The practice of promoting the CDS to “five stars” had been discontinued as inappropriate for the downsized forces and Guthrie would have to wait a full 15 years until receiving his field marshal’s baton, and then only in honorary rank.
Indeed, at first he was told he would have to buy rather than receive his baton. “Spink & Son can make you one,” said the Queen’s private secretary. Guthrie discovered that a new baton would set him back £75,000. Fortunately, not long afterwards he met Prince Philip on another matter and mentioned that the cost of a baton was pretty steep. “Oh, I’m sure there must be a few lying around somewhere,” replied his erstwhile colonel, himself an honorary field marshal. A few days later Prince Philip’s private secretary rang to say that one had been found in an attic and the Palace was quite happy for him to have it.
75 grand ? Blimey.
Couldn’t he have made his own ? Saw up a curtain pole, spray it black, paint the finial gold . Bobs your uncle.
For £75K I’d expect it to have a hidden sword or gun or phone charger in it…
For £75K I’d expect it to have an Inspector Gadget helicopter and a James Bond “escape inevitable demise at hands of bad guy’s henchmen at last second” gadget in it.
And a phone charger.
For 75K I’m considering setting up a business making them.
Business idea!
To be fair, the leather is very rare -it was sourced from Rorke’s Drift.
Ceremonial Service kit often ends up very expensive – specific patterns, limited supply, small market (how many field-marshall’s batons would you make in a decade?). Even a Royal Navy officer’s sword currently retails for over a thousand pounds (sword knot and other accessories, extra) while a plain, functional “you can hit someone with this until they die” sword of similar dimensions will cost a third of that.
Time it right, though, and you could acquire an ERII sword at a big discount (two-thirds or so off, actually…) because the main market – all the buyers for those “about to graduate Dartmouth” – wanted the new CRIII pattern, and all the stock on hand was of the older version…
(Interestingly that premium has now evaporated – interesting demonstration of the market in action…)
It used to be the other way around – the “standard pattern” RN sword was seen as an affordable, basic weapon for the impecunious that a competent smithy could produce fairly cheaply, but swordmakers would sell you “whatever you wanted” – different grips, different blade form, more expensive steel… – if you brought money, and fancier “presentation swords” were gifted to successful commanders. (Because you might depend on your sword to hack an annoying Frenchman to death, and nobody would protest that “you won, okay, but that’s not an issue blade!”)
I used to fence with Mike “Dickie” Barton at HMS Temeraire – well, to be honest he thrashed me and then explained how to do better – and he’s got a very good book on the specific subject of RN swords and their use…
I once fenced with Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden fame) on the deserted (because being re-let) 14th floor of a Manhattan office block near the now defunct CBGBs. He thrashed me, as well.
There can be only one, MacInterested
ha! albeit a slightly different connotation: fencing with Freddie.
Take a French frigate by boarding and you’d get a hundred guinea sword from the Patriotic Fund. Although times may have changed since Nelson and .Hornblower. Do the French still have firgates?
There is a little problem with boarding a frigate these days, even the smallest is about ten times as large as a Napoleonic ship of the line.
Though I think the crew sizes are about the same.
Hermann Goering had 2. TIL you can buy expensive handcrafted replicas of his Reichsmarshall baton, for the more generously proportioned Nazi.
Two of my friends fought with their RN ceremonial swords in the long corridor outside their cabins (rooms). It ended at first blood, which was a little further than they had intended. Fortunately it was just a minor hole in the shoulder.
Goodness, you remind me of Corridor Cricket, at University halls. Played with a poster tube for bat and scrunched up term paper for ball.
Played this myself many times but not at uni. One of those things that must have evolved independently several times. Coming up with the same name for obvious reasons. playing cricket in a corridor. .
The other one we played was “murder ball” thathas been co-opted now by wheelchair rugby. Our version was –one try line (i.e. not two) guy with back to the players kicks it behind him in the air. Someone catches it, tries to make his way to the try line. Rarely makes it first time, because its all against all. Guy who eventually touches down, initiates the next run. Good fun.
I think the controlling factor is the customer with “I must buy this since I have the rank”.
So the merchant (who’s likely the only one authorized to make them) can charge what he likes.
One of the big complaints from those being commissioned through the ranks eg RSMs, RQMs and trade specialists like my own Foreman of Signals was the cost of ceremonial dress and kit.
Ranks?
Pops complained that the cost of upgrading from Captain’s to Commodore’s uniform was larger than the 3 year uplift in pay (it’s an appointment, not a rank). More scambled egg on hte hat, different gold rins on hte arsm (ie, one ide, not four regular), regilt the sword, the lot.
Of course, it made sense if you saytde up for 4 years because then the higher pension kicked in. But they never let anyone stay sa a commodore for 4 years because the higher pension kicked in.
Can’t you cover some of the costs by selling your own no longer needed lower rank kit to the next mug?
I guess armed forces downsizing might impact prices, but still.
Gieves have always been tailors to the Royal Navy. And yes, they do pay you for the gold content of the officer armbands. Much less than they charge you for new ones, obvs, but they do pay….
Mine came from Bernard’s which was the cheapskate option. The cost of the three uniforms from Bernard’s was exactly covered by my uniform grant. Had I gone the Gieves and Hawkes route I would have been considerably out of pocket.
There’s a good reason they were known as Thieves and Hawkes amongst army subalterns.
Anyone silly enough to pay Gieves prices has no right to complain.
In the US Navy, those being promoted to Chief Petty Officer (E-7) usually end up taking a loan out to afford all the new uniforms they need. Even though ‘first issue’ is supposed to be free for enlisted – you’ll get that uniform allowance months down the line and its doesn’t actually cover all the costs anyway.
Could you point me to the book please Jason?
And here’s me using a pipe of Pringles like a chump
10 comments and no sourpuss has come along to say “How very, very Greek.”
Thank God for small mercies.
Or: Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
That would be too waggish for a sourpuss. And probably too learned.
This thread would seem to sum up why the UK military is in the state it’s in. Swords & real gold braid? In the C21st?
A military as as good as the last battle it fought.
Falklands.
Afghanistan was just supporting the Yanks.