Wednesday - September 15, 2010

A TOAST TO THOSE BATTLING BRITS OF THE BLITZ, bricks and bats to the spongers who don’t know

I read some obits today, the generation of WW2 is passing and the obits today had to do with three former members of the RAF. For the last week, Britain has been remembering the Blitz and the “Few” to whom so much is owed.  So today the Telegraph ran the obits of three of these brave warriors.  You just gotta read these.  These guys were truly giants in their day.  There equally brave men on all sides of course, but I’m concentrating on our side quite naturally.  I might do something on the other guys one of these days just to be different.  Well anyway ... so I read about these once young and dashing chaps and just had to admire them.  I’m not going to post the entire obit on all three. I’ll give you the link with the hope that you’ll follow it and read their stories.

I wasn’t going to post any obits at first to be honest.  I was afraid of overkill, but then something else caught my attention.  I read something that makes their stories as sad as their passing, and it’s set in modern Britain. 
I happened upon a headline which read as follows.

A Life Without Work ...
1.5 million Britons haven’t had a job since they left school. 

The article says that almost 1.5 million people never did a days work in their lives. Now, that does include a lot of those who might be genuinely disabled.  There might be thousands who for one reason or another are not shirkers but desperately ill folks in need.  But then ... then there are kids like young Jamie Cole. Jamie is a NEET. That stands for, Not in Education, Employment, or Training.

Jamie started drawing about $145 a week after dropping out of school and he says, “I deserve every penny of the dole money because I have to have food, don’t I?  It’s not my fault there’s a recession.” Jamie says he’s tried to find a job but nobody cares.  He trained as a plumber and passed vocational qualifications. He said he “didn’t fancy it” and added, “what’s the point?  I get up around 1pm and we hang out, play football and just enjoy life.”
Gee, isn’t that wonderful?  To be honest BMEWS, I think I feel sorry for this young fellow.  Yeah I know that seems weird but really.  He isn’t even remotely aware he might be tossing away his youth and a better future then the one he may end up with.

Then meet The Cromptons

Tracey Crompton, 42, has never had a job, despite having no medical
complaints that prevent her from working.

She and her husband Harry, 52, who has not worked for 15 years, and their ten children live in a seven-bedroom house in Hull and get £32,656 in benefits a year.

Mr Crompton says he is unable to work due to angina and irritable bowel syndrome.

‘I’m not satisfied with the benefits we get – I want more. I haven’t been able to work because I’ve had to bring up the kids,’ Mrs Crompton said.

Poor guy. Has IBS. How freekin awful.  I’ve known people on crutches who held at least a part time job and couldn’t tolerate the idea of being out of work.
I knew a fellow who held a full time job before everyone had rights to time off, and he was on a dialysis machine every week.  I can’t remember how often but it was the first time I’d ever heard of that sort of thing.  I thought he was very brave once I understood what that was all about and what he had to endure. And that was long ago.  More then 40 years now.  Thing is, he was not unemployed. So I’m not too sympathetic with IBS, which I’ve had a brush with in the past. 

And finally since we’re working (and it’s taken a fair bit of time) in threes ... the third and last recipient of easy money, compliments of a welfare state.
Meet Claire Davey.  Poor cow, all those kiddies to care for.  Kiddies who one day will, since mommy is setting the fine example, turn out just like her.
A baby machine .  CaChung.

Claire Davey is nearly 30 and has never had a job as she claims she has to raise her eight children.

She receives £815 (about $1200) a week in state handouts. Her husband Peter, 35, gave up his administrative job as he found he could make more living on benefits.

Yet they say they still need a bigger home. ‘It’s really hard,’ said Mrs Davey earlier this year. ‘We can’t afford holidays. The price of living is going up but benefits are going down.’

Of their income of more than £42,000 a year Mrs Davey said: ‘I don’t think I’m selfish. It doesn’t bother me that taxpayers are paying for me to have a large family.’ Uh huh. We hear ya you fat bitch.  The problem is, the taxpayers haven’t any say in the matter.  They are a captive audience at a theater with locked doors and no escape.  Even after death they will support this pile of unsightly blubber.  He .... needs to be made sterile and so does she.  I can’t even post here what I wish on them both.  And even less of the state that could condone and encourage this.  The present govt. says it doesn’t. We’ll see about that.
Stay Tuned.

Full photos if your tummy can take it and story source. The Mail
LIFE ON THE DOLE COZ IT’S THEIR RIGHT

Please see the link for their entire stories.  They really were awesome. And daring. And brave.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/

Which now brings me to just a few (3) of the many who fought to save their country but had no idea who they were saving it for.  They’d have fought even if they knew. What else was there?  Here’s to those brave boys, and to an England lost in time.

Wing Commander John Freeborn

Battle of Britain Spitfire ace who flew more operational hours than any other pilot and shot down at least a dozen enemy aircraft

Lieutenant-Commander ‘Steady’ Tuke

Lieutenant-Commander ‘Steady’ Tuke, who has died aged 89, was one of the youngest recipients of the DSC during the Battle of Britain after a desperate aerial battle over the English Channel, after taking on Messerschmitts in his sluggish biplane.

Wing Commander Norman Hayes

Wing Commander Norman Hayes, who has died aged 98, flew night fighters fitted with top-secret radar equipment during the Battle of Britain; he also piloted the only aircraft to survive an attack on Rotterdam on the opening day of the German invasion of the Low Countries.

And because I can and I think he belongs here, our late Uncle Ray. (RAF) The wife’s uncle but always Uncle Ray to me. I never just called him Ray.

He is seated far right.  A bit of a scraper I was told and one of great humor as well. I can attest to that. He was a joy to be around.  This photo was taken in 1940.

The color photo was Uncle Ray age 85, at the garden party for his older sister who was 89 on the day. It was July and hot, hardly any shade but he came sporting a tie and heavy jacket, with his RAF patch easily seen in the photo. You can also tell, I think, he was a man of some humor. 

Posted by peiper     on 09/15/2010 at 12:39 PM   
Filed Under: • Battling Brits • OBITITUARIES • UK •  
• Comments (2) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2015 Domain Owner