Reply to: Medals for Service

[ratewhore]

Blimey...3 pages in and not a 'I have his iron cross that he nicked off a dead Gerry' comment yet.

Jerry.

You never read Warlord?

[BoredBloke]

Blimey...3 pages in and not a 'I have his iron cross that he nicked off a dead Gerry' comment yet.

[darmstadt]

My grandad had a few from WWII but I never quite knew what they were for. I remember some of the stories he told me such as being the first allies walking into Frankfurt which was totally flattened and people coming out of the their cellars and starting to cheer as they walked down the streets. After the war he was based up in north Germany rounding up the local Nazi dignitaries for prosecution (they were barracked in a brewery which he quite enjoyed.) When he joined the Army he had the misfortune of the army getting his name wrong and all his paperwork was in the name of Jimmy Riddell which caused him some problems, luckily he was an army champion boxer. A few years ago he was admitted to Chelsea Hospital and became the oldest person to be admitted as a Chelsea Pensioner. Sadly he died this year as he was a great old chap There quite a few people there including Diane Abbott and a few top politicians.)

[Peoplesoft bloke]

In the UK.

Crikey - I was not aware of that!

[ratewhore]

Where is here?

In the UK.

See here.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

We do that here.

Where is here?

[ratewhore]

IIRC the French have a convention where the families of dead ex-service people are allowed to wear their medals at remembrance day parades and services - they wear them on the opposite side from people who were awarded the medals so people know they aren't "theirs" but they are recalling their family's service - sounded good to me.

We do that here.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

IIRC the French have a convention where the families of dead ex-service people are allowed to wear their medals at remembrance day parades and services - they wear them on the opposite side from people who were awarded the medals so people know they aren't "theirs" but they are recalling their family's service - sounded good to me.

[ratewhore]

I look back at what I was doing at 22 (ie being a drunken irresponsible arse) and wonder if I could have stepped up to the plate like his generation did.

I often thought the youth of today could not. I've changed my mind over the last few years...

[interested]

My Grandad was a Spitfire pilot - he died a few months ago.

Still digging through his stuff but I've got his Caterpillar Club tie, which you got when your life was saved by a parachute. He shot down a FW190 which blew up right in front of him - the debris got in the prop and engine of his Spitfire so he had to jump out. He landed behind German lines as well but made his way back to the RAF base.

He was about 22 years old at the time. I look back at what I was doing at 22 (ie being a drunken irresponsible arse) and wonder if I could have stepped up to the plate like his generation did.

I doff my cap to these old boys, they are true heroes.

[expat]

Weird to think of my self sitting on my arse all day getting good money, and grandad at my age was in the jungles fighting

Weird indeed. My grandfather, with the same name as me, was in the Highland Light Infantry in WWI. Married my grandma on Mayday 1915 on leave from the trenches.

Dad was from S Scotland but bizarrely ended up in a Geordie regiment in WWII. Hence Geordies are cool in our house, apart from their strange tendency to believe that all scotsmen are called Jock.

I couldn't believe my luck when I got through young adulthood without having to go to war in my turn. Was never attracted to the idea; I realised only later that Dad never said anything interesting about the war until his sons were past military age - then all the stories came out.

[ratewhore]

Please tell me your Mum's maiden name was Blake.

ARFUR!!!

[Moscow Mule]

Mum's dad was on the buses...

Please tell me your Mum's maiden name was Blake.

[Lockhouse]

I've got some from my Grandfather who was in the RAF in WW1. Not sure what they are but I think they are the sort you get for just turning up.

[ratewhore]

My old fella has the General Service Medal (Libya) and the UN Medal (Cyprus). Both from the 70's.

I have the NATO medal for the Balkans from the 90's.

Not sure about Grandparents. I know my Dad's dad fought with the chindits and my Mum's dad was on the buses...