British Military Current Events

[OldSolduer]

Perhaps the coroner should have told the politicians to hang their heads in shame as well. The generals, admirals and air marshals don't fund the service....the public does via the political process. And we all know politicians and the lace panties they wear. Except for Maggie Thatcher. I'm sure hers were armor plate.

 

[Blackadder1916]

General Sir David Richards is new head of British Army
General Sir David Richards, the former commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan who has called for a troop surge to defeat the Taliban, has been appointed as the new head of the British Army.

By Aislinn Simpson Telegragh Last Updated: 1:31PM BST 17 Oct 2008

Sir David, 56, currently Commander in Chief (land) based in Salisbury, will succeed Gen Sir Richard Dannatt as Chief of the General Staff in August 2009.

He has called for an international troop surge in Afghanistan, which could involve up to 30,000 more Nato troops and as many as 5,000 UK troops when forces leave Iraq.

Britain has about 8,000 service personnel currently serving in Afghanistan, and Nato has more than 50,000 in total.

"I think militarily there is a case for more troops, they don't all have to come by any means from the UK," said Sir David, who was the first non-American to command US forces since the Second World War.

"NATO ISAF nations between them have a large number of troops, so I think perhaps we would be looking at others in the first instance."

He will lead a team of senior commanders with extensive experience of operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lieutenant General Peter Wall, who has served in both countries, will take over as Commander-in-Chief of British land forces, while Lieutenant General Sir Nick Houghton, who served in Iraq, is Vice Chief of Defence Staff.

New heads have also been appointed to lead the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Adml Sir Mark Stanhope will become First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, while Air Marshal Stephen Dalton will be the next Chief of the Air Staff.

Gen Richards led Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in 2006/7. He also commanded British troops in Sierra Leone in 2000 and as a young officer was mentioned in despatches for his service in Northern Ireland.

He was recently in the public eye as the commanding officer of Corporal Daniel James, an Iranian-born British Army interpreter who is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of spying for his native country.

While Sir David's appointment has been broadly welcomed by Armed Forces personnel and military experts, it results in the departure of Sir Richard, who was passed over for the role of Chief of the Defence Staff, the overall head of the military.

It is believed he was sidelined because he irritated the Government with his outspoken attacks on its defence policy and treatment of service personnel.

Major General Patrick Cordingley, who commanded the renowned Desert Rats in the first Gulf War, said: "David Richards has experience in Afghanistan where our main effort is going to be in the years to come so his appointment makes complete sense.

"He is a man who has cautioned on the use of excessive force and has called for more people to make it less necessary to use such force."

Armed Forces personnel commenting on the changes bemoaned Sir Richard's departure but anticipated that he will make further outspoken attacks on Government's treatment of troops once he leaves the staff.

"I hope (Sir David) does as well as the current incumbent; he has a hard act to follow," one wrote.

Another said: "I worked for him some years ago and he struck me as a very down to earth, soldier's soldier. Good luck to him."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman stressed that while Sir David was in favour of strengthening the ISAF military presence, there are no plans to increase Britain's deployment levels there.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Bomber Command to be honoured after 63 years
Heroes of Bomber Command are to be honoured with a memorial 63 years after their air raids helped secure victory for Britain and the United States in the Second World War.

By Alastair Jamieson
Last Updated: 9:38PM BST 18 Oct 2008

More than 55,000 members of the Royal Air Force who died during the bombardment of Germany will be recognised with a circle of statues in Regent's Park, London.
Campaigners are close to raising enough funds for the £2 million memorial, which they say will end a long-standing injustice. While other military personnel have been honoured for their sacrifice, there has been widespread unease over the role of Bomber Command in the carpet-bombing of German cities that led to the horrific death of more than 600,000 civilians.

Former Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, a supporter of the memorial campaign, said: "The memorial will be up in Regent's Park next year. We have agreed a site, but we still need to raise a bit more money. "I feel very emotional about this. These guys are heroes. Everyone in Britain and the rest of Europe owes them a debt. It has been 63 years and yet successive governments have failed to honour them.

"This is not about glorifying war, it is about honouring sacrifice."

The singer, who is president of the Heritage Foundation which honours noteworthy British achievers, said the memorial would take the form of seven bronze statues of crew members in uniform, facing outwards in a circle.

The bomber offensive played a major role in defeating Hitler's Germany and was initially one of the few ways in which Britain could strike back at the Nazis.
The strategy of carpet-bombing was largely dictated by the technology of the day, because long-range high-level bombers lacked the accuracy to hit individual factories.
Churchill backed the strategy but snubbed Bomber Command in his 1945 victory broadcast, thanking all sections of the RAF except the bomber force.

John Nichol, 44, who was shot down in an RAF Tornado bomber over Iraq in 1991, said: "It will be a great day for the men of Bomber Command and their relatives.
"Many of them still feel today that the country is ashamed of what they did, and that's terribly sad and wrong when you're talking to 80 and 90-year-old men. "More Bomber Command aircrew were lost in a single night in February 1944 than all the fighter pilots killed in the Battle of Britain.

"That in no way denigrates the achievement of Fighter Command, but it highlights the scale of the sacrifice among bomber crews."

RAF Bomber Command carried out 354,514 sorties – 297,663 of them at night – dropping more than a million tons of bombs during the Second World War. For every 100 airmen, 56 could expect to be killed in the air or die from wounds. Of the rest, three would be injured and 14 would survive being shot down.

In all, 55,573 were killed – their average age 22 – and 8,325 were lost. The dead included 38,462 Britons, 9,980 Canadians, 4,050 Australians and 1,703 New Zealanders.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3224889/Bomber-Command-to-be-honoured-after-63-years.html

 

[geo]

Ummm... Germany commenced the practice of bombing civilian targets & esp built up areas... 
Once the door was opened, the allies had a choice of permitting the germans to contineu - while keeping to the moral high ground.

War is hell & total and all out war was brought to the german people - wherever it may be.

BZ to the magnificent men in their flying machines who braved the german air defences between 1940 & 1945

 

[daftandbarmy]

Pictured: British ex-MOD boss, 70, becomes first transsexual geisha in Japan

The figure of the geisha is one steeped in mystery, tradition and intrigue.
And, until now, becoming a geisha in Japan has been a strictly female-only affair.
But now 70-year-old Mary Murdoch, formerly Malcolm Murdoch and an ex-Ministry of Defence boss, has broken with tradition to become the first ever transsexual allowed to dress as a geisha.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1079616/Pictured-British-ex-MOD-boss-70-transsexual-geisha-Japan.html

 

[OldSolduer]

jeezz is that ugly!!!

 

[Old Sweat]

That's a lousy pick up line!

 

[geo]

Ugh... you really know how to ruin an evening meal

Saw the pic & the only thing I could think of was.... "the Joker" out of a Batman flick

Yowze!!!

 

[daftandbarmy]

Halloween's coming. There are definitely a few good ideas in there for the devil may care set!

 

[Blackadder1916]

Gurkhas bow to political correctness worries Army

By Chris Irvine, Telegraph,  Last Updated: 8:05AM BST 24 Oct 2008

A drive to recruit female soldiers to the Gurkhas has lead to fears that the traditional strengths of the regiments could be undermined.

Junior defence minister Derek Twigg last year announced the Army would recruit female Gurkhas from 2009, but gave no details.

The Government is imposing the changes over fears they may be sued by Nepalese women, it has been claimed.

But the Army now fears standards will slip as they reduce the level of combat training for male Gurkha recruits simply to accommodate female members.

Half of the Army's 3,400 Gurkhas are infantry soldiers in the Royal Gurkha Rifles, while the other half serve as specialist 'corps' units providing engineering and medical support among other things.

Unlike the rest of the Army however, these corps members undergo full infantry combat training, meaning that if ever the infantry are in short supply, members of the corps can be called up.

Female Gurkha recruits would only be able to serve in the non-infantry units, in line with Army policy, but it is illegal to recruit and train men and women differently to do the same job.

It is feared if the women are put through the gruelling Gurkha training regime, they will be more at risk of injury and failure, or even sue the Army for sex discrimination - a trial in Nepal last year saw no woman pass the tests.

To get round the problem, the Gurkhas could be trained separately - one for infantry and one for specialist - but this would take away the flexibility that the Gurkhas are admired for.

Tory MP Patrick Mercer told the Daily Mail: "The end result will be a less flexible brigade of Gurkhas and a less capable British Army."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Work is ongoing to consider recruitment, selection and training. The matter is complex and no final decision has been taken."

The Gurkhas won their battle to settle in Britain following a High Court ruling earlier this month.

The decision means Gurkhas, including veterans of the Falklands and Gulf wars now have the right to live in Britain.

Links with the Gurkhas date back to 1814 when British forces fought a war against Nepal.

British commanders began to recruit them soon after - Gurkhas have fought in both World Wars, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.

 

[geo]

Brother!!!! here we go again

 

[Blackadder1916]

And an update on a previously posted item.

Pair ‘conspired to steal explosives’
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/874811?UserKey=

Scottish soldiers took army munitions to pass on to the criminal underworld, court told

Soldiers are found guilty over stolen army explosives

The Scotsman, Edinburgh  Published Date: 25 October 2008

TWO soldiers were yesterday found guilty of conspiring to possess explosives from a British Army barracks to pass to associates connected to the criminal underworld.

The pair, identified only as soldiers X and Y, were convicted of conspiracy to possess explosives at Maidstone Crown Court.

During a three-week trial, the jury heard that soldier Y asked another soldier to "do a bit of business" and transport eADVERTISEMENT xplosives to Scotland in exchange for cash. The pair had been stationed at Howe Barracks in Canterbury, Kent.

Soldier X, 37, a colour sergeant, and soldier Y, 28, a lance corporal, of the Fifth Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders), had denied the charges.

They were also found guilty of conspiracy to dishonestly undertake or assist in the retention, removal, disposal or realisation of stolen goods.

Among the explosives were detonators, flares, smoke grenades and distraction grenades.

The court heard cross-Border police investigators were led to Howe Barracks, following the discovery of explosives during a drugs raid at the Glasgow home of Andrew Quinn, 26, a former serviceman with the 5 Scots, previously known as soldier A.

Alongside 2kg of heroin, officers searching Quinn's flat on 31 December, 2007 found a suitcase stashed in a cupboard containing three parachute flares, nine smoke grenades, 554 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 978 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 742 12-bore shotgun cartridges.

Officers found an army identification card at the flat belonging to soldier Y.

Sentencing on soldiers X and Y was adjourned until Monday. Quinn will be sentenced on Thursday.

 

[Blackadder1916]

New Boer War memorial installed  
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/7687156.stm

A Warwickshire town's Boer War memorial which was stolen from its plinth two years ago has been replaced.

The 5ft (1.5m) bronze statue of a soldier was taken from Nuneaton's Riversley Park on 14 November 2006, two days after a Remembrance Day service.

It depicted an infantryman wearing a British Army uniform worn in the Boer War between 1899 and 1902.

The replica was unveiled in the gardens in front of the town's museum, close to the main war memorial.

A spokesman for Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council said the replacement of "Old Bill", as the bronze statue is known, was made possible by the generosity of countless individuals and community groups.

It was put in place on Thursday and is due to be officially unveiled on Sunday.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Back in the UK: Paras tell how they fought Taliban in Afghanistan

Soldiers from the 2nd battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 Para) have returned to the UK after six months of brutal combat in Helmand, southern Afghanistan. S

ean Rayment spoke to some of those who fought in, and survived, some of the most ferocious battles fought by the British Army in southern Afghanistan.
The two Paras were dead before they hit the ground.
The weight of fire from the Taliban sent the soldiers diving for cover as machine gun fire raked the ground beneath their feet and rocket-propelled grenades exploded above their heads.
"It was the best-initiated ambush I have experienced in 13 years of being in the Army. They opened fire in unison, we couldn't have done it better," said Corporal Matthew "Des" Desmond, a section commander with 2 Para. "The Taliban were brilliant that day."
The Taliban opened fire with both heavy and light machine guns, and rocket-propelled grenades, which were fired to create an "air burst" and spray the troops on the ground with shrapnel. In the opening salvo Lance Corporal James Bateman, 29, and Private Jeff Doherty, who was 20 two days earlier, were both killed instantly with shots to the head and neck. For the 80 soldiers who took part in the battle, June 12 2008 will be etched in their minds forever.
"We were hit by a wall of fire. Bateman and Doherty wouldn't have known a thing about it," said Cpl Desmond, who was in charge of the lead unit when the ambush was sprung.
"Over my radio I heard 'man down'. The sergeant major moved round to go and give first aid and he was shot in the leg, then I heard that there was another casualty and then one of young lads had his faced sliced open by a bullet. In times like that your training kicks in and I knew that the younger lads would look to me and that it was important that my guys didn't see me flap. Inside you might be panicking but outside you must look like you're in control."
Cpl Paul Knapp, 26, another section commander in C Company, added: "We immediately fired back using everything we had, but it had no effect. We had mortars firing at rate 12 – that's the highest rate - and in 18 minutes of solid fighting we dropped 176 mortar bombs on their position and fired more than 9,000 rounds."
As the battle raged on the crops caught fire and eventually the Taliban began to withdraw. The Paras gathered their dead and injured and began to pull back to their base. Cpl Desmond carried the body of Pte Doherty on his back for 400 metres before commandeering a car and driving the dead soldier back to base.
June 12 ended in marked contrast to the early days of the tour which were relatively quiet. Instead of the much-anticipated fighting, the Paras seem to spend most of the time attempting to the win the hearts and minds of the locals by handing out wind-up radios as the poppy harvest concentrated the minds of the Taliban.
Such was the disappointment at the lack of action that the Paras dubbed Operation Herrick, the code name for the war in Afghanistan, "Flop Herrick". But the phoney war ended on the day of the ambush and from that moment on the Taliban attacked relentlessly.
Back in the safety of their compound, the Paras said goodbye to their dead colleagues as their bodies were flown away. There was little time to reflect on lost friends as the Paras prepared for the next battle in the knowledge that the war they had come to fight had finally arrived.
Captain Josh Jones, 32, the company's second in command, explained that the attack was the Taliban's "opening gambit" and from that moment on the militants attacked relentlessly. But he added: "After June 12, every time we confronted the Taliban we decisively defeated them on the ground of their choosing and 99 times out of a hundred we forced them to withdraw."
The battles were fought at close quarters with bayonets fixed, in temperatures in excess of 122F (50C). The average weight the soldiers carried as they marched through the swamp-like green zone often topped 90lbs (41kg). Cpl Desmond said fighting the Taliban was like "trying to kill ghosts – they would just keep coming". He added: "It was guerrilla warfare, and once it started it didn't stop."
But despite the gruelling conditions and a diet based on Army rations, the soldiers maintain their morale never flagged.
"The more they attacked us, the stronger we became," said Cpl Bob Lewis, 25, a quietly-spoken Welshman from Swansea. "Everyone responded to the challenge, even the youngest soldiers."
The Paras learnt that the Taliban described the area patrolled by the Paras as the "Mouth of Hell" after somewhere between 150 and 300 Taliban were killed, according to what the Paras claim is a conservative estimate.
Although there was a certain amount of mutual respect, the Paras felt no pity or remorse for the Taliban. "I felt more emotional about shooting a baby rabbit than I did about killing the Taliban. It wasn't something the soldiers every really thought about."
The men of 2 Para and their parent unit 16 Air Assault Brigade are due to return to Helmand in the winter of 2010.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/3258889/Back-in-the-UK-Paras-tell-how-they-fought-Taliban-in-Afghanistan.html

 

[leroi]

Very brave lads.

Here's hoping they have a well-deserved rest with family, friends and the honour of their country ...

 

[Blackadder1916]

Prince Harry aims to become pilot
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7692010.stm
Page last updated at 00:03 GMT, Monday, 27 October 2008

Prince Harry is aiming to follow in his brother's footsteps by becoming a helicopter pilot, Clarence House says.

The royal has started an Army selection process and will be "graded" next month to determine whether he can start the full Army Air Corps programme.

Candidates need to prove their ability to make progress, but the failure rate is said to be high, at around half.

Prince Harry's father, Prince Charles, and uncle, the Duke of York, have also learned to pilot military helicopters.

Prince Harry has passed an initial aptitude test and if he successfully completes a four-week course, he will progress to full flight training in January 2009.

Candidates on the four-week course chalk up 13 hours of flying, during which they need to prove their ability to learn and progress, before undertaking the full training which takes 16 months.

In April this year, Prince William was at the centre of a controversy when he landed a Chinook helicopter in a field belonging to his girlfriend Kate Middleton's family.

Ministry of Defence officials said the sortie had been fully authorised as part of the prince's attachment to the RAF.

In September, it was announced he is to train to become a full-time search and rescue pilot with the RAF.

If Prince Harry successfully completes his selection and training process, he could fly one of three different types of helicopter; a Gazelle, Lynx, or Apache.

The Gazelle and Lynx are use for reconnaissance and moving troops, while the Apache is used for attack purposes.

The prince has already served two-and-a-half years in the Household Cavalry Regiment.

He spent 10 weeks in active service in Afghanistan with the Blues and Royals starting in December last year.

The Ministry of Defence would not comment on how likely he would be to serve in a war zone as a pilot.

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York flew on various missions for the Navy during the Falklands war.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Life as an Iraqi interpreter for the British Army: Seen as a traitor with no security

The Iraqis who risk their lives acting as interpreters for the British Army come under fire from fellow countrymen who view them as traitorous collaborators, yet can expect no guarantee of security from the coalition forces when they eventually pull out. The photographer Lalage Snow reports from Basra.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/3280445/Life-as-an-Iraqi-interpreter-for-the-British-Army-Seen-as-a-traitor-with-no-security.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Crowds applaud returning regiment that lost nine soldiers in Afghanistan and faced same chance of dying as WWI troops


Hmmm.... the Daily Mail may be underestimating the casualty rates for infantry in WW1, or even the Battle for Goose Green for that matter. I like this quote though: "You keep sending them and we'll keep killing them”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1081813/Crowds-applaud-returning-regiment-lost-soldiers-Afghanistan-faced-chance-dying-WWI-troops.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

A HEARTBROKEN boy proudly wears his fallen big brother’s Parachute Regiment beret – moving dozens of parade onlookers to tears yesterday.

Six-year-old Fin Wakefield idolised Private Jeff Doherty, who was one of 15 members of 2 Para Battle Group to die in Afghanistan this summer.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/article1876392.ece

 

[OldSolduer]

A HEARTBROKEN boy proudly wears his fallen big brother’s Parachute Regiment beret – moving dozens of parade onlookers to tears yesterday.

Six-year-old Fin Wakefield idolised Private Jeff Doherty, who was one of 15 members of 2 Para Battle Group to die in Afghanistan this summer.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/article1876392.ece

Thanks very much daft for posting the link. The sight of this little boy who so admired his older brother that he wore his beret brought tears to my eyes. We must never let our countries forget the sacrifices that men such as Jeff Doherty and Michael Seggie have made.
I am sure that Jeff and Mike have "hooked up" on the big parade square. No doubt that these two, along with many more fine upstanding people, are watching over us, as they did in their time on this earth.
And at the going down of the sun, we shall remember them.