Was It Worth It ?

[Bob Clay]

On a warm bright April morning in 1944, SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Klaus Von Stok stepped out of the trees onto the Rue de la Gare and casually walked along the road, turning left onto the Rue de Kergolay and strolled toward the village of Canisy, deep in the heart of Normandy. As he walked southward the precise black lines of his Waffen-SS Panzer uniform caught the attention of a few locals, who looked away from the glinting Iron Cross medals, the sharp outline of the tank destroyer badge on his right arm, the death’s head symbol on his hat and of course the black swastika badge that adorned his chest.
Stok turned left and walked toward the Chateau De Canisy, a castle that had it’s roots back in the time of William the Conquerer, and was now adorned with the long hanging red flags of the Third Reich, different kinds of conquerors were here now, for this was the area Gestapo Headquarters. Two guards watched Stok carefully as he approached, apprehensive that a Lieutenant Colonel of a Waffen-SS Panzer division should be casually strolling toward them, but curious as to why he should be approaching on foot, they knew the 12th Division was somewhere to the north, but this usually had little to do with the Allgemeine-SS HQ here in Canisy.
Both saluted as Stok stepped up to the door, and his brusque german voice with its east Prussian accent enquired after the senior officer, without a thought they let him pass, directing him to the Commandant’s door then standing nervously to attention, conscious of the Russian campaign ribbons and the scarred face of the man walking up the stairs.  A few minutes later they heard the shot, and rushed up to find the area SS Kommandant  slumped over his desk with his brains splattered over his papers, of Stok they found no trace, he was never seen again, some say he returned to the French resistance, others that an English Lysander plane picked him up in the flat fields to the east, many admired the daring audacity of the operation to assassinate a full Allgemeine-SS Kommandant, others said nothing, especially the 200 French men women and children the Germans shot in reprisal.

[Diana E. Backhouse]

An informative read, Bob. Even if this is fiction, it mirrors all too well what is real.

[Bob Clay]

Yes sorry about all the commas, getting this into six sentences proved a challenge.  I should point out that it is a complete work of fiction, although there is a village called Canisy near Saint Lo in Normandy, which does have a fine old castle.  It was however inspired by 'Operation Anthropoid', the SOE mission to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich in 1941. Heydrich was one of the most dangerous nazi's, a well educated intellectual who played a major part in planning the 'Final Solution'. Undoubtedly he deserved what he got, but the cost to the Czech people does make the question valid, and I for sure cannot give you an answer.

[Kristine_ES]

I wish it was a fiction. I mean, who can believe long words like that even existed... but sadly, heartbreakingly... real. 

[Jeanette Cheezum]

I think you brought this to our attention at a time when we forget other wars. We are so caught up in the present. Serious 6.

[Ian Rochford]

I'm going to forgive some of those dubious commas, Bob, because this was such an engrossing read. Not sure if there's an answer to the question, but you phrased it well.