Regimental Histories - Year 1960-1985 - Brockbank - Page 0026
Image details
| Transcription |
Tidwarth and Ulster fishing, hockey and hunting, cricket and shooting and racing was enjoyed by many with local sportsmen and women. The football team proved good enough to reach the final of the Cavalry Cup in 1962 where it was beaten in extra time by the Life Guards. 1961 was a typical year of garrison life. Military duties and training exercises, including airportable ones, were inter- spersed with visits by VIPs and with sporting events. One notable visitor, the Secretary of State for War, Mr John Profumo, was almost lynched by angry wives in Omagh about their housing. This led to an excellent Giles cartoon, Lord Mountbatten, a later visitor, fared more easily. The sabre squadrons rotated through a gunnery camp at Lulworth during July and B and A Squadrons (Majors Hudson and Waller) followed C Squadron for a nine months detachment each from Omagh at Castle Archdale. The Colonel of the Regiment came to say farewell on 19 April before handing over to Colonel Gerald Grosvenor DSO. General McCreery’s service in the 12th Royal Lancers had begun in Dublin in 19 l 5 so his farewell parade on 22 April 1961 represented 46 years of dedication to the two Regiments. He provided an example ofwhat one should strive to be, not only from the point of view of his brilliant career as soldier and sportsman, but also by his exemplification of those rare attributes of modesty, sincerity and sense ofduty. Two months later Colonel Grosvenor was welcomed on his first visit. A strong team of officers took part in the Army Ski Cham- pionships at St Moritz and came sixth in the Combined Event. Lt Montgomcrie was the Army Ski Champion — a position he was to retain the following year. Through the enthusiasm of Trumpet Major Whitwell and Sergeant Soulsby the Regi- mental Basketball team won the Command Championship and were only beaten in the Army Final by the ultimate winner. The stables, run by Sergeant Brown, flourished: up to fifteen hunters on average occupied the newly expanded yard and much sport was had with the Strabane Foxhounds and the Fermanagh Harriers A regimental cross—country race was organised in Co Sligo each year — the first won by Lt Fanshawe, 25 |
|---|