Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old BBC2



Going to watch it, reckon it will be weird seeing the troops in Colour.
 
I used to hate the idea of colourising, but have to agree this does make it seem more relateable and 'fresh' and I'm all for any technique which helps people to relate. My Dad's Dad was in the 1st World War, we know nothing about it - mainly because he died reasonably young, sadly while my Dad was in France during WW2. I asked Dad if they ever discussed WW1 and he said no, not even when Dad went off. They just didn't do things like that.
 
I used to hate the idea of colourising, but have to agree this does make it seem more relateable and 'fresh' and I'm all for any technique which helps people to relate. My Dad's Dad was in the 1st World War, we know nothing about it - mainly because he died reasonably young, sadly while my Dad was in France during WW2. I asked Dad if they ever discussed WW1 and he said no, not even when Dad went off. They just didn't do things like that.
I went on a site and got my great grandads records. They produce a scroll with his regiment and name on, with the date of death. For him it was may 1918.

I was totally taken aback on the number of cartwrights that were killed during World War One.

In the daily mirror the other week, Kevin Maguire wrote a piece on his great grandad and he was in the same regiment as mine, but survived the war.
 
I went on a site and got my great grandads records. They produce a scroll with his regiment and name on, with the date of death. For him it was may 1918.

I was totally taken aback on the number of cartwrights that were killed during World War One.

In the daily mirror the other week, Kevin Maguire wrote a piece on his great grandad and he was in the same regiment as mine, but survived the war.
Dad's Dad was always in ill health apparently. My old Dad had a nervous breakdown some years after the war, which is understandable. But he hated what he called 'daft old blokes' who wanted to talk about the war or parade with their medals on. My Mam had to send away for his much much later.
 
Dad's Dad was always in ill health apparently. My old Dad had a nervous breakdown some years after the war, which is understandable. But he hated what he called 'daft old blokes' who wanted to talk about the war or parade with their medals on. My Mam had to send away for his much much later.
My grandad never spoke about the Second World War but my dad revelled in his national service in the royal engineers

My mam put an end to me going to join up, which would have been around the time of the falklands war
 
Can't get the picture of the thousands of piled up dead rats outa ma heed:(
 
My grandad never spoke about the Second World War but my dad revelled in his national service in the royal engineers

My mam put an end to me going to join up, which would have been around the time of the falklands war
Yep, my grandad never discussed it, he was going to before he died as I asked him. Was too late though  :neutral::cry:
I've got his DSM as a keepsake.
 
My grandad never spoke about the Second World War but my dad revelled in his national service in the royal engineers

My mam put an end to me going to join up, which would have been around the time of the falklands war

My granda never did spoke about it either - not that I was ever old enough to ask him about it before he died.

From talking about him with my dad, all I know is he was involved in D-day and hated Americans nearly as much as hated the Japanese. The Americans wouldn’t let his landing craft on the beach and he ended up drifting towards a mine field (from what I recall) and he hated the yanks ever since - the look I got when I went round his house at Christmas wearing my Payton 34 top was a sight to behold.

His hatred for the Yanks was only surpassed by his hatred for the Japanese. Japan surrendered as he was on his way to fight in the Pacific (apparently he always joked that they knew he was coming) but he saw things there that must have been unimaginable. I know one of the things was a shallow grave of British nurses who had been mutilated and killed - that came from my dad but he wasn’t told anything else.

He was a lovely bloke and must have had a thousand stories to tell but all I know of him
was he worked at Monkton Cokeworks and made the best Yorkshire puddings
 
Aye it’s a common thing for combat veterans to never talk about their experiences, which is understandable but at the same time, think of all those fascinating stories (and cautionary tales) that are lost to history.

I've got his DSM as a keepsake.

You should wear it on Sunday on his behalf .... right side chest[/QUOTE]

I’ve always wanted to march at the cenotaph one day in memory of my old man who was a RAF pilot flying Lancasters in WW2, and wear his medals on the right side.

He was born in 1921 so if I get my shit together I suppose I could try and make it in 2021.
 
Aye it’s a common thing for combat veterans to never talk about their experiences, which is understandable but at the same time, think of all those fascinating stories (and cautionary tales) that are lost to history.



You should wear it on Sunday on his behalf .... right side chest

Very true. I got Dad to write a little journal of his life which I still treasure and could really just weep when I see his immaculate handwriting-a bit shaky of course. However his war years are mainly daft stories (mostly involving women), although he did manage to walk past his own brother in France and not recognise him. The meeting ended up in an altercation with some Yanks and my Uncle getting into a fight and Dad walking away saying he could 'handle himself'! My Uncle's version of events was slightly different. :lol:
 
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Just watched it tonight at pics. Extraordinary - what they’ve done with footage to bring to life is incredibly moving. Ordinary lads mucking about going into that shit show.

I found it wasn't not really the colour but that helps but the fact they have it at the correct speed and its not a Charlie Chaplin type comedy - you get the reluctance to walk towards the Germans - they still did it mind.
 

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