--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People still said that “The Sun Never…" description: "\"“People still said that “The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire,” even though the Commonwealth was starting to come apart. In spite of the obvious, i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/captain-hank-bracker-seawater_atlantic-ocean_people-still-said-that-the-sun-never-set_136864.jpg" --- # People still said that “The Sun Never Sets on the British… ![“People still said that “The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire,” even though the Commonwealth was starting to come apart. In spite of the obvious, it was unthinkable that the United States had a colony in Africa; well they had one, and that was where I was headed! World War II had been over for…” quote by Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/captain-hank-bracker-seawater_atlantic-ocean_people-still-said-that-the-sun-never-set_136864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/captain-hank-bracker-seawater_atlantic-ocean_people-still-said-that-the-sun-never-set_136864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/captain-hank-bracker-seawater_atlantic-ocean_people-still-said-that-the-sun-never-set_136864.jpg) > ““People still said that “The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire,” even though the Commonwealth was starting to come apart. In spite of the obvious, it was unthinkable that the United States had a colony in Africa; well they had one, and that was where I was headed! World War II had been over for ten years and in Europe they were getting on with things and for now all was well in Africa, and with the World! Unless especially fitted out, aircraft didn’t have the range to cross the Atlantic in one jump, so after leaving Idlewild Airport in New York City, we flew halfway across the Atlantic Ocean to the Portuguese island of Santa Maria in the Azores. After refueling and stretching our legs we continued on to Lisbon. Our layovers were only for as long as it took to take care of business. There were no days built in, for me to have a leisurely, gentlemanly, civilized journey to my destination. Instead my seat was beginning to feel as hard as a rock pile. The engines continued to drone on as the Atlantic Ocean eventually gave way to the Iberian Peninsula. My view of Portugal was only what I could see from the air and what was at the airport. Again we landed for fuel in Lisbon, and then without skipping a beat, headed south across the Mediterranean to the North African desert. The beaches under us, in Morocco and the Spanish Sahara, were endless and the sand went from the barren coastal surf inland, to as far as the eye could see. With very few exceptions there was no evidence of civilization.”” [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Post‑WWII travel was arduous, with limited routes and sparse comforts, illustrating colonial and logistical realities. **In simple terms:** Travel then was hard and uncomfortable. Key Takeaway Recognize historical travel hardships. Themes history travel colonialism Mood reflective historical Type narrative descriptive When to use this quote - aviation - geopolitics - personal narrative - infrastructure - cultural exchange Key Concepts logistics post‑war era Questions to Reflect On - How did travel shape colonial ties? - What were the personal impacts? A Different Perspective Modern travelers may romanticize past travel. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atlantic ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atlantic-ocean/) [Aviation-history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aviation-history/) [British empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-empire/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [“Eighty years ago on July 2, 1937 Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, disappeared while attempting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/eighty-years-ago-on-july-2-1937-amelia-earhart-the-first-female/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [“During his extensive career as an airmail pilot with Aéropostale, Antoine served as the company’s station manager in barren Villa Bens. During the Second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/during-his-extensive-career-as-an-airmail-pilot-with-a-ropostale/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“Dakar with a population of over a million people is the capital and largest city of Senegal. Counting the surrounding area the population would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/dakar-with-a-population-of-over-a-million-people-is-the-capital-and/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“Between 1931 and 1946, Pan American Airways had 28 flying boats known as “Clippers,” These four radial engine aircraft were S-40’s and 42’s built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/between-1931-and-1946-pan-american-airways-had-28-flying-boats-known/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“After a time I saw what I believed, at the time, to be a radio relay station located out on a desolate sand spit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/after-a-time-i-saw-what-i-believed-at-the-time-to-be-a-radio-relay/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“It was to be the longest flight I had ever made in my young life and one of the most interesting. Having always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/it-was-to-be-the-longest-flight-i-had-ever-made-in-my-young-life-and/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [I'd like to see Alaska or cross the Atlantic. My father-in-law spent some years crewing luxury yachts from port to port for their owners.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-schofield/i-d-like-to-see-alaska-or-cross-the-atlantic-my-father-in-law-spent/) [Phillip Schofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-schofield/) > [“Steamboats by this time were becoming a familiar presence on the rivers and coastal waters of America, but not until 1838 did steam-powered ships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/steamboats-by-this-time-were-becoming-a-familiar-presence-on-the/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [ We were more fortunate than most, because \[Bernard\] Leach had been in America on a lecture tour in 1950, and we made arrangements to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/we-were-more-fortunate-than-most-because-bernard-leach-had-been-in/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [That's the best way to cross the Atlantic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-whitten-brown/that-s-the-best-way-to-cross-the-atlantic/) Arthur Whitten Brown > [Grounding airplanes to cover your butt would never have let Orville or Wilbur change the world. 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On 8 July 1946 test pilot Dick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-harvey/but-despite-the-maturity-of-the-basic-f4u-design-the-risks-involved/) Ralph Harvey > [“After January 1, 1959, the Castro Revolution changed the way business was done in Cuba. Abruptly, supplies for Cubana were no longer available, most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba-2/after-january-1-1959-the-castro-revolution-changed-the-way-business/) Captain Hank Bracker, "The Exciting Story of Cuba ## More by Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two > [“After a time I saw what I believed, at the time, to be a radio relay station located out on a desolate sand spit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/after-a-time-i-saw-what-i-believed-at-the-time-to-be-a-radio-relay/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“Because he was leaving Liberia, Chris had tried selling his Italian made, Vespa motor-scooter. It had seen a lot of use and I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/because-he-was-leaving-liberia-chris-had-tried-selling-his-italian/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“Flotsam Some people figuratively, although sometimes literately, washed up on the barren beaches of West Africa because they were unwelcome in most other countries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/flotsam-some-people-figuratively-although-sometimes-literately-washed/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“On January 2, 1956 President Tubman’s staff informed the American Ambassador, General Richard Lee Jones, that the Soviet delegation had sent him a note…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/on-january-2-1956-president-tubman-s-staff-informed-the-american/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“During his extensive career as an airmail pilot with Aéropostale, Antoine served as the company’s station manager in barren Villa Bens. 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It wasn’t anywhere near dawn when the blaring sound of Reveille was piped throughout the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/i-could-not-believe-how-fast-the-night-went-it-wasn-t-anywhere-near/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“Between 1931 and 1946, Pan American Airways had 28 flying boats known as “Clippers,” These four radial engine aircraft were S-40’s and 42’s built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/between-1931-and-1946-pan-american-airways-had-28-flying-boats-known/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“In 1821, the United States government sent Dr. Eli Ayres to West Africa to buy, on what was known as the “Pepper Coast,” land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/in-1821-the-united-states-government-sent-dr-eli-ayres-to-west-africa/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“In most cases homeport for the sailor is the port where he feels most at ease. It’s the place he longs to be and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/in-most-cases-homeport-for-the-sailor-is-the-port-where-he-feels-most/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“James Monroe served as the fifth President of the United States between 1817 and 1825. He was from Virginia and the last of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/james-monroe-served-as-the-fifth-president-of-the-united-states/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) > [“Dakar with a population of over a million people is the capital and largest city of Senegal. Counting the surrounding area the population would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/dakar-with-a-population-of-over-a-million-people-is-the-capital-and/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) [Explore all 13 Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) ## More Atlantic ocean quotes > [“The very name Impressionism is taken from an Atlantic Ocean painting - that of Monet, of sunrise in the harbor of Le Havre, done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-winchester/the-very-name-impressionism-is-taken-from-an-atlantic-ocean-painting/) [Simon winchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-winchester/) > [“AT&T developed cross-country systems of microwave relay towers, which marched across the countryside from coast to coast and border to border, every 20 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-t-developed-cross-country-systems-of-microwave-relay-towers-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Force was the factor in the government of the world when Christ was born, and force was the source and exercise of authority both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/force-was-the-factor-in-the-government-of-the-world-when-christ-was/) [Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/) > [“Fear and hope are alike beneath it. There is somewhat low even in hope. In the hour of vision, there is nothing that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/fear-and-hope-are-alike-beneath-it-there-is-somewhat-low-even-in-hope/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“The state of New York had just one important advantage—an opening to the west through the Appalachian Mountains, the chain that runs in rough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-state-of-new-york-had-just-one-important-advantage-an-opening-to/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [The Atlantic Ocean was something then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-atlantic-ocean-was-something-then/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [Men might as well project a voyage to the Moon as attempt to employ steam navigation against the stormy North Atlantic Ocean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dionysius-lardner/men-might-as-well-project-a-voyage-to-the-moon-as-attempt-to-employ/) Dionysius Lardner > [ \[On Jane Austen:\] To believe her limited in range because she was harmonious in method is as sensible as to imagine that when the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/on-jane-austen-to-believe-her-limited-in-range-because-she-was/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [“The gap between most people’s capacity to conjure beauty from scratch and to merely recognize it when they see it is the width of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/the-gap-between-most-people-s-capacity-to-conjure-beauty-from-scratch/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“Grand Turk Island is so named because it is the largest island in the Turks Islands, which is the smaller of the two archipelagos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker/grand-turk-island-is-so-named-because-it-is-the-largest-island-in-the/) [Captain Hank Bracker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker/) > [I was very much disappointed in the Atlantic Ocean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-was-very-much-disappointed-in-the-atlantic-ocean/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“So what if somewhere, back a hundred years and change and across the Atlantic Ocean, some other Watson made best friends with some other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/so-what-if-somewhere-back-a-hundred-years-and-change-and-across-the/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“If I had hoped to skirt the sense of being a stranger in the world by coming to Ghana, then disappointment awaited me. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saidiya-v-hartman/if-i-had-hoped-to-skirt-the-sense-of-being-a-stranger-in-the-world-by/) Saidiya V. Hartman > [“Excursion from marrakech offers the possibilty to discover Morocco with all his rich history from his amazing Sahara deserts, imperial cities ( MARRAKECH MEKNES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/excursion-from-marrakech/excursion-from-marrakech-offers-the-possibilty-to-discover-morocco/) Excursion from Marrakech > [“the basics have to be stressed over and over. If I had a brick for every time I’ve repeated the phrase QSC and V…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kroc/the-basics-have-to-be-stressed-over-and-over-if-i-had-a-brick-for/) [Ray Kroc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kroc/) [Browse all 83 Atlantic ocean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atlantic-ocean/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People still said that “The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire,” even though the Commonwealth was starting to come apart. In spite of the obvious, it was unthinkable that the United States had a colony in Africa; well they had one, and that was where I was headed! World War II had been over for ten years and in Europe they were getting on with things and for now all was well in Africa, and with the World! Unless especially fitted out, aircraft didn’t have the range to cross the Atlantic in one jump, so after leaving Idlewild Airport in New York City, we flew halfway across the Atlantic Ocean to the Portuguese island of Santa Maria in the Azores. After refueling and stretching our legs we continued on to Lisbon. Our layovers were only for as long as it took to take care of business. There were no days built in, for me to have a leisurely, gentlemanly, civilized journey to my destination. Instead my seat was beginning to feel as hard as a rock pile. The engines continued to drone on as the Atlantic Ocean eventually gave way to the Iberian Peninsula. My view of Portugal was only what I could see from the air and what was at the airport. Again we landed for fuel in Lisbon, and then without skipping a beat, headed south across the Mediterranean to the North African desert. The beaches under us, in Morocco and the Spanish Sahara, were endless and the sand went from the barren coastal surf inland, to as far as the eye could see. 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