BuRR,

Thankyou for sharing this with us.

RiMo

 

Arnham is an amazing place as well. Things like this should be start of school history lessons. NO ONE should ever be allowed to forget.

A good read for anyone wanting an insight as to what it may have been like if Germany had won is SS GB by Len Deighton.

Dave

 

Spot on BuRR, you have every right to be most proud of your Grandad.

As said above, I too have the greatest of respect for these heroes who saved our way of life.

What does depress me though is reading some of the obituaries in the Telegraph about these fantastic men who won various medals of honour for the most heroic acts carried out in impossible conditions and some of these heroes died penniless, alone, proud but alone. And the government pays the measely pension and some "Winter fuel allowance" for Chr1st's sake! What gratitude is that?

Heroes every damn one of them not to forget the widows of those who didn't make it back. Too much has been forgotten by too many.

Jerome

 

Respect.

I just wish everyone in the country, especially in Goverment felt the same way. It's a sad fact that maybe in 10-15 years time the only veterans left will be Falklands up to present day.

PP

 

One of my Mum's cousins was killed on the Burma railway construction

Of the older end of the family left, no-one talks about it as I gather it is still too painful for them...

Thank God they did what they did. I wouldn't want to go through anything like it and seeing how war is carried out now (from an outsiders point of view), humans have even less of a chance in the face of modern technology.

I used to be in a Cadet Force and still feel a cold shudder as I hear the Last Post bugle- it always cracks me up with respect and sorrow. I once had to represent the Forces at the local church Remembrance Day service and talk about the feeling the pressure of history on your shoulders, I'm feeling my eyes water even now writing this.

Apple

 

It's hard to even imagine what these honourable people went through and were thinking as they put their lives on the line so we could all be free from the tyrany that was the *****.

It makes our cosseted, easy lives seem almost inconsequential in comparison.

 

Burr,nothing but Ultimate respect for your grandad and all his fighting pals, cos really and truly we will never know what they went through, My uncle was a co-pilot bomb aimer in a Lancaster bomber, he flew over 80 missions over Germany and other places, I have nothing but utter pride to call him my uncle, because without men like these I would hate to think where we would have ended up.
Sadly now my uncle has parkinsons diease, and I saw him a couple of weeks ago and it broke my heart, Long may they live, brilliant post mate, thanks for sharing it.
Cheers
Colin

 

Burr - top post.

Respect is due to your grandad and all of his ilk. Like most of us my family had men serving (and killed) in both world wars.

Some of my most memorable conversations were with the veterans when I attended the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1994.

Met one chap who was from Somerset (same as me) and he recounted that when they landed on D-Day him and his 3 mates were first out of the landing craft. All 3 of his mates got caught by a machine gun and he had to run right over them to find cover - how the Hell you make yourself do that I have no idea, I'd have been crouching in the back of the LCM screaming at the captain to take it back to sea.

Walking round the cemeteries and seeing that most guys there are your age or younger is a very sobering experience.

We WILL remember them.

Steve

 

Ditto to all that have posted here.

As so many have said before let's not forget these Heroes and I do have two related questions.

1. Would anyone on this board object to paying extra tax in order to look after our old folk ?

2. Why don't we ?

Not looking for answers to the questions here - just think about it !

Top Post Burr,

Jase

 

Just a little story about my grampa who passed a few months ago. This story was told at his funeral:
He was in Germany fighting with his troop, when they can across bank that had been partially destroyed. They went in for a nose about and discovered loads of large bundles of notes. This was gathered up and taken back to camp. They were gutted to find out from one of the "experts" at camp that the money was no longer legal tender and completely worthless. They then preceeded to use this cash to light their cigarettes and have a good laugh at old Jerry.
Well as it turns the money was not worthless and they had actually used the equivelent of £1000's of pounds at the time to light their ****!!!!!
The story brought a huge grin to my face at the funeral aswell as everyone else that attended. Hope his memories brought a grin to some of yours.....

 

BTTT

 

Thank you.

 

No problem - watching the TV this morning and was reminded of the best thread I've ever read

 

Total respect.

 

Great Thread
Thought - Perspective

 

To the top where it belongs

Jerome

 

Jerome, ditto.

 

I go that way home from work.

I did the same in Stockton, went to see the march and paid repects with the gf's dad.

Si

 

As i said in my post nothing but utter respect for them all
Cheers
Colin

 

Good call worth another read.

 

Top thread, got to say i didnt even pause to think about our lost heros today, i feel guilty now, and quite rightly so.

Well done BuRR,


Rich.

 

My Grandad

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

 

26

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- John McCrae

 

Did Wilfred Owen at school, Sassoon, too. But that's a bloody good one poem

Richard.

PS Grandfather got MC in WW1, but died from poison gas before I was born. Those guys were something else. I can't just can't imagine...

 

BTTT

 

very brave men

the shame is as the all die all their stories and anecdotes go with them.

i made sure the kids new about the war and kept therm quiet for 2 mins earlier today

 

And one for the brave men of the RAF who never came back:

FOR JOHNNY

Do not despair
For Johnny-head-in-air;
He sleeps as sound
As Johnny underground.

Fetch out no shroud
For Johnny-in-the-cloud;
And keep your tears
For him in after years.

Better by far
For Johnny-the-bright-star,
To keep your head,
And see his children fed.

Alcazar Top thread Burr, respect.

 

great one BuRR dad was on death railway in burma didnt talk much told me about maggots in rice aparently you either got them out or they where your meat course remember im having very bad bouts of malaria mother said he wa yellow when he got home and had tropical ulcers and that the government didnt do much to help them thankfully i did get round to telling him how much i loved him isnt it strange how hard it is to say that to your dad ps he was in british legion and we used to spend hour making poppys and ferrying them around on poppy day good days again thanks BuRR

 

Told the small ones that there would be a minutes silence at 11. the 11 year old neighbours child knew what it was for, there were studying it at school. Cant believe the PC brigade want to drop it!

WTF these people gave there lives for us, how many of todays youth would do the same??

why are some our so called policy makes so hell bent on destroying there memory??


My brother in law served in the falklands, dosent say much about it apart from it wasnt a bed of roses!!

we should give them all the respect due

Mart

 

Top Post

My Wife's 6 yr old grandson understands what poppy day means

I have watched Band of Brothers many times and varies stuff on Discovery channel and still get emotional about it

We played the theme tune to Band of Brothers when I got married