anthroblogia

Well the news here in Malaysia is quite exciting - Penang has gone to the opposition, Samy Velu is out...

Anyway, on a completely unrelated note, there's a short piece on BBC about a sailor who was on a ship that was sunk by the Germans in 1940. He was pulled out of the water and

They were taken to Narvik and transferred to a German ship where they signed an agreement promising that when they returned to Britain they would not fight the Germans.

"We had to sign a declaration saying we wouldn't take up arms against them.

"That really upset me because of course I wanted to go back."

Imagine! "Ve haff blown a hole in your Englander pig-dog ship and vish ve killed you. But since you made it out, pliss sign this and promiss you von't try to shoot us again. Heil Hitler!"

Then, they let him go! And when he managed to get back to England from Norway

Unable to return to the navy - because of his declaration not to fight the Germans - he joined Ford where he worked as an engineer checking aeroplane engines.

Two things amaze me here:
1. He actually stuck to his word. I wouldn't fell bound by it.
2. He was allowed to stand by it at a time when there was a universal draft.

Was that the true 'British spirit'? Or perhaps he was not judged suitable for other reasons...