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

[Lurpak]

I don't like to talk about it much but I was in the scouts. Not wanting to bang on anymore really but I was also an actual patrol leader, no tying knots for this intrepid warrior. During one particular bob-a-job week I collected a whole three bob and that's back when a bob could easily buy you a luxury lucky bag, probs about £1.50 in today's money. Anyway things started to spiral under the stress and I was eventually discharged for violent misconduct. That's right, don't be believe me.

 

[vernon]

Are we related perchance?

We might be.

 

[MontyVeda]

I remember doing bob-a-job... I washed a friend's dad's car, then went along the street, trying and failing to bob-another-job. Came back to find my mate's dad washing his car! That was in the Sea Scouts... the elite end of the namby pamby standard scouts, but with a really silly hat.

The only bloke i know who was in the army never talks about it... but his experience was well known at the time.

 

[Tin Pot]

I meet a fair amount of ex-military, never heard one of them brag.

Whilst I respect the military for what they do, I can't imagine why anyone would sign up to be, ultimately, cannon fodder. It also really bothers me that military recruitment does all it can to avoid the primary issue at hand - that you are signing your life into their hands for the greater good.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I was a patrol leader in the Girl Guides. I was court martialled after they introduced communal showers.

 

[winjim]

You grew up in Luton?

Well, despite my boasting, it's an equally crap town, somewhere in the vicinity of Aldershot.

 

[Crandoggler]

I talk about what I've done, but mainly to other people who were there/around at the time. Normally funny stories! I don't really bleat on about the bad stuff, because it's just not fun to talk about.

As for the cannon fodder comment, it may be worth reading, or noting that most jobs within the military are traded. Apart from infantry/marines, most are not directly in harms way.

It's also a shitty and disrespectful name to call someone who ultimately protects your freedom, past, present or future.

 

[dan_bo]

I found it when I was going through my dad's stuff after he died. The original photo had been folded twice, had a rip in it and had white gloss paint spilt on it. I scanned the photo and spent a day restoring it then I printed that out and had it framed. I took it down to give to my mum next time I visited. She got all choked up ...

She then gave me a tatty little black and white picture taken after their wedding. It had been in 1942, so there wasn't the money for professional photographers. It was just my mum's family, my dad's army mates and the couple themselves outside a little village church in the Highlands. I did my best with that picture too. It didn't turn out quite as well as the bombs picture, but my mum was still thrilled with it.

I miss them both!

You've got the pics. Count yourself lucky for that.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Down the pub with a friend in the army once, he intoduced me to a mate of his. His name was Mad Mick Flynn aka the bullet magnet aka the beast of Basara. Lovely guy, very unassuming and one of the most decorated frontline soldiers in Britain.

I met him in Aldershot. So normal, it's scary. That's exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[dan_bo]

You've got the pics. Count yourself lucky for that.

And well done on a brilliant restoration. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Crandoggler]

I met him in Aldershot. So normal, it's scary. That's exactly what I'm talking about.

We had one called Frank the Happy Sniper. Never met a happier man in my life.

 

[Garry A]

My Granddad never spoke about his time in the war, that I can recall. I found out from my mum that he served on a destroyer in the Arctic convoys and his brother went down with his ship after a U-boat strike.
More impressive than that is the fact that he got riddled with it on shore leave.....three times

 

[Tin Pot]

I talk about what I've done, but mainly to other people who were there/around at the time. Normally funny stories! I don't really bleat on about the bad stuff, because it's just not fun to talk about.

As for the cannon fodder comment, it may be worth reading, or noting that most jobs within the military are traded. Apart from infantry/marines, most are not directly in harms way.

It's also a shitty and disrespectful name to call someone who ultimately protects your freedom, past, present or future.

Well it reflects my expectations of the job being offered, it's not a critique of the people who take the job and certainly not name calling.

As I posted, I respect them for their commitment, but ultimately someone in charge can sacrifice you if they so choose.

 

[Tin Pot]

It was ARRSE I was thinking of, some amazing threads for the not-easily-offended:

http://www.arrse.co.uk/community/forums/now-thats-what-i-call-naafi-bar.63/

Seriously NSFW!

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I went for a poo tonight, I've not talked about it. I'm humble and unassuming. I'll take it to the grave.