RA White Lanyard

The legend as recounted in the RE about the RA lanyard was about a supposed incident during the Crimean War.

The RA were supposedly being overrun and so retreated leaving their guns behind, the RE and RAVC recovered the guns and leaving their own kit behind fell back with the guns.

It entered popular banter with the RE and was a cause of many a high jinx especially in Osnabruck (RE and RA shared a Barracks) and Hohne (NATO training area and home to 50 Missile Reg at the time who did the duty NCO in the NAAFI Bar frequented by the units on the exercise area.

The RAOC fell foul to a similar rumour/legend reference the cannon balls and guns on their capbadge (wrong size munitions delivered for the RA guns).

It sort of comes under the headings with the Drop Shorts, Grunts, Clankies, Armoured Farmers, Water Babies, Run Away Someones Coming, Rag And Oil Company, Royal Engineer Minus Education, Scaleys, Wedgies, Crabs, Rock Apes, Donkey Wallopers, Queens Last Resorts, etc, etc, etc. All wind up baiting banter, its whats gives the British Army some of its reputation and Espirit De Corps. Although some nationalities and people do not understand Brit Army banter and find it offensive or shocking that we can call our best mates some bad things as an affectionate greeting.

My Corps has been ripped apart by others even on ops, the same as we used to rip into other units (even when from different country's military's). It was never taken in seriousness or offence as it was banter not an outright accusation of failure of some sort.

As a note about the lanyards we in the RE Field Troops had 2 lanyards, one was the braided blue one worn in barracks etc, the other was a longer plain natural whitish one with no braiding and 2 or 3 twists to the lay, it was worn with our combat jackets and had our jack knives attached to the end (it was long enough that the knife could be used at arms length without removing it from the lanyard or your shoulder).

 

The Prince Harry's lanyard is standard for Officers full dress in the Household mob - BUT - his batman should be fired for allowing him on this kind of parade with hair uncut and uncombed - makes him look like a New York Hotel Doorkeeper or as Peter G suggests an Elevator operator from Browns Hotel Chicago...
Cheers

Though it isn't a lanyard but an aiguilette, as worn by staff officers in formal dress. I think it's supposed to descend from the rope they used to carry to tether the boss's horse when in the field. HC officers, I think are all counted as aides for historical reasons. Nowadays worn by ADCs, attaches, general officers (as aides to the Queen) and so forth, certainly of Commonwealth and "British" armies. I've seen Canadian officers wearing them and even Mugabe's sidekicks seem to have kept that particular trapping of colonialism. I think the HC - certainly the Lifeguards - have a normal lanyard for barrack and service dress.

The hair and a general air of "the morning after" are standard cavalry issue and usually attributed to "youthful high spirits".

 

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 ?

Check this out; Origins of the Lanyard

 

No lads, an old friend of mine who served in submarines (RN) told me that the guns were recovered by the Navy! He said that the story/legend is that the RA left their guns and a Royal navy detachment took over. Could be two similar stories/legends but he "took the P£$%" about that all the time! He even "honked" on about Crete even though I said thank you for getting us away safe, at the cost of so many RN loses! Is this a case of the "Senior Service" flexing there muscle or can anyone bear some light on this?

 

Hugh MacLean - in storage so I will have to look for it sometime. A photograph taken aboard HMS Powerful fo'ard gun crew- dressed in white rig with straw hat wearing a long around neck lanyard looped to a large white rosette just below left shoulder. An old hand told me that my relative was a gunner. Of course the bluejackets did take the guns ashore South Africa. The myths that pass for fact in service units - an old pal who had served in Malaya told of the 'sacred ground' in camp revered by Guardsmen who would not walk across where British soldiers were buried from past times. That it was nonsense made no difference truth was not going to destroy a long held belief.

Sometimes the truth is as odd as the myth. Cowardice or just in case? I was a supernumerary Lsgt on a guard mount if not required off around the Ebury for a session. The Drill Sergeant my boss on last tour of NI said get your forage cap and explain to the tourists peering through the fence at Chelsea Barracks what we are doing. off I went soon to be surrounded by wonderful Americans wearing Rupert bear trousers amid mountains of cameras there are a few houses in the States with a Jock Lsgt with his arm around Mrs America. So I started to explain that what they were watching was a battle formation, the colour party marching on to 'General Alarum' a warning to all that the colours are 'on the field' - one American gentleman shook my hand and introduced himself as Colonel retired, quick salute - he was chuffed to bits! Hey Sergeant, why are those two guys pacing up and down at the back - they do so at Light Infantry pace- I explained that when facing the Frenchman they were to stiffen the resolve, he soon caught on, I said anyone breaks ranks the Colour Sergeants at the rear give them the option face the Frenchy or the Musket of a Colour Sergeant.

 

Ahhh.. So that is what a Colour Sgt is for, I thought they were just there to make life hell! In a much more colourful way, compared to a "normal" Sgt.

Tee Hee

 

Wills, I think you refer to the Siege of Ladysmith during the Second Boer War. The RN landed field guns to assist their opposite numbers in the army. The 6 guns were manhandled over difficult terrain arriving at the last minute to help relieve the garrison at Ladysmith.

The Royal Tournament RN field gun competition - the toughest team sport in the world - was based on this epic achievement.

Regards
Hugh

 

Indeed I have not got his vellum discharge sheet handy it is in storage. But I can remember salient points and as you say he was there. He had finished his time about 1911 (from 1890s joining) and went merchant navy - we also have his Fireman's and Seamans Insurance and Union book. Recalled to Pompey 1914 until 1919 and back to merchant service. I cannot remember the figure but it is interesting to note 1919 - Awarded Prize pay to the sum of ?? We have many photos most with the straw hat one on Powerful all bare footed smoking pipes standing in a group with mops and buckets! And another where the ship is surrounded by ice - I must look them out. We also had a small bed roll with his name stamped on in gentian coloured stamp and 'Victory'. I imagine that would have a training 'ship'

 

All this ribbing by the Fatbadges should mean nothing to us Gunners. All i would ask them to do is step to the left, and remember that to us "UBIQUE" is our Battle Honour and not just a motto. Then wait for the incoming outrage and smile...For some reason they hate that retort, to their little lanyard joke?:p

The Gold/Yellow in the Regimental stable belt, represents the GUNS firing in battle. And just as a bythought...We the Gunners and our junior bretherin RE and RAOC were given their royal warrants at the same time, under The Board Of Ordinance...Everything else is banter, so take it as such!

UBIQUE! qfegd...

 

When I did my NS in the Royal Artillery at Kinmel Park in 1948 we were told that the RA had TWO lanyards and during a retreat in the Great War they left their guns and limbers. The Royal Medical Corps came through and hitch their lorries to them and fetched them to safety. One lanyard was removed from the RA and presented to the Medical Corps. Any one heard of this at all.

Ken

 

When I did my NS in the Royal Artillery at Kinmel Park in 1948 ...
Kinmel Park, Rhyl! Brings back memories, I was there in 1948 too after reporting for initial square bashing at Oswestry. Small world!

Peter

 

50 Msl Regt was never stationed in Hohne, from c. 1960 to c. 1990 they were stationed in Menden (not far from Soest) where their SAS site was (there was never a SASS in the Hohne area (far too far East for a starter)). In the 1960s early 70s when equipped with 8 inch Hows and HJ msls they did firing camps (typically lasting up to a month) using Bergen-Hohne ranges, basing themselves in Traun Camp or on the Soltau-Luneberg training area.

The white lanyard is mundane, it was a lanyard used to secure an item of equipment, it got grubby, it got blancoed, blanco was white at that time, the name blanco come from French blanc for white, bit of a duh that one.

Stable belt colours are a matter for regimental dress committees, why would the RA Dress Committee select a colour that wasn't creditable? That's a bit of a duh too.

In WW1 all MT was operated by the ASC. The RAMC like other regts and corps did not operate it's own MT, they had ASC drivers. Oh, and find us all a picture of a pre WW1 Gunner wearing two lanyards.

 

This might be of interest.
Orders issued to Officer and OR, 6/3 Maritime Anti-aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery, 23 January, 1942

Instructions were received from the Commanding Officer with regard to dress. All personnel on the administrative staff of Batteries and Detachments will wear a white lanyard on the right shoulder, with clasp-knife attached carried in the right pocket of the battle dress blouse. On the left shoulder blancoed lanyard will be worn. All sea-going personnel will wear a blancoed lanyard on each shoulder. The clasp-knife will be attached to the lanyard on the right shoulder and will be carried in the right pocket of the battle dress blouse. The whistle will be attached to the lanyard worn on the left shoulder and will he carried in the left pocket of the battle dress blouse. Sea going personnel may, if they wish, when off duty out billets, wear a white lanyard on the right shoulder instead of the blancoed one.

 

In that case 'blancoed' means kharki type colour not proper 'blanco' in the original meaning. No sure about officers wearing white lanyards, certainly contrary to RA Dress Regulations, CO exceeding his authority, his adjutant and RSM should have put him right. Of course officers or soldiers carrying pistols had them on a lanyard, sometimes on shoulder sometimes around neck, and some also had whistles on a second lanyard. Compasses were also sometimes attached to a lanyard, not forgetting that binocluars on a lanyard, that could be 5 lanyards. Not forgetting that some people might regard a sword knot as a type of lanyard.

However, normal RA non-field dress was one white lanyard for ORs, original white blanco, no lanyard for officers.

 

In the RHA we wore a white braided lanyard. That's me on the right in 1949.

 

Not quite: the red is for the guns firing, the gold/yellow represents the regimental lace of the old uniform worn by the Royal Regiment as opposed to the white worn by common infanteers.

Drop 100, fire for effect OVER!

 

Anyone have any idea what colour the Royal Armoured Corps lanyard was. My Grandfather owned a yellow one. But they wear a white one now?

 

Yes - its on your other thread RAC Lanyards.

TD