Welcome

A British Army Light Infantry Blog site for comments related to anyone with a LI background or LI connection, for as far back as you sensibly feel a living individual or living relatives will reply. The focus however, is centered on the period 1953 – 1957, the service window for many Contributors.

Photo above shows the West Cornwall DCLI Branch Association at a 2007 gathering in Penzance. (Courtesy Neil ‘Swanny’ Swanson). Click to view in separate page.

Additional websites, published by the Editor, Derek Lovemore in Brisbane Australia, that mainly relate to 1DCLI, particularly “A” Company 1954 -1957, but also to other LI Regiments, are shown in the right hand column. Click to open to either view or post a particular blog comment. Click on any selection from the above blog “Titles” to transfer to your respective choice for comment. You can then develop a ‘cross thread’ of comment with others. Additional pages – Bloody Unbelievable, RSM Harold Royffe, Rhyme or Reason, W&W (Entries closed), Afghanistan etc, Nostalgia You Tube and Personal Memoirs, Lewd & Bawdy (jokes that might offend – be warned!) and others – have been added since the original launch in late 2006. Significantly, we have now 100’s pages (over 3,600 logged comments) across all blog pages, with over 50,000 ‘views’ recorded.

An entirely separate Blog Site entitled “Old Blogger Mates Photo Panorama” (hotlinked) has been opened to attract photographic record and comments about our private (non military) lives. Travel with a click to browse and join in!

Comments, with digital photos and captions, including all known details of your ‘target search’ can be edited and placed on our “British Army Most Wanted” website. This ‘mention’ will also assist (maybe) in responses from like-minded individuals. There may also be opportunities for the families of Old Soldiers who have passed on, to publish family military histories, stories and memorabilia (especially old photos with captions) that they wish to share with others and so on. The Editor can restore most old, bent and faded photographs. This facility will hopefully enable other readers and viewers to trigger memory and recognition, and develop cross contact through “Blogging” messages for all to see. Our experience with other LI Guestbook messaging is that reliance on words and vague mention is often insufficient to gain much response. Instead we suggest that pictorial references with detailed description of the image that will be cross linked to Blog pages and other related websites, will interface and form a web of recognition.

L to R: Mark Ware, Bugler DCLI, SCLI. Rex Brain, DCLI SCLI. Terry Joll, DCLI, SCLI, KSLI, LI. Pete Slade, SLI, SCLI, LI. Casino Dinner Newquay June 2008.

Please try out the system. It will only be useful if we all contribute the small matters and let the dynamics of the internet build the big picture.

ACT NOW!! Do either or both of the following. Post a comment and see what happens. Email the Editor on djkl157@gmail.com and attach any photos with captions and as much information about your Old Soldier that you can find. The more information the better the chances for success. After processing you can view the outcome at British Army LI Most Wanted

Carpe Diem!

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hello world!

A New Year – A New Optimism!

A review of the last year’s LI related Guestbook inquiries, uncovers the wishes and fond hopes of family and friends to gain information about British Light Infantry Old Soldiers, as far back as the Boer War. The reality that needs to be faced is that memory and recorded memorabilia for events that occurred beyond the recall of a living person, is probably not available.

Guestbook postings, wherever lodged are reliant on a reader’s interest, and a reader’s interpretation of the (often) scant references that are given. While many living Old Soldiers are highly computer literate, there is little evidence of replies made to Guestbook postings.

With these observations in mind, this Blog system coupled with the British Army’s LI Most Wanted website, has been developed to provide a vehicle for visual references, sometimes with full military stories and histories attached, of the “Old Soldier”. A visual aid, such as a photograph of a person or an event will provide a better opportunity to trigger a memory recall.

It will only work for you the Inquirer, if you make the effort to meet the minimum information profile, i.e. Full name, rank, service number, Regimental Unit and theatre of military history. DOB and DOD (where applicable) together with a facial photograph (if possible).

The function of this Blog is to encourage cross response and ‘conversations’ from others having a like minded focus, that might lead to the discovery of Old Mates who are still alive. It is not a research source tool for service histories, battle details and insignia identification.

Go to: The British Army’s Most Wanted List

Carpe Diem!

EDITOR – 3rd January 2008

Another reflection on a year gone and sadly many of our 1DCLI mates from Bermuda departing this life – without a message from ‘em for our sites. Most of us know the pain of losing a loved one whom we’ve known for most of our adult lives, but for me there’s a subtle difference in finding out that the image of a youthful soldier (in Bermuda in my case) has gone forever. I never saw him grow old, never met his family, never had a beer with him in civvy street. Never shared the joys and remembered mischief that we got up to on the beaches and in the cafes and restaurants of Hamilton. Never again to smirk at the smartass comments made in the ranks while on parade or while some dickhead subaltern looked up our nostrils and examined our belly button for evidence of poor hygiene.

Why is it that the few always stand out from the crowd in showing willingness to ‘muck in’ and develop multiple email contacts and make phone calls and write letters – while the majority stand idly by and watch it all happen. The 1DCLI Roll Call of contributors now stands at around 34 or so and has been added to by other Light Infantry stalwarts who also do their bit. I personally am bloody glad that at least there’s a few photos of me and comments from me to be viewed on the websites. I’ve got to say this to the majority out there who despite appeals for action and sharing, despite watching your Old Mate get involved. “Are you dead now and just waiting for burial?” GOYA for your own sake, you miserable bastards and help us build 1DCLI Memorabilia beyond anything that can be accessed for this remarkable time window in Regimental History. Recall the time when you marched at 140, rifles at the trail, cussing yes, but proud to be part of a truly unique band of young men.

We live in an age of a phenomena where photos and email text can be flashed around the globe quicker than you can think and where in most cases your 4 year old grandchild can do it for you. In the past few weeks we’ve linked up to You Tube where you can even hear as well as see those tinny Old Toons that echoed around the Barracks. We’ve opened up Blog pages where you can vent your anger and/or incredulity at the stupidity of politicians and public servants; where you can wax lyrical, poetic or just plain old sarcastic at world events that defy logic. We’re on the hunt for Tommy Atkins from Merxem Belgium in 1944 and we’re even trying to repatriate with honour the remains of a KSLI Boss killed in Kenya in 1955 by his own troopers. Let’s see what we can do in 2008 cheps!

Carpe Diem!