RAF 'Security'

[El Prez]

yes I have fired my 'bang stick'on numerous occasions and not only at things that dont shoot back

Would that have been a Blue on Blue, before the term was coined? Bang, "Who goes there?" "Which chuffing idiot just shot me?" "Sorry Sir, thought it was the enemy!"

[jbs]

Sarcasm being the lowest form of wit,I will not respond to the blue on blue comment seeing as a close friend of mine was shot by mistake by a pongo and is now disabled.


So I will now go and throw my teddie out of the pram

[El Prez]

No offence intended to your pal. To repeat the phrase in too common use lately, "Friendly Fire Isn't."
I have attached a response from a Bootneck to another Bootneck after a joke mis-fired, (no pun intended). I agree wholeheartedly with it, except the last line.

Olly, in reply to a complaint about his jokes.
I have a great deal of sympathy and would be the first to help those less fortunate than myself, as any Royal would.
I have in the past, been blinded and dumb myself for six months, several years ago which is an occupational hazard. I heard a lot darker jokes, from amputees, whilst in that hospital ward. If you read all the other jokes here you will see that they also revolve around gays, females, racial jokes, blind people etc which I see you have not commented on. Black humour does not mean you are taking the piss, but seeing humour in adversity and the dark side of life. Not many Royals are politically correct and the humour is fierce, and sometimes brutal, but what do you expect of ex-combat troops.
Less than a year ago I was dragging 46 bodies out of a local river and with the help of Doctors and identifying them. They had been in the river three days and were in a bad state. You should have heard the jokes the Doctors were passing around, if you think mine were bad.
If I have offended anyone then I apologise and suggest you don't read the jokes on this web site.

[Rockape1ce]

Well, well, chaps,
Quite a Rockape slangfest we have going here. I served with the Regiment (Note THE Regiment) over 40 years ago. I was as proud to serve with them as I would have been to have served on the most 'elite' Guards unit.

Although I do not know the full history of the RAF Regiment subsequent to my leaving, I do know they have served almost continuously in Northern Ireland, where, no doubt, only the Army chaps have been under fire on occasion? A good friend of mine, now deceased, served in N.I. on 11 separate occasions I am told. That does not indicate anything other than 'continuous operations' does it?.

Defensive only? I hardly think the Falklands Operations were 'defensive only' by any stretch of the imagination. The RAF Regiment were there.

Numbers 26 and 51 Squadrons were on the front lines in the recent Iraqi conflict. Defensive only? Not likely.

Surely the very word "Parachute" does not indicate defensive manoeuvres does it? Parachutes are thingies that men dangle from when they jump from aircraft, normally to land behind enemy lines as I recollect. I doubt there would be too much point in jumping behind your own lines and into land which your side already occupy. So would that one little word not indicate OFFENSIVE capability?

Come now lads, the RAF Regiment are an elite force whether you wish to believe it or not. They have served with distinction in just about every conflict where the RAF has been since 1942. Not always in defensive capacity.

You won't draw me into a knock-down, put-down slagging match. I left ServicePals because of the propensity for that. The Marines are good, the Paras are good, the Naval types are champs, the Guards are great, all the British troops are champions, so why not just stop slagging a bloody good bunch of fighting men such as there are in the RAF Regiment?

Oh, just before I go, the RAF Regiment lost more men in Cyprus than any other single Regiment of the British fighting services. Not exactly an indication we spent our time cowering behind the airfield perimeter wires. In fact I spent far more time on offensive patrol in Nicosia than I ever did doing airfield duty.

Just my two-pennorth.

[jbs]

El Prez-I understand that you were not having a personal go,and that is was just a touch of black humour.

It just hits a bit of a raw nerve with me when so called friendly fire is mentioned,as well as my friend being badly injured,I lost my Father in the same way in 1944,so maybe you can understand why I get a bit riled up at times.

As Rockape1ce says whatever branch or trade folks were in they all did their bit.Be it mechs,clerks,cooks ect,no one could function without the other.

I am proud to have served for 12 in the RAF Regt,as others are proud to have served in their particular branch of the services.

No offence taken mate,probably the after effects of the whiskey i had the night before


I still dont trust matelots

[owdun]

Neither do I,and I lived with 'em.Lovely lads really,good oppo's.


Aye Owdun

[Rotary Booty]

Were any of you Rockapes at RAF Laarbruch in the late 80s?

Great bunch of guys, who lost two of their lads in an IRA car bomb attack. I marched my Supply and Movements Squadron to their Remembrance Service, and as we lived next to each other on the base, the links remained strong 'til the day they closed the Station.

The Corporal who took us for NBC training was one of the funniest guys I have ever met, brilliant!

[El Prez]

Bugger it! I spend days and bloody days at this screen, winding up Rocks like there is no tomorrow and you two come along showering them with gardenias and being all kissy kissy. well it's not good enough, put them down and let's resume normal hostilities.

JBS, I've a very good friend who's a Rock, we hassle each other mercilessly when he's around, and he goes home to his mum to cry in her apron, but it's only fun.

NI, Aldergrove peri track isn't exactly the Shankhill, and Bessbrook heli-pad refuelling crew isn't the border. BUT nice try!

[ABI]

'The RAF Regiment are an elite force'

Discuss

[Rockape1ce]

ABI........................"Discuss"

'Elite'....."The group, or part of a group selected or regarded as the finest, best, most distinguished, most powerful etc." (Websters New world Dictionary).













No discussion necessary mate, our track record makes that superfluous. But discussions by Pongoes are pointless anyway....so go right ahead. Just try to keep it relatively intelligent and intelligible.

As to the others, thanks for the kudos., Personally I was not at Larbruuch, at that time I was probably at RAF Innsworth, sweating it out in mouth to mouth combat with the local lasses. Boy we sure had it tough sometimes. The girls really loved the uniforms and there we were with our nice soft shirts and gaberdine Best Blues. Never could understand why anyone would want to be a Brown Jobbie and wear horse-hair shirts? I guess to be a good Rock you had to be able to wear Brylcream and pass it off with swagger?

[El Prez]

Discuss

When spelt correctly it's a round object made of metal and wood. Usually hurled by fat blokes and Eastern European women at athletics meetings, either or both sexes often display abundant armpit foliation.

[ABI]

Rockape

In my experiance anyone stating that they belong to an 'elite' unit is anything but.

Before you go into some diatribe about the Parachute Regiment, Royal Marines, SAS, SBS all calling themeselves 'elite' at one time or another, I tend to find that it's a label given to them by journalists or people with minimal military experiance.

I served in the Parachute Regiment, and the majority of people posting on this site have an RM background, neither unit is 'elite' in my opinion, and to be honest I know some right plonkers who somehow passed selection for 22 (I'm sure the same can be said for the SBS)

This thread has, as ever, veared off course and into a pissing contest which never leads anywhere sensible. I'm quite happy to slug it out all day if you want, you wouldn't expect anything less and vice versa, but lets agree to disagree on the 'elite' issue shall we.

[El Prez]

'The RAF Regiment are an effete force'

Mmmmmmm seem like a nice bunch of boys! Thankfully it's only banter, good humour and piss taking, innit?

[North Sea Tigress]

Now, I am not looking for a sympathy vote, but...My Son in Law is a Rock Ape. Despite this fact, he is really a rather good egg. If he keeps behaving, he may be allowed to relax his address to my Hubby from Colour Seargent to 'Colours', we may even allow him to sit on the furniture!!

[El Prez]

You are getting SOFT woman. Have a good strong word with your man and get back into the swing of things. Have the lad standing to attention during family meals, washing up in his blues, sleeping in the garage away from your poor beloved daughter; the list is endless, but never let him sit on the furniture, he's a crab when all is said and done.