A Train of Horrors: The Liberation of Survivors by US Soldiers in 1945
- By Gernot Kramper
- Reading Time: 5 minutes
Liberation Moment Captured: Images Reveal Nazi Death Train Scene - Liberation image captures poignant scene during Nazi death march termination
Few remember the 743rd Tank Battalion beyond military buffs. It lacks the fame of the 82nd Airborne Division or the 1st Infantry Division, the "Big Red One." However, this unit participated at the forefront alongside the first wave of D-Day in France, fought ferociously for the Siegfried Line north of Aachen, and stopped the advance of the notorious 1st SS Panzer Division, the "Leibstandarte," in the area of Malmedy during the Battle of the Bulge.
The Face of Deliverance
One of their officers, Major Clarence Benjamin, captured an iconic World War II photo mere days before the war's end. It revealed an unnamed woman, her face reeling in disbelief, unsure if her eyes were deceiving her. Only when confronted with U.S. soldiers did she finally relax, her features displaying unrestrained relief.
Tank commander George C. Gross recalled a similar scene: "A young girl, maybe 15 years old, smiled at me. Her face was so thin that her eyes seemed oversized, but that smile... it was as if she had found a ray of hope amidst darkness." The image has since graced exhibitions chronicling the liberation of concentration camps, symbolizing compassion amidst chaos.
The liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army, the arrival of U.S. troops in Dachau, and British forces in Bergen-Belsen receive more historical attention. Nevertheless, no photograph encapsulates the moment of liberation quite like this image taken near Magdeburg. The train carried around 2,500 prisoners, all en route from the extermination camp Bergen-Belsen. The prisoners had gone without sustenance or water for days, sick with diseases and crushed by the suffocating overcrowding of the overfilled wagons. Gross painted a grim picture: "As we approached, we could see the wagons crammed with people, many close to death. Some crawled out, while others seemed lifeless." The Nazi regime was crumbling in mid-April 1945, yet the machinery of death continued unabated. The deadliest days of the Holocaust lingered on, as concentration camp prisoners were executed or transported to forestall their rescue by the Allies.
Drowned in the Elbe
The prisoners aboard the train were deemed "privileged" by the Germans, selected for a planned prisoner exchange with the Allies. The train traversed war-torn areas still under Nazi control, running out of vital supplies. When the train reached its terminus, the commander was reportedly instructed to drown all passengers during a planned bridge explosion in the Elbe. However, survivors claimed that the commander, an SS officer named Max Schmidt, may not have intended to kill the Jews on the train, but rather was holding out for an opportunity to surrender to the Allies. This allegedly transpired shortly before the arrival of U.S. troops.
Lost in Time
This heartrending moment of liberation had long been lost to history. It resurfaced in 2001 when tank commander Carrol Walsh recounted his battalion's deployments in an interview. Recollections of battles and casualties dominated his narrative—it was by chance that he mentioned the liberation of the train. "We were going along this road when suddenly we saw these emaciated individuals beside the road. I initially believed them to be refugees, until I laid eyes on the wagons. The revelation was a shock," Walsh stated. This interview sparked further research, corroborated by survivor testimonies and several book publications.
The encounter unfolded as follows: Several miles northwest of Magdeburg, on April 13, 1945, a wooded ravine concealed a small railway siding along the Elbe. Major Benjamin, with his patrol, discovered about 200 skeletal figures by the side of the road. Benjamin, a seasoned officer hailing from Ohio, was profoundly affected by the encounter and cherished the photo for the rest of his life. The clamor of artillery gunfire still echoed in the background. The soldiers sensed something was amiss. The figures by the roadside were frail and starved-looking. They greeted the soldiers with hysterical laughter, realizing their saviors had finally arrived. Some prisoners collapsed weeping in the soldiers' arms, while others, too weak to move, stared in disbelief at the tanks.
Walsh remembered: "People approached us, some laughing, others crying as they couldn't believe their luck. I'll never forget an elderly man taking my hand and kissing it. He could not speak English, but his eyes conveyed his gratitude." Gina Rappaport, then 16, said: "I thought this was the end. We had gone without food for days. Suddenly we heard the sound of tanks, and I couldn't believe I was being saved." The freight wagons stood idly beside the tracks, creating a bleak, pitiful scene.
Memories of a Liberator
In 2001, tank commander George C. Gross recounted the events: "On Friday, April 13, 1945, I commanded a light tank in a column of the 743rd Tank Battalion and the 30th Infantry Division... Major Benjamin was in command of our two tanks, each transporting several soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division on their decks. He led us down a narrow road until we reached a valley. We found a station with a colorful assortment of passenger and freight wagons on a siding. A motley group of people sat or lay there, seemingly oblivious to our presence." The liberation was bloodless, as the Germans had apparently fled beforehand. "There must have been guards, but I don't recall any firefight. Our encounter with the train was thus not a heroic act," Gross said. He also spoke of the iconic photograph: "It depicts a woman in the foreground, her arms outstretched, with an expression of surprise and joy as she rushes towards us."
The soldiers did their best to alleviate the prisoners' suffering, given their lack of supplies for 2,500 people. Ariela Rojek, a survivor, recalled: "The soldiers gave us chocolate and bread, but many of us were too weak to eat. I remember a soldier tears streaming down his face as he picked up children from the wagons." Gross also recalled sixteen dead being carried out of the wagons.
The soldiers stationed their tanks to protect the train under the U.S. Army's authority. As the liberated gathered before the soldiers, they stood tall, their heads held high, and introduced themselves formally, regaining their humanity. Michael Hirsch, then seven years old, stated: "I remember the tanks and the soldiers with stars on their uniforms. My mother clung to me tightly and murmured, 'We are free.' It was the first time in years I saw her smile." Gross also remembered a photograph of several girls: "They looked eerily thin, with sunken cheeks and oversized eyes that had witnessed countless evils. Yet they beamed, a sight that broke my heart."
Source: A Train Near Magdeburg--The Holocaust, the survivors, and the American soldiers who saved them by Matthew Rozell
- End of War
- World War II
Enrichment Data:
The liberation of a Nazi death train near Magdeburg, Germany, in 1945 is a crucial event during World War II, involving the 743rd Tank Battalion. Here is the story behind this momentous event:
Background
On April 13, 1945, U.S. soldiers from the 743rd Tank Battalion, including Major Clarence Benjamin, discovered a stranded train near Farsleben, a town close to Magdeburg. This train carried about 2,500 prisoners, mostly Jews, evacuated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The German forces halted the train due to the deteriorating war situation.
The Liberation
The U.S. troops arrived on the train, bringing immense relief to the victims of the Holocaust. Major Clarence Benjamin took a famous photograph capturing the moment of liberation.
Significance
This event marked a critical moment in the waning days of World War II, signifying the rapid advance of Allied forces and the rescue of concentration camp prisoners.
Legacy
The liberation's story has been chronicled through various mediums, including Matthew A. Rozell's book "A Train Near Magdeburg," which details the experiences of survivors and liberating soldiers. This story serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the importance of preserving historical memory.
- Despite not being renowned like the 82nd Airborne Division or the 1st Infantry Division, the 743rd Tank Battalion played a significant role in World War II, participating in crucial battles such as D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.
- Major Clarence Benjamin, an officer in the 743rd Tank Battalion, captured an iconic World War II photograph in 1945 that depicted the moment of liberation for concentration camp survivors near Magdeburg, symbolizing compassion amidst chaos.
- George C. Gross, a tank commander in the 743rd Tank Battalion, recalled a similar scene of unrestrained relief and hope among the liberated Jewish prisoners, who were en route from the extermination camp Bergen-Belsen.
- The liberation of a Nazi death train near Magdeburg, Germany, in 1945 is a crucial event in war-and-conflicts history, involving the 743rd Tank Battalion. The U.S. soldiers, who discovered the train and rescued the prisoners, encountered a scene of sick and malnourished individuals, crushed by overcrowding and diseases.
- Nearly seven decades later, in 2001, survivor testimonies and further research corroborated the liberation of the train near Magdeburg, bringing the heartrending moment of deliverance to light once again. The event serves as an essential part of general-news, politics, war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and disease-and-health history.
