• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

J

The Chameleon
Joined
Jul 5, 2004
Messages
7,576
Well, other than the economic crisis - I want to touch on how it's treating it's veterans of wars and conflicts.

Next year, 06/06/2009, is the 65th anniversary of D-day, possibly the most important day in the modern history of our country and possibly the world.

That day, people like my Grandad, rushed ashore on beaches laid with wire and mines and bullets whizzing passed their ears, and people dropped from the skies out of burning planes knowing their life expectancy was less than 3 hours, if they survived the landning that is.

Next year, is the last major anniversary many of these HEROES will probably be able to make - A campaign was started to get as many over there as possible, with the help of government fundning...... Err no, not that last part actually. D-day was mainly the brits, yanks and canadians... The US and Canadian governments have pledged to help return heroes to the final resting place of many of their friends, round trips over 10,000 miles involved.. Where the brisith government cannot help ours cross 24 miles of water.

What a way to treat these heroes eh? What a **** take?
I feel the thing that takes the p!ss is the generations that have inherited their 'rights' and 'freedoms' from the likes of the old and bold when serving one's country meant fighting for one's survival and way of life kitted out with ammo boots, bolt action rifle and boyonet!

The thought of what the people endured for us makes my skin crawl and brings a lump to my throat. But regardless of this I am struck by the humility, humour and funnily enough, "normal-ness" of all the veterens I've come across. How they came through it I don't know - they are certainly stronger than me. Unfortunately they number fewer by the day; appreciate them while you still can.

But will the goverment do it? No... Of course they wont.

It makes my blood boil to think in 30/40 years time, the repeat process will be happening with current serving members. As we approach remembrance day, i urge, nay, i encourage you ALL - to buy poppies, thank the sellers, and if you ever see a hero, bloody well shake their hand and thank them - they gave it all, so we could have everything.

More should be done by the governments of the day to ensure that those that fought and toiled in these generations are allowed to live out their lives with comfort and dignity.

A little story -

Ted was in Royal Signals and ended up in the back of a glider on D Day, wrote a short book called "straight from the Horsa's" mouth which is a great account of his wartime life. He went on to serve through the the late 50's and then left to return to Sunderland. Eric was in Royal Artillery and went ashore on D Day, Eric kept a diary and just about every page contains the name of a friend who was killed. What always gets me thinking about these two lads is the fact that nothing phases them apart from the dissapointment at how the country is going and the "yoof" of today, no respect etc. Ted is a good old boy who doffs his cap for ladies in the street, that is until he got a load of verbal from a chav scroat. Eric was mugged last year and died early this year.

That ladies and Gentlemen, is where this country really is going wrong -

I will end on politics - Only in this country, will the families of suicide bombers get more compensation, more care, than a Soldier serving, or an ex soldier who served their country, so Suicide bomber families have the "right" to compensation.
 
A very good point about ex servicemen J, which to be honest highlights a basic lack of respect by society for the eldery.

Could you give a bit more detail about the compensation families of the suicide bombers are receiving as I feel this more should be made about this too
 
Good points all there J. Without wishing to sound crass I think after the 60th anniversay of D Day in 2004, the Government, RBL & most Ex Servicemen's organisations agreed that 2004 would be the last time that D Day would be commemorated in the form of large scale remembrance service. Sadly as the years go by there are also less & less of these veterans still with us, but the sacrifice of that generation and indeed following generations should never be forgotten.

One of my mum's younger brothers came ashore at Normandy, he survived the muck & bullets there, but was subsequently killed at Caen on 10/7/1944. He was barely 20 years of age, he has no known grave just a recognition of his sacrifice on the memorial.

FWIW I agree with Firestorm about the lack of respect shown towards the elderly in this day and age.
 
FWIW I agree with Firestorm about the lack of respect shown towards the elderly in this day and age.

Look at Glasgow's earlier post on the "What's Winding me up Today" thread! Only joking...

Saw this earlier, which is an interesting read. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7655325.stm

This lad was on a documentary earlier in the year and seemed like a genuinely nice guy (despite being from Tottenham). Let's hope he sorts himself out.

Here's an interesting stastic from the end of the article: More soldiers from the Falklands war committed suicide than were killed by the enemy. Over 1,000 of the UK's homeless are ex-forces
 
My Grandad was on the Merchant ships during the war, as a few of you may know he was a Shrimper but sadly not with us any more (R.I.P).

He joined up when he was 15, but lied about his age and even he said that they knew he was under-age but they were not going to stop him fighting for his country. My grandad some how survived being sunk twice and was also posted at the North of Russia in sub zero temperatures.

I've respected him and other people that have fought for this country my whole life, and If I thought I could hack it, I would sign up straight away.
 
I'd disagree that it's respect for the elderly that's the problem, it's just general respect for others - at all......anyone else - and for others' property and belongings. It is a disgrace that our survivng personnel are not being funded for this, but equally, I am quite sure there will be a benevolent fund of some sort that will ensure they DO get there.

I also think it's a disgrace that a secretary at a military establishment can get more compensation for RSI than a soldier who has lost a leg fighting in the Iran/Iraq conflicts. Unless we can get this whole culture of ridiculous compensation awards given irrespective of the ACTUAL seriousness of said injury or, even worse, farcical awards given for racial or homophobic discrimination in situations where it clearly hasn't been racially or otherwise motivated, then this country will be in big trouble.
 
Went to france this weekend to a place called villers-cotteret approx 100 miles south of the British sector in WW1,while there i visited a french war cemetary ,(4000+ graves all french)and to my amazement i found a Grenadier guardsman by the name of J Heslin 2nd batt killed 14/9/14 aged 23 and married, so sad to see one of our finest alone far from home,his grave now has a poppy attached.
My point is J all decent folk in our great land do remember past vets and brave soilders fighting at this very minute and wear their poppys with pride.
 
My Grandad was on the Merchant ships during the war, as a few of you may know he was a Shrimper but sadly not with us any more (R.I.P).

He joined up when he was 15, but lied about his age and even he said that they knew he was under-age but they were not going to stop him fighting for his country. My grandad some how survived being sunk twice and was also posted at the North of Russia in sub zero temperatures.

I've respected him and other people that have fought for this country my whole life, and If I thought I could hack it, I would sign up straight away.


That would be The Merchant Service and it sounds like he was unlucky enough to have endured the Russian Convoys. That was the problem during wartime, when you signed on for a ship they only told you after where you were going. My dad was incredible lucky and never got a Russian Convoy but came unstuck several times with North Atlantic crossings and going to Malta.

Try and get a copy of an old film about The Merchant Service called Western Approaches. The acting is terrible but then again they were all serving members of either the Merch, Royal Navy or Coastguard but it gave you an idea of what it was like to be cast adrift after being sunk. My old man was in it and played a awful mouth organ bit but I still watch it now. He saw plenty of action but he didn't have a gun to fire back with. The Merchant Service really were unsung hero's.
 
That would be The Merchant Service and it sounds like he was unlucky enough to have endured the Russian Convoys. That was the problem during wartime, when you signed on for a ship they only told you after where you were going. My dad was incredible lucky and never got a Russian Convoy but came unstuck several times with North Atlantic crossings and going to Malta.

Try and get a copy of an old film about The Merchant Service called Western Approaches. The acting is terrible but then again they were all serving members of either the Merch, Royal Navy or Coastguard but it gave you an idea of what it was like to be cast adrift after being sunk. My old man was in it and played a awful mouth organ bit but I still watch it now. He saw plenty of action but he didn't have a gun to fire back with. The Merchant Service really were unsung hero's.

Thanks Harry, yeah thats what I meant. Will have a look out for this film.
 
But will the goverment do it? No... Of course they wont.

Sad but true. There are a lot of other things that seem to be more important to people/the Government these days and most of them are non British.

I went to France in 2004. If you have never been, go for a short trip. Stand on the beaches, visit the museums, then go to one of the graveyards. It is an amazing experience.

Go to Pegasus Bridge and read some of the letters from 16 and 17 year old soldiers...Dear Mother and Father, this might be the last time i write to you......



Just saw this on The Sun website:

HATE preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed has divorced his wife and taken a new bride who is a year younger than his pole dancer daughter.
The tubby Muslim extremist dumped 48-year-old Hanah for a Lebanese beauty called Ruba, 26.

Frustrated Bakri, 50, declared: “I must have a woman!” after Hanah — the mother of his six children — refused to stay with him in exile in Lebanon.

I wonder who is paying for him to be here.

How about this one on the same website:

A MUM of seven is being paid £170,000 a year in benefits so she can live in a £1.2million mansion.

Taxpayers hit by the credit crunch fund the swish seven-bedroom home enjoyed free by Afghan migrant Toorpakai Saindi and her family.

Good causes i'm sure.
 
Last edited:
Could you give a bit more detail about the compensation families of the suicide bombers are receiving as I feel this more should be made about this too

I think they get a cash lump sum when they pick up their OBEs from the palace.
 
Last edited:
Just saw this on The Sun website:



I wonder who is paying for him to be here.

As the quote says says "after Hanah — the mother of his six children — refused to stay with him in exile in Lebanon. " I would assume its not us as he's in the Lebanon

How about this one on the same website:



Good causes i'm sure.

As we are fighting to free the Afghans I would assume that political asylum for those we are fighting to free is a good cause
 
I agree with Kay, the lack of respect is not just limited to the young. There is a general lack of respect across the board, all creeds, religions etc have a lack of tolerance to one element of society or another.
Also as time marches inexorably on, the memories of the carnage which were the two World Wars change in to stories of someone elses memories.
My Dad is now 77 and was too young for WW2 , which means that my kids have no one even going back 2 generations with first hand experience. There must be loads of younger people around today whose only knowledge of the wars comes from History lessons or Documentaries on TV and lets be honest here, how many of the youth of today took any notice of History at school, or watch documentaries.
J's respect for the war veterans is admirable but his knowledge is in the minority and without the knowledge the kids just don't know any better.
In a way its the earlier generations who have not taught these kids about what their forefathers went through which must shoulder the responsibilty , although a number of them would not have known a lot about it as a lot of memories were not passed down because it was often too painful to repeat them and the schools , media etc did not share the knowledge either
 
this country has allowed or lured mass immigration which has/will strangle the life out of every single citizen.

the average working person is appalled at the level of comforts offered to persons who have never paid a single penny into the system.

the simple facts are this country is a tiny island where the population for many years was at a steady 56 million,today the goverment admit they have little idea of exact numbers anything from 61 million to approx 65 million.

my question is what happens if this country experiences a severe drought?
 
this country has allowed or lured mass immigration which has/will strangle the life out of every single citizen.

the average working person is appalled at the level of comforts offered to persons who have never paid a single penny into the system.

the simple facts are this country is a tiny island where the population for many years was at a steady 56 million,today the goverment admit they have little idea of exact numbers anything from 61 million to approx 65 million.

my question is what happens if this country experiences a severe drought?

I suggest that we drink the blood of the immigrants.
 
High praise indeed Tarquin from a chap with your pedigree.

We appear to be two slightly similar peas in the same pod of righteousness. Imagine what we could achieve if we put our minds together.
Not that I can start anything today - Some mug looked at me funny on the train this morning so I have to hunt him down and exact revenge.
 
We appear to be two slightly similar peas in the same pod of righteousness. Imagine what we could achieve if we put our minds together.
Not that I can start anything today - Some mug looked at me funny on the train this morning so I have to hunt him down and exact revenge.

Let me know when you have thoroughly striped this miscreant old boy, and we shall plot world domination over a litre or two of nail polish remover.
 
Back
Top