Tag: World War II

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Night and Fog

Five years ago, I wrote a blog by the same name. It was back in the days when I purposely limited my blogs to no more than five or six hundred words (my Millennial friends told me this was the “norm”). I’ve re-read some of those blogs and frankly, I’m embarrassed. First, my writing style has evolved (and hopefully, improved). Second, I could have added so much more interesting information had I not listened to my friends. Another difference between then and now is the number of images we used. Our blogs today use as many images as I can find that add value to the story. In the past, one or two images made it into the story. I guess this is what you call progress. So, I’ve decided to re-write some of the more popular blogs and expand both the story as well as images. I hope you enjoy this one (again).

Exterior view of Nuremberg prison and the wing that housed Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trial. Note the covered walkway (white) leading from the prison wing to the Palace of Justice and courtroom. Prisoners walked through the covered path to and from the daily court proceedings. This wing was destroyed. Photo by anonymous (c. 1946).
Exterior view of Nuremberg prison and the wing that housed Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trial. Note the covered walkway (white) leading from the prison wing to the Palace of Justice and courtroom. Prisoners walked through the covered path to and from the daily court proceedings. This wing was destroyed. Photo by anonymous (c. 1946).
The former prison wing that housed the Nuremberg defendants was destroyed and only white plaster is a reminder of the wing in a preserved part of the central prison building. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).
The former prison wing that housed the Nuremberg defendants was destroyed and only white plaster is a reminder of the wing in a preserved part of the central prison building. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).

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The Wrens

We have a lot of different types of birds in Southwest Florida. While many of them are very beautiful, we’re especially attracted to the birds of prey, or raptors. They include ospreys, hawks (e.g., red-tailed, red-shouldered, and short-tailed), vultures (black and turkey), falcons, merlin, owls (e.g., barred and great horned), and kite (e.g., snail, swallow-tailed, and white-tailed). These are the birds that hunt and swoop down on our canal looking for lunch every day (except the vultures⏤they only eat dead stuff).

Before America entered the war, England was alone in its battle against the Nazis. The “smart” money was betting against their survival. One of the challenges Churchill faced was the German navy and in particular, the Unterseeboot, or the U-boat. How was England going to stop the wolfpacks from sinking merchant ships carrying critical supplies to the island?

Recruiting poster for the Wrens. Poster by anonymous (between 1939 and 1945). Imperial War Museum. PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.
Recruiting poster for the Wrens. Poster by anonymous (between 1939 and 1945). Imperial War Museum. PD-Expired copyright. Wikimedia Commons.

The answer was a small group of extremely intelligent women. During World War II, women played an extremely important role in winning the war against Hitler and the Nazis. They were résistants, pilots, mechanics, code breakers, factory workers, and yes, even soldiers. Some of them were birds of a different feather but in the end, the Wrens were more like raptors. Read More The Wrens