Laurence Fox is an ignorant, spoilt brat.

[longwayoff]

What is wrong with this fool? Apparently in James Delingpole's podcast, heavy sigh, he criticises Sam Mendes for featuring a Sikh soldier in WW1 film. Ever heard of the British Empire, Laurence? How many Indians died for Britain? AIBU to say LF is being deliberately divisive and provocative and evidently doing his own publicity?

Yes the Battle of Britain was between 2 nations but we could not have won it without the significant support of foreign aircrew and who knows what other support was given to us by other countries who had declared war on Germany.

Brits like to minimise others contributions to the war effort.

We won the war after standing alone (nope).

In fact we didn't win the war at all. Without the US and USSR we would have agreed terms eventually. The West really forgets that without the USSR smashing the Germans on the Eastern Front there would have been no D day.

Oh and I didn't see the anger when The immitation game made out like the British solved the enigma code on their own either.

But then again why are people getting so angry about stuff which is "based on" not an accurate reenactment of an event? Ahhh cause it upsets the snowflake right.

I heard that there was one German pilot in the RAF in 1940.

Yet Germany gets so little credit!

Why have you jut copied some random persons question from the google results Hirsute?

What question?

Being wrong abut 'THE WAR!!!!' is a sport for right wing people in Europe. I had a little look at Mark Francois' 'D-Day Veteran' fathers record the other day. Wasnt in the forces until 1946.....

Never heard of him but thanks.

The role of Commonwealth soldiers and countries in WW2 outside of Europe is fascinating. I can't really think of any British or Hollywood film that tells their story.

Film making is a business, with a target clientele.

As I understand it (I don't know), Australians were mostly involved in the Pacific where the enemy was Japan. I find it hard to believe that a lot of Australians would have travelled to Britain to assist in the BofB. They would have travelled by ship and that would have been dangerous. If that's how it was, then it has no bearing on this discussion whether Australia had an independent army or not during World War II.

I'm happy to be told I'm wrong, though.

It’s the internet. We’re all wrong!

Australians were also involved in North Africa, had RAAF involved in coastal guard during the BoB and about 30 pilots were Australian.

But hey facts.

Britain did not stand alone.

After the Battle of Britain there was the African campaign and the campaign in the Far East. I am sure there are facts somewhere to show what troops were involved in those campaigns.

WW2 was more than the battle of Britain and D Day.

I am sure people know about the Dieppe landings and the role of the Canadians

Indian and Rhodesian troops were involved at the start of the North African conflict. June 1940.

So no, At the time of the BoB the British were not the only ones fighting.

Jeez, I've only just discovered what this is about. He is a bit of a doofus isn't he.

It was a world war. Clue is in the name 'world'. At the time Britain had an empire. WWI was a war about empires. We hold a ceremony every year about it and WWII too.

What has gone wrong in Britain? We can't blame the bloody schools for everything, this should be part of our common stock of knowledge.

Going back to films. Films shape perceptions. Many people get their ideas of history through films. Stories that are and aren't told. The types of people involved. Who the focus is on.

And thinking about the Great Escape. No American officer escaped in chinos on a motorbike.

It would have been easy to just stick to the facts.

And where are the stories of the other ranks who were captured.

"He was bang on to laugh at the idea of white privilege."

Harrow-educated scion of the Fox acting dynasty isn't in the least bit privileged...oh no...perish the thought.

And where are the stories of the other ranks who were captured.

Other ranks were too busy digging ditches and pulling up turnips, to do anything filmable.

@malylis I asked a question, thank you for answering it, I didn't know. I'd be very interested to know how the 30 Australians got to be there as international travel wasn't something that happened then as easily then as now. Aeroplane journeys were very expensive in those days.

Anyway, I'm amazed that you're so bothered. I'm certain the Australians weren't Aborigines, they would have been white privileged males.

I'm not bothered about whether or not Britain really were standing alone. I'm not at all surprised that it was a myth.

If you want general information about Australians fighting in WWII, the Australian War Memorial is quite good. It also answers your question about wasn't it dangerous to travel to Europe: yes, it was! Yes, they still did!

Eg this chap (who served a while after the BoB).

www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/dr-robert-milford
Dr Milford served as a wireless air gunner with 150 Squadron (RAF) during the war, serving in North Africa, and then Italy. He had begged his parents at home in Australia to let him enlist and volunteered to join the Royal Australian Air Force in March 1941.
[...]
Not long after, they sailed for England on board the troopship, RMS Queen Elizabeth, with Canadian and American forces. The threat of German U-boats was an ever present danger.

“That was what the U-boats were after, but they never got it,” Dr Milford said. “The Elizabeth could out run the German torpedoes at the time, but that’s all they could do, so we changed course about every 30 seconds, and the boat was constantly rolling, zig zagging across the Atlantic, so it was interesting; put it that way.”

The same people who whinge about historical accuracy when BAME people get put in films aren't bothered about the Great Escape. Plucky British grit don't you know, and ofc Steve McQueen is white.

Not bothered about the inaccuracies in the Imitation game either, and there are many.

Just when all people aren't white.

But the Australians in the BofB undoubtedly were white and male, so what is the connection with attitudes towards BAME people? I'm genuinely interested, as I've been learning a lot from this thread. My school was obsessed with the Tudors and Stuarts and I studied church history during my second degree. I have heard a lot about World War II, but mostly about occupied Europe.

I'm genuinely asking questions to find out, not to be goady.

The discussion recently has been about WW2. There is so much to discuss about WW1 because that was obviously not just a European campaign. The role of the Empire in the Middle East is a fascinating subject that has shaped today's world in many ways.

About the Sikh thing, yes.

Everything else he's said about the WOKE fanatics, blaming ebverything on racism now (Cos they cant moan about Brexit any more cos thats all sorted).I completely agree with him.

AND ricky Gervais.

Am not a fan of either, but I applaud them.