Any of you Gunners know where I can get a Maid of Warsaw Tie from in time for next years Remembrance Sunday in London? In twenty-two years of only wearing my No 2 uniform in public once, I have turned into a right badge-man since leaving.

I never got to any wars, just over six years of "The Troubles" and three months sunning myself in Split so now I very proudly march in London with the Northern Ireland Veterans Association (Only £10 a year to join by the way).

One of my tours of NI was with 651 SQN of the Army Helicopter Club, mostly watching over Belfast with a pair of Stab Binos while braver men than I ran from street corner to corner or drove Landrovers around the city. Still nobody got hurt during my watch of three months which I am very happy about and I did catch some "Joy Riders". When we could fit it in we gave jollies over the City for these Grunts. At night sometimes I got to play with a big torch which was also quite fun. Though I wish the HQ net had passed it to the Coy net that FELIX was doing a controlled explosion on a van bomb as flying through the crap that came up to 1000ft was not fun.

651 SQN Gazelles and Lynx, as did I believe also 654 SQN cabs, had Syrena, the Maid of Warsaw on the side due to their close association with the Polish Forces during WW2. Recently I was looking through a 1996 AAC Journal and found an advertisement for 651 & 654 SQN members interested in buying a Syrena Tie for £7.50 and wondered if they were still available, any of you Gunners Know?

If you go on the 36 Regt RA web sight their is a phone number they sell the ties which are blue background with the red maiden of warsaw on the tie. As 36 Hvy AD Regt RA
use to have this on their no2's Hope this helps

Originally Posted by Blowfish

If you go on the 36 Regt RA web sight their is a phone number they sell the ties which are blue background with the red maiden of warsaw on the tie. As 36 Hvy AD Regt RA
use to have this on their no2's Hope this helps

What a Star, thanks for that, I look forward to wearing it at this years Parade in November. Blue is also my favourite colour so the tie will match my blue and reddish eyes after a night listening to war stories from the older veterans in the Union Jack Club.

As a QLR I had the Maid on the arm of my No 2's with 651 SQN in Germany and on transfer to the AAC the QM's Storeman let me keep them when I got my new AAC No 2's. Unfortunately I lent them to a niece for a fancy dress party and never saw them again. Kids don't you just love them?

As a former Gazelle/Scout Observer I did a few arty shoots in GB, Germany, Canada and even the USA so there's a bit of Gunner DNA in me.

Thanks again.

Oh and I was also a regular at 5 Heavy's OP Troop bar in Hildesheim, did I drink from a Silver DMS Boot there? I do remember some ties being cut up as memento's of a visit of any guests so it is fitting to have a tie replaced with one from the RA.

Nice one Lynx 7 glad to be of help

Thanks to Blowfish, the 36 Regt RA Reunion Secretary has now responded to my request and at £10 + £2.50p&p I will soon be the proud owner of a Syrena Tie.

A bit of unless information: From a book on names, Serena means means calm or untroubled.