General Chat

Don't post much here these days,,,,,

I must say that "I" totally admire our service men and women who are serving at the moment and I feel for the families that have lost loved ones.... But what is upsetting my OH (ex-WG) who served in Northern Ireland when it was at its worse,,, they are never mentioned ! OH was shot, blown up held up and ,,,,,, nothing.

Am sorry if I have offended anyone, really don't mean to, but I understand what he is going through. PLEASE REMEMBER "ALL" SQUADDIES WHO SERVED IN NORTHERN IRELAND THEY ARE STILL SUFFERING TOO

TeddyWelshGirl

I don't think anybody forgets them and I doubt that you are alone with a loved one serving or served out there in Northern Ireland. Most threads for the servicemen do state all that are serving, just some seem to be in a totally alien position.

Hello TWG, I doubt our service men who served in NI in those terrible times will never be forgotten, there are a few guys on here who served them and I know at least 2 of my friends that post on here OH was in the army then and I strongly doubt they like you will never forget them dark times.... God bless all our service men and women past and present xx

Thank you Uzzi

It is not the threads on here at all, they are great and I read them all. It is the general media, my OH and 3 of his brothers all served in NI and the one also served in the first Gulf war and the Falklands and the all say the same. It is such a shame. None of them have had any help from the government at all, just seems a little unfair. My OH tried twice over the last 23 that we have been together to get help from SAFA same with his brothers and quite a few of their comrades nothing what so ever, all they want is recognition for what they went through and what they are still going through Bloody Sunday being one. Sorry for rambling, but my Oh is really upset bless him

Hi TWG, nice to see you posting again.

Nobody forgets those who served in NI, not ever, nor those on the mainland who suffered at the hands of the terrorists either.

I think the main difference is that when people talk about servicemen these days, people tend to think of those whose lives are at risk in a current conflict, such as that in Afghanistan, and almost daily we are seeing our lads killed and maimed out there. That's the only thing I can say.

Nobody forget NI, the Falklands, the Gulf, not ever.

aw thank you Hayley would love to here from any WG's who served in NI 1969-1975

Have found a few of OH's old mates on WG re-united

OUr replies crossed, and I see where you're coming from now.

I think the problem is there have been so many defence cuts, and it is being fast realised that the care simply isn't there for them any more. People were outraged that soldiers were recovering in ordinary NHS hospitals, with staff who were not trained in battle trauma lets face it.

Where I used to live there was an RAF hospital. 39% NHS beds, as it was a training hospital, and the rest were military, but usually there were 75% NHS patients during peacetime. Both my kids were born there, although I was just a local girl, not military, and the woman in the bed next to me on the ward was RAF wife.

But during the Falklands conflict, the hospital was closed to NHS, we had to go elsewhere, and it was full of injured personnel from the falklands.

Then it closed. To everyone. Part of Maggie Thatchers defence cuts.

Now that didn't make sense, but it came as no surprise to me that todays soldeirs spend their recovery in ordinary hospitals, especially as there have been more and more cuts since that time.

Nobody has ever really looked after the families really. It's something we've never learned to do in the last 100 years at least. But we are learning, people are beginning to see the bigger picture, even if the government and the media aren't.

i do agree with what you say they are brought back in secret with no coverage like the troops from other conflict,s this is the fault of the goverment how ever they will not be forgotten by us ordenary folk ever god bless them all.

OH did say about a military hospital being closed, not sure but I think it was Swndon, with all equipment still inside ! don't know that for a fact though, but I do know from personal experience that military hospitals are better equipped than NHS, squaddies deserve their own hospitals NHS is not good enough for us let alone injured squaddies, so I agree with you TeresaW, thank you

Another one!

I was talking about the RAF hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Excellent hospital, fully equipped with a burns unit, A&E and general surgical wards, and a brilliant natal unit. It's all gone now, never to be brought back.

You are sooooo right Michael, when they had the Bloody Sunday enquiry thingy,OH was waiting for a phone call as he was one of the first to be engaged

by the way none came