• masterofn001@lemmy.caEnglish
    70·
    17 days ago

    One day, many many years ago, I had a few shots of whiskey with my grandfather and we shot the shit. I’d never had a real conversation with him before. I knew his past, but not from his mouth.

    I asked him about WWII and his experience.

    He started going off about his time in France.

    All the French women he had.

    So many women.

    My grandmother probably wouldn’t have approved, but he definitely had fun.

  • notabot@lemm.eeEnglish
    47·
    17 days ago

    That reminds my of the quote by “Mad” Jack Churchill on the end of the Second World War: “If it wasn’t for those damn Yanks, we could have kept the war going another 10 years!”

    He was apparently a good leader, being promoted to Colonel, and clearly enjoyed his war. He’s credited with the only confirmed kill with a long bow in the war, wore and used a Claybeg style sword and, on more than one occasion lead the charge in to battle whilst playing his bagpipes and hurling grenades.

    In short, he well and truly earned his moniker.

    • ikidd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      161·
      17 days ago

      Sounds like he might have been a wee bit of a psychopath. I wonder what they’d have found if they dug up his cellar when he died.

      • notabot@lemm.eeEnglish
        15·
        17 days ago

        Possibly, but if you read about the rest of his life it seems like he just really enjoyed adventure, and, in common with many others, saw war as a thrilling, life-or-death, adventure.

          • notabot@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            13 days ago

            I think ‘mad as a sack full of badgers’ might be a more appropriate fit, but I can see the psychopath accusation, although he seems to mostly not cared about his own safety rather than displayed an unusual level of psycopathy for a soilder. If you read about the rest of his life it looks like hus feeling of invulnerability continued.

      • notabot@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        13 days ago

        It looks like he pretty much invented surfing tidal bores on rivers, rather than surfing in general, and did it on a board he’d made himself.

        I quite like knowing there were and are people like that about, even if you probably shouldn’t look too closely at their politics. Knowing the spirit of adventure is alive and well gives me a little hope that things will turn out ok, and laughing at their bizarre antics is always a bit of a boost.

  • gasgiant@lemmy.mlEnglish
    26·
    17 days ago

    I can almost guarantee this is a parody bit or letter from Viz.

    Every issue is peppered with little gems like this and the styling looks right

  • mle@feddit.orgEnglish
    17·
    17 days ago

    This is a great analogy for anectotal evidence (“I had a great time”) vs empirical evidence (millions died, i.e. did not have a great time)

  • Flax@feddit.ukEnglish
    17·
    17 days ago

    Literally how my mum talks about the troubles in Northern Ireland

    • Agent641@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      16 days ago

      The whole community really supported each other, all the he families came together to help each other make something special out of a bad situation. Mostly we made ANFO and molotovs, but sometimes pie and roast beef.

      • Flax@feddit.ukEnglish
        4·
        16 days ago

        It’s more like “Oh yeah, it was great craic. I was in this shop when an incendiary went off” “We got to have soldiers around for Christmas dinner!” “Sometimes I’d be playing in the garden and there’d be a soldier taking position behind our garden wall”

  • erin@social.sidh.bzh
    5·
    17 days ago

    I recommend for people here to read “Happy Odyssey” which are the memoirs of Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton De Wiart. That guy is the closest thing of a true Space Marine to ever appear in human military History. He loved both world war, cutting its own injured fingers to not be send back home.