MP-Willow said:
As for feeling Lucky Yes! That is an American Film Icon that takes no crap and loves to dish it out!! But to be real I do understand that this site has lots of Brits and I respect the passion of defending the homeland. But (here it comes all) If the Americans did not start sending you aid how long would the British been able to keep it all up? As for the pilot remark it was not for the battle of Britten as much as the Eagle squadrens that were the Yank volunteers who got some great battle skills and were able to help you all out.
So now you know where I am comming from. If you all still think I am full of crap and totally missimformed then you have that right. Our crazzy Duchman president (FDR) could have staid out of it all together, but for the Japs! Think on that!!
Ok - fair points...but i can't help but get the impression that you're trying (in typical American fashion) to steal the British 'thunder' as it were
So i'm afraid i have no choice but to 're-educate' you
The Battle of Britain was (in my humble opinion) a truly defining moment in Modern British History, there has never been a repeat performance (thankgod) when we as an entire nation had joined together to defeat a monsterous enemy that some believed couldn't be stopped
"The RAF saved Great Britain" - they should have that engraved in stone and placed all over the country to remind people of what they achived...it was the skill of the pilots and the truly amazing aircraft they flew that saved us from the Nazis...as for outside help it is indeed true that we had some pilots from abroad- France, Belgium, Poland, US, Czech etc etc (sorry if i missed any out
) but they were in a vast minority compared to the British pilots and the majority of them (especially the pilots from the US) were killed very early on in the Battle and although i wouldn't dream of pissing on what the foreign pilots did for us it has to be said that the British did more of the fighting than any other nation during the Battle of Britain (except of course the Germans
)
As for American aid - yes we recieved equipment and supplies from the Yanks and yes without them times would've been a damn-sight more difficult (perhaps nearly impossible who knows?
)
but i firmly beleive in answer to your question
"How long would the British have been able to keep it all up...?"
Until every last one of us was dead...you can believe that - Britain would rather die on its feet than its knees...as Winston Churchill once said
"We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender"
and you can bet your life he meant every word of it...a truly great man
America could've stayed out of that war and to be quite frank it bloody well would've if it wasn't for the Japanese and I have NEVER beleived that without America we would've lost the war...I don't care if 1000 people tell me otherwise - i'll never believe it - America did little during the war to earn my respect and to be honest (no offence to you as i'm sure you're a nice chap - if a little mis-informed
) America didn't (and still doesn't) give a flying shit what the rest of the world does as long as it doesn't bother them...as soon as it does America will flex its mighty muscles and charge headlong into war again killing anything that moves (friendly fire my arse
)
In short (in case the point was lost amidst my ranting) Britain and the RAF won the Battle of Britain and for anyone to say otherwise (especially if they say America won it for us) is in for a very rude shock...because they couldn't be more wrong if they tried
RULE BRITTANIA