After a phone call on June 10, 1944, the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Nazi-occupied France was destroyed.

Diekmann commanded a battalion of the regiment "Der Fuhrer" of the SS Division "Das Reich". Men of this unit were responsible for the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane, in which 642 inhabitants were killed. 245 women, 207 children and 190 men.

After the massacre all buildings were set on fire and the church yard was destroyed.

Since then, everything is left like it was found.