World War 2

  • Diet Eman- WWII Hero.

    Only the good die young, all the evil seem to live forever is a line from an Iron Maiden song, and there have been times where I thought this to be true, because I saw so many evil people living a long and prosperous lives. But thankfully ever now and then that theory is proven…

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  • I could write down the history of Bethrina Kooperberg but it is more poignant to use her own words to illustrate the person she was. The text is translated from Dutch and comes from a postcard and letter Bethrina sent from Camp Vught to her friends, the Van Beek family, dated 24 April 1943. “The…

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  • I don’t know what to think of this story. It is either bizarre or amazing, but probably a bit of both.It is a great indication how truly delusional Himmler was. In spring 1945 Himmler had already seen the light in relation to the progression of the war. It was clear to him Germany would lose…

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  • Now I am not a person who subscribes to conspiracy theories , but the suicide of Hajime Sugiyama appears to be a bit odd to me. There were many Japanese officers who committed suicide at the end of WWII, but most would do this in the traditional way of of the ritual suicide of Seppuku,…

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  • Poor,poor Ivan

    I can never understand hate. I can’t understand hating a human being I don’t know. I just can’t and I never will. I understand love I understand love but can’t describe that warm feeling when you are close to someone you love. I can understand that feeling when you look at a baby, so pure…

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  • Although he was born as Alexander Zwaap, for most of his life he would be known as Lex van Delden. He was a truly remarkable man, despite hardships he never gave up. He was born  in Amsterdam on September 10, 1919, as the only child of Wolf Zwaap, a school-teacher, and his wife Sara Olivier-Zwaap,…

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  • What would I do? Or, how much courage would I have? These are questions that haunt me in relation to the Holocaust? Questions which are becoming more and more relevant these days. There was a time where I would jeopardize my life to defend my principles in relation to justice and the treatment of my…

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  • Shakespeare at War.

    I have to confess the title is a bit deceptive. When I refer to Shakespeare I am not talking about the famous bard William Shakespeare but rather HMS Shakespeare, an S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during WWII. During her service in the Mediterranean, she sank the Italian sailing vessels Sant’ Anna M. and…

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  • I often come across people who seek my advice. Not that I am counselor or a psycho therapist, I don’t qualify for any of that. But for some reason people know I have had a life full of experiences. They often tell me “life isn’t fair” and I sometimes reply £Life is not supposed to…

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  • 93 Trains

    93 trains left concentration camp Westerbork in the Netherlands between July 1942 and September 1944. All the trains were heading eastbound. Not one single  journey would be  a pleasant one , The final destination would more then likely result in death. I deliberately call Westerbork a concentration camp, because that’s what it was, It is…

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