Aaagh, Always sad when a friend, an old mate, passes away Norm, t’owd lad had a decent innings but that in itself is no consolation. Chin up mate.
I hope he had a life like my signature lines.
Your old mate had a good innings Norm, always sad to lose a mate, no matter how old they are. One of my uncles was wounded by shrapnel in WW2 and was sent back from a hospital abroad, and then got sent back out there as soon as they thought he was fit enough. He had TB a couple of years after the war, all related to the shrapnel wounds, and died aged 33, just before he was due to get married. I can just remember seeing him, sat on his hospital bed looking well, so I was told, as I was only about 4 year old when he died. He would be just a couple of years younger than your mate.
Whenever I see a war memorial, I think what a waste of young lives.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Your old mate had a good innings Norm, always sad to lose a mate, no matter how old they are. One of my uncles was wounded by shrapnel in WW2 and was sent back from a hospital abroad, and then got sent back out there as soon as they thought he was fit enough. He had TB a couple of years after the war, all related to the shrapnel wounds, and died aged 33, just before he was due to get married. I can just remember seeing him, sat on his hospital bed looking well, so I was told, as I was only about 4 year old when he died. He would be just a couple of years younger than your mate.
Whenever I see a war memorial, I think what a waste of young lives.
Cheers Dave.
Try the war cemeteries in Northern France and Belgium Dave, we’ve been a couple of times, I can never go back, it’s too much for me to handle. 
Thiepval…what a terrible, beautiful, peaceful place.
And…no disrespect to todays armed forces, but todays forces at volunteers, the WW1 and WW2 soldiers were mainly conscripts, they were told they HAD to go.
I remember watching my dad climb on the train and go away to war. My mother was crying, I was frightened. We were lucky, he did come home.
grumpy old man:
Dave the Renegade:
Your old mate had a good innings Norm, always sad to lose a mate, no matter how old they are. One of my uncles was wounded by shrapnel in WW2 and was sent back from a hospital abroad, and then got sent back out there as soon as they thought he was fit enough. He had TB a couple of years after the war, all related to the shrapnel wounds, and died aged 33, just before he was due to get married. I can just remember seeing him, sat on his hospital bed looking well, so I was told, as I was only about 4 year old when he died. He would be just a couple of years younger than your mate.
Whenever I see a war memorial, I think what a waste of young lives.
Cheers Dave.Try the war cemeteries in Northern France and Belgium Dave, we’ve been a couple of times, I can never go back, it’s too much for me to handle.
Thiepval…what a terrible, beautiful, peaceful place.
And…no disrespect to todays armed forces, but todays forces at volunteers, the WW1 and WW2 soldiers were mainly conscripts, they were told they HAD to go.
I remember watching my dad climb on the train and go away to war. My mother was crying, I was frightened. We were lucky, he did come home.
Hiya,
On the war memorial in Lancaster City Centre is carved the name Harold Gill,
my fathers brother aged just 19 killed in action during WW1 days before the
ceasefire and he’d been a volunteer since age 16 having signed up illegally
unknown to his Dad my Grandfather, don’t get that way very often anymore
but always “look him up” when I pass him on the A6 to say hello, of course we
never met but we do share the same name and in a way I too volunteered to
“join up” having been a coalminer I was exempt from military service so had
to “chuck it” and await call-up as a national serviceman, Oh’ and 70% of my
regiment were N/S men the majority of whom were called up against their
will but soldiered on for two years with me in Korea and Malaya, yes and if
you served abroad there was no home leave for the duration of your tour of
duty, on call 24/7 even when “off duty”,
thanks harry, long retired.
Are there any Gill offsprings in the South East Asia area Harry ? 
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Are there any Gill offsprings in the South East Asia area Harry ?
Cheers Dave.
No way, Harry would rather have a Glenfiddich than play around, Mind having said this , There may have been no Glenfiddich on hand at that time, So perhaps he may have been led astray be the none Malt drinkers, Oh Dear, I do hope Im right, Regards Larry.
Dave the Renegade:
Are there any Gill offsprings in the South East Asia area Harry ?
Cheers Dave.
Hiya,
Dave, Gill is so very common as a surname in India and Pakistan but I think
the colouring is all wrong for me to be related to those people, as to if I
left any behind in the places I was stationed we rarely got out of the camp
to get involved with the other “necessity required to add to the population”
I wasn’t totally celibate but caution was the order of the day when entering
foreign parts, to get yourself incapable for duty due to “something you’d
acquired” meant a spell in the glasshouse and no wages.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Are there any Gill offsprings in the South East Asia area Harry ?
Cheers Dave.Hiya,
Dave, Gill is so very common as a surname in India and Pakistan but I think
the colouring is all wrong for me to be related to those people, as to if I
left any behind in the places I was stationed we rarely got out of the camp
to get involved with the other “necessity required to add to the population”
I wasn’t totally celibate but caution was the order of the day when entering
foreign parts, to get yourself incapable for duty due to “something you’d
acquired” meant a spell in the glasshouse and no wages.
thanks harry, long retired.
Quite understand Harry, you wouldn’t want to catch anything on the unmentionables would you.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Are there any Gill offsprings in the South East Asia area Harry ?
Cheers Dave.Hiya,
Dave, Gill is so very common as a surname in India and Pakistan but I think
the colouring is all wrong for me to be related to those people, as to if I
left any behind in the places I was stationed we rarely got out of the camp
to get involved with the other “necessity required to add to the population”
I wasn’t totally celibate but caution was the order of the day when entering
foreign parts, to get yourself incapable for duty due to “something you’d
acquired” meant a spell in the glasshouse and no wages.
thanks harry, long retired.Quite understand Harry, you wouldn’t want to catch anything on the unmentionables would you.
Cheers Dave.
They were called the Rabdabs in my young days as a long distant driver, Ha Ha , Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dave the Renegade:
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Are there any Gill offsprings in the South East Asia area Harry ?
Cheers Dave.Hiya,
Dave, Gill is so very common as a surname in India and Pakistan but I think
the colouring is all wrong for me to be related to those people, as to if I
left any behind in the places I was stationed we rarely got out of the camp
to get involved with the other “necessity required to add to the population”
I wasn’t totally celibate but caution was the order of the day when entering
foreign parts, to get yourself incapable for duty due to “something you’d
acquired” meant a spell in the glasshouse and no wages.
thanks harry, long retired.Quite understand Harry, you wouldn’t want to catch anything on the unmentionables would you.
Cheers Dave.They were called the Rabdabs in my young days as a long distant driver, Ha Ha , Regards Larry.
Have heard of it being referred to as the screaming ab dabs Larry. 
Cheers Dave.
Well I worked with a driver who was an ex POW In the 50s, He used to tell me all sorts of things, He said that the time to worry was when passing water & it was coming out like marribone jelly & there was no cure for it, He was a great lad, long gone now mind you but I allways remember him & his old advice info, Happy days Eh, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well I worked with a driver who was an ex POW In the 50s, He used to tell me all sorts of things, He said that the time to worry was when passing water & it was coming out like marribone jelly & there was no cure for it, He was a great lad, long gone now mind you but I allways remember him & his old advice info, Happy days Eh, Regards Larry.
We have an older ex driver this way,who always used to say, dip your w***y in the diesel tank once you come back over the Severn bridge to kill the germs.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well I worked with a driver who was an ex POW In the 50s, He used to tell me all sorts of things, He said that the time to worry was when passing water & it was coming out like marribone jelly & there was no cure for it, He was a great lad, long gone now mind you but I allways remember him & his old advice info, Happy days Eh, Regards Larry.We have an older ex driver this way,who always used to say, dip your w***y in the diesel tank once you come back over the Severn bridge to kill the germs.
Cheers Dave.
hiya,
There were some curious " diseases" in military establishments, one of the
worst was when you got out of bed in the morning and your willy dropped
off and when bending over to retrieve it you’re eyes fell out, it didn’t get
you out of the forces though, they gave you a job training the officers a
case of the blind leading the blind.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well I worked with a driver who was an ex POW In the 50s, He used to tell me all sorts of things, He said that the time to worry was when passing water & it was coming out like marribone jelly & there was no cure for it, He was a great lad, long gone now mind you but I allways remember him & his old advice info, Happy days Eh, Regards Larry.We have an older ex driver this way,who always used to say, dip your w***y in the diesel tank once you come back over the Severn bridge to kill the germs.
Cheers Dave.hiya,
There were some curious " diseases" in military establishments, one of the
worst was when you got out of bed in the morning and your willy dropped
off and when bending over to retrieve it you’re eyes fell out, it didn’t get
you out of the forces though, they gave you a job training the officers a
case of the blind leading the blind.
thanks harry, long retired.
Another pearl of wisdom from you Harry, you should have an award. Where is my pen ?
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well I worked with a driver who was an ex POW In the 50s, He used to tell me all sorts of things, He said that the time to worry was when passing water & it was coming out like marribone jelly & there was no cure for it, He was a great lad, long gone now mind you but I allways remember him & his old advice info, Happy days Eh, Regards Larry.We have an older ex driver this way,who always used to say, dip your w***y in the diesel tank once you come back over the Severn bridge to kill the germs.
Cheers Dave.hiya,
There were some curious " diseases" in military establishments, one of the
worst was when you got out of bed in the morning and your willy dropped
off and when bending over to retrieve it you’re eyes fell out, it didn’t get
you out of the forces though, they gave you a job training the officers a
case of the blind leading the blind.
thanks harry, long retired.Another pearl of wisdom from you Harry, you should have an award. Where is my pen ?
Cheers Dave.
hiya,
Dave did get a couple of “awards” the VD and Scar and the WC and Chain.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well I worked with a driver who was an ex POW In the 50s, He used to tell me all sorts of things, He said that the time to worry was when passing water & it was coming out like marribone jelly & there was no cure for it, He was a great lad, long gone now mind you but I allways remember him & his old advice info, Happy days Eh, Regards Larry.We have an older ex driver this way,who always used to say, dip your w***y in the diesel tank once you come back over the Severn bridge to kill the germs.
Cheers Dave.hiya,
There were some curious " diseases" in military establishments, one of the
worst was when you got out of bed in the morning and your willy dropped
off and when bending over to retrieve it you’re eyes fell out, it didn’t get
you out of the forces though, they gave you a job training the officers a
case of the blind leading the blind.
thanks harry, long retired.Another pearl of wisdom from you Harry, you should have an award. Where is my pen ?
Cheers Dave.hiya,
Dave did get a couple of “awards” the VD and Scar and the WC and Chain.
thanks harry, long retired.
I only had six of the best at school Harry, and once got bollocked by a Squadron Leader at RAF Credenhill for spinning a dumber 360 degrees in front of the Headquarters, and I wasn’t in the RAF,only working for a builder on the camp.
Cheers Dave.
Harry, I bet when you got your WC & chain, 
you was flushed with success, but later in life you ended down the pan. 
Yesterday I said my last goodbye to Tom, church in Spratton St Andrews was packed to the rafters,we came out and stood behind the hearse and walked to the cemetary, I had to smile to myself, the entrance was in Smith’s Street, a veteran from the British Legion held the Standard into the church and also to the graveside,
hi norman its steve john blands cousin sorry to hear about mr smith sounds like quite a man was he from Northampton
Norman Ingram:
Harry, I bet when you got your WC & chain,
Hiya
Norm I too was at an “old sweats” funeral about three weeks ago, he was like myself
a member (in my case a former member) of The Fellowship of the Services so he got
the full guard of honour and the Fellowship guys sang the “Last in the Book” and for
those who don’t know It’s the song “Just a song at Twilight” which is the song the lads
of the Fellowship sing at a point of every meeting as a reminder of the World War 1
guys that used to sing in the trenches when night fell and the major hostilities were
done for the day, another title for the song is "Loves own Sweet Song.
thanks harry, long retired.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dave the Renegade:
Are there any Gill offsprings in the South East Asia area Harry ?
Cheers Dave.No way, Harry would rather have a Glenfiddich than play around, Mind having said this , There may have been no Glenfiddich on hand at that time, So perhaps he may have been led astray be the none Malt drinkers, Oh Dear, I do hope Im right, Regards Larry.
hiya,
Larry, in those days I could barely afford to buy beer, as for a drop of malt that was
way out of my league come to think of it those times are fast returning it now takes
nearly a re-mortgage to go out and buy the stuff, might have to return to work.
thanks harry, long retired.