England Expects el-1

by Charles S. Jackson

  “Your Majesty, Mister Prime Minister, gentlemen…we’ve a very serious problem confronting us in regard to defence against probable invasion of Great Britain. As Mister Thorne’s pointed out, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to prevent the Germans landing on English soil. I’d also point out to you that should the Wehrmacht establish a solid beachhead anywhere on the English coast, there’s very little chance Britain could be saved from being conquered utterly.” This statement caused something of a small uproar among the military men as they voiced their disapproval of the words simultaneously. Only the Prime Minister and the King remained silent, both watchful and deep in thought.

  “Gentlemen, please!” Donelson continued with a confident firmness that didn’t go unnoticed by Churchill or Edward. “As unpleasant as the idea is, all of you must accept the strength of the German War Machine. The total destruction of the French and the capture of Lord Gort’s forces at Dunkirk should be evidence enough. If they do come, all we can hope to do is prolong the inevitable as long as possible, and give them a damned good bloody nose in the process!”

  “Exactly how do you suggest we do that, my dear?”

  “Mister Prime Minister, in the cargo hold of one of those aircraft out there is a device known as a computer. If none of you are aware what that is — and that’s more than likely — then I’ll explain. The Oxford Dictionary of our time defines a computer as an ‘automatic electronic apparatus for making calculations or controlling operations that are expressible in numerical or logical terms’. What they actually do with varying degrees of capability and efficiency is process commands and information at speeds far beyond the abilities of human beings. They can’t make decisions, but when given a set of parameters within which to operate and sufficient information, they can work out all kinds of mathematical and logical problems in a fraction of the time it takes people to do the same task. The one we’ve got in the cargo hold out there is basically a repository for a huge amount of technical data.

  “We’d originally hoped to arrive in your time just before the New Eagles in order to intercept them prior to them making contact with the Nazis here, but it’s turned out this hasn’t been possible. As a contingency plan to counter this exact eventuality, we’ve been provided with selected pieces of technical information — basically blueprints and plans of key pieces of technology — and have them stored on the hard drives of our computer. It’s kind of a scaled-down version of what the New Eagles will have done for the Germans, although we believe they also took back quite a number of actual examples, something that would’ve sped up the development process substantially in some areas. Some of us believe we’re wasting our time here, and that we should relocate immediately to somewhere safe, but a few others, myself included, feel differently about that. If the Nazis give us a bit o’ time, gentlemen — enough time to get a few bits and pieces into production — then we might be able to do a fair job of slowing ‘em down a little.”

  “Might we ask what sorts of ‘bits and pieces’?” General Dill was beginning to warm to the subject.

  “Gentlemen… no doubt you’ve already heard reports from the French, and your own forces in France regarding the German infantry’s use of a new type of rifle. We believe these sturmgewehrs — assault rifles –Nick has told us about here are definitely a development based on technology from our era. Infantry units equipped with these types of weapons would be able to lay down huge amounts of fire, far in excess of that of the existing British Army’s squad-level Lee Enfield rifle and Bren Gun combination.”

  She paused, then directed a question to none of the men in particular. “You’ve all perhaps noticed the unusual looking rifles one or two of our men near the aircraft were carrying?” They all nodded. “Those weapons are of a type known as a Kalashnikov AKM, and were originally a design of the Soviet Union from the late 1940s. The weapon weighs less than a Number Four rifle when fully loaded, carries 30 rounds of thirty-calibre ammunition, and can fire either single shots or fully-automatic at a rate of 600 rounds per minute. It’s also a weapon that can be manufactured much easier and faster than a Lee Enfield. As I understand it, Brigadier Alpert has already been working with the Enfield Arsenal regarding the production of prototypes and ammunition, and we should have operational units in the field within a month or two.

  “On the subject of heavier armaments, I can assure you the Germans have also moved ahead in this field. From what Nick has been able to show us already, the Panzer Model -Two and -Three tanks used in Poland and in France so far are completely different to the types we knew of by the same names in Realtime. We can expect more to come… a great deal of the technology the New Eagles brought with them from the future involved advances in the field of armoured vehicles, and they’re unlikely to rest on their laurels with what they have already.

  “It appears the current tanks the Wehrmacht is using have been around for several years now, and that’d suggest upgrades or outright replacements aren’t far away. When the next generation does arrives, I can say with some certainty that the two-pounder gun arming British tanks at present will be worse than useless. Even the QF six-pounder I know is in development right now will in all likelihood still be ineffective, and development of a conventional type of tank gun of enough power would take some time. Even if one were available, there’s no way the current crop of Matilda II or Valentine tanks could be modified to carry the weapon quickly, if at all.

  “We do have an alternative in the short term however. Without getting too specific on the science, we can offer a weapon that can be fitted into a Matilda or Valentine — and we know that because we tailored it specifically, using examples of those tanks we had left over from this war. The weapon, which uses a method of operation known as a ‘High-Low-Pressure System’ and produces less recoil force than a conventional two-pounder gun, will also fit onto the same sized turret ring.” She took a deep breath and a wry grin. “Quite ironically, the technology for this weapon was originally developed by the Germans, late in the war.

  “I think with a little effort we can probably have those tank guns coming out of factories within a month or two. I also have a set of direct-fire sights we’ve developed for the 3.7-inch AA gun which, given an appropriate armour-piercing shell, would turn it into a devastating anti-tank weapon more potent than the Germans’ infamous eighty-eight millimetre flak gun.

  “I don’t have lots of highly advanced plans and things to give you gentlemen — things like the aircraft outside would take decades to develop, even with plans already in existence. What I do have are a number of smaller but far less ambitions advances — a new and easy to make rifle; a different kind of cannon shell; newer and more advanced tank gun designs; perhaps an improved engine for the Spitfire and a set of faster-firing, more powerful cannon to arm it. Smaller things like these will on the whole take only months to develop rather than years and will cumulatively add to the fighting capabilities of your armed forces greatly.” A pause followed, during which it became clear that Donelson’s part of the discussion was finished for the time being.

  “On behalf of all of us, I thank you for that most enlightening talk, young lady,” Edward began, his gaze then turning directly on Thorne. “Now that we’ve been given an example of how you can help us…” he said thoughtfully“…how can we help you?”

  “Well, Sire…” Thorne began slowly, considering the problem seriously. “As we’ve already said, there’s every chance Britain will be invaded and that we’ll eventually have to leave this base. That being as it may, until an invasion actually happens, the greatest danger to this unit is aerial attack. Most of the combat aircraft we believe New Eagles have brought back with them from the future have already been destroyed, and although those remaining do represent a threat, it’s one our own fighters can probably deal with well enough, given enough warning. More of a potential danger however is a massed conventional attack by the Luftwaffe : an air assault of sufficient numbers would certainly overwhelm us.

  “What
we need is at least a fighter wing for air cover as soon as possible — preferably Spitfires, although I know that may be difficult the way things are at the moment — and a good deal more anti-aircraft capability down here on the ground. The pair of flak vehicles we have with us are probably quite sufficient for low-level raiders, but we’ll need a fair brace of Bofors guns and 3.7-inchers for use against the higher-flying stuff. The 3.7- and 4.5-inch weapons in fixed emplacements around Proserpine Naval Base pack a reasonable punch, but we really need some serious strength of that type around this area as well. We could also do perhaps with a credible security presence here — say commandos or some other equivalent elite force. We’ve only limited personnel here, and even an extra handful of experienced personnel would make a huge difference.”

  “Prime Minister…?” The King referred the issue straight to Churchill, who in turn passed it on to the staff officer seated beside him.

  “General Dill…?” Churchill directed to his Army Chief of Staff, turning his head.

  The officer gave a faint shrug. “The guns shouldn’t present too much hardship: we can find a battery of each within a week or so, although the ammunition might be more difficult to acquire. The personnel should be no problem at all…I would think our paras or commandos would leap at the chance to work in this environment — the potential for exchange of experience would be huge. I’ll have a list of acceptably-cleared personnel drawn up for your consideration.”

  “Excellent,” the Prime Minister nodded. “What about those fighters, Air Chief Marshal?”

  Dowding shook his head slowly — he wasn’t so certain of his available forces. “Perhaps two squadrons of Spitfires are all the RAF would be able to spare, and we’d have to bring them mostly from Twelve Group as it is, stripping the rest of Britain’s northern defences into the bargain.” Staying true to form, the man was reluctant to place the rest of the country’s defences in jeopardy. “We can supplement them with a squadron or two more of Hurricanes, but we still have many other installations that also require protection.”

  “Fair enough, sir,” Thorne nodded. “We’ll make do with whatever you can give us.” He turned his gaze back to the King. “Your Majesty, you’ve all already helped us a great deal just by having all this prepared for us. We’ve jet fuel and sufficient stores of cannon ammunition for our aircraft, and we also have avenues of flight if that becomes necessary. What I’ve already mentioned are our most important needs in the short term, and there’ll no doubt be strategic issues I’ll need to discuss with you all at length, once we’ve a better picture of the overall situation, but right now these things are all we basically need…” he gave a shrug as something else occurred to him “…apart perhaps from the usual stuff like food and supplies. Standardised uniforms for the men might be nice too: something to make them feel more like a real team and an integrated part of the military rather than standouts in a variety of disparate combat gear.

  “You can rest assured we’ll get about those things you’ve requested right away, Mister Thorne, however there’s one thing that has occurred to me in all of this…” as he spoke, Edward cast his thoughtful gaze across the faces of the Hindsight group. “There are a large number of Americans and Australians in this unit…a greater number than Britons, it appears…”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Thorne nodded, explaining. “That was a conscious decision on our part: we required men we judged would be loyal to the task of standing against Germany, but whose judgement wouldn’t be unduly influenced by those loyalties in the event of an invasion. For similar reasons, we purposefully excluded anyone from European armed forces or from the Japanese Self Defence Force, although the Japanese Government was eager to provide personnel along with the huge amount of technical expertise it did supply. Americans and Australians were deemed to be preferable choices due to their unique positions as relatively isolated ‘Western’ allies.”

  “For whatever reason,” Edward continued, conceding to Thorne’s knowledge of 21st Century politics, “these are the citizens of sovereign allied and neutral nations, and the governments of the countries involved will need to be advised regarding what’s going on. I know that Brigadier Hore-Ruthven, the Australian Governor-General has been bombarded with continual questions from Prime Minister Menzies over the last twelve months, ever since the RAAF began constructing a two-mile-long concrete runway in the middle of the Australian bush at our request. It will be nice to be able to explain to him what this has all been about…” he gave a thin smile “…even if he may initially think the King of England to be as mad as a hatter!”

  “I think that would be a good idea, Sire,” Thorne agreed. “The sooner the other Commonwealth Countries and the United States are also provided with some of our technological assistance the better… particularly the Americans with their incredible manufacturing capabilities. In a year or so — perhaps even sooner — there’s a very good chance we’ll also be at war in the Pacific against the Japanese.”

  “At any rate,” Churchill interjected, recognising that time was getting on, “that’s neither here nor there at the moment although, we should do well to discuss it at a later date. One more point, by the way,” he added, turning back to Thorne. “When I was first presented with your colleague, Nicholas Alpert, he so impressed me that I organised a commission as a brigadier with the army to aid him in getting things done. As things now stand, I’m heartily glad that I did so. To that end, this unit will require a higher commanding rank now in order to maintain the priority it will require. There are a lot of people in places of authority who will not know of the truth behind this place, and who will not be likely to listen to someone of so ‘low’ a rank as a brigadier.” He threw a quick glance at Dowding, the man giving an imperceptible nod. He understood immediately what the Prime Minister was getting at, and in this case seemed to be in complete accordance. “I understand that where you came from, Mister Thorne, you were a squadron leader with the Royal Australian Air Force?”

  “That’s correct, Prime Minister…or at least, I once was…” Thorne conceded, uncertain of what was coming.

  “Well, my good fellow, the fliers of the RAAF serving with us have already certainly proven their ability as pilots and leaders, and I have seen no reason to believe you to be any different — particularly with the glowing praise Brigadier Alpert here has heaped upon you during these last twelve months. Air Chief Marshal Dowding, I think, will support me in this: I wish to offer you a commission in the Royal Air Force at the rank of Air Vice Marshal, effective immediately.”

  Thorne was dumbstruck. His mouth dropped slightly open as his mind seized up while trying vainly to think of something appropriate to say. He’d never envisaged leadership of the unit as entailing these kinds of side effects.

  “I think you should say something, Max,” Eileen Donelson suggested softly in his ear, smiling. “You’ll be catching flies, soon!”

  “Will that be satisfactory for your needs, Air Vice Marshal Thorne?” The Prime Minister inquired, beaming over the minor spectacle he’d orchestrated.

  “Uh — uh yes… Y–yes, sir, thank you — that would be more than sufficient!”

  “Excellent!” Churchill declared. “You can expect the requisite paperwork to arrive within forty-eight hours.”

  “Have Brigadier Alpert pass on your measurements this afternoon, and I’ll personally ensure a set of uniforms down here by the end of the week,” The King added, also smiling faintly. “I’m sure my tailors will be happy to run them up for you.”

  At the request of The King, the entire Hindsight group stood at attention on the flight line an hour later, masked from the cool, morning sunlight by the shadow of the huge Galaxy. Most of the forty personnel present wore their respective 21st Century dress uniforms, resulting in a rather diverse appearance that was somewhat out-of-place. A large wooden crate was all that could be found at short notice, and it was this that Edward VIII stood upon to address the men before him as the rest of his entourage, Prime Minis
ter included, stood respectfully in a line a metre or two behind. The King’s outward physical appearance was unremarkable in his grey, tailored suit, however all present knew who they were listening too and the tension in the air was palpable as he prepared to speak.

  “Members of Hindsight…” he began slowly, his tone strong and filled with camaraderie. “Welcome guests from Britain, Australia, the United States of America… and the future. As you are no doubt aware, the free world and the Empire currently face the most dire emergency in history. You who stand here now before me have given the greatest sacrifice any might give, save that of their own lives, in a valiant attempt to reverse this savage violation of history that Nazi Germany has forced upon the planet. For this, and on behalf of the government and people of Great Britain and the Empire, I thank you. I also thank you on behalf of the colleagues and good friends I have in President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Menzies: although they are yet to be made aware of your existence, I can say with some confidence that they will be in complete agreement with the sentiments expressed here this morning.

  “You are a group of hand-picked, dedicated men — and, of course, Commander Donelson also…” he added quickly, gaining a general chuckle and an embarrassed smile from the quickly-reddening naval officer in question “…who have given up everything of the world you’ve left behind in order to save it from total annihilation.” He paused to add weight to his slow, thoughtful speech. “This valour shall not go unrecognised or unrewarded. As King of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Empire, I welcome you all and offer you this new, grateful home with open arms!” As he spread his arms in illustration of the last line, a general cheer rose among the men of the Hindsight Unit accompanied by raucous applause. Those words directly addressed fears many had been harbouring since their trip ‘back’ and did much to assuage feelings uncertainty and unease.