Guardsman without Bearskin

[Selous]

But with Turban instead.

Jatenderpal Singh Bhullar opted to wear his turban instead of the usual bearskin headgear worn by the guards on Buck house duty.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/reli...ng-turban.html

[DARKPLACE]

Originally Posted by Selous

But with Turban instead.

Jatenderpal Singh Bhullar opted to wear his turban instead of the usual bearskin headgear worn by the guards on Buck house duty.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/reli...ng-turban.html

Good on him.

[Selous]

I think so, Sikh's have provided servicemen, not just to Imperial units, but to British ones, since WWII (if not before). As the uniform of the guards and the guards in themselves are as much an expression of military culture as they are a guarding force, it makes sense to me to allow and to do this - it shows a continuation of comradeship.

[Pruitt]

The only thing that surprises me is the Scots Guards are accepting recruits from the West Midlands. They did not have any recruits from Glasgow or Edinburgh?

Pruitt

[Andy H]

Originally Posted by Pruitt

The only thing that surprises me is the Scots Guards are accepting recruits from the West Midlands. They did not have any recruits from Glasgow or Edinburgh?

Pruitt

Hi Pruitt

Well in the latest round of Defence cuts, where several historic British Army Regiments were marked for the axe. The Scottish Regt was spared any drastic cuts (for political reasons), when compared to several English regiments whose recruitment & retention levels were far higher than that of the Scottish Regt.

Regards

[DARKPLACE]

Originally Posted by Pruitt

The only thing that surprises me is the Scots Guards are accepting recruits from the West Midlands. They did not have any recruits from Glasgow or Edinburgh?

Pruitt

The guards dont just recruit from their named areas. They take anyone from the UK who matches their requirements and wants to join.

There are often family ties to a particular regiment, often out of the area where the family live. So you might get a Londoner choosing to serve in a Scots regiment because that's where his dad or granddad served.

Also if you can get guys who want to join the army but either don't have a favoured regiment or their chosen regiment is to strength and isn't recruiting, who get wedged into the first regiment that's books open by the recruiting office.

Like so many British things there isn't much rhyme or reason to it looking in from the outside.

[Pruitt]

The flip side is there are a lot of Scots in England. Notable examples are in Liverpool, Tyneside and London. I guess the Guards don't have to be six foot tall anymore as well?

Pruitt

[DARKPLACE]

Originally Posted by Pruitt

The flip side is there are a lot of Scots in England. Notable examples are in Liverpool, Tyneside and London. I guess the Guards don't have to be six foot tall anymore as well?

Pruitt

I'd check but I am sure the do have to be six foot or over. They don't have to be White anymore though

[Andy H]

Originally Posted by DARKPLACE

I'd check but I am sure the do have to be six foot or over. They don't have to be White anymore though

Hi

That rule was out even when I was in, some 20+yrs ago.
Only in the Queens Company of the 1st Btn Gren.Gds did they like you to be over 6ft.
Even then there were some shorties knocking around, myself being 6'5" at 17st

Regards

[slick_miester]

Originally Posted by Andy H

Even then there were some shorties knocking around, myself being 6'5" at 17st

So you're kinda put together like that other famous son of the Sceptered Isles I take it.

[Andy H]

Originally Posted by slick_miester

So you're kinda put together like that other famous son of the Sceptered Isles I take it.

Hi Marc

Thankfully I can dance better than Mr Crouch. I don't think Crouchy has ever gone past 14st, so my stature was slightly more robust than him.
With age I've lost an 1 1/4inches (thankfully not everywhere ) and still 17st, but looking at the modern weight/height charts etc, I would be classed as Obese

Regards

[theshoveller]

Originally Posted by DARKPLACE

I'd check but I am sure the do have to be six foot or over.

There are young, strapping lads of eligible age these days who aren't? What midgets are we breeding?

[Capt AFB]

Interesting story. And great to see the British Guard regiments adapt themselves to the new social realities.

I remember when I join the Canadian Grenadier Guards in the early 80s, some of our British cousins were dismayed that we let women and "people-of-other-races-than-white" wear the bearskin hat on parade. :

As I already mentioned on other threads, the sex, race/skin color, religion and sexual orientation (etc) of my fellow soldiers is not important on the battlefield - The most important and only thing is that can they do their job and can I depend on them to check and protect my back while doing my job.

Regimental traditions that negatively impact on operational effectiveness should be "chucked away" in the appropriate fashion.

[Andy H]

Originally Posted by Capt AFB

Interesting story. And great to see the British Guard regiments adapt themselves to the new social realities.

I remember when I join the Canadian Grenadier Guards in the early 80s, some of our British cousins were dismayed that we let women and "people-of-other-races-than-white" wear the bearskin hat on parade. :

As I already mentioned on other threads, the sex, race/skin color, religion and sexual orientation (etc) of my fellow soldiers is not important on the battlefield - The most important and only thing is that can they do their job and can I depend on them to check and protect my back while doing my job.

Regimental traditions that negatively impact on operational effectiveness should be "chucked away" in the appropriate fashion.

Hi

The 2nd Btn The Coldstream Guards back in the mid-80's till its suspension in '93, has a noticeable % of National Front members/supporters in its ranks.

Regards