Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey claimed he didn’t know what a Nazi salute was as he escapes punishment from FA

The major conflict and the players involved it it have been immortalised in innumerable films, TV series, video games and books since it ended in 1945. 

Yet somehow Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has seemingly managed to remain ignorant about the history shaping period. 

The 32-year-old escaped punishment from an FA panel over a picture shared on social media which appeared to show him making a Nazi salute while out for a meal with his teammates. 

Hennessey however claimed he did not know what the offensive gesture was during his disciplinary hearing with the governing body of English football. 

The FA panel said that the Welsh international showed a ‘lamentable degree of ignorance’ about Hitler, fascism and the Nazis, the BBC reports. 

Hennessey had been charged after the picture, which was taken after Palace's FA Cup win over Grimsby on January 5, was posted online by teammate Max Meyer. 

In the photo, the goalkeeper was pictured with his right arm in the air and his left hand above his mouth. 

Defending himself on Twitter following the incident, Hennessey wrote: ‘Yesterday evening I had a meal with my team mates and we had a group photograph.

‘I waved and shouted at the person taking the picture to get on with it and at the same time put my hand over my mouth to make the sound carry.’ 

The panel interviewed the keeper as well as his teammates and the man who took the photograph, Jordan Bussolini.

Hennessey also submitted photographs of himself making similar gestures during matches to attract the attention of his teammates. 

The panel found that he was ‘able to corroborate' his explanation that the resemblance of his gesture to the Nazi salute was 'absolutely coincidental' and the charge was found not proven. 

Hennessey will face no punishment but the FA panel encouraged him to learn more about the Nazis and Hitler. 

They stated: ‘Mr Hennessey would be well advised to familiarise himself with events which continue to have great significance to those who live in a free country.'