During The Eleven O'clock Silence Today My Thoughts Drifted To Two Who Lived In Our Neighbourhood When I Was A Teenager.

[sandyRoe]

Not a question, just a thought on the price 'ordinary' people can pay when they enlist.
One of the two had been badly burned on his face and hands and lived out his days alone except for the company of his Alsatian dogs. The second, who had served in both wars, sank into alcoholism and 'madness'.
Not all victims of war are killed in action.

[sandyRoe]

* two men who lived in our neighbourhood

[Mamyalynne]

That is so very true, the scars are not always visible and last forever.

[janbee]

Couldn't agree more Sandy. My uncle was gassed during WW1 and he suffered h*** until his death in his 70s. His health was ruined by the events of the war.

[retrocop]

My Grandfather served with distinction in Galipolli and the Dardanelles campaign where he contracted cerebral malaria. When demobbed he came home to blighty to run the family's successful business. He became worse after a time and was committed to an asylum where he drank a bottle of carbolic acid and died.
My poppy cross has his name and Regt on it as I believe he was also a casualty of war but not whilst on active service. R.I.P Granddad

[Canary42]

Very ture Sandy. My niece's husband suffers ongoing health problems as a result of action in the Gulf War. So my thoughts at 11 weren't entirely with my Dad (RIP).

[Canary42]

*true

[Peter Pedant]

FEPOWs were terribly badly treated within the Empire of Japan

and we were impressed as kids they could do whatever they liked and we should ignore.

( flash backs whilst drunk was the main event ).

[DTCwordfan]

Sandy, 80000 ex military are thought to be part of the homeless in Scotland, that's almost the equiv of the current UK Army. England and Wales numbers are not known.

It's reckoned that there's between 8 and 20% of the current prison population who are ex military. Consensus is 12% or nearly 11000 prisoners. @£50k a year, that's a lot of brass that could be saved if the government was to work long term and look to better integrate the boys back into society than virtually chucking them out on their ear. That means improving pre-demob training and support on civvy street and not just the JSA.

If I was DC, I would want TM to address this one, along with the MoD.

[Peter Pedant]

Here you are Sandy

no sooner asked for, than found...

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmiprobation/joint-thematic/ex-service-personnel-findings.pdf

[Peter Pedant]

The mirror thinks it does know
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/9000-ex-service-personnel-homeless-after-2071049

I thought eighty thou was a bit high.

[murraymints]

we had to ban visiting Japanese from our golf club as our oldest member was an ex POW in Japan, he had been terribly tortured and although he never talked of it the scars were plain to see, both mental and physical. One day whilst hobbling up the 18th fairway (he could only manage the 17th and 18th holes because of mobility and would go up and down them) he spotted a group of Japanese and , even though he was badly lame, pursued them with his driver and saw them off. an extraordinary meeting was called and out of respect to the old boy we had to impose the no Japs rule, whilst he survived...this was a long time ago, doubt we'd get away with it today !