Regimental Histories - Year 1960-1985 - Brockbank - Page 0081
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A Short History of the 9111,3120! Lancers woven regimental badge on their berets and khaki shirts. Training for Ulster, which efi'ectivcly prevented any skiing, began in mid October by which time Major Murray had arrived on secondment from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers to take over HQ Squadron and Captain Slingo became Regimental QM. After only a year in the appointment RSM McMeeken was commissioned to be lVlotor Transport Officer handing over his appointment to SSM Ferguson. Far away in Oman Captain Searby, on Christmas Day, was earning the Sultan‘s Dis» tinguished Service Medal for Gallantry, commanding a section of armoured cars. Captain Glyn-Jones became Adjutant in the New Year. The Ulster tour lasted from January to April 1975. Unlike previous squadron tours the Regiment was mostly in the infantry role. This entailed producing and training an HQ Squadron and A and C Squadrons for which the extra man- power was raised from Command and B Squadrons. The IRA Christmas cease fire had been in operation a little over two weeks when the main body arrived and took over operational control in North Armagh. HQ and A Squadron (now com- manded by Major Nash] were in Gough Barracks, Armagh and C Squadron, whose task was to look after a substantial part of the border with Eire, was based at Middletown. Interfactional feuding and murder were the main activities ofthe Irish during the Regiment‘s tour, The IRA were active after the cease fire ended on 16 January with organised bombing attacks against commercial target. and military vehicles and shooting attacks against security forces. Patrols from A Squadron were kept busy on vehicle checkpoints, searches for weapons and ammu- nition and on what were called “Bomb watches" in the City. Serious incidents were few though Sergeant Veti, leading his two car escort troop to a suspected bomb, was in danger when a van full of explosives was detonated as his car was passing. Luckily he was unhurt and his driver, Lance Corporal l’ilking- ton, only suffered a ruptured eardrum. 0n the border C Squad» ron had to spend long and tedious hours helping the engineers to seal off the crossing points: a contest of wits ensued between the troops and local inhabitants, some ofwhom saw the Squad- ron as colonial oppressors. However, on another occasion a 78 |
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