Normal Island

[Salt n Vinegar]

34 minutes ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

It's a quote from a 1914 Rupert Brooke poem 

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/13076/the-soldier

He died on the way to Gallipoli in 1915

In terms of remembrance it fall more on the "glorious and noble sacrifice" side than the "senseless waste of young lives, horrors of war..." side of things, which isn't to my taste, but if you're addressing a military audience then it's probably best to stay away from Wilfred Owen

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46560/dulce-et-decorum-est
 

I'm aware of the source. If it doesn't apply, it doesn't apply. For a member of the "Royal Family" to use it, when representing "our" whole country, it's a huge disrespect. My late father would not have been happy to be remembered as someone who fought for "England" and neither would my late father in law.

You're right to refer the waste of lives though. The commemoration is even more poignant when you remember that since 1945 we appear to have learned absolutely nothing from the carnage.

 

[MazzyStar]

Watching the coverage of this you wouldn’t think the Soviet Union existed. The only mention I remember seeing today was some p***k on the BBC saying the soviets liberating France would have been worse than the nazi occupation! 

[Billy Jean King]

4 hours ago, carpetmonster said:

 

6 months Gregnant more like, pie muncher.

[Billy Jean King]

On 23/05/2024 at 19:56, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

The woke mob have defaced are sacred flag again.

 

Are these ignorant little runts seriously going to swan about Germany with a flag displaying "no surrender" and "lest we forget". 

If they do I give then literally minutes before they are either lifted, battered or (preferably) both.

[Dunfermline Don]

48 minutes ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

I'm aware of the source. If it doesn't apply, it doesn't apply. For a member of the "Royal Family" to use it, when representing "our" whole country, it's a huge disrespect. My late father would not have been happy to be remembered as someone who fought for "England" and neither would my late father in law.

You're right to refer the waste of lives though. The commemoration is even more poignant when you remember that since 1945 we appear to have learned absolutely nothing from the carnage.

 

I certainly wouldn’t describe myself as a royalist but at least his dad mentioned the fact that many nationalities took place in the landings and that troops were also involved in fighting in many other parts of the world at the time. 
 

I wonder if 1895 UK was as focused on the Napoleonic Wars as many in these islands still are with WW2. 

[Scary Bear]

This D Day celebration tonight makes the annual Poppyfest look a bit tame.

[Miguel Sanchez]

48 minutes ago, Dunfermline Don said:

I wonder if 1895 UK was as focused on the Napoleonic Wars as many in these islands still are with WW2. 

Someone on this thread wondered something similar recently (or wondered how long the WW2 obsession will last) and I've pondered it myself since

I think the rapid expansion of the global population, variety and ease of access to various kinds of media makes WW2 linger more in the collective consciousness than any other one would have. In the past with wars you would have had oral histories with stories and experienced passed down first-hand through people who actually experienced it. Maybe some literature, some limited national press and... that would be it. Since WW2 happened - and even compensating for it being the largest scale conflict ever - there have been a lot more people to experience the aftermath and pass down the personal knowledge of it, plus the endless possibilities of increasingly realistic and accurate media depictions of it in films, TV, video games, whatever. 

Effectively the impact and legacy of the war was and remains more widespread than any other conflict, there have been more people involved in it still around, and there's been a much greater scope for media coverage of it and media depictions of it after the fact. That's before getting into the apparent collective national inferiority complex of The British that saw 'their' greatest triumph followed shortly by the breakup of their Empire and a continued dwindling of their global influence/relevance. 

On the other hand, the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 is the last I remember hearing about it on the news, so there may yet be hope for an end of poppy shagging. I'm sure the resident qualified historians can tell us whether what I've said makes any sense.

[Sergeant Wilson]

7 minutes ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

Someone on this thread wondered something similar recently (or wondered how long the WW2 obsession will last) and I've pondered it myself since

I think the rapid expansion of the global population, variety and ease of access to various kinds of media makes WW2 linger more in the collective consciousness than any other one would have. In the past with wars you would have had oral histories with stories and experienced passed down first-hand through people who actually experienced it. Maybe some literature, some limited national press and... that would be it. Since WW2 happened - and even compensating for it being the largest scale conflict ever - there have been a lot more people to experience the aftermath and pass down the personal knowledge of it, plus the endless possibilities of increasingly realistic and accurate media depictions of it in films, TV, video games, whatever. 

Effectively the impact and legacy of the war was and remains more widespread than any other conflict, there have been more people involved in it still around, and there's been a much greater scope for media coverage of it and media depictions of it after the fact. That's before getting into the apparent collective national inferiority complex of The British that saw 'their' greatest triumph followed shortly by the breakup of their Empire and a continued dwindling of their global influence/relevance. 

On the other hand, the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 is the last I remember hearing about it on the news, so there may yet be hope for an end of poppy shagging. I'm sure the resident qualified historians can tell us whether what I've said makes any sense.

It's because it's on the telly.

[Hedgecutter]

2 hours ago, Dunfermline Don said:

I wonder if 1895 UK was as focused on the Napoleonic Wars as many in these islands still are with WW2. 

Go back 80 years from D-Day and Abraham Lincoln was being re-elected during the American Civil War.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

2 hours ago, Dunfermline Don said:

I certainly wouldn’t describe myself as a royalist but at least his dad mentioned the fact that many nationalities took place in the landings and that troops were also involved in fighting in many other parts of the world at the time. 
 

I wonder if 1895 UK was as focused on the Napoleonic Wars as many in these islands still are with WW2. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's play “A story of Waterloo” opened in London in 1895 and there appear to be a lot of 1895 first editions of books about Napoleon  on the second hand market so maybe you’re onto something 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Fair play to those brave guys who stepped off those landing craft knowing they’d likely be about to witness the most horrific sights and be in unspeakable danger. I have to say theres no way id fight in a war for the UK thats emerged. 

[tamthebam]

3 hours ago, MazzyStar said:

Watching the coverage of this you wouldn’t think the Soviet Union existed. The only mention I remember seeing today was some p***k on the BBC saying the soviets liberating France would have been worse than the nazi occupation! 

The French Communist Party won most seats and votes in the 1945 election. Similarly Italy almost went Communist in elections just after the War.

[Florentine_Pogen]

15 minutes ago, tamthebam said:

The French Communist Party won most seats and votes in the 1945 election. Similarly Italy almost went Communist in elections just after the War.

Good point, well made, comrade.

[Theroadlesstravelled]

2 hours ago, tamthebam said:

The French Communist Party won most seats and votes in the 1945 election. Similarly Italy almost went Communist in elections just after the War.

Real solutions for dealing with real Nazis.

[Billy Jean King]

It's the constant media narrative that BRITAIN won the war. No they did not, it wasn't even theirs to win. It's utterly ridiculous and pathetic in equal measure how it's glorified in these islands.

[tamthebam]

13 hours ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

Good point, well made, comrade.

I typed it myself and was under no threat from ze communist resistance..

[GNU_Linux]

[Dan Steele]

Scottish Lass: Murrayfield renamed in Swift's honour over Scots roots

The Reel Time Pipe Band performed a Scottish-tinged version of Taylor's hit song Love Story as the new signage was unveiled.

[tamthebam]

Swift? I prefer the Housemartins

[Bob in Denny]

36 minutes ago, tamthebam said:

Swift? I prefer the Housemartins

Nobody will swallow that...