Ismay is in No Dismay: Sergeant Simon Dolls and Movies Storm the World as British Shores Are Stormed By Germany

British politician and diplomat, Hastings Ismay, the minister of defense and chief of staff to the war cabinet, has his hands full with the creation of propaganda and militaristic strategies as German efforts invade the southeast shores of Britain in May of 1940.

Ismay has made himself the backbone of the UKs propaganda and a source of the war's funding, from action figures to well accredited movies, Ismay does it all. “Sergeant Simon,” a character he created, has been featured in Sergeant Simon 1 and Sergeant Simon 2: Lost in Narvik, with Sergeant Simon 3 currently in production, followed by an already confirmed Sergeant Simon: The Grand Finale. The success of these films is attributed to the optimistic storyline of an unbeatable and patriotic soldier, that heightens British morale in a time of turmoil and uncertainty.

With the success of Sergeant Simon, further merchandise has emerged that expanded the treasury’s funds, with three unique action dolls, Klaus the Kaiser, Percy to Save Norway and the original Sergeant Simon, all sold out. In an exclusive interview, Ismay said, “We want the British people to be on our side. We want to be their friends and we want them to feel the same way”. To the Secretary General, morale dictates the success of the UK's war efforts, and to him citizens are enthusiastic.

In showing gratitude to the United States and their ongoing support, Ismay wrote a personal directive to the Presidential Cabinet, asserting that “we will ship them each a 100 Sergeant Simon dolls, and movies so they can fully understand our plight”. The extension towards America has strengthened relationships and furthered the globalization of the franchise, but more importantly is the UKs attempt at coaxing the passage of bills in the US to aid and request help from Americans.

Aside from manufacturing dolls and movies, Hastings is the Administer of Defense and Churchill’s chief military assistant, largely influencing militaristic decisions. He has set up recruiting offices in all major cities and launched several bombing campaigns on Germany. He clarifies that these strategic attacks would be “on the German and northern German factories and training camps”. As of recent German intrusion, he finds himself at the center of shoring up Britain defenses by placing fences on beaches and sea mines, while also ordering the Royal Air Force to launch attacks on German warships in the English Channel.

The United Kingdom has a defensive mindset to the recent attacks, where Sir Archbald Sincalir, fellow colleague of Ismay and Secretary State for Air, realizes the criticality of the nation's current position. Similarly, Sinclairs biggest concern is the prevention of loss when mentioning “What we’re trying to do right now is figure out how to approach this dire situation by defensively providing Britain with security, and protecting London because whenever a capital is undertaken, the country is doomed”.

Sergeant Simon might be fictional, but it looks like he's the type of soldier that Britain needs.

This article was written by Lyla Merk/