You need to read more friend... expand the borders of knowledge a bit.
Have a great day
Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
You need to read more friend... expand the borders of knowledge a bit.
Have a great day
War crimes are strange things, determined by the victors.
Griz
Well said, history is also written by victors.
Marilyn had such an incredible face - yep, curvy and profoundly girl-shaped, but the face, my God, that face. That was her superpower.
Yup, Marilyn definitely won the genetic lottery........
War crimes are strange things, determined by the victors.
Generally true, though there have been exceptions. For example, the broader ramifications of the sinking of the RMS Laconia, the massacre at My Lai, etc.
https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-marilynmonroe-idUSBRE9970DE20131008Yup, Marilyn definitely won the genetic lottery........
To be clear, given our family's history with Nazi occupation I wouldn't shed a tear for any of those heathens. But I would limit my Nazi cleansing to the WW2 battlefield.
Can real warfare truly be regulated? Ugly things happen in total warfare, and that's why I hope that we never again see the atrocities that were committed in WW2.
The Geneva Convention is a good thing if we all abide by it's rules. I hope we do. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were horrific events, but we can see in hindsight that they were an ugly necessity as well.
Yes. However, out of those Germans who had been old enough to vote in 1933 (ish), only about 38 % voted for Hitler.
A Canadian infantry veteran of Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium and Holland told me about another of his unit's members who "had been with them since the beginning" and was killed by sniper fire near the end of the war by a young 14/15 year old 'Hitler Youth'...who then surrendered/was captured...after telling me about the incident and the grief of the other unit members at losing this soldier so near to the end .. the veteran just asked a rhetorical question "what do you do?"
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Winston Churchill once said that he expected history to treat him kindly, because he intended to write it.
Peter Dmytruk – Saskatchewan’s Forgotten Hero
Peter Dmytruk was born in Radisson, SK on May 27, 1920. The only child of Ukrainian immigrant parents George and Mary, his father was a Massey Harris mechanic and Peter grew up working on farm equipment. As his father’s career advanced, the family moved around Saskatchewan and they lived for a time in Kamsack, where Peter attended Kamsack Collegiate Institute. Around 1938, his parents settled in Wynyard.
With Canada’s entry in WW2 and the Call to Arms, Peter eagerly enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 1941. After graduating from Bombing and Gunnery school in 1942, he was posted to No. 405 “City of Vancouver” Bomber Squadron, flying from the bases of Topcliffe and Leeming, Yorkshire, England. Achieving the rank of Flight Sergeant, Peter was assigned the dangerous position of tail gunner on a Halifax bomber.
On March 12th, 1943 Peter and his crew were part of a massive 457 aircraft raid against the Krupp Steel Works in Essen, Germany. While over France, his Halifax was shot down by enemy fire and Peter had to ‘bail out’ over German occupied territory. Protected by the cover of darkness, he landed safely in a forest 200 km East of Paris. He managed to evade capture and was protected by local farmers until he was able to make contact with the French Underground freedom fighters, the ‘Resistance’. Once in their care, Peter was smuggled through German occupied territory towards an escape route in Spain. Along the journey however, he got to know the Resistance fighters he has travelling with and was able to see first hand how brutal and oppressive the Nazi occupation on the people of France actually was. After giving it some thought, Peter made a decision – he would forfeit his chance at freedom and stay in Occupied France to join the Resistance and fight the Nazis head on.
For the next 9 months, Peter helped the Resistance with a myriad of tasks such as assisting to smuggle out other downed Allied airmen, sabotaging German equipment, disrupting communication lines, blowing up railway equipment, stealing supplies and generally wreaking havoc on anything associated with the German occupation. Though he didn’t speak French and spoke English with a heavy Ukrainian accent, Peter was adored by the members of the Resistance who were enamoured with his ‘boyish charm’ and ‘genuine friendliness’. He quickly established a reputation of being ‘fearless and willing to go anywhere, do anything’. His upbringing around farm machinery proved a valuable skill, as he could quickly adapt to repairing and operating unfamiliar equipment – as well as thoroughly and permanently sabotage machinery when necessary. Peter fit in so well that his fellow Resistance members looked at him as ‘one of their own’ and gave him the nickname, ‘Pierre la Canadien’. He also became a ‘wanted man’ by the Nazis who were eager to put an end to his activities.
On December 9th, 1943 Peter was part of a group that attacked a German ammunition supply train at the town Les Martres-de-Veyre in Central France. The destruction of the train enraged the local SS commander who in retribution, ordered the 1,400 men in the town to be rounded up for execution. Peter saw what was about to happen and made a decision to sacrifice himself in order to save the lives of the townspeople. He jumped in a car and drove erratically though town, blowing the horn to ensure that he was highly visible to the Nazis and was stopped at a checkpoint. Upon being captured he defiantly announced that he was ‘Pierre la Canadien’ of the Resistance and that he alone was responsible for the destruction of the train. Peter Dmytruk was immediately executed on the spot. Believing that they had killed the head of the local Resistance, the SS commander cancelled his order to round up the men of the town and allowed everyone to return home. Peter’s selfless act had saved the town. His body was recovered by the townspeople and buried with the honour of ‘hero’ in the local cemetery.
Unfortunately, due to the ‘fog of war’ news of Peter’s death was not officially relayed to his parents until a year later. His activities in France were not publicised in Canada and at the War’s end he became ‘just’ another forgotten name on a list among the thousands of other casualties suffered during the conflict.
At least in his home country.
In France, Peter Dmytruk was recognized as a hero. In 1946, the Government of France posthumously honoured him with the prestigious Croix de Guerre medal and named him ‘a Hero of France’. The town of Les Martres-de-Veyre erected not one, but two memorials in his honour – including a life size statue in the town square. His name and exploits are taught to school children and every year since 1946, the citizens of the town have a parade and memorial service to celebrate his life and ensure his sacrifice will never be forgotten.
While he was celebrated in France, Peter remained forgotten in Canada until 1972 when the Mayor of Les Martres-de-Veyre reached out to Wynyard explaining their admiration for him and requesting the two towns ‘twin’. The letter exposed that Peter Dmytruk was so much more than a name on a memorial, but he was a true War hero. Unfortunately the idea was met with apathy by both the Federal and Provincial Government, however a determined grass roots campaign led by the residents of Wynyard made it happen. Later that year, a 13-person delegation of family and officials from Wynyard traveled to France to attend a commemoration ceremony on December 9, 1972 to unveil a new memorial to Peter Dmytruk - ‘Pierre la Canadien’.
Though still virtually unknown in Canada, Peter’s exploits have slowly begun to be recognized. A lake in Saskatchewan was named after him and in 1999, he was posthumously awarded with the Nation Builders Award, which celebrates the contributions of outstanding Ukrainian Canadians from Saskatchewan.
Photos in public domain, text by Thom Cholowski
Peter Dmytruk was born in Radisson, SK on May 27, 1920. The only child of Ukrainian immigrant parents George and Mary, his father was a Massey Harris mechanic and Peter grew up working on farm equipment. As his father’s career advanced, the family moved around Saskatchewan and they lived for a time in Kamsack, where Peter attended Kamsack Collegiate Institute. Around 1938, his parents settled in Wynyard.
With Canada’s entry in WW2 and the Call to Arms, Peter eagerly enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 1941. After graduating from Bombing and Gunnery school in 1942, he was posted to No. 405 “City of Vancouver” Bomber Squadron, flying from the bases of Topcliffe and Leeming, Yorkshire, England. Achieving the rank of Flight Sergeant, Peter was assigned the dangerous position of tail gunner on a Halifax bomber.
On March 12th, 1943 Peter and his crew were part of a massive 457 aircraft raid against the Krupp Steel Works in Essen, Germany. While over France, his Halifax was shot down by enemy fire and Peter had to ‘bail out’ over German occupied territory. Protected by the cover of darkness, he landed safely in a forest 200 km East of Paris. He managed to evade capture and was protected by local farmers until he was able to make contact with the French Underground freedom fighters, the ‘Resistance’. Once in their care, Peter was smuggled through German occupied territory towards an escape route in Spain. Along the journey however, he got to know the Resistance fighters he has travelling with and was able to see first hand how brutal and oppressive the Nazi occupation on the people of France actually was. After giving it some thought, Peter made a decision – he would forfeit his chance at freedom and stay in Occupied France to join the Resistance and fight the Nazis head on.
For the next 9 months, Peter helped the Resistance with a myriad of tasks such as assisting to smuggle out other downed Allied airmen, sabotaging German equipment, disrupting communication lines, blowing up railway equipment, stealing supplies and generally wreaking havoc on anything associated with the German occupation. Though he didn’t speak French and spoke English with a heavy Ukrainian accent, Peter was adored by the members of the Resistance who were enamoured with his ‘boyish charm’ and ‘genuine friendliness’. He quickly established a reputation of being ‘fearless and willing to go anywhere, do anything’. His upbringing around farm machinery proved a valuable skill, as he could quickly adapt to repairing and operating unfamiliar equipment – as well as thoroughly and permanently sabotage machinery when necessary. Peter fit in so well that his fellow Resistance members looked at him as ‘one of their own’ and gave him the nickname, ‘Pierre la Canadien’. He also became a ‘wanted man’ by the Nazis who were eager to put an end to his activities.
On December 9th, 1943 Peter was part of a group that attacked a German ammunition supply train at the town Les Martres-de-Veyre in Central France. The destruction of the train enraged the local SS commander who in retribution, ordered the 1,400 men in the town to be rounded up for execution. Peter saw what was about to happen and made a decision to sacrifice himself in order to save the lives of the townspeople. He jumped in a car and drove erratically though town, blowing the horn to ensure that he was highly visible to the Nazis and was stopped at a checkpoint. Upon being captured he defiantly announced that he was ‘Pierre la Canadien’ of the Resistance and that he alone was responsible for the destruction of the train. Peter Dmytruk was immediately executed on the spot. Believing that they had killed the head of the local Resistance, the SS commander cancelled his order to round up the men of the town and allowed everyone to return home. Peter’s selfless act had saved the town. His body was recovered by the townspeople and buried with the honour of ‘hero’ in the local cemetery.
Unfortunately, due to the ‘fog of war’ news of Peter’s death was not officially relayed to his parents until a year later. His activities in France were not publicised in Canada and at the War’s end he became ‘just’ another forgotten name on a list among the thousands of other casualties suffered during the conflict.
At least in his home country.
In France, Peter Dmytruk was recognized as a hero. In 1946, the Government of France posthumously honoured him with the prestigious Croix de Guerre medal and named him ‘a Hero of France’. The town of Les Martres-de-Veyre erected not one, but two memorials in his honour – including a life size statue in the town square. His name and exploits are taught to school children and every year since 1946, the citizens of the town have a parade and memorial service to celebrate his life and ensure his sacrifice will never be forgotten.
While he was celebrated in France, Peter remained forgotten in Canada until 1972 when the Mayor of Les Martres-de-Veyre reached out to Wynyard explaining their admiration for him and requesting the two towns ‘twin’. The letter exposed that Peter Dmytruk was so much more than a name on a memorial, but he was a true War hero. Unfortunately the idea was met with apathy by both the Federal and Provincial Government, however a determined grass roots campaign led by the residents of Wynyard made it happen. Later that year, a 13-person delegation of family and officials from Wynyard traveled to France to attend a commemoration ceremony on December 9, 1972 to unveil a new memorial to Peter Dmytruk - ‘Pierre la Canadien’.
Though still virtually unknown in Canada, Peter’s exploits have slowly begun to be recognized. A lake in Saskatchewan was named after him and in 1999, he was posthumously awarded with the Nation Builders Award, which celebrates the contributions of outstanding Ukrainian Canadians from Saskatchewan.
Photos in public domain, text by Thom Cholowski
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Thanks Brookwood. This made my day. A neighbour and my father-in-law both served in 405 Pathfinder Squadron. Both survived the war.
The "Picture of the Day" thread continues to be the best one on CGN, in my opinion, thanks to contributions like yours.
The "Picture of the Day" thread continues to be the best one on CGN, in my opinion, thanks to contributions like yours.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
"Do your own Goddamn laundry."
Peter Dmytruk – Saskatchewan’s Forgotten Hero
Peter Dmytruk was born in Radisson, SK on May 27, 1920. The only child of Ukrainian immigrant parents George and Mary, his father was a Massey Harris mechanic and Peter grew up working on farm equipment. As his father’s career advanced, the family moved around Saskatchewan and they lived for a time in Kamsack, where Peter attended Kamsack Collegiate Institute. Around 1938, his parents settled in Wynyard.
With Canada’s entry in WW2 and the Call to Arms, Peter eagerly enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 1941. After graduating from Bombing and Gunnery school in 1942, he was posted to No. 405 “City of Vancouver” Bomber Squadron, flying from the bases of Topcliffe and Leeming, Yorkshire, England. Achieving the rank of Flight Sergeant, Peter was assigned the dangerous position of tail gunner on a Halifax bomber.
On March 12th, 1943 Peter and his crew were part of a massive 457 aircraft raid against the Krupp Steel Works in Essen, Germany. While over France, his Halifax was shot down by enemy fire and Peter had to ‘bail out’ over German occupied territory. Protected by the cover of darkness, he landed safely in a forest 200 km East of Paris. He managed to evade capture and was protected by local farmers until he was able to make contact with the French Underground freedom fighters, the ‘Resistance’. Once in their care, Peter was smuggled through German occupied territory towards an escape route in Spain. Along the journey however, he got to know the Resistance fighters he has travelling with and was able to see first hand how brutal and oppressive the Nazi occupation on the people of France actually was. After giving it some thought, Peter made a decision – he would forfeit his chance at freedom and stay in Occupied France to join the Resistance and fight the Nazis head on.
For the next 9 months, Peter helped the Resistance with a myriad of tasks such as assisting to smuggle out other downed Allied airmen, sabotaging German equipment, disrupting communication lines, blowing up railway equipment, stealing supplies and generally wreaking havoc on anything associated with the German occupation. Though he didn’t speak French and spoke English with a heavy Ukrainian accent, Peter was adored by the members of the Resistance who were enamoured with his ‘boyish charm’ and ‘genuine friendliness’. He quickly established a reputation of being ‘fearless and willing to go anywhere, do anything’. His upbringing around farm machinery proved a valuable skill, as he could quickly adapt to repairing and operating unfamiliar equipment – as well as thoroughly and permanently sabotage machinery when necessary. Peter fit in so well that his fellow Resistance members looked at him as ‘one of their own’ and gave him the nickname, ‘Pierre la Canadien’. He also became a ‘wanted man’ by the Nazis who were eager to put an end to his activities.
On December 9th, 1943 Peter was part of a group that attacked a German ammunition supply train at the town Les Martres-de-Veyre in Central France. The destruction of the train enraged the local SS commander who in retribution, ordered the 1,400 men in the town to be rounded up for execution. Peter saw what was about to happen and made a decision to sacrifice himself in order to save the lives of the townspeople. He jumped in a car and drove erratically though town, blowing the horn to ensure that he was highly visible to the Nazis and was stopped at a checkpoint. Upon being captured he defiantly announced that he was ‘Pierre la Canadien’ of the Resistance and that he alone was responsible for the destruction of the train. Peter Dmytruk was immediately executed on the spot. Believing that they had killed the head of the local Resistance, the SS commander cancelled his order to round up the men of the town and allowed everyone to return home. Peter’s selfless act had saved the town. His body was recovered by the townspeople and buried with the honour of ‘hero’ in the local cemetery.
Unfortunately, due to the ‘fog of war’ news of Peter’s death was not officially relayed to his parents until a year later. His activities in France were not publicised in Canada and at the War’s end he became ‘just’ another forgotten name on a list among the thousands of other casualties suffered during the conflict.
At least in his home country.
In France, Peter Dmytruk was recognized as a hero. In 1946, the Government of France posthumously honoured him with the prestigious Croix de Guerre medal and named him ‘a Hero of France’. The town of Les Martres-de-Veyre erected not one, but two memorials in his honour – including a life size statue in the town square. His name and exploits are taught to school children and every year since 1946, the citizens of the town have a parade and memorial service to celebrate his life and ensure his sacrifice will never be forgotten.
While he was celebrated in France, Peter remained forgotten in Canada until 1972 when the Mayor of Les Martres-de-Veyre reached out to Wynyard explaining their admiration for him and requesting the two towns ‘twin’. The letter exposed that Peter Dmytruk was so much more than a name on a memorial, but he was a true War hero. Unfortunately the idea was met with apathy by both the Federal and Provincial Government, however a determined grass roots campaign led by the residents of Wynyard made it happen. Later that year, a 13-person delegation of family and officials from Wynyard traveled to France to attend a commemoration ceremony on December 9, 1972 to unveil a new memorial to Peter Dmytruk - ‘Pierre la Canadien’.
Though still virtually unknown in Canada, Peter’s exploits have slowly begun to be recognized. A lake in Saskatchewan was named after him and in 1999, he was posthumously awarded with the Nation Builders Award, which celebrates the contributions of outstanding Ukrainian Canadians from Saskatchewan.
Photos in public domain, text by Thom Cholowski
Well, at the least...he's probably quaffing a tankard in Vahalla. A lovely french lass on his lap... cheers mate
Léo Major
Canadian soldier
Léo Major, (born January 23, 1921, New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.—died October 12, 2008, Montréal, Quebec, Canada), decorated Canadian hero of World War II and the Korean War, known for being the only Canadian to win the Distinguished Conduct Medal in two separate wars.
Major was born to French-Canadian parents (while his father was working for the American Railroad Company) in the U.S. but moved with his family back to Montréal when he was very young. Major enlisted in the Canadian army when he was 19 years old and was sent overseas in 1941. He was amongst the Canadian forces that landed on the beaches in the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944, and that same day he was instrumental in capturing a German Hanomag half-track. A couple of days later he was injured by a phosphorus grenade while fighting a group of German SS soldiers, and he lost partial vision in his left eye; he refused to be evacuated back to England because he needed only his right eye to sight a rifle.
Later that year, at the Battle of the Scheldt, Major was sent to retrieve a patrol of fresh recruits who had failed to return to base. As he was out, Major captured 93 German soldiers on his own. He was supposed to receive the Distinguished Conduct Medal for this action, an award second only to the Victoria Cross for gallantry in action, but he allegedly refused on the grounds that he considered Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery too incompetent to even hand out medals. Shortly thereafter, he was caught in an exploding mine and broke his back, but again he refused evacuation and eventually recovered. Major did accept the Distinguished Conduct Medal after he single-handedly liberated the Dutch town of Zwolle by tricking the local German garrison into believing that there was a much larger Canadian force attacking the town and lit the SS headquarters on fire.
After World War II he settled into civilian life as a pipe fitter, but he volunteered for service in the Korean War in 1950. In November of 1951, he was tasked to recapture Hill 355, which had been taken from American troops by the Chinese army. Taking a group of about 20 other snipers and scouts, Major and his men infiltrated the Chinese camps and commenced firing, scattering the Chinese army. For three days they held the hill against counterattacks, sometimes calling down supporting artillery fire so close to their position that their commanding officer could hear the bombs exploding through the walkie-talkie. Major was awarded a bar to his Distinguished Conduct Medal for this action.
After his military career, Major returned many times to the town of Zwolle, establishing close ties with the townsfolk and having a road named after him. He is buried at the Last Post Fund National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.
Canadian soldier
Léo Major, (born January 23, 1921, New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.—died October 12, 2008, Montréal, Quebec, Canada), decorated Canadian hero of World War II and the Korean War, known for being the only Canadian to win the Distinguished Conduct Medal in two separate wars.
Major was born to French-Canadian parents (while his father was working for the American Railroad Company) in the U.S. but moved with his family back to Montréal when he was very young. Major enlisted in the Canadian army when he was 19 years old and was sent overseas in 1941. He was amongst the Canadian forces that landed on the beaches in the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944, and that same day he was instrumental in capturing a German Hanomag half-track. A couple of days later he was injured by a phosphorus grenade while fighting a group of German SS soldiers, and he lost partial vision in his left eye; he refused to be evacuated back to England because he needed only his right eye to sight a rifle.
Later that year, at the Battle of the Scheldt, Major was sent to retrieve a patrol of fresh recruits who had failed to return to base. As he was out, Major captured 93 German soldiers on his own. He was supposed to receive the Distinguished Conduct Medal for this action, an award second only to the Victoria Cross for gallantry in action, but he allegedly refused on the grounds that he considered Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery too incompetent to even hand out medals. Shortly thereafter, he was caught in an exploding mine and broke his back, but again he refused evacuation and eventually recovered. Major did accept the Distinguished Conduct Medal after he single-handedly liberated the Dutch town of Zwolle by tricking the local German garrison into believing that there was a much larger Canadian force attacking the town and lit the SS headquarters on fire.
After World War II he settled into civilian life as a pipe fitter, but he volunteered for service in the Korean War in 1950. In November of 1951, he was tasked to recapture Hill 355, which had been taken from American troops by the Chinese army. Taking a group of about 20 other snipers and scouts, Major and his men infiltrated the Chinese camps and commenced firing, scattering the Chinese army. For three days they held the hill against counterattacks, sometimes calling down supporting artillery fire so close to their position that their commanding officer could hear the bombs exploding through the walkie-talkie. Major was awarded a bar to his Distinguished Conduct Medal for this action.
After his military career, Major returned many times to the town of Zwolle, establishing close ties with the townsfolk and having a road named after him. He is buried at the Last Post Fund National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.
