Nazi Germany
Ernst Haldiman was a Swiss citizen who had joined the SS in France in November 1942 and in 1944 his unit was integrated with other SD units, into No 8 SS Commando for Special Duties.
On December 22, 1944, during the Ardennes offensive, the village of Bande was retaken by German forces.
On Christmas Eve, a unit of the German SD (Sicherheitsdienst) set about arresting all men in the village. One by one, they were led to an open door and a SD man, positioned just inside the door, fired point blank into each of the victims’ neck. 34 men, aged 17 to 32, were killed that way.
Ernst Haldiman was identified as being a member of the execution squad.
He was arrested after the war and sentenced to a 20 years jail term.
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