60th Anniversary Of The Liberation Of Auschwitz

Discussion in 'All Anniversaries' started by laufer, Jan 27, 2005.

  1. laufer

    laufer Senior Member

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  2. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    It is interesting and thank you for sharing. I would add that Donald Watt, an Australian POW, wrote a book about his ordeal in Auschwitz. Like Coward, he was sent to Auschwitz to clean out furnaces. He wrote the book to counteract Holocaust revisionism. His tale and Charlie Coward's are gripping. It's very depressing to read the rubbish Holocaust deniers spout....particularly on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I'm staring right now at a copy of the blueprints of the main crematoria, reprinted in Purnell's History of WW2 magazine. Very efficient it was, I'm sure. But according to David Irving and all of his ilk, it never happened. :wacko:
     
  3. Wise1

    Wise1 There We Are Then

    I am a bit dissapointed about the coverge today in the UK, there is 1 programme on tonight BB2 at 8pm and thats it.

    The BBC hyped up the day so much and its a bit of a let down as far as they are concerned, I know they have other programes running but for such an important day more could have been done.
     
  4. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    The Independant newspaper did a special 8 page section on this subject today, taking up the front page and first eight 'headline' pages of the newspaper. I think they are to be congratulated for doing this. It contains some excellent material and branches of WH Smiths in London today were giving it away free.

    The Evening Standard in London also did a front cover coverage of the ceremonies in their final edition of the day.

    I haven't been at home to see what was on TV, but was impressed by this.
     
  5. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Sgt Major Charlie (as he was known) Coward was a real character, a "man of confidence" as an effective POW leader or representative was known.He was one of the British Army's unsung heroes while in captivity.

    For his service to his fellow POWs he was honoured after his liberation.

    There is one story which sticks out in the book published about his exploits.It was the way he dealt with a German NCO guard who continally bullied and ill treated POWs while in charge of work details.The guard was also notorious for stealing POW food and Red Cross parcels.

    Coward settled the issue by leaving a dose of strychine as bait.The incapacity of the guard was accepted by the Germans without suspicion falling on Coward. A very brave man in adversity.

    I cannot remember the title of the book.
     
  6. angie999

    angie999 Very Senior Member

    Originally posted by Lee Wisener@Jan 27 2005, 07:16 PM
    I am a bit dissapointed about the coverge today in the UK, there is 1 programme on tonight BB2 at 8pm and thats it.

    The BBC hyped up the day so much and its a bit of a let down as far as they are concerned, I know they have other programes running but for such an important day more could have been done.
    [post=30951]Quoted post[/post]

    Me too. I looked through the daytime schedules expecting they would take live pictures from Polish television, but nothing. Just the same old daytimes rubbish.

    I cannot say that I was that impressed with the one hour special either.
     

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  7. Wise1

    Wise1 There We Are Then

    I never even gave the 1 hour special a look in.

    On another note though, I did watch the live broadcast from the camp, eery! Huge mixture of emotions when you know so much about the camp and what would have been going on 60 and more years ago.
     
  8. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    The book is called called "The Password is Courage." The book cover of the latest edition is pretty bad, but the book is riveting. Charlie Coward was a remarkable person. I hope he's still with us.
     
  9. laufer

    laufer Senior Member

    Originally posted by angie999+Jan 28 2005, 03:20 PM-->(angie999 @ Jan 28 2005, 03:20 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Lee Wisener@Jan 27 2005, 07:16 PM
    I am a bit dissapointed about the coverge today in the UK, there is 1 programme on tonight BB2 at 8pm and thats it.

    The BBC hyped up the day so much and its a bit of a let down as far as they are concerned, I know they have other programes running but for such an important day more could have been done.
    [post=30951]Quoted post[/post]

    Me too. I looked through the daytime schedules expecting they would take live pictures from Polish television, but nothing. Just the same old daytimes rubbish.

    I cannot say that I was that impressed with the one hour special either.
    [post=30962]Quoted post[/post]
    [/b]
    I did watch live broadcast of the ceremony on BBC World too.
     
  10. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    The sound quality is a bit iffy, but this lecture is very interesting.

    Fatal Months: Auschwitz and the End of the Second World War
    The 2020 Alfred Wiener Holocaust Memorial Lecture Series

    2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the most lethal of all Nazi camps. This lecture looks back at its final months, from the time the camp reached its murderous peak, after the mass deportations of Jews from Hungary, to the arrival of Soviet soldiers in January 1945. But liberation did not put an end to Nazi murder – it continued elsewhere, until the final German defeat in spring 1945. The lecture follows the fate of former Auschwitz prisoners forced to other camps and the crimes of former Auschwitz SS staff in camps like Bergen-Belsen. This lecture is presented in partnership with the Wiener Holocaust Library, the Holocaust Research Institute (Royal Holloway), The University of Huddersfield, and the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association. A lecture by Nikolaus Wachsmann The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:

     

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