THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN RECALLED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 2, 28 September 1943, Page 4

THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN RECALLED

British people have been celebrating as a day of prayer and thanksgiving the third anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which fell on Sunday last. The memory of that epic episode should not be allowed to fade in any part of the British Empire, for if that battle had been lost the fate of the whole Empire would have been linked with the disaster. The German air attacks launched against the Mother Country during those critical days of September in which the enemy s effort reached the peak of intensity and violence were the prelude to the invasion of Britain. Coming after Dunkirk and the fall of France, such an invasion attempt would have caught Britain at a grave disadvantage. But it was here that Hitler made his historic tactical blunder. He waited too long. Why he did so will not be known foi certainty till peace opens the pages of the secret history of the wat. ; The general opinion seems ta be that his fundamental error was in his under-estimation of the strength and tough fibre of the character. This error led him to assume that the British retreat fiotn Dunkirk, with the loss of immense supplies of equipment—described by Mr. Churchill himself at the time as “a colossal military disaster —coupled with the fall of France, would have produced such a psychological reaction upon the British Government and people that then spirit of resistance would be broken. He waited for this expec e reaction to strike' home and threw out peace hints. there was no reaction of the kind he had hoped for. What actually happened w-as that the combative spirit of the nation was thoroughly aroused Hie preferred peace was scornfully rejected. When he did strike he found the British people in a stern and resolute tempei. The story of the Battle of Britain is familiar history. It was for free civilization, the crucial point of the war. The defeat of the German Luftwaffe over the English Channel had far-reaching effects throughout the world, and raised British prestige immeasurably. Ihe impression created was well expressed by Colonel Knox, Secretary o the United States Navy, in an address to British people reported last week. “Britain,” he said,, “saved the world.” Come what may (he added), the rest oE the world will always owe Britain a debt for that. No matter how much we may contribute to the fight it will always be present in every thoughtful American mind that in the grimmest part of the crisis Britain stood unyielding and alone. I am glad to be able to say that to the British people, and I wanted to say it long ago. The moral effect of this splendid episode upon other nations not then involved in the maelstrom of the war. and upon the peoples of enemyoccupied countries, was immense. More than anything else it contributed to that great alignment of countries on the side of Britain known as the United Nations, and inspired, a new spirit and temper for their alliance of warfare upon the enemies.of freedom. It made possible the unmistakable, turn of the tide against the enemy that is how gathering momentum in all theatres of the war, and will take its place in history among those great crucial military and naval events, such as Trafalgar, Waterloo, Gettysburg in America, and others that may be recalled, which shaped the destinies of nations.