In March 1933 the Irish Times found something to smile about.

It had been in deep gloom for over a year, following the coming to power of Fianna Fail (with a little help from their IRA friends.)

But events in Continental Europe that March of 1933 put a smile of satisfaction on the face of the Leader Writer of the Irish Times, which on 4 March 1933 saluted the new German leader, Adolf Hitler as 'Europe's Standard-Bearer agains Muscovite terrorism.'

Other Europeans were to flockto the same standard. For instance, the thousands of Norwegians who in 1941 fought alongside German troops n Russia.

I have read that more Norwegians fell in that anti-Muscovite campaign than fell in the campaign of resistance to the German occupation of Norway.

So far as I know the anti-Muscovite Norwegians are not commemorated by parades in Norway, nor are Norwegian defence forces ordered to march in their honour. Though the Germans only ocupied Norway for five years and have long established a democratic state which repudiates Hitler, I would be surprised if many Norwegians today join he German armed forces.

I would be further surprised if any Nowegian newspaper glorified service in today's German forces.

The leading Norwegian collaborator's name, Quisling, is a synonym for traitor/

But I wonder, was he quite in the Geraldine League?