Legend of Blitzkid

[Blitzkid]

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL

The date of the book alone tells me it could not have been written before 197O, let me explain:

1945 THE WAR OFFICE thinking there may be other conflicts came up with a 25 year plan of survival, they placed all forces on a reserve list. This meant just a telegram and they all would return to the forces again. 25 years meant 1970. In 1970 they released scores of information about wartime doings. Now 'Forsyth' could write his book, but some were half stories so he added fiction. 'Forsyth' new nothing about hitmen, doubt he had ever a gun, he was a brylcream boy.

I and several of my mates had practiced this 'hitman' thing several times, LORD HALIFAX was my target as special forces. It never worked, military police always caught us, so sniper bullet from a distance was the answer.

1930 and France spent the equivalent of 39 BILLION POUNDS and ten years on the MAGINOT LINE, outdated by modern tanks and aerial bombardment. De Gaulle had opposed, but De Gaulle was an old man when when the OAS or whatever. They never had the money to hire a 'HITMAN'. In any case no one would have known of a HITMAN'S DEAL. The greatest HITMAN of all time was LEE OSWALD.

De Gaulle died aged 80 with a heart attack.

In 1940-thousands of French soldiers came here from Dunkirk, De Gaulle was placed in charge of them.

The book was OK for civilians, but for special forces it was 'old hat'.

[rebbonk]

Thanks, Blitzkid

[Blitzkid]

Hi yes, one hundred and sixty thousand French troops were saved at Dunkirk. I think once I read that a thousand German paras were dropped on Holland? If so, at app. twenty to a plane, that must have been a terrifying sight to your grand-parents? Much worse than Coventry blitz by a mile. I still say that Coventry should have used more Anderson Shelters long before the raid, after four years off watching the Germans bombing other countries.

At the end of the war De Gaulle was a politician but he still had loyal guards around him as staff.

[rebbonk]

Please keep the memories coming Blitzkid

[Blitzkid]

About two weeks after V.E. Day three troop-trains slipped into Euston Station: a US, a Canadian and a Brit, on their way to the coast. As soon as the Yanks saw the Canadians someone yelled out "They are going to pinch our ships", and all hell broke out. They had the biggest punch-up you can imagine! The Brit train pulled in. This time three lots of Military Police had joined the fray. Brit MPs with hailers: "No one leaves this train, that's an order. I repeat, stay on board" he repeated several times. We crowded the windows and watched this giant fight. Then a big burly US MP with hailer shouted "EVERY ONE ON THIS STATION is under arrest, and will be in the jug for a fortnight, so you will miss your ships." This brought the fight to an end. By now the station was crowded with MPs. When it was cleared we were allowed off the train. Oh my, the great iron gates and railings were flat on the floor, the turnstiles were uprooted and the rail staff came out of the upper offices where they had fled to see this giant mess. They would have to clear-up.

[rebbonk]

Thanks Blitzkid. Could you explain a little more about the stealing of ships and the background to it, please?

[Blitzkid]

From Exhall Colliery to Broadgate over a century ago there were many heaths. These were very full of scattered gorse and dog-rose bushes. The thorns of these were ideal for small birds like linnets and warblers to nest in. This brought the Hawks to feed on the small birds learning to fly so it was called Hawkesbury.

The Gorse had beautiful Yellow flowers, the Dog Rose smelt and looked beautiful. Each spray had five leaves, two were jagged edged leaves, two petals straight-edged and one had both. Skylarks above singing their heads off for four minutes, as much as they could hover before falling like a stone. They checked their fall a few feet from the ground. It was like Paradise with Adam and Eve included and was so called in Foleshill and so we know little of the beauty our forefathers knew.

Hawkesbury Canal is now on sale with Amazon

[rebbonk]

Congratulations on publishing

[Blitzkid]

There was a coach and horses road from Bulkington to Foleshill through by Hawkesbury Lane and Hawkesbury Hall and Parratts Grove (16th century spelt) to Foleshill, but there was a side-road where a great castle, church and monastery stood but was destroyed in the civil wars of the Disolution by the Cromwell Mob, now called 'The village of Barnacle'. So in the 17th century they built 'Ansty Hall' about a mile away with funds from the Lady Godiva Trust. My young brother and his family lived in Ansty Hall for a few years as head 'keeper' groundsman or whatever the word is - for Woolcombe-Adams. I visited many times.

[rebbonk]

Keep things coming, BlitzKid