[PeterVerney]

You must remember that 1940 was a different era. As a child in the 1930s I was brought up to believe that there was another war coming with the Germans, who were evil personified. We learnt a little phrase "The only good German is a dead one", and no doubt they thought the same way about us.
Tinplate toys made in Germany had the legend "DRGM" stamped on them, which to us stood for "Dirty Rotten German Make". To be honest I was very doubtful about the EU because Germany is perceived as the leading light, so these feelings still run deep.