British Military Current Events

[daftandbarmy]

Duke quits as head of Territorial Army after battle over 'Dad's Army image'
The Duke called for the Territorial Army to be renamed Army Reserves
Senior colleagues dismissed the idea and the Duke has now left the TA's headquarters in Andover, Hampshire
Duke will turn attention to a £300m stately home refurbishment

By Mark Nicol
PUBLISHED: 00:14 GMT, 16 September 2012 | UPDATED: 00:14 GMT, 16 September 2012
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The Duke of Westminster claims his work in the Territorial Army is complete despite being due to retire soon

The Duke of Westminster has resigned as the head of the Territorial Army after a failed attempt to overhaul its image.

The 60-year-old Duke, who is called Major General Gerald Grosvenor when in uniform, called for the TA to be renamed Army Reserves in a bid  to shed its ‘Dad’s Army’ reputation.

But according to military sources, his campaign was defeated ‘almost unanimously’ by senior colleagues. Now, the Duke, who is Britain’s wealthiest landowner and worth £7 billion, has left the TA’s headquarters in  Andover, Hampshire, and his post as Deputy Commander, Land Forces.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203921/Duke-quits-head-TA-battle-Dads-Army-image.html#ixzz26h8KViRx

 

[daftandbarmy]

Revealed: The Second World War spy whose ruthlessness with enemies and charming way with women inspired author to create James Bond



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207357/Revealed-The-Second-World-War-spy-inspired-007-author-Ian-Fleming-create-James-Bond.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

See what happens when you take their wars away?

News: Paras outbox Marines for charity

The Parachute Regiment boxed against the Royal Marines in a charity match in the City of London on Tuesday 18 September, with the Paras winning a hard-fought contest by five bouts to three. More than £40,000 was raised at the event, held at The Brewery in Chiswell Street, which will be split between the Parachute Regiment's Afghanistan Trust and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. In front of a passionate and vocal crowd of military and civilian supporters the match was tied at the halfway stage, but was won in the end by the Paras who were victorious in the last three bouts. Captain Steve Marr, boxing officer for the Royal Marines, said: "It was a fantastic occasion, with the boxers well-matched and every bout closely contested. The crowd had their loyalties but were very fair, giving each boxer a standing ovation.

http://newsmilitary.com/pages/7181924-training-and-adventure-paras-outbox-marines-for-charity

 

[Kirkhill]

Wot? No beer? 

 

[daftandbarmy]

Wot? No beer? 

yeah, right 

 

[daftandbarmy]

Operational Honours and Awards List: 28 September 2012

A total of 106 members of the Armed Forces have received honours and awards in the Operational Honours List dated today, 28 September 2012.

The full list, which recognises service on operations in Afghanistan and national operations for the period 1 October 2011 to 30 March 2012, is below.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/OperationalHonoursAndAwardsList28September2012.htm

 

[daftandbarmy]

Soldier honoured for bayonet charge on Taliban

Corporal Sean Jones of 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Regiment has been awarded the Military Cross for leading a bayonet charge under fire.

The soldier, of Tern Hill near Market Drayton in Shropshire, was second-in-command of the patrol which was trying to draw out insurgents laying homemade bombs in Kakaran village, Helmand.

As the patrol moved through an open field it came under heavy and accurate small-arms fire from the north and east.

Caught in the killing zone and unable to advance into the hail of fire, the soldiers withdrew to the relative safety of the water-filled ditch to return fire but were trapped as the insurgents moved in to try to overwhelm their position.

Firing a rocket at one of the insurgent positions, Cpl Jones ordered three of his men to fix bayonets before breaking cover and leading them across 80 metres of open ground raked by enemy fire.

As two of the soldiers provided fire support, Cpl Jones prepared a hand grenade for the final assault. He raced towards an alley and was about to throw the grenade but said he realised that the buildings were occupied so put the grenade away. But the speed, aggression and audacity of his response caused the insurgents to fall back in disarray.

Sporadic enemy fire continued.

Cpl Jones rallied his men to launch another assault just as the platoon commander and the rest of the patrol, who had been suppressing the other enemy position during the charge, rejoined the group.

The insurgents melted away.

The soldier's citation states that Cpl Jones demonstrated "unflinching courage and extraordinary leadership in the face of extreme and tangible danger".

He "epitomised the best qualities of the British infantry: gritty determination, controlled aggression, tactical cunning and complete disregard for his own safety".

In total, 107 service personnel were honoured yesterday, with many tales of remarkable bravery including: an officer singled out as "the principal architect of an extraordinary momentum of transition in security responsibility" to the Afghans; a sapper who worked to clear a supply route of homemade bombs after one of his colleagues died and four others were badly injured trying; and a captain who fought in more than 50 high intensity battles and who returned to Afghanistan despite almost dying three years ago when his neck was shredded with shrapnel.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/9573753/Soldier-honoured-for-bayonet-charge-on-Taliban.html

 

[fraserdw]

Fix Bayonets!!!  Send a chill up my spine, good on ya!

 

[daftandbarmy]

New year lay-offs: Army to fire 8,000 soldiers in 'fast-track' redundancies and sackings of over-45s

• The cut will reduce the Army to 86,000 - its smallest since the 1700s
• A further 4,000 soldiers will go by 2020 in the huge cutbacks
• Every regiment of the Regular Army will be hit with only the Special Forces protected from lay-offs
• Under a controversial new proposal, British Army officers will be forced to retire at 45 – ten years earlier than at present


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210548/New-year-lay-offs-Army-8-000-soldiers-fast-track-redundancies-sackings-45s.html#ixzz27xweGmbQ

 

[jollyjacktar]

New year lay-offs: Army to fire 8,000 soldiers in 'fast-track' redundancies and sackings of over-45s

• The cut will reduce the Army to 86,000 - its smallest since the 1700s
• A further 4,000 soldiers will go by 2020 in the huge cutbacks
• Every regiment of the Regular Army will be hit with only the Special Forces protected from lay-offs
• Under a controversial new proposal, British Army officers will be forced to retire at 45 – ten years earlier than at present


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210548/New-year-lay-offs-Army-8-000-soldiers-fast-track-redundancies-sackings-45s.html#ixzz27xweGmbQ

And if they go ahead with this decision they will rue the day at some point down the road. 

 

[Canadian.Trucker]

New year lay-offs: Army to fire 8,000 soldiers in 'fast-track' redundancies and sackings of over-45s

• The cut will reduce the Army to 86,000 - its smallest since the 1700s
• A further 4,000 soldiers will go by 2020 in the huge cutbacks
• Every regiment of the Regular Army will be hit with only the Special Forces protected from lay-offs
• Under a controversial new proposal, British Army officers will be forced to retire at 45 – ten years earlier than at present


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210548/New-year-lay-offs-Army-8-000-soldiers-fast-track-redundancies-sackings-45s.html#ixzz27xweGmbQ

Looks like this is going to be the UK military's decade of darkness.  When will politicians learn that such drastic and huge cuts leave scars that last for years even after increased manning and recruiting drives.  Like jolly said, some day in the probable near future they will regret doing this.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Argentine commander who led the invasion of the Falklands Islands dies of heart attack
• Rear Admiral Carlos Busser commanded the Argentine Marines Fifth battalion during 'Operation Rosario' in April 1982
• He was the highest ranking Argentine officer to set foot on the Falklands, demanding the surrender of the then governor Sir Rex Hunt
• Had been under house arrest since 2009 over alleged human rights abuses


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2211303/Argentine-commander-led-invasion-Falklands-Islands-dies-heart-attack.html#ixzz285AxbmG1

 

[daftandbarmy]

Looks like this is going to be the UK military's decade of darkness.  When will politicians learn that such drastic and huge cuts leave scars that last for years even after increased manning and recruiting drives.  Like jolly said, some day in the probable near future they will regret doing this.

Glass half full?

Britain's loss is our gain (The Australian (Surry Hills,Sydney) and VMT (Neville Jackson))

The Australian Defence Force is expecting a welcome windfall of new recruits, including in some very hard-to-find technical trade categories, following budget cutbacks and mass layoffs among its British counterpart. The army and navy look set to be the main beneficiaries, according to latest recruitment figures on "lateral transfers" received by The Australian. With many highly prized technical specialists being poached by the high-paying mining industry, the Royal Australian Navy sent a delegation to Britain last December to promote opportunities for redundant Royal Navy personnel. Britain's Ministry of Defence is to lay off 54,000 personnel by 2015, in an effort to reduce expenditure by $6.3 billion, the biggest British defence cuts since the end of the Cold War, and in the 2012 financial year, the navy received 985 inquiries, compared with an average of 628 in the three previous years, the Defence Department said. It is currently processing 135 applications from "qualified and experienced" military personnel.This includes 44 officers, mostly in the ranks of Lieutenant and Lieutenant Commander, and 91 enlisted personnel from Leading Seaman to Chief Petty Officer level. "Some 80 per cent of these are directly transferable into RAN's critical technical categories," the Defence Department said. Of the 135 applications, 120 are from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, with the remaining 15 from the US or other Commonwealth countries. Under the Overseas Lateral Recruitment Programme, the Navy is able to fast-track up to 200 visa nominations over 12 months. The army is hoping to attract more British recruits such as Major Blaydon Morris, a former signaller, who is now serving in Strategic Planning at Defence's Russell Offices in Canberra. Since the 1stJanuary, the Army has received more than 500 expressions of interest (EOIs) from officers and senior non-commissioned officers from around the world, 200 of which have come from Britain. Of the 500 EOIs, 150 have progressed to actual applications. The Royal Australian Air Force has also been successful in attracting former British personnel. Between January and this month, the RAAF has received 448 EOIs from British defence force personnel keen to transfer. Of these, the air force has invited 13 people to submit full applications. Defence did not say whether any of these included the RAAF's first female fast jet pilot.

 

[dapaterson]

The Aussies maintain a rather aggressive set of policies in place to take advantage of allied downsizings; there are tales of Canadian CF-18 pilots offered money to leave the CF under FRP, and still more money to move to Australia to resume flying RAAF F-18s.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Reading about the upcoming budget cuts for us does make me wonder if the FRP will come by again.  http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/142145-dnd-could-be-facing-25b-cut

 

[daftandbarmy]

Carrying loaded weapons in a war zone? Shocking! 

Camp Bastion: British troops now carrying loaded guns at all times to protect against 'green on blue' attacks | Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2211852/Camp-Bastion-British-troops-carrying-loaded-guns-times-protect-green-blue-attacks.html

 

[Kirkhill]

As good as the wife's reaction when she heard from Lisa LaFlamme that American soldiers were being escorted by armed guards for the same reasons.  :

Of course the problem isn't a new one:

Location:  Somewhere in Palestine
Time: Oh Dark 30, 1947.

Situation:  Your correspondent's father (YCF) on Stag and the Officer of the Watch stops by to do his due diligence and has the Duty Corporal call out the Guard.

Keen Young Subbie (KYS) has the Guard fell in for inspection.  Dressing by the right. Attention.  Present Arms for inspection (SMLE Mk 5 Jungle). Guard open bolts, insert thumbs in receiver and position thumbnails to reflect Guardhouse light up the barrel to permit KYS to inspect barrels.  KYS proceeds down line of muzzles, grasps each one in turn to sight down the barrel and inspect for rust and dirt.  None found.  Inspection complete.  Guard closes bolts and returns to position of Attention.

KYS then, having read the SOPs and Bn orders, asks to see the 10 rounds of ammunition issued to each man of the Guard while on duty.

The entire Guard, including the Duty Corporal then opens their web pouches and withdraw 2x 5rd Clips of 303 Ball. 

The entire Guard except your correspondent's father - who returns to the present, jacks back the bolt and demonstrates that his rifle is loaded with said 10 rounds of 303 Ball.

Subbie faints.

Subbie recovers. 

Your correspondent's father directed to perform his 33rd hatless dance in front of CO.  Remarkable for a paratrooper who only did 30 months National Service with colours.

Your correspondent's father is encouraged by kindly CO to explain his actions of the night previous.  YCF then proceeds to cite SOPs Pt 2.  Which he had read in the Guardhouse between stags with nothing better to do.  SOPs Pt 2 directed that soldiers on Guard Duty were required to keep their weapon loaded at all times.  Like the good trooper he was YCF had promptly loaded his rifle..... and then KYS showed up.

Kindly CO listened appraisingly to YCF while KYS observed. 

CO made his judgement and found for..... YCF.

Point of the tale?  Even 60 years ago it was hard to keep straight who, where and when you were supposed to shoot.



There is a postscript to the tale.



Following discovering for the defendant, YCF, the kindly CO then closed with the following commentary:

"You've been up here 32 times previously?"

"Sir. Yes, Sir."

"And you have never been charged?"

"Sir, No, Sir."

"Quite the Barrack's Room Lawyer aren't you?"

Respectful silence ensues as YCF permits, what he assumes to be, a rhetorical question pass.

Kindly CO then closes:

"There will be no charges as a result of this incident as you clearly were following orders. But.  I am awarding 3 days CB (Confined to Barracks) on the general principle that anyone that has been up 33 times has to have done something.  3 Days CB - and talk your way out of that one.  Dismiss."

And that one conversation summarized my father's career with 1st (Guards) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. 

 

[daftandbarmy]

As good as the wife's reaction when she heard from Lisa LaFlamme that American soldiers were being escorted by armed guards for the same reasons.  :

Of course the problem isn't a new one:

Location:  Somewhere in Palestine
Time: Oh Dark 30, 1947.

Situation:  Your correspondent's father (YCF) on Stag and the Officer of the Watch stops by to do his due diligence and has the Duty Corporal call out the Guard.

Keen Young Subbie (KYS) has the Guard fell in for inspection.  Dressing by the right. Attention.  Present Arms for inspection (SMLE Mk 5 Jungle). Guard open bolts, insert thumbs in receiver and position thumbnails to reflect Guardhouse light up the barrel to permit KYS to inspect barrels.  KYS proceeds down line of muzzles, grasps each one in turn to sight down the barrel and inspect for rust and dirt.  None found.  Inspection complete.  Guard closes bolts and returns to position of Attention.

KYS then, having read the SOPs and Bn orders, asks to see the 10 rounds of ammunition issued to each man of the Guard while on duty.

The entire Guard, including the Duty Corporal then opens their web pouches and withdraw 2x 5rd Clips of 303 Ball. 

The entire Guard except your correspondent's father - who returns to the present, jacks back the bolt and demonstrates that his rifle is loaded with said 10 rounds of 303 Ball.

Subbie faints.

Subbie recovers. 

Your correspondent's father directed to perform his 33rd hatless dance in front of CO.  Remarkable for a paratrooper who only did 30 months National Service with colours.

Your correspondent's father is encouraged by kindly CO to explain his actions of the night previous.  YCF then proceeds to cite SOPs Pt 2.  Which he had read in the Guardhouse between stags with nothing better to do.  SOPs Pt 2 directed that soldiers on Guard Duty were required to keep their weapon loaded at all times.  Like the good trooper he was YCF had promptly loaded his rifle..... and then KYS showed up.

Kindly CO listened appraisingly to YCF while KYS observed. 

CO made his judgement and found for..... YCF.

Point of the tale?  Even 60 years ago it was hard to keep straight who, where and when you were supposed to shoot.



There is a postscript to the tale.



Following discovering for the defendant, YCF, the kindly CO then closed with the following commentary:

"You've been up here 32 times previously?"

"Sir. Yes, Sir."

"And you have never been charged?"

"Sir, No, Sir."

"Quite the Barrack's Room Lawyer aren't you?"

Respectful silence ensues as YCF permits, what he assumes to be, a rhetorical question pass.

Kindly CO then closes:

"There will be no charges as a result of this incident as you clearly were following orders. But.  I am awarding 3 days CB (Confined to Barracks) on the general principle that anyone that has been up 33 times has to have done something.  3 Days CB - and talk your way out of that one.  Dismiss."

And that one conversation summarized my father's career with 1st (Guards) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.

Hilarious.... and it still happens

 

[daftandbarmy]

Sad beyond words, of course. I was in NI the day this bombing happened, running VCPs. Give the Irish their due, none of them cared much for us, but everyone we talked to was pretty horrified by the incident.


Father who killed children was rider of Sefton, survivor of Hyde Park IRA bomb attack

Michael Pedersen who killed his two children, Ben and Freya, before committing suicide was the rider of Sefton, the Household Cavalry horse blown up by the IRA, it has emerged.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9579686/Father-who-killed-children-was-rider-of-Sefton-survivor-of-Hyde-Park-IRA-bomb-attack.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

CRUSADE FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH: FORGOTTEN VICTIMS OF FALKLANDS

VETERANS of the Falklands war have been forgotten in the battle against combat stress, Simon Weston said yesterday.
The Welsh Guardsman said: “Although the physical side of my treatment was very good when I left the Army, the mental health aspect just wasn’t talked about.

“It was only after the first Gulf War that anyone was allowed to say they had post-traumatic stress disorder.
“All the people from the Falklands were cast aside. They’ve even almost forgotten about the first Gulf War.”
He added: “Unless we get to it early enough and treat it properly, it’s no good. I had it for 24 years but didn’t know it.
“I was drinking a bottle of brandy or 20 pints of cider a day. They said I was depressed.

“The Royal British Legion says they are attending more suicides of veterans than funerals of those killed in service.
“What will happen with all those who are proud to do their service but made redundant, kicked out of the military?”

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/349128/Crusade-for-better-mental-health-Forgotten-victims-of-Falklands