Regimental Histories - Year 1960-1985 - Brockbank - Page 0012
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PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This short book, with the exception of the Introduction, covers a period of twenty-five years during which the opportunity for overseas service, except in Germany, became increasingly restricted for Regiments ofthe Royal Armoured Corps. In this era it was the defence of Europe and, since 1969, IRA terrorism in Ulster, which occupied most of their attention The story of the Regiment is therefore largely about peacetime soldiering in the various garrisons that it occupied. I am conscious of omissions and shortcomings but not, I hope, of too many inaccuracies. To eliminate these I have been very greatly helped by many of the Commanding Officers and Squadron Leaders who have read parts of the draft and by Brigadier Richard Nash and Major Bobby Collins who have read it all. I am also indebted to Lieutenant-Colonel John Clark Kennedy and Brigadier Hugh Pye who gave me much guidance on the details of the Service at the formation of the Regiment. Major-General John Strawson and Brigadier Tim Pierson of The Queens Royal Irish I-Iussars and Major Bob Smith oftheir Home Headquarters have given me most welcome advice on printing At Home Headquarters of the Regiment Colonel Tony Gilks and Mrs Cornwall have done much to keep me going and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Dickens, saved me a great deal of trouble through his kindness in reproducing many of the photographs. I am grateful to them all. Lastly, I owe a great debt to Mrs Sheila Smith who has put the draft on her word processor and dealt with endless amendments with patience and encouragement. When I asked her at the end what she thought about the life of the Regiment she said — “It must have been fun.” I hope it was There are other fields than those of action — maintaining, for instance, 10 |
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