Tiger-pie

Just when I was thinking that it isn't worth posting anything on this forum due to a perceived lack of interest, an avalanche of replies... I don't think we will be deploying our Abrams overseas, at the time of writing this we do not have the shipping capability to do so. The army goes off and buys stuff without consulting the Senior Service on its requirements for carriage. The main reason behind adopting the Abrams is that our crews can be cycled through US units, though I am only speculating on this point. So basically they will be able to "kick the tires, and light the fires" after drawing a tank from the vehicle park and deploy with US units. Wether this will be at an individual level, i.e. one tank crew per platoon, or as an independant unit, I do not know. It is our current defence policy to maintain close ties with the US with regards to common training and, as in this case, equipment. Regards; Johnsy PS: Perhaps I should start a new thread "New Days of the Abrams".

The naming on the both the stars and the other medals are wrong. Too large and legible, originals tend to have very small font, and it is not always perfectly straight. These look too good, if that makes sense. Regards; Johnsy

Squirrel Powered Wank Machine...

Here is a photo that should be of interest to EK collectors. I'm not sure where I found this image, I believe it may have been from a news article on Latvian SS veterans marching through Riga, or something like that. I know that it caused a bit of a furor among certain factions of locals, though by and large the local community was supportive, in particular the anti-communists. The most flak came from other nations who objected to the march for honouring the SS, though those with any knowledge would know that the Latvian SS was absolved of any "criminal wrong-doing" by the US government post war. Regards; Johnsy

I'm not sure as I don't have this stripe, though it does appear to be a commercially made type Regards; Johnsy

I love liquorice, so it probably wouldn't last around my place, probably come home pissed and use it for "emergency drunk rations". A very unusual ships crest, very unique I should think. Don't like rhubarb? I'm sure me mums rhubarb crumble could change your mind. Regards; Johnsy

Private Brendan Ashleigh of 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, checkss some of the damage caused to an abandoned Russian vehicle after range practice.

Two soldiers, Trooper Grant Wharton and Sergeant Sean McElhinney, watch on later in the day as the Russian vehicle is recovered.

Preparing to use an old Russian armoured vehicle for range practice.

Sunrise

Sunrise over Afganistan.

Early morning start at Kamp Holland, pictured is Cavalry Troop Commander Lieutenant Tim Mogridge.

The big Ka-boom !!!

On the same exercise, the engineers do a bit of their own dust storming.

I have no idea, but it has been "Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the coin?s obverse depicts the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. " Perhaps so it can be used in dire circumstances as legal tender? Bit like collecting stamps in that respect, stamps can be used or cashed in for their face value, though they are worth far more as a collectors item. Regards; Johnsy

Dust storm

Dust storm

Dust storm

Range practice.

Firing the MG3

Hi all; Here are some shots of the 1st Brigade on exercise. 1st Brigade, the Army?s mechanised formation, conducted combined arms missions comprising armoured cavalry, infantry, artillery and supporting branches. The training prepared select force elements for future operational deployments. This was the last brigade exercise for the Leopard tank, with 18 from the 1st Armoured Regiment put through their paces.The Leopard will be phased out in July 2007 and replaced by the Abrams main battle tank.The Leopard was adopted in 1977 to replace the Centurion, which saw service in Vietnam. Although never deployed overseas, the Leopard proved an outstanding, reliable and popular tank for its crews. Regards; Johnsy

This is an old badge, back when they had different classes of Petty Officer, this was a second class PO. It is a non-existant rank now, I'm not sure when it was discontinued, but I think you will find that this is an old badge. Regards; Johnsy

Here are a couple of Australian example. On the combat uniform a cloth wound stripe would be worn generally which prevented snagging on equipment etc. If the recipient had served in the Great War and was wounded and then returned to serve in WW2, then the stripe, or stripes, were red, any additional wound would be in gold. The black and white photo is the cloth type (in case you couldn't tell). Regards; Johnsy

The jet was used, but once we got rid of our Fleet Air Arm fixed wing aircraft from NAS-Nowra and we changed to helos the badge changed to. Basically the Navy "spent a pound to save a penny" and redesigned our rate* (trade) badges. This caused a great deal of heartache amounst us old heads. I went from having crossed lighting bolts with two stars and the letter "W" at the bottom indicating I was an Electrical Technical Weapons sailor, fully trade trained, to crossed lightning bolts only with a title of Electronics Technician. Anyway, I would say that there is more than a grain of truth to the story behind the "birdie" badge you own. I can't for the life of me remember what AE meant, I think that they were before my time, I joined in '88. The only rates I remember from the birdies was ATV, ATWL, ATA and MET (weather forecasters). After 1972 the Navy introduced a fully accredited trade and rate badges back then changed to reflect the new system and the level of experiance you had. I suspect that this is a pre '72 badge. Here are the new "stripped-down" badges. Regards; Johnsy *Note: When talking about Brits, rate indicates rank i.e. rating, whereas in the Aussie navy your rate is your trade and rank badge is just that, your rank. Much like the Brits,,we have a very basic rank structure which consists of: RCT= Recruit SMN*= Seaman, the star indicates intial training. SMN= Seaman AB= Able Seaman LS= Leading Seaman PO= Petty Officer CPO= Chief Petty Officer WO= Warrant Officer Warrant Officer is a fairly new rank to our Navy and was introduced about 20 to 25 years ago to bring us in line with the army and airforce. Chief was the highest previous rank that could be obtained by a sailor. PS: The following images are from The Gun Plot www.gunplot.net. The page can be found at: http://www.gunplot.net/rates/navyjobs.html

The coin is 99.9% pure silver and is considered Australian legal tender to the value of one dollar (face value, the base metal is probably worth more at a guess), which includes coloured elements and the words AUSTRALIAN SAS 1957-2007, and also portrays the SAS badge incorporating the words WHO DARES WINS. No more than 7,500 of these coins will be released by The Perth Mint, that will be 6000 to the public and 1500 held in reserve for SAS members and the SASR Association. The coin will be accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. All that for the princely sum of $78 dollars wallaby.