Excerpt from an e-mail from Stefan Siverud:

I came across your site looking for maps (and other images/text) of Dieppe. I saw you would like to know what the article in German said, so I took the liberty to translate it for you.

While German is my third language (being Swedish), I think my translation is correct. I wouldn't put my money on it though!

It seems strange that the article would be of German descent, it could possibly be an allied airdropped propaganda leaflet, as the text is clearly not putting Hitler in a good light.

Quote:

"And we must never make the mistake of 1918, to put our arms down in panic quarter to 12" - Adolf Hitler, 8. November 1943

Left photo text:

"This is the work place the German soldier returned to in November 1918 as Germany quit before the catastrophe was complete."

Right photo text:

"This is the work place the German soldier will find when Hitler prolonges the already lost war."

As you can see, it's hardly meant to encourage the German population to fight on, thus it'd seem likely it's a leaflet from the time after summer 1944, when the allies had made a foothold on the continent and the Soviets came closer to the German border.

As for the picture: http://www.murrayarmstrong.com/tm/images/photos/p31.JPG

Left side:

                                              THEN

Germany gave up before the warzone had come upon itself. It capitulated to the ever increasing power of the allies. The result was: The German soldier returning found his home town unscaved. His family waited for him in his own house, the one which he had left. There was much poverty and need, but there was no destruction in Germany. The German factories, there was a source for German prosperity. Ten years after the lost war, Germany had the most modern industrial equipment, the nicest living accomodations, a record amount of sport arenas and convalescent homes, hundreds of modern schools and hospitals. Although Germany had lost the greatest war of world history, the German people had an open road ahead of them --

        while it had ended in time.

Right side:

                              NOW Germany is a war zone. The overwealming allies in the east, south and west are even more powerful than they were 1918. The allied airforces have completely taken over the German sky. The war is still going on. But the German leaders refuses to end it. The result is: The German soldier returning found his home town ruined. For as long as the war goes on, one factory after another is leveled. The German war industry destroyed today could have been the peace industry of tomorrow. Only a quick ending of the war can end the destruction process and give the German people a chance to prosper again. But Hitler knows: The war's end is his end. Therefor he prolonges the already lost war. Each day Hitler remains, one is lost for the future of the German people.

Last line of the page (cut up, but readable):

Only Germans can save Germany!

The last being a clear reference to Hitler's Austrian descent.

It's indeed a very nice site! I'm glad you keep it online, opening the stories and photos for those of us living in other parts of the world. Cheers!

Stefan Siverud, also known as "LegalAssassin"

Amateur historian

Kalmar, Sweden

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