11
torturing inhabitants, so as to prevent by this ruthless treatment
their giving aid to the guerrillas. The destruction of food supplies
will in fact make the task of the guerrillas increasingly difficult
throughout the coming winter.
The Metropolitan of Kozani, who, cross in hand, rides at the
head of the guerrillas of Western Macedonia. has telegraphed
through a British Liaison Officer:-
"The Greek race within Greece, as in the time of Alaric,
suffers persecution aimed at its annihilation. All the nation
is in revolt, and His Majesty's Government from outside must
give all priority to this second war in Greece against these
savage occupiers, and. must take even stronger measures to aid
its prosecution, urging on the day of liberation.
Haste, that the great fire be not extinguished, that the nation
be not annihilated|"
In Crete a particularly revolting execution of hostages was
reported by a British officer. On the 14th June, 1942, the day
after our sabotage raid on the Heraklion aerodrome, 50 hostages
already held in Heraklion were shot. Amongst the victims were
a former Governor-General of Crete, a Cabinet Minister, a former
Mayor of Heraklion, a lawyer, the nephew of the former G.O.C.,
Crete, the editor of a Cretan newspaper, bank managers, school
masters, &c. The names of the German Air Force Colonel Schlange
and Captain Litzenberger, the Garrison adjutant, were prominently
connected with the above offence.
Also after our Commando raid on Crete during the night of
the 4th/ 5th July, 1943, fifty hostages were shot by the Germans
in Heraklion alone, by order of General Brauer. The execution
of a further eighteen hostages in Aguia gaol was reported from
West Crete.
ALBANIA.
Resistance in the towns has mainly shown itself in demonstrations
by students and others of both sexes. These have been brutally
repressed; for example, on the 20th August, 1942, in Tirana,
according to the Foreign Off %ice Research Department, sixteen
girls were killed and twenty-five wounded when they demonstrated
outside the city prison for the release of political prisoners
and the Italian guards opened fire on them. In the country a
more calculated brutality is evident. In December 1942 villagers
in the mountains of Tragjas were tortured in the hope of inducing
them to disclose the whereabouts of the patriot forces.
Villages which the Italian columns find difficulty in reaching
are indiscriminately bombed, and those which are occupied are
burned to the ground before the Italians retire to the safety
of their nearest fortified camp.
In January 1943, to take just one example from the underground
press, two women at Pojan were soaked in petrol and burned alive
because they had given children supplies to take to the guerrilla
bands in which their husbands were serving.
ANNEX G.
GERMAN ORDER ON METHOD OF CARRYING OUT MASS EXECUTIONS.
The following is a translation of an order issued by H.Q.,
125 German Infantry Regiment, on the 28th October, 1941 :--
"Supplementary regulations by G.O.C., Serbia, concerning
the manner of carrying out executions make necessary the following
amendments to Regimental Orders of 16.10.41 :--
(a) When a large number of persons have to be dealt with,
they are to be distributed for shooting among units.
(b) The bodies are to be buried in sufficiently deep graves.
Burning of bodies is to cease. The placing of flowers on graves
is to be prevented.
(c) In order to avoid unnecessary contact with the bodies,
those to be shot are to be led directly to the edges of their
graves. In the case of mass executions, it is allowable to cause
the hostages to kneel with their faces towards the grave.
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