World War II Diaries:The Complete War Report
1943 May
E45 Dec 10, 2017
In Poland, over two thousand Jews are transferred from Wlodawa to the Sobibor death camp, directed by the SS general Franz Reichleitner. When they reach the arrivals platform and realise the tragic fate that awaits them, they desperately rebel against the SS guards watching over them, attacking them with sticks and stones. The rioters are gunned down. New Zealander pilot Leonard Henry Trent heads a squadron of 12 aircraft with the mission of bombing the Amsterdam power station in Holland. Before reaching the target, nine of the planes are shot down and only two make it back to base. Captain Trent, going solo, manages to attack the station, but is subsequently brought down and captured by the Germans along with his co-pilot. After the war he was liberated and decorated with the Victoria Cross.