Thread 23 Starmer - Reflux Remedy

[DuncinToffee]

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Wars cast long shadows
my parents were war babies, my paternal grandfather did join up have no idea what regiment or where as it wasn’t really spoken about
My mums two older brothers fought one came back one died in North Africa not sure about my maternal grandfather he died when I was about two.

I live not far from the Gosport ferry now!
It’s still running!

Not a military family really but my maternal grandfather was a US marine so the war wasn't over for him by some stretch.

My FIL was in Bomber Command! One of the lucky ones!

My gran was born in 1920 in Scotland and wanted to be a WRNS in the war - back then you needed your dad’s permission to join and he said no.
He got her war work instead- sewing hammocks for sailors.

My grandad was a flying boat pilot who never talked about the war- until I was at secondary school doing history and he let me record him talking about the war.

They got married after the war

Thank you for all your personal stories about relatives who had a role in WW2

I had one Grandad who worked in a protected occupation in the NW and one who fought in North Africa. The latter never really spoke about his service, apart from one or two lighthearted stories. One Granny made parts for Lancaster Bombers after the factory she worked in was diverted from the mundane household objects it produced.
We have been showing the children at school old photographs of VE Day celebrations and asking telling them age appropriate things about what it must have been like. They have been very thoughtful and sensible at what can be a very <ahem> excitable time of year with SATs and trips and fine weather etc.

My DF was in the navy in WW2. I believe it was an aircraft carrier in the Med. I know he went to Alexandria. He was an engineer and chief petty officer. My DM joined up as soon as she was 18 (1943) - in the WAAFs based in Prestwick Airport in Scotland on communications/teleprinters and was involved in the D-day stuff as it was an airbase for allied forces.

Following on from my previous post, my Dad joined RAF in North Africa at RAF Blida. He later trained as a Radar Technician after the war.

If he’d done it during, he could have been trained by my dad…his ability in training recruits was how he got the teacher training recommendation.

It was definitely after the war. My Dad couldn't speak a word of English when he joined but could speak many other languages which is why the RAF took him in. He learnt English after the war and pestered them relentlessly to re-muster to Radar Technician.

My df was slightly behind yours, and army rather than airforce, but he worked with cymbeline radar.

Slightly outing, I was recently given a treadle singer sewing machine in good working order. It had been in their family since new, and used in the first world war for making uniforms for the troops. In the second world war, they used it to turn curtains from bombed out houses into children's clothes. I feel very fortunate to be the current caretaker of a small piece of history.

Those machines are still in demand, in good condition, as they sew anything!

I agree and am just catching up with them all.

A stark reminder that wars have not ended

🇫🇷🇬🇧🇩🇪🇵🇱🇺🇦🇺🇸

Macron, Tusk, Starmer and Merz issued a joint statement in which they claim that their trip to Ukraine has a joint message with the United States to the Kremlin - to agree to a complete ceasefire lasting 30 days without preconditions.

My Mum and Dad both lived in London. Mum was evacuated during the Blitz but Dad was a bit older so stayed behind.
He told us the story of how one night he could hear the explosions getting closer and closer. The streets either side of his were hit but his was spared.
He was called up in 1943 and fought in the brutal Battle of Monte Cassino. Some of his friends died right next to him
He probably had PTSD, which explains so much of how he was, but it was not understood at that time.

Who do they think they are? Bannon says "It is shocking to me that a guy could be selected to be the Pope that had had the Twitter feed and the statements he's had against American senior politicians," and says we should ‘expect friction’ between the Pope and Trump.
I mean…I don’t even know where to start with that.
Maga says Pope Leo may be American, but he's not 'America first' www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyglw20lg2o

Pakistan is saying that the UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, played a key role in the ceasefire process."

Good luck going up against the Catholic Church, 🙄

That’s good. And even better it’s been posted world wide!

Oh, he'll be ridiculed by certain people as usual.

Happy to oblige.

He’s a pretty good Foreign Secretary. I think you have to be quietly tough but surface emollient and he appears to have mastered that.

A great uncle was a WW2 submarine commander, who died at sea and is remembered on the Portsmouth War Memorial. Went there for the 11 November commemoration three years ago, found his name.

Ceasefire broken already it seems. That will be Lammy's fault I guess.

Of course. But critics will not be able to name anyone who could have done it better.