Navy is now down to five ships.

[Keith Tindell]

Of course you have to remember money has no conscience , i remember reading some where that the price of the exocet shot through the roof once they saw how effective it was, also the arms supply is big business for the UK as well as lots of other countries, so it follows that salesmen and saleswomen are rubbing their hands when trouble breaks out. How much of British arms are being used in Syria as we speak. Its a filthy business all round, kt

[happy daze john in oz]

Lewis, along with all members is entitles to free speech.
But when using such we should not do so in a manner that will enrage or humiliate another member.

A point was made that 'Maggie' sent young men to fight.

The fact is any one who joins the armed forces should do so knowing that there may come a time when they may be sent to a filed of conflict.
If that scares you do not join up, conscription ended a long time ago.

But as with any conflict most of the 'workers', that is the base of the force are normally younger men and women.
So yes, 'Maggie' did send young men to fight, the old ones were most likely past it anyway.

[robpage]

In a park at Netley in Southampton there is a Cemetery , it was attached to a long gone military hospital going back two hundred years , an awful lot of teenage soldiers lie there

[Doc Vernon]

Well Rob
You have opened my mind after a long long time mate,i was taken to Netley Military Hospital when rushed there from I think was the Stirling Castle for a Burst Appendix Op.
The Rooms were mostly Single (small) ones with just the Bed and the necessary equipment. Could not swing a cat in one Room. These Rooms were as I can recall behind the large Main Hospital Building,a sort of Out house type Barrack Type Look with I would say about 30 or so Bedrooms. The Main Building was very Large !
But neat enough and the staff then were good!
I had written before about this but had forgotten the Hospital name .
After my Op think it was the second day,my Late brother came to visit me ,made me laugh ,that was a No No as it Hurt LOL
Anyway that night we actually crept out of there and caught a Bus to the City,and into the nearest Pub, (the Bus ride was thankfully short as the ride also hurt ) got nice and blind,and then back to the Hospital. The return trip never felt a thing!
Bad move! Next day was caught out and told off ,and all this with a Big Headache.

So that was it,stayed for another 6 days then out! And back on board!

Now another incident I recall and again I could not remember the name,but now it has come up I am also sure that the Cemetary is also the one me and my Late Brother spent a night at sleeping on a Gravestone. It was eerie and remember waking up with this shadow falling over us,that was spooky!
The things we got up to after a few Drinks! LOL

[Keith Tindell]

Netley hospital, now demolished was famous for being where nurse Florence Nightingale worked, don't suppose she was the one looking after you Doc, only joking. When coming down on the ferry to the Island you can see whats left and the memorial, kt

[robpage]

closed 1958 demolished 1966

[Lewis McColl]

I had planned a road trip on the bike for April down through Spain to the Costa Blanca. Now deferred that trip until later in the year. Weather has been to bad and it is still snowing in the Pyrennes mountains. So as I am heading up to meet friends for a bike meet in Germany in a couple of weeks I have arranged to meet a pal on the way. We have decided to meet up in Verdun and will spend a few days visiting the battlefields and cemeteries. I have visited the Somme and I'm will be honest visiting these places is very humbling, my Grandad fought with the 36th Division at the Somme, he rarely talked about it.
Maybe the all politicians should visit places like this it might make them think long and hard before sending young men and women off to die.

Like a few on here I have had first hand experience of the horrors of war. When you put three of your ship mates into body bags and there bodies are burnt and broken smelling like a Sunday pork roast it tends to make you think long and hard about war and why there is always a better way to resolve differences. If that makes me a pacifist well just wish there were a lot more like thinking people around the world.300px-Verdun_4juni2006_043.jpgDouaumont_Ossuary_cemetery.JPGuntitled.jpgthiepval-memorial-2002-250-190.jpg

[Ivan Cloherty]

If that makes me a pacifist well just wish there were a lot more like thinking people around the world.[ATTACH=CONFIG]26208

I know we have our spats on here, but don't need to be a pacifist Lewis, if all politicians had served in the merchant navy where we follow the lore of the sea and help each other when in difficulty regardless of creed or colour then the world would be a safer place. I remember in cold war times going to the aid of Soviet and mainland China ships, and a Russian ship giving me aid when I needed it in Ethiopia, politics were never involved, we were seamen, we had a code, and we faced mutual dangers, the sea!

[Lewis McColl]

Oh so true Ivan. The old saying, Old Generals never die just there privates. It is a worry, Putin has basically called out Trump and dared him to take military action against the Assad regime in Syria.
Have the politicos world wide learnt nothing or is the power of the lobbyists greater in the halls of power pushing an agenda from the weapons and arms producers!!! tick tock tick tock.nuclear_explosion.jpg

[Keith Tindell]

Very interesting future, what would your next course of action be Lewis ?, not meant to be confrontational by any means. It seems Putin has been poking the west for some time, in my opinion out manoeuvreing
Obama etc, but how long do we allow him to go on?, what will Trump do??, i don't know the answer. I suspect Trump is going to hit Syria in some way with rockets, and then its your move Putin. One thing for certain, dangerous times ahead, my opinion is Putin should be wary as Trump is a loose cannon , kt