Friday 10 October, 2008

World
UK
Politics

By Nick Thompson

Alistair Darling this week announced that he would do whatever it takes to bring about financial stability.
An appropriate statement from the Chancellor of a government that seems to have decided it will do whatever it takes to stay in power, even if that means having to give away billions of pounds of our money.

So whatever it takes includes, I guess, bringing back the ‘Prince of Darkness’ (Peter Mandelson) but clearly doesn’t extend to trusting the Almighty. Because within minutes of announcing that he would do whatever it takes, Mr Darling stood exposed as a dissembler of the greatest proportions when Northern Ireland MP Ian Paisley suggested that a bit of repentance before God might be appropriate. Mr Darling stopped, took a breath and then proceeded to ridicule Mr Paisley. “Eh, I am not as well qualified to comment on whether or not divine intervention can help us or not,” he said with scarce attention to grammar.

This smacks of the very arrogance and foolishness that brought about this financial cataclysm in the first place. If Mr Darling was to examine his history books, he would see that in World War II, as the fate of the British Expeditionary Force hung in the balance on May 23 1940, numerous political leaders, newspaper editors and King George VI himself issued a call for a national day of prayer for Sunday May 26.

Just 24 hours later Adolf Hitler inexplicably ordered his armies to halt, to the surprise and dismay of even his own generals. Two days later, on May 26, the nation gathered to pray. Church attendance sky-rocketed and there was a large gathering at Westminster Abbey during which people pleaded with the Almighty to spare their husbands, sons and fathers at Dunkirk.

It turned out to be one of the most dramatic turning points of the war. At seven o’clock that evening, a critical order was issued to attempt an evacuation of Dunkirk. Virtually every tiny vessel and private craft that could float was sent across the often treacherous waters of the English Channel with orders to rescue as many men as possible before the arrival of the Germans.

Meanwhile Hitler’s armies remained largely in place not only on the 24th, 25th and 26th but, incredibly, until early June. To this day, no-one knows exactly why although at least one historian has claimed that it was because he was in the habit of consulting astrologers whose advice he was duly following.

Anyway, the Fuhrer held victory in the palm of his hand, and yet prevented his combat troops from finishing the job. Some have speculated that Hitler didn’t want to risk unnecessary losses in a final battle. Others think German Air Force chief Goering prevailed upon him to let the Luftwaffe get the credit for destroying the British and French armies. As for Hitler’s own view, he said he wanted to give Churchill “a sporting chance”. Yeah… right!

Here’s my suggestion on what happened. Hitler’s armies were halted by the same God who had shut the mouths of the lions during Daniel’s night of peril, and who protected Israel from various Arab armies in 1948, 1967 and 1972. Just as God heard the prayers of the Israelites so long ago, I believe he was listening when hundreds of thousands of people in the UK prayed for divine intervention.

So for nine critical days, the Germans were content to shell and bomb Dunkirk while large numbers of Allied soldiers were scrambling aboard the little boats and yachts. On May 29, 47,000 were rescued; on May 30, 53,000; on May 31, 68,000; and on June 1, 64,000. In all, 336,000 men found their way to safety in the British Isles! The British leaders were jubilant – and astounded.

General Ironside wrote: “I still cannot understand how it is that the [Germans] have allowed us to get [our troops] off in this way. It is almost fantastic that we have been able to do it in the face of all the bombing and gunning.”

Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, called the evacuation “marvellous” and “a miracle”.

So King George VI called a national day of prayer and repentance with the result that a miraculously flat sea facilitated the rescue of thousands of troops from the killing beaches of Northern France. Now that’s what I would call doing whatever it takes.

Oh, and by the way, King George also called for a national day of worship and thanks at the end of the war, but then the King was an exceedingly courteous and humble man who would genuinely do whatever it takes.

Photo: Adam Pengel