When Madonna announced the title of her new album she created a Twitter buzz – which was obviously the idea. But what does MDNA stand for? It could be Madonna – DNA - which makes sense. Or it could be after an active ingredient of Ecstasy, not a bad choice for a club album. Who knows?

Peacock – or Turkey?

What is certain is that critics are certainly not in ecstasy over her new film, W.E. She has yet to make a breakthrough film and it’s not going to be this one. The subject is the unfulfilled lives of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Critics agree the film looks beautiful with its art deco styling, Dior frocks and Cartier jewellery -  but they don’t like the complicated storyline. The couple’s story is intertwined with the life of another Wallis and the device doesn’t work. One critic agrees the styling is terrific but goes on to say “This is a turkey that dreams it’s a peacock.” Ouch!

The tragedy of the couple’s life together was that he gave up the throne of England to marry her, then failed to find another role and they spent their days together in gilded exile, wondering what to do next.

The controversy that stayed with them was their relationship with Hitler in those dramatic pre-war years. They were both impressed by Hitler because he seemed to a defence against the threat that worried European aristocracy most – the rise of communism. There was also anti semitism throughout the upper reaches of society so Hitler filled a role there too.

The Windsors were not alone in their admiration of Hitler. Many British politicians on the right thought he should be appeased, allowed to carry on his policies of re-arming and the takeover of neighbouring territory. The hesitation to move against Hitler, helped along by the attitude of people like the Windsors, gave him the time he needed to gain strength militarily.

The hesitation was fatal, and led to the second world war which the Windsors spent in exile in the Bahamas. He was given the title of Governor but the idea was to keep him out of sight and unheard.

After the war the Windsors settled in Paris. The Royal family would not let them return to Britain. The present Queen’s mother was bitterly against them because his resignation forced her husband into a role he was not suited for, King of England. The award winning film The Kings Speech deals with his problems.

Madonna’s film about the Windsors will be a reference point for the lifestyle but fails to deal with the biggest event of all. Their relationship with Adolph Hitler – the 20th century’s great mass murderer.

Shortly after 9am on the 30th January the convoy filed in through the Colombo breakwater and anchored in the harbour, from the wharf 18 Battalion marched a mile and a half to a small park in the middle of town, then they were turned loose with instructions to be back by 4.30pm. Only three members from 18 Battalion missed the lighters back, for the rest ot the Battalion’s stay in port the main fun was provided by the boatmen, who swarmed round the Orion, they were loaded down with fruit and curios, bargaining was new to the New Zealanders but they picked up the art quite well with humour maintained on both sides. 

At 11.30am on 1st February the Orion and convoy left Colombo, cheered by crowds and at the harbour entrance, with Ramilles still in attendance, but the other escorts had again changed, and now they included the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, they sailed due west towards the searing heat of Aden in the Red Sea. Early on the morning 8th February, off Aden the convoy divided, most ships carried straight on into the Red Sea, while others including the Orion put into Aden for fuel. The stay was short but troops were taken ashore just after midday and given leave until 4.30pm. By 5.00pm they were back on board and breakfast time next morning the Orion was on the last leg of the voyage. Through the straight of Bab el Mandeb, up the Red Sea, Africa on the left and Asia on the right, on the night of 12 February, Tewfik was in their sights, and their gear packed for departure. All that could be seen of Tewfik when the Orion first arrived was a line of twinkling lights low on the water. Next morning eager eyes looked on Egypt for the first time and what did they see? A line of buildings and camouflaged oil tanks at the port, a few palm trees, a group of army tents and stretching away to the skyline sand in long low ridges. This sand was to play a dominating part in the whole existence of 18 Battalion for nearly four years. Late that morning the Battalion piled into lighters and left the Orion with their worldly possessions on their shoulders, they were deposited on the wharf in a strange land with another phase in the Battalion’s life about to begin.

Image by Kopper via Flickr

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It’s a real life documentary about a man who is investigating why one million of british houses are empty, even though the UK is enduring its worst housing crisis since the Second World War.

Presenter George Clarke argues refurbishing the properties would be a cheaper and quicker option than building new ones, thus providing suitable accommodation for the country’s homeless.

Clarke wants to refurbish the buildings himself with his team of builders and he does exactly what he says he will do. In his programme he helps a family fix up a home which has been unusable for 3 years. He squats in an empty house where they have taken the toilet out, and taken out the taps. Who is using the house then? Why hasn’t the owner fixed it up and lived in it?

It makes sense that squatters will want to use these epmty houses because they are empty and they have nowhere else to go. If the houses are empty in the first place and no one lives in them why don’t the government use our tax money to fix them up so we can then use them or fix some up so the homeless can have a safe place to stay for the night?

I read an article in the underground Metro newspaper the other day that says that:

“The findings come from the first survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics as part of a £2million ‘happiness index’ set up by David Cameron”

You can find the article here: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/883607-britons-remain-happy-despite-economic-crisis-says-2million-study#ixzz1fhhb5zvm

First of all why is he spending out 2 million pounds on a happiness survey? That does NOT make me happy at all! He could have spent that 2 million pounds fixing up some of the empty homes in london, or used it for funding the NHS or any other public service that probably desparately need it.
So Cameron what are you spending our tax money on? It would be nice to see how much is being spent where and to see what they look at as a priority, apparantly our happiness is a priority but honestly a survey is not going to make us happy, maybe he should have put it towards the public’s pensions, that would probably have put a smile on everyone’s faces!

Busch himself had served in the German Navy throughout the Second World War. He had ended up as a Captain of a corvette.

Busch wrote this book in order to present the story of the demise of the battleship Scharnhorst from a German point of view. He was able to use material that both the British and the German governments had kept secret during the war itself.

The story began with the launching of this powerful ship in January 1939, and ends with her sinking on December 26 1943by the Royal Navy. With her sister ship Gneisenau she had proved a serious threat to the British.That was until she was trapped by the Royal Navy off Barents Sea.

Over all this is a highly readable account of the Scharnhorst’s last hours before been overwhelmed by the battleship Duke Of York and its escort of cruisers plus destroyers.

It is well known that Britain was a pioneer of radar in the years leading up to the Second World War. The Chain Home system along the south coast of England was to give advanced warning of German bomber raids and help win the Battle of Britain. But even after that, research continued to improve radar and to further its use. However the main research establishment carrying out this work was too close to the coast, too vulnerable to enemy attack, so in 1942 it was evacuated to the inland town of Malvern in Worcestershire, setting up home in a commandeered private school under the name of the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE).

A key development in this middle stage of the war was the cavity magnetron, which allowed for the first time the generation of microwaves (then called centimetric waves) at high powers in a small space. Radars using the cavity magnetron could be small enough to mount on aircraft and also the shorter wavelengths gave a more detailed image. Centimetric radar allowed two new applications which became vital: airborne radar for the detection of surfaced submarines at night (when they came up to recharge their batteries) and airborne radar for getting a picture of the ground below for navigating at night (important for the Allied bomber campaign against Germany). The former came under the category of ASV (anti-surface vessel) radars. The latter was developed into a system called H2S. These systems were very important for the war effort even if they are not as famous as Chain Home.

To develop these new technologies TRE had to test prototypes on aircraft and a Royal Air Force trials unit was set up to operate these – the Telecommunications Flying Unit (TFU) based at Defford airfield across the Severn Valley from Malvern where the researchers were based. Under pressure to get new equipment ready for use, it flew many trials, in all weathers, and there were accidents. A fair number of pilots and aircrew were killed. One of the most notable accidents was the crash on 7 June 1942, near Goodrich Castle, of a Halifax aircraft testing a prototype H2S, killing all 11 RAF and scientific personnel on board.

And that particular accident is why the window commemorating those involved in the wartime development of radar is found here.

View of commemorative window (photo by author)

Panel with emblem of the Telecommunications Flying Unit of the RAF (photo by author)

Panel commemorating the Chain Home coastal air defence radar system. The pylons are the radar antenna towers (photo by author).

Panel commemorating A1, H2S and ASV radar systems. Note the front view of a heavy bomber at the top, the stylised radar display below it and then ground terrain below that. (Photo by author)

Note: this is a companion article to my main one on Goodrich Castle itself, which can be found here.

India is contributing $2 billion to fund bailouts in Europe. This is the outstanding news of recent times. India was considered once upon a time as a beggar nation and land of snake charmers. Europeans considered themselves as rich. They looked down upon India. India was regularly borrowing from IMF for its needs. In 1990, the Western governments insulted India by stipulating the condition that they could lend India only if it physically deposited its gold reserves in London. India had to take that insult in its stride and it deposited its gold reserves to avail a small loan.

Image via Wikipedia

New Delhi should insist European countries on physical deposit of gold

Today, European countries are in peril. Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy and the list is expanding. I think India should now insist that the European countries should deposit their gold in New Delhi for getting any loan assistance from India. That will be an outstanding happening. But the rulers in New Delhi are corrupt and are busy in looting the wealth of the nation through various scams. They are not interested in defending the honour of the nation. So, what I stated will never happen. But at least, it is heartening to see that the European countries are now begging before India.

Europe in tatters

World economy is facing turbulence. USA and European countries are in tatters. The debt burden of Italy is much more than the combined debt burden of Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. IMF has stipulated a target of 4.3% for global growth. This can be achieved only through good performance from Asian countries. Japan is expected to post a negative growth of 0.7%. But Japan will bounce back with a positive growth in 2012.

Europeans don’t have a family, never save

IMF Chief Lagarde says that the global economy is on the rebound. But I have reservations about it. I feel that the European crisis will get compounded in the coming year with more countries reporting sick. Already IMF has lent $110 billion to European countries. IMF comprises of 187 nations and European countries are not its only members. It will be unfair if Lagarde pumps more and more money into European countries at the cost of other nations. This will only pamper the European nations and make them undisciplined further. The Europeans never save anything. They borrow and spend recklessly without caring for the financial consequences. Most of them do not maintain a family life. Any lady can live with any man. This is the norm of European nations. In other words, they just live an animal life. Because of this, family system has taken a beating in European countries. For example, in Sweden, three fourths of the population do not have a proper family system. Today a lady can live with a man and tomorrow she can change her partner. Gay system is also encouraged by most of the European nations.

Savings help Asian countries and people

All these things have contributed to the financial indiscipline of the European continent. If India does not face these problems, it is because India has a family system deeply rooted in society. Because of this family system, people are forced to save substantial amounts for the future of their children. This huge savings comes in handy for the government to finance its projects without depending on external sources of funds. If European nations have to recover, they should follow the habits of Asian countries like India, China and Japan. Begging before IMF and other nations is not a solution for them. How long can they beg?

USA is in no position to help

USA was able to finance the European nations through Marshall Plan at the end of the Second World War in 1945. But now, USA itself is in dire financial trouble. USA is the biggest borrower in the world. It is in no position to help European nations. Europe has to fend for itself in the lurch. Nobody can help it permanently. Doling out alms of a few billion dollars is not a proper cure. You cannot apply ointment to cure cancer. Vigorous treatment is needed to cure cancer. Similarly European nations have to change their culture and habits lock, stock and barrel instead of begging before others.

Why only Europeans?

Why should the Managing Directors of IMF be only from European countries? Why not other countries get a chance to send their eminent economists as the head of the IMF? Look at the list below:

IMF, a failed institution

Even among the Europeans, France has dominated the post. The present IMF head Lagarde is also a French lady. But looking at it from another angle, there is no need for emerging economies like India to grudge the fact that Europeans are dominating the show in IMF. India only wants to register and affirm its long march from its colonial past. But IMF is a failed institution. Its prescriptions are ruining the economy of many nations. India should evolve its own brand of multilateralism. For this sorry state of affairs in IMF, it has itself to blame. It failed to see what was coming to Greece and Ireland. Emerging economies that have been scalded by IMF’s disastrous policies are least likely to accept its prescriptions. IMF has consistently failed to do its job. Whoever takes over, the organisation itself needs sweeping reforms. Global rebalancing will require deficit economies to necessarily save more. But this prescription is a bitter pill to swallow for the European nations habituated to lead a luxurious life through borrowed money.

Most of the focus is on Japan and the radiation hazard emanating from the breakdown of its nuclear plants. There is a fear that the nuclear contamination may spread even to neighbouring countries. Indonesia seems to be deeply worried. Niccobar Island is only a few kilometres from Indonesia. If radiation spreads to Niccobar, then it may not take longer to spread to the mainland Andaman Island. From there, Kolkatta or Chennai are nearby. One can go on imagining such dreadful things and confuse one’s minds. But look at the way Hawaiian people live.

Image via Wikipedia

Hawaii is nearby Japan but its people are not confused. People live without bothering about possible radiation effects even though the government monitors it carefully. The US President Obama has assured Hawaiian people that no harmful effects of radiation are likely to reach the Hawaiian shores and the mainland is completely safe. The President has even encouraged tourists to visit Hawaii unmindful of what is happening in the neighbouring country. Hawaii Tourism Authority President and CEO Mike McCattney and Board Chairman Ron Williams inspected Hawaii islands which included important tourist spots like Aiii Drive in Kona and Hualalai. They examined to what extent tsunami had ravaged the islands. After their visit, they proclaimed that the tsunami impact on the island was minimal and that the tourists could continue to visit the islands. King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel has not closed down and continues to provide accommodation and facilities to tourists. Almost all business establishments in Aiii Drive have reopened after briefly closing.

Look and contrast it with what happened when tsunami affected Andaman Islands on December 26 in India. Our government hardly made any effort to reassure the people and foreign tourists. No effort was made to normalise tourist operations in Andaman and Nicobar islands. As a result, much tourist income was lost. The bureaucracy simply slept.

More than the tsunami and earthquake, people are worried about the aftermath of nuclear radiation. For this, President Obama assured the Americans that no harmful radiations are expected to affect the West coast of USA, Hawaii, Alaska or US territories in the Pacific. To back up the President, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko also confirmed it. Forgetting the Japanese bombing of Pearly Harbour and killing of more than 3000 American soldiers in the Second World War, the Hawaiian people have swung into action to maximum help their Japanese brethren. Hawaiian business leaders have also launched “Aloha for Japan’ scheme with strong backing from Lt. Governor of Hawaii Brian Schatz and Japan Consul General Yoshihiko Kamo. Cultural programmes like music, dance and performances are being enacted to collect money. Banks are serving as collection points to help the tsunami victims. It is also unbelievable that no Japanese tourist who had visited Hawaii before the tsunami had preferred to stay back. Instead all the Japanese tourists have vacated their hotel rooms and returned to Japan to share the sorrow with their fellow beings. I only imagine, had it been Indians, what would have been their attitude……

The new force worked closely with the Long Range Desert Group to damage Rommel’s feared Afrika Korps and their less effective Italian allies. The advantage of the SAS brigade was that it could be driven, parachuted, or put on land by boats to enable it to operate in the enemy’s rear areas.

In late 1941 and throughout 1942 the SAS proved highly effective in destroying Luftwaffe aircraft, precious fuel depots, and other essential supplies. These small groups assisted British advances, and also retreats as the North African campaign ebbed and flowed.

The usefulness of L Detachment had led to the expansion of the SAS, and it continued after the Second World War.

Bibliography

Kemp A (2004) Special forces, Teach Yourself Books

The early part of this informative tome covers the Second World War origins of special forces especially the SAS and the SOE. He describes how and why the SAS proved so useful in North Africa, as well as their success in the counter insurgency role in the Malayan campaign,

Later chapters cover the greater use of special forces prompted by the Cold War and the more frequent terrorist attacks since the 1970s, for instance Palestinian groups and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Counter terrorist operations are examined, their importance raised by the response to the attacks of Al-Qaeda amongst others.

Large numbers of those that survived when attempting to flee the flames then found themselves under fire from their guards. Those that were able fled into the town or into a nearby forest. Once the air raid had finished the SS, local members of the Nazi party, Gestapo officers, even the local fire brigade and members of the public began hunting down the survivors that had fled from the burning train.

Those that were caught were brought back to a sports ground. Some were executed on the spot, allegedly for looting. Most of those that survived were then marched to Bergen-Belsen. Of the 4,000 on the train only 487 arrived at the concentration camp on the 10th of April. The remainder either died during or immediately after the air raid, or lost their lives through exhaustion or were murdered by their guards on the death march to the concentration camp. Just five days later the camp of Bergen-Belsen was liberated by British and Canadian forces. It was later estimated that between 2-300 were murdered in the ‘hare hunt’ conducted by the Germans.

14 people were later tried for their part in the Celle Massacre Trial in December 1947. Seven were acquitted of murder or of being an accessory to murder due to the lack of evidence. Four were found guilty and sentenced to between 4 and 10 years in prison. Three received the death penalty, one of these was later overturned after an appeal and the other two had sentences reduced to 15 and 20 years. By October 1952 all those imprisoned less than five years previously had been released for good behaviour.