Very interesting and informative postings, these. I have to say that i am with Hatton on the difference in treatment of Germans/Japanese. It is all very confusing that in this day and age the Japanese apparently do not speak of the war, or educate their children. In school the other day i happened to be printing a worksheet whilst in a GCSE class. One boy was actually trying to defend the actions of the Japanese towards prisoners of war. When asked about how he could do such a thing, he said, and these are his EXACT words:
“Well it looked like nice conditions in The Great Escape – we were never taught about the war, only that it was bad, and should never happen again.”
With attitudes like that (of denial) it is truely a frightening enditement of a nation.
With regard to the re-enactors, History is written by the victors, so when in Europe im sure that the victorious P-51 would have more significance to the spectators than the Zero/Me109 etc. However, perhaps after the Zero/Me109 limps away, perhaps they should fly together in formation over the crowdline to act as a “all friends now” signifier.
My personal experience of war games is, at best, patchy. I own MOH, Battlefield 1942 and Call of Duty. I don’t expect many of you have playd these games or even have seen the videos on a games mag or anything, but i have to say that i play them to conquer the Nazi’s. Not to kill/maim/destroy a particular German/Japanese person, but to help my Grandfather’s side battle through El Alamain for example. I do not believe that these games glorify war, but instead allow a generation who would maybe not be interested with modern history to find out about the Second World War. Just my view.
BARNOWL
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