Where were you on your 21st Birthday?

[j.sabourn]

At the end of the war and subject to the War Crimes commission many faced the noose , I doubt if anyone apart from their own families shed a tear for them . Different people with different morals than of today. Benito Mussolini The Italian Dictator went out a bit different , he was left hanging from his ankles from a lamp post , can’t remember if he was shot first or not , this was justice from his own people . Basically man is still the same animal just got soft in the interim . By certain members of society . In the event of another war it will be fought with the same ferocity and the Marquis of Queensbury will once again go into hiding. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

We had a PM here few years ago who said some form of conscription would be good for the younger generation to teach them some discipline and self.
He was not talking of conscription as per Armed forces but rather some form of camp where life forces would be taught such as self control, self care and mnay other aspects of modern day life.
It would be for about 6 months to 1 year between high school and university.
Many considered to concept to be good but not enough in parliament to get it through.
Pity, it would have sorted many younger persons out, cut down on so many social problems.

He was the same PM who said, 'We will decided who comes to our country, when and by what means.'

Since then we have had no boats arriving here uninvited.

[andrew scarrott]

I was on P & O's Encounter Bay en-route to Australia in the Pacific somewhere? Looking up at the starlight sky

[Paul Slingsby]

This thread seems to have gone of course slightly.

So back on Topic, I spent my 21st Birthday in the bilge in a Pumproom, changing out S and D valves on a steam reciprocating cargo pump. Such Joy!!!!

[Ivan Cloherty]

National Service if nothing else helped to keep the Teddy Boys in check , and showed them the choice was theirs ,be disciplined or take the consequences . The weak ineffectual laws of today could very well be reinforced to some extent by National Service JS

Alas I doubt National Service will be resumed even though boots on the ground are still required despite all the modern technology. Discipline in the Armed Forces has changed a lot and Sergeants and Corporals are not allowed to shout at recruits anymore, stripes have been lost for doing so, that says it all really, but why join up in the first place if you cannot handle a bit of shouting, what did you think you were joining a bloody kindergarden.

I march at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday and its nice to see the other old guys marching with ramrod backs and be proud to do so, okay some of us are a little portly, but not as portly as some currently serving in HM Services, had we been that portly in our youth we would have got more than being shouted at.

Yes we have gone off course, but we used to do that in the messroom/saloon, also a word triggers a memory, so we hastily write it down because in two minutes whilst looking for the correct forum we will have forgotten what we were going to say

[Keith Tindell]

My dad was ex Royal Marine, and the number of times heard him when watching anything military,* look at his bloody hair, look like a bloody Yeti*

[Bernie Guymer]

My 21st was aboard the Cairnash in Kotka, Finland. Almost the land of the midnight sun. What little night time there was was missed in any event in the clubs! A very good run ashore!
Bernie PSNC

[David Betts Esq]

on the Baron Inverforth, some where between Goa and Japan.

[martin winn]

Saigon, vietnam christmas eve 1968. Yanks put on good firework display.

[Bert Schroeder]

At sea, due Singapore, my mate 2nd cook made me a guitar shape birthday cake, shared it on the hatch with a case of Tennent's