Andy in BedsI cannot understand the mentality of a Government which refused to have their dead repatriated even at the express wish of families involved.
Kev,
as Moggy said above, in the early days of The Great War the rich were getting their sons repatriated home to the UK.
The decision was made to stop that and all personnel would stay in the country (Theatre of Operations) they were killed in.
The words at the bottom of the CWWG (IWGC) headstones were paid for at a penny a word by the families of the deceased. Even this tends (imho and that of Martin Middlebrook) to reflect the differences in wealth and education of those involved. Incidentally, the dominions didn’t charge for the words–they thought that penny pinching of that sort wasn’t required..!
Going back to the Falklands, the Telegraph has posted a further piece.
My own views on this are somewhat mixed.
I tend to have more than a considerable amount of sympathy for the families of the Argetinian dead. After all, most of them were conscripted into a war that was always going to be a mess.
As ever, it’s the ordinary folk who do the fighting, dieing and tax paying, while the rich sit back and reap the rewards.
In the case of the Falklands, the opinions of the islanders will be ignored in the rush for undersea mineral profits by big business.
Sadly for us all, war graves have always had a political backdrop. I have no doubt that the current government in Buenos Aires view the graves as no more than having a small extra toe-hold on the islands.
A.
Andy in BedsI cannot understand the mentality of a Government which refused to have their dead repatriated even at the express wish of families involved.
Kev,
as Moggy said above, in the early days of The Great War the rich were getting their sons repatriated home to the UK.
The decision was made to stop that and all personnel would stay in the country (Theatre of Operations) they were killed in.
The words at the bottom of the CWWG (IWGC) headstones were paid for at a penny a word by the families of the deceased. Even this tends (imho and that of Martin Middlebrook) to reflect the differences in wealth and education of those involved. Incidentally, the dominions didn’t charge for the words–they thought that penny pinching of that sort wasn’t required..!
Going back to the Falklands, the Telegraph has posted a further piece.
My own views on this are somewhat mixed.
I tend to have more than a considerable amount of sympathy for the families of the Argetinian dead. After all, most of them were conscripted into a war that was always going to be a mess.
As ever, it’s the ordinary folk who do the fighting, dieing and tax paying, while the rich sit back and reap the rewards.
In the case of the Falklands, the opinions of the islanders will be ignored in the rush for undersea mineral profits by big business.
Sadly for us all, war graves have always had a political backdrop. I have no doubt that the current government in Buenos Aires view the graves as no more than having a small extra toe-hold on the islands.
A.
Andy in BedsAs a young James Herriot alongside a brilliant Anthony Hopkins as Siegfried.
Andy in BedsAs a young James Herriot alongside a brilliant Anthony Hopkins as Siegfried.
Andy in BedsWell I’m happy with the result.
I had a £5.00 bet with someone that he’d get off (with someone who works for the Police) and I spent the fiver on a box of Tea bags in Morrison’s.
That’s the Tea supply for the workshop sorted for the next month anyway.
Let’s face it, the filf always get off–is any really surprised by this??
A.
Andy in BedsWell I’m happy with the result.
I had a £5.00 bet with someone that he’d get off (with someone who works for the Police) and I spent the fiver on a box of Tea bags in Morrison’s.
That’s the Tea supply for the workshop sorted for the next month anyway.
Let’s face it, the filf always get off–is any really surprised by this??
A.
Andy in BedsBad news indeed.
Andy in BedsFate, in a cruel twist, decreed that Yeats would die with millions of others in the great Influenza epidemic just after the end of the Great War. In fact, few realise that it was so bad that it killed more people than the war itself…..
Actually Yeates died from Tuberculosis exacerbated by the stress of constant high altitude flying. He didn’t actually die until the early thirties. He wrote ‘Winged Victory’ while he was dying–TB takes a long time.
A few years ago I was in correspondence with both his son and grandson.
The son sent me a very nice photograph of Victor in his RFC uniform.
He flew Camels with 46 Sqn. and was an ace.
The character of ‘Mac’ in the book is of course the Canadian ace Donald MacLaren.
Cheery it is not, but it will take you closer to the reality than. is comfortable.
Totally agree.
The character of Seddon is just about my favourite character in any book.
Winged Victory is the book about aviation in The Great War.
Andy
Andy in BedsAfter a day walking in the footsteps of the Tommies, we reached the Menin Gate; and there, in front of hundreds of people, they showed their new-found respect by marching out and laying a wreath for the Fallen.
They are still talking about how good it felt to make that public demonstration of respect.
Please keep up the good work and pass my thanks on to your students.
Andy in BedsI fear that the reverse is true in many companies Andy,where I work – we can only make suggestions if it happens to agree with senior management policy,also they will not take any notice of the engineering professionals unless the idea does not involve investment (ie cost neutral)…in fact that is the traditional british weakness – Lack of investment.
Bazy.
Well I know what you mean but I do have a little hope.
With the head of Barclays bank getting the chop and now that moron who runs G4S getting a good kicking in public this afternoon, and the fact that this recession is only about a third through it’s elongated run, I can see a large culling ahead.
I have no real idea what the industrial/financial landscape will look like when all this is finally over but I tend to think a change has occured.
We will as they say–see.
Andy
Andy in BedsI fear that the reverse is true in many companies Andy,where I work – we can only make suggestions if it happens to agree with senior management policy,also they will not take any notice of the engineering professionals unless the idea does not involve investment (ie cost neutral)…in fact that is the traditional british weakness – Lack of investment.
Bazy.
Well I know what you mean but I do have a little hope.
With the head of Barclays bank getting the chop and now that moron who runs G4S getting a good kicking in public this afternoon, and the fact that this recession is only about a third through it’s elongated run, I can see a large culling ahead.
I have no real idea what the industrial/financial landscape will look like when all this is finally over but I tend to think a change has occured.
We will as they say–see.
Andy
Andy in BedsWatching my Honda VF1100 slowly coming back together after a full strip down.
Frame newly powder coated and all parts cleaned re-plated and prepared.
There’s a way to go yet but I can see the end result in my minds eye.
A.
Andy in BedsWatching my Honda VF1100 slowly coming back together after a full strip down.
Frame newly powder coated and all parts cleaned re-plated and prepared.
There’s a way to go yet but I can see the end result in my minds eye.
A.
Andy in BedsIs that a managerial saying or a comment on those here?
If it is a comment on the erstwhile contributors here, all I can say (in my own case at least) is guilty as charged.
I’m well past the point of being positive.
As to modern managerial speak, it’s nothing new and is usually the preserve of the overly promoted incompetant.
A good recession every few years helps to keep their numbers down by culling them.
I would think this recession (should it ever end) might make the breed close to extinct (hopefully).
I left mainstream industry a few years ago (after 30 years) and had suffered a basin full of it by the end.
I find working alone best these days.
In my small work space, swearing, sexism, and much else (including smoking) is actively encouraged for visitors.
In fact, political correctness, is banned.
Andy
Andy in BedsIs that a managerial saying or a comment on those here?
If it is a comment on the erstwhile contributors here, all I can say (in my own case at least) is guilty as charged.
I’m well past the point of being positive.
As to modern managerial speak, it’s nothing new and is usually the preserve of the overly promoted incompetant.
A good recession every few years helps to keep their numbers down by culling them.
I would think this recession (should it ever end) might make the breed close to extinct (hopefully).
I left mainstream industry a few years ago (after 30 years) and had suffered a basin full of it by the end.
I find working alone best these days.
In my small work space, swearing, sexism, and much else (including smoking) is actively encouraged for visitors.
In fact, political correctness, is banned.
Andy
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