Le Paradis massacre

The Le Paradis massacre is a site of remembrance tied to a war crime committed in May 1940 in the commune of Lestrem, in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France. It is not a conventional attraction but a modest place for reflection, aimed at visitors interested in the Second World War and the fate of prisoners of war.

What happened at Le Paradis?

The crime was carried out by Waffen-SS soldiers during the 1940 Battle of France. On 27 May, a unit of the SS Totenkopf Division murdered 97 British prisoners of war near the village of Le Paradis. The victims were men of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment, who had laid down their arms after fighting to hold the area. Once they surrendered, they were marched across the road to a wall and shot with machine guns.

The event is remembered in part thanks to two wounded soldiers, Albert Pooley and William O'Callaghan, who survived and were later able to give testimony.

Who was responsible?

The operation was led by SS-Obersturmführer Fritz Knöchlein. After the war he was tried by a British military tribunal and sentenced to death; the sentence was carried out in 1949. During the proceedings, the defence argued that Knöchlein had not been present on the day and that British troops had used banned dum-dum bullets. The court did not accept these claims.

Getting there and what to expect

The site lies in the French village of Lestrem, at roughly 50.5948° N, 2.6477° E. A marker there commemorates the 97 soldiers of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and other units who were killed on the spot. It is small and quiet, with no tourist facilities, so it works best as a stop on a longer trip through the region. Travelling by car is the simplest option, as the surroundings are rural farmland.

Why stop here?

Le Paradis is among the best-known war crimes of the early Western Front in the Second World War. A visit helps put the 1940 campaign in human terms, away from the large battlefields and well-known museums. The place calls for seriousness and respect: it is somewhere for quiet, not a viewpoint.

Frequently asked questions

When did the Le Paradis massacre take place? On 27 May 1940, during the Battle of France.

How many prisoners were killed? 97 British soldiers, according to the generally accepted account.

Who was convicted for the crime? Fritz Knöchlein, who commanded the operation, was sentenced to death by a British military tribunal.

Did anyone survive? Yes. Two wounded men, Albert Pooley and William O'Callaghan, escaped death and recounted what happened.

Where is the site? In the commune of Lestrem, Pas-de-Calais department, northern France.