Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Just a note to those that I know on this forum to say that my family and I are now settled in Sydney, Australia. I am presently serving as a Captain in the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment and proudly wear my slouch hat at a suitably rakish angle. I am still an Englishman after all.

If anyone's passing through Sydney feel free to get in touch through the PM function, although at present Australia has a tiny little Army and is busy sending it off all round the place, so I cannot guarentee to be around! If I am home however, then much imbibing of ale, telling tales of Housey through rose tinted specs, and tuneless singing of the Votum will be the order of the day.

so hello again and goodbye then.

You really should change your avatar to one of you in the slouch hat at a suitably rakish angle.

G'Day Greg, me old cobber !

Gotta be better than Iraq - Just ??

Keep in touch.

J.R. wrote:G'Day Greg, me old cobber !

Gotta be better than Iraq - Just ??
.

Oi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Greg. Glad the move went well.
Do keep in touch, and give me a shout if you're ever passing-through the UK....

icomefromalanddownunder wrote:

J.R. wrote:G'Day Greg, me old cobber !

Gotta be better than Iraq - Just ??
.

Oi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In England, we throw the wine corks away.

In Oz, you use them as hat decorations !

I bet Caroline looks fetching in a hat adorned with wine corks.......

Question is, what will she fetch

J.R. wrote:In England, we throw the wine corks away.

In Oz, you use them as hat decorations !

Much 'greener' than fly spray

xx

kerrensimmonds wrote:I bet Caroline looks fetching in a hat adorned with wine corks.......

Too right mate

xx

Greg,
I happened to note your messages on the Forum. You might like to make contact by e-mail with Roger Wickins on "rrog1213@bigpond.net.au" who keeps a friendly eye on Oz-based Old Blues and even organises trips in the bay which, apparently, involve free-flowing beer.

Incidentally, I knew 3RAR when it was serving in Malaya in 1959-60. A very fine battalion with a very aggressiver attitude which scared the sh1t out of the CTs and the RMPs alike! If you ever meet a chap called Vince Metroff at a reunion remind him that he still owes me $10 Singapore from 1960 - the interest is now fairly significant.

I am not clear from your entry whether you are seconded to 3RAR from the British Army or have you transferred?

In case he doesn't get back, he has transferred.

englishangel wrote:In case he doesn't get back, he has transferred.

I didn't realise that you could do this. Er, except I'm assuming that he doesn't have Australian citizenship, which he may well do, in which case, please ignore this drivvle.

I believed that you had to be a citizen of whichever country you chose to defend, or be deemed a mercenary. I confess, however, that my knowledge of the military is based mainly on information gleaned from such reliable sources as 'The Guns of Navarone'

Eagerly awaiting enlightenment.

icomefromalanddownunder wrote:I believed that you had to be a citizen of whichever country you chose to defend, or be deemed a mercenary. I confess, however, that my knowledge of the military is based mainly on information gleaned from such reliable sources as 'The Guns of Navarone'

Eagerly awaiting enlightenment.

Gurkhas?
Legion Etranger?

I suspect that if an element (such as a regiment, battalion etc.) is publicly known to be composed of foreign nationals and is fully controlled and officered by a recognised nation then that is OK.
From that I suspect it is far more a case of one-off military actions by people fighting for money** on behalf of individuals (not being recognised governments) where the mercenary problem occurs.

** as opposed to fighting for a cause - see enemy combattants below

No doubt Greg can clarify the rules. Nowadays the Americans have created "enemy combatants" who seem not to be treated as mercenaries nor as soldiers.

Although interestingly, any nationality can join the American armed services, as long as you can get permission to work in the US - you do not even have to apply for US citizenship afterwards, although many see it as a way to get it (probably until they started creating wars nobody wnated on highly dubious legal grounds, thus increased the likelihood of not surviving long enough to get a passport )