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Poppy Etiquette

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Jim_P_Pulfrew

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Not sure if this is in the right place but if anyone wants to move it feel free.

As a bit of background I work in the same place as what can only be described as a Walter Mitty Type. He says he did time as one of the chaps who listens to Russian radio traffic. In 29 years, I never even knew what the trade was called, never mind what they did etc., so for all I know he may be Kosher on that.

However.

I am reasonably sure he was never in the mob at all, but not 100%. I once tested this theory by asking him if he ever worked in a bunker at Akrotiri called the 'Mole' one day, probably not too subtley because he just went bright red and said he couldn't talk about what he did. This is in stark contrast to before my arrival when evidently he used to spin a merry old tale of derring do.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I told him I thought he was a Billy Bush!tter and essentially stay the feck away from me.

This morning he must have been feeling a bit brave as he challenged me on the position of the leaf on my poppy. According to him I was improperly dressed as my leaf was at the bottom and all serving and ex mil should wear the leaf pointing up.

Up until now I have left this little knob alone as if he wants to pretend he was the pivot of the cold war, and his mates all love him for it, que sera. But if he thinks he is getting away with gobbing off at me in front them he is sadly mistaken.

So before I destroy the scrote, I have spoken to the local RBL Branch Sec who lives and breathes the Legion and he has never heard of it; have any Goaters heard of such a ruling?

If any of the 'listening in trade' troops, have any info, like what was the name of the Sqn bar at such and such unit - innocuous type questions that he should definitely know the answer to, that I can use to catch him out on they would be great also.

Thanks in advance

Jimps
 
The leaf used to point to 1 O'clock; until this year.
The new design has it at 11 o'clock, in view of the 11,11,11.

It has never been at 12.
 
Had a discussion about this the other night.

In actual fact if you head to the frozen north you cannot get a poppy with the leaf on it. All poppies in scotland (as far as I know and I have only lived here for 30 years) come without the green leaf. I was in London on Monday and picked up one from a lovely old RBL chap at Westminster station because I think they look smarter.

Was informed that apparently each nation of the commonwealth has its own design of poppy and the RBL factory produces all these to spec book held in the factory.

So I would return to the gimp in question and inform him that the poppy you are wearing is not uniform design across the British Isles, punch him in the face and tell him to not try to use the RBL Poppy as a way of getting one over on you. At that point he should understand that he is now your b!tch

Enjoy...
 
Ask him if he ever did T'berg. If so he would know the fine for photographing the place in DM obviously pre Euro
 
You could always put your veterans badge on along with your poppy, and ask him where his is:PDT_Xtremez_14:
 
I believe the guys who listen into Russian radio stuff where/are called "Intelligence Analysts Voice" Or "Int An (V)" And there is also "Int An (C)" for communications.

I stand by to be corrected as I dont know how old that job title is. I know its been around since 1991 because there were a couple of them on my intake.
 
The best way to deal with this nob is by giving him a quick punch in the throat.
 
I'm with Wingboy on the trade name as loads of them used to loiter around Luffenham when it was still an RAF camp.
Instant Jelly Tot status on passing out. Refered to as CATs students.

they trained there from 1965 til 1997
so he would have pretty much only ever have been there for training
ask him if he remembers the local pub...the Wheatsheaf but call it something like the haystack :PDT_Xtremez_14:
 
I believe that the translaters and listeners in the 70's/80's were known as "SpecTel's" for Special Telegraphists. They were trained at Luffenham and posted to only three places; not going to name them, I'm not sure ofthe security class on them.
 
Wing boy said:
I believe the guys who listen into Russian radio stuff where/are called "Intelligence Analysts Voice" Or "Int An (V)" And there is also "Int An (C)" for communications.

I stand by to be corrected as I dont know how old that job title is. I know its been around since 1991 because there were a couple of them on my intake.
Click to expand...


You're not a million miles off - they all merged with the Intelligence Analysts (Imagery) to form the Int trade - kind of like the RAF's equivalent to the Int Corps.
 
Wing boy said:
And there is also "Int An (C)" for communications.

I stand by to be corrected as I dont know how old that job title is. I know its been around since 1991 because there were a couple of them on my intake.
Click to expand...

One of my Cpls was an Int An(C) before he left and rejoined as TG3.

Oddly enough, he first joined in 91.
 
Martin Blank said:
I'm with Wingboy on the trade name as loads of them used to loiter around Luffenham when it was still an RAF camp.
Instant Jelly Tot status on passing out. Refered to as CATs students.

they trained there from 1965 til 1997
so he would have pretty much only ever have been there for training
ask him if he remembers the local pub...the Wheatsheaf but call it something like the haystack :PDT_Xtremez_14:
Click to expand...

Got the little scrote then. I was at TTTE for nine years and drove taxi's while there so know the area like the back of my hand so to speak!

The punching options are very tempting but he is a weasel and I quite like my lil job!

Thanks for all the Gen!

Jimps
 
How old is this guy? Reason I ask is that we think that my wife's uncle used to be one of these guys in the real Cold War but he was civvy and worked from Ankara and GCHQ. He's 80 now and still has never told his family what he did.
 
Guy sounds like a chimp. I've never heard of an orientation for the leaf of the poppy before.
 
beowulf said:
In actual fact if you head to the frozen north you cannot get a poppy with the leaf on it. All poppies in scotland (as far as I know and I have only lived here for 30 years) come without the green leaf.
Click to expand...

Off Topic Apparently our Scots friends decided that a poppy with green leaf attached was botanically incorrect so produce their's without the leaf.
Last question in the FAQ bit of this link.http://www.poppyscotland.org.uk/faq/ Off Topic
 
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Spec Tels were a bit different, they were more about the dots and dashes than the voices.


The only important thing about poppy regulations for any of us genuine cold war comm's warriors was that you put your money in the tin.
Anything else is pedantic bollocks and he deserves telling so in as unsubtle a manner as possible.

If he's not a Walt then he's at the very least a ****.
 
Jimps,

I know a few CSA(V)'s mate.... ask him where he was posted during his service.......... see what he comes up with.
 
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