dumbed down TV from BBC2 and the Snows

If that's all you can cope with watch John and Dan Snow's programme on the Falklands NOW!

 

Re: dumbed down TV

Only if he has his swingometer.

 

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just finished watching it , doesn't seem like 25 years ago does it , good programme & well presented , next week it's the first gulf war .

 

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Shame that Royal wasn't properly represented From the narration it sounded as if all the important action was from the Paras and the Guards.

Bloody spookey to watch though! Got bought a Falklands War 25th Anniversary Edition DVD for my birthday by my Dad which I haven't managed to watch yet.

 

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The Corps has always prided itself on being modest about its achievements but it is in serious danger of allowing itself to be written out of history.

Tonight on John and Dan Snow's 'Battle for the Falklands'

Winners:
Goose Green (para, VC awarded and so reported in depth)
Mount Longdon (para, VC awarded and so reported in depth)
Mount Tumbledown (Scots Guards - the only real battle happening on the final night so they had to report it)

Losers:
Top Malo House (RM Mountain & Artic Warfare cadre - no mention)
Two Sisters (45 RM cdo - no mention)
Mount Harriet (42 RM cdo - no mention)


FFS! the paras already thought they won the ferkin thing all by themselves, even before this shite tonight.

To the Commandant General RM: Where's the ferking input, Royal?

Rant over.

 

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It might be worth mentioning that when it was over, the only troops that Margaret Thatcher PERSONALLY thanked were the SBS.

 

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I believe she also personally visited the Submarines that were deployed down there but, for OPSEC reasons, the crews were not awarded South Atlantic medals. Those boats were given a signed portrait instead.

Can any sundodgers can verify that?

 

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The boats guys did get a SA medal although maybe not a rosette
Boats were also given 'Battle Honours ' status[Falkland Is. 1982] for
Conqueror ,Courageous , Onyx . Spartan , Splendid and Valiant.
Skipper of Conqueror got a DSO .

:nemo: :nemo:

 

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:toilet: (Top Malo House (RM Mountain & Artic Warfare cadre - no mention)
------------------------------------------------------------
Even this Matelot knew all about Top Malo House and the exploits that occured there, you may be pleased to know that after destroying Top Malo house on your visit there in 1982, they erected a nice shiny new tin version which we came across on our little trek from San Carlos to Stanley, our Wasp dropped off a quantity of tinnies and we had a rather pleasant night of it getting pissed, you would never have known that bootie had been there destroying things not so long before. Back to the thread, I'm passed caring what the once great BBC push out these days as I have to agree it is seriously dumbed down especially the news programmes. HB :tp:

 

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Aah, right. I just heard the dit from an old shipmate, who was an ex-SMer who 'wasn't' down there in 82... :wink: Dunno what boat he was on though.

 

No mention of the Royal Marines - sounds like the Governer 'defiantly' held them off alone. The speeded up driving sequences weren't very impressive. I saw John Snow chairing a media debate at the Imperial War Museum last month where he attempted to get Falklands reporters to discuss their experiences - it was a shambles - largely because of his ego.


edited to correct spelling mistake !

 

I finally watched the episode about Midway last night. Waiting for the Falklands episode to be sent out. Whilst this series is not being sold as a definative academic account of events, surely any attempt to provoke interest in the past is to be applauded. Compared to the mindless bilge being presented to us on all the other channels, this series (together with the excellent Coast) could be considered an attempt by the BBC to dumb up.

 

The boats guys I am sure would have received a rosette with their SAM's, it was only us guys at Ascension that didn't get the rosette (waste of time that was).

I also noticed in some of the footage used, a female PWO in action. Nobody tell them that didn't happen back then...

No mention of the Gurkhas either. :toilet:

 

I wonder if you feel the same about the way the film U-571 misrepresents history Clanky? I'd be surprised if you do mate. John Snow's son is a historian - shame on him ...

 

The point about these kind of programmes is to provide 1hrs worth of informative entertainment. I have watched the progs about Stalingrad, Tet and Yom Kippur. All of these were a fine introduction to the subject for people who know little about it. The map case is a good way of visually presenting the topic to a generation who thive on imagery. However last nights programme also fitted into this mode of presentation. You simply cannot do the complexities of the Falklands in 1 hr, something has to give. But what it should do is whet the appetite for you to pick up a book or watch further videos about the topic. Most certainly that is what I shall do about Vietnam - a period of history that has largely passed me by.
I genuinely don't think it was 'lets ignore Royal' and please stop being so paraniod. After all the crabs barely got a mention did they? Nor the SAS for the Pebble Island raid?

 

I'm not going to get into a pissing match with you Rosina but I will point out that my post was a moan at Royal's PR, which has always been bad. As for the history, the attacks on Two Sisters and Mount Harriet took place the same night as the attack on Longdon. Much was made about the paras finding themselves being channelled into the killing grounds provided by the natural gulleys of the mountains. Many nights of patrolling through minefields by 45 (8 dead, 17 wounded) and 42 led them to take a different approach to their final assaults with the result that many military historians regard the assault on Mount Harriet as probably the most brilliantly conceived, executed and successful assault of the whole land campaign, at a cost of 'only' 2 dead and 26 wounded. I should have thought that might have been worth mentioning.

 

I am so pleased at that because I pee standing up, I would certainly not win!

 

GR
I can recognise U-571 as a work of fiction, produced and marketed in order to appeal to its american target audience. The fact that some people can't is hardly the fault of the BBC or the Snows.
The Snow's series on the other hand, is a admittedly brief and populist account of actual historical events. Whilst I also decry the neglect of the RM in the Falklands episode, I feel I have to applaud their efforts to present the subject matter in as accesable and factually accurate manner as is possible in the time frame. If it leads to one person deciding to learn more about the events depicted, then I for one am happy for my license fee to be spent on it.

 

sorry Rosy - strongly disagree re entertainment. Your point about Crabs is a fair one - anyone can provide 'entertainment' (even Butlins) but we are talking about someone riding on the back of his son's academic position.


edited to correct spelling mistake!

 

You where there, so respect Harry!

GR, what's your point? A little low-brow for you but FFS! (sorry for spelling mistakes).

ps: lol I live near the Snows. Nice family.