---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, you know, I was through the whole…"
description: "\"Well, you know, I was through the whole of the Second World War and saw all my friends killed.\" — Patrick Macnee"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/patrick-macnee-27262_friendship_well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of_1350070.jpg"
---

#  Well, you know, I was through the whole of the Second…

![“Well, you know, I was through the whole of the Second World War and saw all my friends killed.” quote by Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/patrick-macnee-27262_friendship_well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of_1350070.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/patrick-macnee-27262_friendship_well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of_1350070.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/patrick-macnee-27262_friendship_well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of_1350070.jpg)

> “Well, you know, I was through the whole of the Second World War and saw all my friends killed.”

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

War trauma leaves lasting scars, shaping one’s view of life and loss.

**In simple terms:** War changes how you see life.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge and heal war‑related trauma.

Themes

war memory loss

Mood

somber thoughtful

Type

reflective healing

When to use this quote

- counseling
- support groups
- memorial events
- writing memoirs

Key Concepts

Post‑traumatic stress survivor’s guilt

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your past war experience affect you today?
- What steps help you process grief?

A Different Perspective

Healing may be a lifelong, non‑linear process.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Second world war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-world-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't quite understand how a generation and a half after the Second World War we've gotten where we are now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-leonard/i-don-t-quite-understand-how-a-generation-and-a-half-after-the-second/)

[Zoe Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-leonard/)

> [I was born in the middle of the Second World War when the United States dropped their atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-was-born-in-the-middle-of-the-second-world-war-when-the-united/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [ “Bit by bit \[the Second World War\] really changed my view of what people were capable of, and therefore what human nature was.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/bit-by-bit-the-second-world-war-really-changed-my-view-of-what-people/)

[William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/)

> [We tend to think about fascism in terms of the Second World War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hart/we-tend-to-think-about-fascism-in-terms-of-the-second-world-war/)

[Ian Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-hart/)

> [I suppose that I just grew up knowing, in a very vivid way, that if it hadn't been for the men who fought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jason/i-suppose-that-i-just-grew-up-knowing-in-a-very-vivid-way-that-if-it/)

[David Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jason/)

> [Friends don't let friends get killed by serial killers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/friends-don-t-let-friends-get-killed-by-serial-killers/)

[Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/)

> [Unfortunately, man, a lot of places in America have to deal with unnecessary violence. Somebody like me who knows it firsthand and could relate...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/unfortunately-man-a-lot-of-places-in-america-have-to-deal-with/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [“Everyone has friends who were killed in the War. Everyone gives up something when they marry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/everyone-has-friends-who-were-killed-in-the-war-everyone-gives-up/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [In real life, one of my friends was killed in a car accident during our sophomore year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverley-mitchell/in-real-life-one-of-my-friends-was-killed-in-a-car-accident-during/)

[Beverley Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverley-mitchell/)

> [I saw my friends in medical school seeming to be more engaged with the real world. That provoked a sort of jealousy, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-e-varmus/i-saw-my-friends-in-medical-school-seeming-to-be-more-engaged-with/)

[Harold E. Varmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-e-varmus/)

> [We created the 'Like' feature in FriendFeed because I realized that people wanted an easy way to let others know that they saw what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-buchheit/we-created-the-like-feature-in-friendfeed-because-i-realized-that/)

[Paul Buchheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-buchheit/)

> [“I heard again and again that my and Archer’s story made people want to be better, to reach out to those no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-sheridan/i-heard-again-and-again-that-my-and-archer-s-story-made-people-want/)

[Mia Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-sheridan/)

> [I found out a lot of stuff through MTV, and I didn't even have cable, I just saw it at friends' houses. But my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/win-butler/i-found-out-a-lot-of-stuff-through-mtv-and-i-didn-t-even-have-cable-i/)

[Win Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/win-butler/)

> [“Hey I saw that you’re also friends with (mutual friend). I’m pretty sure I met you at a party one time. I can’t remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-cajun/hey-i-saw-that-you-re-also-friends-with-mutual-friend-i-m-pretty-sure/)

Derek Cajun

> [I saw my friends being beaten because they said no to child marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonita-alizadeh/i-saw-my-friends-being-beaten-because-they-said-no-to-child-marriage/)

[Sonita Alizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonita-alizadeh/)

## More by Patrick Macnee

> [It doesn't work that way, you know, because most parts that you think you'd do well, most other people don't. So they offer you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/it-doesn-t-work-that-way-you-know-because-most-parts-that-you-think/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [They call it The New Avengers but it's really the old Avengers with new people except for me, looking rather fat and rather old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/they-call-it-the-new-avengers-but-it-s-really-the-old-avengers-with/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [These things don't just come, arrive and settle like a bird picking up a few bits of crumbs. They develop. I think the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/these-things-don-t-just-come-arrive-and-settle-like-a-bird-picking-up/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [But I did an awful lot of work in Hollywood, and in New York for that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/but-i-did-an-awful-lot-of-work-in-hollywood-and-in-new-york-for-that/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [The only danger about websites, you know, is people who remember something you did or said thirty or forty years ago, and bring it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/the-only-danger-about-websites-you-know-is-people-who-remember/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [Until the year 1967, it was a crime, for which you could be put in prison, to make homosexual love to someone in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/until-the-year-1967-it-was-a-crime-for-which-you-could-be-put-in/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [I like most of the Humphrey Bogart movies because they had to act then, and they acted very well. Edward G. Robinson is probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/i-like-most-of-the-humphrey-bogart-movies-because-they-had-to-act/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [The radio even weren't allowed to say there was a Holocaust and people were being killed right, left and center in these terrible camps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/the-radio-even-weren-t-allowed-to-say-there-was-a-holocaust-and/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [The strange thing about the English character is that they understate everything. It's considered bad form to comment on the food, money, romance, any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/the-strange-thing-about-the-english-character-is-that-they-understate/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [I mean, everyone says Citizen Kane. It isn't that great, anyway. And Orson Welles I knew well, of course. He made other incredible films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/i-mean-everyone-says-citizen-kane-it-isn-t-that-great-anyway-and/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [I went to acting school, but only for nine months. If you're an actor, you know, don't really need to learn how to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/i-went-to-acting-school-but-only-for-nine-months-if-you-re-an-actor/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [And there was a very famous man called Michael Powell, who probably is the greatest director all round, except possibly a couple of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/and-there-was-a-very-famous-man-called-michael-powell-who-probably-is/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [I was producing a series about Sir Winston Churchill, about which I was extremely proud, and earning a lot of money as a producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/i-was-producing-a-series-about-sir-winston-churchill-about-which-i/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [Accomplishment is such a patronizing, dangerous word, isn't it? I haven't really accomplished anything. The most accomplished thing I've done is to have lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/accomplishment-is-such-a-patronizing-dangerous-word-isn-t-it-i-haven/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

> [And in the Second World War, you didn't just read about it in the newspapers because you weren't allowed to read it in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/and-in-the-second-world-war-you-didn-t-just-read-about-it-in-the/)

[Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

[Explore all 20 Patrick Macnee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/)

## More Friendship quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/)

Maureen Andeson

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/)

Unknwon

> [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/)

[Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/)

> [If you love some one for who they are not for there body or how many friend so when you say I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/if-you-love-some-one-for-who-they-are-not-for-there-body-or-how-many/)

Unknow

> [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/)

[Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/)

> [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/)

[Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/)

> [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/)

[Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/)

[Browse all 45,469 Friendship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Well, you know, I was through the whole of the Second World War and saw all my friends killed.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Patrick Macnee"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of-the-second-world-war-and-saw/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Friendship"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of-the-second-world-war-and-saw/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/patrick-macnee-27262_friendship_well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of_1350070.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/patrick-macnee-27262_friendship_well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of_1350070.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/patrick-macnee-27262_friendship_well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of_1350070.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Well, you know, I was through the whole of the Second World War and saw all my friends killed.” — Patrick Macnee",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Patrick Macnee",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Well, you know, I was through...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of-the-second-world-war-and-saw/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/well-you-know-i-was-through-the-whole-of-the-second-world-war-and-saw/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
