Shoot to kill

While the area surrounding the wall was defined both legally and ipso facto as a military zone, the policy of shoot to kill was formulated mostly upon the discretion of the commanding officer. Besides the threat of court martial, there existed an elaborate procedure of checks and balances to prevent accidental death. - As can be seen, however, in the following extract from the diary Officer Schwarz, which I will now take the liberty to read, the officers in charge were men burdened by a strong sense of responsibility and a degree of agonising that would have impressed the most conscientious objector.