A new openness to discussing Allied war crimes in WWII: "We didn't take prisoners"

My former roommate's father, was the commander of a small unit of tank destroyers and apparently they shot prisoners most of the time, not out of out-right hatred, but because they were behind enemy lines and had no way to care or watch the prisoners.

 

From my Fathers memoirs, after entering Vught SS Camp and then Heusden, Holland: "On 6th November I was again on the move, to Heusden. The Battalion suffered again from heavy mortaring. Advancing through Heusden, we heard an explosion ahead of us and we soon came across the burnt and bombed remains of what looked like a church. It turned out to be a Municipal building, the Town Hall. The SS had herded over a hundred and thirty women and children into that building, then they blew it up. The next building to be liberated was being held by men in the Black uniform of the SS. As we closed in on them, the survivors emerged shouting “Nicht Schissen” and kamarad. Nicht Shissen my arse. We shot them without a second thought. From that day on, any German wearing the black SS uniform, would not get the option of surrendering to us. Even the green clad Whermacht would only get one chance to surrender. If they did not accept the first offer they did not get the chance again...................."