"OUT OF THE BLUE"
Viewing comments for Chapter 1 "SHOT AT DAWN pt3 BY HIS BEST FRIEND"A book of short stories.
27 total reviews
Comment from mikemagine
So very well done and worthy of a six(I've already used all of mine)my friend. Change NOTNING! That's my opin. You've captured everything a story should. This is very dramatic and emotional, as it should be. I was there...
This is a little like the Execution of Private Slovik(Spelling?), a great movie. Stories like these need to be told!!
Cheers!
Mike
reply by the author on 06-Jan-2015
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So very well done and worthy of a six(I've already used all of mine)my friend. Change NOTNING! That's my opin. You've captured everything a story should. This is very dramatic and emotional, as it should be. I was there...
This is a little like the Execution of Private Slovik(Spelling?), a great movie. Stories like these need to be told!!
Cheers!
Mike
Comment Written 06-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 06-Jan-2015
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Thank you so much for your kind and uplifting review. Much appreciated.
:) Mel.
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You bet!
Mike
Comment from Selina Stambi
Hello Mel,
I remember the previous story about the tortured young man.
You have done a great job with the horrific details. I was all but holding my breath as my eyes worked their way down the page.
Very graphic. Awfully well done - with emphasis on AWFUL!
Happy New Year. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Sonali
execution and finally given the '(coup) de grace' by his
vomit is almost (overwhelming). My
reply by the author on 05-Jan-2015
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Hello Mel,
I remember the previous story about the tortured young man.
You have done a great job with the horrific details. I was all but holding my breath as my eyes worked their way down the page.
Very graphic. Awfully well done - with emphasis on AWFUL!
Happy New Year. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Sonali
execution and finally given the '(coup) de grace' by his
vomit is almost (overwhelming). My
Comment Written 04-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 05-Jan-2015
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Hi Sonali, yes the story is awful and tragic. I enjoy the challenge of portraying these emotions and perhaps I perform a small service by keeping these facts known. ~ Lest we forget. ~
Thank you for the great review as always your help is much appreciated.
Have a Happy New Year and may our pens flow forth in 015. LOL.
:) Mel.
PS. The last part of 'The AWAKENING' will be on FS. this weekend.
Comment from kateabb
This made me so sad. It is a little known part of war that execution for things like this took place. The idea that someone who surely had PTSD would be executed for cowardice is blind blowing. However, I think that this piece of history would be interesting along side a piece about the way PTSD impacts our veterans today.
Thank you for sharing.
reply by the author on 05-Jan-2015
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This made me so sad. It is a little known part of war that execution for things like this took place. The idea that someone who surely had PTSD would be executed for cowardice is blind blowing. However, I think that this piece of history would be interesting along side a piece about the way PTSD impacts our veterans today.
Thank you for sharing.
Comment Written 04-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 05-Jan-2015
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Thank you kateabb, for your kind review. Yes you make a good point there. What I have portrayed is only a very small part of what happened in those four years. We were far worse than the Germans in our execution numbers.
:) Mel.
Comment from emrpoems
Your account has been written with a sense of urgency that kept me glued to the computer and wishing I could stop the execution. Also the torture of his friend who was compelled to shoot. Consideration should have been given to the fact that he was suffering from shell shock. War is a cruel even and incidents like these should cause the present authorities to amend the rules
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Your account has been written with a sense of urgency that kept me glued to the computer and wishing I could stop the execution. Also the torture of his friend who was compelled to shoot. Consideration should have been given to the fact that he was suffering from shell shock. War is a cruel even and incidents like these should cause the present authorities to amend the rules
Comment Written 04-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Hi emrpoems, yes he was one of the 10% of those sentenced to death who were actually executed. His execution was a travesty of justice.
Thank you for your kind review.. :) Mel.
Comment from Tellis
What a horrible thing to have to do to your best friend. I thought this was well written and enjoyed reading it. Too bad he wasn't born in these days, we have ways of treating these problems. They might not always work but no one gets shot for cowardice anymore, I hope.
Tellis
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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What a horrible thing to have to do to your best friend. I thought this was well written and enjoyed reading it. Too bad he wasn't born in these days, we have ways of treating these problems. They might not always work but no one gets shot for cowardice anymore, I hope.
Tellis
Comment Written 04-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Thank you Tellis, yes it would be different these days. :) Mel.
Comment from Dean Kuch
Thanks so much your kindness, Mel, for the nod of recognition. That was very kind of you.
What happened to Private Jimmy Smith on September 5th, 1917, was such a travesty of justice. Something like this could not and would not ever happen in today's military, thankfully.
It's quite obvious he suffered from Post traumatic Stress Disorder as evidenced by his reactions to loud noises and screeching sounds. When Corporal Cox addressed him and dragged his chair screeching across the floor, poor Jimmy hit the deck! Thanks heavens we know more about this debilitating condition today than we did almost one hundred years ago. Today, those who suffer from PTSD get the proper treatment they require to lead relatively normal lives, for the most part. But in 1917, nothing was known about it, and it was frequently written off as simply combat fatigue, or cowardice.
It's no wonder that Richard Blundell was plagued by nightmares about what he'd been forced to do. I mean, that would have an adverse affect on the psyche of the very stoutest of men.
Simply awful, Mel. Not the story, it is very good, but the fate that befell poor Jimmy Smith.
Well done, an authentic and very realistic story.
~Dean
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Thanks so much your kindness, Mel, for the nod of recognition. That was very kind of you.
What happened to Private Jimmy Smith on September 5th, 1917, was such a travesty of justice. Something like this could not and would not ever happen in today's military, thankfully.
It's quite obvious he suffered from Post traumatic Stress Disorder as evidenced by his reactions to loud noises and screeching sounds. When Corporal Cox addressed him and dragged his chair screeching across the floor, poor Jimmy hit the deck! Thanks heavens we know more about this debilitating condition today than we did almost one hundred years ago. Today, those who suffer from PTSD get the proper treatment they require to lead relatively normal lives, for the most part. But in 1917, nothing was known about it, and it was frequently written off as simply combat fatigue, or cowardice.
It's no wonder that Richard Blundell was plagued by nightmares about what he'd been forced to do. I mean, that would have an adverse affect on the psyche of the very stoutest of men.
Simply awful, Mel. Not the story, it is very good, but the fate that befell poor Jimmy Smith.
Well done, an authentic and very realistic story.
~Dean
Comment Written 03-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Hi Dean, yes things have changed in one hundred years. The medical side and the way warfare is waged.
Shell-shock is apparently suffered by the constant loud explosions that signified our first industrial war. Fought from trenches in static lines one can picture how men would react being subjected to this day after day.
Shell-shock is a unique condition and thankfully consigned to that war.
As for Richard Blundell, just the mental conditioning and perhaps bullying inflicted upon the soldiers left it's mark. My Grandfather never left the army in his mind and suffered depression for the rest of his life. My Gran had so much patience with him, she deserved a medal. Alas they are both gone now.
Anyway thank you for a super review.
:) Mel.
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It was my pleasure, Mel. As I say, I am an amateur WWI, II, Korean conflict, and Vietnam war historian, so I love all such stories. Yours is most definitely publish-worthy, I kid you not!
Comment from Drew Delaney
This true story is so sad, I can't even imagine the horror. It's worst than any horror show I've seen. This is real. Why would the army allow this is beyond me? After being in the front lines for three years? I had an uncle who came back from being in the front lines. The Canadian army. He had gotten medals but what is that when you become mentally handicapped. Very sad indeed!
Drew
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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This true story is so sad, I can't even imagine the horror. It's worst than any horror show I've seen. This is real. Why would the army allow this is beyond me? After being in the front lines for three years? I had an uncle who came back from being in the front lines. The Canadian army. He had gotten medals but what is that when you become mentally handicapped. Very sad indeed!
Drew
Comment Written 03-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Hi Drew, this sadly not a unique tale from those terrible times. It did happen and I find it hard to understand why.
Thank you for the review.
:) Mel.
Comment from gypsycaravan
It was very interesting and very disturbing to read the account of both of these young men. War causes so much pain for so many, but especially the ones who are the true heroes. Thanks for writing and posting this.
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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It was very interesting and very disturbing to read the account of both of these young men. War causes so much pain for so many, but especially the ones who are the true heroes. Thanks for writing and posting this.
Comment Written 03-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Thank you gypsycaravan, for your kind review. A sad and unfortunately not unique tale from those terrible times.
:) Mel.
Comment from Margaret Snowdon
It was after all his friend, that the group of soldiers were to shoot that next morning.
It was, after all, his friend that the group of soldiers were to shoot that next morning.
What a dreadful experience - one can only imagine the fear felt. An intriguing write, Mel.
A little tweaking needed:
Talking to myself is no help as I start to shake again[,](;) I know that I'm not right.- Here, Mel, you need a semi-colon to join the two sentences.
Screaming[,] rings in my ear - lose comma
Why can't they leave me alone[.](?) - replace period with ?
Margaret
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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It was after all his friend, that the group of soldiers were to shoot that next morning.
It was, after all, his friend that the group of soldiers were to shoot that next morning.
What a dreadful experience - one can only imagine the fear felt. An intriguing write, Mel.
A little tweaking needed:
Talking to myself is no help as I start to shake again[,](;) I know that I'm not right.- Here, Mel, you need a semi-colon to join the two sentences.
Screaming[,] rings in my ear - lose comma
Why can't they leave me alone[.](?) - replace period with ?
Margaret
Comment Written 03-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Thank you Margaret, for your kind review and those little tweaks that needed doing.
:) Mel.
Comment from c_lucas
The psychological effect on individuals was not recognize until WWII was nearly over with. This is very well written with a smooth flow of words, making for a good read/
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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The psychological effect on individuals was not recognize until WWII was nearly over with. This is very well written with a smooth flow of words, making for a good read/
Comment Written 03-Jan-2015
reply by the author on 04-Jan-2015
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Thank you Charlie, for your kind review.
:) Mel.
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You're welcome, Mel. Charlie
