I've just had a text of and old mate of mine - ex Para Regiment.

"As a Leeds supporter I predict that like the Marines, your team will surrender. 3-0 to the mighty Leeds." The surrender thing is a reference to NP8901, the lads who were in the Falklands when the Argies invaded. 80 v 2000 isn't great odds but they put up a hell of a fight before being ordered to lay down their arms. The Paras have never shut up taking the piss about it.

I've just replied: Whatever happens, they won't be raping each other in the dressing room or shooting the boss in the back.

For those who don't know; the first bit is a reference to the recent case of a Para being homosexually raped in catterick and 3 Para mortar platoon who were known as the married quarters in the 80's. The second bit is in relation to a (wholly unfounded) rumour about the nationality of the bullet that killed H Jones at Goose Green.

I await a response which will surely come!

good mates then

We are actually but the rivalry between the Green Beret and the pink beret is ledgendary.

Ask them about when the Black Watch were sent to Aldershot from Hollywood in '75.

Apparently the Monkeys just locked the NAAFI door from the outside and left them to it. The jukebox came out of one window ten feet from the ground and when the pigs went in to arrest those left standing, they all had Scottish accents.

When I was doing my M&AW training in Norway one fellow Marine got charged and found guilty of a homo raping a young Navy lad, can't remember his name only that he had Ginger hair and his victim was called Anderson.

Best not to tell you Pongo oppo that one Mr I.

I feel the onslaught of another book, did you read that shite by Steve Preece? Speaking of ex Royals, did you ever come across Rocky Rowe? A complete psychopath - (ask the submariner at South Georgia) I ran into him a while back in Scarborough where he's got a pub.

Amongst the Marines by any chance Mr I?, yes I did meet Rocky, it's hard remembering real manes as no one is ever called by them, anyone North of York is called George.

I also know another "Rocky" Farrow and he was a nutter also, he kept getting his Cpl stripes up only to lose them within a month or two, he came from Colchester which was handy as he got sent there a few times for causing riots (with Para's).

Thats the one, allegedly joined 45 in 83/84. Not a great time to join it has to be said. Can't say I recognised too much of the picture he painted and he claimed every one of the old urban myths as his own. About as much truth in it as Bravo Two Zero!!! Speaking of which; did you ever meet Bob Consiglio? He left 42 to go on Hereford selection, another of that patrol,Vince Phillips, was ex Ordnance Corps / Commando Logs. They both died on that cock up.

is that the one by the lad originally from the headland whose dad was a docker ?

Yes m8 he is from the Headland, I think he got kicked out of the RM via a court marshall if I am not mistaken.

I think we're talking about different people, the Rocky Rowe i'm on about is definitely not from Hartlepool.

The one from Hartlepool is Steve Preece I think.

Really! I never knew that. I still don't believe the vast majority of his ramblings mind you.

Just checked up and he does come from the Headland but now he has moved up market and lives in Seaton.

It sound like he was just a bully & as you say he's full of schite Mr I.


http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk ... 14137.html

Speaking of Catterick, what on earth is going on there? Is it typical of training camps? It's just one dodgy incident after another with them, including deaths, sexual harrassment and institutionalised bullying. A local couple have been trying for years to get answers about the death there of their young son who was found with bullet wounds that couldn't possibly have been self-inflicted, yet the official story was suicide

There's been a lot of publicity on this recently particularly with Deepcut and the recent raping of a Parachute Regiment recruit.

Way back then when I joined up things were tough and the whole basic training thing was very 'bad lads army'. I felt like quitting numerous times mostly through homesickness (I was only 17) but the training staff were decent blokes who knew when to put an arm round your shoulder and when to bawl you out. I never seen or even heard of anyone being raped or bullied, it was simply not tolerate by either the staff or other recruits.

The Deepcut thing is the most worrying, recruits allegedly shooting themselves on guard duty. First question is why did they have live ammo? As far as I was aware unless the alert goes up to amber there are no live rounds issued. Secondly, how do you shoot yourself in the head several times? Even if the weapon is on automatic after the first shot the shooter doesn't have control of the weapon so you would expect the rest of the rounds would go into the sky or the deck. There is something very fishy going on in that place.

As for Catterick; the rape apart - there has been some so called so called bullying. I suspect that this is no more than people whinging about normal training methods which they find too tough. Todays young generation are have been brought up in the compensation culture so they assume that people can't shout and scream at them. I've never heard of any of the so called suicides at Catterick though. Mind you I could be wrong.