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Just returned home after the service at Exeter Cathedral. Glad I was there and to my surprise I was able to attend in uniform (Ex-serviceman are not eligible to wear one over here).
A few weeks ago I was asked if i'd like to take over training of my local Territorial Army Detachment which is 6 Rifles a Light Infantry Unit (6 RIFLES - British Army Website). So after passing a physical I'm all good to go so i'm now a Territorial Army Warrant Officer. I can take the training in the UK and overseas but I'm not eligible to accompany them on active deployment as my medical rating prevents me from being a reservist. I also get to retain my beret and wings (I worked bloody hard for that and I wasn't going to give it up) as i'm 'attached' to the regiment not 'of' the regiment, a very important distinction in the British Army.
I attend my first meeting this coming Tues, which will be interesting.
Health wise i'm fine, no real recurrence of the MS as yet, just a few niggles here and there that I can mostly ignore. Pretty much enjoying life really. Glad i've been keeping fit though, i'd imagine a "Fat Para" wouldn't have gone down well when I go to the meeting.
I hope all's good with you and thank you for asking after me. Much appreciated.
I hope your Veterans Day services today go well for you, as well as they can do anyway. All NATO/Commonwealth forces have nothing but my highest respect and my thoughts were with you all this morning, both active and veterans.
The best to you Baldrick, and to your family. Thanks to all who helped in our times of need.
Remembrance Day which is also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day is a memorial day observed in the Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day is recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month," in accordance with the Armistice, signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.) World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.
UK Remembrance Day - Team Mildenhall remembers veterans on Remembrance Day weekend. Royal Air Force Station Mildenhall,
2008. Released by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace via DVIDS Copyright Notice: Public Domain:
I'm glad things are going well. It sounds like you found a great job. Is a Territorial Army detachment similar to our National Guard/Reserve?
A far as i'm aware yes though rather than being deployed as an independent company (which I believe can be done with a National Guard unit) they're used as a reserve for the parent regiment and deployed amongst them.
When I joined 20yrs ago the TA were dubbed the "Toy Army", "Weekend Warriors" and "Cannon Fodder" although with the more recent deployments in Iraq and especially Afghanistan they're much more recognised as being an important and effective part of the army. From talking to a few US serviceman (both National Guard and Regular) over the past few years this seems to be something that's being recognised in the US too.
Yup, pretty similar. The National Guard and Reserve have a few major differences. The Guard has a state mission but can be federalized. Also, the National Guard is comprised mostly of combat arms units (infantry, artillery, armor, DC). The Army Reserve does not fall under a state and they are predominantly combat support and service support units (medical, engineers, etc).
We do have some affiliations with our Army Reserve and National Guard units with regular Army units but not to the extent you do. We also don't have cool regimental names like you guys do .
Canada honours it's War Dead on Remembrance Day, November 11th.
It is a national day of mourning, with a week of newspaper articles about Veterans, past and present, and national TV coverage of the ceremonies at the National War Memorial, in Ottawa. Traditionally, the TV presenters do not speak at all, during the actual ceremony, with the sounds of the event taking over.
Silence, is the traditional way of marking the 11oo hr point, and after the Peace Tower bells have struck 11 times, the 21 gun salute is fired by the By Town gunners, and the piper plays the lament, the bugler sounds the last post, then the rouse, and the laying of wreaths begins, led by the Govenor General, who is the Commander in Chief of the Canadian Forces.
The Silver Cross Mother is chosen each year, to represent the Parents of the fallen. She lays a wreath on behalf of the grieving Parents of the nation.
I had the distinct honour of being selected as a sentry for the ceremony, as a young soldier, in 1977. Each of the CF branches, plus the RCMP supplies a sentry, for the day. It is a long and usually a cold day, but the six hours pass, and it is something that I will all ways remember doing.
In the past few years, a new tradition has evolved, where, at the end of the official ceremonies, after the troops have marched off the square, the Public comes forward, to lay their Poppies on the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier, which lies directly in front of the War Memorial. Imagine 30 thousand people, all placing their individual tributes, on that grave. Impressive, and moving, as a nation pays its respects to our heros.
The Canadian Forces has a long tradition of recruting units from specific parts of Canada, and naming them so as to identify their home town or Province. We also use the Regimental system, where a Regiment may have as many as four Battalions, each a stand alone unit, but with-in The Regimental Family .
Examples; The Royal Canadian Regiment, Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry, The Royal 22nd Regiment, Lord Strathconas Horse, The Royal Canadian Dragoons, The Canadian Special Operations Regiment. All of those are Regular Force units, and they are based in various parts of the country.
In addition, we have a large number of Reserve force units, that reflect a certain city, county, or Province, that they recruit from.
Some examples; The Toronto Scottish Regiment ( The Queen Mothers Own ) The 48th Highlanders of Canada, my first unit, which was first stood up in 1891, and has served continuously since that year. The British Columbia Regiment, the Calgary Highlanders, The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, known as the Hasty Pees. The Lincoln and Welland Regiment ( The Links and Winks ) The Cameron Highlanders from Ottawa. The Irish regiment of Canada ( known as The Paddies) The Lake Superior Regiment ( known as The Supes ) and my favourite.....The Rocky Mountain Rangers ( known as the Rocks ). The Royal Newfoundland Regiment is, of course, from Newfoundland, and proud of it.
Many of those Reserve units go way back in our military history, and in fact the Queens Own Rifles, from Toronto, were first stood up, in the early 1860;s, to guard our border, against the threatened invasion by the Fenian Brotherhood, a Irish American military force that wanted to invade Canada, to force Britain to grant independance to Ireland. The FB did invade Canada, on a number of occassions, but with no sucess. The QOROC has The Fenian Raids, as its first Battle Honour, on its Regimental colours. That is another thing that we do. Each unit has two standards, the National Flag of Canada, and the Regimental Battle Honours flag.
Jim B
Toronto.
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