Ice Cold in Alex

There was a brewery established before the war in Cairo that made pilsner under licence, it was still operating in the late 80s. Any beer consumed in Egypt during the war would be locally brewed, shipping space would have been too precious to be used to bring in anything that could be made locally.

BTW Denmark was only 'occupied' in a very limited number of locations. Germany had the lightest touch there as they didn't want anything to disturb Danish food production and exports to Germany. Denmark even held a general election during the war which by all accounts was a proper democratic one.

 

You are amiss with the understanding the occupation of Denmark by the Germans.The country was wholly occupied and was an essential part of the Atlantic Wall.Denmark's airfields were essential bases for Luftwaffe airfields in the defence radar screen of the Kammhuber line....the Fourfelt CWGC cemetery,on the north side of Esbjerg bears witness to the RAF losses over this part of Denmark...the Germans had a presence in Denmark down to every island in the so called Danish Archipelago.

Denmark was occupied,the only difference was that King Christian X stayed on the throne and did not leave the country to form a government in exile as King Haakon of Norway did.The Democratic elections,have you seen who was elected,the leading politician in Denmark was the Foreign Minister Erik Scavenius who was pro German and his counterpart was Werner Best of the German Foreign Office.

From August 1943 after riots in Copenhagen,conditions for the Danes worsened.The Germans dissolved the elected government and imposed direct administration.If the occupation can be considered to be a benign one,it was the attitude of the Germans who regarded the Danish nation as Aryan while those in opposition to the German occupation formed groups such as the Danish Freedom Council.Food exports to Germany.....if Denmark had resisted,the Germans would have enforced quotas,a practice that was the German policy throughout other occupied countries as appropriate.

You have made misleading postings before on Denmark's status during the war....a digression from the Little Norway discussion.Have you ever spoke to any Danes or delved into their history?

Start with Richard Petrow's work "The Bitter Years"

Little Norway

 

Read
Mazower Mark Hitler's Empire: Nazi Rule in Occupied Europe Penguin London 2015
Gerlach Christian The Extermination of the European Jews Cambridge University Press Cambridge 2016

Both of which cover the situation in Denmark in some detail. Gerlach in particular describes how loose the German hold was in Denmark which was a major factor in allowing the Jewish population to escape into Sweden. This is also covered in
Cesarani David Final Solution the Fate of the Jews 1933- 49 William Henemann London 2016

 

I remember reading somewhere that there was an ambulance that made a similar escape from Tobruk but without nurses or a German agent

 

In London's book it was the RSM and the nurse who fell in love, some subtle changes from book to screen. The photo is indeed one which would have Chummley Warmer getting a hot under the cpllar.

 

Different Title it appears in the US ? Desert Attack doesnt have the same ring as `Ice Cold in Alex`


Kyle

 

Someone should have shot the bar man who clearly didn't know how to pour beer
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-b2c254dc6c791ee284dbebd43eb1f333

 

Is that a WW2 era watch that is on Tonys wrist

any idea of the make

 

Harry Ree's response

There were strict military medical controls regarding the drinking of locally sourced of beers and soft drinks in Egypt and other Middle East zones where the water was suspected as not being potable.

In the Canal Zone,it was always suspected that water from the Sweet Water Canal was used to produce beers and soft drinks and was a health hazard.Water from the SWC was not regarded as potable water and to all intent and purposes,the canal was an open drain.

Buying beer or soft drinks from vendors was strictly forbidden and was a chargeable offence.

 

I think it's a contemporary issue leather cover Clive. Prevented damage to the time piece beneath (hopefully) and also if the watch face/hands were lumed it helped to keep it covered at night too (for the keeni-meeni stuff!).

May well be M Quayle's personal SOE issue (maybe).

The young chaps will find a photo of same soon I bet.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

For you Clive.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

thanks Jim

sort of gadget type thing I would like mind you a bit bulky this one is thanks for the photo I like that watch
I like watches

 

The pic is the original scene, but Sims was asked to button up for the next shot! Probably my favourite war film. It’s a great game to drink every time Quayle or Mills take a swig. Hard to last the full 90mins!

 

Having bashed my sentimental value Seiko (purchased in 1979) too many times in it's life I recently discovered this modern day protective thingy made by Suunto of plastic compass, Ron Hill's, and "have you got the map upside down again" fame (It's not upside down damn it. You told me to orientate the map and I bleedin' well have!)

Two in a packet for less than a tenner, expensive for softee type plastic but then what price your Bremont?

Certainly not as elegant as the leather variety, but my days of worrying about watch face lume giving away my position are long gone, and at least the Seiko won't get any more scratches. And I like to kid myself that the protective thingy has a bit of a magnifying effect too, which with my eyesight nowadays is a bonus.

Apologies for crappy flashy photography.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

P.S. I am not employed, sponsored, bribed, or being feted by Suunto! And I never looked good in Ron Hill's (did anyone?)

 

Tosh -

Tosh - the Crown Brewery's products were on sale in all the hotels and major restaurants and its brewery was subject to inspection . It was founded in the 1890s in Alexandria by Belgian businessmen (as the Pyramid Brewery) and Heineken owned shares. It may have been forbidden to buy drinks from some obscure street pedlar. It still trades under the name of Stella although it has nothing to do with Stella Artois. I can testify from personal experience that it is served ice cold and can be very welcome. Now some of the Egyptian wines were a different story - the white should have been put back in the cat.

 

What a cracking thread, watches and beer! Clive, we're on to something!!

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Thank you Jim
I used to be amused by my timex hands glowing brightly when the lights went out at Saturday morning pictures.I assume the luminus paint was still radioactive back in the sixties.

regards
Clive

 

Jim I am just trying to unsee myself and you in Ron Hills