23rd July 1944 – the Russians take Pskov, near the Estonian border – one of the oldest cities in Russia and the last major town of the prewar USSR to be held by German forces. The 1st Ukrainian Front also take Lwów (now Lviv) in western Ukraine with 3,000 men from the Polish Home Army whose officers are then arrested and the men forced to join the communist 1st Polish Army.
On the same day US forces seize Pisa by the coast, west of Florence.
In Normandy the Canadian First Army, led by Lt-General Crerar, establishes their HQ and now operates directly under Montgomery in France.
Hitler, now paranoid about the role of Wehrmacht army officers in the assassination attempt on 20th July, insists they adopt the Hitler salute, 'the German greeting', dropping their traditional military salute. The Gestapo arrested more than 5,000 suspected opponents of the regime and their relatives and Hitler blames failure in the east and Normandy on sabotage by senior army officers. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012.)
Eric Brewer is back at Briquessard with the rest of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment - his diary entry for July reads "Returned to Position – Gerry still active." (included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)
Recent Comments