Clive James on BoB and Sir Keith Park - good read.

[RedToo]

I didn't know he won the MC twice in WWI.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8359288.stm

RedToo.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Thanks for the link! It was a good read

It seams to be a reoccuring theme during the war, that people like Keith Parks who should have been hailed as hero's were hung out to dry.

A similar thing happened to a Brigadier Potts in the AIF during the Kokoda campaign. With about 1000 men he was ordered to hold back the Japanese invasion force of somewhere between 10,000 to 16,000 soldiers headed to Port Moresby. Rather than killing his entire Brigade following order from General McArthur who displayed no understanding of the conditions faced by the troops, he staged a fighting withdrawl along the Kokoda Track.

By the time they had reached Imita Rigde (Within sight of Morsby) The Japanese force had been broken and were forced to retreat back along the track back to Buna and Gona on the Northen Coast line of New Guinea.

Rather than recieving the credit for continually harrassing the Japanese, and delaying their advance so long that Australia could ship another division in to Morsby and that the Japanese supply line became so disfunctional that many of the surviving Japanese died from starvation, malaria and dysentry Potts was releaved of command and sent back to Australia.

If you talk to any of the verterans from the 7th Division who were involved in that stage of the Kokoda campaign, they'll swear that Potts is the only reason that they are still alive.

A small brass statue is very small tribute to people of this calibre.



If you ever pass through Kojonup In the South West of Western Australia (Potts home town), Stop for a break in the small park in the centre of town and say 'Hi' to Brigadier Potts

[brando]

Both these stories make a good point that seems to be often missed by those who attempt to blame the world's ills on civilian politicians. Internal politics within military organisations is also rife with division and petty jealousies. Self-publicists like MacArthur and Montgomery cost the lives of many ordinary men when the plans overreach their abilities, yet they are remembered much longer than the commanders who just got on with the job.

Just a thought

[kristorf]

Ihad an invite to the unveiling of the statue in Trafalger Square and can say the statue is impressive.

Next Sept 15th (Battle of Britain Day) is the 70th Anniversary of the hight of the battle.
On that day the permanent statue will be unveiled in Waterloo Place (just off The Mall), it will be bronze and 9ft high instead of the 16ft at the moment.
Hoping to be at that one too.