homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Battle of Britain + Battle of Britain II Here's what happened (Continued)

Folks,

Z2:

Actually Old Dux should be the fellow putting all this historical stuff down. After all he was living at the time.

Quite right though, we must not overlook that amazing fellow. Forgive me for turning this into a "History of Britain 101". You Brits know more about all this than I ever will. We colonials have retained some slight knowledge of the rich history of the mother country and it is not every day we get to recite before a knowledgeable audience. So here goes:

King Alfred, sometimes called Alfred the great was born in the year 849. As I recall Dux was about ten years of age at that time. In the year 871 ATG fought the Danes at a place called Basing. Alfred was the youngest son of King �thelwulf, (note the fancy $5 font for the correct spelling) he was a deeply religious man and his life was marked by ill health.

When �thelred, Alfred's brother, became King of Wessex in 865 Alfred became his viceroy and fought for his brother against the Danes. The Danes were at this time threatening to overrun the whole of England and in the year 870 the Danes began their assault on Wessex. �thelred and his brother Alfred had several battles with the Danes, including the battle at Basing where it is my misfortune to have to tell you Alfred was defeated by the Danes. Fear not, he does not give up.

When �thelred died in 871, Alfred became king of the West Saxons and overlord of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Essex. Alfred realized that the Danes were too strong to defeat and so he cleared them from Wessex by payment of tribute. He used the next five years to build up his armed forces and when in 876 the Danes returned Alfred's army was big enough to defeat them, the Danes left swearing. Well ok, they left swearing never to return actually.

But in the year 878 the Danes broke their word and launched a surprise invasion on Wessex and defeated Alfred's army and Alfred fled to Athelney in the fens of Somerset. Perseverance is this fellow's middle name. From here he launched raids against the Danes and the famous legend arose of him burning an old woman's cakes and being told off by her as she didn't recognize who he was.

In 878 Alfred once more took his troops into battle and finally defeated the Danes at the battle of Edington. He then dictated the Peace of Chippenham where Guthrum, the Danish leader, accepted Christian baptism. Perhaps he thought they were trying to drown him?

In 886 Alfred captured London from Guthrum which made Alfred ruler of the south and west of England. Between 892 and 896 the Danes renewed there attempts at invasion but were finally defeated by Alfred and peace (or Pax) finally came to Wessex.

What an ancient, rich and interesting, if also bloody, heritage the British Isles have. And Old Dux has lived through most of it. Hail Dux. And to this salutation a slightly tipsy Dux replies "Hail, yes".