Tucker Lecture Draws Crowd

On November 19, 2013 Bruce Tucker gave a lecture to a crowd of 75 at the Millburn Library. Mr. Tucker's subject was the little known story of the British attack and destruction of the French Fleet anchored in North Africa on July 3, 1940. This event is consigned to a mere footnote in most history books and by many historians, but the event had profound consequences both for subsequent strategic military decisions and, perhaps more importantly, for the chilling effect it had on British and French relations, both during the rest of the war and thereafter. Charles de Gaulle, for one, the leader of the Free French never forgave Prime Minister Churchill, the one who ordered the attack. It poisoned their relationship for many years. Churchill's decision was driven by the fear that Hitler would commandeer the fleet, the third largest in the world at the time, and his decision is controversial to this day.

 

With dozens of pictures projected onto the screen and a vast knowledge of the subject, Mr. Tucker held the audience enthralled for the entire lecture. By the account of many it was one of  the best lectures the World War II Book has sponsored. For those unable to attend the lecture, it will be available for viewing by clicking on to the name of the lecture on the web site in about two weeks. We thank our young videographers Ryan Sullivan and Jasen Aziz, both students at Millburn High School for their professional service in videotaping the proceedings.  We also thank Sharon Austin, our photographer for taking and posting on our web site many pictures.

 

Holiday Party

 

There will be no lecture in December. The World War II Book Club will host its annual Holiday Party on Tuesday December 17 at Mayfair Farms in West Orange, NJ. Cocktails will be served at 6:30 and dinner at 7:30. The Cost is $50 per person. Complimentary wine will be provided. All other beverages  will be cash bar. Attendance is limited to dues paid members. Send checks to Dr. John J. McLaughlin 10 Farmstead Road Short Hills, NJ 07078.

 

Next Lecture

 

On Tuesday, January 21, 2014,  Richard Osborne will journey from Cape Cod and present a lecture on Winston Churchill. Mr. Osborne is a historian with a vast knowledge of Churchill, said by many to have been the "Man of the Century." John McLaughlin has heard Mr. Osborne's presentation and has declared it to be outstanding. Please mark your calendar. 

 

Cathryn Prince Video Available

For those who may have missed the October meeting, Cathryn Prince's lecture, "Death in the Baltic," is now available on Youtube, thanks to Jasen Aziz and Ryan Sullivan, Sophomores at Millburn High School, who filmed and edited the lecture.  Click here to view the video »

Bruce Tucker to present at next meeting

The next meeting of the New Jersey World War II Book Club will be Tuesday November 19, 2013, as usual at the Millburn Library, with the lecture commencing at 7 p.m.

Bruce Tucker

Mr. Bruce Tucker will present a lecture on the British attack and destruction of the French Fleet anchored in North Africa July 3, 1940.  Bruce Tucker holds a BA in Political Science and History and a MS degree in Information Technology and Project Management from Stevens Institute of Technology. He has many years of experience as an information technology professional, project manager and technical instructor. Bruce is also a local historian, a Civil War living history interpreter and an experienced history lecturer at Rutgers Adult Education Forum. He presents lectures and living history programs on American History, World History and Jewish American History to both adults and students at local colleges, libraries, schools and local organizations.

The British destruction of the French Fleet has been consigned to a mere footnote in the annals of World War II, but at the time it had the potential to change the course of the war. During the closing days of the Battle of France in 1940, and with the German victory all but assured, the British became increasingly worried about the disposition of the French fleet, the fourth largest navy in the world. Voicing these concerns to the French government, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was assured by Navy Minister Admiral François Darlan that even in defeat, the fleet would be kept from the Germans. In the surrender agreement with the Vichy Government, Hitler had agreed not to seize the French Fleet. But what worth was the word of Hitler! Not one to gamble, Churchill ordered the attack.

The attack on Mers-el-Kébir was part of Operation Catapult.  On July 3, 1940, the British Navy bombarded the French Navy at its base at French Algeria.  The assault from the United Kingdom, a former ally, was unexpected and resulted in the deaths of 1,297 French servicemen, the sinking of a battleship and the damaging of five other ships.

The attack, which remains controversial to this day, created much rancor between the United Kingdom and France and complicated the planning for the invasion of North Africa on November 8, 1942. There was even some suggestion that the British wear American uniforms because of the anger of the French over the destruction of their navy. Mr. Tucker will present on this little known aspect of World War II.

 For further information contact Dr. John J. McLaughlin at 973-467-3313.

Dues for the Upcoming Year
Membership Dues are $25.00 a year (September 2013 to August 2014) for a single membership and $30.00  for an entire family Accordingly, we ask all members to pay their dues now. Please send a check to John J. McLaughlin 10 Farmstead Road Short Hills, NJ 07078 or pay at the next meeting. Please, if possible pay by check to assist our bookkeeping.

Holiday Dinner
Mark your calendar. This year our Holiday Dinner will be at Mayfair Farms, West Orange, NJ. The date is Tuesday, December 17, 2013. The cost will $50.00 per person. There will be a cash bar, but complimentary wine will be served at dinner. Attendance is limited to dues paid members. Please send checks to John McLaughlin.
 

Flickr Gallery from October 15 Meeting

Thanks to Sharon Austin, pictures from the October meeting are available on Flickr.  The gallery includes images from Cathryn Prince's presentation on her recent book, Death in the Baltic.

Ziobro Lecture Available on Youtube

For those who may have missed the September meeting, Melissa Ziobro's lecture, "The Women's Army Corps and Gender Integration of the U.S. Army during WWII," is now available on Youtube, thanks to Jasen Aziz and Ryan Sullivan, Sophomores at Millburn High School, who filmed and edited the lecture.  Click here to view the video »

Cathryn Prince to Speak at October Club Meeting

Next Meeting: Tuesday October 15, 2013 
The next meeting will be Tuesday October 15, 2013, as usual at the Millburn Library commencing at 7 p.m.

Cathryn J. Prince will present a lecture based on her recently published book

Death in the Baltic. Ms. Prince tells in stunning detail the story of the worst maritime disaster of World War II, when more than 9,000 German civilians drowned. This tragic loss went unreported. In January 1945 the outcome of the war had been determined. Germany was in free fall as the Russians closed in from the east. More than 10,000 women, children, sick and elderly pack aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a former cruise ship. Soon after leaving port three Soviet torpedoes strike it, inflicting catastrophic damage and throwing passengers into the frozen waters of the Baltic. Drawing on interviews with survivors as well as letters and diaries Ms. Prince reconstructs this forgotten moment in history. Her book has already received rave reviews. 

Ms. Prince is the author of A Professor, a President, and a Meteor: The Birth of American Science, for which she won the Connecticut Press Club's 2011 Book Award for non-fiction. She is a former correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor in Switzerland and in New York, where she covered the United Nations.  Learn more about Ms. Prince here »

Dues for the Upcoming Year 
Membership Dues are $25.00 a year (September 2013 to August 2014) for a single membership and $30.00 for an entire family. Accordingly, we ask all members to pay their dues now. Please send a check to John J. McLaughlin 10 Farmstead Road Short Hills, NJ 07078 or pay at the next meeting. Please, if possible pay by check to assist our bookkeeping.

Holiday Dinner - Save the Date 
Mark your calendar. This year our Holiday Dinner will be at Mayfair Farms, West Orange, NJ. The date is Tuesday, December 17, 2013. Cocktails 6:30. Details will be given in later announcements.

Who Will Do the Cooking?

 Melissa Ziobro launched the Club's first meeting of 2013-14 with a look at the human experience of gender integration in the nation's army.  The large audience responded warmly to Ms. Ziobro's tales of the women who broke the gender barrier to become WACs.  Although women had served to support  the military as both nurses in the Civil War and telephone / telegraph operators during World War I, they weren't considered as anything but support personnel, whose efforts were over when the conflict was.  As Ms. Ziobro explained, the "hello" girls who valiantly "manned" the phones during World War I, weren't awarded veteran status until 1978.  The excerpts from the congressional record, including the quote about who would do the cooking, reflected the concerns society had about the role of women in the military.  Apparently army commanders had no such concerns, eagerly supporting the creation of the Women's Army Corps so that women could fill non-combat jobs.

The presentation prompted many questions from the audience, including some concerning numbers and statistics.  In an e-mail, Ms. Ziobro provided the following sources that should help answer those questions:

• Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc. - Concise source of statistics on women in the military
• U.S. Army Women's Museum - Women in the Army Comparative Statistics by War    
• The Women's Army Corps by Mattie E. Treadwell - the entire book is available on line.  If you scroll down a few pages, the entire table of contents is interactive and allows you to click directly to your particular area of interest.