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This collection of documents relates to the invasion of the Netherlands by the Germans and the eventual pushing of them back. The book begins with the memoir of Sgt. Robert William Robinson, a British soldier in the 53rd Welsh reconnaissance regiment which embarked for Normandy, France, in 1944. As his regiment approached the Netherland's cities, Sgt. Robinson also witnessed the landing of American paratroopers. In Normandy, for the closing of the Falaise Gap against a very determined German rearguard, he fought with Canadian forces who had come south to push the Germans back across the Seine river. Another large section of the book addresses the war trial of Richard Nitsch. He originally worked on the railroad that connected the Netherlands with Germany. Later, as a member of the SD (SS intelligence agency), he was known for the ruthless treatment of resistance heroes. The prosecutor charged Nitsch with personally committing nine deeds of murder/torture.
The author/editor was born in Maastricht before WWII. He has traveled extensively, researching and documenting historical events and biographies. His personal interest helped produce this captivating tale of the battle for the Netherlands. With the knack of a true storyteller, Schure introduces human drama via a variety of documents, such as the anniversary of the 40th reunion of liberation and the 800th anniversary of ‘s-Hertogenbosch city, memories and contributions of an Amsterdam Music historian, and newspaper articles from a Dutch agricultural university. These fascinating tales are reinforced with a battle map and historical pictures of places, people, and events. World War II history buffs will be intrigued by the research of lesser-known facts. Schure worked in conjunction with Sgt. Robinson’s daughter, Janet, to edit her father’s notes for this publication.