How do you join the British Army? (1 Viewer)

[Jack]

I was watching a documentary on the Coldstream Guards last night and naturally two things that regularly emerged were the related beliefs that it was (a). a family and (b). the best regiment in a very fine army.

If you were 18 years old and wanted to join the Guards do you join the Army, then the Guards, or do you front up to a Guards recruiting depot and go from there.

 

[larso]

Do you remember the Band of Brothers that was our troop of B Sqn 2/14th LH? Well 'Murph' was going to live in the UK for a spell, didn't he tell us he was arranging to join the Irish Guards in some capacity? If true, this implies you can join direct, though it doesn't follow they'll take you if they have a surplus of volunteers!

 

[Jack]

Do you remember the Band of Brothers that was our troop of B Sqn 2/14th LH? Well 'Murph' was going to live in the UK for a spell, didn't he tell us he was arranging to join the Irish Guards in some capacity? If true, this implies you can join direct, though it doesn't follow they'll take you if they have a surplus of volunteers!

Yes - I remember Murph well. We met one woman on the trip to Western Australia and I was elected to apologise to her on behalf of the regiment after Murph insulted her, not intentionally, but hey, that was Murph. His other claim to fame was that he was dating a young woman who belonged to a pub owing family in Brisbane reputed to be sending funds to the IRA. He was nesting in the bosum of her family watching the news one evening when a report came through about an IRA terrorist attack. His loudly expressed view that they were cowards and murderers, though understandable, found him once again single and standing outside in the street in less than a minute. As for the Irish Guards, Murph said they were a territorial unit and that 'anyone could join'. I assume that they are a fine regiment with a glorious history, but if they accepted Murph they are not what they once were.

 

[Martin Tabony]

You join up at a recruiting centre as normal and then you go to a Selection Centre where you see them and they see you and if they think you're daft enough they accept you as a recruit, then if you can get through training you're in.
Unfortunately the Guards Depot was lost to government cut backs so modern guardsmen do most of their training alongside everyone else. Personaly I prefered the day when a recruit arrived "fully formed" from the Depot. Ah for the days of "bed blocks", "the sand hill" "show behind the guard" etc. etc. ^&grin:salute::


Martin

p.s. We had quite a few "colonials"

 

[johnnybach]

You join up at a recruiting centre as normal and then you go to a Selection Centre where you see them and they see you and if they think you're daft enough they accept you as a recruit, then if you can get through training you're in.
Unfortunately the Guards Depot was lost to government cut backs so modern guardsmen do most of their training alongside everyone else. Personaly I prefered the day when a recruit arrived "fully formed" from the Depot. Ah for the days of "bed blocks", "the sand hill" "show behind the guard" etc. etc. ^&grin:salute::


Martin

p.s. We had quite a few "colonials"

You had to do joined up writing to join the rest!

 

[BLReed]

You join up at a recruiting centre as normal and then you go to a Selection Centre ....

That selection must be tough. At least for cadets.

 

[Martin Tabony]

Yes - I remember Murph well. We met one woman on the trip to Western Australia and I was elected to apologise to her on behalf of the regiment after Murph insulted her, not intentionally, but hey, that was Murph. His other claim to fame was that he was dating a young woman who belonged to a pub owing family in Brisbane reputed to be sending funds to the IRA. He was nesting in the bosum of her family watching the news one evening when a report came through about an IRA terrorist attack. His loudly expressed view that they were cowards and murderers, though understandable, found him once again single and standing outside in the street in less than a minute. As for the Irish Guards, Murph said they were a territorial unit and that 'anyone could join'. I assume that they are a fine regiment with a glorious history, but if they accepted Murph they are not what they once were.

He may have meant the London Irish Rifles, they are a T.A. unit.

Martin

 

[damian]

Do the Royal Navy still round up inebriates carousing in the pubs of Bristol late at night and let them sober up with a stiff ocean breeze on their faces, or is that no longer practiced.

 

[Rob]

Do the Royal Navy still round up inebriates carousing in the pubs of Bristol late at night and let them sober up with a stiff ocean breeze on their faces, or is that no longer practiced.

We they do still round up inebriates but now they have to give them unemployment benefit, housing benefit, benefit of the doubt and any other benefit they can think of. And they don't have to go to Sea either!

Bring back the press gang I say (he says from a comfortably safe position well inland!^&grin)

Rob

 

[Jack]

You join up at a recruiting centre as normal and then you go to a Selection Centre where you see them and they see you and if they think you're daft enough they accept you as a recruit, then if you can get through training you're in.
Unfortunately the Guards Depot was lost to government cut backs so modern guardsmen do most of their training alongside everyone else. Personaly I prefered the day when a recruit arrived "fully formed" from the Depot. Ah for the days of "bed blocks", "the sand hill" "show behind the guard" etc. etc. ^&grin:salute::


Martin

p.s. We had quite a few "colonials"

Martin

Thanks for that. I suppose it must have been close to impossible to make cuts to the regiments without offending many. Do you keep a regiment who fought at Waterloo and cut one that was destroyed on the Somme, or held on to the last against the Zulus or who covered the retreat of the Army at Mons, or do you merge regiments with some historical links or do you just do it based on financial considerations and nothing else? Surely there wouldn't be a regiment in the British Army without a list of battle honours that is the history of the UK written in blood. I'm glad I do not have to justify a decison like that.
Jack

 

[Jack]

He may have meant the London Irish Rifles, they are a T.A. unit.

Martin

You're probably right. He was definitely talking the Territorials. Murph was not big on details.

 

[marco55]

I thought that the men in the Guards were picked from the best men in other regiments.
Mark

 

[larso]

"Murph was not big on details."

Or brains.....

Yes a TA unit makes a lot more sense. It probably never happened.

 

[larso]

As for regiments facing off with histories at 20 paces, it's all academic. As of the last 'reforms' all the regiments are now merged. There were only 6 left that hadn't been anyway (1st, Green Howards, Cheshires, Black Watch are the only ones that I can think of off the top of my head) but they've all been rolled into others now.

 

[Martin Tabony]

I thought that the men in the Guards were picked from the best men in other regiments.
Mark

I think that was Napoleons "Old Guard". We would be full of old men! whereas I was 17 when I joined. Although having thought about it again, you're right, WE ARE THE BEST!!^&grin

Martin

 

[Martin Tabony]

As for regiments facing off with histories at 20 paces, it's all academic. As of the last 'reforms' all the regiments are now merged. There were only 6 left that hadn't been anyway (1st, Green Howards, Cheshires, Black Watch are the only ones that I can think of off the top of my head) but they've all been rolled into others now.

We are the only ones that have been "joined" rather than be "amalgimated" so that we could keep identity of both Household cavalry regiments. "Up town" there is still The Life Guards Squadron and Blues and Royals Squadron but at the regiment A and B squadrons are The Life Guards C and D are Blues and Royals, with a mixed HQ Squadron.

Martin