Post your Christmas gifts (1 Viewer)

[The Military Workshop]

Wayne,
If your GF really cared she would have got you a DD55 to go with it !!!!
However you can never have enough Rommel's. Perhaps somebody might know how many K&C have done (I count 5 but must have been some earlier ones).
Regards
Brett

 

[wayne556517]

Wayne,
If your GF really cared she would have got you a DD55 to go with it !!!!
However you can never have enough Rommel's. Perhaps somebody might know how many K&C have done (I count 5 but must have been some earlier ones).
Regards
Brett

Not one of my favourite figures after his blunder at Gallipoli..................

 

[The Military Workshop]

Hey, at the end of the day the man was a pretty good leader and led an interesting life.

Ok so he had Gallipoli (and Singapore) but overall he did not do a bad job. Predicted the Hitler problem and then the Communists. Then managed to write a book or two.

Regards
Brett

 

[wayne556517]

Yeah mate the bloke did well,just having a dig still dont like the figure...........

 

[The Military Workshop]

No problem Wayne. I understand the Aussie perspective on him.

 

[damian]

Well to most of us Winston Churchill was hero.

 

[Rob]

'Not one of my favourites after his Gallipoli Blunder'

Classic

So you remember one of the giants of the twentieth century for his mistake in Gallipoli not because he stood up to Hitler,defied the Nazi's and helped lead the free world into final victory.Where do you think Australia would be now if Churchill had not returned to power to lead us against your much loved Germans Wayne,do you think Aus would have won WW2? Jeez,with the greatest respect can you name a better more famous and beloved around the world wartime Australian leader,no didn't think so.

Churchill was a superb wartime leader,the right man at the right place who lifted the spirits of the British people and put fire in their bellies.Yes he made mistakes,several,but(and didn't we lose just as many as you did in Gallipoli-not that Gallipoli was all his fault)he was human.I can't think of another wartime leader who could unite a people like he could.

Sorry guys,but slagging a much loved figure who along with the US president led our side, the right and just side to Victory....nope I better stop now before I get too angry.Its this god awful modern practice of slagging someone who gave their all for us,but could not do a better job or suggest someone who could have.Nope I've got to go I'm just getting angrier and angrier!.

Rob

 

[Simpson & his donkey.]

Stay cool Rob we understand were your coming from.I too liked Winston and loved reading his short stories as a kid.I don't think Australia is ready to decrare war with Rob over your just out burst.We are very direct with what we say down here and sometimes other people from other countries get the wrong idea of what we really mean.Take for instance here on the forum I got a infraction point for using the word B**TARD.But in Australia you say B**TARD mother inlaw,B**TARD dog,B**TARD hot weather 'B**TARD cricket players.Everything is a B**TARD in Australia but around the world it is insulting .So you see sometimes we say stuff not realising we are not talking to Australians .Simmo.

 

[The Military Workshop]

Rob,
Whilst I agree with you as a British migrant to Oz I can see the Australian view. I am used to it by now and my suggesting DD55 to Wayne was a joke in the knowledge that a lot of Aussies are not as big fans of Churchill as the Brits are. I have had plenty of Churchill conversations in the shop and it is always in good humour.
Just before Christmas I found a great 15" tall figure of Churchill (V sign, cigar and stick with big head) for only A$15 in the Woolworths supermarket. I boiught one immeadiately for the shop and recommend it to many of my shop visitors. One mentioned something about taking it to the firing range !!!
I am a big Churchill fan but here in Oz Gallipoli is huge in the public mind. In the context of overall British military history Gallipoli hardly rates a mention. However in the Australian perception Gallipoli would be like biggger than say Hastings, Waterloo, Rorkes Drift and Arnhem combined (all of which never mentioned at school here). Unfortunately most people here (Wayne would be an obvious exception) would have no idea about Churchill other than in the context of Gallipoli and Singapore.
A lot of migrants here. I asked a regular K&C WWII collector why he was not getting the Ltd Ed Churchill staff car. He replied he did not agree with his policies so I said was that Gallipoli and Singapore,. His sharp reply was no Dresden which is where his family were in WWII. You will note Andy mentioned meeting an Aussie Air Commodore in latest Collector and he is another with German heritage.
As you indicate Churchill had a fairly big job with handling his resources in WW2 (and lets remember Britain was in WWII two years before Pearl Harbour) and in the overall scheme of things how could he cover skies over UK, Europe, North Africa, the Pacific, the Med, Atlantic, Singapore and Hong Kong etc with what he had.
So no need to take offence as I am sure Wayne meant none. It is good humoured banter.
Regards
Brett

 

[damian]

Rob,
Whilst I agree with you as a British migrant to Oz I can see the Australian view. I am used to it by now and my suggesting DD55 to Wayne was a joke in the knowledge that a lot of Aussies are not as big fans of Churchill as the Brits are. I have had plenty of Churchill conversations in the shop and it is always in good humour.
Just before Christmas I found a great 15" tall figure of Churchill (V sign, cigar and stick with big head) for only A$15 in the Woolworths supermarket. I boiught one immeadiately for the shop and recommend it to many of my shop visitors. One mentioned something about taking it to the firing range !!!
I am a big Churchill fan but here in Oz Gallipoli is huge in the public mind. In the context of overall British military history Gallipoli hardly rates a mention. However in the Australian perception Gallipoli would be like biggger than say Hastings, Waterloo, Rorkes Drift and Arnhem combined (all of which never mentioned at school here). Unfortunately most people here (Wayne would be an obvious exception) would have no idea about Churchill other than in the context of Gallipoli and Singapore.
A lot of migrants here. I asked a regular K&C WWII collector why he was not getting the Ltd Ed Churchill staff car. He replied he did not agree with his policies so I said was that Gallipoli and Singapore,. His sharp reply was no Dresden which is where his family were in WWII. You will note Andy mentioned meeting an Aussie Air Commodore in latest Collector and he is another with German heritage.
As you indicate Churchill had a fairly big job with handling his resources in WW2 (and lets remember Britain was in WWII two years before Pearl Harbour) and in the overall scheme of things how could he cover skies over UK, Europe, North Africa, the Pacific, the Med, Atlantic, Singapore and Hong Kong etc with what he had.
So no need to take offence as I am sure Wayne meant none. It is good humoured banter.
Regards
Brett

I would like to support Rob. Dare I say we should all try and be a little less parochial in our posts on this forum.
It is international and I was also a bit annoyed by the issue.
Brett I wonder if you're collector of German descent would object to buying a figure of Hitler or of any other president or leader, past or current, who has ordered a bombing campaign in which civilian targets might have been included. (Now there is pause for thought) There is a great deal of historical revisionism at the moment trying to undermine Churchill. His supporters are not blind. We recognize the man had flaws but we also recognize that it was he who steadied the ship and kept the British people and most of the empire on side during 1940-1942. There were plenty around who wanted to come to terms with Hitler in 1940. Even Edward VIII was a proto Nazi. So please banter in your shop is one thing but what you write here is read all across the world.

 

[Simpson & his donkey.]

I would like to support Rob. Dare I say we should all try and be a little less parochial in our posts on this forum.
It is international and I was also a bit annoyed by the issue.
Brett I wonder if you're collector of German descent would object to buying a figure of Hitler or of any other president or leader, past or current, who has ordered a bombing campaign in which civilian targets might have been included. (Now there is pause for thought) There is a great deal of historical revisionism at the moment trying to undermine Churchill. His supporters are not blind. We recognize the man had flaws but we also recognize that it was he who steadied the ship and kept the British people and most of the empire on side during 1940-1942. There were plenty around who wanted to come to terms with Hitler in 1940. Even Edward VIII was a proto Nazi. So please banter in your shop is one thing but what you write here is read all across the world.

Banter, slang ,kidding ,parochial comments,is this not what a forum is all about.Theses are everyday things in Australia are they not everyday things in other countries.I think we take to close a look at ourselves and our perfect world and forget about having fun and abit of a dig every now and then.Damien some of the funniest and most how should I say this but straight in your face guys I have meet are from your country.Rob was right in his mind and said his views and no one I have seen has said he went over board at all.Gee I no of guys who have named there dogs after Churchill so if that ain't love for the man i don't no what is.Simmo.

 

[wayne556517]

Sorry Brett next time i want to have a bit of Aussie humour (It is a international forum)i will PM you some people need to get out more "German lover huh"crack me up Rob you really do,i said i dont like the figure not the man do you blokes know these things you collect (Toysoldiers) arn't real????????Anyway does anyone like my plane (Rommels taxi might insult some) my beautiful Australian GF bought me for xmas.

 

[Simpson & his donkey.]

Sorry Brett next time i want to have a bit of Aussie humour (It is a international forum)i will PM you some people need to get out more "German lover huh"crack me up Rob you really do,i said i dont like the figure not the man do you blokes know these things you collect (Toysoldiers) arn't real????????Anyway does anyone like my plane (Rommels taxi might insult some) my beautiful Australian GF bought me for xmas.

I love your plane and your photo's have made me order one from Brett .So you are to blame you B**TARD but that's ok .Gee are Australians the only people with thick hides.Simmo.

 

[The Military Workshop]

Damian,
I think my personal support and views about Churchill are fairly plain to see so not sure why you seem to be upset by my "banter" which I thought I explained pretty well.
Regarding my collector of German heritage I totally have no problem with him not liking Churchill. If his family is from Dresden then his views are based on the familiy experience (who were there at the time) which are different from those such as Rob,you and I. In no way could he be considered a supporter of the German leadership. He does not have to like Churchill just because we admire him. His is a more personal reason than say the average Aussie who just bases their views on Gallipoli and Singapore which in the short period of Australian history are magnifed far more than the same events are in British history. Remember Australia only became a country in 1901.
Gallipoli is so big here that it gets far much more attention than the Western Front which was far worse in terms of troops deployed, casualties, horror and length of time etc. As Rob points out the British were also at Gallipoli but this is forgotten amongst all the Australian stories (ie. Lone Pine, the Nek (ie. the scene in the Light Horse movie where three waves went over the top only to be mowed down straight away and Simpson and his Donkey etc.)
When I first came here and saw my first ANZAC Day parade (on the 25 April to commemorate landing at Gallipoli) I was really moved by the number of participants and public support. The day commemorates the fallen in all wars (that Australians were in) and Remembrance Day 11 NOV is also commemorated. My father was British Army and I don't recall anything like it in the UK.
I sometimes joke with my customers that I have been sent by the UK Govt on a mission to educate them about British military history. Damian in particular would be interested to know I recently had a 40 year old well educated customer who had never seen the movie Zulu or heard of Rorkes Drift and the 11 VC's !!!
I have mentioned in a previous post that Churchill should have been the Time Magazine man of the 20th Century (not Einstein).
So don't worry I am doing my bit to educate as many as I can .
Regards
Brett

 

[The Military Workshop]

Wayne and Simpson,
I see you got in your posts while I was writing mine.
I think the sense of humour has been lost somewhere and Damian and Rob might have taken offence when there was none.
What they don't also realise is that most Australians don't know who the Australian Prime Ministers were in WWII. Also that the Great Wall of China was made to keep the rabbits out (from a TV ad )
My daughter has finished school here and son coming into final year and I know Churchill has not come up in their education. Not too worry though as they have studied such useful things as Aztecs and Incas, the Long March in China and Ancient Mysteries such as Atlantis and Easter Island !!!!!!
Regards to all,
Brett

 

[trooper]

It might be as well to remember that Churchill had the idea of attacking at Gallipoli, in theory quite a good move, but was not physically there to land the troops on the wrong beach and fail to push inland immediately before the Turks had chance to react. He can't really be blamed for mistakes made on the day. I don't know enough about Singapore to comment on that.

 

[wayne556517]

I love your plane and your photo's have made me order one from Brett .So you are to blame you B**TARD but that's ok .Gee are Australians the only people with thick hides.Simmo.

Matey you can thank me later....................

 

[Rob]

Stay cool Rob we understand were your coming from.I too liked Winston and loved reading his short stories as a kid.I don't think Australia is ready to decrare war with Rob over your just out burst.We are very direct with what we say down here and sometimes other people from other countries get the wrong idea of what we really mean.Take for instance here on the forum I got a infraction point for using the word B**TARD.But in Australia you say B**TARD mother inlaw,B**TARD dog,B**TARD hot weather 'B**TARD cricket players.Everything is a B**TARD in Australia but around the world it is insulting .So you see sometimes we say stuff not realising we are not talking to Australians .Simmo.

Thanks Simmo,I appreciate your post,and I do normally really enjoy Aussie humour.And as for staying cool,not a problem over here right now mate,it hit -15 last night!

Rob

 

[Rob]

Damian,
I think my personal support and views about Churchill are fairly plain to see so not sure why you seem to be upset by my "banter" which I thought I explained pretty well.
Regarding my collector of German heritage I totally have no problem with him not liking Churchill. If his family is from Dresden then his views are based on the familiy experience (who were there at the time) which are different from those such as Rob,you and I. In no way could he be considered a supporter of the German leadership. He does not have to like Churchill just because we admire him. His is a more personal reason than say the average Aussie who just bases their views on Gallipoli and Singapore which in the short period of Australian history are magnifed far more than the same events are in British history. Remember Australia only became a country in 1901.
Gallipoli is so big here that it gets far much more attention than the Western Front which was far worse in terms of troops deployed, casualties, horror and length of time etc. As Rob points out the British were also at Gallipoli but this is forgotten amongst all the Australian stories (ie. Lone Pine, the Nek (ie. the scene in the Light Horse movie where three waves went over the top only to be mowed down straight away and Simpson and his Donkey etc.)
When I first came here and saw my first ANZAC Day parade (on the 25 April to commemorate landing at Gallipoli) I was really moved by the number of participants and public support. The day commemorates the fallen in all wars (that Australians were in) and Remembrance Day 11 NOV is also commemorated. My father was British Army and I don't recall anything like it in the UK.
I sometimes joke with my customers that I have been sent by the UK Govt on a mission to educate them about British military history. Damian in particular would be interested to know I recently had a 40 year old well educated customer who had never seen the movie Zulu or heard of Rorkes Drift and the 11 VC's !!!
I have mentioned in a previous post that Churchill should have been the Time Magazine man of the 20th Century (not Einstein).
So don't worry I am doing my bit to educate as many as I can .
Regards
Brett

Hey Brett,

Whilst I do appreciate your post I must make one point (not that you could possibly know this )but my views are also based on family experience.My mother,grandmother and uncles were bombed out during the Blitz on London,lost everything and narrowly escaped with their lives.So add that to an already fierce pride in what the forces of Britain and her Allies did in WW2 and I'm afraid I have no time for revisionists,apologists or the like.

I think sometimes we (and I do mean all of us not just one individual)do forget just what the Nazi's represented.If you'd sat and listened to the story the elderly lady told me some years back of running down her street as a 7yr old Girl to discover the dismembered body of her brother lying in the street following a V1 strike,its bloody heartbreaking Brett.Or the last letter at the IWM of a little boy telling his parents how much he missed them and wanted to come home,before dying in those frozen waters after being torpedoed by one of those U Boat commanders who some people think were heroes,mass murder of hundreds of children in frozen waters,yeah real heroes.What I'm trying to say is that although we all collect German stuff as they made some great weapons of war,maybe now and again we should just pause and remember,before we hit that order button.

But hey enough is enough Brett,glad to hear you are spreading the word abroad!.I'm the first to concede Churchill made some real bad calls in his time,but when Britain was at her lowest ebb up stood Winnie and the RAF,oh and Radar of course

Re Gallipoli,I've attended the Anzac Dawn memorial service in Londons Hyde Park twice in the past,very moving indeed.My wife has promised to take me to Gallipoli for my fiftieth birthday in four years time,I think it will be something I remember forever.Must say as a child/youth growing up I always thought the Anzacs had lost more than us in that campaign as it seemed to be an Anzac battle,however I was surprised to learn that Britain suffered more in that theatre in killed and wounded.The only good thing about Gallipoli was the withdrawal.As for British memorial services the 11th November has always been a must.Whether its London at the Cenotaph or in my home town I wouldn't miss it for the world.Also I have had the pleasure of being at the Lochnagar crater service on the Somme at 7am on the 1st of July many times,for the marking of that truly awful Battle.

Can you imagine never having heard of 'Zulu'!(first film my dad ever took me to see)

Cheers Brett

Rob

 

[The Military Workshop]

Your points well taken and we are definitely on the same wavelength regarding Winston.

Regarding "Can you imagine never having heard of 'Zulu'"

Now you can see just how hard my job is Down Under

Regards
Brett
PS I am not getting a good reaction from Wayne and Simmo about my new sales policy. Seems they do not want to buy a Churchill figure with every German item. Seemed like a good idea at the time.