American Traitor - The 'Axis Sally' Story
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- Опубліковано 13 вер 2022
- The story of notorious WW2 American traitor Mildred Gillars, known to Allied troops as 'Axis Sally', broadcasting Nazi radio propaganda.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Credits: The National Archives; Library of Congress
When I pass away I want Mark Felton to narrate my life.
With the intro music as well, showing ur greatest moments
Gonna be a shyte story.
You have to be a nazi first.
For that you should attack Europe
Take a number!!!😂
My mother knew Tokyo Rose and Axis Sally when they were in prison. She said Tokyo Rose was very polite and nice but Axis Sally was quite the b@#$%.
My mom also knew them too from prison. She said Axis Sally was very sweet and polite but Tokyo Rose was a b$&@#
I think both your mother's are lying
Was your mother a prison matron or an inmate?😂
Believable. I think it is a shame that Axis Sally, in a way, got such a relative mild penalty compared to the Japanese Propaganda Speaker
1:18 According to Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany (2010), she was under the Foreign Ministry; Von Ribbentrop, not Goebbels. She was the one of the highest paid employees in her department earning 3,000 RMs monthly, the middle wage at the time was roughly 300RMs. Before the war, circa 1939, her mother visited her and begged her to return to the US. She refused, she felt very important in Nazi Germany and had nothing to return to in the US.
The video doesn’t discuss her motivation, but I wonder if that was what it was, a substantial pay and a sense of usefulnes.
I would think that would be her reasoning also. Clearly nazi Germany looked at her as more than a housewife. She was an icon. She felt important. Back in the 30s/40s most women in the US still couldn't even work...well not atleast till war started to break out and then they started to work in factories for the war effort. They were that of a housewife and that was all. But Felton is a master as work with this history stuff. You have to love the content this man puts out.
@@MattyDaBullBets "Back in the 30s/40s most women in the US still couldn't even work" - Well, thankfully now it's paradise, they (have to) work all their lives, and then get to spend their retirement alone with 5 cats on Social Security. Ah, the progress we have made.
@@mountainhobo You say that like its not a choice! Woman do NOT have to work and most still dont people choose to work! Do you just ignore all the feminist protests over the last 5 or so years? Or are you just playing to ignorance? Why do they die alone with 5 cats? because they are forever complaining about men! saying things like "we dont need men" "Men are nothing but sperm donors" "Men are useless and worthless" Or one of my favourites "Once woman can get pregnant without men there will be no need for men anymore"
@@anderspedersen7488 Maybe she was just a nazi at heart. He refusal to return to America prior to being hired was a clue in that direction.
I have learned more American history from Dr. Mark then all of high school and college. Another great video thank you sir
Ask for your tuition money back.
At least you learnt how to use someone’s correct pronouns
You're kidding, right? Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, India, religion, science history, etc., ...? I paid attention when I was in school.
@@JohnnyAngel8 What he's saying is that he was mostly tuned out when in school. "Dr. Mark" should object.
LMAO! What you didn't learn from Mark Felton is that Milred Gillars was charged with 10 counts of treason and the prosecutors were seeking the death penalty! Two of the charges were dismissed before the trial began and she was found quilty on only one charge of treason for her broadcast "Visions of Invasion" Al try doing some reserch for yourself!
"She chose poorly"
To add two other famous broadcasters during the war: 1) Ezra Loomis Pound (1885-1972), distinguished American poet who praised Mussolini and Fascism on the air from Italy. 2) Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881-1975), British humorous writer who was interred in France during the war and made some very silly remarks on German radio. Both lost some of their reputation, and Pound was even sent to a lunatic asylum after the war.
You got to give Axis Sally her credit for trying. She finally became famous.
I'll admit I'm ignorant on this topic so if someone could explain why she was guilty of treason I'd appreciate it. Clearly she "switched" sides but since she wasn't military she never owed us any loyalty and she wasn't giving out military secrets.
Infamous.
@@phaiz55 You do not need to be in uniform to be guilty of treason. You need to be a citizen and either fight against the US or "materially aid its enemies".
@@mcpanzer4637 They don't teach civics anymore, just division.
@@phaiz55 I agree. They were just doing a job. Radio broadcasting should not have been punished that harshly just because they happened to be American. What if they chose to move there regardless of the war. Seems a little excessive to me.
What people will do to get an acting gig.
I'm glad you at least mentioned the other Axis Sally during the Italian campaign.
Lol...ask Weinstein..
Yet another unexpected story from WW2. Just thinking about traitors alot of people forget Lord Haw Haw was actually an Irishman and not British.
Roller Ghoster
British are actually Irish and not British then because that's what British refers to and has done for 2500 years.
IRE!
Thought Haw-Haw was actually born in the US (of Irish parents, one of which was a naturalised US citizen) and lived in Ireland for some time.
@@oldfella3919 you are correct,and so is Mr. Felton
Registered as as American and same passport carrier.
HawHaw was snouted by us (🇬🇧) when we shouldn't have.
Bloody big mouth deserved it though.
Wow! I’m amazed they did not give her a self tightening rope necklace! Lucky woman! Thanks Dr. Mark never heard of her! 👍
Convicted women nearly always get lighter sentencing.
She's didn't even kill anyone
@@JaegerMatthias yea only women who were executed for WW2 were the really bad guards that did major war crimes.
@@jasonbuford496 She was a traitor--aiding and abetting the enemy.
A video about Leni Reifenstahl and Triumph of the Will would also be amazing and interesting video stories!
Interesting story of another individual who broadcasted on behalf of the Axis. Thank you Dr. Felton!
You do know that Mark wasn’t present and creating the events? He’s just presenting them in a digestible way for his audience.
@@Robert-tl2vg What? No, really 😱 This whole time all of us literally thought Dr. Felton was an immortal, supernatural creature who was there for all of it!
@@Robert-tl2vg wow, he didn’t create the events he described? I cannot believe this. Verily, I thought he was a god among men.
@@Robert-tl2vg, he wasn't actually at all the locations he tells us about?? Tell me this ain't so!! My faith in humanity is gone! 😞
Dr Felton was actually this woman
If memory serves, they had a version of her on Hogan's Heroes.
From New Zealand. I see Mark, I watch and always like. So reliable!
She was held at Alderson Federal Women's Prison in Alderson, West Virginia. The same women's prison that held Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme
and Martha Stewart, many years later.
This is always an amazing channel.. you must have a great team of researchers or you are the greatest researcher that I have ever heard of Mark.. thanks you for all of your hard work and your dedication to serve..
You have a way of finding and then presenting the details of WWII in a very interesting manner.
Yes, a very slanted manner.
My father heard both of them and he liked Tokyo Rose better. He said she had better music.
Outstanding video and presentation.
Always great to hear a new story, especially one with such intrigue! Thanks again for providing another awesome video, Mark!
Nah, was looking for pron, cracking skirt though 💯❤️🍀
Could you do a video on the much-forgotten 1939 Slovak-Hungarian war? As always, love the content Mark.
He would need some reliable English language information or accounts, do you know of any good sources?
The first time I had heard about Axis Sally, I was reading Skorzeny's autobiography. It's nice to know more about her
Skorzenys Autobiography is one of the best ever and it´s from the other side too. I don´t think Skorzeny was a bad man, he was a great soldier. The allied always have made him bad. To know the real truth about WW2 we must read more books written by the men and women who fought on the axis side and don´t take too seriously what the allied side writes. The you can get the more of the real truth about WW2.
Sam Spencer, we have very little of anything to learn from the Axis accounts of WWII written by Nazis after the war. The memoirs of most of the highest ranking Generals were "edited" by Halder to further the "clean Whermacht" myth. None of them could even explain *why* they lost the War in the East. Even Skorzeny's books contain tall tales and denial of his involvement in war crimes ( and it was not necessary, he was in some crazy adventures anyway and an unrepentant criminal ).
@@wills2140 Skorzeny never commited war crimes. In fact, he was declared not guilty of all the accusations regarding the Battle of the Bulge and war crimes
I heard the name for the first time in the show Hogan's Heroes
So many people turn to fascism when the world fails to recognize their brilliance and entitlement.
Dr. Felton have you covered Nancy Wake? That would be awesome topic.
Great one , amazing how you always pull something interesting out of WW2 and give it a good presentation . The history and fact's, Always loved this Channel . Thanks Mark !
Thank you, Dr. Felton
Thank you for another great documentary video Mark Felton Productions!!!
Another extremely well crafted, thought-provoking video Professor Felton, you're truly an inspiration!
And what about JANE FONDA
Another famous traitor. She should have lost her freedom many years ago.
Never forget Jane Fonda. Should've been charged with treason.
@@sgt.grinch3299 Poor Henry never said anything to her and still at it too.
I am still surprised she didn't get any kind of legal trouble for what she did. Sitting on the tank taking photos I can let go but surrendering US POW's messages to the enemy is dishonorable.
Great comment! May the memory of her perfidy never die.
In a more humane era, Axis Sally is dealt with in a firm but fair manner. In the modern culture- Jane Fonda is allowed to make millions and live a fine life. Harvested from the misery of American servicemen stationed in Viet Nam.
She served 10 years. Okay, fine. A lot of the monsters they locked up in Germany and Japan were released after a couple years.
Japan got off easy.
@@noway57 white westerns got it easy
@@kazer353 Aw is someone amgry that he believes propaganda?
@@twentysecondcenturywoman I don’t believe Jews where just victims some of them worked with the nazi and financed hitler but am saying white westerns got it easy
@@kazer353How the family of the people who was killed in Death Camps in Poland and in Naking China feel about that
What an amazing story. Thank you again, Dr. Felton!
GUYS A NEW MARK FELTON VIDEO JUST DROPPED!
She got off light, no excuse for what she did!😡
The sound clips remind me of listening to an old Zenith tube radio late at night.
Thanks Mark 👍
I enjoy your videos very much, Dr. Felton. I knew about Tokyo Rose, but had never heard about "Axis Sally". Thank you for this lesson, too.🌷🌷🌷
Thank you, Mr Felton. Hugs from Brazil.
There is a book written by Clark McClelland that mentions a meeting witnessed by the author at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two Germans visiting the office there of Kurt Debus, the head man in charge of NASA's KSC & during WWII was in charge at Peenemunde, where the V2 rocket was manufactured. The two visiting Germans were (allegedly) Hans Kammler & "Gestapo Müller". Kurt Debus was an Operation Paperclip scientist who died in 1983, so this meeting had to have occurred prior to that.
It would not be surprising. DeBus was among many on the rocket teams that was an ardent and unrepentant Nazi. Arthur Rudolph was another. Operation paperclip should never have allowed so many proven Nazi war criminals into our nation, it tarnishes so much. Even into projects beyond KSC and Area 51, all hidden by "secrecy" still.
@@wills2140 Paperclip was a "quid pro quo": the U.S. furnished transport for "Rat Line" Germans to S. America, so that then the U.S. got rocket scientists. One weird idiosyncrasy of several of the Nazi leaders, apparently including Kurt Debus, is the sword fencing wounds visible in their facial photos. They would intentionally try and get facial sword wounds, sometimes stuffing the wound with horse hairs to magnify the effect.
Tokyo Rose worked in an import shop in my Chicago neighborhood. I never took the opportunity to meet her because even as a teenager I felt I should respect her privacy.
Uhm.. no?
@@fgoogleinthea7475 um, no? what?
@@fgoogleinthea7475 based named
As always, Dr. Felton, a truly informative and compelling story... thanks much.
FeltonMania is going wild with these videos.
Her facial structure, eyebrows, and photo with a cigarette remind me of Jeane Kirkpatrick for some reaswon. Another great video!
Doh! Now I can't unsee it 🤣
Always a great story from Dr Felton!
Never disappoints. Don't forget the 👍 and donate if you can to help keep these stories coming.
I was waiting for this one!
US forces said that they loved listening to Axis Sally because she played the best music on her show!
Thanks Dr. Felton!
She’s buried not too far from 4th Fighter Group Ace Don Gentile. I tried to find her grave on a recent visit to document Gentile’s, but everything indicates it’s unmarked.
Figures.
I guess that's not too surprising. Someone has to pay for a marker or gravestone after all and chances are no-one wants to, and it's also possible the cemetery wants the grave unmarked to prevent vandalism or to keep it from being a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis.
I had no idea. I've visited Don's plot in South Columbus many times.
I'm in Columbus also. From everything I researched there's not even a stone or metal pole to denote the grave. Just sod and grass.
Unmarked and unmourned is the grave a traitor should have.
Dr Felton is the best channel on this site
Thank You Dr. Felton for another wonderful video. As for Axis Sally, she was a real piece of work and didn’t nearly spend enough time in prison.
Another top quality and well researched story .
There's a movie that came out last year about Axis Sally. Staring Al Pacino as her lawyer. Coincidentally the actress who plays her is from my city of Miami too.
I saw that movie, too. Considered it a B-movie. Don't remember Al Pacino as her lawyer. Amazon Prime Video.
Yes, the movie is "American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally" (2021). I haven't watched it, at least not yet.
Thanks for being so vague, genius.
@@fgoogleinthea7475 Vague??? Bob gave the name of the movie.
Another outstanding production
Thank you
Very well documented, fantastic production dealing with facts.
It would be nice to have some videos about "foreign legions" in the Royal Italian Army. They're relatively obscure but really interesting.
Like other Italian subjects the remaining information is sparse, at best. Do you know of any reliable English language documents or sources? That is what Dr.Felton would need, as he has little time for doing original source research ( it is the price for all the fine video content ).
Who else loves this channel?
Another interesting and informative post, thank you.
Wow, very interesting! Well done, Mark!
I heard the famous "Jody" who sleeps with the wives/girlfriends ofUS servicemen when they were deployed was made popular by Axis Sally. She would broadcast stories to soldiers how " jody" was with their woman right now. The name "jody" originated with the coloured units in Europe. They would joke with each other that Joe D was back home chasing their women. The Germans heard the story and thought they said "Jody".
Joe D. Grinder, as sung about by Merle Haggard in the Old Man from the Mountain.
Yep, many soldiers I know who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan worried about Jody, and some were real....actual guys their wives/girlfriends messed around with when they were overseas. Many divorces and broken families followed. Sad, pathetic women..
"Lord haw haw" William Brooke Joyce fled Ireland for England during Ireland's War of independence with the IRA hot on his tail. Coming from an Anglo-centric anti independence family, the American was a courier and informer for British army "intelligence". He was "snuck" out of Ireland in 1922 to join the Worchester Regiment at Norton barracks. Long-term, the Brits refused to either protect or enable him to have a "military" career. Outside Ireland he was of little use to them. Developing a distain for his former "masters", New York born Joyce became active in the British fascists movement. Finding little profit in British fascism, "pro Unionist" Joyce left for Germany, offering his services to Goebbels' pro war propaganda machine. Joyce's high profile engagement with the propaganda side of Nazism ultimately left him hanging.
Always learning something new about ww2 ! Thanks too this channel!
Thank you for these videos.
I watched the movie about her recently. It's free on a couple of streaming apps. She's just another example of how the evil and corrupt get by with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
Felton said she went to prison for ten years.
Just like the Barking Yam………..so far. 😃
@@davidcat1455 6 years of the full weight of federal gooberment and what have you got? Numerous state “investigations. What have you got? N O T H I N G. That should tell you something. Democrats using the “justice” system to punish political adversaries. Kinda like……nazi germany, or Soviet Russia.
Dr. Felton should be in the history books
Great work, Mark!
I wonder if her students and their families ever found out about her past.
Maybe they could claim some refund of school tuition fees. 🤣🙃🤣
Keep 'em coming Mark!
There's a movie about Axis Sally on Amazon Prime.
As always great content, keep it up😁
I first learned some of Axis Sally’s story through a not-very-good play I saw in Philadelphia 25 years ago. In addition to all the other stuff, she was the mistress of a big wheel in Berlin. Good video!
Was she really, or was that just thrown in to sex up the show?
@@gregb6469 I’ve heard the liaison referred to elsewhere.
Mr. Felton thank you for your newest video. I'm really grateful as an American you not only cover British issues but other nations. I'm also deeply touched that you shared a video of the former queen being involved in active military service during WW2. Most people have covered the royal side of her majesty but you covered her from the veteran perspective also. Thanks again!
I remember hearing her story long ago. Great to hear it again. WW2 is a gift that keeps giving. So many stories of interest. I truly thought Axis Sally was going to bite the bullet, but she got off light. Guess she wasn't very effective in demoralizing American and our troops. At least she repented and paid her price.
"WW2 is a gift that keeps giving."? Really poor choice of words
@@stevenpine1939 exactly my thoughts
I heard conversion here but not repentance. Two different things.
She came away better than Julian Assange.
@@OompaL0ompa ...other than the colon cancer part...
I had not heard of her. Thank you for the video!
..BRAVO !! ..Always soo articulate, always comprehensive.. Truly, a class act..!!
As always, very enlightening. I'm lucky enough to have had three grandparents serve during the war. (Mom's mom was a US Army nurse who was in England before D-day and later in France) but I have not heard of these scoundrels except through Professor Felton.
Had no idea such a prominent figure from the WW2 period was from my state of Ohio. Very interesting. I imagine there were people from the axis nations that did similar broadcasts to the axis soldiers and home front on behalf of the allies during the war.
That's what I was thinking. Allies used propaganda broadcasts. Axis used propaganda radio. Why does someone get hung for that?
Well, actress Marlene Dietrich did propaganda and war effort campaigns for the United States, but she had become an American citizen and renounced all citizenship and ties to her native Germany before we went to war with them in 1941. So, she technically wasn't a traitor to her homeland since she had already changed nationality.
@@thunderbird1921 Anton Walbrook who did a number of Powell and Pressburger movies in the UK during the war was Austrian, he left in 36, a lot of those films where such as the 49th Parallel (Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey,Leslie Howard) still a fantastic film where soft propaganda, also shorts such as 'information please'. There where a number of German actors in British and US movies in the early 40's.
Hardy Krüger(a Bridge too Far, Barry Lyndon, The Flight of the Phoenix, he was the Model plane designer) was actually in the SS but was sentenced to death , but saved by an other officer when he refused to shoot US prisoners, this turned him away from the Nazi's.
btw everyone should watch Powell and Pressburger movies, they are stunning and they are sadley not known enough in the general public
@@thunderbird1921 Yep, spot on! Can't forget about her. Though, it is hard to say what is and what isnt treason, its dubious even today. At times I wonder if you put yourself on some list if you renounce citizenship- but you did indeed say "technically" :)
@@davidrenton I've seen at least one of them, A Canterbury Tale. A very moving and deeply philosophical spiritual film.
Great video, but I always have heard that she was known as "Berlin Sally"! Thank you for the research you put into this video, good job. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank You Dr. Felton .
For people who think Sally got a light sentence. Major general Mathias Kräutler used scorched earth tactics and dragged prisoners along as they retreated. He surrendered in August 1945 and was in a prison camp 1 year, 4 months and 17 days.
Thrn both got a lighter sentence
How about Joachim Peiper, the man behind the Malmedy Massacre of US soldiers? I don't think he even served a meaningful prison sentence. He was hunted down and killed by French vigilantes in the 1970s IIRC, after they discovered his place of residence.
They should have received the short drop, sudden stop.
I’ve always been interested in this story. I have a poster with a cartoon of her on it, from the war.
Your doing good research on history.... Good job.
I can't believe I went to the same school axis Sally did. They never informed us of one of their infamous students.
Another great video from Dr Felton!
a Thank You for yet Another Excellent
World War Two Video, Dr. Felton!
As per usual, your presentation
was not only Insightful, throughly well-researched,
Presented, and Written, but also Utterly Brilliant!
Please NEVER cease to create such Wonderful
Material, & We assure You, that We shall gladly
continue to devour Your Wonderous Work!
Take Care,
Stay Well,
& Cheers,
Daniel
Better than coffee:
Now I’m actually awake for the first time this morning.
Nice new intro Mr. Felton.
That the recordings has survived is amazing! 😲♥️
I never like hearing the death/burial details, because it’s a clear sign that another excellent biographical piece by Dr. Felton has come to an end. Bittersweet!
The woman was desperate to be famous and wanted. How you can commit treason for a dictator to get all that isn't rational
Great job, thanks Mark!
Always interesting, thank you.
Hi mark:
Speaking of radio mark, you should do a video on foxhole radios they were makeshift radios that could pickup broadcast built using crude componets such as safety pins nails graphite penicils wires batteries and other materials that could be found. They were first reported being used at anzio.
Many years ago, my father showed me how to make one, it wasn't a great success🙂
Weren’t they called crystal radios?
Prison radios had the same idea, and normslly components.
I have a theroy that the reason they showed up in US prisons was from US G.I's coming home knowing how to make them gathering resources in the front or in P.O.W camps.
I successfully built one in school. Then I tried to build "a real radio." It never worked. 😔
Conventional superhetrodyne receivers were forbidden because the Nazis would direction find on the receiver's oscillator frequency. Crystal radios do not have an oscillator circuit.
Wow, it sure took a long time to bring her to trial.
Have heard of Sig Saly but never Axis Sally! Great post!
Thanks Dr felton an unknown piece of history your a star
The Iva Toguri “Tokyo Rose” was no traitor, as Prof. Felton shows in his other video.
The wartime broadcasts Iva Toguri made were done under duress while she, and fellow American and British citizens were prisoners of the Japanese.
Cousens, who worked with her, testified that she was never a traitor.
She even received a Presidential Pardon decades too late.
It was sensationalist radio broadcaster, Walter Winchell who led the way, at the time, in besmirching her name shortly after the war.
Smirking smuggly in your mugshot doesn’t do much to help you look innocent.
@@FormerGovernmentHuman I certainly hope the look on a person's face in their mugshot has no bearing on whether they are judged guilty or not guilty.
It's just one example of merely being Asian was used against US citizens.
She fared a lot better than William Joyce after the war, to be sure.
Thank you for the lesson.
Love the history lessons thanks
Tokyo Rose was just a poor teenager with one foot in both countries caught in Japan st wars start... "Traitor" is a VERY strong word to use for her.
I've heard her name but nothing else about her. Great video
I also saw that Axis Sally in the movie "Miracle of St. Anna" played by Mrs. Lara.
Mark is the best historian UA-camr (change my mind)