Letter No 2 by the Commander-in-Chief on non-fraternisation, 12 June 1945

As the British advanced into Germany in the closing weeks of the Second World War, the soldiers of 21st Army Group were subject to a clear code of behaviour in their interactions with local Germans. This carried over into the occupation of Germany following the end of the war in May 1945.

Field Marshal Montgomery issued the instructions, and made it clear that soldiers were to follow a policy of non-fraternisation, a forcible separation of the British and the Germans into distinct roles of victor and vanquished.

Yet the policy was frequently and extensively ignored, either for pragmatic reasons or simply on the grounds of common decency. On 12 June 1945 it was revised so that policy no longer applied to small children - as outlined in this leaflet.

The policy was changed again on 14 July 1945 so that soldiers were able to 'engage in conversation with adult Germans in the streets and in public places'.

In September 1945, Montgomery's fourth and final letter on the topic of non-fraternisation cancelled all previous orders. Soldiers were instead ordered to 'conduct themselves with dignity, and to use their common sense, when dealing with the Germans.'