Fact or Fiction, you decide.

[BritinBritain]

Over the years one hears many stories regarding WW1, WW2 and post WW2, some are fact, some are rumour based on fact, while some are nothing more then an over active imagination.


Here are just a few of those I have heard. Fact or Fiction, you decide.


During the latter part of WW1, a very young Scottish soldier went over the top, on reaching the German trenches shot a German soldier dead before he was shot himself. He took the mans rifle and took the cartridge from the chamber and put it in his pocket, with the idea that the round had “his name on it.” He went through WW1 without serious injury, then WW2 without a scratch. After WW2 he returned to civilian life, placing the Mauser round on his mantle shelf above the fire. One cold winter during development of the area he lived, a heavy truck passed in front of his home causing vibration, the round tipped over and fell into the fire, went off and killed him stone dead.


The angel of Mons http://www.worldwar1.com/heritage/angel.htm


Hitler was heard to say on hearing of the Japanese invasion of Malaya, “If I had my way, I'd send my best SS regiments to help the British.”


Foo Fighters? Both Allied and Axis crews reported seeing “futuristic” aircraft, each beleiving they were secret weapons of the other side.


Was Britain invaded during by enemy forces during WW2? More then one ex WW2 soldiers were adamant that a small invasion took place, but destroyed totally.


Were the plans of The Battle of Dieppe or Operation Jubilee leaked to the Germans to convince Stalin that the Western Allies were not ready for the 2nd Front. Were troops involved in the raid unaware that this raid was the real thing and not just another exercise?


I am sure there are other many more in this vein.

 

[Cheeser]

Invasion of UK

My Grandfather always maintained that during the war the Germans had sent over reconnaisance in force. He was assigned to the channel forts as a Royal Engineer. The premise was that the sea was set aflame and the raiders were destroyed. The beaches were closed and guarded to prevent people from seeing the bodies of Germans being washed up and panicking. However I have read that this was misinformation deliberately used by the government. Who knows maybe it was a lie within a lie?

The Dieppe raid was definitely compromised and the element of surprise was lost when the assault ships were spotted and attacked by German E boats.

 

[BritinBritain]

My Grandfather always maintained that during the war the Germans had sent over reconnaisance in force. He was assigned to the channel forts as a Royal Engineer. The premise was that the sea was set aflame and the raiders were destroyed. The beaches were closed and guarded to prevent people from seeing the bodies of Germans being washed up and panicking

Thats exactly the story I was told. I was also told that there were 3 landing beaches, One was near Dover at Hythe, a second up near the Wash, the third escapes me.

 

[LeEnfield]

Well the rumour about Britain being invaded is nothing but a rumour. There was never any evidence to support this claim. No bodies or wreckage was ever washed up on the shores during this time that could be linked with the invasion. There were still all the civilians living along the coast at this time and had there been any type of invasion it would have got by now.

The Dieppe Raid....Well they picked a heavily fortified part of France to try this type of invasion. With out being rude to our Canadian friends, many of the officers had been talking freely about this raid and it was all the talk of London. Now any foreign Diplomat could have heard this and passed the information on.
This was one of the many lessons learnt from this raid that the were the army was going and when was kept to a very few officers and most of the people were not briefed until they had been confined to the embarkation areas 24 hours before leaving. All phones where cut off in these areas and there was no post. All civilians in these areas where held there until the invasion had taken place.