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The Second World War and Great Britain - we were not alone

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jura2 Sun 31-Mar-19 20:59:29

We never really stood fully alone, though 1940 may have seemed that way. We owe a huge debt to many countries, some of which lost hundreds of thousand - even millions - of lives. Countries like Russia, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Holland, Norway, Poland, India, Nepal, China and the old African colonies. Even Italy, which fought the Nazis after surrendering to the Allies.

PS - I served proudly as a British Army officer for over 20 years, and am patriotic, but, as an ardent Remainer, I am sick and tired of Leaver revisions of history and other Brexiter lies and misinformation. Britain fought bravely and had a dreadful time during WW2 - and afterwards - but others had it far worse, as official casualty figures (military and civilian) and war damage cost figures for the other participants attest (one only has to look at Soviet losses to get the idea ... en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties). Britain neither stood alone nor could she have won or survived alone.

PPS Rationing didn't fully end until the early 1950s. Have a look at what was like in May 1945 ... www.bbc.co.uk/.../ww2pe.../stories/84/a4537884.shtml

PPPS Here is the list of foreign-manned squadrons of the RAF, men who stood with the UK while the UK supposedly "stood alone". And this list does not include the nations of the British Empire itself.

EUROPEAN
300 (Polish) Squadron
301 (Polish) Squadron
302 (Polish) Squadron
303 (Polish) Squadron
304 (Polish) Squadron
305 (Polish) Squadron
306 (Polish) Squadron
307 (Polish) Squadron
308 (Polish) Squadron
309 (Polish) Squadron
310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron
311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron
312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron
313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron
315 (Polish) Squadron
316 (Polish) Squadron
317 (Polish) Squadron
318 (Polish) Squadron
320 (Netherlands) Squadron
321 (Netherlands) Squadron
322 (Dutch) Squadron
326 (Free French) Squadron
327 (Free French) Squadron
328 (Free French) Squadron
329 (Free French) Squadron
330 (Norwegian) Squadron
331 (Norwegian) Squadron
332 (Norwegian) Squadron
333 (Norwegian) Squadron
334 (Norwegian) Squadron
335 (Greek) Squadron
336 (Greek) Squadron
340 (Free French) Squadron
341 (Free French) Squadron
342 (Free French) Squadron
343 (Free French) Squadron
344 (Free French) Squadron
345 (Free French) Squadron
346 (Free French) Squadron
347 (Free French) Squadron
348 (Belgian) Squadron
349 (Belgian) Squadron
350 (Jugoslav) Squadron
351 (Jugoslav) Squadron

FROM THE AMERICAS
71 (Eagle) Squadron - USA
121 (Eagle) Squadron - USA
133 (Eagle) Squadron - USA
164 (Argentine-British) Squadron

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trisher Thu 04-Apr-19 11:07:29

As far as the "several European Countries " which would have been under the jackboot. Can I point out that many were under the jackboot and it was the bravery and sacrifice of the resistance movements in those countries that enabled the Allied troops to retake the country. Thousands of these resistance workers were communists and were tortured and killed. The reason we won was because people stood together.

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Tuppnce Thu 04-Apr-19 11:10:20

Hear, hear maddyone
I cannot see what purpose it serves other than to provide more fodder for yet another “tit for tat” Leave/Remain bunfight.

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lemongrove Thu 04-Apr-19 12:05:02

Monica My post was not aimed at you at all.
Exactly maddyone and Tuppnce .....but my guess is that it will drag drearily on.

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M0nica Thu 04-Apr-19 13:28:59

maizie Each was a bad as the other. The referendum has been held. There was a (tiny) majority for leave and I think that might well have been the same no matter how 'honest' the campaign was. Hearing the arguments most people gave for their vote, especially the leavers, these had nothing to do with the real issues at stake, nor even those raised by the protagionists, truthful or otherwise.

The referendum has been held we have a result. we must go for it. If we do not the effect on those who voted 'no' and find a second referendum or vote goes differently will make the rifts formed in the mining community by the 1984 strikes (which resonate still) look like a dolls tea party.

We will be come as ungovernable as Belgium or Northern Ireland with parliament suspended and no functioning government for years on end. Belgium managed 'only' 20 months. Northern Ireland has lasted 2 years 3 months and counting.

No thank you.

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