Jump to content

For Those That Are Interested In The WW's


Gemmel
 Share

Recommended Posts

Some amazing photo's there. I must admit, the series entitled "The Holocaust" is particularly difficult to view.

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/ww2.html

 

Having made the visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau it is a real eye opener. Especially as they guide you to the "homely" Auschwitz first then to Birkenau: its desolate vast emptiness leaves you in no doubt as to the industrial scale of what went on.

At Auschwitz where most of the buildings still stand the most sinister part is that the camp commandant lived in a very nice house with his Wife & 2 children within the grounds of the camp, in sight of the small gas chamber and crematorium!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are some amazingly clear & poignant photos there, the thing that struck me was just how evil Hermann Goering looks in his mug-shot.

 

 

And the Japanese soldier relieved of Duty in 1974, quite bizarre.

 

The Japanese soldier relieved of his duty in 1974 is still alive, aged 89, he was the penultimate Japanese soldier to give up the fight, the last surrendered in December 1974.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having made the visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau it is a real eye opener. Especially as they guide you to the "homely" Auschwitz first then to Birkenau: its desolate vast emptiness leaves you in no doubt as to the industrial scale of what went on.

At Auschwitz where most of the buildings still stand the most sinister part is that the camp commandant lived in a very nice house with his Wife & 2 children within the grounds of the camp, in sight of the small gas chamber and crematorium!

 

I've been to Sachsenhausen Labour camp, which is right outside Berlin apparently after the war the local Germans claimed they didn't know what went on there...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very moving photos. Thanks.

 

If anyone wants to read about the war from a Russian perspective, try the recently published translation of Vassily Grossman's novel "Life and Fate", written in the 50's, which follows various members of a family around the time of the siege of Stalingrad. How they ever won any battle with the political interference they had in military matters is remarkable.

 

It's a hefty book -- makes War and Peace look like a novella -- but worth ploughing through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The picture of St Paul's is just incredible.

 

The entire area around was flattened and burned to a cinder. But the cathedral stood.

 

St Paul's was seen as an symbol of our defiance against the German bombing campaign, the Germans thought that if they flattened St Paul's it would have dealt a massive blow to Britain's morale. Churchill knew this as well, so it was protected at all costs.

 

 

Obviously, a direct hit would have wiped it out, but an incendiary bombs or nearby fires were quickly dealt with.

 

 

At one point an incendiary bomb landed on the roof and a (very brave) fire warden climbed up to try and retrieve it !!! Luckily it fell out of the roof and on to the streets below.

 

 

John Boy Saint - I'm particularly interested in WW2 and have visited many sites associated with it, next year I plan to go to Auschwitz and see it for myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John Boy Saint - I'm particularly interested in WW2 and have visited many sites associated with it, next year I plan to go to Auschwitz and see it for myself.

I did it under my own steam with JohnBoytours, so if you want to do a very easy cheap and pleasant weekend (as much as a trip to Auschwitz will allow it to be pleasant) I can give you some tips including an excellent company to get you about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...