The AACC World War II Round Table meets monthly to discuss various aspects of World War II.
All meetings include lively discussions of the evening topic plus a review of the events that took place on this month in World War II History.
What topics are scheduled for discussion?
March 16, 2009 - "Churchill's Bodyguard" - DISC TWO
April 20, 2009 - "To Be Announced" -
May 4, 2009 - "To Be Announced" -
What topics have been covered?
Ongoing - "Churchill's Bodyguard" - The story of England's Prime Minister Winston Churchill's bodyguard, Walter H. Thompson. One may well ask how a ten hour documentary could be stretched to cover just one individual, an individual who's role in history was relatively unknown to historians until very recently. Well, very simply: the documentary is really more about Winston Churchill, not Thompson."
DISC ONE:
Walter Meets Winston From working-class roots, a former telegraph messenger boy comes to guard one of Britain's most flamboyant and controversial politicians. Walter doesn't serve long before he counters the first deadly threat to Churchill -- IRA gunmen lurking on the route to Whitehall.
Lawrence and Walter Save the Day Walter accompanies Churchill to the Cairo Conference, which shapes the future of the entire Middle East. In their travels, they face rabid, rock-throwing crowds and meet Lawrence of Arabia -- the one man who commands enough respect to shepherd them to safety.
Nearly Killed in New York Churchill's resistance to self-rule in India makes him a target for terrorists. Under this ominous cloud, he and Walter set off on a lecture tour of the States. But when danger finally strikes, seriously injuring Churchill, it comes from an unexpected and far more mundane quarter.
Indian Nationalist Assassin Resuming his tour after his convalescence, Churchill wins the hearts of Americans everywhere he goes. Not everyone is so in thrall, however. The Indian secret societies still stalk him and come uncomfortably close to carrying out their deadly plans.
DISC TWO:
Nazi Sniper Plan With the Conservative party driven from power, Churchill enters his "wilderness years." Nevertheless, his outspoken opposition to the Nazis earns him Hitler's lasting fear and enmity. In the run up to war, Hitler's assassins attempt a preemptive strike on the English politician who harbors no illusions about Germany and would stand up to the Fuhrer.
Surviving the Blitz The early days of the war bring some of Churchill's most difficult -- and dangerous -- decisions. As bombs rain down on London, the Prime Minister stubbornly insists on walking the streets among the people, watching air raids from rooftops, and visiting anti-aircraft battalions, with only Walter to protect him from the terror above.
DISC THREE:
Attack at the Flying Boat Dock Running a gauntlet of U-Boats in the North Atlantic, Churchill and Walter set sail for America in an unescorted ship to plot Allied strategy with Franklin Roosevelt. Disaster comes closest, however, as the Prime Minister prepares to board a flying boat for the trip home and a crazed gunman lurks nearby.
Winston's Double In 1942, Churchill crisscrosses North Africa and the Middle East and confers with Stalin in Moscow -- logging much of the 200,000 miles he would travel during the war, under constant threat from assassins and Axis aircraft. In one instance in Algiers, General Dwight D. Eisenhower resorts to deception to keep Churchill safe.
Suicide Attack in Tehran After two Atlantic crossings and two trips across the length of the Mediterranean, Churchill grows increasingly frustrated with Roosevelt and suspicious of Stalin. When the three leaders meet in Tehran in 1943, the Germans launch Operation Longjump - a plot in which elite commandoes parachute into the city, bent on assassination.
DISC FOUR:
The Kiss of Life? Returning from the Tehran Conference, a sick, exhausted, disheartened Churchill survives his darkest night, with Walter keeping vigil at his bedside. Could Churchill have died of pneumonia that night in Tunisia?
The Sewer Bomb Only months after the D-Day invasion, the desperate Reich answers with a terrifying new weapon -- V-2 rockets screaming into London. The Stress affects even Churchill's normally unshakeable bodyguard, who spends weeks in a convalescent home. At a conference in Athens, however, the threat comes not from below, as security forces uncover a ton of explosives secreted near Churchill's hotel.
Love Him to Death V-E Day brings relief to the country but no respite for Walter. Jubliant crowds clamoring to touch their heroic Prime Minister pose almost as great a security risk as Nazi assassins had. Only later does Walter have the opportunity to reflect on his nearly 20-year relationship with the employer who had become his friend.
January 26, 2009 - "Donald Bailey's Bridge" - A
presentation by Dave Aldworth of Severna Park. World War II was the
first great war of mobility. Motorized and mechanized armies covered
hundreds of miles in large-scale offenses and counteroffenses. In those
theaters with rugged terrain or numerous river systems, combat engineers
built thousands of temporary and semipermanent bridges to maintain the
momentum of the battle and ensure the logistical support of the fighting
forces. For the Allied nations, the Bailey bridge provided a degree of
versatility and utility unparalleled in combat engineering. Soldiers of
all Allied nations used the Bailey in every theater of the war.
February 16, 2009 - "The 28th 'Bloody Bucket' Division" -
A presentation by Sparky Kisse of New Carrolton. He talked about his
wartime recollections of some of the fiercest fighting of the Second
World War. After Basic Infantry training in April 1944, Mr. Kisse
arrived in the ETO in August 1944 where he joined the 28th Division. The
Division had landed in France after D-Day, and fought through Normandy,
helped liberate Paris, and by November 1944, was bitterly engaged along
the "West Wall" of Germany . One month later, during the Battle of the
Bulge, the Division was instrumental in stalling the last German
offensive of the war. Its exploits earn it the nickname "Bloody Bucket"
division -- but 2,000 of its soldiers pay for that honor with their
lives. Mr. Kisse received his "Million Dollar Wound" in the Hurtgen and
endured one year in recovery from his injuries. Click HERE to see videos of the Battle of
The Bulge reenactments and Mr. Kisse's interview.
Oct, 2004 - “Unsung Heroes: The Merchant Marine in World War
II.” -- A presentation by Bob Taylor of Arnold, librarian and
deck crew member of SS John W. Brown, a World War II Liberty ship which
was used to carry war materials to troops, now docked in Baltimore.
U.S. Merchant Mariners performed countless acts of heroism during
World War II. About 140 Merchant Mariners received the Distinguished
Service Medal, the service’s highest honor.
Dec, 2004 - “Death from the Depths: Submarine-launched Guided
Missiles.” -- A presentation given by Grayson Merrill, a
retired U.S. Navy captain from Annapolis. Guided missiles are
self-propelled, unmanned space or air vehicles. Powered by either rocket
engines or jet propulsion, they carry an explosive warhead. Once
launched, their flight can be adjusted by automatic or remote controls.
The Germans were the first military to develop and use
submarine-launched guided missiles that forced a change in military
tactics during World War II. Much of the United States’ success stemmed
from Robert H. Goddard’s work. He completed and fired the world’s first
successful liquid fuel rocket, designed many high-altitude rockets and
developed the first practical automatic steering system for rockets.
April, 2005 - “Hiroshima and Nagasaki Revisited.” A talk
by Bill Stebbins on the book of the above title and the experiences of
his friend and Westinghouse manager, the late Lt. Jake Beser, who flew
on both missions. The video "Enola Gay" was also shown.
June, 2005 - “The Baatan Death March.” A discussion of
the Bataan Death March, a war crime involving the forcible transfer of
prisoners of war, with wide-ranging abuse and high fatalities, by
Japanese forces in the Philippines, in 1942, during World War II.
August, 2005 - “The Second Seige of Malta - June 1940 thru May
1943.” -- Dave Aldworth presented a talk based on a slide show of
photos taken by his uncle, Ron Aldworth who was on Malta as a member of
the RAF groundcrew. On June 11th 1940, the first Italian bombs were
dropped in Malta. Attempts were then made to invade the Island. When
these failed the island endured the heaviest conventional bombardment of
the entire war. When the bombing failed, the island was blockaded.
Eventually a convoy of ships (Operation Pedestal) broke the blockade. To
honor the valor of the Maltese people, King George VI awarded the George
Cross to the "Island Fortress of Malta" in 1942. The cross appears today
on the Maltese flag.
Dec, 2005 - “The Belfast Blitz.” Harry Kirk discussed his
experiences as a young child during the bombing of Belfast that occurred
on Easter Tuesday, April 15, 1941, when 200 German Luftwaffe bombers
attacked Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1,000 died. More were injured. Half
of the houses in the city were destroyed. Outside of London, this was
the greatest loss of life in a night raid during the Battle of Britain.
100,000 of the population of 415,000 became homeless. He followed with
an analysis of the tactics of General Sir Bernard Montgomery and General
Omar Bradley during the Battle of Normandy, including: Operation
Bodyguard, a massive deception plan: Operation Goodwood, that
had a limited objective of pinning German units in the east so that they
could not disengage and join the counterattack against: Operation
Cobra, whose objective was a full breakout from the Normandy
bridgehead.
January 23, 2006 - "My Fathers War - Dunkirk to Stalag
XXA". A presentation with personal photos by Dave Aldworth of
Severna Park. Daves father was caught behind enemy lines at Dunkirk and
captured in Holland. He was a POW in Stalag XXA from 1940-1945. During
the winter from January to April 1945 he was on "The March" from Poland
to Germany finally being released by troops of the US 3rd Army.
February 20, 2006 - "The Story of the S/S Henry Bacon". -
A presentation by Dave Aldworth of Severna Park, webmaster, docent and
archivist for Project Liberty Ship and the SS John W Brown. The Liberty
ship S/S "Henry Bacon" was the last allied ship sunk by the Luftwaffe in
World War II. On Convoy RA-64, the "Bacon" was in ballast with a crew of
41 merchant seamen and 26 US Navy Armed Guard, she was also carrying 19
Norwegian civilian passengers, including women and children. When the
action was over, all of the Norwegian civilians had survived, but 29
crew had lost their lives.
March 13, 2006 - "USAAF Strategic Bombing". Art Prahinsk
discussed the Development of USAAF Strategic Bombing (based on Steven
Copp)
April 17, 2006 - "The Holocaust". Herbert Hane delivered a
talk on the Holocaust. Mr. Hane was born about 1935 in Germany and came
to the USA with his parents in 1947.
May 22, 2006 - "Japanese War Crimes and Trials". A
discussion by Prof. Rita Gomez.
June, 2006 - “The Second Seige of Malta - June 1940 thru May
1943.” Dave Aldworth repeated the presentation given in August
2005.
Why ???
Why do we meet?
To take part in a discussion and exchange of views on topics related to World War II
When ???
When are the meetings?
The meetings are generally held on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 pm and last about 2 hours.
How ???
How do I participate?
The meetings are free and open to the public.
To receive emails or postcards of the meetings, join the mailing list shown below:
For more information or to suggest a topic, call RitaVictoria Gomez,
Ph.D., AACC associate professor of history, 410-777-2474.
From Washington or Annapolis: Take Route 50 east to exit 27,
Route 2 north (Governor Ritchie Highway) toward Baltimore. Stay on Route
2 for about three miles. Turn right on College Parkway. The first right
turn is the campus entrance.
From Baltimore: From Interstate 695 take exit 2, Route 10
toward Severna Park. Stay on Route 10 until it ends at Route 2 (Governor
Ritchie Highway). Follow Route 2 south about five miles. Turn left on
College Parkway. The first right turn is the campus entrance.
Call disability support services, 410-777-2307 or Maryland Relay
711, at least 72 hours in advance to request special accommodations.
Where ???
Where are the meetings held?
The meetings will generally be held in Room 112 on the
ground floor of the Humanities (HUM) Building of the Anne Arundel Community
College, Arnold, Maryland .
Where do I get park?
Visitors may park in any of the lots designated for general student
parking. Short-term metered parking is provided for campus visitors on
the Arnold campus in front of the Student Services Center and near the
Florestano Building. For the Humanities (HUM) Building, use Student and
Visitor parking lot "B".
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