ANZAC Day

[vilakins]

It's ANZAC Day (complete with flyover), and we're recording Reach for the Skies as I type (about RAF air ace Douglas Bader, a great classic I saw on TV as a kid). There's a wonderful two-page pictorial spread on the Battle of Britain in yesterday's Herald which I'm keeping, and last night we watched Stalag 17.

Stalag 17.is an American film mentioned by wolfma in a comment on a ficlet of mine in which Vila trained and raced rats. It was excellent; thanks for the rec! I agree that Sefton is quite Avon-like in his intelligence and rationality and deep affection for money--even in the currency of cigarettes--but sidekick Cookie didn't have Vila's wit. You can also see that Hogan's Heroes lifted whole chucks of this: the movable stove, the radio, even Schulz, the amusing German guard.

And now here's a very funny, clever, and surprisingly accurate* version of WW2 where the countries have Facebook accounts. :-D (Occasional swearing.)

* except for ignoring the participation of this part of the world

Comments

[muscadinegril.livejournal.com]

Someone should write a B7 version of S17 with Avon as Sefton, Vila as a cross between Cookie and Harry Shapiro (but brighter than either), Gan as The Animal, Blake as the barracks leader, and Servalan as the Commandant.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That would work well!

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Thank you for that great Facebook WW2 history!
Europe probably forgot the ANZAC Day...we keep forgetting our own history, which is sad.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Europe wouldn't know about it: it's just observed here. :-)

You know, we lost more people per capita than any other country except Russia, and people hardly remember we were even involved. Britain certainly doesn't give a stuff about the loyalty and sacrifice. I'm a republican and believe we should change the flag and remove all vestiges of historical connection to a foreign power (like the insulting position of governor general who can dissolve our Parliament--and did once in Australia, in 1975).

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Indeed - I would definitely feel the same. You are an independent state, with your own modern history. The British Empire is gone, why to keep these residua - especially those insulting ones?
As I studied history of WW2 at least a little, I am aware of your bravery and loss.
And...Europe is a bitch, forgets easily and is very selective sometimes...if you are a small country in the middle of big ones,
you can feel it!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

You got several mentions in the Facebook WW2 though!

Roll on a republic--or becoming part of Australia which I'd also be in favour of.