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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 1984 - Page 0099

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 1984
Transcription l Next to gel
Harbour
Thls Sunken turretrrtng marks the spot where the USS Antone was Sunk at Pearl
rHE era/12m ROYAL LANCERS nectMENrAt JOURNAL
Back again at Man Yee, the new
Company Commander had arnved, we
redoubled our efforts and vast
operations were planned WIth the
Marlne Poltce, but we stlll falled to
catch one ll'
Atter the border tour we started
plannlng our next uverseas exercise
Tins ttme rt was to be much further
allelrt and wrthtlut any real support
lrorn allted armed lurcus. Ex ’Coconut
Grove‘ durlng July. August and
September, was a seven week
expedmon to Fur Agaun great
cmphasts was to he placed on ltve
Inlng, but we were gomg to have to
hurld our own ranges tn the bush The
ulan was that alter five weeks at range
work and dry exercises tn the htlls and
ntountalns, that there would be two
weeks adventure lrannng Thls was to
be my task.
In the meanttme belure we
departed, l made up tor an earlter
leave I had lost and spent two weeks
m San Francrsco
We arrived In Fm by RAF V010 and
Hercules and setup a tented camp tn
the town of Serra, the sugar capltal ol
the lsland group. We were welcomed
by the local populations, who had not
seen Brttish soldiers smce
lndeuendence, although there had
been Gurkha exerctses. Yet another
postcard was despatched, and further
revenge obvtously planned, because
stgnals started arrtvtng rnentronlng
dates lor my return
The first ttve weeks were hecttc but
a huge success We nearly had a
complete disaster when one of our
ageing Bedtord 3 tonners, lelt
belnnd In Fur by the Army Since
ntdependence, had brake latlure and
rolled on a mmmtarn track wtth twenty
Guardsmen In the back, Lucklly, they
escaped wtth cuts and brulses,
The adventure Iralnlng phase was a
success, Guardsmen learnan to dtve‘
boating out to Coral Island and
spending two days With the Frpan
Navy Mtnesweeper'
Sadly we departed from the
beautltul South Pacrltc Island ll’t Mld'
September, arnvtng back In Chllly
Hong Kong vra Guam by VC~10,
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