Albert Frey,  born 16 February 1913 was a Standartennführer in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte  SS Adolf Hitler . He was born in Heidelberg, the son of the master baker Heinrich Frey and his wife Therese. He joined the NSDAP: 1.05.1937.  Joined the SS: 15.06.1933. In December 1933 with the SS-Verfügungstruppe. In 1937 as an SS Oberscharführer… Read more »

Jannetje Johanna (Jo) Schaft (16 September 1920 – 17 April 1945) was a Dutch communist resistance fighter during World War II.     She became known as the girl with the red hair (in Dutch Het meisje met het rode haar, also the title of a book and film about her). Her secret name in the resistance movement was Hannie. Hannie Schaft was born… Read more »

Fritz Darges died 30-10 2008 aged 96 with instructions for his manuscript about his time spent at the side of the Führer to be published once he was gone. Darges   was the last surviving member of Hitler’s inner circle and was present for all major conferences, social engagements and policy announcements for four years… Read more »

Wilhelm Eduard Schmid (April 12, 1893 – June 30, 1934), better known as Willi Schmid, was a German music critic, and an accidental victim of the Knight of the Long Knives in a case of mistaken identity. Schmid  studied music under Christian Döbereiner, and founded the Munich Viol Quartet. He was also a well-respected music critic, and wrote for… Read more »

Putzi Hanfsteangl  whose relationship with Hitler had grown strained, was rumoured to have been o Hitler’s list of targets.  Providently, he was in America to take part in the twenty-fifth reunion of his class at Harvard. The invitation  to attend had caused an outcry in America, and until the last moment Hanfsteangl had offered no… Read more »

The photo above was taken at the launch of a German army vessel in 1936, during a ceremony that was attended by Adolf Hitler himself. Within the picture a lone man stood with arms crossed as hundreds of men and women around him held up their arms in salute and allegiance to the Nazi Party… Read more »

Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader born 21 February 1910 in St John’s Wood London, was a Royal Air Force (RAF)   flying ace  during the World War II. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader joined the RAF in 1928, and was… Read more »

Berlin operation from April 16 to May 8, ’45 put 400,000 killed.  Prague operation from 5 to 9 May 1945, in Prague, another 40,000 were killed.  Upper-operation (15-31 March 1945) – more than 40,000 were killed  East Prussian operation (January 13-April 25, 1945) – 150,000 killed  East Pomeranian Offensive (February 10 – April 4, 1945)… Read more »

After Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in January 1933,   he moved quickly to turn Germany into a one-party dictatorship and to organize the police power necessary to enforce Nazi policies. He persuaded his Cabinet to declare a state of emergency and end individual freedoms, including freedom of press, speech, and assembly. Individuals lost the… Read more »

Herschel Grynszpan   was born in Hanover, Germany in 1919. As German Jews the family suffered persecution after Adolf Hitler gained power in 1933. In 1936 Grynszpan moved to France to live with with his uncle and aunt living in Paris. On 7th November, 1938, Grynszpan decided to assassinate the German Ambassador in France. It appears that this was… Read more »