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Sunday, May 11, 2025
96: Eva Schloss
Happy 96th Birthday Eva Schloss!
While Anne Frank is widely known
around the world as a symbol of the 1.5 Million Jewish Children murdered by the
Nazis during the Holocaust and her “Diary of a Young Girl” (first published in
Dutch in 1947 and in English in 1952) has sold over 31 million copies and is
translated into 70 languages many do not know of her Step-Sister, Eva Schloss,
whose life before and during World War 2 nearly mirrored Anne’s.
Anne Frank was born on June 12,
1929 in Frankfurt Germany.
Eva Schloss (née Geiringer) was
born on May 11, 1929 in Vienna, Austria.
Anne’s Sister, Margot, was born 3
years before her in 1926. Eva’s Brother,
Heinz, was born 3 years before her in 1926.
Anne and her Family left Germany
for Amsterdam, the Netherlands , because of the Nazis, in 1934. Eva and her
Family left German-Occupied Austria for Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1938.
Anne and Eva lived in the same
apartment block on the Merwedeplein in the Rivierenbuurt neighborhood of
Amsterdam from the 1930s-1942.
9 year old Anne introduced
herself to 9 year old Eva on the playground shortly after Eva’s family moved to
Amsterdam (Anne spoke German to Eva since Eva hadn’t learned Dutch yet.)
Both Anne and Eva were made to
leave their Non-Jewish Schools -after the German Occupation of the Netherlands
in May 1940 - and were forced to attend
the same Jewish Lyceum School in September 1941.
Both Anne and Eva were forced, by
the Germans, to wear the Star of David on April 29, 1942.
On July 5, 1942 both Anne’s 16
year old Sister Margot and Eva’s 16 year old Brother Heinz received a Call-Up
notice from the Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung (Central Office for
Jewish Emigration) to be deported to a “Work Camp in Germany” (in reality those
who were deported went to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp.)
Both Anne’s Family and Eva’s
Family went into hiding (separately) to avoid the Deportations.
Anne and her Family hid together
(with 4 other people) in Amsterdam. Eva and her Mother hid together and Heinz
and her Father hid together.
Anne, her Family and the 4 Others
in Hiding were betrayed to the Gestapo on August 4, 1944. Eva and her Family in Hiding were betrayed to
the Gestapo in May 1944.
Eva and her Family went to the
Westerbork Transit Camp in the Netherlands where they were branded as Criminals
by the Germans for having been in hiding and kept in the Punishment Block.
Anne and her Family went to the
Westerbork Transit Camp in the Netherland where they were branded as Criminals
by the Germans for having been in hiding and kept in the punishment Block.
Anne and her Family were deported
from Westerbork to the Auschwitz Death Camp on September 4, 1944 (on the last
train to leave Westerbork.) Eva and her
Family were deported from Westerbork to the Auschwitz Death Camp in 1944.
Anne, who was 15 years old (the
minimum age the Germans allowed people at Auschwitz to be Forced Laborers
instead of immediately going to the Gas Chambers on Arrival) was separated from
her Father, at Auschwitz, and never saw him again.
Eva, who was 15 years old (the
minimum age the Germans allowed people at Auschwitz to be Forced Laborers
instead of immediately going to the Gas Chambers on Arrival) was separated from
her Father and Brother, at Auschwitz, and never saw them again.
Note: Here is where the lives of
Anne Frank and Eva Schloss differ.
Anne was separated from her
Mother at Auschwitz when she and her Sister, Margot, were deported from
Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen in Germany. Anne died in Bergen-Belsen a few days
after her Sister, between February-April 1945 at 15 years old.
Eva and her Mother survived
Auschwitz and was liberated in January 1945 when Eva was 15 years old.
Only Otto Frank survived the War
(his Wife and 2 Daughters were killed during the Holocaust.)
Only Eva and her Mother survived
the War (her Father and Brother were killed during the Holocaust.)
Otto Frank married Eva’s Mother,
Elfriede, in 1953. Otto died in Switzerland in 1980 and Elfriede died in
England in 1998.
Eva married Zvi Schloss (a Jewish
Refugee from Germany who spent the War in Palestine) in 1952. They moved to the
United Kingdom and had 3 Daughters. Zvi died in 2016.
Eva Schloss is still alive and is
turned 96 years old today (May 11, 2025.)
День Матері
Ukraine has celebrated Mother’s
Day on the 2nd Sunday in May since 1999 – before they celebrated the Communist
Holiday – International Women’s Day – like Russia still does – on March 8th.
For Mother’s Day (День Матері)
today please remember all the Ukrainian Mothers currently suffering because of
the Russian Nazis.
The Mothers who have been forced
to flee the bombs and bullets in their hometowns.
The Mothers who have not been allowed to flee
the bombs and bullets in their hometowns.
The Mothers who give birth in
Subway Stations.
The Mothers who give birth in
Hospitals that are targeted by the Russians.
The Mothers who are forced to
watch their Children being tortured by the Russians.
The Mothers who are forced to
watch their Children being massacred by the Russians.
The Mothers who are forced to
watch their Children starve to death because the Russians are stealing their
food.
The Mothers who can’t be with
their Children because they are off fighting to defend their homes and
Families.
This Mother’s Day is more
important than ever before. It shows us just how hard Mothers and Mother-Like
Women work and love despite all the hardships.
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Saturday, May 10, 2025
250: Ticonderoga
250 years ago today (May 10,
1775) The Green Mountain Boys, under the Command of Ethan Allen and accompanied
by Connecticut Soldier Benedict Arnold, crossed Lake Champlain and captured
Fort Ticonderoga in New York from the British.
The cannons and other armaments
at Fort Ticonderoga were later transported to Boston by Colonel Henry Knox in
the noble train of artillery and used to fortify Dorchester Heights and break
the standoff at the siege of Boston from the British.
I have loved going to Fort
Ticonderoga since I was a little kid.
Friday, May 9, 2025
Personal Connection
(Picture: I took of the TV in my Hotel Room in Germany.)
I met Margot Friedlander, a
Holocaust Survivor, when I worked at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC
and saw her on German Television on November 27, 2024 when I was in Germany.
She died today (May 9, 2025) at
103 years old.
Margot Friedländer
Margot Friedländer
Margot Friedländer, a German
Holocaust Survivor, has died today (May 9, 2025) at the age of 103 one day after
the 80th Anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and World War 2 in
Europe.
Margot Friedländer was born Anni
Margot Bendheim on November 5, 1921 in Berlin, Germany.
She was 17 years old when the
Germans destroyed Jewish Synagogues, Businesses and Homes and arrested 30,000
Jewish Men during Kristallnacht on November 8, 1938.
Afterwards her Mother wanted to
leave Germany, but her Father (a World War 1 Veteran) won’t.
Her Parents then divorced. Her
Mother tried to get Visas to the United States, Brazil and China, but all their
efforts failed.
In 1942, her Father was deported
to a Death Camp and murdered.
On January 30, 1943 Margot was
returning home when she learned that her 17 year old Brother, Ralph, had been
arrested by the Gestapo.
Her Mother left her purse with an
Address Book and an Amber Necklace and the words "Try to make your life”
with Neighbors before turning herself into the Gestapo to be with her Son.
They were both sent to the
Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland and murdered.
From then on, Margot lived in
Hiding throughout Berlin until she was caught by Jews working for the Gestapo
(Greifer or Grabbers) and sent to the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in
German-Occupied Czechoslovakia.
There she met Adolf Friedländer,
whom she had known back in Berlin.
On May 8, 1945 the Soviets
liberated Theresienstadt.
Margot and Adolf got married and
moved to the United States in 1946 and became American Citizens.
She worked as a Travel Agent and
a Seamstress in New York City.
Adolf Friedländer died in 1997.
After his death Margot took a
Memori Class at the YMCA and started sharing her experiences during the
Holocaust.
In 2004, a Documentary about her
life, called “Don't Call It Heimweh” was made.
In 2008 her Memoir was published
in German and in English in 2014 titled “Try To Make Your Life.”
In 2010 she returned to Berlin
permanently and made frequent talks about the War and the Holocaust at German
Schools.
She was given her German
Citizenship back (which the Nazis had taken from her in 1935.)
In 2011, she was awarded the
Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon by Germany.
In 2018 she became an Honorary
Citizen of Berlin.
On January 23, 2023, the
101-year-old Friedländer was awarded Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit First
Class.
In 2023, she founded the Margot
Friedländer Foundation to continue the work with contemporary witnesses and the
awarding of the Margot Friedländer Prize.
In 2024, she was awarded the
Berlin Bear.
German Vogue depicted her on the
cover in its July/August 2024 issue.
Told You So
“Soon Trump will try to deport American Citizens to the Country of ‘Mattel’ if they can’t afford to buy 2 dolls under his new Tariffs.”
While the above is a joke Trump
did call the Company Mattel a Country.
FYI: Mattel has always been an
American Company (since it was founded in 1945 – 80 years ago) and never a
Country.
If you actually listen to what he
says he is very incoherent, often confused and seems senile yet his “Yes” Men
and Women blindly support his ramblings and baseless actions.
I do enjoy seeing and hearing
those who were brainwashed into voting for him now coming to their senses and
whine and cry about being stopped by ICE for no reason, losing their Job
because of DOGE or the Tariffs, having to pay several hundred more Dollars for
the same things that were cheaper just 4 months ago, being stopped by US
Immigration when leaving the United States, missing their flight because of
delays/chaos at US Airports like Newark, unable to get their favorite food item
in the near-empty stores, etc.
I am one who likes to say “I told
you so” and I did tell you so.
Things are only going to get
worse for every American.
80: Russia
Today (May 9th) is Victory Day in Russia. It remembers the Soviet Victory over Germany during World War.
(Here is a picture I took of the Victory Day Parade on Soviet Square in Yaroslavl, Russia on May 9, 2002.)
Some things to know:
From August 1939-June 1941 the
Soviet Union was officially allied with Nazi Germany giving them lots of raw
materials – the last shipment going to the Germans on June 20, 1941 (the day
before the Germans invaded the USSR.)
Stalin had a one-sided “Bromance”
with Hitler and felt so betrayed that his “Friend” had invaded the USSR during
Operation Barbarossa that he fled to his Dacha after the Invasion on June 21,
1941.
Because Stalin was crying over
his betrayal it was up to Soviet Foreign Minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, to
announce to the Soviet People of the German Invasion.
Stalin did not address the Soviet
People about the German Invasion or the War until July 3, 1941.
Stalin continued to feel so
betrayed by Hitler that he enacted Order No. 270 in 1941 and Order No. 227 in
1942 making it illegal for any Soviet Citizen (Soldier or Civilian) to “allow
themselves to be captured by the Germans.”
Those that did “allow” themselves
to either be captured or occupied by the Germans – including going to a Death
Camp or a Concentration Camp – were to later be punished by the Soviets. Many
Holocaust Survivors went from a German Death Camp right into a Soviet Gulag for
this “crime.”
On August 9, 1945 the USSR
declared War on Japan. It was 3 days after the US dropped the Atomic Bomb on
Hiroshima and the same day the US dropped the Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki.
Russia (as the Successor Country
to the Soviet Union) is still at War with Japan since they never signed a Peace
Treaty due to the Soviet and now Russian Occupation of the Japanese Kuril
Islands.
From 1945 until the Soviet Union
collapsed in December 1991 every single Soviet Citizen that was even 1 minute
old when World War 2 ended (May 9, 1945 according to the Soviets) had to
constantly file Official Questionnaires (to enter Grade School, to go to a
Trade School, to go to a University, to get a Job, to get the Mandatory
Internal Passport, to get the Official Town Propiska, to serve in the Military
– required for all Men – to get Married, to be buried, etc.) about where they
were and what they did from June 21, 1945 to May 9, 1945.
Anyone who had allowed themselves
to live under German Occupation was required to file lengthy Questionnaires
where they were constantly judged by the different Communist Authorities in
charge of whatever they were applying for as to what their punishment should
be.
Yuri Gagarin (the 1st Human in
Space) almost wasn’t allowed to be a Cosmonaut because on his Questionnaires he
stated that from October 18, 1941 until March 9, 1944 he had allowed himself
(starting from the age of 6) to live under German Occupation in his Russian
village – even though his family were forced to live in a 10 x 10 mud hut since
the Germans took their house, his 2 older Siblings were deported to Germany as
Slave Laborers and that Gagarin was beaten so badly by the Germans for refusing
to work for them that he spent months in a hospital. It was only after a Pardon
by Nikita Khrushchev that Gagarin was allowed to become a Cosmonaut.
The Soviet Government (Mikhail
Gorbachev) officially admitted being an ally of Nazi Germany in December 1989.
In August 2009 the Russian
Government (Vladimir Putin) condemned the Soviet Union’s 1939-1941
Collaboration with Nazi Germany as “immoral” yet he quickly changed his tone
and started praising Stalin.
While Russia’s Victory Day
remembers the Soviet Victory over Nazi Germany Putin’s Nazi Russian Military is
carrying out a Genocidal War in Ukraine (Putin has called for the complete
destruction of the Ukrainian Nation as well as every Ukrainian Man, Woman and
Child.)
You would think Putin and the
Russians would have learned from what happened to the Nazi Germans in 1945 and
not try to recreate all of that, but they have. Putin is the new Hitler and the
Russian Zs are the new Nazis carrying our Mass Murder, Rape and War Crimes
across Ukraine.
Putin even hides in his Bunker
the way Hitler did – hopefully he follows Hitler’s final act too. Only then can
Russia and the Russian People hope to atone for their Crimes and start
returning to the Civilized World.
80: Russian Fascists
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In 1945 the Soviets fought the
German Fascists.
In 2025 Ukraine fights the
Russian Fascists
Andras Toma
Andras Toma
(Andras Toma leaving Russia for Hungary in 2000.)
Andras Toma was the last World War
2 Prisoner-Of-War released in 2000 (55 years after the War ended.)
Toma was born on December 5, 1925
in Újfehértó, Hungary.
He was Drafted into the Royal
Hungarian Army in October 1944 and he served in an Artillery Regiment.
Toma was captured by the Soviets
and sent to a POW Camp near Leningrad (today Saint Petersburg.)
In 1947 he was sent to a Mental
Hospital because none of the Soviet Doctors, Staff, Soldiers, etc. could
understand that he was speaking Hungarian.
They thought he was speaking
gibberish and was Mentally Insane.
Since Mental Hospitals were not
included as POW Camps the Hungarian Authorities never knew about him and though
he had died during the War.
Toma lived in the Soviet Mental
Hospital for the next 53 years until a Slovakian Doctor visiting in 1997 (6
years after the Soviet Union collapsed and 52 years after the end of World War
2) heard Toma speak and recognized it as Hungarian.
It still took several years to
release him.
He left Russia on August 11, 2000
and returned to Hungary.
Since his Hungarian Military
Service had been continuous for 56 years he received a promotion and back-pay for his
time in captivity.
Andras Toma died on March 30, 2004
in Nyíregyháza, Hungary at 78 years old.
Note: This shows the complete
incompetence of both the Soviets and the Russians. Hungary was a Soviet Satellite
Country from 1945-1991 so you would think someone would have been able to
understand Hungarian in the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s or the ‘90s.
Military Spouse
Today is Military Spouse Day!
As a Military Brat I saw what my
Mom (a Military Spouse) had to deal with.
She was always being judged (by
the Military, by Soldiers and my other Military Wives) and what she did or didn’t
do impacted our life on Base as well as my Dad’s Promotions.
My Family was one of the first
Military Families allowed in South Korea in the 1970s (before Soldiers came
without their Families who stayed back in the US.)
My Mom too care of my 1 year
old Brother and later was pregnant and
had my Sister while over there.
The US Bases in South Korea
didn’t have Base Housing for Families so they lived in a South Korean
Apartment.
My Mom worked to get services and
programs for American Women and Children set-up in South Korea.
South Korea at the time was very
dangerous.
There was a South Korean
Government Coup while they lived there and my Mom told me that there was
shooting from each side over there apartment building.
The North Koreas were also trying
to infiltrate South Korea through tunnels.
My Mom had a map of the Korean
Peninsula with different routes mapped out on it in case the North Koreans
invaded again.
My Dad would have to help fight
against the Communists and my Mom, brother and Sister would be left on their
own.
She would have to make it as far
south as she could and get a boat to take them to Japan and safety.
The other Military Wives said
they would just wait to be told what to do, by the US Military, if the North
Koreans invaded.
While in South Korea my Mom had
to constantly deal with raising her Family, making something for herself and
the threat of Coups and Wars.
My Family also lived in West
Germany in the 1980s.
While over there my Mom went back
to get her University Degree in Computers (while my Brother and Sister went to
school full-time and I went to Kindergarten for half the day.)
As a Military Wife she was
“expected” to not work or study.
Her “job” was supposed to be
raising her Children and promoting her Husband to others on Base.
She regularly spoke her mind
against this and it got her into some trouble, but in the end she got her
Degree and raised a Family.
In the 1980s East Germany and the
Soviet Union regularly prepared to invade West Germany.
My Mom had a map of Europe and a
bag packed in case the Communists attacked.
My Dad would have to go and fight
them while my Mom (with my Brother, Sister, Me and out Dog) would have to make
it to safety.
The other Military Wives said
they would just wait to be told what to do by the US Military, if the East
Germans and the Soviets invaded.
In 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear
Disaster happened. My Mom and us Kids were on a plane ready to be evacuated to
the US when the Military cancelled the evacuation so the West Germans wouldn’t
be scared.
Even back in the States my Mom
had to fight Officers, Soldiers, their Wives etc. on how a Military Wife should
and should not be.
I remember being in line at the
Commissary several times. There was 1 main line and from that you were supposed
to wait to be called by the next available Cashier.
My Mom thought it was dumb to
have to wait when you could see which Cashier was available and she would get
scolded by the Cashiers as well as the other Military Wives (for thinking for
herself.)
My Mom stood her ground and
Military Wives today have it much easier than she did.
80: Channel Islands
Liberation of the German-occupied Channel Islands
(May 9th - St. Peter Port,
Guernsey welcomes the British Soldiers)
The Channel Islands were occupied
during World War II by German forces from 30 June 1940, until May 1945. They
were liberated by British forces following the general German surrender. Considered not defendable by the British
government in 1940, the islands were demilitarised and some civilians were
given the opportunity to evacuate to England before the German forces arrived.
The island leaders and some civil servants were asked to stay in their posts to
look after the civilians in their care. 41,101 remained on Jersey, 24,429 on
Guernsey and 470 on Sark. Alderney had just 18.
Apart from undertaking a few commando raids, the islands were ignored by
the British government until June 1944 when additional attacks on German
shipping and radar units took place. To avoid starvation of civilians,
permission was given for Red Cross parcels to be sent to the islands during the
winter of 1944–45. Liberation would have to wait until the end of the war in
Europe.
Early planning: Planning for the liberation of the Channel
Islands began with "Operation Rankin", prepared in late 1943. It
looked at three possibilities:
Case A – Liberation before the
liberation of France; this concluded that a small attack might work if German
morale was low and most German forces had left the islands.
Case B – To occupy the islands if
they were evacuated by the Germans
Case C – The complete
unconditional surrender of all German forces
Only Case C was considered likely
at the time, and a directive dated 10 November 1943 was issued by the Chief of
Staff, Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) which resulted in a Joint Plan for
Operation Rankin C Naval forces would be
based on whatever was available at the time; merchant shipping would be needed
to transport three months supply of food and medicines, as would small craft
for landing supplies, bicycles for transport and signalling equipment. 725
officers and men were considered adequate.
Military intelligence: In 1943 intelligence was severely lacking.
Additional aerial photographs needed to be taken and interpreted. There were no
allied controlled radio transmitters in the islands, so communications to
discover what was actually happening in the islands were almost
non-existent. German troops were
estimated as 23,800, with one artillery and three infantry regiments within
319th Infantry Division. Surrender would be unlikely without a fall in morale
and/or starvation once isolated. Allowing
for the 2,000-3,000 British civilians who had been deported to camps in Germany
in 1942-3, civilian numbers were estimated at 65,000 with 42,000 in Jersey,
23,000 in Guernsey and 355 in Sark. Aerial photographs were taken and the few
escaped civilians from the islands were interviewed.
Detailed planning: Not knowing when the force would be needed, a
code word W-Day or warning day when the operation was given the go ahead by
SHAEF was established and a timetable from then, W+1, W+2 etc. was established
until C-Day, the first landing day, with C+1, C+2 etc. for follow up days. It was decided to involve a number of Channel
Island people in the planning, as their local knowledge would be invaluable.
The interrogation of islanders who managed to escape the islands by boat,
especially those in 1944, provided much needed intelligence. Needing to land in
both Jersey and Guernsey on the same day involved additional shipping and men;
three battalions each of 700 men, plus engineers, were now needed. Suitable
beaches for landings, such as St Aubin's Bay in Jersey and L'Ancresse in
Guernsey, were selected. Unloading in an area with a 10-metre (33-foot) rise
and fall of the tide had to be planned. Surrender terms were drafted. Prisoner
of war facilities would be needed. The airports would be opened for transport
planes to land. Administrative tasks
would be given to No 20 Civil Affairs Unit, including bringing 200 tons of
food, clothing and medicines in on C-Day. Everything the islands needed, from
pots and pans to 1.1 million sheets of toilet paper, were sourced. The British
Government gave the force commander authority under the Emergency Powers
(Defence) Act 1939 to make regulations; any new laws passed by the Civil
Governments in the islands would need Brigadier Snow's approval. Civilians would not be allowed to leave the
islands without a permit. English currency would be provided, with £1,000,000
in notes and coins brought to the islands to enable people to exchange
Reichsmarks back into sterling. A distribution of free "treats" including
tobacco, chocolate and tea was planned.
Longer term plans were made to remove PoWs, mines and weapons and to
bring in enough food to provide 2,750 calories a day for three months for the
civilians as well as fuel and goods, including 15 months worth of clothing rations
which would be made available to purchase through the island shops. There was no rush to liberate the islands.
The Germans were prisoners of war who did not even have to be guarded. Because
of the shortage of infantry, troops allocated to Task Force 135 were being sent
to join the main army fighting in Europe.
W-Days: On 30 April 1945,
when Hitler died, German flags in the Channel Islands were flown at half mast
and Union Jack flags were being sold openly in the islands. The Bailiff in
Jersey appealed for calm. Plan Prophet,
the landing in Guernsey and plan Moslem in Jersey, were given the “stand to”
warning on 3 May 1945, making 4 May W-Day. Formation badges were issued, the
shield was based on the three leopards of Jersey and Guernsey coat of arms as
used by Edward I of England and stencil formation signs were painted on the
vehicles. Equipment and stores started to move from depots as far away as
Liverpool. W+1, W+2 and W+3 came and went. On W+4, 8 May 1945, the day Europe
celebrated the end of war in Europe, vehicles were being loaded. Press men came
aboard on W+5 just before the leading ships sailed. In the islands of Guernsey, Jersey and Sark
the anticipation of the end of the war in Europe was at fever pitch; the
authorities were trying hard to suppress the civilians' urge to hang out
patriotic flags, as they did not want to provoke German retaliation. The
Germans were very nervous about their future.
On 7 May the Bailiff of Jersey went to the prison, and at his request 30
"political prisoners" were released. Also on W+3 a message was
transmitted by Southern Command in clear to the German commander in the Channel
Islands telling them that ships would arrive shortly to accept their surrender.
The German reply was that they only took orders from German command. Everything changed on 8 May when the Germans
released all British, French and American prisoners of war and all German
prisoners held in the islands. Bunting and flags were put up in the
streets, radios, which had been banned
for years upon pain of imprisonment, were produced in public, connected to
loudspeakers. and tuned in to the speech given by Winston Churchill at 3pm
where they heard him say: Hostilities
will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight, but in the interests
of saving lives the cease fire began yesterday to be sounded all along the
front, and our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today. The crowds were
cheering and jubilant, the island newspapers had published that peace had been
declared, Allied flags and bunting flew
everywhere, but where were the British?
Very late on 7 May, Southern
Command had tried again by radio. The German commander replied to the British
radio message confirming the British ships would not be fired upon. Two
destroyers, HMS Beagle escorting HMS Bulldog sailed at 09.45 on 8 May with an
advance party, codename Omelette.
Arriving off the south west coast of Guernsey, four miles (6.4
kilometres) south of Les Hanois Lighthouse at 14.00 hrs, the ships were met by
a German minesweeper.[4]:201 A junior German officer came aboard HMS Bulldog telling
the assembled British that he was only empowered to negotiate surrender terms,
not to sign them. Details of the surrender terms were handed to the German and
he departed, as did the British ships as they would not be given safe conduct
to remain as the general ceasefire would operate only from midnight.
W-Day +5 (9 May): Receiving a message from the Germans agreeing
to a meeting at midnight on 8–9 May, the ships returned to the same south west
coast location off Guernsey and a German minesweeper M4613 came out to meet HMS
Bulldog. The German second in command, Generalmajor Siegfried Heine, came
aboard and went to the wardroom. Asked if he would accept unconditional
surrender he replied Ja. The ships
sailed slowly around the coast to St Peter Port. Eight copies of the formal terms of surrender
were signed on the quarterdeck using a rum barrel as a table, with civility and
polite bows. At 07.15 hrs HMS Bulldog with the help of a German pilot, anchored
off St Peter Port. All German flags
would be lowered and German ships would be sent out to pick up British troops
and land them on shore. The initial Omelette force of four officers and 21 men,
including four Guernseymen, landed at 07.50 hrs to be greeted by a town
decorated in red, white and blue and thousands of cheering malnourished
islanders singing, amongst other patriotic songs, Sarnia-Cherie. Lt-Col Stoneman set up his HQ in the Royal
Hotel. At 11.00 hrs Stoneman and his small party went to the Royal Court house
where they met the Bailiff of Guernsey, Victor Carey and Jurats. A Union Flag
was ceremoniously hoisted.
Brigadier Snow had transferred to
HMS Beagle and sailed on to Jersey, leaving HMS Bulldog anchored off St Peter
Port, where a local fishing boat paid them a visit, swapping with the naval
crew German souvenirs for chocolate and cigarettes. HMS Beagle arrived at St Helier on Jersey at
10.00 hrs with another set of surrender documents to be signed. It had been
done this way in case a German officer did not have authority over both islands
and because of the rivalry between the two islands. Two naval officers, Surgeon
Lieutenant Ronald McDonald and Sub Lieutenant R. Milne, were met by the
harbourmaster who escorted them to his office where they hoisted the Union Flag
out a window, before also raising it on the flagstaff of the Pomme D'Or Hotel. The Bailiff of Jersey Alexander Coutanche had
already received a phone call from the British HQ in Guernsey when at 10.00 hrs
HMS Beagle arrived and radioed for a German ship to meet them. A Kriegsmarine
tug, FK01 sailed out, but without the Jersey commander on board. It was noon
before Generalmajor Rudolf Wulf with the Bailiff of Jersey sailed out to HMS
Beagle. After the Germans had signed the surrender documents at 14.00 hrs and
had lunch, the civilians returned with pockets full of bars of soap and tobacco
to Jersey, overtaken en route by a launch carrying the first Jersey Omelette
troops, five signallers. The RAF made an
appearance, with flypasts by Mosquitos at 13.00 hrs. The Jersey population had
been told to be in Royal Square at 2pm, however the whole event was delayed. It
was 14.30 hrs before the first group of fewer than 30 Omelette men, including
Jersey born men, landed and marched to the Pomme d’Or Hotel where a massive
crowd awaited them, Jersey girls being free with kisses and everybody
exuberant, which slowed the troops to 100 yards an hour. The swastika flag was
removed and a Union Flag was draped from a balcony of the hotel which became
the Task Force 135 HQ under Lt-Col Robinson, who made a speech to the
crowd. The Germans were told to remove
all troops from a circle of one mile (1.6 kilometres) around the centre of St
Helier, except for the hospital and guards on ammunition and weapon dumps. The
flag flying over Fort Regent changed to the Union Flag at 17.00 hrs. British
soldiers handed sweets to children and commented on how thin the islanders
looked. A large landing craft LCI(L)-130, carrying 200 additional Jersey
Omelette personnel, including six Jersey men, arrived at 17.00 hrs just as
another fly past, this time by RCAF Mustangs crossed St Helier. They scattered
into small groups to take command of the town.
The Red Cross ship, SS Vega was in the harbour having recently arrived
with the latest supply of Red Cross parcels for the starving civilians. The main part of the Guernsey Omelette,
comprising 160 men, landed from a landing craft, LCI-103 at 14.15 hrs. Many
more people had come to the town to see them, church bells were ringing and the
British soldiers were given flowers. The Germans had started clearing
obstructions from the airport and disconnected sea minefields. Twenty-two
German officers were allocated to work at the British HQ to assist. Germans
were appointed as drivers and took British soldiers in their cars to various
locations, such as the airport. Both
islands were told the main force would arrive on C+3, Saturday 12 May when
there would be fitting ceremonial events in the presence of Brigadier
Snow. HMS Beagle sailed back to
Guernsey, leaving HMS Cosby anchored off St Helier. HMS Beagle anchored off St
Peter Port and HMS Bulldog sailed with Brigadier Snow back to Plymouth. During the afternoon and evening of 9 May, on
both islands, several young women were roughly handled by local men and women
who had previously seen them in the company of German soldiers, as were other
people who were considered quislings. A few people, including Germans, were
arrested. There were a few injuries, mainly caused by children playing with
German guns.
W-Day +6 (10 May): Crowds of people gathered outside the General
Assurance Corporation building in St Peter Port, Guernsey to welcome the
British Task Force sent to liberate the island from German occupation, 10 May
1945. Embarkation of vehicles, equipment and men were being completed, and
small coasters carrying coal and fuel joined the assembling fleet. Ten Landing
Ship, Tank (LSTs) were in the first lift, one British and three American for
Jersey, with one British and five American for Guernsey. Troops boarded Landing
ship, infantry (LSIs); each LSI carried six Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) to
take the troops ashore. On Jersey,
Robinson with an honour guard of British troops went for a march around the
town, gathering a crowd as they progressed until arriving in Royal Square. They
met the Bailiff and the Union Flag was symbolically raised, with a Boys Brigade
band playing the national anthem. That
afternoon a ceremony was held on the SS Vega where the Red Cross officials,
captain and crew were thanked and presented with gifts. In the evening a
variety show was put on at the Opera House.
Minesweepers were busy sweeping clear channels across the English
Channel and into Bailiwick waters; no mines were found. The size of the German garrisons was
clarified: they totalled 26,909, with Jersey having 11,671, Guernsey 11,755,
Alderney 3,202 and Sark 281. Allied
prisoners of war held in the islands had already been released by the Germans
and joined in the partying; they were gathered together for processing for
return to England. Anglican and Roman Catholic services were held to mark the
liberation. There were several assaults
against girls accused of being too friendly with Germans, with some men as well
as police and British soldiers standing up to the mobs to protect the girls.
Others wisely stayed out of sight. One Jersey woman and her son were locked up
for their own protection, and were still in jail in March 1946. The liberation of Sark, Operation Marble,
took place on this date. It occurred earlier than planned due to reports of
unrest amongst the Germans when a large fire was sighted and nobody was
answering the telephone.[6]:299 At 16.00 hrs the German ship FK04 was taken and
sailed across to the island with a small number of British troops. Landing
safely, they were met by Sibyl Hathaway, the Dame of Sark, who explained the
bonfire was a celebration. Meeting the German commander at his headquarters,
surrender documents were signed at Rosebud Cottage, after which the Germans
were told to surrender weapons and start removing mines. The ship returned to
Guernsey at 21.00 hrs leaving the Dame of Sark in charge of the 275 German
soldiers until 17 May when most were removed.
Aftermath: The liberation of the Channel Islands was now
complete and the tidy up and reconstruction of the islands was beginning. The
period of military government lasted until 25 August 1945 when new Lieutenant
Governors in each bailiwick were appointed. The Germans had not tried to
demolish any facilities; even so, innumerable problems would need to be
resolved: paying compensation for requisitioned assets, and damage to houses,
furniture, greenhouses and businesses during the occupation; taxation of war
profiteers, including those involved in the black market; considering whether
people should be prosecuted for crimes committed during the occupation and
others should be publicly praised for their actions; regenerating and growing
the tourist industries; and paying off the massive public debts: Jersey owed
£5,960,000 and Guernsey £4,232,000.
There were other problems: tens of thousands of evacuated and deported
civilians, especially children, many now grown up and realising their parents
did not know them, returned to the islands, followed by the men in demob
suits. There were sick, both physically
and mentally, who never recovered from the experience. Anger and fear affected
some people for decades before time would allow an element of forgiveness. As
in the UK, rationing continued until the mid 1950s. Guy Fawkes parties into the
1960s dressed Guys in German uniforms.
The King and Queen flew to
Jersey, then Guernsey for brief visits on 7 June. For lunch the Royal couple
and guests ate tinned steak and kidney pie and tinned fruit, the same as the
German PoWs and British soldiers were eating. The first evacuees started to
arrive from 25 June. Alderney residents had to wait until December before their
island was safe to return to: 35,000 mines had to be removed, which caused
casualties; 22 year old Sapper George Onions was killed. The houses had been
very badly damaged. In December a number of honours were awarded: the two
Bailiffs and Jurat Leale were knighted, and four CBEs and a number of OBEs and
BEMs were also awarded to civil servants and civilians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_the_German-occupied_Channel_Islands
Thursday, May 8, 2025
80: Trump
Where was Trump on the 80th Anniversary of V-E Day today?
I saw all the other World Leaders
holding Ceremonies and Events.
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Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis
Prevost, September 14, 1955) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign
of the Vatican City State since May 8, 2025.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, USA Prevost
spent the early part of his career there working for the Augustinians.
He served in Peru from 1985 to
1986 and from 1988 to 1998 as a Parish Pastor, Diocesan Official, Seminary Teacher
and Administrator.
In 2023, Pope Francis appointed
Prevost as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a prominent role that elevated
his profile as a potential papal candidate.
He served as Prefect of the
Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin
America since 2023.
He previously served as Bishop of Chiclayo in
Peru from 2015 to 2023 and was Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine
from 2001 to 2013.
In 2015 Cardinal Prevost became a Naturalized Citizen
of Peru as confirmed by Peru's National Civil Registry.
On May 8, 2025, he was elected Pope, choosing
the Papal Name Leo XIV, becoming the first Pope born in North America.
Habemus Papam!
We have a new Pope!
He is the first American Pope!
Robert Francis Prevost will be known as Pope
Leo XIIV.
Finally, the United States has a
World Leader we can be proud of to represent us around the World.
80: Germans
80 years since the end of World
War 2 and Germany has not really learned from their past involvement in both
World War 2 and the Holocaust.
2025 is the 80th Anniversary of
major events in World History.
It is the 80th Anniversary of the
Liberation of the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland.
It is the 80th Anniversary of
Liberation of the 23 Main German Concentration Camps.
It is the 80th Anniversary of the
Liberation of the 900 German Sub-Concentration Camps.
It is the 80th Anniversary of the
Liberation of the 6 German Death Camps: Chełmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka,
Majdanek and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
It is the 80th Anniversary of the
end of the Holocaust: the German Murder of 6 Million Jewish Men, Women and
Children.
It is the 80th Anniversary of the
end of German Murder of 11 Million Non-Jewish Men, Women and Children (Poles,
Roma and Sinti, Homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Freemasons, Communists,
Catholic Priests, Catholic Nuns, Political Prisoners, the Disabled, etc.)
It is the 80th Anniversary of V-E
Day (Victory in Europe Day) when Nazi Germany was defeated and Europe and North
Africa were free from German Occupation.
In the past 8 Decades some People
have tried and are trying to distance themselves from the War Crimes committed
in their name
An Example: The German Government refers everything to
the “Nazis” and not the “Germans” even though more Germans took part in the
Murders than the Nazis did.
Ordinary Germans did horrible
things from 1933-1945 to help in the Murder of 6 Million Jews and 11 Million
Non-Jews throughout Europe.
Ordinary Germans: Spied on
their Friends and Neighbors; Informed on People to the Regular Police and the
Gestapo; Received Reward Money for Informing; Stole the Personal Property of
those Arrested; Handed Out Starvation Level Rations; Helped Compile Arrest and
Deportation Lists; Turned their backs as Innocent Men, Women and Children were
marched through their Towns and Cities; helped keep the Cattle Cars moving and
the Railroads open to the Death Camps; They looked away as Concentration and
Death Camp Inmates worked in their Factories, their Fields and their Homes;
They looked away when Human Ash flew onto their Streets like Snow; They never
protested the Murder even when it was happening around them and worst of all
They Ignored what was happening right in front of them.
66 Million Germans were not
Members of the Nazi Party from 1933-1945.
8 Million Germans were Official
Members of the Nazi Party from 1933-1945.
Without the help of the 66
Million Ordinary German Men, Women and Children helping Hitler and the Nazis
from 1933-1945 the Holocaust and their other War Crimes would not have happened
or would not have happened to the extent that they did.
Even after 1945 Millions of
Ordinary Germans looked away as Former Nazis and those who murdered Innocent
Men, Women and Children stopped their War Crimes and were welcomed back into
German Society as Teachers, Businessmen, Politicians, Judges, etc.
German Society (especially West
German Society) was full of Murderers roaming around free well into the 1980s.
Even today, the German Government
continues to pay Government Pensions to the Murderers and their Spouses for
their War Crimes committed from 1933-1945.
To say that the Nazis murdered 17
Million Innocent Civilians from 1933-1945 is wrong.
It was the German People who were
18 years or older in 1945 who murdered 17 Million Innocent Civilians from
1933-1945.
It was the German People who
helped the Murderers rejoin German Society after 1945 and go unpunished.
That is why you should use the
term “German” and not “Nazi” when referring to things like “German-Occupied
Europe” or German-Run Death Camp.”
I know the vast majority of
today’s 83 Million Germans have nothing to do with the War Crimes, the
Holocaust or the Decades-Long Cover-Up, but that still doesn’t mean we should
change the facts and call them Nazi Crimes instead of German Crimes just to make
People feel better.
80: Canada
VE-Day (Victory in Europe)
(V-E Day in Toronto - May 1945)
Victory in Europe — the official
end of the fighting in Europe in the Second World War — was celebrated on 8 May
1945, after Germany's unconditional surrender. In cities and towns across
Canada, a war-weary nation expressed its joy and relief at the news. In
Halifax, the celebrations erupted into looting and rioting. The war was not
over, as conflict with Japan continued.
Ready for Peace: Canadians had been at war since September
1939. Over the course of the Second World War, the country's economy had been
transformed, a generation of young men had been mobilized to defeat the Axis
powers, and since 1942 a debate over conscription had divided both Canadians
and the government of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. By the spring of 1945, Canadians had waged
war against a relentless enemy on the North Atlantic, at Dieppe, Hong Kong and
Normandy, in the air over Germany, and most recently, in the Netherlands and
the Rhineland. More than a million Canadians had served in the armed forces —
42,000 had been killed and tens of thousands more were wounded or awaiting
liberation in prisoner of war camps. The
country was in an expectant mood — eager for victory and ready for peace.
Surrender Reports : Two early reports of a German surrender had
primed people for celebration. The first, on 28 April, was erroneous; the
second, on the morning of 7 May, was merely premature. The military surrender agreement for the
German forces was signed in Rheims, France, at 2:41 a.m. local time on 7 May
1945 by Colonel General Gustav Jodl, the German army's chief of staff;
Lieutenant-General Walter Bedell Smith, chief of staff for the Supreme Allied
Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower; General Ivan Susloparov for the Soviet
Union; and General François Sevez for France. Allied headquarters ordered the
news to be withheld for 24 hours, although Germany announced the
surrender. A week earlier, Adolf Hitler
had committed suicide in his Berlin bunker.
"A Good Day" : Mackenzie King, who was in San Francisco on
7 May attending the founding conference of the United Nations, wrote in his
diary: "This has been a good day — a happy day [...] one in which the
burden has been greatly lightened from the knowledge that Nazi militarism has,
at last, been destroyed." In a radio address the next day, Mackenzie King
told Canadians, "You have helped to rid the world of a great
scourge." The celebrating started
across North America on 7 May, but subsided when people learned it had not been
confirmed. When confirmation did come at 9 a.m. EDT on 8 May, celebrations
resumed, in many places even more fervently than the day before.
Celebration : Among the first Canadians to celebrate were
the sailors on naval and merchant ships on the Atlantic, and soldiers and
airmen based in Europe. Their long ordeal would soon be coming to an end,
although many would still be tasked with providing security to occupied
Germany, and bringing aid to the Netherlands, where the Dutch were desperate
for emergency food and medical supplies distributed by Canadian forces. Across
the Netherlands, Canadians were cheered and welcomed as heroes. At home in Canada,
massive crowds filled city streets. There were parades, band concerts,
tickertape dropped from the sky by aircraft, and spontaneous singing, dancing
and exuberance. Offices, stores and some factories closed for the day, while
other factories remained open, churning out war material for the ongoing
battles in the Pacific. Canadian
students also left their classrooms to take part in the festivities, or to
attend special religious services of thanksgiving. In towns and cities and
rural villages there were prayers and tears of relief, as well as music, happy
shouting and, for the most part, good-natured partying. "The silencing of the guns in
Europe," said The Globe and Mail, "brought release from bondage of
the spirit."
Halifax Riots: Many cities had prepared for the surrender
announcement by ordering that liquor stores and drinking establishments be
closed when the announcement came. In Halifax and Dartmouth, however, the
celebrating got out of hand, resulting in the VE-Day riots. Widespread looting,
violence and vandalism were seen in both cities, which were equally exhausted
by their wartime role. The events marred an otherwise joyful day for most
Canadians.
Legacy : Canada's third war in less than half a
century was nearing its end. The atomic bomb and victory against the Japanese
in the Pacific were only four months away. Meanwhile, a new role awaited Canada
— as a middle power of the NATO alliance in the coming Cold War.
Jour de la Victoire (en
Europe)
La Victoire en Europe — et la fin
officielle des combats qui s’y sont déroulés dans le cadre de la Deuxième
Guerre mondiale — est célébrée le 8 mai 1945, après la capitulation sans
condition de l’Allemagne. La Victoire en
Europe — et la fin officielle des combats qui s’y sont déroulés dans le cadre
de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale — est célébrée le 8 mai 1945, après la
capitulation sans condition de l’Allemagne. Partout au Canada, dans les villes
et les villages, une nation épuisée par la guerre exprime sa joie et son
soulagement en apprenant la nouvelle. À Halifax, les célébrations dégénèrent en
pillages et en émeutes. Mais la guerre n’est pas complètement terminée puisque
le Japon n’a pas jeté les armes.
Prêt pour la paix: Les Canadiens sont en guerre depuis
septembre 1939. Tout au long de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, l’économie du pays
s’est transformée et toute une génération de jeunes hommes a été mobilisée pour
parvenir à battre les puissances de l’Axe. Depuis 1942, le débat sur la
conscription divise par ailleurs les Canadiens et le gouvernement du premier
ministre William Lyon Mackenzie King. Au
printemps 1945, les Canadiens se sont déjà engagés sur plusieurs théâtres de
guerre, contre un ennemi qui oppose une résistance acharnée dans l’Atlantique
Nord, à Dieppe, à Hong Kong et en Normandie, dans les airs au-dessus de
l’Allemagne, et très récemment, aux Pays-Bas et dans la vallée du Rhin. Sur
plus d’un million de Canadiens qui serviront au sein des forces armées, 42 000
seront tués et des dizaines de milliers seront blessés ou attendront la
libération comme prisonniers dans des camps de travail. Le pays était dans l’attente, espérant la
victoire, prêt pour la paix.
Les rapports de capitulation: Deux rapports faisant état très tôt de la
capitulation des Allemands ont préparé les gens aux célébrations. Le premier,
publié le 28 avril, est erroné. Le second, publié dans la matinée du 7 mai,
n’est que prématuré. L’acte de
capitulation militaire des forces allemandes est signé à Reims, en France, à 2
h 41, heure locale, le 7 mai 1945, par le général-colonel Gustav Jodl, chef
d’état-major de l’armée allemande, le lieutenant-général Walter Bedell Smith,
chef d’état-major pour le Commandant suprême des forces alliées, Dwight D.
Eisenhower, le général Ivan Susloparov pour l’Union soviétique et le général
François Sevez pour la France. L’état-major allié impose un délai de 24 heures
avant la diffusion de la nouvelle, bien que de son côté, l’Allemagne annonce
immédiatement sa capitulation. Une
semaine auparavant, Adolf Hitler s’est suicidé dans son bunker, à Berlin.
« Une bonne journée »: Mackenzie King, qui est à San Francisco le
7 mai pour assister à la conférence de fondation des Nations Unies, écrit dans
son journal : « La journée d’aujourd’hui a été bonne — heureuse [...], mais
elle a surtout considérablement réduit notre fardeau, car elle a apporté la
nouvelle que le militarisme nazi avait enfin été détruit. » Dans un discours
radiodiffusé le lendemain, Mackenzie King déclare aux Canadiens : « vous avez
aidé le monde à se débarrasser d’une grande plaie ». Les célébrations débutent donc le 7 mai
partout en Amérique du Nord, mais elles diminuent d’intensité lorsqu’on apprend
que la capitulation n’a pas encore été confirmée. Lorsque la confirmation
arrive enfin le 8 mai, à 9 h (HAE), les festivités reprennent et, à bien des
endroits, avec encore plus de ferveur que la veille.
Célébrations: Les premiers Canadiens a célébré la nouvelle
sont entre autres les marins basés à bord des navires de guerre et des navires
marchands dans l’Atlantique ainsi que les soldats et les aviateurs basés en
Europe. Leurs terribles épreuves allaient finalement prendre fin même si un
grand nombre d’entre eux allaient être chargés de sécuriser l’Allemagne occupée
et d’aider les Pays-Bas, où les Hollandais attendent avec impatience les
ravitaillements en nourriture et en produits médicaux distribués par les forces
canadiennes. Partout aux Pays-Bas, les Canadiens sont d’ailleurs acclamés et
accueillis en héros. Au pays, au Canada,
des foules immenses envahissent les rues. Il y a des parades, des concerts de
musique, des banderoles lâchées du ciel par des avions tandis que les gens se
livrent à des chants, des danses et de nombreux actes exubérants spontanés. Les
bureaux, les magasins et certaines usines ferment ce jour-là tandis que
d’autres manufactures continuent à fabriquer du matériel de guerre pour les
fronts encore actifs dans le Pacifique.
Les étudiants canadiens quittent eux aussi leur salle de classe pour
participer aux festivités ou pour se rendre à un des services religieux
d’action de grâce. Dans les villes et les villages, les prières succèdent aux
larmes de soulagement, et on entend partout de la musique, des cris de joie et,
la plupart du temps, c’est l’atmosphère d’une joyeuse fête qui domine. « Le silence des armes en Europe, écrit le
The Globe and Mail, nous libère des liens qui étouffaient nos âmes ».
Émeutes d’Halifax: De nombreuses villes s’étaient préparées à
l’annonce de la capitulation en ordonnant que les magasins d’alcool et les
débits de boisson soient fermés lors de la diffusion de la nouvelle. À Halifax
et à Dartmouth, les célébrations finissent quand même par dégénérer et donnent
lieu aux émeutes du jour de la Victoire. Des scènes de pillage, de violence et
de vandalisme à grande échelle sont observées dans les deux villes dont les
habitants ont été épuisés par l’effort de guerre. Ces événements viennent
ternir une journée qui s’est néanmoins passée dans l’allégresse pour la
majorité des Canadiens.
Héritage: La troisième guerre à laquelle participe le
Canada en moins de cinquante ans approche de son épilogue. Dans quatre mois
seulement, la bombe atomique va être larguée et les Japonais vaincus dans le
Pacifique. Un nouveau rôle attend alors le Canada, celui de puissance moyenne
au sein de l’alliance de l’OTAN dans le contexte naissant de la guerre froide.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ve-day-victory-in-europe
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/le-jour-v-comme-victoire-en-europe
80: V E Day
Victory In Europe
On May 8, 1945, both Great
Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both
nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags
and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War
II. The eighth of May spelled the day when German troops throughout Europe
finally laid down their arms:
In Prague, Germans surrendered to
their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers,
and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near
Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark—the German surrender
was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in
Berlin and in eastern Germany. The main concern of many German soldiers was to
elude the grasp of Soviet forces, to keep from being taken prisoner. About 1
million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when the fighting in
Czechoslovakia ended, but were stopped by the Russians and taken captive.
The Russians took approximately 2
million prisoners in the period just before and after the German surrender.
Meanwhile, more than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great
Britain.
Pockets of German-Soviet
confrontation would continue into the next day. On May 9, the Soviets would
lose 600 more soldiers in Silesia before the Germans finally surrendered.
Consequently, V-E Day was not celebrated until the ninth in Moscow, with a radio
broadcast salute from Stalin himself: “The age-long struggle of the Slav
nations… has ended in victory. Your courage has defeated the Nazis. The war is
over.”
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe
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