Mountbatten Murdered on August Bank Holiday 28 years ago.

I may be alone in this, but I regard Mountbatten as a military/pollitical figure and, consequently, question that he made any positive contribution to 20th Century history. My view is scientists, artists (including musical and literary artists) and engineers make a far greater contribution to any era. I always found history dull at school because it was always about royalty and some war of other - the bits I did find fascinating were the agrarian and industrial revolutions and the history of science and mathematics.

Nonetheless, despite my indifference to the man, I do not think Mountbatten should not have been murdered.

IIRC, isn't Mountbatten the one who was part of the MI5 plot to stage a coup against Harold Wilson's government or was that just conjecture.

ATB Rotf

Dont know that much about him, he features heavily in the recent TV documentries about the independence of India.Some of the people involved, seemed to think he moved the process along a little too quickly.
Used to live next door to a boy who was a midship man on a ship commanded by Mountbatten,he thought he was a great C/O and a very nice chap.
Regards
George

quote:

Originally posted by full ahead:
...Used to live next door to a boy who was a midship man on a ship commanded by Mountbatten, he thought he was a great C/O and a very nice chap.

In the 1942 film "In Which We Serve" - which he wrote, produced and co-directed with David Lean (Lean's directing debut) - Noel Coward based the character of Captain Kinross ("Captain D") on Lord Louis Mountatten. Kinross' motto of 'a happy ship and an efficient ship' is, I believe, taken directly from Mountbatten.

The film is "the story of a ship", to use the words spoken by Leslie Howard in the prologue, from building to sinking. The tale of "HMS Torrin" is based on that of Mountbatten's command HMS Kelly, in which my godfather also served.

This film also includes (of course!) Bernard Miles, John Mills and Richard Attenborough in his screen debut, as the young stoker who leaves his post in battle and is humanely dealt with by Captain Kinross.

The film was photographed by Ronald Neame. Coward himself wrote the music, which was played by the LSO conducted by Muir Matheson.

"In Which We Serve" won an Oscar in 1942.

and a very moving film it is too.

Artists may contribute more to an era than warriors, but without warriors the only art would be Nazi, and we would have no Jewish/Gay/Disabled artists....

Warriors have far more impact.

M

Dear Mike,

I was not going to add to this, but will now. I agree with your post 100%.

ATB from George