VC winner branded a war criminal

[frigidmagi]

You Gotta be Shitting me, who told you you were allowed to fucking talk?

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 Institute, 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 their 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 Wills, 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.

Dear Military "Historians"

Fuck you Asshats. Under Law of War, what he did was not crime. It was an act of spying. If he had been caught he would had no legal rights and the Germans would have had the right to shot him without trail. Congratuations, you Sirs are fucking morons of the highest degree without any redeeming value. Pig Shit scores higher then you fucking moronic wastes of spaces. Please eat a high speed piece of metal so has to prevent futher pollution of our already damaged enviroment, assholes.

P.S. New Zealand hasn't fought a war since the British made you defend yourselves. You cower behind the protection of Australia and other Pacific powers who haven't for example...abolished their damn air forces. While there are many worthwhile New Zealanders of merit, you are not among them and are in fact part of the reason why your nations greatest contribuation to modern life across the planet is fucking sheep and hobbits. Shut the fuck up, you're making us all dumber and using up our oxygen, you fucking idiot jackasses.

Signed
Frigidmagi.

P.P.S if you think this was bad, ask Shep and Nitram for a copy of the rant I threw their way.

[Stofsk]

This is interesting. New Zealand appears to have its own version of 'tall poppy syndrome'.

[Dark Silver]

I'm sorry.....it was the middle of the World War, he had the balls to go into a enemy sniper's nest, infiltrate it enough where he was able to pretty much take out the entire group (who if left to thier own devices could have slaughtered a shitload more men), and walk out without even taking a shot himself?

And that's a warcrime?

It was a time of war, he was spying, and he at the very most, preformed an assassination mission on that entire nest. I see nothing wrong with it. I salute the man who had the brass balls to actually do that, and I saw he deserved his VC, and his family should be proud beyond reproach of it.

Fuck you, Mr Deputy Director of the Centre for Peace Studies. You do not understand what was going on at the time, you cannot and could not place yourself in that man's shoes, and you should go and off yourself in the most expedient manner available to you at this time.

Have a nice day, and go fuck yourself very much.

[frigidmagi]

Isn't New Zealand pretty much a fucking economic extension of Australia Stosk? Their military is a worse joke than a certain Western Euro state, and their politics are clearly taking strange and foolish turns.

[Stofsk]

I would be interested to know if there is any followup to the article. The military historians don't seem to have a problem with the guy's bravery, just his methods. I'm not entirely sure I understand their contention without having read their book - and it needn't be said that news articles only report on whatever sells or gets 'hits' - but it seems their problem is he disguised himself to look like the enemy. This is solicits a big 'so what' from me though.

The 'director of peace studies' or whatever is the real jackass, claiming this was unsanctioned murder. Think about that: a soldier killing enemy troops is 'unsanctioned murder'. Think about that. It's obvious the guy has an ideological axe to grind.

[Stofsk]

Isn't New Zealand pretty much a fucking economic extension of Australia Stosk? Their military is a worse joke than a certain Western Euro state, and their politics are clearly taking strange and foolish turns.

NZ and Aus have a similar relationship, I would imagine, to that of Canada and the USA. We have more in common with each other than our immediate neighbours for example. (I would sooner go on a holiday to NZ than I would to Indonesia for example)

I don't know the first thing about their military aside from a couple of things. They have an ANZAC Frigate or two, they may not have an airforce but realistically so what? It's not like any potential aggressors have the range to hit NZ without going through us first. And I believe the whole 'no airforce' thing is a temporary thing. And the NZ have an SAS force as well.

[frigidmagi]

The primary job of a government is defense of it's citizens and it's territory, note that citizens come first. Land while importent doesn't mean anything unless you have citizens on it.

Given that New Zealand is an island, that means it's army is of limited use in a defense situation. In this case New Zealand lacks both the industry and population to support a large enough army to "defend at the beaches." This leaves a Navy, which would be resource and population intensive as well or an air force.

While currently New Zealand exist in a begein security enviroment, things change. It lives in an ocean that will have to deal with the possiblity of several new Naval powers before the end of the century. Relying on other nations to protect you from threats is a bad idea, what if they're busy or uninterested in fighting for you today? Then what?

I am not demanding that New Zealand become a military powerhouse, that would be unrealistic, but it should be perpared to shoulder the burden of it's own defense without hiding behind Australia.

[Josh]

Armchair generals strike again. Fuck 'em. He got the job done.