Description:

World War II



Important Transmission From Britain's King George to Eisenhower on the Day Germany Signs An Unconditional Surrender

 

 

An original wireless transmission transcript field document, roughly cut off a field printer, from "EXFOR REAR" to "HQ L OF C; NETHERLANDS DISTRICT: GHQ Tps: EXFORACK: 79 Armd Div: EXFOR MAIN: ECHEXFOR BLA:" The message is an inter command notice from the King George of Britain with the intended recipient to be General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander and copied to ALL branches Main and Rear. Dated "seven may one nine four five" (May 7, 1945), the date of Germany's Unconditional Surrender.  Provenance: The War Museum. Lightly toned. Presented matted with black and white copy of King George in conversation with General Eisenhower flanked by General Bradley and General Hodges - 27 October 1944. Note a similar important surviving dispatch recently sold at Bonhams for over $9300 which had several condition issues and was completed over two pages. Both examples have the same provenance of having come from The War Museum.

 

On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II. The New York Times published an Associated Press story under the headline “The War in Europe is Ended!” It reported, “[The Germans] were asked sternly if they understand the surrender terms imposed upon Germany and if they would be carried out by Germany. They answered Yes. Germany, which began the war with a ruthless attack upon Poland, followed by successive aggressions and brutality in internment camps, surrendered with an appeal to the victors for mercy toward the German people and armed forces.”

 

Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist, or Nazi, Party, launched the war in September 1939 with a surprise invasion of Poland. By the summer of 1940, the Nazis had conquered much of Europe, including long-time enemy France, and turned its attention to Britain, the last European power standing against it. Britain withstood Nazi air attacks, however, and the tide of the war changed in 1941, first when Hitler broke a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union and ordered an invasion, and later when Germany’s Axis ally, Japan, drew the United States into the war with the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1943, after surviving two years of Nazi invasions, the Soviets launched a counter-attack that would slowly drive the Nazis back to Germany. Meanwhile, the Western Allies entered mainland Europe for the first time with an invasion of Italy. In 1944, Allied forces landed on Normandy Beach in northern France and began a push toward Germany.

 

By the spring of 1945, the Soviets were approaching the German capital of Berlin from the east and the Western Allies were approaching it from the west. Knowing that defeat was imminent, Hitler committed suicide, leaving Karl Dönitz to carry out the surrender of the Nazis. On May 2, the Soviets conquered Berlin. The Associated Press wrote, “Berlin, greatest city of the European Continent, fell yesterday afternoon to the Russians as 70,000 German troops laid down their arms in the surrender that Adolf Hitler had said never would come.” Due to the failure of Nazi troops in Berlin and elsewhere, Dönitz and his fellow negotiators lost any leverage in asking for certain conditions in regard to the surrender. Dönitz therefore decided on May 7 to give in to Allied demands of unconditional surrender. The surrender was made official the following day with a signing at a formal ceremony. May 8 was declared Victory-in-Europe (V-E) Day, a day still celebrated as a public holiday in some European countries.

 

 

The important transmittal from that defining day from King George of Britain to General Eisenhower is shown below:

 

 

 

                                                            COPY

                                                MESSAGE FORM

                                              EXFOR REAR

                              HQ L OF C: NETHERLANDS DISTRICT: GHQ tps

A 4638;(*) RESTRICTED(*) following personal message has been received by 

General EISENHOWER from His Majesty The King(*) quote(.) eleven months ago you led the allied expeditionary force across the English channel carrying with you the hopes and prayers of millions of men and women of many nations(*) to  it was entrusted the task of annihilating the german armies in western Europe and of this liberating the peoples whom they had enslaved(*) all the World now knows that after fierce and continuous warfare this force has accomplished its mission with a finality achieved by no ether such expedition in history(*)  On behalf of all my people I ask that you its supreme commander will tell its members how  deeply grateful we are to them and how unbounded is our admiration for the courage and determination which under wise leadership have brought them to their goal of complete and crushing  victory(*) I would ask you also to convey a special message of congratulations to my own forces now under your command(*) throughout the campaign they have acquitted themselves in all services with a valour and distinction for which their fellow countrymen will forever hold them in honour(*) signed GEORGE seven may one nine four five(*) unquote    .

AS WRITTEN except               IN CIPHER if liable

W/T                                           to interception                                         DOP

                                                                                                             IMMEDIATE

Copy to: All branches Main and Rear

 

 

 

 

An interesting retrospective when one contemplates that just a few hundred years earlier, the newly forged United States was in a bloody war against Britain to fight for our own freedom …. .  



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