The Youth Of Today...

[ChillDoubt]

Do they match up?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23563616

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Cornwell#Victoria_Cross

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Fitzgibbon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Monger

Nothing would give me greater pride than to be proved wrong, though I won't hold my breath....

[emmie]

you are not quite right about only fighting, they had logistical units, intelligence units, and indeed catering, and much much more, you may have been useless to pick up a weapon, but could be used in other fields, in much the same way that conscientious objectors in WW1 were used as stretcher bearers, if they didn't they went to prison.

[jim360]

I suppose I was speaking generally. The actual fighting, and on the ground at that, formed a much greater part of war back then, no? Even though there may have been other roles they were less common. Warfare has spread into more fields since, with the development of technology, or the expansion into the air and even into cyberspace recently.

[emmie]

still lots of boots on the ground, even today

As of early June there were just under 100,000 Nato troops serving in Afghanistan from 50 contributing nations, the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) said.

Of these the bulk - about 68,000 - are US troops.

[emmie]

i am not convinced they would, why are some young men tempted, or do go and fight for a country they have never visited, perhaps their parents, even Grand parent homeland. We are a much more mixed society than before, people from all over the world have settled here, or live here for a time, are they likely to fight for Britain if their native country was under threat, particularly from the west.
If you look at how some of our society is divided i can't see it happening. Where once we had a common bond, and a common language, that is not necessarily the case now. Lets hope it doesn't come to that, perhaps we should be more concerned of our home grown terrorists, disaffected, easily swayed young men, ready to take up a cause...