The Daily Populous Friday July 24th, 2020 evening edition
in 1943, Operation Gomorrah began: British and Canadian aeroplanes bombed Hamburg by night, and American planes bombed the city by day. By the end of the operation in November, 9,000 tons of explosives have killed more than 30,000 people and destroyed 280,000 buildings.
Before the war, before Hitler, she met my British Grandfather, and he took her to India with him when he was sent there.
For what it’s worth, he was a translator, speaking multiple languages easily. It was his thing. He was sent to India by the company he was with to help them set up business there, and they figured he could learn to speak Hindi quickly.
He did, but two weeks before he went, he tried his luck with a German girl in the typing pool that he liked. He walked up to her and asked her out. He told her he was going to India, and asked if she’d like to join him. Off they went, together.
Anyway, after the war, they returned to Hamburg.
My Grandmother was stunned, shocked by what had happened to the city she was from. Her home, everything she recognised from before - everything - destroyed and turned to grey dust and rubble.
I don’t mean shocked or stunned, as in ‘hand on mouth, oh my goodness me’ - I mean stunned and shocked to mean incapable of speaking, done, empty, devoid of the ability to function.
Moving on, they then went to the UK with their two children, shunned by everyone because she was German.
Hamburg is now again a beautiful city and the haven is really amazing. Same like Dresden and Erfurt. They were totally destroyed in the war but now are beautifully rebuild and restored. Of course the bombing were terrible and we have some bombs and mines still the ground sometimes but Germany managed to rebuild themself and now have better politics and a system in place that never again can form a dictator.
In this context, I know a well handed story about my wife's grandmother who survived the destruction of Hamburg.
My wife's grandmother was in Hamburg at the time. She was 12 years old and lived with her stepmother, her father was on the Eastern Front. Her stepmother was quite a dragon to her. When the bombs fell and everyone ran into the shelters she was sent home by her stepmother because she didn't have any shoes on. She refused, got a slap in the face and was sent off again. On the way to her home, which was only a few minutes away, she heard countless explosions over Hamburg and the night sky was brightly illuminated in red. She survived the bombing, had her shoes but was traumatized for years afterwards and refused to tell the story for a long time.
Jazzspasm on July 24th, 2020 at 06:15 UTC »
My Grandmother was from Hamburg
Before the war, before Hitler, she met my British Grandfather, and he took her to India with him when he was sent there.
For what it’s worth, he was a translator, speaking multiple languages easily. It was his thing. He was sent to India by the company he was with to help them set up business there, and they figured he could learn to speak Hindi quickly.
He did, but two weeks before he went, he tried his luck with a German girl in the typing pool that he liked. He walked up to her and asked her out. He told her he was going to India, and asked if she’d like to join him. Off they went, together.
Anyway, after the war, they returned to Hamburg.
My Grandmother was stunned, shocked by what had happened to the city she was from. Her home, everything she recognised from before - everything - destroyed and turned to grey dust and rubble.
I don’t mean shocked or stunned, as in ‘hand on mouth, oh my goodness me’ - I mean stunned and shocked to mean incapable of speaking, done, empty, devoid of the ability to function.
Moving on, they then went to the UK with their two children, shunned by everyone because she was German.
I never knew her.
Luwe95 on July 24th, 2020 at 08:24 UTC »
Hamburg is now again a beautiful city and the haven is really amazing. Same like Dresden and Erfurt. They were totally destroyed in the war but now are beautifully rebuild and restored. Of course the bombing were terrible and we have some bombs and mines still the ground sometimes but Germany managed to rebuild themself and now have better politics and a system in place that never again can form a dictator.
GildoFotzo on July 24th, 2020 at 09:38 UTC »
In this context, I know a well handed story about my wife's grandmother who survived the destruction of Hamburg.
My wife's grandmother was in Hamburg at the time. She was 12 years old and lived with her stepmother, her father was on the Eastern Front. Her stepmother was quite a dragon to her. When the bombs fell and everyone ran into the shelters she was sent home by her stepmother because she didn't have any shoes on. She refused, got a slap in the face and was sent off again. On the way to her home, which was only a few minutes away, she heard countless explosions over Hamburg and the night sky was brightly illuminated in red. She survived the bombing, had her shoes but was traumatized for years afterwards and refused to tell the story for a long time.