Interesting facts about World War 2

WORLD War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world’s countries — including all of the great powers — forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War Two was history’s biggest conflict.

•The first German serviceman killed in the war was killed by the Japanese.

•The first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians.

•Over 100 000 Allied bomber crewmen were killed over Europe.

•More United States servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps.

•Polish Catholic midwife Stanisława Leszczyńska delivered 3 000 babies at the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust in occupied Poland.

•In World War II, British soldiers got a ration of three sheets of toilet paper a day. Americans got 22.

•In 1941, more than three million cars were manufactured in the United States. Only 139 more were made during the entire war.

•Four of every five German soldiers killed in the war died on the Eastern Front.

•Only 20% of the males born in the Soviet Union in 1923 survived the war.

•In World War II, the youngest serviceman in the US military was Calvin Graham — aged 12. Graham lied about his age when he enlisted in the US Navy. His real age was only discovered after he was wounded.

•To avoid using the German sounding name ‘hamburger’ during World War II, Americans used the name ‘Liberty Steak.’

•Adolf Hitler’s nephew, William Hitler, served in the US Navy during World War II.

•During World War II, the largest Japanese spy ring was actually located in Mexico.

•The mortality rate for prisoners of war in Russian camps was 85%.

The first bomb dropped on Berlin by the Allies killed the only elephant in the Berlin zoo.

•Had it been necessary for a third atom bomb, the city targeted would have been Tokyo.

•An Imperial Japanese Army intelligence officer, who fought in World War II, Hiroo Onoda never surrendered in 1945. Until 1974, for almost 30 years, he held his position in the Philippines. His former commander travelled from Japan to personally issue orders relieving him from duty in 1974.

•Total casualties for World War II totalled between 50 and 70 million people, 80% of which came form only four countries — Russia, China, Germany and Poland. Over 50% of the casualties were civilians, with the majority of those being women and children.

—