Expect The Unexpected

Henry e-mails with some questions about how prepared the British sailors were for the possibility of capture:

I don't know how they do it--or did it--in the British military, but I received training in dealing with capture in the Infantry Officers' Basic Course at Ft. Benning, Ga., in 1959. Passive resistance was the key, including looking for escape opportunities during the chaotic aftermath of a battle that left you caught. We were taught ways to avoid giving information during prison interrogation, which I don't remember.

I think that part of the British problem was that it was a "first happening"--a new experience. It would be interesting to know whether British commanders had contingency plans for such an event and whether the sailors and marines involved were trained how to respond. Another Ft. Benning lesson: You must prepare to counter enemy CAPABILITIES not just INTENTIONS. "Dead is the word for anyone who can't make that distinction," we were told.

I can't help but wonder whether those marines and their navy shepherds would have reacted differently, had they had been trained what to do. I'd hope that any flaws in their training have been corrected.