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April 27
Formal handshake for the cameras: American GI Lt William Robertson greets
Russian soldier Lt Alexander Sylvashk
1945: Russians and Americans link at Elbe
England have
Russian and American troops have joined hands at the River Elbe in Germany,
bringing the end of the war a step closer.
Statements have been released simultaneously in London, Moscow and
Washington this evening reaffirming the determination of the three Allied powers
to complete the destruction of the Third Reich.
According to a statement issued by Downing Street, the commanders of a
United States division and of a Russian Guards division met at Torgau, south of
Berlin on 26 April at 1600 hours local time.
Here we met the Russians who had advanced from the East. This was the first
meeting of the Allied Forces
People"s War memories
In fact the first contact was made between patrols on 25 April when a first
lieutenant and three men of an intelligence and reconnaissance platoon of the US
division met forward elements of the Russian Guards division.
First Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue of the 3rd Battalion, 273rd Infantry, 69th
Infantry Division took his men in a boat across the Elbe to be greeted by Lt Col
Alexander Gardiev, Commander of the 175th Rifle Regiment of the 58th Guards
Division, 34th Corps.
They made arrangements for the formal handshake in front of photographers
at Torgau the following day.
By joining forces at Elbe, the American and Soviet troops have successfully
cut the Germany army in two. However, The Times correspondent warns of the of
the possibility of "a protracted period of mountain warfare".
The American and Russian military leaders have paid tribute to their
troops. In Moscow 324 guns fired a 24 salvo in honour of "victory of the
freedom-loving peoples over Germany".
General Omar Bradley, commander of the US 12th Army Group, praised the
Soviet troops for their determination in forcing the Germans to abandon Russia
and push them back to the Elbe River.
He went on to pay tribute to the American forces: "In 10 months you have
advanced 1,120km (696 miles) from the invasion beaches. All this has been
attained thanks to your courage, your spirit and initiative and thanks to your
comrades who died in order to achieve this."
The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, said: "We meet in true and
victorious comradeship and with inflexible resolve to fulfil our purpose and our
duty. Let all march forward upon the foe."
President Harry STruman welcomed the news: "This is not the hour of final
victory in Europe, but the hour draws near, the hour for which all the American
people, all the British people and all the Soviet people have toiled and prayed
so long."
Marshal Joseph Stalin spoke of the war still ahead: "Our task and our duty
are to complete the destruction of the enemy to force him to lay down his arms
and surrender unconditionally.
"The Red Army will fulfil to the end this task and this duty to our people
and to all freedom-loving peoples."
The USBetty Boothroyd becomes the first-ever woman Speaker
1992: Betty Boothroyd is new Speaker
Artificially 1969:
The The House of Commons has elected a woman to the post of Speaker for the
first time in its 700-year history.
Betty Boothroyd, the 62-year-old Labour MP for West Bromwich West, won her
historic victory by a decisive 134-vote majority. It is the first time since
World War II that a member of the opposition party has held the job.
Her appointment was contested, for the first time since 1951. Five
Conservatives are known to have said they were interested, but despite a frantic
last-minute campaign, only two, the former Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter
Brooke, and former minister Sir Giles Shaw, had enough support to be potential
candidates.
The fact that it was a contested election adds, I believe, to your
success.
Prime Minister John Major
Sir Edward Heath, who as the new Father of the House presided over the
election, called on Mr Brooke"s supporters first to put their case. They were
followed by the former Conservative cabinet minister, John Biffen, who proposed
the amendment to substitute Miss Boothroyd"s name.
More than 70 Conservative MPs filed in to the lobby to vote for her, and
her election was carried without asking for more candidates.
MPs broke with Commons protocol by standing and applauding her to her
chair.
Clearly moved, she said, "I wish to thank the House for the very great
honour it has bestowed on me. I pray that I shall justify its confidence and I
pledge that I shall do all in my power to preserve the Speakership and its
traditions."
The Prime Minister, John Major, congratulated her and said, "You have
become our Speaker-elect because this House trusts you. It believes you enjoy in
abundance the qualities necessary to protect and sustain the House and to
safeguard its rights. The fact that it was a contested election adds, I believe,
to your success."
Miss Boothroyd, 62, is from Yorkshire, and worked for Britain"s most famous
chorus line dancers, the Tiller girls, before she became an MP in 1974. During
the last five years, as deputy Speaker, she became popular with MPs across the
political divide. She is known for her briskness and good humour. Famously, when
MPs asked what to call her when she took up the post of deputy Speaker, she
replied, "Call me Madam."
Vocabulary:
lieutenant: 陆军中尉，海军上尉，副职官员
reconnaissance: an inspection or exploration of an area, especially one
made to gather military information(侦察，搜索)
frantic: highly excited with strong emotion or frustration;
frenzied(狂乱的，疯狂的) |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:21:04