French block airlift of British troops to Basra

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

I wasn't thinking the anger of the French people would be directed at
the
UK.

Why ever not, it has been for the last thousand years or so.

I've been watching the CBS Video History of WWII. Last night was
Torch, the invasion of North Africa. The U.S. troops landed first
because the Allies believed that the French would be less likely to
fire on them than the British, because of the "hatred" (Walter
Cronkite's word) they bore for the Brits.

To be sure, the lower the rank, the less this attitude prevailed. And
in the end, when the Allies moved east to Tunisia, French colonial
forces joined them.


To be fair some French colonial forces joined the British
fighting the Germans and Italians long before Torch.

General LeClerc and his Free French Troops never stopped
fighting the Boche and the Vichy regime, having seized
control of Cameroon and Chad he and his men made
an epic journey through Chad and Southern Libya to
join up with the 8th Army in 1941

Keith

"Iain Rae" wrote in message
...
Cub Driver wrote:

(Snip)

That's not that surprising since the French had been under RN guns about
two years previously[*] and relations between the UK and the Vichy
government were never good with the French harrassing Gibraltar airspace ...

I don't recall hearing or reading anything about the French harassing Gibraltar
airspace. How did they manage that? Out of Algeria or Morocco? What was the
Spanish reaction to such incursions? Did the RAF have a presence in Gibraltar
at the time?

George Z.

"L'acrobat" wrote in message
...

If you like fine cheese, try tracking down a King Island Double Brie.

The perfect food.

Especially if you have to pill the dog. Just a cut thin slice when it is
not quite room temperature, wrap the pill in it, and down it goes with
nary a protest. My dog is spoiled rotten.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

"Tarver Engineering" wrote in message
...

That could be associated with the English invading France; you know that
whole burning a girl at the stake thing.

Well as the burning was actually done by a French bishop's court it's
possible the story may well be exagerated somewhat.

Besides, as most serious countries have noticed in the past few centuries,
invading France is fun. They can't fight, the food and drink are wonderful
and the women very welcoming.

The French government in recent years has even taken to sponsering
re-enactments of various invasions, and very nice the two I went on were...
There's something deeply satisfying about hanging around the village of
Crecy dressed as an English archer...

--
William Black
------------------
On time, on budget, or works;
Pick any two from three

"William Black" wrote in message
...

"Tarver Engineering" wrote in message
...

That could be associated with the English invading France; you know that
whole burning a girl at the stake thing.

Well as the burning was actually done by a French bishop's court it's
possible the story may well be exagerated somewhat.

That all depends on which of the many versions one hears.

Besides, as most serious countries have noticed in the past few
centuries,
invading France is fun. They can't fight, the food and drink are
wonderful
and the women very welcoming.

Not exactly rapeing and pillaging then.

The French government in recent years has even taken to sponsering
re-enactments of various invasions, and very nice the two I went on
were...
There's something deeply satisfying about hanging around the village of
Crecy dressed as an English archer...

My family were once archers.

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

Berlin for its part would be willing to send German troops to Iraq
should the US properly cede military and political control of that
nation over to the UN.

Not gonna happen, not even in your wildest Wagnerian dreams,

Actually, Schroeder's latest offer is for troops but no money!

Schroder's current offer is to kiss GW's ass and beg forgivnance.

To be sure, the troops would be used for training Iraqi police and
military, not for active use.

Works for me.

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 11:48:52 +0100, "Keith Willshaw"
wrote:

To be fair some French colonial forces joined the British
fighting the Germans and Italians long before Torch.

General LeClerc and his Free French Troops never stopped
fighting the Boche and the Vichy regime, having seized
control of Cameroon and Chad he and his men made
an epic journey through Chad and Southern Libya to
join up with the 8th Army in 1941

Indeed, and that was just the first chapter of Leclerc's epic. I had
the distinct pleasure of residing in Strasbourg for two years when I
was, ahem, younger, where I learned this story (one of the major
streets of the old town is named "Rue De La Division Leclerc"). On 1
March 1941, Leclerc vowed that he would not put down his weapons until
the colors which he had just raised over Koufra (in southeast Libya)
float over the cathedral of Strasbourg.* Leclerc went on to lead the
Allies into Paris in August 1944. In December 1944, Leclerc's second
armored division fulfilled his oath at Koufra, liberating
Strasbourg.**

*Jurez de ne déposer les armes que lorsque nos couleurs, nos belles
couleurs flotterons sur la cathédrale de Strasbourg ! I still have a
photo of that cathedral in my office.

**with a bit of help from the US Army. Whatever one thinks about the
current state of Franco-American relations, historically, we have
tended to do our best work when both nations were on the same side.

Regards,

George
************************************************** ********************
Dr. George O. Bizzigotti Telephone: (703) 610-2115
Mitretek Systems, Inc. Fax: (703) 610-1558
3150 Fairview Park Drive South E-Mail:
Falls Church, Virginia, 22042-4519
************************************************** ********************


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"George Z. Bush" wrote in message
...

"Iain Rae" wrote in message
...
Cub Driver wrote:

(Snip)

That's not that surprising since the French had been under RN guns about
two years previously[*] and relations between the UK and the Vichy
government were never good with the French harrassing Gibraltar airspace
....

I don't recall hearing or reading anything about the French harassing
Gibraltar
airspace. How did they manage that? Out of Algeria or Morocco? What was
the
Spanish reaction to such incursions? Did the RAF have a presence in
Gibraltar
at the time?


The Vichy French bombed Gibraltar.

4 July 1940 near Gibraltar 3 French Hawks attacked a Sunderland of coastal
command. 1 Hawk downed, 1 damaged. In the first air combat of the IIWW
between Britain and France, victory to the porcupine. After the British
action against the french fleet Gibraltar was bombed in retaliation. The
most serious raids were however mounted during the Battle of Britain. 24th
September 1940 - 64 aircraft from Oran and Tafaroui in Algeria, and Merknes,
Mediouna and Kenitra in Morocco. Fighters were also deployed. D520s of
GCII/3 from Mediouna, Hawks from GCII/5 from Casablanca, and GC I/5 from
Rabat. 41 tonnes of bombs dropped and no loss. The following day 83 bombers
deployed, no fighter cover, again no fighter response. 56 tonnes of bombs
dropped. 1 LeO 451 shot down by flak. It was the largest bomber raid mounted
by the French since the war began. Probably the largest mounted by the
French during the entire war.

Peter

(Kevin Brooks) wrote in
m:

US troops always grumble; part of what makes US troops unique, I
guess.


Hardly! It's a characteristic of soldiers the world over, and led one
British CO to say "if the men are moaning, things are okay, when they STOP
moaning I'll start worrying because something is seriously wrong"

--
Regards
Drewe
"Better the pride that resides
In a citizen of the world
Than the pride that divides
When a colourful rag is unfurled"

I continued to watch the below-mentioned video last night. It's a
curious production, and Torch was immediately followed by Overlord, on
the idea that both were big invasions, I guess.

In any event, I thought of this newsgroup when I saw the clip of
American PWs being protected by German soldiers as French civilians
tried to punch, kick, and spit on them (that is: punch, kick, and spit
on the Americans, not their German guards).

Good job you weren't shot down one any of your visits to France, Art!

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 06:10:58 -0400, Cub Driver
wrote:


I wasn't thinking the anger of the French people would be directed at the
UK.

Why ever not, it has been for the last thousand years or so.

I've been watching the CBS Video History of WWII. Last night was
Torch, the invasion of North Africa. The U.S. troops landed first
because the Allies believed that the French would be less likely to
fire on them than the British, because of the "hatred" (Walter
Cronkite's word) they bore for the Brits.

To be sure, the lower the rank, the less this attitude prevailed. And
in the end, when the Allies moved east to Tunisia, French colonial
forces joined them.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com