Germany’s Moehne Dam and Brexit…

Anglo-German friendship on display at the Moehne dam of Dambusters fame.

Rapidly repaired in 1943, by forced labour, following death of 1600 civilians (including 1000 Russians) in the 7-metre-high tsunami unleashed by the dam’s breach.

With Dunkirk, one of the great WW2 myths that, all these years later, helped fuel Brexit.

To whose supporters I would recommend a visit to EU-committed Germany. Vastly wealthier than we are, increasingly comfortable with itself, a true globalexporting superpower, and so much more.

Perhaps Brexit needs to be for post-Imperial Britain what defeat for Germany was in 1945, when we are finally forced to face ourselves in the mirror and take responsibility for our colonial and post-colonial history.

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Mark, Jutta and Daisy with Moehne dam in background – at the end of a 1000-km tour down the Danube (OK, different end of Germany, but here a short interlude on the car-powered way home)

Irmgard, Guenther and Jutta 1978 with our Daisy 1 Globetrotter tandem in Berlin, and their much more impressive Motobecane.

Moehne Dam 1

Moehne Dam 1943, the immediate aftermath of the Dambusters’ raid.

Moehne Dam 2

The destruction left by the one bouncing bomb which hit the dam as planned, spinning on to the bottom of the reservoir and exploding at the dam’s base.

Moehne Dam 3

Within weeks, the dam was being rebuilt. By Russian forced labour.

Moehne dam 4

The Moehne dam, still in wartime after its repair.

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The dam today
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Water seriously down – climate change, anyone. Not much room for bouncing bombs, thankfully.

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