Those that have commented on the repeated references to ‘nazi invaders’ have my total agreement. Every time the we were at war with the nazis came up I bellowed embarrassingly ‘they were Germans!’ It is as though we were at war with a political party and not Germany. The deduction as already mentioned is that we do not want to embarrass German sensibilities. Political correctness, grrr....

In this case, I'm not sure whether it's political correctness or just plain dumb and not knowing what they're talking about...

Whether that's the presenters, researchers, script writers or all three, who knows?

The presenters only read whatever script is put in front of them, so it will be a mix of the researchers and script writers (who may or may not have a political agenda, or just be ignorant or both)

My old employer used Kate for a couple of events that I was involved in. She soon became Kate ‘not so’ Humble by the team who had the misfortune to work with her.

GeeRam. OOps my error, thanks for that; but the comment re. BBC still stands IMHO.

Other TV irritations (for me at least) include the use of the present tense when referring to historic events and referring to people using names or titles that they used later than the events being described.
An example of the latter, in a programme last night when telling about events in the early 1930s the future king Edward VIII was referred to as "Edward" and sometimes as "The Duke of Windsor". He was the Prince of Wales then and that title should have been used. He was only "Edward" when he was king and only became the Duke after abdicating.
Or should I say that he is only Edward when he is king and becomes Duke when he abdicates.:*

I would concur with that . Watched his programmes about Dieppe and PQ17 and to be fair he does concentrate on the topic, rather than him/herself , with his own inimitable style of commentary. Guy Martin is another whose unique and unpretentious style makes for entertaining viewing.

I didn't watch the programme because, whilst the topic(s) may well be of interest, frankly, any programme that has the initial D S as the presenter invariably means said presenter ensures the content is focussed on himself.

"Oh God's truth," as actor Barry Foster bemoaned in the 1969 Battle of Britain film.

Will KH be involved too, I wonder?

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6e959e701d.jpg

"Don't you yell at me Mr Warwick ! "
Name them all in 5 seconds and win a banana, sorry for the thread creep, bring back the oldies, they're the best. Sorry for the thread drift, needed to let off a bit of steam, aaaaagh, that's better, sorry

I have a DVD of the BOB, and with it came another DVD of a documentary done by Michael Cain in 1969 at the time of the release of the film, where he interviewed people in I think Trafalgar Square, about what they knew about the BOB, (and they were English people he spoke to) and surprisingly a number were unaware of it even then. So it is possible that at 80 years more people know less about it, apart from on specialist forums like this.
I am not sure about celebrating so much over quite old military actions as how far do you go back. Do we revisit Waterloo, Naesby, Stamford Bridge, the list is quite long, to celebrate and remember at 100, 200,300 years, it just seems that is done to remember passed glories, rather than present challenges.
Cheers
Mr Mac

As I recall, the people interviewed in Michael Caine's film who couldn't remember the Battle of Britain were Americans outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. One man recalled it very well and greatly appreciated what the UK was up against.

The Battle of Britain is less than a lifetime ago, several of those who fought it still survive and those events still live in - and perhaps effect - the memories of probably several million people and their children like me. We don't celebrate it, we commemorate it. In a hundred years it probably will just be paragraph or two in a dusty history book.

Treadigraph
I will have to find the documentary and have a watch, but you maybe right, it was a while ago when I watched it. I would say that pilots who flew in BOB on either side would be very few by now, if not none existent, purely due to their age which would be circa 99. Maybe ground crews and support personnel, and indeed the civilians / Children who may have witnessed it first hand are still around, but again not in the flush of youth. As for the commemoration / celebration that maybe down to personnel perception on my behalf. You maybe correct with your assertion re the 100 year but I would not be too sure given the current gamut of remembrances we seem to be having which seem to outweigh any I remember growing up, which seems odd , maybe as though there is an agenda ?
Kind regards
Mr Mac

Mr Mac, you obviously don't remember the old television programme, All Our Yesterdays. The presenter, whose face I remember but not the name would introduce the programme with. "Twenty five years ago..." Old WW2 footage was then shown of what happened that week 25 years before.

IIRC, following the death of one BofB pilot a few weeks ago, there's now one just Allied pilot still alive.

Coincidence - I was only thinking about All Our Yesterdays on Saturday! When I watched it the presenter was Brian Inglis.

​​​​​​Is that Peter Townsend second right (with RST)?

highflymk3
Sadly I am old enough to remember "All our Yesterdays", though did not remember that it looked back at precise dates as you describe. I was just starting at Boarding School when it was on in the 60,s so I was still quite young.
Kind regards
Mr Mac

The presenter was Brian Inglis, balding chap if I recall correctly. I remember watching "All Our Yesterdays" as a kid, and often think now that 25 years ago today would be 1995, which feels very recent, but back in the day 25 years ago was ancient history. The joys of advancing years!

I wonder if somewhere in the archives of ITV there are any episodes still knocking around, they could make interesting viewing.

Just watched all three episodes, and all I can say is what a silly lot of reactionary old pedantic nit picking dinosaurs you are!

I am 71 and am well aware of the events of the Battle of Britain, I joined the Royal Air Force about a quarter of a century after the actual events of the BoB.

I thought this was a well made and very good series. The two presenters did not annoy me, the odd use of the phrase "the Nazi's" did not annoy me as there were far more references to "the Luftwaffe' "the Germans" and "the enemy" than "the Nazi's." Kate Humble in the two seat Spitfire and the 54 Sqn episode out of Hornchurch was really good, as was the use of the Bolingbroke as a bomber. The similar all glass cockpit was a useful feature used by the pilot to demonstrate what would have happened if an 8 gun Hurricane or Spitfire had engaged a He 111 head on.

The use of warbirds and pilots like Cliff Spink and historians like Stephen Bungay enhanced the whole series.

The concentration on three lesser known episodes and relatives of lesser known individuals made it of interest to me, and I would imagine fascinating to those who do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of the events as some on here seem to have.

I ignored this thread before now because I was pretty sure what the reaction from most would have been, but when two much younger and non aeroplane or warfare history folk mentioned it to me and said that they had really enjoyed the series I thought that I would give it a watch.

So I read this thread through before hand, then watched it.

My opinion now?

Thoroughly enjoyed the series, enjoyed the style of both presenters, and as to the reaction?

A lot of you on here would appear to be angry and bitter and twisted old reactionary buffoons.

ATNotts,
The original presenter of "All Our Yesterdays" was the chain smoking ex-foreign corresponent James Cameron and the news was initially taken from 1936 IIRC . It was an excellent production with Brian Inglis being a worthwhile successor.
I was commisioned on 15th Sep 69 and a group of us were invited along to the BoB film premiere in Nottingham, One keen chap did ask a senior flying instructor if he would like to come along with us to see the film since there were some extra tickets: He smiled and replied
" I'll give the Film a miss if you don't mind,
Being in the Play was quite enough for me."