There’s history and there’s myth. What’s the difference? Historians peruse documents, ledgers, letters, newspapers, memoirs, oral accounts, films, photographs to create a record of what happened. Myth is its essence, distilling it all into a narrative a nation, religion, etc. universally accepts, almost on a subconscious level, to celebrate events and heroes with music, poems, icons, bank notes, paintings and lullabies mothers sing to newborns.

World War II was a global catastrophe like no other. There are thousands upon thousands of books in which every day is documented: huge military operations; horrific, heroic and criminal experiences of millions who died and those who survived. There are movies, memoirs, artwork, graveyards, museums and untold numbers of shoeboxes with family memorabilia.