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8.4.41 [George Orwell]

April 8, 2011 in air battle, Benghazi, Connolly, Francis Beeding, Fyvel, Germans, Greece, Hugh Slater, Italian empire, Libya, Madrid, MOI, News Chronicle, Piccadilly, Political, RAF, The Battle of Britain, Triploi, War-time by orwelldiaries

Have just read The Battle of Britain, the M.O.I.’s best-seller (there was so great a run on it that copies were unprocurable for some days). It is said to have been compiled by Francis Beeding, the writer of thrillers. I suppose it is not as bad as it might be, but seeing that it is being translated into many languages and will undoubtedly be read all over the world – it is the first historical account, at any rate in English, of the first great air battle in history – it is a pity that they did not have the sense to avoid the propagandist note altogether. The pamphlet is full of “heroic”, “glorious exploits”, etc., and the Germans are spoken of more or less slightingly. Why couldn’t they simply give a cold accurate account of the facts, which after all are favourable enough? For the sake of the bit of cheer-up that this pamphlet will accomplish in England, they throw away the chance of producing something that would be accepted all over the world as a standard authority and used to counteract German lies.

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27.6.40 [George Orwell]

June 27, 2010 in air raid, all clear, aristocracy, Britain, Churchill, Communism, Falangist, France, Franco, german, Hitler, I.L.P., Italy, L. H. Myers, Madrid, MOI, Munich, Mussolini, New Leader, occupation, Petain, Political, propaganda, Rab Butler, recruiting campaign, ruling class, Russia, Russo-German pact, Samuel Hoare, Spanish, Stalin, Tangier, U.S.S.R., War-time by orwelldiaries

It appears that the night before last, during the air-raid alarm, many people all over London were woken by the All Clear signal, took that for a warning and went to the shelters and stayed there till morning, waiting for the All Clear. This after ten months of war and God knows how many explanations of the air-raid precautions.

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10.6.40 [George Orwell]

June 10, 2010 in Allied troops, fascists, Germans, Italy, Madrid, Narvik, Norway, Paris, Political, Spain, taxi-driver, War Office, War-time by orwelldiaries

Have just heard, though it is not in the papers, that Italy has declared war…. The Allied troops are withdrawing from Norway, the reason given being that they can be used elsewhere and Narvik after its capture was rendered useless to the Germans. But in fact Narvik will not be necessary to them till the winter, it wouldn’t have been much use anyway when Norway had ceased to be neutral, and I shouldn’t have thought that the Allies had enough troops in Norway to make much difference. The real reason is probably so as not to have to waste warships.

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