Today marks the 70th anniversary of General de Gaulle’s BBC broadcast to the French people. Even though they were under Nazi occupation, he urged that “the flame of French resistance must not, and will not be extinguished.”

When I am in London, I often stay at the Naval & Military, on 4 St James Square. The house used to belong to Lady Astor, the first female to sit as a member of the British parliament. The house was also used by the London headquarters of the Free French Forces. My slight brush with history.

Though only mentioned in passing in the media coverage, it should not be overlooked what role the BBC provided in the war. As a free press it was the only source of information for most of occupied Europe. The Nazis made listening to BBC Radio a crime, punishable by death. Those who deride the BBC (and ABC) as a waste of public money, should read their history books. Sure, services can be improved and made more efficient. But there is a need for such a public broadcaster.

On the same day, 18 June 1940, another speech was given by another wartime leader, Churchill. Sometime in that afternoon, before de Gaulle’s broadcast, Churchill spoke to the House of Commons.

“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour.”

The finest hour indeed for a free press and free men and free nations.