After World War II in Europe began , Dietrich led the '' Leibstandarte '' during the German advance into Poland and later the Netherlands . After the Dutch surrender , the '' Leibstandarte '' moved south to France on 24 May 1940 . They took up a position 15 miles southwest of Dunkirk along the line of the Aa Canal , facing the Allied defensive line near Watten . That night the OKW ordered the advance to halt , with the British Expeditionary Force trapped . The '' Leibstandarte '' paused for the night . However , on the following day , in defiance of Hitler 's orders , Dietrich ordered his III Battalion to cross the canal and take the heights beyond , where British artillery observers were putting the regiment at risk . They assaulted the heights and drove the observers off . Instead of being censured for his act of defiance , Dietrich was awarded the Knight 's Cross of the Iron Cross . During this campaign members of the '' Leibstandarte '' 2nd Battalion were responsible for the murder of 80 British and French POWs , in what became known as the Wormhoudt massacre
Wormhoudt massacre
Wormhoudt massacre
Sepp Dietrich