| The respect we pay to those who died. 11:51 - Oct 27 with 3968 views | KeithHaynes |
It’s being forgotten by the year.
A good opportunity to remember those who played their part here. I will start with my grandfather, Cole. Went to Spain in 1936, a southern Irishman with British army service, who went to fight for the govt against Franco’s fascists. International brigades. Was captured in Cordoba but escaped with several others and literally walked and swam around the Spanish coast, through Portugal to get help from the French resistance in late July 1939. WW2 was about to kick off. When he arrived back in Southampton he was mustered into the British army. Wanting to get home to Ireland he said,’ I’ve been fighting fascists for two years, I’ll give it a miss’ They arrested him and sentenced him to jail for ‘poltroon’ basically an establishment term for cowardice !
After eight months in jail in Northampton somebody with a brain approached him and asked if he would pass on his guerrilla warfare skills and train new British army recruits. He said yes, and spent the rest of the war doing just that.
The Brits at times are so far up their own backsides they can’t see the value in real people. He was awarded the defence medal at the end of the war, returned to Ireland and became the catalyst for government post I worked at or in until I retired. Why ?
He was a proud Brit from the south but believed like in life politics change. And this meant despite his British army service he found his post war beliefs more republican. My application to join the military in 1986 took a year. On my final interview I was told ‘your grandfather and your uncle Brian haven’t helped expedite matters’ 😂 |  |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 13:38 - Oct 27 with 2263 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
Unfortunately these days there are millions of people across this country, including the parties in charge of all four governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who believe that buying a poppy and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for king and country is far right, bigoted and racist and we need to be reeducated on what a bunch of bastards british people have always been. |  |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 13:43 - Oct 27 with 2242 views | onehunglow |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 13:38 - Oct 27 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
Unfortunately these days there are millions of people across this country, including the parties in charge of all four governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who believe that buying a poppy and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for king and country is far right, bigoted and racist and we need to be reeducated on what a bunch of bastards british people have always been. |
At least James McClean true to his beliefs .
He won’t wear a poppy shirt |  |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 16:58 - Oct 27 with 2200 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 13:38 - Oct 27 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
Unfortunately these days there are millions of people across this country, including the parties in charge of all four governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who believe that buying a poppy and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for king and country is far right, bigoted and racist and we need to be reeducated on what a bunch of bastards british people have always been. |
Lennon on the build up to todays Scottish games had no poppy. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 17:18 - Oct 27 with 2161 views | onehunglow |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 16:58 - Oct 27 by KeithHaynes |
Lennon on the build up to todays Scottish games had no poppy. |
NI and not Protestant though | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 18:56 - Oct 27 with 2111 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 17:18 - Oct 27 by onehunglow |
NI and not Protestant though |
My grandfather was a catholic from the south, he always wore a poopy.
Lennon is a scared little boy. It won’t get any better for him. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 19:56 - Oct 27 with 2090 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 18:56 - Oct 27 by KeithHaynes |
My grandfather was a catholic from the south, he always wore a poopy.
Lennon is a scared little boy. It won’t get any better for him. |
I wonder who “snackajack” is and why is he/her/they downvoting you for this? | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:01 - Oct 27 with 2081 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 16:58 - Oct 27 by KeithHaynes |
Lennon on the build up to todays Scottish games had no poppy. |
Brendan always wears a poppy and it annoys a lot of Celtic fans. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:03 - Oct 27 with 2080 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 19:56 - Oct 27 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
I wonder who “snackajack” is and why is he/her/they downvoting you for this? |
Matter for them.
I’ve explained my reasoning in the OP.
If they can’t understand it, then I pity them. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:33 - Oct 27 with 2051 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 19:56 - Oct 27 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
I wonder who “snackajack” is and why is he/her/they downvoting you for this? |
I’ve had a check, put him through the ‘ponce’ test, know exactly who he is, and as he has dissed my grandfathers story he’s banned. Coward. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:37 - Oct 27 with 2038 views | SullutaCreturned |
My grandfather, Fred. A postman at the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Marines. He served in North Africa, did some time with the LRDG and the forerunners of the SAS. He served in Europe, Africa and the far East.
When the war ended he came home and went back to being a postman.
He is MY hero. | | | |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 21:22 - Oct 27 with 2015 views | max936 |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:37 - Oct 27 by SullutaCreturned |
My grandfather, Fred. A postman at the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Marines. He served in North Africa, did some time with the LRDG and the forerunners of the SAS. He served in Europe, Africa and the far East.
When the war ended he came home and went back to being a postman.
He is MY hero. |
There were Poppies in the Queens when Mrs and I was there a few weeks ago we bought a couple, we do so every year, without those who fought and eventually came through and won the war, we may not be here today, people need to remember that. |  |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 22:11 - Oct 27 with 1991 views | Boundy |
As an ex service man and having a mate/ colleague whose name is on the wall at the Cenotaph ( killed aged 18 ) then this time of the year is always an important one to me. Anyone who doubts the commitment of the men and women of this country who served and died d for it should do what I did and intend doing again next year is visit the many ( too many) military cemeteries dotted along the coast of northern France ,the monuments to those willing to die for what we have now ( a joke) .I agree with the OP, the commemoration we see each year will slowly die as do those who participate .The fact that recent history of this country is no longer taught in a lot of schools and certainly not in homes then there is only one way this will go. As long as Comrade Associations exist then it will continue but these are starting to fall away, my Old Regiment on Walters road an example. | |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 23:07 - Oct 27 with 1958 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 21:22 - Oct 27 by max936 |
There were Poppies in the Queens when Mrs and I was there a few weeks ago we bought a couple, we do so every year, without those who fought and eventually came through and won the war, we may not be here today, people need to remember that. |
I see Joey Barton is having a go at Roy Keane for wearing a poppy today. Thick idiot doesn’t even know of the thousands from the south who fought and died over two world wars and who still enlist today. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 08:19 - Oct 28 with 1887 views | onehunglow |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 23:07 - Oct 27 by KeithHaynes |
I see Joey Barton is having a go at Roy Keane for wearing a poppy today. Thick idiot doesn’t even know of the thousands from the south who fought and died over two world wars and who still enlist today. |
Keith
I wouldn’t have thought those who enlisted for the army of a country seen as occupiers would be viewed in a good light .
I had a few serve with me in plod and they would never have considered going back home .
They left Ireland,joined the army and that was that . | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 09:52 - Oct 28 with 1863 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 08:19 - Oct 28 by onehunglow |
Keith
I wouldn’t have thought those who enlisted for the army of a country seen as occupiers would be viewed in a good light .
I had a few serve with me in plod and they would never have considered going back home .
They left Ireland,joined the army and that was that . |
As I said, politics like opinions in life change. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 10:03 - Oct 28 with 1841 views | onehunglow |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 09:52 - Oct 28 by KeithHaynes |
As I said, politics like opinions in life change. |
Not always Keith.
Politics is often learned at the mother’s breast and nurtured in the growing years .
South Wales and the former industrial heartlands are evidence of this | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 10:48 - Oct 28 with 1829 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
Both my grandfathers and my step grandfather were in the North African campaign and all three made it home alive but I’m ashamed to say that’s all I really know. They didn’t talk about the war much. My grandad suffered horribly from MS shortly after returning and was in and out of remission for the next fifty years. Whether that was a result of war stress we’ll never know.
My gran often talked about getting forcibly moved away to Walsall to work in a factory that made parts for Lancaster bombers. She hated being away from home and the people weren’t very nice there. Luckily her uncle had a lot of sway in local politics and managed to wangle it for her to come back and work in the metal box in Neath. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 12:03 - Oct 28 with 1808 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 10:03 - Oct 28 by onehunglow |
Not always Keith.
Politics is often learned at the mother’s breast and nurtured in the growing years .
South Wales and the former industrial heartlands are evidence of this |
Depends how much of a principled person you are.
Back then in the forties people were different, admitted some of their faults and were ‘man’ enough to face their aggressors and protagonists. That’s why they went to Spain and fought for freedom, then did the same in Ireland. An ex serving British army sgt or whoever is entitled to their own choices not a stereotypical future based on seventy years later judgements. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 14:22 - Oct 28 with 1741 views | JACKMANANDBOY |
My father's friend could not wait to join up with the armed forces so on the 20th of May 1940 joined the Merchant Navy as a deck boy. A week later his ship was sunk by a U boat in the North Atlantic.
He survived the sinking and swam towards the U boat when it surfaced. He climbed aboard and was thrown back in the water and never seen again. His demise formed part of the evidence in the Nuremberg Trials. |  |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 15:54 - Oct 28 with 1691 views | onehunglow |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 14:22 - Oct 28 by JACKMANANDBOY |
My father's friend could not wait to join up with the armed forces so on the 20th of May 1940 joined the Merchant Navy as a deck boy. A week later his ship was sunk by a U boat in the North Atlantic.
He survived the sinking and swam towards the U boat when it surfaced. He climbed aboard and was thrown back in the water and never seen again. His demise formed part of the evidence in the Nuremberg Trials. |
Wow | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 17:40 - Oct 28 with 1637 views | SullutaCreturned |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 14:22 - Oct 28 by JACKMANANDBOY |
My father's friend could not wait to join up with the armed forces so on the 20th of May 1940 joined the Merchant Navy as a deck boy. A week later his ship was sunk by a U boat in the North Atlantic.
He survived the sinking and swam towards the U boat when it surfaced. He climbed aboard and was thrown back in the water and never seen again. His demise formed part of the evidence in the Nuremberg Trials. |
Well I've got to now...
There's a fil, "Raid on Rommel" which is based on "Operation Agreement" which my grandfather took part in.
Him and the 600 or so others stormed Tobruk beach, it went very badly with I believe 350ish either killed or captured. My grandpa made it back to the MTB, on the way back to the destroyer it was sunk from under him and he swam to HMS Zulu. Zulu was damaged by dive bombers and my grandpa again ended up in the water having to swim to another escort vessel and climb the cargo net.
Among the survivors was a friend and neighbour who told my father the story, my grandpa never talking of it, not once did he talk about the war.
We do have a picture taken when he was attached to the LRDG "roadwatch" which I think was called "Section D" in it he looks like a Desert rRat with Arab head dress on.
I've read his letters home, what wasn't redacted is moving stuff, like when he tells his wife he knows she's been shagging GI's and to stop. That's one of my grans obviously, he treated her like dirt when he got home, so I was told, but he never left her. | | | |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:27 - Oct 28 with 1580 views | max936 |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 23:07 - Oct 27 by KeithHaynes |
I see Joey Barton is having a go at Roy Keane for wearing a poppy today. Thick idiot doesn’t even know of the thousands from the south who fought and died over two world wars and who still enlist today. |
Doesn't surprise me with Barton, loves to be controversial and always looking for the attention he needs to make him think he's relevant. | |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:53 - Oct 28 with 1555 views | Treforys_Jack |
Visited my Great Grandfather's grave in Amiens, back in July. I've also recently been to Cambrai and Thievpval memorials to the missing for his brother and brother in law respectively.
Researched 50 local casualties of WW1 that are buried in in and around the Somme and spent nearly a week driving around the area. Went to 46 cemeteries and placed a wooden cross with an individual personal hand written message. If anyone is interested "The Welsh at War" is a must read. There are 3 volumes and aren't too expensive. Covers, The Somme, Mons, Loos, Ypres and Arras battlefields. Author is Steven John.
"Lest we forget" [Post edited 28 Oct 22:07]
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 08:11 - Oct 29 with 1427 views | Boundy |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:53 - Oct 28 by Treforys_Jack |
Visited my Great Grandfather's grave in Amiens, back in July. I've also recently been to Cambrai and Thievpval memorials to the missing for his brother and brother in law respectively.
Researched 50 local casualties of WW1 that are buried in in and around the Somme and spent nearly a week driving around the area. Went to 46 cemeteries and placed a wooden cross with an individual personal hand written message. If anyone is interested "The Welsh at War" is a must read. There are 3 volumes and aren't too expensive. Covers, The Somme, Mons, Loos, Ypres and Arras battlefields. Author is Steven John.
"Lest we forget" [Post edited 28 Oct 22:07]
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I had no relatives who served during WW2 ( that I know of) but intend visiting Mametz next year , where the Welsh 53rd Division paid a heavy price in lives and blood, if ever there was an example of lions being led by donkeys that would be it. | |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 09:30 - Oct 29 with 1407 views | theloneranger |
Sixteen years old when I went to the war
To fight for a land fit for heroes
God on my side, and a gun in my hand
Chasing my days down to zero
And I marched and I fought and I bled and I died
And I never did get any older
But I knew at the time that a year in the line
Was a long enough life for a soldier
We all volunteered, and we wrote down our names
And we added two years to our ages
Eager for life and ahead of the game
Ready for history's pages
And we brawled and we fought and we whored 'til we stood
Ten thousand shoulder to shoulder
A thirst for the Hun, we were food for the gun
And that's what you are when you're soldiers
I heard my friend cry, and he sank to his knees
Coughing blood as he screamed for his mother
And I fell by his side, and that's how we died
Clinging like kids to each other
And I lay in the mud and the guts and the blood
And I wept as his body grew colder
And I called for my mother and she never came
Though it wasn't my fault and I wasn't to blame
The day not half over and ten thousand slain
And now there's nobody remembers our names
And that's how it is for a soldier |  |
| Everyday above ground ... Is a good day! 😎 |
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