glyn

He always sported the Bloodnuts beret but I see that originally he was in the Intelligence Corps, later transferring to the Parachute Regt. He apparently was one of those fighting for the Guards Brigade, but I'm not sure why. Could he have been in collusion with another general officer to show a united front? I simply don't know.

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Semper in excretum. Solum profunda variat.

Ray

Thanks Dave!

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"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA

Ray

Colonel,

You can preserve that in the Museum also.

The ethos, the traditions, the camaraderie cannot be replicated.

It is like the kinship I will have with you if ever we meet, and the one I would have with the Immigration check officer in Canada, even though both he and you are Canadians.

You and I have worked together sharing views and e mails and we know each other somewhat. You would be forgiving for my foibles,but not so the Immigration Canadian official! To him, I would be another bloke trying to sneak in!

Not a good example,but then hope you understand.

Imagine transferring a first rate unit into the second line of defence!

Ray

Take it to the South asian so that we can discuss.

I think the current is OK.

Cactus

Wilco. Putting it under "What is the role for Regimental System in the modern Indian Army?"

Officer of Engineers

Sir,

Thank you for your explanation and I hope my reply can enlighten what I mean by military culture. For the longest time in Canada, the militia is the army. At times before and between the World Wars, our regular force numbered at 2000. And we immediately reduced our regular army back into the militia after WWII.

So, from my Point of View (and it is now obvious that it does not apply to our parent regiments), shifting the regforce into the res is a perfectly natural thing to do. In fact, before 11 Sept, that was what was planned. We no longer were able to field artillery and armoured regiments while keeping up the peacekeeping tempo. The plan was to shift those regts into the reserves so that we can increased the infantry and engineer regiments.

Of course, 11 Sept changed all those plans and we are the better for it but culturally, I see no shame in serving in the reserve regiments. Our demands on them are just as tough if not tougher. They're expected to field quality people that we will strip for deployment purposes at half the regforce budget.

But I now see that the Canadian solution is not applicable here.

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Chimo

Callmecur

The family system of regiments in the British Army started probably in the early 1800's when wives would follow their husbands throughout their postings and often into battle. The wives and families would sometimes literally be behind a hill near the field of battle and when a husband fell in battle, the wife would be taken on by another soldier of the regiment thus the feeling of a family was fostered.

On the Scottish note, mine, Glyn's, Dave's, Tankie's regiment (1 RTR) has benefitted from disbandment as 4 RTR which was the Scottish RTR merged with 1 RTR and brought along their pipes and drums and which performed last weekend at our association reunion in Scarborough - they gave a sterling performance and we felt proud to have adopted them.

soutie

i was ten years as reservist in a highland regiment ,and i am fiercly proud of that ,the traditions and honour in serving with a highland regiment is something i will take to my grave.Those fat bastards at downing street have no clue on honour and loyalty,yet again they are politicians

I have my stepouts still ,they just about fit .put on a few kilo,s this past few months,my wife used to watch our parades ,she said the sound of the swish of kilts as a battalion of highlanders marches past ,would make her hair on her arms stand up.

Rifleman

Times of transition are very frustrating.

I wonder if the new "super regiments" will take on the role of a corps of sorts? You know, corps as in Corps of Infantry or Marine Corps, not corps as in a formation of two or three divisions.

There might come to be less emphasis on "This Battalion, That Regiment," and more emphasis on Scot, Welsh, Rifle, etc.

I imagine that level of identity has already happened with most of the Gurkhas. No more 1st Battalion, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles and all of that, just the idea that you're a Gurkha. Much like the connotations associated with the word Marine.

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"Aim small, miss small." - Benjamin Martin in The Patriot

Expat Canuck

Quite a few people from the Reserves do go on active service and it really helps with training at home. Also, it's nice to be part of something with battle honours on the wall. My old regiment the British Columbia Regiment, Duke of Connaughts Own, was in South Africa, Ypres and the Somme to name a few. It always goes back to being a militia after it gets called up and it works nicely.

I liked that I could be in the army and have my normal life at home as well. I look forward to rejoining them when I go home in the next few years. It's been almost 10 years since I was in now, I wonder if I'll know anyone anymore? Not that I was really in long enough to know a lot of people anyway.

I also liked how they let me have beer under the legal drinking age.

The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) - Home Page

dave lukins

With my wife it was the hairs under her arms Only joking my little Swampduck

ekiqa

For the longest time, only the English units were being decimated and merged. Now they've finally done the same to the Scottish ones.

dave lukins

Before to long, COs will be ringing around other Regiments asking to borrow Soldiers. What Goverment has done to the Armed Forces in the UK is a Disgrace at the highest level

tankie

Correct , and now two add insult to injury , the govt is giving the lads a tax rebate ( council ) of app £140 a year if they serve at least 6 months in theatre , thats only if they are already there and not the lads who will be going later , and oh yes ,the accomodation will be painted while they are away , a good time to announce this shoddy shambles and look like they are doing the boys proud , ???? the day after Browns speech ,, now what a good time to try to hide the small print in his rhetoric with this sanctimoniuos waffle .After decimation of the overstretched forces , Its too little too late

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TANKIE , WITHOUT WAX

Callmecur

That's been going on for a long time Dave; think back to our time in Omagh in 73-74 - we (A Sqn) had our 4 Troop supplied by 4 RTR for the 18 months we were there and when we went to UNFICYP in 75 we had a troop of the 5th Skins for the tour.