Capt Peter Singlehurst RE Captain Peter Singlehurst is from the Media Operations Group (Volunteers) (MOG(V)) and is currently serving as the Media and Ops Info Officer with 17 Port and Maritime Group in Cyprus . In this first post I will introduce you to the Unit and what we are doing here . In future I will report on some of the activities of this peacekeeping tour that is so very different from the majority of the Army s recent experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq .
Welcome to Cyprus ! In this blog I intend to share the experiences of 17 Port and Maritime Group s tour in Nicosia, Cyprus, as part of the UN Peacekeeping mission on the island . The British Army s contribution to the UNITED NATIONS FORCE IN CYPRUS (UNFICYP) is now the longest continuous operation for the British Army .
We have been here since 1964, which of course means many have heard of it and have seen the medal that goes with the tour, but what do we do and why are we here ? Well, it is not Afghanistan and it is not Iraq and nobody is being shot at and, yes, in some quarters the tour is known as a sun bathing tour . That said this is a real tour that has its own challenges and the reasons that nobody is shooting at anybody is thanks to the UN in Cyprus and those who came before us in the past .
They were the ones who managed to stop the fighting and who have slowly but surely de-escalated the situation and kept the peace . We now, as a result, are able to patrol and negotiate unarmed between two armed forces who look out at each other 24 hours a day . Outside the Regimental Headquarters is the memorial to the 28 Canadian Peacekeepers who lost their lives on this tour that reminds us of those who went before .
Bike Patrol Sector 2 City Rorke s Drift, Pte Billy Brook (l) Cfn James Morley (r) 17 Port and Maritime Regt RLC North and South So now the situation is that two armed forces face each other across a buffer zone and in between we, 17 P&M Group, as UN Peacekeepers, patrol and seek to maintain the status quo so that the UN can work with the political leadership in the North and South of the island to find a political solution to the Cyprus question . To maintain the status quo we therefore have to monitor the two sides positions and ensure that they are manned at the agreed levels, that no positions are enhanced, and that neither side encroaches into the Buffer Zone . To do this takes a keen eye and a level head .
And who is doing this challenging work ? In the main, it s patrols of two soldiers, made up of Privates and Lance Corporals .
17 Port and Maritime Group is formed around the Headquarters element and 54 Squadron from 17 Port and Maritime Regiment 1 , Royal Logistic Corps, based at Marchwood and commanded by Lt Col Rob Askew RLC, who is also in command here in Cyprus as well . The Group is augmented by members of the TA in the main drawn from 165 Port Regt RLC (V) 2 , the TA sister regiment of 17 P&M Regt RLC. .
Bookmark the .
References ^ 17 Port and Maritime Regiment (www.army.mod.uk) ^ 165 Port Regt RLC (V) (www.army.mod.uk)
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Life on Op TOSCA in Cyprus
Splitz Dereham
Members of the “Light Dragoons” along with friends and family of the regiment frequently visit the nightclub and service personnel of the regiment are surprised by the local authorities’ decision to close the venue on grounds of drunkenness and drug abuse. Support for the venue from the service personnel of Robinson Barracks is wide ranging and include surprise by the local constabulary’s attitude towards the venue, saying that it shows comparable violence to other clubs of similar size.
Although the entire regiment was banned from using the venue last year for over eight months after a serious assault involving members of the Light Dragoons in Quebec Street and due to violent behavior towards local residents and issues over drunken incidents with police from the younger members stationed at Robinson Barracks these however have now been resolved.
Michelle Lindsay Menzies
Ms. Michelle Lindsay Menzies the current DPS “Designated Premises Supervisor” since March 2012 and solely responsible for the venue and security, including the safety of its customers, attacks the police decision in a statement, responding to the police claims saying the standards are “of a very high level” and that she believes the review of the license is to “suit the police shift patterns, staffing issues and budget restrictions”.
She also said: “Any undue restrictions upon our trading hours I believe, as do other business owners, would bring catastrophic consequences to my business and others as clubbers would seek to leave Dereham for other venues.”
In describing the incidents of assault as “ugly”, Ms Menzies said she believes there are “peaks and troughs” in any business and added that Splitz is leading the way to address the issues raised.
It is believed that the present club management lacks direction in resolving its current situation and that Ms. Menzies, from the concerns of the local authorities shows a lackluster attitude to addressing any concerns of customer safety at the premises due to her inexperience and naivety, with little or no understanding to the clubs requirement within the 2003 licensing act. It has also been remarked by customers of the venue that Ms. Menzies can frequently be seen partying and drinking with friends leaving the venue to be run by unqualified members of staff.
Police have said that despite reassurances from Ms. Menzies and management at the club, they believe there is a “lack of desire and consistency” to make sure measures are put in to place to stop the frequency of criminality.
Police first made contact with management at Splitz in December 2010, and said since then they have had concerns about the way in which the club is run.
The application, which was written on behalf of the Chief Constable of Norfolk Police, said: “It would seem that there is either not the willingness by staff to deal with potential trouble makers, or a failure to intervene early enough, or to spot when persons are displaying signs of drunkeness or agitation that then develop into violent altercations.”
Police say the club has the highest level of required police attendance in the town, with incidents such as assault resulting in a broken jaw, door staff being bitten and a police officer being punched.
The application stressed that a “continuance of such behaviour should not be tolerated”, and suggested the committee suspend the license for three months so that amendments can me made and implemented.
These include a new closing hour of 2.15am, more intensive security staff at the venue, no re-entry to the club after 1am, a CCTV system be fitted which meets the industry standard and a radio system between staff.
The meeting will be in the Anglia Room at Breckland Council in Dereham on May 9 at 9.30am.
Light Dragoons night spot to close following police action due to major drunkenness and violent behavior. Splitz nightclub based in Dereham and frequented by members of the Light Dragoons is due for closure, if the authorities are granted their proposed requirements to enforce the 2003 licensing act. Police have asked that the business be closed for three months after local authorities condemned the venue for its level of violence and drunkenness – deeming it a “high risk” to the community.
Members of the local regiment “Light Dragoons” frequently visit the nightclub and service personnel of the regiment are surprised by the local authorities’ decision to close the venue on grounds of drunkenness and drug abuse saying the premises have always had a reputation for being “on the lively side during the nights” that’s why we like it.
Last year the whole regiment was banned from using the venue by the base command for over six months due to inappropriate behavior by army personnel, follow several incidents of assault involving the Light Dragoons on members of the local community.
Norfolk Police have asked Breckland Council’s licensing sub-committee to review and consider temporarily suspending the license for Splitz, on Quebec Street at their meeting next month.
The police said in their application for the review that the venue has an “unacceptable” level of drunkenness inside which transpires into regular assaults and anti-social behavior both inside and in the surrounding area.
The club, which is run by Michelle Menzies, opens until 2am in the week, 4am on Friday and Saturday night, and at the back of the venue there is a complex for elderly people, as well as residential property in the area.
Police have said that despite reassurances from Ms Menzies and management at the club, they believe there is a “lack of desire and consistency” to make sure measures are put in to place to stop the frequency of criminality.
Michelle Menzies
Ms Menzies responded to the police claims saying the standards are “of a very high level” and that she believes the review of the license is to “suit the police shift patterns, staffing issues and budget restrictions”.
She said: “Any undue restrictions upon our trading hours I believe, as do other business owners, would bring catastrophic consequences to my business and others as clubbers would seek to leave Dereham for other venues.”
In describing the incidents of assault as “ugly”, Ms Menzies said she believes there are “peaks and troughs” in any business and added that Splitz is leading the way to address the issues raised
15 local businesses have written to Breckland Council expressing their concern about the license review, believing it would drive business out of the town.
Police first made contact with management at Splitz in December 2010, and said since then they have had concerns about the way in which the club is run.
The application, which was written on behalf of the Chief Constable of Norfolk Police, said: “It would seem that there is either not the willingness by staff to deal with potential trouble makers, or a failure to intervene early enough, or to spot when persons are displaying signs of drunkeness or agitation that then develop into violent altercations.”
Police say the club has the highest level of required police attendance in the town, with incidents such as assault resulting in a broken jaw, door staff being bitten and a police officer being punched.
The application stressed that a “continuance of such behaviour should not be tolerated”, and suggested the committee suspend the license for three months so that amendments can me made and implemented.
These include a new closing hour of 2.15am, more intensive security staff at the venue, no re-entry to the club after 1am, a CCTV system be fitted which meets the industry standard and a radio system between staff.
The meeting will be in the Anglia Room at Breckland Council in Dereham on May 9 at 9.30am.
Splitz nightclub based in Dereham and frequented by members of the Light Dragoons is due for closure, if the authorities are granted their proposed requirements to enforce the 2003 licensing act. Police have asked that the business be closed for three months after local authorities condemned the venue for its level of violence and drunkenness – deeming it a “high risk” to the community.
Members of the local regiment “Light Dragoons” frequently visit the nightclub and service personnel of the regiment are surprised by the local authorities’ decision to close the venue on grounds of drunkenness and drug abuse saying the premises have always had a reputation for being “on the lively side during the nights” that’s why we like it.
Last year the whole regiment was banned from using the venue by the base command for over six months due to inappropriate behavior by army personnel, follow several incidents of assault involving the Light Dragoons on members of the local community.
Norfolk Police have asked Breckland Council’s licensing sub-committee to review and consider temporarily suspending the license for Splitz, on Quebec Street at their meeting next month.
The police said in their application for the review that the venue has an “unacceptable” level of drunkenness inside which transpires into regular assaults and anti-social behaviour both inside and in the surrounding area.
The club, which is run by Michelle Menzies, opens until 2am in the week, 4am on Friday and Saturday night, and at the back of the venue there is a complex for elderly people, as well as residential property in the area.
Police have said that despite reassurances from Ms Menzies and management at the club, they believe there is a “lack of desire and consistency” to make sure measures are put in to place to stop the frequency of criminality.
Ms Menzies responded to the police claims saying the standards are “of a very high level” and that she believes the review of the license is to “suit the police shift patterns, staffing issues and budget restrictions”.
She said: “Any undue restrictions upon our trading hours I believe, as do other business owners, would bring catastrophic consequences to my business and others as clubbers would seek to leave Dereham for other venues.”
In describing the incidents of assault as “ugly”, Ms Menzies said she believes there are “peaks and troughs” in any business and added that Splitz is leading the way to address the issues raised
15 local businesses have written to Breckland Council expressing their concern about the license review, believing it would drive business out of the town.
Police first made contact with management at Splitz in December 2010, and said since then they have had concerns about the way in which the club is run.
The application, which was written on behalf of the Chief Constable of Norfolk Police, said: “It would seem that there is either not the willingness by staff to deal with potential trouble makers, or a failure to intervene early enough, or to spot when persons are displaying signs of drunkeness or agitation that then develop into violent altercations.”
Police say the club has the highest level of required police attendance in the town, with incidents such as assault resulting in a broken jaw, door staff being bitten and a police officer being punched.
The application stressed that a “continuance of such behaviour should not be tolerated”, and suggested the committee suspend the license for three months so that amendments can me made and implemented.
These include a new closing hour of 2.15am, more intensive security staff at the venue, no re-entry to the club after 1am, a CCTV system be fitted which meets the industry standard and a radio system between staff.
The meeting will be in the Anglia Room at Breckland Council in Dereham on May 9 at 9.30am.
News: NMMI investigating Facebook post Monday, April 1, 2013, 05:55 PM – News Stories 1 NMMI investigating facebook post . New Mexico Military Institute Officials are investigating the hacking of a cadet’s Facebook page where someone posted a racial slur…( KRQE.com ) No Foolin’: Blogger Announces 2013 Mil-Humor Awards . Despite today’s date, this is not a drill .
This is not a joke . I take military humor very seriously . I grew up on a diet of military cartoons and humor .
In the 1970s, I read Bob Stevens’ “There I was …” comics, which were located on the last pages of my father’s issues of Air Force Magazine…( Red Bull Rising 3 ) Duffleblog got me for about 30 seconds, should have known better… ( Reddit 4 ) Military working cat program underway at ‘The Old Guard’ . JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. (April 1, 2013) — The 3d U.S . Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), is doing its part to cut down on military spending with the implementation of a new cutting edge program which will use military working cats to work alongside military police…( The United States Army 5 ) CPJ launches Somali Security Guide .
Last week, two gunmen waited near the home of a young Somali journalist, Rahmo Abdulkadir, who had recently returned to the capital from the Galgadud district in central Somalia where she worked as a reporter for Radio Abudwaq (Worshipper) . According to local journalists, 25-year-old Rahmo had just left an Internet caf in Mogadishu around 9:30 p.m . on March 24 with a friend when she was shot and killed .
Her companion was not harmed…( CPJ 6 ) South Korean museum includes Duluth native s war story . The story of a young Duluth native killed in the opening days of the Korean War will be part of a memorial museum opening next month in South Korea . U.S .
Army Cpl . Paul Larson, 19, died on July 5, 1950, during the Battle of Osan the first engagement between United Nations and North Korean forces . Larson was one of the first of more than 36,500 Americans killed in the war…( Grand Folks Herald 7 ) Army veteran sparks outrage by tattooing his dog and publishing picture on Facebook .
An army veteran has sparked outrage after tattooing his dog and publishing the results on his Facebook page . Ernesto Rodriguez tattooed his 5-month-old purebred American Pit Bull at his tattoo parlour last week . Mr Rodriguez inked the dog s name, Duchess, and an emblem representing her bloodline on his pet s stomach…( Metro News 8 ) Brown Moses: the British blogger tracking Syrian arms .
A British blogger has been monitoring weapons used in the Syrian conflict, providing important analysis of the conflict for human rights groups – while working from his Leicester home…( Channel 4 News 9 ) 2 Add comment 10 | 0 trackbacks 11 | permalink 12 | Discussion 13 | Digg this 14 | Add to del.icio.us 15 U.S . Army surpasses 1.75 million likes Sunday, March 31, 2013, 09:57 PM – Facebook 16 In February, the United States Marine Corps reached 2.9 million likes on Facebook and the page should be the first military branch to reach 3 million likes . But the Marines aren t the only service making waves .
Last week, the U.S . Army topped 1.75 million likes 17 . The daily growth of the page is nearly 900 new likes, on average .
In the past week alone, the page added 5,852 likes . In terms of where the U.S . Army appears on leader boards, here’s the latest as of today: 6th – Top pages by total likes (Government organization)26th – Fastest growing pages today (Government organization)27th – Fastest growing pages this week (Government organization)49th – Fastest growing talked about pages this week (Government organization)13th – Most talked about pages (Government organization) Metrics courtesy of PageData 18 .
Add comment 19 | 0 trackbacks 20 | permalink 21 | Discussion 22 | Digg this 23 | Add to del.icio.us 24 Vet who boasted on Facebook of Syria, arrested Saturday, March 30, 2013, 01:54 AM – Facebook 25 I’ve been writing about Eric Harroun, the 30-year old Army veteran who was fighting in Syria, since February, after viewing a YouTube video that showed an unknown American at the time, sitting in a Jeep next to a rebel fighter . The story took a twist when Mail Online reported that Harroun had joined the al Qaeda-linked group Jabhat al-Nusra . Al-Nusra was designated by the US government as a terrorist organization in late 2012 .
26 I covered the story because of the social media aspect — Harroun had been using Facebook to boast about his exploits . Facebook was among many communication tools Harroun used . The story took an even bigger turn twist when AOL Defense 27 ran a story reporting that a Pro-Assad Group was claiming Harroun was killed .
Harroun messaged the reporter saying, “”Lol I was reported Dead ! Show me the link . I never joined Al Nusra !! !
I am FSA get it right.” Well, here’s the latest as of this week: The AP is reporting that Harroun has now been charged with fighting with al-Qaida in Syria . Eric Harroun, 30, of Phoenix, was charged in U.S . District Court in Alexandria with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction specifically, a rocket propelled grenade launcher outside the U.S .
According to an FBI affidavit, Harroun, who served three years in the Army before being medically discharged, was engaged in military action in Syria, siding with rebel forces against the Syrian government, from January to March of this year . Read more over at the WashPo 28 . Add comment 29 | 0 trackbacks 30 | permalink 31 | Discussion 32 | Digg this 33 | Add to del.icio.us 34 Round-up of military social media stories Saturday, March 30, 2013, 01:52 AM – News Stories 35 There s been a lot of news stories in the past week having to do with the military and social media .
Here are a handful of them, including a Twitter Easter Egg hunt being conducted by Army Athletics . The Afghan Taliban’s Internet Media Empire Hosted In Malaysia, Singapore, America . The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban’s shadow government in the country, operates a network of websites and social media accounts to connect with potential jihadists, report the Taliban activities in Afghanistan, and advance the cause of global jihad by means of audio, video text and PDF documents.( Right Side News ) Army To Conduct Easter Egg Hunt On Twitter .
The Army Athletic Association will conduct an Easter egg hunt during the Army baseball team’s doubleheader versus Navy on Easter Sunday (March 31) beginning at 12 p.m . The hunt, which will run throughout the first game of the doubleheader, will be administered exclusively through Army Athletics’ official Twitter handle (@ArmyAthletics).( Army Black Knights ) Veteran’s heartwarming note to soldier’s girlfriend goes viral . The note left for a soldier’s girlfriend on her windshield from a veteran is going viral on social media .
Samantha Ford posted a picture of the note that contained two $20 bills on a Facebook page Sunday.( WAFF-TV ) Israeli Soldier’s Facebook Post: “There’s Nothing Better Than a Dead Arab” . On Tuesday, the Israeli online newspaper Haaretz reported an incidence of racism by an Israeli Defense Force soldier via social media . The soldier posted from his Facebook account, There s nothing better than a dead Arab, perpetuating the idea that the conflict is deeply rooted in hate rather than working toward peace.( policymic 39 ) Instagram is becoming an online hangout for terrorists .
Be careful on your next Instagram exploration you might find yourself exposed to graphic photos depicting terrorist activity . The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) an independent, non-profit organization released a report recently alerting that Instagram is home to a tremendous increase of use by online jihadis. ( Digital Trends 40 ) Hunt for bogus war heroes uncovers thousands of hoaxers . During the past decade, some 4,000 men have been exposed while posing as combat warriors to fool women, scam federal benefits and reap undeserved praise .
But the latest fake veteran to be uncloaked and convicted will carry an unofficial military rank to prison: “Captain Obvious.”( WRCBtv 41 ) In his living room, blogger traces arms trafficking to Syria . Elliot Higgins has never been to Syria . He has no friends and family there .
Nor does he have any military experience or background in weapons analysis . But when he lost his job last year, he used the extra hours to indulge an interest in current events, particularly the Arab Spring.( CNN 42 ) Jihadi Web Forums Are Losing Members to Twitter, Facebook, Death . Social media is killing the websites where terrorists and terrorist wannabes talk shop .
That is, when wars aren t killing them . That s the claim made by jihadi ideologue Abu Sa d al- Amili in a recent essay circulating online.( Danger Room 43 ) 36 37 38 Add comment 44 | 0 trackbacks 45 | permalink 46 | Discussion 47 | Digg this 48 | Add to del.icio.us 49 How many “Likes” will photo for soldier get ? Friday, March 29, 2013, 06:25 AM – Facebook 50 Image via Facebook This is a neat story 51 about how an Army wife, Tina Ognibene, is using Facebook to help celebrate the upcoming 50 th birthday of her husband, Staff Sgt .
John Ognibene . On March 25, Tina Ognibene posted a photo of herself to the Facebook page of the Collier County Sheriff s Office (CCSO) . According to the message posted on Facebook 52 , Staff Sgt .
Ognibene is part of the CCSO family and Tina is a jail technician . In the photo (pictured above), Tina is holding a sign that says, How many likes can we get for Army Staff Sgt . John Ognibene’s 50th birthday? (deployed in Afghanistan) As of this very moment, the photo has been liked over 2,000 times .
Here s a look at the message that accompanies the photo: Help CCSO Show Staff Sgt . John Ognibene Some 50th Birthday Love ! Please join the Collier County Sheriff s Office in wishing a happy 50th birthday to Army Staff Sgt .
John Ognibene, who will be celebrating this milestone April 7 in Afghanistan . Staff Sgt . Ognibene is part of the CCSO family .
His wife Tina is a jail technician and has been with the agency since 2004 . Help us see how many likes, shares, and comments we can collect on this photo in honor of his birthday and in appreciation of his service . Also, if you would like to send a birthday card to Staff Sgt .
Ognibene, his address is: SSG Ognibene, John320th MP COFOB WaltonAPO, AE 09367 Staff Sgt . Ognibene moved to Naples in 1967 and is a Lely High School graduate . He served three years in the U.S .
Army and one year in the Army National Guard after graduating high school in 1981 . While he enjoyed his life as a civilian after leaving the military, he missed serving his country . In 2005, with Tina s blessing, he joined the U.S .
Army Reserve . In 2006/2007 he served his first six-month deployment to Afghanistan . His second six-month deployment followed in 2007/2008 .
After his return from that deployment his unit, the 723rd Maintenance Support Co (A), was closed and he was assigned to the 320th MP CO about four months before that unit returned from its deployment . In October 2012 he was called to active duty again . First he spent time training in Fort Bliss, Texas .
On Dec .
23 his unit left again for Afghanistan . This time the deployment is expected to last a year . Tina Ognibene is a native of Germany, and all of her family members live there .
She considers her CCSO friends to be her local family . Agency members have donated 58 pounds worth of items that she has mailed to her husband s unit while he has been deployed . Another 4 pounds are ready to be shipped .
The items include lip balm, bug repellant, wipes, small toiletries . and candy . Tina told a reporter for WFTX-TV, “He found out about the posting on Facebook within the hour and at first he was shocked and now he’s laughing bout it, it makes him smile all day long.” More on the story here 53 .
Add comment 54 | 0 trackbacks 55 | permalink 56 | Discussion 57 | Digg this 58 | Add to del.icio.us 59 News: The military’s top photographers of 2012 Thursday, March 28, 2013, 04:34 AM – News Stories 60 10 Stunning Pictures from the Military s Top Photographers of 2012 . The military s Defense Information School named its top photographers of the 2012 and published some of their stunning work late last week . Air Force Master Sgt .
Jeremy T . Lock with the Defense Media Activity was named the 2012 Military Photographer of the Year, which is his seventh time receiving the honor . Here is a look at a couple pieces of his work…( TheBlaze.com ) Guest column: Social media and the military ?
Is there a place for social media in combat ? Facebook, Skype, Viber and texting are a few of the new psyche-defining influences on the spontaneous thinking and decision-making capabilities of our youth and future soldiers . Do you see a young people anymore without a cellphone in their hands or earbuds in their ears ?
This is a cultural and ego-defining new paradigm…( Naples Daily News 62 ) Visiting Somali journalist shot dead in Mogadishu . Somali authorities must immediately investigate the murder of a radio journalist who was shot dead on Sunday evening in Mogadishu, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today . Two unidentified gunmen shot Rahmo Abdulkadir five times as she was walking to a relative’s house near Bacaad Market in Yaaqhiid District of Mogadishu, news reports said .
Local journalists said the gunmen fled the scene before police arrived . News accounts reported that Rahmo’s unidentified female companion was unharmed…( CPJ 63 ) Social platform promotes Soldier networking . Moving around with the Army can make a Soldier feel they are living a nomadic life without any personal attachments that can help keep them grounded to their career and their fellow Soldiers…( The Redstone Rocket 64 ) Anti-Semitic Tweets Posted on BBC Twitter by Syrian Electronic Army .
Fake “political, anti-Semitic and comical” tweets were posted by hackers on “several BBC Twitter accounts’ last week, the Associated Press reported . Hacking group the Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for the hack and for posting the tweets which the BBC characterized as “unacceptable,” according to the AP . One of the tweets posted was “Long Live Syria Al-Assad.”( iMediaEthics 65 ) War of the words – Afghanistan’s information battle .
The Kandahar Media and Information Centre started in 2010 has helped swing public opinion towards the government but with the 2014 deadline for the transition of all security to the Afghan forces fast approaching and the presidential election in the same year, the information war in Afghanistan remains tightly contested and the battle for public opinion is now at its most critical…( YouTube 66 ) Syria conflict: interactive photo map . Every day, in virtually every part of the country, Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers and staff are risking their lives to get aid to the most vulnerable Syrians whatever side of the conflict they are on . To ensure that they are reaching anyone who needs help, volunteers must negotiate their way through checkpoints, down roads fought over by armed groups .
While this map cannot show all the places the Red Crescent is helping, it can give an idea of the lifesaving work taking place across the country…( British Red Cross blog 67 ) 61 Add comment 68 | 0 trackbacks 69 | permalink 70 | Discussion 71 | Digg this 72 | Add to del.icio.us 73 Army wives Facebook group got vile and nasty Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 03:51 PM – Facebook 74 Image of The Cage via Ninemsn / Source: Facebook Several Australian news sites are running a story about an Australian Army wives Facebook group called The Cage that apparently got pretty ugly and pretty nasty . Comments in the secret group are described as disgusting and vile . Ninemsn 75 wrote, The posts reveal Cage members using words such as “skank” and “moron” to describe other women as they harass and belittle them .
NT News, which first broke the story, titled their first article Cage of Horrors Online 76 . According to NT News, the group of 280 members was revealed, after one of the Army wives who was so disgusted by the actions of others in the group, launched another page called Cage Uncovered that displayed screen shots of the shocking posts . One comment for example reads, “She needs to engage her brain-finger-Facebook filter .
Each time she types one of her many questions she needs to step back from the keyboard, re read it and think ‘do I sound like a f-head’ (answer always is yes in her case) and refrain from posting . A follow-up story by NT News 77 yesterday reports that The Cage has now gone offline . One wife who defended the group, told NT News, “(The comments were made) in the heat of the moment in the private group – all these posts have been taken out of a private group “We’re not slandering people in a public forum.” Honestly, unless I was an MMA fighter or a fisherman, I probably wouldn t be joining a group called The Cage for support .
But that s me . Read the latest here 78 . Add comment 79 | 0 trackbacks 80 | permalink 81 | Discussion 82 | Digg this 83 | Add to del.icio.us 84 Boonie’s Haiku Contest Winners Announced Tuesday, March 26, 2013, 10:56 PM Last month, Charlie Sherpa, the editor of the Red Bull Rising blog, announced the ” Boonie’s Haiku Contest ,” a light-hearted poetry competition commemorating the experiences of both military and civilian personnel downrange regardless of era .
The winners have been announced 86 after receiving more than 50 entries . First place went to Mariecor Ruediger who wrote: One bare Hu treeShields a tower position;Home is far away . Second place went to John Mittle: From dusk until dawnfighting from my cozy desk,Bronze Star on the way .
Third place went to Joseph Davidovski: Sandstorm blocks out sunBirds, vics, talibs stay quietStill the slides march on For more information on all the winners and details on the contest, visit Red Bull Rising 87 .
85 Add comment 88 | 0 trackbacks 89 | permalink 90 | Discussion 91 | Digg this 92 | Add to del.icio.us 93 News: Syrian Rebel leader resigns via Facebook Monday, March 25, 2013, 11:59 PM – News Stories 94 Syria: Rebel leader resigns on Facebook over lack of help . Syria s opposition leader has quit, blaming the international community for not doing enough to stop two years of bloodshed in the war-torn country . Mouaz al-Khatib said he was fulfilling a promise to resign if certain undefined red lines were crossed .
His decision came after EU foreign ministers failed to resolve their differences over whether to exempt rebels from an arms embargo . Announcing the decision on his Facebook page, Mr Khatib said: I am keeping my promise and resigning from the National Coalition so that I can work with a freedom not available inside official institutions… ( Metro News ) Social Media Jihad: Tunisian ‘martyrs’ in Syria . Tunisia has long exported jihadists .
During the 1990s, Tunisians made their way to al Qaeda and affiliated camps in Afghanistan . During the peak of the Iraq War, Tunisia and Libya made North Africa a deep pool for al Qaeda’s recruitment efforts . And with the Syrian war raging on, the subject of Tunisians waging jihad abroad has become a hot topic once again…( Long War Journal 96 ) Let Me Tweet That For You site raises concerns for journalists .
This tweet looks pretty real, doesn t it ? It s not, though . I faked that tweet using a Web service named Let Me Tweet That For You .
It s pretty simple you type in a Twitter username and a message, and it generates a realistic-looking image of a tweet from that person . It even adds fake retweet and favorite counts to lend some more credibility…( Poynter .
97 ) True war story highlights WWII Extravaganza . In the frigid winter months of early 1945, PFC Joseph Badamo was on the slopes of Monte Belvedere in Northern Italy fighting the Nazis .
The 18-year-old had just arrived in the country with Company B of the 86th Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division, and already found himself in heated combat…( YumaSun ) 98 95 World War II crash site found during wildfire tells story of a fateful day . Forest Service Capt . Tim Ritchey and his crew stumbled across the wreckage on a fire-swept night shortly before 2 a.m .
Ritchey and his crew were on a mission to stop the Stafford wildland fire from consuming the community of Hayfork last September . The dark, steep terrain, illuminated by flames, did not stop Ritchey from scouting through the brush . There he saw an item that didn t fit with the landscape, then another .
A veteran of the U.S . Air Force, Ritchey recognized the items as parts of an aircraft . The roar of exploding ammunition stopped Ritchey from advancing .
These parts were not from any aircraft, but a military one…( Redding 99 ) Add comment 100 | 0 trackbacks 101 | permalink 102 | Discussion 103 | Digg this 104 | Add to del.icio.us 105 Army Strong Stories featured on BuzzFeed Sunday, March 24, 2013, 07:14 AM – News Stories 106 Army Strong Stories , the U.S . Army s official Soldier blog, was recently featured on BuzzFeed, a site best known for curating viral content from around the web . The story called “How The Military Is Controlling Online Speech – By Embracing It”, appeared in the FWD section 108 , the site s tech vertical .
It s not your typical story . Here s what Justine Sharrock wrote: As part of a new recruitment program, the Army is asking soldiers to post about their personal experiences in the military on Army Strong Stories, an official Department of Defense website . Since the site was founded in 2008, most of the posts have been positive .
But not all; some recent posts have been scorchingly angry . This, it turns out, is part of the plan . Modern potential recruits, the thinking goes, have powerful bullshit detectors .
The internet and social media has given them a clear, largely uncensored view of war and life in the military, making traditional recruitment advertising seem inauthentic. “We really do believe in an open and honest forum about Army life,” an Army spokesperson told BuzzFeed. “We want you to tell the true story . That’s the power behind the platform . Without the negative it wouldn’t be credible.” But “honest” isn’t the same thing as uncensored when it comes to an Army-run website .
While the organization appears to be giving an unvarnished view of Army life, its own regulations are encouraging soldiers to self-censor . Read the full BuzzFeed article here 109 . Learn more about Army Strong Stories at: http://armystrongstories.com/ 110 107 Add comment 111 | 0 trackbacks 112 | permalink 113 | Discussion 114 | Digg this 115 | Add to del.icio.us 116 24 hours in the Air Force: Photo Project Saturday, March 23, 2013, 04:47 AM Image of F-35 via Facebook.com / Source: US Air Force The Air Force has announced a photo project called ” 24 Hours in the Air Force 117 ” which will help show all that happens within a single day .
Are you a chef in the dining facility who prepares the midnight meal ? Are you a security forces member who guards the gate at all hours ? Are you a medical technician who works the swing shift in the hospital ?
Have you ever wanted to show the world exactly what goes on during your Air Force workday ? Here s your chance . Help us document your Air Force story .
The work day selected is March 29, 2013 . The idea is for participants to take a photo of what’s going on where they work at a specific hour . According to the announcement, the photos will then be compiled into an album and shared in April at various work locations, as well as online via the Air Force’s social media sites .
If you want to share what you do, you’re instructed to send your name, location and career field to 24hoursintheAirForce@gmail.com 118 to get your place on the clock . More information here 119 . Add comment 120 | 0 trackbacks 121 | permalink 122 | Discussion 123 | Digg this 124 | Add to del.icio.us 125 The Duffel Blog does interview, hints at book Friday, March 22, 2013, 04:33 AM – Milbloggers in the News 126 Photo via Marine Corps Times / Source: Paul Szoldra Andy Kravetz with the Peoria Journal Star 127 did an email interview with Paul Szoldra 128 , the founder of the military parody site ” The Duffel Blog 129 ” .
Kravetz asked Szoldra questions about his military service, what inspired him to do a parody site, and how he generates content for the website . When Kravetz mentioned that the site has been perceived to be real news and what type of reception it had received from the troops, Szoldra responded: We ve fooled a great number of people, and while it s often funny to me to see people commenting and thinking a story is real, more often than not I m shocked that there are so many people that will simply believe whatever is written on the internet . I mean, seriously, what happened to critical thinking, skepticism, and a little bit of research ?
For those that do understand what The Duffel Blog is all about, they love us . We always get a ton of comments of praise from fans, emails, story ideas, and shares from military-related Facebook pages . I think, however, that the best comments I receive come from troops with PTSD, who have said that the website helps them to laugh a little and in a small way, gives them a way to cope with their experiences .
That s amazing to me and I m so lucky that I can at least do this one thing to support my fellow military members . It s not a lengthy interview, but if you re a fan of The Duffel Blog it s worth the read . At the end of the article, Szoldra offers up a hint of what s to come when Kravetz asks him if he has anything else to share .
Szoldra writes, We re looking into writing a book sometime soon, and it s going to be fantastic . But can t offer much more detail than that . Read the full interview here 130 .
Add comment 131 | 0 trackbacks 132 | permalink 133 | Discussion 134 | Digg this 135 | Add to del.icio.us 136 Syrian Electronic Army hacks BBC Twitter accounts Friday, March 22, 2013, 03:48 AM – News Stories 137 Three BBC Twitter accounts have been hijacked by the Syrian Electronic Army . First it was Burger King, then it was Jeep and the AFP, now the BBC is the latest Twitter hack victim in recent weeks . BBC Weather started tweeting some pretty odd and uncharacteristic messages around 1pm GMT today, coming from the Syrian Electronic Army …( The Next Web ) Veterans write and share their war stories at CFCC .
From war to the written word, veterans are sharing their stories at Cape Fear Community College . It’s part of a program called “StoryForce.” The six-week writing seminar for students encouraged military veterans to write about their experience serving their country and returning home from war . At an event at the college Wednesday night, the veterans read what they wrote to their peers…( WECT 139 ) Journalists attacked in Egypt over the weekend .
At least 14 journalists were attacked by police and supporters of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood group outside the group’s headquarters in Cairo on Saturday and Sunday, according to news reports and local journalists. “The attackers want to prevent the public from getting a full picture of the country’s political discontent by trying to silence the journalists witnessing these protests,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Coordinator Sherif Mansour. “We call on the Egyptian authorities to fully investigate these deplorable assaults and hold everyone, including police officers, accountable under the law…”( CPJ 140 ) The End of War Stories . I can t remember the last time I told a real war story the kind you recount with waving arms and an animated voice, impersonating friends you haven t talked to in years . The kind you really get into .
I realized about a year ago that, at some point, I got out of the business of telling stories . It wasn t deliberate . They just sort of dried up…( At War 141 ) World War II POW s story moves reader .
It was a privilege to meet and hear Lt . Col . Irv Baum (retired) speak recently in Napa about his World War II experiences as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III and Stalag IX .
It was hard to believe he and his crewmen were only 19 years old when they went to the aid of England and the occupied European countries . Those were grim times indeed…( Napa Valley Register 142 ) US Defense spokesman says DoD not dumping BlackBerry . A US Department of Defense spokesman on Thursday said a report suggesting the defense agency is dumping BlackBerry devices was inaccurate, and that BlackBerry is still part of ongoing DoD mobile device deployment plans .
The spokesman contradicted a report in Electronista that cited “well-placed sources” as saying the Defense Department created a pending purchase order for 650,000 Apple iOS devices, including iPhones and tablets . That purchase would replace existing BlackBerry devices that are incompatible with BlackBerry 10, Electronista said…( Computerworld 143 ) War days: Pupils hear true war stories from family . CHILDREN at a Newquay primary school learnt about the Second World War last week and met doll that was almost blown up by the Luftwaffe .
Year 5 pupils at The Bishops’ School invited their grandparents and great grandparents into the classroom to speak about their wartime experiences on Tuesday…( This is Cornwall 144 ) 138 Add comment 145 | 0 trackbacks 146 | permalink 147 | Discussion 148 | Digg this 149 | Add to del.icio.us 150 Dean says Twitter is widespread with terror activity Thursday, March 21, 2013, 11:49 PM – Twitter , News Stories 151 152 Here s another news article to throw into the Twitter freedom of speech debate . It talks about Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who says Twitter lacks any kind of policy when it comes to threatening or hate speech . When Inspire magazine, the English-language Web publication of the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen, released its latest issue in late February, Cooper said that the way they chose to announce it was through Twitter .
That s not a speech issue, Cooper said, that s a terrorism issue . But even when confronted with allegations that its users are involved in terrorist activity, Twitter has been reluctant to give over the names of its users to law enforcement . In the handful of cases in which Twitter has handed over information, the company has only done so after being compelled by a court order .
When you look at Twitter s policies, their big picture tends to be hands off as they put it, Let the tweets fly, the Berkman Center s Budish said . They want to encourage an open atmosphere for dialogue and the exchange of information . Facebook, by contrast, actively monitors content that its users post .
The company s policy on hate speech is rather brief: You will not post content that: is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence . I think this topic will continue to be the subject of a lot of debate . I m all for freedom of speech and think we should be very careful about censoring anybody s message, but I do have a problem when terrorists post death threats and other messages of violence on Twitter .
View full story here 153 . Add comment 154 | 0 trackbacks 155 | permalink 156 | Discussion 157 | Digg this 158 | Add to del.icio.us 159 Iraq War military bloggers featured in news story Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 04:37 AM – Milbloggers in the News 160 With the 10-year anniversary of the Iraq War, ITV News 161 published a story on military blogs called, Modern warfare: The rise of blogging from the battlefield in Iraq : Ten years ago, thousands of coalition soldiers invaded Iraq on a US-led mission to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from the grave danger posed by Saddam Hussein, according to George Bush . Aside from the controversy surrounding the decision to launch the offensive, this war will have a place in history as one of the first to be chronicled through military blogs .
From very early in the conflict, for some US troops the internet became an outlet to share their experiences of life on the frontline . Some started writing to communicate with friends and family or as an alternative to the mainstream media whose reporting they thought to be lacking Several familiar faces from the military blogging community are mentioned in the story including: LT Smash, Mudville Gazette, BlackFive, Kaboom: A Soldier s War Journal, myself, and others . We will likely never know the true numbers of military bloggers from Iraq, but the number here on Milblogging.com reached nearly 500 162 at one point .
Read the full story here 163 . Add comment 164 | 0 trackbacks 165 | permalink 166 | Discussion 167 | Digg this 168 | Add to del.icio.us 169 News: Vets share Iraq war stories 10 yrs later Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 03:49 AM – News Stories 170 Iraq War stories: Veterans share memories, perspectives 10 years later . Robert W .
Philbrook grew up playing war . As a boy, it seemed simple: In games of hide-and-seek, he and his friends sneaked between buildings, guarded their forts” and shot the bad guys before they shot back . Years later, Philbrook enlisted with the California Army National Guard .
He deployed to Iraq a few months after the Sept .
11 attacks and, shortly before he left, a question from his then-6-year-old son Ryan stripped bare the reality of war…( Yahoo ! News ) Could Twitter Have Stopped The Media’s Rush To War In Iraq ? Thinking about the historic failure of the Times and others in the media a decade ago, I couldn’t help wish that Twitter had been around during the winter of 2002-2003 to provide a forum for critics to badger writers like Keller and the legion of Beltway media insiders who abdicated their role as journalists and fell in line behind the Bush White House’s march to war .
I wouldn’t have cared that recipients might have been insulted by the Twitter critiques or seen them as mean and shallow, the way Keller does today . Sorry, but the stakes in 2003 were too high to worry about bruised feelings…( Media Matters for America 172 ) Iraq war and news media: A look inside the death toll . The U.S.-led war in Iraq claimed the lives of a record number of journalists and challenged some commonly held perceptions about the risks of covering conflict .
Far more journalists, for example, were murdered in targeted killings in Iraq than died in combat-related circumstances . Here, on the 10th anniversary of the start of the war, is a look inside the data collected by CPJ . At least 150 journalists and 54 media support workers were killed in Iraq from the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 to the declared end of the war in December 2011, according to CPJ research…( CPJ 173 ) Former embedded reporter, Sam Harper, finds peace after decade of coping with war .
He was sent to the desert to report, not fight . But 10 years after coming home, Sam Harper lives with the jarring images of war . He saw and heard too much and sometimes he can t shake the horror of the body parts, the flies, the stench, the sound of popcorn crackling in the nighttime sky or the numbing sight of a shirtless Iraqi man not quite dead rolling around in the middle of the road as Americans rumbled into Baghdad .
But he didn t go to Iraq to write a documentary on the war . Armed with a laptop, a digital camera and a satellite telephone, his assignment for the Ledger-Enquirer was to write the stories of the 4,000 men and women of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division who were there to do the dirty work of war…( McClatchy 174 ) Infamous Baghdad war correspondent hotel gets makeover . From employees cleaning dust off the faux marble to guards waiting to guide visitors through a metal detector, the 18-storey property s two-year facelift has it talking a big game since it reopened last year .
We are a five-star establishment, hotel manager Fadhel Salman Hassan proudly declares . We have 405 rooms, three bars. ( The Raw Story 175 ) Vt . military college has military author for graduation talk .
A Pulitzer Prize winning author of military histories is going to be in Vermont to speak at the graduation ceremony at Norwich University in Northfield . The school announced Thursday that Rick Atkinson would give the speech at the May 11 commencement…( The Republic 176 ) Historic Duxford: Imperial War Museum Duxford tells the long story of an airfield . Imperial War Museum Duxford is turning the spotlight onto itself for its latest permanent exhibition as it explores the long history of the airfield and the men and women who served there from the First World War to the Cold War .
Historic Duxford features a new history trail allowing people to explore the site and a new exhibition (the first since the 2007 opening of the Airspace hangar) which has been developed in the historic 1930s watch tower with personal objects, stories and interactives explaining the site s changing role…( Culture24 177 ) 171 Add comment 178 | 0 trackbacks 179 | permalink 180 | Discussion 181 | Digg this 182 | Add to del.icio.us 183 Military blogger coedits book on war stories Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 04:24 AM – Bloggers turned Writers 184 It’s been sometime since I’ve written about military blogger Matt Gallagher (aka Kaboom), who published the book Kaboom Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War . If you recall, Gallagher grabbed headlines years ago when his blog was shut down during his tour in Iraq . Well, Gallagher is at again .
Only this time instead of authoring a book, he is coeditor of a new book called Fire and Forget, a collection of stories from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . Here’s a description of the book: These stories aren’t pretty and they aren’t for the faint of heart . They are realistic, haunting and shocking .
And they are all unforgettable . Television reports, movies, newspapers and blogs about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have offered images of the fighting there . But this collection offers voices–powerful voices, telling the kind of truth that only fiction can offer .
What makes the collection so remarkable is that all of these stories are written by those who were there, or waited for them at home . The anthology, which features a Foreword by National Book Award winner Colum McCann, includes the best voices of the wars’ generation: Brian Turner, whose poem “Hurt Locker” was the movie’s inspiration; Colby Buzzell, whose book My War resonates with countless veterans; Siobhan Fallon, whose book You Know When the Men Are Gone echoes the joy and pain of the spouses left behind; Matt Gallagher, whose book Kaboom captures the hilarity and horror of the modern military experience; and nine others . The book s official website can be found here 185 .
Add comment 186 | 0 trackbacks 187 | permalink 188 | Discussion 189 | Digg this 190 | Add to del.icio.us 191 Army vet with FSA: “Lol I was reported Dead!” Monday, March 18, 2013, 04:36 AM – Facebook , News Stories 192 193 There have been some new developments regarding Eric Harroun, the 30-year old Army veteran who is fighting in Syria alongside rebel fighters . Last week I wrote about Harroun, who was reported by the Daily Mail 194 to have joined the al Qaeda-linked group Jabhat al-Nusra . The group was designated by the United States government as a terrorist organization in December 2012 .
Harroun has been using Facebook to keep people up to date on his life and to boast about his fighting in Syria . On Friday, AOL Defense ran a story reporting that a Pro-Assad Group was claiming Harroun was killed. “A graphic video depicting someone who resembles Eric Harroun, a convert to Sunni Islam who boasted of his Syrian exploits on his Facebook page, was posted on YouTube earlier today with the headline: “Terrorists, including American Extremist ‘Eric Harroun’, Have Been Terminated.” We are not linking to the video because it is so graphic . The video bears the imprimatur of Syria Tube, a pro-government site.” 195 Later in the day, AOL Defense writer Colin Clark received a Facebook message from someone claiming to be Harroun, denying he was dead and that he had joined the FSA, not al-Nusra .
The message read: “Lol I was reported Dead ! Show me the link . I never joined Al Nusra !! !
I am FSA get it right.” The NY Daily News also covered the story and included screen shots from the graphic video posted to YouTube that purported to show Harroun s death .
196 This story has had some twists and turns and I m guessing we re only seeing the start of it . Read more at AOL Defense 197 . Add comment 198 | 0 trackbacks 199 | permalink 200 | Discussion 201 | Digg this 202 | Add to del.icio.us 203 Fan us: Milblogging.com is on Facebook Sunday, March 17, 2013, 12:12 PM – Facebook 204 This news probably isn t as groundbreaking as the discovery of The God Particle , but Milblogging.com is finally on Facebook .
You re probably asking yourself, How did Milblogging go so long without a Facebook page ? I know I know, it s taken a little bit of time (less than 10 years, at least) . Milblogging.com officially launched in 2005, about a year after Facebook launched .
I’ve worked hard over the years to build up the Twitter feed and will start working on the Facebook side-of-the-house . Thanks to everyone who fans us at http://facebook.com/milbloggingdotcom 205 Add comment 206 | 0 trackbacks 207 | permalink 208 | Discussion 209 | Digg this 210 | Add to del.icio.us 211 News: Dead reporter’s daughter meets Marine Sunday, March 17, 2013, 10:32 AM – News Stories 212 Daughter of ITN reporter shot dead in Iraq comes face to face with U.S . Marine who gave order to gun down her father .
For nearly ten years, I had struggled to understand why my dad was shot dead in Iraq and now I was finally going to come face to face with the US Marine who gave orders to fire that terrible day . My incredible, heroic father was Terry Lloyd, ITV News s longest-serving war correspondent, who was killed in March 2003 by an American bullet to the back of his head as he lay wounded in a makeshift ambulance after a firefight…( Daily Mail ) The Indie Journalists At the Center of the Bradley Manning Trial . One reporter had the scoop on the day after the 2012 election, when the lawyer for Bradley Manning, the young Army private accused of leaking more than 500,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks, stood up in the courtroom and announced that Manning would be taking responsibility for providing some of the documents…( PBS 214 ) War heros should share their stories .
I have often thought that some of the best stories are the ones that are never told . There are likely many such tales in each one of our family histories, and knowing this makes me wish I could interview the so-called average Joe and spend each day writing someone s life story…( Farm and Dairy 215 ) Iraq war 10 years on: a young artist’s story – video . The film is about a young Iraqi who, during the Iraq war in 2003, lost his arm in an explosion .
He wanted to study photography at college, but was not accepted because he could not carry or use a camera; he then tried the art department, and was admitted…( Guardian 216 ) Underground Dog Fighting in Afghanistan . We went to Kabul in search of illicit gambling rings where men bet on quail fights, buzkashi (like polo, but with a headless goat), and dog fights…( YouTube 217 ) Briefing Books: A Civil War soldier’s story, a novel of Steelers’ female fandom, lush Greek life and more . The Civil War will never exhaust itself as a subject of scholarly investigation .
The best stories are usually journal entries and letters written by ordinary men trying to make sense of their circumstances . New Kensington-based writer and historian Pete Schilling focuses on the experiences of Pvt . William Henry Randall, one of 10 cousins who served in Company K, 161st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment…( Pittsburg Post-Gazette 218 ) War veteran, ‘Dancing With the Stars’ winner shares ‘story of survival’ .
J.R . Martinez spoke at Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital Saturday in Jacksonville…( jacksonville.com 219 ) 213 Add comment 220 | 0 trackbacks 221 | permalink 222 | Discussion 223 | Digg this 224 | Add to del.icio.us 225 References ^ View all posts in News Stories category (milblogging.com) ^ KRQE.com (www.youtube.com) ^ Red Bull Rising (www.redbullrising.com) ^ Reddit (www.reddit.com) ^ The United States Army (www.army.mil) ^ CPJ (cpj.org) ^ Grand Folks Herald (www.grandforksherald.com) ^ Metro News (metro.co.uk) ^ Channel 4 News (www.channel4.com) ^ Add comment (milblogging.com) ^ 0 trackbacks (milblogging.com) ^ permalink (milblogging.com) ^ Discussion (www.milblogging.com) ^ Digg this (digg.com) ^ Add to del.icio.us (del.icio.us) ^ View all posts in Facebook category (milblogging.com) ^ U.S . 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Lance Corporal Jamie Webb killed in Afghanistan It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), died in an ISAF Hospital in Afghanistan on 26 March 2013. Lance Corporal Jamie Webb (Click on image to enlarge) Lance Corporal Webb died as a result of wounds sustained during an insurgent attack on his patrol base in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province on 25 March 2013. Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) Lance Corporal Jamie Webb was born on 6 October 1988 in Wilmslow, and attended Wilmslow High School and Macclesfield College.
He enlisted in the British Army aged 18 and joined 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment in September 2006. His first posting with B Company took him to Ballykinler, Northern Ireland on Operation Banner. On return from Northern Ireland, Lance Corporal Webb again deployed on operations, this time to Iraq on Operation Telic 11.
He spent 3 months in Iraq with B Company involved in security operations. In January 2009, Lance Corporal Webb moved from B Company to C Company where he continued to shine as an intelligent, fit and enthusiastic soldier. Lance Corporal Webb subsequently deployed with 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (1 MERCIAN) on 2 tours of Afghanistan.
On his first tour in 2010, as part of Operation Herrick 12, he served as a rifle section second-in-command in the Nahr-e Saraj area operating with the Danish battlegroup. Although he was only a private soldier at the time he undertook the role of a junior non-commissioned officer and developed a reputation for hard work, strong leadership and reliability. As a result of his performance on operations in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Webb was recommended for promotion and successfully completed a junior non-commissioned officer cadre in October 2011.
He was immediately promoted from private to lance corporal and assumed the role of infantry section second-in-command. Lance Corporal Webb deployed on his second tour of Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 17 in October 2012, as part of Transition Support Unit Nad Ali, led by 1 MERCIAN battlegroup. Working as a Company intelligence collator and section second-in-command he displayed a sharp, analytical mind and a deep understanding of the operational environment and the Afghanistan campaign.
Lance Corporal Webb was a justifiably proud Mercian Regiment soldier; despite his young age and short time in the Army he achieved a huge amount. He deployed on 4 operational tours and developed a reputation for being a highly capable junior commander. He was an outgoing, upbeat and popular member of C Company who will be sorely missed by his brothers-in-arms.
Lance Corporal Webb leaves behind his much loved parents Dave and Sue, and his close family. Lance Corporal Webb s family have paid the following tribute: We are so proud of Jamie being a Mercian soldier. Jamie is loved by his dad, Dave, mum, Sue, and his close family and friends.
Lieutenant Colonel Phil Kimber MBE, Commanding Officer 1 MERCIAN, said: A real character, a totally professional soldier and a great friend to many, Lance Corporal Webb was exactly the type of man you wanted around. Always with a smile on his face, always willing to engage in some witty and mischievous banter, he really did lift the morale of all around him. He was also an outstanding professional; bright, engaging and hugely talented.
He had an obvious gift for intelligence work, which ensured he was at the heart of all that his company did on this tour. Despite his relatively junior rank he had a huge amount of operational experience having deployed to Northern Ireland, Iraq, and twice to Afghanistan. No matter what else he did, he was an Infantry Lance Corporal at heart and as such he was a talented and inspirational junior commander.
Lance Corporal Webb was surrounded by his friends when he was injured. These friends and all in 1 Mercian Battlegroup will miss him terribly. We have lost a great soldier and a great friend.
Despite our grief we are acutely aware of the indescribable loss his family will now be feeling and it is his family that our thoughts and prayers are now with. Major Edward Gaffney, Officer Commanding C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: Lance Corporal Webb s tragic loss has deeply moved every member of the Company. He was the type of man who, no matter what the situation, was able to maintain his great sense of humour and constantly see the positive side of everything.
A very talented soldier, he worked on the tour as a section second-in-command when deployed on the ground and formed an important part of the Company intelligence cell in the patrol base. In both these roles he worked extremely hard and constantly volunteered for any other job that needed doing. This was his second tour of Afghanistan and once again he showed how brave and professional he was in everything he did.
His constant stream of jokes and impressions not all good! will be greatly missed. Lance Corporal Webb had the qualities that represent the best of the British Army: courage, professionalism and devotion to comrades.
At this most difficult of times, the Company s thoughts and prayers are with his family. Captain Richard Sawyer, Company Second in Command, C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: Lance Corporal Webb was a fine soldier and undoubtedly one of life s true characters. Never one to hide from the limelight, he was always ready to treat those around him, be it a private soldier or the Officer Commanding, to one of his impressions or jokes which invariably resulted in hilarity for all those present.
Jamie Webb was constant morale. Having deployed to Afghanistan previously, he was a committed soldier but it was his unique and loveable personality that makes him unforgettable. It was clear to all how much he enjoyed working with his mates in the Army and how much he loved his family.
He will be sorely missed. Lieutenant Jack Brierley, Platoon Commander, C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: To describe Lance Corporal Webb as a bit of a character is an understatement. For a man small in stature, he had a bigger personality than anyone I have ever met.
Through the employment of his unique and somewhat left-of-field sense of humour, he made sure that if you were near him, you had a smile on your face. As a junior non-commissioned officer in 9 Platoon he was a consummate professional. Keen, compassionate, proactive, competent, intelligent are all words that do not come close enough to describing Lance Corporal Webb.
The welfare of his soldiers was his primary concern and he constantly checked up on them. He embodied all that a platoon commander could want from a section second-in-command and this was evident in the way that the private soldiers looked up to him for example and inspiration. Needless to say, his loss has left a gaping hole in the Company and even more so in the Platoon.
We will not, indeed cannot, forget him and he will be missed dearly by every single man in 9 Platoon. Our deepest sympathies go to his family at this difficult time. Stand Firm, Strike Hard.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Wayne Glynn, Company Sergeant Major, C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: Lance Corporal Webb, or Webby as he is known to all, was a real character. He was always there with a joke or funny comment and was a real morale boost to everyone that knew him. A member of 9 Platoon, he volunteered for a crucial role within the intelligence cell.
Although military intelligence was not his chosen profession he threw himself into it with 100% commitment and enthusiasm and as ever with a joke and smile. He will be missed and it was my pleasure to have served alongside him. Sergeant Kev Howard, 9 Platoon Sergeant, C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: Jamie Webb was one of the funniest people I have ever met.
It did not matter how bad a day you were having, he brightened it up with his sense of humour. He was a happy-go-lucky guy with not a bad bone in his whole body. He was a model professional soldier to the other junior non-commissioned officers and a role model for the privates to look up to.
He had a promising career ahead of him in C Company and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts go to his family, whom he always talked about and missed dearly. Jamie Webb, you will never be forgotten and will always be in our thoughts.
Stand Firm, Strike Hard. Corporal Lawrence Iddison, Section Commander, 9 Platoon, C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: Lance Corporal Webb was, and always will be, a true Mercian. He was a proactive, brave and quick-thinking section second-in-command.
He was always laughing, always smiling, always offering a helping hand to those in need. He was always cheerful, ensuring morale was at the highest level it could possibly be. Needless to say, he was a great friend and a proud soldier.
Til we meet at the big re-org in the sky, Stand Firm, Strike Hard. Never forgotten. Private Mason Stead, 9 Platoon, C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: Lance Corporal Webb, known to all as Webby was a man whom all could call a friend.
He was caring and always looked after the blokes in his Platoon, always making sure everyone was okay and getting involved in what they were up to. He led from the front and through example, and he was always a source of banter in the Platoon. He was always thinking of ways to make our bond ever stronger and succeeded in strengthening the friendships of those around him.
Living opposite him in our accommodation in camp, he was always someone I could confide in whenever I had anything on my mind. He always had a way of cheering me up; a quality that everyone knows he possessed in abundance. Needless to say, over time, he became a brotherly figure to me.
His passing saddens me deeply. We may move on in time, but we will never forget you Webby. See you on the big re-org where I promise that I will return that roll of sniper tape I owe you.
Stand Firm, Strike Hard. Private Darren Hamnett, 9 Platoon, C Company, 1 MERCIAN, said: What he lacked in height, he made up for with his massive personality. He was a top soldier and a top bloke for dishing out tons of morale to the lads when times got a little hard.
Always the one to have a smile on his face, he could be relied upon to tell jokes that were so bad you could not help but laugh. Webby was an awesome section second-in-command, always getting around the blokes, asking if they were okay even if he knew they were. He loved being around the lads, even if it was to have a talk about something that did not even make any sense.
Overall he was a loving and loyal man and an awesome soldier who has paid the ultimate sacrifice doing a job he loved. Gone but not forgotten. The Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond, said: I was very saddened to learn of the death of Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, a young soldier who served his country in Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland, and who impressed his commanders consistently with his dedication, hard work and reliability.
Lance Corporal Webb died as he served fighting to protect the national security of the United Kingdom.
My deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time.
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Encyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units, 1775-1783 book download Download Encyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units, 1775-1783 1 Provincial, and German Army Units, 1775-1783′ . of British, provincial, and German army units, 1775-1783 . Encyclopedia of British Provincial and German Army Units, 1775-1783, .
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Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units # Post le samedi 23 mars 2013 13:21 2 References ^ Download Encyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units, 1775-1783 (www.skyrock.com) ^ Encyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units, 1775-1783 e-book downloads (callieaap.skyrock.com)
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The Irish Fenian prisoners known as the Fremantle Six . Photos: Wikipedia The plot they hatched was as audacious as it was impossible a 19th-century raid as elaborate and preposterous as any Ocean s Eleven script . It was driven by two men a guilt-ridden Irish Catholic nationalist, who d been convicted and jailed for treason in England before being exiled to America, and a Yankee whaling captain a Protestant from New Bedford, Massachusetts with no attachment to the former s cause, but a firm belief that it was the right thing to do .
Along with a third man an Irish secret agent posing as an American millionaire they devised a plan to sail halfway around the world to Fremantle, Australia, with a heavily armed crew to rescue a half-dozen condemned Irishmen from one of the most remote and impregnable prison fortresses ever built . To succeed, the plan required precision timing, a months-long con and more than a little luck of the Irish . The slightest slip-up, they knew, could be catastrophic for all involved .
By the time the Fremantle Six sailed into New York Harbor in August, 1876, more than a year had passed since the plot had been put into action . Their mythic escape resonated around the world and emboldened the Irish Republican Brotherhood for decades in its struggle for independence from the British Empire . The tale began with a letter sent in 1874 to John Devoy, a former senior leader with the Irish Republican Brotherhood, known as the Fenians .
Devoy, who was born in County Kildare in 1842, had been recruiting thousands of Irish-born soldiers who were serving in British regiments in Ireland, where the Fenians hoped to turn the British army against itself . By 1866, estimates put the number of Fenian recruits at 80,000 but informers alerted the British to an impending rebellion, and Devoy was exposed, convicted of treason and sentenced to 15 years labor on the Isle of Portland in England . Fenian John Devoy .
Photo: Wikipedia After serving nearly five years in prison, Devoy was exiled to America, became a journalist for the New York Herald and soon became active with c lan na gael, the secret society of Fenians in the United States . Devoy was in New York City in 1874 when he received a letter from an inmate named James Wilson . Remember this is a voice from the tomb, Wilson wrote, reminding Devoy that his old Irish recruits had been rotting away in prison for the past eight years, and were now at Fremantle, facing the death of a felon in a British dungeon .
Among the hundreds of Irish republican prisoners in Australia, Wilson was one of seven high-profile Fenians who had been convicted of treason and sentenced to death by hanging until Queen Victoria commuted their sentences to a life of hard labor . After being branded with the letter D for deserter on their chests, the Fenians were assigned backbreaking work building roads and quarrying limestone beneath an unforgiving sun . Most of us are beginning to show symptom of disease, Wilson wrote .
In fact, we can t expect to hold out much longer . Devoy was also feeling pressure from another Fenian John Boyle O Reilly 1 , who had arrived at Fremantle with Wilson and the others, only to be transferred to Bunbury, another prison in Western Australia . O Reilly grew despondent there and attempted suicide by slitting his wrists, but another convict saved him .
A few months later, with help from a local Catholic priest, O Reilly escaped from Bunbury by rowing out to sea and persuading an American whaling ship to take him on . He sailed to the United States and eventually became a poet, journalist and editor of the Catholic newspaper the Boston Pilot . But it wasn t long before O Reilly began to feel pangs of guilt over his fellow Fenians continued imprisonment in Fremantle .
He implored his fellow exile John Devoy to rally the clan na gael and mount a rescue attempt . It was all Devoy needed to hear . Escape was entirely possible, as O Reilly had proved .
And he couldn t ignore Wilson s letter, imploring him not to forget the other Fenians that he had recruited . Most of the evidence on which the men were convicted related to meetings with me, Devoy later wrote . I felt that I, more than any other man then living, ought to do my utmost for these Fenian soldiers .
At a clan na gael meeting in New York, Devoy read Wilson s voice from the tomb letter aloud, with its conclusion, We think if you forsake us, then we are friendless indeed . Devoy put the letter down and in his most persuasive voice, shouted, These men are our brothers ! Thousands of dollars were quickly raised to mount a rescue .
The original plan was to charter a boat and sail for Australia, where more than a dozen armed men would spring the Fenians out of prison . But as the planning progressed, Devoy decided their odds would be better using stealth rather than force . He convinced George Smith Anthony 2 , a Protestant sea captain with whaling experience, that the rescue mission was one of universal freedom and liberty .
Before long, Anthony concluded that the imprisoned Fenians were not criminals, and when Devoy offered the captain a hefty cut of any whaling profits they would make, Anthony signed on . He was told to set out to sea on the whaler Catalpa as if on a routine whaling voyage, keeping the rescue plans a secret from his crew; Devoy had decided that it was the only way to keep the British from discovering the mission . Besides, they were going to need to return with a full load of whale oil to recoup expenses .
The cost of the mission was approaching $20,000 (it would later reach $30,000), and one clan na gael member had already mortgaged his house to finance the rescue . Devoy also knew he needed help on the ground in Australia, so he arranged for John James Breslin 3 a bushy-bearded Fenian secret agent to arrive in Fremantle in advance of the Catalpa and pose as an American millionaire named James Collins, and learn what he could about the place they called the Convict Establishment .
4 What Breslin soon saw with his own eyes was that the medieval-looking Establishment was surrounded by unforgiving terrain . To the east there was desert and bare stone as far as the eye could see .
To the west, were shark-infested waters . But Breslin also saw that security around the Establishment was fairly lax, no doubt due to the daunting environment . Pretending to be looking for investment opportunities, Breslin arranged several visits to the Establishment, where he asked questions about hiring cheap prison labor .
On one such visit, he managed to convey a message to the Fenians: a rescue was in the works; avoid trouble and the possibility of solitary confinement so you don t miss the opportunity; there would be only one . The Catalpa in dock, probably in New Bedford, Massachusetts . Photo: Wikipedia Nine months passed before the Catalpa made it to Bunbury .
Captain Anthony had run into all sorts of problems, from bad weather to faulty navigational devices . A restocking trip to the Azores saw six crew members desert, and Anthony had to replace them before continuing on . He found the waters mostly fished out, so the whaling season was a disaster .
Very little money would be recouped on this trip, but financial losses were the least of their worries . Once Breslin met up with Captain Anthony, they made a plan . The Fenians they had come for had been continually shifted in their assignments, and for Breslin s plan to work, all six needed to be outside the walls of the Establishment .
Anyone stuck inside at the planned time of escape would be left behind . There was no way around it . To complicate matters, two Irishmen turned up in Fremantle .
Breslin immediately suspected that they were British spies, but he recruited them after learning that they had come in response to a letter the Fenians had written home, asking for help . On the day of the escape, they would cut the telegraph from Fremantle to Perth . On Sunday, April 15, 1876, Breslin got a message to the Fenians: They would make for the Catalpa the next morning .
We have money, arms, and clothes, he wrote . Let no man s heart fail him . Anthony ordered his ship to wait miles out at sea outside Australian waters .
He would have a rowboat waiting 20 miles up the coast from the prison . Breslin was to deliver the Fenians there, and the crew would row them to the ship . On Monday morning, April 16, the newly arrived Irishmen did their part by severing the telegraph wire .
Breslin got horses, wagons and guns to a rendezvous point near the prison and waited . He had no idea which prisoners, if any, would make their way outside the walls that day . But in the first stroke of good luck that morning, Breslin soon had his answer .
Thomas Darragh was out digging potatoes, unsupervised . Thomas Hassett and Robert Cranston talked their way outside the walls . Martin Hogan was painting a superintendent s house .
And Michael Harrington and James Wilson concocted a tale about being needed for a job at the warden s house . Moments later, Breslin saw the six Fenians heading toward him. (It might have been seven, but James Jeffrey Roche was purposely left behind because of an act of treachery which he had attempted against his fellows ten long years before, when he sought a lighter sentence in exchange for cooperating with the British, Anthony later wrote . The deal was ultimately rejected, but the Fenians held a grudge.) Once on the carriages, the escapees made a frantic 20-mile horse-drawn dash for the rowboat .
They hadn t been gone for an hour before the guards became aware that the Irishmen had escaped . Breslin and the Fenians made it to the shore where Anthony was waiting with his crew and the boat . The Catalpa was waiting far out at sea .
They d need to row for hours to reach it . They were about half a mile from shore when Breslin spotted mounted police arriving with a number of trackers . Not long after that, he saw a coast guard cutter and a steamer that had been commandeered by the Royal Navy to intercept the rowboat .
The Convict Establishment in Fremantle, Western Australia, Main Cellblock . Photo: Wikipedia The race was on . The men rowed desperately, with the authorities and the British, armed with carbines, in hot pursuit .
To spur on the men, Breslin pulled from his pocket a copy of a letter he had just mailed to the British Governor of Western Australia: This is to certify that I have this day released from the clemency of Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, etc., etc., six Irishmen, condemned to imprisonment for life by the enlightened and magnanimous government of Great Britain for having been guilty of the atrocious and unpardonable crimes known to the unenlightened portion of mankind as love of country and hatred of tyranny; for this act of Irish assur- ance my birth and blood being my full and sufficient warrant . Allow me to add that in taking my leave now, I ve only to say a few cells I ve emptied; I ve the honor and pleasure to bid yon good-day, from all future acquaintance, excuse me, I pray . In the service of my country, John J .
Breslin . The Fenians let out a cry and the crew kept rowing for the Catalpa , which they could now see looming in the distance . But the steamer Georgette was bearing down, and the wind was rising the beginnings of a gale .
Darkness fell and waves came crashing down on the overloaded boat as it was blown out to sea . Captain Anthony was the picture of confidence, giving orders to bail, but even he doubted they d make it through the night . By morning, the Georgette reappeared and went straight for the Catalpa .
The Georgette s captain asked if he could come aboard the whaler . Sam Smith, minding the Catalpa , replied: Not by a damned sight . The Georgette , running low on fuel, then had to return to shore .
Anthony saw his chance, and the Fenians made a dash for the whaler, this time with a cutter joining the race . They barely made it to Catalpa before the British, and the ship got under way . Anthony quickly turned it away from Australia, but the luck of the Irish seemed to run out .
The wind went dead, the Catalpa was becalmed, and by morning, the Georgette , armed with a 12-pound cannon, pulled alongside . The Fenians, seeing the armed militia aboard the British ship, grabbed rifles and revolvers and prepared for battle . Captain Anthony told the Fenians the choice was theirs they could die on his ship or back at Fremantle .
Though they were outmanned and outgunned, even the Catalpa s crew stood with the Fenians and their captain, grabbing harpoons for the fight . Poet and editor John Boyle O Reilly escaped from a penal colony in Bunbury, Western Australia, in 1869 . Photo: Wikipedia The Georgette then fired across Catalpa s bow .
Heave to, came the command from the British ship . What for ? Anthony shouted back .
You have escaped prisoners aboard that ship . You re mistaken, Anthony snapped . There are no prisoners aboard this ship .
They re all free men . The British gave Anthony 15 minutes to come to rest before they d blow your masts out . The Catalpa was also perilously close to being nudged back into Australian waters, with no wind to prevent that from happening .
It was then that Anthony gave his reply, pointing at the Stars and Stripes . This ship is sailing under the American flag and she is on the high seas . If you fire on me, I warn you that you are firing on the American flag .
Suddenly, the wind kicked up . Anthony ordered up the mainsail and swung the ship straight for the Georgette . The Catalpa s flying jibboom just cleared the steamer s rigging as the ship with the Fenians aboard headed out to sea .
The Georgette followed for another hour or so, but it was clear the British were reluctant to fire on an American ship sailing in international waters . Finally, the British commander peeled the steamer back toward the coast . The Fenians were free .
The Catalpa arrived in New York four months later, as a cheering crowd of thousands met the ship for a Fenian procession up Broadway . John Devoy, John Breslin and George Anthony were hailed as heroes, and news of the Fremantle Six prison break quickly spread around the world . The British press, however, accused the United States government of fermenting terrorism, citing Anthony s refusing to turn over the Fenians, and noted that the captain and his crew were only laughing at our scrupulous obedience to international law .
But eventually, the British would say that Anthony had done us a good turn; he has rid us of an expensive nuisance . The United States are welcome to any number of disloyal, turbulent, plotting conspirators, to all their silly machinations . The Fremantle Six still carried the torment from their ordeals at the Convict Establishment, and despite their escape, the men remained broken, Devoy noted .
He d known them as soldiers, and he was not prepared for the changes that ten years under the iron discipline of England s prison system had wrought in some of them . Still, the Fenians had reinvigorated the spirits of their fellow Irish nationalists at home and abroad, and the tale of their escape inspired generations to come through both song and story . So come you screw warders and jailers Remember Perth regatta day Take care of the rest of your Fenians Or the Yankees will steal them away. * The Real McKenzies The Catalpa, 5 10,000 Shots , 2005, Fat Wreck Chords Sources Books: Zephaniah Walter Pease, Capt .
George S . Anthony, Commander of the Catalpa: The Catalpa Expedition , New Bedford, Mass, G . S .
Anthony Publication, 1897 . Peter F . Stevens, The Voyage of the Catalpa: A Perilous Journey and Six Irish Rebels Escape to Freedom , Carrol & Graf Publishers, 2002 .
John DeVoy, Edited by Philip Fennell and Marie King, John Devoy s Catalpa Expedition , New York University Press, 2006 . Joseph Cummins, History s Great Untold Stories: Larger Than Life Characters & Dramatic Events that Changed the World , National Geographic Society, 2006 . Articles: The Escaped Fenians, New York Times , June 11, 1876 .
The Rescued Irishmen, Chicago Daily Tribune , July 27, 1876 . The Fenian Escape, by J . O Reilly, Chicago Daily Tribune , June 23, 1876 .
The Arrival, Chicago Daily Tribune , August 20, 1876 . Irish Escape, Secrets of the Dead , PBS.org, Thirteen/WNET New York, 2007, http://video.pbs.org/video/1282032064/ Devoy: Recollections of an Irish Rebel, Ask About Ireland , (John Devoy: Recollections of an Irish Rebel: A Personal Narrative by John Devoy, Chase D . Young Company, 1929.) http://www.askaboutireland.ie/aai-files/assets/ebooks/ebooks-2011/Recollections-of-an-Irish-rebel/DEVOY_RECOLLECTIONS%20OF%20AN%20IRISH%20REBEL.pdf Over the Sea and Far Away: The Catalpa and Fenians, by J.G .
Burdette, September 13, 2012, http://jgburdette.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/over-the-sea-and-far-away-the-catalpa-and-fenians/ Catalpa (The Rescue) A Brief Compilation of the Major Points of the Catalpa Rescue Story, by Paul T .
Meagher, Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, http://friendlysonsofsaintpatrick.com/2010/09/catalpa-the-rescue/ .
References ^ John Boyle O Reilly (www.irishmassachusetts.com) ^ George Smith Anthony (outbackvoices.com) ^ John James Breslin (www.irishfreedom.net) ^ Convict Establishment. (en.wikipedia.org) ^ The Real McKenzies The Catalpa, (www.youtube.com)
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Men of the British West Indies Regiment cleaning their rifles on the Amiens Road near Albert, September 1916 . IWM Q1201 Arthur Torrington is one of three external specialist researchers on the Whose remembrance ? project .
Arthur s research looked at the contribution of West Indian soldiers to the First World War which he writes about here . Soon after war was declared, British military operations in Africa were launched against Germany s colonies of Cameroon and Togo . Both the first and second battalions of the West India Regiments (WIR) participated in these attacks against German East Africa .
The WIRs were highly commended for their service . Formed in 1795, the West India Regiment served the British Empire until 1927 . The soldiers were mainly former African slaves .
Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) encouraged his countrymen to volunteer to fight in order to prove their loyalty to the King and to be treated as equals . While Lord Kitchener s personal view was that black British soldiers should not be allowed to join the forces, King George V s intervention made it possible . Over 15,000 West Indians volunteered and were included in new units called British West Indies Regiments .
The recruits initial journey to England was perilous and hundreds of soldiers suffered from severe frostbite when their troopships were diverted via Halifax in Canada . Very many had to return home no longer fit to serve as soldiers . When the others arrived in England, they found that the fighting was to be done by white soldiers, and that West Indians were to be assigned the dirty and dangerous work of loading ammunition and digging trenches .
Most of them went to war without guns . Having served in the war against the Germans and the Turks, some West Indian soldiers were transferred to the British army base in Taranto, Italy, where one of the bitterest events of the war would occur a mutiny . The days comprised largely of manual labour such as loading ammunition, or even cleaning clothes and latrines for British soldiers .
For some of the black troops there, a pay rise was given to the white soldiers but not to them . For many, that was the final indignity and on 6 December 1918 the men of the 9th Battalion revolted . In the following four days, the unrest spread .
The mutiny was put down, and around 60 soldiers went on trial . One black soldier was executed and several others given lengthy jail sentences . West Indian troops were kept away from the victory parades that marked the end of the war, and some of them were hurried home under armed guard .
Their only possessions were the clothes and the uniforms they wore . There was no work for them at home . Many of the soldiers went on to become political activists, but the islands governments put pressure on thousands to emigrate to Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela or North America .
Working on the Whose remembrance ?
has been a pleasure for me .
I got on very well with all members of the team.
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West Indian soldiers in the First World War | IWM Research Blog
The Food + Drink team have been working hard on the EMEA-wide Bursting With Flavour campaign across UK, Italy, France, Spain and Germany . The activity launches new flavours and marks the brands first foray into interactive video with a series of films showing one brave Pringles fan going up against the new flavours in a series of humorous challenges . To support local media outreach in each market, the team created 100 Personalised Pringles Packs and seeded these to key consumer and online media in each market .
To view the videos, visit https://www.facebook.com/Pringles 1 Another busy one for our Army team as fourteen new Army recruits from North Wales swore an oath of allegiance to the Queen as part of their official entry into a career with the British Army on Tuesday . The Attestation ceremony took place at the British Army Careers Office on Glynne Road in Bangor, and included a traditional parade of the new recruits in front of their proud friends and family . Having successfully completed their oaths of allegiance, each candidate received his or her Attestation certificate which marked the final completion of their recruiting process and welcomed them as new members of the British Army .
Recruiting remains one of the Army s highest priorities . The Army offers a wide variety of careers for both Soldiers and Officers, in the Regular and Territorial Army, with over 200 different roles available and recruits 15,000 people to the Army each year . And hot off the press, our Retail + Leisure team today held an event which launched the IHG Trends Report, compiled by The Futures Company .
The report looks at specific trends and how they are going to affect travel over the next 10 years . The report is called The new kinship economy: from travel experiences to travel relationships and identifies travel groups including new global explorers travellers from high-growth countries such as China and India . The debate was hosted by Simon Calder and the panellists included Richard Solomans IHG CEO, Sarah King from The Futures Company and Dr Miguel Moital of Bournemouth University .
The event took place at the Intercontinental Westminster Hotel and was attended by a range of media across travel, trade and lifestyle press . Stakeholders also attended including Visit England, ABTA, WTTC and Tourism Alliance . Finally, a shout out to our Financial + Professional services GE Capital team for their simply fantastic piece of coverage in the FT s special mid-market report this week .
This is entirely the product of tenacity from the team that managed to convert a piece with no less than FIVE really positive mentions for GE Capital and the Leading From the Middle research .
References ^ https://www.facebook.com/Pringles (www.facebook.com)
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H+K Strategies UK's Blog Blog Archive Flavours, Travel Trends …