The fact that the cemetery is completely litter free also adds to the effect. How often are things spoilt by insensitive, uneducated morons who have to spoil and disrespect the world around us?

The whole experience really was quite touching. Rest in Peace.

Kurt Vonnegut’s 1969 novel Slaughterhouse Five has as its main subject the bombing of Dresden in the Second World War. The story focuses on the plight of solider Billy Pilgrim and is told with a nonlinear narrative that also takes in time-travel and alien abduction.

The novel is a true classic and is one that anyone with an interest in war should have on their bookshelf.

The human disease included typhoid and cholera, while animal disease consisted of foot-and-mouth, swine fever and anthrax (which is obviously also harmful to humans).

The reports specify that the research was a potential retaliation to any biological weapons released by the Nazis. Information on potential delivery and the spread of infection was also listed, with specific details about each biological weapon covered. These techniques include infecting reservoirs from the air, though it does mention thi may not work due to the chlorination process that takes place.

Explosive experts closed down the area and brought out the cache using a specialist diving team. They then safely detonated all the items in a secure location believed to be a local cave. The bombs needed to be handled carefully due to the fragile nature they were in from being left in the water for up to 60 years.

Obviously this isn’t about Britain ‘doing more’ but instead the ignorance of Mayor Edmondo Cirielli who refused to show appreciation of the many other parties involved in the campaign, including soldiers from France, New Zealand and Poland as well as a number of other countries.

725 British personnel were killed in the battle for Salerno, with a further 2734 wounded. The American figures are  significantly lower with 225 and 835 killed and wound respectively - less than a third in both cases.

The weapon design was finalised and completed by 1941 following a request for a more lightweight rifle a few years earlier. The gun continued to be improved and was further enhanced by reducing the weight from 4.3kg to 3.4kg (over a 20% reduction).

The bullet penetration was considered decent for the type of weapon and the fact it used a 0.30 calibre bullet, with experts claiming it was capable of penetrating the body armour and helmets of the enemies at the time.

The documents indicate that Ernst Wigforss, Swedish finance minister during the war, allowed one of the best loans at the time to be given to Germany, transferring around 40million kronor, roughly £3.5million today, to Berlin.

The document, which is a letter detailing the loan, was never officially filed, instead being hidden away from the standard records. The letter was only brought to light recently.

The money was given to Germany in order to allow them to pay off services given by Swedish shipbuilders at the time. Due to the nature of the deal, it required approval by the state before proceeding, the letter sent to Wigforss, was a conversation regarding this approval. The writer, Ernst Herslow, director of Skandinaviska Banken, states how Wigforss gave approval:

“The minister expressed his understanding, that it would be desirable for the credits to be provided”

Sweden had always maintained a neutral stance throughout the wars, this evidence being the first to go against these claims of neutrality and non-military involvement with either side during the war.

It is thought that Sweden may have given the loan so they could continue to build ships for the German navy, without being asked for full support and aid.

The most striking example of this of course, is the British bombing of German cities towards the end of the Second World War. By this time, the full extent of the horrors of the Final Solution were being realised and notions of the restoration of civilisation were widespread throughout Allied countries.

It is also known that during the latter stages of the war, a large percentage of the German people had come to actively reject Nazism and it is painfully ironic that by extensively bombing cities such as Dresden, the British were persecuting the same people that they professed to be fighting to save.

Indeed, just before the climax of the war, British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, created a memorandum which was sent to the British Chief of Staff which urged the armed forces to dilute the nature of their attack on the German people. Within the document read the following –

‘It seems to me that the moment has come when the question of bombing of German cities simply for the sake of increasing the terror, though under other pretexts, should be reviewed … The destruction of Dresden remains a serious query against the conduct of Allied bombing.’

Over sixty years later, the issues which Churchill raised still remain largely unanswered. An eclectic range of perspectives have been offered by a multitude of historians, although no clear understanding of why the Allied destruction of Germany was so severe. One of the most widely read perspectives is that of the military historian John Keegan who has wrote extensively on both the First and the Second World Wars.

Keegan actively furthers the notion that by launching this unparallel level of destruction against a nation which realistically could not really do much about it, then the British “descended to the enemy’s level”. If you consider the atrocities which were occurring at Auschwitz during the mid 1940s, then this represented what was thought to be the systematic extermination of the Jewish race – essentially the murder of a whole people based on racist doctrines – this is where the British bombing campaigns can never be compared to the actions of the Third Reich.

However, in terms of the murder of innocent women and children on very flimsy grounds, then maybe Dr Keegan does have a point.

Despite former Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain’s bold statement, soon after the outset of war, which stated that it was “against international law to bomb civilians as such and to make deliberate attacks on the civilian population’, that is ultimately what the British succumbed to doing. If Cecil Rhodes had been around at the time then I would suggest that his proudly stated view that “to be born an Englishman was like winning the first prize in the lottery of life” would be seriously reviewed.

In the most challenging of situations, British conceptions of morality ultimately failed – in fact after Dunkirk, heavy aerial bombardments were the only realistic method with which the British could combat the Nazis. However, whether this should have been employed to such devastating effect will remain at the forefront of  historical thought for years to come.

Last week the Ministry of German Defence conveyed his death to the world, although they made no other statement associated with this.

The former Nazi officer is said to have saved many Jewish lives during the evolution of the Final Solution as he gallantly disturbed many executions and atrocities which he witnessed, most notably on the Russian front. He was said to have joined a group dedicated to the defeat of Nazism and the assassination of it’s figurehead in 1942, and was to be actively involved in the plans to kill Hitler which were developed by von Stauffenberg.

It was said to have been von Boeselager who acquired a vast array of explosives from the British and presented these to von Stauffenberg to carry out their plan.

In a fascinating sequence of actions, it is thought that after von Stauffenberg left the room which contained the Fuhrer and a multitude of his leading officers, the briefcase was moved and this slightly diluted the impact of the explosion which was to follow. The meeting room was destroyed, whilst three officers were killed in the blast, Hitler survived however with relatively minor injuries.

It is interesting that if the assassination had succeeded, then von Boeselager was ready with over twelve hundred men to lead an uprising against the Nazi regime. During this stage of the war and the gradual unveiling of the Final Solution which was being conducted at the time, the uprising was sure to have generated a certain degree of support with the German nationals. Many people “supported” the Nazi’s because there was no other viable option, other than to be executed. If news had have come that Hitler was dead, then it is almost a certainty that an uprising would have elicited much supported, and even if unsuccessful, would have severely hampered the war effort.

From documents which have been uncovered over recent years, we now know that all those who were known to have been directly involved in the plot to kill Hitler were rounded up and executed. The only people who were to avoid this fate were those who refused to be captured by the regime which they aimed to overthrow, and bypassed this by committing suicide.

However, nobody at the time ever became aware of the role which von Boeselager played in the plot and as a result he survived the backlash of the Nazi’s. In later memoirs, he did highlight the fact that until the end of the war, he constantly carried around a cyanide tablet with him, just in case he should ever be recognised. Like many of his compatriots, he would rather have dies than have placed his fate in the hands of the Nazis.

Von Boeselager was to live until he reached the grand age of 90 and is regarded somewhat of a war hero by Germans and allies alike and this site would like to pay tribute to him in the strongest possible manner.
Rest in Peace

]]> http://www.thegermansbombedourchippy.co.uk/war-hero-von-boeselager-dies-at-the-age-of-90-45.html/feed http://www.thegermansbombedourchippy.co.uk/french-president-plays-tribute-to-british-sacrifices-18.html http://www.thegermansbombedourchippy.co.uk/french-president-plays-tribute-to-british-sacrifices-18.html#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:25:19 +0000 Rob http://www.thegermansbombedourchippy.co.uk/french-president-plays-tribute-to-british-sacrifices-18.html Nicholas Sarkozy, the French president, has paid tribute to the sacrifices of British troops during both world wars and for liberating the nation when it was “on it’s knees”.

As part of the first state visit by the French for over a decade, Sarkozy claimed the existence of a “Franco-British brotherhood” which had stood the test of time and it is hoped will continue despite the current political differences between the two nations.
The French premier spoke of how his nation was “not entitled to forget” the sacrifices of the British whilst liberating their nation.

“France hasn’t forgotten, she will never forget that when she was almost annihilated, Britain was at her side,” he said.

The speech went on to claim that the two nations could now describe their relations as a “Entente Amical” as opposed to the historic “Entente Cordial”.