I'm 98 and I served in the RAF, my hands are now unsteady so my son is typing for me.(He showed me this video and explained what a "reaction video" is) I think it is good that people still learn about those times. I lost a lot of good friends and those of us that survived rarely tell their stories. Son speaking now! I would like to add... my Dad has only just started telling me about some of the darker things he experienced, which is what led me to show him this old footage. There a few veterans left now - we shall remember them.
I wish I had more time to learn more from my Grandfather, who was an Army Chef during the war. They are libraries of knowledge and very brave too. Thank you for your service sir. God bless you all.
God bless you Sir where would we be now without people like you who were willing to give up their lives for us today? to just say Thank you to you is not nearly enough l salute sir for your courage and bravery and send much love to you and your family❤❤❤
They went above and beyond, no doubt. But I think every generation that has ever existed has had the capacity to do the same if or when circumstances require it. Defending your society against threats is one of the core aspects of the human condition. Thankfully, most generations don;t have to go through that. I hope the time will come when nobody ever has to go through that. But I do believe that if we were facing a threat like that tomorrow, we'd all get our shit together, forget our differences, and fight for one another.
@@nicott667 Bull S. To defend against an enemy who is of one mind and in it together, you must be of one mind and in it together. Nowadays, We're so hyper individualistic, we can't even decide which gender we are. We'd be utterly destroyed by e.g. China.
The one before was as good. The lads who went to the front went through hell. Admittedly civilians had to play a part in WW2, so it was a nation at war.
As a young man, I had the pleasure of talking to a Polish WWII Spitfire pilot. He fought hard and lived out his years modestly near where I lived in London. Respect to all those who served.
This is something that many forget. The RAF were an international force. Aside from the UK, thre were pilots from all across the empire, like India, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Australia, Kenya, New Zealand, Zimbabwer, Canada and South Africa (where the RAF's top fighter ace of the war came from). Then there was Eagle Squadron, made up of American volunteers before the USA had joined the war. And many of the best pilots were from nations already overrun by the Nazis: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Netherlands, and France. These guys knew first hand what was at stake. As Brits we should be proud that we defended our nation successfully in awful circumstances. But we must also remember that this wasn't us vs Germany. This was everyone against Naziism. The war was won and the beast was killed through collective international effort against an evil ideology which threatened every single person on the planet. Naziism and other forms of fascism are enemies of humanity. We can never forget that.
@@anthonyeaton5153no one helped us to keep Hitler of our land we British did it alone yes other countries help end the war but not to defend us we was alone for a year fighting Hitler before anyone else step up to help
'The courageous people of Britain', such comments like that are why i love your reactions. You are both great people. Wish you both every success in life. Mike 🇬🇧 🏴
@@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5One of the ladies who flew air transport said her older bother saw the German naval fleet review and told her on his return there would be a war. Nobody believed him except his father and her
Really enjoyed watching your reaction to this, and thank you for your kind words about my country. There is a film made in 1969 called 'The Battel of Britain' that I am sure you will enjoy :-_
He's lucky to get out, mining became a 'reserved occupation', later on in the war some poor bastards got called up and sent down the Pits - Bevans Boys.
My parents help to fight this war. Working in underground factories to replace the planes we were loosing. The greatest British generation. We owe them so much!!!
Fantastic, excellent, wonderful reaction. Thank you SO much for this. Most sincerely. I am at a lost for words to praise and thank you enough. All possible best wishes to you both.
Thank you for learning about British history. You always leave me in tears. The last of these heroes are leaving us & young people today don't understand what it takes to maintain civilised society. If everyone was taught the truth about what Britain has done for the modern world they wouldn't be so hateful, they would just say thank you. The British people have been through a lot over the centuries. It's why we're able to make jokes about the darkest things.
It was a joy to see a young couple that are not British show such empathy and respect for our beloved little Islands during our darkest days of WWII. As Sir Winston Churchill's famous tribute to the RAF fighter pilots & ground crews was said, "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few". We STILL remember them.🙏🇬🇧
My late grandfather served in the Royal Fleet Air Arm as a plane mechanic HMS HERON, during World War Two, I’m proud to be British. Without the sacrifices fellow soldiers gave so we can have the freedom we know today never goes unnoticed. As this history is taught to us in school, or having school trips to museums or going abroad to France to learn more about the Dunkirk.
HMS Heron, is Yeovilton I think. My father worked there during part of the war in the NAAFI, after being on HMS Impulsive. I was actually the first baby to be christened in the chapel there and the font was actually an upturned ship's bell.
How marvellous, grandad was our personal tour guide when visiting the museum. Even though he was blind, that didn’t mean he lost his memory. Grandad would tell us about each individual air craft that was currently in use to that of being decommissioned and placed in the museum and why. Thank you for recognising this to be HMS Yeovilton , grandad was a motor vehicle mechanic before he was signed up to go to war, being a test pilot even though sacred of flying.
@@jedworthythink he put the safety of his fellow grew men/ women above that of his fear of flying, I used to stand and watch grandad when he was in the garage working on cars. Only to go inside when he was using louder work tools. Even being blind, you describe what is wrong with the engine. Grandad would explain step by step in how to fix the problem, what there should be and not what should be there to begin with.
That's when men were real men and not the wimps we have today, And the women knew how to get up and work regardless of what work they undertook. We will never see the like again.
Well lady thats bollocks and offensive. A couple of those wimps today are my cousin and brothers who both currently sevrve in the navy and army. So their like again have always been here. Ask my Uncle who was killed in the Falklands. Stupid woman.
I have sat and watched this video with you, have marvelled and learned with you. I am so grateful to you both for reacting to this Battle. Now I truly understand so much more why it was so important that Britain and her allies stood in Hitler's way. You are right Starr when you ask what would the world have looked like had the Nazis won. Love your channel. Take great care of yourselves.
I have just suscribed. I love the interest that you show and your enthusiasm. My dad was Polish and in WW2. He got some terrible injuries mostly on his legs and had pain all of his life. He decided to stay and live in England when the war finished. He met my mum (from Wales), and got married. They had me and my older sister. I have got some amazing photos that he took of German ships etc ... I miss you dad❤ I have many of your reactions to watch. I'm looking forward to it. ✌
@@emmafrench7219 My father was 23 when it ended he had volunteered at the beginning of 41 he lost two cousins and his older brother all three in their early 20's. During the war he was blown up/ knocked out by a German shell shot twice and A POW for 10 moths before he escaped from Germany through Slovakia was betrayed re captured but got away again. What part of Wales are you from.
@johnmc128 That is horrific what your father went through. I only found out about my dad's legs vaguely from my mum. I saw his legs when I was little and the awful mess that they were in and I remember giggling that he was wearing "stockings". I felt so bad when my mum explained that they were surgical stockings and for the said reason. As is often the case he just didn't ever talk about what he went through. I wish he did for his own sake. But he never seemed bitter or angry he just mentioned being up in Scotland with other Polish army friends. They were in a huge mansion/major house and found loads of alcohol and got pissed quite a lot.😊He loved Scotland not because of that but he said it was beautiful and the people were lovely and friendly. I don't know why he ended up in England. My mum was Welsh and she came from Mountain Ash. I assume you are from Wales? I've lived most of my life in England apart from Germany when my ex husband and I were posted there for 4 years. He was military police in the RAF. It was beautiful where we were in Birkenfeld on the French/ Luxembourg border. Have a good rest of the weekend. Thank you for your message. It was terrible what happened but I'm so very grateful for people like your father and mine.✌❤
@@emmafrench7219 Hello, yes I was born in Wales my father was a Scot in the Scots Gd's he had signed on for 20 odd years so he wasn't demobbed at the end of the war. He was in N.Wales and was the mountain warfare instructor in Snowdonia. There are/were many Poles in N.Wales and Wales in general.Have a great weekend yourself. The
The average age of a pilot in the Battle of Britain was 20 years old. However, some pilots were as young as 18 and others were over 30. The average age of those who were killed was only 22.
Yes, it was truly amazing what the RAF did. I could barely scratch my own arse at 18 leave alone do what these boys did. The firemen and ambulance people too and the brave civilians. My Dad was RAF during WWII.
Bless you both for being so intersted in our little country's history. And our GREATEST generation who fought as we should fight today, to save this country again.❤
My Father was in the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot. I cannot believe that you were not taught this at school. I am in the UK and we learnt about the American civil war and beyond. We also learned how the Native people of countries were displaced to make way for industry and human habitation.
My grandfather was in the Black Watch and was rescued on the last ship from the beach at Dunkirk in 1940. The fear the lads must have felt is next level, being routed at every turn and overran, slowly getting pushed off of Europe and into the sea by the marauding Nazi forces. He saw his best friend blown up among many other events, but he never talked about them. Instead preferring only to tell the more humourous anedotes of his time including how he had to shoot a tin of corned beef because he couldn't get it open at Dunkirk and it was his last food! The mask the baby (and everyone else) had to wear were and are gas masks. They don't have anything to do with radiation specifically. It was feared the Germans would drop gas on Britain. However probably largely thanks to Hitler being gassed in the first World War (and the general horror that the gassings in World War One caused) his forces did not use it and he refused to give the order for them to do otherwise.
My Parents and grandparents, my Mom and Granny worked in a munitions factory, and in 1968 when I was 16 I started working in an accountants office, where I met former pilots, infantry men and sailors, men and women that went through hell and came back out the other side, damaged but went straight back to the work force after leaving the services.. I was proud they were my bosses, I was proud for the service they gave to their country 25 yrs earlier.. I'm 72 and still so proud of those men and women of WWII.. I fear we do not have the same spirit now in the face of current state of the World. God Bless you both and thank you.. love all of your videos.
It has been said before and so eloquently,” never has so much been owed by so many, to so few. “ I am of the “baby boomer “ generation, and would not be here today, if these young men hadn’t fought so bravely for our freedom. Winston Churchill, was indeed, the right man, at the right time,and very necessarily, in the right place. Great respect to my parent’s generation!
My nan was a Londoner who lived through this, she kept diaries that I now have, reading through it is heartbreaking, from my grandad going to war, to my dad being evacuated, and the effects of the blitz....the joy of it being over, VE day takes up 2 whole pages and you can feel the relief, the joy and the fact that we won in her words...God I miss her.
It wasn't just Britain alone in 1940, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India etc. These countries declared war on the Axis powers of their own volition. I am so proud of our allies of the time and grateful for lend lease of the United States, without which the world wouldn't have survived the Nazi onslaught, exactly the same as Ukraine today, fighting alone against Russia and its allies.
Yes, they joined the fight, and we are grateful for their help. But the fact is that they were not in the direct line of fire. They did not suffer the endless bombing raids, see their cities being destroyed. Suffer the fear, day in and day out, that the next bomb would have their name on it. Nor the years of rationing, that went on long after the war was over. As for assistance from America, it came, but at a high price. I do not decry the blood sacrifice made by the American soldiers, they are owed respect. But the fact is, America came out of that war richer than they went in. By contrast, Britain was left broken physically and economically. The fact is, the Americans charged us for every nut and bolt they sent. We paid in gold, our reserves almost completely depleted. But we also had to hand over our technological and scientific advances, Radar for instance. As well as allowing them access to some valuable ports around the world, which were then British controlled. That war debt was so huge that Britain only finished paying it off barely 20 years ago. And it is hugely ironic that Germany, well the western part, was given huge amounts in aid by America, mainly to help keep it out of the Soviets hands.
@@christinerussell113Please don’t denigrate the Americans, they lost 400,000 killed in WW2. They were very gallant and we in Britain should remember what they did. Your mentioning the US being wealthier after the war is irrelevant to WW2. Freedom from Nazi tyranny was worth it.
@anthonyeaton5153 Sorry, did you actually read my post? and if you did, you obviously found only insults directed at American soldiers. That is your problem. I made a point of referencing the sacrifices made by the actual American soldiers. As the daughter of a disabled 2nd WW veteran, I would never disparage those who do the actual fighting. My late father fought alongside our American allies, he had great respect for them, as do I. And pointing out that Britain was at the forefront of the war, from its very beginning, and went on to pay a far higher price in every way, is not irrelevant. Fighting that war broke Britain, and we never fully recovered. Winners and losers emerge from every conflict. We were, in many ways, a loser. As with all wars, their are those who profit while sacrificing nothing, and America has its share. And that is true of conflicts both past and present, and in every part of the world.
@christinerussell113 Lend lease was not paid for. That was the Anglo-American loan, requested by the British after the war was over. They took a similar, although much smaller, loan from Canada as well. Not to mention the nearly $3 billion in Marshall Plan aid, by far the most given to any other country.
My father was in the Royal navy during ww2 and became an officer, my mother was making ammunition at 15 yrs old . They met when my mum was 16 at London docks and she told my father that if he made it back from the war she would marry him. He was from Manchester and she was a Londoner.when the war ended he came to London and found her. They were married for over 50 yrs and had 5 children. I'm the youngest. I've always thought it was a very romantic story. My father was a true officer and a gentleman.
I thank God literally for your parents, my parents and grandparents. The entire strong, resilient, brave generation I have nothing but gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
My great grandfather fought in the Boar war, the First World War and he was a firefighter in the Second World War as he was too old to fight. He was a Chelsea Pensioner My grandad fought in Africa in the Second World War he was a “desert rat” as they nicknamed them I am so very proud and grateful for everything they did What a generation of heroes home and abroad! We literally owe them everything, sadly we are handing our freedom over like fools in the UK today. I hang my head in shame for the state our beautiful country is becoming.
My Dad was born in 1901. He was in the Navy and fighting at the tail-end of WW1 and in the whole of WW2. He never spoke about what he did. He died in 1981. He is My Hero. Rest in peace Pop.
This is a quality reaction channel, you two have great chemistry together very wholesome feel watching this, I shall be subscribing and coming back to see more ✌️
Even our dear departed Queen joined the army as an ambulance driver. I sometimes wonder why we have all the young men fleeing their countries instead of becoming resistance fighters.....
She trained as a mechanic and driver at the ATS No 1 Mechanical Transport Training Centre in Camberley, Surrey. She was known as truck mechanic No. 230873.
Lets not forget that us Brits were not alone On the day we declared war on Germany at the same time so did Australia, New Zealand, India, Tonga and Transjordan, Followed shortly by France, Morocco, Tunisia . Nepal, South Africa, Bahrain, Canada, and Oman. but of course we where the front line. In the Battle of Britain many pilots from allied nations took part including those from Poland ( my grandad was in the Polish air force and trained a squadron in Wales) and Czechoslovakia. We also had support of many other Commonwealth nations. I send you guys greetings from the White Cliffs, situated in my village is the Battle of Britain memorial, a beautiful site dedicated to the few.
Someone on Quora asked: 'Why is the U.K. so incapable of protecting itself?' Chris Murphy replied: What a fantastic question. No sarcasm at all. I'm an Aussie, and the Brits, as small as the land mass they occupy, are the last people I would want to fight with. The last. I'll deal with crocodiles, over a tonne, I'll deal with kangeroos who will punch and kick your teeth in, not to mention the Kiwis (New Zealand). You don't want to start a fight with the UK. Seriously. You really don't. They have a don't care attitude towards you. Stiff upper lip if you will. Gentlemanly, if you please. That attitude will be maintained until the last. The very last. They are the only group who ruled the world, and then gave it back. England, Scotland, Wales, N Ireland. I salute you.
@@davidhines7592 lol, actually the British Empire was kind of accidental, all we really wanted was some trading posts to get a bit of money to stop the French and Spanish trying to take us over, and it kind of escalated somehow.
Just want to say thank you for your comments - you made me feel proud. I wasn't around then but my parents and grandparents were. I remember my mum telling me about going down to the air raid shelters during the bombing, she managed to make it sound almost like an adventure but it must have been terrifying.
You say it's too much! The reality was much worse, the responsibility fell to the RAF pilots many of whom died. When Hitler gave up his attempt to invade he decided instead to bomb the hell out of Britain and so started the blitz. I don't know just how you would react to that, almost every night they came and bombed London and industrial cities and ports round the country.
I knew a Polish man whose family died in the Holocaust; he served in the Polish Airforce which had become based in Britain. Many escapee Europeans were based in Britain and continued to fight against Hitler for their homeland. Also respect to Australia and others who were outside of Hitler’s reach in 1939, with no hesitation, they immediately also volunteered their service.
There were more Hurricanes than Spitfires in the Battle of Britain. The first things that the Germans went after were the RAF airfields and RADAR stations along the coast.
Where I live, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, was badly bombed during the war because of the radar station on top of the hill. It is still a radar station today and outside the compound there are several small brick buildings with thick concrete slabs on the to where ackack guns were mounted. As a young child I well remember playing on the bomb sites.
They didn't go for the radar stations. They didn't know about them. Radar was the British secret weapon. We invented lies like 'carrots give our defenders great night vision' to account for us being apple to spot and respond to German aircraft so quickly. They Germans had no odea that radio waves could detect their attacks and that the great concrete listening posts could hear their engines powering up. The RAF pilots and ground crew were amazing, yes, but they had better planes and vastly superior situational awareness. When they flew to intercept German attacks, they knew who and what they were facing, had time to coordinate their counterstrike and the experience to do so cleanly and precisely. Nazi pilots were unfamiliar with the land and water. They had no prior warning of what to expect and when, and as the battle continued, they had the knowledge that hundreds of their compatriots had tried and died doing the exact same thing. They were terrified.
@@AnonEyeMouse Not so. Germany did have radar early in the war but, they failed to develop it as they thought the war was won. They did know about the various radar stations, Ventnor I.O.W. being one of them. If they didn’t know why did they bomb the town of Ventnor in 1942? There would have been no reason to! Ventnor radar would have provided early warning for raids on Portsmouth and Southampton, both major shipping ports.
If you haven't already seen it, you should watch the film "Darkest Hour." This depicts quite well, the story of the Battle of Britain. Winston Churchill is played brilliantly by Gary Oldman. Another good watch is, "The Dam Busters" which put an end to Germany's hopes of building a nuclear bomb.
You are quite right; they were an amazing generation that lived and fought through both World Wars and, speaking as a Brit, we can never live up to their memory. I hope we're never even required to. They deserve all the respect.
Your emotional reaction is well appreciated. The UK had the Channel sea for physical defence, and plenty of support from around the World. There was every reason to go on.
Curiously, there was no mention of radar. It wasn't the listening posts that gave early warning. I think they were found to be of only modest value. Perhaps at this time it is still too top secret to mention it.
You answer your own point. The reaction is to a contemporary film aimed at the USA audience, radar was classified with Germany only guessing. What exactly is going on in Ukraine and Russia is not fully reported by the BBC, CNN, FOX or the Russian news stations. The BBC hopefully learnt their lesson when they broadcast a planned attack by UK troops ahead of the attack, costing UK soldiers' lives during the 1982 Falklands Conflict.
I live in Scotland uk my grandfather was in the Second World War he joined with his best friend my grandfather came home but he lost his best friend in the war I have all my grandfathers medals from the war we lost my grandfather & I can always remember on the day of his funeral there were some men he had fought with when we were in the funeral cars I saw them step forward to my grandfather’s coffin & saluted him & then they stepped back which I found incredibly touching
Guys…I would have to point out…this WWII between 1939-1945. During this period, a quarter of the world (including Nigeria) was part of the British Empire. Nigeria gained its independence in 1960. If Hitler had defeated Britain, she would also have had to surrender all the territory that was a part of the British Empire, including Nigeria. That was why it was essential for Hitler to defeat Britain to gain ALL that territory in one fell swoop. So, you could say that Britain was also defending the other countries in the Empire.
@@stuartauld3193 How would it not have worked that way? In history, Britain gained territories from the other nations (like France, Spain, etc) when they won wars against them. To all intents and purposes, None of the other countries in the Empire would have been able to defend themselves against Germany once Britain was defeated. Do you think Hitler would have stopped at Britain? No…he was a Megalomaniac and he would have gone on to conquer the USA and then all the other nations on Earth.
@@Bpat6169 I read that he was obsessed by Britain's empire; used to absorb information on it all. I seem to remember being 'told' he watched films about it, but given the era I'm not sure exactly what he watched as I can't remember the exact article or book that held that information. That's the problem with reading so much over 70 years !
My father was very young but as soon as he was old enough he joined the home Guard. I remember him telling me that he was put on guard duty not with a gun, they did not have enough, but with a carving knife strapped onto a broom-handle.
I'm very proud of my grandparents, and their families, some of whom I never met as my grandparents were born between 1895 and 1905 and fought in both wars in one way or another, I still have an Aunt who's 96 and worked with the Land Army and I have been bought up with the same resistance, stubbornness, dark sense of humour and the just get on with it attitude. I'm extremely proud of being British and for everything everyone gave for our freedom, it's a pity we didn't learn from the first war, we hoped that would be a one off, however Germany had other ideas, even members of our royal family were involved in both wars. I would recommend watching just what the women did during both wars especially during the second, they flew the new planes without any working radio's etc, they'd fly into war zones hoping to go unnoticeable on radar, so the men could continue flying. They made the ammunition which the men needed, generally took on what were considered the men's jobs whilst they were away. I can say they did a lot more than has ever been reported, a couple of reasons, we don't like talking about what we've done, my family came in very useful for history and Geography at school, and other subjects, but would rarely say what they actually did, and many signed the Official Secrets Act and took much to their graves with them again, we've been told not too give details not even families knew what some were and had done during the wars
With some of the German aircraft you can hear a screaming noise as they dive down. These were the 'Stuka' Fighter/bomber fitted with a siren, meant to spread terror among the civilian population.
The British Fighter Command was organised. With Radar and a network observers. Had the Germans pressed home the attacks on airfields there might have been a different outcome. However Hitler turned on London leaving the bombers limited fighter cover and the RAF time to replenish and recover. The British had the first integrated command and control network. It’s also worth remembering there were many Polish Czech and others in the RAF. Lots of phases to the Battle of Britain. A spitfire Ammunition lasted 14 seconds and the ME 109 55 seconds. There were around 100 more Hurricanes than Spitfires at the start of the Battle of Britain. The fact is all these RAF pilots were very courageous young men.
unfortunatly when you have no adversity for generations, people forget how hard it was to fight a war, and many only see war on tv now, but i assume if ever the people of britain need to do that again, they will rise to it, as most peoples will, even those round you, if needed they too will find in them the courage to resist and overcome.
yet people are forgetting and the youngsters don't even care what our brave service men and women went through so they could have the life they have now ( it's disgusting ) 😭😭
My father was a Royal engineer who fought in Egypt, Italy, France, Belgium Holland and finally Germany ending liberating a German concentration camp. My mother joined the Land Army girls brigade serving on English farms producing food for the Nation. My father spoke to me just once when he was drunk about his part when he was de-mining a bridge into Germany with snipers trying to pick him off as he worked and Royal Marines protecting him from those German snipers. That is the one time he ever spoke about what happened to him during the war. He refused to receive his war medals sick of what he saw and did during those five years. I when I grew up and with his consent wrote to the Ministry of Defence and requested his medals on his behalf for the family and with his written permission in the late 1960's. They included the following The African Star with bar for two tours of duty serving on attachment to the Desert Rats the eighth army of Rommel. The European Star for service in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and finally Germany, The Atlantic Star for service in the Atlantic ocean whilst awaiting invasion of France, The British War medal, and The Defence Medal. He never wore them at any memorial service and would not accept any praise for his service. I have passed them on to my son who in turn will pass them down through the family for generations to come. Because of my parents service I have lived in freedom and peace my whole life (73 years) and have never been required to fight in another war in defence of our country. That is what my parents generation fought for so that their children could live in freedom and peace never knowing the true horrors of war.
When this film was made, radar was a secret. It allowed us to see raids gathering over France. It meant we could wait til the last minute to scramb!e fighters to intercept. This gave us more time in the air fighting and more on the ground resting. Sometimes our fighters were able to attack a raid on the way in, land, rearm and refuel, and attack it again on the way out.
the documented number was 2,945 RAF aircrew At the height of the Battle of Britain, the RAF had only 749 fighter aircraft available, against 2,550 Luftwaffe aircraft.
" Britain fought on alone " made go propaganda , but it had an empire that stood with it plus people from countries the Germans had overrun. Britain also had a bigger manufacturing base than Germany so once the battle of Britain started it could replace its loses faster than the Germans could.
Brilliant reaction guys... If you ever get a chance to see the stunning design and more importantly hear a Supermarine Spitfire with it's legendary Merlin engine (Yes it was named after a Wizard), it stirs every British heart. If you want to look into British engineering history react to the series "The boat that Guy built" its on you tube..
I was born in 1942, My father built aircraft and later was a soldier, my mother worked in a munitions factory..... I remember the air raids, and the unguided V1 and V2 weapons. One of those killed one of my uncles. Yes we downed a lot of Luftwaffe planes, but we lost a lot of pilots too. British scientists had invented the first radars too, and that helped as we knew the germans were coming as soon as they took off in France. Yes we were on our own until Pearl Harbour brought in the Americans to the European war in 1942 as by that time the US realised that they too were threatened. They were a bit late getting started and their troops not well trained but they learned fast and were a great help. Mind you, it took Britain until the 21st century to pay America for the aid and equipment they sent to us.... it wasn't given, it was "lend-lease"..... it was to be returned or, if destroyed., paid for. British people had food and other commodities rationed for a very long time after the war so that the government could begin to pay America for the war materiel. Many British folk were none too pleased about that, but that was the only deal that America would accept to supply vital war materiel....
My dad was based in North Africa During WW11 on RAF Lancaster bombers, he was one of the lucky ones who came home. Had he not come home I would mot be born, I owe everything to my Dad. Unfortunately he talked about it.
Frightening to think how much easier it would have been to sue for peace, and many at the time wanted to take the easy route. Thankfully, Winston Churchill used his incomparable speeches to help keep the general population on his side, and we ended up, with our Allies help victorious. It could have been a very different World today without this amazing generation.
The Spitfire was at this time the unknown ace up Britain's sleeve. There was a meeting between Hitler and Goering in September 1940 where he asked what his air force would need to win the battle of Britain and Goering responded with a squadron of Spitfires
We are immensely indebted to the courageous young men who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II; in fact, the entire world has a profound obligation to honor and remember their sacrifices. Those brave individuals not only fought valiantly in the skies but also played a crucial role in shaping the course of history. Their unwavering commitment to duty and their readiness to face unimaginable dangers on behalf of their country and allies deserve our deepest gratitude. The impact of their service resonates beyond the borders of their nation, influencing the lives of countless individuals around the globe. It is essential that we recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions those young heroes made in the struggle for freedom, peace and justice during one of the darkest periods in human history. Their legacy serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity and we must ensure that their stories are told and remembered for generations to come. Love your videos.💯
My grandmother was a secretary at the war office during the day and then every night she’d help wounded and returning soldiers at the main train station. This was during the blitz too. One night she got back home to get a couple of hours sleep before starting work again and went into her family air raid shelter. When she woke up and looked outside her house and whole street had gone. She fixed her hair and went to work. Out of all my grandparents she probably had the easiest time during the war.
I was enthralled as much as you watching this. There are good people in the world and you both fit the bill. However, I doubt those pilots of the RAF went into battle shouting a polite "Tally Ho"! They would have gone in shouting "Fuck the Bastards!" Although that rich vernacular would not have been allowed on the cinema reels back then! ;) Kudos to you both for making this video - you are fine fellows indeed!
Imagine 911 for 58 days, imagine rationing, per adult per week, 1 egg, 4oz butter, 2oz marg, 1oz tea, 4 bacon rashers, 2/3 pints of milk, meat to the value of 10cents. Now you might get some idea. It was 2years before America joined the war. Our friends from the commonwealth, were with us from the beginning, Australians,Canadians,Indians,New Zealanders and never forgetting the Poles. Later in the war, America helped us with "lend lease" to get armanments. Which we ended paying for in 2006. For some reason America, did not charge Japan and Germany for their regeneration costs.
@@elizabethanthony3916 same here D,o.B. Did you get codliver oil as a child. and I remember we had UV things as a young child. Orange Juice and Milk at Schoo (horrible when the milk got warm!!)
@@elizabethanthony3916 Hi, l was born 1951 of Polish parents who hardly ever talked about the war, having said that l remember when rationing came to an end and my father put 5 teaspoons of sugar into his mug of tea lol. Dad passed 30 years ago but mum is still with us at 99 years of age, still not talking about what happened to her in the war.
Lend lease was not charged. That was the Anglo-American loan, requested by the British after the war was over. They took a similar, although much smaller, loan from Canada as well.
I'm 98 and I served in the RAF, my hands are now unsteady so my son is typing for me.(He showed me this video and explained what a "reaction video" is) I think it is good that people still learn about those times. I lost a lot of good friends and those of us that survived rarely tell their stories.
Son speaking now! I would like to add... my Dad has only just started telling me about some of the darker things he experienced, which is what led me to show him this old footage. There a few veterans left now - we shall remember them.
I wish I had more time to learn more from my Grandfather, who was an Army Chef during the war.
They are libraries of knowledge and very brave too. Thank you for your service sir. God bless you all.
Please thank your Dad for me if you see this and tell him his service will always be sincerely appreciated!
Well done and thank you for your service Sir, it will never go unnoticed!
God bless you Sir where would we be now without people like you who were willing to give up their lives for us today? to just say Thank you to you is not nearly enough l salute sir for your courage and bravery and send much love to you and your family❤❤❤
Your father brought a tear of pride to a 64 years old man. Thank you for your service. 👍
The greatest Generation that ever lived.❣️🌹🙏🏴Thank you.🕊️🕊️🕊️
and we still make tanks that make cups of tea! hehe
They went above and beyond, no doubt. But I think every generation that has ever existed has had the capacity to do the same if or when circumstances require it. Defending your society against threats is one of the core aspects of the human condition.
Thankfully, most generations don;t have to go through that. I hope the time will come when nobody ever has to go through that. But I do believe that if we were facing a threat like that tomorrow, we'd all get our shit together, forget our differences, and fight for one another.
@@nicott667don't be silly the.new generation coming up need a safe space from words
@@nicott667 Bull S. To defend against an enemy who is of one mind and in it together, you must be of one mind and in it together. Nowadays, We're so hyper individualistic, we can't even decide which gender we are. We'd be utterly destroyed by e.g. China.
The one before was as good. The lads who went to the front went through hell. Admittedly civilians had to play a part in WW2, so it was a nation at war.
As a young man, I had the pleasure of talking to a Polish WWII Spitfire pilot. He fought hard and lived out his years modestly near where I lived in London. Respect to all those who served.
My neighbour served in World War 2, He told me some pretty horrifying stories.
Polish spitfire pilots where amongst the best
Had a Polish Uncle who was an aircraft.engineer in the RAF during WWII.
This is something that many forget. The RAF were an international force. Aside from the UK, thre were pilots from all across the empire, like India, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Australia, Kenya, New Zealand, Zimbabwer, Canada and South Africa (where the RAF's top fighter ace of the war came from). Then there was Eagle Squadron, made up of American volunteers before the USA had joined the war. And many of the best pilots were from nations already overrun by the Nazis: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Netherlands, and France. These guys knew first hand what was at stake.
As Brits we should be proud that we defended our nation successfully in awful circumstances. But we must also remember that this wasn't us vs Germany. This was everyone against Naziism. The war was won and the beast was killed through collective international effort against an evil ideology which threatened every single person on the planet. Naziism and other forms of fascism are enemies of humanity. We can never forget that.
The Polish were based at RAF Northolt. There is a memorial there.
You will never break the British spirit to fight, it is in our blood. British and proud.
Amen!
100%💪🏻🙏🏻
Stop with the bullshit bud! The only fighting you probably did was on a Saturday night after the pubs closed.
@@DerekLangdon-w9e
Same as most of the combatants in WW2
Starmer and this government will do their best to break it
in britain we owe so much to the brave people who fought and died for us,
Including the Americans, Canadians, Australians, South Africans poles and Indians etc.
@@anthonyeaton5153 You forgot the Russians
@@anthonyeaton5153no one helped us to keep Hitler of our land we British did it alone yes other countries help end the war but not to defend us we was alone for a year fighting Hitler before anyone else step up to help
@@reaperoflostsouls4323 They were German allies at the time of the Battle of Britain.
Died with
'The courageous people of Britain', such comments like that are why i love your reactions. You are both great people. Wish you both every success in life. Mike 🇬🇧 🏴
Never surrender always fills my heart with pride ,what a speech from Sir Winston Churchill. What would he have said to today's politicians .
Think he had the same problem during the thirties know one listening or taking notice about what was happening around them just thinking of themselves
@@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5One of the ladies who flew air transport said her older bother saw the German naval fleet review and told her on his return there would be a war. Nobody believed him except his father and her
Sadly a very dark hour is fast upon us now UK
Wish he was here now that's for sure.
He was prepared to surrender Northern Ireland to Ireland in return for the use of Irish airbases and ports, he was a Judas.
A respectful and thoughtful reaction, thank you.
Really enjoyed watching your reaction to this, and thank you for your kind words about my country. There is a film made in 1969 called 'The Battel of Britain' that I am sure you will enjoy :-_
My uncle was a miner. In 1940 he got out of the pit and got into a tank. In 1945 he got out of his tank and went back down the pit.
Bless him.
He's lucky to get out, mining became a 'reserved occupation', later on in the war some poor bastards got called up and sent down the Pits - Bevans Boys.
You are showing so much empathy in regard to what our parents suffered. Thankyou.
🇬🇧 A very big THANK YOU to everyone that fought to save our freedoms and to defend our island country.
God bless you for your respect from London. My Dad and Mum served during this time.
Our greatest generation. Todays society has a lot to learn from them.
My parents help to fight this war. Working in underground factories to replace the planes we were loosing. The greatest British generation. We owe them so much!!!
Fantastic, excellent, wonderful reaction.
Thank you SO much for this. Most sincerely.
I am at a lost for words to praise and thank you enough.
All possible best wishes to you both.
Thank you for learning about British history. You always leave me in tears. The last of these heroes are leaving us & young people today don't understand what it takes to maintain civilised society. If everyone was taught the truth about what Britain has done for the modern world they wouldn't be so hateful, they would just say thank you. The British people have been through a lot over the centuries. It's why we're able to make jokes about the darkest things.
It was a joy to see a young couple that are not British show such empathy and respect for our beloved little Islands during our darkest days of WWII.
As Sir Winston Churchill's famous tribute to the RAF fighter pilots & ground crews was said, "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few".
We STILL remember them.🙏🇬🇧
You two are lovely, I’ve just subscribed. God bless you from England 🏴 😊
This was a fantastic reaction, the chap and the lovely lady watched with true appreciation..... nice job sL
My late grandfather served in the Royal Fleet Air Arm as a plane mechanic HMS HERON, during World War Two, I’m proud to be British. Without the sacrifices fellow soldiers gave so we can have the freedom we know today never goes unnoticed. As this history is taught to us in school, or having school trips to museums or going abroad to France to learn more about the Dunkirk.
HMS Heron, is Yeovilton I think. My father worked there during part of the war in the NAAFI, after being on HMS Impulsive. I was actually the first baby to be christened in the chapel there and the font was actually an upturned ship's bell.
How marvellous, grandad was our personal tour guide when visiting the museum. Even though he was blind, that didn’t mean he lost his memory. Grandad would tell us about each individual air craft that was currently in use to that of being decommissioned and placed in the museum and why. Thank you for recognising this to be HMS Yeovilton , grandad was a motor vehicle mechanic before he was signed up to go to war, being a test pilot even though sacred of flying.
@helenjacobs9207 wow what bravery, to be a test pilot, when he was scared of flying. They don't make them like that anymore unfortunately.
@@jedworthythink he put the safety of his fellow grew men/ women above that of his fear of flying, I used to stand and watch grandad when he was in the garage working on cars. Only to go inside when he was using louder work tools. Even being blind, you describe what is wrong with the engine. Grandad would explain step by step in how to fix the problem, what there should be and not what should be there to begin with.
That's when men were real men and not the wimps we have today, And the women knew how to get up and work regardless of what work they undertook. We will never see the like again.
who do oyu thin is n the military now, who fought in afghan and iraqu really, tsk
@@paulhadfield7909 that's totally different to fight half a globe away for some political "reason" or defending your home
Well lady thats bollocks and offensive. A couple of those wimps today are my cousin and brothers who both currently sevrve in the navy and army. So their like again have always been here. Ask my Uncle who was killed in the Falklands. Stupid woman.
@@paulhadfield7909a small amount your talking about . The youth of today are all trans and no idea about taking instructions let alone fighting
Still seeing it now 😊
I have sat and watched this video with you, have marvelled and learned with you. I am so grateful to you both for reacting to this Battle. Now I truly understand so much more why it was so important that Britain and her allies stood in Hitler's way. You are right Starr when you ask what would the world have looked like had the Nazis won. Love your channel. Take great care of yourselves.
I have just suscribed. I love the interest that you show and your enthusiasm. My dad was Polish and in WW2. He got some terrible injuries mostly on his legs and had pain all of his life. He decided to stay and live in England when the war finished. He met my mum (from Wales), and got married. They had me and my older sister. I have got some amazing photos that he took of German ships etc ... I miss you dad❤ I have many of your reactions to watch. I'm looking forward to it. ✌
I forgot to say that my dad was only 18 years old when the war started and when he joined the Polish army to fight.✌✌
@@emmafrench7219 My father was 23 when it ended he had volunteered at the beginning of 41 he lost two cousins and his older brother all three in their early 20's. During the war he was blown up/ knocked out by a German shell shot twice and A POW for 10 moths before he escaped from Germany through Slovakia was betrayed re captured but got away again. What part of Wales are you from.
@johnmc128 That is horrific what your father went through. I only found out about my dad's legs vaguely from my mum. I saw his legs when I was little and the awful mess that they were in and I remember giggling that he was wearing "stockings". I felt so bad when my mum explained that they were surgical stockings and for the said reason. As is often the case he just didn't ever talk about what he went through. I wish he did for his own sake. But he never seemed bitter or angry he just mentioned being up in Scotland with other Polish army friends. They were in a huge mansion/major house and found loads of alcohol and got pissed quite a lot.😊He loved Scotland not because of that but he said it was beautiful and the people were lovely and friendly. I don't know why he ended up in England. My mum was Welsh and she came from Mountain Ash. I assume you are from Wales? I've lived most of my life in England apart from Germany when my ex husband and I were posted there for 4 years. He was military police in the RAF. It was beautiful where we were in Birkenfeld on the French/ Luxembourg border. Have a good rest of the weekend. Thank you for your message. It was terrible what happened but I'm so very grateful for people like your father and mine.✌❤
@@emmafrench7219 Hello, yes I was born in Wales my father was a Scot in the Scots Gd's he had signed on for 20 odd years so he wasn't demobbed at the end of the war. He was in N.Wales and was the mountain warfare instructor in Snowdonia. There are/were many Poles in N.Wales and Wales in general.Have a great weekend yourself. The
@@johnmc128 I find all of these real life stories fascinating. Thank you for telling a bit of yours. Thank you for your kind wishes and take care.
The average age of a pilot in the Battle of Britain was 20 years old. However, some pilots were as young as 18 and others were over 30. The average age of those who were killed was only 22.
Yes, it was truly amazing what the RAF did. I could barely scratch my own arse at 18 leave alone do what these boys did. The firemen and ambulance people too and the brave civilians. My Dad was RAF during WWII.
Phew. Loving your reactions and comments guys. And your enthusiasm. Onto the next video...
The people of that time are called The Greatest Generation 😊
Bless you both for being so intersted in our little country's history. And our GREATEST generation who fought as we should fight today, to save this country again.❤
My Father was in the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot. I cannot believe that you were not taught this at school. I am in the UK and we learnt about the American civil war and beyond. We also learned how the Native people of countries were displaced to make way for industry and human habitation.
We weren't alone as such, we had the Commonwealth and allies with us, and we'll never forget them either 👍🇬🇧
the commonwealth didn't exist you mean empire.
Great Britain was alone in 1940 in the sense that we were the only unconquered nation in Europe.
The phrase in when Britain stood alone not when the British stood alone.
My grandfather was in the Black Watch and was rescued on the last ship from the beach at Dunkirk in 1940. The fear the lads must have felt is next level, being routed at every turn and overran, slowly getting pushed off of Europe and into the sea by the marauding Nazi forces.
He saw his best friend blown up among many other events, but he never talked about them. Instead preferring only to tell the more humourous anedotes of his time including how he had to shoot a tin of corned beef because he couldn't get it open at Dunkirk and it was his last food!
The mask the baby (and everyone else) had to wear were and are gas masks. They don't have anything to do with radiation specifically. It was feared the Germans would drop gas on Britain. However probably largely thanks to Hitler being gassed in the first World War (and the general horror that the gassings in World War One caused) his forces did not use it and he refused to give the order for them to do otherwise.
My Parents and grandparents, my Mom and Granny worked in a munitions factory, and in 1968 when I was 16 I started working in an accountants office, where I met former pilots, infantry men and sailors, men and women that went through hell and came back out the other side, damaged but went straight back to the work force after leaving the services.. I was proud they were my bosses, I was proud for the service they gave to their country 25 yrs earlier.. I'm 72 and still so proud of those men and women of WWII.. I fear we do not have the same spirit now in the face of current state of the World. God Bless you both and thank you.. love all of your videos.
Good to see people still appreciating British history! Sometimes it seems like certain people would like to sweep it under the carpet!! God Bless You!
It has been said before and so eloquently,” never has so much been owed by so many, to so few. “
I am of the “baby boomer “ generation, and would not be here today, if these young men hadn’t fought so bravely for our freedom.
Winston Churchill, was indeed, the right man, at the right time,and very necessarily, in the right place. Great respect to my parent’s generation!
My nan was a Londoner who lived through this, she kept diaries that I now have, reading through it is heartbreaking, from my grandad going to war, to my dad being evacuated, and the effects of the blitz....the joy of it being over, VE day takes up 2 whole pages and you can feel the relief, the joy and the fact that we won in her words...God I miss her.
My mother worked in a factory making components for Lancaster bombers, and at night did a stint on the roof of a local cinema as an air raid warden.
I love your passion. You definitely asked the right questions. Great reaction
It wasn't just Britain alone in 1940, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India etc. These countries declared war on the Axis powers of their own volition. I am so proud of our allies of the time and grateful for lend lease of the United States, without which the world wouldn't have survived the Nazi onslaught, exactly the same as Ukraine today, fighting alone against Russia and its allies.
Yes, they joined the fight, and we are grateful for their help. But the fact is that they were not in the direct line of fire. They did not suffer the endless bombing raids, see their cities being destroyed. Suffer the fear, day in and day out, that the next bomb would have their name on it. Nor the years of rationing, that went on long after the war was over. As for assistance from America, it came, but at a high price. I do not decry the blood sacrifice made by the American soldiers, they are owed respect. But the fact is, America came out of that war richer than they went in. By contrast, Britain was left broken physically and economically. The fact is, the Americans charged us for every nut and bolt they sent. We paid in gold, our reserves almost completely depleted. But we also had to hand over our technological and scientific advances, Radar for instance. As well as allowing them access to some valuable ports around the world, which were then British controlled. That war debt was so huge that Britain only finished paying it off barely 20 years ago. And it is hugely ironic that Germany, well the western part, was given huge amounts in aid by America, mainly to help keep it out of the Soviets hands.
@@christinerussell113Please don’t denigrate the Americans, they lost 400,000 killed in WW2. They were very gallant and we in Britain should remember what they did. Your mentioning the US being wealthier after the war is irrelevant to WW2. Freedom from Nazi tyranny was worth it.
@anthonyeaton5153 Sorry, did you actually read my post? and if you did, you obviously found only insults directed at American soldiers. That is your problem. I made a point of referencing the sacrifices made by the actual American soldiers. As the daughter of a disabled 2nd WW veteran, I would never disparage those who do the actual fighting. My late father fought alongside our American allies, he had great respect for them, as do I. And pointing out that Britain was at the forefront of the war, from its very beginning, and went on to pay a far higher price in every way, is not irrelevant. Fighting that war broke Britain, and we never fully recovered. Winners and losers emerge from every conflict. We were, in many ways, a loser. As with all wars, their are those who profit while sacrificing nothing, and America has its share. And that is true of conflicts both past and present, and in every part of the world.
@@christinerussell113 I totally agree with you.Too many war films have been made in holly wood depicting the Americans as our saviours,what a joke.
@christinerussell113 Lend lease was not paid for. That was the Anglo-American loan, requested by the British after the war was over. They took a similar, although much smaller, loan from Canada as well.
Not to mention the nearly $3 billion in Marshall Plan aid, by far the most given to any other country.
My father was in the Royal navy during ww2 and became an officer, my mother was making ammunition at 15 yrs old . They met when my mum was 16 at London docks and she told my father that if he made it back from the war she would marry him. He was from Manchester and she was a Londoner.when the war ended he came to London and found her. They were married for over 50 yrs and had 5 children. I'm the youngest. I've always thought it was a very romantic story. My father was a true officer and a gentleman.
I thank God literally for your parents, my parents and grandparents. The entire strong, resilient, brave generation I have nothing but gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
My great grandfather fought in the Boar war, the First World War and he was a firefighter in the Second World War as he was too old to fight. He was a Chelsea Pensioner
My grandad fought in Africa in the Second World War he was a “desert rat” as they nicknamed them
I am so very proud and grateful for everything they did
What a generation of heroes home and abroad! We literally owe them everything, sadly we are handing our freedom over like fools in the UK today. I hang my head in shame for the state our beautiful country is becoming.
@@michellejones1618 i absolutely agree with you. We can never forget the sacrifice that generation made. We owe them everything.
My Dad was born in 1901. He was in the Navy and fighting at the tail-end of WW1 and in the whole of WW2. He never spoke about what he did. He died in 1981. He is My Hero. Rest in peace Pop.
@@michellejones1618 I agree with you wholeheartedly
This is a quality reaction channel, you two have great chemistry together very wholesome feel watching this, I shall be subscribing and coming back to see more ✌️
My grandfather was in the Staffordshire regiment during ww2 . He died aged 88
Even our dear departed Queen joined the army as an ambulance driver. I sometimes wonder why we have all the young men fleeing their countries instead of becoming resistance fighters.....
She trained as a mechanic and driver at the ATS No 1 Mechanical Transport Training Centre in Camberley, Surrey. She was known as truck mechanic No. 230873.
👍👏👏👏👏🇬🇧
Was a mechanic
My father served in both wars, he signed up to the Great War at just 16 and was called up for WW2 at 39.
Lets not forget that us Brits were not alone On the day we declared war on Germany at the same time so did Australia, New Zealand, India, Tonga and Transjordan, Followed shortly by France, Morocco, Tunisia . Nepal, South Africa, Bahrain, Canada, and Oman. but of course we where the front line. In the Battle of Britain many pilots from allied nations took part including those from Poland ( my grandad was in the Polish air force and trained a squadron in Wales) and Czechoslovakia. We also had support of many other Commonwealth nations.
I send you guys greetings from the White Cliffs, situated in my village is the Battle of Britain memorial, a beautiful site dedicated to the few.
Jason. Great Britain WAS alone as the only unconquered country in Europe. That is fact, the help came later.
Someone on Quora asked: 'Why is the U.K. so incapable of protecting itself?'
Chris Murphy replied:
What a fantastic question. No sarcasm at all. I'm an Aussie, and the Brits, as small as the land mass they occupy, are the last people I would want to fight with. The last. I'll deal with crocodiles, over a tonne, I'll deal with kangeroos who will punch and kick your teeth in, not to mention the Kiwis (New Zealand).
You don't want to start a fight with the UK. Seriously. You really don't. They have a don't care attitude towards you. Stiff upper lip if you will. Gentlemanly, if you please. That attitude will be maintained until the last. The very last. They are the only group who ruled the world, and then gave it back.
England, Scotland, Wales, N Ireland.
I salute you.
Thank you
If anything happens. I will fight
Whoever asked that question knows naught obviously. Suggest they study history and current general knowledge and politics.
yeah about that pub crawl that ended up with the british empire. sorry about that.
@@davidhines7592 lol, actually the British Empire was kind of accidental, all we really wanted was some trading posts to get a bit of money to stop the French and Spanish trying to take us over, and it kind of escalated somehow.
Ukraine have the same fighting spirit as the British had during the second world war. Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦
Slava Ukraine
As Russia discovered to their cost.
@@terryhayward7905 Eh?
You are two very special people to realise and voice all this . Wish you two the greatest of luck . Take care of each other .🫶❤️🐾
Just want to say thank you for your comments - you made me feel proud. I wasn't around then but my parents and grandparents were. I remember my mum telling me about going down to the air raid shelters during the bombing, she managed to make it sound almost like an adventure but it must have been terrifying.
Europe's Honey Badger.
12:25 mans turned that around so perfectly, I'm dead. lol Bloody marvelous!
Never In the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few .
Churchill , 20th of August 1940
The aircrew bailed out - they jumped out of the aircraft with a parachute.
Great reaction and can you react to the 13 hours that saved Britain next
With love from the UK
It's always so nice seeing people learn more of what went on
I'm English and feel honoured that you 2 would take the time to learn and be submerged in this ❤
You say it's too much! The reality was much worse, the responsibility fell to the RAF pilots many of whom died. When Hitler gave up his attempt to invade he decided instead to bomb the hell out of Britain and so started the blitz. I don't know just how you would react to that, almost every night they came and bombed London and industrial cities and ports round the country.
I knew a Polish man whose family died in the Holocaust; he served in the Polish Airforce which had become based in Britain. Many escapee Europeans were based in Britain and continued to fight against Hitler for their homeland. Also respect to Australia and others who were outside of Hitler’s reach in 1939, with no hesitation, they immediately also volunteered their service.
There were more Hurricanes than Spitfires in the Battle of Britain. The first things that the Germans went after were the RAF airfields and RADAR stations along the coast.
Where I live, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, was badly bombed during the war because of the radar station on top of the hill. It is still a radar station today and outside the compound there are several small brick buildings with thick concrete slabs on the to where ackack guns were mounted.
As a young child I well remember playing on the bomb sites.
They didn't go for the radar stations. They didn't know about them. Radar was the British secret weapon.
We invented lies like 'carrots give our defenders great night vision' to account for us being apple to spot and respond to German aircraft so quickly.
They Germans had no odea that radio waves could detect their attacks and that the great concrete listening posts could hear their engines powering up.
The RAF pilots and ground crew were amazing, yes, but they had better planes and vastly superior situational awareness. When they flew to intercept German attacks, they knew who and what they were facing, had time to coordinate their counterstrike and the experience to do so cleanly and precisely.
Nazi pilots were unfamiliar with the land and water. They had no prior warning of what to expect and when, and as the battle continued, they had the knowledge that hundreds of their compatriots had tried and died doing the exact same thing. They were terrified.
@@AnonEyeMouse Not so. Germany did have radar early in the war but, they failed to develop it as they thought the war was won.
They did know about the various radar stations, Ventnor I.O.W. being one of them. If they didn’t know why did they bomb the town of Ventnor in 1942?
There would have been no reason to!
Ventnor radar would have provided early warning for raids on Portsmouth and Southampton, both major shipping ports.
If you haven't already seen it, you should watch the film "Darkest Hour." This depicts quite well, the story of the Battle of Britain. Winston Churchill is played brilliantly by Gary Oldman. Another good watch is, "The Dam Busters" which put an end to Germany's hopes of building a nuclear bomb.
Never seen that before really enjoyed it.
Your man became an honorary Brit when he exclaimed "that's what I'm talking about!" 😀
You are quite right; they were an amazing generation that lived and fought through both World Wars and, speaking as a Brit, we can never live up to their memory. I hope we're never even required to. They deserve all the respect.
Thank You Both From Me In Birmigham England 😊👍...
Upsets Me Too How Somehow We Did It 😊.
And The God Lord With Us Knowing Whats Right🇬🇧🙏🏻
Your emotional reaction is well appreciated. The UK had the Channel sea for physical defence, and plenty of support from around the World. There was every reason to go on.
Ahh you two are lovely, empathetic and caring. Thank you very much. See you later.❤
Apart from the men who were ordered to stay behind (like my grandfather) who ended up being marched to prisoner of war camps in poland
Curiously, there was no mention of radar. It wasn't the listening posts that gave early warning. I think they were found to be of only modest value. Perhaps at this time it is still too top secret to mention it.
You answer your own point. The reaction is to a contemporary film aimed at the USA audience, radar was classified with Germany only guessing. What exactly is going on in Ukraine and Russia is not fully reported by the BBC, CNN, FOX or the Russian news stations. The BBC hopefully learnt their lesson when they broadcast a planned attack by UK troops ahead of the attack, costing UK soldiers' lives during the 1982 Falklands Conflict.
Maybe The 13 Hours that Saved Britain; might give some idea of the value or non value of the radar.
Men and women work as team, together you can face anything. It is ying and Yang. A couple are not in competition with each other
I live in Scotland uk my grandfather was in the Second World War he joined with his best friend my grandfather came home but he lost his best friend in the war I have all my grandfathers medals from the war we lost my grandfather & I can always remember on the day of his funeral there were some men he had fought with when we were in the funeral cars I saw them step forward to my grandfather’s coffin & saluted him & then they stepped back which I found incredibly touching
Guys…I would have to point out…this WWII between 1939-1945.
During this period, a quarter of the world (including Nigeria) was part of the British Empire. Nigeria gained its independence in 1960.
If Hitler had defeated Britain, she would also have had to surrender all the territory that was a part of the British Empire, including Nigeria. That was why it was essential for Hitler to defeat Britain to gain ALL that territory in one fell swoop.
So, you could say that Britain was also defending the other countries in the Empire.
Sorry it wouldn't have worked that way.
@@stuartauld3193 How would it not have worked that way? In history, Britain gained territories from the other nations (like France, Spain, etc) when they won wars against them.
To all intents and purposes, None of the other countries in the Empire would have been able to defend themselves against Germany once Britain was defeated. Do you think Hitler would have stopped at Britain? No…he was a Megalomaniac and he would have gone on to conquer the USA and then all the other nations on Earth.
@@Bpat6169 so Hitler would just take over half of Africa?
@@Bpat6169 You are correct in everything you have stated! 🇬🇧
@@Bpat6169 I read that he was obsessed by Britain's empire; used to absorb information on it all. I seem to remember being 'told' he watched films about it, but given the era I'm not sure exactly what he watched as I can't remember the exact article or book that held that information. That's the problem with reading so much over 70 years !
My father was very young but as soon as he was old enough he joined the home Guard. I remember him telling me that he was put on guard duty not with a gun, they did not have enough, but with a carving knife strapped onto a broom-handle.
I'm very proud of my grandparents, and their families, some of whom I never met as my grandparents were born between 1895 and 1905 and fought in both wars in one way or another, I still have an Aunt who's 96 and worked with the Land Army and I have been bought up with the same resistance, stubbornness, dark sense of humour and the just get on with it attitude. I'm extremely proud of being British and for everything everyone gave for our freedom, it's a pity we didn't learn from the first war, we hoped that would be a one off, however Germany had other ideas, even members of our royal family were involved in both wars. I would recommend watching just what the women did during both wars especially during the second, they flew the new planes without any working radio's etc, they'd fly into war zones hoping to go unnoticeable on radar, so the men could continue flying. They made the ammunition which the men needed, generally took on what were considered the men's jobs whilst they were away. I can say they did a lot more than has ever been reported, a couple of reasons, we don't like talking about what we've done, my family came in very useful for history and Geography at school, and other subjects, but would rarely say what they actually did, and many signed the Official Secrets Act and took much to their graves with them again, we've been told not too give details not even families knew what some were and had done during the wars
With some of the German aircraft you can hear a screaming noise as they dive down. These were the 'Stuka' Fighter/bomber fitted with a siren, meant to spread terror among the civilian population.
they probably gor a rude comment from whoever heard it!
When women where men, and men where lions.
The British Fighter Command was organised. With Radar and a network observers. Had the Germans pressed home the attacks on airfields there might have been a different outcome. However Hitler turned on London leaving the bombers limited fighter cover and the RAF time to replenish and recover. The British had the first integrated command and control network. It’s also worth remembering there were many Polish Czech and others in the RAF. Lots of phases to the Battle of Britain. A spitfire Ammunition lasted 14 seconds and the ME 109 55 seconds. There were around 100 more Hurricanes than Spitfires at the start of the Battle of Britain. The fact is all these RAF pilots were very courageous young men.
unfortunatly when you have no adversity for generations, people forget how hard it was to fight a war, and many only see war on tv now, but i assume if ever the people of britain need to do that again, they will rise to it, as most peoples will, even those round you, if needed they too will find in them the courage to resist and overcome.
yet people are forgetting and the youngsters don't even care what our brave service men and women went through so they could have the life they have now ( it's disgusting ) 😭😭
My father was a Royal engineer who fought in Egypt, Italy, France, Belgium Holland and finally Germany ending liberating a German concentration camp. My mother joined the Land Army girls brigade serving on English farms producing food for the Nation. My father spoke to me just once when he was drunk about his part when he was de-mining a bridge into Germany with snipers trying to pick him off as he worked and Royal Marines protecting him from those German snipers. That is the one time he ever spoke about what happened to him during the war. He refused to receive his war medals sick of what he saw and did during those five years. I when I grew up and with his consent wrote to the Ministry of Defence and requested his medals on his behalf for the family and with his written permission in the late 1960's. They included the following The African Star with bar for two tours of duty serving on attachment to the Desert Rats the eighth army of Rommel. The European Star for service in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and finally Germany, The Atlantic Star for service in the Atlantic ocean whilst awaiting invasion of France, The British War medal, and The Defence Medal. He never wore them at any memorial service and would not accept any praise for his service. I have passed them on to my son who in turn will pass them down through the family for generations to come. Because of my parents service I have lived in freedom and peace my whole life (73 years) and have never been required to fight in another war in defence of our country. That is what my parents generation fought for so that their children could live in freedom and peace never knowing the true horrors of war.
When this film was made, radar was a secret. It allowed us to see raids gathering over France. It meant we could wait til the last minute to scramb!e fighters to intercept. This gave us more time in the air fighting and more on the ground resting. Sometimes our fighters were able to attack a raid on the way in, land, rearm and refuel, and attack it again on the way out.
This was beautiful guys x
FOR WHAT, look at the state of this country now
From being free from Nazi tyranny.
Our brave airmen saved us., Giving us time to rebuild our army which had been left on the beaches of Dunkirk.
the documented number was 2,945 RAF aircrew At the height of the Battle of Britain, the RAF had only 749 fighter aircraft available, against 2,550 Luftwaffe aircraft.
Radar and the sacrifice of many young pilots...19/20 year olds..
To put things into perspective, the Blitz on the UK took 43,000 civilian lives and another 135,000 injured with over 2,000,000 homes being destroyed.
" Britain fought on alone " made go propaganda , but it had an empire that stood with it plus people from countries the Germans had overrun. Britain also had a bigger manufacturing base than Germany so once the battle of Britain started it could replace its loses faster than the Germans could.
Brilliant reaction guys... If you ever get a chance to see the stunning design and more importantly hear a Supermarine Spitfire with it's legendary Merlin engine (Yes it was named after a Wizard), it stirs every British heart. If you want to look into British engineering history react to the series "The boat that Guy built" its on you tube..
I was born in 1942, My father built aircraft and later was a soldier, my mother worked in a munitions factory..... I remember the air raids, and the unguided V1 and V2 weapons. One of those killed one of my uncles. Yes we downed a lot of Luftwaffe planes, but we lost a lot of pilots too. British scientists had invented the first radars too, and that helped as we knew the germans were coming as soon as they took off in France.
Yes we were on our own until Pearl Harbour brought in the Americans to the European war in 1942 as by that time the US realised that they too were threatened. They were a bit late getting started and their troops not well trained but they learned fast and were a great help. Mind you, it took Britain until the 21st century to pay America for the aid and equipment they sent to us.... it wasn't given, it was "lend-lease"..... it was to be returned or, if destroyed., paid for. British people had food and other commodities rationed for a very long time after the war so that the government could begin to pay America for the war materiel. Many British folk were none too pleased about that, but that was the only deal that America would accept to supply vital war materiel....
My dad was based in North Africa During WW11 on RAF Lancaster bombers, he was one of the lucky ones who came home. Had he not come home I would mot be born, I owe everything to my Dad. Unfortunately he talked about it.
Frightening to think how much easier it would have been to sue for peace, and many at the time wanted to take the easy route. Thankfully, Winston Churchill used his incomparable speeches to help keep the general population on his side, and we ended up, with our Allies help victorious.
It could have been a very different World today without this amazing generation.
We shall defend our Island...'whatever' the cost may be ! Remember !
The Spitfire was at this time the unknown ace up Britain's sleeve. There was a meeting between Hitler and Goering in September 1940 where he asked what his air force would need to win the battle of Britain and Goering responded with a squadron of Spitfires
We are immensely indebted to the courageous young men who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II; in fact, the entire world has a profound obligation to honor and remember their sacrifices. Those brave individuals not only fought valiantly in the skies but also played a crucial role in shaping the course of history.
Their unwavering commitment to duty and their readiness to face unimaginable dangers on behalf of their country and allies deserve our deepest gratitude. The impact of their service resonates beyond the borders of their nation, influencing the lives of countless individuals around the globe.
It is essential that we recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions those young heroes made in the struggle for freedom, peace and justice during one of the darkest periods in human history. Their legacy serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity and we must ensure that their stories are told and remembered for generations to come.
Love your videos.💯
My grandmother was a secretary at the war office during the day and then every night she’d help wounded and returning soldiers at the main train station. This was during the blitz too. One night she got back home to get a couple of hours sleep before starting work again and went into her family air raid shelter. When she woke up and looked outside her house and whole street had gone. She fixed her hair and went to work. Out of all my grandparents she probably had the easiest time during the war.
How many part 1's are there in this series ?
I was enthralled as much as you watching this. There are good people in the world and you both fit the bill. However, I doubt those pilots of the RAF went into battle shouting a polite "Tally Ho"! They would have gone in shouting "Fuck the Bastards!" Although that rich vernacular would not have been allowed on the cinema reels back then! ;) Kudos to you both for making this video - you are fine fellows indeed!
The sacrifice made by so many young men and women have been let down by the leaders we have now
Invaded we r however together we will win 🏴🇬🇧
👍👏👏👏👏👏
One of my uncles was captured at Dunkirk
Love you guys
Imagine 911 for 58 days, imagine rationing, per adult per week, 1 egg, 4oz butter, 2oz marg, 1oz tea, 4 bacon rashers, 2/3 pints of milk, meat to the value of 10cents. Now you might get some idea. It was 2years before America joined the war. Our friends from the commonwealth, were with us from the beginning, Australians,Canadians,Indians,New Zealanders and never forgetting the Poles. Later in the war, America helped us with "lend lease" to get armanments. Which we ended paying for in 2006. For some reason America, did not charge Japan and Germany for their regeneration costs.
I was born in 1952, they were still rationing in Britain until 1954, we were lucky we didn't all get ricketts like my mum.
@@elizabethanthony3916 same here D,o.B. Did you get codliver oil as a child. and I remember we had UV things as a young child. Orange Juice and Milk at Schoo (horrible when the milk got warm!!)
@@elizabethanthony3916
Hi, l was born 1951 of Polish parents who hardly ever talked about the war, having said that l remember when rationing came to an end and my father put 5 teaspoons of sugar into his mug of tea lol. Dad passed 30 years ago but mum is still with us at 99 years of age, still not talking about what happened to her in the war.
the commonwealth didn't exist, think you mean the empire.
Lend lease was not charged. That was the Anglo-American loan, requested by the British after the war was over. They took a similar, although much smaller, loan from Canada as well.