At the beginning of WWII many Western leaders fled to England. Incl the Dutch Royal Family and French General De Gaulle. After D-Day many of them returned as “Liberators”

Especially De Gaulle was such a “coward”. Before returning to France in 1945 he 1st had a meeting with Montgomery in Normandy to check if everything was safe. Later, when Paris was freed by the Resistance, he showed up as The Liberator of France! But 1st asking Eisenhower if the Champs Elyssees was clear.

Dutch Prins Berhard played a very dubieus role in WWII. In 1933, German born, he was a member of the SS. Then married Princes Juliana of the Netherlands an became Dutch. During the war he met Hitler advisor Rudolf Hess, who had flown to England. Allegedly Hitler didn’t know.

A secret meeting with Hess, the English Royal Family and anti Churchill politicians was held in the Midands. They discussed a plan try to make peace with Adolf. Who was promised an Embassy in his favourite place, Bridgenorth in Shropshire. Hitler fancied that and halted his troops attacking Dunkirk and blocked other preparations to invade England.

In June 1944 Hitler kept his reserves far North around Boulogne. Insisting the invasion would be via the Pas de Calais. Against the advice of his Generals. Who knew D-Day would be in the Normandy.

Luckily Churchill was a fighter and stopped any peace approach to Hitler. Rudolf Hess was jailed in an English prison, the Royal Family was locked up in Windsor Castle and Prins Bernhard was told to shut the f…up. And after the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbour the US finally entered WWII.

In the Pacific the US re-captured 1 Island after the other and liberated The Philippines. To get near Japan they had to get hold of the The Mariana islands. Which they did! However still too far for the B-29 bombers to attack Tokio and return to the Marianas. They needed the runways on Guam to re-fuel. Why? I never understood.

Pce of cake thought the US government and the Navy admirals. 56.000 US Marines v 18.000 Japs. However, the Japanese emperor had ordered the Guam Commander Takashina and his Harakiri fighters to defend the Island with their lives. Knowing that the loss of Guam would be the end for Japan. Takashina was a brilliant strategist.

He created a tunnel system on the North of the Island. His fighters could move from one hole into the other without being seen. He let the Americans invade the Guam beaches without a shot. Than, when the US Marines were climbing the vulcano, the Japs started to shoot. Killing 2000 yanks and wounded 5000.

This bloodshed did not come over well with the American public. They stopped buying bonds to finance the US war machine. Only Navy sub admiral Mike Mitcher disobeyed Washington orders and helped the US troops to finish the job at Guam.

WWII is full of political blunders and mis judgements by politicians and generals. Luckily Hitler and Himmler made more. Otherwise we would be all speaking German now.

Have we learned our lesson from WWII? I doubt.