#OTD the Germans entered the Warsaw District of Wola and began systematically murdering unarmed innocent civilians, men, women and children. Age did not matter neither did sex. Everyone was to die as a punishment for Uprising against the Germans.
#WarsawUprising #NeverForget 1/8

Whole families were dragged out of their homes and led to various points around the district where they would be executed by gunfire. No where was safe, even the hospitals or churches. Medical staff were targeted & murdered, patients were murdered without hesitation, 2/8

the mass brutal rape of women and young girls was rife. Houses and apartments were looted and then burnt.
Who committed all these atrocities against aprox 50,000 innocent civilians? Two special units were sent in to do the Germans dirty work, without remorse.
3/8

The first, Dirlewanger's SS Brigade, was made up of convicts released from prison, they were formed in 1940 & were involved in the East, removing civilians from their homes, putting down partisan actions & overall, murdering, looting & raping their way across the East. 4/8

The other unit was the SS Brigade RONA, defecting Russian soldiers & local Russian volunteers led by Bronislaw Kaminski. They fought alongside the German forces but also partook in the massacre of Polish civilians all around Warsaw in particular Wola.
5/8

They were described as: "There were savage orgies there. They raped nuns and plundered and stole anything they could get their fingers on. Some returned from Warsaw with five kilograms of gold. It was the most shameful episode I know of." 6/8

No one was tried and prosecuted for these crimes. These innocent people have been forgotten by history. Let's try and remember them. 7/8

If you can read Polish then I suggest reading @PiotrGursztyn's book

If in English then Alexandra Richie has many details in her book

8/8