Coldstream Guards face the axe! (2 Viewers)

[Martin Tabony]

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/260752

 

[Napoleon1er]

Dear God! I cried upon reading that. They just can't do this! How can we let them! This is murder, atrocity, the desacration of the lives of so many brave men and women! If they knew that one day their own government would cut down their standard, would those brave men have held Hougoumont, halted the Guard? Why not cut a line regement? No offence, but why not the Welsh Guards? Are they not the least senior? I can not believe the Queen could do this! Betray her own heritage! Their own colonel destroy them!!!!!!! Suvived many a fight for THIS!?!??!!!!! Just because sone stupid politicians have no balls?! If this happens, it will be the last if the British army. Second to none. SECOND TO NONE! When they did the rifles, we said not the scots. Whent they amalgamated the Highlanders, we said not the Guards. What now, "New flash- the UK official amalgamated the offices of King, Queen, Prine minister, Prince of Wales, and closes Bukingham Palase and the Tower, demolishing both and building a prefab shanty to house the new armory and single regent/minister, as well as the Guard highland Gurhka rifle life guards and blues and Royals and yeoman regement. Come on. They just can NOT do this!


SECOND TO NONE!
Sandor Farkas

feal free to remove any unwanted sentiments/words from my post

 

[ostrein]

They want to do WHAT ???
This is one of the major tourist attractions in London! Why not also closing the Tower and give the Houses of Parliament/Big Ben a modern facelift (all in glass and chrome) ???

Oliver

 

[lancer]

Truely, the WORST decision possible of the options. Idiots. -- Al

 

[Napoleon1er]

I just had a thought-it mist likely won't happen-it won't- but what if, when theyare ordered to hand in their gear, retire the colours- they refuse to disband. Ah, this would be the thing to do, but alas, mow this would be considered criminal.
Just try to get the word out. I have already written to Bernhard Cornwell, and for those of you who are/were in the UK military, try conacting as much (and as senior) people as possible. Hopefully we(every person who is against this) can creat enough stirr to stop it.
Until I go to school, I will sign my posts "Second to none!" in their honor.
Second to none!

 

[trooper]

If this does happen then it is to be hoped that the politicians realise the limitations that our armed forces can cope with and keep their noses out of foreign affairs. In fact that would be a good idea even if the Coldstream are saved.Trooper

 

[Mitch]

I have to say it was always on the cards we had the scottish regiments culled so, why not???. We just seem happy to sell our heritage away on a whitehall whim. Its madness but, look at the state we are in and we can see why.

Sandor...

I really don't think the monarch has much say in the matter
Mitch

 

[Napoleon1er]

I have to say it was always on the cards we had the scottish regiments culled so, why not???. We just seem happy to sell our heritage away on a whitehall whim. Its madness but, look at the state we are in and we can see why.

Sandor...

I really don't think the monarch has much say in the matter
Mitch

Yeah, I know she doesn't, but should could have protested, which would have been honorable. Sorry, but I do not understand what you mean by the first part (bit confused). As to us selling our history, why don't we just sell the Victory to McDonalds or something. McNelson burgers or something. I serious did tear up when I heard about this. How 'bout we all change are avatars or signatures to something Coldstream this month?
Nulli secundus!

 

[Mitch]

Sandor...

I mean that we lost some very old scottish regiments with the pen pushers a few years back and we will more than likely see more regiments go the same way in the current climate. There seems little concern to save our heritage be that military or other when it comes to trying to save money. Who knows if the Queen said something or not but, she does not have to be listened to by our politicians I bet, the duke had something to say!!!! I think there are many things more important than cash but, its like doing it in the wind trying to stop this roller coaster the UK is on now. Without getting political I think we could refrain from certain overseas conflicts we are embroiled in saving money lives etc and keep the regiments.
Mitch

Yeah, I know she doesn't, but should could have protested, which would have been honorable. Sorry, but I do not understand what you mean by the first part (bit confused). As to us selling our history, why don't we just sell the Victory to McDonalds or something. McNelson burgers or something. I serious did tear up when I heard about this. How 'bout we all change are avatars or signatures to something Coldstream this month?
Nulli secundus!

 

[Ruggles]

{sm2} Sad news indeed.

 

[Scott]

actor James Fox?

Actor James Fox was in the Coldstream Guard. Is he wearing that uniform in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines?

 

[Terp152]

Unbelievable! {eek3} Chris

 

[The Ruskie]

This is an utter disgrace!

The British government should hang it's head in shame if this goes ahead!

Mick

 

[Gideon]

I don't understand why you guys are so upset about this. Can somebody explain?

 

[Napoleon1er]

I don't understand why you guys are so upset about this. Can somebody explain?

Have been pondering how to reply to this, as fealings such as this are always difficult to explain. Think of it like this: a regement, or any military unit, is not just a group of guys. The regement, its flags, they are an idea, a living memorial to all those brave men (and women) who have fought and giventheir lives to a cause, or simply to the regement's standard. The older the regemet, the more it has born witness to, the more lives and tales of valour there are stiched into it's standard.The Coldstream guards are an old regement, and a brave one. When I look at their flag, I see three brave men struggling through I tide of French Light Infantry to close a gate to save Europe or realy to save their regement's honor. Now some may think, "Well, let's just save the flag, and make a monument." This is just not an option. When their are no more men to defend that flag, it s just a pecs of cloth. A monument is stone, and a regement is men. Just as an epic poem passed from father to son is more valuable than a gold tablet with the story written upon it. If they do this, they are not making a simply administrative decision. They are doing much much more.
Honi soit qui mal y pense!
Nulli secundus!
-Sandor

 

[Gideon]

The regiment can go away but the history won't. I still don't understand the sentimentality of these things. If UK doesn't need the regiment in service right now then what's the issue with disbanding it for the time being?

We do this pretty frequently in the US. Doesn't get the the same attention as it does in UK I suppose.

 

[Martin Tabony]

The regiment can go away but the history won't. I still don't understand the sentimentality of these things. If UK doesn't need the regiment in service right now then what's the issue with disbanding it for the time being?

We do this pretty frequently in the US. Doesn't get the the same attention as it does in UK I suppose.

The U.S. hasn't had 350 years of a regimental tradition, I believe the nearest equivalent would be the U.S. army division, perhaps if say the 101st airborne was to be disbanded you may have a similar reaction. On the other hand if you don't get it, you just don't get it. Somethings are felt and hard to explain. My father was still serving in the Coldstream Guards when I joined The Life Guards, my best man was a Coldstreamer, so "Septem Juncta In Uno"

Martin

 

[Napoleon1er]

The regiment can go away but the history won't. I still don't understand the sentimentality of these things. If UK doesn't need the regiment in service right now then what's the issue with disbanding it for the time being?

We do this pretty frequently in the US. Doesn't get the the same attention as it does in UK I suppose.

I don't think they wan to do it just for the time being. J also think US regements do not go back as far- it is kid of a diferent culture. For example, what if we were at peace, and decided that we didn't need the marines anymore. I'm sure that would case quite a stir! People would want them to disband a lesser corps. I know it's a stretch, but same idea. And also, I would relucatntly support a reduction to a company of guards and a colour party, and basically keeping it alive on paper. This would preserve it's status as oldest Guards regement.

 

[Ruggles]

I don't think they wan to do it just for the time being. J also think US regements do not go back as far- it is kid of a diferent culture. For example, what if we were at peace, and decided that we didn't need the marines anymore. I'm sure that would case quite a stir! People would want them to disband a lesser corps. I know it's a stretch, but same idea. And also, I would relucatntly support a reduction to a company of guards and a colour party, and basically keeping it alive on paper. This would preserve it's status as oldest Guards regement.

Now let's not get crazy, nobody is disbanding the USMC! {sm0}

LOL just kidding.

I may be a American but I agree with my friends in the U.K. on this, it is more than just a military unit. What has been built with blood and time can not be turned on and off like a light switch at the government's pleasure. In the Marines we referred to it as the "esprit de corps" of the Corps. Simply put it was a feeling that some of those who had come before you had given all in service, defense and loyalty to the unit you belonged to (in this case the entire USMC) and you had no right to give any less. In fact the very notion that you would do so dishonored the sacrifice they made. Something that drives people to do more than it seems possible at times. Tough to explain in words I guess but very powerful in real life. I would suggest it is the "thing" that makes the USMC such an effectiveness fighting force to this day.

When the Marines were in effect left undermanned and under gunned to fend for themselves on Guadalcanal as the USN was forced to leave (a matter of some debate to this day {sm4}) the Marine commanding officer gave his men one reason they would hold the island against the upcoming Japanese attack. Not strategic importance and the value of the island to the war effort, but because "they were Marines" and had been ordered to do so. That was all they needed to know.

That kind of "esprit de corps" can not be trained, bought, or inspired, it is earned with blood and time. That is what our friends in the U.K. will lose if they lose this fine proud military unit.

You can not replace this type of heritage, it is too hard earned. 10 years from now you can't throw a group of men together and expect them to perform as effectively as a unit with this type of history.

And even as a Marine I would hate to see the 101st Airborn go away {eek3}

 

[damian]

I don't think they wan to do it just for the time being. J also think US regements do not go back as far- it is kid of a diferent culture. For example, what if we were at peace, and decided that we didn't need the marines anymore. I'm sure that would case quite a stir! People would want them to disband a lesser corps. I know it's a stretch, but same idea. And also, I would relucatntly support a reduction to a company of guards and a colour party, and basically keeping it alive on paper. This would preserve it's status as oldest Guards regement.

I think the most appropriate comparison for our American friends would be is Congress decided to scrap the USMC for budgetary reasons.