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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2003 - Page 0027

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 2003
Transcription REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) 25
GW Tp after EX ARAB CONFUS/ON m G/yn Hughes Barracks
Allen brought an experienced touch to the dismounted skills
and Cpl Hicks amazed us with his inability to successfully set up
the new ‘idiot proof’ trip-flares. Tprs Mukungunugwa and
Grant proved menacing deterrents as they manned GI’MGs on
vehicle check points, and listening to the chatter of Tprs Grant
and Lewis on the personal role radios, combined with the 30
degree North German heat, almost made it possible to believe
that we were exercising in on a Caribbean Island 7 at least it did
after several days without sleep.
Inevitably between the exercise, a couple of small arms range
packages and the time of writing there have been a few changes
in personnel. Reluctantly we adopted a new force structure
despatching a Spartan to each of the Sabre Troops and receiving
in return three battered Scimitars of our own. Sadly this meant
that LCpl Allen had to move with his vehicle to 2 Tp but we got
a fair return with LCpl Payne 7 Tpr Fowkes has never been so
keen on ensuring that tools are locked and secured away expe-
diently. We are currently resisting the move to rename ourselves
as 4th Troop. As we say goodbye to our kit we are reminded that
in four weeks time we will be in Iraq and finally being able to
get on with what we have trained hard for. Every man is look-
ing forward to it and we all look forward to being able to swing
the lantern on our return.
GW Troop
2003 has been an all over the place kind of a year for the god’s
weapons. The beginning of the year saw us all being stood up
for a potential deployment to Iraq only to be politely jacked and
stood down! Then came the promise of maybe putting a few
fires out in Sheffield, after completing the entire Special To
Arms Fireman Sam training.
On returning to Hohne we deployed on EX RUSTY LANCER
in Uelzen, teaching the new guys how to live on the wagons and
all the basic skills and drills that have been neglected over the
course of many Bosnia tours and various OPFOR exercises in
BATUS.
There has been many comings and goings into and from the
Troop. We lost Cpl Johnson and Tpr Stephens to B Sqn for yet
another tour of Bosnia. LCpl Bissett and Tpr Harding went on
six-month cheers easy on the Regimental Recruiting Team in
Sp Tp on co//ect/ve tram/Hg W/th the L/ght mfantfl/
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