Somme

For a very good reason ie someone is going >I hope > to buy me a slap up meal I am going over my Somme books and maps for a trip next May.
This year being the 90th anniversary of the armistice, there have been innumerable programmes not least the excellent 1914/1918 on BBC4.
Fast forward to last Friday night when Major Paul Pitchfork MC of the Royal Gurkha Rifles gave a talk to various people in Glasgow, which included descriptions of how they went about their business, how they lived and how the situation can be sorted.
I was struck not only by the differences, but by the similarities.
Our wars are fought by our youngsters, largely in appalling conditions, with terrifying judgements needing to be made daily and for little or no thanks from what I believe is largely an ungrateful nation.
There are those who say we should not fight overseas at all, that we should have no armed forces.
My reply to them is that this government, even as it pretends to be giving new landrovers ! it was already in last years budget and got put off until they have been shamed into giving them ! is quietly increasing recruitment, not least in Nepal where a doubling of Gurkhas is being promulgated over the next 5 years.
I hope to God they get not only the recognition they deserve but the proper equipment to do the job properly as well.