Soldiers raise the Soviet flag on the roof of the Reichstag in Berlin in May 1945.

[Yevgeny Khaldei (1917-1997)]

Who won the war in Europe? Historians weigh in

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

History isn’t always what we might assume it to be, and there appears to be no consensus among nations over the question of which country contributed most to the Allies’ Second World War victory in Europe.

The North American public tends to assume that the United States played the greatest role in bringing about VE-Day. But don’t tell that to a Russian.

As many as 30 million Soviets are estimated to have died between Germany’s June 1941 invasion of the USSR and the war’s end, while the number of German troops killed by the Soviets is estimated at more than 3.5 million. That’s three-quarters of the total 4.7 million German military killed by Allied forces in the Second World War.

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• Undying love, Part 2: A grieving mother secrets her Great War soldier son’s remains home to Canada
• Undying love, Part 1: A grieving mother secrets her Great War soldier son’s remains home to Canada

Kevin Hicks of the Saskatoon Museum of Military Artifacts speaks to visitors. [Courtesy Saskatoon Museum of Military Artifacts]

An armchair tour of the Saskatoon Museum of Military Artifacts

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

From Halifax to Vancouver, Winnipeg to St. John’s, N.L., Royal Canadian Legion halls across the country have proudly displayed the likes of uniforms, medals and other military memorabilia for nearly a century, each object standing as a testament to Canada’s contributions in war and peace, all stories unto themselves.

Such is the case at the Saskatoon Museum of Military Artifacts, where its many tales, old and new, speak to the service of Saskatchewanians. What began as an informal exhibit space at the city’s Nutana Branch, has developed, following decades of donations, into a fully fledged centre with a diverse collection. Since 2017, when Legionnaires officially transferred the thousands of items to the newly incorporated museum situated on site, the facility has continued its work of promoting military heritage, driven by a cadre of community volunteers with a bright vision for the future.

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Bell cemetery in Hamburg after the Second World War. [Bundesarchive]

The seizing of Europe’s bells

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

The bells that rang out across allied nations after the First World War ended what for many had been a four-year silence enforced by regulation in some places and imposed by confiscation in others.

In Germany and across Europe, tens of thousands of bronze bells—some imparting “the songs of the angels” since the 12th century—had been seized and melted down for arms and munitions.

During the First World War, 44 per cent of the bells in Germany alone were lost, many given willingly to support the war effort—and some not so willingly.

In the parish of Kusel in southwestern Germany, Deacon Karl Munzinger had grudgingly resigned himself to the inevitable after resisting a decree ordering the surrender of bells to be melted down and converted to guns and shells.

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• Undying love, Part 1: A grieving mother secrets her Great War soldier son’s remains home to Canada
• High fliers: The legacy of Malcom McBean Bell-Irving and other Great War pilots

Whitey’s Journey by Kelsey Lonie is a new children’s book about a WW II canine mascot published by Heritage House Publishing. [Courtesy Heritage House Publishing]

Children’s book published on Canadian WW II dog mascot

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

“Sometimes, a story reaches out and just won’t let go,” suggested Kelsey Lonie, a Canadian military historian and educator-turned-children’s book author. That story, first told to her by Gord Crossley, The Fort Garry Horse Museum and Archives curator, instantly resonated with the Regina resident.

“I told [Crossley] how much I love the intersection of animals and the Second World War,” continued Lonie, “and he obviously highlighted the ties between [renowned children’s book character] Winnie the Pooh and Winnipeg [during the First World War]. He then mentioned that The Fort Garry Horse regiment had a dog during World War Two. His name was Whitey, and he was a collie.”

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Canadian homeowners aged 55+ can access up to 55% of their home’s value without having to sell. As a proud partner of the Royal Canadian Legion, HomeEquity Bank offers Legion members $500 cash back* upon funding their CHIP Reverse Mortgage.

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