Just a big thank you to any vets out there that saved this country from Communism, Fascism and anti Judaism, if we have any school teachers out there have you mentioned this to your class today? about what happened way back in 1944, I don't think so, I suppose the pages of the Guardian seemed more important ;)
Thank God I was posted to the Burma front instead. Wouldn't have survived here. My squadron lost 35 of 40 pilots.
My dad was in Burma.
In the army though
My father filmed D-Day (and survived) - much of the british archive you see these days belonged to him on Juno beach - what a mess, should never have happened :'(
I'm tempted to write the poem he wrote when he went back in 1994 but it makes me too sad and it is as much time to forget as a time to remember
My dad was on Sword... so I always mention it... :-X
Tim,
A big thankyou to you Sir, and Calendula the same to your Father :)
if we have any school teachers out there have you mentioned this to your class today? about what happened way back in 1944, I don't think so, I suppose the pages of the Guardian seemed more important
Please Sir-is 1944 before the Battle of Hastings?-did they text each other?
And hats off from me as well.
One Uncle was doing things he never mentioned-something to do with air -sea rescue was the best I got but he was proud of his beret.
Another was already a POW by then from Italy
We were near Blackpool yesterday and saw three old war planes flying over- OH said one was a spitfire. Wondered if this was a D-Day celebration or something to do with that 1st world war veteran celebrating his 112th birthday- or both!
today there was a fly past of Sikorsky helicopters...no, no D-Day celebration....wounded lads from Iraq en route to hospital... :'(
My 92 yr old aunt was one of the first nurses over the Mulberry harbours and also went into Belsen. The soldiers wouldn't let the nurses go straight into Belsen as they said it was so bad. She is an amazing lady who has a trunk of archive material including a photo of her standing beside Hitler's car in the Reichstag!
Tin shed ,
your post is fascinating what a remarkable lady she must be, I think alot of the time we forget that we had many brave ladies that put their lives on the line along with the lads, please give her my regards :)
I salute them all, and if i could would shake the hand of every one of them and thank them.
D-Day 6th June, dad went over on the 14th June, and I arrived on the 20th.
Dad was in the RAOC, which mother referred to as 'his joy ride round the continent'.
It is soo difficult the imagine the virtual siege conditions the county was under. Could you imagine trying to manage on 'one egg per person per week'? (unless, as many people did, kept their own chickens).
I know I'm going to sound like a nagging old biddy, but the profligate, throw-away society we have become is stupid.
I know I am as guilty as anyone regarding food waste.
I certainly would not want to go back to wartime rations, but it just might make us a bit more careful when buying in the supermarket.
valmarg
My dad went over on D-day +6. He was in reconisence (can't confirm spelling) with the green Howards ( I think). He has only mentioned two happenings and they really brought him out in tears.
My uncle visited when I was young and he was also in ROAC. He read Dads war book and said that there was one place in France that the writer had got the wrong date. Dad asked why and my uncle said that he had been there the day after and the place had only been captured overnight. Dad said yes he didn't get much sleep that night or that morning as they had already moved on and were giving the co-ordinates for the next lot of bombardment.
Times were bad then (and later when I was growing up)and I would not like to bring them back. However, I do think that we really do have it easier than then or even a lot of other people in this world.
Lets just hope we don't let it all go into reverse and throw all the hard work away. Perhaps your suggestion might prove helpful valmarg.
Bill
I taught with a lady who witnessed D-Day. As the allies were going in one direction, she was being shipped out in the opposite direction, as she had been one of the French Resistance who had helped map out the German defences. She could only tell me a fraction of what she had witnessed....
My Godfather was at Dunkirk. He was one of those who didn't get lifted off the beach. "I stayed on a bit", was his description of a six-month walk (aided by the Resistance) to Portugal & thence to England. A week after that, he was billeted on my parents!
And my wife's uncle was captured at Singapore. The Alex Guinness character in "Bridge on the River Kwai" was based on him: he was court-martialed after the war, but then pardoned. He never talked about his experiences either.
And yes, when I was teaching I always told my classes of the heroism and the horror and the suffering..
Brave, brave people each and every one of them. Very surreal seeing those beaches now. I made sure I went and you cannot help but think of what went on. Huge peices of concrete thrown like dice. Must of been hell on earth. Should never be forgotten.
Quote from: tim on June 06, 2008, 18:53:41
Thank God I was posted to the Burma front instead. Wouldn't have survived here. My squadron lost 35 of 40 pilots.
Gratitude to all the men and women of your generation Tim
Recently went to Hanley and went round the local museum. In one room was a Spitfire. It was just so small. :o :o
Seeing that, you really had to admire the pilots that fought the 'Battle of Britain'
On a slight sideways slant, sister's step-father went over with the expeditionary force, was safely brought back from Dunkirk. Went over again on D-Day, managed to get all the way through to the end of the war without a scratch. Unfortunately he didn't get any counselling, and every so often, until the day he died, he had nightmares from his experiences.
valmarg
I'm very much enjoying these little story snippets, thanks so much for sharing :)
I hope you don't mind if I take a quick side step to inform those of you interested about a documentary series starting on channel 5 next Tuesday about the Dambusters.
Taken from their website:
Revealed
Time - 20:00 - 21:00 (1 hour long)
Tuesday 17th June on five
Last of The Dambusters
Historical documentary focusing on the famous Second World War Dambusters raid. George Johnson - a bomb aimer in one of the raid's Lancasters and one of only two British Dambusters alive today - sets off on a final mission to rediscover his past. He finds and digs up his old Dambuster bomber, before travelling back to the giant German dams that he once attacked.
firstly i have the up most admiration to all those who fought in the last two wars .
my wife is compiling facts of the royal and merchant navy in world war two as her grandfather was on three ships that were sunk and managed to live through all three she is going to wright a book on it all ,she has started so if anyone can share there experiences openly send me an I'm firstly then can send me an email of there accounts during this period if anyone could share these moments in there life still .
all information will be appreciated
Why can we not move on and stop admiring people who did terrible things and try to learn from our mistakes and not kill each other.
I personally am sick of people talking about their experience as though it was something to be proud of. Sorry Tim.
If you want to tell us all about how many people you sorted out in the name of freedom then we can all help carry your guilt.
Gary Foster.
Do you think you would have the freedom to speak your mind on a public forum under a despotic regime under which Europe would have fallen had it not been for the efforts of People like Tim.???
We all have our views on politics, patriotism and war but that isn't what this thread is about! You should have left it to the people who were enjoying each others chit chat and memories. If you don't like the topic, don't come in here, it's quite obvious what it's about from the topic heading! I'd rather see this thread locked with happy stories than end up in another one of those lily livered political debates :(
And should I be grateful for that? and should I be concerned about what you would like to see savageblue?
You seem to have the same attitudes that an aquaintance has. He is against the same things, he doesn't work as he doesn't want to pay tax to buy arms (his excuse for living off us for ten years).
My mum was a Land Army girl and I have a picture of her with "gang" and their haul of dead rats! What a job! My dad was a Marine and piloted one of the landing craft - but he would never speak of his experiences - he only said that too many of his very close mates died.
twinkletoes
firstly i would like to say i wasn't going to reply to some comments about what i have read but will say one thing you only have the things you have and take for granted today as a result of what these brave people had to endure on a daily basis we are a nation of people who are thankfull to those brave men and woman .Gazfoz comments like that just show you are the minority i agree if you do not agree what the content is in this topic don't make yourself welcome here to comment there for would not be offended by what you read
Quote from: Gazfoz on June 12, 2008, 22:54:30
Why can we not move on and stop admiring people who did terrible things and try to learn from our mistakes and not kill each other.
Gary Foster.
Well, when a gobshite like Adolf Hitler comes along, are we supposed to sit back and do nothing?
War is a terrible thing, but if any one war was justified it was WW2.
Nobody glorifies war, but if it hadn't been for 'the few' aka Tim et al we would all be speaking german today, that is those of us who had not been exterminated in nazi death camps.
Read your history books gazfoz. ;D
Quite apart from anything else gazfoz you are an A1 prat.
valmarg
Tim - it's a bit of a long shot, my uncle was in the RAF and posted to Burma (lost touch years ago) - name was Bert Lowden - ring any bells? Thing is he might have been a bit older than you though.
Twinkletoes
Quote from: valmarg on June 14, 2008, 00:28:50
Quote from: Gazfoz on June 12, 2008, 22:54:30
Why can we not move on and stop admiring people who did terrible things and try to learn from our mistakes and not kill each other.
Gary Foster.
Well, when a gobshite like Adolf Hitler comes along, are we supposed to sit back and do nothing?
War is a terrible thing, but if any one war was justified it was WW2.
Nobody glorifies war, but if it hadn't been for 'the few' aka Tim et al we would all be speaking german today, that is those of us who had not been exterminated in nazi death camps.
Read your history books gazfoz. ;D
Quite apart from anything else gazfoz you are an A1 prat.
valmarg
What, instead of American? how terrible.
What is a Gobshite?
How was ww2 so justified? by the way, we declared war on Germany because they invaded Poland. Yes just us Brits sticking our noses into other peoples business again.
Remember the empire?
History books are like newspapers, which one do you read?
To be considered an A1 prat by you ain't so bad! (I apologise for the American corruption of my reply)
Gary
When the Axis powers led by Nazi Germany, Facist Italy and Japan made a pact between themselves to be mates along came a similar pact made by Great Britain, France and Poland, so it was not a situation of Britain going and sticking its nose in, when we did stick our nose the best part of Europe was already overrun by Hitler and his mates :)
[
Quote from: Gazfoz on June 12, 2008, 22:54:30
What, instead of American? how terrible.
What is a Gobshite?
How was ww2 so justified? by the way, we declared war on Germany because they invaded Poland. Yes just us Brits sticking our noses into other peoples business again.
Remember the empire?
History books are like newspapers, which one do you read?
To be considered an A1 prat by you ain't so bad! (I apologise for the American corruption of my reply)
Gary
???What, instead of American ???
Britain did not declare war on Germany because it invaded Poland. It declared war on Germany because Germany did not honour the agreement it gave to Chamberlain to withdraw from Poland. By 11.00 a.m. on 3rd September, 1939 the British Government had received no such assurance, and therefore a state of war was declared between us (ie Germany).
Germany was hell-bent on invading Europe (revenge for the Versailles Treaty). France, Holland and Belgium were to suffer, together with some of the Scandinavian countries. Wherever they invaded they committed attrocities.
Also gazfoz, not everything was evil about the British Empire. I would suggest that there are a lot of non-whites in Zimbabwe who would be delighted to bring back the 'status quo'.
What is a 'gobshite' - well I should have to say, you do a bloody good impression.
valmarg
May I make a suggestion? How about we all ignore the posts by Gazgoz? Obviously he/she enjoys being in the very small minority of people with his/her views.
Britain did not declare war on Germany because it invaded Poland. It declared war on Germany because Germany did not honour the agreement it gave to Chamberlain to withdraw from Poland. By 11.00 a.m. on 3rd September, 1939 the British Government had received no such assurance, and therefore a state of war was declared between us (ie Germany).
By Britain . as I said ???
As for you Lorna, am I not allowed my opinion ??? I am beginning to wish the Germans did win then I mightn't be allowed to have an opinion of my own.
The truth is the truth whether or not it is in the minority or the majority.
Stop jumping on bandwagons and try and grow some veg little one!
Oh, and by the way valmarg. I still don't know what a gobshite is :'(
I sympathise with certain aspects of your viewpoint Gaz (I think war is almost always wrong), which is why I didn't contribute to this thread. I don't sympathise with your view that it's okay to be offensive to people who, for whatever reason, risked their lives in doing the best they could for their country. Just because war is usually wrong doesn't mean those who fight are wrong too.
The way you've posted can only cause offense. I think you should try to be a little more diplomatic in your contributions.
Don't forget this is on Channel Five tonight :)
Time - 20:00 - 21:00 (1 hour long)
Tuesday 17th June on five
Last of The Dambusters
Historical documentary focusing on the famous Second World War Dambusters raid. George Johnson - a bomb aimer in one of the raid's Lancasters and one of only two British Dambusters alive today - sets off on a final mission to rediscover his past. He finds and digs up his old Dambuster bomber, before travelling back to the giant German dams that he once attacked.
I accept your criticism Ollie, I am rather direct.
People need to remember however, that this is a discussion forum and if they want to have rambling conversations then there is a perfectly good chatroom facility on this website.
Thanks for reminder Sam.
Quote from: Gazfoz on June 17, 2008, 13:37:07
People need to remember however, that this is a discussion forum and if they want to have rambling conversations then there is a perfectly good chatroom facility on this website.
People? Seems to me that you're the late comer here so who are you to suggest when and where people discuss what they want to on A4A? You seem to be the only one who doesn't want to stay on topic in this thread and yet here you still are .....
I shall take Lorna's advice because IMO you just seem to be trolling about in this thread for the reactions you appear to be receiving.
I'll be watching C5 tonight my brother in law was a rear gunner on Lancasters and in our 'C' club we have an old Polish chap who also did this dangerous job so we could have freedom of speech sixty odd years later :)
Quote from: Gazfoz on June 17, 2008, 00:08:00
Oh, and by the way valmarg. I still don't know what a gobshite is :'(
Look in your OED.
My interpretation is slightly different:-
Gob = mouth
shite = crap.
Ergo someone who talks rubbish.
I shall now take lorna's advice.
This was quite a cheerful thread until you stepped in gazfoz.
There is a difference between 'opinion' and 'being opinionated'
valmarg
Well I suppose that is your opinion ;D and I will defend with my life your right to it ::)
Valmarg,
You can go on to any web- site on any subject and you will always find one, I don't mind opinions I have mine but I get called bigot and rude, the anti posts that have ruined this string that have come from a poster IMHO amount to treason and suggest that he leaves on the next tide from Dover, I will never insult the men and women who gave their lives for this great country of ours. But the work shy the scroungers the scum and piss takers that rip the system off, OHhhhhhhhh I'm starting to sound like a bigot again but I've just been reading the posts on this string which I have tollerated so I can't be a bigot, I will stop now before Gobshite kicks off ;)
To be fair Mr Smith, your view that everyone who doesn't agree with you is a commie fascist Nazi loving drug dealing asylum seeker, is rather tedious. You've made your point. Several times. Did you enjoy the TV programme?
Oliie,
I did enjoy the programme I don't know if you have ever been in a Lancaster Bomber but many years ago at Squires Gate airport they had one near the main gate, the public could have a look round the inside of the fuselage and cockpit, very small and claustrophobic inside so I have even more admiration for people like Mr Johnson and Ted. Yes I'm afraid I do harp on like many others that contribute to whatever takes their fancy :)