From: chance wolf (chance_wolf@shaw.ca)
Date: Thu Dec 02 2004 - 11:09:18 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryan Gill" <rmgill@mindspring.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] Train Pics-war contribution
> I make a difference between now and then. They used to have a carrier.
HMCS Bonaventure, complete with a fleet of Grumman Trackers for ASW. The
Bonnie is now razor-blades somewhere, and the Trackers have been given new
life as Conair's "Turbo Firecat" fleet of forest-fire fighting water-bomber
aircraft, based about 20 miles away from me.
> What's the Canadian Airforce made up of now?
F-18s, C-130s and a few A320 Airbuseseses. We wash and polish them every
Sunday. We also have a bunch of F-5s in storage at Mountainview, I believe,
which have been looking for a qualified buyer for about six years now - and
an assortement of helicopter-y things like the CH-146 Griffon (like a Bell
412), the wonderful Sea King, and a sprinkling of Kiowas and stuff still
hanging around at bases with names which defy any and all spelling attempts.
(though I think most of the Kiowas and the Chinooks got sold to the
Netherlands awhile back.)
> Mind you, I don't demean what they contribute now, the PPCLI that
> are/were in Afganistan are most certainly welcome. But I have to
> wonder, what has happened to the Red Ensign?
The Red Ensign tripped and fell in 1965, to regain its feet as the
red-n-white maple-leaf Canada Flag ("Pearson's Rag", to those still
lamenting the change.) Same ownership. New sign.
> As the flea says:
> This country has also been a force for liberty. The third largest
> navy in the world fed Britain through the dark days of the Blitz and
> Hitler's north Atlantic wolf packs. This is the country that took
> Vimy Ridge and that stormed Juno Beach. Let's bring back that Canada.
> http://www.ghostofaflea.com/archives/002405.html
Our pre-war Navy was pretty insignificant, as I recall, but we pulled out
all the stops in the run up to War and during the War to create our 'Third
Largest Navy' - sort of like we had a glass box around our collective
national resources natural, industrial and human which read "Break Glass in
Case of War." I suppose that sort of rationale subconsciously permeated
the thinking of those controlling the purse-strings since, hence the current
state of our armed forces. I don't think any Government wants to be on the
hook for announcing x-percent raise in taxes to pay for the neglected and
pricey overhaul of a nominally peacetime Army, which is why we've bought
some nice new frigates and Stryker-type 8 wheeled armoured vehicles, but not
much else. The other problem too is that our politicians can't tramp the
boards shouting things like "Shoring up the Bulwarks of Democracy!" and
expect to have much in the hat after passing it 'round the audience
afterwards. I think we save it all up for after the Declaration of War when
the call changes to "Over the Top, Boys!" and rings with a bit more urgency.
My thoughts anyway. Seems to be a fair bit of precedent for that, though.
Two World Wars' worth anyway.
> Which is why I re-enact British in the US. The Commonwealth story
> must be told to Americans.
Cool. <sneaking in obligatory military vehicles content> Just make sure
you get the markings right on your CMP or MB/GPW or Dodge APT 3/4 or you'll
have us walking around going "damn Colonials!" :)
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