Most Overlooked Figures in WW2?

[Fire_Unionist]

Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle ran the super-risky Doolittle Raids on Tokyo in early 1942, none of the pilots who volunteered were guaranteed to survive the mission (in actuality it was a suicide mission), guy is a true leader and a hero for the US. The mission was a success, he did a lot of damage to the Japanese war effort in Tokyo, and significantly boosted morale back home especially after Pearl Harbour and early US losses in the Pacific. Despite the odds only 15% of the air crew were killed or taken prisoner.

Everyone who's anyone knows about the Doolittle raid. I know about it and I'm fairly weak on WW2 history.

 

[DoomBunny]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Upham

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

Licio Gelli

The original 'Bankster'. Trained in finance, he was a liason between Rome, the Vatican, the SS, the Swiss, and OSS/CIA; and developed and nurtured these relationships for his own benefit for decades after the war. One of the primary architects of the Ratlines. Mafia Godfather. Master of the P2 Cult. Very skilled in applying the 'Roman Solution using his Mafia and Intelligence Service pawns. Manipulating modern banking methods; he was an unbelievably effective thief and the IOR, Vatican Bank, was his personal ATM. Lauded by governments around the world, the blood of a Pope stains his hands.

 

[Galaahd]

Licio Gelli

The original 'Bankster'. Trained in finance, he was a liason between Rome, the Vatican, the SS, the Swiss, and OSS/CIA; and developed and nurtured these relationships for his own benefit for decades after the war. One of the primary architects of the Ratlines. Mafia Godfather. Master of the P2 Cult. Very skilled in applying the 'Roman Solution using his Mafia and Intelligence Service pawns. Manipulating modern banking methods; he was an unbelievably effective thief and the IOR, Vatican Bank, was his personal ATM. Lauded by governments around the world, the blood of a Pope stains his hands.

He's not a WW2 character.

Also to be honest I'm a bit skeptical. The guy looks like he enjoys all that attention and that for ego reasons he likes to be seen as some kind of machiavellian mastermind. One would think that if he was actually like that he wouldn't revel in that sort of reputation.

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

He's not a WW2 character.

Also to be honest I'm a bit skeptical. The guy looks like he enjoys all that attention and that for ego reasons he likes to be seen as some kind of machiavellian mastermind. One would think that if he was actually like that he wouldn't revel in that sort of reputation.

How is an architect of the Ratlines not a wwii character? Nazi gold and Switzerland is not a thing?

 

[Galaahd]

How is an architect of the Ratlines not a wwii character? Nazi gold and Switzerland is not a thing?

Well he's famous for what happened decades later, not for his involvement in WW2

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

Well he's famous for what happened decades later, not for his involvement in WW2

Isn’t that the exact purpose of this thread, overlooked characters who play important roles in the war?

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

Well John Rabe would certainly qualify. Sadly he is almost unknown in Germany.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rabe

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

Well John Rabe would certainly qualify. Sadly he is almost unknown in Germany.

I had never heard of him before you mentioned him in a previous thread. A hell of a story very few people have heard.

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

I had never heard of him before you mentioned him in a previous thread. A hell of a story very few people have heard.

I admit I also just stumbled over him in the recent years.