Recruitment UK.

[Croquemort]

Please note that this is in the 'Others' Forum.

Foreign & Commonwealth Recruits 2003/4.

Jamaica 195, Ghana 151, Fiji 111, Zimbabwe 81, South Africa 70, Gambia 24,
Malawi 21, Kenya 21, Nigeria 14, St.Lucia 11, Grenada 10, Trinidad 9,
India 8, Uganda 7, Mauritius 6, Sierra Leone 6, Zambia 6, Sri Lanka 4,
Canada 3, St Vincent 3, Cameroon 3, Nepal 3, Dominica 2, Hong Kong 2.

*The 3 from Nepal went to British regiments.

We could form a single Btn. Brit FL.

Caniche, erstwhile 'Waggoner' motto Service & Fidelity.

[Eagle eye]

FFL recruitment last year: 1,100 legionnaires at short notice and not too many questions or proforma to fill out or prolonged waiting/holding periods... :)

[alterego]

what about irish? there has to be thousands of irish serving in british forces

[dietrying]

There is an entire regiment called the Royal Irish regiment filled with ROI and northern Irish soldiers. Goddamn English, always finding a way to leave us out!

[Eagle eye]

there is an entire regiment called the royal irish regiment filled with ROI and northern Irish soldiers.ROI= Republic of Ireland. And a long time after the Curragh débacle...when this regiment or predecessor was ordered to put down a rebellion in southern Ireland (now ROI) at the time under British rule: southern Irish soldiers would slaughter fellow southern Irish countrymen, that is, pitting brother against brother of the same family.

General Gough, a British officer of Irish descent, and hero in the breaking of relief of the besieged town of Lucknow in India, refused to follow this direct order - and somehow survived in his professional career path. The British establishment came round to his viewpoint and realised its mistake following a public uproar about the order. Some fu-cking guts to make this type of lone stand..These are the broadlines of this event and I'm sure there are loads of details in 'background context' and 'factors and turn of events' to be appended...

[Peter Lyderik]

Once upon a time...

The Enlistment of Foreigners Act 1854 allowed the government to recruit foreign mercenary troops to make up the low number of British men being recruited during the Crimean War. These mercenaries formed the British German, British Swiss and British Italian Legions, often collectively called the British Foreign Legion. Recruitment began at the beginning of 1855, and eventually 14,000 men joined the legions. None of these men saw active service, although a number of regiments had arrived in Turkey when peace was signed. At the end of the War the Legions were disbanded. Men were encouraged to emigrate to the colonies and many from the British German Legion went to Cape Colony.

Corporate names British Foreign Legion, 1855-1856
British German Legion, 1855-1857
British Swiss Legion, 1855-1857

[Peter Lyderik]

About Gough, just to put the record straight.

He didn't make a lone stand,

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and he wasn't even born at the time of the Indian Mutiny.

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[Eagle eye]

Correction: Read Ladysmith, South Africa, instead of Lucknow, India.

Curragh incident: Gen. Gough triggered the Curragh incident with an initial lone stand in the senior military hierarchy due to his initial objection to the formal order. Then - AND ONLY THEN - did public opinion and the political establishment take up the issue. Gough also required a formal written retraction of the original order from the War Office: he was sent it. Later on, the War Office requested it back: this official letter was never sent back...

[dietrying]

they're still around, now called Royal Irish Rangers
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[Eagle eye]

The Duke of York always looks the part of a cuckold twat besides his former tart....

On a serious (...) mode, the HQ is Fort George in Inverness. It is of French design with angled buttress walls to avoid blind angles. It is a stunning fort and well worth the visit for its impeccable presentation and maintenance....

In my time, there was Charlie "Merde...Merde" Teggart in the same platoon from the RUC and Doyle from the Gardia in another company...

[Darkwolf]

Also there is the Irish Guards