Thanks Foxy

In this post-Trump world I'm feeling better already :)

Cheers

Pete

Hi Pete, take no notice of what ttbn has to say. A bit of a story;

My Grand-Uncle Jim volunteered for WWI, he was about 30 at the time, got shipped off to Gallipoli, not in April but later, about June as a reinforcement. He only lasted a week, got hit by shrapnel in the knackers, a god send it seems. Patched up and shipped to the Western Front, where due to injury he become part of the messenger corps, didn't have to go "over the top" and all that valorous behaviour, which unfortunately was rather bad for most blokes health at the time.

In about 1960 after one Sunday lunch, a big deal in those days, when I was about 8 or 9, Uncle being 70 something I asked Uncle; :"What did you do at Gallipoli?" Not being a pleasant old chap at the best of times, never had children for obvious reasons, Uncle came across the dining room table into my face, checking no adults were in ear shot, and said; :"SONNY, I KEPT MY F@$%EN HEAD DOWN!" Gee thanks Uncle see yah!

Mums brother Uncle Frank was in New Guinea in WWII, he was a army barber in Port Moresby A jolly old chap was Uncle Frank, although he couldn't cut us kids hair for sh!t. Always claimed to have cut General Douglas MacArthur's hair! The problem was MacArthur was never in NG, but that didn't stop Uncle Frank. The Old Man said it was a good thing Frank never cut MacArthur's hair, cause if he did the General would have had poor Frank taken out and shot! Uncle Frank would say; "They also severed, those who stood and CUT!"

Hi Paul

Looks like, even short of shell shock, war contributes to cantankerous old buggers.

My Grandfather worked at the Gallipoli hospital in the last few months before the December 1915 withdrawal. He may have X-rayed the shrapnel in your Grand-Uncle Jim's knackers.

The Turks actually shelled the hospital because they knew the diggers were hiding tons of ammo in some hospital tents. Cos the diggers knew that the Turks knew - a bit of hospital shelling was considered fair.

Lucky your My Grand-Uncle Jim didn't fall off his messenger motorbike.

The Japanese frequently bombed/straffed Port Moresby so your Uncle was lucky to remain unscathed.

MacArthur was the kind of prima donna who had his own personal private planes with a large personal staff wherever he went. So Mac would likely have had a personal barber if Mac was "roughing it" inspecting the troops.

Cheers

Pete

Hi again Pete,

Old Uncle Jim, was actually born in England, he always had a limp, according to Aunty caused by his "bad leg", worked all his life at the box factory, making wooden boxes. Passed by our place every afternoon on his way home from work. Carried a rolled up newspaper with him, If he caught you off guard he would give a kid a crack around the head with his paper, for no particular reason. Aunty was a teetotaller, although Mum said Aunty was a wardrobe drinker, hid a half flask of gin in her kitchen cupboard, having a tipple in the afternoons when no one was about. Anyway, Uncle was banned from drinking, except on ANZAC DAY when he would let his hair down, so much so that he couldn't stand up, Aunty was never amused when he got home that night!

The sad thing about Uncle Jim, was he died a lonely old man in a bed sit in Redfern, dead for several days before they found him. He wasn't given a military plaque in the wall at the cemetery, which he was entitled too, but his ashes were scatted (dumped) on common ground instead, and his medals disappeared.

Thanks for sharing that Paul.

I've always treated "oldies" exhortations of the "good old days" with suspicion.

Seemed to be a hypocrital, destructive, something in English speaking countries which opposed the genders having a quiet drink together.

The insitution of the PUB, with no women or children apartheid, drinking and gambling one's paypacket, while (bashed) women and kids near starved.

6 o'clock swilling.

Women who had to hide their private "sin" of drinking or have their little room in the PUB.

The Depression and constant wars since.

The "Old Days" and Current Wars suck.

We youngsters (lucky enough to have avoided PTSD drinking) can now drink together in relative harmony.

Pete