Drill by numbers

jim wrote:

Ha, LOL hardrations, that's happened to me before now as well, especially as a PTE Staff Clerk,

1. Wearing a chip bag and not a beret,
2. Wearing a maroon officers pullover.
3. Wearing a cotton shirt and tie instead of that hairy blanket one.

The old mental gearbox has been grinding some gears on this one.

Could it be that a "chip bag" is what we old buggers would've called a side hat ?

Last time I wore one of these was in 1946, Hampshire Regt ACF ... now part of Anavets dress.
And don't you buggers dare laugh.

Len (Ciphers)

It was indeed a side hat, and what's there to laugh at Len, very smart mate, smart indeed.

Martin, 20 Bde Clerks wore a red Officers pully, with white shoulder and elbow pads.

I never knew that Jim, what was the significance of the jumper AND of the white pads?

I recall RAMC officers having blood red jumpers and certain cavalry Regts having different jumpers also.

jim wrote:

It was indeed a side hat, and what's there to laugh at Len, very smart mate, smart indeed.

Martin, 20 Bde Clerks wore a red Officers pully, with white shoulder and elbow pads.

Bloody hell Jim I never knew that although the officers at 20 Bde wore maroon jumpers. You have just jogged my memory with that one.

jim wrote:

It was indeed a side hat, and what's there to laugh at Len, very smart mate, smart indeed.

Martin, 20 Bde Clerks wore a red Officers pully, with white shoulder and elbow pads.

I'm with themaadone on wooly pullys. It might've been the 11th Hussars who wore that sort of colour.

I find the thought of a red jumper with white pads quite disturbing. We cannon fodder allways thought the higher echelons moved in strange circles !

brum wrote:

jim wrote:

It was indeed a side hat, and what's there to laugh at Len, very smart mate, smart indeed.

Martin, 20 Bde Clerks wore a red Officers pully, with white shoulder and elbow pads.

I'm with themaadone on wooly pullys. It might've been the 11th Hussars who wore that sort of colour.

I find the thought of a red jumper with white pads quite disturbing. We cannon fodder allways thought the higher echelons moved in strange circles !

Most of the officers I knew certainly moved us in circles. (or so it seemed).

Ahh, teabag.

Heading toward Bodelwyddan this morning I glanced idly across at the Wirral.

I noticed you were still in bed, of course.

Isn't it time you put your crimbo decorations up ?

brum wrote:

Ahh, teabag.

Heading toward Bodelwyddan this morning I glanced idly across at the Wirral.

I noticed you were still in bed, of course.

Isn't it time you put your crimbo decorations up ?

Ballcocks, I was up at six as usual and had probably finished my first run by the time you looked over to gods own. My cousin has one of those very posh big houses that overlook virtually all of North Wales but sadly I wasn't there and missed you.

Decorations (Christmas for the use of) are Mrs Teabags domain.

Stop idly glancing you idle little man!

Just to get back to the topic, ‘drill by numbers”, its still taught exactly how it was taught to us in Carlisle, even in NZ. My daughter has just completed her basics, we were chatting about drill, and some peoples inability to get their arms and legs to work in a coordinated way, when I launched into “ the right turn on the march is taught so that a man or body of men can turn to the right on the march in a smart and soldier like manner….” She was able to chime in and finish it off ‘now watch me while I give you a complete demonstration of the movement, stand at ease, stand easy….’ Etc etc.

So it obviously works

steve jones wrote:

Just to get back to the topic, ‘drill by numbers”, its still taught exactly how it was taught to us in Carlisle, even in NZ. My daughter has just completed her basics, we were chatting about drill, and some peoples inability to get their arms and legs to work in a coordinated way, when I launched into “ the right turn on the march is taught so that a man or body of men can turn to the right on the march in a smart soldier like AND UNIFORM manner….” She was able to chime in and finish it off ‘now watch me while I give you a complete demonstration of the movement, stand at ease, stand easy….’ Etc etc.

So it obviously works

Fixed that for you Steve (Bloody REME).

If it works, don't fix it.

Def Digh Def Digh Def Digh Def, Squad, SQUAAAAAAD..... HALT ^^^

When the drill Sgt said Move to the right in threes I used to think what is a bloody Infrie
I really thought he was saying MOVE TO THE RIGHT INFRIES I thought it meant something to do with infantry





StU

Similarly

We were being given I S training by 2 QUEENS before going to Cyprus.

The Cpl in charge of us formed us up in three ranks and screamed "Skeeyoore . . Gash !"

Nobody moved, (bloody infantry).

What was Skeeyoore . . Gash???

hey brum, i went to Cyprus with 2 queens. 1974 or about then.

What ? Where there 2 Queens in 1974

'wen oi sez roit cloze, oi wan six short, shit 'ot paces ter yer roit .. got hit ..

Ah! Corporal Searles .. 32/36 Troop, Somme Lines, June 1951 ... teached me all I knows ..

Len (Ciphers)

One of mine from waaaay back ...

Bless ‘em all



'ere 'oos that talkin in the ranks, shuddup yew 'orrib1e man,
doncher 'no yer on p’rade, 'n git that grin orf yer b1eedin pan,
an stop that b1eedin twi'chin, yew got St. Vitis dance,
dress forwerd the fird man thare, wake hup, yew in a bleedin trance,
Stan still an suck yer gut in, pull yer sho1ders back,
'oo the b1eedin 'ell showed yew 'ow ter square a b1eedin pack.
Nah then, wen yew gits the horder, 1issen up reel good,
an step aht wiv yer 1ef foot, smart like, yer not made of b1eedin wood.
Right, 'ere cums the Or'd1y Ossifer, let's be ‘avin no b1eedin stunts,
Jesus take a look at ‘im, NOT YEW, look ter yer b1eedin front.


Good morning Sarn't Major, isn't it a lovely day,
are the men ready for inspection, good, let's get it under way.
Well done Sarn't Major, they really are first class,
perhaps when training's over we could manage a weekend pass.


Nah then yew lot, yew 'erd 'is b1eedin nibs, nah doan get no brite ideers,
an' go 'ritin 'ome ter mummy, as 'ow I'm givin yer the geers,
'cos wen yew fin'ly leave 'ere, its a soljer yer'll be,
an 'oo will yew ave ter fank fer hit, I'll tell yer son, it's ME.


the long and the short and the tall

Len Payne

Len (Ciphers)

Brilliant!!

steve jones (Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:51 pm) wrote:

hey brum, i went to Cyprus with 2 queens. 1974 or about then.

2 QUEENS trained us up for Ireland in '72 and we never saw them again after that. So that's where they went !

stuartmartin (Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:30 pm) wrote:

What was Skeeyoore . . Gash???

Exactly . . . that's more or less what we said at the time !

(Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, it would've been "Squad . . . Attention !")

This drill lark. I had quite a lot of it inflicted on me in my formative years.

Remember all those daft things they used to shout ? "On the executive word of command you will raise your left foot twelve inches in the air and drive it down thirteen !"

My bloody feet still hurt.

talking bout infantry lingo - on the ranges I was used to "Load, Ready...", when I went to an infantry unit after joining 5 AB Bde as a young Para trained Ord Coy warrior I thought I knew it all (I did.....errr....) and on the ranges heard the command "three hundraaad"..... I was stunned and didn't move - 300, range at which I now engaged the enemy - makes me laugh as later, after attending aasaa at warminster that was heavily frowned upon.