English Nationalism

[Sugar_Army]

9 hours ago, beefybake said:

When I was at High School ( Stranraer ) in the mid/late '60's, history was very much taught as a series of facts, and events. 

The history teacher was in his 40's, and had been one of those due to take part in the invasion of Japan.  When asked about

the morality of the atom bombing of Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, he didn't venture a view other than he was just glad that it

had ended the war, and he was alive.  

A few months before the Highers, my family moved to Somerset. I stayed behind in lodgings for the exam period.  In my room , there was

a bookcase with a 12 volume history of the WW2 period.  Descriptions, photos, wars such as the Winter War in Finland.

A real eye opener for me.

On a kinda similar theme.  Loved history, ended up doing it as my joint honours at uni when I decided to get my arse into gear later in life. 

At secondary school in the 80s we had this really old, frail and gaunt looking guy who was head of German.  As an arsey kid I hated his class, I had no interest in learning German but we had to take a language class and my brother was based in Germany at the time.  We would make fun at him behind his back, making jokes how he looked like he had been a prisoner rather than a guard in a concentration camp etc.

A bout 20 or so years ago I picked up the local paper and happened across his obituary.  Feck me the guy had lived a life!

Apparently he was a master of many languages.  He was at Normandy,  a translator on the USS Missouri when the Japanese surrendered in1945 and was a translator at the Nuremberg war trials

I was gobsmacked, humbled and embarrassed at the same time.

Had I known at the time I would have loved to listen to it all (although like many who went through that period he probably never talked about it).

Even as I write this I cringe thinking about the way I treated somebody who was willing to sacrifice so much so that I could ping doofers at him when his back was turned.

 

 

[John Lambies Doos]

On a kinda similar theme.  Loved history, ended up doing it as my joint honours at uni when I decided to get my arse into gear later in life. 
At secondary school in the 80s we had this really old, frail and gaunt looking guy who was head of German.  As an arsey kid I hated his class, I had no interest in learning German but we had to take a language class and my brother was based in Germany at the time.  We would make fun at him behind his back, making jokes how he looked like he had been a prisoner rather than a guard in a concentration camp etc.
A bout 20 or so years ago I picked up the local paper and happened across his obituary.  Feck me the guy had lived a life!
Apparently he was a master of many languages.  He was at Normandy,  a translator on the USS Missouri when the Japanese surrendered in1945 and was a translator at the Nuremberg war trials
I was gobsmacked, humbled and embarrassed at the same time.
Had I known at the time I would have loved to listen to it all (although like many who went through that period he probably never talked about it).
Even as I write this I cringe thinking about the way I treated somebody who was willing to sacrifice so much so that I could ping doofers at him when his back was turned.
 
 

Hindsight is 20 20 mate.
Both my grandfathers fought in war and they never openly talked about it. Both dead now and I so wish I had asked them more.

[Sugar_Army]

54 minutes ago, John Lambies Doos said:

Hindsight is 20 20 mate.
Both my grandfathers fought in war and they never openly talked about it. Both dead now and I so wish I had asked them more.

Once had the privilege of attending an event in Perth back in 2005ish where I undertook interviews relating to people's war experiences for the BBC.  It included an old guy from the 51st Highland Div. who was captured at St Valery and was made to present in front of Rommel before they were marched off to spend life in various prisoner of war camps until the end of the war.

At the other end of the spectrum was an old dear who was evacuated as a wee girl  along with her older sister to a farm near Kirriemuir. 

Her abiding memory was that she thought the family hated her being there as she was too wee to be considered for real work and she always had to stand and wait until her sister finished her porridge so she could get her 'dirty spoon" to have hers. 

She said they could take no more do one day they picked tatties to try and raise the bus fare to run away back home to Dundee.  She said in reality they were too wee to even do that but once they told the farmer why they were doing it, he took pity on them and picked their dreel with them and gave them the bus fare home and stayed with their mother for the rest of the war.

I listened to stories like those all day long.  Some made you laugh, others could have brought you to tears.

 

[welshbairn]

2 hours ago, Sugar_Army said:

At secondary school in the 80s we had this really old, frail and gaunt looking guy who was head of German.  As an arsey kid I hated his class, I had no interest in learning German but we had to take a language class and my brother was based in Germany at the time.  We would make fun at him behind his back, making jokes how he looked like he had been a prisoner rather than a guard in a concentration camp etc.

In primary seven we had a teacher with hearing aids who the story went had been imprisoned by the Japanese and punished by being put in an oil barrel which was bashed with steel bars until his eardrums popped. We found a way of sending his hearing aids squealing like mad and he'd freak out and run out the room. Kids can be cruel. Can't remember how we did it, thought it was something to do with calculators but this was the early seventies so probably not.

[Sugar_Army]

21 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

In primary seven we had a teacher with hearing aids who the story went had been imprisoned by the Japanese and punished by being put in an oil barrel which was bashed with steel bars until his eardrums popped. We found a way of sending his hearing aids squealing like mad and he'd freak out and run out the room. Kids can be cruel. Can't remember how we did it, thought it was something to do with calculators but this was the early seventies so probably not.

We can be geniuses when it comes to being wee shits. 

[Jacksgranda]

16 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

Hindsight is 20 20 mate.
Both my grandfathers fought in war and they never openly talked about it. Both dead now and I so wish I had asked them more.

My father spent the war guarding the Forth Bridge (think he was in an ack ack brigade). Remember he told me once about mates being killed on exercises rather than combat. That was about all he mentioned of the war.

His brother served on submarines - must have been awful.

I had an uncle in the 8th Army and another uncle in the merchant navy. All dead now, and I'm none the wiser about their experiences.

A former bidey in of mine's father was evacuted out of Dunkirk. Never talked about it

A former work colleague's of mine's father was an ex Jap Pow. (I dare say we all knew a few of them - off the top pf my head I knew 4). Never talked about it.

 

[John Lambies Doos]

My father spent the war guarding the Forth Bridge (think he was in an ack ack brigade). Remember he told me once about mates being killed on exercises rather than combat. That was about all he mentioned of the war.
His brother served on submarines - must have been awful.
I had an uncle in the 8th Army and another uncle in the merchant navy. All dead now, and I'm none the wiser about their experiences.
A former bidey in of mine's father was evacuted out of Dunkirk. Never talked about it
A former work colleague's of mine's father was an ex Jap Pow. (I dare say we all knew a few of them - off the top pf my head I knew 4). Never talked about it.
 

In fairness batteries connected to your testicles isn't a story one brings up at a dinner party

[Sergeant Wilson]

16 minutes ago, John Lambies Doos said:

19 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said:

My father spent the war guarding the Forth Bridge (think he was in an ack ack brigade). Remember he told me once about mates being killed on exercises rather than combat. That was about all he mentioned of the war.
His brother served on submarines - must have been awful.
I had an uncle in the 8th Army and another uncle in the merchant navy. All dead now, and I'm none the wiser about their experiences.
A former bidey in of mine's father was evacuted out of Dunkirk. Never talked about it
A former work colleague's of mine's father was an ex Jap Pow. (I dare say we all knew a few of them - off the top pf my head I knew 4). Never talked about it.
 

In fairness batteries connected to your testicles isn't a story one brings up at a dinner party

Oh, I don't know...

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, Jacksgranda said:

My father spent the war guarding the Forth Bridge (think he was in an ack ack brigade). Remember he told me once about mates being killed on exercises rather than combat.

Must have been loads of people killed from shells coming back down after missing the Luftwaffe or failing to detonate.

Edited December 26, 2019 by welshbairn

[Jacksgranda]

5 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Must have been loads of people killed from shells coming back down after missing the Luftwaffe or failing to detonate.

No doubt, but he particularly mentioned "exercises", I think tanks were involved, they may have been crushed.

I remember reading about wounded soldiers in Normandy being laid out in a field and tanks came bursting through the hedges and squashed them.

[The_Kincardine]

On 25/12/2019 at 10:58, beefybake said:

You may wish to consider getting out more.  I used to be quite into R4, until I woke up a little,

and realised that it was just mainstream London, England totally orientated.

How much more should I get out?  If one's looking for a radio station that encompases news, analysis, documentaries, drama, consumer insight, and listener feedback then which stations would you suggest.  

I know you'll have an extensive list because you have been, 'out more'.

[Jacksgranda]

On 26/12/2019 at 00:01, Sugar_Army said:

Once had the privilege of attending an event in Perth back in 2005ish where I undertook interviews relating to people's war experiences for the BBC.  It included an old guy from the 51st Highland Div. who was captured at St Valery and was made to present in front of Rommel before they were marched off to spend life in various prisoner of war camps until the end of the war.

At the other end of the spectrum was an old dear who was evacuated as a wee girl  along with her older sister to a farm near Kirriemuir. 

Her abiding memory was that she thought the family hated her being there as she was too wee to be considered for real work and she always had to stand and wait until her sister finished her porridge so she could get her 'dirty spoon" to have hers. 

She said they could take no more do one day they picked tatties to try and raise the bus fare to run away back home to Dundee.  She said in reality they were too wee to even do that but once they told the farmer why they were doing it, he took pity on them and picked their dreel with them and gave them the bus fare home and stayed with their mother for the rest of the war.

I listened to stories like those all day long.  Some made you laugh, others could have brought you to tears.

 

Did the farmer's wife not object?

[Sugar_Army]

3 hours ago, Jacksgranda said:

Did the farmer's wife not object?

Sorry, I should have said, it was a different farmer.

  I also missed out the bit where she said her mother took them back up to Kirrie to collect their belongings, so both the farmer and wife who were supposed to be looking after them were left in no doubt where they had ran off to. 

And with the benefit of reading it again, the farmet who gave them the bus fare home did not stay with their mother for the rest of the war! Lol

[beefybake]

14 hours ago, The_Kincardine said:

How much more should I get out?  If one's looking for a radio station that encompases news, analysis, documentaries, drama, consumer insight, and listener feedback then which stations would you suggest.  

I know you'll have an extensive list because you have been, 'out more'.

Only you will know if your mind is open to new experiences. You'll have to find your own way on that.

My experience is that much of R4 is very stale.   It's a bit like going into M & S looking for clothes.  I'm supposed to be

the demographic for M & S, yet there's little there that I would want to wear. It's all grey stuff.

Edited December 27, 2019 by beefybake

[The_Kincardine]

On 26/12/2019 at 23:40, The_Kincardine said:

How much more should I get out?  If one's looking for a radio station that encompases news, analysis, documentaries, drama, consumer insight, and listener feedback then which stations would you suggest.  

I know you'll have an extensive list because you have been, 'out more'.

 

On 27/12/2019 at 14:12, beefybake said:

Only you will know if your mind is open to new experiences. You'll have to find your own way on that.

So you haven't a fucking clue?