Great War truck Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 A friend was a helicopter mechanic in Ireland for a while. Where he was based there was a presence of both Paratroopers and Green jackets as a changeover occurred. While out on patrol one Greenjacket was shot by the IRA through the neck and killed. When the Greenjackets got back the paras had put up signs in the canteen that "Greenjackets were a pain in the neck". Anyway, to cut a long story short there was a big fight which took some sorting out and which my friend wisely observed from a safe distance. This all sounds rather harsh, but does such rivalry continue today? When some poor Para gets slotted in Afghanisatan do a bunch of Rifles have a small party? What are your experiences? Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo1969 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 An interesting subject. I have spoken to quite a few serving soldiers over the years, and the general census of opinion is that iraq/afgan has been a great ' leveler' of rivalry. With every regiment having lost men and been involved in fighting, the respect for each other has grown. I was talking to a para via the net in afgan and he had huge respect for the REME guys that were attached to him. He said the fixed nearly everything that got broke and would even make the numbers up on patrols. Back in blighty on a sat night?, still probably a bit of rivalry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 If you'll pardon the description- it's an interesting question.... Inter-Service rivalry was - in my day - actively encouraged by the relevant Commanders. Inter-Regiment rivalry was not - at least officially - and was dependant on the units involved; the one you describe being one of the worst cases I've ever heard. Usually it was more of a friendly competition None the less something did exist - certain Regiments looked down on other as though somehow being inferior, My era - the Guards units looked down on every one (Horse Guards quite literally!) , the combat units looked down on the service echelons, the paras did the same as the Guards only to the Guards as well. One thing they all had in common though was a dislike of the three SAS and the SBS Regiments in general and any one wearing the black "S" inside a wreath on their arm. Rambo makes an interesting point point about actual combat being a great leveller, particularly the modern kind of counter insurgency where the established principles of warfare get thrown out of the window..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 If you'll pardon the description- it's an interesting question....Inter-Service rivalry was - in my day - actively encouraged by the relevant Commanders. Inter-Regiment rivalry was not - at least officially - and was dependant on the units involved; the one you describe being one of the worst cases I've ever heard. Usually it was more of a friendly competition None the less something did exist - certain Regiments looked down on other as though somehow being inferior, My era - the Guards units looked down on every one (Horse Guards quite literally!) , the combat units looked down on the service echelons, the paras did the same as the Guards only to the Guards as well. One thing they all had in common though was a dislike of the three SAS and the SBS Regiments in general and any one wearing the black "S" inside a wreath on their arm. Rambo makes an interesting point point about actual combat being a great leveller, particularly the modern kind of counter insurgency where the established principles of warfare get thrown out of the window..... During my time (70'2-80's Regular) Inter regimental rivalry was normal though friendly. EXCEPT when I was attached to 3 Para! They were in my opinion mostly hard men & mainly very good soldiers. BUT, being R.E.M.E Attached, we got stick. Penguins Etc (No wings =flightless birds!) BUT, it soon changed when they wanted /needed a favour! I used to say' only nob heads jump out of perfectly serviceable aircraft, &, What job are you going to do when you get out? Im a Vehicle mech, An Armourer, have HGV, Engineering qualifications Etc, Etc. I asked, are you going to dig holes for the council, lay roads, security work (Boring!) & when they & realised This logic, it soon levelled things out! I also discovered that when they pushed my too far one night when on duty as canteen cowboy. I WAS the hardest man in the world when I went back to my Armourers shop & came back with my own 9mm pistol & stuck it under the biggest mouthed guy in the room! No problems towards ME from then on! I agree, that on Operational momentum, EVERYONE is working together on the battlefield! A shame it's not like that ALL the time! :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 During my time (70'2-80's Regular) Inter regimental rivalry was normal though friendly. EXCEPT when I was attached to 3 Para! They were in my opinion mostly hard men & mainly very good soldiers. BUT, being R.E.M.E Attached, we got stick. Penguins Etc (No wings =flightless birds!) BUT, it soon changed when they wanted /needed a favour! I used to say' only nob heads jump out of perfectly serviceable aircraft, &, What job are you going to do when you get out? Im a Vehicle mech, An Armourer, have HGV, Engineering qualifications Etc, Etc. I asked, are you going to dig holes for the council, lay roads, security work (Boring!) & when they & realised This logic, it soon levelled things out!I also discovered that when they pushed my too far one night when on duty as canteen cowboy. I WAS the hardest man in the world when I went back to my Armourers shop & came back with my own 9mm pistol & stuck it under the biggest mouthed guy in the room! No problems towards ME from then on! I agree, that on Operational momentum, EVERYONE is working together on the battlefield! A shame it's not like that ALL the time! :-( One of the (many) differences between the Para's and my old lot - attached arms were encouraged to take the same courses as the Regiments. Seemed to work in that it made life a lot happier by removing such attitudes as everyone was treated the same. Something my Dad who was a Para actually remarked on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Rivalry seems to be inbred, hardly suprising, each recurit is taught is their regiment is the best, the rest just tag along. What about such appelations as Run Away Someones Coming, or the Hampshire/ Royal Hampshire cap badge reffered to by others as the 'Cat and Cabbage'. 'The Rampant Pansy' of the Intelligence Corps? The old joke about Scottish regiments was 'We have to send them to war, it stops them fighting everybody else!' And if we confine them to barracks they fight each other'. Military hunmour is always dark, its one way of coping with what they have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoggyDriver Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Ah, good old squaddie humour and rivalry. It's the type of humour that would have the PC Police hauling you before a Judge. Rivalry is the same, you always get the banter from someone from another Regiment. Many a time I've been in the Alex in the Shot which was an RLC pub, and it's been invaded by hoards of Para's doing their best to start a fight. But on the Battlefield you can bet your wife they would be the first to back you up if trouble kicked off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I remember one Saturday night on RAF Brize Norton, there was alot of Parachute training going on and every service seemed to be on camp, your usual RAF boys, RAF Regiment, baby Paras on their first jump training, older Paras on refresher jumps, Royal Marines and Gurkhas. Just put them in the NAAFI bop (disco), add plenty of alcohol and throw in local girls which werent too shy, a complete recipe for disaster. the place was totalled, a fight broke out between a Marine and a Para, the room divided into gangs of various units, and then the place was torn apart. People were literally flying through the air, thrown into the bar, the RAF police turned up and brought a dog, the handler and dog went out of a window, it was a bar brawl of epic proportions. Monday morning everybody was busy on parade, getting shouted at! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Those were the days...... <sigh> :rofl: :rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Those were the days...... <sigh> :rofl: :rofl: Making a point of Never going to bed on the same day you got up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Making a point of Never going to bed on the same day you got up. On the odd occasion making a point of not going to bed in the same week you got up - and even odder occasions wandering into the mess hall wearing items of uniform you were never issued with.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redcap Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 (edited) And strangely, they ALL hated my old mob... can't imagine why :angel::evil: Edited October 16, 2009 by Redcap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 And strangely, they ALL hated my old mob... can't imagine why :angel::evil: Now that's just not true sir!! There were at least two patrols in 21 who just LOVED the MP's - well they must have done as they always spent exercises catching them to the exclusion of anything anyone else... :rofl::rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redcap Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 PMSL! By the way, we had one of your old mob come over to the Dark Side , when his ecilop natiloportem duties interfered with his deployment duties! Saw him not so long ago, he's now a SSgt RMP(v) Set a thief to catch a thief, and all that, I guess :rofl::rofl::rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 I thought that military kit was 'relocated' within the army, on the grounds if the original owner can A Find it B Prove it was theirs , C can, if the new owner doesen't manage to move it again first , get it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 A WW2 vet I know (53rd Welsh div, Welch Regiment, 4th bat) also talked about rivalry. He said that basically each regiment considered themselves as better than the rest. About the fighting, I can only presume its because they are mostly young and filled with Testosterone and trained to fight. In peacetime that "agression" gets vented in barfights and such? Correct me if I am wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redcap Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 It's supposed to be vented in organised sports and games, such as inter-unit Boxing, Rugby (Union, of course), and so on. There's actualy a pamphlet ("Pamphlet he says, it's contained in a ******* four-inch-thick binder!) called "Sport And Games In The Army" devoted to all this stuff, too. Naturally though, on a Friday and Saturday night, invariably, when two somewhat over-ego-equipped bunches of lads wander down the town for a sherbet or ten, it tends to end in tears before bed-time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 A WW2 vet I know (53rd Welsh div, Welch Regiment, 4th bat) also talked about rivalry. He said that basically each regiment considered themselves as better than the rest. About the fighting, I can only presume its because they are mostly young and filled with Testosterone and trained to fight. In peacetime that "agression" gets vented in barfights and such? Correct me if I am wrong. No about right, you have a bunch of blokes who are trained to take the fight to the enemy, they have no fear of fighting and actively look forward to it, generally the problems come when civvies get involved, they dont expect the intensity or levels of aggression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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