9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2005 - Page 0031
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2005 |
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REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) Z9 Officer and some really positive comments were heard coming from his direction. Shortly afterwards Command Troop deployed on Annual Firing Camp which was preceded by the annual Commanding Officers Turret Inspection. Sgt Savage believes that it was down to the vehicles lack of turrets that robbed the troop of first place. To compensate the troop, along with HQ SHQ, showed their worth when theypulled off the greatest coup of the 9/12L calendar year by winning the Equipment Care Board Competition (now we are talking). June also saw the initial Iraq briefings taking place and slight murmurs ofpanic beginning to emerge about lack of time, not enough men, too much to do etc etc. In camp training was conducted before the Regiment deployed en masse to Sennelager for OPTAG Trg. The next two weeks were spent honing the skills needed to deploy to Iraq which included crowd control, patrol techniques, incident handling, contact drills and a very enjoyable range package. Special mention must go to LCpl Marland for his extraordinarybravery in a pine cone skir- mish with C Sqn and his subsequent winning of the DLC (Daz Langston Cross). It had been a busy summer and leave was well deserved when it finally came but the schedule looked even more hectic for our return. Motor Transport Troop At the start of the year, the Troop was involved in the build up to the ECI and the Board of Officers. Once that was out of the way, an air of normality descended onto the Troop as we started to get our minds more focused onto preparing for the Op Telic tour. Plenty of build up training (including PT, courtesy of the Dominator), happened up until April, when we then started to concentrate on our in camp training, including getting MT mul- tiples out and about around Haig Barracks. The start of the training saw the preparation for Annual Live Firing, which involved the movement of stores and ammunition for the Sqns around the ranges as well seeing the MTWO firing the Al Echelon Sultan. After being volunteered to be the first down (due to advanced years and experience), he achieved a Level 6 pass (top marks). During this period Sgt Pumford, our very own HQ Sqn Bounty Hunter managed to apprehend two of the wayward members of the Troop and return them to the fold. During OPTAG train- ing, the Troop found that they were taking a more active role in training instead of just being truck drivers and were one of the three main multiples in HQ Sqn alongside the Rover Group and the LAD. The troop covered new skills such as section fire and manoeuvre, dismounted patrol skills, Iraqi cultural lessons and crowd control trg. The Squadron Leader thought he’d join the MT multiple at one point for an easy ride, and found himselfpromoted to the posi- tion of Rifleman, and then regretted it when the Troop launched themselves into a 250m assault that had him blowing out of his hoop. A few of the guys threw themselves into the training so much that they still sport those scars now. After block leave, time was spent getting the vehicles ready for the boat, and continuation trg followed by the fantastic journey that we all know and love up to Emden with the B vehicle fleet. This time, nobody strayed off the route, and all arrived safely. All that was left to do before deployment was a spot of Pre tour leave, all soldiers achieved one week off. Once out in Iraq, the Troop settled down and got into the swing of things. Quite a few have managed to get out, especially on Op Erratic, which involves escorting troops around the southern area of Iraq, Sgt Butler volunteered himself for “Mr Zippo” the petrol wagon ie the lead vehicle in the convoy and some of the other guys were now regretting those “special” qualifications that the MTWO had handed out with a smile, realising that there was a price! Sgt Parrott has started to take his “Uber Mass” powder to try and get his body weight up to the six stone mark, and the Ab Trainer has made an appearance again (But thankfully not the anti-ageing cream). Cpl “Tel” Coles has fully immersed himselfin the servicing bay; he and his team regularly get oiled up. Cpl Lee Allen (MT Lifer) has managed to pull most of his hair out as he struggles with his vain attempts to get out of MT Troop, and LCpl “Planet Kopf” Melvin has finally accepted his fate and submitted to total assimilation. The Troop has also been augmented for the tour with an influx of TA (all volunteers) and Reservists (all vol- untoldsl). That’s it from MT Troop, stay safe, and remember to drive care- fully! Light Aid Detachment BRS BG LAD — or TELIC The Birthplace OfCivilisation Picture the scene: the Arabian Gulf, the moon hanging bright in a clear sky, the stars twinkling overhead, and as history goes, the birth place of civilisation. That unmistakeable Middle East smell of diesel, dust and sweat and, when the wind changes, the stench of human faeces evokes vivid memories of the end of those heady days of summer. Look closer, south towards Basra, towards the British enclave known as Shaibah. Look closer still to the home of 9/12L and you will hear the hangers of the BG LAD are ringing to the sound of metal on metal. Muffled shouts, engines revving, and lines ofV8s or top cover landrovers queuing in Britannia Lines. A typical sight in the early days of TELIC 7. The Early Days The initial surge of work had taken its toll. Cloudy eyes, tired stoops, and aching joints: SSgt Thrower was not bearing up well. Indeed many of our elderly members were suffering: the ASM with intermittent Alzheimers, the AQMS losing himself in the metal smith wagon, and the EME struggling to find his arse with both hands. Sgt Inman had taken to adopting unheard of diseases that prevented him from leaving his tent: ‘small enclosed space’ syndrome was a particularly dubious, debilitat- ing ailment. Work continued apace and the Anglians extracted leaving 9/12L to begin in earnest. There was a clear shift to keep the 24 hour operational work ethic, and to focus on B Vehicles as a priority. The VMs and Techs did not take long to get used to the rudi- ments of the in theatre fleet. It has been said that there’s something special about diving into a hot sweaty Snatch: quite literally a tradesman’s dream. Perhaps the aircon has failed; perhaps the brake calliper is miss- ing; perhaps for once the wiring loom isn’t the electrical equiv- alent of a bowl of spaghetti; there is always something to tinker with. These thick skinned landrovers are indeed the workhorse of the BG: constantly out on patrol, at nearly 4000kg, these lum- bering beasts bear up remarkably well to the rugged environ- ment. TLC from Cfns King, Orr, James, Wowk and LCpl Ward |
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