Mick Smith - Times Online - WBLG

A Christmas Message from a Soldier's Mum

Here's Mandy, our soldier's mum, with her annual Christmas message

ON THE 1ST DAY OF CHRISTMAS...  A fleet of military helicopters buzz the skies in the East. Gordon Santa then. On the front line. Bearing gifts? This Christmas, named parcels only are being accepted by The British Forces Post Office with the lamenting MOD citing the need to use military helicopters for operational requirements only. But it’s ok. Gordon is aware that the charity UK4U will supply all our brave soldiers with parcels. How the elves distribute them in the Sandy Land is completely up to them.

Soldiers Return from Afghanistan to Fine Welcome from the Prince or a Good Beating from the Police

Mandy our soldier's mum, seen here with son Ross, reports from a reception this week for the paras and their relatives on their return to Colchester after a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Emotions were high and there were tears. Of course. None more so than when Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, who lost both legs and an arm in an explosion at Kajaki, stood up from his wheel chair and walked across the parade ground. It was right and fitting the members of the Parachute Regiment were honoured for their service in Afghanistan. It was also right and proper that Prince Charles held a private audience afterwards for the families of the injured and for those that died.

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! The Renewed Relevance of the Remembrance Commemoration

As the number of British troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan hits the 300 mark, Chuck Unsworth, our self-confessed 'Old Fogey' reflects on the continued willingness to celebrate a day that stemmed initially from the Armistice at the end of the First World War but yet continues to have a special importance.

This week Remembrance Day Parades have taken in towns and villages throughout Britain, and they have been held in many other countries, too.  As usual I paraded with the other old fogies at our local war memorial, being pleased to see large numbers of young people taking part and with a decent sized crowd watching.  This year it was rendered particularly poignant as an old military friend has very recently died.  He was John Leslie (Lofty) Collyer – Lofty by name and by stature - a man who had entered the Army as a boy soldier, working his way up through the ranks to Regimental Sergeant Major and thence onwards as a Commissioned Officer.  I’ve known him for well over forty years.  A Sapper through and through, with all of those old-fashioned qualities of a fine and honourable soldier, he was known and respected by thousands.  He’ll be missed by his large family and by the very many in the Royal Engineers Association, of which he was a stalwart.

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! A Tragic Loss of Historic Scottish Regiments, But One Lives On!

The Atholl Highlanders, Britain's only private army

Anyone who has ever served in the forces will know that they are full of fiercely nationalistic Scots. Here Chuck Unsworth, our resident army veteran, is north of the border musing on the loss of the distinctive Scottish regiments and wondering if Alex Salmond might bring them back.

Autumn – a truly grand time to re-visit the Highlands.  The summer crowds of tourists are dispersing rapidly, the colours of the hills and glens glorious, and the low-angle bright sunlight brings the landscape into sharp relief, contrasting with crystal clear blue skies.  Ah yes, ‘now’s the day, and now’s the hour’ to see and tour Scotland at its very best – for at least the next few weeks before the weather really closes in.

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! Is It Time For The Land Rover to Go?

With attention focussed on the use of Snatch Land Rovers in Afghanistan, and with one eye on Friday’s Veterans’ Day celebrations, our resident vet Chuck Unsworth looks back at the vehicle that was the mainstay of the army during the Cold War.

For many years and in quite a few countries, both during and after my military service, I’ve travelled about in Land Rovers of various configurations.  They’re very unsophisticated, generally reliable and, whilst not soldier-proof, they are hardy beasts of burden.  They have been modified and maltreated in myriad ways.  Some of these modifications were successful, some not so.  I always preferred the long wheelbase – the 110 – to the slightly more agile 90.  These nomenclatures represent the length of the wheelbase in inches, of course, and rightly so, given its British origins.  Doubtless this anomaly is currently being examined by some committee or other in Brussels, determined to ensure ‘harmonisation’ on the way to a European Defence Force.

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! National Service Meant Everyone Had the Same Education!

Chuck Unsworth, our resident veteran, has a look at one of the aspects of service life that those who have never served rarely understand 

It occurred to me the other day, reading how Des Browne, our defence secretary, apparently believes that most soldiers aren’t well enough educated to get any other job, that the education given by anyone who does join the forces is second to none. No wonder our troops don’t think that the rest of us value them sufficiently. Frantic Friday night commuters hurrying west out of London to their various homes, weekend cottages, and country seats are usually too busy trying to preserve life and limb on the motorways to pay much attention to the passing terrain.  But the Thames Valley and the areas surrounding the M3, M4 and M40 are full of military and naval establishments, some large and some miniscule, where the forces are given a far better grounding in life than many civilians. It isn’t just about learning how to kill, even when it seems to be just that.

Another Senior Officer Quits the Army Amid Anger Over Cuts

The resignation of one of the army’s most experienced and decorated special forces officers follows his outspoken criticism of the government for failing to provide enough troops and equipment is a bitter blow. Brig Ed Butler, a former commander of 22 SAS, is the most senior of three key commanders to have resigned in the past year amid widespread anger over lack of funding and his resignation came in the same week that Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the army, called for better treatment for the forces and more money to be spent on defence.

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! An Army Marches on its Stomach

Another note on how life seemed so much better back then for our forces from resident forces veteran Chuck Unsworth

From Hospital Hill in Aden, South Yemen, the view across the surrounding rocky escarpments at sunset is breathtaking.  The natural dusty burgundy of the hills and the crimson flare of the sun suffuse everything with an almost tangible rich red glow. 

The Marines, who arrived there in 1967 for the final stages of the British Withdrawal, would lounge around the makeshift open-air Galley which overlooked this stunning panorama. 

Meanwhile the cooks did their best with the ‘Compo’ (officially, ‘Composite’) Rations to produce an edible evening meal.  Occasionally the chefs proved successful, and we would dine al fresco in pleasing surroundings. From what one hears, our boys in Afghanistan are not quite so lucky!

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! The Days When We Had Kit That Would Last!

Now more reminiscences from former soldier Chuck Unsworth

Recent comment by Coroners has highlighted the failure of supply of soldiers’ personal protection items.  That failure has lead to avoidable deaths and injuries both in Afghanistan and Iraq.  This is appalling but, to any soldier, unsurprising.  Historically our armed forces have had to fight three foes – the Queen’s Enemies, the Politicians and the Ministry of Defence.  It’s difficult to assess which is the most formidable, but MoD is certainly a constant threat, whereas the others may come and go.  I’ll probably address these serious matters in a later post, but today I wanted to discuss Personal Kit.  This is not battlefield equipment, it’s the things like the basic issue of clothing or uniform, and boots and so on.  As an aside, it is utterly scandalous that even now, our people fighting in both actions have found it necessary to purchase their own boots rather than wear the inferior issued items.

It Wasn't Like That In My Day! Accommodation Fit For Rats

For former soldiers like myself, the current conditions faced by our troops are incomprehensible. At a time when living standards in this country were very much lower there was never any suggestion that we should live in the kind of squalor apparently common for today's forces. Here is an old friend of mine Chuck Unsworth with a new column looking at different aspects of service life from the view of a veteran:

A few days ago I drove down the old A3 from London to Portsmouth.  From Guildford to Pompey the whole area is littered with the remains of military or naval establishments, some still in use.  On a whim I made a slight detour to take a look at the former Longmoor Camp where I had been stationed before being posted to Singapore – a very long time ago.  Some of the original barrack blocks and other accommodation still stand and are in use.  These buildings are at least seventy years old. The subject is much in the news of course, after pictures emerged of mouldy barrack blocks with sewage pouring out onto the road.