Benito Mussolini Mussolini was rescued from captivity in the Gran Sasso raid by German paratroopers and "Waffen-SS" commandos led by Major Otto-Harald Mors. Adolf Hitler, after meeting with the rescued former dictator, then put Mussolini in charge of a puppet regime in northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic (, RSI), informally known as the "Salò Republic". In late April 1945, in the wake of near total defeat, Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci attempted to flee to Switzerland, but both were captured by Italian communist partisans and summarily executed by firing squad on 28 April 1945 near Lake Como. His body was
History of the England cricket team from 1945 Cup campaign with England losing to New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa and crashing out in the Super 8s, despite a thrilling victory over the West Indies, thanks to Kevin Pietersen's century, in Brian Lara's last international appearance. History of the England cricket team from 1945 In 1944, an England XI played one-day matches at Lord's against "West Indies" and "Australia", England winning both. (These were not limited overs matches.) The following year, with the Second World War having finished in the European theatre in early May, five so-called "Victory Tests" were arranged, against an Australian Services XI which