For those interested in a bit of history..........

 

Was reading today that we are coming up to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendale

 

By a weird coincidence my Mum emailed me this today to print off for her. For the life of me I couldn't remember the title of the original thread on here so had to start a new one but this is the signing on paper of my grandmothers brother Frank Tasker - the one that Nobster kindly visited the grave and sent me the photos

 

The lying little fucker!!!! Stated his age as 20 when he was barely 16. Going off to fight for King and country. Despite the warning on the form he (and many, many others) thought nothing about not telling the truth and lying in order to join up. The yoof of yesteryear eh?

 

I'd shit my pants if war started now and I was expected to sign up.

 

I would do put of duty but them lads were different gravy. Same in WWII too

Watched Dunkirk last week and the wife mentioned we should bring back national service to instill a bit of discipline.

 

I had to explain to her that in ww1 kids were lying to get In despite being too young!

 

I'm 32 but can you imagine that with the youth of today? Not a fucking chance.

I'd shit my pants if war started now and I was expected to sign up.

 

I would do put of duty but them lads were different gravy. Same in WWII too

Your too old to be called up you'd been in Dads Army. ????

Just seen a piece on the news. A group of bomb disposal chaps in Belgium destroying thousands of shells annually.

Some contain chemicals and the methods of disposal are quite surprising.

Apparently a third of shells fired didn't explode, meaning hundreds of millions were left on the battle field and most are still there!

 

Known as the iron harvest.

Watched Dunkirk last week and the wife mentioned we should bring back national service to instill a bit of discipline.

 

I had to explain to her that in ww1 kids were lying to get In despite being too young!

 

I'm 32 but can you imagine that with the youth of today? Not a fucking chance.

I can't imagine it but in fairness to the little fuckers of today they're probably far more aware of the carnage they're likely to encounter, back then before the horrors of total war were widely known it might have seemed like a far more gallant thing to sign up to.

 

Just seen that report about WW1 bombs still being dealt with, can't believe they're still being uncovered so long after the fact

Just seen a piece on the news. A group of bomb disposal chaps in Belgium destroying thousands of shells annually.

Some contain chemicals and the methods of disposal are quite surprising.

Apparently a third of shells fired didn't explode, meaning hundreds of millions were left on the battle field and most are still there!

Known as the iron harvest.

Hundreds of millions ? I think you might be exaggerating a tad there !

 

Dare say there are fucking loads.

Hundreds of millions ? I think you might be exaggerating a tad there !

Dare say there are fucking loads.

No. Estimates say 300,000000.

No. Estimates say 300,000000.

 

Sounds like an episode of the A-team

Hundreds of millions ? I think you might be exaggerating a tad there !

 

Dare say there are fucking loads.

Saw the program myself and it said 1.5 billion shells were fired during the war and a third didn't explode so it was pretty accurate.

My youngest went to the WW1 battlefields during a trip from school years ago. The instructions from the teachers was clear. On no account bring back any souvenir bombs.

He did and it's still in the garden. Fairly sure it's safe.

Watched Dunkirk last week and the wife mentioned we should bring back national service to instill a bit of discipline.

 

I had to explain to her that in ww1 kids were lying to get In despite being too young!

 

I'm 32 but can you imagine that with the youth of today? Not a fucking chance.

I think it's hard to say till it happens (I hope not) but people step up in adversity. I imagine older folk of 1900's called what was a superb generation of heroes. If the lads could wear skinny camouflage they'll be reet????

Saw the program myself and it said 1.5 billion shells were fired during the war and a third didn't explode so it was pretty accurate.

Both of those are extraordinary statistics

Both of those are extraordinary statistics

as is 500,000 died in 3 months

Don't tha love a misinformed historical argument on WW.

So come on Crawley, educate us.

Just seen a piece on the news. A group of bomb disposal chaps in Belgium destroying thousands of shells annually.

Some contain chemicals and the methods of disposal are quite surprising.

Apparently a third of shells fired didn't explode, meaning hundreds of millions were left on the battle field and most are still there!

 

Known as the iron harvest.

I found one in the back garden of my grandparents house in Barton on Sea near Southampton when I was about 6 or 7.

 

To me at the time it looked corroded - metal but almost like a tree trunk around the outside. A cannister slightly tapered at one end and with a kind of twist off cap at the other.

 

I picked it up and walked into the house with it. It was actually my great grandad I took it too - I just remember him taking it off me very slowly and then being told a couple of years later what it was and that the police had to call the army bomb disposal team out to get rid of it :-)

Don't tha love a misinformed historical argument on WW.

You really are a human hedgehog.

I was around The Somme last month. Found a couple of shrapnel balls. I also come across some unexploded shells in Trones Wood. I'd stick the picture I took on here, but I don't know how to, being an internet dinosaur!

Tharmy wouldn't have me anyways because of my Back...................................................there a big fcuk off Yellow streak going down it!!!

My Grandad got the Military medal fighting in Passchendale, first time iv'e seen this snippet what my cousin posted today. 

My great grandad (other side - not the dad of my SS grandad) claimed to be a conscientious objector to avoid being conscripted - but this went tits up when he got into a fight over the ownership of a bottle of brown ale down the induction centre. He changed his story to being a nancy boy instead and was sent countless white feathers in the post as a result, he had the last laugh as he sold them to a miliner and used the profits to bribe his way out of his sentence to hard labour.

My great grandad (other side - not the dad of my SS grandad) claimed to be a conscientious objector to avoid being conscripted - but this went tits up when he got into a fight over the ownership of a bottle of brown ale down the induction centre. He changed his story to being a nancy boy instead and was sent countless white feathers in the post as a result, he had the last laugh as he sold them to a miliner and used the profits to bribe his way out of his sentence to hard labour.

Nurse late with your medication again today?

Nurse late with your medication again today?

Nurse Newton and Doctor Ridley.

My Grandad got the Military medal fighting in Passchendale, first time iv'e seen this snippet what my cousin posted today.

That's ace

A story behind the medals.

Back to my WW1 tour, went to the Tyne cot memorial and Passchendale ridge in December to visit the grave of my my wife's grandfather. When you stand there in the cold winter weather you get to understand what these heroes went through for us.