tool the remains were then taken and reburied in a cemetery but after the canadian war crimes commission sought to find out what happened at the abbey and who specifically had killed the NUMBER_TOKEN canadian soldiers the commander of the regiment kurt meyer was a prime suspect and he was deemed responsible for the actions of his soldiers ultimately he had set his headquarters up at the abbey and at his trial he was accused of five charges these were inciting and advising soldiers under his command to refuse quarter to allied troops commanding his troops to kill pows on the NUMBER_TOKENth of june NUMBER_TOKEN commanding his troops on the NUMBER_TOKENth of june to kill seven pow's r den abbey responsibility for the killing of seven canadian pows are denzabe and ordering the killing of NUMBER_TOKEN prisoners of war at ardennes abbey it was said at trial that meyer instructed his soldiers to not take any prisoners and the citizens of the villages in french towns confirmed the atrocities committed against the canadians a polish prisoner who was forced into service with the NUMBER_TOKENth ss panzer division hitler youth stated how each prisoner was questioned by an officer a name was then called out and the prisoner walked up from the passageway leading to the garden in the abbey as soon as the prisoner turned they then shot in the head by the officer with a machine pistol this was repeated for the remaining six prisoners after the officers and guards left the polish man examined the bodies lying in the garden surrounded by blood the canadians realized what was happening with each prisoner shaking hands with his fellow prisoners before walking into the garden and being shot maya claimed he had no knowledge of the executions in the abbey and he stated he was aware though of the presence of bodies but saw them after the killing it took place he claimed he was disgusted and ordered the bodies to be buried however this was denied by other witnesses maya himself was found guilty of inciting his soldiers to commit murder and for being responsible for the killings at the abbey he was sentenced to death but this was later commuted to life imprisonment and he was released nine years later so the massacre of canadian soldiers inside of the ardennes abbey was nothing short of a war crime which was committed with horrific brutality the men seemingly accepted their fate as they made their way out of the abbey into the garden where they were executed at point-blank range today memorial marks a spot of the executions inside of the garden of the abbey it reads on the night of june the NUMBER_TOKENth and NUMBER_TOKENth NUMBER_TOKEN canadian soldiers were murdered in this garden whilst being held as prisoners of war two more prisoners died here or nearby on june NUMBER_TOKENth they are gone but not forgotten and they are truly never forgotten once again thanks for watching to support our channel please make sure to subscribe and once again thank you so much for watching
START_INTERACTION_TOKEN and they are truly never forgotten once again thanks for watching to support our channel please make sure to subscribe and once again thank you so much for watching END_INTERACTION_TOKEN