This Job's for the Birds-- Part 3: Many Uses of the Tower of London

The jet-black birds are a familiar feature at the Tower of London landmark, which has served as an arsenal, palace, prison, zoo and more recently a tourist attraction. 

Built by King William I after hiss conquest of England in 1066, it served as a royal residence for several hundred years, but is more famous as a prison.  Famous inmates have included Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I; Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up Parliament; and Adolph Hitler's deputy, Rudolph Hess.

Nowadays, almost 3 million tourists come each year to soak up history and see the glittering Crown Jewels which are kept there.

--Cooter

Berlin Olympics Cancelled in 1916-- Part 2: Deutsches Stadium 1913-1933

The German Empire even constructed a dazzling new facility to serve as the center piece for the games.  Known as the Deutsches Stadium, it opened well ahead of the games in 1913.
After the First World War broke out in July 1914, preparations carried on for awhile since no one expected the hostilities to last another two years.

But, the horrific war lasted until 1918, eventually forcing the Olympics to be cancelled.

The arena was temporarily used as a military hospital.  After the war, it was used as the home of the German National Football Team (Soccer) and  German Championship games.  Also for races and the celebration of Paul von Hindenberg's 80th birthday.  Hitler even spoke here.

In 1931, the Olympic Committee made Berlin the host city of the 11th Olympics in 1936 and originally plans were to just restore the stadium, but the Nazis were in power by then and they wanted something even more grander and so the original Deutsches Stadium was torn down  in 1933, twenty years after it was built.

--DaCootOlym

Hitler's Goddaughter's Christening Gown

From the May 20, 2010, Telegraph UK.

It's embroidered with swastikas and was worn by Herman Goering's daughter Edda at the ecermony in 1938 and blieved to be a present from Hitler himself.  In a photo from it, Hitler is seen holding the child as Reich Bishop Ludwig Muller conducted the ceremony.

The dress was kept by one of Goering's maids, Frieda Zychski, and now owned by a collector who was selling it at Mulloch's Auction House in Ludlow, Shorpshire and expected to fetch around 7,000 pounds.

Goering was the head of the German air force, the Luftwaffe.

Edda is still alive and thought to be living in South Africa.

Just a Bit of Oddball World War II History.  --Cooter

Bits 'O History: Il Duce's Clothes-- Hitler's Ghost

A couple of recent articles of World War II interest involving two of the Axis leaders.


1. IL DUCE'S CLOTHES-- Benito Mussolini's clothes are up for sale at an auction. They were in his suitcase when he was captured by partisans and executed in April 1945. Paul Moriconi, a Rochester doctor, died last year at age 87, and acquired it while he was a soldier back then.

They were auctioned this past Sunday and between $10,000 and $15,000 was expected.


3. HITLER'S GHOST-- Well, not actually his ghost, but memory of him. A British travel company is offering tours of places associated with the German World War II leader, including the "Berghof" and "Eagle's Nest" near Berchtesgaden, Germany. The tour is called a "Hitler Holiday."

Even today, flowers and candles mysteriously turn up on Hitler's birthday at the "Berghof." This complex was bombed during the war and destroyed after its capture. Very little remains and it is not marked.

"Eagle's Nest" or "Hitler's Tea House" on the top of a nearby mountain attracts thousands of visitors each year.

A Vacation I'm Not Sure I'd Take. --Cooter

Germany still has a problem in how to remember the former leader.

Osama and Adolf

Two of the most evil men in history share something beside their level of depravity.

From the May 2nd New York Daily News (whose headline read "Rot in Hell," guess we know where they stand on the issue) "Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler both declared dead on May 1."

Both have something in common beside their "towering reputation of evil--and also an anniversary.

Of course, late last night, the world learned that mass-murderer Osama bin Laden was dead.

Late on May 1, 1945, about the same time at the president's announcement, German radio announced that Hitler had fallen "fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany.

He had actually committed suicide the day before.

A Coincidence?

Top 15 Most Evil Nazis

From the August 20th List Universe.

I wonder where Hitler will rank?

I am just listing them. You can find out the hows and whys and pictures at the List Universe site. www.listverse.com.

15. Hermann Goering
14. Ilse Koch (only female on the list)
13. Joseph Goebbels
12. Franz Stangl
11. Paul Blobel
10. Josef Kramer
9. Ernst Kaltenbrunner
8. Friedrich Jeckeln
7. Oskar Dirlewanger
6. Odilo Globoenik
5. Adolf Eichmann (I remember hearing about his trial while a young boy.)
4. Joseph Mengele
3. Reinhard Heydrich
2. Adolf Hitler
1. Heinrich Himmler

Worth Checking Out. --DaCoot

Coast Guard Ship Eagle

I wrote about this vessel earlier today in my Civil War blog, Saw the Elephant http://.sawtheelephant.com. As it went past Fort Fisher on the Cape Fear River, the fort fired a welcoming cannon from its 32-pounder at Sheppard Battery.

The August 6th Wilmington Star-News had an article about it by Amy Hotz. Currently, the ship is in the US Coast Guard and used to train Coast guard and other officer candidates and is based in New London, Connecticut.

It is a 295 foot long, square-rig tall ship, USCGC WIX327. The hull is .4 inch thick and has a raised forecastle and a quarterdeck with 3-inch teak over steel. Under full sail, it can make a top speed of 17 knots (20 mph). One striking feature of the ship is the gold eagle on its bow. It has three masts, the tallest of which is 150 feet high.

The reason I am placing this story here is because of its World War II and subsequent history.

It was built in 1936 in Hamburg, Germany and commissioned as Horst Wessel. Originally used as training vessel for German cadets. Adolph Hitler and Rudolph Hess were present at its launch. Horst Wessel was a Nazi party member killed by Communists.

During World War II, it had eight 20 mm machine guns mounted on it and is credited with shooting down 3 Soviet aircraft and one German. This last plane was determined to be an accident after it was found that the pilot had radioed in the wrong code for his battle group, but it certainly didn't help the man's blood pressure.

After the war, the United States received the Wessel in war reparations.

Interesting Story. --Cooter