MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
RAF centenary celebration fly-past gathers thousands in London
Thousands of people have gathered outside Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force. Almost 100 planes representing the RAF over the years flew over The Mall following a parade by personnel. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesWhat a monumental waste of money by those “patriotic” citizens in our country “proud” of this display of post-colonial “punching above our weight” bravado.
Jul 11th, 2018 - 09:27 am - Link - Report abuse -4For example, the 400 new troops to be sent to Afghanistan will in fact be mere security guards for UN personnel.
Sad PT- over 50,000 RAF gave their lives in defence of their homeland in a brutal total war they did not start - WW2 . Yet again they fought and risked their lives in 1982 in defence of
Jul 11th, 2018 - 11:02 am - Link - Report abuse +2other British people in yet another war started by someone else. They were founded in 1918 in another world war - which Britain did not start.
As the queen said - 4 Generation of her family have served their Country with their “wings”-her father-her husband- 2 of her sons and 2 grandchildren. Not bad.
Don't be such a misery Pytangua, it's a celebration of history and we should be proud of the RAF, they prevented Nazi Germany invading Britain among other things.
Jul 11th, 2018 - 11:07 am - Link - Report abuse +1Pytangua
Jul 11th, 2018 - 11:08 am - Link - Report abuse +1Even though I'm not British I recognise the sacrifices that the RAF (amongst the rest of the British armed forces, not to mention civilians) have made to protect the freedoms of not only the UK and Commonwealth but the rest of the world.
Without them I don't doubt that my own country would be a German 'protectorate'.
If you can't accept that and are just reduced to making snidey comments then that says all that needs to be said about you and your ilk.
Security guards for the UN sounds like a right honourable undertaking to me.
Jul 11th, 2018 - 11:28 am - Link - Report abuse +1Yet another thing to be proud of.
LOL. .
Jul 11th, 2018 - 12:26 pm - Link - Report abuse -2Pyntangua: you wouldn't by any chance be a citizen of a country that has just asked for a bail out from the IMF?
Jul 11th, 2018 - 01:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Pitiful.
Jul 11th, 2018 - 10:44 pm - Link - Report abuse -2Brits contribute 8% of what America does to nato.
Newsflash, Brits: We DON'T NEED nato.
“Brits contribute 8% of what America does to nato.”
Jul 11th, 2018 - 11:05 pm - Link - Report abuse +1“President Trump has long sought to get NATO allies to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense.”
But how close are NATO members to that 2 percent threshold? Use the arrows in the chart below to scroll through the years:”
US 4.81%
UK 2.48%
Since when has any country needed Nato...?
The only country that has ever used Nato for it's own ends is the US...
Britain contributes exactly what we promised to. If you don't like NATO, quit. Whining and playing the victim is just pathetic.
Jul 11th, 2018 - 11:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0America invests 686 BILLION in security.
Jul 12th, 2018 - 02:04 am - Link - Report abuse -2What does the UK spend?
The US doesn't NEED nato.
During the Cold War Britain and the rest of Europe hosted US air bases, US troops, and US nuclear weapons under US control, painting a big target on our back for the Soviet Union. It let you surround them with a ring of weapons, and your leaders well knew that every country taken over by the USSR would make them stronger and you weaker. That is what you were paying for.
Jul 12th, 2018 - 08:30 am - Link - Report abuse +1But the Soviet Union collapsed long ago and NATO has outlived it's usefulness. Most of your air bases have closed but there are still one or two on British soil. So go home, take your forward operating bases with you, and double your military spending like you want to. We'll take care of our defence and can stop getting involved in your disastrous and counterproductive Middle Eastern wars.
Hopefully - as the airline stewardesses say - “Bye, bye.”
Jul 12th, 2018 - 04:17 pm - Link - Report abuse -2DT, why are you so ashamed of your birthplace?
Huh?
@PT. Why do you refer to “our” country as though you were British? I can say nothing about “your” passport or what might be in it, if you have one, but it's a serious offence to have false documents.
Jul 13th, 2018 - 08:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0There are, of course, a few anarchists, tree-huggers and slugs who decry the British armed forces but I am at a loss to understand them. For a start, although I doubt whether such slugs can relate to it, the British armed forces are those that enable the slugs to criticise. But for the British armed forces, the slugs would be slave slugs crushed underfoot. Just for opening their dumb mouths.
And, with respect to the Royal Air Force, I wonder about a group of people prepared to fight in the air. Ground forces are on the ground. Naval forces and, aside from enemy action, they can be okay if they can swim or hang on to something that floats. the only thing that I can think of being, inherently, more dangerous than crewing a military aircraft is being rocketed into outer space.
And, on a final note, what does it matter what role one is taking if it is one that may involve being shot at? Why hasn't anybody ever taken a shot at you?
Lederhosen and polka would have been cute in Mayfair.
Jul 13th, 2018 - 01:21 pm - Link - Report abuse -1The question is why is this piece appearing in Mercopenguin, a British government propaganda organ supposedly devoted to America, South America and the “South Atlantic”?
Jul 14th, 2018 - 12:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0Not only are you financial deadbeats but cowards as well:
Jul 14th, 2018 - 02:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.atimes.com/article/natos-problem-is-that-europeans-wont-fight/
The Poles are specifically excluded. WWII wounded and convalescing in the States literally fought to get back to europe and into the war. We salute your courage and dedication.
Not to forget…
Jul 14th, 2018 - 10:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Dear RAF Air Historical Branch:
Going through historical data I find no mention or hint regarding RAF WW2 volunteers born in Argentina despite their number and important contribution to the war effort.
I´m attaching a list of 766 Argentinian volunteers that served in the RAF, RCAF, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, ATA, SAAF and RNVR during WW2.
Over 500 RAFVR are cited and their personal war experiences told in Wings of Thunder written by Claudio Meunier:
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wings-of-thunder---wartime-raf-veterans-flying-in-from-argentina-155366235.html
Of these approximately 122 were killed in action, 300 returned to Argentina and the rest to Canada, the USA, some other country or stayed in Great Britain.
I believe that Argentine RAF volunteers were omitted as such because of their double citizenship status. Born in Argentina they cannot renounce their Argentine citizenship and being descendants of British parents or grandparents can also obtain a British passport and citizenship.
In practice, these Argentine born volunteers presented themselves at the British consulate in Buenos Aires, were subjected to a physical examination, issued a British passport and off they went. It can rightly be assumed that this would ease their acceptance for service. A few, women included, drowned under way torpedoed by U boats.
I’m a former pupil of Saint Andrews Scots School of Buenos Aires. 117 schoolmates, men and women circa 10 years my seniors volunteered for service in WW2. In the attached roll of honour you’ll find four fallen RAFVR airmen and one from the FAA. We have raised a cenotaph in their memory on school grounds.
Am attaching a photo of the event showing A.T.S. Private Mrs. Lilian Crease and Flying Officer RAFVR John Linton Easdale as they return from the unveiling ceremony on September 1st 2005. We had 12 surviving veterans present.
What has awakened my interest is that the WW1 Argentine born volunteers to the Royal Flyin
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