Thread: Britain's Secret Army

Anybody read "All the Kings Men" ? Fascinating insite in to the role of the "Auxilliary Units" if the Germans had invaded the UK in 1940. The initial training & recruitment was done not far from here in a village called Coleshill.

Havent read the book yet mate, but years ago Micheal Caine made a very good T.V. film about Britain under the nazi rule. He played a high ranking German officer. Quite disturbing.
BTW who is the author of this book?

A well known journalist chap. Can't think of his name now. Very good book though and well worth a read.

I have read SS:GB by Deighton and Fatherland by Robert Harris, both alternative historical novels along the same lines.
But All the King's Men is a rather good TV film about Gallipoli and the so-called "Vanished Battallion" of King George's household staff, who were simply wiped out by the Turks. It's also an American political novel and a dodgy Hollywood film with Sean Penn.
I like this kind of thing but have you got the correct title there Spit ?

Just to add that David Niven touches on this in his memoir. If Sealion had gone ahead & succeeded then he would have emerged.....as a commando...... dressed as a Parson : )

Of course the only part of the UK to actually be occupied by the Germans was the Channel Islands. Jersey, Guernsey & Alderney. I went on holiday to Guernsey 20 years ago and there are lots of reminders of that occupation such as huge defenses similar to some of those in the Atlantic Wall. There's also a fantastic museum which is housed in a former Underground Field Hospital.

Originally Posted by Dave

I have read SS:GB by Deighton and Fatherland by Robert Harris

Robert Harris that's the chap !!. Thanks. Yes "All the Kings Men" is another of those what if ? books and looks at the role the "Axilliary Units" would have played if the Germans had invaded in 1940. Churchill was the mastermind behind this idea. He wanted local people recruited who knew the lay of the land - Farmers, Game Keepers etc. They did exist but not much was known about them until fairly recently. Some have now spoken about their activities but many have taken their secret to the grave. They operated in 4 man Cells rather like commandoes and they were to at first disrupt the Germans upon landing & then try to survive as long as possible and set up resistance networks once the Germans had taken over full control. Sabotage then the main objective to again deny the Germans full freedom of action.

So there was actually some competent soldiers on our soil then, and not just the "dads army" that people always think of?

Yes. Some of the underground dens they used also still exist. These were purpose built structures. There was a good documentary on History Channel not long ago about it. Interesting stuff ...