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The Butcher of Lyon

Lyon became a hotbed of French resistance activity during World War II. So, when the Germans invaded the occupied zone (i.e., “free zone,” or zone libre) in November 1942, it was no wonder Himmler sent SS-Untersturmführer (second lieutenant) Klaus Barbie to Lyon with orders to eliminate the French Resistance. Barbie excelled at carrying out his orders and enjoyed using barbaric and sadistic methods of torture. But unlike many other Gestapo interrogators who used others to do their dirty work, Barbie personally participated in torturing men, women, and even children.  Klaus Barbie’s brutality earned him the infamous moniker, “The Butcher of Lyon.”

Klaus Barbie in his SS uniform. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Klaus Barbie in his SS uniform. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.

Click here to watch the video Crimes of the Nazi “Butcher of Lyon”.


“Ill-understood history could, if care were not taken, drag better-understood history down into discredit in its wake.”

⏤ Marc Bloch (1886−1944)

      French historian and résistant

      Executed by the Nazis

Marc Bloch. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). PD-Franc; author died more than 70 years ago. Wikimedia Commons.
Marc Bloch. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). PD-Franc; author died more than 70 years ago. Wikimedia Commons.

Did You Know?

Did you know that I normally try and have a blog or at the very least, a comment on a topic that fits with Halloween? In past years, we’ve posted The Ghost Army (click here to read) and The Night Witches (click here to read), to name several blogs published on or just before Halloween. Although we are a couple of days past Halloween, I wanted to try and continue the tradition. So, did you know about “The Witches of Bucha”? Yep, that’s what this all-female volunteer air defense unit calls itself. They are Ukrainian women devoted to protecting the skies of Ukraine from Russian missile strikes and drone attacks.

The women work normal jobs during the day and at night, they report for their military shifts. With their hand-held machine-guns (from 1939) as well as truck mounted guns, the women fight from the front lines and go into action when the air alert is sounded. Almost every night the Russian drones loaded with explosives appear in the sky. If the drones are determined to be of imminent danger for the city of Bucha, the machine guns are ready to shoot them down.

Bucha’s air defense was once comprised of men but as the war has progressed, they were needed at the front. There were very few options for replacing these men and initially, there was not much trust in using women as replacements. However, that has completely changed as the “Witches” have proven themselves time and time again. The women take great pride in learning to defend themselves, their family, and Ukraine. One woman said, “I won’t ever sit like a victim again and be so very afraid.”

Since we are on the topic of witches, did you know the last surviving Soviet “Night Witch” died several months ago? Galina Brok-Beltsova (1925−2024) was a navigator who flew 36 missions during World War II as one of the all-women volunteer combat unit known as “The Night Witches.” I refer you to the October 2021 blog for the complete story of the Soviet night witches (see above for the link). The link to Galina’s obituary is listed below in the recommended reading section.

Galina Brok-Beltsova soon after she volunteered for combat duty with the Soviet army during World War II. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). The Times, 16 October 2024. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/galina-brok-beltsova-obituary-last-survivor-of-the-soviet-night-witches-9jnm1db8t
Galina Brok-Beltsova soon after she volunteered for combat duty with the Soviet army during World War II. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). The Times, 16 October 2024.
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/galina-brok-beltsova-obituary-last-survivor-of-the-soviet-night-witches-9jnm1db8t

Lyon and Vichy France 

The city of Lyon can trace its existence to the Roman Empire in 43 B.C. (The city’s Roman name was Lugdunum.) It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, about 243 miles southeast of Paris. The city population is more than a half million with the metropolitan area home to about 2.3 million people. Lyon is the second largest French city and is well-known for its tradition of culinary and gastronomical cuisine. (It was once the capital of the silk industry.) However, our story today revolves around the city’s role during its occupation between 19 June 1940 (five days after the Germans marched into Paris) and 3 September 1944 (Lyon’s liberation day).

As part of the 1940 armistice with Nazi Germany, about one-third of France was designated as the unoccupied zone, or free zone while the remainder was occupied by the German military. The new French government, “Vichy France” (Régime de Vichy) took up residence in the small town of Vichy and began its collaboration with the Germans.

Map of occupied France during World War II. Illustration by Eric Gaba (blank map) and Rama (zones) (c. 2008). PD-GNU Free Documentation License v.1.2 or later. Wikimedia Commons.
Map of occupied France during World War II. Illustration by Eric Gaba (blank map) and Rama (zones) (c. 2008). PD-GNU Free Documentation License v.1.2 or later. Wikimedia Commons.

On 8 November 1942, British and American troops landed in North Africa as part of “Operation Torch.” In retaliation, Hitler’s “Operation Anton” began with the German Wehrmacht forces entering the free zone three days later. At this point, France was completely occupied, and Vichy France was exposed for what it was: a false government. For the preceding two years, the free zone had been spared many of the Nazi atrocities that were committed in the occupied zone. However, after November 1942, the Germans imported their brutal methods to suppress the citizens and in particular, résistants and Jews. Nowhere was this felt more than in Lyon.

Lyon Gestapo

Almost immediately, Gestapo leaders in Paris sent six Einsatzkommandos into the former free zone and established six regional “branches” in the cities of Lyon, Limoges, Marseilles, Montpellier, Toulouse, and Vichy. Each became the hub and regional headquarters for the Gestapo and the S.D., or Sicherheitsdienst (the intelligence arm of the Nazi party). SS-Untersturmführer Klaus Barbie was appointed as the Lyon chief of Amt IV, the Gestapo section responsible for searching out and the repression of Third Reich opponents. For Klaus Barbie, this meant his responsibilities were two-fold: the destruction of French Resistance forces using any methods he deemed necessary and secondly, hunt down and deport Jews to KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

Barbie’s first headquarters in Lyon was in the Hotel Terminus (November 1942 to June 1943). He moved his offices in June to 14, ave. Berthelot. The massive building, built in 1894, was once the French army’s medical school (École de santé militaire) and during World War I, it was used as a hospital. Originally, the Germans occupied the Larrey and Percy wings of the building but in February 1943, the French medical students were evicted, and the entire building was occupied by German units, including Amt IV. (The basement of the Larrey wing was converted to cells and execution chambers.) The building was severely damaged by Allied bombs on 26 May 1944. For the third time, Barbie relocated his men to 33, place Bellecour and remained there before fleeing to Germany in August 1944.

Hôtel Terminus, site of the first headquarters for Lyon Gestapo. Original photo by anonymous (c. 1940). Posted by Niko fr. PD-CCA-Share Alike 4.0 International. Wikimedia Commons.
Hôtel Terminus, site of the first headquarters for Lyon Gestapo. Original photo by anonymous (c. 1940). Posted by Niko fr. PD-CCA-Share Alike 4.0 International. Wikimedia Commons.
Former Hôtel Terminus. Today it is the “Grand Hôtel Mercure Château Perrache. Photo by Sebleouf (7 September 2012). PD-CCA-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Wikimedia Commons.
Former Hôtel Terminus. Today it is the “Grand Hôtel Mercure Château Perrache. Photo by Sebleouf (7 September 2012). PD-CCA-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Wikimedia Commons.
Exterior of the former Lyon Gestapo headquarters at 14, ave. Berthelot, the former medical school for the French army. The entrance to the resistance museum can be seen on the right. Photo by Sandy Ross (14 September 2024).
Exterior of the former Lyon Gestapo headquarters at 14, ave. Berthelot, the former medical school for the French army. The entrance to the resistance museum can be seen on the right. Photo by Sandy Ross (14 September 2024).
Memorial plaque on the exterior wall of the former Lyon Gestapo headquarters at 14, ave. Berthelot. “Tribute to the thousands of Jews from the Rhône tortured and executed, deported and exterminated in 1942, 1943 and 1944. May the places of their martyrdom remain grave in our memory: May those who, at the risk of their lives, tried to help them, be forever thanked.” Photo by Sandy Ross (14 September 2024).
Memorial plaque on the exterior wall of the former Lyon Gestapo headquarters at 14, ave. Berthelot. “Tribute to the thousands of Jews from the Rhône tortured and executed, deported and exterminated in 1942, 1943 and 1944. May the places of their martyrdom remain grave in our memory: May those who, at the risk of their lives, tried to help them, be forever thanked.” Photo by Sandy Ross (14 September 2024).
Exterior view of former Gestapo headquarters (May 1944 to August 1944) located at 33, place Bellecour, Lyon. Google Maps.
Exterior view of former Gestapo headquarters (May 1944 to August 1944) located at 33, place Bellecour, Lyon. Google Maps.

Nikolaus ‘Klaus” Barbie

Nikolaus ‘Klaus’ Barbie (1913−1991) was born in what is today part of Bonn, Germany. Abused by his father, the young Barbie was sent to a boarding school where he was considered a below average student. In 1933, the year Hitler took power, his father and younger brother died. Barbie was unemployed and went to work in the Reich Labor Service, a paramilitary organization established to fight unemployment and indoctrinate its members in Nazi ideology. Two years later, Barbie joined the Schutzstaffel, or SS and was assigned to the S.D., the party’s intelligence gathering service. In 1937, Barbie officially joined the Nazi Party.

Klaus Barbie. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Archives du department du Rhǒne et de la métropole de Lyon. PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Klaus Barbie. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Archives du department du Rhǒne et de la métropole de Lyon. PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.

Barbie began his career in Berlin where he developed his skills as an interrogator and investigator. His first major assignment was with Adolf Eichmann’s Amt IV-B4 in Amsterdam. (click here to read the blog, The Argentina Papers) The Gestapo section’s responsibilities were identification, roundup, and deportation of Dutch Jews, Freemasons, and Communists. SS-Untersturmführer Barbie was so efficient and brutal that he was awarded the Iron Cross. By the end of May 1942, Barbie had been promoted to Obersturmführer and assigned as an investigator to a Gestapo branch on the border of France and Switzerland. Five months later, it was a short trip to Lyon to take up his new assignment as head of Lyon’s Gestapo.

Lyon Resistance

After the war, Gen. Charles de Gaulle declared Lyon to be France’s “Capital of Resistance.” As an aside, five cities were awarded the Ordre de la liberation, or the Order of Liberation, an honor bestowed on the “heroes of the French liberation.” Lyon was not one of the five cities. I wonder why Lyon wasn’t honored considering Gen. de Gaulle’s proclamation. Anyway, just a thought.

Barbie was faced with hunting down two primary resistance foes. The first was the Maquis, or guerilla fighters. These were men and women who hid in the forests and hit the enemy in spontaneous raids and sabotage. They were people evading the Service du travail obligatoire, a joint French-German edict forcing French citizens to enlist as laborers in Germany.

Barbie’s second resistance target were the multiple groups operating in the former free zone. Many of these networks had their headquarters in Lyon but were never united. That is, until Gen. de Gaulle sent Jean Moulin (1899−1943) in March 1943 to unify the major resistance networks under an umbrella organization called the Conseil national de la Résistance, or “National Resistance Council.” Moulin had earlier formed the Armée secrete, led by Charles Delestraint (1879−1945), but Gen. Delestraint was arrested on 9 June 1943 (he was executed at KZ Dachau days before its liberation). Faced with having to replace Delestraint, Moulin set up a meeting of resistance leaders at a house in the suburbs of Lyon. Betrayed by an insider, Moulin and the others (including Raymond Aubrac) were arrested by Barbie’s men and sent to Fort Montluc Prison in Lyon. Moulin was severely tortured by Barbie to the point where eyewitnesses later said they could not recognize him. Moulin reportedly died in early July on a train taking him to Berlin.

Jean Moulin near the Promenade du Peyrou in Montpellier, France. Photo by Marcel Bernard (c. 1940). Musée de la liberation de Paris and the musée Jean-Moulin. Christine Levisse-Touzé. “Jean Moulin,” L’Histoire Par l’Image, January 2015. https://histoire-image.org/etudes/jean-moulin
Jean Moulin near the Promenade du Peyrou in Montpellier, France. Photo by Marcel Bernard (c. 1940). Musée de la liberation de Paris and the musée Jean-Moulin. Christine Levisse-Touzé. “Jean Moulin,” L’Histoire Par l’Image, January 2015.
https://histoire-image.org/etudes/jean-moulin

Montluc Prison was used by the Gestapo as a place for internment, interrogation, torture, and executions ⏤ similar to Fresnes Prison in Paris. More than 15,000 people were held in the prison with about 900 executed within its walls. As liberating forces were headed for Lyon in August 1944, Barbie authorized two massacres of Montluc prisoners. The action, Le Charnier de Bron, or “The Charnel House of Bron,” saw 109 prisoners taken to the Bron Airfield and murdered. Days later, about 120 prisoners were driven to Fort de Cǒte-Lorette and shot. Notable Montluc prisoners include Jean Moulin (cell #130), Marc Bloch, Raymond Aubrac and finally about 40-years later, Klaus Barbie (cell #136). The prison was closed in 1997 and today is designated as a monument historique.

Row of cells in Montluc Prison. Photo by anonymous (c. April 2013). France info: Culture, France Télévisions. https://www.francetvinfor.fr/culture/patrimoine/traces-d-histoire-dans-les-cellules-de-la-prison-montluc-a-lyon_3307611.html
Row of cells in Montluc Prison. Photo by anonymous (c. April 2013). France info: Culture, France Télévisions. https://www.francetvinfor.fr/culture/patrimoine/traces-d-histoire-dans-les-cellules-de-la-prison-montluc-a-lyon_3307611.html
The wall within Montluc Prison where executions took place. Photo by Romainbehar (16 September 2018). PD-CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Wikimedia Commons.
The wall within Montluc Prison where executions took place. Photo by Romainbehar (16 September 2018). PD-CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Wikimedia Commons.

Click here to watch the video Klaus Barbie.

Torture and Deportations 

The majority of Barbie’s interrogations and resultant torture of men, women, and children took place in the building on Berthelot Avenue. In addition to “normal” torture methods (e.g., waterboarding, beatings, electroshock, burning with cigarettes, etc.), Barbie tortured his victims with immersing their heads in buckets of ammonia, tore off his victim’s skin, shoved nails under their fingernails, forcibly removed finger and toenails using pliers, broke knuckles and hand bones by placing hands in door frames and slamming the door shut.  Whenever women were interrogated, they were ordered to disrobe. Barbie always had two German shepherds nearby. One was trained to bite and eat the victim’s flesh. The other was trained to mount and rape the naked woman. A common torture method was for the victim to be hung up by handcuffs with spikes inside them and then beaten by Barbie with a rubber bar.

Survivor testimonies from Barbie’s trial included Lise Lesevre (1901−1992) who told about Barbie torturing her for nine days. Barbie savagely beat Lesevre, nearly drowned her in a tub of water, and used a spiked ball to break her vertebrae. Ennat Léger (1895−1993) talked about Barbie breaking her teeth while Simone Lagrange (1930−2016) described Barbie giving her a “smile as thin as a knife blade,” then proceeded to severely beat her in the face. Simone was thirteen at the time. Lesevre testified that Barbie purposely paraded tortured people by the cells and if Barbie believed the victim was Jewish, he would crush their skull with the heel of his boot.

Former resistance member, Lise Lesevre, arriving at the Barbie trial in Lyon to testify against Klaus Barbie. Photo by anonymous (12 May 1987). AFP Correspondent. https://correspondent.afp.com/trial-butcher-lyon
Former resistance member, Lise Lesevre, arriving at the Barbie trial in Lyon to testify against Klaus Barbie. Photo by anonymous (12 May 1987). AFP Correspondent. https://correspondent.afp.com/trial-butcher-lyon

Historians estimate that Barbie was directly responsible for the deportation of 14,000 Jews and resistance fighters. (In total, about 75,000 Jewish men, women, and children were deported from France.) Simone Lagrange was deported along with her mother and father to KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Her mother was immediately sent to the gas chamber. Simone and 25,000 other inmates were eventually marched to KZ Ravensbrück (only 2,000 survived) and along the way, she saw her father in another convoy of prisoners. A German officer told her to go and embrace her father. As she approached, her father was shot in front of her. Simone would later say, “It wasn’t Barbie who pulled the trigger, but it was him who sent us there.”

The Children of Izieu 

On 6 April 1944 at 9:00 am under the orders of Barbie, three vehicles pulled up in front of Maison d’Izieu, a children’s home near Lyon that provided refuge for dozens of Jewish children whose parents had been arrested and deported. A squad of a dozen soldiers with their officers and members of the Milice were there to arrest the children. (The Milice was a Vichy paramilitary organization that worked with the Germans to arrest resistance fighters and deport Jews.) Miron and Sabine Zlatin ran the home while Léon Reifman, a medical student, took care of the sick children while his sister, Sarah, was the home’s regular doctor and his parents lived at the home. The forty-four children, ranging in age from three to fourteen, along with seven adults were loaded into two trucks and taken to Montluc Prison and the next day, to Drancy, an internment camp outside Paris. On 13 April 1944, the children and adults were put on the next train (Convoy #71) leaving for KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Only one adult, Léa Feldblum (1918−1989), survived and in 1987, she testified against Klaus Barbie at his trial in Lyon.

Distributing the mail at the children’s home in Izieu. Léon Reifman is in the center handing out the mail. Far left is Miron Zlatin who was executed by the Nazis. Other than Reifman and two others in this photo, everyone pictured here was murdered. Photo by anonymous (c. summer 1943). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/1.
Distributing the mail at the children’s home in Izieu. Léon Reifman is in the center handing out the mail. Far left is Miron Zlatin who was executed by the Nazis. Other than Reifman and two others in this photo, everyone pictured here was murdered. Photo by anonymous (c. summer 1943). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/1.
The exterior of the Izieu children’s home. Photographed after the war. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/28.
The exterior of the Izieu children’s home. Photographed after the war. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/28.
7 April 1944 announcement by Klaus Barbie to his superiors of the arrest of Izieu’s children. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Maison de la conference de Wannsee.
7 April 1944 announcement by Klaus Barbie to his superiors of the arrest of Izieu’s children. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Maison de la conference de Wannsee.
Left to right: Majer-Marcel Bulka, his brother, Albert, and his friend, Alek Bergman. The Bulka brothers were murdered at KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Alek left the home before the Gestapo raid and survived. Photo by anonymous (c. Summer 1943). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/14.
Left to right: Majer-Marcel Bulka, his brother, Albert, and his friend, Alek Bergman. The Bulka brothers were murdered at KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Alek left the home before the Gestapo raid and survived. Photo by anonymous (c. Summer 1943). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/14.
Léa Feldblum, a teacher at the Izieu children’s home. Her parents, brother, and sister were murdered at KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Léa survived the war and settled in Israel. Photo by anonymous (c. 1943). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/10.
Léa Feldblum, a teacher at the Izieu children’s home. Her parents, brother, and sister were murdered at KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Léa survived the war and settled in Israel. Photo by anonymous (c. 1943). Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 1408/10.
Contemporary aerial view of Maison d’Izieu. Today, the building is a museum dedicated to the children. Photo by Benoît Prieur (178 September 2019). PD-CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Wikimedia Commons.
Contemporary aerial view of Maison d’Izieu. Today, the building is a museum dedicated to the children. Photo by Benoît Prieur (178 September 2019). PD-CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Wikimedia Commons.
Memorial plaque placed on the exterior wall of the Maison d’Izieu. It memorializes the victims who were deported to KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The children range in age from 5 to 18. Six adults are reflected but only five died at the extermination camp. Miron Zlatin was executed separately by the Nazis. Photo by Benoît Prieur (17 September 2019). PD-CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Wikimedia Commons.
Memorial plaque placed on the exterior wall of the Maison d’Izieu. It memorializes the victims who were deported to KZ Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The children range in age from 5 to 18. Six adults are reflected but only five died at the extermination camp. Miron Zlatin was executed separately by the Nazis. Photo by Benoît Prieur (17 September 2019). PD-CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Wikimedia Commons.

Post-War

Barbie returned to Germany in 1944. Three years later, France tried and convicted him in absentia with the former Gestapo leader sentenced to death. (A French military tribunal passed the same judgement on Barbie in 1954.) During the post-war years up until 1983, Barbie was protected by various governments.

It is well-known that the United States and the Counterintelligence Corps (CIC) used former Nazis as agents in the post-war struggle against the Soviet Union. Barbie was one of those agents, having been recruited in 1947 for his skills in gathering intelligence. He was used to improve America interrogation methods, identify other former SS officers that could be recruited as agents, and spy on France. (U.S. intelligence believed the French occupation zone had been infiltrated by the KGB.) The French eventually discovered that Barbie was under the protection of the U.S. government, and they petitioned John J. McCloy, High Commissioner for Germany, to turn over Barbie. He refused (click here to read the blog, The Wise Men).

At this point, the CIC assisted the relocation of Barbie to Bolivia where he was once again protected by a friendly government (click here to read the blog, ODESSA: Myth or Truth?). Assuming the name “Klaus Altmann,” Barbie settled in Cochabamba as a businessman. He also worked for Bolivia’s secret police supporting the country’s military regimes through arms-trading operations, murders, torture, interrogations, and drug trafficking. (Barbie worked with Pablo Escobar and the Medellín cartel.) In 1957, Barbie became a Bolivian citizen.

In 1971, Beate and Serge Klarsfeld identified Barbie as Klaus Altmann and the fact he was living in Bolivia. The Bolivian government refused to extradite Barbie, but the Klarsfelds never gave up. They ensured the Butcher of Lyon’s story stayed in front of the public and finally, in 1983, a democratic government was elected in Bolivia and they agreed to extradite Barbie to France where he would stand trial.

Serge and Beate Klarsfeld. Photo by personal photographer (c. 2007). PD-CCA 3.0 Unported License. Wikimedia Commons.
Serge and Beate Klarsfeld. Photo by personal photographer (c. 2007). PD-CCA 3.0 Unported License. Wikimedia Commons.

In the meantime, Allan Ryan, Director of the Office of Special Investigations issued a full report (refer below to the recommended reading section) on the U.S. government’s involvement with Barbie. The report’s conclusions resulted in a formal apology from the United States to France for enabling Klaus Barbie to escape French justice for 33 years.

Click here to watch the video Tracking Down Klaus Barbie – “Butcher of Lyon” and here to watch The Butcher of Lyon.

The Barbie Trial 

In 1984, Barbie was indicted and tried on forty-one separate counts of crimes against humanity committed as head of the Lyon Gestapo. His trial began in 1987 in Lyon and the proceedings were filmed. (The film can be viewed at the former Lyon Gestapo headquarters, now the Resistance and Deportation History Center ⏤ the testimony of the survivors is quite graphic.)

Klaus Barbie at the start of his trial. Photo by anonymous (11 May 1987). AFP Correspondent. https://correspondent.afp.com/trial-butcher-lyon
Klaus Barbie at the start of his trial. Photo by anonymous (11 May 1987). AFP Correspondent. https://correspondent.afp.com/trial-butcher-lyon
The courtroom where Klaus Barbie was tried. Photo by anonymous (c. 1987). B’nai B’Brith Klutznick Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nikolaus-klaus-barbie-the-butcher-of-lyon
The courtroom where Klaus Barbie was tried. Photo by anonymous (c. 1987). B’nai B’Brith Klutznick Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nikolaus-klaus-barbie-the-butcher-of-lyon

Barbie’s team of defense attorneys was led by Jacques Vergès (1925−2013), a Vietnamese French anti-colonial activist. His defense strategy included diversionary tactics such as trying to put France on trial by comparing its actions (e.g., torture) in the Algeria conflict and other colonial crimes to the crimes Barbie was charged with. Barbie argued he was a Bolivian citizen and that his extradition was illegal.

Trial illustration of Jacques Vergès (left) and Klaus Barbie (right). Illustration by Calvi (c. May 1987). Agence France-Presse. PD-CCA-Share Alike 4.0 International. Wikimedia Commons.
Trial illustration of Jacques Vergès (left) and Klaus Barbie (right). Illustration by Calvi (c. May 1987). Agence France-Presse. PD-CCA-Share Alike 4.0 International. Wikimedia Commons.

Klaus Barbie was the first and only former Nazi to be put on trial in France for crimes against humanity. It was decided that he could not be tried for war crimes as this had a statute of limitations under French law whereas crimes against humanity did not. Barbie’s orders to arrest and deport the children of Izieu played a critical role in having him tried (and convicted) for crimes against humanity. On 4 July 1987, Barbie was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment (France by then had eliminated the death penalty). Klaus Barbie, the “Butcher of Lyon” died of cancer in prison four years after his conviction.

One of our tour guides on our river cruise to Lyon told us she attended Barbie’s trial for three days and did not go back. I asked her why she didn’t return. (It was very difficult to get tickets to the public gallery.) Francis told us that the testimonies of the eyewitnesses and their stories were so horrible that she couldn’t sit through another day of listening to the atrocities committed by Barbie.

Click here to watch video of the Klaus Barbie trial news coverage.

Next Blog:       “The Colmar Pocket”


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★ Read and Learn More About Today’s Topic ★

Bower, Tom. Klaus Barbie: The Butcher of Lyons. New York: Pantheon Books, 1984.

Chabrol, Claude (director) and Jean-Pierre Ramsay Levi (producer). The Eye of Vichy. Fit Production, Institut national de l’audiovisuel, TFI Films Production, et. al., 1993.

Delarue, Jacques. The Gestapo: A History of Horror. S. Yorkshire: Frontline Books, 2008 (originally published 1962).

Doré-Rivé, Isabelle (Editor and curator). Translation by John Doherty. War in a City: Lyon, 1939−1945. Lyon: Éditions Fage, 2013.

Goñi, Uki. The Real Odessa: How Perón Brought the Nazi War Criminals to Argentina. London: Granta Books, 2003.

Jackson, Julian. France: The Dark Years, 1940−1944. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Klarsfeld, Serge. Translated by Glorianne Depondt and Howard M. Epstein. French Children of the Holocaust: A Memorial. New York: New York University Press, 1996.

Klarsfeld, Serge and Beate Klarsfeld. Translated by Sam Taylor. Hunting the Truth: Memoirs of Beate and Serge Klarsfeld. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015.

Lanzmann, Claude (director & producer). Shoah. Les Films Aleph and Historia Film, 1985.

Ophuls, Marcel (director & producer). Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie. Icarus Films, 1988.

Ophuls, Marcel (director). The Sorrow and the Pity: Chronicle of a French City Under the Occupation. Milestone, 1969.

Paxton, Robert O. Vichy France: Old Guard and New Order, 1940−1944. New York: Knopf Publishing, 1972.

Robbins, Christopher. A Test of Courage: Michel Thomas. London: Century, 1999.

Ryan, Allan A. Jr. Klaus Barbie and the United States Government: A Report to the Attorney General. U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, August 1983.

Galina Brok-Beltsova Obituary. The Times, 16 October 2024. Click here to read.

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Sandy and I visited Lyon as part of our river cruise through the south of France. I hired a private guide for a three-hour walking tour of the city with a focus on resistance activities. Unfortunately, he never showed up. The unoccupied zone is a topic I have not focused on except for the escape lines, the Milice, and Maquis resistance fighters. So, Lyon is a city that I have much to learn about. Writing this blog gives me the opportunity to learn more about its role in the war.

We did sign up for an afternoon excursion on one of the days that concentrated on the Colmar Pocket. Our guide was an exceptional expert on this subject (and very passionate about her subject). I am very fortunate to have met Angie, a World War I and II licensed tour guide. As my discussions with her progress, I will learn more about where and what she enjoys sharing with her clients. Stay tuned.

Thank you to all of you who subscribe to our bi-weekly blogs. It seems there isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t increase our readership. Please let your history buff friends and family members know about our blog site and blogs.

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Thanks to Tim P. for contacting us regarding Virginia Hall. Tim wanted to know if I had any connections to private guides in the cities where Virginia had her resistance operations. Unfortunately, I don’t have those connections at this time. I will be following up with Raphaëlle and Angie to see if they can refer someone.

Dave B. reached out to us regarding the Ritchie Boys and his father. Gerald was Jewish and managed to escape Nazi Germany with his family in the late 1930s. After “bouncing” around Europe, he settled in New York. Gerald was drafted in 1942 and in time, became one of the Ritchie Boys. Click here to read the blog, The Ritchie Boys. Interestingly, Gerald and his family ended up in Camp King in 1961 where Dave had some interesting experiences. Click here to read the blog, Camp King. Thanks, Dave, for sharing this with us.

If there is a topic you’d like to see a blog written about, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I love hearing from you so keep those comments coming.

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Shepherd highlights an author (like me) and one of their books. The author is required to review five books in the same genre. So, if a reader is interested say in cooking, they can drill down and find specific books about cooking that have been reviewed by authors in that category. Very simple.

If you like to read, I highly recommend you visit Shepherd.com. If you do, please let me know what you think and I will forward Ben any suggestions or comments you might have.

Click here to visit Shepherd’s website.

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“Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?”

“Yes, yes, track 29!” answers the shoeshine boy. How many of you remember this 1941 song immortalized by the Glenn Miller and His Orchestra headlined by Tex Beneke, Paula Kelly and the Modernaires? The song was featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade and became the first gold record awarded by the recording industry.

Click here to watch the video Glenn Miller – Chattanooga Choo Choo.

The Germans knew the only way to defend against an Allied invasion of Europe was to contain the invading army on the beaches before a permanent foothold could be gained. Failing that, the Allied ground troops would be able to expand its footprint, breakout, and begin their march to Berlin. As soon as the troops hit the beaches, German high command knew they would need to mount a rapid response with rail providing the transportation of troops as well as armaments, munitions, and other supplies.

Allied senior officers were one step ahead of the Germans. They anticipated the enemy’s next move immediately after the landings and their countermove was known as “Operation Chattanooga Choo Choo.” (Not to be confused with the 1946 “Operation Choo Choo” mission.)


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Did You Know?

Did you know that six years ago, an American business executive who lives in China went to the airport for a flight to San Francisco? He got to the airport and was told he couldn’t leave the country. All the border officials told him was, “You know what you did.” Turned away, he tried another airport and was met with the same response. This man is still trapped in China.

He was the target of China’s exit ban, a legal tool used by the Chinese government to keep foreign businesspeople from leaving the country. They are never accused of a crime. It’s usually a case of a business dispute or a debt where the other side (usually a Chinese citizen) has complained to the government and the travel ban is issued.

This caught my eye because it was a reminder of France’s ancien régime and the Lettres de cachet signed by the king. This was an official document that allowed the detention, imprisonment, or execution of an individual without a trial or appeal. It usually originated with a complaint from someone followed by a cash payment to the king. During the Estates General of 1789, the Third Estate’s demand for the elimination of the Lettres de cachet became one of the underlying issues that led to the French Revolution. (Refer to my book, Where Did They Put the Guillotine? Versailles to the Faubourgs: 1789−1794, Volume One.)

The opening of the 1789 Estates General in the Salle des Menus Plaisirs in Versailles. This is an idealized depiction as the actual hall was much smaller. Engraving and design by Isidore-Stanislaus Helman and Charles Monnet, respectively (5 May 1789). Bibliothèque nationale de France. PD-Author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons.
The opening of the 1789 Estates General in the Salle des Menus Plaisirs in Versailles. This is an idealized depiction as the actual hall was much smaller. Engraving and design by Isidore-Stanislaus Helman and Charles Monnet, respectively (5 May 1789). Bibliothèque nationale de France. PD-Author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons.
Lettre de cachet ordering Jean-François Marmontel’s detention at the Bastille, signed in 1759 by King Louis XV and his minister/secretary, Jean-Frédéric Phèlypeaux. Photo by anonymous (c. 2011). Bastille Archives. PD-Author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons
Lettre de cachet ordering Jean-François Marmontel’s detention at the Bastille, signed in 1759 by King Louis XV and his minister/secretary, Jean-Frédéric Phèlypeaux. Photo by anonymous (c. 2011). Bastille Archives. PD-Author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. Wikimedia Commons

Operation Chattanooga Choo Choo

‘Operation Chattanooga Choo Choo’ (“Choo Choo”) was the May 1944 Allied air offensive taken against moving trains in Europe. It was part of a greater plan known as the “Transportation Plan” (i.e., the disruption and destruction of German transport and communication arteries). Although fighter planes had attacked trains and rail lines in the past, it was always with trepidation due to concern over killing innocent civilians. However, as D-Day (6 June 1944) approached, Allied command was convinced that civilian passenger rail travel had ceased and wholescale attacks were ordered based on the assumption the trains were carrying troops and armaments into France to thwart an Allied invasion of Europe.

The air offensive was a combined effort of the Allied Expeditionary Air Forces led by Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory (1892−1944) and supported by Lt. Gen. James Doolittle’s (1896−1993) 8th United States Army Air Force (USAAF). The mission’s objective before and after D-Day was to reduce the quantities of German equipment and men moved to France by Hitler to reinforce existing German forces fighting an Allied invasion on the beaches and the subsequent attempt to breakout.

Official British photograph of Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory. Photo by anonymous (c. 1994). Imperial War Museum and Ministry of Information Second World War Colour Transparency Collection. PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Official British photograph of Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory. Photo by anonymous (c. 1994). Imperial War Museum and Ministry of Information Second World War Colour Transparency Collection. PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Maj. Gen. James H. Doolittle. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.
Maj. Gen. James H. Doolittle. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.

The first attacks by Choo Choo took place on 21 May 1944. The targets in Western France were railway facilities, marshalling yards, bridges, and rolling stock. Mobile rail stock was strafed and destroyed by fighter planes while the marshalling yards and bridges were attacked by fighters and medium bombers.

A Paris railroad marshaling yard destroyed before D-Day. Photo by anonymous (c. May 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government.
A Paris railroad marshaling yard destroyed before D-Day. Photo by anonymous (c. May 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

Two weeks after the first attack, about 475 locomotives had been destroyed and the French rail system in the targeted area had been cut at 150 strategic different points.

Click here to watch the video Operation Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Fighter Bombers

Leigh-Mallory’s command included the British 2nd Tactical Air Force (“2TAF”) led by Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham (1895−1948) and Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton’s (1890−1967) 9th USAAF.  Supporting Leigh-Mallory’s bombers were Doolittle’s fighter planes including new P-51s. Formed in June 1943, the 2TAF was to prepare bomber and fighter commands for the invasion of Europe. In January 1944, Coningham took over command and installed the fast moving ground warfare strategies he successfully employed in North Africa and Italy. Planes used by the 2TAF included medium and light bombers as well as attack fighters such as the Spitfire. When formed, 2TAF’s primary functions were to support army ground troops and establish air superiority. (By 1944, the German Luftwaffe was essentially a shell of what it once had been, and Hitler had lost confidence in Hermann Göring.)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham standing on a perforated steel runway in the Italian theater shortly before he returned to England to take up his duties as Air Officer Commanding 2TAF. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). Imperial War Museum and Ministry of Information Second World War Colour Transparency Collection.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham standing on a perforated steel runway in the Italian theater shortly before he returned to England to take up his duties as Air Officer Commanding 2TAF. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). Imperial War Museum and Ministry of Information Second World War Colour Transparency Collection.
Official photo of Maj. Gen. Brereton. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Official photo of Maj. Gen. Lewis Brereton. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
P-51 “Mustang” fighter planes lined up at RAF East Wretham. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). Imperial War Museum. PD-Published without a copyright notice. Wikimedia Commons.
P-51 “Mustang” fighter planes lined up at RAF East Wretham. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). Imperial War Museum. PD-Published without a copyright notice. Wikimedia Commons.
Official badge of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. Illustration by RAF Heraldy Trust (c. 2005). PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Official badge of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. Illustration by RAF Heraldy Trust (c. 2005). PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.

The 9th USAAF originated on 8 April 1942 and by 1944 was a tactical fighter command unit engaging enemy forces in Europe. After his appointment, Lt. Gen. Brereton expanded the ninth including accepting medium bombers from the 8th USAAF. By the time of Choo Choo, the ninth consisted of forty-five groups with more than 5,000 aircraft. Lt. Gen. Brereton’s men participated in Operation Pointblank (bomber offensive against German aircraft industry) and Operation Crossbow (operations aimed at German V-weapon sites) before supporting 2TAF and the invasion forces.

9th USAAF emblem patch. Photo transferred by Sfan00_IMG (c. 2006). PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.
9th USAAF emblem patch. Photo transferred by Sfan00_IMG (c. 2006). PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.

The 8th USAAF, or “Mighty Eighth” was established as VIII Bomber Command in early 1942 and by February 1944, it was renamed. At that time, the USAAF was reorganized, and Lt. Gen. Doolittle took over command of the eighth. Primarily using B-17s and B-24 Liberators, the Mighty Eighth’s responsibilities included strategic bombing by the heavy and medium bombers. The initial introduction of the P-51s to the eighth was to escort the bombers into Germany. (The P-51s were the first fighter planes with the range to get to and from Germany.) However, Lt. Gen. Doolittle released his fighter pilots to actively pursue and destroy enemy aircraft ensuring Allied air superiority over Europe.

One of the eighth’s successful fighter groups was the 359th with its three fighter squadrons (368th, 369th, and 370th). Entering combat in late 1943 and based at RAF East Wretham, aircraft from the fighter squadrons primarily flew escort missions. With the conversion from P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft to the P-51s in April 1944, the group was unleashed for direct strafing and bombing attacks on airfields, rail centers, locomotives, and rail lines. Between December 1943 and April 1945, the three fighter squadrons flew 346 missions over Europe with a total loss of 121 pilots while claiming 373 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and strafing attacks.

Crew of the B-24 Liberator “Chattanooga Choo Choo – The Happy Box Car” (#42-40782). The plane crashed over Romania on its return from a bombing mission. One crew member was killed with the others taken prisoner. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). American Air Museum in Britain.
Crew of the B-24 Liberator “Chattanooga Choo Choo – The Happy Box Car” (#42-40782). The plane crashed over Romania on its return from a bombing mission. One crew member was killed with the others taken prisoner. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). American Air Museum in Britain. https://www.americanairmuseum.com
P-47 “Thunderbolts” of the 359th Fighter Group lined up at RAF East Wretham. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). National Archives via the United States Air Force Historical Research Agency. PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.
P-47 “Thunderbolts” of the 359th Fighter Group lined up at RAF East Wretham. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). National Archives via the United States Air Force Historical Research Agency. PD-U.S. Government. Wikimedia Commons.

Other Choo Choo Missions 

As part of Choo Choo, other areas of Europe were strategically targeted to break German logistics. Simultaneous to the western France attacks, 763 of Leigh-Mallory’s British 2nd Tactical Air Force fighter-bombers swept over northern France while 500 P-51s of the 8th USAAF flew over Germany destroying trains. On 25 May, three fighter groups of the 9th USAAF operated over the Rhineland while at the same time, more than 600 8th USAFF fighter-bombers targeted and destroyed trains traveling through Belgium.

Aftermath of a successful mission by the 9th USAAF. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government.
Aftermath of a successful mission by the 9th USAAF. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

A major mission was conducted on 29 May when 571 planes of the 8th USAAF went into eastern Germany and Poland. During the June days leading up to the invasion, the 9th USAAF sent their planes into France to “soften up” the German transports.

P-47 “Thunderbolt” from the 8th USAAF attacking a German antiaircraft (“flak”) tower. Photo by anonymous (c. May 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government.
P-47 “Thunderbolt” from the 8th USAAF attacking a German antiaircraft (“flak”) tower. Photo by anonymous (c. May 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

There were two immediate by-products of these bombing and strafing missions. First, the young fighter pilots gained valuable experience in strafing techniques that was to show dividends after the Allied troops broke out of Normandy in July and August1. Second, the psychological effects on the French rail personnel resulted in large numbers of desertions by French train crews. One of the tactics used by the pilots was to drop belly tanks on stalled trains and then ignite the spilled fuel by strafing. As the French abandoned their rail jobs, German crews and forced labor were brought in but ultimately, railroad operations were drastically reduced even on undisturbed tracks.

USAF F-51D Mustangs dropping tanks repurposed as napalm bombs during the Korean conflict. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). https://www.wearethemighty.com
USAF F-51D Mustangs dropping tanks repurposed as napalm bombs during the Korean conflict. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). https://www.wearethemighty.com
1 – My uncle was a P-47 “Thunderbolt” pilot. One of his recollections was of the young pilots who, after completing a strafing mission, went back to assess the damage. Many of these inexperienced pilots were killed by German anti-aircraft armaments once the element of surprise was gone. His policy was that once the mission was completed, always return to base.
A-20 light bomber crew of the 410th Bombardment Group. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). Army Air Corps Museum.
A-20 light bomber crew of the 410th Bombardment Group. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). Army Air Corps Museum. https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org.
A-20 light bombers strike the Pointe du Hoc strongpoint in Normandy. Photo by anonymous (c. May 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government.
A-20 light bombers strike the Pointe du Hoc strongpoint in Normandy. Photo by anonymous (c. May 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

Operation Bodyguard 

While Operation Chattanooga Choo Choo was successful at frustrating German efforts to move troops and armaments into position to meet the invasion head-on, there was another operation that contributed to the success of the Normandy invasion. Operation Bodyguard was the overall mission to deceive Hitler into thinking the “first” invasion would be a diversionary landing with the “real” invasion taking place at another location. One of Bodyguard’s operations was “Operation Double Cross” (click here to read the blog, The Double Cross System). Using highly effective double agents, Double Cross tricked Hitler into thinking the Normandy invasion would be the diversion with Pas-de-Calais as the site of the main invasion weeks later. (Gen. Omar Bradley called Operation Double Cross “the greatest deception of World War II.”)

Maj. Gen. Ralph Royce (second from right), 9th USAAF deputy commander, with engineers on the Normandy beachhead one day after D-Day. Photo by anonymous (7 June 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government.
Maj. Gen. Ralph Royce (second from right), 9th USAAF deputy commander, with engineers on the Normandy beachhead one day after D-Day. Photo by anonymous (7 June 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
P-47 fighter-bomber pilots at a rough airstrip near Sainte-Mère-Église. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government.
P-47 fighter-bomber pilots at a rough airstrip near Sainte-Mère-Église. Photo by anonymous (c. 1944). National Museum of the United States Air Force. PD-U.S. Government. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Cartoon shortly after D-Day reflecting destruction by Allied air forces. “ACCORDING TO PLAN . . . Moreover, the longer they wait, the better our preparations.” Illustration by Shepard (c. June 1944). Punch or The London Charivari; 7 June 1944, page 477. Author’s collection.
Cartoon shortly after D-Day reflecting destruction by Allied air forces. “ACCORDING TO PLAN . . . Moreover, the longer they wait, the better our preparations.” Illustration by Shepard (c. June 1944). Punch or The London Charivari; 7 June 1944, page 477. Author’s collection.

Hitler waited two weeks to move the bulk of his tanks and men to Normandy but by then it was too late. In the meantime, German commanders were frustrated by cuts in communication lines (due primarily to the efforts of the French resistance) and the destruction of roads, rail lines, rolling stock, and rail bridges (thanks to Operation Chattanooga Choo Choo).

Memorial plaque dedicated (3 August 1985) to the men of the 359th Fighter Group who served at RAF East Wretham and those who lost their lives. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Traces of War blog.
Memorial plaque dedicated (3 August 1985) to the men of the 359th Fighter Group who served at RAF East Wretham and those who lost their lives. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Traces of War blog. https://www.tracesofwar.com
Personnel of the 359th Fighter Group with the insignia of the 370th Fighter Squadron and signage that has been taken down at RAF East Wretham during V-E Day celebrations. Photo by anonymous (7 May 1945). WW2 Airfields Archive.
Personnel of the 359th Fighter Group with the insignia of the 370th Fighter Squadron and signage that has been taken down at RAF East Wretham during V-E Day celebrations. Photo by anonymous (7 May 1945). WW2 Airfields Archive.

Next Blog:         “The Strangest Battle of World War II”


Correspondence and Commentary Policy 

We welcome everyone to contact us either directly or through the individual blogs. Sandy and I review every piece of correspondence before it is approved to be published on the blog site. Our policy is to accept and publish comments that do not project hate, political, religious stances, or an attempt to solicit business (yeah, believe it or not, we do get that kind of stuff). Like many bloggers, we receive quite a bit of what is considered “Spam.” Those e-mails are immediately rejected without discussion.

Our blogs are written to inform our readers about history. We want to ensure discussions are kept within the boundary of historical facts and context without personal bias or prejudice.

We average about one e-mail every two days from our readers. We appreciate all communication because in many cases, it has led to friendships around the world.


★ Read and Learn More About Today’s Topic ★

Fogg, Janet and Charlotte Baldridge. A Manifest Spirit: The 359th Fighter Group 1943−1945. Self-published: FA LLC, 2017.

Freeman, Roger. The Mighty Eighth: A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force. U.K.: Arms & Armour Press, 2004. First published by Doubleday, 1970.

Military code names from World War II:  Click here.

Shores, Christopher. 2nd Tactical Air Force, Vol. 1: Spartan to Normandy, June 1943 to June 1944. Shepperton, U.K.: Ian Allen Publishing, 2004.

Smith, Jack H. 359th Fighter Group. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2012.

Wolmar, Christian. The Liberation Line: The Untold Story of How American Engineering and Ingenuity Won World War II. New York: Hachette Books, 2024.

Disclaimer: 

There may be a chance that after we publish this particular blog, the video links associated with the blog are no longer accessible. We have no control over this. Many times, whoever posts the video has done so without the consent of the video’s owner. In some cases, it is likely that the content is deemed unsuitable by YouTube. We apologize if you have tried to access the link and you don’t get the expected results. Same goes for internet links.

What’s New With Sandy and Stew?

Sandy and I visited Copenhagen on the back end of our Baltic cruise. While it was her first time in the city, I had visited there many times in the 1960s while attending Viking Summer Camp. Our big excursion at the end of the six-week camp stay was the trip to Copenhagen and sites around the city. The highlight of our excursion was Tivoli Gardens. As an eleven-year-old, experiencing the hundred-year-old rollercoaster was a huge excitement! After our high school graduation in 1973, I returned to Copenhagen with my good friend Harry M.  We visited Tivoli and rode the same coaster I had been on seven years earlier. Unfortunately, as an eighteen-year-old, I did not experience the same thrills I recalled from my time as a Viking camper.

The first ride Sandy and I went on after entering the park was the 150-year-old roller coaster. It hadn’t changed one iota. The line wasn’t long, and we jumped into the car, strapped ourselves in, and took off. With Sandy next to me I felt twelve-years-old again and after the first dip, flashed back to 1967.

I promised Sandy a smorgasbord of Danish pastries while in Copenhagen – another fond memory of a pre-teenage boy. Unfortunately, I was not able to fulfil this promise as we did not come across many pastry shops – perhaps during the past fifty years people decided to eat healthier? I guess we will just have to go back to Paris and visit our favorite boulangeries.

Thank you to all of you who subscribe to our bi-weekly blogs. It seems there isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t increase our readership. Please let your history buff friends and family members know about our blog site and blogs.

Someone Is Commenting On Our Blogs

Thanks to Suzanne A. for reaching out to us regarding our 2022 blog, Murder by Willful Neglect. Suzanne lives in Germany in a village close to the former Velpke children’s home (between Wolfsburg and Helmstedt). She did not know the story of the home and its connection to her village. After reading the blog, Suzanne began to investigate and found information that made her very uncomfortable. She is grateful that her view on local history is now clearer.

I am always encouraged when people like Suzanne write to us with these types of comments. It tells me that we are accomplishing one of our goals in writing these blogs over the past twelve years.

If there is a topic you’d like to see a blog written about, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I love hearing from you so keep those comments coming.


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Shepherd.com is like wandering the aisles of your favorite bookstore.

Do you enjoy reading? Do you have a hard time finding the right book in the genre you enjoy? Well, Ben at Shepherd.com has come up with an amazing way to find that book.

Shepherd highlights an author (like me) and one of their books. The author is required to review five books in the same genre. So, if a reader is interested say in cooking, they can drill down and find specific books about cooking that have been reviewed by authors in that category. Very simple.

If you like to read, I highly recommend you visit Shepherd.com. If you do, please let me know what you think and I will forward Ben any suggestions or comments you might have.

Click here to visit Shepherd’s website.

Click the books to visit Stew’s bookshelf on WWII.

Image 11-16-22 at 10.38 AM

Check out Stew’s bookshelf on the French Revolution.

Shepherd FR Bookshelf


Please note that we do not and will not take compensation from individuals or companies mentioned or promoted in the blogs.

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Copyright © 2024 Stew Ross