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Books > History > World history > From 1900 > Second World War
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The Lads from Stalag 29 (Paperback)
Loot Price: R351
Discovery Miles 3 510
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The Lads from Stalag 29 (Paperback)
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Loot Price R351
Discovery Miles 3 510
Expected to ship within 12 - 19 working days
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The years of National Service cover almost two decades from 1945 to
1963. During that time 2.5 million young men were compelled to do
their time in National Service with 6,000 being called up every
fortnight. Some went willingly while others were reluctant. A few
were downright bloody-minded as they saw little difference between
their call up and the press gangs of Britain's distant past. At
first public opinion was behind the idea of peacetime conscription
or national service as they call it. It was clear in the immediate
post war political landscape that Britain had considerable
obligations and only a limited number of men still in service.
Overnight the national servicemen had to learn a new language.
!Fatigues!, 'Blanco', 'spit n polish', 'rifle oil', 'pull throughs'
and the dreaded 'bull' and 'jankers'. Once they had been shaved
from the scalp and kitted out all within a few hours of arrival,
the rookie National Servicemen all looked identical even if back in
the barrack room every man was still an individual. The arena for
the breaking in of these young men was the parade ground. In squads
they learnt how to obey orders instinctively and to react to a
single word of command by coping with a torrent of abuse from the
drill Instructors. After basic training the raw recruits would be
turned into soldiers, sailors and airmen and they would be posted
to join regiments at home or abroad. Nearly 400 national servicemen
would die for their country in war zones like Korea and Malaya.
Others took part in atomic tests on Christmas Island or were even
used as human guinea pigs for germ warfare tests. There are tragic
stories also of young men who simply couldn't cope with military
life and the pain of separation from their families. For some
suicide was the only way out.
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