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Regimental Histories - Year 1960-1985 - Brockbank - Page 0049

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i the author. He had had the very exciting year in Aden and then
the conversion of the Regiment to tanks in Germany. The
excellent report gained by the Regiment at the first gunnery
camp showed how thorough the training had been. Major
Maguire also retumed to the Regiment as Regimental Quarter—
master relieving Captain Bennett,
The pace quickened in 1965. Troop training ended on 8 May
I and on return to barracks three squadrons went straight into
rehearsals for the dismounted Army parade for HM The Queen
on 26 May, No sooner was that over than detachments of the
Regiment were speeding to London and Belgium to take part
in the l50Lh anniversary of the battle ofWaterloo. These ended
just a month before the ColoneHn-Chief‘s parade at Osnabruck
in July which was followed by gunnery camp, A month later
two-thirds of the Regiment was in the Arctic Circle on an
exercise against the Norwegian Army. Before cementing on
some of these events the triumph of the skiers in the 1964/65
season must be recorded. The Princess Marina, Duchess of
Kent, Cup is presented annually to the best all round skiing
Regiment in BAOR. Already possessing the best downhill
skiers it was clear that to win this trophy, which was the aim,
the key for the Regiment lay in the selection and training of
the cross~country team. Lt Bond-Gunning finally drew the
short straw and with Sergeant Inglis, Corporal Swanston,
Lance-Corporal Raine and Trooper Stackhouse began several
months of tough training in Norway and Bavaria. In the Army
events, as was hoped, the downhillers — Lts Montgomerie,
Redhead, Norman,-he was the Army Ski Champion for 1964—
Glenapp and Fitzwilliams-Hyde swept the board and the cross—
eountry team put up a magnificent performance to finish l4th
which was just high enough for the Regiment to win the Cup.
It was the peak of the Regiment’s skiing achievements: it had
won the Army Alpine, the BAOR and the 2 Division Cham-
pionships.
The Colonel—in—Chief's visit on 15 July was in celebration
of the 250th anniversary of the raising of the 9th and 12th Light
Dragoons. The Colonel of the Regiment accompanied Her
Maiesty and more than 150 Old Comrades made the journey
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