He was captured by the Japanese in Singapore and was one of thousands of prisoners whose hardships were the basis for the film “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”
Tag: World War II (1939-45)
An Italian Holocaust Survivor Asks if She Has ‘Lived in Vain’
Liliana Segre, who has become Italy’s conscience on the Holocaust, says she is pessimistic in the face of rising anti-Semitism.
Arno J. Mayer, Unorthodox Historian of Europe’s Crises, Dies at 97
A Jewish refugee from the Nazis, he argued that World War I, World War II and the Holocaust were all part of a “second Thirty Years’ War.”
Mike Sadler, Intrepid Desert Navigator in World War II, Dies at 103
Like a human GPS, he guided Britain’s first special forces across the vast Sahara for hit-and-run raids on enemy bases in the battle against Rommel’s forces.
Maureen Flavin Sweeney Dies at 100; Her Weather Report Delayed D-Day
She helped save General Eisenhower’s invasion from potential disaster, enabling the Allies to gain a foothold in France that was essential to victory in World War II.
Guy Stern, Who Fled Germany and Then Interrogated Nazis, Dies at 101
He escaped as a teenager and later became one of the Ritchie Boys, a secret Army program that recruited refugees to gather battlefield intelligence.
Belgian Railway Earned Millions for Holocaust Trains, Report Finds
The Nazis paid the national rail company for transporting Jews, Roma and members of the resistance to concentration camps during World War II, according to the report.
Henry Kissinger, Who Shaped U.S. Cold War History, Dies at 100
The most powerful secretary of state of the postwar era, he was both celebrated and reviled. His complicated legacy still resonates in relations with China, Russia and the Middle East.
In Hitler’s Birthplace, Soul-Searching Over a Poisonous Past
The Austrian government is turning the house where Hitler was born into a police station. But many think it should be used instead to teach essential lessons about history.
The Battle of Tarawa in Pictures
The Battle of Tarawa, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, took a heavy toll on American forces and led to outrage at home.