londons` return

LONDONS’ RETURN
Edition 13
Spring 2014
Londons’ Return
LONDONS’ RETURN
JOURNAL OF THE LONDON REGIMENT
Commanding Officer - Lt Col Rupert Pim WG
Battalion 2IC - Major Crispin Swayne
Adjutant - Captain Robert Jackson RRF
Quartermaster - Major David Hannan CG
Regimental Sergeant Major - WO1 Jeff Jones WG
Regimental Adminstration Officer - Major Steve Wake
Chief Clerk - WO2 Tony Packer
OC A Company - Major Nick Storey
OC B Company - Major Jon Bowman
OC C Company - Major Jamie Durcan
OC D Company - Major Chris Green
OC HQ Company - Major Bob Brown
CONTENT
3.
Commanding Officer’s Notes
11
Regimental Recruiting
4.
HQ Company
12
Op TOSCA- The Road to Cyprus
6.
A (London Scottish) Company
13
Adventure Training TOSCA Style
7.
B (Queen’s Regiment) Company
15
London Regiment Charity Golf Day
8 Ex LOMBARDIA
16
Ex WHITE Lion - AGC on the Pistes
10
C (City of London Fusiliers) Company
17
Londons’ Orienteering Club
10
D (London Irish Rifles) Company
EDITOR’S NOTES - CAPT TOM HALLETT
Welcome to the Spring edition of Londons’ Return, covering the period from January to May 2014. Londons’ Return is
read within the Regimental family and sent out to affiliated companies, associations and supporters.
I know just from talking to members of the Regiment there is an awful lot of activity taking place out there. Please put
pen to paper (fingers to keyboards) and send in your articles and pictures to [email protected]. Let’s promote the
good work you and the Regiment is doing.
Next edition will cover June - September 14.
FRONT COVER: Members of The London Regiment march pass Their Royal Highnesses
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the St Patrick’s Day Parade at Mons Barracks.
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Londons’ Return
Commanding Officer’s Notes
by LIEUTENANT COLONEL R PIM
Welsh Guards
In the September 2013 edition of LONDON’s Return I noted the principal focus
for this period was always going to be
the mobilisation, training and deployment
of the 54 reservists, all but a handful
of them LONDONS soldiers, who were
preparing to deploy to Cyprus with 1st
Battalion Irish Guards on the UN buffer
zone operation, Op TOSCA. Along with
the Regimental Sergeant Major, I managed to visit the cohort three times during their training; firstly at the Reinforcements Training and Mobilisation Centre
(RTMC) Chilwell and subsequently twice
during their Mission Rehearsal Exercise
(MRX) at Nescliffe in Shropshire. On
the last occasion, we witnessed them
being presented with their coveted UN
blue berets at the culmination of their
training. There then followed a period
of further training and pre-deployment
leave, during which they were able to
integrate further with their colleagues
and also to deepen their understanding of the Irish Guards to whom they
were attached. Part of this process was
achieved through two tremendous social occasions; firstly a hard-fought evening of inter-Company 1IG boxing and
subsequently a marvellous St Patrick’s
Day Parade when the LONDONS cohort
took their place on parade alongside
their counterparts from 1IG to receive
the shamrock from HRH the Duchess
of Cambridge. Shortly after they had
deployed to Cyprus, the Regimental Operations Support Officer (ROSO), Capt
Tom Hallett organised a brief at St
John’s Hill for the LONDONS families,
for which he was joined by Capt Danny
Morrell, the Irish Guards’ Welfare Officer.
In early May I got the chance to pay
a brief visit to Nicosia, where I found
the LONDONS troops in excellent spirits,
well into their routine of patrols, guards,
duties and down-time and absolutely
making the most of what the Island has
to offer. The visit included the chance
to go out on a patrol of the buffer zone
and see what the troops are doing and
I also visited the adventurous training
facility at Dhekelia where Sgt Amos and
LCpl Wood are doing an excellent job
in really demanding circumstances. All
in all, the tour is progressing well and I
am delighted to see some articles from
the Cyprus element of the regiment
in this edition of LONDONS RETURN.
Meanwhile, in early March, events
conspired to ensure that the London
District Battlefield Tour to the Crimea
could not go ahead; one now rather wonders how long it will be until
CSgt Dawson and Sgt Amos marching to the beat of the drum again.
visitors are once again able to follow
in the footsteps of our forebears at
Inkerman, Balaclava and Sevastopol.
Numerous training events have been
held in the UK however, with A (London
Scottish) Company leading the way at
Hankley Common in March. EXERCISE
LONDON RESPONDER tested the ability of Headquarters London District and
its subordinate units, including some elements of the LONDONS to respond
to the challenges posed by natural disaster.
The exercise scenario, which
revolved around devastating flooding
in the Thames floodplain was scarily
close to reality as some individuals
could not reach the exercise due to
the real-life flooding in parts of Surrey.
Subsequent weekends saw C (City of
London Fusiliers) Coy running an excellent survival weekend in early April before also laying on the Battalion training weekend later that month at Lydd.
The Training Major, Quartermaster
and SPSI B Coy joined me in Italy on
the recce for EX ROMAN STAR, which
will represent the Battalion’s Annual
Training Period in September later this
year. Having unselfishly investigated everything that the region has to offer, the
recce team are confident that this year’s
ATP will be truly memorable! Meanwhile,
there has been no further movement
with regards to Army 2020 planning;
we expect to receive an Implementation Order sometime in the autumn.
Since the last edition of LONDONS
RETURN, we have said farewell to Capt
Rob Price, 2IC C (City of London Fusiliers) Coy who has returned to 71
Signal Regiment, WO2 Brangan R IRISH
who has returned to take up the post
of RQMS (M) 1 R IRISH and Lt McGrath who has retired. At the same
time, we have welcomed a new Training
Major, Maj Henry Stow YORKS, a new
Regimental Careers Management Officer (RCMO), Capt Mark Evans WG and
a new SPSI for D (London Irish Rifles)
Company, WO2(CSM) Gibbs COLDM GDS.
Visitors during the period have been
plentiful, starting with senior members
of the A2020 External Scrutiny Team, Lt
Gen Robin Brims and AVM Paul Luker.
They were followed by the GOC London District, Maj Gen Edward SmythOsbourne on his first visit to RHQ at
St John’s Hill and later a group from
the House of Lords which included the
Undersecretary of State for Defence,
Lord Astor. We have seen both the
Deputy Commander Land Forces (DCLF)
and the Deputy Commander London
District on several occasions.
The
Army Reserve Graduate Recruitment
Team visited C (City of London Fusiliers) Coy and the culmination of the
Civil Service Reserves recruiting roadshow was held at Horseferry Road in
late May. Finally, the Master Ironmonger visited training at Hankley Common.
On the sporting front, the AGC(SPS)
team returned from the Alps after a
very successful trip on EX WHITE
LION. Maj Steve Wake, the RAO organised an excellent Golf Day to raise
funds for the LRWBF which was very
successful and all are encouraged to
participate in the next one in Octobert.
Finally, The London Regiment’s
participation in the GOC’s sports competition saw the team victorious in
the football, and competitive in the
cross-country, tug-of-war and squash!
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Londons’ Return
Headquarter (Anzio) Company
by MAJOR R BROWN
Headquarters Company like all The Rifle companies had a significant change
to their ORBAT, with key personnel joining the Irish Guards in Cyprus for a 6
month tour of operation TOSCA. Deploying in March they are now nearly
half way through this UN operational
tour.
It has fallen to those personnel who
remained behind to cover and ensure
that the Battalion is supported and runs
as normal
It is important that we have continued
to fulfill our training commitments with
Headquarter Company conducting a
weekend’s training package at Lydd and
Hythe consisting of MATTS training, and
an introductory shoot with the General
Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and GPMG
in the sustained fire (SF) role as well as
getting to grips with MINIMI and Light
machine Gun (LMG). This was possible
due to the help of Company Sergeant
Major Carter (A Coy) and Members of
the machine gun platoon from B Company. This was a well attended weekend
by all departments within the company. Allowing a nice change of pace to
the normal role of adminstrating the
Regiment. With all training objectives
reached, this ensured that each mem-
ber of the Company attending achieved
their Certificates of Efficiency.
The Company entertained The Worshipful Company of Pipemakers with the
annual shooting competition held on 1st
April (April fools day) at St Johns Hill
Army Reserve Centre.
Three teams were entered by The
Pipemakers of which one was loaded
with two Metropolitan Police marksman
(an advantage or just plain ringers?)
and two teams entered by Headquarters Company. The shoot is held on the
indoor range. Each team fires .22 rifles,
which to say resemble the weapons of
yesterday year would be an understatement. Despite the clear advantage the
opposition would have appeared to have
had it was all decided by just one point!
The Pipemakers A team scored 160 to
Headquarters B team 161, This came
as quite a shock to The Pipemakers as
they were confident they had won
Despite their loss, The Pipemakers
showed their true sportsmanship by
later presenting Officer Commanding
Major Rob Brown with a cheque for
a generous £2500 for The Regimental
Benevolent Fund which was accepted
on behalf of the Commanding Officer
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Pim WG.
Headquarters Company were also pre-
The London Regiment Officers’ Mess set up for the annual Anzio Dinner.
4
sented with a cheque for £500, both
very much appreciated.
The Pipemakers have vowed to return
next year to retake the title and the
trophy back.
The Anzio Dinner was held on the
30 May at Regimental Headquarters,
St John’s Hill in the London Regiment
Officers’ Mess.
The dinner was very
well attended by all ranks of the Company with their wives and partners. The
guests included Lt Colonel Pim the Commanding Officer, the new Training Major
Henry Stow and the Adjutant Captain
Robert Jackson.
For some it was their first Anzio Dinner. They may wonder why Anzio Company?
The Anzio landings and the
campaign to free Italy from the Germans occupation is the operation that
all the current cap badges served as
part of 56 Division (London).
As well as good food and plenty of
banter the
evening would not have
been complete without the musicians.
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Association Corp of Drums provided the entertainment. Playing a rousing melody of
tunes before playing a set associated
with each cap badge. Bringing a close
to the formal part of a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Londons’ Return
Members of HQ Company warming up for the night or is that warming down?
Hythe and Lydd:
It’s a beach but its not Cyprus.
CSGT Dent:
Members of HQ Company scaring the seagulls at Hythe and Lydd.
Bombs, bullets and brews.
Chew on that!!!
Serious stuff!
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Londons’ Return
A (London Scottish) Company
by MAJOR N STOREY
From the perspective of weekend
training, March started with an ‘end of
year push’ to complete MATTs, and was
followed up shortly after in April with a
similar weekend to carry this momentum into the new training year. These
were very well attended weekends as
soldiers eagerly finished off MATTs for
the training year 2013-14. This was
then carried into April in order to get
a fast start into the new training year.
Whilst great to cover off these essential
core skills, the focus has now switched
back to soldiering in the field as we
start to gear up towards the Annual
Training Period Ex ROMAN STAR in Italy
this September. The aim is to progressively build up month by month from individual skills and drills through to carrying out full CT2 training at Company
level at ATP.
The D Company led weekend in May
kicked things off with revision of section
battle drills, whilst Officers and NCOs
took up the opportunity to carry out
Estimate and Orders Trg at BHQ. All
key skills and reminding us of the solid
foundation it gives us to build on.
As we continue the progressive training towards September, A Company is
next up to lead on the Battalion weekend, running a platoon level field weekend in June.
The ground has been recced and a
plan finalised to build on the platform
put in place in May. This training weekend, Ex CAPITAL ATTACK 2, is a platoon level weekend. It will be held on
6-8 June and focuses on harbour drills
and platoon level operations. It is an
opportunity to get back to basics and
enhancing core skills, living and operating in the field.
Alongside the training, the Company,
in line with the Battalion Main Effort, has
been recruiting. This has involved direct
engagement with the public through recruiting activities. The company’s biggest event in London this quarter was
the BUPA Westminster Mile on Saturday 24 May. The event was held in
Green Park and in the heart of the A
Company recruiting area. Members of
the Company set up a stand in the
activity zone, with an aim to ATTRACT
and ENGAGE with the large number of
runners and spectators in Green Park,
as well as engaging with other groups
such as Active Westminster and Parkour
Generation exchanging skills. Promoting
the Regiment and the Company is key
to attracting new blood. Although not
seen as the most glamorous of roles,
it is vitally important as we work to
achieve full manning for A2020.
We continue to support recruiting
through ‘indirect’ recruiting - raising the
profile of the Company and Regiment
through Community Engagement. We
had good representation for the Regiment and Scotland (A Coy’s ‘spiritual’
home) when Capt Wickman served as
Equerry to HRH The Earl of Wessex in
Holyrood this May for his installation as
Lord High Commissioner of the General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Separately, LCpl Dixey was selected to
issue the winners medals at the FA Cup
in May, again giving great exposure for
the Company and Regiment.
As well as trying to get new recruits
into the system, we are also committed to the retention of those already
in the system. We now have a core of
6-8 pre-attestation recruits, who attend
unpaid on Tuesday nights, engage with
the Coy, and will observe appropriate
levels of training until they begin their
recruit training proper. The path to attestation has not been smooth over the
last 12 months, but we are seeing real
green shoots with attestations starting
to come through. Hopefully signs of
things to come.
Looking ahead, we look forward to a
busy month in June. As well as leading on the training weekend in the first
weekend, A Company soldiers will be
playing key roles in supporting the
Armed Forces Day Flag Raising and
WW1 Commemoration Parade at the
Royal Hospital Chelsea.
BUPA Westminster Mile: A Company recruiting on their patch. The soldiers putting the ATTRACT and ENGAGE into practice.
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Londons’ Return
B (Queen’s Regiment ) Company
by MAJOR J BOWMAN
B Company has had a busy period
over the last quarter. Military Skills
Competition, representation at the FA
Cup final, London Welfare and Benevolent Charity work as well as all the
usual LONDONS training and increased
recruiting effort has all meant a thoroughly deserved pat on the back by all
members of the Company.
In Early May, B Company sent a team
of soldier on the Italian Raid Commando military skills competition to compete against teams from other NATO
countries. The article from Capt Craster
may give a flavour for what’s to come
on ATP in September – the British do
it better!
LCpl Talab was one of the nominated
representatives from the Regiment to
assist at the FA Cup final and he has
written about his day. It seems like a
fantastic event to have been able to
take part in.
B Company has always had strong
historic links with the Borough of Barnet, but the recent Mayor has been a
very keen supporter of B Company and
he has strengthened the links between
the Company and the Borough.
Earlier in the quarter, Edgware Army
Reserve Centre hosted the Mayor of
Barnet’s Charity Quiz night. It was an
opportunity for the Mayor to visit the
ARC for the first time and see where
his local Company worked from. He was
given a guided tour of the ARC and insisted on photographs with the soldiers
at the event.
Councillor Melvin Cohen selected two
charities to support during his mayoral
year; Kisharon, a charity which assists
the Jewish Community by helping to
provide support to people with learning difficulties and their families and
The Mayor of Barnet’s Armed Forces
Welfare Fund which helps support members of the British Armed Forces who
have suffered life changing injuries while
on operations. The fund is primarily intended to provide assistance to service
men and women with a connection to
the Borough and the two Army Reserve
units based in Barnet. The London Regiment Welfare and Benevolent Fund will
definitely benefit from the effort that
has gone into the charity fundraising
in Barnet this year as the Mayor hands
over very soon and the money allocated to the LRWB Fund will be sent
As part of this, B Company hosted the
Mayors Charity Quiz night at Edgware
Army Reserve Centre. It proved to be a
fantastic night of food and a very different and entertaining form of quiz, with
a lot of money being raised for charity
buildings. B Company soldiers took part
The Mayor of Barnet with members of B Company at the Charity Quiz Night
held at the ARC Edgware.
and entered two tables of ten with both
teams doing reasonably well but just
falling short of the top table. The event
was a great opportunity to welcome
members of the community into the
Army Reserve Centre along with family
and friends of the Company.
Captain Anglin Commendation
At the beginning of this year a
Guardsman of the Coldstream Guards
was with his platoon on PT in Hyde
Park when his heart stopped. Luckily he
was surrounded by trained soldiers who
carried out immediate first aid, keeping
him alive until the Paramedics arrived.
He was taken to hospital and Capt Gary
Anglin was called upon to be the CVO.
The Guardsman is still receiving ongoing
medical treatment.
Capt Anglin did a fantastic job to help
the Guardsman’s family through a very
emotional and worrying time as their
son received hospital treatment. Capt
Anglin was recognised by GOC LONDIST
for his hard work in supporting the family. He received a well deserved GOCs
commendation at Horseguards with
other CVOs who have worked hard for
the families of those soldiers that have
been injured i the line of duty, including
the CVOs that looked after Drummer
Rigby’s family.
Captain Anglin receiving his commendation from the GOC.
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Londons’ Return
Italian Raid Commando - Ex LOMBARDIA 2014
by CAPTAIN H CRASTER
The Italian Raid Commando, also
named Exercise Lombardia is a military
skills competition for both Regular and
Reserves from all over NATO. It is administered and controlled by the Italian
army and is based in the region of
Lombardy at the foothold of the Italian
Alps (an hour north west of Milan, Italy).
The competition has a similar aim to
the British run CAMBRIAN Patrol competition (which I’m sure we are all familiar
with) but is far from as demanding and
challenging as we later found out.
It was Thursday evening 15 May 2014
when the team consisting of Cpl Willcox,
L/Cpl Robertson, Pte Sewell, myself and
with Sgt Dzanado being the organiser
and facilitator, RV’d at B Company. Following a quick kit check and ensuring
everyone had their passports we ran
through a few last minute rehearsals
that we ‘thought’ we would need on the
patrol.
So a late night was followed by an
early morning get up, resulting in only a
couple of hours sleep before we were on
our way to the airport. Still blurry eyed
we rushed around the manic Standsted
airport and boarded the plane with surprisingly no hassles considering the kit
we were taking with us. As we arrived in
Italy we slowly began to see more military daysacks around – some very worthy of a place on ’daysack of the day’.
Having been assured back in London
that we had a suitable vehicle for all
of us and our kit waiting for us at the
airport we went out to find a BMW X1!
Now that might sound like a large vehicle but when you take 5 lads each with
a black grip and a day sack each, there
is very little room left for anything else.
So after half an hour or so of kit stripping with some very choice words being
used we were in and heading north to
the small town of Tenate.
Having registered, packed our kit, had
Captain Craster and his team of steely eyed killers from B Company in Italy for
Ex LOMBARDIA.
a large lunch it was time for the first
phase of the competition – the ranges.
Pte Sewell impression: “I really enjoyed
the exercise, mostly the live ranges. The
first range was on the Friday afternoon
where we shot the berretta 9mm pistol,
2 assault rifles (one 5.56 and the other
7.62) as well as the 308 sniper rifle. I
think the first range was run well; however, we didn’t do any weapon handling
tests and were expected to step up to
the firing point, pick up the different
weapons and crack on. Each shoot was
slightly different and was made a bit
more difficult with the language barrier,
but you just had to make do”.
Having completed the ranges it was
back to competition HQ where they had
laid on a massive feast – the Italians
A member of B Company shooting the sniper rifle on one of the stands.
8
certainly know how to feed their men.
This was followed by a short period
to get our heads around the scenario
(made a little more confusing having
been translated directly from Italian)
and then it was a short bus ride to the
start line.
After a quick 45 minute snooze at
the start point it was 22:55 when we
departed. The first task before we had
even left the check point was to answer
some simple questions on the scenario
in 2 minutes. With this complete it was
out into darkness, navigating around
various check points and stands.
Initially the navigation wasn’t too bad
but it was trying to find the second
check point that we and a number of
other teams came into some difficulty.
The maps we had been issued were
from 1990 and had not been updated
for nearly 25 years - a lot changes in
that time! While trying to find the elusive second check point we could hear
teams all around us crashing through
the thick undergrowth and met a number of teams who’d given up the hunt
and were moving on. Not wanting to be
beaten (and possibly with a little bit of
stubbornness) we searched left, right,
high and low and eventually found it.
This gave us the opportunity to work
out that the GPS coordinates were approximately 300m off on the map – useful to know for the remaining check
points.
Cpl Willcox reflected: “After a gruelling
tab across some pretty tough terrain
we arrived at one particular checkpoint
where we were tasked with a house
Londons’ Return
clearance and a raid of rescuing several
hostages. We were teamed up with a
Swiss team for the operation and following a stand brief (mostly in broken
English-Italian) we were given 1 minute
to come up with a plan of action. It was
at this point that we realised our Swiss
team mates didn’t speak English and we
didn’t speak any of the Swiss languages!
So after about 30 seconds of the two
team leaders pointing and hand gesturing to each other a ‘plan’ was hatched.
After picking up some plastic weapons
that I’m sure were bought at Toys R’ Us
we moved up to the house looking like
a Miami SWAT team covering all of our
arcs. Our team cleared the 1st room
with the Swiss clearing the next and so
on. When clearing the main room we
found 3 hostages (one very well hidden)
and as we were searching them and
carrying out ID checks we were ambushed by a lone enemy combatant.
He was dealt with quickly and all were
extracted back to the RV”.
Other stands consisted of observation, target acquisition, signals and radio handling, military vehicles, aircraft
and equipment recognition, first aid and
casualty evacuation, anti-ambush drills,
and a SITREP report to name a few.
These all lead us onto another set of
live ranges:
“The second range was on the second
to last stand on the patrolling exercise.
It was a tactical, high speed shoot and
move range with 5 targets to hit in
your lane. We got to the stand and
had a briefing about the weapons we
where going to use, one of them was
a rifle we shot the day before and the
other was an m4. So there was a quick
briefing how to load and make ready.
At the end of the briefing one of the
blokes from another team asked where
the safety catch was and the instructor
replied “you don’t need to worry about
that, we are not using the safety in this
shoot, the only safety will be [and he
lifted his firing finger into the air]”! All
in all it was a fun stand”.
Pte Sewell
With the end in sight across the lake
we were next onto a 4km timed march
ending the leg on the side of the lake.
Donning life jackets and being handed
more ‘Toys R ’Us’ weapons we boarded
a rib and were sped across the lake to
the finish.
With our kit squared away, we showered and changed in time for the international dinner. The dinner was once
again a mammoth feast and was an
opportunity for everyone to get together
and meet the other teams. Some individuals were up for a big night but the
majority retired reasonably early due to
First aid is carried out on a casualty by members of the team under the watchful eye of an Italian medic.
not having slept for the last 40 hours.
“On the Sunday morning under clear
blue skies all the competing units from
the various countries gathered in the
main square at the top of the village
and formed up in column of route in
order to make our way down to the
lake for the presentation ceremony. Being that the LONDONS had the smallest
contingent of soldiers from the UK, we
positioned ourselves at the rear of the
British Units just in front of the Belgians.
With varying degrees of success, units
from a dozen nations marched as one
down the village streets where we would
be halted in front of the large marquee
that had been our mess hall for the last
two days. There the Italian officer overseeing the competition greeted us and
thanked us all for coming. We were treated to the playing of every competing nation’s national anthem
before the presentation ceremony could
begin. When it did, it was a succession of prizes each announced in Italian
and greeted with polite applause. These
were given to various teams but none
of whom seemed to know what it was
they had won. Either way, an hour and
half later and with more speeches in
Italian we were done and able to enjoy
a complementary beer in the sunshine
before departing home from Milan”.
L/Cpl Robertson
It was clear to see that even though
the British Army had the most teams
competing per nation there was something not quite right with the scoring
system or there was something lost in
translation. Only two out of approximately 20 trophies went to the British
contingent with the highest placed team
only just making it into the top ten.
‘The Die Hards’ achieved 33rd of the
60 or so teams and were 5th of all
the 15 British Teams. Although it was
very much and enjoyable exercise and
something different to the normal training, it’s a clear reminder that the training and exercises that we in the British
Army plan and undertake are certainly
heads above that of some of the other
nations we serve along side.
9
Londons’ Return
C (City of London Fusiliers ) Company
by MAJOR J DURCAN
Life in the Company continues at a pace.
The Coy has had to say a farewell to
the Coy 2IC, Capt Rob Price, who has
decided to return to his original home
in the Royal Signals. The Company is
grateful for his hard work and would
like to wish him all the best for the
future. Likewise, Major James Swanston
is off to Army HQ to look at some of
the reserve policies.
There has been a change of pace in
training with 8 soldiers having been mobilized for Op TOSCA in Cyprus being ably lead by Sgt Agyapong. The
remainder have continued with training
but with an added ‘twist’. A particular
highlight was the survival weekend held
in the Bramley Training Area. The soldiers enjoyed learning how to kill and
cook their dinner and had a night under
the stars with their improvised accommodation.
Apart from the usual MATTs round up
weekend the Company has also had a
busy social calendar. The St George’s
Day Ball was a success, with a break
from tradition it was held in the infamous Cray brothers ‘hangout’ – The Polish Club. Maj Swanston ensures that no
Jaeger bottle was left untouched and a
great night was had by all. Apart from
the annual ball the Coy officers has
enjoyed some more sumptuous climbs
at the Australia House to support some
of the WW1 Centenary Commemorations, as well as raising some funds for
charity and promoting the Regiment and
Company to a wider audience.
The company is now eagerly looking
ahead to the summer months and the
APT in Italy. This has already started
with aplomb with the Coy leading on officer training and development. A group
of soldiers are also bound for sunnier
climbs in Gran Canaria with 6 SCOTS to
partake in their annual training camp.
It is important to the company to keep
a steady stream of recruits coming
through the system and this is looking
healthier than it has done for many
years so the future is looking bright.
D (London Irish ) Company
CAPTAIN R DENMAN
As I sit down to write this article I am
forced to reflect on what has been a
worrying time for the London Irish. Given the uncertainty with which we faced
the year it is heartening, following the
announcement of the detail of FR2020,
that I am still able to type away as
Company Second in Command of D
(London Irish) Company. The London
Irish sent troops to the Boer War and
fielded two battalions in both the First
and Second World Wars, not to mention
our contribution since on operations in
Aden, Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Also
supporting the UN tour Op TOSCA. As
with all things London Irish we punch
well above our weight and continue to
produce the goods.
I will start by mentioning those of our
number currently serving with the 1st
Battalion the Irish Guards on Operation
TOSCA; 2nd Lieutenant Croft, Sergeant
Roberts, Rangers Simpson, Upton, McGrath and Wegman. We wish you all
well and trust you will maintain the traditions of the man of Loos in the heat
of Cyprus.
Saint Patrick’s Day this year was
blessed with glorious sunshine. General
Sir Sebastian Roberts honoured us by
being the Inspecting Officer. The whole
day was a grand occasion marred only
by the absence of those deployed and
some old friends.
The day passed
extremely well with fantastic contributions from the serving Company, the
Regimental Association, the Regimental
Association Pipes and Drums as well
as our Cadet detachments and families.
The ‘Craic’ was enjoyed by all.
Barely a week later it was great to
10
see so many Somme Company veterans
at Connaught House for our first reunion. Obviously if you have patrolled
the Upper Gereshk Valley, SE5 presents
very little challenge to your courage! I
look forward to our next re-union when
more of us can get together to compare expanding waistlines and families.
On 10 April 14 members of the Company enjoyed the hospitality of the
Founder’s Guild at their Annual Armed
Forces Dinner.
The Founders have
been stalwart supporters of the London
Irish since becoming our sponsor Livery
Company. All who attended seem to
have little memory of the event other
than to say they enjoyed the hospitality
immensely.
Our attendance on training events and
exercises continues to grow despite the
deployments and other circumstances.
On our recent London Irish led training
weekend the Company performed well
under the auspices of our new SPSI,
Company Sergeant Major Gibbs of the
1st Battalion the Coldstream Guards.
On the same exercise we bade farewell
to our caretaker SPSI, Company Sergeant Major Wood of the Princess of
Wales’s Royal Regiment. Mr Wood now
returns to the wilds of Edgware and a
two hour commute! Mr Wood has made
a huge contribution to our training and
is to be congratulated. Mr Gibbs has
already made an impact and we are
now well provided for on the SPSI front.
It is with some sadness that we have
had to say (a hopefully temporary)
farewell to Lance Corporals Badjie and
Babatunde, and Rangers Reid and Anyanwu. We wish them well in their futures and hope, with a little Irish luck,
that they will return to us post October.
On a much brighter note April saw
the return of our Officer Commanding,
Major Chris Green, from the perils of an
avalanche prone French Alps.
I would also like to congratulate
Ranger Brett on recently achieving Best
Recruit on his Combat nfantrymans
Course (CIC) at the Army Training Regiment (ATR) Catterick.
We are now looking forward to what
the challenges the next year will bring,
Londons’ Return
Regimental Recruiting
by CAPTAIN T HALLETT
Recruiting as has already been alluded to as the ‘Life blood of any
Regiment’ and this statement is true.
Sometimes it feels like the England
managers job ‘The Poison Chalice’.
This too is true. You need to be at
the coal face to understand the why’s
and where fors. So what is the real
truth, well it is simply this;
Army
recruiting has become big business.
We have all read about the good, bad
and the ugly side of the process. We
are where we are and stuck with a
process, that as D REAM once sang,
’Things Can Only Get Better’.
The Regiment is well supported by
soldiers on Additional Duties Commiment contracts. They represent the
Main Target audience (MTA) we are
trying to ATTRACT and ENAGE to entice them into joining the Regiment.
The Recruiting year (RY) started 1
April. We have attend, in the first
two months, 29 recruiting events. The
bulk of these have been mid week
and have been a variety of big events
such as escorting the FA Cup at the
final, BUPA Westminster Mile, Millwall
FC to surges in and around the local
Company areas.
Last year we attended over 120 events. All keeping
the Regiment in the public eye across
London.
The Companies have received direction and will now be generating local
events to promote the Army Reserve
offer as well as the benfits of joining
the Londons. After all, the comedian
Jim Davidson (ask your father) wanted to join C Company when he met
them at Millwall FC. But I don’t think
a Pte’s wage will keep his ex wives in
the life-style they have become accustomed too.
As a Regiment we have lots of interest and walk-ins but it is converting
them to online applications that is the
key and becoming a London Regiment
sponsored candidate.
We are holding our own with some
Companies working very hard and
reaping the rewards.
But there is
more work to do, which involves the
commitment of the whole Regiment.
It is key to keep generating walk-ins
and interest, so if anyone has an idea
of where to recruit or an employer
worth engaging, then please contact
the ROSO and ROSWO.
A Company (top)
at the BUPA
Westminster
Mile.
LCpl Talab with
the FA Cup
prior to escorting it on to the
pitch for the
Final.
Jim Davidson (centre) with C Company recruiters at Millwall FC.
going in for a selfie, he remembers Jim.
WO2 Hopping
11
Londons’ Return
Op TOSCA - The Road to Cyprus
A SOLDIERS VIEW
On turning up to Chilwell RTMC, we all
knew what we were there for and what
we had to do. Simply complete our
MATTs to progress to the MRX with the
Irish Guards.
Completing all MATTs in two weeks is
a skull crushing task, but it is a ‘tick’
in the box and as always the daunting
8 miles TAB at the end of the course
was a joy. However, as always, A coy
pulled out our top trumps and pulled
through to not only pass, but in most
cases focused on getting others to the
finish line.
The main highlights of the two weeks
were the jokes and banter we all provided for ourselves, and we had it in
spades, (some of them I cannot share
on this medium), but as you know soldiers banter goes through us. With that
,we managed to solidify the coherence
of the platoon and cement friendships,
that, in some instances, hadn’t begun to
blossom. In fact the only thing anyone
can remember clearly is laughing all the
time and the pain in our cheeks from
smiling too much. Moral was never at a
low and help was always given to those
who needed it.
I wouldn’t say that the course was difficult, this was probably due to the fact
that everyone knew what they had to
do before we got there, so the necessary preparations were made prior to
turning up at RTMC; i.e. fitness and revision.
That’s it from me; I’m looking forward to
moving onto the MRX with our new regular unit and definitely the upcoming six
months on Op TOSCA in Cyprus. There
is sure to be a lot of sun, exercise and,
more importantly, a whole new range of
banter and entertainment.
Yours aye
PTE Gareth Keen
3 Plt
One Company (Operational)
My name is Trooper Jamal Adam of the
B Squadron, Royal Yeomanry based in
Leicester. On 12 February 2014 I began the mobilisation process at RTMC
Chilwell in order to deploy to Cyprus
as part of the London Regiment contingent attached to the 1st Battalion Irish
Guards battle group.
RTMC at Chetwynd Barrack is an area I
was familiar with already due to the fact
I have in previous times throughout my
military career conducted training there
before, as well as my first mobilisation
for Op Herrick. The mobilisation process
itself was well organised and lasted for
12
The Londons’ wearing their United Nations (UN) blue berets and one blue hackle.
two weeks. All deploying personnel had
to not only complete the MATTS but
pass all of the nine compulsory MATTS
in order to deploy.
My first impression of the London Regiment was that they were, as a whole,
very professional, hardworking and welcoming. This impression has been the
prevailing opinion of the many represented cap badges going through the
mobilisation process and also many of
the staff at Chilwell. Sgt Oyalegan the
Platoon Sgt, had a one to one chat
with me about my expectations and arranged an interview with the Platoon
Commander, Lt Croft, to facilitate my
being part of the LONDONS cohort. After this I was put in a section along with
others to crack on with the daily routine of being a mobilised soldier. Sgt
Oyalegan informed us the section might
be re-orbated once we get into working arrangement with the Irish Guards
battlegroup aka ‘The Micks’.
As soon as the mobilisation process
was over, the next stage was the theatre specific training at Nescliff training camp near Shrewsbury. The aim of
these two weeks was to get us working
with the rest of the Irish Guards in order
to get us up to speed with our duties
out on Op TOSCA. The training at Nescliff Camp also was one which attracted
a high amount of media attention as
it was billed to show just how regulars
and reserves can work effectively together on operations.
The training staff consisted of NCOs,
Officers and civilians from the various
Regiments throughout the British army
with specific expertise as well represen-
tatives from the previous Regiments and
Corps which had previously deployed to
Cyprus.
After a week of briefings the second
week was dedicated to practicals, applying what we had learnt and demonstrating how we would apply it in theatre. I
was attached to 3 Platoon which was
made up of the Reserve element (London Regiment) of the Ops Company. My
role was mainly as a driver assisting the
patrol commander with radio as well as
navigation.
After participating in the St Patricks
Day Parade at Mons Barracks with the
Irish Guards I deployed to Cyprus on
22 March 2014. Like in Nescliff my role
has largely been unchanged. I work
with a platoon made entirely of London
Regiment soldiers. My role has also
expanded as I have also stepped up
to be a patrol commander and had a
chance to improve my navigation and
communication skills.
I have spent the first two week in camp.
The first week mainly involved acclimatising, getting to know the AO and
assisting in the transition process. The
Irish Guards officially took over operations on 1 April and things are beginning to settle down in terms of work
and rotation. All in all my experience
integrating with The London Regiment
has been straightforward and seamless
and on a personal note have managed
to make a number of good friends.
Trooper Adam
3 Section, 3 Platoon
Ops Company
1st Battalion Irish Guards
Londons’ Return
Adventure Training TOSCA Style
LCPL DINGLEY
June 2014. Here we are almost halfway through our deployment on Op
Tosca 20 in an increasingly warm Cyprus, and this milestone means many
things... It’s a reminder of how quickly
time passes, for it seems like a mere
blink of the eye (perhaps a little longer
at times) that we landed at RAF Akrotiri and made the onward journey to
the Ledra Palace Hotel, HQ of the Sector 2 UNFICYP Roulement Regiment (1st
Bn Irish Guards for this deployment),
and a rather curious Nicosia landmark.
Blanketed by the darkness, as it was
then, of a late March night, the ageing
hotel’s faded grandeur was not quite
as apparent as it would become once
we’d moved in – the latest residents in
a long guest list of UN peacekeepers
who’ve rotated through it for the last
four decades. Think of a once-deluxe
holiday hotel, balconies dressed with
beach towels and dessie boots, and add
cratered bullet holes and coiled barbed
wire and you’re roughly there (think BIG
and you’ve gone too far and ended up
in the fascinating but sad ghost town
of Varosha, Famagusta – which I’d urge
readers to take a Google at for our
‘other’ Cyprus). Time has stood still in
the UN controlled buffer zone, but its
effects are at the same time hugely
apparent (this subject, along with the
varied duties we have undertaken these
past few months, will no doubt be written about in more detail in other articles).
Enough of the past and the ravages
of time then, this halfway point is also a
gentle reminder of the many objectives
we have yet to achieve; the personal
ones (fitness goals, including ‘Op Massive’ which may have been neglected
in the face of demanding work schedules; or perhaps the curiosity to utilise
learning credits at the Education Centre
- mathematics for me), and the professional ones too: the leadership and
logistical skills to be developed, the drill
traditions of the Irish Guards to be mastered (or else!), or the local, ground-level politics and rules to be reviewed and
enforced ‘out on the ground’ in what is
still a very tense political situation.
As they said before we all volunteered, “It’s not all work though…” As if
to encapsulate these goals at that tour
‘hump point’, to add a little of what
books and films label ‘action-adventure’,
and to give us something to count
down to a little closer than the transfer
of authority at summer’s end, Adventure
Training is upon us (and, given that
I’m writing this in the wee small hours
while manning the platoon office back
Sgt Oyalegen and LCpl Dingley:
Looking relaxed, SBS here we come.
at Ledra with only a sun tan to show
for it, for some of us it’s sadly been
and gone in the blink of one of those
bleary eyes).
Adventure Training is one of those
peculiarities of Op Tosca which make it
a strange operational experience. While
we can forget it during our working day,
surrounded as we are by the watchtowers and improvised OPs, the defences
and armed OPFORs (Opposing Forces),
Cyprus is of course a holiday destina-
tion for many Brits. And one week’s AT
is the blue beret’s much-welcomed version of it. There’s a variety of options
for the type of training that can be
enjoyed – including full, five day sailing, parachuting or diving courses of
different descriptions. I had originally
been down for a Competent Crew sailing course, but instead was loaded onto
a ‘MAC’ package. This five-day mixed
activity package, run by the Tosca
Regimental Adventurous Training Team
13
Londons’ Return
The Londons’ rock climbing instructor Sgt Amos (centre) ready to take the troops to the top.
(TRATT) a few miles from us in Dhekelia,
provides a taster experience of multiple
activities. Initially a little disappointed
that I would not end the AT period with
a qualification, this actually turned out
to be an incredible experience and I’m
extremely grateful for it. The group with
whom I would be training departed LPH
on the Sunday afternoon and arrived
at the TRATT centre in Dhekelia Garrison ready for adventure. Instead we
filled out some disclaimers and medical forms, were briefed and began what
would become a pleasantly paced evening routine of snooker, sunsets and
early nights. The days, however, were
to be busy, challenging and as full of
adventure as anyone could have hoped.
First off it was Kayaking in the sea
at the sailing club opposite Fisherman’s
Cove. A quick swim test out to the little
light house and back was followed by a
day of messing about in pointy boats,
mastering the art of paddling (forwards
and backwards) capsize drills and team
games. We returned to the garrison
cookhouse with appetites and the warm
glow of an active day in the great outdoors.
Day two and we found ourselves back
on the water (though for some it was
still not safe), this time in larger boats,
as we tackled the thrills of dinghy sailing.
In a fleet of Laser Pico trainer boats we
took to the waves and were very quickly
ducking back and forth to avoid the
sail’s boom as we raced one another
14
around a buoy which seemed quite far
out to sea. Once again, capsize drills
were learned and put into practice more
than once. Although the boat I sailed
was significantly smaller than the one
I had originally been meant to (on the
comp crew course), I have to say this
was the highlight of the week for me,
having grown up by the sea but never
having sailed.
Wednesday brought us ashore and
into the capable hands (and ropes) of
our rock climbing instructors. This was
one I’d been dreading a bit, especially
the very first step back on the descent
of an abseil. In the end (after a couple
of hours scuba diving on the final day
– more to come), I learned that I’ll take
vertigo (or acrophobia to be exact) over
claustrophobia any day. Who wouldn’t
with the wonderful views from Cape
Greco and the expert instruction from
my own Regiment’s Sgt Amos, one of
two LONDONS reservists in the TRATT
team. Having abseiled to the bottom of
the rock face we then climbed back up.
This was a physically demanding sport
which I’m keen to try again.
It was all, almost, downhill from there
as we saddled up for a day of mountain
biking on Thursday. An introductory ride
took us along a winding track which
tested our balance and the techniques
taught to us beforehand, while the bulk
of the ride took us along friendlier paths
and roads, culminating in an ocean-view
finishing point some 20 miles later. A
few unintentional dismounts occurred
along the way but no harm was done.
As briefly mentioned, the final day of
the course perhaps provided the most
adventure – a try drive run by a scuba
diving school based in Larnaca. This
was an activity I have long been keen to
try but ultimately the experience wasn’t
something I’d do again (breathing underwater is a strange sensation). In
slightly deeper water, at a place known
as Fish Rock (essentially there is a large
rock and lots of fish swim around it), I
settled into the whole thing and began
to understand the appeal of diving. Still,
it’s the having a go that matters and
that I suppose is the spirit of AT. There
are activities that might seem a breeze
to one individual, but which require a
steeling of nerves to the next man. Everyone on the course at one time or
another showed the ability to lead, to
encourage and to face up to self-doubt
or fears. In doing so we returned to
Ledra both rested and tested, ready to
crack on with the second half of the
tour with a real sense of achievement
and a little more insight into what we
are all capable of.
Yours Aye,
LCpl Dingley
2 Section
West Platoon
No 1 Operation Company
1st Battalion Irish Guards
THE LONDON REGIMENT CHARITY DRAW
IN AID OF THE
WELFARE AND BENEVOLENT FUND
PRIZES
1st. Choice of signed authenticated framed football shirt
2nd. Tiger Woods Signed Pin flag (The Open)
3rd. £500 Cash
and many more prizes to be won.
TICKETS £2.00 each or £10.00 for a book of 5.
The draw will take place on Monday 15 December
by the Commanding Officer.
Tickets can be purchased from your PSAO.
Londons’ Return
London Regiment Charity Golf Day
CAPTAIN T HALLETT
On 30 April the Regiment held a Charity
Golf Day in aid of the London Regiment
Welfare and Benevolent Fund, at the
London Scottish Golf Club on Wimbledon Common. The aim was simply to
raise some money in a easy and enjoyable way. It is at this point I would say
hold that thought ‘easy and enjoyable’.
The format of the day was breakfast,
9 holes stableford competition in the
morning (warm up), buffet lunch followed by the main competition of 18
hole stableford. Arriving back at the
club house in time for a four course
evening meal. All this for the princely
sum of £60.00.
The letters and emails had been sent
out prior to members, friends and supporters of the Regiment and so it was
that the clans gathered.
The LONDONS’, Irish Guards, Royal Artillery, the Merchant Taylors, Royal Mail
and some Mexicans (bandits) arrived on
a bright sunny Wednesday morning at
Wimbledon to do battle.
Munching on bacon rolls and drinking
hot beverages, Major Wake gave a brief
on the outline of the day and groups
we would be going out in. He apologised for the absence of the Commanding Officer, a keen golfer. However due
to having to carry out a recce with
his command team in ITALY he would
not be able to play. I cannot believe
Italy has a stronger pull than Wimbledon Common, after all, we had sunshine
and later on plenty of WHINE!
You could cut the tension in the room
with a knife. Two golfing divisions, high
and low handicappers and prizes galore
to fight for. Longest drive, nearest the
pin and 1st to 3rd place for both divisions for AM and PM matches.
It was at this point I realised that I had
drawn the short straw. Going out in the
final group. The only four ball. My fellow golfers being Captains Haines and
Gurung the Celtic PSAOs and the QM of
106 Phil Doyle.
Warfare comes in all forms. Only to
say pshycological warfare is not dead
and buried.
The battle of wills started on the putting
green and moved to the first tee. Obviously set to be an enjoyable morning
with loads of banter which I am afraid
cannot be published due to the content.
The morning came and went quickly
with some very good golf being played
amidst the usual self depravation of
ones skills.
Having seen some wonderful and unique
shots that will never grace the professional ranks.
After a well earned lunch, we teed up
16
Style and grace of the 1st Tee, shown by CSgt Cornhill.
While Captain Haines (right) can only reflect on what might have been.
the main event. Could the pressure get
even greater one wonders. The answer
was yes.
Everyone started well scoring pars on
the opening holes. The odd wayward
shot by the Irish contingent. No names
no pack drill.
Mumbling and thumbling as balls were
hit left and right. Occasionally down
the centre. Thank God for the infantry. Those skirmishing skills through the
woods proved bountiful. Not only finding your own ball but others too.
We had been very cunning in our planning. We had received permission for
a half way house to sell beer, burgers,
hot dogs and assorted hot beverages.
Situated between the 10 and 11 holes
it was an oasis of calm. A life raft in
a sea of chaos.
The Half Way House was manned by
WO2 Hayward-Smith, CSgt Kilpatrick
and Rgr Ryan. Their assistance gave
the day that polished look. Most of
the groups had purchased foods and
beverages as they headed off to 11th
tee aptly named the Long Hole, and it
is. Drinking and driving.
The mind games were still being played,
with a couple of drives going wayward.
The returning holes were becoming the
‘Long Slog’. The pressure was on to try
and pull some points out the bag.
We hit the last as the clock struck 18:00
we had been out for nearly five hours.
The greatest recovery of the day goes
to Capt Gurung. I don’t think he lost
a ball regardless of how deep it went
into the wood.
The greatest shot of the day goes to
Captain Haines. As we approached the
18 he turned and said where the pin?
I pointed to the green and said ‘there
it is , the red flag in front of you!’ We
stood still whilst he took his shot. The
ball rocketed towards the hole. The
wrong hole! He had hit the ball towards
the putting green that was a further
100mtrs on. It was the first time he’d
hit the green in two that day.
Meanwhile we waited while another was
searching for their ball in the undergrowth.
The presentation took place prior to
dinner with eight worthy winners who
had played some very good golf.
It was an easy and enjoyable way to
raise £700.00 for the fund. I’m not sure
that I will recover mentally from the experience of our four ball. But to say we
did not have a craic all the way round
would be a lie.
LONDON REGIMENT CHARITY GOLF DAY
FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER AT
PEDHAM PLACE GOLF CENTRE
18 Hole Stableford Competition
£40.00 a player
includes breakfast and lunch
DRESS: Normal golfing attire. Shirt and or Jumper.
TO RESERVE A PLACE PLEASE CONTACT:
THE ROSO ON 020 7801 2529 OR EMAIL: [email protected]
PEDHAM PLACE GOLF CENTRE
LONDON ROAD
SWANLEY
BR8 8PP
PRO SHOP: 01322867000
Londons’ Return
Ex White Lion - London’s AGC put in a Roaring Performance
by WO2 S HUSSEIN
The annual AGC skiing Championships,
Ex White Lion, is an Army-wide downhill
slalom and grand slalom competition
fiercely fought on the slopes of the Stabai Glazier in the Austrian Alps. This year 160 competitors took part
from across the AGC, with the Londons
contributing an outstanding team of
three comprising: WO2 Sue “Slick” Hussein, LCpl Eddie “Steady” Broadhurst,
and Pte Gemma “Flyer” Couchman. Not
only did this turn out to be an excellent Adventure Training package, but an
opportunity for our boy’s and gal’s to
compete on a level playing field with
our Regular counterparts. It also afforded a great opportunity to mingle and
get to know a broad variety of AGC
from across the Army employed in various roles and Regiments. The two week Exercise is split into two
parts. The first week involves preparation and rigorous training in groups of
around 6 – 10 with a highly experienced
instructor. The groups cover the whole
spectrum of skiers from absolute beginners to advanced skiers. Everyone benfits from the excellent tuition provided
by the Ski instructors, the majority of
whom are AGC themselves, supported
with a few local Austrian instructors
thrown in for good measure. The improvements that everyone makes
is phenomal and can be seen by all. By
the end of the first week, even the beginners are able to get stuck into their
race practice – something your average
Civvie would take two to three weeks to
accomplish!
The London Regiment team completed
Ex White Lion 14 successfully. As well
as the skiing the the team integrated
well with the wider AGC family. All the
team members achieved personal goals
in terms of training, being tested and
pushed outside an their individual comfort zone.
The training was excellent and all team
members achieved SF1 (Ski Foundation
1 qualifications) and or built on this
qualification adding hours on ski’s towards SF2. All the team attained entry
to the Senior Hill for both Slalom and
Giant Slalom races, and although we
did not place in the medals, it was
an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding exercise. There is always next year
and the team should start early in their
preparation.
Well done to the team for a great effort
and the exceptional way the team con-
18
Team LONDONS’: LCpl Broadhurst, WO2 Hussein and Pte Couchman on the piste.
Pte Couchman, down but not out.
The Seniors downhill slalom course.
WO2 Hussein, looking mean and keen.
Londons’ Return
Orienteering
by CAPTAIN M CORBETT
All good ideas are generally concieved over a few beers too many
or silly bets. This was slightly different, over a cup of coffee with the
QM it was discovered that he too
used to run and “it’s a shame we
don’t have a team”. Well the cogs
slowly started turning and the revolution began. A quick search of the
internet and we were punching in!
The LONDONS had an orienteering
team. It was as simple as that!
The Military League (South) host an
event every week. The majority of
which are held in the Aldershot area.
They run a series of individual running events of between 2-8 Kms in
length and specialised relay events
over the course of the season.
As a recognised military activity; involving the discipline of running whilst map reading against
the clock, anyone can participate
and, with experience, participant’s
can quickly progress to the longer
courses. The old adage that “slow
and easy wins the race” has never
been more applicable.
To date the team have completed
6 individual runs and won the MLS
Harris Relay Championship and the
London District Major Units Championship.
The Commanding Officer graciously
agreed to purchase all the relevant
specialised equipment, so we no
longer look like Alf Tupper (ask your
dad) on a day out, but very much
the professional outfit.
The current Team consists of Maj
(QM) Hannan, Capt (PSAO) Corbett,
Capt (RCMO) Evans, WO2 (SPSI)
Wood, WO2 (SPSI) Gibbs & CSgt
(SPSI) Curran.
As ever we are on
the hunt for younger members of
the Bn to join us, so any interested
runners should contact PSAO C Coy
on 0208 672 1168 for further details.
The winter season finishes 21 May
and we are awaiting dates for the
summer series. The long-term goal
is to enter the Army Championship
in the 2014/15 winter season.
The dream team: Capt (RCMO) Evans, CSgt (SPSI) Curran. Capt (PSAO) Corbett and Maj (QM) Hannan.
19
THE LONDON REGIMENT
LONDON’S
ARMY RESERVE
INFANTRY BATTALION
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