| The respect we pay to those who died. 11:51 - Oct 27 with 4034 views | KeithHaynes |
It’s being forgotten by the year.
A good opportunity to remember those who played their part here. I will start with my grandfather, Cole. Went to Spain in 1936, a southern Irishman with British army service, who went to fight for the govt against Franco’s fascists. International brigades. Was captured in Cordoba but escaped with several others and literally walked and swam around the Spanish coast, through Portugal to get help from the French resistance in late July 1939. WW2 was about to kick off. When he arrived back in Southampton he was mustered into the British army. Wanting to get home to Ireland he said,’ I’ve been fighting fascists for two years, I’ll give it a miss’ They arrested him and sentenced him to jail for ‘poltroon’ basically an establishment term for cowardice !
After eight months in jail in Northampton somebody with a brain approached him and asked if he would pass on his guerrilla warfare skills and train new British army recruits. He said yes, and spent the rest of the war doing just that.
The Brits at times are so far up their own backsides they can’t see the value in real people. He was awarded the defence medal at the end of the war, returned to Ireland and became the catalyst for government post I worked at or in until I retired. Why ?
He was a proud Brit from the south but believed like in life politics change. And this meant despite his British army service he found his post war beliefs more republican. My application to join the military in 1986 took a year. On my final interview I was told ‘your grandfather and your uncle Brian haven’t helped expedite matters’ 😂 |  |
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| The respect we pay to those who died. on 19:43 - Nov 10 with 216 views | SullutaCreturned |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 19:38 - Nov 10 by builthjack |
He is a customer of mine. |
Monty? But he died in 76!
Back on topic, late to the game with this but for me it's not just about respecting those who died. Respect the surviviors too. |  | | |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 20:11 - Nov 11 with 127 views | KeithHaynes |
| The respect we pay to those who died. on 19:38 - Nov 10 by builthjack |
He is a customer of mine. |
Monty Don, or the disgusting poster called Monty. | |
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