Now before we go any further, I must satisfy all of our readers who contacted me to ask, ‘Have you heard from Bob?’ Sadly, the answer is no. Bob may be true to his word and never opened our Handbook again or perhaps he just doesn’t approve of the philosophy of Voltaire.

There are lot of juicy topics to write about at the moment. MP’s expenses are back on the menu, but we’ve done that.

The Postmen are going on strike just in time for Christmas and their union tell us that the public are fully behind them. Yeah, right.

We have just finished the political party season, but they were all equally boring. (Okay, Bob?)

This month we will have a brief look at military history, recent and not so recent.

The last British survivor of the World War I trenches, Harry Patch, died in July at the splendid age of 111. May he rest in peace.

Some 880,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom died in World War 1 and a further 200,000 from other countries in the British Empire and Commonwealth.

In World War II 400,000 British servicemen lost their lives.

Ever since then there have been constant conflicts around the globe; Korea, Aden, Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, Northern Ireland etc, where our armed forces have carried out the will of their political masters.

More recently we have seen our forces in an unpopular conflict in Iraq where they were ultimately not welcome and suffered severe consequences resulting in 179 deaths.

Now we find our servicemen and women in Helmand Province in Afghanistan in a very dangerous situation.

Our casualty rate in Afghanistan since 2001 is 220 killed and 850 wounded. Frighteningly, 84 killed and 296 wounded were incurred so far this year.

A military casualty is not a like a scrap in the playground; it often results in the loss of at least one limb and crippling debilitation for the rest of their life.

Our Generals say we are under strength and under equipped. The Civil Service Mandarins at the MOD and Treasury with their enormous salaries and gold plated pensions would have us believe the Generals are just whinging. Anyway, an army private risking his/her life in Helmand Province serving his country should be glad of the £18,000 a year they get paid.

It is noteworthy that the nearest most of our Sir Humphrey Appleby lookalikes have ever got to front line action is a days shooting on the grouse moors.
In 1922 Major George Howson founded the Royal British Legion Poppy Factory in the Old Kent Road so that poppies could be made to give some form of employment to those disabled from the Great War of 1914 -1918.

Remembrance Sunday is on 8th November. Poppies will be on sale everywhere so drop your coins in the tin and wear your poppy with pride. Do it for the memory of Harry Patch and his comrades and for all of those who laid down their lives through the years so our country can be free.
Most importantly, it helps the Royal British Legion carry on its excellent work helping all those ex-servicemen and their families who desperately need their help.
And with the Afghanistan casualty list growing longer by the day the RBL need all the help they can get.
‘They shall not grow old as we grow old.’