Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Witnesses To The Passages Of History

Winnie Burwash went to Britain to serve as a nurse, and after VE Day would travel into Europe to work in the same capacity.


Alongside their allies, Canadian forces continued to fight through to the end of the war in Europe.


One of those stories that happened all over in Allied forces: citizen soldiers excelling in times of war. James Roberts started as a junior officer and ended the war as a brigadier, decorated but crediting those he commanded for it. He would take part in negotiating surrender of enemy forces, and after the war would take part in war crimes prosecutions.


This is his service jacket and cap, and medal set.


A Nazi garrison flag was given to Roberts after the surrender as a trophy of war. Below are court documents in the war crimes prosecution of Kurt Meyer, a particularly ruthless SS commander brought to trial. Roberts was part of the group of officers to hear the case.


Several photographs of V-E Day in various spots are part of the exhibit. This one says it all, the faces of civilians and soldiers alike.


I finish today with a letter by Winnie Burwash to friends. What was ahead for her would be the darker legacy of the war: treating survivors of the camps. Tomorrow is the theme day, and we'll get back to this afterwards.

30 comments:

  1. These people played an important role during the war.

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  2. That V-E Day photo is priceless, the joy of the moment felt even now.

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  3. The V-E Day photo is a happy one. Take care, enjoy your day and week ahead.

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  4. Again, interesting to see the letters and diaries kept.

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  5. It is amazing what humans can do to each other, each side claiming God is on their side and merrily killing each other, and then having trials to determine whether their methods went too far. They did,of course, but there is still a great irony in it all.

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  6. @Nancy: indeed.

    @Gemel: years of strain over at last..

    @Eileen: thank you.

    @Revrunner: it is.

    @David: it is often that way in war.

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  7. ...a witness to suffering says it all!

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  8. Interesting to see the Nazi flag in that setting.

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  9. That medical bag is awfully small considering all that Winifred must have had to do and treat. it really makes you stop and think.

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  10. I like that joyful photo of the liberation. Could well be taken somewhere in the Netherlands.

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  11. These stories are all so well documented and with artifacts too.

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  12. @Tom: it does.

    @Marie: it always makes one uneasy.

    @Jeanie: she'd have seen a lot.

    @Jan: it was like that all over.

    @Anvilcloud: yes they are.

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  13. It must have been glorious when the unnecessary wars were over.

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  14. I'll be perfectly honest, just seeing that Nazi flag gives me an ugly feeling.

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  15. The work the nurses did was incredible.

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  16. I like the happy faces on the V-E Day photo. They must have felt amazing.

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  17. That is certainly a good exhibition you are showing us

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  18. I think of many other people who contributed so much to the war effort but are not recognized so well. You can't put everybody's story into the museum.

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  19. Never heard about this lady ! But apparently she did a lot of good things.

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  20. @Jennifer: had the Great War been resolved differently, ie with the future in mind instead of revenge and retribution, there would have never been a Second World War. Instead, it happened, and it became a necessity to fight that war.

    @Sharon: it is an ugly symbol of the most evil idea human beings ever came up with.

    @RedPat: they did so much.

    @Bill: that would have.

    @Billy: thank you.

    @Red: no, it's millions of stories.

    @Gattina: all of the nurses did a lot.

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  21. Muchos países se unieron, para luchar contra el enemigo común y eso hizo que se puso final a una terrible guerra.

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  22. So nice to see this.My family also emigrated from Canada to join the army
    I think iit is nice to highlight people that really did a good job so sad many of them are forgotten
    Nice to read and see photoes in these post

    Anita

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  23. Each person is so interesting and what energy ~ to serve ~ ^_^


    Happy Days,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  24. I keep learning about Canadian history.

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