One of last Hitler Youth soldiers: ‘It was a suicide mission'
In April 1945, Ingo Baldermann, a 15-year-old boy in the Hitler Youth, was handed a Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon along with a First World War rifle and five rounds of ammunition, and told to go and save Germany.
'We were divided into 'Panzer destruction squads' made up of three boys each with one Panzerfaust per squad,' he said. 'I remember the officer who was handing out the weapons said, 'which one of you is taking the Panzerfaust?' I said, 'I'll take it'. They were heavy and I was quite puny. But that's how eager I was.'
The training consisted of watching the shoulder-launched missile being fired once into a stone sports stand to show its destructive force and being told to get as close to the
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Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Coleraine war memorial vandalised in ‘act of malice' by ‘republican youths'
A piece of the monument commemorating the 36th Ulster Division was stolen as part of the vandalism, according to a social media post by the Killowen Orange Lodge. They said a 'small group of narrow minded individuals' were behind the incident which took place at the memorial garden in the Shuttle Hill area. The memorial in the town commemorates those who served in the 36th Ulster Division during the First World War at Messines in June 1917. Positioned by the Killowen Orange Lodge on their site, the monument also honours those from the 16th Irish Division of soldiers from Redmond's Nationalist Volunteers. Killowen Orange Lodge also said the incident has been 'reported to the PSNI as a hate crime' and claimed it was an incident designed to 'raise tensions ahead of the Twelfth of July celebrations'. Condemnation also came from the TUV's vice chairman and Causeway councillor Allister Kyle, who slammed the 'narrow-mindedness' from the vandals and urged those with information to come forward to the police. 'It is deeply disappointing to learn that a memorial stone, laid in honour of those young men from our shores who served in the 36th Ulster Division, has been stolen — an act of malice carried out by individuals styling themselves as 'Republican Youth',' Mr Allister said. 'This memorial was a modest tribute, placed respectfully by Killowen Lodge on its own private grounds. It posed no threat, no provocation, and no reason for offence. 'Basic decency would demand that respect be shown to those who paid the ultimate price — regardless of the political lens through which you view the past. 'I would urge anyone with information about this act of desecration to come forward, either to the PSNI or, if they feel more comfortable, to contact me directly in confidence. I will ensure the information is passed on. 'Those behind this disgraceful act may have enjoyed a momentary thrill by trying to wound a community's memory — but all they have truly done is expose their own narrow-mindedness.' News Catch Up - Monday 23rd June Mr Allister added: 'I have no doubt that the memorial will be restored. And when it is, it will stand all the taller — as a lasting reminder that some gave their all, while others can only lash out in petty vandalism.' In a statement PSNI Inspector O'Brien, said: 'Officers received a report on Sunday 22nd June that a stone was taken from a memorial garden in the Shuttle Hill area. 'We are treating this report as a sectarian hate crime and we are appealing to anyone with any information, to contact police on 101, quoting reference 1408 of 22/06/25.'
Metro
20-06-2025
- Metro
‘I'd rather they killed us' How rape became a weapon in war
Drita* was a widow with two sons when Serbian forces entered her village in Kosovo. As they began separating the old men, women and children, she says her community 'knew what was going to happen'. 'They tore my clothes, they ripped them lengthwise. I started to scream and cry. After, the paramilitaries came. Long, greasy hair, unwashed, dressed in black clothes. I just cannot describe what we went through… the sexual violence was horrible.' Recalling her trauma in a book called I Want To Be Heard, which contains stories from torture survivors of the war, Drita added: 'I'd rather they killed us, slaughtered us to death, decapitated us, or mutilated us by cutting an arm or a leg, but not experience that. It was horrible.' Thousands of women became the target of Serbian soldiers during the 1988 Kosovo war, which saw forces commit genocide and displacement against Kosovar Albanians, in the belief that their land belonged to Serbia. But this isn't an isolated case. Referred to by foreign correspondent and author Christina Lamb as the 'cheapest weapon known to man', rape has been used as a weapon in every recorded human conflict, dating as far back as Roman times. Following the First World War, hundreds of soldiers recounted coming across women who had been sexually assaulted and had their breasts cut off with bayonets, while in the Second World War, in some countries, women were raped and had their heads shaved if soldiers thought they had 'collaborated' with the enemy. In the last 40 years an estimated 500,000 women and girls were raped during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, more than 60,000 were assaulted in the Sierra Leone civil war, and since 1996, at least 200,000 women and girls have been raped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While the statistics are staggering, it can never be forgotten that behind these figures is a person whose life has been torn apart, never to be the same again. 'These numbers represent individual women,' Vianney Dong, Country Director of Women for Women (WFW) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, tells Metro. 'Beyond the figures, we need to see the humanity – we need to see the women who came forward and have been brave.' Earlier this week, the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict was marked for the eleventh year to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence and honour victims and survivors. Even with strides made in recent decades in terms of victim support and prosecution for rape, sexual violence still continues in conflicts today. On October 7, 2023, a cross-border attack by Hamas at the Nova music festival in Israel left 1,200 dead and saw women sexually assaulted and mutilated, while 250 people were taken hostage in Israel. Those kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip were believed to have been raped. Since then, sexual violence has been recorded on both sides of the conflict. 'There have been exacerbated attacks by soldiers on Palestinian people – including women and children – particularly at checkpoints, in the past year and a half,' Amani Mustafa, Country Director for WFW Palestine, tells Metro, adding, 'there are 900 checkpoints across the West Bank.' She adds that some female residents of Gaza who were detained by Israeli forces after October 7 have come back with 'obvious' signs of rape, unable to speak after their ordeal. Similar instances were recorded when some of the female Israeli hostages, taken by Hamas, were returned. One, Moran Yanai, said she wasn't sexually assaulted but claimed other women hostages were raped. Palestinian detainees have been subject to continued sexual assault and torture by Israeli authorities, Amani says. WFW Palestine was told the account of one man who was forced to watch his wife raped in front of their children – 'His wife is a victim, but so is his family,' Amani explains. But there are effects beyond breaking apart families and creating cracks in society in these circumstances, as the psychological damage can also be devastating. 'It is not OK for any human to live with this level of fear. And the perpetrators are enjoying impunity without accountability,' Amani explains. 'It is vital to raise awareness of sexual violence in conflict globally, but it is important that we do not turn a blind eye to a certain conflict because we have a political opinion on it. 'Women's rights issues and the humanitarian situation in Palestine have been highly politicised, because people are still busy identifying who to blame. 'They may have the liberty to identify and determine who's to blame, but there are victims who need support, which needs to address the root cause of the issue and conflict. But this is our reality.' Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been ongoing for over three decades. Generations of family have lived through war, and the high levels of rape in the conflict have persisted. When the fighting approached her village, teenager Françoise* decided to flee. Today, the 17-year-old lives in an Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) camp on the outskirts of Goma, but she's still not safe. In a testimonial for the Red Cross, she describes the horrific abuse she suffered recently. If you have been the victim of rape, either recently or historically, and are looking for help, support is out there. If you have recently been raped and you are still at risk, ring 999 and ask for the police. Otherwise, the first step is to go somewhere you are safe. If you want to report your rape to the police, ring 999 or the police non-emergency line on 101. An Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) will often be on hand to help you through reporting and even after you have made a statement, you can still decide to withdraw from the criminal justice process at any time. If you plan on going to the police, if possible, do not wash your clothes or shower, bathe or brush your teeth. If you do get changed, keep the clothes you were wearing in a plastic bag. These steps will help to preserve any DNA evidence your attacker may have left on your body or clothes. If you don't want to contact the police, Rape Crisis suggest talking to someone you trust about what has happened; or you can ring one of the UK's many rape and sexual assault helplines. Anyone aged 16+ can contact Rape Crisis's 24/7 Support Line by calling 0808 500 2222 or starting an online chat. or If you have been injured, you're best advised to go to your nearest A&E to seek medical treatment. If you are uninjured, you can go to your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). The NHS has information on where to find your nearest centre here. If your rape is historic, you can still access support, including from the police – there is no time limit on reporting and your account can still be used as evidence. Read more here. 'I started going to the forest to collect firewood for sale with a group of other women,' she explained. 'About two weeks ago, we came across a group of uniformed armed men. We ran and they chased us. Two of them caught me when I fell on the ground and couldn't run any more. They raped me one by one. They didn't say anything. I could see they were also scared. 'When I could stand up and walk, I was afraid I would get pregnant. I was afraid to tell anyone. I felt useless, scared and alone.' Henriette* was also sexually assaulted by a man carrying a machete after she was separated from friends as they went to collect firewood on a different occasion. 'I was terrified, thinking about my children,' the 30-year-old told the Red Cross. 'He pushed me into a hole in the ground and raped me. When he finished, he told me to leave and never come back. Said I was lucky he didn't kill me. 'After I returned to the camp, and didn't go out for several days. I wanted to throw myself into the lake – the only reason I didn't was because there was nobody to take care of the children.' Between February and March of this year alone, ActionAid recorded a 700% increase in sexual violence against women and girls in the DRC. Provisions to help tackle the issue, such as mobile clinics in IDP camps for rape victims and distribution of post-rape kits by midwives have been introduced by the government, Vianney Dong tells Metro. Still, there are gaps in implementing the changes and seeing progress. If a woman is sexually assaulted, it's known that they should go to the police station to report the crime. 'But before going to report it, women need to feel safe. The place where you are reporting a rape should be safe enough that you don't face retaliation. This is the gap: there is no safe space for a victim to come and say, 'This happened to me,'' Vianney explains. Many of the rape victims in the DRC live in rural areas and are uneducated, making outreach difficult for organisations like Women for Women. Even with education on what to do in case of a rape, the stigma remains. 'It's very difficult for women to open up. It has a lot of cultural implications,' she adds, explaining that in the DRC, many victims of sexual assault are accused of prostitution and exiled from their communities, which often places them in even more danger. 'We need to shift this mindset, speak to community leaders and have them understand – these women are victims of rape. We need to support them.' During the Kosovo War in the late 1990s, thousands of women and girls – like Drita – were raped at the hands of Serbian soldiers. The young country is still reckoning with the aftermath, 25 years later. Iliriana Gashi, Executive Director for WFW in Kosovo, tells Metro: 'When politicians began to be more supportive of survivors of sexual violence in the war, it changed things. But there is still so much shame. More Trending 'It's like when you throw a stone in the lake – the ripples reach far and wide. Shortly after the war ended, women were more open to speaking about their rapes. But it was male members of the family who didn't allow them to speak.' The public testimonies of many survivors of wartime sexual violence in Kosovo, along with time, have helped shift the blame from victims onto the perpetrators, Iliriana says. 'But this trauma is intergenerational,' she adds. 'I hope that people will understand that sexual abuse is a weapon of war. It is used for many purposes: to destroy the person, their family and their communities. 'As a world, we need to work on the prevention of using this weapon, which creates wounds that never heal.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Teen who murdered 12-year-old schoolgirl Ava White named for first time MORE: Three men repeatedly raped 12-year-old girl after luring her from Asda car park MORE: Pro-Palestine group that broke into RAF base 'will be banned in the UK'
Daily Mirror
07-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd star banned for 30 years and six other staggering sports suspensions
A number of the world's leading athletes throughout history have found themselves suspended from their respective sports - including a Manchester United player who was initially banned for life A Manchester United star was once banned for life for match fixing. After plying his trade with Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest, Enoch West made his way to the Red Devils in 1910. A prolific centre-forward, he racked up 72 goals in 166 appearances for United - but his heroic stint was marred with controversy after just five years. That's because in 1915, West and four of his team-mates, as well as three Liverpool players, were banned for life after being convicted of match-fixing. As many of those who received suspensions went off to fight for their country during the First World War, they saw them rescinded upon returning. However, West refused to adhere to the stipulation, and as a result, his ban stayed in place for 30 years before it was eventually lifted in 1945. The longest suspension in Football Association history, West never played professionally ever again, given he was 59 when his ban expired. And he is just one of a number of athletes who have been banned for one reason or another throughout their respective careers... Lou Vincent Lou Vincent was handed a lifetime ban from playing cricket at any level, as well as entering any cricket ground or working in a professional coaching capacity in July 2014, after admitting to match-fixing offences. The New Zealand batter released an open letter which saw him admit to his "dark secret" which "shamed" not only himself, but also his country and the sport. After his suspension commenced, Vincent became a builder in Raglan. However, following a successful appeal in December 2023, his lifetime ban from domestic cricket was lifted, which allowed him to return to play and coach outside of the international game. Lance Armstrong One of the most famous cases of doping in sporting history, Lance Armstrong was handed a lifetime ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012. As a result, the American - who won the Tour de France seven years in a row between 1999 and 2005 after recovering from testicular cancer - saw all of his major accomplishments on the roads and tracks of the world scrubbed from history. Ben Johnson While Ben Johnson's rise to superstardom was unprecedented to say the least - breaking the 100-metre and 60-metre world records and winning a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul - his downfall was equally as shocking. The Canadian sprinter tested positive for Stanozolol after the Olympics, while he admitted to having used steroids in the past. As a result, Johnson was later banned for two years and stripped of his Olympic medal for doping offences. Despite a brief comeback in 1991, he was once again found guilty of doping just two years later, and was banned for life by World Athletics. Hansie Cronje One of the country's most idolised stars, South African Test Cricket captain Hansie Cronje was handed a lifetime ban from the sport in 2000. Cronje, alongside Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom, was caught up in allegations of match-fixing, with the King Commission banning him from any involvement in cricket for life as a result. Despite challenging his ban the following year, his application was dismissed and he remained forbidden from competing in the sport. Liang Wenbo & Li Hang Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were among the snooker stars caught out in a widespread match-fixing ring in China, which rocked the sport in 2023. While eight others were suspended during the investigation, including 2025 World Snooker Champion Zhao Xintong, Liang and Li were deemed to have fixed matches, to have persuaded and encouraged others to fix matches, and to have bet on matches themselves. As a result, they each received lifetime bans. Zhao, meanwhile, was given a ban of one year and eight months, reduced from two-and-a-half years for early admissions of wrongdoing and his guilty plea. While the 28-year-old never rigged matches himself, he did accept charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on games himself.
