Grafenwalder wrote:It was extremely stupid and IIRC at the time portrayed in the media as Harry just partying - well to many people it was offensive and understandably so. OK he broke no laws here but as you've seen from that link, in Germany he'd have been fined at a minimum.
It's not just offensive to older Brits with memories of war, it's also offensive to people in Germany faced with the delicate balancing act of not airbrushing it out of history but at the same time not wanting it stuck in their face all the time.
There are still many 'fill in the blanks' with my family.
What I do know is.
My dad was born in Madgeburg and was fostered in the UK.
My uncle (on my father's side) was born in Magdeburg and was repatriated to Switzerland, along with my grandmother (on my father's side).
My mother and her family were expelled (fled) from East Prussia (at the time) and ended up in a Danish refugee camp.
They were all repatriated to southern Germany, other than my mother who went to London (sometime a few years later).
Apparently, I've got got 2nd cousins residing in south America (after fleeing the Nazis). They are/were of Jewish descent, but no-one in my current family know where they live, who they are etc.
My grandfather (on my mother's side) was shot and killed by the French resistance. He was a standard German soldier, not a member of the Nazi party and presumably conscripted.
That's just a 'starter for 10'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindertransport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_an ... %80%931950)
I've been banging on about it for a bit.