Friday, June 15, 1945. Infantry Day.

The longest British Parliament since the Cavalier Parliament of 1661–1679 was dissolved ahead of the July 5 elections.  Parliament had been in session since 1935, as elections during the war had been suspended.

The Battle of Bessang Pass in the Philippines came to an end in an Allied victory.

It was the first flight of the XP-82, the Twin Mustang.

Coming too late for its intended role as an escort for B-29s in World War Two, it would see action during the Korean War before it was retired in 1953.

Today In Wyoming's History: June 15: 1945  Governor Leslie Hunt proclaimed to day Infantry Day.

Conflict, starring Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith and Sydney Greenstreet was released.

Last edition:

Thursday, June 14, 1945. Slogging.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Charles de Gaulle, Chester Nimitz, Chinese Army, Chinese National Army, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Japan, Northern Ireland, Okinawa, Ulster, World War Two

Friday, May 25, 1945. The Clock.

"A Battery, 465 FA Bn) located near Ballette Pass, Luzon, P.I.) in the 25th Div, one of action. Pfc R. Duffy; Pfc T. McDonald; Pfc A. Mullins; Pfc T. Kaskie; Pvt A. Rossetti; Capt H. W. Berberian; T/4 F. Grogorowich; Cpl D. Marcus; Cpl K. Cameron; Pfc J. Sullivan; Pfc E. Colby all of Boston, Mass, load the prepare to fire an 8 in gun. The Japs are located on a ridge about, 500 yds forward this position. 25 May, 1945.  465th Field Artillery Battalion."   This gun appears to be a 155mm "Long Tom", a long range artillery piece.  If this caption is correct, it's a freakish situation in that the gun is so close to the front lines.

The Battle of Odžak between Yugoslav (communist) partisans and the fascist Croatian Armed Forces ended in a Yugoslav partisan victory.  Fighting ended in Europe.

The American armed forces Chiefs of Staff set November 1, 1945 as the start date for the invasion of Japan.

USS Bates (APD-47) burning off Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands, after being hit by three kamikazee.  May 25, 1945.

MGM released the wartime romance, The Clock.

The plot centers around a whirlwind romance of a soldier on leave and a woman he meets, taking place in 48 hours.  They meet and marry in that time frame.

Suffice it to say, a marriage contracted that rapidly would be risky.

The Post World War Two increase in divorces. . . maybe.*

On this general topic, I rewated The Best Years of Our Lives Friday night.  What struck me in rewatching it was the casual acceptance of divorce in the film.  Perhaps that's stretching it, but two of the central characters are involved, in a way, in a sort of semi illicit love affair, and are portrayed sympathetically.

The other thing that struck me, which has before, is that Cpt. Derry is shown to have nothing beyond a (presumed) high school education. That would be correct for his wartime role, but it would not have occurred very often any time post war, after which college educations became the norm for officers.

Last edition:

Thursday, May 24, 1945. Japanese paratroopers on Okinawa.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Army, Atlanta Georgia, Australian Army, Bernard Law Montgomery, Charles de Gaulle, German Luftwaffe, Imperial Japanese Army, New Guinea, Okinawa, Tokyo Japan, U.S. Air Force, World War Two

Wednesday, March 11, 1942. They Were Expendable

 

Lieutenant, later Admiral, John Bulkeley, who commanded the PT boat unit that evacuated the MacArthurs.  He'd receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for service during the war and served in the Atlantic and Pacific.

Today in World War II History—March 11, 1942: 80 Years Ago—Mar. 11, 1942: In the Philippines, Gen. Douglas MacArthur evacuates Corregidor by PT boat with his family and staff for Mindanao. Col. Karl Bendetsen is appointed director of US Wartime Civil Control Administration to supervise removal of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast. Britain bans sale of white bread, replaced by National Wheatmeal Loaf made of whole wheat and potato flour.

From Sarah Sundin's blog.

This is indeed a day in which a famous event in World War Two occurred, that being the evacuation of Douglas MacArthur and his family from Corregidor.  It was done under orders from President Franklin Roosevelt.  While MacArthur was obeying a direct order, the event remained famously controversial among some.

Admiral Francis Rockwell and his family was also included, which for some reason is hardly ever noted.

The event was recorded in the well known book They Were Expendable, which was turned into a movie, both of which were produced during the war, the book in 1942 and the movie in 1945. The movie was released, however, just after the war, in December 1945.  It was directed by John Ford and featured John Wayne.

Brazilian President Getulio Vargas issued a decree that stated his powers to declare war or a state of emergency, which lead to the confiscation of the property of Axis countries in Brazil.