I love the drill instructors, first one with an Ulster accent, and then the second one with the Welsh, British Celts, backbone of the British Army.🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧
I had to laugh when they said no bullying no violence.. I have seen recruits lose their teeth for falling asleep during rifle cleaning, recruits with no skin left on their knees told to go round the course again, recruits lifted by their ears. ( very painful) etc etc plus of course the odd fatality and medical discharge. We had potted sports every week, never once did we finish without one recruit ambulance off to hospital.. The British Army was a very tough place to be in the 1970,s
I remember my dad talking about para depot in the 70s and the Monday morning routine being him and the other recruits stood at attention on the parade square whilst hungover NCO's walked the line and randomly punched them. No violence or bullying at all there!
I was in the Para Depot in the 70,s ( Jnr Para Coy). And yes that happened and much much more. It was looked upon as “hardening you up” You where a Para so had to be tough
My dad said that he joined in 73 and his only three words it was hard. Ncos were brutal back then. He used to say they played the winker song on the camp radio. It said I wink all day and all night. But translate that into British army humour it became something else.😅
@@patriot4786 political correctness and fear of upsetting someone with harsh words . That's why todays soldiers wouldn't have hacked it 30 years ago , having said that they still do a good job and it's not their fault that times are changing .
We had a fearsome (and much respected) Scots Guards section leader, during a drill session we had to repeat after him at the top of our lungs the timings… without missing a beat, to a man and boy, we did… including in his accent!! The look on his face… 💀 everybody froze! but it was so funny he simply couldn’t help but laugh however much you could tell he wanted to melt the squad. The words just couldn’t come out
The guards are complete mustard 👏🏻👏🏻 cool as fcuk and in the olden days……. The complete full on combat best of the best soldiers! (I served 8 yrs as a coldstreamer) 🤛🏻🤛🏻🙌🏻
Went to Coldstream village last year on a visit. Very small and quiet. Nice little place though. Had to go because me Grandad ( Coldstreamer, who I never knew) was killed in the Salerno landings in 1943 under Mark Clark....(less said about him, the better). Grandad was 6"3', not sure how he died. Would love to have met him. Often think of him and his mates during that fateful time. I still have the MOD letter to me grandma about his death. He was 23 when he died. Yeah...looking up at you pops...N.
@@nmw6674 My grandfather was a Coldstreamer 3rd battalion, and he too was at Salerno and their subsequent campaign. He was wounded but fortunately he was able to return to his family at war's end. He was awarded the Military Medal in the fighting in the hills in the days after Salerno. Unfortunately when I was a boy I could never get him to talk about his time in the war, and I would so loved to have heard him tell me. It seems that the loss of comrades affected him badly. I too made a point of visiting Coldstream a few years ago for the same reasons that you did. I think the Coldstream Guard tended to be a Northern Regiment around that time, he was from Burnley. They were a tough bunch and it was passed to me that other regiments could not understand how they were required to have immaculate kit and boots whilst serving in the field. From what I have read Salerno was tough, very tough. It was so bad that Clark & Co considered withdrawing from the landing. When you hear about D-Day and invading Europe they only talk about Normandy but these guys went into Europe first! The terrain appeared to favour the Germans more than it did in Normandy. You should be very proud of your grandfather, as am I of my own.
The Household Cavalry Training SQN moved from Windsor to Pirbright just before i joind in 1966 so we did the same as the Foot Guards for 14 weeks instead of the 18, then on to trade Training on armoured cars at Catterick. As trained soldiers we didn't do any drill with the tankies but got roped in to a road run once and our fitness was so far ahead or theirs, even the PTI couldn't keep up with us! The Guards Depot was extremely hard graft but it turned tough Soldiers. The instructors were always keen to point out that everyone screaming at you have been through it as well. I remember we had a fiery Scots Guard Sgt instructing us on bayonet practice, according to him you had to twist the bayonet before pulling it out! Wouldn't want to face him on the battle field, great days.
Been there done that....over fifty year s ago .. started 16 year's of age . Intake 36 only 10 pass out. Guard's depo pirbrigh ....I always remember the time in the guard s depo was 1, 2 , 3 1,
Long way up, short way down. 2,3 up, 2,3 down Heels together, neck in the back of the collar and look up. Heels dig into the ground, arms shoulder high and look up, dig dig dig 💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️
The Irish Guards Sergeant at the beginning of the video went on to become the Company Sergeant Major at Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion. His name is Sammy Conner.
Was that in Oswestry? I spent an awful night there when going to collect an absentee of ours from the the Guard Room where the civie police had dumped him.
@@PatrickJOHanlon Five foot nine or there about, I think. I am five foot seven. The bullshit in my lot was not much different to the Guards as it turned out.
@@jimmyjohnson7027 My great uncle was 5foot seven , Coldstream gaurds ,3rd battalion killed at St Julien ypres in october 1914 . Name on the Menin Gate . The height restriction was taken off when they were running short of bodies to feed to the cannon . In fact he was in the the Gaurds BEFORE the 1914-18 war . I have heard the height restriction was used when they did NOT need the men . We always thought he was over 6ft untill , through Ancestory , we got his service record .
Ah the wonderful "warm up drill" 5 minutes flat out right before normal drill practice. Once, as a Junior Soldier I went into a Guards Junior Soldiers barrack room to ask directions to another part of their barracks. One of the other lads leapt to his feet, marched up to me and said, "Can I help you Trained Soldier"? I had no idea what to reply as I was little more than a year ahead of him in a NON Guards corps. I went to the Guard Room and asked.... 5 minutes of being screamed at and I was sent on my way to the Dental Hut, shaken AND stirred!
Our Sergeant yelled at a Recruit “that’s not the way “, he had about a 50 inch waist “ Now run at me with that Baynet and this time let’s hear you scream .” The recruit Bayonet Charged at the Sergeant letting out a Piercing Scream! We all thought he was going to run him through, but the then the recruit stopped dead with the Bayonet just inches from the Sergeants huge Belly , The Sergeant Bellowed “ Well what’s wrong with you man ! “ The recruit answered “ I would have killed you ! “ ,The Sergeant Shouted “ Kill me with that Pig Sticker ? my Skins too thick for that! Get back in line” ! I have to laugh when they say “ we will bring back National Service 😅
Joined the RAF as a boy entrant in 1960 at the age of 15 yrs and 9 months. It was a life of hell with the DI's on billet inspections. Beds overturned, the coke and coal for heating thrown across the floor and trampled in on the highly polished lino. Lockers up ended and the screamed verbal abuse. Then there were the cross country runs of about seven miles in full kit with the instructors breaking the ice on the frozen ditch in winter for us to wade through. On saying that i still remember the names of all the instructors. Ah those were the days but thank fcuk i am now almost 80 and think the government should bring back national service perhaps then there would not be so much crime amongst the younger generation.
As the doting mother once said whilst watching her son on parade , " Look there's my Johnny, he's the only one is step ! A lot of good was achieved through National Service. Self discipline was instilled, and respect for self and others was achieved. The world is a long way from this today where indiscipline and no respect abound and the mobile phone is the preferred device.
The only one in step😂 We were marching at Aldershot in 86 we were shocking a mate in front was getting screamed at marching like a “f,,,,g Rockhopper” we could not help laughing that stopped during the following beasting. 👍🇬🇧🏴
Have you worked with the current British Army? If you had I can tell you that they are still extremely good. No way would we won't conscription because it means we would have to take quite a lot of shit into our superb army
literally the only thing that can save this country. and it always should have been a basic requirement to become an MP I can't even bend my mind to the level of stupid hat would want it any other way.
No it’s what you need and quickly. It’s your generation who let the uk go to the shitter. It’s not the young kids fault, it’s yours . No good bleating about it now. If conscription was so good for the country, how did it turn the UK into a 3rd rate dung hill and your generation let it happen
When i fought in France we fell into a German trench with about 12 Soldiers as i fell in my 18inch baynot went straight into a soldiers chest i had a hell of job getting it out 1916.
It was long. Unsuited for fighting in a built-up area or deploying from armour personal carriers. Ammunition was taking up a lot more room than 556 rounds. It didn't have fully automatic capability which you need if you want to lay down some fire if you want to breakthrough and ambush or suppress enemy fire. It was ok for the 60s but by the late 70s it was definitely out of its time
Bayonet training I had to do it twice as I was back squadded due to shin splints ,,1st time round was scary and flipping horrible the 2nd time I laughed from start to finish
Lol i was in the green jackets back then we called the guards 'wooden tops for reasons we thought them a bit silly, however the guards fighting record stands forever high and btw sarn majors all had the same name!!
No bullying? Bollocks! Junior soldiers were beaten, kicked, subjected to 'regimental baths', by the instructors. Two RWF corporals in our case. Same at the regiment in Germany, initiation it was called, why having certain parts of your anatomy whipped while held with sausage tongs is beyond me? Then there were greased broom handles, grease guns and being forced to down a pint of urine. One mate necked it, and because he did it with no complaints, they made him do it again with a "floater" in it. Give me a break.
@@georgemulford2910 it was the culture, young men 16 years old were subjected to brutalisation that today would find the perpertrators in court. One lad was held down by two other junior soldiers whilst a third stabbed him in the stomach with a bayonet, no grudge or arguments, the 'stabber' wanted to know what it felt like to stab someone. Some juniors were tied onto their bare bed frames with buckets of cold water thrown over them, the kicker came when the shaver socket which most beds had as part of the overhead light for each bed space was wired up and turned on. Joining the regiment was also bad, new boys were subjected to abuse, initiations and assault, sometimes at the instigation of NCOs, occasionally by NCOs. Of course who could a youngster turn to? The chain of command for complaints had to go through the actual perpetrators, which usually resolved itself by threats, more assaults or extra duties until any complaint was withdrawn. Most youngsters did the minimum required and got out, the system doesn't work for junior ranks
@@georgemulford2910 life was made hell for "sprogs" because people got away with it, the same was happening in childrens homes, borstals and behind front doors across the country. Even PIE(Paedophile Information Exchange) had influence within certain political parties, then you had Saville, Glitter, Rolf Harris and others within the entertainment industry. As for the army? I know particular regiments gained a reputation for brutalising and bullying recruits, the Welsh Guards were notorious after the Falklands war, this was long before 'duty of care' or child protection laws were brought in. I was 17 when an NCO would enter our 3 man room after getting drunk in the mess, he would stagger in, straddle our shoulders and kidney punch us, or try to tear the hair out of your head. This was at the regiment. Young,black,brown they were all fair game back then. I was determined my kids would never experience that, I've dealt with a lot of veterans over the years, and some have horrific stories to tell, with one or two still traumatised, and they're in their 50s and 60s!
By what is seen of American military basic training where the recruits are screamed at in their every waking moment, the standard of this Guards NCO is positively gentlemanly - ! 😅
The Guards Regiments are a law unto themselves compared with the rest of the British Army and always have been. For instance Guards Battalions, Regiments or Brigades etc can only be commanded by Guards officers. Line of Foot officers need not apply!
Does anyone know the year this was done, my late dad was in the coldstream guards in the late 50's to early 60's, i love to think he was in with those lads
They are nowhere near as smart or well-drilled as they were at Pirbright. Just look at any Passing Out video ( including the Juniors) from Pirbright days. Today's lot are not a patch on yesteryear's Guards. I take my hat off to anybody who survived Pirbright back then. 👍
Seasons, saluting, for the use of. I do think there should be seasonal salutes. For instance the Autumn salute goes up as normal but the hand makes a slow, fluttering descent to the side of the body as a leaf from a plane tree. The Spring salute is a clenched fist that snaps up to the cap, and then the fingers slowly, tenderly open like flowering buds until the smart and soldier-like position of the hand is formed. 🫡
MineBlock, I had a little chuckle about the "no violence" comment too. Is he shitting us? I had a drill cane rammed in my throat for flinching when a wasp stung me. I mean...how fucking dare I. 🤣🤣
No doubt about it. I did not serve (very bad eyesight) but I have been studying military history for nearly 40 years and is obvious that until the 1980s the British army was a formidable force, perhaps the finest army in the world. The people running the UK since the 1990s ruined everything.
All of you who think that this produce better soldiers those days and the British Army producers crap soldiers today, have no experience of the contemporary British Army. I joined the army in 1983 and I've recently finished working as an mod civilian with the British Army now. The complexity of today's battlefield equipment requires you have much more of thinking self-motivated soldier rather than the old tiktok wooden head fixed Bayonet and charge. Look at probably one of the finest fighting armies in the world, the Israeli army. They don't spend a lot of time on fancy drill but they do spend a lot of time on perfecting their role and on the combat scenarios. Proof of the pudding is eating how they have won countless wars and not been defeated
The bullies get promoted so where's your proof in that??? I was a Guardsman I was friendly woth all the senior ranks not once did they try and bully me.
I was in the Scots Guards and certain people did get picked on, usually because they were useless or funny looking but no more than say in a factory or building site. I worked in a factory after the army and I would say there was more bullying there than the army, bullying is not big or clever but it happens everywhere not just the army.
@@Adam-if3zd I have no idea of anything connected to the British army, haven’t lived in that shit hole for 50 years now. See how they go against the Russians
