Prince of Wales, wings on Royal Navy No 5s?

[airborne_artist]

The picture below (PoW presenting award to Jane Tomlinson's son) shows what I expect are para wings on his R shoulder. ISTR para wings were worn on the L sleeve, where P/O wings would be worn. Is this a PoW special so he can wear both?

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44241000/jpg/_44241225_steventomlinson_pa300.jpg

[Taffer]

Looks like he's wearing No.1's to me! The uniform numbering system has been re-jigged in recent years, much simpler now.

PoW has it right in this pic - Para badge goes on right upper arm, commando dagger lower right, P/O wings on lower left.

Or rather, his tailor has got it right...............

[WorkingHard]

Surely he not "earned" much of what he wears as decorations so why bother? It fools no one with any knowledge.

[vecvechookattack]

The POW earned his Pilots wings fair n square, much the same as any other pilot.

[WorkingHard]

He just forgot all he learned when piloting in Scotland then!

[Brain Potter]

Watching the Remembrance ceremony on Sunday I was struck by sheer number of medals the Windsors award themselves. It seems very Edwardian and makes them look faintly ridiculous. We like to giggle at American generals and tin-pot dictators, but our Royals are not so different. It makes the lack of a Bomber Command medal seen that bit more poignant.

[DummyRun]

At least PoW,and his sporn have had, or will have, a good stab at it.
What are the Blair/Brown brats likely to do??


And before you tell me, I'll hazard a guess at Law, maybe, per chance, Yale or Harvard? Mmm, I wonder whose paying for that?

[Archimedes]

DR - to be fair, Euan Blair has gone into banking; his younger brother (not Leo, obviously) has gone into teaching and Kathryn Blair is presumably still at University. Only Euan seems as though he might have had any real benefit derived from Daddy, since he spent some time in the US as an intern for a couple of senators (although two acquaintances from school and university respectively, without important/famous parents managed to do the same thing)

The most notable thing about the trio seems to be that none of them appear to wish to emulate the acheivements [sic] of their parents.

Back on topic, PoW flew Wessexes for part of his time with the RN - so one assumes that he met the required standards to wear the wings legitimately - and did P Company (there are conflicting reports as to whether this was a errr.... special version of the course) about 30 years ago; he took the view that if the Parachute Regiment was kind enough to invite him to be Colonel in Chief, he ought to at least learn to jump out of perfectly serviceable aeroplanes.

I believe that many of his medals 'come with the job' - something about him having to be a member of the various orders, otherwise he wouldn't be able to appoint people to them when (could be 'if' given his mother's constitution) he becomes King

Quite a lot are are foreign orders of the sort handed out like confetti by certain nations - the problem he has is that if he doesn't wear some of these occasionally, he risks causing great offence to the nation that awarded them. I gather the rule here is that he wears these medals when appropriate - i.e. if the ambassador from Ruritania is amongst the guests at whatever ceremony he's attending, the Ruritanian Grand Cross of the Order of St Boris gets pinned onto the uniform. There's a final batch of medals that denote association with the Australian, Canadian and New Zealand Armed Forces.

It might all be a bit silly in a lot of ways, but if the poor s*d doesn't wear the medals he risks offending people, and if he does, he gets it in the neck for having the temerity to have been awarded them on the grounds of tradition.

[Blacksheep]

He's an apprentice professional figurehead. Its his job to look ridiculous on behalf of the rest of us and I can't think of anyone better to do it!

I have a box in the attic full of stuff that various doddery relatives gave us over the years. If one of them is paying a visit the appropriate vase, clock, picture or whatever is brought out and put on display, then after they've left it goes back into the attic. I believe Her Majesty has a warehouse that performs much the same function. One day, providing he outlives his Mum, all this will belong to Charles. Good Luck to him. I don't envy his job - despite all the perks.

[doubledolphins]

Sorry to be so long getting back on this. You are correct. Naval Parachute wings are worn where other flying badges go. But the PoW aready has pilots wings so they can't both go there. But to be stictly accurate naval parchute wings were abolished a couple of years ago. After Admiral Nick Hunt retired.They were not awarded soly for completeing the course but could only be worn by Naval Personnel who had served with an Airbourn Unit or done an opperational jump. I believe Admiral Hunt jumped at Suez. We had a couple of ex paras in my RNR unit so they wore them. In wearing a parachute badge on his shoulder the PoW is following the example of Cdr Bond, as played by Pierce Brosnan.

[airborne_artist]

Cheers DD - it was bugging me. Nick Hunt was Captain of the College during my second term there. His wife was totally charming, and I remember her helping to organise the decorations for the Christmas Ball, and having Middies and Subbies running around after/for her.

A course-mate (later chopped at grading) was ex-Para RMP, and he got his wings up soon after his arrival at BRNC.

I'm fairly certain I'm the only graduate of BRNC to wear wings of the David Stirling variety :ok:

[forwardassist]

Come to Yeovilton. Lots of green-lid trained people with the dagger and 2 sets of wings on their 1's. :ok:

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

..... Naval Personnel who had served with an Airbourn Unit .....

Such a lovely Posting in the Summer months; much pleasanter than Sittingbourn.


:} (Artistic licence noted)

[doubledolphins]

So I can't spell but I've got over 10,000 hrs P1 and I dont wear any wings on my No 1s!

[Greenleader]

DD - 10000 hrs P1 in what, if I may ask? Thats a lot of hours if it's in something that would qualify you to wear military wings on your No 1's!! And if so qualified, by not wearing them, you are out of rig, sir! ;)

[Wrathmonk]

oh oh I'll nibble .... is it one of HMs finest submarines .... 8 hr watch per day for 3 months. Soon rack up 10000 hrs:p

[doubledolphins]

All public transport, so I am not what a former Chief of the Airstaff would call a "Proper Pilot". The Dolphins were only "honorary". Awarded in a Helensburgh pub after a particularly hard JMC. My first as a Submarine Controller. No I don't wear them on my Number Ones either.Thats it, cover blown.Please don't name me, those of you who have guessed my identity.:cool:

[itsallhappeningagain]

file:///C:/Users/Andrew/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpghttp://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/upload/img_400/Her_Majesty_the_Queen_at_Brittania_Naval_College_4.jpg

Seems like HRH has got it right

[Spam_UK]

Sorry for a slight thread creep, but in the last photo, the guy to the left (as we look) of the queen has a green band around his SD hat? Is this to represent commando training or something else entirely?

Spam

[Jimlad1]

I believe he is a foreign student - still plenty of them over there.

[VitaminGee]

Yep - Bahamas Defence Force judging by the sash and the wee flags on the lapels.

[exscribbler]

Should The Queen (God Bless Her) be referred to as HM and not HRH?
Just asking.

I was always told to address her as "Your Majesty" for the first part of the conversation and "Ma'am" if she found me interesting enough to ask further questions...

[Ray Dahvectac]

Should The Queen (God Bless Her) be referred to as HMYes.

The comment "Seems like HRH has got it right" refers to the PoW, wearing his para wings on his right sleeve in post #1, given that one graduate in the photo is wearing them in the same position (unless they are in fact some kind of sword tip decoration used by the Bermuda Defence Force).

[exscribbler]

Ray D: As so often in my life, I stand corrected.

He'll be addressed as "Your Royal Highness" and subsequently "Sir", I imagine? I wouldn't know as he's never met me. :E

[Ray Dahvectac]

I am sure you're correct - that's what we were told to call his father anyway! :)

[exscribbler]

Ah, now there's someone I really would like to meet; a man after my own heart and a gallant NO to boot! :ok:

Grumpy Old Man? Me? Perish the thought. Mrs Ex has it all wrong - for once. :)

[CirrusF]

I'm fairly certain I'm the only graduate of BRNC to wear wings of the David Stirling variety http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/thumbs.gif


No you're not, sorry! In the officer's mess at Stirling Lines there used to be annual photos of the mess for every year since the formation of 22. There was one line up from the eighties or so featuring an RN Lt Cdr.

[airborne_artist]

And I have recently heard of another, ex-23, so that makes three at least. Almost as exclusive as my Selection; 1,200 applicants, 273 starters and nine finishers.

[parabellum]

As many as nine finishers! Must have been the 'easy' selection in the summer!;)

[airborne_artist]

Yep, 'twas easy finishing in summer. Interesting on the second w/e in mid-April when we had 8" of snow drifting in 25 kts, vis of about 20m, and -8C :\

In the officer's mess at Stirling Lines there used to be annual photos of the mess for every year since the formation of 22. There was one line up from the eighties or so featuring an RN Lt Cdr

Had he done Selection though? Might have been there for other reasons. There was an RN guy attached/posted more recently, who has now left the RN, but although he did Selection he didn't get badged, for reasons that escape me.

[cobaltfrog]

Because he didnt do selection. He was fragged round the hill phase to take in the ambience of what the boys did on selection! ;-)

[CirrusF]

Had he done Selection though?


Yes - otherwise he wouldn't have been allowed on the photo (or even into the mess).

[The Oberon]

Just out of curiosity, but if a qualified parachutist from another service went through selection and was badged, would he be allowed to wear sabre wings, or is there a bit more to it ?

[airborne_artist]

if a qualified parachutist from another service went through selection and was badged, would he be allowed to wear sabre wings

No need to be from another service - lads from Para regiment/para units put their regt wings up straight away. Surprisingly there was the occasional RM passing selection for Hereford, and I think I once saw an RAF Regt lad as well.

The wings don't signify any greater para skills - the HALO course is just another course, and not undertaken by all at Hfd, and very few if any from 21/23.

[CirrusF]

Surprisingly there was the occasional RM passing selection for Hereford, and I think I once saw an RAF Regt lad as well.


You're a bit out of date AA! Even before they created a unified UKSF selection, there were plenty of RAF reg and RM applicants to the old Desmonds selection course. A lot of RAF came via the RAF mountain rescue cadre, and most RM were narrow SBS failures but recommended for Reg (eg the bloke who fell down the cliff and broke his leg on the 80s TV show on SBS selection - he turned up later in 22).

With unified UKSF selection, there is an even wider spread of applicants, from all parts of the services. RM applicants outnumber Para now (Royal Marines is about three times bigger than 1,2,3 Para combined). SBS "selection" does not really exist any more in the strict sense of the word. Basically if you pass UKSF selection, you can either stay in the Desmonds, or if you like swimming and fancy redoing selection in a Klepper, you can attempt the SC3 course in order to join SBS. So perfectly possible for RAF Reg to end up in SBS nowadays. If you fail SC3, you have option to go back to Hereford.

[peterperfect]

How come this thread has gone all "Airplane" ?

Ppruner Ted: My orders came through. My squadron ships out tomorrow. We're bombing the storage depots at Daiquiri at 1800 hours. We're coming in from the north, below their radar.
Ppruner Elaine: When will you be back?
Ppruner Ted: I can't tell you that. It's classified.

[exscribbler]

Shirley - you can't be serious.