The last paragraph is the attempt for the MOD to disband one of the Royal Marine Commandos units by getting rid of their ships Bulwark and Albion and re role their men to serve on one of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, as they struggle to find the men and women to serve!!!
These guys at Private Eye always get the inside track under Ian Hislop, and if this is true its an absolute disgrace IMHO They will have to bring back National Service at this rate to fend off any attacks on the nation or NATO!!!
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Last edited by Gil Boyd; 07-05-2018 at 03:13 PM.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
The REME reserves were battered in cut backs, three Battalions gone...... or will be when the new Battalions are reformed, lot of experience lost due to age, Rank and no space for certain trades......
I was surprised the amount of lads in the Regs who had singed off when I was in Canada, this wasn't just REME...... one lad with us an ex reg, said there was an investigation going on due to amount of lads who had signed off in his last Battalion........
The Army certainly have F....up as a lot of lads who have left the Regs and took the Bonus and joined the Reserves and have been asked if they want to rejoin the Regs with the dangle of a carrot of £15000........
Geoff,
The carrot is still there, thought it was £10K but it begs the question, who is running the Asylum?
I know the new Chief of Staff Nick Carter ( ex Royal Green Jacket) is desperately trying to merge the PARA's with the Royal Marines, and I hope he fails. Luckily he is in an uphill struggle as Prince Charles is our Colonel in Chief.
He doesn't understand the Parachute Regiment budget is under the Army and the Royal Marines under their own budget of the Royal Navy which is absolutely right and more profitable for them to get the kit they require for their specialist role.
Wonder what our American friends who served in either would feel if their DOD tried to merge the Airborne with the Marine Corps?
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
It was £10 K for lads/lasses who were either leaving or had left the Regs and Joined the Reserves, The £15k was to get them back in the Regs, two lads I was with in Canada were dangled the carrot...... as for the money they were ploughing into the reserves that has certainly dried up..........
Certainly agree with you regarding the Para/Marine merge, I've said a few times on here my views on disbanding City and County regiments, the History behind them and there achievements long gone........ and the remnants kept in storage somewhere.
Anyway back to ships, The RFA had about 4 vessels laid up in Camel Lairds, I nearly took a job looking after them, small team of Engineers keeping them in some sort of readiness........ the guy leading the team was an Ex RFA Chief who said it wast the cost of the running the vessels that they were laid up, it was due to not having enough crew to man them....... I was very keen on the job, money was excellent but Lairds only had a contract with the RFA until this year...... that contract was for the refits of all the RFA vessels etc.
Yes, agreed. As I was reminded on PM's by a fellow member, the article fails to tell the complete story and these four ships are due, one delivered this year and four by 2020. So its not all doom and gloom then??
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
Ditto
Here's the Defence Secretary talking to one of his highest Generals about it all......................
Last edited by Gil Boyd; 07-06-2018 at 12:29 PM.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
"...Where was this coin when..." In England. Every Canadian government since 1968 has cut defence spending. Mulroney used the Berlin Wall coming down as an excuse. Trudeau the Elder couldn't close and gut Canadian Arsenals fast enough when the C1A1 production ended. Still seem to be enough money to build on base hockey arenas though.
PM
Originally Posted by Woodsy
