What have you learned about WW2 recently?

Spiritualist Helen Duncan was convicted in 1944 under the Witchcraft Act for fear she would reveal military secrets during World War II.

Britain's 'last witch': Campaign to pardon Helen Duncan

 

Here you go Dave, "The Times" report, extract courtesy of Home Office file
HO 144/22172, held by (and available from) The National Archives.

CRIMINAL: Victoria Helen Duncan sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for conspiracy to... | The National Archives

It's a large file, don't go reading it in Salem.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Indian Troops' K Rations actually existed!

Have seen some planning documents in the past but found a reference to their actual availability yesterday.

 

I assume these had no beef in them and other considerations, and were made in the USA if they were "K rations"?

 

Yes to both. Meat products were replaced by fish and cheese - I believe it was only one menu.

 

I recently leaned that on January 1, 1942 that the Rose Bowl was played in Durham, North Carolina instead of it’s traditional venue of the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. It was moved due to security concerns in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In the relocated game, Oregon State defeated Duke 20-16.

 

The small details are often the really interesting ones.
I occasionally lead survival courses in the summer, so I'll give that a try - it sounds really exciting

WWII RAF Button Compass (1940s) | Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity.

 

I learnt about Operation Banquet: Operation Banquet - Wikipedia
Pretty interesting - what could have happened if it was really instigated?

 

Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Hopefully it would’ve work out fairly well like the little boats that pitched in extracting men off the beach at Dunkirk.

 

I agree, but thank goodness Operation Banquet it didn't need to happen.

 

Whilst researching 2nd French Armored Division (2e DB), I learned that they advanced across France with a full company of Spanish Republicans.

 

Now a few years ago when in Bayonne, I came across a large monument to the Portuguese and Spanish who had fought for France in both world wars. Until relatively recently there were large populations from both countries.

 

If you've not seen it before (has been featured in other threads previously)

Famed 9th Company of the Leclerc Division Loses Its Last Spanish Veteran - The Volunteer

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Maybe a tad behind you lot in terms of military knowledge, but I just found out the origin of the name "Stonk" for RA fire concentrations.

 

So I'm down the rabbit hole of 2e DB and have discovered why their personnel in Normandy were all white. When recruiting after Operation Torch Leclerc wanted to use the native North African troops who had fought with him in the desert. But the USA imposed their colour bar and refused to equip or transport them to Europe. So these loyal troops were demobbed and sent back to their villages in a disgraceful fashion.

 

Willing to share your knowledge? I'm even further behind.

 

"Standard Concentration" = "Stonk"

 

What's the source for that? I am surprised, because the US certainly helped equip the 2nd and 4th Moroccan and 3rd Algerian divisions.

 

From Pendulum of War, by Niall Barr