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WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:51 am
by HERMAN BIX
Its well known that American Tanks & AFV's carry the names of great Generals.............
Abrams, Patton, Grant, Lee, Pershing, Sherman, Chaffee, Bradley.............

So ?

Why not the 'Eisenhower' ?
Surely one of the most prominent military commanders, and a fairly successful civilian political leader could have had a fighting vehicle named after him out of fairness ?
Nope, not with that name it seems :problem:

Poor S.O.B. never got to choose his surname, and hes missed out on having most things named after him.
Hes been ripped off I reckon, apart from an Aircraft carrier which has his name(its still one of 10 Nimitz Class)
What would an 'Eisenhower' tank look like, if one was to be built and had his name bestowed on the model ?

Thoughts ?

Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 12:12 pm
by 43rdRecceReg
One syllable too long, perhaps, to be catchy? Nearly all tank names (disregarding series numbers etc.,) are max two syllables. Imagine if our great war leader had been Featherstonehough, and not Churchill, for example :problem: :D
Another obvious reason would be that Eisenhower (or 'Hewer of Iron', in German's sister tongue- English) sounded a tad too German. :shifty:

Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:11 pm
by General Jumbo01
It's a name too long for the side of a tank but no problem for the side of a carrier! Note though that we are talking classes of tans and the is no Eisenhower class carrier, its just one of the Nimitz class.

Just browse through the telephone directory - there are lots of surnames that are only one or two syllables but could never be used!! (Surprised they exist as surnames). Do you live in Scunthorpe? Now there's a place that many forum word checkers reject, bit like my Fuckleborough tank collection in East Essex. But could they create a Tosser class, a Pratt class etc. I reckon the US were quite lucky with their famous generals' names.

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Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:32 pm
by jarndice
Featherstonehough is pronounced Fanshaw which is two syllables and it would certainly be an identifier that the Tank, Aircraft Carrier or whatever was British. :haha:

Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:55 pm
by General Jumbo01
jarndice wrote:Featherstonehough is pronounced Fanshaw which is two syllables and it would certainly be an identifier that the Tank, Aircraft Carrier or whatever was British. :haha:
Is that really true??

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Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:13 pm
by jarndice
When people suspected of being spies were captured in the American front line they would be asked questions such as who won the World series in 1938?
I have often wondered if these types of people were asked by their British interrogators how to pronounce "Featherstonehough"? :haha:
It has to be a failsafe question.

Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 4:08 pm
by 43rdRecceReg
jarndice wrote:Featherstonehough is pronounced Fanshaw which is two syllables and it would certainly be an identifier that the Tank, Aircraft Carrier or whatever was British. :haha:
I know, Shaun. Yes, it's the same with Cholmondeley. In written form though (paint jobs,reports, specs, Sitreps', etc,) it's more time- consuming to handle. ;) .
Scunthorpe? Euughhh. The old joke went: if 'Ty-Phoo put the 'T' in Britain, who put the 'c**t' in Scunthorpe. :lolno:
Wasn't it the Brits who gave American tanks names like 'Lee' 'Grant' and 'Sherman'? These were also names of long-dead people, and not a male ego issue. I'm not sure how keen the General Staff were (especially Monty) on Ike, certainly not enough to honour him with a tank name.... :problem:

Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 6:08 pm
by RobW
Apparently "squirrel" is a good one to confuse German speakers with. Something to do with the double r.

Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 6:40 pm
by General Jumbo01
I'm not German but I often get confused when l bump onto my neighbour. It maybe has something to do with her double D's!

Not sure how we got here but its more fun than discussing the merits of US generals!

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Re: WHATS IN A NAME ?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 6:54 pm
by Model Builder 4
[quote="General Jumbo01"]I'm not German but I often get confused when l bump onto my neighbour. It maybe has something to do with her double D's!

Not sure how we got here but its more fun than discussing the merits of US generals!

:haha: :haha: :thumbup:

Cheers, Lee.