THIS WEEK IN WW2 - 1941

Read a brief summary of events each week in WW2 70 years ago at http://www.douglaswjacobson.com

The Saviours of ‘Young Winston’

The WW2 Cabinet War Rooms, Whitehall, London
‘Winston Churchill on the Transatlantic telephone’
(Photograph taken with permission)

In the modern era most people learn about what British Prime Minister Winston Churchill achieved and said during the Second World War. For example the WW2 Cabinet War Rooms at Whitehall, London – part of the Imperial War Museum – is largely dedicated to this period of his life. By the time he became Prime Minister Winston Churchill was 65 years old.

Yet there had been a ‘Young Winston’: one with a wide experience of life, death and war even before he achieved the highest office. For example, during the Boer War ‘Young Winston’ was close to death on a number of occasions. He was a POW in a camp in Pretotia, but managed to escape where he was helped by a couple of ‘ex-pat’ miners from Cleator Moor, Cumberland while 'on the run'.

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The Sikorski Monument, Gibraltar

(Top): Memorial to General Wladislaw Sikorski, Gibraltar
(Middle): The original commemorative plaque
(Bottom): 60th Anniversary commemorative plaque

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Our permanent links

I've just added a full video of the Japanese surrender, found by Ron, to our growing list. I've also taken the opportunity to tidy up the links trigger, now called Video, Audio and other WW2 Links, and moved the Ed Murrow clip to the main list.

POLAND FIGHTS - 70 YEARS AGO IN WW2

Greetings,
As a new member of this fine blog allow me to introduce myself to the group. I am a life-long WW2 history buff and the author of two historical novels set in Poland in WW2. I also write a monthly column for two Polish-American newspapers entitled POLAND FIGHTS. The purpose of these articles is to memorialize the little-known contributions of Poland during WW2, the 4th largest Allied army and the only army that fought from the first day of the war to the last throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Poland also had Europe's largest Resistance organization during the war. I will be highlighting these article for the group each month as I submit them for publication. For those of you interested in this important aspect of WW2, you can read all of the previously published articles on my website, http://www.douglaswjacobson.com. I will welcome all comments and feedback.
Douglas W. Jacobson
Author,
NIGHT OF FLAMES: A Novel of World war Two
THE KATYN ORDER (Coming May, 2011)

Battle of Arnhem Exhition

Photographs taken while visiting the Battle of Arnhem exhibition, Arnhem, Netherlands.

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Dr Marcel Petiot: Résistant or villain?

(Top) The Eiffel Tower, Paris during the German Occupation
(Courtesy of The Memorial Museum, Caen)
(Bottom) The Eiffel Tower, Paris in the 21st Century

In 1946 Dr Marcel Petiot was put on trial for murder during the dark days of German Occupation. His defence was mainly based on him belonging to a resistance network. Despite these claims he was found guilty and sentenced to death. But was Dr Petiot truly a hero or villain?

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The 'Liberation' of Paris (22 August 1944)

(Top): The Eiffel Tower from a street corner in Paris
(Bottom): A view over Paris from the Eiffel Tower

On Tuesday 22 August 1944 Paris - which had been occupied by the German forces since June 1940 - was 'liberated'. Or, at least, much of the world believed Paris had been liberated after hearing it announced on the radio news and reading it in the newspapers. However, particularly in wartime it is not always wise not to believe everything one hears in the news!

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