adequate evidence that can stand up in court against the perpetrators of those horrific war crimes. These murderers will hopefully have to stand trial in a much stricter court in the very near future.

The usual figure is about 700. Or maybe they're saying 450 is not counting all the village's males shot beforehand? Shortly before Oradour, the same 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" had entered the village of Tulle and executed every male in the village, many by public hanging. The incident is less discussed than Oradour, probably because the entire village wasn't wiped out.

(I was born there).

The person was not implicated in Tulle (he probably did not have a specific role there. He is accused of having actively participated in Oradour s/s Glane, as I understand it). They did not execute every men in the town. They hang 100 young men and deported 100 more (it was as revenge of the town liberating itself on June 6). Thanksfully, my uncle was able to escape with some friends from the resistance before they arrived or he would probably be among the list of names.

As for the number of 450, it is women and children only.

I am not surprised they could not make the case. There are very few witnesses of what happened (very few people escaped and they would be in their 80s and 90s if they are still alive).

I believe the current census indicates a population of 15,000 at Tulle and I don't think it was anywhere near that 70 years ago. However, whether village or town, the incident at Tulle also resulted in about 350 being sent to forced labor camps where about 100 died, in addition to the men who were hanged. The incidents at Tulle and Oradour were related. The SS Das Reich division was ordered to Normandy for the D-Day invasion and portions of it were delayed for two weeks by the resistance. Just around Tulle, the maquis had killed about 60 German soldiers and had kidnapped a regimental commander. The SS took it out on Tulle residents and then determined that Oradour was a center of maquis activity (in the fire, a lot of ordinance caught fire and exploded). Oradour had an American witness, who wrote down his testimony. He was a member of a B-17 crew and had crashed and was hidden by the French. They moved him right after the massacre and he went through the town hours after it occurred. He wrote down the fact that he'd seen at least one little baby nailed to a cross (crucified).

The number in wiki in English for the number of people deported in Tulle. 149 people were deported in Tulle (1000 were arrested, but many were released a few days later).

As for Oradour, nobody knows really why the choose Oradour. The most commonly accepted reason is that they confused the village with another Oradour not far from it.

I will not bother you with the details as the thread, but I have spent half of my life hearing about it (by family and teachers), and there is still a ceremony every year to remember the victims.

confuded Oradour sur Glane with another village called Oradour sur Veyres wich were not far and was more likely to be a résistance base.
Heard that on a educational program on French TV years ago. ..
Anyway that is no excuse for this horror.

Mass you are from Tulle? Ha. This is a beautiful region and town.
Tulle had François Hollande serving as its maypr before he was elected président.