You Know, Perfidy
Which, as we all know, comes from the Latin, "Perfidus", meaning "Faithless". Because our jealous Continental neighbours used to glower at this nation from across the Channel, being extremely cross that we could choose to join in their conflicts (having negotiated very favourable terms) or not. And, why, we might choose to side with entirely different neighbours in the next conflict that comes up!
A delicate and nuanced diplomatic tool
Of course Perfidious Albion used to project an image of fair play, decency and abiding by the rules of cricket (which was tricky to explain to Johnny Foreigner), when in reality a strong streak of Utter Ruthlessness ran through our nation.
Take, for example, the summer of 1940. The BEF had just been evacuated from France via Operations DYNAMO and ARIEL, bringing back 400,000 troops but without much of their kit bar what they could carry. The prospect of a Teuton invasion loomed large. Rather than running around in circular hysterics, the natives of This Sceptred Isle got down to some detailed, devious and deadly planning: enter the Auxiliary Units. Art!
As Jim pointed out on the most recent "We Have Ways -" podcast, these chaps got weapons that the regular army could only wish for, because Mister Churchill took a very close interest in them, and if he put out a memo that said "Auxiliary Units; to be issued with Thompson sub-machine carbines ACTION THIS DAY" then it got done. The personnel were recruited individually by officers from the Military Intelligence Corps, and they then recruited men for their own unit. They were exhaustively trained in all manner of unarmed combat, with weapons and explosives, in hiding and evading and were as far ahead of the Local Defence Volunteers/Home Guard as a battleship is from an armed trawler. Art!
The idea behind the AU was that, in the case of a Teuton invasion, they would immediately hide in their underground bunker and wait until the Teutons were in their area. As Jim pointed out, this was a Resistance movement planned before it was needed, and thus quite unique. Art!
Can you find the additional 23 men hidden in this photo?
"Step into my parlour ..."
That above is the entrance to a bunker, helpfully exposed so that you, gentle reader, can see it. Meanwhile below ground level -
A home from home
They had sufficient supplies to last for two weeks, because they weren't expected to live beyond that, given that they would have been blowing up Teuton fuel and ammunition dumps and thus becoming a much-hunted target. Not to mention that the first people they would have assassinated would be anyone able to give them away - that is, their neighbours and whomever had noticed them digging a giant hole in the landscape. Plus the county's Chief Constable, who had vetted them for any criminal record. Then, anyone deemed likely to collaborate with the Teutons - Oswald Mosely, we're looking at you.
Ooops. I don't think Winnie approves of my revelations.
Of course, push never came to shove and the AU were never needed. At least, not then. Their details were collated and kept, because after Herr Schickelgruber went marching off this mortal coil, there was still a need to keep alert. Art!
How to scare cats the Josef Dzugiashvilli way!
I can see a book in my Book Cave titled "Operation Sealion" by Leo McKinstry, which I think has more details about the AU, however I need a ladder to reach it and there's none in the Sektir Layr at present. Maybe today after work*.
I Thought It Was A Bit Quiet
Yesteryon I mentioned author Martin Marix Evans, in connection with Operation SEALION, since I'd read a book of his on the prospective Teuton invasion of This Sceptred Yet Perfidious Isle. Your Humble Scribe did think things on the MME front had been quiet of late, which is easily explained: he's dead. Art!
MME and one of his Osprey works. It seems that Martin, aged 81, died from Covid-19 complications last June <swears at Covid-19>. Sad news indeed. I may re-read one of his works that I have on the shelves. If you want to know more, go check up on Naseby, since he campaigned to have this English Civil Unpleasantness battlefield preserved from the encroachment of motorways.
Australia - Is Trying To Kill You
There is a theory that, given a few more generations, a species of Hom. Sap. from Oz will take over the world, pushing puny Poms (and all others) to the brink of extinction. Why so? Because only those most fitted for survival in Nature's Lethal Living Laboratory will endure, and they will be superhuman. Art!
This is not a joke. You might be forgiven for thinking that, but what you are seeing is the Oz tendency to trivialize the appallingly dangerous into the mildly amusing. "Stingers" are nothing to do with bees or wasps; they are the Box Jellyfish, a species with several different phylae, most of which are non-lethal. Art!
"Most". Most is not all. As for the dangerous ones - these thing's stings are so incredibly toxic that sufferers can go into cardiac arrest and die within minutes of being stung. Over 60 people have died from Box Jellyfish stings, which you might sum up as: arrive at beach, meet a box, go home in one.
One wonders quite how Ockers would cope with a live volcano suddenly appearing in the Sydney suburbs. "CAUTION! Lava can be hot - do not approach bearing chestnuts or shrimps" or "Danger! 'Blower' in action - please observe detours"**
Yer average laidback Oz volcano
Finally -
As you should already know, Conrad likes to post about gigantic bespoke Lego sculptures, which consume hundreds of thousands of pieces and that take whole teams of builders days to construct. Then there's this:
I can tell what you're thinking: "Why would Lego do a kit where people explore a giant mud geyser?"
Alas no. Remember my facile quip about a volcano in the middle of Sydney***? Art!
Conrad has to say that is the most miserable excuse for a volcano that he's seen since "City Beneath The Sea". Or perhaps "The Time Machine" in it's Sixties iteration.
* For yes, I am working on a Saturday <insert foul curses here>
** You can kow-tow to your Oz overlords at this point.
*** The city not the person.
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