Another British Hero Dies - Micky Burn

[Jimbeaux]

These regularly get posted in my local paper. I again am ranting about the coverage celebs get for their affairs and rehabs while truly meanigful people get little mention. I understand he held far left socialist/Communist views until his death; however, his accomplishments deserve recognition, at least more than the types that get so much today. Has anyone seen this covered in the media?

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obitu...

Edited by Jimbeaux on Monday 13th September 18:21

[heebeegeetee]

I always enjoy reading the obituaries in the press. There really are some of the most fascinating people who get to snuff it.

[randlemarcus]

Yup, was in the Telegraph on Saturday. Quite prominent.

[Jimbeaux]

heebeegeetee said:

I always enjoy reading the obituaries in the press. There really are some of the most fascinating people who get to snuff it.

Those notices are always full of people who have never died before.

[Jimbeaux]

randlemarcus said:

Yup, was in the Telegraph on Saturday. Quite prominent.

Amazing; a nice surprise.

[Eric Mc]

My dad knew a chap from his home town in Ireland (Howth) who joined the Royal Navy and took part in the St Nazaire raid. He said that, when he was repatriated after the war, this chap was mentally disturbed for the rest of his life by those events.

The thing was, he was Irish and as Ireland was neutral, he had been under no compulsion to "join up". But he did.

There were lots of heroes in that period - probably millions.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 13th September 18:40

[Jimbeaux]

Eric Mc said:

My dad knew a chap from his home town in Ireland (Howth) who joined the Royal Navy and took part in the St Nazaire raid. He said that, when he was repatriated after the war, this chap was mentally disturbed for the rest of his life by those events.

The thing was, he was Irish and as Ireland was neutral, he had been under no compulsion to "join up". But he did.

There were lots of heroes in that period - probably millions.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 13th September 18:40

A far superior generation IMO.

[stitched]

Jimbeaux said:

Eric Mc said:

My dad knew a chap from his home town in Ireland (Howth) who joined the Royal Navy and took part in the St Nazaire raid. He said that, when he was repatriated after the war, this chap was mentally disturbed for the rest of his life by those events.

The thing was, he was Irish and as Ireland was neutral, he had been under no compulsion to "join up". But he did.

There were lots of heroes in that period - probably millions.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 13th September 18:40

A far superior generation IMO.

It has always been telling for me the humilty with which they viewed their actions.
Anyone would have done the same type of attitude,
Then you see some of the dross we have living pointless lives in the freedom bought by these brave souls.

[Eric Mc]

I think there was dross about back then too. Maybe people weren't so aware of it.

Do you know that crime actually INCREASED during the Blitz? In fact, WW2 provided a golden opportunity for criminals to thrive - and they did.

[FourWheelDrift]

He was on Jeremy Clarkson's "Greatest Raid of all Time" programme, he was interviewed and featured prominently.

[Smiler.]

randlemarcus said:

Yup, was in the Telegraph on Saturday. Quite prominent.

On the obituaries page? The one I read had John McGlashan, Corinne Day & Joe Fowells.

[Asterix]

Jimbeaux said:

Eric Mc said:

My dad knew a chap from his home town in Ireland (Howth) who joined the Royal Navy and took part in the St Nazaire raid. He said that, when he was repatriated after the war, this chap was mentally disturbed for the rest of his life by those events.

The thing was, he was Irish and as Ireland was neutral, he had been under no compulsion to "join up". But he did.

There were lots of heroes in that period - probably millions.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 13th September 18:40

A far superior generation IMO.

Agreed - last we'll see like that.

[rhinochopig]

Asterix said:

Jimbeaux said:

Eric Mc said:

My dad knew a chap from his home town in Ireland (Howth) who joined the Royal Navy and took part in the St Nazaire raid. He said that, when he was repatriated after the war, this chap was mentally disturbed for the rest of his life by those events.

The thing was, he was Irish and as Ireland was neutral, he had been under no compulsion to "join up". But he did.

There were lots of heroes in that period - probably millions.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 13th September 18:40

A far superior generation IMO.

Agreed - last we'll see like that.

Utter twaddle. I'm not wishing to denigrate the memory of that generation, but they faced a very different world to that now. When you're facing death regularly, the opportunity for "heroism" is far greater. Todays generation are equally capable of great heroism - you've only got to look at the acts of heroism being acted out in the likes of Afghanistan today. What about the fire fighters who went into the twin towers, or the relief workers who are facing a very real risk of being executed for purely altruistic reasons - not because they're fighting for their own survival.

Let's not forget that that generation were also extremely racist, xenophobic and homophobic too. Look how the Polish pilots were treated by the RAF.

Don't let historic tales of derring do tint your glasses rose coloured.

[Eric Mc]

That was kind of what I was getting at. HOWEVER, it has to be said that the experiences of the war changed many people utterly - and usually for the better. The men returning home to Britain after the war were pretty much determined that the country was not going to revert to the social iniquities that existed up to 1939. The fact that Labour won the election in 1945 showed that the war had changed peoples' atitudes.

Of course, we now live in a Britain that was fundamentally changed by the experience of WW2 - for good or ill.

[rhinochopig]

Eric Mc said:

That was kind of what I was getting at. HOWEVER, it has to be said that the experiences of the war changed many people utterly - and usually for the better. The men returning home to Britain after the war were pretty much determined that the country was not going to revert to the social iniquities that existed up to 1939. The fact that Labour won the election in 1945 showed that the war had changed peoples' atitudes.

Of course, we now live in a Britain that was fundamentally changed by the experience of WW2 - for good or ill.

Sorry Eric wasn't really commenting on your post - more the sweeping generalities of those that followed.

To take up your point, though...

Those positives need to be compared to the lives that those experiences wrecked. Huge numbers of suicides due to survivor guilt, the lack of worth felt after being unceremoniously dumped back into civilian life without any preparation, the life-long nightmares, etc. Not all positive.

The other thing I think it created was a generation that were very very strict disciplinarians, cold towards their children, and who were very seldom able to show their emotions and affections.