Gary's Soapbox: February 2019

Wednesday 27 February 2019

My Dads role at Arnhem on or around Sept. 25, 1944

By chance I stumbled across the above memorial which led to a lot of other parts of a jigsaw fitting together the search for more information continues ....

"They were just whispers and shadows in the night."

My dad was like any other conscripted into the Army in 1942, born in 1924 he would have been 18. His brother jack was already in at that time and apparently there was a rule that allowed siblings to "Claim" the other so they both ended up in the same regiment. Charlie the other brother went to burma and died there.

Charlie Rudley on left - Mum - my Dad Fred Rudley on right

Its taken a long time to find the information and I really need to write to the Army records dept but havnt got around to it yet.

So the information ive found so far and this is a work in progress is.....

Rudley F.D.
Rank: SPR
Service Number: 14324378
G.S.C - 3/11/42 - 15/12/41
Pioneer Corps - 16/12/42 - 10/12/43
Royal Engineers - 13/10/43 - 11/7/47

Notes from my mum
In 1942 He went to Ireland for 6 weeks training and then went into pioneer Corps
1943 Training Chatham Barracks (Kitcheners barracks)
Back to Ireland . Rose Division
He went over on D day 6 1944
Was at Nijmegen
Helped build Rhine bridge
Helped build Montgomery bridge
went through to ....

My memories
In one of very few conversations, normally over a bottle of port or two, Dad said he was at Arnhem helping Paras back across the river. Said it was a terrible thing. Some of his friends were swept away on a boat and drowned, remember him saying we couldn't swim.

He also mentioned Arromanches so must have landed on Gold beach as Mulberry B which was built off Gold Beach at Arromanches to supply British and Canadian troops wasn't completed at that stage.
Think Frank my mums brother was at Gold beach landing troops as he was in the Navy but thats another story..
Brian Horrocks - Remember Dad saying he was a great officer. Dad never had much good to say about Montgomery.

D Day was 6th June 1944 and Dad would have been part of XXX Corps which was part of Operation Market Garden.

The operation to get the paras out of Oosterbeek, Arnham was called Operation Berlin. Royal Engineer Field Companies ( 260th and 553rd Field Companies) were involved with operation Berlin, so I'm guessing at this stage that he was part of 260th Field Company.

The surviving glider pilots attached to the division were ordered to lay a white tape through the woods, leading from the Perimeter, the grounds of the Hartenstein Hotel, to the north bank of the Neder-Rijn (Lower Rhine) where the Royal Canadian Engineers were waiting with small boats to ferry them to safety across the Rhine to a landing point north of Driel.

Evidence of Royal Engineers group he was in

Was definitely in Royal Engineers.
Was definitely at Arnhem helping troops back across the river because he said so.
He mentioned Oosterbeek.
He Mentioned Nijmegen.
He mentioned friends being swept away on boats.
He mentioned Horrocks saying he was a good officer.
553rd Field Company RE were there along with 20th Field Company RCE
260th Field Company RE were there along with 23rd Field Company RCE
So he had to be part of either 553rd or 260th which were both part of 43rd (Wessex) Division
43rd (Wessex) Division was part of XXX Corps commanded by Lt-Gen Brian Horrocks

Along the western route boated the 553rd Field Company RE and the 20th Field Company RCE. Along the eastern route were the 260th Field Company RE with the 23rd Field Company RCE. When the evacuation was halted around 06:00 approximately 2,400 men who had been held up at the North side had been transferred. Those who remained at the North side waiting to be picked up were made prisoners-of-war.

The best description ive found of the events my dad spoke very little about i found here in the legion magazine.

Here are some excerpts from it

The 20th and 23rd field companies had been attached to 43 Wessex Div. in an attempt to bolster the division’s river crossing capacity. The Canadians were equipped with stormboats powered by Evinrude motors. Each boat could carry 36 men. The British made do with smaller assault boats that had to be paddled.

The original intent was to use the Canadian boats to bring reinforcements across the Rhine and expand the airborne bridgehead, but no one in the British army seems to have understood the urgency of the situation in Arnhem. The army’s slow progress meant that the Wessex division arrived too late to do more than sacrifice a battalion of the Dorset Regiment which crossed the river just hours before the withdrawal order was issued.

Those who made it to the riverbank were organized into a queue with the walking wounded given priority. Men fell into an exhausted sleep or hunkered down to wait. The first boat to arrive was one of the small assault craft of 260 Wessex Field Co. The current in the flooded river was very strong and so the British sappers had to approach diagonally while paddling furiously. On the return trip the passengers had to help out or risk being swept away. The rescue of large numbers of men depended upon the Canadians, but the first boat they launched sank after being badly holed. The second boat, captained by Lieutenant J.R. Martin, set off across the river to determine the situation and start the evacuation. Two witnesses reported that a direct mortar hit caused it to break apart in mid-river. None of the crew survived. (I remember my Dad saying some of his friends had been swept away on a boat and drowned, also worth mentioning that my Dad couldn't swim)

The third boat, commanded by a Corporal McLachlan, followed the same route. It reached the far bank without incident and wounded men were quickly loaded and rushed to safety. The fourth boat was swamped when a mortar bomb fell close by. Just four passengers survived. These setbacks might have led Tucker to question the point of the operation, but there really was no choice. Everything that could be done had to be tried. Fortunately, McLachlan and his crew seemed to lead a charmed life. They made 15 consecutive trips and evacuated nearly 500 men before they were relieved by a fresh crew. Other boats were launched at intervals of 20 minutes and by 3:30 a.m., 14 boats were at work.

It is impossible to improve upon Tucker’s official report on the operation: “The night was intensely dark, but fires started by our bombers in the afternoon and the numerous flares sent up by the enemy must have revealed a great deal of our movement to him. These fires helped us greatly too, since they provided beacons by which our boat crews could direct their craft…. Heavy rain was accompanied by a bitter wind which made things most unpleasant, but the bad weather was probably less to the liking of the enemy than it was to us and most surely have resulted in our having had less casualties than we would have done had the night been clear and fine.”Tucker reported that rain caused boat motors to fail. He noted that electrical and mechanical personnel and the company’s own fitters worked ceaselessly, but could not prevent a series of engine breakdowns. “There was a great deal of enemy fire during the night. Machine-guns set on fixed lines swept the river and beaches on both sides…. Mortar and 88-mm fire fell everywhere. Many casualties were reported from the bridgehead, but on the river and on the south bank they were light. Three men were wounded in the off-loading area and one between there and the beach. Enemy snipers were also active and it was reported that some of the airborne troops spotted the positions of two of them in crossing the river and proceeded to liquidate them when they reached the south shore.

“It was impossible to regulate the number of passengers carried in boats at times. Men panicked and stormed onto the boats, in some cases capsizing them. In many cases they had to be beaten off or threatened with shooting to avoid having the boats swamped. With the approach of dawn this condition became worse. They were afraid that daylight would force us to cease our ferrying before they could be rescued…. A corporal operating a boat which was leaking badly decided he could make one more trip and bring off a few men before it went down. It sunk as it approached the south shore, but fortunately the water was shallow and they were able to wade ashore safely. It is estimated that approximately 150 boatloads were brought back by the stormboat crews and the average load carried was 16 passengers. Thus, approximately 2,400 to 2,500 troops were brought off.”

'If in the years to come, you meet a man who says, "I was at Arnhem", raise your hat and buy him a drink.'
War correspondent Alan Wood, 1944

Brian Horrocks

In September, Montgomery, now a field marshal, made his ambitious thrust across the Rhine and into Germany's industrial heartland, codenamed Operation Market Garden, a priority for 21st Army Group. XXX Corps under Horrocks was to lead the ground assault, passing along a corridor held by airborne forces to link up with the British 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem within four days.^[95] In the event XXX Corps never arrived, and although 1st Airborne clung on to their tenuous position for a further five days, by 21 September almost three-quarters of the division was destroyed or captured.^[96] Postwar analyses have been divided, some stressing a perceived lack of urgency on the part of Horrocks' men, while others note that German defences in the area were severely underestimated by First Allied Airborne Army's intelligence.^[97] Particularly important was the failure to identify the remnants of two SS Panzer divisions, which after Normandy had been sent to the Arnhem area for rest and refitting; intelligence had stated that only "a few infantry units and between 50 and 100 tanks" were in the Netherlands.^[98] A series of counterattacks by Army Group B under Field Marshal Walter Model kept Horrocks' units on the defensive, and delayed their advance by forcing the British to halt and secure their flank. The terrain over which Horrocks' men had to move was unsuitable, restricting the vanguard (the Guards Armoured Division) to a single narrow raised highway through flat or flooded countryside.^[99] The Nijmegen Bridge, just 8 miles (13 km) from Arnhem, was not captured by the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment on the first day as planned, and XXX Corps had to assist in its capture on their arrival in Nijmegen two days later, causing a further delay of 36 hours.^[100] Horrocks was not personally blamed for the operation's failure; during this period Brigadier General James Gavin's U.S. 82nd Airborne Division came under Horrocks' command, and Gavin later wrote:

He was truly a unique general officer and his qualities of leadership were greater than any I have ever seen. In lecturing at the American service school I stated frequently that General Horrocks was the finest general officer I met during the war, and the finest corps commander".^[101]

— James Gavin

"On the 23rd the 43rd Wessex Division arrived at Driel in strength and offered assault boats for the Poles."

The Orbat for XXX Corps engineers during Operation Market Garden was, I believe:
Guards Armoured Division:
14th Field Squadron Royal Engineers
615th Field Squadron Royal Engineers
148th Field Park Squadron Royal Engineers
11th Bridging Troop Royal Engineers
Guards Armoured Division Postal Unit Royal Engineers

43rd (Wessex) Division:
13th Bridging Platoon Royal Engineers
204th Field Company Royal Engineers
207th Field Park Company Royal Engineers
260th Field Company Royal Engineers
553rd Field Company Royal Engineers
16th Airfield Construction Group Royal Engineers
43rd (Wessex) Division Postal Unit Royal Engineers

50th (Northumbrian) Division:
233rd Field Company Royal Engineers
501st Field Company Royal Engineers
505th Field Company Royal Engineers
235th Field Park Company Royal Engineers
50th (Northumbrian) Division Postal Unit Royal Engineers

Arnhem[edit]43rd Division had a crucial role in the plan for Operation Market Garden, which aimed to seize a 60-mile road corridor to the Lower Rhine at Arnhem using bridges captured by airborne forces. Anticipating that many of the bridges would be destroyed and would hold up the advance of Guards Armoured Division in the lead, 43rd Division following up was responsible for assault crossings and bridging where necessary. A huge number of sappers were assembled, with 2277 vehicles to carry the necessary equipment. The operation began on 17 September and 43rd Division passed through Guards Armoured after Nijmegen and fought their way across the low-lying country known as 'The Island', leading elements reaching the banks of the Lower Rhine late on 23 September. By now the 1st Airborne Division was in a desperate plight, hemmed into a small pocket on the other side of the river, with no bridges. Only 16 unpowered assault boats were available, but that night 204th Fd Co and the 5th Bn Dorsetshire Regiment used these to ferry men of the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade across to reinforce 1st Airborne.^[61]^[62]^[63]^[64]

It was now recognised that the Airborne position across the river was untenable, and that assault bridging was unfeasible under direct enemy observation, so the decision was made to evacuate what remained of 1st Airborne. The plan was for 43rd Division to take a firmer grip on the opposite bank during the night of 24/25 September, with 204 Fd Co ferrying across more of the Polish paratroopers and 4th Bn Dorsets using the remaining stormboats together with 20 more assault bats due to arrive from the rear. However, in the darkness two of the lorries bringing the boats took a wrong turning and were captured by the enemy, two more slipped off the muddy road, and only one arrived safely, bringing boats but no paddles. The crossing of the Poles was therefore cancelled and all the boats concentrated for 4th Dorset. Under heavy fire only a few of the boats made it, and only a handful of the infantry reached the Airborne perimeter. Although 204 Fd Co got about 2 tons of stores across, all the available DUKWs were bogged.^[62]^[65]^[66]^[67]

The evacuation proceeded the following night under the control of 43rd Division's CRE, Lt-Col W.C.A. Henniker. He had 260 Fd Co and 23rd Canadian Fd Co operating a boat ferry to the Airborne perimeter, and another manned by 553 Fd Co and 20 Canadian Fd Co at the site of 4th Dorsets' crossing. At each site there were 16 assault boats manned by 43rd Divisional Engineers and 21 motorised stormboats provided by the Canadians. Throughout the night, partly shielded by darkness and rain but under heavy mortar fire, the sappers crossed and recrossed the river bringing back a steady stream of wounded or exhausted men. Over 2000 men of 1st Airborne were evacuated, but few of the 4th Dorsets could be found.^[62]^[66]^[68]^[69]

After the battle ended, Lt-Col Henniker and his divisional sappers were given the role of protecting the vital bridges at Nijmegen that were XXX Corps' lifeline. Reinforced with two batteries from 73rd Anti-Tank Regiment and B Company 8th Bn Middlesex Regiment (the divisional machine-gun battalion), they constituted the 'close bridge garrison', with little between themselves and active German forces a short distance upstream. German Frogmen succeeded in attaching explosive charges to the bridges under cover of darkness, which caused damage that the sappers had to repair.^[70]^[71]

Operation 'Berlin' (Click link for full text from 'STORM BOAT KINGS')

Two sides which Lt. Kennedy had suggested were picked as the sites for the night operations. 260 Fd Coy were ordered to operate the assault boats, and 23rd Fd Coy would use their storm boats. Fourteen storm boats were allotted (and 17 Evinrude engines) to the 23rd. The column moved towards Stavaste, but had orders not to proceed further until 19.30 hours. The tension started to rise when the column started from Valburg at 19.15 hours. At every crossing a man was dropped of to direct the others the right way, so not one would wander of in the wrong direction. Stavaste Bridge was passed at 19.40 hours. It was still light, and German shells were coming down on the road the column was moving. Only one man, Sapper Black, was slightly wounded when a piece of shrapnel hit his arm, the rest reached their off-loading area unharmed. But, three personnel lorries, which were following the bridging vehicles that were going towards the 20 Cdn Fd Coy, made a mistake to follow these, and could not be brought back to the 23rd on short noticed and went also to the 20 Cdn Fd Coy. This was a big blow for the 23rd, because every man was necessary, and this made the workload for every man even harder. Lt. Kennedy was in charge of the off-loading form the vehicles and the move of the storm boats, 500 yards ahead to the launching site.

The assembly area (apple orchard)

Operation ‘Berlin’ started at 21.30 hours when 23rd Fd Coy launched first (the 20th Fd Coy started 2 hours later). But the first boat that had to be launched, was peppered with holes during the haul over rocks towards the river. So the first launch was postponed, and the real first launch was at 21.45 hours. Lt. J.R. Martin lead a group of three crew members. It took off, but not seen again. Eyewitness account that the boat was struck by a mortar and sunk, with the loss of all four on board. Lance Corporal McLachlan captained the third, and they made a successful crossing and brought back the first troopers from the other side. McLachlan made 15 trips before he and his crew were relieved by a fresh crew. The fourth boat, launched at 22.35 hours, and captained by Corporal Smith, made a successful crossing and paratroopers went on board, but when a mortar landed beside the boat, the occupants dived for cover, and the boat ran full of water. Cpl. Smith and four passengers made it back to shore, but there were no other survivors. Every 20 minutes a boat was launched, and fourteen boats were crossing the river at 03.30 hours. One by one boats were put out of working order by holes created by enemy fire or the rocky shores. But non was further sunk during this crossings, but most had to be abandoned when reaching the shore at one time or another. Meanwhile, the Germans used mortars against the boats and some landed also in the orchard. At least two heavy machine guns sprayed the top of the dyke and river.

The launch site of 23rd Fd Coy

With dawn approaching, the condition could be become more worse, because of enemy activity. So the ferry crossing became to the end more hectic. It is estimated that at least 150 crossings were made with rescued men on board. The average on board were 16 passengers, the minimum were 6 passengers that night (the boats could normally carry 18 troops). At 04.00 hours just two boats were operational. The last boat, the boat driven by Lt. Kennedy, dropped life belts onto the shore and took in the largest load on board, 36 men. The other boat had another one in tow, because his engine was disabled. On the last trip, the operating boat was that loaded with men, that the operator was not able to pull the starter cord. At long last, the boat in tow had to be cast off. The men in it paddled with rifles and their hands, but were sitting ducks in the river, and their craft was riddled with bullets. Only four of the twenty-five on board reached the other side alive, where Sapper D.J. McCready and a passenger who were not hit on the river, were wounded by machinegun fire when they reached the top of the summerdyke. This was the end of the operation, which was ceased after approximately 2400-2500 men were brought to the rescue on the south side of the Nederrijn. Among the men 23rd Fd Coy brought out was Major-General R. E. Urquhart, the G.O.C. 1st Airborne Division.

Operation Berlin

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Operation_Berlin_(Arnhem)

https://www.strijdbewijs.nl/donald/operation.htm

https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/468/retreat-from-oosterbeek

https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11858334

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Operation_Berlin_(Arnhem)

https://www.missingsoldiersinthenetherlands40-45.com/operation-berlin-the-river-crossing-25-26-09-1944/

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ground-over-which-the-operation-berlin-evacuation-took-place-in-september-72940940.html

https://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/depth_evacuation.htm

YouTube

Evacuation of the British Airborne | What Ever Happened to The Brits at Arnhem?

The Wobbly Historians - Episode 1: Operation Berlin

(Rare) Operation Market Garden Footage

Arnhem (1944)

BBC Battlefields of WWII 4 Arnhem

Friday 22 February 2019

Source Fact Check

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/factcheck

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/full-fact-uk

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/financial-times

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/hoax-slayer

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/politico

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/reuters

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/snopes

Tony Foulds amazing story of honor and dedication

10 US servicemen died when their bomber a B-17 flying fortress named Mi Amigo crashed in Endcliffe park in Sheffield, 22nd February 1944, 75 years ago.

Tony Foulds and other children were in the park at the time apparently because boys from two rival schools were fighting. Tony believes the pilot could have landed on the green but chose not to because of the danger to the children, Tony was 8 at the time.

A memorial was build in 1969 and Tony has tended the memorial ever since. He always dreamed of a fly past to honor those who he believes saved his life. Today he got his wish after a chance meeting with BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker.

All I can say is respect to the aircrew and respect to you sir Tony Foulds for your dedication. You deserved your day.

The 10 men killed in the crash were:
Pilot Lt John Kriegshauser, pilot from Missouri
2nd Lt Lyle Curtis, co-pilot from Idaho
2nd Lt John Humphrey, navigator from Illinois
Melchor Hernandez, bombardier from California

Robert Mayfield, radio operator from Illinois

Vito Ambrosio, waist gunner from New York
Harry Estabrooks, flight engineer and top turret gunner from Kansas

Malcolm Williams, waist gunner from Oklahoma
Charles Tuttle, Ball turret gunner from Kentucky
Maurice Robbins, rear gunner from Texas

Tony got his dream

A big crowd paid their respects

LINKS

Washingtonpost: Flypast honors US bomber crew who died saving British kids

BBC: Sheffield bomber crash: Flypast on 75th anniversary

BBC: Mi Amigo Flying Fortress airmen remembered in Sheffield

inews: Tony Foulds: how Sheffield pensioner’s chance meeting with Dan Walker inspired the Endcliffe Park flypast

guardian: Sheffield flypast pays tribute to US airmen killed in wartime crash

Tuesday 19 February 2019

Shamima Begum

Update on 22/02/19
Several of these ISIS bride terrorists now seem to be making attempts to get back into the countries they turned their backs on.

Shamima Begum UK.
Hoda Muthana USA
Kimberly Gwen Polman Canada

No doubt there will be others. It would be difficult to get male ex fighters back into the UK but a young female with child tugging on the heart strings. Much bigger possibility and ISIS is looking at ways to hit out to continue its cause.

Whilst as a civilise society I agree we should show compassion... however there are limits ..... I always come back to this question. If I agreed with these people being acepted back and they then decide to turn ito suicide bombers. Would I want to look in the eyes of the relatives of the dead and say it was worth it, my answer is no.

Im for protecting the many rather than the few who may or may not be safe.

Update on 20/02/19
The Bangladeshi government has declared that Shamima Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen and that she is a British citizen by birth and has never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh.

So that changes the ball game slightly

It beggars belief that the Home Secretary Sajid Javid would make an announcement saying that he has stripped her of British citizenship without checking if she does indeed hold dual nationality.

Without dual nationality Sajid Javid is breaking international law. Under international law, it is illegal for a country to make someone stateless by removing their citizenship.

This is sheer incompetence.

It means the baby is a British National.

It means that there will now be an expensive law suit which will be paid for by the tax payer and she will probably win. If she comes back she will probably go to prison and come out more radicalised than she went in, if that's possible.

Sajid Javid is the Home Secretary he has a wealth of resource at his disposal to check these things.

But wait more information.... turns out she would have Bangladesh citizenship by descent only if her parents registered her at a Bangladesh consulate.

The comments below were originally posted on 19/02/19 22:49
--------------------------------------------------
She is a dual British-Bangladeshi national, she can be stripped of British citizenship. Its not illegal.

She wasn't groomed she actively sort out ISIS. Yes she was young and foolish but ....

She is a religious fanatic, We mean less to her and others like her, than the shit on their shoes, that's fact and that's dangerous.

Unfortunately at some stage there has to be a deterrent. The reason we don't all speed everywhere in our cars is we will lose our licence, not really a worthy comparison but hey ho.

If ISIS wasn't in retreat she would still happily be there bringing her son up as a terrorist.

If you think its safe to bring her back please post the effectiveness of de-radicalisation programs. Ill be interested to read the stats.

What will you say to the people who lose their loved ones if she decides to blow herself up and take others with her? Will you be able to look in their eyes and say it was worth it....really?

She is a defacto terrorist she joined a terrorist organisation.

If she was to come back she would go to prison its a fact that in general religious fanatics come out of prison more radicalised than when they went in.

LINKS
https://www.gov.uk/types-of-british-nationality/british-citizenship
https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citizen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshi_nationality_law
http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=242&sections_id=7472
http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/pdf_part.php?id=242
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47312207
https://www.dualcitizenship.com/countries/bangladesh.html
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/20/rights-of-shamima-begums-son-not-affected-says-javid

Car Manufacturers Move From UK To Focus On Electric ...But Wait

Apparently car manufacturers are moving out of Britain to focus on electric cars

OK I thought seems fair, Government must be lagging behind in putting infrastructure in place to make owning an electric car viable.

So I checked and seems out of Europe we are in the top 8 of Electric friendly car countries, in fact we are 3rd. I didn't know that so might need more investigation.

However if we are the 3rd most friendly Electric Car country, why are car manufactures moving out of the country to focus on electric cars??

3. The United Kingdom

The U.K. aims to be a major force in the electric vehicle market, which it sees as a way to revitalize the country’s industry and provide high-tech jobs. Along with California, and possibly China, the U.K. is one of the few governments that has a comprehensive strategy for electrification, as opposed to the piecemeal measures being taken by most countries and states. The government’s Road to Zero strategy addresses commercial vehicles, public transport, charging infrastructure and much more, and includes a proposal to end the sale of fossil-powered vehicles by 2040.

The UK currently has over 16,000 public charging points, and the government has established a 400 million-pound fund to finance an expansion of the charging network. Buyers of plug-in vehicles are eligible for grants of up to 4,500 pounds.

LINKS
https://www.inverse.com/article/51127-8-best-european-countries-for-electric-cars

Monday 18 February 2019

The Tories effectively broke politics in the UK.

There is one thing that will go down in history... the Tories effectively broke politics in the UK.

Starting with the way Cameron held the referendum, which led to a split country, which led to political parties with deep divisions within them. Which I don't see being resolved any time soon.

Maybe new parties will rise from the ashes to gain support from a divided population.

Unfortunately in times like these extreme politics tends to gain a hold....just look at how Hitler got in.

Saturday 16 February 2019

Devils advocate post no 1 - Freedom Fighters or Terrorists

OK so imaging a scenario where England has been taken over by an invader.
That invader then proceeds to force its religion on the population.
Any attempt at dissent or rebellion is stopped in a bloody and violent way.
English land owners are forced out and land taken over by the invaders.
Half of the population is either killed or exiled, some are sold into human trafficking.
To make their displacement easier on the eye the English are dehumanised and described as lacking in intelligence and morals.
The invader rounds up people who are not of the same religion and places them on ships bound for countries in Africa and the Middle East..
The new English landowners administer their land from their own country and all food is exported for profit causing severe food shortages to the English.
The food shortages result in death and disease.
Attempt at dissent or rebellion still stopped in a bloody, violent way and includes executions.
Eventually a rebel party for the English "The Free English party" wins three-quarters of all seats in all of England and declares sovereignty over all of England.
The invader refuses to accept the "Free English party's" sovereignty and so a Guerilla war ensues.

The Devils advocate question is

A) Are the "Free English party" depicted in this scenario "Freedom fighters"

or

B) Are the "Free English party" depicted in this scenario "Terrorists"

Sunday 10 February 2019

Is British history taught in British Schools

It would seem from the current curriculum that British History is most definitely taught in British schools.

Key stage 1
Pupils should be taught about:

Changes within living memory.
Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.
Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods [for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]
Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.

Key Stage 2
Pupils should be taught about:

Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
The Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor
A local history study
A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
The achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
A non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.

Key Stage 3
Pupils should be taught about:

The development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509
The development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745
Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901
Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day In addition to studying the Holocaust.
A local history study.
The study of an aspect or theme in British history that consolidates and extends pupils’ chronological knowledge from before 1066.
At least one study of a significant society or issue in world history and its interconnections with other world developments [for example, Mughal India 1526-1857; China’s Qing dynasty 1644-1911; Changing Russian empires c.1800-1989; USA in the 20th Century].

Maybe people who think, or the media that promotes that British History is not taught in schools....mean British Colonialism is not taught in schools.

A bit like the Battle of Agincourt is not taught in French schools, i wonder why that is?

Or maybe its thought that only British History should be thought and nothing else? I'm really not sure, but what is clear from the curriculum is that British History is taught in schools and what is mentioned above is what has to be taught not under the can include category. There are many more subjects under the can include and I know because my son was very interested in history at school.

LINK
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/13/michael-goves-claims-about-history-teaching-are-false-says-research
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2018/may/26/secret-teacher-history-bias-school-fear-student-future
https://www.quora.com/How-is-British-colonial-history-taught-in-British-schools
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239035/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_History.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239075/SECONDARY_national_curriculum_-_History.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/13/michael-gove-teaching-history-wars
https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2013/feb/24/michael-gove-history-curriculum-teaching
http://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/history-the-nation-and-the-schools/
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/3d9jdw/britain-has-never-faced-up-to-the-shame-of-empire

Friday 8 February 2019

6.5 Million migrants registered with GPs in 10 years

LINKS
https://fullfact.org/immigration/6-million-GP-registrations/

Brexit: Back to the good old Empire days Rule Brittania

There seems to be lots of confusion about Brexit the main one being that the nasty EU is making a point and not giving us a good deal to stop others leaving......

Dur!!!!

That was always going to be the case. Getting a better deal with the EU by leaving was never, ever going to happen.

As has been pointed out many times you dont stop membership of a gym and still get to use the weights.

If anyone thought you would get a better deal from the EU by leaving, Im afraid you were ill informed or naive.

The idea is that by leaving we can strike better deals around the world than the EU can. Which is a bit like believing that the corner shop will be able to get better deals than tescos. But hey! at least the good ship Brittania will be forging its own course across the stormy seas back to the good old British Empire days.

Thursday 7 February 2019

Brexit: Who is focusing on their own interests?

A few facts....

Northern Ireland voted to remain.

May is only talking to the DUP who don't represent the majority in Northern Ireland.

The DUP prop up the Tories shaky government which gives them power beyond their standing.

"It has been reported that Theresa May refuses to meet with Northern Ireland’s non-unionist political representatives as a group. The four political parties that requested a joint meeting – Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Alliance, and the Green party – represent a remain opinion in Northern Ireland that delivered a strong vote for the EU in the 2016 referendum."

May is only talking to the DUP because the DUP prop up her shaky government otherwise she wouldn't give them the time of day. How many meetings has she had with other parties who more represent the feelings of the NI general public? None.

"The majority of people in Northern Ireland are looking for something quite different from what the DUP is looking for - and yet the DUP is given this platform as if it speaks for Northern Ireland."

So the whole backstop issue and all the problems that has caused appears to be because of stakes in the sand put there by the DUP. Obviously correct me if im wrong but it would seem to me that this whole issue is being caused by a minority party taking an opportunity to push their narrative because it holds the government to ransom with its votes.

Think about it, the whole of the UK is being held to ransom by the DUP.

This is no way to run a negotiation with one of the biggest trading platforms on earth.

Its clear that the ones who are focusing on their own interests rather than the interests of the people is the DUP and the Tories.

Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

LINKS
Guardian: Listen to Northern Irish voters, Theresa May – not the DUP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Unionist_Party
Belfasttelegraph: DUP 'out of touch' with majority in Northern Ireland on Brexit, says Sinn Fein chief O'Neill