Book Club

One of my pals, with knowledge of my interest in military history, recommended this book.  He cautioned that it wouldn't inspire any warm feelings about the Russians.

Based-upon hours of oral history shared by his father, Lee Trimble and British historian Jeremy Dronfield corroborated the events compiled in this true story of veteran Eighth Air Force bomber Captain Robert Trimble's efforts to save the lives of allied POWs and refugees in eastern Europe.

As the Soviet army advanced across Poland in 1945 they freed thousands of POWs, slave laborers and concentration camp survivors.  The Red army reserved a particular contempt for the allied POWs considering them cowards or spies.  Denying them shelter, food and medical care they were left to die.  Violent atrocities were committed.  From an airbase in Ukraine Trimble's task was to locate survivors sheltered by Polish and Ukrainian civilians and bring them safely home.

Working for the OSS and with virtually no covert training Trimble secretly survived by canniness, courage and perseverance, outwitting the Soviet secret police to exfiltrate an estimated thousand individuals in less than two months.

Post-Yalta the relationship between the USSR and the US was exceedingly strained.  Roosevelt understood all too clearly that when word of Russian barbarism inflicted upon their allies was revealed public sentiment would turn against them.

Lordy, I didn't need another reason to dislike the Russkies.  Then, as today, insofar as war crimes go it appears some things haven't changed.  This book was as difficult to put down as it was to read.  It is inspiring.