Britain at war & through the silver screen....... is their really a "Myth"?

"Enemy Coast Ahead......" A still from the superb 1955 Dambusters film. I shudder at the thought of the proposed remake due sometime in 2011.

"We couldn't afford the Minis Charlie so we've had to fork out on Spitfires instead"

Britain during the Second World War. Its a well know subject which is enjoyed and remembered by millions of people on weekends and rainy days through the media of film. Such classics like The Dambusters and Battle of Britain (likewise seen above) filmed in the 1950's & 1960's, are great examples of what most people would associate with the dashing and brave nature of the fighting men (and not forgetting women) during that time of impending gloom and strife. I myself love these two films. Even to the point that these two could well be two of my most favourite films of all time. Come on though, is their anything wrong in revealing in these great films and thinking that you could of very well been an old Hurricane Pilot or a member of 617 squadron in a previous life??? Could just be me to think that to be honest! However thanks to my History lectures and the seminar i had today, it brought about quite an interesting question. "Is there a certain myth culture created around Britain and the events of 1940 and essentially the entire war?" Films certainly portray this glamorous imagery of these clean, smartly spoken chaps dashingly fighting for King & Country, kicking the Bosch to high heaven and back in time for tea at six and enough time to take the lady in waiting to the flickers to watch the latest film from across the waves. In fact the real imagery was very different from that given on the screen.

Leslie Howard in smoking pipe mode as R.J Mitchell in "The First Of The Few"

To show the extent of how the "Myth" was created around Britain at War, I'm going to use this dashing man, Mr Leslie Howard and the film he's in as an example. The photo is from the 1942 film "The First Of The Few". Howard's character is the legendary Supermarine aircraft designer R.J Mitchell, better known as the designer of the Spitfire. Its basically a celebration of this iconic aircraft and how Mitchell and a certain test pilot and close friend called Crisp (David Niven) develop this aircraft in time to fight against the cunning Germans. The Battle of Britain created this aircraft in the public eyes as the "Aircraft that saved Britain". A very bold statement to quote. Very true the Spitfire was a great machine and was very much loved by pilot and schoolboy alike, but to give it its status is to me a bit unfair and unjust. To me the real "Winner" of the Battle Of Britain was its older and more rugged friend, the Hawker Hurricane. With 65% of all the kills Fighter Command took during the whole campaign, Hurricane's occupying 29 Squadron's to the Spitfire's 19 and the majority of its aces flying Hurricanes, Sidney Camm's brilliant fighter should surely deserve the honour of the "real" hero. But sadly its left aside. The Spitfire was far more glamorous and perfectly captured the mood of the nation desperately seeking a shining beacon of hope and heroes to lift the country's depleting morale. In 1940, The RAF were their heroes and the Spitfire was the nation's jewel in the crown against the ever increasing evil that was Nazism. That still stems today, the notion that the Spitfire was indeed the only aircraft that saved Britain during the Battle of Britain. It is indeed an good example of the "Myth Of 1940".If you believe that the Spitfire was the one true aircraft that won the the Battle of Britain single handily, You've missed out the Hurricane, the Blenheim, the Wellington, Gladiator, Battle, Defiant, Lysander, Whitley, Hampden & Beaufighter which were all notable aircraft that also formed a key part in the survival of Britain during those hectic summer days in the skies above Southern (and in a couple of cases Northern skies) in 1940. The myth becomes dangerously unwanting towards expressing detail that would seem exciting or just about relative to what the general public would want to read or see about. "The "First Of The Few" is defiantly one of them.

Hawker Hurricane: The REAL hero of the Battle of Britain

Then we lead onto the imagery of the everyday person fighting during this period. We can now easily mock this films from the period as a living example of our "stiff upper lipness" that Britain is apparently renowned for. Films like "Miss Miniver", "In Which We Serve" & "Went The Day Well" are all branded as "what we were all like during World War Two" and this is how we should always live, together as one, helping each other out, drinking Brooke Bond Tea whilst listening to George Formby on the wireless saying to us that its sodding turned out nice again. If your the debatable type, you'd be thinking right now along the lines of "REALLY?????" But before you shun this the recycle bin, its a pretty valid "REALLY". Just how many people were like the Noel Coward's and the Thora Hird's we see in such films that were created and depict what it was like during the war. Was it a fair representation of the past? To some extent, this isn't true. Just take the highly "accurate" films of "The Guns of Navarone" and "Where Eagles Dare" for example. Fun and entertain replaced facts and relevance. The films produced during the 1940's can be argued to be very patriotic and wooden in delivery, but these were designed to raise and keep the moral of the people intact. The very sense to keep at it, be vigilant and to carry on towards victory. The idea of the "Myth" around wartime is a key debate. Films most certainly are, but in fairness they pretty much did there purpose, to entertain, but above all to inform us not to give in in the face of great crises and also with remembering in today's society, never to forget.

After all, what can be more uplifting and moral boosting to the masses than to see Thora Hird heralding a gun in "Went The Day Well"? If your wondering which one she is in the picture below, she's the one on the right.


Anyway that's me sorted for another entry here. Very happy to get my presentation over and done with today on the Festival Of Britain+ Britain & The Cold War. Hope everyone who was their to see it liked it =). Take care everyone and speak to you very soon!

Britain.....and everyone else thrown in at the side!

On the aftermath of what can be described as "D-Day+1" after becoming an official "old man" of 22 years and counting (it being my birthday yesterday) it was back to the lecture room to talk about the position of Britain with regards to powers, figures and situations around them in the 1920/30's.

The lecture and discussions defiantly brought up some interesting debates and questions with the 2 1/2 hour session. One thing is almost certain from looking at the presentations that were presented today. That is that Britain were the creators of their own downfall. Negative Britain strikes back..........again!! Their refusal in the creation of a "United Europe" and their willingness to remain "that 7 year old child that just wants to sit on the fence and watch the bin man struggle and fall over trying to put a full to the brim wheelie bin into the back the rubbish lorry" was later devastating to the recovery plan that Britain desperately needed in the aftermath of WWII. The reliance upon America was just as evident in the inter-war period than it is today with all the "Obama" bashing that is commonplace at the moment. But dont get me wrong, Obama does seem like a complete legend. But on viewing everything, especially with our case, what was with this whole issue and necessity that American MUST be involved??? It just gives the overall picture that America was the special cool kid in the playground....and Britain was the snotty, acne ridden pleb which most people wanted to avoid.

The events of the 1920's & 30's from the British perspective is extremely interesting to evaluate. Especially with the avenues that were open to us, it is certainly frightening to just imagine what could of possibly happened if he had made an alliance with Germany, or if we had managed to get ourselves mixed up (officially) in the Spanish Civil War. What would the outlook of Britain be today if just one of these options was taken? I know the age old answer would be from the average Facebook loving, McDonald's swilling, Chelsea "til i die" mucker on the street would say "we'd all be speaking German". Hang on matey......THE MAJORITY OF OUR MONARCHY'S HERITAGE IS GERMAN YOU PLEB! It easily mock able but its a really interesting question and theory to consider. For example if the Germans had been successful (somehow) with Operation Sealion in 1940, abdicated King Edward VIII (who was exiled for marry what technically could be called "an undesirable bint") would of been reinstalled as King because of his support for the Nazi's and Hitler. Unbelievable??? It didn't happen but how close would we have got to become "Hitler's Britain???"

The emphasis is got from the lecture today was that it brought about the ideals of the "what if?" or "what could of been?". And to be very honest, i liked it. I wont lie. It was pretty quality. The case and debates centred on the "What ifs" are good and interesting in a historical sense.....surely???

Now i don't like to end stuff on a bad note, however i do love my football and it was very sad to hear about the tragic passing of Macclesfield manager Keith Alexander today at the very early age of 53. Sympathy's to his family and everyone who knew him.

Anyway take care everyone and I'll speak to you soon =)