alpine_saint Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 How many of you have heard of him ? This bloke saved the human race 30 years ago. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24280831 Always wondered what was behind glasnost and perestroika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint si Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 I hear Aston Villa fans do a minute's applause for him every game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anothersaintinsouthsea Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 blimey, how different things would've been but for a 50-50 decision by one man. Shows the value of trusting your instincts and not blindly following protocol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 Always wondered what was behind glasnost and perestroika The same as in the free world by the look of it. Another near miss. I wonder how many more there have been on both sides. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24183879 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Bateman Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 How many of you have heard of him ? This bloke saved the human race 30 years ago. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24280831 Always wondered what was behind glasnost and perestroika Wow, that's really amazing actually and someone that I haven't heard of before. There are so many "what ifs" in that story - what if it had been real? What if he'd sent the instruction up the chain of command? I am getting more fascinated by the cold war now, will have to start reading up on it more - must be some good books around that I can read on my daily commute to Waterloo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 27 September, 2013 Author Share Posted 27 September, 2013 (edited) The same as in the free world by the look of it. Another near miss. I wonder how many more there have been on both sides. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24183879 I think there have been quite a few nuclear weapon accidents, the one at Thule in Greenland was one of the worst : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_affair But the Exercise Able Archer 83 incident was just about as close as we have got to all out nuclear war. Worst than the Cuban Missile Crisis. I seem to recall Reagan and Gorbachev started talking to each other pretty soon after. Edited 27 September, 2013 by alpine_saint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmel Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 How many of you have heard of him ? This bloke saved the human race 30 years ago. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24280831 Always wondered what was behind glasnost and perestroika Cheers for posting that Alps, had never heard that story before. A different personality and we probably wouldn't be here writing about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 An interesting article from the BBC. Thanks for during it with us Alpine. I can't believe that even with interesting and educational reports like this on their website some people still think the BBC is "useless and dinner down". Good work BBC! Good work Russian bloke (although im surprised that the army types on here aren't up in arms about the fact that really, this guy was a bad soldier who disobeyed commands.....would we be happy with one of our lads if they decided to ignore the chain of command?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 An interesting article from the BBC. Thanks for during it with us Alpine. I can't believe that even with interesting and educational reports like this on their website some people still think the BBC is "useless and dinner down". Good work BBC! Good work Russian bloke (although im surprised that the army types on here aren't up in arms about the fact that really, this guy was a bad soldier who disobeyed commands.....would we be happy with one of our lads if they decided to ignore the chain of command?) Bloody predictive text. Please replace the following words: "during" should be "sharing" "dinner down" should be "dumbed down" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farawaysaint Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 I knew about him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 Vasili Arkhipov done a pretty good job as well. Is it only a matter of time until someone makes the wrong choice? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasili_Arkhipov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAPEL END CHARLIE Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 (edited) Very interesting. By the way, do you know how we planned to control our Nuclear Missile submarines had the UK been destroyed in a devastating nuclear attack? Well if the sub's skipper couldn't communicate with Fleet HQ at Northwood (conveniently located within the greater London target area) he was instructed to tune his radio into the BBC and try to find out what was happening from them. If the BBC was no longer broadcasting (for obvious reasons) he was then, as a last resort, supposed to open the special sealed envelope every nuclear submarine carried containing secret instructions from the Prime Minister of the day. It is speculated that this letter would have authorized him to use his best judgement! Edited 27 September, 2013 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 Pretty sure the 80s movie "War Games" was based upon this premise. It starred a young Matthew Broderick, and the film starts with a simulated nuclear attack to see what the responses of the operators in the bunkers are; most of them don't retaliate so a computerised launch system is brought in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 27 September, 2013 Share Posted 27 September, 2013 When I first heard of this it was pretty scary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 27 September, 2013 Author Share Posted 27 September, 2013 Very interesting. By the way, do you know how we planned to control our Nuclear Missile submarines had the UK been destroyed in a devastating nuclear attack? Well if the sub's skipper couldn't communicate with Fleet HQ at Northwood (conveniently located within the greater London target area) he was instructed to tune his radio into the BBC and try to find out what was happening from them. If the BBC was no longer broadcasting (for obvious reasons) he was then, as a last resort, supposed to open the special sealed envelope every nuclear submarine carried containing secret instructions from the Prime Minister of the day. It is speculated that this letter would have authorized him to use his best judgement! Just out of curiosity, why is your avatar a picture of ACM Stuffy Dowding ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintRichmond Posted 28 September, 2013 Share Posted 28 September, 2013 How many of you have heard of him ? This bloke saved the human race 30 years ago. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24280831 Always wondered what was behind glasnost and perestroika Saints used to have a "Perry-Striker" Groves was his name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAPEL END CHARLIE Posted 28 September, 2013 Share Posted 28 September, 2013 Just out of curiosity, why is your avatar a picture of ACM Stuffy Dowding ? Ah! I'm glad you asked me that. My current avatar is a small tribute to 'Stuffy' (how he would have hated the informality) a man who has long been a bit of a hero to me. I admire him not just because of the way he led RAF Fighter Command through the Battle of Britain, but also because he was in large part responsible for creating the sophisticated air defence system that made that crucial victory possible in the first place. Outmaneuvered and sacked by his service rivals just as the battle he did so much to win was ending, I think Sir Hugh deserves to be remembered better. Indeed, as far as I'm concerned his name should be ranked alongside that of Montgomery, Cunningham, or even Alanbrook perhaps. The fact that he was a socially awkward "unclubbable" old bugger who was never afraid to speak his mind, however unpopular it made him, also appeals to me for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 28 September, 2013 Author Share Posted 28 September, 2013 Aye, I am kind of fond of the crusty old bugger too, (via his portrayal by Lawrence Olivier, apparently it reduced Stuffy to tears when he first saw it). Never given enough credit for his achievements, tw*ts who did nowt like Portal and Leigh-Mallory were jealous and always out-manoeuvreing him. The RAF has always been as interested in political fights as it has real battles. Keith Park was also treated like crap too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloydie Posted 30 September, 2013 Share Posted 30 September, 2013 Really interesting read Alps cheers for that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted 30 September, 2013 Share Posted 30 September, 2013 Aye, I am kind of fond of the crusty old bugger too, (via his portrayal by Lawrence Olivier, apparently it reduced Stuffy to tears when he first saw it). Never given enough credit for his achievements, tw*ts who did nowt like Portal and Leigh-Mallory were jealous and always out-manoeuvreing him. The RAF has always been as interested in political fights as it has real battles. Keith Park was also treated like crap too. Park's contribution to RAF Fighter Command was immense, not only in the BoB, but later in the defence of Malta. Read a really good Biography on him a year or so back - recommended reading: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Park-Biography-Chief-Marshall-Keith/dp/1902304616 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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