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Non-fiction · History

Liberating Belsen

Remembering the Soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry

by David Lowther

Cover of Liberating Belsen: Remembering the Soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry by David Lowther

Book details

Author
David Lowther
Type
Non-fiction (history)
Setting
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Germany, April 1945
Publisher
Sacristy Press
Published
1 May 2015
Formats
Paperback, Ebook
Pages
136
ISBN
978-1-908381-91-0

Synopsis

British forces entered Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on 15 April 1945. Three days later, on 18 April, less than a month before the end of the Second World War in Europe, a group of soldiers from the Durham Light Infantry arrived at the camp. Nothing in their training could have prepared them for what they found: thousands of unburied bodies, rampant disease, and starving survivors clinging to life. Liberating Belsen recounts the experience of these soldiers, the work they did, and the memories they carried as they helped the world confront the reality of Nazi atrocities. Through their words and those of the camp's survivors, David Lowther tells how the world came to hear of what later came to be called the Holocaust.

About this book

  • A historical record of the Durham Light Infantry's part in the relief of Bergen-Belsen.
  • Draws on the testimony of soldiers and survivors who witnessed the camp first-hand, including interviews recorded by the Imperial War Museum and extracts from Richard Dimbleby's BBC broadcast.
  • Shows the lasting psychological toll on those who entered the camp.
  • Places the Holocaust in the wider context of the Second World War.
  • Written for adult readers interested in military history and Holocaust studies; the publisher also recommends it for GCSE and A-Level history students.
  • Published by Sacristy Press in paperback and ebook.

Themes

  • The Holocaust
  • Durham Light Infantry
  • Liberation of the camps
  • Eyewitness testimony

Read more on the blog

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