This is a biographical tribute to Harry Crandon, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for rescuing a comrade under intense enemy fire during the Boer War in 1901. After his military career he settled in my home city and is buried here. With a summary of the war to bring the action into perspective, and a brief account on how the Victoria Cross became established.

Tension between the two independent Boer republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State and British interests in South Africa had been building up for years, until diplomacy finally broke down. In early October 1899, and the 1st Army Corps mobilised in England. On 11 October 1899, Boer commando units invaded British territory; laying siege on the garrison towns of Kimberley and Mafeking in Cape Colony, and Ladysmith in Natal.

Fighting on home soil in mounted commando units, in some cases containing three generations of the same family, the Boers were a formidable enemy. With superior firearms and smokeless ammunition, and camouflaged in the drab colours of their ordinary farming clothes, skilled Boer marksmen knew how to conceal themselves in the rocky terrain and snipe from long-range, as the British advanced in parade ground fashion across the open veldt. Then with excellent horsemanship leave the scene before the British could react effectively.

British relief forces made a two-pronged advance during which they suffered three serious reverses in mid-December, at Magersfontein and Stormberg in the Cape, and at Colenso in Natal, which came to be known as ‘Black Week’. As the Natal Field Force struggled northwards they suffered their worst defeat of the campaign at the notorious battle of Spion Kop on 24 February 1900, before reaching Ladysmith four days later. Kimberley, under Cecil Rhodes, was retaken at about the same time, and the relief of Mafeking on 17 May 1900, which had been under the leadership of Robert Baden-Powell, who later established the world-famous Boy Scout movement, caused a frenzy of Imperial hysteria in Britain.

Eventually, Lord Roberts, whose son had been killed in action while winning a posthumous Victoria Cross at Colenso, took over command. His experience turned the tide and British forces entered the Boer capital of Pretoria on 5 June 1900. The British then launched a campaign, mainly in the eastern Transvaal, to track down the Boer commanders, while the Boers took to guerrilla tactics, attacking isolated outposts, supply convoys and patrols.

In October 1900, Herbert Kitchener took command, and countered Boer strategy by dividing the country into fenced sections, guarded by blockhouses. With his ‘Scorched Earth’ policy, the farms of hostile Boers were burned to diminish their chances of refuge. Their families were put in secure compounds, which came to be known notoriously as Concentration Camps, where the death-rate was high. Not surprisingly, the Boers began to lose heart, but sporadic fighting by the ‘bitter-enders’ continued to keep British troops on alert. Hostilities finally ended officially when a peace treaty was signed on Lord Kitchener’s dining table at Vereeniging, on 31 May 1902.

A young Liberal MP named David Lloyd George made a name for himself by speaking against the war, and the daring exploits of a young news reporter called Winston Churchill were making him ‘rather famous’. Seventy-eight Victoria Crosses were awarded for the campaign, one of them being Harry Crandon.

Henry George Crandon was born on 12 February 1874, at Wells in Somerset, England, the son of William Crandon and his wife Helen (formerly Hewlett).

He entered the 18th Hussars in 1893, and saw service in India from 1894 to 1898, when he went to South Africa. He was stationed with the British garrison at Ladysmith when the Boer War began, and he was present in the defence of the town until it was relieved by General Buller’s Natal Field Force on 27 February 1900.

British forces captured Pretoria on 5 June 1900, and on 4 July 1901, Private Crandon was part of a British patrol advancing through hostile country at Springbok-Laagt, east of Pretoria. He was acting as an advance scout with a companion when a Boer commando unit totalling 40 rifles opened up a devastating fire on them at a range of 100 yards. He and his comrade, Private Berry, began to fall back to report the incident to the unit, but Private Berry was hit in the hand and shoulder, and his horse was injured as it fell to the ground. Private Crandon rode back to assist, and with enemy bullets raining down on him, he dismounted, helped the wounded man into his own saddle, and led them away on foot for about a 1000 yards until they were out of range. He returned a defensive fire until the main body arrived to assist them.

The award of Victoria Cross to Private Crandon was announced in the London Gazette for 18 October 1901, and he received the medal from Lord Kitchener at Pretoria on 8 June 1902. For his service in South Africa he also received the Queen’s Medal with five clasps.

On his discharge he settled in Swinton near Manchester, now part of the City of Salford, and gained employment on the estate of Sir Lees Knowles. He was a member of the Guard of Honour when King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited Salford in 1905, being presented before them at the royal carriage when they unveiled the Boer War memorial adjacent to Salford Royal Hospital. Soon after this he immigrated to the United States.

When the Great War began he returned to the colours and enlisted with his old regiment in South Africa in October 1914. He was wounded in the left foot during the first battle of Ypres on 13 May 1915, and on his recovery he served two years in the Balkans, Salonica, Egypt and Palestine.

On his discharge in 1919 he returned to settle in Swinton. He attended the VC reunion held on 9 November 1929, hosted by the Prince of Wales in the Royal Gallery at the House of Lords. On 8 June 1946 he was one of 150 VCs invited to a special dinner at the Dorchester Hotel. In November 1948 he took the salute for the Royal British Legion drumhead at Swinton Cenotaph. However, soon after this he was the victim of a road accident in which he received two leg fractures and facial injuries which put him in hospital for several months.

Harry Crandon died at his home, 39 Kingsley Road, Swinton, on 2 January 1953, aged 71, and he was buried in the Church of England section of Swinton Cemetery. His medals are with the 13th/18th Hussars (now the Light Dragoons). There is a headstone at his grave and the Royal British Legion Housing Association has named Crandon Court in Pendlebury to honour his name.

The Victoria Cross is awarded for: ‘Conspicuous bravery and devotion to country in the presence of the enemy’. It was instituted by the royal warrant of Queen Victoria towards the end of the Crimean War in 1856, and men who fought in that campaign became the first recipients.

Queen Victoria took a great interest in the award and in the design of the medal, and the Duke of Newcastle had some interest in the creation of the award in his capacity as the Secretary of State for War. Prince Albert suggested that it should be named after Victoria, and the original motto was to have been ‘For the Brave’, but Victoria was of the opinion that this would lead to the inference that only those who have got the cross are considered to be brave, and decided that ‘For Valour’ would be more suitable. The design was not to be particularly ornate and not of high metallic value. All the medals have been cast by Hancock’s in London, using bronze from the cascobels of guns which Russian forces had captured from the Chinese and the British had captured from the Russians at Sebastopol. Rank, long service or wound was to have no special influence in who qualified for the award. The first recipient announcements were published in the London Gazette for 24 February 1857 investiture took place in Hyde Park, London, on 26 June 1857, when 62 Crimean veterans received the medal from the Queen herself. It originally carried an annual pension of £10, which became £100 in 1959, and was raised to £1000 in 1995.

Narcissism is one of the most prevalent personality problems that we are hearing about in the media today. With high profile divorces such a Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook, we have an example of a diagnosed form of Narcissism. Peter Cook was diagnosed with the disorder during the course of their divorce and has since then exhibited his narcissistic traits post-divorce by bringing the media in to a battle that is long ago finished.

What we see in a person that has narcissistic traits or a diagnosed personality disorder is arrogance and preoccupation with themselves and their needs. The desire to be seen as important, powerful and superior to other people is one that requires quenching at every turn. They seek out people that put them on a pedestal and revere their presence and intelligence. When those same people no longer view them in this way, they dispose of them and move on to the next person. In order to receive the praise from people that they crave and desire, they are manipulative and will often tell lies about what they have accomplished, who they are and what they will or can be capable of achieving. For those people that the narcissist sees as being “lower” or “less valuable” than they are, the narcissist will treat them with disdain. The need to control people that are around them is important to the narcissist.

Typically, when a narcissist is enraged or feels disrespected, they will make false statements, spread rumors to help them regain that sense of control that they have lost which helps them to feel superior to the person that has disrespected them. That need or driving force to feel or be seen as superior is important to the narcissist.

Narcissists tend to engage in an activity called “gaslighting”. Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse where the abuser manipulates situations repeatedly to trick the victim into distrusting his or her own memory and perceptions. It is an insidious form of abuse and it makes victims question the very instincts that they have counted on their whole lives, making them unsure of anything. Gaslighting makes it very likely that victims will believe whatever their abusers tell them regardless as to their own experience of the situation. It often precedes other types of emotional and physical abuse because the victim of gaslighting is more likely to remain in other abusive situations as well.

There are numerous gaslighting techniques, which can make it difficult to identify. These techniques are used to hide truths that the abuser doesn’t want the victim to realize and can be perpetrated by either women or men. Some of them are:

1.”Withholding” is one gaslighting technique where the abuser feigns a lack of understanding, refuses to listen and declines sharing his emotions.

2. Another gaslighting technique is “countering”. In this instance an abuser will call into question a victim’s memory in spite of the victim having remembered things correctly.

3. “Blocking” and “diverting” are gaslighting techniques in which the abuser changes the conversation from the subject matter to questioning the victim’s thoughts and controlling the conversation.

4. “Trivializing”is another way of gaslighting. It involves making the victim believe his or her thoughts or needs aren’t important.

5. Some gaslighters will then mock the victim for their “wrongdoings” and “misperceptions.”

The gaslighting techniques are used in conjunction to try to make the victim doubt their own thoughts, memories and actions which creates fear in the victim to bring up any topic at all for fear they are “wrong” about it or don’t remember the situation correctly.

The worst gaslighters will even create situations that allow for the usage of gaslighting techniques. An example of this is taking the victim’s keys from the place where they are always left, making the victim think she has misplaced them. Then “helping” the victim with her “bad memory” find the keys.

Some of the signs and symptoms that you are a victim of “gaslighting” are:

1. You are constantly second-guessing yourself.

2. You ask yourself, “Am I too sensitive?” a dozen times a day.

3. You often feel confused and even crazy at work.

4. You’re always apologizing to your mother, father, boyfriend,, boss.

5. You can’t understand why, with so many apparently good things in your life, you aren’t happier.

6. You frequently make excuses for your partner’s behavior to friends and family.

7. You find yourself withholding information from friends and family so you don’t have to explain or make excuses.

8. You know something is terribly wrong, but you can never quite express what it is, even to yourself.

9. You start lying to avoid the put downs and reality twists.

10. You have trouble making simple decisions.

11. You have the sense that you used to be a very different person; more confident, more fun-loving, more relaxed.

12. You feel hopeless and joyless.

13. You feel as though you can’t do anything right.

14. You wonder if you are a “good enough” girlfriend/ wife/employee/ friend/ daughter.

15. You find yourself withholding information from friends and family so you don’t have to explain or make excuses.

If you believe that you are married to or are divorcing a Narcissist, I strongly urge you to seek professional help from a professionally trained psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist.

When Kwame Mainu was a student at Warwick University in the 1980s he had helped the British authorities interpret messages passed in his native language, Twi, between members of a Kumasi-based drugs cartel operating in the English midlands. Now six years later, having returned from Ghana and taken up an academic post at the university, he was hoping to avoid being drawn back into what his friend, Tom Arthur, called sleuthing; but when the call came to meet his tiny countrywoman, Auntie Rose, he was unable to refuse.

This time the little woman was waiting for him in the same office they had used before. Akos Mary was not around and Kwame wondered how Auntie Rose had arranged the one-to-one meeting. After the usual greetings, Kwame sat in the only chair and Auntie Rose perched herself on the desk with her tiny feet swinging to and fro in an arc that bisected the space between desk top and floor. He noted with relief that her feet really did point forwards.

‘Leon wants you to help him with just one more thing’ said Auntie Rose.

‘You all know I want nothing more to do with it,’ Kwame replied, annoyed that the sleuths wouldn’t leave him in peace.

‘But this is connected to your old assignment.’

‘How can it be, the people here are all in prison?’

‘That’s what puzzled us, but the messages have resumed.’

‘What messages?’

‘The telephoned instructions in Twi to the drugs sellers.’

‘You can tell Leon what’s being said.’

‘Yes, but I don’t know the old Twi like you do, and I didn’t hear the messages that you interpreted last time.’

Kwame couldn’t see any problem that necessarily involved him. It was obvious that some new people had taken over the drugs trade and had adopted a similar means of communication. ‘Why does Leon want me to get involved again?’ he asked.

‘Because as far as we can tell, it’s the same voice.’

‘You mean the voice of Kofi Adjare?’

‘Yes.’

When Kwame recovered from the shock of this revelation he realised that the information gleaned from Comfort’s letter was relevant to Leon’s quest, after all. So he told Auntie Rose about the possibility that Kofi Adjare, the albino okyeame, might have put the cocaine snails in Akosua’s suitcase. ‘If it is Kofi Adjare sending the messages,’ said Kwame, ‘he’s sending them from Ghana. He must be using a mobile phone like I was using before I came here. He can use it anywhere around Accra, Tema and Kumasi and soon the coverage will be extended more widely.’

‘Leon’s interested in who’s giving him his instructions,’ said Auntie Rose.

‘That could be any one of the recently released drugs bosses in Ghana.’

‘Will you listen to some of the new messages?’

‘OK; shall I come to the police station in Warwick?’

‘Yes, please.’

Rotary watches have a long history in creating beautiful watches with quartz or automatic movement, that delivers precision movement coupled with delightful looking cases and straps. They are one of the most popular and sought-after watches that are sold in the UK.

Rotary watches have long-since been a favourite with many timepiece buyers and it’s mainly due to the way in which the watches are made that brought a great reputation that has continued from way back in 1895 when the company was first launched. Rotary watches were first developed by Moise Dreyfus, whose grandson still runs the company today and continues to bring out stunning timepieces that are both collector’s items as well as daily watches.

The British Army took to Rotary watches with gutso as the military men choose to wear the watches as they were easy to read, looked great and were very durable. The watches were the official watch of World War II and continue to be a household name some 80 years later. The brands popularity with people in Britain, meant that the headquarters were shifted from Switzerland to the UK and it’s been here ever since. While there are some replicas of Rotary watches, none state that they were hand-built in Switzerland, so that is a mark of what is real or not. As a result of the many copies, the prices of real Rotary watches has increased as there is certainly demand there, but as ever with any timepiece purchase it’s an investment with both heart and head and in many cases, the price is secondary to the look.

Rotary watches are fairly unique in the way look and work. They aren’t just practical and versatile, but they look fantastic and can be worn for sporting events, formal gatherings and casual wear. They are available in both men’s and women’s versions and they are popular for couples to buy his and hers watches for anniversary gifts. With automatic or quartz movement, you can be guaranteed of the precision and accuracy of the time and all of the watches are dolphin standard, which means they are waterproof so you needn’t worry about getting your Rotary watch wet.

Many Rotary watches are available with leather straps for that traditional look, or a more modern metal bracelet and clasp. The latter is very special indeed as it is both beautiful to look at but very hard-wearing too. You will notice that the prices of Rotary watches are very affordable compared to some big name watchmakers, but that is simply due to the fact the company embraces each customer rather than excludes them in chasing down exclusivity.

If you are looking for a watch with a little history behind it rather than just buying into the latest designer or fashion fad…maybe this could be the brand for you?

I know that a title such as the one above is patently self-evident and possibly redundant, but has Metallica recently made a subtle statement on their pro-liberty views of the current state of the world? It seems they have done just that in their choice of songs to include in their set lists at the recent Bridge School Benefit in late October, an event at which Metallica played two consecutive nights. In a surprising move, they opened each night by playing four cover songs which they had never before performed. The choices of songs that they felt important enough to play, though, gives an indication of what they may be thinking of the war, the state, and life in general in these United States of America at the present time.

Metallica have been writing songs with anti-war messages for over two decades now. An obvious example, which they played at the Bridge School Benefit, is “Disposable Heroes,” from their Master of Puppets album released in 1986. With lyrics such as “Bodies fill the fields I see, hungry heroes end / No one to play soldier now, no one to pretend,” and “Bred to kill, not to care / Do just as we say / Finished here, greeting death / He’s yours to take away,” the emphasis is clearly on the disconnect that soldiers have in killing people they do not know for reasons given to them from people who care more about winning than any moral or personal considerations. Similar thoughts are echoed in songs such as “One” about the plight of a soldier who has been left with no limbs to move, or senses to use, or way to communicate with the world, and therefore no real reason to survive, but who also lacks the ability to end his life.

A distrust of being controlled and manipulated has also been a stable message of Metallica dating back at least to the Ride the Lightning album and the song “Escape.” The song that was played at the Bridge School Benefit, though, is a clearer example. “The Unforgiven” is the story of an Everyman who, from soon after the time he is born, is controlled throughout his life. Although he vows “That never from this day / His will they’ll take away,” his only reaction to a life of being controlled is to label his controllers dub them unforgiven. HIs battle, though he fights it throughout his life, results in his complete lack of care and a regret-filled death. Those controlling the man are never named, but certain characteristics point to a “Brave New World” style State conditioning the individuality out of the man: “The young boy learns their rules,” “This whipping boy done wrong,” They dedicate their lives / To running all of his,” and other lyrics, while not eliminating the possibility of other influences besides the State, seems to point to a system that aims to train and control people against their will to eradicate their own tendencies to better serve the state: “He tries to please them all.”

So, Metallica has demonstrated an attitude, through songs spanning both the Old and New eras of the band, of being consistently anti-war and anti-state. Their image, of course, took a big hit on the anti-state position with their battle against file-sharing software such as Napster, when they relied on institutions of the state to defend their claim to intellectual property rights. Having examined Metallica’s position on this in great detail, but not having explored the other side of the argument much, I will not try to defend either side in this essay. But moving on from this divisive event in the band’s history, we can now explore the statements the band may have been making in their choice of cover songs to play at the 2007 Bridge School Benefit.

The first song played on both nights was Rare Earth’s “I Just Want to Celebrate.” This song contains a number of pro-liberty statements, such as “I put my faith in the people / But the people let me down / So I turned the other way / And I carry on, anyhow.” Of course, this may be a defense of the charge against the band every time an album comes out that they had sold out, but it still illustrates Metallica’s emphasis on individual freedom and not caring what the mob thinks. But furthermore, is the line “Had my hand on the dollar bill / And the dollar bill blew away” another in a string of celebrities decrying the falling value of the American dollar? Obviously this is a more subtle message than models wanting to be paid in other currencies, and rap stars flashing Euros in music videos, but it is a message nonetheless, especially as Metallica has deep roots in Europe, with drummer Lars Ulrich being originally from Denmark.

Nazareth’s “Don’t Judas Me” is a clearer example of being pro-liberty, and may even contain some accurate assessments of the media and its affects on the American population. “Treat me as you like to be treated” is a seemingly straight-forward statement that has been analyzed in its various forms for centuries. The choice of this song, in the midst of media propaganda about the threat of Iran and a police state out of control with daily taserings and intrusive searches at airports, is especially interesting. “Please don’t headshrink me / Don’t disguise your innuendos / Make no lies to me,” and “Please don’t number me / Don’t betray my trusted promise / Please don’t anger me / I find it hard to bear no fairness / Don’t frustrate me, manipulate me,” could be Metallica’s subtle warning to fans to do some research on their own and not trust anyone using a position of power as a bully pulpit. This would fit well with Metallica’s own statements that they feel it inappropriate to use their fame to espouse overtly political views, and may indicate a distrust of a government that used their recordings as tool to torture enemy detainees in Iraq, who were unused to heavy metal music.

This focus on a media out of control and glorifying in negative messages is carried through to the next song on the first night, Garbage’s “I’m Only Happy When it Rains.” Lyrics such as “You know I love it when the news is bad / And why it feels so good to feel so sad” indicates a view that revels in bad news and a misery loves company attitude. Is this choice of song Metallica’s statement that only being fed news through the state-influenced media will make listeners willingly complicit in the negative messages? Without a direct statement from the band, of course, the conclusion is left to speculation, but the overall tone of these first three songs seems to show a focus on individuality and a distrust of labeling and easy answers given by a centrally-controlled source, such as the Old Media or the State. Of course, singer and guitarist James Hetfield was himself briefly a subject of the negative news machine, when he was stopped at an airport and reported to be a potentially suspected terrorist, due to his beard. If someone who sells 100 million records worldwide can be considered a terrorist and detained at the airport, who is immune? Of course, the message is that no one is not a suspect.

The last two songs are more overtly anti-war than the others previously described. The first is “Veteran of the Psychic Wars,” by Blue Oyster Cult. this one may also be a dual statement on the media manipulations and war itself. Obviously, psychic wars going on here at home are just as important as the real war in attempting to convince the people that war is useful and going well. Weariness of a war going on far too long, along with an assault on personal liberty and privacy, is the message of lines such as “But the war’s still going on dear / And there’s no end that I know / And I can’t say if we’re ever… / I can’t say if we’re ever gonna to be free,” and “It’s time we had a break from it / It’s time we had some leave.” Metallica has covered BOC before on 1998’s album “Garage, Inc.,” but did not use such an anti-war song. Again, the band’s own personal involvement in the war, through the use of their songs as an “enhanced interrogation” technique, and the reports of Hetfield being stopped at an airport, may indicate their awareness of a need to make as much of a statement as possible opposing big war and big government. As the song finally asks, “Did I hear you say that this is victory?”

The final cover song that Metallica chose to play at the Bridge School Benefit is Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms.” Although the song, throughout most of it, seems to glorify in the comaraderie of being soldiers for a common cause, the emphasis on this concept of “brothers in arms” is turned on its head in the final lines. The song emphasizes the strength of bonds that are formed “Through these fields of destruction,” “As the battles raged higher,” and “In the fear and alarm,” which may indicate that strength is found in becoming closer to those allies with whom one fights a battle. But, the final lines of the song are “We’re fools to make war / On our brothers in arms,” using the same “brothers in arms” line to show that all humans have common bonds, no matter that “There’s so many different worlds / So many different suns.” When individuals go to war for a state, they are making war on their own brothers. Individuals, says the song, have more in common amongst themselves than they will ever have with an abstract state. This message is emphasized in the concert itself as James Hetfield repeats the final lines (“We’re fools to make war / On our brothers in arms”) numerous times until the end of the song.

So, have Metallica’s experiences since the war against terror began affected their views on war, liberty, or the state? It certainly seems as if they have, based on their choice of songs to cover for the Bridge School Benefit concerts. Although these ideas have been expressed in various Metallica songs throughout their history, never before have they played a set with such consistent messages. In fact, that is the aspect of the shows that struck me immediately, having read much on the history of Metallica and their personal views on issues affecting the world. It is mainly through an artist’s work that they communicate to us and we can communicate with them, and each concert a band plays is an expression of their own communications with their work and the work of others. In their choice of cover songs, Metallica seems to have laid out a subtle message about their current views of the world and an anti-war, anti-state stance that has only been reinforced over the past years with public events, such as the torture issue and the airport, and their own personal reflections.

I will take you on a fascinating journey through a time where the World was completely different to the one of today, a journey that I hope you enjoy.

10. Access to West Berlin.

During the Cold War Berlin was divided into four sectors. The West was controlled by the French, British and Americans and the East was controlled by the Soviets. Sat in the heart of East Germany West Berlin was connected to West Germany by three main supply routes. The Berlin transit corridor was an autobahn that ran from Checkpoint Alpha in Helmstedt, West Germany to Checkpoint Bravo on the East German/West Berlin border. The Berlin railway network – The British train ran to and from Braunschweig. The French train ran to and from Paris and the American Train ran to and from Frankfurt. Finally there were the Berlin air corridors.

Travelling along the Berlin transit corridor was fascinating. Approaching the border was like something out of a science fiction film. Row after row of high-powered lights lit up no-mans land and the sentry towers. The Soviet manned checkpoints were an opportunity for me as a child to spot the rank, unit and sporting medals worn by the Soviet sentries. The Berlin travel document contained all names of those travelling in the vehicle. It was written in English, French, German and Russian. The only two places that Allied soldier’s and their families were allowed to stop in East Germany was at the Soviet controlled checkpoints.

9. The Berliner Fernsehturm.

The Berlin TV tower is an iconic sight that sits just inside East Berlin. The Soviet/East German propaganda machine was always in play and the story of this building was no exemption. Construction started in 1965 and was completed in 1969. It stood at 356 metres and registered as the fourth highest free standing building in Europe. An old cold war tale suggests that Pope Paul VI gave millions of dollars to the East German Government in order to build churches. The East German Government was lead by Walter Ulbricht. Ulbricht decided that the money should be spent on a TV tower instead.

So when construction on the tower was completed in 1969, 3 million turned out to see it. When the sun shines on the steel dome at the top of the tower a cross appears in the reflection. Rumour has it that the planners were not aware of this ingenious creation. The citizens of Berlin nicknamed the tower the ‘Popes Revenge’.

The Berliner Fernsehturm is still going strong today giving tourist an opportunity a bird’s eye view of a magnificent city. At the top sits a café, which rotates twice in the hour and sits just below the viewing platform. This is not a place to eat for those with a fear of heights.

8. The BRIXMIS & SOXMIS.

The British Commanders’-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany and The Soviet Exercise Mission were in a nutshell ‘authorised spies’. The BRIXMIS were made up of officers and NCO’s who were trained in identifying different types of Soviet armour and units. They worked out of their HQ in Potsdam, East Germany. Travelling around in small teams generally in Range Rovers or Opel Senators, these were known as ‘Tour Cars’. Tour Cars were marked up with a yellow number plate, a number and a Union Flag.

Tours took BRIXMIS teams across East Germany to the training areas of the Warsaw pact forces. Often crossing the line of duty, BRIXMIS operators would go that extra yard to get a close up photograph of a new piece of Soviet armour.

The SOXMIS ran in a similar format, operating out of black Lada cars in West Germany and West Berlin, somewhat less luxurious of their British counterparts. British soldiers and their families were encouraged to report Soviet tour cars. If I remember rightly the number was Herford military 2222.

The French and Unites States military also ran missions in the East. If you are interested in Cold War history there are numerous books worth reading on the subjects. The missions literally took part in a game of Cold War hide and seek.

7. The Stasi.

The East German Secret Police were ruthless and feared. Approximately 13 million residents lived in East Germany and around 900,000 were employed by the Stasi is some form or another. This was a big case ‘Big Brother’ and paranoia.

The Stasi developed out of the internal security and police apparatus established in the Soviet zone of occupation in Germany after World War II. The law establishing the ministry, whose forerunner was the Kommissariat 5 (modeled along the lines of the Soviet KGB), was passed by the East German legislature on February 8, 1950, four months after the establishment of the German Democratic Republic. The Stasi, whose formal role was not defined in the legislation, was responsible for both domestic political surveillance and foreign espionage, and it was overseen by the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Its staff was at first quite small, and its chief responsibilities were counterintelligence against Western agents and the suppression of the last vestiges of Nazism. Soon, however, the Stasi became known for kidnapping former East German officials who had fled the country; many of those who were forcibly returned were executed. Source Britannica Encyclopidia

Any telephone call made by a resident was automatically recorded if the call was over a certain distance. Residential flats were bugged and generally at least one flat belonged to the Stasi and was used as an intelligence cell.

It was encouraged to report any suspicious activity undertaken by your neighbour, failing to do so could result in a prison sentence.

Millions of files were produced by the Stasi on its citizens. To date almost 2 million people have looked at records that were kept on them. What is ironic about this organization is that it was still active less than 25 years ago. The chilling Stasi museum was opened to the public and can be found in Berlin.

8. Intelligence gathering.

Intelligence agencies will go to any lengths to gather information. In this list you will be interested to know that they were given information for free.

Due to the fact that East Germany was a communist country, Westerners including Allied troops and their families enjoyed cheap shopping in East Berlin. Porcelain could be bought at giveaway prices. Such was the value of dining in East Berlin, social function were often organised by British soldiers wives committees.

The wives would travel across into East Berlin via Checkpoint Charlie and enjoy cheap dining and alcohol. It is rumoured that the Stasi and KGB bugged waiters, tables and restrooms for purposes of intelligence gathering. Wives would often have ‘lose lip’ syndrome after a few glasses of wine. In turn snippets of information would be leaked, intercepted and analysed by specialists. Even the smallest amounts of information were priceless. What seemed as an innocent social function turned into an information gold mine for Eastern intelligence services. I am sure that any of the good lady wives that are reading this will laugh about this today, at the time it was a serious matter. I never did like East German restaurant food, especially the cheap imitation black fizzy soda.

7. Soviets In The West.

I have already touched on the SOXMIS. Despite having control of East Berlin, the Soviets also had a permanent location in the West of the city. The Brandenburg gate is one of the most iconic buildings in the World and lies in between the Reichstag and where checkpoint Charlie used to stand. During the time of a divided city, the Brandenburg gate sat in the East a few hundred yards away from the Berlin Wall.

From the West you could drive slowly up to the Berlin Wall and approach the Brandenburg gate. On the left where two Soviet tanks from the Second World War which formed a monument for all the Soviet soldier’s who lost their lives in street to street fighting in 1945. Guarding those tanks were two ceremonial Soviet sentries.

It is rumoured that a vehicle once stopped and the Soviet sentries were photographed. Remember this is a time where digital photography had not been invented. As a result stopping in a vehicle was completely forbidden.

The Soviet memorial in the West was another reminder of the cities dark past and a reality check that there was indeed a ‘Phoney War’ taking place. As a child I remember my parents driving around the sights of Berlin. As I was sitting in the back of the car looking at two Soviet sentries I often wondered who they were. The were probably thinking about being stood inside the warmth.

6. The Teuflesberg.

Situated in the Charlottenberg district of West Berlin, the Teufelsberg or Devil’s Hill was man made. In 1945 Berlin was just a sea of broken buildings. Millions of tons of rubble were moved and a lot of it ended up in the spot that is now known as the Teufelsberg.

Its origin does not in itself make Teufelsberg unique, as there are many similar man-made rubble mounds in Germany (see Schuttberg) and other war-torn cities of Europe. The curiousness begins with what is buried underneath the hill: the never completed Nazi military-technical college (Wehrtechnische Fakultät) designed by Albert Speer. The Allies tried using explosives to demolish the school, but it was so sturdy that covering it with debris turned out to be easier. In June 1950 the West Berlin Magistrate decided to open a new rubble disposal on that site.[1] The disposal was planned for 12,000,000 m3 (16,000,000 cu yd). Wikipedia

The Teuflesberg had two main functions, it was a recreational area for the public and it was also the eyes and the ears of Western intelligence. In 1961 Allied intelligence agencies ran operations from the top of the hill. They listened in on Warsaw Pact radio traffic. Such was its suitability it was decided to build a permanent sight there. The field station was manned 24 hours a day and I recall a neighbour of ours worked there as an operator in the Royal Signals. I would love to bump into him now and chat about some of the intelligence that he was privileged to have handled.

What was once at the heart of the Cold War now lies in ruins. Vandalised and covered in graffiti, the famous land-mark can still be visited by tourists.

5. The Iron Curtain.

The thousands of miles of barbed wire, watch towers and lights were given the name the Iron Curtain by Sir Winston Churchill in his famous speech. Even today the sight of the heavily manned border that divided Western and Eastern ways of life still are still fresh in the memory.

People talk about light pollution, unless you actually crossed the border at night you have never seen light pollution. Evenly spaced out watchtowers dominated the skyline, they overlooked no-mans land to their front and beyond into the West.

Attack dogs roamed in areas between the huge fences, a deterrent to any would be escapee. Reports have recently suggest that the attack dogs were pretty docile. Either way, I would not have like to have taken any chances.

East German border troops where paired up according to their marital status. Two single border guards where not posted together for fear of one of them trying to escape themselves.

German civilians who had been granted authority to travel from the West to the East or vice versa where subject to strict vehicle searches, even to the point of having their fuel tanks dipped. I will come on to escape attempts later on.

For those that never had the chance to see the East-West divide, imagine a prison but only on an enormous scale. That was what the ‘Iron Curtain’ looked like.

4. The threat of war.

The Allied troops in West Berlin were simply there as a token effort. Britain had just 16 tanks stationed there. Some 40 miles to the North West of Allied controlled West Berlin was a Soviet garrison that housed some 15,000 troops. Vogelsang was a ghost town that was home to armour, howitzers and infantry fighting troops.

In parts of RAF Gatow the only thing that separated it from the might of the Soviet Army was a 12-foot fence. The Allied Forces stationed in West Berlin were little more than a token effort of force. It is hard to say how long they would have lasted in the event of an all out war.

Both Allied and Soviet powers paraded their military machines through the streets of West and East Berlin respectively on an annual show of strength.

The British often ran an Exercise known to the troops and families as the ‘Rocker’. Exercise Rocking Horse and later Exercise Berlin Bear Defender was a crash out test. Troops were called into their respective garrisons in response to a ‘notional Soviet attack. There were often wagers between friends on when the next ‘Rocker’would be called by the Brigade Commander.

3. Checkpoint Charlie and the escape attempts.

Some 24 years after the Berlin Wall was declared ‘Open” Checkpoint Charlie still holds a vivid image for me. The checkpoint was the main crossing point between West and East Berlin. Plenty of myth and legend surrounds the famous land-mark. Bizarrely it has been moved from its original location along the Berlin Wall.

East German guards would occupy the controlled crossing point and would demand to see an individual’s passport from page one all the way through to the back page.

The Checkpoint Charlie museum paid homage to those that had escaped from across the border to West Berlin or West Germany. One such escape attempt involved an East German athlete hurdling the checkpoint barriers and leaping for safety into West Berlin.

Another audacious attempt involved a pilot flying a light aircraft underneath East German radar and over the border into West Berlin.

Arguably the most famous escape attempt was depicted in the film ‘The Crossing’. Two families made a hot air balloon of a period of months. The piloted the balloon from East Germany across the Irion Curtain into the West.

West German officials often returned some successful escapees to the East. They were not the lucky ones; interrogation normally proceeded a long stint in the Siberian salt mines.

2. Life in tow cities.

A city of enormous proportions, the residents of West Berlin went about their daily business just like any other populous in Western Europe. The only disruption came during the Berlin Blockade, which will be covered in my final list. Public transport was what you would expect of any normal German city, first class, reliable and punctual. Shops were always well stocked and showed no signs that it lay in the heart of communist East Germany.

The City often hosted the biggest rock concerts. Artists such as Michael Jackson performed in the West. His ‘Bad’ tour in 1988 attracted hundreds of thousands of supporters. Concerts where often held on 17 Juni Strasse near to the Brandenberg Gate. This was a propaganda stunt designed to show the East what they were missing.

In the East, the residents lived a completely different life. Paranoia, empty shelves, poor housing and low wages where typical of any communist state. There was a very long waiting list for the East German car the Trabant. Made from fibre glass with a two stroke engine, the cars often looked like patch work duvets. In late 1988 advances were made on the cars, they came fitted with a sun roof. I remember walking along the streets of East Berlin on our monthly visits, locals would literally stand and stare at you the ‘Westerner’. It was surreal.

1. The Berlin Blockade.

It was arguably one of the most iconic events in Cold War history, along with the Cuban Missile Crisis. On the 24th June 1948 until 12th May 1949, the Soviet Union blocked the rail, air, road and canal routes into West Berlin.

The Berlin Blockade resulted in a massive operation undertaken by the Royal Air Force, United States Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force and South African Air Force. Fuel and food was flown into West Berlin in wave after wave of logistical resupply sorties. Over 200,000 flights were flown.

The Allied powers never gave up on West Berlin and eventually the Soviet’s lifted the blockade. Their plan had failed and brought about the berth of two new states of power.

In 1949 East and West Germany were born as a result of the Berlin Blockade. The separate German states would remain for another 50 years.

On 5 April, a Soviet Air Force Yakovlev Yak-3 fighter collided with a British European Airways Vickers Viking 1B airliner near RAF Gatow airfield, killing all aboard both aircraft. The Gatow Air Disaster exacerbated tensions between the Soviets and the other allied powers. Internal Soviet reports in April stated that “Our control and restrictive measures have dealt a strong blow to the prestige of the Americans and British in Germany” and that the Americans have “admitted” that the idea of an airlift would be too expensive.

On 9 April, Soviet officials demanded that American military personnel maintaining communication equipment in the Eastern zone must withdraw, thus preventing the use of navigation beacons to mark air routes On 20 April, the Soviets demanded that all barges obtain clearance before entering the Soviet zone. Wikipedia

Looking back, living in Berlin, the history and the situation at the time almost seems mythical. It wasn’t, it was very real but it felt very surreal. Even after all these years talking about those Cold War days still make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I recently sat down for a discussion with my uncle who served in Berlin as a British Soldier. He visited a Soviet camp shortly after the German unification. He talked about the large number of Soviet vehicles that were just static lumps of rusted steel and iron. It makes you wonder, had the balloon gone up, would the Soviets have been in any shape to put up a fight against the Western Allies?

I’ve been searching for alternatives (alternatives to prescribed drugs, to foods, to attitude) for a very long time. A couple of decades are a long time to feel generally awful; without vibrancy, without satisfactory energy, without a clear head. People who don’t know me very well or haven’t known me very long are surprised to hear this. To them, I appear high energy; I move quickly, speak fast, and can be very reactive. I accomplish a great deal.

I know I could accomplish so much more if given the energy, stamina, and vitality to combine with the enthusiasm for life that I have.

In my search for more, I learned some incredible facts about autoimmunity. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, (NIAID) there are more than 80 diseases or disorders attributed to an autoimmune condition. The NIAID maintains the study of autoimmunity is a priority for their organization.

At the turn of the 20th Century – it is estimated that about 1 in 10,000 individuals had an autoimmune disorder. Today, that number is 1 in 250! That’s an extraordinary increase in 116 years. In addition to Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) and Hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone) here are some other familiar names of diseases I didn’t realize were considered “autoimmune:”

• Parkinson’s Disease

• Dementia

• Colitis

• Arthritis

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Addison’s Disease

• Autoimmune hepatitis

• Celiac Disease

• Chronic Lyme’s disease

• Restless Legs

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

The list goes on and on.

From what I’ve learned, inflammation is at the heart of autoimmunity. Inflammation is said to begin in the gut. The gut has a semi-permeable lining whose degree of permeability fluctuates in response to an enormous number of conditions. The result of repeated stretching of this lining is what’s known as “leaky gut syndrome.”

Leaky gut means partially undigested foods, viruses, bacteria and toxins flow freely into our bloodstream, ultimately leading to inflammation and a severe lack of nutrient absorption. During one of my numerous searches for ways to feel better, I began taking a large number and variety of vitamins. After a while (and a whole lot of money) I learned I probably had a leaky gut. Translation: all the vitamins I was consuming resulted in “expensive urine” and little else.

As of this writing, I’m awaiting lab results. Last week I asked my doctor to order the following 6 labs (vs. the standard 3 typically ordered) so I could find out more about my autoimmune condition:

• TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)

• Thyroid Peroxidase Thyroid Antibodies (TPO)

• Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TG Antibodies)

• Free T3

• Free T4

• Reverse T3

Some experts also suggest a thyroid ultrasound and I might also request this if I don’t obtain sufficient information and direction. There is a ton of information and a huge number of authorities on autoimmune diseases and disorders. The main takeaway I can share from all of my studies is this:

Each of us is responsible for our own health. It is your responsibility to ask the doctors to explain, ask the pharmacist to help you understand your medications, and most of all, gauge your progress. I should have acted long before now to be proactive about my own health. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Sun Tzu said: Managing a large force can be similar to managing a small force. It is a matter of organization and structure. To direct and control a large force can be similar to directing and controlling a small force. It is a matter of communications and formations.

– Chapter Five, Sun Tzu Art of War

In these lines, Sun Tzu talk about how to use a large force like a small force. The following factor determines it and they are:

1) Organization Structure

2) Communication

3) Formation

Now we all know that a large force has numerical strength and when they move in groups, they are able to overcome a lot of challenges, but one fatal characteristics of a large force in my opinion is agility. It cannot move fast because command from one point will take a long time to travel to the important and critical places in the force. This makes a large force less nimble than a small force and we all know speed is of the essence both in war and business. So how do we apply the above knowledge to business, let’s have a look.

Business Application

Organization Structure

How is your company structured? How many departments are there? In each department, how many people are there? Who is heading each department? How many levels are there between the head of department to the lowest level? Which information flows to which department? Critical information has to flow through how many levels in the hierarchy before it can be effected? These are some of the questions you should look into when you are reviewing your organization structure.

You also have to decide if there is a need to set up new departments for a certain functions. This is because with each new addition into your organization, you run a risk of confusion, if scope of duty is not defined clearly.

Communication

The next important aspect is communication. As mentioned in my other article, you need to have information flow to relevant departments and critical personnel. But there is one particular way where it could impede information flows and that is human error. For example, e-mail to the wrong addresses, forgot to call, and missed out certain attached documents when the e-mail is sent out. To err is human, such things are unavoidable. A checklist would then be useful here.

One thing to note here is that, your organization may have to cultivate a structure such that employees who take correct initiatives are rewarded. Otherwise, who would want to take one if you do not reward them for the correct action implemented but punish them when they took the wrong action.

Formation

Now in those days, when Sun Tzu was writing the book, formations would refer to how the cavalry, infantry and chariots are arranged and positioned in the battlefield. You would then ask, what is ‘formation’ in the business world? It would mean what are the people or departments involve in a certain projects. Are the people with complementary and relevant skills sets in this team? Could a healthy amount of conflicts be generated so that a good strategy can be devised? It all boils down to how you piece your employees, like a jigsaw puzzle pieces and come up with the best picture you have ever seen.

According to the Book on Military Administration, “In battles, as verbal communication cannot be heard clearly, cymbals and drums are used as commands” As visual communication and eye contact are hampered, banners and flags are used as signals. Now the purpose of using cymbals, drums, flags and banners is to draw attention of the troops and focus them for combat under the direction of the commander. Once the troops are united as one body, the courageous ones will not advance forward by themselves and the cowardly ones will not retreat by themselves. This is the art of directing larges forces in battles. – Chapter Seven, Sun Tzu Art of War

For battles at night, use more torches and drums. For battles in the day, use more banners and flags. These different means of communication can be designed to influence the judgment of the enemy. – Chapter Seven, Sun Tzu Art of War

As mentioned above, during day operations more banners and flags should be used for communication and during night operations, drums and torches should be used instead. From here we can see how observant Sun Tzu is. He even noted down what type of communication we should use during each battle, but of course the list of tools mentioned is not exhaustive, communication channels should depend on the terrain as well. For example, if you are in a flat terrain, a larger banner (daytime) or fireworks (night) should be used for communication because they can convey accurate messages, if you have explained accurately what each signals meant. But note here is that your signals, not tools, should be like your strategy, it should change with every battle. If you have a fixed form of communication signals, sooner or later, your enemy will be able to decipher them and that is would likely be the result of your defeat. This explains why Sun Tzu said the means of communication can be used to influence the enemy.

Business Application

Communication is very important in business. Communication breakdown can be detrimental to a business, like losing a big client or slow reaction to a rival’s move. With a strong understanding of each communication tools weakness and strength would you then be able to use it to your advantage. Good communication system can grant a company great flexibility, shorter reaction time and faster response. It is similar to an irrigation system. With good proper control system of the flow, accurate amount of water, water flowing to the right place, the fields will flourish because of it. These are capabilities that are extremely valuable in this dynamic business environment. Some forms of communication channels are e-mail, letters, internet messenger, telephone, internet telephony or video conferencing and face to face. I shall talk about their usage within the company. Please take note that having the proper communication tools is only one aspect of a good communication system though.

E-mail

E-mail could be formal or informal, nowadays because of the corporate frauds that happened in US, companies are now required to keep a copy of all the e-mails that are sent out to within and outside the company. E-mails does not solicit fast response from the recipients. It can be secure if the security system’s guideline and usage is strictly adhere to. E-mail is a cheap way of sending information and documents within the company and these information can be stored electronically thus cost savings arise from these characteristic. But one downfall of communication is emotions are not properly conveyed out. E-mails would be suitable for clear cut instructions or information that does not require immediate attention and preferably within a department. Cheap because can transfer with least costs throughout company even if overseas. It is prone to technology risks.

Letter

What is described here are paper letters sent from one department to another. It is only needed when you want to formalize a request or a work order. But this kind of communication is slowly being taken over by e-mail. Letters are more concrete than e-mail because electronic files are usually subjected to suspicion of editing or changing. Letter has the same characteristics as that of the e-mail but since it is tangible, it is not like e-mail where you can deny you have received it.. Security wise, it could be better or worse than e-mail depending on situations. It could be costly if you need to send it overseas. It is more reliable than electronic mode of communication.

Internet Messenger (Instant Messaging)

With the popular use of internet, internet messenger like ICQ, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger are being popularized, it allows fast relay of information and nowadays these messengers have the capabilities to help you know whether the person on the other end is around or not. But again, it lacks the transfer of emotions. The voice and tone of your message cannot be sent out through the messenger, even with emoticons, misunderstanding can still occur. What you sent out could be in a tone of offering help like “What do you want me to do?” But others after reading the message may interpret, you are angry with him for doing something. But Internet messenger has its pros as well, it could be used as a channel for informal discussion within the company because some of these messengers can allow multiple users in a single chat windows. And it is cheap since most of them are free and information can be transferred overseas cheaply. It is prone to technology risks.

Telephone

Compare to the other modes that are mentioned, it is a relatively better channel of communication. Because your tonality, voice qualities are also transmitted reducing the chance of your message being misunderstood. But it lacks another communication characteristic that is important and that is body language. It definitely solicits fast response because you can only communicate when the receiver is on the other side at the same time. But it can be very expensive if you need to communicate overseas. And reliability should be better than any electronic channel since this industry has been around for a very long time.

Internet Telephony & Video Conferencing

Internet telephony is slowly becoming very popular because SMEs and MNCs can make overseas call cheaply. This also includes video conferencing, which is made more popular with the prevalence of broadband. It has all the characteristics of telephone, with video conferencing being better because body language, to some extent, can be conveyed as well. But reliability could be a problem depending on the infrastructure and service provider available on both sides. Setting it up is cheap with a web camera and broadband connection.

Face to Face

Up till now, this is the best form of communication, the only downside is you although you can observe and receive the full signals from your conversation party, the same thing can be said for the other party as well.

So choose the proper communication tools to effectively bring your message across. The correct communication tools can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your communication system thus improving your business process.

When we think of war we usually think in terms of human casualties and displacement. But human tragedy is only one aspect of war. Another is the long lasting ecological footprint resulting from war that often takes decades to resolve. Ecological footprint normally refers to an entity such as an individual, company or government. In this article it is used in the context of a military presence or product of war. An ecological footprint refers not only carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases contributing to the carbon footprint but also to ecological issues including pollution and use of non-renewable resources such as clean water.

Ecology is of great concern because war generally involves the indiscriminate destruction of land and damage to the surrounding environment. One such example was the dropping of the atom bomb on two Japanese cities at the end of the 2nd world war. In this case the ecological footprint consisted of massive destruction of land and long lasting effects of radiation. Another example of war-induced ecological footprint was the spraying of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Not only was Agent Orange an effective defoliate but also released dioxins as it degraded, causing serious health problems for anyone exposed to it.

Some of the more obvious environmental issues resulting from war are air and ground pollution, destruction of forests and land mines. An indirect impact to war’s ecological footprint is the diversion of government money and resources from less urgent programs, some of which relate to the environment. There are other more obscure ecological issues to consider such as the weakening of basic services and infrastructure within a country. This often results in water shortage, cooking fuel shortage and waste mismanagement during and after the war. The ecological footprint is impacted because inadequate water management can result in bacterial contamination, water loss via leaks (pipe damage) results in insufficient irrigation of cropland, food shortage and soil erosion. The Iraq war resulted in cooking fuel shortages and led to residents cutting down trees in order to cook.

Another war-related issue is the threat to biodiversity due to large numbers of displaced refugees. For example, the mountain gorilla population and habitat were threatened after the Rwanda genocide as displaced refugees returned to an overpopulated country and were forced to inhabit the forest reserves. A very serious impact to war’s ecological footprint in wartime is the mishandling of hazardous substances such as radioactive material. For example, during the Iraq war (in 2003) two hundred barrels of uranium oxide were stolen from a nuclear plant south of Baghdad. The contents of the barrels were dumped into rivers then local residents used the containers for storing basic amenities. Iraq’s nuclear inspector now believes that one thousand people could die of leukemia. Manufacture and test of dangerous weapons (in wartime or peace) also increases the ecological impact of the military presence. The contaminants from military sites are slowly leaching into the environment. Disposal of nuclear waste is a significant global problem.

In recent years, most scientists and responsible individuals have been much more concerned with the ecological footprint we are leaving for future generations to deal with. Concerns such as climate change, biodiversity and pollution. War is a significant contributor to all of these environmental problems. Hopefully our political and military leaders will be joining the green movement and consider the environment in future war activities, more so than in the past.