In the navy now (again)
My great grandfather like many of his generation lied about his age to join up for the first world war. Entering the Navy in 1916, he saw active service and stayed on after the war. Looking to get a civilian job he received a conditional discharge, if war broke out again before he turned forty he would be immediately conscripted.

Born in 1900, he was 39 and 6 months when the announcement came on the radio that Hitler was in Poland for the long haul. What made this all the worse was he had just finished packing the suitcases for a family holiday and was at the foot of the stairs when the announcement was made.

I try not to complain about flight delays.
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 10:55, 14 replies)

I'll bet Hitler made the planes run on time.

( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 11:04, closed)

planes trains
( .Yeti., Fri 26 Sep 2014, 11:14, closed)

Hmm...
Gets idea for "planes, trains and automobiles" picture for /board.

Probably bindun though.
(Richy_T hundreds if not thousands of dollars, Sat 27 Sep 2014, 5:48, closed)

also if in the forties planes could carry 500kg bombs with ease
why are today's baggage allowances so small?
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 12:01, closed)

BA will let you carry as much as you like provided you don't mind them dumping it out of the hold as you pass over German reservoirs

(sock puppet 94980 your personal details here, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 13:49, closed)

Bollocks
BA won't have been gettin' in no plane, foo.
(Chickenwire social lubricator extraordinaire, Sat 27 Sep 2014, 3:50, closed)

one of my great grandads would have faced the same thing
but fortunately the Hun shot his eyes out in the closing days of the great war
(sock puppet 94980 your personal details here, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 11:15, closed)

lol
I bet he was all like: "who turned out the lights!"
(Baggenfrock get fucked, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 11:21, closed)

^Over 10 minutes later and I'm still lolling over this.
I really need to get a life *wipes tear*
(Dr Doctor Can't you see I'm burning burning?, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 11:35, closed)

I thought the lamps went off all over Europe.

( d.r._and_quinch when will you be famous?, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 11:57, closed)

totes he was like omg lol wtf now I'll have to marry a Jew or sutin

(sock puppet 94980 your personal details here, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 12:32, closed)

excellent work

( The Doveston haunted by the memory of his own amnesia, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 13:44, closed)

Was his 39 and 6 months his actual age at the time or the age the navy would think is his age cos he lied about it?
Talk about a 'Doh!' moment if so
( Ms Shenanigans put something interesting here later, Fri 26 Sep 2014, 13:49, closed)

They found out when he was still under-age
But they were not turning the whole battleship round from Jutland to drop him back at his mum's. So they just swept the matter under the carpet, quite a common thing to do apparently.

For instance the first British infantry soldier to die in WW1 was 16 years old.
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Sat 27 Sep 2014, 9:12, closed)