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Coldwar Veterans

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Dear French Foreign Legion.
My name is David hampson Miller. Aged 61.
I had the honour of serving along side the Americans and the French Foreign Legion during Coldwar Europe. 17-03-77 to 12-07-79.
With 7th field regiment Royal horse artillery.
I have amazing memories of that period in my life.
I would like to reconnect with other Coldwar Veterans.
I now live in Marseillan and would like to chat with other Veterans from my generation.
+447785181333
549rld@gmail.com
 

Le petit caporal

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Before the Covid crap, I had intentions of hitting the road (France, Spain and Italy...some excursions from time to time to the ex Yugo states...
Agree with the french medical care (tho the COVID vaccination campaign is shambles)
Interesting course certificate you have
Can you post your Regiments insigne (we have a new thread under way about the different units and their insignes)
Ta in advance
L.P.C.
 
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Before the Covid crap, I had intentions of hitting the road (France, Spain and Italy...some excursions from time to time to the ex Yugo states...
Agree with the french medical care (tho the COVID vaccination campaign is shambles)
Interesting course certificate you have
Can you post your Regiments insigne (we have a new thread under way about the different units and their insignes)
Ta in advance
L.P.C.
 

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Le petit caporal

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Great stuff, I really should get the Insignia thread going but am waiting for more matter
Any chance of a quick description of it's meanings
Btw, most of us Greens are ex cauld war too (me inclu)
 
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I had the covid virus February 20. Caught it in China town Birmingham. Because I've had the virus I kept travelling until some authority tells me to stop.
 

Le petit caporal

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Am frum Scotland and been in France since June 83
My attitude is and always has been..."when I walk down the boulevard, the l.boulevard belongs to me"
So, you are a Brommie?
Agree again about the traveling
I rarely eat indoors, do my thing out doors and enjoy the sun
 
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9 years J.L.R's Junior Leaders Regiment. Combat Signals. Combat Wamble 2nd class.
I was the communications cog in the machine.
7 passed orders.
Gave live feedback to command what was happening in my battle box.
Under the Adjutant Captain Rice, live fire missions.
As a Junior leader.
Aged 15, I signed on the dotted line to obay regardless of personal plight.
Aged 18 we didn't look like soldiers in Northern Ireland.
So we took more chances.
And got away with it.
In Lurgan I didn't take a hand gun.
I hid behind my child-like features.
With the ulster defence regiment.
War is war.
End off.
Under UDR spook Rainie.
We got to live with irish and German families.
Junior leaders regiment packed our own parachutes.
My regiment taught me.
life is also like packing your parachute.
If you pack it wrong, it's not going to deploy properly.
When you most need it.
After parachuting the mentoring changed.
It went up another level.
One shock to another.
Ski. Snow Queen
Sail. The Baltic Sea
Canoe. The Baltic Sea, Of shore the North Sea, mosel valley.
Caving. Sterling, Nevis
Abseiling. Every where
Climbing. Durrastone, Sterling, otterburn, Belgium, France, Denmark, Austra.
Bob Sledging. BAOR
Fire Fighting Yeovil.
Marathons. JLR Chesterleagh St BAOR Blanford, Plymouth, Macclesfield, Gloucestershire, Manchester, osnabruck, Berlin, Cochem, Burncastle, Zeltingham,
Orienteering. Every where
Helicopter handling. 7RHA BAOR
Helicopter rigging. 7RHA BAOR
HGV at 17. 7RHA BAOR
License at 16. School of signals Gaza lines Cattrick garrison.
Radio relay. School of signals.
Firemisson control. 7RHA BAOR
Electronics. PCM TDM. School of signals C11
C41 C42 C50 C70 one plus 4 Bruin, Clansman, tryfid, Tarmigan, D11 Pie, Marconi and Plessy, Cristchurch and school of signals Cattrick, the funny farm.
Antenna and propagation. School of signals
Medic. Euston Albemarle, 211 field hospital Derraford, always on going practice at 7RHA.
Trench Aikido Euston Albemarle
Combat radio man. School of signals
Les we forget our fallen comrades.
Chris Petre And Brian Carter Bangor Taff.
+++Rip+++
Is boy soldiering wrong.
No the mentoring made it all worth while.
Good mentoring. Good soldiering.

Junior Leaders' Regiments began in the mid-1950s, growing from the earlier system of 'Boy Service', and continued into the 1990s. There were various Junior Leader Regiments for entrants to the various Regiments and Corps of the Army. These included
The All Arms Junior Leaders' Regiment
The Junior Infantryman Battalion (1967)
The Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion
The Junior Parachute Company
Junior Leaders Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps
Junior Leaders Battalion Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Junior Leaders Regiment, Royal Army Service Corps
The Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Artillery
The Junior Leaders Regiment, (JLR), Royal Corps of Signals
The Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Engineers.
The Royal regiment of Wales. J,N,C,O. . Junior none commissioned officers.

When the military ask me to study terrorism. I was on it.
In northern Ireland our int teams trialled every thing.
The teams followed real life dayly intelligence.
I took a different path.
I read every thing that passed through comcen lurgan portadown and longkesh.
I studied the motives and core believes of my adversary.
Using geodesic mapping.
I listened to every rebble song.
From all sides.
I stopped and listened to my Cousins.
I gave a listening ear.
My people of England were blind to there words.
They were only asking for their human rights.
They only wanted what the English wasn't sharing.
When you find a terrorist core values, you find where he's hiding.
Reaching this aberration.
I payed my money and left the Army.
7 over
 
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7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is the primary artillery supporting unit for airborne forces of 16 Air Assault.

More commonly known as 7 PARA RHA, the unit came into existence as 7th Parachute Light Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, following the redesignation of 33rd Parachute Light Regiment Royal Artillery (also known as 33rd Parachute Field Regiment RA) on 27 June 1961. It can however trace its airborne heritage back to the 53rd Airlanding Light Regiment, RA.

The redesignation was marked by the changing of beret badges from the 'Gun' to the 'Cypher', the changing of pennants and a march past led by the commanding officer, Lt Col Caulfield MBE. The salute was taken by Brigadier Northern MBE who also read out the following message from the Director Royal Artillery, Maj Gen Bate:

"Until today the Royal Horse Artillery has been confined to the support of Cavalry and Armour, a role which demands exceptional ability, quickness of thought and action. It is for this reason that the Royal Horse Artillery has been, ever since Napoleonic times, a ((Corps d'elite.))
Under modern conditions the parachute role demands qualities in its officers and other ranks even more exacting than that required of the Royal Horse Artillery in its traditional role; for this reason its officers and other ranks have always been volunteers and specially selected. This Regiment has already established a proud and splendid tradition. As part of the spearhead of the strategic reserve it is very right and proper that it should now become part of the Royal Horse Artillery.
I know that this change of status is welcomed by the whole Regiment of Artillery. In sending you my best wishes or your success in both peace and in battle I believe I cannot do better than to voice the views of Her Majesty, Our Captain General; she has said that the change now to take place is 'entirely in keeping with the traditions that have made the Royal Horse Artillery famous.' "


In the same year 7 Para Lt Regt RHA was re-equipped with the Italian designed 105mm Pack Howitzer L5 and employed alongside the 4.2 inch mortar. The unit was renamed as 7th Parachute Regiment RHAin 1966.

Over the years, 7 PARA RHA have supported operations of 16 Parachute Brigade in the Near East, Aden and Radfan, Northern Ireland, as well as UN operations in Cyprus.

The Regiment was redesignated as 7th Field Regiment RHA in 1977, after the 1975 Defence Review, but returned to the Airborne fold in 1983, once more designated 7th Parachute Regiment RHA for the new 5th Airborne Brigade. Further Battery operations to Northern Ireland followed in the 1980s and early 1990s, along with another deployment on the UN mission to Cyprus in 1994.

Batteries of 7 PARA RHA also took part in operations in Bosnia, and later Kosovo in the troubled Balkan region in the mid to late 1990s, helping to ensure 7 PARA RHA was retained as an integral part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, following the army reorganisations in 1999.

In the new millenium, operations of 16 Air Assault Brigade have seen 7 PARA RHA provide crucial fire support for operations in Macedonia, Afghanistan (Fingal) Iraq (Telic) and more recently, the deployments to Afghanistan as part of the ongoing Herrick operations.

Batteries under the command of 7 PARA RHA currently include:

F (Sphinx) Parachute Battery RHA

G (Mercer's Troop) Parachute Battery RHA

H (Ramsay's Troop) Parachute HQ Battery RHA

I (Bull's Troop) Parachute Battery RHA

The Regiment is also supported by a REME Light Aid Detachment (LAD REME).

7 PARA RHA returned to Afghanistan in Autumn 2010 as part of Operation Herrick XIII.

Record under development

Commanding Officers

1961 Lt Col T StG Caulfield MBE
 
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Un-Cut cold war soldier. Knows how to avoid the SOXMIS mission operatives.
Bathe shave cook from his mess tins. Ready to shoot his best mate, if he fucks up the launch codes.
The agreements between the allied nations and the Soviet Union permitted the deployment of small numbers of military intelligence personnel – together with associated support staff – in each other's territory in Germany, ostensibly for the purposes of monitoring and furthering better relationships between the Soviet and Western occupation forces. The British, French and American missions matched the size of the counterpart Soviet missions into West Germany.
The British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany (BRIXMIS) was a military liaison mission which operated behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany during the Cold War.
BRIXMIS existed from 1946 – shortly after the end of the Second World War – until the eve of the reunification of Germany in 1990. Created by an agreement to exchange military missions, the stated object of BRIXMIS – and the Soviet equivalent in the British Zone, SOXMIS was "to maintain Liaison between the Staff of the two Commanders-in-Chief and their Military Governments in the Zones".
This liaison was undertaken by 31 members – 11 officers and no more than 20 others – appointed to each mission. These liaison staff were issued passes allowing freedom of travel and circulation, with the exception of certain restricted areas, within each other's zone. Such "tours", as they became known, were conducted in uniform and in clearly identifiable vehicles. Nevertheless, although never openly stated, this liaison role also presented an ideal opportunity for the gathering of military intelligence through reconnaissance and surveillance and the occasional 'borrowing' of military matériel. This opportunity was fully exploited by both sides.
BRIXMIS was ideally placed to "test the temperature" of Soviet intentions from its privileged position behind the Iron Curtain. However, and perhaps more importantly, it offered a channel for communication between West and East via its secondary but significant role of liaison. The initial reason for its establishment.
This is only my opinion baced on my own cold war experiences.
Am I right in thinking Mikhail Gorbachev changed everything.
For the better.
This is my interpretation of our cold war objectives during the seventies.
How far have we really come ?
In 1955, the Warsaw Pact was organized, creating a military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe that included Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union.
When Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan, shuck hands outside the Hofdi at the start of talks, Saturday, Oct. 11, 1986, Reykjavik, Iceland. The world breathed a sigh of relief.
 

Le petit caporal

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9 years J.L.R's Junior Leaders Regiment. Combat Signals. Combat Wamble 2nd class.
I was the communications cog in the machine.
7 passed orders.
Gave live feedback to command what was happening in my battle box.
Under the Adjutant Captain Rice, live fire missions.
As a Junior leader.
Aged 15, I signed on the dotted line to obay regardless of personal plight.
Aged 18 we didn't look like soldiers in Northern Ireland.
So we took more chances.
And got away with it.
In Lurgan I didn't take a hand gun.
I hid behind my child-like features.
With the ulster defence regiment.
War is war.
End off.
Under UDR spook Rainie.
We got to live with irish and German families.
Junior leaders regiment packed our own parachutes.
My regiment taught me.
life is also like packing your parachute.
If you pack it wrong, it's not going to deploy properly.
When you most need it.
After parachuting the mentoring changed.
It went up another level.
One shock to another.
Ski. Snow Queen
Sail. The Baltic Sea
Canoe. The Baltic Sea, Of shore the North Sea, mosel valley.
Caving. Sterling, Nevis
Abseiling. Every where
Climbing. Durrastone, Sterling, otterburn, Belgium, France, Denmark, Austra.
Bob Sledging. BAOR
Fire Fighting Yeovil.
Marathons. JLR Chesterleagh St BAOR Blanford, Plymouth, Macclesfield, Gloucestershire, Manchester, osnabruck, Berlin, Cochem, Burncastle, Zeltingham,
Orienteering. Every where
Helicopter handling. 7RHA BAOR
Helicopter rigging. 7RHA BAOR
HGV at 17. 7RHA BAOR
License at 16. School of signals Gaza lines Cattrick garrison.
Radio relay. School of signals.
Firemisson control. 7RHA BAOR
Electronics. PCM TDM. School of signals C11
C41 C42 C50 C70 one plus 4 Bruin, Clansman, tryfid, Tarmigan, D11 Pie, Marconi and Plessy, Cristchurch and school of signals Cattrick, the funny farm.
Antenna and propagation. School of signals
Medic. Euston Albemarle, 211 field hospital Derraford, always on going practice at 7RHA.
Trench Aikido Euston Albemarle
Combat radio man. School of signals
Les we forget our fallen comrades.
Chris Petre And Brian Carter Bangor Taff.
+++Rip+++
Is boy soldiering wrong.
No the mentoring made it all worth while.
Good mentoring. Good soldiering.

Junior Leaders' Regiments began in the mid-1950s, growing from the earlier system of 'Boy Service', and continued into the 1990s. There were various Junior Leader Regiments for entrants to the various Regiments and Corps of the Army. These included
The All Arms Junior Leaders' Regiment
The Junior Infantryman Battalion (1967)
The Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion
The Junior Parachute Company
Junior Leaders Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps
Junior Leaders Battalion Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Junior Leaders Regiment, Royal Army Service Corps
The Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Artillery
The Junior Leaders Regiment, (JLR), Royal Corps of Signals
The Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Engineers.
The Royal regiment of Wales. J,N,C,O. . Junior none commissioned officers.

When the military ask me to study terrorism. I was on it.
In northern Ireland our int teams trialled every thing.
The teams followed real life dayly intelligence.
I took a different path.
I read every thing that passed through comcen lurgan portadown and longkesh.
I studied the motives and core believes of my adversary.
Using geodesic mapping.
I listened to every rebble song.
From all sides.
I stopped and listened to my Cousins.
I gave a listening ear.
My people of England were blind to there words.
They were only asking for their human rights.
They only wanted what the English wasn't sharing.
When you find a terrorist core values, you find where he's hiding.
Reaching this aberration.
I payed my money and left the Army.
7 over
Well worth reading, thanx
 

Le petit caporal

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We have a few ex parachutists on board
One in particular served in Algeria
Another, jumped on Kolwezi (Zaïre or what ever it's called these days)
 
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How does my PTSD experience fit in with the Legions experience. ?

My toughest challenge wasn't mentioned in my combat wombat training manuals.
And caught me completely by surprise.
I didn't see it coming.
And wasn't prepared for it.
Serving in 7th field regiment, RoyalHorseArtillery, I was reminded that the unit was always at war somewhere in the world. Subsequently presented many instances of barrack room PTSD.
Flash back crisis wing of some mental institution.
Where the ptsd was generaly corralled.
Contained in house.
Kept of the streets.
By us amitures.

Our comrades were Struggling with new memories.
Unable to process there new memories, created complex post traumatic mental health problems.
I was only a junior leader medic.
Not psychiatriclly trained.
I didn't have the skills I have now.
I was out of my depths.
Mental health was contained in battery lines.

But once that support mechanism collapses.
The genie is out the bottle.
The Soldier is alone with his memories. The Howard league researched that approximately 33k Soldiers are in the penal system and 35k walk the streets homeless.
So much for the British system.
Systematic British Veteran failure
 
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