REMEMBER ,BETWEEN AUG 1914-11/11/1918,WHEN THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF EUROPE FELL OUT,AND COMMUNICATED BY BODY COUNTS,WELL THIS COST IN MONEY TERMS OVER £1,000,000.00p 1914 POUNDS A DAY! NOT A PROBLEM HOWEVER AFTER THIS THERE WAS NOTHING TO SUPPORT THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS,UNEMPLOYED,INJURED,IN THE NEW LAND FIT FOR HERO'S,ONE OF WHOM WAS MY GRANDAD 2-1/2 YRS IN YPRES SALIENT,WHO CAUGHT A SHRANEL BALL IN HIS CHEST THAT PULSED WITH EVERY BEAT OF HIS HEART HE DIED AGED 97 IN 1988,WITH THIS STILL THERE.FIELD MATSHALL HAIG WAS PROMOTED IN THE ARISTOCRACY ,AND GOT A GRATUITY ,AN ENORMOUS SUM FOR THE DAY,MY GRANDAD TRIED TO DO WHAT THE WAR DIDN'T:KILL HIMSELF!THESE WHERE THE TIMES WHEN THE CURE FOR A LOT OF SQADDIES WITH POST TRAUMATIC STRESS,FOUND THE CURE WAS A FIRING SQUAD.EARL HAIG MEANWHILE SPENT THE REST OF HIS LIFE ,WORKING FOR EX SERVICE ORANISATION's.THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THESE OLD SOLDIERS,EXCEPT EACH OTHER,THIS WAS THE BASIS OF THE BRITISH LEGION TODAY.NOW THE VETERANS AGENCY SAY DON'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PAPERS,THIS I BELIEVE,IF ONLY BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS IN FACT FAR WORSE .FROM THINGS LIKE PORTON DOWN,WHERE THE CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD,WAS FOUND, SARIN F'KIN NERVE GAS ONE OF THE VICTIMS OF THIS ,WELL THEIR FAMILY WAITED 50 YRS ,FOR COMPENSATION,THE FELLOW CONCERNED A'INT COMING BACK ,HE'S DEAD THE CHRISTMAS ISLAND,NUCLEAR TEST SERVICE PEOPLE,YEARS OF PAIN AND STRUGGLE. GULF WAR SYNDROME,IS IT SOMETHING YOU IMAGINE,OR DO FIT EX SERVICEMEN DIE,COS THEY MISS THEIR OPPO'S,DEPLETED URANIUM AMMUNITION ,THE DUST IS S'POSED TO BE GOOD FOR YOU BLUE ON BLUE(FRIENDLY FIRE),WELL WE SEE HOW THE MOD CO-OPERATES WITH THE CORONER,AND ALL OF A SUDDEN ,THE YANK PILOTS ,THAT KILLED AND INJURED OUR MEN ARE SAYING SORRY SO YOU SEE THE VETERANS AGENCY ARE RIGHT TO SAY YOU SHOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ ,AND HEAR IN THE MEDIA LOTS OF EX -SERVICE ORGANIZATION 'S RELY ON CHARITY FOR THEIR FUNDING,THE MAIN ONE ,WE KNOW IS THE POPPY APPEAL,AS HISTORY HAS SHOWN ,NOT ONLY DOES CHILE BUY OUR HARDLY USED WARSHIPS,BUT THEIR FARMERS GET FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY FOR GUINEA PIG FARMING , WHILE EX SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN REFUSED,IN FAVOUR OF OTHER WORTHY CAUSES.ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS R.B L. DOES IS HELP WITH ,PENSIONS AND WAR PENSION APPEALS. WHO AGAINST YOU MIGHT ASK,WHY THE VETERANS AGENCY OF COURSE ,AND DON'T FORGET ITS A PITTANCE ANYWAY,TAX FREE, PROBABLY COS IT WOULD COST MORE TO ADMINISTER THAN ITS WORTH.HOW DO I KNOW ,IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE A WAR PENSION FOR A 20% DISABLED ASSEMENT,ITS WORTH ABOUT £100:00p A MONTH,ONCE UPON A TIME IT NEARLY COVERED MY COUNCIL TAX,BUT NOW ITS £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

Pete, as ever, absolutely spot-on! Like you, my cutlass is honed to perfection and waits somewhat impatiently for retribution day! When it arrives, there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth throughout this land. They who sow the wind, reap the WHIRLWIND!!!!! Mind you, it'll have to be in the morning, I'm fit for nowt after lunch! Regards, Dave.

MORNING YOU ,AS YOUR ONLY FIT FOR THE FORENOON WATCH,I HOPE THE BRIGHTWORK 'S DONE,AND DON'T FORGET THE SCUTTLE AS WE ARE ENTERING HARBOUR,THEN YOU CAN GO FOR A D.T.S. BUT ONLY WITH THE JIMMY'S PERMISSION.TODAYS QUESTION.WHY HAVE THE VETERANS AGENCY PEOPLE GOT A JOB,IS IT 1) BECAUSE THERE ARE VETERANS?.2)A STEADY CIVIL SERVICE JOB,SHAME ABOUT THE VETERANS? 3) TO SHOW A CARING ,SHARING ,SIDE TO AARTONE'S AGEING COHORTS,AS AN EXAMPLE OF PROTECTING INTEGRITY,TO THOSE WHO HAVE PROTECTED DEMOCRACY,BUT CAN'T AFFORD CASH FOR HONOURS.4) WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE EXPENSIVE CHAIRS SOMEHOW,AND BOLLOCKS TO THE REASON ,FOR OUR TERMS OF REFERENCE. ANSWER'S ON A POSTCARD PSE TO ARTHURS COUCH

Thanks for that Pete. All MoD public relations blurb should come with a Government health warning. The truth can seriously damage your health.

Yours Aye

Arthur