Tah Bill! It's interesting that you should mention 'Ming the Merciless'

Inmate Central

Inmate Central, where civil and family-friendly discourse about off-audio topics (other than religion and politics) is welcome.

Timbo in Oz

In Reply to: I have the distinct feeling that you and the Wright brothers may have had much in common... posted by feet's too big on March 21, 2007 at 16:23:28:

it was the Diggers' nickname for Lieut.Gen. Sir Leslie Morshead who commanded the 9th Division.
One of the leaders in achieving that stellar reputation you so kindly acknowledged the other day.
He was a very determined disciplinarian, not surprising given the performance of that Division at Tobruk, and then Tel el Eisa and at El Alamein through July to November 1942. It always surprises me that so few Pommy bastards know that you can't achieve good results in battle unless the men are highly disciplined. ;-^)} ! So much for the Digger's lack of it!
No worse than most of the Scots or Irish when out of the line.
It also surprises me (that very few Pommies know!) that few of the 200 new Shermans in the hands of the Pommy cavalwy, played any serious role in breaking the PAA/DAK's Pz and PzG divisions in November 1942!
It was rather the 9th Infantry Div'n (plus some Valentines) and the 7th Armoured's infantry brigades (plus one reg't of honeys') that did the job. Thanks to the sheer guts, BLOOD and the new 6 pder AT guns!
Your armour failed:- everyone! Monty and the PBI, in courage and co-ordination. Despite Monty's start on restoring art'y to its proper role, most of the arm'd Div's Cmdrs STILL did not have their BRA's with them during their attemptt to break the 88mm and 50mm AT lines. For which art'y is of course an essential suppressor. esp. the 88's, their exposed crews, and tractors of both guns.
Not only that all the infantry commanders led by Morshead and Freyberg (NZ) told Monty the armour would STILL fail to get up forward.
Viz. The Australian 2/48th battalion went into the battle with only around 600 effectives thanks to Tel el Eisa, on the day the battle ended and they were withdrawn, less than 50 answered the roll!
Undisciplined? ???
The Australian Army's universal term, for even our own Armour, remains 'the wankers'! Unsurprising, really, and it goes right back to Bullecourt, mid-Winter early 1917. Look it up!
My dear FIL also lives at the Sir Leslie Morshead veteran's home here in Canberra - in the High Care wing due to his Parkies, mostly.
Connections, connections.

Warmest
Timbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio Scrounger
And gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio

Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Hachoooooo!!! and again! and Cough! hack! splutter! ??? Down near the bottom of this post!!! - Timbo in Oz 14:47:18 03/21/07 (3)

I have the distinct feeling that you and the Wright brothers may have had much in common... - feet's too big 16:23:28 03/21/07 (2)

Tah Bill! It's interesting that you should mention 'Ming the Merciless' - Timbo in Oz 17:11:58 03/21/07 (1)

"The Australian Army's universal term, for even our own Armour, remains 'the wankers'! "... - feet's too big 06:02:38 03/22/07 (0)

Follow Ups

Tah Bill! It's interesting that you should mention 'Ming the Merciless' - Timbo in Oz 17:11:58 03/21/07 (1)

"The Australian Army's universal term, for even our own Armour, remains 'the wankers'! "... - feet's too big 06:02:38 03/22/07 (0)

You can not post to an archived thread.