MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Memorial unveiling to commemorate the Battle of the River Plate
With consular representation from New Zealand and Uruguay, survivors of the first major naval battle of the Second World War will gather at Britain's National Memorial Arboretum to unveil a memorial commemorating the event. The Battle of the River Plate took place 75 years ago and less than a dozen veterans are still alive from this, the only episode of the war to take place in South America. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesAbout time.
Apr 12th, 2014 - 12:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0at last someone is doing the right thing and marking the sacrifice the men made.
Apr 12th, 2014 - 01:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0To fight and die for your country is one thing, to be remembered is another, the two dont always go hand in hand which is wrong.
Well done Uruguayans in only allowing 72 hours for the repair and leading to the decision of the graf Spee being scuttled. Saving of life and a good cause. Its always feel good to stand upto facists (a bit like your Argentine neighbours)
Apr 12th, 2014 - 02:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It must have been a hell of a fight, the men must have been so very brave, to go into a fair fight is one thing, but to go into a fight already knowing that you are going to be killed is quite another indeed, they were more of a man than I am just for doing that, what courage and sacrifice.
Apr 12th, 2014 - 03:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Can I echo the sentiments by ChrisR at 1 and Vulcanbomber at 2 ? and say thank god these brave souls are now being remembered and honoured. It is about time it happened.
Agreed. This has been way overdue.
Apr 12th, 2014 - 08:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I've been to the National Memorial Arboretum. It's a very moving experience. It's so big that if you truly want to see every memorial that it holds, then you literally require the whole day.
I went last summer and paid my respects to those that fell defending liberty, including far too many names that I knew myself from my own service in the army.
I'm not ashamed to admit that there were more than one occasion when I got tearful.
The setting for the memorials is extremely beautiful and peaceful, and it has memorials to numerous RN warships and their crews, a Falklands memorial (a duplicate of the one on the Islands I believe), numerous RAFs memorials, as well as numerous memorials to all the different Regiments and Corps of the army, as well as the Gurkhas, the Polish and other foreign troops.
There is also a Hiroshima and Nagasaki memorial, and memorials to the civil services too.
My advice to everyone is to try and visit the place at least once. You won't regret it.
4 LEPRecon
Apr 12th, 2014 - 08:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“I'm not ashamed to admit that there were more than one occasion when I got tearful.”
It's ok. As “Sandy” Woodward once wrote of Cpt Mike Layard “When he did regain consciousness he could only see the bright orange glow of the burning cunarder and he sat with his head in his hands and wept for his friend , Captain Ian North....... It's often the way with the bravest of men”
Even Commander Alan West ( HMS Ardent ) admits to his tears when he had to abandon his ship, and he had balls of solid rock.
So I can imagine standing there, “In the company of hero's” Who could not fail to be moved?
What Argentina supposed to partake and celebrate this barbarism of the Europeans?
Apr 14th, 2014 - 01:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Only the Europeans have this bizarre mentality to cause a are that killed 70 million and then find it honorable. What a wacked folk.
sighhh...
Apr 15th, 2014 - 04:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0only Argentina would stand by, profiting from a war that saw the rest of the world plunged into a bloody struggle to prevent vast populations from succumbing to fascism and tyranny.
You see, Nostril, we can make irritating provocations too, just like you.
So much for that “Troll Cease Fire” alias of yours.
You've made outrageous derogatory or inflammatory remarks on nearly every current thread.
Back to repeating your old tactics, Vic-TROLL-a !
@7
Apr 15th, 2014 - 08:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0To quote, I think Groucho Marx, “If brains were dynamite you wouldn't have enough to blow your hat off”
#7
Apr 15th, 2014 - 05:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Didn't Argentina issue a coin to celebrate the Falklands war and hold a re enactment of the invasion of the Falklands ?
Only Argentina could do this !!
Aren't you a tad hypocritical. I am sure you know the word for hatred in the eight languages you tell us you are studying. I don't think you have learned the word compassion in any of them.
10 Clyde
Apr 15th, 2014 - 06:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well said.
“Respect” isn't there either.
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