Battle of the flash and hackle

[steve carey]

Anybody remember or recall the stories about the battle of the flash and hackle. It was our last night in derry (supp coy) we were rear party handing over to royal reg fus and it kicked off big time,All the girls were with the supp coy boys and at the end of the night it started. Avery large group of them stood in front of us singing you welsh *******s me being a scouser took great offence and a lot of other abuse and they were going to do us in although out numbered 3to1 (no kiddin) we got into them to maintain the honour of the reg myself and Danny Larima I think that his surname (anti tanks) went right into the thick of it, We ended up outside supp coy block with are riot shields and batons it went on into the early hrs. Next morning sgt maj jackson had us out on parade asking what happend and who was responsible, Not a word was said jacko then informed us that he had a scrap in sgs mess with 1 of theirs and he beat the **** out of him to defend the honour of the reg. A lot of people got a lot of stiches that night and when we got to tidworth the news had got there before us, We got a few free beers for that.

Steve Scouse Carey Happy Days.

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Over the years I remember witnessing a few "off-duty" milling sessions and NOT proud say involved in one or two myself. I remember the night in question in the Flash and Hackle as probably one of the most sickening events of my service career. I was just about 19 at the time, first posting, pretty anxious (scared is the real word) and glad the tour was coming to an end. Anyway, the night in question started well with people in the main getting on ok, until the buzz went around that there was trouble in the air. Players on both sides had already decided that it was going to happen and it was a case of when and who instigated it. I doubt anybody but the guy who threw the first missile could tell which side it came from. I remember thinking (naive perhaps but 19) why! We have just finished our tour and lost good soldiers and these guys are about to start and perhaps lose some of their own, (one shot and killed by a sniper in Strabane) yet here they were mauling each other like there was not enough to be going on with outside the Barracks- insanity!
If I remember correctly one of their guys had a punctured kidney or lung and was lucky to be alive at the end of it. I think most people who were there would agree that there was no honour served from either side that night and the only beneficiarys would have been the "boyos" when it got back that we were fighting each other.

[steve carey]

Your right Gwyn but I remember very clearly these guys wanted to do us harm and we were a bunch of young frustrated very angry young men. Me thinks mob mentality took over and in those moments anything can happen, Your right about the lads who got injured and I remember the S.I.B got involved. I was speaking to 1 of there ncos at breakfeast the following morning and he told me they were all new lads from training and did not understand that we had just completed a long tour and we had lost men and could turn on a sixpence if pushed he said it would not have happend with there regular lads, I know it sounds like i am gloating about it in the comments above but its just as i recall it, But thanks for the comments.