Ron Goldstein's Actual Army Album
Don't miss looking at Ron's Actual Army Album.
Above is a cartoon from page 90 (yes, page 90). Just one of the many gems in this album. The cartoon is full of in-jokes. Those who fought in Africa and Italy will immediately recognise the Two Types, the mustachioed duo; on their table is a copy of Avanti, the Italian Socialist Party's newspaper, banned during the fascist era. Then we have Ernest Bevin, the British Foreign Secretary, seated at a table with the American Secretary of State, James F. Byrnes, arguing over a map of Italy, which Bevin has drawn on the tablecloth (with an arrow pointing to Salerno). Propping up a table is a bust of Mussolini. There is also a reference to mepacrine anti-malarial tablets and don't miss the travel advert "Happy Holidays in the Apennines - Just Like You Used To Have"
posted by Peter G at 7:19 pm
7 Comments:
Peter
Thanks for the plug :)
This is one of the items that the BBC were un-happy about me showing, despite the accreditation that I give to Jon.
If you like local detail, have a look at Page 14 (Bari) and see some of the actual signs that I saw in the area.
Hello again Ron,
Well, I have just had a look through this latest contribution of yours. It has been yet another enjoyable read. Well done for making and keeping such a fine collection.
As you may remember I suggested to you previously via the "People's War" forum, perhaps you could publish a book based on all the collected material, knowledge and experience you have. There should certainly be more than enough 'real' history that would tell the true story of what happened in WW2.
Have you ever considered donating at least a copy of the original work to the IWM? There must be a lot of original material in your album that would be a great help in their research.
Obviously, as WW1 and WW2 are ancient history to me akin to the Punic Wars and the Battle of Hastings (only joking!) I don't have my own documents or personal memories like most of you who were Site Helpers for the "People's War" Project. However, as I inherited, or have collected, various artefacts, photos, letters and such like from the World Wars I have donated copies, or in some cases the originals to the local Archives. These may help others to know in years to come a little of what happened.
It has been a real pleasure to read through the contributions people like your good self, Tom, Peter and many others have written Ron. If you get your own book published then at least you would have control about what goes into it.
Well done yet again!
hear! hear!
Ron -
haven't had a look at your album
as yet as I am reserving that for when you are asleep - the look of Jon's Two Types starts me off however as it was always thought that these were fictitiuos characters - not a bit of it as we had them in our Battalion !
The one I always had most chuckles over were the two - at an order group and breaking their pencil -- asking a Ghurka to lend them his Kukri to sharpen it when all he wanted to do was draw it along their throats ! Hope that one is included !
Gents
Perhaps you can solve a mystery that has puzzled me for over 60 odd years?
Have a look at my Album pages 59 & 60, in particular study the faces of the 'wounded' soldiers. It is my contention that the same man has been used in both photographs but with different 'wounds' in each case.
Am I right ?
Ron -
you could be right about the soldier with two different wounds - it would appear howver that this was a German Propaganda photo - and as we know they pulled all sorts of tricks at times, and sometimes their language was a bit fruity as well.
59. Looks to be faked. He would have a clean dressing on for such a posed photo, surely. Even it the wound were still bleeding it wouldn't show vertical blood drips on the dressing like that. Notice too the length of ash on the cigarette; he's been holding that pose very steadily hasn't he?
60. Why is he hanging on to his helmet? The only reason for the tin hat seems to be as pointer prop indicating that here we have a British Tommy, but what has happened to his regular black army issue boots? And gaiters over white socks?
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