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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Salmond needs a convincing win in Tuesday’s big IndyRef TV

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  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 54,014
    Smarmeron said:

    Off topic, but does anyone know if it would be common for a soldier to be given another regimental number if for example, he had been wounded and in hospital when his original battalion left for a different theatre of war (WW1)?
    Edit :- i.e. a temporary transfer

    I think that is very unlikely. When my father joined the Black Watch in the 50s he was given his army number which stayed with him throughout his career. He switched to the Pay Corps and through them was attached to various units in various countries over 20 years. His army number never changed.

  • malcolmg said:

    HYUFD said:

    malcolmG Salmond offered personal support to Fred Goodwin over the disastrous RBS takeover of ABN Amro, as I said, neither comes out smelling of roses from the Crash!
    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/politics/revealed-salmond-s-support-for-goodwin-over-disastrous-rbs-deal-1.1046662

    Yes and I agreed, however it was Darling that had all the numbers and approved the deal and him that bankrupted the UK. Bit like saying I punched someone and you punched 30 people so we are the same.

    It was Gordon Brown (not Darling) who, in 1997, moved responsibility for bank supervision away from the Bank of England to the FSA. The FSA's poor regulation of RBS in 2007 was largely responsible for the failure of RBS by its own admission as reported by Citywire as follows:

    "The FSA’s report into RBS, which only saw the light of day after pressure from the Treasury Select Committee after the regulator put out a statement last year merely saying there would be no enforcement against the bank or any individuals, concluded the failure of RBS was a combination of the six following reasons:

    •Significant weaknesses in RBS’s capital position, as a result of management decisions and permitted by an inadequate global regulatory capital framework
    •Over-reliance on risky short-term wholesale funding, which was permitted by an inadequate approach to the regulation of liquidity
    •Concerns and uncertainties about RBS’s underlying asset quality, which in turn was subject to little fundamental analysis by the FSA
    •Substantial losses in credit trading activities, which eroded market confidence. Both RBS’s strategy and the FSA’s supervisory approach underestimated how bad losses associated with structured credit might be
    •The ABN AMRO acquisition, on which RBS proceeded without appropriate heed to the risks involved and with inadequate due diligence
    •·An overall systemic crisis in which the banks in worse relative positions were extremely vulnerable to failure. RBS was one such bank. "
  • JonnyJimmyJonnyJimmy Posts: 2,548
    Why are we bothering to have a thread on this? Listen to Malclog, Salmond has already won. No matter what gets said next week in the actual debate, any criticism of him from whatever source will be instantly and wittily rebutted in one of Malc's classic, root vegetable themed tirades. You can't argue with that. I don't think they should bother with the debates, or even the vote for that matter. The truth is that anyone who doesn't see that Salmond and Yes are already the rightful winners is a unionist lickspittle turnip, and only deserves abuse. When will you idiots get this through your thick turnip skulls?
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,376
    GIN1138 said:

    For anybody not in Scotland that want's to watch the debate, STV have their own "player" which also contains a live feed option;

    http://player.stv.tv/live/

    It seems you have to sign up for an account, but this could be the best way for the rest of the United Kingdom to see the event as it unfolds.

    Failing that you'll have to wait until after the debate when it's bound to be put on YouTube.

    (Don't forget to tick the "no emails" option if you don't want to be pestered by spam email from STV for years to come ;) )

    OK, this idea is a no go.

    Have just registered and tried to watch something and been told that STV player is only available within the STV region.

    Looks like YouTube (after the event) it is.

    Sorry guys.
  • GeoffMGeoffM Posts: 6,071
    edited August 2014
    Smarmeron said:

    Off topic, but does anyone know if it would be common for a soldier to be given another regimental number if for example, he had been wounded and in hospital when his original battalion left for a different theatre of war (WW1)?
    Edit :- i.e. a temporary transfer

    Depends what you are talking about. It seems you researching an ancestor, with the WWI reference?

    Numbers were issued by regiment until 1920, after which they became service-wide. Before that transferring regiments got you a new number. Also, because it was regiment-specific, two soldiers in different regiments could have the same number.

    There have been several major changes since (most recently JPA in 2007) but 1920 was the big shake-up.

    I can help further on this if you wish.

    Edit: officers only had numbers after 1920
  • GIN1138 said:

    No problem guys.

    It's a sign of the times that a debate that could decide the future of the United Kingdom as we know it, isn't being screened across the ITV network.

    There does seem to be a tremendous antipathy about what's going on in Scotland within the London-centric media...


    People living in England, Wales and NI don't get a vote so don't see any reason to follow the arguments about which way to vote.

    Since it is a union between Scotland and the Rest of the UK it seems strange that only one of the parties gets to vote about the continuation of the union. Of course people in England would probably vote to break away from Scotland if they could.


  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Smarmeron said:

    Off topic, but does anyone know if it would be common for a soldier to be given another regimental number if for example, he had been wounded and in hospital when his original battalion left for a different theatre of war (WW1)?
    Edit :- i.e. a temporary transfer

    My Grandfather was called up into the Manchester Regiment and sent to the Somme in 1916, but was later in the South Lancs regiment in Mesopotamia where he finished the war, and he was discharged from there. I am not sure how the transfer took place, but it took me a while to match family stories to units and battles as a result. I think he kept the same number.

    He quite liked the Turks and thought them brave and honourable opponents. As he was an Infantry private in the second battle of Kut, he spoke with experience! How times have moved on. Now we have the same brutal battles, but far less honour.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 54,014
    I can watch all the various ITV regions through my Sky box and often do when they have a more interesting Champions League game on. Presumably anybody with Sky can get STV?

    I do agree that this is ridiculous, especially with all the digital channels they have at their disposal these days.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @DavidL
    My grandfather had two regimental numbers, for which there have been several explanations, but none made any real sense.
    The problem I have at the moment is that what little there is in the way of information (service records destroyed in the 1940 bombing, and incomplete medical records due to lack of space in the 30's) mean that either his story does not fit the timeline, or possibly he was in hospital when the first battalion left France for Mesopotamia in Jan 1915.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,376
    edited August 2014
    DavidL said:

    I can watch all the various ITV regions through my Sky box and often do when they have a more interesting Champions League game on. Presumably anybody with Sky can get STV?

    I've never realised you can do that, LOL!

    Mind you, up until now, watching different regional telly isn't something I've given a great deal of thought about...
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,875
    edited August 2014
    DavidEvershed To be fair most of Canada did not have a vote in Quebec's referendums on independence. Polls show most English and Welsh do not now want Scotland to split.

    I doubt most of rUK will be that happy about missing Corrie and Emmerdale to watch a Scottish referendum debate on which they have no vote, though hopefully we political junkies can find channels to watch it on, whether on the internet, BBC/Sky News and BBC Parliament etc
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,376
    edited August 2014

    GIN1138 said:

    No problem guys.

    It's a sign of the times that a debate that could decide the future of the United Kingdom as we know it, isn't being screened across the ITV network.

    There does seem to be a tremendous antipathy about what's going on in Scotland within the London-centric media...


    People living in England, Wales and NI don't get a vote so don't see any reason to follow the arguments about which way to vote.

    Since it is a union between Scotland and the Rest of the UK it seems strange that only one of the parties gets to vote about the continuation of the union. Of course people in England would probably vote to break away from Scotland if they could.


    The rest of the UK may not have a vote, but what Scotland does could have vast ramification's on the rest of the UK for years and decades to come.

    Within a couple of year we might well find ourselves in a currency union with a separate nation and all the ramifications that could have on the taxpayer of what's left of the UK.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @foxinsoxuk
    If my grandfather did leave France with his original regiment and battalion, they were in the same battles (1st HLI ).
    The story however is that he had been "gassed" three times, and that would fit with him being on the wounded rolls three times in the "HLI chronicle", except that the dates are wrong, as I am not sure that gas featured heavily in Iraq or Egypt?
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496
    Smarmeron said:

    @malcolmg
    You are correct, none of us know the future, but one thing we do know is that neither the hyperbole, or the doom mongering we hear are likely to be correct.
    Tone it down a few notches, and it might be possible to shift some votes, otherwise all that happens is a hardening of peoples natural bias.
    Westminster, and indeed all governments could do with learning this simple fact (and PB as well).

    Spot on
  • YES shortening at Betfair. Latest prices:

    Yes 6
    No 1.19

    Matched bets to date: £1,156,157

    Unclear why the Betfair and Betdaq prices are so out of line with the bookie prices at the moment. They have been very similar up until about a week ago. (Presumably because of increasingly good liquidity.) Eg. current Coral prices:

    Yes 5
    No 1.14

    For value-seekers it is obvious where to go.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    MG Can you point out where I said it was ok to lob shells into civilians properties.. anywhere.. you wont be able to..because I never posted that....maybe you should take some time away from your rants and actually read the posts.
    You seem to be comfortable with Hamas sending 3000 rockets into Israel to do just that.

    Richard, I think you will find I have not supported either side. I do unlike you though believe that indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas for any reason is totally wrong.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496
    edited August 2014
    HYUFD said:

    MalcolmG The point is there is no capital for Salmond on the Crash
    ThanksGIN1138 Have signed up ready for Tuesday

    I think the fact that Salmond leading a government that has ran Scotland well in comparison to Darling who bankrupted the UK could maybe just be seen as a positive.
  • malcolmg said:

    HYUFD said:

    MalcolmG The point is there is no capital for Salmond on the Crash
    ThanksGIN1138 Have signed up ready for Tuesday

    I think the fact that Salmond leading a government that has ran Scotland well in comparison to Darling who bankrupted the UK could maybe just be seen as a positive.
    Folk furth of Scotland do not necessarily understand the concept of competent governance. Eg. the rUK has been run by incompetent governments for so long that large sections of the populace seem to believe that that is normal. It need not be so.
  • Shadsy has cut his YES line bet to 41.5%. 10/11 both above and below the line.

    Tee hee.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    No problem guys.

    It's a sign of the times that a debate that could decide the future of the United Kingdom as we know it, isn't being screened across the ITV network.

    There does seem to be a tremendous antipathy about what's going on in Scotland within the London-centric media...


    People living in England, Wales and NI don't get a vote so don't see any reason to follow the arguments about which way to vote.

    Since it is a union between Scotland and the Rest of the UK it seems strange that only one of the parties gets to vote about the continuation of the union. Of course people in England would probably vote to break away from Scotland if they could.


    Within a couple of year we might well find ourselves in a currency union with a separate nation and all the ramifications that could have on the taxpayer of what's left of the UK.
    Very remote possibility - unless the governing party that agreed to it had a death wish and wanted to lose the next GE.....
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    Why are we bothering to have a thread on this? Listen to Malclog, Salmond has already won. No matter what gets said next week in the actual debate, any criticism of him from whatever source will be instantly and wittily rebutted in one of Malc's classic, root vegetable themed tirades. You can't argue with that. I don't think they should bother with the debates, or even the vote for that matter. The truth is that anyone who doesn't see that Salmond and Yes are already the rightful winners is a unionist lickspittle turnip, and only deserves abuse. When will you idiots get this through your thick turnip skulls?

    Good post from you JJ, I wish it was as clear cut as you say. Definitely post of the day , witty and erudite.
  • BetVictor - Most seats at 2016 Scottish Parliament general election

    SNP 4/6
    Lab 11/10
    Any other 150/1
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    Smarmeron said:

    Off topic, but does anyone know if it would be common for a soldier to be given another regimental number if for example, he had been wounded and in hospital when his original battalion left for a different theatre of war (WW1)?
    Edit :- i.e. a temporary transfer

    My Grandfather was called up into the Manchester Regiment and sent to the Somme in 1916, but was later in the South Lancs regiment in Mesopotamia where he finished the war, and he was discharged from there. I am not sure how the transfer took place, but it took me a while to match family stories to units and battles as a result. I think he kept the same number.

    He quite liked the Turks and thought them brave and honourable opponents. As he was an Infantry private in the second battle of Kut, he spoke with experience! How times have moved on. Now we have the same brutal battles, but far less honour.
    My Grandfather was shipped out of France in the winter of 16/17 to Mesopotamia, which was quite a fierce campaign in 1917, particularly the retaking of Kut, the loss of which had been a major British defeat. There was plenty of close quarters fighting but my family stories do not mention gas. The campaign petered out by 1918 after the capture of Baghdad, and he escaped the 1918 climactic battles.

    His main war time grievance was that the married men got home leave, while he and the other batchelors had to pack the ship in France. He thought this quite unreasonable!
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,875
    malcolmg depends entirely on your perspective, in any case we will see what the debate brings on Tuesday
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    No problem guys.

    It's a sign of the times that a debate that could decide the future of the United Kingdom as we know it, isn't being screened across the ITV network.

    There does seem to be a tremendous antipathy about what's going on in Scotland within the London-centric media...


    People living in England, Wales and NI don't get a vote so don't see any reason to follow the arguments about which way to vote.

    Since it is a union between Scotland and the Rest of the UK it seems strange that only one of the parties gets to vote about the continuation of the union. Of course people in England would probably vote to break away from Scotland if they could.


    Within a couple of year we might well find ourselves in a currency union with a separate nation and all the ramifications that could have on the taxpayer of what's left of the UK.
    Very remote possibility - unless the governing party that agreed to it had a death wish and wanted to lose the next GE.....
    Private Fraser appears, "Doomed we are all doomed"
  • Paddy Power - IndyRef Turnout - Line bet

    Over 75% 5/6
    75% or under 5/6
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496
    HYUFD said:

    malcolmg depends entirely on your perspective, in any case we will see what the debate brings on Tuesday

    Yes will be interesting but make little difference. Blinky will just parrot what he always says , no currency blah blah , pooling and sharing etc. It can all be boiled down to Positive or Negative. I am a positive person.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    Smarmeron said:

    Off topic, but does anyone know if it would be common for a soldier to be given another regimental number if for example, he had been wounded and in hospital when his original battalion left for a different theatre of war (WW1)?
    Edit :- i.e. a temporary transfer

    My Grandfather was called up into the Manchester Regiment and sent to the Somme in 1916, but was later in the South Lancs regiment in Mesopotamia where he finished the war, and he was discharged from there. I am not sure how the transfer took place, but it took me a while to match family stories to units and battles as a result. I think he kept the same number.

    He quite liked the Turks and thought them brave and honourable opponents. As he was an Infantry private in the second battle of Kut, he spoke with experience! How times have moved on. Now we have the same brutal battles, but far less honour.
    My Grandfather was shipped out of France in the winter of 16/17 to Mesopotamia, which was quite a fierce campaign in 1917, particularly the retaking of Kut, the loss of which had been a major British defeat. There was plenty of close quarters fighting but my family stories do not mention gas. The campaign petered out by 1918 after the capture of Baghdad, and he escaped the 1918 climactic battles.

    His main war time grievance was that the married men got home leave, while he and the other batchelors had to pack the ship in France. He thought this quite unreasonable!
    Does appear a bit off to say the least.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    edited August 2014
    @foxinsoxuk
    The lack of detail is always going to be annoying, but it would be a fairly safe bet to assume that your grandfather will have fought alongside my grandfather's original battalion in Iraq.
    Censorship at the time means that details are sketchy though, and the 1st HLI war diaries have not been digitized yet, and at over £3 a pop for each document from the National Archives, I would like to pin his movements down a little more precisely before ordering the more likely ones.
    He was in the same position though, also being unmarried at the time.
  • HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    Smarmeron said:

    @foxinsoxuk
    If my grandfather did leave France with his original regiment and battalion, they were in the same battles (1st HLI ).
    The story however is that he had been "gassed" three times, and that would fit with him being on the wounded rolls three times in the "HLI chronicle", except that the dates are wrong, as I am not sure that gas featured heavily in Iraq or Egypt?

    I have never heard of gas being used by the Turks in the Mesopotamian campaign, so if your grandfather was gassed three times he was jolly unlucky as it wan't used that often during 1915 and 1st HLI was withdrawn from France in the December of that year. Clearly there is an interesting tale to be discovered and the place to look is probably the battalion's war diary.

    Such diaries seldom mention the names of other ranks who were casualties but they will normally mention matters like being subject to gas attack. They are available for view at the National Archives in Kew. I think you may be a long distance away but I am in and out of the NA regularly would you like me to do some research the next time I am there?
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    malcolmg said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    No problem guys.

    It's a sign of the times that a debate that could decide the future of the United Kingdom as we know it, isn't being screened across the ITV network.

    There does seem to be a tremendous antipathy about what's going on in Scotland within the London-centric media...


    People living in England, Wales and NI don't get a vote so don't see any reason to follow the arguments about which way to vote.

    Since it is a union between Scotland and the Rest of the UK it seems strange that only one of the parties gets to vote about the continuation of the union. Of course people in England would probably vote to break away from Scotland if they could.


    Within a couple of year we might well find ourselves in a currency union with a separate nation and all the ramifications that could have on the taxpayer of what's left of the UK.
    Very remote possibility - unless the governing party that agreed to it had a death wish and wanted to lose the next GE.....
    Private Fraser appears, "Doomed we are all doomed"
    Says our very own Captain Mainwaring - blithely ignorant of the facts, pompously revelling in his own self importance and ignorance......

  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,875
    Malcolmg As I said, we shall see on Tuesday
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @HurstLlama
    From what I have read, it seems likely that the first time he was gassed, it was by his own side!
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Smarmeron said:

    @foxinsoxuk
    The lack of detail is always going to be annoying, but it would be a fairly safe bet to assume that your grandfather will have fought alongside my grandfather's original battalion in Iraq.
    Censorship at the time means that details are sketchy though, and the 1st HLI war diaries have no been digitized yet, and at over £3 a pop for each document from the National Archives, I would like to pin his movements down a little more precisely before ordering the more likely ones.
    He was in the same position though, also being unmarried at the time.

    I have some contemporaneous newspaper cuttings that he sent my Grandmother (to be) from Mesopotamia, of the second battle of Kut.

    There are several Commonwealth War graves sites there, with members of his unit in them, that are well kept (or were a few years back). My brother visited the site when posted to Iraq.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 42,144
    Btw, rubbishy as Iain Gray was, I think it might behoove 'Britain's most read political blog' to spell his name correctly in a blog about Scottish politics.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @HurstLlama
    Thanks for the offer, but I will have to do more research before asking you to pour over the "dry" documents on what might be a wild goose chase.
    Hopefully, the digitization of the regimental war diaries will mean I can view them at the Mitchel Library in Glasgow.
    Again, thanks for the offer. it is appreciated.
  • HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    Smarmeron said:

    @HurstLlama
    From what I have read, it seems likely that the first time he was gassed, it was by his own side!

    Crumbs, the earliest that would have been at the Battle of Loos in late September 1915. It does seem unlikely that he would have been gassed three times in as many months.

    Anyway, as I say I am in and out of the National Archives regularly. So if you would like me to do some digging let me know. A personal message via this vanilla thing with such detail as you have would be a good starting point or email me at HurstLlama dot gmail dot com. I'd be happy to do what I can, I do so love a WWI mystery.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @HurstLlama
    The most likely candidate for his first "gassing" would fit with "Loos" as his battalion arrived at the Western front in early December 1914, and there is no major mention of gas in the first battalion's history in the "Chronicle" which was not under the heavy censorship that became the "norm" in 1916/17 (he appeared on the casualty list for late 1915 as far as I can work out)
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    John Curtice:

    Today’s poll uncovers a potential problem for Mr Salmond in that debate – expectations of his performance are rather high. As many as 37% think that Mr Salmond will win the debate, while only 11% are willing to put their money on Mr Darling. Even amongst No supporters, only 24% reckon the former Chancellor is the pre-debate favourite. So even if the First Minister does do well on Tuesday, perhaps voters will simply say that it was an uneven contest in the first place and discount it – while a poor performance would apparently put Mr Salmond at greater risk of leaving voters disappointed.

    http://blog.whatscotlandthinks.org/2014/08/survation-suggest-the-games-have-had-little-impact/
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    Smarmeron said:

    @HurstLlama
    From what I have read, it seems likely that the first time he was gassed, it was by his own side!

    Crumbs, the earliest that would have been at the Battle of Loos in late September 1915. It does seem unlikely that he would have been gassed three times in as many months.

    Anyway, as I say I am in and out of the National Archives regularly. So if you would like me to do some digging let me know. A personal message via this vanilla thing with such detail as you have would be a good starting point or email me at HurstLlama dot gmail dot com. I'd be happy to do what I can, I do so love a WWI mystery.
    @Smameron: Speculation:

    Could he have been gassed once (at Loos); but hospitalised three times due to the gas induced damage leaving him vulnerable to smoke inhalation or secondary infections?

    @HL

    How easy is it to establish when my grandfathers transfer between regiments occurred? I do not know when in 16/17 it happened, whether in France or in Mesopotamia. I do not know whether it happened as an individual or as part of a larger transfer. It would help me to place his exact movements and battles. He didn't like to speak about the Somme.
  • richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    MG Stop telling lies..I have never said that shelling by either side is acceptable...they are both as bad as each other...quit with the lies.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    Btw, rubbishy as Iain Gray was, I think it might behoove 'Britain's most read political blog' to spell his name correctly in a blog about Scottish politics.

    Divvie, I have to plead guilty to that as well by just copying it from the post I was replying to.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @foxinsoxuk
    The first time would have been chlorine, from which their was a good recovery rate. The last time would fit with "mustard gas" as according to what I gather, he was "demobed" as being unfit for further active service, possibly after a spell in the reserve battalions.
    Note the "demobed" as opposed to invalided out, which would have entailed a pension.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    MG Stop telling lies..I have never said that shelling by either side is acceptable...they are both as bad as each other...quit with the lies.

    what are you wittering on about, you said yesterday that the shelling was not deliberate blah blah blah. I today merely said it was not acceptable regardless.
    If you as you say think like me that all shelling is bad , Hurrah.
    You are another one that needs to look in the mirror before bumping your gums.
    You like giving it out but not taking it.
  • richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    MG .. you lied ..do not do it again..
  • HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098

    Smarmeron said:

    @HurstLlama
    From what I have read, it seems likely that the first time he was gassed, it was by his own side!

    Crumbs, the earliest that would have been at the Battle of Loos in late September 1915. It does seem unlikely that he would have been gassed three times in as many months.

    Anyway, as I say I am in and out of the National Archives regularly. So if you would like me to do some digging let me know. A personal message via this vanilla thing with such detail as you have would be a good starting point or email me at HurstLlama dot gmail dot com. I'd be happy to do what I can, I do so love a WWI mystery.
    @Smameron: Speculation:

    Could he have been gassed once (at Loos); but hospitalised three times due to the gas induced damage leaving him vulnerable to smoke inhalation or secondary infections?

    @HL

    How easy is it to establish when my grandfathers transfer between regiments occurred? I do not know when in 16/17 it happened, whether in France or in Mesopotamia. I do not know whether it happened as an individual or as part of a larger transfer. It would help me to place his exact movements and battles. He didn't like to speak about the Somme.
    Doc, probably not easy at all. The problem is, as Mr. Smarmeron alluded to earlier, a big chunk of the WWI army records was lost due to enemy action in WWII. Battalion war diaries can help but they seldom mention the names or service numbers of other ranks (I recall on which after an action in 1915 stated, "115 OR replacements arrived" . Hofficers are usually much easier. Nonetheless, it is sometimes possible to piece together an individual's story (I am working on one at the moment, a chap who appears on our village war memorial but who was discharged from the army, fit and well, in 1920!).

    If you want me to give it a go then let me have such details as you have and I'll do my best.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    MG .. you lied ..do not do it again..

    Richard, you are crazy , don't post to me again.
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,821
    edited August 2014
    On topic: The key to this is surely Mike's last sentence: "Salmond has to change minds of those segments of the Scottish electorate still very nervous about moving from the status quo." No matter how good his 'performance' is, it's hard to see how he can do that, given that the Yes side have made such a total mess of their positioning on every one of the key issues which will make many Scots nervous - the currency, membership of the EU, jobs in defence and financial services, pensions, and the outlook for the public finances. He has no answers on these questions, and it's too late to formulate answers now. The Yes side should have done that long ago.

    Bluster on these key issues has got Salmond remarkably far, but I'd be surprised if it gets an increased number votes for Yes in the ballot box, relative to what the polls are currently showing. To the contrary, I'd expect the final result to be a more emphatic No than some at least of the polls suggest.

    So it may be that Salmond will indeed 'win' the debates - but what good will that do?
  • richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    MG ,Not crazy..just peed off with your constant lying.
  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    Here is the SNP approach to debate

    @PeteWishart: I like to give a fond, friendly 'au revoir' to all my new blocked friends. Just to show that there's no hard feelings.

    All heretics will be banned. Only the One True Word of Eck is permissible.

    What an intolerant place a separate Scotland would be.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    edited August 2014
    @HurstLlama
    "Fit" and "well" seems to have been a matter of counting up appendages, and the ability to stand upright (shades of ATOS? :-) ), and in the case of "mustard gas" the damage could carry on getting progressively worse, resulting in death from "war wounds" at a far later date, or possibly a piece of shrapnel that "moved"?
  • Labour will allow voting all week under plans to shake up democracy, Sadiq Khan tells the Sunday Times

    Labour's manifesto will also offer same day voter registration, Sadiq Khan tells Sunday Times


    Vote early, vote often, vote for all your fictional relatives...
  • peter_from_putneypeter_from_putney Posts: 6,956
    edited August 2014
    BetVictor's current odds on the winner of the Scottish Indy TV debate:

    Salmond ......... 8/13

    Darling ........... 6/5

    Overround : 7%

    Hmm - If the No:Yes Indy vote itself appears to be splitting 60% : 40% or thereabouts, I wonder to what extent viewers might decide to vote for the advocate who reflects their Indy preference, irrespective of their respective TV performances, otherwise known as "wanting to vote for the winning side".
    If this were indeed to prove a significant factor then Darling's odds could prove good value.

    DYOR
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Scott_P said:

    Here is the SNP approach to debate

    @PeteWishart: I like to give a fond, friendly 'au revoir' to all my new blocked friends. Just to show that there's no hard feelings.

    All heretics will be banned. Only the One True Word of Eck is permissible.

    What an intolerant place a separate Scotland would be.

    His Twitter profile also appears to be down.......



  • In many ways it is a bit of a pointless debate as neither Salmond nor Darling is proposing Scottish independence. Instead, both favour Scotland's economic and fiscal policy continuing to be set from London. The only difference being that Darling supports Scottish voters having some say in who gets to make the decisions and what those decisions are, while Salmond favours leaving it entirely in the hands of English, Welsh and Northern Irish voters.
  • HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    Smarmeron said:

    @HurstLlama
    "Fit" and "well" seem to have been a matter of counting up appendages, and the ability to stand upright (shades of ATOS? :-) ), and in the case of "mustard gas" the damage could carry on getting progressively worse, resulting in death from "war wounds" at a far later date, or possibly a piece of shrapnel that "moved"?

    All good points, Mr. Smarmeron. Herself's grandfather died in the early 1960's of wounds received in WWI. However, the old boy did not appear on his village's war memorial. The chap I was talking about does appear on the War Memorial (erected 1921) as having been killed in the war, at that time he was living in London and on the army reserve, so not an invalid. By the way two of his five brothers are also on the memorial and they were killed in action and his family were still living in the village when the memorial was put up. An interesting tale to be ferreted out, don't you think.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    MG ,Not crazy..just peed off with your constant lying.

    worse than crazy , delusional as well. I have not had contact with or mentioned you for years, apart from your comments yesterday re shelling civilian areas.
    Get a life.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    In many ways it is a bit of a pointless debate as neither Salmond nor Darling is proposing Scottish independence. Instead, both favour Scotland's economic and fiscal policy continuing to be set from London. The only difference being that Darling supports Scottish voters having some say in who gets to make the decisions and what those decisions are, while Salmond favours leaving it entirely in the hands of English, Welsh and Northern Irish voters.

    SO , very silly post from you.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    Scott_P said:

    Here is the SNP approach to debate

    @PeteWishart: I like to give a fond, friendly 'au revoir' to all my new blocked friends. Just to show that there's no hard feelings.

    All heretics will be banned. Only the One True Word of Eck is permissible.

    What an intolerant place a separate Scotland would be.

    His Twitter profile also appears to be down.......



    Carlotta and Scottp are in unionist heaven.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @HurstLlama
    Yes, that does seem like a puzzle worthwhile exploring, and hopefully more than just a misreading of a number by some overworked clerk. There are several "corrections" in quite a few of the regimental newsletters I have been reading that were originally sourced from the London Gazette.
  • richardDoddrichardDodd Posts: 5,472
    MG .. Get a memory..you have posted two lies about me today...
  • malcolmg said:

    In many ways it is a bit of a pointless debate as neither Salmond nor Darling is proposing Scottish independence. Instead, both favour Scotland's economic and fiscal policy continuing to be set from London. The only difference being that Darling supports Scottish voters having some say in who gets to make the decisions and what those decisions are, while Salmond favours leaving it entirely in the hands of English, Welsh and Northern Irish voters.

    SO , very silly post from you.

    I don't see how. Salmond and the SNP want a currency union with the rUK. That means Westminster dictating Scotland's fiscal and economic policies. I am pretty sure that will be agreed after a Yes vote, but it will mean de facto that Scotland is not an independent country.

  • But wouldn't Scotland staying in the Union effectively mean that Dave and co. will never win a majority at Westminster, whether in 2015 or the scheduled 2020 election?
  • HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    Smarmeron said:

    @HurstLlama
    Yes, that does seem like a puzzle worthwhile exploring, and hopefully more than just a misreading of a number by some overworked clerk. There are several "corrections" in quite a few of the regimental newsletters I have been reading that were originally sourced from the London Gazette.

    The thing that bangs away at me is that the family who had definitely lost two boys were still living in the village when the war memorial was put up. Did they not notice the name of the third who was at that time living in South London? Was it just not wanting to cause a fuss that stopped them acting? Who knows? I am trying to find the family, so maybe I'll one day find out.

    Anyway, if you want research at the NA the offers stands.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,376

    Labour will allow voting all week under plans to shake up democracy, Sadiq Khan tells the Sunday Times

    LOL! That's how we used to do things 100 years ago.

  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    Smarmeron said:

    @HurstLlama
    From what I have read, it seems likely that the first time he was gassed, it was by his own side!

    Crumbs, the earliest that would have been at the Battle of Loos in late September 1915. It does seem unlikely that he would have been gassed three times in as many months.

    Anyway, as I say I am in and out of the National Archives regularly. So if you would like me to do some digging let me know. A personal message via this vanilla thing with such detail as you have would be a good starting point or email me at HurstLlama dot gmail dot com. I'd be happy to do what I can, I do so love a WWI mystery.
    @Smameron: Speculation:

    Could he have been gassed once (at Loos); but hospitalised three times due to the gas induced damage leaving him vulnerable to smoke inhalation or secondary infections?

    @HL

    How easy is it to establish when my grandfathers transfer between regiments occurred? I do not know when in 16/17 it happened, whether in France or in Mesopotamia. I do not know whether it happened as an individual or as part of a larger transfer. It would help me to place his exact movements and battles. He didn't like to speak about the Somme.
    Doc, probably not easy at all. The problem is, as Mr. Smarmeron alluded to earlier, a big chunk of the WWI army records was lost due to enemy action in WWII. Battalion war diaries can help but they seldom mention the names or service numbers of other ranks (I recall on which after an action in 1915 stated, "115 OR replacements arrived" . Hofficers are usually much easier. Nonetheless, it is sometimes possible to piece together an individual's story (I am working on one at the moment, a chap who appears on our village war memorial but who was discharged from the army, fit and well, in 1920!).

    If you want me to give it a go then let me have such details as you have and I'll do my best.
    I may have a poke around myself in the regimental museums and see what I can turn up.

    He did leave a few clues (he was an amateur photographer so there are family pictures, from Mesopotamia), but perhaps the details do not matter much really.

    He wanted to forget the war, and apart from descriptions of Mesopotamia did not like to talk about it. I don't think that he ever had been abroad either before or after, so Mesopotamia was quite a novelty. He preferred to discuss the cricket, and the future rather than dwell on the past. Sensible fellow that he was.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @HurstLlama
    I may take you up on your kind offer, but at the moment, all I have to go on is the Regiments newsletters which get progressively sketchier as the war progressed. The mentions in the "Gazette" including the bare mention of the award of the M.M. in January 1917 (three months after? but unsure as the medal could be backdated to 1914), the medal index card, and possibly a fragment of a service record, though no guarantee that it was his.
    The rest is guesswork.
  • Road race Cyclists getting a drenching in Glasgow
  • oxfordsimonoxfordsimon Posts: 5,844
    GIN1138 said:

    Labour will allow voting all week under plans to shake up democracy, Sadiq Khan tells the Sunday Times

    LOL! That's how we used to do things 100 years ago.

    Note that it is not designed to improve democracy - but to 'shake it up' - which is style over substance - again.

    They want to appear to be interested in changing things without any concern as to whether that change is necessary, desirable or will actually be deliverable.

    There is no over-arching plan to explain their moves - they just want headlines to give the appearance of activity. No detail, no reason - just noise.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496
    You will note the lack of shrieking and frothing from intelligent YES side unlike the frothing unionists
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    malcolmg said:

    You will note the lack of shrieking and frothing from intelligent YES side unlike the frothing unionists
    So you think the FM of Scotland office is the same as an anonymous spectator at a sporting event? Interesting....
  • SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    edited August 2014
    You mean wee Eck wasn't like a child with a tantrum when the RED arrows didn't blow blue and white smoke.

    Do me a favour. That's exactly what is most likely to have happened. The closer Eck gets to losng, the more hysterical he and the Gnats become.
  • It would be more democratic to allow voting in office and factory car parks with a show of hands counted by shop stewards.
  • HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    I hear tell that the Royal Navy has this morning evacuated 110 British Citizens from Libya. Thank goodness we exceeded the UN no-fly resolution. Can you imagine what might have happened if Cameron had not been able to act out his fantasies?
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    malcolmg said:

    You will note the lack of shrieking and frothing from intelligent YES side unlike the frothing unionists
    So you think the FM of Scotland office is the same as an anonymous spectator at a sporting event? Interesting....
    As there is no segregation at these events; just possibly the England supporter was merely supporting an English athlete, rather than deliberate photobombing!
  • GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323

    I hear tell that the Royal Navy has this morning evacuated 110 British Citizens from Libya. Thank goodness we exceeded the UN no-fly resolution. Can you imagine what might have happened if Cameron had not been able to act out his fantasies?

    Gaddafi promised to hunt the rebels down alley by alley, house by house, and slaughter them like rats.

    That was the alternative.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216

    malcolmg said:

    You will note the lack of shrieking and frothing from intelligent YES side unlike the frothing unionists
    So you think the FM of Scotland office is the same as an anonymous spectator at a sporting event? Interesting....
    As there is no segregation at these events; just possibly the England supporter was merely supporting an English athlete, rather than deliberate photobombing!
    Ah! The queen defence!

    http://www.foxsports.com/olympics/story/queen-shows-off-her-photobomb-skills-at-commonwealth-games-072414
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,950
    Good afternoon, everyone.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Curtice says Darling should "bore for Britain":

    As for Darling, Curtice said: "I would say to him, play to type and make this as boring as possible … play a dead bat. It's not to Darling's advantage to up the ante. You need to think of this as being like the second leg of a European cup match in which one side is already 2-0 up and is therefore trying to stop the other side from scoring."

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/curtice-darling-needs-to-bore-for-britain.24939203
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,336

    Smarmeron said:

    @HurstLlama
    Yes, that does seem like a puzzle worthwhile exploring, and hopefully more than just a misreading of a number by some overworked clerk. There are several "corrections" in quite a few of the regimental newsletters I have been reading that were originally sourced from the London Gazette.

    The thing that bangs away at me is that the family who had definitely lost two boys were still living in the village when the war memorial was put up. Did they not notice the name of the third who was at that time living in South London? Was it just not wanting to cause a fuss that stopped them acting? Who knows? I am trying to find the family, so maybe I'll one day find out.

    Anyway, if you want research at the NA the offers stands.
    Wonder if the family were very wary of being seen to criticise their betters' decisions (maybe 1911 census data hint at social status?). I had to read up on war memorials as relevant to something in the 'day job' and I was struck - apart from the sheer artistic quality of many of them - how even the smallest village memorial could be intensely political and class/conflict laden at all levels - e.g. Memorials of the Great War in Britain : the symbolism and politics of remembrance by Alex King and Aftermath : remembering the Great War in Wales by A. Gaffney. There are some utterly heartbreaking stories about the bereaved being shouldered to one side by the local great and good grabbing the limelight. The latter evidently were not in the least sensitive to criticism from their inferiors.

    Om one English village war memorial I noticed someone who so far has not been shown to have lived there and we are wondering if his uncle the vicar slipped it in on the basis of a few visits to him and his paying much of the cost.

  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited August 2014
    Letting loose the lunatics - wasn’t the greatest of ideas
    Giving them plans and money to squander
    Should have been the worst of our fears
    The dream life luxury living was a pleasant no. 10 whim
    But somewhere down the line of production
    They left out human beings

    They were going to build communities
    It was going to be pie in the sky
    But the piss stench hallways and broken down lifts
    Say the planners dream went wrong

    If people were made to live in boxes
    God would have given them string
    To tie around their selves at bed time
    And stop their dreams falling through the ceiling

    And the public school boy computers
    Keep spewing out our future
    The house in the country designs the 14th floor
    Old Mrs. Smith don’t get out much more
    Coitus interruptus cause of next doors rows
    Your washing gets nicked when the lights go out
    Baby’s scream in the nightmare throng
    But planners just get embarrassed when their plans go wrong
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    You mean wee Eck wasn't like a child with a tantrum when the RED arrows didn't blow blue and white smoke.

    Do me a favour. That's exactly what is most likely to have happened. The closer Eck gets to losng, the more hysterical he and the Gnats become.

    Silly person , his only comment was that it was perfectly acceptable and that the government had never asked for anything different , despite Fallon lying through his unionist teeth.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    Clegg on Sturgeon:

    "The Commonwealth Games are exactly what everybody wants them to be, which is a wonderful festival of sport bringing athletes together from around the Commonwealth, from around the world, and it really shouldn't be distorted or sullied by the politics of the SNP."

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/clegg-sturgeon-was-misplaced-and-gauche-to-link-games-with-yes-vote.1407073530
  • Clegg on Sturgeon:

    "The Commonwealth Games are exactly what everybody wants them to be, which is a wonderful festival of sport bringing athletes together from around the Commonwealth, from around the world, and it really shouldn't be distorted or sullied by the politics of the SNP."

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/clegg-sturgeon-was-misplaced-and-gauche-to-link-games-with-yes-vote.1407073530

    Salmond and Sturgeon are a nasty couple of spoilsports. Ghastly people.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496

    Clegg on Sturgeon:

    "The Commonwealth Games are exactly what everybody wants them to be, which is a wonderful festival of sport bringing athletes together from around the Commonwealth, from around the world, and it really shouldn't be distorted or sullied by the politics of the SNP."

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/clegg-sturgeon-was-misplaced-and-gauche-to-link-games-with-yes-vote.1407073530

    Salmond and Sturgeon are a nasty couple of spoilsports. Ghastly people.
    Not half as nasty as you pair.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    They are going to get rid of Trident - but keep the jobs????

    The Scottish Government has rejected claims by a defence contractor that the Faslane naval base is unlikely to require the same number of personnel in an independent Scotland.

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/baillie-11000-jobs-at-faslane-naval-base-at-risk-in-iscotland.1407076151
  • malcolmg said:

    Clegg on Sturgeon:

    "The Commonwealth Games are exactly what everybody wants them to be, which is a wonderful festival of sport bringing athletes together from around the Commonwealth, from around the world, and it really shouldn't be distorted or sullied by the politics of the SNP."

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/clegg-sturgeon-was-misplaced-and-gauche-to-link-games-with-yes-vote.1407073530

    Salmond and Sturgeon are a nasty couple of spoilsports. Ghastly people.
    Not half as nasty as you pair.
    They were on their honour not to besmirch the Games with their nasty divisive politics, but of course they are without honour or class.

  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    They are going to get rid of Trident - but keep the jobs????

    The Scottish Government has rejected claims by a defence contractor that the Faslane naval base is unlikely to require the same number of personnel in an independent Scotland.

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/baillie-11000-jobs-at-faslane-naval-base-at-risk-in-iscotland.1407076151

    They can use it to service the nuclear ships of other NATO nations. It is a requirement of membership to allow them access.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,376

    Clegg on Sturgeon:

    "The Commonwealth Games are exactly what everybody wants them to be, which is a wonderful festival of sport bringing athletes together from around the Commonwealth, from around the world, and it really shouldn't be distorted or sullied by the politics of the SNP."

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/clegg-sturgeon-was-misplaced-and-gauche-to-link-games-with-yes-vote.1407073530

    I do think it's bad that the SNP have tried to politicize the CWG (though it was probably inevitable) but wouldn't it be more advisable for Clegg to keep his head down and shut up until after 18th September?
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,496
    Scott_P said:

    They are going to get rid of Trident - but keep the jobs????

    The Scottish Government has rejected claims by a defence contractor that the Faslane naval base is unlikely to require the same number of personnel in an independent Scotland.

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/baillie-11000-jobs-at-faslane-naval-base-at-risk-in-iscotland.1407076151

    They can use it to service the nuclear ships of other NATO nations. It is a requirement of membership to allow them access.
    you are really really stupid.
  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    malcolmg said:


    you are really really stupid.

    I love you too Malc.

    Try reading the White Paper
    ‘While they are both strong advocates for nuclear disarmament, both Norway and Denmark allow NATO vessels to visit their ports without confirming or denying whether they carry nuclear weapons. “We intend that Scotland will adopt a similar approach as Denmark and Norway in this respect.
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207

    According to the Guardian, Salmond has employed “a lifestyle coach and happiness guru” in advance of his crucial televised debate against Alistair Darling.

    Must admit I’ve never thought of the FM as the happy, smiley face of Scotland, but, hey ho…

    Thought that was Malcolmg......
  • fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,320
    Ruth Davidson MSP @RuthDavidsonMSP · 39m
    "If you vote No...you are a bad parent". That's what @YesScotland meetings are telling Scots. Desperate. #indyref http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn2bfD1LvZw
  • MonikerDiCanioMonikerDiCanio Posts: 5,792
    edited August 2014
    fitalass said:

    Ruth Davidson MSP @RuthDavidsonMSP · 39m
    "If you vote No...you are a bad parent". That's what @YesScotland meetings are telling Scots. Desperate. #indyref http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn2bfD1LvZw

    Salmond and Sturgeon are both childless, so parenthood is one of their very many areas of total ignorance.
    .Who the hell is this booze-faced thug?

  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Floater said:

    According to the Guardian, Salmond has employed “a lifestyle coach and happiness guru” in advance of his crucial televised debate against Alistair Darling.

    Must admit I’ve never thought of the FM as the happy, smiley face of Scotland, but, hey ho…

    Thought that was Malcolmg......
    The prospect of Malcolmg as "a lifestyle and happiness guru" would be an interesting one!

    I would have thought that such a coach would be redundant for Salmond, he only needs some government trews and a five star golfing break to stay smiling...
  • JonnyJimmyJonnyJimmy Posts: 2,548

    Who the hell is this booze-faced thug?

    A weatherman
  • JonnyJimmyJonnyJimmy Posts: 2,548

    Who the hell is this booze-faced thug?

    A weatherman
    "Q35. Who was once caught in the toilets of STV, drunk on booze and smearing shit all over the wall to spell out the words “STV is shit”? Was it weatherman Lloyd Quinan, Newsreader Angus Simpson or Sportscaster Jim Delahunt?

    A. Lloyd Quinan"

    http://dpquiz.co.uk/famous-people/bad-behaviour.html

This discussion has been closed.