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D Day


steve_b_wales
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6 hours ago, Grandalf said:

Just wait and see what the Royal British Legion does for the memory of the WW1 guys later this year.   One hundred years on and definitely not forgotten. 

Grandalf the British Legion won’t forget the younger generation of society will. When we’re all gone, non will have known them. 

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2 minutes ago, Scully said:

Without trying to demean what that generation did, I grow a little weary of some claiming this generation wouldn't be capable of doing similar; I think people would be surprised just how this generation would respond to a world war. Lets not forget that most of the generation in question didn't have much choice in the matter ( unless they were conscientious objectors ) they may have felt duty bound but they were conscripts and not volunteers. My Dad was one of them, and I know for a fact he and his brother didn't want to go.

There were some very brave individuals amongst them indeed,  but it's more of a case of not letting your mates down rather than sacrificing your life for some ideal. 

Let's hope we don't ever have to find out.

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24 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

Let's hope we don't ever have to find out.

We already have......Falklands, N.Ireland, Afghanistan etc etc etc. They may have joined of their own free will, but I doubt any had visions of sacrificing their lives for the greater good. 

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14 minutes ago, Scully said:

We already have......Falklands, N.Ireland, Afghanistan etc etc etc. They may have joined of their own free will, but I doubt any had visions of sacrificing their lives for the greater good. 

But that is the difference, if you join up , there is an expectation of tough physical training, and a possibility of harm or death. So if you are the sort of person who isn't feeling that ,you don't take the forces as a career path.

However, recent moves within army recruitment have stated (you may have seen the adverts) that it isn't going to be that tough for you , if you are of the 'softer' persuasion.

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2 hours ago, Rewulf said:

But that is the difference, if you join up , there is an expectation of tough physical training, and a possibility of harm or death. So if you are the sort of person who isn't feeling that ,you don't take the forces as a career path.

However, recent moves within army recruitment have stated (you may have seen the adverts) that it isn't going to be that tough for you , if you are of the 'softer' persuasion.

The vast majority of those involved in the D Day landings didn't 'take the forces as a career path' either, but they turned out to be capable enough. 

I have no doubt this or the next generations are capable also. 

There will have been just as much doubt cast by the previous generation as to the capabilities of the D Day generation. I have no concerns at all; like I said, this generation is turning out capable enough people as it is.  It's worth remembering that of that generation there were entire encampments of deserters of all nationalities based in Flanders. I doubt the British youth of this generation has the monopoly on not being 'of the right stuff'. 

My Grandad, who served in WW1 said he didn't mind dying, he just didn't want to be killed. He certainly had no illusions nor indeed intentions of 'laying down his life.' 

As an aside, apart from individual acts of self sacrifice, not many of them 'laid down their lives for the greater good' nor 'sacrificed themselves in the name of freedom' , nor any other romantic notion anyone may have. The vast vast majority were simply killed, quite often in horrific fashion. 

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51 minutes ago, Scully said:

The vast majority of those involved in the D Day landings didn't 'take the forces as a career path' either, but they turned out to be capable enough. 

I have no doubt this or the next generations are capable also. 

There will have been just as much doubt cast by the previous generation as to the capabilities of the D Day generation. I have no concerns at all; like I said, this generation is turning out capable enough people as it is.  It's worth remembering that of that generation there were entire encampments of deserters of all nationalities based in Flanders. I doubt the British youth of this generation has the monopoly on not being 'of the right stuff'. 

My Grandad, who served in WW1 said he didn't mind dying, he just didn't want to be killed. He certainly had no illusions nor indeed intentions of 'laying down his life.' 

As an aside, apart from individual acts of self sacrifice, not many of them 'laid down their lives for the greater good' nor 'sacrificed themselves in the name of freedom' , nor any other romantic notion anyone may have. The vast vast majority were simply killed, quite often in horrific fashion. 

Can't disagree with most of that.

It's just I believe most young men these days live that comfortable a life, I can't envision them being able to perform physically and mentally the same as those men did 70 years ago.

PlayStation's and Xbox kids who rarely see fresh air or physical exercise, gender identity issues and safe spaces for the offended.

Don't get me wrong , there's plenty of blokes who could step up,and do. But could we do what we did in the early days of WW2 , with our present male population ? I don't think so.

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On 06/06/2018 at 11:37, foxnet22 said:

Very brave men they where.I wonder how they would feel looking at the country they laid down there lives for now.RIP to all they are legends .

 

Probably amazed and proud  of the incredibly high standard of living we now possess in a more or less equitable society with an almost total lack of real poverty.

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12 hours ago, Rewulf said:

But could we do what we did in the early days of WW2 , with our present male population ? I don't think so.

Then we’ll have to agree to disagree, as I think that if push comes to shove ( and hopefully it never will ) they’ll do ok. 

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