The greatest Englishman?

[Tony Wilding]

Its virtually impossible to state who was the greatest, many were great but in different fields.

[Richard Quartermaine]

How can anyone or any organisation declare that one man through all history is the greatest? Great men (and great women) have at some particular time in history excelled in the fields of their endeavours and hopefully this will continue as the need arises. To say that one is greater than the other must reflect personal evaluation and there is nothing wrong with that.

Richard Q

[John Pruden]

having said all this about Winston Churchill he did make some decisions that sent many seamen to certain death only to keep the knowledge that the enigma code had not been found or decoded but was that to much of a price to pay????jp

[Red Lead Ted]

No contest after today,s performance winning the gold on the high wire, Has to be Boris Karloff..............Mayor of London What a performance. Pity the coalition couldn,t have fast tracked one more cut..................The wire the bloody idiot was left hanging onto. Yes a gr8 performance by the Olympic ring master Terry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxDwxNcURTU

[Ivan Cloherty]

having said all this about Winston Churchill he did make some decisions that sent many seamen to certain death only to keep the knowledge that the enigma code had not been found or decoded but was that to much of a price to pay????jp

Unfortunately John, leaders in time of conflict (whether they started it or not) have had to make decisions that have sacrificed many for the sake of the majority. I doubt they enjoyed making such decisions and I have often thought I am glad it was not me who had to make that decision. At least we had in Churchill a man who rose to the needs of the country at a time when doggedness was needed, could you imagine what would have happened if any of the last decades incumbents had been in power at that time. This site would probably all be written in German and we wouldn't have sailed under the Red Ensign in our lifetime.

It is difficult to say who was the greatest Englishman (or woman) (and surely that should be greatest Briton) as different times needed different values, Boudacea may have been nominated at one time as would Alexander Fleming if we are considering Britons, there are so many deserving of the accolade who gave us not only freedom but those who gave us inventions/discoveries that changed our lives and life expectancy.

So I nominate the indigenous British Race for its fortitude, inventiveness, sense of humour and it's courage when their backs are against the wall.

[j.sabourn]

With the present choice of politicians in uk, may still yet be written in german. John Sabourn

[Red Lead Ted]

It would be the great mariner himself Sir Francis Drake. Elizabethen sailor and navigator who not only beat the Spanish Armada, But also was the first Englishman responsible for the, Cercumnavigate of the globe, Nelson would be a close second for his victory,s over the French napoleonic war,s. I bet A.T.O.S. Would not have got him of the sick. Terry

[Glenn Baker]

I would like to comment on the who is the greatest Englishman, i personally think that there are many ordinary men who never got any recognision for being absolute hero,s for example the men who went around london De Detonating the most deadly unexploded bombs and to which quite a number of these men lost their lives doing this most deadly of all Gambles in the course of the Second World War.

The people who decoded the Enigma who worked 24 hours a day desperately trying to work out Hitlers plans an operations.

The two Captains of the Wartime Troop Transports Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary who ensured that whole Armys of the Commonwealth could be moved from one Country to another at Great Speed. not forgetting the fact that Hitler put a large reward on notice to any U boat commander that could sink either of thses two mighty ships that according to history cut the time of the second World War by up to Two years because of their huge capacity to move troops quickly. those Two Captains would have been under great Stress under the Official secrets act and the worry of the safety of the thousands on Ships Crew and soldiers on those two ships.

The Coast watchers of Australia who hid in the jungles of New Guinea throughout the 2nd World war living on scrounging for food and reporting all the Japanese Movements around those deadly times when everyone in this part of the Planet would be either speaking Japanese now or die by the sword. Those Coast watchers had a deadly job to do and did it without any recognition at all. those who were caught by the Japs died by the Japanese Sword.

So in that light we must never forget Mr Ordinary who played a massive part in securing our freedom, of which today we lose our right each and every day now. Because simply the memory of these Gallant people is vanishing and not part of School history. My very best to you . Glenn in Oz

[happy daze john in oz]

Further to this discussion, there was on talkback radio yesterday morning a comment by two commentators in London reporting on the olympics for us here in Oz. Both are Australians.
The comment by one, 'what did England do for Australia'?
The reply from the other,
'If not England taking over the country then it may well have been the French, Spanish, Dutch or even the Russians, and if any of those did so how would we be today. Look at the world and see all the nations that England at one time colonised and see what the British left them. The Westminister system of government, the public service, infrastructuer of roads and rail, shipping ports, education, health services etc. The sad thing is that many of those same countries now have either presidents or dictators who have had their hands in the till and wrecked the good left behind by the British'.
Then I considered the current situation in UK and began to understand what may happen there. Beware mates the Ghurkas are coming!

Sorry lads, spelling mistake that should read Burqua not Ghurka.

[j.sabourn]

Would probably find he was a Scotsman or Welshman. How about Robbie Burns. Cheers John Sabourn