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Then it would have been a toilet …
British Military Current Events
- Thread starter daftandbarmy
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Blackadder1916
Army.ca Fixture
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It's a Guinness thing. The world record, not the beer.
Royal Marine breaks marathon record with fridge on back
Sam Hammond, based in Cornwall, hopes to have earned a world record.
www.bbc.com
British woman will run marathon carrying a fridge: TCS London Marathon 2024 highlights
Discover some of the incredible runners who will attempt to break a record at the TCS London Marathon 2024.
www.guinnessworldrecords.com
And though a bootneck held the record for a brief time, a Finn gained the spot this year. It's probably not a thing in North America where this is fridge moving.
GK .Dundas
Army.ca Veteran
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I am always amazed at the size of your bog standard British apartment kitchen in particular their appliances.
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Most of Europe and Asia as well.
Then again, grocery shopping is a daily or every-few-days event at the local grocery, not Costco hauls every few weeks.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Stand by...
The former defence secretary Ben Wallace was advised by his permanent secretary that a public inquiry into allegations of SAS executions in Afghanistan would be “expensive, unproductive and extremely bad” for the reputation of the British military.
Sir Stephen Lovegrove tried to persuade Wallace not to commission formal hearings in August 2020, fearing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) would be embarrassed if soldiers and key figures said they could not remember what had happened.
The civil servant’s advice was made public as Wallace was giving evidence to the inquiry that he did ultimately commission in response to allegations that up to 80 Afghan civilians had been summarily killed by members of the elite force.
During a daylong evidence session, Oliver Glasgow KC asked Wallace what steps he had taken while he was defence secretary in the last Conservative government to try to get to the bottom of long-running concerns about SAS conduct in Helmand between 2010 and 2013.
The barrister focused on a part of document Wallace had received in response to recently emerged claims by two Afghan families in the civil court which had been extensively reported by the BBC’s Panorama and the Sunday Times.
It was dated 26 August 2020, and Glasgow told Wallace it was “sent to you by the permanent secretary”. He proceeded to read out extracts , which began by noting: “I and the team are acutely aware of the political challenges ahead.”
“I believe that we should also continue to resist commissioning a public inquiry,” Lovegrove continued. It “would be expensive, unproductive and extremely bad for the reputation of defence and for armed forces morale, particularly if, as seems likely, a succession of witnesses were unable to recall their part in events on the ground”.
www.theguardian.com
Ex-defence secretary Wallace ‘was advised against inquiry into SAS executions allegations’
Top civil servant tried to persuade ex-defence secretary not to commission inquiry into UK military actions in Afghanistan, inquiry hearsThe former defence secretary Ben Wallace was advised by his permanent secretary that a public inquiry into allegations of SAS executions in Afghanistan would be “expensive, unproductive and extremely bad” for the reputation of the British military.
Sir Stephen Lovegrove tried to persuade Wallace not to commission formal hearings in August 2020, fearing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) would be embarrassed if soldiers and key figures said they could not remember what had happened.
The civil servant’s advice was made public as Wallace was giving evidence to the inquiry that he did ultimately commission in response to allegations that up to 80 Afghan civilians had been summarily killed by members of the elite force.
During a daylong evidence session, Oliver Glasgow KC asked Wallace what steps he had taken while he was defence secretary in the last Conservative government to try to get to the bottom of long-running concerns about SAS conduct in Helmand between 2010 and 2013.
The barrister focused on a part of document Wallace had received in response to recently emerged claims by two Afghan families in the civil court which had been extensively reported by the BBC’s Panorama and the Sunday Times.
It was dated 26 August 2020, and Glasgow told Wallace it was “sent to you by the permanent secretary”. He proceeded to read out extracts , which began by noting: “I and the team are acutely aware of the political challenges ahead.”
“I believe that we should also continue to resist commissioning a public inquiry,” Lovegrove continued. It “would be expensive, unproductive and extremely bad for the reputation of defence and for armed forces morale, particularly if, as seems likely, a succession of witnesses were unable to recall their part in events on the ground”.
Ex-defence secretary Wallace ‘was advised against inquiry into SAS executions allegations’
Top civil servant tried to persuade ex-defence secretary not to commission inquiry into UK military actions in Afghanistan
www.theguardian.com
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They saw what happened to the Australian SASR…Stand by...
Ex-defence secretary Wallace ‘was advised against inquiry into SAS executions allegations’
Top civil servant tried to persuade ex-defence secretary not to commission inquiry into UK military actions in Afghanistan, inquiry hears
The former defence secretary Ben Wallace was advised by his permanent secretary that a public inquiry into allegations of SAS executions in Afghanistan would be “expensive, unproductive and extremely bad” for the reputation of the British military.
Sir Stephen Lovegrove tried to persuade Wallace not to commission formal hearings in August 2020, fearing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) would be embarrassed if soldiers and key figures said they could not remember what had happened.
The civil servant’s advice was made public as Wallace was giving evidence to the inquiry that he did ultimately commission in response to allegations that up to 80 Afghan civilians had been summarily killed by members of the elite force.
During a daylong evidence session, Oliver Glasgow KC asked Wallace what steps he had taken while he was defence secretary in the last Conservative government to try to get to the bottom of long-running concerns about SAS conduct in Helmand between 2010 and 2013.
The barrister focused on a part of document Wallace had received in response to recently emerged claims by two Afghan families in the civil court which had been extensively reported by the BBC’s Panorama and the Sunday Times.
It was dated 26 August 2020, and Glasgow told Wallace it was “sent to you by the permanent secretary”. He proceeded to read out extracts , which began by noting: “I and the team are acutely aware of the political challenges ahead.”
“I believe that we should also continue to resist commissioning a public inquiry,” Lovegrove continued. It “would be expensive, unproductive and extremely bad for the reputation of defence and for armed forces morale, particularly if, as seems likely, a succession of witnesses were unable to recall their part in events on the ground”.
Ex-defence secretary Wallace ‘was advised against inquiry into SAS executions allegations’
Top civil servant tried to persuade ex-defence secretary not to commission inquiry into UK military actions in Afghanistan
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Only 10,000? I thought there'd be more 'sun punters' than that 
Sir Keir Starmer has told British nationals in Lebanon to ‘leave now’ as conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate.
Speaking to the BBC, the Prime Minister said: ‘Leave now.
‘It’s very important. The situation is escalating. We need the situation to de-escalate but I say to British nationals, “don’t wait, leave now”. We are ramping up the contingency plans for an evacuation as you would expect, but my message is, “don’t wait for that”.
‘There are commercial flights still coming out. It is important to leave and to leave now.’
Britain is moving 700 troops to Cyprus to be ready for an emergency evacuation of UK citizens of Lebanon as Israel’s military pounds the region.
Thousands of civilians have been fleeing southern Lebanon as Beirut is flattened by Israeli strikes, leaving cars and roads covered by the rubble debris of exploded buildings and hundreds killed and 1,000 wounded.
An estimated 10,000 British nationals are reported to be in the country.
metro.co.uk
British people told ‘leave Lebanon immediately’ as UK troops amass in Cyprus
Sir Keir Starmer has told British nationals in Lebanon to ‘leave now’ as conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate.
Speaking to the BBC, the Prime Minister said: ‘Leave now.
‘It’s very important. The situation is escalating. We need the situation to de-escalate but I say to British nationals, “don’t wait, leave now”. We are ramping up the contingency plans for an evacuation as you would expect, but my message is, “don’t wait for that”.
‘There are commercial flights still coming out. It is important to leave and to leave now.’
Britain is moving 700 troops to Cyprus to be ready for an emergency evacuation of UK citizens of Lebanon as Israel’s military pounds the region.
Thousands of civilians have been fleeing southern Lebanon as Beirut is flattened by Israeli strikes, leaving cars and roads covered by the rubble debris of exploded buildings and hundreds killed and 1,000 wounded.
An estimated 10,000 British nationals are reported to be in the country.
British people told 'leave immediately' as UK troops amass for evacuation
'Our message is clear, British nationals should leave now.'
metro.co.uk
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Lt Gen Andy Harrison DSO MBE gave his final speech as the Regiments’ Colonel Commandant at Arnhem on the 80th Anniversary, as he retired from the British Army.
“They’d come from every part of the country. Mostly wearing black, rich and poor, some carrying small wreaths and bunches of flowers carefully wrapped in paper. Men of the Parachute Regiment, in their red berets, were lining the way.
Within a moment, there wasn’t a seat in the tiny church. In the outer aisle, the men of the Regiment sat all together. During their training in the summer of 1944, they must have come here Sunday after Sunday and sat in the same seats. John must have come here.
We stood for the National Anthem, and we sang the hymn. Then Major General Urquhart walked to the side of the church, and as we all turned to face it, he pulled the flag off the memorial. Just a gold cross on black and the Parachute emblem. Some day you must see it. It is a simple and lovely thing.
The door slowly opened, and ‘The Last Post’ sounded.
And every heart in that church broke.
You could hear the sobs, and you could just feel the pain, and the cost.
Somehow the whole place seemed too small to contain the sorrow.
Some faces stand out.
A tall, grey-haired, fine-looking father, staring straight ahead, not a tear in his eye and yet the agony of a dead child on his face.
A young Parachute officer with curly hair and his chin half shot away, holding onto the back of the bench for strength.
A young boy of twelve with flaxen hair, a long black coat, not crying either, but a wounded look, a deep misery in his eyes.
And next to him, his mother, a wealthy woman in black, oldish, stout and crying, without bothering to wipe away her tears.”
So wrote Peter Howard, describing one of the first dedication services to the fallen at Arnhem. It was held in the tiny church of the English village of Sommerby in 1945. Peter was in the congregation because 15 months after the battle his brother, Lieutenant John Howard, had still not returned from Arnhem. He never did. His body was never found.
For almost 4 decades I have sought to emulate those who parachuted onto the gorse heaths of Arnhem in 1944. They were my heroes, their example my pole star.
Yesterday, under this autumn sky, I watched my Dakota’s red jump light turned to green and took a determined step into the tumbling slipstream, placing my life at the mercy of fate and a thin parachute canopy. I’ve had better jumps, but nothing compares to what those boys went through 80 years ago
I have stood with Johnny Frost on the infamous bridge, I have had the honour of marching the second Battalion through the scarred city streets, I have listened to Kate - the Angel of Arnhem - and Tony and Jeff and John and a hundred more veterans.
“They fought on, they fought on…
With an enemy growing ever stronger, pressing them on all sided but one - and that a wide, swiftly flowing river - they fought on.
Without sleep, presently without food or water, at the end almost without ammunition, they fought on.
When no hope of victory remained, when all prospects of survival had vanished, when death alone could give them ease, they fought on.
…they performed a feat of arms that will be remembered and recounted as long as the virtues of courage and resolution have power to move the hearts of men. Now these things befell at Arnhem.”
So, for 9 long days in September 1944, thousands of young men were fighting for their lives, ensnared in the mesmerising theatre of death that engulfed them. They fought on.
Loadmasters struggled to despatch paratroopers and desperately needed stores from torching aircraft, arcing into oblivion on Holland’s unforgiving soil.
Selfless pilots, brave to their inevitable demise, making the conscious decision to try to keep their fatally compromised aircraft in the air, for just a few more seconds.
They died, so others could live.
That Pegasus still bears Bellaphron above almost every house in your beautiful town. That we are here this morning. That Holland pauses every year in hushed thanks. These are your humbling tributes to all those brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice, Dutch, British, Polish, American, others.
And now so few survivors remain. Every year, I have seen their ranks dwindle. We are now in the company of the very final sentinels; guardians of the glorious memory of their fallen brothers.
The heroism was so deep, the scars so raw, the valour so breath-taking, that we now need not the anecdotes of living witnesses to inspire the next generation. More so than probably any other battle, Arnhem has become the by-word for courage, tenacity, and daring.
Lieutenant John Howard and every of the young Operation Market Garden warriors dared to dream. He - and they - died willing to sacrifice everything, in one bold, risk-laden, endeavour to cut short the cruelty of war.
They flew in September clouds and floated under silken canopies; they glided in impossibly fragile aircraft; they tracked singular, vulnerable routes. Young men willingly traded the serenity of hearth and home, for the chaos and carnage of combat.
They watched the life drain from friends and colleagues. They lived Binyon’s lines, were “staunch to the end against odds uncounted, and fell with their faces to the foe”.
They knew there was no glory in war, that victory is a passing chimera. But they dared to dream. And in dreaming they gave hope to the downtrodden. In the crucible of battle, Arnhem cast a reputation of indefatigable courage.
Farewell my gallant friends. Rest easy, your duty done, your legend forged. You fought on.
Beyond measure, I am humbled that my very final act as a British paratrooper is to salute you.
Lt Gen Andy Harrison DSO MBE
Arnhem 80
September 2024
“They’d come from every part of the country. Mostly wearing black, rich and poor, some carrying small wreaths and bunches of flowers carefully wrapped in paper. Men of the Parachute Regiment, in their red berets, were lining the way.
Within a moment, there wasn’t a seat in the tiny church. In the outer aisle, the men of the Regiment sat all together. During their training in the summer of 1944, they must have come here Sunday after Sunday and sat in the same seats. John must have come here.
We stood for the National Anthem, and we sang the hymn. Then Major General Urquhart walked to the side of the church, and as we all turned to face it, he pulled the flag off the memorial. Just a gold cross on black and the Parachute emblem. Some day you must see it. It is a simple and lovely thing.
The door slowly opened, and ‘The Last Post’ sounded.
And every heart in that church broke.
You could hear the sobs, and you could just feel the pain, and the cost.
Somehow the whole place seemed too small to contain the sorrow.
Some faces stand out.
A tall, grey-haired, fine-looking father, staring straight ahead, not a tear in his eye and yet the agony of a dead child on his face.
A young Parachute officer with curly hair and his chin half shot away, holding onto the back of the bench for strength.
A young boy of twelve with flaxen hair, a long black coat, not crying either, but a wounded look, a deep misery in his eyes.
And next to him, his mother, a wealthy woman in black, oldish, stout and crying, without bothering to wipe away her tears.”
So wrote Peter Howard, describing one of the first dedication services to the fallen at Arnhem. It was held in the tiny church of the English village of Sommerby in 1945. Peter was in the congregation because 15 months after the battle his brother, Lieutenant John Howard, had still not returned from Arnhem. He never did. His body was never found.
For almost 4 decades I have sought to emulate those who parachuted onto the gorse heaths of Arnhem in 1944. They were my heroes, their example my pole star.
Yesterday, under this autumn sky, I watched my Dakota’s red jump light turned to green and took a determined step into the tumbling slipstream, placing my life at the mercy of fate and a thin parachute canopy. I’ve had better jumps, but nothing compares to what those boys went through 80 years ago
I have stood with Johnny Frost on the infamous bridge, I have had the honour of marching the second Battalion through the scarred city streets, I have listened to Kate - the Angel of Arnhem - and Tony and Jeff and John and a hundred more veterans.
“They fought on, they fought on…
With an enemy growing ever stronger, pressing them on all sided but one - and that a wide, swiftly flowing river - they fought on.
Without sleep, presently without food or water, at the end almost without ammunition, they fought on.
When no hope of victory remained, when all prospects of survival had vanished, when death alone could give them ease, they fought on.
…they performed a feat of arms that will be remembered and recounted as long as the virtues of courage and resolution have power to move the hearts of men. Now these things befell at Arnhem.”
So, for 9 long days in September 1944, thousands of young men were fighting for their lives, ensnared in the mesmerising theatre of death that engulfed them. They fought on.
Loadmasters struggled to despatch paratroopers and desperately needed stores from torching aircraft, arcing into oblivion on Holland’s unforgiving soil.
Selfless pilots, brave to their inevitable demise, making the conscious decision to try to keep their fatally compromised aircraft in the air, for just a few more seconds.
They died, so others could live.
That Pegasus still bears Bellaphron above almost every house in your beautiful town. That we are here this morning. That Holland pauses every year in hushed thanks. These are your humbling tributes to all those brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice, Dutch, British, Polish, American, others.
And now so few survivors remain. Every year, I have seen their ranks dwindle. We are now in the company of the very final sentinels; guardians of the glorious memory of their fallen brothers.
The heroism was so deep, the scars so raw, the valour so breath-taking, that we now need not the anecdotes of living witnesses to inspire the next generation. More so than probably any other battle, Arnhem has become the by-word for courage, tenacity, and daring.
Lieutenant John Howard and every of the young Operation Market Garden warriors dared to dream. He - and they - died willing to sacrifice everything, in one bold, risk-laden, endeavour to cut short the cruelty of war.
They flew in September clouds and floated under silken canopies; they glided in impossibly fragile aircraft; they tracked singular, vulnerable routes. Young men willingly traded the serenity of hearth and home, for the chaos and carnage of combat.
They watched the life drain from friends and colleagues. They lived Binyon’s lines, were “staunch to the end against odds uncounted, and fell with their faces to the foe”.
They knew there was no glory in war, that victory is a passing chimera. But they dared to dream. And in dreaming they gave hope to the downtrodden. In the crucible of battle, Arnhem cast a reputation of indefatigable courage.
Farewell my gallant friends. Rest easy, your duty done, your legend forged. You fought on.
Beyond measure, I am humbled that my very final act as a British paratrooper is to salute you.
Lt Gen Andy Harrison DSO MBE
Arnhem 80
September 2024
FJAG
Army.ca Legend
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What comes around; goes around.
Shamed human rights lawyer Philip Shiner pleads guilty to fraud
Philip Shinner now faces a potential jail sentence after admitting three counts of fraud on the eve of his trial.www.dailymail.co.uk
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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Another ambulance chaser gone....What comes around; goes around.
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Royal Marines at the tip of the NATO spear on major Arctic exercise
The Royal Marines are one of the world’s most respected – and feared – commando forces. Find out what’s behind the iconic Green Beret.
www.royalnavy.mod.uk
I referenced this article indirectly in Going Dutch but I thought it was interesting enough to deserve its own post.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Royal Marines at the tip of the NATO spear on major Arctic exercise
The Royal Marines are one of the world’s most respected – and feared – commando forces. Find out what’s behind the iconic Green Beret.
I referenced this article indirectly in Going Dutch but I thought it was interesting enough to deserve its own post.
I was doing the same job, with the same unit, in the 80s.
Given the location, geography and time of year it's an amazingly complex and risky role which, as with all combined operations, is only made possible through first class cooperation between air, ground and naval assets.
In a real 'shootin' war', there's also no doubt in my mind that the casualties would likely be enormous, of course....
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Is it a legitimate Canadian job?
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Actually, given the right amphibious assets within the context of a combined arms brigade anyone can do it IMHO.
And Canada kind of used to do it, of course Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group - Wikipedia
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And me, I kind of think it would be useful.
All the way fron Nordkapp to Shemya, as well as locally.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Sneaking around as amphibious light Infantry is one thing but, if you wanted to be really serious about this role within the context of a Russian threat, you would have to adopt a similar set up and approach as the USN and USMC, of course. This wouldn't be possible in the UK, Canada etc right now because of cost and political will.
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With respect, we don't have to sneak around in Canada.
And I believe the Americans were employing Light Troops on Shemya - along with some very long range artillery assets.
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Further to the Shemya exercise
www.cbsnews.com
U.S. News: Latest news, breaking news, today's news stories updated daily from CBS News
alaskabeacon.com
The Scandinavians seem to be busy against the Russians on our Right Flank.
The Americans seem to be busy against the Russians and Chinese on our Left Flank
And we seem to engage the Russians overhead occasionally.
U.S. deploys soldiers, rocket systems to Alaska island as Russian military activity ramps up in region
Eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels, including two submarines, have come close to Alaska in the past week.
www.cbsnews.com
In unusual move, U.S. Army sends missiles and airborne infantry to Alaska base near Russia • Alaska Beacon
The deployment is the first involving HIMARS to Shemya since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and corresponds with Russian exercises.
alaskabeacon.com
The Scandinavians seem to be busy against the Russians on our Right Flank.
The Americans seem to be busy against the Russians and Chinese on our Left Flank
And we seem to engage the Russians overhead occasionally.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Further to the Shemya exercise
U.S. News: Latest news, breaking news, today's news stories updated daily from CBS NewsU.S. deploys soldiers, rocket systems to Alaska island as Russian military activity ramps up in region
Eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels, including two submarines, have come close to Alaska in the past week.
In unusual move, U.S. Army sends missiles and airborne infantry to Alaska base near Russia • Alaska Beacon
The deployment is the first involving HIMARS to Shemya since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and corresponds with Russian exercises.
The Scandinavians seem to be busy against the Russians on our Right Flank.
The Americans seem to be busy against the Russians and Chinese on our Left Flank
And we seem to engage the Russians overhead occasionally.
The 'missile island' thing would come in handy in Arctic Norway, for sure, but you still need to be able to land, operate, sustain and maneuver well equipped armoured brigades in tough mountainous terrain, deep snow, bad weather and extreme cold against a similarly equipped Russian force.
The Norwegians can do that because they live there, and the Norge 6th Division seemed well equipped.
The British could never do that AFAIK and constrained themselves to a light Infantry battalion within a NATO Brigade (AMF -L) context, plus a light infantry (3 Commando) Brigade.
The USMC was, at one time, well equipped for that role. Now that they've given up their tanks and artillery? I have no idea.
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Well, we aspire to Armoured Warfare and we have lots of tough mountainous terrain with deep snow, bad weather and extreme cold.
Seems like an excellent opportunity to create a suitably prepared "reserve" that would be welcomed anywhere on our side of the North Pole.
I still stand by 3x 2 battalion light brigades (3rd Inf Bn goes to ISR and security), and 1x RCAC Brigade (3 RCAC Regiments) and an Arty Brigade (4 RRCA Regiments).
Lots of opportunities for actual Reservists to learn their skills locally and add to the established regular force.
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