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The George Washington statue was a gift from the US in 1921 ... George Washington allegedly said he would never set foot on British soil ever again, so the statue was erected on a foundation of Virginia State soil to ensure that Washington did not tell a lie ... King George 3rd came to admire G Washington and once called him " the greatest man of the age" ... The British Prime minister at the time of American Independence commissioned a life size portrait of your first President during his last year in office... that portrait has become one of the most iconic of your first President.
Girl, you convinced me to watch another video of US National Archives. I selected "Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia" and after watching 33 minutes of it I must say: It's great... despite they showed USSR much more organized, white and fluffy than it in reality was... and despite their underestimation of how much Poles and Serbs were devoted to their partizan efforts and how effective those partizant fight was in breaking German supply lines and sucking soldiers from the front into forests and hills deep in occupied territories. Ok, this is divided in itself, internally into two parts. First was 36 mintues long.
I think he was saying 'John Britain ' because Americans wouldn't be familiar with 'John Bull ' John Bull is an imaginary figure who is a personification of England, similar to the American ‘Uncle Sam’
SIX TIMES You'd think after the 1st time they would have realised their mistaken not continue to load and fire him as a torpedo! He must enjoy it if he keeps signing on though I guess
"During the.." "If you say during the war, I'll pour this cup of tea over your head" "I wasn't gonna say the war" "Alright, I'm sorry. Go ahead." "During the 1939 to 1945 Conflict with Germany.."
People round here on Merseyside still mourn the loss of merchant navy and Royal navy seamen from the Atlantic and Murmansk convoys..we also have a monument in Liverpool Pier head for the sacrifice of the Royal Canadian navy for their pivotal role in the battle of the Atlantic...
“The British Empire covers a quarter of the Globe: the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganika” From the famous documentary “Blackadder Goes Forth” :)
The George Washington statue in London does not touch British soil. Quote: “Because legend has it that George Washington once swore he would never set foot on British soil ever again, the erectors of the Trafalgar Square statue laid it on a foundation of Virginia soil to ensure that Washington did not tell a lie.”
It "Sounds good", to a "yankee plebescite" , Daniele. Not sure how many people had "The franchaise" in those days, mind. ( my ignorance shines through ! ) Here in Albion, you had to have a certain amount of "wealth" to be able to vote, for a long time. I know that much.
@@jhnshep it was, I believe, in the early 1920's. Prior to that only land owners (about a third of the male population) could vote. Incidentally, that is a similar situation to something many Americans are discussing these days. 'Service Guarantees Citizenship'
During the Blitz (German bombing of London) many children were sent to Canada. The Cabinet urged Elizabeth the Queen Mother (and mother of Elizabeth II, current queen) to send her two children as well (Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret). Her reply? "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave."
The reason why Britain was insisting on India working out a constitution which was acceptable to all the Indian peoples was that without that we would have walked out and left a bloodbath. Britain wasn't dictating what the Indian constitution should be or, as you put it, telling them to do things our way but telling them that we would not abandon India until they had a constitution that they, the Indians, all agreed on. I hope that helps. I agree with you about "John Britain" it makes me cringe too but it is, as you say, a product of its time .... we came up with equally cringeworthy names for you, so I think we're even 👍😁 Finally, I think the narrator's point about Britain being difficult to understand for Americans is precisely because we are so similar. The similarity gives a false sense of understanding, which doesn't take account of how our traditions are ingrained in us and whilst, for example, you find the Monarchy hard to understand, we just "know" how it works. Mark Twain had it right when he said we we were "two nations divided by a common language" .... but at the end of the day, we do at least try to understand each other. Great video 👍😁
@@MrEsphoenix True enough but John Q Public doesn't sound any better really ..... it's just a product of the 40s, they were experts in cringeworthy names on both sides of the pond 👍😁
@@DaveF. the partition was one of many mistakes we made during the post war dismantling of the empire, it was damn bloody, but given how bloody it could have been given how many groups fundamentally detested one an other maybe it was the lesser of a great many evils? not defending it and i am sure there was a much better way of sorting our mess out, but you know what they say about hindsight.
@@DaveF. But the point is that we did try to avoid it and once there was an agreed constitution we had absolutely no grounds for refusing to hand the country back to its people even if we had wanted to.
The US armed services did have a negative impact on being on British soil. They expected to be able to enforce segregation in our pubs and dancehalls etc. There were several instances of hostility between the UK and US in this regard.
“Several instances of hostility” pales into comparison against the overall positive effect of the US joining the European theatre of the war and, when put into context against the atrocities of the common enemies we were fighting, is like complaining about the side effects of an immunisation.
@@BrianMcGuirkBMG He was showing the other side of the coin. It was talked about in the original comment. Bottom line: The US helped save Britain's ass...again.
By WW2 it was way too late to just turn our backs and walk away from India. If you have issued with Britain being involved you need to go back to when Britain first got involved. To just turn around and say "do what you want, we're not involved" would be to allow a bloodbath and ethnic cleansing, at which point we may as well have let Germany do what they want lest we be hypocrites.
True, we've influenced their culture and history for so long, whether for right or wrong, it was only proper to have a sensible withdrawal. It wasn't perfect though, there's still tension between India and Pakistan to this day but at least we tried and we're at least on relatively good terms with India politically and have done some military exercises regularly together. Hong Kong I think we did a bit better job of leaving it in a fit state, so much so there's still good feeling from Hong Kong citizens about the British, especially considering China's recent actions these past few years.
It was always going to be difficult. For an example of what happens when an occupying force leaves a country with a power vacuum, one only needs to look at Iraq and Afghanistan.
More than that: what do you do after you've occupied it for around 100 years and the only thing stopping 90% of the population murdering 5% of the population for subjugating them for 3 centuries before you arrived is you?
My mother welded parts for Spitfires and my father was a sergeant in the Royal Mountain Artillery in WWII. I served for over 5 years in the Honourable Artillery Company. We may be a small island but I think we still punch above our weight.
I'm a British Army veteran and over the course of my service I met American service personnel posted here in the UK. They were always issued a pamphlet on what to do and not what to do when encountering Brit Squaddies. 🤣
@@Bosspigeon230 it's basically the same now " Don't drink, gamble or fight with the UK forces because you will lose " l😅😅 Years ago whilst I was in Manchester visiting a friend I met his American friend who was a officer in the USMC , he told me that he had to prove if he was any good so he did the RM course and passed, upon getting back home the first thing he did was to put a shelf up above the entrance to the mess hall and on that was his Green Marine Berry with a notice that said , " You are not a Marine until you can Officially wear one of these " . The reason for being in Manchester was he was on one his regular visits to a RM Officers bit of a do.
I went out drinking with some of my ‘opposite numbers’ from the Yank embassy when I got 8 months of jollies from our embassy. They couldn’t hold their booze and I won shirts off backs playing rummy with them. I did invite them out again - but they made the condition of no drinking and no cards. Hahah. Bless ‘em.
There was apparently a US Navy service manual in WW2 that was meant to help US servicemen understand the British Navy personnel. It made a BIG point about the British talent for understatement. So, if they got a call for help like "Hello old chap, we seem to have a spot of bother and could do with a little help". This translates as "Holy f**k, the entire German navy just appeared over the horizon and we need you to send everyone ... NOW!".
During one battle in the Korean war a British company sent a request for aid saying the situation was a bit difficult. What they meant was they were holding off an entire Chinese Division.
What I found interesting about this is that I read it and thought it was a perfectly proportionate statement and request. They're in a spot of bother and need a little help. I understand fully that they're in a bit of a pickle. Then again I'm British. Whoever it was that said America and Britain are two nations separated by a common language nailed it!
The Anzacs, Canadians, South Africans and other British Empire personnel were involved from the very beginning. Along with military personnel who had escaped from the occupied countries of Europe. They all came over to Britain and fought alongside British personnel. Even some Americans privately came over in 1939 and fought for Britain. Notably the Eagle Squadron of The RAF, which was made up entirely of American Pilots who'd taken it upon themselves in 1939 to come and fight for Britain.
Initially, the small number of Americans who came to the UK to fly with the RAF were simply allocated to various RAF squadrons. It was only after the Battle of Britain that there were enough Americans to be able to form a full All-American Eagle Squadron. It didn't last that long because, in 1942, the RAF Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the rapidly expanding USAAF. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada etc joined Britain's war effort within days of the declaration of war in September 1939. However, for logistical reasons, most of their troops and airmen ended up in the Far East, North Africa and the Middle East. Later, many Australians and Canadians made up a large part of RAF Bomber Command and were based in the UK. Churchill is indeed addressing Congress.
@@langdalepaul Hawaii was not the only place the Japanese attacked in December 1941. The Japanese simultaneously moved against Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, and other British territories in the region - they even threatened the Australian mainland. That's why the British Empire joined America in the Pacific theatre.
@@IamtherealDodger67 yes. I’m not sure I understand your point. I was simply saying to Michael that there were no British or Commonwealth troops deployed to SE Asia until December 1941.
There was this other film produced in 1943 by the DoD, "A Welcome to Britain" with Burgess Meredith. It's much more instructional and practical, telling US servicemen a little more about Britain, with a huge helping of how to behave/not behave, and how to adapt to being in Britain.
i had two friends that i had made while in the states come to visit me here in the uk, they were shocked at the number of ww1 memorials, and one teared up when i told her that every town city or village that predates ww1 has a similar memorial. My great grandfather was one of only 5 survivors of all the fighting age men in his village. There were other villages that weren't even as lucky as that.
Both my grandfathers were Scottish Victorians. One was wounded twice at Ypres. His brother had 2 sons - both were killed during WW1. He never really recovered from his loss.
There are places known as "Thankful villages" which are villages who didn't lose any men in WWI. The current estimate is that there are about 56 thankful villages in the UK. There are 14 "Doubly thankful villages" which didn't lose any men in either World War. Just to illustrate the fact that the World Wars impacted almost every community in the country. One of the doubly thankful villages is Catwick in Yorkshire. There's a quote that says "Thirty men went from Catwick to the Great War and thirty came back, though one left an arm behind."
I get tears & goosebumps watching & listening to this. What a country my country was. So proud of my Parents and Grand Parents. 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴
Same, to think of the struggle our recent ancestors went through. Certain parts are really very difficult to see. The struggle and pain. It's also quite cute how the Americans try to sell us to the American people. There's a certain fondness there that... makes me pleased that we've always had good relations with the US.
And now look what we have become . I’m glad my grandparents are not around to see there legacy pissed down the drain by stupid ,incompetent ,corrupt politicians . God help us .
@@pauldirac808 In 70 years, people will watch old videos of 2023 and think "my God what a stoic, classical society 2023 had, it's a shame we pisse dit all away!" :D
@@TheSaltyAdmiralWhat with people taking six months off work with anxiety? Half the population on anti depressants and ADHD being used as an excuse for bad behaviour.
Several factories closed in the UK as a result of the US civil war disrupting cotton supplies. The workers unions wrote letters to Lincoln asking him not to be concerned about it and to continue the fight to destroy slavery. Lincoln wrote a letter in return and there was correspondence for a while, with him eventually sending some aid. It's common for there to be statues of him in former industrial towns.
I love it in the Burgess Meredith version where he has to explain that a little old English lady being civil to a black GI is ‘perfectly normal’ and ‘not shocking’ in the U.K.
Reminds me of the old joke when a Briton was asked what they thought of the GIs when they started coming over: "They're alright, but I don't much like the white fellas they brought with them." There was never racial segregation in Britain in the same way that there was in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if it's expanded with every retelling, but attempts by white US servicemen to enforce such an alien system were typically rebuffed quite robustly.
@@charleshowie2074 - The film I referred to starring Burgess Meredith is a different film to the one reviewed in this video. I can’t remember where I saw it (perhaps as a DVD extra?) but it’s well worth seeing if you can find it.
@@AtheistOrphan I watched it since commenting, it's around the 23 minute mark of what you rightly point out to be another US Archive film of which I had previously only seen a clip. Thanks for the tip!
Many Brits were on the Americans side, and not only those who had family there; rumblings of overthrowing the monarchy were very strong and a major fear for those in power.
What Americans don't realise, is that the War of Independence was a civil war. Before it started the people in the american colonies considered themselves British, and the people in Britain, did too!
@@duckwhistle It was also part of a series of wars between Britain and France, as far as France was concerned. It was a pretty global series of engagements.
I have talked to an old British man who remembers his grandfather carrying him in his arms at age 6 when the bomb raid sirens went off he said he could see the fear in him but he never said anything to make them afraid once in a bomb shelter he would sing to him and his sister. He said the scariest moment is once when he was able to see a huge flight of German bombers from a distance flying towards them. He also told me every time he heard the air raid sirens he would panic and he lost his friend and his mother in a raid.
My nanny talks a little about the shelters sometimes, though she was very young during the war, she said she never used to like the shelter. A lot of people had home air raid shelters outside of London
Most of the time when you see the white "smoke" coming out of smoke stacks in factories and plants, it's actually just steam, most actual smoke would be black, and as someone that's worked in many as a contractor the thing that really gets you is the fumes from the chemicals, the fumes usually aren't harmful but stink like hell
we didn't have that by me to the point it was called the 'Black country'.....god it's hilarious every time i have to explain the name to an american XD
I'm a boilermaker in the USA. I also know that what most people think is smoke. Is just steam. The big mushroom shaped looking smoke stacks are not smoke stacks. They are water cooling towers. It's like a big hotspring water fall inside it. With tones of steam rising.
I would say the "more difficult to understand" is based on expectations, not on realities. With Russia, the average American will assume that it is different, and act accordingly. But England... it's so similar. You have the same language. You came from the same roots. Surely you can just go over there, and everything will be just as at home. Only it won't... and it's your flawed expectations that will lead to your confusion.
@@alansmithee8831 Same happened to us in Disney World, Florida. Hearing our accents an American asked "Say, where are you from?". We said "England" and their teenage son asked "Did you drive all the way?".
Cheap shots....the reason you can do what you do, is down to selfless sacrifice...ma da was from the back of beyond in the Republic of Ireland...still joined up, came back to service accommodation with signs saying ...No Blacks or Irish...step around your keyboard and serve...
I Like being English but I find so much more than war to celebrate, our music, arts, architecture, literature, technology. Lots of countries are fantastic and the people warm and courageous.
@@nudal9993 Absolutely so. Unfortunately much of that reached the farther reaches (from Britain) only through war/subjugation and more kindly through trade.
I agree. Films like this always hit the spot. I'm a Brit. There may be some things to be critical of in our history (Like any nation), but there is a hell of a lot more to be proud of.
The Washington statue was a gift from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1924. It is a replica of one which stands in the USA. The Lincoln statue (also a replica) was put up in 1920 to mark 100 years of peace between the USA and the UK. There are statues of FDR and JFK which were actually paid for by British people.
Besides Washington, Lincoln, FDR etc we have statues of Gandhi in London and of Martin Luther King. We are an outward looking people which doesn't discriminate on grounds of race or nationality: if they're great people we admire and honour them.
I can't tell you just how much I enjoy your Channel. Immersing yourself in History and World affairs will surely stand you in good stead. A balanced view of people from other Nations (and not just stereotypes) will allow you to engage with them and arrive at a much more informed opinion. Sometimes you display such a sense of wonderment, which I find totally charming. 'Hands across the Sea'
One way to put the size of the English Channel into some kind of context is to realise that you can swim across it! It's certainly not easy, not least due to the cold water and shipping lanes, but there are a lot of people who have done it over the years. It's almost become kind of a standard charity fund raising thing to do, similar to training for and then running a marathon.
The Imperial War museum in London has been described by several Americans as a real eye opener "I had no idea how much Britain sacrificed to fight the Nazi"
That's not actually Churchill speaking at 13:20 but an actor imitating him. His "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, from which this is taken, was not recorded at the time. An audio record of Churchill speaking the lines exists, but it was not recorded until 1949, when Churchill read out his lines, and this post-dates this mid-war film.
I just learned through a video by the excellent Mark Felton that this was almost certainly the voice of Norman Shelley, who stood in as a 'voice double' for Churchill on a number of occasions. Shelley made a recording of the 'We shall fight on the beaches' speech in 1942 from which this was taken. He also, somewhat suprisingly, provided the radio voice for Winnie the Pooh.
If you're on a cross channel ferry between Dover and Calais on a decent day, you can see both sides very clearly. It can seem more like you're crossing a wide river rather than a sea. Further west where its wider, between Portsmouth and Cherbourg for example its very much like crossing the sea.
It is a popular myth that Britain and her Commonwealth had no victories in the early stages of the war. Although we had to retreat from France the evacuation at Dunkirk was a victory of sorts. Then there was the Battle of Britain where we defeated the Germans in the air, preventing an invasion, that was a victory. Also we sank the Bismark and forced the Graf Spee to scuttle, and the Tirpitz to hide so that was a victory over the German surface fleet. Then there were sweeping victories over the Italians in North Africa.
I think the British were the hardest to understand because we appeared so similar, and yet our culture, humor and attitude are quite drastically different under the surface, escpially as you move across social strata/ class.
It’s a good point they make about ‘reverse’ Lend Lease, I believe overall in the European Theatre just over 30% of equipment used by the American forces was provided by the British
I used to collect WW2 US Army equipment and had pretty much an entire set of web equipment and some uniform items that had been made in the UK. USA uniform production was of much better quality, but the UK webbing gear was excellent. Oddly, a lot of the UK webbing I collected had never actually been issued. The USA also provided some weapons, and a few UK designs were adopted by the USA, although many more in the other direction.
And it was freely given! FDR loathed Churchill and was determined to bring Britain to her knees - thereby allowing the US to gain the reins of world power. Made a right cock-up of it! They do nothing other than instigate wars. When Britain held those reins she ended the West African slave trade. If people didn't stop it voluntarily, the Royal Navy would enforce it!
Churchills speeches still stir my emotions even now, especially the one after the battle of Britain, makes me so proud to be British. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
Prat. Churchill was a puppet of the RothchiIds, who subsidised his lifestyle and, in the end, controlled him. As for the Queen, she, like her heir, supports muIticuIturaIism, which will be the death of Britain as a nation state.
@@CrankCase08 Churchill will resound through history as opposed to you who doesn't even have the courage to put your real name out there. Just another gutless keyboard warrior. Aiden Cox summed you up
My mum’s wartime job was winding electric armatures for the engines in tanks and aeroplanes…. she said the wire was so thin it cut your fingers, so she put on Elastoplast. The present Queen drove lorries.
My Mum built torpedoes at Morris Motors Oxford. The first day she was taken round and on looking out of one grimy window she saw some laundry. Going home that night she realised it was her laundry. She never told Dad what she did for months and when she did he told her off!
Regarding the privacy thing, As a Dutchmen that kind of stuff still holds today. I can confirm it is true. You place some fences or curtains for the sole purpose of guarding your privacy when at home. There is also nothing more infuriating here then people approaching your door here for something like sales or other interests.
Actually, the absolute furthest you can get away from the sea in Britain is Lichfield in Staffordshire, England at a distance of just 84 miles from the sea.
@@robertjohnson-taylor2596 An internet search suggest Milton Keynes is 68 miles from the sea. A key point to note is that all of these measurements are based on straight lines. Travel distances around obstacles like hills, rivers or buildings would be somewhat larger.
The statue of George Washington was presented to the UK by the US in 1921 as a gift of friendship. Its built on soil shipped from Virginia as Washington said his feet would never again touch British soil. The Abraham Lincoln statue was supposed to be erected in 1914 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of the 1812 war but was delayed until after WW1- ended. I hope that's a help.
Yes..... I used to be a moderate monarchist , but ever since the advent of Diana , it has just been a sad demise . Does anyone blame Harry for legging it ?
@@michellebrown4903 "Oh no, Britain can trade outside the EU, the horror!" No I don't like the government either, however had the EU stayed purely about free and fair trade I wouldn't have minded staying in, but no. Edited.
As much as I agreed with Corbyn on some things done in the name of the monarch might be better shifted explicitly to The People, or Parliament. an idea of President Thatcher, or Blair keeps me thinking that even Charlie boy is preferable if all goes wrong - our right of appeal to the monarch is perhaps the most british thing to retain.
Churchill went to the US shortly after Pearl Harbour, as you can imagine they had alot to talk about. He addressed Congress on 26th December 1941 which was shown in the film.
This was great! Next up can you react to "WW2 training - how to behave in Britain" its very similar to this and has some really interesting outlooks from the U.S perspective on the UK during 1943 :)
@@ashscott6068 there is a story that in one village the American CO got all insistant that the pubs and similar establishments define themselves as to whether there were for whites or coloureds. In response the locals designated pretty much everything as catering to coloured Americans leaving the white officer nowhere to drink. Of course the locals didn't care anyway and drank in the same pubs they always did
We went to war and our Anzac brothers and sisters joined us instantly and we Brits remember that, Canadians too. Blood is thicker than water. We will never forget the solid you did for us.
Thanks for this, my Grandad was in the Royal Navy during the war, served on the atlantic convoys for two years and did convoys in the Mediterranean and the Arctic. I only recently discovered all the ships he was on and what he did... I have his medals and but can see what he did. He was deaf from 1945 due to being a gunner on the ships. He died in North London in 1985. He lived for the Navy and I am so proud of him.
My father and one of his brothers served in the Royal Canadian Navy in convoys to Iceland, another brother served in the Infantry (and fought at Monte Cassino), and a fourth in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Britain as an armourer on Beaufort night fighters. My mother and all her brothers did essential war work at Canadian Westinghouse. Everybody did something. When I graduated, I served 40 years in the Canadian Army and the New Zealand Army. We still swear "to be faithful and bear true allegiance to HM the King" when we join. My commission as an officer is addressed from Elizabeth the Second "to her trusty and well beloved..." (love that phrase). Remember, at the time that video was made, HM King George was also Emperor of India. After colonialism waned, you could not just walk away. Belgium did that in the Congo, and the result was war and chaos. Britain could not turn over government to the people of India until they themselves had developed a workable plan for self government. That happened in 1948.
Indeed, we always tried to leave our colonies as well organised democracies, respecting freedom under the rule of law, with an independent judiciary, and freedom of speech. Unfortunately, quite a few of them didn't remain in that state once we were no longer there to ensure it.
@@neilcampbell3212 Yes, the British were opposed to partition and tried to avoid it. Certain Muslim elements, however, were dedetermined to create the "Land of the Pure" (Pakistan) come what may. The British usually still get the blame though.
As we say, "Good fences make good neighbours." The story of the Washington family in America began in the mid-1650s when two young men, John Washington (1632-1677) and his younger brother Lawrence (1635-1677) arrived in Virginia.
I used to pass the Washington family home on my way to school, unsurprisingly in Washington, Co Durham (now Tyne & Wear). School trips there were frequent and many famous Americans used to visit, including Jimmy Carter when he was President at the Bicentennial in 1976.
I haven't stopped to look at the statue of George Washington in London for many years. It can be found at the front of the national gallery in Trafalgar Square - to the right of the entrance (as you enter it). My memory may be a little fuzzy, but I seem to remember that the inscription suggests that the statue was gifted to the UK by the Commonwealth of Virginia sometime in the 1920s. It is an exact replica of the one that stands in the Virginian Capital, Richmond. Contrary to what you might imagine, George Washington was widely admired in the UK - even in governmental and royal circles...the film briefly mentions one prominent supporter of the American colonists - the former Prime Minister the Earl of Chatham (William Pitt the Elder).
Essex is the ancestral home to 2 US presidents (the quincies), the ancestral home to General Sherman and The pilgrim father's were financed by an Essex landowner and had their last communion at his home in billericay. Essex created the world 😁
8:30 Essentially true, yes. Being a small island any sort of military action Great Britain could take would have to be via sea. This results in a strong naval focus that lets you attack pretty much anywhere with a coast. Turns out, being able to effectively project your power over long distances is key for building a truly massive empire.
Churchill did indeed address Congress. People forget his mother was an American. He made a cute thing of saying if his mother had been British and his father American, he might have made it to Congress on his own. Good stuff.
Yes as ex RN when played by the band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines followed by Senior Service flying the white ensign, lump in throat and moist eyes time... Stead, boys, Steady..
we where alone for two years, I remember the bombs dropping night after night, the flying bombs coming over with that familiar drone, air raid shelters. The bonfire we had in our avenue when the war in Europe was over.looking up into the sky and seeing the vapour trails of our RAF fighter planes attacking the German planes.
Well done for sharing this with us all...my da joined the RAF from the Republic of Ireland and served in Egypt,Libya and Malta and finally Germany..peace and love from the wirral..E
@@eamonnclabby7067 many from Ireland came over to fight on the British side, including my dad and 6 of his brothers. They fought in many different campaigns; my Uncle Danny, the youngest who died recently, was in the D-Day landings.
@@eamonnclabby7067 Another example ... At the time of his death in 1942, 'Paddy' Finucane was the highest scoring ace and youngest Wing Commander in the RAF. His father had served under de Valera in the 1916 Easter Rising, fighting against the British.
@@catherinerobilliard7662 his memory will live on...Mrs C,s da served in the Chindits, and her uncle served in the East Lancashire regiment alongside the American paratroopers at Nijmegen,sadly succumbed to his wounds RIP, thank you for sharing this with us all,best wishes from the wirral..E
@@pitanpainter2140 yet another example my great uncle served on the river Imjin with the Royal Ulster Rifles and survived being a POW and made it back to Ireland ,after the end of the Korean war..
Britain didn't want India to conform to Britain that's not what the narrator was saying, by this point in history he was saying Britain wanted the people of India to decide what type of government it wanted and how it would work, which is what the guy from South Africa was saying that India itself had to decide what it wanted and their was the problem. The issue was left with the different party's and leaders internally for India to decide on what it wanted for itself, the difficulty was their was no consensus and too many divisions wanting different things. Their was a lot of disagreement, a lot of sides not willing to compromise. It did eventually get sorted after the war but as history as shown a lot of problems and troubled times came from these divisions and still cause problems today.
Britain has always been a powerful fighting nation, even when invaded by the Romans and Vikings they didn't have it easy as they were constantly attacked. Hitler didn't believe that Britain would go to war hence ignored the warning given by the PM (prime minister). There is a reason why Britain held over a quarter of the world and invaded many many countries.
13:59 You've caught us out! XD The whole thing of 'Britain Standing Alone' is just something we've always liked to tell ourselves. You are right tho, we usually aren't so hated that we don't have a few allies in every fight. It's just one of our little quirks. A little bit of pride on our part. Hey, nobody's perfect right? :P Thankyou to Australia, America, India, Poland, The Gurkhas, & everybody else who helped us out when we needed it ❤ I hope we deserved it.
You are so wrong, you nugget. The film refers to the period from June 1940 to June 1941, which is after the fall of France and before Hitler launched his surprise invasion of the USSR.
@@ItsSpecialHands No they weren't. The USSR was till not in the war at that point having signed a pact with Hitler in 1939 so they could both carve up Poland.
You are not thinking things through when you talk of the "Britain standing alone" point. Yes, other countries joined in the fighting subsequently. But aside from the Poles and Czechs during the Battle of Britain in 1940, for the first two years they weren't in a position to assist Britain militarily. And even in the case of the Poles who fought in the Battle of Britain, you need to be aware that there were only two Polish squadrons in RAF Fighter Command out of a total complement of 52 squadrons. That in no way denigrates the outstanding bravery and skill of those volunteers, or that of our other WW2 allies who, over time, and as the war developed, took part in the fighting on Britain's side. It simply simply puts things in perspective. The fact is that, from the beginning of the war until early 1942, the UK WAS alone.
If you look at the chaos and genocide that engulfed India after the British left and the split into India, Pakistan and Bangladesh trying to get a peaceful transition was always going to be problematic. Britain was dammed either way.
Problem was that Britain prevented Indian input to government for a century . They stamped on any home rule. Therefore India not prepared. However this applies to all colonies
The Empire/Commonwealth were with us from minute 1. They were preparing their own defences, building their own armies, and fighting with us in N.Africa and the Far East. Remember we were also fighting Japan as well years before the USA was involved. Millions of Indian, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, South African troops fighting while we rebuilt after Dunkirk.
Sorry to keep banging on ,my da was one among tens of thousands of Irish men and women who joined up bypassing De Valera, he served in Egypt,Libya and Malta and finally Germany..
@@eamonnclabby7067 It is remembered, and there is gratitude, particularly as it would perhaps have met some opposition from others in the community who felt differently about being involved.
You were not fighting Japan years before the US got involved. Pearl Harbor ushered in war between the European empires and Japan as well as between Japan vs USA.
Commonwealth troops between 1939 and 1941 were in Europe, Asia and North Africa. When UK declared war after Japan attacked Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, it was a matter of hours before USA declared war on Japan for the more or less simultaneous attack on Pearl Harbour.
I live in a street where the original 5 terraced houses were built in 1837. When they were built they were surrounded by Farmers fields over the years the land was sold off and housing estates were built around them we still overlook a large field mainly used for dog walking now, I love my old house, there isn't a straight wall in the place, the front door opens straight onto the street, we only have a backyard but, the house has 13 feet high ceilings and large rooms with an open fireplace and a great view from the front bedroom I can see right into the centre of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Just enforcing the stereotype that we all live In old houses, I live in a super old stone cottage in Northamptonshire, built in 1701. Can confirm there isn’t a straight wall in the place, everything falls apart and the entire house shakes whenever a bus drives past!
I'd really recommend watching the "how to behave in Britain" training film from 1943, which is about teaching US soldiers cultural differences in Britain
the Lincoln statue was to celebrate the centenary of the ending of the 1812 war with the US but was delayed because of the outbreak of the first world war
The Australians had three divisions in the desert and one in Singapore at this stage we had insufficient trained troops to deploy! There were New Zealand troops deployed in Greece and they supported the landings in Italy later in the war!
A hereditary Lord once explained the reason he was useful. "Everybody in the Lords owes their position to doing a favour for someone, in terms of the new peers they owe a favour to a political party, I owe my position to an ancestor who did a favour 600 years ago. Whose going to get the favour called in?"
this vid was a lot better, and genuinely more informative than i expected it to be! And i wouldn't have been aware of it if you hadn't made your vid so thankyou! Looking forward to seeing you react to other vids in the series! (If you're going to)
Interesting. Let’s not forget that the US went for lease lend after emptying the UK gold reserves to pay for Liberty ships etc. then took out loans that have only been finished about 5 years ago. Britain went from the richest country in the world and transferred that to the US. Compare 1950’s US and Britain. Once could argue that the keenness to enter in ‘41 was to protect the US’s largest debtor otherwise the Axis would bankrupt the US next…🤔
It's not what ya know, it's who ya know. Churchill was "half septic" , he had loads of connections "in power" over there. They knew they had "bigger guns" than either "gerry or vlad" . Understated/Overstated ? I do'nt know. Peace in our time, i know that . xx
The main war memorial in virtually every town and city in the UK (and in many other Commonwealth countries) is known, either officially or colloquially, as _'The Cenotaph'._
During the battle of britain the RAF was aided by expat Polish,Checks, free French, volanteers as well as volantary aussies ,kiwis,,south Aftican,Indian,Canadian & private US Airmen all coming to the UK & Joining the RAF.
The aircraft at 15:43 are Short Stirlings. There were the first of the four-engined heavy bombers. Unable to fly as high as the other two "heavies" the Halifax and Lancaster, they were soon resigned as glider tugs. The twin-engined aircraft appear to be Bostons (the British name for the Douglas A20) and the fighter is a Hurricane MkIIc.
The Stirling had a slight kink in its fuselage, as Shorts had previously built flying boats, which also had a kink to keep the tail clear of spray. Technically, the Lancaster and Halifax were to be medium bombers, but with four Merlin engines as originally flown, their bomb load was only 1000 lbs less than that of the Stirling, and they could carry bigger individual bombs, so there wasn't much point continuing to build Stirlings.
The WW1 monument you were asking about is for the Royal Artillery and is located in Hyde Park Corner, it’s not a grave but a symbol of remembrance. The statuary is quite a bit larger than life size and it’s very moving.
We have statues of Gandhi and Mandela too - the statue of Washington was a gift from the US in 1921. Remember that after George Washington stepped down as President, King George III referred to him as "the greatest man of the age."
I have reached as far as the India section, and I HAVE to comment. The WHOLE reason Britain wanted India to sort out its constitution before independence was an attempt to prevent the intercommunal massacres that DID take place when Britain withdrew. One million dead, hatred and and several wars between India and Pakistan....THAT was why!! With empire comes responsibility - the responsibility to ensure a peaceful transition to local rule. In the event, Britain failed - but not for want of trying
"What if they dont want that" in relation to India and its domestic issues. Mountbatten tried his best in the timeline he had, created Pakistan and Bangladesh and it is still the biggest displacement if people in history. Thousands died in the violence after the British left and India and Pakistan never have seen eye to eye since. It was a moral responsibility to do everything we could to stop then from killing each other while still leaving in an appropriate timescale. It was an impossible task to do perfectly without bloodshed. If Britain just upped and left (because it was costing more money than Indian rule was generating) there would have been a genocide counting in the millions.
Wow! That's a very rosy, generous description of the partition and the *noble* efforts of Britain and especially Lord Mountbatten. Sorry, but there's really nothing about the partition for Britain to be proud of. Yes, they insisted on constitutions being written and basic framework before they left, but it could have been done MUCH better with one simple change: Mountbatten could've spent more than 6 months on the partition of India/Pakistan and the transfer of power. There's "leaving in an appropriate timescale" and then there's "We don't want to be here. NOW we're losing money and we just want to go home and focus on rebuilding ourselves." The British made boatloads of money from India for over 200 years and hauled away any valuables and artifacts they could possibly take home. (Koh-i-noor Diamond anyone?) The LEAST they could've done was spend more than 6 months on the independence and transfer of power back to the people they'd violently subjugated for 200 years. You don't get to raid, loot and destroy a giant region, then when YOU have problems at home, unrest in the colonies, and nothing more to extract, wash your hands of the problem, run home with your tail between your legs, and absolve yourself of the resulting chaos and violence saying "We kinda, sorta, tried. We insisted they bang out a couple of constitutions before we left." Britain created the problem, and tried not leave a TOTAL disaster, but a little more work, understanding, and another few months for the transition could have prevented up to 2 million deaths, 14 million refugees, and countless more maimed, and traumatized. (British soldiers who had just liberated the Nazi concentration camps said the violence in India/Pakistan after the partition was worse.) There's absolutely no excuse for Mountbatten to only spent 7 months, start to finish, on the creation and transfer of power to 2 new nations in an already volatile region. He was assigned to lead the transfer of power by his cousin, the King (gotta love nepotism) and was given until June 1948 to complete the job, which would've been an "appropriate timescale." Instead, Mountbatten arrived in India to be Viceroy on 12 February 1947, took office on 23 March, announced an incoherent, basic 'plan' on 3 June, and decided it would take effect on August 15, 1947, only 2 months later, even though his mandate didn't end for another year. A British lawyer who had never set foot in India before and had absolutely no understanding of it was given 5 weeks to draw the borders. Imagine what more could've been accomplished with another 10 months to create 2 new nations. Everyone expected violence, as there had already been riots and massacres. (one in Calcutta exactly 1 year before independence on 16 August 1946 is sometimes called "the week of the long knives" and killed at least 4,000 people and left 100,000 homeless) But Mountbatten just wanted to get back to Britain and pursue his Naval career (he had to fulfill his father's dream and become "First Sea Lord," which he eventually did) so he sped things up for no justifiable reason. He should've allowed a reasonable time for leaders to write better constitutions, transfer power/set up governments, and for ordinary people to learn what would happen and react appropriately. Even Churchill called it a “premature, hurried scuttle.” Britain tried not to leave a total vacuum, but they could've saved countless lives, and maybe it would've just been violence and a few massacres instead of genocide on both sides and lasting, absolute hatred between the 2 new countries. Y'know, actually spending the time to do such an important task right. I can't believe that either country (India or Pakistan) would've rebelled and resented British rule for a few more months after the plan was announced and the end was in sight. They knew it needed time to set everything up. THAT would've been an "appropriate timescale" to create 2 new countries and transfer power to them. Calling what happened "an appropriate timescale" is horribly ignorant and apalling. If you actually care to learn the truth, this site sums it up quite nicely. (I have no connection to it, it's just an excellent summary and analysis.) How a British royal's monumental errors made India's partition more painful theconversation.com/how-a-british-royals-monumental-errors-made-indias-partition-more-painful-81657
@@SaguaroBlossom Wow, what a long yet inane respose. The Labour government decided to give full independence to India because they were enthralled by Ghandi and Britain was broke. There was no way (and there never had been) that India could be held against its will. The Muslims insisted on being a separate state because they feared being in a Hindu state. Mountbatten did not have the luxury of preparing a carefully-considered consensual plan - he had to just get Britain out as quickly as possible because his political masters insisted. Churchill was against because he believed in the White Man's Burden and if he had won the General Election he would probably have stalled independence, which would have led to insurrection and expense that Britain could not afford. Which leads us back to why the Labour government wanted it done quickly.
There are actually two statues of Lincoln in the UK, the one in London was donated to commemorate the end of the war of 1812, but there was controversy over it not being statesmanlike enough, and a new one was commissioned. The original was sent to Manchester, because of the city's connection to the cause of anti slavery. Despite the areas total dependence on cotton for its industry, the local name for the period was The Cotton Famine, and there was great hardship and poverty caused by the civil war, most workers and Mill owners were supporters of the Union cause. Something Lincoln recognised. The Washington statue was one of 25 replicas of the Virginia statue, donated to places around the world, by the state of Virginia in 1921. As Washington had said he would not set foot on British soil, the plinth is filled with soil from Virginia, so he did not tell a lie. In fact there are 4 other Presidents with statues in London, FDR, JFk, Eisenhower and Reagan. We also have statues to people like Ghandi, so honouring our enemies was not restricted to Washington.
The point that they made about the King was essentially true before the Revolutionary War, it was at the end of the 2nd British Civil War and the execution of Charles I in 1649 that the power of the crown came from the people, and the monarch reigned with the consent of the people. A lot of the Patriot propaganda was intended to draw parallels between George and Charles - the Civil Wars were very much well known by AMericans and the Founding Fathers then, even if the Revolutionary War istaught outside of that context now - John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited Worcester in 1786 - the site of the first and last battles of the British Civil Wars and declared it 'holy ground, where Liberty had been fought for'.
The best propaganda doesn't leave the 'receiver' feeling they've been fed propaganda. This was a surprisingly good piece of work, I didn't expect it to be as wide-ranging in content. Jolly good show.
Not much option back in those days and times, Graham. As soon as you were classed as having left the ship - (it being sank, or otherwise, trip over, etc) - your pay was stopped immediately, so you needed to work again. Hence signing back on to the same ship or another ship as crew to earn a wage. There was no similar welfare back then as there is today for them . . . (Although, I am guessing that your own comment was only a bit of intended sarcasm - & funny . . . but I just thought I'd let you know this in case you didn't already?)
Old Fogey, thanks, I did know this. And you are totally correct, my comment was only mentioned in fun. If was precisely me thoughts upon as I head this on the video. 😎
@@TominatorGaming - they may have thought of it as bad luck - or even good luck possibly . . . as at least it showed that someone at least managed to survive each time? lol . . .
The statue of Washington was presented to Britain in 1921 from the people of Virginia to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Virginian Commonwealth. The statue of Lincoln was to celebrate 100 years of peace between the two countries since the War of Independence. it a bit like France giving the USA the Statue of Liberty
There were 1.5 million American servicemen in the UK in 1944 - many posted into quiet rural communities, especially on large USAF bases. It was clearly very important to ease them in to life in the UK without conflict and misunderstandings.
There was a lot of animosity towards the G.I.s from the young men in this country notably because these 'Yanks' could tempt their local English girlfriends with all the goodies they couldn't get like nylons make-up etc because of rationing,which gave rise to the phrase"Overpaid,over sexed and over here." and often fights would break out.
And again at the end "He (John Britton) is a good man to have on OUR team". I personally find those comments extremely offensive as the Septics fought in WW1 for about 3 months and WW2 for about 3 and a bit years. They wouldn't have joined WW2 without Pearl Harbour which many historians claim Churchill knew about in advance (having been alerted by Japanese radio signals intercepted by Australian Coast- Watchers in the Islands) and didn't tell the Yanks becaue it was the only way to get them into the war. I still recall an argument I had in LA with a bunch of Yanks at the premiere of the movie "1941" where they basically accused me (I'm Australian) of lying when I referred to the 1914-1918 war and the 1939-1945 war.
@@warrenturner397 Americas have a very blinkered view of war, especially ones they've fought in... Even their independence war started in 1775, they claim Independence in 1776, but are fighting until 1783 and didn't ratify the treaty until January 1784. So their independence day is wrong, no one takes their independence from the early days of the war. Plus they never so much as reference the French sending and army and navy to aid them, they hardly did it alone, and no one questions why an American only independence war was ended in the Treaty of Paris signed in Paris, France by Britain, Spain, France and the USA. If it was simply a war of independence what was France and Spain doing there? _However, none of Rochambeau's exploits had a greater impact on world history than his role in the American Revolution, when he brought some 5,500 French troops to America in 1780 to join the Continental Army and fight alongside Gen. George Washington to win freedom from British rule for the thirteen American colonies_ Anyone wonder why France did that, it wasn't for American independence, it was to split the British forces as a prequel to a French war closer to home...
The statue was presented to the British as a gift in 1921, when relations between the United States and the United Kingdom were much, much better than they had been in 1783. It's an exact replica of an original statue commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, which can still be seen in the Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond.
I actually thought the stereotyping was ok..it was done in good form. Really like your reactions.. but this was one of the best yet as I love these old type films.. the American narrator was really really good I thought. Very respectful.
39:40 British India at the time had vehemently opposing groups that couldn't agree on what the future of India should be. What Britain was saying there was, "We will agree to step aside and hand over government if you can tell us who we are handing it over to." Using your frame of reference, the thirteen colonies of America had their state governments and continental congress. After forcing Britain out, the states and congress immediately had authority over all the colonies. Now look at India in the 1940s. In the hypothetical example of Britain withdrawing without any plan, who would be the country's government? No constitution was agreed in advance, so what are the rules to appoint a new government? Which laws apply - do you keep the British ones for the moment or revert to pre-British law? Does the country remain whole or split into the thousand principalities and micro-states that preceded British rule? Who controls the police? Who controls the army? What currency do you use? Who do foreign diplomats talk to about your country? What is the tax rate and who collects the taxes? Who decides where to spend those taxes? History has shown that toppling governments and leaving a power vacuum only leads to chaos, as everyone scrambles to gain a portion of that power, if only for their own safety. You just have to look at Iraq in 2003 after the government was removed there. The Partition of India was a bad solution to the problem but at least the vacuum wasn't created. One group had authority in a defined region and another group had authority in another region. As terrible a death toll as partition produced, I can't see the results of factions scrambling for power in a vacuum as any better. It would almost certainly have resulted in either civil war (if the factions splintered the army) or military dictatorship (if one group managed to hold the army together after most of their senior officers left with the British).
One point about British merchant seamen in WW2 was that when their ship was sunk, their pay was stopped immediately. So they probably had to sign on to get any wages.
I find old newsreel footage like this very interesting. Whenever I'm playing a game like hearts of iron 4 and a black and white news paper flashes up onto the screen, it adds to the period immersion and I love it
My great granddad fought in Greece during WW2. We recently found the telegrams he sent back to Britain for his wife. They were so frigging sweet. Every single one started with "my darling" and ended with "your ever loving husband, George".
My grandad fought in WW2 leaving my grandma, dad and aunt at home. He fought in El Alamein so was nice to see those vids and think maybe he was in those.
I’ve watched your Vulcan Bomber programmes and this one and I’m having a really patriotic Sunday I’m off to Mass then up the pub with apride in my heart and a skip in my step- sunny out and all. Thank you my American Cousin. 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧
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The George Washington statue was a gift from the US in 1921 ... George Washington allegedly said he would never set foot on British soil ever again, so the statue was erected on a foundation of Virginia State soil to ensure that Washington did not tell a lie ... King George 3rd came to admire G Washington and once called him " the greatest man of the age" ... The British Prime minister at the time of American Independence commissioned a life size portrait of your first President during his last year in office... that portrait has become one of the most iconic of your first President.
Girl, you convinced me to watch another video of US National Archives. I selected "Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia" and after watching 33 minutes of it I must say:
It's great... despite they showed USSR much more organized, white and fluffy than it in reality was... and despite their underestimation of how much Poles and Serbs were devoted to their partizan efforts and how effective those partizant fight was in breaking German supply lines and sucking soldiers from the front into forests and hills deep in occupied territories.
Ok, this is divided in itself, internally into two parts. First was 36 mintues long.
Another fearless piece of enquiry...Kudos So Gal..
I think he was saying 'John Britain ' because Americans wouldn't be familiar with 'John Bull '
John Bull is an imaginary figure who is a personification of England, similar to the American ‘Uncle Sam’
PLEASE react to " Jeremy Clarkson the greatest raid of all time "
It's about when the British used a USA warship to attack a Nazi naval base
"There's one English sailor who's been torpedoed six times and still signed on again!" - his name must be Albert Trotter.
You'd think they'd find him a shore job - the guy is bad luck!
SIX TIMES You'd think after the 1st time they would have realised their mistaken not continue to load and fire him as a torpedo! He must enjoy it if he keeps signing on though I guess
"During the.."
"If you say during the war, I'll pour this cup of tea over your head"
"I wasn't gonna say the war"
"Alright, I'm sorry. Go ahead."
"During the 1939 to 1945 Conflict with Germany.."
@@derekmills5394 Savage 😂
People round here on Merseyside still mourn the loss of merchant navy and Royal navy seamen from the Atlantic and Murmansk convoys..we also have a monument in Liverpool Pier head for the sacrifice of the Royal Canadian navy for their pivotal role in the battle of the Atlantic...
“The British Empire covers a quarter of the Globe: the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganika”
From the famous documentary “Blackadder Goes Forth” :)
Yes ..... Documentary.....
D-documentary..
@@adolflenin4973 what?
@@infertilepiggy5667 Expand your knowledge, udumbyank
"Were in the stickiest situation since sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun" classic.
The George Washington statue in London does not touch British soil. Quote:
“Because legend has it that George Washington once swore he would never set foot on British soil ever again, the erectors of the Trafalgar Square statue laid it on a foundation of Virginia soil to ensure that Washington did not tell a lie.”
It "Sounds good", to a "yankee plebescite" , Daniele. Not sure how many people had "The franchaise" in those days, mind. ( my ignorance shines through ! ) Here in Albion, you had to have a certain amount of "wealth" to be able to vote, for a long time. I know that much.
@@blackbob3358 late to the party, but I thought in Britain universal suffrage (franchise) was voted in after the first world war?
Wow...I had no idea.
You do have Mr D Trump.
@@jhnshep it was, I believe, in the early 1920's. Prior to that only land owners (about a third of the male population) could vote.
Incidentally, that is a similar situation to something many Americans are discussing these days.
'Service Guarantees Citizenship'
During the Blitz (German bombing of London) many children were sent to Canada. The Cabinet urged Elizabeth the Queen Mother (and mother of Elizabeth II, current queen) to send her two children as well (Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret). Her reply? "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave."
I am proud to call Britain our allies. We owe our existence to y'all.
Likewise mate. Met some fine Americans and still stay in touch with more than a few.
The reason why Britain was insisting on India working out a constitution which was acceptable to all the Indian peoples was that without that we would have walked out and left a bloodbath. Britain wasn't dictating what the Indian constitution should be or, as you put it, telling them to do things our way but telling them that we would not abandon India until they had a constitution that they, the Indians, all agreed on. I hope that helps.
I agree with you about "John Britain" it makes me cringe too but it is, as you say, a product of its time .... we came up with equally cringeworthy names for you, so I think we're even 👍😁
Finally, I think the narrator's point about Britain being difficult to understand for Americans is precisely because we are so similar. The similarity gives a false sense of understanding, which doesn't take account of how our traditions are ingrained in us and whilst, for example, you find the Monarchy hard to understand, we just "know" how it works.
Mark Twain had it right when he said we we were "two nations divided by a common language" .... but at the end of the day, we do at least try to understand each other.
Great video 👍😁
Just a note for the John Britain part. He also used John for the Americans in the video. It's just used as a generic name eg: John Doe/ Jane Doe
To be fair, we did walk out leaving a bloodbath, but it was a bloodbath with a constitution.
@@MrEsphoenix True enough but John Q Public doesn't sound any better really ..... it's just a product of the 40s, they were experts in cringeworthy names on both sides of the pond 👍😁
@@DaveF. the partition was one of many mistakes we made during the post war dismantling of the empire, it was damn bloody, but given how bloody it could have been given how many groups fundamentally detested one an other maybe it was the lesser of a great many evils? not defending it and i am sure there was a much better way of sorting our mess out, but you know what they say about hindsight.
@@DaveF. But the point is that we did try to avoid it and once there was an agreed constitution we had absolutely no grounds for refusing to hand the country back to its people even if we had wanted to.
The US armed services did have a negative impact on being on British soil. They expected to be able to enforce segregation in our pubs and dancehalls etc. There were several instances of hostility between the UK and US in this regard.
Good point Ian ,check out the battle of Bamber bridge....
“Several instances of hostility” pales into comparison against the overall positive effect of the US joining the European theatre of the war and, when put into context against the atrocities of the common enemies we were fighting, is like complaining about the side effects of an immunisation.
@@neilturner6749
Why wouldn't you talk about it? It's one of the biggest problems still present in modern day USA, and elsewhere.
There was one pub that the Americans said would be off limits unless it was segregated. So the pub put up a : " No White Americans " sign.
@@BrianMcGuirkBMG He was showing the other side of the coin. It was talked about in the original comment. Bottom line: The US helped save Britain's ass...again.
By WW2 it was way too late to just turn our backs and walk away from India. If you have issued with Britain being involved you need to go back to when Britain first got involved. To just turn around and say "do what you want, we're not involved" would be to allow a bloodbath and ethnic cleansing, at which point we may as well have let Germany do what they want lest we be hypocrites.
True, we've influenced their culture and history for so long, whether for right or wrong, it was only proper to have a sensible withdrawal. It wasn't perfect though, there's still tension between India and Pakistan to this day but at least we tried and we're at least on relatively good terms with India politically and have done some military exercises regularly together.
Hong Kong I think we did a bit better job of leaving it in a fit state, so much so there's still good feeling from Hong Kong citizens about the British, especially considering China's recent actions these past few years.
It was always going to be difficult. For an example of what happens when an occupying force leaves a country with a power vacuum, one only needs to look at Iraq and Afghanistan.
More than that: what do you do after you've occupied it for around 100 years and the only thing stopping 90% of the population murdering 5% of the population for subjugating them for 3 centuries before you arrived is you?
@@misterflibble9799 India was a foreseen bloodbath, train by train by train....
My mother welded parts for Spitfires and my father was a sergeant in the Royal Mountain Artillery in WWII.
I served for over 5 years in the Honourable Artillery Company.
We may be a small island but I think we still punch above our weight.
My East-end mother was teen Forestry Jill, sister and brother at Dumfries Airdrome
Great work mate & thankyou for serving. From Australia
I'm a British Army veteran and over the course of my service I met American service personnel posted here in the UK. They were always issued a pamphlet on what to do and not what to do when encountering Brit Squaddies. 🤣
Don't Drink?
@@Bosspigeon230 that wouldnt make much sense, considering the anount of pubs
@@Bosspigeon230 it's basically the same now " Don't drink, gamble or fight with the UK forces because you will lose " l😅😅
Years ago whilst I was in Manchester visiting a friend I met his American friend who was a officer in the USMC , he told me that he had to prove if he was any good so he did the RM course and passed, upon getting back home the first thing he did was to put a shelf up above the entrance to the mess hall and on that was his Green Marine Berry with a notice that said , " You are not a Marine until you can Officially wear one of these " . The reason for being in Manchester was he was on one his regular visits to a RM Officers bit of a do.
I went out drinking with some of my ‘opposite numbers’ from the Yank embassy when I got 8 months of jollies from our embassy. They couldn’t hold their booze and I won shirts off backs playing rummy with them.
I did invite them out again - but they made the condition of no drinking and no cards. Hahah. Bless ‘em.
There was apparently a US Navy service manual in WW2 that was meant to help US servicemen understand the British Navy personnel.
It made a BIG point about the British talent for understatement.
So, if they got a call for help like "Hello old chap, we seem to have a spot of bother and could do with a little help".
This translates as "Holy f**k, the entire German navy just appeared over the horizon and we need you to send everyone ... NOW!".
During one battle in the Korean war a British company sent a request for aid saying the situation was a bit difficult. What they meant was they were holding off an entire Chinese Division.
@@eagleofceaser6140
The Gloucestershire Regiment on Hill 235 (or Gloster Hill).
What I found interesting about this is that I read it and thought it was a perfectly proportionate statement and request. They're in a spot of bother and need a little help. I understand fully that they're in a bit of a pickle.
Then again I'm British.
Whoever it was that said America and Britain are two nations separated by a common language nailed it!
The greater the deemphasis the graver it is, too.
@@simonoleary9264 600+ gloster rifles fighting off around 20,000 chinese and north korean soldiers until they ran out of ammunition
The Anzacs, Canadians, South Africans and other British Empire personnel were involved from the very beginning. Along with military personnel who had escaped from the occupied countries of Europe. They all came over to Britain and fought alongside British personnel. Even some Americans privately came over in 1939 and fought for Britain. Notably the Eagle Squadron of The RAF, which was made up entirely of American Pilots who'd taken it upon themselves in 1939 to come and fight for Britain.
They were also fighting in South East Asia.
Initially, the small number of Americans who came to the UK to fly with the RAF were simply allocated to various RAF squadrons. It was only after the Battle of Britain that there were enough Americans to be able to form a full All-American Eagle Squadron. It didn't last that long because, in 1942, the RAF Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the rapidly expanding USAAF.
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada etc joined Britain's war effort within days of the declaration of war in September 1939. However, for logistical reasons, most of their troops and airmen ended up in the Far East, North Africa and the Middle East. Later, many Australians and Canadians made up a large part of RAF Bomber Command and were based in the UK.
Churchill is indeed addressing Congress.
@@MichaelJohnsonAzgard British and allied forces weren’t sent to fight the Japanese in Asia until December 1941
@@langdalepaul Hawaii was not the only place the Japanese attacked in December 1941. The Japanese simultaneously moved against Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, and other British territories in the region - they even threatened the Australian mainland. That's why the British Empire joined America in the Pacific theatre.
@@IamtherealDodger67 yes. I’m not sure I understand your point. I was simply saying to Michael that there were no British or Commonwealth troops deployed to SE Asia until December 1941.
There was this other film produced in 1943 by the DoD, "A Welcome to Britain" with Burgess Meredith. It's much more instructional and practical, telling US servicemen a little more about Britain, with a huge helping of how to behave/not behave, and how to adapt to being in Britain.
i had two friends that i had made while in the states come to visit me here in the uk, they were shocked at the number of ww1 memorials, and one teared up when i told her that every town city or village that predates ww1 has a similar memorial. My great grandfather was one of only 5 survivors of all the fighting age men in his village. There were other villages that weren't even as lucky as that.
We have a memorial of the Canary girls in Hereford, Rotherwas was 1 of the many locations used to produce munitions for the war effort.
Both my grandfathers were Scottish Victorians. One was wounded twice at Ypres. His brother had 2 sons - both were killed during WW1. He never really recovered from his loss.
There are places known as "Thankful villages" which are villages who didn't lose any men in WWI. The current estimate is that there are about 56 thankful villages in the UK.
There are 14 "Doubly thankful villages" which didn't lose any men in either World War.
Just to illustrate the fact that the World Wars impacted almost every community in the country.
One of the doubly thankful villages is Catwick in Yorkshire. There's a quote that says "Thirty men went from Catwick to the Great War and thirty came back, though one left an arm behind."
I get tears & goosebumps watching & listening to this. What a country my country was. So proud of my Parents and Grand Parents. 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴
Same, to think of the struggle our recent ancestors went through. Certain parts are really very difficult to see. The struggle and pain. It's also quite cute how the Americans try to sell us to the American people. There's a certain fondness there that... makes me pleased that we've always had good relations with the US.
And now look what we have become . I’m glad my grandparents are not around to see there legacy pissed down the drain by stupid ,incompetent ,corrupt politicians . God help us .
@@pauldirac808 In 70 years, people will watch old videos of 2023 and think "my God what a stoic, classical society 2023 had, it's a shame we pisse dit all away!" :D
If you are proud of the British empire then you are either a Nazi or an idiot.
@@TheSaltyAdmiralWhat with people taking six months off work with anxiety? Half the population on anti depressants and ADHD being used as an excuse for bad behaviour.
Several factories closed in the UK as a result of the US civil war disrupting cotton supplies. The workers unions wrote letters to Lincoln asking him not to be concerned about it and to continue the fight to destroy slavery. Lincoln wrote a letter in return and there was correspondence for a while, with him eventually sending some aid. It's common for there to be statues of him in former industrial towns.
The CSS Alabama was built here in Cammel Lairds...
The UK even named a city after him!
(joke)
@@wbertie2604 🤣
There's a statue to Lincoln in Manchester, which was a major textile town at the time.
@@eamonnclabby7067 the CSS Shenandoah was registered in Liverpool, and surrendered in Liverpool.
I love it in the Burgess Meredith version where he has to explain that a little old English lady being civil to a black GI is ‘perfectly normal’ and ‘not shocking’ in the U.K.
Reminds me of the old joke when a Briton was asked what they thought of the GIs when they started coming over: "They're alright, but I don't much like the white fellas they brought with them."
There was never racial segregation in Britain in the same way that there was in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if it's expanded with every retelling, but attempts by white US servicemen to enforce such an alien system were typically rebuffed quite robustly.
I don't remember that part.
@@charleshowie2074 - The film I referred to starring Burgess Meredith is a different film to the one reviewed in this video. I can’t remember where I saw it (perhaps as a DVD extra?) but it’s well worth seeing if you can find it.
@@AtheistOrphan I watched it since commenting, it's around the 23 minute mark of what you rightly point out to be another US Archive film of which I had previously only seen a clip. Thanks for the tip!
It was a very different time
We admire people who fight for freedom. Washington and Lincoln fought for freedom, even if one of them was fighting against us.
Even enemies can show respect, especially ones that you’re related to.
Many Brits were on the Americans side, and not only those who had family there; rumblings of overthrowing the monarchy were very strong and a major fear for those in power.
What Americans don't realise, is that the War of Independence was a civil war. Before it started the people in the american colonies considered themselves British, and the people in Britain, did too!
@@duckwhistle too!
@@duckwhistle It was also part of a series of wars between Britain and France, as far as France was concerned. It was a pretty global series of engagements.
I have talked to an old British man who remembers his grandfather carrying him in his arms at age 6 when the bomb raid sirens went off he said he could see the fear in him but he never said anything to make them afraid once in a bomb shelter he would sing to him and his sister. He said the scariest moment is once when he was able to see a huge flight of German bombers from a distance flying towards them. He also told me every time he heard the air raid sirens he would panic and he lost his friend and his mother in a raid.
I can remember being carried to the shelter by my father,and my mother pushing my little brother in a stroller
@@jeanbrown8295 That I would not want to see very horrible.
My nanny talks a little about the shelters sometimes, though she was very young during the war, she said she never used to like the shelter. A lot of people had home air raid shelters outside of London
Most of the time when you see the white "smoke" coming out of smoke stacks in factories and plants, it's actually just steam, most actual smoke would be black, and as someone that's worked in many as a contractor the thing that really gets you is the fumes from the chemicals, the fumes usually aren't harmful but stink like hell
we didn't have that by me to the point it was called the 'Black country'.....god it's hilarious every time i have to explain the name to an american XD
In the 50s in Britain they got the clean air act because people died from coal smoke smog.
I'm a boilermaker in the USA. I also know that what most people think is smoke. Is just steam. The big mushroom shaped looking smoke stacks are not smoke stacks. They are water cooling towers. It's like a big hotspring water fall inside it. With tones of steam rising.
I would say the "more difficult to understand" is based on expectations, not on realities.
With Russia, the average American will assume that it is different, and act accordingly. But England... it's so similar. You have the same language. You came from the same roots. Surely you can just go over there, and everything will be just as at home.
Only it won't... and it's your flawed expectations that will lead to your confusion.
I doubt most US soldiers could even point to the UK on a map at the time.
@@smooth_sundaes5172 When my friend and I got off the Greyhound in Texas, someone asked if we came all the way from England on the bus.
@@alansmithee8831 Same happened to us in Disney World, Florida. Hearing our accents an American asked "Say, where are you from?". We said "England" and their teenage son asked "Did you drive all the way?".
Cheap shots....the reason you can do what you do, is down to selfless sacrifice...ma da was from the back of beyond in the Republic of Ireland...still joined up, came back to service accommodation with signs saying ...No Blacks or Irish...step around your keyboard and serve...
By
That is why I am so bloody proud to be British.
I Like being English but I find so much more than war to celebrate, our music, arts, architecture, literature, technology. Lots of countries are fantastic and the people warm and courageous.
A lovely comment....
@@nudal9993 Absolutely so. Unfortunately much of that reached the farther reaches (from Britain) only through war/subjugation and more kindly through trade.
I agree. Films like this always hit the spot. I'm a Brit. There may be some things to be critical of in our history (Like any nation), but there is a hell of a lot more to be proud of.
@@scaleyback217 trade yes, wars came from protecting trade routes.
The statues of American greats in London is as you guessed; to pay homage and respect. A tribute to our American cousins.
The Washington statue was a gift from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1924. It is a replica of one which stands in the USA. The Lincoln statue (also a replica) was put up in 1920 to mark 100 years of peace between the USA and the UK. There are statues of FDR and JFK which were actually paid for by British people.
Besides Washington, Lincoln, FDR etc we have statues of Gandhi in London and of Martin Luther King. We are an outward looking people which doesn't discriminate on grounds of race or nationality: if they're great people we admire and honour them.
I can't tell you just how much I enjoy your Channel. Immersing yourself in History and World affairs will surely stand you in good stead. A balanced view of people from other Nations (and not just stereotypes) will allow you to engage with them and arrive at a much more informed opinion. Sometimes you display such a sense of wonderment, which I find totally charming. 'Hands across the Sea'
One way to put the size of the English Channel into some kind of context is to realise that you can swim across it! It's certainly not easy, not least due to the cold water and shipping lanes, but there are a lot of people who have done it over the years. It's almost become kind of a standard charity fund raising thing to do, similar to training for and then running a marathon.
But, it is not 26 (not 20) along all of it, just to the narrowest point - Dover to Calais.
The Imperial War museum in London has been described by several Americans as a real eye opener "I had no idea how much Britain sacrificed to fight the Nazi"
How are they surprised? Of course we fought so much, at one point we got pushed to a singular beach because of everything being conquered by the Axis.
@@triffonyt they're surprised because their education system is so poor.
That's not actually Churchill speaking at 13:20 but an actor imitating him. His "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, from which this is taken, was not recorded at the time. An audio record of Churchill speaking the lines exists, but it was not recorded until 1949, when Churchill read out his lines, and this post-dates this mid-war film.
Sounded a bit odd.
Thanks. It did sound a bit off as the voice was too thin.
I just learned through a video by the excellent Mark Felton that this was almost certainly the voice of Norman Shelley, who stood in as a 'voice double' for Churchill on a number of occasions. Shelley made a recording of the 'We shall fight on the beaches' speech in 1942 from which this was taken. He also, somewhat suprisingly, provided the radio voice for Winnie the Pooh.
@@billb207 Mark Felton?! ... Tsk, tsk!
If you're on a cross channel ferry between Dover and Calais on a decent day, you can see both sides very clearly. It can seem more like you're crossing a wide river rather than a sea. Further west where its wider, between Portsmouth and Cherbourg for example its very much like crossing the sea.
It is a popular myth that Britain and her Commonwealth had no victories in the early stages of the war. Although we had to retreat from France the evacuation at Dunkirk was a victory of sorts. Then there was the Battle of Britain where we defeated the Germans in the air, preventing an invasion, that was a victory. Also we sank the Bismark and forced the Graf Spee to scuttle, and the Tirpitz to hide so that was a victory over the German surface fleet. Then there were sweeping victories over the Italians in North Africa.
Don’t forget Burma, mate.
I think the British were the hardest to understand because we appeared so similar, and yet our culture, humor and attitude are quite drastically different under the surface, escpially as you move across social strata/ class.
Not to mention north to south
It’s a good point they make about ‘reverse’ Lend Lease, I believe overall in the European Theatre just over 30% of equipment used by the American forces was provided by the British
I used to collect WW2 US Army equipment and had pretty much an entire set of web equipment and some uniform items that had been made in the UK. USA uniform production was of much better quality, but the UK webbing gear was excellent. Oddly, a lot of the UK webbing I collected had never actually been issued.
The USA also provided some weapons, and a few UK designs were adopted by the USA, although many more in the other direction.
Strangely Russia rejected the Spitfires sent and asked for more Hurricanes (Stole a Merchant catapult Hurricane, thought it was special/better ?)
To to say, the British saved the Americans in North Africa. Even knowledgeable Americans admit that.
And it was freely given! FDR loathed Churchill and was determined to bring Britain to her knees - thereby allowing the US to gain the reins of world power.
Made a right cock-up of it! They do nothing other than instigate wars.
When Britain held those reins she ended the West African slave trade.
If people didn't stop it voluntarily, the Royal Navy would enforce it!
Churchills speeches still stir my emotions even now, especially the one after the battle of Britain, makes me so proud to be British. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
Prat. Churchill was a puppet of the RothchiIds, who subsidised his lifestyle and, in the end, controlled him. As for the Queen, she, like her heir, supports muIticuIturaIism, which will be the death of Britain as a nation state.
@Aiden Cox That's ad hominem, the kind of tactic employed by those who have no valid argument.
@@CrankCase08 Churchill will resound through history as opposed to you who doesn't even have the courage to put your real name out there. Just another gutless keyboard warrior. Aiden Cox summed you up
Churchill & the sound of a Merlin engine
My mum’s wartime job was winding electric armatures for the engines in tanks and aeroplanes…. she said the wire was so thin it cut your fingers, so she put on Elastoplast. The present Queen drove lorries.
My Mum built torpedoes at Morris Motors Oxford. The first day she was taken round and on looking out of one grimy window she saw some laundry. Going home that night she realised it was her laundry.
She never told Dad what she did for months and when she did he told her off!
Good to hear that your mums worked so hard...heroines...
The Queen features in this video. The girl standing next to the king near the beginning is then Princess Elizabeth
There are certainly photographs of the then Princess Elizabeth working on and driving Austin K2Y ("Katy") ambulances, but not, I think, lorries
Regarding the privacy thing, As a Dutchmen that kind of stuff still holds today. I can confirm it is true. You place some fences or curtains for the sole purpose of guarding your privacy when at home. There is also nothing more infuriating here then people approaching your door here for something like sales or other interests.
British understatement ! We have, to this day, an indomitable spirit.
Actually, the absolute furthest you can get away from the sea in Britain is Lichfield in Staffordshire, England at a distance of just 84 miles from the sea.
Andy Williams
Is it? I live just down the road in Tamworth.
I think Milton Keynes is furthest from the sea, or at least it seems to be.
I didn't know that
@@robertjohnson-taylor2596 An internet search suggest Milton Keynes is 68 miles from the sea. A key point to note is that all of these measurements are based on straight lines. Travel distances around obstacles like hills, rivers or buildings would be somewhat larger.
Leicester is supposed to be the city farthest from the sea, although the actual point is some little village near Litchfield
The statue of George Washington was presented to the UK by the US in 1921 as a gift of friendship. Its built on soil shipped from Virginia as Washington said his feet would never again touch British soil.
The Abraham Lincoln statue was supposed to be erected in 1914 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of the 1812 war but was delayed until after WW1- ended.
I hope that's a help.
Basically, the British Monarchy is there as long as we say it is.
Yes..... I used to be a moderate monarchist , but ever since the advent of Diana , it has just been a sad demise . Does anyone blame Harry for legging it ?
@@michellebrown4903 hate Harry more than andrew
@@michellebrown4903 I do support Brexit, but I am not happy with the government, unlike you, I am not a mindless zombie
@@michellebrown4903 "Oh no, Britain can trade outside the EU, the horror!"
No I don't like the government either, however had the EU stayed purely about free and fair trade I wouldn't have minded staying in, but no.
Edited.
As much as I agreed with Corbyn on some things done in the name of the monarch might be better shifted explicitly to The People, or Parliament. an idea of President Thatcher, or Blair keeps me thinking that even Charlie boy is preferable if all goes wrong - our right of appeal to the monarch is perhaps the most british thing to retain.
I've been subscribed for a while now. I greatly respect your perspective and admire your willingness and thirst to learn and get involved.
Our Queen served as a truck driver and mechanic during the war . The Last head of state alive to serve in uniform throughout the war!
Churchill went to the US shortly after Pearl Harbour, as you can imagine they had alot to talk about. He addressed Congress on 26th December 1941 which was shown in the film.
This was great! Next up can you react to "WW2 training - how to behave in Britain" its very similar to this and has some really interesting outlooks from the U.S perspective on the UK during 1943 :)
Is that the one that prepared US troops for the shocking sight of black people being allowed to drink in the same bars as white people?
@@ashscott6068 there is a story that in one village the American CO got all insistant that the pubs and similar establishments define themselves as to whether there were for whites or coloureds.
In response the locals designated pretty much everything as catering to coloured Americans leaving the white officer nowhere to drink. Of course the locals didn't care anyway and drank in the same pubs they always did
We went to war and our Anzac brothers and sisters joined us instantly and we Brits remember that, Canadians too. Blood is thicker than water. We will never forget the solid you did for us.
Thanks for this, my Grandad was in the Royal Navy during the war, served on the atlantic convoys for two years and did convoys in the Mediterranean and the Arctic. I only recently discovered all the ships he was on and what he did... I have his medals and but can see what he did. He was deaf from 1945 due to being a gunner on the ships. He died in North London in 1985. He lived for the Navy and I am so proud of him.
My father and one of his brothers served in the Royal Canadian Navy in convoys to Iceland, another brother served in the Infantry (and fought at Monte Cassino), and a fourth in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Britain as an armourer on Beaufort night fighters. My mother and all her brothers did essential war work at Canadian Westinghouse. Everybody did something. When I graduated, I served 40 years in the Canadian Army and the New Zealand Army. We still swear "to be faithful and bear true allegiance to HM the King" when we join. My commission as an officer is addressed from Elizabeth the Second "to her trusty and well beloved..." (love that phrase). Remember, at the time that video was made, HM King George was also Emperor of India. After colonialism waned, you could not just walk away. Belgium did that in the Congo, and the result was war and chaos. Britain could not turn over government to the people of India until they themselves had developed a workable plan for self government. That happened in 1948.
"Just give them freedom without sorting out their differences " after the war they did and it was horrific.
Indeed, we always tried to leave our colonies as well organised democracies, respecting freedom under the rule of law, with an independent judiciary, and freedom of speech. Unfortunately, quite a few of them didn't remain in that state once we were no longer there to ensure it.
You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Everyone has has heard about the religious bloodbath that took place in India after the British left.
@@neilcampbell3212
Yes, the British were opposed to partition and tried to avoid it. Certain Muslim elements, however, were dedetermined to create the "Land of the Pure" (Pakistan) come what may. The British usually still get the blame though.
As we say, "Good fences make good neighbours."
The story of the Washington family in America began in the mid-1650s when two young men, John Washington (1632-1677) and his younger brother Lawrence (1635-1677) arrived in Virginia.
I used to pass the Washington family home on my way to school, unsurprisingly in Washington, Co Durham (now Tyne & Wear). School trips there were frequent and many famous Americans used to visit, including Jimmy Carter when he was President at the Bicentennial in 1976.
I haven't stopped to look at the statue of George Washington in London for many years. It can be found at the front of the national gallery in Trafalgar Square - to the right of the entrance (as you enter it). My memory may be a little fuzzy, but I seem to remember that the inscription suggests that the statue was gifted to the UK by the Commonwealth of Virginia sometime in the 1920s. It is an exact replica of the one that stands in the Virginian Capital, Richmond. Contrary to what you might imagine, George Washington was widely admired in the UK - even in governmental and royal circles...the film briefly mentions one prominent supporter of the American colonists - the former Prime Minister the Earl of Chatham (William Pitt the Elder).
Essex is the ancestral home to 2 US presidents (the quincies), the ancestral home to General Sherman and The pilgrim father's were financed by an Essex landowner and had their last communion at his home in billericay. Essex created the world 😁
@@Trebor74 President Hayes (19th) and Roosevelt where decendants of a Cornishman from Truro called Thomas Burgess.
8:30 Essentially true, yes. Being a small island any sort of military action Great Britain could take would have to be via sea. This results in a strong naval focus that lets you attack pretty much anywhere with a coast. Turns out, being able to effectively project your power over long distances is key for building a truly massive empire.
Churchill did indeed address Congress. People forget his mother was an American. He made a cute thing of saying if his mother had been British and his father American, he might have made it to Congress on his own. Good stuff.
The Liberty bell shown at the very end was a present from Britain, made at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
The music is “Heart of Oak” which is the Royal Navy’s March
Beat me to it 👍😁
Written 20 years before US independence.
Yes as ex RN when played by the band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines followed by Senior Service flying the white ensign, lump in throat and moist eyes time... Stead, boys, Steady..
Oh dear, I duplicated the answer before reading a long way down, but I did put a link.
we where alone for two years, I remember the bombs dropping night after night, the flying bombs coming over with that familiar drone, air raid shelters. The bonfire we had in our avenue when the war in Europe was over.looking up into the sky and seeing the vapour trails of our RAF fighter planes attacking the German planes.
Well done for sharing this with us all...my da joined the RAF from the Republic of Ireland and served in Egypt,Libya and Malta and finally Germany..peace and love from the wirral..E
@@eamonnclabby7067 many from Ireland came over to fight on the British side, including my dad and 6 of his brothers. They fought in many different campaigns; my Uncle Danny, the youngest who died recently, was in the D-Day landings.
@@eamonnclabby7067 Another example ... At the time of his death in 1942, 'Paddy' Finucane was the highest scoring ace and youngest Wing Commander in the RAF.
His father had served under de Valera in the 1916 Easter Rising, fighting against the British.
@@catherinerobilliard7662 his memory will live on...Mrs C,s da served in the Chindits, and her uncle served in the East Lancashire regiment alongside the American paratroopers at Nijmegen,sadly succumbed to his wounds RIP, thank you for sharing this with us all,best wishes from the wirral..E
@@pitanpainter2140 yet another example my great uncle served on the river Imjin with the Royal Ulster Rifles and survived being a POW and made it back to Ireland ,after the end of the Korean war..
Britain didn't want India to conform to Britain that's not what the narrator was saying, by this point in history he was saying Britain wanted the people of India to decide what type of government it wanted and how it would work, which is what the guy from South Africa was saying that India itself had to decide what it wanted and their was the problem. The issue was left with the different party's and leaders internally for India to decide on what it wanted for itself, the difficulty was their was no consensus and too many divisions wanting different things. Their was a lot of disagreement, a lot of sides not willing to compromise. It did eventually get sorted after the war but as history as shown a lot of problems and troubled times came from these divisions and still cause problems today.
Did stop the practice of sati whereby the wife of the dead husband was throw onto the funeral pyre
Britain has always been a powerful fighting nation, even when invaded by the Romans and Vikings they didn't have it easy as they were constantly attacked. Hitler didn't believe that Britain would go to war hence ignored the warning given by the PM (prime minister). There is a reason why Britain held over a quarter of the world and invaded many many countries.
13:59 You've caught us out! XD The whole thing of 'Britain Standing Alone' is just something we've always liked to tell ourselves. You are right tho, we usually aren't so hated that we don't have a few allies in every fight. It's just one of our little quirks. A little bit of pride on our part. Hey, nobody's perfect right? :P Thankyou to Australia, America, India, Poland, The Gurkhas, & everybody else who helped us out when we needed it ❤ I hope we deserved it.
I think the video is talking more specifically about the western front. Obviously the Soviets were still fighting on the eastern European front.
You are so wrong, you nugget. The film refers to the period from June 1940 to June 1941, which is after the fall of France and before Hitler launched his surprise invasion of the USSR.
@@ItsSpecialHands No they weren't. The USSR was till not in the war at that point having signed a pact with Hitler in 1939 so they could both carve up Poland.
@@claymor8241 oh my bad, I had thought that they had already started the invasion by 1940, it was 1941, you are correct
You are not thinking things through when you talk of the "Britain standing alone" point. Yes, other countries joined in the fighting subsequently. But aside from the Poles and Czechs during the Battle of Britain in 1940, for the first two years they weren't in a position to assist Britain militarily. And even in the case of the Poles who fought in the Battle of Britain, you need to be aware that there were only two Polish squadrons in RAF Fighter Command out of a total complement of 52 squadrons. That in no way denigrates the outstanding bravery and skill of those volunteers, or that of our other WW2 allies who, over time, and as the war developed, took part in the fighting on Britain's side. It simply simply puts things in perspective. The fact is that, from the beginning of the war until early 1942, the UK WAS alone.
If you look at the chaos and genocide that engulfed India after the British left and the split into India, Pakistan and Bangladesh trying to get a peaceful transition was always going to be problematic. Britain was dammed either way.
Prithee, mr Bralee, what were they doing there in the first place ? ( it's a rhetorical question, btw, we all know, like.)
The question of what happened after the British left India has some part to do with how India was ruled before the British arrived for good or bad.
@@blackbob3358 "What were they doing there?". Well what were Indian's doing in India?
Such a silly question.
Problem was that Britain prevented Indian input to government for a century . They stamped on any home rule. Therefore India not prepared. However this applies to all colonies
The Empire/Commonwealth were with us from minute 1. They were preparing their own defences, building their own armies, and fighting with us in N.Africa and the Far East. Remember we were also fighting Japan as well years before the USA was involved. Millions of Indian, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, South African troops fighting while we rebuilt after Dunkirk.
Sorry to keep banging on ,my da was one among tens of thousands of Irish men and women who joined up bypassing De Valera, he served in Egypt,Libya and Malta and finally Germany..
@@eamonnclabby7067 It is remembered, and there is gratitude, particularly as it would perhaps have met some opposition from others in the community who felt differently about being involved.
@@eamonnclabby7067 I heard that their children in Ireland were singled out for harsh treatment at school.
You were not fighting Japan years before the US got involved. Pearl Harbor ushered in war between the European empires and Japan as well as between Japan vs USA.
Commonwealth troops between 1939 and 1941 were in Europe, Asia and North Africa. When UK declared war after Japan attacked Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, it was a matter of hours before USA declared war on Japan for the more or less simultaneous attack on Pearl Harbour.
I live in a street where the original 5 terraced houses were built in 1837. When they were built they were surrounded by Farmers fields over the years the land was sold off and housing estates were built around them we still overlook a large field mainly used for dog walking now, I love my old house, there isn't a straight wall in the place, the front door opens straight onto the street, we only have a backyard but, the house has 13 feet high ceilings and large rooms with an open fireplace and a great view from the front bedroom I can see right into the centre of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Just enforcing the stereotype that we all live In old houses, I live in a super old stone cottage in Northamptonshire, built in 1701. Can confirm there isn’t a straight wall in the place, everything falls apart and the entire house shakes whenever a bus drives past!
‘Bringing lipstick over as bait’ 👏🏻🤣
I'd really recommend watching the "how to behave in Britain" training film from 1943, which is about teaching US soldiers cultural differences in Britain
the Lincoln statue was to celebrate the centenary of the ending of the 1812 war with the US but was delayed because of the outbreak of the first world war
That is strange it was put up for the 1812 war because Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War in 1861-1865.
@@erinnswan7063 I think the Lincoln statue is more based on his fight against slavery.
The Australians had three divisions in the desert and one in Singapore at this stage we had insufficient trained troops to deploy! There were New Zealand troops deployed in Greece and they supported the landings in Italy later in the war!
A hereditary Lord once explained the reason he was useful. "Everybody in the Lords owes their position to doing a favour for someone, in terms of the new peers they owe a favour to a political party, I owe my position to an ancestor who did a favour 600 years ago. Whose going to get the favour called in?"
Reminds me of the 1944 classic war movie set in the town of Chillingbourne. 🎥
this vid was a lot better, and genuinely more informative than i expected it to be! And i wouldn't have been aware of it if you hadn't made your vid so thankyou! Looking forward to seeing you react to other vids in the series! (If you're going to)
Interesting. Let’s not forget that the US went for lease lend after emptying the UK gold reserves to pay for Liberty ships etc. then took out loans that have only been finished about 5 years ago. Britain went from the richest country in the world and transferred that to the US. Compare 1950’s US and Britain.
Once could argue that the keenness to enter in ‘41 was to protect the US’s largest debtor otherwise the Axis would bankrupt the US next…🤔
It's not what ya know, it's who ya know. Churchill was "half septic" , he had loads of connections "in power" over there. They knew they had "bigger guns" than either "gerry or vlad" . Understated/Overstated ? I do'nt know. Peace in our time, i know that . xx
What I would call The Cenotaph is the memorial on a street in London called Whitehall. Anything else is just a war memorial.
The main war memorial in virtually every town and city in the UK (and in many other Commonwealth countries) is known, either officially or colloquially, as _'The Cenotaph'._
During the battle of britain the RAF was aided by expat Polish,Checks, free French, volanteers as well as volantary aussies ,kiwis,,south Aftican,Indian,Canadian & private US Airmen all coming to the UK & Joining the RAF.
Norman Wallace. Yes but the vast majority of pilots in the Battle of Britain were British. In fact I think there were only 2 Americans.
I like the end of 'The Battle of Britain' film as it lists the nationalities of the pilots, how any fought and how many gave their lives.
I keep watching this amazing film and love the accompanying commentaries. I agree it is a fair documentary and very enlightening. Thank you!
When he said the German guns were 20 miles away, he meant in occupied France, Germany itself is a little further away.
unlessyou were in newcastle. then the guns were as close as the ships got.
The aircraft at 15:43 are Short Stirlings. There were the first of the four-engined heavy bombers. Unable to fly as high as the other two "heavies" the Halifax and Lancaster, they were soon resigned as glider tugs. The twin-engined aircraft appear to be Bostons (the British name for the Douglas A20) and the fighter is a Hurricane MkIIc.
There was also the two engine Wellington and a flight of Mosquitos.
... and I saw a Bristol Blenheim at 16:30. At 17:11 is a Spitfire.
At 12:30 there are some Junkers Ju 52 dropping paratroopers. At 13:50 it's a Dornier Do 17.
The Stirling had a slight kink in its fuselage, as Shorts had previously built flying boats, which also had a kink to keep the tail clear of spray. Technically, the Lancaster and Halifax were to be medium bombers, but with four Merlin engines as originally flown, their bomb load was only 1000 lbs less than that of the Stirling, and they could carry bigger individual bombs, so there wasn't much point continuing to build Stirlings.
The WW1 monument you were asking about is for the Royal Artillery and is located in Hyde Park Corner, it’s not a grave but a symbol of remembrance. The statuary is quite a bit larger than life size and it’s very moving.
We have statues of Gandhi and Mandela too - the statue of Washington was a gift from the US in 1921. Remember that after George Washington stepped down as President, King George III referred to him as "the greatest man of the age."
I have reached as far as the India section, and I HAVE to comment. The WHOLE reason Britain wanted India to sort out its constitution before independence was an attempt to prevent the intercommunal massacres that DID take place when Britain withdrew. One million dead, hatred and and several wars between India and Pakistan....THAT was why!! With empire comes responsibility - the responsibility to ensure a peaceful transition to local rule. In the event, Britain failed - but not for want of trying
Churchill spoke in America several times, also after the war when he coined the phrase 'An Iron Curtain has fallen across Europe'.
"What if they dont want that" in relation to India and its domestic issues.
Mountbatten tried his best in the timeline he had, created Pakistan and Bangladesh and it is still the biggest displacement if people in history. Thousands died in the violence after the British left and India and Pakistan never have seen eye to eye since.
It was a moral responsibility to do everything we could to stop then from killing each other while still leaving in an appropriate timescale. It was an impossible task to do perfectly without bloodshed. If Britain just upped and left (because it was costing more money than Indian rule was generating) there would have been a genocide counting in the millions.
No, Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan in another bloody war.
Whole train loads of corpses in both directions.....
See also; Congo.
Wow! That's a very rosy, generous description of the partition and the *noble* efforts of Britain and especially Lord Mountbatten. Sorry, but there's really nothing about the partition for Britain to be proud of. Yes, they insisted on constitutions being written and basic framework before they left, but it could have been done MUCH better with one simple change: Mountbatten could've spent more than 6 months on the partition of India/Pakistan and the transfer of power. There's "leaving in an appropriate timescale" and then there's "We don't want to be here. NOW we're losing money and we just want to go home and focus on rebuilding ourselves." The British made boatloads of money from India for over 200 years and hauled away any valuables and artifacts they could possibly take home. (Koh-i-noor Diamond anyone?) The LEAST they could've done was spend more than 6 months on the independence and transfer of power back to the people they'd violently subjugated for 200 years. You don't get to raid, loot and destroy a giant region, then when YOU have problems at home, unrest in the colonies, and nothing more to extract, wash your hands of the problem, run home with your tail between your legs, and absolve yourself of the resulting chaos and violence saying "We kinda, sorta, tried. We insisted they bang out a couple of constitutions before we left." Britain created the problem, and tried not leave a TOTAL disaster, but a little more work, understanding, and another few months for the transition could have prevented up to 2 million deaths, 14 million refugees, and countless more maimed, and traumatized. (British soldiers who had just liberated the Nazi concentration camps said the violence in India/Pakistan after the partition was worse.)
There's absolutely no excuse for Mountbatten to only spent 7 months, start to finish, on the creation and transfer of power to 2 new nations in an already volatile region. He was assigned to lead the transfer of power by his cousin, the King (gotta love nepotism) and was given until June 1948 to complete the job, which would've been an "appropriate timescale." Instead, Mountbatten arrived in India to be Viceroy on 12 February 1947, took office on 23 March, announced an incoherent, basic 'plan' on 3 June, and decided it would take effect on August 15, 1947, only 2 months later, even though his mandate didn't end for another year. A British lawyer who had never set foot in India before and had absolutely no understanding of it was given 5 weeks to draw the borders. Imagine what more could've been accomplished with another 10 months to create 2 new nations. Everyone expected violence, as there had already been riots and massacres. (one in Calcutta exactly 1 year before independence on 16 August 1946 is sometimes called "the week of the long knives" and killed at least 4,000 people and left 100,000 homeless) But Mountbatten just wanted to get back to Britain and pursue his Naval career (he had to fulfill his father's dream and become "First Sea Lord," which he eventually did) so he sped things up for no justifiable reason. He should've allowed a reasonable time for leaders to write better constitutions, transfer power/set up governments, and for ordinary people to learn what would happen and react appropriately. Even Churchill called it a “premature, hurried scuttle.” Britain tried not to leave a total vacuum, but they could've saved countless lives, and maybe it would've just been violence and a few massacres instead of genocide on both sides and lasting, absolute hatred between the 2 new countries. Y'know, actually spending the time to do such an important task right. I can't believe that either country (India or Pakistan) would've rebelled and resented British rule for a few more months after the plan was announced and the end was in sight. They knew it needed time to set everything up. THAT would've been an "appropriate timescale" to create 2 new countries and transfer power to them. Calling what happened "an appropriate timescale" is horribly ignorant and apalling.
If you actually care to learn the truth, this site sums it up quite nicely. (I have no connection to it, it's just an excellent summary and analysis.)
How a British royal's monumental errors made India's partition more painful
theconversation.com/how-a-british-royals-monumental-errors-made-indias-partition-more-painful-81657
@@SaguaroBlossom Wow, what a long yet inane respose. The Labour government decided to give full independence to India because they were enthralled by Ghandi and Britain was broke. There was no way (and there never had been) that India could be held against its will. The Muslims insisted on being a separate state because they feared being in a Hindu state. Mountbatten did not have the luxury of preparing a carefully-considered consensual plan - he had to just get Britain out as quickly as possible because his political masters insisted. Churchill was against because he believed in the White Man's Burden and if he had won the General Election he would probably have stalled independence, which would have led to insurrection and expense that Britain could not afford. Which leads us back to why the Labour government wanted it done quickly.
There are actually two statues of Lincoln in the UK, the one in London was donated to commemorate the end of the war of 1812, but there was controversy over it not being statesmanlike enough, and a new one was commissioned. The original was sent to Manchester, because of the city's connection to the cause of anti slavery. Despite the areas total dependence on cotton for its industry, the local name for the period was The Cotton Famine, and there was great hardship and poverty caused by the civil war, most workers and Mill owners were supporters of the Union cause. Something Lincoln recognised.
The Washington statue was one of 25 replicas of the Virginia statue, donated to places around the world, by the state of Virginia in 1921. As Washington had said he would not set foot on British soil, the plinth is filled with soil from Virginia, so he did not tell a lie. In fact there are 4 other Presidents with statues in London, FDR, JFk, Eisenhower and Reagan. We also have statues to people like Ghandi, so honouring our enemies was not restricted to Washington.
And there is another Lincoln statute in Old Calton Cemetery in Edinburgh commemorating Scottish American Civil War dead.
The point that they made about the King was essentially true before the Revolutionary War, it was at the end of the 2nd British Civil War and the execution of Charles I in 1649 that the power of the crown came from the people, and the monarch reigned with the consent of the people. A lot of the Patriot propaganda was intended to draw parallels between George and Charles - the Civil Wars were very much well known by AMericans and the Founding Fathers then, even if the Revolutionary War istaught outside of that context now - John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited Worcester in 1786 - the site of the first and last battles of the British Civil Wars and declared it 'holy ground, where Liberty had been fought for'.
The planes are Lancaster Bombers I believe, alonside the Spitfire they are the most famous British planes of that era
"How did John Britain get on our team?" Our team..... OUR team?! *Ahem" (peers over top of spectacles).....
The best propaganda doesn't leave the 'receiver' feeling they've been fed propaganda. This was a surprisingly good piece of work, I didn't expect it to be as wide-ranging in content. Jolly good show.
There's a quote " before el alamain we could not win after it we could not lose "
In part helped by the Enigma machines cracking the German code.
"Torpedoed 6 times and signed on again."
How on earth did they find a crew willing to sail with him ??
I bloody wouldn't have !!!!
🤣
Not much option back in those days and times, Graham. As soon as you were classed as having left the ship - (it being sank, or otherwise, trip over, etc) - your pay was stopped immediately, so you needed to work again. Hence signing back on to the same ship or another ship as crew to earn a wage. There was no similar welfare back then as there is today for them . . . (Although, I am guessing that your own comment was only a bit of intended sarcasm - & funny . . . but I just thought I'd let you know this in case you didn't already?)
Old Fogey, thanks, I did know this. And you are totally correct, my comment was only mentioned in fun.
If was precisely me thoughts upon as I head this on the video. 😎
@@anoldfogeysfun I'm with Graham, considering how Superstitious sailor's where and are. I'm genuinely surprised he wasn't refused as Bad Luck.
@@TominatorGaming - they may have thought of it as bad luck - or even good luck possibly . . . as at least it showed that someone at least managed to survive each time? lol . . .
The statue of Washington was presented to Britain in 1921 from the people of Virginia to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Virginian Commonwealth. The statue of Lincoln was to celebrate 100 years of peace between the two countries since the War of Independence. it a bit like France giving the USA the Statue of Liberty
The aircraft are mix, but largely; hurricanes, spitfires, beuforts, mosquitoes, wellingtons, and Lancasters.
There were 1.5 million American servicemen in the UK in 1944 - many posted into quiet rural communities, especially on large USAF bases. It was clearly very important to ease them in to life in the UK without conflict and misunderstandings.
There was a lot of animosity towards the G.I.s from the young men in this country notably because these 'Yanks' could tempt their local English girlfriends with all the goodies they couldn't get like nylons make-up etc because of rationing,which gave rise to the phrase"Overpaid,over sexed and over here." and often fights would break out.
A point of pedantry: They were all technically-speaking RAF bases, and they were the *USAAFs.*
The memorial displaying the dead soldier is the Royal Artillery memorial at Hyde Park Corner in London.
Did you notice the wording earlier, we were already fighting in an all out war, but "we were joining *your* team"?
And again at the end "He (John Britton) is a good man to have on OUR team". I personally find those comments extremely offensive as the Septics fought in WW1 for about 3 months and WW2 for about 3 and a bit years. They wouldn't have joined WW2 without Pearl Harbour which many historians claim Churchill knew about in advance (having been alerted by Japanese radio signals intercepted by Australian Coast- Watchers in the Islands) and didn't tell the Yanks becaue it was the only way to get them into the war. I still recall an argument I had in LA with a bunch of Yanks at the premiere of the movie "1941" where they basically accused me (I'm Australian) of lying when I referred to the 1914-1918 war and the 1939-1945 war.
@@warrenturner397 Americas have a very blinkered view of war, especially ones they've fought in...
Even their independence war started in 1775, they claim Independence in 1776, but are fighting until 1783 and didn't ratify the treaty until January 1784. So their independence day is wrong, no one takes their independence from the early days of the war. Plus they never so much as reference the French sending and army and navy to aid them, they hardly did it alone, and no one questions why an American only independence war was ended in the Treaty of Paris signed in Paris, France by Britain, Spain, France and the USA. If it was simply a war of independence what was France and Spain doing there?
_However, none of Rochambeau's exploits had a greater impact on world history than his role in the American Revolution, when he brought some 5,500 French troops to America in 1780 to join the Continental Army and fight alongside Gen. George Washington to win freedom from British rule for the thirteen American colonies_
Anyone wonder why France did that, it wasn't for American independence, it was to split the British forces as a prequel to a French war closer to home...
Australian and NZ troops were fighting in the Middle East against Rommel and also in Crete.
The statue was presented to the British as a gift in 1921, when relations between the United States and the United Kingdom were much, much better than they had been in 1783. It's an exact replica of an original statue commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, which can still be seen in the Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond.
I actually thought the stereotyping was ok..it was done in good form. Really like your reactions.. but this was one of the best yet as I love these old type films.. the American narrator was really really good I thought. Very respectful.
39:40 British India at the time had vehemently opposing groups that couldn't agree on what the future of India should be.
What Britain was saying there was, "We will agree to step aside and hand over government if you can tell us who we are handing it over to."
Using your frame of reference, the thirteen colonies of America had their state governments and continental congress. After forcing Britain out, the states and congress immediately had authority over all the colonies.
Now look at India in the 1940s. In the hypothetical example of Britain withdrawing without any plan, who would be the country's government? No constitution was agreed in advance, so what are the rules to appoint a new government? Which laws apply - do you keep the British ones for the moment or revert to pre-British law? Does the country remain whole or split into the thousand principalities and micro-states that preceded British rule? Who controls the police? Who controls the army? What currency do you use? Who do foreign diplomats talk to about your country? What is the tax rate and who collects the taxes? Who decides where to spend those taxes?
History has shown that toppling governments and leaving a power vacuum only leads to chaos, as everyone scrambles to gain a portion of that power, if only for their own safety. You just have to look at Iraq in 2003 after the government was removed there.
The Partition of India was a bad solution to the problem but at least the vacuum wasn't created. One group had authority in a defined region and another group had authority in another region.
As terrible a death toll as partition produced, I can't see the results of factions scrambling for power in a vacuum as any better. It would almost certainly have resulted in either civil war (if the factions splintered the army) or military dictatorship (if one group managed to hold the army together after most of their senior officers left with the British).
Oh my god THIS!
One point about British merchant seamen in WW2 was that when their ship was sunk, their pay was stopped immediately. So they probably had to sign on to get any wages.
Those merchant men were brave souls.
More dangerous than Royal navy
I find old newsreel footage like this very interesting. Whenever I'm playing a game like hearts of iron 4 and a black and white news paper flashes up onto the screen, it adds to the period immersion and I love it
My great granddad fought in Greece during WW2. We recently found the telegrams he sent back to Britain for his wife. They were so frigging sweet. Every single one started with "my darling" and ended with "your ever loving husband, George".
My grandad fought in WW2 leaving my grandma, dad and aunt at home. He fought in El Alamein so was nice to see those vids and think maybe he was in those.
Introducing SoGal Sarah as G.I. Jane!😁 I enjoy the variety of your videos. Keep it up!
Someone needs to watch some of Harry Enfield s black and white information films.
‘Women! Know your limits!’
@@AtheistOrphan
Lol
I’ve watched your Vulcan Bomber programmes and this one and I’m having a really patriotic Sunday I’m off to Mass then up the pub with apride in my heart and a skip in my step- sunny out and all. Thank you my American Cousin. 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧
Nice one ,sir.....
The song at the beginning is “hearts of oak”.