More Of Matters Martial

Although There Are Also Some Baking Ingredients
I like to mix it up, don't you know.*  As you may be aware from today's earlier post, I have been reading Alexander Clifford's autobiographical account of the desert war in North Africa during the Second Unpleasantness, entitled "Three Against Rommel".  I came across an account that - yes I am a terrible person - I found hilarious then when read first time around, and even now.  Let us set the scene - Art?

Tobruk 1941

     The British and all their various allied contingents were under siege in the port of Tobruk, where the Italians and Teutons sat and lurked outside.  The original defenders included Australians, who were rotated out and replaced by Poles.
     It is generally understood by folks in the military that it is better to have the Poles on your side than against you, as they do not go in for sporting behaviour, and embody two things:  ruthlessness and aggression.
     So it was at Tobruk.  
     Here an aside.  You may find it rather odd that here are soldiers from Poland fighting on behalf of the British against the Italians, in Africa.  Do keep up!

General Sikorski reviewing Polish troops at Tobruk

     Clifford recounts:  "A friend of mine once went to the Poles to explain to them where the enemy's guns lay.  They listened politely but without enthusiasm while he pin-pointed the Italian batteries.  Then he mentioned a German battery.
     "While he was still speaking three Poles left the tent at the double.  Outside he heard urgent words of command. And before he had finished talking the Polish guns were in action, all aimed at the Germans.
     "When he could hear himself speak the Englishman showed the Poles where an Italian division was being relieved.  Again they listened politely.  Then he pointed out three German sentries.  Within a couple of minutes the three bewildered sentries had gone to ground with a hail of fire screaming about their ears.  The Italians were left in peace."
     I know, I know, I am a really terrible person.

Classy Brassey
One of my idiosyncrasies is trawling through the bibliography at the end of a work and ticking off all the entries that I've read (single tick) or possess (double tick).  On a whim I took down my copy of Brassey's guide to war films - Art?

      - just to see what it had to say about "Dunkirk" (1958 iteration).  I discovered that I'd used the tick system there, too, so now I HAVE NO CHOICE!  

An example

     I shall have to review the entire book and update the ticks there present.
     I know, I know, I'm a peculiar person.**

Conrad Bins Stuff
Your humble scribe has some of the characteristics of a magpie, in that he hoards stuff.  Books, certainly.  I had to inform you of the tick system, since there is no way on this earth that you are ever going to find my books for sale on E-bay, Abebooks or in the local Oxfam.  Baking ingredients, ah yes and thereby hangs a tale. Art?

     That array of things above is what I am keeping.  The dried fruit that had a Best Before End dates of 2013 or 2014 is all in the bin.  Although there is a tin of Polish poppy seeds still unopened, with a BBE of 2010, that your modest artisan is quite interested in; but, since I do have a conscience, I'd never inflict the same upon anyone else.

There you go, hideous martial awfulness leavened with a bit of domestic normalcy. All part of the BOOJUM! entertainment package.

Finally -
Back to the big rigs, and RG Le Tourneau, that chap who not only thought big, but who designed and built big, too.  I suppose that with earth-moving equipment you get economies of scale, if the kit gets bigger and bigger: a single giant vehicle that does the work of ten smaller ones needs only one operator, meaning your wage bill is (literally) decimated.  The number of moving parts is one-tenth of those needed for a fleet of smaller vehicles (still with the 1:10 ratio here), meaning less likelihood of breakdown.  Art?

No!  They are not very small people

     Plus, they look impressively cool.



*  Do you see what I - O you do.
**  But hopefully not too boring.