Page 19 of 120

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Testimony of: Pfc. William L. Competielle (Contd)

118 Q Was your company commander there?

A He was in one of the groups.

119 Q Was Lt. Drain the commander of the machine gun platoon from "M" Company there?

A I am not sure whether or not he was in the crowd at the time. We were separated from the platoon at the time. I took up the rear with the machine gunners and they went one way and we got lost and that is how the excitement started because I guess the people thought we were going to shoot them all. I could not name who gave the order directly.

120 Q Did you understand that they were being taken back of the wall to be shot?

A No. The word just got around that they were going to shoot all the SS'rs. I figured that is why they were taking them behind the wall. Then I heard somebody ask, "where is a machine gun", and at that time I was busy with the woman and the two children.

121 Q What members of your platoon were there?

A My platoon wasn't there, just the "M" Company men and the one light machine gun, which is a part of my platoon. Sergeant Larsen is the squad leader of the machine gunners.

122 Q Did you later see some prison guards shot along the canal which is between the crematory and the main stockade?

A Well, I saw some men in German uniforms lying here and there. I don't know whether they were guards.

123 Q You did not see them when they were shot?

A No, I did not. From there we took off and we were going in one section and they told us it wasn't cleaned out yet.