Britain - The Official Thread

[sirjim73]

I salute you Sir.
(which reminds me, why WASN'T he knighted!!! He did more for this country than almost all of those on the list every year).

John Hemingway: Last surviving Battle of Britain pilot dies aged 105

Mr Hemingway, who is originally from Dublin, joined the RAF as a teenager before World War Two.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[MatskiMonk]

(which reminds me, why WASN'T he knighted!!! He did more for this country than almost all of those on the list every year).

I'd imagine because he's Irish. I'd also argue that he was awarded for his service record, and a knighthood for simply being the last person living that faught in a battle is not worthy alone of a knighthood, given those he faught alongside who also survived may well not have received the honour.

 

[sirjim73]

I'd imagine because he's Irish. I'd also argue that he was awarded for his service record, and a knighthood for simply being the last person living that faught in a battle is not worthy alone of a knighthood, given those he faught alongside who also survived may well not have received the honour.

Re the first point, Bob Geldof is Irish and had an "honorary knighthood" until he returned it in 2017 - I am aware he couldn''t call himself "Sir" but he had the equivalent title available for an Irish man.

Re the second point, yes I agree with the point about others not having been awarded so he shouldn't have been awarded on that basis.

I've also since found out that only commissioned officers can be knighted, so in fact none of them would ever have been eligible and it's a moot point.

It does remain however that he likely saved thousands of lives at Dunkirk, in Britain and in Italy over the course of 5 years, and I salute him for that and hope he rests in peace.

 

[MatskiMonk]

It does remain however that he likely saved THOUSANDS of lives at Dunkirk, in Britain and in Italy, and I salute him for that and hope he rests in peace.

Fair enough.

I've been to many, many war graves over the years, I'd salute them all, but they're dead, there is no point. I think it's more important to honour their sacrifice by up holding what they risked, and often lost everything, for. Sad as it is when one of the few dies... no one (for example) knows who this soldier was, he gave his life to secure the Normandy area.. never a medal, never a knighthood... one of thousands, tens of of thousands... when you consider the Great War, hundreds of thousands.

Salute them all.