What image or event of 2nd World War has moved you the most?

[Kunikov]

Not so much an image as the simple thought of two events: one, the loss of life on the eastern front in 1941, when millions of 18 and 19 and 20 year old boys were killed or taken prisoner, where most would die, and the lives, ideas, achievements, friendships, talent, joy, and happiness that the world lost and would never get to know. Second is the image of veterans, from practically any war, wounded, maimed, psychologically, emotionally, and physically, never to be the same again, yet treated like dirt by most and respected for what they gave up and achieved by so few, hardly even do their governments recognize them and give them their dues.

[zstar]

Truely horrific

[Acolyte]

I surmise the WW2-era images linked in below would move me the most - probably towards the nearest toilet if I actually saw them in real life.

Um, should I add WARNING EXPLICIT CONTENT?

Injuries produced by high explosive shell, Italy 1944

The Battle Of Pala Lou

Black and white images show dismembered World War II victims

Exclusive World War II Scenes From Japan

In the end of the day, this is the reality of war.

By the way, for some reason we see the same images taken in every war:

[lbj]

For me its a pic of two soldiers. One German and one British talking and passing a cigarette between them. It was taken in Dunkirk in '44 during a German called truce to allow French civilians to evacuate the battle area. It clearly demolishes all the stupid wartime and post-wartime propaganda of the German soldier in one sweep.

Yeah whatever...one picture makes everything they did ok...moron[/b]

[Benny C.]

For me it has to be the film clip of a Nazi in full uniform & jackboots & riding whip taunting an extremely old Jewish woman who is sitting on the end of a cart and the Nazi lifting her head up with his riding whip. I'm sure alot of you know the clip, it has been used in many documentaries etc. about the Nazi's. The look of sheer terror on the old woman's face is very powerful.

[Rommel8]

Zstar, what it gods name is that from?

[Foxxy]

Zstar, what it gods name is that from?

I believe it was taken during the Nanking massacre in 1937.

[Acolyte]

Zstar, what it gods name is that from?

I believe it was taken during the Nanking massacre in 1937.

I disagree. The people in the background seem to be dark-skinned natives, maybe from India or SE Asia. I guess the soldier in the front isn't wearing a Japanese uniform.

Just my two cents.

[Michael Emrys]

FWIW, I am tending to agree with Acolyte. One possible guess as to region is somewhere in the East Indies, Borneo for instance. Head hunting was a long-time tradition in those parts and would not have come as a great shock. The man in uniform looks to me more like a policeman than a soldier, though of course in that part of the world as in others, the constabulary was a paramilitary organization not too different from light infantry in the way that it was armed and trained.

[Potsdamerplatz]

One photograph that I will always remember and have very sad memories of is this one:

Some girls, probably just in their 20's, are having one last photograph taken before they are executed. They are stripped down to their underwear, clothes beside them. Possibly in the background you can see a pit with other Jews being executed by SS (I cannot recall the exact background details as it is 15 years since I last seen this photograph)
Almost certainly the Einsatzgruppen executions.

I will never forget the look on the face of one girl in particular, holding hands with her friend/sister maybe? She knows that she is going to her death but still has some dignity even though you can clearly see the fear in her face.

It is very sad.

If anyone knows what photograph I am referring to and could post a copy it would be very much appreciated.

Best wishes,

DAVID

[Desert Foxas]

A really brutal photo showing a german soldier with his arm shot off.

[John CL]

Sorry I don't have a scanner so I'll have to describe...
In "Unternehemen Barbarossa im Bild" By PauL Carell photo on p 348 shows a German soldier in Russia.
His face is an infinity of fatigue, anxiety, world weariness, unspoken horror, despair, resolution...
The fact that he is an enemy soldier makes it all the more poignant.
In "Through Hell for Hitler" By Henry Mettelmann, he describes his experiences as a soldier in Russia
and goes on to say that one lesson of the war for him was never to delight in the death of his enemies.
I feel the same about this photo. A picture of German soldier in Russia in WW2 can evoke sympathy and sorrow, despite
knowledge of the horrors attendant with that invasion.
I do not delight in the suffering of anyone and I hope that I can never fall into
the trap of seeing some people as less than human, or rejoicing that they got what they deserved.
As Shakespeare said. " Use every man after his deserts and who should escape whipping?"

[Globalization41]

As a young kid in Charleston West Virginia I
became interested in baseball statistics. The
statistic that fascinated me most was the .400
batting average. The last player to hit .400
was Ted Williams in 1941, baseball season
spanning from April through September.
Eventually I spent many hours at Charleston's
Public Library researching baseball boxscores
of the 1941 season from The New York Times
using the library's microfilm reader. Meanwhile,
I couldn't help noticing news clippings
describing the awesome events of World War
II. ... The event from WWII that fascinated
me the most was the reporting of troop
concentrations along the Soviet-Nazi
demarcation line and the tense situation just
prior to the outbreak of the German-Russian
War.

Globalization41

[Twix]

Brutal conditions in which both sides fought - Soviet Leningrad offensive operation - 1943.

[LAstry2]

Kazimera Mika surved the war, married and passed away age 93....