15 Facts You Might Not Know About World War II

Hopefully you'll come away knowing something you didn't know before.

Published 4 months ago in Wow

There are more facts, figures, and stories about World War II than even the most dedicated historians will ever know.

But if you're still interested in learning more about the "The War," it's worth checking out this collection of 15 facts and stories you might not know. They won't give you a history degree, but hopefully you'll come away knowing something you didn't know before.

1
The story of the Göring brothers.

Hermann Göring was a high ranking German. He was head of the Luftwaffe and he was designated to be Hitler's successor. His brother was Albert Göring. Albert was staunchly Anti-Hitler. Albert saw the regime for what it was.

Albert would actually use who his brother was to get out of trouble for helping Jews escape. He would do things like drive a transport truck to the camps or ghettos where they were held, and demand to be given multiple people for work, or some other excuse. When he got resistance, he would drag out "Do you know who my brother is? NOW BRING THEM TO ME!" He would then drive them to safety and release them.

He once saw a bunch of Jewish women being forced to scrub a street, so he hopped down on his knees and joined them. When the German officer realized who he was, the scrubbing stopped.

He did many things like this. Saving Jews from almost certain death. Defying the party. Defying his brother. Again, using his brother's political clout to derail German objectives

At the end of the war, he was captured, and was going to be killed with the other captives, because OF COURSE Göring's brother must be German scum. By sheer dumb luck, a person in charge of processing his termination paperwork was a Jew he saved! That person spoke up, and many others did, and he was set free.

2
Bill Millin, a Scottish bagpiper who was among the first waves to invade the beaches on D-Day. Piper Bill walked up and down Sword beach playing highland tunes. Some Germans who claimed to have seen him didn't shoot because they believed he was crazy. He lived through the war, and died August 17, 2010.

3
Jumping Joe Beyrle of the 101st Airborne escaped a POW camp to the Soviet line, and became the only known person to fight for both the USA and Red Army in the war.
4
The recorded speech Emperor Hirohito gave to unconditionally surrender was the first time the general population of Japan had ever heard his voice.

5
The city of Zwolle, in the Netherlands, was liberated from the Nazis almost singlehandedly by a Canadian, Leo Major from Quebec. He ran around and caused enough racket for the Nazis to believe they were under attack by a larger force, and warned them about an upcoming artillery barrage, causing the Nazis to withdraw from the city with minimal civilian casualties.
6
US Soldiers stationed in Italy attempted to get coffee locally, but the Italians did coffee differently; the espressos and cappuccinos you get at your local shop today. Regular, water-through-grounds brewed coffee was unheard of. To alleviate this problem and satiate the soldiers' palates, the Americano was born. Espresso diluted with hot water to simulate regular coffee.
7
A Belgian pilot flying for the RAF found out the Nazis had executed his father in occupied Belgium. So after a mission he took a side trip and did a solo attack on the Gestapo headquarters in Brussels, dropping down to ground level in front of the building. He killed the local Gestapo commander along with some SS officer and the AA crew on the roof. Then he did a victory lap tossing little Belgian flags out of the window. Then he swung by his niece's place and dropped a big flag. Then he went home. He got demoted for violating his orders and a medal for what he did while he was violating his orders. He died later in the war

8
A group of Koreans fought for Japan, were captured by the Soviets and conscripted into their army until they were captured by Germany, and then conscripted into their army as well. After fighting for Japan, the Soviet Army and Germany, they were captured by the US Army in France.
9
Concealing the real D-Day plan was critical. Operation Mincemeat saw the British throw a body into the Mediterranean with false orders to confuse the Germans prior to the attack.
10
Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda did not surrender until 1974, after being stranded in the Jungle for decades.

11
They also set up an army using cardboard cutouts and inflatable tanks to trick the Germans into concentrating their forces and leaving Normandy open.
12
Tsutomu Yamaguchi was on a work trip to Hiroshima when the atom bomb went off. He then returned to his job/home in Nagasaki and was describing the blast to his unbelieving boss when the Nagasaki bomb went off. He survived both atom bombings.
13
John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming "Jack" Churchill, better known as "Mad Jack" Churchill had the only confirmed enemy kill of the war using a longbow and arrow.

14
The Japanese actually landed in Alaska for the Aleutian Islands campaign.
15
The USSR lost more troops than Britain, USA, Japan and Germany combined, and the overwhelming majority of the German army, about 80%, was defeated by the USSR on the Eastern front.