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Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:18 pm
by Jenks
The next time you hear the word 'Hero' being bandied about inappropriately, ask the person talking if they have ever heard of Adrian Carton de Wiart: and suggest they read up on him to discover the true meaning of the word. I'm amazed to say that until this morning I had never heard of him. A friend suggested I looked him up, and so I did. I read his amazing story with a degree of incredulity. My friend described him as 'A Proper chap'. He was that alright, and then some.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30685433
Oh! and when you next hear or read the old nonsense :'Lions led byDonkeys' Point the fellow saying it in the direction of this Gallant Officers story.
Quote from the article:
WW1 historian Dr Timothy Bowman believes Carton de Wiart's example helps debunk some myths.
"His story serves to remind us that not all British generals of WW1 were 'Chateau Generals' as portrayed in Blackadder. He exhibited heroism of the highest order.
Jenks
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 8:46 am
by Jenks
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 10:01 am
by ovenpaa
The start of his Wiki entry sums him up rather well.
Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (5 May 1880 – 5 June 1963) was a British Army officer.He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a POW camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. Describing his experiences in World War I, he wrote, "Frankly I had enjoyed the war."
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 10:20 am
by Mezzer
clapclap What an absolute inspiration of a guy clapclap
Mezzer
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 11:46 am
by Chuck
AWESOME!!!!!!!!! clapclap clapclap
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 11:49 am
by Christel
Was he awesome or was he a person who hid behind any war so that he did not have to relate to anyone or anything.
I can't help but think that he was somewhat emotionally crippled.
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 3:39 pm
by Chuck
Interesting - why would you think that?
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 8:48 pm
by toffe wrapper
He was awesome by the looks of things, he was probably a bit like Christel says but cometh the hour cometh the man.
It looks like war was his world he was happy in that world.
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 10:17 pm
by DaveB
Chuck wrote:Interesting - why would you think that?
I am with Chuck - why on earth would you make the assumption that ".. he did not have to relate to anyone or anything."? By the sound of the people he was friends with, and his position at the centre of much of history, I should think he would have related rather well to many different people.
Speaking from my 40 years of military service, I think it is a bit much to assume that just because somebody has spent his life as a soldier (and enjoyed it), that necessarily makes him an emotional cripple.
Re: Adrian Carton de Wiart:
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:04 am
by Jenks
Can't comment on what Christel said, not qualified, but it is funny what some people can do and enjoy doing. Another such fellow was Paddy Blair Mayne DSO and four bars and recommended for the VC. I did read a comment somewhere that if it wasn't for the war he would have ended up on the Gallows.
http://www.blairmayne.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Mayne
Jenks
PS thank goodness we have such men on our side.