Reactions to the Bruneval Raid
A question posed on the Independent Company Facebook page, ‘ Which of the two, the Bruneval or the Doolittle Raid, was more important from a strictly PR/Morale standpoint?’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Biting
If someone has the time and resources this would make a great MA Thesis. I thought one way of measuring it would be to look at three daily papers to see how much they covered it and for how long. I picked one national [Daily Mirror] and two regional papers with solid readerships [Nottingham Evening Post and Manchester Evening News].
I started with the Nottingham Evening Post and was surprised by how little coverage it got. Reports begin on 2nd March 1942 and are, more or less, Bruneval is ok but what is happening in Java is much more important.
The raid gets mentioned four more times between March and June 1942, but is often as a ‘and this person was involved in all these things including… It was mentioned once in 1943, name checked in a National Savings Advert in 1944 and once in 1947 to note a commemoration.
The Manchester Evening News had three separate mentions on 2nd March 1942. Again, Java takes the bulk of coverage and the vibe is nice but don’t over do it. They do report the Germans are saying ‘nothing to see here.’
The raid gets name checked nine more times in 1942 - but mostly because someone was posted missing or someone got a medal, no real depth. 1943 is much the same story, someone is killed and by the way he was at Bruneval. Then once in 1944 and once in 1947.
The Mirror does feature it twice on 2nd March 1942. Page 5 has a big photo spread of returning soldiers and p.8 has a human interest piece on Peter Young. The headlines that day in the Mirror were ‘day ‘Youth Must Build a Britain that is British’ Sir Stafford Cripps told Anglo-Soviet Youth Friendship Alliance and ‘Japs Drive 20 miles into Java’.
The Mirror does mention it eight times in April and May 1942, sometimes in ‘x did a thing and they were also a Brunival’ way, sometimes as interest pieces e.g. holiday snaps helped raid.’ After that five mentions between 1942 and 1946, usually as a passing mention in another story and once, in 1947, to mark the commemoration.
Attempts to build up the image of the ‘Glider Army’ name check the raid in the Mirror and Evening News.’
Obviously I have not covered all papers, the radio or cinema coverage however I was a bit underwhelmed by it. I wonder if the effect of the raid as propaganda was more effective among military and political circles than the General Public where it was a ‘Good News’ story, something people would remember, but not that important compared to other stories.
Summary of news stories
Nottingham Evening Post
2/3/42 The battle at Java was more important
6/3/42 Footballers were involved in the raid
26/5/42 DFM won by Flight Sergeant from Lincoln
4/6/42 Mentioned as one of several raids this year
10/6/42 Raid mentioned with regard to the skills of RAF Radio Man Charles William Hall Cox
25/3/43 Mention of Wing-Commander Pickard with regard to his DSO, mentions raid.
22/2/44 Raid named checked in a National Savings Advert
9/3/47 Notes ceremony to commemorate the raid.
Manchester Evening News
2/3/42 Bruneval described as a side show.
2/3/42 Merseyside man on riad
2/3/42 German response - They landed without an objective and, therefore disappeared without having achieved anything.’
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