Jackie above was a private in His Majesties Frist South African Brigade during WW1. Jackie was wounded by shrapnel in action. For this he was awarded the Battle Chevron. Roughly the same as our Purple Heart.
That, and a combat good conduct ribbon.
This is not an Onion piece.
The little guy was enrolled in the company of the 1st Brigade.
That, and went to the front with them. All this by way of the Imperial British military tradition of assorted mascots. Some units like the 1st brigade took the tradition somewhat more seriously than others.
For example others like the Luftwaffe in WW2 Africa had a number of lion cubs. African American soldiers in WW1 who were assigned to French units, white divisions refused to take them. Black American/French units had unshorn Poodles. Yeah poodles. As did some RAF squadrons during the Blitz/Battle of Britain. Also unshorn.
In the Iraq war there was no consistent tradition of mascots.
However the troops did have Scorpion Fights. They'd put two large scorpions into a ring of gasoline fire to battle it out. It's thought this may have come from the WW2 desert war. Both the Germans, and Brits did this sort of thing. It seemed to pass the time for all involved,...even for I imagine the scorpions.
2 comments:
Jackie looks pretty darn dignified for a small primate. I can see him after the war, sharing a gin and tonic with Mycroft Holmes at the Diogenes Club.
Z
Jackie: "I say Holmes. What's this business with you, and those lads those 'Boy Scouts' or whatever they call themselves."
Holmes: "Aw my dear be medaled friend. Such are matters of the heart,...and loins. Which you as a fellow primate will appreciate."
Jackie: Of course dear Holmes. However we never stooped to make cruel laws about it.
Holmes: "Indeed my dear Jackie indeed. In this as in so many matters your branch of the family is far superior."
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