An overdue apology?

What do you make of this news item ?

Personally I feel that the bombing of an English city cannot possibly be 'sua culpa'. So far as I can see he has nothing whatsoever to apologise for.

I firmly believe that any German, Nazi civilian or service personnel, who committed atrocities should be brought to justice whatever his/her age and that no apology should be accepted from criminals. But this veteran falls into a different category completely.

What are your views on this?

Bevin Boys

WWII conscripts to work in the coal mines - the 'Bevin Boys' - have finally been given a badge to recognise their wartime service. On 25 March 2008, the first batch of 'Bevin Boys' were given a badge marking this service, including the comedian Brian Rix and the disc jockey Jimmy Saville. This link will take you to the BBC story about the presentation by Prime Minister Gordon Brown:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7312004.stm

Little as it is, it gives some belated recognition to a group who have long been ignored. There would still seem to be nothing for the full-time miner, however, which many of my closest realtives were during the war.

Newcomer

For some time now I have been awaiting an answer from "Curious Barbara" who was - on the BBc war series - asking about her Father's travels in the WW2 - I recommended that she contact Glasgow for his records - and once they had arrived to contact me for any assistance - this has finally come through and as it became a little complicated - I asked her to contact Andrew - th host of the BBc message board for my e-mail address - he then responded that he was bound by the Data protection act but suggested that she contacted the blog for further help - so anytime now she will be asking for some assistance !

Digging for victory and diving for cover!

This Mother’s Day I’ll be thinking of my Mum Joan Clark (nee Hide)

I often remember trying to get my Mum to talk about her experiences in the war but she would always say ‘Oh I didn’t do anything very exciting really, you should talk to your Dad about his days in the Navy’.

One story that my Mother told me that will always stick in my mind was the time she had been working as a Land Army girl in West Sussex during the summer of 1941 The Battle of Britain had been raging overhead for several months and rumours were beginning to get about that farm workers were being attacked whilst working in the fields.

On this particular Summer’s day in 1941 it was just like any other, and my mother was working in one of the many large greenhouses situated around the farm tending to the rows and rows of ripening tomatoes. Suddenly the peace was completely shattered by the loud roar of an enemy fighter as it dived towards them opening fire with its cannon. Before my Mother had even time to react her a quick thinking colleague had forced her under one of the tables of tomatoes as glass and shrapnel came showering down all over them. My Mother was lucky but her colleague had been badly cut on his back and was later treated in hospital.