The wheel goes around again...

[gravity victim]

"The people of England have been led in Mesopotamia into a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honor. They have been tricked into it by a steady withholding of information. The Baghdad communiques are belated, insincere, incomplete. Things have been far worse than we have been told, our administration more bloody and inefficient than the public knows. It is a disgrace to our imperial record, and may soon be too inflamed for any ordinary cure. We are today not far from a disaster."
(22 August 1920)
I came across this prescient quotation by Aircraftsman Ross,RAF, ,better known as Lawrence of Arabia.
It's a great pity that New Labour does not 'do' history......

[A2QFI]

No involvement of T E Lawrence of course but no British Force has ever come well out of any military forays into Afghanistan either.

[herkman]

Just goes to show, that often great talent is not seen by those on high.

This man made a great impact on the goings on in that part of the world, and yet if my information is correct, the best the RAF high ups could offer was riding a motor cycle.

I have always admired Lawrence, who seemed to display great talent in leadership and command.

We have them down here, just like you appear to have, people leading not because they have the skills and talents, but because they said and did what appeared to be the "correct thing to do" not because they had the forces well being in mind, but because they were looking at what was best for them.

When I served in the RAAF 1957-1972, we had officers that we would follow to the end of the earth, but unfortunately we had some who were just plain useless. Some of our officers were ex WW2 NCO aircrew, and they seemed to do a great job.

Our current leader of defense, is exactly that a leader, who says it like it is, and will not be bullied by our government, into stating things that are not true.

The situation in Iraq, has turned into a farce. Where some of those who live there, have no respect of decency and care even less about human life.

The USA stuffed up big time on the first conflict there, they had the situation well in hand, but weak kneeded Bush senior, let it all go in vain.

How these guys sleep at night I do not know.

Regards

Col

[Green Flash]

Pull out of Iraq = no need to spend millions on properly resourcing the Armed Forces ha!:} Two birds with one foul stroke. Tone is on his way out, Gordo ain't arrived yet; timing looks good. PBI(& Navy & RAF) will have paid the price so no pain felt in the corridors of power and anyway not too many votes to be had. Cynical caption. I'm going to bed ......

[L J R]

Green, I heard that you can't pull out of Iraq, because you lack AT.

[rmac]

A2QFI - re your question on Afghanistan. The other night I was in the Naval and Military Club for a dinner, and as I walked out of the cloakroom came face to face with a ten foot high portrait of "Lord Roberts of Kandahar" .......here we go again :ugh: (oh sorry....as Tonto said to the lone ranger, "what do you mean we - white man ? Thank god I'm well beyond my reserve committment :p )

[gravity victim]

It seems that Lawrence was happiest in his quite lowly position in the RAF. A brilliant but complex and troubled character, he returned to England as a Lt-Colonel and turned down a knighthood (George V apparently said "he left me standing there with the box in my hand") possibly over his guilt at what he saw as his selling out of the Arab nationalist cause by serving British policy.

After his first attempt to join the RAF incognito as Aircraftsman Ross was quickly spoiled by his fame, he returned to the Army in the Royal Tank Corps, but hated it, petitioned hard to rejoin the RAF which he did in 1925 . He spent many contented years working on fast patrol boats before leaving the RAF at the end of his service in 1935.

So this remarkable, inspirational, complex man who achieved so much through his own vision belongs as much to the history of the RAF as anyone. And he was only 5'5' as well!

[buoy15]

Height disadvantaged to make the Guard of Honour though (5'8", no spectacles or females)
Has it changed since then and can you wear a full burkha (sp)? if selected?

[Cumbrian Fell]

A great read on TE Lawrence's second attempt to join the RAF was covered in his memoires - The Mint (under the name of Aircraftsman Ross). Initial recruit training was at Uxbridge - and some of the buildings are still standing - but what is interesting are his comments on the brutal training regime - yes, we're all flyufy-bunny now, but there are some absolute anachronisms in our recruit and officer training that Lawrence identified 80 years ago. A good read.