British Expatriate Network

Lived in Scotland for a few years and am not in the least bit suprised by this. It's not all heather and cousins of the queen you know. There's some right Bar stewards up there.

When I went into the army, I was at the front of the line to go for food. the order came, by the left, right wheel. I went left and the corporal went spare. He halted us and came up and put his hand on my shoulder. The part of London where I come from, in those days, you didn't put a hand on someone without expecting some follow up. I ducked and spun and threw a punch. The corporal was from Glasgow and was used to the same rules, so he backed off into a defensive posture, as soon as I moved, in case I went after him.

Don't tell me its all sweetness and light in the British cities cos I know different.

Was he taking the p**s then or just not very good at drilling?

No, it was our first day and we hadn't been taught yet. That was the first lesson. You have to have know that an order is coming and everyone must know exactly when. When marching, the order is always given when the left foot hits the ground, so ahead of that, they say "By the left" and you are alerted that an order will come on the left, and then executed on the next left foot down. If you are standing still, they shout "Sguad" to alert that an order is coming. Everthing is set up to provide symmultaneous movements, executed with lots of swank.

I seem to remember from my drilling in the cadets that the term "by the left" was normally used before the order to march and denoted a "marker" as in the left or right marker being the guy at the front on the left or the right. He is the one everyone should line up off.
I also seem to remember that different orders are given on either the left or right foot depending on how that order is carried out. For example the "about turn" would be given as the left foot touches the ground. The marchers would then take a single check step and make the shape T-L-V with left-right-left feet moving respectively and then marching off on the right foot in the opposite direction. Different orders have different combinations and are hence given on either left or right steps.

That is the left about turn.

The right about turn is given on a "By the right", but you only use this on a formal Guard of Honour. They don't usually teach it unless you get that job. You have to have it then so that when you parade up and down, you never face the thing you are guarding, say Buckingham Palace.

I remember that starting to march we would get "By the left" but that would be confusing if it referred to the marker, because you should form up off the right marker in review order, but you do a right turn before starting to march. Then, the right marker is front left, so all hell could break out.

I believe I'm right, but it was a long time ago, back in the days of the Lee Enfield 303.

My take on it was similar to Scramble's - I never did ceremonial duties and didn't care much for drilling anyway. I just remember much merriment when an A/T gave a command "By the right - left wheel" one time as it caused something of a cock-up.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away......

At my sister's pass-out parade in the RAF there was a monumental cock up. The squad had all been drilled to turn right and march once the thing had started. But on the day the CO yelled "LEFT!" Everyone turned right except my sister. On the order of march they all went forward - the lot of them to the right and the CO and my sister to the left. Fortunately it's all on video.

And to show the gentle touch of the RAF, in the background you can see around 30 young men in their underpants being run around the base in the middle of February. Bless.

I didn't like anything about it but I'm kind of glad I did it because I learned some things about myself, that I could sleep under a hedge and not be dead in the morning, stuff like that. I had to learn the formal drill for command officer's inspection. I got picked as a reserve and at the last minute they told us the reserves would be on the main perade. Every one else had been practising for a week, but we got by. The day I got out was the happiest of my life for a long time.

I think they probably have changed it since the 303 days. I never remember "by the left" or "by the right" preceding the about turn order. All about turns, whether from marching or stationary positions, were made in a clockwise fashion although I'm sure there are rare exceptions.

I would take anything the UN says with a pinch of salt .any report by them is going to show uk/us in a unfavourable light .

I don't know John, when I think of a bunch of whisky swigging, kilt wearing, bagpipe playing, claymore waving, shaggy haired clansmen, I think it's believable.

If this was an attempt at humor, you inadvertently omitted an emoticon to confirm your objective. .

I'm sorry, I didn't think that anyone could possibly take me seriously :oops:

I'm not used to emoticons but I will try harder. (There isn't one to indicate resolve).

The report is a bit strange. It is based on telephone interviews with crime victims. i.e. the people they are ringing up are all victims of crime and they ask what they've had done to them. Seems a bit of a biased study. What it doesn't tell you is that a large majority of the assault victims in Scotland knew their attacker, i.e probably a pub brawl. Also doesn't tell you the highest risk of sexual assault is in New Zealand, and you're more likely to get shot for a pair of shoes in Brazil and eventually your car will get stolen by armed hijackers in South Africa.