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Old 02-04-2020, 22:19   #9
Flagg
Area Commander
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1,423
Quote:
Originally Posted by JJ_BPK View Post
That's pretty much what the original meaning was dating back to the Brits during the Napoleonic Wars.

http://www.napoleon-series.org/milit...on/c_mess.html

I think it has evolved a bit to mean a gathering of the Regiment officers and senior enlisted at a dinner. The central idea is the same but in a full blown dress formal, sometimes with the ladies..

http://regimentalrogue.com/srsub/mess_dinners.htm

I think it is sometimes called Dining In..
Bingo(bullseye) on the Commonwealth lingo!

Dining in = wearing Mess Dress(formal uniform worn by Officers, SNCOs) with partners wearing civilian equivalent. Infrequent special occasions.

We have “The Mess” which is our all ranks dining only facility

Baggie’s Bar = in camp facility serving alcohol for junior enlisted

Corporal’s Club = in camp facility serving alcohol for junior NCOs.

Officers Mess which is a dining facility, bar, and accommodation for officers only and invited guests.

WO’s and SNO’s Mess which is a dining facility, bar, and accommodation for WOs & SNCO’s and invited guests.

The “Unit” has a really cool Mess(dining facility, bar, lounge) for everyone in the regiment and invited guests.

Australia and NZ are very much along the UK model, I must ask the Canadians when I see them next.

With the Aussie’s being far bigger they can even have a Mess just for a single corps or unit, such as Artillery/Gunners and 2CDO that I had the chance to eat at when visiting last year.

Besides eating and sleeping(where a Mess includes accommodation), I reckon the Mess represents the original gangster “safe space”, centuries before those words were ever put next to each other.

A place to learn, share, and unload over a few quiets.
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