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! My Scottish SIL is actually half Polish from post war allied stock.

Contribution from the commonwealth came in the support in resources as well as men
I'm not denying there was some commonwealth contribution during the BofB, i'm just curious at it being described as 'massive'. Massive in what way?
What resources were used from the commonwealth and how many men from the commonwealth were RAF pilots?

Also ground crew, and all sorts of other support staff.

How many ground crew and support staff were from the commonwealth?

I'm not sure which countries in the list would be classed as 'commonwealth', but know it wouldn't be Poland, Czech, Belgium, France, Ireland, USA, but here are the BoB RAF pilot numbers

British 2,353
Polish Republic 141–145
New Zealand 127–13?
Canada112
Czechoslovakia 84–88
Belgium 28–30
Australia 26–32
South Africa 22–25
Free France 13–14
Ireland 10
United States 9–11
Southern Rhodesia 3–4
Barbados 1
Jamaica1
Newfoundland 1
Northern Rhodesia 1

Nah you are just hiding in semantics because you are wrong.

The British and Greeks weren't the only countries fighting the Germans as you claimed.

The BoB wasn't a just a British victory, and Britain didn't stand alone.

You are simply now trying to find fault cause others have proven your simplistic statements wrong.

Other support from the Commonwealth?

Well, hands up who's ever heard of the Uganda War Fund? Which paid for (amongst other things) aircraft during the Battle of Britain?

No, I hadn't until recently, either.

Here's a contemporary (1940) account from an Australian newspaper (I've come across African periodicals mentioning it as well, but Australian material is more accessible online).

Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1954), Friday 25 October 1940, page 5
nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95200213

Money for Aeroplanes
UGANDA'S CONTRIBUTION
London, Oct. 23. — The central committee of the Uganda war fund has remitted £12,000 to Crown agents for payment to the Minister of Aircraft Production for fighter 'planes. This sum, together with previous amounts of £42,000 and £6000, brings the total to £60,000. These amounts represent one fighter plus £10,000 towards the completion of a Uganda squadron.

The Uganda Government suggests that the first Uganda fighter flight be christened with the names An-kole, Buganda, Busoga, Entibee, Jin[...] Kampala, Ruwenzori, Teso and Mbale.

Here's a more recent view on the Uganda War Fund, from 2012. I've also come across it in terms of fundraising in schools, so this article doesn't tell the whole story.

When Uganda gave aid to Britain
www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/ugandaat50/When-Uganda-gave-aid-to-Britain/1370466-1436282-5ye80c/index.html

Although affected by the global slump, Uganda had money – an annual surplus of £900,000 by 1940. Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere notes that by 1943, Uganda had offered interest-free loans to Britain worth £700,000.

All I’d say to proportion of contribution is important that those 143 Poles shot down the most German planes.

“Their contribution to the Battle of Britain was considered invaluable. 5% of the pilots involved in the Battle were Polish (145 in total), but were responsible for 12% of total victories, with 303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron recognised as the most successful of any Allied squadron.”

So they pulled more than their share. This means others could have too.

This is nitpicking nonsense though. It wasn’t some sort of solo effort - that’s clear. Actually the Brits have been and still are, great managers/coordinators. That’s a huge strength. Which is why I always scratch my head at why there is this illogical isolationist element in the British psyche. Probably exarcebated by the lack of knowledge about contribution of others and then finding it almost like a betrayal to just admit that someone else could some credit too without diminishing the leadership part of Britain and actually really embracing and appreciating it as a vital role.

I'd have to sort out a log-in to view all of this, but it's an appendix in the The Round Table from 1940.

Visible are the gifts from Aden, the Bahamas and Bahrain.

(1940) List of war‐gifts from the colonial empire, The Round Table, 30:120, 950-965, doi.org/10.1080/00358534008451083

@chocolatetrap And I'm half Czech. My Czech F was a child abuser but other family members played their part in World War II. My GF was in the Czech resistance; he was shot by the Gestapo when he tried to escape from imprisonment. My great uncle died in Maunthausen Concentration Camp, after the liberation. (We have a close relationship with his DS and his extended family who now live in Canada.)

All over the world there are heroes from World War II, it really was a world war; lots of tragic losses for so many people.

He didn't come across brilliantly on gogglebox. Very odd relationship with his cousin Emilia - they looked more like a couple than cousins.

YABU to say that Laurence Fox is an ignorant, spoilt brat. He's a washed up, arrogant, pro fox-hunting, misogynist, irritating, second rate, self-important ignorant, spoilt brat.

Okay, you got me sussed. I'm a little less than impressed by Laurence knobber Fox.

Agreed, chocolatetrap. I really don't understand what point this nitpicking is intended to make.

It's interesting reading all the resources, and like previous posters I'm learning stuff about WWII that I didn't know.

I just don't get what's biting some posters: as you say, it doesn't diminish Britain's role to acknowledge that of others.

Nah you are just hiding in semantics because you are wrong.

Semantics?
If I said the British played a 'massive' role in the battle for the Pacific, Im pretty sure I would get questioned about it and rightly so.

The British and Greeks weren't the only countries fighting the Germans as you claimed.

Which countries, apart from Britain and Greece, were actively fighting the Germans from June 1940 to Oct 1940

The BoB wasn't a just a British victory, and Britain didn't stand alone.

Which country fought alongside Britain during the battle? Not men from other countries, but actual countries

You are simply now trying to find fault cause others have proven your simplistic statements wrong.

I'm not trying to find fault, I'm asking for more information

This is nitpicking nonsense though
I couldnt agree more

Which actual country fought between June 1940 and Oct 1940?

Well apart from the Indian and Rhodesian troops in Africa, under their own colours, you have Australian and Canadian squadrons in the battle of Britain (although the Aussie was based in guardian the coast).

Your question of the word "massive" comes from your desperation in getting away from your first statement about standing alone, which was wrong.

You've been given information on support from the empire, support in terms of men etc but still are squirming. Admit that you were wrong about standing alone.
.

"Which actual country fought between June 1940 and Oct 1940?"

You are still misquoting me. Please learn to copy and paste
I asked about the BofB and you know it

Well apart from the Indian and Rhodesian troops in Africa, under their own colours, you have Australian and Canadian squadrons in the battle of Britain (although the Aussie was based in guardian the coast).

Again, I am asking about the BofB. Please answer the question I have been asking you all day
Which countries or country fought Germany during the BofB
Just answer the question

Your question of the word "massive" comes from your desperation in getting away from your first statement about standing alone, which was wrong.

And again you are trying to deflect attention away from our discussion about the BofB.
Do you think men from commonwealth made a 'massive' contribution to the BofB. In what way was it 'massive'

You've been given information on support from the empire, support in terms of men etc but still are squirming. Admit that you were wrong about standing alone.

Again, just answer the question I'm asking about the BofB

Loads of Maori fought in the New Zealand army, especially in Crete so im sure its not much of a stretch to say lots of aborigines fought for austalia.

Heres one
www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-13/len-waters-indigenous-fighter-pilot/9982566

Flaxmeadow what did you do in the war? You seem to want to claim it in some way?

My black FIL died in 1948 from injuries received in the Normandy landings. My Polish uncle walked across Europe to join the Free Polish in England and fought all over europe including Monte Casino, you could read up about the Polish contribution to that. My Irish father, uncles, and grandfathers all fought in various services. As my father used to say none of the Irish men had to be conscripted, they were all volunteers.

No it wasn't all the British and let's be honest they couldn't have done it alone. Reminds me of a woman I once worked with, she was disgruntled one day as she had to queue behind black people at the bank. She indignantly told me that her father had fought in WWII to keep this country white. She was a little shocked when I pointed out it was the Nazi's who were racist and we were fighting against racism. Yes the English know all about how they won the war and what it was about.

Chocolatetrap, it always annoys me that the Poles never got the credit they deserved for Enigma. You must be proud of your heritage.

No you asked which countries fought the Germans, your own previous example of another country that did was Greece, who had no pilots or airforce in the BoB

The Commonwealth supported the UK throughout the war with resources but as said tour obsession with the term "massive" is because all of your other claims have been disproven.

Britain did not stand alone and your desperation to change the terms of the debate is laughable.

War films that aren't historically accurate but didn't get the complaints from the fragile right:

The Imitation game
The Great Escape
The Monuments men
Saving Private Ryan.

There are many more, and all for different reasons, but for some reason the fact that white brits didn't win the war single handed comes as an insult.

The indian SOE woman was Noor Inayat Khan. She was a muslim princess of some sort. The first woman operator in France, worked with the resistance but was caught and was kicked to death whilst in Dachau as far as I remember.

Lizzie 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.

There were 17 squadrons of the Australian Airforce fighting in Britain, Europe and North Africa during WWII. If you go to Lincolnshire you will find lots of reminders of the airstrips where various squadrons from a variety of countries were based.

My father was in the Royal Navy and he served in the pacific and spent some time in Australia, as people have said it was a world war.

Cant wait until all these new right wing snowflake fans of RIcky Gervais go and see him live. You aint gonna like it....

Flaxmeadow what did you do in the war? You seem to want to claim it in some way

Which war?
I'm interested in history and am in a long conversation about the Battle of Britain with another poster. Is that OK with you?

My black FIL died in 1948 from injuries received in the Normandy landings.

As I said earlier. My black blood relative died in the spring offensive in 1918. He served in a British regiment

And?

My Polish uncle walked across Europe to join the Free Polish in England and fought all over europe including Monte Casino, you could read up about the Polish contribution to that. My Irish father, uncles, and grandfathers all fought in various services. As my father used to say none of the Irish men had to be conscripted, they were all volunteers.

I have at no time said anywhere in this topic that foreign men did not contribute in the British armed forces for the duration of the war. I even stated that I disagreed with LF about this particular point
What is your point?

No it wasn't all the British and let's be honest they couldn't have done it alone.

I don't disagree but the conversation I'm in is about a specific battle

Reminds me of a woman I once worked with, she was disgruntled one day as she had to queue behind black people at the bank. She indignantly told me that her father had fought in WWII to keep this country white. She was a little shocked when I pointed out it was the Nazi's who were racist and we were fighting against racism. Yes the English know all about how they won the war and what it was about.

Not sure what any of this means. What reminds you?

There are many more, and all for different reasons, but for some reason the fact that white brits didn't win the war single handed comes as an insult. The thing that makes me laugh is when the British moan about the Americans making out they won the war in all their films when that is exactly what the British do.

I wondered if you were some sort of WW2 hero as you seem quite invested in it.

Flaxmeadow you making out the Brits did it all alone reminds me, another confused "memory" of the war.