After The Battle, Issue 136

The first 20 pages of this issue titled ‘The Capture of William Joyce’ describe the capture of William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw), his subsequent trial and eventual execution – the last British civilian to be hung for treason.  William Joyce became notorious during the war as propaganda broadcaster in English for the Nazi-German radio, and is generally judged one of the worst traitors in British history.  After the Battle Editor, Karel Margry, tells the fascinating story of his capture by two British officers near Flensburg.

The Surrender of Nauru and Ocean Island, takes us back to Nauru, and to its sister atoll Ocean Island, to recount the story of their surrender in September 1945. The article is illustrated with photographs of the surrender ceremony which took place on the Australian frigate, HMAS Diamantina.

Relics of War along the Barents Road tells the story of the Barents Road an ancient trade route along which people have journeyed since the beginning of time — on foot, by reindeer, sled, horse and wagon, and by motorised transport.  The Barents Road connects four Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia whilst crossing a vast territory along the Arctic Circle; it also passes numerous Second World War battlegrounds, wreck sites and museums. This article explores some of the many Second World war relics in close proximity to this route.

Missing in Borneo, describes how in March 1985, timber hands working in the jungle of north-west Borneo reported finding a wartime aircraft wreck.  It was to be the beginning of a search and recovery adventure that was to result in the identification of a Glenn Martin B-10 bomber of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force that had been shot down on December 28, 1941 and had been missing ever since.

T-34 Beutepanzer recovered in Estonia – the battlefields of Eastern Europe hide some quite amazing discoveries. In September 2000, the Estonian battlefield exploration group Otsing recovered a complete T-34 tank from a lake in the woods near the provincial capital of Jöhvi. The Editor explains that although it was already an astonishing story there was another twist to it.

From the Editor - Readers' letters and follow-up stories on previous issues.

This issue contains 56 pages of well researched Second World War military history much of which is presented in the familiar “Then and Now” format for which this publication is famous.