The Saturday briefing
Is there anything you’re yearning to know? Send your questions, on any subject, to the contacts given below, and we will do our best to answer them...
QMy father was a fighter pilot with the Polish 307 Squadron based in Exeter but was shot down and killed in July 1942 before I was born. Is it true that the Polish were not invited to victory celebrations and if this is correct, why not?
Jan Illaszewicz, Bournemouth
APrime Minister Clement Attlee did not invite Polish forces to the London Victory Parade on June 8, 1946, because he was scared of offending Stalin and starting another war.
Poles had been crucial allies and real heroes, with 200,000 soldiers under British High Command. Polish squadrons are credited with turning the tide in The Battle of Britain. But after the war, Poland was abandoned behind the Iron Curtain.
The thinking was that including them in the parade would have
TRUE ALLIES: Polish forces are credited with turning the tide in The Battle of Britain. Below, The Queen
reminded Stalin they had fought with the British, becoming westernised, and opposed to the communist regime.
In 2003,Tony Blair apologised to the Poles for the ban and they finally played a key role leading the 60th anniversary parade in 2005.
QEvery time you see a picture of the Queen she has a different handbag. How many does she have?
APhil Swift, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Her Majesty is said to own more than 200 handbags, most of them made by Launer, the British luxury leather goods manufacturer, whose bags cost around £1,900 each.
The Royal Family’s history with Launer dates back to the 1950s, when the Queen Mother bought one. She then gifted a bag to her daughter, who has been a fan ever since.The Queen, left, does not carry money so it is unlikely hers contains a purse but she is said to use them to send signals to staff.
If she places her handbag on the table it means she wants to leave in the next five minutes. If she puts it on the floor, she wants to be rescued from a conversation.
QWas the Hanseatic League similar to the European Union?
ARobert Loughran, Bootle, Merseyside
The Hanseatic League was a group of around 200 cities and towns, stretching from the east of England to Russia, that acted together to protect their economic interests. It was basically an association of merchants, with the Germans taking the lead.
It is mostly forgotten about now but it dominated trading activities in northern Europe from the 13th century to the 15th century, before nations such as Belgium and Holland existed.
Merchants needed a way to trade safely in a time of pirates, robbers, and quarrelling overlords so they entered trade agreements.
But it was not about promoting free trade, it was more to do with creating monopolies and getting privileges.
They had their own armed fleet too. King’s Lynn in Norfolk was a member and played an important part, sending wool, cloth and salt east to other members.
Furs, cod and herring would come into the port, and there was a big demand for wax from Russia to make church candles.
King’s Lynn has the only surviving Hanseatic warehouse in England.The rise of nationalism spelled the end of the league.
You can certainly draw comparisons to the EU, as it was linking countries in a sort of common market.
But it was more about freedom to trade than free trade and it did not have the political and economic structures of the EU.
PLEASE SEND US YOUR INTRIGUING QUESTIONS ON ANY SUBJECT: By email:
● put “questions” in the subject line and send to kay.harrison@reachplc.com
● to Any Questions, Daily Express, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AP
●
By post: Unfortunately we cannot reply individually, but we will feature the best questions on this page.
Ivor Back (1940)
The little boats of England, the little motor boats, The little penny steamers, from Land’s End to John o’ Groats The Brighton Belle, the Margate Queen, the Vigilant, the Lark, The Saucy Jane, the Gracie Fields, even a Noah’s Ark, Picked up their country’s message, that their back was to the wall, There is danger, there is danger, will you answer to the call? Francis Drake, Collingwood and Nelson of the Nile, Were on their quarter decks again, you should have seen them smile, When all the little boats pulled out, from Dover to Dunkirk To bring the British Army home, that was the job of work; How they performed their fearful task, the epic of these days
The history books will tell our sons, but let us sing their praise And as they lie at anchor, from Newcastle to Poldhu, With their battle scars upon them and with pennants red and blue
We say to them with grateful hearts, and voice that’s like to break
Lord Nelson would be proud of you; so would Sir Francis Drake.
If you can’t remember the words to a favourite verse or song from yesteryear, send us a snippet and we’ll do our best to find all the words.