Bruce Macdonald - War Crimes

From August 1944 to May 1945 Macdonald was the Canadian representative on the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) Court of Inquiry on War Crimes and investigated reports of offences against Allied troops taken prisoner by the German Armed Forces. For the last three months of the War in Europe, Macdonald served as president of the investigative body. In 1945 he was appointed commanding officer of the newly established Number One Canadian War Crimes Investigation Unit.

Macdonald also acted as Chief Prosecutor of War Criminals for the Canadian Armed Forces. Acting in this capacity, he successfully prosecuted S.S. Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer in December 1945 for directing his troops to deny quarter to Allied prisoners, as well as being responsible for the killing of Canadian prisoners of war at Meyer’s headquarters at Abbaye Ardenne, near Caen, France.

Whatever happened to Kurt Meyer?

	Archive photo: PC/6306 Lt-Col. Clarence S. Campbell, Lt.-Col. Bruce Macdonald, and Lt.-Col. Dalton G. Dean (1945?)
	Archives photo: PC/6329 S. S. Brigadefuher Kurt Meyer in Uniform, (1944 or 1945.)
	Archives photo: PC/6349 Kurt Meyer being taken for a walk.
	Archives photo: PC/6345 S. S. Brigadefuher Kurt Meyer in his Jail cell at Aurich, 1945.
	PC/6353 - Kurt Meyer in the court room with his officer escort.
	Archives photo: PC/6456 Ancienne Abbaye d'Ardenne, where Canadian war prisoners were killed.
	Archives photo: PC/6361 Court room during the trial of S.S. Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer, 1945.
	Archives photo: PC/6372 The enlisted men's sleeping quarters at the German prisoner of war camp, Stalag 7-A (1945.)