H cav 1994/1995 complete

Page 1

THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY JOURNAL


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The Household Cavalry Journal

Contents

Incorporating The Acorn and The Blue and Royal

Vol. No. 2 1994/5 Editor: Major WSG Doughty, The Life Guards.

Preface by The Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Household Cavalry . . 5

Colonel-in-Chief Her Majesty The Queen Colonel of The Life Guards and Gold Stick : Major General Lord Michael Fitzalan—Howard GCVO, CB, CBE, MC, DL Colonel of The Blues and Royals and Gold Stick:

Household Cavalry Regiment

Pages 6 - 24

General Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick, GCB, DSO, MBE, MC

Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Household Cavalry and Silver Stick: Commanding Ofiicer Household Cavalry Regiment:

Colonel PB Rogers, The Blues and Royals

Lieutanant Colonel WR Rollo, The Blues and Royals

Commanding Officer Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment:

Lieutenant Colonel W TBrowne, The Blues and Royals

Foreword by The Commanding Officer ................. 6 Diary of Events ..................................... 7 A Squadron The Life Guards ......................... 10 B Squadron The Life Guards ......................... 12

C Squadron The Blues and Royals ..................... 14 D Squadron The Blues and Royals ..................... l6 Headquarters Squadron .............................. 18

The Life Guards

Command Troop ................................... l9 Regimental Administration Office ..................... 20 Quartermaster’s Department .......................... 20 Quartermaster (Technical) Department ................. 21 Light Aid Detachment .............................. 22

WOs’ and NCOs’ Mess .............................. 23 The Band of The Blues and Royals ..................... 24

Battle Honours Dettingen

Ypres (1914)

Bapaume (1918)

Souleuvre

Palmyra

Peninsular

Langmarck (1914)

Waterloo Tel el Kebir

Gheluvelt Nonne Boschen

Arras (1917) Ypres (1917)

Noireau Crossing Amiens (1944)

Svria (1941) V ,

Arras (1918)

Brussels

El Alamein _

Egypt (1882)

St Julien

Hindenburg Line

Necrpelt

NOHh Africa (1942-1943)

Relief of Kimberley Paardeberg

Frenzenberg Ypres (1915)

Epehy St Quentin Canal

Nederrijn Nijmegen

Arezzo

Advance to Florence South Africa (1899-1900) Mons

Somme (1916) Albert( 1916)

Cambrai (1918) Selle

Lingen Bentheim

Gothic Line

Le Cateau Retreat from Mons Marne(l914)

Scarpe (1917) (1918) Broodseinde Poelcappelle

Somme (1918) France and Flanders (1914«l8)

North West Europe (1944— 1945) Baghdad (1941)

Italy (1944)

Messines (1914)

Passchendaele

Mont Picon

Iraq (1941)

Gulf(1991)

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Foreword by The Commanding Officer ................ 26 Diary of Events .................................... 27 The Life Guards Mounted Squadron .................. 29 The Blues and Royals Mounted Squadron .............. 30 Headquarters Squadron ............................. 32

W03’ and NCOs’ Mess .............................. 32 Musical Ride ...................................... 34 The Band of The Life Guards ........................ 35 Household Cavalry Training Wing .................... 36 The Forge ........................................ 37

Household Cavalry News

The Blues and Royals Battle Honours Tangier (1662-1680)

Mons

Scarpe (1917)

Dettingen

Le Cateau

Ypres (1917)

Mont Picon Souleurvc,

Warburg

Retreat from Mons

Somme (1918)

Noireau Crossing

Knightsbridge

Beaumont

Marne (1914)

St Quentin

Amiens(1944)

Defence of Alamein Line

Willems Fuentes d’Onor

Messines (1914) Armentiers (1914)

Avre Broodseinde

Brussels Neerpelt

El Alamein El Agheila

Penninsular Waterloo

Ypres (1914) Langemarck (1914)-

Poelcappelle

Nederriin

Advance on Tripoli

Passchendale

Veghcl

North Africa (1941-1943)

Balaklava Sevastpol

Gheluvelt Nonne

Amiens

Nijmegen

Sicily (1943)

Hindenburg Line

Rhine

Arezzo

Egypt

Boschen

Bearevoir

North West Europe (1944-

Advance to Florence

Tel el Kebir Releif of Kimberley

St Julien Ypres (1915)

Cambrai (1918) Sambre

Paardeberg

Frezenberg

Pursuit to Mons

Releif of Ladysmith

Loos

South Africa (1899—1902)

Arms (1917)

Gazala

1945)

Gothic Line Italy (l943~l944)

France and Flanders

Baghdad (1941) Iraq (1941) Palmyra

(1914-1918)

Syria (1941)

Falkland Islands (1982)

That Was the Year that Was ....................... 38 Spruce Meadows ................................... 40 Gorazde and Back .................................. 41 A Year at Sandhurst ................................ 42 My First Horse Show ............................... 43 Over 50 Years Ago .............................. 44 Edinburgh State Visit ............................... 48 Exercise Cockney Viking ............................ 49 Arnhem 1944-94 ................................... 50 Exchange Visit to Thailand .......................... 52 Exercise Suman Warrior ............................ 54 Kladow Re«Visited ................................. 56

and Rules of the Association .......................... 71

Laying Up of Standards As a result of the presentation by Her Majesty The Queen of new Standards to the Household Cavalry in 1993, the old Standards have been laid up as follows: Two Sovereign’s Standards to the Guards Chapel.

Pages 38 - 69

The Governor General’s Horse Guards ................. 58 HMS Westminster ................................. 59 The Roof of The Americas Expedition ................. 60 Vehicle Electronics Research Initiative ................. 62 Six Months in Sarajevo .............................. 64 The Life Guards Band in Bosnia ...................... 65 Panda Pilot ....................................... 66 Summer Camp .................................... 67 Household Cavalry Ski Team ......................... 68 P010 ............................................. 69

News from the Associations The Life Guards Association Annual Report Minutes of the 60th AGM of The Life Guards Association .72 The Life Guards Association Charitable Trust ........... 74 Association Notices ................................ 75

Pages 26 - 37

Pages 71 - 90

The Blues and Royals Association Annual Report ........ 76 The Blues and Royals Accounts ...................... 77 Obituaries ........................................ 79 Nominal Rolls .................................... 82 Notices .......................................... 90

Covers : The Front Cover shows a Scimitar oftlie Household Cavalry Regiment overlooking Prozor Lake on Route TRIANGLE in Central Bosnia: Winter 1994. The Rear Cover shows the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment ranking past Their Maiesties on the occasion of the State visit of The King and Queen

of Norway in Edinburgh in July 1994. Details of how to obtain copies of this painting by Miss Tessa Campbell-Fraser can be found on page 90,

Two Squadron Standards to the Sovereign Order of the Military Knights of Malta. Two Squadron Standards to the Household Cavalry Museum.

One Blues and Royals Squadron Standard to the Chapel at Bramham Park, home of the Lane Fox family. One Life Guards Standard will go to the church at Covehithc, Suffolk, home of the Gooeh family.

Crown Copyright: This publicution contains official information. It should be treated with discretion by the recipient The opinions expressed in the articles in this journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views. official or otherwise. of the Household Cavalry or the Ministry of Defence. No responsibility for the goods or services advertised in this journal can be accepted by the Household Covalty, publishers or printers and advertisements are included in good faith.


Preface by Colonel PB Rogers, The Blues and Royals,

Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Household Cavalry.

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henever I am asked ‘how is the Union going’ my answer is a qual— ified ‘very well’. Anyone reading this journal will see how successfully both the Windsor and Knightsbridge Regiments have coped with a demanding year. They will also, I hope, get a feeling of high morale and pride and everything else associated with a going concern. But then so they should. In my mind there was never any doubt that the two capbadges would work as well side by side at Windsor as they have done since the War at Knightsbridge. The reason for my caution is that the long-term viability of the Union has not yet had time to prove itself. Now our surplus of manpower has disappeared and both Regiments are under—strength; the reductions of Options continue to cause disruption in the career planning of Senior NCOs, we are losing too many officers on prema— ture retirement; the size of Headquarters Household Cavalry is to be reduced. Not all of these problems have been caused by the Union, but I mention them to show that beneath the surface the new Household Cavalry is still going through a period of re-adjustment. In my view it will be several years before anyone can give a meaningful answer to the original question. I994 emphasised the considerable contribution that serving and retired members of our Regiments are making to the Yeomanry. For the past three years the Colonel Commandant of all the Yeomanry has been Colonel Sir Ralph Carr»Ellison (late Royals). He has just been succeeded by Colonel EC York (late Royals). The Honorary Colonel of the Royal Yeomanry is Major General Sir Simon Cooper (late Life Guards). The Honorary Colonel of C Squadron Royal Yeomanry is Brigadier ABSH Gooch (late Life Guards) and the Honorary Colonel of 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron is Colonel Sir David Black (late RHG). Both the Royal Yeomanry and the Queen’s Own Yeomanry have Household Cavalry Regimental Corporals Major, namely WOI Evans LG and WOl Pitt RHG/D. There is also a large number of retired

Household Cavalry Officers and serving Warrant

Officers

filling

important

Colonel PB Rogers

appointments as Squadron Leaders, Quartermasters, Squadron Corporals Major etc, throughout the Yeomanry. I believe we can be proud of this record. In the past year we have seen a new Major General from the Household Cavalry with the appointment of Major General T] Sullivan (late RHG/D) as Director General Land Warfare. It also marked the retirement of three distinguished officers, Brigadier AH ParkerBowles, Colonel JG Hamilton-Russell and Colonel JD Smith—Bingham, each of whom held the appointment of Silver Stick. I would like to wish all four offi» cers the best of good fortune for the future. Last year also saw the award of MBE to CoH Cross (LG), one ofthe first under the new honours system and a great attainment. To commemorate the part played by Z HCR in the liberation of Europe, a group of ten Association members and wives visited Northern France and had an excellent week taking part in the liberation celebrations. I myself had a short visit to Brussels and Antwerp rep» resenting 2 HCR, and a further group of officers followed the trail through Holland, being well looked after by Jonkheer Groeninx van Zoelan van Ridderkert MC (late RHG). Details ofa possible visit to Denmark later this year for old Royal Dragoons are still vague but will be promulgated when known.

I recently had the pleasure of receiv— ing on behalf of The Blues and Royals Serving Officers’ Trust, a magnificent silver statuette of a mounted Royals Officer, the gift of Major K H Balfour. He has also given other interesting momentos to the Museum. Major Balfour is already well known to many Officers having presented five excellent albums of photographs of the Royals during the Second World War. His father, Major K R Balfour also served in the Regiment. I need hardly say that generous gifts like these are always most welcome to the Messes or Museum. As Lieutenant Colonel Commanding I sometimes accompany VIP visitors to the Regiments. On such occasions, not only the experienced, but also our younger NCOs and soldiers, come across exceptionally well, professional in their work, polite in their manner, with an underlying con— fidence and sense of humour which is clear to all. This favourable impression is invariably singled out for mention by the visitor and never fails to give me a great sense of pride. It does not surprise me to read that over the turmoil of recent times, the Services are about the only British institution to have maintained its standing in public esteem. With most of the Regiment in Bosnia and other on public duties, I feel the Corps of Household Cavalry is making a significant contribution to the overall reputation of the Army.


Household Cavalry Regiment

Diary of Events Our first event of the year was the visit of 36 Defence Attaches in mid January and, as always, they were an extremely appreciative group who appeared to much enjoy the opportunity to meet our soldiers and tour the Barracks. A particular feature of the visit, and one that made it all the more interesting, was that some of the visitors were representing new independent states of the former USSR. In January we were also visited by The Colonel of The Life Guards, A Squadron conducted a 24 hour escape and evasion exercise and all SHQs deployed on a two day communications exercise. During the last week in January the Regiment held an inter—squadron boxing championship, the last major event to be held in our old Gymnasium before it was demolished in April.

Foreword by Lieutenant Colonel W R Rollo, The Blues and Royals, Commanding Officer. y predecessor, Lieutenant Colonel Falkner, closed his Foreword with the statement that the Regiment was in good shape for anything that the future might hold. 1 January 1995 finds more than half the Regiment deployed on operations with the UN in Bosnia, with the remainder at reduced notice to move prepared to join them. As I write we are planning to implement the latest of a long line of ceasefires, deploying the bulk of the Regiment’s troop leaders on to the Serbian side of the lines as Liaison Officers, while the non~commissioned officers will take their troops across and along the Confrontation Lines. It is snowing hard. At this stage the future of the ceasefire has to be uncertain. What is

certain is that Lieutenant Colonel Falkner’s comments were entirely cor— rect, and that the Regiment was, and is, in excellent shape for anything that the

Lieutenant Colonel W R Ro//o

future might hold. For the next four months the Regiment’s main effort will be in Bosnia. Thereafter our attention will be refo« cused on our principal role of providing the armoured reconnaissance regiment for 3 (UK) Division. This is not to imply that life will be dull, although it may lack

Bosnia’s complete absence of certainty. 3 (UK) Division will have a dual role in

that it belongs to both NATO’s ACE Rapid Reaction Corps, and to the newly formed UK Joint Rapid Deployment Force, the land element of which might initially be based on S Airborne and 3 Commando Brigades. At a lower level the MoD is considering adding an armoured reconnaissance element to the Spearhead Battalion Group, which is permanently at a reduced notice to move. In essence the Regiment will have a very high chance of being involved in any operation in which British troops are deployed, anywhere in the world. Training for this role should be simi-

larly varied. Squadrons will deploy with each of 3 (UK) Division’s brigades on field training, including airborne and amphibious exercises, all in anticipation

of a major airborne and amphibious exercise in the USA in 96. In addition, we plan to send a squadron to Belize for jungle training, to conduct a further exchange with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, with whom we have worked closely in Bosnia, and to extend our affiliation with 3 Commando Brigade to include an Arctic training season. The aim will be to produce a cadre of soldiers within the Regiment who have experience ofevery environment within which we are likely to operate. We should then be able, with a minimum of cross posting, to produce a squadron which can train itself to work anywhere at very short notice. In the meantime we have continued to have above average pass rates for parachute training, and have recently had our first successes for some time in selection for 22 SAS.

always Providence may help those who help themselves.

If we can make our

training interesting and exciting enough (and with the programme planned we should have no difficulty with that) retention

should

be

no

problem.

Recruiting will be more difficult.

We

clearly need to start by reviewing our existing arrangements. However, in out—

In mid February the Regiment deployed to Salisbury Plain for two weeks’ squadron training. As so often happens, the weather took a turn for the worse as we deployed and although it was sufficiently cold for snow, the ground remained extremely soft and muddy. Indeed, the low lying areas 0fthe Plain were so bad that Major Onslow’s Landrover was nearly lost in a sea of mud. Despite these conditions and the limited visibility, which led at least one troop leader several miles outside the southern perimeter, the training was a success and we managed to conduct a

In May the new Adjutant, Captain

Tarling,

from

Captain

Squadrons. On 5th June three members of the Regiment (CoH Coles, LCoH Tovell and LCoH Matthews) together with Colonel Ellery, took part in the D Day commemorative parachute jump. It Normandy Memorr‘a/ D Day parachute drop.

5 June 7 994. Col E/lery, CoH Co/eman, LCoH Stevenson,LCoH Tove/l, LCoH Matthews.

was an extraordinary and memorable experience for them all, particularly so for those who were met on the dropping zone by veterans who had landed there

short competition in which we concentrated on crew skills. Also during February, A Squadron deployed on Exercise NORTHERN CRUSADE with

fifty years earlier.

5 Airborne Brigade and we conducted a Junior NCOs’ cadre course.

Holbrook, took over from WOI Sackett and the Regiment held an

In March we formed a composite troop under the command of Lt Avis to take part in the VERDI 2 trials (see separate article later in this Journal) and B Squadron deployed on the l Meehanised Brigade FTX, Exercise FIRST CRU» SADE. At the end of March we provided

In June we conducted a JNCOs’ cadre course, the new RCM, WOI

interesquadron athletics meeting and a cricket competition. June also saw the beginning of our Bosnia preparations

support to The Year of the Yeomanry Parade during which we accommodated some 800 Yeomen and women in Combermere Barracks.

At

the

beginning

of April

D

Squadron departed for Canada for a

Op Grapp/e Reece » Split August 1994. D Squadron Leader, Second rn Command,

Commandr’ng Of/cer and Quartermaster three week exchange with the Royal with B Squadron conducting a GRAP~ Canadian Dragoons based at Petawawa.

line we aim to commit the whole

At the same time we received their

Regiment to a recruiting drive in the

Reconnaissance Squadron who spent an

autumn, if possible in conjunction with

enjoyable stay here before returning to

the Mounted Regiment, and based on a

Canada for a further month of exercis-

PLE training exercise on Salisbury Plain. In July B Squadron continued its training with live firing and A Squadron took

part

in

Exercise

PEGASUS

STRIKE, a S Airborne Brigade exercise on Salisbury Plain.

combined Household Cavalry Summer

ing. During the exchange we were visit—

Camp. In the meantime I would be grate-

ed by the Commanding Officer of the

ful if all who read this, of any generation,

Royal Canadian Dragoons and by their

were to aim to produce at least one high

Colonel, Major General Clive Milner

quality recruit for the Regiment in 1995

who, as UN Commander in Cyprus a

that we would be deploying our first

— and thereafter!

few

squadron in August, the second squadron in November and a further

years

earlier,

had

several

The future is therefore, as always,

command. Also in April — a troop from

full of uncertainty, variety and challenge.

A Squadron deployed on Ex DYNAM—

Bosnia dominated the second half of 1994 particularly when it became clear

squadron in early 1995. Because the composition ofa Bosnia squadron was to

It is also an immensely interesting and

IC IMPACT, a NATO exercise in

be significantly different from a normal

exciting time in which to soldier e and,

Sardinia, and the Regiment conducted

for those with the drive and energy to

Troop Tests on Salisbury Plain. GW

reconnaissance squadron, the Commanding Officer decided to nomi-

enjoy it, a great time to be a Household

Troop, A Squadron won the competi—

Cavalryman.

tion but only after a recount!

the Union. There are many reasons for this, not least the residual effects of recruit capping. However, successful recruiting and retention will this year, be the key to the Regiment’s future. As

over

ducted Annual Firing for B and C

Household Cavalry squadrons under There is, however, one small black cloud on the horizon. We will be understrength this year for the first time since

took

Woodward, Command Troop went adventure training in Devon and we con-

nate three squadrons for deployment with the fourth providing a troop to each

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment


one. The decision was that B Squadron, followed by D and A Squadrons, would deploy with C Squadron providing the additional manpower and vehicles. Preparation was to include a training package organised by the Combined Arms Training Centre, live firing at Lulworth and considerable in—barracks instruction.

By mid August B Squadron was fully prepared for its move to Bosnia, with all vehicles painted in UN white

The Secretary of State for Defence and the Adjutant discuss politics.

The Commanding Officer, Lt Col Falkner demo/ishes the

and Squadron personnel on leave. The Squadron’s move, at least for the tracked reconnaissance vehicles, proved to be somewhat unconventional and almost on a par with a memorable statement made by the Commanding Officer of The Life Guards in August 1990 when he said ‘4th Armoured Brigade (consist—

Gym for the rebuild.

The Band visrt to Bosnia. L to H 7 Band Corporal Major. Hegimenta/ Corporal Major.

Commanding Officer and Director of Music. taken to deploy the Regimental Headquarters of The Light Dragoons who already had two of its squadrons in

ing of ourselves and the Grenadier Guards and therefore, de facto, a Guards Brigade) will drive to Baghdad’. B Squadron’s vehicles did drive, albeit in civilian containers, almost the whole way including through the Channel Tunnel, although the last hundred miles or so was by ship in order to avoid any

Bosnia. The decision had an immediate impact on our own planning because The Light Dragoons’ tour in Bosnia was only to be three months and the Household Cavalry Regiment was the obvious, indeed the only, regiment that could replace them.

problems on the Croatian coast road. On deployment to Bosnia B Squadron found themselves based on the outskirts of Gornji Vakuf and under command of the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment. Its role, over a con— siderable area of responsibility, was to patrol the main supply route (or, in lit— eral terms, the lifeline route) that linked the United Nations operation in Central Bosnia with the main administrative base of Split on the Adriatic coast. About a month before B Squadron departed for Bosnia the decision was

At the beginning of September the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Falkner handed over to Lieutenant Colonel Rollo, who found himself almost immediately thrown into a series of exercises designed to prepare the Regimental Headquarters for the task ahead. A few days earlier he and a small team conducted a recce in Bosnia. Back in England preparations con» tinued for the tour in Bosnia. In September the Regiment assisted with the International Military Event in Windsor Great Park. It was a great success and we much enjoyed the opportu» nity to entertain so many

overseas competitors.

During September we also sent a small team on the Arnhem commemorative parachute drop (see article by Lt Briscoe in this . Journal).

‘'

At the end of October, following a short leave, Regimental Headquarters and D Squadron departed for Bosnia although the ‘ movement of vehicles was not, this time, as smooth as

it had been for B Squadron. They trav— elled by ship and, almost inevitably, the ship was delayed following a mechanical breakdown in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately in Windsor we only learnt about the delay at about 10pm one evening as a party of 70 men were prepar— ing to depart for RAF Lyneham en route to Split. As their arrival in Bosnia was due to coincide with the arrival of the ship, we had to send some ofthem home. The wives received a pleasant surprise as their husbands’ leave was extended by a few days while some of the husbands were frustrated to find that their wives had already gone home to their parents. Major McCullough had a similar experience a week later (his party missed the flight because the RAF had unexpectedly brought the departure time forward) and found himself breaking into his own house at four o’clock in the morning. Everyone, both men and equipment, did arrive by the first week in November and Regimental Headquarters quickly established itselfin its new role as BRIT-

CAVBAT based

in Zepce with D

Squadron in Maglaj. The area ofresponsi— bility, a salient known as the Maglaj Finger, is perhaps one of the most interesting and potentially volatile parts of Bosnia. Consisting of an external confrontation line with the Serbs and internal lines (albeit comparatively quiet since the February ‘94 agreement) dividing Muslims and Croats, it was clear that this was an area in which confidence building and close liaison with the locals would be the key to successful operations. Life in Windsor was quieter than nor— mal although we still had A Squadron, who managed to send a small team to Malaysia on Ex SUMAN WARRIOR (see article in this Journal), as well as taking

-“,

. \‘

images::1’'6 ._.“-

part, extremely successfully, in the Div Light Fighter competition and conducting a GW Firing period in Otterburn. Throughout the latter part of 1994 A Squadron was also training for a Bosnia tour due to start at the end of February 1995. Also, throughout late 1994, Headquarters Squadron, continued to keep the administrative wheels turning, with fewer personnel than normal. Building work was a particular fea— ture of 1994 and we have now taken pos— session of our new Gymnasium, vehicle hangar, SNCOs’ accommodation and POL Point. Our heating system is currently being renewed and the project will take over a year to complete.

.

,.

~"

ax;

Members of D Son HHG/D about to earn their Canadian Wings.

RHQ and D Son on the streets of Mag/ai.

East European officers in a rather different atmosphere to the old days of the Warsaw Pact.

with implementing a wider peace agree— ment. As the weeks slip by and the end of the Household Cavalry Regiment’s current tour in Bosnia draws nearer, the likelihood

Regimental Headquarters and D Squadron are now at the halfway point of the tour in Bosnia and B Squadron are expected back by the beginning of March. Over the Christmas break, and as a result of the impending cessation of hostilities between the three warring factions in Bosnia, it looked as if we might be sending out the remainder of the Regiment to help

of this deployment decreases. Those elements of the Regiment in Bosnia continue to work hard in support of the United Nations mission but there are undoubted and widespread feelings of frustration. For all the considerable goodwill of officers and soldiers alike, there appears to be no clear settlement on the horizon.

A . , w .‘5 . .i'i‘.’ - fig. » rat‘a -. y!) ,

J'.

r.

In the middle of November we hosted a visit to Windsor from the Rumanian Arms Reduction Verification Team. Although their inspection of our ‘Treaty Limited’ equipment was handled in a strictly formal and diplomatic manner, this part of the visit was very quickly concluded. Following an exchange of gifts and speeches the team were entertained to lunch in the Officers’ Mess, followed by local sightseeing and dinner in the evening. It was one ofa number ofopportunities that we have had over the last two years to meet

Ex Suntan Warrior Capt Atherton and team in the iung/e

View from EKO Factory Zepce. December 7994.

Household Cavalry Regiment

Household Cavalry Regiment


A Squadron, The Life Guards While the RCD went on R and R the Squadron continued to exercise on Regimental training which included the long—awaited troop tests. GW Troop under the masterly direction of Lt Methven and CoH Harlow were victorious. 2 Troop weren’t as highly placed. At this time A Squadron had also formed a composite troop led by Lt Briscoe and CoH Cripps which had the arduous task

of spending four weeks on the REA Sir Galahad in Sardinia, having to stop in Palma on the way there and Gibraltar on return. Capt Atherton was also on the exercise but we never saw him because maritime quarantine laws wouldn’t allow him ashore. DYNAMIC IMPACT 94 was a very large NATO amphibious exercise involving some 11000 troops from seven nations. 45 Cdo RM proved to be our very kind hosts although the only real test of friendship came over the Rock Race in Gibraltar. LCoH Miller led the way for the Household Cavalry while CoH Cripps very generously sacrificed his own position to chase stragglers at the back. July saw another 5 Bde exercise, PEGASUS STRIKE which began with a TALO on Keevil airfield and then followed 4 Para (V) to Otterburn. The weather was very fine which naturally meant that for the most part Keevil was under constant NBC attack. It wasn’t long therefore before people got fed up and wanted to leave. The Logistic Battalion were the first, off to Rawanda.

Exercrse Northern Crusade.

In 1994 the Squadron watched both B and D Squadrons and Regimental Headquarters deploy to Bosnia, hoping that we too might also have the opportunity. (The recent issue of our Matterhorn boots has finally convinced us.) The Squadron had nevertheless been exercised very hard and travelled widely. Our training year began with squadron training on Salisbury Plain, culminating in crew rather than troop

tests. RCM (WOI) Sackett ran a very popular stand for troop leaders. The

Squadron were able however to relax at a very successful ‘smoker’, LCoH Crawley

Very soon after our return the Squadron was on exercise again, this time on the SAB Bde FTX, Ex NORTHERN CRUSADE. This involved battalion level exercises in Kielder and Galloway Otterburn. Troops were distributed amongst the Brigade's infantry battalions initially and then re-united to pro— vide fire support. A Squadron had the rather dubious honour of being singled out for praise from the Brigade Commander and held as a shining example for our prompt, some might say pre— mature, deployment into the field. However Lt Barnard still was able to

find sufficient reason to return to

ly cold weather at the end of the two

Redesdale at least once a day.

withdrawal was only slightly hampered by our inability to see anything at all. Endex was called, mercifully, just outside

Copehill Down.

istically unpleasant.

for the LPBG followed by live firing at

at the cutting edge. Despite the extremeweeks we were working well together with a very slick advance to contact. The

undermining freedom of movement while rates of fire for the Rarden 30mm gun, as taught, might also require amendment. The weather was character—

The live firing at Otterburn although perhaps not realistic, was nonetheless impressive to say the least. The RGSCpl, SCpl Fisher, assisted by Lt Methven, maintained saftey standards without

The A Squadron lunch just prior to Easter leave said farewell to LCoH Heath who had been serving with the Pathfinder Platoon. This was the Regiment’s great loss and the Slough constabulary’s gain. Following Easter leave in early April the Squadron hosted the exchange visit from the Royal Canadian Dragoons. This proved to be tremendous fun, the RCD even joining the Squadron on exercise to provide mixed crews. The whole thing went very smoothly, to everyone’s great relief. Indeed the only evidence of their visit that remains are the Canadian stickers which adorn every signpost in Windsor. Those and the much sort—kiafter green plastic mugs whose value increases daily.

Before disappearing on block leave in August the Squadron were treated to a fire-eating display at the Squadron barbe-que by LCoH Barratt and CoH Kingston. We returned in September for

training

for

Bosnia

at

Ex Dynamic /mpact 7 994 - The road to Cag/lan‘.

CATC

Warminster, on the whole an excellent package imaginatively and enthusiasti» cally run by the Royal Green Jackets. The field firing was particularly good and enjoyed by everyone. September also saw the anniversary of Operation MARKET GARDEN, with several members of the Squadron taking part in the commemorative parachute drop similar to the one that had taken place in June in Normandy.

it in Singapore on Exercise SUMAN WARRIOR (see seperate article).

A Squadron’s firing camp took place the beginning of November at Lulworth. This was an extremely success— ful week as reflected in the Gunnery report, a credit to Maj Thorneycroft and the whole Squadron. And this despite attempts by the RGO to subvert us with his safety brief. Along with GW firing and

the support troop concentration at At the beginning of October 1 Troop went on exercise at RAF Spadeadam; Lt Briscoe and 1 Troop will not be exercis— ing there again. Meanwhile Capt Atherton and Lt Allerton were roughing

Otterburn (nowhere near Newcastle actually) A Squadron had a very satisfying conclusion to an intensive training year. In November and December the

Squadron were responsible for entering a team into the S Bde March and Shoot competition and the 3 UK Div Light Fighter competition. After a disappoint— ing result in the march and shoot which belied the effort put in, essentially the same team achieved a very creditable result in the Light Fighter. Tprs Anderson and Haywood deserve special mention for their fine contributions. After an extremely successful and enjoyable year the Squadron was very sorry to see Maj Thorneycroft leave. Maj Cowen takes over in the New Year and will take the Squadron to Bosnia in late February 1995.

Household Cavalry Regiment

10

Household Cavalry Regiment


B Squadron, The Life Guards

the summer families’ day, gave a taste of things to come. The highlight of training was a week conducting ‘live’ firing in Lulworth, living out of our vehicles. The notes of Reveille, played by our trumpeter, LCpl Wheeler, will always evoke, for all of us, a misty summer’s dawn in Dorset. By the end of August 1994 the Squadron was established in its new

home in Gornii Vakuf, a factory shared with B Company, 2 ROYAL ANGLIAN.

Part of BRITBATl, not BRITCAVBAT — the Household Cavalry Regiment organisation at Zepce — the Squadron has developed an independent spirit, our reconnaissance specialisation and vehicles making us ideally suited to the

mountainous country, but a mystery to

LCp/ VW/iams It is seldom in Squadron notes that reference is not made to regimental functions, adventure training or regi— mental exercises. B Squadron saw none of these in '94 and these notes reflect a squadron preparing itself and deploy— ing to Bosnia .

ever since, and one that caused the Commanding Officer some consternation when he once went looking for B Squadron Support Troop on Salisbury Plain. B Squadron, The Life Guards is a

true child of the Union. With the offiThroughout the time of the Regiment involvement in Bosnia B Squadron has

followed its own path. With a wealth of experience gained in his first tour of Bosnia, the Squadron Leader, Major Amos, a Light Dragoon attached to the Regiment, was keen to lead a sabre squadron on an operational tour of Bosnia. Realising, in early 1994, that the Household Cavalry were next in line for deployment, he pushed hard for

the Squadron to be the first to go. Persistence paid off, and if for no other reason than to create some space in his

cial formation of the Squadron in its Bosnia order of battle on 1 June 1994, nearly a third of the Squadron were from The Blues and Royals. 5 Troop, led by Lt Chauveau transferred to us from C Squadron and numerous other posts were filled by RHG/D personnel. All B Squadron vehicles carry the cyphers of both Regiments, we have worked as Household Cavalrymen throughout the intensity of training and the pressures of the deployment to Bosnia.

office Lt Col Falkner gave the go ahead

In the initial stages of training,

for B Squadron to start training in March 1994.

before the creation of BRITCAVBAT

Interesting developments followed

this decision: the loss of GW Troop and the creation of mixed Troops of three Scimitars and one Spartan, a vexed

topic of discussion between Troop Leaders and Troop Corporals of Horse

Household Cavalry Regiment

in Bosnia and the decision to deploy Regimental Headquarters, B Squadron very much wrote our own script. First Parade, conducted in Serbo~Croat, bemused fellow Household Cavalrymen, and the appearance of white vehicles and blue berets, neatly modelled by Lt Fuller and l Troop, at

our Infantry masters. Our area of responsibility then was 1800 ka, and is dominated by Main Supply Routes carrying all traffic through to the heart of Bosnia. It is a predominantly Croat area and was the cradle of fighting between Croats and Muslims; conse— quently many of the houses have been destroyed and in the huge exchanges of population that have taken place throughout the war has become home to thousands of displaced people. We quickly realised that our main effort should be a humanitarian one, both as part of our role as United Nations troops, but also because we needed the goodwill of the local people in order to operate at all.

Mai Amos working at his day iob as a sixties guitarist

Since the Kupres offensive of November 1994 the Squadron’s area of responsibility has grown almost daily, and now stands at 2700 kmz. The enormous distances travelled by the Troops, often over 300 miles on a single patrol, have led to the adoption of an opera— tional cycle based around other British UN bases where the Troops stay overnight. This system has proved vital during the fierce winter weather and has allowed Troop Leaders and vehicle com— manders to exercise a degree ofindependence seldom experienced. Testing every crewman’s specialisations, maintaining Troop vehicles has not been the enor— mous task experience based on occasional forays onto Salisbury Plain would suggest. The Squadron LAD, led by SSgt Thomas, have done an outstanding job. Maintaining communications over such great distances has proven a problem, but one that has been overcome by the hard working members of SHQ, whose rebroadcast station on an exposed moun— tain ridge has been one of the most essential, and inhospitable, tasks manned by the Squadron. Equally, the commitment of the Squadron Echelon has led to the successes of the Sabre Troops — the vital task of driving to Split with the R & R personnel, through blizzards and breakdowns, earning them the undying gratitude of the Squadron! Through our policy of carrying out humanitarian work wherever and with whomever possible, the Squadron has made many friends among the local peo— ple. Each Troop, going on patrol with a

7 Tp preparing to go on patrol.

Bosnian interpreter, now has its favoured mountain village where it is always made welcome with baklava and coffee. In an area so riven by war there have naturally been conflicts between the UN and the local people, and the omnipresence of weapons makes these especially difficult, but every member of the Squadron has learnt the value of diplomacy over threat. The resolution of many tensions, from road accidents to ethnic divisions, has taken place over the ubiquitous coffee and slivovitz. With one and a half months remaining ofour tour, having had Bosnia on our minds for 18 months, now sharing our home with soldiers ofC Company lRHF, and with eyes beginning to turn towards home, the Squadron is faced by new challenges. As this is written in January 1995, Maj Van der Lande has taken over the Squadron, political developments are beginning to suggest that a lasting peace may be achieved in Bosnia and we

are hopeful that the Squadron will be closely involved in implementing it. In a conflict with its roots in a thousand years of fighting there can be no quick solutions. This Squadron has learnt an enormous amount here, and we hope our success will go some way to re—establishing civilisation in this rugged but beautiful land. It has been a year where military aspirations have been met. The Squadron has exercised extensively and deployed to Bosnia where a huge degree of independence has been afforded. The experience has been worthwhile, professionally challenging, but the penalties to our friends and families have been great. It is strongly hoped that '95 will give the Squadron an opportunity to redress that balance and support those at home as they supported us in '94.

Capt Carrel] LG and LI Chauveau HHG/D.

Household Cavalry Regiment


C Squadron, The Blues and Royals

Salisbury Plain. The JNCOs were put through their own cadre, while LCoH Johnson, LCpl Clerehugh and Tprs Driver and Lingard went off for six weeks to work on the VERDI trial. This is the new lighting vehicle of the future, with a two man crew and enough computer and television screens to make Robowp seem almost believable.

LCp/ Habgooo' and Tpr Sa/mon lead the way to the washdowh, with 7 Tp and the rest of C Son at the end of Reg/mental Troop Tests. April 1994. Squadron saw 1994 start in the same way 1993 finished by winning another Regimental competition, this time boxing, with a very spirited display of excellent courage and determination. Special mention must be made of LCoH Hooper’s gutsy performance to clinch the winning points, and this proved an extremely demonstrative welcome for the incoming Squadron Leader, Major C M B Daly, who had last served with the Squadron during its ‘operational’ tour with the UN in Cyprus in 1991. This was soon followed by the first exercise period of the year involving C Squadron vehicles and crew comman— ders on Exercise TEAM SPIRIT — the Troop Leaders final exercise - which took place on Salisbury Plain. This was particularly interesting as a large num— ber of the young officers being tested were shortly due to join the Regiment, and it proved an ideal opportunity for various CsoH to see how their future Troop Leaders' worked under pressure, and also to test the essential ‘sense of humour’ factor. February also saw the Regiment

deploy to a very cold and snowy Salisbury Plain with the emphasis on basic crew skills. The Troops were very much left on their own with trust being put in the experience and expertise of the

older and more senior members of the Squadron and, apart from a small misunderstanding from Lt Chauveau when he

tried to bluff his way out of a realistic hide routine, this seemed to work

extremely well. The Squadron came sec— ond overall, and this included the first and third slot on the individual crew tests.

excellent close recce, and congratulations to the Squadron for being able to get the relevant information without being detected.

With the learning and testing phase out of the way, the Squadron now deployed on the final exercise with the emphasis on making the training as real» istic as possible. With Bosnia looming up on the horizon, particular note was placed on personal protection with SCM Nicholson, armed with a magazine of blank rounds, being employed as a vagrant sniper. Anybody seen too far out of the turret, without a helmet on when he was away from his vehicle, or generally putting himself at risk was ‘shot’ and had the ‘annoyance factor’ of having to get undressed and then dressed again. With the combined effect of the rain, mud and the cold, it didn’t take long for everyone’s personal skills to generally reach an excellent standard! CoH Kibble and GW Troop proved to be a very effective enemy, with plenty of aggression and adrenalin being used on a number of different phases. This feeling was reflected by the rest of the Squadron who were determined to get the better of the ‘enemy’. On one occasion the Troops were tasked to carry out a close recce ofa ‘target’ which was permanently manned. While all Troops managed to successfully avoid the ambush by carrying out a large detour, it came as a bit ofa surprise when some gunners sited near to the enemy location complained that somebody had stolen the keys out of their Landrover! What better example of an

The final phase was an advance to identify enemy strengths and locations. The ambulance was to be as near to the front as possible because, as GW Troop identified and engaged a callsign that came into View, so that callsign would be told to halt, call for assistance and carry out crew evacuation and first aid. This sense of reality became all too real when 2 Troop, rushing forward to assist Support Troop securing the river crossing, had a severe barrel strike which unlocked the turret. This consequently spun round and struck the driver LCpl Boggan who, despite being badly injured, remained cool and calm throughout his ordeal. CsoH Voyce and Harris were quickly on the scene, as was the ambulance with Tpr Ball, and the mobile phones came into their own in calling up the civilian emergency services. After everything had been sorted and cleared away, the Squadron continued the remainder of the exercise in a truly professional manner. March

saw

3

Troop

with

Ct

Goodwin—Hudson and CoH Mills wit— ness the Royal Marines and the United

States Marine Corps exchange a few ‘cultural differences’ while on exercise in

Sennybridge, while 1 Troop with Ct Lowe and CoH Harris were busy acting as the enemy for l Mech Bde’s FTX on

A quick lick of paint and a burst with the Warwick Washer, and the Scimitars were ready to take part in the Bicentenary Parade of the Royal Yeomanry which took place in Windsor Great Park in front of Her Majesty The Queen. On being returned to the Squadron, it was yet again time to get ready for Salisbury Plain. First was the exercise involving the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) who were over for an exchange visit while D Squadron were in Canada. C Squadron provided the vehicles, drivers and a mixture of crews so that the RCD were able to go on exercise with A Squadron. No sooner had this finished, than the Squadron returned to its usual manning formation and prepared itself for the Regimental Troop Tests. The lessons and the training held in February were now put to the test and, in true C Squadron fashion, the goods were produced exactly when they were required. The moral victory was to be had when, in front of the whole Regiment, the Commanding Officer announced that 1 Troop had come first and 2 Troop had come third. This was changed two days later when some extra marks were ‘discovered’, but the Squadron had still done extremely well coming second and third, especially considering its involvement with the RCD, and the Squadron as a whole was very much reaching its peak of readiness. While SHQ went up to Catterick to take part in 19 Mech Bde’s BBGT, CoH Mills was given the task of preparing the Squadron for its Annual Firing Camp to be held at Castlemartin. With nine new commanders and nine new gunners, he managed extremely well and, with the help of CoH Kibble and LCoH Sykes, the Squadron produced some excellent results with callsigns getting 100% on the test exercises. The firing period ended on the realistic sand dune range where callsigns go down range in pairs, often unable to see each other, and fire at realistic targets which pop—up and fall down when hit. With 85 rounds per vehi— cle, the crews and commandch got fully

The SQMC and LAD at the end of Regimental Troop Tests. April 7 994. involved and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves as well as produce some accurate and aggressive shooting. Throughout this period the Squadron was kept fully supplied by the SQMC, who managed to acquire the pseudonym of ‘Dick Turpin’ due to the friendly approach of selling his goods! It was a bitter blow, and a deep disappointment after the sequence of excellent results, when it was decided that C Squadron was going to have to be split up amongst the other three Squadrons in order for them to reach the manning and equipment levels required for deployment to Bosnia.

October saw 1 Troop go to A Squadron, while those still remaining in C Squadron were kept busy with Project Bowman trials, a mine detector trial, a thermal imagery trial, TALO tasks and the inevitable vehicle maintenance. LCoH Lochrane, with the support of LCoH Hagan, helped in the instruction for A Squadron’s GW course, which culminated in an excellent firing period at Otterburn. Those Scimitar crews still left in C and HQ Squadron were taken through their paces by LCoH Sykes who, with the help of SCpl Fisher, coordinated an extremely useful and successful firing package down at Castlernartin.

SCM Nicholson was sent at short Before everyone was scattered around the Regiment, there was just time to have a Squadron photograph in Windsor Great Park, as well as a small bowling competition in Maidenhead fol— lowed by a ‘prize giving ceremony" in the Fawn. This proved an ideal opportunity for some carbo—packing before the Regimental Athletics Meeting the next day, and the Squadron came a very respectable second overall. Special mention should go to LCoH Carrington who performed extremely well on the day despite carrying an injury. 20 June saw 2 Troop’s move to B Squadron, while a various assortment of C Squadron personnel went across to D Squadron. The remainder of the Squadron went adventure training down to Fremington and, even though this could not make up for the adventure training package in Cyprus which the Squadron had now lost, everyone put a lot of effort into all the various activities.

notice to act as the Regimental LO at Split, and there has also been a continuous demand for soldiers to be included in the Bosnia orbat, so that it seems likely that all C Squadron personnel will eventually get out to Bosnia one way or the other. 1994 started as an excellent year for C Squadron, with individuals across the board ensuring that the correct standards were always maintained. At the time of writing, C Squadron is currently made up of 17 men, ofwhich only 10 are still in camp due to the remainder being away on courses or awaiting discharge. Consequently, it has now been joined with HQ Squadron for administrative purposes, and will probably not reform in its own right until the summer of 1995. A more eventful or varied year could not have been foreseen. May the ‘tlexibility' principle stay with you and all members of the Squadron return safely from Bosnia.

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment


D Squadron,The Blues and Royals as \

firm, fair and decisive leadership 7 Major Onslow clearly did not fit the bill. Capt Miller replaced Capt Lockhart as Squadron 21C, an orbat change which was to ensure that no Troop Leaders were ever to come last in the Trivial Pursuit Competition. Capt Rees—Davies arrived from JSCS in late August to be the Squadron Liaison Officer but at the time ofwriting, early 1995, he still moves around with an expression which suggests that liaison is not his strongest point. W02 (SCM) Carpenter had effec— tively been Squadron Leader for the previous two years and it soon became clear that he had no intention of relinquishing this command easily, particularly to a Life Guard.

994 kicked off to a promising start when CoH Gray organised an excellent Squadron party in February. The electric atmosphere of the NAAFI once again ensured that Stringfellows is in no danger of going out of business.

Windsor Great Park was the scenic venue for some low level troop training; Salisbury Plain swiftly followed and the damp, grey, muddy training area provid» ed us with a stark contrast. After a short Squadron exercise the Regiment came together for “Crew Tests”. Lt Hughes claimed the unusual distinction of going from winner in 1993 to last in 1994. It is not as yet clear whether this result was merely a blip on his sure progress to the

Army Board or final proof that his mili— tary career peaked at 23 years of age. Lt Philipson—Stow celebrated passing his advanced map reading instructor's course by discovering a novel route into Imber Village. His elation at successfully leading the entire Squadron to the village in the dead of night was not matched by local farmers out inspecting their crops and searching for their live—

stock the following morning.

for the final week of the visit and

Early July was spent desperately try— ing to stay awake for two weeks during a heat wave (and CATC training) at Warminster. Lt Hughes, who at this point comes in for his second mention, briefly lifted spirits by falling asleep one morning on the bus transporting the Squadron to a lecture. The remainder of the Squadron swiftly completed a successfully silent deebus operation and instructed the driver to crack on with his next detail. What was unknown at the time was that the next detail involved a pick up in Plymouth. Lt Hughes claimed that he regained consciousness somewhere in the area of Exeter. The rest of us enjoyed extensive periods of small arms training, heli-landing, HF training, lectures and practical periods of anti—ambush, anti»mine and check point drills. The package ended in Copehill Down Village where the Squadron manned a simulated UN Base for 48 hours. Lt Bartle—Jones caused a mild stir on returning to SHQ after conducting a foot patrol by wearing only his boxer shorts claiming that he had been

brought with him the most sobering

strip searched by “Serbs” who had con-

news of all: D Squadron would deploy to Bosnia in November on Op GRAPPLE

fiscated the remainder of his clothing.

5. This news would dominate the rest of the year and even moderate Lt Corse’s

with eager anticipation.

drinking habits.

Late July found the Squadron at Lulworth ranges in Dorset conducting its annual firing. It was notable for how

7 To B Sqn. LCoH Smith, LCp/ lreton, Tpr Darby.

In

early

April

the

Squadron

embarked upon Exercise FINGAL'S CAVE, an exchange with The Royal Canadian Dragoons in Petawawa, Ontario.

The Canadians were quite

that

they

had

recently

occupied.

Towards the end of the Canadian visit the Squadron took part in a four day field exercise and a complete range

superb hosts and we partook, usually without excelling, in such varied activi—

package which gave everyone the opportunity to fire Leopard 1, Cougar (76mm), .50 Browning and the Minimi

ties as rappelling, pugil stick fighting, a

LMG.

bayonet assault course, force on force paint balling and the design and throw-

ing of molotov cocktails. There was also

Our eight P Company trained personnel all qualified for their Canadian

a phase of unarmed combat when the

parachute wings achieved after two

local doctors would not permit 70% of the Squadron to leave the hospital beds

jumps from a Huey. During the last five days our hosts arranged fascinating visits to such varied destinations as Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto and Niagara Falls. Nobody enjoyed the Canadian venture more than Lt Corse who was rarely sober, an issue that was soon going to have to be addressed by an increasingly irrational Squadron Leader. The problem was neatly solved by the Commanding Officer who had arrived

In late June Major Waterhouse replaced Major Onslow as Squadron

b

.

Leader; in the corridors of power it had

Lt Hughes and Lt Cooper

been felt that operational tours called for

.21-:34‘ .' -

Spirits were high on the final day when Capt Miller, during his Range Safety Brief, confidently predicted that no ships were observed on radar and conse— quently firing would commence at the

WWW ' V

A,I

I/ II

appointed hour. He was unable to understand why the Squadron in front of him degenerated into a sniggering mass as behind his back a 750,000 ton Japanese supertanker dropped anchor and settled down for the day. After some holidays in August the Squadron set about preparing 15 Scimitar armoured cars for Bosnia including having them spray painted UN white at vast expense in an Ascot garage. The remainder of the Squadron vehicles were to be taken over from The Light Dragoons in theatre. SHQ took part in a Regimental BBGT at Warminster under the auspices of our new Commanding Officer so everyone was keen to create the right impression that we were a thoroughly professional,

Lt Bart/eeJones at Op De/ta A.

packed their MFO and disappeared on leave. Little did we know at this time that the container ship would break down in the Mediterranean for three weeks leaving us on our feet for the initial fortnight of our Bosnian Tour. At the time of writing all personnel are

prepared and keen outfit. Unfortunately Lt Goodwin—Hudson’s military demeanour and general modus operandi

in good spirits (if that is the correct word

meant that our bluff was called. Late September saw us once again back at Lulworth for a rewarding and beneficial

way through

to use whilst a rigid two cans of beer a day drinking limit is enforced) and nearly half their six month

form the basis of the next instalment of

Bosnia firing package including the newly conceived Bosnia Battle Run. By early October the Scimitars were ready

will have allowed them to become grossly embellished with tales of outrageous dar-

to sail and most Squadron personnel had

ing and bravado ...... stay tuned.

Squadron notes when the passage of time

‘.\'

W02 (SC/W Carpenter

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment

tour.

Bosnian stories and recollections will

LCoH Cox now looks forward to Bosnia

little firing actually took place. Shipping and range fires ensured that endless stoppages were the order of the day.

I


Headquarters Squadron

Command Troop C ommand Troop had a conventional start to the year. We first deployed on Exercise DESERT BREEZE, which is designed to test potential RSOs. It also gave the Troop 21 good shake out prior to the training season, which start» ed with Crew and Troop training. Command Troop, as usual, set up sig~ nals’ stands for Crew and Troop tests, as a result of which LCpl Waller was left in charge of RHQ Main for a fortunately short period! During this time, Capt Gaselee became RSO replacing Capt Wheeler, who went to JCSC.

994 has only been similar to 1993, for Headquarters Squadron, in the turn— over of personnel. This year the

Squadron

has

had

four

different

Squadron Leaders and two Squadron Corporals Major. In February Major Smythe-Osborne LG handed over the Squadron to Maj Dalgliesh LG, who

returned from his four year attachment to the Army Air Corps. In August he handed over to Major Mahony LG, on his return from RMA Sandburst and within weeks he had handed over to Major Daly RHG/D. In December the Squadron was handed over to Major

In May, the Troop paid a visit to Penhale Camp in Cornwall for a week’s adventure training. CoH Pringle intro— duced us to the delights of surf canoeing and swallowing large quantities of sea water. Sgt Hedge kindly accompanied us and converted the Troop into fairly proficient rock climbers, with the exception of LCoH Bishop and Tpr Carrington who lacked a certain amount of manual dexterity! Capt Gaselee took groups cliff walking, though very nearly getting caught by the tide one day. This took place when Tpr Walbrook was experimenting with a map and a compass, needless to say the Life Guards (water type) were called out.

Garrett LG, on return from a two year staff job in Headquarters ARRC. W02 Sandercock RHG/D took over as SCM

from W02 Fry LG and then departed for Split in early '95. The training year began for HQ Squadron in February when it supported Squadron Training on Salisbury Plain. Unusually HQ Squadron did not deploy, but supported the Regiment from bar— racks. The weather was appalling and many members of the Squadron were not only relieved to be in HQ Squadron, but also actually felt sorry for their friends in the Sabre Squadrons. In the middle of the year preparation began for the Regiment’s deployment on Op GRAPPLE. For HQ Squadron the preparations began far in advance of the Sabre Squadrons, although all knew that

relatively few of HQ Squadron would actually deploy. (Op GRAPPLE is cov— ered in minute detail in many other parts of the journal.) HQ Squadron had its sporting suc— cesses this year. The most significant of these was winning the Regimental Swimming Competition. Once the bulk of the Regiment had deployed to Bosnia, HQ and C Squadrons joined together under the command of Major Daly and became responsible for maintaining those vehi— cles left behind by the remainder of the Regiment. This culminated in a short firing period at Castlemartin at the beginning of December.

Tpr Laval/in mans the Net.

In this last year HQ Squadron has said both farewell and hello to many officers and soldiers. Amongst these, two notable departures were SCpl Wragg LG who has retired to Belize to farm, and LSgt (previously LCoH) McCrossan AGC (previously RHG/D), the Squadron clerk who has gone to HQ LEA Andover.

In June, W02 Maher was replaced by SCpl Simpson, fresh from the RAC Signals School, as RSWO. Tprs Walbrook and Stainsby were promoted to LCpl and Tpr Lofts performed very well on the Cadre Course. LCsoH Elliott and Mackay took two Sultans to help the Queen’s Own Yeomanry on their annual exercise, where they came under command of Major Shaw (late RHG/D) and had a very entertaining and interesting week.

At the time of writing the remainder of HQ Squadron have been warned off for possible deployment to Bosnia, in order to augment RHQ Tac. However, as time passes and we get closer to the date for the Regiment’s return, the likelihood of deployment will recede.

Pte Walker prepares another evenmg mea/

Nevertheless the Squadron is prepared and trained with trucks ready to roll!

LCOH Ell/Oi

$2

'ok

.,

a- utters a} The Reg/mental Corporal Major. At the beginning of August, RHQ(Tac) of The Light Dragoons deployed to Bosnia and we started our own preparations. However, we first went on summer leave! Two days after leave, we deployed to the Warminster Battle Group Trainer for a Bosnia style exercise with the new Commanding Officer. Four days later we went to Salisbury Plain for our pre—Bosnia training package, lasting two weeks. We then had two further weeks of frantic activity in Windsor before the majority of the Troop flew to Germany for an exercise with 19 Brigade HQ. This involved a week at Hohne, where we were very well looked after by The Light Dragoons and we met the Royal Highland Fusiliers for the first time. We then moved to Sennelager (bringing back various mixed memories) for another Battle Group Trainer. This was followed by a typically well organised flight back to England; it took twenty hours to return. One week later the advance party flew to Bosnia.

Once in Bosnia we were confronted with a bewildering array of communica~ tions equipment from radios to satellites, all owned by different groups, such as UN, UNHCR and the British Army. We have mastered all of these and are now settled into the job, though LCpl Moloney has found avoiding other vehi» cles a problem. During the day we have a watchkeeper (normally Capt Gaselee or SCpl Simpson) and an operator, who do an eight hour duty. The Commanding Officer normally goes out with his crew, LCoH Thomas and LCpl Moloney and tours the area. The Liaison Officers go out with LCoH Sturgeon and LCpl McCormack, who are becoming a well known sight in Zavidovici, Zenice and

Zepce. The drivers carry out mainte~ nance, led by our latest recruit Tpr Costain, who used to be a mechanic and is the RCM’s driver. The other operators carry out the usual radio repairs and maintenance. Luckily everyone has managed to get out of camp with various people so have had a chance to see the country and experience some ofthe local customs, it has to be said “slivovitch” is not very nice and not even Tpr Lavallin likes the local cigarettes. We have a regular football fixture against the “Zavidovici All Stars”, who consist of the local council and bigwigs. We have yet to win a match but our turn will come, as LCpl Walbrook and Tpr Moxey have been scoring some good goals. Command Troop in Bosnia consists of Capt Gaselee, who is due to be replaced by Capt Howson; SCpl Simpson; LCoH Elliott, LCoH Mackay; LCoH Sturgeon; LCoH Thomas, LCpl Moloney, who is due to be replaced by LCoH Carrington; LCpl McCormack; LCpl Stainsby, LCpl Walbrook; Tpr Carrington; Tpr Costain, Tpr Lavallin; Tpr Lofts; Tpr Moxey, who is due to be replaced by Tpr Pirie.

Ops Room BRIfCAVBAr SCp/ Simpson and Capt Gase/ee

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment


Regimental Administration

Office 994 has been a very busy year for the Regimental Administration Office, which has seen many changes within its bounds. Two Squadrons, B and D, deployed on Operation GRAPPLE dur— ing the latter part ofthe year, which has meant that the office was split to facilitate the provision of service for the Regiment in both theatres of operation. During the year the Regiment has chewed its way through four Regimental Admin Officers, swallowing them up and spitting them out on a conveyor belt it would seem. Beginning with Major Bettaney who was posted and replaced in January by Major Kellett, who in turn was replaced for a short while by Captain Lang who, for compassionate reasons, had to be replaced in June by our present leader, the esteemed Captain Burton—Doe, who last served with the Regiment in 1987 as a Sgt in the Royal Army Pay Corps. A happy return for him on his first job after commissioning. We have also received a brand new AGC Det Comd in the guise of Lt Harrison, a new

RAOWO

by

the

name

of W02

Shorrock, a Regimental Accountant who goes by the name of SSgt Bull who is quite new to the accountancy scene but thankfully has not been like the proverbial bull in a china shop and has settled down nicely to the job. Also new in is SSgt Crabtree who has taken on the job of Finance Systems Administrator. Whilst the Rear Party has been tak— ing it easy back in Windsor, the real workers have been having a snowy time of it in Bosnia. LSgt Clarke has been with B Squadron at Gornji Vakuf and once in a while has been joined by Sgt Sell when he feels like taking a holiday

from the RCM and “Little Windsor” at Zepce. Up at Maglaj with D Squadron, LCpl Mckay has been having fun not least with a certain little printer that never works and so seems to spend most of his time down at Zepce “borrowing time” on the PCs there. Fighting the good fight at Zepce along with the RAO are Sgt Sell, LSgt

Broadhurst, LSgt Longbottom, LCpl

home Zepce. The Quartermaster pulled ‘age’ and managed to hop on a Sea King helicopter and arrived fresh. The Light Dragoons gave us a smooth handover, which was then followed a period of ‘Blue Red Blueing’ much to the delight ofthe RCM, dismay ofthe attached arms and pure amazement of the local Bosnian civilian staff. BRITCAVBAT under HCR was instantly on a new lease of life. Our job has been a demanding

The Quartermasters Department.

SCp/ Maroon and LCoH Mart/n.

one, eight of us to look after three main Hunt and last but definitely not least, Pte Roberts. Although they are very busy the RAO still finds time somehow to take the whole office for PT everyday although it is believed now that the snow has come in he regrets that he has to go out on the runs along with the

The Quartermaster’s Department

rest. Although the rear party gets teased about the easy time they are having nevertheless they are providing an excellent service for the remainder of the Regiment and the wives of the soldiers serving out in Bosnia. The AGC Det Comd, RAOWO, Regtl Acct and the FSA head the list and have the help of, to name but a few, SSgt Wood, LSgt Hurst, LSgt Toye, LSgt Barton, LSgt Ward, LCpl Bourne (who unfortunately is transferring to the AAC), LCpl Greenwood, Pte Tinsley and Pte Headley. Finally we would like to say a warm thank you to Sgts Waterman and Harris who both had TA attachments that turned into very long stays, but helped out when the office was well under strength due to Redundancy and gapping. We look forward to 1995 and what it has to offer for the office, not least a return to Windsor and for the first time

since early 1994, an office that will be fully up to strength in all departments. Then again, you never know what the future may hold, but you can rest assured that the Regimental Administration Office will always be ready to follow the Regiment into whatever theatre of oper— ations it is sent and will always provide the service that you would expect from a first class outfit.

The year commenced as usual with the department carrying out its nor» mal functions in Combermere Barracks and supporting Troop Training followed by Annual Firing at Castlemartin. Suddenly we were entrusted with the task of administering Knook Camp for OP GRAPPLE training which included our own B Sqn warned for deployment to Gornji Vakuf. There was much leg pulling as to how the Sqn were the action men whilst the QM’s men were on the proverbial cushy number in Windsor. On this note the department took some well earned leave in August. Major O’Halloran was sitting on the patio four days into leave when the phone call came, “... It’s the Second in Command, TAC RHQ (which includes QM person— nel) are to move to Bosnia, the CO wants you to go on a recce!” End of leave. Reece completed we joined D Sqn for CATC training in Salisbury Plain, the QM disappeared half way through to go on yet another recce to Germany. Our final training took place in Germany, and eventually a Hercules took us to Bosnia via Ancora in Italy, through some very bumpy skies. On deplaning in Split we were briefed armed, fed, rebriefed

and fed again! After a somewhat sticky night's sleep most of the department set off, under the acting RQMC SCpl Mardon, on a gruelling 17 hour journey north through the mountains to our new

camp locations and numerous CPS and check points, with a dependency of 390 all ranks male & female! It should be noted here that we deployed without an echelon but with a Battle Group to support. Two lorries and a landrover is hardly enough lift capacity, however, somehow we have managed. The department‘s team out here consists of:

Quartermaster Technical

Department he department has supported many varied tasks throughout the year. The main task this year was to support the Regiment’s Annual Firing at Castlemartin. This went very smoothly until RQMC(T) “Seth” Partis declared

Maj D A O’Halloran

that there would be revisionary fieldcraft

SCpI (A/RQMC) Mardon T A

lessons for two members of the department. Each evening the training programme revolved around cleaning shot— guns, pointing torches and recovering various items from the undergrowth!

During the summer the department bid farewell to RQMC(T) Partis RHG/D to the Queen’s Own Yeomanry in Newcastle upon Tyne and LCoH Redhead LG to civilian life. We wish them both well in their new employ— ment. They have been replaced by

RQMC(T) Pickard LG and LCoH LCOH Martin W LCpl Jones A LCpl Horsefield Tpr Wyborn Tpr Prentice Musn Martin (from RHG/D

Band) Along with the Tech support: CoH Plater Tpr Coupland

The summer was as busy as expected with 0rd Ancillary Inspections, PREs and procurement and preparation of equipment prior to the pending deploy— ment of elements of the Regiment to Bosnia. Equipments to be procured ranged from cannons to computers, and rags to radios!

Mowbray RHG/D. The last day ofwork prior to summer leave saw the disclosure of this century’s best kept secret the QM(T) Capt Mead LG was to be married! Having informed the department, he made a speedy departure on leave. Thus 1994 has proved, once again, to be a very busy year (where has it gone?) for the QM(T) department, but one in which much has been achieved.

It should not be forgotten that

RQMC Dunkley, CoH McKenzie and LCoH Young have been equally hard working in keeping Combermere Barracks running, not to mention super— vision of the options rebuild programme. To a man they were disappointed at missing the Bosnia deployment however HQ & C Squadrons needed to be administered. In conclusion the Quartermaster would like to pay tribute to the hard work put in by the NCOs and men ofthis department over this last very difficult year. Who said we were REMFS?

Household Cavalry Regiment 20

Household Cavalry Regiment


Light Aid Detachment

WOs’ and NCOs' Mess

osnia has to spring to mind when looking

back

over

Mess life starts the New Year traditionally with the New Year Dinner on the Regiment's return from Christmas leave. 1994 started with an excellent dinner and a typically up beat address by the Commanding Officer.

1994.

Deployment in one form or another has been on and off and back on again since the beginning of the year. Eventually in September B Sqn deployed to Gornji Vaka and set up home at the Precision Factory.

Aside from rectifying faults,

Who would imagine that the New Year's Dinner for 1995 would be held in a disused factory in Bosnia as part of the United Nations Protection Force? The only things that were the same were an equally excellent dinner and another very up beat address by the Commanding Officer.

servicing and carrying our preventative maintenance, time is found to make use of the almost full sized gymnasium, multi gym, weights, exercise bike, step climber and rowing machine. The odd game of football is also thrown in so its nice to see that things don’t change. All

this and a medal too. With the LAD down to 75% it was time

Recovering the Airpon fire engine at Gatwiok during an Op TAPPER Exercise.

to shed some more, and in November the LAD said goodbye to SSgt Rogers and

Life hasn’t stood still for those left back

which included the original leader SSgt

his section for six months. Apparently

here in Windsor. Training and work con-

Thomas to B Sqn.

Cfn Lumby had a

they were tired of waiting for the new

tinues. The most memorable event was

memorable time in Verbier where he was

Gymnasium to be built here in Windsor,

the internal HQ LAD exercise organised

found downhill skiing in a Landrover;

by our illustrious leader Capt Bryant.

not quite got the hand of this skiing lark

and had heard of the excellent facilities

The main memory for 1994 was the rebuilding of the living accommodation and kitchen in Combermere Barracks. This started in April and was completed in January '95. Those who have seen these new buildings cannot fail to be impressed by the great improvement they have made to the quality of life for the Mess members.

in Bosnia. The EKO Factory in Zepce is Amazingly he

found

time between

then. LSgt Cunningham found out the

their home until May 95, providing the climbing and other sporting events to hard way that Ren Leave should be taken

same service as B Sqn LAD, they see run Exercise FIRST FLING during

within three years of receiving it. With

each troop two days out of ten, during Troop Tests. Capt Bryant took the LAD

the Squadron depleted he decided this

which time they inspect and repair all out of their vehicles and into the woods.

would be a good time to take some extra

systems. TAC HQ is also located here,

The calendar has been as busy as ever, and we have hosted a wide range ofevents; The Life Guards Association Dinner to games nights with the All Arms Drill Wing. Much of the entertainment has been carried out in the NAAFI and Junior

CoH Harris 27 as Mess Manager has done sterling work without a Mess; his style and humour has helped through a very difficult period. CoH Cross was awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List. It is a just reward for a member ofthe Regiment who has shown great strength and dedication in returning to duty. Those who have seen him as Provost COH will know how little he has let his injuries hinder him. Both Association Dinners were well attended and a great success this year, The Blues and Royals held their dinner in Hyde Park Barracks, and The Life Guards in Combermere Barracks. The latter was one of the best attended in many years with both Mess and Education Centre still going strong into the small hours. With the Regiment taking Summer leave in August, it was a fully refreshed Mess that dined out both the outgoing Regimental Corporal Major, who has taken up the appointment of Families Officer, and the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel PSWF Falkner. The latter was dined out with a funfair as

entertainment which reflected his sense of fun and adventure.

Having been shown how, we erected our where W01 (ASM) McCracken, LSgt

leave, only to find out that he was six

Ranks Dining Room. PMCS W02 (SCM)

months too late.

Nicholson, WOZ (SCM) Sandercock and WOZ (SCM) Kidd have produced excellent results from limited resources.

home for the next few days between two

MacDonald and Cfn Weaver form the trees. Time to learn some infantry skills. LAD element. On the second day, tired and pestering

As with any unit, people come and peothe LAD Clerk for PVR forms, the EME ple go and to write about all would take came up with a brilliant idea, ‘Bergens more than the space this article can be on’, he said, ‘we are oflfor a stroll’. Men given. Certain personalities, however, who do BFTs in seven and half minutes, wear para wings and a commando badge don’t stroll. Not quite at BFT pace we

descended on Germany; a thank you

managed about five miles. The exercise

from the girls of Windsor and an apology

ended that night with various patrols

to the girls of Osnabruck. The appoint»

incorporating all the skills we had learnt,

ment of ASM changed with a farewell to

It was definitely one of those that you

civilian street for W01 Sayers and a wel—

look back on and say “I really enjoyed

come to W01 McCracken. We also said

that”.

goodbye to Capt Bryant and hello to

C Sqn LAD finished the year with three

LSgt White and LCpi Hurst - the Dos Hombres Mexican. REME in Sardinia with 45 Cdo HM. during ExerCise DYNA/WC IMPACT

Household Cavalry Regiment

deserve a mention. LSgt Pink left us and

As the year has rolled on, so the Regiment has deployed to Bosnia. B Squadron with WOZ (SCM) Lewis left Windsor in September, D Squadron with WOZ (SCM) Carpenter deployed in November to Magiaj in Northern Bosnia. Regimental Headquarters also deployed with D Squadron and now occupies a disused air conditioning factory in Zepce.

hung the silver brick for those remaining

up to his name. Finally the G1098 Store

in Windsor and WOZ (RQMC(T)) Pickard organised an equally excellent day to which over 200 serving and nonserving members attended.

men, Sgt McKeown, LSgt Cunningham

hasn’t been the same since Sgt Smith left us early in the year; it is now possible to

managed to get Pay of Higher Rank for

sign something out, but only just! Out

commanding this big section. The lack

with the old and in with the new, what

of numbers was due mainly to having to

does 95 have in store for us? To find out

cross—post people to the Bosnia sections

watch this space.

them the best in their new careers. Special mention must be made to WOZ (SQMS) Grech. Frank, having served with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, The Life Guards and then the Household Cavalry Regiment, was of invaluable help on the finance side of Mess life to many Regimental Corporals Major and a great friend to those who he served with. With the Mess split, ( at the time that these notes were being written), between Zepce, Gornji Vakuf, Maglai and Windsor: the coming year promises to be an extremely enjoyable one. All the Regiment will be back in Windsor by September 1995 and we hope to celebrate our return in true Household Cavalry

fashion. The final event of the year was Brickhanging with the brick being hung by the Commanding Officer in Bosnia. An excellent day with traditional Mess game and bruises, ensured the Brick was hung in true Life Guard style. Mr Lloyd

Capt Goodfellow who seems to be living

and Cfn Lumby. Sgt McKeown has even

The Commanding Officer hanging the brick. Zepce. December 7994.

W02 Evans leading the procession a! the Brick Hanging » Zepce.

So a year in Mess life finally came full circle and to those who have left the Regiment we send our regards and wish

Senior Mess members are: WOl (RCM) Holbrook LG, W01 (ASM)

McCracken

(RQMC)

Dunkley

(RQMC(T)) Pickard

REME,

WOZ

RHG/D,

WOZ

LG, W02 (SCM)

Kidd LG, WOZ (SCM) Lewis LG, WOZ (SCM) Nicholson LG, W02 (SCM) Carpenter

RHG/D,

WOZ

(SCM)

Sandercock

RHG/D,

WOZ

(RIWO)

Evans LG, W'OZ (SQMS) Jirat RLC, WOZ (AQMS) Heaps REME, W02 (RAOWO) Shorrock AGC(SPS).

Household Cavalry Regiment


The Band of The Blues and Royals U nlike the past two years, 1994 start« ed quietly, with a chance for everyone to draw breath and prepare for the coming season. There was the usual round of ceremonial duties beginning with The Major General’s Inspection in Hyde Park, followed by beating retreat on Horse Guards and concluding with the Trooping the Colour. This was the first Trooping that Major Garrity, the Director of Music, had been in charge of the Massed Household Cavalry Bands and everything was going well until Belasarius decided to deposit his headkit on the floor. Naturally there were a few anxious moments while the two Band Corporals Major retrieved the situation with a nervous Director of Music looking on contemplating how to shepherd the Drum Horse should it decide to go walkies. It was obvious that Her Majesty noticed our dilemma by a look of disbe— lief followed by an understanding smile. However, once the situation had been recovered the remainder of the Parade and the walk back to Camp went without a hitch.

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The Band has undertaken various civilian engagements throughout the year, too numerous to mention here with the exception of the Wimbledon Men's and Ladies Finals, at which we were for— tunate to be asked to perform prior to both events. The temperature on Centre Court was 114 Degrees, no wonder the Band, dressed in dismounted review order, appeared to be melting away.

We offer a comprehensive and personal service covering Investments, Musician Martin (Nickname Sumo) has joined the Regiment in Bosnia as Duty Trumpeter for a period of three months and all members of the Band wish him a successful tour and a safe return. A11 in all 1994 was a good year for the Band and 1995 is looking as busy as its predecessor.

Pensions and Retirement Planning, School Fees, Inheritance Tax, Personal Tax Returns and General Insurance.

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24

Household Cavalry Regiment


The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Diary of Events

Foreword January.

by Lieutenant Colonel W T Browne, The Blues and Royals,Commanding Officer

With the New Year’s

Leave period ending on the 14th, 1994 rcx‘

_. «mans—rs

began in earnest for HCMR. To remind everyone what life here is about, the end of the month saw the start of the B1 and Stable Management courses.

February.

Along with the donor

session on the lst, the Regiment was ince the last Household Cavalry Journal was published the Mounted Regiment has had an exciting and varied year. 7;.This will of course be covered in ‘ i the Diary of Events, but amongst :the usual commitments of g Sovereign’s Escorts, the Trooping and Garter Ceremony, it is worth ‘ highlighting the Regiment’s trip to Edinburgh in late June early July. This was a momentous occa— sion and the Regiment was there to provide a double standard Sovereign’s Escort and one single standard Sovereign's Escort for the visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Norway. Additionally we provided a Captain’s Escort from The Palace of Holyrood House for Her Majesty the Queen to attend the Thistle Service. A total of 250 men and 150 horses travelled

north of the border for the first time since 1977, Jubilee Year. It was, needless to say, judged a huge success both by the soldiers and by the people of Edinburgh who were very hospitable. It was proof,

Equestrian prowess has been maintained yet again this year, and there have been many suc— cesses. Perhaps the most notable

was

Ueutenant Co/one/ WT Browne. duties with less men. This was brought sharply into focus by the State Opening of Parliament, always our largest commitment of the year, which stretched every resource but without an outward ripple it was successfully completed. The standard of equitation and turnout is higher than ever, and this is a reflection upon the quality of

our NCOs and soldiers.

alter the fact that we must play our full part in making the whole work.

but the intention is to borrow one

escorts outside London and Windsor. As you read this journal the Union will be well into its third year. I was not at Regimental Duty in 1992, but what I have seen since my return has convinced me that it has been and is very success— ful. Of course this Regiment has been a union for many years, but that does not One

area of concern for everyone is manning, which at the Mounted Regiment is cru— cial. We are at present some 10% below

our established strength in troopers. This is due to a dearth ofrecruits, a problem which has affected the whole Army. This situation will improve, but every-

one is rising magnificently to the challenge of continuing to fulfil our commitments and providing the same level of

winning

of

Lane Fox RHG/D. As a result we said farewell to both Major HM Robertson

the LG and Major CBB Clee RHG/D, the

The rebuild is, thankfully, all but complete. The disruption it caused was extensive but there is no doubt that it has improved the standard of accommodation and the quality of life for the single soldiers. It has also greatly enhanced the WOs' and NCOs' Mess, and the resident Band have an excellent practice room. There is still one part of the Barracks under recon— struction and that is the area of pram sheds which are being demolished to provide extra car parking spaces and a CVR(T) classroom. The classroom will not permanently house a CVR(T)

if proof were needed, that this Regiment is extremely flexible and I hope that it will lead to the possibility of further

the

given some new blood in the form of Major RRD Griffin LG and Major GCN

from HCR when a draft of troopers or JNCOs are due to be posted to Windsor. This will give them some familiarisation training, and ensure that they go better prepared to their crewmen courses. It will also allow our NCO CVR(T) instructors to give some refresher training. It will help us to remain ready to carry out both Household Cavalry roles.

International Military Event at Windsor in September. Three of the members of the four man team were from the Household Cavalry, Lt Hughes RHG/D, W02 Haywood RHG/D and W02 Waygood LG; W02 Waygood came 2nd as an individual. He also had great success when representing the country at the Pau international three day event in the Pyrenees. He took 5th place, and had it not been for a pole down at the last in the show jump— ing he would have been 2nd. He is to be congratulated on such a performance at his first appearance at this level. It is very good to see so many members of the Regiment participating in so many hunter trails and show jumping events. The rugger team had an outstanding season winning both the Prince of Wales’ Cup and the Cavalry Cup and are training hard to repeat that success this season. It is a remarkable achievement to win two of the three cup competitions that they entered. The football team

previous Mounted Squadron Leaders. 0n the 7th Waterloo and Sicily Kit Rides were formed.

These rides included

Captains Bagnell RHG/D and Barclay RHG/D and also Major Griffin, despite having already taken command of his

The process/on to the State Opening of Par/lament passing through The Arch at Horse Guards.

Squadron at the beginning of the month!

L to R. Tpr Macbeth LG, HM The Queen, Ma/ Lane Fox, Capt Goodman, Tpr Gough. W02 (SCM) Maher.

Foreground. Capt The Queen‘s Life Guard, Maj Gn'ffln.

March.

In the first week of

March DRAC Maj Gen JMFC Hall came

the junior officers practice their words of

Cavalry Regiment. It was good to see the

to visit the Regiment. He was the first of

command. It was a curious sight watch-

Household Cavalry dominating this

many Visitors who included The Lord

ing

shouting

final. The HCMR team then went on to

Mayor of Westminster, the Secretary of

mighty orders at imaginary armies. The

beat the winners of the BAOR Cavalry

State for Defence, The Crown Equerry

odd dog walker thought it quite strange.

Cup, the QDG, thus making HCMR the

individual

horsemen

overall winners of the 1994 Cavalry Cup.

and Vice Admiral Weatherall. The second Draft Parade was on the

It was a close fought battle with the

18th and the whole Regiment attended.

strength

On the equitation side of Regimental

through.

life, the 9th of March saw the pass out of

The two khaki Squadrons made quite a

Sicily and Waterloo rides. These includ-

sight as we made our way to the Scrubs.

of

our

forwards

coming

The weekend of the 23rd saw the ed three officers: Major Griffin and

Once there we practiced Regimental

Captains Bagnall and Barclay.

drills and carried out a rank past 50

Regiment go to Windsor for Regimental show jumping. The Windsor Regiment metres from the King’s Troop as they was away and thus we had the place to The major sporting event of the

fired their guns. ourselves.

The weather was stunning

month was the Household Cavalry Race and the whole thing seemed a wonder—

have an unbeaten record so far this sea-

up at Melton Mowbray. The result was a

On the visits front April was quieter

son, but have unfortunately have drawn HCR in the lst round of the Cavalry Cup. The farriers have had another good competition year culminating in winning the London Cup at St John's Wood for the 4th year running.

dubious one; Major G C N Lane Fox

than March. We had only three and they

crossed the line first but Lord Patrick

were: Chief of the Defence Staff on the

Beresford claimed victory.

12th,

1994 has been a year of variety for the Mounted Regiment. Despite the creep— ing problem of undermanning everyone must be given great credit for the way in which they have continued to produce the very highest standards in all that they do. 1995 has much to offer and we look forward to the rigorous challenges it will produce, particularly being able to play our part in the VE and VJ day 50th anniversary celebrations.

Beresford

asked Lane Fox which course he had

fully private affair.

over menage rails, having a good laugh at the

French

Ambassador,

the their compatriots biting the dust.

Defence Attache and Military Attache

taken and the Major happily told him

on the 15th and lastly the first of

not realising he had jumped one too

many visitors from H M S Westminster

many gates. Beresford promptly lodged

on the 19th.

May was dominated by

Squadron and Regimental drills in prepara» tion for both The Major General’s Review

Sportswise the Regiment had considerable success.

April.

May.

and The Queen’s Birthday Parade.

a complaint and Major Lane Fox lost his well earned win.

There was a good

atmosphere; endless troopers leaning

On

the 22nd the

found a Sovereign’s Escort for the State

With The Major General’s

Regiment beat the Grenadier Guards in

Visit of President Mugabe of Zimbabwe on

Inspection looming in May it was decid—

the final of the Prince of Wales Cup at

Tuesday the 17th. The Field Ofiicer was

ed to take advantage of the two King’s

Caterham. This was smartly followed by

Major R R D Griffin and the Escort

Troop Draft Parades.

On the llth the

another win in the UK based final ofthe

Commander was Captain G C Davies. The

officers alone went down to Wormwood

Cavalry Cup on the 29th. Our opponents

Captain's Escort the next day was com-

Scrubs. While there the Adjutant made

in this match were the Household

manded by Captain M C Goodman.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

In

between these two reviews the Regiment


The

Major

General’s

inspection

passed off without incident and was only

The main events and dates for the Edinburgh State Visit were as follows:

November.

From the beginning

The Life Guards Mounted Squadron

November was dominated by troop and marred by the bad weather. However, at Squadron drills in preparation for the least it wasn’t a thunderstorm as it was

for

the

Lieutenant

Commanding’s rehearsal.

1 July Dress Rehearsal for

Colonel

State Opening of Parliament. On the 9th

Thistle Service.

Spectators

we carried out Regimental drills fol-

2 July Lord Chamberlain's.

were literally greeted by the image of the

3 July Thistle Service.

lowed

Regiment cantering forward in review

5 July Double Standard Escort.

rehearsal on the llth. On the day itself,

by

the

Lord

Chamberlain’s

order as two massive lightning bolts

6 July Assembly Rooms Escort.

the 16th, the Escort Field Officer was

cracked immediately behind the rear

10 July Regiment begins roll back.

Major GNC Lane Fox RHG/D while the

rank; it must have been quite a sight. Escort was commanded by Captain MC On the 12th July the first Regimental Goodman RHG/D. Immediately

after

The

Major

leave period began ending 3lst July.

General’s it was Cavalry Sunday with The

Blues

and

Royals

Association

Dinner taking place the night before.

August/September

After the

The weekend immediately before the

leave period the Regiment had two

State Opening the Regiment had to find

weeks to get itself ready for Summer

a divisional escort for the Lord Mayor's

On a final note, Tpr McDowell, LG,

Camp. However, after the work done in

won the Richmond Trophy, presented

Edinburgh, the horses going to Camp

Procession on the 12th and a marching party for

once again by Her Majesty The Queen at

were already very fit.

the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Bodney was up and running. For a full

the Cenotaph

The divisional

escort for the Lord Mayor was comand detailed account of Summer Camp

June.

From a ceremonial point of

View June was by far the busiest month.

readers should refer to the separate arti-

manded by Lt WD De Gale LG and the

cle about Camp in this journal.

Cenotaph

party

by

Captain

MC

Goodman RHG/D.

The month started off with the Colonel’s By Monday 5th

Review for The Queen’s Birthday Parade only to be followed by the Birthday

Regiment

Parade itself the following Saturday.

Summer Camp.

September,

complete was

back

the from

On

the

This year it was a Blues and Royals

straight into our second Regimental

Standard.

leave period. The commitments during

18th the Winter Camp

Review and the Birthday Parade, a bear-

this period were the Musical Ride to

Visitors of note during November

er party was found for the funeral Lady

Wembley for the Horse of the Year Show

were HRH The Princess Royal on the

May Abel Smith, widow of the famous

and

17th and the Minister of State for the

hosting

and

manning

the

Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith RHG.

International Military (Equine) Event at

Armed

The Bearer Party was commanded by

Windsor. The latter proved a success for

Nicholas Soames.

Immediately

the British Team and especially HCMR,

after the Birthday Parade it was the

three members of the winning four man

Captain M C Goodman.

Forces,

The

Honourable

The Princess Royal

came in an informal capacity for the Riding for the Disabled Open Day. The Garter Service. Typically it was a desper—

team were supplied by the Regiment. Minister however was taken round the

ately hot day, but the soldiers acquitted

They were Lt D Hughes RHG/D, W02

themselves well.

Haywood RHG/D and SCpl Waygood

Barracks and managed to speak to many

LG. (the fourth man was Sgt Caufield,

of the soldiers.

On the 24th the Regiment started its

of the

Winter Camp was next. Held, once again, no thanks to the buffalo, at Melbury House. All three troops had a day's hunting with the Cattistock. 3 Troop even had time for some dry slope skiing, needless to say the other Troops were not invited the following weeks. It was noted that it was more like “Mr Bean goes skiing”.

1993 was seen out by the first Troopers' dance and various other liver condemning activities culminating in Brick Hanging. Everyone retired for a Christmas of Perrier water and asprin. On return from Christmas and New Year leave the Squadron embarked on a series of Stable Management and B1 Mounted Dutymen courses. This was the first internal B1 course that the Regiment has run. It proved to be an immense suc— cess and will be continued annually. These courses are becoming more and more valuable due to the rapid turn over of NCOs and Troopers.

King’s Troop RHA).

move to Edinburgh. Looking back on it we could have made more

take place in Edinburgh.

From here we went advance party set off for Crick in Wales.

In between the Colonel’s

Visit to

However, we had no time to fuel these rumours, we had more important things on our minds. A State Visit, in November, for the Agong (President) of Malaysia, followed by a Captain's Escort. This was followed, shortly afterwards, by the Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph Memorial. This was commanded by Lt Hamilton-Russell and not even the close proximity of the Garrison Sergeant Major shouting “step to the time I call out”, could deter from the sombre— ness of the parade.

Parade on

By the 13th Remembrance Sunday.

94has proved to be as busy as 19 last year even though we had no Standards Parade. By the end of 1993 rumours were rife about a proposed State

December. October.

Not until the first

Compared to the preday of Christmas leave did everything

Edinburgh State Visit; it had so much

vious three months October proved to

potential.

be very quiet. The only major events of

seem to finally quieten down. However the first week was

Winter

Camp continued until the 9th and all was

The Life Guards Squadron Leader Major Gr/ffln and Reg/mental Corporal Major W01 (ROM) What/8y taking over Queens Life Guard. Grantham, Cripps and Douglas. SCpl(SQMC) Camp, CsoH Godson, Wells, Coleman, Richards and Irving replaced them. In May the Regiment was to parade for The Major General on the Cavalry Training Ground, Hyde Park the first such parade in three years. To get the Regiment cantering in divisional formation caused a great deal of anxiety and numerous practises, all of which finally paid off. The Squadron then romped home in the Richmond Cup, in the form of Tpr McDowell riding Ivanhoe. He collected the prize from Her Majesty The Queen at The Royal Windsor Horse Show. This was the fourth successive year that a Life Guard has won the competition. Shortly after The Major General's Inspection came Mr Mugabe’s inspection. This was the first State Visit to commence from Horse Guards Parade rather than Victoria Station. The Life Guards were responsible for finding the Standard, carried by WOZ(SCM) Hickman, with Major Griffin as the Field Officer and Capt Davies as the Escort Commander.

during our visit won the praise of all

the month, Lady Inge and a delegation

members of the Regiment as possible

those who came into contact with them;

from the Saudi National Guard.

and then finally to wish them all a

left by him.

We also said goodbye to

The Queen’s Birthday Parade and Garter Service followed. The latter took place on a stiflingly hot day at Windsor in mid June, which caused a few to go green, not least Junior SCM Bassett. Two weeks later we were on route to Edinburgh for the State Visit of the King and Queen or Norway. This was the pinnacle of our Ceremonial year and as such is to be covered in another article. It was a wonder~ ful sight to return from exercising the horses and to see the Pipes and Drums of The Gordon Highlanders rehearsing on the square. It was a feeling that a Household Cavalryman had not had for

there was not one single incident.

visits were on the 3rd.

Happy Christmas and New Year.

SCpMSQMC) Bellt‘inger, CsoH Coles,

20 years and every effort should be made

hard work with at least three 0320 hours

the month were the laying up of the

morning starts.

Blues and Royals Squadron Standards at

Perhaps this alone

back to normal by the 12th. We had two

meant that there was not much explo-

Bramham Park, Yorkshire on the 13th

visits during the month, The Major

ration made of the city.

and the gala reopening of Horse Guards

General on the 7th and the Lieutenant

on the 10th.

There to welcome back

Colonel Commanding on the 12th. The

Capt Marshall and S/Cp/ Camp jump/mg the last fence 0/ the Handy Hunler, gem/jg 5/5 for

Major General was taken on a full tour of

dressrng,

the Barracks and spoke to members of

the

hard

work

put

But thanks to in,

the

three

were considered

The Major General, HQs Household

excellent. Bearing in mind the last

Cavalry and London District were the

Escort in Scotland took place over 17

Band

Edinburgh

Escorts

Beyond this, the bearing

Household Cavalry and Major RRD

Griffin LG. We had two visitors during

tunity to speak informally to as many

and conduct of the soldiers at all times

In March the Squadron said goodbye to Major Robertson who has been sent to use his limitless mediating powers in Bosnia and we welcomed Major Griffin in his place. Lt Rees-Davies departed for

JCSC and Lt German fills the huge hole

of

The

Life

Guards,

the both messes.

years

ago,

this

was

a considerable

Lieutenant

Colonel

The Lieutenant Colonel

Commanding Commanding used his visit as an oppor—

achievement.

H

sehold Cavalry Mounted Regiment ou

Both

to ensure it is repeated. The Squadron, on its return to London, then went on some well deserved leave. August saw the annual trek up to Norfolk for Summer Camp. This again proved to be a great success for both the Squadron and the Regiment. LCpl Beach won the junior ranks showjump— ing on Opera and Tpr Young (RCM’s Orderly) won the junior ranks Cross Country. The senior ranks allowed The Blues and Royals their moment of glory. The end of September saw the 2nd leave period come and go and the Squadron had its sights set firmly on the State Opening of Parliament, with all the rehearsals that come with it. 1994 has proved to be an incredibly busy year for the Squadron, with the State Visit in Edinburgh being the high» light. We, again, have had a high turnover of manpower and all ranks of the Squadron can be immensely proud of what has been achieved this year with such a fluid ORBAT.

W02 S CM H/ckman,

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment


The Blues and Royal Mounted Squadron

Squadron found two Divisions of The Life Guards Single Standard Sovereign’s

Escort to the Assembly Rooms. The trip was generally considered to have been a he

Autumn

of 1993

saw

the

Squadron finding the Primary Standard for what was probably the last Victoria Escort. The Escort for the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and The Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia was commanded by the out—going Squadron Leader, Major C B B Clee. The last of the Squadron's major ceremonial commitments in 1993 were the Lord Mayor’s Procession, which was commanded by Lt T E Pitman in particularly inclement weather, and the State Opening of Parliament. The weather was also bad for the Squadron’s stay down at Melbury House. The three weeks of Winter Camp began with some very cold weather and ended in the wet. Despite this we had several enjoyable days with the Cattistock. Our stay was, once again, kindly hosted by The Hon. Mrs Charlotte Morrison. In order to achieve a balance on the weather front, the Squadron Second-in-Command, Captain M C Goodman, went off in search of some sun in Thailand. Having hosted the Commanding Officer and Adjutant of the Royal Horse Guard earlier that summer, the Regiment was invited to send two officers to reciprocate. The

highlight of the trip was The King’s Birthday Parade which is based exactly on our own. There is, however, a dis— tinctly Siamese influence. Guard Commanders doubling across the enor— mous parade ground to form up in front of the King’s own yellow Corniche convertible, dressed in tunics of red, dark blue, grey, orange, yellow, purple, sky blue, brown, pink, and white, with plumes of contrasting hue. The Christmas festivities passed without incident, and the equestrian statue outside Horse Guards was, as usual, bedded down and given a hay net. Early in the New Year, Horse Guards witnessed an incident which found its way into the national press. Troopers Brownlow and Drury were in the boxes when a man with a commando dagger ran at Brownlow and tried to stab him and his horse. Fencing him off with his sword, Brownlow shouted to Drury for assistance. Having pressed the bell, Drury cantered down the pavement and

they soon had him cornered: a sword at his throat, and another at his chest. By this

time

CoH

Carney,

the

Guard

Escort, under the command ofCapt M C Goodman, took Mr Mugabe to St James’s Palace.

great success; we were certainly very well looked after by The Gordon Highlanders.

Two weeks before the Birthday Parade, the Squadron provide a bearer party, commanded by Capt M C Goodman, for the funeral at St George’s Chapel of Lady May Abel Smith, wife of the late Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith, and the last surviving granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

we left for Summer Camp at Bodney. The

Two weeks after returning to London first weekend saw the inaugural running of the Household Cavalry Hunter Trial. This Event, organised by l Troop Leader, Captain J P Barclay, attracted over 50 entries, including a number from the

Squadron. The course, designed and built by CoH Weller, rode very well and was much enjoyed by all who went round.

CsoH Young and Smith, SCM Maher, Maj Lane Fox mounted. Commander, and a sabre fencing instruc— tor, appeared on the scene with LCoH Thomas’ sword. A short time later, CoH Carney reappeared from the back of the box with the knife. an anorak clad figure lay crumpled behind him. The 1994 ceremonial season got off

to a flying start with The Major General’s Inspection in early May, the first for three years. It was held on the Cavalry Training Ground in the north east corner of Hyde Park. The Parade went well despite the fact that LCoH Brown 71 parted company with his horse. Trotting around one of the newly mown and recently moistened corners, Neubrandenburg lost his footing. As he came down LCoH Brown stepped neatly off and was left by the Regiment standing rather forlornly to attention, but with his sword still at the carry. On the canter past, Trooper Handley’s horse suf-

fered the same fate fifty yards before The Major General. Handley however, managed to stay on top while Isla got back up. As a result of some skilful riding, he was back in the division and dressed off

before the “Eyes Right”. Later in May the Squadron found two Divisions of The Sovereign’s Escort on the occasion of the State Visit of the President of Zimbabwe. This was the first of the new format Escorts. Mr Mugabe was met on Horse Guards Parade and escorted to Buckingham Palace. The following day a Captain’s

The new Squadron Leader, Major G C N Lane Fox, had his first outing on his return to mounted duty as Field Officer on The Queen’s Birthday Parade. As the Queen began her tour of inspection, the Blues and Royals drum horse, Belisarius, shook off his head kit. Despite his best efforts to replace it, when Her Majesty drove past, W02 (BCM) Haywood was standing next to Belisarius’ head carrying the bridle in one hand while saluting

with the other.

The weather for the

Garter Service was a lot cooler than usual. This was the last parade for the outgoing Squadron Corporal Major, W02 (SCM) Dunkley G M, who left to take over as RQMC at HCR. A strong representation went up to Melton for the preliminaries of the Royal Tournament show jumping. The Squadron team (Maj G C N Lane Fox on

Scarfell, Capt M C

Goodman

on

Sevastopal and CoH Miles on Olivia) came third in the team competition. Capt M C Goodman also came fourth in

the junior Derby. For the first time in 17 years the Regiment went up to Edinburgh, for the State Visit of the King and Queen of Norway. Unfortunately Redford Barracks is one and a half hours walk from the city centre. This necessitated a strenuous build up programme, before hand, enabling troop exercises to visit parts of London not usually frequented. It also necessitated reveilles as early as 0230. There were three Escorts. On Monday 4 July, Major G C N Lane Fox commanded a Captain’s Escort for the Thistle Service. On the day of the State Visit itself the Commanding Officer, Lt Col H P D Massey, was the Field Officer and Captain M C Goodman the Escort

Commander. On the third day the

\ The Open Day this year was held in the middle Sunday of Camp. Capt J P Barclay won the senior ranks show jumping on Sunderland, Maj G C N Lane Fox was second on Ramilles, and Capt M C Goodman came second in the Regimental Five Bar Jumping on Sevastapol. It is worthy of note that the first twelve places in the five bar jumping went to Blues and Royals. The Squadron Junior Ranks show jumping was won by Trooper Gough on his trumpet horse Olivia. LCpl Whiting, riding Oxford, and LCpl Shaw, riding Nolan, came second in

the Regimental Junior Ranks‘ Cross Country, while the Senior Ranks was won by the Squadron Leader and the Squadron Corporal Major. Each troop had a day up on Holkham beach, swimming their horses; an event which is much enjoyed by both men and horses. Another notable occurrence was that

no one jumped off the end of Great Yarmouth pier at low tide. In order to cel— ebrate this fact, Tprs Spencer and

1.

.

Capt Goodman and Maj Lane Fox take it easy. Ramsden, having fully recovered from their injuries of the previous two years, linked arms and jumped off at high tide. After Summer Camp and the second leave period, preparations began for Remembrance Sunday and the State Opening of Parliament. Capt M C Goodman commanded The Blues and Royals detachment at the Cenotaph on 13 November. Three days later the Squadron found the Standard for the Sovereign’s Escort for the State Opening. The Field Officer was Major G C N Lane Fox, Capt M C Goodman was Escort Commander, and the new Squadron Corporal Major, W02 (SCM) Maher, carried the Standard. The renovation of Horse Guards complete, the Escort reverted back to the old route, through Horse Guards Arch. The Squadron has had a very good year on the equitation front. Many people, of all ranks have taken part in hunter tri— als and show jumping competitions around the country, and with great suc—

cess. Those worthy of mention are CoH Miles’ late call up into the Squadron team at the Royal Tournament prelims, and his subsequent clear round. Lt T E Pitman, 2 Troop Leader, while racing in the Melton Ride, dismounted to give artificial respi— ration to a girl who had been trapped under a dead horse. When a doctor arrived he remounted and went on to win the Household Division Trophy. There have been many other events which have involved members of the Squadron. Tprs Sharpe and Bond made an appearance on television as two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse at this year‘s Royal Tournament. LCoH Jenkins went up to Scotland with the greys Kudos and Olympia, to oversee the equitation aspects of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards' three month commemorative ride around Scotland. Tpr Semczyszyn, with his state kit, went out to Spruce Meadows for the international show jumping competition. In addition, the Squadron provided horses for the International Military Event which was held at Windsor. These were Sevastapol, Sunderland, Port Stanley, Miranda and Nolan. They all went very well.

In October a number of people took part in the JNCOs' Cadre run in Windsor. Tpr (now LCpl) Robson came top and was promoted. Lt T E Pitman, CoH Young, and Tprs Fetherstone, Cunniffe, Lever and Webber, are up with the Winter Training Troop at Melton. Capt E H D Andrewes takes over on his return from Northern Ireland in January.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

30

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment


Headquarters Squadron Dinner and State of the Nation speech. As has now become traditional the annu— al Army versus London ABA boxing

competition was held in the Gymnasium he Squadron returned to work after a much deserved Christmas Leave ready to attack the forthcoming events which would task all departments to the full. However, a dark cloud still had to pass over most members of the Squadron, in the form of Phase 3 redundancies. 24 Feb came and left the Sqn with 19 soldiers less with those remaining keen to put all the redundancy phases behind them. A light was shining at the end of the tunnel, our major rebuild was coming to its completion unequivocally in the form of the Lord Mayor of Westminster opening the New Band Complex. No sooner than the last contractor pulled out we started our build up for The Major General’s Parade, and on completion of this we had a good grounding for our part in the Trooping. The Squadron was now firmly locked into the State Visit in Edinburgh, most of the planning falling on the Quartermaster and the Riding Master, who were present on the previous State Visit, 17 years ago.

After several recces a plan was drawn together, men and horses would move over a three day period, stores, stables, accommodation and forage were made ready by the RQMC advance party, all the Regiment’s State Kit was boxed and transported by road.

After a settling down period, troops moved out on Squadron Troop exercises. 1 Tp while on exercise stopped at a set of traffic lights on the outskirts of Edinburgh by the side of one of Edinburgh's maroon buses. The lady bus driver opened her window of the bus and said to the Troop Leader, “why are you boys bringing your horses from London frightening our buses?”.

After a successful state visit we returned to London. The Squadron was again called to assist The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in training and equipping 18 greys and soldiers for

their

own

Standards

Parade

in

Scotland. The success of this parade was due to the hard work of the Riding and Quartermaster Staff.

A new event was hosted by the Regiment at Bodney Camp. This came in the form of a Public Hunter Trial, much of its preparation falling on the Riding Staff. All that came from far and near deemed it to be a great success and much was learnt on the running of such an event and we look forward to the same event in ‘95. September saw all our RLC Chefs move off and the Regiment move into the contract catering world. It has been a hard uphill struggle to try and bring them up to the high standard that our military Chefs produced for us, not least the comradeship felt for them on or off duty.

and was attended by some 400 Mess Members and guests. The sum of £6,000 was raised. On 25th February W02 (BCM) Bourne LG and W02 (BCM) Brammer RHG/D were dined out by both Bands, on completion of 22 years service. This was a somewhat unique occasion as it was the first time that any Mess Member can remember both Bands sitting down to dinner together. Plans are in hand to make this an annual dinner. The Mess Members were treated to an excellent evening of entertainment, when on 5th March W02 (SCM) Hickman and his committee organised the now traditional

Spring Ball.

Left EX RCM G T Vol/er - LG, Rig/7t EX CoH L G Williams - HHG/D.

The function room and

table decorations were outstanding, the The State Opening of Parliament put a heavy load on the Squadron due to diminishing numbers in the two Sabre Squadrons.

food laid on by the Master Chef was

1994 has seen many changes in the

In May The Major General visited the Mess, after inspecting the Regiment on the Cavalry Training Ground in Hyde Park and presented LS & GC medals to SCpl Dickens and CoH Gook. During the period February to June the Mess said farewell to W02 Gilbert on comple— tion of 22 years service, W02 Castelow 0n Redundancy and W02 Dunkley on posting. The Regiment moved to Edinburgh for the State Visit ofthe King

Squadron. The Commanding Officer stepped off on 23 Feb 94 and was replaced by Lt Col W T Browne. The Quartermaster moved into HQ Sqn Ldr slot and was replaced by Capt GA Fox.

NCOs' Mess closed for the duration of the visit. The Mess reopened on 11th July and the next few weeks was spent quietly prior to the move to Summer Camp in Thetford. During the period of Camp the Mess held a Dinner Night, Trivial Pursuit evening and Question of Sport Quiz. However, the two most notable occasions were the Mess Review and the Games Night. SCpl Atkinson and the Review Committee put on a splendid show, CoH Young found his vocation as a D] for Radio Swaffham FM and two unrecognisable Mess Members calling themselves the “Two Moons” opened the show with a song and dance routine. The evening was finished off

superbly presented and equally as enjoy— able. All those involved are to be congratulated on a splendid evening.

and Queen of Norway and the WOS' &

W05’ 8: NCOs’ Mess A t the start ofDecember 1993, on the completion ofa refurbishment pro— gramme, the Mess public rooms were reopened and we moved back in just in

time for the start of the busy Christmas period. A large marquee was erected on the Parade Square on the 6th of December in preparation for two functions. The first of these was a Troopers' dance, whereby the complete Queen's

Life Guard and Barrack Guards for two days were undertaken by JNCOs thus

freeing all troopers to attend their Christmas Dance. Those W0s' & NCOs’ Mess Members not on duty that night “waited on” the troopers and wives or girlfriends. Under the watchful

eye of W02 (RQMC) Rogers and W02 (SCM) Dunkley the evening was a great success and we hope that this will now be an annual event. All Mess Members and guests assembled at 1945 hrs on Sat 10th December 1994 for the Christmas Dance. This was extremely well organ— ised by the Master Saddler, SCpl Mills.

Raffle prizes included a £500 money tree and an all» expenses paid week in Florida both being won by LCpl and Mrs Turner, much to the consternation of some ofthe other Mess Members. The stamina and endurance of Mess Members was outstanding, confirmed by two hundred and

sixty still present for breakfast at 0400 hrs then continuing dancing until 0700

musically by Mess Members being led by the Commanding Officer on the Karaoke Machine. The theme for this year’s Games Night was “Country and Western”. Various games were organised including Bungee Running (no spurs allowed), Pugel Sticks, Sumo Wrestling, Bucking Bronco and quick draw. The final shoot out on the Quick Draw between the Commanding Officer and the RCM saw a win for the RCM when the Commanding Officer managed to fire his gun before clearing the holster

thereby shooting himself in the foot. The final game was pillow fighting over a large water tank on a plastic beam approx 9ft from the ground. Needless to say the engineer and builder of this aquatic extravaganza finally ended up swimming in it. On completion of the games the Mess Members were able to fortify themselves on a splendid BBQ which included two suckling pigs. The Regiment returned from Summer Camp on the 4th September and on the 9th September dined out Lt Col Massey on completion of his tour as Commanding Officer.

hrs on Sunday morning. The brick was hung in good style by Colonel HamiltonRussell on the 15th December. The ceremony was attended by many distin— guished guests and past brickhangers. The Regiment departed on 16th December for Christmas leave. The traditional New Year's Eve Party used the theme of “The Night the Titanic Sank” and many splendid costumes were in evidence, including “the ice waiter” and the ships “cat and mouse”.The New Year was seen in with much dancing and revelry.

The Senior Mess Members are:

W01 (RCM) M Whatley, W02 (RQMC) L Rogers,

W02 (ORQMS) K O’Daly, W02 (SCM) M P McDermott, W02 (SCM) C Hickman,

On return from leave the Commanding Officer joined the Mess Members for the traditional New Year's

I _

.

W02 (SCM) V Maher, W07 (RCM) What/9y, W02 McDer/nott and Co / J Ham/lion ceremony 0/ Hanging The Br/ck.

Russell at the

WOZ Bellringer.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

32

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment


Musical Ride

The Band of The Life Guards

he Musical Ride season started off quietly in May with the Melton and Royal Windsor Horse Shows. However,

ur 1994 season started with Military training, under the watchful eye of our new Band Corporal Major W02 Graves. We ‘

with the State Visit in Scotland, it became clear that the June/July period was going to be busy; from 12 June to 13 July the Ride was on the road. The first port of call was The Three Counties, Malvern. The backdrop of the Malvern

let off in front of the Band - we’ll leave the rest to your imagination but the outcome was £4000 of damage to band instruments. To cap it all, as we eventually collected ourselves and entered the arena we were confronted . by more fireworks let off above and behind the horses. Uunfortunately we had to complete that part of the performance dismounted.

produced some outstanding results _ on our APWT at Pirbright and also . . our BFT at Knightsbridge. Our annual Spring Drills on the square at Knightsbridge were far the most

Hills combined with the beautiful immaculate for many years “Well weather made the evening performance spectacular; it was a good start to the sea—

Done Band Corporal Major!”

son proper. From Malvern we made the long journey to Holland. Despite the distance, the horses travelled well. Throughout the night, the ride checked the horses and even Constantine seemed to enjoy his new role as ships ballast for our alarmingly flat bottomed freighter. The Hague Horse days was a great suc— cess. The highlight of the show was the Ride cantering around the arena casting flowers at all the young ladies in the crowd; a touch of Cavalry dash.l After Holland, the Ride made the first of two visits to the Liverpool area,

March saw us playing at Sandown Park racecourse for the Grand Military Cup — LCpl Rowe's tips were quite impressive. The next day we travelled North to 1:». Hanley giving a concert to the general public; it’s great playing to a I packed house these days - word must have got out. The Life Guards Mounted Band on their way to Horse Guards.

The tha/ Show Line-Up pHOf to rehearsat

after. We even ventured into the margin— ally clean Irish Sea; the horses seemed the better for it! On 12 July, the Ride returned to Barracks and there we remained until the beginning ofAugust.

with nearly a hundred thousand people (so the police said). The Ride caused a biblical parting of the crowd, peanuts fluttering in the sea breeze and cuirasses sparkling in the sun.

one either side of the Edinburgh State Visit. The first, Ellesmere Port, seemed to be set in the middle of an industrial estate and made a sharp contrast to Malvern and Holland. After Edinburgh we journeyed to the Wirral where the ride were warmly received and looked

Prior to Summer Camp we had two show commitments, Sunderland and Carmarthen United Countries. In Sunderland we had a half a mile walk from the stables to the Showground. For two days part of this route was packed

After Summer Camp, our last call of duty was the week long Horse ofthe Year Show. On Monday 26, we left Barracks and hacked up to Wembley.

The trip

took nearly two hours and caused quite a stir as we weaved our way through streets

Ik-

We arrived back in time for the Opening of our new Practice Room in Hyde Park Barracks, kindly performed by the Mayor of Westminster. We find that the Practice Room makes quite a difference in the daily quality of rehearsal. The Orchestra has worked really well this year with Investitures etc. and it is quite an honour to receive good remarks sent from the Palace regarding the playing — “Well Done!”

not used to seeing The Household Cavalry. With days finishing as late as 11 O’Clock, the show was hard work. None

After completing our band training rides we carried our first Guard Mounting. This involves riding down to Horse Guards, playing inspection music while the New and Old Guard change as well as playing a few well known tunes for the tourists and then returning with

June was a very busy month for us with the Beating Retreat followed by a memorial Service at Canada Gate. Unfortunately there was a strong wind that day and we were plagued with the wind blowing grit from under the trees into our eyes making playing very uncomfortable. The Queen’s Birthday Parade followed and that evening saw us

in Windsor for The Life Guards Association Dinner - quite a full day. We carried out many engagements during the rest ofthe summer including a trip to Paris playing in the Palace of Versailles for the Jaguar Car Company; excellent trip, and we were very well looked after.

Engagements in the latter part of the season have included concerts in Stroud, Eton, Southport and a school tour in Burnley in which children from the various schools played with the Band.

We finished out mounted work ofthe

season playing for the Lord Mayors Show in the City of London, quite a long day - seven hours in the saddle...phew!

The Band is now busy packing for Bosnia and look forward to joining the Regiment out there for the Christmas festivities and especially the Brickhanging. We are sorry to say goodbye to LCpl Bolstridge, LCpl Morrish, Musn Raynor and Musn Shirley and wish them all well and the very best for the years ahead. We would like to welcome W01 (BM) T Cooper and wish him a success— ful riding course.

the less, this year‘s show sponsor was

the Old Guard who have finished their delighted with the Ride's contribution 24 hour stint. and promptly invited us back next year.

We start in 1995 with the Zurich Show in March, and with it hopefully more tales of dash and colour. Key per-

Our other duty engagements have included the Castle Hill concerts at Windsor at which it is nice to see so many ex Band and Regimental members.

sonnel in 1994 were :

Riding Master Major D MacGregor

RHG/D Ride Officer

In May Cavalry Memorial Parade was with us again and this is where we join with the Massed Cavalry Bands at Hyde Park Barracks and march to the

Bandstand in Hyde Park for the annual service. It is not very often that we have

Capt W E H Bagnell

the opportunity to play on the march, RHG'D Ride SNCO LCpl Matthews on COhstahtthe Memoo/ , The Wtrra/ Show.

LCoH Turnbull LG

massed with other Cavalry bands, so it was nice to meet fellow military musi— cians — quite a social event.

Our last engagement of the summer was the Royal Tournament which . was one of the most taxing

the Band has done this 7 year. With two perfor- .;

mances a day, six days a

'

week, plus early morning rehearsals and horse exer» cises, this became a very ,- ‘ long two weeks. During the last rehearsal at Earl's Court, just as we were entering the arena, without us knowing the full extent ofwhat was going to hapThe Band at the Garter Serwce Windsor. June 7994. pen, a thunder flash was

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment


Household Cavalry Training Wing Temporary visitors to HCTW have included Maksat, the Turkoman stallion (property of the Rt Hon John Major MP) who stayed for the spring

tors have included Tpr Heaton LG who finally departed for civilian life after a year in riding school.

Saudi

Royal

Guard

(for

ways

to

improve their equitation training), Russian Officers (for Treaty verifica-

tion) and staff from the British Racing

he Household Cavalry Training Wing has seen ten rides pass out at Combermere Barracks in the last twelve months. It has been a busy and challeng— ing year with a large turnover of permanent staff, commitments from Windsor and London to overcome and still ensuring the rides pass out with the minimum of disruption.

before retiring to stud at Melton. Tpr Edwards successfully backed him and the horse was a very different animal than the rearing, plunging one that

arrived from Turkmenistan. Sgt Baxter from the Australian Army spent a

Eton and Harrow school boys arrived in the spring for regular riding lessons. These were a great success and led to a riding display at the Eton Tattoo ably organised by SCpl Boyd RHG/D and LCoH Musgrave RHG/D.

ing to camp and leaving a better rider than on arrival. Other temporary visi—

The syllabus of the Training Wing has largely remained the same. Recruits who pass out of the Army Training

The HCTW continues to thrive into 1995. The intakes from ATR Pirbright have reduced, however the demand for equitation training contin-

happy two months on top ofa horse as

part of Exercise LONG LOOK, com~

School

ues. Our training system continues to

Visitors to the Training Wing have included Japanese Television ( for a

be re-evaluated regularly and no doubt

film on the Household Cavalry), the

will continue to do so.

Cavalry Blacks wanting “new boots” every other day didn’t bear thinking about! However, the Forge pulled through without too many problems and all were vastly more experienced in the making of hand made shoes as a result of

Officer” in Rwanda. Captain Owers has, settled into the job well and has already encountered many different problems which have tasked the skills of both Veterinary Officer and Farrier.

the visit. Before we knew it the Escorts

We have also undertaken a new post— ing with a Farrier being posted to the Saddle Club at Larkhill. This position is being filled by FLCpl Bundy who will arrive from Melton Mowbray in November.

Regiment, Pirbright on a Friday find themselves at Combermere Barracks on the following Monday. There they are joined by NCOs and musicians who are being posted for a tour at the Mounted

Regiment to form a ride - normally 10-14 strong. After the initial kit up period at Knightsbridge they ride daily for the next four months. In the afternoons the Troopers are taught Phase 1 Signals and those without car licences learn to drive. These skills are now mandatory for all Royal Armoured Corps and Household Cavalry soldiers. After two months Cavalry Drill instruction begins — which is tested by a parade in front of the Adjutant and RCM HCMR. All this time the riding continues to be taught with trainees progressing to rides in the Great Park, jumping, military tack and finally a pass off in front of the Commanding Officer and the Riding Master in the outside menage. Life under training is not confined to the walls of Combermere Barracks. The tremendous equitation facilities of the Great Park are used regularly and the streets of Windsor are ridden extensively to provide a break from the riding school. Trainees travel to Horse Guards

to practise foot drill late at night so their first experience of sentry changes will be trouble free. The year has passed with a normal

was included in the Open Day programme. The rides over the period have had various ‘stars’. Tpr Bulman RHG/D arrived from the Red Devils and Parachute Regiment to successfully pass out with Waterloo Ride in February. Others who have seen the light include

Tpr Partridge LG (ex Gren Gds) Tpr Stevens LG (ex REME) and FLCpl Byrne LG who after several years with the Mounted Regiment transferred from 1 Kings and completed riding school in October; passing out in Amiens Ride. Recently we have seen the two new Bandmasters; WOl Pennington RHG/D and W01 Cooper LG complete riding school — no mean feat considering their experience and age. The permanent staff at HCTW have changed completely over the last year. Capt HRD Fullerton LG departed for higher command as Adjutant HCMR in November. Capt The Lord Fermoy RHG/D returned from running the Saddle Club, Episkopi to take over. The next incumbent will be Lt MJG Hami hon-Russell RHG/D.

cycle of 2—3 rides in training at any one stage. Over the Edinburgh Escort period the entire Training Wing moved to London to assist with the duties and provide horses for the Queen’s Life Guard. Summer Camp saw Amiens Ride move

The Forge

W02 Bel/ringer and Capt The Lord Fermoy.

Capt S ST M Miller departed for Bosnia in the autumn. W02 Pickard LG, probably the longest serving member of staff, was deservedly promoted and is

to Bodney with the Regiment - where

now found fifty yards away as RQMC (Tech). W02 (SCM) Bellringer LG

their riding dramatically improved and a display designed by SCpl Boyd RHG/D

arrived from the Mounted Regiment to take over and is now ensuring the high

standards of the Training Wing are main— tained as well as instructing drill. The stores at HCTW have been dealt with admirably by SQMC Dickens RHG/D who has combined this with the very busy job of running the Mess accounts. He has now left for a successful civilian employment and CoH Brown LG has stepped into the shoes not only as SQMC but also as administrative CoH. The arrival of

LCoH Peat RHG/D in the summer meant that at last the Phase 1 Signals teaching has a dedicated instructor. LCoH Peat has had to actively keep the attention of the trainees in the afternoons, no easy task with soldiers tired from riding. He has successfully obtained a photocopier, fax, and telephones and we are now hoping that Christmas will bring a colour printer and shredder!

Well, what a year. Busy — that’s an understatement with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment going through shoes like a daily visit to Freeman Hardy and Willis. The year started with The Major General's Parade, with the Farriers out in maximum force; four riding as Farriers and two in the divisions which broke us in slowly for the year ahead. Once The Major General's was com— pleted, we then rehearsed for the State Visit of the President of Zimbabwe. This then left us with the build up to our big parade of the year, The Queen's

The important tasks of teaching stable

Birthday Parade, in which FSCpl

management and kit cleaning have been taught by a number of experienced

Wright LG and FLCpl Adcock RHG/D represented the Forge as Farriers on parade. The Farriers' party was quite unique in 1994 as three members of the party of four were SCpls. This led to the Regimental Corporal Major quoting it as

Knightsbridge NCOs. These Ride NCOs each have their own ride for whom they are responsible. This year has seen the depar— ture to HCR of LCoH Wibberley LG and LCoH Musgrave RHG/D, each after a long tour at the Mounted Regiment. LCoH Hatcher LG has left the Regiment on redundancy. Their places have been taken

by LCoH Kellet LG and LCpl Findell RHG/D. Finally our most important addi— tion has been Tracey Stuart, an office manager par excellence, who was recruited in the summer.

the “oldest Farriers party since 1660”. RCM Whatley remembers it well. The Trooping itself went without a hitch, with all involved anticipating the trip ahead to Edinburgh and the Farriers wondering what to expect with three Escorts on consecutive days; plus all the

rehearsals.The thought of 100 plus

were over and we were heading South to London with a well earned break at Summer Camp. The Farriers then had the opportunity to attend a few shoeing competitions, where, as ever, the Forge came away with good results. Whilst at camp, Sgt Bell, FLCoH Newman, FLCpl Adcock and FLCpl Cox-Rusbridge represented HCMR in an Army team which, after 3 intense weeks of training at Melton, came sixth in the International Shoeing Competition at Stoneleigh. The remainder held the fort at camp with all the usual camp activities taking place; Cross Country and Show Jumping events being the forefront of attraction. The year has also seen a certain amount of changes within the Forge at HCMR with the arrival of a new vet, Captain Owers RAVC, replacing Major Ogilvie—Graham RAVC, who is now enjoying himself as an “Intelligence

FLCoH Newman moves to Cyprus in a changeover with FLCpl Hiley, a move which he is looking forward to, being a diving enthusiast and also being involved with the ILPH - International League for the Protection of Horses. We also lose FSgt Bell RAVC, who leaves us after a two year stay. All of the Forge at HCMR would like to thank him for his help and we wish him well back at Melton Mowbray. Finally, we now have time to reflect on what we wish to achieve in the future. It is hoped we can take part in more com— petition work, get people away adventure training, and more importantly, keep Farriery within the Army at the peak it has already reached.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment


Household Cavalry News After lunch on 5 th September, we were collected by a car sent from

Tesgenderlo

passing

through

Scherpenleuviel (steep hill), with its

beautiful church with a glistening gold-

That Was the Year That Was...

en dome, reminiscent of St Peter’s in

Rome, onto that old 11th Century town

by Jack Brook MM (ex LG)

of Diest, where there is still a WW1 fort between the ring road and river - it was here that 50 years ago that Bateman and I drove into its courtyard at about 7 am thinking that there may be a few spare Germans about — no such luck! Our destination both then and now was Tessenderlo.

hether you were born before, dur— ing or after World War Two, 1994

was a year in which everyone’s imagination must have been stirred by the cover-

age offered through the media of those historic events of 50 years ago.

On arrival we soon settled in with our host Juliette Engelen who had looked after us several years ago.

Commemoration was the key note and the celebrations followed. In hundreds of cities, towns and villages - even very small hamlets — our ex-servicemen and those of our allies were welcomed in quite extraordinary fashion — nothing was too much trouble, the hospitality almost a danger to one’s health 1

6th September. We were ‘on parade’ in the town square at 0815, greeted by the Burgemeester and his entourage. A few minutes later the church bells rang out and this was followed by a 19 gun salute - provided by the Grenadier Carabinier Regt from Leapoldburg —

It was my good fortune to have received invitations from France, Belgium and Holland to attend such functions, however a very special one was received from Tessenderlo, a small Belgian town, population about 20,000

then at 0830 the flame of freedom was lit

and lying about 35 miles east of Leuven, and about a mile from the Albert Canal.

Tessenderlo 6th Sept. 7994 - Key engraved » To Jack Brook, Honorary Cit/zen of Tessenderlo.

and I had to hoist the Union Flag. It was 50 years ago to the minute that Bateman and I had entered the Square much to the surprise of the few local inhabitants who were there at the time. Following this we had breakfast in the Council

Chamber and then another car journey Having discussed this invitation and

its implications with Colonel Rogers, it was his idea that I should put pen to paper and give an account of my visit. My route to Tessenderlo was circuitous — rather like a wartime recce with the unexpected happening en route. A party of ten ex—ZHCR veterans set out from Combermere Barracks on the 29th August, our destination Lille in France. CoH Cross was NC and Tpr Bennett, driver of the Regimental ‘passion wagon’. The journey and subse— quent stay in Lille was not without its problems but the two aforementioned gentlemen took everything in their

stride. Thanks to them both! Our visit was being sponsored by the newspaper ‘La Voix de Nord’. The hos— pitality was excellent, the food ‘cordon bleu’ and enough champagne to test the

water proofing of a Daimler Armoured Car. The entente cordiale is alive and well. When the party returned home on 3rd September, I made my way to Brussels Airport, met my wife, then we

proceeded by train to Leuven where we were to be the guest of my old friends Jan and Paula Merckx. On Sunday 4th September, Jan asked if we would like to attend the Memorial Service at The

British Military Cemetery. This we did and on arrival were introduced to the Burgemeester, local army garrison Commandant, Wing Co from the nearby air base, Chief of Police and Council members of Leuven. Then with the Burgemeester, I laid a wreath on the War Memorial. There is a grim reminder here of the part played by women during the war for in the first row of graves are six ATS who were killed by a V2 in Antwerp. As we were leaving the cemetery a Belgian lady came up to me and asked if I was the soldier who arrived in a small armoured car on the 4th September 1944 and spoke to a young girl. The soldier had a moustache and the soldier asked if any Germans were in the town? I plead— ed guilty and recalled her answer, Yes. The town is full of Germans and it is cer— tain death to go on. It was then 1500 hrs. Immediately I wirelessed back to my Troop Leader, then Lieutenant Tom Hanbury, later Captain Hanbury MC, gave him this information and his reply was ‘I think they are being a trifle pessimistic’ Push on! Five minutes later, near the main bridge which was our ‘Seize and hold’ objective all hell was let loose. We held the bridge for two hours until relieved by the Grenadier tanks and infantry.

It took until 2 o’clock next morning to clear the town centre. I then discovered that this lady had married a British soldier named Johnnie Brookes - no rela— tion! (and of course she was a young girl

in 1944) From the Military cemetery a quick car journey to the railway station for another wreath laying ceremony at the Martyrs' Monument. They were the people who in WWI and WWII were forcibly taken to Germany and made to work in labour camps. The monument was erected after WWI, but when

Belgium was occupied in 1940, the Germans defaced it. Following this, we marched to the Town Hall, a most beautiful building which was fortunately not damaged dur— ing the war, although the cathedral on the opposite side of the road received a direct hit during an air-raid. Outside the Town Hall was a Staghound armoured car, inside some 250 guests of the Burgemeester and before I had time to sink my first glass ofbeer, I was called up to the platform and presented with The Gold Medal for meritorious services to the City (with my driver Ted Bateman, we were the first Allied soldiers to enter the city and capture the bridge on 4 September 1944).

honour, made up of scout groups, awaited us. Inside other guests were already seated whilst a string quartet from one of the local schools played some Mozart and Schubert.

to places of interest in the vicinity. One such place was Fort Breendank, built about 1910 it was besieged in 1914 and in 1940 the SS used it for the interrogation of Belgian patriots. Accompanying us was one of the few survivors, he told us how both he and his father were taken there in August 1944, on arrival they were beaten by the guards, many of whom were Belgians collaborators. The prisoners diet was 4 oz of bread, a cup of acorn coffee for breakfast, a bowl of soup at midday,

The ceremony began with speeches from the Burgemeester and an Alderman then I was presented with a replica key to the town, diploma and authenticated record that I was now an Honorary Citizen of Tessenderlo. My contribution was a thank you speech in Flemish (P) (at least the laughter broke the ice). and a Life Guard and RHG bust. As ifI had not been given enough, Joss Hermans, the Town Clerk presented me with a 12" diameter pewter wall clock, engraved with my name etc. It was to remind me of my time in Tessenderlo. 1944 and

mile from the bridge, I dismounted and walked towards it keeping under cover of the hedgerow. However, on reaching the canal I could not see the bridge, so returned to the Scout Car and by this time I was besieged by the inhabitants of four nearby houses, who explained that when the British Army ‘retired’ towards

Dunkirk in 1940, they very effectively demolished it. We did not fire a single shot that day, but to those people we were still their liberators. When first asked if I would accept the Honorary Citizenship, I suggested it be given to 2 HCR, but it is a personal decoration and has only been awarded to three other people, a former Belgian Prime Minister Senator and national poet. We should not forget that

some of the inhabitants of Tessenderlo had

seen

two

occupations

by

Germans in their lifetime.

The celebration went on until the early hours and I had a long chat with the Colonel of the Grenadier Carabiniers who like his counterparts in The British Army has problems, one being that any order issued in the Belgian Army has to be in three languages ~ Flemish, French and German. The German is for those Chasseur Regiments based and con— scripted in the Ardennes.

On 9th September, we set off for Valkenswaard in Holland, the first town to be liberated on 17th Sept 1944, but seven days earlier a bit of history was in the making for on 10th Sept, the Irish Guards Group, commanded by Colonel J O E Vandeleur captured the all important bridge over the Escaut Canal, acting upon information received from Lieut Cresswell and CoH Cutler who had bor— rowed two bicycles and cycled to a large factory overlooking the canal, then climbed to the top floor, pin pointing the German 88mm and machine gun nests.

We had another two days of being entertained by many old friends then our farewell in the Town Hall before entering the final phase of our journey. At this stage, some explanation is necessary for all the hospitality and cere— mony whilst we were there. Simply on 6th Sept 1944 our objective was the bridge over the Albert Canal. The usual ‘seize and hold’ exercise — but there was a

difference, for having halted about 1/2

At 4.30 pm the Micks stormed the bridge and routed the Germans. Back to the present day, on 10th September, the Irish Guards held a commemorative service at the memorial to Colonel ‘Joe’, they had invited us to attend and it was very moving to see about 60 school chil— dren come and lay their wreaths with

finally a meagre bread ration in the evening. Prisoners were forbidden to talk and they did not even know the name of the man in the next bunk. Having seen the torture chamber, one could sense the evil atmosphere that still exists today. Later that evening out car collected

us again and dropped us off at the south end of the town where the road was blocked by crowds of people - out of the crowd came the Burgemeester and his wife, who presented me with a large bou— quet. Then as the crowds parted I could see a Humber Staff Car — 1942 vintage - I sat with the driver, my wife and Juliette in the rear and with the town band lead— ing, followed by 90 invited guests we processed through the crowded streets to

the Community Centre where a guard of

Rece/wng Go/d medal for Meritorious Sen/Ices to the ley.

Household Cavalry News Household Cavalry News

the

1994.


those of the Micks and Belgian Geheim Leger of Lommel (Secret Army). There

driver Bob Buckley followed at a respectable distance. En route we met

followed a reception in the village hall,

Father Girts and his friend from the vil—

and the children sang many wartime songs in English of course!

lage of Berkel, they took our photographs then we pressed on carefully until I saw a German Mercedes Staff Car, with driver and two officers aboard, Instead of shoot~ ing them up, we simply followed — much to their annoyance - and by the time we reached the Dommel Bridge we were doing 55/60 mph, but this is where our joy-ride stopped for on one side of the bridge was a German MKIV looking at us. Within seconds, Bateman was in reverse and going like a ‘bat out of hell’. The cafe was 3 km back towards Belgium and as we arrived back there Lieutenant BJ and Buckley were just arriving. We all had a few drinks with the people in the cafe and I made two attempts to reach the bridge on foot but met German infantry patrols. So as there was no future here we made a speedy return to the Micks' bridgehead and apart from some bullet holes in the rear of the Scout Car from some irate Germans we were unscathed.

Next day 11th Sept, after an early

breakfast we went to the Cafe Rustoord which lies on the Luiterweg, the main road from Belgium into Holland, as Dutch TV wanted me to do a re—run of the recce carried out exactly 50 years ago. A Daimler Scout Car belonging to my friend Riny Harinck took me down to Joe’s Bridge from where we had set out and I recall the words of cheer from the gunner of the leading Sherman, ‘we promise not to shoot at you if you come backi Our route along the Luitwerweg, which must surely be the longest straight road in Europe with a slight bend where it crossed the river Dommel, 2 km south of Valkenswaard. Bateman and I lead, Lieutenant Buchanan—Jardine and his

Having spent over an hour with the TV crew we re-joined the main party at Cafe Rustoord and here I was presented with a key to the Cafe (pub). A little later we were joined by Sir Rupert B J and Bob Buckley and unveiled a memorial which commemorates our arrival there 50 years ago. Next day the 'Micks' were guests of honour at the Burgemeester’s reception in the Town Hall and presented them with a Standard. This was really the grand finale in Valkenswaard but having received many invitations to visit friends we stayed until 22 Sept and I can assure you that three weeks of hospitality is hard but most enjoyable work. In conclusion I only have one regret and that is the absence of my driver Ted Bateman, who we were not able to trace and without him I would not be alive today.

Brigadier Holmes, Commander 5A8 Bde, inspects the NCOs' Cadre Course.

Spruce Meadow’s 3 - 12 Sept 1994 Once again, the invitation was extended to the Household Cavalry to take part in now the largest showjumping tournament in the world. It takes place in the outskirts of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The prize money in the Du Maurier International alone was over 300.000 Canadian Dollars. This year, unlike previous years, we had to fly out with all the competition horses from Europe. This made for an uncomfortable flight and made our stables at home smell like the scent depart— ment at Harrods. We finally arrived in Canada, having had a brief stay in Frankfurt,

HI‘RI 1:5»

sir-vi?- ermw : H a»

.‘sA

, ._ e»:

.

“"c‘

has,“

SCp/ Hunter, LCp/ Squtre, Capt Hamilton-Russell. Tpr Semczyszym and Tpr Maskrey looking for the stride in front of one of the smaller fences. Our jobs at Spruce Meadows included a form of sentry duty called Colour Guards and escorting the winners of each competition into the arena and then leading them on a lap of honour. With upwards of 35,000 cheering Canadians looking on, this was somewhat like the

tional Competition, on being asked what the differences were between Milton and the horse he had won on, Granusch, he replied in his typical Yorkshire manner “Their colour”.

Once again we were looked after very well by the Southerns and Spruce Meadows and we all returned with memories to savour. The Spruce Meadows Team:

start of the Grand National. We were not helped by the odd, love struck stallion chasing us around the stadium. The two most memorable moments were watching Peter Charles of Ireland clearing 6ft 6" in the 6 bar jumping, and John Whitaker, having won nearly 200,000 Canadian Dollars in the interna—

It became clear that a lot of mileage could be made by the younger members in telling the female population of Calgary that we were appearing at Spruce Meadows. The fact that we were going around the fences not over them, seemed unimportant in the early hours in downtown Calgary.

Capt Hamilton-Russell, SCpl Hunter, CoH Goodwin, LCpl Squire, Tpr

Maskrey,

Tpr

Semczyszyn.

General Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick, Colonel The Blues and Royals-is shown

toolwear by the Quartermaster, Maj O’Ha/loran. Col—l Mackenzre, Lt Col Falkner and WOl Halbrook look on

40

Household Cavalry News

Lt GoodwinHudson, Maj WaterhOL/se. Mr Paddy Ashdown. Mag/a/ 870 Checkpornt (Spotty Dog).


The Reg/mental Corpora/s Major of the two Regiments of Househo/d Cavalry W07 (RCM) What/9y, W01 (ROM) Sackett

DRAG vrsits A San Hangar Maj Gen Ha//, Capt Athenon RCD, CoH Crrpps, Lt Col Falkner, Capt Tar/mg,

Ma/ Thorneycroft‘ W07 (ROM) Ho/brook..

Lt Prtman and S/Cp/ Waygood after rece/vrng the GOC London District's

i. The Rid/no Adasfer W02 O'Da/y, Capt Fraser and SCp/ Waygood at

Cornmeno’at/on for halting a runaway carriage.

Summer (:‘amp,

The Commanding Officer, Lt Col Fa/kner oerng one/ed on demo/«tron work.

The TENT/Shea Product ‘ ’70 9W”

The Lr/e Guards Mounted Squadron forming up for The Garter Ceremony


, .~ g. ...- ~42. -1 Capt Tar/mg and W02 (R/WO) Evans.

N_

A G5 Project - Ma] McCu//ough, Bosn/a 1994.

35.1'

Mag/a] Schoo/r D Sqrr base, Bosn/‘a.

. . The Co/orre/ of The Lr/e Guards, Maj G/rffrn and Co/ Ellery.

Br/ Q Parker Bow/es and [he LI Co! CWU 770’


it

-.

,

_\

OOH Shre/ds on Rnaxrvaha Tra/nrng Area Canada. Ex Map/e Exchange.

CoH Gray, CoH Biron, 88g! Thomas, CoH Mil/s, CoH Lananan, CoH Voyce. Sen/or Ranks Dinner Nr'gnt, Bosn/a.

SUD/30’? Troop, demonstratron, Windsor Great Park.

The French Mr/rfdry Ame/79 bang we/connad by LCOH Jones dunng the Mr/rlary AHECNGS

The fiCTW’rtaar‘rr. \ve/cormng an unseen \‘srror [0 [he

WM [0 (To/Manners Barracks January I991!

Ear/Manor, W/ng,


Gorazde and Back by Captain G W Howson LG

“WIT Miro-fill: err

Vane-m- 52%.. a

7’" 97'3" ‘»‘$’~:‘ém~ nn-i

Household Cavalry Standards at the Army Benevolent Fund 50th Anniversary Parade.

Truly United , A Jordanian, a Brit, a Bangladeshi, a Kenyan, , United by Carlsberg. June ‘94.

aving

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at

my ample stomach was enough to put

Gorazde, through Serb territory, could

Beaconsfield,learning Serbo—Croat, I was deployed to Bosnia in

spent

three

months

him off. I found myself doing all sorts of extraordinary things, from referee-

ing to pass through at least ten Serb

May 1994 as a Military Colloquial

ing football matches to counting artillery explosions while picnicking

military checkpoints.

Speaker. Having been told that I was to go to Maglaj, we stopped in Zepce

in the sunshine.

genial

for the night, after travelling all day. I was grabbed by the company comman— der on arrival, given a bed—space and it was a further two months before I arrived in Maglaj. However, nobody made any enquiries as to my where— abouts, so they were obviously not aware that they were to receive anoth— er interpreter!

I was immediately put

take anything up to sixteen hours, hav-

The mood of

the Serbs varied from charming and to

drunken, sullen, trigger

happy and extremely unpredictable. Within three weeks I was told that it would be good to have a British offi-

Very suspicious of any means of com-

cer interpreting at a press conference due to take place the following day.

they often tried to steal cameras and

munication, like cameras and videos,

film from UN personnel.

They even

With only twelve weeks of language experience under my belt, I was led

tried to open letters and parcels to our

out like a lamb to the slaughter, in front of various TV cameras. After a

Granny Hilda in Hatfield really con—

soldiers, claiming that parcels from

tained ammunition for the Muslims in to work by the Royal Anglians as a liai— son officer, visiting local military and

prolonged slanging match in Serbo the enclaves!

however, while on a familiarisation

Croat, which I translated as blandly as possible, I had to admit that I had actually made up at least 60% of what

patrol, the Land Rover in which we were travelling was engaged with small

the assembled crowd had said. To those amongst the pressmen who

arms fire from some rather disgruntled

spoke SerboeCroat, this had been plainly obvious from the puzzled

civilian authorities.

On my first day,

That particular episode

caused one convoy to be stuck at a checkpoint for exactly seven days and one hour. We refused to open the mail so we were denied passage. It eventu» ally took General Rose’s intervention

and bored Serbs. I could not believe that some one had dared to shoot at an

After six months of chatting to

officer in The Life Guards when we

Bosnians of all three factions, and \‘is-

had not even met, let alone had an

After two months in the Zepce area, I was sent down at short notice to

iting many different areas of Bosnia, I

argument! Thankfully, that first day was not typical of the remainder of the

start a new job, directly responsible to the Brigadier. An officer in The

was able to build up an amazing

breed such bigotry and bloody—mindedness.

of being shot was far worse than actu—

Queen’s Royal Hussars and I were to command convoys, delivering supplies to the British forces in Gorazde. The

ally being shot at. Perhaps the size of

sixty mile journey from Sarajevo to

what changes have taken place.

tour.

Having also had a Kalashnikov

pointed at my tummy by an irate Serbian peasant, I found that the fear

2HCR Officers in Holland at the 50th Anniversary celebrations. L to R clockwise: Jonkneer Groeninx van Zoe/an van RidderkerkMa/ GD Cooper, Ma] Gen DJ St M Tabor, Capt RMA Palmer, Capt JB Seylried, Brig Sir Jeffrey and Lady Darrell, Capt AFA Hughes, Capt / Clark, Mrs Cooper

to sort it out with Karadzic himself.

expressions on their faces!

insight into the culture which can

I return to Zepce in March

1995 and it will be fascinating to see

Household Cavalry News


A Year at Sandhurst

Sergeant, that exemplary figure who, often through wonderful humour, could lift the moral of the Platoon in the worst of circumstances.

By Cornet A] Mayhew RHG/D

The

hat a shock it was. The beginning that is.

I can remember quite

the individual through a spectrum of emotions, from joy and exhilaration, to

Lessons in Faraday Hall, the academic

in the Army. The initial week was so full

side of Sandhurst, were always interesting.

of activity, collecting kit, measurements

They provided a period of more relaxed

for uniforms, health checks, bulling shoes,

study in a schedule that was often extreme-

halls of study, cleaning rooms, marching

ly hectic. I can remember thinking that

around in squads etc., that from six in the

the hardships which Sandhurst has to offer

morning to twelve at night we were con—

were made up for by the standard of

stantly on the move. And these people I

instruction both in Faraday Hall, and in

was with, that formed Three Platoon

that universal ‘sleeping bag’, the Churchill

Inkerman Company, twenty seven other

Hall (does anyone dare deny that they have

guys all from different places and back—

not succumbed, at least once in their miliOfficer Cadet Mayhew on the right.

dubious halt, I saluted smartly to be Entry into Sandhurst is similar to div—

at

Sovereign’s Competition.

I felt as though I had spent my entire life

were they like?

Course

Sandhurst has an amazing ability to take

vividly how after three days at Sandhurst,

grounds, all scrutinising each other. What

Commissioning

though we did not do so well in the

despair and suffering (mental and physi— cal). One learns the limits to which the body and mind can be taken (much fur— ther than one would have ever thought possible before entering Sandhurst). The material taught, that is the military skills and drills derived from previous operational experience, is all fascinating. Sandhurst is never boring. There were

many times when the light at the end of the tunnel grew very faint, and the question posed, “What in the world am I doing here?” But it is worth it in the end. One feels a great pride and sense of achievement by walking up those Old College steps. It proves that you can do it and there is no way you want to miss that Commissioning Ball!

My First Horse Show by Capt JP Barclay RHG/D I

tism with fire, I think they call it. So

what makes it so demanding and if

Waimed my horse at the first

ith

intense

concentration

ended my first horseshow, an internal-

you make one mistake you are general-

tary career, to sleep in that great lecture

jump, the first of ten; and though I

ly

Combermere

ly out of the running. You have to

theatre?) Presentations on military tech—

attempted to remain in trot, as I had

Barracks. If an observer had blinked

firstly examine the course layout and

nology, aspects of leadership, historical

seen the 'experts' do, inevitably I broke

he/she would have missed my blister—

type in great detail, then judge your

campaigns, and personal operational expe—

into a canter. Well at least I had man-

ing performance. To have devoted the

warm up correctly and finally operate

rience were of a very high standard, and

aged to salute and call out my name,

whole weekend to this event and for it

within such tight confines allowing

often inspirational (an important ingredi—

and that of my hopefully trusty steed,

to have been over so rapidly, I consid-

huge scope for error. It is this chal-

ent in any lecture to fledgling officers as

without giving away my nervousness.

ered

lenge, and the requirement of great

were the Black Adder video clipsl).

Anyway, on with the business in

However, I now recognise that this is

skill in order to do well, that I now

hand ..... that’s the first out of the way,

the nature of showjumping. One has

realise outweighs the many hours

and the second - well done horse; now

long periods of relative inactivity and

spent waiting around in order to end

*I A *l... how embarrassing! Well bap—

short periods of high intensity. This is

up 'eating dirt' once again.

organised

one

at

asked, “Do you expect to pass with that ing into a fast flowing river, the plunge performance?”

“Yes, Sir.” I replied.

I

once taken is hard to rescind, and one is was then asked which regiment I was swept away by the turbulent current. The

it

time

rather

badly

spent.

hoping to join (The Blues and Royals), if military environment closes in around there was a family connection (no), and oneself so totally that all else is forgotten whether or not I had any relations in the temporarily, and if remembered seen only Army (yes). Finally, I was dismissed with at a distance.

After a year of travelling, a sharp, “Piss off you donkey—walloper,

and four years at university (where one

I”

you’ve failed

But this esteemed mem-

could essentially do whatever one wished, ber of a distinguished Foot Guards regiwhen and where one wished to do it, or ment was half smiling as he said it, and it not at all) the structured Sandhurst day, was with a feeling of relief that I later lack of personal space, and restriction of found a pass scored next to my name. freedom, was a definite jolt to the system. And so there I was in the first five weeks, Sandhurst was much more progres— taking it all in, keeping my head above sive than I thought it would be. We were water, following the drills, pulling the trig— not beasted around too much (though ger at the right time, playing the ‘grey that

does

depend

on

your

Colour

man’ within the composite body of the Sergeant), and we were not run into the Platoon, and trying to stay in step on the

parade square.

ground

on

terrible

endurance runs

straight away. PT was actually enjoyable, and it was always amusing to see the dif— It was on that solid acre of darkened tarmac in front of Old College, that I first

ferent levels of physical co-ordination in

ran foul of my Colour Sergeant. After a

the aerobics warm ups. Our standard of

particularly frustrating period of drill, in

fitness was gradually increased, so that

which my name had been acrimoniously

where before the EFT had been a strug-

mentioned more than once, he shouted

gle, by the beginning ofthe third term the

across the parade square, “Mr. Mayhew

CFT seemed a doddle (or almost). This

where do you think you are? You’re on

did also have something to do with our

the wrong grid reference, wrong planet.

Company Commander, who had us run-

You’re not an officer cadet, you’re a space cadet!” With the memory of these words ringing in my ears, it was therefore with

ning CFTs, and towing 1.5 ton pack how-

were in free periods, or off to France on

some intrepidation that I marched out in

their Platoon Commander’s day out. But

itzers, when the remainder of the College

front of the Academy Sergeant Major, at

it did set Marne Company (which is what

the end of the fifth week, for the ‘Passing Offthe Square’ inspection. With a rather

we had become in the second term) apart, and we thought we were the best, even

The challenge of Sandhurst was most keenly felt on exercise, and it was in the field that one’s mental and physical resilience was tried. Command tasks combined with sleep deprivation, long route marches (Ex Dragon’s Challenge through scenic Wales, at over 65 km, in 22 hrs, was one ofthe killers), trench dig— ging and bad weather, are all highly effective tests of one’s determination. The key to passing the course is, I think, never to give up, no matter how tired, cold, wet, angry or frustrated one becomes. It was at these low points that the team spirit, fostered through those multitude of shared experiences throughout the course, was of vital importance. For when you yourselfwere at the lowest of the low, there always seemed to be somebody who was not, someone to talk you through the black spot. Everybody went through them at different times, so we all helped each other. Seeing and accepting each other’s fallibilities, and star qualities, invariably rounded the edges off everybody’s individual character, so that the initial jar— ring and scraping of personalities within the Platoon was gradually replaced by a team cohesion that was a privilege to be a part of. And if all else failed (though I cannot remember it ever quite reaching that point) there was our Colour

by L/Sgt White AGC (SPS)

expected to complete a 16 week riding course at the Household Cavalry Training Wing in Windsor, beginning in December. Having completed this very arduous course, I was glad to get back into my normal routine as clerk of The Life Guards Mounted Squadron Office, and occasionally riding of course!

On the day of the competition the butterflies began to appear and having watched the other competitors my thoughts of staying on my horse seemed to be the only thing on my mind. There were teams getting clear rounds, some getting a few faults and even some being disqualified, and soon it was our turn. Well the Squadron Leader decided that it was only fair that he went first, with no arguments from myself or the Squadron Corporal Major. This acted as a booster to morale as we watched in anticipation as he ran a clear round. Corporal Major Hickman went next only to be disqualified for three refusals.

In early April I was asked by Major Griffin, The Life Guards Squadron Leader if I had entered the Regimental Show Jumping competition against the Royal Horse Artillery which was due to take place on 23/34 April. Having replied no, I found myself entered in the team event with Major Griffin and WOZ (SCM) Hickman, a thought which made me a little apprehen» sive due to this being my first riding event since passing out of riding school.

It was then my turn and as I entered the arena I heard cheers from some mem— bers of my old riding school course wishing me luck and saying that ifI fell it was my round at the bar. I proceeded to the control station and paid my compliments to the Commanding Officer, then I began my round. Having cleared the first fence I felt relieved and began to get my confi— dence back, and carried on to the second. On landing I felt a little unsteady and

aving transferred from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment to the Adjutant General’s Corps in July 1993 I found myself posted to the Household

Cavalry

Mounted

Regiment

in

Knightsbridge. This move proved to be a totally new experience for me especially

when I was informed that I would be

.___ . ‘ 2% L/Sgt White. now a 83 r/det realised that I had lost my right stirrup; I tried as best as I could to get it back but to no avail. I realised then that the only thing I could do was to give it my best shot and try to complete the course. It was to my amazement, and the crowd’s, that having completed the course, I had completed a clear round. This made me realise that although the 16 weeks of riding school were hard and tiring, I had achieved something and I had played my part in a team with my new Regiment.

Household Cavalry News 42

Household Cavalry News


Over 50 years Ago

car while under enemy fire and was sub— sequently awarded an immediate Military Cross.

by Major (Retd) AW Kersting (late RHG/D) hen the War broke out in 1939, the

Household Cavalry, the Royal Dragoons and the Scots Greys were the only Cavalry Regiments who still retained their horses. At that time the Royal Dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel R F Heyworth, were serving in Palestine, but by Christmas

1940 the last horses had left the Regiment and the conversion to Armoured Cars was well under way. When general mobilization was ordered The Life Guards were stationed at Hyde Park Barracks, and The Royal Horse Gusrds at Windsor, and the Regiments were quickly reorganised into three units: (1) The Household Cavalry Composite Regiment to take the field. (2) The Household Cavalry Reserve Regiment, to carry on with the nor— mal London duties.

(3) The Household Cavalry Training Regiment to train the necessary reinforcements.

FINAL MOUNTED PARADE

788264. On arrival he found the Bridge When the mad world, grown mad intact, under heavy shell fire, prepared for demolition and overlooked by the enemy from the high ground to the East. He immediately dismounted and went forward on foot, pulled out the demoli— tion detonators from the charges and threw them in the river. During this period bridges could be heard being blown on each flank. For this action he was rec— ommended by the Commanding Officer, Lt Col H Able Smith, for an immediate

with speed, The Household Cavalry Composite Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel E J L Speed, with their horses, were posted to Palestine in February 1940. Early 1941 saw conversion of the Household Cavalry into two Motorized Battalions, and some nine months later further conversion into two Armoured Car Regiments:

At her new master’s call Hos buried in the flowery mead The last horse of them all; I like to think from every land And far beyond the wave A crowd ofghosts will come and stand In grief around that grave. A crowd of Kings and Counters,

lHCR commanded by Lieutenant Colonel A H Ferguson

w’

ZHCR commanded by Lieutenant

Who long have laid aside their spurs

Colonel Henry Abel Smith

And will not ride again.

2 HCR On 6 September 1944 CoH Thompson’s Troop was ordered to seize and hold a bridge over the River Dyle at Louvain. The Troop encountered heavy

Of horseman 0f the years,

'

72) stand there in the starlit shade

fire gone.

Troop Leader ordered Corporal of Horse Thompson to cross a small bridge to the left of the main bridge, in order to cover a road junction of three roads. Corporal of Horse Thompson found a hole in the middle of the small bridge. Under heavy fire he dismounted from his Armoured Car and pulled a door and some planks over the hole, which enabled his car to cross. He then held the road junction against the SS, who made many attempts to destroy him. Much of the time his Gunner was firing to the front

Whilst Corporal of Horse Thompson was

During the Battle of El Alamein, a troop from A Squadron, led by CoH Grant, and consisting of only two armoured cars, came under heavy fire.

firing his revolver to flank and rear. He was awarded the DCM.

One ofthe cars was hit and immobilized.

Major Daly led his Squadron in action from the day 2 HCR landed in Normandy, July 13th 1944, until the cessation of hostilities.

CoH Grant took his own car over to it, An NCO reading Instructions to a section about to go on patrol Syria/Palestine border 7940.

and under heavy fire, fixed a tow rope

During early June a patrol, under Lieutenant A L Rook, captured a German in his OP near Gamberele. He belonged to 66 Artillery Regiment and was taken, complete with marked maps giving positions and reference codes on him. The capture was an outstanding

established his OP at first light. He observed a German O.P.. not far off all that morning and then, leaving his companion behind, went forward and stalked the German OP got into it, took the German NCO completely by surprise from behind and thrust his pistol into his ribs, marching him off with all his maps and papers without a sound. The rest of the German Post was not more than 100 yards away and he could hear them talking. He also had to pass

feat on the part of Lieutenant Rook, for

through a minefield on his way.

which he was awarded the Military Cross. He had moved out during the night, accompanied by one man, and

1 HCR returned to England after four and a half years abroad.

award of the Military Medal.

Italy

from houses and side streets. His

And weep, ifghosts have tears

he Regiment was subjected to heavy air attack at Palmyra. One ‘plane came straight at Trooper Reeve and his Hotchkiss Gun. Heavy fire was exchanged between them and Trooper Reeve won, bringing down the ‘plane like a pheasant. For this action he was awarded the Military Medal, the first decoration won by the Regiment.

for which he received the immediate

3

Capt AJR Collins and Lt 00/ H Abel Smith parading through Brussels io/lowrng /iberation September 7944.

The flower of the Long Cavalcade The last days of the horse in the Household Cavalry Service Regiments and The Royal Dragoons had come and

.--.

award of the Military Cross. Famed Knights midfighting men,

1 HCR Syria

and successfully towed it out of action,

On the 15 August, Lieutenant David Tabor was ordered to recce Bridge

North-West Europe The advance along the coast road from Slade was met with strong resistance. The Hitler Youth Movement were

much to the fore. C Squadron occupied Dudenbuttel at 1015 hours. The Leading Troop under Lieutenant Redgrave rushed

on

to

the

outskirts

of

Himmelpforten, where Lieutenant Redgrave’s car was hit by a bazooka. His Driver killed and his Operator, Corporal Smith, who had been with the Regiment since Western Desert days, severely wounded. Lieutenant Redgrave got Corporal Smith out of the turret of the

By his coolness, courage and total disregard to his own safety, he had been a great leader and inspiration to his men. The very high morale of A Squadron throughout the operations had been largely due to the example of this outstanding Squadron Leader. For this action he was recommended by the Commanding Officer, Lt Col H Abel Smith, for an award of DSO. CoH Jenkins was on a patrol in Rochfort in the Ardennes. He was contacting a U.S. force who had made a strong point of the local hotel. Whilst he was obtaining information from the Americans, the hotel was heavily attacked by German Infantry and tanks. All the American vehicles were destroyed, also CoH Jenkins’ scout car. The Americans received heavy casualties and it was decided to evacu— ate if possible, They split up into two parties, one under command the American Company and the other under CoH Jenkins. He reconnoitered and dis— covered a railway which was apparently not covered by the enemy. He succeeded, under heavy fire, to lead his party of Americans through the German lines and twelve miles across country to the nearest < British positions. By

‘ his 4H7 Troop C Squadron

initiative

and

courage he was instrumental in extricating several Americans from death or capture. For this action he was recommended by the Commanding Officer for a Silver Star.

On 22 Sept 1944 Lieutenant A Young’s Troop was ordered to make contact with the Polish paratroops south of Arnhem. In the early morning mist, Lieutenant Young’s Troop passed through the six miles of enemy country, half an hour behind Captain Wrottersley’s Troop. Lieutenant Young’s Troop, owing to his initiative and drive, successfully reached the Poles and all subsequent attempts by tanks and infantry were unable to get through until many hours later, owing to enemy tanks, SP guns and infantry.

On his arrival in the Poles’ area, an enemy attack developed from the south and subsequently heavy enemy attacks were made on the Polish position throughout the day. Throughout the day Lieutenant Young’s Troop, being the only armour available, was used to assist in repelling attacks. By his resource and courage, several enemy armoured vehicles and many infantry were destroyed, and all attacks

repulsed. At the request of the CRE 43 Div, Lieutenant Young made detailed recce of the river bank under very heavy fire. For this action he was recommended for an immediate award of the MC.

Household Cavalry News Household Cavalry News


ROYAL DRAGOONS

Palestine During

a

search

at

Sabbarin

Lieutenant Makins discovered a wooden false back to a recess in the wall of an arab building. He took an axe and hacked away the woodwork. Behind it, hidden by a pile of brushwood, was a secret chamber in which the torch revealed three crouching fugitives. His vigilance was well rewarded, for one of the three was Salim El Jaabi, a notorious rebel upon whose head the Government had placed the price of £50.00, which made its happy entry into the funds of the Regimental Institute.

Ben Ghazi

.o

Italians surrender to a Marmon Harrington Ml< ///. Men of the famous Bersag/ieri Regiment gave themselves up to one armoured car of the Household Cavalry. So certain were the Italians of the good treatment they would receive that they did not even raise their hands when. they surrendered.

The Royal Dragoons, who had been relieved by the Kings Dragoon Guards on Boxing Day, 1943 went into the line again on the 29th with patrols running north from Bu Ngem. The enemy resistance consisted of patrols of Armoured Cars and Armoured Lorries. On the first day in his new area Lieutenant Riddell, with no more than three cars for his troop, ambushed a column of ten Armoured Cars, destroyed one and routed the remainder. But, two days later, Sergeant Hogarth, who was in command ofa troop, was himselfsurprised by three enemy armoured cars, among the pleated

sand dunes ofthe Waki Kebir. Two of his cars were destroyed in the first encounter, but Sergeant Hogarth, where a less stout-hearted fighter would have fled, stopped his car and manned his gun himself. He promptly knocked out two ofhis antagonists, and the remaining one took to flight.

mand ofthe ZHCR (Lieutenant Colonel Abel Smith). After two days ZHCR were withdrawn and The Royal Dragoons took over command of the sector.

Arnhem During one detached engagement Lieutenant Goodall had a minor war in the village of Eerde, having been driven

In January 1944 The Royal Dragoons returned to England after serving overseas for five and a half years.

out with the loss of both his armoured cars. A mile back his Scout Car was commanded by Major Balfour. This was a corporal’s job, but this newly appointed

France & Normandy Squadron Leader had chosen this way of On the afternoon of the 14 August 1944, two Troops of D Squadron were sent out, under the Command of Lieutenant Shaw to occupy and hold the village of Bonnoeuil, seven miles northwest of Falaise. They entered the village and surprised a German infantry detach~ ment there, which they completely annihilated, killing or capturing 60 men. They were soon counter—attacked, but held their bridgehead against the most determined onslaught until after dark, when the Infantry at last arrived to relieve them. For this exploit Lieutenant Shaw was decorated.

learning his job. He scraped up sixty willing anti»aircraft gunners, a mixed bag of twenty-five semi—combatants and some

Americans,

who

included

the defence as German infantry, backed by guns, made their assault. Throwing the enemy back, Major Balfour put in a three—pronged attack and re—opened the road. Lieutenant Goodall and his Driver were taken prisoner, but escaped in the confusion.

Few Regiments can have bettered the record of The Royal Dragoons for

On 2 November 1944 The Royal Dragoons relieved the Inns of Court Regiment upon the Maas, just south of Grave. Here they came under the com-

the Second World War, either in length of service abroad, or in geographical scope, The Regiment received over 100 Honours and Awards during WWII.

Retirement of Mrs Cheesman The Daily Telegraph WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1994 "a

Lights out

.. “swirliiati’rurf” Breda car with Sgt Hogarth.

THE claret was “exceptional” at a Household Cavalry Regiment dinner last week. Some 50 officers gathered at Combermere Barracks, Windsor, to say goodbye to Lt-Col Simon Falkner, CO. Maj Simon Doughty opened the speeches. He handed over to Falkner, a fine

raconteur undone only by his determi— * .

ifBack Flow L to Ft:

Surgeon Major CM Stone, Dr N McClure, Dr JPA Page, Dr D Stewart,

Front Row L to R:

Surgeon Ma/Of CAJ O‘Kane, Dr AYD Moss Dr M Charter Mrs Vl? Cheesman, Dr JM Stewart

At the end of December 1994 Mrs Betty Cheesman retired as the Medical Centre recep— tionist and secretary following over 30 years service to the Household Cavalry. On 15th December Mrs Cheesman was dined out in the Officers’ House by former and serving Regimental Medical Officers of The Household Cavalry. During the previous week the

officers at Regimental Duty had entertained Mrs Cheesman to lunch and presented her Lt Pat Campbell and C San Sgts.

L to F? Lt Evers, Major Heathcote-Amory Lt Whitworth. Lt Thix MC,

with a silver alms dish bearing the inscription: 7?) Mrs Cheesman firm; all rattles of 7712 Hmrrcltald Cavalry in granmdefor 323mm lqval service

nation to say something about each offi— cer present. Both ends of the table—traditional subaltern territory—became restless as the CO hit 45 minutes. Then another speaker, quite unscheduled, leapt to his feet. Maj Harry Scott normally has a feel for an ugly crowd but before he could utter a word an over-refreshed captain shouted “Time please, gentlemen” and the candles were snuffed out one by one. The three speakers were left, in the pitch black, to watch 48 glowing cigar ends retreat to the safety of the ante room.

Lt Pie/den. Lt Paton.

Household Cavalry News

a

General’s ADC. Three tanks thickened

Household Cavalry News


Edinburgh State Visit

and made its way along Princes’ Street

Glen towards Arthur’s Seat which must

with the 42 gun salute being fired from

have been quite a sight for the public who were in the park.

the walls of Edinburgh Castle (resulting in one involuntary dismount by a young he undoubted highlight of the year for many at HCMR was the State Visit of the King and Queen of Norway. It had been many years since we had taken part in a Scottish State Visit and we began to build up the horses in early May for the activities ahead. The movement of horses and men up to Edinburgh passed off without a hitch and we settled into Redford Barracks as guests of The Gordon Highlanders who could not have been more welcoming despite what the horses were leaving on the previously immaculate drill square.

Life Guard who narrowly avoided play-

On 6 July Major R R D Griffin com-

ing chicken with the Royal Carriage).

manded a Single Standard Escort taking

After safely delivering the Royal Party to

the

the Palace of Holyrood House the Escort

Assembly Rooms in George Street and thus

ranked past Their Majesties and then cantered up the grass of the Galloping

concluding Edinburgh.

Norwegian

our

Royal

Party

official

to

duties

the

in

The whole two week soujourn in Scotland proved to be a great success; we even managed to include a visit to our affiliated ship, HMS Westminster which docked at Rosyth. On the last day of our stay the officers rode, for lunch, to Dreghorn Barracks, as guests of The Queen’s Own Highlanders. It was a good way to round off a visit that The Regiment hopes it will not have to wait another nine-

teen years to repeat.

Exercise Cockney Viking Paragliding in Bavaria, by Lt M JG Hamilton-Russell RHG/D Capt Bagne/l on Harvester H? the Pent/and H/‘l/s.

Spirits were high throughout the visit in part due to the warm reception we got from every quarter of Edinburgh society. It made a great change to have people coming out of their houses to wave and cheer for the morning Watering Order. One elderly lady asked of a troop where they had come from. “London”, they replied. “Nice ride”, she observed, oblivious to the invention of the horse box. Just before we began our long mornings of rehearsals and briefin— gs we were able to ride as a Regiment up

into the Pentlands above Edinburgh and once the morning mists had cleared it was a wonderful sight to see 160 horses and men lined up with Edinburgh Castle and the Firth of Forth as a backdrop.

The first Escort took place on 4 July and the weather kept us cloaked up throughout.

But having recently been

on parade for the Garter Service, it was rather fitting that we were taking part

)

in the Thistle Service Escort and it gave us some practise on the steep cobbles of The Royal Mile in preparation for the larger double Standard Escort the next day. The Double Standard Escort, commanded by the Commanding Officer, Lt Col H P D Massey, was the main event of the State Visit for the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

wonder if any one can picture the scene? A Germanic ski cottage set amongst snow covered pine trees, ski slopes with a roaring log fire and a busty barmaid handing out large beers when requested. This is where a team of 17 from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment went for two weeks either to learn or become advanced in the skills of paragliding. (I have to admit there was no barmaid). For those not “au fait” with the art of Paragliding, it is very similar to parachuting except you have no plane to gain altitude, you simply run and jump from the top of a mountain. “Easy” you may all think, well actually not quite; there are at least five full days of training before even getting close to a mountain where you learn how to land properly, which ropes to pull where and when, the theoretical practice of flight and thermal activities, and most importantly and the most difficult, how to pull the canopy directly above your head before setting off into the wind. All this took place in Bavaria, about 50 miles south west of Munich only about 30 minutes from the Austrian bor— der, and about 300 miles from the border of Bosnia Herzegovina. It is an area of exceptional beauty with breathtaking views in any direction.

Ma/ Lane Fox Inspects the Officers of The Blues and Roya/s Squadron at Ed/nburgh.

Any period of free time the instruc» tor chose to give us, we used to either go skiing or tobogganing. LCpl Moore had only just come back from the Regimental Ski team in Vebier so was very able to

Lt Hamilton Russell and RAF friends.

give us all some valuable lessons except for Tpr “Franz Clammer” Daly and Lt Rees Davies who chose to pose on his own on a mono board. Even if there was no sun he would cover his face with multi coloured face cream, therefore becoming a “local” and fashion victim. The skiing was very much enjoyed, especially as we were kindly loaned six sets of skis and boots from The Household Cavalry Regiment which made it all the cheaper. Having bought four one—man toboggans one was immediately broken, and the other three became two—man unstoppable death traps as the likes of Tprs Knaggs, Garton and Brownlow discovered how to aerodynamically position their bodies in order for maximum speed. Unfortunately Tpr Hodgson set off without preparing his braking procedure. This resulted in a broken foot very early on in the fortnight, therefore he became a master at washing-up. Tpr

Hodgson was not the only casualty however; Maj Robertson took a very unfortunate dive from the practice winch from about fifty feet in the air, resulting in four days in Kempton Hospital. This gave us all a solemn reminder of what a dangerous sport it is. The fortnight finished with the beginners completing and passing their appropriate exams, both practical and theoretical and the advanced members passing theirs. The return journey was uneventful except for the French authorities in Strasbourg, who decided that there was no way two full minibuses of English sol— diers could possibly be clean. They were probably right as we were all searched in silence whilst the dogs sniffed the buses and our feet!

Household Cavalry News Household Cavalry News


Arnhem 1944-94 Exercise Market Garden by Lieutenant HCB Briscoe LG It must have been the great distance of the road bridge at Arnhem from the dropping and landing zones, that was the decisive factor, because despite the near perfect landings of the lst Airborne Division on 17 September 1944 the operation was ultimately a failure. This was the failure of the original planners to appreciate that the success of any airborne operation depended on an imme— diate seizure and holding of the objec— tive. The refusal of the air planners to drop even a small force close to the bridge was to seal the fate of ‘Market Garden’. Lieutenant Peter Barry of 9 Platoon 2nd Parachute Battalion believes that it would have been perfect— ly possible to land on the fields north of the lower Rhine between the railway

Hartenstein Hotel and Airborne Museum.

bridge and Oosterbeek. Staff Sergeant Alec Waldron of the Intelligence Section of the Glider Pilot No 2 Wing found two areas of firm ground, one just south of the bridge and the second in the loop of river on the north bank between Arnhem and Oosterbeek. It is perhaps wrong to deal in what might have been, however what does seem certain is that to give what was a small, (Lieutenant Colonel John Frost’s 2nd Battalion numbered only 481), lightly armed force, the best chance of achieving its aim, then the closer its dropping zone to its objective, the bet— ter. This then was the original failure of ‘Market’; all other problems encoun-

tered were either caused or compounded by it. The failure to reach the bridges in sufficient force in those vital first hours was decisive. ‘Market’ was therefore a planning failure but it was also a failure of those in command. Major General Urquhart was new to airborne opera— tions, indeed his appointment from outside the Division came as quite a surprise. He had not been Browning’s choice but neither did Browning reject him nor more significantly did either Browning or Urquhart object to the dis— tance ofthe dropping and landing zones from the objective. General ‘Boy’ Browning has also been criticized for ignoring the reports from his Intelligence officer, Major

Household Cavalry News

Approaching the bridge at Arnhem. Brian Urquhart (no relation) of the existence of German armour in the Arnhem area. A not insignificant oversight. Commanders at all levels however, were guilty by complicity. A justifiable risk is the foundation for any airborne operation, but did the planning for ‘Market’ exceed what was acceptable? Surely the risk was great enough to land an airborne division 60 miles behind the enemy lines, without adding further obstacles.This is espe— cially so when it seems that it would have been possible to land some troops on both sides ofthe bridge initially. The RAF had been concerned about flak batteries in and around the area of the bridges and approaches to it, but it is arguable that is where the risks ought to have been taken, in order to place men physically on the objective. This should have been from the start and, with the element of surprise since once the land— ings had taken place the Germans would be very quick to react (as they always had been.) Brigadier General Heinz Harmel Commander of the 10th SS Panzer Division considers that dropping lst Airborne so far from the objective was the greatest Allied blunder. That and not

supplying the Division with everything on the first day. Brigadier Hackett agrees: “In retrospect, it seems crazy for my Brigade to drop on the second day with all the surprise gone, but we real— ized we had to get into battle after all those cancellations. You can’t go on doing that to troops of quality. They were so good, so fit, so keyed up, so keen to get on, that you had to get into the battle at any price. So shortcomings in the plan were readily forgiven as long as we could get in there. Even Sosabowski (Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski, Commander of the Polish Brigade) was happier this time... But, really, I think 'Market Garden‘ was doomed before it started.”

Garden’; a carpet of airborne troops through which XXX Corps would pass into Germany. Since the break—out from Normandy and the rapid Allied advance across Europe Montgomery was under a tremendous amount of pressure to keep the momentum going. He was also in direct competition with the Americans to the south who were determined to retain the initiative. This is the background to ‘Market Garden’. It was a fait accompli, so that once the ball had started to roll noone was going to stop it. Amid the euphoria accompanying the Allied advance the planning for ‘Market Garden’ was based on serious over—opti— mism because it was genuinely believed that a successful operation could have meant the end of the war by Christmas 1944. It was this that drove all planning. The prize was arguably well worth the risk but lst British Airborne Division had not

went ahead the next day. After landing, I watched one soldier pull his reserve para— chute during his descent. This was treated with disdain by two old soldiers who reminded me that they used to jump with— out a reserve! Our drop was watched by something in the region of 100,000 people; this gives you some idea of how important this act of remembrance was to both the British and Dutch. Whilst myself, CoH Gibbons and LCoH Tovell began our march and battlefield tour, LCoH Shields and Tpr Simkins were involved in a number of ceremonial events including a march past through Arnhem and culminating in an airborne memorial service at the Oosterbeek War Cemetery. A deeply moving occasion.

The battlefield tour began at the site of the original dropping and landing zones and then followed the route that the parachute battalions had taken towards the road bridge at Arnhem— John Frost Bridge, some 8 miles. At several points along this route we stopped and listened to accounts of the battle. The small church at Oosterbeek with its still bullet—scarred stone and the ceme— tery which contains the majority of the 1,500 casualties are particularly poignant images. The tightness of the perimeter here around the Hartenstein Hotel is also a testimony to the severity of the fighting and the great difficulty lst British Airborne had in disengaging and withdrawing back across the lower Rhine. All of us from the Regiment that took part in the 50th Anniversary commemoration of Operation ‘Market Garden’ felt that we had been very fortu— nate to do so. In 1944 ZHCR as part of XXX Corps, the ground forces attempting to relieve lst British Airborne at Arnhem, were able to effect the only link—up. This took place with the Polish Airborne Brigade at Driel.

been given a fighting chance. The Battle of Arnhem was not the turning—point in

the war that everyone supposed; rather as Where then does the blame lie? The commanders, it seems, were aware ofthe real dangers, but failed to voice their concerns. Those that did were ignored. The officers of the lst Parachute Battalion objected to the choice of dropping zone and all volunteered to either jump on or a bit to the south ofthe objective. Their request was refused. A great proportion ofthe blame must lie with Montgomery, not only was he overall commander but he was also responsible for the concept ‘Market

General Harmel says: “a little episode we settled in about eight days.” Perhaps one of the finest divisions the British Army possessed at the time was sacrificed at Arnhem, for little gain. Exercise Market Garden 94 involved seven members of the Regiment among some 720 soldiers who jumped onto

Ginkel Heide DZ, the original wartime drop zone, on 17 September 1994. High winds and rain made the jump rather interesting but unfortunately forced the Veteran drop to be postponed; in fact they

Ar Oosterbeek Cemetery.

Household Cavalry News


Exchange Visit to 29thCavalry Regiment The King’s Guard Thailand

they operated. Yet again, we found so many similarities that it almost seemed uncanny. The Regiment has about 180 horses which all originate from Australia. Bought for their hardiness, these horses can live in the extreme tem— peratures of Bangkok. The Regiment’s main “Achilles Heal” is that of retention,

by Capt HRD Fullerton LG

t was with great pleasure that the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment once again took up the kind invitation from the 29th Cavalry

as most of their recruits are two year con-

Regiment to send two officers to Bangkok to visit their Regiment and to

watch The King’s Birthday Parade. After much wrangling for the selection of the officers, the Commanding Officer gave his unsuspecting Adjutant, Captain

Fullerton LG and ZIC The Life Guards Squadron, Captain Hamilton-Russell LG the chance to go and see how Cavalry is run Thai style. After a disastrous journey to Bangkok via Hong Kong with such calamities along the way as no tickets, missed flights, lost luggage, (including all uniform) and missed receptions at the far end, the two Life Guard officers made

Captains Hamilton—Russell and Fullerton line up for a Birthday Parade photograph with Lt Col Worravit and Officers of the 29th Cavalry Regiment, King's Guard.

it to Thailand. We found ourselves put up in a comfortable hotel within walking distance of the barracks (walking being the operative word as it is quicker to walk anywhere in central Bangkok than it is to go by vehicle!) The King’s Birthday Parade occurred on the second day of the trip and fortunately for us, our baggage which included our uniforms for watching the parade in, did turn up with about six hours to spare. We were initially taken to a Headquarters area near to the parade ground where we were able to see

the 29th Cavalry Regiment take a breather and a watering stop before going on the actual parade. Believe me, they needed it as they had to travel for an

hour on their horses from their barracks in full ceremonial uniform in temperatures of about 28°C and with humidity levels reaching the point where clothes never dry. Fortunately, the horses are fairly used to this sort of temperature,

and seemed to take it in their stride although they did look a little tired. Having experienced the long rides on the

Edinburgh State Visit, we both realised how the horses felt. The parade itself does mirror many parts of The Queen’s Birthday Parade in London and most noticeable is the actual

A few days later, we were invited to

go and visit the Regiment and to see how

set up of the troops on parade. There are numerous divisions of foot soldiers, representing all three armed services. They form the main frontage of the

parade. Once they have been inspected by the King and after some speeches have been given, the colours of all the different Regiments are trooped past the King. Like the parade at Horse Guards with the Household Cavalry,

this is followed by a trot past of the 29th Cavalry Regiment. What is so exciting about the parade is the uniforms, their variety and their brightness. Like you would expect in a sub tropical country, the army divisions are not content to stick with a traditional black bearskin like their British counterparts, but instead they opt for a very smart pith helmet, neatly covered on all sides by a Yak hair plume. The plumes for different regiments are all made from a mul-

titude of colours stretching from pink and yellow through to the more sensible black and grey. It all goes to make up an incredible mix of colours on parade and surprising though it may seem to us, it really does look extremely smart. I take my hat off to the infantry divisions as we watched them stand in the sun for over two hours, all at the position of attention in the close heat with the only respite being the numerous calls to pre-

sent arms. The march past of all the reg— iments was magnificent. The 29th Cavalry Squadron on their brown hors— es give the parade a splendour only sur— passed by that on Horse Guards. The Regiment wear a similar uniform to us, with a Thai version ofthe Prince Albert Helmet, this time with a blue plume. You could say they are classified as light cavalry as they do not wear breastplates and wear normal black riding boots as opposed to the Household Cavalry jack boots. Fortunately for them waxing leather is out of the question as the heat would spark off an immediate melt

down and dulling of the boots and leatherwork. The parade has other parts to it and there is a display at the beginning from officer cadets and nurses from the services. There is perhaps a little bit more emphasised on entertainment, as though the parade really is a birthday party given by the Services for the King. As the Royal Family leaves the entire assembled body gives ‘three cheers to the

King’ before marching off parade. Another interesting point is that all high ranking officers are on parade. Full General status does not prevent a senior officer from a little drill now and then.

scripts, so they do have a massive turnover, and are constantly training new recruits. Like the Household Cavalry, the soldiers must all perform military duties and exercises which takes manpower away from the horses. What is more amusing is that they seem to suf— fer from having to provide troops for forms of RAAT tasks and they too complain that nobody seems to understand the needs of a mounted regiment. We visited a mechanised reconnaissance reg— iment who share the same barracks and much of the same history as the 29th Regiment. The Commanding Officer could not believe that anybody over the height of 5'10" could possibly fit into a Scimitar. I told him that it was possible

with difficulty. It was then time to try out a few of those Australian horses and we had an entertaining ride, although riding in thick cavalry pattern breeches is not advised in their climate. So we too stuck to the saying that mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. Of course, any trip to Bangkok would not be the same without a few visits to the cultural centres of the capital and we did find ourselves being taken to all the worthwhile sites around town both by day and needless to say by night as well. Of great importance is the Grand Palace, which although is now not the residency of the King, is still used officially some» times during the year. The Palace is full of golden temples with Buddas both large and small bearing down from all corners on the tourists. The architecture is particularly inspiring and the colours give the Palace that regal touch. After touring various other palaces, it was time to take in a little bit ofthe more down to earth culture of the people and the city.

Bangkok truly is a city open 24 hours a day, with shops, food stalls and markets open right through the night. There appears to be only one rush hour in Bangkok which lasts from sunrise to sunset and means that you are never far from a traffic jam. It has to he said that

The 29th Cavalry Regiment March Past at The King '8 Birthday Parade. Bangkok has got an horrendous pollu— tion problem, but the happiness of the people and the goodwill shown seems to prevent any disquiet amongst the locals.

were very honoured that he had come to the dinner at all and it was to him that we presented the gift of a print of the painting by Tessa Campbell-Fraser ofthe rank past of The Regiment at the Palace

Any trip to Bangkok would not be enjoyed without an adventure into the night life. Our hosts made sure that we were entertained until we could party no more. When a city runs 24 hours a day and when you are already affected by jet lag, you soon completely lose track of time! We were kindly taken out to see an evening of Thai boxing where it appeared that a considerable amount of money was changing hands and all for the winner of matches that sometimes had fighters as young as 13 or 14. Although the sport sounds pretty nasty, knock outs are unusual and generally speaking there is less blood spilt than during a more traditional boxing match. This is partly due to the fact that less points are scored for clocking your opponent round the head than into the body. Mind you, with legs flying about the place it is probably pretty difficult to give a straight punch to the face! We were treated on our second last night to a meal aboard a boat on the river which was given for us on behalf ofthe Cavalry Divisional Commander, General Chomlong Boonkrapue. He was exactly what you would expect of a senior ranking Thai soldier: stern, fairly quiet, intent to listen and not say much. We were told, much to our amazement, that below the quiet, unsuspecting face of the General lay a commander of immense experience who had fought in the Thai Special Forces in the Vietnam War. We

of Holyrood House.

All in all our trip to Bangkok and to the 29th Cavalry Regiment was a great experience and something recommended to anyone if given the chance. We must try and formalise the exchange visit as there are an enormous amount of simi— larities in our two organisations, most importantly

the

fact

that

the

their kind in the world that have such a close relationship with the Royal Family that they guard. Hopefully the exchange will continue next year, with two Thai officers coming to see The Queen’s Birthday Parade. There are also plans to send some officers of theirs on the long equitation course at Melton Mowbray.

The experiences we had will always stay with us, whether they be things such as the parade itself, or the more humor— ous moments like when Capt HamiltonRussell’s chair collapsed on him having just been told by a fortune teller that he would live to a ripe old age and would have no accidents!

But jokes aside, we

would like to thank the 29th Cavalry Regiment for being such excellent hosts and for showing us such a good time in Bangkok. Long may the relationship last!

Household Cavalry News Household Cavalry News

two

Regiments are really the only ones of


Exercise Suman Warrior

With a day‘s break to allow for

by Lt CEO Allerton LG Trooper in the Household Cavalry

Regiment on being asked by Field Marshal Sir Peter Inge what he would have done if he had got himself lost in

the jungle in Singapore while on exercise replied “Sir, I would climb to the highest point of ground, so I could see the near— est skyscraper”. Ex SUMAN WARRIOR is an annual exercise that takes place in Singapore SUMAN is a pneumonic for Singapore, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. These countries make up the ‘Fire Power Defence Force’.

The aim of the exercise was to improve the military compatibility between the participating countries. This was achieved not only through discussions of each other’s doctrines, tactics and capabilities but, most importantly, examination of the participants' cultures and traditions.

It was thus that the first part of the exercise was devoted to lectures present— ed by each country, outlining not only military aspects but also national charac— teristics. Following this we moved to a

BBGT for three days familiarisation with the procedures that we would use for the final two days' FMX. The UK contingent, headed by the

Royal Artillery and consisting of Royal Engineers and Army Air Corps as well as HCR met at RAF Lynham and began a passport filling journey to Singapore. 28 hours in a Hercules is a gruelling experi— ence, however earplugs, Walkmans,

books and the aircraft's short range helped dampen the effects. Our first stop was in Akrotiri, a quick overnight call before an early rise to fly to the Abu Dhabi Hilton in the United Arab Emirates, care of the RAF American Express Card. The next stop over was a two hour visit to Sri Lanka, where we stretched our legs around Colombo Airport's duty free zone, before moving onto Kuala Lumpa. Here we had a 24

hour break and were able to make full use of the hotel’s swimming pool and bars before heading off for a long night in the Hard Rock Cafe. Here Tpr Thwaites, in particular, impressed more

than one of the locals with his moves on the dance floor.

A ioca/ officer insisted on trying on some Stale Kit. HCR Contingent.

Our midday arrival in Singapore the next day was a huge shock to the system. The 33°C temperature was a stark contrast to the frosty England we had left behind. The UK contingent had in fact arrived two days early, therefore once we had greeted our hosts and had been safely escorted to our camp, the home of the Singapore Engineers, we set off to do some sight seeing. Singapore has changed a great deal since 1966, when it was used by The Life Guards (and also later a Blues Sqn) as a stepping stone to the Far East. Between 1966 and 1970 we had squadrons in Sarawak, Borneo, Serembam, Malaysia (Malaya) as well as Hong Kong.

Of course some of the familiar land— marks still remain in Singapore.

and barter to the last cent. Visually it is concrete in the form of skyscrapers and blocks of flats that dominate the Singapore skyline. The construction of new buildings is apparent everywhere and thus adds to the prosperous atmosphere. The opening ceremony to Ex SUMAN WARRIOR took place back at Jurong Barracks in a large lecture hall with no air conditioning. The UK contingent were the first to present their lectures. LCpl Tennant and Tpr Daniels in full state dress demonstrated incredible stamina when the order to leave the stage they had marched into failed to material— ize. Some ten minutes later without hav— ing flinched a muscle, LCpl Tennant seized the moment and marched himself and Tpr Daniels off, much to the relief of those in the know.

The

Raffles Hotel maintains a good line in Singapore slings and a never ending sup— ply ofpeanuts. The China Sea Club was formally inspected by CoH Kingston, however in a competitive market the likes of Sparks and the Hard Rock Cafe brought a new allure. Bugi Street has now been ‘cleaned up’ but still provides streetside seafood restaurants, with their over persuasive proprietors. Electronic goods can be brought at good prices pro— vided you are prepared to shop around

Capt Atherton, Lt Allerton and CoH Kingston gave a 10 minute lecture on medium Recce and HCR, while LCoH Stewart and LCpl Rogers set to the arduous task of setting up the static display on the parade square outside. The display Rarden cannon once unpacked and assembled, took the central position of the HCR stand, however it was the full ceremonial uniforms that not surprisingly attracted the most attention, with a never ending stream of photographs from the Malaysian contingent. The second phase of the exercise, the BBGT, was thankfully in an air condi—

tioned building. Despite this comfortable environment temperatures did rise, as problems with language became more apparent. LCoH Goodwin showed his diplomatic streak, with his ability to negotiate with the DS when dealing with the movement of recce vehicles on the map board. He also kept an eagle eye on every movement especially with regards to time/speed calculations. The second day on the BBGT proved more successful, with the communications problems experienced on the first day now ironed out. The Five Powers Defence Force were duly able to control the situation and expel the enemy forces, winning an inevitable but glorious victory.

LCp/ Rogers and CoH Kingston

short boat's trip to Sibu Island. Here we

administration we then moved into the

stayed for two nights, three days, living

final phase of the exercise, the FMX.

in basic beach huts and eating at the equally basic, but congenial beach front restaurant. The pace was extremely slow, the only real excitement occurring when on the second day, whilst visiting a near— by deserted island, our transport home, in the form of a converted fishing boat, broke its anchorage in a strong squall and proceeded to drift towards a nearby reef. The crew not surprisingly were asleep elsewhere on the island. The British Army of course jumped into action and managed to prevent disaster by hot wiring the drifting craft and steering it back towards the bemused cast— aways left on the island.

This took place on a training area in the NW of the island and lasted two days. LCoH Stewart, LSgt White, LCpls Rogers and Tennant as well as Tprs Thwaites and Daniels helped make up a British Infantry Platoon who were attached to 4 Singapore Rifles. Capt Atherton, Lt Allerton and CoH Kingston along with LCoH Goodwin became the hypothetical Medium Recce Sqn for the friendly forces. Though we were only equipped with one landrover, we were able to spread our forces evenly over the exercise area with the able help of “Gock” who was our Singaporian dri— ver. While the Medium Recce helped with the passage oflines and fire support on various enemy positions the UK infantry platoon, with attached HCR, marched through the night in prepara— tion for the final attack the next day. Here they would be playing the reserve platoon for A Coy 48R. Naturally a diplomatic line had to be taken in terms of who took each enemy position. However the speed and aggression with

which the reserve platoon followed the lead platoons up one particular hill startled A Coy HQ. Especially when they overtook their comrades and became point platoon. The final attacks were witnessed by the Defence Chiefs of the participating countries, who were positioned on suit— ably high ground to observe the activity. To mark the end of SUMAN WAR— RIOR 1994, a bonanza was organized by our hosts. After a traditional meal we sat down for an evening entertainment. Once the thankyou speeches were over each contingent put on a short show. LSgt White had been tasked with organizing the UK contingent’s particular effort. In traditional style the Brits opted for the old recruit shaving and breakfast act. The helpless victim (ZLt Allerton) finds himself putting his head through a hanging sheet, while a hidden thespian becomes his arms and goes through the motions of shaving, breakfast, shoe polishing and first parade, interjected with the odd can of beer for

On return to Singapore we stayed in the Fernleaf Centre, which is the New Zealand Armed Forces R&R centre based in Singapore. The swimming pool and basketball court at Fernleaf, as well as last minute shopping in downtown Singapore, kept us occupied, but the whole contingent was quite openly looking forward to the prospect of going home to England. After an unexpected flight delay that kept us in Singapore 24 hours longer than expected, we weregiven the off. The route back was exactly the same as the outward journey with the exception of a stop over in Oman where we witnessed a magical sunrise over the Dofar Mountains before rejoining the aircraft for the final leg. The friday afternoon touchdown at RAF Lynham seemed the perfect cliché, grey skies and a hint of drizzle to re

assure us we were home.

dramatic effort. After thanking our hosts and saying goodbye to the other countries the UK contingent set off on our R&R package. A five hour bus journey up along the east coast of Malaysia brought us to within a

Eating roast snake. CoH Kingston.

Household Cavalry News Household Cavalry News


Kladow Re-Visited by David V Palmer (ex LG)

On 6th June 1946, The Life Guards moved out of Montgomery Barracks in Kladow, Berlin. We were en route via the Russian zone to Luneburg whence we would move in a month’s time to Egypt and in

due course to Palestine. On 2nd October 1994, I visited Berlin as a tourist.

Order/y Room 1946.

I was determined to try and re-visit the barracks where we had spent three very agreeable months — if indeed it still existed and ifI could find it at the edge of a city now totally reconstructed from the shattered wartime ruins I remem— bered. My taxi—driver, an Iranian student with the improbable name of Nasser,

German civilians, as cleaners, clerks, cooks, gardeners. Colonel Boy decided that this amounted to excessive mollycoddling and the numbers were cut to something like 300, which even so managed to relieve the men of many chores.

Am'va/ at Montgome/y Barracks, 78 March 7 946.

How, I wondered, would a Life Guard trooper have reacted in 1946 to an elderly gentleman dressed as a tourist requesting admission for the purpose of rekindling memories of 1898!

you steer this thing?” Two football pitches were not I think there in our time. There was the spacious bungalow quarter I shared with three other subalterns in A Squadron, Michael Redfern, Dicky Powle and Ralph Bentley. The barracks was totally deserted, (it was Sunday), except for occasional pairs of patrolling sentries. We drove right round the horseshoe of the arena to the Officers’ Mess screened by trees in the furthest corner. There it was — memories of mess nights, allied officers as our guests, the bowling alley in the basement — but all now shut tight.

towards Potsdam.

Properly and predictably of course, the sentry summoned the guard com— mander, a well turned out Sergeant who was guardedly friendly and fortunately spoke perfect English (American). He was surprisingly quickly convinced of my bona fides and taking my driving licence as security, trustingly opened the gate to let me and my wife and taxi in and even gave me permission to take photos, “but please don’t photograph the ammunition”.

There, suddenly, was the barrack gate, easily remembered, but with a prominent sign “Blucher Kaserne” in front of substantial and firmly closed steel gates covered by two soldiers with machine guns in a sandbagged post.

There it was on the right, the Orderly Room where Colonel Boy Wignall, Ferris St George, 2 I/C and Jack Creswell, Adjutant, with Alfie Hyland, RCM and Dennis Meakin, ORQMC, directed our lives.

Feeling diffident and a little disembodied, I got out of the taxi and went up to talk to the smart, armed sentry through the grill. “Do you speak English?”

We drove on — there away to the right was the Vehicle Park and the vast hangar-like garages — on the left was spread the arena where we held a regimental gymkhana and where a subal— terns’ equitation course was conducted. (Where did the horses come from?) Memory of David Hodson, Assistant Adjutant and a novice rider, “How do

knew roughly where Kladow was, so off we set, westwards out of the city. No longer the clattering Bailey Bridge over the Havel but a fast—moving dual car— riageway. I envisaged that the vast grassed arena surrounded by woods where the barracks was built with such generous spacing must by now have been developed into a housing estate or an industrial park. To my surprise, I Barracks on Nasser’s on the 20 minute South West suburbs.

found Montgomery map. No bells rang drive through the I tried, unsuccess—

fully, to spot the turning to the “Country Club” beside the Havel where we used to go sailing on the Wannsee and down

“A little.” “I was a British Officer stationed in this barracks in 1946. Would it be possi-

ble to come in and look round?”

As we drove and walked around, I had some flash—back memories of our light—hearted existence nearly fifty years ago but less than a year after the end of the war. Our predecessors in Montgomery Barracks had employed some 600 plus

Each squadron had a jeep primarily used by the squadron leader and his officers as recreational transport. Each squadron also had a “buckshee” jeep, usually acquired by barter from American troops. These “buckshee” jeeps had numbers duplicating the “official” jeeps but to avoid potential problems, only one of the two jeeps was sup— posed to be out of barracks at the same time. Inevitably the system broke down and two identically numbered A Squadron jeeps were in collision in mid— town Berlin. The accident report was an imaginative masterpiece.

Order/y Room 7 994.

A villa adjacent to the barracks was Field Marshal Montgomery’s residence when visiting Berlin. When he was in residence, we were required to mount

an officers' guard.

On his first visit

during our tenure a guard with toecaps gleaming was detailed under the com— mand of Johnnie Wallace. The Field Marshal’s ADC took one look at the guard, “The Field Marshal prefers short officers and likes the men in gym shoes at night.” Dicky Powle (5 foot 5 inches), sometimes known as ‘the square officer’ was quickly substituted

for Johnnie (6 foot 5 inches) and the gleaming toecaps were discarded. Back to the guardroom and the friendly Sergeant. He told me his unit was the 581 Jager (Light Infantry) Battalion and that the last British troops had moved out in 1993. We took some photos — exchanged cards

and were on our way. Nostalgic efforts to re—trace the past are so often disappointing — this visit

was a very happy exception.

Sailing on the Havel and the Wannsee was a delightful pastime. On one occasion several of us sailed down towards Potsdam and inadvertently crossed into the Russian zone. Disagreeable, threatening noises were made by Russian soldiers guarding a bridge and brandishing submachine guns, so we cravenly but prudently turned tail and got a tow back to friend— ly waters behind a barge train. On Mayday 1946 we mounted patrols and checkpoints on the border with the Russian zone to deter any incursions aimed to exert Communist influence on the German populace. My troop fraternised with a Russian patrol sharing cigarettes and sandwiches. The Russians,

though friendly, refused to be photographed except with me —

the only

officer — an early example of communist The Ve/i/‘c/e Park, Tprs Woode/dge and Speaks.

class distinction?

October 1994. David Palmer, Sgt Robert Koo/7 and his guard,

Household Cavalry News 56

Household Cavalry News


The Governor General’s Horse Guards

HMS Westminster

“Nulli Secundus”

Affiliated to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment by Capt AM Holman RHG/D

It came as quite a surprise when I was asked by Lieutenant Colonel Massey to fly out to Canada and represent the Regiment at the Presentation of Standards to the Governor General’s Horse Guards. He explained that due to his han~ dover and the various leave and operational commitments of both

Trumpet Major Banner had spent a month with the Mounted Regiment in 1969, courtesy of Trumpet Major Watson of the Blues, and the Director of Music, Major Jeanes. When Trumpet Major Banner showed them a photograph of him wearing the Governor General’s uniform, they exclaimed “Oh no, that won’t do, we can’t have you running around in the Colonies dressed like that, we’ll have to get you a proper Trumpet Major’s uniform”. Without further ado a tunic, complete with aiguillettes, was struck off and, with the Colonel’s blessing, presented to Trumpet Major Banner.

Regiments, I had been chosen from a cast of one ! The Governor General’s Horse Guards have had a long affiliation with The Blues, and this was contin— ued by The Blues and Royals after amalgamation. Though they are a Militia (T.A.) Regiment, they still carry out ceremonial duties and have a Mounted Squadron which carries out Travelling Escorts when the need arises. The horses are all privately owned and the Mounted Dutymen (and women!) receive no pay for their ser— vices. The remainder of the Regiment form part of Canada’s reserve forces and are equipped with Cougar AFVs. They work closely with their allied Regiment, the Royal Canadian Dragoons, and there are currently six Horse Guards serving alongside their regular cousins in the United Nations in Bosnia.

The Regiment can trace its ancestry

back to 1810 with the formation of a troop of Dragoons named Button’s Troop. They were raised in order to deter the

raids and menaces of the new-born American republic, which was harrying the loyalist refugees from the war who

had settled in southern Ontario. The name of the Troop changed in 1822 when

they became incorporated into Denison’s Troop, and the Denison family continued to command and finance the Troop for many generations. In 1855, due to its

position as the oldest Cavalry force in Canada, the Regiment was chosen as the Governor General’s Bodyguard. The Troop grew to a Squadron in 1876 and fought in the Riel Rebellion where it earned its first Battle Honour.

The Squadron was expanded to a Regiment in 1889 and fought during the Boer War where Captain HZC Cockburn won a Victoria Cross, whilst during the Great War the Regiment provided thousands of volunteers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France. In 1936 the Regiment amalgamated with another Dragoon Regiment, the Mississagua Horse, to form the Governor General’s Horse Guards, fondly referred to as the

‘Gee-Gees’. In 1938 the Regiment received its first Standard and during the Second World War saw action in Italy and North-West Europe receiving a further nine Battle Honours. While I was watching the parade, I noticed the Trumpet Major wearing what appeared to be a Blues and Royals tunic. Incidentally, he had gone to war with the Horse Guards as a trumpeter in 1943 and is still playing the same trumpet today! When I went up to him after the parade, I realised that his tunic was identical to that of a Blues’ Trumpet Major. Smiling at my puzzled look, he said “I’ll tell you a story about this tunic sir”, and this is what he had to say.

When The Queen Visited Canada in 1974, the Governor General’s Horse Guards found the Travelling Escort, and Trumpet Major Banner was the Field Officer’s Trumpeter. As the Escort was progressing, Prince Philip suddenly caught sight of the tunic and, nudging The Queen, brought it to her attention too. The poor Trumpet Major noticed this and, in a state of acute agitation, wondered how he was going to explain his way out of it. At length the Escort halted, the Field Officer saluted, and to his horror the Queen started to walk up to the terrified Trumpeter. “Thank you Trumpet Major” she said before walking back to the waiting dignitaries. The Trumpet Major, now much relieved, failed to notice that the entire Regiment was staring at him in disbelief. As soon as the VIP’s had moved off, the Field Officer turned round and said, “Trumpet Major, what the hell have you got going with The Queen ?”

Mounted Regiment was affiliated to the Royal Naval Ship, HMS Scylla, and when it was announced that the ship was to be decommissioned our then Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel H P D Massey set about the task of seeking Royal Naval approval for another ship to continue the Regiment's long standing connection with a Royal Navy ship. We were extremely pleased to be informed that a new Duke Class Frigate was soon to be commissioned named HMS Westminster and that she would be affiliated to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

They most certainly live up to their motto,

systems. Westminster is the quietest surface warship in service today, and is powered by a combined Rolls Royce gas tur— bine/diesel electric propulsion system which allows speed up to 29 knots and at present she has a ship's complement of 180 Officers and sailors of which 18 are female.

November 1993.

With a standard displacement of 4000 tonnes and 133 metres in length, the Ship is a multi—role platform with an excellent anti—submarine capability. Her armament includes the naval Lynx helicopter, the Magazine Torpedo Launch System which launches torpedoes from within the hull, the 4.5 inch Mark 8 Gun which can fire shells 10 miles inland in support of troops ashore, the Vertical Launch Sea Wolf missile system for close air defence against incoming enemy missiles/aircraft.

The Ship is equipped with the latest weapons, sensors and communications systems and is the first of her class to be fitted with the Royal Navy’s new command system which provides informa-

HMS Westminster was commis— sioned in the pool of London on Friday 13 May 1994, the Ship being moored on the Royal Yacht Pier just to the west of Tower Bridge. A formal commissioning

HMS Westminster was ordered by the Royal Navy on 22 December 1989

from Swan Hunters Shipbuilders in Newcastle and she is the second warship to bear this name. She was launched by

Lady Livesay, the wife of a Royal Naval I had a wonderful time with the ‘GeeGees’ and, for a Militia Regiment, found their standards exceptionally high in whatever they did. Their ceremonial uni— forms are financed entirely by the Regiment and they encompass the finest qualities of the volunteer citizen soldier.

tion from passive and active sensors and radars and presents it to the Captain in order that he can make decisions to fight the sea battle and operate the weapon

Admiral on 4 February 1992 and formally accepted into the Royal Navy in

Parade took place on Tower Quay with music being provided by the Band of the Royal Marines and attended by various VIPs including the Duke of Westminster, the Lord Mayor of Westminster and representatives from affiliated bodies including the Silver Stick, Colonel P B Rogers and our previ— ous Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel H P D Massey. Afterwards a Service of Dedication took place in Westminster Abbey where the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment provided the Trumpeters. We have been very lucky in being able to send along two parties of officers and soldiers to accompany the Ship whilst on her initial trials and we were very pleased indeed at being able to host a visit and lunch for some officers and sailors in May 1994. At the end oftheir visit the Commanding Officer was able to present two Household Cavalry hel— mets to the Ship’s Captain, Lieutenant Commander R] Clapp RN, for display in the Ship’s messes. We have since held a friendly Rugby match here at Hyde Park and look forward to a very rewarding period of exchanges and visits between ourselves and the Ship’s Company of HMS Westminster.

“Nulli Secundus” - Second to None.

Household Cavalry News

58

Household Cavalry News


The Roof of the Americas Expedition 1994-1995 by Lt DK Avis LG Flagstaff, Arizona, the end of Phase 2 and the beginning of Phase 3.

uch is the massiveness of this expedition that over a year has passed since the members of Phase 1 first set foot in Alaska, and still now at the time of going to print, the fifth and sixth phases are yet to begin.

To all those who had been to the introductory brief at Combermere Barracks Phase 3 was to be the jewel in the crown of the expedition, or so it appeared.

Many members of the Regiment had an introduction to the expedition when Capt Warburton Lee visited Combermere Barracks in March 1992, to explain an idea which he had towards the end of his first venture throughout Africa, the Welsh Guards Roof of Africas’ Expedition,

Unfortunately, we had our first taste of Central American politics as the Colombians refused us entry into their country via the Panamanian border, on the grounds that we would have to travel through the most dangerous area of South America. As a result of this decision we were unable to cross the Darien Gap, and at huge expense, the team was to fly home early, but not before they had encountered the thrills and spills of white-water in the Grand Canyon.

The Roof of the Americas Expedition is designed for all members of the

Household Division and associated Regiments/Corps. Its intention was to

visit the geographical extremes of the

The Kayaks/s. LCoH Know/es and friends.

Americas from Point Barrow in Alaska

with the punishment on all concerned beginning to show, the dogs had to be

to Cape Horn in Tierra del Fuego. Along the way venturers would climb the highest peaks in both North and South America, dog sledge and skidoo through

2500 miles of Tundra. They would then venture into the South American jungle to find the remote source of a river, canoe and kayak the length of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and finally climb rock and ice formations in Patagonia. Expeditioning, by virtue of being, ‘a step towards the unexpected’ will always

invite problems to challenge those involved. In the past year the expedition has had more than its fair share, as the

smouldering tensions which make up Central and South American politics

flown back from Nome before the team pushed on travelling on skidoos alone. Across the Bering Straits the coastline of Siberia could be seen from Cape Prince of Wales, the most western point in the Americas, before the weather broke again, and after travelling in per— fect conditions, the Expedition became stormbound. Gradually they made their way along the coastline of the Chukchi Sea in winds of over 55 mph and temperatures as low as -80 C, suffering frequent breakdowns before reaching Point Barrow. There was nothing save broken ice, water, seals and polar bears between them and the North Pole.

have frequently caused us to reconsider our intentions. For the fortunate members who were selected as participants from the three

selection camps, the expedition began in earnest on the 4 January 1994. Lt Holman and Tpr Canning from The Blues and Royals flew out to Alaska to

After the initial success of Phase 1, CoH Wells, LCpl McCauley, LCpl Allison and Tpr Roskell made their intrepid ways to Anchorage, Alaska to take part in the ascent of Mount McKinley, 20,320 ft.

ing, skidooing and surviving in hideous-

The whole team was inserted by helicopter into a base camp at 7,200 ft, before spending thirteen days acclima-

ly cold conditions.

tising and establishing themselves at

train for two weeks in the arts of “mush-

Their journey took them across the Tanana and Yukon rivers, into a semi frozen environment which posed the

constant threats of flood water and thin ice. Further north, the weather broke

14,200 ft. Conditions varied and after two separate days of white-out the team took stock of the situation confronting them. The crux of the climb, a steep ice face, would take them to Camp Six at 16,000 ft and from there an exposed

ridge was the only way to Camp Seven at 17,000 ft from where the bid for the summit would be made.

LCoH Knowles was one of the instructors, whilst Tpr Spencer and

LCpl MacDonald (REME) were part of The fittest twelve members of the team were selected with a View to climbing the ice face by separate routes, and then the remainder, who were already suffering from altitude sickness, made their way back to Camp Four with the doctor.

the band of novice canoers whose expe— rience of the rapids grew as time passed and the waves became more massive.

From 15,000 ft, the struggle to overcome the cold and the altitude stood between the climbers and the summit.

LCoH Knowles was the key to finding the way through ever increasing rapids whilst the rest kayaked and rafted the likes of: Sheerwall Rapid, Boulder Narrows, The Roaring Twenties and Lava Falls. Tpr Spencer will not forget his long swim through the huge stand-

CoH Wells was forced to descend suffer-

ing waves of Horn Creek Rapid.

ing from advanced Pulmonary Odoema. He was to spend the night on pure oxy— gen whilst his partner, LCpl Allison,

was suffering from extremely badly frost-bitten fingers which were frozen and turning black. He was fortunately flown straight to hospital, where luckily ' he suffered no tissue loss. On another route, the party had dis— covered two black objects in the distance — one was moving, the other dead. They immediately found themselves involved in the critical rescue of a young man’s life. Mount McKinley is by anybody’s standard a serious mountaineering undertaking, and in the light of recent tragedies, the Expedition was fortunate to get three of its members to the top, before the descent and road move to

promotional camera man, LCoH Stevens, LCoH Gallagher and myself acclimatised ourselves to the jungle with the rest of the team at Camp Stevenson,

home of the Guyanese Army, before setting off into the dense jungles of Guyana’s interior. Our two aims were to reach the source of the Mazaruni River, some fifty miles away from our Base Camp at Imbaimadai, and then navigate its entire length seeking out the rapids which are the main feature of its lower reaches. The Expedition split in two, a boat party to find the source by canoe and a jungle party to trek through the forest and savanna to its source. From there the adventure began to unfold. In two days the river rose fourteen feet to flood the surrounding land, so that when not tangled in vines we were frequently waist deep in swamps, and instead of a gentle flow, the boat party were confronted by a swollen torrent of water. Life was not smooth, and on finding the river‘s head, we were faced with hav— ing to make a huge clearing in the canopy to effect a Casevac by helicopter for a suspected fractured foot.

Tpr Spencet Diving Board Rock.

called Lion, and 'high wine’. A very spe« cial type of hospitality, which is so South American, was shown to us by everyone who lived on the river.

After

sampling

Georgetown

the

the

team

delights

of

returned

to

England having had a complete adventure, and we now wait expectantly for Phase 5 to begin; the trip from Ecuador

Away from its source the river grew massive. We found the white water we were looking for, as well as a boat captain

to Argentina and the climb of the highest mountain in the western hemi— sphere, Mount Aconcagua.

On the sixteenth day, at Diamond Creek, the team pulled their boats from the water before continuing with the second objective of the phase, the 4,000 mile road trip through Central America.

Our differences with Colombia were only the tip of an enormous iceberg of refusals, indecision and bureaucracy that was to follow.

Brazil refused us any entry to the Amazonas Region, Venezuela refused us admittance to its Zona en Reclamacion, which transpired to be Guyana and I had to settle with flying

the whole team straight to Guyana from England for the challenges of the fourth phase to take place. With SCpl Tate’s assistance as the

Mazaruni River. Lt Avis and crew.

Household Cavalry News

Household Cavalry News

61


Vehicle Electronic Research Defence Initiative

security from targets controlled by

by Lt DK Avis LG

uring the Summer and Autumn of

umpires on the trial. Engagement sequences were soon perfected, but the

passage of information from VERDI to

1992, the Defence Research Agency

Stormer and Vice a versa was consider-

Chertsey invested in a programme, VERDI l, to establish the effects of modern technology on the abilities of sol— diers to operate an armoured fighting vehicle. Quite simply, the results were so far reaching that 18 months later Maj Doughty and myself found ourselves looking at VERDI 2, as the guests of the project manager Maj Mann REME, with a view to assisting with trialling the advanced technology that could be used in a possible future recce vehicle. Ultimately, VERDI 2 was to test the fea— sibility of reducing the crew of an armoured recce vehicle from three to two, but it was also to test our soldiers’ ability to manoeuvre the vehicle using only indirect vision.

ably niore difficult to interpret success-

Myself and eleven other representa— tives from HCR were to spend a month at DRA Chertsey to test the vehicle to its full potential and a further three weeks on Salisbury Plain carrying out a series of trials to put the system through its paces. Expectations were high on the

first day as everyone was anxious to see what ‘technology’ was about to do for them. Chertsey, with its happy community of professors, scientists, labourers

and soldiers was a funfair of half developed vehicles and instruments, some of which were further trialled by the VERDI Troop.

The converted Warrior which was to

fully and much further thought was put in to simplify the passage of this infor— mation whilst maintaining a free speech facility in the digital data communication system.

The VERDI Troop. over rough ground, but watching the assistants put everything back in place was one ofthe best ways oflearning how to maintain the set-up ourselves. The whole format of the vehicle required a complete re-think of crew reorganisation and job priorities and,

most of all, the way in which the com— mand vehicle Stormer, combined with the VERDI vehicle to work as an effec— tive reconnaissance screen. The technology at our finger tips enabled the crew to acquire information through the vehi— cle’s sensors in seconds, rather than the many minutes or hours of conventional labour.

be our responsibility was by far the most

impressive of all the projects but it was made quite clear that our ability to use it

to its full potential, and to convey any further ideas which we had, would only come after extensive tuition from the systems' inventors. The teaching process was intriguing. As students, our learning ability, response to questions and problems, and our thoughts on how specific techniques could be improved, were all

noted with an intention to incorporate our thoughts and immediate reactions

into the process of making the man— machine interface user friendly. Slowly the theoretical became the

practical and long lessons became short— er with hands—on experience inside the vehicle being more the order of the day. Not surprisingly we were continually beset with problems as the software

inside the Warrior hull was almost shaken to pieces each time the vehicle moved

The trial ran very smoothly until the weather broke and the rain began. Such was its force at times that water reached the sensors within the turret, and suddenly the complexity of the problems with equipment was compounded by the effects of moisture on the software. Nevertheless, with the approach of two major press days at the end of our stay on the Plain, a massive effort was made to support the trial staff throughout both of the final endurance trials.

The side-by-side configuration ofthe crew positions meant that at any moment each crew member could see what the other was doing. With this sim— ple adjustment, the interaction of two crew members became more complete, with frequently both members using each other’s assets on the identical pan» els in front of them to indicate the exact whereabouts of an obstacle when dri— ving, or to indicate likely threat areas using as many of the sensors as possible. Such interaction between crew members meant that the tasks of observation and reporting were easily covered by only one man whilst attaining the same tactical integrity of a mounted section op in

CVR(T). The raison d’etre for the Troop’s attachment to DRA Chertsey was fast approaching and after we had been taught all that we needed, the last days

were spent continually working with both VERDI and Stormer trying to perfect the communications between them, amidst many last minute preparations before both vehicles deployed to SPTA. The ability of VERDI and Stormer to ‘relate’ to each other was a major feature of the trial. From our crew stations inside the hull, we could understand the exact position of friendly forces as well as where the location of any threat lay, from the continuous update of sitreps to and from VERDI. The technology inside Stormer was there to simulate the exis— tence ofa control centre, through which all information would be passed, and from which relevant information would be given to the VERDI crew.

LCOH Bright LG As we were using Warrior for the first time myself and LCoH Fisher were sent off to Bovington to take a Commander/Driver’s Warrior course, possibly the easiest course in the Army. We then met the rest of the VERDI Troop under command of Lt Avis at DRA Chertsey. We had one day to show everyone how to drive a Warrior and basic maintenance. To complete the course, we all spent two weeks learning how to operate the systems in the vehicle, which at first was a mind boggling proposition which made you realise that CVR(T) really is getting old.

Both vehicles arrived at SPTA in dis— guise on the back of two articulated 10r— ries, before being unwrapped and deploying to the first of two weeks of assessments before the final 24 hour and 48 hour trial. The problem with such experiments, however, was that short periods of action and excitement were separated by waiting or more mundane safety tasks which had a tendency to become protracted as, again, the software inside the vehicle was subjected to more severe buffeting.

basicauy mean, you Inside the VERDI 2 Veh/C/e. set up your area of observation, turn on the system, and it will tell you (Yes it actually speaks) where and what the threat is and track the target for you. All that is left for you to do is think ‘fire or not’l but even that will be made easier with the ‘BIFF’ which is battlefield interrogation friend or foe. The weapon systems available to you on the vehicle include 45mm cannon firing Hesh or AP, 7.62mm chain gun, or for those difficult jobs you have a guided missile! Just one point: remember what you have selected before firing! As you can imagine with all that in, and on the turret, it’s unmanned and the two crewmen sit in the middle of the wagon side a1 controls. You may think a two man crew has no sleep — too much to do. Well you would be wrong. Once the vehicle is station—

ary, in an op for instance, one crew— man can sleep/eat whilst the other monitors the equip— ment. Technology will make it all so much easier. I The communica— tions on board consisted of clear speech

The tasks which we were paired up to perform in the vehicle were initially simple, becoming more complex as we pro— gressed. Quite quickly we became used to driving the vehicle with an eye for maximising its abilities to sense a threat whilst all the time maintaining its own

To make you aware of the technology in use on the VERDI vehicle here is what you are missing out at the moment. To start with on the surveillance side it has a turret mounted low light TV camera, a thermal image TV camera, plus a tele— scopic mast which can be raised above the treeline with similar TV equip— ment as well as a \ laser range finder. It also has an automatic target detection, tracking and alerting system, which

' radio comms plus a

The VERDI 2 ve/i/c/e.

tactical reporting system, which basically means filling in a blank report on

screen and pressing Send. This report would then be recorded and read on screen by a command vehicle. Because you were always closed down and operating on a TV image it did get quite tiring on your eyes, but we had an air conditioning system which was useful, although the one fitted to VERDI seemed only to have two settings, Off and Arctic wind. Yes, it almost snowed in there! The navigation systems fitted included a Global Positioning System, inertial navigation and a digital map, over which tactical overlays could be superimposed. The map showed your position all the time and gave you an 8 figure grid. A most useful piece of kit, it was impossible to get lost but of course the system did fail on one occasion which meant we went around in a circle and ended up where we started facing the opposite direction which totally con— fused the boffins monitoring us. The trial on Salisbury Plain was a success in as much as it proved a two man crew can operate effectively for 48 hours in a closed down environment, and it opened our eyes to what is available to the recce soldier of tomorrow. The main question to be answered before TRACER comes offthe drawing board is what is the main role of recce? What does it need to do, collect information or destroy enemy light armour or both? Whatever the answers are, it must be smaller and faster. Lets hope I’m still around to see it l

Household Cavalry News

62

Household Cavalry News

63


Six Months in Sarajevo

The Life Guards Band in Bosnia

by Major HM Robertson LG In May 1994, two months after handing over command of The Life Guards Mounted Squadron I found myself in Sarajevo commanding the British Detachment with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The city of Sarajevo is at the

At the beginning of December last year the Band of The Life Guards was tasked with a whistle~stop tour of the Household Cavalry locations in Bosnia. The exercise started very early at Knightsbridge on the 16th December after a two o’clock reveille. Everyone boarded the bus to Lyneham eventually landing in Split at lunchtime that day. We were welcomed by the RCM, WOl Holbrook, and our two drivers from HCR, Tprs Costain and Thomas and also by Jean Pierre, our UN coach driver.

heart of the Bosnian problem. Originally the heart of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and host to the 1984 Winter Olympics, it is now the home to the command headquarters of the UN Protection Force and aid agencies and, of course, the Bosnian government, the Federation government and the Bosnian Serbs in their nearby mountain fastness at Pale. The British detachment was controlled by the UN desk at the Foreign Office and was con— ceived to help UNHCR in the secondary distribution of humanitarian aid. It com» prised two officers who worked as the UNHCR Field Officers on the Bosnian and Bosnian Serb sides of the city, a WOl who ran the UNHCR fuel account, a SNCO and JNCO who ran the UNHCR warehouse and a brace of drivers and sig— nallers. All of us arrived early or mid May and settled down to a fascinating and absorbing six month tour. During our stay we experienced the whole spectrum of military activity. The city was relatively peaceful in the early summer, post the General Rose brokered cease-fire, but July brought about a sharp deterioration in the military situation. The humanitarian aid airlift, responsible

for 82% of the aid arriving in the city, was suspended after a series of direct attacks and cease fire violations and sniping became a regular feature of daily life. Events quietened down again in

August and September before the onset of the military campaigning season in the Autumn brought a return to limited shelling and a rise in the cease fire viola— tion count to around 7,500 incidents a day. Deprived of any aid to distribute by

the second suspension of the airlift, life became rather frustrating as much of the time was simply spent keeping the aid community safe. The main charm of the job was that no two days were ever the same. The

working day started with the French Sector Commander’s morning lowed by a visit to Headquarters to discuss the before spending the remainder

brief, folUNHCR outcome, ofthe day

The British Detachment in Sara/eve with the UNHCR Logistics Officer Ma/ Robertson fifth from / ft.

tions to deal with local casualties and other more specialised projects such as rebuilding schools and Community Centres. This inevitably brought the team into contact, and often conflict, with the warring factions but the emphasis was firmly on helping the ordinary citizens ofboth sides to better their lives. Occasionally field trips would take place further afield, to the EEC building at Mostar, the mental hospital at Pazaric in

tion as you say, like a red flag to a cow”. Yet perhaps the final thought ought to be for the ordinary citizens of Sarajevo who, distrustful of their domestic politicians and suspicious of the true motives of the international community, have spent

three years living under seige. Despite it all they still retain their sense ofhumour, will to live and determination to achieve a peace that allows them the right to self determination.

Central Bosnia and regularly to Pale to negotiate with the Bosnian Serb government. We also got involved in a total rewrite of the evacuation plan and in giv— ing daily security updates to the aid com-

munity during times of tension, all of which is closely tied in with the British Embassy. As Sarajevo was a magnet for visitors there was also a considerable amount of VIP hosting and our time there saw a cast list varied as CGS, CinC, Paddy Ashdown, Senator Robert Dole and Glynn Evans, head ofthe UN desk at the Foreign Office.

However, six months on, having been (‘returned to sender’) and Headquarters Household Cavalry, I remain extremely glad to have had the opportunity to serve in Sarajevo. It makes me all the keener in my new post (as Regimental Adjutant), to post young Hamilton-Russell there next week as a incremental UNMO and then pinch his ticket for the England—Scotland rugby international!

The tour had many out» standing memories both seri— ous and humorous. I particularly remember listening to a personal poetry reading ses— sion by Radovan Karadzic after a totally fruitless after— noon’s negotiation and being very proudly shown around a Bosnian Serb Army Bunker with a set of telescopic sights trained on sniper’s alley. The more light hearted moments included the French Chief of Staff who, inordinately proud of his command of the English

We performed our first concert for the Royal Navy in a hangar which was nor» mally the home of one of the RN Squadrons. We received a standing ova— tion for our offerings which, considering the cold conditions in which we played, was remarkable. Next morning, bright and early, the RCM had us on the road soon after breakfast (no loitering in the Duty Free Shop for us!). We had an interesting seven hours in the bus spent on Route Diamond; Jean Pierre proved to be another Alan Prost! We just wished that he had chosen a race track to prove his skills on rather than the precipices of the Royal Engineers’ masterpiece! We had a very short visit to Gornji Vakuf to see where LCpl Wheeler had spent the last four months as Duty Trumpeter with B Squadron. It was not a place that endeared itself to us immediately as there didn’t seem to be any buildings left standing, but just outside the edge of Gornji Vakuf stood a factory that was the home ofthe Squadron. After a brief hello and goodbye we drove on to Vitez which was our rendevous with the Pipes and Drums oflRHF who were to accompany us around Bosnia for the next couple of days. They proved to be a tremendous

asset to our programmes and were a mar» vellous group of people who entertained us for many hours into the night. The concert that evening had to compete with the Scotland v Greece football match and, as Scotland lost, we had another very receptive audience who desperately needed cheering up. A few bars of Flower of Scotland and Amazing Grace soon had them on our side.

out in the communes closest to the con-

Language, pronounced a par-

frontation line. The time there was spent delivering aid, setting up medical outsta—

ticular event to be “a provoca- A C730 0/ the US Air Force discharging chaff to deter surface to air mtsst/es during the restart of the air/in in November 1994.

We were due to spend the night at Vitez but we suspected that the RCM wanted to sleep in his own bed and so, with a promise of a field shower and a late

Band of The Life Guards visit to BR/TCAVBAI

breakfast, we were persuaded to drive to Zepce that same evening. We arrived to a tremendous reception from the Commanding Officer, and the Quartermaster who had stayed up to wel— come us. As a matter of fact, they missed the end of the movie Cliffhanger just to meet us ~ we were deeply touched! Unfortunately we had to forego showers next morning as they had frozen solid and, despite the intensive efforts of the local plumbers under the leadership of the RCM, they just refused to operate, but the lie-in and late breakfast were widely appreciated. We showed our appreciation for their hospitality by giv— ing a concert for everyone. The highlight of this concert was the rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas by the ASM who brought the house down (he could only do the actions for six days of the twelve and so we just repeated it). That evening we gave a concert in a local hotel with half the Bosnian Army as our audi» ence, many of whom were well into their second beer by the time we started our performance. We managed to persuade the Deputy Commander to conduct the Band and, as he brought the baton down, he didn’t bat an eyelid as the dulcet tones of The Stripper boomed forth. We thought that the supporters of the revolution were going to open up with everything they had but the RCM managed to keep everything under control. Even so, to say that the party closed with almost inde— cent haste would be something of an understatement!

After dishing out all the presents from wives and girlfriends, we bade everyone farewell and a Happy Christmas and moved on to our next port of call at Prozor where we were to entertain the Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. This took the form of a concert in a proper concert hall which was wonderful except that there was a force nine gale coming in through a shell hole in the side of the building! This resulted in a drop of temperature which is hard to describe; sufficient to say that some of the instruments actually froze up. Glad to be back in the safe hands ofJean Pierre we eventually warmed up and at long last reached Gornji Vakuf, the venue ofour final concert. Once again we seemed to strike the right note (I) and appeared to please everyone. After a hectic night in the Mess where many people were introduced to the delights of Highland Dancing, we managed to make our departure in time to catch the plane back to UK. We had only a very short time in the country but no-one could fail to be struck by the devastation and hardship that was all too obvious; such a beautiful country ruined for many years to come. For our part it was an experience that we will never forget. We are all glad that we have had the opportunity to go to Bosnia and we now have a greater admiration for those serving out there who are operating under such appalling conditions.

Household Cavalry News

Household Cavalry News

65


Panda Pilot

Summer Camp

by CoH Knowles LG

by Capt JP Barclay RHG/D

Having bumped into the Editor, and cannot believe that Summer Camp has been and gone once more. It is the absolute highlight of the year and somehow manages to get better each time. I suppose with the facilities at Bodney Camp constantly improving, with the notable exception of those for Troopers; and with The Regiment expanding it’s knowledge of the area on each occasion, this is bound to be the case. Anyway, this year’s one proved to be of no excep— tion and was as splendid as ever.

not being in possession of a good enough excuse not to write an article, I assumed the reigns of “Sky Blue Scribe” from Major Dalgliesh, who has departed to civilian life. So what have I been up to since starting my flying tour? Having graduated from Army Pilot's

Course 342 in December 1992, I duly arrived at 669 Squadron in 4 Regiment AAC, in, of all places, Detmold, which has changed so much since the Regiment’s time there. The main change, of course, is that Lothian Barracks is no longer occupied by the

Summer Camp is all about working hard in the mornings with the horses, and then trying to get as many people

British Army and has now become Refugee Camp.

free in the afternoons and evenings as possible. On the equine side ofthings all

a

seemed to go well. The build up happened somehow, what with the first leave period going on and the Knightsbridge ‘bodyliners’ constantly flying around. The large build up and work for the Edinburgh State Visit certainly helped as we had only returned from there a month previously. However everyone could certainly have done with more jumping and fastwork. This been said though, the standard of show jumping, cross country and general confidence on horseback throughout Camp was

Having settled into the Squadron as a ‘Crow Gazelle Pilot’, and carried out a few minor exercises, it was out to BATUS for June and July for a Med Man with the RDG Battlegroup. It was inter— esting to see the Prairie from a different perspective, and equally so to see anoth— er Regiment’s approach to the training carried out there. Then for August to

Cyprus for a trial on new Aircrew NBC equipment, which, as it was based in

RAF Akrotiri, needs no descriptions of the deprivation that had to be endured. Not many airmen came forward to do the trial, something to do with having a heat sensor about 4 inches long up one's posterior, a small sacrifice for four weeks in the sun, albeit wearing full IPE every couple of days. Then a spot of well earned leave, into preparation for

Northern Ireland. My tour in NI was during a very

interesting phase of operations in the Province, which led to a heightened sense of awareness in most people that, despite the peace overtures, the risk of life, limb, and Army helicopters was as high as ever before. But this does not change the fact that a tour is highly rewarding, if only for the growing totals in the logbook. I was in support in Belfast for the majority of my tour, which allowed you to build a knowledge of the City to rival a Taxi driver, so a sec— ond career opportunity presents itself. On return from the Province, it was to Middle Wallop to learn to fly the mighty Lynx AH7, a most impressive beast, filled with enough “Wiggly amps”

Household Cavalry Newst

, l~ 441.4!) I I r’ 1" Not all flying suits and sunglasses. Author with steed (Gazelle AHi), "it’s a wilderness out there”BATUS 7993. to test the grey matter of the most steely eyed aviator. To pilots its a step up the ladder, as the Lynx is twin engine, with

of course double the workload of the Gazelle, and far easier to cut a dash in when visiting other airfields. After the pilot’s course, its quite pleasant to find that the instructors are human after all, and look happy some ofthe time, which makes the course very enjoyable and

"-

The Adjutant and Commanding Officer and having just had a go on the Bouncy Castle.

the UK in 1995, to occupy the former RAF Wattisham, which is already the

admission fee.

My reflections on my tour so far,

hard work and good fun, yes but with all walks of military life these days very

after the Final Handling Test (a sort if

busy at times with a fair bit of separation

driving test with a maniac next to you

to endure, a point worth bearing in mind

who keeps turning things off to see if

when deciding to follow this path. To all

you notice), I returned to Detmold to depart on what was my first 24 Airmobile Bde Exercise, which is my unit’s new role, surprisingly similar to the 5 AB Bde jollies the Regiment at Windsor used to indulge in.

those members of the Regiment embarking on the selection process — Good Luck. (Ed — we currently have three —

CoH Cripps, LCoH Bright and LCpl Bourne- who have passed selection and will be doing theirflying course in 1995)

The post lunch time activities were equally outstanding with the WOs’ and NCOs’ Mess performing formidably. Other than its ability to entertain on a daily basis, its two magnificent perfor— mances in the shape of The Western and The Review nights will be etched on our memories forever. Whether it was the fact that they managed to book Radio Swaffham for an evening, that there were no greased up pigs involved or that the

‘Posse’ managed to rid the ‘town’ of all that wouldn’t bring enjoyment, we will never know! What we do know, however, is that it most certainly was not the standard of karaoke singing that did it! Other afternoon pursuits included such things as inter Troop sports, clay pigeon shooting, go-karting and tent pegging; which all seemed to have been enjoyed. The evenings in Norwich and other favourite haunts were plentiful and pop— ular and thankfully ended up with no serious injuries from either cars, bottles, fists; or from that enviable pastime of pier diving in the dark at low tide! So, what can next year’s Camp possibly do to upstage this last one? — good— ness knows, though I am sure it will, and I hope I am there to enjoy it!

RING Tm: :

As another year approaches, we are packing up in readiness to move back to

home to 3 Regiment, where LCoH Addis, another Lynx Pilot now resides.

A victorious Troop,

our ‘man from Snowy River’, disappearing offon what he thought was the placid and comfortable ‘Polka’, but what was in fact the unstoppable and razor spined beast called ‘Isla’, certainly got their money’s worth! Finally, even Ex Try Out Your Patience passed reasonably effortlessly leaving worthy praise to be poured on the unsung heroes: the Riding Staff.

Major Clark, HO Sqn Leader checks their

extremely high. The system of ensuring

that every man rides three times a week during the year must have had something to do with this. The amazing cross country course that CoH Weller and his crew built also inspired many an indi-

vidual. It basically sold the Regiment’s first official hunter trial before a single competitor had even performed. The STANTA hierarchy provided endless support throughout which not only meant that in camp life was better, but that the jumps and hacks were fantastic as well. The pilgrimage to Holkham beach was as successful as ever and pro vided huge entertainment for all. Those privileged few who watched Sgt Baxter,

WOs‘ and N005‘ Mess Team, L to H. CoH Godson, LCp/ Payne SCpi Waygood (with sore nose)

! ._

g

The Officers Team. 4. Lt Pitrnan. 3, Lt Bar/ow, 2, Major Lane Fox. 7. Capt Marsha/l.

Household Cavalry News

67


Household Cavalry Ski Team ate one evening in November the PRI minibus turned out ofthe gates of Combermere Barracks, loaded down with skis, boots, skiers, and cases of whisky. As it did so it nearly tipped over

two years of HCR winning arm»fulls of

trophies, it was feared that this year’s

with the excess baggage. Were we to

final result sheet would look completely different from last year’s. Even with such a hotchpotch team we still achieved a great deal of success.

dump the whisky? Were we to dump the chalet girl, or the heaviest member of the team (LCpl McGarry), or even dump the skis? All the above proved essential to the seven weeks race training with the Royal Armoured Corps. To avoid turning the wagon over we decided to go slowly around every bend in the road to our final destination. After sweating blood we negotiated the precarious hair-pin bends of the mountain road at just four miles an hour all the way to Verbier.

Again HCR was kindly sponsored by ]&B Whisky which meant that we were not only better turned out on and off the slopes but that we were also generously supplied with large quantities of the brown stuff. Thanks to a memorable (or partially memorable) dinner party entertaining the J&B Chairman we seem to have secured sponsorship for the HCR ski team for probably the next fifty years (or at least next year).

Due to the rest of the Regiment being on operations in Yugoslavia the 1994/5

uring the 1994 Season, both Regiments (LG and RHG/D) fielded their own teams, a change to the Union practice of playing under a single

HCR banner.

Training for the RAC race was seriously hindered by a lack of all important

white stuff. This resulted in one hundred HCR team was destined to be different to previous years in many respects. Firstly it was to be run by a complete novice skier who had never been to Verbier before,

RAC skiers skiing the glacier for nearly four weeks. The glacier was worn thin— ner along with our patience. Only a sprinkling of snow arrived at Christmas.

Capt Lester Sm/‘th promotes J&B Whisky.

and was awarded the “Best RAC Soldier”. As for the HCR team; we came 7th out of 14 ‘A’ teams. The HCR team can thank LCpl McGarry for his staggering performance after hardly ever having skied before, and to Captain Lester-Smith’s “Household Cavalry charm” 0n and off the slopes.

(and a person who often has difficulty knowing which day of the week it is.) Secondly there were only a few Household Cavalry men left in the UK and so selecting a team was awkward. It

was finally made up of two from the HCMR, one from the LAD, an officer on attachment, and just four from Windsor. Lastly, of the eight team members only one had ever raced before, and only three could ski relatively competently. After

On the first race of the RAC Race Week the course was so short of snow, and consequently scratchy, that two skiers crashed and had to be helicoptered off the slope. Lt Lowe RHG/D was one of the unfortunate. This occurrence

somewhat upset the forty odd chalet girls who had come out to support him. (Lt Lowe, or the “Legend” as he was to be known, had welcomed each of his female

supporters at New Year with an embrace and a careful examination of their tonsils.) The HCR team were to be deprived

of

Lt

Lowe’s

skiing

prowess as a neck brace prevented him competing any more that week.

4‘

Lt Allerton, LCpl McGar/y arid LCpl Tate d/scuss tact/cs.

Household Cavalry News

Polo

Finally on the second day of Race Week the snow arrived, it’s arrival was inconvenient, and only some racing could take place in poor conditions. LCpl Tate was not deterred, seized the moment and hit top form. He won the “Individual Giant Slalom”, was runner up in the “Combined Slalom and Giant Slalom”,

Unfortunately the team had to miss out on the Divisional and Army Championships in order for various

members of the team to be ready to go off to either to Bosnia or Northern Ireland. LCpl Tate was however sent on by himself and won three races in the 3 UK Divisional Championships, achieved second place overall and was coming in the late teens in the Army’s as this goes to print.

The first tournament of the season was the Inter-Regimental. After hard fought early rounds The Life Guards faced The Blues and Royals in the finals. The Blues and Royals looked stronger on paper as they were built around two sea— soned campaigners in Capt Woodward and Capt Barclay. In the event The Life Guards won, urged on by that veteran of many a season Major Hunter.

It was a season truly dominated by the Household Cavalry and sadly due to the retirement of Woodward and Lt Pitman it may be the last one for a while that the Regiments play as seperate entities. However, Lt Barnard was sent to India last year to improve his play, which bodes well for the future!

full back was as safe as the Bank of Iran under the high ball. For their part, the forwards grafted their hearts out and special mention must be given to Tpr Owens who covered every blade of grass on the day to play outstandingly well. Owens has since ben selected to play for both Army and Combined Services U215, a tremendous achievement. The Prince of Wales Cup was won for the first time by the Mounted Regiment since 1952.

in the loose. The second row of CoH Smith 75 and CoH Evans took nearly all the lineout balls and this was to prove a Vital factor. The backline was again solid containing HCR’s ability to run the ball.

Rugby he 93/94 seasons was possibly the finest season ever for the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. One significant factor was the posting in of CsoH Richards, Smith, Spandley and SCpl Dickens from HCR. This, coupled with the undoubted talents of SCpl Mills the Master Saddler, and SSgt Berry, the Master Chef, meant that there was tremendous experience within the squad for the first time in many years. Losses to HCR, Scots Guards and ATR Winchester gave no indication of

what was to come. The tide turned Even with many of the Regiment’s top skiers out in Bosnia it was a good thing for us to send a team. This year we discovered some new talents, a grounding for the 1995/6 season's team. It is clear that HCR can put out one of the best, if not the best Regimental team next year. Even with three quarters of the Regiment away we achieved a lot more than other Regiments who have double the budgets, double the numbers from which to select a team, double the time and double the support. We look forward to squaring away some more ofthe “Line Cav.” next year.

The Captains and Subalterns tournament was a different matter. The Life Guards fielded Lt Barnard and Lt Hall who joined Lt Barlow and Capt Mitford-Slade. The Blues and Royals fielded the same team. Again we met in the final but this time The Blues and Royals exacted revenge with Lt Pitman playing a fine game.

against 3 PARA who were beaten 7-4. The game was to prove a milestone because the team then remained unbeat— en for the rest of the season. The first goal was the Prince of Wales Cup. The route to the final was via ATR Pirbright 28—0, and the Scots Guards where we made amends for the previous defeat by putting them to the sword 21—0. This set up the final against the Grenadier Guards at Caterham.

Lastly as the Director of Royal

The Regiment won a terrific physical, brutal contest 13-9. Mention must be made of the terrific back line of Sgt Bell at fly half and the thunderbolt tack— ling of Musn Risley and CoH Grantham in the centre.

Armoured Corps said at the prize giving, “You all deserve some leave after seven weeks in Verbier.” Wise words General, wise words.

Wingers LCsoH Howie and Risbridger were outstanding in both attack and defence and CoH Richards at

Next up was the Cavalry Cup UK. The route to the final was through Bovington RAC Centre who were beaten 11-4 and in the Semi—Final 1 RTR were beaten 2820 in a very good free running game. This set up an unprecedented final between HCR and HCMR. This to everybody’s knowledge was a first ever final ofits kind. The final was played at Slough Rugby Club. The final was a great spec— tacle for Household Cavalry rugby and we ran out the winners by 28—0. The scoreline in no way reflecting how hard fought the game really was. HCR were unlucky not to score and their contribution to the final was immense. This game really did belong to the donkeys in the forwards who put on a display of for ward power that was uncontainable on the day. The front row of SCpl Dickens, Lt Marshall and CoH Spandley were irresistible in the loose driving play and the back row of SCpI Mills, SSgt Berry and young Tpr Owens were everywhere

The win over HCR thus brought us to the last game of the season that was to be probably the hardest. We were pitted against The Queen’s Dragoon Guards who were the winners of the Cavalry Cup BAOR. The final occurred the same day as the Silver Stick's rehearsal for The Major General’s Parade. Not only did the rehearsal go well but the Regiment triumphed by beating QDG 19-12 in a bruising battle. The game itself was again dominated by all forwards and the backs were prominant for their outstand— ing performance in defence against a very useful QDG backline. For their part they were very committed in their play, much of which was robust in the extreme. All credit to our team for their discipline in the face of some of the opposition tactics. A special mention to Lt Marshall, due to injury in the last twenty minutes he was forced to play on the wing. While on the wing he made two absolutely crunching, try saving tackles that in effect won us the game. With commitment like that there was never any doubt that we would keep the QDG team at bay. A wonderful season that both Regiments can be proud of, and the pos~ sibility of better things to come.

Household Cavalry News


News From the Associations

GD. Golding The Life Guards Association

Tailors Ltd.

Annual Report 1994 MILITARY AND CIVILIAN TAILORS

ARE PLEASED TO BE REGIMENTAL TAILORS BY APPOINTMENT TO The Household Cavalry regiment

Patron Her Majesty The Queen President Major General Lord Michael Fitzalan Howard GCVO, CB, CBE, MC, DL

G. D._‘G_9Ifldlng

Trustees of The Life Guards Charitable Trust Major WSG Doughty Major RRD Griffin Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) AD Meakin

220 Hatfield Road ° St Albans ° Hertfordshire AL1 4LW

Telephone: St Albans (01727) 841321 Fax: (01727) 831462

Committee: Chairman: Major WSG Doughty Deputy Chairman: Major RRD Griffin Honorary Treasurer: Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) AD Meakin Honorary Secretary: Captain R Hennessy-Walsh Serving Members: Major IW Kelly Captain A] Mead Captain JT Lodge W01 D] Smith (Resigns Feb 95) W01 TGW Carrington (Resigns Jan

95)

Auditors: Messrs Grant Thornton Grant Thornton House Melton Street Euston Square London NW1 ZEP

W01 M Whatley W01 18 Holbrook

W02 (RQMC)(T) D Pickard W02 PP Lewis W02 C Hickman W02 RA Valentine (from Apr 95)

Non-Serving Members: Lieutenant Colonel SV GilbartDenham CVO Major N E Hearson JP DL Captain LD Stratford MBE Captain AM Cherrington Captain WAB Henderson Mr Mr Mr Mr

E0 Lloyd RVM CE Dean RVM D Johnson NW Taylor

Mr SF Wallington

RULES OF THE LIFE GUARDS ASSOCIATION U.K.MADEOLIVE

GREENT-SHIRTS

Ions

.e

HUNDREDS or

DESIGI :

EMBROIDERED

HERE

°' TEES TOTA

STOCK DESIGNS AVAILABLE.

/ /

W.T.T.S.

1. The Association shall be called “The Life Guards Association”.

DRIVER TRAINING

2. Membership.

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for all your LGV, PCV, FLT, CPC, CRANE AND CAR TRAINING.

High performance, low-octane

All Officers, Warrant Officers, NonCommissioned Officers and Troopers of Her Majesty’s First or Second Regiments of Life Guards or of Her Majesty’s Regiment of Life Guards who have left the Regiment are eligible for election by the Committee, as well as all officers and other ranks still serving. Other ranks may become members on joining the Regiment but should they be discharged dishonourably from the Service they will be deemed as no longer

WE TRAIN THE PROFESSIONALS a member of the Association.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE 01934 632008 BRISTOL 01179 254223

3.The objects of the Association are: a.

Nutritious forage feeds from Dengie

Weston Transport Training Services Ltd W.T.T.S. Driver Training (Bristol) Ltd

From all good feed merchants. Dengie Feeds 0621 773883

WE TRAIN THE PROFESSIONALS

b.

To keep all past members of the Regiment in touch with one another. To help such members in obtain ing situations.

c. To maintain “The Life Guards Charitable Trust” in accordance with the terms of the Deed of Trust, for the pur» pose of granting temporary assistance to members of the Association, their wives, widows or children, or other dependants who may be in distressed circumstances

through no fault of their own. Non members of the Association, their wives, widows or children and other dependants who may be in distressed circumstances through no fault oftheir own may also receive temporary assistance at the discretion of the Committee. 4. The annual subscription payable by ex serving members ofthe Regiment shall be in the case of Officers £2, and in the case of soldiers of all ranks £1, but members of the Association whose annual subscriptions are fixed at £2 and £1 respectively may become Life Members of the Association on payment of£15 in the case

ofOfficers and £5 in the case of soldiers. Serving soldiers of the Association who

pay each year under the One Day’s Pay Scheme shall be deemed to be Life Members of the Association. Serving Officers who pay under the One Day’s Pay Scheme shall be deemed to be annu— al members of the Association while serving, and if their donations are paid by the Deed of Covenant over seven years they will be deemed to be Life Members of the Association. 5. A member of the Association whose subscription becomes two years in arrears shall ipso facto cease to be a member, but the Committee may at any time re—admit him to membership upon him giving a satisfactory explanation and paying all arrears of subscriptions then due. 6. An Annual General Meeting will be held on a Saturday in May or June to be followed by a dinner. 7. The Officers and Committee of the Association for the ensuing year shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

News from the Associations

70

The Household Cavalry Regiment

71


8. The Committee shall consist of the Commanding Officer (Chairman), a serving Officer (Deputy Chairman), ten past members (including two past Officer members), and ten serving mem— bers, the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary and the Assistant

Honorary Secretary. 9. The Secretary shall at least 14 days before any general meeting send to every member of the Association a notice of each meeting stating the time and place where it will be held and the business that will be brought before it. No busi— ness other than business of a formal nature shall be brought forward at any meeting unless notice thereof shall have been duly given as herein provided. 10. At all general meetings the Chair is to

Association shall have one vote, and in the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting

the Committee, or refuses to transact or

when requested and in

is incapable of transacting the business

grants amounted to £3500.

Officers in Windsor and Knightsbridge will both be RI-IG/D.

7. The Honorary Treasurer’s Report was approved by Captain Stratford and Mr Hitchman.

13. The Honorary Secretary’s Report was approved by Mr Dean and Mr Taylor.

Honorary Secretary’s Report

14. Election of Committee. In accordance with normal custom the non serving members of the Committee resigned but they all offered themselves for re-election for the coming year. This was pro— posed by Mr Speller and seconded by Mr Oakman.

of the Committee, then the surviving or

vote. continuing members of the Committee 11. Accounts; All money to be paid to the Honorary Treasurer who will open the banking account for the Association with Lloyds Bank Ltd in his own name and that of the Honorary Secretary. All cheques shall be signed by an Officer nominated by the Chairman. The accounts of the Association to be bal— anced and audited up to 31 December each year.

shall appoint another person to be a

member of the Committee in his place.

rules, provided always that no addition to, alteration or amendment ofsuch rules shall be of any force or effect until the same shall have been submitted to members of the Association and confirmed by

12. Five of the Committee shall be suffi— cient to form a quorum but at least three of these shall be past members of the Regiment. If votes be equal the vote of the Chairman shall count as two votes.

the majority of such of the said members as shall vote at a meeting duly convened

Address Register

9. I am now able to report that non serving membership of the Association now stands at 2256 which is slightly up on last year. Unfortunately 30 copies of the last edition of the Acorn were returned from members who failed to notify

Minute Book

us of their change of address. I have

the Association: 13. When and if a member of the Committee dies or remains out of the United Kingdom, otherwise than with the Regiment, for more than 12 months, or desires to retire, or refuses to attend or is incapable of attending, the meetings of

Postage Book

Account Book.

Minutes of the 60th Annual General Meeting of The Life Guards held at Combermere Barracks, Windsor on Saturday 11 June 1994

1. The Chairman, Lieutenant Colonel PSWF Falkner opened the Meeting at 1800 hours by welcoming all those present and hoped that everyone had by now received a copy of the Household Cavalry Journal. It was unanimously agreed that it was a very good magazine.

2. Approval of Minutes. The Minutes ofthe 59th Annual General Meeting were published in the first edi— tion of the Household Cavalry Journal. It was proposed by Mr Sayers and seconded by Mr Lloyd that they are a true record of the proceedings. Honorary Treasurer’s Report 3. The drafts accounts for 1993, published in the new edition of the Household Cavalry Journal, have now

been confirmed as Association auditors.

correct

by

the

4. The funds are still in a healthy state although our expenditure over income in 1993 amounted to £7000. This is mainly attributable to not receiving any money under the One Day’s Pay Scheme. All serving officers and men each year donate 1 days pay to the Household Cavalry Charitable Trust which in turn share the income between The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals Associations and the Army Benevolent Fund. The Household Cavalry Trust Charter has now been redrafted in order that grants may be made to each Regiment of the Household Cavalry to assist with the cost of certain Regimental activities including adventure training, which the Associations are unable to do. In order to build up the capital the Major

8. The Association office remains in the same complex as the Household Cavalry Recruiting Team together with The Blues and Royals Association. It is still not clear when and if this office will move to London. Members will of course be advised of any change of address or telephone numbers.

for the purpose.

15. The following books will be kept by

General Commanding Household Division has generously donated the sum of £25000 as an interest free loan provided the two Association make a similar grant. Both Association decided to forego their annual grant for 1993 but of course we shall receive the normal grant from 1994. 5. Our investments are with the United Services Trustee and cost £138,000 and at the last valuation day they are currently valued at £356,580, an increase of over £8000 over the figure shown in the Journal at the end of 1993. 6. In 1993 we made grants of £13,000 to widows and former members of the Regiment who found themselves in financial difficulties, and I would like to record our thanks to the Army Benevolent Fund who continue to assist

Card. The Chairman explained that for security reasons this would be impossible to control. 22. The Secretary was asked to inform Area Representatives as and

when

14. The Committee shall have power to add or alter or amend all or any of these

be taken by the Commanding Officer and failing him by the senior serving officer present, or if no such officer be present by some member of the Association chosen by the meeting. Every question shall be decided by a majority of votes. Every member of the

1993 these

no figures yet of how many copies of the new Household Cavalry Journal were returned but suspect it will be somewhere in the same region. I would once again ask that all mem— bers who move please inform us of their new address. 10. With regret I must inform you that there have been 19 deaths in the 12 months since my last report. Details of these will of course appear in the next edition of the Household Cavalry Journal. I would like at this point to say that there appeared in the new Journal an obit~ uary for former Trumpet Major Downs. I am pleased to be able to announce that this is in fact incor— rect and Mr DOWHS is very much alive and well. The Committee would like to offer their apologies to Mr Downs and his family for the distress this must have caused. 11. I can report that Committee meetings continue to be held every quarter in Windsor to decide on policies and major grants taken by the financial sub committee.

12. I am sure you will wish to know Chairman, current our that Lieutenant Colonel Falkner, hands over later this year to Major Doughty who is currently 21C of HCR. This situation has arisen because the next Commanding

serving

members

of

23. It was agreed by the Meeting that on the occasions when flowers

were not required, on the death of an Association member, donations to a suitable charity, as directed by the Next of Kin, would be appropri-

ate. Any Other Business 15. The Chairman brought to the attention of the Meeting the Families Day to be held at Combermere Barracks on Saturday

25 June 1994. 16. The Honorary Secretary brought to the attention of the Meeting the Laying Up of two Sovereign Standards at the Guards Chapel at 1700 hours 22 June 1994. 17. The Chairman was asked whether any decision had yet been made on a donation being made to Holy Trinity Church. The Chairman had spoken with both the Major General and the current Rector but it was still not clear what kind of financial assistance was required. As soon as it was known a suitable donation would be made from the Household Cavalry. 18. A question was raised from the floor as to whether it was possible to have a Life Guard tie printed with an LG motif. It was generally agreed that this would not be a good idea. 19. The Meeting was reminded that the 1995 Combined Cavalry Parade was a Life Guard year and it was hoped that as many Association members as possible would be able to attend. 20. It was agreed that it would be useful to list names of hotels and Bed and Breakfast accomodation when sending out details for the Annual Dinner. The Secretary would arrange for this to happen. 21. A question was raised from the floor as to why members of the Association could not be issued with some form of ID or Membership

24. The following dates were brought to the attention of the Meeting: Brickhanging at HCMR - 15 Dec 94 Brickhanging at HCR — 21 Dec 94

Forthcoming Events

Annual General Meeting The élst Annual General Meeting of The Life Guards Association will be held in the WOs’ and NCOs’ Mess at Combermere Barracks at 1800 hours on Saturday 17 June 1995. All members are requested to attend this meeting. Annual Association Dinner The 1995 Association Dinner will be held in Combermere Barracks, Windsor on Saturday 17 June 1995 at 1900 hours. Dress: Lounge suits with medals (not miniatures). Colonel VAL Goodhew MBE, who commanded the Regiment from November 1985 to June 1988, will be in the chair. Tickets will not be available at the door and must be obtained from the Honorary Secretary on the pro~ forma enclosed with this magazine by 1 June 1995. Personal guests will not be permitted to attend. Any member requiring overnight accommodation should make his request on the dinner ticket proforma. Requests for accommodation, other than through the Honorary Secretary, cannot be accepted. As in pre» vious years the Regimental Corporal Major will offer the hospitality of the Mess to all Association members and their wives after the Dinner. However, it is necessary for him to impose a restriction on children accompanying their parents into the Mess unless they are aged eighteen and over.

News from the Associations 72

News from the Associations

the

Regiment were made redundant.

73


The Life Guards Association and Charitable Trust

NOTES ON THE ACCOUNTS. Investments.

Income and expenditure account for year ending 31 Dec 1994. RECEIPTS 1993 46737.45

Cash balances as at 1 Jan

1994 39458.71 10000.00

Market value of shares held on 1 Dec 1994

5134244648

LG Assn Helping Hand Fund

Charitable Trust Stock sales Interest on Deposit account

Dividends from US Trustee Grants from Army Benevolent Fund

Christmas cards 2289.10 Sales 2178.00 2125.00 Cost 1700.00

£58427

The Share holdings on 31 Dec 1994 are attributable to the following Trusts Sir Roger Falmer Fund

Subs and donations

164.10

513815370 58611

Value per share as at 1 Dec 1994

H.Cav Charitable Trust (1 days pay)

1652.93 110.9 74.45 841.12 1984.19 11536.46 3496.00

Cost of shares held on 31 Dec 1994 Number of shares held

Helping Hand Fund

Charitable Trust

1771.66 111.40 40.55 1484.94 10448.30 5427.00 478.00

TOTAL

58611

In View of the publication date of the Regimental Journal the accountants have not yet completed the audit for 1994 and therefore these accounts are published in draft form for the information of members and their correctness will be confirmned at the next annual general meeting of the Association in 1995.

D. MEAKIN. Lieut Colonel Treasurer THE LIFE GUARDS ASSOCIATION.

£66597.60 EXPENDITURE. 229.23 1715.19 169.96 822.50 461.45

£69220.56

Office equipment and misc exp Postage

Stationery Audit fee Wreaths and funeral expenses

357.04 4698.34 355.39 822.50 323.95

Association Notices All correspondence for the Association should be addressed to:

Donations

122.45 65.35 5.25 300.00 50.00

Combined Cavalry Assn

Empire Field of Remembrance St Georges Memorial Chapel

Grants Cost of Regtl Magazine

4126.00 Income

4525.00

Bank charges

39458.71

Combermere Barracks,

Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 3DN. (Tel Windsor (01753) 868222 Ext 5297/5299).

200.00 16884.54 7045.46

Annual Dinner 5110.72 Cost 6456.42 984.72

The Honorary Secretary, _ The Life Guards Assocration,

Household Cavalry Museum D.C.M. League QA Hospital Corsham

13012.79 9400.00

172.89 68.30 5.25

Cash Balances as at 31 Dec

Membership All members of the Association are requested to introduce the Association to all those eligible for membership under of the Association rules.

Rule

2

Life Membership 1931.42 83.37 36272.11

in the case Any annual member of the Association may become a Life Member on payment of£15 in the case of Officers and £5 of other ranks.

Regimental History

is availA Regimental History of The Life Guards covering the period from 1945 to 1992 written by. the late Major William Loyd £69220.56

£6659Z.60

1993 348459.97

w 23%

Investments at current rates as at 1st December Current Bank and Deposit Accounts

1994 342446.48

33124 M

copy should send a able to members at the reduced price of £16 including postage and packaging. Members Wishing to obtain a to: payable made £16 for order 1 t h “Household Cavalry Regiment” cheques should be sent to: C Cque 01' I305 a SL4 3DN. Challengers & Chargers, c/o Household Cavalry Regiment, Combermere Barracks, Windsor, Berkshire,

Regimental Items of Sale Cavalry Museum at Combermere Various items with [he Regimental cypher are available for purchase fromlthe Household of items available. Barracks. Anyone interested should apply to the Curator for a list

News from the Associations 74

News from the Associations

75


The Blues 8: Royals Association

The Blues 8: Royals Association

Annual Report 1994

Accounts to 3lst December 1994

Honorary Legal Advisor & Independent Accounts Examiner: AT Lawson - Cruttenden Esq TD MA

The Committee President: General Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick,GCB,DSO,MBE,MC

Balance Sheet as at 3lst December 1994

Mr KN Adams Mr DH Clark

1994 Mr FG Collinywood Serving Members Major DA O’Halloran Captain GA Fox W02 (RQMC) LD Rogers W02 (RQMC) GM Dunkley W02 (SCM) NP Carpenter W02 (SCM) VP Maher W02 JM Sandercock

Chairman: Lieutenant General Sir

Richard Vickers, KCB,LV0,0BE Ex Oflicio Members: Lt Col WR Rollo, Commanding the Household Cavalry Regiment

INVESTMENTS

Mr] Cosgrove Mr J Edwards

(at cost) (Note 1) Market Value

Mr D Ellis

Honorary Secretary & Treasurer: Major (Retd) JG Handley

Non Serving Members Lt Col WR Marsh MajorAW Kersting Major EL Payne Major] Peck

389,998.00

7,058.97 45,466.03 1 966.91

49,312.15 13 206.54

54,491.91

62 518.69

Mr WA Ford CASH fl BANK Mr AGFrance Mr EL Lane

On Current Account On Deposit Account Sundry Debtors

Mr PB Lawson Mr WR Macdouga!

Lt Col W’T Browne, Commanding the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

86,597.17

86,597.17 349,465.00

Mr CE Mogg Mr MA Shillabeer Mr WHT Steel

mww Mr KA Taylor Regtl Histories (Note 2)

10,249.03

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES The Annual General Meeting for 1994 was held at Hyde Park Barracks on Saturday 7th May 1994. The accounts for the year ending 31 December 1993 were approved and Major] Peck and Mr C Mogg were elected as members of the Association Committee in place of Mr MA Martin and Mr ZA Goodacre.

On

the

recommendation

of

the

Committee, the meeting considered an amendment to the Constitution and Rules providing for the removal of the option of Annual Membership and introducing a

sliding

scale

of

charges

for

Life

Membership based upon the rank of the applicant at discharge. The amendment was passed

Agenda 1. Minutes of the 1994 Meeting. 2. Matters Arising 3.Conf1rmation of the accounts for the period ending 31st Dcember 1994 4 Committee Members. Mr Bellas has resigned from the Committee and Mr WR Macdougal retires under Rule 12 of the Constitution & Rules. The Committee recommends Lt Col WR Marsh and Mr N Bourne to fill these vacancies. 5. Any Other Business. Members are reminded that in accor—

The Annual Dinner in 1994

dance with Rule 21 ofthe Constitution &

Over 300 members and official guests attended the Annual Dinner for 1994 which was held at Hyde Park Barracks on Saturday 7 May 1994. We would like to thank the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment for permitting us to use the facilities of the Barracks for our dinner. and the RCM and members of the WOs' & NCOs' Mess for making the mess available to us before and after the dinner. Particular thanks are due also to W02 (SCM) GM Dunkley and the members of The Blues & Royals Mounted Squadron whose hard work in setting up and staffing the dinner ensured an outstanding evening for all who attended.

Rules, any resolution they may wish to place before the meeting should be sub— mitted in writlng to the Secretary not later than 6 weeks prior to the meeting.

Forthcoming Events in 1995 The Annual General Meeting for 1995 will be held in the Band Practice Room at Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge on Saturday 20 May 1995. The meeting will commence at 18.30hrs.

Liberation of Denmark. 50th Anniversary Celebrations. The Danish Government is planning to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of Denmark with events taking place in Denmark, London and Newcastle over the period 4 — 5 May 1995. They are particularly keen to hear from ex Royals who were present during the Liberation. Those members who have written to the Secretary on this matter have already been contacted by the Danish Embassy with details. Any member who wishes to obtain more information on this subject should contact:

408.38 1,067 . 50

Current Account Creditors

NET CURRENT ASSETS

64,740.94

61042 81

151,338.11

147,639.98

147,639.981 3,698.13

19,741.66 10,428.69

000.00

17 469.63

151,338.11

147,639.

ACCUMULATED FUNDS Balance as at 1 January Excess of incomes over expenditure Rescheduled Capital (Rose Fund)

Captain S Lund RDN Defence Attache Royal Danish Embassy 55 Sloane Street LONDON. SW1 X 98R

Income & Expenditure AccountFor the Year Ending 3lst December 1994

The Danish Tourist Board Telephone: 0171 259 59958

CAPITAL

INCOME

Resheduled from Rose Fund

1994

1993

Nil

17,469.63

Annual Dinner The Annual Dinner will be held at Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge on Saturday 20 May 1994 at 19.30hrs. Dress: Lounge Suits, No Medals. Bars will be open from 17.30hrs. Because of limited space tickets will be restricted to one per member and only official guests will be allowed. To assist with security, members are asked to produce some form ofidenti— ty on entrance to the Barracks. and din~ ner tickets must be produced at the entrance to the dining room. Ladies will not be allowed to attend the dinner, but will be welcome in the Mess afterwards.

Further details of the dinner are shown on the enclosed pro forma and those wishing to attend should complete this and return it to the Secretary with a cheque or postal order.

INCOME

NOTICES Regimental History

Subscriptions & Donations Dividends on Investments Deposit Account Interest

Copies of “The Stovy of The Blues 57

Annual Dinner

10,694.57 13,171.18 1,924.19

Royals" written by ]NP Watson and published in 1993, are available from The Household

Cavalry

Museum,

Ticket Sales Costs

Combermere Barracks, Windsor, Berks. Christmas Cards SL4 3DN. Members wishing to obtain copies should send a cheque or postal order for £19.95 “Central

Bank

made payable to

Household

Cavalry

Sales Costs Book Sales Sundries

Regiment” and include £3.00 for post and packing.

TOTAL INCOME

News from the Associations 76

News from the Associations


Income & Expenditure Account For the Year Ending 3lst December 1994

Obituaries INCOME

1994

EXPENDITURE

The Life Guards

Grants & Assistance

2,925.00 Error from 1994 Journal

Annual Dinner

Postage (Note 3) Annual Report & Magazine Costs Sales Christmas Cards Miscellaneous Expenses

In the 1994 copy of the Journal there appeared an obituary for Trumpet Major Downs. This was incorrect and the Committee of The Life Guards

2,901 .13

Association offer their apologies to Mr 7,780.75 606 . 25

TOTAL EXPENDITURE Excess of Income over Expenditure

7,174. 50

Nil 750 2 879.47

6,511.23 24,267.56

6,752.91

3,698.13

11,195.89

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

Downs, and his family, for the distress this must have caused. 294421 CoH Brown WC. Served from 1 May 1919 to 30 April 1927 and 1 September 1939 to 1 May 1949. Died 19 May 1994 aged 93 years. Captain R M Barr Smith. Served from 17 Jul 1941 to 3 Oct 1945. Died 26 May 1994 aged 73 years.

294843 Major D R Holmes. Served from 1 April 1930 to 6 September

1940. Died 26 January 1991 aged 83 years. 295680 Tpr Hopwood WE. Served from 13 Match 1941 to 11 August 1946. Died 28 August 1994 aged 73 years.

533353 Musn Cawdery AC.

MARKET VALUE 1993

HOLDING 29057United Services Trustees Combined Charitable Fund

296014 Tpr Johnson A]. Served from 4 February 1943 to 5 June

169,771.00

185,991.00

8878Equities Investment Fund For Charities (Charifund)

58,399.00

Major W T V Loyd. Served from 15 June 1957 to December

23215985 LCoH Skelly D.

1973.

Served from 27 June 1952 to 26 June

Died 8 July 1994 aged 56 years.

1956 and from 30 July 1959 to 8 October 1976

1443M & G Charifund Acumulation Units

43,985.00

Died 13 December 1993 aged 85 years.

Barclays Unicorn Exempt Trust Shares

77,310.00

89,365.00

1942 .

296742 Tptr Spencer W. Served from 12 December 1946 to 30 October 1952. Died 12 March 1994 aged 64 years.

2562973 Tpr Mulroy F. Served from 21 March 1927 to 15 April

1941.

299349 Tpr Sutherland H. Served from 6 August 1915 to 31 August

Died 22 November 1993 aged 86 years.

1923. Died 23 August 1991 aged 90 years. 329170 Tpr Oram J. Served from 18 April 1 1940 to 15 February 1946. Died 17 October 1993 aged 76 years.

24299794 LCpl Taylor JL. Served from 22 August 1972 to 23 March

1981.

1976.

Died 22 August 1993 aged 54 years.

Died 17 December 1993 aged 44 years.

22205570 W01 Oxberry CE.

47,640.00

110601.00-

Died 13 June 1994 aged 61 years.

October 1945. Died 4 September 1994 in the Royal Hospital Infirmary, aged 89 years.

22556738 SCpl Davies L. Served from 15 June 1954 to 1 September

295385 Tpr Sadler NH . Served from 7 October 1940 to 16 February 1946. Died 29 July 1994 aged 75 years.

294633 Major W McCarron. Served f tom 7 October 1926 to 4 May

67,002.00

1960.

Died 8 July 1994 aged 69 years.

1945 .

Served from 20 October 1933 to 19

764124 Tpr Chapman CL. Served from 5 July 1926 to 22 Jun 1934 and from 4 September 1938 to 28 September 1945. Died 29 December 1993 aged 85 years,

23569490 Tpr Ross JW. Served from 19 June 1958 to 10 July Died 5 November 1992 aged 54 years.

For the Year Ending 3lst December 1994

NOTE 1 INVESTMENTS

296004 Tpr Rogers AT. Served from 7 January 1943 to 21 Janaury 1947. Died 8 June 1994 aged 77 years.

295292 Tpr Deering PF. Served from 11 July 1938 to 11 July 1946. Died 7 November 1994 aged 74 years.

Served from 22 August 1950 to 18 September 1972. Died 10 May 1994 aged 62 years.

294872 LCpl Willson CW. Served from 15 December 1930 to 2 May

1936 . Died 6 March 1994 aged 86 years.

349,465.00

389,998.00

NOTE 2 The Regimental History: A debit balance of £13,032.79 has been carried forward from last year. This has been reduced by bringing in the unsold books as stock although sundry debtors includes £1,059.12 for books which have been disposed of for no consideration and approval for this expenditure will be needed.

NOTE 3 Postage: This includes the despatching of the Regimental Magazine which was not produced in 1993.

294829 Tpr English ER. Served from 10 February 1930 to 9 February 1938 and from September 1939 to December 1945. Died 3 November 1994 aged 84 years. 22205037 Tpr Evans P. Served from March 1948 to 31 December

22534123 Tpr Paget CS. Served from 29 January 1951 to 28 January 1963 Died 6 March 1994 aged 65 years.

I have examined the attached balance sheets and Income and Expenditure Accounts and report that in my opinion these accounts give a true and fair view of the state of the Association’s affairs at 31 December 1994 and of the surplus ofincome over expenditure for the year ended on that date.

A T LAWSON-CRUTTENDEN T.D., M.A Solicitor Dawson Cornwell & Co 16 Red Lion Square

LONDON WC 1 R 4QT Independent Examiner

Died 2 August 1994 aged 64 years.

1954. Died 9 May 1994 aged 74 years.

295014 Tpr Powell ECT. Served from 1 June 1934 to 5 July 1935 Died 29 Apri 1 1990 aged 76 years .

1951. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER THE BLUES AND ROYALS ASSOCIATION

295339 CoH Watkins AE. Served from 13 April 1939 to 12 April

296734 CoH Wisdom DJ. Served from December 1946 to September 1952. Died 25 September 1994 aged 68 years.

22841249 ALCpl Rands TW. Served from 1 December 1953 to 9 April

14076884 Tpr Goble PM.

1960.

Served from 22 July 1946 to 26 May 1948 Died 14 July 1994 aged 67 years.

Died 5 January 1994 aged 55 years.

296550 Cpl Gurney J. Served from 27 November 1944 to 30 May 1952 . Died 21 November 1993 aged 66 years.

294613 Cpl Reeve FA, MM. Served from 28 September 1925 to 2 October 1946. Died 8 January 1994 aged 86 years.

Served from 24 May 1929 to 12 June

It is also with regret that we were informed of the death of the Reverend EP Dawson Walker on 18 April 1994. Although never serving with the Household Cavalry he was for many years the Rector of Holy Trinity Church,

1960

Windsor and had been a member of both

Died 22 November 1994 aged 83 years.

Associations

294762 W01 Ring AH. 296623 Tpr Hatch AE. Served from 12 February 1945 to 22 May 1964. Died 29 October 1992 aged 65 years.

23215994 Cpl Yule G. Served from 24 August 1959 to 23 August 1965. Died 17 August 1994 aged 56 years.

Obituaries 78

News from the Associations


The Blues and Royals

Major W T V Loyd. Late of The Life Guards. by Brigadier A H Parker Bowles OBE. Late of The Blues and Royals.

Capt. G Mitchison (305056) RHG GivenHouse,NewportSt., Millbrook,

Corwall.

Served 1950— 1969 3 Priory Road,Clacton on Sea,Essex. Died:4 August 1994

Major A] Mundy RHG Served 1929 -1946 Ash Tree Cottage, Hoel Glam,

Died:14 March 1994 Bridgend,Glamorgan

7265764 S/Cpl DDR Fielden RHG 39 Station Road,Morton,Bourne, Lincs Died: 24 May 1994

Cpl L Knock RHG Served 1931— 1936 11 Vista Ave,Westville,South Africa Died: 5 May 1994

Cpl RG Hayes RHG

328833 TprJM Blackburn RHG

373 The Ridgeway,Marshalswick, St Albans, Herts Died: 5]une 1994

Served 1940—1946 10 Cheshire Ave,Birtley, Chester le Street,Co. Durham Died:4 Speptember 1994

illiam Tetbert Vivian

Died:3 November 1994

.

5 hunting becoming the Master of the Windsor Forest Bloodhounds, a sister hunt of the Weser Vale. Whilst in the Army he had proved himself to be an above average polo player and with Ronald Ferguson, Nick Paravicini and Richard Head formed part of an all conquering Life Guards Team in the early Sixties.

Loyd died in July aged 5 7958039 Tpr G Kinane ROYALS

56 from cancer.

4 The Drive,Orpington,Kent

Vivian Loyd was the inventor

His father

Served 1943— 1946

of the Loyd machine-gun car-

Diedz3 November 1994

rier, forerunner of the infantry ‘ Bren gun carrier which was

304802 Cpl] Axon RHG

universally used in the Second World War. Willie was educat— ed at Eton and his housemas— .

Served 1928— 1945

4858269 Tpr C Robinson RHG Served 1 937 -l 946 Scuth Australia 26 Stokes Court, Elizabeth Vale 5112,South Australia. Died: 9 July 1994 22205541 L/CoH,I Edwards RHG

306651 Cpl E Young RHG Served 1944» 1948 142 The Normans,Slough,Berks Died: 6 June 1994

ter, when supporting his appli— 6,Kirkst0ne Road,Hull,Humberside cation to join The Life Guards,

It was not entirely surprising that he then took the job as Polo Manager at the Guards Polo Club, a job he held for ten years when polo in Windsor in general expanded at an amazing rate and in particular, the International Polo Day took off. Here again Willie’s brilliant administrative powers and light touch kept the ‘show on the road’.

Died: 24 November 1994 wrote ‘The boy is very keen on horses, polo etc and said by ‘ 305276 Tpr IA Cooper RHG

398827 RQMS F Chadwick ROYALS Served 1924- 1941 Broughton House,Park Lane,Salf0rd,Lancs.

44 Rollestone Home

Died: 23 October 1994

Died: 10 December 1994

experts in M’Tutors to be pret— Served 1937— 1946 ty good which, I imagine you do not consider a drawback’. Park,Shrewton,Wilts Willie passed through Mons as

a National Service Officer and on joining The Life Guards was

Trooper Jack Cooper

granted

a

Regular

Commission. He did a spell as ~. a

Troop

Leader

with

the

Mounted Regiment, and then moved to Windsor where he became

Equitation

Officer.

During this time he hunted in Leicestershire where he gained a reputa-

thanks to Willie’s light touch, in that

tion for taking his own line over the

among

largest hedges even if it did mean that

Officer's Orders were no longer held at

occasionally he found himself in front of

6 am or 9 pm. Having successfully com-

both the Master and his hounds. Willie

pleted his tour in London he took a

other

things,

Commanding

then served as an Armoured Car Troop

Squadron to Sharjah as its Squadron

Leader in Germany. In the early Sixties

Leader with equal success.

The Life Guards had an unenviable reputation for hard drinking, high spending

After Sharjah he did a staff job in

and arrogance and it was thanks to Willie

London before rejoining his Regiment in 1972 in Germany. During this time he was Master of the Weser Vale, the Household Cavalry Hunt started by

and his immediate contemporaries that during the late Sixties and early Seventies this reputation was completely changed for the better.

Willie did a spell in Cyprus as Squadron

Trooper Jack Cooper, ex - RHG, who died aged 77 on 10th December 1994, mounting the First King's Life Guard after the Second World War.

Major Bill Stringer and Robert Campbell. This bloodhound pack did more for Anglo»German relations than

Second-in—Command then returned in

practically anything else as influential farms and landowners came from all over

1964 to the Mounted Regiment as

Germany to hunt with the Weser Vale.

Adjutant. Officer,

He and his Commanding Lieutenant Colonel Mark

Darley, a renowned, martinct, had an excellent relationship which resulted,

Willie served in Northern Ireland as Operations Officer before retiring from the Army in 1973.

In 1986 and again in 1989 Willie had two serious illnesses from which he pulled through thanks to the devoted nursing of his second wife Lilo. He and Lilo moved from the Windsor area to Oxfordshire in 1987 where he farmed and became polo correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, Horse and Hound and The Field. He was also an outstanding polo commentator. In 1992 he published ‘Challengers and Chargers’ a post~war history of The Life Guards which was much acclaimed but Willie always regretted that some of the racier stories about his brother officers were censored by his Regimental seniors: I suspect much to those brother officers’ relief. The book was described by Kenneth Rose in the Sunday Telegraph as ‘a portrait of a hard»riding, harddrinking, rakish band of brothers’. As Willie was dying he wrote a thinly dis— guised novel called I-l Lurchcr in the House‘; this time there will be no censors! (Reprz'nu‘djivm 7711‘ Guards Hagan/It: glulmmz 1994)

He continued his

Obituaries 80

Obituaries

81


NOMINAL ROLLS WOs‘ & NCOs‘ Mess CoH Parkinson J C

LCpl Wilson ST Cfn Ellis ML Cfn Lumby IE

Lt PGR Earl W02 (SCM) Kidd KR CoH Pringle MJ

Training Wing

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY

HOUSEHOLD

Horse Guards Office Col P B Rogers

Sgt Wood 0 H

LCpl Horsefield R M

LCoH Auld G D

Tpr Marsh S J

LSgt Hurst G E

Tpr Baker C P

LSgt Toye A M D

LCoH Jones G E

LCoH Heaton LC

CoH Grantham S M

SSgt Rogers IC

LCoH Knowles SG

Sgt Norris SA

LCoH Matthews SR

Sgt Pallister D

LCoH McMillan FJ

Recruiting Team LSgt Broadhurst D C

SSgt Marshall T J

D Sqn LAD (0p Grapple)

Tpr Prentice S J L

Lt Col Comd

Maj H M Robertson

LCoH Gardner GC SCpl StanworthJ K

SCpl Morgan D

Regtl Adjt

LSgt Longbottom C J

Quartermaster Technical

LCpl Bourne D R

Capt A J Mead

APTC

LCpl Greenwood M S

W02(RQMC) Pickard D

Sgt Hedge M B

Chief Clerk Driver

LCpl Suss—Francksen NE LCpl Hunt P S Pte Roberts W S

LCoH Rees DA

Sgt Simcock GR

Tpr Bromfield R

LSgt Murray PA

Tpr Cole SR

LCpl McLay DR

Tpr Fry SK

Cfn James S

Tpr Mather RL

Cfn Wilkinson DB

Tpr Thwaites P

Cfn Wilson RC

Tpr Wass SP

SCpl Craister S

Clerical Assistant Tpr Hartshorn D

Sgt Armstrong A]

LCoH Mowbray M J

Stables

LCpl Jones J K

Tpr Whiting D P

Orderly

Windsor Office

Squadron Headquarters

Tpr Allen D M

Capt R Hennessy—Walsh CDC

Maj N D Garrett

Tpr Goodman A P

Chefs

Pte Tinsley SE HQ Sqn LAD

Maj (Retd) B W Lane Recruiting

Maj D J G Mahony

Tpr Spares S J

W02 Jirat P J

Maj G M D McCullough

Tpr Wyborn B

Sgt Eachus D Y

Maj (Retd) A W Kersting Museum

Capt RM Goodfellow

1 Troop

W02 (AQMS) Heap SM

Lt HCB Briscoe

Detached Officers

SSgt Stead N

CoH Coles J

Lt J E A lugs—Chambers

SSgt Buck MDA

LCoH Bright M

2Lt A] L Fox—Pitt

SSgt Damms MP

LCoH Goodwin SJ

2Lt C E Talbot 2Lt R] C Phelps

Sgt Betteridge SJ

LCpl Amos LJ

Sgt Cowans DY

LCpl Hunt NJM

2Lt W] P Simpson—Gee

Sgt Gibson A

LCpl Simpson DJ

Ct C W G Rodway

Sgt Glennie PR

LCpl Tennant GA

Ct A J Mayhew

Sgt Harding HM

Tpr Hancock JE

Sgt Whitworth BM

Tpr Pettipher D

LAD

LSgt Baldwin JN

Tpr Purshouse JP

LSgt Barton DP

Tpr Roy MP

W02 (SCM)Sandercock J M Palace Orderlies CoH Freeman K R

SCpl (SQMC)Barry R LCoH Sturgeon E J

MT SCpl Bowden T J

CoH Hyett S P

LCpl Yeomans M

CoH Cross P MBE

CoH Douglas M R

LCpl Hopkins L

LCoH Ablott M

LCoH Whiting B J Tpr Harvey M A

LCoH Cox D LCpl Habgood A J

Tpr Lavalin J W

LCpl Penn A

Tpr Deick G A Held Strength

Maj G C E Stibbe W01 Smith D J

Tpr Renton R W

LCpl Mathieson J

Pte Hedley S I

Tpr Bennett J

Tpr De Vere Walker C D A J Tpr Harwood P A

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY REGIMENT HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON

Command Troop

Tpr Hart A K

A Sqn LAD

LSgt Dean MBE P

SCpl Simpson P W

Tpr Sweetman C I

SSgt Pixley A

LSgt Straiton G

CoH Miles D M

Tpr Taylor J W N

Sgt Corns SJ

LSgt White AL

Lt HF Whitbread

LCoH Carrington D W

Tpr Macleod T W

LSgt Johnson M

LCpl Chamberlain P

Coh Kingston MEW

LSgt Pike SP

LCpl Cunliffe SP

LCoH Barratt AN

LCoH Mackay S H

Medical Centre

LSgt Whitehead NJ

LCpl Plummer RM

LCoH Fisher G

LCoH Thomas P J

Maj C A J O’Kane

LCpl Elliot SJ

LCpl Stratton JA

LCpl Doga M

LCpl McCormack A J

LCoH Thawley P D

LCpl Flahavan DJ

LCpl Ware DG

LCpl Hitchings D I

LCpl Franklin D P

Cfn Shaw W

LCpl Stainsby P A

Cfn St Pierre JT

LCpl Hoggarth J

Cfn Darville SP

LCpl Rogers BE

LCoH Elliott C] Regimental Headquarters Lt Col W R Rollo Maj W S G Doughty

2 Troop

Maj H S J Scott

Capt R A E Tarling

Cfn Jones PG LCpl Walbrook C A S

Capt M R E Graves Tpr Bright E M

Provost

Tpr Carrington P J Tpr Costain M 0

CoH Gibbons S F LCoH Wood N B

Tpr Lofts N A

LCpl Newman J

Tpr Moxey R L

LCpl Preston S P

Tpr Wilson A J

LCpl Scott B L

Capt C A Lockhart Capt] M S Wilkinson

Tpr Beaumont AM

Cfn Melody AP

Tpr Bridges KR

Cfn Moore AA

Tpr Davidson C

SSgt Thomas LH

Sgt Reid IM

Lt J D A Gaselee

W02 Evans J D

LCpl Vost PA

Cfn French KP

B Sqn LAD (0p Grapple)

Capt G W Howson Lt A B Methven Lt S R Sporborg W01 (RCM)J S Holbrook

Cfn Bryant JE

LSgt Walker A] Cfn Sanderson M

LSgt Borland SC Cfn Tomlinson NR

Lt CEO Allerton

Tpr Selby S M LSgt Hindley DJ Quartermaster's Department

HQ Sqn LAD (Op Grapple RHQ)

CoH Carey SM

W01 (ASM) McCraeken A

LCoH Galvin AJ

LSgt MacDonald A

LCoH Miller GB

LSgt Thomas M

Mai D A O’Halloran

Cfn Clark AS

Regimental Admin Office

W02 (RQMC)Dunkley M G

Families CoH Kirkpatrick I

Capt M M T Burton—Doe

SCpl Mardon T A

Cfn MacKenzie CW Cfn Porteous AN

LCoH Moore KR

A SQUADRON HCR Lt R J Harrison

3 Troop

LSgt Doherty AP

LCpl Dewe JM

CoH Mackenzie J G LCpl Moore R

W02 Shorrock D B

LCoH Young G E

Officers‘ Mess

Tpr Brown RM

Sgt McKeown AG

SHQ

LCoH Martin W

SCpl Fisher] C

SSgt Crabtree K F

LSgt Cunningham AJ

Maj SH Cowen

Tpr Connor KN

LCoH Winter M W

SCpl Tate A R

Tpr Docherty CW

LSgt Johnson M

Capt AJ Atherton (RCD)

SSgt Bull F A Sgt Sell P R

LCpl Jones A R

LCpl Stephens S J

C Sqn LAD

Nominal Rolls Nominal Rolls


Tpr Doga S

LCoH Hooper M

4 Troop

LCpl Newman J L D

Tpr Turner TDF

Tpr Shorey W]

Tpr Haywood AM

LCoH Llewelyn S

Lt JF C Cooper

LCpl Fortune K

Tpr Walker NK

Tpr Wall NJE

LCoH Stewart P A

CoH O’Connor R D

LCoH Roberts M J

LCoH McGregor S

2Lt RCS Hall

LSgt Clarke 8 C

CoH Core JP

LCpl Burton W A

LCpl Wall S M

LCpl Johnson M

4 Troop

LCpl Smith L A LCpl Smith D B

2 Troop

LCoH Clubley C L

LCpl Crighton C D

Ct W Bartle—Jones

LCpl Abraham A E E

LCpl Bassett A T

CoH Brockhurst CR

SCpl (SQMC) Harris AM

LCpl Ball M

LCoH Ashdown CN

CoH Plater IM

Tpr Whelan LF

Admin Troop

LCoH Bonner NA LCoH Tovell ADW

Tpr Latham N P

LCpl Edwards K E

LCpl Callow

LCoH Brown TE

LCoH Barnard RD

LCpl Couling M

Tpr Pirie I A

Tpr Moore S R

Tpr Batton T P

LCpl Foster WE

LCpl Cox DW

Tpr Dixon G A

Tpr Canning K J P

Tpr Bescoby G D

LCpl McMullan S

LCpl Stickland CG

Tpr Brown M P

Tpr Downing T J

Tpr Attwood M

Tpr Coupland SJ

LCpl Wyard SM

Tpr Newton M S

Tpr Grosvenor D N

Tpr Heyes M R Tpr Griffiths NL

Tpr Dandy]

Tpr Daniels CB

Tpr Wareing N A

Tpr Clare] A

Tpr Hulse C E Tpr Harrison CP

Tpr Goodwin RA

Tpr Hookings CGC

Tpr Harwood C

Tpr McThune PJ

Tpr Smith DA

Tpr Stubbings AM

Tpr Swain DA

3 Troop

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MOUNTED REGIMENT HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON

LCpl Hammond DK LCpl Parkinson D

Tpr Jacobs SM Tpr Preston SP Tpr Wood DA

Tpr Glaister M

Tpr Lidbetter M D 1 Troop

5 Troop

Lt JH F Fuller

Lt L E Chauveau

CoH Poynter K

CoH Voyce D C

Tpr Newlands M R

Tpr Lanchester M Tpr Nelson J P

5 Troop

LCoH Foster J

LCoH Polley N F

Tpr Rogers K D

2Lt A Lawrence CoH Farmer A

LCpl Brown D

LCoH Davidson B W

Tpr Watson A P

LCpl Fearnley I M

LCpl Carr J B

LCoH Hemmings MA

Lt JAM Corse Tpr Williams C D CoH Mills SJ

LCpl Gardner A C Tpr Salmon P

LCoH Woolfenden A

LCoH Trinick C] LCpl Haywood S J

Tpr Stafford M B

D SQUADRON HCR

LCoH Welsh SR

RHQ

LCpl Allison P

Lt Col W T Brown

LCpl Cain T R

LCpl Mcgarry JE Tpr Forsdick J R Tpr Anderson L]

Tpr Brooks M J

SHQ

Tpr Harrington B D M

Maj DC Waterhouse

Tpr Peat PI

Tpr Amos B Tpr Roskell P A Tpr Binns A

Tpr Brown S

Capt S St M Miller

Tpr Corway A

Capt M Rees—Davies

Tpr Cock N W Tpr Egan C Tpr Thompson K J

LCpl Short AD

Capt H R D Fullerton

LCpl Venables PD

Capt W E Bagnall

Tpr Bentley RM

Lt J R D Barnard

Tpr Kendle DHB

W01(RCM) M Whatley

W02 (SCM) Carpenter TM

Tpr Havelock JN

Tpr James D

Tpr Hammond CR

Echelon

CoH Dixon D

SCpl Roberts I

CoH Robertson KW

Tpr Jones WP

Sgt Jones P

LCoH Cox DW

LCoH Gray I M

LCoH Halfhide PJ

LCoH Ibbotson T

LCoH Hemming NG

LCoH Gandar J

LCoH Sheilds J

LCpl Rookyard C R

LCpl Anderton A

LCpl Bell M

LCpl McKay MA (AGC)

Tpr Garrad M

Tpr Adams P

Tpr Clancy L

Tpr Ansell DW

Tpr Richards ] D A

Tpr Bushell WGL

Regimental Admin Office Tpr Naylor JL

2 Troop

Capt M J R Cotton MBE Tpr Sydenham NJ

Lt RC Taylor

W02 (ORQMS) O’Daly K M BEM

CoH Carter D S Echelon

LCoH Crawley L

LCoH Fermor D A LCpl Smith G

LCoH Stewart NM

LCpl Jones GD Tpr Zollino M

LCpl Watson D LCoH Flynn NA

Tpr Hearn R D

Tpr Campbell MP

Tpr Stafferton R K

Tpr Calvert S

Tpr Faiers P

Tpr Fenwick RD

LCpl Morris J

LCoH Davies AG

Tpr Goater S M Tpr Dawson DE

LSgt Turner D LCoH Bryne JJ

Tpr Rogers K D LCpl Stokoe AL

LSgt Archer] D

CoH Birch G

Tpr Young] D A

LCpl Childs SM

Sgt Lugg S M Lt MP Goodwin—Hudson

Tpr Adams P D LSgt Jervis PJ

SSgt Reed T A 4 Troop

LCoH Curson A SCpl (SQMC) Godson N

Tpr Harvey] P Tpr Horrocks B

Tpr Gilligan MA

Tpr Lindsay HK Tpr Stafford GT

Tpr Gordon D

C SQUADRON HCR 3 Troop

LCpl Haresign RH

SHQ

Tpr Blake DA

Maj I W Kelly

Tpr Galbraith C

W02 (SCM) Burns N H

Tpr Lingard J

CoH Richards A D

Tpr Moffat JA

LSgt Hand A M

Tpr Sandy R

Tpr Owens A

Tpr Simkins AD Tpr Williamson A

Tpr Wilson A]

B SQUADRON HCR SHQ TROOP

Lt MG Holden Craufurd CoH Lanahan P C LCoH Hepple C A

LCoH Hayes M T LCpl Williams M

Capt A M Holman Quartermaster‘s Department Ct AC Lowe SCpl Rendell R E J

1 Troop Capt G A Fox

Lt RR Philipson»Stow

W02 (RQMC) Rogers L D

Lt DE Hughes

CoH Hodder S J

CoH Gray DP

LCoH Beaumont M N

LCoH Barrett SB

Maj M C Van Der Lande

LCpl Taylor S B

LCoH Mccarley S

LCoH Smith IM

Tpr Smith D A

LCoH LochraneJ E

LCpl Gillespie S

Capt N C Carrell

Tpr Driver P

LCoH Sykes J A

LCpl Ireton K

Capt T P R Daniel

Tpr Close J S

LCpl Reason JJ

Capt N P Sackett

LCoH Mckechnie P J

Tpr Finney I M

LCoH Musgrave R A

LCpl Toon CJN

W02 Lewis P P

LCoH Turnbull CJ

Tpr Darby CG

CoH Walker P G

Tpr Plant S A

CoH Evans J A

Tpr Sinclair L

LCoH Woolfenden A L E

5 Troop

Tpr Santi MA

CoH Clavering M

Sgt Mather M J (REME)

LCoH Bowtell AD

CoH Hadden M J

LCoH Gaddes A

CoH Pycroft A G

LCpl Wheatley W]

CoH Hughes A B

Tpr Burfitt MC

LCoH Vernon N J

Tpr Chell R]

LCoH Moore R A

Tpr Lewie CJK

LCoH Clayton M

Tpr Selway AC

LCpl Murray P L

Nominal Rolls 84

Nominal Rolls

85


LCpl Brown L P

Tpr Mitchell D C V

LCpl Hart

Tpr Doncaster C

LCpl Hodge K ]

Tpr Drury N

LCpl Wilson D

Tpr O'Donnell M C

Tpr Haith

Tpr Gibbs K M

LCpl Oliver D A

Tpr Gibbons D ]

LCpl Creed A S

Tpr Grant R A

Tpr Smith

Tpr Hillier E B

LCpl Edisbury D

Tpr Gray P G

Tpr Forder

Tpr Holden N ]

LCpl Wood ]

Tpr Handley P

Tpr Streeter M Tpr Green C A

Riding Staff

Tpr Gledhill

Tpr Hunt C R

Tpr Archdale G

Tpr Hodgson I

Tpr Plimmer W A

Maj D McGregor

Tpr Hinds

Tpr Johnson E A

Tpr Ashton N P

Tpr McNamara K

Tpr Mount W H

Tpr Bailey D P

Tpr Parr

SCpl Boyd R Families Office

CoH Weller ] R

Relief of Kimberley Ride

Tpr Nicholson S R

Tpr Coupe T C

Tpr Pemberton G L Cl

CoH Benge

LCpl Yates C

CoH Wills LCoH Paternotte

Tpr Partridge M ]

Tpr Fitzgerald

Tpr Rushton S P

Tpr Royston D R

Tpr Hall N B

Tpr Semczyszyn P E

LCoH Hagen

Tpr Smith

Tpr Iles ] A

Tpr Spencer C A]

LCpl Hackman R C Forge Capt RA Owers

Saddlers Shop

LCpl Scott

Tpr Stevenson V C

Tpr Mattinson A G

Tpr Swift G P

FSCpl Wright G A

SCpl Mills T CoH Goodwin M

LCpl Pickard

Tpr Tiffoney T ]

Tpr McAlaney A D

Tpr Taylor B M

Tpr Ware P W

Tpr McDowell G W

Tpr Vyse K

Tpr Ormerod] S

Tpr Walker C A Tpr Martin A ]

FLCpl Adcock D R] FLCpl Byrne R

LCoH Pope S E

LCpl Bickerdike LCpl Stables

LCoH Twyman P

Tpr Flood

2 Troop

Tpr Peel D D R

FLCpl Bainbridge] ]

LCpl Mackenzie S I

Tpr Hancock

Lt Barlow AMK

Tpr Rigby P

Tpr Iddon

CoH Irving R

Tpr Royston D L

FLCpl McGregor I A

Tailors Shop

Tpr Cromie

LCoH Conway A P

Tpr Stay M ]

Lt TE Pitman

FLCpl Nuttall G A

CoH Button A A

Musn Jarvis

LCoH Wibberly

Tpr Ward P

CoH Spandley ] P

FLCpl Pearson D ]

LCoH Slingsby D P

Musn Hodges

LCpl Garton P D

Tpr Watkins G A

CoH Young P C

Musn King

LCpl Saunders N

Tpr Woods M ]

FLCpl Varley N ]

Tpr Peat M D

LCoH Dear A

Musn Screen

LCpl Shaw M A

Tpr Collier P A

LCoH Henderson

Musn Witter

LCpl Weston C A S

Tpr Gibson B K

LCpl Bestwick

LCpl Hitchcock ] D

Tpr Parry R G

LCpl Bell LCpl Elliott C M LCpl Telling D ]

Sgt Kinniburgh G L

FLCpl Cox—Rusbridge S A F

FLCpl Welsh G S Winter Training Troop Capt I Pitman Provost Staff CoH Snell B Chefs

THE LIFE GUARDS MOUNTED SQUADRON

LCpl Radford A Tpr Brook A ]

LCoH Holden T I Tpr Brown P L

SSgt Kaye P H Tpr Watchorn P B

THE BLUES 8: ROYALS MOUNTED SQUADRON

SHQ Troop

Tpr Chinn S L

Officers on Held Strength

Maj RRD Griffin

Tpr Every] M

Maj C H N Graham

Capt EH] Hamilton—Russell

Tpr Forte M M

SHQ

Mai D T L Hardy

W02 (SCM) Hickman C

Tpr Gammage S D

Mai G C N Lane Fox

Capt T J F C Masterson

SCpl (SQMC)Camp S G

Tpr Hill A K

Capt M C Goodman

Tpr Greensmith M R

Tpr Knaggs ] D K

W02 Maher VP

Tpr Hubbard A E

Tpr Lythe P T

SCpl Atkinson

HCTW

Tpr Lawson D S

Tpr Maskrey D

LCpl Smart R A

Capt M ] G Hamilton—Russell

Tpr Royston M R

Tpr Mcbeth P D

Tpr Carrol C ]

Tpr Hunt C R

Tpr Mcdougall J A

Tpr Ramsden C D

2 Troop

Tpr Abbott D B Tpr Bailey R Tpr Berry S E

Medical Centre

Tpr Bodycoat M2

Surg Maj C M Stone CoH Vaughan S D M LCoH Humpage R] Tpr Cossins—Price B

MT Troop

CoH Everett S A Capt The Lord Fermoy LCpl Beulah M

Tpr Bovey P] Tpr Bridgeland A Tpr Broom ] R Tpr Cunniffe T D Tpr Farrar Tpr Featherstone A Tpr Fisher L T

Tpr Minor A R T

W02 Haywood C T

Tpr Gaynor

LCpl Charming C A ] W02 Bellringer M

1 Troop

Tpr O’Donnell M G

1 Troop

Lt German RPG

Tpr Owens A P

Capt ] P Barclay

SCpl Hunter D LCpl Frampton D A

CoH Coleman D

LCpl Greenhough M ]

CoH Brown G

CoH Smith T

CoH Dixon T

Tpr Ramsay S Tpr Scott P S

CoH Smith N A

CoH Mitchell

LCpl Squires S A

LCoH Howie D A

Tpr Stevens M B

LCoH Scovell A M

FLCoH Edwards

LCpl Camp I G

LCoH Squire L D

Tpr Walker L A

LCoH Brown

LCoH Kellett AP

LCpl Biggs ] ]

LCoH Hammond

Tpr Williams S F H

LCpl Davies S

LCoH Moore G P

LCpl Holloway D L

Tpr Newell K S

LCpl Glasgow K F

LCoH Peat A

LCpl Findell R

LCpl McCartney N LCpl Swinburne R G

3 Troop

LCpl Shaw ] P

Tpr Edwards

LCpl Ward ] C

Tpr Royle

LCpl Jukes

Lt W D De Gale

LCpl Le Gallais

CoH Lowe] M

Tpr Allport W P

Tpr Holden

Tpr Amos

CoH Wells A S

Tpr Bamford W F

LCoH Cornock O

Tpr Bond D L

Tpr Anderson W]

Tpr Brownlow N D

LCoH Pass ]

LCpl Townsend] L

Officers Mess SCpl Willacy F LCoH Smith K] LCpl Whiting M Tpr Brooking ] P

Tpr Moore E R Tpr Petford D D Tpr Russell B Tpr Tack M L Tpr Timms MP Tpr Trencher C] Tpr Wood M W Tpr Yeomans D A P LCpl Robson D H R

Tpr Russell

3 Troop Lt S Tomes CoH Atkinson LCoH Jenkins DA

WOs' & NCOs' Mess

Hidenburg Ride

Tpr Arkley] D

LCoH Farrimond S P

CoH Elliott L]

Lt Dick

Tpr Bishop D ]

LCoH Irwin ] S

Tpr Bullman C W

LCpl Dunderdale ]

Tpr Cullen K Tpr Delany D

LCpl Tate R M M

LCoH Stevens D

CoH Postance

Tpr Conroy P D

LCpl Brown W D

LCoH Welsh

Tpr Clancy D S

LCpl Cordwell L C

LCpl Young D

LCpl Hutton M ]

Nominal Rolls 86

Nominal Rolls

87


LCpl Lawson V J

MOD SP (CIS) Tpr Bayliss] R

HQ 5 AB Bde

4 Regt AAC

Captain WRB Jowitt

Tpr Bray M F W

Captain JR Wheeler

CoH Knowles

Adjt RMLY

Tpr Brough S

Royal Canadian Dragoons

HQ BATUS

Captain JA Lydiard-Wilson

Tpr Butler S J

Lieutenant SJ Rhodes»Stampa

W02 Lindsay

HQ 5 AB Bde

Tpr Collett T M Tpr Cook D

H Div Army Youth Team H Div Stables Lieutenant RC Lester~Smith

Tpr Gilmour J D

CoH Peers

Lieutenant GR Breitmeyer Bovington Support Unit Captain MR Brown

C Sqn QOY W02 Manning RMAS SCpl Norris CoH McGuire LCoH Wood

Musn Semkin GJ Musn Field J Musn Taylor D ] Musn Riseley N G Musn Walters M D Musn D’Arcy P Musn Jarvis P C

1 R Irish LCoH Newman

Musn Whybrow M P Musn Carter D R M

Tpr Gladisch D M Defence Animal Centre

Tpr Goth K V

RMAS Cornet CWG Rodway

ATR Pirbright

SCpl Tierney CoH Reade

RAC Gunnery School CoH Pilchowski

ARRC Support Bn Major L Villers

C Sqn RY SCpl Rose

RAC Gunnery Wing BAOR

ATR Pirbright C 0H Harris 923 LCoH Hooker LCoH Pickford LCpl Newman Tpr Tutton

Tpr Harrison J H Tpr Hayes G P G

Musn Sturgeon I R

Captain I Sanderson

RAC Gunnery School

Musn Isherwood D L Musn Bowen N D Musn Haggerty M C

Tpr Hearn P F G

Captain ]T Lodge

ATR Pirbright

Tpr Hodgson S H

Musn West RAC Signal School

Tpr Kincaid

LCoH George

Captain JC Cruddace LCoH Gallagher

Tpr Lever M

Captain PF Stretton LCoH Bishop

Tpr Mahony R E

TA Officers

Tpr Eastwood S

Major CHN Graham

LCpl Stafford Major The Hon MRM Watson Tpr Nicholls S R A Tpr Park G]

Captain JC Hopkins Captain AM Clark

Tpr Sharpe R D Tpr Taylor K H

Defence Animal Centre W02 Waygood CoH Avison

OTHER RANKS

TA Officers Captain TC Boles Captain DB Kinahan Lieutenant H Sutherland Lieutenant RFD Fryer Lieutenant CRF Ward»Thomas Lieutenant EBS Mountain

3 Regt AAC LCoH Addis 9 Sig Regt

LCpl Finnigan CoH Bridges

RSA Larkhjll

JCU Northern Ireland SCpl Burbidge

THE BLUES & ROYALS RAC Signals School SCpl Carney

LCoH Bundy

SCpl Francis TR

CoH Haddock R CoH Paine NJWF CoH Howe RB

ACIO Manchester (from Apr 95) CoH Harris 327

LCoH Hassack PW] LCoH Purnell PI LCoH Coates SC

HQ H Cav LCoH Jones 747

LCoH Preston P LCoH Whitfield A LCpl Hughes G

BAND OF THE LIFE GUARDS QDG

RAC Gunnery Wing, BAOR SCpl Cowton CO lst Bn Scots Guards

Royal Yeomanry Colonel JWM Ellery

CoH Freeman

Lieutenant Colonel A] Miller~Bakewell

W01 Evans

MOD FEW 3

MOD HQ D&T D Sqn RMLY

Lieutenant Colonel HPD Massey Tpr Fletcher

BMATT South Africa

RAC Signal School

MA to CD5

Lieutenant Colonel PSWF Falkner

W02 Valentine

Lieutenant Colonel BWB White-

W02 Gaunt

Spunner

Palace Orderlies CoH Douglas CoH Freeman CoH Hyett LCoH Whiting ACIO Bournemouth CoH Flanagan

MOD FLS(A) RAC D&M School

Def Attache Rabat

W02 Jordan

Lieutenant Colonel CSK Anderson

SCpl Hunter

MOD CIS Major (Lt Col ‘95) FGS Lukas

RAC D&M School W02 Greenaway CoH Panter CoH Hiscock

LCpl Mitchell IL Maj C ] Reeves W01 T J Cooper W02 Graves I W02 Young R M SCpl Woodhouse J

Major PJ Tabor ZTrg Regt AAC LCpl Mabgold

W02 Ingram Major PRL Hunter

ACDS (OR) Land

ATDU

RAF Staff College

Major CN Mitford—Slade

W02 Jeram

Captain CBB Clee

HQ Dhekelia Garrison

CoH Kent

LCpl Carhart HQ York Garrison

RAC Gunnery Wing, BAOR

‘Roof of Americas’ Officer

Captain AC Ogden

W02 Jenkins

Captain CMB Daly

160 Pro Coy RMP LCoH Measures

LCpl Heap KA LCpl Redman M LCpl Gough RL LCpl Milne J Musn Horscroft

SCpl Lazenbury P D CoH White N A

Musn Thomas Musn Groves A

CoH Gook O N CoH Pankhurst N C CoH Carson P J LCoH Bole D M LCoH Dutton B] LCoH Poarson K A

Musn Collin IM Musn Hume G Musn Jones GS Musn Hume G Musn Sparks K

LCoH Allen R M

Musn Kent P

LCoH Wilman P C LCpl Goodchild N]

Musn Marshs

LCpl LCpl LCpl LCpl LCpl

Musn Speight MD

Equerry HRH The Prince of Wales

2 ADS Staff College Camberley

LCpl Lindsay A

Major General TJ Sulivan CBE

LCoH Chambers

Commandant CATC Warminster

Lieutenant Colonel JR Bayley

SCpl Billington HR

Director General Land Warfare

THE LIFE GUARDS

Lieutenant Colonel AP De Ritter

W01 Pennington R W02 Hayward MR

CoH Hitchings S Y Sqn QOY CoH Horner

CoH Smithers

HQ 3 (UK) Div

OFFICERS

Maj CRC Garrity

W02 Haywood P 7 CTT CoH Kershaw

OTHER RANKS HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY EXTRA REGIMENTALLY EMPLOYED

BAND OF THE BLUES 81 ROYALS

C Sqn QOY

Tpr Webber K I Tpr Williams C A

Musn Hinchliffe V T

Maher N L Scott I ] Rowe S A Wheeler G W Matthews J

Musn Corney I G Musn Smart D A Musn Walsh A K

Musn Tulip RS

Musn Thomas PA Musn Carnell CJA Musn Martin S] Musn Witter DL Musn Hodges S] Musn King A Musn Screen MP

Nominal Rolls 88

Nominal Rolls


Notices INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS OF BOTH THE LIFE GUARDS AND THE BLUES AND ROYALS ASSOCIATIONS FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Trooping the Colour

Combined Cavalry Parade and Service The Trooping the Colour Parade will be

The Associations’ Offices maintain lists Old

held on Saturday 17 June 1995, and the

Comrades Parade and Service will be

Colonels’ Review one week before that. A limited number of tickets for the Inner Line of Sentries (standing only) will be available for members through their respective Honorary Secretary.

7lst

Combined

Cavalry

held in Hyde Park on Sunday 21 May

1995. Assemble in Broad Walk at 1030 hours on the grass behind the Regimental

Marker

Boards.

Dress:

Lounge Suits and Medals (not miniatures). Due to the increased security

1 HCR and 2 HCR Dining Clubs

arrangements, members should give

of those members who have been selected or have agreed to act as area/regional

representatives of the Associations. Owing to current security conditions it is not permitted to publish their names and addresses in this journal, but members may obtain the name and address of their nearest representative on application in writing to their respective

Both these Dining Clubs will be holding

Honorary Secretary.

themselves plenty of time to get to the assembly area. Members are invited to

their respective Annual Dinners in the autumn of 1995. Full details of the two

Brick Hanging

clubs and details of the dinners may be obtained from:

Brick Hanging will be held at Combermere Barracks, WOs’ & NCOs’ Mess, on Wednesday 20th December

Hyde Park Barracks after the parade but admission to the Barracks will be by ticket only. Tickets for members of The

Life Guards Association will be avail1995. able at the Regimental Marker. Tickets for members of The Blues and Royals

Association will be available from the Honorary Secretary at the Annual Dinner or in Hyde Park before the parade. The parade this year will be commanded by the Colonel of The

Life Guards.

The 50th Anniversary of The Army Benevolent Fund

My name is Michael Creagh or

The Army Benevolent Fund had its 50th Anniversary in 1994 and it is therefore

‘Paddy’ Creagh to the men who knew me in the Regiment. It is to those men who knew me that I am addressing this

appropriate that we should remind all Household Cavalrymen, both serving and retired about the tireless work that the Fund does on our behalf. Although the British Army’s history goes back some three hundred years (as indeed does the history of our two Regiments), it was not until 15th August 1944 that the Army Benevolent Fund was founded under the patronage of His Majesty King George VI ‘in order to provide financial assistance to those organisations and benevolent funds, which already deal with the needs of the soldier or service woman, commissioned or otherwise, whether serving or retired, and their dependants’.

NOTICES Area/Regional Representatives.

The

Can You Help ?

1HCR Dining Club. Honorary Secretary, Major A] Dickinson, Brettenham House, Lancaster Place, London WC2E 7EP

I am presently writing a book on the very ordinary lives of a very extraordi»

nary family I call The Life Guards. I want to share with you and the public the unbelievable comradeship and loy-

alty shared by those of us that had the honour of serving with this family. I want to portray how each and every one of us played an integral part to make one of the most professional, elite fighting forces in the world and still

have time to have fun. If you have any stories, memories or pictures that you can pass on to me I would be most grateful. They may be witty, funny or serious, it doesn’t mat-

Change of Address

ter.

All members are requested immediately

My contact is as follows: Micheal I Creagh,102,Greenside Slough Berks SL2 lST

(Tel: 0171836 8155), to inform their Association of any ZHCR Dining Club. Honorary Secretary, Major Sir Arthur Collins KCVO, 12 Gough Square, London EC4 3DE.

request for help.

changes in their address. Every year the Associations lose touch with a number of

Tel 01753 811518

members who have failed in inform the

Military historian Robin Neillands is

Association of their change of address.

looking for men who served in the British Empire over the last 50 years who have a tale to tell about their life and times. If you served as Colonel or Corporal in India, Pakistan at Independence, Palestine in the Mandate, in Kenya during Mau Mau, in Malaya, in Cyprus, Aden, Borneo, Kuwait, Oman, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Hong Kong...or anywhere else and have a tale to tell about your time there, the more personal the better, then Robin Neillands would like to hear

Our Tanks take the tunnel

The Army Benevolent Fund provides help to serving soldiers and ex-soldiers, and their families, when they are in real need. Financial help is given to individuals through our own Regimental Associations, supplemented, where necessary, by grants from the Fund. Financial help is also provided by the Fund, on behalf of Regimental Associations, to other national charitable organisations that assist with the special needs of soldiers and their families. Our belated thanks goes to the Army Benevolent Fund on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

Please remember A donation, a covenant, a

Benevolenty

__FllIl THE ARMY BENEVOLENT FUND 41, QUEEN'S GATE,LONDON SW7 SHR

legacy or through the Payroll Giving Scheme to The Army Benevolent Fund will help soldiers, ex- soldiers and their families in distress

Where are they now ?

from you. Write to: 48, Beltran Road, London SW6 3A], or Telephone 0171 371 7031 Robin is the author of D—Day, I/bices from Normandy and many other books on Military History. rmoured vehicles yesterday used the Channel Tunnel. Tracked Reconnaissencc Vehicles from the Household

Cavalry Regiment were returning from Bosnia. "All the ammunition was removed beforehand” said the Ministry of Defence. ”The vehicles were packed in contain— ers so that they did not alarm tourists. The Tunnel saves us

petrol as these vehicles only manage about three lamposts to the gallon” It was the first time such machines had used the tunnel. One trusts HM Customs was alerted to their special

LIMITED EDITION PRINTS To commemorate the State visit of the King and Queen of Norway to Edingburgh in 1994, Miss Tessa Campbell Fraser has painted a limited edition of 250 prints individually signed and numbered showing The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment ranking past Their Majesties at the Palace of Holyroad House on 5th July 1994.

The Daily Telegraph

Friday 3rd March 1995

Are you or any member of your family an ex»pupil of this school which operated after the war for the children of MOD personnel stationed in Germany?

If so please contact:

Capt MJG Hamilton-Russell, OC HCTW, Combermere Barracks,

Liz Bird, Hon Sec, The Wilhelmshaven Association, 54 Shaftsbury Ave, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants, 8053 3131’. Tel: 01703 252925 (after 7 pm, or weekends), for news of the Association and

Windsor, Berks., SL4 3DN.

reunion in 1995.

characteristics. The breech is just the place to hide a Havana while the ammunition bins are perfect for whisky bottles.

PrinceWilliam School The Wilhelmshaven Association

TO ORDER Please send a cheque (or by Mess Bill for HCR/HCMR personnel) for £25.00 plus £3.00 p+p made payable to 'Central Bank, HCMR' to:

Ifyou were in Rivers Squad, Windsor 1952 or if you know the whereabouts of any of these fresh faced lads, please contact Mr Tony Young (on the right in picture — standing) c/o The Household Cavalry Museum, Combermere Barracks, Windsor, SL4 3DN, 01753 868222 x 5203.

Notices Notices


200 YEARS OF THE BAND of

THE LIFE GUARDS ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL THURSDAY 4TH MAY 1995 A gala concert will be held on Thursday 4th May 1995 in the Royal Festival Hall to commemorate 200 years of the Band of The Life Guards. Both Household Cavalry Bands and the State Trumpeters will be playing.

All members of the Associations, serving and non serving, together with their guests are strongly encouraged to come to this unique concert

32, Moulton Park Centre

Redhouse Road Northampton

NN3 lAQ

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY VIDEO The Household Cavalry has commissioned a 60 minute video which traces the history of the Regiments from their early beginnings to the present day. The video also looks in depth at life in The Household Cavalry Regiment and The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Designers and Publishers of Military Journals would like to thank

Sequences at Windsor, Bovington and Lulworth cover training for both the reconnaissance and ceremonial roles. Life at home is not forgotten - both in barracks and at Summer Camp in Norfolk. The Musical Ride is seen going through its paces and the video brings the story up to date with exclusive footage of the Regiment training for and on deployment with the United Nations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.

The Household

The video costs £12.99 (+ post 81 packing £1.50; overseas, £4.50) from: The Household Cavalry Museum

Cavalry

Combermere Barracks Windsor Berkshire SL4 3DN Tel: 0753 868222 ext 5203

Information can be obtained from

or from the Producers: Channel 6 Television,

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Standby Studios, Hempstead, Saffron Waldon, Essex CB10 2P].

Credit card and telephone reservations

0171 928 8808 Information

for appointing them

Tel: 0799 599350

as publishers of this year’s Journal.

0171 928 3002

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commercial law

Forces discounts on full Peugeot Flange" Finance at competitive Rates A convenient and generous trade ~ in facility WHEN YOU‘VE TRIED THE REST THEN COME TO THE BEST BUY DIRECT FROM THE U.K.‘s No ‘l EXPORT DEALER

Ring Rick Barton 01980 653434. from Germany 0044 980 653434 or write to Rangers TMS,Rangers GarageFREEPOSI Durrington.Salisbury,Wilts. SP4 88R England (No stamp requned) POST THIS COUPON FOR OUR FREE INFORMATION PACK NAME AND RANK

ADDRESS

UNIT

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Toby Carrington (ex W01 - LG) has now joined

Gables Lodge, Chiddington Causeway, Tonbridge,

Kent TN11 8IX

Accounting and Taxation Services for the Unincorporated Business. Personal Service Assured.

of Vale House, Wharf Road, Ash Vale, Surrey, GU12 SAR The Practice specialises in commercial law and, with Associate firms in Aldershot and Farnham also offers a full private client service. Specific expertise includes:- compensation claims - civil litigation - criminal proceedings defence - legal aid work - IT related business - business start ups and franchise law - employment and contract law Complimentary advice on clients needs followed by highly competitive fees, offering City based knowledge and experience at the most advantageous regional rates.

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HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MUSEUM AND PRI SHOP LISTS No

ITEM

COST

N0 ITEM

REGIMENTAL COLOUR PRINTS Mounted Band First Life Guards

BRASSES ON LEATHER MARTINGALE 17

C 1890 Size 21" X 12‘:"

Royal Horse Guards Mounted at Chobham by Orlando Norie C.1880 Size 18“ x 12‘2” Royal Horse Guards Retreat from Mons. Size 30” x 19”

Royal Horse Guards, Blues & Royals

£15.00

£ 22.00

£ 18.00

No 31

Key Ring LG.

32

Tie Slides L.G./RHG/D (Engraved)

33

Cufflinks (Engraved) (Oval) LG & RHG/D

as above HAND PAINTED REGTL PLAQUES a)The Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards, First Royal Dragoons, H. Cav Mounted Regt., H. Cav Regt., The Blues & Royals

ITEM

COST

No

ITEM

£1.25

46

Regtl Magazine Back Nos. (Please phone for availability)

£ 5.75

BRASS PAPER KNIVES WITH REGTL BADGE

First Royal Dragoons, Son of the Empire.

C 1890 Size 22" x 14"

COST

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MUSEUM AND PRI SHOP LISTS

34

Tie Pin (Eagle)

COST

£8.30

£16.00

Blazer Badges (Embroidered)(Gold Wired) L.G. RHG/D & Royal Horse Guards

£4.00

35

Enamel Tie Tack — LG

£3.00

Medal Mounting (Personal callers only) per medal

36

Tie Tack, Enamel -RHG/D

£3.00

RHG/D Association Badge

37

Life Guards Association Badge

£1.25

Zippo Key Ring (RHG/D only)

38

Book Marks L.G. & RHG/D

£1.25

Zippo Lighters (L.G. + RHG/D)

39

Household Div. watch strap

£ 3.00

H. Div Trouser Belts 1" wide-S/M/L/XL

40

Whips — Officer - LG & RHG J/NCO

£35.00 £40.00

£14.50

Life Guards Hyde Park Corner

C 1885* View of Whitehall with Life Guards on Sentry Duty. C 1885*

£ 19.00

£ 19.00

Reflections - Royal Horse Guard Trooper with young child on his knee. C 1870* £18.00 As above SML

£ 6.50

Household Cavalry “Moonlight Charge” at Kassassin 1882*

£ 18.00

As Above SML

£ 6.50

REGIMENTAL STATUETTES Hand Painted Regimental Statuettes (Helmet/Cuirass) Royal Horse Guards The Blues & Royals £14.00

REGIMENTAL TIES H Div Silk Tie H Div Polyester H Div Bow Tie Royal Dragoons Silk Royal Dragoons Polyester H Cav Sports Ties

£16.00 £ 5.50 £ 7.50 £16.00 £ 6.50 £ 6.00

41 42

The Life Guards Mount Inspection at Hyde Park Barracks* LGE

SML The Village Wedding - 2 sizes a) Size" LGE

b) Size" SML

£ 40.00

£ 20.00 £10.00

£15.00 £10.00

Blues & Royals History by] N P Watson a) Challengers and ChargersHistory of The Life Guards

1946-1993 by WTV Loyd b) O Valiant Heart (Story of Capt F] A Peach’s life by his wife Connie) c) Booklet, The Guards d) The Iron Division History of 3 Div 1809-1989

£6.50

Baseball Caps Maroon with Life Guards | Cypher

£4.25

43

Baseball Caps — Blue with RHG /D Crest

£4.25

44

1995 Household Cavalry Calendars

£7.50

45

Medal Holders

£2.25

REGIMENTAL HISTORIES The Life Guards Charge at Waterloo Limited Edition — Signed"

Table Mats LG & RHG/D

£22.50

£20.00

Regimental Magazines Issue No.1 & No.2.

Trooper, RHG,Waterloo (1815) Field Dress, Dismounted, Modelled in Antique Pewter 6 high on ll'/2 inch Dark wood plinth incl Total height 7 ‘/2 inches

£ 6.00 £ 3.00

g,

ORDER FORM

£12.50

Description

Snow Scene showing Winter Guard at

Horseguards LG and RHG/D* Stadden Prints - All 16" x 11" a) Mounted Trooper The Life Guards b) Mounted Trooper Blues & Royals c) Drum Horse & Rider The Life Guards d) Drum Horse & Rider Blues & Royals e) SCM with Standard Blues & Royals Collage, various scenes, The Life Guards (Ceremonial, Norway, BAOR, N.I. etc) Bousfield Prints (All in Card Mount) a) Officer Mounted L.G. b) Officer Mounted RHG/D c) LG Standard Party d) RHG/D Tptrs & Drum Horse * Please telephone for print sizes lst Royal Dragoons at Brighton 1866 by Orlando Norie SML

£ 7.50 REGIMENTAL MISCELLANY 1809-1989 Stable Belts - L.G. M/L/XL £12.50 RHG/D M/L/XL £11.50

NAME .......................... ADDRESS

Life Guards Pewter Tankard

£19.50

Blues & Royals Pewter Tankard

£19.50

Hip Flask with Regtl. Crest -

LG/RHG/D

£22.00

Cap Badges - H. Cav, The Life Guards, 2) Blues & Royals (Brass) b) Officers Embossed Beret badges

£ 3.00 £ 3.00 £ 5.00

Button Cuff Links RHG/D

£ 8.50

Enamel Cuff Links L.G.

£ 9.75

Enamel Cuff Links + Tie Pin L.G. (Set)

£13 50

Set of Blazer Buttons L.G. Set of Blazer Buttons RHG/D (6 large, 6 small)

£26.00 £26.00

TOTALS POST TO: HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MUSEUM COMBERMERE BARRACKS WINDSOR BERKS SL4 3DN

Cheques with order please, payable to HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MUSEUM Postage costs included in price. UK ONLY Cost for overseas postage on request. Please phone for further information on any item.

TEL: 01753 - 868222 EXTN 5203/5112 FAX 5206

The PRI shop is unable to accept responsibility for loss or damage of items during transit.


LCpl Walbrook.

1 W02 (SCM) Lewis and Caplain Burton-Doe.

' N\twwrsx

LCoH Gardiner

Capt Gase/ee, LCoH Elliot and Capt Lock/wart,



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