My avatar does not really relate to my user name except in a tangential, roundabout way. The woman in question is one Theresa Leeanne (Terry) Downe, a major character in Jaime Hernandez' long-running "Locas" comic series in the comic magazine Love and Rockets. Terry is a lesbian punk rock guitarist from California, one of a gang of girls (Locas=crazy girls) whom Jaime follows from their teenage punk days to the present time. She's the most beautiful one of the gang on the outside, with a body she loves to show off. She's also very tough, a runaway who was abused as a kid. Terry can use a knife and her fists as well as any kid in town. She's a sly schemer and a great actress who can play almost any role with people to get what she wants. Many people swallow her lies but many others hate her. She has a nasty, sarcastic wit, plays dynamite punk guitar, and hates men. In other words, she's the perfect punk girl. Punk was never about being nice, as some of you old crocs can no doubt recall. She's my favorite female fictional character, but aside from that she does have some tenuous connection with this site. Terry Downe is a great musician, and "Derry Down" is an old British folk song refrain. Hernandez says that her ancestry is British and German, so she's related both to the Allies and to the Axis. She's also something of a throwback, like punk itself was. Her languid, wiseguy sarcasm, dark, belle dame sans merci looks, and film noir elegance with her cigarettes are pure 1940s tough gal style. If you took Barbara Stanwyck, threw a leather jacket on her and gave her a guitar, and stuck her in Oxnard California in 1979 she'd be Terry Downe. Finally, the very first WWII OC of 69th Infantry Bde in 50th Division was the Viscount Downe. He was a poltroon who ran away to Britain days ahead of his men, whom he left in the soup on the road to Dunkirk. Terry Downe has approximately ten times more guts.
My avatar is for my grandfather, whose regiment formed part of 5th Infantry Division (a fact I discovered thanks to you guys!)
It's like i have to learn about a whole new member. I still get confused with Gordon's sorta new name and we talk more than average. My Username is a nonsensical word that circulated around in my family and was coined by a loose-jointed uncle of mine to describe the flexibility of his fingers. I used it because of its rarity in the hope that it would not be used any up and down the internerd©* by others. As far as my avatar is concerned, it is the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 30th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mech) of the 30th Infantry Division. For the uninitiated, the nickname of the 30th ID was Old Hickory. The subject of my 2012 book served with the 30th Recon. * copyright von Poop
I have to admit, Jeff, that yours is one of my favourite usernames on here, it has a certain something, my other being the excellent von Poop (that one makes me smile every time I see it). Of course, after I read your post, I immediately did a quick internet search on “Slipdigit” and, yup, I think you’re the only one!
Thanks, Wobbler. I aim to please. I, too, like von Poop as a username. It has a certain scatalogical style about it. Imagine, he originally joined here to stir some crap, but has been a steady hand for well over 10 years.
The 69th Infantry Brigade were not of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division until after Dunkirk... They were part of the second line 23rd (Northumbrian) Division whilst part of the BEF.
A-58 was my call sign when I was still in uniform patrol assigned to Troop A in Baton Rouge, La. It changed several times before I retired, but to me that's my number. My avatar is for the US 82nd Airborne Division (aka the 82nd Airplane Gang), and I was assigned to it for awhile when I was in the Army. Not in the big war though. I heard that A58 is a road somewhere's in England. Or maybe Wales, I'm not sure. And in case you're taking a poll, I prefer Von Poop to whatever you are contemplating on changing it to, but that's just me. Everyone here knows who Von Poop is. Kinda stands out there. I like the avatar as well, but I liked the one of the dude with the dreadlocks taking a leak on the side of a bunker better. Maybe that was Za Rodino who had that one after he changed from the GIF with the elephant jumping up and down on a trampoline.
My username is just my initials - boring, I know. Avatar is the cap badge of the Berkshire Yeomanry, my Dad's regiment in WW2.
My first firefighter call sign is still "my" number, even though I was 2241 for 16 years. Our call sign numbering system told other fire companies what department I was in and what my rank was there. In this case, I was a Captain at Station 22.
Diminutive of the family name - Dawkins, 'Dawks' was taken. Avatar is wishful thinking! Although a confirmed Ducati rider my track day efforts don't come close. This is one Reuben Xaus, one time Moto GP rider and if you can see he is one handed, thumbs up, knee down and smoking the rear tyre of his Ducati. ps I also thought it was a cleavage as I didn't study it until this thread
My name is, well - my name. I lack imagination, it seems! Avatar is my three uncles, Don, Des and Den, back from the war. There was one in each service branch: Den was a PTI in the Royal Corps of Signals, Don a 148 Sqdn pilot, and Des a matelot on the KGV in the Pacific. Kind of genetic spread-betting... Pat PS deffo cleavage.
I had a piercing that wasn't the standard for a serviceman when i initally joined up. Name stuck for a while.
