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Issue No.1 September 2001
This club is an integral part of the 'Per Ardua' web site
Webmaster and club founder...Jason French
Club membership now stands at 122 which is incredible and a 121 more than I anticipated when I formed the club on March 26
Welcome to the first newsletter of the RAF Regiment Club.
I have decided to do it in web page format so I can add pictures and graphics to what could be a boring document if posted on the club message board or sent via e-mail. I intend to publish this newsletter monthly and hopefully it will eventually encourage members to contribute too. That's me on the left. What you can't see is my ponytail, Danny Gourd would have a fit if he could see me now.
Club Rules
- Apart from the conditions laid down by Yahoo (and few clubs take little notice of those I have noticed) I have added a few of my own, which are particular to this club. I have kept them to a minimum as I think most things can be left to common sense. Besdes there are enough rules and regulations elsewhere to keep us occupied for a while. However to enable the smooth running of the club I would ask you to bear these 5 rules in mind.
- No advertising!
- If you want to place an advert then a community message board is not really the place for it, and is frowned on generally on public message boards. However I will place adverts on the Club Newsletter (see below) Adverts and obvious commercal posts will be deleted.
- Honour your Regiment and the Royal Air Force.
- Don't bring in to disrepute the RAF or any units within it. This of course does not include relating actual events historical or otherwise, or true tales and anecdotes aBout the RAF. Common sense prevails. (eg. The 194 Sqn riot related on my site. This tale does not shame our Regiment but the event probably did)
- Do not criticise or make fun of the Monarchy.
- Other military sites do enough of that. Polticians are fair game though
- When posting pics make sure they are not too pornographic
- We have some members who are a bit touchy about this ( yes, Rockapes!)
- And finally 'Lets keep it friendly'
- As it has been up to now. If you want to throw your weight around or have a barny do it by e-mail lads.
Memorial Service
A memorial service will be held for the late Group Captain Roberts on October 5th at St Annes Church. Catterick Village. 12 noon
A Warning
The Britains Smallwars site has been plagued by an insiduous character known as Greg Paige (though he uses whatever namesuits his purposes) and his main aim in life is to get the site closed down. He is 'allegedly' a Gulf War veteran with a grudge against everything and everyone, especially me. He is a racist, anti Royal and anti RAF Regiment. I kicked him out of the Smallwars Chat Club along with his Pongo mate. Coppouk. However he tried it on my site and joined the club. I spotted a message from him on the message board, 'drivel' and deleted him. (once deleted it is impossible to re-join a club, even with a different Yahoo ID) He has since been sending multiple requests to join my Web ring trying to annoy me. He never uses an e-mail address for obvious reasons, however I have tracked him since he came on my site. He is on a miltary base somewhere in the south and has access to several computers. I have reason to believe (sadly) he could be in the Regiment.
So those of you with webpages beware of these two characters especially if you have a forum or message board.
Chat Times
If you want to set up a chat leave the times on the message board GMT and be aware of time zones. I am usually on line between approx. 11pm and 2am. weekdays and earlier at weekends.
Pic of the Month
The nearest you can get to the perfect beer. The last bottle I had of this ale was in August
1964. But I can still remember the taste! (contributed by Rabbie Burns)
Nicknames
Exocet.......You know he's coming but there's f**k all you can do about it!
Ex-Sgt. Ron Barnbrook QCS. (Sorry Ron)
What a cracker!!
If you have a nick name to share with us, let me have it for the next newsletter.A Few Sayings
Nothing's impossible for those who don't have to do it.Youth and skill are no match for experience and treachery.
The probability of someone watching you is proportional to the stupidity of your action.
Never put off till tomorrow what you can avoid all together.
When all else fails, lower your standards.
When it comes to thought, some people stop at nothing.
Miltary Quote "You can't expect the Rapid Reaction Force to be ready immediately."
Military spokesman on preparations for IFOR.Unknown Sender
Can the 'Rock' who sent me a pic of Princess Margaret inspecting a GOH, please contact me with some info about the pic.For Webmasters
If your pics & graphics are being copied. Disable the right click option with this Javascript
Right click this page for a demoClassified Ads Wanted
Help with recruiting members. Contact: JasonWeb Hosting Service
I am about to go live ( within the next 2 weeks) with a webhosting business there will be a number of packages available to buy.
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Prices are yet to be finalized but plans should start around £8.45 sterling. no advertising and fast connection. Also any one who does not have their own domain would get " www.rafregt.net/username " with their own email address etc .
If enough people show an interest I will give a 10% discount to all club members who sign up within the first 14 days
Jim Yafai
jimyafai@rafregt.net***Come and visit me at www.rafregt.net my site for RAF Regiment info and views ++++News Weather Fun and Games***
Nostalgia Pic
The RAF Regiment guard mounting at Buckingham Palace 1943
If you have any future get togethers planned why not put the details in this Newsletter? The Phone Call With the help of Ron Barnbrook and the Chairman of the Somerset Branch of the RAF Regiment Assoc, Vic Houghton. I was able to obtain the phone number of the RAF Regiment Secretary (Sqn Bleeder Rtd) at RAF Honnington. I needed some info and it seemed he was the very chap to help me out. I forget his name (though it may have been W. Anker) I explained about the need for this info and about my web site. He asked me what the site was for. (WHAT'S IT FOR?????) Inearly shouted. The conversation rapidly went downhill when he informed me that he didn't mind me having a web site but the Association had one so why did I bother. With the words 'tosser and arsh*le forming in my mind he then said my Roll of Honour ' page was a waste of time as they, the Association had a book with the names of every Rockape killed in action. (I knew he hadn't been listening) On the verge of a mental and physical breakdown (as I was unable to reach his throat with my hands) I eventually got the info out of him.
This was my first contact with the RAF in 35 years, and it appears not much has changed over the years. God, what a pillock!
British paras descend on Lungi Freetown, 15 January (SLENA) A Sierra Leone Newspaper
A Tale of 11 ParaIn a somewhat spectacularly dramatic fashion, ninety-four British paratroopers arrived at Lungi Saturday. Their mission: to train and acclamatise themselves with the hot weather condition in Sierra Leone for two weeks, so as to be better prepared for any possible call to intervene militarily in averting another Armageddon in Sierra Leone. In four rounds, three pregnant Royal Air Force (RAF) aircrafts from the south ejected the paratroopers from eight hundred feet high, on a swamp under-looking Yongoro, a small but significant village that used to house what used to be The President LodgeAmidst an amazing look by President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Vice President Dr. Albert Joe Demby and other Government Ministers and Diplomats, the paratroopers descended from the RAF aircrafts as vultures looking out for their prey, in a fashion typical of Clint Eastwood, Richard Burton and Mary Ure in their award-winning film Ware Eagles DareAccording to the British Media Operation's Major Nobel, while in Sierra Leone, the two squadron regiments will reinforce the Bangladeshi Battalion (BANBATT) stationed at Yongoro. She said that kind of arrangement would demonstrate if not reinforce Britain's commitment in working with the UN Mission in Sierra Leone. Warrant Officer Chris Blackman said as the troops were descending, a live firing was going on from HMS Iron Duke, which was on Sierra Leone's waters Speaking to journalists, one of the paratroopers, 21-year-old Flight Lieutenant John Mcnish said they left England on Thursday and arrived at Ascension Island after a brief stopover in Dakar, Senegal. They left Ascension Island at 6:30 am on Saturday. Exactly 11:00 am, they shot out of the RAF aircrafts. He said their arrival was a demonstration of Britain's ability to rapidly deploy to Freetown whenever the need arose. With his luggage and impedimenta weighing more than 180 pounds, each of the paratroopers said they felt happy to be in Sierra Leone, however nervous. Hundreds of villagers thronged the sides of the swamp to catch a glimpse of the descending paratroopers. Clapping, singing and dancing, the villagers welcomed the troops. The II Squadron RAF Regiment was founded in 1922. True to its motto of NUNQUAM NON PARATUS (never unready), it has served ever since with distinction in a number of war theatres. In recent times, the II Squadron RAF Regiment have comprised men who have volunteered to undergo the additional and arduous training of the British paratroopers.
Will the Regiment ever get a write up as good as this in a British Newspaper? I doubt it
Commentators At Their Best Andrew Mehrtens loves it when Darryl Gibson comes inside of him" (NZ rugby commentator)
"This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria....I saw her snatch this morning and it was amazing." (Pat Glenn - Weightlifting commentator)
"This is really a lovely horse, I once rode her mother." (Ted Walsh - Horse Racing Commentator)
"He's pulling him off! The Spanish manager is pulling his captain off!" (Soccer commentator George Hamilton on Spain manager Luis Suarez's substitution of Butragueno during their world cup qualifier with Ireland in Seville, 1992).
"The black players at this club lend the side a lot of skill and flair, but you also need white players in there to balance things up and give the team some brains and some common sense." (Crystal Palace chairman Ron Noades, speaking in 1991)
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body" (Winston Bennett)
"The lead car is absolutely unique, except for the one behind it which is identical" (Murray Walker)
"I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father" (Greg Norman)
"Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious" (Alan Minter)
"The racecourse is as level as a billiard ball " (John Francombe)
"If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again" (Terry Venables)
"I would not say he (David Ginola) is the best left winger in the Premiership, but there are none better." (Ron Atkinson)
"He dribbles a lot and the opposition don't like it - you can see it all over their faces." (Ron Atkinson)
"Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the Cambridge president is kissing the cox of the Oxford crew." (Harry Carpenter - BBC TV Boat Race 1977)
"Morcelli has four fastest 1500-metre times ever. And all those times are at 1500 metres." (David Coleman)
"Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field." (Metro Radio)
"And later we will have action from the men's cockless pairs..." (Sue Barker)
"Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw." (Ron Atkinson)
"Strangely, in slow motion replay, the ball seemed to hang in the air for even longer." (David Acfield)
"What will you do when you leave football, Jack, will you stay in football?" (Stuart Hall - Radio 5 live )
"There goes Juantorena down the back straight, opening his legs and showing his class" (David Coleman at The Montreal Olympics)
"One of the reasons Arnie (Arnold Palmer) is playing so well is that, before each tee-shot, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them........... Oh my God, what have I just said?" (US TV commentator)
