ARmy Rumour SErvice

**BedIn** · 02-03-2012, 22:21

The local ties of Regiments is a bit of a red herring. Booties, Paras, Fusiliers, Rifles all manage with a recruiting span so huge as to be essentially national.

Even county Regiments have , over the last few decades, had quite a few outliers; be it blokes who crossed recruiting boundaries to avoid waits, AIMI etc.

In WW2 toward the end ships crews were being turned into infantry and put where they were most needed. Bns were disbanded to refill several other Regiments. Do you really think in WW2 that one Regiment would be well recruited whilst another was undermanned or do you think blokes went where the need was? In WW2 my Grandfather - a Northumberland Fusilier - was cut across to the Gloucestershire Regt prior to D Day.

Now a Scottish Regiment will have English officers (plus le change) and Fijian soldiers yet they function perfectly well.

If ever there was a Regiment where the RSM knew people's fathers I'll wager it was riddled with nepotism, favouritism, presumption and cliques. And the next CO or RSM would be the next in line from the small pool rather than the best man available from across the piece.

We have red tinted specs about it, but it means fuck all. My Regt has battle honours from several numbered pre-Cardwell Regts and four post-Cardwell "regional" Regts. I'll bet the men that fought at Minden or Badajoz were probably Irish.

Have you ever been to see HMS Victory? The list of the crew at Trafalgar is telling: about 20 nationalities made it up, yet they seemed to manage without their boswain having gone to school with their mums.

Leadership, training and small team cohesion make a good Unit. Not a post code.

**FORMER_FYRDMAN** · 05-03-2012, 18:27

Originally Posted by jimmys_best_mate

Nah, they're just Group 4 in fancy uniforms...

Alright, the famous non-Household or Airborne regiments of the British Army no longer exist.

Since you didn't qualify your remark with 'infantry', how about the RTR - armoured excellence amidst a sea of equine ignorance since 1923, oldest regiment of its type in the world and horrendously famous as the cap badge of choice for all desert-based war films. Prepared to dismount and grunt a bit if asked nicely and endowed with the cultural awareness and tolerance to work with crabs if needs be. The future in 1917 and the future now.

**Tawahi-50** · 18-03-2012, 14:35

Bearing in mind the following caveats;

1.Nepalese media is often unreliable.
2.The Government might be flying a kite for more aid.
3.Nothing is cast in stone...

..The report that appears in today's Nepal News does give some indication of the way things seem to be going.

Sun, 18.03.12 10:11

Govt directs MoFA to end Gurkha recruitment

The almost two centuries-old unique tradition of Nepali citizens serving in foreign armies as the “brave” Gurkha soldiers (also called Gorkha soldiers) and laying down their lives in numerous wars may soon come to an end if the current Maoist-led government has its way.

The government has directed Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and other concerned ministries to implement the suggestions made by a controversial report on foreign policy that seeks to make Gurkha recruitments in British and Indian armies a thing of the past.

The report was unanimously endorsed by the Parliamentary Committee for International Relations and Human Rights of Nepal on December 26, 2011 and later presented before the Legislature Parliament.

According to reports, the Prime Minister’s Office had sent separate letters to various ministries on March 9 clearly instructing them to implement recommendations made by the report (‘Nepal’s Foreign Policy in Changed Context- 2068 B.S’) to stop Nepali citizens from being recruited for fighting wars under foreign flags.

“Gurkha recruitment gave the (Nepali) youth a small opportunity for employment, but serving foreign military powers has not always allowed the country to hold its head high…Since, ultimately, Gurkha recruitment will have to end, it is necessary to create alternatives,” the report recommended.

"Nepal´s government is put on further loss after the Britain decided to provide citizenship to Gurkha soldiers, and the time has come to evaluate Nepal´s foreign policy in regards to Gurkha recruitment," added the report.

Currently, the strength of Gurkhas in the British army is about 3,800. However, Britain has already announced it would axe 400 of these jobs as part of defense cuts. Meanwhile, India, whose yearly recruitment ranges between 2,500 and 3,000 men, presently maintains 39 battalions in seven Gorkha regiments numbering more than 30,000 men.

The first Gurkha regiment, Nausiri Battalion, was formed in 1815 by the East India Company after the British were impressed with the bravery of Nepali soldiers during the 1814-16 Anglo-Nepal war. Later. the British Army also started enlisting them.

Since then, the Gurkhas have fought bravely (and with distinction) for British and later for Indian causes in numerous wars.

Link Nepal News

There's little doubt that remitted income to Nepal has dropped to a trickle- Not surprising that the government should wonder "What is still in it for us?"

**BPS666** · 20-03-2012, 07:53

If recruiting from regions / local areas is the best and preffered solution for the regiments at the crunchy end of the army and encourages unit cohesion esprit de corps and fighting spirit, can someone point out where 'them' do their recruiting?

**spaz** · 20-03-2012, 07:57

The Parachute Regiment.

**chocolate_frog** · 20-03-2012, 08:02

Originally Posted by BPS666

If recruiting from regions / local areas is the best and preffered solution for the regiments at the crunchy end of the army and encourages unit cohesion esprit de corps and fighting spirit, can someone point out where 'them' do their recruiting?

Like the Parachute Regiment, Royal Marines and the RAF, they are bonded by the knowledge that they have passed an ardous and testing enterance procedure as a rite of passage in to a group that is then considered to be elite to all others...

**Ayrforce1** · 20-03-2012, 08:08

Regiment, Royal Marines and the RAF, I'll give you the RAF but the other 2 dubious!!!

**Outstanding** · 20-03-2012, 09:06

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

Like the Parachute Regiment, Royal Marines and the RAF, they are bonded by the knowledge that they have passed an ardous and testing enterance procedure as a rite of passage in to a group that is then considered to be elite to all others...

Blow smoke up someone elses arrse can you?

**Outstanding** · 20-03-2012, 09:07

Originally Posted by BPS666

If recruiting from regions / local areas is the best and preffered solution for the regiments at the crunchy end of the army and encourages unit cohesion esprit de corps and fighting spirit, can someone point out where 'them' do their recruiting?

They don't. That's why they are Special.

**beemer007** · 20-03-2012, 09:24

Originally Posted by spaz

The Parachute Regiment.

Which one, the TA element?

While we're at it streamline the Guards Division, why should whole Bn's be axed when others have multiple 1st & 2nd Bn etc.

Hmmm this has been been debated before me thinks.