On the 26th of April 1945, as American forces approached, there were 67,665 registered prisoners in Dachau and its subcamps; more than half of this number were in the main camp. Of these, 43,350 were categorized as political prisoners, while 22,100 were Jews, with the remainder falling into various other categories. Starting that day, the Germans forced more than 7,000 prisoners, mostly Jews, on a death march from Dachau to Tegernsee far to the south. During the death march, the Germans shot anyone who could no longer continue; many also died of hunger, cold, or exhaustion.

On the 29th of April 1945, American forces liberated Dachau. As they neared the camp, they found more than 30 railroad cars filled with bodies brought to Dachau, all in an advanced state of decomposition. In early May 1945, American forces liberated the prisoners who had been sent on the death march.

From Belfast to Dachau, follows Belfast man Teddy Dixon on an emotional journey back to the concentration camp of Dachau.

What makes this story even more remarkable is that, during the second world war, Teddy Dixon was fighting with the American Army.

Teddy's family emigrated to the US in the early 1900s. Edward Copeland Dixon was born in New York City in 1920. Five years later, the Dixon family came back to Belfast, and life went on as normal for Teddy until war broke out and Teddy was drafted... into the US Army in 1944, aged 24.

The 42nd division landed in France in December 1944 and advanced through France as part of the 7th Army, entering Germany in March 1945. It was during the division's rapid advance through Germany in April 1945 that Teddy's new 12-man squad of buddies came across scenes of utter revulsion as they liberated 33,000 survivors from Dachau.

On the 29th April 2005, 60 years to the day that he saw his first victim of the Nazi concentration camps, Teddy Dixon went back to Dachau in an attempt to lay his ghosts of 1945 to rest.

Teddy's journey back to Dachau was captured by DoubleBand Films for a documentary that aired on the BBC. This documentary, Belfast to Dachau, will be shown as part of this event. Special guests will include Johnston Dixon (Teddy's son) and Dermot Lavery (DoubleBand Films).

There is no charge to attend this event. If you would like to support the charity, you can make a donation on the night.

After the event, you will also have access to the US Museum in Brownlow House.

To secure your seat at this event, in Brownlow Courtyard, it is recommended that you register as soon as possible due to limited seating, which will be allocated to registered attendees.

To register for this event, click below.

The 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Dachau on the 29th April 2025, hosted by the Ancre Somme Association Charity, represents a powerful opportunity to remember the past, honour the victims of the Holocaust, and commit to a more peaceful future. By coming together as a community to reflect on the atrocities of the past, we can work towards building a more just and tolerant society for all.

The Trustees

Ancre Somme Association
Registered Charity NIC108368