9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2000 - Page 0072
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2000 |
| Transcription |
REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9th/12th ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) 71 This is a unique award for the Regiment in the First World War. On 13th April 1916 John was commissioned from the ranks and was appointed as a Temporary Lieutenant into the West African Frontier Force and by the end of the War he had risen to the rank of Captain and was a Company Commander. John’s obvi- ous love for Africa was probibly the reason why he did not return to England at the end of the war and in April 1923, he was appointed as the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Northern Provinces ofNigeria. After being discharged from the police John stayed in Nigeria working with the Colonial Office, and was still working for the government in 1935 when he was awarded the 1935 King’s Jubilee Medal. It is at this point that John Spender seems to disappear. His service papers show no evidence of World War 2 military serv- ice. He would appear to have had no wife, and he never joined the Regimental Association. The last entry on John’s list of addresses is in 1941,“Fairsfield” Cults, Aberdeenshire. So it would appear that John finally returned to the country of his birth, after a lifetime of Colonial Gallantry. PW Sgt Spender and the Reg/mental Scouts, Norwmh 7973 Local language dialect. At time of going to press the Author is waiting for a Copy of ]T Spender’s birth Certificate. This will state the occupation of his Father, WH Spender 3 12th Lancers Regimental journal - September 1909. 12th Lancers Regimental journal - December I 913. Regional Training Centre - Bucharest omania is ordinarily associated with Dracula, Vampires, Ceaucescu, orphans and gypsies. So when I was asked ifI would like to go to Bucharest for two months to do a course with the Romanian Army I was, not surprisingly, intrigued and jumped at the opportunity. I was to find out that the country was far from all these things and has a fascinating history with interesting people and a landscape that consists of wonderful mountains, plains and beaches. The Regional Training Centre in Bucharest is an FCO spon- sored organisation designed to bring Romania and other former Warsaw Pact nations into line with NATO military thinking. It was formed three years ago in preparation for the possible acceptance of Romania into NATO. Their Government made a formal application to the British Government for help in the restructuring of their military and the British subsequently funded and trained a team at the Military Academy, which now runs two types of courses. The Brigade Staff Course, which effectively is cut straight from AJD, and the Staff Course, which is a shortened version of the UK’s Staff College, lucky them! ’ .r 9 .., i." V .A . A Capt C/tffotd, second row, fourth from t/ght, at RTCVBuchatest At the airport I was met by Lt Col Hector Gullen, the acade- my’s British Liaison Officer, who very kindly picked me up in his staff car. Initial impressions of the country, as seen from the car, were not good. Bumpy Romanian roads, dangerous drivers and their awful cars proved representative of many other aspects of Romanian life. I was the first British officer to attend the course and soon realised that I was not there just to learn, but was to pass on my military experience to the Romanian officers and to teach them English for the first two weeks. This did, however, integrate me with the other officers extremely quickly. There was also a Georgian officer on the course whose English was outstanding. He had previously learnt English at Beaconsfield, as had some of the Romanian officers. As well as studying British military tactics in a Romanian academy I was also fortunate enough to attend var- ious specialist lectures. A special insight to the Falklands War and War Crimes in Bosnia from Lt Col Gullen, British Foreign Policy by the British Ambassador and various other lectures from the General Staffs of the Romanian Army, Navy and Air Force. I visited their headquarters with the Staff Course. Three things stand out when I think of Bucharest. The first was the Romanian national car, the Dacia, which was the Roman name for that region of Eastern Europe. Based on the design of the old Renault 9, it has not changed in its 28 year life. They are absolutely everywhere in the same way that the Trabant once choked East Germany and Russia. The second is the problem the city has with stray dogs, which is directly related to the third, Ceaucescu’s Palace. The People’s Palace, as it is com- monly known, is the largest building in the world. When Ceaucescu built it he demolished 40,000 homes, relocating peo- ple into tower blocks and turning the dogs out into the streets. In ten years the dog population has increased to 1 million. Also unforgettable is the mid-summer temperature, exceeding 40 degrees, the history, the culture and the amazing architecture, all which will remain with me. My thanks go to Lt Col Hector Gullen and his staff who welcomed me and looked after me so well throughout my stay. GjFC |
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