Taken by myself in that very same museum..... Colour Sgt Bourne - Nigel Green who should have had a VC!!!
For myself, I would like to see the units of our National Guard and reserve re-assume the old Civil War volunteer regimental designations. Contrary to the impressions of some foreign visitors and the dreams of our bureaucrats America is not just a big homogenized blob, and it would be good to see local and state traditions re-asserted in the army. As a Civil War student I would be thrilled to see regiments like the 2nd Massachusetts, 5th Maryland, 7th West Virginia, 5th New Hampshire, 10th Tennessee, and 1st Texas alive again and parading down our streets on Veteran's Day and Independence Day.
Hi TTH, I thought you guys could bear arms and raise militias (although maybe that's just the right to wear T-shirts? and it's all been a big mistake Doh!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution What's stopping you? Seriously though, don't you have your re-enactment militias wearing the regalia and parading? http://www.notholt.net/kentucky/ (This is probably a very unnecessary confusion - but just love this quote:- ) I little thought that one day I would have a Manhattan apartment of my own, a green card and even be made a Kentucky Colonel. It’s true. One doesn’t like to boast, but Steve Beshear, the Governor of the State – actually theCommonwealth of Kentucky – bestowed that rank upon me, uniquely in the gift of Kentucky, last year. Unlike Harland Sanders of Fried Chicken fame, who was accorded the same title, I don’t use it. But if you choose to call me Colonel Fry I shall certainly answer and with pride." Colonel Stephen Fry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Fry
Can we not start the whole SWB/Zulu nonsense again chaps... The lovely people at the Royal Welsh Museum in Brecon are VERY clear its the Warwickshire Regiment that was at Rorkes Drift... For me it would be a separation of Royal Welch Fusiliers and Royal Welch Regiment. (Needs Royal 'cause that was gained and such). Perhaps Country Regts to boost recruitment regionally for the TA... I mean AR...
Of course, (I'm not sure anybody really was ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rorke%27s_Drift http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rorke%27s_Drift#Depictions_and_dramatisations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulu_(1964_film) Never watch a film like it's actually "real" - and no "truth" survives "the telling". The 24th Regiment of Foot is described as a Welsh regiment: in fact, although it was based in Brecon in South Wales, its designation was the '24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot'. It did not become the South Wales Borderers until 1881. Of the soldiers present, 49 were English, 32 Welsh, 16 Irish and 22 others of indeterminate nationality. (By the way I think I'm of 'indeterminate nationality' - according to this - Rm ) (For a very long time Brecon was a border / Welsh marches town, with a strong wall to keep it safe from those outside (!) Now the Normans in Wales/the Welsh Marches would make a great film and plenty of parallels with keeps and castles to the defense of Rorke's drift in that!) Does anyone think the "truth" would actually have "spoilt it" somehow??? Does it ever??? Rm
Trying to think of other "film" or "TV" where they "missed" on the ship's crew and/or regimental uniform now "U-571" springs immediately to mind I think for the "Great Escape" there were one or two "questionables" too.... It does have an odd effect on history... learning things that way
Too late I think that the "regiment of anoraks" has been reborn Long live the "1st foot in mouth".... (ps. if there is/or isn't yet a collective noun for an "anorak" please fell free to correct me or suggest it now.... I'm going with a regiment of.... though.... for the time being )
Oh, the "Kentucky colonel" thing has been the state joke there for a very long time and re-enacting is not real. I'd like to see our Guard and reserve units REALLY re-assume their original local identities.
Got to agree, The idea of regiments of "Pals" fighting together seemed to be a very bad idea only after WW1 but the ways of modern war now seem totally different - to the idea of "Pals" bravely marching line by line into machine gun fire - so a return to the old local identities might seem to be warranted more than ever now especially since the "support" groups for families might be more "locally" based and a home life in a more local location might be something more desired and less expensive to maintain. All the best, Rm.
To be fair the authorities realised that the pals concept was a bad idea on the 1st July 1916 when the Accrington Pals where wiped out. Their whole deployment changed after the Somme and the idea of letting families of brothers serve together in the same unit was changed.
