Military Style. The best Uniforms in History.

Discussion in 'Prewar' started by von Poop, May 29, 2012.

  1. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Why worry about your face if your beaver's showing?
     
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  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Austere Dutchmen, 1611, not uniform as such... but... The plumes!
    (Via a chap on Twitter... but I've now forgotten who.)

    IMG_20160821_132835.jpg IMG_20160821_132831.jpg IMG_20160821_132827.jpg
     
  3. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    The collars are right sporty, especially the bottom one. Of course, the doily the one at the top is wearing has its advantages, also.
     
  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Bottom chap the oldest - still rocking a late C16th Ruff.
    First chap middle aged - More standing band - can't quite let go of the elaborate ways.
    Second the youngest - The clean lines of a man about town.

    :unsure:
     
  5. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    Bidwell and Graham refer to him in Tug of War as a "thrusting commander." His aping of British style, mannerisms, and even accent was not popular with Canadian troops; one Canadian called him a "pompous bully," and his costly tactics at Ortona supposedly earned him the nickname "Butcher."
     
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  6. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    This photo actually won in a recent contest to come up with the Most Canadian photograph.
     
  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Needs to be swigging from a flask of maple syrup with a hockey sticky over his shoulder, but it's pretty much there already!
     
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  8. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I've read that, and the bullying/hectoring tag seems to follow him around but often with the sweetener that he was big-hearted and would often realise when he'd acted badly and make amends. Other works suggest that his theatrics were deliberate and he both displayed and instilled loyalty in his subordinate officers.

    There is one rather glaring black mark, however:
    Friesoythe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    You may or may not have seen two essays I posted about here:
    "The 'Fightin'est' Canadian General": Christopher Vokes
     
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  9. canuck

    canuck Closed Account


    The essay on Vokes is quite well done and offers some enlightening context I hadn't considered.
     
  10. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Ironically, in the excellent article posted by Charlie, it is confirmed that Vokes gave Bert Hoffmeister, commander of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, the option to withdraw from Ortona. Hoffmeister strenuously declined that option in favour of "seeing it through". Yet, one comes away as a Butcher and the other seen a Soldiers General.
    The article also provides some useful context, "In fact, losses in the rest of the 8th Army in December were comparable to those sustained by the Canadians, but only Vokes’ troops had achieved anything resembling success."
     
  11. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    By way of contrast, I offer Sgt. Cooper.
    sgt h e cooper 48th highlanders.jpg
     
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  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    [​IMG]
     
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  13. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    [​IMG]
     
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  14. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Illustrated London News 14 June 1941
    Illustrated London News 14 June 1941.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2019
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  15. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Last edited: Oct 12, 2019
  16. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Via the very good Trev Clark Aviation History feed on twatter:

    Eyetie Air Force recruit, 1936.
    Maybe a tad bold, but I quite like it.

    ElbQpIUWoAAot0B.jpeg
     
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  17. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    There is no way on earth those pantaloons ever spent anytime in a wind tunnel!

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
     
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  18. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

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  19. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    Don't forget the Sukhomlinov Effect: the side with the sillier uniforms loses.
     
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  20. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    I'll see your pantaloons, and raise you an outstanding pair of pre pre pre-war plus fours (or maybe they're plus eights! Or plus pieces of eight!!)

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.

    Pantaloon beaters.jpg
     
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