Gustave Mesny facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gustave Marie Maurice Mesny
Born	28 March 1886 Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, France
Died	19 January 1945(1945-01-19) (aged 58) near Nossen, Nazi Germany
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Army
Years of service	-1945
Rank	Divisional general (Major General)
Commands held	5th North African Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Second World War   Western Front French and Low Countries campaign Battle of France Siege of Lille (1940)  (POW)

Gustave Marie Maurice Mesny (born March 28, 1886 – died January 19, 1945) was a French Army general. He led the 5th North African Infantry Division during Second World War. General Mesny was captured by German forces during the war.

Sadly, he became a victim of a war crime. He was killed in a controversial way. This happened as a payback for the death of a German General, Fritz von Brodowski, who was held by French forces.

General Mesny's Military Journey

Gustave Mesny was an important part of the French military command until 1939. In 1940, he took charge of the 5th North African Infantry Division. His unit found itself surrounded during the Siege of Lille (1940).

He bravely fought with General Jean-Baptiste Molinié's group until May 31, 1940. This battle took place near Haubourdin. After the fighting, Mesny was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was held at the Königstein Fortress. In 1942, he was involved in the escape of another general, Henri Giraud.

A Tragic Decision

On October 28, 1944, a German General named Fritz von Brodowski was killed. This happened after he was captured by French forces. News reports in Switzerland and Britain suggested that this German general had been part of a terrible event. This event was the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, where many civilians were killed.

The German High Command believed General Brodowski died as revenge for Oradour. They decided to get revenge for his death. So, they asked Adolf Hitler to order a payback.

Hitler then told Wilhelm Keitel to get a list of French generals held at Königstein Fortress. At first, General de Boisse was chosen to be executed. However, many different German offices were involved in planning this. This made it hard to keep the execution a secret.

Because of this, Colonel Friedrich Meurer chose General Mesny instead. This decision was made without a fair process.

The Execution

General Mesny's execution happened on January 19, 1945. Two members of the SS carried it out. They wore Wehrmacht (German army) uniforms for this.

Mesny and other generals were told they were being moved to Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle. During this transfer, Mesny was separated from the group. This happened during a fake car accident. He was then shot near Nossen.

General Mesny was wearing his uniform and did not try to escape in January 1945. The war was almost over, and he was worried about his son. His son was part of the French Resistance and was held in a German concentration camp. Mesny feared his son would be executed if he tried to escape. This was confirmed by another prisoner of war, General Louis Buisson, in 1945.

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See also

• Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War