FCÁ "A Cast of Thousands"

punchdrunk

Hi folks,
here's an old documentary from the '80s on the reserves I thought some of you might like a look at

https://www.facebook.com/GeneFile.Ltd/posts/575085559203382

iceage

Thanks for that Punchdrunk.. Now I feel F*cking ancient!;)

punchdrunk

iceage wrote: »

Thanks for that Punchdrunk.. Now I feel F*cking ancient!;)

anytime Sir!

asdfg!

Fun to watch as a historic piece. I never saw it back then but I have to say back in 1988 it would have been embarrassing. The intro was reminiscent of Dad's army. Then the cavalry in their museum pieces charging into battle in their number ones with their .303s. Also surprising was that none of the civvies interviewed mentioned 'Free Clothes Association'. It was yelled at me often enough.

I was surprised that they used Lee Enfields at all. Even in the early eighties the FN was more frequently seen, at least in the Dublin units. In 1988 every ragtag guerrilla army was fully equipped with assault rifles and camouflage uniforms. Yet here was part of the army of a first world nation equipped and dressed in a way that wouldn't even be state of the art in WW2.

Then the mealy mouthed support from the politician and the General.

Thank God there never was a need to use the FCA in any kind of conflict.

tac foley

punchdrunk wrote: »

Hi folks,
here's an old documentary from the '80s on the reserves I thought some of you might like a look at

https://www.facebook.com/GeneFile.Ltd/posts/575085559203382

Hmmm. Very interesting.

Not.

All I got was 8 seconds of a title screen........that was it.

tac

asdfg!

It's on Facebook Tac: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v3bKPPOwaIU

galwaycyclist

asdfg! wrote: »

Then the cavalry in their museum pieces charging into battle in their number ones with their .303s.

Not a set of overalls in sight - funny that.

Beano

Is that a carl gustaf sub-machine gun at the start?

asdfg!

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Not a set of overalls in sight - funny that.

Very funny, maybe it was a due to the fact that many FCA units wore surplus combats from every nation in the Western world, except Ireland of course because that would be illegal. That wouldn't have looked good on film.

asdfg!

Beano wrote: »

Is that a carl gustaf sub-machine gun at the start?

Indeed it was.

galwaycyclist

asdfg! wrote: »

Very funny, maybe it was a due to the fact that many FCA units wore surplus combats from every nation in the Western world, except Ireland of course because that would be illegal. That wouldn't have looked good on film.

I think at one point surplus Dutch Army olive combat jackets became a de facto field uniform for the FCA.

To be frank if they were all wearing Dutch combats in the film they would have looked much much better.

It only looks bad if you are following some "first world army" pretense - but the pretense of putting them all in No. 1s actually makes the army look worse than just admitting the lads had to buy their own gear.

Jawgap

That was 'interesting' - it brought back one or two memories I've fought hard to suppress!!

I see Moya Doherty went on to better things (just about) having worked on that!! Also the director was Gerry McColgan - I assume that's her now brother-in-law.

Manic Moran

asdfg! wrote: »

Also surprising was that none of the civvies interviewed mentioned 'Free Clothes Association'. It was yelled at me often enough.

3:49.

NTM

galwaycyclist

Jawgap wrote: »

That was 'interesting' - it brought back one or two memories I've fought hard to suppress!!

When I saw them getting "the breakfast" I got flashbacks of being given cabbage and chips for dinner in a certain West of Ireland cookhouse.

asdfg!

galwaycyclist wrote: »

I think at one point surplus Dutch Army olive combat jackets became a de facto field uniform for the FCA.

To be frank if they were all wearing Dutch combats in the film they would have looked much much better.

It only looks bad if you are following some "first world army" pretense - but the pretense of putting them all in No. 1s actually makes the army look worse than just admitting the lads had to buy their own gear.

Agreed, surplus Italian combats were popular at one stage and West German parkas. Some British surplus and then a lot of American field jackets. The average guerrilla army were more uniform than the FCA. Many guerrilas even had DPM.

Jawgap

galwaycyclist wrote: »

When I saw them getting "the breakfast" I got flashbacks of being given cabbage and chips for dinner in a certain West of Ireland cookhouse.

I seem to remember getting some porridge like substance for dinner one evening in Clonmel.

As for names, I preferred Fish and Chip Army to Free Clothes Assocation or the less witty Freestate C.... Association.

And as for kit, German parkas (and anything else you might need) from Alpha Bargains, FTW.

Saying that, they (11th S&T Coy) did teach me to drive and I spent some nice days in Gormantown shooting - it was like going to Mosney! I still have fond memories of pinging away with the Lee Enfield - I much preferred it to the FN.

cameramonkey

My uniform of choice in the early 80s was , Irish combat trousers, great bit of room in them.
Germany army combat parka with nice warm liner for the winter. I think it was a much better option than the Irish combat jacket of the time, it also had a hood.
Think this is pretty much like it,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW-GERMAN-ARMY-NATO-PARKA-WITH-HOOD-34-52-/150426906946

our unit was like the UN with so many different uniforms, the olive Italian jackets with the elbow pads were a big hit but I saw many guys freezing in Kilbride or in a stiff sea breeze in Gormanstown.

The weirdest combats I ever saw in those days was when one guy turned up in light green pinstriped combat gear, I think it was from Korea but I have never seen its likes again. I laughed everytime I saw him.

On the breakfast front I think I remember getting custard on toast once but this may be just a bad dream.

Morpheus

cameramonkey wrote: »

My uniform of choice in the early 80s was , Irish combat trousers, great bit of room in them.
Germany army combat parka with nice warm liner for the winter. I think it was a much better option than the Irish combat jacket of the time, it also had a hood.
Think this is pretty much like it,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW-GERMAN-ARMY-NATO-PARKA-WITH-HOOD-34-52-/150426906946

our unit was like the UN with so many different uniforms, the olive Italian jackets with the elbow pads were a big hit but I saw many guys freezing in Kilbride or in a stiff sea breeze in Gormanstown.

The weirdest combats I ever saw in those days was when one guy turned up in light green pinstriped combat gear, I think it was from Korea but I have never seen its likes again. I laughed everytime I saw him.

On the breakfast front I think I remember getting custard on toast once but this may be just a bad dream.

Custard on toast.... legendary!

kildarecommuter

Enjoyed watching brought back lots of happy memories, spotted Longford, Griffith? and the glen where else was featured?
It was more of an army back then despite the lack of kit

cameramonkey

kildarecommuter wrote: »

Enjoyed watching brought back lots of happy memories, spotted Longford, Griffith? and the glen where else was featured?
It was more of an army back then despite the lack of kit

Waterford barracks I think.