To the scum who stole my dad's medals... (From Wirral Globe)
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To the scum who stole my dad's medals...
9:35am Wednesday 27th May 2009 in Letters
TWO weeks ago in the Globe, under the headline: “Police hunt Hoylake burglar” you wrote about my distress at having my father’s medals stolen, and I would like to tell you the rest of the story.
My dad was a 17-year-old kid, up to his neck in mud, blood and rats in 1914-1918 War, and lived to see it end, for which he received many medals, of which I had three.
He was very proud of them, but would never tell us what he did in those years.
In the 1939-1945 War, he was what was called an ARP officer, and was out every night helping after bombing raids with injured, killed and buried men, women and children. He was on Lewis’s store roof when he got hit, and again he received other medals for that. He died aged 85.
I had kept three of his war medals. Now some scumbag has sneaked into my home and stolen them to sell for a few pounds. I have no idea where they are now.
In 1945, I went to buy what I thought was a nice engagement ring, but my wife-to-be had eyes on a better one, which was more than I could afford, so I had to borrow the fortune of £10 off her for the ring she wanted.
We were together for nearly 50 years until she died from cancer at Arrowe Park Hospital in 2003. The scum took that as well, so in a few minutes I lost my dad’s medals and my wife’s engagement ring.
If anyone knows someone who carries out these sort of robberies, and may know who the culprit is, could a friend - or better still a foe - just telephone a police station, with name and address of the person.
I could die a happy man if I just have five minutes alone with him.
The thief’s mum and dad, gran and grandad and friends must be proud of him.
Name and address supplied.
Comments(16)
MrsTonyHarrison
says...
10:39pm Wed 27 May 09
slumdog
says...
10:54pm Wed 27 May 09
MrsTonyHarrison wrote:You may have a point about the violence, but your attitude to this mans loss disgusts me. They were in a safe place - they were in his home. Your point is similar to telling a woman she deserves to be sexually assaulted for being in the street. If she had kept herself somewhere safe it would not have happened.
If they were that valuable you should have kept them in a secure place. And at the end of the day what does violence do? Have your five minutes with them and you will be no better than them.
Elliott
says...
9:41am Thu 28 May 09
MrsTonyHarrison wrote:Mrs Harrison, I'm sure that the Hoylake gentleman did keep these items in a secure place, i.e. his locked house. Sometimes, a good thrashing is the only thing that these reprobates understand, as I fail to see what higher principle the thief is attempting to uphold. If the thief thinks that he's worth those medals, then perhaps someone should repetitively fire a WW1-vintage rifle, at him, from 200 yards. Then he might've earned a medal or two.
If they were that valuable you should have kept them in a secure place. And at the end of the day what does violence do? Have your five minutes with them and you will be no better than them.
At the end of your day, violence stopped Germany from thieving the rest of Europe of it's own freedom.
somebizarre
says...
12:07pm Thu 28 May 09
MrsTonyHarrison
says...
7:10pm Thu 28 May 09
Elliott
says...
8:46am Fri 29 May 09
So the answer is for people who wish to defend their country, through violence, if necessary, to be put in jail rather than given a medal? I question whether you've ever been at the hard end of life. A place where bad decisions have to be made, in order to stave off an even greater bad. You don't like such people because it shows you as incapable. Seems to me that you've had it too comfy. I refer you to Neville Chamberlain.
somebizarre -
"If Germany had won war..."
...then your parents or grandparents would've been even less than a second-class citizen in their own country. Oh yeah, Hitler, & his like, were really nice guys.
Elliott
says...
9:06am Fri 29 May 09
Those who forget History are doomed to repeat it.
slumdog
says...
11:48am Sat 30 May 09
this letter was about a thft from a house but it became an excuse for some people to let off their mindless, racist stench.
Somebizzare: you have exactly the kind of attitude that Hitler had to the Jews. We didnt fight WWII so we could end up with people like you in our midst. You should be deported!
MrsTonyHarrison
says...
11:41pm Sat 30 May 09
Elliott wrote:I have been at the hard end of life, and that is something I do not wish to discuss with a pompous twit such as yourself. I do not give a **** about any war that has been fought. If you want to ride about on your high horse telling people how magnificent the war was then carry on because I have no interest whatsoever.
MrsHarrison - "violence is not the answer." So the answer is for people who wish to defend their country, through violence, if necessary, to be put in jail rather than given a medal? I question whether you've ever been at the hard end of life. A place where bad decisions have to be made, in order to stave off an even greater bad. You don't like such people because it shows you as incapable. Seems to me that you've had it too comfy. I refer you to Neville Chamberlain. somebizarre - "If Germany had won war..." ...then your parents or grandparents would've been even less than a second-class citizen in their own country. Oh yeah, Hitler, & his like, were really nice guys.
MrsTonyHarrison
says...
11:43pm Sat 30 May 09
Elliott wrote:I am quite aware of Britain's history but because I don't give a **** does not mean I'm going to exterminate the Jews
MrsHarrison - "I don't care about Germany or how it fought it's wars." Those who forget History are doomed to repeat it.
somebizarre
says...
11:47pm Sat 30 May 09
slumdog wrote:What I said isn't racist it's just telling it how it is. If Hitler had won you don't know what society would be like no one does, but the UK at this moment is slowly but surely surrendering it's identity because of the political correctness that people have decided to take hold of and now it isn't safe to be proud and British with outward expressions through English flags, etc, because it might offend the foreigners who have moved to OUR country. If you think it is quite ok to surrender your nationality to please foreigners in this country then that's your choice but I'm proud to be British but I'm not proud of the state the country is in at the moment and how people are abusing the country when they emigrate to it. I'm sure that the father of the person who wrote this letter wouldn't be to happy that the country he fought for has become a free for all for the people of the world. My grandparents fought in the war and before they died I know how ashamed they where at the state that the governments of the past 50 years have destroyed the country.
The most depressing thing that history does teach us, is that we do go on endlessly repeating the same mistakes in different forms. this letter was about a thft from a house but it became an excuse for some people to let off their mindless, racist stench. Somebizzare: you have exactly the kind of attitude that Hitler had to the Jews. We didnt fight WWII so we could end up with people like you in our midst. You should be deported!
slumdog
says...
11:37pm Sun 31 May 09
Elliott
says...
6:01pm Mon 1 Jun 09
And there it is... a hint of violence.
Elliott
says...
1:03am Tue 2 Jun 09
I never said you were. Though, asterisks really do spoil the delicacy of your point.
MrsH - "If you want to ride about on your high horse telling people how magnificent the war was..."
...Which they never are. They're complete & utter bloodbaths (of somewhat greater magnitude than this discussion). Though, when facing invasion, somebody's got to do it. You just don't get it, if you think that boys who've been on a frontline (not the officers, but the poor miserable squaddies), regard war as magnificent. Those boys thoroughly earned the right to keep their mere medals for the filth & carnage that they went through, & for their sons & grandsons to remember it, because they deserved a lot more honour.
"...then carry on because I have no interest whatsoever."
So why bother posting, if you're so disinterested?
slumdog - "We should keep Britain for the British Master Race."
A dangerous phrase to use, as it makes an automatic connection between Britain & Naziism. There is no such thing & there never has been. We're all of mixed continental immigrant stock of one descent or another. Throughout history, this island has constantly been encroached upon by Europe, & the EU is only the latest incarnation.
Stricter border controls for Wallasey? Judging by all the Wallasey & Liscard posts, could I dare to suggest so?
Can the Hoylake man just have his ring & medals back? They're not likely to be worth more than fifty quid. Yet, there is a personal attachment beyond price.
somebizarre
says...
3:07pm Tue 2 Jun 09
slumdog says...
2:08pm Wed 27 May 09