Exercises and the natives

I have been told that in the old days LOL! The natives could get a wee bit upset finding Centurions and/or Chieftans outside their doors and fields. I have read about farmers chasing sections out of their fields!! So how were relations with the locals whilst you chaps were on exercise
Cheers
Troy

I'm a bit surprised at that Troy, as part of the CMOC team, I used to go out as an interpreter and pay villages and stuff to allow us to set up Corp's HQ.

Aww you know how it is telling us young gulliable Aussies things LOL! Just intrested in any humourous outings is all....
Cheers
Troy
PS must be rater early over there cobber!

It's 10' Oclock troy, tea break time, now where's my bacon sandwich.

1915 here in Tasmania! We used to have some sheep squashing done at Puckapunyal with the Leopards LOL!

Bacon sanga...MAN watch that cholestrol.....killed Elvis you know

Lies - Elvis works in a Fish & Chip shop in Bognor Regis!

The Germans actually loved excercises as damcon (damage control) could authorise generous payments for track and wheel damage as well as damaged buildings well above insurance value-the girls loved it too and would sometimes venture into the back of a vehicle for a close inspection of the third kind

Thats when the locals got pissed! LOL

See I knew there was a story or two there LOL

Oh yes, damage control, yes the locals did love them.

We went to a pre determined excercise area just outside of Sennelager. The farmer had given permission for our Company to be billeted in one of his fields knowing we would churn everything up completely. And we did! One guy swung a drops (an 8 tonne hgv) into a barn which totalled the vehicle, tearing the cab to shreds and threw two heavy steel doors from the railings and damaging the structure - between you and me the place was a dump - the guy driving had minor injuries but whilst he was carted off to BMH Rinteln the farmer and his wife and daughters fed us like Kings for three weeks - it was great....

Troy

Agree with Jim that the Brits were generally accepted by the farming community on account that we generally paid up for any major damage, different matter with our Canadian friends who rumour had it promised to pay but never did and the local Panzers who flatly refused.

In many cases it was a case of buggins turn. If Heinz got the majority of cash one year Fritz got it the next and the Exercise was planned accordingly when negotiating 443 Rights, Jim you must have been involved.

Logistic units were generally the most popular. not only were they do less damage with their mainly wheeled vehicles but the local backerei made a small profit with extra sales of brotchen etc. REME workshops also played on the hearts and minds by fixing any tractors or similar machinery before the main vehicle casualties started to appear. There were exceptions, I remember one occasion when a couple of Recce Mechs decided to raid the local trout farm for a fish breakfast the situation was only resolved by the exchange of a couple of bottles of whisky in payment,

Rumour control had it with the major landowners that the promise of meeting of the Weser Vale Hounds in the hunting season was also a major factor in reducing complaints

Spot on JPW.I loved being part of CMOC, we always went out first and recce'd the locations, much donating of bottles of whisky etc, we were always well looked after by the locals and yes, the local girl;s as well

LOL so it is true Farmer Von Brown would open gates for you LOL

Sorry lads ......forgot my manners! Good Evening from chilly Tasmania!

And a good morning to you Sir ! From a soggy but warm Cheshire.

The same place as the cat?? LOL Suns over the yard arm here so Iam enjoying a nice Badger and talking to you charming gentlemen....what more could one wish for

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Iam enjoying a nice Badger

Getting seriously worried about you Handler

and good afternoon from a very wet and windy midlands mate.

Well, theyb were always happy to see the Corps HQ recce team that's for sure.

A brigade ex was laid on, one time in the seventies. Nobody wanted to go out, of course.

A rumour came around that, once a million marks worth of damage was caused, the ex would be called off. True or not, a lot more of us practised that old favourite of the 432 driver - pushing trees down.

We never thought much more about it after that 'til, going through a village, we saw a Greenjackets column coming toward us. Next thing, the lead 432 swung to his right and drove over a car that was parked by the road.

The rumour had obviously got around. Them Greenjackets were barmy anyway.

Funny though, the ex was stopped early.

There were several Regiments which had barmy or fish n chips status - barmy RGJ, A and SH, Para, Kings...

Fish and Chips - D & D, KORBR, Queens (fish and chips = more use as sportsmen)...

JPW wrote:

Troy

Agree with Jim that the Brits were generally accepted by the farming community on account that we generally paid up for any major damage, different matter with our Canadian friends who rumour had it promised to pay but never did and the local Panzers who flatly refused.

Not true. I worked at Bde H.Q's. The Canadians tended to over pay for damages. They never argued the toss. Just payed up what ever was demanded.

Then there was the Rob Roy Ex. fall of 68. Man that was massive damage done by Brits/Cdns. I well remember seeing a Brit. Centurion fishtailing on a cobble stone road. The stones were just winging back and around. It was just before harvest. The Germans were absolutely p...ed. The road side marker posts ( with the reflect-ores) in one area were all knocked over, I got the last lonely one.

I take it that was before the hush puppy treads? LOL I can just picture the Cent flinging stones around LOL!
I get seven bottles of British ale for the week and open one each night! Tonight it is Tennants LOL As you can appreciate British beer here ain't cheap, but I have accquired a taste for it LOL.
I think I read somewhere that the eco nobs (tree huggers) started objecting to the exercises, what about helicopters? Slow trip up the autobahn in a Centurion or Chieftan I bet

Is there a puke icon round here for tennants.

It was a very rare event for MBTs to be permitted to drive on the Autobahn, they were normally moved by Tank Transporters at a reasonable speed of up to 50 MPH going downhill.

Bob

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Is there a puke icon round here for tennants.

The same one as for Badger Jim