From the 4th QOH Regimental Diary: 12th June 1945 Ruth Doering, a secretary of the SS Staff in TRIESTE arrested and sent to KLAGENFURT. During our stay in Austria and immediately after the war packed up in Italy we found ourselves involved in rounding up suspected war criminals. The diary entry above was typical of our activities. Ron
Personal Diary: Tuesday 19th. June 1945 * Came off stag at 10 am. Into Spittal in the jeep to arange 'beer job' with the director. Loaded the 7 tonner with empty barrels. Warned for a 'buckshee' guard. In June 1945, my Regiment, the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, was running a POW camp for Germans that had surrendered to us at the war's end. The entertainment officer had decided that it would be a good idea to open the local gasthaus or pub for our troops but the proprietor of the said pub had no beer. I went with the entertainments officer to the pub to act as interpreter and explained that the publican was suggesting that if the pub was in effect 'taken over' by our Regiment then he could get the beer from the local distillery which was now under the control of AMGOT or the Allied Military Government. Arrangements were made for us to turn up at the pub with a 7 tonner and the pub owner loaned us loads of barrels. We were then taken to the "right place" near Spittal and the manager of the distillery had fresh barrels of beer loaded for us on to our truck. We had just finished loading and the distillery manager was keen to get a signature from us to keep things in order. My officer casually said to me 'sign for it will you while I get my things together'. I was not completely convinced that what we were doing was completely legal so when a place in a ledger was presented for my signature I signed it as TOM MIX (a cowboy hero of my younger days). The distillery manager looked over my shoulder and said 'Danke Herr Mix'. We beat a hasty retreat and the signature is probably still there today I posted the original story on the BBC Peoples War site here: BBC - WW2 People's War - Danke Herr Mix! Ron
Anyone having information concerning the USS Maryland, and her whereabouts throughout the Philippine Sea, would please send me some links that would help me trace her steps? My father served aboard her for the entire Pacific campaign, and I am quite lacking in her knowledge and maneuvers. Please help to retrace my father's "footsteps"? He was a Radarman, Paul Vincent Dennery?
[FONT="]Personal Diary[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Friday 22nd. June 1945[/FONT] Took some snaps of the guard which should turn out O.K. New unit is practically ready to take over P.O.W. camp administration. Carstairs, Hussey & James for leave (L.I.A.P or Leave in addition to Python)
It's also worth noting on this day in 1941 Operation Barbarossa began unleashing the titanic struggle in the East between Hitler and Stalin.
And on this day the Red Army launched Operation Bagration. You know, that slight diversion in the "Other Front" involving 2,5 Million troops, 4,000 tanks/SPGs, 24,000 artillery tubes, etc, etc.
And on this day the Red Army launched Operation Bagration. You know, that slight diversion in the "Other Front" involving 2,5 Million troops, 4,000 tanks/SPGs, 24,000 artillery tubes, etc, etc. Thanks, Miguel I didn't realise that Bagration began on this date. Was it purely incidental or deliberate? And of course it lead to the destruction of Army Group Centre, not a bad diversion in my book
SS YOMA (June 17, 1943) Passenger/Cargo liner of 8,131 tons of the British and Burmese Steam Navigation Co., serving in the Mediterranean as an auxiliary transport. She was in convoy with the ships SS Amarapoora, Pegu, Kemmendine and Sagaing en route from Sfax to Alexandria when she was sunk by the U-81 near Derna. On board were 1,670 troops of which 451 were lost. Capt. George Patterson and 32 crew members also perished. The Pegu sank in the Mersey in 1939
Za Rodinu And on this day the Red Army launched Operation Bagration. You know, that slight diversion in the "Other Front" involving 2,5 Million troops, 4,000 tanks/SPGs, 24,000 artillery tubes, etc, etc. __________________ Yes there are many that avoid these events. but in the words of the greatest butcher of all time 'One mans dead is tragedy a million mens deaths are a statistic'. Enormity and scale of the soviet defence is almost beyond comprehsion. how would one even begin to study it. Matt
Luftwaffe launches Battle of Britain BBC ON THIS DAY | 10 | 1940: Luftwaffe launches Battle of Britain Day 1 – July 10th 1940 « Battle of Britain Day by Day
Today marks the start of the small matter of the Battle of Prokhorovka, the largest clash of Tanks in history. Just thought it was worth pointing out on a WW2 forum.
Personal Diary: Thursday 13th. July 1944 Div flashes taken off us, kit packed & on lorry ready for train journey to Taranto. Rumours seem to bank on Egypt. For once, the rumours were right and the Div was shipped to Egypt where we stayed for a month, rested up, re-equipped and were finally returned to Italy to face, once again, the rigours of fighting in Italy during the winter Ron.
Wednesday 19th. July 1944 Heat still deadly. Boat drill lasted over an hour. Action stations when plane was fired at. Sleeping on deck tonight. We, as part of 78 Div, were on our way back to Italy after a month of rest and refitting in Egypt
The opening of operation "Goodwood" 2000 bombers saturated the area... My company with my 2 platoon cleared left route through the Chateau de Escoville to Touffreville And the company opened up right route to Sannerville and the lateral to touffreville. very heavy shelling and mortar fire through out the advance....attempt to force Troarn from the North by 2RUR held up.The company in Eighth brigade consolidated in area Touffreville Sannerville and Bannerville. Subjected to very heavy shell and mortar fire all the time. Little sleep by anyone....
Sunday 22nd. July 1945 Left Grafenstein (in Austria) about one'ish & proceeded in Regimental convoy to Trieben where we were treated more as liberators than conquerors. Billet in Gasthos. (Local pub) On returning back to Ferndorf we pulled up stakes and moved on to Trieben. Here by comparison with the POW cage, we had a cushy job and were able to take it easy. The village was positioned at the bottom of a mountain pass and the Squadron's task was to set up road blocks to catch escaping vehicles, and at the same time to set up a traffic system that allowed vehicles to travel only one way at a time through the narrow road.
2nd Canadian corp receives orders to prepare for operation Spring 'another great distaster awaits them'
Tuesday 24th. July 1945 Have been put in charge of a large billet which is for 3,4,5 & H.Q. troops. Was shown Hager & his son, the local Hitler Youth Fuhrer! Amongst our duties in this area were going out on various patrols to pick up known war criminals or senior state officials who were wanted for questioning. I remember going one day with Busty Thomas to pick up the local Hitler Youth leader, a certain Herr Hager. When we got to his house and he answered the door Busty said to me: "Tell him he's under arrest and has got to come with us." Hager then showed us a document from another field security unit that in effect gave him a week to put his affairs in order and then to report to the local town hall. A very disgruntled Busty said to me: "I wish they'd bloody tell somebody what they're doing before they send us on a bloody wild goose chase!" and Herr Hager was left to get on with whatever he was doing at the time.
Thursday 26th. July 1945 Out with Yates in Dingo for more eggs. Lt.Balfour is approaching flapping climax. Tried piano in 1st. Troop's billets. Helped Red Cross woman to get petrol. This item in my diary about a ” Red Cross women” was like something out of a film. We were at Trieben, in Austria, and I was on guard outside our billets when an ambulance type vehicle pulled up and an English speaking women got out and asked me if we could help her. The ambulance was full of young kids, orphans or ‘lost’ children and she was driving them South to , as she put it, “get them away from the Russians”. All she wanted from us was petrol and I roused the duty officer to see what could be done. We must have given her some fuel because by daybreak she was gone.
