War in Europe, 1939 !

[Alan Eardley]

The list is quite long, but to add some more, The Rhodesians, The Jamaicans, The Irish (Not all Southern Irishmen were neutral, My Grandfather Fought along with 110,000 Irish men who were not compelled to join), The Indians, The South Africans and I suspect many more that I have not remembered.

Good points...the list goes on. I'd included Canadians and South Africans in my list. How about Nepalis? Where were the Ghurka regiments at the outbreak of war? I have a reference book, I'll look it up tonight.

Alan

 

[Salv]

Good points...the list goes on. I'd included Canadians and South Africans in my list. How about Nepalis? Where were the Ghurka regiments at the outbreak of war? I have a reference book, I'll look it up tonight.

Alan

I don't think the Gurkhas saw action until the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore in December 1941. They fought in North Africa, but don't appear to have arrived there until some time in 1942, but I'll check my books when I get home as well.

 

[Miss Sis]

Certainly North Africa was full of New Zealanders and Aussies, and many there went on up through Italy instead of heading for Normandy for D Day, although there were those who joined the RAF who were based in England who flew over.

The Long Range Dessert Group was full of Kiwis and the fact that the groups I see who have vechicles always have the Maori names painted on the side of them always reminds me that my countrymen were behind the fight against the Nazis.

The idea of Empire was strong in those days and where the Mother Country went, those of the Empire felt they were duty bound to follow.

 

[dhermann1]

I humbly stand corrected. The British Empire fought on ALMOST singlehandedly. But the contingents from the other countries mentioned were supplied almost exclusively by the Brits, as well. Have I been drowning myself too much in the British point of view? Sorry.
What I'm very curious about is truly independent points of view regarding the strategic differences between the Brits and the US. Italy, Normandy, "the "Broad Front", etc. Churchill makes his case so powerfully, but the Americans could not have been as thick headed as he portrays us, (or were we?)

 

[Spitfire]

Maybe I am wrong here, but I believe that UK and the empire were the ones who fought first and hardest untill 1944.
With Russia joining in some time before.
This is in no way to underestimate the free french, the poles, the chezcks, the dutch, the belgians and all the other people who came alone or in large groups to join in the battle. They did a great job too.

But I still feel that Britain was rather alone in the fight against the nazis after the fall of France and untill Pearl Habour.
But - on the other hand - I am also certain that Britain and empire plus the different other foreign regiments, squadrons, ships and sailors could not have made it through to victory without first the weapons/loans from US and later both US and Russia as fighting powers and allies.

 

[Twitch]

I believe Mr. Hermann1 was trying to express the earlier days of the war when England was very much alone in her geographic location even though allies and parts of the empire were in combat as well in other places.

When Admiral Donitz' U-boats and anti-ship bombers were intercepting many ships bound for GB and before the American air presence these were lonely times. England had just lost France all the men and material that represented. Those were sad and lonely times by my best definition.

And we must remember that it was never in Hitler's strategy to invade GB. He had always had this mental picture of GB actually joining the fight against Bolshivism with him once they saw the light as it were.

On the other hand had he so desired, say in 1938, to one day invade the Isles he would have. Make no mistake, German tecnology and manufacture was totally up for the task of producing suitable landing vessels if Hitler had commenced such a project in 1938. Jolly good he had other things to fill his warped mind.

 

[dhermann1]

Invasion of GB

Churchill's analysis of the subject in his book is very exhausting. He points out how limited the landing areas would have been, how British air superiority would have affected the battle, and ultimately, the Germans didn't have nearly enough naval power to punch through the channel. Invading Britain would probably have been a defeat for Hitler.