X-Nico

24 unusual facts about British Armed Forces


Academic dress of the University of Oxford

Members of the British Armed Forces may wear their service uniform with gown and hood (for graduates) in place of subfusc and cap.

Aimé Lepercq

Lepercq fought in World War I, in which he was wounded three times and decorated for valor five times, becoming Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 1915 and receiving the British Armed Forces Military Cross.

Alfred Trzebinski

On February 1, 1946 he was arrested—after working for the British forces in the POW camp Neumünster—because of the persistency of Walter Freud, a grandchild of Sigmund Freud.

Blind Veterans UK

Blind Veterans UK supports anyone who has served in the Forces and is experiencing sight loss (be that due to age, accident or illness) and the charity’s duty of care extends to all beneficiaries and their families for life.

British Guiana during World War II

Like all the other British colonies in the West Indies, Guiana gave full support to the Allied war effort by providing personnel for the British Armed Forces, land for an American military base, and raw materials for war production.

British Military Rations during the French and Indian War

During the French and Indian War, British military rations contained enough food energy to sustain the soldier in garrison but suffered from a lack of vitamins that could lead to nutritional deficiencies if not supplemented by the soldiers themselves through garden produce or purchase.

Canadian Forces

Its roots, however, lie in colonial militia groups that served alongside garrisons of the French and British armies and navies; a structure that remained in place until the early 20th century.

Coles Corner

The top floor is occupied by an Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO), staffed by personnel from all three services.

Defence Dental Service

The Defence Dental Service (DDS) is a tri-service dental services provider to the British Armed Forces.

Defence Medical Services

The Defence Medical Services (DMS) are an umbrella organisation within the Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom, which organises all medical, dental and nursing services within the British Armed Forces.

Enlisted rank

In the British Armed Forces and the armed force of other Commonwealth countries (except Canada), the equivalent term in respect of armies and air forces is Other Rank (or OR for short), while navies use the term rating.

I. German/Dutch Corps

Due to its role as a NATO High Readiness Forces Headquarters, soldiers from other NATO member states, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom amongst others, are also stationed at Münster.

James W. Gibson

The business grew steadily for several years, before the outbreak of the First World War earned Gibson his first major contract; the company began manufacturing uniforms for the British Armed Forces on a daily basis.

Julian Harston

Harston lectures all over the world to distinguished military and civilian audiences,and takes a leading role in War Games and Exercises for NATO and for the UK, Swedish, Canadian and Ugandan armed forces.

M62 coach bombing

The M62 coach bombing happened on 4 February 1974 on the M62 motorway in northern England, when a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb exploded in a coach carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel and their family members.

Marksman

In the British Armed Forces, "marksman" is traditionally the highest shooting rating and holders may wear a crossed rifles badge on the lower sleeve.

National colours of the United Kingdom

Historically, the British Armed Forces fought in red, a traditional colour that remains to this day in formal and ceremonial uniforms.

RAF Nordhorn

Despite the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the base remained as one of the few military facilities used by British Armed Forces in Germany.

The range is used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the German Luftwaffe, and other NATO air forces and aviation arms of their other branches (such as the Army Air Corps, and the Fleet Air Arm).

Rendition: Guantanamo

He also states no American or British soldiers would be killed, but instead the institution would be run by mercenaries.

Royal Air Force Germany

RAF Germany was disbanded as a separate command in 1993 as part of the reduction of British Armed Forces presence in Europe at the cessation of the Cold War.

Royal Wootton Bassett

From April 2007, the bodies of servicemen and women of the British Armed Forces killed in Iraq and Afghanistan were repatriated to RAF Lyneham while repairs were done at RAF Brize Norton.

Ten Year Rule

The Ten Year Rule was a British government guideline, first adopted in August 1919, that the armed forces should draft their estimates "on the assumption that the British Empire would not be engaged in any great war during the next ten years".

TPz Fuchs

In May 2013 the vehicles were transported back to RAF Honington so engineers from Rheinmetall Landsysteme could assess their condition to enable cost estimates to be drawn up with the possibility of returning the vehicles to service or selling them if they are no longer required by the British Armed Forces.


Arctic Star

The medal is awarded for any length of service above the Arctic Circle by members of the British Armed Forces and the Merchant Navy.

Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth

The posts of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command were amalgamated in 1994 following the rationalisation of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War.

Commando 21

Each of the two Close Combat Company is similar to the previous RM rifle company, having 3 platoon sized troops, but each troop, in addition to three rifle sections, has a manoeuvre support section of five men equipped with General Purpose Machine Gun, Long Range Rifle and 51 mm Mortar.

Family Liaison Officer

British Armed Forces also have Royal Military Police trained FLOs for families of killed service men/woman.

Kimbolton School

On average, at least 2 members of each year group go on to join one of the British Armed Forces; the school has a long-standing tradition of inviting one of these Old Kimboltonians back to the take the salute on Remembrance Sunday each year as the Contingent marches through Kimbolton.

Mountain Leader

The conduct of warfare in high altitude or arctic environments in the British Armed Forces is the province of 3 Commando Brigade, a formation of the Royal Marines with a number of attached army elements.

Scottish Airlines

The worst fatal accident in Scottish Airlines' history occurred on 18 February 1956, when one of the company's Avro 685 York C.1 airliners (registration: G-ANSY) crashed on its way from Egypt to the United Kingdom after taking off from Luqa Airport, Malta, killing all 50 occupants (45 service personnel and five crew).

Spearhead Land Element

The Spearhead Lead Element (SLE), sometimes referred to as the Spearhead Land Element, is the principal high-readiness component of the British Armed Forces under the operational control of the Permanent Joint Headquarters.

Sponsored Reserves

Sponsored Reserves are a category of reserve forces in the British Armed Forces, created by the Reserve Forces Act 1996 in order to allow certain support tasks to be carried out by trained professionals.

SS Empire Morn

Empire Morn is known for the death of the second youngest person in the British services to die in the war, 14-year old galley boy Raymond Steed.

Volunteer Reserves Service Medal

The Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (VRSM) is a medal awarded to all members of the reserves of all of the branches of the British Armed Forces - the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.