Unforgettable Moment: The Nazis' Demise – Witnessing the Liberation of a Death Train Near Magdeburg
Liberation Shot: Photo Captures Pivotal Moment in Holocaust Liberation - Liberation moment captured:Photo depicts end of Nazi death march
By Gernot's Alternative Pseudonym+ - 5 Min
The 743rd Tank Battalion might not be a household name, but their contributions during World War II were extraordinary. They weren't associated with the illustrious units such as the 82nd Airborne Division or the 1st Infantry Division, the "Big Red One." However, they made a significant mark during the D-Day landings in France, the fierce battles for the Siegfried Line, and the Battle of the Bulge, where they halted the advance of the notorious 1. SS Panzer Division, the "Leibstandarte."
Witnessing Freedom and Hope
One of their officers, Major Clarence Benjamin, snapped a powerful photograph just before the war's end - one that encapsulates the essence of humanity amidst chaos. It depicts women and children escaping from a Nazi death train. The photo showcases a woman's disbelief, unsure whether to trust her eyes, and only in the presence of the US soldiers does she finally trust and relax her tension. Her face is a tapestry of boundless relief.
Tank commander George C. Gross recalled a similar scene: "A young girl, around 15, stood there smiling at me. Her face was so thin that her eyes seemed enormous, but that smile... it was as if she had found hope despite everything." This photograph was later exhibited in displays about the liberation of concentration camps and has become a symbol of hope during the darkest times.
The liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army, the arrival of US troops in Dachau, and the British in Bergen-Belsen are historically more significant. Yet, this image, taken from a siding near Magdeburg, captures the essence of liberation as powerfully as any other. Around 2500 people were herded into the wagons - prisoners who had been evacuated from Bergen-Belsen. Without water or food for days, these people had contracted diseases, and were crammed into the overfilled wagons as the train aimlessly travelled through the devastated landscapes of Germany still under Nazi control. Gross described the scene: "As we approached, we saw that the wagons were full of people, many barely alive. Some crawled out, others lay motionless. It was as if hell itself had opened before us."
The German Reich was crumbling by mid-April 1945, but its killing machine continued unabated. Concentration camp prisoners were executed or transported to prevent liberation by the Allies.
Drowning in Despair
These people were part of the so-called privileged prisoners of the camp. They had been selected by the Germans for a planned prisoner exchange with the Allies. The train roamed aimlessly without any supplies through the remnants of Nazi-controlled Germany. When it could go no further, the commander was said to have received orders to drown all passengers in a planned bridge explosion in the Elbe. However, survivors reported that the commander, an SS officer named Max Schmidt, apparently had no intention of killing the prisoners in the train, but was waiting for an opportunity to escape with his people, perhaps hoping to surrender to the Allies. This supposedly happened just before the arrival of the US soldiers.
Forgotten for years, this moment of liberation was brought to light in 2001 when tank commander Carrol Walsh recounted his battalion's deployments in an interview. Walsh spoke of battles, skirmishes, and the comrades he had lost. It was only by chance, prompted by his daughter, that he described the liberation of the train. "We were driving along this road, and suddenly we saw these people by the side of the road. They looked like skeletons, so thin and emaciated. I thought at first they were refugees, but then I saw the wagons. It was a shock to realize that these were prisoners from a concentration camp," Walsh said. This interview triggered further research, resulting in several book publications.
The encounter unfolded as follows: A few miles northwest of Magdeburg, there was a railway siding in a wooded ravine near the Elbe. On April 13, 1945, Major Clarence Benjamin and his patrol stumbled upon a motley assembly of individuals by the side of the road. Benjamin, an experienced officer, was deeply moved by the encounter and kept the photograph with him for the rest of his life. Artillery fire could still be heard in the background. The soldiers discerned that something was wrong. The figures by the side of the road were gaunt and emaciated. They burst into hysterical laughter when they recognized the soldiers. Some prisoners fell weeping into the soldiers' arms, while others, too weak to move, stared disbelievingly at the tanks.
Walsh recalled, "People came towards us, some crying, others laughing, as if they couldn't believe it. I'll never forget an older man taking my hand and kissing it. He didn't speak English, but his eyes said it all." Gina Rappaport, then 16, described her feelings: "I thought this was the end. We hadn't eaten for days, and the guards had disappeared. Suddenly we heard engines, and then I saw the American tanks. I thought I was dreaming - I couldn't believe we were saved." Near the road stood the old freight wagons on the siding - a dire and desperate camp teeming with people.
Reflections of a Liberator
In 2001, tank commander George C. Gross remembered the events: "On Friday, April 13, 1945, I was commanding a light tank in a column of the 743rd Tank Battalion and the 30th Infantry Division... The major led our two tanks, each carrying several infantrymen of the 30th Infantry Division on their decks, down a narrow road until we reached a valley. There was a small station with a colorful assortment of passenger and freight wagons on a siding. A mass of people sat or lay there, who had not yet noticed our presence." It was a liberation without fighting, as the Germans had fled. "There must have been guards, but they had obviously run away before or during our arrival, as I don't remember any firefight. Our stop at the train was therefore not a great heroic deed." Gross also remembered the photograph of the woman: "It shows a woman in the foreground with her arms outstretched, an expression of surprise and joy on her face as she runs towards us."
The soldiers did their best to help, but their small patrol with two armored vehicles had no supplies for the 2500 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 crying as he lifted children out of the wagons. We were no longer strangers to them - they saw us as people." Gross remembered sixteen dead being carried out of the wagons. The soldiers positioned their tanks to visibly protect the train under the US Army. Then the freed gathered before the soldiers. They stood tall, held their heads high, and formally introduced themselves in an unusual ceremony. They had regained their dignity and were once again human beings. Michael Hirsch, then seven years old, recalled: "I remember the tanks and the soldiers with stars on their uniforms. My mother held me tight and whispered, 'We are free.' It was the first time in years I saw her smile." "I have a picture of several girls," remembered Gross. "They were eerily thin, with hollow cheeks and huge eyes that had seen so much evil and horror, and yet they wore a smile 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
[1] Rozell, M. (2001). A Train Near Magdeburg: A True World War II Story of Genocide, Survival, and the Americans Who Liberated a Concentration Camp. Felberry Publishing.
[2] Alex Witchel, via Google Books. (2001). One Last Look Before We Say Goodbye: A Son’s Recollections of His Dying Father and the Holocaust Survivors He Helped Liberate. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- The 743rd Tank Battalion's contributions during the Second World War, though not as famous as other units, were significant, particularly in the D-Day landings, the Battles of Siegfried and the Bulge.
- Major Clarence Benjamin captured a powerful photograph near Magdeburg just before the end of the war, showing women and children escaping from a Nazi death train, embodying humanity amidst chaos.
- Tank commander George C. Gross recalled seeing survivors of a concentration camp near Magdeburg, describing a young girl with an enormous smile despite her emaciated state.
- The encounter with the death train near Magdeburg was initially forgotten, but was brought to light in 2001 when tank commander Carrol Walsh discussed his battalion's deployments in an interview, mentioning the liberation of the train accidentally.
- The science community and the general public have become more aware of the events near Magdeburg due to book publications triggered by Walsh's interview, providing insights into health and wellness, medical-conditions, and crime-and-justice aspects of the aftermath.
- Sports enthusiasts and fans of history may find interest in stories of war heroes like the 743rd Tank Battalion, as their actions demonstrate lessons of resilience, adaptation, and perseverance that are relevant in various fields, including sports.
