Totty (?) in Green .........

[El T]

From today's on-line Daily Telegraph

First woman wins green beret
(Filed: 31/05/2002)


Captain Philippa Tattersall today became the first woman to win the coveted green beret of the elite Royal Marines corps.

Capt Tattersall, 27, passed the eight-week all arms commando course, regarded by many as one of the world's toughest, at the third and final attempt.

The 5ft 4 ins tall officer from the Adjutant General's Corps triumphed at the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre at Lympstone, Devon.

She tackled a solo re-take of the Tarzan assault course, the only element of the eight-week course she had not yet passed, which had to be completed within a 13-minute deadline.

As she faced the series of obstacles she was encouraged by members of the CTC training team. The Tarzan course preceded the final test, a 30-mile yomp over Dartmoor in eight hours or less.

Capt Tattersall, carrying a 35lb pack and an SA80 rifle, completed that military marathon, together with 47 male colleagues, with five minutes to spare, on Wednesday.

The men all received their green berets at the finishing line, but Capt Tattersall, from Tarland, Aberdeenshire, had to wait for the outcome of her Tarzan course re-take today.

She had previously failed just one element of the Tarzan, a six-foot wall which she failed to scale on two runs. But today she faced it again and succeeded.

The Tarzan course comprises a series of high ropes and ladders, and an assault course ending with a rope climb up a 30-foot wall.

Despite having won the green beret, Capt Tattersall will not be going to the front line - Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has ruled it would be too risky for women soldiers to serve alongside men in combat. She will work in either combat support, or combat service support areas of 3 Commando Brigade.

Two other women soldiers, Captain Claire Philips, 28, and Lance Corporal Joanna Perry, both from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, failed the commando course on earlier attempts.

A Royal Navy officer, Surgeon Lieutenant Katy Bray, also recently failed, dropping out in the fifth week.

Capt Tattersall made her first two attempts to complete the all arms commando course last year.

She was failed on her first attempt just three days from the end of the course. Her second attempt, three months later, ended after just one day when she stopped on medical advice after suffering a back injury.

[Mutley]

So an LJ finally gets The Beret.

Lets hope this is a case of top totty and not some PC pressure from the Nanny.

[Jimbo]

Well Capt Tattersall has finally done it, well done I suppose. undoubtably in some peples eyes it will devalue the green beret, however I believe that it goes to show that the course is more of a psycological than physical matter. I just hope that she did it fair and square and was not given any leaway because of political pressures.

The buzz from her first course was that she was very jack, often claiming injury to avoid being thrashed round the aquaints( which I found to be the most dehabilitating part) with the rest of the course. I really hope that this was not the case and that if it was it was different on her last attempt.
should it have the case it is important to bear in mind that there have also been blokes who have passed the course in less than emphatic style, just not quite so publicly.

It also has to be asked if, having passed the course there is any role that she can now play in the Brigade and if male members of the AG corps are also allowed to attempt the AACC because they fancy the challenge.

But enough of being cynical. The fact remains that she is undoubtably a very fit and resiliant (if not a bit rats) individual. Good effort, I just hope she did it fairly.

Aye, Jim