Re: new book on air War 1940
 

You would not, but a number of your neighbours would be! I was in England.
And I may assure, that members of my family who were in France in 1940, would have been white hot, when called French.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

With all due respect, Franek, I don't think anyone has called them French or will call them French in this book.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

Well, someone already did, stating there were only six nations taking part in French Campaign.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

There were Poles who fought throughout the war, but Poland, as an independent nation, stopped fighting in 1939.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

Poland never surrendered if you did not know. Substantial part of Polish armed forces including most of the navy and air force evacuated from Poland and continued struggle under Polish colours, paid by a legal Polish government, based on agreements signed by the latter. Underground in Poland was largely founded and sponsored by the same government.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

The Polish military and underground, funded by a Polish government continued to fight, I'm not arguing that, but I am saying the Polish nation as an entity did not continue to fight.

Remnants - however substantial - of a defeated army that fights on in the service of its Allies doesn't equate to the idea that the nation fights on.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

Following your logic, Britain did not take part as an entity, because only a small part called BEF fought under French command.
Anyway, Great Britain recognised Poland as an entity, and I do not understand, why do you have any problem with that.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

Britain as a nation fought - its population, economy, industry and government redirected itself to the idea of total war. For Poland that could not be the case post 11.39. And that's what I mean by an independent nation.

I'm not criticising Poland - far from it. I am saying that perhaps the author's omitted Poland from the list of nations simply because Poland, by 5.40 no longer existed as a true independent nation in the way in which the other six nations did.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

Do you think Poles suntanned? I would say they were proportionally much more involved in total war than British. Of course it was nothing like industry, although there was some underground industry here, but rather other means, especially intelligence. Polish intel gathered information from virtually whole Europe, and actually most of information from agent networks available for Allies were from Polish sources.
That said I have no slightest idea, why Czechoslovakia and Poland were excluded from the book.

Re: new book on air War 1940
 

Poles must have also been the key combatant during the Winter War. And the "legal goverment" was a government of cowards, as all governments-in-exile are. Like it or not, Poland has been run over again and again. And will be run over again and again.