Only the British Army!! [Archive]

Always_broken_in_wilts

24th Jun 2006, 23:29

With everything thats going on in the world.............

NICOSIA (Reuters) - The six-year-old mascot for a British army battalion has been demoted in disgrace for acting the goat during a parade in full view of dignitaries.

Billy Goat has been a mascot of the First Battalion, the Royal Welsh regiment, since he was six months old and had the official rank of lance-corporal before his frisky antics during a parade marking the Queen's official birthday earlier this month.

The army said he had been demoted to fusilier (private) as a result of his behaviour.

"The goat major had a hard time keeping him in line, he was bouncing around all over the place," military spokesman Captain Crispian Coates told Reuters on Saturday.

Doubly embarrassing was Billy's refusal to obey commands in front of diplomats and army top brass, Coates said.

"This is his first overseas tour. He has certainly not made a good start for himself."

Good grief:ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

SASless

24th Jun 2006, 23:44

This we can agree on ABIW.....what self respecting Welsh Regiment would have a goat in lieu of a Sheep? Have they no sense of tradition?:=

Quite a demotion from Goat Major to Fusilier as well....terribly harsh treatment I would suggest!

One must remember a Goat can be a hard headed critter at times.

Always_broken_in_wilts

25th Jun 2006, 00:03

Sorry SAS but my opening line sums it up for me

With everything thats going on in the world.............

"a goat needs charging and demoting":mad: :mad:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

Samuel

25th Jun 2006, 04:04

Perhaps his handler was getting on his goat?:)

BEagle

25th Jun 2006, 06:41

If it continues to pratt about, the goat will no doubt soon have a new, albeit brief, career tied up behind a kebab shop........

MilSpFunc

25th Jun 2006, 06:45

Seems perfectly reasonable that Regimental tradition should be maintained in order to prove we are still who we wish to be - the sad thing is that with everything else that is going on in the world such an incident is seen as news worthy. We clearly need to discipline our Regimental mascots more often - anybody know what rank the Irish Wolf Hound from the Irish Gaurds holds.

If the cost of accomodating some of these mascots was disclosed that might be news worthy as well.

flipster

25th Jun 2006, 08:55

Apparently, the goat is up and running...........!

Always a Sapper

25th Jun 2006, 08:58

ShyTorque

25th Jun 2006, 09:42

A mascot like that would curry flavour, sorry - FAVOUR with a Ghurka regiment.... :}

Krystal n chips

25th Jun 2006, 10:28

Maybe said goat just decided "enough is enough "and did what many of us would have liked to do at some point when compelled to waste a few hours on a parade ground ---when there are better things to do and see in Cyprus.:hmm:

Well done that goat ! :ok:

althenick

25th Jun 2006, 11:16

Sorry SAS but my opening line sums it up for me
With everything thats going on in the world.............
"a goat needs charging and demoting":mad: :mad:
...Or maybe it's been written "Tongue in cheek" Christ! we all need a good laugh these days - Lighten up ABIW :ok:

NURSE

25th Jun 2006, 12:08

Happens all the time the Mascot of a certain Guards regiment was Jailed by his handler for being idol on a St Pats day parade.
And friends in the UDR told me of a CSM at their depot who Jailed a Guard Dog. He also put a set of webbing and a bin on show parade. (Rumour had it he'd jailed his kids at one point).
Saw it on the BBC at least the Ptes in the Welch Regt don't have to stand to attention no as the Goat is only a Pte. Almost as silly as the Gunners haviing to salute the guns as they are their colours.
Its Just traditions. You know those things that happen because a regiment can trace its history back over hundreds of years......Ah yes understand the bemusemnet no RAF hasn't been round long enough to acquire traditions a few eccentricities and bad habits yes ;)

Following lighting blue touch paper stands well back

airborne_artist

25th Jun 2006, 12:14

I seem to re-call that RAF stations usually had one or more animals often referred to as "bikes" which may have served a similar purpose? :E

Gainesy

25th Jun 2006, 12:24

The RAF has, however, perfected the Rolling-Goat F**k.

The Helpful Stacker

25th Jun 2006, 13:13

RAF Locking had a station mascot, Sgt Sparks the donkey. The duty of being his handler was one of the many glorious tasks carried out by the RAF Police.

When I was first posted to Locking he held the rank of F/Sgt but after an 'arousing' incident during the Weston-Super-Mare freedom parade he was reduced to Sgt (the donkey that is, not the RAF Plod handler).

g126

25th Jun 2006, 13:26

Anyone heard about the RMAS teddy-bear? Heard something about a bear that goes parachuting with the cadets there and holds the rank of captain or something like that. Anyone know in more detail?

Also heard of an Adjutant's dog that held the rank of Lt. Again, is this a general Army thing or just one barmy adjutant?

I think these little traditions are great. They are a relic of a time when we had an armed forces.

PICKS135

25th Jun 2006, 13:41

Brake Para at Leuchars in the late 70's had 'Sqn/Ldr Womble'. Flew a few times in the back of 'tooms' and went on all the cushy detachments [Malta, Cyprus, Norway].
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/f4phixeruk/Womble1.jpg

Kaptain Kremen

25th Jun 2006, 14:20

The Goat refused to obey orders?.........you're "kidding."
See what i did there...?
:8

Impiger

25th Jun 2006, 14:43

I'd heard that under the terms of the Armed Forces Discipline Act the Goat has exercised his right to appeal!

Gilbert Blades for the Defence M'lud.....

A2QFI

25th Jun 2006, 14:58

I feel sure that a squadron in Malta had a tortoise as a mascot, in the 1950s. It had some jokey double barrelled name and a log book. I have also found this link to another story re a tortoise mascot.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/54/a4120354.shtml

BEagle

25th Jun 2006, 15:00

You may be thinking of Flt Lt Deux Croisses, the 20 sqn mascot of the period?

FJJP

25th Jun 2006, 15:03

I seem to remember a cage beside the Sqn HQ of a certain 'Mushroom Outfit' at waddo in the mid 90s. Contained the Sqn Mascot- a large, smelly bird?

BEagle

25th Jun 2006, 15:34

According to the 8 sqn mascots website (last updated over 7 years ago....they must be busy chaps!), this was probably one of the eagle owls presented to the sqn.

The original 'Boo boo' escaped from captivity at Lossie some years earlier.

NURSE

25th Jun 2006, 16:10

The Goat refused to obey orders?.........you're "kidding."
See what i did there...?
:8

Ahh but were the orders being given in English or Welsh?

SASless

25th Jun 2006, 17:21

Large smelly birds around RAF pilots....so what is new about that?

BEagle

25th Jun 2006, 17:33

SASless, you are confusing things with the avian species Phalacrocorax aristotelis baldrickis.......

Otherwise known as 'engineer's shag'

Flatus Veteranus

25th Jun 2006, 18:30

A nondescript bull terrier-ish dog used to lurk around the OM at Great Massingham (satellite to West Raynham) in about 1945/46. Its main source of nourishment was the dishes placed to catch the drips from the beer barrels in the bar. Consequently by closing time it was truly pi$$ed. The Adj was summoned to produce this mut to the local beak because it was accused by a local farmer of attempting to roger his ewes. I believe poor old Adj was bound over to ensure the dog's good behaviour. "Any port in a storm!"

AA717driver

26th Jun 2006, 04:26

This we can agree on ABIW.....what self respecting Welsh Regiment would have a goat in lieu of a Sheep? Have they no sense of tradition?:=

I believe all sheep have been drummed out of the service on charges of fraternization...

Some are probably still dependents, though. :p TC

unclenelli

26th Jun 2006, 08:18

I bet someone into genealogy could trace the regiment back to Hartlepool and find a link to a monkey and a gallows

teeteringhead

26th Jun 2006, 08:46

ISTR that 72 Sqn in the 1950s (saw it in the scrapbook - I'm not that old!) had an alligator mascot by the name of Flying Officer Bass-Worthington...

Wwyvern

26th Jun 2006, 10:43

Once in the early 60s, en route places Middle East, I had a room in the transit area of Orange in the south of France next to the keeper of some Canberra(?) squadron's mascot, some sort of snake. Could that be?

Mead Pusher

26th Jun 2006, 11:12

There was a Sqn at Bruggen that had a snake as a mascot - I can't remember what rank it was, though. I was just visiting as part of the IOT carousel.

RubiC Cube

26th Jun 2006, 11:13

I seem to re-call that RAF stations usually had one or more animals often referred to as "bikes" which may have served a similar purpose? :E

I don't know about acting as mascots, but the "station bikes" needed servicing on an annual basis!!!

Duncano

26th Jun 2006, 11:24

The snake was on 14 Sqn at Bruggen and I understand there are a couple of cocks on 43 Sqn

The Helpful Stacker

26th Jun 2006, 11:27

The snake was on 14 Sqn at Bruggen and I understand there are a couple of cocks on 43 Sqn

I believe cocks are found throughout the RAF, not just 43 Sqn.;)

Roland Pulfrew

26th Jun 2006, 11:41

The snake was on 14 Sqn at Bruggen

Wasn't the snake a python? Called Eric IIRC!! Remember seeing said python at happy hour in the Mess once - it was eyeing up the smaller children (for it was one of those families happy hours) but fortunately OIC Eric had fed him before happy hour - otherwise it might not have been quite so happy!!

Did Eric ever make it back to the UK? ISTR some of the crews had their eyes on snake skin watch straps and snake skin cowboy boots ;)

Army Mover

26th Jun 2006, 11:52

I once had the honour to be locked up with a Shetland pony (called Bruneval) because the said horse had the temerity to sh1t on the RSM's parade - my sin was that I failed to "bend and drive the blasted knee, in a sharp, short, soldier like manner" !!!

There was a cell shortage at the time, PD Quinn was emptying the parade square faster than the RP staff could re-arrange the furniture. :ouch:

A2QFI

26th Jun 2006, 11:56

Life-jacket for RAF duck that cannot swim
When Sqn Ldr Andy Tucker was posted from II (AC) Squadron at Marham, and presented the unit with a mascot, a white Aylesbury duck, he could have had little idea of what a tale he was starting. The original duck was lonely, and so a companion was purchased from a local farm. Both mascots were given the honorary rank of Flight Lieutenant, and all seemed well until they were introduced to Marham's emergency water supply lagoon.
Sqn Ldr Mike Toft takes up the story. "The duck came from a farmyard and we believe she had never been in water and so had lost all her essential oils." The new duck was found paddling furiously but only just afloat due to this oil deficiency, as the missing oils waterproof the feathers.
After rescuing the bedraggled bird, it was decided to fit the unfortunate creature with its own life-jacket to enable it to swim and feed with its mate. The duck seems quite happy with this arrangement, wearing the kit with obvious pride. It is hoped that with some rain and constant preening, the vital oils will soon be at a sufficient level to allow normal operations to recommence.
15 July 1998

Duncano

26th Jun 2006, 12:14

Roland,

One of my colleagues informs me that she remembers Erics return to Lossiemouth from Bruggen in a LACON. When the box was opened one very angry snake slithered out. It was still there (alive) 4 years ago when she left.

Duncano