Friday, December 16, 2011

Eleven Facts About the End of World War I-- Part 2

8.. SIX MORE HOURS-- The Armistice was signed at 5 am Paris time with all fighting to end at 11 am. The Germans wanted an immediate cease fire, but Allies insisted on six to get the word out. Some units quit at the appointed time, others continued, especially some American officers who wanted a chance to get some additional glory and promotion.

Several thousand men were wounded or killed in those six hours.


7. FUTURE AMERICAN PRESIDENT-- Captain harry S, Truman kept his artillery battery firing until just minutes before 11 am. Some historians draw a straight line from that to his decision in 1945 to drop the atomic bombs.


6. BEGINNING AND END AT MONS-- The British Army started and ended the war at Mons. Some of the first British deaths occurred here in August 1914 when five divisions of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force). November 11, 1918, found British forces back here and the last Commonwealth soldier was killed here.

It's Not Over Till It's Over. --Cooter

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