Theo Young-Smith

When you go to the museums in Gdansk and in Warsaw, they've always got this kind of playing. And it's extraordinarily kind of harrowing. I'll just read one eyewitness account to give you a sense of the novelty of it. Because that's the important thing. It's a scene that we're used to now from wartime footage. But the time was the first time it had happened.

And this is from a guy called General Stanislaw Sosabowski. Now, he actually ended up at Arnhem, a bridge too far. Do you know what? He was played by Gene Hackman in the film. Goodness. So imagine Gene Hackman telling you this. I was not expecting Gene Hackman to make it. No, no. It's always great to get him into the show.

And this is from a guy called General Stanislaw Sosabowski. Now, he actually ended up at Arnhem, a bridge too far. Do you know what? He was played by Gene Hackman in the film. Goodness. So imagine Gene Hackman telling you this. I was not expecting Gene Hackman to make it. No, no. It's always great to get him into the show.

And this is from a guy called General Stanislaw Sosabowski. Now, he actually ended up at Arnhem, a bridge too far. Do you know what? He was played by Gene Hackman in the film. Goodness. So imagine Gene Hackman telling you this. I was not expecting Gene Hackman to make it. No, no. It's always great to get him into the show.

He said, I had seen death and destruction in many forms, but never had I seen such mass destruction which hit everyone, regardless of innocence or guilt. Gone were the proud buildings of churches, museums and art galleries. Statues of famous men who fought for our freedom lay smashed to pieces at the bases of their plinths or stood decapitated and shell scarred.

He said, I had seen death and destruction in many forms, but never had I seen such mass destruction which hit everyone, regardless of innocence or guilt. Gone were the proud buildings of churches, museums and art galleries. Statues of famous men who fought for our freedom lay smashed to pieces at the bases of their plinths or stood decapitated and shell scarred.

He said, I had seen death and destruction in many forms, but never had I seen such mass destruction which hit everyone, regardless of innocence or guilt. Gone were the proud buildings of churches, museums and art galleries. Statues of famous men who fought for our freedom lay smashed to pieces at the bases of their plinths or stood decapitated and shell scarred.

The parks, created for their beauty and for the happy sounds of laughing, playing children, were empty and torn, the lawns dotted with the bare mounds of hurried graves. Almost the only noise was the rumble of bricks as walls weakened by bombs finally subsided. The smell of burning houses pillared into a windless sky and the smell of putrefaction lingered in the nostrils.

The parks, created for their beauty and for the happy sounds of laughing, playing children, were empty and torn, the lawns dotted with the bare mounds of hurried graves. Almost the only noise was the rumble of bricks as walls weakened by bombs finally subsided. The smell of burning houses pillared into a windless sky and the smell of putrefaction lingered in the nostrils.

The parks, created for their beauty and for the happy sounds of laughing, playing children, were empty and torn, the lawns dotted with the bare mounds of hurried graves. Almost the only noise was the rumble of bricks as walls weakened by bombs finally subsided. The smell of burning houses pillared into a windless sky and the smell of putrefaction lingered in the nostrils.

And if you juxtapose that... with the reading that we began the episode with you know one of them is warsaw's glory and the other is a much more unsentimental this is actually the reality of what it's like in the streets So also finally surrendered on the afternoon of the 27th. Its soldiers who defended it, 100,000 people, were led to POW camps.

And if you juxtapose that... with the reading that we began the episode with you know one of them is warsaw's glory and the other is a much more unsentimental this is actually the reality of what it's like in the streets So also finally surrendered on the afternoon of the 27th. Its soldiers who defended it, 100,000 people, were led to POW camps.

And if you juxtapose that... with the reading that we began the episode with you know one of them is warsaw's glory and the other is a much more unsentimental this is actually the reality of what it's like in the streets So also finally surrendered on the afternoon of the 27th. Its soldiers who defended it, 100,000 people, were led to POW camps.

The Nazi vengeance inevitably fell on the city's Jewish population. That was a third of the population, about 350,000 people. Their shops and houses looted. People are beaten up or killed in the streets. Women humiliated, stripped, raped, all of this kind of thing. I mean, it's a horrendous, horrendous scene. The news of Poland's defeat back in Germany, there was no triumph, actually.

The Nazi vengeance inevitably fell on the city's Jewish population. That was a third of the population, about 350,000 people. Their shops and houses looted. People are beaten up or killed in the streets. Women humiliated, stripped, raped, all of this kind of thing. I mean, it's a horrendous, horrendous scene. The news of Poland's defeat back in Germany, there was no triumph, actually.

The Nazi vengeance inevitably fell on the city's Jewish population. That was a third of the population, about 350,000 people. Their shops and houses looted. People are beaten up or killed in the streets. Women humiliated, stripped, raped, all of this kind of thing. I mean, it's a horrendous, horrendous scene. The news of Poland's defeat back in Germany, there was no triumph, actually.

There was no victory parade because, of course, the war wasn't over. They're still technically fighting Britain and France. And actually, for people who were in Berlin, they said, you know, nothing's really changed. You know, there's a bit of rationing, but otherwise nothing has changed. So William Shira, the journalist, American journalist, you've quoted a fair bit.

There was no victory parade because, of course, the war wasn't over. They're still technically fighting Britain and France. And actually, for people who were in Berlin, they said, you know, nothing's really changed. You know, there's a bit of rationing, but otherwise nothing has changed. So William Shira, the journalist, American journalist, you've quoted a fair bit.

There was no victory parade because, of course, the war wasn't over. They're still technically fighting Britain and France. And actually, for people who were in Berlin, they said, you know, nothing's really changed. You know, there's a bit of rationing, but otherwise nothing has changed. So William Shira, the journalist, American journalist, you've quoted a fair bit.

He said, for most people, the war was something they just read about in the newspapers. It was unreal. He has an amazing description of being on the subway. And loads of women late at night get on at the opera house. He's struck by the incongruity of the fact they're all nattering about the opera they've just seen.