The Battle Of The Atlantic And More Musings

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Here's a different take on what has become part of our national story, a different take which ought to be accreted to ours. Too much time studying the Battle of the Atlantic in 1941-42, during the last few weeks, led me by happy mistake to this, from Das Boot.



A German friend told me that during the World Cup in 2006 one of the pieces of cultural information that had to be passed to the German police who were protecting the stadiums in which the English team was to play was what, when they tried to verify the identity of ticket holders, the cry of "Don't tell them your name, Pike!" meant. The nice thing was that after it had been explained, everyone laughed and understood.

Imagine another evening and a mixed bunch of British and German civilians and military, all in a theatre of conflict far from home, though this time on the same side, a couple of slabs of German lager, and a British set of videos of "Blackadder Goes Forth". They were all watched, from start to finish; more than 10 years on, those who watched are still the truest of friends.