Old Britain

Multiple realities

(covers information from several alternate timelines)

Old Britain was a historical region of Earth also known as Great Britain (abbreviated GB) and the United Kingdom (abbreviated UK), which contained England and Scotland. ^[1] The country played a significant role in Earth history. Residents of Britain were known as British, Britons, or Brits.

Its flag, known as the "Union Flag," ^[2] was two red crosses superimposed on a white cross on a blue background, and which was also carried on the fighting vessels of its Royal Navy, as was evidenced on the prow of Geordi La Forge's model of HMS Victory. (ENT: "First Flight", "Storm Front"; TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles"; TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data"; DS9: "Our Man Bashir")

History

London street — A holographic image of 19th century London, capital of Great Britain

In 1588, England defeated the Spanish Armada. (ENT: "Future Tense")

One of the ships of the Royal Navy, the HMS Enterprize, was one of the earliest vessels to carry the name Enterprise. (ENT: "Future Tense"; Star Trek: Enterprise opening credits)

Great Britain was an instrumental participant of World War II against Nazi Germany, particularly in the Battle of Britain. (DS9: "Homefront") In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States of America pressured the United States Congress to send aid to the British. (TNG: "The Big Goodbye")

During the 1960s, Great Britain was involved in the Earth Cold War. (DS9: "Our Man Bashir")

British schools had a core curriculum, which, in Malcolm Reed's opinion, gave students a well-rounded education. (ENT: "Shuttlepod One")

2024 saw the reunification of nearby Ireland as a result of violence used as a political instrument, rather than through peaceful negotiation. (TNG: "The High Ground")

It is not spelled out whether this event involved Northern Ireland (which was never mentioned in canon) leaving the United Kingdom, or the Republic of Ireland rejoining the United Kingdom after the reinstatement of the Anglo-Irish treaty.

In 2024, Great Britain was an early participant in the Europa Mission (PIC: "Watcher"), but was no longer involved by the time of the mission launch (PIC: "Fly Me to the Moon").

In 2032, Great Britain took part in the Ares IV mission. (VOY: "One Small Step")

The British flag could be seen on the Ares IV model, among others.

The Royal Academy in Old Britain mapped areas of space well into the 2060s, including Sherman's Planet in 2067. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II"; TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")

In 2143, the Ariane 1 assignment patch, which was on display in the 602 Club, bore the flag of ESA member United Kingdom. (ENT: "First Flight")

According to the Star Trek Fact Files, Great Britain was a member of the International Space Agency in the early 21st century.

Alternate, parallel, and imaginary Britains

In an alternate version of 1944, caused by activities within the Temporal Cold War, after England was taken over by Nazi Germany, Prime Minister Winston Churchill urged all Britons to continue to fight for either anarchy or order in World War II. These events were witnessed by Enterprise NX-01. (ENT: "Storm Front")

In a World War II holoprogram used on the USS Voyager, British intelligence was in contact with the French Resistance in Sainte Claire. (VOY: "The Killing Game")

In the holoprogram Julian Bashir, Secret Agent, set during the Cold War, the government of Great Britain paid for every item and luxury that secret agent Julian Bashir would need for his espionage and intelligence gathering duties. Garak was incredulous that a government would even pay a spy for trivial items such as an apartment and weapons. (DS9: "Our Man Bashir")

Geographical details

Great Britain included Scotland and England. (VOY: "Year of Hell") It was separated from Europe by the English Channel. (DS9: "Homefront")

Settlements

England

Furthermore, the city of Bristol was referenced indirectly through the phrase ""Shipshape and Bristol fashion".

Scotland

Other locations

Culture

Languages
Literature
- A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
- Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
- Nicholas Nickleby (Charles Dickens)
- Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle)
- The War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells)
Music
- HMS Pinafore ("British Tar, A") (Gilbert and Sullivan)
- Pirates of Penzance, The (Gilbert and Sullivan)
- "Yr Hufen Melyn"
Food
- Yorkshire pudding

Appendices

Background information

In the real world, the "Kingdom of Great Britain" merged with Ireland in 1801 to become the "United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Ireland" (or UK), later called the "United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland". The term "Great Britain" was used once, in "Our Man Bashir". It was referred to as "Old Britain" by Spock in "The Trouble with Tribbles".

Dialogue from "Our Man Bashir" and "The Trouble with Tribbles" implies that Britain no longer exists as a sovereign country in the 23rd and 24th century. It may have lost its sovereignty by joining the European Alliance or United Earth. However, this may depend upon the internal political functioning of both the United Earth and the European Alliance.

The script of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "To the Death" described the position of the USS Defiant's security officers facing the Jem'Hadar on the transporter platform as being "like British infantry". Later in the script, the rogue Jem'Hadar's weapons were described as being "like a cross between the halberds used by British beefeaters and Japanese naginatas."

Footnotes

↑ "Our Man Bashir" called this nation "Great Britain". Great Britain was actually the name of the island that consisted of England, Scotland, and Wales. The latter has never been mentioned in a Star Trek production, with the only reference being the proper noun Welsh rarebit, although the Welsh language has been featured. Lieutenant Rhys' last name also suggests Wales ancestry. The full and correct name of the country, the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", was never mentioned, although the abbreviation "UK", for "United Kingdom", was seen on an okudagram. The United Kingdom in fact extends beyond Great Britain, also containing Northern Ireland.
↑ The Union Flag is better known under its popular name, the "Union Jack", and is actually an amalgam of the flags of three of the Union's constituent nations: the Scottish "Cross of Saint Andrew" flag (white X-shaped cross on blue field), the Irish "Cross of Saint Patrick" flag (red X-shaped cross on white field) and the English "Saint George's Cross" flag (red cross on white field). The flag traces it origins back to 1606, when Scotland was united with England, but only became final and officially adopted in 1801, pursuant the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

External links

Great Britain at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Great Britain at Wikipedia

[1] "Our Man Bashir" called this nation "Great Britain". Great Britain was actually the name of the island that consisted of England, Scotland, and Wales. The latter has never been mentioned in a Star Trek production, with the only reference being the proper noun Welsh rarebit, although the Welsh language has been featured. Lieutenant Rhys' last name also suggests Wales ancestry. The full and correct name of the country, the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", was never mentioned, although the abbreviation "UK", for "United Kingdom", was seen on an okudagram. The United Kingdom in fact extends beyond Great Britain, also containing Northern Ireland.

[2] The Union Flag is better known under its popular name, the "Union Jack", and is actually an amalgam of the flags of three of the Union's constituent nations: the Scottish "Cross of Saint Andrew" flag (white X-shaped cross on blue field), the Irish "Cross of Saint Patrick" flag (red X-shaped cross on white field) and the English "Saint George's Cross" flag (red cross on white field). The flag traces it origins back to 1606, when Scotland was united with England, but only became final and officially adopted in 1801, pursuant the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

[1]