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The Dieppe Raid

There had been a report in early 1942 that Stalin was attempting to end the war by making peace with Hitler. It is important to grasp the concept that the Allies viewed the loss of the Russian Military as losing the best weapon the Allies had.

The Dieppe Raid was already planned, but in the summer of 1942, with considerable effort and courage, Winston Churchill flew to Moscow to make a p . . .

Sentimental Journey Consummated

October 3, 1945–April 16, 1946

Manchester, Lancashire, Great Britain

The Batavia II docked at Gravesend, and via London, I took the train to Manchester. Joan and I must have met again as strangers; I don’t recall. The Doe home had a bedroom for me.

Less than four months post-WWII, Manchester was an uninviting city. As an industrial city, a co . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

September 29, 1945

Rotterdam Harbor, The Netherlands

On Monday, October 1, 1945, Dave Miller and I took a 20-minute train ride to the Netherlands’ capital, The Hague. A phone call from the Canadian Embassy to the British Consulate brought only the routine answer “No.” So we had no other solution, except for Canada’s official letter saying our passport was in ord . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

Friday, September 28th, 1945

Rotterdam Harbor, The Netherlands

On Friday we were paid our wage of $50 each for our one-way trip (18 days).  Then Dave Miller and I went to an Information Office, where we were sent to the USWSA (United States Wartime Shipping Administration). They had already been told about us but could not help us. However, a Captain Sc . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

Thursday, Sept 27^th 1945

Rotterdam Harbor -- The Netherlands

Though   rather inaccessible, Bremen is the only   German Atlantic sea port.   In September of 1945 the Nuremberg trials were looming in the coming year and   Rotterdam, Holland   had become the most convenient sea port for the panicky Nazi hierarchy to flee from Europe. The r . . .