mick2me 3,033 Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 But you might recognise some locations here. A chance to view some extraordinary footage of Nottingham as it was during the Second World War as filmed by a US Army soldier stationed here. Nottingham 1944 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 ... an interesting footnote , when the American soldiers were here prior to being dropped into occupied Europe,Iremember well one of the airborne soldiers being brought for some home cooked grub to our house by my uncle. I still remember the amazing taste of the strange sweets he gave me in a tin,and also a packet of American gum.-quite something to a kid who had never tasted any sweets due to rationing. Of greater interest I have often wondered if he survived,or was he killed like the officer who shot the film of 1944 Nottingham. Say what you like ,we would certainly gone under without the Yanks . The other interesting fact I heard about the war was that only last week(!) did we finally repay the war loan final installment to the Canadians and USA. B) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 When you read history books written after a lot of the last WW papers were declassified, and there are still a lot more under wraps!! Churchill was under no illusion, without the clandestine help Britain received from the Americans, we would have been invaded. Plans had been put into place by Churchill, to form "cells" who didn't know who another "cell" was,so if any member of a cell was caught and tortured, the only men he could "give away" were the other five in his "cell" British agents were working in New York in the early years of the war with training centres in Canada. Only a few trusted people knew what was going on, the President, who could have been impeached by Congress had the truth escaped, J Edgar Hoover, who had to be appeased or he'd have leaked information, and was found to have done so to Senator Kennedy, who hated the UK with a vengeance. Hoover was "spoon fed" by the President lots of false information to pass on to his buddy Kennedy, so as he'd appear unreliable. Then there is an unconfirmed story that the Bismark may well have been hit by an American torpedo by a submarine on a secret mission that only the skipper of that sub knew about and his commanding officer, that won't be confirmed for many more years until more papers are de classified. The Bismark presented a threat to not only Britain, but to the US, but without harming the neutrality act, everything had to be done clandestinely. I believe the rumour that the Bismark was severely damaged by a torpedo. Also remember there was a squadron of RAF pilots who were Americans in the Battle of Britain, all volunteers, who also taught RAF conscripts to fly!! There's a lot more in history many of us haven't read about yet, but the Germans were doing their best to keep America out of the war by every means at their disposal. Hitler must have been extremely angry when he heard Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OLDACE 196 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Hitler declared war on America three days after Pearl Harbour, one reason was the hope that Japan would reciprocate and declare war on Russia. He did not know that Japan and Russia had a non-agression treaty in place. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Somehow I don't think it really mattered whether Adolph declared war on the US, once Pearl Harbor had been attacked it gave Roosevelt the power to declare war on Hitler too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OLDACE 196 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 The point is that America did not declare war on Germany, Germany declared war on America. Rooseveldt may have wanted war with Germany, but most Americans didn't. They were isolationists, and while they had no objections to selling us armaments for a handsome profit, they did not want to actually fight on European soil. Hitler made a big mistake, I am sure America would have prefered to fight Japan only. while selling the UK the neccessary supplies. A UK weakened by war was an outcome welcomed by the US. Their foreign policy is not and necver has been altruistic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Froggy 3 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 I recall a tv documentary which claimed Russia, Germany and Japan had an agreement that they would not attack each other and would declare war in any country that attacked any one of them. Italy may have been a member of that group too. Were they called the Axis powers? The attack on Pearl Harbour was bound to force the US to declare war on Japan and that obliged Germany to declare war on Germany. Until then, the US had been content to profit from the war by selling arms and other supplies to the UK on credit terms that were finally settled only a few years ago. The real winners were, of course, the big banking families who funded both side of the war in Europe. Roosevelt was keen to send young Americans tho their deaths in Europe and Asia but the population in general saw no advantage in so doing. Perhaps the bankers were offering him a commission if the US also borrowed money from them. Perhaps he feared that the US would be overrun by foreigners. Too late mate - ask the native Americans! There is evidence that his Administration had advance warning of the Japanese attack and allowed it to go ahead unhindered as his way of getting stuck into the war. Some people hold the view that the US intimidated Japan into launching the attack by strengthening its military presence in the Pacific. It makes you wonder whether the same technique has been used in more modern times. If you let go of the notion that those who have influence over us care a flying fig about the loss of a few thousand lives, some interesting possibilities become apparent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 I recall a tv documentary which claimed Russia, Germany and Japan had an agreement that they would not attack each other and would declare war in any country that attacked any one of them. Italy may have been a member of that group too. Were they called the Axis powers? The attack on Pearl Harbour was bound to force the US to declare war on Japan and that obliged Germany to declare war on Germany. EH? Some people hold the view that the US intimidated Japan into launching the attack by strengthening its military presence in the Pacific. The American oil embargo on Japan forced their expansionist plans as they had no oil source of their own. The Russians signed a non aggression pact with Germany...but weren't part of the Axis....Didn't do 'em much good though... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Froggy 3 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 The Russians signed a non aggression pact with Germany...but weren't part of the Axis....Didn't do 'em much good though... Oops! 'Germany to declare war on the US'. Yes, the US forced Japan to act. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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