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Odd things seen on the train

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Odd things seen on the train

Old 19th Oct 2016, 11:53
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I'm an ignorant American and I got the impression from this thread that Brit servicemen are discouraged and perhaps even prohibited from wearing their uniforms in public. Did I get the wrong impression? And if my impression was correct and uniforms are discouraged/prohibited in public, why is that so?
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 12:16
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It was prohibited during the days of intensive IRA activity, when we were all deemed 'targets' of those terrorists. We employed a wide range of measures to protect ourselves, including not using mail forms of address showing our rank, checking under vehicles for IEDs, varying routes to/from work. They were 'interesting times' - I was only 'bombed' twice in UK, and lost a good buddy murdered on his doorstep in Germany.

Things were relaxed after the 'peace talks' which placed former IRA leaders in Government in Northern Ireland. It still felt un-natural wearing uniform in public after so many years of prohibition.
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 12:19
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It is discouraged, unless you want to become a Lee Rigby.
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 14:08
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I was at a conference in Spain a couple of years ago and found that the RAF senior officer attendees had been required to take an easyJet flight at some inconvenient time of day from Gatwick
I know of some staff members of a now defunct airline that were travelling out of country to a meeting to sign a multi million pound contract for the maintenance of another companies aircraft.
They were booked to fly out on one of their own low cost airline aircraft and duly turned up on time to fly out, unfortunately company rules were that members of staff would be kicked off any full flights to allow the £9-99 fraternity to take those seats, you guessed it..............
The other company eventually (after several failed attempts to get out there) had to fly to the UK in their company biz jet to sign the contract.

.

Last edited by NutLoose; 19th Oct 2016 at 14:29.
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 14:54
  #65 (permalink)  
 
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If the assembled community will excuse a bit of 'Travel Deviation', with associated its stupidities (and forgive me if I've told this story before) ...

I had to fly to OZ in 1988 on a procurement investigative task, with things booked [as they were] through the Services Booking Centre (SBC). So, the solution for getting me there was:

1. VC-10 Trooper Brize Norton to HKG [was it twice a week?] which was "free".
2. Gulf-Air HKG-BKK, in Business [entitled as a long-haul wg cdr], and sleep in the airport
3. BA BKK-SYD, in Business.
4. Overnight in SYD before flying up to CBR, squashed against the cabin wall by "Fat Bloke" in an F-27.
... do Business stuff in CBR, staying in reasonable hotel, for a couple of days ...
5. Fly [Economy] down to MEL.
... do Business stuff in MEL and RAAF East Sale for a week, staying in Messes.
Then the serious joke starts:
6. Fly MEL-HKG, Cathay in Business.
7. Stay in Army Mess in HKG for 3 days waiting for the next VC-10 Trooper
8. Fly VC-10 back to Brize.

It felt strange wandering around in Public in uniform, but all the OZ guys did it so I just fitted in to the the scene. The legs in Business Class were nice, and that's the only way I fly these days. But the "Cheap" routing meant about a week spent unproductively out of the office to save money ... but of course that cost was never factored in.

I understand that subsequently a more intelligent approach was taken, with the cost of direct flights being traded off against 'lost time'. I was away for a little over 2 weeks doing things that could have been done in 10 days or less. But it was a very interesting trip, at HMG's expense.
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 15:37
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one of my SNCOs being told to submit a business case to go on an op tour as directed by Manning
Must have been tempting to submit a rather weak business case...
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 21:14
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I one spent a long northwards rail trip from Bristol Parkway with, across the gangway, a uniformed Group Captain and his sharp suited civilian colleague that I took for a consultant who spent the journey to Crewe discussing maintenance of a service ac complete with large diagrams that showed the various partners in its maintenance and details how ac would be "sentenced" each day.
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 21:51
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I'm an ignorant American and I got the impression from this thread that Brit servicemen are discouraged and perhaps even prohibited from wearing their uniforms in public. Did I get the wrong impression? And if my impression was correct and uniforms are discouraged/prohibited in public, why is that so?
A few years ago I attended a Remembrance Sunday event at the then new Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London. It was well attended and one of the attendees was a USAF 2 star general, who was in uniform, as were both of his ADCs, one a Lieutenant Colonel and the other a female sergeant. Also present was an RAF Air Vice Marshal (2 star equivalent) in a civilian suit, which I thought was entirely inappropriate and really let the side down, particularly as the USAF contingent had taken the trouble to turn up in uniform.

So not so ignorant after all!
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 22:21
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Troop trains - anybody remember them?

Eighty year old carriages which were on their last legs, hauled by a wheezing locomotive which should have been in a museum, one hundred and
thirty troops (plus kit) herded into rolling stock each with seating for just 100 - and periodically shunted onto remote sidings to allow freight trains to pass.

Plus .. eleven hours on a stale cheese sandwich and an apple does not make for happy travellers.
Ah but, we were 'serving our country' - so that's alright.


I'm sure that somebody within the Department of Defence was congratulated and promoted for saving money, though.

.

Last edited by Stanwell; 19th Oct 2016 at 22:52.
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 22:44
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Troop trains - anybody remember them?
Are there enough to fill a train these days
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 23:11
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An accountant friend on a pub visit told me of the business he working in recently.

If 2 people travelling long distance on train he gets secretary to take photos day before and gets them a Two Together railcard £30, employees though he nuts until they travelled 1st class there and back with free grub and still less than cost of a standard ticket plus meals and coffees somewhere.

Only comment from an employee who is "proudly" gay was a guard told him "you could do better" when he had checked their tickets and railcard.
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Old 19th Oct 2016, 23:20
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One wonders, racedo.
The ones I referred to were called "Military Specials".
I don't know how they get on these days but, frankly, we didn't find anything special about them, to put it mildly.
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 07:42
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Troop trains - anybody remember them?
Travelled on 3, all in 1953 as a Boy Entrant.

To and from Summer Camp, betwixt Calne and Millom and then from Calne to Cosford Halt when all Boys training was centralised there.
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 07:52
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Before the Military Salary Scheme, we also had 'Forces Leave' tickets and 'Forces Duty' tickets. Which were cheaper than the normal second class price.

But there wasn't much point in travelling in civvies if some ticket inspector asked in a loud voice to see your 1250, if there were any boyos within earshot.

Some RAF type once flew civair to Aldergrove in the days of the troubles - in his uniform. The chap sent to meet him was horrified when he saw him arriving and arranged for a PA message to advise him that there was an urgent message for him at the airline desk. Off he trotted, to be handed the phone "Buy yourself a ticket on the next flight out of here and get on it....if you're still alive!" was the message from his greeter
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 08:23
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When I was serving at Aldergrove the story was that after a noise complaint from a resident of Forkhill, South Armagh real ''Bandit Country'' regarding low level flights in and out of the Heli Site. The two officers from Noise Complaints arrived at Aldergrove in No 1 uniform, hired a car and drove down to visit said resident to investigate. Allegedly they were most surprised when the Army came to the rescue and escort them all the way back to Aldergrove. Needless to say it never happened again!!!!
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 08:27
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I suppose we should have been grateful, ian16th..
"Sheer looxury, it were." .. as the Yorkies would say.

The alternative was sitting in the back of a convoy of Studebaker 'Deuce and a Half' 6X6 cargo trucks which had been left over from WWII.
It took just one of them to break down (which they regularly did) to extend the journey considerably.
That's what I call rugged travelling.
Hardens you up, we were told to cheer us up.
On top of that, can you imagine, we had to wear uniforms as well.

So I guess I shouldn't complain about having to travel by rail.

.

Last edited by Stanwell; 20th Oct 2016 at 08:49.
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 08:30
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Beags . I flew Civair into Aldergrove ( by Viscount ) suitably long haired, 'tached and dressed down . Then stood like a lemon for several minutes wondering what came next.
An even more scruffy, long haired lout sidled up to me and whispered " Follow me". Then looking at the expression on my face added.......... " Haraka"
You used to have your suitcase rummaged through in front of you in those days.
I had opened mine , the checker took one look inside at the piled-in contents then remarked:
" Obviously a single guy then".
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 08:40
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Once, at short notice we had to return to base from St A than by train. We were in flying suits, carrying bones domes, LSJs and technically carrying firearms. With much grumbling we were issued 1st class warrants.

Sadly Bomber Command diverted a Hastings and we flew back.
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 09:28
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Before the Military Salary Scheme, we also had 'Forces Leave' tickets and 'Forces Duty' tickets. Which were cheaper than the normal second class price.
They were at some peculiar rate such as 7/9th of the full fare.
There were also Forces Weekend Returns, can't remember the rate of those.
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Old 20th Oct 2016, 09:31
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Stanwell
On top of that, can you imagine, we had to wear uniforms as well.
In Boys service we were not allowed to wear civvies at all.

After being issued our uniforms, our civilian clothes were packaged and sent home.
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