Re: Mateship
 

Again you read what is not there to be read. You can't see the wood for the trees.

Re: Mateship
 

There is no doubting Australias sacrifice during WWI and the level of distrust the events put between Britain and here. When you see the diggers themeselves they are highly dignified. Yesterday the obituary was for one who never revealed that he had fought in WWI until the French decided to give him an award.

It is ashame the current Australian media and politicians cannot maintain that dignity and they milk the event. The RSL is not happy and would rather ANZAC day was not a public holiday so as to treat it with the proper reverance it deserves rather than a flag waving orgy more appropriate to a football game.

Re: Mateship
 

Call that mateship? He's run him through with his bayonet!

Re: Mateship
 

Yes this word 'mateship' does seem to have it's origin in WW1. My point aws that the Aus media like to bandy the word around as the standard by which all fair dinkum aussies behave. I was merely wondering how they might like to apply it to the behaviour of the young girl's team mates in the rowing crew.

Dare we say they behaved in an "un-australian" manner.

Re: Mateship
 

Coming from a background where I've been in a sport/physical situatipn where you have to go through the fatigue/pain barrier, I've been talking to a lot of sportspeople (many non Australian), even my wife who is a sportsperson for their views.

I was surprised to see that a large amount were sympathetic to the crew, and didn't actually have that much sympathy for the girl.

They all said, if you row at that level, in a team you can't give up. It sounds harsh, but you can't (!). It's the whole ethos of any close knit team.. as any one who has been in that sort of team dynamic knows. At that level, it's like the soldier carrying ammo resups to the battlefield, he simply has to get there or his blokes get it. Collapsing is one thing, giving up is another. Of course, noone can know what happened out there. The reports all indicate that she has a history of this.

(The other side of the coin:, it is one thing your team demanding you to help them during a race; but afterwards, all should be forgotten... after 4 yrs of trg, you expect a minimum ask? Maybe she should never have been accepted. It's why elite military units have selection programmes designed to see what people can stand up to, finding out in trg is better than in the real thing).

Speaking from personal experience where we had to supervise selection trg programmes, I know there comes a time when the body gives up - there are only so many cheques that the body can cash. We all knew that everyone always has 2pc or whatever more in them after what they thought was complete exhaustion, and can normally carry on, but then the intervals of a revival come fewer and fewer...and then it can get dangerous..you have to gauge when this has happened, and then you have to take the person off the course..its always hard knowing how hard anyone can push themselves personally...you always know your own personal limit. It's hard - You're saying "Come on give me 2pc more", they're saying they can't find it..a difficult one which plagues coaches everywhere..

BM

Re: Mateship
 

No dare about it. That's exactly what happened.

Re: Mateship
 

Bollux! LOL , and mike is absoutley correct on this one!.. take a look at the "foreign" pilots that lost their lives in the second ww, and joined up - NZ far out numbered Australians, only second to Poland. First WW again your talking bollux - per capita

And if you want per capita I suggest you look at Wales mate, let alone the UK which per capita had more people over there than Australia .. even today Wales sent more to the Iraq war than Australia did , let alone the 1st and second WW's ( and we are just a nation of 2.9 million). Where on earth you get your facts from I don't know.. Is Australia brain washing you.. it does that to some people here. Do you get your so- called facts from " Today tonight" or something

Re: Mateship
 

steady Ceri we hear ya old girl...yeah the Poles did their bit, that's for sure. Wales has always produced soldiers. All those mountains make good trg grounds..

Maybe if this forum collaborated, it could write an entire Australian (or whatever) revisionist history of the world..there is so much talent here..

I suppose Trevglas is right in that many other nations outside the major protaganists of the US and UK lost many men out of all proportion to their populations. Is Wales counted alongside England in Brit forces - it must be.

BM

Re: Mateship
 

Well, here's one thread that's gone ass up for a fact.

Re: Mateship
 

It is counted in major figures as in British forces - the same goes for Scotland, although a lot of the welsh are under the welsh regiments.

In Iraq ( now) - the welsh sent more than two thousand under the welsh regiments ( not including the people who are serving under English regiments) .. Australia is less than that with a nation of 20 million - compared to a nation of 2.9 million.

P.s I'm not slagging any old digger off .. they have my greatest respect. But to make this into an argument of Aus verses Uk is wrong.. all those soldiers deserve respect in my eyes. They all deserve respect!

Re: Mateship
 

absolutely. Although I didn't see an Aus vs Uk argument developing.

UK mil history..hmm...It was the Welsh Guards that got it on Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram at Bluff? Cove, and it was the Scots Guards that reputedly did a bayonet charge up Mt Tumbledown....conscript argies my arse.

meanwhile the Paras and the Marines got all the glory. The Paras did their usual business of gutter fighting, the Marines thought about it for a while and took Harriet from behind..and got to appear back home nice and clean on Blue Peter afterwards..

:D

BM

Re: Mateship
 

Here's one of Ceri's Welsh mates. Infantryman from the Royal Regiment of Wales.

Re: Mateship
 

And the Oz v Uk brigade reach a new low. "Who lost the highest percentage during the war"???

ffs change the record. And dont give me the usual bollocks about debate and free speach. This isn't a subject you lot should be using for your boring point scoring debates.

Re: Mateship
 

fellas (ceri) - I think the thread was about a female rower in a sporting event. You've really done well to get it to where it is now. In less than 5 pages could you get back on topic.

Re: Mateship
 

And how are you today my little wallaby.?..lol . ( no thanks to you.. it has the the title of AC)

Rich I was commenting on trev's bull sh*te, about the Aus troops

My gawd I don't half read some cr*p on this board .