Dark Earth Timeline

Answers on Answers: The May, June and July editions

- Most assuredly. There won't be that much of an occupation as such from the invasion force, but they will be followed by a force after them with that mission. It makes little sense from a Dark Earth perspective to invade and destroy and then leave so that the enemy can come back.
- The Home Championships are annual, whereas the Imperial Cup is biennial in a different part of the year. Travel from around the Commonwealth is somewhat aided by the development of supersonic air transports.
- It won't be anything quite so drastic, but it will involve water, or specifically, water bombing...
- The National Service situation is something I'll fully detail in the General Discussion thread, but it is a burden that must be borne at this time. This is a Britain that has effectively been at war for over 60 years with very little break. It might cause some resentment, but is seen generally as part of a man's life and duty just as much as wearing shorts at school. Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all have similar arrangements, as well as the European states. It has gone past the stage of National Service being considered as an oddity or a Continental military being an exception.
- Strengthening and maintaining the Merchant Navy is a strong priority of consecutive British governments and there has been a great deal of thought and study on how to maintain/protect Britain's relative economic position since 1945.
- The Phantoms are built through licenced production by Hawker-Siddeley. For the other 4 British aviation groups:
Vickers: Covered through very large guided weapons contracts, the Vickers Thunderbolt, Supermarine's advanced air superiority fighter project, the Supermarine TSR-2 and Excalibur naval strike bomber and Westland helicopters
de Havilland: Guided weapons, rockets, the quite large de Havilland Tornado project, Handley-Page's bomber production, Shorts naval aircraft and transports and Bombardier's civilian aircraft
Armstrong-Whitworth: Lots of engines, guided weapons, AW transports, the Gloster Lion attack fighter project and the Fairey Rotodyne, which is the group's crown jewel
Bristol: The weakest of the companies, its current focus is on Bristol helicopters, jet engines, guided weapons, rockets and spacecraft, Martin-Baker ejection seats, Auster utility planes, Folland trainers, Miles experimental aircraft and the various civil/light aircraft built by Boulton-Paul, Beagle, Percival, Scottish Aviation and Hunting.

The F-4 is one aircraft and not the end of the industry, but the British companies are still not too happy about it.
- A most bemusing anecdote. It is correct that it is a case of the CIA not letting the USAF know what they don't think they need to know
- I can neither confirm nor deny either of those guesses.
- I was thinking of Stirling Moss going out with a win in 1967 or so.
- Sukarno isn't irrational, but does believe in his destiny to lead Indonesia to greatness and regional dominance.
- No, it won't be named HAL. Not at all...

- Silver is a component in a very secret technological programme.
- Whilst it would be very dangerous for Mexico to go actively hostile in its relations with its northern neighbour, relations are a fair bit different
- Yes, he was passing through Smallville.
- It is best to agree with the Soviets, at least from their point of view.
- The Nixon Court will be very, very interesting...
- The far right wasn't a factor then or now in Australia, but even as a curiousity, they will cop it.
- US automotive companies will cope better with the Japanese for a few different reasons
- I haven't countenanced including the Galactic Federation, but rather some of the more 'close to home' parts of the series.
- My reference to traditionalism was directly referring to the works of Arthur Mee and H.E. Marshall, which weren't quite the flavour of the day for the 1960s and 1970s BBC

- Quite fine. The French policy isn't quite the most efficient one, but the South Pacific is an insurance policy if the Sahara gets too politically difficult
- Fewer Nazi war criminals get away with their crimes
- Historically, the North Koreans made it in 1966. Here, the Chinese aren't in FIFA, Japan isn't really strong enough yet, India has more of a focus on cricket and other states are just too small. This was an era of European and South American dominance and that will only change slowly.
- It is the consequence of a spell gone wrong, yes.
- The Germans probably have a point in their complaints after this game, but the French are very, very chuffed. For a few days.
- It is one of the biggest international deals and the subject of considerable competition.
- Duncan Edwards does go down as the second best player of the decade
- They notice it first because of some reverberations through the ley lines in their immediate neighbourhood...

September
1.) There isn’t the same UN/LoN role in the Congo in the wrong time for Hammarskjold.
2.) This is Barton’s particular style at play, working through domestic and social reforms and spending increases through conflating them with the wider Cold War. It is based somewhat on what Kennedy is doing across the Atlantic, but is also a reflection on how he tries to keep the Conservatives on the back foot. It isn’t the most popular approach among some elements of the Labour Party. It is difficult to find an @ parallel, as it is a very different Labour Party in so many ways. The closest parallel is not a British one, but the Australian Democratic Labor Party.
3.) Yes, the Galapagos were grabbed in the Napoleonic Wars and kept ever since.
4.) The Revenge of the Pharoah (sounds like a good short story title, actually) is only just beginning!
5.) That should be first of 3 stages. I’ll put something together on General Discussion.
6.) I like to build up the adventures of Elvis and incorporate different elements. The Cybermen are one example of that.
7.) It could be any of those things; sub ops are not without danger at the best of times.
8.) This will lead to some interesting discoveries. Dumb beasts is simply the Narnian/Lewis term for beasts that cannot talk. Even a domestic cat or dog from @ can understand about as much as a 2 year old baby, but getting an equal in human terms is a bit more nebulous, coming at 12-15. This makes them the equivalent of 12 to 15 PE teachers.
9.) It is one of his earlier pieces; I’ll detail it in the notes.
10.) The German presence in Vietnam comes from their desire to show they are a good ally and a fully normalised member of the West.
11.) The equivalent of the Ents are out there in the depths of the elder forests, not very well known and seeming to be asleep, such is their different perspective on time. The reunion would be a great moment, perhaps worthy of a small piece...
12.) Unfortunately, there are always consequences to altering weather and nature.
13.) It is a much more farcical event even than what happened historically. I’ll put up something on the Falklands garrison directly.
14.) The Concorde is soaring in more ways than one, opening up the world to faster travel.
15.) It comes from the post Napoleonic expansion of British control over the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, which moves in before the French did in @.