Australian Army Pilot

[Emac44]

Over the last 24 hours an Australian Army Helicopter Pilot Major Scott Watkins was invested by the Queen with the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry. He won the award for bravery whilst serving in Iraq. This may not be unusual but its the first time since the Vietnam War that an Australian has been honoured with the DFC since the Australian Government augmented various gallantry awards for our own servicemen and women. Major Scott Watkins was seconded to the British Military at the time of winning his DFC in Iraq. His helicopter came under ground fire which wounded his co pilot and he flew the aircraft back to base which suffered more anti aircraft ground fire. In doing so he saved not only the aircraft but his co-pilot and crewmen and he consquently served bravely on other occassions after this incident for which he was awarded the DFC by The Queen at Buckingham Palace. Well done Major Watkins. you have done Australia Proud

[Nonskimmer]

Outstanding!

...just gonna move this to the Sitrep forum though.

[evangilder]

[Gnomey]

[ndicki]

Good on him!

And it's a nice reminder of the very strong links between the forces in both countries, whatever mess the politicians may have made of things.

[Emac44]

ndicki we maybe rivals on the sporting fields we may even give each other stick and bash each other over our differences as Commonwealth Nations, but Australians have always proved with our New Zealand South African and Canadian cousins of the metal of our soldiers sailors and airmen in times of war and in peace. Major Watkins preformed his duties as he saw fit in active service in a war time enviroment

[ndicki]

And that, mate, is exactly what I meant. And you play hardest not with the people you don't like - you don't "play" with them at all - but with your best mates. As the Oz cricket XI is busy proving!

The thing I find difficult - I feel ashamed of it, to be honest - is that after all the considerable sacrifices these nations, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa in particular, though there are others to remember, made to help Britain and the Empire, we walk off into a political and economic union with the very people you helped us fight. The day Australia becomes a republic, I shall be sad, but I will also know one of the reasons why.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by ndicki

And that, mate, is exactly what I meant. And you play hardest not with the people you don't like - you don't "play" with them at all - but with your best mates. As the Oz cricket XI is busy proving!

The thing I find difficult - I feel ashamed of it, to be honest - is that after all the considerable sacrifices these nations, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa in particular, though there are others to remember, made to help Britain and the Empire, we walk off into a political and economic union with the very people you helped us fight. The day Australia becomes a republic, I shall be sad, but I will also know one of the reasons why.

If we become a republic or not its not just because England decided to join the EU or not. That was a choice you made as an nation and has proved in some cases for the English economy to be a good one as your economy has improved 10 fold since the end of WW2 and that came about from sheer hard work by the English themselves which I recognize and applaud and I suppose due to your location its easier for you to trade with European Nations then us. As we trade with Middle Eastern, Asian Countries, Pacific Island Countries and the US. As for the Republican debate well just personally i find it a smoke screen for us to try and forget our heritage and in some cases just a waste of time but that is my opinion and i suppose other Aussies would feel different on the issue. But my family served under and Australian Flag which incorperates the Union Jack on it with the crosses of Saint George Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick making up that Union Jack. Plus on the Aussie Flag is the Federation Star just underneath the Union Jack and the Stars of the Southern Cross. I see personally again no point in changing our Flag to suit the current debate on Republicanism. I hear the debate on changing our Flag from those who want to change it. as such as it shows we are still tied to Mother England and we are all grown up now and people coming here may think we are still an English Colony etc etc or it may insult these other people coming here etc etc to see we still maintain the Union Jack on our Flag. To this I say what rot. We can never hide our heritage of being a nation founded by the English and a colony of England at one stage and the heritage that came from that. If for some obscure reason new comers do not like our current Flag. i say this, simply don't come here stay where you are or go some where else you have that choice. But for me i am proud of being an Aussie but i am also proud of my family and Scottish heritage and when the Australian Flag is raised i feel more pride in my Country's efforts world wide and what we as Aussies have contributed on a world stage far outweighing our national situation or location

[Nonskimmer]

Well said. A lot of great things have come from the land down under.

Not the least of which, I might add, is AC/DC! YEEEEEEAH! ANGUS! ANGUS!

[Emac44]

Also i forgot to say Major Scott Watkins I would presume would have none of republicanism debate on his mind at the time he was in battle and on active service in Iraq. He was preforming his duty as a soldier and he did so with professionalism and courage and that i applaud. he maybe the last Aussie to receive a DFC on active service due to our own Miltary and Governmental systems of awarding medals and commendations and putting politics to one side Major Watkins just lived up to the ANZAC traditions of service as an Australian Soldier in my opinion

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by Nonskimmer

Well said. A lot great things have come from the land down under.

Not the least of which, I might add, is AC/DC! YEEEEEEAH! ANGUS! ANGUS!

well i came from the Union of an Australian Airman and a Scottish mother who was serving in the WRAF at the time. whether that makes me another product of the joining of the Commonwealth of Nations who knows. but all I can say is AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI

[ndicki]

Well spoken, Emac!

Didn't know they were agitating to change the flag there, too.

Did you know they (you can guess who "they" are) want(ed) to add black stripes to the Union Jack to demonstrate the new face of multi-racial Britain? Of course, as a Welshman, I should love to know which particular colour represents me in all that.

Mind you...

Random Perspective: Random Perspective Demands “Replace That Fascist Union Flag Now”

[the lancaster kicks ass]

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI

please don't tell me you guys do that, that's a Cornish chant, pronounced "Oggy" not Assie

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by ndicki

Well spoken, Emac!

Didn't know they were agitating to change the flag there, too.

Did you know they (you can guess who "they" are) want(ed) to add black stripes to the Union Jack to demonstrate the new face of multi-racial Britain? Of course, as a Welshman, I should love to know which particular colour represents me in all that.

Mind you...

Random Perspective: Random Perspective Demands “Replace That Fascist Union Flag Now”

Oh please the Political correct mind set gone mad. I can understand the Welsh part of it but homosexual fascists etc and the US being told to change some of the Stars on their national flag to black can see that going down well with average man in the street in US. Not a chance in hell that occuring. where do these political correct nitwits come from. Is there some type of breeding program that exsists somewhere on the planet and these nitwits crawl out of some god forsaken place to effect the sanity of the rest of the human population in this world