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Interesting Facts and Stories

Norman Bethune was a canadian doctor who volunteered in the Spanish Civil War with the Canadian Mac-Pap Brigade (1936-7) and the Japanese invasion of China. He developed the mobile blood transfusion.
He cut his finger during surgery on a Chinese soldier and died from septicemia in 1939. Bethune considered a hero in China.-
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Ithikial said:
"Australian Mosquito" - Been fun Wombat.
Click to expand...

Still here ! surprising .. watched the mossie bite me, take a drink, stagger then try to fly off but just dropped dead to the ground! ! ? Huzzah for Australian beer flowing through my veins ! ! I'll have a few more ... :p
 
Reinhard Hardegen, born on Bremen on March 18, 1913 (101 year old ) is the Germany's last surviving U-Boat captain who helped sink dozens of U.S. and British ships.-
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Was one of the most successful commanders during Operation Drumbeat, when Nazi submarines attacked merchant ships along the east coast of North America.
Some 3.1 million tons of ships were sunk for the loss of 22 Nazi subs during seven months in 1942, which German commanders nicknamed the 'American shooting season'.
His submarine U123 was the most celebrated in the country, and because of his extraordinary courage he was awarded the coveted oak leaves to his Knight's Cross during the war.
 
Dr Hans Münch, the 'Good Man of Auschwitz'

Dr Hans Münch (1911-2001), he studied medicine in Tubingen and Munich. As it was a known fact that doctors had struggled during the time of the depression, unable to get jobs, Münch joined the Nazi Party, like many doctors in hope of getting a good job. Münch didn’t realize he would be sent to Auschwitz to become one of the many doctors there. Back in those times it was hard to keep hold of a good job without being part of the party.-

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Along with other doctors, Münch was expected to participate in the "selections" at the ramp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, to decide which of the incoming Jewish men, women and children could work, which would be experimented on, and which would be put to death in the gas chambers. He found this abhorrent and refused to take part; this was confirmed by witnesses' testimony at his trial. The book on SS physicians of Auschwitz by Robert Jay Lifton (1986) mentions Münch as the only physician whose commitment to the Hippocratic oath proved stronger than that to the SS.-

While Münch did conduct human experiments, these were often elaborate farces intended to protect inmates, as experiment subjects who were no longer useful were usually killed.-

After the evacuation of Auschwitz in 1945, Münch spent three months at the Dachau concentration camp near Munich.

After the war in 1945, Münch was arrested in a US internment camp after being identified as an Auschwitz physician. He was delivered as a prisoner to Poland in 1946 to stand trial in Kraków.-

He was specifically accused of injecting inmates with malaria-infected blood, and with a serum that caused rheumatism; however, many former prisoners testified in support of Münch in their witness speeches. According to a testimony of inmate Dr Louis Micheels, Münch's last act before the camp was abandoned was to provide him with a revolver to assist his escape.

The court acquitted him on 22 December 1947.-

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from: historyandtheholocaust.tumblr.com - wiki & others
 
I was watching some documentaries about WW1. These facts made me laugh.

1- The Germans were the first to use gas attacks. The British were outraged then designed their own gas and by the end of the war had launched twice as many attacks using gas as the Germans.

2- The Germans were the first to use flamethrower. The British were outraged and then designed a flamethrower twice as powerful.

3- The Germans were the first to use tunnels to destroy enemy trench systems from underground. The British were outraged. By the end of the war the British were designing better tunnel systems and using more explosives than the enemy.
 
Bootie said:
3- The Germans were the first to use tunnels to destroy enemy trench systems from underground. The British were outraged. By the end of the war the British were designing better tunnel systems and using more explosives than the enemy.
Click to expand...

Using mines to collapse fortifications has been around a very long time. Middle ages or earlier.
Blowing up trenches: see The Battle of the Crater in the American civil war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Crater
 
Some facts of Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guards

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How does the guard rotation work? Is it an 8 hour shift?
Currently, the Tomb Guards work on a three Relief (team) rotation - 24 hours on, 24 hours off, 24 hours on, 24 hours off, 24 hours on, 96 hours off. However, over the years it has been different. The time off isn't exactly free time. It takes the average Sentinel 8 hours to prep their uniform for the next work day. Additionally, they have Physical Training, Tomb Guard training, and haircuts to complete before the next work day.

How many steps does the Sentinel take during their 'walk' by the Tomb of the Unknowns and why?
Twenty-one steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

How long does the Sentinel hesitate after the facing movement to begin the return walk? Is the rifle carried on the same shoulder all the time?
The Sentinel does not execute an about face, rather they stop on the 21st step, then turn and face the Tomb for 21 seconds. They then turn to face back down the mat, change the weapon to the outside shoulder, mentally count off 21 seconds, then step off for another 21 step walk down the mat. They face the Tomb at each end of the 21 step walk for 21 seconds. The Sentinel then repeats this over and over until the the Guard Change ceremony begins.

Are they Sentinel's gloves wet?
Gloves are moistened to improve the grip on the rifle.

How often are the Guards changed?
The Guard is changed every thirty minutes during the summer (April 1 to Sep 30) and every hour during the winter (Oct 1 to Mar 31). During the hours the cemetery is closed, the guard is changed every 2 hours. The Tomb is guarded, and has been guarded, every minute of every day since 1937.

from tombguard.org
 
The Praetorian Guard wasn’t the only elite unit to protect Roman rulers. Early emperors also relied on the Imperial German Bodyguard, a special corps of Germanic tribesmen native to the Rhine River region.
Emperors such as Nero and Caligula prized the Germans for their skill in battle, and may have even trusted them over the Praetorians because their outsider status ensured they were less likely to be corrupted by Roman politics and power struggles.
 
A sad story

At the beginning of WW2, a government pamphlet led to a massive cull of British pets. As many as 750,000 British pets were killed in just one week.

In the summer of 1939, just before the outbreak of war, the National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee (NARPAC) was formed. It drafted a notice - Advice to Animal Owners.

The pamphlet said: "If at all possible, send or take your household animals into the country in advance of an emergency." It concluded: "If you cannot place them in the care of neighbours, it really is kindest to have them destroyed."

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In the first few days of war, PDSA hospitals and dispensaries were overwhelmed by owners bringing their pets for destruction. PDSA founder Maria Dickin reported: "Our technical officers called upon to perform this unhappy duty will never forget the tragedy of those days."

The first bombing of London in September 1940 prompted more pet owners to rush to have their pets destroyed.

Many people panicked, but others tried to restore calm. "Putting your pets to sleep is a very tragic decision. Do not take it before it is absolutely necessary," urged in the Daily Mirror.

Historian Hilda Kean says that it was just another way of signifying that war had begun. "It was one of things people had to do when the news came - evacuate the children, put up the blackout curtains, kill the cat."

It was the lack of food, not bombs, that posed the biggest threat to wartime pets. There was no food ration for cats and dogs.

In the middle of the pet-culling mayhem, some people tried desperately to intervene. The Duchess of Hamilton - both wealthy and a cat lover - rushed from Scotland to London with her own statement to be broadcast on the BBC. "Homes in the country urgently required for those dogs and cats which must otherwise be left behind to starve to death or be shot."

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Nina Mary Benita Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton

"Being a duchess she had a bit of money and established an animal sanctuary," says historian Kean. The "sanctuary" was a heated aerodrome in Ferne. The duchess sent her staff out to rescue pets from the East End of London. Hundreds and hundreds of animals were taken back initially to her home in St John's Wood. She apologised to the neighbours who complained about the barking.

Also "Animal charities, the PDSA, the RSPCA and vets were all opposed to the killing of pets and very concerned about people just dumping animals on their doorsteps at the start of the war," says historian Hilda Kean.

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home opened its doors in 1860 and survived both wars. "Many people contacted us after the outbreak of war to ask us to euthanise their pets - either because they were going off to war, they were bombed, or they could no longer afford to keep them during rationing."

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An RAF serviceman delivers a stray to Battersea

"Battersea actually advised against taking such drastic measures. Then manager Edward Healey-Tutt wrote to people asking them not to be too hasty."

The story is not more widely known because it was a difficult story to tell, says Historian Hilda Kean. "It isn't well known that so many pets were killed because it isn't a nice story, it doesn't fit with this notion of us as a nation of animal lovers. People don't like to remember that at the first sign of war we went out to kill the pussycat," she says.

from:
npg.org.uk
bbc.com
 
Louis said:
A sad story

At the beginning of WW2, a government pamphlet led to a massive cull of British pets. As many as 750,000 British pets were killed in just one week.

In the summer of 1939, just before the outbreak of war, the National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee (NARPAC) was formed. It drafted a notice - Advice to Animal Owners.

The pamphlet said: "If at all possible, send or take your household animals into the country in advance of an emergency." It concluded: "If you cannot place them in the care of neighbours, it really is kindest to have them destroyed."

COLO-R_zps8be6b2e2.jpg


In the first few days of war, PDSA hospitals and dispensaries were overwhelmed by owners bringing their pets for destruction. PDSA founder Maria Dickin reported: "Our technical officers called upon to perform this unhappy duty will never forget the tragedy of those days."

The first bombing of London in September 1940 prompted more pet owners to rush to have their pets destroyed.

Many people panicked, but others tried to restore calm. "Putting your pets to sleep is a very tragic decision. Do not take it before it is absolutely necessary," urged in the Daily Mirror.

Historian Hilda Kean says that it was just another way of signifying that war had begun. "It was one of things people had to do when the news came - evacuate the children, put up the blackout curtains, kill the cat."

It was the lack of food, not bombs, that posed the biggest threat to wartime pets. There was no food ration for cats and dogs.

In the middle of the pet-culling mayhem, some people tried desperately to intervene. The Duchess of Hamilton - both wealthy and a cat lover - rushed from Scotland to London with her own statement to be broadcast on the BBC. "Homes in the country urgently required for those dogs and cats which must otherwise be left behind to starve to death or be shot."

CriaSolano_zpsc0ee18bf.jpg

Nina Mary Benita Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton

"Being a duchess she had a bit of money and established an animal sanctuary," says historian Kean. The "sanctuary" was a heated aerodrome in Ferne. The duchess sent her staff out to rescue pets from the East End of London. Hundreds and hundreds of animals were taken back initially to her home in St John's Wood. She apologised to the neighbours who complained about the barking.

Also "Animal charities, the PDSA, the RSPCA and vets were all opposed to the killing of pets and very concerned about people just dumping animals on their doorsteps at the start of the war," says historian Hilda Kean.

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home opened its doors in 1860 and survived both wars. "Many people contacted us after the outbreak of war to ask us to euthanise their pets - either because they were going off to war, they were bombed, or they could no longer afford to keep them during rationing."

COLO-Y_zps8539ab17.jpg

An RAF serviceman delivers a stray to Battersea

"Battersea actually advised against taking such drastic measures. Then manager Edward Healey-Tutt wrote to people asking them not to be too hasty."

The story is not more widely known because it was a difficult story to tell, says Historian Hilda Kean. "It isn't well known that so many pets were killed because it isn't a nice story, it doesn't fit with this notion of us as a nation of animal lovers. People don't like to remember that at the first sign of war we went out to kill the pussycat," she says.

from:
npg.org.uk
bbc.com
Click to expand...
My mother ate cat on a regular basis in the post ww2 decade. They called it rabbit, but everybody knew it wasn't. A friend's father (same generation, same time) has fond memories of eating american dog food (canned).
 
Captain Nieves Fernandez was the only known Filipino female guerrilla leader. Working with guerrillas south of Tacloban, Miss Fernandez rounded up native men to resist the Japanese during the WW2. She commanded 110 native who killed more than 200 Japanese with knifes and shotguns made from sections of gas pipe. The Japanese offered 10.000 pesos for her head. She was wounded once. There is a bullet scar on her right forearm.
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Capt Nieves Fernandez shows to an American soldier how she used her long knife to silently kill Japanese soldiers during occupation. 7 Nov 1944, Mabuhay Las Piñas, Leyte Island, Philippines.
 
The final shots by the Canadian army during the Battle of Scheldt in November 1944 took place when spotters discovered German supply vessels still anchored in a German held port across a bay. Desperate to take them out before they escaped north, a troop of Sherman tanks were raced forward. Firing a mix of HE and AP shells against the boats anchored behind port facilities there was no way of knowing if hits were scored or if any kind of damage was being done to the vessels. Once a recon party managed to get into the port it was discovered that three of the four vessels were knocked out with their crews dead and abandoned, while the fourth was heavily damaged and taking on water.

Long distance, hull down shots against boats. Needs to be modeled in Combat Mission Bulge or just not worth it. ;)
 
Paul Newman was a decorated sailor, having earned a distinguished Combat Action Ribbon and Combat Aircrew Wings as a rear-seat gunner and aerial radioman in U.S. Navy torpedo bombers in the Pacific during WW2.

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Navy Times reporter Mark D. Faram researched Navy personnel and historical records to add this and more to what is known of Newman’s military service.

There’s a local twist. At the end of the war, Newman came to Seattle where he served with Carrier Aircraft Service Unit 7 for several months before his discharge.

According to a Navy history site, Newman enlisted on Jan. 22, 1943, four days before his 18th birthday, after graduating from high school and while attending Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Newman hoped to become an officer and earn pilot’s wings to fly off of carriers, but at his physical was found to be colorblind, killing his chances for a commission or wings.

Instead, he was sent to boot camp to become a radioman and gunner.

Newman saw scattered combat and had luck that kept him from a brush with death when his pilot fell ill, grounding their airplane. The rest of Newman’s squadron was transferred to an aircraft carrier soon hit by two kamikaze planes. Nearly 350 sailors were killed, including Newman’s entire contingent.

In Seattle – most likely Sand Point – after the Japanese surrender, Carrier Aircraft Service Unit 7, with which Newman served, was a shore-based air-support unit.

Newman receiving his discharge in Bremerton on Jan. 21, 1946, and using his GI Bill to resume his college education, this time at Kenyon College in Ohio.
 
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