Louis Collard: Belgian Fascist Collaborator Behind the Courcelles Massacre

Louis Collard was one of the most prominent Belgian fascist collaborators during the Nazi occupation of Belgium and a leading figure within the Rexist movement. His career of collaboration culminated in the Courcelles Massacre, one of the most notorious atrocities committed by Belgian collaborators during World War II.When Nazi Germany invaded Belgium in May 1940, the country quickly fell under occupation. As the Germans consolidated control, they relied heavily on local collaborators to enforce their rule. Among the most committed was Louis Collard, a young and ambitious member of the fascist Rex movement founded by Léon Degrelle.Following Degrelle’s departure to the Eastern Front, Collard rose rapidly through the ranks of Rex. Working from Brussels and Charleroi, he coordinated propaganda efforts, recruited informants, collaborated with the Gestapo and the SD, and helped suppress resistance activity. Under his leadership, the Rexist Brigade B gained a reputation for arrests, intimidation, and violence directed against Jews, resistance fighters, and political opponents.In August 1944, as Allied forces advanced and German control over Belgium collapsed, Collard participated in one of the darkest acts of the occupation. Together with Victor Matthys, he ordered the arrest and execution of twenty-seven Belgian civilians in Courcelles in retaliation for the killing of a Rexist mayor. The Courcelles Massacre shocked the country and became a symbol of collaborationist violence.After the war, Collard fled through Germany and Austria but was eventually captured and returned to Belgium. During postwar trials, numerous witnesses testified about his role in collaboration, repression, and murder. Convicted and sentenced to death, Louis Collard was executed by firing squad on 10 November 1947.This documentary examines Louis Collard’s rise within the Rexist movement, his collaboration with Nazi Germany, the Courcelles Massacre, and the pursuit of justice in postwar Belgium.This episode is part of the series High Ranking Fascist Collaborators: Politicians.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv