Forecast of 6 Middlesex Regt GS Autumn Meeting
Events 9 Queen's Surreys Officers' Club Luncheon,
Victory Club, London
July 10/ 11
Cadet Force Officers Wee k e_n d ,
15/ 16 Shornc liffe
Queen 's Surreys GS Autumn Meeting ,
16 Richmond
Officers' Clu b Cocktail Party,
Haberdashers ', Hall, London
1 (pm) Grand Concert by Bands of The Regt a November
Civic Hall , Guildford (in aid of the ABF) Queen's Surreys Assn Annual Reunion,
Union Jack Club, London
4 617 QUEENS Annual Camp (to 18th) 7 Middlesex Assn Ceremony at Field of
Remembrance - Middlesex Guildhall
6 Regt Golf match v Kent County Police,
and Westminster Abbey
Leeds Castle 8 Middlesex Assn Remembrance Day
Queen's Surreys G .S. match v Royal
Service, Mill Hill , followed by Reunion at
Marines, Richmond
TA Centre, Edgware
8 2 QUEENS exercise the ' Privilege' in the Queen's Surreys Assn Remembrance
City of London Day Parade, Guildford and Kingston
13 6 I 7 Q U E E N S C o c k t a i 1 P arty ,
16 617 QUEENS, Presentation of new
Haberdashers' Hall
Colours, Ardingly 14 Lord Mayor's Procession
17 Queen's Own Royal West Kent Officers' 27 2 QUEENS tour with UNICYP, Cyprus
Club Dinner, Maidstone
18 Service of Remembrance and Reunion,
and Laying-up of 4/ 5 RWK (TA) Colours,
Maidstone
19 Queen's Own Buffs GS - match v North
Hants GC
New bells In Canterbury Cathedral
blessed by The Archbishop
24 617 QUEENS Ball, Hurlingham Club
28 1 QUEENS 'Freedom' March,
Canterbury
28-1 Aug R Sussex Assn, Goodwood Races
29 Canterbury Cricket Week (to 4 Aug)
30/ 1 Folkestone Tattoo
August .. .for personal service ...
1 QUEENS 'Open Day' (for City of ...in COLOURS
Canterbury )
Queen's Own Buffs Assn Cocktail Party MANY by offid;al <~.ppointment t o the
(in lieu of Officers Luncheon) REGIMENTAL
2 GRAND REUNION, Howe Barracks, Queen's
Canterbury TIES Regiment
IN
September CRIMPLENE MATI
STOCK nE £5.00
Regt Golf - Annual Meeting (and AGM),
Canterbury GC IUncreasable
8 Regt Golf - match v Queen's Own Buffs Weave)
GS Epsom
Sevastopol Day (2nd Bn) LEWIN .· Phone:
9 Salerno Day (1st Bn )
11 5 QUEENS Annual Camp, Zealand (to EST .
24th)
12 WOs' & Sgts' Dinner, Colchester I898 of J1•rmyn Strret 01 -930 ~291
13 Quebec Day (3rd Bn )
20 Queen's Own Buffs Assn Service of T. M. LEWIN & SON l TO .. I 06 )ERMYN STREET. SWIY 6EQ
Remembrance and Reunion, Canterbury ( Nur Piccadllty Circus)
28 Regt Golf - match v Surrey ABF,
Aldershot
I QUEENS on 'Spearhead ' (to 2 Nov)
October
2 R Sussex Officers Dinners, Arundel
Castle
The Journal of
THE QUEEN'S REGIMENT
UNCONQUERED I SERVE
Vol. 15, No . 1 June , 1981
Battle Honours borne on The Colours
The Regimental Colour:
''Tangier, 1662-80 ,'' ''Na.mur, 1695,'' ''G lbralta.r, 1704--5,'' ''Bienheim,'' '' Ramillies ,' ' ''Malplaquet,'' ''Det·
tingen," "Louisburg," "Gua.daloupe, 1759, " "Quebec, 1759," " Martinique, 1762, '' "St. Luc ia, 1778, " "Ser-
inga.patam, '' ''Ma.ida, '' ''Vimiera, '' ''Corunna, '' ''Douro,'' ''Ta.lavera, '' '' Albuhera, ' ' ••Almaraz,'' ''Badajoz, ''
''Salamanca,'' ''Vittorla, ·~ ''Affghanistan, 1839, '' ''Punniar, '' ''Moodkee,'' ''Sobraon ,'' ''lnkerman, ''
'' Sevastopol,'' ''Lucknow,'' ''Ta.ku Forts,'' ''New Zealand, '' ''S outh Africa, 1879,' ' ''Nile, 1884-85,'' '' Burma,
1885·87," "Chltral," "Relief of Ladysmith," "Relief of Kimberley," "South Africa, 1899·1902," " Korea, 1950·
51."
The Queen 's Colour:
"Mons," "Marne , 1914 -18," "Aisne, 1914," "Ypres, 1914 -15-16-17 -18," ''Hill 60," u F estubert, 1915," ''Somme,
1916, 18," " Aibert, 1916, 18," "VImy, 1917," "Cambrai, 1917, 18," "Hindenburg Line, " "Italy 1917·18,"
''Macedonia, 1915-18, '' ''Gallipoli, 1915, '' ''G a.za, '' ''Jerusalem ,'' ''Pales tine, 1917-18, '' '"Defence of Kut al
Amara," "Mesopotamia, 1915·18," "N.W. Frontie r India, 1915, 1916·17," " Dunkirk , 1940," "N ormandy Lan-
ding, " "N orth West Europe, 1940, 44 ·45, " "Abyssinia, 1941 ," "Omars," "Aiam e l Halfa," "El Alamein,"
"Longstop Hill, 1943," "North Africa, 1940·43," "Sicily, 1943," "Sangro," "Salerno," "Anzio," "Cassino,"
" Italy , 1943·45," "Malta, 1940·42," "Malaya, 1941·42," " Hong Kong," " De fe nce of Kohima," "Burma, 1943-
45.''
A llied Colone l s-in -Chief
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS J ULIANA of the Netherlands
HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARGRETHE 11 of De nm a rk
Colonel of The Regiment : Maj.·General R . S . N. MANS, CBE
Deputy Colonel of The Regiment: Brigadier H. C. MILLMAN, OBE, ADC
ALLIANCES The Canadian Armed Forces-
AFFILIATIONS
The Queen's York Rangers (RCAC)
The South Alberta Light Horse (RCAC)
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
1st Battalion The Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton & York)
The Essex and Kent Scottish
The AustralJan MUJtary Forces-
The Royal New South Wales Regiment
The University of New South Wales Regiment
The Royal Western Australia Regiment
The New Zealand Army-
2nd Battalion (Canterbury, Nelson, Mar!borough and West Coast)
The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
IIth Battalion (Wellington West Coast and Taranakl) The Royal New
Zealand Infantry Regiment
The Pakistan Army-
12th, Hth, 1lith and 17th Battalions, The Punjab Regiment
HongKong-
The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers)
HMS Excellent, HMS Kent and HMS Brighton
The Royal Marines (A " Bond of Friendship")
The Royal Regiment of FusUiera
The Royal Anglian Regiment
The King's Own Scotttsh Borderers
No. 3 Squadron (Harriers) Royal Air Force
The Royal Danish Life Guards (An " Unofficial AJJJance ")
AFFILIATED UNITS OF THE CADET FORCE
C.C.F . School Contingents
Ardingley College; St. Aloyslus College; Brighton College; Chichester High School; Collyer's VI Form College
(Horsham ); Cranbrook School ; Cranlelgh School; Dulwlch College; Eastbourne College; Haberdashers'
Aske's School (Elstree); Hampton Grammar School; Hlghgate School ; Hurstplerpolnt College; The Judd
School (Tonbrldge ); The King 's School, Canterbury; Kingston Grammar School ; Lancing College; Mill Hill
School; Reeds School; Relgate Grammar School; Royal Grammar School (Guildford); Sir Roger Manwood's
School (S andwich ); St. Edmund 's School (Canterbury ); St. John 's School (Leatherhead); St. Lawrenc e
College (Ramsgate ) ; The Sklnntrs School (Tunbrldge Wells); Tonbrldge School; Whltgltt School ; Wllllam
Ellls School; Wllsons Grammar School.
A .C.F. Unlts/ Su b·Units
Greater London: CadetCoys. Nos . 25 and 26 .
N.E . London Sector CadetCoys.
N.W. London Sector Nos . 194 (Hounslow ), 195 (Stalnes ) , 205 (Willesden ) , 211
Cadet Coys. (Edgware ) , 225 (Tottenham), 226 (Hornsey).
S.W. London Sector
Nos . 133, 141, 143, 151, 152, 153, 155, 161 to 165, 167 .
Surrey: CadetBns. 1st, 2nd and 5th Cadet Bns ., The Qu een's Regiment (Surrey A.C.F .).
Kent : CadetBns. 1st, 2nd , 3rd and 4th Cadet Bns ., The Queen 's
Regiment (Kent A.C.F .).
Sussex : Cadet Pis. Nos . 2 (Seaford ). 3 (Hastings ). 4 (Lewes ), 6 (Crawiey ), J
(Chichester ). 8 (Crowborough). 10 (Eastbourne ), 11 (Horsham ),
13 (Shoreham ), 14 (Be xhlll) , 15 (Brighton ), 16 (Hurstpierpoint ),
17 (Bognor ), 18 (Little hampton ), 20 (Lewes OGS ), 22 (Tllgate ).
May fl e ld Colle ge .
REGUMENTALHEADQUARTERS
Howe Barracks, Canterbury, Kent (Tel: 57411)
Regimental Secretary: Col. J . N . Shipster, CBE, DSO (Ex t. 295)
Assistant Regimental Secretary: Maj . G. U. Weymouth, MBE (Ext . 250)
Financial Secretary and Sussex Affairs:
Archives and Surrey Affairs : Maj. E . A . McCarthy (Ext. 251)
Association and Kent Affairs: Maj. F. J . Reed (Ext. 253)
Maj . H . C. L . Tennent (Ext. 252)
Recruiting, Admin. and Middlesex Affairs: Maj. R. Walte (Ext. 254)
Maj . N . D. J . McCully (Ext. 255)
Regimental Careers Officer:
OCRIT: Capt. M . J. Aylward, MBE (Maidstone Mil Ext.
292)
lstBattaUon REGULAR BATTALIONS
Howe Barracks, CO: Lt.·Col. D . J . C. D1ckins, MBE
Canterbury, Kent CTI IJU CO: Lt. Col. P. F . Packham, MBE
CO : Lt. Col. G. Bulloch, MBE
%ndBattaUon (Lt. Col. R . H. Graham , MBE In Aug '81)
Hyderabad Barracks,
Colchester, Essex C02 7NZ
SrdBatt&Uon
St. Barbara Barracks,
Falllngbostel B .F.P.O. 38
5th (V) Battalion TA BATTALIONS
Leros T&A VR Centre,
Sturry Road, CO: Lt. Col. R . C. B . Dixon, TD
Canterbury, Kent. Hon. Col : Col. H . H . Prince
Georg of Denmark, KCVO
6th/ 7th (V) Battalion
Norfolk TA Centre, CO : Lt. Col. M. J . Duddlng
DenneRoad, (Lt. Col. J. R. G . Putnam, TD in Aug '81 )
Horsham , Sussex. Hon. Col: Col. D. A . H.
Slme, OBE, MC, TD
QUEEN'S DIVISION DEPOT
Basslngbourn Barracks Reg. Rep : Maj. P . P . Crltchley
Royston, Herts SG8 5LX
4
Editor: contents
MaJOr G. U. \Yieymolllh,
M. B. E. (Ret'd.)
Reg1mental Headquarters,
Howe Barracks,
Canterbury, Kent.
Cap Badge The Colonel of The Regiment's Message Page
Collar B~dge Forecast of Events 5
Editorial
Button Officers Location List Inside front cover
The 1st Battalion 6
Tht 2nd Battalion
The 3rd Battalion 9/11
Odds & Ends 13
The Future ofHowe Barracks 21
Regim ental Secretary's Notes 27
RCO's Report ... ... 34
Regiment al Rep. Denmark ...
The 5th (Volunteer) Battalion 37
The 6th/7th (Volunteer) Battalion 37
Depot Queen's Division 40
I]LB & ] SB
Queen's Cadets 41
Ulster Defence Regt. 43
Affiliated HM Ships
The Royal Hong Kong Regt. (The Volunteers) 48
Letters
Marriages and Deaths ... 54
('thnu:jri .. s ... 56
TH L GRAND REUNION 1981 56
The Regimental Association ...
Th e Affiliated Associations 57
Journal Order Form ...
The Regimental Shop 58
59
61
61/62
63
67
69
72
79
Inside back cover
Pnnt e rs. COVER PICTURE
Kent County Pnnters HRH The Duke of Kent talks to Sgt. Mclucas of 0 Coy 6/7
Canterbury. Herne Bay and QUEEN'S during his inspection at The County of London
Deal. Kent Parade-April 1981.
THE 5
COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT'S
MESSAGE
'All your strength lsln your Union'
Longfellow .
In the December 1979 issue of the Journal, I emphasised the need for our
Regiment to form the strongest union between the Past and the Present. I make
no excuses for returning to this theme in this message; I regard it, as many of
you know, as the 'corner-stone' of our successful evolvement as a Large Regi-
ment.
From the outset, let me say that I am well satisfied with our overall pro-
gress: a particularly striking feature of this is the decision, already taken by our
founding Regimental Associations, to include mention of The Queen's Regiment
in their titles. However, on rare occasions, I still have to make it clear that the
Regiment as a whole is dedicated to carrying forward all the important tradi-
tions that it inherited from it's forebears . This was the solemn agreement of the
Council of Colonels when we formed in 1966, enshrined in our thinking, and given
prominence in our Regimental Standing Instructions, which state "Each Bat-
talion is an inheritor of the traditions of all the former County Regiments and all
their territorial connections."
Of course I understand and encourage the desire of each of our Regular and
Territorial battalions to have an identity of their own within the Regiment. This
is healthy and in keeping with the best traditions of the Army and I will always
support such manifestations of individuality so long as they do not impinge on
the central theme of Unity within the Regimental Family. I have taken this op-
portunity to re-state the guiding philosophy of the Regiment as I wish it to be
completely understood by young and old alike.
In conclusion, I re-emphasise that I am more than satisfied by the way we
are going forward, in this the 15th year of our Regiment's life. It is particularly
encouraging to see the vigour with which the Regimental Association, under the
leadership of the Deputy Colonel, is tackling the expansion of the Association
outside the immediate Regimental area to take account of those many ex-
officers and soldiers who came from the Midlands, NE and NW England . The
Association's initiative in forming a WOs, and Sgts, Dinner Club is also a major
step forward . Needless to say these new branches, etc, will be open to all
members of the founding Regimental Associations.
In his speech at Canterbury on the formation of the Regiment on 31st
December 1966, the first Colonel, General Dick Craddock said 'It is our duty to
ensure that the traditions which The Queen 's Regiment will make for itself are
at least as fine as those we have been fortunate enough to inherit'. In our 15th
year we can say with confidence that already this wish is being fulfilled .
RSNMANS
Major - General
Colonel of The Regiment
6
EDITORIAL
A number of Regimentally important events which occur shortly after this
Journal has gone to print ,..:q have to be featured next time-Beating Retreat on
Horse Guards on 9 Jun;:... · Bn. exercising the Regiment's "Privilege" to march
through the City of London (8 July); and the Presentation of New Colours to 6/7
QUEENS (16 July) are but three of them.
It was good, in early April, to see the lst Bn. back in Howe Barracks from a
steamy six months ton in Belize. In 18 months time however, the Barracks will
again be empty, this time until lst Bn. The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regt.
arrives from BAOR in mid Jan . '83. (See "The Future of Howe Barracks" by
The Colonel of the Regt. on page 37). Our own 1st Bn. will be the Resident
Battalion in Omagh from late November '82.
As previously announced, the 2nd Bn. (Lt. CoL Peter Packham) is off to
Cyprus in October for a six month's unaccompanied tour. In Jan. '83, it will be
relieved in Colchester by 2 R. Anglian whom 2 QUEENS replace in
Londonderry; thus, throughout '83 and '84, we will have two "Resident"
battalions in Ulster .
The 3rd Bn . established itself at Fallingbostel in early March (relieving 3
RRF) and have quickly adapted to the mechanized role . In August, Lt. CoL
Richard Graham takes over command from Lt. CoL Gavin Bulloch.
The 5th (V) Bn ., having it's Annual Camp in Denmark this year, (including
Ex " Amber Express"), hopes to be honoured by a visit from our charming Allied
Colonel-in-Chief, Queen Margrethe .
The Volunteers of our 6th/7th Bn . will be in Camp at Crowborough
preparing for their Colours Parade at Ardingly . We wish them a most successful
day blessed with fine weather. So much for a resume on battalion affairs.
On Sunday 2 August, Howe Barracks will again be the rendezvous for our
Old Comrades (see page 67), quite a busy weekend for the members of the lst Bn .
who are 'At Hom e' to the City of Canterbury on the previous da y.
Mainly About People 7
Gen Sir Timothy Creasey KCB OBE. Colonel Lt Col M. J. Duddlng Is to beTA Col London Dist
Commandant, The Queen's Division, relinquished (North ) In Nov '81
his appointment of C-ln-C UKLF on 6 Apr '81 (and Is
retired on the same date). He relinquishes his Lt Col G. B. Bateman currently DI (N Ireland )
appointment as Colonel Commandant, The Queen's MOD, is to be GS01 Army Int Wing, Sch of Ser v
Division on 30 June '81 and Is succeeded by Maj Gen Intelligence in Aug '81.
R. E . J . Gerrard-WrlghtCBE .
Lt Col M. D. Legg was appointed DA Vienna on
Maj Gen M. F . Reynolds was promoted to 15May '81
substantive rank on 1 Jan 1981 with Seniority 1 Apr
1980. Lt Col J. J. White is to be GS01 Ecole
Superleure de Guerre in Dec 1982 (a 3 year
NORTHERN ffiELAND AWARDS appointment)
We congratulate the following on their awards: Maj M. R . I. Constantlne (for Lt Col in '81) is to
For Service between 1 May and 81 July '80 be MA to the C-in-C UKLF (Gen Sir John Stanler
DSO KCB MBE) In Sep '81
Col R . Lea MBE Lt J. J . Turk (2nd Bn ) Is to be ADC to Maj Gen
M. F . Reynolds (Commander AMF(L )) In Dec '81 ,
OBE vice Capt L. S. P . Mans
Lt Col G. B . Redfern (Int Corps, formerly
COURSES
QUEENS)
The following obtained "Outstanding" Grades
BEM on their CO!JrSes : C/Sgt B. A. Rylands (5 QUEENS)
Sgt (Actg C/Sgt) B. F . Winder on Inf Assault Pioneers Class 2 to 1,0ct/ Nov '80 at
the RSME Rochester; L/Cpl M. L. F . Marson (5
GOC's CommendaUon QUEENS) on Regt Water Duties Course Oct '80 at
Lt J. J . Turk, W02 M. J. Reardon, C/ Sgt C. A. the RAMC Trg Centre, Aldershot.
Jarvls and Sgt S. Singers RAPC (all whilst Serving Other high grades achieved on courses were :
with the 2nd Bn) L/Cpl J. J. Brennon (2 QUEENS) - Asslt Pioneer
Class I, Nov 80 - A Grade ; Cpls I. Sheret (2
For Service between 1 Aug and 81 Oct '81 QUEENS) and G. Thomas (3 QUEENS) - Sec
Comdrs Course Nov 80 - Distinction; Cpl J . P .
MenUon In Despatches O'Connor (2 QUEENS) Inf Asslt Pioneer WOs
Lt Col H. N. Tarver Course Nov 80- A Grade ; Sgt G. 0. Harbinson (5
QUEENS) - ATK Milan SNCOs Course Sch of Inf-
NEW YEAR'S HONOURS (JAN '81) Distinguished
Congratulations also to the following on their STAFF COURSES
awards :
MBE Lt Cols R. H. Graham MBE and P. V. Panton
successfully completed No 10 Course at the NDC (9
Lt. Col (QM) L. M. Burnstln-Wilson (5 Jan to 6 Aug '80) and are entitled to the symbol ndc
QUEENS) and Maj A. F . S. Ling (MAO, MOD) after their names In MU records .
BEM Maj R. A. M. Christmas successfully completed
C/ Sgt E . C. Rawllngs (5 QUEENS) and C/ Sgt A. Dlv Ill of No 14 Army Staff Course at the RMCS
('79) and the Staff College Camberley ('80) and Is
L . H. Cowlard (617 QUEENS) entitled to the symbol psc against his name In Mll
records.
PROMOTIONS
Capt (A / Maj) M. C. Willis successfully
Half-Yearly Promotions (wet 81 Dec '80) completed Dlv II of these courses and Is entitled to
To Colonel: Lt Col J . W. Francis the symbol psc against his name In Mll records.
To Substantive Lt Col: Lt Cols P . V. Cheesman, TAVRAWARDS
R . H. Graham MBE , M. D. Legg, P . F . Packham
MBE and P . V. Panton Maj G. H. Wright TD : second Clasp to his
Efficiency Decoration.
Maj (QM) L. M. B. Wilson MBE was promoted
to substantive Lt Col (QM) on 28 May '81 CaptJ. L. A. Fowler: Efficiency Decoration.
APPOINTMENTS SPORT
Lt Col M. R. M. Newall's appointm ent a s Sgt. P . T . Twort and Pte . S. J. Palmer, bot h
Commander Force Troops Belize Is extended to
May '82. from 5 QUE ENS, have represented the TA in the
sporting fi eld during the 80/8 1 season - the fo rmer at
Lt Col P . de S. Barrow Is to be AA9/ Dep OIC Rugby and the latter at Hockey .
Combined Manning & Re cord Office , Exeter In
July . Squash
Maj. M. C . Willis ( HQ 22 Armd Bde) and C/Sgt
J-R . Stent (IJ L B) were tn the Queen 's Div team which
competed in the Inter-Corps Tournament.
Com inued over/ea}
8 SSAF AN ews , Winter '80/81 and Spring '81
"Braganza". Christmas 1980 Edition (1st Bn)
BOXING Legion (Canada) Dec '80, Jan. Feb, Mar, Apr
Congratulations to the following on their & May '81
splendid achievements In the Army Boxing The TA Magazine, Jan '81
Individual Championships 1980/ 81: Sultan 's Armed Forces Assn Newsletter, Dec '80
From 1 QUEENS (Oman)
Pte A. P. Barratt (under 19 Bantamweight The Grapevine , Nov '80 (2nd RNZIR)
The Cadet Journal & Gazette, Feb & Apr '81
Champion) ; Pte A. M. Sampoh (under 19 The Castle, 1981 (R Angllan)
Welterweight Champion); Pte D. P . Ware (Novices The Queen 's (Albuhera) Coy JSB Taunton. Aug '80-
Lightweight Champion); Pte M. A. Pannell
Apr '81
(Novices Middleweight Champion); L/Cpl s. Cross The Queen 's Dlv Newsletter, Apr '81
Newsletter (May '81) The Queen's Surreys Assn of
(N ovices Middleweight runner-up ); Pte M. D.
Patrick (under 19 Lightweight runner-up ). The Queen's Regt
From 2 QUEENS VISITORS TO RHQ
Pte T. Arthey (Light Heavyweight Champion) Since the last edition, the following signed our
Visitors Book; as always it was good to see old
From 1JLB friends and to make new ones:-
J / Ldr Bello (Army Junior Welterweight Lt Col Malcolm GUham, Capt John Russell, Col
Toby Sewell, Brig Davld Woodford (D Comd/ COS
Champion) SE Dlst), Maj Andrew Dawson, Mr Patrlck Crowley
(on joining 1st Bn). WO! (RSM) I Wlscheusen, W01
OFFICER EXCHANGES (Bmr) T. S. Davls and C/Sgt R. J . Baker (all from
3rd Bn) . Lt Don Prescott (on joining 1st Bn). Lt Col
Lt I. S. MacLean, Royal Marines joined 3 & Mrs Paddy Panton, Lt Col Jlm Shephard (on
QUEENS for a 2-year attachment becoming ACO Kent) , 2/ Lt Allstalr Wllson (on
joining 2nd Bn) , 2/ Lt Mark Dunham (on joining 3rd
OPEN UNIVERSITY DEGREE Bn) , Lt Col Gavln Bulloch (on departure for
BAOR), Lt Col Slmon Boucher, Lt Col Crlspln
Lt Col P. H. Courtenay has graduated as a BA at Champion (en route to USA) , Lt Col Paul
the Open University after four years study - Courtenay, Maj Malcolm Lawson, W02 (RQMS) C.
mostly History. W. Garton (2nd Bn), Maj Stan Blllett, Capt M.
Crosby RAPC (2n Bn), Lt Col Peter Packham , Col
ERRATA Peter Blyth (Regt Sec R Angllan Regt). Maj Fred
Branscombe (Queen's York Rangers) , Maj
My apologies for the following (inter alia) printing Roderlck Arnold , Lt Gary Potter (Unlv of NSW
errors in the last (Dec '80) number of the Journal- Regt ) .
Ed:-
~egimental (![:bristmas
Page 8 (Fore cast of Events '81) (![:arbs
Lord Mayor's Procession is on 14 Nov and not 7 Nov .
Page9 The Regimental C hri stmas Card this year will
Lt Col G . Bulloch , MBE is to be GSO 1 ( Int) HQ again be se lected from the Army Benevo lent Fund
BAOR ( in Aug '81) and not HQ 1 (BR)Corps. Series (when publi shed) .
Page25 Applications from
1. After W01 BEM Lively, Insert 'BEM' Individuals to RHQ,
2. R . P . Wood (RSM 5 UDR) should be under the Cant erbury, please.
Minimum order-1 .doz.
WOI Section.
3. Insert ( under C! Sgts }, 'D. H . McCraig - 2
QUEENS '
Page41
Caption s Nos . 2, 3. 4 & 5 should read (respectivel y)
3, 5, 2 & 4
Page 61 (letter to Col Ships ter)
For 'GILBERT' read 'GILLIAT'
Page 62 ( Annual Reunion )
After 'Col Davld Sim e, H on Colonel' delete 'of 5
Q UEENS ' and insert 'of 6/ 7 QUEENS'
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Editor acknowledge s, with thanks, receipt
of the following publlcatlons : -
Owl Pie '80
British Army Review Dec '80 and Apr '81
"Globe & Laurel" , Christmas '80, Jan/ Feb ,
Mar/ Apr & May '81
The Volunteer (1980 ) - Journal of the Royal Hong
Kong R egt (The Volunteers)
The Die-Hards Newsletter, Dec '80
OFFICERS LOCATION LIST 9
(u at I Jun '8 1) D•pot (HS); lE (A) MOD July '81
3 QUEENS
REGULAR OFFICERS Depot (HS); 8CTT Aug '81
DAR3, MOD
M. F. Reyaoldo MAJOR-GENERAL B. A. Carlston, MBE HQ Northag
Comd ACF Mobile Fon:e C. G. F. Chart" HQ MUnster Grn
E. L. Christian 2 QUEENS
D. R. Bishop, MBE BRIGADIERS R. A. M . Ch ristmas Depot (PS)
B. H. Marciandi, OBE DI 3 (MOD) P . D . ) . C lark• HQ UKLF
H. C. Millman, OBE, ADC M . R. I. Constantine 2 QUEENS (HQ BALTRAI' Dec '81)
B. A. M. Pidow DD MAO MOD P.C. Cook DIA Washington
Div Brig HQ Queen's Div P. P. Critchley PR HQ SOEDIST
O.pot (HS) W. G . A. Crumley RARDE
A. C. Dawson BAAT Nigeria
j . G . W. Davidson COLONELS S. M . Dowse HQ UKLF
K. Dodson, OBE HQ BFHK D. M . Falcke HQ West London Adm Staff
D Adv . to British High Comm issioner , A. B. S. Faris HQ AFNORTH (BAE)
M. ) . Doyl•, MBE Singapore R. Gancz Bdgium SC
D Adv. to Brit ish High Commissioner, ) . A. G•org• DPS (A) MOD
j. W. Francis Cyprus M . E. Girling Housing Comdt HQ UKLF
M. V. Hayward, OBE D A Jakarta HQ BAOR
P. D. )ohnson DMAMOD F. K. Gladd•n )SB
A. G. jom:s MS(A)MOD D. C. F. Gouda BDLS Canberra
N. B. Knocktr, OBE LS2 Log Ex (A) P. A. Gray 2 QUEENS
R. Lea, DSO, MBE Comdt SWW Sch of lnf C. ). Griffin I QUEENS
G. G. Strong HQ N . lrdand C. M . M . Grove SC, Camberley
C. L. Tarv", MBE SHAPE P. A. Gwilliam HQ UKLF
NDC (SDS) P. ) . Gybbon·Monyp•nny 5 QUEENS (Trg Major)
N. P. Harris 3 QUEENS
LIEUTENANT COLONELS P. R. Hitchcock HQ UKLF
P. R. P. Howe I)LB
R. W. Acworth O.pot (HS): CO IOUDR Sep '8 1 P. ) . Hub.rt, MBE clo Off1ce of DA Rome
N. S. Hunter 744 TACP (FAC)
S. T . W . Andc:rson, O BE, MC US Army Inf Centre, Fort Bc:nning A. M . F. J•lf HQ UKLF
C. M . joint HQ N. Ireland
P. de S. Barrow O.pot (HS): CMRO July '8 1 I. R. jones SCASS MOD
I ofE (A) MOD
G. B. Batc:man DIS (NI) MOD J. D. Jonklaas I QUEENS
J. Langhorne HQ UKLF
G. Bulloch , MBE CO 3 QUEENS (HQ BAOR Aug '81) HQ BALTAP
C. L. Lawrence, MC S.C. Camb.rley
C. G . Champion GSOI Trg Doctrine US Army, Fort M . P. Lawson NDC
A. F. S. Ling, MBE QM D•pot (PS)
Munro I. M . E. Lloyd
R. M . M . Low IDB
R. H. Chapp•ll, OBE Sch of Inf P. Mallaheu
R. T . W. Mdlon• RCO
P. V. Chc:c:sman German SC (DS) A. C. Mihille HQ NE Dist (I QUEENS July '81)
M . B. Montgomery S.C. Camberley
P. ) . Collman, MBE QM, I)LB R. E. B. Morris S.C. Camberley
R. P. Murphy RSAF Enfield
P. H. Councnay ACDS (Ops) MOD N. ). D. McCully DPS (A) MOD
R. M. McGhi• QM Depot (PS)
D. ) . C. Dickins, MBE CO I QUEENS P. M . H. McGill QM I QUEENS
P. D. McLdland S.C. Camberlcy
M . P. St F. Dracopoli, OBE HQE Dist A. E. McManus DS6a MOD
R. W. Neve , MC 3 QUEENS
R. D. Fisher, MBE RARDE P. A. Newman BATT Swa z1land
E. S. Parke r HQ N . Ireland
R. H. Graham, MBE Cambridg• UOTC (CO 3 QUEENS D. R. Pollard Depot (I' S)
J. A. B. Sa lmon HQ NW DISI
Aug. '8 1) D. H . A. Sh•phard A Man SG (W S)
C. H. St John Perry HQ22 Armd Bde
). M . H•wson, MC HQ W<1t Mid Dist P. R. P. Swanson DMO MOD
S. C. T horpe HQ SOEDIST
P. Hiscock OOGWL (A) MOD P. G. Truman 7 Rcgt AAC
R. T. P. W1lhams HQ N . Irel and
). C. Holman, OBE HQ !(BR) Corps M . C. Willis
P. A. S. Wollocombe CAPTAINS
M. D. L•gg DA Vienna D. ). Wright S. C. Camberle y
K . Yonwin I QUEENS
H. M. Du V. Lohan UKCICC H . A. P. Yorkc QM I RRF
3 QUEENS
M. R. M. N•wall HQ BF Belizo M . W. Alhngton S.C. Cambcrley
A. N . Armnage·Smlth ASLO E D1st (Depot HS))
P. F. Packham, MBE CO2 QUEENS M . ) . Ayhng HQ Rhm e Area
I Q U EENS
P. V. Panton HQ UKLF j . Barr
P•. W. Barrau
). D. W. R•id S02 RMCS K. E. Beal e
A. A. A. Beatu e
M. E. C. Rixon SCPL 6 MOD N . H . Cart er
B. D. 0 . Smit h, MVO BRIXMIS
H. N . Tarvc:r RMCS(DS)
M. R. Tarvc:r 2 RRF (GSO I S.C. Camb. rl•y Aug '8 1.
T . L. T rotman HQ Queens Div.
A. C. Ward CO 10 UDR
M. W. Ward CDE (PE) (AE) MOD
C. T . F. W•st , OBE D Sy MOD
). ). Whi" I ofE (A) MOD
ADP (Coord) MOD
M . J. Wilhams
L. M . B. Wilson , MBE QM 5 QUEENS
J. C. Acwonh MAJORS
I QUEENS
R. M . Arnold I QUEENS
I. G. Bailhc: AGGS (OR) MOD (CO Div Depot Jul y
'81)
M . ) . Ball HQ Mob1le Comd , Momreal
R. A. Banleu Depot (PS)
QM , Bulford & Tidworth Admin Unn
R. J. Benson J QUEENS
QM 2 QUEENS
D. A. Bevc: ndge, MBE 2 QUEENS
S. W. Billet HQ I Armd D1 v
P. Boshop 2 QUEENS
G . C. Brown
N. C. G . Ca nn
10
j . P CaSile 3 QUEENS SHORT SERVICE COMMISSIONS
H W. R Eagan I QUEENS
HQ I (BR) Corps C. T . Bromfield CAPTAINS
J E. Ewa n QM 3 Q UEENS j . A. Bullock
3 QUEENS 3 QUEENS
T S Fasher clo RHQ Quee ns M . Donn ell y, QGM 2 QUEENS
N j Grant QM Trg Depot Bd e of G urkh as 5 CTT
K j Haley IJLB M . j . Feat he rston c Sch of lnf
L. H Hart 40 Cdo G p RM R. H . Knson 3 RRF
j j B H oscoc k HQ 7 Fd Force (2 QUEENS Se p '81 ) I QUEENS
T j H urley RMCS \YI . D. Marshall Depot
RMAS D. V. Watson
]. F Hu sk1sson HE C German y
R 1\o\. jackson 3 QUEENS Lt. G . H . Ad3m SUBALTERNS
R j Knoght HQ AC E M obtle Force (AD C); I Lt. j . V. Ashton 2 QUEENS
\'\' Kn1 ght -Hu ghcs QUEE NS Dec '8 1 I QUEENS
M D M3loncy , BEM Depot (PS); rcs•gnmg 2 1 jun '8 1 Lt. M . j . Aylward , MBE QUEENS RIT
L. S. P. Mans HQ 3 Armd Do v Lt. I. Barnacle 2 QUEENS
S.C. Camberl cy I QUEENS
A. C. N Mars10n 3 QU EENS Lt . H . Beeston 3 QUEENS
j N C . M yles OM (A) M O D I QUEENS
j. G Mac \X' •lh am I CTT LL J. \Yl . Co llingndgc 3 QUEENS
QM 3 QU EENS 3 QUEENS
S J Parker Depot (PS) Lt. A. j . Cooper 3 QUEENS
J R. Partndge H Q . O man Bde 2/Lt. S. j . Cooper 2 QUEENS
I Q UEENS Lt. M. ). S. Dun ham 3 QUEENS
M F. Pearson 5 Q UEEN S (AdJt) Lr. D. Dunn I QUEENS
I QUEE NS (Ad Jt) 2/Lt. S. C. Ga rratt 3 QUEENS
F J Perry, R. Anghan 3 Q UEENS 2/Lt. D . ]. Grecnfteld Depot (PS)
QM 10 U DR (1 5 jun) LL N . P. L. Keycs 3 QUEENS
j. N Pra11 cn HQ 39 lnf Bdc Lt. C. G . Lambert 3 QUEENS
M. S. Qu mn 2 QUEENS L1. P. ]. Lcnanton I QUEENS (SSVC)
j . P. Roley 3 Q UEENS JSB
2 Q U EENS (AdJt) L1. j . C . Maltman RMAS
A J Robe n s 3 Q UEENS L1.]. P. Mart m I QUEENS
2/LI. P. C. MctUik Depot (PS)
A W . Russe ll Lt . R. E. Moody 3 QUEENS
j . D K. Ru sse ll I QUEENS
R Scon Lt. W . R. Morris RMAS
Lt. D. W. Prescott 2 QUEENS
J B St1rlm g Lt. I. D. Raynes 3 QUEENS
2/Lt. N . C. Robc rt s 2 QUEENS
D j . Wake 3 QUEENS
G A \X'all cr 2/ Lt. M . H . Robcrt son
R. f . \X'h•t ehousc 2/ Lt. H . D. Roge rs
R \X ' \X'tl by Lt. M . W . Stlll wc ll
Lt J A B1ckerd• kc SUBALTERNS 2/Lt. A. D. S. Wcston
Depot (PS) Lt. A. j . P. C . Wt! son
2/ Lt. G . j . Wood
Lt . J> R Corden I QU EE NS
Lt G \X' Cross JSB
21l.t . P T Crowh:y I Q UEENS
Lt S T D Duggan 2 QU EENS
Lt L. R Edwa rds I QU EENS TA OFFICERS
l .t P A \X' Edwa rd s 9 Regt AAC
Lt J C . F. Ga mhn 2 QU EENS COLONEL
TA Col. SOED IST
I t j . Graham Depot (PS) j . B. Ogrl vre , O BE, TO , ADC
Lt \X R Harbe r 2 QU EENS
Lt R \X De L. H 3rper (A/Ca pt.) 2 QU EENS LIEUTENANT COLONELS
! .1 C. A Newcll 2 QUE ENS R. C. B. Doxo n, TO CO 5 QUEENS
M. j . Duddmg CO 617 QUEENS (TA Col Lon . Dost
Lt M A 0 NewmJn 2 QU EENS (North) Nov '81)
i t j I' Noble 2 QU EENS
l.t N M Peckham I QU EEN S (Depot (PS) 8 jun)
l. t D J l'hopps 2 QU EENS MAJORS
21C 617 QUEENS
Lt N Sharplc s IJLB M . F. H. Ad kr, TO
A. j . Bmgham , TD C VHQ RA Wat chkee pe rs Pool
SPECIAL REGULAR COMMISSIONS A. B. Ca rt e, TO HQ London D1st
G. Dmclcy. TO HQ 6 Fd Force
A H Can er MAJORS G . W E va ns, T O C VHQ RA Wat chkee pers Pool
617 Q l ' EEN S (Trg M aJor) E Coy 5 QUEENS
A P O '( rorman I QL' EENS j . L. A. Fow ler, TO CV HQ RA Wat chkee pers Poo l
3 Ql' EENS G Ga rnscy, TO 5 QU EENS
J (. Rogc rson RBM R (Depot (HS) 14 j u n '8 1) HQ SOEDIST
1 rg Bn •nd Depot RA OC (HS) A P. H arg h, T O Trg O ffi cer 220 (H C)
!\: f-- Ru sscll A Coy 5 Q U EENS
R. A H all , TO C Coy 617 QU EENS
B 0 I hompson P. G . H arnngton, T D T A Watchkeepers Poo l
E. R. Holm c.: s, TO B Coy 5 QU EENS
D ~ L m c: r CAPTAINS C. K H urd HQ SOEDIST
5 QU EE NS
.~\ j Coo per HQ Bf' Bcl lzt· T Hutton
l Q L' EE S T B Lath3m , MBE Q M 617 QU EE NS
M l H vnn HQ ') I-d l·orcc R Lowa ns HQ Coy 617 QU EE NS
I Q l 1EENS A Coy 617 QUEENS
A ,\..\ G ou ld cn H Q 2 Armd Or v R E Lowans, TO CV H Q RA Watc hkecpcrs Pool
II Q 3 lnf Bde R G, Lucas, M BE C Coy >QU EENS
J M Harcus l Ql' EEN S M C. M c.::rccr D Coy 617 QUEENS
A ]. M cl d rum CO (des) 617 QUEENS
J I' S M oll s M L. Mu 1r hc.: ad , T O PRO TA HQ EDIST
C. F G Parkm son C V H Q RA W~1 ch kc c pc r s Pool
,\1 I' Ray nc r A \X ' Pnor T A \X' at chkec pcrs Pool
B Coy. 617 Q l ' I· ENS
Lt (J 1-- Hou rn c SUBALTERNS J R G Putnam , T D H Q Co)• > QL' EEN ~
Lr K ~ IIames I Ql' EENS O C Trg T ea m ( I A) SO I· OIST
I QL1 H.N~ M A G Robc.::rt s, TO 21t > Q l ' H NS
1.1 J I' H ,'\1a ron A J D S31Ter, TD
l Ql'I· F NS A G H STocks, TD
2.J 1 J) M \'( !\'clson 2 Ql ' U :NS
2Q l ' H I'i.'> P A D Stonc·Pugh
.? d 1 I> ( ' \~run 2 Ql' H I'i.'> R Ci L. Thornt on, TO
I Q l ' l:l- 1':.'>
l.t J J I urk 1\ J \\'llkm
IJI B
l 1 R 'XJihr (, 1-1 \X ' n~ h t , ID
I I :--.· ,\ .\\ \Xu,g ht
11
G . G . An drew CAPTAINS Pool P. S. F. McCa rdle 5 QUEENS
j . R. Bass 6/7 QUEENS M . W. McG h1e 5 QUEENS
N . Bedford 5 QUEENS W. D. Milne 5 QUEENS
T . Benson 617 QUEENS j . Mortcrs WRAC (V) 617 QUEENS
M . G. Butlin, TD 5 QUEENS M . S. Rumsey 5 QUEENS
5 QUEENS S. j . C . T hompson 5 QUEENS
A. J. Cannon T A Watch keepers Pool S. E. T horpe 5 QUEENS
P. D . Ward 5 QUEENS
A. D. Chisse l 5 QUEENS R. M . Wi lson 617 QUEENS
W. P. T . Harper 5 QUEENS D. K . Wray 617 QUEENS
1'. H . Lcgg 5 QUEENS
A. A. Marchant 5 QUEENS C. L. Argent 2nd LIE UTEN ANTS
R. A. Metcalf TA Watchkce pers Pool S. W. F. Bonhwtck 5 QUEENS
D. A. M irams QM 5 QUEENS S. W. Chilcott 617 QUEENS
P. I. Robert s 617 QUEENS A. M . Cleme nt 5 QUEENS
N . K . L. Scott 6/7 QUEENS A. H . Da lby 617 QUEENS
617 QUEENS T . j . Downcy 6/7 QUEENS
J. A. Scriven CV HQ RA Watch kce pm G . E. Gobson 6/7 QUEENS
A. P. Guthne 5 QUEENS
R. Sincla ir· Lce 5 QUEENS N. C. Horwell 617 QUEENS
R. E. Stone 617 QUEENS M . j . Kin g 617 QUEENS
A. Tait S. A. Lacey 617 QUEENS
LIEUTENANTS G. I. M utr 5 QUEENS
R. Birch 617 QUEENS A. R. Nursey 617 QUEENS
S. A. Blauste n 617 QUEENS T . ). Oylcr 5 QUEENS
P. j . Chapman 617 QUEENS j . A. Red fern 5 QUEENS
R. F. Cordell 5 QUEENS G . Sparks 5 QUEENS
j . Day 617 QUEENS M . P. Tay lor 617 QUEENS
P. Gibson 617 QUEENS G . W. Vinson 5 QUEENS
B. G . G regory 5 QUEENS 5 QUEENS
D. Harwood 617 QUEENS
T . ) . Lcggo 617 QU EENS
617 QUEENS
A. J. Leonard
)tSI IlIi.ZiilI Bradley&Vaughan
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13
The 1st Battalion
Editorial tlon we had up to two troops of engineers in support.
T HE First Battalion, having The main difference in deployment since the other
returned from a 6 month tour in
Belize, thus completes the Regi- two battalions were in Belize is that we were
ment's involvement in the Colony in organised Into two separate Battle Groups (BG) -
one in the South, and one In the North . BG(S), under
the Commanding Officer consisted of BG HQ, A
Coy, Half HQ Coy and two light Guns In Rideau,
that all three regular battalions have with D Coy 1/2 GR and One Light Gun at Salaman-
served there during the last 6 years ca. BG(N), under operational command of the 2IC
(not forgetting the Regimental consisted of BG HQ , one rifle company and half HQ
Secretary's tour as Commander Coy at APC, with the second rifle company, the ar-
British Forces Belize; and, indeed, a moured troop and a troop of three Light Guns at
Holdfast. The latter continues to have a forward
detachment at Plassey Camp which, in our case,
was manned by the Drums Platoon or a rifle platoon
company of the 3rd Bn. which almost plus a support platoon of one mortar and two anti·
managed to complete two tours). tank sections. There was no change round of com -
Perhaps this is an ideal opportunity panies between north and south although the two
northern companies, B and C. were able to swop
not only to review the 1st Bn's ex- over at the half-way point between APC and
perience but also to bring the rest of Holdfast.
the Regiment up to date on a Colony
The major commitments of the forward com-
panies at Holdfast, Rldeau (Combat Company) and
Salamanca were operational patrolling in the area
of the Guatemalan border, and the provision of OPs.
Patrols were out for 7 days at a time and their main
I. Cpl. Alien and Ptes. Crouch and Young (CCoy) tasks, besides getting to know the ground. were up-
returning from an attempt to reach Gallon Jug dating on the going of tracks and fords, gathering
overland during the wet season. information on cross border movement and
establishing a close liaison with the local popula·
2. Ptes. Broomfield and Lloyd, Cpl. James and L/Cpl. tion ; the latter being of great interest not only
Gardner at the Mayan Ruins at AI Tun Ha. because of the genine charm and friendliness of the
3. Pte. Walker (Anti-Tank PI.) gives the impression he Ketch! and Mayan Indians but the chance of observ-
has caught a whopper-Belize city fish market. ing the bare bosomed features of the delightful
4. Pte. Relff-Arnold (BCoy) savours the smells of native women, particularly In Dolores and Otaxha'
Belize city waterfront. Most parols were Inserted and resupplied by
helicopter and we relied very much on the excellent
5. Capt. A. Goulden plays uncle to 126 children from service provided by the RAF Pumas and the Ar·
Punta Gorda. my's Gazelles, without which life would have been
extremely difficult. In addition to foot patrols we
6. R & R Centre at Placentia. carried out a lot of river patrols mainly in the south,
Pictures by UKLF Mobile PR T eam (York)
with a pair of boats being out for 3-5 days each week .
Because the rivers In the north do not lend
themselves to boat patrols, the obvious diversion
was to use horses as an alternative to foot patrols ;
that is quickly approaching in- this proved to be a rewarding although tender ex-
perience . The other main task of the patrols was
I I dependence. cutting and blowing new helicopter landing sites
The four main camps are still Airport (APC) , and refurbishing old ones. (Lt Davld Watson of the
3rd Bn. wlll be pleased to note that Vercotti Junction
Holdfast, Salamanca and Rideau; the latter was Is stlll in use and indeed Is recorded as such In the
completed during the 3rd Bn's tour and Is situated
Belize Helicopter Landing Site Register! )
just outside Punta Gorda. The camps are very
much as they have always been although the 2nd We were also responsible for the manning of
and 3rd Bns wlll be relieved to hear that Salamanca three permanent OPs - Cadenas, Treetops and
Cayo . Cadenas Is still much the same and the stone
Is now almost a showpiece with hutted accommoda·
tion, proper ablutions (with H&C), volley ball pit· OP building built by B Coy 3 QUEENS is still very
ches (concreted) and very smart messes. A swimm · much in use, although the water and abluting ar-
lng pool is being built at Holdfast but the completion rangements have been considerably Improved.
date seems to slip 6 months every three In typical
Treetops Is a new OP manned by the Gurkhas and
Belizean fashion . (The word "Manana" Is rarely us· watches a Guatemalan road-head that stops at the
ed as it denotes a sense of urgency 1 ) Needless to say border just to the west of Pueblo Vlejo. The Cayo OP
the roads linking all the camps are stlllln an apall·
has taken over from that well known tourist attrac-
lng condition; best described as puddles joined by tion on the Xunautanlch Ruins . The new OP
ruts.
overlooks Me ichor de Mencos and Is now a splendid
During our tour, we had under command : D wooden building with 5-star accommodation . The
Coy 1/ 2 GR, an armoured reconnaisan ce troop of 6 OPs continue to be a popular way of spending 7 days
CVR( T ) from the Royal Hussars, a nd Chestnut
Troop from 1 RHA with their 6 Light Guns. In add!· although the numbe r of visitors never seems to
decrease !
14
SALAMANCA CAMP.
It Is amazing the change of mind that a 6-month ed an R & R centre at Placentia, almost midway
tour of Belize can produce In soldiers with an urban between Stan Creek and Punta Gorda. We took over
upbringing: quenching thirst from water vines, a "Hotel" right on the beach and most people spent
eating hearts of palms, or cheerfully handling one or sometimes two weeks there, either waterskl·
snakes (non-poisonous!). The customary attitude lng, wind surfing, sailing, snorkelling on the ex·
that the only good spider was a dead one was replac· cellent reefs, or merely relaxing on the white sands
ed by bold curiosity; we were more liable not to be In the shade of a palm tree with a bottle of "Carlb·
delayed at customs because of duty frees but by bean" . In addition to adventure training and R & R,
snakesklns, sharks teeth and "may I Import a many members of the battalion took advantage of
tarantula In amber please?" being In the heart of the Caribbean Basin and spent
their leave In the other countries of Central
To assist In the transition from urban soldier to America or the USA . Most popular were Miami,
jungle warrior, the battalion ran a Jungle Training Mexico City, Acupulco and , of course, San Pedro on
Centre where most rifle platoons spent two weeks. Ambergris Cay. All In all these holidays proved a
The centre Is no longer at Slbun but at Guacamallo great success notwithstanding the vagaries of Cen·
Bridge, south of Augustine on the track to tral American airlines, although some of the stories
MUlionato. need to be taken with a pinch of salt! It Is of Interest
to note that the Paymaster sold almost a quarter of
Unfortunately not all could share In the a million USA Dollars to travellers although he did
glamour of jungle operations as one company still draw the line at one particular soldier who telephon·
had to carry out the arduous duties at Alrpot Camp . ed from Miami after a few days announcing that
This company not only provides the Force Reserve "he had spent all his money (on a low woman!) and
but Is responsible for all guards and duties In APC could he please be sent some more as soon as possl·
plus being at the beck and call of almost everyone. ble as he wished to have an equally enjoyable se-
Both B (Rentagrunt ) and C (KO) Coys spent 3 mon· cond week"!
ths on APC Duty and we were also able to bring
each of A Coy's rifle platoons up for 3 weeks, so Social life In Belize continues to be quite enter·
most of the battalion had a taste of it. talnlng although there seem to be fewer ex·
patrlates and Americans than there used to be , or
Although the Adventure Training Centre on St perhaps they have just begun to lose Interest In the
George 's Cay continues to flourish and provide ex· ever-changing mllltary community. Apart from the
tre mely good facUlties for water pursuits , the Infantry battalion group, most others In the Gar·
responslblllty for running the centre has now been rlson tend to spend anything between 4 weeks and 3
taken over by Force HQ ; we were allowed 10 vacan· months In the country and do little to establish any
cles a week and everyone that wished took ad·
vantage of it. However the battalion also establish·
rapport with the local population. Nevertheless it 15
hu 1t111 been great tun and such personalities as
'Big John, UtUejohn', the McLelshes, The Duncans, usually associates base camps with a mass of tents,
Charlea WriJI:ht, Roy Kite Powell (regrettably killed stores and sherpas but Tlamacus Is hardly that; In
durtng our Iut week In a drunken brawl with a fact we named lt the 'HIIton' because of Its
policeman) and the Weyers continue to produce marvellous facilities, Including soft bunk beds . We
endle11 topic a for d11cuaalon and amusement. were now 12,000 ft above sea level and many of us
were already suffering from bad headaches and
Beli&e ltlelf 11 of course fast approaching In- thumping heart beats at the slightest physical ef-
dependence, much to the chagrtn of many of the fort. That night the unexpected happened ; whilst we
local population. It 11 moat regrettable that this hap- were brewing tea, the clouds came down, the
py race 11 becoming frightened and confused temperature dropped to below freezing and a bllz·
through the avarice and Ineptitude of the country's zard came from the South West, punctuated by fork-
Internal polltic1. The frustration and bewilderment ed lightning.
of a large percentage of the population has been fed
with rumours and half truths by leading figures of The next morning dawned with no significant
both political groups which In turn has led to change In the weather so, after a traditional
demonstrations and rtotaln Belize City and Corozal. breakfast of egg banjos, we set out for a short walk,
In our laat 10 days in the Colony a state of Emergen- only to find a wintry landscape with white-out and a
cy waa declared and although only the Police and 70 m ph wind . However, we climbed to about 14,500 ft
the·Beli&e defence Force had the task of riot dlsper· and that night were joined by a group of Americans
1&1, Britllh troop• were deployed on the streets In a who were very Impressed by the amount of food we
defen.lve caraclty. It will be a very sad day If the had stockpiled by our bunks. As the weather had lm ·
Army'l fin& memory of Belize Is one of riots, proved slightly, we moved up to the Cruces Hut on
mayhem and anger Instead of the happy, friendly, Wednesday morning, spent that night at 15.~00 ft
cheerful and generally Idle people that we have all and then made an Alpine start the next morning In a
come to like. bid for the summit.
J:XJ:BCI81: "MEXICAN MEANDER", With the cloud base at 16,500 ft we left our base
MARCH lt81 camp manager and medic (L/ Cpl Enoch) at
Tlamacus and set out for the Cruces Hut with
(Tile A1ceat of Popocatepetll7,887 feet) rucksacks and tents; the route Is tiring and
lty Lt. K. 8. W. Hamea and laborious up a well trodden path of volcanic ash.
Capt. A. N. Armltage-Smlth About halfway to the hut, three members dropped
out with acute altitude sickness consisting of
The Expedition Members were: Cpl Smith, stomach cramps and vomiting; this left six of us to
L/Cpl Enoch, Ptes Smith, Taylor, Burgess, trudge to our destination, the final approach being a
Freeman, Patrick and Thompson, and ourselves. slope of 1 In 2 for 200 metres In volcanic ash . It was
the classic case of two steps up, one back, hence the
At approximately 1200 hrs on Sat. 21 March, term "The Mexican Two Step"!
four members of the Battalion stood on the summit
of PopcatepeU (17,887 ft), the second highest After we had pitched our tents, we collapsed;
volcano In the Mexican Plateau. At approximately all were suffering from blinding headaches which
HOO hrs the next day, an additional solitary figure we tried to ward off by taking Phenslcs. Thursday
stood on the crater rim, the highest point that could morning was bitterly cold and after much cursing
safely be reached In a daylight ascent. Four of the we started the ascent. After 200 metres one man had
party reached the summit proper and one reached to drop out due to sickness; so then there were five.
the crater rim, a fine achievement for an Inex- We made good progress until about 0600 hrs when
perienced party as the weather conditions on the the sun hit the glaciers; thereupon we were bom-
mountain were extremely bad for the time of year. barded with rocks of all sizes and no matter how far
we traversed the steep slopes, it seemed Impossible
Having accumulated a vast amount of stores, to avoid the onslaught. Capt Armltage-Smith was
food, equipment and money, we set off from APC by hit twice on the legs, then on the head and so with
Bedford truck for the Mexican border town of our tails between our legs, the party withdrew first
Chetumal. Our team Included Cpl Rod Smith, our to the Cruces Hut and then to base camp.
third mountain leader, L/ Cpl 'Ginge ' Enoch, our
base camp manager and medic, six private soldiers As time was running short (and strength ebb·
who had very little experience In mountaineering ing) we decided to make a final attempt on the
and the two authors. The journey to Mexico City Is a mountain on Saturday morning, starting at 0300 hrs .
tedious one with 22 hair-raising hours spent on one Seven members were fit enough for this, the rest
bus; en-route we were bombarded with plates of red still suffering from various ailments. Though pro-
hot chilli. We eventually arrived In Mexico City hav - gress to the Cruces Hut was slow, six members
Ing caught glimpses of Popocatepetl about 30 miles reached lt without Incident where a brew-up was at-
south. Popocatepetl and her twin Ixtacclhuatl look- tempted but we were continually harassed by high
ed majestic In the sunset, towering 14,000ft above winds and bitter cold. Meanwhile one member
us. developed symptoms of hypothermia, and started to
shiver violently and Lt. Hames had to abandon his
Mexico City (7.~00 ft above sea level) was an summit bid to escort the casualty to base camp .
Ideal place to spend two days acclimatising; we Capt. Armltage-Smith, Rod Smith, Mlck Patrlck
stayed at the renowned Hotel El Romano Centro , and Glnge Taylor went on but soon found the going
owned by Mr Chrls Dlllon. Rather than 'do' the extremely hard being constantly bombarded with
sights (we Intended to do this on our return from the rocks and having to walk up steep frozen ash . By
mountain) we roamed the streets and parks getting 0600 hrs they had reached the first Ice field which
used to the altitude as altitude sickness was likely to leads to the crater rim where lt became extremely
be a major problem . hard to put crampons on In the Intense cold ; the
wind also made life unpleasant as it whipped up
On 9 March we moved to Tlamacus Lodge, the spindrift which lashed their faces. Havlng started
base camp for the ascent of Popocatepetl . One up the Ice field they were greeted by the moun-
taineer's nightmare - " false crests", also
16 lent us an RPL (plus six crew) as our transport and
store and a geminl inflatable as our diving boat.
breathing became extremely difficult due to the
altitude . Then, all of a sudden, there was the crater The Blue Hole lies inside Lighthouse Reef, ap-
rim, one of the most spectacular sights in the world . prox . 50 miles by sea from Belize city and 8 miles
From the knife-edge rim, cliffs plunged 1,000 ft to North of Halt-Moon Cay which we used as our base
the heart of the crater where overpowering throughout.
hydrogen sulphide fumes spewed out to hamper the Warm-up dives were carried out on the reef im-
already tired climbers' progress. mediately to the south of the Cay. The diving was
excellent - barracuda, ray and sea-sponges all liv-
On reaching the crater rim , the summit can be ing In abundance on the reef. The sea bed here,
seen about a quarter of a mile away and about 600ft shelved gently to the beach on one side of the reef
up . An orange painted prefabricated octagonal and plunged vertically 10,000 ft to the bottom of the
shaped hut can be seen at the top . The last quarter Carribean basin on the other. We all found this awe-
of a mile was hard going but the team made the as- inspiring when looking over the edge in very clear
cent in great style , reaching the summit by 1200 hrs . water.
Here they were rewarded by spectacular views of
the surrounding country and the knowledge that In return for some biscuits AB , the lighthouse-
they were higher than any mountain In the Alps, keeper, John, guided us safely through 8 miles of
Pyrenees, Dolomites, Canadian or American shallow water, last surveyed in detail over 100 years
Rockles. It was bitterly cold so after some ago. Jacques Cousteau ran Calypso aground when
photographs and a quick snack (plus a revitalising he attempted the same trip some years ago (even
brew ) they withdrew quickly down to the Cruces though he had a helicopter to guide his ship! J
Hut and then on to base camp for a celebration. The Hole is surrounded by an enormous ring of
coral and contains a lake of dark blue/ black water
The descent was uneventful and extremely about 200 metres wide .
quick as it was possible to scree-run down the steep It has an eerie quality which everyone felt on
volcanic ash. The summit team was greeted at base seeing it close-to for the first time . Local fishermen
camp with great jubilation and the local Mexicans say the Hole Is home for a number of large shark in-
looked on astounded ! cluding a 15-foot hammer-head nicknamed
'Henrletta' . Indeed an American diver lost a spear-
Sunday morning dawned bright and clear so Lt. gun and his arm to a shark in the Hole two years
Hames decided to attempt the central route up the ago!
mountain having been beaten back on previous at-
tempts by bad luck and casualty evacuation.
Although technically more difficult and slightly
steeper, the route offered a quick and direct access
to the crater rim about 300 feet below the summit.
Progress was excellent on hard rock and clean Ice
and Lt. Hames reached the crater rim by 1400 hrs ;
exhausted by the previous clim blng , he was
satisfied he had now beaten the mountain .
After a good night's rest and celebration the
team returned to Mexico City and enjoyed two days
Rand R.
No mountain looks hard from a photograph or
when featured In magazines; pictures are In-
variably taken on a clear sunny day with myriads of
hearty walkers bounding up the trade routes. Our
climb was different; the weather was far from
perfect and the mountain deserted for most of the
time . All members of our team showed guts and en-
thusiasm and this enabled some to get to the top .
" Mexican Meander" was a great success ; it provid-
ed experiences In high-altitude mountaineering as
well as enabling all concerned to learn a little bit
more about themselves and their capabilities.
EXERCISE "BLUE LAGOON" (Top) Cpl. Smith framed by the volcano's crater.
(See "Mexican Meander")
by Capt . L. R. Edwards
(Lower) Searching for the " Blue Hole".
Superb diving opportunities exist in Bellzean (Sec article)
wate rs - - few soldiers however know anything
about the " Blue-Hole " and fewer still have dived In-
to it.
In February, 1 Queen 's organised and led a
s mall exp edition of eighteen divers drawn from
throughout British Forces Belize (including seven
from th e Battalion ) whose aim was to investigate
the Hol e .
The Command er Force Troops , Be lize - Lt.
Col. Mik e Ne wall (a fe llow Queensman ) - kindly
With this knowledge, we dived In teams of four 17
and ensured that any cuts and grazes were tightly
bandaged - we had no Intention of attracting any Despite our full (?) training programme, we
large fish with our own blood. scraped together a few hours to visit some of the
Island's beauty spots (and bars) . Our departure (a
Swimming over the lip and Into the Hole we felt memorable occasion) was celebrated In the tradi-
very small Indeed with our backs to a vertical wall tional manner and the guest of honour was the
and a blue void In the centre and below us. Governor of the Island to whom we presented a
Regimental Plaque ; Plaques were also exchanged
The walls of the Hole, In parts, are riddled with with the Defence Force . We then left for yet another
fissures, large enough for a man to enter (which Lt. weekend In Miami.
Cpl. Noddy Bamford proved to everyone's conster-
nation!) We wUI never forget that fortnight and fond
memories of this tropical paradise with Its friendly
We descended to the limit the army regulations Inhabitants wlll remain with us for many years.
would allow - 120ft. HappUy, no shark or other (Montserrat Is also the haven of such celebrities as
large fish were seen - only a 5ft barracuda which Paul McCartney, Sheena Easton and Elton John) .
Ignored us.
REVENGE OF MONTEZUMA -
The total diving time logged by the expedition
was 1023 minutes. All divers felt that although the by Capt. H. W. R. Eagan and Lt. R. Walker
expedition was short (four days In all), it had been (with supporting role by Lt. N. Peckham In his
the highlight of their diving In Belize. With In·
dependence for that country likely to occur shortly capacity as Border Insurgency Advisor)
and the withdrawal of British Troops Inevitable, it Is
unlikely that we shall again dive In the Blue Hole Exercise " Montezuma's Revenge" was con-
without great personal financial expense. sidered to be an Ideal training ground for the overt
activities that were to take place In Mexico City and
MONTSERRAT? -WHERE THE HELL'S THAT! Acapulco a week later.
by C/Sgt. J. Pyper
After seven days of gentle relaxation wandering
Montserrat (named after a monastery In Spain around Cayo Dund Cayo District, we felt prepared
by Chrlstopher Columbus In 1462) Is a small for a week's R & R! (It was more like SAS selection
volcanic Island, part of the Leeward chain In the without the huts) .
Caribbean: only about 39 sq mUes In size, it offers
everything one could wish for In a tropical paradise. Following a detaUed appreciation, our plan took
Beautiful black sand beaches buffeted by the Trade the form of an air move direct to Mexico City ; un-
winds, echoing to the sound of white topped fortunately we faUed to take Into account the Cen-
breakers crashing onto the rocky outcrops. Need I tral American Manana Syndrome and our actual
say more? move took the shape of white knuckel (Glen MUler )
Airways to Corozal. (We never discovered the pur-
Leaving Belize was no real sorrow and to travel pose of the piece of string hanging out of the engine
to Montserrat via Miami and Antigua was sheer cowling!) After this rather fraught flight, we took a
bliss. Thanks to Air Movements we found ourselves taxi to Chetumal International Alrpot where we
stuck In Miami for the whole weekend (as opposed found that the seats we had booked did not exist.
to overnight) but we managed to keep ourselves (Fancy trusting a Belizean travel agent ). So we
amused. Having a little money to cover expenses, opted for the bus ride to Mexico City and a broken
we picked a small nondescript hotelon Miami beach window , a bottle of gin, a small fire and 22 hours
(honestly Paymaster, it was the only one we could later, we arrived there.
find with vacancies! ).
The manager of our hotel (a lunatic Australian)
On the Monday after our 'quiet' weekend In took us under his wing and with little encourage-
Miami we Island-hopped via Antigua to Montserrat. ment, we proceeded to eat and drink our way
through the more (and sometimes less ) salubrious
Visions of living In 5-star splendour were !m. areas of the city: apparently we went to bed at
medlately shattered when our small Trllander air- about five . To everyone 's delight. the manager had
craft taxied to the airport terminal behind which booked us front seats at the Folk lore Ballet at 9 that
was a tented camp, our home for the next fortnight; morning where we were treated to a chorus line
however, being only 10 yards from the sun kissed dancing the Mexican equivalent of the "Zulu War-
beaches, it was not too arduous. ~lor" . The rest of the morning was spent In the
floating Gardens - about as Inspiring as the Bas-
We then discovered why the hell we were there : lngstoke Canal in mid December - and that after-
the place has a small part-time Defence Force (ap- noon we went to a large and windy arena where we
prox . 60 In strength) and we were " de Trainers for witnessed the demise of several horny cows.
de annual camp" . Sgts Ian Johnson, Rick Malem
and I, after celebrating our arrival with the Defence Proving that we were young, enthusiastic and
Force In the time honoured way, got stuck Into con- full of life, we were up next day In time for lunch. By
verting these happy peace-loving Individuals Into this stage we had grown wise to the rnanana syn-
unhappy, war loving , fighting defenders of the drome and spent the day traipsing from one airline
Emerald Isle of the Caribbean! Training was basic, office to the other making sure we were booked to
since all were lll-equlpped and only volunteer part Acapulco and thence back to the jewel of the Carib-
timers , ranging from an assistant Governer of the bean basin (We weren't - so what's new?)!
Local Prison to a Caribbean Rock Star!
And so on to Acapulco but, In true Mexican
Soldlerlng ability was on a par with a low -grade style , the aircraft was late . (Events In Acapulco re-
Cadet unit but trainees showed enthusiasm and main something of a blur ).
energy and, with the correct equipment and further
training, could be a force to r eckon with. It was en- On the return journey, although booked onto the
joyable working with this happy bunch and we correct flights , we would have felt cheated If
made some good friends . something hadn't gone wrong : we were not disap-
pointed; after an unscheduled stop in Guate m a la ,
18 BOXING - by Capt. W. Marshall
we arrived back in Belize (mind you, our luggage Kirkes Inter Company Novices Competition 1980/81
continued on to Panama 1 ) .
The 1980/ 81 season opened with a flurry and lots
In all, a great trip, but should anyone want ex- of enthusiasm ; yes, it was the Kirkes Inter-Coy
pert advice on the perils of travelling in Central Novices Boxing Competition held at Howe Barracks
America, they ought to come and see us - not a early last September. This popular sporting event
Belizean travel agent. attracts so many competitors that, due to the many
other commitments, it was restricted to two com-
ALAMO RELIEVED BY 1 QUEENS - 145 YEARS petitors per company at each weight.
TOO LATE -by W02 T. Isaacs
Tradition was maintained: the finals were of a
To relieve the Alamo , I had to travel a lot fur- high standard and talent was earmarked for the
ther than General Antonio Lopex De Santa Anna : future. Congratulations to all boxers and to the in-
my journey was about 1,500 miles (give or take a dividual winners. The Kirkes Shield was won by D
few diversions) and it took me three days and nights (Quebec) Coy and we look forward to the defence of
during which I had lifts in three trucks , four buses their title at Canterbury in July.
and nine cars. I was robbed twice; had my visa KapeTour
taken once, and frisked by police four times. I learn-
ed a lot of things on those first three days : A second successful Boxing KAPE Tour was
held in conjunction with RHQ and the RIT during
1. Don't travel alone in Mexico. Sept/Oct: such tours enable us to arrange matches
2. Learn Spanish. against civilian boxing clubs throughout the
3. Bribe everyone, including Police , bus Regimental Recruiting Area. They are extremely
drivers, taxi drivers, customs men, porters, shop popular and always completely sold out thus allow-
keepers and anyone else with two arms. ing the name of the Regiment to become even more
There were times when I thought my trip was a well known in our area. The venues varied between
mistake but, looking back, I wouldn't have missed Working Men's Clubs to the International Press
the experience for all the beer in San Pedro. I cross- Centre in Fleet Street and everywhere our boxers
ed the US border at Laredo and from there to San were warmly received by the audience. We hope
Antonio (my destination ) I went by Greyhound bus. these tours will become a regular event whilst we
I arrived dirty , tired and hungry and fell into the are stationed at Canterbury.
nearest hotel where I was given a very comfortable Army major Inter Unit Championships
room for $15 (student 's rates) .
The next day, fully refreshed, I made my first The results of the final are by now well known. 1
recce. I must confess, I was not completely unarm- QUEENS relinquished the title which they had held
ed ; I had the phone number of an ex-member of the for the previous three seasons at Belfast Barracks,
Middlesex Regt- Cpl Bourne of the Mortar PI, now Osnabruck on 27 Nov 1980 when they were beaten 7
Roger Bourne. living in San Antonio for the last six bouts to 4 by 1 KINGS. Disappointed, but never
years and a leading authority on Texan History. It's disheartened, our boxers gave a very good account
to Roger and his wife Michelle that I owe my thanks of themselves; each bout was well contested , three
for the time I spent in Texas. of which were lost on majority decisions. Ful credit
My host (who once gave Ronald Reagan a con- to our sporting opponents and congratulations to our
ducted tour ) made sure I had all the facts on the own team for a fine effort.
Alamo . The Alamo Mission is in the heart of the Army and Inter-Service Competition
town (I thought it would be in the desert) and the
Alamo used in the film was a reproduction . During The culmination of our season was the Army In-
the battle , which lasted 13 days , the mission was dividual Championships in which six of our boxers
reduced to rubble ; it has since been restored . entered. The results were excellent: four became
Among the 188 defenders who faced a force of 5,000 Army individual Champions and two were Runners-
on the thirteenth day , were 12 Englishmen , 4 up. Congratulations to all, and particularly to our
Scotsmen, 12 Irishmen, 2 Germans and one new coach, Sgt "Dutch" Holland, for his hard work
Welshman . The Aiamo fell on 6 March 1836 and San- and dedication. Pte Barrett (C Coy) won the CSBA
ta Anna ordered all the defenders bodies to be Under-19 Championship for the second year runn-
burnt. It was 46 days later , at San Jacinto , that ing ; and Pte Sampoh (A Coy) was selected for the
General Sam Houston attacked Santa Anna's force , Army Senior Squad - a very fine achievement for
killing 630 and capturing the Mexican General , thus only his second season in boxing; he was also
freeing Texas from Mexico, where it remained an selected as "1 QUEENS Boxer of the Year."
independent nation for ten years before joining the
USA in Dec . 1845. SKIING, THE TRIUMPHS AND PITFALLS -
Whilst signing the Alamo visitors' book a guide by Lt. R. R. Madeiey , RM
noticed my address and started talking: during our
conversation I couldn't help having a slight dig at Having been sent over 6,000 miles from Belize to
American History by observing that my Regiment the French Alps to ski. I felt a certain obligation to
was formed 175 years before the Aiamo fell! After a Her Majesty to perform reasonably well in this
week of fine hospitality and good eating I had to year's Army and Inter-Services Ski Champion-
make my way back to Belize; the journey was by ships : however, I can admit to being only partially
bus thus avoiding a repeat performance of my out- successful and hope that this will be sufficient to
ward journey ; however, I was still searched twice pacify the various people on whose good nature I
and had to buy yet another visa . I bribed the bus relied .
driv er in Mexico City to let me take my bag on
board and met up with a Spanish speaking French
Canadian whi ch all helped to make a pleasant
return to Belize.
Being a Royal Marine and attached to the Ar- 19
my , I was once again able to pick " the best of both
worlds"; I was able to train with and race for the Taylor, 8 Queensmen, Cpl Hutch (a piper of 1 Scots
Navy at the Inter-Services, and to ski in the Army Guards) and myself (plus Union Flag) found
Championships. This not only gave me a good themselves on said beach.
period of progressive training with the Navy, but
also meant that I got a useful insight into Army ski- There was talk of a Parade- and a Ceremony.
ing standards at the Army Championships, just The detalls were a closely guarded secret, for each
before the Inter-Services; as Navy team captain, rehearsal and a full briefing left us none the wiser:
this was quite useful. all we learnt from rehearsals was that Columbian
policewomen are very atractive, ride two to a
The season began in Valloire in France where motorbike, and have very very long black boots
the Navy squad started training : two weeks of hard with lots of buckles.
slalom training by day and equally strenuous ac-
tivities by night left us fairly drained by the time we A complication, clearly, was that each Latin
moved to Val d 'Isere in January; here, I raced in Country has evolved a different pace in their drill;
two International FIS races - the Lowlanders and the wheel, for instance, was unknown before Colum-
British Championships. In both these, I was rather bus, and the right wheel is still unknown (corners
disappointed, my best results being 14th in the are taken with much goosestepping and an
British Championships, downhill; after being 8th elaborate three-point turn! ) Marching behind all
last year, this was annoying. As any athlete will tell this, we were again and again forced to halt. At the
you, when competing, a lot can depend on getting dress rehearsal, Maj . Arnold solved this problem by
things right on the day; skllng is no exception. In the swinging out and overtaking the rest of the parade
Army Championships at Ischgl, Austria (which at a smart 120 to the minute with drum beating,
followed), I had a lot more "off" days; being the pipes sklrling and Union Flag fluttering defiance;
current downhill champion, I was expected to pro- Indeed we were still overtaking divisions as we
duce reasonable results, but in each race I began to steamed past the saluting base with its slack hand-
resemble more a snowman than a skier, bombing ful of generals. The crowd cheered and "vlva'd" but
out of slaloms left, right and centre. However I did among the brass there was much conferring.
manage to win the Army downhlll, retaining the ti-
tle, which was some consolation. On the day , no overtaking was necessary; so-
meone had had a quiet word with the goosesteppers.
Finally it was the Inter-Services, held this year The crowd of 15,000 gave it "Viva Gran Bretana"
in Vallolre. With the Army team not looking too the whole way, despite a temperature of 105' , and
good, I was confident of a Naval victory. Downhill is jeeps with .50 Brownlngs which lined the route. So-
the event in which the Navy usually performs best meone said afterwards "You British march as if
and after some fast giant slalom results, I was con- you are enjoying yourselves" . .. which we were
fident of a good win in downhill. However, halfway rather.
down the course, contending for first place, I parted
company with one of my skis; the team's and my Outside Santa Marta Is a country house where
own personal hopes ended there. Despite a close- Bolivar breathed his last. Under a huge triumphal
fought slalom the next day, we could not catch up arch "To the Liberator" we formed up for the
and I had to reluctantly admit another Army vic- ceremony. Bollvar's last words, pipers lament, 21-
tory. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable period gun salute, laying of wreaths by Presidents and in-
overall and I hope for the opportunity to redeem terminable speeches - It took three and a half
myself next year! hours, almost long enough for the shade to reach us.
LIBERATED BY BOLIV AR - A guard of honour in 19th Century uniforms was
by Lt. N. P. L. Keyes replaced one by one as they fainted; nurses moved
along the ranks - administering the last rites ? As
A week basking on a Columblan beach guarded they approached, we realised it was Ice-cubes.
by a platoon of Mllltary Police? There must be a Needless to say this unmllltary comfort was re-
catch, we thought. But no , we were the British jected by us.
Delegation, guests of the Columblan Government,
at the 150th Anniversary of the Death of Simon That evening, at a grand reception, each man
Bolivar, at Santa Marta, Columbia. was presented with a pennant and a pair of cufflinks
- each bearing the arms of the Columblan Military
In the early 1800's, Bolivar asked Great Britain Academy. The officers received splendid
to help him overthrow the Spanish colonial power In medallions of Bollvas - as if any souvenir uf this
South America; this was HMG's chance to export unforgettable experience was necessary.
hundreds of ex -soldiers, unemployed since
Waterloo . No doubt, some Peninsular veterans of On the way down to Columbia, we stayed over-
our former regiments were among those who signed night at Panama City's Holiday Inn with Its poolslde
on for the British Legion which became the bar - courtesy of HMG - and In the morning wat-
backbone of Bolivar's army and won most of the ched a ship pass through one of the canal locks. (We
battles for him ; its Commander, James Rook, discovered that nowhere in Panama can you buy a
became a Columbian national hero. Panama hat!)
Thus, together with delegations from all the On the return journey , we spent a night at
'Sandhursts' of Latin America, a British Contingent Teguclgalpa, capital of Honduras. My chief
was requested; which Is how Maj. Arnold , CSM J . memory Is of a statue of Confucius , who presides
over the Confusion In that city . It Is a gift, says the
plaque, from the Peoples Republic of China.
But the memory that abides Is sunbathing, with
gin and novel to hand , under the watchful eyes of the
Military Police (old Belslze hands will appreciate
how pleasant It Is to be guarded for a change ). 1
salute Bollvar for his thoughtfulness in dying at the
seaside.
20
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21
The 2nd Battalion
L IKE most battalions stationed in (Top) Lt. Col. Peter Packham MBE, takes over from
England, we have been subject to Lt/Col. Peter Barrow. (On 6 Mar., '81)
the usual strains imposed by our
ability to be flexible and provide (Lower) Lt. James Turk receives the GOC Northern
manpower. Endowed with these two Ireland Commendation from the Commanding Officer.
qualities we laid down our arms last
November, presented hosepipes in had a good shake-out and gained the sort of
reverence to the Green Goddesses experience which will put us in a commanding
and waited for the firemen to strike; position for the coming year.
there was even a chance that our Op
Spearhead dates might have to We have been very pleased to host visits from
change. In the event, the firemen the CCF of Epsom College and Alleyn's School and
went back to work and, after a little we look forward to a visit by the Llttlehampton ACF
haggling over dates, 'Spearhead' got In the near future .
under way. To ensure an acceptable
level of confusion - and to Visitors have Included the Colonel of the
demonstrate flexibility, of course - Regiment (last December) and the GOC Eastern
the Ex . 'Fastball' was held District, Maj Gen Gerrard-Wrlght. More recently,
concurrently with the Battalion move CINCCENT General Doktor Herr Von Senger and
to Lydd. And then came Christmas, Etterlin, accompanied by Lt-Gen Slr Frank Kltson
with most of the Battalion settling literally 'popped ln' to watch the Battalion training'
down to a quiet rest in barracks away thereby getting a break from a round of
from the hurly-burly of hearth and conferences .
home, waiting for the Spearhead call-
out. Finally, mention must be made of the Battalion
show directed by Mrs Vlbeke Dawson and
At the end of January, the Battalion hosted a choreographed by Mrs Jenny Bullock : we don 't
party of fifty officers of the Royal Naval have any Lawrence Oliviers, but the all -rank cast
Lieutenants Staff Course from Greenwich. The would have stood a better-than-even chan ce against
guests were treated to a fine Company display, most of the stuff shown on TV nowadays .
redolent of Warmlnster; Introduced to the Battalion
weapons on Flngrlnghoe Ranges; lunched on 1968
vintage Naval Issue rum; and were finally driven
back to the officers' Mess for Rand R.
The Invlcta Competition finished on 30 January
with victory going to B Coy. It has been decided to
withhold further competitions until , possibly, the
end of the year when the Battalion will be in Cyprus.
Throughout March and early Aprll, each Rifle
Company spent a fortnight at Penhale Camp on the
north Cornish coast, whllst the Mortar and Anti-
Tank platoons took to the patchy snow of the
Cairngorms. Apart from this Interlude the Mortars
have spent the better part of the year live firing on
Salisbury Plain and at Otterburn.
On the sporting side, our results have not
matched the vigour, determination and, quite
frequently, the guts displayed by the participants.
The Novices Boxing Team, under the expert
guidance of RSM Ebbens, conceded a narrow
victory against The Irish Guards representing
London District. Boxing matches against local
Essex clubs have taken place and we are generating
a power base of experience which will stand us ln
good stead for the future . In the Eastern District 7-
a-slde Rugby, we overwhelmed allcomers until the
fmal; a slmllar tale applies to the Eastern District
6-a-slde Hockey competition. But although the
statistics bring no accolades , our sports teams have
22 Our team were CSgt Ted Tombling (2 hrs 42
mins 53 sec) , Sgt Paul Howlett, ACC (2 hrs 41 mins
For the future , we have another tour of 05 secs) and Cpl Hands (3 hrs 04 mins 01 sec - an
'Spearhead' followed by a series of Company excellent result for a man of 39 years of age .
exercises . This summer, we expect to convert to
MILAN and CLANSMAN and then we are off to the 7 OP "SCARAB"
Field Force concentration at Otterburn in In November last, the British Army adjusted its
September. And that should leave us just enough training programmes and once more directed its
time to get ready for Cyprus. efforts towards putting out fires ; it was the first
time that 2 QUEENS was to be let loose with Green
EXERCISE "SNOWTUBE" Goddesses . We were given fifteen engines and A and
As part of the Battalion's adventure training B Coys were to provide the fireman.
programme , Support Coy ran a challenging ski We had a lot of help from both the Royal Navy
exercise in Scotland . The aim of the exercise was to at Chatham and the Auxiliary Fire Service who
teach members of the Company how to downhill ski taught us the basics and the onus was put on engine
ready for the Cyprus tour in November. Originally, commanders to practice their crews.
the exercise was to have been run from a number of As pay negotiations began to break down, we
snowholes on the slopes but unfortunately, due to
the lack of snow, accommodation had to be found in ~
a luxurious guest house in Carrbridge! (Attempts
were made to simulate tough conditions by leaving .3,
all the windows open but the central heating always s.
won the day.) Sgt Rlchardson, our chef, imposed ;;-
additional hardship with his excellent cooking.
The warm-up training for the exercise was ... .....i"
carried out in a pub in Edinburgh under the capable ., 0 .,
supervision of LCpl Guyett. This meant that most of ~
the first week's students were suitably 'relaxed' to =~ c
start skiing; they were so relaxed that they tended ...~., 0
to fall over a lot, usually before leavlng the car 0' 0
park. The Chief Instructor (and OIC long-distance
phone calls) was Capt Harper, a renowned ::0
adventure trainer; on the way to Avlemores, he and
Sgt Rlchardson were snowbound in a pass for a were confined to Colchester for the second weekend
number of hours (but they're just good friends)! in a row . 'Notice to Move' was then reduced but then
The exercise was split into three parts, each a came the long-awaited news that there was to be no
week long: the first two weeks were used by the strike after all! We then handed over our engines to
Mortar Platoon with the final week being an 'Anti- The Devon and Dorsets.
Tank week'. The skllng during the first two weeks
was hampered by a lack of snow though this minor As with standby duties, it had been a period of
setback failed to deter any of the Battalion skiers raised expectations followed by frustration and
who prided themselves on their ability to ski on disappointment. We learnt some new skills,
heather and rocks. On certain days, even this was appreciated some of the firemen's problems, but we
impossible, so other trips were organised , including were deflected from our priority task - improving
a cycling tour along The Spey Valley in the pouring individual military standards.
rain. (For this excursion, the officers were issued
with "bicycles, officer", the difference being that THE "MORATORIUM", OR YOU'VE NEVER
they had gears.) For the visit to Loch Ness, we HAD IT SO GOOD
enjoyed the luxury of travelllng in Landrovers and
had a very interesting time in Inverness (so "Save money" was the exhortation - and cut
interesting that Cpl Wllson nearly didn't make it followed cut : domestic fuel 'targets' became
back) . The battlefield of Culloden did not arouse as 'allocations' ; vehicle fuels were slashed; clothing-
much interest as was hoped ; even the stirring normally in short supply - became non-existent ;
accounts of the battle as described by OC Mortar P1
failed to persuade most of the budding historians to co mmucd on page 24
leave the Landrovers!
Despite the lack of snow a thoroughly enjoyable
time was had by all. The basis of interest in skiing
has now been laid; in November it will be the
Cypriots ' turn to avoid our mad , out-of-control
skiers .
THE MARATHON
The Battalion entered its first marathon with a
team in the Inter-Services Annual Marathon at RAF
Swlnderby with some 420 runners competing, 167 of
whom were Army teams or individuals ; the
marathon distance is 26 ~ miles . The Battalion
team came a creditable fourth, against stiff
competition , out of some twelve Army teams to
finish .
24 showed himself to be an able stand-in for OC D Coy
should he ever be needed, and Pte Solly , as his 2IC,
and the barracks started to collapse - or so the wore large ginger eyebrows which bore a
Property Services Agency of the DOE were telling remarkable resemblance to those of his platoon
us. But we were saving! commander.
Or were we? The amount of paper urging us to Capt Harper was said to be nothing ltke the
economise could have fuelled our heating system Provost Sgt- he didn't swear enough! LCpl Wllson,
for weeks! on the other hand, played such a good Adjt that Capt
Whithouse was seen to be taking notes during the
So we tightened our belts (those who still had performance and Is noticeably smarter.
any ) and prepared for the worse. There was,
however, one possible con~ ,Jation - as a vital It Is Impossible to mention here all those who
element of a crack Field Force we, at least, might took part. However, If rehearsals were ltke ENSA
get a reasonable share of whatever goodies were during the war - "Every Night Something Awful"
available . - all those who saw the final performance would
probably agree that the effort put in by everyone
In the midst of these economies, both real and was well worth it in the end.
promised , we were put on alert to act as firemen .
Now, money was no problem ; trucks and men were PEN HALE (GO WEST YOUNG MAN)
sent all over the country to collect equipment which, Spectacular countryside, rolling surf, tourist
according to the Home Office , was already on the clip-joints . .. it could have been the USA, but it
Green Goddesses! wasn't- it was Cornwall.
Financial cuts forced the Battalion to follow the
Our tour on 'Spearhead' Improved our lot and exampie of thousands of tourists this year. We had
we really were a high priority for stores. The to cancel a trip to the States, and instead go on
briefing teams from HQ UKLF even came to us! military and adventure training to Penhale on
(One up to Mahommed!) Cornwall's north coast.
Early In March , a permanent staff of
The moratorium was officially lifted In the new administrators and Instructors, led by Capt John
year, but the restrictions (except for the bumph) Bullock left Colchester for the 12 hour journey .
remained. Clothing was gradually released from Bringing up the rear was canoe supremo CSM
ordnance depots and we managed to get to Penhale Slater in a Landrover towing a trailer which would
for adventure training but, generally, our savings have the armoured fighting vehicle recognition
continued until the State visit of the President of experts reaching for a copy of J a ne' s - the RE ME
Nigeria. For providing a route-lining party, cost had designed >.a strange contraption fixed onto the
was no object: vehicles collected greatcoats from top of the trailer capable of taking fifteen canoes.
Ordnance ; then they required tailoring and On Bodmin Moor, sudden gale-force cross
pressing; finally , they were returned to Ordnance . winds snapped retaining elastics on a surfer canoe
The total bill for our part alone must have been and carried it 40 metres onto the bracken: and as
considerable . the crew leapt out to recover it, the wind blew the
trailer over.
TOMMY AND HIS TECHNICOLOUR The Sergeant Major decided it was time for
DREAMGffiL civil power to come to the military aid, and soon
'volunteered' several civilians dressed in natty suits
To celebrate the end of our 'Spearhead' tour , to get out of their cars into the pouring rain to
someone suggested that the Battalion should control traffic and sort out the trailer.
produce a show . Subalterns can't write, so the script Seventeen hours after they set out, the canoe
had to be written by someone else - probably party drove into Penhale.
someone with staff college training. Then it was All Companies went through a 10-day training
obvious - there were no jokes about the 21C or cycle with activities which Included swimming,
Major Pearce! canoeing, cliff climbing and helping the National
Trust. But military training was not Ignored : 35 km
Volunteers were, as usual, difficult to find , but Lt compass marches across Bodmln Moor ,
Turk ('James' to the girls ) did his best to search the blvouacing , shooting and inter-section competitions
Bn for likely rivals to Sir Laurence Olivier (or was it all took place.
Alf Garnett?) Our producer, Mrs Vibeke Dawson, During their spare time, groups of soldiers were
gathered the motley cast together to try and mould taught to fire shot guns , and went out on riding treks
them into actors and actresses. What a task! Some along the beautiful estuaries of the West Country .
heartless company commanders actually required Strong winds and bad weather were a feature of
membe r s of the cast to do military training! The the training. But early morning runs ending in a
support of the wives , on the other hand , was swim in the wintry sea made the storm conditions
magnificent and Mrs Jenny Bullock did a grand job during the day seem comfortable by comparison.
choreographing the girls' dance routines. The climbing leader, C/ Sgt Denny discovered
five climbs at Ligger Point close to the camp . He
After the Christmas break everything picked /] as called one of them "Queensman's Endeavour"
up ; the Assault Pioneers built the stage, lights were and all of them are now registered to help future
obtained and a full cast was assembled . Our leading users of Penhale camp and other mountaineers.
ma n - Cpl Clarkson from the band - eventually Similarly, CSM Slater 's discovery of canoe routes
learnt his lines . Mrs Theresa Cuddington, playing have been recorded by P enhale Training Camp .
the 'Dreamgirl ' managed to overcome the heckling
from the band to get her dancing routines mastered .
There was also a Good and a Bad fairy . Mrs
'Bubbles' Bence (playing the latter ) did a great job
overcoming her opponent, played by Maj Pearce.
Desc ribed as having 'more mince tha n the local
butcher ', Maj P earce looked lik e the White Tide
m a n and smell ed lik e a bottle of pe rfum e . (Could be
a security risk ? ')
The Mortar Platoon turn ed out in large
numbe r s. Sgt F eakins played Darth Vade r/ th e RSM
(no wonde r he hid behind a ma sk ). Cpl Norm a n
As the Battalion were enjoying the attractive 25
countryside, small groups of volunteers were lent to
the National Trust for special projects. With To gain more experience and more Importantly
amazing speed our teams, led by assault pioneer to continue our progress In the boxing field , we have
NCOs, fenced off sand dunes to stop wind erosion; struck up a good relationship with the Colchester
built steps to help lifeguards reach the beaches; and Boxing Club. On 4 March, the Battalion participated
dug for Irrigation projects. The local goodwill In the Colchester Boxing Club Annual Dinner in
created should stand us In good stead should we which nine boxers took part and fought against very
wish to return to the excellent facUlties at Penhale. tough opposition from amateur boxers throughout
the county. Ptes Bailey and Joseph both had
BOXING NOTES convincing wins.
The Battalion entered the Army Novices team A special mention must be made of Pte Arthey,
championships this year. It was unfortunate that we at present with the Army Boxing team at Aldershot :
were the only unit to enter from Eastern District he was the Army middleweight champion last year
and therefore had no competition prior to going and moved up a weight to become light heavyweight
forward Into the next round. This drew us against champion this year. He Is a regular member and
the 1st Bn Irtsh Guards at Chelsea Bks which ended consistent winner In the Army team. During the
In defeat by seven bouts to two . The result In no way recent Combined Services open championships, Pte
reflects on our standard; In fact, the whole evening Arthey was the only open boxer to record a victory
was a close-fought contest. Our two winners were and, In addition, received the 'Cameron' trophy for
Ptes Bailey and Henry whilst Cpl Johnston, LCpl the best boxer of the evening.
McNeUI and Pte DUlon all lost on a very close
majority decision. Future boxing events for the Battalion include a
Novices competition against 3 R Angllan (present
holders) In July to compete for the Eastern District
Novices Cup.
ttentish ~azttfe
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27
The 3rd Battalion
T HE past six months has seen a In December we were warned for fire fighting
major transformation in that we duties In London (we were even warned for
have now successfully converted to a Edinburgh!) The whole business entailed a fair
mechanized battalion: this has had amount of planning and culminated In the drawing
repercussions at all levels and in all up of 16 Green Goddesses which had to be driven
departments of the Battalion and, down from London so that we could train our fire
naturally, the end result has not been fighting teams and deploy straight to South East
achieved without a great deal of London If required. We were finally 'stood down '
turbulence and hard work. That we just prior to our block leave period.
find ourselves now with all but a
handful of our families in (Top) Capt. Barr and Lt. Dunn under instruction.
Fallingbostel is no mean (Lower) "How do we turn the b-··· off'' Ptes. Newham
achievement.
and Vipond ask Cpl. Greenhalgh (Supervisor).
Althoufh we cannot yet call ourselves a fully
operatlona mechanized battalion, we can certainly
drive and maintain all our vehicles and we are
slowly becoming more conversant with all the new
BAOR 'cries'.
Faillngbostal, as a station, Is a lot better than
many expected but, without doubt pari of the
problem lies In Its name within the Army of "F'Ing
B" . Most single men are starting to get out and
discover the delights or otherwise of Germany but
many are stUI rather hamstrung without cars. A car
Is an essential here and the Idea of clubbing
together to buy 'some wheels' has become popular.
The 'marrieds' have settled In well and although the
quarter situation Is not as good as at Dover, the flats
provided are generally spacious and well
decorated; , the quarters' areas, however leave a
little to be desired. Now that we have reached high
summer, the local training areas are fast changing
from mud lakes to dust bowls.
In November last, we started mechanized
training and this went on untU mid February. APC
courses were run at Bordon, Initially under the
direction of the Infantry wing of the RAC Driving
and Maintenance School, and subsequently under
our own team of Instructors led most ably by our
new MTO, Lt Alnsworth; he and his team deserve
great credit for providing us with our 96 APC
drivers and about 100 APC Commanders .
Additionally we sent CVR(T) and Ferret Instructors
to the RAC Centre at Bovlngton for their courses,
and Stalwart Instructors and drivers to the Army
School of Mechanical Transport at Leconfleld.
(Leconfleld was also responsible for training our
MT accountants who are so vital to the running of a
mechanized battalion). The job of training drivers
does not end with the conversion phase since, due to
wastage and postlngs, a constant flow of drivers of
all types have to be coming off the 'production line'.
In general, we are aiming to have at least two
drivers for each 'A' vehicle.
During this period the Battalion 'Hierarchy'
visited the Battle Group Trainer at Bovlngton and
spent a most enlightening and enjoyable three days
being Introduced to mechanized operations. It
proved Invaluable to our command team and we are
soon to use the sister Trainer at Sennelager to
confirm our procedures and tactics.
28
In the New Year, the tempo Increased: various
courses were run internally to get ourselves up to
date on "The Threat", NBC and the German
language . Three, 2-week highly-concentrated
language courses were organised and these are
continuing In BAOR : by the end of the year, some
100 soldiers should have attended an introductory or
basic German course.
Due to the upheaval caused by all the external
courses running right through the four month period
from Nov to Mar, and sporting social activities
naturally suffered. However , we succeeded in
reaching the Quarter Final of the Infantry Soccer
Cup and our Intermediate level Boxing Team
reached the final of the Army Championships. Our
eventual defeat at the hands of the 1st Bn The Green
Howards in the final after a very close contest was
in no way due to the lack of motivation or guts; the
unsettled final few weeks of training during which
we moved to BAOR obviously took its toll, but we
are making no excuses. Adventure training also
found it place during the last few months in Dover,
and we took full advantage of an opportunity to send
two parties rock climbing, hill walking and
canoeing in Western Scotland; another party of 20
all ranks went off to ski in Switzerland during
January and their members should provide us with
a good back-bone to our Battalion ski team which
we hope to field next year.
The past six months have been both taxing and
rewarding: those who had to bear the brunt of
conversion to the mechanized role and organise our
move to BAOR have visibly aged - not least the
editor of these notes ' The QM's department under
Capts. Perry and Fisher and the Families ottice
staff headed by Capt Bromfleld deserve a special
mention for arranging a smooth hand
over/ takeover in what one must admit were
difficult circumstances. The Families Officer's oft
- quoted "Hot bed" method of taking over quarters
went generally well although, on one occasion, one
of the more zealous members of his staff let himself
into the wrong flat where the woman of the house
was still in bed !
We are now preparing ourselves for a hectic
Summer Season of training at Sennelager and
Soltau.
(Top and centre)
BN . HQ SHAKE-OUT, MARCH '81.
The RSO, Capt. Parker and his assistant, W02 Tonks
with " their" ferret ...
. . . and, the RSM trying to camouflage an elephant?!
(Lower) A Monar PI. Spanan emerges from the mist .
HOCKEY 29
by Capt J. P. Castle Hamlll . We achieved some fine results in the
'Henlow Ten ' and In the London Services Cross
Our hockey season started in earnest in Country League. Next season, we aim to achieve a
October : we had, once again, entered the Infantry placing amongst the first five in the Army
Challenge Cup and planned to play a few of the local Championship ; we certainly have the potentia:.
units to pad out the fixture list.
Finally, gvod luck and a special farewell to Pte
Having won the UK stage of the '79/ 80' Tom Delaney, our brightest and most faithful star
Challenge Cup beating the 1 Welsh Guards (3 - 1) who left the Army In April this year.
and then losing to the 1 Worcestershire and
Sherwood Foresters In the UK/ BAOR final in RUGBY
Paderborn, we still retained confidence In our team .
However, training for BAOR started in October and by Lt C G Lambert
we lost continuity: we came to grief in the first
round of the Challenge Cup, losing to 1 The Royal Dover
Green Jackets, 3 -1. After a disastrous season last year, battalion
In theN ew Year we started to play on tarmac In rugby started with renewed enthusiasm this season,
preparation for BAOR. Four matches were played, with a number of soldiers who were new to the game
of which three were on grass; we lost 3 - 1 to RE as well as the usual hard core of officers. Within
Chatham, (a well-drilled team) by a short corner, three weeks there was a healthy, though largely
and 4 · 1 to a strong Folkestone Optimists. Inexperienced squad turning out on Monday night
practices, with evident enthusiasm and potentiaL
Against the Junior Leaders Regt, R .E, we drew
2 - 2 and against Dover College (who had beaten us For the remainder of the season in Dover, the
twice on grass at the beginning of the season), team steered clear of high-powered competitions
playing on tarmac for the first time, a similar result (such as the Army Cup) and confined Itself to
emerged. 'Frlendlles ', against civilian teams, Including
Canterbury RFC and Kent University, and also
I want to mention two personalities to whom we against the occasional army major unit. For the
had to say goodbye on leaving UK: LCpl Stoner of first time In many years the team, captained by
the Band; one of our most regular players, during LCpl Nlcklln, achieved a number of wins (as well as
numerous seasons was he always an extremely the odd defeat.
hard working and enthusiastic player, who will be
sadly missed from the team. The other Is Cpl Tllley Worth mentioning Is our part In the SE Dlst Cup
(also from the Band); he qualified as andan AHUA competition where although we were narrowly
Grade 111 In 1976 and has umpired for the team defeated (18-16) by 36 Engineer Regt In the first
regularly, turning out In all weathers and all over round, we acquitted ourselves well against what
UK, always showing great enthusiasm , fitness and was obviously an experienced and well-drilled
Interest In the team . team .
In Falllngbostel, we play regularly on our Despite the rigours of mech conversion and
tarmac pitch. There are a large number of keen general upheaval as the Battalion prepared Itself
players and although the season now draws to a for Its role In BAOR, In was an encouraging and
close, we have formed a large squad from which to successful start to the season.
choose next season •s team.
BAOR
The standard of hockey In BAOR Is much higher
than In UK and our results tend to reflect this . Prospects for rugby In Germany look good, with
However we have always given a good account of many major and minor units, as well as some
ourselves and having sharpened up our fitness and civilian teams, to choose from.
skills, there Is no reason why our 1981/82 team
should not be a strong one. The highlight of our first few weeks In Germany
was our entry In the 1 Armd Dlv 7-a-slde
BAOR results to date are as follows : 1 Armd competition, where we won one game but were
Dlv HQ and Regt Lost 1 - 3; 46 Fd Regt RA - Lost 0- beaten by 7 Armd Wksps, the eventual winners.
6; H S!g Regt- Won 1- 0; 2 Coldstream Guards-
Won 7-0. Once the Battalion has found its feet in BAOR,
and certainly by the beginning of next season, we
CROSS-COUNTRY 1980/81 will have a viable and enthusiastic squad who
should do well in the future .
by Lt J . W. Colllngrldge
FOOTBALL
As forecast In the Journal last year, our
newlyborn Battalion team did achieve a third In the by Capt D DJ Palmer
S.E Dlst Championships, graduating to the Army
Championships. Due to vagaries of embarkation The 1980/ 81 season can be suitably described as
leave, we didn't manage to field a full team In the one of near misses. Despite the upheavals of the
latter compeltion; nevertheless, those who move to Falllngbostel, the team acquitted Itself well
competed, achieved some very respectable results : and lost only narrowly In various stages of each of
Pte Snowball of B Coy, achieved 125th place out of the three Army Cup competitions as follows : Army
180 top Army runners after travelling from Scot~and Challenge Cup - Lost (In extra time) to Irish
on his embarkation leave, and for five months last Guards at Chelsea Bks (Last year' s runners up ), In
year he was out of action due to a broken leg. That's the first round.
what you call 'spirit'.
S. E. Dlst. - Lost to the Blues and Royals In the
Cross Country continues to go from strength to first round. Infantry Cup - Lost to the Blues and
strength under the charismatic leadership of RQMS Royals In the first round . Infantry Cup - Lost to 1
RHF at Falllngbostelln the quarter final .
30 (Top) The Bn. Boxing Team.
(Runners-up in the Anny Intennediate Champion-
The team unfortunately had to withdraw from
the Canterbury and District League, when actually ships, 1980)
leading the table and in the quarter finals of the
League Cup, because of the Unit move. (Centre) The Bn. Rugby Team.
We now have a strong squad of players , and as (Lower) Start of the SE Dist. Cross-Country Champion-
the team will be competing in the 1 Armd Dlv ships, Feb '81.
League, we are confident that success will at last
come our way next season.
BOXING, 1980/81
by J C Rogerson
The leather has stopped flying, the punch bags
are stored for another year whilst the disappointed
team reflect on the Army Intermediate Team
Finals held at Catterlck when the 1st Bn The Green
Howards recorded a 7 - 2 win against us; I say
recorded, since the score in no way reflected what
was a superb, evenly hard-fought night of skill .
The season started with the Inter-Coy N ovlces,
a well supported competition with a total of 48
entries. The Quarter and Semi-Finals were held on
28 Oct last and all the bouts were fought with great
pluck and determination and there were so many
closely contested bouts that the officials had no less
than eight 'best losers ' on their cards! All finalists
had a day's rest and on the final night the
companies' score cards started as follows: A Coy -
15 Points with 5 finalists; B Coy - 14 Points with 6
finalists; C Coy - 16 Points with 7 finalists; D Coy
- 12 Points with 4 finalists ; HQ Coy - 2 Points with
no finalists .
A close battle ensued throughout the evening
between A, B and C Coys with the lead changing
three times; however C eventually pulled ahead
with a 3 - point lead over A and B Coy who drew for
second place . It would be difficult to single out any
one bout as they were all worthy of a mention.
The Battalion team started training in Jan after
'Spearhead' and Christmas leave and we decided to
enter the new Intermediate Team Competition
which offered fewer contests but of a higher
quality; this fitted well with our Impending move to
BAOR. Unfortunately we lost four of our most
experienced boxers (due to promotion, courses etc)
though continuity was achieved in the form of
L/Cpls Howes and Warner. This year, L/ Cpl Howes
stepped out of the ring to help train the team , along
with SI Lee, APTC, who joined us last year.
On 11 Feb, after one month's training
(punctuated with four of the squad attending
mechanized courses at Bordon ) the team fought 2
LI In the Army Intermediate Team Semi-Finals.
Our guests were expected to be tough opponents
(they had been Army Open Runners-up to 1 Queens
for the last two years) And so, with the coincidental
visit of the Divisional Brigadier - who threatened
the Boxing Officer with 'your career's at stake,
Chief' - the pressure was on.
The afternoon started well ; L Cpl Warner who
had regained his strength having dieted off 7 pounds
to make Bantam Weight, won on points. Then Pte
Bralthwait was outpolnted by a more skilful
opponent, but Pte Rashed, one of our most
Improved boxers, rapidly transferred his opponent
from the vertical to the horizontal position. The
score was levelled by the interval as Pte Wrlght
(another greatly lmpoved boxer}, put us In the lead
again with another swift FTBTC ; Pte Anderson,
who had only trained for 3 days , put up a very
creditable performance, losing by a majority
decision. L Cpl King (who seems destined to meet
formidable opponents) was matched against their 31
best boxer; this resulted In six minutes of excellent huts; a tuck shop; a drying room; electricity, and a
boxing with the decision going to our opponents. sizeable motor launch.
At this stage things looked desperate as neither The Idea behind Ardintlgh is for groups of
of our next two boxers had much experience. Pte solders of up to about sixty In number, to use the
Peverell (strong on pulling APC levers but weak on centre as a base from which they can 'get away
pushing 6oz leathers) managed to shoulder his way from it all' and do some hUI walking, rock climbing,
to a slim victory giving Pte Hunter our reserve canoeing, fishing and generally let off steam under
Welter (Pete WUllams broke a bone In his hand) a the their own commanders away from the intrusion
seemingly Impossible task. However an ominous of the ever-present bureaucracy.
silence soon changed to cheering; with one quick
flurry of punches, Hunter put his man to the canvas. And this Is exactly what the two groups from
No one was more suprlsed than he. Dover did. The first group was led by this scribe and
Csgt Mears, and the second by Lt D Dunn and Lt C
After a week's embarkation leave, the team Lambert; both groups consisted of about 20, mainly
started training for the finals on 1 April. As the from rifle companies. The exercise had to surmount
Battalion was due to move to BAOR during the first some difficulties before it came about: first, the
week of March lt was decided to fly the team and problems of cuts In Adventure Training grants
their famUies out early and complete the final which meant that each soldier partaking needed to
preparation In Falllngbostel. On 30 March the team contribute £10 to the cost of renting the centre . And,
travelled to Catterlck In a hired coach and, after a since the dates of 'Autumn Isle' coincided with the
ferry strike and one breakdown, the team arrived In middle of the Battalion's 'Spearhead' commitment,
Catterlck the next evening. It was evident from the the group leaders had to make very sure that, In a
start we were up against a very enthusiastic, worst-case situation, the 'Autumn Islers' could
hospitable and sporting Battalion who were 91 rejoin the Battalion In Dover In time for
soldiers over-established! This made our total of deployment. Since there was no telephone at or near
eight spectators seem somewhat outnumbered. Ardlntlgh, this had to be guaranteed by close liaison
However, this did not deter our boxers from putting with the Mallalg Police and local fishermen who
up a magnificent performance. It Is only another would have passed the message. Inevitably this
boxer who can appreciate just how much 'Blood rather limited the scope of the walking expeditions.
Sweat and Tears' goes Into the prepartlon for any
bout; it's always a pity someone has to lose but the Lt Dunn and CSgt Mears led the rock climbing
gaining of respect from one's opponment Is Instruction on crags around the loch, whilst Lt
consolation In Itself. I pay tribute to our boxers In Lambert and I led the walks and LCpl Edwards
the way they gained the respect of not only their (Signal Platoon) Instructed In canoeing . Special
opponents but all Green Howards present. I will mention should be made of Cpl 'Reg' Ryder who did
never foreget seeing and hearing them standing, a fantastic job as safety boatman, ferryman and
cheering and clapping our team all the way to the storeman for the exercise; and of Pte Foster our
NAFFI after the event. cook, who kept morale up by his good hot tucker.
EX "AUTUMN ISLE 1 AND 2" Overall a pleasant, Interesting and healthy time
by Lt J. W. Colllngrldge was had amongst the crags, breezes, heather, deer
and seals of Loch Nevls.
Between 24 Oct and 15 Nov last, two groups of
Queensman disappeared each for a period of ten EX "MOUNTAIN HIGH 2" (18 Jan- 7 Feb '81)
days, Into the wilds of Scotland. In the early days, lt by 2/Lt S J Cooper
was widely believed that the objective of this
expedition was a remote and rarely-mentioned This Exercise was the second visit by a party
Island around the Isle of Skye. In fact, on Inspection from the Battalion to Jaman, a mountainous area
of a map of the relevant areas, Ardlntigh Adventure 1750 m above sea level, near Montreaux,
Training Centre was discovered to be on an Island Switzerland.
on the Southern shore of Loch Nevls In the area of
Mallalg. Wild and remote on the map lt looked; wlld The party consisted of 19 members of the
and remote it was! Battalion and two potential officers who traveiled
from Dover by 4-ton truck, boat, railway, bus and on
The Centre has an Interesting history : it was foot carrying cross-country and downhill ski
built virtually single-handed, by Tom - commonly equipment.
known as 'Molby' - McClean. This gentleman, of
remarkable will-power, ex-SAS and current holder Our alms we~e to provide a basis for the
of the record for rowing the Atlantic single-handed Battalion Downhill and Cross-Country Skiing
(and also the first man to do so), aimed to set up an teams: to create future 'Snow Queen' Instructors ;
adventure training centre on leaving the Army. and to Introduce the two potential officers to
Having chosen the land at Ardintlgh (and on soldiers - an Introduction they will not forget!
receiving permission to use it from Lord Lovell,
laird of the estate). McClean began by carrying Weather conditions for most of the exercise
building materials by rucksack 10 mlles over the were Ideal. However, on our arrival at Montreaux
hills from Mallaig. He graduated to an outboard· we discovered that the final leg of our journey by
powered dinghy to ferry his cement, pipes and so mountain railway to Jaman was Impossible
forth and then, after about four years, to a motor because of a heavy snowfall. We therefore had to
launch . He has now at Ardintlgh his own stone walk 3km from 1053m to Jaman 1750mh in thick
cottage, fitted with all the 'mod-cons' of a modern snow and In danger of avalanches which are very
home ,' a large stone hut for accommodation of frequent. We were led by our mountain man, guide,
visiting groups; several smaller weatherboard ski Instructor and friend, Claude Remy and on
arrival, were fed and offered overnight
accomodation on the floor of Claude Re my's
house / bistro. We all slept well In spite of the
temperature which was- 14oC.
32 500m (fortunately only on to snow). The Chalet
was Isolated so most evenings were spent playing
The following day we skied and fell to our final dominoes, cards, chess or backgammon. Claude
destination, the Chalet Liberia, which was a further took us night skltng under a full moon - a strange
3km from Claude Remy 's bistro across deep snow sensation and dangerous.
fields . The Chalet was built in 1939 of wood , but it
was very warm and could accommodate 30 people Towards the end of the exercise we were
In comfort . After three days downhill skiing, the treated to a fondue at Claude Remy's bistro and
party split into three groups according to individual shown some of his mountaineering slides of his
ability: the groups alternated from ski instruction assent of a swiss mountain called the dru. VIewing
with Claude Remy, to Cross-Country skiing with these slides whilst actually being in the mountains,
CSgt Allaway, and ski practice. certainly demonstrated the courage and skill
required to be an expert climber.
Ski training culminated in a competition which
included downhill , slalom and cross country events, The return trip was uneventful apart from our
the aim being to achieve the fastest combined time. reappearance after 3 weeks in Montreaux where we
Pte Parrish Is to be congratulated on winning this were met with 'Soldats Anglals Jaman' on the local
event. blllboards. The mtlltary attache In Berne had been
informed of our presence so there was no question of
The hardest and most frightening skiing which our encroaching on Swiss neutrality.
we attempted was on a cllff known as 'The Pole Ski',
it had a 55• incline . Six of us managed it, but only Ex Moutain High was an enjoyable and useful
Pte Powell had 'The Bottle ' to do it several times! exercise which certainly achieved Its alms. C Sgt
(the ' Pole Ski' was 10• steeper than 1 and 1 and it Allaway must be thanked for his advice and very
really did seem sheer). competent administration, and Cpl McLaughlan for
his excellent cooking.
Under Claude Remy's guidance the party
undertook two ski treks which included walking and
skiing at high altitudes. Several people fell up to
EX . "MOUNTAIN HIGH", JAN. '81.
(Left) The ski party at the top of Le Rochers Dewaye, the (Right) The party spreads out on a trek to avoid
highest local mountain. accidents .
BORDEN MECH CONVERSION, AFV 432 scratch) . Needless to say a lot of 'midnight oil was
by Lt. A. Ainsworth, MTO burnt.'
The AFV 432 side of mechanized conversion Having completed the course, the new drivers
began late last October for 21 instructors who were then embarked on an Intensive training cycle which
required to train the Battalion drivers for BAOR . started on our arrival In BAOR . It Is said that Sgt
Rodzlewlcz Is now an expert with the grease gun
To the majority , this vehicle was 14 .75 tons of after his complete non-demonstration to his squad:
mystery , which had to be learned in great detail in and that Sgt Jacobs has found a new method of
som e three and a half weeks , to enable the explaining the drain plugs , unfortunately
Ins tru ctors to have the necessary knowledge to unacceptable to Bordon (see cartoon ).
tea ch drivers . (In most cases, the latter had only
just passed the ir driving tests on a Landrover and All instructors deserve great credit for training
we were therefore very much starting from some 96 APC drivers and 60 APC commander•
during the training cycle.
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CITROEN ~
SUPPLEMENT No . 1-PAGE TWO
33
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34 PENINSULAR WAR
BATTLEFIELDS TOUR
Odds & Ends
THE REGIMENTAL GOLFING SOCIETY A retired Lt·Col M . L. Nicholls writes :
Fixtures for 1981 are as follow s:-
" A former Army colleague of mine now rest·
24 Jun: Match v. RMAS, Aldershot dent In Spain and I are currently organising a series
6 Jul: Match v. Kent Co unty Constabu lary, Leeds of special Interest tours to that country. In October
Cas tl e of this year we are planning a tour of some of the
7 Aug: M atch v. RRF & R. Anglian , Stoke by Nayland Peninsular War Battlefields. Tentative dates are
9th to 16th October, 1981 Inclusive . Outward and
4 Sep: The Annual Meeting, Canterbury GC return journeys will be by air from Gatwlck to
8 Sep: Match v. Queen's Own Buffs G.S., Epsom Madrid .
28 Sep: M atch v. Surrey ABF Appeal Com mittee We will visit Talavera , Almeraz , Albuhera,
Badajoz, Arroyo Mollnos, Fuentes de Onoro, Cludad
Argyll & Sutherland Bowl, 1981 Rodrlgo and Salamanca. My colleague has spent
Th e Regiment entered one team of four officers- Lt much time In researching and walking these bat·
Col John Holman (Capt), Capt Charl es Bromfield , Lt tleflelds, and background notes, maps and a written
Co l Hugh Tarver and Maj (Retd) Char les Wilmot. description of each engagement will be provided In
The Competition was held at the Royal Cinque addition to a verbal description to be given on the
Pons G.C. Dea l and the Royal St. Geo rge G .C. ground .
Sandwich on 14115 May.
In the first round we won co mfortably against Royal Reasonably priced hotels and restaurants
Angl ian ' B' but at Sandwich the next day, our tea m went which provide typical regional food and wines have
down rather heavily aga inst RGJ 'A'. been selected to add to the enjoyment of the trip.
Apart from spending time In Madrid, Toledo and
BOOK REVIEWS Salamanca, there will also be time en route to look
around some of the more Interesting towns and
villages In areas of Spain rarely Included In normal
tourist Itineraries.
The cost per person should be In the region of
£200, which will cover air fares, transport In Spain,
hotel accommodation, breakfast and one main meal
a day. The strength of our bargaining power with
transport companies and hoteliers, etc. will of
course to a large extent depend upon the numbers
Involved .
Since your Regiment took part In the Penln·
sular War, I am writing to ask If you could let me
know of any of your members, serving or retired,
who might like to join us on this tour. Any assistance
you could give me In contacting potentially In·
terested people would be greatly appreciated."
Editor's note
"AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN" Anyone Interested should contact Col Nlcholls
direct at :
I (Hong Kong and South East Asia 1941·45) by 38 Quartermlle Road ,
Oliver Llndsay Godalmlng,
I
Ham ish Hamilton London £9.50 net
11
(UKonly) Surrey
I This is the first full factual account of what GU71TJ .
happened to the thousands of British, Canadian,
(Tel : Godalmlng 22509) .
Indian and Chinese who were Imprisoned after the TUNISIAN BATTLEFIELD
surrender of Hong Kong to the Japanese on TOUR, 1982
Christmas Day , 1941. (extract from a letter to the Editor dated 30 Dec. '80
Lt. Col. Lindsay is a regular soldier In The
Grenadier Guards now serving at the Ministry of
from Maj Stanley F . H. Glynn, formerly lRWK).
Defence. His new book a sequel to " The Lasting Several former yfficers of The East Surrey
Honour , The Fall of Hong Kong 1941" Is a result of
five years of research and personal contact with Regt and I are planning a tour of the Battlefields of
hundreds of men and women who took part In the
events described , Including Maj ·Gen . Chrlstopher North Africa - Beja, Medjez-el·Bab , Peter's Cor·
ner etc - for around Aprll/ May 1982. The tour will
Man (A djutant of 1 Middlesex at the time) and his probably be based on Tunis and the duration about 4
wife . The extradordinary bravery of Col. days; the cost Is likely to be £350 to £400.
New nham . anothe r Diehard, who was
posthumously awarded the George Cross , Is also Would anyone who served In North Africa In
1943 and who Is Interested In joining the party -
recorded . which will have to be limited to around 20 (ladles
A most absorbing tale of Inhuman and callous welcome)- please write to me at:·
brutality difficult for a civilised mind to Rose mount,
comprehend ; but a lso of Indomitable courage , Cricket Ground Road,
endu ran ce and, paradoxically, co mpassion . Chlslehurst,
G . U.W. Kent BR7 5HD.
A BOARDING SCHOOL FOR SONS OF RETIREMENT
OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS
Maj. M.A.G . Roberts TD
THE DUKE OF YORK'S SCHOOL,
DOVER After 30 years service In the TA Maj Mike
Roberts w1lllay down sword and camera at the end
(FEES: APPROX £600 PER ANNUM) of his tour at HQ Eastern District as PRO (TA).
The Duke of York's Royal Military School, Is an Maj Roberts joined 4/5 R . Sussex (TA) as a
independent boarding school for 450 boys aged 11 to private soldier in 1951 at Lewes . As an acting L/Cpl
18. Officers and Soldiers - both serving and retired he marched in the Coronation Procession and twen·
- who have a minimum of four years service In the ty five years later photographed the Queen and
Regular Army are eligible to register their sons as Prince Phlllp on the Jubilee visit to Norwich. In
candidates for entry. The school is largely financed earlier years he took part in the Freedom Parades
by the Ministry of Defence. at Eastbourne, Lewes, Hove and Belfast and
photographed 1 R . Sussex on Public Duties in Lon·
Entry Is at 11-plus In September each year and don.
Is based on competitive examinations and father's
service. Boys may be registered on their eighth 1965 saw him as senior 'Eveready' commanding
birthdays and registration for entry to the school In HQ Coy 1 R . Sussex in Aden under Lt Col D. E . C.
Sept 1982 closes on 1 Nov 1981. Boys who are over 11 Russell .
years but under 12 years old on 1 Sept 1982 will be
considered for entry in Sept '82. Special conditions , (See pictu re below)
including a waiver of fees, exist for boys In
compassionate circumstances. Shortly thereafter on the reorganisation of
the TA he was given command of C (Cinque Ports)
The School Is situated In beautiful grounds of Company of 5 Queens (V). In 1979 he became Bn
150 acres just outside Dover and offers excellent Second·in·Command. This was followed by a Staff
academic and sporting facUlties. It provides a appointment at HQ South Eastern District and.
normal secondary education to GCE Ordinary, following a family move to Norfolk, joined HQ
Advanced and Scholarship levels and on leaving Eastern District at Colchester. He is to remain on
school, the boys proceed to university or enter the The Norfolk County TAVRA thus retaining his link
professions, commerce and Industry. To arrange a with the TA.
visit or to obtain a Prospectus, contact the
Headmaster (Col. P. de la Haye, BSc) In writing or
by telephone (Dover (STD 0304) 203012 Ext 25) .
...
f/ f
Maj . Mike Roberts in helicopter, Aden 196S.
36 A TRIBUTE TO THE INDIAN
DIVISIONS OF WORLD WAR 11
LEARN TO HANG-GLIDE A committee of representatives who served
THE PROFESSIONAL WAY with Indian Divisions during the last war has been
formed to arrange for a lasting tribute to the
Have you glimpsed hang gliders floating ef· officers and men of those divisions, to be erected as
fortlessly above you and wished that you were that a memorial in the RMA Sandhurst.
Intrepid birdman? Now at last you can be, for the
Army Hang Gliding Centre opened on 5 April, 1981, The 'Tribute' Is to take the form of an oak panel
and can teach you to be at one with nature in the for each Division (approx 6ft x 2ft) on which the
ocean of the air. Divisional flash will be carved and, underneath it,
The Centre will train Servicemen and women, will appear the order of battle .
TA and OTC to hang glide from basic to Instructor The committee hope to obtain financial support
level, using the British Hang Gliding Association
(BHGA ) Pilot Rating System and will offer , In add!· for this project from regiments which had
tion to 'free-flight' hang gliding, powered hang battalions serving In these divisions, as well as from
Individuals.
gliding as well.
A good student on a Basle Course, should get his
BHGA Pilot One Certificate (PI ) In four days , so he
will be on continuation flying for the remaining six
days, given good weather. Thus, he should return
from his course a safe, competent hang glider pilot,
who can ridge soar, and it will have cost him only
about £70 for his 10 days flying .
The cost of each course will be In the region of
£12 per days flying training and will cover full
board, tuition , hire of equipment and transport dur-
Ing the course. However, once the student has
achieved the aim of the course , for example his PI.
he will then merely pay for the hire of the equip·
ment and a small accommodation charge.
The Centre and its accommodation are located
in the Sennybridge Training Area camp though the Car Standard flown by HM Queen Margrethe 11 of
training slopes used, will depend entirely upon the Denmark, Allied Colo nel -i n-C hief The Queen's
day's weather. Regiment, when visiting her regiment at Howe
If you want to fulfil your ambition and hang Barracks, Canterbury , on 19th June, 1980.
glide, then apply for a course of training to :- AHGA (Presented by: Colonel Sir Svend-Aage lversen, KCVO,
Centre, c/ o HQ Wales, The Barracks, Brecon,
Chief of HM 's Adjutant's Stall)
Powys~·......................................................................... .
,,I J. DEGE &SONS LTD.
'I
I Incorporating
ROGERS, JOHN JONES
16 Clifford Street, Savile Row, London W1X 2HS. Telephone: 01-734 2248
37
THE FUTURE OF HOWE BARRACKS by the Colonel of The Regiment
I have received a letter from the Director of In- pressed my understanding of his current problems.
fantry expressing his profound regret that he has Maj. Gen. Slbbald replied by giving me an
not been able to relieve the 1st Bn. In Howe Bar- assurance that, operational reasons permitting, a
racks In Nov '82 by another battalion of the Regi- Battalion of The Regiment will return to Howe Bar-
ment; his Inability to do this Is caused by opera- racks In 1985-86. In the meantime of course, RHQ
tional requirements. and the 5th (V) Bn. will continue to be our very ac-
tive representatives in the city.
I have replied to the Director of Infantry ex-
pressing my regret that we cannot continue to have The 1st Bn. will be going to Omagh in Northern
a regular battalion In Canterbury, "The Home of Ireland In late Nov '82 and Howe Barracks will
the Regiment"; at the same time, however, I ex- become the temporary home of The 1st Bn. The
Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment in Jan '83.
* *REGIMENTAL SECRETARY'S NOTES *
General begin these notes by saying how very The Organisation of RHQ
I must It may be of Interest to some readers to know
nice it Is to see 1 QUEENS back In re-occupation of
Howe Barracks after their six months tour In that our present centralised RHQ has been the
Belize. When 1 QUEENS returned to UK from subject of much favourable comment from the
BAOR In March last year, one had naturally hoped Director of Infantry . It resulted in a 40% reduction
to see an unending occupancy of the Barracks by a In manpower and , relative to the numbers of our
Battalion of our Regiment throughout the years Battalions (both Regular and TA) , and also the
ahead; alas it Is not to be as will be seen elsewhere numbers of our founding Regiments, we are the
In a statement by the Colonel of The Regt on the smallest Infantry RHQ.
future of the Barracks as lt affects us .
The Colonel of the Regiment
Bands & Drums General Rowley has continued his energetic
Following the refurblsfiment of ·air the Bands
programme on behalf of our Regiment. It came as a
and Drums of The Regt, we once again, for the great shock to many of us when we heard that he
second year running, entertained a capacity crowd had been admitted to hospital In April. He is now in
of 110,000 at the Football League Cup Final between good health once again and, to judge by the number
Llverpol and West Ham; on parade were the Band of letters he writes to RHQ, Is fully recovered!
of 1 QUEENS (their Corps of Drums were In
Belize), and the Band and Corps of Drums of 2 VISIT TO 1 QUEENS IN BELIZE
QUEENS . They gave a magnificent performance
which was greatly appreciated by the spectators. In February I was most fortunate in getting a flight
out to Belize in order to vis it I QUEENS; I once spent
On 9 June the Massed Bands and Corps of two happy years there and it was a great pleasure to be
Drums of all the Regular Battalions , along with the able to come back. There is no space in these Notes to
Bands & Drums of our sister Regiments, Beat describe a most pleasant visit except to mention the
Retreat on Horse Guards on what has come to be kmdn ess show n to me by everyone in I QUEENS· they
termed as The Queen's Regimental Night during were so obviously enjoying themselves. '
the Queen's Division 3-day display; approximately
600 Musicians were on parade . This was the first
time that all Bands and Drums of our Regular
Battalions had been on parade together In scarlets.
On 25, 26 and 27 June , the Bands and Corps of
Drums of 1 and 2 QUEENS will be playing at the
Wembley Pageant.
The Grand Reunion - Sunday 2 August RETIREMENT OF MAJ MIKE RICKCORD
We all hope very much that this year's Grand Maj Mike Rickcord, who has served the interests of
our _Reg iment for so long at HQ Quee ns Div (RO
Reunion will be as great a success as was the first. QUEENS) fin ally reures 1n March next year. It is VItal
The numbers attending last year were far greater to the Interests of our Reg1ment that this post is filled by
than anticipated and In consequence our planning a Queensman Wit h the nght qualifications. If anyone
figures went a bit astray. A detailed announcement wa nts further detall s about this interesting and
of the Reunion will be found elsewhere In the ":onhwh1 le JOb , wou ld he please contact eit her Brig
Journal; I would, however, like to highlight the fa ct Charles Mlllman at HQ Queens Div, or myself.
that our Display of Victoria Crosses will be on show
for the first time. We believe that this unique ] .N.S.
display of 46 VCs earned by our founding Regiments
Is the largest single collection eve r exhibited by one
Regiment. Lt Col Les Wllson (now QM 5 QUEENS) ,
wUI once again be providing a dazzling display of
certain Items of Regimental sliver; this attracted a
great deal of attention last year.
38 to go out of the said City for the military services I
without their free consent.'' It thus followed that
"THE PRIVILEGE" OF recruiting or impressment could not be conducted
by the Crown within the City; this was repeated In
THE CITY OF LONDON all the militia enactments from the Restoration
onwards.
O N Wednesday 8 July The 2nd
Battalion, on behalf of The In 1769, In assertion of the City's established
Regiment, will be exercising "The rights to refuse to permit anything which savoured
Privilege" of the City of London, of a recruiting campaign, the Lord Mayor
inherited from The Buffs, when they complained to the Secretary for War that a
will march from the Tower of London detachment of Guards, returning to the Tower after
through the City with "Colours suppressing a riot In Spltalflelds outside the City's
Flying, Drums Beating, and bounds, had marched through the City with drums
Bayonets Fixed". The Right beating, fifes playing, and "generally making a
Honourable The Lord Mayor of war-llke appearance which has raised In the minds
London, Colonel Sir Ronald Gardner- of peaceable citizens the Idea of a town garrisoned
Thorpe GBE TD DCL, himself a by Regular troops." His Lordship thus demanded to
former Buff, will be taking the salute know by whose orders this unusual procedure took
at the Mansion House. On the place. The Secretary of State In reply gave it as his
completion of the March some three opinion that no troops should march through the
hundred and fifty all ranks, including City In the manner prescribed without previous
Old Comrades of our former notice to the Lord Mayor. The Minister undertook to
Regiments will be entertained to deal with the officer of the offending party and to
lunch by The Lord Mayor and the prevent any similar offence being given to the City
Corporation of London in the historic or Its Chief Magistrate henceforth.
Guildhall.
The rights of the City were challenged In 1842,
This Is the second occasion on which our but the law officers upheld that the Lord Mayor and
Regiment has exercised "'The Privilege", the first citizens had the common law right, established by
being on 4 May 1974 , following the presentation of those treaties, to close the City's gates against the
new Colours by Queen Margrethe of Denmark at Sovereign's troops.
Armoury House to the three regular battalions and
the 5th (Volunteer) Bn . On that occasion, the newly- And so to this day, whenever a party of the
acquired Colours were marched through the City by armed forces desires to pass over the City's bounds,
the 1st Bn ., together with our massed bands and the Lord Mayor's permission Is obtained ; If by
corps of drums; The Lord Mayor took the salute chance or emergency it Is not, an apology Is sent to
outside the Mansion House. the Lord Mayor afterwards . Such Is the unique
Historical background 'privilege' of the City of London; a survival of the
realities of the mediaeval ages.
It is frequently mentioned In the Press that a
certain civic authority has conferred upon a No regiment has the unrestricted right to
Regiment Its so-called 'Freedom ' . Without march through the City; none has had the
variation it Is stated that this gives 'The Loyal 'Freedom' conferred upon it, the latter honour
Blankshlres' the right to march through the streets being reserved for Individuals. Certain regiments
with "Drums .,Beating, Colours Flying, and had the 'privilege ' of marching In a special manner
Bayonets Fixed ; sometimes the words "bands once they have been allowed In, subject always to
playing" are incorrectly added. their havlng given prior notice to the Lord Mayor of
their Intention to do so. How this 'privilege ' came
Whilst the desire of the civil authorities to about can be guaranteed to start an argument In
honour their regiments Is appreciated , they are any mess.
wrong if they think (as they apparently do ) that
they can order how soldiers shall march upon The facts are as follows: King Charles II , In
occasions of ceremony - or indeed at any time . 1664, was at war with the Dutch: soldiers were
Soldiers can pro cee d in any manner their badly needed for the fleet . Famous generals of the
command er s may dire ct - through any part of the Civil War such as Monck and Rupert had become
Queen's r ealm , except in the City of London . generals at sea . Royal warrants were Issued to
" beat up" men for service In the King's ships as
Now how does all this com e a bout ? King marines, the warrants were endorsed to the effect
Edward Ill, in 1327, granted a charte r to the Mayor that If lt was desired to recruit In the City of London,
and Co mmonalty of London which provid ed that no they were to be shown to the Lord Mayor and his
citizen should be com pe lled to go to war from the permission first obtained . No doubt each warrant
City. An Ordinan ce of Cromwell's Co mmonwealth holder has his eye on the citizen soldiers In the ranks
Parliament in 1647 con firm ed that "No citize n of of the City's Trained Bands . The Lord Mayor
London nor any of the forces of th e said City (le th e readily gave permission and recruiting parties
Trained Ba nd s) shall be drawn forth or compe ll ed were marched In and through the streets, the drum
being beaten to attract attention; the Colour was
unfurled to indicate that recruitment was for the
King's service and weapons were drawn and
displayed . The first re corded Instance of the
'privilege' being recognized by the civic authorities
in ceremonial form was by the (then ) 3rd of Foot
(The Buffs ) in 1821. (Th e Right to march through
the City of London was granted to The Buffs by King
Charles II in 1672).
In 1924, certain Regiments not on the City's list 39
claimed "The Privilege" . After much
correspondence in the Press and heated arguments The "Privilege" of marching through the City
In the Court of Common Council, an enquiry was set of London, expressly reserved to certain
up which resulted In the following regiments/ corps Regiments, is a unique ceremonial occasion.
being granted the 'privilege' on a permanent basis,
to be enjoyed by any component, Regular or One final point! It is not Jl:ene{ally realized that
territorial: The Royal, Marines, The Honourable the City Is a separate and{elite)County of Great
Artillery Company, The Grenadier Guards, The Britain: it has, however, no Lord Lieutenant ; the
Coldstream Guards, The Buffs and The Royal functions of the Crown representative being
exercised by Commissioners of which the Lord
Fusiliers. Mayor, prJmus inter pares, Is the head. By the Act
of 1953 he has status as if he were Her Majesty's
Lieutenant of a County.
J.N.S
THE MANSION HOUSE.
40 " Presented by - The Queen's Regt. and Its
Affiliated Regt. Associations - The Queen's Royal
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL Surrey Regt.; The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal
BELL APPEAL Kent Regt; The Royal Sussex Regt and The
Middlesex Regt (DCO)."
Background
It Is understood that the bells will be rung as a
In January this year the bells of Canterbury 'Peal' for the first time on Sunday 1 Nov 1981 .
Cathedral were silenced due to a major
reorganisation programme involving the casting of J .N.S.
a new ring of fourteen bells. The reorganisation will
result in the provision of new bells of which On behalf of the Regimental Secretary (who was, at the
Canterbury and the whole diocese will be proud and time, visiting I Queen's in Belize), Maj. Guy Weymouth
which will match up to the beauty and splendour of wishes Mr. Kennard a happy retirement when he
the Cathedral's fabric and stained glass.
departed on 28 June .
In view of The Regiment's close association Picture oy Kentish Gaze tt e
with the Cathedral, it was decided at the last
Regimental Committee meeting (In Dece mber '80)
that the Regiment would commit Itself to donate a
Sharp Treble Bell at a cost of £1,543. (This was one
of the least expensive bells of the new ring of 14
bells ). It should be pointed out that the expenditure
on be lls has a longer lasting effect than on most
other projects and the total current expenditure of
£85,000 will serve the Cathedral for at least 150 years
and probably very much longer; certainly our own
contribution will constitute a long-lasting token of
goodwill from the Regiment to the Cathedral.
Donations
All our Ba ttalions , both regular and TA , have
subscribed money , as have the Associations of our
former Regiments.
We are hoping to raise a further £350 from voluntary
subscriJ?tions. If anyone reading this feels that he
would hke to make a subscription, please send a
cheque to the Regimental Secretary at RHQ , made
out to "RHQ The Queen's' Regt".
Note:
A Plaque will be placed within the Cathedral on
which will be Inscribed details of the various
donors: we have asked that the inscription for The
Queen 's Regiment shottld read :
R.C.O's Report
by Maj . N. J . D. McCully
The officer recruiting situation continu es to This writer (recently wJth 5 Queens ) has now
Improve: In the year ending 31 March '81, 4 regular taken over from Maj. Malcolm Lawson who has
and 6 short service offi ce rs were commissioned Into been appointed GS03 Training, HQ, N. Ireland.
The Regiment from Sandhurst. The r e are 11 cade ts
which The Regiment has sponsored now at serving and retired officers encouraging young men
Sandhurst; of these, four have already been of the right quality to seek a commission In The
accepted by the Colon el of The Regiment a nd the Regiment. It Is quite sufficient for the name and
remainder will be Interviewed In due course . We address of the interested boy to be passed to the
have a further 150 'on the books ' whom we are Regimental Careers Officer (RCO) who will contact
guiding through the various routes to a commission. the boy, interview him and book him on a Pre·RCB
Despite the foregoing , there Is no room for Briefing Course at Basslngbourn. From
complacency; our standards are high and we aim to Bassingbourn applicants either go on '0' Type
keep them that way. In order to maintain these training (usually at the IJLB at Shorncliffe) or
standards , we rely , to a considerable extent, on straight to RCB . The RCB's standards remain high
and the success rate Is at Its historical level of about
30 per cent. Though financial cuts could Influence
the output to The Regiment from Sandhurst, we a re
determined that although quantity might be
r educed quality will not su ffer.
41
Whilst on the subject of potential officers, we from all over the globe seeking Information about
believe it Is Important that all candidates should former comrades and friends or merely to say hello.
visit one of our regular battalions before Pre-RCB We were recently visited by ex-Pte Jlm Long
Briefing : this enables them to get a look at the (RWK) who recalled his training days In these
Regiment and - more Important - allows the Barracks In 1938 ; now retired and living In
Regiment to get a good look at them . Places at Pre- Salisbury, Jlm spent a nostalgic couple of hours
RCB are at a premium and we do not wish to walking around The Baracks and gave an amusing
squander them on candidates who are better suited account of his experiences (the visit was cove red
to other Arms or Employment. extremely well by our local paper the Kent
Messenger ).
Turning to Soldier recruiting, the civilian
employment situation has enabled us to be more There Is a flourishing community of retired
selective. It Is vital, however, that the potential Queensmen In our local area many of whom pay us
recruit should not misunderstand this policy : The visits regularly: In the "parish" are known to be Ex
doors of the recruiting offices are not closed; it Is W01 Dave Sharpe, W02 Tlm Hayley, C/ Sgt Billy
merely that, fortunately, we are able to be more McLean, W02 Bingo Potts, Sgt Oliver (of
selective than hitherto and this must be good for Guatamala fame), W02 Alan Prince (Gosh! Jlm),
The Regiment. Cpl Cole, L/ Cpl Mlck Ausher, Pte Underwood, Cpl
Tlm Day, W02 Roberts, Sgt John Rogers, Sgt
Part of the RCO's duties Is liaison with Schools Martin MU!s and L/ Cpls Hurley, Bright and Bird .
with officer-producing potential and with Cadet Contact addresses for most of the above are known
Forces who are affiliated to The Regiment. With an to us and will be provided on request.
area the size of ours to cover, it Is Inevitable that
some Schools and Cadet Units may feel under- The Cumberland Sword Competition was held
visited. at Crowborough over the weekend 28/ 29 March.
Some 98 cadets from all over our Regimental area
THE REGIMENTAL competed and, after a closely fought contest, Cadet
Under Officer Winning (Surrrey ACF) emerged as
INFORMATION TEAM (RIT) overall winner, with Cadet Sgt Lang (Felbrldge,
Surrey ACF) runner-up . The Deputy Colonel of the
" Showbiz" Is here and despite the efforts by the Regiment awarded the prizes and congratulated all
weather to convince us otherwise, our "Show" Is cadets on a spirited contest. Next year's
back on the road for the Summer Season. Already Competition dates are 26 / 27/ 28 March; venue to be
the recently-refurbished displays have an "In use" announced. The format will be changed slightly and
look and the newly-formed (almost completed) fifth it Is hoped that 120 cadets will compete . A new prize
Section Is set for the off. By far the strangest wtll be awarded: a prize for the best young cadet -
request for assistance was received recently when start training now.
we were asked to join an ACF project In support of
local charities. We agreed In principle and asked for Finally the team would welcome a visit from
details - "Roller Skate the entire South Circular any past or present Queensmen who happen to be In
Road"! The RIT were forced to decline (In the the area . We are situated In The Barracks, Sandllng
Interests of sanity) but we understand the event Road, Maidstone - just on the edge of the town .
may sttll go ahead . Bids continue to pour In with Look for the prominent sign.
many having to be declined . We are now
programmed for every weekend from May until JOB OPPORTUNITIES
September and of course our normal ACF/CCF
support continues with evening training Wilsons School Combined Cadet Force from
sessions/visits and annual camps to attend. Block Walllngton are looking for an ex-Queensman to
leave In September will be much appreciated . teach Drummers and Buglers In their Corps of
Drums, for which they are prepared to pay
Enquiries about our Regiment and founding traveiling expenses and a small honorarium .
Regiments are arriving all the time with letters
Anyone Interested should contact Lt. Col. K. B.
Daynes, CCF, Wilson's School, Molllnson Drive,
Walllngton , SM6 9JW . Tel: 01-647-9895.
*REGIMENTAL * *A. Schousboe CBE, after which he was received by
the Allied Colonel-In-Chief In an Audience at
Amalienborg Palace. He then went on to call on our
Ambassador to Denmark, Dame Anne Warburton
REPRESENTATIVE,
DCVO , CMG. He lunched In the magnificent
Christlansborg Palace with the Chief of Her
Majesty's Adjutant's Staff, Col. Sir Sven Aage
DENMARK Iversen KCVO who , it will be remembered,
accompanied The Queen to Canterbury In June last
year. That evening, together with Capt. Lance
by Maj R. T . W. Mellotte
Mans, the General provided considerable
'Regimental weight' to our customary Copenhagen
In January, Maj . Gen. Mike Reynolds was
again In Denmark In connection with his Cocktail Party which the Ambassador also
honoured with her presence ; many old Regimental
forthcoming ACE Mobile Force Exercise "Amber
Express" and generously found a day to carry ou t a friends were there too, not least of all Joergen Rlber
and Johan Goth.
busy programme of Regimental engagements.
In early April, 5 QUEENS sent only Maj .
He called first on the Regimental Co mm ander Nevllle Hunter out to recce their part (within the
of our affiliated Royal Danish Life Guards, Col. J .
UKMF) In "Amber Express" since, once again,
CO IIflllUl'd Ot'a/cuf
42 z
'Morlarty' had cropped up and excluded the • §
presence of the CO and QM . They had , therefore , to
forego their planned personal checks on the Tuborg prepCoIOssUeSssi.ons z-
and Carlsberg Breweries, for instance, as suitable
venues for Battalion R&R trips during the exercise The smaller statuette illustrated is from a new
in September! Carrington series of sterling silver models
approximatel y~ inches high, price £! 25 each .
However, it now seems likely that HM Queen Any regiment can be produced to order,
Margrethe will visit the Battalion in the field accurately depicted in any sryle of dress; certain
(probably on 22 Sept), thus enabling Her to meet regiments are available from stock.
some of our Territorials and see an aspect of the
Regiment She did not see last June. We hold a range of larger statuettes and
other regimental silver and submit
The 3rd Bn's presence south of the border at
Falllngbostel is now being felt and they have designs and estimates free fo r
already secured themselves a Band and Drums specially commissioned
engagement In July at the Zealand town of pieces. You can rely on
Vordlngborg. Also, although at the time of writing it Carrington for service and
Is yet to be confirmed, it is probable that they will
first of all travel to The Queen's Summer Residence fine craftsmanship our
of Marselisborg to Beat Retreat for Her and reputation has been based
subsequently play at a Dance in the Palace. on that for nearl y two
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor, Col Sir Ronald centuries.
Gardner-Thorpe is scheduled to visit Copenhagen in
June during which time it Is hoped that he will call
on the Life Guards, a detachment of whom he
invited to march in his Show last November.
Finally , my days in Denmark now seem to be
numbered with the recent news that Maj . Andrew
Dawson will succeed me here at HQ BALTAP in
early De cember. As such he wUI not only assume
responsibility for our Danish connections but also
for the planning of Ex . " Bold Guard 82" which may
well find one or two Battalions of the Regiment as
part of the UK Mobile Force who are coming over
for it.
In Civilian Life
I
Enjoy
11 Service and
.Comradeship
m
THE ROYAL
BRITISH LEGION
Your service to Queen and Country CARRINGTON only a t
needn't stop when you leave the Forces. 25 Old Bond St ., London , W1X 4A U. Tel: 01-493 6123
T he Royal British Legion has as mu ch inte<est
in and responsibility for young ex-servi cemen
and women of today as it has for those of
two world wars and looks to them for its
leaders of the future.
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
49 PALL MAU SWlY SJY
43
The 5th (Volunteer) Battalion
GENERAL
SINCE we last appeared here in Perhaps the highlight of the weekend was the
print, the Battalion has gone Commander's Battle Fitness Test around three
through a relatively quiet period. miles of Lydd Ranges Including a ~ mile run In full
Coming out of winter quarters in CEFO and NBC Kit with respirators on. The
January, Bn. HQ has been struggling Commander Invited a couple of officers from Bn.
with the frustrations of the financial HQ to join him In running this part of the course!
economies- 'Man Training Days' in
particular. Recruiting
This Is going so well that Companies are having
Companies have begun to prepare for camp In
September; this year, as part of 6th Field Force, we to put the brake on and we expect to take record
wllJ be on exercise In Denmark. Many PSis have numbers to camp this year; this summer,
been sent scurrying around local tourist offices for Companies will be frantically training recruits to
maps of Denmark and for Information on the meet the CO's standard In order to qualify for
delights of Copenhagen! attendance. The Training Major and RSM are
struggling to achieve the target In trained
The subject of Denmark and camp came up at manpower while the QM has the unenviable task of
an Officers Study Weekend held In Canterbury finding all the clothing and equipment. We look
towards the end of February: a team from 6 Field forward to the visit of our Allied Colonel In Chief,
Force, led by the BM, made several presentations HM Queen Margrethe of Denmark during our stay
while the Adjutant and Quartermaster struggled to In Her country.
get officers to conform to Dress Regulations with
new slides and shoulder boards! Personalities
March was notable for the activities of the Maj. Nevllle Hunter replaced Maj. Douglas
Signals PI. under Capt. Alan Marchant; after a McCully as Training Major In early April and the
successful 8·day cadre, the Platoon entered four latter Is now firmly entrenched In RHQ as
teams In the 6 Field Force Llne·Laylng Regimental Careers Officer ; he can now devote
Competition. 5 QUEENS and 10 PARA took the first more time to rearing young woollles (or lambs).
four places beating all the regular units. Two of our We welcome back Capt. Mike Butlln, now 21C A
teams were placed second and fourth; our best Coy. vice Maj . Richard Thornton who commands
team was equal In points to that of 10 PARA but HQ Coy after the retirement of Maj . Colin
were placed second. A very good effort by the whole Belllngham . (Bn HQ had better watch out or 1t may
platoon. have to surrender office space on the hallowed top
"DAVID" Weekend 4/5 Apr floor for the Shooting Team management!)
We welcome 2Lts. Slmon Lacey on joining A
At the beginning of April the Battalion was Coy (from 617 QUEENS) and Guy Vlnson , who has
Inspected by the new Commander 6 Field Force. joined C.
Brig. E. H. A. Beckett MBE, as part of our ARU
Inspection. Lydd Ranges was the venue for small Maj. Tony Halgh Is now well entrenched as OC
arms range work and ATk firing, with a little Training Wing. The SE Dlst. Officer Cadet Training
grenade throwing as an amusing sideline. CSgt. course started In early April with over twenty
White did not think it amusing: we understand that recruits; Maj . Haigh Is assisted in this by Capt.
he required new denims after one joker developed a Alaln Chlssel and CSgt Hinds from E Coy.
unique trajectory for his grenade; after a short W02 Brown, having handed over duties as
pause, he propelled the unlucky soldier against a Senior PSI at A Coy, has departed for six months to
wall with a vocabulary not normally associated the delights of Zimbabwe before returning In the
with the best of Queen's E ngllsh! autumn to 1 QUEENS .
The Battalion's echelon, back In Napler The energetic CSgt Wllson (B Coy) can relax
Barracks, were busily recruiting cooks while the somewhat as we welcome W02 Davles from
MTO was getting drivers to sign permits. After the Depot as senior PSI. th e
crisis with the 'cordon bleu' cooks, the QM settled
down to getting to grips with the officers Capt. Stewart Wooles has transferred to 1
accommodation. WESSEX (on moving to Worzel country ) and Capt.
Phll Legg has also departed to the west couuntry
"But I never had a room key!" complained one and transferred to Avonhurst School CCF ; we wish
seasoned Major, who has recently set himself the them both good fortune and best wishes.
task of reorganising Bn. HQ. Congratulations to CSgt Cooper on his
promotion after returning to 2 QUEENS ; we
"Sign here boy! " came the reply from Molar, welcome CSgt White from the 2nd Bn. who has
determined to show him that he hadn 't taken ove r replaced him as the 'Q' PSI In E Coy at Tonbridge.
the QM 's Dept. yet! CSgt Re id (from the 3rd Bn.) has joined HQ Coy
and Sgt Harbinson, from the same Bn. is the ATk PI
For some Inexplicable reason the QM also took PSI. LCpl. Dolling has returned to 2 QUEENS prior
exception to the Adjutant and Ops. Officer ordering to discharge and we welcome Cpl. Thorn (from the
a late breakfast on Sunday morning , although the 3rd Bn.) who replaces hJm as the CO's driver.
cooks seemed to enjoy the chan ce to practice their
culinary skills once more on more discerning
palates !
44 Goe..s ~ "TltE. »Ay,
Finally, we said farewell In May to CSgt C.OLOURS,- ·-- .ALFt16'HT'?!
Hardlng, our Chief Clerk; a popular member of the
Battalion, his hard work will be sorely missed. The
Colour Sergeant returned to The Royal Angllan
Regt. from whence welcomed W02 Mllllgan at the
beginning of June.
0
Cartoons by
Peter McCausland.
TA HOCKEY TOUR, CYPRUS that we sttil had a long way to go for perfection)
ended with a film show In 3 R. Angllan Officers'
by Pte. S. J. Palmer Mess .
On 1 Jan the TA hockey team slowly
congregated In Terminal 1 at Heathrow ; almost On Saturday, with the weather we had expected
majestically, the Intrepid group descended on the (sun) we paid a quick visit to Larnaca and the
reporting desk with an assortment of weaponry - Naafl; everyone ate lunch with a little apprehension
some that were battle scarred and a few well - about the afternoon game against the army at Ayias
preserved ones. New faces- Roger Auger, Charles Nlkolaos near Famagusta. The game, probably the
Parsons and this writer were welcomed by all and most difficult of the tour, was originally scheduled
were soon 'In ' on the cameraderle of the team
veterans ; notable absentees were P . J . Robson, com inued 011 page 46
Mike Bawden, Nlgel Cullen and Davld Bishop.
With typical Cypriot leisureliness , flight CY 327 I. RSM Dave Moore (right) and Chief Clerk C/Sgt.
took off a mere 45 minutes late ; four hours later we Harding with Brig. Jeremy Riley after the latter
flopped Into Larnaca and patiently awaited had presented a GOC's Commendation to the
clearance. Met by Maj . Richard Sandy RE and former and LS and GCM to the latter.
WOII Barry Brown with two mini buses , 1t was not
long before the 'bakers dozen • were housed at 2. Lt. Peter McCaudle with members of his ATK PI.
Dhekella Garrison Officers' Mess and found the odd at Hastings Drill Hall.
excuse for wh etting the whistle (sure ly 6 gam es In 9
days couldn 't be a s demanding a s the last tour to 3. Capt. Alan Marchant (RSO) and members of the
Cypru s In 1973) . Si(Dal PI. at Canterbury.
A leisurely day on Friday, with a 6-a-sld e
'loosener ' on a ta rmac pitch (which reminded us 4. CSM Anderson (HQ Coy.) before he was promoted.
5. W02 (AQMS) Don MacAleese, the Bn. Armourer,
in his workshops at Canterbury.
Pictures by Kent ish Gazette
46 brushing water off the playing surface (he appeared
to be fighting a losing battle). After a few minutes
fro m ptlgc ·N consultation, it was decided to play the match,
despite the conditions. The TA dominated the play
as the final one but, due to six members of the army from the start and after 16 minutes were awarded a
team flying to Hong Kong on the Monday, had been penalty stroke, which was converted by Roger
brought forward. Our apprehension proved to be Auger, who also scored the second goal after 20
correct - the army team were very fit and fast and minutes . A third goal by Bev Smalley (after 30)
well used to the conditions. The TA side took rather sewed the game up but the Saxons, to their credit,
a long time to adapt themselves to the conditions never stopped fighting. Three minutes after the
but, as an experienced side, should have adapted break a good goal by Mike Alien Increased the
much sooner; at half-time, they found themselves score, although the home side had the last say,
trailing by three goals. However, some tactical pegging one back after 55 minutes, for the score to
appraisal at half-time produced a much better finish 4 - 1; hot baths were taken before retiring to
second-half display. Although the army eventually the Saxon's Clubhouse for refreshments. A
came out winners (by 5 to 1) In the second-half, with delightful kebab and social evening was held near
many near misses by the TA side, lt was heartening Akrotlrl, where Saxons and wives steered members
for the remainder of the tour (lt was a pity that this through the entire meal - good value at £3 per
game was not at the end of the tour as was originally head.
Intended) . Good relations were sustained after the
game before the "professional part-timers" left for Next morning most members were up early and
home, driving through substantial rain to hot, soon on their way, via the Troodos Mountains , to
welcome baths. Saturday evening recovery was the Nicosia. First stop was at Camp St. David In the
name of the game, with all members relaxing. British Section of the UN Buffer Zone and contact
with the other half of 3 R . Anglian. A most
Sunday, which dawned with beautiful sunny Interesting presentation by Lt. Col. Robin
skies, was another free day. In the morning, Maj. Drummond and his Ops officer was followed by
David James visited BFBS to make a broadcast visits to two OPs - one at the Box Factory to see
about investments, stamps, coins etc and a few how Ingenuity and hard work made life bearable for
members ventured east along the coast to Ay!a the men in rough conditions, and the other at a point
Napa, a small v!llage which is rapidly being built up on the perimeter of the UN defended area of N!cosla
Into a holiday resort. At the Invitation of Lt-Col. Airport, now no longer used; In all, a fascinating
Peter Wllllams and his officers, several members visit which was followed by a brief trip to N!cos!a
attended a superb curry lunch at 3 R. Anglian's for a stroll around the shops. We were also able to
Mess; the latter were to prove very good hosts on see the closed border between the Turkish and
several occasions during our stay. Since all petrol Greek areas of N!cosla - shades of Berlin and Its
stations were closed on Sundays and that the fuel in wall.
our minibus was virtually non-existent, the rest of
Sunday was spent In rather idle pursuits. Most members spent a rather relaxing
Thursday morning in very pleasant weather, during
The party was up early on Monday for which the skipper, ColIn Yeabsley, Indulged In a
departure to Akrotiri for a couple of days. Luckily broadcast on BFBS. After a light lunch the team
two of us had arranged a lift with a BFBS members, travelled to Aylas Nlkolaos for the match against
thus only eleven of the party, plus hockey and the styx. This was a close fought, clean and
overnight kit, had to squeeze into the minibus. At enjoyable game In which the TA had the ascendency
Akrotiri we found that some front line RAF throughout and should have won comfortably;
Squadrons were using the accommodation ; however, they were unable to shake off the man-to-
however, camp beds and sleeping bags had been man marking and the offside trap and, as so often
ordered. After a little gentle persuasion, sanity was happens, a breakaway by the Styx, close to time,
restored and accommodation materialised at A resulted In their scoring the only goal; all credit to
Mess.
them (and in particular to their captain, won
The game against RAF Akrot!rl was playea m
pleasant sunshine but with a cooling breeze . The TA Barry Brown) for the way they stuck to their task.
started In a much more confident manner but, During the evening the team was Invited to a
against the run of play, were suddenly a goal down
after 5 minutes. However the visitors were not "Mezze" at Aylos Georgos, where they were
rattled, and good play , resulting in two goals by 2/ Lt extremely well entertained to a Cypriot meal
Roger Auger, gave us the lead after 25 minutes . A consisting of some 12 dishes.
further goal by Capt. John Bartlet and a short
corner conversion by Maj . Bev Smalley just before Most members spent an Idle Friday morning.
half time , resulted In the TA changing ends 4 - 1 In After lunch the team travelled to Alexander
the lead. Play in the second became very disJointed , Barracks for their match with 3 R. Anglian. Our
during which the RAF reduced the deficit to 4 - 2 - team appeared to have learnt some lessons from the
the final score. After being entertained In the usual previous day and moved the ball about cleanly and
way , the team departed to Esp!copl and some well. After a lot of pressure , the TA opened the
superb accommodation. scoring (through Capt. Hugh Edmunds) about 30
minutes Into the game; there was no further score
A fair number of the party was up early on at half-time. Our side went further ahead when Bev
Tuesday for a morning of 'groc kle ' visits . They had Smalley converted a short corner and, as the game
a most enjoyable trip to Phaphos where a recce was progressed, two very good solo runs by Roger Auger
completed of the Tombs of the Kings, and an brought the final score to 4-0 In our favour . Playing
inspection of the Mosaics of the third ce ntury AD, on tarmac surfaces began to cause strain on
the finest In the Mediterranean . The return JOurney ligaments and muscles but confidence was
took In Pissouri, a delightful village with superb unshaken .
views ; the 15th century Castle at Kolossl, and the
Roman Theatre at Curium . In the afternooon GarrIinsotnheMeevssenfionrg~vethreyotneea,mIn held a party In the
dri ving rainstorms continued almost unabated . On appreciation for the
arrival at the Happy Valley pitch we saw someone
hospitality received.