Welcome back Gareth,I look forward to further info from you on how you went about learning the history and Heritage of Cymru.Hope you had a good week away with the Military.Seirian

Anyways, as you ve gathered, Im back off exercise.And in a crazy beer drinking howling mood, yahoo

Hey, in case some hot American chicks out there read that last bit and misinterpret, I aint gay ok, but Im totally cool with gayness, I think its great for any Army to have a liberal sprinkling of the homosexual . Its great for morale, they ve always been there, and now they can come out openly. I love seeing a man mincing about in uniform, I know it sounds bad and you may think I got bi-curious tendencies but I havent , unfortunately cos I think they have a scream in life these days, despite HIV, they are educated and take care.Being hetrosexual is a burden sometimes and it would be such a crazy laugh to chase guys around, but it'd ultimately be pointless in my case cos the male form just dont do it for me. Believe me when I say Ive pretty much thought of and tried most adult things, but naaar, give me a chick any dayGaz

Slow to change and we'll never truly get there, but do we really want to? I mean I actually like being mistrusted by the English!Kitchener was a knob, I just wish I could have lived back then with the balls us chavs have today and told him that straight to his face.It gets done these days, we can lament much of the old values of respect for authority etc but boys I ve led these days tell it as it is mate.If the boss is a knob, he gets to know about it!!! We dont take the shit no more and just cos the boss has a swagger stick and a golden lab and owns half of Essex, he s got to have a bloody good plan and be totally respected to be followed. And I dont care if he's toff, a chav or from a tanned corner shop owning heritage, a rasta or an f'ing martian, if he s got my capbadge and he's a leader of men, he' s a Welsh Warrior in my book and me n my boys would follow him.Kitchener was a pussy anyway, and a supressed gay from that tach he had. If he'd ave been outed he'd have been twice the man and twice the general, bit o man love would have totally chilled the boy out man, ye, go for itHaha

Hey, Man of Harlech.Ye, it has changed but many miles to go yet and us Brits bein us Brits there is always going to be them and us and maybe thats how we like it.Am I an inverted snob perhaps?But if you cant beat em join em eh, looks like thats the way this old mans going with a change of mess!Good to hear from you buttGaz

I SERVED IN 1RRW FROM 1985 TO 1998 AND AS YOU SAY IN THE EARLY NINETIES WE STARTED GETTING OFFICERS FROM THE VALLEYS WHO WERE EDUCATED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS THEN UNI. I FOUND I COULD RELATE TO THEM AND BE MORE HONEST WITH THEM THAN THE OFFICERS WHO JOINED FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL .

Did my time in the R.A.F.in the 70's.Remember talking to an officer who informed me that the Welsh were just English with funny accents.I can probably trace my nationalistic views from that conversation.

Interesting Post Gareth, particularly about the potential Colonel who is a member of Plaid Cymru.I knew someone who was an officer in the Guards (cannot recall which regiment but not the Welsh, possibly Grenadiers), who resigned his commission and joined Plaid Cymru and learned Welsh. I recall him telling me that he served in Aden killing Adenese people who did not want to be British, in Cyprus killing Cypriots who did not want to be British, but what brought it home to him was when he served in Northern Ireland killing British people who did not want to be British. He related a number of interesting stories about his time in the army including a conversation with Rev Ian Paisley who was a guest of honour at his regiments officers mess one evening.I recall reading about the fact that Lord Kitchener was against a Welsh Division and the formation of the Welsh Guards as the Welsh could not be trusted, which did not go down well with Lloyd George. During World War One there were thousands of monolingual Welsh speakers in the army who were not allowed to write letters home in Welsh !!! A glimpse of how they were treated can be seen from the very good film Hedd Wyn. Also, interesting to see how they like to use it to their advantage as the Americans did with the Navajo in World War Two. So it used to be a case of "Welsh Not", unless it suited their interests.It is good to see that the Welsh flag is allowed in more recent events by Welsh units, such as the Welsh cavalry regiment in recent engagements in the Mid East, and that attitudes have changed at long last.

the welch brigade is bi what! .... and as for all that welsh on the com net well the un will put a stop to all that its unsporting in times of war dave

got a picture for you

Seen a lot of changes in attitudes over the last 20 years.Strange about turns on stuff.Long history of usage, and was OK'd when it suited the establishment, ie going clear in Welsh on the net with another speaker to save time on BATCO as recorded examples in WW2 right up to Bosnia and even today. But back in barracks, I remember you could get a bollocking for it when on duty.Operationally, I've used it to get info through if I knew there was a fluent speaker on the other end that could translate.On a platoon net I'd be hesitant to worry and alienate non speakers of what was going on.MOD clear 'right on' policy on it now, everything to do with Wales Brigade, Welsh regiments and the UK Army in Wales is bilingual. Such is pressure upon them.Also, this brings me onto another topic for discussion - the changing structure of Welsh Officers or the leadership establishment of the Army.A new generation of young boys coming from the flagship Welsh elite schools and Welsh universities, with 'ap' surnames, ex head boys of schools like Glan Clwyd and Rhydfelen, going to Sandhurst after Uni (our West Point!)Many come from the traditional Welsh intelligensia home background of the nationalist middle class teachers, preachers , professors and so on, many's parents lifelong anti British militarism, some with convictions for protests from the 60s and 70s even. Their sons and daughters seem to have rebelled in a reactionary way to this home bred nationalist pascifist thing and see the future of an independent Wales differently.They do acknowledge their parental generations hard work in gaining our language rights and Assembly, but they are more pragmatic in their approach.These boys are up and coming flyers, I know of one who will make Colonel before 40 and is a card carrying Plaid Cymru member and Cymdeithas yr Iaith (tho he doesnt advertise it about too much!) and is looking to go into Welsh politics in the future. A guy Id vote for I tell you.This has all come about in the last 20 or so years, previously, the structure of a Welsh infantry regiment was a Welsh working class enlisted rank base with an English speaking and educated Officer classAs a proud enlisted man I am happy that these changes are taking place and that the Officers set above me will come from my hills and valleys.
updated by @gareth-williams: 12/17/15 02:43:08AM