The Characterization of Firing Squad Execution Walls Part II Assessment of the Walls of Fort Platte Saline

Authors: Petraco N and Diaczuk P*

DOI: 10.23880/ijfsc-16000448

Volume 10, Issue 4

Abstract

Presented is a case study of masonry walls of Fort Platte Saline (FPS), a small fort on Alderney, one of Britain's channel islands off the coast of French occupied territory. The site of known slave labor camps, established in WWII during five years of German Army occupation. This study was carried out to test the hypothesis proposed in Part I of the author’s research concerning the formations of firing squad execution walls, and to prove or disprove the authors’ postulation of the existence of a Firing Squad Execution Wall Paradigm (FSEWP). FPS walls were first examined for the presence of potential probative trace evidential materials within the voluminous number of bullet impact craters (BICs) present on the fort’s walls. Due to the passage of time, and WWII relic hunters, no trace evidence was found embedded in the BICs. However, distinctive patterns of small arms ballistics damage were clearly evident on the fort’s masonry walls that led to the theory that the ballistics damage present on FPS interior wall was created during firing squad executions, thus leading to the establishment of a hypothesis that the damage was evidence of a firing squad execution wall pattern (FSEWP).

Keywords: Firing; Case Study; Fort Platte Saline

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