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IamA grandchild here with my grandad who is a veteran of 47 years in the British army. AMA!
My short bio: So really this Ama is for my grandfather who is with me right now. We did this before on the smaller AMA sub and he fairly enjoyed it. So here it goes.
He joined in 1944 after lying about his age and served a total of 47 years in the army before leaving as a Major. He served in the royal engineers for the majority of those years. AHM (ask him anything!)
My Proof: http://m.imgur.com/8tWIx3H
ZoeDaSlaya8 karma
He's saying it was in Northern Ireland.
The explosives that the IRA used were very volatile and unpredictable.
Dickdude90003 karma
Did he served in Aden, Yemen ? And what does he think about the situation in Yemen these days ?
ZoeDaSlaya4 karma
No he was in Malaysia in the 50's.
After ww2 he spent a few years training.
mightbme2 karma
Has he gone through times where he's questioned his choice of joining, because of disagreeing with whichever administration was in power?
ZoeDaSlaya5 karma
Well it's different when you actually are doing it. You don't really feel the effect of a change of government, good or bad...
You do what you are told from above and get on with it.
Hmmt2 karma
Thank you for doing this AMA!
My question is: What is your most memorable experience from being in the army?
ZoeDaSlaya5 karma
Clearing out the Solomon Islands after the war.
He alwways tells me how much stuff was left there by the Americans.
ooSuitsyousir2 karma
Do you think troops on the ground in Syria to fight ISIS would make things better or worse?
ZoeDaSlaya7 karma
Air strikes are fine for now but there will come a time when we will need to deploy troops. You can compare the situation there to what was happening when I joined up.
A group of extremists trying to force their opinions upon the world and I believe we should take a stand and show them that we won't just let them.
TelicAstraeus2 karma
What was your favorite food that you ate while growing up?
What are you most proud of?
Do you have any funny stories from your time in the military?
ZoeDaSlaya6 karma
Favourite food was boiled eels.
It was a common street food in Birmingham.
A funny story would be when we put a thunder flash which is effectively a firework into the officers mess.
theLabyrinthMaker2 karma
I am 17 years old and considering a career as an engineer. What does your grandfather think about being an engineer in the armed forces? Is the education better? Is it a path he would recommend?
ZoeDaSlaya5 karma
The army opens up opportunities for you to follow. It really depends on what you want.
I started off with no education whatsoever and was a complete failure at school. But the army gave me qualifications for life.
cyfermax1 karma
What's his view on the other british forces? Does he buy in to the cliche of navy=gay, RAF=soft or have his interactions with these forces changed his views in any way?
comped1 karma
What does your grandfather, and yourself, think about the collapse of the Empire?
ZoeDaSlaya2 karma
When I was born it wasn't even a thing anymore. He was born in '26 so it was already in pretty severe decline.
maddogtannen694 karma
What was the hardest time/era you had faced in the army and why?
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