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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 1986 - Page 0093

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 1986
Transcription Ex Long Look
This year LONG LOOK was a four
month posting to the 3/4 Cavalry Regi-
ment stationed in Brisbane, Queensland;
well located geographically enjoying
hot sun even in late winter. The Exercise
started in August. Brisbanes winter
drawing to an end with the weather
already in the high twenties celcius. On
arriving at the Regiment the officers
welcomed me in the bar, where l was
Introduced to a beer I was to see a lot
of —— the welcoming drink, which turned
into a session, ended at the Diggers
(Junior Ranks) drinking club above
camp.
The Squadron to which I was attached
allowed one of its suhalterns to escort
in: around Australia for the next six
weeks. during which time we visited all
the large cities. bar Adelaide. All travel
THE 9TH/IZTH ROYAL LANCERS REGIMENTAI JOURNAL
Safari — The first shooting Expedition
was by courtesy of Royal Australian Air
Force which ferried us around in Herc-
ules’ (Path to Sydney was an eight hour
flight each way). On arriving back from
our national tour. I accompanied the
Military Police on a T.E.W.T, up in
the Northern Territory around Darwin.
This was an exceedingly relaxed affair
in which the scenario. for some strange
reason was set around the beauty spots
the Northern Territory affords: notably,
Catherine Gorge and the Mataranka
thermal pools. We also visited an Abor-
iginal Reserve which civilians rarely see
The Reserve was a bit of an anticlimsx
with families of Abo's sitting around
doing very little in prefabricated huts.
living off generous social security from
the Government,
Back to the Regiment at Enoggera in
October. but within days we had plan-
ned the first of two safaris into the bush
700 kms west of Brisbane. For a long
weekend we stayed with a farmer and
culled the odd kangaroo.
The day after we returned. I joined
the Sqn on Ex Tasmin Warrior. a Brig-
ade Exercise in Shoalwster Bay training
area on the North Eastern coast above
Rockhampton, Here my troop acted as
enemy for three weeks, spending some
time behind the lines. attacking eche-
Ions. and gun batteries etc. The troop
consisted of twelve M113 with a mod.
ification of the T50 turret (twin 39mm
and 50mm GPMGs). These were split
down into three sections and a tactical
HQ. All the time we worked with ln»
fantry of 6 RAR and sometimes in a
small battle group with two Leopard
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