of the 12th Panzer Hitler Jugend clearly had that moral courage, men such as SS Major Bernhard Siebken, some (those who took part in, sanctioned, or encouraged the murder of prisoners) clearly did not.
And although it is nice to say that you remember them without politics, the Hitler Jugend are impossible to separate from politics. They were born in the politics of Nazism, the Hitler Youth. The entire Division was formed with the idea of their political zeal as a force. It was because of politics that conditions existed for the murder of my cousin and 150 others. Certainly it wasn’t every one of Kurt’s men responsible for those murders, but Meyer was responsible for some. Brave, yes, apolitical not even close.