SAS: Rogue Warriors: BBC2 9pm.

Author
Discussion

Smollet

10,562 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Thoroughly enjoyable series.

Greenmantle

1,267 posts

108 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Obviously Sterling and Mayne stand out in this series but the one for me is John Tonkin. Going into Belsen with Randall and Seekings and keeping his cool rather than executing all the guards.
I just wish that when I was in school I learnt about these guys.

John

Bunfighter

37,122 posts

211 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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marcosgt said:
Killing unarmed airman in cold blood?

Whilst the murder of 31 SAS men in France was terrible, it really wasn't a lot different to what Mayne did at the Airfield in Africa, years before.

Good to see it didn't pull punches, though and that he was 'rebuked' for overstepping the mark...

M
Right. You know about the way Germany conducted itself? Straffing women and children on British streets, the list goes on. What would YOU do in their situation?

Black can man

31,838 posts

168 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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PurpleAki said:
e and I speak outside of PH.

I sent him the pic because it's a picture of the captain of our football team, who I get to spend some time with because we have ties to the same company.

We decided to put to bed the false rumours that he and I are the same person. A picture with Jordan Henderson was a nice way to do it on an LFC thread. It's as simple as that. There's no conspiracy.

I'm sure you'd like to have your picture taken with Lloris.

All the purpleankle and hanging around with men in the gym digs do you no credit. Let's play nicely.

Hope that clears things up.
It's all just a bit of fun fella, no need to bother the good people in here with you're opinions of me or my posts.

I'm sure they are not interested one little bit.


Adam B

27,244 posts

254 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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PurpleAki said:
Have you got episode 3 ok?
yes thanks, weirdly that one did appear

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

87 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Adam B said:
PurpleAki said:
Have you got episode 3 ok?
yes thanks, weirdly that one did appear
Enjoy.

DoubleSix

11,714 posts

176 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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So further to the advice of a few on here I've encouraged my mother to do some digging around her father as it's family history I'd rather wasn't lost.

She spoke to her sister initially who sent these images and I'm going to suggest they find out more, Mum is adamant he was a 'desert rat', don't know if he could have been selected from that regiment or if it's something that she's latched onto that isn't correct.










She recounted some memories of his terrible treatment at the hands of the Germans - he was captured 3 times and escaped 3 times.



Bunfighter

37,122 posts

211 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Chapeau

Black can man

31,838 posts

168 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Bunfighter said:
Chapeau
Indeed

DoubleSix

11,714 posts

176 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Sends a bit of a shiver up my spine looking at that photo as he looks a lot like my eldest brother.

Mum says he was classed as A1 on enlisting and E when demobbed - I assume this is in relation to health/state of mind.

He worked alongside the resistance as a saboteur destroying bridges etc. As well the North African campaign; mum said she remembers him talking about jumping from the back of trucks just like the footage in the series.

Apparently when captured he was placed in a cage or box like a coffin and left in the sun. Also stabbed near the base of the spine when he jumped into an occupied trench.

These are just some jumbled snippets, as he didn't talk about it much at all according to my mum. I hope the program helped my mum to understand why he came home the way he did.

All I remember of him is his size, he was a big man, and the smell of tobacco. He would sit in his chair and always give us kids a big shiney 50p piece when we visited.

He was also a petrol head who fixed cars for all the locals in the neighbourhood.

Very proud but ultimately very sad as the war wrecked his life one way or another. Anyway thx for listening if I learn more I'll post up.

Time for a whiskey and to raise a glass.

Edited by DoubleSix on Wednesday 22 February 20:52

Fozziebear

1,840 posts

140 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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DoubleSix said:
Sends a bit of a shiver up my spine looking at that photo as he looks a lot like my eldest brother.

Mum says he was classed as A1 on enlisting and E when demobbed - I assume this is in relation to health/state of mind.

He worked alongside the resistance as a saboteur destroying bridges etc. As well the North African campaign; mum said she remembers him talking about jumping from the back of trucks just like the footage in the series.

Apparently when captured he was placed in a cage or box like a coffin and left in the sun. Also stabbed near the base of the spine when he jumped into an occupied trench.

These are just some jumbled snippets, as he didn't talk about it much at all according to my mum. I hope the program helped my mum to understand why he came home the way he did.

All I remember of him is his size, he was a big man, and the smell of tobacco. He would sit in his chair and always give us kids a big shiney 50p piece when we visited.

He was also a petrol head who fixed cars for all the locals in the neighbourhood.

Very proud but ultimately very sad as the war wrecked his life one way or another. Anyway thx for listening if I learn more I'll post up.

Time for a whiskey and to raise a glass.

Edited by DoubleSix on Wednesday 22 February 20:52
He's a hero sir, what he did played a massive part in stopping evil. May he rest easy.

audidoody

8,597 posts

256 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Five years of daily psychotic episodes and ultimate violence (any one of which would send us loopy) and they had to adjust to normal family life. Wow.

Reg Seekings. Looks like a friendly bank manager. Until you learn what he did.

Bunfighter

37,122 posts

211 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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My Great Uncle was a Captain. He came back early with MS frown

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

99 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Bunfighter said:
Chapeau
Oh yeah.

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

87 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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Mothersruin said:
Bunfighter said:
Chapeau
Oh yeah.
Cap most certainly doffed.

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

87 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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Only just watched the third episode on iplayer.

Best episode of the lot. Paddy Mayne just seems like a force of nature. What a life he led!

Time for further reading about about these true men, true warriors, on my part.

Heroes all.

marcosgt

11,018 posts

176 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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Bunfighter said:
marcosgt said:
Killing unarmed airman in cold blood?

Whilst the murder of 31 SAS men in France was terrible, it really wasn't a lot different to what Mayne did at the Airfield in Africa, years before.

Good to see it didn't pull punches, though and that he was 'rebuked' for overstepping the mark...

M
Right. You know about the way Germany conducted itself? Straffing women and children on British streets, the list goes on. What would YOU do in their situation?
Indeed I do, but even his commanding officer felt he'd gone too far.

His mission was to blow up German planes and not be seen, not to kill unarmed airmen. Clearly he couldn't take 30 men prisoner, but he didn't need to go into their mess and kill them.

The British bombed Dresden killing around 25,000 civilians for no strategic gain, too.

Bad things happen in wars, but you don't have to condone them. Many are mistakes, clearly Mayne's action was deliberate and completely avoidable.

Two wrongs don't make a right... as my Gran used to say smile

M


Edited by marcosgt on Thursday 23 February 11:54

joema

2,648 posts

179 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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Pilots are more valuable than planes. But I get the feeling he just wanted to kill Germans.

Still shocking whatever way you look at it though.

Joscal

2,078 posts

200 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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I read a book on Blair Mayne years ago and can't remember the exact details, but I think his best friend was killed just before so there was an element of revenge.

Doesn't make it right but he had some balls.

Bunfighter

37,122 posts

211 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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marcosgt said:
Indeed I do, but even his commanding officer felt he'd gone too far.

His mission was to blow up German planes and not be seen, not to kill unarmed airmen. Clearly he couldn't take 30 men prisoner, but he didn't need to go into their mess and kill them.

The British bombed Dresden killing around 25,000 civilians for no strategic gain, too.

Bad things happen in wars, but you don't have to condone them. Many are mistakes, clearly Mayne's action was deliberate and completely avoidable.

Two wrongs don't make a right... as my Gran used to say smile

M


Edited by marcosgt on Thursday 23 February 11:54
You need to read about the ethic of WWII. There's been a few books. Coventry, Manchester, London, VI, VII. Britain excelled at bombing and was arguably better at hitting factories, cities and other targets. Dresden is argued as a war crime however it could be seen as a necessary evil. If German civilians didn't agree with their leaders they could always have demonstrated, become partisans or left. The truth is many supported Hitler wholeheartedly. Stalin's noted after the war 'where SAS the opposition'? Hitler couldn't have sent all political activitists' to the concentration camps. Civilians in both sides were targets.