A warm hello

[Richard Quartermaine]

Having sailed to the US, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia from January 1947 and paying off in Britain I saw the aftermath of what Brian has written about. My aunts, uncles and cousins did not complain but were were busy rebuilding their lives as many of the older ones did in in 1919. None of those other countries had experienced anything to compare with this on home soil. The reality of those years linger in the living memories and once those personal experiences are gone only the writings and other recordings remain.

Here the BBC production 'Home Fires' is serialised. Just watched the second episode. A village in Cheshire at the beginning of WW2. I was delighted when reference was made to the Merchant Navy and it's vital role.

Be proud.
Richard

[j.sabourn]

Those 5-6 years of war some of the worst cases of death was in the civilian population, they are very little talked about. They went through it stoically and had a reason for resolution seldom seen before. Churchill was the head poncho and if he had a speech writer he deserved a medal. It was a war not looked for by the people who are usually only the ones who take the brunt of the casualities. A good example today can be found in the Middle East. They talk about so many soldiers being killed on both sides, and casually mention the civilian losses, if they are civilians that is. They talk about human rights, there are no human rights in todays warfare apart from talking about them. War is what it is called and the rule of the game is to kill or put out of action as many as possible. This will never alter, if it did there would be no armed conflict. People oo and ah about bombed and derelict buildings most never went through the last war and saw the result of the German Blitzreig. When the UK returned the favour there even then were some shouting foul. Today is a new era in the world and as long as it can be remembered and kept alive by people of that era the uselessness of conflict the better. When that generation departs the usual will recur. God bless the world but exclude the politicians and those who see themselves as warriors and world leaders. Just stay at home and mind your own business and only attack when attacked yourself.

[eric fisher]

Richard, Many sad and many glad memories. One of my saddest was a schoolboy mate. He was injured after a landmine shattered his parents house. Joined the R.N. and was killed in the Pacific on or about the last day of the Japanese surrender. Eric

[Captain Kong]

Some photos of what we had to put up with in Bolton, when our home was bombed by Adolf's Air Force also last picture of one of Liverpool
None of our politicians experienced anything like this.
No where to live, no food, no clothes, no family valuables, no family records, no furniture, no Nothing, family split up, all living with different relatives for the duration. I had to live at my Grandma`s home with my cousin Sheila,
BUT we did it.
Brian

[Richard Quartermaine]

On arrival in Britain in October 1947 it was on SS&A repatriation terms. It was four months before I was signed on the Moreton Bay. Staying with my Dad's sister in London I would hop on a bus and then walk for miles and miles. I remember seeing so much like walking up from Ludgate Circus to St Pauls Cathedral with open land most of the way, but hearing so little. It was as if it was shut out of mind.
The following year coming back to British ships and calling in to Bremen. Even then, very little left standing. Strangely enough the green copper roofed Bremen Rathaus was sitting there more or less unscathed. One evil little monster - and so it goes on ad infinitum.
Richard

[j.sabourn]

I wonder how the British army today trains its infantrymen. I remember in the cadet forces who probably took the training from a book of training procedures. That when on a bayonet charge was to shout and scream at your opponent all the obsenitys one knew in order to raise your own anger and supposedly terrify the enemy who was probably trying to do the same. Now by various race laws you cannot use these words, so now would have to moderate your language and say something like now see here my good man you have been a naughty boy so I am going to stick my bayonet in you. These do gooders I sometimes wonder where they got their knowledge of mans inhumanity to man. Certainly wasn't from the Bible where Goliath got a stone in the head from a wee fellah half his size. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
AH! we seemed to have wandered from the Kelly gang a little. I have some bad memories of my cousins being killed in the bombing of Swansea.But?
Cheers Des