Wednesday 4 April 2012

Which Regiments Would You Axe?

Well, ideally none of them if we wish to continue punching above our weight. But times are hard and the axe is being sharpened (again) - but not for all. From the Telegraph we learn that some regiments are apparently 'untouchables':

... understood to include the entire Household Division - the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards as well as the Household Cavalry, composed of the Blues and Royals and the Life Guards.

The Life Guards ?! I cannot think of a more useless outfit. (I suffered under the size 10 Boot DMS of a brutal Corporal Major of horse at the RMA, but that has nothing to do with it, of course.) My old mate General Sir Peter Wall, CGS, is a down-to-earth Sapper and I can't see him harbouring any great sentiment in favour of these wastrels whose ceremonial tasks should be outsourced to Equity.

Mark my words, Cameron's riding set has been lobbying again: they've persuaded him that HM the Q would be displeased (not to mention unhappiness among the Wuperts). Not good.

ND

11 comments:

Raedwald said...

Well, the Gunners are as much up their own arses as the Household Division (despite sharing the 'Shop' distinction with the Sappers)

"When I wear my hat" a young Gunner responded to me over the mess table "it means I want a silent breakfast"

"When I bang the coffee pot" I replied "it means please pass the fucking ketchup."

Oh I've got a little list. With at least two RA (now) Brigadiers on it.

Anonymous said...

Nick, so how much do these Guards regiments cost to run and equipe in a year as apposed to a infantry regiment or technical regiment, if the Guards are over populated by Wupperts and the riding classes why not utilise them in other regiments ie seconded to other regiments like those in REME and signals, after all they don't used horses in warfare nowadays do they.

Electro-Kevin said...

Her Maj ? Let's not discount the Spielberg effect either.

His epic cinematic triumph War Horse has millions of young girlies a flutter over our equine friends in service.

The sight of retired military horses being sent to the knacker's yard will forever dash Cameron's hopes of ditching 'the nasty party' image.

Electro-Kevin said...

Anon 9.17

How about a cavalry charge on the Taliban ? One last "Huzzah !" before our exit in 2015 ?

Hearts and minds - spiked on the ends of their lances.

hovis said...

None, just scrap trident.

Sebastian Weetabix said...

Nothing changes. Sir Percy Hobart was right when he said "until the day tanks eat hay and shit the Cavalry won't give up their horses".

My uncle was a REME officer in Aden. Two stories stick in my mind. Firstly you could tell when it was Ascot week because not one cavalry officer above the rank of Captain (and only one of those!) could be found east of Suez; secondly he once jokingly told an officer (whom he described as being so dim even his fellow cavalry officers noticed - I think he was from the Royal Scots Greys) not to rotate his Centurion's turret 360 degrees anti-clockwise "because it would unscrew it". Happily the gentleman promptly posted standing orders to that effect. Once the ruse was exposed it didn't do my Uncle's career much good. They didn't like being laughed at one bit, especially by rude Glaswegian mechanicals.

Weekend Yachtsman said...

None.

And re-instate those which the bean-counters have already disbanded.

Pay for it by cancelling all overseas "aid", stopping contributions to the EU, and reducing over-generous pay and pensions for public sector parasites.

formertory said...

WY, don't forget a Augean Stables type clear-out of the Ministry of Defence incompetents who outnumber the actual soldiery by about 2:1, and seem incapable of getting anything right.

Oh and did I mention their over-generous pay and pensions? :-)

Budgie said...

I wouldn't. But as formertory says the MoD (and top brass) could be vastly cut.

I would also scrap DfID, scrap all CAGW inspired nonsense, and get out of the EU.

Anonymous said...

The Ceremonial Duties are of equal importance to Afghanistan Operations. The current bill for ceremonial duties is a Brigade, not just London, but Windsor and Scotland too. Ceremonial brings in the tourists, foreign adventurism brings inflation.

Spreading the muck to say the Household Cavalry is two regiments when it is only four undermanned squadrons, with one in 16 Brigade's line up plus a Troop(plus) riding horses in London is a bit rich. We should remind ourselves that the cavalry is very thin these days; down from the 100 man troop, two troops per squadron of the Peninsular Campaign.

Costello said...

"punching above our weight."

It's not us 'punching above our weight' though it's simply us punching our weight - and barely that.