Durham Light Infantry

In the coverage of the seventieth anniversary of the Normandy Landings in June 1944, as well as the story of The Great Escape by one veteran from a care home denied leave to attend but who got there, this picture took my eye.

It is Ken Scott, formerly Sergeant in the Durham Light Infantry, probably the 9th Battalion. The Divisional Symbol is the Jerboa, the Desert Rat, of the 7th Armoured Division who arrived immediately after the initial landings.

It is copied above.  The other picture is of Berlin in July 1945 when the same battalion formed part of the Allied Victory Parade and were saluted by the leaders of the Allied armies.

Some of those who landed made it to Berlin.  Their long march started at El Alamein.

Remember.

Remembrance

For a few days it had been very quiet.  No Yanks were to be seen, their 82nd Airborne Division apparently were off training again somewhere.  But the Poles had also gone and there were extra masses being said.

What was unusual was the change in air activity.  It was not just quieter but the pattern had changed and again faces that had become familiar were not being seen.  There had been lulls before when the faces then changed.

However, it was summer and the best time to do things and make changes.  There were rumours and the know-alls were saying one thing or another but there was nothing on the radio or hints in the press.

And there were other things.  Would the butcher have something better than stringy old mutton this week?  Would we be able to trade our sweet ration for more eggs?  What was on at the pictures?

Would the stock of potatoes last until the next crop?  Could we be in time to be at the front of the queue at the fish and chip shop?  Would we be lucky enough to get some coal in during the summer?

Also, we had hoped to be able to get out a bit more but the weather had been bad.

Five years ago this was posted about HMS "Boadicea" and it will serve to explain how the next few days changed everything.

Relative Values

Sometimes, it is better not to dig too much or extend the search too far in family history.

This news item from the Daily Express may seem a hum drum, well I never, but just a minor interesting item about Kate, formerly Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge and her connection to the Chamberlain family, major politicians of the past.

But this blog post from here a couple of years ago pin points a near cousin with the same family links.

Oh dear, so who will or will not be inviting whom to dinner?

And will there be peace in our time?

Pub Bores Pass Off Voters

We know this pub.  One to avoid now.

It must have gone down a lot since we were last there.  They look like migrants from Kensington and Chelsea to me.

I mean that noisy Clegg and his bad jokes let alone tasteless policies.

And Cable, rambling on about everything but sense on nothing.

We may try the Coal Hole or The Ship And Shovell.

Gulf Of Thinking

Moving on to one the more important issues of our times, something which really governs our lives and the ways we think and act.  Yes, football.  There is a major fuss at the moment.

Qatar, recently given the job of hosting the 2022 World Cup, which came as a surprise to some; it is said, swung the votes of innocent and gullible men by the simple device of chucking money around to help them in their decision making.

Remember, this is professional football and at the international end which in the past has always been bandit country in terms of the methods of administration and governance. 

It is For The Money, By The Money and Of The Money only with a touch of delicacy and confidentiality in the actual detail of the arrangements in the past. 

Politicians and moralists, if the two can be used in the same sentence, must feel that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.  The public must think that right is right and all is honest and well.

Given what has gone on in the past in the way venues have been chosen, who has been involved, how the votes have been worked the Qatar approach has been refreshingly simple and cheap.  Also, their taxpayers are picking up much less of the bill.

But instead of being praised for the transparency of their efforts and their relative honesty, lack of discrimination and embracing of diversity, the losers want them to be stripped of the right to hold the World Cup.

Qatar should keep the nomination.  On the heat issue, play the games at 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and as for other matters do what FIFA usually do, have a quiet fix behind closed doors on the basis of indirect backhanders for those needing to be squared.

Then campaign for Qatar to have The Olympics.

It would have to be less corrupt than the London one.

And as for the Brazilian....... 

The Reign In Spain

The news that King Juan Carlos I of Spain has abdicated has not commanded much attention here or in many places.  It is seen as a relatively minor matter against the great hurly burly of the lives of our celebrities and the World Cup. 

His son, King Felipe is to inherit the throne and is of an age to look forward to a number of decades in place.  As King Juan Carlos has been putting his foot in it recently and ageing it makes for a smooth transition in a troubled nation.

To have a King Felipe, or Philip, may cause a twitch in English minds.  We had a lot of trouble with King Philip II some time ago in the 16th Century which historians and television series will not less us forget. He was devout, serious and determined and married our Queen Mary.  But we did not share his views either on earthly or heavenly matters.

Like every other royal family in Europe, inevitably, King Felipe is among the cloud of distant cousins descended from Queen Victoria.  So he will have a claim to the British Throne, although rather down the list, such as it is.  

However, history teaches us that a monarch or potentate with enough ambition, money and the ability to do and apply what is necessary, including force, can overcome these hindrances.  These days, perhaps the promise to safeguard British owned property might be enough to do the trick.

On the other hand there is a spare throne available for King Juan Carlos to retire to if so inclined.  It is a nation that could do with some dignity and common sense at the top.  It is France, a throne at present going begging, especially if the performance reviews of recent Presidents are any guide.

Another throne, again with long connections with the Spanish, is that of Austria.  Others should be discounted, such as the United Provinces, however strong the historical connections are, there could be too many to take on at once.  They might agree to differ.

At least there is no dispute in Spain, at least at present.  In the past we had Wars of Spanish Succession which involved just about all the monarchs and princes of Europe.  The conflicts that may arise will be more to do with the Euro, a serious financial situation and the potential for economic collapse.

In the London Doomsters Club, formerly known as The Drones, Spain is among the countries at the head of the list as being in real trouble and heading for worse.  This is bad news for the UK as Santander is now one of our biggest financial firms.

In Spain, King Alonso XIII did not survive the shake out during The Great Crash of 1929-1931.  He abdicated although during the General Franco regime was treated with a degree of respect.  Eventually, in 1969 Franco designated King Alonso's grandson, Juan Carlos, as Prince of Spain and heir.

What happens next is a number of interesting questions which may be intricate to resolve.  There may be a good deal of confusion and uncertainty.  The consequences may be more in the hands of the financial markets and Brussels.

Given Spanish history, that its destiny might be settled by a group of what amounts to mercenary unelected hirelings in Brussels would be one of the richer ironies of history.

King Juan Carlos also has been the Grand Master of the Order of Calatrava.  Perhaps I will open one of my bottles of Calatrava to toast him a happy retirement.

Semper Eadem

Those with a smattering of European History will not be entirely surprised at Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Prussia, sorry, Germany, being in favour of a Juncker running the shop.

It would be in keeping with the longer traditions of Europe in relation to an honourable status of rank and family.  They have been around for a long time.

Accordingly, and to show respect for this adherence to ancient ruling classes, the proper answer from someone with poetical contacts of one sort or another in the family is to pen, or rather blog, an Ode To Europe.

There was an old man called Juncker,

Who made a bit of a clunker.

He bet on the Euro,

Which sent him quite neuro'

So they packed him off to a bunker.

Nominations for one award or another would be welcome, we could do with a free night out.