How to react - when finding untruths

[decor]

We have to remember that not everyone will share our moral views on pride, war, patriotism, theatre or prancing. It takes all kinds to make the world go round.

I, for one, wouldn't feel bad about what he did.

[Mowsehowse]

Xin, finding that document I am not surprised you felt "a bit gutted", but we have to remember that we can never judge the actions as we learn about them, because truly we never know the ancestor's full situation.

What when a young woman had a child out of wedlock?  [I was stunned witless, initially, to be handed a bastardy bond!!]

What when a felon was convicted of theft and transported?  That shocked me to the core as well.

I know both examples are in a different league to a possible white feather recipient, but both shameful in their way surely?.

How many of us can state with certainty if their ancestors were mad, bad or just not very nice to know?

[heywood]

Mowsehowse,
Could it be the case here though, that his nationality was the reason and not that he was a 'possible white feather recipient'?
Or have I misunderstood?
Heywood

[Mowsehowse]

Mowsehowse,
Could it be the case here though, that his nationality was the reason and not that he was a 'possible white feather recipient'?
Or have I misunderstood? Heywood

No, I also read that, but initially Xin was deeply upset and had a very disturbed night's sleep, so I conjectured she was thinking the worst until futher delving earlier today.
But very possibly I misunderstood.   
In which case I should add that I meant no dis-respect to anyone.

[Finley 1]

No Mowsehowse

You were totally right,  I just could not imagine at first, what my Pops would think, himself having been through 2nd world war  - on Aircraft Carriers in Salerno etc...
I started my research for him, and this is his side of the family.. So yes it was remembering the awful scenes with white feathers, in Lawrence of Arabia..

I do feel better now having gone over it now and looked into it a little more.. 

thanks for your thoughts all of you


addendum,   I have considered the reality of all this a bit more today and I too understand more - he had just got married and there was a young child involved, so maybe they judged him too harshly  and we will never know...
It is funny how close  -- you can become to these darn dead rellies...   



 

maybe need to take a break    at least 24 hours. 


xin

[confused73]

Hi Xin, one of my cousins was a regimental sargeant major,and saw action ,his brother was also in the ww2 but contrieved to remain in this country safe...... and many nasty remarks were made. Long time after the war my uncle let his sister, my  mother know the truth, he was not sitting safe back in the uk but was in fact working for SOE in France.  So one does not always know the whole truth. 

[decor]

Maybe some people were just pacifists.
I sometimes think we forget how important politicans happily used lives to make their point.
Nothing about war makes me proud.

[Jomot]

I only know I would do, say & condone practically anything to keep my son away from war. 

[Treetotal]

There could be so much more background to this story Xin....somethings we will never understand as things were very different then. Best not to judge too harshly when you don't have all the facts.
Carol