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suicide missons
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Obviously some missions carry a greater risk than others but i am sure that no-one has set out on a mission thinking:
"I'm definitely going to be alright on this one!"
Gary, thats a good answer, I served ten years in the Royal Artillery, first, when one joins up, in this country its all volunteers, you are volunteering to fight for your country, and if neccessary die for it, so looked at from that angle, whenever you are sent into action, it could be classed as a suicide mission.
In action, each and every regiment, troop, battery etc, has a life expectancy, eg, the regiment I was in had 105mm Pack Howitzers, and our life expectancy, in action, was two minutes.
For the record, I served from 1966 to 1976, and saw action in various places, but without the Howitzers, as infantry.
I served with the Royal Engineers for six years until ''76, didn't quite make General so in the event of an advance was expected to be in the front line to help build bridges, roads and clear the way, totally exposed whilst under constant fire with no chance of cover or return fire.
Fortunately this never happened in anger but we still lost and injured a few in Northern Ireland tours, mainly in shootings, bomb blasts and the occasional accident.
The sort of thing potterfan means would only be likely to happen in an all out war where it was the only option to ultimately save lives.
How about the following from Peter Cook in 'Beyond The Fringe'?...
"War's not going very well, you know. We are two down, and the ball's in the enemy court. War is a psychological thing, Perkins, rather like a game of football. You know how in a game of football ten men often play better than eleven - ?"
"Yes, sir."
"Perkins, we are asking you to be that one man. I want you to lay down your life, Perkins. We need a futile gesture at this stage. It will raise the whole tone of the war."
Wonderful stuff in comedy, but - in real military life - no-one would be so briefed!
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