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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2002 - Page 0033

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 2002
Transcription REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) 31
During the month of August the Maint Group change over took
place. This involved several tradesmen arriving in Germany to
replace current members of the Maint Group. Those staying for
the full nine months in BATUS had high hopes that the replace-
ments would continue to produce the high standards set by their
predecessors. Their fears were put to rest on the next round of
beat up training.
After beat up training it was again time for more R&R. A lot of
people took the RAF flight back to UK and Germany. The
remainder stayed and spent one week adventure training at
Trails End Camp and the second week doing their own thing.
Some brave members of the Maint Group decided to take their
BATUS banger to Las Vegas and beyond. It subsequentlybroke
down near Vegas with transmission failure and cost a fortune to
repair. But the adventure did carry on as far as Los Angeles and
back, so it did have a happy ending.
With R&R at an end it was time to focus on the highlight of the
BATUS training year, MM4/5. A bolstered OPFOR would not
face a mere battlegroup but an entire brigade. For the Maint
Group this meant that OPFOR would be moving around a lot
more, therefore there was more chance of automotive failure. As
always, we attacked it with the same amount of enthusiasm and
proved relatively painless, but one incident does spring to mind.
During the exercise a recce callsign slipped onto its side and a
SAMSON, C/S 43, commanded by myself, was duly tasked.
After assessing the situation I decided that another recovery
vehicle was required to assist me. As always when you ask for
one, two arrive. Using a SAMSON and the FODEN the task
was completed. Little did we know that the fun was not over
yet. The FODEN attempted to move away from the task and
subsequently got bogged in. The crew, Cpl Chris Gill and Cfn
Dan Austin, attempted self-recovery with the aid of the SAM-
SON but with no success. Cpl Gill had to eventually admit
defeat and Red Top recovery was called in.
The BATUS training year was now at an end and all that
remained was to prepare the vehicles for handover to the incom-
ing OPFOR. I think it is safe to say that everyone had a great
time in Canada and gained valuable experience. It is a tour that
I certainly will not forget.
Training Wing
.-
The Tram/Hg Off/oer demonstrates hrs robust att/tude to paperwork
ith the deployment to BATUS over the past year the
Training Wing has found itself with a series of new faces to
replace the old.
Out went SSgt Wright quietly to his old stomping ground in
Bovington, ready to talk D&M and use his experiences in the
Library to good effect. SSgt Clarke replaced him on promotion
and then moved into his office before swiftly moving out again
to practice handovers between another two departments. SSgt
Snowy White joined the team in time to return to BATUS,
before handing over to Sgt McKelvey who (fingers crossed) will
stay in the wing long enough to pay Sqn subs at least twice!!!
Other departures saw WOZ Welborn take over from WOZ
Denton who took over in turn from WOZ Morton. All three
managed trips away during the year, two to BATUS and WOZ
Denton on promotion to WOl in Sarajevo.
SSgt Emery then took on the responsibilities of running
Gunnery training for the Regiment. For a considerable amount
Prob/em so/vrng
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