Tuesday [7]

(1622) Just woke up, literally, from a two hour sleep after training and second meal. Cunning plan for those training is protein before, liquid sipper at intervals throughout, protein intake within forty mins after. What they never say is that if you're at this caper at my age, one zonks as like as not. As I did. At my post. (1730)

7.  At the going down of the sun

If I say I never saw enemy action in anger ... not yet anyway ... then it just happened that way. I certainly trained for it, we were to be called over to the cauldron ... but it never happened. Twice there was political action which saw us "demobbed" as our elders once called it.

I sure saw enemy action in NI but as a non-combatant. If they'd checked out my car reg, connected to the British army ... but maybe not as we were protected that way. Similarly, I saw Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, was right there while it was still there in anger, the two Berlins divided, but again on leave.

Yes, I was on many an exercise, spent time in APCs (shan't say if bulldog or what, shan't mention regiment) but the only time I was shot at (and killed by the way in a "your dead, my son" manner) was on a hilltop when a sneaky opposition sod found me in a command position and that was that.

Poor spatial awareness had me swapping career paths rather than taking a cushy backroom job and the rest, as they say, was history. One never knows but not sure it was a question of courage ... we were trained, we knew the drill ... but I was pushed into a command role and was not all that good at it, imho ... my sergeant never said a word but he knew and so it was a best not to stay on and be found out in the field ... fine as a squaddy, not as a one pip wearer.

What all that meant though is I know an active serviceman when I meet one, I've hobnobbed with an NCO or two, I worked for army and thus I say today's civvies have not a bleedin' clue what's coming ... possibly good thing too, as it would frighten the ... well, enough of that.  You see, we know the words we say here are "we're being betrayed from above" but Steve, for example, knows the full implications of that and I understand the scorn takes on a different edge to that of Digger etc. ... just as real ... but different.

In our last thoughts on St George's ... Steve again:

A warrior nation indeed, James. Remembering the Battle of Maldon (991 AD) and the Viking invasion of Essex. We were outnumbered, but we fought on without hope of victory. Earl Byrhtnoth, Ealdorman of Essex and commander of the East Saxon fyrd, took on this huge force with a fierceness that echoes down the ages..

Thought shall be the harder, heart the keener,
Mood shall be the more as our might lessens.'

So in the hour of maximum adversity and danger they closed their ranks and were true to one another. Save one dispatched young messenger they all went down fighting.

If the English ever do wake up ... before the enemy are activated in every camp across the nation that is, rather like knives through butter ... then and only then will this ring true in this song: