NickTB
Alan Hutton
What a great inspirational post
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D-Day
- Thread starter markysimmo
- Start date
What a great inspirational post
superspurs
Justin Edinburgh
What a fantastic read =D>
inkpenspur
Allan Nielsen
I certainly care! It wasn't exactly the story I was expecting when asked 'what did you do in the war Uncle Keith?' Apparently after the raids on St Nazaire, and another one on a radar station when a bunch of Canadian Commandos and a jewish radio engineer(!) (I believe he was an Uncle of Mou Lipman) stole the whole apparatus on a night raid, Hitler issued an order that any allied soldier caught on the beaches would be shot! It had never crossed my mind that the allies would have needed to do this, but it's bloody obvious when you think about it... apparently not a single beach is the same, and the mechanical properties of sand and shingle vary across the seasons and according to the state of the tides. All of this was done in the pitch black, they never went ashore on clear nights with a moon, and often in heavy seas! Uncle Keith was proud of the fact that he never fired his gun in anger in the whole war, but did all of his fighting with his intellect, his stamina (man was he fit, even in his later years when I knew him) and with his bravery. It took all sorts to win the war, and we should all be bloody grateful for the sacrifices that that generation made for all of us. I hopoe we never forget them.
It seems many people's relatives were unwilling to talk about the war, and maybe that's why myself and my family know very little about my grandfather's role in WWII.
As I said he died when I was much younger, but I remember towards the end of his life he had dementia or something like that and he kept feeling like he was back on the battlefield. My mum doesn't even know the details, and she's his daughter, but when she took me to Normandy last year she was telling me how she thinks her dad was fighting in the Normandy Landings.
As I said he died when I was much younger, but I remember towards the end of his life he had dementia or something like that and he kept feeling like he was back on the battlefield. My mum doesn't even know the details, and she's his daughter, but when she took me to Normandy last year she was telling me how she thinks her dad was fighting in the Normandy Landings.
Sheffield Spur
Øyvind Leonhardsen
An interesting thread, and as rightly pointed out, would todays youth do the same? I have my doubts. Not as many.
A read for anyone interested....
Maybe some on here will remember a post of mine from many years ago, titled 'An Officer, A Gentleman and a Spur'? Essentially it was about a guy on my mothers road here in Sheffield. He lived with his wife at the end of the road and I knew little about him. Until about 10 years ago (in his 90's?) when he talked to me about his experiences and background. He was born on one of the adjacent roads (IIRC) to WHL and went to watch them in the 1920's/30's. His war story was remarkable; an air gunner in Boulton Paul Defiants in the Battle of Britain (a near death sentence in itself!). In the BoB he was based at Hawkinge in Kent. Just inland from Folkestone. Converted to pilot. Flew Tiger Moths, Bristol Blenheims, Airspeed Oxfords, Avro Ansons, Douglas A20 Havoc/Bostons, Bristol Bothas, the Westland Whirlwind (a rare bird, that one), and in combat, the mighty De Havilland Mosquito. He was in top cover and ground attack on D Day. Later he flew the Mosquito Mk 18 Tse Tse in the Banff Strike Wing in Scotland, he said, which had a 57mm Mohlins gun in the nose and was a ship killer. The mohlins gun was made in the Woolwich Arsenal, which of course is the original home of them. At least I suppose they have done some good in their history, then.....
When I last saw the guy, he was going to visit Capel Le Ferne, near Folkestone. The BoB memorial. He died not long after. Last year our family visited Capel Le Ferne, which was a moving experience, not least for the fact that someone had just daubed swastikas on the Spitfire and Hurricane 'guardians' there. If I had caught them, I would not have vouched for my actions......
www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/the-memorial/
Also on my mothers road were a pair of brothers. Len and Jack. They moved with their families next door to my mother (and then father), into two semis in the late 1960's, and were family friends up until they died. They ran the hardware and newsagents shops in Hangingwater (down the hill from all of the Sheffield Uni halls of residence, for anyone who has been there) up to the shops closing. They also did something else. Both were British army WW2 veterans. Both were at Dunkirk together in the same unit, and both served throughout the war, and both were then in the same unit at D Day. Is that totally unique? I have always wondered.
I read Inkpens post with interest. The guy was in the Royal Engineers. He was a kind of combat sapper. So was my uncle, in the RE, but later. In the 1950's when on national service, he was a skindiver/deep sea diver in the RE, clearing the Suez canal of WW2 mines.
A read for anyone interested....
Maybe some on here will remember a post of mine from many years ago, titled 'An Officer, A Gentleman and a Spur'? Essentially it was about a guy on my mothers road here in Sheffield. He lived with his wife at the end of the road and I knew little about him. Until about 10 years ago (in his 90's?) when he talked to me about his experiences and background. He was born on one of the adjacent roads (IIRC) to WHL and went to watch them in the 1920's/30's. His war story was remarkable; an air gunner in Boulton Paul Defiants in the Battle of Britain (a near death sentence in itself!). In the BoB he was based at Hawkinge in Kent. Just inland from Folkestone. Converted to pilot. Flew Tiger Moths, Bristol Blenheims, Airspeed Oxfords, Avro Ansons, Douglas A20 Havoc/Bostons, Bristol Bothas, the Westland Whirlwind (a rare bird, that one), and in combat, the mighty De Havilland Mosquito. He was in top cover and ground attack on D Day. Later he flew the Mosquito Mk 18 Tse Tse in the Banff Strike Wing in Scotland, he said, which had a 57mm Mohlins gun in the nose and was a ship killer. The mohlins gun was made in the Woolwich Arsenal, which of course is the original home of them. At least I suppose they have done some good in their history, then.....
When I last saw the guy, he was going to visit Capel Le Ferne, near Folkestone. The BoB memorial. He died not long after. Last year our family visited Capel Le Ferne, which was a moving experience, not least for the fact that someone had just daubed swastikas on the Spitfire and Hurricane 'guardians' there. If I had caught them, I would not have vouched for my actions......
www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/the-memorial/
Also on my mothers road were a pair of brothers. Len and Jack. They moved with their families next door to my mother (and then father), into two semis in the late 1960's, and were family friends up until they died. They ran the hardware and newsagents shops in Hangingwater (down the hill from all of the Sheffield Uni halls of residence, for anyone who has been there) up to the shops closing. They also did something else. Both were British army WW2 veterans. Both were at Dunkirk together in the same unit, and both served throughout the war, and both were then in the same unit at D Day. Is that totally unique? I have always wondered.
I read Inkpens post with interest. The guy was in the Royal Engineers. He was a kind of combat sapper. So was my uncle, in the RE, but later. In the 1950's when on national service, he was a skindiver/deep sea diver in the RE, clearing the Suez canal of WW2 mines.
Agreed half of our young chaps nowadays wouldn't handle what these fellas went through. Massive respect to these gentleman who would probably turn in their graves if they could see what's become of this once great country. Great programme on C4 last night at 10pm I think about D-Day.
markysimmo
Johnny nice-tits
Bring back National Service that would sort a lot of the little brick ****s out
. ****s.spursman17
Stephen Kelly
National service is a good idea for the following reasons:
1) Many families from poorer backgrounds (being a single parent family usually contributes to the financial situation) or from unstable relationships (falling pregnant young etc.) often (and not always) bring up kids who will grow up and follow suit. National service will provide discipline and manners that their 'lacking' parents failed to teach.
2) Society today, especially the social aspect is declining due to technology. The number of kids wanting to play football has been on the decline (with the ratio of population growth taken into account) for years and many have turned to video games or computers as their source of entertainment. I believe national service will provide the perfect opportunity to grow social skills, to understand teamwork and to increase the strength of the community.
3) I remember back to the days I was in school. If a teacher was weak school kids would take advantage. If a teacher was strict (one that would shout and take no brick) then he was the one respected. Those from a military background tend to have attributes of the later.
Even if national service was not brought back for the whole population I still think there could be a compromise in having a strike system. Three serious offences for those under 18 at the time of incident/crime (burglary, anti-social behaviour, exclusion from school) will lead 6 months living away at a national service centre.
I have seen the results from very badly behaved kids turn around into respectable individuals who have respect not only for society but for themselves. Povich Maury focused on something similar on his talk show in the US and the transformation was unbelievable.
This country needs to get tough otherwise it will just continue to decline. Drastic change is in order.
1) Many families from poorer backgrounds (being a single parent family usually contributes to the financial situation) or from unstable relationships (falling pregnant young etc.) often (and not always) bring up kids who will grow up and follow suit. National service will provide discipline and manners that their 'lacking' parents failed to teach.
2) Society today, especially the social aspect is declining due to technology. The number of kids wanting to play football has been on the decline (with the ratio of population growth taken into account) for years and many have turned to video games or computers as their source of entertainment. I believe national service will provide the perfect opportunity to grow social skills, to understand teamwork and to increase the strength of the community.
3) I remember back to the days I was in school. If a teacher was weak school kids would take advantage. If a teacher was strict (one that would shout and take no brick) then he was the one respected. Those from a military background tend to have attributes of the later.
Even if national service was not brought back for the whole population I still think there could be a compromise in having a strike system. Three serious offences for those under 18 at the time of incident/crime (burglary, anti-social behaviour, exclusion from school) will lead 6 months living away at a national service centre.
I have seen the results from very badly behaved kids turn around into respectable individuals who have respect not only for society but for themselves. Povich Maury focused on something similar on his talk show in the US and the transformation was unbelievable.
This country needs to get tough otherwise it will just continue to decline. Drastic change is in order.
spurspinter1
Paul Stalteri
Why would the army want deal with little bricks? It's not their problem, they want to get the best of the best, not babysit fudgeabouts, don't see national service working at all in this country now
Danishfurniturelover
the prettiest spice girl
Was in the news the other day that ex army are going to be fast tracked into teaching roles, sounds like a good idea because a lot of children are lacking a positive male role model. I was a little brick when i was younger and left school pretty much by the time i was 14, i have quite strong views that some children would be beeter off out of the education system and doing vocational training by that age.
Saw someone put forward that very idea on Newsnight earlier in the year, think it was toby young when talking about free schools, the liberal peer on the panel ripped into him saying it was casting children aside at to early age and that they could still come good. Think it is why i do not like liberals they just do not live in the real world. A 14 year old who does not like and get on with school work is not suddenly going to turn into a scientist, but tailor some courses to excite them and they can learn to be mechanics or building trades.
It is not casting them aside because if after a few years and they have got on with the whole working life they can go back to night school and do some courses to help tart their own business. That right there is my own story but only because i was lucky to have good parents to help me out. Wish the liberals would stop getting stuck in a weird liberal utopia where everyone goes to university and becomes a modern media student and realise that this country is made of people of different educational needs.
In addition, he mentioned how they were all pushed on to Italy after some serious battles he was involved in. Understandably he never expanded upon it even though he knew I was very interested in the war he would only really give an overview, I cant imagine the conditions they must have been fighting in the desert being such an alien environment and climate at the time.
I wouldn't want to join the army when I'm 18. I'd join the army if World War III started and no nuclear weapons existed, but I want to go to university and start my life when I'm 18. Why should we be forced to go and fight in Afghanistan? It's easy for people to say it from an over 25 point of view, as they wouldn't have to go and fight, but I wouldn't want to be forced to put my life on the line for my country even if I don't agree with the war I'm fighting in (not saying I don't agree with the War on Terror). The war should have to be a big deal to force kids to take a break from their lives as they make the transition in to adulthood, and to force them to risk their lives.
Wow. Do you think all those who lost their lives 'chose' to? Your attitude stinks.
No, but the National Service was used for the two bloodiest conflicts mankind has ever witnessed. Do we want another one?
If you all believe every healthy man should be drafted in to the army at the age of 18, then I hope you all joined the army at that age. It's a bit hypocritical to say every other 18 year old should if you didn't yourself. However if WW3 was to break out (even though we'd all be dead the day after it starts), then we should bring back the National Service.
Every boy should be made to attend the army cadettes at 14-16. I did and it shapes you as an individual. As for the army at 18 that's down to the individual BUT if war broke out I'd jump at the chance to defend my country even now at 29.
You may all think the brave WW2 veterans would be ashamed of my generation, but let me go over a bit of history with you that you all know about.
Those soldiers fought that war with two main intentions in mind:
1. To bring down the evil, Nazi war machine.
2. To defend Britain and her great empire.
The first of those objectives were pulled off brilliantly, and also WWII seems to be the only good thing the Russians have ever done in their history. The second objective was met in the short term, but it more or less collapsed. We came out of the war completely skint and Britain's role as a superpower was confirmed dead by the Suez Crisis. Our country may have won the war, but we were still in ruins economically, our empire was crumbling and the country would find it very hard to get itself back on an upwards curve over the next 70 years.
Last year I got an A in this unit in history which was about how British society completely changed around the 1960s and how family life had changed throughout this period. We had to use sources and we even had a historian - Dominic Sandbrook - visit our school. After the war as you are all aware there was a big baby boom. When these kids grew up in the 60s a generation gap opened, and their parents - the soldiers who had won our country the war - were totally ashamed of the new generation and how they behaved. For the soldiers who did our country proud, it was their own children who fudged up this country. We may have never had it so good in the 60s, but from the perspective of a WWII veteran, the baby boomers were a bunch of little bricks who needed a bit of National Service themselves.
My apologies if I have offended any baby boomers in this post, but my generation has received similar comments on this page.
Those soldiers fought that war with two main intentions in mind:
1. To bring down the evil, Nazi war machine.
2. To defend Britain and her great empire.
The first of those objectives were pulled off brilliantly, and also WWII seems to be the only good thing the Russians have ever done in their history. The second objective was met in the short term, but it more or less collapsed. We came out of the war completely skint and Britain's role as a superpower was confirmed dead by the Suez Crisis. Our country may have won the war, but we were still in ruins economically, our empire was crumbling and the country would find it very hard to get itself back on an upwards curve over the next 70 years.
Last year I got an A in this unit in history which was about how British society completely changed around the 1960s and how family life had changed throughout this period. We had to use sources and we even had a historian - Dominic Sandbrook - visit our school. After the war as you are all aware there was a big baby boom. When these kids grew up in the 60s a generation gap opened, and their parents - the soldiers who had won our country the war - were totally ashamed of the new generation and how they behaved. For the soldiers who did our country proud, it was their own children who fudged up this country. We may have never had it so good in the 60s, but from the perspective of a WWII veteran, the baby boomers were a bunch of little bricks who needed a bit of National Service themselves.
My apologies if I have offended any baby boomers in this post, but my generation has received similar comments on this page.
Gordinho
Banned
Mate, I'm not offended and I'm a baby boomer I think. Also, I think some of the people who've morphed into their grandad in this thread have forgotten that it's today's generation of mongs, retards and hoodrats who are the same people out in Afghanistan at the moment who they're dismmissing.
Thank you. I was sincerely hoping that my attitude does not stink in the eyes of people older than myself just because I do not wish to be forced in to the army at 18. I fully respect all those who are brave enough to do our country proud, and I feel they deserve much more recognition than they currently receive (we need to remember them in the same way Americans do), but at this point I am not a soldier and do not feel I should have to be.