Tourists have no idea.

[188AHC 2,141]

Come to Florida and drive I-4.😅

[IanHarrison 528]

11 hours ago, DD_Arthur said:

The whole thing is a ludicrous anachronism.

 

Or possibly a tradition which anchors people who would otherwise feel lost in this modern, chuck everything out the window, world. 

[DD_Arthur 1,116]

7 hours ago, IanHarrison said:

Or possibly a tradition which anchors people who would otherwise feel lost in this modern, chuck everything out the window, world. 

Hardly. I wonder how many of you who have expressed surprise at my view on this actually live in the UK?

Full disclosure; I served five years in 45 Commando, Royal Marines from ‘80 - ‘85. In the intervening years my wife and I have also had dinner twice with the late Duke of Edinburgh.

When I say “with” there were another two hundred people there….and we weren’t on the top table….😃

 

 

[IanHarrison 528]

18 hours ago, DD_Arthur said:

To take part in this stuff? No.

It’s part of regimental duty for certain units but if you want to drive tanks there’s a big chance that you’ll also be put on a horse before they let you near an AFV.

Don’t worry, no one is sorry to be posted to central London for six months. There are plenty of ‘diversions’ for young soldiers to enjoy!!

However, when it comes to what an army is supposed to be doing in the twenty-first century, this sort of stuff is an incredibly expensive, wasteful diversion.

Let's get our facts correct. They request to go to a specific Regiment. If they don't want to ride horses, they would not request the Household Cavalry or be accepted into it.

[IanHarrison 528]

1 minute ago, DD_Arthur said:

Hardly. I wonder how many of you who have expressed surprise at my view on this actually live in the UK?

Full disclosure; I served five years in 45 Commando, Royal Marines from ‘80 - ‘85. In the intervening years my wife and I have also had dinner twice with the late Duke of Edinburgh.

When I say “with” there were another two hundred people there….and we weren’t on the top table….😃

 

 

That does nothing to make your views any more tenable than anyone else's. Hardly?

[DD_Arthur 1,116]

Just now, IanHarrison said:

Let's get our facts correct. They request to go to a specific Regiment. If they don't want to ride horses, they would not request the Household Cavalry or be accepted into it.

No, in the case of armour if you want to be a tankie you have two choices; the RTR or the Household Cavalry.

If you get into the RTR that’s fine; AFV only. If you end up in the Blues and Royals you’ll be going over jumps whether you want to or not. Conversely, if you join up to work with horses you might end up driving tanks only!!

[DD_Arthur 1,116]

5 minutes ago, IanHarrison said:

That does nothing to make your views any more tenable than anyone else's. Hardly?

So…you don’t live in the UK but might just have a slightly ‘romanticised’ view of what modern Britain is really like…

[Reader 2,038]

7 minutes ago, DD_Arthur said:

I wonder how many of you who have expressed surprise at my view on this actually live in the UK?

I do and I am not surprised by your point of view, I just don't like anyone speaking or writing on my behalf,
when they have no idea who I am or more importantly, what my views are. 

Quote

I suspect most of my fellow Brits don’t give two hoots about pomp and circumstance these days

I disagree, with your assertion, not that you suspect that to be the case.

Quote

a slightly ‘romanticised’ view of what modern Britain is really like…

There is nothing romantic about "modern Britain" but as mentioned, one of the very few remaining reasons for which "modern Britain"
is the envy of the rest of the world, is the ability to maintain traditions and do pomp and ceremony.
Clearly, you don't think that this matters and that you are speaking for the majority.
 

[DD_Arthur 1,116]

4 minutes ago, Reader said:

I just don't like anyone speaking or writing on my behalf,
when they have no idea who I am or more importantly, what my views are. 

 

Clearly, you don't think that this matters and that you are speaking for the majority.
 

I make no claim to speak on behalf of anybody and I agree, I too get annoyed by people who claim to speak on my behalf.

However let me reiterate, we have an army that is now smaller than at any time since 1620. We have an airforce where the Battle of Britain memorial flight is some seven percent of the size of our available front line strike aircraft and of course we have a navy with five times as many Admirals on active service than actual ships.

We effectively keep two battalions of the army in central London dressed as toy soldiers.

It’s an absurdity.

[martin-w 3,289]

54 minutes ago, DD_Arthur said:

 

However let me reiterate, we have an army that is now smaller than at any time since 1620. We have an airforce where the Battle of Britain memorial flight is some seven percent of the size of our available front line strike aircraft and of course we have a navy with five times as many Admirals on active service than actual ships.

We effectively keep two battalions of the army in central London dressed as toy soldiers.

 

It's temporary though isn't it. Its not the same battalion all the time. Its a change from their normal function. Its not like they are needed elsewhere and can't manage a stint assigned to the Royal Guard. I'm told they see it as a honor and look forward to it. 

Your argument is a bit like saying the Red Arrows shouldn't do what they do, messing about in air displays, because they are supposed to be fighter pilots. 

I may be wrong of course, I'm no expert in such things, but I think that if it is indeed a temporary assignment that they look forward to, and after they go back to their primary function, then its hardly compromising our armed forces. And I'm sure that if there were a serious conflict that required the full attention of our armed forces, then other arrangements would be made and those battalions would serve their primary role along with the rest of our armed forces. Its not like they are locked in place and totally and permanently unavailable. 

Again, I'm no expert, so I am ready to be corrected. 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by martin-w

[dmwalker 614]

Just to be clear, how many soldiers are involved? 

16 minutes ago, martin-w said:

after they go back to their primary function, then its hardly compromising our armed forces

I'm probably out of my depth here but I think the point is that your armed forces are already compromised by scaling back over the years and that reserving two battalions for ceremonial duties exacerbates the situation. Also, the soldiers involved would have had no training for a full year and couldn't just be shipped out at a moment's notice to a new area of conflict, could they?

[birdguy 3,966]

1 hour ago, dmwalker said:

Also, the soldiers involved would have had no training for a full year and couldn't just be shipped out at a moment's notice to a new area of conflict, could they?

It doesn't take long for well trained soldiers to get back to their normal duties.  

I don't know if you these in the UK but we have both reserve units and national guard units that train only one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer.  The can be called up to go right into action if required,  And indeed they were for Desert Storm.  I was performing weather support for 6th US Army HQ when the callups were made for the 11 western states the 6th US Army had juristiction over. 

Noel

[martin-w 3,289]

3 hours ago, dmwalker said:

Just to be clear, how many soldiers are involved? 

I'm probably out of my depth here but I think the point is that your armed forces are already compromised by scaling back over the years and that reserving two battalions for ceremonial duties exacerbates the situation. Also, the soldiers involved would have had no training for a full year and couldn't just be shipped out at a moment's notice to a new area of conflict, could they?

 

Is it a year though? I've no idea. I don't see it as a serious issue. 

[IanHarrison 528]

6 hours ago, DD_Arthur said:

So…you don’t live in the UK but might just have a slightly ‘romanticised’ view of what modern Britain is really like…

Having just come back from 2 months holiday (with family), sorry to disappoint you but I have a very good view of what the UK is like. But again that has nothing to do with Household Cavalry on ceremonial duties.

[dmwalker 614]

1 hour ago, martin-w said:

Is it a year though?

This is from a February 2013 report about the 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (2 PWRR):

"Last week the battalion’s two-year-long tenure on the ‘Blue Line’, as the commitment to ceremonial duties is known, came to an end with Z Company, 2 PWRR, completing the final guards for Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle."

also:

"The next challenge for the battalion is to re-subordinate from HQ London District to come under HQ 20th Armoured Brigade and transform from a focus on ceremonial duties to become a strong light role infantry battalion.

They will need to be ready to deploy to Kenya on Exercise Askari Thunder in May and set for mission specific training and a move to Cyprus as the Theatre Reserve Battalion in 2014."

Edited January 18, 2023 by dmwalker