#OTD 3 June 1943, #WW2 Trent Park is now home to Hans-Jurgen von Arnim... recently in Tunisia. The story of his debriefing is extraordinary. For a review of Helen Fry's account 'The Walls Have Ears', see historynet here tinyurl.com/3fty7zu9

#WW2, June 1943, Trent Park, Enfield, North London, now a POW facility for captured German generals and staff officers. General von Arnim, who surrendered in Tunisia, has been here two weeks. Last night more generals arrived. They do not know the walls are bugged. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_P...

#OTD 3 June 1943, #WW2 Algiers. US diplomat Robert Murphy describes how French leaders Giraud and de Gaulle appear to be reaching an agreement. he Allies prepare to celebrate this 'marriage'. 'Diplomat Among Warriors'. p.125 tinyurl.com/3umnsc9b

#OTD 3 June 1943, #WW2 Rome. Iris Origo writes a single entry in her diary. She is also at risk: she is British-American, married to an Italian. As always, she is careful what she says, what she does, and above all what she writes. 'War in Val D'Orcia', p 38, tinyurl.com/473d8uvz

#WW2 1943. #WW2. Across cinemas in the UK, 'These are the Men' is showing. An extraordinary short film. Unlike any other propaganda of its time. The words unmistakably written by legendary Welsh poet #DylanThomas. tinyurl.com/4ndswxk4

#OTD 2 June '43, UK. 'Tatler' reviews 'Italy from Within'. Written BEFORE the Allied invasion of Tunisia, the book ends with the question: 'How long will the Italians have to wait for the defeat of the German Army by those of the United Nations'? Richard Massock,. p.392. tinyurl.com/35evk7r9

#OTD 2 June 1943. UK 'Tatler' reviews 'Italy from Within', written by AP correspondent Richard Massock. Written BEFORE the Allied invasion of North Africa, it provides insights into fascism for the upcoming invasion of Sicily. Highly readable, and available online. tinyurl.com/35evk7r9

#OTD 2 June 1943, #WW2 Algeria. Gunner Spike Milligan and his mates spend a few days camping in the Kerrata Gorge. A welcome break after the months of fighting in Tunisia. On the road, 'hewn from solid granite', a giant engraved stone 'Le travail du Militaire Francaise 1882'. tinyurl.com/4mcmvtp5

#OTD 2 June 1943, #WW2 North Africa. A week since Andre Gide left Tunis for Algiers. So much lost time to recapture - reunions with old friends like St Exupery. Today a short diary entry: 'It is high time to change notebooks'. He will not post again for a fortnight. p.219, tinyurl.com/nncwucdb

#OTD 2 June 1943, #WW2 Tunisia 'Churchill acknowledging cheers from the people in the suburbs of Tunis as he passes a German Mk V1 Tiger tank.' Photo: Sgt Stubbs. Army Film & Photographic Unit IWM, tinyurl.com/44kyrh5y

#OTD 2 June 19423, #WW2 North Africa. The African American Tuskagees return safely from bombing Pantelleria. For their leader, Lt Col. Benjamin Davis: 'Performing satisfactorily in the coming real-world test is what mattered to him'. Davis: tinyurl.com/28cd7pph Tuskagees: tinyurl.com/5ejfrhys

#OTD 2 June 1943. #WW2. North Africa. Today the all-black 99th Tuskagees go into action for the first time. Their leader, Lt Col. Benjamin Davis urges them to rise above the racism: 'We are here to do a job, and by God, we’re going to do it well, so let’s get on with it' tinyurl.com/47nymbeb

1 June 1943 BOAC Flight 777 is shot down over the Bay of Biscay by German Junkers Ju 88s, killing British actor Leslie Howard and leading to speculation that it was actually an attempt to kill British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. #WW2 #History #HistoryMatters

#OTD 1 June 1943. #WW2 'The Prime Minister Winston Churchill raises his hat using a cane during an address to troops in the amphitheatre in Carthage, Tunisia, in June 1943.' IWM. tinyurl.com/yy9wbav5

#OTD 1 June 1943. #WW2. Tunisia. Churchill addresses the troops in Carthage. It's important to note that not all British people like or respect Churchill. Scroll down for the 'pithy' comments below this Facebook 'War History Online' page post from 27 August 2021.

#OTD 1 June 1943, #WW2 British actor Leslie Howard flying from Lisbon to England. 4 KLM crew and 13 passengers on board. Over the Bay of Biscay, the pilot messages they are under attack. Then radio silence. 'First of the Few', with Howard as Spitfire pilot showing in UK cinemas. [photo: wiki]

#OTD 1 June 1943. #WW2 Carthage, Tunis. An iconic photo. 'Winston Churchill leaves the old Roman amphitheatre at Carthage in Tunisia with First Army Commander, Lieutenant General Anderson, after addressing British troops on 1 June 1943.' Photo: Sgt. Stubbs IWM (NA 3253) tinyurl.com/2d7vkyau

#yesterday 31 May 1943, #WW2 Churchill's doctor, Lord Moran in London; his 'patient' in Algeria. Moran is reassured to hear that Winston is 'in great shape'. But no news on the BIG decision: What next: advance up Italy, or land in Normandy? Moran Churchill. p.109 tinyurl.com/4svs4hnn

#May 1943. #WW2, Algiers. War correspondent Richard McMillan ends his 'Mediterranean Assignment' on a note of unity, quoting Monty. 'Together, you and I, we will see this through to the end'. [Somehow, I don't think that includes both Giraud and de Gaulle] p.332 tinyurl.com/mryt7y7h

#May1943, Algiers. Another war correspondent comments more optimistically on the 'unified' Giraud / de Gaulle moment. A great French army 'thirsting for revenge'. Wes Gallagher, 'Back Door to Berlin', p.242, tinyurl.com/bdf2r3y4

#WW2 North Africa: Correspondent Drew Middleton reports a conversation he had with a Frenchman in liberated Tunis.They they are pertinent to the issue that is raging in Algiers #OTD 31 May, 1943. 'It is clear that the United States is no longer a home for hope' p.296: tinyurl.com/3bvw5ueb

#OTD 31 May 1943. UK: the British press report on de Gaulle's speech in Algiers last night. His first two main points are crucial: 1. The French fight only for France 2. Sovereignty, where it has been impaired, must be restored The battle lies are drawn. Daily Mirror - Monday 31 May 1943

#OTD 31 May '43, Algers. Harry Butcher reports on last night's speech by de Gaulle. The Allies (pro Giraud) are aware that there will be some sort of showdown between the two French leaders. Tonight, Ike hosts a dinner, with Churchill and Eden as guests. p.319, tinyurl.com/49b2pm9n

#OTD 31 May 1943. Algiers. Charles de Gaulle eyes up the opposition: Giraud has the 'Allied might' in his favour. BUT de Gaulle has the people. Today, 'thousands of patriots' assemble at the Place de la Post ... 'Each man in his heart knew how the contest would end.' p.116, tinyurl.com/yc3thxpr

#OTD 31 May 1943. Rome. Iris Origo reports on Churchill's intention to bomb European cities 'until the total destruction of the Axis powers'. Mixed loyalties: Origo is British / American, married to an Italian aristocrat. Bio on Wiki. 'War in Val D'Orcia', p.38 tinyurl.com/mr3v4r2b

#WW2 May 1943. Casablanca: Philip Cochran sails back to the US, to help set up 1st USAAF Air Commando Group. 30 million subscribers to Milton Caniff's 'Terry and the Pirates' comic strip, already know him as “Flip Corkin”. #WW2 legends: Philip Cochran wiki and elsewhere tinyurl.com/5shfsap5

#May1943 #WW2 Casablanca: 'Unorthodox' US pilot Philip Cochran returns to the US. At the harbour, General Spaatz instructs him to 'Tell them what we are going through. Tell them like it is'. Cochran is a LEGEND - he helps transform pilot training. Oral history (1975): p. 132, tinyurl.com/mr9amk7r

#OTD31 May 1943. Tunisia Campaign over... but #WW2 continues. 'Three Curtiss Kittyhawk Mark IIIs of No 112 Squadron, Royal Air Force preparing to depart from Medenine on a sortie. All three Kittyhawks display the squadron's distinctive 'shark mouth' insignia.' IWM, (TR 975), tinyurl.com/bdhuj6cf

(Not colourised. 😊) #OTD in 1943, Tunisia. Squadron Leader G.W. Garton of 112 Squadron and Captain E.C. Saville (right) and Flight Lieutenant L. Usher. #WW2 #HISTORY

#WW2, May 1943. USA, 'New Masses' writes: that delays in achieving full agreement between Giraud and de Gaulle are the product of the 'blindest prejudices in London and Washington;' 'Charles de Gaulle is the acknowledged leader of the French.' New Masses p.7, tinyurl.com/5n8nz5np

#WW2 May '43. USA: The magazine 'New Masses' denounces the 20% quotas on Negro inductions. 'The Constitution and the people of this country recognise no second class citizenship; the war recognises no second class deaths.' No quotas based on the color of a man's skin! p 5, tinyurl.com/5n8nz5np

#WW2 Tunisian campaign over. 'Documentary Newsletter' (March 1943) reviews a film about venereal disease - important for soldiers in North Africa. Quote of the day: 'syphilis and gonorrhoea can be discussed between people as casually as meningitis or small pox.' p. 191 tinyurl.com/4k5v8mkb

#WW2. In 1943 in the UK, intelligent people asked serious questions. Documentary film-makers were not afraid to quote Lenin when they imagined a better (socialist) post-war society: 'from each according to their ability, to each according to their need.' tinyurl.com/4k5v8mkb

#OTD 30 May 1943, #WW2 Algeria: Gunner Spike Milligan has left Tunisia and has arrived in his next camp: 'a desolate plain with a slight rise in the middle'. Welcome to Ain Abbess, Algeria. 'Monty'... p. 84, tinyurl.com/47a2xu5b

#OTD 30 May 1943, #WW2 Rome, Italy. Iris Origo notes the rise in prices for basic foods. It will get worse ... Meanwhile, the clandestine opposition is meeting, diverse groupings united in a common goal: 'the destruction of the fascist regime.' 'War in Cal D'Orcia', p.37 tinyurl.com/2s4zw948

#OTD 30 May 1943, #WW2. The plane carrying de Gaulle from London lands in Algiers. Ge. Giraud is there to greet him but the people are not told of his arrival. This is a momentous event... a whole new era of Resistance. 'Unity', p.115 tinyurl.com/ywp6rr9n

#OTD 30 May 1943. #WW2 Algiers. Tonight (at midnight) Charles de Gaulle will land in Algiers. This is the beginning of a new era of resistance. Before he left London, de Gaulle says 'goodbye' to Anthony Eden. This statement is very 'de Gaulle'. 'Unity', p. 114, tinyurl.com/ywp6rr9n

#OTD 30 May '43, #WW2 London. 'Un peuple qui n'as pas un chanson, c'est un peuple qui ne peut pas se battre.' Joseph Kessel & Maurice Drouon pen the lyrics to a tune by Russian exile Anna Marly. The whistling in 'Le Chant des Partisans' will soon be heard all over France. tinyurl.com/4xupw4hx

Twenty year old Leo d’Erlanger … one of my main persons of interest in the Ennejma Ezzahra story was in the Grenadier Guards in Doullens àt that time. Now I have a photo to illustrate his account. Thank you

This story of the US battle for the Aleutians is extraordinary. Many pilots made emergency landings in then neutral Soviet territory. Early 1944, the pilots/crews ‘escaped’ and made it to Tehran then Tunisia. They spent a month at Ennejma Ezzahra while false ‘legends’ were created. #PalaceAtWar

(1943, North Africa.) Montgomery captured Sfax, 5 days ahead of a bet deadline with Eisenhower, and earned himself a B-17. #WW2 #HISTORY

#OTD On May 29, 1943, the Algiers Allied Planning Conference was held at Eisenhower's villa in Algeria. Churchill, Marshall and Eisenhower met to finalize operational plans and dates for the Italian Campaign, solidifying the Allied Mediterranean strategy. #WWII #history #militaryhistory

#WW2, #May1943 Tunisian Campaign over, the Allies turn to the next target: the tiny island of Pantelleria. A rocky outcrop - with an airfield controlled by Axis forces - popularly known as the 'Gibraltar of the central Mediterranean'. Eisenhower 'Crusade in Europe' p. 203 tinyurl.com/3z2k4uhy

#AroundThisDay 38 May 1943, #WW2 Algiers. Another war correspondent, John D'Arcy Dawson leaves North Africa. This is the last page of the account that he publishes as 'Tunisian Battle' in January 1944. No more quotes from D'Arcy Dawson. tinyurl.com/4v3zvap5

#OTD 28 May, 1943. #WW2 Mid-Atlantic between US and Gibraltar. Churchill on board a Boeing Clipper with his physician, Lord Moran. Winston touches the doctor on the knee and comments. 'Do you realise we are fifteen hundred miles from anywhere?' Lord Moran Diaries. p. 107, tinyurl.com/5n8a3jdf

#OTD 28 May 1943, #WW2 Mid-Atlantic: Churchill has left the US after a gruelling 14 day visit with Roosevelt. He travels with his doctor, Lord Moran, who reflects in his diary on the impact of the war on the PM's state of health. Moran predicts 'trouble one day'. p.106, tinyurl.com/5n8a3jdf

#OTD 27 May 1943. #WW2 Mid-Atlantic: Boeing Clipper with Winston Churchill on board. 'A small 'pop' and a 'little flash of light'. The plane has been hit by lightning. All is well. Back to sleep. Moran's Diaries, p. 104 tinyurl.com/5n8a3jdf

#OTD 27 May 1943. #WW2 Algeria. 'Butch' reports on differences of opinion between US and British leaders concerning 'What Next?' - attack Italy or re-orient to Japan? They defer the final decision. Harry Butcher, p. 315, tinyurl.com/y2cxyde9

#OTD 27 May 1943, #WW2 Tunisia in Allied hands. Gunner Milligan, fresh from weekend leave in Carthage, now on the move. Destination secret. Along the roadside, they see posters that urge the French to join the 'Armee Libre Francaise'. 'Monty etc', p. 83 tinyurl.com/y2cxyde9

#OTD 27 May 1943, #WW2 Italy. British-born Iris Origo is still in Rome awaiting the birth of her child. The rumour is that, now Tunisia is taken, the Allies will invade Italy near the Origo property in Tuscany. 'War in Val D'Orcia, tinyurl.com/36uyx9pz