Feb 2013 - Royal Corps of Signals

Transcription

THE
wire
February 2013
www.royalsignals.mod.uk
The Magazine of The Royal Corps of Signals
HONOURS AND AWARDS
We congratulate the following Royal Signals personnel who received Honours in the New Year’s Honours List 2013:
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Col G Hearn
Lt Col RJ Healey
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Lt Col SJ Morgan
SSgt SA Nash
A/Sgt TJ Fitzgerald
Queens Volunteer Reserves Medal (QVRM)
Sgt S McCoy
Commander Land Forces Certificate for Outstanding Service
Capt SPJ White
Sgt R Rees
Sig S Gurung
Commander Force Development and Training Certificate for Outstanding Service
Capt JA Fielder
Chief of the General Staff's Certificate for Outstanding Service
SSgt PM Casey
SSgt GM Cowan
We congratulate the following Royal Signals personnel who received Awards in the Armed Forces Operational Awards List:
Queens Commendation for Valuable Service (QCVS)
A/Lt Col AJ Smith
Sgt MG Harle
Joint Commander's Commendation
Capt RL Clifford
Capt PA Hay
Capt SJ Smith
Capt MP Townley
Cpl JD Black
The Magazine of the Royal Corps of Signals
FEBRUARY 2013 Vol. 67 No: 1
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Editor: Keith Pritchard
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CONTENTS
News from Operations
News from Blandford
News from Training
News from Formations
News from Regiments
News from Squadrons
Other Units
Sport
Royal Signals Association
Last Post
Obituaries
Page
2
11
12
18
21
79
94
100
105
108
108
EDITORIAL
There have been a few changes in The Wire office,
most notably a move of accommodation and a
new Deputy Editor.
Judith Burke has now replaced Amy. Having
jumped ship from the Navy, we welcome her to
the team and wish her well in her new job.
I will also take this opportunity to make the
usual plea: Thank you for your articles which
continually more than fill the magazine, so please
do not be disappointed if some parts are edited
out. However, we continue to receive low quality
photographs, some of which we cannot publish
due to their resolution. Please try and make the
effort to send photographs separately, preferably
as .jpg files, and MBs, not KBs. Possible front
cover pictures should be in portrait rather than
landscape mode.
Finally, a happy and prosperous New Year to you
from all at Headquarters Royal Signals.
FRONT COVER
BACK COVER
It's that time of year again! Ex MERCURY
SNOWRIDER IV - 3 - 16 Mar 13
Members of 200 Sig Sqn at the
Rakowicki Cemetry, Krakow
Authors alone are responsible for the content of their articles. The opinions expressed in the articles of this publication are those of the individual
authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views, official or otherwise, of the Royal Corps of Signals or the Ministry of Defence. All
articles and submissions are published at the discretion of the Editor.
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THE WIRE, FEBRUARY
2013
1
NEWS FROM OPERATIONS
2nd SIGNAL REGIMENT
CO
RSM
Lt Col C Vaudin
WO1 (RSM) D Lamont
but this is acceptable as he goes to the gym every day for a
proper workout!!!
JFCIS(A) HQ – by Cpl Matt Parvin
HELMAND ICS SIGNAL SQUADRON
The RHQ element of 2 Sig Regt, who were deploying as the
Ops Team for JIFCIS(A) HQ, deployed to Afghanistan between
the middle of October and the beginning of November. After
a long but uneventful journey to Camp Bastion and the
predictable joy of doing the RSOI package, we were taken to
what would be our homes for the duration of the tour.
OC
SSM
The Command element of the team would be living in the
posh white palaces of the Tier 2 accommodation whilst the
remainder in the tents of Mercury Lines, (apart from WO2
(YofS) Andy Morris who would be living with the Americans
in less austere accommodation). WO1 (YofS) Steve Binks was
particularly delighted to be moving into the same bed space
in the same tent that he left 12 months ago.
Maj DR Orr
WO2 (SSM) D Gurung
Somewhere between RAF Brize Norton and Camp Bastion 246
GSS deftly changed its identity and morphed into the
Helmand ICS Signal Squadron for Op HERRICK 17. After a
thorough and detailed handover from 16 Signal Regiment, the
new team in town were finally able to fly solo on 13 Nov and
we quickly set about getting to grips with our new roles.
Even after only a few weeks in Theatre it is already apparent
that the Mission Specific Training programme has served us
well and as a result we have hit the ground running.
We were greeted at our place
of work by the 16 Sig Regt
personnel we were replacing.
They were certainly pleased
to see us as I’m sure we will
be equally as pleased to see
our replacements come May.
Since the handovers have
been completed, the staff
have been settling into their
roles and the daily routine of
working in a headquarters.
One un-named person in the
HQ has decided to compete in
a “Who can grow the best
moustache” competition,
even though he is the only
one growing a moustache, it
appears he is losing, badly.
Cpl Hammond explains just how big that rat was
SSgt Richie Horsburgh holds 2
Signal Regiment in Mercury Lines
All the detachments across Helmand have settled in very
quickly and each has, in their own way, begun to build on the
excellent work of our predecessors. We have focussed
There have been no complaints about the food as yet. The HQ
Adjt, Lt Andy Plant, is enjoying 4 desserts after evening meal
Commander JFCIS (A) Col Drew started the celebration of Tihar
with TRI-PASA whilst other watched for winning numbers
2
The OC pretending to do some work
THE WIRE, FEBRUARY 2013
initially on getting Incident Management right, and we have
had plenty of practice as the first few weeks have thrown
everything at us. We have become skilled at turning red
screens green and only rarely have we had to resort to SSgt
(YofS) Donaghy’s pre-prepared emergency all green
screenshot! Time is already flying by and with Christmas on
the horizon and a very busy programme of work ahead I don’t
expect that to change any time soon.
LASHKAR GAH ICS TROOP
Tp OC
Lt R Greener
It has been a very busy first month for LKG ICS Tp. After the
one week initial RSOI package, all eighteen members of the
Troop departed for our final location, MOB LKG. After a
rather interesting flight into location we were met by our
counterparts on the HLS who appeared very pleased to see
us. The first 24hrs in location allowed time for the boys to
relax into their new surroundings whilst it gave SSgt Laxman
and myself time to start the initial stages of our handover.
It is safe to say that MOB LKG is not the most austere location
by any stretch of the imagination. Clearly lacking a lot of the
facilities of BSN, it makes up for it with excellent food and
pleasant surroundings. A relaxing first 24 hours was enjoyed
by the Troop in preparation for a frenetic week to come.
The HOTO started in earnest at 0800 the following morning,
with my Troop meeting up with their opposite number to
start signing for the huge amount of kit we are responsible
for. This proved to be a rather long and drawn out affair and
consumed the following three to four days. However, six
days after we arrived, we were able to bid farewell to 16
Signal Regiment and crack on with the task in hand.
Once in the chair it was clear to see that every department
would be busy for the first few months at the very least,
completing a large array of tasks from simple kit upgrades to
large full scale headquarters move. Quite a task for the 18
strong LKG ICS Troop, however everyone is in good spirits and
are very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.
informative and important 5 days for me. I was able to
refresh all the lessons previously taught and receive an
update of the current situation on the ground.
The detachment (Cpl Sunil, LCpls Dhanesh, Ramesh, Bhim,
Bipendra, Cassidy and Carr), boarded an early flight to MOB
PRICE on 8 Nov 12. We were greeted by our Det Cmds, Sgts
Navin and Kajiman, who were the advanced party for MOB
PRICE, and also the eagerly waiting members of 16 Signal
Regiment. Handover/takeover (HO/TO) started the same day
along with the camp familiarization and safety briefs.
HOTO was carried out thoroughly and in a professional
manner. We had received good training during the exercises
back in UK in preparation for the deployment. They seemed
to be in hurry to do the HOTOs and I understand their
situation as it was their time to leave and be together with
their families after a long separation. We didn’t leave any
stone unturned to get as much information as possible from
the members of 16 Signal Regiment. The next few days we
were shadowed by them. It took us time to get into the H17
routine but after couple of days, everyone was zoned-in to
their roles and responsibilities. Keeping in mind the CO’s and
OC’s mission directive, we gave our best efforts and had a
few restless nights to keep our customers satisfied with the
services provided by us. We had visits from OC and SSM of
246 GSS, followed by CO and RSM of 2 Signal Regiment. They
were very pleased by the services that we provided to our
customers. We vowed to maintain the standard and
commitment throughout the deployment.
Knocking on the door was Gurkha festival, ‘TIHAR’. We
decided to celebrate our festival ‘TIHAR’ along with a few
other members from the Brigade. We had members from 1
RGR, Queen’s Gurkha Engineers and a few other British
counterparts who all took part in the celebration. We were
missing our families and loved ones but the BFBS Gurkha
radio helped to shorten the distance with our messages,
greetings and beautiful songs dedicated to them.
It’s a long way to the end of the 2 Sig Regt H17 deployment.
Our standards and professionalism are at the highest and we
are determined not to let them fall from their peak.
Boarding the helicopters for LKG
MOB PRICE ICS Det – by LCpl Ramesh Pun
On 31 Oct 12, with heavy hearts members of 2 Signal Regiment
bid farewell to their loved ones and departed to Teesside for
their 6 month Op HERRICK 17 tour. We touched down at
Camp Bastion on 1 Nov 12, making transit stops at Brize
Norton and Minhad on our way. H17 welcomed us with the
dust, dirt and the glowing red sunsets. Next day we were
billeted to our transit accommodation. On 3 Nov 12 the RSOI
package started; for some this was 2 days, others 5 or 7 days
depending to their roles during the tour. It was an
The MOB Price Service Desk in action
KABUL ICS TROOP – by LCpl Rose
The detachment , headed by Sgt ‘Daz’ Carmichael, arrived in Camp
Souter on the night of Monday 5 November. The following morning
all the personnel began their HO/TO with their counterparts from 16
Signal Regiment, with some members of the Det realising the jobs
they were going to be doing had added responsibilities (and we had
not even started the full six months yet).
3
After a week of settling in to our new jobs and completing the HO/TO
of the detachment, we finally got rid of our counterparts from 16
Signal Regiment. This meant that we could finally start making the
place our home for the next six months. The first week was relatively
peaceful, as the personnel that would be relying on us over the next
six months were taking over their respective jobs, and had the
majority of questions answered by 16 Signal Regiment.
The second week was not so quiet, with users starting to bring us all
sorts of issues. This ranged from user accounts not working, to even
asking us what time dinner was! However, this busy period has
helped us settle in to our roles, the entire Det are looking forward to
the challenge of the tasks that lie ahead, and we are looking forward
to getting to grips with some of the new kit we have taken over.
Sgt Carmichael keeps reminding everyone that he used to be a gym
god (queen) and is making sure all the lads do physical training during
their down time. This is also Daz’s tenth tour of Afghan! Well, it is if
you include that he was here in the first Anglo-Afghan war back in the
nineteenth century (yes he is that old).
There are also weekly quizzes to get the lads bonding (and
brains working!) and a few competitions going on including
4-a-side footy and pool (not swimming). Above all everyone is
safe and looking forward to getting to see their families when
they return on R&R.
CAMP SOUTER FORCE PROTECTION AND TRANSPORT COY (SFPTC)
– by WO2 (SSM) Matt Whitfield
(L-R) Mir Ahmad (Interpreter), Sig Neely, Cpl Day, Sig Purdham
move. In addition, the QRF deploy on foot patrols
thoughout the local area to help maintain the healthy
relationship we have with the locals.
Camp Security - This involves manning the sangar positions,
searching vehicles (with the help of the search dogs) and
searching the locals that work on camp.
After a hectic, initial period during the handover, things are starting
to slow down a bit allowing the lads to concentrate on the important
things such as their ping pong, pool and darts ability.
The initial phase of any tour is always the same, lots of work and little
sleep. We did not have a lot of time to take over from 16 Signal
Regiment and as we worked hard to learn information that would
allow us to do our jobs. They worked hard to pass it on so they could
concentrate on Op Massive (gym) and Op Bronze (sunbathing).
SFPTC is made up of three multiples, these work in a shift rotation
changing every four days. The rotations are as follows.
Transport Details - This involves the movement of
personnel and equipment throughout Kabul.
Quick Reaction Force (QRF) - This involves maintaining a
force of 8 personnel and vehicles on 15 minutes notice-to-
The OC with his personal protection team, Cpl Whitley and Kara
16th SIGNAL REGIMENT
Before we start this edition, we would like to congratulate
SSgt Matt Lee and his wife Stacey on the new addition to
their family. Baby Brodie Lee was born on 30 Sep and all of us
here in SFPTC wish them well. In addition we would like to
congratulate Capt Liam Crane on his promotion.
the outgoing unit is the measure of a successful HOTO,
something we endeavour to achieve. Our successors are the
first unit to conduct the pilot Kabul specific RSOI / Integration
Training Programme, designed and fielded by 16 Sig Regt
SFPTC. This involves the mandatory training in Bastion, with
the added 3-day SFPTC specific training, focusing on the
current Tactics Techniques and Procedures, particularly
pertinent with the introduction of the new Foxhound vehicle
platforms. This placed huge strain on the Company’s
resources, reengineering SFPTC’s commitments to release the
multiple commanders to cascade their expert guidance to the
incoming multiples.
An extremely rewarding tour for SFPTC has culminated in the
HOTO to 2 Signal Regiment, to whom we send our best
wishes for a safe and successful deployment. As Op HERRICK
16/17 draws to a close for 16 Sig Regt SFPTC our attention
switches to ensuring not only the continuation of the
operational effectiveness of Kabul Joint Support Unit, but to
handing over in good order to our successors. The ability of
the incoming unit to seamlessly assume the responsibilities of
It is with fondness that we say goodbye to our home for the
last 6 months. Highlights have included the excellent
relationship building activity with the local community,
engagement with the multinational QRFs on combined
‘in-extremis’ exercises, but most of all the safe return of all of
the SFPTC soldiers that deployed on day one. The Company
has performed exceptionally well, rising to the challenges and
demands of providing protective mobility and force
SOUTER FORCE PROTECTION AND TRANSPORT COMPANY
(SFPTC) – by SSgt Rob Shubert
OC
Ops Offr
Ops WO
4
Maj Kev Read
Capt Liam Crane
SSgt Matt Lee
protection for entitled personnel throughout Kabul. Job well
done boys!
OPS ROOM
The last few weeks of the tour have been one of the busiest
periods of the deployment, with added restrictions placed
upon us due to unsavoury media stirring up local emotions;
however the Company continued to deliver regardless and
has maintained its operational momentum to the finish.
The OC and the newly promoted Ops Officer have been
tending to a plethora of tasks such as preparing a bespoke
HOTO programme specific to Kabul, deploying on numerous
patrols to assist the relationship building effort, and delivering
presentations to the incoming CSR’s recce teams. The term
‘be flexible’ doesn’t quite cut it anymore as flexible isn’t
flexible enough. With the many recent short notice changes
the Company has remained agile; the new saying is, ‘be fluid’.
Relationships with our
American counterparts have
also gained momentum; we
are now working closely with
the TF CENTURION callsign
from the United States and
have carried out a number of
joint operations delivering
Civilian and Military
Cooperation activity (S9 to the
Americans) to the local
population. We have
continued to strive for the
development of education in
our area and have made
considerable deliveries of
school equipment to each of
the 3 local schools. Sgt Ross
Ardley and Sig Gaz Fortune have also made effective
contributions to this cause through liaison with schools and
local companies from their home towns for the donation of
school equipment. All the donations were well received and
each of the Headmasters praised the efforts of those
involved, emphasizing the importance of these donations for
the children’s access to educational materials.
Capt Crane surrounded by the inquisitive children at Qabel Bai
The Radio Detachment has also been busy rotating personnel
through the multiples to increase their operational experience
of those previously confined to the Ops Room. All of the
replacements were well received and certainly benefitted
from the experience.
J9
The J9 effort led by Capt Crane and SSgt Rob Shubert has
seen a decline in financial support, with the main focus
switching to helping the local population unlock money from
GIRoA. It has proven a difficult and complicated process;
however it is crucial that the
local nationals’ access to
finance is sustainable so
that they are able to
develop their community
once Coalition Forces leave
Kabul. This hasn’t meant
the cessation of consent
winning activity; SFPTC has
continued to build on its
community relations by
delivering Relationship
Building Items (RBIs) to the
neediest people in our area.
K10 – by Cpl Bishop
Multiple Commander
Multiple 2ic
Sgt Sinclair
Cpl Bishop
Congratulations from K10 and indeed everyone in SFPTC go
to Sig Freeman on his promotion to LCpl, I’m sure he will
provide the multiple with suitable refreshments once we are
safely back in Germany. K10 have been involved in some high
profile visits to Kabul over the past few weeks. From J6 to J4,
the visitors have come thick and fast and every location in
Kabul has been on the visit programme. During the QRF
rotation K10 have conducted numerous dismounted
framework patrols in the local area. This keeps the relations
with the immediate population positive, which in turn
significantly increases the force protection of Camp Souter. A
number of the patrols have included the distribution of
questionnaires and talking to the locals to gauge how they
feel about ISAF and other subjects such as education, safety
and local improvements.
SFPTC send their thanks to 2 CSLR for supplying K10 with Cpl
Lothian and Pte Downie, improving the operational capability
during the R&R window. They made a substantial
contribution to the running of the multiple.
5
strained. But even with the patrol being somewhat shorter it
was still deemed a success with over 60 tickets distributed.
K30
Multiple Commander
Multiple 2IC
K20
Multiple Commander
Multiple 2ic
Sgt Callaghan
Cpl Turner
Firstly, K20 would like to congratulate Sig Ellicock and Sig
Fisher on their selection for promotion to LCpl, well done
guys, now get the drinks in!
As with everyone the operational tempo for the multiple has
not dropped and we have been kept on our toes throughout
all the rotations. We have carried out some successful foot
patrols and the most recent of these involved delivering
tickets for a Relationship Building Item Distribution (RBID).
This involved the entire multiple, as well as a Military Working
Dog to help us with any crowd problems. As a special bonus
we had the pleasure of 2 BFBS reporters with us, giving
certain people the chance to become TV stars for the day!
Cpl Turner with a number of the local children with their new
hand knitted hats donated from a Women’s Institute
Sgt Hitchen
Cpl Rone
The multiple has had a few changes recently; most notable
was the all too brief swap of Cpl Rone for Cpl Tuite. Cpl Rone
came back from his spell in the Ops Room like a new man and
unsurprisingly his drills had improved tenfold. Although a
message did reach us that he needed a lot of remedial brew
making as this skill set was severely poor.
Sig Pearson took part in the Camp JULIEN March and Shoot
and was part of the winning KJSU team. At times he was
likened to universal soldier and reports came back to us that
he had to help the flagging GSM for near enough the entire
course. Remember GSM; runs before guns!
The multiple
was also
involved in the
major J9
project of
school
equipment
distribution.
Trucks were
loaded with
vast amounts
of equipment
ranging from
books and
pencil cases to
blackboards
and bags. The
multiple
provided force
protection
while the J9
Sig Fisher providing Force Protection at the
team delivered
school
the goods to
the School. As
with all
activities like this it wasn’t long before large crowds started
to approach, eager to find out what was being delivered!
We patrolled through some of the neediest parts of our area
and the BFBS crew was quite shocked at the conditions the
locals live in. With no proper sanitation, the sight and smells
can be a little raw on the untrained senses! As with all ticket
drop patrols the demand always outweighs the supply and
the crowds can become unruly. Tasked with not only the
protection of our own multiple but the safe keeping of the
BFBS staff we had to stop the patrol early and return to Camp
SOUTER as the behaviour of the locals started to become
K20 preparing for the Relationship Building Item distribution
6
LCpl Edwards on Top Cover Sentry
K30 were deployed on the multinational QRF ‘in-extremis’
exercise. This was designed to test the skills and deployment
of the QRF to a major incident. K30 were more than up to the
task at hand and within minutes of receiving the initial call,
Sgt Hitchen was briefing the Troops and preparing them to
deploy. It was early morning when they left Camp SOUTER,
with the experienced and highly professional top cover of Sig
Almond and LCpl Edwards they made their way to the first RV
point. The first stop was to liaise with a US Army callsign at
the American Camp PHOENIX. This proved troublesome as
the communications were not compatible. Luckily the US
team gave K30 a radio that they could talk to them on and
they were off to link in with a Turkish team. This time it
wasn’t the radio communications that were the problem but
actually the language barrier that nearly put a dampener on
the exercise. With some ingenuity and persistence K30
managed to complete all the tasks required of them and had
a very successful exercise.
and thinking “I’m going to need a miracle to sort this place
out”. However after a lot of hard work and using my training
passed down from my seniors SSgt ‘Hairy Belly’ Sabiston and
Sgt Stu ‘Nemo’ Porter, issues were soon sorted. I’m proud to
say that throughout the whole of the tour, Power Section
always had good feedback from the locations we visited,
either because of the high quality of work we produced or
because we are legends… I’ll leave you to decide.
For the duration of the deployment the morale was always
very high in the section, always knowing how to put a smile
on people’s faces, usually by accidently doing something
stupid. Sig Nyall ‘Samehead’ Simpson is a smart lad, but
always had something stupid to say or do, a prime example
being when he was walking around panicking, looking for his
daysack…lo and behold it was on his back!
Towards the end of the tour people are looking healthy and
strong because Op Massive and Op Bronze have been running
for 5 months. Unfortunately one accident-prone lad, Sig Dan
‘The Man Down’ Fleming seems to be getting weaker. One
afternoon he decided to take a dive off the Man SV into a
small puddle, but did Dan learn from this lesson? No he did
not! After a short recovery of a month or so he knocked
himself clean out by banging his head on a Landrover door.
All in all everyone in power section found this to be a good
tour, with many charity events planned and organised by
people throughout. I organised and hosted a casino charity
night for Colefords Children’s Opportunity Centre raising £250
including the donated winnings of Cpl Stu King and LCpl Tom
Gale because they are just that nice. As you can tell there was
a lot of banter to help the tour move along quicker but like I
said earlier, all the work was done well before deadlines, and
to the highest standards. I am sure 2 Signal Regiment will
continue the good work on Op HERRICK 17.
TECH SECTION - by LCpl Lau
Sig Almond on Top Cover Sentry
HELMAND ICS SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj C L Jardine
WO2 (SSM) S Wedge
BASTION ICS TROOP
Troop OC
Troop SSgt
2Lt M Hollingsworth
SSgt J Lowes
POWER SECTION - by LCpl Williams
Afghanistan: the 7 day working week, every day is a Monday,
on the helicopter off the helicopter country where myself,
LCpl ‘Oscar’ Williams, and the remainder of 16 Sig Regt were
deployed to for Op Herrick 16/17. We all arrived here over the
space of 2 weeks and settled in quite well. After a gruelling 6
days of RSOI, being revised on the drills that would keep us
alive for the next 6 months, I moved into HICSSS Power
Section and took over the fleet of FEPS Generators, which
provide backup power to 6 Network Equipment Rooms in
BSN. I worked with 8 others in the section and our tour was
quite busy overall. Early on in the deployment there always
seemed to be at least 2 of us out on the ground at one time
rectifying faults, and conducting Power Assurance visits at
numerous locations across the Helmand Area of Operations.
On many occasions while deployed, I found myself standing
With the countdown in single digits now, everyone is eager
for handover/takeover to start and finally bid farewell to
Afghanistan. Plans for leave are being confirmed by everyone
here, whether it be partying in Miami, placing all their money
on Black in Las Vegas or snowboarding in Japan, everyone is
excited to finally reap their hard earned rewards.
Since 2 Sig Regt has arrived in Theatre, we have endeavoured
even more to ensure a smooth handover/takeover. We have
been working round the clock to ensure that nothing goes
wrong and to bring dropped services back in.
We’ve recently adopted a new addition to our team in the
form of Cpl ‘DJ’ Hand, who joined us in October after
spending the greater part of the deployment working
alongside the Med Group in the Role 3 Hospital. He’s brought
quite a bit of morale to the team but most importantly, he’s
brought with him a fresh way to look at faults.
In order to celebrate the end of our time here, the Projects
team organised a ‘Skit Night’. Our skit was an awards
ceremony presented by LCpl ‘Barnes-a-tron’ Barnes. Some of
the awards included ‘Best PT’, ‘Selfless Commitment’ and
‘Beechams Flu Plus’.
All in all, I’ve had an enjoyable tour deploying out to FOBs and
PBs adjusting equipment or tearing down the ICS equipment
at various locations across Helmand.
PROJECTS - by LCpl Dyke
The end of tour is finally here and our replacements have
arrived. The projects team set up a skit and pizza night for
the whole Squadron towards the end of October which saw
7
each section reminiscing and joking about events which have
happened over the last 6 months. It was an enjoyable night
which brought laughter and in some cases tears of laughter to
many. It was a time to relax and be together for one last time
before 230 Signal Squadron’s TA augmentees left and headed
back to their own unit.
LASHKAR GAH ICS TROOP
Looking forward, we all have to complete decompression in
Cyprus before returning back to Javelin Barracks, where we
will be met off the coach by the families of Elmpt. It will be a
time to celebrate a successful tour as well as a welcome home
party, Christmas parties, and the medals parade.
This is the last update from 16 Signal Regiment’s Lashkar Gah
Troop, during the Herrick 16/17 handover.
The last few weeks before 2 Signal Regiment arrived were
possibly the longest of the entire tour (as is always the case).
We had to fill our time with long days of cleaning and tidying
and checking stores to ensure we knew where everything
was. On the odd occasion we did manage to get in a game or
2 of volleyball with the new QM’s department and Main Troop,
our additional experience was certainly telling!
After all the normalisation part is finished the Regiment will
be stood down and we are all off for 2 months leave, during
which many of us plan to get away on holidays, enjoy
Christmas with loved ones, and for some, including myself
and Cpl Riddell, even getting married over the New Year
period, however not to each other.
The tour in general has been very good and we have laughed
more than we have moaned. Learning new skills, as well as
brushing up on old ones, we hope that 2 Signal Regiment
have a safe and successful tour.
INSTALLATION TECHNICIANS - by Sig Watson
Well we are in to the last month of a long and emotional tour;
this is my last contribution to The Wire for this deployment.
At the start of October we had some celebrations; not only
was it Sgt Aplin and Cpl King’s birthdays, it was also my
wedding anniversary, so we decided to go out for a meal and
some cake to lighten the mood ready for the hard planning
ahead for our handover to 2 Signal Regiment.
The weeks to follow were stressful as we were sorting all 16
ISO containers’ worth of stores, which involved pulling
everything out to clean and label every shelf in order to make
it easier for 2 Signal Regiment once they arrived. In amongst
the ISO cleaning we had various other tasks such as getting all
the cable drums into order and making records for future use.
In the middle of the month people still had to be deployed to
various PBs and FOBs to maintain communications for the
rest of Helmand. LCpl Sainthouse and I were 2 of the people
to be sent out, but we had it lucky as we got to go to Camp
Souter in Kabul to rewire every Sangar with new telephones.
This job at first seemed to be the best thing since sliced bread
until we hit a brick wall in the form of a lack of stores, so we
couldn’t carry on. Once we received the rest of our stores we
then cracked on; however this led to some hard cable pulls
outside of the Camp which required us to be in full protective
equipment and guarded by a Foxhound with top cover.
Meanwhile back in Bastion the rest of Line Section were
trying to plan a skit night as well as keeping on top of the
handover. Even though I wasn’t there to attend the skit night
I heard some interesting stories, one being LCpl Gale’s
traumatic encounter with a fly swat.
After the skit night it was back to normal but with a positive
attitude as the whole section had finally been reunited and
was working as a whole once again. The timing couldn’t have
been any better as we entered single figures of days left on
tour. This gave us time to look back on the things that have
happened and what we all wanted to do once we get back,
seeing loved ones, the medals parade and a good celebration.
Six months have passed with plenty of ups and downs but
finally it’s all come to an end and there are smiles all round, as
we all know that our achievements will help with the future of
Afghanistan.
8
Troop OC
Troop SSgt
Capt N Perkins
SSgt C Robinson
FAREWELL LASH VEGAS - by Cpl Clark
When 2 Signal Regiment finally arrived, we got straight to the
handover, hardly giving them time to get settled in. Keen to
take over, the incoming guys got straight into their checks
of all things that weren’t nailed down (and some things that
were). Everything went quite well and after some additional
in depth checks, the keys to Lashkar Gah ICS Troop were
handed over and 2 Signal Regiment were in the chair.
Now came the long trip back to Germany, via a short holiday in
Cyprus. All of the activities organized for us on decompression
were well received and we enjoyed our chance to sit around
on the beach and do nothing for a change. Due to unforeseen
delays we had a second day in Cyprus where we spent the day
at the pool with go-karting or bowling on offer. The group
that went go-karting saw both spectacular driving and some
truly awful driving (although kart number one was blamed
for all slow driving). A special mention should go to SSgt Jase
‘Sideways’ Lowes who couldn’t quite handle the pressure of
a 3-car entry to a tight corner. Also to Sgt Mark Kinson who
couldn’t handle the pressure of any corner apparently.
After a long 48 hours of traveling we were finally back in
Germany heading back to Javelin Barracks, anticipating the
greetings from our families. Although it was nearly 2 o’clock
in the morning, the reception from all of the families was
amazing. The children went wild as soon as they found their
daddies stepping off the bus and didn’t let go for a while.
After a bit of food and a couple of beers (thanks to the guys in
the Rear Operations Group for arranging it for us), some very
tired children were put to bed, finally releasing their grip on
their dads.
Now we are going through the process of getting back into
the work routine and enjoying the build up to Christmas.
INSTALLATION TECHS - by Cpl Heap
The last couple of months in Lashkar Gah Troop have been
very busy, especially in the Installation Technician section.
October saw my return to Afghanistan from R&R. I passed
LCpl Doran on the HLS as he left Lashkar Gah on his way back
to Bastion. He had been of great help to Sig Gammack during
my absence, as the projects didn’t stop just because I was
away!
The Troop had been briefed to get our sections ready for the
handover to 2 Signal Regiment. Our involvement was to rip
out as much cabling as possible that was not in use and to
highlight any winterisation issues.
The winterisation of the HQ of Transitional Support Unit
Lashkar Gah took up the last week or so of our never ending
quest to improve the ICS Infrastructure on the MOB. The
scope of works and stores were completed just in time to
welcome in my replacement Cpl Smith who began to believe
that I had been sitting on my hands until she got here, though
after a few meetings she understood the difficulties of
making things happen in Afghanistan.
After a successful handover I’m off to Bastion to chill out for a
couple of days before we head off to the beach in Cyprus for
some decompression relaxation, and then off to Germany to
see the family and enjoy some well earned post-operational
leave.
4 MECHANIZED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (204)
WORK AT THE HELMAND PROVINCIAL PRISON
During Op HERRICK 16, the previous Task Force Helmand Sig
Sqn (228) were requested by Helmand Provincial
Reconstruction Team Rule of Law to support the installation
of surveillance systems in Helmand Provincial Prison. Due to
the late arrival of equipment in Theatre, 228 Sig Sqn were
unable to start the project before their end of tour, therefore
their successors (204 Sig Sqn) took on the challenges to
support HPRT during Op HERRICK 17
TFH FofS WO2 (FofS) Raj Malla was given the responsibility to
lead the project. A technical recce was conducted at the
prison on 4
October 2012
to ensure the
findings of
the previous
recce were
factually
correct and
highlight any
additional
points which
could affect
the outcome
of the project.
The prison is
situated in the
WO2 (FofS) Malla explaining the intricacies
South of
of the system
Lashkar-Gah city
centre and
occupies an
area of 14,400 m². As part of the ongoing community building
process in Helmand, the prison was built and established by
coalition forces for Afghanistan’s government. More than
1500 prisoners, which including former Taleban fighters, are
held in the facility, which is bordered by two arms of the
Afghan National Security Forces, the Afghanistan National
Civil Order Police and the National Directorate of Security.
From the onset it was quickly noted that the size of the
project was colossal and as such required thorough planning.
The project also provided challenges to Communications
Systems Engineers and Royal Signals Electricians from the
Power Response Repair Section in their respective fields of
knowledge. Under the direction of the TFH FofS, Sgt Lamkin
and Cpl Tinsley tested and made the equipment ready for
installation.
A total of 5 days were allocated for the project and on 3 Nov
12, an installation team of 6 individuals deployed to the
provision with a multiple from 1st Battalion the Duke of
Lancaster’s Regiment, who provided the force protection.
The first day of the project was spent with the local
contractors drilling a number of holes in the control room in
order to run the cabling for the central hub. As planned, the
two electricians from the power section went about setting
up power inside the control room while the Engineers focused
on the internal wiring. The highlight of the day was the
hospitality of General Beshmullah, the head of the prison,
who invited the installation team for a delicious Afghan lunch.
Due to a variety of issues, the project had to be put on hold
for two days, but when the team got back to the facility they
started laying video and power cables inside the prison blocks
and around the external walls. By this time the power to the
control room was stable and working correctly. At this point
more issues arose, and the project was halted for almost two
weeks, but confident in the progress of the task FofS Malla
drew up a new program, that involved final installation,
testing of equipment and a large amount of training for the
General and his staff.
All in all, the project was a huge success for both TFH Sig Sqn
and TFH HQ. Furthermore the project achieved one of the
objectives of the Comd TFH for H17, as the ANSF and Afghan
Government were given the opportunity to take the lead on
improving local security and continue to develop all aspects of
governance within their own country.
HEAVE UP EVEREST!
At 0800 on 11 November 2012 Lt Drew Houlbrooke completed
the first heaves in what would become a massive
achievement for both mankind and Main Troop based in
Lashkar Gah; it was the first day of a 2 week expedition in
which members of the Troop ‘heave’d their way up the
equivalent height of Mount Everest in aid of The Royal British
Legion.
Mount Everest is
8,848m high and
using the arm
length of Sgt Dan
Lamkin (the
Troop’s shortest
member) we
worked out that 2
heaves equal 1m,
which meant a
massive target of
17,696 heaves in
total.
During the first
day everyone was
amazed at the
effort of Sig
Oguaju, with a
total of 160
heaves during his
day shift, he was
in a commanding
lead. That was
until LCpl Lee Evans
came on night shift and completed 250 heaves. Afterwards
he was quoted as saying “I stopped because I felt a little
tired”. LCpl Evans continued to consistently perform well in
our effort, completing the most heaves by far with no-one
else coming close to the amount he managed.
9
Ahead of our target, we completed the task in 11 days 1 hour
and 25 minutes with Lt Drew Houlbrooke coming in 3rd, and
Sig Oguaju in 2nd. Maj Jamie Balfour completed the final 10
heaves, determined to maintain correct form throughout.
Thanks to the generosity of the ISAF Soldiers, Sailors and
Airmen based on MOB Lashkar Gah and with donations from
family and friends made through our Just Giving web page,
we raised a total of £350. Though we all suffered from aching
arms and sore backs, we kept going to achieve our goal for a
very deserving charity and would like to take this opportunity
to express that we are all extremely grateful for your support.
SURPRISINGLY, LASH DOES HAVE TALENT
On a cold and dry 9th of December, over 500 members of
MOB Lashkar Gah attended an event so prestigious that it will
be spoken about for generations to come. Organised by Pte
Munir, and hosted by the QRL’s own Capt Alex Bowie the
event was a success in every sense of the word.
The format of the event was simple, and will be familiar to
any who have seen a television show that may or may not be
named similarly… There was a host, four judges and several
acts from across the MOB, all of which performed for the
crowd and panel in order to be crowned the best act in Lash.
The judging panel was made up of what can only be described
as the finest minds this side of the Adriatic sea. Catriona
Laing, the Head of Mission was joined by two young Soldiers,
LCpl Young and Bdr Rees. Topping off the all star cast was
Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who flew out for the day from Camp
Bastion, where he is hosting his Drive Time show.
The event started with a few technical difficulties, but the
compare covered well, throwing a few jokes about, and
getting the crowd warmed up with a beautiful rendition of
Happy Birthday for Bdr Rees. But a few awkward moments
later, the first act was up.
2Lt Patterson entertained us with an excellent stand up
routine, which is surprising as he had only been told he was
doing it 3 days before the event. Many of his jokes are too
rude to print in this civilised paper, so you’ll have to take our
word for it…
Fourth up was what can only be described as the single
greatest boy band tribute act in the history of mankind. Three
members of MOB LKG guard force from 40 Commando Royal
Marines performed a stirring rendition of The Backstreet Boys
hit song ‘I want it that way’. Not only were they excellently in
tune, they were also wearing the best black bin bag
waistcoats this world has ever seen. The crowd went wild,
including the definitely-not-part-of-the-act 5 guys dressed in
Mrs Santa Claus outfits.
Two soldiers from 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles
performed a traditional Gurkha kukri dance, which was met
with awe by those who haven’t seen it before.
Much like the Eurovision Song Contest, the Danish entry was
both extravagant and confusing. Two members of the Danish
Unit serving in LKG performed a magic act, involving the
crowd and judges. The highlight had to be when the pretty
assistant; Lucy, got her hands on Greg James.
SSgt Smith from the USMC followed up with an act that left
us with that awkward feeling of despair in our stomachs.
Singing a ballad from the musical Les Miserables in a
monotone voice at a volume that could only be heard by the
very best of dogs, the crowd were literally stunned into
silence. At least he didn’t get booed off stage…
Marine Amyott, also known as Moose, performed a horntootin’ (I believe that’s the correct American phrase) country
song, which got our colonial allies all a-fluster.
Maj Lawrence Roche
gave us 3 minutes of
our lives that we will
never forget, dressed
as Superman he sang a
rendition of ‘Come Fly
With Me’ with many of
the words changed to
reflect our current
situation with the RAF.
I, personally entitled it
‘An Ode to the Crabs’.
Capt Jim Ashton started the night off by singing and playing
the guitar. The crowd at this point were a touch cold, but
once he got going, so did they.
Maj Roche, mid-way through his ballad
to the RAF
The surprisingly popular (on an all male camp) Essence
LCpl Deepak from the LKG ICS Troop performed a street
dance routine to a myriad of recent pop music. It started a
little awkwardly, as no one really knew where it was going to
go, but once he got into it so did the crowd.
10
The RDG Pipe Major
gave use some
entertainment, playing
his bagpipes in a tiger
suit, whilst pretending
to be drunk on Iron Bru
is one of those things
that many people will
never see, and that is
your loss.
LCpl Strudwick was
perhaps the strangest
act of the night. I firmly believe that he forgot he was in
Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and thought he was back in
The Fleece on a Thursday night for Karaoke. He sang, for a
certain value of sang, an Elvis classic. Choosing to ignore
most of the words, and focus on some odd dance moves. We
all thought alcohol was prohibited whilst deployed…
The night was a huge success, and although it required a huge
amount of work from a very dedicated group of people, I can
safely say it was well worth it.
NEWS FROM BLANDFORD
BLANDFORD GARRISON SUPPORT UNIT
CHARITY LIVE MUSIC NIGHT FOR RSBF - by Cpl Bhuvan Thapa
On 7 November 2012, Cpl Simon McKenna and Cpl Bhuvan Thapa organised the Battle of The Bands, a charity live music event to
raise money towards the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund. The RSBF has a direct association with all serving and retired members of
the Royal Corps of Signals. The charity has been actively helping both the past and present members of the Corps who are in acute
need of financial assistance.
The charity event consisted of live music from 2 local bands, raffle draws and drinks. It was open to all Garrison personnel and their
dependants. The venue for the event was the Links Bar on Blandford Camp. The programme on the night commenced at 1900hrs
with the opening address, a brief introduction to the Charity and introduction of the Band Members who were the main attraction
on the night. The Coots and the Flukes, both bands of the Blandford Garrison Music Club, entertained the enthusiastic crowd of
about 150 people with their incredible range of live music. There were two sets of raffle draws throughout the night offering very
handsome prizes, kindly donated by various shops and bars in Blandford Town. To close off the evening in style, both the Coots
and the Flukes performed together and the crowd were on their feet, enjoying the atmosphere. The event concluded at 2355hrs.
At £4 a head, most of the money was raised from ticket sales. The raffles also raised significant amount towards the charity. The
hard work of the organisers, band members and the generosity of the crowd which supported the event collected £547.25 (after all
the administrative costs) toward the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund. The money was presented to the RSBF Headquarters on
Blandford Camp. A big thank you goes to all the members of both the Coots and the Flukes for being so generous and offering
their splendid music and valuable time and effort to make the charity night a success.
Cpl Simon McKenna and Cpl Bhuvan Thapa presenting the cheque to the Regimental Secretary, Col Terry Canham
THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGISTS (WCIT)
EMPLOYMENT PANEL - RESETTLEMENT WORKSHOP
HQ R SIGNALS and the Employment Panel of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT) will host a ‘Resettlement
Workshop’ at Blandford on 27th Mar 2013. This will continue to strengthen the partnership between the two organisations and offer serving
officers and warrant officers within the Royal Signals who are considering their transition into civilian employment.
This is an invaluable opportunity to gain advice and guidance from key civilian Human Resource professionals. The workshop is aimed at all
R SIGNALS Warrant Officers and above with 18 months of service remaining after 28 Feb 13.
The event comprises of presentations from the WCIT team on ‘Writing a killer CV’, ‘Ace the interview’, ‘Strategy for managing your career’
and ‘Setting up your own business’. There will also be an opportunity for one to one sessions with the WCIT coaches.
A Warning order will be sent to all R SIGNALS units and a full Administration Instruction will be sent to all interested parties in due course.
Please indicate your interest to attend by responding with your contact details and address any questions to David Barlow C2 WLD on Mil:
94371 2098 Civ: 01258 482098. Mail to SOINC-DCOS-People-WLD SO2 or [email protected].
11
NEWS FROM TRAINING
11th (ROYAL SCHOOL OF SIGNALS)
SIGNAL REGIMENT
BLANDFORD
CO
RSM
Lt Col M C Brookes
WO1(RSM) M Darby
EXERCISE ALPINE MERCURY GLACIER
As home of Corps Alpine Skiing, 11(RSS) Sig Regt deployed 8
Phase 2 trainees and 4 permanent staff for a month to the
Austrian Alps, led by Capt Conway and SSgt (YofS EW)
Hamilton, as part of Ex ALPINE MERCURY GLACIER, the Corps
Alpine Ski Championships. Hoping to recapture the title of
Corps Champions, the team worked hard on basic ski skills for
the first 2 weeks and progressed into race training in week 3.
After gaining many bumps and bruises, including Maj Moulton
destroying a few gates on the way down the hill, everyone
was ready for race week with three solid teams ready for both
GS and Slalom courses. As the week progressed, with 11SR
Team A winning the team GS, and LCpl Gowlet proving an up
and coming talent in the Corps, it was on to the Team Slalom
where a solid third finish cemented the Regiment as overall
Corps Champions for an unprecedented third year in a row.
Special mention goes to Sig Vickers for winning the Novice
Champion and a shiny new pair of skis, Maj Moulton for
overall combination third, and SIO Geddes.
parade lasted for about 2 hours, the city guilds were being
represented on floats as well as representatives from all the
armed forces including two of our very own White Helmets
on quad bikes. It was good to see some representatives from
the Royal Corps of Signals as they dazzled the crowd revving
their engines and performing wheelies.
The floats themselves were vast and varied in both size and
theme, from a giant floating ham to Yorkshires’ transvestite
joyriding granny bags, all of which stood to represent the
diversity of City of London and its guilds. It was a stupendous
day enjoying the parade, cheering on fellow troops from all
the regiments and taking pictures to show our appreciation,
most of which were taken by Sig Teague.
After the floats had passed and everyone thought the parade
over, finally the one who we were waiting to see arrived, the
Lord Mayor himself, hanging out the side of a Cinderella-like
carriage laminated with gold. He received a warm welcome
which was heard in a roar of cheers and as he rolled passed it
was time to leave. We left in high spirits after having an awe
inspiring day even though we were sad that the parade had to
come to an end and we had to return to sunny Blandford!
11(RSS) Sig Regt Alpine Ski Team – Corps Champions 2012
1 (Ouston) Sqn
OC
SSM
Capt G Ashman
SSgt (SQMS) P Kemp
LORD MAYORS PARADE 10 NOVEMBER 2012
- by Sig Teague and Sig Potter
On Saturday 10 November a small group from Battleaxe Troop
were invited to London in order to attend the Lord Mayors’
parade as guests of the Worshipful Company of Information
Technologists, hosted by Mr Mike Williams.
We were selected to go as we won the best section of the
Gordon’s Cup event which is held bi-annually at Blandford
Garrison. The section comprised of Sig Colbeck, Sig Garnett,
Sig Potter and Sig Teague. Upon arrival we were seated in
stands overlooking Cheapside Road, here we were able to
enjoy the parade and wave to the people taking part. The
12
The Gordon’s Cup Winning Team at The Lord Mayors Show
2 (CATTERICK) SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj C J Lewin
WO2 (SSM) B Randerson
The pace of life at Blandford is as relentless as ever with
courses arriving every week to complete some form of Class 3
or Class 1 training. Spirits remain high across the Permanent
Staff cadre. It is clear that Christmas leave is in sight and a
well deserved break beckons.
As ever we have a few welcomes to make. Sgt Booth joins
the Squadron from 30 Signal Regiment and has been thrown
in at the deep end and is currently teaching Mathematics to
the Engineer Class 3’s in support of 3 Sqn. We also welcome
Cpl Swann who hasn’t had to travel far from DST to the Duty
of Care team in Beaufighter Troop. Finally we welcome Cpl
Day (Beaufighter Tp) who joins us from 1 Div and Cpl Bryce
(Iron Troop) who joins us from 4 Sqn and the Gym team. Both
are fully trained PTI’s and I think Squadron PT is about to get
that much harder following their arrival!!
The Phase 2’s continue to impress with their high levels of
energy and their determination to give anything and
everything a go. Here are a couple of articles from our most
recent of challenges:
TRILATERAL GAMES 2012 (FEMALE SECTION) - by Sig Willis
As I have never participated in the Trilateral Games before so
it was a mystery as to what to expect. The Royal Signals
Female Team I was part off only had 9 participating girls
rather than the full team of 12. Despite the odds, we pushed
hard and worked together flawlessly under strong command
which supported us throughout. The entire experience was a
great example of how to work as a team under pressure. It
also helped me gauge my fitness level and where I could
improve and where I have improved. After an exhausting but
exhilarating event we crossed the finish line in what we
discovered was 1st place in the female category, a full 7
minutes before the runners up. To top off the whole day we
were later told that we were only 3 minutes behind the
fastest Royal Signals Male Team. This was in my eyes a
fantastic representation of female fitness which thrived on
great team work. I enjoyed the event thoroughly and, given
the opportunity, I would definitely do it again.
TRILATERAL GAMES 2012 (MALE SECTION) - by Sig Taylor
On 10 Nov 12 the Trilateral Games Event came to Blandford. A
team of 10 CS Ops were ready and waiting to start. Weighed
down with a combined weight of 240 Kg (150 Kg of webbing
and a 90 Kg log) and flanked by the teams from the Artillery
and Cavalry we started neck and neck with the roar of staff
and other competitors around us. For a while we were in 2nd
place jostling for position with the RA. After a mile our team
was exhausted but determined to finish as nobody wanted to
let the Regt, our CO (who was always beside us spurring us on
past the pain) but most importantly the man beside you on
the log run. At the 1.5 mile point we reached the Gun Run
which we had to dismantle a piece at a time and move it
100m. We couldn’t move the next piece until we had returned
the 100m back to the gun. This had to be repeated until the
gun had been re-assembled in its’ new location. This stand
took its’ toll on the team but more so for one member who
struck his knee on the gun and went “Man Down”. It was
time to pick the now even heavier feeling log and throw
ourselves forward to try our utmost to keep a smooth rhythm
along with a constant driven attitude and strong arms.
Eventually the finish line loomed and we dragged ourselves
over it finishing third. It was a soul searching event but we
knew that being “Swift and Sure” would aid us in competing
against some very determined opponents.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY PARADE 11 NOV 12
- by Cpl David Swan
Sunday 11 November 2012 witnessed 11 (RSS) Signal Regiment
parade through the streets of Blandford Forum in front of
spectators both young and old. 1 and 2 Squadron provided
ten volunteers from each Troop to participate in the parade.
Rehearsals for the parade began a week prior under the
instruction and keen eye of SSM WO2 Randerson. This
ensured cohesion between the trainees; that they were all
sized off correctly and marched as one uniformed body, led
by the Troop Corporals who were present as column markers.
Sunday 11 November was soon upon us and after everyone’s
parade dress was checked over, we all boarded the transport
and departed for the Royal British Legion (RBL), Blandford
Forum. Volunteers and column markers from our Regiment
formed up outside the RBL with various other organisations
including the Army Cadets, Police, Fire Brigade, Veterans, and
St. Johns Ambulance to mention but a few.
Once the band began, WO1 (GSM) Oliver Kent gave the words
of command to set the whole parade in motion. The parade
moved uniformly towards the old Corn Exchange and the
previously quiet streets of Blandford Forum were now littered
with hundreds of eager spectators. When the parade was all
stood to attention and various individuals from each
organisation proceeded to lay wreaths, I noticed all age
groups within the crowd. A tearful veteran on a scooter,
teenagers staring and commenting on the shine of peoples
shoes and toddlers learning about remembrance for perhaps
the first time. This all added to the sense of pride in being
able to be involved in something so traditional yet relevant.
The parade then proceeded to march around Blandford
Forum to the sound of the band and claps from the crowd.
The parade marched past the cenotaph and gave the
appropriate compliments and finally ended outside the
Church where a service of remembrance took place. After the
parade and ceremony was complete, everybody was invited
to the Royal British Legion for refreshments and to take
advantage of the opportunity to talk to people such as
personnel from The United States Military and veterans from
the British Military. By 1700hrs it was time for the transport
to depart back to camp. All together I feel it was a very
successful and important day and I am looking forward to
next year’s Remembrance Day.
3 (HARROGATE) SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj J C Wilson
WO2 (SSM) I WELLS
PARAS’10 2012 - by LCpl Naresh Khapung
It was September 2009 and I had just arrived back from a 6
week holiday to Nepal. I had enjoyed myself and gained a few
extra pounds, I had almost erased the running routes around
2 Signal Regiment in York from my memory. Just then, I
received the race numbers for Paras’10 2009 event, which I
had entered a month before I went on holiday and had
completely forgotten about. I could see problems
immediately, less than a week to prepare and train for the 10
mile P Company route up and down the hills of Catterick
training area wasn’t the best I had wished for. Yet, for the
benefit of the good causes (Help for Heroes), the experience
itself was foremost a fantastic achievement.
Despite my best intentions I was unable to take part due to
operations, however, my posting to Blandford has given me
another opportunity that I could not miss. Conveniently
Paras’10 also introduced a new route in Colchester this year
bringing the event to the south of England.
The Paras’10 is a 10 mile tab carrying 35lbs weight or a 10 mile
run based on P Company conditions raising money for Para
Charity and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. It couldn’t have been
more ideal to introduce it to the trainees here in Blandford
who wanted to complete P Company. So I gathered a team
of eleven Phase 2 and 3 soldiers including myself from 3
(Harrogate) Squadron, 11 (RSS) Signal Regiment.
13
Sunday 21 October 2012 and the wait was over. east from
Blandford in the early hours it was merely dawn when we
crossed the M25. All those cramped at the back of the
minibus were catching up with their sleep while I was trying
my best as a co-driver to keep Cpl Rudra awake and, of
course, myself. The weather was not exactly what we had
hoped for, but I guess no one else would have hoped for it
either. It was soggy, gloomy, cold and drizzling when we
debussed in Colchester. Ironically we didn’t go there for a
picnic either so what was there to complain about.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY IN SWANAGE - by SSgt Barn
Reluctantly the race started at 1100. Now the only option was
to get around the course and back to the finish. The first 2
miles were emotional as it was all but tarmac road. How I
wished I didn’t have to come back the same route. Oh yes, I
was wrong, the last two miles were even worse. I was
exhausted, had gone through all sorts of terrains, soaked in
mud and rain and I was doing the same 2 miles that I hated in
the opposite direction. But the remaining 6 miles were not
any good either. It was a mixture of obstacles along the
route, which at the time made me question my instinct ‘What
am I doing here?’. Puddles, fences, hills, mud, water, river,
you name it and it was there.
So it was that on Sunday 11 November members of 3
(Harrogate) Sqn permanent staff, along with Phase 2 and 3
soldiers from Ulster Tp and Lightning Tp, departed once more
to Swanage. We arrived to a beautiful sunny November day
and shook ourselves out into our three ranks. The parade
started with a reading by Mr Frank Roberts, an ex member of
the Corps, who read the story behind the Unknown Warrior.
To some it was the first time they had heard the story and it
served as a great reminder of the tragedies that we were
remembering on this day.
At around the half way point there was a river to cross. A
rope was set up across the river for support. An event
photographer was kneeling down ready on the other side and
I clearly remember the organisers stressing the use of the
rope for the river crossing during the pre-race brief. The guy
who briefed us was about 7 ft tall and he told us that the river
was chest level deep. Myself, being one of those on the far
left while dressing for drill on the square, this certainly wasn’t
an option, so I made a wise decision to use the wooden
bridge by the side instead. Maybe that’s why I haven’t got a
dramatic portrait from the river crossing. Thanks to the
courtesy of our own photographer, LCpl Laxman, we are able
to share some of the precious captured moments.
Finally, making it back to the finish line was definitely more
than just a relief. It was a pure moment of pride and
achievement, and to find out the positions the rest of the
boys had acclaimed by the time I made it back was absolutely
phenomenal. The overall positions among hundreds of
runners stood as such,
1
2
3
4
5
9
11
13 16
22
29
Sig Reuben Limbu
Cpl Pramesh Shrestha
Sig Deviram Ghale
Sig Utshab Sigh Rana
Sig Giri Gurung
Sig Sujan Thapa Magar
Sig Nayan Waiba
Sig Milan Chemjong
LCpl Naresh Khapung
Sig Sandeep Gurung
Sig Sunil Subba
What an achievement! BRAVO!!
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Each year serving members of the armed forces and people
all over the UK attend Remembrance parades to pay our
respects and to remember the fallen from all conflicts in
which the British Army has been involved. 3 (Harrogate) Sqn
has a strong bond with the local town of Swanage in Dorset
and each year the Sqn departs sunny Blandford to pay its
respects to all who have gone before us, a tradition which has
stood for 28 years.
We marched off from our starting point to join with the rest
of the parade, which included members of the Air Training
Corps, the Police force, the Fire Brigade and ex serving
members of all three services. 3 (Harrogate) Sqn were led by
the Sqn Commander, Maj Wilson, and kept in step by WO2
(SSM) Wells. The parade marched smartly through the
streets of Swanage with the members of the public showing
their appreciation at the skill and exemplary drill moves being
conducted by all members. We arrived at our first stop of the
day, which was St Mary’s church for a service of
remembrance. All members of the Sqn sang their hearts out
to the hymns and raised the roof of the church in pride at
being part of such an auspicious occasion.
It was then back to the drill where the parade marched again
through the streets of Swanage, watched over by clapping
crowds to the Swanage War Memorial. It was here that the
parade stood in quiet reflection as members from all walks of
life from Swanage and surrounding areas laid wreaths in
remembrance. 3 (Harrogate) Sqn’s wreath was laid by our
youngest soldier on parade, Sig Gale from Ulster Tp, a very
moving moment for such a young soldier at only 17 years old.
With the parade complete it was 3 (Harrogate) Sqn’s time to
shine as it left the remainder of the participants and marched
again through the streets of Swanage at a brisk marching
pace, led by the SSM, to the Swanage British Legion where
they had kindly laid on the finest Lincolnshire sausages and
chips for the hungry troops to devour. It was then a chance
to unwind with a small beverage and have a chat with some
of the members of the local community as they thanked us
for once again attending their remembrance parade and
keeping up the wonderful connection that 3 (Harrogate) Sqn
has with the seaside town of Swanage.
RACE TO RUDESHEIM 2012 - by Sig Guest, Ulster Tp
On 10 November 2012, 30 members of 3 (Harrogate) Squadron
took part in Ex RACE TO RUDESHEIM, an annual event held
on the platform of Swanage steam railway the day before
Remembrance Sunday. It was an early start on a cold
November morning where we were given a brief about the
“fun task ahead of us”. Pain was not mentioned and neither
was the distance to be covered by each individual. The
objective of the day was to cover 860km between 30 people,
this is the distance between Swanage and its twin town of
Rudesheim in Germany. 3 (Harrogate) Sqn again affirming
their strong bond with the seaside town of Swanage.
So it began and we were split down into 3 teams of 10 to each
partake in one of the 3 different stands, running, cycling and
rowing. When the runners set off, the other teams would
start on their stand, the runners had 30 minutes to run 5 km
over various types of terrain around the picturesque town
of Swanage. For those of you reading who have visited
Swanage, you will be aware that the town is anything but flat!.
When the runners returned, a quick change would ensue and
the next set of runners would set off. This would carry on until
each team had reached the specified distance which equalled
around 28km per person.
The event ran its course and to everybody’s amazement we
finished a lot quicker than the estimated time. Everyone was
pretty worn out after doing each stand 3 times. After short
congratulations from the OC Maj Wilson and WO2 (SSM)
Wells we made our way to the British Legion collecting a
bit more money on the way. On arrival and after a warm
welcome from the British Legion patrons a nice cold pint was
what everybody craved, at least for those that were over 18.
During our time in Swanage the town gave 100% support and
showed how welcome 3 (Harrogate) Sqn are within their
community, thus further cementing the bond between the
two. It is strong now and will remain so for years to come.
Although squaddies will always complain and moan about
getting up early on a Saturday, it felt good to have assisted
in raising money which went to a good cause. I am sure all
involved had a good day and felt pride in being part of the
history of the Sqn, the regiment and the town of Swanage.
4 (MILITARY TRAINING) SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj E A Mortimore
WO2(SSM) N Butler
R SIGNALS JUNIOR AND SENIOR CLM (V) COURSE 13 – 26 Oct
12 – by Cpl J Jones
On 13 Oct 12, members of 32 Signal Regiment (V), 71 Signal
Regiment (V), 43 (Wx) Bde RTC and 63 (SAS) Signal Squadron
(R) all convened at 4 (Mil Trg) Squadron in Blandford for the
start of a joint Junior and Senior CLM course. As always
festivities kicked off with the AFT. Not wanting to go home
too early all the students put as much effort as physically
possible into passing, this said, there were a few sore backs
and feet the following day.
The main body of the training was carried out by a joint team
from the Senior and Junior Command Training teams and also
the BCCS and CMSR teams. The training package wasn’t that
different from a standard Junior or Senior course, albeit
slightly condensed. And yes, as expected there was a PLD
(now to be known as Battle PT) thrown in for good measure.
clear direction from the section DS, Sgt John Gallon, Sgt Brad
Mccallum and Cpl Jay Jones, with the Tp Comd Sgt Loz Clegg
keeping his sleeping bag warm for the majority of the time.
As the exercise progressed it was clear that some students
knew more than they first let on and that there was a level of
enthusiasm sometimes not even seen in regular soldiers. The
final day of the exercise saw the course carryout six section
attacks one after the other. This was preceded by three days
of tabbing, night navigation, casualty extraction, key leader
engagements, section attacks – uphill and down and
ambushes with SATTs opening up either too early or too late.
Some, not all, students were mentored and coached more
than others, but as a whole there was a level set by this
course which should set the standard for future courses. Of
note were the achievements of Sgt Kane – Top Field Soldier
(Senior Course), Sgt ‘Scorch’ Scorer – Top Student (Senior
Course), Cpl Goring – Top Field Soldier (Junior Course) and
LCpl Rollings – Top Student (Junior Course). The enthusiasm,
commitment and drive these individuals displayed throughout
the whole course should be commended by their parent units.
All in all, this course was made enjoyable by efforts and hard
work of the students and our thanks at 4 Sqn go out to you.
TAB4THEFALLEN11 2012 – by Cpl Machin
The Tab4thefallen11 is an 11 mile march in the memory of all
soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. This year the
event was held on behalf of the Charity group, Talking2minds
who concentrate on dealing with PTSD. The march was
organised and led by Cpl Jimmy Machin and Miss Gemma
Thurgood on the 10 Nov 12 with the help of SSgt Stu Welton’s
PNCO team, which volunteered to represent the Corps. The
team was also comprised of other military and ex military
personnel including civilians. Through word of mouth and
advertising on Facebook this event was also being held at the
same time in Baghdad and in the Falkland Islands.
After the meet and greet at the National Memorial Arboretum
the event started at 1000hrs and moved though the country
lanes to Cotton-in-the-Elms. The team set off at a blistering
pace unaided by Sgt Craig Fitzsimmons’ shocking marker
skills. On arrival in Cotton-in-the-Elms the lads where met by
the family of the late Cpl Russ Aston RMP and the community
of Cotton-in-the-Elms with brews and cup cakes which Cpl Lee
Kent enjoyed finishing off. After a short Remembrance
parade the team set off to Burton-on-Trent and finished at the
cenotaph in the Memorial grounds.
Overall the course was headed up by SSgt (SQMS) Nate
Dorrian, who wanted training to be as progressive and as
beneficial as possible and so drafted a timetable and MEL for
the 2 week course. This was red penned a couple of times
before the final product was delivered, leaving SSgt Dorrian
with the odd patch of hair missing.
During the whole course the DS found that there were a few
individuals who may have been taking the whole thing a bit
too seriously, Cpl ‘11-arife’ Goldie, no names! Although there
were a few more individuals on the course who offered more
comedy value than the rest, Sgt ‘Hammond’ Hyde and Sgt
‘Homer Simpson’ Hanna also stood out from the crowd.
On Sun 21 Oct the whole course deployed to Salisbury Plain
for the first phase of the exercise, an insertion march to Hill
Bottom farm on area 5. On occupation of the main building
there were a few questions like: “is this Salisbury Plain?” and
“so what are we supposed to do now?” This was met with
Cpl Machin still looking good on the march
15
During the Tab the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and the Black
Pistons biker group escorted the team through the busier
parts of town controlling the traffic and bringing the march to
everyone’s attention with the roar of Harley Davidson’s.
Following another short Remembrance parade, Cpl Jimmy
Machin was presented with a £500 cheque from the President
and the Treasurer of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club (Burton on
Trent Chapter).
the race the terrain took its toll and the group started to split
up. LCpl Milady powered her way past gob smacked civvies,
whilst the rest of us made more modest progress. The race
took on a soul destroying familiar theme of steep climbs,
slippery downward slopes and deep November-cold bogs.
Cpl Aitkin looking for his hotdog
Then a welcome sight came into view, the Bog of Doom. This
meant the race was nearing an end and as each member
crossed the finish line we saw the wide grin of Sgt Thomas as
he took our pictures.
Cpl Bheshraj Chemjomg - the Outlaws newest recruit
The whole day was a total success with £2491 being raised for
the Talking2Minds charity. The team also managed to
complete the 11 mile march in 2hrs 37mins, 10 minutes faster
than last year and 3 minutes faster than the march conducted
in Baghdad. Thank you to everyone who supported the event
and we look forward to next years march.
BROOKS HELLRUNNER – by Cpl Bielby
When I entered the Brooks HellRunner trail race (Hell Down
South) I thought it was a good idea to bring some like minded
mentally unstable friends with me. The problem was once
people learnt what the run entailed, a 12 mile trail race over
Longmoor training area and wading through chest high bog
water, they were less enthusiastic to come. Thankfully there
were three fearless souls in 611 (Communications Training)
Troop who were sold when they learnt we’d be raising money
for the Army of Angels charity.
Together, Cpl Stu Jones, Cpl Jonno ‘Get me a Hotdog’ Aitkin,
LCpl Nat ‘The Machine’ Milady and myself set about fund
raising. Nowhere on Blandford Camp was safe from our
sponsorship hunting and the instructors in CST 5 Sqn took a
major hit. At a wedding one member of the team convinced
the bride to walk round with a collection tin!
At 0700 hrs on race day our ‘Team Admin Man’, Sgt Mat
Thomas drove the nervous team to the event. Not far into
16
A tired team photo with haunted souls
A great day was had by all and one I’m sure will be repeated
again at another race venue in the HellRunner Series.
5 (MARESFIELD) SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj T O Wood
WO2 (SSM) L Mason
FOFS COURSE 83
Foreman of Signals Course 83 has quickly settled into
Blandford life, and the social benefits of being on a structured
course with many of the course living in the Mess and having
regular Regimental functions and dinners to attend.
Our course has seen the transfer of 5 Queen’s Gurkha Signals
into the Royal Signals, just in time to start our CCNA module
with an instructor who, apparently, doesn’t like being rated
the ‘worst instructor ever’ (he’s not really that bad!). The
teaching aids here are like nothing any of us have ever seen.
The IT is a world away from the dreaded DII which is greatly
received, especially the unrestricted internet access and
industry standard electronic analysis packages!
Sgt Tom Wilson has been quick to engage with the civilian
Faculty staff at any opportunity, however one thing he has
learnt is it is unwise to ask a professor if we really need to
know that for an exam – it was not well received. The course
is now fully integrated with the university learning mindset,
which is quite different from the usual Army parrot fashion
style. It does however mean that we have had to be
professionally diligent and disciplined to learn and revise in
our own time, something which the Mess bar always makes
difficult!
A fierce academic prowess continues to be shown throughout
the course where every trip to the lab seems to result in
plumes of smoke - be it a large capacitor or a regulator board
- we can blow it up it seems. We are also taking great
pleasure now in inflicting our special form of military ‘chat’ on
our lecturers.
PT is something we generally have to fit into the witching
hour (our spare time) but it is always important for the
potential supervisors to set the bar on CO’s PT. Not always
easy to do when told to parade in a different grid square to
the rest of the Regiment – by our very own Duty Student who
remains nameless...
Always benevolent, large swathes of the course supported
Movember. Whilst we had a couple of 80’s RP ‘taches going
on, particular mention should go out to Sgt’s Aaron Russell
and ‘G’ Gyamfi, who proved you don’t necessarily have to
have hit puberty in order to partake.
Anyway, the best part of 4 months is now completed,
Christmas leave will soon be upon us and with it we can
forget about engineering, text books and exams for a couple
of weeks. Then it’s only another 16 months to push!
ARMY TRAINING REGIMENT
WINCHESTER
B SQUADRON
OC
Ops Officer
Maj EL Roberts
Capt BJA Naughton
The final quarter of 2012 has been a period of ‘reset’ for B
Squadron. Having delivered the last 23 week Junior Entry (JE)
Course at ATR (Winchester), there was now an opportunity to
send Permanent Staff (PS) on leave, career courses and AT, as
well as undertake new challenges in the form of delivering
training to reservists, assisting Hampshire ACF and preparing
for the form-up of a Senior Entry (SE) intake.
Whilst a number of personnel were able to complete MLT
qualifications, Maj Roberts and the Regimental QM Maj
Sumner, took eight PS to
the Joint Services
Adventure Training
Sailing Centre (JSATSC)
in Gosport, to sail
around the Solent and
Isle of Wight for four
days. Despite protests
along the lines of ‘If I’d
wanted to live on a boat
I’d have joined the Royal
Navy’ and some
predictable December
breezes, crews on the
two boats settled in to
their roles and enjoyed
the experience. All
participants are now just
awaiting confirmation of
a place on the
Regimental exped to the
Caribbean in the
summer....QM?
Following an engaging
Command Development
Week that focussed on preparing Troops for the delivery of
TSC(A) and (B) courses, as well as challenging some
preconceived notions, the first of B Squadron’s Army Reserve
recruits arrived at the end of October. We had also been
fortunate to have a number of Regular Permanent Staff
Instructor (PSI)s and a reservist CSM from the Army Training
Unit (ATU) Wales to offer their perspectives on training. This
was crucial in preparing PS on what to expect, drawing out
some interesting contrasts and experiences with JE. One
prominent frustration at all levels was the lack of subscription
to the TSC (A) Course. With a Recruit Allocation Plan of 40,
eleven were supposed to attend, with six turning up and four
actually passing. Despite the drive to attract recruits to the
Army Reserve and the passing out of 18 recruits on the TSC
(B) Course, we are yet to see the fruits of this drive
materialise in viable
numbers.
Maj Roberts and Cpl Buchanan on the Solent
Sunday 25 November saw
the form-up of 7 and 8
Troops, with 79 SE
recruits. As well as the
corps allocations from RE,
REME, Royal Signals, AGC
(SPS) and RAMC, half of
the intake is made up of
RAC recruits. Whilst very
early in the Training
Programme, the PS have
already discerned a
number of crucial
differences that come
with training individuals
that range in age, background, nationality and
experience. January 2013
sees the form-up of a
second intake with the
remaining three Troops in
the Squadron taking on
recruits.
17
NEWS FROM FORMATIONS
2 SIGNAL BRIGADE
And finally..
Brig Steve Vickery took the salute at a moving Flag Lowering ceremony prior to the last Horseshoe Dinner attended by 160 officers
past and present officers from 2 Signal Brigade. This was part of the final Horseshoe Lore Study held at Corsham on 24/25
November. The TA Signal Regiments and the remainder of the HQ staff now reassemble as 2 Signal Group, part of 11 Signal Brigade
based at Donnington.
During the weekend, the VRSM long service medal was presented to Maj Gordon Shelley, who will be retiring after 45 years
uniformed service in Royal Signals, regular and TA, and is one of the few remaining serving Falklands veterans. Lt Col Jackie Allan
received a VRSM and bar for 39 years service, and Capt Sarah Trevellion, back with the Bde HQ staff after a summer of Olympics
logistic activity, was awarded her VRSM.
11 SIGNAL BRIGADE
Comd
COS
Brig Jonathan Cole OBE
Maj Hervey Scott
It has been no secret that the closure of HQ 2 Sig Bde was gaining momentum and on 3 Dec 12 all the units were re-subordinated to
HQ 11 Sig Bde. This has brought a flurry of additional activity for the staff in the shape of meetings, VTCs and visits with more
planned for the near future. Just as important has been the transition of responsibility of the whole UK Ops piece without business
continuity being affected; more on this subject later.
The first of the Comd’s new look Comd Bd and Health Committee will be held early Jan 13, which will be exciting and interesting
having all the command groups together in one location…not a meeting for the faint-hearted!
18
Several festive activities have been held for the HQ, one in
particular worthy of note was a fantastic Christmas Mess
function organised by Capt Steve Buckley and his team. Secret
Santa’s gifts were a highlight and I know the Comd was
extremely pleased with his additional surprise of chocolate.
The HQ has had very good results from the recent promotion
board; congratulations go to Capts Jase Budding, Alex
Stanger, ‘Tomo’ Thompson and Mark Todd on their selection.
It is certainly worth mentioning that, as a recently restructured
Bde, we are very much focussed on 2013 and all the remarkable
challenges it will inevitably bring. Although it is predicted to
be a very busy first ¼ the HQ are still looking forward to
programming a spot of AT and a battle field tour…not to
worry, Blackberrys are on the essential kit list!
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE VISIT
LCpl Taylor-Rice explaining the intricacies of the Coy Ops TNG to
Mr Hammond
On Friday 2 November the Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP visited HQ 11 Sig Bde in Donnington. 14
Sig Regt (EW), 15 Sig Regt (IS), 3DSR and 37 Sig Regt (V) provided informative presentations covering a range of Brigade roles from
electronic warfare through to the employment of reservists on operations.
As focus on redeployment from Afghanistan sharpens, the Secretary discussed the use and deployment of the Management of the
Joint Deployed Inventory (MJDI) and the role the R SIGNALS will play in the recovery of assets from Theatre in good order.
Other themes of discussion were; the need to continue developing lightweight versions of CIS assets currently available and the
vast array of services available and required to conduct modern day operations. Mr Hammond was also shown around a Company
Ops Room where he was given demonstrations on the CIS backbone that runs through such an establishment and the tools that
are available to combat troops which have aided success on operations.
The visit was a good opportunity to demonstrate where the R SIGNALS is currently focused and the real time contributions it
makes to operations worldwide.
Maj Jim Barber explains his fishing exploits to Mr Hammond who seems suitably impressed about the one that got away
RE-SUBORDINATION OF 2ND SIGNAL BRIGADE UNITS, MISSION AND TASKS TO 11TH SIGNAL BRIGADE
The planned closure of HQ 2 Sig Bde in March 2013 ratified and only minor administrative responsibilities left, HQ 11 Sig Bde has
assumed responsibility for the provision of the specialist Information Communication Services (ICS) for UK Operations with effect 3
December 2012; this Headquarters has taken on its units, mission and tasks.
This includes the provision of ICS to enable the defence contribution to UK Resilience Operations. 2 Sig Bde’s units consisted of the
5 Royal Signals Territorial Army (TA) regiments, 10 Signal Regiment and the Specialist Group Royal Signals. These units have
re-subordinated to 11 Sig Bde in order to continue providing specialised ICS support to Op HERRICK, as well as enduring and UK
Operations.
19
Soldiers from the re-subordinating units are currently deployed
on Op HERRICK in specialised roles, providing communications
infrastructure and Electronic Counter-Measures support.
Reservist soldiers are also providing individual reinforcements
for the current campaign signal regiment. Prior to their
re-subordination, 2 Sig Bde units were responsible for
communications support for Op OLYMPICS. With over 150
soldiers deployed across the UK for the duration of the
Olympics and Paralympics, 2 Sig Bde soldiers successfully
enabled communications at all levels.
Comd 2 Sig Bde, Brig Steve Vickery and Corps Colonel, Col
Graham Norton said:
“This day, Monday 3rd December 2012, we mark the
closure of Headquarters 2nd Signal Brigade. The
Formation Headquarters can trace its roots back to 1968
when it was formed as a Signal Group. History has repeated; it will re-form as 2nd Signal Group within 11th Signal Brigade
sometime in the next 12-18 months.
To all those members of the Corps and civilians who have served in the Headquarters, thank you. Your loyalty, dedication and
commitment have left a notable legacy. Time to change – a job well done. Certa Cito”
As the largest formation in the Royal Corps of Signals, 11 Sig Bde will continue to force generate campaign signal regiments to
provide ICS support for Op HERRICK. The transfer of the new units to 11 Sig Bde, in addition to the Brigade’s existing focus on Op
HERRICK, presents an exciting opportunity to develop further integration between regular and TA units – one of the key tenets of
Army 2020.
Comd 11 Sig Bde, Brig Jon Cole OBE said:
“In the context of the Future Reserves Green Paper and Army
2020, this restructuring is an exciting opportunity to improve
the integration of the regular and reserve elements of the Royal
Corps of Signals. We already have a robust pairing mechanism
between TA and regular signal regiments, demonstrated by the
15 reservist soldiers from 32nd Signal Regiment (Volunteers)
currently deployed with 2nd Signal Regiment on Op HERRICK.
This change will allow us to drive forward the integration of
regular and reservist Royal Corps of Signals units as we begin to
prepare 11th Signal Brigade for the future.”
In the near term, ICS support for UK Resilience Operations will be
co-ordinated by the 11 Sig Bde UK Operations Branch, led by Maj
Charlie Miller. Looking to the future, the Army 2020 plan has
endorsed the creation of a specialist signal group within HQ 11 Sig
Bde to be known as 2nd Signal Group. Led by a Colonel this will
provide the right level of staff to force generate and operate a
Headquarters Joint Forces Communications Information Systems
in support of UK Resilience Operations.
20
NEWS FROM REGIMENTS
1st (UNITED KINGDOM) ARMOURED DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT
HERFORD
CO
RSM
Lt Col R Carter
WO1(RSM) K East
HEADQUARTER SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj Stuart Vernon
WO2(SSM) C Moore
As the Regiment returned from Op H15 and subsequently
rolled into supporting Op OLYMPICS, HQ Sqn said goodbye to
the OC Maj ‘Jimbo’ Duncan in style at the Herforder Brewery.
The Regt will miss his LE ways and elbow typing but wishes
him good luck in his next post. The Sqn however welcome
the new OC, Maj ‘Vernie’ Vernon who takes over the reins at
a busy time of change.
The Sqn has seen changes in the G4 arena testing the SQMS
SSgt Paul Munslow and his team as they implement the new
MJDI, JAMES (L) and MOSS systems. The department also
ran the Remembrance Service for 1(UK) ADSR which was a
roaring success with members of the German Armed Forces,
The Royal British Legion and the Divisional Headquarters in
attendance. A German Remembrance Service also took place
shortly afterwards, comprising of members of the Royal
British Legion, the German Guard Service and the German
Navy, Army and Air Force.
There has been a change in personalities as SSgt Munslow
moves to the Officers’ Mess in his new appointment of Mess
Manager. As everybody knows out with the old and in with
the new, we welcome SSgt Lee Jolly who joins the fast paced
SQMS department from his much slower paced job as 211 Sig
Sqn MT SSgt. Cpl Thapa moves back to RHQ on promotion to
Sgt, hugest of congratulations, whilst warmly welcoming Cpl
Burton who joins the busy Sqn in time for silly season.
they are soon to be followed by more reinforcements to fill
the gapped USA SNCO and UET SNCO posts.
The second area of churn has been in the implementation of
new IS applications, notably MJDI, JAMES Land and MOSS; all
within a month period. Not sure who thought that would be
a good idea but it has at least made the run up to Christmas
pass quickly! MJDI has caused the most turmoil for the
department, the replacement of UNICOM is a once in a
generation change and has seen the loss of years of UNICOM
experience. Our UNICOM gurus are now stumbling around on
MJDI at the same level as Sig Lake who never touched
UNICOM! After going live on MJDI it quickly became apparent
that our conversion courses had left us under prepared and
even more importantly that the application does not do what
we need it do. The outcome is daily problem solving which
generally takes hours and results in a less than perfect work
around until we find the correct solution. The only
consolation is that the DOWO’s office are equally struggling
with MJDI which should afford us some grace on the next LSI.
As this is written, the dept is reduced to minimum military
manning as the guys depart on an extended Christmas leave
period in an effort to reduce the magnitude of their leave
cards prior to beginning MST again in March 2013. The New
Year already promises to be equally busy with the collection
of Falcon, a Board of Officers and Combined Assurance Week
already penned in. Can’t wait…
MT DEPARTMENT – by Cpl Nielson
The MT has been working hard on preparing the vehicles for
Christmas stand down and keep the worst of the German
winter at bay. What with silly season in full swing the number
of driving details has also been through the roof.
December saw the arrival of a new member to the Sqn in the
form of a Reindeer! The Sqn 2IC took part in the Children’s
Christmas function which saw Capt Yaxley dress up Santa’s
Reindeer and by all accounts looked very cute with antlers.
QM DEPARTMENT – by WO2 (RQMS) ‘Baz’ Anderson
QM (A) QM (T) Maj L Crossing
Capt D Taylor
The recent period has been one of considerable churn, both in
terms of manpower and processes. Firstly manpower; the
Regt’s HFT period has seen the department re-form and then
almost as quickly dismantle again as postings, promotions and
trawls kicked in. Success on promotion boards has seen the
departure on promotion of Sigs ‘Larry’ Lamb, Sam Ritson and
‘Pagey’ Page; LCpl ‘Spud’ Boyle on promotion to Cpl; and Cpl
‘Benny’ Bentick to Sgt. Sig ‘Robbo’ Robinson also left for a
new life in civvi street. Congratulations to those promoted
and we wish them all the best for the future.
To mitigate these departures we have seen the arrivals of Maj
Leigh Crossing into the gapped QM(A) post, SSgt Dave
Lomax into the gapped Clothing Store post and Cpl Kolikata
and Sig Lake into the QM(T) Dept. Welcome to them all and
The centre piece of our drink-drive campaign
However our main task has been road safety. A British Army
soldier is four times more likely to have a road traffic incident
than a civilian. This is made worse by the winter driving
conditions of north Germany which are far more severe than
anything that one might experience in the UK. Consequently
the MT have been giving regular driver safety presentations
21
to both 1(UK)ADSR and the 1 Armd Div HQ staff. Sig Willby
and Sig Johnson also plastered the camp in posters and
flipped an old car on its side next to a tree as part of the drink
driving campaign.
We look forward to a busy New Year leading the Sqn’s main
effort of Falcon. The entire Eagle Troop assembles in January
to collect our shiny new detachments from the UK followed
by a series of familiarisation exercises with FALTAT in Elmpt.
BAG VOLLEYBALL – by Pte Thomson
HERFORD STATION BONFIRE EVENT- by Sgt Pardoe
After the successful 1ADSR inter-Sqn volleyball competition
organised by LCpl Joshi, a male team was selected to
represent the Regiment. After only a few training sessions,
coordinated by Pte Thomson, the team went to Fallingbostel
and competed in the BA (G) competition. Sgt ‘Scotty’ Pardoe
dusted off his Army Volleyball outfit and proudly took centre
spot coordinating on-court game play. LCpl Naivalu powered
the serves whilst Pte ‘Mini’ Gurung sped around the court like
Speedy Gonzales. Cfn Kyumba remained strong throughout
darting in between players and pushing the ball over the net.
LCpl Naulago and LCpl Mitchell continued to provide sturdy
support intimidating the opposition alongside Cpl Malla, LCpls
Sevutia and Qasevakatini, the power houses of the team. It
was a fantastic competition resulting in a first place win for
1(UK) ADSR volleyball crew. The team will now go back to the
UK to compete representing BA (G). Well done lads!
The Herford Station Bonfire event took place on the 5th
November 2012 on a glorious Autumnal evening upon the
Division’s Sports Pitches at Werre Strasse. The event was
held in aid of the Johannes-Falk-Haus Foundation, a local
German school for disabled children and Help for Heroes. This
was intended to reflect that the event was held for the
benefit of both the local German community and also the
British serving community.
201 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj P Brunton
WO2 (SSM) S Miners
EAGLE TROOP
Tp Comd
Tp SSgt
2Lt C Dawes
SSgt J Stevens
KESTREL TROOP
Tp Comd
Tp Sgt
Lt R Drysdale
Sgt Buckle
201 – the incredible 2 troop Sqn worked so closely with each
during the past 2 months they now give a joint contribution to
The Wire. Following a gold medal winning performance on
Op OLYMPIC, training continued in earnest in preparation for
Falcon, which arrives in January. Much of the Autumn was
spent away in the exotic climes of Blandford on operators and
management courses, or driver training at Leconfield.
In November, SSgt Dolan put 201 through their paces on Ex
RHINO CHARGE, a hugely successful comms and leadership
exercise based in camp. Rusty Bowman skills were polished in
week 1, followed in week 2 by a demanding series of physical
challenges (beastings) and command tasks, rounded off with
a day of presentations in which expertise on topics from
Boxing to Pegasus Bridge were put to the test.
Eagle Troop is undergoing quite a makeover with a flurry of
departures and arrivals. We say farewell to LCpl Madden, Sgt
Graham, Cpl Clancy and Cpl Heyworth and the best of luck in
your new postings. From Kestrel Troop a handful of transfers
to the ever expanding Eagle Troop including Sig Finan, Sig
Ruffle, Sig Bagley, LCpl Gordon and LCpl Lokson. Finally we
welcome our new troopie 2Lt Dawes, arriving blinking in the
sun from Blandford to a flurry of inspections (and snow).
Huge efforts were directed at the Station Bonfire Night, the
Sqn coordinated not only an impressive array of stalls and
fireworks, but constructed the monstrous 10m high bonfire
centrepiece. So good it has its own Wire Notes.
The festive season was kicked off in style with the brilliant
201/212 Squadron Christmas Party organised by Sig WilkinsonWelsh who threw together a quick wedding at the same time.
Congratulations on the big day!
22
The excellent weather and fine work publicising the event, by
both the Divisional Liaison Officers and Lt ‘Anchorman’
Drysdale, ensured that the event was attended by some 2,500
revellers and had a real sparkle to it. 201 Signal Squadron,
with support from nearly all Regimental departments, had
spent a week preparing the site and their efforts had certainly
paid off with what had previously been a grazing field being
transformed into a bustling market place.
Upon entering the venue guests were greeted by Guy Fawkes
created by the children of Lister School as part of the build a
guy competition organised for the event. Beyond the Guys
were a number of stalls put together by members of 201, 211
and 212 Sig Sqns. From start to finish a stream of soldiers and
locals thronged the stalls, all profits going to charity. These
ranged from Beat the Goalkeeper Guy Fawkes, Place the Tail
Dynamite on the Donkey Guy and St Stephen’s Tower Hoopla,
to the less inventive but equally popular SSAFA cake and
Glühwein area. NAAFI stalls and a tombola stand and several
local German businesses also opened stands including a
carousel and a pic and mix shop.
At 1800 the new GOC, Maj Gen J Chiswell judged the guys
before a history of Guy Fawkes and Bonfire night was read
out in both English and then German. At 1820 the Bonfire was
lit by the winning team of the Guy Competition who had the
honour of pressing the coveted detonation button. The
Bonfire burst into life and was a raging inferno within
seconds. The finale of the event was to be the fireworks
display and this certainly didn’t disappoint. At 1900hrs
iridescent jets of light shot into the air and infused the gloom
with a brightness only matched by the Bonfire itself. The loud
cracks and fizzing as the gunpowder took effect caused sharp
intakes of breath and only served to heighten the amazement
of the crowd as prismatic explosions of gunpowder showered
across the sky overhead. The grand scale of the display left
people awe-struck and when 15 minutes later it was all over
there was a tangible buzz as all and sundry flocked through
the exits back to the warmth of their own homes. The event
was an overwhelming success and in total it raised €1363.45
for the two nominated charities and €358 more besides for
SSAFA. So as well as everyone having a fantastic time a good
cause was also served in the process.
211 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj T Moran
SSM(WO2) R Savage
MAIN TROOP
Tp Comd
Tp SSgt Lt D Wallis
Sgt R Harris
Life in 211 Sig Sqn is as fast paced and fun as usual. Over the
past two months we have crammed a whole lot in. The Tp
deployed down to Sennelager training area for three weeks
on Ex RHINO CHARGE 12. This was the Sqns biggest exercise
of the year and involved over 700 people from 7 different
nations, some of whom flew over the Atlantic specially. Full
details of this can be found in a following article.
We have also got a chance to let our hair down during the
aptly named ‘silly season’. We had a fantastic Christmas social
at Elsbach restaurant and a carol service at Marienkirche
church. The signallers also got to enjoy Christmas dinner
served by the seniors. Of course with all the merriment there
were a few accidents. Sig Hudson had an incident on the
Corp ski camp involving a steep down hill, a lot of speed and a
tree. The Troop hopes she gets better soon.
2012 may be coming to and end but new life keeps appearing
in the Troop. We have welcomed Sig Houston and Sig Jones
from Blandford. We would also like to welcome the new Tp
OC 2Lt Emma Haley also straight from Blandford. This of
course means we are saying good bye to our old Tp OC Lt
David Wallis as well as Sig Bradley, the Troop wishes you the
best of luck in your next job.
TAC TROOP
Tp Comd Tp SSgt
Lt R Cooper
SSgt C Brady
Since Op OLYMPICS Tac Tp has been busy conducting training
and preparing for and delivering exercise season, culminating
in the GOC’s summative CPX, Ex RHINO CHARGE, in which 4 of
the ageing AFV 436 fleet poodled down to Sennelager from
Herford and established a Bronze HQ to give some context to
the Op HORROCKS planning for the “Red Tabs” in the 1 (UK)
Armd Div HQ.
months we have welcomed Sig Farrell, Sig Boyd, Sig
Buchanan, Sig Daly, LCpl Eaton, LCpl Townson, Sgt Riley, and
our new Troop Comd 2Lt Mason.
EXERCISE RHINO CHARGE - by Sig McCabe and Sig Hubbard
On 12 November 2012,1 (UK) ADSR deployed on Ex RHINO
CHARGE in Sennelager. The point of the exercise was to build
a HQ and then support the staff as they planned and fought a
pretend war in a made up country called Ariarna. This was to
help them practise if they had to do it for real. Lets hope they
do not know something we do not!!
The first week was the build stage where we were responsible
for setting up Silver HQ and supporting the set up of Gold HQ
in the CAST building. On the day we deployed we first built
the SWE (Staff Working Environment) which in laymen’s
terms is a series of large tents and land rovers connected
together. Inside we had to lay the flooring and set up the
tables according to the plan. Thankfully the hierarchy
brought in Pte ‘Milky Bar’ Saunders, 211’s very own Combat
Human Resources Specialist aka ‘The Clerk’, to help guide us
in the right direction and tell us how to do a signals job.
On day 2 we began to set up all the dismounts and connecting
all the terminals which was made increasingly difficult due to
the techs making a mess of all our dismount tents! We also
set up the brew area which provided the lovely officers and
ourselves with morale for the exercise. According to Lt Wallis
the Brew area was the ‘mission critical main effort’ and our
main priority, but like all officers he really likes tea.
The “crawl, walk, run” phases leading up to Ex RHINO
CHARGE were entitled Ex PREMIER BATTLEAXE 1, 2 and 3 and
allowed the Troop to combine basic infantry and signalling
skills, which were intended to tick off CT1 and CT2 objectives,
whilst moving toward the Ex RHINO CHARGE requirement.
These exercises were an excellent way to re-form and
consolidate the Troop after a period of flux through the
application of cam cream and a small amount of privation.
Tac Tp welcomes Sig Buchanan, Sig Fisher and Sig Swain from
Blandford and prepares to bid a fond farewell to LCpl
‘Penguin’ Hingley and LCpl ‘Seal-laugh’ McWhir to 14 Sig Regt
(EW) and 11 (RSS) Sig Regt respectively.
As the Christmas Season approaches the Troop are looking
forward to sharing the festive spirit over a beer or two before
bomb-bursting on to leave and taking a well-deserved break.
SPEC TASK TROOP
Tp Comd
Tp SSgt
2Lt J Mason
SSgt R Jones
Silver HQ
We spent the rest of the week ensuring all the
communications were in and working correctly and that
everything was placed where it should be. On the weekend
we all had a 24 hour rest period and a day having lessons on
all the jobs we would be carrying out over the next two
weeks. On the 2nd week we got split into two shifts, the first
shift was 6 am to 6 pm and the other was 6 pm until 6 am.
In August we deployed to London on OP OLYMPICS, which
turned out to be a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially
for those who were lucky enough to be guarding Downing
Street and the volleyball at Horse Guards Parade.
The best job throughout the exercise had to be General
Duties; there was no better feeling than sitting in the freezing
cold with a broken kero heater saying “Morning Sir” about a
thousand times a day. In fact it was so good that Sig ‘Coco’
Da’Costa decided to write a couple of stories called “50
Shades of Stag” and “Stagging on for the quest of happiness”
which led to everyone else spending their stag times writing
stories as well. The best part of it was when we were
working on the tuck-shop selling a fine range of chocolate
bars and cans of pop where Sig ‘Rambo’ Roberts decided to
start a meal deal which had people paying for free coffee, and
knowing once you had finished there you had to move on to
moral tent which was the entry to Silver HQ.
This year has seen a lot of change in manpower, and in recent
A good part about general duties was also the fact that every
This has been a busy year for Spec Task Tp, both on exercise,
operations, and in barracks. We deployed independently on
exercise in support of 7 Armd Bde HQ CAST team, and again
on Ex RHINO CHARGE for a 3 week Divisional staff CAST EX,
which saw a lot of our troops exposed to the staff working
environment for the first time. We also ran a very profitable
tuck shop over this period with Sig Farrell providing some
well earned revenue with her hard sell techniques.
23
time we had to restock the brew tent the chefs would cry
about how much milk and coffee was being used. Apparently
we used so much that we ran out of milk and coffee, so LCpl
‘Rats’ Rattray had to start a charity to get funds for more
from the local NAAFI.
Those who were operators on the Helpdesks spent a lot of
the time completing dingbat quizzes provided by the chain of
command and helping officers out with faults (such as how to
turn on the computers or turning the brightness up on the
UCD). But our work was not unnoticed as the GOC 1 Armd
Div, Maj Gen J Chiswell, came to thank us all personally and
hand out a few awards to those who had done particularly
well. That was YofS McDuff, Cpl Baker and Sig Duckron.
Overall the exercise was a success and everyone is looking
forward to next year .…
as Sqn OC Maj Moran’s wife won the prize, rumour has it he
put all his pocket money into those raffle tickets which YofS
McDuff’ was truly gutted about), ‘Dinner for two’ and some
free ferry tickets. The drinks were flowing well, with some
free wine and beer starting the night off, although we are not
sure Lt Cooper enjoyed the ‘Jack Daniels’ which turned out to
be balsamic vinegar courtesy of Sig ‘Ducky’ Lloyd, and Sig
‘Chain Smoker’ Hubbard (Mmm Tasty!).
So the night was going well, with around 120 in the venue. At
around 2030 food was served, (although some peoples
perception was ‘eating is cheating’) and the bar was still
swarming with people. A hot and cold selection of food was
available and a top class chef serving some delicious slow
roasted meat with all the trimmings which definitely tickled
everyone’s fancy.
BA(G) CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE – RACE 5 – by 2Lt Haley
On 5 December the 1 (UK) ADSR cross country team set out
for Münster for the 5th round of the BA(G) Cross Country
League, hosted by 1 YORKS, with high hopes of maintaining
this season’s strong record. The cold weather led to frenzied
debate over layering options, with Pte Stevens opting for the
tactical hi-vis approach. After a minor delay due to being held
up in the icy road conditions, the race got underway.
The 9km course (5.5km for females), though flat, was very
slippery and several members of the team struggled to hit
their stride over the difficult terrain – trail shoes will now be
on several people’s Christmas lists! Nevertheless, this did not
prevent an admirable performance from both teams, led by
LCpl Maosa’s excellent 2nd place in the men’s race. He had
strong support from Cpl Udall in 5th, Sig Blythe in 15th and
WO1 Bareham in 20th. Also placing highly were Sig McGill
(22nd), Sig Sym (25th) and Sig Graham (26th), with Sgt
Walshaw (39th), Sig Crooke (42nd) and LCpl White (53rd)
completing the line-up.
The female team again showed the strength in depth which
led them to the BA(G) team title in Gütersloh the previous
week, 2Lt Haley, Capt Yaxley and Capt Sutton coming in 4th,
5th and 6th respectively. Their performance was bolstered by
Pte Stevens (10th), Sig Smith (15th) and LCpl Willacy (17th).
All finishers were greeted with a free Brooks buff on crossing
the line and the race winners won a free pair of trainers.
However, Glühwein and mince pies laid on back in the gym
were a more than ample consolation prize for the rest of us.
The teams now look forward to Round 6, to be held in the
much more undulating Hameln on 16 January, and will be
attempting to avoid the siren call of too much turkey and
Christmas pudding over leave.
THE SQN XMAS DO – by Sig Hudson
So after a hectic year of exercises, Op OLYMPICS and hard
work from 211 Sqn (nothing changes there!), it was time for
our Christmas bash! The function was held on 6 December at
the Elsbach bar, Herford. This was an excellent choice of
venue and was presented really well for all of us to see.
The theme was collar and tie for males, and dresses for
females, though Sig ‘Lincoln’ Abraham, clearly didn’t grasp
the dress code, turning up in a jumper and chinos (cutting his
own detail). Oh and the CO, Lt Col Carter, making his
appearance in uniform. Despite this there were some dapper
looking soldiers in suits and some expensive dresses modelled
by the females. Sgt Mettam and Sgt Riley did an excellent job
in organising the event and made sure everyone had an
enjoyable (and messy) night, with some awesome raffle
prizes such as, the new ‘Kindle Fire’ (which was clearly fixed
24
Everyone looking happy with their free drinks
After the evening meal, the dance floor rapidly filled up, with
the DJ playing out good tunes to set the night off, clearly
encouraging some wild dance moves such as free styling head
spins and break dancing from LCpl ‘Stu’ Hingley’ and Sig
‘Willy’ Wilson. The photographer was busy at work most of
the night with a
queue of people
lining up for
some
professional
photos (both
fun and
serious). The
CO's
appearance
seemed to
attract a few
soldiers and
soon gathered a
crowd (clearly
of males as the
conversation
involved beer
and football).
As time passed
the bar never
seemed to calm
Sigs Rusling and Entwhistle looking dapper at down and the
the 211 Xmas bash
night came to
an end when the lights were turned of and the cleaners swept
us out. Luckily we were given a late start the next day.
211 Sig Sqn would like to thank Sgt Mettam and Sgt Riley for
their hard work in organising the event. The Christmas
function was a great success, definitely one to remember and
a hard one to beat next year!
212 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj A Hutton
WO2 (SSM) D Cattle
MONTE CASSINO TROOP
Tp Comd
Tp SSgt Lt J French
SSgt J Bean
Upon its return from POTL, Monte Cassino Tp found itself in a
hectic period supporting Op OLYMPICS, various trawls, as well
as losing many of the well-known Troop members due to
postings and courses. It was only recently therefore that the
Troop had really begun to settle back into barrack life again.
Fortunately much of the Troop were able to take advantage
of the quieter phase of the FORM cycle, with many taking
part in the various AT expeditions being run in the Regiment.
Thanks to the organisational skills of SSgt Laughton, a
paragliding trip was a real hit amongst the Troop. SSM
Cattle’s passion for sailing had evidently rubbed off as well,
with several people testing their sea legs in the Bay of Biscay.
AT continues to provide an excellent opportunity to test
soldiers in a challenging environment, outside of the normal
military sphere. It teaches them to work as a team, gives
them new experiences and allows them to participate in
events they never thought possible, it therefore very much
still has an important part to play in today’s Army.
The Troop had a significant commitment to supporting Ex
PRAIRIE THUNDER 3 and 4, with LCpl’s Stratton, Cash, Willard
and Sig Brown all spending 3 months in BATUS working in the
range Control Ops Room. They all learnt a great deal from the
Exercise and were also fortunate enough to complete a 5 day
horse riding package in the Rocky Mountains, so it wasn’t all
hard work, despite what they might say!
For those who have started their CS Eng Class One course, we
wish Cpl Rai, LCpl Hooper, LCpl Reid and LCpl Menyangbo all
the best. They have all proved to be a real asset to the Troop,
especially with the dedication they all showed on Op HERRICK
15 and will be sorely missed.
RIMINI TROOP
Tp Comd
Tp SSgt Lt B Edworthy
SSgt C Wood
Life in 1(UK)ADSR has been as busy and rewarding as usual.
Since coming home from tour the Troop have been getting on
with career courses adjusting back into German life. With a
new Troop SSgt and Troop OC the Rimini Troop massive was
lacking in identity. To resolve this the LCpls were tasked to
arrange Troop days out.
The Troop decided to go for a day go carting, organised by
LCpl Piears. After getting navigationally embarrassed the
massive assembled at Indoor KartBahn. Tensions were high
and the stakes were raised after Sgt Budd walked in wearing
full STIG attire. LCpl Piears organised a championships style
competition,. After some ferocious heats the quarter and
semi finals were drawn. After plenty of crashes and risky
overtakes the final race was upon us. The race began and
LCpl Calderbank stormed to the front closely followed by Sgt
Budd, closely followed by the rest of the pack. Unfortunately
this was how it stayed until the chequered flag. The race was
followed by drinks in Herford until late.
A date was set for the Squadron exercise, the first chance for
the newly formed Troop to prove themselves as dominant in
the Squadron. To fully prepare ourselves for this feat we
started completing training in the afternoons on green skills,
including model making, map reading, orders and estimates
process, basic tactics and many more. The exercise began
with LCpl Pun in charge of the section deployed and LCpl
Turner as the 2IC. The challenges on the exercise included
night navigation, medical skills, basic fire and manoeuvre.
Due to the superior quality of a Rimini Troop LCpls and Sigs
and the preparation and mental agility Rimini Troop smashed
all challenges posed to it, and finished far above the other
Troops. The exercise has defiantly put Rimini Troop on the
Regimental map as a fierce force not to be reckoned with.
As the Troops wind down for Christmas we look forward to
the Squadron Christmas function. We also look forward for
time to reflect on leave about the past year of returning home
from tour and normalisation, but also look forward to a busy
year starting the build up to MST and the subsequent tour.
AREZZO TROOP
Tp Comd
Tp SSgt 2Lt C M Miller
SSgt M Laughton
It has been all change in Arezzo Tp seeing the arrival of a new
Troop Commander and a shake up of the SNCOs within the
Troop. As we look forward to the hectic schedule that awaits
us in January, it is important to remember the
accomplishments of recent months.
Career courses have been top of the agenda with the Troop
spread across the UK and Germany developing and shaping
their military CV. Cpl Southwood, LCpl Allonby and LCpl
Attwood were heavily involved in HCDR trails at Blandford
while LCpl Mitchell has continued to enjoy his BATUS
experience. As always it is important to get the work/play
balance correct. The Troop has represented the Regiment in
cross country through LCpl Price and Sig Crooke and the
Corps football team, via new arrival Sig Elliot whose skills
have proved to be formidable. Finally the Women’s Combined
Service Rugby team, with 2Lt Miller winning her first cap.
Ex PREMIER SHIELD provided us a chance to dust off the
cobwebs and refresh our green and mean soldiering skills in
our first HFT exercise, a shock to the system for some. Luckily
silly season is almost upon us with the Sqn Function set to be
a momentous event given the time and effort LCpl Andrews
has invested. The numerous Christmas functions give us a
chance to welcome the new additions to the Troop; Sigs
Dover, Elliot, Hinton, and Williams from Blandford. Also Sig
Green, LCpl Hinchely and Cpl Birket who have all been
posted, the Tp wishes you the best of luck in your next job.
A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from all in
Arezzo Tp.
ANZIO TROOP
Tp OC Tp SSgt 2Lt C Buescher
Sgt T Durbridge
Having narrowly avoided being named after a popular ice
cream, the newly formed Anzio Troop have thrown
themselves into their post-tour roles. A well deserved leave
period was followed by plenty of opportunity to get involved
in some AT, with paragliding, sailing and Regtl activities all up
for grabs. The Bismark Challenge stood to be conquered for
25
those not testing themselves out of unit, with LCpl Si Mitchell
leading by example and joining the gym staff.
Ex PREMIER SHIELD ensured the Tp were up to speed on their
skills in the field; everything featured, from navigation to
sleeping under the stars. The last day saw the new Tp,
complemented with a new intake of young soldiers fresh
from Blandford, take on their established, rival Tps in a test of
their freshly honed skills. Anzio Tp beat the competition,
earning the nickname ‘Green Ninjas’ with their proficiency in
the stalking stand. Sig Dom Elmieh showed the Tp how to
celebrate a job well done, and soon enough we were back in
unit assisting with Unit Inspections and jumping on courses.
HMS Adventure is one of three 67 ft yachts owned by JSASTC.
Built to survive sailing around the world the wrong way, this
helped ease some obvious worried faces. That day was spent
accustoming ourselves to the vessel, IA drills for man
overboard, as well as settling into our new home and
collecting the few remaining pieces of kit.
And so, with the Squadron Christmas function done and the
hangovers slowly fading, Anzio Tp looks forward to another
well deserved rest period before attacking 2013 with the same
‘work hard, play hard’ attitude that has seen it coalesce from
forming to storming in record time.
EXERCISE CARIBBEAN WINGS
Ex CARIBBEAN WINGS is a Joint Services sailing expedition
run every year by JSASTC. It is a 13 leg expedition, sailing
from Gosport to Lanzarote, before crossing the Atlantic and
sailing around the Caribbean and East Coast of the United
States. It then makes the return journey and returns to the
UK 8 months later. This seemed like an ideal event to look
forward to after a hectic deployment on Op HERRICK 15 and
with a few handy tips from avid sailor, SSM ‘Daz’ Cattle, Lt Jo
French decided to block book the first leg of the expedition.
Interest in the expedition soon spread and despite a few last
minute name changes, the 11 personnel from 1 (UK) ADSR
were signed up and deposits paid. Lt French’s motley crew
consisted of SSM ‘Daz’ Cattle, who as a Yachtmaster Ocean,
would be the Mate during the expedition, SSgt Rob Green,
with his Dayskipper qualification, would be one of the Watch
Leaders. The rest of the crew were either novice sailors or
had recently completed their Competent Crew qualification
and were LCpl Lewis Waryck, LCpl Hayes, LCpl Forshaw, Sig
‘HaSMS’ Caldebank, Sig ‘J-T’ John-Teye, Sig ‘Smudge’ Smith,
Sig ‘Motormouth’ Kernohan and Sig ‘Ev’ Evans.
The team in Gosport
After some basic sailing lessons from SSM Cattle, the crew
were ready to go and on the morning of 6 Oct 12, they
boarded the trooper flight back to the UK. Arriving in
Gosport that afternoon, everyone soon settled into the
accommodation at Fort Blockhouse, where they would stay
until their departure on Monday morning. This gave everyone
the chance to do a few last minute bits of panic shopping, and
sales in anti-sea sickness tablets rocketed in Boots as
everyone anticipated what lay ahead in the Bay of Biscay.
On Monday morning we met our skipper Bob, who took us
around what would be our home for the next three weeks.
26
On the high seas!
As we set sail on a cold, wet October Tuesday morning, the
reality of what we were about to face began to dawn. The
crew was split into 3 watches. One watch carried out the
mother shift for 24 hours, preparing meals, cleaning the boat
and ensuring general admin was carried out. The other two
watches alternated in four hour watches. Crossing the Solent
lulled many into a false sense of security, however by the time
we reached the Bay of Biscay that evening, it soon changed.
Lt French was the first to see her dinner again, despite her
best efforts, although Sig Calderbank wasn’t far behind. For
most of the crew that night was spent in a haze of vomiting
and attempting to sleep. This continued for the next couple
of days as we made our way across the Bay of Biscay and
down the Spanish coast, despite constantly being told that
the Bay of Biscay was actually being very kind to us! After day
two most people had found their sea legs, Sig Calderbank
however wasn’t so lucky. It was only as we approached our
first port of Baiona, Spain, that he ventured on deck and into
the sunlight, thus earning him the nickname, HaSMS – Half A
Shift and Motion sickness.
After four days at sea, as we approached the port, the sun
came out and all our previous woes seemed to be forgotten.
Once docked, we put the boat to bed, which involved folding
up the sails, getting rid of the rubbish and making sure
everything was ship shape. Once this was completed, we
were able to explore the small town of Baiona, topped off
with a crew meal in a local restaurant.
The following day we set sail again, this time headed for
Cascais, Portugal, which would take us 3 days. Another 3 day
stint at sea was not a welcome prospect for some and before
you knew it, lots of the crew were feeding the fishes again!
This soon passed and as the sun came out, spirits were raised
significantly. Arriving in Cascais, we were pleased to see dry
land again and due to an incoming weather front, were able
to spend a couple of days exploring this pretty seaside town.
Our delay meant we missed the high winds and seas the
weather front would have brought with it, however it also
meant we were unable to follow our original route and visit
Porto Santo. Instead we set sail for Puerto Calero, Lanzarote,
another 4 days sail away. This time however we had the sun
on our backs, which made for a much more pleasant
experience. A particular highlight was, after much persuasion,
dropping anchor in the middle of the ocean and going for a
swim to cool off.
We only had a short time in Puerto Calero to tend to the boat
before we set sail again to Rubicon, our final destination and
where we would hand over the boat to the next crew. This
was only a mornings sail away and once we arrived it was all
hands on deck to make sure it met Bob’s high standards and
we could relax. By Saturday morning Bob was happy and we
were free to enjoy our last day before returning to the UK.
There was lots of last minute panic tanning, as we all knew we
wouldn’t be seeing the sun again for a while!
After a crew breakfast to celebrate our successful journey, we
began our long journey home, heading back to Germany via
an overnight stop in Gatwick airport.
Everyone seemed to gain something from the exped, whether
an experienced sailor or complete novice. The skills everyone
learnt from how to tie knots, to working as a team and how
to cook for 14 other people are all great examples of why AT
is so important. With the forthcoming Arctic Express
expedition sailing from the UK and around the Arctic, I hope
others will be keen to sign up for what proves to be a
rewarding, if not slightly chilly, experience.
BOXING, THE JOURNEY BEGINS – by Sig John-Teye
1(UK) ADSR annual Inter-Squadron boxing competition fast
approaches and as such a crazy few have nominated
themselves for three gruelling months of blood, sweat and
tears for the honour of stepping into the ring on fight night.
This first month has seen the alarm set for 0630 each morning
ready for rigorous training consisting of seemingly endless
steady state runs, hill reps and punishing circuits, with the
goal of enhancing cardio vascular endurance; for the
seemingly easy task of spending three minutes in the ring.
After establishing the vast majority's inability to skip and
general lack of co-ordination when it came to footwork; we
finally put the gloves on. Three minutes of trying to avoid
your opponent’s punches seemed like forever and we began
to understand the rationale behind the intensive training.
Capt Tudhope and the PT staff have been instrumental in the
development of the team, from medicals, to dental
appointments and one to one coaching. They have provided
the framework for those who have volunteered to stand up
and be counted to develop. The intensity of the training will
step up after Christmas with training 3 times a day. Fight
night is in February and I’m sure the boxers will remain
dedicated over the Christmas period and they will ponder
their all important entrance music selection.
3rd (UNITED KINGDOM) DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT
BULFORD
CO
RSM
Lt Col P R Griffiths
WO1 (RSM) R J B Luke
NEW RHQ TACKLES THE KIWI - by Capt S A F Greenwood
For some reason, many years ago 3DSR decided that a CFT
was not quite long enough to test individuals’ fitness, stamina
and sheer determination. So we get to do The Kiwi – a 14 mile
march and shoot across the Salisbury Plain Training Area, not
known for its flatness. Each year we vow never to do it again
and praise should go to those who manage to find the vital
career course they simply have to attend during the dreaded
week (or, in the case of the Adjutant, Capt Si Gray, the vitally
important holiday in Barbados). However, those posted in to
the Regiment in the last 12 months do not know the full
“joys” of The Kiwi and are unaware quite how steep Sidbury
Hill is, how boring miles 8 to 12 are or how cold the thigh-high
water in the ford just before mile 13 is!
This year, two of those who got to experience with fresh eyes
(and fresh feet) were the new CO, Lt Col P R Griffiths, and
RSM, WO1 (RSM) R J B Luke. Whilst they seemed happy
enough at the start (“Movember” is responsible for the
QMSI’s moustache by the way) the miles and weight, not to
mention the near gale force winds that buffeted everyone for
a desolate 5 miles, started to take their toll. The only
advantage that the ford offers is that all those hot spots on
your feet suddenly become cold spots. Unfortunately, all
your dry spots also become wet spots!
RSM ‘It’s cold, it’s wet, I love it!’
27
Just as you think you are almost home, and you can see
everyone who has already finished enjoying hot pasta
lunches, you realise that you still have to take on the ranges
and, of course, the competition’s namesake. The Kiwi Hill is
not long, but it is steep, and with legs weighed down by
exhaustion (and water) it seems never ending. There are the
few who try to sprint up with their last bit of energy, only to
realise that the finish line is further away than thought, there
are those who think that the lower the centre of mass is the
easier it will be (that’s why they were crawling) and there are
those who can think of nothing else than it just being over
soon, when lifting each foot again is a challenge greater than
any of Hercules’. Eventually it does end, there is the check
that no-one has been left out on SPTA, tea and medals and a
much deserved two days off (commonly called a weekend).
of the FOBs had acquired their own ICS Det TV, so it couldn’t
have been all that bad spending the majority of their days
watching Jeremy Kyle. The last location was West Toffs which
fortunately didn’t need to be manned.
Corporal Gardner’s kingdom in FOB Smokers Hole
It’s all smiles at the start, they just don’t know what’s coming
next!
Whilst during a painful days recovery some may have wished
the competition hadn’t of happened, there is no question that
this year’s would not have had it not been for the very hard
work of SSgt Christopher French and WO2 (QMSI) ‘Gaz’
Halliwell. They put together an excellent event (apart from
arranging the weather a little better) and set a high standard
for next year, when I think you’ll find I’ll be busy!
202 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj C Dixon
WO2 (SSM) K Brown
EXERCISE PASHTUN PANTHER - by LCpl Hayley Latusek
202 Signal Squadron deployed to Ex PASHTUN PANTHER on
4 October 2012. FOB Troop with elements from Lashkar Gah
and Bastion Troops had two weeks for all comms to be in, this
was accomplished within a week. There were many different
links to be established all of which were centred around
Artillery Tower. The first time I personally went to the top of
Arty Tower was at night, I never thought I had a problem with
heights until I was up there. It took me twice as long to walk
back down one foot at a time. After the third or fourth time it
was like second nature unless the wind and rain took hold,
then it was a different story.
There were five different locations that needed to be manned
by the Squadron. Site 0 was at a place called Bodney Camp,
they had the luxuries of hot showers, beds and most
importantly a bar. Wretham was the second which was
relayed through an actual CBRN chamber as I found out one
day when the link went down, CS gas with no respirator
definitely made my day. Smokers Hole was the third which is
a makeshift FOB however not tactical so wasn’t too bad for
our guys. Oakwood FOB was the smallest of all locations.
Westmere was the fourth location and I realised after having
to stay for just one night, that they had it very “cushty”. All
28
After returning from my first 3 weeks with FOB Troop, I went
back to my very own Bastion Troop for the last 3 weeks of the
ex. I think I was the only fortunate person to be there for
both the build and tear down, I must have annoyed someone
up there. On the plus side I did have my own one man room
with en-suite shower and toilet. Also thanks to LCpl ‘Manc
Ben’ Dale and LCpl ‘Scouse Harriot’ Bethell-Handcock I had a
TV in my room, which was coincidently located right next to
the bar, so couldn’t complain too much really.
All in all it was your typical Royal Signals exercise, warm,
comfortable, with the added benefits of televisions and
internet access. I can’t wait for the next big one in the New
Year. Roll on FTX on SPTA!!!
EXERCISE BUFFALO VALIDATE - by Cpl Rob ‘Roberto’ Felters
On 15 October twenty personnel from the Squadron deployed
on Ex BUFFALO VALIDATE 2 to Lullworth Cove training area.
The aim of this exercise was to revise and confirm the skills
and drills required to live and operate from a FOB location.
The first day was exercise setup and getting into routine,
involving 8 hours QRF, 8 hours Sanger duties and 8 hours
patrolling. From the first day the syndicates were left to their
own devices to run the FOB which was a bonus. The exercise
was a mixture of various scenarios from prisoner handling to
dealing with suicide bombers and IEDs. The highlight of the
exercise was the riot and CIVPOP scenario in which the enemy
DS tried to attack the FOB, this was escalated by a mock
execution of a female Lt Chris ‘Mandy’ McGrath, or at least
the most female looking male on exercise!
An insurgent charges the FOB during a C-IED serial
On the last day of the exercise there was a last ditched effort
to attack the FOB by two bullet proof Taliban, either that or
they have been playing too much call of duty! With the walls
bolstered and the rounds going down we managed to
overcome the enemy but with a high casualty rate. Lucky we
had turned the Ops room into the triage and treatment room
to mitigate the number of losses. Overall it was a good and
enjoyable exercise with real training value. If only I had got
Mandy’s number it would have been perfect.
EXERCISE BUFFALO WANDERER - by LCpl Kieran Nuttall
On the last day the whole group went mountain biking which
was quite adventurous. Going up the hills was okay but going
down was the fun part. Some people kept on touching their
brakes going down, but building up the speed and not
knowing what was around the corner was a bit of an
adrenaline pump. Near the end of the route we went down a
long hill with rapidly increasing speed, this was fun until I flew
off the bike travelling about ten metres into a prickly bush.
The chain of the bike came off and I had a series of cuts all
over my body. It was not funny but at the same time it was
quite enjoyable.
After delays leaving camp and then getting stuck in traffic, we
travelled to Castlemartin Camp in West Wales on 29 October
to take part in our Troop level Adventurous Training exercise,
Ex BUFFALO WANDERER. We finally arrived at about 1600hrs
and the following morning we all got up and travelled to the
AT part of the camp and sorted out all of our equipment
issued to us for the activities for the day. The group got split
in two, the first half got their stuff issued for mountain biking
and the second for rock climbing, this was the group I was in.
We all got to the bottom then had lunch and after that some
people stayed back, including myself, to attempt a harder and
faster route, but for some reason I got told to stay behind by
the instructor. When people got back from the route we all
packed up and made our way back to sunny Bulford. We had
a great few days away and can safely say that we all can’t
wait to do more AT.
We travelled in the minibus to a climbing location just outside
of Pembroke. Whilst walking out to this big rock we all
thought that this is going to be really tough. We started to
scramble up an easy route without harnesses where it was
safe as we needed to put the safety harnesses around the top
so when we started to climb the challenging route we would
not fall off. When it was all set up we all abseiled down, and
when we got to the bottom we were split up into pairs. I was
with Sig ‘Spiderman’ Davies who had done a lot of mountain
climbing before. I have had a bit of experience but only
indoor rock climbing. I belayed first and watched his route up
so I could follow after. The first time going up was a bit
shaky, but then when I went up the second time on a
different route I found it a bit easier. After climbing we went
to another rock which was 200m away from where we were
first climbing. What we did at this rock was a bit of
weaselling. This was quite fun jumping from one boulder to
another and getting stuck was pretty hilarious too. After we
completed the day’s activities a few of us went to a pub to
see what the local village was like. We had a good time
shooting some pool, however, winner stays on proved a bit
tiresome with LCpl Kieran ‘John Higgins’ Nuttall dominating
all who stood before him and by ‘him’ I mean me!
OC
SSM
206 SIGNAL SQUADRON
Maj D Spencer
WO2(SSM) A Bedward
206 Sig Sqn, the Divisional Support Element of 3 (UK) DSR,
has undergone much change in the past few months, in both
manpower and equipment. We have welcomed two new
Troop Commanders, 2Lt’s Tom Eaton and Gemma Banting
and SSgt Chris Swan and Sgt Alicia Jarman to the Troop
hierarchies. This month we wished farewell to our Cormorant
capability and welcomed the new fleet of Falcon to the Sqn.
FALCON FINALLY ARRIVES TO 206 SQN - by Sig Cotgrave-Gray
Mons Troop have been preparing for the arrival of Falcon
since the spring of this year, making sure that every operator
and technician has the knowledge and a little bit of hands on
before the kit arrived.
To help Mons Troop fully accept Falcon they sent 9 willing
volunteers to 250 Sqn in Bramcote. The team consisted of
Sgt Danny Metcalfe, Cpl Paul Burgon, LCpl Chris Dearden,
LCpl Jame Rai, Sig Nige Reynolds, Sig James Luke, Sig Boyes,
Sig Claire West and Sig Nicole Cotgrave. This was to help out
and to oversee them setting up their new fleet. The 9 willing
volunteers felt that they learnt a great deal from this
experience as they understood the enormity of what we were
about to embark upon. The Tp were totally naive about the
state that the kit would come in as we thought that it would
come all ready to roll out on to ex (how wrong we were!).
This time spent away in Bramcote was a brilliant experience
for the operators as they now have a firm knowledge of how
technical the kit is and that every operator is going to have to
up their game as it is a very smart, technical system that
needs care and attention paying to it.
Chamberlain, McGrath, Wilkins Smith, Winter, Burris and Carrol
take to the hills in Pembrokeshire
The second day we got told we were going indoor rock
climbing, so we got our kit issued to us again and travelled to
Clydach near Swansea, where the indoor centre was. After
we got to the centre those who had not belayed before were
literally shown the ropes. We started climbing up the walls
and there were many different levels of difficulty. After that
we had a race on who could get up the wall the quickest and
the winner was obviously ‘Spiderman’ Davies. After that we
went to another room to do a bit of bouldering.
Later in the month ten individuals were selected to go to and
collect the fleet from Ashchurch which consisted of the Det
Comds and drivers. We knew this was going to be a massive
task as it is a small fleet that we are collecting as a Regiment!
The fleet is slowly moving back to 3 (UK) DSR over the course
of a week and realisation of the enormity of the task and the
importance we get this right first time is hitting home. Mons
Troop is welcoming this new chapter and is looking forward
to the challenges that we face as a Troop and as a Sqn.
This is also going to be a brilliant challenge for our new Troop
Commander 2Lt Tom Eaton. The experience that we will all
gain from getting hands on the kit will be next to none as this
really is the future of our Corps.
29
CAMBRAI TROOP MOUNTAIN BIKING AT IN THE NEW FOREST
- by Sig Lewis
Cambrai Troop had been looking forward to doing some AT
after a long hard exercise, Ex IRON RESOLVE, and couldn’t
wait to get out of the garages and away from cleaning dets.
We had hardly left when we got a call from Sig Marsden,
telling us we had left him behind! When we eventually all
arrived LCpl ‘Terry’ Venables gave us some quick tests on the
bikes to make sure we weren’t going to kill ourselves. After
that we set off, leaving LCpl Baugh and Sig Francis to bravely
look after the transport.
We all cycled through the forest, going along various paths
and tracks, until we saw a huge set of ramps and jumps.
Being the daring soldiers we are, we decided to go for it, with
Sig Marsden being the first to have a go. He got about a
metre before falling off spectacularly, and we decided to try
some of the easier ramps. Sig Corrigan was showing off on
one of the jumps so Sig Spence decided to have a go, only to
crash out on landing! He got straight back up and tried to
pretend it didn’t happen, but then we realised that he had
completely smashed his bike, which meant he had a long, 4
km walk back to the car park to get the spare one.
After leaving the dangerous jumps area we rode through
some trees and nice long forest paths, and Sig ‘Tyrone’ Tyrrell
went ahead to film us all going over a jump made up of some
logs on the path. We all went over the small jump, only to
then find out that Sig Tyrrell’s camera had run out of battery,
and he didn’t film anything. Brilliant. Karma got back to him
later though when he rode into a large rock and bent his front
wheel. He too had a long walk back to the car park.
All in all it was a long, muddy but fun day, and we all felt we
had achieved something at the end, most of us having never
ridden tracks like that or done a jump on a bike before. All
that was left was to go to the pub for dinner and a debrief!
Happy days.
SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC SSM Maj A McKenna
WO2 (SSM) Law
Support Squadron continues to run at a high pace since its
return from Op OLYMPICS. The Squadron has been on several
exercises in support of other units and formations training for
deployment to Afghanistan, as well as preparing some of its
own members to deploy next year. The Squadron welcomes
the new OC Maj Al McKenna AAC who has now picked up the
reigns. He is pushing the Squadron hard and the Squadron
will bring in the New Year in good order. The Squadron also
bids farewell to one of the Army’s more ‘long in the tooth’
members, Capt Mark Gilbert. We wish him and his family all
the very best in Civvy Street.
AGC DETACHMENT - by Capt Greenwood
The Staff and Personnel Support Detachment has been doing
its usual day-to-day business since Summer Leave. We’ve
gained an RAWO, WO1 Tom Hill and we have celebrated a
strong report after our inspection. But our big success in the
last few months was the AGC Triple Crown Competition - a 12
mile March and Shoot competition at the home of the Corps,
Worthy Down. We
entered two teams:
the mixed team
which completed
the course in a very
impressive sub 3
hours and a female
team which got the
best female
team score on the
shooting phase and
came 4th of the
female teams. We
also loaned Sgt Jess
Support Sqn Clerks, ‘Cilla’ Watts and Natali Beck to the
Director’s team
Pitt lead for the first quarter of a mile
who topped the
female competition
(and beat many male teams in the process). Within the first
few metres, it was actually an enjoyable day out of the office although the blisters afterwards were less enjoyable! The consensus was that we had the best t-shirts with team
captains wearing “Volunteered” and the rest of the Det
sporting “Voluntold”, but I maintain they were all enthusiastic
when I told them they were doing it! All in all, it was a great
day out.
CORSHAM
CO
RSM
Lt Col EA Dallyn MBE
WO1 (RSM) MJ Nowosielski
Despite going through a number of significant changes during
the past few months, the Regiment has found the time to
deploy on Ops and Exercises. The move to 11 Sig Bde from 2
Sig Bde saw a number of individuals involved in an emotional
Ex HORSESHOE FINALE, more of which below. Coupled to
this the officers and soldiers of the Regiment have found time
to take part in a number of social and sporting activities
adding that all important flavour necessary for a well rounded
and balanced unit. The articles below give a good insight into
the activities that have kept us busy in the past few months.
EXERCISE BRUNO ROCK 12
Elements of the Regiment augmented by personnel from 15,
21, 37 and 38 Signal Regiment deployed to Gibraltar in
September 2012 for a period of 4 weeks to conduct Ex BRUNO
30
ROCK. The main aim of the exercise was to take provide
cover for the Royal Gibraltar Regiment whilst they themselves
deployed to Morocco on Ex JEBEL SAHARA. This is the
second year the Regiment has done this and it hopes to
become a regular occurrence.
There were 3 elements to the ex: Security which included
providing a ceremonial guard at the Convent, adventure
training with a MACC task, and a platoon-level military skills
exercise that combined both FIBUA and tunnel warfare
training, which is unique to Gibraltar’s 36 miles of tunnels.
Security Phase – by Sig Mcilwain
The primary aim of the exercise was to provide the security
for Gibraltar. The responsibilities were broad, including the
camp security for Devil’s Tower Camp, ceremonial guard
duties, and providing Military Aid to the Civil Powers support
to ongoing operations in Gibraltar.
The Convent Guard had to be one of the more prestigious
duties, as we were posted in our No. 2 dress outside the
British Governor’s residence. This happens to be located on
the main street, so there was no end to the flashes of
cameras and stares of tourists, though the attention from
passing female holidaymakers certainly helped the time go by
more quickly! The drill and duty that was performed was
relatively straight-forward, however that didn’t stop Sig Terry
who managed to lose his balance on the first halt!
Another highlight was the opportunity to take part in some of
the ops going on in and around Gibraltar. With the ongoing
fishing dispute in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, we were
involved both in providing observation posts, but also
providing enhanced situational awareness by sending soldiers
out with the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron on their RHIBs.
Military Skills Phase – by Sig Fox
We deployed on a hot October day for the military skills phase
of Ex BRUNO ROCK 2012. The hard graft had now begun in
earnest! Each section went through basics from individual
battle skills up to and including platoon attacks. The first
couple of days were spent getting the sections working as a
team and making sure everybody was up to speed on skills
and drills. After a sweaty couple of days everybody was
working well together, understood their roles and were ready
for the next challenge.
The next phase was tunnel fighting training. This stage was
aimed at getting us ready for the exercise involving clearing
part of the thirty plus miles of tunnel within the “Rock”. For
most this was a new skill set and was very challenging, both
physically and mentally. The tunnel training was hot, loud and
dark; skills had to be correct for fear of becoming a casualty
(or dragging one out) in the close confines of the tunnels.
The day after this was FIBUA training, involving climbing
through buildings room after room, obstacle after obstacle,
until it was clear. This phase was completely new to me, but I
soon found my footing and really started to enjoy it. As we
clearly weren’t working hard enough, the DS decided that we
needed to run through the “Battle Run”, an obstacle course
which included parts of the FIBUA village. My section got the
quickest time until it was beaten a week later (but it was
definitely hotter when we did it!).
2Lt McGraw giving QBOs
With the training phase over all we had to do now was survive
the tunnels. We set off on a warm evening and patrolled to
the mouth of the tunnel, called “Williams Way” at the bottom
of the Rock. We had already received our orders so all we had
to do was use the skills we had learnt. We patrolled a few
tunnels in utter darkness (save for the lead man’s torch),
when we finally reached “Thomson’s Rise”. The previous
rotation had already spread rumours among us of these 600
stairs that needed to be patrolled, all upwards. I was the rear
Mil Skills instruction with SSgt Miller
section at this time and was in total darkness holding onto the
man in front of me with no idea how far away the end would
be. On reaching the top, the Platoon carried out its tunnel
clearing drills and set up a hasty harbour. Unfortunately, I
pulled the first stag and stared down a dark tunnel for an
hour hearing the caves and tunnels make strange sounds and
I started seeing things in the dark (probably through lack of
sleep). The following day we carried on as before, slowly
clearing tunnels until we reached our objectives. This time
though we had come under contact repeatedly, and this
started to affect us all as we were most definitely suffering
from tiredness and sleep deprivation by this point. We finally
finished the tunnel phase of the exercise to find out our
objective had moved into a village, known as “Hard Knock”.
The Platoon moved out into the field, the first time we had
seen the sky in 36 hours. Sections were split down into OP’s,
sentries and patrols. I was lucky enough to pull the OP with 3
others, and a resident rat in the OP location! We finally got
the go ahead to attack the village building by building,
clearing the entire village. The platoon moved together
before first light and waited at the line of departure until the
word go, when all hell broke loose with a massive weight of
firepower from the Gun Group, LCpls Harrison and Lawrence
with Sigs Rimmer and Terry. I was second man and the
adrenaline was pumping. When we got the go we sprinted
forwards, keeping low over walls and through bushes until we
were stacked into position. The mouse hole was blown and a
grenade thrown, then we piled in. Our drills became slicker
the more houses we cleared. We had a bizarre moment when
Sig Ampong and I had to move across a walkway through to
the top floor of the next house. We popped smoke to cover
our exit and entry whilst moving across, and although I
started as second man I entered the room first! He later
explained he fell off the gangway, caught himself one armed
and managed to pull himself back up in full kit, gaining a
reputation as a bit of a superman. The village was cleared,
but our target had fled to a small tunnel complex beyond the
village. Luckily, our skills were good and we killed our target
31
with ease in the tunnels. Filthy and sweaty afterwards, we
nevertheless had smiles on our faces! This exercise has been
very different and I have learnt new skills and drills, been
pushed physically and mentally and enjoyed most of it
(although tunnels are and always will be grim)!
Adventure Training and Military Aid to the Civil Community
– by LCpl O’Hara
O’Hara’s Battery is a large gun emplacement named after
General Charles O’Hara, Governor of Gibraltar from 1795 to
1802. He built a tower on the top of the Rock in order to
observe the movement of the enemy forces in Cadiz harbour,
which is over 60 miles away. The gun in O’Hara Battery was
last fired in 1976 and it has a range of 29,000 yards, which is
enough to hit the shores of Africa. It is now a well established
tourist attraction. Unfortunately it has become weathered,
old and in need of restoration.
Ex BRUNO ROCK participants worked hard to renovate the
small circular room at the base of the gun at O’Hara Battery
called the Gun Pit. We worked in platoons for a week at a
time, each with different tasks to complete. The first platoon
up to the battery had the messy job of de-littering the room
and cleaning it out. Since the beginning of the exercise had
seen torrential rain for a few days this was harder than it
sounds – the ground inside the room was covered in a couple
of inches of rainwater and not much could be done until the
weather had dried everything out. Despite the slow start
though, the first platoon set about clearing out the room and
were finished within a few days.
Next came the job of preparing the walls and steel doors for
painting. With limited tools the task was difficult but with a
bit of initiative from the Troop they all set together scraping
off old paint with any tools they could find. Wallpaper
scrapers, screwdrivers and even a shovel were used to help
complete the task by the end of the third day.
The final platoon had probably the most rewarding task of
painting the walls and steel doors of the room.
Also during the phase, platoons had time for a bit of rest and
recuperation, in the form of Adventurous Training. Rock
climbing and sea fishing were enjoyed by all, with a lucky few
getting to try out sea kayaking. Platoons also took time to
visit the World War II and Siege tunnels, and complete a tour
of St Michaels Cave’.
EXERCISE HORSESHOE FINALE - 251 SIG SQN OVERVIEW
– by Sig Thompson
On the 26th of November to mark the disbanding of 2 Signal
Brigade, a team from 251 Signal Squadron cycled the 2 Brigade
pennant from Colerne to Aldershot. It was split down into 4
legs over 2 days. We had an early start of 0700 hrs on the
Monday to load the bikes onto the van.
In Colerne we retrieved the pennant and the first team set off
on a mix of road bikes and mountain bikes to RHQ at
Corsham, taking the scenic route as SSgt Si Powell misread
the map. This wouldn’t be the only time we went off route.
When got Corsham we posed for photos, then carried onto
Devizes 34 miles away, via some hills where me and my
mountain bike were miles behind. In Devizes we stopped at a
pub at the top of another hill for some dinner.
After dinner, team 2 took over including a reluctant Cpl
‘Gadders’ Gadsdon, who was more than happy to drive the
support wagon! This leg was shorter than the first mainly
because they stayed on route, around 27 miles, including
another mega hill. At the end of the day when we arrived in
Tidworth everyone was struggling to walk and was more than
happy to get their heads down on the bus back to Aldershot.
Day 1
The weather was cold and wet so it was thermals all round.
Our intention was to go straight to Corsham, however, due to
some creative navigation we took a bit of a scenic route. It
was no problem for the mountain bikes when going down the
muddy country lane, but for the road bikers it was a different
story. LCpl Liam Armstrong feared for his life. After Corsham
we left for Tidworth. On the first leg there was a mixture of
road bikes and mountain bikes. It came apparent early on that
the road bikers could use their bikes to their advantage which
started to prove a problem for the mountain bikers amongst
us once we hit a Cat 5 climb.
As the road bikers sped away along with SSM Watts on his
mountain bike it was down to Sig ‘Timmy’ Thompson to play
catch up for the foreseeable future. When we stopped at
Melksham for a break he changed bikes to aid him with his
‘fun ride’. We got going again and started looking like a
proper team until we hit yet another mountain of a hill that
SSgt Powell insisted would count as a Cat 5 climb on the Tour
de France. It definitely felt like an incline!
We met up at a pub in Devizes with 2 Tp
after yet another hill where we did our
hand over, though the hardcore bikers
decided to do both legs.
Day 2
The second day started with the skies
opening and the rain coming down.
This didn’t bear well with the guys that
had taken part on the day previous, as
they had had a nice dry day.
The first leg of the journey saw the
group leaving Tidworth along the main
roads, and almost instantly came across
the first Cat 5 hill. For the most part it
was a fair old slog to the top. A couple
of the group members showed their
strength and powered to the top, while
the only man with a mountain bike
struggled to keep the pace (definitely
due to equipment, of course).
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After 14 miles we had the first puncture of the day.
Fortunately it was outside of a pub. Unfortunately it was
closed. Puncture repaired and we were on the way again.
road biking the 2 Sig Bde Pennant from Aldershot to Andover
as part of Ex HORSESHOE FINALE.
The ride took us down country lanes, the rain continuing to
come down, every piece of clothing soaked through to the
skin. But despite this, morale remained high and everyone
was enjoying it. Nearly at the end of the first leg, at around
30 miles, I had the second puncture of the day. Unfortunately
this time around there were no spares, and it was irreparable.
That was the end of my ride.
Two miles up the road was the half way meeting place. A
small pub and restaurant for a hot meal and a refuel before
the second leg began. The second leg started, and to
everyone’s delight the rain held out. Although the roads were
still wet, it made it a lot more enjoyable. The journey ended
back in Aldershot which concluded the 2 day exercise
SSgt (YofS) Toby Rees learning how to ride correctly with Sgt
Helen Tweed looking on
The 251 Sig Sqn Team are welcomed back to Aldershot. From
L-R: Sgt Wilson-Cochrane, Capt Rose, WO2 (SSM) Watts, Cpl
Rushworth, SSgt Powell and Cpl Rees
EXERCISE BRUNO DRAGON: 243 SIG SQN ADVENTURE
TRAINING – by SSgt (YofS) Lee Johns
For 243 Signal Squadron it has been another exceptionally
busy period. Post Olympic, focus has been on leave, courses
as well as carrying out essential maintenance on the Army
Hosting Environment. The Ops team, having recently
attended the ITIL CSI course, are now carrying out some long
awaited analysis of the current working practises across the
entire Squadron, both 605 and 643 Sig Tps. The fallout from
which will allow the Squadron to enhance the way it provides
support across the Army HQ. Away from work, the Squadron
have managed to squeeze in some Adventure Training, some
charity events as well as running, canoeing, mountain and
The second hill walking group on their way to the summit
As we rapidly approach the festive season we say a belated
welcome to SSgt (FofS) John Shambrook, SSgt (FofS (IS))
Dave Shilton, SSgt (FofS (IS)) Mel Vernon, SSgt (YofS) Toby
Rees, Sgts Dave Jarvis, Daz Morley, Cpls Dave Harrod, Lisa
Hutchinson and a sad farewell to Capt Danny Robinson who
departs for ICSC(L), Sgt Dan Lorentsen-Bright who is
currently putting in the hours on his YofS course and LCpl
Darren Kott who leaves on redundancy.
After the busy period over Op OLYMPICS, the OC decided to
reward the Sqn members by having an AT package organised.
Ex BRUNO DRAGON was a low level, Sqn AT package that was
run from Indefatigable, Wales. The group based themselves
from this location and conducted 3 activities, hill walking,
mountain biking and a high level rope course.
Two minibuses left Andover for the long journey up to
Indefatigable. After being met by WO2 (FofS(IS)) Chris
Crompton and being shown our accommodation, Cpl Jay
Oakley decided to put his fishing tackle to good use and see if
he could catch anything for tea. Needless to say he went
hungry, all he caught was seaweed and a cold (as did those of
us stupid enough to watch!).
Sgt Daz Morley and Cpl Steve Richards, as MLTs, ran the hill
walking taking each group up Mount Snowdon. The weather
had a great deal to do with the success of the mountain
walking (the groups could not see the top of the mountain on
the first day!). The walk took around 4 hours to complete and
would finish in the small café at the bottom of the route. LCpl
Ryan Tuck did nothing but moan all the way up to the summit,
to then state that the views were defiantly worth the walk up!
WO2 (FofS(IS)) Chris Crompton took the mountain bikers in
and around the Newborough Forest. After a brief on how to
ride the bikes correctly the group rode off into the forest and
went through some off road trails. This proved too much for
some and Cpl Jay Oakley was just one of the individuals who
learnt how to fall off a bike correctly (even when going
backwards)! After leaving the forest the team conducted
33
some pelaton style training on the country roads, culminating
in a steep climb towards the end of the route. All personnel
taking part thoroughly enjoyed themselves and luckily there
were no injuries!
known as ‘The Breakfast Run’. This finished at the iconic
Olympic stadium and by the end of the run, myself and LCpl
Aaron Downey found we had led from the front for the entire
route, this would not be a common theme!
Wednesday afternoon saw the Sqn 2IC, Capt Danny Robinson,
Sunday arrived, the day of the marathon, which funnily
enough happened to be another early start. The team rallied
themselves and headed to the start point along with another
46,000 athletes. It was a fresh, clear day to start with and we
even had the pleasure of the sun, this would be a bad thing
later on in the race.
This was the first time I had ever attempted to run such a
distance. The goal was to pace myself. The same thoughts
were shared around the group, however it did not go to plan
as the first half was at a fast pace; ‘I blame the excitement’.
The crowd was out in force cheering and playing music all the
way round the route. We still have ringing in our ears due to
thousands of cow bells being rung constantly. With the sun
burning down it was a welcome sight to see the local fire
department spraying water on to one half of the course, this
instantly made you feel fresh. The second half was not as
enjoyable as the cramp set in affecting all of us in one way or
another. Some people refer to this as ‘the wall’, in our case it
was LCpl Aaron Downey’s calf cramps, around the 18 mile
point, LCpl Liam Lafferty’s back spasms around the 16 mile
point as WO1 (RSM) Nowosielski ran past, and my weight
from the start. LCpl Aaron Downey had stiff competition
from a women dressed as a beer bottle as he and she sprinted
to the finish line with the crowed cheering him on. It was a
photo finish but his sheepish hair made the difference.
Cpl Richards on the 60 foot balance beam
and SSM, WO2 Jon Attwell, arrive. Both attended the hill
walking and joined up with the group on their descent. On
the Thursday both groups took part in a High Wire confidence
course that was run by a civilian company. The course
consisted of a log climb, a relatively low balance beam (30
feet off the ground) and a high balance beam (60 feet off the
ground), with the final stand being a jump to a trapeze, again
around 60 feet in the air. All personnel had a go on each of
the obstacles and even though there were a few disco legs,
everyone completed the tasks including LCpl Ryan Tuck who
decided that doing the trapeze once was not good enough
and ended up doing it twice.
Every member of the team completed the run in their own
respectable times and the sense of achievement took over.
This was several hours for LCpl Liam Lafferty who was still
suffering for the rest of the week.
After a relaxed night of stretching and rehydrating it was time
to leave Berlin and head home with our medals around our
necks and heads held high.
THE THRUXTON DUATHLON – by Cpl Jay Oakley
The final day saw us hand back the accommodation and head
back to Andover after a thoroughly enjoyable week away.
THE BMW BERLIN MARATHON – by Cpl Jay Oakley
Three members from the Squadron travelled to Corsham on
Thursday to collect WO1 (RSM) Nowosielski and WO2
Henderson. With a stop at Bramcote for a massive 4 hour
sleep, it was time to make our way to East Midlands airport.
It was a short flight to Berlin which gave LCpl Liam Lafferty
time to think about the 10 miles total training he had done in
the lead up to the marathon.
On arriving in Berlin we made our way to the hotel which had
been organised by the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF), and was
of a 4 star standard. As soon as we checked in it was time to
go and see the sights of Berlin. Our ‘tour guide’ WO1 (RSM)
Nowosielski ensured we visited historical sites such as Check
Point Charlie, the Berlin Wall and the marathon exhibition,
where LCpl Aaron Downey did his best to collect as much free
memorabilia as possible. The group even managed to visit
the local hostelry for a classic German stein. On Saturday we
had an early start which began with a little jog around Berlin
34
The BMW Berlin Marathon - Team Fantastic
Six members of Squadron travelled to Thruxton race course
on Sunday 21 Oct. It was a short drive from Andover which
gave us time to reflect on our preparation for the big day. We
all had a mixture of excitement and nerves, we had prepared
ourselves properly following training programmes to ensure
we would be ready for the dreaded transitions; however LCpl
John Buckland was feeling less than excited having only
managed to locate a bike the night previous.
On arriving at Thruxton we made our way to the signing in
tower. En-route to this it was clear that there were a lot of
enthusiasts in full Lycra and bikes costing more than most
cars. At this point I think the reality dawned on us, this was
going to be an event where bottom third would be
The team rearing and ready to go!
respectable. As soon as we signed in, it was time to go and
set up. Our guide WO2 (FofS) Chris Crompton ensured we
were conversant with the rules regarding the dismounting
and mounting of bikes in the transition area. As I was only
informed of these the morning of the event I was sceptical as
to whether I would get it right.
The time arrived for everyone to be ready at the start line for
the 5 km run; this was to be followed by a 30 km cycle
finished of with another 5 km run. The team rallied
themselves and headed to the start point along with another
200 athletes. It was a fresh, clear day to start but there was a
good headwind on the slight uphill part of the course. No
sooner had we lined up than the horn sounded to start the
race. WO2 Crompton and SSgt (FofS) Dave Shilton shot off
to the front of the runners leaving the rest of the Squadron
Athletes behind. For most of us the run was a mixture of
pacing ourselves and wondering how the faster athletes were
getting on, however when the first bikes starting going past it
was time to forget about pacing and start blowing.
The first transition to bikes was a quick lesson in avoiding the
water bottles and trainers left behind from the faster runners
but there were no problems or time penalties incurred. Now
it was time to cycle 30 Km and the slight head wind on the hill
that was mentioned earlier seemed more like a force 9 gale,
as did the slight slope which now felt more like a mountain
towards the latter part of the cycle. The second transition
was a new lesson on changing over from cycle to running.
This, in my head, was going to be easy, however not being
use to the saddle, I proceeded to run more like a cowboy in
chaps than a runner for the first 3km before it eased of just
before the finish line.
Some of the highlights were defiantly passing LCpl John
Buckland on his rusty squeaking mountain bike not once but
twice. SSgt (FofS) Dave Shilton enjoyed the moment that he
ran pass the rust bucket on his final 5 km run.
(ELECTRONIC WARFARE)
HAVERFORDWEST
CO
RSM
Lt Col M Purves
WO1 (RSM) M Taylor
223 SIGNAL SQUADRON (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)
OC
SSM
Maj C Elesmore
WO2 (SSM) S Robinson
223 SIGNAL SQUADRON MEDALS PARADE – by Sig Cordon
On 15 September 2012, 223 Signal Squadron (Electronic
Warfare) returned home from their tour of duty in
Afghanistan on Op HERRICK 16. Met by 2 weeks of gruelling
drill sessions in the rain drenched surroundings of Cawdor
Barracks, all that stood in the way of some well earned leave
and a long overdue pint or 2 was the medals parade. Being a
newcomer to the Squadron I was privileged to be given the
role of medal bearer on the parade and was extremely
pleased to be able to witness the Squadron being presented
with their medals first hand.
Finally Wednesday 26 September 2012 had arrived and the
driving rain of the past 2 weeks decided to take a back seat as
the Squadron were greeted by hundreds of well wishers who
had lined the streets of Haverfordwest to show their support
and welcome home the Squadron. The level of support from
the public was overwhelming and we would like to thank the
local population for making us feel so welcome.
35
Ball. With half the team wearing wings the pressure was on
to keep the pace up and to perform to the high standards
expected of us! The weather managed to stay surprisingly dry
for Brawdy with only a few showers and of course the gale
force winds anyone that’s been based here comes to expect!
Led by the band of the Royal Marines Reserve and headed by
the OC, Maj Elesmore, the Squadron paraded through the
town centre, with scores of people clapping and waving flags,
to the cenotaph where they were to receive their medals.
Presenting the medals was the Master of Signals, Lt Gen
Baxter, along with Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb and
Haverfordwest town Mayor Ken Wyburn. Although not
presented on the day, a number of 223 Signal Squadron (EW)
members were also awarded the Taskforce Helmand
Command Coin for their work and efforts during the tour.
These included Sgt Fitzgerald, who was in charge of the rear
party, Sgt Moran, LCpl Demain, Cpl Sidney and LCpl Smith.
After what seemed
like an eternity for
the members of the
Squadron the parade
was almost over.
Once again headed
by the OC, the
Squadron were
marched back up
through
Haverfordwest to the
‘Holy Grail’, aka
Wetherspoons. Met by family, friends and loved ones it was
finally time for the Squadron to relax after a job well done.
The day as a whole was brilliant; being able to be a part of the
parade and getting to know my new Squadron after the
parade was a fantastic experience for me and I look forward
to working with them in the months to come.
We started off well getting into a decent pace downhill, but
as always if you go down, you know you’re going to have to
come back up which came in the form of leaving the road to
join a footpath leading up a hill filled with curious looking
cows and boggy terrain. After falling back off the main group
it was down to Capt Chester to encourage me through the
worst, despite Yeoman Gray eyeing up a possible HLS and
prepping a 9-liner! Finally back at the top, we were able to
re-join a road and make up some time running down the hill,
along the way getting spurred on by overtaking one of the
teams that set off before us. After briefly passing and
receiving encouragement from the CO and RSM it was time to
tackle the next hill. Despite a bit of energy depletion, SSgt
Dinsdale was soon back in the fray after a few emergency jelly
babies and we were on track. Next we were up against the
third main hill of the route, a mile long incline before another
long bimble back down and the home straight up to the crash
gate that leads onto camp. After giving it a bit of a sprint
finish to the ranges we were rewarded with the news we’d
got the best time so far, finishing in just under 2 hours. We
then had a bit of a wait for the teams ahead of us to shoot
first before getting our turn firing (which for some us was the
first time firing a pistol!)
After we’d finished it was time for a hot shower and some
well deserved food before heading down to the gym for the
prize giving. Once the scores had been added up for the day
the results were as follows; fastest team 245 Signal Squadron
A team (finishing a close 5 seconds ahead of us); best scores
on the ranges went to 226 Signal Squadron 640 Troop; and
overall winners, 236 Signal Squadron A team. As a newly
formed Squadron within the Regiment it was nice to win our
first piece of silverware, hopefully the first of many!
OC
SSM
Maj J Barber
WO2 (SSM) M Parkinson
EXERCISE DRAGON’S FORCE – by LCpl Muchmore
With gale force winds, enough blister tape to cover a small
child and with limited water to reduce the weight, members
of 245 Sig Sqn set off in single file in Cpl Caine’s slip stream,
himself ‘fresh’ from P Company, ready to conquer 10 miles of
relentless hills and bogs. Setting off at a blistering sub 10
minute mile pace the team had their visions set on beating
the winged up warriors of 236 Sqn. Having completed the
route in the fastest time, unbeknown to them, we then took
it upon ourselves to turn live rounds into empty cases. Sadly,
the team rushed it and the final score let them down,
resulting in a final position of 6th; better luck next year.
CO’S MYSTERY EVENT – by LCpl Muchmore
OC
SSM
On yet another wet and windy Welsh day, members of the
mighty 245 Sig Sqn (EW) set off in coaches down to Newgale
beach where we found ourselves competing in a 6 man 1.5
mile stretcher race along the beach which also included
carrying a variety of tyres and jerry cans. We then made our
way up the emotional hill up towards Pen Y Cwm and into the
back gate of the camp where we were met by the Regimental
PTIs and a number of rowing machines upon which we had to
complete 4km as a team. This was then followed by a mad
dash to the gym to complete a further 8km on the exercise
bikes. 245 Signal Squadron (EW) prevailed by a couple
kilometres thus securing victory in the CO’s Mystery Event!
Maj K Rhodes
WO2 (SSM) G Lawson
EXERCISE DRAGON’S FORCE – by Sig Ball
17 Oct 2012 saw the start of the annual Regimental ‘March and
Shoot’ competition, Ex DRAGONS FORCE; an 11 ½ mile tab
followed by a rifle and pistol shoot on the 25 metre ranges.
236 Sig Sqn managed to gather together enough “volunteers”
to put together 3 teams for the competition, and so the fun
began. Our team consisted of Capt Chester, SSgt (YofS(EW))
Gray, SSgt Dinsdale, LCpl Rhodes, LCpl O’Mahony and Sig
36
EXERCISE BAD KHOLEI – by LCpl Watson
Ex BAD KHOLEI was the final test exercise for Zulu Tp before
taking on the Airborne Taskforce contingency support role in
December. Having only been with the Regt for 2 weeks, I was
quite daunted by the insertion march which was rumoured to
be around 10km carrying 60kg. During the weekend my Det
Comd, LCpl ‘Munch’ Muchmore was bedded down but there
was no time to sit and mope around, so the rest of the team
divided their mission essential kit into their bergens.
I imagined that many coaches become bogged down taking
soldiers to an exercise location, but our driver didn’t get stuck
in Sennybridge, he had managed to get stuck in a flower bed
in the car park for KFC Carmarthen. Yet a valiant effort from
Sig Puleston and SSgt (YofS(EW)) Fear the coach was pulled
out by a recovery vehicle.
We eventually arrived at our drop off point and got straight
into the insertion march. I would say that with all of our
equipment and Osprey the total weight was around 60kg, so
the rumours were true. In total the teams travelled around
10km carrying the equipment at different speeds with only a
few individuals not making the entire distance to our final
locations. As we set up on the first night we were straight
into hard routine, including the use of bottle and bags for
toilets, ‘yeah right’ is what I thought, I would keep hold of
Monday’s breakfast until ENDEX. This proved too much of a
challenge. Using the bag was an emotional experience and
not one I wish to repeat anytime soon.
All in all I learned something new on the exercise, having
completed the EW course at Blandford I knew how to set up,
tear down and operate the equipment, but actually using the
equipment for its purpose was when I felt inexperienced and
a bit out on my depth. The exercise however did give me and
the rest of the team a better idea of how to use the
equipment in an operational environment.
SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj K Sturman
WO2 (SSM) J Jenkins
LCPL HETHERINGTON MEMORIAL RUGBY MATCH
The LCpl Jon Hetherington Memorial Rugby Match is an
annual fixture played by the Regiment (EW) RUFC (The
Brawdy Brumbies) and South Wales Police Rugby Football
Club in memory of Jon who was killed in action in Afghanistan
whilst serving with 237 Sig Sqn (EW) in 2006.
This year’s game took place at Waterton Cross rugby ground
on 19 Sept. The Regtl team set off from Cawdor Barracks
after locating the last remaining forwards and dragging them
away from the NAAFI shop. On route Sig Hughes informed
Capt Morris he needed a pair of rugby boots, luckily he was a
size 12!! so we had to make a detour to Sports Direct so Capt
Morris could buy him some; not quite sure how he intended
to play without them?? The team also took this opportunity
for some healthy pre-match scoff at the Golden Arches.
We arrived at the Police rugby ground and team coach Sgt
Selby got us straight into some pre match training. The game
kicked off after a minute’s silence and team photos and within
a minute we were 5 – 0 down!! Bad start but our pack was
stronger than theirs and our line out more effective (when we
got the calls right). Our defence was strong but no matter
what we did the Police team always managed to break
through, and it called for some old heads to steady the team.
By half time they had put over 20 points on us. However
morale was high and after several substitutions we were
game on for the second half. Some nice play and strong
running put Pte Charlie Berry in a great position only to be
denied a try a few feet from the line. It was now becoming
apparent that we were the fitter team, however time was
against us and before we knew it, the referee informed us we
had one more play of the game and with guest player WO1
Mark Morgan rallying the forwards we managed to get over
the try line, only for the ball to be held up.
This was the end and unfortunately the Cup remained
deservedly with the Police. It wasn’t until after the match
that we discovered that they had only fielded about 3
Policemen, the rest were all ringers from the local clubs. This
didn’t dampen our morale as we knew we had given our all
and the game was played in the proper spirit.
After a quick shower we all descended into the club house for
the presentation of the Cup by Jon’s sister, a few words by
the Chief of Police and our presentation to SWPRFC by the
CO. The Police put on a fantastic spread and we all enjoyed
some well earned refreshments before the long drive back to
Brawdy. We were tired but pleased we had brought together
the Regimental family to remember one of our own.
15th SIGNAL REGIMENT (INFORMATION SUPPORT)
BLANDFORD
GLOBAL INFORMATION SERVICES SQUADRON
SSM role. We bid farewell to the outgoing SSM, WO2 Eddie
McKinney RE who leaves the Regiment and the Army on
completion of his Colour Service. We wish him all the very
best for the future.
OC
SSM VISIT TO PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD AND HMS VICTORY
DINNER - by Capt R L Cleminson
CO
RSM
Lt Col P Pearce
WO1 (RSM) R McNab LANCS
Maj A Williams RA
WO2 (SSM) A Humes RA
GIS Sqn provides Level 3 technical support across a number of
in service systems and deployed UORs. Predominantly based
in Blandford, the Squadron also has teams based in
Sennelager, in direct support of Germany based Brigades, and
at Larkhill, in support of the Artillery Centre’s tactical
communications which include GBAD, FC BISA and FCA.
The Sqn say hello to the new SSM WO2 Andy Humes RA who
has moved sideways from the Larkhill detachment to fill the
Members of GIS Squadron had the pleasure of visiting
Portsmouth Dockyard for an educational and cultural visit on
Wednesday 3 Oct 12. As the Regiment supports services and
systems across all 3 services, this was seen as an ideal
opportunity to gain a better understanding of how the Senior
Service works and operates in a modern dockyard. The day's
events were solely organised by Tactical Services Troop's own
senior service member CPO Andy ‘Busta’ Brown who
routinely co-ordinates all Fleet taskings. The visit took the
37
theme of ‘From new to old’ starting with an inspection and
brief on the Navy’s newest warship, the Type 45 destroyer:
whole visit provided an excellent opportunity for all those
taking part to gain an insight into Naval life, traditions and
gain a greater knowledge of how the modern Navy operates.
DII-D TROOP
OC
Capt P Asplen
PAINT BALLING - by Sgt Neil Pope
After a predictably busy summer supporting Housekeeper
around the world on Operations and Exercises, the Troop
took the opportunity to say farewell to 2 long standing
members of the team. SSgt Ian Fincham posted to 1st NATO
Signal Battalion and Cpl Ian ‘Noodle Arms’ Corner leaving on
promotion to HQ DISC after returning from a successful tour
of Afghanistan. After a morning of the usual PT and Level 3
systems support, the team departed for Gorcombe Farm for
an afternoon of paintballing.
CPO Andy ‘Busta’ Brown briefing members of GIS Sqn on the
Type 45 Destroyer
The day's activities continued with a tour of HMS Westminster,
which had recently returned from operations in the Middle
East and was undergoing a refit in the yard. The tour included
a visit to the Bridge and Ops Room and demonstrations of the
various systems on board. Continuing with the theme, the
visit continued with a tour of HMS Warrior, the Navy’s first
iron clad warship. Although obsolete almost as quickly as it
came into service, the size and scale was hugely impressive
and a fantastic brief was given by the staff on board. As the
transit around the dockyard was being completed solely on
foot a number of the older members of the Squadron were
begin to flag at this stage, with Mr ‘Shaggy’ Shenton and
Capts Richie Cleminson and Pete Asplen doing a sterling job
of holding up the rear.
A change of clothing into Mess dress, a few refreshments
were the order of the day before the culmination of the
activities began with a tour of HMS Victory and dinner on
board. Learning lots about naval history, traditions and the
harsh conditions on board, all the team were fully immersed
in the whole experience. Finally the Squadron were then
treated to an excellent 3 course dinner within the Senior
Rates' Mess on board HMS Victory. Normally, access to the
Mess is not available to the general public, therefore, we
were extremely grateful for this fantastic opportunity and all
fully enjoyed the experience.
On arrival at the farm the Troop split down into 2 teams,
almost immediately SSgt (FofS) ‘Mally’ Mallison’s crazy
competitive side emerged, with Team Mallison taking both
Games One and Two in quick succession. The tyres came next
and the uphill advantage of the terrain resulted in the
underdogs quickly
destroying Team
Mallison, leaving only
Atlas engineer Mr
Tristan Glass to face
off against 5 trained
soldiers. Tristan
realising his situation
quickly adopted the
infamous French tactic
of warfare and
surrendered in a hail
of paint and strange
girly screams.
Fincham’s Underdogs
held their nerve and
pulled level in the
Gorcombe stand off,
providing a brief
The firing squad await SSgt Fincham
moment of equality in
and Cpl Corner
a day dominated by
competitive spirit.
The remaining games fell to Team Mallison and all that was
left was to say goodbye to the lads in a way that only paint
balling could provide. The firing squad assembled as SSgt Ian
Fincham and Cpl Ian ‘Noodle Arms’ Corner, clutching their
valuables, fled their final moments at 15 Signal Regiment (IS)
in a hail of red and yellow emulsion. The games ended and
the Troop gathered at the local Indian watering hole to bid
congratulations, good luck and a fond farewell with the
traditional English past time of beer and curried meats!
GLOBAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (GCN)
SQUADRON
OC
Maj (TOT) RJ Wymer
600 SIGNAL TROOP
OC
SSgt Members of GIS Squadron enjoying dinner on HMS Victory
Further refreshments in the Trafalgar Mess followed and the
Sqn party slowly departed Portsmouth the next morning. The
38
Capt (TOT) RJ Pace
SSgt M Beckett
ARMY CYCLING UNION INTER CORPS ROAD CYCLING RACE
2012 – by Cpl Richie Calladine
On Wednesday 3 October 2012 members of 600 Signal Troop
competed in the Army Cycling Union’s (ACU) Inter Corps Road
Cycling Race. The Corps team was made up of riders from
various Royal Signals units. A team of 8 riders were selected
for both the women’s and men’s races with others allowed to
race as guests. In all there were 10 female and 15 male riders.
With a really strong Corps presence in a field of 50 riders, the
women’s race had set a fast pace with the Corps Cycling
Chairman Maj Sue Jeffery coming a superb 3rd after strong
work by the team. The women’s team also finished 2nd in the
Team classification. The men’s race was a much larger field of
120 riders and was competed in by the Corps Road Cycling
secretary SSgt Mark Whittaker and Cpl Richie Calladine, both
from 600 Sig Tp, who both had a good race and finished in
the main bunch after good work by the rest of the team. The
overall winner of the race was WO2 Al Ridler from the Royal
Engineers. The highest placed rider after good work by the
rest of the men’s team was Cpl Richie Calladine in 14th place.
Pictured in the men’s road race is Capt Liam Tosh, Cpl Richie
Calladine, SSgt Mark Whittaker, Sgt Kes Greenham and Sgt
Steve Hughes
This was the first time such a strong Royal Signals presence
attended such an event as this. With more experience and
riders, the Corps’ Cycling Team can only go from strength to
strength. If you are interested in joining the Royal Corps of
Signals Cycling Team, then please contact SSgt Mark
Whittaker at 600 Signal Troop on 94396 7315.
SSAFA BIG BREW – by Cpl Gotch
On 2 of October 2012, members of 600 Signal Troop took the
lead within MOD Corsham and organised the annual SSAFA
Big Brew Up event. This opportunity was also used to shed a
few pounds at the same time by way of a sponsored static
bike ride organised by Cpl Morgan. A total of just over £280
was raised by selling tea, coffee and cakes. The cakes were
baked by the wives of the Troop, which were so successful
that we ran out far too quickly and forced a hasty run out to
the local supermarket to replen. Thanks goes to all those
who work in Building 405 within Corsham (the new ISS big
building) for their kind donations and for eating all the cakes.
The sponsored cycle element itself had the goal of covering a
total distance of 412Km (the return distance from BSN to KAF)
but we surpassed this by cycling a combined total of 510Km,
done in pairs over an 8 hour period. This was achieved by the
following: Capt (TOT) Pace, SSgt (FofS) Fraser, SSgt Overend,
SSgt Whittaker,
SSgt Baulch, Sgt
Cunnington, Sgt
Hull, Sgt
Cattermole, Cpl
Morgan, Cpl Gotch,
Cpl Callerdine, Cpl
Davies, Cpl Liddell,
LCpl Walker, LCpl
Darby, LCpl
Redgard-Siler, LCpl
Adams, LCpl Allen
and LCpl Harry.
Cpls Allen and Walker getting ‘massive’
On behalf of 600 Sig Tp, a massive thank you to all who took
part, drank the tea, ate the cakes and ultimately donated to
this worthwhile charity.
NETWORKS TROOP
OIC
WO1 (FofS) P Wright
THE FALCON SUPPORT TEAM – by SSgt (FofS) Griffiths
The past few months have been a busy period for the Falcon
Support Team as the long awaited roll out of Falcon to field
units has finally arrived. The team, in conjunction with the
newly formed Falcon Training and Advisory Team (FALTAT),
have been providing deployed support to DSCIS and 30 SR.
This support package has been structured to aid units, issued
with the initial equipment set, to work off their new Falcon
assets and to assist them with this new capability.
With training due to start in late September, the DSCIS fleet
was a priority and required all hands to the pump from our
small team. This included the newly posted in SSgt (FofS)
Glen Ruscoe who, after spending the previous couple of years
hiding away in the world of Governance and Policy, finally got
his hands on some real kit. After a great deal of effort from
the team, 11 (RSS) SR, Babcocks instructors, Falcon Dets and
classrooms were finally ready for training. With lessons
learned from DSCIS, it was time to deploy with the FALTAT to
250 Sig Sqn, 30SR, which has become a second home for
some of us over the past year. The FALTAT, now temporarily
named the FALTACHE due to the large number of hairy top
lips on display for Movember, were eager to see how their
support plan survived first contact. Neither SSgt (FofS)
Moore nor I could bring ourselves to fully immerse in this
Freddy Mercury look alike competition.
We have come to expect new challenges when working with
Falcon and the setting to work of 30SR has been no
exception. Getting deep into Falcons underlying applications
and processes can be a steep learning curve. We frequently
become aware of previously unknown issues and knowledge
gaps which finds us in a continuous process of evolution. This
has not only helped to develop our own skill sets and ability
to support units in the future, but also aids us as we feed this
information back into training. Deployed BAe Level 4
engineers have been very helpful, as you would expect from
those who are for the most part, former Corps members.
It hasn’t all been SQL, IP addresses and routing protocols,
there has also been time for some more enjoyable activities.
The Blandford Garrison Battle of the Bands required a quick
trip back from Bramcote for SSgt (FofS) Dave ‘The Axe Man’
Moore and myself, who along with WO1 (FofS) Dave
‘Foreman of Funk’ Cook, SSgt John ‘The Animal’ Fatiaki (both
BGSU) introduced ‘The Flukes’ to the big wide world. The
event was a big success and I am sure those in attendance will
excuse some bum notes; all money raised was donated to the
Royal Signals Association.
LOGISTICS SYSTEM SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj M Osborne AGC (ETS)
WO1 I Cochrane RLC
The Systems Analyst trade provides specialist Logistics
Information System (Log IS) support to applications and
systems globally. It has now been subsumed as a separate
Sqn, Logistics System Support Squadron (LSSS), within 15
Signal Regiment (IS) and works from Bicester. It is a small,
but well formed body of intelligent and technically able men
and women all of whom have transferred from other trades
within the RLC. They form an integral part of an eclectic
Regiment and bring value to its mission.
39
SYSTEM ANALYST PROFILE – by Sgt Greenwood RLC
I applied to become a System
Analyst in December 2010.
After completing the
selection process, including
Interviews with WO1 LSSS
and the RLC SPSO, I was
accepted for transfer from
RLC Supplier to RLC System
Analyst. I started work at
Bicester in July 2011. The first
3 months were taken up with
my probation. This took the
form of on the job training
which involved learning a
multitude of IT related skills,
covering software, applications and hardware; all of which
were required to be mastered to an extremely high standard.
I found the first couple of weeks a complete blur; busy during
the day learning about all the systems LSSS support and busy
in the evening writing up notes and revising.
All the systems that LSSS support are logistic based enquiry
applications relating to accounting and tracking. I was at an
advantage as I came from a supplier background so naturally
had prior knowledge of these systems. The weeks continued
to fly by and at my 2 month point I got my topic for the end of
probation presentation. This forms the final part of your
assessment phase. My topic was ‘Deployed Management of
the Joint Inventory (DMJDI) and the support that LSST would
provide’. In November 2011 I completed my probation: this, as
I found out, was just the start of my SA learning.
Day to day tasks as a SA consists of taking calls from our user
community stationed all over the world and responding to
issues that are reported via Business Technology Optimisation
tool; the new tasking tool used within LSSS. My first job as a
qualified SA was to
investigate an
Uninterrupted Power
Supply (UPS) incident at
Royal School of Military
Engineering, Minley; a
relatively simple but
daunting job to cut my
teeth on. Gladly all went
without a hitch. The first
major test which I
undertook was a week
long task to Gutersloh in
Germany. This was to
upgrade all the Log IS
Clients within the
Training Facility of 6th Supply Regiment. Once again, a
relatively simple job that took 4 days to complete.
Come March 2012 it was time to start preparing for my first
Operational Tour as an SA. After the usual pre deployment
training, June came around all too quickly and I was on a
plane on route to Camp Bastion. I was a little apprehensive
about the tour, but was accompanied by another seasoned
SA. The daily routine in Theatre could be described, at best,
as busy and, at worst, relentless. Having 5 GLOBAL and 27
UNICOM servers, 2 CSP’s and 20 FSP’s spread across 3
locations to look after, life was always going to be busy. This
obviously made the time fly. A normal, if you can call it
normal, day started at 0630hrs with a trip to the gym. After
breakfast it was off to the office to check emails and the BTO
tool. Then the daily work would begin. First task was to
check the CSP / FSP network to ensure that all users in
Theatre had connectivity to UK. The majority of my time was
taken up by the ageing fleet of UNICOM servers, upgrading
software, replacing failed components, servicing/replacing
Log IS Clients and providing help and advice to the related
user community. Taskings would regularly take me to Kabul
and Kandahar, which more often than not meant late night
flights into locations, a couple of hours sleep and then
straight onto the task in hand.
The tour flew by and in September it was time to return to
Bicester. I learned a lot in Theatre from the other SA and my
own experiences. I really enjoyed my time and look forward
to getting back to normal day to day work; or so I thought! I
returned at an extremely busy time with SA’s travelling all
over the world to complete DMJDI and MJDI migration tasks
and other Application installations. Since September, LSSS
have had SAs travel to Kenya, Canada, Germany, Bahrain,
Musanna and the length and breadth of Britain.
I suppose you are wondering if I enjoy the job…..well the
simple answer is yes.
ELMPT
CO
RSM
Lt Col Rich Rumsey
WO1 (RSM) Tosh Hodgskins
16 Signal Regiment deployed on Op HERRICK in May 2012 for a
6 month tour of Afghanistan. Their role was to provide
support to Joint Force Communications in Helmand Province
as well as provide communications and force protection
assistance in Kabul. Some of the Regiment’s soldiers were
also deployed in remote operating bases, ensuring
communications were established across their areas of
responsibility.
40
The Regiment conducted itself well and earned a good
reputation whilst in Theatre. The CO, Lt Col Rich Rumsey, was
pleased with the performance of the soldiers under his
command who all worked hard across their various roles. The
RSM, WO1 (RSM) Tosh Hodgskins, said “Following 6 months of
training the Regiment deployed in excess of 300 men and
women on Op HERRICK with the bulk providing Information
Communication Systems across Helmand province.” On the
homecoming he added, “I think I speak for everyone when I say
it’s great to be back home again. It’s taken a long time to get
quoted from a huge thank you card from several wives
thanking the department for making the last 6 months pass
by with ease and for providing lots of fun and games. The
shear variety of events organised and funded by the welfare
department certainly had a beneficial effect on the families of
the soldiers that were deployed, which in turn made the
soldiers’ deployment run smoothly.
SSgt Richmond and Capt Dave Prady at the front of 255 Sig Sqn
The Homecoming was split into several groups with up to 60
soldiers returning at one time. The biggest group of 90
soldiers ensured that the Wall and Willow Bar (the reception
area for the return) was filled with families and friends.
Despite a few delays and last minute changes everyone
returned safely to be greeted with flags, banners and bunting
provided by the CSO and local children. The celebrations for
each chalk were short but poignant as most of the soldiers
returned from the long journey exhausted but happy.
back but seeing the faces of the children and families as we got
off the coach was fantastic. Now that everyone is safely back in
Elmpt we can begin to relax and start looking forward to some
well earned leave.”
The banner says it all!!
Now the Regiment has returned to Javelin Barracks in Elmpt,
the families are thrilled to have their loved ones home.
During the deployment there were numerous events
organised by the Community Support Office (CSO) including
trips to local attractions and Sunday family lunches. The
Welfare Officer, Capt Mickey Yendell, has had some very
positive feedback from the families: “The wives have said how
they have not even had time to think about their husbands
being away due to the amount of trips on offer. They were
especially happy that the trips and events were free”, he also
Maj A Lawson is welcomed home by his daughter Isobel
Members of Souter Force Protection and Transport Company
The Rear Operations Group (ROG) were an integral part to the
preparations for the Homecoming of the Regiment which
involved 10 days of administration and celebrations. The
highlight of this time was the Medal parade, during which
over 400 members of the Regiment were on parade and
those who deployed to Afghanistan received their
Operational medals. The VIP guests included the Master of
Signals Lt Gen Baxter CBE, The Corps Colonel, Col Graham
Norton and the Brigade Commander Brig Cole. Despite the
freezing weather, the 2 hour long parade went ahead without
incident and was well supported by the families and friends of
those who deployed. The parade was followed up by a
Homecoming party with free food, fairground rides and even
an ice rink. The party was well attended and had a Christmas
theme with Gluhwine and traditional German food. A band
41
played until late and a huge firework display welcomed the
Regiment back from tour with a bang. Medals were also
given to the children of deployed soldiers at a separate
ceremony which was well received by the families.
Family Support
The VIP Party
The ROG, commanded by Maj Al Higgins MBE, have had a
busy tour supporting the deployed element of the Regiment
and keeping things running back in Javelin Barracks. OC ROG
said “The ROG has had many and varied challenges throughout
the deployed period and indeed this will continue until the
return of the Regiment from Post Operational Leave in February
2013. Despite this however, the most important thing is that all
those who deployed have returned safely and will now go and
enjoy a thoroughly well earned and deserved period of respite.”
After the Homecoming festivities of the last few weeks the
Regiment will certainly have a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year with their families and friends, ready to return in
the New Year for fresh challenges and plenty of changes in
the near future.
21st SIGNAL REGIMENT (AIR SUPPORT)
COLERNE
CO
RSM
Lt Col A R Aitken
WO1 (RSM) S Brown
With the Regiment now firmly into MST 1 prior to Op HERRICK
19 the pace of life continues to keep all ranks at 21 Signal
Regiment (Air Support) busy. With less than a year to go the
Squadrons are looking forward to the New Year, building on
their STA training and getting stuck into MST2 before
deploying in November 2013. No doubt the coming year will
continue in a similar vein with much of the time seemingly
taken up with exercises and PDT/career courses but the
Regiment will be just as determined to ensure there is still
time to continue conducting AT and to carry on the success
on the sporting field!
43 (WX) SIGNAL SQUADRON (V)
OC
SSM
Maj Hughes
WO2 Donnelly
REMEMBRANCE PARADE – by OCdt Haddock
On Sunday 11 November, 43 (Wx) Sig Sqn (V) paraded in Bath
High Street for the annual Remembrance Day Parade and
memorial service. After perfecting their moves under the
overcast heavens of the previous day, it was good to see the
sun making an appearance on the day of the event itself. The
streets of Bath were lined with people who had come to see
the procession through the centre of Bath and into the Abbey.
Joining 43 (Wx) Sig Sqn (V) were numerous Cadet Bands, old
comrades and also a Troop from 220 Sig Sqn, 21 Sig Regt (AS)
who had recently been awarded the Freedom of Bath. The
parade set off amidst the cheering crowds and marched down
to the Abbey where it took its place in the pews. The Service
was a quiet time for us all to think on the job we do and to
pay our respects to all of those who had fallen in service for
42
the nation. All in all, the day was a massive success and a big
thanks to all those who made the effort to ensure everything
ran smoothly.
MILLWALL FC REMEMBRANCE – by Cpl Harrison
To show their respects on remembrance weekend Millwall FC
invited LCpl Alfie Bain (3 Yorks RSIST) and myself to The Den.
LCpl Bain had only returned from Op HERRICK a few days
prior. Millwall were playing host to Derby and upon our
arrival we were given a guided tour of the ground and also
introduced to the team Captains. Whilst on our tour we were
introduced to the Referee who also had a vested interested in
the day as he is currently serving in the RAF. After finishing
our tour we were hosted in the VIP bar along with the players’
families and club dignitaries, many of which took the time to
come and shake our hands, thanking us for what we (the
Armed Forces) do. Offers of drinks were plentiful, but turned
down due to what we were about to do.
We lined up in the tunnel after shaking hands with both
teams. Being from Nottingham I was slightly aggrieved to be
leading out the Derby team and also took a lot of abuse from
the Millwall players as they had beaten Nottingham Forest 4-1
the week before. We led the teams on to the pitch and
formed a guard of honour as they lined up in front of the
main stand. With the Referee we moved to the centre circle,
LCpl Bain carrying the wreath and myself the match ball. The
minute's silence was held and respected by all. We moved off
the pitch and walked around the outskirts to lay the wreath
behind the home goal. The standing ovation we received
from the whole ground as we carried the wreath (even
though the game had kicked off) was a proud but very
sombre experience. We were shown to our seats and enjoyed
watching the game, again hosted superbly by the staff and
extended family of Millwall.
Many thanks go out to all at Millwall FC and all the supporters
who showed a huge amount of pride, respect and sorrow for
all that have made the ultimate sacrifice…………We will
remember them
Cpl Harrison and LCpl Bain at The Den
214 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj S Bennett
WO2 (SSM) G Lancaster
Prior to heading off on Christmas leave the soldiers of 214
Signal Squadron reached the climax of an intensely busy
period. After two back to back Troop level exercises and then
a demanding Squadron Exercise it was at last time for our
long awaited Christmas function. This was excellently
organised by Cpl Taff Colwell and was a fitting reward to the
soldiers and partners of the soldiers of 214. It was also a
chance to bid a farewell to those leaving us to move onto
pastures new, particularly Cpl Eden who is emmigrating to
America.
EXERCISE CHIMERA PANTHEON 12 – 23 NOV 12
judgemental shoots throughout the year. Roman Troop were
revised in all forms of fire control orders and target indication
before getting the chance to apply this knowledge in
whatever scenario came up on the simulator. With the
majority of the scenarios taking place in Afghanistan it was a
chance for many of the younger members of the Troop to
experience what it could be like on operations. After a much
deserved lunch break Roman Troop swiftly moved onto the
Command task area at STA. Unfortunately several of the
command tasks were closed due to bad weather, however
enough were open to ensure that the soldiers were
thoroughly tested in both planning and their ability to work as
a team. Burdens, planks, ropes, inclement weather and time
constraints made the tasks even more challenging. An
impressive performance from Sig ‘The Cat’ Dickens who
showed no fear and no pain as he threw himself around the
command tasks leading from the front.
After the delights the DCCT and Command tasks Roman Troop
could not wait to deploy to the other side of STA for their 3
day shake out exercise. As usual Lt Collins had pre-booked
the horrendous weather, which did not cease until the
morning of departure. Over the next three days Roman
Troop would be tested in a wide variety of basic military skills
such as Patrolling, harbour areas, section attacks, close target
reconnaissance (CTR) and POW handling. The first day saw
Cpl ‘Bad Tash’ Hempstock teaching the above lessons to the
Troop before they put these skills into practice and moved
into their harbour area. From here each section was given
their mission and tasks for the upcoming evening, a CTR of an
enemy location to gain as much intelligence as possible for
the Commander. In challenging conditions and with limited
visibility all sections performed extremely well and achieved
their objective.
The second day saw the sections on patrol during which they
came under contact. This was a chance for both Lt Collins
and Cpl Hempstock to see the Section Commanders and 2ICs
in action. Some impressive assaults went in over some awful
terrain. With several of the Troop disappearing up to their
waistline in water and bog, it was a challenge just to stand let
alone attack an enemy position. After some long assaults the
sections regrouped and after a quick debrief patrolled straight
back to the harbour for some more lessons. Come the second
evening with even more rain and wind the soldiers now had
to take part in a competition to see which section could gain
the most intelligence on their given enemy locations. The
reward for coming first would be a hot drink while the
remaining sections and enemy de-brass the used enemy
positions of the previous day for any remaining brass. The
punishment for a section compromised however, would be
severe.
All three sections under the watchful eye of the directing staff
carried out their reconnaissance in real style and following all
the correct procedures. An impressive performance from
new arrival Cpl Dalzell’s section earned them the reward of
best section on the exercise and CTR.
Full Goretex LCpl Stubbs, is it raining? It better be!
Ex CHIMERA PANTHEON was a five day leadership and
shakeout exercise planned by Roman Troop in preparation for
214 Signal Squadron’s upcoming Ex CHIMERA STRIKE.
The week began on the DCCT at Strensall Training area (STA).
This was run by the illustrious WO2 Perrin who teaches
With the last day finally upon us and with some extremely wet
and tired soldiers it was time to clear off the area and return
to barracks. After a few hours turnaround we had reached
the end of Ex CHIMERA PANTHEON. A thoroughly rewarding
few days made even more so knowing that the soldiers can
operate in some very wet and cold conditions.
CHARITY FOOTBALL MATCH - by Sig Carson
On Sunday 4 November the Squadron decided to enter a
team in a local charity football competition. The charities
were Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Development (B.I.R.D.)
and Help for Heroes. The competition was a five a side
tournament and took place at Clifton Moor ROKO gym. The
43
Based in Devil’s Tower Camp we also covered for the Royal
Gibraltar Regiment whilst they were on an exercise in
Morocco. When not on exercise our duties involved camp
security, ceremonial Covenant Guard, OPs and accompanying
the Royal Navy on their boat deployments around the area.
One of the most prestigious duties and experiences was the
previously mentioned ceremonial Covenant Guard where we
were to stand outside the Governor of Gibraltar’s Palace in
No2 dress uniform. Unfortunately this was situated opposite
one of the busiest pubs in town so there was no end to the
flash of cameras from multiple tourists fresh off the cruise
ships. This also meant there was a wide array of females
around to help pass the time.
Squadron sent 7 people down headed by our Captain, Cpl
‘Mac’ Macdonald and we were accompanied by our Squadron
OC, Maj Bennett along with Roman Troop OC, Lt Collins.
On arrival we waited to find out which set of teams we would
be playing against and when we would be starting. Luckily for
us our game was the very first of the competition against a
team which we took lightly. Our keeper, Sig ‘Dicko’ Dickens,
thought they wouldn’t turn up but they took an early 2-0 lead,
but with the tactical sub we made, replacing our captain with
Sig ‘Sharky’ Morrison we eventually won the game 3-2.
After that we didn’t take things too lightly, going on to win
the rest of our games quite comprehensively. One of the
teams was made of football celebrity look-alikes with Sven
Goran Erikson and Luiz Suarez. Another team consisted of
females who were only there for a laugh, however one of
them did mange to pull off an awesome nutmeg on Sig
‘Smudge’ Smith, much to the amusement of the crowd.
After the group stages we then went into the quarter finals
which was another routine victory, however the semi final
proved a lot more difficult. The game started with both
teams going in aggressively before our opponents took the
lead. This was cancelled out by a fine strike from Sig ‘Balf’
Saynor. With about 3 minutes left they took the lead again,
but in the dying seconds Sig Danny Lyth rescued the game
and took it to penalties. Up stepped Sig Lyth and ironically
after keeping us in the game, he missed the first penalty
which proved to be the decider as everyone else scored
theirs. All in all it was a good day out and we had a laugh for
a good cause.
244 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj P Stowell MBE
WO2 J Bonney
Quarter four of 2012 has been a blur for most of 244 Sig Sqn.
With A Tp in Afghanistan; C Tp deployed to Jordan, California
and Corsica; D Tp deploying on a military skills exercise to
Gibraltar and the remainder preparing for operations,
contingency or simply supporting, life has been busy. All this
activity has still allowed time for personal development and
social activity, which has been the focus of this month’s Wire
article. Quarter one of 2013 is starting to shape up equally
busy as the Squadron moves into its next rotation.
EXERCISE BRUNO ROCK - by Sig Mcilwain
Ex BRUNO ROCK was an exercise where hard work was to be
found. Initially breaking into the week slowly with various
lessons and briefs on how to conduct drills and skills taught
for tunnel warfare and FIBUA, it soon stepped up finding us
without daylight for thirty six hours on a rather strenuous
exercise. Though indeed it was tough at times it was also
thoroughly enjoyed by all as for most it was the first time they
had ever done anything like this and perhaps also the last.
44
Overall the general consensus was everyone who took part
gained something from the time spent in Gibraltar and all
were grateful to the people who put it together; I know
myself if the opportunity arises in the future I would be happy
to go again and would thoroughly recommend it to all. A
great few weeks in the sun!
BERGATHON - by Capt Brinkworth
On 27 Sep 12, 6 members of the Squadron formed the
Regimental team for the Bergathon, a RAF run event in
Stafford. Most of the team having done Lanyard a number of
times, the general perception was that a RAF event cannot be
as tough, surely not? How wrong we were.
The event consisted of 2 fire-teams of 3 men completing a
relay of 10km, three times over. Whilst one team was running
the route, with weight and rifle, the other would be shooting
on DCCT. Whilst ordinarily such a distance would not be
difficult to complete at usual speeds, we could not face being
beaten by the RAF and were under strict instructions on
leaving the Regiment at 0200hrs that morning not to return
unless carrying silverware. We therefore put in every last
ounce of effort to beat last year’s winners from the RAF Regt.
The 21 Signal Regiment team was also the only one to turn up
with its dedicated support crew led by 244 SSM, providing
admin support and much needed encouragement through the
darker moments of the day.
Despite the team’s efforts, and also winning best shots of the
competition, we came overall second, albeit by a number of
minutes out of a total of some 6 hours. It was desperately
close and due to the staggered start we were none the wiser
until the presentation. That said we still maintain that it must
have been a fix as the RAF could not let the Army beat them
at their own competition. All in all a very tough 6 hours of
phys for which we were grateful for the invitation.
BADMINTON HORSELESS TRIALS - by Sig Knowles
On 7 October 2012, 244 Signal Squadron took part in a charity
event to raise money for the Air Formation Signals
Association. The challenging running event took place in
Badminton on the famous Horse Trials course, with around
300 participants, both civilian and military.
This event happens every year with people coming dressed
up, dressed down, the old, the very young and even the odd
few getting pulled around by their own dogs; to the Sqn’s
disgust there was a young ten year old running the course
and he beat most of the competitors in his Rastafarian hat!
Despite the fact there was the option of running 5, 9 or 13
miles, Cpls Boothby and Smissen chose the middle option. As
we were all getting warmed up LCpl Harris turned up in all his
‘Gucci’ running kit. In his bright white Skins compression
socks and under shorts, we all thought this was the guy who
was going to win. However, as we finished we saw a group of
St. John’s Ambulance workers around him writing a med
report about his sore leg as he fell over on the first couple of
miles and “injured himself”. All the gear and no idea!!
After completing the first 5 miles Sig ‘I love my sideburns’
Knowles’ foot went numb. He started flapping about it so he
decided to take his trainer off for the final 4 miles on the way,
receiving weird looks and comments as he ran past fellow
competitors and supporters. Out of the 4 teams that 244
Signal Squadron entered, Sqn HQ won the event with Cpl
Worthington taking 1st place in the whole event.
Overall the event was a great success: we had the ‘free phys’
session in the morning, followed by a free roast dinner on the
Squadron and a late start on the Monday morning. With
obviously lots of individual charity raising done, we collected
£301. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves, even Cpl
‘BTAC’ Furnival who was unfortunately beaten.
After the event the Squadron headed towards the Regimental
bar for a few beers and charity horse racing. Luckily, India
Troop had just returned from Op HERRICK with their
“millions”, so Cpl Stead and Sig McShane took the betting to
a new level. Meanwhile at the bar Sig Cheshire was getting
his promotion port in.
INDIA TROOP ADVENTURE TRAINING - by Sig Kerr
After a 4 month tour of Afghanistan, India troop travelled to
Newquay, Cornwall, for a week of adventure training. Many
faced their biggest fears during the different activities,
however everyone had a brilliant time. Not only was it a week
of fun after a busy tour, it was also a goodbye to a few
members of the Troop who will be missed by all.
Our first activity was coasteering, which is making your way
from one part of the coastline to another by using a
combination of swimming and rock climbing. This often
involved jumping off the side of a cliff face into the water; for
many this was very nerve racking. The jumps varied from
around 8ft to 40ft which admittedly a few members of the
Troop ‘chickened out’. To finish the day we were taken
through a cave where we were thrown about by the water
and could not see a thing due to the darkness, which meant
we had to rely on each other to guide us through.
back on our bikes and did another day of walking and
mountain biking which was thoroughly enjoyable.
A long walk along the coastline in the typical English weather
is how we ended a good week. Our final day in Newquay
came around quickly as everyone had such an enjoyable week
and it was the perfect way to celebrate being back from tour
and saying goodbye to departing members.
SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj C Budding
WO2 (SSM) Stedman
ROYAL SIGNALS INTER UNIT SWIMMING & WATER POLO
CHAMPIONSHIPS – by SSgt Dave Durrans
On 17 October 2012 the following team set off to Yeovilton:
Male Team
SSgt Durrans Sgt Horoszko Cpl Palmer
LCpl Gordon
Sig Cheshire
Sig Brown
Sig Carmichael
Female Team
Sgt Gunn
Sgt Frostick
Cpl Kemble-Stephenson
Sig Ferris
Sig Watson
After several weeks of training and coaching by the OIC SSgt
Dave Durrans the team had perfected their technical ability in
both swimming and water polo, the team started to look and
perform like the GB team (cough!).
On the day the mighty team sat biting their nails and
wondering where Cpl Gemma Kemble-Stephenson and Sgt
Frostick were as clearly their MATT 9 wasn’t in date after
getting lost! SSgt Dave Durrans stepped up to take the first
win in the 50m Freestyle with a time of 29.49s. After the first
six races the male team had won four and came second in the
other two, and the female team took the positions of first to
third to place them overall in 3rd before the relays after Sgt
Kirsten Gunn took first in her 50m Breaststroke race.
During the relays the girls secured third in all their races and
secured third place in the competition. The boys, after Sgt
Bruce Horoszko, Sig ‘Chesh’ Cheshire, ‘Browny’ Brown and
Carmichael were disqualified in their 4 x 50m Breaststroke
after supposedly launching off too early but still beat the
other teams by a clear 10m gap.
The final race, the 4 x 50m Medley Sig Carmichael started off
with his backstroke skills and maintaining the speed to keep
up with 11SR, LCpl ‘Flash’ Gordon took the lead in the fly by a
mere 2 foot, Cpl Adam Palmer came head to head during his
breast stroke, leaving the final leg to SSgt Dave Durrans to try
and take the win. After a bad tumble turn he lost ground to
11SR and then clicked in to hyper drive to make up the lost
I Tp’s AT in Newquay! A bit of a change of scenery post HERRICK
Our second activity was mountain biking. Our route took us
through some of the most scenic parts of the Cornish
countryside where we were covered in mud and soaked
through by the time we had finished. With undulating terrain
and a cheeky cycling pace we were all exhausted by the end,
but everyone had enjoyed themselves so much they decided
to carry on and explore.
That night the weather deteriorated which meant sea
kayaking was cancelled the next day due to the water being
too dangerous. Not willing to let this ruin our day we jumped
21 Signal Regiment (Air Support) Male Team Inter Unit
Champions 2012
45
ground and take the win with over a foot, securing the
Championship win for the Regiment.
After a short lunch break the team were ready for the Water
Polo matches, the first game we lost against 11SR 0-2 but
taking the win against 10SR 1-4 after SSgt Dave Durrans
scored a hat trick and LCpl ‘Flash’ Gordon scored to secure a
second place in the water Polo Championship.
QMS DEPARTMENT – by Cpl Fox
With the introduction of MJDI and the start of MST personnel
in the departments are stretched preparing for Op HERRICK
19 and our continued support to the field Squadrons. Watch
this space in the next edition for an account of our
experiences transitioning to MJDI and JAMES (L).
We are now saying goodbye to Sgt Becky Frostick (Falklands),
Cpl Lincoln Jones (Wattisham), LCpl ‘Goz’ Gosbee (Tidworth)
and Cpl Tony Murray who has come to the end of his military
service and is now on resettlement preparing for the
transition into civilian life. We also welcome Sgt ‘Teddy’
Anderson RLC onto the Bowman account and Cpl ‘Gee’
Greenwood RLC onto the USA (T) who says he is eagerly
awaiting the delivery of Falcon!!
7th ARMY CROSS-COUNTRY STEEPLECHASE
– by Cpl Disney REME
On 14 Nov 12 the 21 Sig Regt (AS) team set out to the Infantry
Training Centre, Catterick to compete in the 7th Army CrossCountry Steeplechase. It was the first time the event had
been held in Catterick, the previous 6 years were undertaken
in Tidworth Garrison where it gained a reputation as being
one of the hardest races the Army had to offer with teams
from the Para’s and Commando’s consistently entering and
getting good results.
The course didn’t let anyone down in being “horrendous” in
fact the organiser Maj Young said it was an even harder
course this year with the natural terrain lending itself to the
course to make it just that little bit harder. In total the race
consisted of a 9.3 mile route with 100+ “gates” or obstacles
to be crossed. These obstacles ranged from logs conveniently
placed along the track, some even up the steep hills, fences to
climb and waist high water ditches to wade through. This was
completed while carrying 9kg plus water just to make it that
little bit more deserving of its reputation.
At the start of the race there were maroon and Commando
badged t-shirts adorned by most participants; this didn’t
phase us at all as we remembered the inspirational team talk
by SSgt (SSI) Clemens, he told us to maintain a steady start
and exorcise the demons when they attack during the harder
stages of the race! He certainly took his own advice to the
extreme, he must have been battling pretty hard with his own
demons when, for a moment, they took over. The demons
tripped him and unfortunately he took a hard fall, landing on
his face and sliding at least a few feet. It’s surprising what
affect this can have on the morale of the other members of
the team, it certainly boosted our performances!
The 21 Sig Regt (AS) team performed well finishing in third,
only being beaten by 7 Para RHA who came first and 2 PARA
who finished in second. The individual results are as follows:
Capt Phillips 13th, Cpl Disney 15th, Cpl Cridland 17th, LCpl
Grey 25th, SSgt (SSI) Clemens 27th, WO2 (RQMS) Robinson
49th, WO1 (RSM) Brown 52nd and LCpl Boham 74th. As you
can tell by those who entered we had a diverse range of age
and rank within the team; most of the other teams had sent
their youngest and fittest lads to attend this sadistic race. It
deserves a mention that while on the face of it LCpl Boham
didn’t seem to do very well, it must be remembered that he
had one hours notice prior to getting on the mini bus up to
Catterick and the race itself is one of the hardest.
With no formal training for the event the Regt can be proud
of its achievement. We were relying on the base level fitness
of those who entered which goes to show that the level of
fitness amongst those in the Regiment is of a high standard.
This event can now be added to the current list of sporting
achievements held by 21 Sig Regt (AS).
22nd SIGNAL REGIMENT
STAFFORD
CO
RSM
Lt Col L Westerman
WO1 (RSM) A Fraser
217 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj N Schurmann
WO2 (SSM) Stephenson
EXERCISE STEADFAST JUNCTURE
Working in the NER - by Sig Nendick
It was the first time I had used the new ARRC ICS kit and
during the course of the ex my knowledge of what makes the
‘engine turn’ would increase dramatically. From routers to
switches, to ports and printers I soon realised I was in at the
deep end with a lot to learn. Sgt Rudra was eager to put me
through my paces, and within the first week I was able to
undertake minor det tasks. I was regularly grilled about the
different pieces of equipment and the functionality of it. This
was the best way for me to expand my knowledge of how the
Network Equipment Room worked.
The routine in the NER was fairly simple. There were always
46
the everyday tasks to be done; we were responsible for the
2nd line support for the Floorwalker team, who would liaise
with Staff Officers, face-to-face on the shop floor. In between
the two, Sig Areola and I were at the sharp end; both keen to
impress, we were given tasks to complete by Sgt Rudra in a
bid to prove that we could undertake what he had taught us
throughout the day. Some people were responsible for
servers, and others for the networking, and I was in the
middle picking up the basics of the pair. I soon realised that
even though we deployed and worked as a team in EXCON Tp,
the NER was responsible for providing the Staff Officers with
vital services, the use of data and voice services, as well as
printing and application services. Essential to this was SSgt
McKenna and his applications team from 252 Sig Sqn.
Halfway through my stint with the NER two more smaller
detachments arrived. These were brought in to act as a
training aid for those of us who were new to the equipment.
This helped us massively as we were not stuck behind the
‘barrier of fear’ of making mistakes on the equipment that
supported the exercise. We were now able to really get stuck
in and develop what we had learnt, under the guidance of Cpl
Ingwahang and LCpl Robinson. By the end of my term I had
learnt perhaps a little more than the basics, but was able to
configure VoIP phones, switches and routers. Now more
comfortable operating with this equipment, I am now a
member of the detachment. My work here isn’t over yet!
Floorwalking - by LCpl McInerney
On 29 August we set off for RAF St. Mawgan on a certification
exercise for ARRC and our new home for almost three
months, after a six hour coach trip we arrived and settled
quickly into our not-so-luxurious accommodation. Setting to
work almost immediately we had to prepare EXCON for the
250 and the 50 Staff Officers being exercised during Ex
NOBLE LEDGER and Ex STEADFAST JUNCTURE respectively.
After four weeks of very long hours, gruelling hard work and
getting trained up we were ready as Floorwalkers. Everything
was set – our job was to provide 1st line support and the first
port of call for any problems, rectify any faults and escalate if
necessary.
Ex NOBLE LEDGER ran for two weeks throughout October
and at the start our job was mostly to get the Staff Officers
settled in, allowing them to start work and to get to grips
with any issues they had. Our role involved running the
service desk and supervising any video teleconferences (VTCs)
that were being conducted. Even with a shift of only 7 or 8
we could keep the 250 users happy, most of the time! We
were always kept busy with the tasks set by the Ops team,
the demands of the Staff and with MATT training.
When the first exercise had finished we were split into two
groups during the reset phase, one group rotated through
leave while the other group reset EXCON for the next
exercise. Ex STEADFAST JUNCTURE lasted for about eight
days and even though there were only 50 Staff Officers we
were still kept really busy with having less manpower and
covering at least five VTCs a day! Even so, we managed to
keep the Staff more than happy and we were told that we
were now ready for the ARRC exercises scheduled for next
year. When the magic word of ‘ENDEX’ was called we quickly
got all our equipment packed and set off back to camp.
Nerves of steel as LCpl Glasby awaited the inevitable
it happen and to those wanting to see the great work we do
in Kenya please visit our website http://charitiesforchildren.
co.uk/ where you can see examples of what we do and how
you can help this great cause.
222 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj O Dinnis
WO2 (SSM) King
BAND OF BROTHERS WING WALK - by LCpl Glasby
Earlier this year, on the 26 July, I had the opportunity to take
up an offer to wing walk courtesy of AeroSuperBatics Ltd.
They had teamed up with Band of Brothers, who are derived
from Help for Heroes. They organise and offer out the
chances to take part in exciting events, such as a wing walk,
with the aim of raising money in order to help change the
lives of injured servicemen and women and their families.
Having recently returned from BATUK, I also took this chance
to raise awareness for the Nanyuki Childrens Charitable Trust
for whom I volunteer to help them look after the orphaned
and street children of Nanyuki, Kenya.
After a very nervy drive down to the airfield there was no
time wasted getting me strapped onto the wings of the plane.
It was then I realised it probably wasn’t wise to be wearing
beige trousers as my fear could soon be on show!!! What
happened next was 10 minutes of pure hell! Once in the air I
was surprised to find out the fat from my chin could flap
behind my ear. It was something new to say the least. It was
a fearful experience and certainly took me out of my comfort
zone. However, once back on firm ground I realised I wanted
to do it again! Although it was over relatively quickly, thanks
to donations from work £400 was raised for charity.
I have to pass on great thanks to everyone involved in making
Safely strapped in, ready for the fun bit
47
EXERCISE STEADFAST JUNCTURE - by Lt Taylor
And so it was that 222 Sig Sqn, along with a cross-section of 22
Sig Regt returned to the ever welcoming RAF St Mawgan,
Cornwall for Ex STEADFAST JUNCTURE. Much of the ICS
requirements and delivery had remained the same from 2
weeks previously following the completion of Ex NOBLE
LEDGER, where we, along with the rest of HQ ARRC were
certified as capable of fulfilling the role supporting NATO
Response Force (NRF) 19. We continued our close working
relationship with ARRC Support Batallion as we awaited the
return of the Staff.
There was a difference upon our return to St Mawgan – the
end was in sight, and everybody had the Remembrance
Service on 11 Nov penned in as the final act on what has
proven to be, for many reasons, a challenging autumn. The
CS Engs were reunited with their NER, SSgt (YofS) Muirhead
was reunited with his hard drives and we were all reunited
with the Tuck Shop! Combined with Julian the Meerkat, I
mean Sgt Ablott, back on the Service Desk and all was looking
rosy! With the majority of the Sqn now back together, there
appeared to be a view that this last push could actually be
enjoyable – especially knowing that Christmas leave was only
just around the corner once the exercise was turned around.
As a Corps level HQ, ARRC Main is the largest deployable HQ
that UK forces support. It was prepared and ready for the
Staff’s second coming. All that was needed was for Sqn to
knuckle down once more providing data and voice networks,
video telephone conferencing, Reacher, TacSat, Bowman,
Housekeeper to name just a few. Cross-training was all
important and began from the word go in order to spread the
skills out across the Sqn. Without going into the detail, the
exercise was a relative success – the highlight being the
introduction of an Audio Distribution Unit enabling the
Commander to address his entire HQ during his daily updates
and meetings (honestly it really was the highlight).
All the work done, the last item on the agenda was the
Remembrance Service within which the majority of us
growled our way through some stirring hymns, Maj Dinnis
faced the prospect of being clobbered by a large Fijian LCpl
with a stick (the Padre Vince was teaching us a lesson on
hitting the target) and we gathered for the last time as a
deployed force, remembering all who had been before us.
248 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj S Jones
WO2 (SSM) Khagendra
CHARITY CURRY LUNCH IN AID OF GURKHA WELFARE TRUST
AND WOMEN WITHOUT ROOFS - by Sgt Amritman Gurung
A charity curry lunch was held in the Warrant Officers and
Sergeants’ Mess, Beacon Barracks Stafford on the 23rd
November 2012 in aid of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and Women
Without Roofs. The initiative was to raise money for both
charities and also to further integrate MOD Stafford within
the wider Stafford community.
Earlier this year I had the privilege of accompanying the CO on
a duty trek to the Eastern and Western parts of Nepal. It was
an eye opener to meet people who were looked after by the
GWT and WWR. We saw an urgent need to help to those
people in various parts of Nepal; therefore, after returning
back to the UK I devised a plan to raise some money, but
more importantly to raise awareness in the general public.
After lots of preparation the day of the event arrived and I
was joined by Maj (Retd) Bishnu Pun MVO and Mrs Anna
Townsend representing the GWT and WWR respectively.
Photo with Mr Jeremy Lefroy, MP for Stafford constituency (2nd
from left))
HQ ARRC Main is the largest deployable UK forces headquarters
Having been deployed in St Mawgan for a couple of months
already, ten days of having the Staff around went relatively
quickly and soon enough the recovery was the main effort.
This was the first time we had had to recover everything all in
one go having previously exercised on our own doorstep.
Given a relative lack of experience, pulling out the thousands
of metres of copper and fibre, loading the ISO containers and
the accounting of thousands of items of ICS equipment was a
big task. We completed the tear down having identified
plenty of lessons. Learning them and rectifying them is the
next step before we go into 2013.
48
Sgt Amritman presenting Kothemora Khukuri to CO 22 Signal
Regiment
The programme commenced with me thanking everyone for
making the effort to be a part of the event, but most
importantly for their kind and generous contributions to both
Charities. The event was attended by individuals from a wide
variety of the community; Member of Parliament for Stafford,
the local Mayor, Director of Air and Ground Limited, Principal
of Stafford College and Director of the Academic Group,
Comd 1 Signal Brigade, Comd QG Signals, CO 22 Signal
Regiment and officers and Gurkha SNCOs from 22 Signal
Regiment were in attendance.
With everyone looking their best we proceeded to the Hub
Dining Hall for one of the main highlights of the evening - the
Dashain Feast, also known as ‘Bada Khana’, specially prepared
by our very own Gurkha chefs. Everyone was spoilt for choice
as the Bada Khana was laid out before them, and with wine
on the tables everyone left with a contented stomach. The
celebration was in full swing and everyone was making merry.
With the crowd expecting more, the main show of the
evening commenced with a display of ethnic and modern
dances which the crowd thoroughly enjoyed.
Altogether we managed to raise a substantial amount of
money - approximately £2400. It would not have been a
success without the help from my colleagues, generous
contributions by the public and everyone involved directly or
indirectly.
Jai QG Signals!
STAFFORD GURKHA COMMUNITY CELEBRATES DASHAIN 2012
- by Sig Gyanendra Rai
‘Vijaya Dashami’, often known as ‘Dashain’, is a 15 days long
Hindu religious festival celebrated round the globe. Being the
most anticipated event in the Nepalese calendar, Dashain is
when the people celebrate the triumph of good over evil
embodied by the Goddess Durga slaying the demon
Mahishasura. During the 15 day celebrations the Goddess
Durga is worshipped with numerous Pujas, abundant
offerings, and the ritual of holy bathing. Dashain is also
known for its emphasis on family gatherings with people
returning from all over the world to celebrate together.
This year, overcoming obstacles from other commitments,
248 Gurkha Signal Squadron celebrated Dashain in style.
Although the whole Regiment was heavily engaged with
exercises, the Squadron was able to secure enough time to
prepare for the Dashain celebrations back in Stafford; with
the festival just round the corner we were lucky enough to be
able to return back to barracks for a short break from the
exercise. Working hand-in-hand various team leaders were
nominated to make preparations and it wasn’t long before
things started piecing together. With dance rehearsals in full
swing and decorations liberally applied, things inside the
Fragger’s Club started taking shape.
By the evening of 19 October the Fragger’s Club had finally
been transformed into a festive environment with colourful
lights and decorations adorning the room. Finally the most
awaited moment had arrived. The men dressed in their smart
traditional ‘Daura Suruwals’ and ‘Dhaka Topi’, and the women
in their ‘Saaris’ started arriving. Our British counterparts
weren’t left out either as they also showed up in traditional
Nepali costumes to our amazement.
Boys enjoying Bada Khana
To conclude the evening ‘Kushiko Nach’ was declared and the
chief guest was called upon the stage to join in. With
everyone dancing all over the place, Dashain fever was on!
The drinks and dances continued on till the early hours.
Dashain wasn’t over yet as the climax was everyone being
able to spend time with their families. With a few days off in
the next week, there was more festive happiness bound for
sure. On the morning of 24 October, all Gurkha soldiers and
officers assembled in Stafford Gurkha Temple to perform the
Dashain Tika ceremony. Pujaris and offerings were made to
the Goddess Durga followed by Tika (rice with red vermilion
and yoghurt) and blessings made by the Squadron 2IC, Capt
Tesharjang Gurung, symbolising the blessing of the younger
members.
From a personal point of view, I would say that Dashain in
Stafford had been extremely successful. Although we did not
have much time to prepare, everyone came together for this
joyous occasion to celebrate the festival as it really is meant
to be. The event left me content in my heart and made me
feel at home.
252 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Capt A Taft
WO2 (SSM) A Williams
BLANDFORD TOWER 10 MULTI-TERRAIN RACE - by Sig Emery
CO 22 Signal Regiment with other guests
The Blandford Tower 10 run is a yearly event held at The Royal
School of Signals in and around the grounds of Blandford
Garrison. The run symbolises dedication, motivation, hard
work and a lot of behind the scenes work for the organisers
and competitors. The multi terrain course varied from track,
road running and cross country with various and multiple
inclines and declines over 10 miles, proving extremely
challenging to anyone considering taking part. The
competition is open to all Regular serving Officers, Soldiers
and TA personnel. This could either be attempted in running
attire or military clothing carrying 40lbs. All entry fees minus
the cost of medals and water bottles and money raised was
donated to the Royal British Legion. Kowloon Troop entered
2 teams. Team A consisted of WO2 (SSM) Williams, SSgt
49
Peake, Sgt Cooke and Cpl Withers. Team B included SSgt
(SQMS) Kelly, LCpl Purcell, Sig Emery and Pte Thompson.
However, the preparation started a long time prior to the
race, testing each individual’s commitment, grit and
determination, hard work and their individual and team
aspirations to succeed individually and as a team. This started
with 100 percent effort during PT sessions three times a week
and combining this with personal training before and after
work gave excellent foundations of a high level of fitness.
Our personal sessions needed to be controlled, challenging
and have natural progression in order to improve as an
athlete. Motivation was key to maintain focus and continue
with training because it is easy after a hard and longs day
work to say I’ll do it tomorrow. WO2 (SSM) Williams, SSgt
Peake and Sgt Cooke took their training a step further with
grouped runs simulating the types of terrains and distances
expected on the Tower 10 run. They gradually increased
distances and difficulty to condition the body for the intensity
and fatigue on the body caused by the long distance running.
Wednesday 17 October, the morning of the competition
expectations were high and tense. This didn’t stop the lighthearted banter which eased the mood and boomed the moral
within the two teams. For instance, Sig Emery’s dress was
questionable and comparable to those attending
Bournemouth beach which sparked an array of jokes in good
and friendly humour. The journey down to Blandford wasn’t
too long but gave everyone chance to mentally prepare for
race. We arrived in plenty of time, giving opportunities for
stretching, fluid intake, registration of our teams and the
calming of any anxiety. On arrival you could feel and sense
the excitement in the atmosphere and looking around you
could see the determination in the competitor’s eyes, bringing
excellent competition for the race. A briefing was held before
the race to explain the course with timings, medal parade
after and any procedures in case of an emergency. This
brings to the race 1400hrs and it starts!!!
After a strenuous and tiring 10 miles that tested all abilities
the race was over for some fortunately and others
unfortunately. The course was a lot harder than expected but
enjoyable. Team A did excellently in the team competition
winning 1st prize. This was gained by all their individual
positions added together and the team with the lowest score
won. Team 2 unfortunately didn’t get on the medals parade
but had a respectable time and position. Positions were Sgt
Cooke 5th, SSgt Peake 10th, WO2 (SSM) Williams 13th, Cpl
Withers 14th, Pte Thompson 36th and LCpl Purcell 39th, Sig
Emery didn’t finish due to injury. This brings the competition
to a close and as one race finishes the preparation for another
begins.
LYDIARD PARK 5TH – 6TH NOVEMBER 2012 - by Cpl Gilbert
Beginning the day nice and early and very cold, five members
of 252 Sig Sqn set off to Lydiard Park Royal Wootton Bassett.
None of us knowing what to expect, just assuming that we
were in for a hard days work. After we arrived at the park we
were greeted by Nicola who quickly set us to task as situated
around the park were a number of plots all of which were
dedicated to remembrance crosses sent in by members of the
public. These crosses held many a message to soldiers young
and old. What was especially touching as we hammered
these crosses into the respective plots was the sheer number
(approx 45,000). Soon after, to our relief, a further 30 more
helpers arrived to share our workload. Luckily for 252 we had
already secured our plots, the few spaces in the sun, which
was very welcome. Much of the rest of the day was spent
listening to all those around us reading aloud the touching
messages sent in.
The following day was very much similar to the first, only
today we had poppies to place on stalks, ready for school
children to plant over the next few days. Again it was very
overwhelming listening to people read aloud the messages of
support. After finishing the two days hard work the sore
backs and calloused hands with splinters, was not complained
about after understanding the messages of appreciation for
the soldiers of today and yesteryear.
We will remember them.
The Team’s efforts at Lydiard Park, Royal Wootton Bassett
EXERCISE STEADFAST JUNCTURE - by LCpl Payne
I am currently part of the C2 Applications team at 252 Signal
Squadron who were deployed several weeks before the
exercise started to ensure all our applications were up and
running, ready for the staff to use during the exercise. The
applications team consists of a SSgt, three Sgts, two Cpls and
two LCpls.
We had kit deployed at three locations: Main; Excon; and
JLSG. I was deployed with three others to Main, located at
RAF St Mawgan, where most of our kit was deployed to
support over a thousand end users. Our kit at main consisted
of four Fas Stacks running seven physical application servers
and one esxi virtual host. A physical ICC server was run as a
backup for both Main and Excon. A further two Fas Stacks
and a physical ICC server were deployed to support the 35
staff at Excon. This setup was mirrored at JLSG in
Oakhampton, where a further 150 staff were based.
The Winning Team
50
All communication was established before the first exercise
and this was supported by 222, 248 and 217 Signal Squadrons.
We had already built our servers prior to the previous exercise
but they still required a data reset. Certain applications like
NITB and JEMM required upgrading and this created
problems as they had not been tested on 2008 servers before
- we found this a big learning curve. Fixes for TOPFAS also
had to be applied to individual UADs which took several days
to complete but avoided a lot of problems with TOPFAS users
later on. Certain members of the staff, including branch Fas
manager, deployed early to help with this data reset.
Members of 252’s Kowloon Troop were also deployed to
assist with the service desk - run on the exercise area by 222
Squadron. They proved to be a big help for those who had
never worked in this environment before.
At the start of the exercise we experienced some problems
with Adobe Connect, an application used by most of the staff
to hold conferences and share presentations. Myself and LCpl
Shenton tried to rectify an audio issue that many users were
having but discovered that it was a network problem; lots of
network testing later, and after taking several of our
applications offline through the night, the problem was fixed.
This exercise was a first for some of our team and a great deal
was learnt. A lot of the deployed kit was new and some trial
and error was needed when running applications on the 2008
servers but using the experience and knowledge throughout
the team we provided the services for the exercise
successfully.
REMEMBRANCE PARADE - 252 SIGNAL SQUADRON
- by Sig Jones
The preparation for Remembrance Sunday got underway on a
cold Saturday morning at 0900 hrs, with WO2 (SSM) Williams
conducting an inspection. A few points were raised before
the parade finished with us being given 20 minutes to return
in PCS for a bit of drill practice. Although not everyone’s idea
of a good Saturday morning, the practice seemed a good idea
as a few people forgetting the basics. After a good hour and
half of practice, the improvement was clear, and finally we
were ready for the Remembrance Parade.
Remembrance day arrived and everyone gathered at 0815 in
work, the hours of hard work bulling and ironing clearly
appeared with everyone looking as smart as a carrot. With
the transport being late and the Sergeant Major less than
convinced with the drill performance the day before, it was
decided that we had a bit of time to practice, TREAT!
As confidence grew (with the help of a glass of Tesco’s finest
ruby Port!) the transport arrived and we set off towards
Tewkesbury. As we pulled up we noticed the streets lined
with police, men, women, children and Veterans. Nerves
grew when we realised we had to march in front of what
seemed like every man and his dog!
The time had come and there we were, stood in three ranks
about to set off through town. Despite a few calls of the
wrong foot, and the odd person out of step we held it
together and can feel proud of how well we did our bit for
Remembrance Sunday
We arrived at Tewkesbury Abbey and filed into the church.
The amount of people who lined the streets was almost too
much as there were not enough seats to go around, after the
final blessing by the priest and the amazing singing off Cpl
Withers the Squadron started to fall in outside and make their
way to the memorial.
The Parade finally arrived at the memorial with LCpls Adeoti
and Donoghue in line to hand over the wreaths to the high
ranks of HQ ARRC and Sig Jones to lay one wreath on behalf
of the Squadron. After a nerve wracking 15 minutes around
the memorial it was time for the parade to make its way back
to the British Legion and have a few drinks on behalf of the
fallen soldiers from the past and present conflicts.
EXERCISE HOPTON HONG KONG 2012 -by Sig Robertson
It was a cold and dreadful morning as we paraded at 0930hrs
on Sunday 25 November outside the north gate. We all stood
there thinking of what the week ahead would hold, knowing
that it was going to be cold, wet and windy. We packed the
bergans and grip bags onto the DAF then headed off to
collect weapons from the armoury before the four hour drive
to Hythe ranges. The first two days of the exercise were to
involve live firing of the SA 80, GPMG and pistol.
Day one on the ranges didn’t get off to a good start for detail
one, as the heavens opened and down come the rain for the
best part of 2 hours. After detail one had finished their 80
rounds it was back to the Troop shelter to try and dry off Capt Taft was pouring puddles of water out of her boots and
wringing out her socks. The rain started to clear up, and
whilst the other two details were out firing, weapon training
on the GPMG and Pistol was being taught by WO2 (SSM)
Williams. As the day came to a close it was time to head off
for scoff and then back to the ranges to complete the final
shoot of the day, a night shoot.
Day two on the ranges got off to a good start with the
weather being slightly sunny. We split down into two details;
one to fire the GPMG and the other detail to do an ACMT on
the pistol. On the pistol range there was a prize for top shot
which Sgt Cooke won by getting 30 out of 32.
It was an early start to the Wednesday morning as we cleaned
the block and collected weapons, ready to deploy on the field
phase of the exercise. As we arrived at the exercise area it
was time to get our cam cream on and get ready for a day of
lessons and revision. Later on we moved to securing a
harbour area and set up our bashers before getting into night
time routine. As we started to stag on the weather become
colder and it became harder to concentrate on our arcs.
When morning finally arrived it was time for the first
inspection. Those picked up for not cleaning their weapons
or changing socks were soon getting warm by running to a
tree and back. As the day went on we put all we knew and
learned into action as we patrolled across the area. Finally,
after another cold night of watching the frost form, it was
Friday and the final attack was upon us. Morale was high
among the troops as we knew it was nearly all over.
The final attack lasted for an hour and a half before it was
time to head back to the RV point. As we started to move off
we soon heard the cries of “Man down!” and discovered it
was the 3 biggest people in each section LCpl Yebuah (1
Section), Sig Nazer-Abbasi (2 Section) and Cpl Withers (3
Section) who had been taken out. It all started well for 3
Section as we took the lead but out of nowhere 2 Section
made their way past to take the lead and reach the RV point
first. Once all 3 sections had made it to the RV point it was
time to get cleared off the area and pack all the kit away
before a well deserved long weekend.
JUNIOR RANKS CHRISTMAS LUNCH - by Sig Clare
To kick off the Christmas cheer, 252 (Hong Kong) Sig Sqn were
woken up at 0630 with a treat from the Squadron OC: a
beverage I could guess to be coffee, with some kind of
alcohol infusion. It was a great way to start the day.
Five hours later we were in the briefing centre, accompanied
by the ever enthusiastic padre, singing our hearts out to all
the well known Crimbo tunes. After the singing we had the
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luxury of a mince pie and cup of warm mulled wine; loved the
pie, wasn’t that keen on the wine. We must have been in
work for less than 10 minutes before the fire alarm went off,
resulting in an extra 20mins out of work. One can only
assume this is our Christmas bonus for all the hard work
throughout the year.
Our next timing was 12:50, our destination Christmas dinner. I
couldn’t wait as I was absolutely starving. We had been
warned on several occasions that there were to be no food
fights; see how long that lasts!
We formed up outside building 248, we were then matched to
the scoff house by the ever Mr Keen himself the SSM. The
starter, tomato soup, was delicious, and the main even better.
We were treated to turkey, ham stuffing, pigs in blankets and
gravy - mmmmmmmmm gravy northern boys love gravy - and
not forgetting Tesco’s very best John Smiths, Carling and
Fosters. To top it off we were served by Officers and SNCO’s
who looked overjoyed with their new role within HQ ARRC.
Christmas Lunch
BRAMCOTE
CO
RSM
Lt Col R J Watts MBE
WO1 (RSM) Setchfield
REGIMENTAL RUGBY – by Lt Helen Ramsden
The start of this year’s rugby season has been a struggle to
say the least; unfortunately the Regiment has begun the
season with 3 losses to 2 Logistics Support units and The
Pilgrims. Each match has been an extremely physical affair
with the Regiment improving tactically in every game.
The team is coached by Capt Mark Parr and Lt Toby Rowe
who continue to strive for the same results and success that
was achieved last season, where they managed to get to the
final of the Signals Cup. The team is now looking forward to
the rest of the season to improve on the previous games and
get some more wins under their belt!
REGIMENTAL FOOTBALL – by Sig Ashford
Since returning from Ex UNCERTAIN LENS in Cyprus the
Regiment’s football team has played 6 games of which we
have won every one! The first game was against the Infantry
Battle School, Brecon which was convincingly won 7-1. The
goals came from LCpl ‘Ronaldo’ Jones who scored 5, Sig ‘Fat
Head’ Wyer who scored one and the final goal was from Sig
‘Shippers’ Ashford.
The Regiment went into the next game with confidence. The
game was at Bramcote against Hereford Pilgrims and it was
another positive 90 minutes of football which ended with a
3-1 victory to 30 Signal Regiment. The goals this time came
from Sig Ashford and LCpl Jones as before.
30 Signal Regiment football team stand second in the West
Midlands Inter Service Football League and are still in the
Army Cup and the West Midlands Cup going into Christmas.
The team are looking forward to the rest of the season and
are hoping to maintain the same high standards that they
have already demonstrated. This should be aided by the
return of LCpl Bush soon!
250 (GURKHA) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj J Malcolm
WO2 (SSM) Tirtha
250 Gurkha Signal Squadron has continued to work and play
hard during the last 2 months. Elements of the Sqn have been
deployed on Ex JORVIC LOOK, a Very High Readiness Hospital
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deployment with 34 Field Hospital, Ex CELTIC RISING with 2
(City of Dundee) Signal Squadron providing critical ICS
services. In dribs and drabs the Sqn is also receiving Falcon
from Ashchurch and is now working with the newly formed
FALTAT implementing it into the Regiment. In true QGS
fashion the Sqn has celebrated the farewell of the outgoing
GM, the annual Sqn function and Dashain. The SHQ welcomes
SSgt (FofS(IS) Jim Elkin from his course in Blandford and the
new Chief Clerk Sgt Samitchya on promotion from RHQ.
DEPLOYMENT OF ICS DET 1 TO SUPPORT JHF(C) HQ
– by LCpl Damber
On 23 Jul 2012, X Troop from 250 GSS was deployed along
with its bespoke ICS Det 1 elements to support 4 AAC’s tier 3
Joint Helicopter Force (Contingency) [JHF(C)] HQ for the visit
of commander 16 Brigade. ICS Det 1 resides within the
250GSS as hand in glove with another prominent component
Air Borne Task Force (ABTF) for contingency operations.
The 11 personnel deployed for this task consisted of Troop
Commander Lt Toby Rowe, SSgt Rob Godfrey, Cpl Chaitanya
Ijam, Cpl Rohit Gurung, Cpl Gautam Gurung, LCpl Santa
Gurung, LCpl Suman Shrestha, LCpl Damber Chhetri, Sig
Sagar Gurung, Sig Lokendra Thapa and Sig Chandra Gurung.
Our CS assets for this deployment included Baseband in a Box
(BBiaB), JOCS, VTC, Tacsat, Housekeeper and Skylark dets.
The aim of the demonstration was to allow Comd 16 Bde to
gain a better understanding of 4 AAC’s capabilities and
requirements in JHF(C) role with ICS Det 1 fully integrated into
4AAC’s tier 3 HQ. As the demo was not live (no satellite
airtime), the equipments were needed to be laid out for
display without cabling and powering up.
After dragging our convey of trucks and rover for about 4
hours along the A14, we finally arrived at 4 Regt AAC,
Wattisham station at around 3 o’clock; the Regiment itself is
not very far from Colchester Garrison – home of 16 Air Assault
Brigade. That day ended with parking our vehicles, issuing
accommodation and other general admin. The next day was
the demo set up day followed by a rehearsal prior to the
actual demo on Wednesday 25 Jul 12. It all started with a bit
of bad luck should I say as one of our 4 tonne trucks got stuck
severely in mud on route to the proposed HQ site area which
cost us nearly 2 hours to recovering it. However it didn’t
affect our work as most of us continued with the ICS Det set
up, leaving others with the vehicle recovery. Regardless of
the very hot weather (28°C), we all worked very hard and
finished setting up ICS Det in time without any further issues.
All the equipments were neatly and correctly laid out in and
around the HQ as per the JHF(C) layout plan. The ICS Det was
fully embedded to the HQ serving as the main backbone for
all CIS infrastructures within the HQ. The whole
demonstration also included a tier 2 Bowman HQ, Apache det
and Vehicle line up drills as supported by other regiments. It
was indeed a long hot and tiring day for all of us. The day
however concluded with a highly competitive 5-a side footie
on astro turf which everyone enjoyed.
After a long wait the next day, at around 2 O’clock a group of
staff officers followed by Comd 16 Bde inspected the HQ. Our
Troop OC and Troop staff gave the keen visitors a good
knowledge about our ICS Det assets and their capabilities.
The whole demonstration went well as the visitors seemed
very content at the end. As soon as the demo was over, we
started tearing down and loading all our kit on to trucks for
the recovery phase of our deployment. We departed exercise
location very early in the morning the next day in order to
avoid traffic jams due to the opening ceremony of London
Olympics 2012 on the Friday.
As the Army is restructuring in its size whilst maintaining and
maximising its effectiveness, this demonstration was a critical
stage of the contingency development. It also indeed
provided the upper hierarchy with a clear and better
understanding of all the elements involved in a JHF(C)
deployment, their assets, infrastructures and capabilities so
future contingency operations can be dealt with easily and
effectively.
DASHAIN 2012 – by Sig Pranesh Hembya
After 3 days of laborious and thorough preparation, the
festive mood was finally beginning to kick in, as we gathered
for the Regimental Dashain celebration 2012 in Bramcote
station Gymnasium. The lobby served as a brilliant reception
for the venue, filled with colourful drinks to start off the
evening. Sparkling little lights lit up the venue and tables
adorned in white sheets and shiny glasses filled the main hall,
to complete the set up.
Dashain this year promised to be a memorable one as a lot of
hard work was put into the preparation, to accommodate the
rational changes that were introduced. So, an ample choice
of starters and variety of accompanying drinks made it a
promising start to the evening. The majority of the available
space was used to put together one of the biggest function
halls for Dashain in a long time. And, it wasn’t just about the
space. Detailed consideration on the layout and hard work
were evidently reflected as we entered the main hall. The
stage was beautifully placed to overlook the dinning hall that
glistened under the dazzling festival lights. Exquisite was
never a word afar, for the food court that we entered next
substantiated it all. As ever the grand feast or the Bada
Khana, marginally stole the brilliance of the evening for me.
The almost never ending variety of excellence served on a
plate left everyone with joyful faces. So the festive munching
started and the entertainment package soon followed. The
musical journey began with an instrumental delight from the
ever present Miteri band. Also leaving a mark were the new
emerging talents from the trainees intake 2012. The evening
also saw a rare opportunity to welcome the presence of a
famous singer, Sharmila Bardewa.
After the festival banquet a brief Dashain message from the
Colonel of the Regiment, Brig N A W Pope and GM Saheeb,
Maj Yam Rana, gave way to the final entertainment package
of the night. This year’s cultural show encompassed a
collection of wide range of dances; most notably the award
winning Ghatu Naach, performed by the Nuneaton Cultural
group. From the characteristically unique Tamang selo to the
dance of the harvest, Chandi, performed by the Rais in the
eastern hills of Nepal; the evening skimmed harmoniously
over the huge cultural differences of Nepal. Also a mixture of
fine Indian dances combining with the imaginative modern
Nepalese dances echoed the cinematic influence in our
society.
Kaal-ratri was observed at about midnight and there soon
followed the remaining few entertainment bits of the night.
The inevitable chart topper, Gamnam style completed the
entertainment package for the night. A long and energetic
Khusi ko naach brought along a jovial end to a jolly night.
The long night of celebrations ended with a whole lot of
happy faces and perhaps a few loose ends. Greetings were
exchanged and happiness traded; some in the form of
whiskey while others in the mildly natural manner. But, the
evening was far more significant for the thought that a
cultural inheritance still subsisted in our hearts and mind,
even in a land far away from home.
EXERCISE NOBEL LEDGER
Ex NOBLE LEDGER was held in RAF St Mawgan over the
period 20th September till 12th October 2012. The main aim of
the exercise was to deploy a Brigade Main Tier 3 HQ and
provide vital training for both the Brigade staff and Squadron
in preparation for the ABTF’S assumption of the NRF
commitment in January 2013. The Regiment’s role in the
exercise was to deploy one Terminal of Dial Up JOCS and
support the Tier 3 HQ by providing secret communication via
the JOCS communication system. The exercise was also
supported by Pathfinders, 12 Regiment Royal Artillery, 23
Engineer Regiment, 14 Signal Regiment, 15 Signal Regiment
and 22 Signal Regiment. The staff officers from the
commonwealth countries were also involved in the exercise.
The Exercise was conducted in 6 phases. The first phase was
preparation, second the deployment of the Squadron, third
building the HQ and testing communication equipment,
fourth training the staff officers, fifth the actual exercise
period between 6 September until 12 October and the sixth
phase was closedown and turnaround.
LCpl Santa and Sig Kailash Gurung were nominated for the
first 2 weeks of the exercise and were later replaced by Cpl
Prakash Chhantyal and Sig Lokendra Thapa. We were
attached to 216 (Para) Sig Sqn in the main HQ and our role
was to monitor the Dial Up JOCS for incoming emails/calls and
deliver it to the relevant person, throughout the exercise. We
had 216 and 217 Sig Sqns working besides us with their own
communication equipment. Since the exercise was inside the
camp, it was a good opportunity for us to access the
gymnasium facilities and shops during off shifts. We didn’t
have any issues regarding our admin or communications. The
exercise went very smoothly and we also had a good
experience of working in a Brigade level exercise.
EXERCISE CORPORATE CYGNET
On 2 Apr 1982 the Argentineans invaded the sovereignty of
the Falkland Islands. The Prime Minister of United Kingdom
responded with a strong offensive force, and on 14 June 1982
we took back what was rightfully ours. Ex CORPORATE
CYGNET was an integral part of 30 years anniversary of the
war organised to pay tribute to the men and women who
fought during the war. Many thanks to Sgt Raj who
voluntarily took the lead on the exercise.
As we sat waiting for the plane at Brize Norton it seemed like
a howling 18hr flight to Mt Pleasant Airport via Ascension
Island. Thanks to the iPad issued on the plane which made
the travel less mortifying. When we finally landed on the
Falkland Islands the view from the window was spectacular.
The sun was shining and I decided to put away my North Face
jacket much to the amusement of SSM WO2 Lane, ‘Are you
sure you are not wearing them?’. As I stepped outside the
plane I soon understood the humour, this time of the year is
summer in Falklands, however, the wind chill factor made the
temperature more or less like winter in other parts of the
world.
The following day we moved towards San Carlos Bay in our
hired 4x4s. Driving in The Falklands is completely different
and unique. One major road literally takes you round the
whole island. With no tarmac the roads could get nastier
during winter and rain, and speeding could end you up in a
ditch. It was a risk we couldn’t take, not because we were
afraid to hurt ourselves with the accident but because waiting
53
for recovery could take ages and staying out in such
forbidding cold could be rather nasty. San Carlos Bay is
located on the west of the East Falkland completely on the
opposite direction of Stanley (capital). It was obvious why
the British chose this bay as the landing zone for their war
fighting vessel and carrier ships. The Argentineans had left
the bay with weaker defence as if they weren’t expecting a
counter attack. Thus at San Carlos and Ajax Bay the soldiers
would be transported from where they would advance
towards Stanley (then Port Stanley). With only a few people
now living there San Carlos settlement looked like a deserted
town from Hollywood movies. A small museum was open for
visitors which had newspaper articles from 1982 and further
more information on the war. We were a little disappointed
that Ajax Bay was closed during the period for lambing.
We then drove back towards Goose Green where we saw
something that caught our attention. The top soil along with
dried grass was removed from the earth and left to dry in
neatly stacked piles. This would later be used for fuel. The
battle of Goose Green was fought in a place called Darwin, a
couple of miles east of Goose Green. The re-entrant leading
up the hill where Lt Col Jones VC (CO 2 Para) was killed in
action had a small pillar erected dedicated to him. The
following day we went to Mt Tumbledown which is one of the
4 major mountains surrounding Stanley. The bunkers used by
the Argentineans as defensive positions were still there on
the mountain. The sentry positions however were very ill
prepared, providing only about 30 – 40 degrees arcs of vision.
Each day we would listen to one of the exercise member
briefing the rest of the team about how the war took place.
On the third day we went to the capital Stanley. Outside the
Governor’s house the kids were playing cricket in a proper
British style all dressed up in white tops. Standing in front of
the Stanley memorial and listening to SSgt Godfrey I soon
came to realise that the Falkland war veterans belonged to a
different breed of people. We had been stood there for only
about half an hour and even with the jackets and thermals on
I wasn’t prepared to stay another 30 minutes.
I had a very little knowledge about the Falkland war before I
had the privilege to go on to this exercise. I have now
developed in myself a great deal of respect for everyone who
was involved during the war. 30 years on and we still
remember the fallen.
“Wars come and go but my soldiers stay eternal”
256 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj A Aylward
WO2 (SSM) Lane
EXERCISE UNCERTAIN LENS – by Lt Helen Ramsden
On 22 Sep 12, Charlie Troop, 256 Signal Squadron deployed to
Episkopi, Cyprus (a pleasant change from Scotland) on Ex
UNCERTAIN LENS! Charlie Troop personnel deployed the
Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ) with more than 100
Staff Officers and attached augmentees.
such as the Kolossi Castle and the Limassol Marina. We
travelled through the shopping areas, local bars and
restaurants where we were able to enjoy the local food and
drink – particularly chicken nuggets and chips!
Whilst on Ex UNCERTAIN LENSE the Troop provided over 150
UAD’s to staff officers, who took part in a simulation of a
Middle Eastern crisis and NEO Operation allowing us all to
consider contingency operations!
Fortunately all involved worked relentlessly to tear the JTFHQ
complex down allowing a day of R&R before our flight back
to cold rainy Bramcote. During the day off, the Troop enjoyed
swimming out to the inflatable trampoline, volleyball and
enjoying the last day of the sun and sea. The day all in all was
a huge boost to everyone’s moral and the Troop cohesion
was through the roof. Overall Ex UNCERTAIN LENSE was a
resounding success and a great opportunity for the Troop to
set up JTFHQ in a new environment!
Members of Charlie Troop enjoying the local food and drink! Sig
Jones, Cpl Palin, LCpl Cutter, LCpl Bush, Sig Mitchell, Sig Jones,
LCpl Gilbert and LCpl Turner
EXERCISE SOUTHERN MERCURY 12 – by Sig Dixon
Recently Alpha Troop deployed on Ex SOUTHERN MERCURY
to Qatar. During this exercise we supplied communications
for the Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ). The exercise
brought the Troop a number of challenges, from getting the
kit prepared to roll out of the door and manifesting, to the
exercise itself. Using the communications kit in the hot, dusty
climate was a big difference to what we were used to in the
UK. Attached to the Troop for the deployment were several
Electricians from the Sqn MT and Installation Technicians from
our Support Sqn. This was a great opportunity to see how
everyone worked together on a large exercise.
The advanced party (7 pax) flew out 2 weeks prior to the rest
of Troop to set up and prepare the HQ. This was ideal as the
lucky few who went out in turn completed most of the work
that was required to be completed! The idea of the exercise
was to provide stable and secure communications for the
officers to act out the serials required. It also proved that the
HQ could be deployed at short notice and provide an effective
operational Staff working environment if necessary. There
were numerous roles for personnel including Cpl Chaitanya
and LCpl Poucher who took charge of the JOCS equipment,
Cpl Gregory in charge of Cormorant and Sig Uday taking
command of the Reacher detachment.
Once we arrived at the location we had a few days to get the
HQ built so we had time to check we were ready for when the
staff officers arrived. With temperatures hitting 40°C there
was good morale amongst the Troop and everyone was
getting stuck in with the build to get the job done. The HQ
for this exercise was much larger than the Early Entry HQ that
the Troop is used to deploying with but that did not stop us
from getting it up. Whilst all this was going on we had
members of the Troop back at the Regiment maintaining the
Early Entry HQ which was still on standby ready to deploy
anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice. To see that we
could achieve both these commitments with split manpower
and equipment was a good challenge for the Troop and the
Squadron.
The remainder of the Troop split into 2 shifts, one morning
and one afternoon (this was important because it determined
who got the most time in the sun)! These shift patterns
enabled the ‘off shift’ to have some down time, to go to the
gym, local beach, pool on camp or visit the famous “Aki
Arms”. Troop members also visited Limasol and Akrotiri
where they had the opportunity to enjoy the local buildings
When the staff officers arrived in Qatar and Ex SOUTHERN
MERCURY got under way we were able to get into our own
shift patterns. Anybody who wasn’t on shift was able to
make the most of the sun so this raised morale again. Cpl
Gibson was definitely made the most of the sun and working
on his tan. LCpl Thomas however seemed to return whiter
than he was before the exercise! When the exercise finished
54
we were given a day off to relax before the tear down began.
One option was to join the JTFHQ staff on a day out. Some of
the lads went jet skiing or to a hotel for the day but most
were happy enough to go to Al Udeid, the US camp about 25
minutes from where we set up the HQ. Whilst here we were
able to make use of the swimming pool and the American PX.
It was great as this was the first time in 3 weeks we were able
to get something different to eat instead of the MRE’s (Meals
Ready to Eat).
communications within the Ops Room. We also have a 6
month posting to Tampa Bay and the Falkland Islands! I have
really enjoyed my time in the Regiment so far and look
forward to going on more deployments in the future.
Overall the exercise was a great opportunity for Alpha Troop
to show their capabilities to the Squadron, the Regiment and
the JTFHQ staff.
FULL BORE TARGET RIFLE SHOOTING – EUROPEAN LONG
RANGE RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIPS – by WO1 (ASM) Carberry
NEW ARRIVAL TO BRAVO TROOP 256 SIGNAL SQUADRON 30
SIGNAL REGIMENT – by Sig Harling
I have recently been posted to 30 Signal Regiment, 256
Squadron straight from Blandford. I am in Bravo Troop,
without a doubt the best Troop to be in for opportunities and
deployment. No other unit offers this type of role, so I feel
extremely lucky. Bravo Troop has an Operational Liaison
Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) role, and are attached to JFHQ
which contains 6 staff officers ranging from Capt to Lt Col,
and 2 signallers. We have an OLRT team on 4hrs notice to
move at all times and also have a team on 12hrs notice to
move. At 30 Signal Regiment we deal with crisis management
and the delivery of strategic communications to areas of
need. There are 2 Field Squadrons here - 256 Signal Squadron
which is my Squadron working with JFHQ and 250 Queen’s
Gurkha Signal Squadron who have recently taken on Falcon.
The role I play within Bravo Troop is an OLRT Detachment
crew member on a Bowman Landrover. My time here so far
has been quite enjoyable but at first it took a bit of time to
get used to unit life and work out what it was that I needed to
do. However, after a week or so of being here I soon worked
that out! The more experienced signallers in the Troop deploy
whilst the new signallers learn how to use the equipment off
the other lads before deploying. The majority of time when
we are not deployed is used maintaining our vehicles and
equipment and of course learning new communication
systems. Recently members of the Squadron have worked
hard to grow their Movembers!
SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj S Lockwood
WO2 (SSM) Womble
Full Bore Target rifle shooting is a high profile competitive
sport within both civilian life and the Army. The sport consists
of firing 7.62mm single bolt action rifles at distances from 300
to 1000 yards without the aid of magnified sights. This,
coupled with the fact that the firer must take into
consideration the weather conditions makes it an extremely
challenging sport. An example, which is known by all military
firers, is that the wind can affect a bullet’s trajectory up to
3m, depending on firing distance, ensures that every range
brings new and exiting challenges to the firers.
WO1 (ASM) Mark Carberry from 30 Signal Regiment recently
represented Scotland in the European Long Range Rifle
Championships held at Bisley, an event with teams competing
at 800, 900 and 1000 yards over 2 days. Already a seasoned
marksman with the Army and Combined Services teams, WO1
Carberry was able to turn up and put the experience gained
into practice, achieving a near perfect score at 900 yards with
the help of his wind coach, Lt Col A Sturrock of 39 Engr Regt.
Sadly, this score was not enough to help overall and Scotland
ended up in 3rd place behind Ireland and England who won
the competition with an excellent team score.
Typical match set up with plotter on the left and coach right
The Army Target Shooting Club (ATSC) is always looking for
talented marksmen to join its ranks and learn target shooting.
There are training weeks which are run by the club, as well as
civilian competitions and development days throughout the
Cpl Pearce and Cpl Judbir of Charlie Troop with their Movembers
When I came here I had the mindset that I just wanted to go
to Afghanistan and learn my trade out there. However, I have
realised that there is much more than just Afghanistan that
requires operators. This unit has changed and broadened my
mind to other opportunities within the Royal Corps of Signals,
however I would still like to go to Afghanistan in the future.
Since being in Bravo Troop I have discovered many
deployment opportunities, we have had lads from the Troop
going out to Cyprus, Qatar, Tanzania, Beirut, Libya and Kenya
for approximately 7-10 days. We have also had some longer
deployments such as Brecon which was 2 months long where
3 lads went down to the Infantry Battle School helping with
WO1 (ASM) Carberry just after scoring 75/75 at 900 yards
55
shooting season (March – October) and there are always
plenty of experienced firers to help out when problems are
encountered.
The current Army target rifle team consists of soldiers and
officers from most Corps and Regiments but they are keen to
encourage Royal Signals soldiers and officers to partake as
there are none presently. The end of each shooting season
culminates with a competition between the Corps’ for serving
personnel and of late, only REME, RE, RA and Infantry have
been able to field teams eligible for entry so what are you
waiting for?
If you are interested in learning about target rifle shooting
within the Army, please contact WO1 (ASM) Carberry of 30
Signal Regiment via the email address below. [email protected]
QM DEPARTMENT – NO SOFT OPTIONS!
QM (A)
QM (T)
Maj Sean Keilty MBE
Capt Stu Fidler
RQMS (A)
RQMS (T)
WO2 Scott Tomblin
WO2 ‘Red’ Davis
COVENTRY HALF MARATHON – SUNDAY 14 OCT 12
“Who’s up for a half-marathon?” came the call from the QM in
Aug 12, “How hard can that be, 13 mile, can do that in my
sleep!” came the reply from 15 intrepid members of the dept
and around the Regt. Little did they know that the wily old
QM of the Regt had a trick up his sleeve. Once the volunteers
were named and they had paid their entry fee he announced,
in true 30 Sig Regt fashion, “We will of course be doing it in
the obligatory Regt T-shirt, boots, MTP and bergans”. Not
surprisingly no one flinched and after a few training runs we
found ourselves in the middle of Coventry on a chilly Sunday
morning raring to start alongside 2,000 others. The very hilly
course was smashed out in 2hrs by the majority of the team,
with the more old and bold (pictured) hitting the line 25
minutes later. A thoroughly enjoyable event which was very
well supported by the local populous all through the course.
2012 WORLD POWERLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS – ALDERSHOT
Sgt Duncan Tanner (LAD) Wins the World Benchpress and
Powerlifting Championship Titles in one weekend!
Capitalising on my previous Powerlifting experience and
qualification as a Premier Fitness Gym Instructor, I devised a
simple, yet effective routine to progressively decrease
bodyweight and increase strength, using a variety of basic
barbell/machine exercises and some pretty strict diet. This
being my final year of Colour Service, it seemed a crowning
opportunity to silence those less educated in the Sport of
Powerlifting. Some 4 months out from “lift off” my routine
manoeuvred to high weight, medium rep workouts, just 3
times a week, concentrating on 3 compound exercises: Squat,
Benchpress and Deadlift, interspersed with swimming and
tabbing to maintain strength at a lighter weight.
I weighed in on the 3rd November at a trim 123.9Kg, some
10Kg lighter than last year: a tactical move with the aim of
producing a Double Bodyweight Benchpress! A whole day of
calorific enrichment at Burger King and AM Restaurant
ensued packing me with energy, and after a hearty breakfast
and a much needed dose of caffeine on the 4th November I
commenced battle.
Not wanting to expend too much energy on the Squat I
opened on 265Kg and finished with an easy 3rd lift of 285kg.
My warm up for the Benchpress had not gone quite as well as
planned so I opened on a low 215Kg, reached 230Kg on my
second lift and then nominated a nice 250Kg for my 3rd
attempt. In a confident yet aggressive mood I braced myself
on the bench, took the weight from a centre spotter, lowered
it to chest level and awaited the referees command to
“Press”! The trick to benching big is an arched back with
lungs full or air, thus raising the rib cage, reducing the
distance the bar must travel down and then up to full lockout.
I had invested a lot of blood, sweat and tears for this one
moment….on hearing that “Press” I put years of training and
effort in to ramming the bar up to full lockout! Three white
lights all the way!! At last ….a Double Bodyweight
Benchpress! My Deadlift went to a reasonable 280Kg, not
bad for someone with 3 Hernias in 4 years!
In one day I took the Masters 1, 125Kg World Powerlifting and
Benchpress titles, no easy feat. I was impressed and
extremely proud as were many others.
For the record the following members took part: Maj Keilty –
QM (A), Capt Fidler – QM (T), Capt Clark – Det Comd, WO2
Mcevoy – RAWO, WO2 (SSM) Tirtha Rai, SSgt (SQMS) Gopal
Saru, Sgt Chandrabahadur Gurung, Cpl Govinda Rai, LCpl
Rabin Gurung, LCpl Om Limbu, LCpl Berry, LCpl Wright, Sig
Birodh Gurung, Sig Baikuntha Thapa and Sig Basanta Rai.
A year of physical challenges
‘No soft option’ seems to be a continuing theme throughout
the QM Dept with guests from the Regiment invited to join
us. Since the spring the dept has competed in Hell Rider 8hr
duathlon, Trail Walker, Tough Mudder twice, Wildman and
Mudman off-road duathlons and Brass Monkeys mountain
bike endurance races. With in excess of £3000 raised across
the department this year for a variety of charities and a
further six events planned before the end of June next year
2013 appears to be continuing in the same vein.
56
Sgt Tanner lifting 285Kg for the World Benchpress
Championship
32nd SIGNAL REGIMENT (VOLUNTEERS)
GLASGOW
CO
RSM
Lt Col P R Rennie-Smith
WO1 (RSM) J Love
REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS
It has been a busy year on the operational front given the
Regimental contribution to Op HERRICK 17, Op OLYMPICS and
planning for Op ESCALIN. We are currently focussed on the
build up to Ex LION STAR 13 which is starting to gather pace.
In late Oct RHQ Staff participated in Ex HORSEHOE FINALE to
commemorate the closure of 2 Sig Bde. The task set by the
Bde Comd was to move the Bde Pennant around all the Sqn
locations in the Bde, without the use of motorised transport.
The event kicked off in Dundee on Sat 20 Oct with a cycle ride
to Edinburgh. The CO and Adjt covered the 65 miles
supported by members of 2 Sig Sqn. Thereafter the plan was
that they would take a rest day and rejoin the event on Day 3
for the 34 mile leg. The Adjt had other ideas, and enjoyed
himself so much on day one that he decided to do the 53
miles from Edinburgh to Glasgow on Day 2, before completing
the Glasgow to Troon leg on Day 3 with the CO, and followed
this with the 150 mile leg from Liverpool to Darlington across
the Pennines. Overall Capt Streetley completed 300 miles
during the Ex which is a fantastic achievement for someone
who had never been on a road bike prior to the event.
Members of the Regimental Ops Team are currently on Ex
MERCURY GLACIER in Austria to participate in the Corps
Alpine Racing event.
RHQ bid farewell to the Ops Major, Maj Rod Cowan who
leaves the Army after 34 years of distinguished service. Rod
has decided to settle on the South coast of England and will
shortly take up his new appointment as PSAO 63 Sig Sqn (V).
The Regiment would like to thank him for his contribution,
and wish him and his family all the best for their future.
33 (LANCASHIRE) SIGNAL SQUADRON (V)
OC
SSM
Maj R Paterson
WO2 (SSM) Jollife
TOUGH MUDDER - 17TH NOVEMBER 2012 – by Cpl Chris Lees
On 17 Nov, a team of 5 people from 33 Signal Squadron took
part in the Tough Mudder Challenge. The Team consisted of
Sgt Anton Kenny, Cpl Chris Lees, Cpl Rob Smith, LCpl Sarah
Raby, LCpl James Isherwood and Sig Darren Catlow.
The event consisted of a 12 mile run with 22 obstacles. The
night before had provided plenty of rain, dispelling any fears
we had that course might not be muddy enough!
After a brief warm up, the team set off on the challenge only
for Cpl Smith to lose his shoes to the mud in the first mile.
After wading through the ice filled trench, jumping off a 15ft
platform into cold water, and swimming under obstacles in
more cold water, some members of the team started to look
like they might go down with hypothermia. Over the second
half of the course there seemed to be fewer obstacles and
more running which helped keep people warm. Obstacles
over the second half of the course included carrying an
individual log around a loop, a set of monkey bars over water,
which saw our PTI (Cpl Smith) manage a whole 2 rungs before
falling into the icy water and a crawl under barbed wire.
After a further run we reached the last two obstacles, one
was a quarter-pipe which required the runners to run and
grab the top, being helped by people at the top and a run
through the electric wires.
Cpl Smith crossed the line, followed by the rest of the team,
except Sig Catlow. Looking back we saw him waiting and
after some encouragement he entered the wires.
Unfortunately, about half way in he fell over. After a few
minutes of encouragement and no movement, the team went
back in to retrieve him. Once we got to him we found he had
fallen with a electrical wire above his back and attempts to
get him up led to further shocks. After a quick check to
ensure he was OK, we headed to the finish line where we
were greeted with a beer!
It was a strong effort by everyone in the team and an
achievement just to complete the course. The added bonus
was that the Team raised over £600 for ABF, The Soldiers’
Charity in the process.
50 (NORTHERN) SIGNAL SQUADRON (V)
OC
SSM
Maj B Hogg
WO2 (SSM) Standing
SUMAN PROTECTOR 2012
SUMAN PROTECTOR 2012 was a Five Power Defence
Arrangement (FPDA) exercise that took place in October and
was attended by two subalterns from the Regiment; Lt David
Seaton and 2Lt James Gosling. The FPDA is a multinational
defence relationship established by a series of bilateral
agreements between Singapore, the UK, Malaysia, Australia
and New Zealand (SUMAN), signed in 1971 whereby the five
nations agree to consult with each other in the event of
external aggression or threat of attack against Malaysia or
Singapore.
The exercise was run by the Singaporean Armed Forces with
support from the Headquarters Integrated Area Defence
System (HQIADS) Staff and the Australian Armed Forces. The
exercise was the culmination of a five year training cycle and
was focused on exercising a Combined Arms, multinational 1*
Headquarters, through the use of an electronic wargame
TEWT. The exercise set the challenging aim of exercising both
a multinational headquarters, with each nation supplying Staff
Officers for each cell of the headquarters, and also allowing
Operational level planning to be conducted by each of the
Land, Air, Maritime and Logistic Component Commands.
The exercise was held at Changi Naval Base in Singapore. The
scenario focused on an invasion of Malaysian territory by a
traditional Combined Arms hostile force which had seized not
only an outlying island but also established a foothold on the
Malaysian Peninsula. The FPDA forces were tasked with
liberating the occupied territories whilst the Malaysian forces
contained the hostile forces on the Peninsula. This required
FPDA Air and Maritime superiority to be established and the
Strategic conditions to be met before Land operations could
begin. Planning a deliberate assault against deliberate
defensive positions in primary jungle and plantations was
vastly different to the contemporary operating environment
of UK forces but on in which the other four nations were well
versed. A concurrent Regional Humanitarian Assistance and
Disaster Relief (HADR) scenario added to the planning
57
considerations which allowed the Joint Military Appreciation
Process (JMAP) to be applied to a non-combat situation.
The hospitality and real-life support of the Singaporean
Armed Forces was fantastic throughout the exercise and time
was made within the programme for the FPDA sporting
competition. The tempo of the exercise also facilitated
opportunities for cultural visits and experiences around
Singapore; one of my personal highlights was Trafalgar Night
held on board a Chinese Junk in Singapore bay! From the
outset it was clear that with a wide range of subtly different
doctrine and SOPs from FPDA nations, varying levels of
participants’ Operational experience and military knowledge,
understanding of English and cultural differences to consider;
SUMAN PROTECTOR was always going to be a challenging
environment where the dual mantras of ‘at a tempo
comfortable to all’ and ‘different is not wrong’ would be key
to ensuring a successful exercise and collation relations.
I believe every nation learnt some valuable lessons from each
other be it recent Operational lessons from UK forces or the
considerations of conducting offensive operations in very
challenging terrain from our Commonwealth peers. As for the
scenario outcome I’m pleased to report that Malaysian
territorial sovereignty was successfully restored, Humanitarian
Assistance was facilitated by FPDA forces and many new
friends were made within FPDA forces.
ADVENTURE TRAINING – by Sig Twist
When you get told it’s an adventure training weekend we
automatically pack walking boots but not this time. We were
told to bring clothes we didn’t mind getting wet, a change of
clothes and walking boots. We were then given the words:
Ghyll scrabbling, via ferratta and Glaramara. After being
shown the videos of what we were actually going to be doing
came to light, excitement started to fill the room.
We now knew that the weekend would consist of playing
around in a river, getting as wet as you could (Ghill
scrabbling), a crazy form of rock climbing (via ferratta) and
orienteering. We arrived at Glaramara and split into teams.
Via ferratta was up first, so with the harnesses tight and brief
on how to safely get round the course it was a short drive up
to Fleetwith Pike and over Black Star, the highest point of
Honister Crag. The climb started at 356m above sea level (asl)
with a walk through Honister Slate Mine. After the initial
shock of what we were actually doing it was time for the real
course, which started off with a vertical downward climb with
a cheeky looking drop, followed by a 200m tightrope walk
across the fell at around 500m asl. After that the rest seemed
easy with a final walk up through another part of the mine,
passing a sign with danger of death very appropriately
engraved on it to the top of Fleetwith Pike at 630m asl. We
ended this part of the day taking in the views from but we
weren’t finished as we still had the trek back down to the
Minibus.
After lunch it was time to get wet and we started this activity
by trying on what can only be described as a bear skin with
fur on the inside, a set of waterproofs, a helmet and a
buoyancy aid. We then set off to the start line for our mad
dash down the river… sorry Ghyll scramble. This started with
a nice little walk (as we clearly didn’t do enough earlier), and
by the time we got to the river we weren’t worried about the
cold water as the bear suits were pretty warm. The ‘washing
machine’ was one of the most enjoyable parts of the day, as
we were encouraged to jump in at a specific point or risk
hitting your face off the rock that was a metre away.
Provided that you did this correctly, you were then left to
heave yourself up and through a small space in between two
rocks to finish.
58
51 (SCOTTISH) SIGNAL SQUADRON (V)
OC
SSM
Maj H Jephcote
WO2 (SSM) Tochel
EXERCISE HORSESHOE FINALE SALTY SEA DOGS
In Sep, I was approached by the CO and asked if I could put
together a leg of Ex HORSESHOE FINALE with a difference.
The prospect of a week sailing is always welcome but I had
doubts on this occasion as it was going to take place in late
October travelling from the West coast of Scotland across to
Northern Ireland. I managed to pull together a crew from
within the Sqn ably assisted by WO2 (RQMS) Alex Rutherford
from RHQ. Myself as Skipper, SSgt Alan Forbes as Mate, LCpl
Steve Maclennan REME, Sig Matt Peevor and Sig David
Torley.
Captain’s Log:
Day 1 - Fri 19 Oct 12 Edinburgh to HMNB Faslane - Rhu
The expedition members moved from Edinburgh to Faslane
and the yacht Gawaine, a Contessa 38 operated by The Royal
Navy in HMNB Clyde was taken over. After lunch all of the
required safety briefings were carried out and we left the
base and sailed to Rhu, only about a 3 mile trip carrying out
man overboard drills and practiced sail raising and lowering.
Day 2 - Sat 20 Oct 12 Rhu - Rothesay
With 3 of the crew being complete novices it was a day of
practicing the basics and introducing them to nautical terms.
It was a really nice day and we arrived in Rothesay Marina in
the early evening with the Crew tired due to fresh air and lots
of sail changes. Evening meal taken on board and then a run
ashore for a couple of hours.
Day 3 - Sun 21 Oct 12 Rothesay - Troon
We left Rothesay after a hearty breakfast and headed down
the Clyde towards Troon, carrying out more sail training
including knots, safety equipment and weather patterns. The
wind started to pick up meaning more sail changes and
putting reefs into the mainsail. Arrived around 1800 hrs.
Day 4 - Mon 22 Oct 12 Troon – Glenarm (Northern Ireland)
A slightly later start today as the Bde Pennant was being
delivered on bicycles by our RHQ Staff from Glasgow. The
Pennant arrived at 1230 hrs and photos of the handover were
taken. After the CO and Adjt left the boat was made ready
and we prepared to sail leaving at 1330 hrs for a 65 mile
crossing to Ireland. The crew split into two watches of three
to ensure they were never too fatigued to carry out their
tasks and we arrived into Glenarm at 0130 hrs after a lively
crossing as the wind picked up. One of the crew (Sig Torley)
suffered a bit on the crossing; he turned green and emptied
his contents over the side many times
Day 5 - Tue 23 Oct 12 Glenarm - Cambletown
We left Glenarm at 0700 hrs after handing over the Bde
Pennant to the Sqn in Ireland at 0630 hrs and set off for the
long trip back to Scotland. We arrived into Cambletown at
1650 hrs, crew happy but tired after a long couple of days,
mostly at sea.
Day 6 - Wed 24 Oct 12 Cambletown to Largs
Another early start today as we had a few miles to travel to
get to Largs, giving us a shorter trip back to Faslane the next
day. Arrived in Largs about 1800 hrs, put the boat to bed, had
showers and went ashore for a crew meal to Tony Macaroni’s
Italian Restaurant.
Day 7 - Thu 25 Oct 12 Largs – HMNB Clyde
We left Largs early in the morning to get the boat back to
Faslane and prepare her for handover. Arrived in the vicinity
of Faslane at 1030 hrs. Now for the unpleasant part of the
week, the cleaning of the boat. Much to the displeasure of
the Crew I demanded high standards and sent them back to
do it properly a couple of times. We handed over the boat to
the Navy and returned to our base locations.
position.
Sunday saw more flurries of activity and the casualty
evacuation was a sight to see; LCpl Henry Rodger being
dragged from the field of battle (new boots please). The Ex
then built up to the final battle with Sgt Euan ‘It’s my
exercise’ Leslie, LCpl Brown and Sgt McRobbie attacking
from all sides before it was home for tea and medals.
MENS HEALTH 10K IN EDINBURGH
We assembled at the start point for the Mens Health Survival
Challenge in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The Team
consisted of: Lt Whitmore, LCpl Aitken, LCpl Galliers, LCpl
Morris, Sig Kimsey, and, Pte Feery on attachment from 389
Medical Supply Squadron!
We gathered our goody bags, which consisted of a t-shirt and
emergency contact form and after participating in a group
warm up we were ready to go at the top of the Royal Mile.
As the klaxon went off we stumbled down Princes Street
heading straight for the first obstacle – the Hay Bales. Then
as we started to build up speed we took a sharp left down a
close and continued towards the next obstacle which as a
The aim of the Exercise was achieved by the fact the 2 Signal
Brigade Pennant was delivered to Northern Ireland by nonmechanised means and we therefore met the Intent. Despite
my trepidation at sailing to Northern Ireland in October we
probably had some of the best sailing weather I have had in
this area for years. Despite being cold it remained dry with
reasonable wind for the entire week and all in all a great few
days at sea.
EXERCISE NORTHERN DEFENDER 2
Ex Northern Defender was the brainchild of Sgt Euan Leslie
and was a tactical
communications
exercise that
incorporated defence of
a comms site.
We arrived at ‘High
Lighthouse’ in Barry
Buddon training area on
the Friday evening for a
brief on the weekend’s
events and after a
Pyrotechnics
demonstration and
lesson on casualty
evacuation, the troops
were ready to deploy
onto the area. Skills
fade on Bowman
undoubtedly contributed
towards the slowish start to the Ex but by mid morning on
Saturday we were ready for action.
The troops did get some much needed exercise as the enemy,
played by LCpl Brown and LCpl John Leckie put us through
our paces.
A night time move was going really well from a tactical
perspective right up to the point when Sig Tiffany ‘I have no
volume control’ Behrendt started guiding a Bowman Det into
hurdle over construction barriers.
Afterwards we continued through the streets of Edinburgh
and to be honest I remember very little apart from dodging
cars and bemused families out for a normal Sunday walk.
Finally we got to the place that I had been dreading; ‘Jacobs
Ladder’. Five steps in it all seemed fine as we all barked “take
small steps, pick up your knees!”
With wobbly knees and jelly-like ankles we reached the top of
Calton Hill where we were treated to a ‘military style obstacle
course’ involving cargo nets and a rope swing over a patch of
grass and a scramble under netting. After this we headed on
a little jaunt along the side of Arthurs Seat with the gradient
proving a struggle for those in trainers. Lt Whitmore decided
to forge a new path through the trees and did so with officerlike grace and determination, shouting encouragement all the
time. The next few k's went by relatively quickly and seemed
a lot easier since we had done most of the obstacles by now.
The last obstacle I can remember is the leap through some
oddly arranged trucks on the Royal Mile before we headed
down to the final run through Princes Street Gardens. This
consisted of a muddy pool dive which revitalised us. It was
then on to the ‘Wall’ which we conquered with lots of
grunting and a fair amount of shoving to get us up over and
onto the finish line. We finished in a time of 1hr 22min which
is not a blistering time but left us hungry for more! As
tradition dictates we finished off with a pint in the beer tent.
52 (LOWLAND) SUPPORT SQUADRON (V)
OC
SSM
Maj J McNaught
WO2 (SSM) Swan
The Sqn welcomes SSgt Gareth Howell, the new SPSI. You
59
are very welcome and we look forward to working with you.
SQUADRON TRAINING – DECHMONT RANGES – 10 NOV 12
The Squadron departed to Dechmont Ranges on what turned
out to be a rather damp day. On arrival the Squadron
members split into to two groups, one group doing grouping
and zeroing on the 25m range under the watchful eye of Capt
Paul Williams, and the other undertaking CBRN training with
and Cpl Beaton, managed to complete the mission.
Capt Williams ran the grouping and zeroing range and with
some quality coaching and a lot of patience manage to bring
all the participants onto target shooting from different
positions and even managed to zero Sig Thompson.
SSgt Gary Cambridge the Sqn PTI then took us on a nice three
miler build up training march to conclude the training. Overall
the event was a great success and thanks go to the
instructors and participants for an enjoyable days training.
ARMISTICE DAY - 11 NOV 12
Prior to departure to George Square for the Armistice parade
the Squadron paraded for a kit inspection by the OC, followed
by the traditional glass of port and the presentation of the
‘best young soldier award’. A big well done goes to Sig
the Squadron SME SSgt Ballantyne.
The aim of the CBRN training was to advance on the MATT 4
syllabus and incorporate a bit of MATT 3 Training, in other
words casualty extraction in 4R. This was not the easiest of
tasks due to the swamp like conditions under foot, but the
guys did a good job and under the direction of Cpl Cairney
Ramsay on receiving this year’s accolade.
The Squadron were loaded onto the coaches and we for
departed for George Square in Glasgow City Centre. After the
main parade the Squadron personnel moved onto Stepps to
carry out another service. The Squadron had representatives
in several locations throughout the day including the QM (V)
Maj Terry McVey and the RQMS (V) WO2 Alex Rutherford in
conjunction with East Dunbartonshire Council had been
instrumental in moving The Woodilee War Memorial back to
its rightful home in time for this year’s Armistice parade.
37th SIGNAL REGIMENT (VOLUNTEERS)
REDDITCH
CO
RSM
Lt Col Cairns
WO1 (RSM) Maguire
The Regiment would like to say farewell to Capt Steve White
(PSAO 36 Sig Sqn), who has moved on to work with the Army
Cadets, Capt Naomi Nicholls (Ops Capt) who is preparing for
Operations, and SSgt Stanley (SPSI 48 Sig Sqn, Birmingham)
who has left the Army. We wish them all the best for the
future and thank them for their contributions to the Regt. We
welcome SSgt David Moore to the fold and are sure that his
tenure at 36 Sig Sqn, Colchester will be a memorable one.
POST OPERATIONAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (POSM) EVENT
AT THE SNOWDOME TAMWORTH
- by Capt Andy Barnard (ROSO/UWO)
2012 has been an extremely busy Operational year for 37 Sig
Regt, with over 80 personnel deploying on Ops HERRICK,
TOSCA or OLYMPIC. In order to complete POSM Briefs for the
60
Sig Harris at the top of the Adrenalin Tube run
cohort that deployed with 16 Sig Regt on H16, and capture
other personnel returning from Ops; Regiment personnel,
families and support staff descended on the Snowdome at
Tamworth over the weekend of 1-2 Dec 12. The CO opened
the briefs to the families, followed by John Lee from the local
RBL branch and Tiffany Rowlands from Tern Hill HIVE (who
are thanked for their support to the event and throughout
the whole year). The ROSO finished with POSM briefs, while
the families were able to have a coffee and discuss post tour
“freebies” with Tiffany.
After the formality of the briefs, the group split in half to
enjoy the rest of the day. This started with a combination of
Adrenalin Tubing and Tobogganing which was a great way to
bring out the child in all participants and put a smile on all of
our faces; including Sig Harris pictured at the top of the 85
metre Adrenalin Tube run.
A quick change out of our ski gear and onto the evening meal,
which was the first Christmas dinner of the year for most of
us! The meal was really enjoyable, with time to bond and an
opportunity for some members to put on a bit of weight,
generally by over indulging in the festive food (3 desserts Dan
and Pete!). After the meal we were treated to a competition
that was being held at the Snowdome, as boarders and skiers
performed a variety of tricks and aerials.
Sunday 2 Dec was a time to clear heads and reflect on the
past 12 months with a visit to the National Memorial
Arboretum at Alrewas. The chapel visit and 2 minutes silence,
followed by a 15 minute talk about the Arboretum were
extremely useful and informative. Some of the group
(pictured) then took time to walk around the Arboretum,
pausing in particular, to reflect on the tragic death this year of
WO2 ‘Pez’ Thomas – we will remember you.
Johnson and Ellery, along with Sigs Bailey, Griffin and
Abrahams were the assembled crew.
Day one saw all the admin sorted, along with briefings and
introductions. For some of us it was reunions and others the
start of long friendships. It was my third year of RIAT (some
may think I like it!!! ) and again, I was given the task of running
one of the Tels teams along with being the “Acting Sgt Maj”
as Capt Sharman put it….happy days..
Day two began with some training for the new team
members on the installation of the phone system and
refresher training for the older ones. We then split down into
our teams and were ready for the off. To the newer members
of the team however, the enormity of the task began to hit
home; which was to install comms across two huge sites on
the airfield. This year proved to be very difficult, compounded
by the weather, including constant rain during the 10 days of
the air show, which almost saw it cancelled. It was long 12 to
13 hour days as we only had 4 days to put the comms system
in place, before testing and being ready for the aircraft as
they started arriving from all around the world.
After a couple of days the tiredness kicked in, especially after
one or two late nights catching up with old friends at the beer
tent!!! but the enthusiasm is always there and much to the
surprise and joy of Maj Fraley (TOT), the team were well on
their way to getting the install done on time. A soggy day
four saw most of the installations completed and testing was
then a must. One of the most important installations was the
CRASH system which now had to be tested. Designed by the
TOT, it allows all the relevant parties i.e. the Police, Fire,
Ambulance, Air Traffic Control etc, to simultaneously
communicate with each other in the event of a serious
incident at the Air Show.
As we had depleted numbers this year, it was decided to set
up a single CST in the Showground Operations Centre (SOC)
where maximum support could be provided to help staff with
the day to day administration for the Air Show. Such was the
enthusiasm of the team this year, demonstrated in their
willingness to go the “extra mile”; the organisers of the show
were so impressed, that 37 Sig Regt was awarded the
Poinyard Trophy for best Reserve Forces, in recognition for
their contribution to the running of the event. The added
bonus was to also get an up close and personal team photo
with the B2 “Stealth Bomber”.
Thanks go to the staff at the Arboretum, Snowdome, 16 Sig
Regt Welfare Team and all members of staff in the Regiment
who have contributed to an extremely busy and successful
operational period.
EXERCISE RED ARROW - ROYAL INTERNATIONAL AIR
TATTOO (RIAT) 2012 - by Sgt Eileen Monaghan
It’s July 2012 and the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) has
moved from its usual date to the beginning of July; it appears
there is some sporting event or two going on elsewhere in
the country! The trawl this year for volunteers was different
as well, largely due to Ops HERRICK, TOSCA and OLYMPIC;
numbers in the brigade were limited, making RIAT this year
somewhat more demanding as we set out with a much
smaller team. 37 Sig Regt was leading the way within 2 Sig
Bde, to provide a team to support the communications
capability for the air show. Sgt Monaghan, LCpls Riley,
The Team with the Poinyard Trophy and B2 Stealth Bomber
For Sigs Baily and Griffin (854Tp of 36 Sig Sqn) this was their
first experience at the RIAT and they stated; “Working at the
RIAT was a rewarding experience, very much enjoyed by the
members of 854 Troop. As untraded Signallers this was our first
opportunity to learn from the more experienced members of
the Regiment. The experience was a steep learning curve, but
61
with one to one tuition and training sessions, we were both able
to get to grips with the task. One of the highlights was getting
to work with the SOC, where we got to meet senior personnel
from both the civilian and military elements, including the USAF,
whilst assisting in relaying vital information to various personnel
throughout the 2 days of the Air Show itself. Overall both of us
felt very welcomed by all those that attended RIAT and found
this experience an invaluable introduction in the practical use
and application of comms equipment. We would both like to
thank all the staff and experienced members of the team for
their training and patience in bringing us up to speed”.
To sum up this year’s show, it was a very wet and long hard
slog, but the reward and recognition showed within the
team......roll on next year’s RIAT.
EXERCISE HORSESHOE FINALE - by Tom Lappin (QM)
To mark the disbandment of 2 Sig Bde, the Brigade Pennant
was transported by bicycle around the Bde AOR, visiting every
RHQ and Squadron location over the period 20 Oct – 22 Nov
12. 37 Sig Regt was given the task of taking it from Sheffield
on 31 Oct 12 and transporting it to 896 Sig Tp located in
Coventry (via 48 Sig Sqn in Birmingham) and RHQ in Redditch;
covering approximately 160 miles. During the event we
stopped at the National Memorial Arboretum (near Lichfield),
and also stopped off to meet with the Lord Mayor of
Redditch.
The RSM, Mayor of Redditch and CO, flanked by the team of
cyclists from the Regt
EXERCISE DRAGON BERBER - by SSgt Abbot
Ex DRAGON BERBER was a trekking expedition held in the
Atlas Mountains, Morocco over the period 13 -21 Oct 12.
Twelve members of 37 Sig Regt took part. The main aim was
to reach the summit of Mount Mgoun, at a height of 4068m
over a six day trek. On arrival in Marrakech we met our local
agent Brahim Toudaoui and were taken to a Hotel to
overnight before departing for the mountains. Our hotel was
10 minutes from the airport and we were led through
reception into an impressive courtyard. The rooms stood four
stories high making the courtyard shady and cool.
Intricate flower patterns made from tiles of different shades
of white, blue and red covered the floor, walls and columns.
The drive down to the mountains was long and seemed to
last forever, especially for those who didn’t travel well. The
route was sprinkled with small villages and souvenir shops.
We arrived in the first town in the Sahara, there was a film
studio that produced films, such as Golden Child
and Lawrence of Arabia. At a lay-by in Agouti we picked up
our guide Abdul and just moments later at a rocky pull in, we
met our mule drivers. The first night we stayed in a Kasba
which was very cosy inside. We were all served very sweet
62
mint tea in shot glasses; this started every meal followed by a
spicy soup.
The trek now started. A typical day would include 10 hours of
walking arriving at the next wild camp site between 5-6pm,
there does not appear to be an evening, it just plunges into
darkness at 6pm. Sgt John Phillips fell foul to the strength of
the Sun and had to undergo the abuse after being loaded
onto a mule. Due to the heat we bought shemagh cloths,
LCpl Shakespeare became the Lion of the Desert, which was
particularly useful as he spoke French. SSgt Tim Abbott’s
stomach fell foul to the Moroccan diet and probably raised
the height of Mt Mgoun, with what he discharged onto the
mountain. The trek followed marked routes, a lot of local
traffic uses them, and we had to give way to mules heavily
loaded in the same way that you do for heavy goods vehicles
in this country. The trek included following canyons towering
400metres high and 10metres wide, ascending ridges 3000m
high; followed by another and then another. However the
view was spectacular and at any moment you expected Luke
Skywalker to appear, flying down the valley! Our group was
joined by members of the Moroccan Army and the Local
Gendarmerie, which increased our group size to 27 plus
guides, mules, chef and Couscous the dog (who joined us on
day 2 and stayed with us throughout the trek). We now
looked more like Alexandra the Great’s Army!
On the Peak attempt day, the plan was to get our heads down
early and to be up at 3am to set off at 4am to Mount Mgoun
summit, but already Abdul had concerns about the high
winds. At 3am I put my head out of the tent, I could hear
peoples voices eager to trek to the highest point of the
journey, the stars were vivid in the sky and the wind seemed
to have dropped. Then came word that it was unsafe to go
up, which was a great disappointment to us all. Our JSMEL’S
disagreed, but ultimately had to accept the decision of the
guide on safety grounds. The route was changed, but still
included a height of 3076m before descending into the lush
valley, the end of our tour. At our last campsite a memorial
service was held for our fellow mountaineer WO2 Pez Thomas
who was killed in action in Afghanistan earlier this year. On
return to Marrakech the search for some alcohol became
serious as it was needed to celebrate Sgt Sue Walton’s
birthday, success was achieved which improved the groups
attempts at belly dancing.
The mountains were fantastic, challenging and demonstrated
the process of millions of years of tectonic plate movement
weathering and water erosion. It was a huge privilege to be
part of a great team and experience such a great trek through
highs and lows, wet and dry, hot and cold. To meet members
of the Moroccan Army and a great team of guides, cooks and
mule drivers, oh yes and we can’t forget security provided by
Couscous the dog.
WO2 ‘PEZ’ THOMAS REMEMBERED - by Cpl Shakespeare
Following the tragic death on Operations of WO2 ‘Pez’
Thomas in Afghanistan in July the DRAGON’S BERBER
expedition team felt it appropriate to spend some time in
contemplation. WO2 Thomas was not only a fine soldier,
popular with seniors and rank and file alike, but also an
excellent mountaineer, thoroughly at home in the high
altitudes. As this was essentially a climbing and trekking
expedition, we stopped at the highest point of our trip and
the two members of our Welsh squadron (Cpl Shakespeare
and SSgt Haughton) unfurled the welsh flag in remembrance.
Later, as we broke camp Capt Smith, the expedition leader
paraded us and our accompanying Royal Moroccan Army
contingent. He said a few words and we held a minutes
silence as the snow and sleet drifted down the mountain
upon us. SSgt Abbott played the last post and reveille. A
fitting tribute we felt to such a good friend and colleague –
we will remember you.
we gained a short corner and set up. With the clock running
down WO2 (YofS) Wootton injected the ball, it was stopped
at the top of the ‘D’, held for a fraction and pushed back to
WO2 (YofS) Lloyd who flicked it neatly into the goal with 7
seconds left. It was a fitting end to a great couple of days. We finished 3rd for the indoor phase and tied 3rd with 10 SR
overall for the Tournament.
The Regimental hockey team
36 (EASTERN) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
The memorial service in honour of WO2 Pez Thomas
HOCKEY - 37 SIGNAL REGIMENT (V) IN THE SIGNALS CUP
- by Capt Dan Wall (Ops Capt)
37 Sig Regt was one of seven teams that took part in the
Annual Inter Unit Hockey Competition, The Signals Cup. In
the outdoor phase on day one we faced 39 Sig Regt. It was a
tougher game than we expected, with the game moving from
end to end from the start. We finally managed to score with
seconds remaining to win 1-0. We then faced 30 SR which
was another hard battle. We scored first and led for the
majority of the game, however in the final 2 minutes they
equalised from a very good short corner that flew past WO2
(YofS) Lloyd and into the top corner. We then pushed into
their ‘D’ and gained a short corner of our own as the final
whistle went. We played the short corner and scored in the
bottom right corner. A very good 2-1 win. We then played the
finalists 21 SR in our final pool game. Once again we pushed
them right to the end, but they finished on top 2-0. BUT, we
were in the semi final! We faced 11 SR (eventual winners). We
surprised everyone and held them to a 0-0 score line at the
end of normal time. Unfortunately, we lost in extra time with
the golden goal. We then faced 10 SR in the ¾ place play off. We held them to 0-1 at half time, but the final score of 0-4 left
a bitter taste in the mouth.
Indoors - Day two got off to a terrific start with us winning 3-1
against 30 SR. A tough game against 10 SR then saw us
loosing 1-0. This placed us neatly in the Semi-final and once
again we faced 11 SR. We once again held them to a very tight
1-0 score line. We were then straight back on to face 10 SR,
(not a grudge match at all!) Once again it was very tight and
at half time it was 1-1, with legs and backs starting to seize up
we went into our final half of the tournament. The game
went from end to end and many opportunities were created
by both sides, but none were taken. In the last 30 seconds
Maj K Humphries
WO2 (SSM) Tara Pun
The Sqn welcomes our new SPSI Ops, SSgt Dave Moore and
his family. Farewells go to LCpl Thatcher, Sigs Hayden, Griffin
and Lawlor who have left to join the Regular Army and Sig
Welsh, who has left to join the Royal Marines. All are wished
the very best with their new careers and are welcome back at
any time. Congratulations to Sigs Wilson, Botha, Duro and
Bass on completion of their TSC(B) courses at Grantham, with
particular mention going to Sig Wilson who was presented
with Best Recruit. Sigs Newlands and Brann also completed
their CS Op Class 3 course at Swynnerton in Oct.
Remembrance weekend saw 845 and 854 Tps participate in
parades at Colchester and Fulborn respectively, followed by a
curry lunch for serving members, families and old comrades.
EXERCISE GLOBAL CANTER – OCTOBER 2012
Ex GLOBAL CANTER saw the
Sqn deploy to Swynnerton
to participate in a collective
Regt Training weekend with
personnel also from 48, 53
Sig and 54 Sp Sqns. After
completion of the AFT by all
personnel present, the CO
addressed the Regt and
presented JFCIS Olympic
commendation coins to 11
members of the Regt; this
included SSgt Kevin Elliott
and LCpl Michelle Hughes
from 36 (E) Sig Sqn. After
the parade, members of the
Regt were split into groups
and completed a series of
stands covering Bowman
BCIP5.4, GSR issue and
training, and command tasks
arranged by the Sqns.
LCpl Michelle Hughes with her
Olympic commendation coin
63
KAYAK COACH COURSE - by Pte Sara Flatters
The level one kayak coach course took place in Ripon 14 -19
Oct 12, with the Joint Service Mountaineering Training Centre.
The course involved 2 days of open boat and 3 days of inland
kayak, being tested on our personal skill and our ability to
pass on our wealth of knowledge to a group of complete
beginners; donated kindly by the local Engineer regiment who
offered up their wives as guinea-pigs!
The course began well, even adding in a little white water to
make the day more interesting for the kayak lovers. We soon
moved onto open boat however, (I am by no means a ‘Ray
Mears look a like’ in body or mind!) therefore my motivation
on the one rainy day was particularly lacking as we loaded
these boats. Perhaps it was karma then that led to having 7
stitches put in my foot, having caught my ankle on some
hidden barbed wire on the river bank.
breakfast over and done with, we marched down to some
bunker like garages to be introduced to the German arms.
Instruction on the German issue rifle, the G36 with its Gucci
folding stock was provided. We all picked up on the rifle very
quickly due to its similarities with the A2 and we admired the
sight system with red dot battle sight. Then we were
introduced to the MG3, and the Panzerfaust anti tank
weapon. This latter become known as the Panzer Wurst which translates to “Tank Sausage”.
We split into sections and went onto the digital range. The
focus was on the section commanders orders, working
together and responding to situations appropriately. The
Germans picked up that a certain LCpl was taking on a tank
with his rifle. However, once this was rectified, and we
became accustomed to the weapon systems in a safe
environment, we were ready for the live range the next day.
The group were then tested on their actions in an emergency
situation, which involved a 45 minute paddle along the river,
including 4 locks to manoeuvre! Sliced ankle patched up by
the MO, the course continued. Not only did all 6 students
pass the course, we all excelled on a personal level too, some
being able to master rolling, some gaining confidence in their
least favourite boat and some managing to break a record on
the number of paddles lost in a white water section of river!
Pte Sara Flatters on the water before the stitches…
All in all a fantastic course and I would encourage all to try a
taster session, that’s how I started and already can’t wait to
get back on the water and tackle the next course.
EXERCISE FREUNDSCHAFT - by Sig Baily
36 Sig Sqn, with 3 interlopers from Sp and 48 Sqns, embarked
on Ex FREUNDSCHAFT on 22 Nov for a weekend of training
with the German Reserves. It was nothing short of a voyage;
18 hours travelling through France, Belgium and Germany.
Finally arriving at Stetten AKM after receiving our salute
through the gate, we made our way to the block, awestruck
at the sheer size of the place. We proceeded to hobble off
the bus, warmly greeted by the German officers and soldiers.
After a briefing and a meal of various pork products, we were
then escorted to our blocks, reminiscent of East Berlin, an
excellent display of German efficiency (they even had hot
showers). We sorted out our kit and got our heads down.
The next morning we were awoken by what sounded like an
angry German town crier. We headed to the cookhouse and
again we were spoilt by their array of pork products and
accompaniments - Ice tea on tap “living the dream”. With
64
A tray of cold schnitzel was laid on for dinner (more pork) and
once suitably schnitzeled out, we headed to bed.
A fresh morning greeted us and we headed out to the ranges
bright eyed and bushy tailed. After a briefing of the area, and
a hasty breakfast, we looked out onto the misty range “what
a beautiful sight”. The Germans were first to shoot, the air
ringed with machine gun fire and soon it was our sections
turn. We took up positions in an extensive trench system, the
MG3 on the left, anti tank on the right. The scenario was
advancing pop up targets from 600 to 50m, then retreat
(reminiscent of cold war tactics), with a tank thrown in for
good measure. SSgt Aldridge gave us his briefing and we
began the shoot. I was rather nervous on the MG3 having
only ever fired a rifle, but it treated me well. However I
quickly got through my 200 rounds complete with tracer.
We were briefed on our performance afterwards and
needless to say we had room for improvement. We were
then called over by Lutz, a German officer and rally car driver.
He drove us to a PanzerFaust range 10 minutes away (we got
there in 5). We all enjoyed the experience of firing the
antitank weapon at ranges of 50, 250 and 350m, with various
successes!
The time on the ranges was finished. In the evening we had a
fantastic meal and a fair helping of Weiss beer. Interesting
conversation was had and many anecdotes exchanged
(particularly by one American).
Sunday saw the Sqn depart from Stetten AKM for Blighty, via
Ypres for the Menin Gate ceremony, where LCpl Wright laid a
wreath, flanked by Sigs Vigor and Baily. After this, the Sqn
returned to Colchester arriving back late on Sunday to
floods…
Overall an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable experience,
and it is hoped that members of LKdoBW will be able to train
with the Sqn in the coming year ahead.
38th (STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS)
SIGNAL REGIMENT (VOLUNTEERS)
SHEFFIELD
CO
RSM
Lt Col S A Smith
WO1(RSM) S Hook
UPDATE FROM RHQ
It has been another busy year for the Regt. Members of the
Regt have been deployed on operations in Afghanistan and
Cyprus, been heavily involved in Op OLYMPIC and have still
managed to continue to fulfil their normal obligations and
complete a testing training package that culminated with a
highly successful Annual Deployment Exercise across the
North of the UK in Sept.
The Hon Col, Col John Hayward entertaining the Lord mayor of
Sheffield and other distinguished guests
WO2 Grey Wootton who will be joining 30 Sig Regt. We wish
them well in their new employment.
2(CITY OF DUNDEE & HIGHLAND) SIGNAL SQUADRON
(VOLUNTEERS)
OC
SSM
City of Sheffield Remembrance Parade formed-up under the
command of Regt’l 2IC Maj Scottie Rankin
The City of Sheffield’s Remembrance Parade was once again
organised by the Regt. Over 2000 spectators packed into
Barker’s Pool in the City centre to see parade commander
Regt’l 2IC, Maj Scottie Rankin, lead the parade with the
assistance of SVWO WO1 Phil Horton. In attendance were
members of all three services along with a very large
contingent of cadets and ex-servicemen and women. After
the Remembrance Service distinguished guests from the local
area were invited to Manor Top TA Centre for luncheon at the
behest of the CO and the Honorary Colonel.
Since the last edition of The Wire the Regiment has welcomed
a new Regt FofS WO2 Pete Sorrell. Before the next edition
the Regiment will have said goodbye to Regt FofS SSgt Jim
Trott, who will join 7th Armd Bde Sig Sqn and 1 Sig Sqn YofS
Maj Alex Scott
WO2 (SSM) Dave Honeyman
The Squadron would like to congratulation the following
personnel: SSgt (SPSI) George Cowan for receiving the Royal
Signals Institute Silver medal for services to the LFFB system,
apparently it was a good
function and all recipients
were well hosted; Sgt DJ
John on his promotion to
Sgt, welcome to the mess;
Sgt Cat Duncan on her
successful All Arms
bookkeeping course; Sgt
Lesley Bayne on her
successful MATT 3 Course
and finally to Sig Doug
Hawthorn for completing
his TS (B) Cse at
Grantham. Farewell but
not goodbye to Sig Jeff
Oliver who transferred
Royal Signals Institute Silver Medal
to 32nd Signal
recipient, SSgt (SPSI) George Cowan
Regiment - see you
next year!
EXERCISE DISCOVERY CHALLENGE (COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT) 10 NOV 2012 - by SSgt (SPSI) Cowan
Soldiers of 38 Sig Regt (V) Marching past the cenotaph in
Barker’s Pool
November is the main month that 2 Sqn take part in their
Community Engagement Main effort and this year was no
different. First was the Festival of Remembrance event in the
Caird Hall Dundee, the first Saturday in November which is
now marketed as the main festival activity carried out by the
Royal British Legion Scotland. Four members from the
Squadron took part in the Muster, SSgt George Cowan as the
RSA Standard Bearer and Sgt Lesley Bayne, Cpl David Lyall
and Cpl Bruce Tarbet as marching troops. As is every year this
was a well attended event by the local community showing
their support for the military both past and present.
65
To coincide with the Remembrance Community Engagement
activities the Sqn also use the Saturday before Remembrance
Sunday to carry out a fund raising activity to raise money for
charity. This event has been named Discovery Challenge
which involves members of the Sqn taking part in a 497 mile
endurance event covering the distance on exercise bikes and
treadmills at a local gym.
bleeding radiators, changing security light timer switches, kick
(kick being the key word) starting the boiler in one of the
buildings and sorting the bed space plan, to be ready for
handover to G4 Joe Sgt Fred Grieve on his arrival with the
main body from Dundee.
Sgt Fred Grieve and Newly promoted Sgt DJ John assembling
the PRC 355
Discovery Challenge Team 2012
The 497 mile figure is to symbolise the distance the ship RSS
Discovery travelled on its last journey from its mooring place
on the River Thames to its final resting place and place of
manufacture at Discovery Point in Dundee.
This year we decided to raise money for the Charity Combat
Stress and once SSgt Cowan has done all his sums we should
have raised £1000 in aid of this great cause.
EXERCISE STEEL ORE 16 – 18 NOV 2012
- by SSgt (SPSI (A)) Devonport
This exercise is the first of the revamped communication (ICS)
progression exercises, culminating in the final exercise during
Annual Deployment, and also going from 8 weekends to 6.
With Ex STEEL ORE being the first, it is the opportunity to
ensure all personnel are on the same page and so it’s mainly a
static exercise being classroom based from map marking to
detachment drills aimed from signaller to SNCO. The location,
accommodation, feeding, instructors and all the admin boxes
for the weekend having been ticked, even with a slight date
change all was set. Gordon Barracks, (Aberdeen) at 851 Signal
Troops location was the chosen site as it offered all the
facilities and not a camp cot or ORP ration box were to be
seen. We had chef support from Aberdeen University Officer
Training Corps (AUOTC) in the form of their RQ WO2 Les
Thompson and our own Sgt Sheila Chalmers.
The exercise was static and mainly in house but as we were
the furthest location within the Regiment we are often used
as distant end to prove links. So early on Friday afternoon the
Dundee detachment left for Aberdeen to be set up in
anticipation to offer confidence in the Regimental comms
package, manned by Cpl ‘Krafty’ Krawczyk and LCpl ‘Chalky’
Batchelor. This was done by late afternoon and also provided
the instructors with a working detachment to demonstrate
on. The equipment list was reduced to enable SSgt (PSI (T))
Don Brennan to be able to prepare for the forthcoming Royal
Signals Inspection Team (RSIT) visit later in the month. This
left one of the MAN SV’s in Dundee and at Endex all the
comms assets would head south for the inspection.
By late evening all personnel had arrived and were digging
into the soup and rolls laid on by the catering team, whilst the
Ops Officer, Capt Heather Lawrie and instructors were busy
re-working the MEL - situation normal in this and any other TA
Unit. By this time 851’s PSI had been doing the PSI duties not
normally associated with the job description (small print!);
66
862 (Tayside) Sig Tp READY!!
The training started early with Sgt Ian Briggs giving the MT
lessons first with ATUD, Driving hours briefs and the 2kVA
generator set then instructors Capt Lynn Bertram, Capt Davy
Crockett, SSgt (PSI (T)) Don Brennan and Sgt Joe Wiggins
delivered lessons from map marking to PRC 355 to
introduction to TC OPO and IMI maintenance. Lessons not
taught but demonstrated were the wheel changing on white
fleet by SSgt (SPSI(A)) Ian Devonport and Sgt Joe Wiggins as
a visit to the local shop by Joe and Don also picked up a nail in
a tyre. This soon became more of a command task but with
the aid of the user
guide and the VM
Supplementary tool
box this was soon
sorted, phrases such
as, “It’s a two minute
job” were heard
muttered by both as
they flicked through
the user guide to suss
out how to release the
spare wheel. More of a
mystery than physical
task and also whilst
being watched by the
local AFCO and their
potential recruits on a
nurture day.
Quote of the exercise: “We only went
for a paper” Sgt Joe Wiggins changing
the punctured tyre
On completion of the
day's training the
troops retreated to the
accommodation to
prepare for the social
that night to say farewell to Maj Morna Strachan on retiring
from AUOTC. Morna was OC 51 Sig Sqn within 32 Sig Regt
based in Gordon Barracks prior to moving over to the AUOTC
as training officer and will be missed by all in Aberdeen.
Training was complete by Sunday lunchtime to allow for the
turn-a-round of equipment prior to the RSIT visit the following
week. We look forward to STEEL FURNACE in Feb 13.
64TH (CITY OF SHEFFIELD) SIGNAL SQUADRON
(VOLUNTEERS)
OC
SSM
Maj Stu McHenery
WO2 (SSM) Ross
ANNUAL DEPLOYMENT EXERCISE - by LCpl Woods
64 Sqn’s Annual Deployment Exercise was held at Ripon at
Devrill Barracks this year. A real mixed bag of training as most
of the Squadron had recently deployed on Op OLYMPIC. The
first few days were all about leadership training and settling
into the training program but it was leadership training of a
different kind, not the usual military skills training.
Leadership training was all about taking a step back, looking
at the situation from outside the box. I found this to be
challenging on the confirmation exercise we did in the make
shift Ops room. The exercise was a little bit like ‘Challenge
Aneka’ whereby I had to direct my team of 4 pairs to different
clues in the area of Ripon without being hunted by the other
team! This was quite difficult as I had to direct the teams to
different areas. The team worked really well and we won!
One of the other challenges we had in the Leadership training
was to set up a dining area and prepare a three course meal
for the SVWO and 2IC of the Regiment, finding the materials
in our teams around the training area that were dotted
around, and we were only given so many ingredients and so
much cooking time. It was just like Master Chef! But the
leadership kicked in, and the females in my team (I and Cpl
Julie Hall of 46 Squadron) took control and became the chefs
and got on with it. The best bit had to be dessert, thanks to
LCpl Dunker who pulled out a chocolate fudge cake ration
pack from his webbing, half a bar of melted chocolate over
the fudge cake, hey presto! Suffice to say, we won the
challenge – again.
have a look in a museum which holds the last remaining
corner of an original Roman bath!
Second week of ADE, which involved the National
Communications Exercise and some usually comical phrases
whilst manning the BOWMAN Dets we use and maintain, to
keep spirits up in the wee small hours of the morning!
Sports Day arrived after the Regimental BBQ and postexercise turnaround after standing in the pouring rain doing a
meet and greet with the Brigadier. A good effort was put in
by all Squadrons on sports day but hats off to 46 Support
Squadron who seemed to win everything - again! They had
already won our Sports Weekend earlier on in the year. That
evening whilst we were tucking into our BBQ the Senior NCOs
and Officers retired to a local hotel for a combined mess
dinner where the guests of honour were the Master of Signals
and the Brigade Commander.
64 Sig Sqn SNCOs and Officers attend combined Mess dinner
Stand Down came at last, which meant packing all kit up, rest
and sleep for drivers (yeah!) but also our Squadron Curry,
which worked so well last year. WO2 (SSM) Ross organised
for us to have a similar event again this year and provided us
all the opportunity to socialize with each other and bond
together as a Squadron, and as you can imagine, highs and
lows of camp and the Driving Cadre in Catterick were
amongst the topics of conversation.
We were also celebrating LCpl Andy Priest’s birthday, so in
true 64 style we organized a signed card for him from the
whole Squadron plus a birthday cake complete with candles
to blow out at the meal. Imagine everyone’s faces when LCpl
Priest seemed to have cottoned on to what was planned and
as the waiter was bringing out the cake and we all started to
sing happy birthday, decided to pop to the loo! So we had to
do a bit of a re-take, he still loved it none the less. 46TH (HALLAMSHIRE) SUPPORT SQUADRON (VOLUNTEERS)
OC
SSM
Maj Thelma Ward
WO2 (SSM) Medley
EXERCISE HORSESHOE FINALE
64 Sig Sqn’s rather excited Tara Cup team members
Towards the end of the first week, everyone’s minds focused
towards the inter squadron mil skills competition – the Tara
Cup - and although the Squadron didn’t win, 110% effort was
put in from both the teams. They did so well, it was a long
day but I think everyone had a blast.
Everyone’s favourite day – R&R – arrived much quicker than
anticipated. After a little crazy golf just outside York, we
spent the day in York city centre, some around town.
However, LCpl Webster, Cpl Rowell, Cpl Hewitt and I went to
To mark the disbandment of 2 Signal Brigade, the Brigade
Pennant was to be transported around the Brigade AO and
visit every RHQ and Squadron location. 38 Signal Regiment
(V) was given the task of taking it from 32 Signal Regiment (V)
in Darlington on 29 Oct 12 and transporting it to 38 Signal
Regiment (V) in Sheffield via 894 Troop, Leeds.
The Regt decided to move the pennant by pedal power, so on
the morning of the 29 Oct 12, five riders dressed all in lycra set
off on what was to become known as the Tour du Pennant.
We covered the 101 miles over a two day period, the first leg
from Darlington to Leeds (60 Miles) was covered in 5hrs 40
mins, which was a great effort. There was only one casualty
of the day, SSgt Leon Bancroft. The discomfort of being in a
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saddle for nearly six hours finally took its toll on him as he
agonisingly shuddered to halt on the final hill on the way into
Leeds.
Day two got off to a flying start and the team managed to
reach Sheffield in good time, expecting a raucous reception
from the permanent staff at RHQ. Unfortunately no such
luck, instead members of 37 Sig Regt were eagerly poised
ready to take the 2 Sig Bde Pennant on its next journey over
the Pennines to the far reaches of Redditch.
Receiving the 2 Sig Bde Pennant from 50 Sig Sqn in Darlington
Overall the ride took just over 9hrs and we managed to get
everyone back safe and in one piece; SSgt Bancroft even got
back on his bike and completed all of the second leg, well
done Leon.
39th (SKINNERS) SIGNAL REGIMENT (VOLUNTEERS)
BRISTOL
CO
RSM
Lt Col M Cosgrove MBE
WO1 (RSM) W Scarrott
It has been a period of change for the Regt recently - we are
now under the Command of 11 Signal Brigade, following the
closure of Headquarters 2 Signal Brigade in December 12. This
significant historical event was marked by Ex HORSESHOE
FINALE, a relay between Sqn locations with the Bde pennant,
by non motorised means. Each of the Sqns played its part
with Support Sqn arguably winning the prize for the most
innovative transport means!
where Pte Emily Palmer turned up and showed everyone her
abilities as a mountain goat and made light work of the task
at hand. Meanwhile at the bottom of the rock Cpl Emma
Turner’s attempt was dismal at best, reaching a generous 8
feet up the rock, this was before she redeemed herself by
doing the abseil which she did say she wouldn’t do.
On the subject of change, we have been joined by a number
of new members of permanent staff. Firstly welcome to our
new RSM - WO1 (RSM) Scarrott who joins us from 19 Lt Bde
HQ & Sig Sqn (209). Secondly we would like to welcome LCpl
Sheard from 7 Armd Bde HQ & Sig Sqn (207) who takes over
from LCpl Armstrong as the CO’s driver. Good luck to LCpl
Armstrong in his next job at 21 Sig Regt (AS) – thanks for all
your hard work over the last two years.
93 (NSY) SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj P J Smith
WO2 (SSM) K Butcher
Since the conclusion of Op OLYMPICS, the Squadron have
continued to be extremely busy with our communication
detachment vehicle disappearing for a REMUS Fit, all
permanent staff spending countless hours completing JAMES
Training and preparation for our annual RSIT inspection.
We also welcome to the Squadron WO2 (RQMS (V)) Richard
Sharp, posted in from 57 Sig Sqn, LCpl Marc May on
enlistment and Cfn Richard Smye-Rumsby. Sadly we have
had to say farewell to WO2 (RQMS (V)) Jayne Tuck and Sgt
Karen Hodges who have both retired from the TA.
EXERCISE WESSEX ADVENTURER - by Cfn Craig Wookey
It was the evening of Friday 12 October and 93 Sp Sqn were
off on their travels on Ex WESSEX ADVENTURER. After a 2
hour drive down the A37 we reached Weymouth where we
would be staying at Chickerall Camp for the weekend. This
was intended to be a team bonding weekend consisting of
kayaking, sailing, rock climbing and abseiling.
At 0845 on Saturday we arrived at Weymouth Outdoor
Education Centre ready for the day’s activities. For me, rock
climbing and abseiling were first on the agenda. This was
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Cpl Turner is apprehensive
For the next challenge we headed to the water where we had
to attempt to sail a boat. Obviously the outdoor temperature
in October isn’t desirable when wet so falling in the water
wasn’t something many wanted to think about! The choice of
boats was limited to ‘you will get wet in this’ or ‘you won’t
get wet in this,’ I, as one of the youngest, was handed the
“you will get wet boat”, with Cfn Mike Merrick by my side we
set sail towards the buoy we were told to head towards. It
was a simple task but we made it difficult for everyone else as
we sailed over the buoy and towed it around with us. In the
end the boat did live up to its name and we capsized 3 times.
There was an excellent performance from our resident PSI
Sgt Steve Poole who’d obviously done this before and only
when getting out of his boat did he get his feet wet.
Feeling fresh on the Sunday morning we headed down to the
outdoor centre at 0900 where to take part in the last activity,
kayaking. The phrase “taking to it like a duck to water”
wasn’t one that could be used by Cpl Jason Airey who had
some centre of gravity issues which saw him capsize multiple
times (sometimes without even moving). We kayaked along
the calm waters of the harbour towards Chesil Beach, but
before we got to the beach there was an obstacle. We
needed to go under a bridge, which sounded simple, little did
we know this was like a venturi with a strong current coming
under it. This took a lot of time and energy to overcome but
everyone managed to come out the other side, even the guys
who got caught in the current and had to cross again.
The pennant is handed over to the yachtsmen
Life on the sea
The weekend was enjoyed by all and gave the Squadron a
chance to bond with each other and for juniors and seniors to
mix together without to many formalities.
EXERCISE HORSESHOE FINALE - by Capt Terry Morrissey
Capt Andy Morris handed the Pennant over to WO2 Baz
Roberts with the firm instructions that he was not to lose it
over board! In the mean time the CO and OC 93 Sp Sqn
arrived in Cardiff to meet up with our guides SSgt Ali Nash
and SSgt Ed Chwieseni of 53 Sig Sqn who had kindly agreed
to show them the sights whilst waiting for the yacht. What I
had failed to mention to the CO and OC was that the bike was
a tandum, which fortunately for me they saw the funny side
of! In addition due to poor weather in the Bristol Cannel the
yacht took longer than anticipated which meant the 3 mile
tandum ride turned into over 10 miles.
To mark the disbandment of HQ 2 Sig Bde, it was decided that
the Bde Pennant would be transported around the Bde AOR
and visit every RHQ and Sqn location over the period 20 Oct –
22 Nov 12, the only stipulation was that it could only be moved
by non-mechanical means (i.e water, cycling, running or
wind). 93 Sp Sqn’s task, which fell to me to organise, was to
take it from Bristol TA Centre and deliver it to Cardiff TAC.
The CO and OC on their bike!
However all's well that ends well, we managed to deliver the
Pennant to Cardiff TAC and hand it over to representatives
from 10 Signal Regiment who had the responsibility of
delivering the Pennant to Army HQ in Andover.
The runners at the dock in Portishead
Unlike our sister Sqns within the Regit who chose just to cycle
their leg of the route, we hatched a cunning plan to run the
pennant 10 miles from the TAC to the Marina at Portishead,
sail the pennant by yacht to Cardiff’s Mermaid Bay and then
transport it the last few miles by bike to Cardiff TAC.
Now the difficult bit getting volunteers for each leg. The
runners comprised of myself, Capt Terry Morrissey, OC LAD,
Capt Andy Morris, Capt Andy Rea the Adjutant, and Sig Steve
Appleton. The sailors on the Yacht were WO2 (RQMS) Baz
Roberts, WO2 (RQMS(V)) Richards Sharp and Cpl Luke
Cemlyn, whilst the CO, Lt Col Marcus Cosgrove and OC 93 Sp
Sqn Maj Phil Smith volunteered for the bike ride.
The route set, Risk Assessments completed and the support
team organised, we were ready to go. The runners set off at
the unearthly time of 0600hrs to ensure that the yacht could
make the tide. Unfortunately Sig Steve Appleton pulled up at
the half way stage of the run leaving the 3 Capts to complete
the distance in a very respectable time of 90 minutes.
OC 93 Sp Sqn handing the Pennant to 10 Sig Regt
EXERCISE HORFIELD HARMONY - by Sgt Tim McCarthy
The day began cold but bright with a scrumptious cooked
breakfast provided by our resident Gordon Ramsey and
Nigella Lawson double act (Cpls Andy Badman and Emma
Turner). All being fed and watered it was time to hit the road
to town. Mini buses were formed up and the troops moved
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from A to B, rowers one way and specialist interest trips the
other and what trips they proved to be.
First location was the Bloodhound SSC project where our host
for the morning Maj Oli Morgan REME met us with fresh
brewed coffee for all as a precursor to our talk and tour.
Bloodhound Super Sonic Car (SSC) is the next British land
speed attempt with a goal of exceeding 1000 mph and
retaining the record previously set using Thrust 2, and this
against teams from USA, Australia and New Zealand. Maj
Morgan briefed the assembled mass with a very descriptive
overview of the project, its foundation with Richard Noble
and Wng Cdr Andy Green and a need for speed approach
giving a cornerstone for the project to form on.
The objective: get to South Africa, undertake two 10 mile runs
within the hour and achieve an average speed of 1000mph
across a flat sandy desert. No major dramas in this idea just
an application of the engineering imagination and resources
of our nation. The key: educate, inspire and invigorate a
generation to lead Team GB Engineering back into a worldbeating position, again no major drama there.
So why were we there? Well there is now an embedded team
of REME technical staff led by Maj Morgan who are tasked
with providing skills in metalworking, avionics, mechanical
engineering and electronics to prove that the strap line ‘Army
Be The Best’ can really be achieved with a bit dedication and a
lot of effort. The REME team have accepted the tasks
presented with gusto and are currently working on a number
of key areas including the fuel tank, the fuel control system
and the construction of the main lower chassis from aero
alloy. But as alluded to earlier the main thrust (get it) of the
project is to educate and inspire the next generation of
engineers. To this end the REME team support the Science
Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) ambassadors
who are visiting schools across the nation to teach,
demonstrate and involve children of all ages in the project.
Having been suitably inspired by the visit to Maj Morgan and
his awe-inspiring project, we thanked him for the time he had
taken out of his weekend to demonstrate just how
inspirational moments in a career can be had and we made
our way along the wharf side to the SS Great Britain, another
iconic and inspirational feat of engineering and possibly the
Bloodhound of its day. This was a self-guided tour of one of
Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s greatest achievements, a ship
that revolutionised travel for both the rich and the masses.
People could now cross the Atlantic quickly and safely in
sumptuous comfort with luxurious furnishings and fine dining
all the way in times considered impossible to achieve only a
few decades earlier. The tour took in the engine room where
the main connecting rod was
bigger than the Bloodhound
itself which brought Victorian
engineering into perspective.
All mod cons were obvious
with such luxuries as flushing
toilets and running hot water
for the baths (great fun in a
force 8 gale I should think).
Full medical facilities were also
provided along from the
butcher’s area, you have to
love the Victorian approach.
Whilst visiting the official
onboard photographer’s
booth a number of key
personnel took the
opportunity to get into the
spirit of the era and don
appropriate clothing for the
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Cfn Rich Syme-Rumsby steering
the Matthew
day. Having completed an interesting and informing visit to
each of the main areas of the ship, the party moved on across
the docks to take a journey on a much smaller but equally
inspiring vessel. ‘The Matthew’ is a true likeness replica of the
ship that John Cabot set sail on, on an exploration mission
funded by a Mr John Amerik of Bristol. What he and his crew
returned to report was slightly staggering and certainly
changed the world. Having got back from America John
Cabot reported his findings
and was rewarded in
monetary terms but most
importantly his wife and
family were returned to him
as agreed when they were
first taken hostage to
ensure he didn’t just sail off
with Richard Amerik's ship.
We boarded the ship and
were treated to a trip
around Bristol floating
harbour where we learnt
the vagaries of the vessel
and life onboard a 15th
century ship. To show that
this was not just a simple
exploring vessel but a ship
with teeth, we loaded up
Firing the cannon on the Matthew
the cannon and fired off
two loud shots which
certainly got the attention of the passers-by strolling
innocently along the quayside.
This drew the day to an end and with a crew of soldiers now
educated in key elements of the history of the City we serve
and represent we returned to the Horfield RHQ for a well
earned Christmas meal and a ‘knees up’, music provide by Cpl
Ginge Haynes in his inimitable way.
ROWING - by Capt Andy Morris
Twenty two personnel volunteered to undertake a rowing
taster session in Bristol Docks on a freezing December
morning. We were brilliantly looked after by the City of
Bristol Rowing Club who split us into four groups. Two went
to the gym to experience the ergo machines while the other
two got on the water to play in eight man boats.
The concept was a simple one – they were going to get each
group rowing in around an hour on the water. For obvious
reasons the club provided the cox and some experienced
rowers to sit at the bow end of the each boat. We were
given basic instruction on how to row on a land-based trainer
and then before we knew it we were carrying the boat above
our heads down to the water’s edge. Once out into the docks
(courtesy of the cox and experienced rowers) we started
rowing in pairs learning how to follow the person in front.
This led to 4s which led to 6s and then within 45 minutes we
were co-ordinated enough to row together, certainly not to
any sort of standard but looking from the bow end everyone
did appear to be roughly in time...
The lesson learnt is rowing is the epitome of a team sport.
Everyone has to work with each other, there is no room for
solo performances and it was a great exercise to undertake. I
think we impressed with our ability to get everything together
in very short time frame. Halfway through the session we
swapped over activities. The previous two groups had left us
some pretty low hanging fruit in terms of targets – we had to
row as a relay team as far as possible in 20 minutes. It was
frightening but at the same time reassuring how competitive
everyone is. The team with the two oldest participants OC
LAD Capt Andy Morris (competitive dad) and the Sqn 2IC Capt
Bob Nixon rowed the furthest and unsurprisingly also
recorded the fastest stroke rate of the day.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the session. For everyone it was
the first time in a rowing boat, and we agreed that having
watched our Olympic rowers on TV you cannot really
understand what it’s all about until you’ve tried it for real –
they are unbelievably tough competitors.
56 SIGNAL SQUADRON - EASTBOURNE
OC
SSM Maj K M Francis
WO2 (SSM) R Vincent
The Sqn marked the final part of 2012 with some new arrivals.
858 Sp Tp has grown in strength and is now fully manned with
an additional trainee Chef Pte Field. The REME team now
include Rct Aaron Leighton and Sig Andrew Russell.
WO2 (YofS) Still receives his award for service
The Sqn is delighted to welcome SSgt Mark ‘Taff’ Langley as
the new SPSI. He moves to Eastbourne with his family and
we all hope they settle in well to the area. His first job was to
sort out drill practice which clearly worked as reports roundly
confirm the Squadron were the best marchers on parade
during Remembrance Sunday. New 884 Tp Comd 2Lt Chris
Davis had the honour of leading the Brighton Remembrance
Parade alongside contingents from PWRR, Army Cadets, Navy
Cadets and other youth organisations. They also put forward
LCpl Barry Heanes and Sig Andrew Sawdon as escorts to The
Royal Corps of Signals’ Standard. SSgt Pete Mills commanded
the Honour Guard which consisted of Sigs Felix Bowman,
Paul Gendre, Matthew Morley and James Pritchett. All
elements were commended for their bearing and drill. WO2 Still has been in the TA for just over 10 years and his fast
rise through the ranks has not gone unnoticed. He has played
a key role in the Sqn comms training since his early years as a
Det Commander and his role as a BT Engineer has certainly
helped with a transfer of skills from civilian to military work.
He was joined by Cpl Kris Grace who was awarded ‘Reservist
of the Year’. Cpl Grace is the Tp JNCO and lead training NCO
at the Brighton 884 Out-Troop. Since his HERRICK tour Cpl
Grace has excelled in achieving instructor courses, (PTI, SAA,
RMQ to name but a few). He was delighted that this award
was sponsored by the brewers of London Pride.
Brighton Remembrance
Cpl Kris Grace receives his Reservist of the Year Award
The Sqn continues to build their instructor bank with A/LCpl
Jake Cole successfully completed the PTI basic course. He
now joins Cpls Ben Carter and Kris Grace keeping the Sqn
running. On the marksmanship side Capt Stephanie Barron
has now gained the CMCQ.
OC Maj Keiron Francis, 2IC Capt Stephanie Barron and Ops
Officer Capt Steve Hall all attended the Lord Mayor’s Parade
in London on Saturday 10 November 2012. Whilst Capt Hall
attended to the broken down AA vehicle, part of the AA
display team, Maj Francis tried to keep the Girls' Brigade band
up to speed with the rest of the parade. Capt Barron had a
more exciting time accompanying Olympic Gold Medallist
Jessica Ennis in the Jaguar car display, but was soon accosted
by Maj Francis who was keen to meet the champion.
THE LORD LIEUTENANT'S AWARD CEREMONY
- by Capt Stephanie Barron
Two more Sqn members have been recognised for their work
in the TA, both at Sqn level in the community and overseas.
For service to the TA WO2 (YofS) Timothy Still received the
‘Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex’ Award at a ceremony in
Brighton in October.
Maj Keiron Francis and past Sqn OC Lt Col Anthony Lamb, as
well as friends and family were on hand to congratulate both
recipients and wait to see if Cpl Grace would share his
additional prize. He didn’t.
SQUADRON CHRISTMAS PARTY AND DINING OUT
The Sqn Maintenance Weekend was also chance for the Sqn
to combine key events. Firstly we said goodbye to some longterm Sqn figures. At a combined dining-out the Squadron said
a final farewell to WO2 Mickey Dowds, WO2 Steve ‘Krusty’
Howell and Sgt Paul Renaud. Although all had finished their
time at the Sqn a while ago this was the first time we had
managed to get all of them together. Combined they have
served the military in both regular and TA service for over 70
years. WO2 Howell was a regular soldier and retired after
nearly 20 years’ service. He then joined the TA and to his
credit entered as a private soldier. He went through basic
training (again) and retired for a second time after another 17
years’ service in the final years as our Master Chef. WO2
Mickey Dowds served 19 years in the Regular Royal Signals.
He then joined the regular reserves and maintained his links
for 6 years before then joining 56 Sig Sqn as a TA soldier. His
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fast rank rise was in no small part due to 3 tours of Northern
Ireland, Op TELIC 1 and the Balkans as well as his role working
in Iraq for a variety of firms. Sgt Paul Renaud was with 56 Sig
Sqn for over 14 years and was always one of the stalwart Sqn
personalities. His work as a Det Commander in the days of
Lanward and Clansman are only surpassed by his legacy of
antics which includes adventure training injuries and driving
through the M4 toll barrier – now a gift from the Sgts' Mess.
We also held the annual Sqn Christmas Party, organised by
the senior Cpls Linford Millen and Tom Rossi-Flint and ably
assisted by SQMS SSgt John Atherton, the Sqn Chef Cpl Ben
Bracken cooked the 3 course meal for 72 soldiers. As is
custom the Officers and Seniors served on and over the
weekend SSgt Bob Shevels and Sgt Pete Paine could be
found peeling potatoes and chopping carrots whilst the
Officers washed up a never ending stream of cutlery and
plates. The money tree proved a great success and despite
several heavy heads the following day all troops managed to
take in the drink driving and equipment maintenance
presentations on Sunday afternoon.
57 (CITY & COUNTY OF BRISTOL) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC SSM
Maj P Rodenhurst
WO2 R Vise
BRISTOL REMEMBRANCE PARADE – by Capt Ben Newby
The Sqn has the honour to contribute to an armed contingent
representing 39 Sig Regt in the RBL Bristol Remembrance
Parade every year. 57 and 93 Squadrons both have their
Headquarters in Bristol; therefore they alternate command of
the Regimental contingent year to year. Overall parade
command also rotates among the Reserve components of the
three services in Bristol. In 2012 it was both 57 Sqn’s turn to
command the Regimental contingent and 39 Sig Regt’s turn
to command the entire parade, something that always throws
up some additional tasks and responsibilities. Maj Paul
Rodenhurst commanded the contingent, and the recently
appointed CO, Lt Col Marcus Cosgrove MBE was thrown in at
the deep end having to command a parade he had never even
seen happen before (there are no rehearsals!).
As the parade is one of the largest in the UK and draws a
significant crowd of spectators. It is an event that calls for
diligent preparation. The Sqn ran two intensive training days
under WO2 (SSM) Richard Vise to get everyone up to speed
in rifle drill. These start from the basics, enabling those who
have just passed Phase 1 to integrate with those who have
been doing the parade for over a decade. The marching
contingent was the largest for some time, reflecting growth
in both Squadrons due to recruiting and ex-regular transfers.
This was the first year of parading in recently issued PCS (CU).
Thanks to the magnificent efforts of SQMS Nick Marsh and
Sgt Paul Wylde we all ended up in the same colour uniform,
with the right badges sewn on in the right places.
Having practiced the parade, movement by movement,
countless times around the TAC car-park, we met on the cold
and crisp 11th of November to perform in front of the crowds.
As usual the things that cannot be practiced made the parade
a lot trickier than the rehearsals. These included a pipe band
playing “Riverdance”, shuffling seamen, a tutu-wearing
skateboarder, cadets on xylophones, and of course thousands
of people clapping and cheering. Despite various distractions
the parade went well and respects were paid to the fallen in
the solemn ceremony at the cenotaph.
Following the parade there was the ever-popular curry lunch
at the TA centre for serving soldiers, families and old
comrades. This proved to be a massive event and we were
extremely pleased to host the Lord Lieutenant of the City and
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County of Bristol, Mrs Mary Prior MBE and her husband, who
not only took the salute as the Queen’s representative at the
parade but also happens to be our Sqn Honorary Colonel.
Thanks are due to the Chefs; Cpls Badman and Turner for
providing a fine lunch for all.
EXERCISE HORFIELD HARMONY – by Capt Eddie Kingston
After helping the country to honour all those serving and
remember those that have given the ultimate sacrifice, the
Squadrons focus turned to preparing for the traditional
Christmas Training Weekend. This is usually a mixture of
military training combined with physical and mentally
challenging events that fit around the time-honoured tradition
of serving Christmas Dinner to the soldiers. This year we
opted to stay in Horfield and conduct the weekend jointly
with our sister Squadron, 93 (North Somerset Yeomanry),
hence HORFIELD HARMONY, as indeed it turned out to be.
We seemed to pack more into the weekend than was
physically possible. Working alongside 93 Sp Sqn, Sqn
personnel also took part in the rowing, the visit to the
Bloodhound project and tour of The Matthew.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, the PSAOs were busying about
the TAC trying to make it look like an event venue fit to feed
and entertain the troops. The drill hall was transformed into
an event fit for a royal wedding. The soldiers were duly served
with enough Christmas food to last them through a harsh
winter and all without a single Brussel sprout being launched
at the collection of sheepish looking officers and warrant
officers. Dinner was followed by a lights and music fantasy
supplied by Cpl Ginge Haynes, whereby a number of the Sqn
dusted off their dancing pumps and tried to keep up with LCpl
Adam Morris, who is clearly the Guinness Book of Records
Holder for non stop disco dancing. Our only failing was to not
get the OC on the floor to give us his promised rendition of
Gangnam style, although SSgt Jo Stevens and Sgt Sue
Palfrey’s Queen tribute more than made up for that.
Sunday was very productive combining CIED training and
maintenance in preparation for RSIT. A very full and
successful weekend for which I would like to take the
opportunity to thank Capts Andy Morris and Terry Morrissey
of Sp Sqn for all their assistance in putting it all together.
All in all it has been a very satisfying, albeit particularly busy
couple of months. But as always there are the usual
farewells, this time to Lt Jo Murray who has defected to 94
(Berkshire Yeomanry) Squadron, we will never forgive you;
Sig Rachel Foster, who managed to make it through her
recruit training and then got a civvy job offer up t’North
before she got a chance to establish herself in the Sqn, luckily
she has been able to transfer to one of our sister squadrons
and will continue with her training. We wish her all the best
with her new Sqn. Finally we say a, hopefully temporary,
farewell to one of the Sqn, who after a period of intense
training and completion of the aptitude assessment is joining
R Tp, 63 Sqn for a tour of duty, Bon Chance Soldier X.
We are delighted to welcome Sgt Julian Wellings, who has
re-enlisted after previously accidentally belonging to 43 Signal
Squadron in Bath! We also welcome Sig Sebastian PerceauWells who has transferred in from 94 Sqn, presumably
because his horsemanship was not up to scratch. Other,
slightly younger additions to the Sqn will be some time before
they can don PCS and rub shoulders with the gnarly old timers
are Imogen Sarah, a daughter to Capt and Mrs Ben Newby
and Rebecca Rose to Sig Lauren Bird (nee Mulcahy). And
finally the more astute of you will have noticed that this
article is headed with the name of a new WO2; warm
congratulations to Richie Vise on promotion to WO2 and
appointment as the SSM.
71st (CITY OF LONDON) YEOMANRY SIGNAL REGIMENT
BEXLEYHEATH
CO
RSM Lt Col CR Sutherland
WO1 (RSM) D Graham
getting back into the ‘normal’ routine with the remainder of
the training year focusing more on military training.
INTRODUCTION - by Lt Col C R Sutherland
47 (MIDDLESEX YEOMANRY) SIGNAL SQUADRON (V)
As we approach the end of the year, and the end of my tour
in command, I thought I would reflect on a significant year for
71 Sig Regt. The last 12 months have been defined by the
build-up to the Olympic Games, the execution of Op
OLYMPICS and our role in helping to ensure a safe and secure
Olympics, and finally completed by our spectacular charity
boxing dinner, ‘The Dogfight’ in aid of Hounds For Heroes, in
which we raised £67,000, and once the costs of the event
were settled, ending up with a clear £45,000 profit for the
Charity. This whopping amount of money was enough to
fund the through-life costs for two assistance dogs to help
disabled and injured Armed Forces and civilian Emergency
Services personnel. I am also proud to state that this event
was the single largest fundraising event that has been staged
on behalf of the Charity, and I feel very honoured to have
been asked to become a Trustee of Hounds For Heroes.
A/OC
SSM
SPSI
Throughout all of this we have continued to nurture our
relationships with the City of London and its institutions and
support the Corps in its London endeavours and events.
Recruiting has become especially pertinent to the TA at the
present time in the face of Regular Army redundancy and the
intention to place more reliance on the Reserves. We have
managed to increase our manning levels by 13% during this
year through the use of dedicated Additional Duties Contract
(ADC) TA recruiters, and this has placed us in a vitally strong
position for the challenges of 2013. I make no apologies for
stating again, however, that if the Reserves are going to be
more relied upon by the Regular Army in the future, then the
Reserves are going to have to become more reliable; much of
this will depend on the future TACOS for our Reservists, and
crucially from the buy-in, or otherwise, of their employers.
The Regiment is poised in an exceptionally strong position for
the challenges of 2013, which we know will bring significant
change. It will be for my successor to guide the Regiment
through these challenges, however, our share value, as a
Regiment, is sky high within LONDIST and Land Command as
a result of our actions during Op OLYMPICS; we did not fail
them and we proved that we can ably conduct our
contingency tasks when disaster strikes; the total military
communications failure across London on the eve of the
Opening Ceremony and our restoration work completed 3
minutes before the start of the actual Ceremony are a clear
example of this. Equally, but more mundanely, for the first
time on record that I can find, we have scored Green Gradings
in absolutely every inspection that we have been subjected
to. Not bad for a Territorial Army Regiment, and merely
proves what can be done when the Regulars and Reserves
work together. I am very proud of 71st (City of London)
Yeomanry Signal Regiment…..Jai 71!
Capt Alex Orr
SSgt Claire Goodwin
SSgt Paul Tinsley
SQUADRON OVERVIEW – by Capt Alex Orr
The last few months has seen the Sqn undertake a number of
events in support of the Middlesex Yeomanry Association.
The first of these was the annual Lafone Day Parade in the
crypt of St Pauls at the Middlesex Yeomanry Memorial. The
event commemorates Maj Alexander Lafone’s action on 27
October 1917 in Palestine, for which he was awarded the
Victoria Cross. This is a special event with the Parade starting
with a service at the Squadron Church, St Martin’s within
Ludgate. The Association and Sqn then take the short walk to
St Paul’s for the second part of Parade, where the laying of
the wreaths takes place within the Crypt, which is not open to
the public.
The second event was the annual Lafone Dinner, held at
Uxbridge TAC. Each year a guest speaker is invited to speak
at the end of the Dinner, which this year was Maj Gen Sir
Sebastian Roberts, who delivered an excellent speech on the
importance of monarchy. This speech was well received by
the assembled guests, which included Brig Vickery.
The Sqn has taken the lead in preparing the Regimental
Shooting Team for various competitions this year. SSgt Paul
Tinsley and Sgt Coleman undertook all the preliminary
training to enable the team to compete at the London District
Operation Shooting Competition at the start of December.
The team finished twelfth but gained valuable experience,
which puts them in a good position for the up coming CORPS
Operational Shooting Competition in April 2013.
REMEMBRANCE PARADE - by SSgt Goodwin
On a cold November morning the Sqn formed up at Uxbridge
TAC ready for the Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph in
Uxbridge. This event is now led by the Sqn due to the RAF
moving to Northolt. The Sqn were joined by 191 Army Cadet
Force and 1083 Sqn Air Training Corps.
OPS OVERVIEW – by WO2 (YofS) Constable
Post Op OLYMPICS has seen the Regt Ops Team taking a big
breath and some well earned leave. It is with great sadness
or relief that we say goodbye to the Ops Offr Capt Stuart
Thomas on posting to HQ 1 Sig Bde and hello to Capt Calum
MacAulay posted in from 299 Sig Sqn (SC). SSgt Gaz Little
has left us for JFHQ Northwood and he is looking forward to
many new adventures. Regt Ops are now looking forward to
47 Sqn on parade at the Cenotaph in Uxbridge
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SSgt (SQMS) Gary Cheshire performed the duties of Parade
Marshall for the last time as he has now handed over this
responsibility to SSgt Claire Goodwin for next year. SSgt
Charlie Hart, who has been waiting to be posted from the
Sqn, co-ordinated the many different organisations laying
wreaths and controlled the Standard Bearers, as he has done
for the last few years. The Parade has grown steadily over
the last few years and saw the highest attendance this year
with over 650 prayer leaflets handed out. The parade went
without a hitch apart from Sig Matos Santos, who had to
excuse himself after feeling he was about to go horizontal!
After the short Service, families and friends of the Sqn and
Cadet forces were invited back to defrost in the TA Centre
where Cpl John Palmer had cooked lunch.
ARMED FORCES RALLY TEAM - by Cpl Curtis McKerlie
The final rally of the season was a great experience. With the
results of the season already established, the pressure was off
for this event and we made the most of it, ensuring that we
had some fun on the way around as well as giving the
spectators something to talk about when we could.
The day started from the Pegasus Village Service area, next to
Rushmoor Arena, before departing to Ash Ranges for a quick
double run through the short and linear, but potholed, stage
that has caught a few cars out over the years. Thankfully, the
weather had been kind and we only had the potholes to
contend with instead of a greasy surface and muddy puddles.
Following Ash, it was off to Longmoor for another double run
through the stage which is characterized by its complex
technical sections and tight chicanes as well as its fast flowing
last mile or two to the finish. Our results were surprising to
us as we were consistently taking time out of R1 and were
trading times with the far more experienced driver and crew
of R4 with a few seconds going either way each time.
Finally, return to the first Service of the day, we dropped into
the super special stage of Rushmoor Arena for a quick run
through, including the well known jump from tarmac onto
gravel, followed by a long sweeping bumpy right hand corner
with a Square Right at the end. We decided we were going to
have some fun on our way through and as we were going
round the sweeping right the crew broke into the dance from
the current ‘K-pop’ hit ‘Gangnam style’ before performing the
most outrageous Scandinavian flick into the Square Right,
giggling to ourselves the whole way around. On our return to
Service we were informed that the crowd had loved our
impromptu dance session and that we had to think of
something bigger and better for the next run through.
based stage, with a couple of short sections of tarmac and
some truly amazing sweeping corners where the back of the
Landrover just naturally swings out into the perfect slide
before collecting itself in the exit. Once again we left the
stage laughing to ourselves, having had a great time.
Next was a stage that was new to most of us, with only Alan
being able to recall the Pavilion stage and its pitfalls, namely a
steep downhill on greasy tarmac into a Hairpin Left with some
big trees in the run-off. We took a little while to settle into
the stage as we didn’t find it naturally flowed, especially as
we started off the stage on the notes for Warren! However,
we found our rhythm and with the exception of a minor faux
pas when we encountered a small mortar hole in the middle
of the track on a tight chicane, we had a clear run and set a
time that was par for the course. Finally, back to Rushmoor
for a second run through the super special stage and this time
it was the Macarena’s turn, again drawing laughs from the
crowd on our way past performing an even more outrageous
flick on the Square Right. It was a little more ragged on this
run through and a poor night’s sleep the night before was
starting to take its toll on us both. Thankfully, following the
stage it was back to Service for cake and coffee to wake us up
a bit ready to head back out to the final stages of the day.
RACE TO THE GRAND FINAL – by SSgt Paul Tinsley
The Race to the Grand Final was a charity event run and
organised by the Steve Prescott Foundation who support the
Christie cancer care hospice in Manchester. They also support
Try Assist, a rugby league charity that assists players after
serious accidents and injuries. This unique ‘quadrathon’
began at the Humber Bridge in Hull on Thursday 4 October,
48 hours before the kick-off of the Grand Final – the pinnacle
of the Super League season. Our mission was to deliver the
match ball in time for the game after completing the
following five tough legs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Swim across the Humber Estuary.
Cycle from Hull to Liverpool (130 miles).
Swim across the Mersey.
Run from Liverpool to the Runcorn Bridge (16 miles).
Canoe up the canal systems to Old Trafford (27 miles).
Did we do it? Yes - but the weather really made us work for it!
R2 negotiating a muddy corner
After a quick lunch, we were back on the road and heading
out, this time to Warren. This is a primarily sand and gravel
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SSgt Paul Tinsley hands the well travelled Rugby Ball to Steve
Prescott MBE
With the heavy rainfall in the weeks before the challenge
the estuary authorities deemed that the crossing of the
Humber would have been far too dangerous to attempt.
Therefore, in its place, the challengers opted to run across the
Humber Bridge and complete a one mile open-water swim at
the nearby Welton Waters.
From there the group cycled through the night in torrential
rain, arriving at Liverpool at 0430hrs, with the second group
arriving a little later than planned due to a couple of
punctures on route. The energy sapping ride came before a
draining swim across a choppy Mersey river. Undefeated,
everyone pushed on as they ran to Runcorn before an early
morning start on Grand Final day and the last leg – 27 miles
canoeing the canal to Old Trafford.
THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW – by Sig Garrad
On a cold and very damp early Saturday morning, the
Regimental mounted detachment, led by members of the 68
(Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron
arrived at HCMR Knightsbridge Barracks to prepare the
horses for the 6 hours of 6 horsemanship required to survive
the procession. This was the first time that the unit had to
prepare every item of ‘equestrian furniture’ from 6 ‘bulling of
tack’ to presentation of the horses. Under this arrangement
all riders benefited from an excellent relationship with the
horses, so important during contact with a screaming public!
Steve Prescott MBE delivered the match ball in front of a
crowd of 70,000 fans meaning the team had completed the
challenge and surpassed their fundraising target of £30,000 in
the process.
68 (INNS OF COURT & CITY AND ESSEX YEOMANRY) SIGNAL
SQUADRON (VOLUNTEERS)
OC
SSM
SPSI
Maj Dave Cornick
WO2 (SSM) James Paton
SSgt Dave Haskell
EXERCISE HORSESHOE RIDE – CHELMSFORD TO WHIPPS
CROSS – by Sig Teslenko
The day began on a bleak, sombre note with the sky over-cast
and grey, but as soon as Cpl Ross Nugent, Sig ‘Tes’ Teslenko,
SSgt Mick Goodwin and SSgt Jim Brown got underway, the
sun began to burn away the clouds and the wind seemed to
stop. A pleasant transit to Chelmsford TAC in good time to
greet and receive the 2 Signal Brigade pennant from the
Colchester cyclists. With our number bolstered by LCpl ‘Wardy’ Ward we quickly
set off to Whipps Cross. Cpl Nugent was the first to carry the
pennant, he blazed the lead with legs pumping the pedals at
a lightning pace with Sig Teslenko right behind. Along the
hilly A414 did the pennant flutter, heralding the end of an era.
At the designated switch point the burden of the pennant
was passed to SSgt Goodwin and LCpl Ward who stoically
took to the fore and sped on through to Abridge. SSgt
Goodwin, who hadn’t had enough yet, carried on and was
joined by SSgt Brown where they flew through Chigwell
rapidly approaching our destination of Whipps Cross. Journey
completed the lads all raised a glass to 2 Signal Brigade. The pennant was then handed over to SSgt Tinsley so he
could take it across London to our sister Sqn at Uxbridge.
The Regimental Riding Detachment leaves Knightsbridge on
route to the City of London for the Lord Mayor’s Show
Though raining, the ride from Knightsbridge to the form-up
point was punctuated with some of the most wonderful
sights of London. This included, a salute to Buckingham
Palace, a leisurely trot along the Mall and if one was on the
right hand file of the detachment, the chance to ‘rub Boney’s
nose!’ - a life size replica of the Napoleon’s nose embedded
into the wall (at rider’s height) under Admiralty Arch.
We were held at the forming up point for an age, quite
fortuitous for last minute WC reprieves and essential ‘fagbreaks’ for those that needed it. Once our numbered position
in the procession appeared, we inserted into the procession
and were constantly screamed, shouted and whistled at for a
good 3 hours! The salute to the Lord Mayor at Mansion
House went well, only one horse decided not to contribute to
the reasonably well-dressed ranks and decided to have a quick
trot to the back of the detachment, before he was
encouraged quite strongly to resume his former position.
On arrival at the Queen Elizabeth Gardens at Lower Temple
for lunch, our colleagues from 265 Sp Sqn had prepared an
excellent ‘pit-stop’ for use by the members of the Regt and
their guests with food and drink aplenty! After an enjoyable
rest and time to meet family, the mounted detachment set
off for the final part of the procession around the City of
London. The crowds lining the route hadn’t diminished,
despite the cold and for the last part of the procession were
very much in full voice, even as we veered off at a control
point for the last ride back to Knightsbridge. The horses, by
this stage, had realised that we were on the way back and
demanded what little strength we had left to rein them back
from breaking into a canter to get home quicker! A physically
demanding ride, but an absolute privilege all the same.
FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE – by SSgt Stabler
SSgt Mick Goodwin hands over the 2 Bde pennant to SSgt Paul
Tinsley at Whipps Cross
On 9 November 2012 myself and 4 others from the Regt made
our way to the Royal Albert Hall to participate in the Festival
of Remembrance. As I have previously had the opportunity of
taking part in this prestigious event once before, I knew what
to expect. Even so, upon entering the venue, for a building
75
that was opened in 1871 and has 350 events each year, it still
impresses from the inside and out.
The first day was rehearsal day under the direction of the
GSM, WO1 (GSM) Bill Mott, a man who fills the Albert Hall
with his presence alone. The GSM and his other Sergeant
Majors took us through the drills of coming down the steps
into the Albert Hall and forming up as a parade. The actual
day of the Festival involves participation in two shows that
are cut and edited for the TV the same evening. SSgt Stabler,
Sgt Lonergan, Sgt Coleman, Cpl Warburton and LCpl Ward all
got their moment of fame on TV and had the honour of being
in the company of HM The Queen, the Prime Minister David
Cameron and other dignitaries. We were equally honoured to
see and be in company of Olympian, Capt Heather Stanning,
Para Olympian Pte Derek Derenalagi and especially the
Chelsea pensioners. All who attended enjoyed the day and
were proud to have been chosen to represent the Regiment.
L to R: Sgt Lonergan, LCpl Ward, SSgt Stabler, Sgt Coleman, Cpl
Warburton
265 (KENT AND COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY
(SHARPSHOOTERS)) SUPPORT SQUADRON (VOLUNTEERS)
OC SSM
SPSI
Maj Keith Wrate
WO2 (SSM) Adrian Keeble
SSgt C Shackleton
As the Sqn settled into pre Christmas training, we welcomed
back both Padre Capt Mark Speeks and Cpl Jim Sutton from
their respective deployments on OP TOSCA and OP HERRICK.
It’s great to see them back and we are very proud of their
achievements. We also said hello to our new SPSI, SSgt Carl
Shackleton, who brings with him a wealth of skill and
experience. We wish him a happy and successful posting.
With OP OLYMPICS now complete it was time to turn our
attention to more familiar training. The Sqn deployed with
the rest of the Regt to Park Farm, CPTA, in October for some
infantry training organised by our ever popular (and
ex-infanteer) SVWO, WO1 Steve Healey. Two days of
navigating across undulating terrain in bright sunshine one
minute and pouring rain the next put a smile back on soldiers’
faces. Cpl Jeff Porter in particular stood out from the
weekend. His navigational skills ensured his team stayed on
track (quite literally) whether it be patrolling past some very
noisy and nosey sheep or tactically deploying to conduct a
CTR on the darkest and wettest night of the year so far.
Much to the relief of all involved, WO1 Steve Healey, proved
he had a soft side by allowing the soldiers to remain in the
barn overnight rather than having to deploy to the intended
harbour area.
Sunday morning brought with it yet more rain and the
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obligatory navigation exercise. LCpl Carl Crane taking the
lead this time to plot the quickest and safest route round
eight check-points. His only failure was the fact that he had
forgotten to bring an umbrella for the SSM, WO2 Adrian
Keeble, and Sqn 2IC, Capt Paul Ukpai, who had joined him for
this phase of the exercise. However, it was the team led by
Cpl Dave Brand that proved triumphant at the end of the
weekend. They out-performed all the other teams to take
first place in the patrol competition. Well done guys, it just
goes to show there is no substitute for experience.
The end of the exercise arrived and the Sqn returned to the
TA Centre to be met by the Sqn OC and SQMS to carry out the
last bit of weapon cleaning in preparation for the armoury
inspection due that week. The hard work paid off as the Sqn
passed with flying colours.
The Sqn supplied a fair few personnel for the Regiment’s
football team that was successful in defeating the HAC in the
London District TA Cup semi-final. A tough match played in
horrendous conditions saw a 2-1 victory for the Regiment.
WO2 (SSM) Keeble pounced on a defensive error to level the
tie before the Ops Officer, Capt Callum Macaulay, produced a
stunning winner with only a few minutes remaining. The sigh
of relief could be heard all over South London when the final
whistle blew…not at the victory but at the thought of no
longer having to drag our tired bodies round a very uneven,
wet and muddy pitch.
The Remembrance weekend in November saw the farewell
gathering for SSgt Kevin Harding. After 25 years in the TA, he
has finally hung up his boots…or rather got someone to hang
them up for him. A superb function was organised by Sgt
Andy Hursey and LCpl Tracy Horan which saw many former
members of the Sqn return to say their farewells. We wish
the irreplaceable Kev all the best for the future. Those who
had stayed for the Saturday night braved the elements on
Sunday morning to watch the Sqn march through
Bexleyheath on the annual Remembrance Parade. A route
that took the Sqn back on the usual route, straight down the
Broadway via The Carphone Warehouse, the Helter Skelter
and the mobile Burger Bar before arriving at the War
Memorial to one of the largest crowds for many a year.
Elsewhere there was success for Sig Richie Roberts and Sig
Paul Harrild on their PTI course. This means the Sqn now
boasts five PTIs, a mouth-watering prospect for the fitness
crazy. With the Sqn raring to go, we now look forward to the
many challenges 2013 will bring.
EXERCISE HORSESHOE RIDE – BEXLEYHEATH TO
EASTBOURNE - by SSgt ‘Shacks’ Shackleton
On 12 Nov 12, After a long and busy Remembrance weekend
the Squadron took part on its leg of Ex HORSESHOE RIDE,
only a small matter of 59.1 miles from Bexleyheath TAC to
Eastbourne TAC by bicycle. After a full brief on possible road
dangers and the mandatory photo session, the team were all
set and ready to go but for one small thing, the Pennant Box
was missing somewhere in RHQ. After some phone calls this
was soon found and we were off at 0915hrs.
Sig ‘Simmo’ Simpson took the first turn and in full spandex
made short work of his leg cutting though the morning traffic.
It was then onto Capt ‘Trib’ Slaney in his new bicycle kit and
regress training we were making good time however, by the
next changeover the team was still in good spirits but the
bicycles needed some maintenance. With a scene from Cool
Running’s looking likely, we fixed the bicycle and SSgt ‘Lycra’
Thwaite with special guest LCpl ‘Jo’ Giles took the next leg,
with ‘Lycra’ slip streaming ‘Jo’. Then the big guns where out.
SSgt (FofS) Nick Savchenko on his own ‘real’ road bike (what
a difference round wheels make), was cutting though the East
Sussex countryside. But all good things come to an end and
for the FofS that meant Tonbridge traffic.
265 Sp Sqn Happy Bikers Club
265 Sqn team at Eastbourne
After arriving safely for the next changeover to Cpl ‘Caz’
Castro, it had now started to rain. That didn’t bother ‘Caz’ as
he had bigger things on is mind like Tunbridge Wells and the
three steep hills. This seemed to amuse the rest of the team
watching him over his leg; however he soon made it to the
next handover point for SSgt ‘Shacks’ Shackleton. With no
glasses on, the spray of the road was hampering him but not
as much as the bike chain coming off on every uphill stretch!
It was then onto our ‘battle field replacement’ Sig Dave Prior
in for Sgt ‘Horse’ Jennings who had work to do for RSIT (or
so he said). Sig Dave Prior set off and with the chain curse
striking again things where not looking good, but with a little
bit of maintenance on the side of the road he was soon
moving and handing on to Capt Sean Wardle. With his own
bike this meant that the now battered team bike could have a
rest and have some much needed maintenance. Cutting
though Hailsham’s busy traffic it was ironic that our heroic
Team Medic was followed by a blue light ambulance but with
that he was soon on the other side of the town and passing
the pennant on to our last leg with Regt Ops Maj Maj ‘Ros’
Brown and 265 OC Maj Keith Wrate to bring us home.
HOTO between Sig Dave Prior and SSgt (SQMS) Paul Thwaite
With one or two close shaves in Eastbourne for Maj Wrate we
had finished at 1515hrs with all bikes, soldiers and Pennant
intact. At this point I would like to thank our Admin drivers
SSgt ‘Donkey’ Lane and Cpl ‘Mule’ Broadbent who spent
most of the day eating chocolate and drinking coffee. We
were all now looking forward to a good team meal out in
Eastbourne that night, that is if any of use could still walk.
ROYAL SIGNALS TA CLM COURSE – by Cpl ‘Caz’ Castro
After some intense Regimental training weekends, one being
on the hottest day of the year, and numerous Tuesday nights
with the emphasis on orders and the combat estimate, and
then a much appreciated weekend at Blandford run by 4 Sqn
to finalise the preparation, the day finally arrived. So off to
Blandford I went, arriving late Friday evening with the rain
lashing down. Was this weather booked for the duration?
Saturday morning came with a very cold and wet start which
saw the mandatory AFT. Ahead of us the rain was in the air
right until the end; then it poured. The first week was off to a
positive start. With a week of Classroom work ahead, a PLD
and some field craft revision, the night Navigation and shake
out arrived with the rain still in force. Blandford looks so
different with horizontal rain all night.
With week one over it was the start of week two, which
included the exercise phase on Salisbury Plain. It was back to
the routine of living in the field, orders, patrols and engaging
with the SPATULA (too long to type) who looked rather
familiar. The final morning came round and the contours lines
didn’t look too good in our favour, the day was won and the
journey back to Blandford for weapon cleaning and the turn
around of the stores was ahead.
ENDEX
Thursday night came with the deserved dinner, speaches and
drinks and everyone letting their hair down, if they had any.
The atmosphere was good with everyone congratulating each
other on getting to the end and the usual comments of ‘do
you remember when’ or ‘what did you say to’ and the usual
post exercise chit chat. Friday morning came around and the
anticipated wait of how we had done and the interview with
the DS. Passes were award to all and the relief on everyone’s
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faces was there to see. So home to Bexleyheath was the
order of the day for some much needed rest!
On reflection, this was a well organised and well delivered
course. Covering the forgotten arts of harbour drills, section
attacks, basic soldiering skills and the dark art of the orders
process, which I think myself and those on the course are
now more comfortable with thanks to the DS of 4 Mil Sqn.
THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON SHOW – by Capt Steve Slaney
Curry booked, location secured, nominal roles submitted and
man power allocated it was 265 Sp Sqn’s turn to administer
the Regimental RV for the 2012 London Lord Mayor’s Show.
We arrived late Friday night, and after securing the vehicles
and equipment it was time for the final brief, a swift pint and
to get our heads down in Lincoln’s Inn for an early start. The
early start came with the cold rain, and in the dark we
proceeded to the RV at Middle Temple Car Park to start the
administration process. Luckily the rain had disappeared by
0900hrs giving the lads an hour to prep themselves and await
our guests. Under the direct control of SSgt (SQMS) Paul
Thwaite and SSgt ‘Shacks’ Shackleton the guys were
deployed. The main bar was ably controlled by SSgt ‘Daz’
Lane and Sgt Mick Jennings, two ideal SNCOs for the job.
Security was maintained by SSgt Shackleton and Cpl ‘Caz’
Castro, fresh back off his SCLM, ably assisted by LCpl ‘Swaff’
Swaffield and LCpl ‘Crazy’ Crane of ‘The Management’.
With the guests arriving at 1100hrs and the Regimental Riding
Detachment arriving at 1200hrs, all that was required was to
serve the curry to the adults and the burgers and sausages to
the kids. The parade marched past in all its glory and was well
received by the Regiment and guests, which numbered well
over 200. The horse riding detachment looked fantastic and
was cheered on by all with the CO, Lt Col Sutherland, taking
the salute from OC of the Riding Detachment, Maj Cornick.
All that was left to do afterwards was to clear up. With the
‘carrot’ of a function and free beer back at the TAC the guys
cleared away the tents, curry and of course ‘horse poo’ pretty
quickly. A very good effort from all.
RS OP TRADE TRAINING COURSE – by Sig Harrild
After two hectic weekends in a row of our BSS (Basic Signals
Skills) course, Sig Sutton and I finally arrived at Swynnerton
Training Camp ready for our two week RS Op Trade Training
Course on the morning of Saturday 13 October. The course
was organised and run by the Regtl YofS of 32 Sig Regt (V),
WO2 Ross Menzies, accompanied by several other top quality
instructors also from their Regiment. Once we got our heads
around antenna propagation and BATCO, the rest of the
course was a lot more enjoyable with practical assessments
and familiarisation of both Bowman HF and VHF radios. Once
we had completed the course we finished with a grand
spectacle of Morrison’s finest quality fireworks accompanied
by the privilege of a few bevvies in celebration. In conclusion,
I feel the course has set me up with all the knowledge I need
as a Class 3 Signaller, ready to progress with my Part 2 in
February to aim towards achieving my Class 2.
assessments. I had the fortunate pleasure of taking mine
first, with a course of 26 students fresh faced and rearing to
go. However, the true stress of the course started to show in
the second week when everyone started to wear thin after
having to participate in about 4 individual assessments a day,
with lessons in between. To much celebration, we all passed
and received our cross swords after a very comical swim test
to complete the course, not to mention the help of 2 fantastic
instructors from the Royal Army School of Physical Training. The new Regimental ‘Gym queens’ Sig ‘Booty’ Harrild, Sig
‘Robbo’ Roberts, Sig ‘Mac’ Macfarlane and Sig ‘Vic’ ‘Mac’ Vickers
proudly display their new ‘cross swords’
BEXLEYHEATH REMEMBRANCE PARADE – by SSgt ‘Daz’ Lane
On a bright sunny morning the Squadron paraded at
Bexleyheath TA Centre on Sunday 11 November for the annual
Remembrance Parade and marched to the local memorial in
Bexleyheath. Prior to the parade, contingent commanders
were brought together in the Mess for the traditional ‘port
call’ hosted by the OC and Officers of the Squadron.
The parade was formed up by WO2 (SSM) Adi Keeble before
handing over to the Sqn OC Maj Keith Wrate. After the roads
were closed and with a full police escort of outriders and
cyclists on standby, the OC led the parade of over 250
contingents to the War Memorial through Bexleyheath town
centre. The Sqn was followed by the local Sea Cadets, 107
Signal Troop, Army Cadets and then 358 & 359 Air Cadets. At
the memorial we were joined by the Choir, the Boys' Brigade,
the Brownies and a large congregation including many
veterans and former members of the Squadron. There was
representation by the British Army Association, Royal British
Legion and the Royal Air Force Association. The service was
conducted by The Reverend Francis Jakeman, the Vicar of
Christ Church. The laying of the Wreaths was controlled by
WO2 Ian Lapidge a former member of the Regiment who is
now serving with London UOTC, ensuring order and style was
in place. The Squadron wreaths were laid by the OC Sqn and
LCpl Andy Turner, a member of the Medical Detachment.
After the service the parade returned to the TA Centre where
refreshments were served in the Squadron bar. This gave us
all a chance to catch up with old friends.
PTI COURSE WOOLWICH – by Sig Harrild
With lots of preparatory ‘phizz’ on the lead up to my PTI
course, Sig ‘Robbo’ Roberts and arrived at Woolwich Barracks
on the morning of Monday 12 November fighting fit. The
course was opened with a formal brief about what to expect
and a few nerve settlers such as ‘keeping on top of your
hydration’, and ‘what will happen if our gym attire isn’t
pressed’ etc. nevertheless, with a blinding result from Sig
‘Robbo’ Roberts and myself on our PFAs, the rest of the week
was mainly classroom based. On the lead up to the end of the
week, we had to start preparing to take our personal
78
OC Maj Keith Wrate leads the parade out of the TAC
NEWS FROM SQUADRONS
20 ARMOURED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (200)
PADERBORN
OC
RSM
Maj H J Stoy
WO1 (RSM) P W McLeish
Since the previous publication 20 Armoured Brigade
Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200) has undergone big
changes as it re-roles back to its original function of building
the Brigade HQ and providing communications. This has seen
the Squadron deploy on exercise in order to practice the
setting up, tear down and movement of the HQ and
welcomed in nine Bulldogs as we proudly return to our
armoured roots.
Whilst these tasks have kept the Squadron busy there has
been time to fit in medal presentations, Remembrance Day
parades, a conceptual war studies exercise, Adventure
Training and a host of other events. In addition there have
been numerous successes with promotion including the RSM
receiving his commission and Capt Dyer making the beige list,
whilst WO2 Mears and WO2 (YofS) Murray received
promotion to WO1.
EXERCISE GAUNTLET RUN – by Capt Gormley
Ex GAUNTLET RUN offered the opportunity for the Squadron
to practice and rehearse its primary function of providing
communications and building the 20 Armd Bde HQ. Owing to
the Squadron’s recent Op HERRICK focus, the skills required
to complete this task had somewhat been lost and this 3
week exercise offered an opportunity to re-educate. The
initial week began with a PACEX of the Squadron’s FFR fleet
and practice setting up the newly acquired DRASh canvass. In
addition personnel set about the onerous task of creating the
world’s biggest cam net to hide the HQ; as to be expected
this served to be the bane of everyone’s life with numerous
individuals getting entangled in it at some point during the 3
weeks.
and best working practice were established which
dramatically cut the time taken to complete the build.
Integral to this was an increase in ground level management
as the Squadron’s JNCOs motivated, encouraged and
co-ordinated manpower, allowing for maximum efficiency
during the build. In the final stages of the exercise this
became more noticeable as the threat of continual teardowns
and setups inspired individuals to overcome tiredness and
austere conditions in order to provide maximum assistance
with the build. After spending over a year away from our core
trade we are finally a Brigade Headquarters and Signal
Squadron in more than just name.
EXERCISE PINK GAUNTLET – by Cpl Fritsch
In October, 20 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal
Squadron (200) treated the wives and girlfriends of soldiers
from the Squadron to an introduction to Army life. Ex PINK
GAUNTLET was organised by SSgt Scarcliff who aimed to
highlight the hardships of daily duties that their husbands and
partners endure during their military day.
The day started with the WAGs tucking into a 24 hour ration
pack breakfast before being kitted out in military attire ready
to face the day’s activities, which began with a bit of drill
followed by a ‘Bootcamp’ workout. The WAG Cadets then
moved on to weapon inductions before some live range work.
This activity was interspersed with a bayonet range where the
WAGs had the opportunity to release the frustrations built up
over years in relationships with members of the Squadron.
The day was a great success and provided awareness of the
work lives of their partners. An excellent curry dinner was
laid on by the Squadron’s chefs to round off the day.
HOSTING COMD 20 ARMD BDE – by Cpl Garrett
On the second week the Squadron deployed onto Sennelager
Training Area to practice its first HQ build. This proved to be a
big learning curve as individuals wrestled with the unfamiliar
DRASh canvass of the HQ. As the week progressed, new skills
In November the Sqn had the honour of hosting Comd 20
Armd Bde, Brig J F P Swift OBE Late R WELSH to present
Long Service & Good Conduct medals to members of the Sqn.
Those in receipt included, SSgt Cairns, Sgt Hardy, Cpl Garrett
and SSgt Meakin who also received his Accumulative
Campaign Service Medal. In attendance were the seniors and
officers of the Squadron and the wives of those receiving
medals, who celebrated the event with a curry lunch in the
Normandy Barracks Warrant Officers’ and Sgt’s Mess.
‘All hands on deck’ rolling out the the cam net
The recipients following the presentation of the medals
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EXERCISE GAUNTLET ROZUMIEN - by Sgt Shone
Ex GAUNTLET ROZUMIEN was a conceptual realities of war
study conducted by members of the Sqn in early December.
Organised by Sgt Chapman it was a first-rate educational
experience, arranged after his desire to increase awareness of
the horrors that befell Poland during the 2nd World War, and
the involvement of British Forces in its liberation.
Following an epic 14hr journey from Sennelager to Krakow,
Poland, the first day of the ex began with a visit to the Gliwice
Radio Tower. Here the group were informed that prior to
World War II Gliwice Tower was classed as being in German
territory and was used by them to justify their invasion of
Poland. This was accomplish by the German ‘SS’ Troops
staging an attack on the Tower dressed in Polish uniform,
which validated a previously intended counter attack by
German forces into Poland.
One of the lasting memories was a visit to Auschwitz
Concentration Camp. An emotional and educational
experience, the Auschwitz Museum highlighted the horrors
that took place at the extermination camp and the suffering
and cruelty underwent by those it housed. The following day
involved a visit to Oskar Shindler’s factory and the ghettos of
Krakow where the group were given an understanding of
how the Jewish community were discriminated and
persecuted by the Nazis. In addition it indentified the efforts
Oskar Shindler took to save as many Jews as he could.
joined the British Army when he heard about what the Nazi
party were doing to the Jewish community. For the service
the group were joined by a representative from Krakow’s City
Guard, members of Krakow Council and a member of the
British Consulate.
Throughout the exercise each individual was required to
deliver a 10 minute presentation they had been tasked with
preparing four weeks prior to departing. The titles of the
presentations related to the various activities the group under
went and provided a greater level of insight and knowledge,
in addition it allowed individuals to practise their
presentations skills. Cpl Patterson delivered a particularly
good presentation on the title ‘Could the Allies have put an
end to Auschwitz?’. In this he explained that Allied
governments had knowledge during the war about the
atrocities being carried out in concentration camps, however,
they failed to direct military efforts to prevent this.
REMEMBRANCE DAY – by Cpl McCallion
On 11 Nov 12 members of 20 Armd Bde HQ & Sig Sqn paid their
respects to the fallen at the recently commissioned 20 Armd
Bde memorial in Normandy Barracks. The memorial was
erected in remembrance of all those who have been killed in
action since the end of World War II in conflicts ranging from
Malaya to Afghanistan. Adding to the poignancy of the event,
the memorial has the name of Sig Sartorius-Jones who died
during the Squadron’s recent deployment on Op HERRICK 15.
The service was attended by all those based in Paderborn
Garrison where Commanders from the various Battlegroups
laid poppy wreaths. The act of remembrance and Kohima
epitaph was read by the RSM, WO1 Philip McLeish.
Sig Davies lays a remembrance cross at the grave of J Zasler, R
SIGNALS, killed in action during World War 2
On the final day a service was held at The Commonwealth
Soldiers War Memorial in Rakowicki Cemetery where 4 Royal
Signals soldiers are laid to rest who were killed during World
War II. One of which is for Jacob Zasler, a Jewish soldier who
Maj Stoy laying a wreath at the newly commissioned memorial
7 ARMOURED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND
SIGNAL SQUADRON (207)
BERGEN - HOHNE
OC
RSM
Maj CEJ Davies
WO1 (RSM) JP Gronn
As another busy year passes, the Squadron are enjoying a well
earned break. Throughout 2012, the vast majority of the
Squadron have deployed to Kenya, Canada or the UK in
support of various exercises. Now, we look forward in 2013 to
starting MST for Op HERRICK 19, which brings with it further
exercises, courses and a lot of hard work.
80
With the New Year also comes a new face into the Squadron.
We welcome Capt Kate Apps as the new Ops Officer, and we
wish her predecessor, Capt Si Tucker, all the best for the
future as he moves on.
EXERCISE RED RAT MARKSMAN – by Sig Smith
Ex RED RAT MARKSMAN was a range package organised by
RSM 207 Sig Sqn on Haltern training area for small arms
training. The exercise was conducted in order to increase our
proficiency and confidence with our personal weapon
systems, leading up to MST for Op HERRICK 19 next year.
The four sections not only consisted of 207 Sig Sqn personnel,
but also by OCdts Sam Langford and Megan Apczynski who
had joined us from Glasgow UOTC.
Not only did the range consist of the predictable zeroing and
ACMT shoots, but also an IBSR (Individual Battle Skill Range)
and fire team ranges leading up to section attacks.
One particular individual’s ear defence seemed to be working
better than most as most orders did not get through to him.
He hence earned the nickname LCpl ‘cloth-ears’ Cobb very
early on. Whilst practising on the dummy grenades, Sig
‘Tommo’ Tompkins thought it would be a good idea to throw
one without taking the pin out. Fortunately it was a practice
the night before and not the live ones the following day.
During the defence shoot the rate and weight of fire was so
heavy that thirty thousand live rounds were expended during
the day. As you can imagine, the subsequent brass collection
was FUN! The trench system was also a new experience for
most. Again we don’t think Sig Tompkins was very happy
when he got a warm bit of brass down his neck, however he
was not the only burn victim. One poor individual had an
empty case roll down his body armour and down his top but
luckily a bit of damp flannelette sorted him right out.
Overall it was good to get back to the basics, and the lessons
we had from SSgt Scarcliff of 200 Sigs was excellent…….
BASELINE! We would like to say a big thank you to SSgt
Scarcliff, SSgt McMullan, SSgt Wood, Sgt Davey and Cpl Pun
who all helped organise and run the exercise.
EXERCISE WESSEX THUNDER 4 - by LCpl Birkett
On 11 October members of the Squadron deployed to
Westdown Camp on Salisbury Plain to provide the Brigade
HICON and comms support to the 1 Coldstream Guards CT3
exercise. We established the Headquarters and also held a
Radio Rebroadcast (RRB) det at readiness that deployed as
and when required (often at short notice).
The morning we deployed, having loaded the van and minibus
we set off on the fairly emotional journey to Rotterdam ferry
port to catch, what some people refer to as the “Party Boat”
(although we are not sure why). We caught the boat on time,
which was remarkable as we were following Sig Dalby’s very
cheap SatNav which appeared to want to cut its own detail,
and got us lost several times. After a smooth crossing to Hull,
the next morning we headed off on phase two of the journey,
from Hull to Cottesmore, from where 2 Royal Anglian were
providing 3 FFRs. After a brief stop there we were finally en
route to Westdown Camp.
On our arrival we realised that not only were there several
hundred British troops in camp but also a company of Omani
infanteers who were also taking part in the exercise (a
decision I think they soon regretted having seen the weather
forecast). The first couple of days were spent building the HQ
and setting up the detachments ready for the arrival of the
Brigade staff officers. They were a mixture of 7 Armd Bde and
London District staff which meant we had a few new faces to
get to know. During the exercise the RRB det was deployed
for a few days over the course of the exercise, with myself and
LCpl Eccles moving out to Beacon Hill towards the South East
of the Plain (a old favourite of many a Siggie).
The weather was terrible throughout the exercise, and the
lads on the ground did not have a very pleasurable time.
Despite this the exercise was a success with high praise both
from the 7 Bde and London District staff. Many thanks go to
our HQ team, involving Lt Rich Miller (who only joined the
Squadron two weeks prior to the Exercise), YofS Stu Engleby,
Cpl Mal Barron and Sigs Barton, Sharpe, Dalby and Eady; also
the RRB crew, LCpls Birkett and Eccles. A special thank you
goes to Cpl Kriss Coccoza whose very important contribution
will be his last for the Sqn. We wish him and his wife all the
best for their future at Blandford, when he joins Falcon Troop
after Christmas.
SQUADRON HALLOWEEN PARTY 2012 – by LCpl Ramsahye
The Squadron’s Halloween party was held at Jerboa’s bar and
there was a fantastic turnout by all ranks. The standard of
costume was extremely high with a variety of witches,
ghouls…even Fred and Rose West making an appearance (Cpl
and Mrs Spooner).
The night started off quite quietly, with those attending left
to socialise. However, the mood soon turned darker as the
first team game was announced, which consisted of a team
eating challenge. The first plate of food on the menu
consisted of crackers, a sour gherkin and some potted meat
that looked and tasted like dog food. Plate two was a far
simpler task; eat the 4 pickled fish including the heads. Lastly
was the raw onion, which saw plenty of tears from those
trying to force them down. The next team game was apple
bobbing which soon turned into a water fight.
Thanks go to the social committee (Cpl Barron/Cpl Spooner
and their assistants) for organising the night, which was
enjoyed by all attending.
THE BONE OF CONTENTION - by LCpl Ramsahye
The Bone of Contention is the Squadron's annual sports
competition between the Juniors and Seniors. It was held on
12 December in the 32 Engr Regt gym and consisted of 3
sports; Volleyball, Basketball and Football.
The first event, in scenes reminiscent of Top Gun, was
volleyball in a best of 5 format. The competition started well
for the Seniors with some good play from Sgt Best taking
them to a 22-20 victory in the first game. However things
were to change in the 2nd game with the introduction of LCpl
Will ‘Team Fiji’ Pickering, as he totally dominated tying the
overall contest 1-1. With everything to play for the RSM’s
competitive streak came out as he helped to lead the Seniors
to victory in the 3rd game before Sgt Best once again stepped
up to show the skills of a true pro scoring the winning point in
the 4th game to take the Seniors to a 3-1 lead and the
Volleyball contest with it.
The 2nd game to be contested was Basketball. The match
started off at a slow pace with both teams feeling each other
out and the Seniors taking the half time lead 15-13. After an
inspired half time team talk by Cpl Harris the Juniors exploded
into the 3rd quarter with LCpl Birkett coming out as a clear
MVP with 9 points including a 3 pointer. This momentum was
carried forward into the 4th Quarter with both Cpl Harris and
Cpl Young taking a number of baskets between them and
helping the Juniors to a 35-24 point victory, tying the Bone of
Contention at one a piece.
The 3rd and final contest to take place was 5 a side football.
With most of the Juniors coming from the Squadrons team
confidence was obviously running high, however they were
quickly brought back to earth with a bang as Sgt Foulkes
opened the scoring within the first minute followed closely by
a brace from Capt Tucker taking the Seniors to an early 3-1
lead. This wasn’t to last though as Sig Thompson showed his
skills scoring two quick goals in succession followed by Sig
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McMahon and Sig French who cheekily nutmegged Lt Miller
in goal to take the Juniors to a 7-3 half time lead. With The
Bone of Contention in the balance the Seniors would have to
pull something special out of the hat in the 2nd half to take
the victory. Capt Middleton duly obliged with the opener in
the 2nd half before the Juniors firmly put the Seniors back in
their place by scoring 4 more goals, the pick of the bunch
coming from LCpl Robertson who took on his man on before
unleashing a shot from distance which nestled nicely into the
top right hand corner, the final score 11-3 to the Juniors.
With this victory the Juniors had won The Bone of Contention
with Sig McMahon being the team captain collecting the
trophy to an extremely loud cheer.
16 AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND
COLCHESTER
OC RSM Maj MJ Fayers
WO1 (RSM) PM Watson
arrival we went through the necessary safety briefs so we
could go straight onto the ranges in the morning.
After returning from Ex CITADEL GUIBERT and NOBLE
LEDGER, the last couple of months have provided opportunity
for the Squadron to catch its breath and focus on in house
training on CIS and military skills. Ex EAGLES DAGGER gave
the guys opportunity to take part in a live firing exercise
whilst Ex EAGLES COMMUNICATOR refined our HQ dismount
skills. Both of which are essential for contingency, where it is
unlikely the Squadron will find itself operating from the FOBs
and MOBs we have grown so accustomed to during Op
HERRICK. The Squadron has also been fortunate enough to
host a visit from the Master of Signals, who took a keen
interest in how the soldiers feel about being on contingency
and their unique equipment requirements. As I write we are
entering the ‘Silly Season’, which promises to deliver a grudge
Seniors and Officers vs Juniors Rugby match and numerous
functions prior to a well earned Christmas leave period.
So what does 2013 have in store? We look forward to further
developing our relationship with 11 (FR) Parachute Brigade on
Ex PONY EXPRESS and FORTEL. Together the two Brigades
form the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force which stands
up in May. Further exercises are planned with 2 PARA and 5
SCOTS, culminating in the Airborne Task Force contingency
exercise, Ex JOINT WARRIOR in April. On the sporting front
we aim to defend our Corps Rugby and Cross Country titles,
whilst training will begin in earnest to retain the Lanyard
Trophy scheduled for early June. We have also planned two
overseas adventure training expeditions, mountaineering in
Corsica and diving in Malta.
‘Go to it’.
MASTER OF SIGNALS – by Lt Cotterill
On 7 November the Master of Signals, Lt Gen Baxter paid a
visit to 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron. The Master received
various briefings on the Squadron's return to contingency, its
preparations for Army 2020 and its capability development.
Commuting to lunch via quad bike, he ate with the Squadron
in the echelon field kitchen, enjoying a curry cooked up by Cpl
‘G’ Gurung, while chatting with various members of the
Squadron. Post-lunch he viewed a capability demonstration
of the various HQ constructs the Sqn provides for the Brigade
and the Man/Quad-Pack rebro. After an Office call with Comd
16 Air Assault Brigade, Brig Hill Late Para, he addressed the
Squadron thanking them for hosting him and outlining what
lies ahead under Army 2020. In the evening he attended the
annual Airborne Officers Dinner Night in the Officers’ Mess.
Sig Meaden engaging targets during the night shoot
Tuesday started with individual firing from different firing
positions and soon progressed to pairs fire and movement in
the afternoon which was enjoyed by all until the rain fell.
Wednesday consisted of fire teams and section firing to the
build up of the night shoot where LCpl Jowers and the RQ
were busy all day preparing the pyro and the explosives for
the night’s event. The scenario kicked off with us as QRF and
the defence position coming under attack which involved us
leopard crawling through a tunnel to our firing points, whilst a
GPMG fired tracer rounds in the sustained fire role at distance
targets. The targets were watch and shoot, but with minimal
light from the illum going up it was difficult to see until the
pyro and explosives started going off, which on some you
could of done with sunglasses. This was one of the great
training days you don’t forget.
EXERCISE EAGLES DAGGER (SQN ABTF MIL SKILLS
VALIDATION) – by LCpl Graham
The week started on a cold Monday morning at 06:00hrs
meeting at the armoury to collect our weapons before setting
off on a 6 hour coach journey to Warcop Training Camp. On
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BOOM! Battle Simulations on the night shoot
Thursday started cold and wet and according to weather
reports it was only going to get worse, especially hearing that
the north was beginning to flood. We all knew this was going
to be a long hard day doing section attacks. As the day
progressed the water kept getting deeper and deeper which
in some points got to chest height, Sgt Thomson (Directing
Staff) can vouch for this. At the end of this we all knew it was
our final day and endex was imminent.
go to Reims, a local town, the following day when everyone
had returned from Paris. Whilst the first group took photos
of themselves by the numerous tourist attractions in Paris and
enjoyed the delights of the city’s Latin Quarter, we more than
made up for this by catching up with premier league football
over a couple of beers the following day in Reims.
With the exercise phase eventually underway, and a shift
rotation now in effect, the remainder of the exercise would
consist of assisting Staff with CIS interoperability issues. We
built up a really good rapport with our French Signals
counterparts as we endeavoured to overcome CIS issues
together. Once the exercise was complete we had a night out
with the French Signal Squadron in Reims and reflected over
the exercise over one too many beers. We look forward to
developing our relationship with them with several exercises
and a joint expedition to Corsica planned for next year.
EXERCISE NOBEL LEDGER - by Sig Cox
The RSM and Sgt Corbett on “the General”
Looking back on the exercise, even with the floods I can say it
has been the best shooting camp I have ever been on.
EXERCISE CITADEL GUIBERT – by Sig Meaden
In September Bravo Troop deployed down to Newquay on Ex
NOBLE LEDGER to provide a Main Headquarters for 16 Air
Assault Brigade as part of a wider Allied Rapid Reaction Corps
(ARRC) exercise. The exercise was formed around several
challenging scenarios that had been set to test the ARRC, for
which 16 Air Assault Brigade was a LOCON. Such scenarios
included a CBRN attack, kidnappings and the retaking of an
island held by local militia. Each was designed to test the
Headquarters staff and Squadron personnel in their planning
ability and the provision of CIS.
On 25 September 2012 a select group of individuals from the
Squadron departed for France to partake in Ex CITADEL
GUIBERT. This was an inter-operability exercise with the
French 11th Parachute Brigade, our partners in the Combined
Joint Expeditionary Force. Myself, Cpl ‘Blacky’ Black, LCpl Stu
Keighley and LCpl ‘Hills’ Hillary travelled in our Land rover
detachments, where we would meet up with the main body
who travelled in the minibus led by YofS ‘Technically we’re in
a good position’ Port.
Eventually we all managed to reach Folkestone and with a
quick twenty minute break, we got back onto our designated
vehicles and proceeded to be loaded onto the train taking us
through the Euro Tunnel. Once we had arrived in France the
second part of the journey began by negotiating the chaotic
French traffic whilst trying not to get lost. Unfortunately Cpl
‘the Whistler’ Entwhistle took numerous wrong turns, but
soon enough we managed to select the right route and we
arrived at Mourmelon Le Grand, the exercise area where
would be staying for four weeks.
The following morning after coming to terms with our
accommodation (squat toilets and nicotine stained walls) and
questionable food (fish on a stick), myself and LCpl Keighley
set off for Paris to collect Crypto from the British Embassy.
Sgt Ricky Dowds and Sig Pollock followed in the minibus.
While we were en-route to Paris the remainder were tasked
with setting up the dismounted headquarters and the Tactical
Network Gateway (TNG). The TNG enables Bowman to speak
with its French counterpart SICF, this gives staff from both
nations access to Share Point, Chat and email whilst delivering
shared situational awareness via ComBAT.
The following day, with the crypto now in our possession and
a mapping issue on ComBat resolved, the headquarters began
to come to life and everything was going to plan. As we had a
few days spare before the actual exercise phase began, YofS
Port suggested the idea of a recreational day in Paris, but four
members of the group were required to stay at Mourmelon to
look after the crypto. Myself, LCpl Keighley, LCpl Hillary, Cpl
Entwhistle and Sgt Dowds volunteered to stay and opted to
Cpl Crabb manning an RLD
Within the exercise we had a number of personnel including
Cpl ‘Q’ Qualthrough, Cpl Crabb, LCpl Baker and Sig Greasley
providing rear link detachments to the Battle Groups. There
were elements from the British, Turkish and French Armies
and it was the detachments responsibility to ensure the
delivery of effective communications throughout.
Thankfully it wasn’t all work. Whilst on the exercise there was
time to do some physical exercise whether it be going to the
gym, using the sauna or taking a stroll along the cliff tops with
SSgt Jim Wear. One of the main highlights of our free time
whilst on the exercise was going “Coasteering” along the cliff
tops of Newquay where we jumped into the freezing cold sea.
EXERCISE KESWICK RUNNER – by Sig Cox
Bright and early on a Sunday morning myself, Sig Pollock, Sig
Barton, Sig Driver and Lt Cotterill left Colchester for the Lake
District town of Keswick to partake in the Royal Signals Corps
Cross Country training camp. The journey took an epic 7
hours! On arrival we were given our rooms and briefed on
what we would be doing throughout the week. On Monday
we were divided into ability groups. I was shocked to see I
was in the first group! The first run was therefore a matter of
breathing uncontrollably for the 7 miles clinging on to the
back of the pack for myself and Sig Barton. The afternoon
was a ‘recovery’ run followed by a stretching lesson.
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Tuesday was an interval running circuit aimed at improving
our short distance running speed. We did twelve sets of
running flat out for between 2 and 6 minutes with a 1 min
recovery in-between. This was a real lung burner and the final
set could not come fast enough. In the evening we were
instructed on how to use a foam roller to iron out muscle
knots and flush out lactic acid. This was particularly useful
after a couple of cheeky sessions.
Wednesday was the eleven mile endurance session around
the lake for groups one and two. The weather was horrific
with the rain lashing into us and winds gusting into us head
on. The lead runner was going at some pace but Sig Pollock
managed to stay close behind.
least (Minor Unit Champs). With good teamwork we knew
we had it in the bag.
With barely enough energy to walk and talk we headed back
to the gym to change and top up with some hot brews and
soup. After getting into warm kit and as were chatting with
other participants from other units I remember being
questioned as to whether we expected anything (prize). To
our astonishment not only did we win Minor Unit Champs but
Capt Coombe scooped the ‘Veteran Champ’ prize. In his
words he modestly said, “I can’t believe it only takes 40
minutes of hard work to get this”.
Thursday brought another interval session consisting of
twelve 400m repeats with a one minute recovery interval.
This was followed with a 5 mile optional ‘recovery’ run with
what appeared to be minimal attendance. A prize giving was
held in the evening where Sig Pollock scooped best male
runner, after which we proceeded into town for a social drink.
We were introduced to fell running on the final morning,
following an arduous route in the hills. Sig Pollock quickly
discovered the benefits of sliding down on his backside.
Showered, changed and few farewells later and we were off
on another 7 hour epic back to Colchester. All in all an
enjoyable week that I thoroughly recommend. It was both
educational and physically demanding; my running has
improved no end as a result.
Minor Unit Champions!!!
What more could we ask for as we did the best that we could
before Christmas now looking forward to next year for the
Army finals and hopefully the Inter Corps Championships.
ALPHA TROOP – by Sig Wood
DIVISIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMIONSHIPS
– by Sig Olukutukei
OC SSgt The last thing that we expected was to wake up to snow on a
day when we are participating in cross country. Most of us
were debating whether to carry an extra pair of spikes on top
of the usual trail running shoes. Due to the adverse weather
conditions it took us at least 4hrs to get to Lichfield, the race
venue. SSgt ‘Jerry’ Springett afforded us a stopover at the
services for a shorter time than a standard “NAAFI break”
where we had to eat on the move. We were lucky to make it
to Lichfield with about 15 minutes to spare prior to the
registration deadline. Lichfield was really arctic though you
could be fooled by the sunshine and thank God the ground
seemed clear of the snow. Looking around there was a
plethora of colours and different types of warm kit which
contrasted with Colchester where maroon is the standard,
proof of the diversity of participants.
The last quarter of 2012 has witnessed several significant
comings and goings within the Troop. We would like to
welcome back SSgt ‘Steely’ Steele, arriving from 22 Sig Regt,
who has now successfully completed a HO/TO with the
stalwart of the Troop, SSgt Dougie Porter. After five years in
post, where he managed the Troop through Op HERRICK 13
and the subsequent transition to contingency SSgt Porter has
now moved to the training wing as Asst Air Ops Officer. We
thank him for his dedicated years of service and wish him well
in his new post where his drive and ‘positivity’ will serve him
well. Cpl Kev Lister has followed in is his charismatic SSgt’s
footsteps to the Training Wing and will now hold
responsibility for assisting in the implementation of Squadron
level training and PT. The Troop is sure he will thrive in this
environment, particularly as it is next door to the Squadron
gym giving him ever greater opportunity to sculpt those guns.
We attended the prerequisite course briefs and were
pleasantly surprised by the fact that we didn’t have to use
spikes as the course was feasible in normal trainers. We were
directed to the troop shelter next to the start of the course to
let the female contestants get a head start as the rest of us
tried to warm up in vain. We hit the road at 1400 heading
straight to the wood line for about a
mile which acted as a warm up for
most contestants. The course was
undulating. There was a stretch
which had what looked like a pond
for about half a mile which was
rather therapeutic as we had to
repeat a loop in the woods to
achieve the 6 miles. Having said
that, there was a notorious hill which
reminded many of us of Pre-Para.
Sig Hale-Mullen and Sig Meaden
kept pushing each other trying to be
the flag bearers for the Sqn while
the rest of the encouraged each
other as we knew that we came Sig Lee racing at the Div Cross
Country
here to take what was ‘ours’ at
84
Lt A Cotterill
SSgt Steel
This month members of the Troop deployed on Ex EAGLES
DAGGER, a live firing exercise held at Warcop ranges. The
range package consisted a various days and a night shoot up
to section level. Alpha Troop was also front and centre for
the visit of the Master of Signals, Lt Gen Baxter,
demonstrating Para TAC HQ and BDE TAC HQ.
On the sporting front, Sig ‘Lonners’ Lonorgan has
represented the Army Football team in several fixtures this
term, most recently against the Metropolitan Police. Sig ‘Jar
Jar’ Binks successfully sprained his ankle whilst playing Army
Rugby, thankfully this has in no way affected his jaw, we wish
him a speedy recovery. While Sigs Lee, Olukutuki and
Meaden were part of the victorious Squadron Cross Country
team that won the 5 Div Cross Country Championships.
Finally the Troop would like to congratulate newly promoted
LCpls ‘Robbo’ Robson and Andy Morrow. Further
congratulations go to Sig Maynard on passing P Company.
We would also like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to
LCpl Stokes who after winning two Lanyard Trophies during
his tenure departs for 14 Sig Regt (EW).
BRAVO TROOP - by Sig Driver
OC SSgt Lt S Mapplebeck
SSgt J Wear
As we approach a much needed Christmas break, it’s been
business as usual in the fast paced world of Bravo Tp. With
the arrival of quad bikes for the man-pack Rebro, the garages
resemble a scene from MTVs “pimp my ride” as they are
prepared for the rapid deployment needs of the unit. This
work has been headed up by Cpl Stu Pinnington and Sig
Rowan Bailey. The quads are parachute deployable and aid
the man pack rebro by increasing its load carrying capacity.
As for the rest of the Troop, we’ve been delighted by the long
awaited arrival of the new DRASh tenting. Main HQ can now
set up and tear down in a much quicker time, meaning we can
move faster as the battle progresses. Training consisted of
setting up the main build in the garages, lead by Cpl Mick ‘Q’
Qualthrough and LCpl Damien ‘D’ Fricker this was somewhat
of an eye opener to a number of the new lads in the Troop
who had not seen the complexity and size of Main HQ.
We say farewell to Troop OC Lt Tom Howley as he moves into
the Sqn Training Wing as Air Adjt and Sig Matt ‘Byrom’ Byrom
who moves on to 21 Sig Regt (AS). We welcome 2Lt Scott
Mapplebeck, who returns from his Troop Commander’s
course at Blandford to take up position as OC. Sig Rowan
Bailey returns to the Sqn, after spending a tour at 22 Sig Regt.
Congratulations to Sig Dale Fulton on passing P Company.
SUPPORT TROOP – by Cpl Mauger
OC SSGT Capt F Fenson
SSgt Springett
It’s been a busy period for Sp Tp with personnel deploying on
Exs NOBLE LEDGER, CITADEL GUIBERT and EAGLES DAGGER.
Ex EAGLES DAGGER was a LFTT package at Warcop enabling
elements of the Tp to refine their Ally war fighting skills. The
elite personnel included Cpl Hills, LCpls ‘Jaw of Justice’
Velardo, ‘Saville’ Dodd, Conway and ‘Cakes’ Eccles. Whilst on
the exercise they fine tuned their basic close combat skills.
LCpl Conway took part in the Corps Boxing Camp to work on
his fighting skills and hopefully become the next Troop
hopeful for next year’s Squadron boxing event.
The Troop would also like to welcome Cpl Ellis who has
recently arrived in the QM’s department, as well as the return
of LCpl ‘Mr Keen’ Moorby and LCpl ‘Narcolepsy’ Jones. We
have also said farewell to Sgt Atkinson and Cpl Williamson,
who depart for pastures new.
LCpl ‘The Kracken’ McCoy has completed his All Arms Skill at
Arms course to become the workshops only SAA Instructor.
Cpl Black’Zilla’ and LCpl O’Brien have passed P Company and
now eagerly await their Jumps Course. The Troop is currently
preparing for the upcoming Christmas period with many
organised social sessions to spice up the festive mood.
MT TROOP – by LCpl Graham
OC SSGT Capt Jordan
SSgt Dunn
Its has been a busy and fast paced few months for us in the
MT. Supporting an ARRC exercise or being away on a live
firing shooting camp, it seems like we are never here.
However, normal everyday working has been just as busy
with some good news. Sgt Wood passed his senior CLM
Course, 16 personnel successfully passed their HAZMAT
course and the Unit saw a visit from the Master of Signals.
We will be saying our fond farewells to MT Sgt ‘Big Dod’
Thomson and driver training NCO Cpl ‘The Whistler’
Entwhistle. Also in the New Year we look forward to the
arrival of Sgt Sim and Cpl Wallis.
12 MECHANIZED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND
BULFORD
OC
RSM
Maj S Irwin
WO1 (RSM) D Windsor
MEDALS PARADE - by LCpl Carter
front rank their medals and the Brigade Commander and RSM
presenting to the middle rank. This part of the parade
seemed to go on for an eternity as we were stood to
attention for the duration.
On the cold morning of 9 November, 228 Sig Sqn personnel
along with the Brigade Headquarters staff were formed up
outside the cookhouse awaiting to be marched onto the
square by WO1(RSM) D Windsor. Accompanied by the Band
of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, we stepped off at 1045hrs sharp,
marching smartly to the sound of the bass drum. As we
entered the parade square we got our first glimpse of all our
family and friends that had come to see their loved ones and
congratulate them on receiving their medals. The Corps
Colonel, Col GR Norton and the Corps RSM WO1 M McMullan
were also present in the stands. They were all sat and
gathered in the tents that we had erected earlier that week.
Once on the square we halted at the centre and were placed
in open order with Sgt Al Jordan as the right hand marker
dressing us off. After the words command “eyes front” the
RSM then handed the parade over to the OC Squadron, Maj S
Irwin. The OC stood us at ease whilst we waited for GOC 3
Div Maj Gen J Lorimer DSO MBE and the Brigade Commander
Brig D Chalmers OBE to arrive. Once they had arrived the
Brigade Padre gave a short service, which was followed by
the presentation of medals with the GOC and OC giving the
Sgt Al Jordan was sure he had left his car around here
somewhere…
The GOC and Brigade Commander ensured they took time to
speak to every individual about their tour. The GOC then
85
Brig D Chalmers OBE presenting the OSM to the members of 228
Signal Squadron
ropey after being stood still for so long. It took a while to get
the blood flowing back into our extremities after being stood
so long in the cold! Once off the square we fell out and went
back to collect our families and escort them to the marquee
which was erected outside the Brigade Headquarters. Inside
the marquee there was a collection of food and more
importantly a well stocked bar at mess prices! There was also
entertainment put on which was headlined by the Salisbury
Military Wives Choir and a jester for the children. The
afternoon went on for a few hours with families interacting,
enjoying the food and drink. All in all a cold but enjoyable and
memorable day for all involved to mark the end of 12
Mechanized Brigade HQ and Signal Squadron (228)
involvement on Op HERRICK 16.
BULLDOG COMMANDER TRAINING - by Cpl Norman
RSM D Windsor keeping spirits high during a particularly cold
morning on parade
talked to the band, whilst the Bde Comd had a swift word
with all the soldiers and officers that had previously received
an OHM. After well over an hour we were stood at ease with
an audible moan as the parade struggled to move their legs.
The Padre then conducted a service of remembrance to all
the fallen soldiers of Op HERRICK 16 before the Last Post was
played by the band, a somber moment for all on parade.
After returning from a successful tour of Afghanistan it is now
time to start getting back into a normal Squadron working
pattern and a big part of that for Main Troop is getting
reacquainted with the armour. With plenty of members of
the Troop being posted out after tour and taking their
valuable armour skills with them this has meant we have
The GOC then took to the dais and congratulated everyone
for their hard work on Op HERRICK 16. Not forgetting the
families, he thanked them for all their support and
understanding during a demanding six month tour. We then
conducted our march past, with the first few steps being a bit
SSgt A Gallagher making sure that Maj Gen J Lorimer DSO, MBE
puts his medal on correctly
86
A Bulldog prepares to drive through one of the many obstacles
encountered during the Commander’s course
needed a large amount of training on the Armoured Fighting
Vehicle 43 (BULLDOG) to keep the Squadron on a good
heading over the future.
A large part of that has been the 43 Commanders Course that
has been run in house by Cpl ‘shut up and teach’ Swift and
Cpl ‘sandbags’ Fazackerley. Over the first part of the course
students were familiarised with the oh so many parts of the
vehicle and the large amounts of maintenance that each
requires. Also the safety aspects of working and maintaining
the vehicle were gone over thoroughly as even before the
vehicle is in motion the huge amounts of oils and lubricants
together with heavy pieces of machinery can be a serious
safety hazard. A favourite of the first half of the course being
“track bash” when everyone celebrated getting the
nominated part of the track off and replaced in record time
only to struggle massively and run over time trying to get the
track back on the vehicle with great physical strain.
Having seen the state of the engine he had been tasked to clean
LCpl Watson could only smile!
Having learnt how to successfully command the vehicle it was
now time for our maintenance test before we could call
ourselves commanders. This was an overall success other
than LCpl ‘safe hands’ Sullivan dropping a BCF gas fire
extinguisher that filled the vehicle with dangerous oxygen
starving fumes to put out a non-existent fire.
LCpl Sullivan putting his newly learnt skills on the Bulldog
Commander’s course to the test
With the maintenance, safety and parts of the vehicle covered
it was now time to start really learning/having fun by taking
the vehicles out on the driver training area at Tidworth. What
came as a shock was even though these vehicles are
advanced in age they can still tackle treacherous terrain
smoothly and with great speed. After commanding the
vehicles through very deep water obstacles, massively steep
inclines and other difficult terrain forwards and backwards we
were then taught recovery in case it all went wrong.
With cross country out of the way it was time to test our skills
out on the open road and impress the local traffic with our
commanding prowess of these 16 tonne monsters. With the
driver's vision massively impaired it was our job to make sure
that the vehicles traversed through towns, villages, large
A-roads and dual carriageways without drama before heading
home and using our directing skills to park the vehicles up
safely.
Guiding the Bulldog to its resting place for the evening
MAIN TROOP PACEX - by LCpl Rennick
Well, the tour is over, POTL has come and gone (far too
quickly), and now the cold, hard realities of being in a
mechanized Signal Squadron are starting to sink in for the
boys and girls in Main Troop.
The Squadron has set the task of being complete to CT1 by
the end of January, and as part of this Main Troop has to have
87
completed a full PACEX. The challenges that this presents are
made all the more difficult as we are currently running driver
and commander training on the Bulldogs. We have 5 days
scheduled to work through all the vehicles, testing VHF, HF,
HCDR and data, concurrently to this we are working with our
tech workshops to try and rectify as many of the faults that
we find. As I write this we have proved secure comms on all
the detachments that we have available (and in the case of
the COMMS OPS vehicle, this was done whist the wagon had
a much needed wash!) We have just about every common
Bowman fault going; pressels, headsets, coaxes and the ever
popular ‘RF ANCILLARY FAULT’. At the moment we are
working closely with our LAD to try and get vehicles back and
get them tested, this is due to the fact that most of the
Bulldogs have outstanding faults that were picked up during
November's Commander's Function Tests. Once the vehicles
have been released, however, they are jumped on by a crew
of eager Siggies keen to show their new Det Commanders
how much they have learned in six months of working in
Theatre.
The next few days will prove vital in our preparations for the
coming year. The Squadron has a lot of ground to cover if it is
going to be at the standard that has become expected of us.
All we in Main Troop can do is maintain our sense of humour,
work hard, and strive for excellence!!!
SQUADRON LIFE POST TOUR - by LCpl Thayne
Returning home from a six and a half month tour of
Afghanistan can be a strange experience, whether it is your
first time away or if you have experienced it before. My
return from tour was a new experience for me because I was
coming home on my own four weeks before the rest of the
Squadron, due to me deploying early with the armoured
infantry company for HERRICK 16, C Company 3rd Yorkshire
Regiment. The whole process of getting home is a long and
stressful experience. Leaving your FOB or PB and getting
back to camp Bastion can be hard enough with flights getting
cancelled and timings changing constantly, but once your
handover - takeover is complete and you get on that flight
back to Camp Bastion with all your baggage you know you are
on the way home.
After all the administration is done and dusted in Camp
Bastion and you have enjoyed your day spent checking in all
your baggage and yourself it is homeward bound, you get on
your flight bound for Cyprus to enjoy your decompression
where you can do as little or as much as you like. For me the
time was spent carrying out some last minute Op Bronze and
splashing around in the sea, after completing my military
swim test. This was followed up by a few beers and a CSE
show before an early night due to the 0430hrs wake up call
for our next flight back to the UK.
I spent the next four weeks working with the ROG helping to
get everything ready for the rest of the Squadron returning to
not so sunny Bulford and getting reacquainted with the
running routes that I had been gladly separated from for the
previous seven months.
The rest of the Squadron arrived back in Bulford and the
families and friends were waiting with banners, balloons, a
bouncy castle and some refreshment in the Squadron MT
hanger. As soon as the Squadron formed up to march down
to meet their friends and family the heavens opened and they
were greeted by a nice refreshing October shower. No one
seemed to care about the rain much. The rest of the week
was spent handing in kit, attending mandatory briefs,
swapping stories from tour, weapon cleaning, a little PT and
one or two social events, before everyone broke up to enjoy
four well deserved weeks of POTL.
299 SIGNAL SQUADRON (SC)
BLETCHLEY
OC SSM Maj C P Smith
WO2 V Walsh
Another busy and important period for 299 Signal Squadron
(Special Communications) has seen the successful 2012 cohort
of 13 SC Operators deploy on ops for the first time, the SC
Course commence and the transition of the Squadron from 2
Sig Bde to 1 Sig Bde. In addition to all this we have still found
time to take part in wider Corps and Army activity.
affair, however after all the summative assessments were
complete we have 11 potential SC Operators moving forward
to the next stage of training.
Module 1 itself tests a number of training objectives including,
but not limited to; operating in an expeditionary environment,
applying medical procedures and operating weapon systems.
Members of the course can be seen putting some of the skills
they have learnt into practice in the field.
Module one of the SC Course started in September with
military and underpinning skills involving two field exercises in
the UK. The Module 1 test exercise was a wet and windy
Members of SCC 1/12 conducting medical procedures
SC student prior to a section attack
88
The SC Course now progress to Module 2 which focuses on
Special Communication Equipment and Procedures, all of
which is tested summatively in Module 2 test exercise.
In addition to the SC Course members of the training wing
have also been preparing and running another bespoke PDT
package. A number of SC Operators will deploy overseas in
November and with some remaining on standby in the UK. As
usual a series of range packages, advanced medical training
and personal protection skills were practiced including
specific Squadron SOPs.
On 28 November 2012 299 Signal Squadron (SC)
re-subordinated from 2 Signal Brigade to 1 Signal Brigade. The
Squadron has been exceptionally busy over the last few years
and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those
within 2 Signal Brigade that have supported in the operational
output of the Squadron. We look forward to the
opportunities that 1 Signal Brigade will deliver and working
with our new OPCOM Headquarters.
Special Communications PDT
In addition to PDT and the SC Course the Squadron has also
found time to take part
in Corps Squash with
WO2 (YofS) Samuel
representing in the
annual Corps Squash
tour and we have also
supported Keswick
Runner, the Corps
annual Cross Country
training camp. The
Squadron has also run a
number of welfare and
charity events, most
recently the ‘Big Brew
Up’ for Macmillan
Cancer Support charity
which raised £208! Well
done to the admin team
Cpl Sharpe helping raise £208!
and Cpl Sharpe.
Due to the long history and nature of Special Communications
the Squadron is now beginning to develop the Association of
Friends (AOF). In October 2012 it was fantastic to see 50
former members of 299 Signal Squadron (SC), 1 (RBY) Signal
Squadron (SC) and 602 Signal Troop (SC) attend the second
annual SC AOF Dinner in Bletchley.
2 Signal Brigade Pennant at Bletchley Park
The Squadron continues to deliver at pace, operationally
supporting 14 enduring overseas commitments. It is
encouraging to see the success recognised with a number of
promotions and public recognition through honours and
awards. The Sqn
competed in the
Lanyard Trophy,
the Armed Forces
Parachute
championships,
Corps Cross County
(3rd place Minor
Unit) and had
members
represent the Army
in Football. We
also finished 2nd in
the Minor Units
LCpl Kimpton jumping over Lake Elsinore, Race the Sun
California
competition. The
Sqn has also found
time to conduct Adventure Training to California Skydiving,
Snowboarding in France and been Adventurous Training in
Wales. With all this going on the Sqn is entering another
operational handover period. There are plenty of challenges
ahead for 2013.
ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS)
Members of the Sqn at the SC AOF Dinner
Over the period of 5/6 November the Squadron took part in
Ex HORSESHOE FINALE. This was one of the events to mark
the disbandment of HQ 2 Signal Brigade prior to the Squadron
re subordinating to HQ 1 Signal Brigade. The exercise was the
movement of the Brigade Pennant around the Brigade AO
visiting every RHQ and Squadron. The Pennant also crossed
the doors of Bletchley Park, the home of the “Code Breakers”
and birthplace of Special Communications.
This year’s 25th AOF (SC) reunion in Hereford was one of the
best attended since the AOF (SC) began in 1987 when Angie
Tivenan suggested to her husband Mick that it may be a good
idea to have a couple of ‘ex 602 boys’ around for a drink! In
excess of 100 serving, ex serving and retired members
attended. The evening was a fitting tribute to the efforts of
the committee and particularly rewarding for Lee Pilling as it
was his last as chairman. Ex Yeoman ‘Ginge’ Willimont is now
in the ‘chair’ and busy planning next year’s reunion with the
rest of the committee. Details of the reunion, along with
others, can be found on the AOF (SC) web site www.aofsc.
co.uk . Contact the secretary, Rick Williams rick.
[email protected] for login details.
Membership. All serving, ex serving and retired members of
Special Communications (SC) units are encouraged to join the
association. This includes both Regular, TA and HQSC
personnel. If you would like to join, simply contact Rick
Williams [email protected] or myself at
[email protected].
89
HQ 101 LOGISTICS BRIGADE & SIGNAL TROOP (661)
ALDERSHOT
OC
RQMS
Capt J Alger
WO2 (RQMS) M Turner
The past months have seen a number of soldiers leaving the
Troop. These include Cpl Tait and LCpl Hall who leave us on
promotion and Cpl Pheasey and Sig Crabtree who are posted.
Good luck to you all in your future careers and thanks for all
your hard work. Welcome to the new arrivals; Sgt James, Sgt
Burger and Cfn Elkin. Best wishes to LCpl Purja and stay safe
on Ops. Sig Dawes is also off to BATUS for a couple of
months so the RQ’s discipline inbox should be much quieter.
EXERCISE GRIFFINS VIPER – by LCpl Shone
lurking around every corner. That night was the Troop social
but of course in true Army fashion we had to conduct the
Values and Standards MATT prior to going out.
On Friday there were a series of Command Tasks which
consisted of; recovery, which was winching a Land Rover up a
hill, a communications task which was putting up a 9x9 tent
blindfolded, a signals task using semaphore, a physical task
which was a tyre flip up and down the hill and a tactical
decision making task.
Finally on Saturday it was all over, the end of a long but
rewarding week and a chance to dry and thaw out.
On the 19th November the Bde HQ & Sig Tp (661) deployed on
the 4 ½ hour journey to Okehampton Training camp in Devon.
Leaving Aldershot, spirits and expectations were high as the
sun was shining. However, the training area was on a hill in a
remote location with storms and gales forecast for the south
west. Throughout the week there was horizontal rain and
wind that could stop you dead on your feet. Sig Crabtree had
to be held down to stop her blowing away with the wind.
Once everyone was fed we were thrown straight in to the
arrivals brief and the dreaded SERE video. Then WO2 (YofS)
Tucker decided to take the Troop on a run over the moors,
into the wind and rain. Half way through we went off road
and conducted our own version of “currahee”. Once finished
at 2100hrs we were left to our own devices.
Next day we were off to the ranges to conduct our ACMT.
Once again the weather had other plans; the mist was so
dense that it was unsafe to shoot. The Brigade officers did
the navigation practical and set off into the gloom. The
remainder stayed and carried out saving the life of Annie
instructed by Cpl Tait. After lunch the tables turned and the
Troop went out to do the navigational practical, however this
time the weather decided to lift and it was an interesting walk
around the moor, interacting with the local wildlife.
We returned to camp where we split into groups and did
night navigation exercise. Group 5 which consisted of WO2
(YofS) Tucker, Cpl Shiner, LCpl Sutherland, LCpl Shone and
Sig Barker-McGowan was the quickest and also had a few
laughs on route mainly at the Yeoman’s expense. “I never fall
over” famous last words. Then 2 minutes later the team
jumps a river and the Yeoman falls flat on his face.
The following day we once again left for the ranges but this
time the weather was much clearer. As the first detail kitted
up and went to the point, the remainder of us had the
pleasure of sitting in CIED delivered by Cpl Pheasey. A few of
the lads took the searching a bit far, Sig Grindlay and Sig
Dawes fully stripping their partners to find the hidden object.
After lunch the officers went back to conduct the staff
training element of the exercise, whilst the remainder stayed
on the range conducting the ACMT run by WO2 (RQMS)
Turner and SSgt Turnbull.
The mid point of the week was the vehicle navigational
exercise, teams of 2 deploying in FFRs around Dartmoor. LCpl
Sutherland and LCpl Tambo had a great start to the nav EX,
they left first but because of a slight navigational error they
went the wrong way down the A30 and added 20 minuets to
their time. Myself and Sig Barker-Magowan found ourselves
driving down the narrowest road known to man with a tractor
90
The OC demonstrating semaphore
THE GREAT SOUTH RUN - by Sig Crabtree
On the 28th of October the RQ, WO2 Turner thought it would
be a great idea to involve the Troop in a charity fund raising
event for the Royal British Legion. The Great South Run, 10
miles around the roads of Portsmouth with the final push
being along the blustery sea front. Breakfast at 6.30 with a
0700 departure followed by a 10 mile run on a Sunday was a
shock to the system. The bus journey down seemed a little
quiet but morale was high as we were running for charity. We
arrived in Portsmouth keen as ever, close to 2hrs too early
and in typical British seaside weather, cold, blustery and grey
all we needed to make our day was for the heavens to open.
Each person had registered with their expected finish time
and was given a group to run with, the fun runners or the
elite. Only Sig Taylor was brave enough to face Mo Farah in
the elite men’s race. The rest of the Troop started later with
the fun runners and charity fund raisers. During the race we
had one soldier with an injury willing to give it a try to raise
some money. LCpl Sutherland was able to run 9 miles of the
10 as he was chatting to and trying to impress a girl on the
way round. The atmosphere during the run was electric and
All smiles before the GSR
the amount of support from the public was a real morale
booster and the Troop did really well. Finishing times were:
Capt Alger 1hr 22, WO2 Turner 1hr 35, SSgt Hetherington
1hr16 Cpl Bush 1hr36, Cpl Pheasey 1hr36, LCpl Stewert 1hr22,
LCpl Sutherland 1hr41, Sig Barker-Magowen 1hr24, Sig
Crabtree 1hr36, Sig Dawes 1hr18, Sig Giles 1hr24, Sig Grindley
1hr34 and Sig Taylor 1hr 20mins.
Congratulations to 661 Sig T for raising £1800 for the Royal
British Legion. A good day was had by all.
38 (IRISH) BRIGADE SIGNAL TROOP
LISBURN
- by Cpl Hamilton
38 (Irish) Brigade Signal Troop is located within Thiepval
Barracks, Lisburn NI. It was formed with the re-subordination
of Alpha Troop 243 Signal Sqn in May 2010 and currently
comprises one Officer plus 12 R SIGNALS communications
specialists. There are also 6 attached Installation Technicians
from 10 SR who bolster the total manning to 18 pax.
The mission is described as:
To provide direct support to fixed Information and
Communication Services (ICS) infrastructure and ICS support
to the Bde HQ for its Op HELVETIC (MACP), legacy and routine
Regional Brigade tasks.
As well as providing support to Op HELVETIC there are a
number of more ‘routine’ and bespoke tasks performed.
Most of this centres around providing close support to the
HQ staff but also encompass jobs that require specialist
training and experience, examples include mast climbing/
rigging and performing management functions for the
primary C2 network and equipments (TETRA based). The
Troop is also responsible for the running of a very busy DAF
which covers all locations in Province and the cryptographic
world will soon become busier as 209 Sig Sqn disband and the
Bowman PCON moves over to the DAF.
As the legacy COUGAR system is being withdrawn from
service in Province, the rigging section have been working
closely with Thales and 267 Sig Sqn on the large scale project
to remove all deployed Antenna and associated equipments.
This has meant a large number of site visits (military bases,
PSNI stations, hill top sites etc) have had to take place in
91
order to establish what antennas, feeders etc have been left
in situ and hence require extraction. There has been a vast
number of man hours spent on this project and work has
been undertaken during the day but also at night (G2 threat
level dependant). Although NI has ‘calmed down’ some-what
since Op BANNER, there is still a very real and dangerous
threat to British Forces from dissident republican groups.
in the annual Swimathon with Cpl Dave Hamilton, LCpls Heath
Manning and Paul Smith and WO2 (FofS) ‘Arthur’ Daley
completing a 3 mile freestyle swim for charity. Adventurous
training has also been conducted which saw the Troop taking
part in a water sports day, hill walking, go-karting and topped
off the week with a night at the dogs - where everyone left
with much less money than they went in with!!
Although there is a steady and constant workload, there are
still opportunities for Troop personnel to deploy on Op tours
as an augmentee. WO2 (YofS) Cath Pagan, Sgt James
Milevsky, LCpls Andy Barr and Dave Anderson have all
recently returned from Op HERRICK. Cpl Patrick Crosbourne
has just returned from 6 months in BATUK, Kenya and Cpl
‘Linc’ Sims is due to finish his 6 month tour in the Falklands at
the start of the New Year.
LCpl Andy Barr has recently competed in the NISAM skill at
arms meeting as part of the HQ 38 (Irish) Brigade team. He
came 11th as an individual, and his team which included the
Commander, came 3rd overall. In the 19 Brigade sports week,
LCpl Barr came 2nd overall out of 126 competitors, beaten
only by a sniper!! He was awarded 3 medals for his efforts
and came back with a broad smile on his face!
Troop personnel have also taken part in a number of sporting
activities and events including basketball, cross country and
swimming. Cpl ‘Sonny’ Sunderland represents the troop in
the NI orienteering league and Troop personnel also took part
Arriving in the unit recently is the new OC, Capt (TOT) Gordon
Tibbetts, Ops Cpl Mark Elliott and LCpl Mario Brown whom
we welcome and wish them a busy, safe and rewarding tour
here in Lisburn. We would also bid a fond farewell to Cpl
Matt Devey, LCpls Heath Manning and Adam Wilson.
81 SIGNAL SQUADRON (VOLUNTEERS)
CORSHAM
OC
SSM
Maj Andy Kennedy
Matt Ticehurst
ACT OF REMEMBRANCE FOR COLIN STEWART
The Officer Commanding and Squadron members made the
journey from Barrybudden Camp to Stonehaven on Sunday
4 November 2012 to lay a wreath in memory of ‘Fallen
Comrades’ at the War Memorial in the town.
We met with the family and friends of the late Sgt Colin
Stewart, led by his widow Elaine. As we gathered to lay
our Squadron wreath, Maj Kennedy addressed all present
and SSM Ticehurst read an extract from the poem ‘For The
Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon. After a short moment's silent
contemplation we respectfully gathered to take a photograph
at the entrance to the memorial. Colin’s family were clearly
touched by the sombre mood of the day.
As a nationally recruited specialist Sqn, 81 Sig Sqn (v) have not
had a “home” church or town where we could lead an act of
remembrance. To solve this the Sqn has joined forces with
the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) Association and Society.
For many years they have remembered fallen members of
the CTO in 2 World Wars by laying a wreath within BT Centre
in London. The members, due to advancing years, held their
last service in 2010. With 81 Sig Sqn’s historic close association
with the GPO, Post Office Telephones and now BT we agreed
to continue the tradition of laying a wreath in BT Centre jointly
on behalf of the Society / Association and the Sqn.
Once proceedings were completed we adjourned to Colin’s
‘local’, the Station Hotel and had a light lunch and a drink to
share some memories of our departed comrade. Many stories
of Colin were shared over lunch and as the day wore on all
departed for home. Rest in peace ‘old friend’.
This year members of the Sqn gathered on Friday the 9th
November for a short act of remembrance in order to
continue the tradition.
EXERCISE FALKLAND SOUND 2012
OC
Tp SSgt
Capt RH Smith
SSgt T Blatcher
856 Troop deployed to the Falkland Islands in November 2012
to complete a number of project tasks. However, before a
92
The Troop showing off their new MTP
single pit cover had been removed, the Troop set a new first
for the Squadron – being first to deploy wearing PCS/MTP
clothing. Each man was handed a packet of new clothing at
Brize Norton and had the pleasure of trying to iron out the
creases on arrival in the Falklands.
Unfortunately the Troop didn’t have the opportunity to visit
Stanley or any of the war memorials. A peat fire, burning for
several days, meant that a large proportion of the resident
personnel were called out to assist and movement off camp
was restricted.
This deployment also welcomed new Squadron member Sig
Glenn Buckett (aka ‘Roman Abramovich’ – for his personal
collection of planes, cars and yachts) and Sig Ian Dobson who
got to deploy with his own Troop for the first time.
However, an opportunity for a Troop photograph with one
of the RAF’s Typhoons (an excellent opportunity to see
grown men act like children shown a new toy) and a bowling
competition ensured that the guys didn’t spend all their time
with heads in cable pits.
Then it was on with the serious issue of the project tasks. The
Troop started by working on a 3km fibre pull, overcoming
challenges such as a slightly-too-short ‘Cobra’ rodding tool
(average cable run length 200m, total length of tool 180m)
and extreme nervousness around the Air Traffic Control fibres
sharing the same ducts. But with their usual professionalism
and technical flair, the team completed the main pull quickly
and without issue. A couple of days of terminating and testing
then followed, and the work was nearing completion.
Our thanks to the CMIS (‘Line Section’ team in the Falklands
– particularly Sgt Mike Kervell and Cpl Lauren McPherson –
for all their support during the deployment and to our host/
customer at ISS – Tech Adjt Capt Paul Carpenter.
Then it was on to the second key task - survey and tidy up of a
number of fibre termination boxes in priority areas around the
camp. However, due to an on-going operational requirement
it was not possible to progress this job as it would have meant
potentially risking connections that were in active use.
‘Fibre Jedi’ Sig Colin Wilkinson also had the opportunity to
do some short notice fibre testing between the main MPA
complex and an HF transmitter site approximately 12km away
– error rates on the connection were climbing. He managed
to quickly localise the fault and find a spare usable fibre core,
leaving the ‘ASTEC’ team supporting the transmitter with an
option to preserve service until a more detailed fault-finding/
repair task could be undertaken.
The Troop Photo with a Typhoon
93
OTHER UNITS
1st NATO SIGNAL BATTALION
MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT COMPANY
OC
CSM
Comdt H Hollebosch Belgian Army
WO2 (CSM) B Mclean Maintenance and Support Company are going through a
period of ‘re-shaping’ to meet the needs of new CIS
equipments that are currently being receipted into the
Battalion and also due to the changeover to a revised NATO
Peace Establishment (PE). The new PE is due to go ‘live’ any
day and from a UK perspective it may take a few more
months yet to fill the posts that have now been gapped for a
number of years. If you are interested in doing something
slightly different from the normal posting within the Corps
then why not put 1 NSB (Wesel) on your posting preference,
you will get the chance to work on some interesting kit and
will be able to attend some very valuable trade courses at the
NATO CIS School in Latina. To find out more about life in
Wesel then why not take a look at our pages on Armynet.
Over the last few months we have welcomed Sgt Bobby Hill
from Cyprus, Sgt Si Goddard from 20 ABSS, LCpl Sean
Masterson and LCpl Richie Kearney from their Class 1 in
Blandford and LCpl Rich Searle from 7 Sig Regt via a tour of
Kenya. We have also said goodbye to Sgt Matt Davis and his
wife Anna who have moved to 15 Sig Regt (IS) on promotion
and Cpl Jordan who has moved on to 14 Sig Regt(EW). Bar
profits have taken a massive drop since those 3 individuals left
so please pay a visit to Goch again soon!
We would like to say congratulations to Maj Dave Whitaker
who has been selected for promotion to Lt Col and he and his
wife Sue will move on in the New Year to JFC Naples in Italy.
REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY ARMISTICE DAY
PARADE - by WO2 (CSM) Bri Mclean
World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery, 176 of
the burials are unidentified. There are also 78 war graves of
other nationalities, most of them Polish.
Traditionally the Armistice Day Parade at Reichswald is
organised by Rhine Garrison but due to the drawdown in the
area the responsibility for the organisation of the parade
transferred to 1st NATO Signal Battalion for the first time this
year. We were lucky to still be able to call on the G4 support
Rhine Garrison which assisted us greatly. There were 30
members of the Battalion on parade with representation from
the UK, Canada, Belgium and Germany. Wreaths were laid by
the NATO Senior National Representatives from the local
NATO Headquarters in Kalkar, the Royal British Legion and
local civil dignitaries from both Germany and Holland. A
sizeable crowd amassed during the service including a coach
load of Rotary Club members from Doncaster.
We were very grateful to have the services of retired Padre
Geoffrey Allen who has now settled near Nijmegen who led
the service. The names of the UK service personnel killed on
operations in the previous 12 months were read out by Maj
Dave Whitaker and a list of the Canadian fallen were read out
by CWO (RSM) Al Sully. Immediately after the parade an
excellent curry lunch was provided by LCpl Roshan Gurung
and his wife Reena back at the UK Community Centre in Goch.
DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE D
628 SIGNAL TROOP
OC
Tp SSgt
Capt E Moore SSgt D Purdon
DCM DELTA @ KANDAHAR SIGNALS SUPPORT GROUP
(KSSG). MAY-SEP 2012 - by Capt E Moore
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery was created after the
Second World War when burials were brought in from all over
western Germany and is the largest Commonwealth cemetery
in the country. Some of those members of the land forces
buried there died in the advance through Reichswald Forest in
February 1945. Others died
crossing the Rhine, among
them members of the airborne
forces whose bodies were
brought from Hamminkeln,
where landings were made by
the 6th Airborne Division from
bases in England.
The 1st NATO Signal Battalion owns the responsibility for
manning the KSSG and May 2012 saw the second deployment
of Deployed Communications Module (DCM) D (628 Signal
Troop) after a busy training period.
Based in Elmpt, Germany, the comprehensive training
package saw soldiers on courses in Latina, Blandford, Wesel
and locally to ensure they were fully prepared for a busy Tour
of Duty in Afghanistan. The first time however, the team
trained as a formed body of men and women was in March 12
where a basic skills exercise run by Sgt ‘Paddy’ Grills included
the 4 German soldiers who deployed with the DCM. Split into
their deployed departments, the teams forged strong
working relationships and a healthy appetite for competition
which was carried through to the deployment.
Some of the airmen buried in
the cemetery lost their lives in
supporting the advance into
Germany, but most died earlier
in the war in the intensive air
attacks over Germany. Their
graves were brought in from
cemeteries and isolated sites
in the surrounding area. There
are now 7,594 Commonwealth
servicemen of the Second
On 2 May 12 DCM D left the green pastures of Germany and
travelled via Brussels, Dushanbe and Kabul arriving in sunny
Kandahar, Afghanistan after a quick 18 hours of, ‘on the bus,
off the bus’. The Kandahar Signals Support Group is an ISAF
asset manned by a mixture of NATO Troops and ISAF Civilian
Contractors which is tasked to provide, maintain and
configure all changes to all NATO communications assets on
the Airfield on behalf of COMKAF. The network hosts in
excess of 1500 users on 3 different networks which means
robust and reliable communications is a ‘must’, and the team
worked hard to provide a first class service.
94
Major Dave Whitaker reads
out the ‘roll of honour’
With the assistance of NATO Communications Information
Agency (NCIA) Liaison Officers, Todd ‘Quad Biker’ Morgan
and Yves ‘Dr. Evil’ Devillers, the tour was very successful. The
civilians who have volunteered to work in the harsh
environment added a different but positive dynamic to the
tour as many of the soldiers of the DCM worked in mixed
teams. The historical knowledge that the KSSG Civilians
brought was invaluable and they are all thanked for their
continued hard work in support operations in Afghanistan.
With special mention to; Cris ‘IT’ Atienicia, ‘LANWAN’ Dan
Thomas, Si ‘Frodo’ Greenwood and Jim ‘Texas Hold’em’ Hull.
Hot and fly-infested seemed to be the theme of the Tour,
however there were a number of successes which have to be
attributed to the soldiers who deployed for the 4 ½ months.
A successful move of the NATO comms for the RC(S) HQ, the
migration to the Document Handling System and one of the
largest tasks, Project Seeker, saw the accounting for all NATO
CIS assets on KAF which was took patience, a high level of
diplomacy and a keen eye for detail. On the external front,
the team raised in excess of $2000 for the Multiple Sclerosis
Society and Help 4 Heroes and competed and came third in
the combat Olympics hosted by 101st Airborne Div US (A).
The tour was without serious injury, apart from SSgt ‘Soup’
Sluman who slipped a disc in his back whilst picking up a dart
which had missed the dart board. Luckily, the medical staff
were on hand to ambulance him to the role 3 for a dose of
morphine and a lucky dip bag full of painkillers. He returned
on cloud nine and ready to take on the world.
After a smooth handover to the German DCM C, the officer
and 32 soldiers returned to Germany via Cyprus and Brize
Norton to a welcoming ROG and families community, who are
thanked for their support to us throughout. POTL saw many
return to the UK while some opted for holidays further afield.
DCM D (628 Sig Tp) now look forward to a short training
period before Christmas leave before taking on new comms
equipment in the New Year. We wish our sister DCM a
successful but more importantly, safe tour.
DEPLOYING ALONGSIDE GERMAN SIGNALS
- by Cpl Si Thorburn
Beginning of May 2012, 27 British soldiers, 1 Officer and 4
German soldiers from 1 NSB deployed to Kandahar, for a 4
month cycle at Kandahar Signal Support Group (KSSG). After
a straight forward 30 hour trip to Kandahar (very quick by
NATO standards), we all spent the first 24 hours completing
arrival briefs with OR-7 ‘Michael’ Reimann taking the lead for
the Germans on the handover takeover, whilst the British
soldiers were moved to Camp Bastion for additional training.
When we arrived back we completed the takeover in good
time from the Danish DCM and then we started our shift
cycles. OR-7 Reimann led the Tech support, OR-7 ‘Olly’ Pieck
was in the Communications section, OR-4 ‘Marc’ Pfefferkuch,
assisting Cpl Thorburn on the SatCom, and OR-3 ‘Shadow’
Behrendt working with service desk.
The first couple of weeks were spent clearing any teething
issues we had and making any changes we needed and from
there on the pace was relatively steady. This gave us all
chance to improve our fitness and chance to organise
additional activities. Our daily routine consisted of an email
from OR-3 Behrendt, who sent lovely pictures and a few
funnies to keep the morale high. At times, if we did not
receive the email by lunchtime, we would worry about him,
but we normally found he was looking for better pictures to
keep us entertained.
“Top Shot” – Capt Moore shows SSgt Purdon how it’s done…
again!
OR-7 Pieck spent a good amount of time on the ranges,
showing the German weapon systems to the Americans and
us Brits, with OR-4 Pfefferkuch and OR-3 Behrendt assisting
him. This made a good impression to the Americans, who
thoroughly enjoyed their time on the ranges.
As a DCM we also spent a little time playing football and
hockey, which led to a few injuries and some funny moments.
OR-3 Behrendt being a giant compared to most of us was
constantly out-jumped by the smallest member of the team,
which led to OR-7 Pieck giving ‘Shadow’ a right telling off in a
mixture of German and then English. However, during a
number of hockey games we found ‘Marc’ who was the
quietest person in KSSG, to have an angry side with a stick in
his hands, which worried a few of us who were on the
opposite team. Games even got that rough, OR-7 Reimann
even refused to play at one stage.
During our time in Kandahar we also watched the EUFA
football championship, which led to many friendly arguments
between the Germans and Brits, and I can say for safety, we
were glad the teams did not meet in the Championship.
After a quick but successful 4 months time came to handover
to the oncoming DCM who happened to be all German, which
led to OR-7 Pieck informing us that we are now outnumbered.
This also led to a football game between the oncoming and
off going deployments. It’s unfortunate to say that the
German team won, but to be fair, this was the correct result.
Unfortunately, we were all unable to leave at the same time,
due to the British soldiers attending training in Cyprus, but we
were all fortunate to meet up a few days later in Elmpt for the
welcome home party. It proved to be a good chance to say
goodbye and remember our time in Kandahar with fondness
and we are all hoping to work together in the near future.
DEPLOYABLE COMMUNICATIONS MODULE A
“Sunshine Tours Afghanistan” - One of the many KSSG BBQs
DCM A are one of the 3 German sub-units of the Battalion
who are co-located with Battalion HQ and Maintenance and
Support Company in Wesel. The article below talks about
95
their experiences deploying to the UK on 2 NATO exercises.
It gives an interesting insight into the types of CIS
equipments in use across the Battalion.
EX NOBLE ARDENT 12 AND EX STEADFAST JUNCTURE 12
- by OF-2 M Köhne (DEU A)
From 30 Sep until 11 Nov 12, 17 members of DCM A, 1 NSB
deployed in support of exercises NOBLE ARDENT 12 (NOAT 12)
and STEADFAST JUNCTURE 12 (SFJE 12) which were conducted
at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. Ex NOAT 12 was designed
to train Joint Forces Air Component HQ (JFAC HQ) personnel
and selected augmentees, in their key Command and Control
role within the Air Component Command of the wider NATO
Response Force operation. The main focus of this exercise
was to gain the ability to develop and execute an air campaign
as part of a deployed joint force, engaged in war fighting
operations. During Ex SFJE 12, JFC NAPLES conducted a NonArticle 5 Crisis Response Operation aimed at the development
of the expeditionary capabilities required for future NATO
missions, including sustainment and logistics. The intent was
to test and develop the full spectrum of capabilities required
for NRF operations on a Small Joint Operation scale.
The mission was to deliver CIS support for UK JFACHQ in
view of an increased Minimum Military Requirement (MMR)
consisting of 30 Mission Secret (MS), 10 NATO Secret (NS)
and 10 NATO Unclassified (NU) workstations and VoIP
handsets. Therefore, DCM A deployed the LNC-E system, a
Deployable Point of Presence (DPOP); one of several mobile
CIS assets of NATO. This system, originally conceived for NRF
purposes, is designed to provide connection to the different
NATO domains, namely MS, NS and NU. It mainly consists of
3 identical server racks and 3 identical racks with modems,
distribution switch and router of which each pair represents
the system of one network domain. The central means
of external connection is the Deployable Satellite Ground
Terminal (DSGT). All technical equipment is packed onto 3
Sprinter vehicles, each pulling a 6 tonne trailer with a 30kW
generator. These generators provide power for the entire
range of equipment, in case of a sudden mains power outage.
Together with 90 Signal Unit the build-up of the Command
Post and the separate area for ExCon was carried out within
the first days of the deployment. The comms ‘footprint’
included the UK-owned equipment which ran the UK Secret
and PT&ME (Planning, Targeting and Mission Execution,
i.e. the UK Mission Secret platform) networks; over 150
workstations and laptops were distributed to the different
cells. More than 250 user accounts had to be created for an
exercise staff of about 180 during SFJE 12. Exchange, W-SUS,
DHCP, SQL and Lync are only a few of the various services
provided by 1 NSB. In addition to those, many Functional
Area Services (FAS) were used during the exercises. The
Integrated Command
and Control software for
air operations, was the
main application for the
common air picture. HQ
AC RAMSTEIN assisted
during Ex NOAT 12 on the
administration level. On
the NATO side, the CP
was linked to the NATO
network via satellite
connection (4 Mbit/s)
and via a leased internet
line as a redundancy.
Fibre cable was used for
longer distances and for
connections between the
main systems of the LNC
LNC-E
E within the LAN, whereas
all workstations and
telephones were connected by CAT5 copper cable. The Cable
Section of DCM A deployed more than 5 kilometres of CAT5
cable throughout the CP.
The main business of DCM A in
the role as a service provider
for the UK JFACHQ as its main
customer, was organised on
a 24/7 basis, although the
exercises were conducted
without any exercise staff
working nightshifts. The
Service Desk, acting as a first
line support, was integrated in
DSGT – Satellite dish
a service desk area of all involved
units, UK JFAC A6, 90 SU and
1 NSB. From there, the users’ needs and were transferred to
the main working area of DCM A, where problems from the
relevant section were solved. A key comms medium, used
for briefs within the whole exercise community, was the daily
VTCs which were held in various numbers (with an average
of about 10) throughout the day. All staff branches were
involved and had the ability to talk vis-à-vis to the relevant
staff members at the other CPs’ locations. The CP of JTFHQ at
AMARI Airbase, ESTONIA, predominantly hosted the VTCs.
The co-operation between all participating sections worked
very well. The common main effort to fulfil the customers’
demands was achieved throughout both exercises. All in
all, the exercises can be considered as a success for the
exercising participants and the CIS supporting units in view of
collaborative working and general experiences. Both, DCM A
and UK JFAC took great profit from the 44 days of preparation
and execution of the exercises NOAT 12 and SFJE 12.
Command Post UK Joint Forces Air Component HQ (Fairford, Gloucestershire)
96
Programme Director
UK MOD SANGCOM PROJECT TEAM
Brig Tim Watts
MA SALAAMA - by Capt John Walsh, LO & RPO ES
So long; Farewell; Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye; as anyone with
a passing affinity to the Von Trapps and the Sound of Music
will know or remember, there comes a time when we all have
to say goodbye to some of our colleagues and fellow Officers
and Warrant Officers. It is therefore with a sad heart that we
have to say farewell to the following, and we collectively wish
them all the very best in the future and for all their sterling
efforts during their time with the Team.
Brig David Hargreaves: Outgoing Programme Director on
retirement. Lt Col Kevan Thornber: Departed on volunteer
redundancy to life as a civilian. Maj Paul ‘Kenny’ Kendrick:
Assignment to HQ Sp Comd on promotion to Lt Col. Maj Sean
‘Frank’ Cowan: Departed on volunteer redundancy to life as a
civilian. Maj Owen Finnie: Assignment to DES ISS in
Corsham. Maj Jason Hazelwood: Resigned his commission.
Now back, but on the other side. Capt Ian Flannery:
Assignment to another sunshine tour, Op HERRICK. Capt
Colin Raynor: Assignment to 1 (UK) ADSR. WO2 (YofS) Steve
Hamblin: Retired on completion of 22 years’ service.
AHLAN WA SAHLAN
But as the Monty Pythons song goes, ‘Always look on the
bright side of life’, (thank you Brig David Hargreaves), we are
delighted to offer an exceedingly warm (50 degree Celsius at
times) welcome to the newest arrivals and their families to
the team:
Brig Tim Watts: Programme Director formally the SOinC (A).
Lt Col Stu Gillespie: Old hand, new head - SO1 Trg. Maj Al
Campbell: Liaison Officer National Guard Signal School. Capt
Jim Boyden: Liaison Officer Field Force Signal Battalion. Capt
Shaun Wilson: Regional Project Officer Western Sector. WO1
(YofS) Gaz Woolley: Ops Yeoman of Signals
SANGCOM - A NEW BEGINNING - by Capt Jim Boyden
With 12 weeks under my belt as the newly appointed Liaison
Officer to the Field Force Signal Battalion, I thought now
would be an ideal time to jot down initial impressions for
anyone either considering a Loan Service tour with the Saudi
Arabian National Guard Communications Project Team
(SANGCOM), or simply wondering what we do.
My journey to the mysterious Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was
straightforward. With the exception of a trip to London to
complete a medical check and visa application, it proved to be
no harder than any posting within the UK.
Note: if you are arriving in Riyadh in August it’s hot and
certainly competition for the ‘Fergie hairdryer’, treatment!
Think Afghanistan then up a notch or two. Passport control
procedures are an early indication of the differences that exist
between that which we know and that which we endure. At
the airport my cunning disguise to look unlike a typical ’Army
Officer abroad’, failed. The ‘Meet and Greet’ team picked out
the red chinos and guided me home. Fortunately it was dark
and I did not witness the driving habits that give the
experience in Saudi Arabia the notoriety it deserves. Instead I
looked intently at the bright lights through tinted windows
and listened to the wise words from the Yeoman…..
Home is a well-furnished expansive Condo in a residential
compound for which I pay..….nothing. If anyone else reading
this article has routine access to a 9-hole golf course, 25m
swimming pool, floodlit tennis court, squash court, gym and
restaurant all within 300m of their front door, do you want a
home help? Opening the front door and to be greeted by the
sight of Arabian deer that roam the compound, palm trees
that bare dates, colourful birds and blazing sunshine is a
novelty that has yet to wane………..
Driving (and recovery) in the sand is one memory I have
already acquired. When was the last time you and your family
drove a 4X4 at pace over sand dunes and camped out under
the magnificent illuminated desert sky?
The Team consists of a blend of 21 Offrs and WOs (mostly
Royal Signals, but with a showing of Royal Engineer and AGC
(ETS) posts), approximately 30 civil servants and the same
amount of Locally Employed staff. A small yet perfectly
formed Team, we deliver the SANGCOM mission:
“To define, acquire and sustain the most effective ICS and EW
capability for the Saudi Arabian National Guard, in order to
maintain long term regional stability and UK commitment to
the Kingdom”
As one of 6 Liaison Officers, I have daily and direct contact
with the Saudi Arabian National Guard. I am beginning to
slowly understand and unravel the intricate etiquette,
hospitality and routine that is inherent in their culture and key
to doing business. Whether they will ever understand me, or
indeed I them, is another question. During my first week I
dropped into an office to borrow a pen. Three hours and
plenty of coffee later I left!
Interested? My advice would be simple; ’Do it’. Entry
restrictions mean that few Westerners will ever have the
opportunity to visit and experience first-hand this unique
country. Read the, ’Seven Pillars of Wisdom’, by T E Lawrence
which although written some one hundred years before my
arrival seems as fitting now as then. Come with an open
mind, a big smile and the ability to be fluid, not flexible;
flexible, I find, is too rigid here. I arrived single, I have since
got married and my wife has joined me and can’t get enough
(of the sun and sand).
PRINCESS ROYAL DAY CELEBRATION
– by Maj (TOT) Scott Steven
A SANGCOM tradition since 1998, we celebrated Princess
Royal Day in Saudi Arabia on 9th Oct 12, somewhat delayed
from the UK June festivities, but the heat at that time of the
year would make it far from a celebration. This was the third
year the event was held in the British Embassy. Maj (TOT)
Scott Steven volunteered as the event lead and was
supported by the artistic flair of WO1 (YofS) Gaz Woolley MBE
who gave the venue a real Corps flavour and feeling.
The occasion was enhanced with the presence of notable
dignitaries that included Saudi royalty, Lady Nancy Jenkins,
wife of Her Majesty’s Ambassador, military representatives
Brig Wild late Royal Anglian (Defence Attaché) and Air
Commodore Phil Heard (In Kingdom Royal Air Force team)
along with senior business personalities. Unfortunately it was
yet another year where, due to circumstances beyond our
control, we were unable to host the Master of Signals.
97
‘Sunshine Yellow’, or ‘Fiery Red’. The prize for the wrong
answer is a Maj Perrett email!
In the current climate of financial scrutiny uncertainty
prevailed over the size and scale of the occasion, which added
an interesting dimension to the planning element, but as one
might expect in such
a safe pair of hands it
was alright on the
night.
As well as celebrating
the formation of the
Royal Corps of
Signals, the event also
gives SANGCOM the
chance to say thank
Piper Sig Jamie Motherwell delivering an
you to many of the
excellent performance at the PRD
organisations who
support us through
the year. Over 200 guests and hosts attended with
representatives from the military, Civil Service, international
and local businesses, as well as members of the ex-pat
community. It provided the opportunity to reminisce over
days in the mob; yes it was much harder then and no, we just
don’t know how good we have it. It was a most enjoyable
and entertaining evening. A significant event was made a
memorable one as Sig Jamie Motherwell added a touch of
class with his medley of excellent piping. He did himself and
The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Corps of Signals proud.
The Programme Director, Brig Tim Watts, only days into his
tenure as PD, brought the evening to a close by relaying the
team’s loyal message from Her Royal Highness the Princess
Royal to the gathered audience and thanking all our guests
for their continued support to the Team. Good company,
excellent food and in a magnificent setting left everyone
looking forward to next year.
RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
The announcement in the 2012
Queen’s Birthday Honours list that
WO1(YoS) Gaz Woolley had been
awarded the MBE, completed a
notable end to a successful year of
recognition for team members.
His investiture, conducted by Her
Majesty the Queen in the Ballroom
at Buckingham Palace on 16th
November 2012 was very much a
family affair. Being constantly
encouraged to share, his son Alfie
was keen that dad practiced what
he preached.
SOinC(A) Commendation
Maj (TOT) Scott Steven received the SOinC(A)’s
commendation whilst in his appointment as OC 252 (Hong
Kong) Sig Sqn, initially under command of 16 Sig Regt, then
re-subordinated to 22 Sig Regt
in Jan 10. He prepared the
ground for the arrival of HQ
ARRC staff to Innsworth
during Aug 10, ensuring all CIS
/ ICS capabilities were in place
and available. This highly
successful operation ensured
that disruptions to HQ ARRC’s
planning and exercise cycle
were minimal, as they
prepared for deployment to
Afghanistan in 2011. Maj
A memorable moment - Maj Scott
Steven commented that whilst
Steven smiling
extremely proud and
honoured to receive this
award, he accepted it on behalf of 252 (Hong Kong) Sig Sqn in
recognition of their commitment dedication and hard work.
REMEMBRANCE IN JEDDAH
In common with many places around the world, every year a
small Remembrance service is held at the British Consulate in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Along with expatriates and FCO staff,
the small military community including Maj Mark Barrett and
Capt Shaun Wilson, the SANGCOM team’s military presence in
the West, pays its respects to the fallen. After the service, a
small convoy of vehicles makes the journey into the midst of
the Old City for the final act of the day.
Relax dad, don’t force it
Royal Signals Institute (RSI) Medal
The unassuming Maj (Tfc) Si Perrett became the deserved
recipient of the RSI Silver Medal for his work in his previous
appointment as the Operations Officer within the Special
Forces environment. The ceremony and reception at the
Institute for Directors in Pall Mall, London on the 15th Nov 12
was a fitting occasion. Si was successful in restricting
photographs of the event, but in a rare glimpse of raw
emotion, his unbridled joy and gratitude of being a winner
was there for all to see as he gave the Master of Signals an
affectionate hug.
A professional profiling of Maj Perrett to determine
personality types revealed somewhat to everyone’s surprise
that Si is not suited to a future career where listening, lengthy
discussions and collective decision making qualities are
needed. Types are colour coded, ‘Cool Blue’, ‘Earthy Green’,
98
Sax? Blow your own trumpet!
Here, in the heart of this Islamic city, unknown and unnoticed
by most, is a small Christian cemetery. Behind its tall,
anonymous walls T/232940 Private John Arthur Hogan lies at
rest. A young man from Bolton, Private Hogan served in the
General Service Corps and died in service towards the end of
World War Two. How he came to be in Jeddah remains
unknown. As the
loudspeakers
atop every
mosque finish
calling the city to
prayer, a hushed
graveside service
takes place, a
wreath is laid and
Private Hogan
and his fallen
comrades were
remembered.
Ex Coordinator
WO1 (RSM) Dom Graham
Tel: 94691 5132 or 07595746509
OIC Plans & Training
WO2 (SSM) Richie Savage
Tel: 94882 3336 or (0049) 01627734611
SPORT
Inter-Corps Basketball
Competition 2012
by 2Lt Walker, LCpl Williams, Sig Farminer and Sig Minett
For experienced and budding basketball players alike, the Inter-Corps Competition is the highlight of the sporting year. The
injection of young blood into the already strongly bound Corps team was a welcome change giving the senior members a sense of
pride knowing the club will continue building strength on strength.
The team was split into 3; Div 1, Div 2 & Female. The Div 1 squad comprised of experienced players stepping up to take more time
on court mixed with young players showing great affinity to the game. The Div 2 squad this year had the most senior (older)
players from the club bringing a wealth of experience to the newcomers. The Female team had the pressure of being reigning
champions but with only 5 players for training and the first game, they weren’t the most optimistic.
Training week was held at Thorney Island, using whatever limited gym space the Corps could beg, borrow or steal. The training
week this year was a serious event, the sessions led by assistant coach LCpl Les Hartland were extensive; covering the basics of
basketball, to a variety of plays and always complement with a level of cardiovascular intensity worthy of any PTI with short-man
syndrome. Within all of this, the Club Management had arranged friendly games to allow the new teams a run out before the
competition. The Div 1 squad played a local team, Tres Barilles, in front of the new Corps Basketball Chair, Col David Craft. The
team managed to drag out a scrappy 48-40 win, which couldn’t be replicated when a mixed male team played the Royal Marines,
but it did identify their respective areas for development.
In the Championship the Div 1 squad had a frustrating competition, fighting hard for every match but not producing the results they
were capable of. Though the team learnt a lot and every player stood proud to be part of such a strong overall team, they did not
qualify for the play-offs. The foundations are there now for next year and they are confident of a better result.
The Div 2 team put their mix of experience and youthful ambition to better use. Their first match was against the Artillery; a match
they were confident to win. However first game nerves saw the team unravelled by their opponents and narrowly lost out 52-46.
The team quickly shook off the defeat and put it down to experience and in their next match up on the same day against the
Sappers they came out a lot stronger, convincingly leading the match through to the end result, 63-42. Off the back of this victory
the team continued in the same vein against the RLC, with particular dominating performances from Sig Lawrence Bullet and Sgt
‘Spud’ Williams. However, when they met the league favourites REME in their final group match, they were narrowly beaten 56-50.
Though their performance was admirable, the team were sombre feeling they had not got the result they were capable of,
nevertheless, they finished 3rd in the league and were through to the playoffs.
100
Their semi-final match up gave them an
opportunity for redemption in their first match
against the Artillery; a chance they did not put to
waste. The Artillery came out the more confident
side in the first quarter, however as the game
went on, we stepped up to show them just how
good we are. Though the Artillery gave it their all
to fight back in the third quarter, head coach and
point guard SSgt Ally Way lead the team to
victory and a place in the final.
For the Ladies squad the story was very different
from the male teams. Starting the week with
only 5 players against what they expected to be a
challenging match with the REME. The women,
determined to ensure they took home the title
once again destroyed their opposition 64-4 with
strong performances from every player. They
went into day two with deserved high spirits and
an additional two players producing a confident
atmosphere. Though their second match was
more hard fought with no clear winner until the
final quarter, the SIGNALS ladies team came
through with a 12 point victory to keep on track.
Their confidence and skill continued to leave their
opposition with no response in the group stages
with comfortable wins over the RLC, RAPTC and
strong contenders AGC.
Their semi-final match up brought them against
the AMS once again, but this time the AMS came
out looking like a winning team, going up 12
points in the first quarter. The SIGNALS ladies
didn’t give up, but no matter how well they
played lady luck favoured the AMS and kept them
in the lead through to the final minute of the
game. In the final seconds an impossible steal
was made and the ball travelled down the court and out of play, SIGNALS ball. It was inbounded and with 10 seconds remaining on
the clock the last shot was taken and the ball went in, the score 31-30 to us. We were in the final, with the most exciting match of
the competition and their hopes of retaining the title alight once more.
Finals day came and the Div 2 and Ladies squads were out to win. Div 2’s final was to be held first and with great support from the
crowd as they stepped on court against the REME. They had truly earned their place in the final and were ready for victory. They
showed their opponents how serious they were with a 10 point lead in five minutes of play. REME tried to react but had no answer
which saw us hold the lead into the second half.
With the start of the third quarter the game turned around with REME bringing out a strong performance to bring them back into
the game. The lead changed twice in the final quarter keeping the crowd on their toes, however within the dying minutes the
resolve of REME saw them through to victory giving us a well-deserved second place.
No sooner had our men’s team left the court, our ladies were walking on preparing to prove they should be champions by beating
the second seeded AGC. With our men’s teams leading the crowd chanting, the team’s winning mentality was strengthened. The
last two weeks had all been for this final result and they knew what had to be done. Both teams fought valiantly and injuries were
taken on both sides, but through their resolve and with immense crowd support the team came through for each other and won
the final by 10 points. They had won the championship! Already their focus has shifted to next year to make it a third consecutive
year as Army Champions!
With such strong performances from Div 2 and the Women’s team, and with promising inroads made to the Div 1 team, the future
of Corps Basketball looks set to be as promising as ever.
Our annual dinner in Grantham gave us the chance to thank Team Manager WO2 Matt Williams for getting us all together and
making it work and our coaches SSgt Ally Way, LCpl Les Hartland and LCpl Titch Hayward for all their hard work. It was also a
great opportunity to say farewell to SSgt Steve Piper who leaves the Army after 22 years service and 19 Inter-Corps Basketball
tournaments. This years Basketball awards were presented to the following:
Players’ player awards went to Sig Lawrence Bullett and Cpl Vicky Gurung.
Coaches’ player awards went to 2Lt Alex Walker and LCpl Gemma Williams.
The ‘Moir’ Cup was awarded to Sig Dylan Farminer.
Future events. Make sure your unit enters the Army competition in Jan/Feb 2013 and look out for the R SIGNALS inter-unit
competition which will be held in Jun 13. If you are interested in getting involved with Basketball in the Corps, contact Maj Duncan
Chamberlain on [email protected] or call 96770 0487. We need players, coaches, officials and team management
staffs so come and get involved with a winning team!
101
EXERCISE MERCURY GLACIER XVI
17 NOV - 15 DEC 12
The Royal Signals Alpine Championships was held again this year at Zell am See, Austria and this year we were lucky with the snow
conditions and after 3 weeks managed to escape the inhospitable Kitzsteinhorn Glacier to race on the lower Schmittenhoe slopes.
The warmer and less windswept slopes allowed us to avoid all the other race teams training on the crowded glacier and enjoy the
slopes virtually to ourselves. Despite many units being operationally focussed, this year’s exercise was the best supported in many
years and included several units who had only just returned from Operations. With 102 racers having completed
3 weeks of intense race training on the glacier the move to the Schmittenhoe was a welcome one and made
for a more pleasant race week. As usual a huge dump of snow came down the weekend before race
week but this year the weather was on our side and the snow stopped and the wind mainly held off to
give fantastic racing conditions.
This year was the first season in charge as Corps Chief Instructor for Sgt Chris Day who must be
thanked for delivering an excellent training camp and a brilliant race championships. We were
lucky to have 15 experienced instructors, many of whom have excellent race knowledge and
everyone benefitted from their instruction. Thanks goes to Capt Lyndon Box, WO2 Andy
Dawson, SSgt (YofS(EW)) Gaz Hamilton, SSgt Jacqui Smith, Sgt ‘Aitch’ Aitchison, Sgt Phil
Eaves, Sgt Ritchie Harris, Sgt Kate Hopkinson, Sgt Kez Hopkinson, Sgt ‘Shep’ Shepherd, Cpl
Lee Jeapes, Cpl Nick Penn, Sig Aimee Morris and Mr Mark Geddes. Most of the instructors
returned to their teams to compete during race week and fought to be better than those they
had instructed! A new trophy, the ‘Corps Slow Coach’, was presented for the slowest
instructor and was won by Sgt Kez Hopkinson who has finally persuaded us to let her stop
racing and will be joining the race committee from next season.
Unfortunately this year the President of Royal Signals Winter Sports was not available to
present the trophies at prize giving but luckily our Serbian race coach Risto Mekic stepped in.
Risto has been involved in coaching the Royal Signals alpine skiers on and off for nearly 20 years
and it was fantastic to have him present our prizes this year.
EX ALPINE MERCURY GLACIER XVI TRAINING - by Lt Jo Murray, 39 Sig Regt (V)
This year saw 39 Sig Regt (V) send two four man teams to the Corps Race Camp, held in Zell am See,
Austria. Five members managed to escape civilian life for the entire month and began Day 1 with a gentle
warm up of team skiing around the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. We soon learnt that LCpl Barry ‘Straight Line It;
What’s a Ski Off?’ Heanes was one to watch out for. Luckily seasoned skier Sig Kirstie Jackson was on hand to nudge him in the
right direction and suggested throwing in a few turns when the time came to perform for the instructors. 2Lt Fergus Anderson
also stood out as one to watch for plain courage and determination, with some spectacular face plants and ‘almost’ 360s. From
day one it was apparent that he could actually become ‘the best skier on the mountain’…
The afternoon ‘Ski Off’ on Day 1 evenly split individuals into ability groups, bar Sig Aimee Morris (arguably the most stylish skier on
the mountain when not snow ploughing), who deployed for the second year running as a Corps Instructor and took on the job of
training the complete beginners. Interestingly, all team members were spread across different groups, ranging
from the ninja ‘Risto’ group to basic novice. As the weeks progressed, the team was joined by Sig Ollie Camm,
Capt Andy Rea and Sgt Mo Morris.
Lessons ranged from straightforward drills, stubbies, slalom, giant slalom training and even some time in the
jumps park. The training was hard, particularly on the unforgiving glacier, where the seven minute T bar in
-30o conditions ‘actually’ made Capt Rea cry. However, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when
the Schmittenhoe opened for business at the end of the third week! It was only a matter of time before
the sun finally made an appearance and thawed our frozen eyeballs.
The whole experience was incredibly fulfilling on a number of levels. Not only did the whole team
improve dramatically in the three week training period, we made some friends for life with our
regular counterparts. The seeds were sown and the gauntlet thrown down for the Open
Competition in Week 4...
THE TEAM CAPTAINS PERSPECTIVE – by Lt Robin Drysdale, 1ADSR and Brent Thorburn,
200 Sig Sqn
After 6 months in a harsh, unforgiving, desolate environment, two new
troop commanders left Blandford for their first command in the
promised land of BFG whilst the rest of their units returned from
Op HERRICK 15. Spending the first two months committed
solely to ‘BFGing’ their cars, they were then given the
enviable task of organising their unit ski teams for Ex
ALPINE MERCURY GLACIER XVI. Enviable, that is,
Sig Kirstie Jackson 39SR(V)
102
until they discovered the considerable administrative burden they
were about to undertake…
So, six months, 57 emails, 10 red penned letters and a pointless
afternoon squabble with a defence attaché from the Swiss embassy
later, we finally deployed to Austria. It was at this stage, whilst
sat enjoying a glühwein in the ‘Container Bar’ that we came to the
conclusion that the execution of the exercise could never be as
difficult as the planning.
However, we were soon to discover that wherever there are
soldiers (or in our case steely eyed deliverers of comms) a long trail
of administration is never far behind. As commissioned officers,
our duty to Queen and Country never ends. Organising trips to
Christmas markets, emergency casevacs, sourcing replacement kit
and not to mention the frantic attempts to keep up with the team
whilst trying to hide the aches and pains of being the only novice
skier in the group, certainly all takes its toll.
Despite all the drama, confusion and pain, EX ALPINE MERCURY
GLACIER XVI proved to be a truly rewarding and deeply satisfying
experience; even when faced with the humiliation of race lycra on
a cold winter’s day, a snapped binding and a bent ski pole, we will
always look back and say it was all worthwhile.
EX ALPINE MERCURY GLACIER XVI RACING – by Capt Tom Collins, 10 Sig Regt
And so... with 3 weeks of solid training behind us, the 10 Signal
Regiment Alpine Ski Team of 2012/13, formed up on Monday 10
December at the top of a bitterly cold Schmittenhoe piste for
our first team warm up of race week. Routine has been
paramount throughout the race camp for us and so, even in
the face of high frost driven winds, the Captain of the
Team, Capt Tom Collins, led us on a gentle warm up ski run,
followed by a mobility and stretching session and finishing
with a faster paced run to really get the blood flowing.
Following some further individual warm up runs, the course
was ready for inspection and we gathered to take our only
look at it before having to get it right first time. For the first
time racers in the team, LCpl Mark Lowrey and Sig Brad Avery,
this was a new concept and the excitement began to build.
Soon it was race time, and as the competitors began to
negotiate the course one by one, it was clear they we were in
for a great year of racing. With Cpl Danny Prince consistently
LCpl Corcoran 11SR Novice Champion
performing at a top 15 level, Capt Dave
Pirt proving himself quite the slalom specialist
and with Capt Tom Collins winning the overall
alpine combination trophy, 10th Signal
Regiment can be very proud of their team this
year, and with the Divisional and Army
Championships just round the corner, we are as
ready as we will ever be!
EX ALPINE MERCURY GLACIER XVI RACE WEEK
- by Sgt Emily Wall JSSU (Ch)
For everyone attending Ex ALPINE MERCURY
GLACIER, race week is the culmination of all the
training and skills acquired over the previous
three weeks. This year’s Championships saw
over one hundred racers from across the Corps
with their abilities varied from novice to
experienced and well-seasoned racers.
The 10 Sig Regt Team
Race week began with two races which place
the individuals in the correct seeding order. On
the first morning of racing, competitors arrived
at the top of the Schmittenhöhe (2000m) and
were met with temperatures of -11o and strong
103
winds, bringing the temperature to well below -25o. The night before had also brought a good covering of snow with depths of
40cm or more on the main slopes, not the best weather for racing! Not to be fazed by this, the selected teams for the day dutifully
helped our resident race coach, Risto, set up the first of many Giant Slalom (GS) courses and the competition began.
The next four days saw the racers tackle the individual and team GS races followed by individual and team slalom. As the week
progressed the weather got gradually better and, as the visibility improved, so did the speed of the skiers. All competitors put in
maximum effort, each wanting to beat their friends, team mates and those with similar abilities to themselves. The competition at
the top was fierce, with just 10ths of a second separating the top 10 racers. With the final results kept a closely guarded secret until
prize giving, the eventual victors will have battled hard and well to have their names upon the trophies.
Contact Details: Anyone interested in Ex ALPINE MERCURY GLACIER or the alpine race team should contact Capt Jo Dawson on
95471 5020 or email [email protected]
Results
Most Improved
Sig Vickers
Cpl Jeapes
Open Combination Champion
Sgt Wall
Veteran Combination Champion
LCpl Corcoran
Novice Combination Champion
LCpl Rouget
Junior Combination Champion
Female Combination Champion (The
Charlotte Pistra Memorial Trophy) LCpl Inman
Capt Collins
Combination Champion
Team Combination
Champions
Second
Third
11 (RSS) Sig Regt
ARRC Sp Bn
JSSU
11 (RSS) Sig Regt
30 Sig Regt
200 Sig Sqn
10 Sig Regt
11 (RSS) Sig Regt
10 Sig Regt
1ADSR
Team Champions - 11 (RSS) Sig Regt Team
104
ROYAL SIGNALS ASSOCIATION
Patron: HRH The Princess Royal
President: The Master of Signals
Chairman: Brig NF Wood
Col (Retd) Terry Canham
Tel: 01258 482081
Association Office
RHQ Royal Signals
Blandford Camp
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8RH
www.royalsignlalsassociation.co.uk
Maj (Retd) Mark Tivey
Tel: 01258 482082
Welfare Secretary
Tel (mil) (9)4371 2089
Tel (civ) 01258 48 2089
Membership Secretary
Tel (mil) (9)4371 2090
Tel (civ) 01258 482090
General Secretary and Treasurer: Col (Retd) T Canham
Assistant General Secretary: Maj (Retd) M Tivey
Welfare Secretary: Mrs L Sizeland
Membership Secretary: Mrs C Addison
Mrs Linda Sizeland
Tel: 01258 482089
Mrs Caroline Addison
Tel: 01258 482090
Your Legacy can help us ……..
Did you ever benefit from a welfare grant from Corps Funds or maybe one of your
mates received help with a welfare problem where the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund
stepped in to help him or her in their time of need? There has been a long-standing saying that the “Corps looks after its own” and Royal Signals has a proud history of care
for its people, supported by the one day’s pay scheme and generous donations from
serving and retired Signallers.
…. help others in their time of need
That work continues today and every year we help hundreds of those who have fallen
on hard times whether it be a serving Signaller who has been injured on operations,
the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, members of the Corps who
need help with specialist medical care for their children or veterans who need help in
maintaining their mobility and independence.
The Royal Signals Association
and
The Royal Signals Benevolent Fund
Swift and Sure Help for Signallers in Need
We don’t distinguish between Regular and TA, National Service, ex-ATS or WRAC who
served with the Corps, officer or soldier and their dependants; any case brought to us
will be considered with expert support from SSAFA, The Royal British Legion and the
Army Benevolent Fund. We will help whenever we can …. and you can help too, by
leaving a legacy in your will. Its simple to do and can make all the difference to someone
who has worn the same capbadge and who may not have been as lucky as you. If you
would like to make a difference, please contact the Association who will tell you how to
leave a legacy so that others from the Corps might benefit from your generosity.
Royal Signals Association – ‘phone 01258 482090 or e-mail [email protected]
Happy New Year! RHQ has been a very busy place leading up
to Christmas. December saw the Area 2 Festival of Nine
Lessons and Carols in Liverpool Cathedral – the date for this
year’s diary is 30th November and all details can be found at
http://projectnoelfest.co.uk/ The photograph shows the
Corps Band at the Cathedral.
Later in December, saw the Corps
Carol Service take place at St
Stephen with St John Rochester
Row, London. This was our
twenty-fifth visit to the Church
to celebrate the festive season
and I am sure that everyone
attending enjoyed the service.
Looking ahead to the rest of the
year, the first Association event
will be the AGM at the Victory
Services Club on Saturday 23rd
March, assembling at 0930 hrs. I
hope to see many of you there.
Then later in the year, on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June
is the Annual Reunion at Blandford. Full details and forms etc
will be on the website in due course. Later in the year, we
have been allocated 48 tickets for the Cenotaph Parade in
November 2013 and bids can be made by email or in writing to
the Admin Officer at RHQ. Last date for receipt of application
for tickets is Monday 7th October 2013. This date is also the
last date to apply for tickets for the
opening of the Field of Remembrance
at Westminster Abbey. (note, there are
only 15 tickets available for this event).
The RSA Newsletter will be published in
February. Members with email
addresses will be notified when it is
available for viewing though the
website. Those with only a postal
address will be sent a copy in the post,
so if you have changed your address
recently but not let us know, please do
so as soon as you can.
105
New Life Members. A warm welcome to the following members, enrolled since the last issue of The Wire;
Cpl Sid Ahluwalia
1990-12
2Lt Andrew Akester
Sig Anthony Allen
LCpl Dennis Atherton
WO2 Darren Bailey
Sig Terry Barratt
SSgt Stephen Bithell
Sgt Derran Brown
Lt Col Mike Burke
LCpl Chris Cairns
Capt Jethro Calder
LCpl Gary Chapman
Lt Col Steve Clarke
SSgt David Cloake
Sgt Paul Colling
LCpl Alan Coulson
Cpl Shaun Courtney
Cpl Leslie Crawford
Cpl Barry Cummings
Capt Jarde Cunningham
Cpl Allana Dempsey
LCpl Ann Dingwall
SSgt Robert Duffield
LCpl Adam Durkin
Sig Janet Edwards
LCpl David Evans
SSgt Martin Farmer
SSgt George Forbes
SSgt Michael Foster
Cpl Victoria Fox
Cpl Edward Friar
Capt Tom Gardner
LCpl Raymond George
Sgt Darryl Gough
2011-date
1963-65
1984-89
1991-date
1956-59
1992-date
1986-00
1984-date
1999-05
2007-date
1984-98
1975-date
1963-87
1997-11
1975-84
1980-93
1983-89
1964-80
2001-date
1985-95
1989-94
1981-97
1984-92
1992-98
1981-94
1962-85
1965-89
1966-90
2003-date
1983-91
2004-date
1962-70
1979-90
Cpl David Parkes
1981-97
Cpl Gary Pilkington
1992-04
Cpl Robin Poll
1963-74
LCpl Nicola Pollard
1991-96
Sig John Quail
1995-03
Sgt Dean Rawlings
1984-11
Sgt Robert Rees
1992-date
Sgt David Robb
1981-92
Sig James Robb
1959-61
WO1 Leonard Rowland-Jones
1964-89
Sig Peter Simmons
1955-57
LCpl Andrew Simpson
2003-11
LCpl Lee Smith
1995-date
Lt Col Richard Smith
1961-95
Cpl Philip Staples
1969-77
Cpl Phil Steadman
2004-date
Cpl Jonathan Steed
1998-08
Cpl Ian Stewart
1980-85
WO2 Albert Summers
1944-47
LCpl Jim Taylor
1970-80
Sig Kevin Taylor
1992-95
LCpl Alexander Thwaites 2003-date
Cpl Frank Toogood
1983-94
Maj Mark Taylor-Wallace 1983-date
Pte Carole Wakefield (Newby)
1970-71
Sig Andrew Wark
1986-93
Sgt Graham Westall
1976-93
Sgt Stuart Wilby
1984-97
LCpl John Wingfield
1952-54
Cpl Chris Young
1976-91
Sig Trevor Guest
1989-92
Cpl Lee Hardy
1999-12
Cpl James Harper
1938-46
LCpl Colin Hodgkins
1983-86
Sig Jonathan Honey
1992-95
LCpl Ernie Howe
1964-76
Sig Paul Jack
1991-97
Sig Shane Johnson
2012- date
Sig Brian Kelly
1974-78
Lt Col Andy Kendall
1977-date
LCpl Owen Kerwin
1963-72
Sig Kevin Lewis
2007-09
Cpl Anna Lisles
2002-date
Cpl Anthony Loughran
1969-74
Sig Robert MacDonald
1983-89
Sig Ian Marrison
1986-93
Cpl Andy Marsh
1980-98
Cpl Lawson Marshall
1955-57
LCpl Jason Mattison
1997-date
LCpl Andrew McClenaghan 1986-91
Sgt Barry McLaughlin
1975-93
WO2 Kevin McNally
1960-78
Capt Alex McPhun
2007-date
Capt Harry Milburn
1959-63
Cpl Rory Milne
1992-08
Sig Ged Mulcahy
1992-96
Sig Tom Murphy
1972-76
LCpl Robert Murray
1953-55
Sig William O’Connor
1974-79
WO2 Rory O’Neill
1988-12
WO2 Cornelius O’Reilly
1974-86
SSgt Christopher Palin
1991-12
Sig John Palmer
1989-94
DONATIONS
Mr R Waldron
£20.00
Newcastle upon Tyne Branch
£24.00
Sale Branch, for Car Stickers
£15.00
In memory of the Late Arthur Smith
£180.00
The Rev Peter Riley
£25.00
Sale of wristbands RSI dinner
£37.30
Southport & District Branch
£200.00
Glasgow Branch
£18.00
7 Armd Bde HQ & Sig Sqn (207)
€70.00
Southport Branch
£200.00
Maj Steve Clout TD
£120.00
Michael Littlewood
£10.00
Chester Branch
£150.00
Special Communications (TA) Association
in Memory of Capt W Davidson TA £35.00
Battle of the Bands 7 November arranged
by Cpl McKenna and Cpl Thapa, Eng Sup Tp,
BGSU Blandford
£547.36
AFC Corsham through 10 Signal Regiment
£100.00
In memory of the Late Lt Col Robin Painter
£190.00
Maj and Mrs Keith Wilson in memory of the
Late Lt Col Robin Painter
£25.00
Mr T Harvey-May
£100.00
56 Division (City of London Signals) OCA
£24.00
Maj Harvey Blizzard
£100.00
Cheques in memory of the Late Cpl Bryan Littlecott
£145.00
Maj John Stroud in memory of the
Late Col Mike Galloway
£25.00
Maj John Stroud in memory of the
Late Maj Tom Pengelley
£25.00
106
81 Signal Squadron (V) Out of Camp Training
at Longmoor
£536.27
42 Signal Regiment (V) Officers’ Club
£257.50
48 (City of Birmingham) (V) Signal Squadron £568.60
Mrs J Greenstreet
£50.00
Mr L Duncan
£20.00
Mrs M Britt
£30.00
Mr Steve Jones, formerly from Middlesbrough £100.00
Mr J Stroud, in memory of the
Late Maj Steve Bresloff
£25.00
Just Giving November
£259.29
ALDERSHOT BRANCH
Chairman
Secretary
Noel Moss
Mary Pagan
It was near to the Autumn Equinox that the adventurous crew
of the Aldershot Branch climbed aboard a coach, bound for
the exotic sights, sounds and tastes of Portsmouth and
Southsea. Our first port-of-call was Southsea’s renowned
D-Day museum and after the mandatory post-journey coffee/
tea break we were to learn more of that heroic story of
Operation Overlord. An introductory lecture described the
lead up to the operation and how the Embroidery came into
being, depicting the story of Overlord in detailed patchwork
and tapestry art form. We then toured the D-Day museum,
which in 1984 finally became the permanent home of the
Overlord Embroidery (34 large panels of it) and also houses a
treasure trove of invasion artefacts and information. Many
more hours could have been spent wandering through its
labyrinth of historical memories.
As usual, our Secretary, Mary Pagan provided an exquisite
floral display for each table and conducted a very successful
raffle to round off the afternoon’s activities.
From the Overlord Embroidery. Allied Leaders Visit the Beaches
However, the Aldershot Branch marches on its stomach, so at
1230 it was back on the coach for the short journey to
Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays for a plate and glass or 2 of
continental cuisine at Zizzi’s Italian restaurant.
Fortified for the afternoon session, it was then a short walk to
the Spinnaker Tower and the speedy ride to the top. At 560
feet above sea level, Spinnaker (so named because of the
spinnaker sail design of the structure) has an all-round
panoramic view of the surrounding area, from the Isle of
Wight to the South Downs and, looking down on Nelson’s
flagship, it was hard not to feel some pride in our naval
history. For those with a stomach for heights, there was the
walk across the glass floor where one could stare down into
the abyss and the views were spectacular.
Maj Mike Wilson speaking, Maj Jane Squires seated to his left
GLASGOW BRANCH
The Glasgow Branch attended in numbers at the annual
Remembrance Day Parade in George Square, Glasgow, on 11
November 2012.
On returning to Jardine Street, a presentation was made to
the Army Cadet Force in the form of a trophy presented by
Mrs Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Taylor, widow of the late Bill Taylor,
former member of the Glasgow Branch who passed away last
year. The trophy will be known as the WO1 William ‘Bill’
Taylor Memorial Shield and will be presented each year to the
best cadet recruit.
HMS Victory from the Spinnaker Tower
We were finally ready to board the coach for the homeward
journey, this time via the new Hindhead tunnel, though many
were sound asleep by the time we reached it! We were
grateful to Chris Endean for organising the day so well.
Sunday 4 November saw a healthy group of 51 members and
guests assemble for our twice-yearly lunch at the Camberley
Heath Golf Club. Our guest-of-honour was the OC 251 Sig Sqn,
Maj Jane Squires accompanied by her partner Steve Witt.
With our deputy Chairman, Mike Wilson, presiding on this
occasion, our guest of honour was invited to give us the latest
news about current Corps activities and plans for the future.
She covered a tremendously wide field in a very short time
and should be commended for the competence of her
delivery. We were once again impressed by the obvious
dedication and capability of our Corps, which continues to
provide an incredible range of communication capabilities and
is greatly valued by other arms and by the Staff.
Betty Taylor presenting the trophy to the Cadets
MIDDLESBOROUGH BRANCH
Chairman Hon Sec Mrs Audrey Grainge
Mr Richard Grainge
On Saturday 24 November we held a rather early Xmas Party
at the TAC Coulby Newham in the JRC , with 29 members and
3 guests attending. The evening took the form of a games
knockout competition, consisting of 4 games; whist,
107
dominoes, beetle and frustration. These where organized by
our Vice Chairman Ken Jackson, the winners of each game
receiving a small prize. After the Pie and Pea supper, that all
seemed to enjoy, it was time for the main event of the
evening, the presentation of a Fifty Year badge to Mr Bruce
Bassett by Mr Ray Jeffery, Area 1 North rep. This was
followed by our Chairman, Mrs Audrey Grainge proposing a
toast (with glass of port in hand) to Absent Friends, also to
Bruce on his well earned 50 Year Badge and all that had
helped to make the evening a success.
The evening then continued with the games that came to an
end at 0030hrs on the Sunday morning. It was then time to
clean the room with the help of the Smith’s, Rowe’s,
Jackson’s, Berry’s and Newman’s with Audrey on the hoover
and any one I may not have noticed, once again a big thank
you.
Sig R Ingham
Sig DN Kellett
Sig LH Ladbrooke
Col WN Lang
Sig CJ Leverington
Capt JU Liddell
Sig TR Littler
Sgt DC Marchant-Williams
SSgt CJ Mooney
Maj NB Moss
Sig JH Moss
Cpl G Oughton
Cpl D Pearce
Maj TJ Pengelley
Sgt WP Petchey
Sgt G Robinson WO2 B Rollings
Lt Col ALWG Steane
LCpl TM Terence
Maj RS Todd
Lt LP Voller
WO2 JW Whelpton
Capt PJ Whitehead
Sig R Winters
1961/67
1960/69
1942/47
1941/85
1942/47
1955/67
1948/53
1942/52
1962/84
1948/71
1950/52
1961/70
1952/55
1964/96
1939/48
1964/86
1951/74
1963/92
1955/57
1939/78
1941/43
1951/76
1964/73
1948/50
19-Dec-11
06-Dec-12
28-Dec-12
NK
10-Jun-05
27-Dec-12
22-Dec-12
26-Dec-10
26-Nov-12
26-Dec-12
14-Dec-12
??-Oct-12
28-Oct-12
14-Dec-12
07-Dec-12
13-Dec-12
20-Nov-12
26-Dec-12
12-Dec-12
03-Dec-12
15-Nov-12
23-Nov-12
03-Jan-13
15-Dec-12
OBITUARIES
MacDONALD – Lt Col Ian MacDonald died 15 June 2012
Mr Ray Jeffery presenting Mr. Bruce Bassett with his 50 Year
Badge and Certificate
LAST POST
Name
Years Served
Date of Death
LCpl TM Ashcroft
SSgt AJ Back
Maj R Banham
FA Barnes
Maj W Batty
Cpl AJ Bennison Lt Col FE Berry
WO2 RW Boyd
Lt Col RA Cemm GW Clift
LCpl DR Cooper
Sig RL Coulson
Maj Gen AJ Deane
Drummond
Pte V Falla
LCpl CJ Finnie
Sgt AA Flynn
Cpl E Frame
Col MJC Galloway
Sig W Gilholm
Cpl PJ Green
Sgt WAJ Griffin
Cpl JR Harper
SSgt JR Healey
Capt JM Hughes
Cpl AH Hutton
1955/57
2008/12
1950/86
1939/45
1945/76
1960/69
1939/62
1964/86
1955/83
1950/52
1952/66
1945/48
12-Dec-12
25-Dec-12
31-Dec-12
01-Jan-13
29-Nov-12
20-Oct-12
11-Dec-12
16-Nov-11
12-Dec-12
09-May-12
09-Dec-12
??-Jun-12
1937/71
1942/45
1954/56
1960/84
1963/72
1962/98
1942/47
1990/10
1950/55
1938/46
1950/68
1939/46
1950/75
04-Dec-12
27-Dec-12
24-Nov-12
31-Dec-12
23-Dec-12
13-Dec-12
24-Nov-12
??-Dec-12
10-Dec-12
07-Jan-13
27-Nov-12
??-May-12
25-Jul-12
108
Ian MacDonald was born at Broseley in Shropshire. He won a
Foundation Scholarship to Charterhouse and joined in 1941.
For his National Service he joined the Army and served in
Northern Ireland with the 60th Rifles. At the end of his
National Service he decided to sign on as a regular and was
commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals and was posted
to Libya and Iraq. In 1953 through an Army Scheme he went
up to Trinity Hall Cambridge to read Engineering. It was while
he was there that he met Judy and they were married in 1955.
In due course Henrietta, Abigail and Hamish were born.
After a year at Staff College he was posted to Aden and then
to Germany. Moving to Washington DC he worked in the
British Embassy and the Pentagon. His final posting was to
work with the Chief Scientist of the MOD.
He retired from the Army in 1977 in the rank of Lt Col and
went to Charterhouse, joining Brooke House and teaching
mathematics. He also commanded the CCF. In 1986 Ian
became the Registrar of Charterhouse and Clerk to the
Governors. He finally retired as Registrar in 1997 to his house
in Godalming, where he died peacefully at the age of 84 on 15
June 2012.
ROLLINGS – WO2 Sam Rollings
Sam completed 23 years in the Royal Corps of Signals, from
1951-74, spending many of those years with the Airborne
Forces. He was a highly experienced Radio Telegraphist, with
an impressive Morse “hand”.
It is believed that as a young soldier he was a founder
member of the Malay Scouts (SAS), and saw action with them
in the Far East.
During his career he served in both 16 and 44 Parachute
Brigades, as well as in other Royal Signals units.
Sam was renowned in 216 (Para) Sig Sqn, where he endeared
himself to his Troop, his “lads”, whom he admonished and
nurtured in equal measure.
He will be fondly remembered for his character, his voice, his
military skills, and above all his leadership style. He died in
November 2012, aged 79 years.
RIP, Sam Rollings, Airborne Signals Brother-in-Arms.
FLYNN - Sgt Anthony (Tony) Flynn died 31 December 2012
Tony was born in Carlisle on 14 August
1942 and joined the Army in 1960.
He did his basic training in Catterick
before being posted to 234 Signal
Squadron, Floriana, Malta GC,
where he met and married Maria
Libreri (Viv). Further postings
included; 1 Artillery Brigade HQ
Dortmund Germany, 235 Signal
Squadron (Comcan) Mtarfa Malta
GC, 6 Brigade HQ & Signal
Squadron Barnard Castle, 33 Signal
Regiment (TA) Liverpool, 27 Signal
Regiment, Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong,
1st Infantry Division & Signal Regiment, Verden and finally 7
Signal Regiment, Herford, which was Tony’s last posting
before retiring from the Royal Signals.
Tony and Viv went on to have three children, Marie, Peter
and Steven, and subsequently seven grandchildren
Tony carried on working in his field until he was forced to
stop working due to ill health in 2007. He passed away on 31
December 2012, aged 70 and will be sadly missed by his wife
Viv, children and grandchildren.
PHILP - Maj Frank Victor Bennett Philp died 9 July 2012
Frank was born and brought up in Harrow and spent his early
life there. At the age of 8 his family moved to Tilbury Dock
where his father had become Dock Master.
Showing an early interest in music and considerable
independence of mind Frank volunteered himself as a
member of the church choir of St John the Baptist Tilbury, his
parents only finding out after he had passed his audition.
Growing up he was a committed boy scout showing an early
interest in signalling by learning the Morse code and signalling
with flags. By his own admission he did not excel at school,
preferring to put his efforts in cross country running which he
not only enjoyed but did very well at.
Frank worked in London as a clerk in a shipping company
from where he witnessed at first hand the result of the Blitz.
He witnessed the fires burning around St Paul’s; many of us
can visualise the iconic picture of the event with St Paul’s in
some way standing that night for the country’s resistance
against the Nazi tyranny. He still found time to be a founder
member of Thurrock Art Society, meeting weekly.
In May 1942 Frank volunteered for service in the Corps and
after 6 months training as an OWL he was posted to an
operational unit. During the war Frank was to see active
service in Sicily being part of the invasion, landing in July1943
where he joined the famous Eighth Army serving under
General Montgomery. During this time, their cook was killed
and Frank volunteered to stand in until a replacement arrived,
based on his being awarded his Boy Scout cookery badge.
In November 1943 Frank passed the commissioning board and
returned to the UK for training. The training was tough, being
9 months long, and at that point the longest officers course in
the British Army.
He was posted to India where his education continued. On
arriving to his new section, a mounted one, he was asked by
his CO “Now then young Philp can you ride “ “Errrrr no sir “
came back Frank's reply. “Then you had better learn bloody
quickly“ Frank did just that; he became an expert rider, and
in fact prior to his next posting was the last mounted officer
in the Corps. On this tour Frank learned to speak Urdu and
was responsible for Regimental Communications.
On his promotion to Capt in 1946 he was posted to Kahat on
the NW Frontier Brigade Signal Section. The War was over as
the A bomb had been dropped so there was time now for
hunting and polo playing. Returning to London he considered
his position and decided to stay in the Corps on a SSC that
turned out to become a long service commission.
It was a very busy year as he also married his sweetheart Pat
and was posted to the Gold Coast, later Nigeria and thus
began a 32 year career in the Army, travelling and serving
across the world, including Gan, Borneo, Malaya, Thailand,
BAOR as well as UK postings. Whilst his core work was in
communications, he was also involved in a wide variety of
activities including in 1961 a Royal visit and then the
independence celibrations in Sierra Leone.
Retiring from the Corps in 1974 he took up a post as the Amy
Careers Officer in Lincolnshire. Frank remained committed to
the Army for another 10 years. During his time he founded
the Lincoln Branch of the RSA, being made Life President in
2009. He also joined the ABF and became a very active
committee member and over a period of 30 years raised
thousands of pounds which memorably included many band
concerts in Lincoln Cathedral. Alongside this he was Regional
Secretary for British Field Sports for a number of years and
was in charge of its stand at Chatsworth.
Frank was deeply involved with the Lincoln Choral Society,
joining in 1980. He sang in every concert until a year prior to
his death and served on the committee as chairman for many
years. It is all too clear that as we hear of Frank's life here
was a man of considerable energy and vitality, a man of
passion and sheer joie de vivre. He was a man marked by
generosity, integrity, kindness and dignity. He was
honourable and upright and true. Frank was all this but
without stuffiness or false airs, he was a warm and humorous
and wonderful human being.
A funeral is the time for reflection and consideration . We, the
Members of the Lincoln Branch came together on the 19thof
July 2012 to form a Guard of Honour and to give thanks at
Frank’s funeral service held in the magnificence of Lincoln
Cathedral. The service was the most beautiful one I have ever
witnessed, with over 250 mourners giving the sense of how
much Frank was held in esteem by both the members of the
Cathedral Community and his many friends and colleagues
alike. He was a loving and proud father to David, Jane, Claire
and Nicholas and loved them all. Later he became a deeply
loved and admired friend to Mickey’s family. Many were
brought to tears as Mickey, Franks partner and best friend,
took to the lectern to deliver a Eulogy to Frank. She said
some wonderful things about him, his life, their love for each
other and their life together which was full of fun and travel.
They had been very much in love from the beginning of their
long relationship. Micky was at Frank's bedside to hold his
hand as he peacefully passed away..
We will always think of him as a comrade and a true friend.
When we think of Frank, we can be thankful for all that he
was. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
109
DEANE DRUMMOND
– Maj Gen Tony Deane-Drummond died 4 December 2012
Maj Genl Tony Deane-Drummond, who has died aged 95, won
a DSO and two MCs and escaped three times from enemy
hands. One of his MCs was awarded for his courage during
Operation “Market Garden”, launched in 1944 with the aim of
seizing a 60-mile corridor spanning eight major water
obstacles to secure the Allied advance on to the German
plain. The 1st Airborne Division was dropped on September 17
with the main objective of capturing the bridge over the
Lower Rhine at Arnhem.
Deane-Drummond was second-in-command of Divisional
Signals, but took temporary command of a company of 1st
Parachute Battalion after the company commander was killed.
The German opposition was far stronger than had been
anticipated, and within a short period the company was
reduced to 20 men. Deane-Drummond distributed them
between three houses. By nightfall nearly all their
ammunition had gone and the main body of the battalion was
400 yards behind them. He and a small group moved to a
house near the river. When a party of Germans broke in and
went upstairs to site a machine gun, Deane-Drummond and
his team dived into a lavatory on the ground floor. For three
days and nights, they took it in turns to rest on the lavatory
seat and subsisted on a few apples that they found in the
cellar. The Germans often tried the door, but finding it
engaged went away again.
On the fourth night the group broke out and swam 400 yards
across the Rhine. The opposite bank was manned by
Germans, and in the darkness Deane-Drummond fell into a slit
trench on top of a German soldier. He and his comrades were
taken prisoner and moved to a house on the outskirts of
Arnhem, a temporary PoW “cage” holding about 500 all ranks
and guarded by an under-strength company. DeaneDrummond found a wall cupboard about four feet wide and
12 inches deep with a flush-fitting concealed door. He
unscrewed the lock, turned it back to front, pasted over the
outside keyhole and locked himself in. For the next 13 days
and nights, he remained there.
The room beyond his door was used by the Germans as an
interrogation centre. He had only a one pound tin of lard, half
a small loaf of bread and his water bottle to keep him going.
A gap in a corner of the floor surrounded by pipes served as a
makeshift urinal. On the 14th night, the Germans left the
room and held a party upstairs. Deane-Drummond slipped
out of his cupboard, climbed out of a window, dropped into
the shrubbery, dodged the guards outside and got away.
A Dutch family concealed him in a shed next to their house.
When the Germans searched it, Deane-Drummond, hidden
under a pile of sacks, remained undiscovered. He was passed
from one “safe house” to another. On one occasion Baroness
Ella van Heemstra, the mother of Audrey Hepburn, arrived
with a bottle of champagne.
He was eventually taken in a Red Cross lorry to an area of
forest outside Arnhem where he joined up with 30 British
soldiers. That night, a party about 120-strong climbed into 3
old lorries and, guided by the Dutch Resistance, travelled
through the German checkpoints masquerading as a rations
110
convoy. They boarded assault boats paddled by sappers from
43rd Infantry Division and got back across the Rhine. DeaneDrummond was awarded a Bar to an earlier MC.
Anthony John Deane-Drummond was born on June 23 1917,
grew up in a village in the Cotswolds and was educated at
Marlborough before going to the Royal Military Academy,
Woolwich. He then joined the Royal Signals because two
horses, or “chargers”, were the automatic right of every
officer in the unit. He was commissioned in 1937.
On a course at Catterick he learnt gliding, which was to
become an important part of his life later on. When the
Second World War broke out he was commanding an artillery
signal section and went to France as part of the BEF.
After the evacuation from Dunkirk, Deane-Drummond joined
2 Commando, which was later to become 11 SAS Battalion and
subsequently 1st Parachute Battalion. In February 1941 he
took part in Operation Colossus, a mission to blow up the
aqueduct at Tragino, southern Italy, which fed the naval ports
of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto.
The aqueduct, astride a tributary cascading into the main river
flowing from the Apennines to the Adriatic, was in wild,
mountainous country. Deane-Drummond was one of 34
officers and men dropped by night; a third of a ton of gun
cotton was placed against the piers of the bridge and
detonated.
The party now had to get back to the west coast, 60 miles
distant, as quickly and secretly as possible to rendezvous with
a submarine. After pushing their way through almost
impenetrable ravines and fields knee-deep in mud, they were
challenged by a man with a shotgun. A crowd of women,
children and unarmed peasants quickly gathered, and the
commandos were forced to surrender to avoid causing civilian
casualties.
Deane-Drummond was in a PoW camp at Sulmona, southwest of Pescara, for 10 months before escaping in December
1941. He and a comrade climbed a ladder at night in full view
of the sentries on the pretext of changing a light bulb. When
they dropped over the 10ft-high barbed wire perimeter fence,
the guards opened fire.
A bullet flicked past Deane-Drummond’s cheek, drawing
blood, but he got away. His companion was badly injured and
recaptured. Dressed in a mackintosh, with a Swastika badge
in the buttonhole and a fake German passport in his pocket,
Deane-Drummond walked to Pescara and then took a train to
Milan. He had only bad Italian and schoolboy German, and a
hotel receptionist accused him of being an Englishman. He
bluffed his way out of the place and spent the night at the
railway station.
At Como the next day he was challenged again and
apprehended. After being interrogated he was taken to a
PoW camp at Montalbo, looking over the Po plain, and placed
in solitary confinement for 30 days before being returned to
Sulmona. In May 1942, on learning that he was about to be
transferred to an escape-proof prison, he feigned deafness
and was sent to the Military Hospital in Florence.
One night, after putting hair oil on the shutter hinges to
prevent any squeaking alerting the guards, he got out of the
window of his room 70ft above the ground, lowered himself
on to a crumbling piece of decorative moulding and worked
his way around the face of the building in pitch darkness,
fighting off attacks of vertigo as he went.
He then climbed through a lavatory window, crept past the
Carabinieri and dropped down into a courtyard which led to
the main road.
Deane-Drummond took a train to Varese, via Milan, and then
— as he approached the frontier town of Chiasso —
scrambled up the mountainside and crawled under a wire
fence hung with alarm bells, midway between two sentry
boxes.
From Switzerland he made his way to Marseille, where he was
concealed by Madame Renée Nouveau – whose flat was part
of the “Pat” escape line – before he was taken off by a
Gibraltar-bound Royal Navy vessel disguised as a fishing
trawler, flying the Portuguese flag and equipped with a 3.7in
gun. He was awarded his first MC.
After returning to England, Deane-Drummond, now a Captain,
served as signal officer to the commander of the newlyformed 2nd Para Brigade. In April 1943 he accompanied the
brigade to Sousse, Tunisia, and in September he disembarked
at Taranto, southern Italy, with 1st Airborne Division.
During the next few months, based at Termoli, he worked
with “round-up” teams bringing escaped Allied prisoners back
to the British lines, usually by landing craft. He returned to
England at the end of the year and took part in Operation
“Market Garden” in September 1944.
At the end of that year, on his return from Holland, DeaneDrummond went to Staff College and was then posted to HQ
6 Airborne Division as GSO2 (Operations), serving in Palestine
during a period of increasing civil disturbances. He often had
dinner at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem and was fortunate
not to be there when the hotel was blown up.
In 1948, after a year at the War Office and an advanced signals
course with the US Army, he went to RMA Sandhurst as an
instructor and then returned to Staff College as a member of
the directing staff.
Deane-Drummond went to Cyprus on antiterrorist operations
as company commander of 1st Parachute Battalion. Driving
through Kyrenia, he was hit on the head by a stone thrown
through his windscreen. He was badly concussed and
medically downgraded.
In 1956, while recovering, he spent much of his time gliding,
and the following year became the British National Gliding
Champion. He was selected to fly in the British team in 1958,
1960, 1963 and 1965.
In 1957 Deane-Drummond commanded 22 SAS Regiment in
counter-terrorist operations in Malaya. In the last months of
1958 the Regiment’s task was largely accomplished, and it
faced being returned to England and possible disbandment.
At this time, in central Oman, the ringleaders and hard-core
followers of an earlier rebellion against the Sultan Said bin
Taimur were holding out on the Jebel Akhdar, an elevated
plateau intersected by deep wadis and with sheer cliffs of
rock and shale rising to some 7,000ft above sea level. The
rebels, equipped with rifles, machine guns and mortars, held
all the known tracks to the summit, and many high-ranking
Army officers believed that it would take a brigade to oust
them, a course that was ruled out on political grounds.
Deane-Drummond pressed the case for the SAS to become
involved. Two SAS squadrons were brought in from the
jungles and swamps of Malaya and underwent intensive
training in the radically different conditions.
In a night attack in January 1959 — with support from the
Sultan’s Armed Forces, British Army detachments and an
assault troop of Life Guards — the two SAS squadrons scaled
the mountain. RAF aircraft were called in and the remaining
insurgents were captured or dispersed. The success of the
operation put the future of the SAS beyond doubt. DeaneDrummond was awarded a DSO.
In 1961 he commanded 44 Independent Parachute Brigade
Group (TA) before returning to RMA Sandhurst as Assistant
Commandant. He was promoted Major General in 1966 on
taking command of 3rd Infantry Division and then became
Assistant Chief of Defence Staff.
He was appointed CB in 1970 and was Colonel Commandant
of the Royal Corps of Signals from 1966 to 1971, the year he
retired from the Army. Later that same year, DeaneDrummond became a director of the Paper and Paper
Products Industry Training Board. During the next eight years
he visited some 500 companies in an effort to improve the
quality of management. After moving to Somerset, he
established a business selling wood-burning stoves; he later
settled in a south Warwickshire village.
Deane-Drummond was a proficient carpenter and enjoyed
restoring antique furniture. He published Return Ticket
(1951), Riot Control (1975) and an autobiography, Arrows of
Fortune (1991).
Tony Deane-Drummond married, in 1944, Evie Boyd. She died
in 2002, and he is survived by their four daughters.
Reproduced courtesy of the Daily Telegraph
111
WANT MORE
MONEY?
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Re-Trade
Opportunity
LCpl – Cpl (Preferably CS Op Class 1
background) to CCE (re-trade) to EW Sys Op
Possible fast track Class 3 Course with the
opportunity to fast track to Class 1
EW is more than just 14 Signal Regiment.
You could find yourself working with EOD,
JSSO, ECM (FP) and Cyber
If you would like a new challenge contact
your RCMO or Chain of Command
112
01/13
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299 Sig
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Training
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299 Sqn
Sig Sqn
(SC)
Training Cell
Cell for
for more
more information.
or Civ.
Mil.01908
94240
63 8517/8542
8517/8542
Telephone:
or Mil. 94240 8517/8542
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Milton
Keynes MK3 5HQ.
Telephone: Bletchley,
Civ. 01908
63 8517/8542
Contact: Training Cell. 299 Sig Sqn (SC).
Water Eaton Road.
_Contact: Training Cell, 299 Sig Sqn (SC),
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_299

Feb 2013 - Royal Corps of Signals

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