Content Warning: This post discusses wartime collaboration and post-war justice during World War II (sensitive historical content).
Brussels → Charleroi → Justice Served: The Case of Louis Collard and the Courcelles Tragedy
During the German occupation of Belgium (1940–1944), a small minority of Belgians chose to collaborate with the occupying forces. One of the most active collaborationist movements was the Rexist Party.
Louis Collard (1909–1947) was a leading figure in the Rexist movement after its founder, Léon Degrelle, left for the Eastern Front. From offices in Brussels and Charleroi, Collard played a central role in:
- Distributing pro-occupation propaganda
- Assisting German security services
- Commanding paramilitary units that carried out arrests and violent actions against Resistance members and civilians
His name is especially linked to one of the most tragic events of the occupation in Belgium.
On 17–18 August 1944, following the assassination of a collaborationist official by the Belgian Resistance, Louis Collard and another Rexist leader ordered reprisals in the town of Courcelles. Twenty-seven innocent civilians were arbitrarily selected, arrested, and executed. This crime is remembered today as the Courcelles Massacre — one of the darkest episodes of the occupation period.
When Belgium was liberated in September 1944, Collard attempted to flee but was arrested in 1946 and returned to Belgium. After two major trials in 1946–1947 that heard testimony from survivors and extensive documentary evidence, he was convicted of high treason, collaboration with the enemy, and direct responsibility for multiple deaths, including the Courcelles Massacre.
On 10 November 1947, Louis Collard was executed by firing squad in Schaerbeek, Brussels. He was 38 years old.
A memorial in Courcelles and a plaque at the former national shooting range still bear witness to these events today.
Remembering the Courcelles Massacre and the trials that followed is not about celebrating punishment — it is about honoring the victims, understanding how extremist ideology can lead to terrible crimes, and recognizing the importance of accountability and the rule of law after liberation.
Purpose: Historical education and remembrance only.
Sources:
- Belgian State Archives (dossiers of the Collard trials)
- CEGESOMA – Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society
- Courcelles Memorial and local museum
#WWII #BelgiumRemembers #NeverForget #HistoryMatters #Courcelles1944