Monday, November 28, 2005

Can anyone explain this?

There's one sentence in this overall, strange story, that really jumps out. Rather than highlight it, let's see if it has the same effect on you as it did me.

From the Sunday Times -- Britain -- November 27, 2005:

MoD probe into naked marines’ initiation fight

By David Sanderson
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched by the Ministry of Defence after the publication of a video apparently showing a violent initiation ceremony for Royal Marine recruits.

In the film, naked marines are shown reportedly cheering as two new recruits are ordered to fight each other. The incident is said to have taken place last May at Bickleigh barracks near Plymouth, which is home to 42 Commando.

A spokesman for the ministry said: “Bullying and harassment are not widespread within the armed forces. Behaviour of this kind will not be tolerated.”

According to one commando reportedly in attendance, the man orchestrating the fight had taken 12 recruits fresh from a 32-week training course to a barbecue with about 40 other marines. Having forced them to swallow raw eggs and chunks of lard he allegedly ordered the recruits to strip naked and run around the field.

After changing into a surgeon’s outfit with mask and cap, he and another marine, dressed in a St Trinian’s schoolgirl uniform with wig and short skirt, supervised the fight. Naked marines are seen watching as the two men hit each other with large mats fixed to their arms. It is understood the most senior soldiers present were a corporal and a lance corporal.

(Credit due to Discussion about 09/11/2001, Politics and Other Explorations)

5 comments:

Fr Martin Fox said...

Mark:

Yeah, that struck me as . . . odd to say the least; but there was yet another statement in the article that about had me on the floor . . .

I hate to ruin it for anyone else. . .

Anonymous said...

Um, that would be the Marine in the schoolgirls outfit?

Truely bizzare. The Rangers have a tradition of "THE PIT" where, at the end of the training, all the recruits go to the pit and free-for-all till there's only one standing. I don't think any of them don women's or worse yet little girl's clothes. Wonder what the Royal marines do for entertainment in Iraq?

Fr Martin Fox said...

Martin:

You win the prize!

While I agree with Mark that all the guys being naked is rather odd . . . the surgeon's get-up -- and then the schoolgirl's uniform! is the sort of thing that made me doublecheck that it really was the Times of London publishing the story!

Anonymous said...

Could this be why the Vatican released the docuemtn on homosexuals not being allowed to become priests? From reading the Rose book on homosexual dominated seminaries, this almost sounds like the type of issues he addressed. If you simply change the setting, it is easy to visualize one in doctor uniform and one a school girl. Of course I doubt you saw them fighting in this way but that goes to the milirary part of the story.

Fr Martin Fox said...

anonymous:

I don't really know, but -- I rather doubt the British Marines are overrun with homosexuals.

I could be wrong.