http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2099187/Bodies-21-German-soldiers-buried-alive-WW1-trench-perfectly-preserved-94-years-later.html

Interesting story that mate, and that's the strange thing about many a soldiers mentality, from day one you learn to do what you're told, when you're told and for the most part your own personal views and opinions must be put on the back burner. Mate, I'm sure that your uncle was one of many SS soldiers that despite disagreeing with the policies of those above him were first and foremost soldiers, who did what they were ordered to do.

 

War does strange things to people, it can bring out both the best and the worst in people, as many accounts of attrocities against civillians in Vietnam demonstrated.

 

I'm not in anyway condoning similar actions, however until a person has walked in a person's shoes, witnessed what they have witnessed and endured what they have endured there is no way that anybody can say for certain that they would act any differently if placed in similar circumstances.

 

War's dirty and judgement can't and shouldn't be determined many years later by non combatants viewing the situation through idealistic eyes

 

the big man will judge when the day comes

 

Thank you Pez, very well put.My uncle was very open when asked about what he went through as he believed that history shouldnt be sugar coated.As you rightly said about Vietnam, in times of war atrocities are commited by all sides to some degree, it is the nature of war and what it does to people at times of great stress etc.In todays conflicts greater care is taken to avoid civilian casualties, but in WW2 for example the Allies pounded German cities with little or no strategic or industrial significance but a high civilian population.......some would class this as an atrocity if it happened today.(and I know the Germans bombed British cities, but nowhere near the degree the Allies bombed the likes of Dresden etc, with upto a 1000 heavy bombers per raid)