The shame of Dunkirk

May 29, 1940...

Encircled by German artillery and under fire by the Luftwaffe, hundreds of thousands of British troops hovered on the beaches of Dunkirk, France as the city of Dunkirk blazed behind them. Pinned down by Nazis and able to get out only the smallest message, the cryptic three words were clearly understood by their fellow citizens who received it,

"BUT IF NOT"

Clearly a reference to Daniel chapter 3 verses 17 and 18, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

The message? Whether we are rescued or not, whether we live or not, we will serve and protect the nation we love.

From Reuters...

Two of the 15 British sailors and marines held by Iran said in interviews published on Monday they feared they would be raped or killed while in custody.

Sailor Faye Turney, the only woman, said the Iranians asked how she felt about dying for her country and warned she may never see her daughter again.

Turney, 25, said she heard wood being sawn and nails hammered near her cell, and a woman measured her with a tape.

"I was convinced they were making my coffin," she told the Sun newspaper. When captured, she feared she could be raped, she added.

Arthur Batchelor, 20, the youngest in the group, said he "cried like a baby" in his cell after he was blindfolded, handcuffed and taunted by his guards.

"I was absolutely exhausted by the pressure," he told the Daily Mirror. "There were times when I feared being raped or killed."

Apparently they don't make British soldiers like they used to.

Posted by Danny Carlton at April 9, 2007 5:44 AM