People trying to out 'special forces' each other on the Internet.

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

I have a friend who was involved in the first Gulf war. When I say involved, he was in the RAF based in Hong Kong and was asked to stay late one night to crate up a couple of 'night sun' helicopter search lights. An act of selfless sacrifice that he got paid overtime for. Strangly he was never awarded a campaign medal.

Think your mate is telling your porkies, the RAF handed over to local in 1997 and you don't get paid overtime either, it's a daily rate.

 

[TVC]

Think your mate is telling your porkies, the RAF handed over to local in 1997 and you don't get paid overtime either, it's a daily rate.

First gulf war if you read my post. As for the overtime, if it was an embelishment on his part to make a point then so what?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Nope.

OK, mum's the word

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

Gah, my mistake off nights.
On a related note I know a lad who did similar but in Cyprus and got his gong that way.

 

[dodgy]

As for the overtime, if it was an embelishment on his part to make a point then so what?

Nobody who has served in the forces would make the mistake of claiming to have received overtime. It's one of the main sacrifices you make when you join, you're essentially always on duty, especially if circumstances and your boss deems it.

 

[winjim]

Fishy medals? My brother-in-law is a Marine, and until recently, my brother was in the Navy. They both got a medal for being in Kosovo. BIL constantly needles brother because for my brother, 'being in Kosovo' meant bobbing about in the Adriatic on an aircraft carrier...

I know someone who spent their tour of Kosovo freezing their arse off in a tent on a hillside. They have exactly the same medals as their mate who spent their tour as a scuba diving instructor on a sunny beach!

 

[winjim]

Nobody who has served in the forces would make the mistake of claiming to have received overtime. It's one of the main sacrifices you make when you join, you're essentially always on duty, especially if circumstances and your boss deems it.

I seem to recall being told by someone in the forces that they're paid for 23hrs 59mins a day, since 0000hrs doesn't exist for some weird reason.

 

[TVC]

Nobody who has served in the forces would make the mistake of claiming to have received overtime. It's one of the main sacrifices you make when you join, you're essentially always on duty, especially if circumstances and your boss deems it.

Are you saying he didn't serve in the RAF?

 

[Dirk]

My mates dad was in special forces.
He was in Poland, weeks before the invasion, monitoring Polish capability.
I've seen his Iron Cross.

 

[Tin Pot]

Pah!

I have a Wiggle Hellfire Corner medal.

 

[swee'pea99]

My mates dad was in special forces.
He was in Poland, weeks before the invasion, monitoring Polish capability.
I've seen his Iron Cross.

Reminds me of Henning Wehn's brilliant shocker joke, guaranteed to cause offence...."My grandfazzer died at Auschwitz. Yuh...yuh...it was very sad. He got drunk one night and fell out of his watchtower."

 

[Brains]

My family never lived down the shame of my grandfather. Whilst gran braved the horrors of the blitz, rationing, doodlebugs and V2 rockets, grandad buggered off to Belgium, Egypt, Libya, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium (again) and finally Germany. Oh the shame.

My other grandad saw action from the very outset of the war and bravely fought in the Netherlands, Belgium and France in 1940. In fact, if Mr Hitler hadn't told him to park his tank, he would have fought at Dunkirk too.

On one side of the family my Gran also braved the Blitz, the dodlebugs and the rationing, on the other side of the family my Grandfather fought in France in 1940 and then as he was posted to defend the the Channel coast against invasion. After a couple of years looking at the sea and no hint of an invasion he got bored and so had himself posted to a more active front.

He was sent to Stalingrad and arrived just in time to witness the beginning of the long retreat, he then spent the next 18 months walking back with the Russians permanently on their heels.
He was eventually captured by the Americans in southern Germany in 1945.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I've never actually served in any of the forces, I was served a few pints in the officers mess, at the OASC, which was in Cranwell at the time, if that counts. I felt a bit 'special' the next morning, and had to force myself over to the interview phase.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Another thing that really toots my flute, is something that happened today. I was in town, and there were the usual collection of 'spare any change guv' monkeys, peeing everyone off. One of these clowns attracted my attention, by the fact he had a sign, with "ex forces and homeless" written on it. Now I know that this certainly happens, and it's criminal as far as I'm concerned (but don't get me started on the whole 'help some mug who's jumped out of the back of a truck, but not somebody who's done their bit for Q.A.C.' thing). Anyway, I thought I'd ask the chap how he was etc. My spidey senses started to tingle, when he said he was with a regiment, I was fairly sure didn't exist. So I asked him what his service number was. "Oh I've forgotten, it was a long time ago". Oh dear

 

[MichaelW2]

'being in Kosovo' meant bobbing about in the Adriatic on an aircraft carrier...

My elderly parents did that on a cruise ship.