Brownie Elite?

Good picture gag!

I never realised that we deliberately recruited people of below average height after the 'bantam battalions' of WW1.

 

That would explain why the beavers were known as the "Phantom Bantoms". I had never realised the significance until you made your last post, and I made the connection.

 

i think they use small people because they can hide easier. the cubs use slightly taller people to my knowledge

 

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sorry David, I should not have used a jokey picture, (upon reflection not in good taste) I do apolagise.
Regarding my info. I, many years ago signed the "Official Secrets Act" which I am still today obliged to honour. Sorry.
What I can tell you is that prior to my military service I was a junior leader
in an organisation that trained and later forwarded these little known persons to their patrol activities, quite a number of them I never heard of after the war.
What I can tell you is that their training involved much outdoor activity upon which later David Stirling based much of his service manual.
Once more I apolagise for the tasteless photo before I logout.

 

Re: post subject

well you have provided us with a fair amount of info so that will have to do

so thanks

 

It is funny what you pick up - I knew a guy at school who once claimed that his brother had been in the Beavers. We were a bit sceptical then, but as his brother is taller than me - no way!
Kevin was always a tad boastful...
That is where I got the idea that they were training regiments, btw.

 

im not sure if they are training regiments, i have heard of beaver activeity around the world. to my knowledge they specialise in boat/water related operations

 

Obviously, (being in the military you get to meet some elite troops every now and then) these organisations enjoyed the limelight of secrecy. After meeting with a beaver on a dark night in a bar I could see how a normal man could fear them, Vicious little bu**ger he was.

 

what did he have big sharp teeth, (only jokeing). are they vicious ive met marines and infantry but never special ops.

 

The trick is they don't recruit big beefy blokes just your average chap, if you can imagine Puss in Boots from shrek 2 where he gives the eyes then kills you, well Harry was like him, small and nothing to write home about, however, while in a a bar a fight kicked off, he wanted to leave, until his pint was spilled. It wasn't a pretty sight, I was on his side and<b> I</b> still have nightmares.

 

ah spilling a pint what a waste my bro had that done me and my other 2 brothers got in a fight. because i was the only sobre 1 it looked like something off jackass

 

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Your stories dave bring back to me a memory from a bar in Villach (Austria) in early 1946, one of the little chaps from the "Beavers" was in there,(we were going on leave from Italy), a big(6feet plus) German/Austrian ex german army man went out of his way to take the mickey out of this little special-ops man, he stuck it so long then he absolutely wiped the floor with his opponent, really smashed him up.
As a final insult he got the big chaps ear in his teeth and ripped it off!
He then went over to the bar and ordered a large meat pie, he took this from the astounded bar man, placed the ear inside it and proceded to eat it! When I asked his mate what regiment he was in, SAS? SBS? Para's?
he replied, "He's in the Pioneer Corps."!!!

 

merlin, that's a good tale, and I guess the moral of the story is "Don't mess with any member of elite forces, especially the Brownie Elite, unless you enjoy hospital food, or are a member of a voluntary euthanasia group" :lol:

 

I remember seeing a special forces recruitment video, and thought it was a bit much. After speaking with a couple of members from the Browie elite and beavers now I am not too sure.

Seriously though, some of these elite are excellent in jungle enviroments are fantastic, They are given the basic tools to do the job but they are great at carving through the dense jungle.

 

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A headline in todays (Jan17th) Daily Telegraph states that there are 50,000 applications outstanding to join the "Brownies"!A shortage of elite leaders and instructors is causing the problem, 8,000 more are required, such is the prestige of this organisation.
It is reported that some parents are putting childrens names down at birth.
See page 5, Daily Telegraph.

 

Such is the prestige of this organisation that it has attracted 50,000 applicants. Presumably from existing members of the armed services. Given the low success rate of even S.A.S candidates (surely the best) not many of the 50,000 will be successful.
If there is, as reported in the newspaper, an 8,000 shortfall, it sounds like the Brownies are expanding to a Divisional sized unit.
Previously it was a much smaller organisation. I assume it will still specialise in covert operations. Such seems to be the future of world conflict. More anti-terrorist; than "hundreds of panzers sweeping majestically across the plains" etc.
I still find it difficult to believe (and yet somehow, very British) that a so called top secret elite organisation has it's recruitment details published in a national newspaper, all be it a broadsheet.

 

It's very democratic though, to let the common man know of government affairs. Be it a bit stupid to publically announce the size of the future Brownie Elite...

 

It is very British...
For example, highly classified details of the Firestreak air-to-air missile guidance system were published in an American magazine back in the 50s. The guidance system for the Firestreak is still officially classified!

 

yeh but you do get these rumors that cant be proven. the brownies are still meant to be classified units amoung with some of their very advanced weapondary. rumors i have heard of a new handheld E.M.P. that they are testing? any info

 

E.M.P as in electromagnetic pulse?

Thats quite an advanced weapon. It is able to knock out the power of anything electronic. Some historians even believe it will soon make us go back to the WW2 era where since everything we use today is affiliated with electronics. That is not to say they didnt use electronic gear in WW2.