Anyone planning to see the movie "Dunkirk"?

[portlock seagull]

Can't beat the original with Dickie Attenborough

I love that too. However, Christopher Nolan has undertaken a project of monumental proportions by all accounts to deliver this film, a lifetime desire to put Dunkirk back on the big screen so he's put his heart and soul into making it with a budget to match. I think it'll surpass the former even though the two aren't really comparable these days.

 

[lawros left foot]

................How they kept it a secret is a miracle imo.


Things such as Operation Fortitude, Aspidistra (just up the road from me), The Ministry For Ungentlemanly Warfare (just about to read the book), Station X, Garbo and Agent Zigzag helped, but it did ultimately still need lots of brave chaps paying the ultimate price.

Ive just finished reading Double cross by Ben Macintyre, the true story of German double agents in this country during WW2. The lengths that MI5 went to, to fool the Nazis that Operation Overlord was going to take place in Calais rather than Normandy. One fact I found quite incredible was that throughout the war, British intelligence was running every single Nazis spy in Britain, as a double agent, and, even after D-Day, the Nazi high command still believed the Normandy landings were a feint, and the real invasion would be in the Pas de Calais.

 

[Norman Potting]

Ive just finished reading Double cross by Ben Macintyre, the true story of German double agents in this country during WW2. The lengths that MI5 went to, to fool the Nazis that Operation Overlord was going to take place in Calais rather than Normandy. One fact I found quite incredible was that throughout the war, British intelligence was running every single Nazis spy in Britain, as a double agent, and, even after D-Day, the Nazi high command still believed the Normandy landings were a feint, and the real invasion would be in the Pas de Calais.

Juan Pujol García aka "Garbo" - hard to believe that a bespectacled Spaniard managed (with a lot of help) to fool the "Master Race" throughout the war and received an MBE from the King and an Iron Cross from the Nazis in the same year. Also managed to "kill off" one of his entirely fictional network of agents and then persuade the Nazis to pay his "widow" a pension! in 19977 there was a fascinating BBC series - "The Secret War" - which I think did feature Garbo. The same series also revealed the "goings on" at Bletchley Park, Alan Turing and his colleagues and the cracking of the "Enigma" codes. Unfortunately doesn't seem to be on iPlayer but the whole series is available on DVD through Amazon at reasonable cost.

 

[Aveacarlin']

Yep, I am.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[afcb]

D-day of course is usually portrayed by Hollywood as the Americans single handedly landing in France and securing a foothold leading to ultimate victory. They seem to forget that of the 5 beaches, they only landed on 2 of them (The Canadians and Brits took the other 3) and they only landed on the beaches due to British planning, logistics and manpower taking them there.

Dunkirk is a different kettle of fish entirely so looking forward to seeing this film.

 

[afcb]

Ive just finished reading Double cross by Ben Macintyre, the true story of German double agents in this country during WW2. The lengths that MI5 went to, to fool the Nazis that Operation Overlord was going to take place in Calais rather than Normandy. One fact I found quite incredible was that throughout the war, British intelligence was running every single Nazis spy in Britain, as a double agent, and, even after D-Day, the Nazi high command still believed the Normandy landings were a feint, and the real invasion would be in the Pas de Calais.

Many of the German guns in Normandy were facing inland apparently as they simply weren't expecting an invasion from the sea in that area. I read this on a sign at Pointe du hoc to the west of Omaha, which was a clifftop battery of epic proportions. The Yanks took it prior to Omaha landings after bombing the crap out of it. As you say absolutely incredible the Germans were misled.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Nothing will ever beat saving private Ryan

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

 

[dangull]

Always begs the question did the Germans let us of the hook or was it a case of over extending and the arrogance that air power would be enough.

Actually, Hitler didn't want to go to war Britain due to racial views, being Anglo Saxons and all that. He even admired the British Empire, and wanted similar for Germany in Europe. He even sent Ribbentrop to England before the war to try to get an alliance with Germany, including that Germany would not challenge the Royal Navy as in WW1

Without success, though Germany agreed not to build up their navy anyway.

 

[Baldseagull]

The BEF was a small component of what was thought to be a powerful Anglo French Army and from what I have read was committed as a political gesture. As we now know the French folded almost straight away leaving the BEF in the shit. Have already related how the French responded to our troops retreating back to Dunkirk...

I thought they responded by fighting a rearguard action to assist the evacuation?

 

[greyseagull]

Any film with Hans Zimmer doing the music is absolutely epic.

 

[oneillco]

Many of the German guns in Normandy were facing inland apparently as they simply weren't expecting an invasion from the sea in that area. I read this on a sign at Pointe du hoc to the west of Omaha, which was a clifftop battery of epic proportions. The Yanks took it prior to Omaha landings after bombing the crap out of it. As you say absolutely incredible the Germans were misled.

I think you may have read that sign wrong; no German coastal batteries were facing inland. Many were sighted facing along the beaches rather than pointing out to sea; perhaps that is what you are referring to.

 

[The Hon Sec]

From what I've seen and read weren't the actual guns found further inland after the attack by the US Rangers. They hadn't been put in their emplacements.

 

[The Hon Sec]

Did a tour with a local group of some of the WW1 sites with a professional guide a couple of years ago. He completed the weekend by taking us on a trip to the Dunkirk beaches visiting and describing various events and places on the way. We went to the large Commonwealth cemetery in Dunkirk also. Very moving.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Ive just finished reading Double cross by Ben Macintyre, the true story of German double agents in this country during WW2. The lengths that MI5 went to, to fool the Nazis that Operation Overlord was going to take place in Calais rather than Normandy. One fact I found quite incredible was that throughout the war, British intelligence was running every single Nazis spy in Britain, as a double agent, and, even after D-Day, the Nazi high command still believed the Normandy landings were a feint, and the real invasion would be in the Pas de Calais.

We deffo had the edge on the secret agent front,a couple of great books Zig Zag and Mincemeat worth a look

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I think uncle Spielberg will go and see it, but nothing can top 95 rated lala land.

Lol, La La Land is still my best film of 2017, strange one that film, massive love for a few weeks and then a huge hate campaign not seen since Titanic was launched against it. I will see Dunkirk as Nolan is only second to Spielberg. He has made some magnificent films. I am looking forward to War for the planet of the Apes more. The last 2 and most recent one in particular were magnificent and early reviews are very good

 

[Surf's Up]

No.

 

[Blue3]

My Uncle Harry was at Dunkirk as part of the expeditionary force and was one of the volunteers who stayed behind holding the Germans off to allow the last few to escape, he was wounded and lost an eye captured he spent the rest of the war in a prison camp, lovely man lost his only child my cousin when only a teenager and his wife crippled with arthritis, he never complained. When he passed away after his Wife and Son my Dad and I were tasked with clearing the house in a draw in the kitchen we found a whole bunch of medals which he never mentioned a very unassuming hero but I remember him as a kind smiling uncle

 

[pastafarian]

Pasta, D-day and Dunkirk were different events mate. Dunkirk was us hotfooting it out of France, D-Day was us going back to win the war.

D-day of course is usually portrayed by Hollywood as the Americans single handedly landing in France and securing a foothold leading to ultimate victory. They seem to forget that of the 5 beaches, they only landed on 2 of them (The Canadians and Brits took the other 3) and they only landed on the beaches due to British planning, logistics and manpower taking them there.

Yes fully aware.
I was though replying to Charles Shinpad who was talking about another film Pegasus Bridge coming out later in the year, which is why the reference to D Day.

 

[Rod Marsh]

Will do! Interested as my uncle was evacuated off the beach at Dunkirk. A quite traumatic period for him and thousand of others,happier times for him at the Goldstone front row third from the left.

I love a hat. Bring back the days where all gentleman wore one.

 

[Return of the Rev]

I love a hat. Bring back the days where all gentleman wore one.

My other uncle getting into the hat vibe early.