9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2003 - Page 0024
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
| Transcription |
22 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) C Squadron his has been a turbulent year for C Squadron but we are ending on a high and there is considerable satisfaction that we are finally on an exciting and testing operational deploy- ment. There was considerable excitement when we were warned off for deployment to the Gulf at the beginning of the year and we were all disappointed to then be stood-down. The deploy- ment of the vast majority of the remainder of Hohne Garrison only exaggerated the disappointment. We were then presented with a fresh test as were prepared to fight fires in Sheffield. Everyone rose to the challenge and learned a fresh lot of skills in quick time. We were looking for- ward to a potentially exciting time in the UK. The firemen did not strike in the end so we returned to the UK, once again dis- appointed to have been denied the chance to put our training into practice (and to spend some time in the UK). Fortunately the Regimental Gunnery Camp in June was not so disappointing. After two weeks of heat, tracer bans and techni- cal jargon from Sgt Pagett the Squadron performed admirably and took home a good deal of silverware. Particular mentions go to Sgt Pagett the ‘Gunnery Guru’ who won the MG shield and Lt Doherty’s Troop who took the ultimate prize for the Colonels shoot in particular demanding circumstances on the old CAT range. During the Mons Moy rehearsals the Squadron dropped from the senior party of the line to the junior squad with the depar- ture of Major Bannister, posted to the Netherlands, who handed over to Major Goggs, who had been training Recruits at Winchester. As the last chords of The Band of the Royal Lancers bid farewell, WOZ Winter, SSM for the last 18 months, passed on his stick (a mere three months old) to WOZ Welborn. Capt Searby took the seat as Squadron ZIC, from Capt Inglefield who departed to take over as Adjt (no-one was more surprised than he was). With a new team at the top and a squadron that was growing on a daily basis, fresh from hearing the official announcement that we were now going to iraq with lst Battalion, The Light Infantry, we set for a Regtl exercise in the area of Uelzen. That was followed by some summer leave and then the real work began... As I write this, a week before we go to Iraq, we have completed an extremely busy 6-week training period with the Light A b/ece of h/SIOfl/ The eyes and ears Infantry and we are all eager to get on with the operation. The advance party of Capt Denton, SSgt Codd and SSgt White fly in the next 2 days and the remainder follow a week after them. As you read this we should be in the thick of it and it sounds like we will be having a busybut enjoyable time. At least we will not be exposed to the increadable temperatures that are present in the summer. We might even be feeling the cold on occasions. We have seen a huge number of personalities come and go dur- ing the year and this list is too long to mention here. However it is to the soldiers and the families of C Squadron that the final praise must go. We have all had to put up with a lot of hard work, turbulence and some uncertainty but everyone has remained positive and cheerful throughout. For the real detail of what happened to who in the Squadron over the year, read on... lst Troop This year lst Tp have had mixed time spending hours on the vehicle park, followed by hard work training for Squadron and Regimental Exercises and then preparing for deployments on Tpr Russe/ tfl/mg to compensate |
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