I’ve never understood the Household Division’s fetish for this rubbish. If you’ve got the spare time to waste making soldiers do drill, then you have got time to run NCO Cadres, ranges, upgrade courses, the list endless. Anything other than allowing trade failures to think they’re relevant.
If it isn’t an art form I could master myself, I’d simply shut the F up and enjoy it rather than being cynical about it. But then that’s just I’d do as a respectful person. What do I know.
In 1965, the year of the Beatles I took part in a Sandhurst Pace Stick competition against the Guards Depot. I was a sergeant on the staff at Sandhurst and a member of a 'Line Regiment', we never refereed to ourselves as that; but the Guards did! Our team came 4th leaving about three teams from the Brigade of Guards behind us in order of merit. It amused us greatly that the three teams appeared in front of the Academy Adjutant for letting the Guards down. I went on to become a Regimental Sergeant Major of my battalion and I thank the Guards for that. They tought me a lot. (The were called the Brigade of Guards in those day) and a fine body of men they and we were!
The Brigade of Guards is still called The Brigade Of Guards, or the Household Division if your on the inside overopensights, but their is a lot less of them than there was in the sixtys, mores the shame.
overopensights This is a great story, and what an amazing display. I must admit I’ve never see this stick marching. Could you explain the significance. It’s very interesting. 👍👍🇦🇺
My late father (2696216) 2nd btlln scots guards always had his pace stick around and till now I never knew this. I think it is absolutely brilliant. I have learned something today 47 yrs after his passing just a pity I never saw dad actually doing this. Thankyou so much Keep safe and keep on marching xx
This is beautiful, Lads! SADF also had this tradition...the sticks were used to measure out if there was enough space for marching, and of course some badgers were also pointed out colloquially... I remember the days of the NCO being very core of discipline, a man however failing and mortal, yet revered by his men ...a leader worth dying for, a formidable ally in any and every situation...I salute men like WO's Bertus Hattingh, Could nroy, Coetzer an my own samajoor Jeaques De Wet...I pissed in my boots but they made me a man! That pace stick was part of us as well..we honour the gallant leaders of men in this beautiful demonstration! Thank you for the honour of watching!
Marching with such a high level of accuracy, while perfectly operating a pace stick, while perfectly following its pace, while perfectly keeping the pace is an honor to british drill traditions
Yes but I'm a Drill instructor and only pick up I would have with them is their heel blocks were not in cadence of the correct 30 inch pace of the pace stick
The British army are well prepared for EMP. Don’t let what you see here fool you, it may seem quaint and anachronistic, but it’s a vital part of military training and ethos. Much would fail after an EMP event, but I’m guessing the army would be one of the few organisations to keep going.
There was a case where an CSM pointed and touched a poorly presented soldier with his pace stick and said "Theres a piece of s..t at the end of my stick", of which the soldier replied... "Not at my end Sir".
I have never served in the forces, however when I was in senior high school we were going to be taking part in something where we had to march. So who did we have as our RSM but an ex-Army major. We were all lined up, boys and girls, ready but the first step had to be a certain distance. Nearly 50 years ago and can't remember exactly how far but most of us girls had major problems with the first pace. It was huge, a real effort. Didn't look dignified for us to be stretching that far. Rest of the pace was ok, would have been better slightly shorter but we managed to cope with that. Even some of the shorter boys had problems with the first pace.
I was in the Household Cavalry team which came 2nd in the World Championships in 1983. We came above Sandhurst. The foot guards didn’t like it. Chris Sayer was the driver. Two Life Guards and little me on the left. Chris would have us in file and set off in quick time. We had to stay in one hand until the front guy lost in then he went to the back and we carried on for hundreds of yards. We’d then swap hands and do it again. Great way of strengthening your arms to keep the elbow in. What fun!
Very nice! I am here because I saw Capt. 'Chalky' White's video...most interesting...I have seen a video of a soldier at a long distance doing this & the stick looked like it was walking by itself..thanks!
I was standing on that very square in April 1967 and the RSM came to me and said. "Your Battalion Commanding officer has asked that you be returned to your Bn to join them in the war in Aden, do you wish to go, he has left the choice to you" Without thought I replied 'Yes Sir' I was on an aircraft two days later. With four battalions we solved the problem there in five months, and returned home leaving 37 dead in a military cemetery, I have been told its well looked after...but sad to say, the Yemen is hell on earth again!
The best thing about this is when you remember your Sgt (Pig) Drill Instructor throwing his pace-stick on the ground and watching it burst into a million pieces when he'd had so much of our poor drill he just simply couldn't handle it any more. Bits were found years later...... I wonder what he told the Q.M. when he went for a replacement ?
I don't understand what the objective is. Is it to give a fixed leg movement or some sort of timing or maybe a rhythm? Compared to ordinary marching I think it looks a bit silly, no offence intended, it looks more like a competition for surveyor's.
Count your company. Report your company to the Drill or Regimental Sgt. Major. The Count determines the Markers Places. The DSM lines up the Markers, and Tells them off - so many paces per company. It's not magic, it's DSM's Count and pace stick checking off the spacing that has the Companies equally spaced on parade. In Formation Battle, apt spacing was a matter of life and death. The Pace Stick was vital to Artillery and Infantry as was the Welsh Iron 66 foot Chain for Gunner and Engineers Surveys. For example, an Encampment - Company, Battalion, Brigade, Division, Corps, or Army had to be aligned properly to give clear assembly, supply, and dispersal routes within and around the Camp. Again, the spacing and alignment depended on Chains, Pace Sticks, and a Senior NCO or Warrant Officer's Dressing of the site. It was true and squared as a matter of life safety, and ability to deploy; not mere prettiness. Perhaps the Brit and Commonwealth Armies spend a bit too much time squaring away men and camps; but these practices had hard practical origins, and still have practical applications. On the other hand, in his astonishingly candid Post WW1 memoire now abridged and entitled "Ghosts have Warm Hands" the brilliant Canadian Black Watch Corporal Bill BIrd MM speaks of a British 2nd Battalion of a famous Indian Army rushed straight into the line from Indian Garrison duty to Troop-Ship to Train to March down into the line to spell-off the Cdn. 42nd whose Senior NCOs & Warrant Officer's yelped and barked about Garrison spit, polish, and nonsense oblivious to the essentials of survival in the line. They fared very badly indeed. Few hardened veterans happily returned to square-bashing. Camoflage, concealment, stealth, silence, concentration of firepower and force, surprising the enemy - not yourself, and so on were more vital to your country's an to your own survival than shiny boots, a sharp salute, or parade square spacing of Companies. HOWEVER, funny how well the Scots Guards did in the Falklands, the Afghan War, and other places despite being the Best of the Guards. Save for, perhaps, the Irish.
The guy nearest the camera nearly lost it at the 1:24 mark. A pretty good recovery but he didn't regain his composure after that, probably because his pants were filled with crap.
The change sticks drill is incredibly dificult. When a Welsh Guards WOII has a little trouble with it (shortly after 1:21 you'll see his left leg compensate for the initial incorrect position of his pace stick), you know it's hard. What's weird the the sound on the sound track as his leg moves. Very odd!
As an ex member of the RAF, I can tell you that a SNCO usually of the General Admin trade (known to everyone else as 'gravel crunchers'), would use a pace stick to 'mark out' a parade ground prior to a formal parade/ceremony, in order to ensure that when squadrons/flights of personnel marched on to the parade square, they would come to a halt in the correct position and equidistant from other squadrons/flights. And if those said squadrons etc were required to perform various movements or manoeuvres - i.e. open order marching etc - they would be in symmetrical and uniform positions relevant to each other. And I guess that's the same for the Army.
Why have the Welsh and Coldstream CSMs got the buttons on their tunics grouped individually and not in fives or pairs, as is usual for those regiments?
Their in No 2 dress, so buttons are evenly spaced, if they were in home service clothing, ie red tunics they would be spaced according to their regimental tradition.
I can’t see the point ! It’s an activity for the sake if ‘ doing something ‘ …,, some faceless backroom person has thought this up …., and ‘Group think’ ( look it up ) has gone along with it !!!
Compared to the recent comedic North Korean '105th Birthday' parade and how fast they march, this is closer to marching with a pace maker ;) but good work all the same. I take it the stick's purpose is simply to walk in line, although I do wonder about it's initial origins
It’s a “guards” thing, if I remember correctly, they used to call it bola drill ( or something similar) just gives things a bit of panash, Good drill skills is hard to master, well done lads.
What do you think the point is in using any instrument of measurement then? Maybe your St. John Ambulance doesn't care what precision in drill implies as part of your training for attention to details. Or maybe you've never needed to organise a parade large enough that distances matter. Well, for the army these things matter.
@@deputy_commander7595 More condescending comment from you. What makes you think I'm necessarily younger than you? Is this how you treat veterans? Is that how your teachers and parents taught you?
Having watched the Queen’s funeral, as an ex-soldier I have been very disappointed that not a single soldier was slow marching correctly. It now seems to have been converted into a slow walk. Anyone agree?
Rich Eaton why, have you got a better idea? The possibility of the British Army coming round to your gaff to kick some arse is often more than enough deterrent, let me tell you.
The idea is that someone sneaks up on the person with a finger on the red button, rams his pacestick up their nose and opens up the caliper. Thats enough.🙄
The standard of Guards drill has definitely declined. It used to be snappy and sharp. Now it's sloppy and no different to non Guards regiments. As for the Welsh Guards CSM, when marching your arms are supposed to swing from front to rear and not front to in line with the seam of your trousers.
It's carrying a set of knuckle dusters, a cosh and a recipe for Haggis! The 'skirt' is a Highlander's secret weapon. It works on the 'disbelief' factor. Potential adversaries, when coming up against such a sight, are so astounded by men wearing these skirts, they can only shake their heads with disbelief! Big mistake! Even a bigger mistake is to hang around when Jock lifts his 'skirt' and flashes whats underneath - not a pretty sight, I can tell you! Scottish regimental Battle Honours are full of heroic battles won by the Highland soldiers without firing a shot! So, be warned of the mad, heathen, clansmen sweeping down off the mountain slopes, waving claymores above their heads, flashing bare knees under swirling kilts, sporrans flying in the wind! A sight that had many a Redcoat breaking ranks and fleeing down to the lowlands, trying to forget such an horrendous sight - knowing what lay beneath the tartan skirt.Take care, Bill.
Indeed, the kilt is a great way to save bullets and avoid unnecessary spilling of blood...the enemy run a mile as soon as someone wearing one appears on the scene. To double the effect just add a kukri knife wielding Gurkha!
