WW II History Buffs

[Smiler]

Just watched a short vid about the little know airfield built by the allied POWs near Ubon Ratchatani. Buggered if I find it again to link to it but it was on one of the expat FB groups.

 First I had heard about the place, as the Ozzie guy who made the vid said, everyone knows about the death railway, few know about this. Apparently conditions weren’t quite as harsh as the Bridge but was still brutal for the 3k POWs.

 

[coxyhog]

During WWII my dad drove a scout car for the Royal Artillery,he went through the invasions of North Africa,Sicily & Italy & was at the battle of Monte Cassino.For most of his later life he was a manic depressive & I'm sure his war experiences were the cause.Sometimes over a beer he's talk about them & it was pretty horrific.

We think this was taken in Austria after the Nazi surrender.

[coxyhog]

In WWII my maternal grandfather was an ARP warden,he's the guy in the middle with the glasses.This pic was in a book about Watford my aunt bought about 30 years ago,when they saw the pic her & my mum got the publisher to give them a print.

He also won the Military Medal in WWI at the battle of Epehy in 1918.We donated his medals & the citation to the Royal Fusilier museum in the Tower of London.

[coxyhog]

Slightly off topic but when I was looking for the above pics I came across this,at least one of the bottles has been drunk.

@Derek Dangleberries

Edited April 19, 2024 by coxyhog

[coxyhog]

Forgot to attach the pic.....

[Derek Dangleberries]

11 minutes ago, coxyhog said:

he went through the invasions of North Africa,Sicily & Italy & was at the battle of Monte Cassino.

Exactly the same as my Dad so you'll probably find that he served during the Seige of Malta too...Each one had a gold star medal ..

[Glasseye]

1 hour ago, Smiler said:

Just watched a short vid about the little know airfield built by the allied POWs near Ubon Ratchatani. Buggered if I find it again to link to it but it was on one of the expat FB groups.

 First I had heard about the place, as the Ozzie guy who made the vid said, everyone knows about the death railway, few know about this. Apparently conditions weren’t quite as harsh as the Bridge but was still brutal for the 3k POWs.

 

 

They keep that stuff pretty tight I'd reckon.

 

I remember the first time I drove into UTAPO one evening a few years back. I broke out in tears... and that one took a few before I was able to  compose myself.

I remember it from when I was a little kid. Watching on the 6 o'clock news the B-52's flying out of there. 

It made an impression. A deep one.

[Horizondave]

8 minutes ago, coxyhog said:

During WWII my dad drove a scout car for the Royal Artillery,he went through the invasions of North Africa,Sicily & Italy & was at the battle of Monte Cassino.For most of his later life he was a manic depressive & I'm sure his war experiences were the cause.Sometimes over a beer he's talk about them & it was pretty horrific.

We think this was taken in Austria after the Nazi surrender.

I visited Monte Cassino in 1969 with my father who told me all about the horrific loss of life fighting for that monastery. We were on a family trip from London heading to Sorrento using our own car and stopping off at various sites and cities on the 2 and half day journey.

Ironically, earlier this week there was a very interesting documentary about the battle on 'That TV'. The documentary was from 1969 and I realised it was probably made because it was 25 years since the battle. Really interesting as there was much footage of the battle and also interviews with many of those who were there (from both sides).

That TV has some excellent documentaries, today's was about the attack on Pearl Harbor on 07 Dec 1941.

[coxyhog]

20 minutes ago, Horizondave said:

I visited Monte Cassino in 1969 with my father who told me all about the horrific loss of life fighting for that monastery.

This is an excellent book,somewhere in mum's house is my dads copy with a page marker where he got to before he died.

[coxyhog]

26 minutes ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

Exactly the same as my Dad so you'll probably find that he served during the Seige of Malta too...Each one had a gold star medal ..

Pretty sure he wasn't on Malta.

[Derek Dangleberries]

28 minutes ago, coxyhog said:

Pretty sure he wasn't on Malta.

If you still have his medals have a quick look at his gold stars..My Dad had 5 gold stars + 2 "normal ones".

- 1939 to 1945

- Malta

- Sicily

- Italy

- North Africa

[coxyhog]

59 minutes ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

If you still have his medals have a quick look at his gold stars..My Dad had 5 gold stars + 2 "normal ones".

- 1939 to 1945

- Malta

- Sicily

- Italy

- North Africa

My dad never got his medals,I think he just wanted to forget all about it.

[forcebwithu]

12 hours ago, Smiler said:

Just watched a short vid about the little know airfield built by the allied POWs near Ubon Ratchatani. Buggered if I find it again to link to it but it was on one of the expat FB groups.

 First I had heard about the place, as the Ozzie guy who made the vid said, everyone knows about the death railway, few know about this. Apparently conditions weren’t quite as harsh as the Bridge but was still brutal for the 3k POWs.

Did some searching and came up with this vid. 

 

[Derek Dangleberries]

36 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

Did some searching and came up with this vid. 

 

 

Yep, I found it last night too.

It is the sort of thing to bring some tourists into the region that the JGG is pushing TAT to do ...but in reality he's more interested in building the tallest building in the world.

Either way it needs to be preserved.. I know my sons would like to go there when they visit me next year..

[Smiler]

Found it.

Not sure if this is going to work but its worth a try

Edit: Thanks Force ! taken down

Edited April 20, 2024 by Smiler

[forcebwithu]

10 minutes ago, Smiler said:

Found it.

Not sure if this is going to work but its worth a try

https://fb.watch/ryYpk4XJvA/

Link is to a long list of videos on FB. To post a link to a specific video, right click on the date/time of the posted video, select Copy link address and post that link here.

[Glasseye]

I still haven't been in the right "frame of mind" to check out the "Killing Fields".... I don't think I ever will be.

 

 

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Anyway.... 

This is a good one. How quickly fate can change.....

 

 

[Shuggy]

15 hours ago, Glasseye said:

I still haven't been in the right "frame of mind" to check out the "Killing Fields".... I don't think I ever will be.

 

 

--------------------------

 

 

Anyway.... 

This is a good one. How quickly fate can change.....

 

 

I went a few years ago. Was totally speechless when i left. Unfortunately humanity hasnt learned its lessons.

[Glasseye]

5 hours ago, Shuggy said:

I went a few years ago. Was totally speechless when i left. Unfortunately humanity hasnt learned its lessons.

I'm on the edge as it is. If I did that I fear there would be no return.

[maipenrai]

5 hours ago, Glasseye said:

I'm on the edge as it is. If I did that I fear there would be no return.

Well, I guess I don't have quite as vivid an imagination as you have because I went out there some years ago and had a look around and it didn't cause me to have fits - it's actually a very tranquil setting, like walking around in a park; but then you look down at the ground and see all these tiny little bits of blue cloth and what look like bits of shells but they are actually pieces of human bone and you are walking around on them - kind of a sobering thought. And of course, there is also the tree they used to beat babies against to dispatch them - more unpleasant thoughts, such savagery from deranged people and I give the Cambodian masses credit for getting past this awful time in their history and being able to create a proper society again. Really, it is worth going to see stuff like this just to realize what man is capable of doing to their fellow man, but you can't dwell on it. 

[Glasseye]

Thanks Gordie,

[ThaiTim]

On 3/2/2024 at 10:28 PM, Freee!! said:

Thanks for reminding me, been there as well.

I promised myself that I would go there for my late father. On arrival I met an old chap in the Grenadier Guards kit. He claims he knew my old dad. Hard to believe. The cemeteries there (both of them) made me tear up. They were so young and came from all walks of life. 

 

How disappointed they would be today.

[ThaiTim]

On 4/19/2024 at 10:11 PM, Glasseye said:

 

They keep that stuff pretty tight I'd reckon.

 

I remember the first time I drove into UTAPO one evening a few years back. I broke out in tears... and that one took a few before I was able to  compose myself.

I remember it from when I was a little kid. Watching on the 6 o'clock news the B-52's flying out of there. 

It made an impression. A deep one.

I sympathise with your feelings. I was "fortunate" enough to be in Saudi during the first gulf War and to see the bombers taking off  wuthering long black tails of exhaust out as they struggled for altitude was incredible.

[Glasseye]

11 hours ago, ThaiTim said:

I sympathise with your feelings. I was "fortunate" enough to be in Saudi during the first gulf War and to see the bombers taking off  wuthering long black tails of exhaust out as they struggled for altitude was incredible.

Just to be clear. The tears were because of the horrors those bombers had delivered. 

[Glasseye]

Nice piece on the Browning we were talking about....

 

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My dream team....

Glock 44

 

 

Remington 870

 

 

Browning - Full Auto