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THE BULLYTIN

Official News Letter of Field Marshal Shellhole

FEBRUARY 2017

Warm Moth Greetings to one and all, I trust that you all had a great Festive Season and that 2017 has been kind to you thus far. Enjoy this edition of “the Bullytin”

REMEMBER SAS PRESIDENT KRUGER MEMORIAL SERVICE – SATURDAY THE 18TH OF FEBRUARY AT 1500 – FIELD MARSHAL SHELLHOLE – SMUTS FARM - IRENE

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The duel in the skies which nearly sparked World War Three: Terrifying moment Soviet jet fighter almost shot down US spy plane is revealed

The incident above the Barents Sea, near Soviet waters, took place between US and USSR jets 30 years ago

It is documented in recently declassified documents which are analysed in a new book by Paul Crickmore

A US Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird came into contact with a MiG-31, the premier Soviet interceptor aircraft

A shoot-out in the skies - which would have had devastating ramifications at a time of escalated tensions between the Cold War superpowers - was only narrowly avoided

A previously unknown Cold War skirmish in the skies which could have sparked a major diplomatic crisis between the West and USSR, has been revealed in a new book.

The incident above the Barents Sea, near Soviet waters, took place between a US Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and a MiG-31, the premier Soviet interceptor aircraft, at the height of the Cold War 30 years ago.

It is documented in recently declassified documents which are analysed in a new book.

A shoot-out in the skies - which would have had devastating ramifications at a time of escalated tensions between the Cold War superpowers - was only narrowly avoided.

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The incident above the Barents Sea, near Soviet waters, took place between a US Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (pictured left) and a MiG-31, the premier Soviet interceptor aircraft; US pilots Curt Osterheld (near left) and Ed Yeilding

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shoot-out in the skies - which would have had devastating ramifications at a time of escalated tensions between the Cold War superpowers - was only narrowly avoided (MiG-31 pictured)

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The alarming episode is revealed in British historian Paul Crickmore's new book Lockheed Blackbird, Beyond the Secret Missions.

On October 6, 1986, a SR-71 Blackbird was carrying out a reconnaissance mission just outside the territorial waters of Russia's Murmansk area coastline.

They were tasked with keeping an eye on a Soviet ballistic missile submarine fleet.

However, the Blackbird was not alone in the skies - there was a Soviet interceptor on their trail.

The Blackbird managed to shake off the hostile aircraft and complete its mission, but it was far too close for comfort.

In Mr Crickmore's book, US pilot Lieutenant Colonel Ed Yeilding describes the terrifying incident.

The pilot stated: 'In the distance far ahead, at perhaps 100 miles, I could see a long, bright white Russian contrail flying directly towards us, but at much lower altitude.

'I knew it must be a Soviet fighter, probably a MiG-31, then the newest Soviet interceptor.

'I raised my periscope and saw too that we were leaving a long contrail.

'I knew the fighter could see our contrail as easily as I could see his.

'I imagined the Soviet pilot was much like me, with a love of aviation and trying hard to be one of the very best.

'I also assumed he had orders to fire his missiles if I was late with my turn and slipped over Soviet territorial waters to within 12nm of Soviet land, and I assumed the pilot would like nothing better than an opportunity to fire his missiles at an SR-71 Blackbird.

'I believed the Soviet fighter would not fire his missiles as long as we stayed on our usual track, but I also knew he or his ground controllers could mistake our position as being closer than we actually were.

'We had no defences like flares against heat-seeking missiles, but again, we believed that missile 'probability of kill' was very low due to our high speed and altitude.

'I was determined to fly the track as planned and get the pictures.

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'Flying straight toward each other in our supersonic jets, I was reminded of two gallant medieval knights galloping full speed toward each other, only I did not have a weapon.

'For survival, Curt (Lieutenant Colonel Curt Osterheld) and I depended on accurate navigation to keep us just outside Soviet territorial waters to prevent a launch, and we depended on our superior speed and altitude in case missiles were launched.

'From my F-4 experience with intercepts and visual acuity, my best guess is that eight miles was his closest approach.

'He appeared to run out of airspeed at the top of his contrail, at maybe 65,000ft or 10,000ft below us.

'I saw his nose below the horizon and fall away.

'Curt and I stayed the course and got the pictures.'

Author Mr Crickmore, a former air traffic controller from Worcstershire, said there would have been 'hell to pay' if the plane had been shot down.

He said: 'If they had shot it down you were looking at a very, very serious international incident, particularly if it involved the fatality of crew members.

'There would have been hell to pay.

'It was bad enough when the North Koreans fired at an SR-71 flying in a demilitarised zone (in 1967).

'Even though they missed, they take these things extremely seriously - there are so few aircraft because of the costs involved in building and flying them.'

The Blackbird was the fastest and highest-flying operational airplane of its time.

It could cruise above 80,000ft at more than 2,000 miles per hour, making it perfect for reconnaissance missions during the Cold War.

In 1960, US spy plane pilot Gary Powers was shot down over the Russian city of Sverdlovsk.

His U-2 spy plane was more than 70,000 ft above the ground when it was taken out by Soviet missiles.

Eventually, he returned home as a part of a Cold War prisoner exchange.

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The story has been told in Steven Spielberg's movie Bridge of Spies.

A former air traffic controller, Mr Crickmore gained a unique introduction into Lockheed Blackbird SR-71 operations from RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.

For his updated edition of the book, he spoke to both US and Soviet pilots and ploughed through files of newly declassified documents.

He said: 'When I first wrote a book (about the Lockheed Blackbird SR-71, in 1986) there was so much information which was highly classified as top secret.

'Since the programme was shut down, files have been declassified and the crews I've spoken to have been very cooperative and contributed fantastic information.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3993738/The-duel-skies-nearly-sparked-World-

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revealed.html?ito=email_share_article-top

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He thinks war is 'a hell of a hoot' and 'some a**holes need to be shot' - meet General Mad Dog, the Marine Donald Trump has chosen to run the world's most fearsome armed forces

James 'Mad Dog' Mattis gained his unique nickname during the time when he was a Marine Corps officer

'Mad Dog' Mattis commanded a division in Iraq and and went on to be one of its most distinguished generals

He'll be named Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense next week - Congress must approve the appointment

Mattis fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, where his call-sign was 'chaos' - and said he likes getting shot at

The 66-year-old ex-Marine general took book of quotes by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius into battle

Donald Trump said he will announce James 'Mad Dog' Mattis as his Secretary of Defense, the man who commanded a Marine division in the invasion of Iraq and who loves nothing more than being shot at.

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It is a nickname he gained before the first Gulf War when he was a Marine Corps officer and, unsurprisingly, it stayed with him.

Known for his eccentric style and as a leader who liked to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his Marines, he has produced some dazzling quotes over the years proving he is worthy of his title.

Donald Trump said he will announce James 'Mad Dog' Mattis (pictured) as his Secretary of Defense, the man who commanded a Marine division in the invasion of Iraq and who loves nothing more than being shot at

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He fought both in Iraq and Afghanistan before he commanded the Marines and British forces in Fallujah in 2004.

It is considered one of bloodiest and hard-fought battles of the Iraq war, but it wouldn't have been something to faze the Mad Dog, also known as The Warrior Monk, partly because he is not married and has no children.

His take on warfare is brutally straightforward, and is reported as saying: 'The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event.

'That said, there are some a**holes in the world that just need to be shot.'

He enlisted in the Corps in 1969, was commissioned three years later, and went on to serve in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In Afghanistan he served first as a colonel before promotion to brigadier-general, to lead the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

He fought both in Iraq and Afghanistan before he commanded the Marines and

British forces in Fallujah in 2004

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He clearly enjoyed the face-to-face battle, and would need it when he commanded the 1st Marine Division for the invasion of Iraq.

He was back in command the next year when the Marines became engaged in a brutal and bloody street-by-street battle to restore order to Fallujah, a largely Sunni city which had become the heartland for insurgents and the scene of the murder of four U.S. contractors who were killed then had their bodies beaten, burned, dragged through the streets and hung from a bridge.

The murder prompted two successive efforts to pacify the city, with Mattis in charge of a mainly Marine force, along with Army and Navy units and a British detachment of special forces and infantry.

The six-week long second battle - Operation Phantom Fury - was the single most intensive engagement in Iraq, and saw tanks, artillery, massive airpower and Marine and Army infantry engaged in a building-by-building battle to end the insurgency.

The close combat pushed Mattis' buttons, and he said: 'There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed. It's really great.'

Trump has compared Mattis to George Patton, the US Army general who commanded the troops in Europe during the Second World War and was also well-known for his straight-talking and inspirational speeches.

At the rally last night where Mattis' appointment was confirmed, the President-elect told supporters: ''They say he's the closest thing to General George Patton that we have and it's about time.'

In Iraq, Mattis led by example and was a studious Marine.

As well as gaining the respect of his comrades, his inquisitiveness earned him another nickname - Warrior Monk.

MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM TRUMP'S SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JAMES 'MAD DOG' MATTIS

'The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some a**holes in the world that just need to be shot.'

'Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.'

'I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f***with me, I’ll kill you all.'

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'If in order to kill the enemy you have to kill an innocent, don't take the shot. Don't create more enemies than you take out by some immoral act.'

'Marines don’t know how to spell the word defeat.'

'You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people.'

'The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.'

'Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.'

'Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment in American democracy and kill every one of them until they're so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact.'

'There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed. It’s really great.'

'There are some people who think you have to hate them in order to shoot them. I don’t think you do. It’s just business.'

'For the mission's sake, for our country's sake, and the sake of the men who carried the Division's colors in past battles - "who fought for life and never lost their nerve" - carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world there is "No Better Friend - No Worse Enemy" than a US Marine.'

'Treachery has existed as long as there's been warfare, and there's always been a few people that you couldn't trust.'

'Fight with a happy heart.'

'I am going to beg with you for a minute. I'm going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.'

'PowerPoint makes us stupid.'

'You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be bad.'

An avid reader with more than 6,000 books in his personal library, war became not only his work but his passion, and is understood to be able to quote Ulysses S Grant, George Patton, Shakespeare and the Bible at the drop of a hat.

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Another reported tale is that he carried a book into battle with full of quotes from Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius - the Meditations, written when the emperor was himself in combat in 180AD.

The well-read former Marine may have used his literature as inspiration for his own stirring quotes.

Almost as if written for Liam Neeson in the film Taken, he is reported as saying: 'I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery.

'But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f*** with me, I'll kill you all.'

Mad Dog is not all macho bravado.

One of his nuggets of wisdom to his troops is, 'Engage your brain before you engage your weapon', and insisting, 'The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.'

He also allegedly said, 'Marines don't know how to spell the word defeat.'

His view on US forces adhering to US values is that Marines 'may not be perfect guys', but 'we're the good guys' and advised his comrades to be polite and civil to everyone they meet, but to prepare to kill them.

Service: Mattis - then a brigadier-general - was seen arriving in Kandahar in December 2001 to lead operations by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan

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This occasionally meant going behind enemy lines to make friends with the devil.

'Sometimes there are no good guys. There are no bad guys.

'It seems like everybody is in the middle. I'll tell you, I've slept peaceably among murderers who were on our side.'

He was criticized in 2005 when he declared it was 'fun to shoot some people' and fighting was ' a hell of a hoot'.

'Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot,' he said in San Diego 11 years ago, while speaking on a panel about the Taliban.

'It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.'

His call-sign in combat as he led forces in Iraq was 'chaos' - prompting the Marine Corps Times to write of his retirement two years ago after nearly 44 years service: 'Chaos out.'

His counterpart in the UK Sir Michael Fallon has sung his praises.

The British Defence Secretary said: 'I congratulate General James Mattis on his nomination and wish him well with the confirmation process.

'He has a deep understanding of our shared military culture as well as experience of serving alongside British forces. The US is and will remain our closest partner on security and defense.

'I look forward to continuing our close cooperation to fight terrorism, deter aggression, and collaborate on innovative technologies to ensure the security of our nations.'

President-elect Trump's nomination, however, will need to win approval in Congress with a waiver from rules which bar retired military officers from becoming defense secretary within seven years of leaving active duty.

Mattis may already have changed Trump's position, on what are known as enhanced interrogation techniques but also seen as torture, particularly waterboarding.

Mattis told Trump when asked about the banned practice which simulates drowning: 'I've always found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I do better with that than I do with torture.'

In response, the President-elect said: 'I'm not saying it changed my mind.

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'Look, we have people that are chopping off heads and drowning people in steel cages, and we're not allowed to waterboard.

'But I'll tell you what, I was impressed by that answer.'

Trump has been vocal about his desire to destroy ISIS, but under 'Mad Dog' the approach may be slightly more pragmatic than expected.

Talking of the future of the US armed forces, he said: 'We must avoid being dominant and irrelevant at the same time,' according to the Scientific American.

'Dominant in our chosen forms of war and irrelevant to the security of this country.

'So you've got to be able to adapt in the Darwinian sense. And we will continue to adapt.

'Wherever the enemy wants to fight, we will follow him to the ends of the Earth.

'We'll adapt, we'll train, we'll advise, we'll mentor and we'll fight, and we'll fight well.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3994856/How-General-Mad-Dog-world-s-

powerful-military-leader-Trump-s-new-Defense-Secretary-says-war-hell-hoot-holes-

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Nazi SS soldier leaves his life-savings of £400,000 to the tiny Scottish village where he experienced 'kindness and generosity' as a prisoner of war over seventy years ago

Heinrich Steinmeyer pledged money to residents in Comrie, Perthshire 90-year-old was held captive at Steinmeyer camp there during WWII Taken to camp housing ardent Nazis after being captured in Normandy He died in 2014 and £386,000 donation has been received by village

A Nazi prisoner of war has given his home and life savings of £400,000 to a British village where he experienced ‘kindness and generosity’ during his imprisonment.

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Heinrich Steinmeyer, 90, pledged the money to elderly residents in the village of Comrie, Perthshire, where he was held captive during the Second World War.

He was grateful for being treated with humanity by both the troops who captured him and the guards at the camp where he was kept until the end of the war.

POW: Heinrich Steinmeyer (pictured), 85, has given his home and life savings of £400,000 to a British village where he experienced ‘kindness and generosity’ during his imprisonment

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Under gruard: Mr Steinmeyer pledged the money to elderly residents in Comrie, Perthshire, where he was held captive at Cultybraggan camp (above) during the Second World War

Appreciative: He was grateful for being treated with humanity by both the troops who captured him and the guards at the camp (pictured) where he was kept until the end of the war

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Now, following his death in 2014, the money donated by Steinmeyer - who served in a Waffen-SS combat division – has finally reached the village.

The Comrie Development Trust which bought Cultybraggan camp for £350,000 in 2007, has now received a donation of €457,180 (£386,086).

Andrew Reid from the trust said: 'This story is about Heinrich Steinmeyer's gratitude for how he was treated and welcomed in this village and other parts of Scotland.

'His gratitude will live on in the way that it will support older people in Comrie.'

Mr Steinmeyer was taken to the camp housing ardent Nazis after being captured in Normandy in August 1944. His SS Panzer division had been savaged by the Allies.

But he said both the guards and villagers treated him so well that he decided to remain in Scotland for seven years after the war.

In 2009, Mr Steinmeyer said: 'I always wanted to repay the generosity they showed me. They deserve everything I have to give them.

‘And it is far better they have it than anyone else. Cultybraggan was a holiday camp compared to the fighting. The whole place was so beautiful.

‘It went straight to my heart, and I thought "why have I been fighting this bloody war?". They were tough, but always fair. I didn't expect to find this attitude.

‘I was not just the enemy, but a Nazi. Such friendliness was a surprise, but it is in the British nature. It was so much better than being told to lie in a filthy foxhole - and to die there.'

After the war he decided to stay in Comrie after learning that his home town had become a part of Poland and was stunned by the kindness of villagers.

They even sent parcels to his mother in Germany after learning she had fallen ill. Elderly residents of Comrie knew Mr Steinbermeyer by his nickname 'Heinz'.

He returned to the village - which has a population of around 1,800 - regularly, and became 'Uncle Heinz' to five families, to whom he sent gifts every year.

His will read: ‘I would like to express my gratitude to the people of Scotland for the kindness and generosity that I have experienced in Scotland during my imprisonment of war and hereafter.’

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It specifically stated that the proceeds from the sale of his house and other possessions was to be used for ‘elderly people’.

Mr Reid said executing the will and the sale of property to release the funds for transfer to Britain had involved a complex and very lengthy process.

The trust is still working with the German solicitors to settle outstanding debts incurred by Mr Steinmeyer appointing legal advisors.

Mr Reid added: ‘Heinrich Steinmeyer wanted to express his deep gratitude for the way he was treated as a prisoner and for his time working in Scotland after the war.

He wanted to give thanks for his welcome back as a visitor to Comrie and Scotland.

‘Heinrich's personal history is an amazing story of friendship and appreciation, and people in Comrie will both honour and benefit from his legacy.’

The money has been transferred to a special Heinrich Steinmeyer Legacy Fund, set up by Comrie Development Trust as a separate account.

The money will be 'used exclusively to provide for local developments for older people, suggested by older people'.

Cultybraggan - which once held Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess - was where the inmates hanged one of their number in 1944 after accusing him of leaking an escape plot.

Mr Steinmeyer was born in 1924 and grew up in Silesia - now part of Poland - with only basic education.

He came from a ‘very poor’ family and worked as an apprentice butcher on a pitiful wage before joining the SS aged 17 and fighting on the Western Front.

He joined the Hitler Youth SS 12th Panzer Division - which has been linked to war crimes, notably the execution of 140 Canadian prisoners in 1944.

It was recruited from the ranks of the Hitler Youth and, with 20,000 men, first saw action in June 1944 in the Normandy campaign. It emerged with only 12,500 men.

After fighting the Americans in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 and later the Red Army, it withdrew to Austria and the 10,000 survivors surrendered in May 1945.

Mr Steinmeyer was expected to die defending the Fuhrer, but was captured in the fight for a bridge in Caen.

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He was classified as a category ‘C’ prisoner when he was dispatched to Perthshire, which meant he was a hard-line Nazi, committed to the cause and dangerous.

After being captured, Mr Steinmeyer was held at Cultybraggan from September 1944 to June 1945.

From there he was sent to Watten, Caithness, another maximum security Nazi camp. At the end of the war Steinmeyer was sent to a camp in Ladybank, Fife.

He stayed in Scotland after he was released from detention in 1948 and settled in Stranraer where he found work on farms in the area.

He eventually returned to Germany in 1970, found work at the docks in Bremen, and settled in Delmenhorst.

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Humour in Uniform

A local dignitary visited Air Force Base in his area to acquaint himself with working and life of Air Force personnel. A young Air Force Officer was detailed to escort him around. While watching Fighter aircraft taking off the visiting dignitary exclaimed “ Oh, how fast they go ”. His Air Force escort who was quite fed up with his silly comments said with a straight face “ So would you, sir if your backside was on fire ”.

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A private ran to his General, sending a message from the front lines. He was in utter distress.

“Sir! We are outnumbered three to one, and…”

“Private! Get me my red shirt,” he interrupted, “When I bleed in battle, I don’t want the soldiers to be discouraged.”

“Sir! You don’t understand, they have battalions of heavy artillery, and their tanks are twice the…”

The General interrupted again, “Private! Get me my brown pants…”

A Sergeant was addressing a squad of 25 men and said, “I’ve got a nice easy job for the laziest man here. Put up your hand if you’re the laziest.”

24 of the men immediately raised their hands.

Just one man kept his hand down so the sergeant asked him, “Why didn’t you put your hand up?”

The man replied, “It’s too much effort raising the hand, Sarge.”

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Train Your Brain

A little girl kicks a soccer ball. It goes 10 feet and comes back to her. How is this possible?

A 10 foot rope ladder hangs over the side of a boat with the bottom rung on the surface of the water. The rungs are one foot apart, and the tide goes up at the rate of 6 inches per hour. How long will it be until three rungs are covered?

A man dressed in all black is walking down a country lane. Suddenly, a large black car without any lights on comes round the corner and screeches to a halt. How did the car know he was there? A rooster laid an egg on top of the barn roof. Which way did it roll?

A truck driver is going down a one way street the wrong way, and passes at least ten cops. Why is he not caught? How much dirt is there in a hole 3 feet deep, 6 ft long and 4 ft wide?

Answers to following in the April 2017 Edition

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.