9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2003 - Page 0014
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
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12 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) cise was the preparation of a bridge for demolition, and watching the hilarious antics of LCpls Brown and Train in their attempt at setting charges under the bridge, without getting their feet wet. May saw a new Troop Leader arrive in the shape of SSgt Rathbone, who immediately set about planning a Support Troop concentra- tion. A week of dry training was followed by an excellent week of Live Firing, with the Troop joining the Regimental armoured fir- ing period for cupola firing; a trace ban making this no easy task. CATT was the next task on the already busy diary and when Tprs Atterbury, Steventon and Roe asked what is CATT? They got the reply “It’s a very big and very expensive Play Station”. This seemed to please LCpl Train who suddenly realised that he needed a map case if he was actually going to command. Cpl Roberts left on posting to Northern Ireland, and the Troop wish him and his family well. We then got stuck into the serious build up training in readiness for the Bosnia tour, which was due to start in September. Lots of new skills were being learnt, Tpr Gardner proved that issue boots can save your feet; he test- ed this theory by allowing his foot to get caught in the tracks of a Spartan during riot training. Without so much as a pause, the regimental exercise was upon us, however with all the training done in the previous six months the Troop took it in its stride: Tpr’s Hicken and Reynolds having the most memorable moment when sheepishly telling Sgt Motum that “one of the CWSs was missing”. Summer block leave slowed the pace of life a little, with a well deserved three weeks off. On return from leave, the news of the Bosnia tour cancellation and the Op TELIC deployment was well received. Tpr Reynolds left the Troop, his parting com- ments of ‘for better things in the OCs Rover Group’ seemed slightly hollow, as he was overheard pleading with the Troop Leader to come back after the tour. Tpr Flude arrived from Bovington and is settling in. At the time of writing we are get- ting ready to deploy on battlegroup collective training with 26 Regt RA, prior to deployment in Iraq. GW Troop 2003 was launched out of the starting blocks with a bang fol- lowing the announcement that A Sqn would be accompanying 7 Armd Bde on Op TELIC 1. However almost as soon as the training started, news broke that we were no longer needed but in fact were to commence training for a possible deployment on Op FRESCO. This the Troop did with much gusto except for LCpl ‘Whaz’s the point?’ Sadler who was not so enthusiastic about the ladder training! Talking about heights, Tpr ‘Baby Dave’ Quinn was not much better either and struggled to climb over the cargo net during an assault course battle PT day. He was quoted as saying to the Tp Ldr “I can’t Sir, I’m scared”. When the Sqn did deploy to Doncaster on Op FRESCO, the strike was cancelled before it started and the closest thing the Troop had to a call out (besides LCpl Stanley disappearing to fetch his second ‘diet’ Take Away Indian that was apparently for the SSM), was when Sgt Edwards decided to take his Green Goddess to a petrol station to buy a local map, but instead ended up perplexing a petrol attendant when insisting he put the fire engine through the car wash! In March the Troop participated in Ex SPRING CHARGE. Attached to the Troop was Cpl ‘CTR’ Wilkinson fresh from his Crew Commanders course. Consequently he was able to bring us all up to speed on the latest ISTAR techniques and kit! Despite not commanding the most successful CTR of the exer- cise at least he was able to find the objective he was supposed to reconnoitre, unlike the Troop Sergeant! This year the annual GW Live Firing Exercise saw an excellent set of result of missiles ‘on target’ with ‘Top Thumb’ going to LCpl ‘Gash Bash Cash’ Nash. Particular thanks must go to Cpl Kaminski for his efforts in putting together a very effective and well-organised training programme. Op OCULUS training soon followed and the Sqn deployed to ‘Tin City’ in Sennelager for the BTI’. During this LCpl ‘jock’ Stevens soon got to grips with the basics of team commanding, however, once contacted, instead of having a ‘condor’ moment and assessing the situation, he was more inclined to have a ‘con- corde’ moment, somewhere around 30,000ft. June brought a new set of challenges for the Troop and a new Tpr: Tpr ‘I’enfold’ Jackson’s introduction to the Troop and Squadron started during Sqn riot control training, he was unfor- A San, (SW Troop |
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