After his death, I read my father's diaries from his time in Burma during WW2
Very hard going.
In his early twenties he was part of the kind of unit that wasn't spoken about at the time and is almost completely written out of the official histories. They didn't carry a medic, didn't take prisoners and didn't leave wounded. Could the man that did these awful things be the same one who taught me to read, to ride a bike and play chess? The same man that had a deep love of music and poetry?
So, what makes me cry? Looking at his Burma Star. I miss the old bugger. Every day.
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Mon 11 Aug 2014, 9:16, 8 replies)

I was looking forward to the laboured pun about pissing in your own mouth, next time try not to leave it out, cheers.

( Zuowan, Mon 11 Aug 2014, 11:43, closed)

A big Like for the story, although in future pearoasts you may want to consider an alternative to "Looking at his Burma Star"
(superfly78, Mon 11 Aug 2014, 14:41, closed)

I have been awaiting the comments re the 'Burma Star' thing

(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Mon 11 Aug 2014, 16:36, closed)

There's a book...
..called 'Forgotten voices of the 2nd world war" - its just a massive collection of recollections from books, diaries, radio shows, quoted conversations - all sorted by year and battle

It's quite striking that all the Burma veterans quite freely admit that they had no interest in saving japanese lives or taking japanese prisoners. They had the greatest respect for them as soldiers but as prisoners considered them vermin to be eliminated. One account states that a particular unit never allowed a single enemy soldier to surrender alive for the entire war, and any who were captured were bayonnetted

I guess it got a bit personal.
(Carpe Cyprinidae, Mon 11 Aug 2014, 18:37, closed)