DFP

[BobG]

That is something else Elmsall!! 1917. Born one year after the Lusitania went down!

BobG

Edit: wrong. May 7th 1915.

[Colemans Left Hook]

I haven’t bought a newspaper for around thirty years, possibly more.

Neither has yours truly but:-

Mrs Coleman circumnavigates the problem ( or rather did !!) couple of times a month 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/feb/03/waitrose-to-scrap-free-newspapers-for-loyalty-card-customers#:~:text=Waitrose%20is%20ditching%20free%20newspapers,%C2%A310%20with%20the%20supermarket.


always get got the Telegraph for the sport and business  and i hate small newspapers.


The fact that I never read them for many months or even years later makes the "who said what more interesting "

[Colemans Left Hook]

That is something else Elmsall!! 1917. Born one year after the Lusitania went down!

BobG

As we know the German sank an innocent passenger ship (at least it wasn't a hospital ship) and "medals were created" to commemorate the event

Q. Why was the Lusitania medal made?
In August 1915, German artist Karl Goetz cast a commemorative medal depicting the May 7, 1915 sinking of the Lusitania. He intended it to be a metallic political cartoon, but it became a propaganda tool. ... There were between 41 to 45 medals of this version made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

which makes you wonder will The Russians go down a similar line and issue medals to commemorate  the destruction of the Childrens Hospital today in Ukraine

[BobG]

The Lusitana was not an 'innocent passenger ship'. It was carrying substantial munitions in the forward half of its hull. That section was sealed off from public access in 1914 when the Admiralty exercised its option at the outbreak of war to take over the entire section. The Admiralty had the option because they paid a huge portion of Cunards' building costs.

Everyone in New York knew what the Lusitania was doing. It had been doing it for nearly a year. The Germans took out huge adverts in loads of US papers warning that the ship was a legitimate target and why.

But worst of all, or best  of all, depending upon your view of high strategy, was Churchills' personal intervention as First Lord of the Admiralty to separate the ship from its escort and to divert it into the path of a known U Boat. They even ordered the Lusitania to zig zag when its entire history, along with its sister ship, was based on being the fastest trans Atlantic liners afloat. No U Boat had ever got near them. Why zig zag? To reduce its mean speed and give the U Boat a better chance of intercepting. There is no doubt about any of this.

From the British point of view, the sinking was a huge success. It killed a lot of Americans - Churchills' objective. Britain needed the Yanks in the war. Getting the Germans to kill Yanks was perfect.

The wreck shows the evidence of gun mountings on the main deck - never used but there all the same. I believe they were for 4 inch guns but it might have been 6 inch. The mountings were installed when the ship was built but hidden under deck planking. Technically therefore Lusitania was an armed merchant vessel and therefore a legitimate target on that basis as well as that of carrying war material.

The most unfortunate aspect of the episode was the fate of the Captain of the ship. He was publicly pilloried and hung out to dry for deviating from the course the ship had been originally ordered to follow, its  more normal more easterly route past Kinsale Head. Churchill at the Admiralty couldn't admit the plot of course so he died a broken man for the greater good of his nation.

Churchill never admitted his role. But the evidence has been available for 50 years.

Oh. One last point. The Lusitania medals, allegedly struck by Germany,  were the brainchild of Britain too. All the more muck to throw at Germany for the benefit of the Yanks. Look it up CLH.  There's  plenty of books on the subject. Colin Simpson's 'Lusitania" is simple to read. Pub. 1973 if my memory is right. Abebooks have copies. Oxfam online have even got a copy signed the author.

Some nights Churchill must have almost laughed himself to sleep. The perfect plot, still duping folk over 100 years later.

If you are interested in another example of British fraud and duplicity in wartime, look up the 'Zimmerman telegram'. It's  another belter. It had the same objective  - get the Americans into WW1.

BobG

[Spud]

My nans been in the donny free press this week it was the old girls 105th birthday yesterday. It blows my mind to think she was born during world war 1, was 22 when world war 2 started and was 49 when england won the world cup. Not really anything to do with whats been said on here but just thought id mention it.

Wow, that is quite some achievement.
Takes some getting my head around, I'm 49 now & the world Cup win seems an absolute age ago, before I was born !

Hope she enjoyed her birthday.

[Colemans Left Hook]

The Lusitana was not an 'innocent passenger ship'. It was carrying substantial munitions in the forward half of its hull. That section was sealed off from public access in 1914 when the Admiralty exercised its option at the outbreak of war to take over the entire section. The Admiralty had the option because they paid a huge portion of Cunards' building costs.

Everyone in New York knew what the Lusitana was doing. It had been doing it for nearly a year. The Germans took out huge adverts in loads of US papers warning that the ship was a legitimate target and why.

But worst of all, or best  of all, depending upon your view of high strategy, was Churchills' personal intervention as First Lord of the Admiralty to separate the ship from its escort and to divert it into the path of a known U Boat. They even ordered the Lusitania to zig zag when its entire history, along with its sister ship, was based on being the fastest trans Atlantic liners afloat. No U Boat had ever got near them. Why zig zag? To reduce its mean speed and give the U Boat a better chance of intercepting. There is no doubt about any of this.

From the British point of view, the sinking was a huge success. It killed a lot of Americans - Churchills' objective. Britain needed the Yanks in the war. Getting the Germans to kill Yanks was perfect.

The wreck shows the evidence of gun mountings on the main deck - never used but there all the same. I believe they were for 4 inch guns but it might have been 6 inch. The mountings were installed when the ship was built but hidden under deck planking. Technically therefore Lusitania was an armed merchant vessel and therefore a legitimate target on that basis as well as that of carrying war material.

The most unfortunate aspect of the episode was the fate of the Captain of the ship. He was publicly pilloried and hung out to dry for deviating from the course the ship had been originally ordered to follow, its  more normal more easterly route past Kinshale Head. Churchill at the Admiralty couldn't admit the plot of course so he died a broken man for the greater good of his nation.

Churchill never admitted his role. But the evidence has been available for 50 years.

Oh. One last point. The Lusitania medals, allegedly struck by Germany,  were the brainchild of Britain too. All the more muck to throw at Germany for the benefit of the Yanks. Look it up CLH.  There's  plenty of books on the subject. Colin Simpson's 'Lusitania" is simple to read. Pub. 1973 if my memory is right. Abebooks have copies. Oxfam online have even got a copy signed the author.

Some nights Churchill must have almost laughed himself to sleep. The perfect plot, still duping folk over 100 years later.

If you are interested in another example of British fraud and duplicity in wartime, look up the 'Zimmerman telegram'. It's  another belter. It had the same objective  - get the Americans into WW1.

BobG

thanks for the "fact checking"       

PS  dont forget what "naughties" we did in the Boer War

[BobG]

Lol!! We're  not known as 'Perfidious Albion' for nothing are we?!

BobG

[ChrisBx]

My nans been in the donny free press this week it was the old girls 105th birthday yesterday. It blows my mind to think she was born during world war 1, was 22 when world war 2 started and was 49 when england won the world cup. Not really anything to do with whats been said on here but just thought id mention it.

That's brilliant! I imagine she has some fascinating stories.

[Goldthorperover]

That she does mate, i cant even begin to imagine the life shes led. Shes from plymouth originally. She worked in a liquorice allsorts factory down there when it became a munitions factory for world war 2. She met me grandad and moved to barnsley during the war. She lived in her bungalow in wath (grandad died in 1998) until she was 103 but after living with my mum for a year moved into a home so they could accommodate her needs. Shes still got her wits about her and she takes no prisoners when she tells em, its just her mobility which hinders her unsurprisingly lol. Shes lived a long life and enjoyed it through all shes been through and fair play to her. If i can get anywhere near her age I'd be a happy man.

[Bentley Bullet]

Perhaps you could get your Nan to join this site GR, she could reminisce about the old days with Scawsby Steve and Wolfie.

[auckleyflyer]

I know a lad down here in Cornwall, was a sports writer for the south west for 20 years. Watched numbers dwindle in the the department from 7 to two and he got paid off last year. All online collating of match reports no opinions expressed and one writer in the south west!
He now works as a sports and features writer for Ann's cottage surf store.
Best thing he's ever done he says as it was like a slow death watching the papers die.
From the north east originally massive broro fan. He made the article about wornock and his bumbag last year when they did every wornock teams pre season down Devon and Cornwall. Was his daughter receiving the pre signed autograph card!!
Always speaks very highly of rovers and their standing in the game!!?

[andy didcott]

An average of 4,672 papers sold every week, two years ago it was 17,500.

[SydneyRover]

That she does mate, i cant even begin to imagine the life shes led. Shes from plymouth originally. She worked in a liquorice allsorts factory down there when it became a munitions factory for world war 2. She met me grandad and moved to barnsley during the war. She lived in her bungalow in wath (grandad died in 1998) until she was 103 but after living with my mum for a year moved into a home so they could accommodate her needs. Shes still got her wits about her and she takes no prisoners when she tells em, its just her mobility which hinders her unsurprisingly lol. Shes lived a long life and enjoyed it through all shes been through and fair play to her. If i can get anywhere near her age I'd be a happy man.

Nice story Goldthorpe