UNITED KINGDOM: Havildar Umrao Singh of the Indian Army is awarded the Victoria Cross from HM King George VI at Buckingham Palace. This is for his actions of December 16, 1944. (Daniel Ross)
FRANCE: Pierre Laval, former Premier of the Vichy government is executed.
The charge is "treason" or "plotting against the security of the state" or "conducting intelligence with the enemy" (depending on your source). Prior to his execution, he had attempted suicide with poison. The US news magazine Time had named him "Man of the Year" in 1931.
Fleeing France, ahead of the advancing Allied Armies, for Germany, the Nazis assisted him in flying to Spain. Franco had Laval arrested and sent to Austria, where US forces arrested him. He was turned over to the new French government in July, 1945. (CJ Martin)
CANADA: Frigate HMCS Montreal paid off Halifax , Nova Scotia. (Dave Shirlaw)