[slowsnake]

I asked my Dad about why he never went to any memorial days from his WW2 service in the British merchant navy, he used to say " what for son " he started as a galley boy aged 13 years, in 1936, he was with his Uncle Arthur, he was a ships cook on the Great Ocean Liners of the day.

As you probably know all the ocean going liners were procured by the British Government for use as troopships!
He was torpedoed and sunk in 1939 in the North Atlantic at 2am, pitch black and freezing cold, the survivors were picked up by a convoy destroyer, he was 16 years old.

At the end of hostilities he was aged 22 years, but he stayed on until 1949 before he demobbed.

He never spoke about his war service, I tried to get him drunk a few times, but he knew what I was doing and stopped after a few DA long necks.
But I got a little bit here and there.

There was no glory in war for him, when it was over that was it i suppose, of course then the Korean War kicked in in 1953 I think!
But I know it was a terrible experience for a 16 yr old kid on an Ocean Liner turned troopship, I got a little info from my Grandmother about Dad, not a lot, when it ended, the war, it ended in his head too, his business, he lived it not me or you, he was a very private man.

Same with Ben Roberts Smith, his war ended too, it ended when he left Afghanistan after doing his duty to Queen and country.
They didn't chase my father down and hound him with bull**** that never happened " that way" he was left alone, and Ben Roberts Smith deserves the same courtesy, as do all Commonwealth Troops who fought for Queen and Country, just let em be, let them breathe, let them live and leave them alone!
Their job is done, let them live and breathe ,oh, and forget!


Cheers Billy.