paging TOG & other WW2 history-isti

Sounds like it might be interesting:


"Churchill's Darkest Decision

Monday 25 May
9:20pm - 10:25pm
Channel 4

The story behind Winston Churchill's decision to sink a fleet of French
battleships during the summer of 1940. Intended to prevent French
battleships from coming under German control and making Hitler's threat to
invade Britain more achievable, the event led to the deaths of 1,300 French
sailors. This film features interviews with French survivors and a British
war veteran who opened fire on his former allies, as well as contributions
from Churchill's biographer."

Source: http://www.radiotimes.com/

 

<sets reminder>

 

you can't manage 9 minutes?

 

I can barely manage 30s these days!

 

http://www.jokeroo.com/video/funny/premature-ejaculation.html

 

<snip>

Nothing new.

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

I haven't been able to see it.

The heavy, thundery atmosphere has weakened the Sky signal. BBC channels
are working fine but C4 has gone wonky. The neighbour's ash tree in full
leaf doesn't help matters either.

 

I didn't either but I doubt you missed much.

<Grumpy old man mode>

All documentaries these days seem to be obsessed with "sexing up" the
content and adding in lots of dramatic "re-constructions", presumably
to attract those viewers who aren't really that interested in the
subject matter.

The programme makers then piss off those who *are* interested in the
subject matter by getting a lot of the facts wrong.

I think "darkest decision" is debatable too. "If the French sailors
don't join us or agree to take steps so the Germans can't use their
ships, we'll sink them" can't have been the "darkest" thing Churchill
decided on.

</GOMM>

Give me a good (historical) book anytime

Cheers,

John

 

I didn't see it but the morning paper said it wasn't like that at all and
was a proper documentary done very well. And I think the suggestion is that
Churchill did have an undertaking from the French to scuttle their own ships
but chose not to trust them.

 

I might give it a go, in that case.

Yup. Though I don't think I can really blame him for not trusting
Darlan, given the consequences of getting it wrong,

Cheers,

John