Massacres of civilians during World War II
27 Belgian Civilians Executed by Rexist Militias: The Courcelles Massacre
12m
On 17–18 August 1944, as Allied forces advanced through France and Nazi Germany’s grip on Western Europe began to weaken, violence erupted in German-occupied Belgium. After resistance fighters killed Belgian Nazi collaborator Oswald Englebin near Charleroi, Rexist militias loyal to the occupiers launched a brutal reprisal in the nearby town of Courcelles.
Civilians were dragged from their homes, imprisoned in a cellar, and executed one by one. Among the victims were respected members of the community, including Father Pierre Harmignie, the dean of Charleroi. In total, 27 Belgian civilians were murdered in what became one of the most infamous acts of collaborationist violence in Belgium during the Second World War.
After the liberation of Belgium, investigations identified dozens of participants in the massacre. Many were arrested and tried, and in 1947 several leading perpetrators were executed by firing squad in Charleroi.
The Courcelles massacre remains a stark reminder of the brutality of occupation, the dangers of collaboration, and the tragic consequences of revenge and ideology in wartime Europe.
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