fun topic, national uniforms

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

This is not the right thread, but it's close enough. Its Christmas Eve. I spent Christmas Eve in 1970 flying wounded South Vietnamese and a few American advisers out of several compounds that the NVA hit, violating the Christmas Truce. I remember drinking a can of warm root beer. It was raining heavily. I felt so much luckier than the guys we were lifting out. The flight suit I was wearing is the same one I mentioned above as still having in my closet. I remember that night as the best Christmas ever. I have no real family and always volunteered for duty on Christmas eve when I was cop. It got to be a habit hard to break. Now I am retired and not sure what to do with my self. But I know my successors are right now doing the same thing my crew and the others did, and happy and proud to do it.

Best to all

Ralph

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

amen ralph

[john m roberts]

U.S. Army 1967-1970. Vietnam in '70. Pretty much the same gear as Ralph's but my M-16 and my jeep were mavericks - they came from God knows where and were assigned to nobody. That way if I lost either I wouldn't have to fill out a lot of paperwork. My assigned M-16 and jeep stayed in the arms room and motor pool respectively, where they were kept pretty for inspections. My flak jacket smelled so awful from sweat and mildew that I never wore it. I saw guys come in from the deep bush who wouldn't have looked out of place in an army of Medieval mercenaries. I remember one guy in particular whose total outfit was a paur of cutoff shorts, jungle boots and a sawed-off shotgun. He was driver for an officer who at least wore a shirt. There were black guys with tiny little boonie hats perched on top of huge Afros. I thought I was pretty tough back then, but there were guys I just stepped aside for. I mentioned this to my father when I got back. He told me that when he was based in Burma in WWII one day Merrill's Marauders came out of the hills after six months behind enemy lines and set up camp on their airstrip, since it was the only dry ground for miles. Nobody said boo to them. Dad's outfit just borrowed another base's airstrip for their aircraft.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

RESPECT 4 You all!

M.VIB.M.

who feels very fortunate never having been in a war situation....

[hoplite14gr]

J.M. Roberts,
I recall the issue of uniformity has been touched in the main sections.
It is understood that in action or far away from boot camp convenience takes priority over regulations and some "efficient" units get way with bending(?) the dress code.
At night even regulated borderers look like "rag-tag" bandits. Not much...
...enough to give your drill sargent a heart attack :twisted:

Kind regards

[Conal]

can anyone happen to tell me what the typical british battle dress for hot weather was in the 70s and early 80s?

I was in the cadets in the mid 70s and it was pretty much what they had in the Falklands ... DRPM which was augmented with an inner quilting in winter.

[hoplite14gr]

can anyone happen to tell me what the typical british battle dress for hot weather was in the 70s and early 80s?

I was in the cadets in the mid 70s and it was pretty much what they had in the Falklands ... DRPM which was augmented with an inner quilting in winter.

Seems most NATO armies go for this solution.
You are issued with fatigues and various kinds of "pyjamas/sweaters" to wear in cold weather. My opinion is though that most issued jackets are substandard. I felt more comfortable with a 50's felt overcoat rather than various kinds of modern synthetic staff.
Kind regards

[L C Cinna]

Hi!

Austrian army 2000/2001 for 12 months
still part of the militia forces
alpine infantry
Rank Korporal (same as Corporal in the US)

here's a pic of Austrian uniforms we used
[url:1xaa5esu]http://www.bmlv.gv.at/abzeichen/uniformen/uniformen_galerie_1.shtml[/url]

combatdress:
winter
[url:1xaa5esu]http://www.bmlv.gv.at/images_skaliert/alpin1_768x539_1133968943.jpg[/url]

summer
[url:1xaa5esu]http://www.bmlv.gv.at/images_skaliert/inf_pandur_03_768x469_1133965354.jpg[/url]

the gun:
[url:1xaa5esu]http://www.bmlv.gv.at/waffen/waf_stg77.shtml[/url]

machine gun (loved to shoot with this thing):
[url:1xaa5esu]http://www.bmlv.gv.at/waffen/waf_mg74.shtml[/url]

[Robert Vermaat]

Thanks for that link Michael - I always wanted to learn more about the Austrian army!

[hoplite14gr]

Vielen Dan Michael. Very interesting.

One question if you know.

Does the Stayer AUG rally kick back very little when fired?
Most reports around say that it is the most "well behaved" in its category.

Kind regards.

[L C Cinna]

yes. I mean I didn't fire any other assault riffles to be honest but I have to say it's a really nice gun.

it is very light, consists of many plastic and aluminium parts, which makes it very easy to clean and keep working even after long time in rain or mud. and yes it doesn't kick back (or however you call it in english. sorry dunno myself) very much. makes it easy to hit a target with it for practically anyone. The Vo is very very high which has a devastating effect.

I tried different pistols though and without any national preferences here I have to say I liked our Glock best. It's light and doesn't kick back that much as well.

My fav was the MG74. practically an MG42 with smaller calibre and the wooden parts replaced with plastic.

you see what I mean:

Mg74
MG42

[hoplite14gr]

Thanks for info.
Austria being neutral named MG42 MG74
In NATO is known MG3 because the re-instaded Bundeswehr used
MG42 as MG1
recalibered MG42 as MG2 and the finally redesigned fully
for NATO rounds as MG3. I liked it too.
The Spanish made a 5.56 version and call it "Amelli".
The Yugoslavs use the MG42 as MG53 in the original Maouser caliber.

Truly this is a very successfull design standing the test of time for 65 years!

Kind regards

[john m roberts]

The word you're looking for is "recoil." But we say "kick," too. And I agree the MG 42 is the coolest machinegun design ever. Always a mystery why we didn't just copy it and went with the awkward M60 instead. Now we have the SAW, but it's in the pissant 5.56 caliber. In 100 years the US Army still can't get this light machinegun business right. On the other hand, we have the awesome Browning .50 cal heavy machinegun, still unexcelled after almost 90 years.

[hoplite14gr]

John Thanks for correcting me.
I liked too the "0.50". The damned thing though is not easily transported but it is exellent position/vehicle armament.

If I.Hogg is to be belived in the US they tried to combine FG42-German para rifle with MG42 to make M60and they got lost in the process.
While the Browning was desinged as a single concept.
Yes I am fond of 7.62 too (and 12.7 "0.50")

Military staff should abide by the rule of the "kiss"

K-eep It S-imple S-tupid :twisted:

But people never learn do they?

Kind regards

[Comerus Gallus]

Since young=["correction".... When young]= my darn english :evil: , I was a simple cadet for few weeks, forced to join by my veteran Grandpa for two times in diferent years.

I told him I would rather like to join in the Air-force or in politics instead, & be like my AIF-pilot uncle... I did both, but I like the life I had, before trying the army.

But I failed the phisical test (eyes)=(we call it "Byzantine syndrome", curse), I didnt feel interested in the army, left.

Only my own sister make it to pilot, u can see her as co-pilot below taking training , I'm in the back.

My cousins & uncles make better career in the Army.

I shoot, & had some personal weapons of my own, some u cant know.

but my favorite was a 25mm calibre pistol, wich u can take it anywhere.