text extracted from book : Occupying Force: A Sailor's Journey Following World War II Wednesday 24 October 1945 , Japanese destroyer Kyosai , anchored starboard side. This date saw the birth of the United Nations .
According to the ship's newspaper, the Antietam's crew boasted that theBig A
was one of the first warships to enter the Yellow sea under the asupices of the newly formed UN.
They also took pride in the fact that the carrier's planes were the first Allied Assets observed by American prisonenrs of war held in camps in that area before their release
As you may have gathered from my other scrappy notes, wires etc, sent as opportunity offered,
we were liberated by US troops on (I think) Sunday 9 Sep, and within a few hours had travelled by train
to the port of Jinsen where we embarked and spent a night on a U.S. hospital ship.
Next morning, bathed, fed & fumigated we transferred to a U.S Transport (the ‘Noble’ P.A. 218).
All the ship’s staff were wonderfully hospitable. On arrival at Manila we came by bus some 20 miles to this camp,
where we were met by Australians who first gave us a meal and then quartered us…
It was a wonderful feeling to be among our own people once again.
Then to top it off I found awaiting me letters from home.LEST WE FORGETCaptain Wilf Fawcett, lettercard to his family from 3 Australian PW Reception Camp, Manila, 27 Sept.1945
THE FIRST FRENCH ARMY in 1945 COMPRISED ABOUT 310,000 soldiers ( including 50% MAgrebis) INCLUDING:
1st Free French Division (1st DFL, later became the 1st Motorized Infantry Division and finally the 1st March Infantry Division)
2nd Armoured Division (2nd DB, former 2nd Light Division) only for a short time in late 1944
2nd Moroccan Infantry Division (2nd DIM)
3rd Algerian Infantry Division (3rd DIA)
4th Moroccan Mountain Division (4th DMM)
9th Colonial Infantry Division (9th DIC)
1st Armoured Division (1st DB)
5th Armoured Division (5th DB)
Moroccan Goums (Four groups of Tabors equivalent to one brigade)
Madame Szabo volunteered to undertake a particularly dangerous mission in France. She was parachuted into France in April, 1944,
and undertook the task with enthusiasm. In her execution of the delicate researches entailed she showed great presence of mind and astuteness.
She was twice arrested by the German security authorities but each time managed to get away. Eventually, however, with other members of her group,
she was surrounded by the Gestapo in a house in the southwest of France. ..
She was ultimately executed. Madame Szabo gave a magnificent example of courage and steadfastness