Mr Churchill has clearly shown the way forward in the past few weeks with his determined and implacable fighting spirit, but this week it has been the prime ministers of the Dominions of the Commonwealth who have offered their determination to take the fight to Germany and the other Axis powers. Together, they say, they are ready ‘to share our fortunes and to persevere to the end.’

To this end, there have not only been words of support but a concerted drive to ratchet up the war effort throughout the Empire. Australia, Canada and New Zealand have all now passed legislation to give their governments extraordinary powers with which to fight the war.

South Africa has also added its support and, after the fall of France, it seems that South Africa is the dominion most at immediate risk from the Axis powers. This is because France has an even greater stake in Africa than does Britain and Italian influence on the continent is likely to grow further now that France has been forced to surrender.

At one point last autumn, South Africa had been considering a position of non-belligerence, but the isolationists have clearly realised that this position is unsustainable.

Hence South African aeroplanes, together with Southern Rhodesian ones, have been bombing Italian East Africa and a South African mobile field force is serving with the British East African forces in East Africa. There are also many South African pilots, alongside Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders, flying in the RAF here in Britain.