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Letters from Stalag VIIIB by Arthur Charles Evans
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Clara's War
Clara Kramer - 2008
Three years later, in the small town of Żółkiew, life for Jewish 15-year-old Clara Kramer was never to be the same again. While those around her were either slaughtered or transported, Clara and her family hid perilously in a hand-dug cellar. Living above and protecting them were the Becks.Mr. Beck was a womaniser, a drunkard and a self-professed anti-Semite, yet he risked his life throughout the war to keep his charges safe. Nevertheless, life with Mr. Beck was far from predictable. From the house catching fire, to Beck's affair with Clara's cousin, to the nightly SS drinking sessions in the room just above, Clara's War transports you into the dark, cramped bunker, and sits you next to the families as they hold their breath time and again.Sixty years later, Clara Kramer has created a memoir that is lyrical, dramatic and heartbreakingly compelling. Despite the worst of circumstances, this is a story full of hope and survival, courage and love.
The Silent Service in World War II: The Story of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force in the Words of the Men Who Lived It
Edward Monroe-Jones - 2012
Navy had a total of 111 submarines. However, this fleet was not nearly as impressive as the number suggests. It was mostly a collection of aging boats from the late teens and early twenties, with only a few of the newer, more modern Gato-class boats. Fortunately, with the war in Europe was already two years old and friction with Japan ever-increasing, help from what would become known as the Silent Service in the Pacific was on the way: there were 73 of the new fleet submarines under construction. The Silent Service in World War II tells the story of America’s intrepid underwater warriors in the words of the men who lived the war in the Pacific against Japan. The enemy had already begun to deploy advanced boats, but the U.S. was soon able to match them. By 1943 the new Gato-class boats were making a difference, carrying the war not just to the Japanese Imperial Navy, but to the vital merchant fleet that carried the vast array of materiel needed to keep the land of the Rising Sun afloat.As the war progressed, American success in the Solomons, starting with Guadalcanal, began to constrict the Japanese sea lanes, and operating singly or in wolfpacks they were able to press their attacks on convoys operating beyond the range of our airpower, making daring forays even into the home waters of Japan itself in the quest for ever more elusive targets. Also taking on Japanese warships, as well as rescuing downed airmen (such as the grateful first President Bush), U.S. submarines made an enormous contribution to our war against Japan.This book takes you through the war as you learn what it was like to serve on submarines in combat, the exhilaration of a successful attack, and the terror of being depth-charged. And aside from enemy action, the sea itself could prove to be an extremely hostile environment as many of these stories attest. From early war patrols in obsolescent, unreliable S-boats to new, modern fleet submarines roving the Pacific, the forty-six stories in this anthology give you a full understanding of what it was like to be a U.S. Navy submariner in combat.
The Wehrmacht
Bob Carruthers - 2010
Like old soldiers everywhere, they are fading away. But these soldiers have an incredible and sometimes shocking story to tell. It certainly does not make for comfortable reading. Secrets which have been bottled up for a lifetime are revealed, stories are told at last and memories which have been hidden away for 60 years finally resurface. These are facets of history's most dreadful war being revealed for the very first time. "The Wehrmacht" is a remarkable personal record of the Third Reich's rise and fall from the inside: of how those responsible for the maelstrom sent their armies to conquer only to see them crushed as the world united against them; of men who were seduced by the siren call of Hitler, only to pay a terribly heavy price. It allows the human stories to unfold within the bigger picture behind the major campaigns of the Second World War - from the early Blitzkrieg successes through the submarine warfare of the Battle of the Atlantic, and the brutal hardships of the Russian Front, to the last days of the Reich and the fall of Berlin. "The Wehrmacht" is a brilliantly researched and thought-provoking book that reveals unique human dimensions of the world's greatest military conflict.
Horrie The War Dog: The Story of Australia's Most Famous Dog
Roland Perry - 2013
Moody adopted him and called him Horrie. More than a mascot, Horrie repeatedly saved the lives of the thousand-strong contingent.The little dog' warning ritual of sitting, barking, then dashing for the trenches had the gunners running for cover before they even heard the enemy aircraft.Horrie accompanied Moody through the battle zones of the Middle East and beyond. As Japanese forces spread across Asia, Moody and his mates joined the fight, smuggling Horrie onto a troop ship for the harrowing back to Australia. Once the war was over, Moody brought Horrie out of hiding to raise money for the Red Cross and the brave little dog'a story became widely known. When quarantine officers pounced, demanding the dog be put down, there was a public outcry. How could a cruel bureaucracy heartlessly kill this little four-legged hero? Was Horrie condemned to die or Moody devise a scheme to save him?
The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Manhattan Engineer District - 2001
That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of T.N.T. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British Grand Slam, which is the largest bomb ever yet used in the history of warfare".These fateful words of the President on August 6th, 1945, marked the first public announcement of the greatest scientific achievement in history. The atomic bomb, first tested in New Mexico on July 16, 1945, had just been used against a military target.On August 6th, 1945, at 8:15 A.M., Japanese time, a B-29 heavy bomber flying at high altitude dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. More than 4 square miles of the city were instantly and completely devastated. 66,000 people were killed, and 69,000 injured.On August 9th, three days later, at 11:02 A.M., another B-29 dropped the second bomb on the industrial section of the city of Nagasaki, totally destroying 1 1/2 square miles of the city, killing 39,000 persons, and injuring 25,000 more.On August 10, the day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the Japanese government requested that it be permitted to surrender under the terms of the Potsdam declaration of July 26th which it had previously ignored.
American Generalship: Character Is Everything: The Art of Command
Edgar F. Puryear Jr. - 2000
America's top military leaders are scrutinized as Puryear ponders what prepared our generals for the terrible responsibilities they bore during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and on to today.
94 Maidens
Rhonda Fink-Whitman - 2012
They are innocent schoolgirls ranging in age from 14 to 22. Under normal circumstances they should be learning, laughing, and playing. Unfortunately, the year is 1942 and the place is Nazi-occupied Poland. Nothing is normal. On the night of August 11, dressed only in cotton nightgowns, they await their fate at the hands of their Nazi captors. They are no match for the Nazi beast- or are they? Meanwhile, a young Jewish family is caught in a perilous game of cat and mouse with the Nazis in Berlin. How long can they possibly remain among the living? It's getting harder to run, more dangerous to hide. The Nazis are hot on their trail, and time is running out for both the hunters and the hunted. Rhonda is a successful television personality and a well-respected Jewish educator. With her aging mother still suffering scars left by the Holocaust some 70 years later, she decides it's time to go to Germany, where she pitches her way inside the largest Nazi archive the world has never seen in an attempt to discover the truth about what happened to her mother during WWII. Will the secrets she unveils help heal her mother's wounded soul? Or will the answers to her questions change everything she ever thought she knew about her family, her mother, and herself? Inspired by true events, 94 Maidens is an unforgettable story of heroism, resistance, martyrdom, and survival. "Total Inspiration! Never before has an account of the atrocities of Nazi Germany struck such a chord. 94 Maidens will send chills up your spine and bring tears to your eyes, but Rhonda Fink-Whitman's brilliant depiction of valiancy strengthens the inner soul." Lorraine Ranalli, author of Gravy Wars/South Philly Foods, Feuds & Attytudes and host of the Cucina Chatter Radio Network "Chillingly authentic. It's as if Rhonda dipped her paintbrush into a can of history and used her potent words to paint us a picture that is spot on. I would know." David Tuck, Auschwitz survivor, speaker, educator Meet Dave and hear other eyewitness accounts @ www.94maidens.com. "Heartfelt and moving...a great reminder to all of us about our obligation to share and preserve our own family history, the courage of ancestors, and their impact on our world." Tim Chambers, screenwriter, director, and producer of The Mighty Macs "It wasn't my choice to write this story...it was my responsibility." Rhonda Fink-Whitman RHONDA FINK-WHITMAN is a veteran TV and radio personality as well as an award-winning screenwriter, longtime Jewish educator and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. 94 Maidens is her first novel. She lives in a suburb of Philadelphia with her husband, two children, and two cats. In their free time, for which they thank our troops, Rhonda and her family volunteer for the USO. Visit Rhonda online at www.94Maidens.com, at www.Facebook.com/94Maidens, and on Twitter @94Maidens. Serious filmmakers interested in the screenplay of 94 Maidens can contact the writer at Rhonda@94Maidens.com.
Lancaster: The Second World War's Greatest Bomber
Leo McKinstry - 2009
Yet without the Lancaster, Britain would never have been able to take the fight to the German homeland. Highlights the scale of the bomber`s achievements, including the famous Dambusters attacks. With its vast bomb bay, ease of handling and surprising speed, the mighty Lancaster transformed the effectiveness of the Bomber Command. Whilst addressing the political controversy surrounding the bombing offensive against Germany, Leo McKinstry also weaves individual tales into this compelling narrative. Rich characters are brought to life, such as Roy Chadwick the designer, who taught himself engineering at night school and Sir Arthur Harris, the austere head of the Bomber Command. This is a rich saga, a story of triumph over disaster and the history of an iconic plane.
Skis Against the Atom
Knut Haukelid - 1953
The outcome of WWII could very possibly have been much different if Knut Haukelid & his small, but courageous band of Norwegian soldiers had not been successful in sabotaging the Nazis supply of heavy water. The heavy water produced at a facility in occupied Norway was vital to Hitler's race with the USA to develop the atomic bomb. Skis Against the Atom gives the reader an intimate account of the valiant & self-sacrificing service that the not-to-be-subdued Norwegians performed for the whole free world.
Gods & Snipers (Caje Cole Book 3)
David Healey - 2019
With the Allies giving chase across France, German forces are in full retreat after the defeat at the Falaise Gap. In the confusion of the fast-moving situation, small squads find themselves on their own or cobbled together from other units, with whichever officer has the highest rank taking command. These units have one goal in mind, which is to move closer to Germany. It’s bad enough that troops on both sides find themselves short on fuel and ammunition. Their path is also blocked by physical obstacles such as the Moselle River. Now, two of these orphaned squads—one American unit, one German—find themselves in a small French village with a bridge across that river. Both sides want possession of the ancient bridge across the Moselle, and the result will be an epic showdown that pits general against general, and sniper against sniper.
Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen
Bob Greene - 2002
The tiny town, wanting to offer the servicemen warmth and support, transformed its modest railroad depot into the North Platte Canteen.Every day of the year, every day of the war, the Canteen—staffed and funded entirely by local volunteers—was open from five a.m. until the last troop train of the day pulled away after midnight. Astonishingly, this remote plains community of only 12,000 people provided welcoming words, friendship, and baskets of food and treats to more than six million GIs by the time the war ended.In this poignant and heartwarming eyewitness history, based on interviews with North Platte residents and the soldiers who once passed through, Bob Greene tells a classic, lost-in-the-mists-of-time American story of a grateful country honoring its brave and dedicated sons.
The Wooden Horse
Eric Williams - 1949
When it was carried into the courtyard the German guards thought it was simply a vaulting-horse, similar to that used in any gymnasium.It is true that the prisoners vaulted over it. But unknown to the German guards, two men were always concealed within the horse and while the prisoners vaulted, these two men were busy underground burrowing a tunnel.When's the day's work was over the hole was boarded up, earth placed over the boards, and the horse with the two men inside taken back into the camp. This work of tunnelling went on for several months, until the tunnel was over 120 feet long and extended beyond the barbed wire which bounded the camp.
Belly of the Beast: POW's Inspiring True Story Faith Courage Survival Aboard Infamous WWII Japanese
Judith L. Pearson - 2001
More than 1,100 of them would be dead by journey’s end... The son of a Kentucky sharecropper and an enlistee in the Navy’s medical corps, Myers arrived in Manilla shortly before the bombings of Pearl Harbor and the other six targets of the Imperial Japanese military. While he and his fellow corpsmen tended to the bloody tide of soldiers pouring into their once peaceful Naval hospital, the Japanese overwhelmed the Pacific islands, capturing 78,000 POWs by April 1942. Myers was one of the first captured.After a brutal three-year encampment, Myers and his fellow POWs were forced onto an enemy hell ship bound for Japan. Suffocation, malnutrition, disease, dehydration, infestation, madness, and simple despair claimed the lives of nearly three quarters of those who boarded "the beast".Myers survived.A compelling account of a rarely recorded event in military history, this is more than Estel Myers’ true story—this is an homage to the unfailing courage of men at war, an inspiring chronicle of self-sacrifice and endurance, and a tribute to the power of faith, the strength of the soul, and the triumph of the human spirit. "An inspiring look at one of World War II's darkest hours." —James Bradley, Author of Flags of our Fathers and Flyboys "A searing chronicle." —Kirkus Reviews"The Belly of the Beast (is)...a searing tribute...(to) America in its bleakest hour." —Senator John McCain, author New York Times bestseller Faith of My Fathers
The Innocents Within: A Novel
Robert Daley - 1995
Led by the charismatic Pastor Favert, the townsfolk of Le Lignon risk their own lives to hide a constant stream of the persecuted. But when a badly wounded American pilot crashes nearby, their safety is compromised.The region's Reich commander is desperate to load the waiting deportation trains with Jews. Le Lignon, he knows, might be concealing enough refugees to fulfill his entire quota and secure his position within the SS. As the commander plots to seize his quarry, Vichy police descend on the village and demand the hidden pilot. Stretched to their limits, the people of Le Lignon must fortify themselves against the converging Nazi onslaught--or die trying.