Busy day

[ozzy72]

Well on this day in 1942 the people of Malta were awarded the George Cross for their valour and endurance under a relentless bombing from 1 January to 24 July 1942 there was only one 24-hour period when no bombs fell on Malta. The Maltese were nearly starved to death during this relentless assault.
And 60 years ago today Bergen Belsen was liberated by the British. I've been there and still don't have the words to describe it.
On the bright side in 1998 Pol Pot died, much to the relief of Cambodians.
And in 1953 Reis Leming, a 22-year-old US airman stationed in Britain, was presented with the George Medal. He rescued 27 people in East Anglia during the winter floods of the 31st of January that were among the worst in history in the British Isles.

Quite a busy day

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

etchness!

A.

[WebbPA]

I never heard of the bombing of Malta - from the year it looks like some sort of WW2 thing.   I thought I knew of all of the significant events of WW2 but I seem to have missed this one.  Maybe someone should do a documentary on it.

I suppose everyone has heard of Bergen Belsen, though.  My last visit to Europe was over 10 years ago (it's a little pricey, you know) and I went to Munich and Dachau concentration camp.  According to some sort of law or treaty the space which comprised the camp, which has been demolished, must remain inviolate.

The camp buildings were demolished because they were unsafe (duh) firetraps but the crematorium, a small museum and a replica "barracks" remain.  The Germans say it was not an extermination camp and having seen the crematorium I tend to agree.  I don't want to sound morbid or Nazi sympathetic but I didn't see any gas chambers or any possibility that that crematorium could "process" huge numbers of victims - which is not to say that other facilities didn't do so or that other camps were not specifically designed to do so.  I just didn't see it at Dachau.

So I wonder - Dachau could be worth millions of dollars or marks if the land could be developed.  Is it time we allow Germans to put some of their past behind them or should we "never forget" and force them to leave all of this land as an eternal memorial?

It is not my intent to start a political discussion.  If the mods feel this is out of bounds please feel free to delete it and censure me appropriately.

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Yeah, its not an easy chapter of history for the Germans and they are certainly embarrased by it to some extent.
The memorials are more for foreigners than the Germans themselves.
I suppose its like asking us "Should we demolish Old Warden" ?

A.

[ozzy72]

Remember that most of the victims of the concentration camps were Germans. Belsen is a spooky place, no animal goes within a mile of the place, even birds don't overfly it.
Belsen was worse than other camps in some ways asthe inmates were starved to death, the water cut off and disease rife. It is terrible to imagine people can do these things to one another and yet it still goes on in other parts of the world
Oh and Jim Malta was a vital but little known part of WWII, without Maltese fortitude the N. African campaign would have been lost, there are a number of good books from the aviation enthusiasts point of view about Malta

[Hagar]

[quote]I never heard of the bombing of Malta - from the year it looks like some sort of WW2 thing.

[ATI_7500]

Malta - another stupid mistake by the german high command...leaving this strategically important island unoccupied....and the Luftwaffe should've done the job instead. Suuuuuuuuure....  ::)

[Hagar]

War is full of mistakes. The winner is the one that makes the least. It's easy enough to fight battles with hindsight.

[ozzy72]

Hitler wouldn't listen to Kesselring Bj

[ATI_7500]

Adolf was an idiot who had way too much luck with his descisions (z.B. Kursk). Same with Goering, who was the bigger idiot of the two...*grrr*

[Smoke2much]

Didn't the Soviets win Kursk?

[Woodlouse2002]

That was my understanding.

[ATI_7500]

Dang, I meant Kharkov. Obviously I'm always confusing those.
Kursk was another stupid coup by Hitler.

[Smoke2much]

Fair enough mate!  I make enough mistakes for the rest of you lot put together!