9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2004 - Page 0014
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
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12 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) Admin Troop During the long summer months of 2003 possibly the largest and best Admin Troop the Regiment had ever seen formed for Op TELIC 3 training in Hohne. Selected from across the G4 spectrum of the Regiment for their administrative skills and razor sharp wit they were tasked with supporting the Sqn in both training and deployment. The hours of rifle, recognition training, boot runs, first aid and basic Arabic lessons made the days turn to weeks and soon the Tp were serving tea and saying “aint got none” like a well oiled tea serving machine. L/Cpl Hobson’s ability to cook three burgers and eat another three at the same time soon became legendary, his stature, and waist line, grew as he dreamt of being able to fly missiles like the real soldiers on the other side of the cooker. Soon enough the ORBAT for the advance party was announced and our worst fears were confirmed; a four hour flight to Basra listening to Cpl ‘Dibs’ Derbyshire bump about Derby County - fingers crossed, we might get shot down! Safely arriving in Az Zubayr, thanks to some industrial strength RAF ear plugs, the Tp settled in and immediately started limbering up for the forthcoming Sqn volleyball com- petition! The arrival of the rest of the Sqn and the immediate deploy- ment on a number of Battle Group Operations put a bit of a dampener on the volleyball, instead we switched focus to enabling the Sqn to get out on the ground as quickly as possi- ble, and in the process clearing some space in the hanger to practice for the longest kick competition (Cpl Dickie Clarke) and the inter Tp hangar sevens. Christmas came and went without a snow flake to be seen - Tprs ‘Jay’ Herbert and Phil Brown sent each other lots of cards and small gifts and the SQMS pinched all the lads mince pies and spent boxing day feeling a bit under the weather. The R&R plot kicked in and everyone desperately tried to avoid going home as they missed spending eighteen hours a day at work. dmm 7/3 road test they /at As the months passed the Tp settled into their routine of look- ing after the Sqn and dealing with the most curious of requests. Regular trips to Kuwait city for cheap gold and illicit beer at the Ambassador’s residence helped to break up the time. Tprs ‘Brad’ Herbert and ‘Barry’ Brooks selflessly representing the Sqn in Kuwait 011 many arduous trips. All too soon the hand over approached and the Tp started flap- ping about all the shiny operational items of kit that we thought were “buckshee” and were going to take home with us, a num- ber of weeks of serious hard graft ensued and we all wished Cpl ‘Mac’ Macintyre was still in l Tp as we sprinted around the dock at six in the morning! Finally it was all over and we were back in the luxurious surroundings of a tent in Qatar waiting for the final leg of the journey to Hohne, looking forward to some well earned leave and a return to our much less glamorous day jobs! A Sqn Fitter Section Another hectic year for the Squadron and hence, for the Fitter Section also. After the recovery from Iraq (and we don’t mean the vehicles!), the Fitter Section saw a dramatic change in per- sonalities. Tiff Cowan left on promotion to be replaced by Tiff West who soon showed his metal on the football field by break- ing his leg! Cfn Share, Cpl Casey, and Cpl Hoskins, were also posted and we wish them luck in pastures new. Cfn Rogers left the Army and is now happily chasing skirts in Norway Exercise Swabian Lance in Bavaria proved an ideal “in at the deep end” handover takeover opportunity between the Tiffies. This was a rare opportunity for us to ply our trade, as a Recce Sqn Fitter section should, by covering huge distances and rely- ing on an extended supply chain. We acquitted ourselves well, providing a high level of equipment availability and even man- aged to enjoy the famous warm Bavarian hospitality, on a num- ber of occasions! Where else in the World could you be chang- ing gearboxes in a farmer’s backyard and be served fresh bread and homemade jam by his wife? All agreed this was a taxing but rewarding exercise. We now look forward to the fresh challenges 2005 brings, what- ever and wherever they make take us. aCQU/S/l/Ofl, |
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