The Plot of Shame: US Military Executions in Europe During WWII

The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery is the final resting place of 6,012 American soldiers who died in World War I. Plot E, a semi-secret fifth plot, holds the remains of 94 American soldiers who were executed for crimes committed in the European Theatre of Operations during and after World War II. The site is concealed, surrounded by bushes, and closed to visitors. The graves have no names and are differentiated only by reference numbers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 03 February 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery holds the final resting place of 6,012 American soldiers who gave their lives in a small area of Northern France during World War I. This remarkable cemetery is divided into four plots, each labeled A to D. However, a lesser-known fact is that across the road, behind the pristine facade of the superintendent's office, lies Plot E, a semi-secret fifth plot that holds the remains of ninety-four American soldiers. These men were executed for crimes committed in the European Theatre of Operations during and just after World War II.

Initially, the men whose death sentences were carried out were buried in various locations, ranging from England to France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Algeria, near the sites of their executions. A significant number of these individuals were executed at Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset, England. Most of them were hanged in the execution block, with two being shot by a firing squad in the prison yard. The executioner responsible for most of these hangings was Thomas William Pierrepoint, with his more famous nephew Albert Pierrepoint assisting him.

However, in 1949, Plot E was established in France, under a shroud of secrecy. The site is not marked on cemetery maps and is not mentioned on the American Battle Monuments Commission's website. Visits to Plot E are discouraged, and public access is challenging due to its concealed location, surrounded by bushes, and closed to visitors. Even underground, the dishonored are set apart, with each body being buried in a separate grave.

The circumstances surrounding the establishment of Plot E and the individuals buried there remain largely unknown. The lack of names on the graves and the absence of any US flag flying over the plot further contribute to its sense of secrecy and dishonor. The cemetery's management has taken steps.

Weight: 716g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399011778