Anybody who goes to a war zone, like you, @punkdoc, to volunteer for MSF, definitely deserves an award, never mind whether your "day job" was well paid or not.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Hats off to you then, Punkdoc. Well done. Of the three people I know personally who got awards, two were complete pillocks - Other Buggers’ Efforts, indeed. You’re redressing the balance PD.
Philippa, My view on medals was shaped as a young Soldier in a platoon of Soldiers some who had fought from D Day to the end of the war, they had signed on as regulars and had rows of medal ribbons. I made the comment "I feel naked among you Hero's" one said don't be upset, we kept our heads down and lived, the Hero's died but some one has to carry the decorations. There were some good medals among them but the were blasé about it, they had seen too much. My Medals went in the boxes when I took the uniform off for good, I would never wear them on civvy's, a matter of choice, others do wear them.
The honours system is outmoded and brought into disrespect but the way it is conducted People like Punc Doc and those who make sacrifices to help others I would agree, not over blown Politico's and the like. As for those Leaders who think that a good war will enhance their standing well let them fight it, we will watch. Frank. Do not know what you were thinking Philippa but i did have to watch how I pinned the rack on "err' my chest.
I know someone who has a well deserved MBE for public service outside her day job - running a charity taking poor inner city kids of all creed and colour - or none - to the coast for holidays and fresh air and hearty food was one of her ventures. That seems to me be deserving of recognition as is work like Pdoc's and the cave divers whose expertise, quietly given, saves lives. There's also that lady who got an MBE for selling poppies for the British legion at the grand old age of 103 after selling them for 97 years.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Obelixx, Philippa, I think we all agree a few people get the gongs they deserve but to many it is a badge not an award. Here in the N.E. the local paper runs a peoples award with an award night with Dinner, the awards are deserved and so is the spoiling even if it is only one night. Men who saw the real horror would never talk as I realised this weekend when my Daughter said she remembered me being away a lot what was I doing? She got a very brief resume the funny bits and there were plenty of them even in adverse conditions, she said you and Mum never spoke about your service. No Mum had the hard job running everything when I was not there. It is always the Wives who have the worst of it. They are the ones who earn the medals and yet do not get the accord they deserve, I knew I had a pure Gem, I still miss her every day. Frank.
my Daughter said she remembered me being away a lot what was I doing? She got a very brief resume the funny bits and there were plenty of them even in adverse conditions, she said you and Mum never spoke about your service.
It wasn't until comparatively recently that I realised that my father only told stories of the daft things they got up to when he served in Africa and the Middle East during the war. They wouldn't have stayed in an area for long if it was all just fun, but I have no idea what conditions were really like. As a result, I'm in the process of requesting his service records to see if I can piece anything together. Mum was a bit more open about some of the things she experienced in her time serving on mainly bomber bases during the war. Even so, I'm sure there are many things she didn't speak about.
KT53, You probably would not be able to read most of the Service Record it is written in military shorthand. I have seen mine only to find large area's missing, it says attached to 6th Airborne a couple of entrees, 42 Commando not much information, 4th Royal Tanks nothing yet we were very busy during the Mandate. The rest is well documented as I was back with the REME only the first two and a half years rather misty.
It was the mind set we had six years of it Bombings, shortages rationing and in 1945 8th of May came but all the boys and girls were expecting to go to the war in the far east, some did. To the civilians and the forces who came out with no help, given a set of clothes a few weeks money then expected to get on with the life they once had, there was a lot of anger.
No one wanted to hear war stories if any one started they got "Swing the lamps lads here we go again" so people kept quiet and in time never mentioned what people did not want to hear.
To the Labour Government war was a dirty word, we had forces fighting in the Middle east Africa the Far East Malaya, Borneo, There were British troops fighting in Greece and Trieste Iran Iraq and India. They were not wars but Local Colonial Differences to us it seemed much like war as we buried the dead.
I came home from the Middle east and Cyprus to a world I did not know as did your Mother and dad, the world we knew had gone the girls married and pushing prams, the lads who had not been in the forces still schoolboys to us who had been away, I went back off leave early, back to what I knew.
We were Village and small town folk taken from what we had known and into a strange life that took us to places we had only read about in books, Beue Geste, Biggles, and Rudyard Kipling, it was amazing, frighteningly strange, add the danger and you will have some idea of our mind sets. There are some things I have written down for when I go toes up, some things I put on Local History boards and somethings that will never be told, I am sure we all have the odd nightmare still though they do fade. It is enough to know KT your Parents did what was expected of them without flinching, they gave you a much better place to live and a lifestyle they never knew. I tell my family use every day as if it was the last, do all the things in your bucket list now while you can and enjoy the life you have. Frank.
Frank, you are probably correct that the service record won't tell me much, but to be able to fill in any of the blanks will be a help. Mum did tell us stories about bombers coming back with bombs jammed in the bomb doors; aircrew who could simply take no more after being the only survivor of a mission; plus some of the lighter stories of the way the aircrew used to blow off steam.
Posts
There were some good medals among them but the were blasé about it, they had seen too much.
My Medals went in the boxes when I took the uniform off for good, I would never wear them on civvy's, a matter of choice, others do wear them.
The honours system is outmoded and brought into disrespect but the way it is conducted People like Punc Doc and those who make sacrifices to help others I would agree, not over blown Politico's and the like. As for those Leaders who think that a good war will enhance their standing well let them fight it, we will watch.
Frank.
Do not know what you were thinking Philippa but i did have to watch how I pinned the rack on "err' my chest.
Men who saw the real horror would never talk as I realised this weekend when my Daughter said she remembered me being away a lot what was I doing? She got a very brief resume the funny bits and there were plenty of them even in adverse conditions, she said you and Mum never spoke about your service. No Mum had the hard job running everything when I was not there. It is always the Wives who have the worst of it. They are the ones who earn the medals and yet do not get the accord they deserve, I knew I had a pure Gem, I still miss her every day.
Frank.
It was the mind set we had six years of it Bombings, shortages rationing and in 1945 8th of May came but all the boys and girls were expecting to go to the war in the far east, some did. To the civilians and the forces who came out with no help, given a set of clothes a few weeks money then expected to get on with the life they once had, there was a lot of anger.
No one wanted to hear war stories if any one started they got "Swing the lamps lads here we go again" so people kept quiet and in time never mentioned what people did not want to hear.
To the Labour Government war was a dirty word, we had forces fighting in the Middle east Africa the Far East Malaya, Borneo, There were British troops fighting in Greece and Trieste Iran Iraq and India. They were not wars but Local Colonial Differences to us it seemed much like war as we buried the dead.
I came home from the Middle east and Cyprus to a world I did not know as did your Mother and dad, the world we knew had gone the girls married and pushing prams, the lads who had not been in the forces still schoolboys to us who had been away, I went back off leave early, back to what I knew.
We were Village and small town folk taken from what we had known and into a strange life that took us to places we had only read about in books, Beue Geste, Biggles, and Rudyard Kipling, it was amazing, frighteningly strange, add the danger and you will have some idea of our mind sets.
There are some things I have written down for when I go toes up, some things I put on Local History boards and somethings that will never be told, I am sure we all have the odd nightmare still though they do fade.
It is enough to know KT your Parents did what was expected of them without flinching, they gave you a much better place to live and a lifestyle they never knew. I tell my family use every day as if it was the last, do all the things in your bucket list now while you can and enjoy the life you have.
Frank.