Military Picture Of The Week

From the DND / RCAF website:  Wing Commander John “Moose” Fulton, D.F.C., A.F.C., photographed on June 12, 1942, was the first commanding officer of 419 Squadron. He died on July 29, 1942, at the age of 29, and his name is engraved on the Runnymede Memorial in the United Kingdom, which records the name of airmen who have no known grave. PHOTO: DND Archives, PL-7742

I learned the story of "Moose" Fulton today on the Royal Canadian Air Force website, in a story about a recent reunion of his 419 Squadron in Kamloops, BC.  419 Squadron was part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, and prepared fighter pilots for combat.  To this day, it is named after it's first commander.

 

419 “City of Kamloops” Squadron was named in honour of their beloved first commanding officer, John “Moose” Fulton, who grew up in Kamloops and from whom the squadron personnel received their designation as the “Moosemen”. 419 Squadron, whose unit badge portrays a charging moose, is reputedly the only Canadian squadron named after a person. And to this day, all 419 Squadron commanding officers retire their own call signs for the duration of their command and take the call sign “Moose” in honour of “Moose” Fulton. 

A very touching montage of photographs, including the only surviving member of 419 Squadron from World War Two, may be found here.

Military Picture Of The Week

According to the daily "On This Day in MIlitary History" feed from Department of History and Heritage, Dept. of Ntl. Defence, on this day, 29 January, in 1936, No. 7 (General Purpose) Squadron was formed at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, on the Ottawa River. 

This photo shows one of two Hawker Tomtit two-seated trainers that were used by the squadron.  According to Harold Skaarup, Canadian Warbirds of the Biplane Era - Trainers, Transports and Utility Aircraft, the RCAF owned two Tomtits, Nos 139 and 140 (shown here).  They had a top speed of 200 km/h and a ceiling of 19,500 feet.  The Tomtit had a reputation as a  sweet plane to fly and remained in RCAF service until 1943.

I especially like the snow on the ground in this photo, and can imagine the discomfort of the ground crew working in a frigid Ottawa winter.

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Military Picture Of The Week

From a feature in the Globe and Mail about the Indian military's parade to celebrate the country's 67th Republic Day.  The caption identifies these troops as being from the Border Security Force. 

I'll go out on a limb and say that any military that parades mounted on camels has its bad ass bona fides in order.

More pics here.  Dog owners note 6 of 11.

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Bonus MilPic: Sgt. Karen Hermeston, First Canadian Army Female Photographer

 

 

Too good not to share - a small tribute to a pioneering military photographer.  More on Sgt. Hermeston here.

 

H/T to Canada 150th Twitter feed.

Military Picture Of The Week

(For a bigger version of this photo click here.)

Our MilPic of the Week was released by the Canadian Armed Forces, and shows a scene from HMCS Winnipeg, a Halifax-class frigate, participating in OPERATION REASSURANCE in the Mediterranean Sea. 

I'm sure they have bigger guns on board.

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Military Picture of the Week

 This image from a New Yorker article entitled “Japan’s Cute Army” features anime-style nose art on two helicopters belonging to the Japanese Self-Defence Force.  

 

 

The article, by a Tokyo-based writer and translator named Matt Alt, notes how the endearing pop culture art style known as kawaiii reflects a deep-seated tension in Japanese culture over its present day military and its militaristic past.   As Alt writes:  

 

“In Japan, where indirect communication is highly valued, cute illustrations have long played the role of tension-breakers and mediators in situations of conflict.  Thus kawaii mascots, whether miniskirted girls or bunny-rabbit decoy launchers, are both a reflection of pop-culture trends and a way to defuse the very touchy issues surrounding the military’s undeniable presence.   Put another way, the time to get worried is when the branches of the Japanese military abandon their kawaii trappings, because that would signal that citizens and soldiers had made their peace with the subject."

 

A fascinating article.

 

 

Military Picture of the Week

(Click on image for a larger view)

This week's photo comes from the Canadian Armed Forces Combat Camera website and illustrates Canadian Army activities in eastern Europe.  Here's the official caption.  The Canadian is second from left, kneeling and facing right.  Note the differences between Canadian and Latvian camo patterns.

Lieutenant Francis Arseneault, Platoon Commander, Fus du St-Laurent, talks with Latvian military members during Exercise SILVER ARROW at Adazi Military Training Area in Kadaga, Latvia on September 26, 2015 during Operation REASSURANCE.

Photo: Corporal Nathan Moulton, Land Task Force Imagery, OP REASSURANCE
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Military Picture of the Week

Today’s MilPic courtesy of Foreign Policy’s photos of the week feature.  The caption reads "German soldiers during NATO military exercises near Zagan, Poland, June 18.”  The beard is epic.  I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this man is a senior NCO, he certainly has the expression of one.

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 Coincidentally, the New York Times ran a piece two days ago with photos of US, British and Lithuanian forces training together in the Baltics which was quite interesting.

Military Picture of the Week

Starting back at this slowly. Amazing photo of the aftermath of contemporary war in Afghanistan from a NYT photographer. Haunting image. MP+

Acres of abandoned containers used to ship in NATOs war in #afghanistan now sit idle in the semi industrial outskirts of #Kandahar city. On assignment for the @nytimes

A photo posted by Bryan Denton (@bdentonphoto) on May 9, 2015 at 1:17pm PDT

Military Picture Of The Week

Happy New Year.  January’s not over yet so I can say that, since I haven’t posted here since 29 December.  Finishing my MA thesis has taken much of my time but while I have been updating the wargames blog, this one has been awkwardly silent.  Maybe it’s felt too much like work.
At any rate, time to pick things up a bit.  This image from this week’s Foreign Policy The World In Photos This Week caught my attention as a splendid example of how cultural traditions can live on in together with contemporary, utilitarian military uniforms.  The caption reads: “Recruits of the Indian Central Reserve Police Force Constables stand in formation, Jan. 16”.

The CRPF is a paramilitary organization.  You can see them going through their paces here.

Military Picture of the Week: Odd Man Out

One of those three Grenadier Guardsmen is actually a cake, which may be the strangest thing I’ve ever written on this blog.

 

 

The cake is to celebrate the start of the British Legion’s annual Poppy Campaign.  More info here.

 

 

 

Military Picture Of The Week

I took these two pictures at the National War Memorial on a chilly noon in Ottawa this last Sunday.   As part of the anniversary of the start of the First World War, the three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces are mounting a guard there during (I believe) daylight hours.   When I visited it was the Army’s turn.   These young soldiers were standing guard at the front of the memorial, facing down Elgin Street, and on the far side, facing Parliament Hill, a piper was playing.   The turnout of these lads was immaculate and their bearing was every inch the soldier.   If you find yourself in Ottawa in November it’s worth a visit.

 

 

 

Military Picture Of The Week

 

This picture comes from the Foreign Policy website’s Photos of the Week feature and shows Afghan National Army personnel praying at a graduation ceremony at the ANA Training Centre in Kabul on 24 August.  These are the faces of the army that NATO members, including friends of mine, have been labouring to train and guide for the last few years.  They face a difficult future, with a government still paralyzed by deadlock after a recent national election that shows the country’s ethnic fault lines and distrust, and an undefeated Taliban insurgency.  Good luck to them.

Military Picture Of The Week

This image, courtesy of the UK MOD, is of 'Vera', a seventy year old aircraft and one of two surviving Avro Lancasters from World War Two, on her way to landing at RAF Conningsby.  Vera’s home is the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum just outside Hamilton, Ontario.  Vera is being teamed up with Thumper, the Lancaster from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, for a series of events.

Military Picture Of The Week

 

 

A nice example of international interoperability.  A Polish helicopter overflies soldiers from the Royal Canadian Regiment during recent training in Eastern Europe.   More photos and background here.

Military Picture Of The Week

His Excellency The Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, shows off a very impressive stride as he inspects the Ceremonial Guard at Rideau Hall on Monday.  Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen, more pics and a video here.  This picture would only be better if a regimental goat was present, but to my knowledge, the Ceremonial Guard does not have a mascot.  Pity.

Military Picture of the Week

 

 

 

Today’s milpic of the week is an image of a new monument dedicated to members of the British Royal Army Veterinary Corps, which has a long history of service.   Most recently the RAVC is responsible for the British Army’s working dogs, whose duties include detecting explosive devices and ambushes.  The monument is at the UK’s National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.   A British Army backgrounder article is here.  

Military Picture Of The Week

This picture was taken on Saturday, September 11, 2011, near Kandahar, Afghanistan by the German journalist and photographer, Anja Niedringhaus, who was killed recently while covering the election in Afghanistan.  The caption for this photo reads “An Afghan boy on a donkey reacts as Canadian soldiers with the 1st RCR Battle Group, The Royal Canadian Regiment, patrol in Salavat, southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan.


A retrospective of Anja Niedringhaus’ Afghanistan photographs was recently posted on the Atlantic Magazine website here.

Military Picture Of The Week

The ship at the end of that line is HMCS Protecteur, one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s two fleet support ships, being towed to Pearl Harbour by the USS Chosin after she was disabled last Thursday by a fire in her engine room.  It’s been a minor epic since then, with at least one failed tow line and difficult weather and seas.  Fortunately there were no serious injuries in the fire.

Protecteur is a venerable 44 years old, and was coming to the end of her service life when the fire occurred.  The Ottawa Citizen reports today that the RCN is now weighing the pros and cons of repairing her.

In other Navy news, my friend, Padre Rob Parker, recently returned home with his shipmates after a long tour as ship’s chaplain on HMCS Toronto.  Rob wrote a nice piece for a newsletter I edit on celebrating the Eucharist while at sea, and I shall post that here soon.

Military Picture Of The Week

 

This gorgeous picture of a U.S. Civil War monument was taken by Chris Mackowski, one of the young historians who contribute to the blog Emerging Civil War.  This statue is in the town of Allegany, New York, where Chris teaches.  Chris writes that "I see these statues everywhere (a New England statue manufacturer was responsible for most of them), but maybe because they seem so common, we forget to really see them. That’s my challenge this fall: in the midst of the riot of autumn color, I want to see these statues and remember the men they honour."

As a bonus picture, click here to see a 19th century image of the same statue and some Union Army veterans posing in front of it.