Wartime escapers to meet Resistance helpers

The_Historian · #1 (**permalink**) April 14th, 2008, 11:55 AM

Veterans To Meet Wartime Helpers (from Gazette & Herald)

Asterix · #2 (**permalink**) April 15th, 2008, 09:37 AM

Thats very nice to see these forgotten men and women remembered this way. I have the utmost respect for those civilians who waged a secret war while in the European underground, whether it was through direct action, information gathering, the rescueing of downed allied airmen, and the list goes on. Their exploits, and suffering have never ceased to amaze me.

This is why I'm quite upset that there is no official monument dedicated to these people here in the USA (Is there one in the UK?). One would think that the Allied airforces would be particularly indebted to the members of the underground and escape lines, yet at the largest military aircraft museum in the world (Wright-Patterson Airforce Museum, Dayton Ohio), they have hundreds of monuments to themselves yet nothing dedicated to the memory of those who risked everything to help them.

I think this needs to change. In the 65+ years since the war ended, we owe them at least one thing, something.

Tomcat · #3 (**permalink**) April 15th, 2008, 09:59 AM

Of the topic of ww2, but to ww1

I watched this documentary about a ww1 British soldier going back to france to meet the man that nearly killed him in the ww1 war. On the battlefield the German charged across no mans land and had the British soldier in a trench and stabbed him with his bayonet through the shouder, the fight got broken up and the German force retreated. The British man was taken behind the lines and went home, and I don't remember how but they found each other back in th 80's and the British man went to France and actually met the German probably and they actually became good friends, they both shared the same likes and that sort of thing.

I find that pretty cool.

The_Historian · #4 (**permalink**) April 15th, 2008, 04:23 PM

Good question about the UK memorial, Asterix. I'm not actually sure.

Tomcat,
I remember seeing a documentary where Hitler met the Tommy who had the chance to kill him in 1918, but refused because Hitler was wounded. Hitler met him in the '30s and presented him with an Iron Cross. The irony.....