historical fact: the brits..they are crazy

[dehro]

I just found this funny bit of WW2 naval history (http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Special_soembadocket.htm) :smallbiggrin:

[Aedilred]

Yes, we are all crazy. Although not necessarily any more than anyone else. Some of us do venture out in the midday sun, though.

Conversing in doggerel is remarkably therapeutic. My housemate/colleague and I used to entertain ourselves at work by sending haiku, limericks, acrostics etc. back and forth complaining about how crappy our jobs were. I shall have to remember it as a tool for persuading authority to do something for me - maybe on my next job application?

[dehro]

it's an idea

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Pure.
Brilliance.

[Traab]

The first one sent out was most definitely a gamble. Had it reached a commanding officer without a sense of humor it could have gone badly wrong. After the first couple rhyming replies though, it was fairly safe to keep it up.

[Castaras]

Yep. We're awesome. :smallbiggrin:

[fergo]

Fantastic :smallbiggrin:

[Brother Oni]

For more WW2 brilliance, meet Jack Churchill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill)who wore a broadsword into battle because "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly armed" and the only Allied officer to have score a confirmed enemy kill with a longbow.

[Moff Chumley]

All things considered, y'all handled WWII pretty commendably. :smalltongue:

[Traab]

For more WW2 brilliance, meet Jack Churchill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill)who wore a broadsword into battle because "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly armed" and the only Allied officer to have score a confirmed enemy kill with a longbow.

I seriously wish i could have served with this man. Crazy like that needs witnesses to enjoy it.

[Aedilred]

"After fighting at Dunkirk, he volunteered for the Commandos, unsure of what Commando duty entailed, but was interested because it sounded dangerous."

Fantastic!

[dehro]

For more WW2 brilliance, meet Jack Churchill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill)who wore a broadsword into battle because "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly armed" and the only Allied officer to have score a confirmed enemy kill with a longbow.

I knew about him... funny that he then proceeded to disarm his opponents with a claymore...somehow I expected it to be a much more splatter-filled circumstance

[Brother Oni]

I seriously wish i could have served with this man. Crazy like that needs witnesses to enjoy it.

Unfortunately war became a much more professional business after WW2, so behaviour in combat has seriously tightened up.

That said, craziness still abounds off duty - I remember when I went overnight for a two day interview at an army base. Apparently in a drunken haze, a fellow PO was playing golf down the corridors of regimental headquarters with an equally drunk colonel, all after she mentioned that she had just started and the colonel wanted to show her a few tips. :smallbiggrin:

Not to mention we got warnings not to feed pizza to the patrolling guard dogs through the fence.


I knew about him... funny that he then proceeded to disarm his opponents with a claymore...somehow I expected it to be a much more splatter-filled circumstance

He was an officer and a gentleman in the age where the phrase actually meant something and I don't remember a mention of him actually using the sword (he was crazy but not stupid and probably used a firearm when he wasn't playing his pipes into combat). Besides he probably thought it was unsporting to splatter surrendering troops. :smalltongue:

[grimbold]

Pure.
Brilliance.

i prefer the term "horrifying" :P

[Fredaintdead]

Yep. We're awesome. :smallbiggrin:

Yep, that's about right. :smallbiggrin:

[Isolder74]

For more WW2 brilliance, meet Jack Churchill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill)who wore a broadsword into battle because "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly armed" and the only Allied officer to have score a confirmed enemy kill with a longbow.

This is the same guy who marched playing bagpipes you know.

Took several German positions all by himself and escaped from POW camps twice. Then went right back out to fight again.

[Soylent Dave]

Unfortunately war became a much more professional business after WW2, so behaviour in combat has seriously tightened up.

I rather think we were doing it professionally back then, old boy. Nobody seems to be following the rules any more...

(See also: Montgomery and Rommel in North Africa)




Some of us do venture out in the midday sun, though.

Only because it might just get up to a balmy 15 degrees (C) if we're especially lucky... (which is pretty much pith helmet weather)


This is the same guy who marched playing bagpipes you know.

I prefer this chap, who played bagpipes during the Normandy landings (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11011884)

(the article mentions he played them on the way to Pegasus Bridge, but doesn't describe the anecdote a German sniper once gave, in which he decided not to shoot him because he assumed he'd gone mad)

[Brother Oni]

I rather think we were doing it professionally back then, old boy. Nobody seems to be following the rules any more...


I'll amend my statement then, after WW2, war became serious business, hence why you don't get so much craziness in combat anymore.

[Anteros]

I'll amend my statement then, after WW2, war became serious business, hence why you don't get so much craziness in combat anymore.

I...don't think that's an accurate statement either.

[veven]

I...don't think that's an accurate statement either.

I think he's just trying to say that the modern military won't put up with such magnificent bastard antics like those of Jack Churchill (one of my favorite WWII era human. So sad someone ninja'd me on the bagpipes thing).

My other favorite WWII guy is probably Bill Millin (http://www.cracked.com/article_19415_the-5-most-badass-war-heroes-who-never-held-weapon.html) Who Played the bagpipes on the beach at Normandy during the invasion. No one shot at him because the Germans thought he had lost his mind.

Maybe I just like bagpipes...

[Soylent Dave]

My other favorite WWII guy is probably Bill Millin (http://www.cracked.com/article_19415_the-5-most-badass-war-heroes-who-never-held-weapon.html) Who Played the bagpipes on the beach at Normandy during the invasion.

He sounds familiar...


I prefer this chap, who played bagpipes during the Normandy landings (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11011884)

:smalltongue:

-

There was also an anecdote about how Monty and Rommel (in their "gentleman's war") had an agreement to stop fighting at 5:30pm, and one of them - Rommel, I think - ordered his men to give back some trucks they'd captured from the enemy after 6pm, because it broke the agreement.

But now I can't find the source. :smallconfused:

It could have been propaganda of course - can't believe everything you read (now I'm off to eat some carrots so I can see in the dark).