Danny McCarthy Photo Album: Liberation of Germany and Buchenwald
Biographical History
Danny McCarthy was the second husband of the donor’s grandmother. Little is known about his personal history. He seemingly served in the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War and took part in the liberation of Germany in the spring of 1945. In the post-war years, he lived in Rhodesia, returning to Hastings in the UK after the country gained internationally recognised independence as Zimbabwe.
Scope/Content
This hardcover photo album documents the advance of the Western Allies through western Germany during the final months of World War II. It captures scenes of widespread destruction, remnants of Nazi military infrastructure, and glimpses into the daily lives of British soldiers.
Particularly notable are images that allegedly depict a joint approach to Potsdam by Soviet and British troops in relation to the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945.
Also included are 11 images from shortly after the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp, though these are mistakenly labeled as being from Bergen-Belsen. At least some of these pictures were taken by Dutch Resistance fighter and Buchenwald survivor Willem Hoogwerf (1916-2004).