Cold War Photos.

[Brotherton Lad]

I've probably posted these before, from East Germany:

 

[greenbaggyskin]

No. TDY involves being away from duty station for any purpose. In US Army terms you need "orders" to go anywhere away from duty station, especially if it might involve travel and/or a claim. Those orders are the basis for a claim. You would need orders to go to another place for a conference for example. They don't get to swan about as much as we do.

We have TDYs too. It just means 'Temporary duty' It is any official duty away from your duty station except those deemed as local. For example, for those based at SHAPE, HQ NATO in Brussels is local, but temporary duty at Ramstein would class as TDY and need a travel order. Anything over 5 hours is a claim.

 

[Whiskybreath]

I think the Fox was particularly bad in that respect.

And Saracen. On the way back from a job north of the Shantallow estate in Derry, one of our AT No2s was cut in half when his vehicle went into a ditch on a bend; he was up top. I have a vague memory of the prime cause of his death being armour plate coming loose. (77, I think).

 

[wasteofrations2]

You missed all the fun then.
I remember the Cloggies going mental and getting their union involved, they didn't want to go to war.

We were co located with a Dutch platoon in Boz, all Regulars. Apparently it was because their conscripts couldn't be trusted to go on Ops.

 

[ste14w]

We were co located with a Dutch platoon in Boz, all Regulars. Apparently it was because their conscripts couldn't be trusted to go on Ops.

Yes, I heard something similar.
It was a strange situation seeing unions involved in military decision making.

 

[Unremarkable]

Yes, I heard something similar.
It was a strange situation seeing unions involved in military decision making.

Wasn't there another instance of Union involvement over hair length (gender equality) in the... 1970s?

 

[Unremarkable]

And Saracen. On the way back from a job north of the Shantallow estate in Derry, one of our AT No2s was cut in half when his vehicle went into a ditch on a bend; he was up top. I have a vague memory of the prime cause of his death being armour plate coming loose. (77, I think).

What about Saladin?

 

[Whiskybreath]

What about Saladin?

No idea; the most armour I ever had was in a Pig or behind a Green Goddess. @AlienFTM knows about this sort of stuff.

 

[AlienFTM]

What about Saladin?

No idea; the most armour I ever had was in a Pig or behind a Green Goddess. @AlienFTM knows about this sort of stuff.

My only experience of Pig was in Tin City, Sennelager, when the DS's hints eventually got the follow-up force to find the M16 under my bed.

Saladin? Before my time, though a squadron of ours did Cyprus Sovereign Base squadron during my time in 76-7 and again about 85, after my time. I have never heard through the grapevine of any top-heavy accidents.

Wrt Saracen. We had Saracen ACVs until we got Sultan in 79. My personal opinion was rock solid. But then Command Troop and FHQ tended not to visit sticky places.

 

[Toastie]

Wasn't there another instance of Union involvement over hair length (gender equality) in the... 1970s?

At a guess, their union won that one too. Mid 80s we (an MBT Squadron) were all loafing about at some rail sidings somewhere, waiting for something to happen. Much cocking about was occurring, none of it productive.

There was a rumble and a cloud of dust and there we were, sharing the sidings with a Dutch Leopard Squadron. Pretty much the first thing they did was all assemble, a 5 minute chit chat and boom, they start loading up. Our SSM was a blur, vibrating at 400 KHz at the sight of so many louts with hair down to their arse.

One of their Tp Ldrs ambled over and we got chatting. I asked if it was normal to brief the entire Sqn and he replied that it wasn’t a briefing, it was a union meeting to decide if they wanted a break before loading.

Obviously not as they were loaded and the train was on its way in literally 45 minutes.

We were still there the next morning as allegedly the rolling stock they’d loaded was supposed to be for us. Matters not, tank trains were the ultimate in hurry up and wait with or without the Dutch.

 

[Rodney2q]

And Saracen. On the way back from a job north of the Shantallow estate in Derry, one of our AT No2s was cut in half when his vehicle went into a ditch on a bend; he was up top. I have a vague memory of the prime cause of his death being armour plate coming loose. (77, I think).

My one and only ride in a Saracen was on the M1 motorway heading down to Drumadd Bks at Armagh in 1980. RCT driver lost it and we ended up swerving all over the place including riding up on to an embankment before coming to a stop. He nearly rolled it in the process. I was in the turret and just able to duck back inside as it went up onto the bank. Bodies thrown all over the place inside.

Driver got all sorts of abuse until someone saw how shaken up he was. Not the easiest of things to drive apparently...

 

[kelvin_273]

At a guess, their union won that one too. Mid 80s we (an MBT Squadron) were all loafing about at some rail sidings somewhere, waiting for something to happen. Much cocking about was occurring, none of it productive.

There was a rumble and a cloud of dust and there we were, sharing the sidings with a Dutch Leopard Squadron. Pretty much the first thing they did was all assemble, a 5 minute chit chat and boom, they start loading up. Our SSM was a blur, vibrating at 400 KHz at the sight of so many louts with hair down to their arse.

One of their Tp Ldrs ambled over and we got chatting. I asked if it was normal to brief the entire Sqn and he replied that it wasn’t a briefing, it was a union meeting to decide if they wanted a break before loading.

Obviously not as they were loaded and the train was on its way in literally 45 minutes.

We were still there the next morning as allegedly the rolling stock they’d loaded was supposed to be for us. Matters not, tank trains were the ultimate in hurry up and wait with or without the Dutch.

"There was a rumble and a cloud of dust and there we were, sharing the sidings with a Dutch Leopard Squadron. Pretty much the first thing they did was all assemble, a 5 minute chit chat and boom, they start loading up. Our SSM was a blur, vibrating at 400 KHz at the sight of so many louts with hair down to their arse".

I'm surprised they didn't have a few spliffs on the go too.

 

[Brotherton Lad]

At a guess, their union won that one too. Mid 80s we (an MBT Squadron) were all loafing about at some rail sidings somewhere, waiting for something to happen. Much cocking about was occurring, none of it productive.

There was a rumble and a cloud of dust and there we were, sharing the sidings with a Dutch Leopard Squadron. Pretty much the first thing they did was all assemble, a 5 minute chit chat and boom, they start loading up. Our SSM was a blur, vibrating at 400 KHz at the sight of so many louts with hair down to their arse.

One of their Tp Ldrs ambled over and we got chatting. I asked if it was normal to brief the entire Sqn and he replied that it wasn’t a briefing, it was a union meeting to decide if they wanted a break before loading.

Obviously not as they were loaded and the train was on its way in literally 45 minutes.

We were still there the next morning as allegedly the rolling stock they’d loaded was supposed to be for us. Matters not, tank trains were the ultimate in hurry up and wait with or without the Dutch.

In East Germany BRIXMIS had a two hour rule on rail watches, ie if a train goes by with military (usually tracked stuff) you'd hide up and wait for the next one. That's when you 3 day trip turned into 5 days.

 

[ste14w]

Wasn't there another instance of Union involvement over hair length (gender equality) in the... 1970s?

That's right, when I was posted to Hohne in 1985, after booking in at Canada Gate, I was shown the way to Caen Barracks.
In amongst the British and German troops bimbling around, I couldn't believe I was seeing female soldiers with beards....eventually I discovered that they were Dutch conscripts, male soldiers wearing hairnets.

 

[Brotherton Lad]

That's right, when I was posted to Hohne in 1985, after booking in at Canada Gate, I was shown the way to Caen Barracks.
In amongst the British and German troops bimbling around, I couldn't believe I was seeing female soldiers with beards....eventually I discovered that they were Dutch conscripts, male soldiers wearing hairnets.

The British Army has regulations for Rastas to do with hair, hairnets and turbans. The last one I saw had dreadlocks down to his waist (when they weren't in a hairnet).

 

[ste14w]

The British Army has regulations for Rastas to do with hair, hairnets and turbans. The last one I saw had dreadlocks down to his waist (when they weren't in a hairnet).

What's it coming to?
They'll be letting women join next.

 

[RoofRat]

In East Germany BRIXMIS had a two hour rule on rail watches, ie if a train goes by with military (usually tracked stuff) you'd hide up and wait for the next one. That's when you 3 day trip turned into 5 days.

And,if you suspected you were in a TRA...all bets were off ! Unless it was an 'Air' tour then you didn't bother as, you only had enough scran for 24 hours.

The codicil to that was, I kept an Air tour out for 72 hours in 76,driving and calling kit. The RAF Tour Nco just changed the batteries in the dictaphone and, made copious notes. After 24 hours straight I had to have a 'kip' !

After we got back and they wrote the highlight,I was apparently "very difficult to wake up" ! Pat on the back from the G1 and, a bollocking from SLOPS, because I'd buggered up their touring schedule !

 

[Brotherton Lad]

And,if you suspected you were in a TRA...all bets were off ! Unless it was an 'Air' tour then you didn't bother as, you only had enough scran for 24 hours.

The codicil to that was, I kept an Air tour out for 72 hours in 76,driving and calling kit. The RAF Tour Nco just changed the batteries in the dictaphone and, made copious notes. After 24 hours straight I had to have a 'kip' !

After we got back and they wrote the highlight,I was apparently "very difficult to wake up" ! Pat on the back from the G1 and, a bollocking from SLOPS, because I'd buggered up their touring schedule !

My 5 day tour was with a young Flt Lt on his first ground tour; he was acting as Tour NCO. It was a Divisional return to barracks in Dresden from the Altengrabow via Magdeburg. Some of their kit may have gone missing and ended up in Washington the next day.

 

[HCL]

My one and only ride in a Saracen was on the M1 motorway heading down to Drumadd Bks at Armagh in 1980. RCT driver lost it and we ended up swerving all over the place including riding up on to an embankment before coming to a stop. He nearly rolled it in the process. I was in the turret and just able to duck back inside as it went up onto the bank. Bodies thrown all over the place inside.

Driver got all sorts of abuse until someone saw how shaken up he was. Not the easiest of things to drive apparently...

Oooh, red buttons. Must resist the squaddie urge to press.... must resist!

 

[pimpernel]

Oooh, red buttons. Must resist the squaddie urge to press.... must resist!

And yellow handles in helicopters that say don't pull!
8 UDR jettisoned a door from a Lynx over A/cloy because of just that.