OT Hoping that Iran will release the 15 British boys

Thanks, Mirjam, indeed, so do I! Hopefully they will release them in a few days as they did last time - although things do appear to be going from bad to worse at the moment.

Pat

snipped-for-privacy@actcom.co.il (Mirjam Bruck-Cohen),in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

I hope the 'men' will be released soon - in all the years my husband served in the RN I never once heard him refer to others as 'boys' - how demeaning. The only ones referred to as boys, were the intake at HMS Ganges in Suffolk.

Not forgetting the RAF Boy Entrant scheme which ran from 1934 to 1965. I was in the 38th entry, 1959-61, and in what was termed "man's service" from 1961 to 1973.

Let's hope the men from the RN and RM are soon released unharmed.

David was at Ganges from 1962 to mid '63. We joined him there sometime in September, when we could find a house.

Did you have to wear serge socks under your boots ? The RN boys did and those who suffered from chilblains even got gangrenous toes sometimes. One of the docs developed a method of treating with ultraviolet lamps to the relief of many of them. You could watch them drilling and almost pick out the ones with chilblains by the stress on their faces.

No serge socks, just thick woollen socks and heavy boots.

You have to strat picking at me again ,,,, who cares what you think I worry about people taken by hostile to them forces. and that` s what matters here and now , not your insisting to correct my words that come from my heart. mirjam

ps Could you for ONCE in your writing here just FEEL compassion and empathy for somebody`s lot . mirjam

I think it is just a confusion of language, Mirjam. No lack of empathy or compassion is apparent in the reply to your email.

Good thought, Mirjam. Pretty horrible - one can only imagine there's been some torture to get them to say they were in Iranian waters. Listening to a report on NPR, they were discussing that things like this happen at this time becaue it's coming on the Iranina "new year" celebration and a lot of senior political officials are off, so in jockeying for position some of the juniors may well orchestrate something to push themselves and their faction forward. My summarizing - but I believe that was the gist - pointing to the fact that it was completely unlikely that the British sailors were in the Iranian waters, but part an opportunity to do something - not having to do with truth - for someone's faction, and that if the senior minister had been there - not on leave for some more week or so - this likely wouldn't have happened. Also - showing some unhappiness for the UN sanctions vote having to do with the uranium enrichment program.

Anyhow - we should all keep good thoughts and prayers. ellice

Wow - how interesting. In my years working for DoD, with many military colleagues, they typically do refer to each other as "boys" or "guys" and sometimes "men" - of course depending on the situration. And for sure, with any sports teams - no matter how old they are - it's always, always "c'mon boys..."

In Mirjam's defense, you know she uses the term boys as I believe she and others think of them still as someone's child. Not in a demeaning way - but of course, it does give you the opportunity to snipe. Couldn't just have a nice, hopeful thought - how sad.

FWIW, I believe it's 14 males, and 1 female sailor/soldier involved in the capture.

ellice

I can`t think under what rock the other respondent`s been hiding - for GENERATIONS servicemen have referred to each other as "boys" - and to those of us of older generations they`re all "boys" to us, anyway - it`s certainly never been a term of disparagement. We all know they`re men - but they`re still "our boys" and always will be!

Pat

In the immortal words of Noel Coward during WWI

"Keep the home fires burning, while my heart is yearning, 'til the boys come home"

In which of my postings do you think that I laughed at you or mocked you Mirjam?

Exactly - nothing demeaning about that - or the phrase "The Boys in Blue" etc. (I think you meant WW2 though). By the way, Mirjam, I certainly didn`t read into it that Bruce was in any way laughing at you.

Pat

I don't know about Noel Coward's rendition of Keep the Home Fires Burning, but I'm sure the song was written during WW 1.