Brits in Foreign Armies

[blonde_guy]

Some other threads (Did Any British Forces Serve in Vietnam or How does the 2 REP (FFL) compare to the British Paras? etc. ) throw up quite a lot of examples of British citizens serving in the forces of other nations.

For example British citizens (or British born) served in the Australian & New Zealand forces in Vietnam, and that they still can do so. I presume there are Brits in the Canadian military also, and possibly the US military too.

Brits can and do serve in the French Foreign Legion. I believe they have also served in the Spanish Foreign Legion. Do many (or any) British Jews for example serve in the Israeli Defence Force?

Are Brits allowed to serve in other commonwealth or foreign armies?

What other nations can and do British citizens serve with and what are Arrsers experiences of serving in or alongside them?

 

[CaptainRidiculous]

South Africa changed the law in 1984 so that all young male immigrants who had permanent residence were automatically made SA citizens, thus eligible for two years of National Service, plus camps afterwards. Same as home-grown Saffers.
So a fair few lads donned the brown suit.

Edit: Passport states re Dual nationals that British nationals are not exempt from national service in the 'other' country they are nationals of.

 

[Gravelbelly]

What other nations can and do British citizens serve with and what are Arrsers experiences of serving in or alongside them?

We had two Glaswegian officers in the battalion, parents were Asian immigrants, and so when they decided to soldier, they commissioned into the Pakistani Army. Came out after a decade or so, came home, joined our Reserve battalion.

Our OC HQ was trying to persuade a Jewish lad to join the battalion; he'd done his time with the IDF, come home to Edinburgh.

Several people from my school went off to Australia after service with HM Forces - RAN and RAAF; one even came back afterwards. Another made it to Caporal in the Legion Etrangere.

Basically, that "Commonwealth recruits" thing works the other way too.

 

[Sam The Bam]

A good mate of mine left the British Army and was able to emigrate to New Zealand due to his grandparents being Kiwis. He went on to serve in the New Zealand Army for around 9 years or so. He thoroughly enjoyed it and reckoned it was better than the British Army. This was back in the early 1980's though.

 

[CaptainRidiculous]

Basically, that "Commonwealth recruits" thing works the other way too.

If you recall that documentary The Queen's cavalry, one of the troopers was a Kiwi who'd done his time in their army.

 

[Auld-Yin]

There have been stories of people living in Britain returning to their homelands to be surprised by being called up for national service. True or not I don't know.

 

[CaptainRidiculous]

There have been stories of people living in Britain returning to their homelands to be surprised by being called up for national service. True or not I don't know.

VERY true.
Lots of dual-national Euro-Saffers as well, back in the 80s/90s.

 

[blonde_guy]

I remember reading once that Bear Grylls had hoped to join the Indian Army...

 

[Ian525]

South Africa changed the law in 1984 so that all young male immigrants who had permanent residence were automatically made SA citizens, thus eligible for two years of National Service, plus camps afterwards. Same as home-grown Saffers.
So a fair few lads donned the brown suit.

Edit: Passport states re Dual nationals that British nationals are not exempt from national service in the 'other' country they are nationals of.

Friends of ours had a mountaintop house built and moved to SA last year after he sold his car dealership. Their 18 year old lad went with them...wonder if they read the small print...

 

[SkippedOnce]

For example British citizens (or British born) served in the Australian & New Zealand forces in Vietnam, and that they still can do so. I presume there are Brits in the Canadian military also, and possibly the US military too.

Just for clarification, to serve in the ADF you must be an Australian citizen. This dates back to Vietnam where there were accusations of British (non-dual national) serving in the Australian Army being labeled as mercenaries by the left-wing press. Due to this, you must be an Australian to serve (though can retain dual nationality with no drama, particularly for Commonwealth nations). I don't know whether still the practice, but had some Canucks working for me in Canberra who received their Australian citizenship at the High Commission in Ottawa as part of their joining package just before they flew out to Oz. I know of a number of ex-British Forces serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

 

[crustyrusty]

I remember reading once that Bear Grylls had hoped to join the Indian Army...

Actually Bear wanted to serve with the feared 3rd Foot & Mouth Regiment (The Devils in Skirts).
Commanded by Captain Keene with the 2 ic being the legendary Sergeant-Major MacNutt

The truth is more fiction and is in Bears book "My Carry On Up the Khyber"

 

[SkippedOnce]

There have been stories of people living in Britain returning to their homelands to be surprised by being called up for national service. True or not I don't know.

I recall tales of some British Greek Cypriots getting quite a rude shock when they went back to the island on holi-bobs.

 

[Effendi]

I recall tales of some British Greek Cypriots getting quite a rude shock when they went back to the island on holi-bobs.

Had a Greek bloke who was doing a PhD alongside me who received his call up papers. He had no real reason to avoid it after he had completed the degree, but managed to get a job lecturing in the UK and had the uni write a letter of excuse on his behalf every year until he had passed the age requirement. His only problem was he could not dare to go home to Greece in case they decided to nab him at the airport and force him into NS.

 

[johnboyzzz]

Know a few that went into FFL, USMC, Australian and Canadian forces after they left UK army.

 

[Effendi]

From my ex-USMC mates I have heard tales of individuals with US dual nationality from UK and Australia joining the US Marine Corps.

 

[Ruckerwocman]

Had a mate who was former British Army serving with me in 961st Engineer Bn (Cbt)(Hvy). We had a few Kiplingesque "Soldiers Three" adventures in Panama and Honduras. He was a regular card.

 

[Ruckerwocman]

I remember reading once that Bear Grylls had hoped to join the Indian Army...

Why? It isn't your granda's Indian Army with stalwart pukka sahibs as officers and sturdy sepoys.

 

[TotalBanker]

Had a Greek bloke who was doing a PhD alongside me who received his call up papers. He had no real reason to avoid it after he had completed the degree, but managed to get a job lecturing in the UK and had the uni write a letter of excuse on his behalf every year until he had passed the age requirement. His only problem was he could not dare to go home to Greece in case they decided to nab him at the airport and force him into NS.

Wasn't at UKC was it? I had a Greek lecturer who apparently couldn't go back to Greece for that very reason. I also worked with a Finnish guy, who did NS and loved it (hazy memory, may have been Swedish?) Anyway it was a while ago, I asked why his front tooth was chipped; he said it was a common injury in the forces, assault rifle slung on the chest, skiing along, fall once and the front sights perfectly lined up with the mouth

 

[Signalman]

I've got a book here somewhere by a Welshman who served with the Spanish Foreign Legion during the Spanish Civil War, but got out when Franco's regime became increasingly anti-British. He was smuggled out to Ireland with O'Duffy's Blueshirts as they returned home.

IIRC the Spanish Foreign Legion changed their name in the 1980s to the Spanish Legion and banned recruitment of foreigners. Perhaps foreign recruits weren't gay enough?

 

[AULD_SWEAT]

I remember reading once that Bear Grylls had hoped to join the Indian Army...

Well He does have a lot of experience shitting al fresco...