Guy Gibsons Black Labrador

[Blades_fan]

The next ridiculous thing we’ll have is demonstrators descending on RAF Scampton demanding for the dogs remains to be exhumed and for the grave to be concreted over, and erased from history forever.
Every time that the BBC show The Dambusters it’s edited to remove all reference to his dog and loyal companion.

[mushroom25]

//So, for me, it's simple:
- Gibson's statue OK
- Colston's statue not OK
- Churchill's statues OK
- Mandela's statues OK
- Gandhi's statues OK //


Sir Robert Peel is also on the hit list, for opposing the abolition of slavery. turns out the activists have targeted the wrong Sir Robert - the one who opposed abolition was the father of the father of modern policing, and not the man himself. In acknowledging their mistake, the activists are nonetheless still demanding the statue be removed "because he invented the police, innit".

[retrocop]

Speaking of the DB
How is that mission considered by the historians

//Did it affect anything , significantly ? //

As far as curtailing or diminishing the Krupps armament factories in the Industrial Rhur with their output it was agreed post war that the raids did not really achieve its expected aim. A lot of Civilians got wet feet and lost their housing so those who worked in the factories certainly suffered morale problems.The factories were rebuilt in quick time and continued production as pre raid. Many factories were placed in hastily dug tunnels and old mines by slave labour and facilitated the assembly of V.Weapons and latest aircraft like the Me 262 or FW Komet jet fighter bomber.
It certainly was a great propaganda coup for the UK public and boosted their morale after taking so much from the Luftwaffe during the blitz to see the Germans getting some retaliation.
As Douglas Bader said,'I was awfully proud and privileged to take part and fight in the Battle of Britain.There were the people on the ground taking it and we were the chaps who could give it back again'.

[tiggerblue10]

I'm surprised Packie Bonner hasn't made an appearance on these or any related threads. Just thought I'd bring it up in case it too needed discussing...!

[vulcan42]

I think,as retrocop said, the dam raids didn't add a significant amount of damage to the war effort. However the crews of 617 Squadron became experts on high precision bombing and it's in later raids that this expertise became relevant. For example, it was their bombing that finally took the Tirpitz out of the war, which was extremely important.
Thanks for BA.

[The Builder]

Just thought you'd like to know that cinematic "whitewashing" pre-dates the Dam Busters film.
On Scott's famous last expedition, a black cat had crept onto the "Terra Nova" just before setting off.

They named him........... (you've guessed it.)

They renamed him for the 1948 film. There's a scene in the Antarctic where they leave the ship to continue on foot.
They're all invited to say goodbye to.................. "Puss"

[Atheist]

I think it's a bit rich when the Colonel Blimp brigade start inventing outrages so that they can express their outrage. Have you nothing better to do? It's bad for your blood pressure.

[Atheist]

If Mick Jagger come in ere and started hitting on to my girlfriend, groipin' 'er an' all that, I'd say 'Oy, Jagger. No!!!!"

[rowanwitch]

We had a cat called N*****, it was commonly used for black pets. Again, of its time wouldn't do it now. I expect lots were named after Guy Gibson's black labrador. Shame he didn't have a Yorkshire terrier.

[Sqad]

Off the subject just a little,but it has been rumoured in many an informed circle that the remains of Guy Gibson's dog was never buried at Scampton and there is just an ornate iron fence around a stone.
It took the Germans 3 weeks to get the Ruhr valley factories to get back into production, so not quite the failure that some might suggest.

[Togo]

Golly Sqad...I didn't know that. (^_*)

[Mamyalynne]

You're right about doubt Sqad, he was quite a mysterious dog in some ways.

https://tinyurl.com/y769yhuq

[david small]

My wife’s family had a black Labrador of that name. Interesting calling for him in a London park. How time’s change.

[allenlondon]

“...of its time wouldn't do it now. I expect lots were named after Guy Gibson's black labrador. Shame.”

Shame indeed. If I’d used the word in the early fifties I’d have got a clout from mum or dad for lack of respect. And mum’s black labrador was called Pup.

[allenlondon]

Out of interest, what did Nelson Mandela do that puts him in the same league as the others?

[ynnafymmi]

@09.32.He didnt condemn the actions of his left-wing fascist wife of his.Remember all the necklace killings that Winnie Mandela loved doing to innocent black people.

[allenlondon]

ynna. Try Wikipedia for sorting out your ‘insults’. Fascism is a peculiarly right wing aberration (He didnt condemn the actions of his left-wing fascist ...).

And anyway, remember what the South African freedom fighters were fighting against! Would you call the French resistance “left-wing fascists”?

Broaden your view of history; it might help.

[zebo]

When we went to the showing of The Dambusters for the 75th anniversary there was an introduction by Dan Snow in which he said that even though it was no longer acceptable, blah blah blah, the name of Gibson'd dog would be kept as the original, the cheers in the cinema were vast. Harvesting petty examples doesn't do their cause any good, it only antagonises people. Can we have William I eradicated from History, he invaded us!

[royfromaus]

allenlondon
ynna. Try Wikipedia for sorting out your ‘insults’. Fascism is a peculiarly right wing aberration (He didnt condemn the actions of his left-wing fascist ...).





The far right and the far left are both fascists.

[dannyk13]

Roy, fascism is the direct opposite of left wing.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism

[royfromaus]

Nonsense