• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Wounded

OtherHalf

OtherHalf

posher half
just watched Wounded A BBC documentary that tells of two soldiers severely wounded and is emotional but a story of courage and endurance that applies to so many servicemen over the years well worth watching but have your hankies ready :cry:
 
I had moaned for half of the day about the fact i was suffering a sore throat.
How ashamed was I?

The courage and determination the two you men showed was humbling.

To see Tom stand in front of Prince Charles and to see Andy with his baby son were the most poignant things I have witnessed in a very long time.

Their families have every right to proud of them.
 
I must admit, I knew it would be tearful, so I didn't watch it. I admire these men so very much. I only hope their sacrifices are worth it. So many times we never really get to know the reason WHY.
Lynda:)
 
I too saw the program and was impressed by these two young men, who are, in fact, two of many. Too soon they will be forgotten by all except their nearest and dearest. Any help they will be given will be from mainly voluntary sources such as the British Legion

I could say much more but political rants are frowned upon in this forum.

Old Boy.
 
Mrs Stitcher and I watched it as well and we were both struck by the courage, guts and determintaion of the wounded men. The dedication and understanding of the hospital staff is also extremely commendable. Most people do not realise that young men of their age in civvy street will be sent to a young offenders establishment for commiting serious crime, or they will break down crying on x factor because they didn't win. These two have risked their lives and lost limbs or sight and they can still smile. I do not know what words to use to describe them but they seem to be more than just brave men.
 
Hello there, I fully endorse what everyone has said about our lads , , the present
conflict reminds me so much of what was said after The Great War, our
troops are Lions led by Donkeys, the latter being G, Brown esq; and his
motley crew, it really sickens me to see so many of brave lads coming home in wooden boxes.Bernard67Arnold
 
At the risk of offending someone I am going to have my say.
I too also watched this programme, and was crying my eyes out, I'm a six foot 16 stone oldie, and was moved to tears at the courage and determination of these two young men.
What gets me and makes me so incensed is the fact that we should not be there at all, where are the others, apart from the yanks you don't hear much of any one else.
Get our boys out of there NOW, no one has ever won a war in Afghanistan
and never will- let's fight the terrorists on our own soil.
Let all the so and so's who are running the country send their sons and daughters to fight, giving some one a medal for ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones is just not on.
I know that you will say they knew what they were in for when they joined up-that's not the point, we should not be trying to sort a country out, when their own leaders are so corrupt it beggars belief.
Iraq will be back to square one in a matter of years, there is no solution in religious wars, which is what all these mainly are.
My grandson is in the RAF with the Tornados at RAF Conningsby, and spent his 21st birthday being shot at in Iraq, thankfully he came back-with a medal- whooppee doo, big deal.
After that rant all I have to say is to anyone with sons and daughters fighting for a cause, come back safe and god bless you all.
 
Let all the so and so's who are running the country send their sons and daughters to fight well said John ..I dont usually say anything on this subject but have always said that if the leaders had to send their own into the conflict there would be no war..but my thanks and thoughts are with our lads and lassies out there ..as some of you know our son is flitting between Afghanistan and Iraq not because he is in the forces but he is getting things ready for our lads when they get there..God bless you all
 
Last edited:
hi all
Saw the program broke my heart, remember the young mates lost Aden and NI, 2nd CG how many people you stopped to ask in the street do you remember Aden?? not one in twenty, my boy served in Afgan 08 had very narrow escape, due back in 2010, worries me to death the goverments and public have very short memories.
regards
paul
 
John Knight, calm down John because most of us feel as you do. My own belief is that our personnel should come home. We should punish all acts of treason and deport to the country of their families origin anyone with a terrorist record or anyone who dabbles with that sort of thing. The service men could accompany the police to make us feel safer and the border guard numbers could be increased with servicemen as well. I am sure that if we got out of both war zones and used the services in this way, it would be very effective and would result in a saving of lives and money.
 
john knight said:
At the risk of offending someone I am going to have my say.
I too also watched this programme, and was crying my eyes out, I'm a six foot 16 stone oldie, and was moved to tears at the courage and determination of these two young men.
What gets me and makes me so incensed is the fact that we should not be there at all, where are the others, apart from the yanks you don't hear much of any one else.
Get our boys out of there NOW, no one has ever won a war in Afghanistan
and never will- let's fight the terrorists on our own soil.
Let all the so and so's who are running the country send their sons and daughters to fight, giving some one a medal for ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones is just not on.
I know that you will say they knew what they were in for when they joined up-that's not the point, we should not be trying to sort a country out, when their own leaders are so corrupt it beggars belief.
Iraq will be back to square one in a matter of years, there is no solution in religious wars, which is what all these mainly are.
My grandson is in the RAF with the Tornados at RAF Conningsby, and spent his 21st birthday being shot at in Iraq, thankfully he came back-with a medal- whooppee doo, big deal.
After that rant all I have to say is to anyone with sons and daughters fighting for a cause, come back safe and god bless you all.
Click to expand...


gordon brown says.lets reduce our nuclear bombs.
we should drop them off in afganistan. after our troops have left.
god bless our soldiers and come home soon.
sorry.but it's the only way japan surrended.
 
I cried too with everything that the lads and the families went through .When I posted this it was not to raise any political objections but to praise the young men and women from all the services who everyday risk life and limb doing a job knowing that they may never come home or if they do they may be maimed and yet they still do the " Job " that is what they signed up for... and thats what they continue to do ..its their Duty.. the harsh fact is as was shown in real time with what happened to Andy that every conflict will bring casualties ..their courage is something to be honored...the rights and wrongs of any conflict political or otherwise makes no difference they are there to do the best they can ...and they continue to do that even with the risks.. and that takes courage .. the two lads in the documentary showed a courage above and beyond which is true of most of our servicemen and women down the ages where does this courage come from.? a sense of duty to their country their home their families and to the men and women they serve with ....and while we have people like this to fight and defend the way they do with what they have can only be explained by someone who was there . Tom said he wants to do the best he can "thats his job" and he wanted to carry on even after his injuries and is doing that takes dedication and courage above and beyond the call of duty
 
A very emotive subject and one on which we all have our own political views but as Tom says the post was not to air the rights and wrongs of whether our lads should be there but to discuss the programme and honour the courage of two wonderful young men and all their comrades and the doctors,nurses and therapists that care for them.
 
Last edited:
hi all
I had to send this e-mail after reading about the horrific story in to days press about the wounded sapper who has been heckelled and abused by some low life's in and around Selly Oak. My son (51 Sqn Airborn RE) was on Op Herrick 08 with this lad, he was the most wounded to survive in the Afgan conflict, 3 limbs blown off by IED 20 yrs old. What has happened to my lovelly old town when such as this can happen???? These animals should be forcibly rounded up and dropped into Afgan with one weopen between two, those that come back better humans, those that don't, no loss to anyone. What is even more sad is no one around interveened, in my youth this would have been unheard of, in the same paper a pensioner was taken to court for prodding a lout throwing stones at her window. we seem to have a chaotic incompitent police force a judicury who have totally lost the plot, and ministers in charge of the highest crown office unfit to be in charge of a wheel barrow. I don't get angry any more be this has so upset me that I just had to send it in. I don't know what any of you think but Birmingham should hang it's head in shame.
regards
paul
 
It makes you want to cry,agree with your sentiments Paul..have said so earlier today.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I am disgusted and ashamed of this abuse. Quite a few of our youth are nothing more than s**t mouthed morons and they desereve nothing less than a really good hiding. When I worked on doors we could fight the loud mouthed idiots who thought they could intimadate us. It worked because any establishment with good doormen had far less trouble because the goons went somewhere else to play up.
My heart goes out to this man and if anyone knows him, if you let me know the details I will go the hospital and have a chat with him, make sure he is o/k for a bit of spending money and fetch him some ciggies if he smokes.
 
stitcher said:
i am disgusted and ashamed of this abuse. Quite a few of our youth are nothing more than s**t mouthed morons and they desereve nothing less than a really good hiding. When i worked on doors we could fight the loud mouthed idiots who thought they could intimadate us. It worked because any establishment with good doormen had far less trouble because the goons went somewhere else to play up.
My heart goes out to this man and if anyone knows him, if you let me know the details i will go the hospital and have a chat with him, make sure he is o/k for a bit of spending money and fetch him some ciggies if he smokes.
Click to expand...

stitcher
let me know when and where and i'll join you.as for any loud mouthed piles of .....we can sort them.
There words would be. You can't touch me.i will have you for assault.
My words are. Try me.i'm p****d off with a*******s who would run crying to their mommies if they had a slap .which they deserve.
Delete if necessary.but these yobs need some lessons in history.as to why they are here and who fought and died for them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Stitcher and Winston,
Mates if I didn't live so far away I would join you without hesitation.
There are too many of these scumbags walking our streets today, there should be a return to National Service, and get the b******s doing something useful like backing our lads up in the field of conflict, most of them would s**t themselves at the thought.
a lot of the blame must rest on the heads of so called judges who dish out these puny sentences, 2 tosspots down here have been given 8 years for kicking a man to death outside a shop.
Lets hope that the true brummies rally round this man and give him all the support he needs.
I could go on and on about this it makes my blood boil to think about it.
Regards to you both John.
 
Have to fully agree with the three previous post's,a few fun loving lad's,handing out punishment,would be one way.However,even if the police know who they are,I don't think their names will be released.
Stich,your idea to visit this young man in hospital seems the best plan.
 
what more can i say?? my son has seen active duty in ,ireland twice and iraq..thank god he is all in one piece apart from a leg injury .he is due back to afghanistan 2010,if hes fit enough .i read in bham mail about the spineless .thugs who taunted the poor soldier out in his whellchair buying fish and chips in selly oak..all i hope is they find the ******** and put them on the front line with the rubbish equipment our boys fight with and well see just how big and brave they are then .this applies to any thug roaming the streets and preying on those weaker than themselves ..straight onto the front line teach them what men are really like .phew!!! i feel better now.
 
Sandralacy and Winston, I have been told that it would be waste of time trying to get to see this unfortunate man. I have been in contact with my friend whose sone is an R.S.M. His son is on leave at the moment but is preparing to go back to Helmand Province in a few weeks time. My friend asked his son what could we do to get to see this man and he replied 'Nothing'. In his opinion they are well looked after both medically and personally. He thinks the best way to help is to vent your anger in the newspaper. This will show the guttersnipe what we think of him and reassure the wounded man in hospital.
 
People are rightly angry about the spineless yobs who taunted the wounded squaddie but as an ex member of the forces I am dead against putting those responsible for the taunts or for that matter anyone into the forces on a compulsory basis...The simple reason is we have a totally 100% volunteer and professional Navy, Army and Air Force...none of the three forces deserve to have their reputations soiled by having people who are totally unworthy of wearing a military uniform amongst them. Lads and lasses of all three services, you prove time and time and time again that today's young Brits are with a few exceptions, dedicated, loyal, brave and proud to serve
 
Fully agree Col...the military is not a social dustbin,we have the best lets keep it that way.
However,they do need some form of discipline,military style custody would be a move in the right direction.Very few ever went back for a second dose,even real hard cases,would cry.:cry:
 
I agree entirely with both of you, but this attitude from yobs, idiots and scumbags will never improve under the present system. While they are commiting minor crime and being a pain and an unwanted expence for all taxpayers, abusing alcohol and or drugs they are labelled as 'VULNERABLE'. As such they are afforded more help from the authorities than you would believe. In my opinion this has the effect of making them worse. A good session of hard labour for a few months would stop a lot of it much earlier before it becomes a way of life.
I repeat that this brave unfortunate man, after all his medical operations is more of a man than the culprit will ever be.
 
I was not meaning enrol them as soldiers /sailors or pilots etc but to see what real men are .and to see first hand what real men do to keep this country and others safe from the likes of the trash that walk this earth mainly as a lesson if you get my meaning...none of them would be deserving of a uniform.
 
Why not reinstate the Borstal Institutions ? I thionk that would have the desired effect.

Old Boy
 
better still adopt the american way ...camps in the desert and hard labour ..ok we got no deserts in uk but similar sites on moorland miles from anywhere maybe...there are too many do gooders making puny excuses for the thugs ..i was one of 8 children poor as church mice and we knew hunger and cold but we didnt go on to beat old ladies /gents senseless for a few pounds..too much too soon these days..
 
National Service is not the way Sandra.The military doesn't want them and volunteers are best.When people suggest conscription,they usually follow it up with it never hurt anyone... well,It hurt those who were killed in Korea,Malaya,Cyprus,Aden,Suez,Borneo,Kenya and other places,probably still hurts the family's they left behind.Nah,don't trust politicians,with young lives.
They have the powers in force to punish offender's...they just need to apply them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top