Who are the Taliban? Know your enemy.

For a human interest story, I worked as a snot nosed apprentice in the early 60's learning the art of fixing big trucks, diesels, machining etc.

The old fella who cleaned up the shop and always had a bonfire out the back burning old boxes/packaging was Lionel. I reckon was about 80 odd years old, a fit wiry old bloke who rode a bicycle across town every day. He never wore a jacket just his coms and black pants held up with a belt and braces. He looked like something out of the 19th century, handle bar mustache 'n all!

One day I was helping him hump barrels of used oil into the waste tank when I asked him if he had always worked for the firm.
He replied no son!--I was a career soldier in the British Army, and my first posting was as a bugle boy to an officer in the last Afghanistan campaign.

He told me he wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for his commanding officer who packed a Colt 45 and used it with good effect to knock the tribesmen of their feet.
In his words as I remember them he said "They bloody well fell on us and my officer had been something in the American civil war in his his younger years. That colt 45 has a bullet the side of my thumb, and his lordship just sat on his horse and popped em off! All calm like!

Poor old Lionel got forcibly retired after one of his fires got out of hand out the back. I remember him almost in tears as he got a gold watch from the owner of the business. Never married he resided in some rented terraced house, sadly he lived only a few more months dying alone.
Gone to fight the Afghans in the sky I suppose !
Poor ol' Lionel, gone not forgotten!
Dennis
zedcars