"Island at War" ...

[bigbore442001]

Due to a bout of insomnia I was watching a Masterpiece Theater drama made in England about the German invasion of the Jersey Islands.

It was pretty good but what really intrigued me was how they so easily rolled over to the Germans, at least on the show.

A number of people had fled to the main island but for some it was too late. There was a Stuka attack on the port on St.Gregory that killed a number of civilians.

I was thinking, " What if the people of that island were armed like the Swiss?" Would the island had fallen so quicky? Would those people had lived under Nazi tyranny for five years?

When the Stuka made a strafing run, I wondered if a small group of men with rifles could have shot the plane down? I know it has been done and can be done.

Anyone care to comment as I sit here by the trusty AC?

[Taff]

Big bore
I know the series you where watching, not a bad drama but not quite as it was. One sole stuka making a attack not quite luftwaffa policy that, and in the play it attacks before they are invaded so the people would not of been looking to shoot a plane down. As for resisting after the invasion if you were armed like the Swiss, imagine you are on a occupied island, there are hundreds off enemy soliders,whose favarite hobby is killing women and children, and about 2000 inhabitants mostly women and children. The statement resistence is futile, then has a meaning to you if for every one of the enemy is killed, ten innocent people are executed. Having meet a man (Russian) who watched 10 people from his village be hung because someone took a shot at a officer  you learn to bide your time.

[ironglow]

Yup...I agree with Taff.
  When attacked , unexpectedly by a hostile military force, the only resistance that is worthwhile is ORGANIZED resistance..
   Better to flee and organize in the hills...but the channel Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney.. are small, not heavily wooded and perhaps any resistance could be too easily hunted down and wiped out.
   Often it is better to flee to the "Mother" country and join the fight from there.

     I for one..being a student of history..have no qualms about British courage...Dunkirk, Gold, Sword and Juno beaches, El Alemain, the Somme, the square at Waterloo, at the cotton bales in New Orleans and yes, Bunker Hill, Saratoga and Yorktown all tell us of the inate courage of British military..and by inference, their people..

   This morning, as I write this, the Brits have a new challenge..many bombs exploding in London.

   I don't believe the British will cave in as some of the Euros have...they are made of STRONGER stuff..

   Yes; they have their "cave in" crowd, just as we do..but by and large they are not a people lacking for courage..

    Now may the terrorists feel the bite of the bulldog....and the bulldog doesn't have "rubber teeth"..

        May God bless and guide the UK..!

[Ron T.]

Many Americans feel an “akinship” to the people of the U.K. simply because our forefathers were from England, Ireland, Scotland and/or Wales.  In my case, my heritage is ¾ U.K., 1 part English, 1 part Irish, 1 part Scottish & 1 part Dutch.

And so, naturally… I was shocked and dismayed at the terrorist’s attacks on London which reminded me of the Nazi attacks on the same city during World War II when the Brits stood up to “The Bliz” with unbelievable bravery.

I’m proud of my heritage… I wish the Queen and the other “Royals” well and hope the tabloids stop hounding them… and I feel the British are a strong and brave people just as are we Americans.

Ultimately, these terrorists are NOT going to “win”… they will cause us some pain and some suffering, no doubt about that… but in the end, I am confident we will triumph because that is what we have always done… and that is what we will do this time, have no doubt about that!


Strength & Honor…

Ron T.