Daily Reminder of WWI

[ColynB]

Hi. Down here in the deep south the only reminders of WWI are the many War Graves in dozens of cemeteries country wide, the photographs of these that I have taken and are on my database, and the 900 x 620 cm display frame that I have on my hallway wall.
A few years ago I had a call from a friend who 'grovels' in corporation tips to earn a few cents. He had come across something I may be interested in. I went to see him and he handed me a small brown book. This turned out to be a pay book from a gunner who was in the Royal Artillery (Paletine Brigade). It is in perfect condition, and lists all his pay right through the trenches. I went with him to the tip and started scratching. A few days later I had a collection of note. The gunners Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. His school medals and Certificates from 1900, 1901 and 1902. Wedding photographs, Trench Lighter, photographs from his service in the Police during WWII, Police Whistle and his WWII Defence Medal. I actually managed to contact living relatives and secured possesion of the items.
Every morning I pass this display, every morning I glance at it.
Colyn

[Bombardier]

Im glad that you and your friend retrieved these valuable items, what angers me is that they ended up there in the first place.

Do you have a web site for your photos ?, if not why not create and album of your own here and upload them for us all to see and comment on ?

[John A Silkstone]

Yes Colyn, lets see your photo's

Silky

[ColynB]

Yo. Give me guidance oh Oracles of Wisdom. How do I create an album?

I have thousands of photographs. My Son-in-Law (ex 32 Battalion SANDF) is a fanatic and I have piccies of many, many aircraft from various Air Shows, Shackelton, Rooivalk, Hunter, Lightning, etc. Helicopters Military and Civilian, in bush fires, etc. Even Hueys. I have piccies of a rusted Chevy Gun Tractor, and other odds and ends even Honey Tanks. Even a Gloster Javelin Gate Guard!

On the Gunners theme. The Wife moved to South Africa after his death in 1958 II have passports, death certificate etc even the plane ticket) and she died in Durban. The Daughter moved to Cape Town and died, the Grand Daughter came up from Durban and dumped the whole lot. I spoke to a neighbour who said there were Uniforms and all sorts of Military stuff.

Colyn

[John A Silkstone]

Colyn,
Click on GALLERY at the top left of the page. Once on the gallery page, on the right hand side click UPLOAD PHOTOS. Scroll down to upload photo box and click on MEMBERS GALLERY and pick the one for your photos Then click on Browse and get the photo from your computers and then follow the instructions.

Silky

[ColynB]

'Morning Folks. I checked the uploading facilities, and saw that the maximum file size was 100 megs. As most of my fimes are around 500 to 800 megs I thought that the quality would be compromised so I made space on my fotopic site this morning. I am still uploading, so keep an eye on http://colynbrent.fotopic.net/.
The piccies are a mixture of my son-in-law's and mine.
Regards

[Bombardier]

Hmm forgot about the 100 KB file size, its now 300kb.

You do know though that your pics nare reduced by fotopic for example this one is now 145kb
http://images1.fotopic.net/?iid=ypiltb&outx=800&quality=70

Perhaps you would allow me to demonstarte how good your pics will look by uploading a small selection under your username of course. (Y)

[ColynB]

Ok Willis.....300 megs is a little more healthier. The 147 one was just that. It was taken by a Panasonic Pocket Camera.
So guide me Oh stringent one. Show me the way!

COlyn

[Bombardier]

Take a look here http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=25688

if you need any help let me know (Y)

[John A Silkstone]

Somewhere among my photos is a grave stone in Bolton Lancashire UK of a Australian soldier. I’ll see if I can find it.

Silky

[ColynB]

I am indeed impressed. I am sold on it. I will sort out some stuff and start soon. The system I am on now is at work, it is ADSL so sending piccies is easy. Hency the reason I get to work at 05:30 in the morning. The system at home is dial-up at present.

But I will most certainly adopt this site for the Military Stuff..

Colyn

[Bombardier]

Very pleased to hear that mate , yu have some great pictures (Y)

[ColynB]

Ok. I started uploading after resizing the files, but I buggered up somewhere. The Artillery Directory has some of the Helicopters and Fixed Wing. Anyway of moving them across?

COlyn

[Bombardier]

Done mate (Y)

[ColynB]

Hi. Thanks for that, they look good. I havce posted more this morning and I have added my 'daily reminder' on http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/data/858/My_Guuner_Jennings_collection.jpg

Colyn

[Private Parts]

Each year, as Remembrance Sunday approaches, a sense of dread, tinged with annoyance, becomes my lot. It's all to do with the poppy, and my refusal to wear one. The reason for this?
Step forward Douglas Haig, Sir Douglas Haig, better known as: Field Marshall Earl Haig.
Haig is depicted at the Cenotaph, on horseback, cast in bronze. Next time you watch the emotional pictures, on your television screens, of the march past that has become synonymous with the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, bear this in mind.
If the dead of WW1 could march, side by side, in continuous procession, down Whitehall, it would take them four days and four nights to pass the saluting base.
http://www.aftermathww1.com/clark.asp
John Keegan's book: "The First World War," describes a conflict of unprecedented ferocity, that ended the prosperity of the Victorian era, unleashing the demons of the twentieth century, mechanised warfare and mass death.
Haig's mentality was entrenched in nineteenth century warfare, and with the feudal system. The ruling class ruled and everyone else knew their place. He saw the foot soldier as cannon fodder. Why else would he send wave after wave of brave hearted soldiers to a certain death, with a fixed bayonet against the machine guns of the Germans? This argument is much more eloquently put by PA Thomson, in his book: "Lions led by Donkeys." But it was the German Soldier, Max Hoffman who coined the expression, paraphrasing it from an earlier conquest The Prussian victory at the siege of Paris in 1871. The Prussians described their foe as: Lions lead by Packasses.
To me Haig's charity: The Haig Fund, that he started in 1921, had more to do with easing his conscience, than it had to do with helping the destitute, war injured, British Serviceman. I have tried very hard to form a different opinion of Haig, but even one of his closest allies, friend and brother officer, John Chateris, who wrote the biography: "Field Marshall Earl Haig," finds it difficult to defend his calamitous actions. General Charteris served with Haig in India, at home in Aldershot and throughout WW1.
This is not to say that I don't support The Royal British Legion, and I certainly find the wearing of a white poppy repugnant. My Father and his brother were very close, only eighteen months apart in age. Uncle Roy was a bomber pilot, he gave the ultimate sacrifice in 1941, my father was captured on Crete in the same year, and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Their Father, my Grandad, also gave his life, fire-fighting in the Blitz.
So this year, again, you won't see me wearing a poppy. But rattle your collection tin, it won't go ignored.

[John A Silkstone]

Hello Private Parts and welcome to the site.

I must admit that your first posting on the site is a controversial one and one that I can see your point of view. I was born in 1939 and therefore was too young to be in WWII, never the less, I served in the British Army from 1956 – 1981 and I wear the poppy for the friends that I lost in that time.

The poppy is NOT worn for Sir Douglas Haig, but is worn to remember those that have fell in battle.

Silky

[Bombardier]

Yes it seems to me Private P that you hold too much emphasis on the originator of the poppy and your dislike of him and his mistakes.

Im glad to hear that you dislike the wearing of the white poppy as much as I do and that you still offer financial support to the poppy appeal.

i believe the actual wearing of the poppy goes a long way further and openly displays your pride and support when walking the street, this then shows the misguided youth of today that people do care about whats happened in the past and that we are proud of our people and country.

I suppose what im saying is the knock on affect of wearing them may educate the cheeky little swines that are our youth.