Summary
THE poet Rudyard Kipling was spot-on when he wrote of the British soldier: "It's Tommy this an' Tommy that an 'Chuck 'im out the brute!' But it's 'Saviour of 'is country' when the guns begin to shoot." Down the years Britain has had a curiously ambivalent attitude towards the armed forces and those who serve in them. As a nation we take tremendous pride in the performance of our armed forces in foreign fields even many of those who opposed the military operations in Iraq expressed their support for the troops on the ground and we react with concern to the news of casualties in faraway places.
Yet, despite that widespread interest the armed forces remain a mysterious fraternity, one which is barely understood by civilians. Fewer young men and women serve in it than at any other time in our history; no politician of Cabinet rank has served in its colours; what goes on behind the barrack walls is a mystery to most people; we think we know what soldiers do but our knowledge rarely goes beyond the cap badge.See the full content of this document
Extract
Forgotten Victims of Wars They Fought On Our Behalf
Once upon a time the army was hailed as the nation in uniform. Sons followed fathers into the same regiment, young men accepted conscription, going for a soldier was either an ...
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