Picture of the day

AP: Good story! I have never served in the military, but did serve in our disgraced national police force for a total of 17 1/2 years. During training at Depot Division, there was the ever present, "I'm higher up the pole than you" attitude, most visibly demonstrated at the cafeteria. The "senior" troops wouldn't be caught dead sitting with the new people.

At one point, an ACDP troop of young Aboriginals were there for some pre-training. I took care to sit with them whenever we were in the hall at the same time. Those people had a special place in my heart, and still do. They all showed up at my troop's "passing out" night, and several made the trip to my home town for a old-time fiddle dance that we held to celebrate some AA birthdays and my graduation.

I don't relate this to show what a wonderful person I am, but to show how the old British (and others) military snobbish crap can alienate people. None of the other "senior" troops members ever made any effort to make that Aboriginal troop feel welcome.
 
It's a bad habit of hierarchical societies. And nothing, but nothing, builds morale like feeling included and/or important.

Add race, and things get worse yet. One has to wonder how welcome these gentlemen were made to feel in the RAF mess:

UuvOQJK.jpg
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
It's a bad habit of hierarchical societies. And nothing, but nothing, builds morale like feeling included and/or important.

Add race, and things get worse yet. One has to wonder how welcome these gentlemen were made to feel in the RAF mess:

UuvOQJK.jpg
Click to expand...

On the Indian or African station, no problem but they would have stuck together in the mess. Home station or Canada or South African, no freaking way, they would have separate timings for use of the mess which would often be cancelled due a function, they would be expected to pay full mess dues, however.
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
It's a bad habit of hierarchical societies. And nothing, but nothing, builds morale like feeling included and/or important.

Add race, and things get worse yet. One has to wonder how welcome these gentlemen were made to feel in the RAF mess:

UuvOQJK.jpg
Click to expand...
I don't relate this to show what a wonderful person I am, but to show how the old British (and others) military snobbish crap can alienate people. None of the other "senior" troops members ever made any effort to make that Aboriginal troop feel welcome.
Click to expand...


Yes - my father told the story of being posted from Canada to Kashmir as part of the UN cease fire oversight in 1949/50/51. My father had black hair (blue eyes) and a mustache that all of his Regiments officers were required to wear. He had been there for several months and acquired a deep tan from working with the various teams sent to investigate cease fire infractions when several American officers joined their group. They were unusually aloof towards him and a little rude which he shrugged off and pretty much ignored until they were at one of the mountain stations and my father stripped to step into a field shower -- one of the American officers saw him and said "my God man - you are white!! we thought you were 'one' of them!!!"


you simply cannot expect to earn the respect of your troops -- unless you respect them!
 
The Brit Officers that served with the Ghurka Brigade ALWAYS treated their troops with deference and respect.

When the Royal Canadian Legion went ballistic over the wearing of turbans in the Mess, I dropped my membership and haven't been back since. Since a Sikh can be presented to the Queen wearing a turban, this was ludicrous.
I've marched in parades locally a few times and was gratified to see that a much decorated local Sikh was allowed in the Mess with no issues.
 
The Sikh are a mighty people, and I hold them in high regard.

This is Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji DFC

msinghlarge.jpg


Quite the story on this gentleman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohinder_Singh_Pujji

Hard to believe there are places he wouldn't be welcome because of his headgear, harder yet that these places would be a club for people who fought, at least partially, for freedoms of all sorts.
 
I trained with a young man who wore a turban. One day at noon, he was waiting at the mess hall door for someone. I walked over to him, shook his hand, told him he was a fine looking man, and wished him luck. Some of the older Mounties got their knickers in a knot over the wearing of a turban.
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
It's a bad habit of hierarchical societies. And nothing, but nothing, builds morale like feeling included and/or important.

Add race, and things get worse yet. One has to wonder how welcome these gentlemen were made to feel in the RAF mess:
Click to expand...

Coming from the most caste ridden society on earth, and one some of its inhabitants have described as highly racist, they would understand completely.

As for their treatment in a British mess, it would probably have depended on the time and place, but the British having long and direct experience of India and Indians, which at that time included East and West Pakistan of course, they would probably have had a better reception than anywhere else in the world.

Many people here might not know, but upper class Indians were attending British universities and mixing in high social circles in the UK even before WWI.

How would half a dozen Kenyans be received in an Indian Air Force mess?

And as for silly hierarchicalism: there is an Aircrew Association and an Air Force Officers Association. Years ago a WWII & Korea RCAF vet told me how the latter organization refused to accept any mere Sergeant Pilots as members, despite the decline in their own membership. Rank - right to the bitter end!
 
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grelmar said:
Dig that Mosin out of the tree, slap a stock on it, you got yourself a shooter... Probably a WWI vintage M91, from the looks of the rear sight.
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Ive seen those pictures before, very interesting stuff, the helmets are kind of chilling to see. I would think that's a Steyr M95 just by the look of the magazine body, but they describe it as a carcano.
 
How's this for chilling?

You can see they covered his face with a cloth, but lifted it away for the photo.

Anyone who's heard of the Trench of the Bayonets at Verdun will know the scenario.

I won't insert the image, because some folks may not appreciate it.

http://imageshack.com/a/img661/6474/5z3uu8.jpg
 
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