grey dynamics

Eugene Bullard: The First Black Fighter Pilot

March 31, 2021

Maria Garcia Ribera

Eugene Bullard during his flight training. The Croix de Guerre with Star he received for valour during the Battle of Verdun is visible. On the left, there is the unofficial wings worn by many French pilots.     From Columbus, Georgia to Paris, France   Born on the 9th of October 1895 and the seventh child of William Octave Bullard, a former enslaved Haitian man and Josephine Thomas, his Muskogee Creek mother, who died when he was only 6. Eugene was…

Krystyna Skarbek: Churchill’s Favourite Spy

March 26, 2021

Eirini Gouta

    Krystyna Skarbek is one of the most famous World War II heroines and Britain’s first and longest-serving female spy at the time. Her impact and determination in fighting against Nazi-occupied Europe made her SOE’s most successful operative and Winston Churchill’s favourite spy.   Early life   Spy Maria Krystyna Janina Skarbek, aka Christine Granville, was born in Warsaw, Poland on the 1st of May 1908. She was the second child of Count Jerzy Skarbek, a Polish aristocrat and Stephania…

Nancy Wake: The Gestapo’s No.1 Most Wanted Spy

March 24, 2021

Eirini Gouta

  Nancy Wake, with the German given moniker "White Mouse",  is one of the most famous spies in history and the most decorated heroines of World War II. She was a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a key figure to the French resistance, and the Gestapo’s number one most wanted individual.     Early life   Nancy Grace Augusta Wake also known as Nancy Fiocca was born on the 30th of August 1912 in Wellington, New Zealand. Her family moved…

Flintlock: Improving Sahel Security With Special Forces Training

March 22, 2021

Michael Ellmer

    Key Judgements   KJ-1. It is likely that Flintlock resulted in a stronger partnership and enhanced proficiency in tactical skills between the participating African nations and their Western counterparts. The very fact that the participating nations are willing to be part of the exercise demonstrates some sort of desire to improve the security forces that conduct counter-insurgency operations in their respective areas of operation.   KJ-2. In terms of Flintlock’s effectiveness on regional security, it is likely that…

The Great Toyota War: Birthplace of the Technical

March 15, 2021

Michael Ellmer

The Great Toyota War was the birthplace of the “technical” – light-weight Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser variants that are used in underdeveloped countries for troop transport and combat.   In 480 BC, the Battle of Thermopylae took place in Greece. Hordes of Persians under the banner of Xerxes the Great disembarked on the shores of Northern Greece only to be met by King Leonidas of Sparta and roughly 7,000 of his men. To put it bluntly, the odds against…

Special Operations Executive: Setting Europe Ablaze

March 9, 2021

Eirini Gouta

  Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British Second World War organization formed in July of 1940 by Hugh Dalton, British Minister of Economic Warfare. Dalton was tasked by Winston Churchill to “set Europe ablaze” and create SOE with the mission to conduct espionage,…