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Post by simon darkshade on Nov 22, 2021 15:24:07 GMT
Return to Charlotteville: Prologue
War Office
May 20th 1968
“I can’t say that I like it, Richard. It smacks of overreach. We’ve got the base at Kamina and the force on the Rhodesian border that already cost a pretty penny. But holding Central Africa is a bigger issue than mere expense.”
“You’re right, Stanley. The Portuguese are giving us enough trouble on the flanks, but if the Congo goes…then it will be difficult to stop the dominoes.”
Sir Richard Pendragon, the Minister of Defence and close confidant of Prime Minister Barton, nodded in agreement. It was a bright June morning outside the triple glassteel windows of his office in the huge and ornately palatial War Office building and, despite over ten thousand civilian and military personnel working within the building, nary a sound penetrated the secure room. Yet as bright and hopeful as was the morning without, the vexations of Africa cast a cloud over what should have been heady days for the newly re-elected Labour government.
“Prime Minister Cunningham in Kenya is right to be worried. Well, we’ve got to do something. Back to Katanga again. This time, though, we do it properly, Richard. We’re too heavily committed to Vietnam, Burma and Malaya to sustain another large open ended deployment.”
“Yes, Prime Minister. Our initial plan calls for two British brigades supported by African and colonial units and a Commonwealth field force from South Africa and Rhodesia. We will go in heavy to begin with and then ratchet it down to a residual reinforced brigade.”
Barton ground his teeth. Even that was a sizeable commitment, but such was the price of power and influence. The French had definitely gained the upper hand in Western Congo and three years of civil war had not broken the Soviet backed rebels in the north east, despite American and British aid to the increasingly fragile Congolese government. If Katanga continued to descend into disorder, SIS gave the current regime in Leopoldville perhaps two months before they were removed by the ANC and replaced with a regime more acceptable to Washington, which would have significantly deleterious effects upon British commercial interests in Katanga. Whilst bad, that was far from the worst case scenario.
“That would seem acceptable, but I’ll speak to Ottawa about getting them onboard; the broader the better.”
“Very good.”
“Full support, Richard, as much as needed. We need to be seen to be effective as well as actually being effective, both in Africa and beyond.”
“I think we can put together something that will accomplish that, Prime Minister.”
………………………………
"Ours is not to reason why, Richard, ours is but to do."
"And hopefully not die." General Sir Richard Ward, GOC Africa Command, allowed himself a slight grin over the telephone.
"Not bloody likely." scoffed Field Marshal Sir Richard Sharpe, Chief of the Imperial General Staff. "Leaving the politics to the politicians, the general orders are to go in there, pull the full bully boy boots on, pull the place into order and then pull out, without any bugger-ups. That is straightforward enough, but the War Office is keen to see how the new kit and tactics go in the field."
"Field testing?"
"Right. No free fire, but keep the casualties under control. Ours mainly, but theirs as well." Losing fifty men killed a week in South Vietnam alone was enough to make the Army circumspect on the prospect of losses. "I want a plan for pacification, not another push on Cairo."
"Any limitations, sir?"
"Keep it clean and keep it tidy. Put the kitchen sink in, but none of the tricky stuff from last time. Clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Once the planning is sorted, then we can start flying the material down to Rhodesia and get things ready to kick off properly."
"Very good, sir."
"This time, we get it right."
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Post by simon darkshade on Nov 22, 2021 17:14:07 GMT
The beginning of a little piece about going back to the Congo, to show some advances in gear and how things are done, as well as setting up some future bits and pieces.
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Post by simon darkshade on Nov 23, 2021 16:44:45 GMT
We have the political motivation to the deployment, but the Army being keener to view it as an extended live testing exercise. This time, there will be no clever attempted traps like Motorman, just a grinding application of overwhelming force.
In addition to the military operation, though, there will be a complication: they will be forced to take along a BBC Panorama crew. This one will have a bit more humour as a consequence, in addition to showing how the various new weapons work together.
Questions, ideas, requests or musings welcomed.
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 5, 2021 16:16:31 GMT
Return to Charlotteville Part 1
Horse Guards, London
May 30th 1968
“Who do you think, Walter?”
“Churchill, possibly. He’s done very well with the 10th, but they are on standby for Australia and he is already out there. Really just leaves Mitch.” Field Marshal Sir Walter Walker, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Strategic Reserve, sipped his scotch thoughtfully.
“He did an outstanding job in Aden, but this is a bit of a step down.” Field Marshal Sharpe scowled at prospect. Castellan has been such a success that it irked him not to reward its commander.
“The Congo is a field role and Mitch is a field officer, Richard. There will be a time and place to blood the youngsters. Besides, the combined operations in Aden went off without a hitch.”
“Aye, you’re not wrong there. You can give him the good news then, as his division is nominally under you.”
………………….
“The Army force for Operation Tancred will be under the operational control of 11th Infantry Division and is to consist of 26th Brigade with 1st Lyonesse, 2nd King’s, 3rd Royal Fusiliers and 2nd South Wales Borderers; 47th Brigade with 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 1st Connaught Rangers, 2nd Oxs and Bucks and 1st KOYLI; a composite Zulu and King’s African Rifles brigade; and a Commonwealth brigade with battlegroups from South Africa, Rhodesia, the West Indies and Canada. Each brigade will be supported by tanks, artillery, the Recces and the RMGC, in addition to Divarty and the divisional tank regiment, which will be operating the Valiant.”
A low murmur went around the briefing room. The new Vickers tank was no Chieftain, but it’s lighter weight and reported manoeuvrability has made it much anticipated for units deploying to East and Southern Africa.
“As well as the aforementioned field forces, there will also be a detachment of Special Forces attached, supported by 15 Commando and a battalion of Rangers. They will be operating separately from the main force of the division and that is all you need at this time.”
The obvious unsaid matter here, thought Colonel Sean Hughes, 2 i/c of 47th Brigade, was that they would be operating deeper in the Congo proper ahead of the troops on the ground in Katanga, on a purely unofficial basis of course.
It had seemed almost unreal when he had first been notified of the upcoming deployment. Back to the Congo. Back to where it had all happened. Back to where it had changed.
The rest of the briefing by the amiable dunce from the divisional staff somewhat washed over him, as he had become quite familiar with the details of Tancred during the initial phase the previous week.
“Finally, we will be accompanied by members of the British press and, as special guests, a crew from the BBC’s Panorama programme. Word from on high is that they are to be granted ‘as fulsome access as practicable’, within the discretion of individual commanders. Thank you gentlemen.”
Hughes stride across the room to catch his quarry.
“Colonel Quinlan!”
“Sir! Didn’t see you at the back.”
“No. Do you have a moment?”
Hughes took Quinlan into an adjoining room and outlined the special responsibility that his old comrade and friend, the now commander of the 1st Connaughts, would bear.
“The Tsarevich?! Sir, are they serious?”
“They are.”
“They want us to-“
“Accomodate him with all due courtesy and form, whilst letting him get a taste of action. Nothing dangerous, though.”
“Combat that isn’t dangerous.”
Hughes nodded in sympathy. “That’s the first part of your special duty.”
“Who next? The Dauphin?!”
“Not quite…”
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Post by stevep on Dec 5, 2021 22:26:50 GMT
Return to Charlotteville Part 1Horse Guards, London
May 30th 1968“Who do you think, Walter?” “Churchill, possibly. He’s done very well with the 10th, but they are on standby for Australia and he is already out there. Really just leaves Mitch.” Field Marshal Sir Walter Walker, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Strategic Reserve, sipped his scotch thoughtfully. “He did an outstanding job in Aden, but this is a bit of a step down.” Field Marshal Sharpe scowled at prospect. Castellan has been such a success that it irked him not to reward its commander. “The Congo is a field role and Mitch is a field officer, Richard. There will be a time and place to blood the youngsters. Besides, the combined operations in Aden went off without a hitch.” “Aye, you’re not wrong there. You can give him the good news then, as his division is nominally under you.” …………………. “The Army force for Operation Tancred will be under the operational control of 11th Infantry Division and is to consist of 26th Brigade with 1st Lyonesse, 2nd King’s, 3rd Royal Fusiliers and 2nd South Wales Borderers; 47th Brigade with 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 1st Connaught Rangers, 2nd Oxs and Bucks and 1st KOYLI; a composite Zulu and King’s African Rifles brigade; and a Commonwealth brigade with battlegroups from South Africa, Rhodesia, the West Indies and Canada. Each brigade will be supported by tanks, artillery, the Recces and the RMGC, in addition to Divarty and the divisional tank regiment, which will be operating the Valiant.” A low murmur went around the briefing room. The new Vickers tank was no Chieftain, but it’s lighter weight and reported manoeuvrability has made it much anticipated for units deploying to East and Southern Africa. “As well as the aforementioned field forces, there will also be a detachment of Special Forces attached, supported by 15 Commando and a battalion of Rangers. They will be operating separately from the main force of the division and that is all you need at this time.” The obvious unsaid matter here, thought Colonel Sean Hughes, 2 i/c of 47th Brigade, was that they would be operating deeper in the Congo proper ahead of the troops on the ground in Katanga, on a purely unofficial basis of course. It had seemed almost unreal when he had first been notified of the upcoming deployment. Back to the Congo. Back to where it had all happened. Back to where it had changed. The rest of the briefing by the amiable dunce from the divisional staff somewhat washed over him, as he had become quite familiar with the details of Tancred during the initial phase the previous week. “Finally, we will be accompanied by members of the British press and, as special guests, a crew from the BBC’s Panorama programme. Word from on high is that they are to be granted ‘as fulsome access as practicable’, within the discretion of individual commanders. Thank you gentlemen.” Hughes stride across the room to catch his quarry. “Colonel Quinlan!” “Sir! Didn’t see you at the back.” “No. Do you have a moment?” Hughes took Quinlan into an adjoining room and outlined the special responsibility that his old comrade and friend, the now commander of the 1st Connaughts, would bear. “The Tsarevich?! Sir, are they serious?” “They are.” “They want us to-“ “Accomodate him with all due courtesy and form, whilst letting him get a taste of action. Nothing dangerous, though.” “Combat that isn’t dangerous.” Hughes nodded in sympathy. “That’s the first part of your special duty.” “Who next? The Dauphin?!” “Not quite…”
I take it their not talking about a racehorse.  If the heir to the Russian/Imperial throne is accompanying the British army in an operation in Africa its going to be a sensitive operation on a number of levels. Makes me wonder did the Napoleonic heir die while serving with the British forces in Africa in the 1880?
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 6, 2021 3:39:04 GMT
Correct on who it is and also the complication it adds. There is more, of course; another…
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 6, 2021 7:12:11 GMT
- The size of the force is 4-5 times that of 1965, with a rather more straightforward operational plan
- It is very much in the spirit of Castellan - a heavy deployment of the kitchen sink in order to make a point and achieve some broader geostrategic goals
- It is being used (in the hopes of HM Government) as a big international success showcased by the media
- The aim is a ‘splendid little campaign’
- What of the Tsarevich? He is a foreign royal in exile serving in the British Army who is chafing at the bit not being allowed to go to Vietnam. Something less dangerous is being viewed as surely a safe endeavour for Lieutenant Romanov; there isn’t the historical case of the Prince Imperial in the Zulu War on Dark Earth
- However, he isn’t the only important personage who wants to get out into the field, with the other having shown up in Aden in 1967. This will be used as an excuse to have a few extra chaps around for security
- The Recces are the Royal Reconnaissance Corps, which is taking on a new expanded role. There are some other new units who also get a mention
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 21, 2021 17:17:14 GMT
Return to Charlotteville Part 2
“Aldershot. Often called the Home of the British Army, normally, over eighty thousand soldiers are based here. This morning, those numbers are substantially greater, just like another grey June predawn almost twenty-five years ago. Very shortly, the first convoy carrying the officers and men of the 11th Infantry Division will begin making their way up the short road to RAE Farnborough. There, three of the Royal Air Force’s newest skyships await to carry them down on their journey to Rhodesia and thence to…the uncertainty of war.”
“CUT!”
Thomas Hemmings, the erstwhile director of disrupted production, turned around to glare at the Ministry of Information sanctioner, who was busy whispering with the khaki clad MI7 liaison attached to the Panorama crew. To say that he was displeased with their presence would be putting it mildly; the MiniInf was a necessary evil as ever it had been, but the added joy of the Army having their two bobs worth was going to make for a lengthy shooting process at this rate. For an ever-so brief instant, he almost regretted giving up photography for this new career, but the memory of the…unpleasantness…up in London almost two years ago put paid to that.
“Gentlemen, what exactly is the problem this time? We need to get this piece done so we can get some good shots of the the embarkation, before the light gets any brighter. I dare say that the Army isn’t going to turn around all these buses and lorries just because of you fellows.”
Mr Smith, their eager young Ministry assistant, nodded sympathetically; so far, he had been consistently more cooperative than Captain Latham, who seemed to view the idea of working with the press as ranking somewhere between abdominal surgery and a holiday in Belgium on the scale of attractivity.
“Terribly sorry there, Mr. Hemmings, but would it awfully set you aback if you elide the reference to the specific number of skyships and perhaps, if it wasn’t too much trouble, get rid of that last part. We’re not officially at war, you see.”
“But we are going into a war zone, though, isn’t that the point?” Paul Marwood, the earnest young presenter, walked over from the side of the road where he had been commenting on the imminent arrival of the troop buses, whose lights were now beginning to move up from the garrison.
“You can’t call it a war. We’re there with the express say-so of the Congolese government. It simply won’t do!”
“Alright, I’m sure we can think of something,” Hemmings cut in with a none-too small edge of panic to his voice. “But the skyship part? When we get to filming up at Farnborough, there will clearly be three of them there. Not two, not four. Five is right out.”
“How about ‘several’?”
“Fine, fine. Right, quiet! And…” he cued Marwood to begin once more.
“…There, several of the Royal Air Force’s newest skyships stand like three silent giant sentinels, waiting to carry them to Rhodesia…and what lies beyond.”
“CUT! That was great, Paul, spot on. Fine for you chaps?”
“Yes, that was much better.” Mr Smith positively beamed as he hurriedly joined Hemmings and the crew as they now scampered back from the road. They should get set up just in time to get the convoy going past, then it would be off to the airfield to see the embarkation, along with the Very Important Persons who would be coming to see the men off.
…………………………
Later that morning, as Hemmings relaxed with a welcome cup of tea on the officers decks onboard Her Majesty’s Skyship R301, he allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction. Despite it all, they had done it. They were on their way.
“I never thought I’d say it, but it seems bigger on the inside.”
Marwood sat down opposite Hemmings, having eyed off the seat for some time with an almost delicate hesitancy; he wondered idly whether the young fellow had any elven blood in him.
“You know the spiel well enough: Biggest vessel built by man!”
“Giant of the Skies!” Marwood responded in strident times, mimicking the iconic Pathe News description.
“For all you unbelievers, the Titanic fits inside!”
“They certainly kept Her Majesty and the Prince Consort’s presence quiet.”
“Indeed. I’d wager that was down to the dual role, though.”
“I’m surprised Smithy let you loose.”
“He’s not that bad a fellow, Marwood. He just wants his own Frontline - Vietnam and I can hardly blame him. The Congo sells - look at how big that Italian one went.”
“How much of that came down to the director being seized by the Inquisition?”
“A fair bit, I’d say. Neither of us were first choice for this one, you know. Lord Blair originally wanted Richard Dimbleby and Peter Watkins, but they were busy with Our Island Story and the new series on the 1956 War.”
“Well, considering the surprises that we’ve got, we might have fallen on our feet. It can hardly be worse than that weekend up in the Lake District I was telling you about.”
…………………….
“Right, at ease, gentlemen.” Colonel Quinlan looked out at his officers in the meeting chamber deep within the skyship. One could barely notice the rhythmic thrum of the engines from here.
“As you’ve now gathered, we are to have some very special guests with us when we go into Katanga. Major Dornan, I’d like you and A Company to take the primary security role for the princes. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If nothing else, their special escort platoon from the Guards Commando will be a useful adjunct to your own men. Both the Tsarevich and the Prince of Wales will have their own close protection team of Yeoman Warders and Royal Knights when we’re not in the field, but, just to be sure, Her Majesty the Queen has personally commanded one of the finest archmages in her service to join us while we’re in Katanga.”
Dorman’s mind was ablaze with curiosity. Who could it be? Gallows? Young Holmes? Dr Lyon? Baker?
From the shadows the colonel stepped an exceptionally tall and distinguished figure who was instantly familiar to the officers in the room.
“Gentlemen, may I present Christopher Lee.”
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simon darkshade
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 22, 2021 6:17:35 GMT
Christopher Lee here is not only an Academy Award winning actor, but an RAF ace over the Western Desert and then was attached to SOE and the SAS after crashing whilst killing a Nazi dragon. His late war record included some very dangerous missions on the Austrian front and in Southern Germany, which culminated in him joining the Templars. Postwar, he has combined his “day job” as an actor with his “after hours job” as an SOE secret agent, being noted for being one of the very few to be both a blademaster and an archmage; this reflected his @ swordmastery and interest in the occult. Thus, when he won an Oscar as Gandalf in David Lean’s The Fellowship of the Ring, he cast real spells in some scenes.  |
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Post by stevep on Dec 22, 2021 14:08:15 GMT
Return to Charlotteville Part 2 “Aldershot. Often called the Home of the British Army, normally, over eighty thousand soldiers are based here. This morning, those numbers are substantially greater, just like another grey June predawn almost twenty-five years ago. Very shortly, the first convoy carrying the officers and men of the 11th Infantry Division will begin making their way up the short road to RAE Farnborough. There, three of the Royal Air Force’s newest skyships await to carry them down on their journey to Rhodesia and thence to…the uncertainty of war.” “CUT!” Thomas Hemmings, the erstwhile director of disrupted production, turned around to glare at the Ministry of Information sanctioner, who was busy whispering with the khaki clad MI7 liaison attached to the Panorama crew. To say that he was displeased with their presence would be putting it mildly; the MiniInf was a necessary evil as ever it had been, but the added joy of the Army having their two bobs worth was going to make for a lengthy shooting process at this rate. For an ever-so brief instant, he almost regretted giving up photography for this new career, but the memory of the…unpleasantness…up in London almost two years ago put paid to that. “Gentlemen, what exactly is the problem this time? We need to get this piece done so we can get some good shots of the the embarkation, before the light gets any brighter. I dare say that the Army isn’t going to turn around all these buses and lorries just because of you fellows.” Mr Smith, their eager young Ministry assistant, nodded sympathetically; so far, he had been consistently more cooperative than Captain Latham, who seemed to view the idea of working with the press as ranking somewhere between abdominal surgery and a holiday in Belgium on the scale of attractivity. “Terribly sorry there, Mr. Hemmings, but would it awfully set you aback if you elide the reference to the specific number of skyships and perhaps, if it wasn’t too much trouble, get rid of that last part. We’re not officially at war, you see.” “But we are going into a war zone, though, isn’t that the point?” Paul Marwood, the earnest young presenter, walked over from the side of the road where he had been commenting on the imminent arrival of the troop buses, whose lights were now beginning to move up from the garrison. “You can’t call it a war. We’re there with the express say-so of the Congolese government. It simply won’t do!” “Alright, I’m sure we can think of something,” Hemmings cut in with a none-too small edge of panic to his voice. “But the skyship part? When we get to filming up at Farnborough, there will clearly be three of them there. Not two, not four. Five is right out.” “How about ‘several’?” “Fine, fine. Right, quiet! And…” he cued Marwood to begin once more. “…There, several of the Royal Air Force’s newest skyships stand like three silent giant sentinels, waiting to carry them to Rhodesia…and what lies beyond.” “CUT! That was great, Paul, spot on. Fine for you chaps?” “Yes, that was much better.” Mr Smith positively beamed as he hurriedly joined Hemmings and the crew as they now scampered back from the road. They should get set up just in time to get the convoy going past, then it would be off to the airfield to see the embarkation, along with the Very Important Persons who would be coming to see the men off. ………………………… Later that morning, as Hemmings relaxed with a welcome cup of tea on the officers decks onboard Her Majesty’s Skyship R301, he allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction. Despite it all, they had done it. They were on their way. “I never thought I’d say it, but it seems bigger on the inside.” Marwood sat down opposite Hemmings, having eyed off the seat for some time with an almost delicate hesitancy; he wondered idly whether the young fellow had any elven blood in him. “You know the spiel well enough: Biggest vessel built by man!” “Giant of the Skies!” Marwood responded in strident times, mimicking the iconic Pathe News description. “For all you unbelievers, the Titanic fits inside!” “They certainly kept Her Majesty and the Prince Consort’s presence quiet.” “Indeed. I’d wager that was down to the dual role, though.” “I’m surprised Smithy let you loose.” “He’s not that bad a fellow, Marwood. He just wants his own Frontline - Vietnam and I can hardly blame him. The Congo sells - look at how big that Italian one went.” “How much of that came down to the director being seized by the Inquisition?” “A fair bit, I’d say. Neither of us were first choice for this one, you know. Lord Blair originally wanted Richard Dimbleby and Peter Watkins, but they were busy with Our Island Story and the new series on the 1956 War.” “Well, considering the surprises that we’ve got, we might have fallen on our feet. It can hardly be worse than that weekend up in the Lake District I was telling you about.” ……………………. “Right, at ease, gentlemen.” Colonel Quinlan looked out at his officers in the meeting chamber deep within the skyship. One could barely notice the rhythmic thrum of the engines from here. “As you’ve now gathered, we are to have some very special guests with us when we go into Katanga. Major Dornan, I’d like you and A Company to take the primary security role for the princes. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for.” “Yes, sir.” “If nothing else, their special escort platoon from the Guards Commando will be a useful adjunct to your own men. Both the Tsarevich and the Prince of Wales will have their own close protection team of Yeoman Warders and Royal Knights when we’re not in the field, but, just to be sure, Her Majesty the Queen has personally commanded one of the finest archmages in her service to join us while we’re in Katanga.” Dorman’s mind was ablaze with curiosity. Who could it be? Gallows? Young Holmes? Dr Lyon? Baker? From the shadows the colonel stepped an exceptionally tall and distinguished figure who was instantly familiar to the officers in the room. “Gentlemen, may I present Christopher Lee.”
So as well as the Tsarevich there's at least one member of the British royal family. If I read it rightly the Queen and Prince Consort were present to see their son off to war. Also that "princes" refer to him and the Tsarevich rather than a 2nd British royal figure.
Going to be interesting if we see Mr Lee having to use some of his abilities. As well as possibly frightening for anyone nearby.
Also rather surprising that after complaining about the number of skyships being mentioned on the final take the censor allows the same number to be at least strongly implied.
Steve
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 22, 2021 15:19:49 GMT
Steve,
Yes, it is the Prince of Wales, as said expressly there. His presence makes it very important to ensure there is full security; it is felt that the future King needs a full experience, but also one that is as safe as possible.
There will be some scope for Lee to show his abilities; he is officially on set in Venice, but that will be explained.
I incorporated that point to show how the censors were…not the most attentive pencils in the box. It is caught during editing and fixed up, but shows how 30+ years of censorship is grating on both sides.
Simon
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 22, 2021 23:08:41 GMT
A little Easter egg on the ‘identity’ of some of the characters:
Hemmings - The main character of Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow Up, as played by David Hemmings
Marwood - The eponymous ‘I’ from Withnail and I
Smith - A younger parallel to Winston Smith from 1984
Latham - The origin character of Johnny English, from a Barclaycard advertisement starring Rowan Atkinson
Major Dornan is the character played by Jamie Dornan in The Siege of Jadotville
Colonel Quinlan is “played” by Richard Todd c.1955
Colonel Hughes is “played” by Robert Shaw c.1966 as Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons
Field Marshal Sir Richard Bloody Sharpe is played by Sean Bloody Bean
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Post by lordroel on Dec 24, 2021 11:10:17 GMT
Christopher Lee here is not only an Academy Award winning actor, but an RAF ace over the Western Desert and then was attached to SOE and the SAS after crashing whilst killing a Nazi dragon. His late war record included some very dangerous missions on the Austrian front and in Southern Germany, which culminated in him joining the Templars. Postwar, he has combined his “day job” as an actor with his “after hours job” as an SOE secret agent, being noted for being one of the very few to be both a blademaster and an archmage; this reflected his @ swordmastery and interest in the occult. Thus, when he won an Oscar as Gandalf in David Lean’s The Fellowship of the Ring, he cast real spells in some scenes. If Christopher Lee is a Ace in the Darkearth verse, i wonder what Roald Dahl status would be during the war. |
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Post by simon darkshade on Dec 24, 2021 12:18:37 GMT
Quite the same. Dahl did shoot down enough German planes in the melee that was the Battle of Athens to become an ace in the day.
Here, it is likely that he will see action over Greece in the same period, albeit in a Spitfire rather than a Hurricane, and rack up his score even further. I'm extending his operational career into 1942 before then heading off to the United States.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 24, 2021 12:25:32 GMT
Quite the same. Dahl did shoot down enough German planes in the melee that was the Battle of Athens to become an ace in the day. Here, it is likely that he will see action over Greece in the same period, albeit in a Spitfire rather than a Hurricane, and rack up his score even further. I'm extending his operational career into 1942 before then heading off to the United States. Is Sir Richard Bloody Sharpe a descent of that Sharp of the Peninsular War and the Battle of Waterloo fame. |
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If the heir to the Russian/Imperial throne is accompanying the British army in an operation in Africa its going to be a sensitive operation on a number of levels. Makes me wonder did the 
