Fred, in the trench, was idly holding up binoculars to watch the British soldiers digging trenches far off.
The British, unable to capture the position, seemed to have adopted the strategy of "if we can't get in, you can't get out either," digging trenches around Boumare to trap them there.
However, trapping them was out of the question; the supplies brought in these days were enough for this paratrooper division to last until late spring next year. Moreover, unless the British regained air superiority, large-scale bombing or shelling of Boumare was impossible.
Once their tanks were fully assembled, they could break out and leave nothing behind but destruction.
However, Germany didn't have large planes to transport the Jackal tanks, so they had to ship them in parts, batch by batch. For this reason, they were building a tank repair facility in the town of Mabray, with all equipment also airlifted in.
Fred couldn't help but mutter to himself if they stayed here for a year or so, could they turn this place into a German city?
While he was indulging in these wild thoughts, he heard footsteps nearby. "Hey, Fred."
Fred turned to look; it was Balk. "Hey, Balk." Balk was one of the "rebels" from the Mabray training camp, and they had gotten along well these days, becoming friends. However, every time Fred saw these burly men in skirts, he couldn't help but laugh.
The most eye-catching custom in Scotland must be men wearing kilts, without underwear, no less.
To be precise, these are not skirts; in English, Scottish skirts are called "kilts," a word derived from Old Norse, meaning clothes folded and wrapped around the body.
It's said that the origin of the kilt can be traced back to the 16th century. Initially, it was Highland Scottish attire. Its earliest form was a piece of uncut cloth over 1.5 meters wide and 6 meters long, folded around the body and secured with a belt at the waist. To combat the cold, rainy climate, they would soak the cloth in goose fat for waterproofing. This attire was very suitable for the Highland climate and terrain, resembling modern kilts below the waist for comfort and freedom of movement, while the upper part could be used as a cloak or blanket.
The Scottish Highlands and English lowlands have long been in conflict, not just militarily but culturally as well.
The kilt, naturally, was at the forefront of these cultural clashes.
Despite the 1707 Act of Union between Scotland and England forming Great Britain, mutual disdain persisted. British rulers tried to stop Scots from wearing kilts during celebrations, but the proud Highlanders fiercely defended their right to wear kilts, with many paying with their lives.
In 1746, King George II issued a ban on kilts to suppress Highland culture, but it was ineffective.
By 1764, after suppressing the Jacobite rising aimed at restoring the House of Stuart, the king issued the harshest kilt ban in history: "The punishment for Scots involved in the uprising is a 36-year ban on wearing kilts or even tartan-patterned clothes, with non-compliance leading to 7 years of exile overseas." Scots were not intimidated. Besides defending their national traditions and dignity with their lives, some rebellious Scots wore strips of blue, red, and green fabric around their waists (the colors of traditional kilts) or sewed the middle of the kilt to turn it into trousers during the ban.
After three years of fighting over kilts, the English royal family backtracked, abolishing the "kilt ban," thus re-establishing the Scots' right to wear kilts, which they have worn for over two centuries since.
The tradition of not wearing underwear under kilts also has a story. It's said that 300 years ago, during a battle in the Scottish Highlands, an officer suddenly ordered his soldiers to remove their kilts and underwear, attacking in just their shirts. This crazy move dumbfounded the enemy, who had never seen such a sight, and they turned and fled.
However, Fred didn't laugh out loud; one, out of respect for their national customs, and two, because these Scots were a brave and warlike people, and warriors should not be mocked.
The bravery of the Scots can be glimpsed from their history.
Long ago, a group of Celts came to the northern part of the British Isles, good at fighting, naming their territory Scotland after their tribe.
Around the 5th century, the ancestors of the English, the Anglo-Saxons, migrated from the European continent, driving the Celts into the remote mountainous parts of the British Isles. These newcomers called their territory England.
In 843, the Kingdom of Scotland was unified, forming an independent state, encompassing the northern part of Great Britain and several surrounding islands, today's Scotland within the United Kingdom. In 1272, Edward I, known as "Hammer of the Scots" or "Edward the Cruel," ascended the English throne, with greater ambitions toward Scotland than previous English kings.
In 1296, Edward I finally began his long-coveted invasion of Scotland, leading to a large-scale, brutal war between England and Scotland. During this war, Scotland produced a national hero, William Wallace. Wallace's story is widely known today, largely thanks to the 1995 Hollywood epic "Braveheart."
In 1298, Edward I led his army on a personal campaign, followed by further expeditions in 1300, 1301, 1303, and 1305.
In 1305, Wallace was captured due to betrayal by one of his own and executed for treason.
In 1307, Edward I, on his last campaign to Scotland while ill, died within sight of Scotland, leaving his last wish that the English army should carry his bones to wage war on Scotland until the last Scot surrendered.
In 1314, the decisive Battle of Bannockburn was fought between the Scottish and English, marking a significant turning point in Scotland's independence movement. Although conflicts continued, Scotland had achieved de facto independence.
In 1328, the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton was signed between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland, ending the war state from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 (the First War of Scottish Independence), with England recognizing Scotland's status as an independent nation.
In 1603, the famous English Queen Elizabeth I died, and her cousin once removed, King James VI of Scotland, succeeded as King James I of England. Scotland and England shared a monarch but maintained separate governments, suddenly making the long-hostile England and Scotland a personal union.
In 1707, both Scotland and England signed and passed the Acts of Union, merging the Scottish and English parliaments into the Parliament of Great Britain, renaming the state the Kingdom of Great Britain, thus ending the 800-year-old Kingdom of Scotland. However, calls for Scottish independence have never ceased.
The British, who once conquered a quarter of the world, could not conquer the Scots, living on the same island, who were far less advanced, poorer, and with a population less than a tenth of theirs, over seven centuries. Even after the groundbreaking Industrial Revolution, the British had to invite the Scots into their fold with a gentle, cooperative approach, respecting their independence and freedom. If it weren't for the Scots' relatively small population, perhaps the world would be speaking Scottish Gaelic instead of English today.