"The 10 most badass British military machines"

[Eric Mc]

Built by Willys in the US

[brenflys777]

Eric Mc said:

Built by Willys in the US

Theres no need to call them dicks just because they're Americans.

[wokkadriver]

Eric Mc said:

And I said previously, it's the badass British military personnel that give the technology its badassedness - no matter what its country of origin.

Nice one Eric

[Ayahuasca]

theironduke said:

1796 Light Cavalry Sabre

Made such horrible wounds the French complained about it! I've got two on my wall at home (one a troopers and other a Yeomanry Officers) and I know i wouldn't want to be on the recieving end! Especially when it's coming down at you from a galloping horse!

Want one! Any idea where they can be bought?

[theironduke]

Ayahuasca said:

theironduke said:

1796 Light Cavalry Sabre

Made such horrible wounds the French complained about it! I've got two on my wall at home (one a troopers and other a Yeomanry Officers) and I know i wouldn't want to be on the recieving end! Especially when it's coming down at you from a galloping horse!

Want one! Any idea where they can be bought?

These are mine...with a 1943 SMLE Rifle



I bought both off eBay for less than 100 quid each....haven't any there for ages though and never that cheap

Mine dont have scabbards For a troopers version in good nick with scabbard you're looking at around 400 quid plus these days. As for an Officers one with a good blade (etching and guilding) and scabbard....well, the last one I saw was the best part of a grand. if you can get one with some genuine provenance, espcially Waterloo, then you can add £££.

I think they are wonderful things though! Both mine have signs of use on the blades (haven't been tarted up and had the edges ground)

[shouldbworking]

rhinochopig said:

Yeah but an Apache can carry too RMs bungied to them and you can't get more badass than that. I mean they were strapped to the outside of the Helo FFS

Ahem, surely a case of 'fitted for but not with'

[Bluetoo]

Surely a suitably 'manned' 'pink panther' land rover is more bad-ass British than that yank Willys? :-)

[matchmaker]

brenflys777 said:

Excellent Eric, in that case please understand when I offer this contribution:



The humble Jeep, transformed into a 'badass British military machine' by individuals who are too badass even for armour plating and instead sit behind extra petrol tanks

LRDG?

[andy_s]

matchmaker said:

brenflys777 said:

Excellent Eric, in that case please understand when I offer this contribution:



The humble Jeep, transformed into a 'badass British military machine' by individuals who are too badass even for armour plating and instead sit behind extra petrol tanks

LRDG?

SAS I think - http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/2051... - the LRDG used mostly US/Canadian trucks - Ford/Chevy, mostly 2WD. The SAS were the first to use the Jeep (or got the first delivery anyway) but LRDG used them too as a pilot/patrol commander vehicle. The LRDG didn't tend to put fuel cans on the bonnet (as they had support trucks) and the Jeeps were lightly armed compared to the SAS ones.
Pinkies didn't come in until after the war.



And the LRDG:



(The LRDG used to have a rum ration as they were away for so long on sorties, they cooled it in the late afternoon on a flat plate set on the truck tyres, letting the breeze chill it. Cheers!)

Edited by andy_s on Thursday 30th August 23:03

[matchmaker]

Thanks, Andy_s. I find the North African campaign fascinating. My dad was a Staff Sergeant in the RASC and served in North Africa in WW2 - I have his Africa Star in my tie drawer

I never got the chance to ask about his experiences as he died when I was 10

Then there was my grandad (Mum's dad). He was a merchant seaman and got torpedoed three times - twice in WW1 and once in WW2. I have his medals too.

[andy_s]

matchmaker said:

Thanks, Andy_s. I find the North African campaign fascinating. My dad was a Staff Sergeant in the RASC and served in North Africa in WW2 - I have his Africa Star in my tie drawer

I never got the chance to ask about his experiences as he died when I was 10

Then there was my grandad (Mum's dad). He was a merchant seaman and got torpedoed three times - twice in WW1 and once in WW2. I have his medals too.

No worries, I've spent a bit of time in the military and deserts, sometimes both at the same time, so have an interest in the pioneers; my G'father was in NA also, but was badly injured by a flamethrower.

Look up the story of J. A. Bagnold, the founder and first Commander of LRDG for an interesting bit of history. There is a good documentary on these guys floating about too. The Bagnold sun compass wasn't badass, but a great bit of kit he designed that helped the LRDG and SAS navigate through the land equivalent of the open sea.



(ETA - I think you can see it in brenflys777s picture, mounted on the dash')

Edited by andy_s on Friday 31st August 11:35