More pictures of JPM336D showing equipment stowed in the offside lockers. Stationed at Wadhurst during the 1980's. Also see picture #19664, picture #19655 and picture #6672.
Picture added on 05 October 2009 at 07:09
Comments:
Great - "Offside", in Great Britain, is Driver's Side, which would be in Right-Hand Drive vehicles.
Always had trouble remembering that one.....must imagine it, as if standing at the curb (side-walk, pavement)
Is this term used outside Great Britain ?
Australia, New Zealand, maybe ? What happens with Left-Hand Drive ?
Pat_R-B Just to confuse you a little more, the term nearside and offside takes it origins from hundreds of years ago in the days of mounted soldiers or cavalry. Most wore their sword and scabbard on the left side to use the sword in their right hand. (It would be very difficult to mount a horse from the left if the sword was on your right side, could do yourself a nasty injury)! Therefore the left of the horse was known as the nearside, and the right the offside. The term was carried on into horse-drawn transport and then to the motor vehicle age. Is commonly used in Australia and New Zealand. But to answer your question, "What happens with left-hand drive (Countries)?" I wouldn't have a clue, mate!!
To Pat R.B, To add further to this interesting little diversionary topic. The practice of driving on the left hand side of the road originates from most of those Countries formerly under British influence.(ie the former British Empire). This practice actually dates back much further to the Roman Period, where most of the UK's weights and measures and much of it's other infrastructure and practices originate from. Also the right hand is the natural 'Sword hand' so it would be completely natural to wear your sword on the left. It is easier to draw it out from behind your shield, and thus keep your arm and your body protected. In Europe, where most of the Countries drive on the right,I understand that this practice originated with Napoleon Bonaparte who is believed to have introduced it. A strange attitude given Bonaparte's admiration for the Roman Empire and the Ancient World, and who personally styled himself on Julius Caesar. Of the other Countries in the world, most of their operating practices originated from whichever occupying power was dominant at the time,and thus they conformed to that dominant power's criteria. With fire appliances the same criteria will again apply. A Hong Kong fire engine for instance, wouldn't look out of place on British Roads,as Hong Kong was under British influence for many years, but a Russian fire appliance would look very odd to British eyes and so on. Even now, with very many foriegn vehicles on UK roads, and on sites like this, a foreign vehicle still looks strange and odd to me, and driving on the Continent would be an interesting experience indeed.
Always had trouble remembering that one.....must imagine it, as if standing at the curb (side-walk, pavement)
Is this term used outside Great Britain ?
Australia, New Zealand, maybe ? What happens with Left-Hand Drive ?
Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B
Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 05 October 2009.