Why English? A good Question

[Dot]

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a Naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., British, Canadian, Australian and French Navy's.

At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a group of half a dozen or so officers that included personnel from most of the countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French Admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.

He then asked: "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"

Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied: "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."

Suddenly the group became very quiet.

[BruceS]

Dot you may need to mod that post & include some ditch hoppers?
But, yes, I've often thought some of those rescued countries forgot pretty quickly what did happen way back then.
NZ must have been furious when those French Navy divers blew up the Green Peace ship in NZ waters? (years ago)

[norman]

Dot you may need to mod that post & include some ditch hoppers?
But, yes, I've often thought some of those rescued countries forgot pretty quickly what did happen way back then.
NZ must have been furious when those French Navy divers blew up the Green Peace ship in NZ waters? (years ago)

And the buggers walked free after the frogs took over there incarceration.

[dapope]

Bit of a sore point that one.... I boycotted French products for years, made it difficult when I discovered that the most common ciggy rolling paper was made in France....then i gave up

[Greynomad]

Dottie,
There’s a similar story (supposedly true) about a German pilot.
He was approaching Berlin airport and the Control Tower gave him landing instructions in English.
He must have had a bad flight, as he exploded.
“I am a German pilot, flying for Lufthansa a German company, landing on a German airport. WHY do I have to speak English to you?!”
There was a short silence then a laconic, VERY English voice came back (obviously from another pilot), “Because WE won the war, Old Chap.”
The landing was completed in English.


BTW Dottie,
The plural of ‘Navy’ is ‘Navies’…
Subeditors have no OFF switch.

[T1 Terry]

Clearly a rather old joke but, still funny

A British Airways pilot is flying into the Munich airport, clearly headed towards the end of his fly career and at the end of a long shift and just needing to get to bed as soon as possible ....... the air traffic control was known to be a very short tempered lot at the best of times, so he wasn't actually looking forward to contacting the tower, but finally the time came that he had no choice.

He contacts tower for instructions and which taxiway to use. Tower replies in German.
Pilot replies "I don't understand German"
Tower comes back in English saying " this is Germany's capital airport have you never been here before?"
Pilot replies "yes, but it was dark, I was at 20 thousand feet and it was 1944, I didn't want to land on that occasion ..... but I'm carrying a different load this time, I'm tired and I just want to get this thing on the ground!!"

T1 Terry