"But see what fine soldiers we have made of them!" Well that probably is true ! My Grandfather who I mentioned in my first email, enlisted in 1914 and went thru WW1 until 1918. At the time of enlisting, he was 43 years old, and came out of the pub one Saturday and straight into the recruiting office, he left a wife and nine children and marched off to the battlefields of France, he went thru the Somme and other bloody battles. Meanwhile Haig and his cronies were making a complete *&%^* of things in the comfort of company headquarters or his London home. I have a photo of my Grandfather in a family photo after the war, with his five medals pinned on his waistcoat , it has pride of place in my lounge room. Aye they bred them tough in those days. The scum of the earth won 'the war to end all wars' . Elizabeth > Regarding the remark about the"scum of the earth": apparently Wellington > went on to say, which > makes it not quite so bad! > > Best wishes, > Sheena Ireland > > > Poor people have never received the rspect they deserve. One of my GGG's, > James Pocock, was an illiterate soldier who fought with the Cameron > Highlanders through the Peninsula Campaigns and was crippled when shot > through both thighs at Waterloo. He received five medals - and a pension of > pennies. The noble Duke of Wellington said the soldiers who fought for him > were "the scum of the earth." Should there be a hereafter, I intend to have > a word with His Wretched Grace which he won't like, about that remark! > > Sonia Murray > Biloxi, MS USA > > ______________________________

Well, I'm glad to hear the Duke said something nice to mitigate his ugly remark. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all - but I bet he stayed in the rear giving orders, well out of cannon range. "Help the girl that Tommy's left behind him..." What in the world would have happened to the children if the father was killed? I suspect pensions were pitifully small back then! All the best, Sonia Snip> -----Original Message----- From: Elizabeth Reid [mailto:bluebel2@tpg.com.au] Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 4:29 AM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [MLN] Mine Worker Records "But see what fine soldiers we have made of them!" Well that probably is true ! My Grandfather... enlisted in 1914 and went thru WW1 until 1918. At the time of enlisting, he was 43 years old, and came out of the pub one Saturday and straight into the recruiting office, he left a wife and nine children and marched off to the battlefields of France, he went thru the Somme > <snip > Regarding the remark about the"scum of the earth": apparently > Wellington went on to say, which makes it not quite so bad! > > Best wishes, > Sheena Ireland> >

The regulars of World War II proudly called themselves the "Old Contemptibles". It was an achievement in itself to return alive from this hellish conflict, moira Elizabeth Reid wrote: >"But see what fine soldiers we have made of them!" > >Well that probably is true ! My Grandfather who I mentioned in my first >email, enlisted in 1914 and went thru WW1 until 1918. At the time of >enlisting, he was 43 years old, and came out of the pub one Saturday and >straight into the recruiting office, he left a wife and nine children and >marched off to the battlefields of France, he went thru the Somme and other >bloody battles. Meanwhile Haig and his cronies were making a complete *&%^* >of things in the comfort of company headquarters or his London home. I have >a photo of my Grandfather in a family photo after the war, with his five >medals pinned on his waistcoat , it has pride of place in my lounge room. >Aye they bred them tough in those days. >The scum of the earth won 'the war to end all wars' . > >Elizabeth > > > > > > > > > >>Regarding the remark about the"scum of the earth": apparently Wellington >>went on to say, which >>makes it not quite so bad! >> >>Best wishes, >>Sheena Ireland >> >> >>Poor people have never received the rspect they deserve. One of my GGG's, >>James Pocock, was an illiterate soldier who fought with the Cameron >>Highlanders through the Peninsula Campaigns and was crippled when shot >>through both thighs at Waterloo. He received five medals - and a pension >> >> >of > > >>pennies. The noble Duke of Wellington said the soldiers who fought for >> >> >him > > >>were "the scum of the earth." Should there be a hereafter, I intend to >> >> >have > > >>a word with His Wretched Grace which he won't like, about that remark! >> >>Sonia Murray >>Biloxi, MS USA >> >>______________________________ >> >> > > > >