Dogs of War

 

The Swiss were famous for it, the Hessians gave it a college try, some even wonder if the US military haven't been in the game as the armed extension of the House of Saud. That's as maybe and it's all going on in the Ukraine today. LL makes the compelling point that if you want to fight in a "stand up war" join a PMC (Private Military Company), with a sponsor, and people who know what they're doing. 

That in mind, we remember the world's most famous mercenary in recent times, Mad Mike Hoare. Born in British India to Irish parents, Hoare fought in WWII and retired at the rank of Major to Durban, South Africa, where he worked at the insufferably dull job of accountancy until recruited by Moïse Tshombe to put down the communist Simba insurgency.

Mad Mike's final exploit was in the Seychelles, where his team were arrested at the airport. The BBC comments:

When officers found a dismantled AK-47, the man panicked and revealed that there were more weapons outside.

At this point the entire plan unravelled, and amid the ensuing conflict at the airport the mercenaries commandeered an Air India plane and flew it back to South Africa.

When they arrived the mercenaries were jailed for six days...

 

 

There is, when you think on it, something remarkable about Hoare and here at DLC (Dallas Light Cavalry) HQ he's required reading. He was, miraculously, 100 years old when he died in 2020.

Rest in Peace, Colonel,

LSP

WOW

 

She's in jail and her bank account's frozen because terrorist. Wake up. Beyond words. Maybe you think you won't be next.

LSP

The Rittenhouse

 

Via Kim in Substitute:

Because of all this woke bullshit, we are no longer allowed to use the word “Mozambique” for our favorite shooting drill (two shots in center-mass, one in the head) because raayyycisss.

As always, the solution can be found in the Old Country.  At the suggestion of Mr. Free Market, allow me to present the new drill, the Rittenhouse:

You may disagree, but here at the Compound we feel this infographic is awesome in its simplicity. Try the new drill, the RITTENHOUSE. Practical, eh? Thanks, RHT, for the H/T.

#2A,

LSP

Columbus Day

 

The same people who love obedience masks, enforced vaccines which don't vaccinate you, trans bathrooms, labeling parents who care about their kids' education "domestic terrorists" and on, also hate Christopher Columbus, as they hate all our cultural heroes. This makes me want to love him.

He was, after all, a great explorer and navigator who boldly went where no man, pretty much, had been before. Piri Reis and Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings aside, Columbus was breaking new ground when he set sail. Not unlike, when you think of it, space exploration today. No small thing to sail an uncharted Atlantic. Bold stuff.

So here at the Compound we celebrated with lunch at Montes Mexican diner. The Specialist ordered a hearty plate of Pinta Brisket Gorditas and I stuck with traditional Santa Maria Huevos Rancheros. Tasty as you like and then some, all washed down with strong Nina Covfefe. 

Then it was time to drive to Fort Hood and back again, a bold, courageous exercise in navigating I35 and the personally uncharted territories of Waco. A journey of exploration if you like, and not bad for it.

But seriously, put yourself in the place of Columbus, sailing off into the unknown. Driven by ambition and the hope of gain, yes; after all, who doesn't want to be Governor of, ahem, Cuba. But also by adventure, perhaps the sheer life and death risk of the thing. And for him, at least, faith in the Savior he served, albeit imperfectly. 

That in mind, it's a good day to celebrate and if our trending tofu Maoists don't like it, too bad. They can speak to the monkey.

Cheers,

LSP

An Officer And A Gentleman

 

You may not have heard of Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Wintle MC, but he was a remarkable man. An eccentric Lion of the Empire who fought with great distinction in World War I and II. He was, needless to say, difficult. Here's a snapshot via the loathsome Wikipedia:

After the French surrender, Wintle demanded an aircraft (with which he intended to rally the French Air Force to fly their planes to Britain and continue fighting Germany from British air bases); when refused, he threatened an RAF officer (Air Commodore A.R. Boyle) with a gun. It was alleged that he had threatened to shoot himself and Boyle, and for this he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Wintle enjoyed himself in the Tower thus:

My life in the Tower had begun. How different it was from what I had expected. Officers at first cut me dead, thinking that I was some kind of traitor; but when news of my doings leaked out they could not do enough for me. My cell became the most popular meeting place in the garrison and I was as well cared for as if I had been at the Ritz. I would have a stroll in the (dry) moat after breakfast for exercise. Then sharp at eleven Guardsman McKie, detailed as my servant, would arrive from the officers' mess with a large whisky and ginger ale. He would find me already spick and span, for though I have a great regard for the Guards, they have not the gift to look after a cavalry officer's equipment. The morning would pass pleasantly. By noon visitors would begin to arrive. One or two always stayed to lunch. They always brought something with them. I remember one particularly succulent duck in aspic - it gave me indigestion - and a fine box of cigars brought by my family doctor. Tea time was elastic and informal. Visitors dropped in at intervals, usually bringing along bottles which were uncorked on the spot. I don't recall that any of them contained any tea. Dinner, on the other hand, was strictly formal. I dined sharp at eight and entertained only such guests as had been invited beforehand. After a few days of settling in, I was surprised to find that - as a way of life- being a prisoner in the Tower of London had its points.

You will note "for though I have a great regard for the Guards, they have not the gift to look after a cavalry officer's equipment." Quite. Here's Wintle after the war, at El Vino's on Fleet Street, from a 1999 letter to the Spectator:

Sir:

Frank Bower was not always able to eject unwanted patrons from El Vino (Letters, 1 May). One morning in the late Fifties, a West Indian workman entered what he thought was a pub and asked the proprietor for a pint of bitter. Empurpled with rage, embroidered waistcoat at bursting point, Bower was hustling him into Fleet Street when interrupted by a crisp military command from the back of the bar: 'That gentleman is a friend of mine. I have been expecting him. Kindly show him to my table.' Colonel Wintle - celebrated for inspecting the turn out of his German guards when a prisoner of war and for debagging a solicitor - had spoken.

Rising to greet his guest, Wintle trained his monocle on Bower and ordered, 'Pray bring us two small glasses of white wine.' When this had been drunk and a convivial conversation concluded, the Colonel and his new friend rose, shook hands and went their separate ways.

Wintle wore a monocle because his eye was blown out in the war

 

Yes, there were giants in those days, and thanks Anon for the link and make of this what you will.

Your Old Pal,

LSP

August Von Mackensen

There's a lot of talk in the blogs about cavalry right now, so it seems right to highlight Field Marshal August Von Mackensen, 1849-1945, a man who spanned a century of remarkable change, from horse to its mechanized equivalent.

Mackensen was an Hussar, Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 2, and fought against the French in the Franco-Prussian war, gaining a commission. Marrying well, Mackensen was promoted to the General Staff; Von Moltke, of all people, found him "a lovable character." Very different to other staff officers, such as general Milley.

He became adjutant to the Kaiser, the first commoner to hold such rank, and was duly ennobled in 1899. He served with distinction in WWI, commanding the 9th Army and later, Army Group Mackensen. He was awarded the Pour Le Merite for successful actions. Hans von Seeckt, his Chief of Staff, described him as a "hands-on commander with the instincts of a hunter." Unlike, say, General Milley.

Mackensen was promoted to Field Marshal in 1915, and awarded Oak Leaves to his Pour Le Merite. From there he served in the Balkans, against Serbia and Romania, commanding Heeresgruppe Mackensen. On "6 December 1916, on his 67th birthday, he rode in on a white horse and moved into the Romanian royal palace." Quite unlike US generals, such as Milley.

Mountebank Goon

A remarkable man, by any standard, unlike general Milley. But question, why did Mackensen have less medals than our brilliant war commander General Milley, did he win fewer battles?

Ride On,

LSP

Sunday Sermon

 

Cardinal Vigano, who is a hero of the Faith, wrote this a little while ago. Via Adrienne:

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As devout Christians and faithful citizens of the United States of America, you have intense and heartfelt concern for the fate of your beloved country while the final results of the Presidential election are still uncertain.

News of electoral fraud is multiplying, despite the shameful attempts of the mainstream media to censor the truth of the facts in order to give their candidate the advantage. There are states in which the number of votes is greater than the number of voters; others in which the mail-in vote seems to be exclusively in favor of Joe Biden; others in which the counting of ballots has been suspended for no reason or where sensational tampering has been discovered: always and only against President Donald J. Trump, always and only in favor of Biden.

In truth, for months now we have been witnessing a continuous trickle of staggered news, of manipulated or censored information, of crimes that have been silenced or covered up in the face of striking evidence and irrefutable testimony. We have seen the deep state organize itself, well in advance, to carry out the most colossal electoral fraud in history, in order to ensure the defeat of the man who has strenuously opposed the establishment of the New World Order that is wanted by the children of darkness. In this battle, you have not failed, as is your sacred duty, to make your own contribution by taking the side of the Good. Others, enslaved by vices or blinded by infernal hatred against Our Lord, have taken the side of Evil.

Do not think that the children of darkness act with honesty, and do not be scandalized if they operate with deception. Do you perhaps believe that Satan’s followers are honest, sincere, and loyal? The Lord has warned us against the Devil: “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44).

In these hours, while the gates of Hell seem to prevail, allow me to address myself to you with an appeal, which I trust that you will respond to promptly and with generosity. I ask you to make an act of trust in God, an act of humility and filial devotion to The Lord of Armies. I ask that all of you pray the Holy Rosary, if possible in your families or with your dear ones, your friends, your brothers and sisters, your colleagues, your fellow soldiers. Pray with the abandonment of children who know how to have recourse to their Most Holy Mother to ask her to intercede before the throne of the Divine Majesty. Pray with a sincere soul, with a pure heart, in the certainty of being heard and answered. Ask her – she who is the Help of Christians, Auxilium Christianorum – to defeat the forces of the Enemy; ask her – she who is terrible as an army set in battle array (Song 6:10) – to grant the victory to the forces of Good and to inflict a humiliating defeat on the forces of Evil.

Have your children pray, using the holy words that you have taught them: those confident prayers will rise to God and will not remain unheard. Have the elderly and sick pray, so that they may offer their sufferings in union with the sufferings that Our Lord suffered on the Cross when he shed His Precious Blood for Our Redemption. Have young ladies and women pray, so that they turn to her who is the model of purity and motherhood. And you, men, must also pray: your courage, your honor and your boldness will be refreshed and strengthened. All of you, take up this spiritual weapon, before which Satan and his minions retreat furiously, because they fear the Most Holy Virgin, she who is Almighty by Grace, even more than Almighty God.

Do not allow yourselves to be discouraged by the deceptions of the Enemy, even more so in this terrible hour in which the impudence of lying and fraud dares to challenge Heaven. Our adversaries’ hours are numbered if you will pray, if we will all pray with Faith and with the true ardor of Charity. May the Lord grant that one single devout and faithful voice rise from your homes, your churches, and your streets! This voice will not remain unheard, because it will be the voice of a people that cries out, in the moment when the storm rages most fiercely, “Save us, Lord, we are perishing!” (Mt 8:25).

The days that await us are a precious occasion for all of you, and for those who unite themselves spiritually to you from every part of the world. You have the honor and privilege of being able to participate in the victory of this spiritual battle, to wield the powerful weapon of the Holy Rosary as our fathers did at Lepanto to repel the enemy armies.

Pray with the certainty of Our Lord’s promise: “Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you” (Lk 11:9). The King of Kings, from whom you ask the salvation of your Nation, will reward your Faith. Your testimony, remember this, will touch the heart of Our Lord, multiplying the heavenly Graces which are, more than ever, indispensable in order to achieve victory.

May my appeal, which I address to you and to all people who recognize the Lordship of God, find you to be generous apostles and courageous witnesses of the spiritual rebirth of your beloved country, and with it the entire world. Non praevalebunt.

God bless and protect the United States of America!

One Nation under God

+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America

Non praevalebunt. 

LSP

Winston Churchill RIP

Day late and a Pound Sterling short but yesterday was the anniversary of Churchill's death. You may scorn Churchill because he wasn't a Bolshevik stooge of the NWO. I say he rises, like a hero.

Swords,

LSP

Prince Philip Hero Of A Time

Prince Philip, at 96, has retired after a final engagement as Captain General of the Royal Marines. He served with distinction in the Navy during World War Two and retired as a Commander in the early 1950s.

Here's the Old Buccaneer in a Bearskin

Inspecting the troops

Gauging up the Magic Messiah

In a British Warm

Sporting a topper

About to abuse a journalist, and who can blame him?

For me, Prince Philip rises up out of the mist like a man from another age and he is. His generation were raised at a time when Rule Britannia was more than an amusing song in the Albert Hall. The qualities of an Empire were writ large in them.

Indomitable arrogance, perhaps, but lest you forget, how much more preferable than our near-invisible, satanic, transnational elite.

Well done, Prince Philip, you're a hero.

LSP