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Testimony of: Lt. Donald E. Strickland (Contd)

104 Q What did the lieutenant commanding and "M" machine gun tell you about what happened?

A He told me that some of our men had lined some SS troopers against the wall and had used his machine gun to kill them with. He said that some of the SS troopers were not killed by machine gun fire and that one or two had cut their own throats, had taken their own lives. He said it was one of the worst things he had ever seen since being in the army. He was sorry that it was his machine gun that had to be used for it. He also told me that he believed that some of the soldiers who were shot then were medics. That is all he told me.

105 Q Lieutenant, I think that is all. You are pretty sure that the only men of your platoon who could have been present would be your light machine gun squad, the members of which you have listed?

A That is right, sir. My other three squads were with me. They were on line searching warehouses and barracks, and I was in constant communication with the squad leaders at all times.

106 Q Did you see any instances while you were at this detention camp at Dachau of an American soldier clubbing anyone?

A No, I did not.

107 Q Did you see any instances of inmates of the camp clubbing or striking anyone?

A That I did, sir.

108 Q Will you give me the details of what you saw?

A Well, when I first came to the camp the 42nd Division had arrived slightly before my platoon. I arrived at the main gate and just slightly to the right there were a group of prisoners and they had two Germans and they were beating them with their fists and clubs. These Germans were later thrown into the little brook in front of the concentration camp. That is all I saw. They floated down the stream and immediately after that one of the commanding officers of the 42nd Division took charge and placed his men and my men so that we could put the prisoners back into the camp.

109 Q Do you remember where the crematory is?

A No, sir, I didn't go down there but some of my men did. This medic of mine went down there.

110 Q You do not know anything about the shooting of some guards along a canal between the crematory and the stockade part of the camp?

A No, sir, I don't. I was on the opposite flank.