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Queen Elizabeth's front line desires for her grandsons

<p>A former army chief has revealed Queen Elizabeth's desires for both her grandsons to serve on the front lines. </p> <p>A new documentary has revealed that the late monarch wanted both Prince Harry and Prince William to serve in Afghanistan because they "must do their duty". </p> <p>In the upcoming ITV documentary <em>The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor</em>, Former Army head General Sir Mike Jackson shared the details of a private conversation he had with Queen Elizabeth, breaking strict royal protocol by doing so. </p> <p>"What goes on in those audiences and who says what to whom remains for the two people involved, and I will break the rule about not divulging what goes on on this one occasion," Sir Mike told the five-part series.</p> <p>"She was very clear. She said, 'My grandsons have taken my shilling, therefore they must do their duty.' And that was that."</p> <p>Despite the Queen's wishes, Prince Harry was the only one of the brothers to go to Afghanistan, completing two tours of duty, during his 10 years the Army.</p> <p>Sir Mike went on to say that sending Prince William, the heir to the throne, into a war zone was too much for the Queen. </p> <p>"It was decided that William as heir to the heir, the risk is too great," he said.</p> <p>"But for his younger brother, the risk was acceptable."</p> <p>Mark Cann, director of the British Forces Foundation, told the documentary that despite the reservations of the Crown, Prince William was enthusiastic about serving his country. </p> <p>He said, "William was very keen to go. Unequivocally."</p> <p>"But it was complex, and some very great minds and experienced people took a view on it."</p> <p>"I think it was really tricky. Anybody who's in the military who hasn't actually been on operation feels a sense of disappointment."</p> <p>"And I think especially that was the one (war) at the time, you've got everyone around you at the time who's been involved in it. So there is a sense of disappointment."</p> <p>The series goes on to explore the Queen's extensive knowledge about what was happening on the battlefields, with the former head of MI6 Sir John Scarlett saying the monarch had "complete clearance to everything".</p> <p>"She has complete access to an exceptional amount of info and insight for longer than anyone else," Sir John said.</p> <p>"She's very, very discreet, completely reliable and completely on top of the detail."</p> <p>"I remember thinking at the time, 'Wow, Her Majesty knows more about this than we do'."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"He was a mess": Harry's drunken behaviour outed by ex-soldier

<p dir="ltr">A former soldier has revealed Prince Harry accidentally triggered a panic alarm at St James’s Palace after a drunken night out.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of Sussex reportedly stumbled into a sentry box when he returned from a night out, banging into the emergency response button.</p> <p dir="ltr">Three armed soldiers from the Guards Division dashed out to find Harry, who was 27 at the time, on the floor in a “mess”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two armed police officers also attended the scene and helped carry the young prince back to his apartment.</p> <p dir="ltr">A former soldier, who served in the Guards Division and was part of the Quick Response Force that found Harry, revealed how the Prince was “blind drunk”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He recalled, “He was a mess, he was on the floor drooling on himself.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to get him up he was uncooperative and abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, who did not want to be named, said, “It was around midnight. An alarm went off in the guard room, but we’d never heard it before.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the senior lads said it was one of the sentry boxes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Within a couple of minutes three of us who were in the QRF were out the door. There were two Met Police guys there as well.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“But instead of an intruder or terrorist, we found Prince Harry.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was slurring his words, not making any sense.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we tried to pick him up he started yelling, ‘Get off me, I don’t need any help’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was pushing us off and being very abusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The source said they took him inside and up to his apartment – which was in a “right state”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “It was like student digs, it was sh*t.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The double bed was unmade, there were clothes and socks over the floor, cans of lager and dirty coffee cups lying around and packs of cigs.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the team carried Harry to his bed where the royal “passed out” and was left to sleep it off.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “We all had a good laugh and a joke about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ex-soldier, an injured veteran with more than a decade’s service, came forward about the incident after becoming enraged by claims Harry made in his memoir <em>Spare</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the Prince had a reputation among military circles for being a “social hand grenade” who would often make trouble with his drunken antics.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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“We will miss you brother”: Kiwi soldier killed in Ukraine identified

<p dir="ltr">A New Zealand soldier who died in Ukraine fighting alongside other foreign troops in the International Legion has been remembered by fellow soldiers as “strong, hardcore and handsome”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Corporal Dominic Abelen was fighting on the frontline in the east of Ukraine while on leave away from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and not on active duty, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-in-ukraine/M45ZWJEZ47I2Z5XD4Q44KNJFD4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 30-year-old soldier was based at Burnham Military Camp, outside Christchurch, with the Royal New Zealand Regiment’s 2nd/1st Battalion.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At this early stage, there is still more information to be gathered in order to understand the circumstances fully,” the NZDF said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Brigadier Rose King, the Acting Chief of Army, said <a href="https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/further-details-released-on-nzdf-soldier-reportedly-killed-in-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a statement</a> that their efforts would be concentrated on supporting Abelen’s family and NZDF personnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Any loss of one of our whānau (‘family’) is deeply felt across the New Zealand Defence Force. We are concentrating our efforts on supporting Corporal Abelen’s loved ones and our personnel as they grieve,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">His family have requested not to be approached by the media, with his father, Bryce, sharing a statement with the NZDF.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dominic was in the New Zealand Army for 10 years but never got to fight for his country,” Bryce said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He didn't tell us he was going to Ukraine until he was there. He knew we would talk him out of it. He also knew the risks of going there but still went to fight for them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That is Dominic, always thinking of helping others.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We understand why he went and hold no grudge against the NZ or Ukraine Army and fully support what he did.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dominic loved being in the army, the life-long friends he made there.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There has been relentless support from half the Burnham Military Camp that knew him, as well as personnel from overseas.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A kind, gentle man with the most infectious smile that you couldn't help but smile back.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He had a love of the outdoors and did a lot of tramping. He spent his holidays travelling around New Zealand and the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm extremely proud of my children and especially Dominic for standing up and doing what he thought was right. He leaves a massive hole in all our hearts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Abelen’s siblings describing him as “the most amazing human being”, the “buffest” member of their family, and that he had “the biggest heart to match”.</p> <p dir="ltr">A former NZDF soldier who is also fighting with Ukraine’s International Legion paid tribute to his fallen comrade, describing him as “a warrior until the end”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The bro was anything but scenery. Strong, hardcore, handsome but extremely humble,” he wrote online.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Best believe he died doing what he loved and was extremely good at.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will miss you brother. So much. You have left a hole that we are feeling and we could never hope to fill.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sources have since told the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-fighting-re-taking-trench-in-ukraine/26EVXCDFPOAROXLSARVPKIZSQU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald</a></em> that Abelen was involved in a joint operation to retake the frontline of a trench network and was instantly killed in a firefight during a dawn assault.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another American fighter is also said to have died.</p> <p dir="ltr">Defence Minister Peeni Henare expressed his condolences to Abelen’s family, friends, and colleagues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have been advised the New Zealand Army are supporting the soldier’s family through this difficult time,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tenby Powell, the former commanding officer of the NZDF who is currently in Ukraine undertaking humanitarian work, said he was asked by Abelen’s family to bring him home.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he didn’t go into the details surrounding the soldier’s death, he told Today FM that the family were distraught.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a very sad day here in Ukraine, not just for New Zealanders but for everyone,” Powell said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve talked to a family member they have asked me and I have agreed to go and get him. We need to do this in a very respectful and expedient manner. I have given the family my assurances that he will be well looked after all the way back.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The critically-important thing is to ensure that he is recovered and brought back in a way where he is looked after for the entire trip back to New Zealand.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Powell intended to drape the New Zealand flag over the coffin for the trip home and ensure that Abelen had all the care a person serving in the defence force warranted.</p> <p dir="ltr">Abelen would be taken first through Warsaw, then Ukraine and on to New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are determined to bring him out. He will come out and he will be looked after all the way,” Powell said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier’s passing comes after the New Zealand government announced that a further 120 NZDF personnel would be sent to Britain to help train Ukrainian soldiers, on top of the 30 personnel deployed in May.</p> <p dir="ltr">"New Zealand has been clear that we will continue to answer the call of Ukraine for practical support as they defend their homeland and people against Russia's unjustified invasion," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on August 15.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We know that one of the highest priorities for Ukraine right now, is to train its soldiers, and New Zealand is proud to stand in solidarity alongside a number of other countries to answer that call."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-936352a7-7fff-fcbe-1d7f-0f92419aff13"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NZDF</em></p>

Caring

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Senior soldier confirms Ben Roberts-Smith’s story, contradicts another

<p dir="ltr">A senior SAS soldier has testified in the defamation case launched by Ben Roberts-Smith, backing claims made by the veteran but contradicting another of his key witnesses.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, referred to as Person 81, began his evidence in the Federal Court on Wednesday and is likely to be the last of 40 witnesses called by Mr Roberts-Smith in the year-long trial against Nine newspapers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court heard that Person 81 was heading a patrol of a Taliban compound known as Whiskey 108 in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province in 2009.</p> <p dir="ltr">The newspapers alleged in their defence that two men who were found in a tunnel in Whiskey 108 were killed, with one elderly man being shot by a “rookie” on Mr Roberts-Smith’s orders, and the other, who had a prosthetic leg, being shot by Mr Roberts-Smith with a machine gun.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Mr Roberts-Smith denied the allegations as impossible and that “there were no men in the tunnel”. He said he shot and killed the man with the prosthetic leg, who was armed and running, outside the compound.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 43-year-old said the elderly man was also killed outside the compound by another soldier who was unknown to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 81 backed up these claims, telling the court he heard no engagements at Whiskey 108 and wasn’t told of any insurgents being killed. He testified that he entered the compound after SAS troops stormed and secured the site, and that he saw Afghan civilians inside.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also said he saw “body parts” amongst “rocket paraphernalia” in the rubble.</p> <p dir="ltr">Defence barrister Arthur Moses SC, representing Mr Roberts-Smith, asked Person 81: “Did you see any engagements in the Whiskey 108 compound after the compound was declared cleared?”<br />“No,” Person 81 answered.</p> <p dir="ltr">Moses: “Do you recall hearing any engagements while you were in the compound?”<br />Person 81: “No.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Moses: “Do you recall reports of any engagements?”<br />Person 81: “No.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 81 also said he “would have reported it” when asked if any members of his troop had told him that unlawful activity had occurred that day, as reported by <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/crime/senior-sas-officer-backs-ben-roberts-smith-c-7017617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though his testimony supports Mr Roberts-Smith’s claims, it contradicts evidence given by Person 5, Mr Roberts-Smith’s patrol commander, who said he heard gunshots from outside the compound during a “rendezvous (RV) meeting” with other patrol and troop commanders.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 5 told the court he discovered Mr Roberts-Smith killing an insurgent, who was later discovered to be the man with the prosthetic leg, and returned to the meeting after he confirmed the man was killed in action (KIA).</p> <p dir="ltr">“When you went back to the RV meeting, did you say anything to Person 81 or anybody else?” Mr Moses asked Person 5 during his testimony.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I informed Person 81 there were two KIA on the north-west corner of the compound,” Person 5 said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though it is undisputed that the two men were killed during the raid on Whiskey 108, the question of whether they were legitimately killed or unlawfully killed as prisoners has become a point of contention during the trial.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith and five other soldiers have said no men were found in the tunnel, while another five said there were men in the tunnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4, another soldier who is alleged to have shot the elderly men on Mr Roberts-Smith’s order, has also refused to testify on grounds of self-incrimination.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-668a94c1-7fff-8f9a-6e90-a35aed6d53e5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Most of Person 81’s evidence was concealed behind a closed courtroom on Wednesday, and he is due to continue his testimony on Thursday before Justice Anthony Besanko.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Russia 0, Door 1: Soldier’s shocking defeat blows up online

<p dir="ltr">As the Russian invasion of Ukraine wages on, a battle between a Russian soldier and a door has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/russia-ukraine-war-hapless-russian-soldier-loses-fight-against-door/I246LNFUTCXAE3Q2OVUSJ34Y7A/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resulted</a> in a crushing defeat.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3530fd72-7fff-6d10-7117-ac550587562f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">A clip of the incident from Yeshiva World News reported Moshe Schwartz has gone viral online, with the interaction dubbed the Battle of Techno House.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">At the Battle of Techno House, the door secured a decisive victory against Russian forces <a href="https://t.co/QnMowf5T7l">https://t.co/QnMowf5T7l</a></p> <p>— 🇺🇦 Sid Chambers, PhD 🇺🇦 (@ArtfulTakedown) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtfulTakedown/status/1499180997526663174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, reportedly in Kherson, Ukraine, is seen attempting to gain access into a store.</p> <p dir="ltr">When his first attempts fail, the soldier smashes the glass on the door but that also fails.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9c2b14f1-7fff-8297-db3c-24dce3d9498e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Seemingly exasperated, the soldier tugs on the door handle before accepting defeat and walking away.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Geolocation confirmed.</p> <p>46.65046, 32.60758 <a href="https://t.co/bfjntnsPsG">https://t.co/bfjntnsPsG</a> <a href="https://t.co/fYUZxlLZGo">pic.twitter.com/fYUZxlLZGo</a></p> <p>— GeoConfirmed (@GeoConfirmed) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1499153094076153860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, reportedly in Kherson, Ukraine, is seen attempting to gain access into a store.</p> <p dir="ltr">When his first attempts fail, the soldier smashes the glass on the door but that also fails.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3ae3c580-7fff-901d-3f62-401101382f21"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Seemingly exasperated, the soldier tugs on the door handle before accepting defeat and walking away.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/FM3zsz5WYA0bOOl.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="1176" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A Wikipedia page was allegedly created documenting the incident. Image: <a href="https://twitter.com/SwarmDMX/status/1499122912493809670" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a></em></p> <p dir="ltr">The page said the incident ended with a “decisive” victory for the door, and that casualties and losses included “ammunition, pride and a window”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One video of the incident was viewed more than a million times in one hour and attracted thousands of comments joking about an otherwise grim situation.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e6c0c3df-7fff-57b8-c599-f42aa0b7a7b1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">It comes as Russian forces have captured the strategically significant hub of Kherson, the first to be captured since the invasion began last week.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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SAS soldier claims Ben Roberts-Smith catapulted unarmed man off cliff

<p dir="ltr">A former SAS soldier <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-28/ben-roberts-smith-trial-hears-more-evidence-from-afghanistan/100856732" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has said</a> he witnessed Ben Roberts-Smith kick and “catapult” an unarmed, handcuffed Afghan man over a slope before he was killed while testifying before a Sydney court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith launched a defamation case against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times early last year over several articles he claims contained false allegations of unlawful killings, domestic violence, and bullying.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial has continued with the testimony of Person 4, a former Special Air Services soldier who was with Mr Roberts-Smith during a 2012 September mission in Darwan, in relation to a central allegation in the case.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 told the court on Monday that an Afghan man with a donkey was searched, questioned and taken prisoner, becoming a PUC (person under control) of the Australian soldiers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The witness said he later saw the handcuffed man being held by a colleague referred to in court as Person 11, with his back towards a slope.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the same time, I noticed Ben Roberts-Smith, he had walked to a position maybe three to four metres away,” Person 4 said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As I was trying to understand what was happening, he turned around and walked forward and kicked the individual in the chest.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The individual was catapulted backwards and fell down the slope.<br />“I saw the individual’s face strike a large rock and sustain a serious injury. He had knocked out a number of his teeth, including his front teeth.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 said he was “in shock” and that the man, who was injured and lying at the bottom of the slope in a dry creek bed, failed to sit up.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said Mr Roberts-Smith directed him and Person 11 to grab the man “and start to drag him” towards a tree.</p> <p dir="ltr">At that point, Person 4 said Mr Roberts-Smith and Person 11 had a “quick conversation” which he didn’t hear and was followed by two to three shots.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he didn’t witness the shots, Person 4 turned around to see Person 11 in a “position to shoot”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said that when the man’s body was photographed, there was an ICOM radio next to him. However, he said he didn’t see how it got there and that the man didn’t have it when he was being questioned.</p> <p dir="ltr">When he noticed the radio was “slightly wet” and had a fogged-up screen, he said, “It dawned on me that I did know where it had come from.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 previously told the court that Mr Roberts-Smith took items off a dead enem prior to their arrival in Darwan, including a detonation cord and a radio - which he carried while crossing a river to return to the patrol.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith has previously told the court that a suspected Taliban “spotter” was killed that day in a cornfield, but has denied other details including that he was kicked off a cliff.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 4 claimed that Mr Roberts-Smith later outlined a “story” to him, Person 11, and a third colleague referred to as Person 56, about the man and the slope.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your Honour, it was words to the effect of ‘the story is that we engaged a spotter whilst moving to our HLS’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial will continue before Justice Anthony Besanko.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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Queen Elizabeth soldiers on despite Covid diagnosis

<p dir="ltr">Despite her diagnosis of COVID-19, Queen Elizabeth II is still performing her royal duties in a promising sign that her symptoms may not be too serious.</p> <p dir="ltr">The monarch <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queen-elizabeth-tests-positive-to-covid-19-signs-personal-message-to-winter-olympics-team/385681fe-ab37-461e-98b4-1c88e9e56834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested positive</a> to the virus over a week after she was in contact with Prince Charles, who contracted Covid for the second time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming Her Majesty’s diagnosis over the weekend, noting she was experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” so far.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Soon after the statement was released, Buckingham Palace also said the Queen had signed a personal message congratulating Team GB’s men’s and women’s Curling teams, after they claimed silver and gold respectively at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaM99bnsoFf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaM99bnsoFf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I send my warmest congratulations to the Team GB Women’s Curling team on your outstanding performance in winning the Gold Medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, following the Silver Medal achieved by the Men’s Curling team yesterday,” the Queen said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know that your local communities and people throughout the United Kingdom will join me in sending our good wishes to you, your coaches and the friends and family who have supported you in your great success.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em><a href="https://www.itv.com/news/2022-02-20/the-queen-tests-positive-for-covid-and-is-experiencing-mild-cold-like-symptoms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ITV</a></em>, several members of the Windsor Castle team have also been diagnosed with COVID-19.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 95-year-old monarch met with her son on February 8, two days before it was announced that he tested positive to the virus.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/news/news/queens-health-fears-after-close-contact-meeting-with-charles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At the time</a>, Buckingham Palace declined to confirm whether the Queen had tested positive or negative.</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to hold various engagements, including a face-to-face audience with UK Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar and his predecessor where she appeared stiff on her feet and said she <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/i-cant-move-queens-first-visit-since-covid-scare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“can’t move”</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen is understood to be triple vaccinated and under the care of the Royal Household’s medical team, including Professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and Physician to the Queen.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.</p> <p>— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1495383017786945536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to Twitter to wish for the Queen’s swift recovery, writing: “I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.”</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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SAS soldier claims Ben Roberts-Smith threatened to shoot him in the head

<p dir="ltr">A former soldier who served alongside Ben Roberts-Smith <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-defamation-trial-new-witness-claims-bullying-death-threat/7df734b2-d86b-44c5-ab2d-a57f1e26a7d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has testified</a> in the SAS soldier’s ongoing defamation trial, claiming Roberts-Smith bullied and threatened to kill him during their time serving together.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier, known as Person 1, told the Federal Court he was a victim of a seven-year intimidation campaign while giving evidence for Nine newspapers.</p> <p dir="ltr">During the trial, the court heard of a mistake Person 1 made during a 2006 mission in the Chora Valley, with the same mission seeing Mr Roberts-Smith receiving a Medal for Gallantry for single-handedly fighting off 16 Taliban insurgents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 1 admitted that his machine gun jammed at least three times during the mission because he forgot to bring his weapon oil.</p> <p dir="ltr">His error later prompted a commanding officer to issue him a warning for “not performing to standard”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The incident was followed by several alleged run-ins between Person 1 and Mr Roberts-Smith which the witness claimed became threats.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[He] said words to the effect of ‘if your performance doesn’t improve on the next patrol, you’re gonna get a bullet in the back of the head’,” Person 1 said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nine’s barrister Nicholas Owens SC <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-17/soldier-tells-oourt-ben-roberts-smith-threatened-to-shoot-him/100833982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> the witness what he understood Mr Roberts-Smith to mean by that comment, to which Person 1 replied: “That he was going to shoot me in the back of the head on the next patrol if my performance doesn’t improve”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Person 1 told the court he lodged a formal complaint about the remark, which he said led to another confrontation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you’re going to make accusations **** you better have some f***ing proof,” he claimed Mr Roberts-Smith said to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only did I have to worry about the Taliban, but I also had to look over my own back at my own people,” Person 1 told the court.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also claimed that even after he switched patrols and climbed the ranks, Mr Roberts-Smith described him to other soldiers as “incompetent” and a “coward”.</p> <p dir="ltr">When they entered mediation in 2013, the soldiers agreed to disagree and shook hands.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith has denied the claims while giving evidence last year and said Person “just wasn’t a very good soldier”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also accused the witness of attempting to “cover up his poor performance”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier’s testimony comes as part of Mr Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial, in which he is suing Nine newspapers over articles alleging he is a war criminal.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 9News</em></p>

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Letter from soldier delivered to widow after 76 years

<p>After 76 long years, a heartfelt letter form the battlefield has finally been delivered.</p> <p>Angelina Gonsalves received the letter in an unexpected delivery form the US Postal Service, which was written by her late husband while he was deployed overseas in 1945.</p> <p>Written by 22-year-old Sergeant John Gonsalves while stationed in Germany, the soldier wrote the letter to his mother to check in on his family and let them know he was believed to be coming home to Massachusetts soon.</p> <p>The letter was dated December 6th 1945, and was never delivered to his mother.</p> <p>Instead, it was delivered to his widow 76 years and three days later.</p> <p>"I got to read it and it was wonderful," Angelina Gonsalves, of Woburn, Massachusetts, told CNN on Wednesday. "It is in really good condition. I was amazed by that myself."</p> <p>When John wrote the letter, he and Angelina has not yet met. </p> <p>The pair married in 1953, eight years after the war, and had five sons together, before John died in 2015 at age 92. </p> <p>In the two page letter to his mother, who shared the same name as his wife, John discusses the "lousy" options for food and the horrible winter weather, claiming where he was stationed has not seen the sun in weeks. </p> <p>He closes the letter by sending love to his family, before signing and sealing the note and attaching a six cent stamp. </p> <p>"It was a joy to see her face light up reading his words," Brian Gonsalves, Angelina and John's son, told CNN.</p> <p>"To be able to see her read something he wrote and look back at that history, it's something she'll always have now."</p> <p>It is unclear where the letter had been hiding all this time, but it was found at the USPS Pittsburgh processing centre late last year. </p> <p>Dedicated employees at the centre understood the importance of the late soldier's letter, and started to track down John's next of kin to deliver the piece of history. </p> <p>"We are aware of the passing of your husband in 2015 (our condolences)," reads a letter from the USPS, which was sent with John's letter.</p> <p>"By virtue of some dedicated sleuth work by postal employees at this facility, we were able to determine your address, hence this letter delivery to you, albeit 76 years delayed. Due to the age and significance to your family history, delivering this letter was of utmost importance to us."</p> <p>The letter was delivered to Angelina just before Christmas, which her son said made the perfect gift. </p> <p>"It felt like he came back for the holiday season," he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: CNN</em></p>

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The remarkable true story of how 4 Aussie soldiers escaped a prison train in WWII

<p>Here we were, four Australian soldiers, trudging along the edge of a railway track in the middle of the night, somewhere in the centre of northern Greece. We were all in high spirits for we had just escaped off a German prisoner-of-war train which had left Salonika some two hours earlier bound for Germany. Our escape from the train had been unpremeditated. However, from the time some 56 of us had found ourselves packed jam-tight into a cattle truck, we were sure there would be no way we would be willing to see out the expected eight-day journey to Germany in those conditions.</p> <p>There was absolutely no comfort in our situation, no seats to sit on, or even room where one could lie out flat. We either had to stand up or sit with our knees up under our chins, and as there was insufficient room for everyone to do the latter at the same time, everyone had to take turns at standing up. To make matters worse we were rotten with dysentery, which had plagued most of us from the first couple of weeks after we were taken prisoner on Crete some two months earlier — 31 May 1941, to be exact. We were also emaciated, lousy and unwashed, and altogether not a pretty sight.</p> <p>The cattle truck is a pretty common sight around Europe even today but during the war it was the sole means used by the Nazis for transporting millions of people to places they didn’t want to go. It is a rail box wagon about six metres long, three wide and two high. It has a sliding door on each side about 1.5 metres wide reaching from floor to ceiling. With the door closed the only ventilation inside was through two small openings about 50 centimetres wide and 35 centimetres high, placed high up under the roof at one end of each side wall and open to the elements. In our wagons these were crisscrossed with strands of barbed wire stapled to the outside of the wagon at about 10-centimetre intervals.</p> <p>In true German fashion it was planned to stop the train every hour and unload the prisoners a wagon at a time for us to attend to the calls of nature on the side of the track. But dysentery waits for no man, so, not long out of Salonika, one of the corners of the wagon was cleared for use as a toilet. In spite of this, and hampered by the darkness and the crush of bodies, people at the far end were often unable to make it in time. It is not hard to imagine the results.</p> <p>On the way back to the train after the first stop, and eyeing the window from the outside, someone said, ‘You know it would be pretty easy to escape from this bloody death-trap if we could only get out that window. Once out we could swing around the corner of the wagon onto the buffers and jump off from there.’ We all looked at each other but had our doubts.</p> <p>We got back into the wagon and started to discuss the possibilities. After a while we came to the conclusion that it was worth a try. If we got onto the buffers and waited for the train to slow down going up an incline before we jumped off, we could roll away in the darkness.</p> <p>First up we tried putting our hands through the wire while standing on the back of one of our mates, who was kneeling on the floor, and trying to lever the wire off the outside with our mess knives. However, neither our backs nor our equipment were up to the task and we soon had to abandon it. Then someone got the bright idea of lifting up one of our lightweights horizontally and getting him to kick the wire off with his army boots. We soon gave this a try and when it seemed to be a goer, decided to attack it in earnest after the next train stop which would be soon due. There were no guards on the outside of the train while travelling  (these were to come later). Our guards travelled in a passenger coach at the end of the train, the prevailing blackout conditions preventing them from looking out.</p> <p>Soon after the train was nicely on its way again we attacked the barbed wire with a vengeance. At first it seemed hopeless but slowly, gradually, it started to budge. After about 20 minutes and many changed shifts, one end of each wire had been freed and bent back out of the way. We were ready to go.</p> <p>It was obvious we would have to get through this small window feet first if we were to avoid doing ourselves an injury if we slipped. We soon worked out that the best way to do this was to stand with our back to the window and, while clinging to the shoulders of a couple of mates in front, have two others lift up our legs and feet from behind and feed them through the opening.</p> <p>Little Leo Barnden, who had had first go at kicking at the wire, was first to leave and was soon out of sight. I was about sixth in line, being preceded by Joe Plant, ‘Aussie’ Osborne, Noel Lumby and Reg Clarkson, all members of the same army platoon. Reg had agreed to wait for me on the buffers so we could get off together, in case we got separated from the others. Once outside, it was relatively easy for us to swing around the end of the wagon onto the buffers although it was pretty hairy making the leap as the train slowed down. Nevertheless we both got off safely — triumphant, if somewhat shaken.</p> <p>The arrangements were that once we were off the train we could walk back along the track until we met up with Leo, who would be waiting for us where he got off. We would then all head off east, moving by night and hiding by day, and eventually make our way into Turkey, which was a neutral country at that time. None of us had much of an idea of what was involved in this but, fired with the enthusiasm of escaping, we did not much care.</p> <p>Thus we found ourselves — Clarkson, Osborne, Lumby and Foster — picking our way along the track hoping to meet Barnden and Plant further ahead. It was incredibly dark and the going was difficult. As far as we could make out, it was open country with not a glimmer of light to be seen anywhere. We had been walking for 10 to 15 minutes and I figured we must be getting close to where Leo had got off the train, when ‘Aussie’ kicked something soft and heavy with his boot. He stopped, bent down, peered at it for some seconds in the darkness and finally picked it up.</p> <p>‘Bloody hell! It’s an Aussie army boot!’ he said, somewhat surprised. ‘A small one.’ And with a cry of anguish, ‘Gawd, it’s got a bloody foot in it. Leo must have slipped when he jumped and fallen between the rails and the wheels cut his foot off.’</p> <p>We stood still, straining to hear cries or moaning of any kind — stunned that our little mate could have come to such a tragic end — but all was quiet.</p> <p>Before we had a chance to organise there was a loud pained exclamation from ‘Aussie’. ‘Aw shit!’ he cried, and then started to laugh. ‘The bloody boot’s full of shit!’ and he proceeded to throw it away from him as hard as he could and rub his hands in the dirt as though to erase forever the thought of that horrible thing.</p> <p>It is easy to guess what had happened: someone on the train, caught in the grip of dysentery, had used his boot as a toilet and pushed it out the window. Four frightened soldiers breathed a great sigh of relief, collected their wits, and proceeded on their way. We never did find Leo or Joe that night. After walking another 20 minutes along the track we concluded they must have set off together eastwards on their own.</p> <p>Unfortunately none of us had any idea how far it was to Turkey or what type of country we would have to traverse before we got there. Of course we had no maps or compass. We set off in silence at a cracking pace, thinking that if we could put 15 to 20 miles between us and the railway before dawn, we would place ourselves out of harm’s way. We could then find some place to lie up during the day and continue our journey, moving by night. Food was going to be the problem, for we had only the meagre rations the Jerry had given us for the train journey, but we were confident we should be able to live off the land.</p> <p>This was all very well in theory, but unfortunately didn’t work out in practice. We had been captured nearly two months, were all rotten with dysentery and had been forced to work hard by our captors, on starvation rations, clearing the wrecked German transport planes and troop gliders which had crashed or been shot down on the Maleme aerodrome in Crete.</p> <p>After a couple of hours’ marching we began to tire. We must have been a good 10 miles from the railway. What initially had appeared to be flat country turned out to be quite undulating and crisscrossed with wadies or dried water courses. This had held up our progress so we were glad to call a halt and camp for the rest of the night.</p> <p>We slept fitfully and, cold and stiff, were relieved to see the arrival of dawn. As soon as it became light enough we began to look around and saw a group of houses, a village, a couple of miles away. ‘Let’s get closer,’ said Reg. ‘We might be able to scrounge something to eat before anyone gets about.’ We made our way closer to the village, keeping out of sight as best we could, until we were about 100 yards from the nearest house.</p> <p>We kept watch on the house and after a while a young man came out and hesitantly started to move in our direction. He stopped a short way off. We thought the game must have been up and decided to send someone out to meet him. Lumby agreed to do this, showed himself and went out. None of us could speak Greek, nor could the fellow speak English, so things were a bit difficult for a while. He could see from our uniforms that we were British (if not Australian) soldiers, and it was soon evident that his sympathies were with us. He motioned Lumby to go back and lay low, and he would bring us out some food and water. True to his word he appeared shortly with some farm bread, cheese, tomatoes and an array of vegies from their garden, the like of which we had not seen for months.</p> <p>Towards evening the young fellow came over with an older man, obviously his father, bringing us more food. The father seemed pleased enough to meet us, but showed his concern that we should not stay where we were, so close to the house, as they were afraid of reprisals from the Germans if they found us there. By gestures, they told us that they would take us, after dark, and hide us up in the hills, about a mile away. We would be able to stay there in a safe place until we recovered our strength and they would bring us food each night. As soon as it got dark they led us around the village and into the hills.</p> <p>We ended up at what looked to be just like a typical biblical sheepfold: a sheep yard fenced with a dry-stack rock wall, with a gate at one end and a little roofed shack for the shepherd at the other. It was an ideal hiding place for us, for we were well out of sight and had a good long-distance view if anyone tried to approach.</p> <p>The village people were peasant-type farmers and the kindest people one could ever wish to meet. Word gradually spread of our presence and before long they had organised themselves to take turns to deliver food to us on a nightly basis.</p> <p>One of the first things they wanted us to do was to shed our army uniforms and don civilian clothes and thus make ourselves less conspicuous if Germans happened to come our way. We kept our army pay books and identification discs. After we had been in the hut a few days, one evening at dusk we saw three men approaching up the track. We recognised Viachios but not the other two. Then we realised it was Joe Plant and Leo Barnden – they too were decked out in old civvy gear and had their hair dyed a dull jet black as they were both naturally blond-headed. Joe and Leo had been taken in hand by Greeks in another village. The local grapevine must have told their benefactors of our presence, so they’d brought them to join us.</p> <p>There were now six of us in the little hut: Leo Barnden, Reg Clarkson, Noel Lumby, ‘Aussie’ Osborne, Joe Plant and Norton Foster, all members of the same platoon of ‘B’ Company, 2nd/11th Battalion AIF.</p> <p><em>The group of six stayed in the area for some two months, assisting the villagers in raking up grain stubble and baling it. They were then taken to Salonika and escorted to a remote coastal area where British submarines made occasional visits to rescue escaped prisoners and stragglers from the Greek campaign. All six, who had enlisted at Northam, WA, in November 1939, were thus repatriated eventually to Australia.</em></p> <p><em>The Listening Post, Winter 1996 – Autumn 1997.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Norton Henry Foster</strong> was born in Melbourne on 7 August 1919, enlisted at Northam, WA, on 10 November 1939, was discharged with the rank of private in November 1945 and died 16 February 2004.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Noel Percival Lumby</strong> was born in West Maitland, NSW, on 20 April 1916, was discharged as a corporal in December 1945 and died 7 February 2010.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Reginald Thomas Clarkson</strong> was born in Dongara, WA, on 28 October 1917, was discharged as a private in September 1945 and died 17 January 1970.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Henry John Osborne</strong>, nicknamed ‘Aussie’, was born in Birmingham, England, on 30 September 1911, and was discharged as a corporal in September 1945.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Joseph Vernon Plant</strong> was born 7 May 1916 in Merredin, WA, was discharged as a lance corporal in September 1945 and died 4 September 1998.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Leo Edward Barnden</strong> was born 19 January 1918 in Geraldton, WA, was discharged as a private in August 1945 and died 17 October 2012.</em></p> <p><img width="178" height="273" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7816511/great-australian-world-war-ii-stories-cover_178x273.jpg" alt="Great -Australian -World -War -II-Stories ---cover" style="float: right;"/></p> <p><em><strong>This is an extract from </strong></em><strong>Great Australian World War II Stories</strong><em><strong> edited by John Gatfield and published by ABC Books.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Australian War Memorial.</em></p>

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Donald Trump under fire for insensitive comments to soldier’s widow

<p>US President Donald Trump is under fire for telling a widow of a soldier killed during an ambush that her husband “must’ve known what he signed up for.”</p> <p>Sergeant La David Johnson, 25, was killed in Niger earlier this month during an ambush carried out by Boko Haram and other extremists linked to ISIS.</p> <p>Florida congresswoman Rep. Frederica Wilson was in a car with Myeshia Johnson, the pregnant widow of Johnson, when Trump called her Tuesday and spoke for about five minutes, according to South Florida’s NBC affiliate.</p> <p><img width="444" height="249" src="https://cdn.saleminteractivemedia.com/associated-press/data/photos/2017/291/040f0f25-e497-4fb8-b237-27879d183798.jpg" alt="Image result for donald trump widow" class="irc_mi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Ms Wilson, a friend of the family who heard the conversation on speakerphone, described the president remarks as “insensitive”.</p> <p>“Sarcastically he said: ‘But you know he must have known what he signed up for,’” Ms Wilson recounted to NBC6. “How could you say that to a grieving widow? I couldn’t believe... and he said it more than once. I said this man has no feelings for anyone.”</p> <p>She added: "This is a young woman who has two young children, who is six months' pregnant with her third child [and] she has just lost her husband.</p> <p>"She was just told that he cannot have an open-casket funeral which gives her all kinds of nightmares of how his body must look, how his face must look. And this is what the United States President says to her?</p> <p>"That is not something you say to a grieving wife.”</p> <p>Ms Wilson said Ms Johnson did not respond to the President because she was crying.</p> <p><img width="247" height="393" src="https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/pri_56907553.jpg?w=748&amp;h=1192&amp;crop=1" alt="Image result for donald trump widow" class="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>On Wednesday morning, Trump responded to the claims on Twitter, saying that Wilson “totally fabricated” the story. However, he is yet to provide evidence.</p> <p> </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad!</p> — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/920611770775064576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Wilson hit back saying several other people who were in the car also heard Trump's remark.</p> <p>"I have proof too," she said. "This man is a sick man."</p>

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How WWI soldiers stitched their lives back together through embroidery

<p><em><strong>Emily Brayshaw is a lecturer of Fashion and Design History, Theory and Thinking at the University of Technology Sydney.</strong></em></p> <p>Albert Biggs, a labourer from Sydney who enlisted in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/dawn/empire/aif/" target="_blank">Australian Imperial Force</a></strong></span> under the name Alfred Briggs, was 23 when he arrived in Gallipoli on 22 August 1915.</p> <p>Biggs, as part of the second reinforcements for the 20th battalion, fought to defend the Anzac trenches on the ridge known as Russell’s Top, from where the ill-fated 3rd Light Horse Brigade had launched their attack for the Battle of the Nek. His battalion was evacuated to Egypt in December 1915 and sent to the Western Front the following April.</p> <p>Biggs was awarded the Military Medal for “great initiative and bravery” at Lagnicourt on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL45131/" target="_blank">15 April 1917</a></strong></span>, but he was severely wounded at the second battle of Bullecourt on 5 May. Shrapnel flew into his left knee, leaving it permanently fused, and his right humerus was shattered. This damaged the nerves in his arm so badly that he could scarcely use his <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2014/07/30/stitches-time-rehabilitation-embroidery-awm-collection/" target="_blank">right hand</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Biggs spent nearly 12 months in hospital in Rouen, France, before being moved to the Tooting Military Hospital in London, where he was first encouraged to take up embroidery. He returned to Sydney in September 1918 and spent almost two years at the 4th Australian General Hospital at Randwick (where the Prince of Wales Hospital stands today), and convalescent homes. He was discharged from the army in 1920.</p> <p>Biggs was one of more than <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1/" target="_blank">156,000 Australian men</a></strong></span> who were wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner during the first world war. Like many of his comrades, however, it is also likely that he suffered from some form of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://theconversation.com/from-shell-shock-to-ptsd-a-century-of-invisible-war-trauma-74911" target="_blank">shell shock</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Many of the hospitals tending the wounded during and after the War provided bright, clean, quiet environments where the men could perform meditative, transformative work that was essential to their rehabilitation from their physical and mental wounds.</p> <p>One such activity was embroidery, also known as “fancy work”. Embroidery was <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://academic.oup.com/jdh/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jdh/epw043/2333849/The-work-of-masculine-fingers-the-Disabled?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank">widely</a></strong></span> used as a form of therapy for British, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers wounded in the War - challenging the gendered construct of it as “women’s work” that was <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://journalofmoderncraft.com/category/table-of-contents/page/4" target="_blank">ubiquitous</a></strong></span> throughout the 19th century.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="237" height="372" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37895/embroidery-in-text-1.jpg" alt="Embroidery In Text 1 (1)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Embroidery depicting a French farmhouse, stitched by 2626 Private William George Hilton. Image credit: Australian War Memorial.</em></p> <p>Hospitals in England, France, Australia, and New Zealand all offered embroidery therapy and important examples of the soldiers’ work can be found in places such as the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://allthatremains.net.nz/2014/09/recuperation-new-trades-and-crafts-aid-recovery/" target="_blank">TePapa Museum</a></strong></span> in Wellington, New Zealand, the Australian War Memorial Museum and St Paul’s Cathedral in London, where the beautiful embroidered <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stpaulslondon/sets/72157645431808070/" target="_blank">Altar Frontal</a></strong></span> was created by <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.stpauls.co.uk/history-collections/history/ww1/the-men-of-the-altar-frontal" target="_blank">wounded</a></strong></span> soldiers from the UK, Australia, Canada, and South Africa.</p> <p>Themes of the soldiers’ embroidery ranged from military heraldry to scenes from the French countryside to pieces for their sweethearts.</p> <p>The 4 AGH in Randwick had vast recreation facilities to help with soldiers’ rehabilitation and occupational therapy. Staff encouraged Biggs to resume embroidery to pass the time and develop the fine motor skills in his left hand.</p> <p>Individual embroidery was an excellent past-time for the wounded soldiers; it is a small, flat, quiet, intimate activity that can be conducted seated, either in a group or alone. The classes at 4 AGH were taught by volunteers and, as Lieutenant Colonel CLS Mackintosh noted, helped the patients, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-5244279/view?partId=nla.obj-5249236#page/n49/mode/1up/search/craft" target="_blank">“to forget that they have any great disability.” </a></strong></span></p> <p>The Australian War Memorial holds at least four examples of Biggs’ embroidery. One, which he completed while at the hospital in Randwick, shows a cushion with the 1912 Australian coat of arms sewn in stem, long, and satin stitch onto a black background.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="498" height="530" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37896/embroidery-in-text-2_498x530.jpg" alt="Embroidery In Text 2"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>The full cushion bearing the Australian coat of arms sewn by Albert Biggs. Image credit: Australian War Memorial.</em></p> <p>From what we know about Biggs’ service, we can surmise that this choice of embroidery pattern was bound to a constancy in his identity throughout his army experiences. Once a labourer, the war had made him a soldier, a war hero, and an invalid but he remained, above all, Australian.</p> <p>Biggs’s niece transformed several pieces of his embroidery into cushion covers. The back of the coat of arms cushion features six colourful, embroidered butterflies. The butterfly is a Christian symbol of hope and of the resurrection, because of its three stages of life. The butterfly is also associated with Psalm 119:50, “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="497" height="475" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37897/embroidery-in-text-3_497x475.jpg" alt="Embroidery In Text 3"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Six multi-coloured butterflies embroidered on the back of the cushion cover decorated with the Australian coat of arms by Lance Corporal Alfred Briggs (Albert Biggs), 20 Battalion, AIF. Image credit: Australian War Memorial.</em></p> <p>Biggs also created a piece with <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL45129/" target="_blank">six gold daisies and four sprays of red berries</a></strong></span> and a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL45132/" target="_blank">piece</a></strong></span> with a King’s crown with crossed Union flag and Australian ensign, all within a laurel wreath. A scroll bearing the words, “For England home and beauty” sits above the piece; and a scroll reading “Australia will be there” below, but the rest of the pattern is <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL45132/" target="_blank">unfinished</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>Creating these delicate works was a great achievement for Biggs as the skill would have taken him years to master; it is not unlike a right-handed person learning to write again neatly with their left hand.</p> <p>The soldiers’ work also created economic opportunities. Their embroidery and other ornaments were sold at the Red Cross Hospital Handicrafts Shop in Sydney where visitors were <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-38800899/view?partId=nla.obj-38810582#page/n34/mode/1up/search/fancy+work" target="_blank">encouraged to</a></strong></span> “purchase the work of returned soldiers to help them help themselves”. The Red Cross also supplied printed templates for embroidery, many of which bore patriotic messages, such as the piece that Biggs left uncompleted.</p> <p>One hundred years later, the story of Biggs’ bravery in Gallipoli and France has been stitched into the broader <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://creativeapproachestoresearch.net/wp-content/uploads/CAR6_2_FULL1.pdf" target="_blank">“mythscape”</a></strong></span> that surrounds Anzac Day. His embroidery, however, speaks to us of the quiet courage and dignity of Australia’s soldiers as they tried to mend their shattered lives following World War I.</p> <p>And interestingly, two recent studies have helped articulate the rationale for rehabilatation embroidery. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/everyday-creative-activity-as-a-path-to-flourishing" target="_blank">One</a></strong></span> has demonstrated that undertaking everyday craft activities is associated with emotional flourishing, revealing the importance of handcrafts to their makers. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://journalofmoderncraft.com/category/table-of-contents/page/4" target="_blank">Another study</a></strong></span> has shown that embroidery and sewing can allow individuals to work through mental trauma associated with war.</p> <p>Highlighting the practice of rehabilitation embroidery gives us new ways to remember Biggs and the 416,809 Australian men who served in WWI. The stories they stitched into their embroidery allow us to remember them as we grow old.</p> <p><em>Written by Emily Brayshaw. First appeared on <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a></span></strong></em><img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/76326/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></p>

Retirement Life

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Marine disguised as doctor surprises mum during chemo

<p>Mary Glasure, who is currently battling breast cancer, received a wonderful surprise during chemotherapy last month.</p> <p>Glasure’s son Corey Hoffmaster, a US Marine, dressed up as a doctor and surprised his sick mum at her treatment centre. 59-year-old Glasure hadn’t seen her son in nearly two years, and her reaction when he reveals his identity is absolutely priceless!</p> <p>It seems like the surprise came just in time too, with Glasure explaining to the <a href="http://www.today.com/parents/marine-poses-doctor-surprise-his-mom-during-chemotherapy-he-s-t83401" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Today show</span></strong></a> in the US, “I needed my spirits boosted. It was once-in-a-lifetime thing for me. I never in a million years thought he would be coming back." Hoffmaster, who has been stationed in another state, took his leave so he could see his grateful mum.</p> <p>Glasure, whose cancer has spread to her spine and left lung, is taking each day as it comes and remaining hopeful. "I've got to fight, and I'm gonna win. There's no debate on that issue."</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/03/navy-dad-surprise-homecoming-for-son/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Navy dad surprise homecoming for 7-year-old son</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/02/soldier-buys-dinner-for-hungry-boys/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Touching moment soldier buys dinner for hungry boys</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2015/12/santa-reunites-dad-and-daughters/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Santa reunites soldier dad and daughters for Christmas</span></strong></em></a></p>

News

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Touching moment soldier buys dinner for hungry boys

<p>A kind act from a soldier who went above and beyond to ensure two boys had a proper dinner has gone viral.</p> <p>Lieutenant colonel Robert Risdon Jr., a U.S. Army Ranger, stopped at a Taco Bell in Mobile, Alabama on Tuesday to grab a meal. Two boys walked into the fast food joint asking if people wanted to buy their homemade sweets to support their local church. Risdon noticed the boys, who were nine and 13, looked cold and wet and asked them if they had dinner yet. They told him they hadn’t. So Ridson treated them to tacos and drinks as well as friendly conversation.</p> <p>"Helping them was an easy decision – more of a reaction. They were cold, wet and hungry. They were great kids, very respectful and smart," Ridson said. "It was the least I could do for two young Americans.  They were happy to get some chow for sure, and very thankful."</p> <p>Little did he know that a bystander was filming the whole heartwarming incident and posted it on Facebook, noting, “Our troops are always tacking care of us.”</p> <p>Speaking to The Huffington Post about his newfound fame, Risdon said, "I'm kinda embarrassed and humbled by the praise and don't need it. I am a believer that we live in the best country in the world with the best people and that acts of kindness happen every day."</p> <p>Risdon also shared a special moment he had with the younger boy, who paid him a big compliment.</p> <p>"While eating his taco, [the 9-year-old] told me he wanted to be just like me someday and saluted me when he left the Taco Bell," the ranger said.</p> <p>Ridson says his motivation to help lies in the U.S. Army Rangers' mission statement.</p> <p>"I think I can best sum things up as to why I did it because of a creed I live up to every day – the Ranger Creed," the soldier said. "One line in the creed encapsulates I think why I helped, 'Never shall I fail my comrades.' [The boys] were my comrades ... It was my DUTY to help them!"</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2015/11/kindness-leads-to-happiness-research/">People are happier when they do good</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2015/12/questions-to-work-out-what-makes-you-happy/">10 questions to work out what really make you happy</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2015/11/how-to-be-happy-in-todays-world/">How to be truly happy in today’s world</a></em></strong></span></p>

News

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Santa reunites soldier dad and daughters for Christmas

<p>For two little girls in Clarksville, Tennessee, their Christmas wish list had only one gift on it. No, it wasn’t toys or games. Their greatest wish for the holiday season was to see their dad, a soldier who had been touring Afghanistan for nine months.</p> <p>In a beautiful twist of fate, Santa and the girls’ mother Chrisha worked together to make their dream come true.</p> <p>When the girls went to visit Santa at their local shopping centre, they had no idea of the surprise in store. Santa told the girls to close their eyes and wait. He moved behind a stack of presents and rather than unveiling a wrapped gift, he brought out their dad.</p> <p>When the girl’s opened their eyes the eldest daughter Jordan ran straight into her dad’s arms, together after nine months apart.</p> <p>Watch the beautiful moment when Santa reunites a father and his girls for Christmas.  </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/12/retro-christmas/"></a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/clever-cop-saves-dog/">Clever cop saves dog with a moment of inspiration</a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/12/retro-christmas/"></a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/12/happiest-dogs-in-the-world/">The happiest dogs in the world</a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/12/retro-christmas/"></a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/interspecies-animal-friendships/">15 unlikely friendships that will melt your heart</a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/12/retro-christmas/"> </a></em></strong></p>

Caring

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Meet the “hug lady” who has greeted troops for over a decade

<p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27164" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>Elizabeth Laird is somewhat of a legend among troops in Fort Hood, Texas. For over a decade, the grandmother has been sending off local soldiers in the most heart-warming way: with a big hug.</span></p> <p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27167" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>She’s the last thing they see before they leave, and the first person standing at the gate when they return, ready to give them a big hug and thank them for their service. For soldiers without close ties, she’s like family.</span></p> <p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27191" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>“The hug lady was very inspirational in my first deployment to Afghanistan; she touched my heart,” says retired Army Captain Caren Adkins. “[She’s] impacting so many lives.”</span></p> <p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27196" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>But recently, the ‘hug lady,’ as she’s affectionately known among troops, has hit hard times. The grandmother had to stop her duties when she was recently hospitalised due to a breast cancer diagnosis.</span></p> <p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27224" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>Now, the troops who she supported want to help her, rallying to her bedside and spreading the word about her kind deeds. Military members from Fort Hood, Texas, have raised over $80,000 for their honorary grandmother’s medical bills.</span></p> <p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27229" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>“They just want to thank her for encouraging them, for giving them something to look for … they knew when they went over there, when they came back, someone would be waiting,” son Richard Dewees told The Washington Post.</span></p> <p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27234" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>Laid has been a strong military supporter for over 12 years, greeting and seeing off troops since the first soldiers left for the Iraq War in 2003. She even drove to the airfield after her husband’s funeral in 2008, ready to greet an incoming flight of troops with hugs. It’s believed that Laird has given nearly 500,000 hugs.</span></p> <p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447882104353_27241" class="yiv0950811225MsoNormal"><span>While her cancer has spread, Laird remains determined to return to her post as the ‘hug lady’. “Got flights coming up,” she told a visiting soldier. “Got to get out and hug you.”</span></p>

Caring