Thursday - October 29, 2009

WWI soldier’s hidden diary reveals amazing trench truces

You folks MUST see the link for this amazing story.
I always seem to be surprised when things like this suddenly turn up, because I think most if not all the vets from that time are gone, and after all, how much else can there be left.  Well, lots more I guess.

His sister recently passed away aged 99.  His diaries and letters were stored away all these many years. Gosh.

When we read about what these guys (on both sides) saw and did and put up with, on the one hand I can imagine how deadly and how sickening it must have been.  But there’s a huge difference between me thinking I can imagine it, and living through what they lived through.
And how sad that he survived the war only to die at a very young age of TB.  Which was a scourge in those days.  Death is so damn unfair.

What a total bummer.  I’ll never be convinced that a million other guys lived and died in those god forsaken trenches, so that England could become what it is today.  It’s sad beyond belief to the point of tears.  It seems like everything two generations bled for has been flushed out to sea.

Anyway ....

Come on over, Fritz! WWI soldier’s hidden diary reveals amazing trench truces soldiers would call to yell names at each other

By Cher Thornhill
Last updated at 10:01 AM on 29th October 2009

With shells screaming overhead and German snipers only 75 yards away, just staying alive was a remarkable achievement.

Yet huddled in the mud-filled trenches, Sapper John T French found the time to compile a remarkable diary.

Its pencil-written pages, in immaculate copperplate, give an astonishing insight into life on the front line between 1915 and 1917.

It details how the opposing trenches were sometimes so close that the two sides would call a temporary truce to exchange friendly insults across No Man’s Land.

In one ‘rather curious’ incident, a British soldier stood above the parapet to shout: ‘Come on over, Fritz’ in a comedy German accent. One of the enemy then called back - in a perfect English accent - ‘No blooming fear’.

Both sides then put their heads above the trench for half an hour to ‘laugh and shout’ at each other before ‘heads went down and the war went on the same as usual’.

The three volumes were discovered among the possessions of Mr French’s sister Emily following her recent death at the age of 99.

They describe the horror of the trenches, such as removing ‘piles of men’ killed in action and ‘shifting and ducking’ bullets which scream ‘like ten thousand devils on the loose’.

But Mr French, a tin miner from Redruth in Cornwall, also writes about the enticing smell of frying bacon, the relief of a good ‘sing song’, and discovering watercress growing in a stream which ‘went all right with bread and cheese’.

Mr French was eventually promoted to second lieutenant. Although he was wounded in action, he survived the war, but developed TB and died in 1929 aged 37.

He married a young pianist named Eve during a spell in the U.S., but they are believed not to have had any children.

The diaries are now on display at the Redruth Old Cornwall Society Museum.
John French’s Diary

Mr French, one of 11 children, was born in 1892.

He was sent to France in 1915 as a member of the 254th Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers.

His diaries describe some of the bloodiest battles of the Great War. He spends his days and nights ‘up to my knees in water’ digging trenches just 75 yards away from Germans who throw a hail of bombs and grenades which ‘go hizzing’ around his head.
John French’s World War I diary

The men were forced to work in whispers as their tunnels weave between those of the Germans and they flee when chemical weapons descend like ‘thick yellow fog’.

Award: John French, was awarded the Military Cross for Conspicuous Bravery

Enemy snipers, including one particular ‘smart and hot’ shooter, regularly kill his comrades.

Mr French describes the ‘awful mess’ of limbs sticking out of the ground and times when he is called to dig out men who have been trapped in mud and collapsed trenches.

Three days after the ‘come on over, Fritz’ incident, he writes: ‘Up in orders today that any German looking over the parapet is to be shot and any man found talking to them is to be placed under arrest.

‘This is the result of the affair a few mornings ago.’ Mr French served at Ypres in 1917 - where one battle saw half a million men die - and he talks of the regular ‘big pushes’ and how ‘there won’t be many of us left at this rate’.

His entry for August 16, 1917, reads: ‘Had a rather narrow escape. Shell hit me full in the left side, ripped through my tunic but was stopped by my thick leather belt.

Escaped with nothing worse than a bruise.’ Yesterday his niece Wendy Dawe, of Illogan, near Redruth, said his journals make her ‘immensely proud’.

She added: ‘It is in diaries such as this, made by men trying to do their bit, that we see how brave they were and what it was like trying to fight and survive.’

DIARY AND PHOTOS HERE

Posted by peiper     on 10/29/2009 at 09:24 AM   
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   Saturday - October 03, 2009

A fallen hero and the story of what befell the rest of his comrades in 1 Platoon.

BATTLING BRITS is not a figure of speech ppl.

I caught this late today, only minutes ago.  I have to say the way the Mail presented this really brings home what these fellows are all about.
And at the same time, it also pisses me off big time to know these heroes are being stabbed in the back.  I just can not add anything to this.
It speaks for itself.

A fallen hero and the story of what befell the rest of his comrades in 1 Platoon

By Richard Pendlebury
Last updated at 8:34 AM on 03rd October 2009

This week, hundreds of people lined the streets of Wootton Bassett to give the town’s traditional salute to a fallen hero as another British serviceman was repatriated from Afghanistan in a Union Jack draped coffin.

Corporal Michael Lockett, 29, was the most highly decorated British soldier to die in the battle against the Taliban. His body had been flown back to Britain to nearby RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire, and a fly-past was staged before a private ceremony for his family.

Corporal Lockett, a father of three, was the first holder of the Military Cross to be killed in the war and had received the honour last year from the Queen for his ‘absolutely exceptional leadership and supreme courage’ in a clash with the Taliban in Helmand.

He had rescued wounded comrades and recovered bodies of fallen pals despite heavy enemy fire in a three-hour firefight.

On the eve of battle he posed for this remarkable photograph. To the regiment, it has always been an emblematic and proud picture; a portrait of young warriors who were supreme heroes under fire.

Yet in the past fortnight the photograph has also - perhaps inevitably - come to reflect war’s growing human cost.

This band of brothers is 1 Platoon of A Company, 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters).

Shortly after the picture was taken in 2007, in the Afghan province of Helmand, they fought one of the bloodiest engagements of the conflict.

One night, the platoon was ambushed by a strong Taliban force. In the subsequent firefight, two Mercians were killed and seven wounded, two seriously.

Sergeant Craig Brelsford lost his life (and won a posthumous Military Cross) trying to retrieve the body of Private Johan Botha, which the Taliban were attempting to drag away. Others kept trying.

Corporal Lockett directed their efforts on that night in September. He is the soldier standing on the far left of the photograph; one of the most popular of Mercians.

But the war has continued longer and proved bloodier than then expected. Two years after surviving the ambush, ‘Locky’ was killed, on September 21.

He was nearing the end of his third tour and was the 217th British serviceman to die in Afghanistan since 2001.

But what of his comrades-in-arms in the picture? War brought the platoon together. It also tore them apart. Here are their stories…

This is important BMEWS.  Go to the link below since I can’t seem to post the photos cleanly here.  Don’t know why.  There are two photos and one of them explains the following.  In trying to reduce the pix for this post, the photos just didn’t work. When left at original size, they seemed to overwhelm the page.

1 Michael Lockett. Then aged 27, from Angus. Vowed never to leave any of his men behind on the battlefield and did not. The body of colleague Private Botha was recovered from the Taliban and other wounded British soldiers saved. Promoted to sergeant. Received his MC from the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Killed on September 21.

2 Private ‘Ginge’ Jones. Territorial Army soldier from Hastings, East Sussex. Now studying military history at university.

3 Corporal Ben Umney, 25. A section commander from Chesterfield. During an ambush, a bullet pierced his helmet but not his skull, stunning him. Has just left the Army after 11 years service. Now runs his own plumbing business.

4 Corporal Lee ‘Al’ Hodson from Worcester. On active service again in Helmand.

5 Private Matthew Farr from the West Midlands. Promoted to lance corporal. Returned to active service in Helmand.

6 Lance Corporal Jonathan McEwan, 27, from Retford, Nottinghamshire. On active service again in Helmand.

7 Christopher Bell, 20, from Redditch. Left the Army last year.

8 Lance Corporal Lee Weston. Shot and wounded in the shoulder during the night ambush. Has now left the Army and is a qualified mechanic.

9 Lance Corporal Wayne Russen, 24, from Redditch. Avoided the ambush, having been injured in an attack a few days before. Has since left the Army and is looking for work.

10 Private Kyle Drury, 22. Temporarily blinded by phosphorous during ambush and shot in chest, but was saved by his body armour as bullets deflected off his radio. Since promoted to lance corporal and still in the Army.

11 Private ‘Trout’ Stout, 20, from Nottingham. On active service again in Helmand.

12 Private Latham, 20, from Nottingham. Since promoted to lance corporal. Back on the Helmand frontline.

13 Private Luke Cole, 24, from Wolverhampton. Territorial Army reservist. Shot and wounded in initial ambush, but refused morphine treatment and continued to fire at Taliban and tend to even more seriously hurt colleague Private Cooper.

Shot again, through hip and stomach, before being evacuated several hours later. Awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. Permanently disabled by leg wound, he has spent time in a wheelchair and can no longer run. Unable to return to his former job of fork-lift truck engineer.

Currently retraining at specialist college for the disabled.

14 Private Sam Cooper, 18, from Chesterfield. Youngest soldier in regiment. Shot in head and suffered brain damage in the ambush, which affects his speech and one side of his body. Treated at Headley Court rehabilitation centre.

15 Private Daniel Hammer, 19, from the West Midlands. On active service again in Helmand.

16 Lieutenant Simon Cupples, 25, from Chesterfield. Officer in command of the platoon during ambush. At times, was less than 20 metres from Taliban lines as he fought to remove his men from the ‘killing zone’.

Awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, second only to the Victoria Cross. Now promoted to Captain and second in command of A (Grenadier) Company, 2 Mercians.

17 Privater Ben Johnson, 23. Temporarily blinded by phosphorus during the night ambush. Still serving. Has been on active service again in Helmand.

18 Private Matthew Carling, 21, from Derby. Left the Army last year.

19 Private ‘Dunc’ Dunkley, from Nottingham. No longer in the Army.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1217810/Pictured-A-fallen-hero-story-befell-rest-comrades-1-Platoon.html#ixzz0St7JbIJC

Posted by peiper     on 10/03/2009 at 10:28 AM   
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   Thursday - October 01, 2009

THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER GRABBED THE GUN, SHOOTS ONE TERRORIST DEAD, WOUNDS ANOTHER.

Yesterday’s story but I was off all day. So it’s good to start the posting day with something nice.  But I promise, it’ll get bad before I’m through.

Anyway, I guess this is one farmer’s daughter who nobody will use as a crude joke source.
Kudos to her.

Farmer’s daughter disarms terrorist and shoots him dead with AK47

An Indian farmer’s daughter disarmed a terrorist leader who broke into her home, attacked him with an axe and shot him dead with his own gun.

By Dean Nelson in New Delhi
29 Sep 2009

Rukhsana Kausar, 21, was with her parents and brother in Jammu and Kashmir when three gunmen, believed to be Pakistani militants, forced their way in and demanded food and beds for the night.

Their house in Shahdra Sharief, Rajouri district, is about 20 miles from the ceasefire line between Indian and Pakistani forces.

It is close to dense forests known as hiding places for fighters from the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which carried out the Mumbai terrorist attack last November.

Militants often demand food and lodging in nearby villages.

When they forced their way into Miss Kausar’s home, her father Noor Mohammad refused their demands and was attacked.

His daughter was hiding under a bed when she heard him crying as the gunmen thrashed him with sticks. According to police, she ran towards her father’s attacker and struck him with an axe. As he collapsed, she snatched his AK47 and shot him dead.

She also shot and wounded another militant as he made his escape.

Police have hailed the woman’s bravery.

They said she would be nominated for the president’s gallantry award.

She may also receive a £4,000 reward if, as police believe, the dead terrorist is confirmed as Uzafa Shah, a wanted Pakistani LeT commander who had been active in the area for the past four years.

Supt Shafqat Watali said Miss Kausar’s reaction was “a rude shock” for the militants. “Normally they get king-like treatment but this was totally unexpected,” he said.

Miss Kausar said she had never fired an assault rifle before but had seen it in films and could not stand by while her father was being hurt. “I couldn’t bear my father’s humiliation. If I’d failed to kill him, they would have killed us,” she said.

FARMER’S DAUGHTER SOURCE

Posted by peiper     on 10/01/2009 at 08:59 AM   
Filed Under: • Guns and Gun Control • Heroes • Terrorists •  
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   Tuesday - September 29, 2009

ONE HECK OF A HIGH FLYING WOW FACTOR.  TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

Isn’t this just somethin’ else?  Must hand it to the guy. Brilliant.  I’m looking for words and having trouble I am so overwhelmed. No kidding. I think this has a WOW factor of about a million. Took 11 years and he had to learn another language as well.  Talk about determination and enterprise and patience.

Retired firefighter builds a four-seater plane in his garage from scratch

By Chris Brooke
29th September 2009

His wife would have preferred an extension to their house, but after watching the film Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Alan Shipp vowed to do whatever it takes to build his own plane.

The result was the ultimate DIY project spanning 11 years, costing £25,000 and requiring thousands of hours of his own labour.

Instead of putting together a kit, the retired firefighter did it the hard way by constructing a four-seater aircraft from his garage workshop using only plans.

He had to learn French to translate the detailed instructions from the design documents, sourced materials from all over the world and twice extended his garage to fit his growing Jodel D140E Mousquetaire inside.

Now, after countless nights toiling through to the early hours, his labour of love is complete.

The plane has had a successful maiden flight and Mr Shipp, a qualified pilot, is looking forward to putting his home-built aircraft through its paces in the skies.

The completion of the marathon project is not only good news for Mr Shipp, but a cause for celebration for his family and neighbours in Kirk Ella, Hull, who have had to put up with the construction project for so long.

Local residents became used to the sight of plane parts being delivered to the Shipp family home and listening to the sounds of cutting and hammering coming from inside the garage.

Mr Shipp, 67, started on the aircraft after taking early retirement and primarily used wood and steel to build it from scratch. He said: ‘A lot of aircraft are kits but this is just from plans. Everything has to be made.

‘Even if you’re not building, you are studying plans - there’s no one to turn to for help. Over the years I’ve developed my own kind of French, even though no Frenchman could understand me.’

The engine, fuselage and interior had to be put together with extreme precision and to adhere to the most rigorous safety standards. Parts had to be sourced from specialist suppliers, with steel tubing being sent over from California.

Mr Shipp’s passion for making things began at school when he built a canoe when asked to make a model and ended up setting off across the River Humber in it. He later built speedboats and a caravan before catching the flying bug.

The plane - now said to be worth £75,000 - had its maiden flight from an airfield in York 10 days ago and was flown by a retired airline pilot.

Mr Shipp is awaiting Civil Aviation Authority approval before he can take the plane on solo excursions, but the flying fanatic intends to spend many hours in the skies above Yorkshire over the coming months.

He said:’I must admit, when the plane took off on its first flight I did have my heart in my mouth because it is someone else’s life in your hands but when it all went smoothly I was absolutely delighted.

‘To me it’s just magic. Whenever I see an aircraft take off, it just defies logic. Whenever I look at it, it mesmerises me, that massive weight going up in the air, all the thousands of parts working in unison.’

Wife Andrea, 68, described her husband as a ‘workaholic’ and said finishing the project was ‘very emotional.’

‘He has worked very hard for 11 years in the garage, every night till 3am to 4am.  People are amazed when they walk by and we are bringing it out of the garage and putting it back in.’

Son Garry, 42, said: ‘It’s been 24/7 365 days of the year. He’s done brilliantly and we are all very proud of him.’

Daughter Debra Craven, 40, said:’Dad has always worked for what he has and he will make sure he gets it just right, he’s a perfectionist.

‘It really is an amazing achievement and a relief for all of us that he has finished working on it. Maybe now he can semi-retire and start relaxing a bit - it will be nice to have my dad back.’

She said his next job would be to build his three-year-old grandson a rocking chair.

HIGH FLYER HERE FOR GREAT PHOTOS

Really folks ... take a look ... impressive.  I know he isn’t a “hero” in the usual way that word is used. But I couldn’t think of another strong adjective to describe the guy and what he did.  And I really understand exactly what he is saying with regard to looking at planes in wonderment. 

Posted by peiper     on 09/29/2009 at 02:05 PM   
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   Friday - September 25, 2009

BATTLE SCARRED AND PROUD …. JUST ONE BRIT SOLDIER. ONE OF VERY MANY.

This was in the morning paper and I’m glad in a way that I could find it on line and share it with my American countrymen and women.

Americans see quite a number of our own I’m sure.  I very much doubt we see and hear anything at all about this brave young people who are bleeding alongside us. 
We MUST NOT ignore or forget them.  Sure, we have problems of our own and there are an awful lot of unhappy, grieving American families as well.
I hate the idea of so many young lives lost forever in all the countries losing their young who are fighting the malignancy that is militant islam.
But from time to time, especially since I’m living here among them, I have a need to share these folks I call Battling Brits.  Americans need to see them so we understand and appreciate that although their numbers are smaller then ours, their blood runs just as free.

Why this picture fills me with awe, pride… and fury
By Bel Mooney
25th September 2009

Fusilier Tom James, who was injured by the same blast that killed Fusilier Shaun Bush, arrives at his funeral.

Just the sight of yesterday’s Daily Mail lying on my doormat was enough to start the tears.

There was the picture of Fusilier Tom James so terribly injured, his right arm lost in a savage Taliban bomb blast.

He had struggled from his hospital bed, donning uniform to attend the funeral of the comrade who was fatally wounded beside him. No pain, nor fear, would stop him honouring his mate.

The night before, like many, I had watched the almost-unbearably moving BBC documentary, Wounded, which told the stories of 19-year-old Andy Allen and 24-year-old Tom Neathway, also horrifically injured in Afghanistan.

No one who witnessed the agony of these once superbly-fit young men learning how to walk on ‘stubbies’ (short artificial limbs) could ever forget the sight.

When Andy was first allowed the longed-for visit home to Belfast, we saw one or two people in his enthusiastic welcoming committee look away in sudden, emotional horror at the first glimpse of the young man who had lost both legs and had feared he would never regain his sight.

It struck me as a powerful metaphor that he should so long to see, whereas so many of us have turned away from the unbearable reality of war.

That is why yesterday’s Mail front page was so important, and why Wounded was compulsory viewing.

It may well be that the Ministry of Defence might prefer the British public not to be made so acutely aware of the horrors of the war in Afghanistan.

We’ve all read the statistics - the numbers of those who have given their lives in the brutal conflict in a pitiless faraway land. Yet none of us really knows the numbers of wounded, or the extent of their injuries. It’s been kept hidden.

READ MORE HERE

Sometimes I do wonder if the media and even our blog sites, are correct in recognizing so publicly the heroes as we do. Does it play into the hands of the enemy?  Are they happy to see photos such as this?  Are we giving aid and comfort, or at least comfort anyway, by telling their stories and showing the pix?  On one hand I want to say thank you and I appreciate your bravery. I can’t do what you have done. And then I wonder if the enemy is also watching and surfing and enjoying the pain.

Posted by peiper     on 09/25/2009 at 11:13 AM   
Filed Under: • Heroes • Military • UK • War On Terror • War-Stories •  
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   Thursday - September 10, 2009

Hero who saved 30 lives by tackling suicide bomber. Routine stuff for battling Brits.

Well, maybe not so routine.  This is one one brave act and the guy is surely a genuine hero in a world of few. Certainly none among the political class.
Anyway, this soldier has carried on the long tradition of his service.
Well done sir.

Hero squaddie who saved 30 lives by rugby-tackling suicide bomber to get military cross

By Daily Mail Reporter

A Royal Marine is to be awarded a Military Cross after saving up to 30 lives by ‘rugby-tackling’ a suicide bomber.

Sergeant Noel Connolly was serving in Afghanistan last November when a bomber rode towards his troop on a motorbike packed with 150lb of explosives.

Sgt Connolly dived on the bomber, grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him from the bike before he was able to detonate the explosives.

But the modest 41-year-old from Manchester insisted he ‘wasn’t brave’ and even tried to keep the feat a secret from his family.

He said:  ‘I was near the school when I caught a fleeting glimpse of a motorbike. I told all my lads to expect a bomber.

‘The motorcyclist looked lost. He turned the bike around up the track and came back.

‘I grabbed two lads and went to intercept him. I had no idea if he was the bomber. The only way of finding out was to challenge him.’

The sergeant then stepped into the road and ordered the man to stop.

‘He stalled the bike and started pushing it away from us. He stopped, straddled it and turned to face us,’ he said. ‘As I got to within 10 metres, there was a loud crack from halfway down the bike.

‘That’s when I saw a small toggle switch had been fitted to his handlebars. As soon as he went for the toggle again I rushed him. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him off.’

The motorbike’s frame was found to contain 154lb of explosive. The bomber was handed to police and later jailed for 18 years.

But Sgt Connolly, who serves with 3 Commando Brigade, insisted: ‘’I’m not brave. Someone had to stop him.’
mary connolly

He played down his heroics so much that he did not even tell his family. Then, when the story emerged, he begged his sister not to tell their 81-year-old mother, Mary.

The award is expected to be announced tomorrow with other recipients of honours for gallantry and meritorious service.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said most of the Operational Honours and Awards list are predominantly from the 3 Commando Brigade Task Force that deployed to Afghanistan in 2008, but it also includes others involved in operations in Iraq and in the UK.

SOURCE

Posted by peiper     on 09/10/2009 at 07:30 AM   
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   Wednesday - September 02, 2009

It so seriously bothers me that there are pin heads tearing down this country while at the same time

Jeez. I read something like this and am honestly awed by the bravery and respect and admire the ppl who do these things.
Meanwhile ... there are these total jerks running around gluing themselves to buildings to protest things and making life difficult for people who just do not agree with their pov.  Oh, that’s enough to earn one derision and insults from the freedom loving left wing pin heads who are usually so quick to point out this countries failings.  Bet ya not one of em has what it takes to do what this young lady has done under fire and wounded herself.

This country is still very capable of producing folks like this. Sadly, the damn politically correct left has a choke hold on the country. And that dooms it. Bothers me coz this country, this England, was one hell of a great place once upon a time.  There are still so many things I love about it, and the people I meet or know could not be better friends or nicer folks. But the damn left. 

OK I didn’t mean to go off the rails and off topic.  I just feel sad for this place and worry that my own country could just as easily go this way as well.

Pictured: Heroic female medic who ignored shrapnel embedded in her shoulder to save SEVEN soldiers during Taliban attack
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:32 PM on 02nd September 2009

Hero: Lance Corporal Clarke stayed behind to treat wounded soldiers including Corporal Mather despite being injured herself after a Taliban attack
An heroic army medic treated seven injured comrades after a Taliban attack in Afghanistan despite being wounded with shrapnel herself, it emerged today.
Lance Corporal Sally Clarke, of 2 Rifles, ignored the searing pain caused by the shards embedded in her shoulder and back and set about treating the rest of her patrol.

The worst hit was Corporal Paul Mather who incredibly managed to radio instructions for jets circling above to open fire on Taliban insurgents despite bleeding heavily from wounds the size of his fist.
Corporal Mather, 28, and Lance Corporal Clarke, 22, from Cheltenham, were on patrol south of Sangin when insurgents fired rocket propelled grenades over a wall as soldiers dealt with an anti-tank mine.

Hot flying shrapnel sliced open Corporal Mather’s body, leaving gaping holes across his arms, legs and buttocks.
He said: ‘It hurt like hell, but once the explosions stopped and my hearing came back, I managed to climb through a ditch towards a group of soldiers treating other casualties.

‘I had a hole in my left bicep, so the medics applied a field dressing and tourniquet to stem the blood flow.’
Despite being entitled to get out as soon as she was hit Lance Corporal Clarke refused, insisting she would not leave the patrol without a medic.

She said: ‘I didn’t feel like my injuries were bad enough to go back to the hospital, particularly as I was the only medic on the ground at the time.

‘I couldn’t leave them on their own - I came out here to support the troops on the ground and give them medical care when they needed it the most.’
Realising the jets and Apache attack helicopters above the patrol had seen the explosions and needed to know what had happened, Corporal Mather told one of the soldiers to take a smoke grenade and throw it into the compound where the grenades had come from.

‘The pilot immediately picked up the smoke signal and I gave directions for a strike on to the compound,’ said Mather.
He continued to radio instructions until he was on the helicopter where he finally took some morphine to ease the pain.
Corporal Mather is now recovering at home with his parents, Phil and Rose.

He said they were looking after him well and feeding him ‘pizza and ice cream’.
Lance Corporal Clarke, who stayed on the ground and accompanied the rest of the patrol back to base, was later treated by a doctor in a medical aid post. She is due home within weeks to visit her parents Chris and Rosemary Clarke.

SOURCE

Meanwhile, two more brave Tommies paid the untimate price raising the number of Brit dead in that damned awful country. And I feel very bad about that too.

Posted by peiper     on 09/02/2009 at 08:54 AM   
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   Saturday - August 15, 2009

FOR YOU FOLKS IN EUROPE AND THE UK, THIS IS WHY WE KEEP GUNS IN THE USA.

Coz the vermin have them and will never hesitate to use em.

Three cheers for this old fellow except I wish he wouldn’t say how sorry he is that he had to pull the trigger. Why sorry?
He didn’t take a human life after all.  He should feel very good. He has also prevented future criminal acts.  Good for him!

Shopkeeper, 72, who shot dead two robbers won’t be charged, say police

By Paul Thompson
Last updated at 11:21 AM on 15th August 2009

When four armed men burst into his store and demanded money, Charles Augusto tried to reason with them.

He calmly explained there was no cash on the premises and they should put the gun down.

But when one of the robbers began to pistol whip an employee in frustration, the 72-year-old’s patience snapped.

He pulled out a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun from under the counter and began shooting.

The blasts hit all four men, killing two and leaving two others critically injured.

he quietly spoken store owner is being hailed as a hero in Harlem, New York, for turning the tables on the robbers. Police said he would not face any charges.

Although the shotgun was not registered, under New York law someone is allowed to use deadly force if they feel their life is in imminent danger.

Mr Augusto, who bought the shotgun 30 years ago after another robbery attempt, said he was left with no choice but to open fire.

‘I told this kid, “We don’t have any money”,’ Mr Augusto said.

‘I asked him, “Why don’t you just put your gun down and go home and we’ll forget about this thing? Someone’s gonna get hurt. There’s no money - you’re gonna get in trouble. You’re wasting your time.”

‘I would have been happy if they’d all run out the door. I’m sick to my stomach over it.

‘I’m sad I couldn’t talk them out of it. I’m sad there’s mothers and fathers with no sons today.

‘I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m sitting here minding my own business and they come in with guns. I don’t feel like a hero. I would have felt like a hero if I could have talked that kid into going home.’

He added: ‘I’m sorry they’re dead but they didn’t give me any other choice.’

The failed robbery took place at his restaurant supply company in Harlem. Mr Augusto was inside the store with two employees, a 33-year-old man identified as JB and a 47-year-old woman.

The four robbers - aged from 21 to 29 - burst in and demanded cash. One was armed with a pistol and they carried plastic handcuffs.

Police said Mr Augusto made it clear there was no money on the premises, which led to one of the robbers to start to pistol whip JB.

Mr Augusto, who was 20 to 30ft away, whipped out the shotgun and fired three times.

James Morgan, 29, died instantly. A gun was found near his body slumped in the doorway of the store.

His accomplice Raylin Footman, 21, died later in hospital from shotgun wounds to his back.

The two other suspects, Bernard Witherspoon, 21, and Shamel Cloud, 21, were caught after police followed a bloody trail from the store.

Witnesses said JB stood over the dead robber screaming: ‘You’re dead! You’re dead!’

He later told police a gun had been held to his head.

Police sources said Footman, one of the victims, had previously been arrested for robbery and weapons charges. The other three robbers were also known to police.

Harlem residents praised Mr Augusto for his actions.

Gene Hernandez, 47, said: ‘I would kill a dozen of them. You have to protect your family and workers. Case closed.’

Stefany Blyn, who rents a space above the store from Mr Augusto, said: ‘He’s been robbed before, so I’m not totally amazed.’

Police said charges are pending against the two injured suspects.

HERE’S THREE CHEERS AND THREE CHEERS MORE

Posted by peiper     on 08/15/2009 at 03:29 PM   
Filed Under: • Crime • Guns and Gun Control • Health and Safety • Heroes •  
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   Thursday - August 06, 2009

A Family Heirloom is created

Louis Haros is a Vietnam veteran. His son, Paul, has been serving in Iraq. Father Louis vowed to fly the flag until…

“I made a promise to him that it won’t come down until he’s home,” Haros told FOXNews.com on Tuesday. “Well, it’s still there. I feel if I bring it down and something happens to him … I don’t know.”

Well, admittedly, the flag is looking pretty tattered now, and under normal circumstances, I’d have consigned her for ceremonial burning. See for yourself:

Yep, a candidate for proper disposal, yes?

NO!

Mr. Haros has created, whether he knows it or not, a family heirloom.

I was looking to find an email address for Mr. Haros. I failed, but I did find a a blog and posted the following as ‘Anonymous’:

I would have to say that I’m in total support of Mr. Haros.

I go further. Mr. Haros has just created a family heirloom. Think of that. When his son does come home, I’d wish that Mr. Haros did NOT dispose of the flag. Instead, it should be folded as best it can, and presented to his son in honor of services rendered.

You know, there is a practice where the Government hoists flags to fly for ten seconds or so over the Capitol building or the White House, and then Congressmen or Senators will send said flag out to constituents. Meaningless flags, when you get right down to it.

The Haros flag has meaning. It flew for however long, the provenance is known, and should be considered a family heirloom, passed down with the stories of why it was flown, and the feats of Mr. Haros’ son attached.

That’s what I wish for this flag. Mr. Haros, I salute you.

What do you think? Would you treasure such a flag? Is it more meaningful than some generic flag that flew over the White House for ten seconds?

Really, it’s just such small things that create such great family treasures and stories.

BTW, Drew, need a Family category.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Original FOX story is here.

Posted by Christopher     on 08/06/2009 at 12:13 PM   
Filed Under: • FREEDOM • Heroes • Military •  
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   Wednesday - July 15, 2009

A Soldier’s Take on Michael Jackson

This is written by a young soldier serving his third tour of duty in Iraq.  Thought you might find his take on the Michael Jackson news interesting and he’s right.

Okay, I need to rant.

- Carole

I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a report on Michael Jackson.  As we all know, Jackson died the other day.  He was an entertainer who performed for decades.  He made millions, he spent millions, and he did a lot of things that make him a villain to many people.  I understand that his death would affect a lot of people, and I respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn’t the point of my rant.

Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America loses their minds with grief.  When a man dies whose only contribution to the country was to ENTERTAIN people, the American people find the need to flock to a memorial in Hollywood, and even Congress sees the need to hold a “moment of silence” for his passing?

Am I missing something here?  ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he’s a freaking martyr because he entertained us for a few decades?  What about all those SOLDIERS who have died to give us freedom?  All those Soldiers who, knowing that they would be asked to fight in a war, still raised their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the United States of America. Where is their moment of silence?  Where are the people flocking to their graves or memorials and mourning over them because they made the ultimate sacrifice?  Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more people saying “good riddance,” and “thank God for IEDs?” When did this country become so calloused to the sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can arbitrarily blow off their deaths, and instead, throw themselves into mourning for a “Pop Icon?”

I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence IN CONGRESS for Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment of silence for every service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  They need to PUBLICLY recognize every life that has been lost so that the American people can live their callous little lives in the luxury and freedom that WE, those that are living and those that have gone on, have provided for them.  But, wait, that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to make that sacrifice.  After all, we will never make millions of dollars.  We will never star in movies, or write hit songs that the world will listen too.  We only shed our blood, sweat and tears so that people can enjoy what they have.

Sorry if I have offended, but I needed to say it.  Remember these five words the next time you think of someone who is serving in the military; “So that others may live...”

Isaac

P.S.-"So that other’s may live...” was also the creed of the Air Rescue & Recovery Service during Vietnam & is still is.



You guy that right soldier. Amen.

I was hoping that FINALLY we were done with the MJ overload. But no. Now it’s round table discussions on “When Michael’s life went bad” with the current lead being the Pepsi commercial where his hair caught on fire. I’ll buy that. I think he was even still black at that point. But puh-lease! Find something else already. Something other than the endless parade of toothless, drooling, senile old flatulators in love with their own voices elected leaders of our wonderful government flapping their gums by the hour passing wind and saying nothing asking in-depth, erudite and tightly focused questions of that sanctimonious, oleaginous, half deflated buck toothed beach ball pinnacle of the legal profession, Sonya “W.L.” Sotomayor.

Posted by Drew458     on 07/15/2009 at 09:41 PM   
Filed Under: • Government • Heroes • Media-Bias • Military • Stoopid-People •  
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   Tuesday - July 14, 2009

JOURNAL OF ONE OF MANY VERY BRAVE BATTLING BRITS IN HARMS WAY. THIS ONE DIDN’T MAKE IT.

Greeting us on the front page of the morning Telegraph was an almost full page photo of Lt. Evison, along with a journal he was keeping.

I feel very bad for the casualties they are taking.  True, Americans may have lost more but then we have a larger population to draw on.  Doesn’t lessen the loss most of us feel for all of them. They are ALL TOO YOUNG.

One of the pressing issues over here and it is approaching a scandalous level, is the charge (supported by the late Lt. Evison here) that Brit troops are NOT being given the proper military support in weapons and armour.  In fact, an article only yesterday suggests that British troops have been given vehicles that have already been REJECTED by the US Military as not up to the task.

The suggestion btw, that Brit troops are given short shrift when it comes to equipment is not a new one.
I have been reading that for at least a year.  Returning veterans have spoken with awe in regard to what Americans have to fight with, and have begged for same.

It is further charged that the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has made cuts in the military budget that have brought this sorry state of affairs about.
I’m not close enough to that to know if it’s true or political rhetoric by his opposition.  But the papers do report a budget cut for the army so I would imagine it is true.  Which I personally think put the blood of fallen Brits all over the hands of those responsible.

Obviously I have not posted the journal here in full.  I have just taken cuts from it.
I urge my fellow Americans to take a minute to read it. In fact I urge everyone to do so. 

Lieutenant Mark Evison, who died in May from wounds received in Afghanistan, kept a remarkable journal - published here for the first time - about the harsh realities of fighting in Helmand.

21 April
I have been trying to work out exactly what is and what is not here. This is harder than it seems. Paperwork trails which tend to disappear are commonplace. As it stands I have a lack of radios, water, food and medical equipment. This with manpower is what these missions lack. It is disgraceful to send a platoon into a very dangerous area with two weeks’ water and food and one team medics pack. Injuries will be sustained which I will not be able to treat and deaths could occur which could have been stopped. We are walking on a tightrope and from what it seems here are likely to fall unless drastic measures are undertaken.

The ANA are an interesting bunch. They earn $200 a month, compared to what they could do if they farmed poppies, $4,000 a month. Many of them fight for blood feuds with the Taliban who have killed family members. All they want to do is kill Taliban and it will be interesting how they deal with being contacted on the ground. Currently they seem rather blasé. They will happily leave the PB [patrol base] without helmet or body armour. They came with various weapon types – Ak 47s [assault rifles], M 16s [rifles], etc as well as what looks like a couple of bagfuls of RPGs [rocket propelled grenades] – could be interesting.

The first casualty. Yesterday morning at 10.48 Sgt Fasfous an MFC [mortar fire controller] was on patrol with an OMLT [operational mentor and liaison team] in a joint patrol with an ANA [Afghanistan National Army] North of Gereskh. The call sign was contacted and unfortunately he was killed instantly as well as one interpreter. A captain in the Light Dragoons was seriously injured and extracted by MIRT [medical instant response team] to Bastion.
Life is fragile and out here it feels like it can be removed in an instant. It almost makes life even more valuable and shows the fragility that many in the West I believe do not understand.

There were now just 7 bods plus myself stuck on the wrong side of the canal. We had to make the decision just to go for it. With a rapid fire from the Platoon we sprinted down the bank, through the canal, back up the friendly bank and then tried to push back into the PB. More luck than anything else saw the platoon safely back behind sturdy walls, laughing at the contact we had just been in. For me it is still the fear of making a wrong decision which sits heavily on my mind. I am responsible for every person within this PB and I fear that we will not always be as lucky as we were today. At least today I proved to myself that I will not freeze the next time I get shot at. I do not expect this to be in the distant future.

The flies are uncontrollable. As I write this there are approximately 10 crawling over my legs and an unknown amount swarming over my head. Amazingly once they have disappeared in the early evening they are replaced by another of life’s annoying creatures, the mosquito. They seem to be able to infiltrate any clothing and get into mosquito nets like effective bank robbers. They then spend the next few hours eating their hearts out much to the annoyance of the body lying below.

(Mark was fatally wounded by a single bullet in his shoulder during an early patrol and ambush on 9 May. He commanded his men back to safety, and lost consciousness from bleeding within an hour. He never regained consciousness).
© Margaret Evison 2009

LT. EVISON’S JOURNAL

Posted by peiper     on 07/14/2009 at 06:07 AM   
Filed Under: • Heroes • UK • War-Stories •  
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   Friday - July 10, 2009

PAST HEROS ….. WARRIORS BOTH.  ONE BRIT … ONE AUSSIE … RIP

I don’t do these every day or even every week.  I suppose I could do one every day as those old soldiers fade away.
I think they belong in the blog world and as far as I am aware, nobody else is doing it.  They belong to a past generation who have made today possible.
And so I honor them as I can.

This was not a ‘politically correct’ generation.  They can not have been happy to see the mess following generations have made of the world they helped to save.

RIP

Major Roy Vallance, who has died aged 86, commanded a tank in every battle from Normandy to the Baltic and won a Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Published: 6:50PM BST 09 Jul 2009

In the last days of the campaign in Germany, Vallance, then a sergeant serving with the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps (2 F&FY), was patrolling the banks of the River Elbe, north of Winsen, when his troop was attacked by a bazooka patrol of 20 SS.

It was first light and in wooded country. Vallance, as point tank, allowed the SS to infiltrate past him before moving his guns under fire and at close range into a position where they covered all the enemy’s lines of withdrawal. None of the SS got back with any information.

On another occasion, his tank and another were guarding an important road junction on the main line of advance. They were without infantry support and, as darkness fell, a car full of the enemy – armed with bazookas and supported by infantry – approached his position.

Unwilling to reveal his precarious situation, Vallance dismounted from the tank and went forward with a Bren gun.

He set the car ablaze from a range of 10 yards, killing all the occupants and, using the light from the flames, swept the wood with bullets, dispersing the infantry and accounting for three of them.

The citation for his DCM stated that he had been subject to anti-tank and bazooka fire on many occasions but that he had deployed his small force with such cunning that he had never been knocked out and his troop had suffered the fewest casualties in the squadron.

Royston Ivor Vallance, always known as Roy, was born near Aldeburgh, Suffolk, on June 8 1922 and educated locally. By the time he was seven, both his parents had died and he had a lonely childhood. Aged 15, he left his foster parents and went to London, where he did any job that he could and attended night school to learn bookbinding.

During the Blitz he worked in a printing factory and served as fire warden. After being called up in March 1942 he was posted to the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, but could not, at first, understand a word that they spoke. In June 1944, while waiting for its invasion orders, 2 F&FY was at Aldershot.

The hours dragged by and nerves were taut. When, for the umpteenth time, Vallance was told to clean his tank, he refused.

He was put on a charge and was under close arrest when he landed on the Normandy beaches with an advance party on D+3. The charge was subsequently dropped.

On July 18 Operation Goodwood, launched to the east of Caen, ran into fierce German resistance. By mid-afternoon, Vallance’s troop was out of ammunition and the barrels of their machine guns were worn out. Hulks of tanks were raided for replenishments. The Yeomanry lost 54 of its 60 tanks. Vallance, with a resourcefulness which became a byword, put out smoke, ran his tanks into the shelter of a railway cutting and so saved most of his.

In the battle of the Falaise Gap, he picked up an enemy uniform and cap. His crew, for a prank, marched him to their squadron leader kitted out as a German officer – but the joke nearly turned sour when Vallance narrowly avoided being shot by a sentry.

2 F&FY fought a series of fierce engagements – including the battle for the liberation of Asten, near Eindhoven – before finishing the war near the Danish border. After the German surrender, Vallance and his fellow survivors celebrated by setting fire to a petrol tanker and galloping around it on horseback, bottles in hand.

After the war he saw active service in Korea with the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars and, in 1951, fought at the battle of the Imjin river.

Following its amalgamation with the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars to form the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars, he became the first RSM and was promoted to quartermaster in 1959.

Vallance served subsequently in BAOR, Aden and Malaya. He was appointed MBE in 1970 and was medically discharged from the Army the next year. He then moved to Nostell Priory, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, the family seat of Lord St Oswald, as estate factor.

In 1982, after the death of his first wife, he settled in Norfolk, where he enjoyed watching cricket and reading military history.

Roy Vallance died on June 5. He married first, in 1947, Peggy Paling, who predeceased him. He married secondly, in 1990, Audrey Spellar. She too predeceased him, and he is survived by a daughter of his first marriage.

end

VC ... That’s THE VICTORIA CROSS my fellow Americans.  They are not given lightly or in any great numbers.

The last surviving Australian VC recipient of the Second World War.

Ted Kenna, who died on July 8 aged 90, won the Victoria Cross on May 15 1945 while serving with the 2nd/4th Australian Infantry Battalion in the South West Pacific. He was

Published: 6:06PM BST 08 Jul 2009

Japanese troops had established a defensive line in rugged terrain south of Wewak, New Guinea, and were shelling the Australians from the missionary station at Wirui. After a sharp battle on May 14, the 2nd/4th had captured all but the north-western spur. The only position from which supporting fire could be obtained was continuously swept by heavy machine-gun fire, making it impossible to bring artillery or mortars into action.

On May 15, Private Kenna’s platoon was ordered forward to deal with three enemy machine-gun posts. Kenna moved his support section as close as possible to the bunkers in order to provide covering fire for a flank attack by the rest of the platoon.

Two sections of the platoon attacked, but as soon as the enemy spotted them they were pinned down with heavy automatic fire from a position which had not previously revealed itself. With several of the men already wounded, Kenna endeavoured to bring his gunner to bear on one of the bunkers but was unable to bring down effective fire because of the difficult ground.

On his own initiative and without orders, Kenna stood up in full view of the enemy less than 50 yards away and engaged the bunker, firing his Bren gun from the hip. Fire was returned at once, bullets passing between his arms and his body but somehow missing him. Undeterred, Kenna continued to fire at the enemy until his ammunition was exhausted. He then discarded his Bren gun, called for a rifle and despite intense machine-gun fire killed the enemy gunner with his first round.

When a machine gun opened up on him from a second position, Kenna, who had remained standing, killed the gunner with his next round. The bunker was captured without further loss, the company attack went forward and the enemy position was carried.

The citation declared: “There is no doubt that the success of the company attack would have been seriously endangered and many casualties sustained but for Private Kenna’s magnificent courage and complete disregard for his own safety.” Kenna was invested with the Victoria Cross by the Governor-General of Australia, the Duke of Gloucester, at Government House, Melbourne, on January 6 1947.

Edward Kenna, always known as Ted, was born on July 6 1919 at Hamilton, Victoria, the fourth child of a family of seven. He went to St Mary’s Convent, Hamilton, but left at 14 and worked as a plumber to look after his mother when his father fell ill. He was an accomplished sportsman and a keen cyclist and sportsman.

Kenna served in the Citizen Military Forces before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Forces in 1940. He served initially in the 23rd/21st Battalion but was posted to the 2nd/4th in 1943. In October 1944 he embarked from Cairns with his unit bound for New Guinea.

In June 1945, three weeks after the attack on the Wirui Mission feature, Kenna was taking part in a similar operation when he was hit in the mouth by an explosive bullet and evacuated. When told he was likely to die he simply exclaimed: “Pigs”. But he recovered and in December 1946 he was discharged.

Kenna returned to work in Hamilton at the Borough hall and then as curator of the Melville Oval. He was presented to the Queen when she visited the newly-restored Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra in March 2000; he appeared on a postage stamp in the same year. A portrait of Kenna by Sir William Dargie hangs in the Borough hall.

Ted Kenna married, in 1947, Marje Rushberry, who had nursed him in hospital. They had two sons and two daughters, one of whom predeceased him.

end

Posted by peiper     on 07/10/2009 at 08:41 AM   
Filed Under: • Heroes • UK • War-Stories •  
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   Wednesday - July 08, 2009

Chinese fireman stops man from dropping daughter from window in dramatic rescue.

Just booted again and found this. WOW.
A crowd tried attacking the slug. Good.
Hey, I approve of the way the Chinese do things. Or should I say their attitude. ok, I approve both cept I wish they’d have let the creep jump. And what is it with those who want to kill themselves but also feel like they must take an innocent child with them. What’s with that?

A Chinese fireman crawled along the eighth-floor ledge of a building to stop a man from dropping his two-year-old daughter out of a window.

By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai
Published: 12:09PM BST 08 Jul 2009

Hu Binjun, a 34-year-old unemployed man in the central Chinese city of Chengdu in Sichuan province, spent three hours threatening to commit suicide and dangling his daughter out of an apartment building by her legs.

Mr Hu’s wife told Chinese reporters that the couple had argued in the early hours of the morning and that he had been taking drugs.

Several attempts to coax Mr Hu into putting the girl down failed, until Chen Long, a 22-year-old fireman dressed in army uniform, dropped down from a window on the floor above and grabbed the child away from her parent.

As Mr Chen intervened, Mr Hu tried again to snatch the girl back, eventually falling back into his apartment.

He was arrested by the police after the incident on Tuesday, but subsequently attacked by a crowd of onlookers for threatening the life of the girl.

His daughter, who has not been named, suffered bruising on her arms and legs, but no serious injury.

MORE PHOTOS HERE

Posted by peiper     on 07/08/2009 at 09:39 AM   
Filed Under: • Crime • Heroes • International •  
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   Saturday - July 04, 2009

The Americans Who Risked Everything

Hello, and happy Independence Day to all you BMEWSd out there.

While casting about for something to post in honor of what could arguably be the last ‘Independence Day’ celebration under the Obammunista regime (seriously, we need regime change in the US of A NOW!), the best that I could find was this speech from Rush H. Limbaugh, Jr.

That’s right, this is father of the Rush we all know and love; or love to hate if you’re a liberal.

Face it, only liberals can engage in ‘hate’ speech or ‘racist’ speech. Conservatives don’t acknowledge the premise.

In these times, I pray I may live up to the examples of patriotism listed here…

Posted by Christopher     on 07/04/2009 at 02:56 PM   
Filed Under: • Editorials • FREEDOM • Heroes • Patriotism •  
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