asked if i was irish

[Mike_Oettle]

Todd wrote: “Even more ironic is the fact that the coal-scuttles were made by Vickers!”

Yes, that also was not lost on me. I kept thinking about the Vickers machine guns (First World War manufacture) that we still used in the 1960s and ’70s.
I have never fired one, but I was in a support weapons company, which included a Vickers platoon.
And the terminology glengarry for a caubeen strikes me as extraordinarily odd, especially since the cavalry might have been expected to wear helmets with visors! (Thinking of the lugs which were never used in Ireland for the attachment of visors.)
Regards,
Mike

[macwilkin]

Todd wrote: “Even more ironic is the fact that the coal-scuttles were made by Vickers!”

Yes, that also was not lost on me. I kept thinking about the Vickers machine guns (First World War manufacture) that we still used in the 1960s and ’70s.
I have never fired one, but I was in a support weapons company, which included a Vickers platoon.
And the terminology glengarry for a caubeen strikes me as extraordinarily odd, especially since the cavalry might have been expected to wear helmets with visors! (Thinking of the lugs which were never used in Ireland for the attachment of visors.)
Regards,
Mike

Mike: you can see an example of said "glengarry" in this photo of Irish Army reservists:

http://www.62infantry.com/images/pho...COs_2006_2.jpg

A practical piece of headgear for the "The Emergency" (Irish name for WWII) squaddie in one of the Irish Army's "Bulletproof ghosts" or Landsverk tanks:

http://www.esatclear.ie/~curragh/tanks.htm

I've also seen a photo of an irish dispatch rider wearing one during WWII, complete with goggles -- quite the "jildy" figure.

T.

[Mike_Oettle]

Most interesting, Todd, although the squaddie in the Landsverk can barely be seen on my screen.
I take it the green hatbands on the “glengarrys” (caubeens) are the Irish equivalent of a red hatband in the British Army. Since the green also appears in the form of trailing ribbons, they are rather smart.
Regards,
Mike

[macwilkin]

Most interesting, Todd, although the squaddie in the Landsverk can barely be seen on my screen.
I take it the green hatbands on the “glengarrys” (caubeens) are the Irish equivalent of a red hatband in the British Army. Since the green also appears in the form of trailing ribbons, they are rather smart.
Regards,
Mike

The green ribbon denotes a reserve officer, Mike:

http://www.military.ie/army/uniform/armyposter.pdf

T.

[Mike_Oettle]

Green for the Reserve. Now that is interesting.
Even odder is that the Military Police wear red capbands, rather than cap covers, and that the generals do not have a distinguishing colour around the cap, and instead show it in the cap badge.
I notice that they still refer to the Cavalry Corps (with black bands on the caubeens). Do they still have horses for parade duty, or have they gone over entirely to armour?
In South Africa, the cavalry and mounted infantry all lost their horses during the Second World War, and no units retained the name cavalry.
However during the bush war, limited use was again made of mounted infantry, in special units.
Horses on parade in this country carry men (and women) in police uniform, and civilians, but not troops.
Regards,
Mike

[macwilkin]

Green for the Reserve. Now that is interesting.
Even odder is that the Military Police wear red capbands, rather than cap covers, and that the generals do not have a distinguishing colour around the cap, and instead show it in the cap badge.
I notice that they still refer to the Cavalry Corps (with black bands on the caubeens). Do they still have horses for parade duty, or have they gone over entirely to armour?
In South Africa, the cavalry and mounted infantry all lost their horses during the Second World War, and no units retained the name cavalry.
However during the bush war, limited use was again made of mounted infantry, in special units.
Horses on parade in this country carry men (and women) in police uniform, and civilians, but not troops.
Regards,
Mike

The Cavalry Corps in the Irish Army now ride motorcycles for ceremonial escort duties, Mike, specifically the 2nd Cavalry Squadron, although at one time there was a mounted ceremonial unit, the famed "Blue Hussars":

http://www.andrewcusack.com/2010/04/...-blue-hussars/

T.

[Mike_Oettle]

Interesting how traditions diverge. The motorcycle squadron of the SA Army used to be from the Signals Corps (not sure if they still have them), and of course the MPs also ride motorbikes.
And like the blogger, I find it odd that the Irish Army has a School of Equitation, but no (horse-)mounted escort troop.
And again odd that the Celtic-style uniform proposed was never used, and instead a British uniform copied.
The newspaper clipping also I found interesting, especially since the word used for January (Jänner) is not standard German. Was it perhaps a Swiss paper? (Okay, you might not have the answer to that.)
In closing, the first comment on the blog points out that the Blue Hussars belonged to the Artillery Corps.
This has a parallel in the military of the old Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (later the Transvaal Province), which had a uniformed service called the Staatsartillerie.
While its primary function was manning the guns, in a country where the majority of the armed force comprised Burgers in civilian clothes, it also incorporated a medical branch (doctors and nurses), a signals branch and a band.
Regards,
Mike

[GreenDragon]

I never mind being asked if I'm Irish when I wear my kilts. Mainly because I am Irish.



Funniest instance was when I was wearing a shirt with the flag of Ireland on the front and was asked if I was Canadian.

[Zardoz]

The steel helmet worn by the South African forces in my time was a poor copy of the US helmet. Its plastic inners fitted badly, and it invariably rattled when worn, leading to headaches. It was widely known as the p***-pot!
Not sure what helmet is worn nowadays.
Regards,
Mike

Actually, that sounds like an exact copy of the M-1 steel pot that I'm familiar with! The fabric cover would usually keep the rattle down, or another trick was to flex the pot a little so the inner liner would stay put better.

I think currently the South African Defence Forces are running a kevlar type helmet.

[Mike_Oettle]

Zardoz, you were fortunate in having a fabric cover.
I believe our Parachute Brigade used fabric covers, but then they also had special helmets.
The rest of us had to make do (when they were available) with net covers. Mine never had one.
Regards,
Mike