London Reunion on 16 May 98 at 56 Davies Street T h e Cup Final Night Reunion is open to all Royal Green Jackets serving members and ex members of the regiment with their wives and girlfriends. T h e entrance fee will be ÂŁ4. 00 per head to cover the cost of food, ED pay and incidental expenses. The Drill Hall will be the main bar and buffet area with the George Club and Sgts' Mess being used as a overflow. Timings: Door's open at 1900 hrs. Buffet Curry 2030 -2130 hrs. Door's close at 2200 hrs (No one will be allowed in after this time). All bars closed at 2359. Davies Street cleared by 0100. There will be no overnight accommodation. Dress is to be of a acceptable nature (No jeans or t-shirts). Further details can be obtained from the RSM at Davies Street on 01716 293674.
The Royal Green Jackets Regimental Association Reunion Winchester Weekend Programme - Sir John Moore Barracks, Winchester 11 July 1998 BBQ
1600
NAAFI
Static Display to include the Rifles Historical Society and Cadet Band
1645-1815
Gymnasium Area
Sounding Retreat by The Band & Bugles of the Light Division
1830-1930
Main Square
Reunion
1930-2359
NAAFI
1030
Light Division Chapel Sir John Moore Barracks
12 July 1998 Association Reunion Service of Thanksgiving
The Band of the Light Division and Bugles, together with the Waterloo Band of the 5th Battalion will be available to Sound Retreat in July. The Living History Society (The Rifles) have kindly agreed to put on a display at 5p.m. as part of the Static Display. They will re-enact a period camp of the Peninsula circa 1808-1815 to include Drill and Firing displays. T h e 60th and 95th will be represented. Hopefully both the 43rd & 52nd can be featured too. Reception will be at the Guard Room to welcome all those attending with the programme, accommodation details, see back page, and the sale of raffle tickets. Please park outside the main gate as directed on the day.
Oxford Branch Reunion on 7 November 1998 at 7.30p.m. Slade Park T h e entrance fee will be ÂŁ3.50 per head to cover the cost of food, E D pay and incidental expenses. Meal tickets are not available in advance. There is no overnight accommodation. The Regimental Museum will be open for viewing from 1900-2130. The Main Reunion will be held in the Drill Hall. In addition the Sgts' Mess and Volunteer Club will be open.
8 SW$ and Bold
Battalion News 1st Battalion
T
o confound all our expectations the 1997 calendar of Battalion and Brigade exercises proved to be even busier and more frantic than expected and after the culmination of all our endeavours in the form of Exercise Grand Prix, the Battalion is looking forward to a short but well earned Christmas break. March saw the Battalion contributing the main effort for the British contingent on the exchange experience Iron Ram: we were warmly received by Italian hosts, the l l th Mech. Inf. Regt based at Baldasserne. They went to great lengths and put on a series of excellent stands to show us their equipment. However information on its capability was somewhat vague. Despite the "shortness" of the exercise, a mere 10 days, it was a valuable time for us to examine current Battalion and company doctrine under the light of our European compatriots. The way in which this was achieved was that both contingents were exposed to the various types of equipment and training and the end result proved to be both beneficial and educational. In order to break the ice, in the loosest sense of the word, a non tac patrol camp was set up on their Monte Ciaurlec training area. The idea was to set off in groups of six with an Italian soldier to chaperone the Brits. As we are used to running around with weight on our backs we decided to do the same on the navigation exercise, but we found our Italian counterparts were not used to this. Another interesting fact which was found, to our own cost, was that no military locations are marked on Italian maps such as Granade. As would be expected, communications proved to be a challenge, especially during the final exercise. It consisted of 4 M1 1A's commanded by a platoon commander and 3 NCO's, the drivers of the APC's were Italian. We soon worked out a simple method of telling the drivers to go left, right, backwards and forwards. T h e system we adopted soon impressed upon the Italians the need to wear helmets. The character of the Battalion's year can best be summed up with regards to the TESEX in September. It was with some trepidation that we ventured out on the Tactical Engagement Simulation Exercise (TESEX) on Salisbury Plain in September. Although we had met this beast before at Company level, either on our own exercise last year, or as enemy for other Battle Groups earlier in the year, this was to be our first Battalion level exercise. For the uninitiated, TESEX is a three week package consisting of familiarisation and platoon level training, company force on force training, culminating in a Battalion level free play exercise against a similarly, laser equipped, enemy. In our case this was to be CATC Battle Group consisting of elements of 1 Royal Anglians, equipped with Warrior and cunningly disguised 432 series vehicles, and a squadron of tanks which looked suspiciously like Challenger 1 (had we not known that they were actually programmed to represent T72 as indeed Warrior and 432, in turn represented BMP - 2's and BTR 60s!) The CATC BG had a fearsome reputation, having never yet been beaten overall in a TESEX. Having held top billing in the Battalion's calendar, alongside an already busy training year with Company, Battalion and Brigade exercises (in addition to the inevitable M A T tasks), our first two weeks were to be a fairly intensive period for all Companies as we came to understand the weaknesses of ourselves, our plans, and our TES equipment. Each Rifle Company, with an accompanying slice from the various I Company Support platoons, played enemy for the other two during a fast and furious six-day package. By week three we were as ready as we were ever going to be.
3
T h e first battle involved an attack on Copehill Down FIBUA village, from an Assembly Area in Bulford Ranges. T h e strange feeling of trying to pretend that, despite the close proximity to our beds, homes, friends and families, we were actually in pursuit of a battle hardened enemy in the middle of another European country was one not lost on many people. Following a 35km insertion 'TAB', with each man carrying a total of 80 to 1201bs of kit and ammunition, the Battalion managed to fight the Royal Anglian OPFOR to a standstill: a rare but costly achievement. Matters were worse for the OPFOR Company Commander by never being able to track down L/Cpl Edge, who spent the entire battle inside the village sniping at Company Headquarters. As a warm glow gently filtered around the Battalion with respect to our 1-0 score we embarked upon an advance to contact. This saw the first outing of our new Screen Company concept. Based upon Recce P1 and the Mobile Milan section, this grouping included also FOO, MFC, MG section, a Rifle platoon and OC I Coy (with his moustache now fully equipped to CES!). The concept was simply that Recce would find and fix the enemy forward elements, allowing indirect fire and the platoon to clear and destroy them; thus removing the potentially fatal effect of small anti-armour teams and individual vehicles against the comparatively unprotected Rifle Companies in their Saxon. This happened to such a successful degree that, during the after action review, the enemy commander was forced to admit that as the battle progressed he had less and less idea what was going on, as gradually all his forward elements were destroyed. This left the Main defensive position comparatively open for the Rifle companies to attack, leading to a 2-0 score. Bravery in the form of SSAB Thermos mugs! were duly handed out for various note-worthy actions including Cpl Mynett's co-ordination of clearing enemy trenches at the bridge crossing site, having already had his trusty stead (CVR(T)) shot from beneath him. Round 3 was a defensive battle against the entire might of the CATC BG - bridge laying vehicles and all!. Despite a hectic deployment we were ready to receive guests in time for last light. First blood was recorded by the uncanny calling of indirect fire on an enemy muster by BG Main - not the usual first group to achieve this. With much rumbling sounds being heard, the final arrival of the Warrior was as im~ressiveas it was unex~ected.A Company's worth charged across the plain at a staggeringly fast pace in an effort to secure the bridge. T h e enemy's main thrust was severely dented by Cpl Sibley's Milan Section, himself achieving a 100% kill ratio on the Challengers and 432's. L/Cpl Hanking, C Company's clerk, became known as T h e Widowmaker as Company headquarters defended itself at close quarters from a dismounted Warrior platoon's assault. The Platoon Sergeant's last words are believed to have been "I don't f***ing believe it - I've been shot by a woman!" By the end of the second echelon Motor Rifle Battalion's attack the area of the bridge site was like an advert for strobe lighting as armoured vehicles of all descriptions sat immobilised. T h e CATC BG Commanding Officer said that the bane of his life was that "behind every bush was another bloody Green Jacket with an anti-armour weapon". This does not cover the remarkable sight of LICpl Stanstead from the Recce Platoons REME section who, on having destroyed a 432 with 2000 of 7. 62mm link - in one burst! - was heard to say to the world at large: "That'll f***ing learn you! In a broad Yorkshire accent. Combat REME. Whatever next? Final Score
l RGJ
3
1 R Anglians
0
Swift and Bold 9
l
RSM of 2RGl M
ot is LCpl Chrls pecce Platoon.
i
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~aul&olom being intewiewed on Ex ULAN EAGLE 97.
Infantry Fwwridge dur@ M ULAN EAGLE 97.
R h Chk W i n M is spwked by Cpl 'At' GamM as he tackles the Sword Fighting Gonm?t~t~on dwing the battarn Annual Skill at Arms MeeDng in August 1997.
I
,
:!m
LCpl Chris Dowling moves position with his 94mm LAW during Ex ULAN EAGLE 97.
The Freedom Parade, Wlnchesm Friday 17 Bctobet 1997
min the m@M$fmI d
~ W m m .
1 'Sham' with some Modem Riflemen.
Bugler McLacian, L C ~Clark, I Sean Bean, Bugier Held, Cpl Smith.
Swift and Bold 21