So with our PL/CL double firmly on schedule

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven

Great substitutions, too. Took off the tiring Russians and brought on the Americans. Fresh legs

My great grandfather was shot in Basra in 1916. Shipped home to blighty.

I do think WW2 was a better watch for the neutrals. Real end to end stuff, like a classic cup tie.

Great point about the substitutions. {Though our Yank no.12 spent most of the time on the pitch in those quiet sectors far from the ball, and the one time it came to him near the end, in front of the Meuse-Aragonne stand, he almost put it through his own net.}

You don't know if your great grand-dad was treated on a ship at Basra, do you?

One of my best mates in Delhi was my chemist. Late middle aged Brahmin gent {who also got us Ket.} His family had had the chemist since British times. His granddad was a doctor on a RN ship at Basra '16.

Matey said that his granddad agreed to join thinking all Brits were like the white Delhi elite. He was horrified to find all these squaddies he patched up were the most vulgar chavs and other assorted plebs. Lost his faith in the empire there and then, apparently.

Strange that we both have this personal connection but I guess the war was so big it would be stranger if we didn't for somewhere.

[Peter]

Great point about the substitutions. {Though our Yank no.12 spent most of the time on the pitch in those quiet sectors far from the ball, and the one time it came to him near the end, in front of the Meuse-Aragonne stand, he almost put it through his own net.}

You don't know if your great grand-dad was treated on a ship at Basra, do you?

One of my best mates in Delhi was my chemist. Late middle aged Brahmin gent {who also got us Ket.} His family had had the chemist since British times. His granddad was a doctor on a RN ship at Basra '16.

Matey said that his granddad agreed to join thinking all Brits were like the white Delhi elite. He was horrified to find all these squaddies he patched up were the most vulgar chavs and other assorted plebs. Lost his faith in the empire there and then, apparently.

Strange that we both have this personal connection but I guess the war was so big it would be stranger if we didn't for somewhere.

I don't really know anything other than the fact that he got shot, and my mum only found that out fairly recently through his military records. Apparently he never said a word about the war. Nor did my grandad. My family's military history is not terribly impressive

I do know my grandad came back from the war despising the British empire. He spent a lot of time stationed in Trinidad and he couldn't believe the poverty he saw. Began to dawn on him that everything you were told about the glorious empire was bull****.

Funny the lessons people seem to take from their time at war. Both him and your Indian friend ended up hating the British

[Luis Anaconda]

I don't really know anything other than the fact that he got shot, and my mum only found that out fairly recently through his military records. Apparently he never said a word about the war. Nor did my grandad. My family's military history is not terribly impressive

I do know my grandad came back from the war despising the British empire. He spent a lot of time stationed in Trinidad and he couldn't believe the poverty he saw. Began to dawn on him that everything you were told about the glorious empire was bull****.

Funny the lessons people seem to take from their time at war. Both him and your Indian friend ended up hating the British

Ireland being neutral in the war meant I had no relatives who fought in the wars. Though it was rumoured that my paternal grandfather volunteered for the army - no one says on which side though

[Peter]

Ireland being neutral in the war meant I had no relatives who fought in the wars. Though it was rumoured that my paternal grandfather volunteered for the army - no one says on which side though

My great, great, great grandfather was from Limerick. He fought in the Crimean War and was part of the Charge of the Light Brigade. And survived

He was court martialled for striking an officer on 01st January. Rumour is he was fond of a drink.

He moved to England and ended up creating four generations of Arsenal fans

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Ireland being neutral in the war meant I had no relatives who fought in the wars. Though it was rumoured that my paternal grandfather volunteered for the army - no one says on which side though

As an integral part of the UK, they weren't neutral in WW1, LA, even if we didn't bring in conscription there in the hope of avoiding a civil war - lol, that worked well.

But the regular army regiments - eg the Connaught Rangers who fielded 6 btns and lost 2.5k officers and men - did fight, and kept getting a few additional volunteers to make up some of the lost.

I've been to the grave of the Irish Nationalist leader and MP, Redmond, in Flanders.

In Goodbye to all That, Graves said that when his Royal Welch took over a trench and the Hun opposite shouted across "Vot regiment, Tommy", one of them would shout back "the Oirish Guards" inferring said Paddy Guards were the elite of the home countries units.

[Peter]

As an integral part of the UK, they weren't neutral in WW1, LA, even if we didn't bring in conscription there in the hope of avoiding a civil war - lol, that worked well.

But the regular army regiments - eg the Connaught Rangers who fielded 6 btns and lost 2.5k officers and men - did fight, and kept getting a few additional volunteers to make up some of the lost.

I've been to the grave of the Irish Nationalist leader and MP, Redmond, in Flanders.

In Goodbye to all That, Graves said that when his Royal Welch took over a trench and the Hun opposite shouted across "Vot regiment, Tommy", one of them would shout back "the Oirish Guards" inferring said Paddy Guards were the elite of the home countries units.

Says a lot about WW1 that we didn't introduce conscription until 1916.

Ireland were neutral in the second lot, although they did lend the Navy a hand on several occasions, on the quiet

[Luis Anaconda]

Says a lot about WW1 that we didn't introduce conscription until 1916.

Ireland were neutral in the second lot, although they did lend the Navy a hand on several occasions, on the quiet

Yes - should have stated WWII (though tbf Ireland wasn't independent in WWI so didn't have a say)

[Peter]

Yes - should have stated WWII (though tbf Ireland was independent in WWI so didn't have a say)

Well, they had their say at the Post Office in 1916

Following 7 or 8 years weren't great. I recently went on the tour of Kilmainham jail, horribly hungover. Plenty of English people there and it was a little shocking to see how little so many of them knew about the history.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I don't really know anything other than the fact that he got shot, and my mum only found that out fairly recently through his military records. Apparently he never said a word about the war. Nor did my grandad. My family's military history is not terribly impressive

I do know my grandad came back from the war despising the British empire. He spent a lot of time stationed in Trinidad and he couldn't believe the poverty he saw. Began to dawn on him that everything you were told about the glorious empire was bull****.

Funny the lessons people seem to take from their time at war. Both him and your Indian friend ended up hating the British

Beat me to it. Is very interesting. Both realised it was all a mirage.

{Btw, the average Tommy from the Western Front came home despising all Europeans except the Krauts who they had a grudging respect for.}

You don't know what regiment he/they were in, do you?

[Peter]

Beat me to it. Is very interesting. Both realised it was all a mirage.

{Btw, the average Tommy from the Western Front came home despising all Europeans except the Krauts who they had a grudging respect for.}

You don't know what regiment he/they were in, do you?

I don't know, but my mum will know. I'll ask her

I don't think my grandad needed too much of a shove re the Empire. He was a rampant left winger, trade unionist and anti monarchist and I think a fair bit of that pre-dated the war. But he never forgot, or forgave, what he saw in Trinidad. I was there last year and got to visit the area where the base was. We (the British) didn't cover ourselves in glory there after the war