Centenary of the start of the First World War tomorrow

[Seajet]

And the Guards in their red coats around London's palaces may just make a tiny contribution to the tourist industry, as well as their day job of being part of the over stretched infantry component of the armed forces.

So let them be a privately funded unit; tanks are obsolete, and this lot poncing around were long before them !

Might as well hire ' resting ' actors and leave the real soldiers to do their job ( and pay for decent accomodation for them )...

 

[DownWest]

I have a small problem with the use of 'Chin-less Wonders' as an argument. It smacks of of a chip on the shoulder.

 

[pvb]

I have a small problem with the use of 'Chin-less Wonders' as an argument. It smacks of of a chip on the shoulder.

Chips with everything in this forum!

 

[prv]

this lot poncing around

Poncing around where? The Falklands? The Gulf? Afghan?

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

I have a small problem with the use of 'Chin-less Wonders' as an argument. It smacks of of a chip on the shoulder.

I think it's a reasonably convenient shorthand for those who achieve command through social status rather than ability.

 

[trapezeartist]

I have a small problem with the use of 'Chin-less Wonders' as an argument. It smacks of of a chip on the shoulder.

No, he's really a very well-balanced chap. He's got a chip on each shoulder.

So, ignoring the little commissars and their class-war. Back to the original topic. Most of the boats at the Lydney Harbour Festival dipped their ensigns and sounded their horns. An impressive, if somewhat tuneless, cacophony.

 

[Jamesuk]

I agree with this. The assassination of the arch duke Ferdinand was the cause of the First World War, it was not the start of it.

I've heard it was the Arms race and an 'incident' that caused the Boer war which lead to the First World War.

"the British invasion of Transvaal that started the Boer War, to blockade the German coast and thereby cripple the German economy.

 

[WilliamUK]

James - I linked this back on Page 3...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIpm_8v80hw

Ferdinand wasn't that big a deal. Sure it was useful to some of the drum-bangers, but it wasn't really that significant. Arms Race certainly covers a major cause. So does "resource war".

WW1 as an oil war. Not a common view, but valid, I think.

 

[chinita]

I know an RAF Officer ( who is no BS merchant and I'd trust my life to ) who before he joined was a Captain in the TA; he told me that in the guards the mess bill alone, let alone the gold thread in the trousers, was way above the actual pay, hence only inbred berks from ' posh ' familys need apply.

If looking for defence cuts, here you are, rather than the Red Arrows which actually do some good as ambassadors for UK Ltd !

There is no gold thread in Guards Officers trousers! I think somebody is taking the piss out of you.

 

[chinita]

I think it's a reasonably convenient shorthand for those who achieve command through social status rather than ability.

Care to quote a few names?

I can give you a few who have achieved command through ability rather than social status.

Over to you......

 

[Seajet]

There is no gold thread in Guards Officers trousers! I think somebody is taking the piss out of you.

Chinita,

the chum telling me that - though a while ago now - is a solid gold type himself, a Wing Commander with a brother in the Army; I suggest you do a double check before assuming I must be wrong to suit your own chip...

 

[prv]

the chum telling me that - though a while ago now - is a solid gold type himself, a Wing Commander with a brother in the Army; I suggest you do a double check before assuming I must be wrong to suit your own chip...

You really are determined to dig yourself in deeper, aren't you?

Pete

 

[chinita]

Chinita,

the chum telling me that - though a while ago now - is a solid gold type himself, a Wing Commander with a brother in the Army; I suggest you do a double check before assuming I must be wrong to suit your own chip...

Guards uniform trousers (including officers) are blue serge with a red stripe. The red stripe allegedly to hide blood should there be a sword injury to the leg.

There is no gold. Plenty of gold elsewhere, but not on the trousers.

It is also slightly worrying that your Wing Commander friend seems to be obsessed with soldiers trousers.

Edit:

Here's some pics

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=f...JN6eU0AWgtoHYAw&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=576

 

[pvb]

There is no gold thread in Guards Officers trousers! I think somebody is taking the piss out of you.

Is this the epitome of thread drift?

 

[chinita]

....you have cottoned on then?

 

[pvb]

I've been entertained by the yarns being told.

 

[Seajet]

Chinita

I would trust my Wing Commander chum Julian with my life without question and more importantly my boat, but on recent postings though I'm sure you're a decent guy deep down I'd hesitate to loan a pencil in case you said it's the wrong type of pencil and you spent the day quibbling about it !

 

[chinita]

In that case, refrain from making cheap shots like:

'let alone the gold thread in the trousers, was way above the actual pay, hence only inbred berks from ' posh ' familys need apply.'

Apart from being provocative, offensive and inaccurate, it is secondhand (at least) information - which further demeans your credibility.

You are not behind the door when it comes to banging on about your family losses in war time. Would you like me to give you a few names of Guards Officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice as well?

You started the childish game, if you can't face the facts then butt out.

 

[prv]

Apart from being provocative, offensive and inaccurate, it is secondhand (at least) information - which further demeans your credibility.

It's bizarre, isn't it. Some perfectly reasonable RAF officer makes a throwaway comment twenty years ago taking the piss out of the pongos, and Andy squirrels it away forever as the literal god-given truth - because this man's brother was in the Army, donchaknow. It's the kind of thing you see from 14 year old ACF cadets, not men in their 60s.

Pete

 

[chinita]

It is quite 'viagoesque' in an unsettling way.