jakee 1,501
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Indeed, after the drop they RV'd with the LRDG and didn't 'exactly' return back to base as such. David Stirling got the idea to use this unit to launch his attacks, which he then did after a day or two. To be pedantic, the weaponary was primarily the Lewes bomb (invented by Jock Lewes) & Vickers K .303 on the wagons. They'd also captured a Lancia truck armed with a 20mm rear Breda gun.
'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'
QuoteCouldn't Harry just climb onto his broomstick & fly away?
oh, wait, that's Harry Potter. sorry.
That reminds me of the time he was caught smoking cannabis, several years ago. One of the headlines on a cheap UK tabloid read;
'HARRY POTHEAD'
So I suppose he could always just float away, man.
'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'
QuoteIt's a tough call, but in the end I think they made the right decision. The attention he would draw from the insurgents would put his fellow troops at much higher risk than they otherwise would be, not to metion the consequences if he were captured, outweigh any benefit from his being deployed.
I do admire his resolve, though, in insisting he stay with his men. Perhaps someday he will get the cahnce to serve his country in the manner he wishes.
In light of that, here's an interesting link:
http://newsbbc.co.uk/ you'll have to unfortunately piss around trying to find the article, so here it is;
"The decision not to send Prince Harry to Iraq has to be seen through the prism of the long history of royal service in wars, says military historian Peter Caddick-Adams.
The history of the concept of monarchy is inextricably linked with martial prowess. In the UK, these ties between the royal and military spheres have remained strong.
After months of indecision, the British Ministry of Defence has announced that Prince Harry, third in line to the throne, is not to go to Iraq with his regiment.
The moment Officer Cadet Harry Wales began his course at Sandhurst Military Academy in early 2006, it was inevitable that the question of his operational service in either Afghanistan or Iraq would arise.
ACTIVE SERVICE ROYALS
Prince Andrew
Prince Philip
Duke of Kent
Prince Maurice
At the eleventh hour, military - and one suspects, political - chiefs arrived at the curious decision to stop his deployment. In some eyes this will be seen as caving-in to insurgent threats to kidnap or target the prince.
It seems curious, too, that the British military is admitting in effect that it cannot protect one of its own officers. Not that he would be easily recognisable in helmet and body armour, inside an armoured vehicle.
In a wider context this may be seen as a break with a long tradition of British royals serving in the military in war zones. Both Harry's uncle Prince Andrew, who served in the Falklands as a helicopter pilot, and his grandfather, Prince Philip, who was decorated during World War II for his service with the Royal Navy, faced very real danger in different combat zones.
Danger proximity
Prince Harry's great uncle, King George VI's brother, the Duke of Kent, joined the RAF and was killed while flying in 1942. A more distant ancestor, Prince Maurice of Battenberg, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was killed near Mons in 1914 as an officer in the King's Royal Rifle Corps.
Some scholars argue that it is the very proximity of the royal family to danger - sharing the suffering of their subjects and soldiers - that has won great respect for the institution of monarchy.
Kingship hit a low point in December 1936 with the abdication of Edward VIII, but that credibility was restored during World War II, when King George VI and his family stayed in London and their residence of Buckingham Palace was bombed. Even the Queen donned uniform as Second Lieutenant Princess Elizabeth, in the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the Army during the war).
Harry wanted to be treated like any other soldier
By decreeing that Prince Harry should stay behind whilst the rest of his regiment departs on hazardous operations also creates a dangerous precedent. It creates a two-tier army, where the celebrities and famous avoid conflict, whilst the rest have to brave the bullets, something that the prince would not wish.
In the US during the Vietnam war, there was evidence that exactly this happened - you could negotiate your way out of the draft, or to a less dangerous posting, if your family were well-connected, rich or famous, and this generated massive resentment.
Commentators have suggested Harry's regiment, the Blues and Royals, will be breathing a collective sigh of relief that Harry is not joining them, supposedly because his presence would have made them more of a target.
But I am reliably informed that they are all in fact most disappointed that this promising young commander will have to break the bonds he has forged with his men over the last few months. Surely this is the most valuable training a royal prince can receive.
Operational service is a great social leveller and unlikely bonds are forged as service personnel face very real and constant danger. Royals have always appreciated the relative anonymity and freedom of the military.
One might ask where the prince can serve. Afghanistan? The Balkans? They all have their own dangers, and once this decision is ratified, it may have to be repeated again and again for as long as the prince remains in the Army.
It is indeed a shame that politics has got in the way of this young man's aspirations to serve his country and follow the tradition of military service that almost every generation of British royals has followed."
'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'
BillyVance 34
All I can say is he's a pussy! 
All kidding aside, I'll be the insurgents are going "damn!"
"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban
Zenister 0
oh well.. so much for respect.
His blood isnt better than anyone else's.. HE seems to realize that. Perhaps the Politicians should too..
![[:/]](/uploads/emoticons/dry.png "[:/]"){kind=small}
____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.
Perhaps. I should also think that while they're at it, they could perhaps free up a few acres of land. (from the googles of acres they 'own', and do fuck all with.)
I'd at least like to grow some over-ripe tomatoes, hahahaa. (That's Tuh - MAE - to's for all you Americans struggling with the mother tongue.)
'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'
Harry Potter,that was good.
Swooping, huh? I love that stuff ... all the flashing lights and wailing sirens ... it's very exciting!
grue 1
Perhaps if the silly outdated monarchy crap wasn't still being used, this wouldn't be an issue.
Then again, it's a safe bet nobody high in the American government has any relatives near combat, either.
Then again, it's a safe bet nobody high in the American government has any relatives near combat, either.
cavete terrae.
I did not know that! I had thought that the first raid was the vehicle attack on a Luftwaffe fighter airfield with truck mounted .50 Cals and thermite charges - turns out that the agreement with the LRDG to use their vehicles came about after the failure of the paratroop raid.
Interesting history
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