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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2005 - Page 0074

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 2005
Transcription 72 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S)
attended an excellent presentation was given by Colonel David
Maitland-Titterton and his team. Our thanks go to them for all
their hard work, also not forgetting the staffat Derby Museum.
This was followed in the evening by the Derby Reunion.
Around 300 Old Comrades attended yet again a splendid
evening was had by all. It was also nice to see many new faces
from the past, all in deep conversation, (with lights swinging
and sand bags pulled up). Our thanks, once again, go to Mr &
Mrs Peter Jordan for all their efforts in organising the event.
In April, the Wessex Reunion was held in Weymouth. An event
ever popular for those who live in and around the Bovington
area, a total of 52 attended. An excellent lunch was had by all
with the traditional fish pie and many other succulent dishes on
the menu, all kindly organised by Mr and Mrs Ken Draper.
On Saturday 7th May, the OCA AGM and dinner was held at the
Duke of York’s HQ. A total of 93 attended. This was to be our
last AGM and dinner at this venue before it closes, but on say-
ing that, our caterer will be the same at the new venue.
As mentioned earlier, July should have been our annual pil-
grimage to the Regiment to celebrate Mons-Moy, but due to reg-
imental commitments, this was cancelled and instead, your
committee overwhelmingly decided to put on a race day, which
again was a great success. A total of 62 attended and for those
who were WWII veterans, this event was free, thanks to the gen-
erosity of the Lottery.
On Sunday 25th September, the Old Comrades gathered at
Canterbury Cathedral to pay homage to those 9L that have fall-
en. A total of 32 attended the ceremony and lunch.
In November, the Field of Remembrance Poppy Planting cere-
mony took place. Her Majesty The Queen honoured us with her
presence once again. This event gets more popular every year,
ending with a curry lunch and drinks in a private room at the
Union Jack Club.
Finally, on December 3rd, the OCA Christmas Lunch took
place at the Duke of York’s HQ and is mentioned earlier we said
our final farewell to the place that has served us so well as a
venue over many years.
2005, to the say the least has been a very busy year and I would
like to take this opportunity to thank all those that are involved
in organising area reunions extra to official events for all their
hard work and commitment in keeping alive the esprit de corps of
the OCA.
Last, but not least it is with great sadness that I have to report the deaths of the following Old Comrades:
The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley CB OBE MC DL- 12L
Major MG Moule 9L
Major BMH Shand MC DL 12L
Major Jim Thornton 9L & 9/12L
Captain RC Peaper 12L & 9/12L
Captain JA Prodger MBE ERD JP 9L
JR Banks Esq 12L
M Jurgens Esq 12L
AB Norman Esq 9L
David Wentworth-Stanley Esq 9L
WOl Pat Morgan 9L & 9/12L
Major General the Viscount Monckton of
Brenchley CB OBE MC DL
Gilbert Walter Riversdale
Monckton was the only son of the
first Viscount Monckton, principle
adviser to King Edward V111 dur-
ing the abdication crisis of 1936 and
later a Conservative minister.
He was educated at Harrow and
Trinity College, Cambridge, gradu-
ating in 1939.He was commissioned
into the 5th Royal Inniskilling
Dragoon Guards, with whom he
went to France as part of the British
Expeditionary Force (BEF). May
1940 found him deployed on the
line of the River Dyle, as part of the
2nd Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade. As the BEF fell back
towards the Dendre, his squadron was almost encircled while his
troop acted as flank guard. He fought his way out and for his con-
duct in the action he was awarded the Military Cross.
After the evacuation, he attended the wartime short course at the
Staff College and was appointed the Brigade Major of an
S/Sgt Eric Proctor 9/12L
Sgt Tom Squirrel 12L
Mr GE Britton 12L & 9/12L
Mr EPF Matterface 12L
Mr M Murphy 9/12L
Mr Michael Christopher O’Sullivan 12L
Mr Andrew Kenneth Paterson 9/ 1 2L
Mr Victor (Bob) Rudd 9L
Mr William Harold Spencer 9L
Dr William Wynne Willson RAMC & 12L
Armoured Brigade in England in 1942-43. In 1944 he joined the
3rd King’s Own Hussars who were resting in Palestine. He went
with them to Italy and served with them, commanding a
squadron, until the end of the campaign, and then returned to his
own regiment in Germany. He commanded A Squadron 5DG in
Korea from 1951-52, and after a period as Regimental Second in
Command, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Military
Operations branch in the War Office. During that time he was a
member of the British delegation to the Geneva Conference on
French Indo-China and Korea, and was appointed OBE for his
work in 1956.
In 1956 he was appointed to command the 12th Royal Lancers,
who were then in Wolfenbuttel as part of the Corps Covering
Force. In the words of the Regimental History ‘he was to prove an
exceptional Commanding Officer, quickly recognising the urgent
issue of recruiting and initiating a number of very successful meas-
ures to improve it’. In July 1958 he was promoted to be
Commander Royal Armoured Corps (CRAC) of 3 Division.
He attended the Imperial Defence College and upon promotion to
Brigadier he became Deputy Director of Personnel
Administration at the War Office. He was appointed Director of
Public Relations (Army) in 1963, as a Major General. In 1965 he
became Chiefof Staff, HQ BAOR before leaving the army in 1967.
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