RA White Lanyard

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Belly, Sep 13, 2010.

  1. Belly

    Belly Engage the enemy more closely

    Hi all


    Quick question:
    The white lanyard worn by ORs for walking out during ww2, would that have been the 'plain' type or the fancy braided variety??

    cheers Belly
     
  2. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Belly

    Braided, as per below

    Ron
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Belly

    Belly Engage the enemy more closely

  4. Tabby

    Tabby Junior Member

    Ah, my father wore one of these lanyards. What does it mean?
     
  5. Belly

    Belly Engage the enemy more closely

  6. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Belly -
    I don't think that is the kind of lanyard worn by Ron - certainly not one which I wore - mine was also pleated and was twice the thickness of that shown in your illustration - mind you I was in Tanks and only worn by Training regiments to distinquish one from the others as in the training area we had three regments - we had Yellow lanyards - 54th had Lime coloured and the 59th had a Red lanyard.

    I think the main benefit was it helped the Police to sort out the combatants during the Saturday night fracas in the Town ...!
    Cheers
     
  7. Groundhugger

    Groundhugger Senior Member

    :confused:Don't know the official reason but I was led to believe it was to be used , joined up together with the gun crews lanyards to pull the firing lever in the need to spike the Gun .
    or to give the soldier something totally useless to try and keep clean :lol:
     
  8. mac657

    mac657 Junior Member

    Interesting thread. I'm an ex-royal engineer and we wore a blue lanyard. I was also posted to Germany in the same barracks as an RA regiment. The 'word' there (although not in the officially) was that we (RE) received our lanyard for manning guns that the RA had deserted in the past. Hence the white lanyard and also the yellow stripe in the RA stable belt to also denote cowardice ?
     
  9. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Mac657

    Interesting thread. I'm an ex-royal engineer and we wore a blue lanyard. I was also posted to Germany in the same barracks as an RA regiment. The 'word' there (although not in the officially) was that we (RE) received our lanyard for manning guns that the RA had deserted in the past. Hence the white lanyard and also the yellow stripe in the RA stable belt to also denote cowardice ?


    Sir

    I dare you to repeat that statement in the "Letters to The Times" page" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    People have been hung, drawn & quartered for a lot less than your remarks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Desertion ?????...... Cowardice ?????? Poppycock !!!!!!!

    Ron Goldstein
    ex 49th Light Anti Aircraft Rgt. RA
     
  10. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

  11. Derek Barton

    Derek Barton Senior Member

    Well said Ron. I will make no comment on the "Gentleman's" remarks as I don't want to banned from the site.

    Derek Barton
    ex Royal Regiment of Artillery 1962-81
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Ah, but they did leave a lot of ordnance in a certain area of the French country side in 1940.

    Anyone know what the yellow line signify's in the stable belt? For that matter what about the Red and Blue colours too?

    My old Corps colours represent Comms over Land, Sea and Air.

    Cheers
    Andrew N.
    Ex-Bombardier
    96 Cadet Battery,
    Royal Artillery
    1981-1985
     
  13. Derek Barton

    Derek Barton Senior Member

    Don't know about the yellow stripe but the red and blue are from the uniform colours, dark blue with scarlet facings.

    As for leaving stuff behind in France, we wern't the only ones and most of what was left behind was rendered useless first. :)
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Cheers Derek - I might start a thread on this-I like this sort of, what some might term, 'useless information'.
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Origins of The Lanyard & The classic "Sapper Leg-pull"
    There has long been a tale-usually told by Sappers-about the Gunners wearing a white lanyard for cowardice, allegedly for deserting their guns. Of course, the story is nothing more than a piece of leg pulling. The tradition of ‘winding up’ stems from the age-old rivalry between the two ‘sister’ corps founded under the Board of Ordnance and trained together in Woolwich. However, I am still being asked by Gunners whether this story is true, so it is time it was put to rest.
    Lanyards associated with dress came into use in the late 19th Century, when field guns, such as the 12 and 15 ponders, used ammunition which had fuses set with a fuse key. The key was a simple device, and every man had one, attached to a lanyard worn around the neck. The key itself was kept in the breast pocket until needed. The lanyard was a simple piece of strong cord, but it was gradually turned into something a bit more decorative, smartened up with ‘Blanco’, and braided, taking its present form.
    The gold stripe in the Gunner stable belt stems from the colours of the uniform at the time the stable belt was introduced. It was not a question, as the jokers would have it, of yellow stripes for cowardice! Equally ludicrous is the suggestion that the Gunners has seven ‘flames’, as opposed to the sapper's nine, because we lost two guns at some point in history!
    For those still plagued by jokers, the simplest answer to this kind of leg-pulling is to invite the joker to produce his evidence. No change to any of the Army's dress regulations can take place without a formal order, and-let us be realistic! it is ridiculous to suppose that the Army Board in its wisdom would countenance the idea of a ‘badge of shame’ to be worn by any branch of the Service. It would guarantee that no one would ever join it! And since no such evidence exists, the joker's story falls flat on its face. One might even ask why other arms and corps wear lanyard.



    Royal Regiment of Artillery History
     
    Drew5233 likes this.
  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Oh....So its Gold not Yellow :lol:
     
  17. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  18. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I was pleased to see that some of our forum members have derived some humour from Mac657's posting.

    At the same time, I think it is time for him to say either "I was only winding you up chaps" or substantiate his original posting.

    As someone who has paid a return visit to the CWGC Cemetery at Cassino, where many RA comrades lay buried, I take strong objection to the blanket accusation of desertion & cowardice.

    May I respectfully suggest to Mac657 that if he intends to be facetious he makes use of the Smiley icon.

    If he was not writing in jest, then could he kindly supply chapter and verse regarding his claims ?

    Ron
     
  19. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    I was pleased to see that some of our forum members have derived some humour from Mac657's posting.

    At the same time, I think it is time for him to say either "I was only winding you up chaps" or substantiate his original posting.

    As someone who has paid a return visit to the CWGC Cemetery at Cassino, where many RA comrades lay buried, I take strong objection to the blanket accusation of desertion & cowardice.

    May I respectfully suggest to Mac657 that if he intends to be facetious he makes use of the Smiley icon.

    If he was not writing in jest, then could he kindly supply chapter and verse regarding his claims ?

    Ron

    Ron
    Thank you, always a calm & collected repy. I'am sure your blood must be boiling!
    From a family that has given over 30yrs of service to the Royal Artillery including two World Wars I would like to meet in the middle of the parade ground at Woolwich anyone who thinks it's ok to question the integrity of this arm of sevice and to discuss it futher in some detail!!!
    Rob Dickers
     
  20. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    And there was I thinking the British Army was known for it's thick-skinned banter?
    If the RA's so easily wound up I can see why the RE might continue with this bit of baiting...

    I can't believe the RA doesn't have similar tall tales to wind up the RE with? I've certainly never known a squaddie that couldn't play for bites with any other unit, and it seems likely to have been the case since 1660.
     

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