6 when we won the Cup

[hibsbollah]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8108746.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8108746.stm)



UK man is world's oldest at 113


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif
World War I veteran Henry Allingham is the world's oldest man following the death of a 113-year-old in Japan, Guinness World Records has confirmed. Mr Allingham, one of only two surviving WWI veterans in the UK and the last surviving founder member of the RAF, was born on 6 June 1896.

He was born in Clapton, London, and now lives at St Dunstan's Centre for blind ex-service personnel near Brighton.

Tomoji Tanabe died in his sleep at his home in southern Japan, aged 113.
Mr Tanabe was named as the world's oldest man in June 2007 and credited his longevity to drinking a daily glass of milk.

'Take in stride'
Mr Allingham's friend and chaperone, Dennis Goodwin, said: "It's staggering. [Henry] is philosophical.

"He will take it in his stride, like he does everything else.
"He withdraws in himself and he chews it over like he does all the things he has done in his life.
"That's his secret I think."

Mr Allingham, whose life has spanned three centuries and six monarchs, has five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great grandchildren and one great-great-great grandchild.


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif1896- Allingham born
1901 -Queen Victoria dies
1902- Hibs win Scottish Cup
1914 - WWI begins
1929 - The Wall Street Crash
1945 - First atomic bomb detonated
1953 - Everest climbed for the first time
1963 - President Kennedy assassinated
1969 - Neil Armstrong walks on the Moon
1977 - Death of Elvis Presley
1989 - Fall of the Berlin Wall
1990 - Nelson Mandela freed from prison after 27 years
2008 - US elects first black president

Most of his family now live in the United States but his nephew Ronald Cator, 74, lives in Acle, Norfolk

Mr Cator said: "It's fantastic news. He is very frail now but I'm sure he'll be very pleased to hear it.

"We are very proud of him."

Mr Allingham joined the Royal Navy Air Service in September 1915 before transferring to the RAF in April 1918.

The Royal Navy hosted a birthday party on the HMS President in London for his family, close friends and members of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force earlier this month.

In the past year, Mr Allingham has been given a doctorate in engineering from Southampton Solent University, been made an honorary freeman of Brighton and Hove and become the "oldest scout".

In March, he was made an honorary member of the Royal Naval Association and also received an upgraded Legion d'Honneur in London, six years after receiving his first one.
Mr Allingham is the sole survivor of the Battle of Jutland and has also published his life story.

Nigel Huxtable, of the Royal Naval Association, said: "Our association members are thrilled to share his good news.
"We are delighted that he is now the oldest man in the world and look forward to him stretching his life even further."

Mr Allingham became Britain's oldest-ever man in March when he reached 112 years and 296 days, surpassing Welshman John Evans who died in 1990.

[(((Fergus)))]

1902- Hibs win Scottish Cup
:faf:

[hibsbollah]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8157447.stm
I wish I hadn't have posted this now:boo hoo:

[Betty Boop]

Remember seeing him at the Cenotaph clutching on to his wreath, it brought a tear to my eye. Imagine living to that age!

[Jonnyboy]

God bless the old fella - may he rest in peace

[Sir David Gray]

The word "hero" is bandied about much too often but, on this occasion, it doesn't go nearly far enough.

We owe that man, and all his fellow soldiers, a debt of gratitude that is so great, it is simply not possible for any of us to even begin repaying him for what he did all those years ago.

As I've said a couple of times, I'm not really in favour of leaving little messages for people who have died that you didn't know personally. However, on this occasion, I'll gladly make an exception.

Henry Allingham-Rest In Peace.

[(((Fergus)))]

The word "hero" is bandied about much too often but, on this occasion, it doesn't go nearly far enough.

We owe that man, and all his fellow soldiers, a debt of gratitude that is so great, it is simply not possible for any of us to even begin repaying him for what he did all those years ago.

As I've said a couple of times, I'm not really in favour of leaving little messages for people who have died that you didn't know personally. However, on this occasion, I'll gladly make an exception.

Henry Allingham-Rest In Peace.

I don't want to disrespect a man I never knew or hijack an RIP thread, but I would genuinely like to know a couple of things:

1) Were the German/Austro-Hungarian soldiers who fought and died in WWI also heroes?
2) What did WWI achieve that we should be grateful for?

To my mind, we'd all have been much better off if everyone had stayed at home.

[Jonnyboy]

I don't want to disrespect a man I never knew or hijack an RIP thread, but I would genuinely like to know a couple of things:

1) Were the German/Austro-Hungarian soldiers who fought and died in WWI also heroes?
2) What did WWI achieve that we should be grateful for?

To my mind, we'd all have been much better off if everyone had stayed at home.

There is absolutely no doubt that WWl was a tragic and wholly unneccessary waste of life Fergus so in essence nothing of any note was gained by it. Indeed there's a strong argument that if WWl had not happened and resulted in the Treaty of Versailles coming into being then Hitler may not have risen to power in the way that he did.

As to your question re German/Austro-Hungarian soldiers I'd say they to were heroes in the sense that their country was at war and they fought for it :agree:

On another, vaguely similar tack I listened with interest to a news item yesterday describing how the code breakers at Bletchley Park are finally to be officially recognised for their efforts during WWll. It's an accepted fact that their efforts resulted in the war finishing far earlier than it might have and by default that means many more lives were saved. I thought 'what a shame these fine people have gone unrecognised for so long when totally undeserving characters like Nick Faldo are given a Knighthood.' WTF did Faldo and the likes ever do that measures up to what the Bletchley codebreakers did?

Sorry, rant over :greengrin

[AndyP]

And the last British WW1 soldier follows him over the top for the final time


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8168691.stm

HP was agaisnt any formal recognition/state funeral, I hope this government respects his wishes.

[(((Fergus)))]

Never forget it. We crawled, couldn’t stand up - a sniper would have you. I came across a Cornishman, he must have been from ‘A’ or ‘B’ companies who were the assault companies when we went over. ‘C’ and ‘D’, we were support. I came across a Cornishman, he was ripped from his shoulder to his waist – shrapnel.

Now a bullet wound is clean, shrapnel will tear you all to pieces. He was laying there in a pool of blood. As we got to him, he said, ‘Shoot me.’ He was beyond all human aid. Before we would pull out the revolver to shoot him, he died. I was with him in the last seconds of his life. hen he went from this life, to whatever is beyond.

Now what I saw in the way of sights at Passchendaele and at Pilkem - the wounded lying about asking you for help - we didn’t have the knowledge, the equipment or the time to spend with them. I lost all my faith in the Church of England.

And when that fellah died, he just said one word: ‘Mother.’ It wasn’t a cry of despair. It was a cry or surprise and joy. I think - although I wasn’t allowed to see her - I am sure his mother was in the next world to welcome him. And he knew it. I was just allowed to see that much and no more. And from that day until today - and now I’m nearly 106 years old - I shall always remember that cry and I shall always remember that death is not the end.

You’ve got a memory. You’ve got a brain about the size of a tea cup. I’ve got a memory that goes back for 80 or 90 years and I think that memory goes on with you when you die. And that’s my opinion. Death is not the end.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/last_tommy_gallery_03.shtml

RIP Harry Patch

[hibsbollah]

Its a really poignant moment, the last memory of WW1 is now gone. Its insprired me to re-read 'Birdsong', a truly great book about the trenches:agree:

[hibsbollah]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8175000/8175790.stm

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If poetry could tell it backwards, true, begin
that moment shrapnel scythed you to the stinking mud…
but you get up, amazed, watch bled bad blood
run upwards from the slime into its wounds;
see lines and lines of British boys rewind
back to their trenches, kiss the photographs from home-
mothers, sweethearts, sisters, younger brothers
not entering the story now
to die and die and die.
Dulce- No- Decorum- No- Pro patria mori.
You walk away.
You walk away; drop your gun (fixed bayonet)
like all your mates do too-
Harry, Tommy, Wilfred, Edward, Bert-
and light a cigarette.
There's coffee in the square,
warm French bread
and all those thousands dead
are shaking dried mud from their hair
and queuing up for home. Freshly alive,
a lad plays Tipperary to the crowd, released
from History; the glistening, healthy horses fit for heroes, kings.
You lean against a wall,
your several million lives still possible
and crammed with love, work, children, talent, English beer, good food.
You see the poet tuck away his pocket-book and smile.
If poetry could truly tell it backwards,
then it would.

[(((Fergus)))]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8175000/8175790.stm

That is brilliant.

[hibsbollah]

Its Harry Patch's funeral in Wells today, and I must admit I feel very humbled by the whole event. Radiohead's eulogy can be downloaded from their website, £1 cost to the Royal British Legion.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/05/radiohead-harry-patch-in-memory

[Jonnyboy]

From the works of Wilfred Owen who was in the trenches in WWl

The numbers relate to the descriptions at the end of the poem

DULCE ET DECORUM EST1

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares2 we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest3 began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots4
Of tired, outstripped5 Five-Nines6 that dropped behind.

Gas!7 Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets8 just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime9 . . .
Dim, through the misty panes10 and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering,11 choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud12
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest13
To children ardent14 for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.15

8 October 1917 - March, 1918

1 DULCE ET DECORUM EST - the first words of a Latin saying (taken from an ode by Horace). The words were widely understood and often quoted at the start of the First World War. They mean "It is sweet and right." The full saying ends the poem: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - it is sweet and right to die for your country. In other words, it is a wonderful and great honour to fight and die for your country

2 rockets which were sent up to burn with a brilliant glare to light up men and other targets in the area between the front lines (See illustration, page 118 of Out in the Dark.)

3 a camp away from the front line where exhausted soldiers might rest for a few days, or longer

4 the noise made by the shells rushing through the air

5 outpaced, the soldiers have struggled beyond the reach of these shells which are now falling behind them as they struggle away from the scene of battle

6 Five-Nines - 5.9 calibre explosive shells

7 poison gas. From the symptoms it would appear to be chlorine or phosgene gas. The filling of the lungs with fluid had the same effects as when a person drowned

8 the early name for gas masks

9 a white chalky substance which can burn live tissue

10 the glass in the eyepieces of the gas masks

11 Owen probably meant flickering out like a candle or gurgling like water draining down a gutter, referring to the sounds in the throat of the choking man, or it might be a sound partly like stuttering and partly like gurgling

12 normally the regurgitated grass that cows chew; here a similar looking material was issuing from the soldier's mouth

13 high zest - idealistic enthusiasm, keenly believing in the rightness of the idea

14 keen

15 see note 1