[From The Daily Telegraph, 10 April 2006, comes this story. I'll let the readers see for themselves what the author and these pin-head academics have wrought before further comment.]
VC winner branded a war criminal
By Paul Chapman in Wellington (filed 10/04/2006)
A ruse that helped to win a soldier the Victoria Cross during the Second World War was a "war crime" and New Zealand should apologise to the families of the snipers he killed, it was claimed yesterday.
Alfred Clive Hulme, the father of Denny Hulme, the late world motor racing champion, was awarded the VC for bravery in killing 33 German snipers over eight days during the Battle of Crete in 1941. He returned home a hero to the town of Nelson.
But a new book by two military historians says that, in winning his VC, Sgt. Hulme committed "acts of perfidy" under international law.
Lt. Col. Glyn Harper, a professor at the New Zealand army's Military Studies Institue, who co-authored the book, In the Face of the Enemy, said that on one occasion Sgt. Hulme donned a German paratrooper's smock, climbed up behind a nest of enemy snipers, and pretended to be part of the group.
"He shot the leader first, and as the other four snipers looked around to see where the shot had come from, Hulme also turned his head as if searching for the shooter." the book says.
"Then he shot and killed two more." He shot the other two as they tried to leave.
"Hulme deserved the VC for his outstanding bravery, but he shouldn't have done what he did in disguising himself."
Other academics have supported the book's claims. Peter Willis, the deputy director of the Centre for Peace Studies at Auckland University, said Sgt. Hulme's actions were "unsanctioned murder."
He told the Sunday Star-Times that the New Zealand government should apologise to the families of the Germans he killed. Bill Hodge, associate professor of law at Auckland University, said killing enemy soldiers while wearing their uniform was "prima facie a war crime."
Sgt. Hulme died in 1982. His daughter, Anita, said accusing him of war crimes was "a terrible thing to bring up."
His VC is on display in the army's national museum at its headquarters in Waiouru.
[Master Gunner comments: I can think of no better response than this . . .
"What do you feel when you shoot a terrorist?" asked the CNN reporter to a Marine sniper. The Marine shrugged and replied, "Recoil."
Seriously, I would like to propose a reality check here: which is the "war crime" -- a NZ sniper that uses deception to kill some of 33 other German snipers that are killing his buddies and other Commonwealth troops OR the Nazi government of Germany whose scientific murder-machine killed 6 million Jews and 6 million other civilians throughout Europe? (The 12 million deaths figure pales next to the total of military deaths.)
The last time NZ fought in a war was in Vietnam along with their Australian brothers-in-arms. As anyone that has been on the "sharp end of the spear" under these conditions can tell you, Sgt. Hulme did the right thing. Had his ruse been discovered by the Germans, he would have been summarily shot, even though he should have been made a prisoner of war (he was wearing the uniform of a bona fide combatant under the German paratroop smock).
It is understandable that a couple of looney academics would say such things, but a Lt. Col. in the NZ Army? Does Lt. Col. Harper speak for the NZ Army? If Harper's remarks reflect the Army's opinion, then Hulme's daughter, Anita, should request the return of her father's VC from the army's national museum. I am sure there are other places that would be proud and honoured to display it.
It boggles the mind that such accusations would be put in print. What is going on, Kiwi readers?
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