9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2003 - Page 0053
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
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| Year | 2003 |
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REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) 51 HQ 1 (UK) Reece Bde fter twenty months in Bovington, which had housed the first CB marital home in leafy Foxbury, April saw the ‘dis- tant’ move to Wiltshire where I was to assume the hearty role of S03 Ops O&D at Headquarters 1 (UK) Reece Brigade. I thoroughly enjoyed my eighteen months as Adjutant of The Royal Wessex Yeomanry and the rather capricious range of tasks involved (including the added bonus of six months as the Training Major). However, I was very glad to get both Wednesday nights and weekends back as the working environ- ment had included rather more seven-day weeks than the small print had mentioned. It was no wonder a few more follicles had let go of their tentative grip during my time there! Upon my arrival here, I was somewhat surprised to find a rather depleted Headquarters consisting of the Brigade Commander (though Brigadier Mark was rather heavily engaged as Acting GOC 3 Div), a Chiefof Staff (about to be posted to command his regiment), no DCOS (in Afghanistan) and only one S03 out of the three established. So it was a case of bagging the best desk and the phone with all the gadgets and getting stuck straight into the joys ofO&D and anything else that needed doing. My arrival was somewhat timely as it was just subsequent to the re- subordination of the Brigade to Theatre Troops from 3 (UK) Division, which saw 9/l 2L once more coming under Command of the Brigade rather than to 1 (UK) Division. This therefore gave me cause for three ‘official’ visits back to Hohne during the year and a chance to catch up with the boys, some ofwhom I had not had the opportunity to see since my departure two years pre- viously. The re-subordination was completed in October when the Headquarters moved back to Netheravon (the old ‘Circle of Life’ adage springs to mind as the Headquarters had only left five years before) and into one of the timeless l9l2 portacabins. Albeit rather scruffy on the outside, new paint, IT, carpets cou- pled with the fine views over the sprawling plain, has made it a rather pleasant working environment. The Regiment is now well represented within the Headquarters with both Cpl Hill and LCpl White employed in the Command Squadron. Cpl Hill deployed on Op TELIC with QDG com- manding the echelon CV within Command Troop and had a very successful tour. Cpl Marson finished his two years with the Brigade in the summer and departed to civilian life and was replaced by LCpl White who had just returned from Banja Luka The racy We of Bde HQ Staff with B Squadron. In all 2003 has been fairly busy for the Headquarters with a variety of CAST deployments, including acting as HICON to 9/l2L in Sennelager and to HCR in Catterick. The Bde CAST was held in Catterick in late June, for which the regiment acted as LOCON, and provided the rela- tively new staffwith the ideal experience and educational oppor- tunities. The preparatory conferences for ARRCADE FUSION and a week spent in Berlin on ARRCANE PISTE (a rather apt name) in September also ensured that life was kept varied and the CB drinks cabinet kept topped up. Ex ARRCADE FUSION in November saw the Brigade working to the Italian Acqui Division, which proved to be a rather interesting experience. The torturous (should that say tortoise?) pace of the exercise and the Italian ‘unconstrained’ Battle Rhthym ensured that the 2004 exercise is eagerly anticipated. Sadly the Bde FTX, Ex REYNARDS CHASE, which was one of the main focuses for the year, was once again postponed and unfortunately it looks as if budgetary constraints will once more prevent it’s occurrence in 2004. The re-subordination now leaves the Brigade correctly config- ured and with the nuances of CVR(T) management and opera- tional commitments alike best placed to advise on the FR com- munity as a whole. It also provides an excellent good opportu- nity for high calibre soldiers to be posted to it and gain experi- ence working within a small but busy Brigade Headquarters. 2004 promises to be another busy year! jRC-B A Fishy Tale that led to a Fox’s Head On the formation of the newly established ARRC Recce Bde Implementation Team at Wilton in May 96, it was agreed that the Bde should have an insignia. The old recce Corps badge was considered as an option, but this idea was soon blocked as the badge was still in use. It was eventually decided to adopt the for- mation flash, a yellow sea horse on a blue shield, that was worn by by 27th Armd Bde (originally l Armd Bde). On 8th Jul 96 the insignia proposal was put to the Army Dress Committee (ADC). However, on a visit to QOY by the Bde S01 and S03 G4 the next day, the Commanding Officer of the Regiment was heard to comment “but you can’t possibly have that as your insignia as it’s the international symbol for trans- vestites!” The proposal was therefore hastily withdrawn from the ADC in the nick of time (it was never ascertained how the CO knew of the sea horse and the transvestite connection). Early Oct 96 saw a frantic search for another insignia and by the end of the month the formation flag worn by the 8th Armd Bde, a reddish brown fox head on a yellow circular background, had been chosen. This was on the grounds of the foxes association with stealth, cunning and guile, and was considered to be entire- ly appropriate for the new Recce Bde. The fox head was subse- quently re-drawn as an orange head on a black background and at the same time the name of the Bde was changed from ARRC Recce Bde to 1 (UK) Recce Bde. This insignia was finally approved by the ADC on 6th Jan 97 and is now the flash worn by the Bde staff and soon to be by all four regiments. So time to sew it back on I’m afraid 9th /l2th. Consider your- selves lucky - it could have been a confiJsed sea-horse! |
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