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VE day: 'Our dad wrote the peace document'
BBC ^ | May 4th 2020 | Julis Peacock

Posted on 05/08/2020 12:30:16 PM PDT by Winniesboy

Friday 8 May is the 75th anniversary of VE day- the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Few people realised that a British theatre actor and manager, turned soldier, drafted the historic document of surrender which ended the conflict.

For years, John Counsell’s twin daughters had no idea about the role he played.

Jenny and Elizabeth Counsell, who are now 77, have spoken of their pride at his part in helping to bring the Second World War to an end.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: anniversary; counsell; may8; veday; ww2

1 posted on 05/08/2020 12:30:16 PM PDT by Winniesboy
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To: Winniesboy

This day, all those years ago is one of my FIRST memories ... I was about 3 or 4 years old. I remember the celebration on the courthouse square (Bluffton, Indiana) and I thought VE was something to eat, everybody kept talking about it. The memory was kept alive by my Mom always kidding me about it later. This was a big anniversary date back in “the day.”


2 posted on 05/08/2020 12:34:37 PM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag (Congress is not made up of leaders however they are representatives of their voters.)
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To: Winniesboy

What a great story! Can you imagine getting g top secret orders — “You have 90 minutes to write th eGerman surrender document”?

I never would have gotten over the writer’s block and paralysis.


3 posted on 05/08/2020 12:39:10 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ThePatriotsFlag

My mother remembers it well. She would’ve just turned 8 the other day, and her father took the family from the western edge of Baltimore into downtown and she said the celebration and euphoria was enormous, like the crowds you see in the famous New York photos. (Baltimore was a great city then.)


4 posted on 05/08/2020 12:46:19 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Well, certainly they could have Googled a blogger or two for some excerpted words. The Great NNettle Senior, or TheNextSirRush? Ah, yes, alas, they didn’t yet exist.


5 posted on 05/08/2020 1:00:52 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Winniesboy
Churchill,Eisenhower,Patton and a few Generals and Admirals in the Pacific literally saved Western civilization.The only thing Roosevelt did to help was to appoint Ike.
6 posted on 05/08/2020 1:02:11 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (The Rats Just Can't Get Over The Fact That They Lost A Rigged Election!)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

I dare say all American cities were great then.


7 posted on 05/08/2020 1:10:58 PM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: PghBaldy

Pretty much, yes.

We’ll be Called racist for pointing it out.


8 posted on 05/08/2020 1:12:11 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
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To: Larry Lucido

They said Dad did the next best thing. He DID find an old peace treaty in the records where he was working and borrowed the diplomatic language from it to get started.


9 posted on 05/08/2020 1:15:32 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Smart man! :-)


10 posted on 05/08/2020 1:18:05 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Winniesboy
For years, John Counsell’s twin daughters had no idea about the role he played.

Was it really him, or just a committee meeting in the men's room?

11 posted on 05/08/2020 1:19:02 PM PDT by x
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To: Gay State Conservative

FDR actually did a little more than that. Before the war erupted and Ike was appointed he was a busy guy. In September of 1940 he started the draft. He pushed and signed the Lend Lease act in March of 1941. He launched the prewar industrial buildup. For example, we broke ground on the famous Willow Run Bomber plant 6 months before Pearl Harbor. We were in a defacto war with Germany in the Atlantic for months before Pearl Harbor. When presented with the concept, he was fully behind the Manhattan Project.
And during the war, probably most important of all he made sure the Brits were second among equals. Ultimately he made sure we were the lead partner and he always diplomatically reminded the Brits of that in several small ways.
That mentality ensured we didn’t get an idiotic repeat of the British leadership in WWI.

Lots of things not to like about Roosevelt in the Depression, and in his handling of the Russians. But it’s a bit much to say all he did was appoint Ike. That’s just not historically accurate.


12 posted on 05/08/2020 1:50:49 PM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: DesertRhino
FDR was itching to get in the war. He knew the economy would recover due to the defense spending.

It'd cover up for his failed "New Deal" which was really just socialism.

13 posted on 05/08/2020 2:33:10 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Winniesboy

Now that was fun. I love WW II history. Thank you.


14 posted on 05/08/2020 3:37:51 PM PDT by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: Winniesboy

The original surrender document was shorter.
“We won and you lost!”


15 posted on 05/08/2020 3:40:06 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (homeless guy. He just has more money....He the master will plant more cotton for the democrat party)
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To: Winniesboy

THE image

http://www.researchhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ve-day1.jpg


16 posted on 05/08/2020 5:02:34 PM PDT by combat_boots (God bless Israel and all who protect and defend her. Merry Christmas! In God We Trust!)
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