Armed Forces, has a ring of horror about it. Yes there are major issues surrounding those in combat situations; I do not in any way lessen the honour and integrity of the men and women, but they are there in all bluntness to do a job and they have cover and support at home. Unlike previous generations that have fought and lost life and limb for their motherland and fatherland, they now fight what can be interpreted as a 'second-hand' war on behalf of peoples and nations that do not have the wherewithal or strength to fight on their own behalf. Instead of Kitchener telling young lads(and young ladies) to fill up the trenches and become a part of the expected cannon fodder of losses, they now are a part of the employed services that are ready to defend this land; they are properly equipped, they are properly trained. Not at all like those young lads of WWI and WWII. Then they had no certainty they would see their family upon return, either. Survive the horror of the wire, mortars and gas in the trenches to return home to a bomb site. My father had some experience in WWII (RAF), his brother Basil WWII (Merchant Navy), his brother Peter in WWII and Suez (RAF) his father Edward in WWI (Merchant Navy), my uncle Dixie had experience in WWII (Navy) that no one could wish upon themselves. Terrifying. On my mother's side, her father served Army in WWI in the trenches of the Somme, Ypres and Arles. My aunt's husband served on the Guns at Dover, with deafness as a payment. My father's uncles all worked the fishing industry in Hull and Grimsby, therefore served for HMG as mine sweepers, losing lives and family. I have spent years searching for the stories, and have written out enough experiences that in the end have had me in tears as I write it all, what they did and what their families experienced I would never wish to know, but it would have caused unbelievable pain and hurt on all levels. My mother has left me her letters and at some point I hope to write up those 'experiences' as she wanted me to understand what they felt at the time. Have a look on my website .. Selected Grimsby Trawlers [Theban] and HMT St Ives [my great uncle Sidney Pender] ... This is one of the reasons I get so angry at the way in which there is so much angst about what I consider to be absolute trivia in our society. Men and Women, as well as parents and children suffered and many died horribly .. the end result is for a land filled with resentment and bureaucratic ineptitude. Sacrifice is all but forgotten except in some official parade on the appropriate day.
1/365th is not enough. I remember watching, not that long ago, the series Band of Brothers. The final episode was of interviews with men who had been though that time, I had to watch that last part in separate episodes, it was so moving.
ps, Armed Forces or not, during the two World Wars, at sea the ship was a target, the ship being armed for basic reasons, there also being Qships and other disguised ships (such as the Armed Raiders), let alone the shipping supplies that needed to be stopped or taken as a war prize, every Merchant Seaman was at ultimate risk. You could not hold up a badge and say 'pax'. Read my story on the 'Attack on seven Dutch Ships 1917'.
