John C

P.S. Some of the comments here about the number of Polish airmen fighting in the RAF are just plain wrong and show a lack of understanding of how military forces are counted and referenced. From the BRITISH Imperial War Museum site itself: "POLISH PILOTS ON BRITISH SOIL The first Polish pilots reached Britain on 8 December 1939, arriving in Eastchurch in Kent after their departure from France two days earlier. More large transports followed in two-week intervals, and by early June 1940 a total of 2,164 air personnel had arrived in Britain and been assigned to various squadrons. France's capitulation on 25 June 1940 forced the Polish Armed Forces, alongside other Allied troops, to withdraw their units to Britain. A further 6,220 Polish air personnel would reach Britain by the end of July 1940, increasing the total of Polish airmen on British soil to 8,384 men. Exhausted servicemen, tired of being defeated by the Germans, looked upon Britain with great anticipation and named it 'The Island of the Last Hope'." My original post: I think the movie was surprisingly very accurate and well done. It closely follows some books I came across years ago written by Poles and even one by a Polish RAF pilot; one Chester Tuszynski entitled "Power of Destiny". Ok some of this stuff is kind of cheesy by today's standards, just like watching Civil War documentaries, but it was as they say a different time and place. As to the Allies, the British and French outnumbered the Nazis at the start of the war in tanks by about 10 to 1. Likewise they had better and more planes. What they did not have was the vision to see the nerve of Hitler and what was coming nor the stamina and will to confront it. For example, they were treaty bound to come to the aid of the Poles if attacked. The Germans pulled virtually all their military forces from the western front to attack Poland fearing the Russians would attack them then. Hitler accurately gauged that the west was weak and would do nothing even when they could have rolled into western Germany and the Ruhr itself unopposed leading to Hitler's overthrow. Remember the old German Prussian military elite hated this peasant and was ready to do him in -until his early victories turned their thinking around. I think we all oue the Poles a lot; several times they have saved Western Civilization.

One of the best movies I have seen in years! Not sure if it was meant to be but there were parts that were hysterical. The audience laughed and I did too - like I have not in years at a movie.