June 1987

43

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS awaited!) has departed for the 1st Battalion. He will be
remembered for much , not least his amorous adven-
We cong ratulate CSgt Truran on the award of the tures (mainly myth and not much fact!) . We wish him
British Empire Medal in the New Year's Honours List. A greater success in the future .
well deserved award for this hard work in the battalion
and with the ACF detachment at Haywards Heath. In The RSM , W01 M G Bernier, has joined 1 QUEENS
civilian life he is an abattoir manager but in Quebec on commissioning . Our ex RSM and Adjutant in the
Company he is the CQMS . Both require fine adminis- same battalion . They will no doubt support each other
trative skills. Rumour has it that he intends to give the by happy memories of the Territorials' whangings. We
medal to his wife for putting up with the demands of the wish Mr Bernier good fortune and welcome Mr Winter
from 2 QUEENS in his place .
TA!
Congratulations are also in order for Cpl Singh of Our 21C , Maj Tony Salter, has found life too hot and
has put himself out to grass. We wish him a happy
Albuhera Company who won the Burberry Trophy and retirement from the TA and are grateful for his service in
became the London Volunteer of the Year. This was this and the 5th (Volunteer) Battalion .
won by him because of his efforts in recruit training and
for his work with the SEDIST Training Team in running We welcome Maj David Morris who has taken over
the potential officers ' course. He is the fourth member from Maj Colin Hurd at Salerno Company. We thank
of the battalion to win this coveted trophy in 12 years. both Maj Hurd and Maj Tim Roche for their work and

CHANGES IN PERSONALITIES sense of fun in the battalion . Maj Tony Prior returns to
replace Maj Roche at Tangier Company .
There are many things in the Territorial Army which
change little . Regular staff join the battalion, depart at Business commitments have forced our Paymaster to
the end of a tour and replacements arrive. leave and we bid him fond farewell . We welcome in his
place Maj Judy Ball.
Maj John Rogerson, our Training Major, left us for
the JIB at Shorncliffe . He will be remembered for his Sadly, SQMS Colin Smith ACC(V) has retired. He will
enthusiasm, his non -smoking and fitness training . We be remembered for being the backbone of our ACC
wish him well and welcome Maj ' Rocky' Hitchcock in his contingent and as the provider of quite delicious food at
place . He is a smoker who has been seen , at least on regimental and battalion Cocktail Parties . We must also
mornings when the CO is in the office, to run from thank his wife Pat for the active part she played in the
Southwater to Horsham . We warmly welcome him. preparation of much of the food .

The Adjutant, Capt Gary Bourne, (replacement Capt Malcolm Miller has joined us as Battalion Admin
Officer in place of Maj Douglas Marnoch who served us
well for some eight years. We wish him a happy
retirement .

8th (VOLUNTEER) BATTALION,

THE QUEEN'S FUSILIERS (CITY OF LONDON)

At last, after a series of false starts, we have begun Volunteer spirit is strong and closeknit and we have high
our first recruit cadre. 13 Volunteers started in March hopes for recruiting . Sadly for 6/7 QUEENS (V) but
and will complete their basic training while at camp with happily for us , several of their Camberwell Volunteers
6/7 QUEENS (V) . Not one of them joined as a result of have applied to transfer and this has helped us in these
our expensive press campaign or our forays into week- early stages of our formation as they are all NCOs . The
end markets , but because of word -of-mouth next red letter day for us is the 15th July when the TA
advertising. Still , we shall press on , and in the Summer C~ntre at St John 's Hill is to be officially opened by
will have a series of 30 second commercials on LBC and HRH The Duke of Kent , Colonel in Chief RRF.
Capital Radio . With those who have joined , London is
represented from Tower Hamlets through Woolwich In January, we became part of the new 56 London
and Bexleyheath to Mitcham, while outside the capital Brigade, whose emblem is Dick Whittington 's black cat .
our tentacles stretch to Bracknell. We are well At the Lord Mayor's Procession on the 14th November,
supported by QUEENS badged cadets from the the brigade will form the military element with 8 QF(V)
Wandsworth Detachment who are always happy to help represented by two columns , equally badged QUEENS
our recruiting campaign, and we are able to beat each and RRF, marching behind the TA Band of 5 QUEENS
(V). This is a great moment to have in prospect.
other's drum .
As we are still small in numbers, we are not required
Many Volunteers who paraded at Flodden Road , to do any collective training this year. However, 6/7
Camberwell before it was demolished are planning to QUEENS (V) have offered vacancies at their camp on
return now that a new drill hall is being built to take A the Isle of Man which will enable those Volunteers who
Company. The original foundation stone was re-la id on have transferred to us to carry out their training for
the 21st March by the Chairman of the Greater London bounty . lt also acts as a carrot to our recruits , and we
TAVRA, Col Carden, and completion of the centre is on are grateful to our sister battalion , not only for this , but
schedule for the end of the year . The Old Comrades for all the help which they have given us during the past
Association of the 1st Surrey Rifles was well rep- year . Thanks are also due to C Company 5 RRF who
resented at the ceremony and we look forward to seeing have also done what they can to give us support.
more of them in the future. In Camberwell , the

44

Now that we actually have Volunteers , our The laying of the foundation stone for the rebuild of the
permanent staff is growing , and we have a steadily Flodden Road TA Centre for the Camberwell Company 8
increasing fleet of vehicles . However we have also lost QF (V) by Col G S P Carden, CBE TO DL, Chairman
Pte Ayres who has entered civilian life to a job which , by
all accounts, will see him turning up to see us in a Roller Greater London TAVRA.
within the year , and RQMS Hamill has gone on com-
missioning to 144 Para Field Ambulance as QM (NRPS) .
They go with our best wishes , and thanks for all that
they have done over the last year for the battalion . Our
two youngest members, lvan Ayres born last October,
and Alexander Layzell born in January are now allowing
their parents restful nights . In the case of the latter, his
father CSgt Layzell had to attend a Drill Course for 6
weeks and so escaped the worst , but has become a

really useful nappy changer .

We had a slightly wobbly start to the year, but have
now settled down to some worthwhile training. There
are plenty of vacancies, particularly for specialists in HQ
Company, and opportunities are good for ex Regulars ,
so to those due to leave the service this year, the

message is 'Come to Clapham' .

DEPOT THE QUEEN'S DIVISION

Six platoons of adult recruits and two platoons of ex- After a comparatively quiet recruiting year in 1986/ 87
Junior Soldiers from JIB will have passed out from the business is due to pick up considerably in 1987/ 88. We
Depot between January and June this year. Some 60 are programmed to receive almost 1000 Queen's
soldiers from these platoons will have joined the Division recruits in the April 1987 to March 1988 time
Regiment . Our recruits continue to do well in earning frame. In the current 6-month period 240 recruits are
prizes with , at the time of writing, Ptes Steer and Wood destined for QUEENS battalions. Numbers are not yet
(1 QUEENS) and Pte Macnab (3 QUEENS) winning the firm for October 1987 to March 1988 but are likely to be
Best Recruit award (from four platoons) and others
winning Best Shot and PT prizes. More are bound to similar.
emerge from the platoons currently in training .
SA80 has now arrived and we have trained the
Sgt J G Murphy, winner of the Depot Individual Squash trainers . The Individual Weapon (lW) was fired by the
Competition . company teams in the Depot Skill -at-Arms Meeting and
our team for the Eastern District Meeting will fire both
the lW and Light Support Weapon (LSW) . lt is probable
that ours will be the only team to be so equipped. We
have declared our intention to enter for Bisley, subject
of course to qualifying . To meet the requirements of the
Division's Regular battalions we will introduce the new
weapons into the Recruit Syllabus for all platoons
forming from 17 August onwards. The first recruits to
have been trained completely on SA80 will pass out in
December by which time all three Regular battalions will
have received the weapon. The universal opinion here is
that SA80 is a superb weapon and is probably the best
piece of kit to be issued to the Infantry in at least 20

years.

To match the increase in Regular recruits our TA
" customers" have also · produced something of a
recruiting boom leading, for the first time, to TA recruit
cadres being full -, indeed over-, subscribed . Good news
indeed, but it is making life in D Company rather busy.

The sports scene at Bassingbourn is more active than
ever and the Regiment continues to be well
represented . The football team , although not as
successful as in previous seasons due to major changes
in the squad because of postings , is poised for further
glory under Sgt Jeffrey's coaching. Sgt Prosser is
taking an enforced rest from goal keeping after his lower
jaw came runner-up to a boot in an Army Cup match!

(Continued on page 45)

45

REGIMENTAL BANDS

The Albuhera Band with HE The Governor of Gibraltar,
Air Marshal Sir Peter Terry GCB ACF.

ALBUHERA BAND The Governor presented the band with a print from a
scene of 'The Battle of Gibraltar' which is not seen by
The last six months has seen a radical change for all
members of the Albuhera Band . the general public .

February 1987 saw the upheaval of a move from the Feelings were mixed upon leaving the Rock . The
sun, sand and sea of Gibraltar to the snow and ice of band found that the work schedule , though immense ,
Minden, and if that wasn' t a difficult enough was in the main very enjoyable although the prospect of
undertaking, the band also had to cope with the arrival BAOR led most of them to believe that life in Minden
of a new Bandmaster! would be a little more varied (not to say more finan cia lly
beneficial) ! One of the lasting memories of the tour was
The run up to the move from Gibraltar involved the relationship that had been built over the years
participation in some memorable engagements. The between the band and a large percentage of the local
most notable of these were the last St Michael 's Caves population , both military and civilian . This rapport was
Concert and the final Convent Guard mounting borne out by the farewell gifts made to the band by
ceremony, when the band and corps of drums was most of the local organisations and dignitaries . These
invited to take drinks with the Governor in the Convent. included a donation towards a new instrument by the
Royal Navy, a picture of the Red Arrows over Gibraltar
Depot (continued from page 44) by the Royal Air Force, champag ne and hymn books
from Kings Chapel , a silver model of the Rock by the
Capts Cross and Farrell , Lt Holmes and Cpls Chapman Jewish community and a diarrama from the WOs' &
and Bushell are mainstays of the Rugby team , as was
Sgt McCullogh before his return to 1 QUEENS . The Sgts' Mess 1 QUEENS .
team has done well, reaching the Minor Units semi -final
in the Army Cup and participating in the RAF East And so to Minden. The first two months have
Anglian league . witnessed a period of consolidation during which time
the band has been in the process of establishing itself in
We again celebrated Albuhera Day in style with an all its new location . Our most prestigious engagement to
ranks barbeque and tug -o'-war competition at midday date has been the International Military Music Show in
and the Silent Toast Ceremony and Joint Officers' and Dusseldorf . Bands from all over Europe and the USA
Senior Ranks dinner in the Warrant Officers' and took part and the whole event was an exhilerating
Sergeants' Mess in the evening . We also hosted the exhibition of obstreperous ostentation .
annual Cricket Match versus the Royal Navy at the end
of May and look forward to the Grand Reun ion in July . Farewells are in order , firstly to John and linda
Seabrook. John had given si x yea rs service to the band
Finally we are delighted to welcome Col Holman as and is now serving with the M etropolitan Police. Our
Divisional Colonel and Maj Salmon into Headquarters good wishes go with them both.
The Queen 's Division .
Finally, it is a case of ' Ring out the old , Ring in the
new' as we say co ngratulations to the outgoing Band -

46 QUEBEC BAND
master W01 T S Davis upon his commission into the
rank of Captain . He remains in The Queen 's Regiment by W01 B Cunningham
and has been appointed Deputy Chief Instructor at the
Royal Military School of Music , Kneller Hall. Very best Although many of you will already be familiar with the
wishes from all members of the band go to him and his four official categories given to band engagements and
family . His successor is W01 (BM) I R Peaple who what they mean, I feel a little explanation for the
comes to us from having a highly successful course at uninitiated might be both interesting and give you an
Kneller Hall. We welcome him and his family and hope idea of life in the Quebec Band .
they will enjoy their life with the band .
Category 1
And didn 't we have a lovely time the day we went to
La Albuera . Category 1 engagements are official engagements for
which no fees are charged by the band and all expenses
l. ·I' are borne by public funds . There could be no more
fitting example of this than HM The Queen 's visit to
1. The Albuhera Band on the steps of the monument in Canterbury on the 20th March this year .
' Albuhera' during their visit to the battlefield in
November. The weather on that day was beautifully sunny
2. Bandmaster W01 (now Captl T S Davis hands over the although a little cold and breezy . By the time we arrived
baton of Albuhera Band to the new Bandmaster W01 I at Westgate Towers a large crowd of local people,
Peaple and a symbolic 'Rock' to the Bandmaster (W01 visitors and press had already gathered. Our Fanfare
Wallisl of the new battalion. 1 R ANGLIAN , in residence Trumpeters chose to believe that their appearance on
in Gibraltar. TVS the night before was the reason for such interest
and excitement but I think HM The Queen and HRH
Prince Philip had something to do with it! We took up
positions and very soon afterwards The Queen stepped
from her car and the band played the National Anthem .
At this point a quick move was necessary to clear a path
for Her Majesty's approach to the Tower where the
Mayor and local dignitaries were waiting. As Her
Majesty passed the Band we (and the Fanfare
Trumpeters who were by this time almost frozen on the
top of the Tower) played a rousing fanfare .

Once the Royal couple were out of sight the band
boarded the coach which transported us to the
Precincts where we entertained the crowds as they
waited their turn to see Her Majesty drive through that
part of Canterbury where cars are normally not allowed.
Another rendering of the National Anthem , a big sigh of
relief and I begin my descent from 20,000 feet! lt was a
very exciting morning and a great honour for a band of
The Queen 's Regiment to play for their Sovereign.

Category 11

Commemorative occasions with Service or ex-Service
connections, or events in aid of Service charities such
as the ABF are deemed Category 11 engagements . On
these occasions no fees are charged by the band but
expenses such as transport and insurance are the
responsibility of the organizers . Bands will usually
extend this to take in other bona fide charities although ,
depending on what musical combination is used, they
may have to charge a fee as well but this is usually
greatly reduced .

Chilham Castle was the venue for just this type of
engagement and the medieval atmosphere suited our
Fanfare Trumpeters who added a royal sparkle to the
occasion. The object was to raise money for Cancer
Care by organizing a dinner-dance and raffle on the 14th
February (St Valentines Day) . Our 8 piece group 'The
Time Lords' provided music for the dinner and the
dancing and, considering the comments on the night
and since, obviously helped the event go with a swing.

The cabaret was provided by our Trombone section
whose party piece " Lassus Trombones" was performed
as they mingled among the amused , or was it bemused ,

47

guests . This was followed by two members of the
Cornet section armed with Post Horns, who raised the
pitch still further with their own special rendition of
" The Post Horn Gallop" . lt was at this point I decided to
spring a surprise on Mrs McGhie whose initial expres-
sion of terror and confusion soon changed to one of
obvious delight as I presented her with an orchid on
behalf of the Commanding Officer who was of course in

Northern Ireland at the time .

Category Ill

Engagements which are in support of other units of all
three Services are known as Category Ill engagements.
Units will normally be required to pay a donation to
Band Funds and are responsible for costs arising out of
expenses such as transport. Officers' Messes, Unit
Open Days and Passing Out Parades all fall under this

category .

In January we played for an Officers' Mess dinner at
Old Park Barracks and were pleasantly surprised to find
that Maj D E Price, ex Bandmaster of The Royal Sussex
Regiment, was a guest. Maj Price recently retired as
Director of Music RE but is now back in harness again
this time as Director of Music for the HAC in London. lt
is his arrangement of 'Soldiers of the Queen' which is
the official version of the Regimental March. Although I
will refrain from naming names I must mention that there
were 3 or 4 "OLD MEN " in the Band whom he
remembered from a bygone age when the rest of " US"

were still at school!

Category IV Quebec Band Engagements.
1. & 2. Playing for the Royal Visit to Canterbury. (Note in
Category IV are purely private commercial 2, the Fanfare Trumpeters on the West Gate). Kentish
engagements. As well as the transport, insurance and Gazette pictures.
other expenses, bands charge the organizers a fee . 3. The Trombone Section providing the cabaret at the St
Dance Bands are always a Category IV engagement and
because of an agreement with the Musicians' Union not Valentine's Day Ball at Chilham Castle.
to undercut their members or to take work from them ,
we are obliged to charge at least the minimum union Category V
rates which exist at that time. A military band is
extremely expensive to maintain. Sheet music averages There are some engagements which do not seem to
£40 - £50 per score, instruments range in price from a fall into any of the official categories and they are often
Piccolo at £350.00 to a Base at £4000 .00, uniforms neecj unofficially refered to as Category V engagements. They
repairs, stationery, publicity material and dozens of are in fact community relations concerts generally
other essential items have to be bought. So it is not organized and paid for by the Regiment. An example of
surprising that Category IV jobs are highly sought after this was the concert we performed at Odstock Hospital
by all bands and in this area there is understandably on the outskirts of Salisbury for the patients and staff
ruthless competition. and in particular one very special patient, Pte Cox from 3
QUEENS . Both he and everyone else enjoyed the
We in the Quebec Band are in a fortunate position . entertainment especially when he was given the baton
Having gained an excellent reputation since our return and invited to conduct the band. Some of the female
from Germany, Category IV engagements now come
looking for us! In fact we have been so successful we
have just had to register for VAT! This is no mean
achievement considering that not only are we one of the
few Line bands in this bracket but we have also had to
fit our engagements round the requirements of 10
months Rear Party duties in the last year.

Our list of Category IV engagements over the last 6
months include November's "Highway" programme
with Sir Harry Secombe, the England v France Rugby
match at Twickenham in February, Wembley in April ,
promoting the new 'Warrior' APC in May, St James
Park and an International Music Show in France in
June, and we are looking forward to the Charity Shield
at Wembley in August .

48

//

The Quebec Band's Visit to Northern Ireland.

1. Brig Mike Constantine with the Band Sergeant Major 2. Beating Retreat in Omagh .

and Bandmaster in Omagh. 3. & 4. The Band Concert in Armagh.

staff also became part of the show when six of them THREE DAYS IN THE LIFE OF
volunteered to help us with a piece called " Music and
Movement". In this item the band provide the music THE QUEBEC BAND
and the girls are required to provide the movement. On
this occasion our volunteers did extremely well until we by Sgt Cook
began playing "The Stripper" , when to the band's
disappointment (and my relief) all that came off were it's 0845 hrs. Thursday 19th February and guard team
their shoes! ' A' march up the road from the battalion square towards
the guard room. ' A ' guard mount, then fire practise and
So you can see that the variety and spread of everyone switches into guard mode for the next 24
engagements for a military band is enormous and the hours. The new home for the rear details is two porta-
pace frenetic. To give you an idea, in 1986 we had 87 cabins with a view. The snow falls gently throughout
engagements, visited 43 towns and travelled 9,500 miles the day as one gate sentry is replaced by another . The
by coach yet still managed our fair share of guards and highlight of the day comes at 1400 hrs when a group of
duties on the Rear Party. The level of engagement this BFT failures are given the dubious pleasure of trying
year looks, if anything, even higher but we all enjoy again .
what we do and get a tremendous sense of achievement
from our work and the pleasure it gives to others. Since 0830 hrs, Friday 20th February, arrives and smiles
our return to England the Quebec Band has gained a begin to return to everyones faces as the thought of
justifiably high reputation and we mean to improve on it another guard almost completed dawns on them . 0900
in the future - guards, duties and BFTs not withstand- hrs is here and those words spoken by the guard
commander eventually comes " Well done lads, fall
ing! out. " Everyone goes his separate way and my path

49

leads me to a well deserved bath. Cleaning kit comes the kill. The evening finishes with the Bandmaster
next, for tonight the Quebec Band are appearing at giving his all to New York New York and everyone goes
Gillingham Coral Social Club. Boots highly bulled, home happy. The band load up all the kit and it's off
helmets shining bright, and jacket and trousers with back to Howe Barra cks, to see if we can catch the front
creases razor sharp, yes, that's the standard required . A gate sentry asleep. Away goes the kit for another night
spot of lunch and the band start converging on the and everyone disperses sharp because they know
practice room. Everyone is busy ferrying equipment to there's kit to be done for the big parade tomorrow
the National coach that's just about to become our "oops" today. 0200 hrs, Saturday 21st February, and
home for the next ten hours. " Hello lads" shouts Terry it's straight into the old pit to catch some sleep for
our faithful bus driver "back on the road again". The there's a long day ahead.
journey is quiet as all the guys catch up on a bit of shut
0715 hrs and that alarm clock has upset me again.
eye. " Am I dreaming?" No, it's off to Twi ckenham today.
Scratch the old razor scross the face and on goes my
1500 hrs and the coach pulls up outside the Coral faithful regimental jacket. The practice room is full of
Social Club in Gillingham (Luckily, a short trip today) . the sound of the hustle and bustle of busy bandsmen.
Everyone walking by stares in amazement. I wonder do The coach is loaded and away we go, for today we play
they think we are monkeys in the zoo! No, they are just at Twickenham Rugby Ground for the International
not used to seeing young men in decent clothes. " A between England and France. The journey again is
collar and tie? How strange." All the kit i~ taken into the peaceful. Then someone pulls you out of that lovely
Club and set up on the stage. The march on sequence sleep. "Co me on Gary, we' re there ." Packed lunch
and sound check is carried out and then it's all down to consumed and on goes the uniform re-p ressed and
McDonalds for our tea . 1930 hrs arrives and the band is bulled up for the big day. The band march on and do
announced " May I introduce to you, by kind permission their marching display and play both National Anthems .
of Lt Col R M McGhie, The Quebec Band of the Queen 's After the half-time performance we must move quickly
Regiment ." Immediately Corals Social Club is filled with to get to London and set up all the kit in the Hilton Hotel
the sound of the best band in the British Army . The in time for the reception and meal after the match
band's first half hour session is well received lif only tonight. The evening drags by and now the guys are
they knew the best was yet to come). The march off and looking tired but the standard of the band never fails . At
a quick change of clothes and instruments , and on go last it's time to pack and go home . The coach pulls
the German Ompha Band to real stompers music then a through the gates of the camp once more at just gone
good rendition of the slap dance, and off for the next 0200 hrs Sunday 22nd . This time the kit is stored in •
change into dance band kit. The Pop Group have really record time because everyone knows TODAY' S OFF.
warmed the crowd up and the Dance Band move in for

MUSICIANS
WANTED

THE QUEEN'S
REGIMENT
TA BAND

This well established TA Band requires musicians in all sections. Plenty of paid engagements and Regular
Army rates of pay. Applicants (Grade V plus) should apply in writing to : BandmasterS Cook LRAM
ARCM, 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment, Leros TA Centre , Sturry Road,

Canterbury, Kent CT1 1HR (Tel. 0227 451324).

50

REGIMENTAL INFORMATION TEAM

Cumberland Sword and Kirkes Cane Competitions

1. Capt Tony Hill briefing the Kent ACF 'A ' Team 3 & 4. Stretcher cases in the county / sector competition .
captain . 5. A happy, muddy, group of competitors .
2. LCpl J Gross of Huntley's Platoon taking her cooking
seriously.

The first part of 1987 has been highlighted by the quagmire of mud , which had been partly achieved the
holding of the annual ACF Cumberland Sword and day before by the team's own rehearsa ls to obtain a
Kirkes Cane competitions. These events are organised bogey time , and by Pte Turner's efforts in particular .
and administered entirely by the Regimental Information Much hard work was therefore put in by the Assault
Team . This year they were held at Crowborough Camp Course supervising group consisting of Cpl Cook , LCpls
in East Sussex over the weekend 3-5 April and there was
a record number of 124 entries . Brig M R I Constantine OBE Presents the Awards.
1. The Cumberland Sword Winner - Sgt Barry Law of
The team moved to the camp on the Thursday before Crowborough Platoon.
taking over accommodation facilities and generally 2 . The Kirke 's Cane Winner - Cpl Pragnell of 72
getting settled in before the arrival of the ACF on the QUEEN'S Cadet Company.
Friday evening. Also included in this phase was the 3. Brig Mike Constantine accepts , on behalf of the
problem of getting fed as the cooks from 5 QUEENS (V) Regiment, a rose bowl to be awarded for First Aid,
were not due to arrive also until the Friday night. This presented by Mr Stuart Green of St John 's Ambulance~
was duly overcome by the services of Sgt Yoa as Master Brigade on behalf of his late father Mr Bernie Green and
Chef who produced a good standard of catering for the himself.
team, so much so that the proper cooks , when they 4. Winner of the First Aid Bowl. Cpl Rose of Haslemere
arrived , were in danger of being made redundant . The Detachment.
effect of this on Pte Wright was to encourage him to 5. LCpl Rebecca Langton of Huntley's Platoon , the best
report sick with a 'stomach upset'! girl cadet.

With the main event day, Saturday, dawning , the 6. The Brigadier with the winning team - Kent ACF
heavens almost predictably unleased a surplus supply of Team A .
rain . This turned the Assault Course area into a



52

Clatworthy and Stephenson and Ptes Wright and The RIT in the Big Freeze, January 1987.
Prime. 1. Sgt McEwen and LCpl Stephenson repairing a pen-
sioner's bay window.
Out on Ashdown Forest the Fieldcraft, under Sgt 2. Sgt Yoa delivers potatoes to an old peoples' home .
McEwen and the Orienteering supervised by Cpl Taylor
were being hampered by bad visibility, sometimes down years with the Team. He who will be sadly missed . A
to 25 metres . On more than one occasion Capt Tony Hill farewell party took place on the 28th May to express our
was seen making gestures in the hope of locating lost appreciation. Good luck to Tony and Joan in civilian life .
cadets . Back in camp other tests continued in a more All those subsistance claims will be just a memory!
organised manner . These were First Aid being
supervised again this year by the St John Ambulance, As the new OC we welcome Capt Barry Moss from 3
Weapon Training tests conducted by S~t Burnett and QUEENS who visited us on the Crowborough Camp
Sgt Malin from 7 CCT, and the .22 Shooting run by Sgt weekend and got some first impressions, which we
Yoa and LCpl Vennell. At midday nearly all the cadets hope were favourable! LCpl Lockwood and Pte Sackey
mustered for the Field Cooking test which would have left for civilian life . We thank them for their work
constitute the lunch meal. A delightful menu, amassed on the team and wish them and their families every
together by the Sergeant Major and LCpl Gardner, was good fortune. As replacements we now have LCpl Nevill
duly issued comprising of 1 x beefburger, 1 x egg,. 1 and Pte Weller, both from 2 QUEENS, the former
x sausage , 3 x bread slices, 1 x tea bag plus m1lk, having been accelerated to section commander of Kent
sugar, butter and heximine blocks. A meal :of sorts' was Section and the latter refreshing his goalkeeper skills!
thus offered for inspection, marks be1ng awarded
accordingly. lt is possible that a lot of the cadets
preferred to wait until the even1ng meal 1n the
cookhouse instead of tasting their own cooking!

With the daytime activities drawing to a close, a
hearty meal in the cookhouse was followed by .the
Regimental History written test, a 45 m1nute sess1on .
The marking of the papers was a test on 1ts own for the
Teams NCOs in deciphering some of the colourful
answers .

On the Sunday the climax of the weekend was found
to be on our favourite assault course . This was the
Sector/ County competition , each team having to
negotiate the assault course, render first aid to a
casualty, and bring him back to safety . Much fun was
had by all, the muddy conditions playing their part, and,
to the amusement of the parents who were visiting . The
Deputy Colonel of the Regiment, Brig M R I Constantine
OBE presented the awards, notably to Cadet Sgt B Law
- Winner of the Cumberland Sword, Cadet Cpl D
Pragnell - Winner Kirkes Cane, and to the winning
girls, Cadet Cpl K Dickens - Cumberland Sword and
Cadet R Langton - Kirkes Cane . lt was a very busy
weekend for the team much enjoyed by all, even though
the weather was unkind. Nevertheless, the conditions
created an adventurous spirit and indeed seemed to
spur on everyone to greater effort, and morale remained
very high throughout. Special thanks must be given to
Sgt Brian Welch from RHO, who was our Stats
Controller and the many hours he put in to ensure
everything was kept right up to date.

RIT work is now geared to the season of summer
shows and displays, keeping us occupied for almost
every weekend until September. Much Regimental blue
paint and many coloured photographs are in evidence
on each stand. We now have the SA80 (lW) as part of
the face -list and two of the stands have pull-over
tarpaulins, which will afford protection from the
elements as well as enhancement in general.

By the time these notes appear we will have bade
farewell to Capt Tony Hill on retirement after nearly five

53

THE QUEENS REGIMENT FREEFALL TEAM
THE FLYING DRAGONS

by Lt A V Brown

The team returned from their pre-season build up here he goes again ' - but seriously , without their
training exercise (Ex JUMPING JACK) on 14 April
looking fit and healthy after some six weeks in the sun . support we would have no chan ce of competing in a
Well, not quite - the exercise took place at the Joint display parachuting market - we gratefully
Services Parachute Centre at Lippspringe on the acknowledge that support .
Sennelager training area and started at the end of

February .

'The first two weeks were a nightmare - freezing fog,
snow blizzards , rain, sleet, hail etc, etc - everything
you don't want on a winter holiday in the sun.
Absolutely no jumping - well, perhaps there was , but
definitely not out of the sky . However, the weather
brightened up and the last four weeks saw each of the
eight parachutists getting in some seventy to eighty
descents - much to the Regimental Financial Secre-
tary's horror - at about £4.00 per man per descent!

Yes, the team now has eight parachutists, all of
whom are up to display jumping standards. Last year's
nucleus of four, plus the Team Leader, Sgt (Kiwi) Sharp
are still with us. The additional parachutists are : CSgt
Reader who wi ll soon be transferring from the Royal
Anglian Regiment to become a potential Team Leader ;
LCpl Cash man from the 1st Battalion ; and Ptes Brierley
and Mayhew from the 2nd Battalion. Pte Godden, who
should have been with the team for last year's season ,
started the team training but was unable to complete it
due to recurring neck problems. He has now become
the drop zone operator and is also a potential
commentator .

During the training the team practised freefall relative
work - where the individual parachutists link up in
freefall (whilst falling at a descent rate of some 125 mphl
to produce formations. The most exciting aspect of this ,
for the spectators at a showground, is the 'bomb burst'.
This is where all the parachutists release and track away
from each other with their smoke trails fanning out, just
prior to the opening of their canopies.

They also practised canopy relative work - a very
demanding and potentially very dangerous activity
where the parachutists link up under canopy to produce
stacks , biplanes , and so on. However, the most
important aspect of freefall parachuting skills practised
was accuracy - the parachutists ability to land safely
and accurately in a 75m x 75m showground arena .

The team 's ability at accuracy over the 1986 display
season seems to have paid off with severa l of last year's
show organisers coming back to us and rebooking the
team. We now have 32 venues booked with a total of 42
actual parachute drops throughout the country for the
1987 season, with the Newark and Notts Show being
the first on 1 May. Of these 32 venues, 14 are in our
recruiting area , with 18 drops - two at the Regimental
Museum opening at Dover Castle on Albuhera Day, two
at the Surrey County Show, one at the Brighton Motor
and Leisure Show, and so on .

I must mention again the tremendous support that we
have received from the Prudential Assurance Company
Limited . I can imagaine some of you sighing 'Oh no,

54

NEWS OF THE ARMY CADET FORCE BADGED 'QUEENS'

LONDON Despite the alarming shortage of ammunition we look
forward to the 32nd country rifle meeting at Ash ranges,
North East Sector and hope to make good use of the Hythe ranges whilst
in camp at St Martins Plain from 16-29 August .
Both Cadet Companies in the City of London and
North East Sector ACF have had a varied but interesting KENT
past 6 months.
by Col D R A Barnes JP
Detachment training has progressed at a reasonable
level , despite the upheaval of 26 Company having to Important staff changes are taking place in Kent ACF .
vacate their location for 5 months due to an asbestos At the end of May, Col Colin Mearns OBE TD will be
problem at Hommerton House School , Hackney. relinquishing command and his place will be taken by
Col Jack Riordan . Col Mearns can be proud of his
25 Company had the honour of producing a Quarter achievements, especially in raising standards and
Guard for the Lord Mayor of London prior to the annual improving the professionalism of the County Force. His
Ironmongers' Company Dinner Night in February, and successor is just as proud of the fact that he will have
then the Company marched on to greater glory by held every rank in the ACF from cadet to commandant
having two Cadets selected as a Guard of Honour for and is the first in Kent to be promoted in that way .
Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's
visit to the Jubilee Trust building in March of this year . Two Oueens-badged units also have changes in
Both Cadets, LCpl Freeman and LCpl Herman, received command: Maj Peter Todd , after 42 years' continuous
a letter of recognition for their services which praised service in the Regular Army, TA and ACF, retired on 18
them highly for their bearing and high standard of April and handed over command of the 2nd Cadet
turnout. Battalion to Maj Ken Jones. Maj Rod Riley assumed
command of the 3rd Cadet Bn following Maj Colin
Cadets from both 25 and 26 Companies are due to Bellingham's promotion to Lt Col on being posted to
visit 2nd Battalion The Queen 's Regiment in BAOR in Kent ACF Headquarters.
May of this year .
At last, Tenterden Platoon of the 2nd Cadet Battalion
In conclusion , this writer hopes that, by the time of has won the coveted Thomas Trophy as Champion
the next Cadet report, he will have information on the Platoon after suffering two consecutive years as
enlistment of girl Cadets being allowed to join 25 runners-up . South Ashford Platoon was beaten into
Company in Albion Road , Stoke Newington . The second place but proved themselves best on the ranges
problem to overcome prior to approval being given will by winning the Thomas Shooting Cup. Both prizes were
be finding finance to build an additional facility for girls presented to the respective winners by the donor,
within the existing building . Councillor George Thomas , former Mayor of
Folkestone, who complimented each of the six
SURREY competing platoons on their high standard of training
and sportsmanship .
by Maj R P M Oldfield
We warmly congratulate Cadet Staff Sergeant (now
During the autumn and winter months Surrey ACF Cadet CSM) Andrew Carpenter of 2nd Cadet Battalion
has maintained the officer and Adult Instructor strength (South Ashford Platoon) who proudly received the Kent
at 94, with some applicants in the pipeline. Cadet Cadet of the Year award from the Lord Lieutenant,
strength has increased by about 30% in the last Robin Leigh-Pemberton Esq JP DL MA, at the TA
eighteen months, and stands at 669, of which 21 are Centre, Ditton, on 10 December.
girls.
Tenterden Branch of the Royal British Legion
The winter months have seen teams entering for a generously presented Tenterden Platoon of 2nd Cadet
number of sporting activities. In the Cadet National Bn with a handsome Standard at a moving ceremony in
Orienteering Championships held at Stirling , we were recognition of the platoon 's service to the community ,
placed 3rd, with Sgt P Briggs of Felbridge the outright including assistance on Poppy Days and help to other
individual winner . We did well in the South East Region local youth organisations .
cross country , run on 14 December. The award of
county colours to cadets taking part in all sporting 30 cadets of 3rd Cadet Battalion are extremely
competitions has brought an upsurge of interest, and pleased to be representing Kent ACF when they line the
we look forward to greater achievements in the future . route for the official opening of The Queen's Regiment
Capt Harris has brought with him the cult of marching Museum at Dover Castle on 16 May. They will be
through controlled checkpoints and our first venture in commanded by the Battalion's newly appointed
this sport is to take place at Farncombe on 29 March Training Officer, Capt Clinton Riley .
1987. We hope to report success in the next Journal.
Capt Riley has received another honour in that ,
Easter camps are to be held at Crowborough, following his successful leading of the Kent ACF Team
Farncombe and in the Isle of Wight . We have parties in last year's Nijmegen Marches, he has been chosen as
going to BAOR , who will be attached to units in Minden one of the officers to accompany the UK ACF party
and Viersen . For the first time ever, a Surrey team is to going to Canada on the annual exchange visit .
take part in the Ten Tors expedition on Dartmoor in
May.

55

SUSSEX
by Maj R Walker

1. Maj lan Jones. the Regimental Careers Officer. The winter months are spent on in-house activities .
presenting The Queen's Regiment First Aid trophy to Cpl Hailsham celebrated moving into permanent quarters
Eleanor Barnes (181 of Huntleys Platoon. Kent ACF. with an open day last October at which we welcomed
watched by her parents. Kent County Councillor John the RIT - the air rifle range was particularly popular
Barnes and Mrs Mary Barnes. with the dads who came along .
2. Cpl Eleanor Barnes proudly displays the trophy in
front of her colleagues. (Both pictures by Kent Littlehampton held an open evening in March where
Messenger). the principal guest was the Lord Lieutenant of West
Sussex, Lavinia Duchess of Norfolk - Cadet LCpl
Clarke very graciously presented her with a bouquet -
well trained these QUEENS cadets!

Crawley too had an open evening at the end of March
when the Army Careers representative had a very busy
evening . At both these open evenings it was very nice
to meet a number of ex-Queensmen .

The highspot of our QUEEN ' S involvement this half
year is Cdt Sgt Barry Law winning the Cumberland
Sword - the first Sussex cadet to do so ; particularly
pleasing was his winning by one point because of his
superior knowledge of regimental history! (A photo-
graph of the Deputy Colonel presenting Sgt Law with
the Sword appears elsewhere in this Journal I.

We have welcomed into our adult ranks during the
past six months ex WOII Morris Gill late of 3 QUEENS
and WSI Frieda Applin . We say goodbye to Capt Tony
Hill and wish him well on his mountainside in South
Wales, and thank him for his help and support over the
past five years.

Annual Camp this year is at Westdown from 2nd to
15th August . Visitors, particularly on Saturday 8th
August , will be very welcome .

FRIMLEY AND CAMBERLEY CADET CORPS

by Col R G Butterfield

From 21 April to 1 May, a detachment chosen from Since our last entry in the Journal the Corps has had
3rd Cadet Battalion will be visiting BAOR for its Annual Inspection and prize giving. The inspecting
attachment to the Welsh Guards. You will not be officer was Brig C E Van Orton, supported by his wife
surprised to learn that there has been tremendous for the actual prize giving . The RAOC put on a drill
competition for places! display of such a high standard that the brigadier
requested an 'encore'. The annual dinner was held on
Maj Ian Stewart of 4th Cadet Battalion has presented the 1st October followed by the Service of Remem-
a very fine silver cup to his battalion to mark his brance at St Peter's Church, Frimley, on Sunday 2nd
appointment as OC. A large gathering of officers, staff October. The Armistice Parade saw a very good turnout
instructors and cadets paraded at Ditton ACF Centre to of the Corps, and once again the Corps provided the
witness Col David Barnes JP, the unit's Honorary guard at the War Memorial.
Colonel, receive the cup on their behalf . The cup itself is
a Stewart family heirloom which Maj tan kindly had The Carol Service was held at St Francis Church,
refurbished, engraved and suitably embossed with The Frimley, and the Church was packed, after which the
Queen 's Regiment badge. traditional mince pies were served.

4th Cadet Battalion are to hold a canoe marathon on Thanks to our neighbouring regiments, visits have
the River Medway over the weekend 25/ 26 April. They been made to the Corps HQ by the Red Devils
will start and finish at Allington Locks and travel Parachute Team under their leader Capt Nunn, the
through Aylesford , Maidstone , Teston , East Peckham, display being suitable for Drill Halls. Also the RCT has
Tonbridge and on to turn-round points at Fordcombe laid on films showing all types of transport, including
and Hever. The event is sponsored and the unit is marine craft, as used by the Services.
hoping to raise a considerable amount of money for
charities and other good causes . (Continued on page 56)

56

REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS

REGIMENTAL SECRETARY'S NOTES the City and processed with the council into the Ch oir of
COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT the Cathedral for the Evensong Servi ce in the presence
of Her Majesty .

The most noteworthy event was when the Colonel of FREEDOM MARCHES
the Regiment was present at the Sovereign 's Parade on
Friday 10 April at the Royal Military Academy This summer we carry out four ' Freedom Marches' at
Sandhurst, when nine young officers were being Barnet, Chichester , Kingston -upon -Thames and
commissioned into the regiment , amongst whom was Ashford . This now completes the task John White and
Andrew Mallon who won the Sword of Honour, our myself set ourselves - to arrange marches, at least
second recipient, the first being Peter Swanson in 1968. once , since the formation of the regiment through all
Andrew Mallon is to join the 3rd Battalion . our Freedom Boroughs . The aim will now be to march
through each Freedom Borough , as a minimum, once in
DOVER CASTLE MUSEUM APPEAL every eight to ten year cycle . With 18 Freedom
Boroughs and the Privilege of The City of London
The Regiment , you will be glad to hear, achieved its making 19, we will aim at at least two marches each
target of £45,000 as the entry fee required by English year.
Heritage to establish our museum at Dover Castle.
Many of you attended the opening ceremony at Dover THE QUEEN'S OWN BUFFS REGIMENTAL
Castle on Albuhera Day. There is a full report on this
elsewhere in this edition of the Journal. ASSOCIATION (THE QUEEN'S REGIMENT)

As the Appeal Secretary, I would like to thank all I am very pleased to announce that the Queen's Own
those who so generously subscribed to the project, and Buffs Regimental Association at their Annual General
I trust that you feel we have a regimental museum of Meeting held on 11 April 1987 agreed unanimously to
which we can all proud . change the Association title to The Queen 's Regimental
Association (The Queen 's Own Buffs). I hope that all
VISIT OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN TO Queensmen wi ll support their nearest branch ; a list of
their locations will be given under the Regimental
CANTERBURY Association notes in the next edition of the Journal .

Her Majesty The Queen visited Canterbury on 20 RHQ STAFF
March 1987. The theme of the visit was to be fourfold:
City, Cathedral, Regiment and University. The Mayor We sad ly said farewell to lan Jones who departed on
wanted the regiment to provide a Royal Guard of June for a Grade 2 Staff appointment with the
Honour, but unfortunately for us with the 3rd Battalion Procurement Executive at Andover . The hieroglyphics
occupied 'elsewhere' , and the 1st Battalion declared ' in of the appointment are so obscure that I will not even
bulk' by HQ UKLF for Northern Ireland training, we try to test your powers of deduction by giving his
were very sadly unable to provide the Guard. appointment . lan has been the Regular Careers Officer
for over three years . During this time the officer
The Quebec Band was on parade and, augmented by recruiting , liaison and relations with our traditional
a few Volunteers from our TA Band, also provided officer producing schools have improved greatly. Much
Fanfare Trumpeters who were placed on top of the of this success has been due to his tireless efforts and
Westgate Tower , where Her Majesty received the key of hundreds of miles of motoring in his own car . The
the City from Councillor Peter Baker, His Worship The Regiment owes him a debt of gratitude for his hard work
Mayor. and my very grateful thanks to both lan and Val for all
they have done and every good wish for the future.
The Deputy Colonel B, Col John Holman , rep-
resented the Colonel of the Regiment , and headed the
Regiment's team when we were entertained to lunch by

(Frlmley end Cemberley Cadet Corps continued from page to attend. A visit will be made to The Queens
55) Regimental Museum in Dover Castle, and also a day trip
to France, visiting while there, the German fortifications
Mothering Sunday saw the Corps again on parade, of the last war.
with band, to attend a Church Service at St Paul's
Camberley, this being well attended by parents with the The annual dinner will take place this year at Caird
Mayor taking the salute at a march past afterwards. Hall, Camberley, on 24th October, with the Service of
There followed a ceremony at Caird Hall when framed Remembrance on Sunday 25th at St Paul's Church,
certificates of long and outstanding service were Camberley.
presented by the senior Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey,
Col R Billington, to three WOs and one member of the Mention must be made also of the Frimley and
Management Committee. Camberley Cadet Corps Association which has a new
Chairman, Mr N Ferris, with a very lively committee who
Annual Camp will be held from 16th to 29th August at make very great efforts to raise money for the upkeep of
St Martin's Plain Camp, Shorncliffe and Surrey ACF the Corps.
have once again been good enough to invite the Corps

57

REGIMENTAL BENEVOLENCE RCO'S REPORT

by Maj Alan Martin MBE by Maj lan Jones

Our Editor, God Bless Him, is a diligent and persistent OFFICER RECRUITING
man . 1 am late with my contribution to the June edition
and he has unbraided me with the fact . Little does he The financial year 1985/ 6 saw only 9 officers (3
know that for the past fortnight I have been mentally Regular and 6 Short Service Officers) commissioned
composing witty dialogue that will grip the reader's into the Regiment . This state of affairs was caused by
attention . it is only when I come to transpose these last minute changes of heart concerning an Army career
thoughts to paper that the ink runs dry and the brain and the Colonel of the Regiment turning down a larger
becomes stultified. In fact our benevolence case work is than expected number of applicants! However the
carried out by a team of three but the bi -annual recruiting year 1986/7 has seen 11 commissioned to
contribution to the Journal is distinctly a one man band . date (4 Regular and 7 Short Service Commissions - 4
to 1 QUEENS, 3 to 2 QUEENS and 4 to 3 QUEENS) with
So what has been happening on the benevolence another six due to be commissioned in August, of which
front? Regretfully, we must preserve the anonymity of the Colonel of the Regiment has accepted three already.
those we help. Beyond question however is the For the current year we already have 11 having passed
recurrent theme of unemployment and its effects upon the Regular Commissions Board and the Colonel of the
the budget of those who have children to feed and Regiment has accepted six of these to date . All are
clothe . Another common factor is the struggle by the looking for a Short Service Commission only at this
aged and infirm to balance the need to keep warm and stage, conforming to the present Army trend . This
the fear of hypothermia against the strictures of a should not last as the majority for future years are
limited income . Politics plays no part in the sensible hoping for a Regular career.
administration of benevolence funds and we do not
envy those in government trying to sort these sorts of SOLDIER RECRUITING
problems out for the common good.
The low manning and recruiting figures for last year
We noted with interest a media announcement that were due to the MOD targets. This year the Regiment
widows of wartime servicemen were being helped with should expect to receive about 500 recruits and,
parcels of clothes donated by the good burghers of provided wastage rates (both in training and with
Holland . This prompts the question " Are we looking regards to retention) improve, this should rectify the
after our regimental widows?" Certainly as far as our current shortfall. lt is hoped that the majority of these
Founding Regiments are concerned the assistance recruits will come from our recruiting area and from the
given to widows is a high percentage of the total. As North London and West Sussex area . The number of
regards The Queen 's Regiment it is a sad fact of life potential recruits is steadily growing but the standard is
not as high as we would like .
that following the tragic death of a soldier, it is almost
inevitable that the widow will move out of the VISITORS TO RHO
regimental environment and, in due course, lose touch .
This is where you , the man on the ground , comes in . If The following have signed the RHO Visitors' Book
any of our readers , serving or retired, get to hear of a since the last edition of the Journal : Brig Charles
widow with regimental connections who has fallen on Barnes, Col Andrew Man, Maj Frank Waldron, 1st Lt
hard times but who is too proud to approach the Esben Roug, R Danish Life Guards, W01 M F Butcher,
Regiment for help, please, please notify the details to Maj Guy Weymouth, 2nd Lt Jonathan Griggs, Mrs
Regimental Headquarters who will put one of the Daphne Hill, W01 I Peaple, Capt and Mrs Phillip Hills,
Service welfare agencies on to a visit with a view to 2Lt Jonathan Nye, W01 J Brown, Lt Andrew Ramsey,
assistance . Col Paddy Panton, Rev Paddy Craig, Maj Don Pryce,
Maj Chris Grove, Maj John Russell, Lt Col Paul Long, R
On the subject of Service welfare agencies, what a ANGLIAN, Col Gerald Mullins, Maj Gen Fergus Ling,
vote of thanks we owe to these voluntary workers , Capt Alasdair Goulden, Lt Michael Bernier, Capt Terry
unpaid and largely unsung, who devote so much of their Davis, Mr Frank Steels, Maj Steve Thorpe, Mr Paul
time and energy to sorting out the problems and worries French, Mr Blackett Ditchburn and Miss Debbie
of the aged , the infirm, the sick and the unemployed . Edwards (all of Prudential), Col Eric Woodman, Lt Col
They do a grand job and deserve our respect and Simon Boucher, Col and Mrs Jaap Smit (Netherlands
heartfelt thanks . DA), Capt Jonathan Dixon, Capt Jonathan Castle, Maj
Stephen Petzing, Mr P Hayward, Mrs Clare Perry, Lt
A final word to our hard worked Paymasters and Pay Col Bob McGhie, Lt Col Roger Lowans, 2Lt Digby
Teams . There has been some to-ing and fro -ing on the Williams, 2Lt Jeremy Gardner, 2Lt Daniel Wise, 2Lt Jim
subject of the Day's Pay Scheme and perhaps the Clinch, 2Lt Tom Major, 2Lt lan Wright, Maj Max
Financial Secretary's name may be mud as a result of it . Maloney, Maj and Mrs John Acworth, 2Lt Neal
Such being the case, my profuse apologies because you Hutchinson, 2Lt Robert Berry, 2Lt Andrew Mallon , Mr
all do a grand job of processing the forms and cajolling R J Cyster, Col and Mrs John Shipster.
the uncommitted into paying up and signing up .
Nevertheless I prostrate myself before you with two
pleas ; firstly that the committed policy of the Regiment
is to 100% of a day's pay by way of covenanted sub-
scription ; secondly, please oh please send the forms in
the first instance from the Unit Pay Office to Regimental
Headquarters and not direct to Regimental Pay Office
Taunton .

58

OFFICERS' CLUB

The Regimental Dinner 13 March 1987 (Picture by Maj A/an Martin)

REGIMENTAL DINNER REGIMENTAL COCKTAIL PARTY

A Regimental Dinner was held in the Law Society 's This year's Regimental Cocktail Par1y will again be in
Hall, Chancery Lane, London WC2, on 13 March 1987. the Banqueting House, Whitehall. The date is Friday 16
it had been planned to celebrate both the 21st October , by which time the 1st Battalion should have
Anniversary of the Regiment and two Regular bat1alions returned from their tour in N Ireland and the 3rd
being stationed in UK. In the event only 1st Battalion Battalion will be in Canterbury. it is hoped that once
officers were able to attend in strength as the 3rd again all 500 tickets will be taken, so officers are
Battalion was on an unexpected tour of duty in N requested to bid as soon as possible once they receive
Ireland and the 2nd Battalion was, of course, in BAOR . their application forms.
However a total of 142 officers were present on the
night - a creditable number. OFFICERS' CLUB DINNER 1988

The principle guests, who were received by the In accordance with current Regimental policy, next
Colonel of the Regiment, were Lt Gen Sir Patrick Pal mer years Officers ' Club Dinner will be in the Duke of York's
(Military Secretary), Lt Gen Sir Michael Wilkin5 HQ, Chelsea , on Friday 4 March 1988. The aim of this
(CGRM), Mr G R Fox (Master of the Haberdashers' an nual event is to provide a reasonably inexpensive
Livery Company) and Lt Col U H B Alexander (our evening for an officers' reunion . The Duke of York's HQ
sponsor and a former Commanding Oficer of 4 BUFFS). is a good venue for this and ensures a protected place,
In addition, as usual, we dined out officers of the proximity to a tube station , and secure parking for cars.
Regiment, including Maj Gen Mike Reynolds , who had it is expected that , once again , well over 100 officers will
retired during the last year while serving at ERE. be present.

The Law Society 's Hall was a splendid setting for the
dinner and many complimentary comments were made
afterwards, particularly on the high standard of the meal
and the cour1esy of the staff.

59

REGIMENTAL GOLFING SOCIETY

Jubilee Match v Canterbury Golf Club, 24 April 1987

by Col J G W Davidson

On 2nd July 1927 the Canterbury Golf Club was not quite as badly as our predecessors . The result ,
formally opened with a match against The Buffs Golfing however, was unimportant in the context of a
Society. To celebrate their Diamond Jubilee, the thoroughly enjoyable historic occasion .
Captain and Committee of the Canterbury Golf Club
invited The Queen's Regiment Golfing Society to play a The dinner, to which the Society's Honorary
match on Friday 24th April against a team from the Club
made up from the Captain and past captains . They also Secretary, Lt Col John White , and the Regimental
extended an invitation to the team with their wives to Secretary, Col John Francis, and their wives were also
invited , was held in the recently completed extension of
dinner afterwards. the Club house . During the excellent dinner , the
Society's Captain , proposed a toast to our hosts and
History was to repeat itself . In reporting on the match made a presentation to the Club of a Queen's
in 1927, The Dragon , The Buffs Regimental Journal , Regimental ice bucket and an inscribed print showing
said: " The day, luckily fine, was a most enjoyable and The Buffs in 1792 recruiting outside St George' s gate
interesting one; and our only regret is that we should into the City of Canterbury. The whole event was rated
not have played better in the singles in the afternoon . such a success by all, that the Club Captain, Peter
Lunch was taken in the picturesque Club House with Lyons , suggested that the Society should have a regular
the score all square as the result of some closely annual fixture against a team similarly made up from the
contested foursomes, but in the afternoon, alas! the past Club captains . We look forward very much to these
Society could do no better than win three of the sixteen matches and hope that - just occasionally - we will be
matches." We, too, went into lunch all square after the able to win.
foursomes and lost the singles in the afternoon, albeit
The full results of the match were:

QUEENS CANTERBURY

Davidson and Bromfield FOURSOMES 0
Montgomery and Dewar 1
Tarver and Dodson 1 Gay and Burton 0
Waiters and Rowney 0 Lyons and Stirling 1
Shephard and Weymouth 1 Ardouin and Cryer y,

0 Young and Denne 2 Y,
y, Howson and Alien

2~

Col J G W Davidson SINGLES 0
Capt C T Bromfield 0
Maj D Montgomery 1 P W Lyons 1
Maj C M C Dewar 1 R Young 0
Col H N Tarver 0 C Gay 1
Mr R J Waiters 1 I Burton 1
Col K Dodson 0 D Stirling 1
Lt M R Rowney 0 A Ardouin 1
Lt Col D H A Shephard 0 G Howson 1
Col J N Shipster 0 W Cryer 1
0 D Denne
~ T Alien 7
~

REGIMENTAL GOLFING SOCIETY

The programme for the remainder of 1987 is as
follows:

Date Fixture Venue

10 June Match v RMA Sandhurst Epsom

WEDDING PRESENTS 18 June Match v RAF and R ANGLIAN Gog Magog

Letters of thanks , to all members of the Officers' 31 July Match v Kent County Constabulary N Foreland
Club, for the gifts of engraved silver wedding presents
on the occasions of their respective weddings , have 21 August Match v Royal Marines Canterbury
been received from Capt and Mrs J P Castle , Capt and
Mrs N M Peckham and Capt and Mrs C A Newel!. 4 September Match v QUEEN ' S OWN BUFFS Epsom

24 September Match v King 's School , Canterbury Princes

14 October Match v Haberdashers' Livery

Company Worplesdon

22 October Match v liphook GC Liphook

60

THE QUEEN'S REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION

FORTHCOMING EVENTS As we first stood at our table (arranged with a long
by Maj R Waite top table , and four long legs running off it) Mike Sinden
the Vice-Chairman, said Grace, and then to the swift
Grand Reunion 1987 - Sunday 12th July 1987 service of 6 waitresses we started our most enjoyable
- Bassingbourn Barracks dinner, throughout which the wine, co ld and
refreshing,flowed freely. Our Asparagus soup, followed
1100 : Gates open. by Veal Provencale succulent and tender surrounded by
1200 : Drumhead Service: The Quebec Band The crisp fresh vegetables surmounted by parsley potatoes
were rounded off with Sherry Trifle and the usua'l
Queen 's Regiment and Corps of Drums of the ending delights of various cheeses, coffee, Port or
5th (Volunteer) Battalion The Queen's Liqueurs for the ladies. During our meal , 8 members of
The Quebec Band of The Queen 's Regiment, with kind
Regiment . permission of their Bandmaster W01 Cunningham
1230 : Bars open; followed by lunch: various Stati c played for our entertainment, dressed most splendidly in
red jackets, black trousers, white shirts and red bow
Displays and Events, Band Concert by The ties. They were magnificent, and all congratulations to
Queen's TA Band , sale of Regimentalia. their expertise and friendly manner to all our members
1400 : Freefall Display by the Flying Dragons . and their guests throughout the evening . By the time
1600: Beating Retreat by Combined Bands . they were throwing out the heavy beat , towards the end
1700: Dispersal . of the evening, their ties were off, red jackets followed ,
and rolled up shirt sleeves was the order of the day. If a
WOs' and Sgts' Past and Present Dinner - group of people can apply heart and soul, dedication
Saturday 17th October 1987 - Bassingbourn and sheer musical delight, then these were the men to
Barracks do it.

Tickets at £9 can be obtained on application from: HORNSEY BRANCH
Maj M J Ayling
Depot The Queen's Division by Ned Kelly, Secretary
Bassingbourn Barracks
Royston We have progressed well in the second half of our
Hertfordshire SG8 5LX inaugural year and celebrated our first Annual Dinner on
Friday 27th March.
The dinner is open to all Serving and Retired WOs
and Sgts of The Queen's Regiment and the Founding The Committee have set out a varied and interesting
Regiments . programme for 1987 which includes visits by Maj S M
Dowse, 21C Depot, Bassingbourn and a visit to Dover
The Executive and Annual General Meeting Castle later on in the year . Of course the big date is the
- 16th October 1987 - Duke of York's Head- Bassingbourn Reunion and we hope to have many more
quarters than the 30 or so that attended last year.

1100 : Large Committee Room , TAVR Association for We are very lucky at Hornsey to have in John Tanfield
Greater London . a caretaker who is 100 % for the branch and his wife
Maureen who runs the bar. They make the organising of
The Field of Remembrance - St Margarets social events a lot easier than it would be otherwise.
(Westminster) - 5th November 1987
Once again I must praise the hard work and time put
1130: Planting of Poppy Crosses by The Queen's in by the committee. An excellent Disco was organised
1200: Regimental Association Secretary . in November 1986 whi ch was a huge success . In fact the
Opening of the Field of Remembrance by Her profit made brought a long awaited smile from our
Majesty, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. treasurer, Ron A ldridge. We have two new members of
the committee in Mike Barton and Ken Titchmarsh and
SHEPWAY BRANCH both have proved a big asset . Other members of the
committee, namely Dave Oakley , Bill Murphy, Dennis
by Michael Sinden, Secretary Cadywould MBE, Ken Nye and Tim Barton have all
worked hard to ensure the success of the branch .
The 1st Annual Dinner and Dance for the Shepway However, it is the willingness of all our branch members
Branch, was held on Saturday 14th March 1987 at the to help when the need arises that is most encouraging .
Southcliffe Hotel situated right on top of the famous At our recent 0.22 range shoot Capt K I A Carter and
Leas in Folkestone . Trevor Canton together with Bi ll Murphy did all the hard
work and made sure that everyone who wished to fire
Over 61 people gathered there, members and their (including the ladies) did so in safety. Of course our
guests. They entered to an atmosphere of quietness and chairman, Maj Gerry Webb MBE is the one who keeps
uncertainty, and left in the early hours of the morning, us on our steady course .
utterly exhausted from the physical prowess on the
dance floor, and with shouts of gaiety, laughter and As we come to the end of our first year we will find
memment, members made their happy way to taxi 's or out how successful we have been when it comes to
even walked arm in arm along the Leas as did renewing subscriptions . W e are very hopeful.
generations before them, hand in hand, whispered
endearments, and a feeling of utter fulfillment.

61

News from our Affiliated Associations

The Queen's Royal
Surrey Regimental
Association of The
Queen's Regiment

The Queen 's (Southwark) branch of the Association Members present , who travelled from far afield in
held their Annual Dinner on 7th March 1985. many instances, thoroughly enjoyed the evening .

lt was a unique occasion, as this year the main guests The Belgian delegation at the Regimental Memorial in
were The President, Vice-President , Treasurer and Kennington Park after laying wreaths on the Sunday of
Secretary of The Patriotic Committee from Saint their visit. In the centre is Lt Col W D Griffiths, DSO MC,
Niklaas, Belgium, a City liberated by 1/7 Bn The flanked by the Southwark Branch of the Royal British
Queen 's Royal Regiment, with the support of 33 Royal
Tank Regt , on 9th September 1944. Legion and the Belgians.

Links of friendship have developed and been
maintained with the officials and citizens of Saint
Niklaas since the end of World War 11. Delegations from
the 1/7th Queen's have made annual visits, received
wonderful hospitality and developed firm friendships .
Therefore this visit to us by their representatives was
most welcome and gave the Association an opportunity
to reciprocate , not only at this Dinner but also over their
4 day visit .

Our President, Lt Col W D Griffiths, DSO MC, was in
the chair , and was CO at the time of the liberation of
Saint Niklaas. He welcomed the guests most heartily .
Mr Jose Huybrecht responded to the Toast of the
'Guests ' in a most feeling manner which was supported
by a message of goodwill from Burgomaster Paul De
Vidts (son of Romain De Vidts, the Burgomaster
liberated in 1944) , which was very ably read by
Commandant Rene Van Den Berg. Thier President was
presented with a Queen's Shield.

The Queen's Regimental
Association

(The Queen's Own Buffs)

CHANGE OF TITLE MERITORIOUS SERVICE CERTIFICATES

The Association Annual General Meeting was held in All members will wish to congratulate the four recent
the Lloyds of London Sports Club at Gillingham on 11 recipients of this award which is made not just for long
April 1987. The most important item was the decision to service but for a major contribution in terms of work and
change the title of our Association, and Albuhera Day value to the Association.
was selected as the most appropriate date . Therefore on
the 16 May 1987 our title became 'The Queen 's The President has recently presented certificates to:
Regimental Association (The Queen's Own Buffs) '. By
this change of title we wish to demonstrate that we Mr F A Turmaine - Canterbury Branch
consider ourselves part of The Queen 's Regiment and Mr H T G Woolnough - Bromley Bran ch
are confident that the proud traditions and history of our Mr F Jackson - Sittingbourne Branch
former famous regiments are now safely in the hands of Mr K G Hobbs - Medway Branch
the serving Queensmen today .

62 CANTERBURY REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
AND REUNION 2 AUGUST 1987
INTER BRANCH DARTS MATCH AND
DANCE 11 APRIL 1987

Medway Branch are once again to be congratulated After the appalling weather last year we have our
on the excellent evening that they organised for us at fingers crossed for 1987. The Commanding Officer 3
the Lloyds of London Social and Sports Club. The QUEENS has again kindly offered us the use of the JRC
attendance figures say much for the reputation and and the Square in Howe Barracks . Hopefully the sun
popularity that this event has earned. In fact as the will shine and we can sit outside on the grass as well as
figure attending has now passed 250, the organisers are inside the JRC . All timings have been put back by 15
already searching for larger accommodation in 1988. minutes and by doing this we hope to avoid the wait
Judging by the noise - not only the Dance Band - the outside the Cathedral before the Service . The 'fall in ' at
evening was enjoyed by all. the Sessions House Car Park is scheduled for 1205 hrs
and for those who are not marching, please be seated in
As usual the Darts Match was furiously and closely the Cathedral by 1245 hrs . Our old friends The Queen 's
fought . The eventual and deserving winners were Dover Regiment Band (TA) will be leading the march to and
Branch with the 62 Club hard on their heels as runners- from the Cathedral and will Beat Retreat at the end of
up . We were very honoured that the Mayor of the Reunion . We are hoping to employ different
Gillingham accepted our invitation to the evening and caterers for the packed lunches and every effort will be
we were delighted when she presented the prizes to the made to improve the standard of food . Come and join
winning teams . us for this important and traditional annual service , then
spend the afternoon meeting friends.
Next year we hope for even more support - put in
your diaries, 9 April 1988 - and Medway have promised MAIDSTONE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
to surpass even this year's efforts . We hope for
increased numbers of both people and chairs. Thank AND REUNION 13 SEPTEMBER 1987
you very much Medway.

THE QUEEN'S OWN ROYAL WEST KENT Last year we were delighted to find that numbers
were up to a very worthwhile figure. We are hoping for
REGIMENT OFFICERS' CLUB RECEPTION even more support from old comrades this year and if
so, we shall be able to continue the march from
Last year's reception was held at the Officer's Club in Brenchley gardens, past the Mayor at the Town Hall
the Duke of York's HO near Sloane Square and as every- and on to All Saints . The Queen 's Regiment Quebec
one appeared to enjoy it we intend to hold a similar Band will be leading the march and eveyone who is fit is
cocktail party this year on Thursday 21 May 1987 from invited and requested to take part in the march . The
6pm to 8pm. We had a good turnout in 1986 and hope Form-Up will take place in Brenchley Gardens at 1000
for an even better one in 1987. hrs . All old comrades , please come and support us . We
are hoping that the Reunion will take place at the Kent

Hall in the Corn Exchange complex, which was most

successful last year.

The Royal Sussex Regiment
Association

(Representing The Queen's Regiment in Sussex)

THE REGIMENTAL COMMITTEE FIELD OF REMEMBRANCE

The Royal Sussex Regimental Committee met on Attendance was very high at the Field of
Friday 6th March 1987. Col J Buckeridge was in the Remembrance , Westminster Abbey on Thursday 6th
chair . Present were: Col J Buckeridge, Col G J November 1986, when crosses were planted by Officers
Langridge TD, Col R R McNish, Col D A Beveridge and Branch Representatives. Following the ceremony
MBE, Lt Col GC M Bowser, Lt Col CM Joint, Lt Col J R old comrades attended a local hostelry for
G Stanton MBE DL, Lt Col J R Stephenson OBE, Maj J refreshments .
F Ainsworth, Maj V M A Tailby (Secretary) .

Apologies from Brig J B Ashworth CBE DSO, Brig M
R I Constantine OBE, Col N B Knocker OBE.

OFFICERS REUNION PARTY DEATHS

Once again a successful event was held at the Royal lt is with regret that the deaths are announced of Lt
Commonwealth Society under the presidency of Col J Col A J Odling-Smee OBE, Maj N P C Bailey MBE and
Buckeridge . Some fifty officers attended . Capt G H Cook .

63

Regimental Association of
The Middlesex Regiment (DCO)

(Affiliated with The Queen's Regiment)

KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL Sandling Tran sit Camp 11914-19) and bears th e
following inscription:
HM The Queen accompanied by HRH The Duke of
Edinburgh unveiled the memorial to those who lost their In memory of British Troops
lives during the Korean War 11950-53), on Wednesday Canadians 1916-17
11 March 1987, in the Crypt of St Paul's Cathedral. RAF Cadets

At this ceremony the regiment were represented by Lt 31 st Bn Middlesex Regiment
Col T W Chattey OBE, President of the Regimental and the Russian Relief Force.
Association, Maj Gen Sir John Willoughby KBE CB , Col
A M Man DSO, OBE. who commanded the 1st The Regimental Association had no knowledge of the
Battalion during this campaign, and many members of existence of this memorial. Over the years this memorial
the regiment who served in Korea. had gradually deteriorated and t he Saltwood Parish
Council decided that this memorial should be replaced
The memorial stone was in Korean black granite and with a stone replica and asked for donations towards
the stone carver was Mr David Kindersley, who was the the restoration . The regimental association responded
sculptor for the Falklands War Memorial. The design as did the RAF , the balance being met by the parish
included the regimental crest of every regiment and council. On Sunday 12 April 1987 a short service of re-
corps that served in the Korean War. dedication was held at the memorial , which is at the
junction of Sandy Lane and the A20 Inear Stone Farm)
6 Officers and 37 Other Ranks of our 1st Battalion Saltwood. The Secretary of the regimental association
were killed in this campaign. had the pleasure of attending and was invited to a
celebration 'sherry' at the conclusion of the ceremony.
PTE R E RYDER. VC
The 31st Battalion The Middlesex Regiment were
Pte R E Ryder VC , died on 1 December 1978, aged 82 formed on 8 September 1916 and were known as the
years, and is buried in Harefield Cemetery, Middlesex . 31st !Aliens) Battalion, all members being of foreign
The grave was marked with a wooden cross . A recent parentage. Many had fought with the regiment in the
visit to the Harefield Cemetery revealed that the grave Boer War. Ten members of this battalion appear on our
was in a dilapidated condition. The Regimental Roll of Honour.
Association have purchased a Commonwealth War
Graves type of headstone and this has now been THE OLD AND BOLD
erected on the grave. A rededication service will be
arranged later. On 29 January 1987, the regimental association had
the pleasure of sending our congratulations to former
Also in this cemetery is the grave of Lt Gen Gerald Pte Thomas Fredericks, on attaining his 100th birthday.
Littlehales Goodlake VC, Coldstream Guards, who died Tom Fredericks served with our 1st and 4th battalions in
on 5 August 1890, aged 57. This Victoria Cross was World War 1, and was at Mons and the Somme. Tom is
awarded for heroism in the Crimea. lt must be unique to a very sprightly centurion and lives in Tower Hamlets,
find the graves of two holders of the Victoria Cross in London .
one cemetery.
A younger member of the regiment , Pte Robert
MEMORIAL CROSS - EAST SANDLING Elliott, of Stockport, who will be 97 in November, has
just sent to me numerous documentary mementoes of
A letter from Mr Brian Doorne of Saltwood Parish the 25th Battalion 's stay in Hong Kong in 1917-18. The
Council , Hythe, Kent, informed the regimental battalion survived the sinking of the SS Tyndareus off
association that a wooden memorial cross was erected South Africa in 1917. The 25th Battalion went on to
after the First World War to mark the site of the East serve in Omsk, Siberia in 1918-19.

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64

AFFILIATIONS
HMS NELSON (EXCELLENT) - A SHORT HISTORY

In 1794 on the 1st June, Admiral Lord Howe's hospitality and dinner in the host messes, the venue
flagship , HMS QUEEN CHARLOTIE la Ship of the alternating between Canterbury and Portsmouth . This
Line), was in battle against the French . Complemented commemorates the Battle of the Glorious First of June.
onboard her were the Queen's Royal Regiment , who
fought alongside HMS QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S crew. Meanwhile, the training of Naval Ratings on Whale
This was the "Battle of the Glorious First of June". In Island has continued past 1st October 1985 when HMS
1830 HMS QUEEN CHARLOTIE became a Gunnery EXCELLENT ceased to be an independent Command
Training Ship, and her name was changed HMS Establishment . The duties of HMS EXCELLENT are now
EXCELLENT, the third ship in the Royal Navy to be transferred to HMS NELSON , A Shore Establishment in
named EXCELLENT. Portsmouth . So, first links towards the affiliation of
HMS EXCELLENT and The Queen's Regiment, started
By 1885 HMS EXCELLENT was moored on the mud - in 1794, are carried on in HMS NELSON .
flats adjoining the island in Portsmouth Harbour known
today as Whale Island . Her Captain, Captain J A Fisher, HMS NELSON' S past is different to that of HMS
realised that the facilities onboard did not meet the ever EXCELLENT . In 1847 amongst Portsmouth's Portsea
increasing requirements demanded by the Gunnery Defences and alongside the Duke of Yark Bastion,
Branch . By 1691 , buildings had been erected around Anglesey Barracks was built. This was purchased from
HMS EXCELLENT thus extending the training the Army by the Royal Navy in the 1900's to be used for
capabilities ashore. Whale Island now became the Barrack purposes and named Royal Navy Barracks
principle location of HMS EXCELLENT. (HMS VICTORY) Portsmouth. The resulting situation
was that the Admiralty were now left with two
Ties between The Queen's Regiment and HMS VICTORY'S :
EXCELLENT were further strengthened when in 1924
the Colonel-in-Chief (Queen's) Sir Charles Monroe (then (a) The Flagship of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson .
Governor of Gibraltar) conferred upon HMS (b) Royal Navy Barracks, Portsmouth.
EXCELLENT the honour of using at all times the
Regimental March "Braganza " . On the day conferred , a On the 1st August 1974 (Anniversary of the Battle of
mess dinner with The Queen 's Regimental Band playing the Nile) the Royal Naval Barracks Portsmouth , by
"Braganza" was held in HMS EXCELLENT Wardroom . permission of Her Majesty The Queen , became HMS
Ever since then the port is passed at Mess Dinners NELSON.
accompanied by the March " Braganza " .
The primary aim of HMS NELSON today is the
A Cricket Match between The Queen's Regiment and personnel support of the Fleet and all the Servicemen
HMS EXCELLENT is held annually and is followed by and Women who work in this great and busy Naval
Establishment .

HMS LEEDS CASTLE

Another 6 months has passed and HMS Leeds Castle Queen's Regiment of their affiliation with the ship.
continues to work hard in her role as an Offshore Patrol Any Battalion wishing to send some soldiers to the
Vessel. So fish and oil rigs remain the order of the day. ship for a short liaison visit is cordially invited to
write to the ship so that arrangements can be
The ship has maintained her record of finding fishing
skippers who infringe the conservation regulations . In made.
October last year the Spanish fishing vessel " Uricen
Uno" was escorted to Falmouth where the skipper
pleaded guilty to falsifying his log book and retaining
undersize fish . More recently in the North Sea the
Danish fishing vessel " UIIa Moeller" was found keeping
huge quantities of small immature herring; he was
subsequently fined by the magistrates at North Shields.

Last Autumn Leeds Castle thoroughly enjoyed a visit
to the West German river port of Bremen . Having
negotiated the River Weser, the ship duly berthed
alongside and was well received by the local people.
Happily this visit coincided with the town's Frei Markt
(better known as beer festival) and was much enjoyed
by all the ship's company .

At the time of writing the ship is planning visits to
Copenhagen and Rotterdam - something for all to look
forward to.

The Commanding Officer of Leeds Castle would
like to take this opportunity of reminding The

65

No 3 (FIGHTER) SQUADRON

by Fit Lt P Adams

Throughout t he last twelve months 3 (F) Squadron .-- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

have again achieved a record number of flying hours

and sorties in RAFG . We participated in 2 field

deployments, 1 field Tactical Evaluation , 2 Deployments

to IAF Decimomannu in Sardinia and a demanding NBC

trial whilst deployed in the field . Although the quantity
has been stressed the quality did not suffer because

overall results attained by the Squadron have been very

high .

In July 1986 3 (F) was involved in Exercise " Hill Foil ",

a two week field deployment, flying in support of the
British and German armies . We operated out of three

sites in the Bergen Hohne training area and whilst in the At the beginning of October 1986 we deployed to
first week here one of the sites took part in the RAF's Decimomannu in Sardinia where USAF F15s and
first full scale assessment of NBC operations in the field
called 'Trial Arbitrator'. Aggressor F5s provided the opposition for air combat
training . Furthermore, good use was made of the

Much preparation had led up to this with small facilities there for the junior pilots on the Squadron to
modifications to the aircraft for the installation of acquire a better understanding of missile parameters
medical monitoring apparatus . All the personnel taking and tactics and gain experience fighting with them
part would remain in a simulated NBC ' Black ' against other Harriers . These like v like combats can
environment throughout the four days of the trial. With sometimes become quite 'wo und-up ' and inevitably it is
a team of approximately 150 scientists, technicians, he who makes the first mistake dies! Consequently ,
medical assessors etc everybody from the pilots to using the recording and display equipment at
groundcrew were observed closely and monitored for Decimomannu each combat ca n be debriefed in 3D and
stress , physical discomfort and mental strain and any of these mistakes or poor shots played back to
exhaustion and all whilst still being expected to continue clarify to the combatants just where they occurred and
with and achieve the flying tasks set them . how best to rectify arid improve their tactics . Two
weeks of solid flying in a warm autumn sun with
The pilots flew all their sorties in Harrier T4 two copious quantities of sea food and Lambrusco wine
seaters, with a safety pilot in the rear seat to assist and made it a welcome change before heading back to a
take over if necessary should the front seat pilot - fully damp, cold Gutersloh.
dressed in aircrew AR5 NBC gear, become incapaci-
tated in any way. This is no undue inference on the However, after a well earned rest for the Squadron at
ability of the pilots involved , more a necessary Christmas we were back in Sardinia in January 1987 for
precaution, for with a daily sorties rate of 4-6 trips and our Armament Practice Camp. During the 3 weeks of
the detachment we dropped a variety of weapons with
temperatures of 70°C + anticipated heat stress and varying attack profiles on Capo Frasca range on the
west coast of Sardinia. Fortunately, the unpredictable
exhaustion was expected to have some effect on pilot winter weather of the Mediterranean was held in
abeyance for the 3 weeks and all the pilots achieved the
performance . NATO standards for bombing and strafe.

Happily we are able to report that this happened quite
infrequently . Moreover, on completion of Trial
Arbitrator the site quickly returned to ' normal ' field opo

and enjoyed a good weeks flying to complete their Future events to take place for 3 (F) Squadron are

deployment . many and varied , however, we are soon to have a team
frQm the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit visit us for
During September 1986 the Squadron again deployed the annual pilots standardisation checks. For obvious
into the field for Exercise Hazel Flute. Operating out of reasons , these are known amongst the pilots as the
three field sites in the Sennelager area. In the first week 'Trappers' ! Notwithstanding their effect upon us,
the Squadron concentrated on improving· field opera- pleasant or painful , we then incur a week of Standards
tions, consolidating flying tactics and manoeuvres in evaluations from the Standards wing at RAF Gutersloh
preparation for the Tactical Evaluation in the second - out of the frying pan and into the fire! All is not as
week. Unfortunately the flying was hampered during bad as it seems however, for a few lucky pilots will then
the evaluation by bad weather and so emphasis was depart for Anglesey in Wales to fire a number of live air
given to the 'ground play' in which the Squadron
ground personnel gave a good account of themselves . to air missiles in the large weapons range of Cardigan
Additionally , once sufficient flying tasks were achieved , Bay. Hitherto, this practise has been limited to the Air
the Squadron came through the Evaluation very well Defence elements of the RAF , and is therefore a
indeed learning a few lessons in the process for precedent that our 2 sister Harrier Squadrons can
improvement in the future . follow . Overall , 3 (Fighter) Squadron enjoyed
considerable flying success in 1986.
In the course of his flying the first week Wg Cdr B S
Morris OC 3 (F) Squadron attained 2000flying hours on The close association with the Regiment has

the Harrier. A notable achievement for considering the co ntinued now that 2 QUEENS are in Minden . lt was , of

average Harrier sortie length is 40-45 minutes it follows cou rse , this Battalion, and Lt Col M R M Newall in

that the Boss has climbed into a jet more times than the particular, that began this friendship in 1974. The

hours reflect! present Commanding Officer, Lt Col P C Cook ,

accompanied by Maj A M F Jelf and Maj H A P Yorke look forward to further soc ial gatherings during the
came for lunch and a look round in early January 1987. year.
CO2 QUEENS spent 45 mins over W Germany in one of
Finally, in May of this year 3 (F) Squadron will
our Harriers and may well have regretted it by the end . celebrate its 75th Annive rsary making it the oldest
Wg Comd B S Morris OBE AFC and Fit Lt D Walker paid established Squadron in the Royal Air Force .
a return visit for a Regimental Dinner in February . We

5th BATTALION (WELLINGTON, WEST COAST AND

TARANAKI) ROYAL NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY REGIMENT

(Taken from a letter to the Editor from Capt A J Martin RNZIR who leaves the battalion shortly
to join NZSASl

We are now 'drawing breath' after our Annual Camp Field Squadron provided first class engineer support for
held over the period 7-21 February. The camp was the us and allowed the soldiers to witness , first hand, the
highlight of our training year , and provided our type of support engineers are able to provide . Sleep was
Territorial soldiers with the opportunity to complete at a premium as on consecutive nights we crossed the
their annual training requirements . Wanganui River (by aluminium foot bridge spanning a
90 metre gap). paddled down the Wanganui River, and
The camp was based in Wanganui and we were able completed the withdrawal on foot and vehicle into a
to make use of some excellent training areas up the local state forest .
Wanganui River valley . The first three days of camp
were spent in preparation for parades to re-confirm our The highlights of this phase were the conduct of a
Charters with the Cities of New Plymouth and Hawera. real reserve demolition tasks on a bridge previously
These two parades went extremely well and we were constructed by the engineers and our Assault Pioneers,
heartened by the strong showing of public support in and the success of using pack horses to transport our
both areas. Our Pipes and Drums, almost at full mortars over the difficult terrain.
strength, lead the way in fine style.
From the harbour in the forest we prepared for a
With the ceremonial aspects behind us we then con- seaborne assault to retake a prominent piece of ground
centrated on individual and section level training . The overlooking the Wanganui River mouth. Safety
basis for this training was several testing and restrictions meant that our attack was conducted during
frighteningly realistic live firing exercises, including an the day, however. This provided great interest to many
HE grenade assault course . The confidence and interest local spectators . Our earlier training with the Navy paid
imparted to the soldiers from participation in this type of off and the smooth transfer from ship to assault boat to
training has ensured that we will continue to base as beach head proved a major factor in the success of the
much training as possible on a live firing theme. operation . To complete the tri service flavour of the
camp the RNZAF supported our attack with skyhawk
Late in the first week we undertook two days FGA .
familiarisation training with a patrol craft of the Royal
New Zealand Navy. Our soldiers practised embarkation The finale for our Annual Camp was a street march
and disembarkation drills over the ship's side into through Wanganui on the last morning. Various orders
engineer assault boats, and then conducted training in of dress were worn, with the emphasis being on battle
assault beach landings . This experience was to be order, and displaying some of our new kit. The camp
tested at the end of our final exercise. proved to be an outstanding success and has served to
put 5WWCT on the training map.
A demanding and ambitious withdrawal exercise took
place over the final five days of annual camp. The We are now involved in implementing the 1987-88
battalion conducted its withdrawal over approximately training year and look forward to an equally interesting
60 km of rugged Wanganui bushland. 6 Independent camp in February 1988.

, ,~~ ·f~>4• THE HABERDASHERS' COMPANY

"t< by Capt M E Barrow, DSO RN
\
Since our last contribution an Accountant by profession and a former Middlesex
,/,~/· to The Queen's Regiment Regiment National Serviceman.

Journal , formal opportunities During the past year, we have been pleased to
for " military encounters" welcome the Colonel of the Regiment, two Deputy
between the Company and our affiliated Regiment have Colonels and several Officers and Warrant Officers to
been fewer than in the previous year. This may be the Hall for various Livery occasions . lt was also a
attributable to the former connections of Mr Northcott, pleasure to have Colonel Bob Ackworth at
the Master (1985/ 86) who served in the Royal Navy
during his National Service, but more likely, was due to Haberdashers ' Aske 's, Elstree for the CCF "Inspection"
the incompatible dates and the overseas commitments early last year.

of the Regiment. However social and sporting The cricket and golf matches between the
encounters have continued with increased enthusiasm! Haberdashers' Company and the Regiment in 1986 were

Mr Northcott was succeeded as Master on St both won by the Company but not without some

Catherine's Day (25th November! by Mr Geoffrey Fox , assistance by " Home Goals " ! Queensmen and

67

Haberdashers ' meet on sundry other occasions, the Company as The Queen 's Regiment except the
wittingly or otherwise, and as friendships increase in the former ca nnot be made free of the Company in view of
future these encounters should become more frequent the inanimate nature of a sh ip coup led with the
and even more pleasurable . cha nging identity of her company . In every other
respect, however, we hope that a meaningful liaison
Other events of significance to the Company in the between the ship and the Company can be established
past year have been the election of her Royal Highness and that maybe, in the future , triangular competitions or
The Princess Margaret, a Freeman since 1961, to the occasions can be staged!
Court of Assistants as an Assistant, Honoris Causa .
This is the first time a member of the Royal Family has In the year ahead Haberdashers' look forward to
been a member of the Court of Assistants since HRH attending various Regimental functions including
The Prince Arthur of Connaught (Master 1935) died in several training exercises and to meeting some more
1937. Also of note was the affiliation to the Company of Queensmen at Haberdashers' Hall and elsewhere in the
Her Majesty's Ship BRAVE, a brand new type 22 City .
frigate. Brave now has roughly similar status vis-a-vis

LETTERS

London SW17 7JA Mrs Sue Hamilton married Mr David Roberts on 24
12 February 1987 Jan 87 . The Officers' Club sent a small crystal vase as a
wedding present.
To the Editor

Dear Sir, To the Editor Church Stretton

May I express my gratitude, and admiration for your 16 January 1987
efficiency in your extremely prompt response to my
letter requesting the December 1986 copy of the Dear John,
Journal. In return I attach a cheque for £2 to cover that
copy and a banker's order for future copies. I was delighted and very surprised to receive earlier
this week the parcel containing a very beautiful little
1 found the Journal excellent - and I congratulate all crystal vase .
concerned - as one who has never served in the
Regiment I felt extremely interested in all the articles and David and I would be grateful if you would convey to
almost felt the pride of the Regiment and knew all those all Members of the Officers ' Club our very sincere
mentioned . lt linked the " Old Regiments" and the " Old thanks for their kindness and good wishes .
Sweats" with the present generation of active
servicemen , and the young , via your affiliated Cadets. lt Yours ever,
is like the best of school magazines, intimate and SUE HAMILTON
friendly , and full of concern for the past , present and
future. How lucky Britain has been that, over a hundred Harbledown .
years' ago, men like Cardwell and Garnet Wolseley
created, from anonymous numbers, a "family" within 17 May 1987
regiments by county and city designations! The PBI 's,
despite their "black sheep ", became the pride of their To the Editor
town or county .
Dear Sir,
The amalgamations of the 1960s were extremely
distressing and must have made the re-formation of a I should like to say how much I enjoyed my visit to
new regiment from such brilliant individual groups very, Dover Castle yesterday for the official opening of The
very difficult. The anger and pain in London , Kent and
Sussex was immense. After more than twenty years Queen's Regiment Museum , and through you, to thank
your Journal shows that the problem has been the Colonel of the Regiment and all concerned for their
overcome and the family spirit has been completely re- hospitality and for the success of the occasion. The
established.
museum itself is an exciting series of tableaux which
Yours sincerely, illustrate various events in the history of the Regiment
BRIAN GOSTICK and I heard many favourable comments about them .

To the Regimental Secretary from Maj John Gamlin , The 'linking ' material in the form of placards was
QUEENS, who is leading a Cycling Expedition of 9 (6 informative, but it is a pity that there were some
from 2 QUEENS) in the Himalayas. inaccuracies and omissions . For example , the title of
The Buffs was first used officially at least as early as
"The Queen 's Regiment battle flag flew on the 1747 ; and from 1751 onwards the title was the 'The
Nepal / Tibet Border on 1Oth April ! Regret that after Regiment or The Buffs' until 1782 when East Kent was
only a few days in Tibet we had to turn back due to tacked on. Then there must be some doubt about the
rock falls. Expedition going well - we are off to statement that the Regiment's first service overseas was
Annapurna today. in Tangier (I forget the exact wording of the relevant
notice). So far as The Buffs are concerned , I should like
(We hope for a full report and pictures of the to refer to a serious omission which I hope may be
expedition in our next edition - Editor). rectified .

On 1 May this year The Queen 's Regiment , through
its descent from The Buffs, was 415 years old . Apart
from a brief notice that The Buffs were raised in 1572 to
fight for the Dutch, there is no reference to the first
ninety-three years of the Regiment's history. And yet ,

68 Another factor affecting the exhibition as a whole
was the deadline of Albuhera Day. The works services
from 1572 to 1665, the English regiments in Dutch pay , took longer than anticipated and the exhibition was not
hereafter called The Buffs if I may be excused the completely finished by 16 May . English Heritage officials
anachronism, fought at least fifty actions, many of have been informed about the mistakes and omissions
which would have qualified for battle honours in later and these will be put right in the near future , but it must
centuries. To name but a few: Defence of Flushing be stressed that ALL THE QUEEN ' S MEN is, literally,
1572; Reminant 1578; Defence of Bergen-op-Zoom just that: all the Queen 's Men: an exhibition which tries
1588 ; Capture of Zutphen 1591; Cadiz 1596 ; Nieuport to strike an even balance between the four Counties
1600; Capture of Masstricht 1632 ; Capture of Breda without giving undue weight to any individual forbea;
1637 . Regiment.
Editor's Note . Those interested in the ea rly history of
Throughout those years in Dutch service, The Buffs the Regiment may wish to consult the Dutch Army List,
were led by many distinguished soldiers: Sir Thomas entitled:
Morgan, our founder, and Sir Charles Morgan ; General
Sir John Norris; at least five Veres, of whom one, Sir ' Hoofdofficieren Der lnfanterie Van 1568 Tot 1813' by
Francis, led his veterans to Cadiz ; two Robert Sidneys, Capt H Ringoir , published by 'Sectie Militaire
the second of whom became the first Colonel of The Geschiednis Van De Landmachtstaf' , S-Gravenhage
Holland Regiment; Lieutenant Colonel William Proude, 1981 ' .
killed at Maastricht in 1632 and whose memorial is in the This gives the names of field officers of the English
Warrior's Chapel in Canterbury Cathedral ; and Captain regiments in Dutch pay from 1593 onwards .
George Monck , who commanded the Colonel's com-
pany in Goring's Regiment at Breda in 1637, who went FREE ENTRY TO REGIMENTAL MUSEUM
on to serve the King in the Civil War and later, under Members of the Regimental Association and the
Cromwell, to found The Coldstream Guards. Associations of our founding Regiments, on showing
Incidentally, Goring also fought manfully for the King in their membership cards, may obtain free entry to Dover
the Civil War , as did Prince Rupert of the Rhine and his Castle in order to visit the new Regimental Museum in
younger brother Maurice, both of whom served at the Inner Bailey.
Breda as volunteers in Monck's company.
Col and Mrs John Holman with their daughter Louise
The Queen 's Regiment quite correctly describes itself following her marriage to Lt Mark Taylor 4/7 DG on 4th
as the senior English infantry regiment . With equal
propriety it could and should proclaim itself to be the April 1987.
oldest regular regiment, horse or foot, in the British
Army.

Through its descent from The Buffs, The Queen's
Regiment also has the distinction of being the only
British corps to have taken part in all the wars fought to
preserve the balance of power in Europe ; for the first of
these was caused by the ambitions of Philip 11 of Spain
who tried and failed to suppress the Dutch revolt, to
subvert the kingdom of France and to conquer England .

Is it too much to hope that some description of these
services may be found a place in the new museum of
The Queen 's Regiment?

I am Sir,
Your obedient servant,
N D Poulsen

The Regimental Historian writes:

The two factors exerting the greatest influence on the
design and contents of ALL THE QUEEN ' S MEN in
Dover Castle were money and space. Lack of space
made it impossible to include everything all the 'forbear'
Regiments would wish and, since the graphic work is
extremely expensive, the wording of descriptions and
captions had to be kept as short as possible.

The graphic work was not done by Regimental HQ
but English Heritage, and the procedure adopted
therefore had its limitations from the start. All the
material relevant to regimental histories, incidents,
captions and tableaux was prepared in detail but as
succinctly as possible , and what is now in the exhibition
was extracted by English Heritage in the light of funds
available. Unfortunately, errors crept in during this
extraction, and though every effort was made by
Regimental HQ to correct them in time, there are still
flagrant mistakes and omissions.

69

FORTHCOMING MARRIAGES

Lt A G Jones and Miss S M Oliver Capt C G Lambert and Miss S J Latham

The engagement is announced between Lt Adrian The engagement is announced between Capt Charles
George Jones , The Queen 's Regiment , son of Mr and Lambert , The Queen 's Regiment, son of Col C G
Mrs D G Jones of Petts Wood , Kent, and Susan Mary, Lambert of Newport, Isle of Wight and Mrs D M
daughter of Mr and Mrs Oliver of Orpington , Kent . Renshaw of Beddingham, Sussex and Sarah , daughter
of Mr M J Latham of Putney, London and Mrs P H
Brumham of Lower Chute , Hampshire .

Mr Wyndham Fletcher and Mrs Gregory
Blaxland

A marriage has been arranged between Wyndham
Fletcher MC TO of Bodsham Lodge and Elizabeth ,
widow of Maj Gregory Blaxland , late The Buffs, of
Heppington, Canterbury .

MARRIAGES

CLARKE - JENNINGS - On 3 November 1984, Pte WILCOCK - KNIGTH - On 22 November 1986, Pte
R D Clarke to Miss Linzi Mary Jennings . J D Wilcock to Beverly Knigth .

SURGE - KIRCHEN - On 19 July 1986, Pte D M GIFFORD - GILES - On 22 November 1986, Pte T D
Burge to Miss Lorna Kirchen . Gifford to Miss Deana Ellen Giles .

GREEN - PARFREY - On 26 July 1986, Pte P W WALKER - CARTY- On 10 December 1986, Pte J
Green to Miss Dawn Julie Parfrey. Walker to Miss Christina Ann -Marie Carty .

WARD - ARANJO - On 18 September 1986, Pte L STEDMAN - JONES - On 13 December 1986, Pte
S Ward to Miss Mercedes Lupe Aranjo. J Walker to Miss Sara-Jane Elizabeth Jones.

OGDEN - HOPKINS - On 20 September 1986, Pte PEARSON - WRIGHT - On 13 December 1986, Pte
N P T Ogden to Miss Linda Louise Hopkins . D Pearson to Miss Toni Gait Wright.

ORSBORN - SMITH - On 29 September 1986, Pte WEEDING - ANDERSON - On 13 December 1986,
A Orsborn to Reana Elsanor Louise Smith. Pte M I Weeding to Moria Louise Anderson.

ATKINS - BOLTON - On 180ctober 1986, PteTW WALKDEN - BAUMBER - On 20 December 1986,
Atkins to Miss Carol Bolton. Pte N J Walkden to Miss Nicolette Baumber.

GOWLER - BALL - On 18 October 1986, Pte P M WILSON - O' HALLORAN - On 27 December 1986,
Gowler to Miss Katherine Ball .
Pte J S Wilson to Miss Leigh Margaret O' Halloran ,
PARKER - SULLIVAN - On 18 October 1986, LCpl SCHARBO - NUSSMANN - On 30 December
R Parker to Miss Glynis Sullivan.
1986, Pte E C Scharbo to Miss Stephanie Nussmann.
DAWSON - WALKER - On 18 October 1986, Pte C BRIERLEY - TRAVIS - On 31 December 1986, Pte
B Dawson to Miss Andrea Evelyn Walker .
P Brierley to Miss Carol Marion Travis .
JONES - BARNARD - On 25 October 1986, Pte G WEIR - PAR CELL - On 10 January 1987, Pte R P
C Jones to Miss Michelle Lorraine Barnard .
Weir to Miss Caroline Parcell .
LOATES - McKAY - On 25 October 1986, LCpl N F DAVIDSON - SANDRA - On 16 January 1987,
Loates to Miss Ann McKay.
WOII D A Davidson to Michelle Sandra .
MORRIS - FOWLER - On 25 October 1986, Pte R E
Morris to Miss Kathryn Marion Anne Fowler . COS KIN - MEACHEN - On 17 January 1987, Cpl P
E Coskin to Miss Anne Janet Meachen .
SANDLAND - HOLLAND - On 25 October 1986,
LCpl M A Sandland to Miss Michelle Holland. LAWSON - SI MONS - On 17 January 1987, Pte F
G Lawson to Miss lrene Simons.
WATSON- COYLE - On 25 October 1986, Pte A L
Watson to Miss Susan Elizabeth Bebe Coyle. FURIE - ALLAN - On 17 January 1987, Cpl K M
Furie to Miss Lyinda Carol Allan .
COMLEY - HOLLAND - On 28 October 1986, Cpl
M E Comley to Nichola Lee Holland . HOOPER - JARREL - On 19 January 1987, Pte S J

ARCHER - TARRENT - On 30 October 1986, LCpl Hooper to Miss Nichola Sonia Jarrel.
D A Archer to Glenys Ann Tarrent. FLANAGAN - LOVE - On 21 January 1987. Pte D

BURNS - STOKES - On November 1986, Pte C J Flanagan to Miss Julie Dawn Love .
Burns to Miss Sandie Stokes.
MUNNERY - MONAGHAN - On 24 January 1987,
BROWN - HAZELWOOD - On 5 November 1986, LCpl C Munnery to Miss Donna Marie Monaghan.
Sgt E R Brown to Miss Jane Lesley Hazelwood .
COVEY - CHAMPENY - On 7 February 1987, Cpl D
COTIAM - WILLIAMS - On 8 November 1986, Cpl
M I Cottam to Marion Lynn Williams. W Covey to Miss Helen Jane Champeny .
FIELDS - BARRETT - On 7 February 1987, LCpl G
HAMMOND - BURNS - On 15 November 1986,
Cpl R Hammond to Carol Elizabeth Burns . G Fields to Miss Amanda Jayne Barrett .
MORRIS - TAPP - On 14 February 1987, Pte A J
TEMPLETON - SANDERSON - On 22 November
1986, Cpl M J Templton to Miss Lu ci nda Jan e Morris to Carate Anne Tapp .
Sanderson. SARGEANT - BANE - On 14 February 1987, Pte K

W A Sargeant to Miss Alisa Jinette Bane .

70

PARAMAN - CEELY - On 20 February 1987, Pte S CUMMINGS - OESTREICH - On 27 February 1987
C Paraman to Miss Pauline Ceely .
Cpl N D Cummings to Miss Karin Oestreich. '
BAILEY - LARARD - On 21 February 1987, Cpl R J
JONES - GRAE - On 9 Marc h 1987, Pte S T R
Bailey to Miss Jacqueline Larard .
ZEPHAR- OSWALD- On 21 February 1987, Pte R Jones to Miss Michelle Anita Grae.

L C Zephar to Miss Sarah Jayne Oswald . OB BARD - ALDRIDGE - On 14 March 1987, Pte S
GASKIN - HOLMES - On 21 February 1987, Pte A
P Obbard to Miss Katherine Aldridge .
D Gaskin to Miss Karen Louise Holmes .
THWAITES - JONES - On 21 February 1987, Pte I BLACKMAN - - On 28 March 1987

R L Thwaites to Miss Belinda Jones LCpl T J Blackman to Miss Emma Elizabeth '

DEATHS

BAILEY - On 21 Dec 86, peacefully in hospital, Maj COOK - On 6 Mar 87, suddenly in hospital , Capt
John Patrick Curran (Bill) Bailey MBE LRAM ARCM , George Herbert Cook , late R SUSSEX.
former Director of Music 1/ 2 GR and Bandmaster 2 R
BEATTIE - On 24 Mar 87 , peacefully after a long
SUSSEX. illness, Maj I D Beattie, late QUEENS .

INGLEFIELD-WATSON - On 27 Jan 87, Capt Sir HUTCHINGS - On 9 Apr 87, suddenly , Lt Col R D
Derrick lnglefield-Watson BT TD , formerly RWK . Hutchings, late MIDDX. much loved husband of Andy
and father of Jane.
SHARMAN - On 4 Feb 87, former W01 R L S

Sharman, the last RSM of 1 BUFFS . BENSON - On 1 May 1987, suddenly, Maj R J
Benson, late QUEENS .
CROZIER - On 24 Feb 87, peacefully at home, Maj
Francis George (Jimmy) Crozier MBE, late The Buffs.

OBITUARY

RSM R L S IBOB) SHARMAN - AN APPRECIATION

Maj Alan Martin MBE, writes: year tour of duty in British Guiana as it was then known .

Bob Sharman joined The Buffs via 12 ITC at Depot lt was around this time that he and Nora bought a
The Buffs in 1939. He became a Corporal Instructor and place in Canterbury and it was fortuitous that for the last
despite his many attempts to join a battalion on active five years of his service he was to enjoy a degree of
service he remained at Canterbury until 1943. His wish settled life interspersed with air flights to the far flung
to join a battalion of his Regiment was to be thwarted corners of the world as a Courier.
for three more years when he embarked for West Africa
where he joined 81st West African Division and served lt was on one of these Courier runs to the Far East
with distinction in India and Burma, participating in the that he suffered a severe heart attack and had to be
celebrated Chindit Campaign. medically evacuated home.

He joined the 2nd Battalion The Buffs in Hong Kong He took up emp loyment with the Kent County
in 1946 followed by a five year stay with 4/ 5th Battalion Education Office. Whilst he was to be seen at most of
The Buffs TA until 1953 when he was selected as a the regimental reunions in Canterbury, his first love was
member of the 1st Battalion Coronation Party. He then the Burma Star Association and he was a founder-
swapped ceremonial uniform for Jungle Green and member of the Canterbury Branch. He played a
joined 1st Battalion The Buffs who were engaged at the prominent part in the village affairs of Rough Common
time in anti-Mau Mau operations in Kenya. This is where and was a staunch and vociferous supporter of, and
I met him for the first time and as a young and green fund raiser for, the Canterbury Football Club.
Sergeant I had much to thank him for by way of mature
and wise counselling. Bob died suddenly at home in the company of his
devoted wife Nora on 4th February 1987. Following a
He remained with the 1st Battalion for the subsequent funeral service at St Michael 's Church, Harbledown , he
tours of Dover and Wuppertal until his appointment in was interred at Canterbury Cemetery on 11th February .
1957 as Regimental Sergeant Major Depot The Buffs, The principal mourners and family were supported by a
graduating to RSM of the 1st Battalion in Dortmund strong contingent of the Burma Star Association , by
through to the Amalgamation at Shorncliffe, in March representatives of the Regimental Association of The
1961, of The Buffs and The Queen's Own Royal West Queen's Own Buffs (Canterbury Branch) and by many
Kent Regiment. He was thus the last RSM of 1st colleagues and friends from his Regiment.
Battalion The Buffs and as such was appointed to
escort the Colours of the two battalions on the We extend our sympathy to Nora, his widow , and to
Amalgamation Day Parade . the children, Paul and Marion . Those of us fortunate
enough to have served under his influence will recall
Between 1961 and 1965 he held the appointments of with affection Bob as a soldier, as a Regimental
RSM 5th Battalion The Buffs (TA) and Garrison Sergeant Major who could combine firmness with
Sergeant Major Shorncliffe Garrison, followed by a two fairness and remain a gentleman throughout , and as a
full time humanitarian .

71

EXERCISE PERUVIAN VENTURE 28 MAY- 1 AUGUST 1986

by Capt D G Strutt 12 QUEENS)

"Great things are done when men and mountains meet. This is not done by jostling in the
street" William 8/ake

In 1986 the Army Mountaineering Association before stepping onto the wilderness of ice . After one
mounted an expedition to the Peruvian Andes to climb hour we stood at the foot of the final ice ramp which
Nevada Alpamayo (5976m) by the Ferrari Route on the gave access to the col and the camp which had been
SW Face . The first ascent had been made in 1975 by an established during the ascent made by other members
Italian Party. The expedition was the first in a series of of the team . After the top of the ice ramp we crossed
expeditions culminating in the future attempt of the two final crevasses before attaining the ridge and seeing
west ridge of Everest by a British Services team in 1988. the face close up for the first time . The spectacle was
stunning. Rising from a sea of snow and ice stood a
it would not be possible to deal with the whole trip in tilting wall of ice, cut by a gaping bergschrund from the
so short an article. I have therefore focussed on the rest of the scene , draped with curtains of ice flutings
ascent of Alpamayo made by Capt John Garrett 1 GREN and beckoning. We sat down to absorb the view.
GDS and myself. Many other ascents were made of Charles Darwin captured the wonder when he wrote in
various mountains throughout the two months in Peru . Voyage of the Beagle,

Alpamayo was to be our second mountain . We had " These vast piles of snow, which never melt and
climbed Artesonraju (6025m) by the NE glacier and East seem destined to last as long as the world holds
face and were acclimatising well. Base camp was a together, present a noble and even sublime spectacle".
confused haven of fresh food , sunshine and exchanged
news amongst the various teams in the valley . The In front of us were the three tents of the col camp,
bustle of Lima was far behind us and we had tasted the nestling among the jumbled seracs. A secure haven
delights of Andean giants after only four days in the amid such confusion . We were welcomed by some of the
valley. Following our ascent of Artesonraju , John and I team and watched the mountain as two other of our
left two days free to recover before setting off for ropes achieved the top of the Ferrari. Their return to the
Alpamayo . In 1966 an international committee voted it col was greeted with much shaking of hands and tea
the most beautiful mountain in the world with its drinking before we sat down to watch the mountain
gracefully tilting ice fluttings catching the falling sun. glow red in the falling light .

The mountain remains hidden throughout the 17 June
approach to the SW face , only appearing as you reach
the col at 5400m. Our route from base camp took us Dawn , cold , clear , greeting two tired bodies
through the high grazing pastures of the Ouechua ensconced in warm sleeping bags. A brew is forced
Indians to the foot of a vast moraine left by the down as we prepare for the ascent .
receeding glacier. We toiled for three hours up the
vague path through the steepening debris, surrounded "0 Day is not just a build-up on the south coast, we
on all sides by rocks and dust. By mid afternoon we had must go on the offensives"
reached the snowline and could see the path taken by
other members of the team who had already climbed the My thoughts , stolen from Peter Boardman who died
mountain. on Everest in 1982. We set off at 0830 and in the hour
were at the bergschrund. A crossing place was selected
Copious amounts of tea were brewed and we crawled and John attacked the top lip, a crumbling edge atop a
into our sleeping bags to watch the distant peaks four foot gap! Soon he had reached a good position but
glistening in the weakening sunlight as first the valley, fell from the mountain to be held by my belay in the ice .
then the glaciers disappeared into the darkness leaving We were both shaken . If the belay had not held we
only the majestic summits beckoning ghostlike in the would have fallen for over 1000 ft into the glacier below .
falling gloom . We traversed left and crossed at a different point.

16 June At 6' 2" John had a considerable height advantage
over my 5' 8" and managed to get good placements
A cold dawn greeted us in our eyrie and we delayed before pulling up over the top . Unfortunately I was
our departure for a few hours , waiting for the suns unable to reach firm ground after several attempts . I
reviving rays . it is at such times one appreciates why so chose a new tactic and set about the demolition of the
many cultures worshipped , and continue to worship , top lip of the bergschrund, removing the loose powdery
such a welcome , warming, life giver . Today was to be a snow in search of decent ice. I continu ed for half an
short one. The route across the glacier to the col at hour, a demented mole in a white powdery world.
5400m would take about two hours, following a
tortuous path through gaping crevasses and threatening 'The attempt and not the dead confound us" Macbeth
seracs. 11 , ii, 12.

Breakfast was eagerly dispensed with and we once
again packed our sacks and strapped on crampons

72

A tunnel was affected and I appeared through it, to outside the tent , cooking our meagre evening meal
John's astonishment from his belay 20m above me . A before retiring to plan our next move on the chessboard
brief rest , but now we felt good and confident. We of the Cordillera Blanca Mountains in the Peruvian
pushed on up the 50 degree slope on superb ice, feet
kicking rythmically into the blue and white curtain , Andes .
lungs dragging in the scarce air. Pitch after pitch , belay
after belay, the angle steepened slightly until we saw Sadly, two incidents marred the whole expedition and
the exit couloir . A short steep pitch of blue ice marked once again emphasised to us all the perils that climbers
the final few metres. Seventy degrees of calf-killing ice face and our tenuous hold on life .
led to the top . A mere one and a half hours of climbing
from the bergschrund and we were on top . Four Sgt Geoff Williams suffered an attack of Cerebral
hundred and fifty metres of fantastic ice and a superb Edema on Alpamayo and had to be evacuated by the
view in all directions . Col Camp, three black dots team and finally by helicopter from the nearest village, a
against the snow, the jungles away to the East. Peaks of journey of two days. His recovery is complete and is a
all shapes and sizes . credit to our medical back up and the team pulling
together.
We dispensed with the obligatory photos and began
the descent. Using a 90m rope doubled we crossed the Capt Jim Roberts, RE, disappeared in a storm on
schrund on our final abseil, packed away the kit and set Chacaraju (6110m). Lt John Willison, 1 KINGS OWN
off back across the glacier to the camp. A successful BORDER , was rescued and evacuated by the team in
ascent of a fine route on an outstanding mountain. atrocious conditions. He suffered severe frostbite,
spinal compression and hypothermia plus other minor
Other mountains were to follow and epics to be injuries during his fall. He has recovered well and has
encountered but this mountain was our reason for being only lost tissue from some of his fingers . The search for
in Peru . A quiet contentment reigned as we sipped tea Jim Roberts was called off in worsening weather. His
body was found in the autumn of 1986.

HOLLAND 1572-88 - THE MISSING BATTLE HONOUR

by Col H N Tarver CBE
In August 1988 the whole nation and particularly The r - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - - - - ,

Royal Navy will celebrate the 4th Centenary of the
Defeat of the Spanish Armada . Beside the Roman and
Norman Conquests and possibly the combined Battles
of Britain and of The Atlantic, this was one of very few
real turning points in our history. But what has it to do
with The Queen 's Regiment? I believe it is in fact one of
the proudest events in our long history, to stand beside
other honours such as The Glorious First of June,
Blenheim, Quebec, Albuhera and The Defence of
Kohima; only forgotten because the Standing Army
had not been formed in 1588. Let me tell you why.

We all know the story of the Armada. Philip 11 of
Spain, offended by Queen Elizabeth's refusal of his offer
of marriage and by the execution of Mary Queen of
Scots in 1587, massed a great fleet to conquer England .
Although delayed by Drake's fire-ships' attack in Cadiz
harbour, the Armada sailed up the Channel at the end of
July 1588, before a strong South wind that penned the
fledgling Royal Navy in Plymouth Sound. Drake's
completed game of bowls cost him nothing, for he
could not sail until the wind or tide changed . But with
Hawkins and Frobisher he then had to chase an enemy

he had hoped to face.

Although two great galleons were captured off the Caliverer 1588
Devon coast, the rest sailed steadily on , past the Solent
where they could easily have landed their soldiers, and
then amazingly came to anchor for 30 hours in the open
sea off Calais. That gave the Royal Navy, who were
running out of ammunition, time to replenish from
Dover and the opportunity to send 8 fire-ships into the
Spanish fleet, where panic ensued . The great ships
scattered among the shoal waters off Dunkirk, where
the smaller but faster English ships had an advantage .
After seven hours of very fierce fighting, a North
Westerly gale blew up, driving the damaged Spanish
ships inshore off Ostend, while the English fleet stood

away into the safety of deep water.

73

MARGATE

ARMADAAI"

OF THE -.

ROUTE _.---?
,.--r

0 10 20 30 ,:::-:. SANDBANKS
MILES SPANISH - DUTCH / ENGLISH FEBA

Having again almost run out of ammunition, the barges could not get away from it, because they would
Royal Navy waited for the gale to finish the destruction have been blown out of the water by tiny Dutch
of the Spanish ships on the sandbanks. Then the wind warships built for the banks and commanded by Justin
backed all the way from North West to South East and of Nassau. Indeed , although the Royal Navy complained
the Armada escaped to open sea. There , again that there were no Dutch ships at sea , these little ships
amazingly, they kept on sailing North, right round managed to capture 2 galleons that had run aground .
Scotland and Ireland , although many sank on the way.
The English could not believe the Armada would leave The Lord High Admiral of England had no doubt
so easily. Elizabeth 's famous speech at Tilbury was about the importance of dominating the coastal waters.
made ten days after the fighting off Ostend had In March 1588 he had sent his son to the Princess of
finished , so she certainly thought the war was only half- Orange to drum up support from the seamen of the
won. But why didn't the Spaniards invade? towns around Flushing. He reported to the Queen that
she was " no more assured of the Isle of Sheppey to be
The answer is clear from the remarkably detailed at her devotion in any ways , than she is of the whole Isle
orders and reports that passed between Philip and his of Walcheren and all the towns. " So why hadn't Parma
Admiral , the Duke of Medina Sidonia: "You will sail cleaned out these freebooters before the Armada even
with the whole Armada and go straight to the English sailed? lt was not for want of trying , but the small Dutch
Channel, which you will ascend as far as Cape Margate, towns you can visit today had a powerful ally.
where you will join hands with the Duke of Parma , my
nephew, and hold passage for his crossing." The Although renowned as a frugal ruler , constantly short
Armada as such was not really meant to invade, but of money, for years Queen Elizabeth had been spending
only to hold off the Royal Navy while Parma 's army half her ordinary annual revenue on military aid for the
crossed the Channel in flat-bottomed barges . That was Dutch against Spain. A key part of that aid were her
the real threat to England . So why didn 't Parma send English regiments in Holland , formed from the trained
ammunition to the Armada and sail with his army during bands of London in May 1572 and constantly in action
that critical delay off Calais? since then , first helping to drive the Spaniards out and
then keeping them out . Philip, writing to Parma in April
Ironically the answer can, with hindsight, be seen in 1588, felt very strongly about the injuries done to him by
Philip's written orders to his Admiral. (He really was the the English in the Netherlands . Thus , after 16 years of
most meticulous monarch .) "You must keep away from war with the most powerful army in the world , Justin of
the French and Flemish coasts in consequence of the Nassau 's tiny ships still operated from secure bases,
shoals and banks." Sounding less than a fathom at guarded by English infantrymen .
low tide, these stretch 13 miles out to sea off Dunkirk
and Ostend. So the Armada's great ships, drawing up Those almost forgotten soldiers were later to form the
to 5 fathoms, could not get near the coast; and Parma 's Holland Regiment (subsequently The Buffs) , when

74 So when we give the Royal Navy all credit next year for
the exploits of Ark Royal and others, let us not ourselves
England and Holland went to war against each other forget " Holland 1572-88" as our unofficial , but certainly
nearly 80 years after the Armada . So they are in fact our
earliest military forebears. But for them Parma could first and possibly most important Battle Honour .
probably have cleared his start line and, perhaps, this
journal would be written in Spanish instead of English .

THE KINGS CHAPEL- GIBRALTAR

by Maj S C Thorpe (1 QUEENS)

For over 250 years amid peace and war , joy and THE KING'S CHAPEL - GIBRALTAR
sorrow, British servicemen and women , wives and
children have worshipped Almighty God in the King 's The many memorials and adornments which now fill
Chapel, Gibraltar. the Chapel are rich in historical interest. Amongst them
are sanctuary Colours which enshrine the names of
Of all Garrison Churches I doubt if any can claim a Regiments which distinguished themselves either in the
stronger association with The Queen 's Regiment . All capture of the Rock or in the Great Siege and as result
three of our Regular Battalions have served in Gibraltar bear 'Gibraltar' among their battle honours. Included are
in recent years, as have The Royal Sussex and a set of Royal Sussex Colours. These were presented to
Middlesex Regiments. Many of our forebear regiments the 1st Battalion The Royal Sussex at the Depot,
have served there in years past. Chichester by His Royal Highness The Duke of
Gloucester on 15th June 1928. Before the war they were
The King's Chapel is the Garrison Church for troops carried during overseas tours in Palestine and Egypt. On
stationed on the Rock and also the Chapel of the mobilisation in 1939 they were lodged in the Citadel in
Residence of His Excellency the Governor. Both Chapel Cairo and in 1942, for greater safety, they were taken to
and residence originally formed a Convent of Franciscan India. After the war they were taken on overseas tours
Friars whose first members came to Gibraltar in about to Egypt and Jordan . They were carried on the
1480. The present Chapel was completed about 1560,
and for the next century and a half was the centre of
their worship .

Some years after the capture of the Rock by Admiral
Rooke in 1704, the Franciscans chose to depart to
Spain, as did also many local inhabitants, despite the
continuation of religious freedom and former privilege
granted to them in the surrender terms. In 1728 the
Convent was formally made the Governor's residence.
The Chapel was taken over "in the name of the King" -
hence the origin of its present title - and so became the
first place of Protestant worship on the Rock.

The original Chapel was almost twice its present size .
The nave extended westwards to a main entrance 61
feet beyond the present wall, and the south transcept
matched the Northern one which now forms the
entrance . The reduction in size is believed to have taken
place during rebuilding after the severe damage
sustained in the Great Siege of 1779-83. The Chapel was
then used only by the Governor, the officers and their
families, while the troops attended Church Parades at
what is now John Mackintosh Square.

To meet the spiritual needs of the greatly increased
military and civil population, the building of a new
Garrison Church was begun nearby in 1825, and com-
pleted in 1832. The following year, on orders from
London, The King's Chapel was reluctantly closed. In
1842 the new Garrison Church was elevated to its
present status of the "Cathedral of the Holy Trinity".
Again space proved insufficient, and the King's Chapel
was re-opened in 1844.

In the midst of a major scheme of renovation and
redecoration the Chapel suffered grievous damage from
the explosion of the ammunition ship, 'Bedenham ' in
the harbour on 27 April 1951. The present nave ceiling,
stained glass windows and most of the interior
furnishings date from the subsequent restoration which
was completed in 1954.

75

Coronation Parade in London in 1953. On 24th April Many past and present members of our Regimental
1954 at Arundel the Colou rs w ere formally marched off family will harbou r fond memories of the King's Chapel.
parade in the presence of Her Majesty Qu een Elizabeth ,
The Queen Mother before she presented new Colou rs. Of weddings and christenings, of the Sunday School,
In October 1954 the Colours w ere laid up in the King's and singing with the Choir and especial ly of Regimental
Sundays with the Band playing . Even our soldier who,
Chapel. in a haze of alcohol , was moved to attend midnight
Communion one Christmas Eve , and on being over-
The association of our Regiment with t he Chapel is come midway through t he Service sought sanctuary in
also marked by regimental plaques , a pew , a porch seat the Governor's residence, I suspect found solace in the
and a set of framed Regimental Collects of our beauty and peacefulness of King 's Chapel.
foundling Reg iments presented on the recent departure
of the 1st Battalion .

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF LIFE IN AN INFANTRY BATTALION

by Lt R J Richardson WRAC (attached to 3 QUEENS)

Two weeks before leaving that well known Academy I but felt that by this time most should know who I was.
marched into my OC, with some trepidation, to be told Not so - on entering the barracks a few days later I was
my posting . Much to me amazement, and the envy of sternly cross-examined by the Gate Sentry. Whose wife
fellow student officers, I discovered that I was to go to was I - and why didn 't I have the appropriate pass 7 A
Belize . . . . and someone said something about 3 few moments later there was one rather embarrassed
QUEENS! Who were they? No one seemed to know! soldier!

A few weeks later, after a quick holiday in the South In no time at all we were into Northern Ireland training
of France to acclimatise. I was on the plane to Belize, and it was out with all that flattering warry gear!
only to be met by grey skies and sheets of rain . On
arriving at the Mess I was introduced to masses of However not wanting to appear too aggressive (this was
officers most of whose names and faces merged into a my excuse) my pistol , a source of great amusement,
blur . Who were the 3 QUEENS Officers 7 spent most of its life locked away in the armoury. This
was after rather an embarrassing session on the ranges
Being an early bird I was in the office by 8 am the
following morning (everyone else had been up since 6!) where it was discovered that I was more of a danger to
- only to be told that I could have a few days to settle friend than foe! I noted that the CO and RSM didn 't
down and get to know everyone. Generous sorts of offer to accompany me again! The actual Northern
chaps, these Third Battalion Officers, I thought! Ireland tour arrived all too soon . The TOMS decided
Soldiers and officers alike seemed to make an effort to
make me feel welcome. The Commanding Officer, that I just wasn 't warry enough and presented me with
determined to further my education, explaining the role some DPM eyeshadow! Since then it's been rebellion
and composition of his battalion and then plans were set and back to wearing a skirt .
afoot for me to meet the other companies in the various
Belizean locations. All in all , my time with the battalion has been

Throughout my 5 weeks in Belize I was aware of interesting and va ried . Despite being kept to the
being the novelty that I obviously was (being the first
WRAC Assistant Adjutant) . Soldiers often seemed grindstone 99% of the time(!). the Commanding Officer
unsure how to react and I gathered language in the
Orderly Room seemed suddenly to be more restrained has been extremely fair allowing me to pursue just a few
- as did that of some fellow officers , some far more
senior! sporting interests For some reason other

By the end of my time in Belize the battalion had members of the battalion seem to find my exploits
certainly done me proud . I'd managed to visit all the
different camps, various towns including Belize City, somewhat amusing and on occasions give me excessive
numerous idyllic Cayes and Cancun , Mexico, where
sunbathing was always a first priority. I' d experienced amounts of flak - luckily we all managed to retain a
numerous forms of transport from white knu ckle
airways (the local Belizean Airline) to Rigid Raider speed sense of humour ! Long may it last!
boats which zoomed up the rivers and had me hanging
on for grim death! I was even allowed to spend a day
and night in the jungle - (most unpleasant!)

Then it was back to Canterbury and with the entire
battalion together. Names, faces and appointments
began to come together . . . . at last ! Then came the
challenge of a Scale A Parade .... With knees trembling
I tried to step out .. .. but to no avail , I seemed to slip
further and further behind . However no one seemed to
notice - not much! After a couple of such parades I
realised just how many soldiers I still had to get to know

76

TRAVELS IN PAKISTAN

by Lt Col John Dent MBE

A couple of weeks ago I had occasion to visit Pakistan I pulled out my revolver, took, as I thought, most careful
on business. I stayed in Rawalpindi and whilst there , air, and fired. No result. I fired again. Whether I hit him
or not I cannot tell . .. /looked round. I was all alone
was able to take a couple of days off to visit Peshawar with the enemy . .. I ran as fast as I could, ... I got to
and Swat . Whilst Peshawar will , I am sure , be known to the first knoll. Hurrah, there were the Sikhs holding the
many of your readers , Swat may not be so familiar. lt
lower one ...
lies to the North East of Peshawar and the road to Swat
traverses beautiful , but moderately hostile, country .
The drive by road from Peshawar takes some five hours

and part of it climbs through the Malakand Pass . The
guide book describes it as " hair-raising for those unused
to driving in the Northern valleys, but magnificent" . A
continuous stream of trucks grind up and career down
the Pass and the drivers rely upon Allah to avoid the

abyss, the donkeys and the few pedestrians . The
Malakand Fort dominates the road at the top of the
Pass. Here 1,000 Sikh infantry, under British command ,
held off 10,000 tribal warriors led by the so called Mad
Mullah at the outbreak of the Pathan uprising in 1897.

The road continues past the Malakand Fort until the
Churchill Picquet is reached on Damkot Hill , which

climbs above Chakdara Fort. This latter fort, built by the
British in 1896 is still occupied today by the Pakistan
Army. There is a footpath close to the Fort which climbs
up to Churchill Picquet. I climbed this path (with the
permission of the Pakistan Army) to the Picquet and
after considerable puffing and blowing reached it in
about 30 minutes. The view from the top of this hill ,
where the Picquet is located is magnificent and a
photograph I took illustrates this . From the ramparts it

can readily be seen why the position was so important.
Not only does it guard the river crossing , but it is high
enough to overlook the Malakand Pass to the west.

The significance of telling you all this will be
discovered if the gentle reader will be patient with me
for just a while longer. For it was at Churchill Picquet
that the young Winston Churchill, then reporting for the
London Daily Telegraph , covered the Pathan uprising in

1897.

"There was a ragged volley from the rocks; shouts, 3
exclamations, and a scream. One man was shot through
the breast and pouring with blood; another lay on his
back kicking and twisting. The British officer was

spinning round just behind me, his face a mass of blood,
his right eye cut out. Yes, it was certainly an adventure.
it is a point of honour on the Indian frontier not to leave
wounded men behind. Death by inches and hideous
mutilation are the invariable measure meted out to all
who fall in battle into the hands of the Pathan

Tribesmen . . . We all laid hands on the wounded and
began to carry and drag them away down the hill.

Out from the edge of the houses rushed half a dozen 1. Churchill Picket- the white blockhouse on the peak ,

Pathan swordsmen. The bearers of the poor Adjutant left of centre.
let him fall and fled at their approach. The leading 2. A close up of the blockhouse .
tribesman rushed upon the prostrate figure and slashed 3. View from Churchill Picket of the lower Swat Valley.
at it three or four times with his sword. I forgot
everything else at this moment except a desire to kill
this man. I wore my long Cavalry sword, well
sharpened. The savage saw me coming, I was not more
than twenty yards away. He picked up a big stone and
hurled it at me with his left hand, and then awaited me,

brandishing his sword. There were others waiting not
far behind him. I changed my mind about the cold steel.

77

We fetched up at the bottom of the spur little better of.the Buffs.
than a mob, but still with our wounded, while the
tribesmen, who must have now numbered two or three What a splendid moment it was for me to stand on
thousand, gathered in a wide and spreading half-moon that proud knoll , and think upon my forbears in the
around our flanks . . . The Colonel said to me, " The regiment who had soldiered and fought in that beautiful
Buffs are not more than half a mile away. Go and tell and remote part of Empire. I must tell you , however,
them to hurry or we shall be wiped out. " . . that my trusty compan ion with me, who had reluctantly
accepted my challenge to climb to the Picquet, was not
But meanwhile I heard an order : "Volley firing. so like minded in pride of association with the Buffs . He
Ready. Present ". Crash I At least a dozen tribesmen fell. was a retired (albeit still distinguished) Gunner Officer,
Another volley, and they wavered. A third, and they carrying a few spare but unnecessary pounds , and it
began to withdraw up the hillside. The bugler began to was only after he had regained his breath at the top of
sound "Charge ". Everyone shouted. The crisis was the climb that he was able to tell me, puff, puff, just
over, and here, praise be to God, were the leading files what he thought of the Buffs!

BATTLEFIELD TOUR REVISITED

by Maj J B Stirling (2 QUEENS)

The tour was held in the beautiful countryside of the 1987 were exposed to the full misery of financial
Ardennes along the Belgium-German border and was cutbacks and were accommodated in Camp Elsenborn ,
attended by a mixed body of 40 officers and SNCOs . seemingly kept in its original World War 11 condition.
The tour was similar to one held by the battalion in 1972, The barrack blocks, iron beds and straw mattresses
with the aim of studying by example what determined proved too much for the bus driver who declared
men can achieve in defence and attack using the Battle sullenly that he had completed his National Service and
of the Huertgen Forest and the advance of Obersturm- had no wish to return to more " manoeuvres". lt was
bannfufrer Peiper during the German Ardennes noted that the Gasthof we visited in 1972 now has wire
offensive in 1944 as respective examples. mesh across the windows!

Maj John Stirling covered in detail the American We awoke the next day to find a layer of snow
slogging match through the Siegfried Line and into the blanketting the Belgian countryside and leaving our
Huertgen Forest in late 1944 - a fascinating but straw mattresses behind , we drove into the falling snow
terrifying example of wasted opportunities and dogged with our intrepid driver still muttering . Capt Sean
German defence against overwhelming odds. The area Duggan had spent considerable time following the tank
is still covered by large tracts of forest dominated by tracks of Peiper, the youngest SS Regimental
ridges and dissected by steep deep valleys - an commander of the war, and only after some delicate
Infantryman's paradise! Continual rain throughout the negotiations was he persuaded to reduce his tour to a
day brought home the conditions of the campaign and mere 13 stands. We were treated to a most informative
also dissolved the lecture maps . and detailed account of the advance which generated
considerable discussion , especially from the Adjutant
In the evening a battlefield supper was held in the who voiced his opinions on a number of occasions .
picturesque town of Monschau and for the night we
retired to a nearby Belgium Army camp. Not for us the Overall a most enjoyable and entertaining weekend ,
luxury of NRSA and soft beds this time . The veterans of despite the weather .