D
Deleted member 1147
Guest
Wouldn’t the Red Arrows, or the Battle of Britain fly past be better?
VE Day ?
- Thread starter Fish
- Start date
Is that right, I just lifted it after someone posted it on a WhatsApp group I’m in?
PaulS
Active member
Where is that - Certainly not the UK ?
We have had the Red Arrows and Spitfire flying - can’t beat that
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
To be fair it's pretty spectacular regardless of where it's from..
Why not comment constructively like Wolf did rather than trying to be a clever cock!
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Hey, The Russians helped with VE day, what's the problem?
Wolf
Well-known member
Yes mate it is correct, the reds don't have that many planes to fly that formation so would need Typhoon display team to assist which currently isn't flying (well at least not this week), I know this as part of my new job role is working with their Pilots for strength & conditioning which they're doing more of as no displays being done.
Its a Russian display team and somewhere in Russia but as Murphthemog says, nothing wrong with it they helped to and its still mighty impressive ??
It was posted Within a group of mates from London with no comments so was easy to think it had just happened.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Just been reflecting today that my dad had just turned 22 on VE day - having spent the previous 4 years in various merchant ships going to and fro the UK - Greenock and Southampton mostly, on supply runs in the eastern Atlantic, across the Bay of Biscay into the Mediterranean through Suez and into the Red Sea. Escorted most of the time by the RN watching out for U boats. Quite something for someone who was really only still a young lad.
His experiences were tough and OK I suppose - though not enough to encourage him to ever go abroad after the war finished. And so neither my mum nor my dad ever went on any holiday outside of the UK, and never had any great desire to do so. One memory from that time he'd tell was of the dreadful smell as his ship was coming into Jeddah
His experiences were tough and OK I suppose - though not enough to encourage him to ever go abroad after the war finished. And so neither my mum nor my dad ever went on any holiday outside of the UK, and never had any great desire to do so. One memory from that time he'd tell was of the dreadful smell as his ship was coming into Jeddah
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Wolf
Well-known member
Easy mistake to make and quite a few people doing so.
D
Deleted member 18588
Guest
That's probably more than we ever got to know about my father's service.
We know that he was RAF, he was in Intelligence, was in Germany by the time of VE Day, previously spent a little time at Bletchley Park.
Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting for one moment that he was some 007 type but By Heck! did he take the Official Secrets Act seriously.
He died 11 years ago aged 88 and my brother and I still never got a word out of him. What bit we did learn came from a cousin whose father, Dad's brother, had told her.
Now neither of us want to know anymore as it was clearly his wish to keep it to himself.
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USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
My Grandad was in signals. Lived in Dorchester, did his military service at Dorchester radio station. Used to cycle home for lunch.
One of his brothers was one of the first Commandos. The other 9 stayed in Ireland for the duration.
Very different war work I guess.
One of his brothers was one of the first Commandos. The other 9 stayed in Ireland for the duration.
Very different war work I guess.
richart
Major Champion
My dad flew spitfires during the war, and at the end of it he was in America. Test pilot, which having just watched QI, I have found out was one of the most dangerous jobs you could have.
Will raise a glass to the old man tonight.
Puts moaning about lockdown into perspective.
D
Deleted member 1147
Guest
I suppose I’m just naturally inclined to being clever ?
The rest you seem to be handling pretty well yourself?
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My uncle Joe was Royal Navy, and my uncle Jim was Merchant Navy. A surreal, and frightening, moment for my uncle Joe(RN) was quite literally pulling my uncle Jim out of the water during one of the Malta convoys. The Salvation Army fed, watered, clothed and housed uncle Jim once they got to Malta.
Uncle Jim(MN) also did a couple of Arctic convoys to Russia. Less enemy aircraft in the winter but a serious danger from ice building up on the deck and superstructure, making the ship top heavy. Uncle Jim's stories were legend, stretching from China, across the Pacific, the Med and the Russian convoys - the ship's monkey he won in a raffle being one.
My Uncle Dennis fought across Africa and up Italy. Wounded several times, bullet and shrapnel wounds to his legs. His stories were always of the funny incidents, e.g. falling off a tank into a cactus. He had some colour across his chest on Remembrance Sundays - all 5' 5", 7 stone of him. God, did his shoes shine!
My dad drove a typewriter, most of the time, also across North Africa and up Italy. He just wouldn't speak about it.
All gone now but as I was growing up, these guys were my real life hero's. Now I look at my cousins and think what a fantastic job they did after the war too.
Uncle Jim(MN) also did a couple of Arctic convoys to Russia. Less enemy aircraft in the winter but a serious danger from ice building up on the deck and superstructure, making the ship top heavy. Uncle Jim's stories were legend, stretching from China, across the Pacific, the Med and the Russian convoys - the ship's monkey he won in a raffle being one.
My Uncle Dennis fought across Africa and up Italy. Wounded several times, bullet and shrapnel wounds to his legs. His stories were always of the funny incidents, e.g. falling off a tank into a cactus. He had some colour across his chest on Remembrance Sundays - all 5' 5", 7 stone of him. God, did his shoes shine!
My dad drove a typewriter, most of the time, also across North Africa and up Italy. He just wouldn't speak about it.
All gone now but as I was growing up, these guys were my real life hero's. Now I look at my cousins and think what a fantastic job they did after the war too.
MegaSteve
Tour Winner
My old Dad flew Lancasters mostly with pathfinder squadrons... Have his log book so know the bones of what he did... But, as he spoke so little of his war days really don't know the flesh of what he did... Learnt more after he'd passed from those that served with him that attended his funeral... By all accounts he set off aged 17, in 1939, as a full on Cockney boy and returned home in 1947 possessing a mid-atlantic accent... Probably courtesy of serving with a large contingent of Canadians...
Old Skier
Tour Winner
The Royal Tank Regiment lost 2,700 men during WW2 and a few Stella's will be going down range in memory.
The ironic (if you are a German speaker) picture of mt Regiment 3RTR was taken (supposedly) the day the end of the war in Europe was announced. Just out side Hamburg after the liberation of Belsen. They thought it was all over but the next order was to move east to Berlin as there was some resistance due to the continued minor attacks by Russia who lost over 1 million soldiers attacking Berlin.
The ironic (if you are a German speaker) picture of mt Regiment 3RTR was taken (supposedly) the day the end of the war in Europe was announced. Just out side Hamburg after the liberation of Belsen. They thought it was all over but the next order was to move east to Berlin as there was some resistance due to the continued minor attacks by Russia who lost over 1 million soldiers attacking Berlin.
SocketRocket
Ryder Cup Winner
My Great Grandfather served in the Boer War, My Grandfather in WW1 and my Dad and Mother in WW2, all in the Army. My Dad never really forgave me for being in the RN, he grew up in maried quarters as my Grandfather who was a regular soldier served around the world, my dad joined the army as a boy soldier before the war started in the Gloucestershire Regiment as an infantryman but transferred to the royal Artillery as he didnt like the marching, he ended up in Burma where he said he did more walking than in the infantry with light artillery guns stripped down and carried by mules. Had his leg blown up and met my Mother when he was in hospital, she was an Army Nurse. His leg was never good and ended up with his knee locked and with awful arthritis, thrown on the scrap heap for a number of years he eventually got a job with Remploy that restored some of his dignity. Tough times.
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D
Deleted member 16999
Guest
Dad joined the Merchant Navy in 1940 aged 14! I have his log book which records all the ships he was on and their “routes”
The “routes” are no more than Convoy No’s which I have since researched and put places to numbers.
I knew he’d served in the Atlantic Convoys but would never speak about his War Service, always stated it was a part of his life and everyone was in the same situation.
He never claimed his War Medals until 2000 after much persuasion by me.
Had the privilege of accompanying him to the Remembrance Service in Liverpool in 2000, him wearing his medals and me as a WO1 in my Service Dress wearing mine.
Walking back to the car he took his medals off, handed them to me and told me they were mine to keep and he’d never wear them again.Op
I’ve wear them with pride on the right hand side of my chest every Remembrance Sunday, more proud of his than my own to be honest.
Miss him everyday. RIP Dad x
The “routes” are no more than Convoy No’s which I have since researched and put places to numbers.
I knew he’d served in the Atlantic Convoys but would never speak about his War Service, always stated it was a part of his life and everyone was in the same situation.
He never claimed his War Medals until 2000 after much persuasion by me.
Had the privilege of accompanying him to the Remembrance Service in Liverpool in 2000, him wearing his medals and me as a WO1 in my Service Dress wearing mine.
Walking back to the car he took his medals off, handed them to me and told me they were mine to keep and he’d never wear them again.Op
I’ve wear them with pride on the right hand side of my chest every Remembrance Sunday, more proud of his than my own to be honest.
Miss him everyday. RIP Dad x
