Originally Posted by seanmacc

A former FCA sergeant told me that's exactly what they had to do in the 70's. Blanks cost money and the DF were short of that back then, the permanent defence force weren't subject to that humiliation though apparently.

Yep - I heard it off the Dad's army lads aswell and that was in the late 80's

The Israel DF sent people to Ireland to learn Irish so they could listen
to Irish DF radio transmissons in Irish when they where deployed with UNFIL in south leb.

heard this in a pub from some leb vets they swore it was true

In my limited time in the DF I never heard Irish on a radio net.
Did they use it overseas.

Originally Posted by Éireann go Brách

The Israel DF sent people to Ireland to learn Irish so they could listen
to Irish DF radio transmissons in Irish when they where deployed with UNFIL in south leb.

heard this in a pub from some leb vets they swore it was true

In my limited time in the DF I never heard Irish on a radio net.
Did they use it overseas.

What about the Irish officer giving a warning as gaelige over the IrBatt radio net that an Israeli bulldozer was approaching their hilltop position.

His mind went blank and he couldn't remember the Irish word for 'bulldozer' so he announced there was a 'sleeping bull coming up the hill' to much hilarity back in HQ.

But it had the desired effect....

Originally Posted by Edo

Yep - I heard it off the Dad's army lads aswell and that was in the late 80's

Didn't see many blanks issued when I was with them
in the late nineties/early noughties.
Still using the Bren then as well good old
reliable 1930's technology.
Radio-sets that weighed a ton and rarely
worked (couldn't even order dinner a few times)

I remember doing some target practice up in Kilbride with the Reserves back in 1995/96.

I was using a Bren and I was handed a box of ammo, unopened.

It had been packed in 1956, almost 40 years previous.

Squeaky bum time.......

I think I recall one about the MOF in the high court swearing an oath saying he didnt defame a would-be-councillor. Story goes that he DID actually defame the councillor , and a tape was unearthed to prove it ..... but the MOF got away with it anyway. Seems too stupid to be true , but you never know. Anyone hear that one?

Originally Posted by hiker

I remember doing some target practice up in Kilbride with the Reserves back in 1995/96.

I was using a Bren and I was handed a box of ammo, unopened.

It had been packed in 1956, almost 40 years previous.

Squeaky bum time.......

Wow they used Brens back then.

My brothers in the Reserves as well and they use Steyr's now.

Originally Posted by RepublicanSocialist1798

Wow they used Brens back then.

My brothers in the Reserves as well and they use Steyr's now.

Steyr replaced the FN ~ 2002-3
GPMG(FM-MAG) replaced the Bren around 2006.

Originally Posted by gombeennation

I think I recall one about the MOF in the high court swearing an oath saying he didnt defame a would-be-councillor. Story goes that he DID actually defame the councillor , and a tape was unearthed to prove it ..... but the MOF got away with it anyway. Seems too stupid to be true , but you never know. Anyone hear that one?

He shot himself in the foot...

Originally Posted by Grumpy Jack

During the recent helicopter procurement for the Air Corps, the DF wanted the US Blackhawk. The Rangers had operated with them in Timor and loved them.

The US offered a deal, whatever number you buy new (six or eight), we'll give you the same number of surplus machines for free and all you'll have to do is pay to refit/upgrade them to your specs.

DF loved this idea but Willie and the DoD decided to buy six untested new civilian machines, stick in a few military radios and paint them green.

I was told that by a number of army and AC officers.

Apparently, Bertie and FF were afraid of the reaction of the Greens and other crusties that we would be buying American 'helicopter gunships' that were blowing the bejaysus out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

Don't you love expediency in politics.
And the goverment it has given us since.