londons return edition 7

LONDONSʼ RETURN
Edition 7 2011
Photo by LCpl Goodright B Coy
LONDONS RETURN - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LONDON REGIMENT
THE TEAM
Contents
Commanding Officer - Lt Col Marc Overton TD
Editor’s Notes
2
Commanding
Officer’s Notes
3
HERRICK 13
5
Adjutant - Capt Toby Davidson COLDM GDS
Spring Offensive
11
Quartermaster - Maj Graham Donald SG
A Day at the Downs
11
Regimental Sergeant Major - WO1 Hutton SG
London Scottish
12
Regimental Administration Officer- Maj Steve Wake
London Regiment
Photos
13
Chief Clerk - WO2 Tony Packer
The Deer Hunter
14
CRESTA RUN
15
Hand Gun Course
16
151 Transport
Regiment
17
Battle Field Tour
Photos
18
Battle Field Tour
20
RFCA Awards Photos
23
Forecast of Events
24
Battalion 2IC -Maj Rupert Hill
Training Major - Maj Guy Lock COLDSM GDS
OC A Company- Maj David Carter
OC B Company- Maj Tim Smart
OC C Company- Maj James Swanston
OC D Company- Maj Crispin Swayne
OC HQ Company- Maj Geoff Strickland
Editor’s Notes - Capt Rob Hill
Welcome to the LONDONS RETURN Edition 7. Thank you to those who supplied articles and pictures for this
edition and those who didn’t – you know who you are.
Summer Ball
The Summer Ball will take place at the Officers’ Mess in Wellington Bks on June 4 2011. Dress code is:
Gentlemen- Black tie/ Mess kit. Ladies- Evening gowns/ Cocktail dress/ Mess kit. The entertainment is a
Champagne bar, Cocktail bar, Jager bar, Live Band and DJ and Supper. Ticket prices are £75 per head (all
inclusive).
For ticket’s please email: [email protected].
London Regiment Welfare and Benevolent Fund
I would like to remind companies and the CoC, that the LRW&BF is set up to help individuals in time of need. If
you know someone who fits this category please pass this information to the Bn 2IC who is the secretary of the
LRW&BF. For those who require any London Regiment Welfare Bands please let me know. The wrist bands
have been very successful and to date they’ve brought in around £32,000.
Forecast of Events
The Bn Forecast of events is at page 24.
2
Commanding Officerʼs Notes
Since Christmas the Regiment has
been focusing on recruiting and the reintegration of AMIENS Coy back from
H12. With over 100 recruits
undergoing training and with a
dedicated recruiting surge planned for
March and April the pipeline is looking
healthy. That said, the attrition rates
through recruit training are still too high
(especially around WHTs and fitness).
With all recruit training now centralised
at Horseferry Road (as it is on the
Circle Line so is the easiest
LONDON’S TAC for recruits to get to)
managing this pipeline will now
become the major focus. We have
significantly strengthened the recruit
training team and would like to
congratulate Captain Rob Denman on
his commission and taking over
Mitchell Platoon from Major Sean
Lundy. I would also like to thank Sean
for all his hard work and wish him luck
on his forthcoming operational
deployment.
Feedback from those on H13 and from
their Regular units has been positive
and it has been good to catch up with
some of them on their R&R. We are
very much looking forward to
welcoming them back on 8 May at their
Homecoming Medal Presentation.
With over 130 soldiers undergoing
training for both deployments in 2012
(including 50 from 71 Signals
Regiment and 151 Regiment RLC) the
focus until May is to recruit and train
another 70 soldiers (working on a ratio
of 2 start training to deploying 1 soldier
in theatre). From May the focus will
shift to training for H17 with all soldiers
deploying having to be Directive of
Infantry Employment (DIE) compliant.
This means they must do two weeks
on ATP in the first half of September
and a Bn level weekend every month
until mobilisation in June 2012. The
last CIC for recruits to start training for
H17 will be in August following the
Summer SAXON CHALLENGE. For
recruits starting and OCdts leaving
University we are offering a
‘Summer of Green’ where they will
undergo continual training from
June through to ATP and then to
Canada with 1SG BG in October.
This opportunity for almost full time
Army employment for 5 months
should be an attractive proposition
and will help kick start their military
career and get them lined up for
H17.
In January we had a weekend for
the Battalion to do MATTS and the
AMIENS returnees to do their
POSM. The talks given by the
soldiers recently returned from
Afghanistan were inspirational and
gave those planning to deploy in
2012 a real insight into what they
are training for. We also held an
‘All Ranks Ball’ in Balham that
evening which was a lot of fun and
very well attended. I am very
pleased to report that the majority
of those who went on H12 are now
back serving with the Regiment.
sums up the reasons behind why
we did the Battlefield Study:
Commanding Officer’s address
to the Regimental Drumhead
Service at VIMY Ridge - Sunday 6
Mar 11
The aim of this Regimental
Battlefield Study was to educate
and enhance the collective
knowledge of London Regiment
History, thereby strengthening unit
and cap-badge pride and
enhancing our esprit de corps.
Some of you may be wondering
why a Battlefield Study and a
Regimental Drumhead service is
important and would like to
understand how this helps in
delivering operational effectiveness
in Afghanistan?
To answer this it is important to
understand what makes up fighting
power. There are three
components - the physical (how
Another part of the reintegration of much kit and equipment we have to
AMIENS Coy was the Regimental
fight), the conceptual (how to fight)
Battlefield Study which was an
and the moral component (the will,
excellent opportunity for the
motivation of the unit and individual
Regiment to come together and
to fight). This weekend is about
celebrate its early history. Having
developing and strengthening the
conducted a centralised briefing the moral component. By spending
Tuesday before, 200 turned up for
time together, fostering friendships,
the event including Association
discussing our Regimental history
members. After a Regimental
and remembering the sacrifices of
parade for the Last Post Ceremony our forefathers we will be a more
under the Menin Gate, each
cohesive and effective unit. Words
Company ran a stand at a Battle
like honour, integrity, friendship,
relevant to their antecedent unit. I
love, duty and trust are part of the
was very impressed with the work
moral component. They’re quite
and preparation that had gone into difficult words to pin down, but they
these stands and the feedback from are a key part of its fighting power.
both the soldiers and the guides
You also don’t generate the moral
has been excellent. On the final
component overnight. Churchill
day we were hosted at the
said at the beginning of the last
Canadian National Memorial at
century that you can destroy an
VIMY. After the Canadian guides
army quite quickly – you can take
took us around the tunnel system
away the funding, you can close
the Regiment marched to the VIMY down regiments but you can’t
memorial to conduct a Drumhead
rebuild it quickly. Once you’ve lost
service. This is one of the most
the comradeship, camaraderie, it
impressive memorials on the
takes a long time to re-build it. We
Western Front and it was a real
must therefore keep developing our
privilege to conduct our service in
esprit de corps.
front of it at the top of VIMY Ridge.
This was made all the more special This is especially important at this
with the presence of the Honorary
time. Having deployed over 420
Colonel and Honorary Regimental
men since 2003 and with 100
Lieutenant Colonel of our sister
required next year we can only
Regiment The Toronto Scottish
continue to deliver this level of
(whose direct decendents actually
Operational output if we operate
took the objective where the
and function as a Regiment and not
memorial stands today). Below is
as a mobilisation cadre of
the address I gave at VIMY that
3
individuals. As our soldiers now
deploy as individuals into Regular
Battle Groups, the majority, for the
extremely demanding role of
Dismounted Close Combat, it is
important we know who we are and
are proud of the unit we come from.
This unit pride is also important to help
retention when our soldiers come back
from operational duty. Soldiers will
come back to a unit they can identify
with, have lifelong friends in and want
to be part of. It is also vital for those
who remain behind that they belong to
a thriving unit as we need a strong
Firm Base to continue to generate and
train those to go on operations.
In terms of unit pride we have an
enormous amount to be proud of. I
hope over the last two days you have
appreciated the scale and significance
played by the London Regiment in the
First World War. Although formed in
1908 it was YPRES 1914 that was the
real birthplace of the London
Regiment – this is where we were
bloodied and indeed almost destroyed.
Our constituent units are well known,
to name but two. The London Scottish
was the first Territorial Regiment into
action at Messines on 31 October
1914, while the London Irish footballer
you heard about earlier today, for
many signifies the magnificence and
sacrifice of the First World War. As the
largest Regiment in the British Army
with over 90 Battalions, our graves
litter the cemeteries and as we have
seen, the names of those London
Regiment soldiers with no known
grave cover whole panels of the Menin
Gate and at Tyne Cot. This is our
history – unlike other units whose
identities have been lost in various
reorganisations we are the direct
descendents of the units that served
on this ground nearly 100 years ago –
that is what we should be proud of – it
is an unbroken golden thread.
This heritage has also been built on
with our soldiers fighting in most
theatres in the Second World War, in
Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Iraq
and currently in Afghanistan. The
current generation of soldiers has
risen to the challenges of conflict.
Instead of the killing fields of Ypres
and Vimy it is now the killing fields of
Sangin and Lashkar Gah. Let us
remember we have been at war since
2003 and the TA has not been found
wanting – we have continued to
regenerate ourselves with now 25,000
TA soldiers having deployed. The
fighting spirit is the same as it always
has been and we should be very proud 100,000 men to France in August
of what our Regiment is achieving
1914 the same size of the Regular
today.
Army today. By Christmas, its
battalions, 30 officers and 1000 men
We should also be proud of being part strong that summer, had only 2
of the Foot Guards – the blue-red-blue officers and 20 men of the original
flash you wear and the opportunities to compliment left. As you have heard
serve with a Regular Foot Guards
Reserves were needed immediately,
Battle Group on operations are a real
although initially employed as
privilege. To have the Commanding
individuals in Regular units,
Officer of the 1st Battalion Grenadier
Territorial units were soon required.
Guards want our soldiers to support
For national contingency the unit
him on H16 rather than other Regular structure and the ability to
troops shows we are already
regenerate mass capability for
establishing a strong reputation within national defence is still relevant.
the Household Division.
So to conclude, this sort of activity is
We can also identify closely with the
absolutely relevant to developing
soldiers who fought and died here.
fighting power and delivering
The soldiers lived in London and joined operational output. When you are
their local unit - indeed some of the TA on your own in a FOB in
centres we serve in today have
Afghanistan as part of another unit
changed little since 1914 - for example and someone turns to you and asks
the 23rd LONDON’S deployed to war
where you come from you can turn
straight from St John’s Hill. As today
to them and say – I am from the
our forefathers were different to the
London Regiment, the Capital’s
other reserve units and the Regular
Infantry Regiment. Formed over
forces – because of their professional 100 years ago we were the largest
backgrounds many of our units had
Regiment in the British Army and
‘gentlemen’ soldiers and became
with over 90 Battalions we were
Officer Training units (as we have
twice the size the Regular Army is
established in Messines Platoon
today. We are now one of the most
alongside ULOTC). Many of our
deployed Territorial Army units and
soldiers were also very successful in
provide operational support to the
civilian life. In one LONDON’S
Foot Guards. Be proud of who you
Regiment all ranks were on first name are – hold your head up high - you
terms off duty, and up until 1915 the
belong to a very unique unit. Yes all
private soldiers paid an annual
30 of you and the Battalion Dog!
subscription equivalent to a month’s
pay for a regular soldier – a strange
To conclude therefore, it is a very
concept that soldiers actually paid to
busy time at the moment. However
go to fight in France!
the unit is coming together well and
the numbers attending training and
As with our forefathers while you come recruits are positive. That said, the
from different walks of life we all share next 6 months are absolutely critical
one common bond – we are London’s to ensure we have enough soldiers
citizen soldiers, we are all Territorial to start training for H17. While there
living and working in London. The
are others who have recently left the
friendships you are developing are
unit I would like to finish by saying
long lasting, while your family and job thank you to a couple of people in
circumstances may change, your
particular: Major James Elms CG
Regimental friends stay with you
has left as QM to be replaced by
throughout your life. I am especially
Major Graham Donald SG, I would
proud that our Association members
like to thank James for his hard
are here with us today – they know that work and immediately welcome him
by turning up at your TA Centre they
back into the Regiment as a TA
will meet someone they knew long
Officer! RSM WOI Canon SG is
after they have stopped serving – this also leaving us and the Army at the
enduring bond is vital to our unit
end of March, being replaced by
cohesion and identity.
RSM WOI Hutton. RSM Canon has
had an excellent tour and his
At a strategic level it is also worth
management and delivery of both
noting that the debate about the use of the Homecoming Parade and
the Reserves was happening 100
Battlefield Study has been
years ago just as it is today with many exceptional, we wish him well.
of the same arguments being
Lt Col MAJ Overton TD
discussed. The Regular Army sent
Commanding Officer
4
HERRICK 13
the last few weeks as I was
constantly on the move and
there wasn’t much chance to
get online.
We have been on a couple of
operations in the last few
weeks. We were sent further
east to an area that previously
had no permanent British Force
present.
LCpl Ma
HERRICK 13
15 Jan 2011
Hi Everyone at HQ;
Thank you very much for the
Christmas card & parcel, it
arrived safely. It is very kind of
you all and I am very touched
by it.
I am currently detached from
5SCOTS and am in Maiward,
Kandahar with a company from
the Royal Regiment Wales. I
am in a newly built PB with a
platoon who are partnering with
ANA, so far everything is going
OK.
The locals seem to be friendly
towards us and we haven’t
encountered many problems in
dealing with them.
We were first tasked to provide
protection to some Engineer
Units who were building some
patrol bases along a stretch of
highway which is known for
heavy insurgency activities.
Throughout those few weeks
we were constantly on the
move and spent most of our
time either living in the back of
our armoured vehicles or on
those building sites.
Christmas Day was spent in
one of those sites on normal
routine, and the only New Year
fireworks we had were the
rocket attacks from the
insurgents on New Year’s Eve.
Now after many of those patrol
bases were completed, we
currently stayed in one of them
with troops from ANSF
(Afghanistan National Security
Force) to guard the highway
and patrolling the surrounding
area.
Anyway, I will tell you all more
about it in detail when I return
for R&R in February. In the
meantime best wishes and a
belated Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year.
We are aiming to secure this
stretch of highway and provide
security for the local area, so
that it is harder for the
insurgents to operate in the
area.
18 Jan 2011
The new patrol bases are very
basic, similar to the PB that I
was in a few months ago
except they are a lot smaller
and there are very few of us
occupying it. There are few
welfare facilities, no internet,
basic hygiene arrangements
and ration packs for food.
Hi all,
How is everyone doing? Hope
that you all had a very good
Christmas and New Year. How
is the weather back in the UK?
Sorry that I haven’t been able to
give you guys any update for
5
The weather is still quite cold at
the moment, but it is starting to
warm up during day time. The
rainy season hasn’t arrived yet,
so at least we are dry.
Anyway, that’s the update for
now. Will write again when I get
another chance.
07 Feb 2011
Hi All,
It is almost a month since I last
wrote, hope that everyone had
a good New Year and the
month of January has been a
good quiet month.
Not a lot has happened out
here for the last month, we
have been moved to another
patrol base again and it is pretty
much like the last one, except
we have just got the Sky TV
installed a couple days ago and
the troops have managed to
watch the football match over
the weekend.
We had a couple of storms in
the past few months and it has
been raining for a few days and
we got pretty wet. It is still very
cold at night and everything is
frozen in the morning when we
get up. But the temperature is
picking up during the day and it
is quite warm around midday.
The routine is pretty much the
same as before, constant
patrolling, deliberate operations
every few days and guarding
the base.
My two week R&R is due in two
weeks time, hopefully if all the
travel arrangements go
according to plan I should be
back in London on the 23rd Feb.
Will get in touch with some of
you and try to meet up for a few
drinks.
Cheers
Wilson
The Boys From HERRICK 13
Our last Op saw 90 pax airlifted back to Camp Bastion for a day of air assault
rehearsals. The number comprised four multiples from B Coy, a BRIMSTONE
(Fire Support Group) with the remainder being supplied by the local ANA
contingents.
We formed up in the early hours in three Chinooks with a Merlin with
accompanying Apaches and were wheels up from Bastion at 06.15. We landed
200m to the south of our objective village with the call sign embarked on the
Merlin landing further east to provide a cut-off on route NEPHRE which runs
alongside the Nehre-e-Berger canal.
The objective village was the location of our warthog excursion earlier in the
month. The other call signs moved into static positions as cut-offs or to search
the village. As usual, our call sign, Cobra Five One Alpha, was the manoeuvre
call sign and we were shortly in contact. We scoured the objective for most of
the day chasing Taliban and following up the various Apache vs Taliban
engagements to search compounds etc. At 1700 our call sign pushed north by
fording the canal which was waist deep!
Pte Gray
HERRICK 13
We pushed 500m north into Taliban area and secured two compounds for the
rest of the Coy to join us in. We went through the motions of preparing to stay
the night and but then jumped back on the choppers at 1815, just on sunset, and
landed back at PB just in time for scoff. What a great day out. Both Keyzer and
I were part of B Coys first air assault Op of the tour. Strike Sure!
"Well a Happy New Year to all,
Firstly thank you to all for the letters (tobacco and general morale). I know Raymond
[Pte Gray] keeps you all updated and its been everything and more I hoped it would
be!
Just back from a three day operation!
Train hard, because I've been involved in:
Pte Keyzer
HERRICK 13
•
•
•
•
Compound clearances
GPMG - lots of it
River crossings chest high – nightmare!
Hard graft – but amazing!
Hope all is well.
LCpl Palmer has been very busy in Afghan but did manage to send in a picture of
himself and some other soldiers celebrating Christmas. Unfortunately they had to
celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve as he had to work Christmas Day.
Nevertheless he still enjoyed it and so did the other soldiers serving with him.
LCpl Palmer
HERRICK 13
LCpl Palmer with the HPTC
6
Summary and update
5 SCOTS CO
A COMPANY
It has been a busy couple of
weeks for A Coy, with the main
focus of attention being on a
number of Coy level operations
working closely with Non
Governmental Organisations.
The usual meetings with the local
communities continue to have
success and sometime in the
future the local Police may be reestablished in the area. Morale
continues to remain high with the
antics of the jocks keeping all
amused…..stories to follow via the
Coy news letter. OC 3 Pl, ( Lt Tim
Cummings has handed over to 2Lt
Ed Challis who has settled in
quickly, albeit after an eventful first
week).
B COMPANY
B Coy continue to work as hard as
ever with a busy two week period.
Local successes come in the form
of continued support to local
education in the securing and
building of schools, and a number
of links being established to 6 new
villages. A clinic was set up that
allowed local farmers to have their
livestock checked over by a vet,
reaffirming that hearts and minds
still continue to be won over.
The Area of Operations continues
to be busy but significant success
has been noted and makes the
relationship between the jocks and
their Afghan counterparts run more
smoothly. The Company find
themselves in good shape looking
forward to the challenges ahead.
D COMPANY
Again a busy period across much
of the area. The Coy have
undertaken a number of Ops in
conjunction with their Afghan
counterparts with reasonable
success helping to push and clear
the local areas from any unwanted
activity. The Coy has since moved
from their somewhat palatial home
to a location further south.
This is a significant step in the
process of integrating the Afghan
Forces into a position of control. The
highlight in recent weeks has been
the attendance of some 30 locals at
the latest Pass Out at the HPTC.
Pressure also remains to install a
teacher at the local school and also
new stalls for the bazaar.
guard drop and use this period to
reassess and revise TTP’s
Keep up the good work.
YPRES Family Event 1
Criterion Theatre
HPTC
It has been another hectic period at
HPTC with the usual round of VIP’s.
The main events being the Pass Out
on the 19th Jan and the new intake
arriving on the 26th. Visitors to the
location have been in abundance with
Ed Miliband, Leader of the
Opposition, Douglas Alexander and
Jim Murphy to name but a few.
Meetings are underway to ensure that
the hand over of HPTC runs smoothly
and building work on the new and
improved HPTC has begun in
earnest, the completion of which will
herald a new era as it becomes the
Regional Training Academy.
CO’s Summary
A busy couple of weeks for 5
SCOTS. I am heartened by the
professionalism, humour and sheer
dedication that I see on the ground.
The reputation of the Battalion
remains sky high and all ranks should
be justifiably proud.
As well as the ground holding and
police development tasks outlined
above, the deployed echelon has now
taken on the responsibility of the
Brigade Troops Echelon task, no
mean feat. It means administration
and logistical support of another 1000
men and some 600 vehicles. Initial
reports are of a smooth transition!
Rear Party in Canterbury is continuing
to deliver in spades, looking after the
home base and supporting the
deployed echelon. I was particularly
impressed with how they managed
the homecoming of Joe Vatubua.
The majority of the Battalion has been
deployed for over 4 months and
amazingly we will start to see the first
elements ripping out within the next
two weeks! However, do not let the
7
After the weather had
prevented the team from
hosting any family events last
year and the early part of this
year we were glad to get our
first event under way.
With the families of YPRES
being a generally busy lot,
either working or living far
away we opted for an evening
out at the theatre followed by a
meal in order to let people get
back home.
The Criterion Theatre is a
great venue with a long and
illustrious history. Spiers and
Pond held an architectural
competition for designs for a
large restaurant and tavern
with ancillary public rooms.
The competition was won by
Thomas Verity out of 15
entries.
He designed a ground floor
with vestibule, dining-room,
buffet and smoking-room. The
first floor was entirely devoted
to dining-rooms and serving
rooms.
The whole of the Piccadilly
front on the second floor was
occupied by the grand hall.
Behind it is another diningroom, service-rooms and a
room tentatively labelled
'picture gallery or ball supperroom'.
In the basement there was to
be another hall, for concerts
and the exhibition of pictures.
Building work began in the
summer of 1871, and was
completed in 1873 at a total
cost of over £80,000.
In January 1873, when the
carcass of the building was
already completed, the
proprietors successfully
applied to the Commissioners
of Woods and Forests for
permission to convert the
concert hall in the basement
into a theatre, with entrances
from both Piccadilly and
Jermyn Street.
The interiors of the new
building were extensively
decorated with ornamental
tile-work, one of the first
examples of the use of this
material on such a scale
following its successful use in
the recently completed
refreshment rooms at the
South Kensington Museum
(now the Victoria and Albert
Museum).
The cartoons for the figure
subjects were drawn by A. S.
Coke. The ornamental tilework and painted decorations
of both the theatre and the
restaurant were the work of
Messrs Simpson and Son.
The Criterion Restaurant was
opened to the public on 17
November 1873 and the
Criterion Theatre on 21 March
1874 under the management
of Henry J. Byron & EP
Hingston.
The fifteen family members
saw the production of the 39
Steps which was a spectacular
and hilarious adaptation of
John Buchan’s most spellbinding thriller. It was cleverly
done with four actors playing
at least a hundred and forty
different roles with a great use
of props and ingenuity to
portray a number of famous
scenes.
Afterwards we retired to a
local restaurant which gave
everyone a good opportunity
to catch up and discuss how
their soldiers were doing, most
of the talk centred around the
coming home dates which are
fast approaching.
Captain de Silva
Welfare Officer
Catherine Cargill.
Cpl Sebukima’s Sister.
The children were very excited to be
attending a show in the evening - all
the way in London. We travelled by
train and then bus. The children were
amazed that the lights were still on
and so many people where still in
London at that time of the evening.
We took pictures at Piccadilly Circus,
before and after the show.
We enjoyed the show 'The 39 Steps'
as it was a comedy, and there were a
lot of jokes that the children also
enjoyed. At first I thought my 8 year
old girl may not enjoy it and find it a
bit scary - but she enjoyed it because
it was a comedy. They were
surprised that one actor could play
more than one part.
After the show we went to a
restaurant for dinner, and since pizza
was on the menu, the children really
liked this. The food was great. It was
good to sit down and talk to all the
other people who came to the show.
Unfortunately, we had to leave before
everyone, as we had to catch our last
train at 11.30pm. All in all it was a
great evening, and we all enjoyed it.
Family members of YPRES enjoying dinner at the Strada
Restaurant
8
Family Event 2 YPRES
Paris
An ambitious weekend in Paris for
the families, potentially a logistical
nightmare but thankfully we had
an extremely sensible group who
were no problem at all.
It was a great way for the families
to team up and have a weekend
away from home.
We now look forward to planning
the next event, watch this space.....
My initial worry was the 0500hrs
meeting at the Eurostar check-in
at St Pancras; would they make it
on time? Would they still be in
bed? Would they be wandering
around looking to check-in whilst
the train pulled away from the
station?
Captain de Silva
Welfare Officer
But no, as I hopped out of my taxi
and dashed into the foyer they
were all there, children in tow.
Amazingly we did not have to wait
for anyone which was great. So
without further ado we grabbed
our coffees and took our seats on
the Eurostar and relaxed as we
raced through the Kent
countryside then on to France.
The journey was seemless and no
trouble at all. I had been preparing
for getting stuck in the tunnel,
running out of food and water,
Jacob ready to go on
the Metro with suitcase
in hand
Dangerous I know, an Officer with a
map and LCpl Relph was right to be
concerned but I was pretty sure that I
had it under control.
So armed with my Underground
Metro I approached the ticket booth
and began to bombard her with my
rudimentary school boy French.
I thought I was doing well, until her
colleague came over and spoke to
me in English!
Metro tickets in hand we pushed on
to arrive at our hotel which was
situated overlooking the River Seine,
which sounds like a nice view and I
am sure it is in the summer, but it
looked somewhat grey and dull in the
winter. Nevertheless the weather
stayed good throughout and we even
had a bit of sunshine.
Jordan enjoying snack’s on the
Eurostar.
losing electricity, to be told that the
French were on strike or under
going another revolution,
everyone seems to be at it at the
moment, or that the Germans had
invaded again and that the
Eurostar was in retreat!
But no, thankfully the journey was
uneventful and we emerged
unscathed onto the platform at the
Gard d'Nord Station in Paris.
As we disembarked with children
and luggage we wandered around
the ticket office as I grabbed a
map and tried to decipher how we
were going to get to our hotel.
From there Paris was our oyster or
whatever the saying is and we all
split up and went to explore the
delights of Paris.
Over the next 48 hours, as a group
we covered the various sites from the
Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the various
museums and galleries as well as
eating the local cuisine.
Snails with garlic butter were
fantastic. The Champs Elysee and
Arc de Triumphe were also popular; I
know that a number of the ladies
were eyeing up the Louis Vitton,
Givenchy and Chanel houses so I
fear for what is left of their partner’s
'Op Bonus' but at least they will be
fashionably dressed in the latest
couture.
9
Eiffel Tower up close and
personal
Catherine Cargill
Cpl Sebukima’s sister
We traveled to St Pancras
station at 4 am! I thought the
children wouldn’t wake up, but
they did because they were
looking forward to traveling on
the Eurostar. The train journey
was very fast and comfortable.
The children couldn’t believe we
were going to be in another
country without flying, and that it
would only take about 4 hours.
My 3 year old loved the train, and
the fact that he had his own seat.
We arrived early in Paris, and
travelled on the underground to
the hotel, this too was cause for
more excitement. The children
would have been happy
exploring the hotel.
In the afternoon we went back to
Paris and on to the Eiffel Tower,
Arc du Triumph, and Champs
Elysees. We liked the feel of
the city, as it was busy with
tourists, but yet did not feel
rushed or squashed.
Pancras, some arrived earlier than
others, I was worried about arriving
on time. We boarded the Eurostar
and this gave me time to meet LCpl
Relph and Capt de Silva.
We even managed to go to a
Toyota showroom on Champs
Elysees, and the children had
a blast 'test driving the new
models'. It was about 5pm
when we headed back to the
hotel and by then the children
could hardly walk anymore.
We arrived at the hotel and were
briefed before going off to enjoy the
sights. I spent the weekend with
Catherine and her three adorable
children, these being Cpl Sebukima's
sister, niece and nephews.
We had a lovely time seeing the
Eiffel Tower on the Saturday, after
we had done that we found
somewhere to stop for dinner, even
though we had all gone off to do our
own thing we saw this face appear in
the window, this made us all laugh, it
was of course LCpl Relph. She came
in and spoke for a short while which
was nice.
On Sunday morning we got
up early because we intended
to go to the Louvre and Notre
Dame.
At the Louvre we managed to
get a glimpse of the Mona
Lisa, however my 12 year old
didn’t think it was the original
because we managed to get
so close to it.
The children were not very
impressed by the statue of
Venus De Milo, to my
disappointment. They liked
other statues in there.
Notre Dame in all its glory
A good time was had by all and it
was a wonderful experience. I would
like to say thank you to LCpl Relph
and Captain de Silva for organising
this trip for us, also a special thank
you to Catherine for a lovely
weekend with her and the children
and whom without a doubt I would
have got lost.
We had a picnic outside the
Louvre and then made our
way to Notre Dame and sadly
we got lost, and spent a lot of
time trying to read the map
and figure out where we turn
left or right!
We got there eventually, and
we were again amazed by the
detail in the building. We had
lunch at a small, fabulous
greek restaurant nearby, that I
would visit again, even the
children, who can be fussy
eaters, enjoyed the food
there.
FAMILY
INFORMATION.
Tracey with Cpl Sebukima’s sister
Catherine and neice and nephews in
front of the Eiffel Tower
After that we only had about 2
hours to get back to the hotel.
Then we had to head back to
town to catch our train.
Needless to say we just made
it in time, to everyone’s relief.
We all loved the weekend,
and would like to do it again.
Thank you very much
everyone at The London
Regiment Welfare Office who
organised this.
It was nice to be asked if I'd like to
attend a trip to France for the weekend
by the London Welfare NCO, as were
others who have loved ones at present
out on tour.
Catherine Cargill
Well, we met in the early hours at St
Cpl Sebukima’s sister
Sunday morning we went for
breakfast before myself, Catherine
and the children took in more sights.
We went to the Louvre, we looked at
some amazing art, truly could of
spent a whole day there but went on
to see Notre-Dame, what a beautiful
building.
A Trip To Paris
Tracey Muir
Partner of Cpl Sebukima
10
02-April-2011- Family Home
coming Brief at Clapham TA
Centre for 1030hrs. Lunch will be
provided.
08-May-2011- Medal Presentation
for YPRES at Horseferry Road TA
Centre.
12-May-2011- Home coming
parade for YPRES at Canterbury 5
Scots.
11-June-2011- Queen’s Birthday
Parade, must be seated at 1000
hrs.
Messages from YPRES family
members
Hi LCpl Relph
Once again thank you for such
a lovely night, I really
appreciate the effort you guys
put into organising events for
us to attend. I know it may be
part of your job but it's nice.
What you do makes a big
difference, it was also nice to
talk about Cpl Sebukima and
good to hear that he stays in
contact with you guys, he is an
amazing man.
Felt bad for James because I
completely forgot he had not
eaten since lunch no wonder
he was so hungry last night,
also thanks to Captain de Silva
for giving both James, Joshua
and Jordan his attention when
we sat for dinner. Also thanks for
the invite to the Winter Ball and
introducing me to both Ann and
Paul, they were very nice.
We've exchanged details to
remain in contact. I had a
wonderful time, just wanted to
apologise for being late but
persistence got me there in the
end.
Hi LCpl Relph
Regards
Pte Thornhill’s mother
New Zealand.
Thank you for the invite. Would
love to be there to talk to the
other families! However, that
is not possible for me! It's nice
to be part of the process
though. I really appreciate
being included.
Many thanks,
Ann Thornhill
Tracey Muir
Cpl Sebukima’s partner
Spring Offensive
With the successful return of
AMEINS Company in October and
the collective hangovers of
Hallowe’en, Christmas and the All
Ranks Ball far behind us, the
Battalion’s Main Effort has
switched to regeneration for
HERRICK 16 and 17.
The centre piece of this project is
the ‘Spring Offensive’, a recruiting
surge designed to force generate
potential Recruits onto EX SAXON
CHALLENGE in June 2011.
Unlike previous campaigns, the
‘Spring Offensive’ will be
accompanied with centralised
marketing and media provided by
Bn HQ.
Avid subscribers of London
Borough publications are soon to
be bombarded with stories of our
‘Local Boys’, giving readers a
flavour of the challenges,
commitment and characters that
make up life in the Regiment.
the days where a Recruiting Stand
consisted of a few pin-boards with
faded photographs. We now possess a
professional looking set up that is easily
transported to any recruiting event.
With the Grand Plan issued by the
ROSO (who luckily possesses a
leadership style similar to Churchill’s
rather than to Douglas Haig’s) ably
assisted by the Operations Officer, 2Lt
Michael Townsend, the emphasis has
now fallen to the Companies to force
generate.
Each Company now has it’s own
OIC(Officer In Charge) Recruiting,
delegated with the task of coming up
with an independent plan for his
catchment area. It is worth noting that
the concept of ‘Mission Command’,
something many should be familiar with
from time on courses and on
operations, is still vital in the day to day
life of the unit.
These plans are taking a variety of
different shapes, with A Company
inviting the London New Zealand
In addition to the local sphere, the Rugby Club for a soirée at HFR, B
Unit Press Officer has plans for the Company hitting the streets of Watford,
London Regiment to place a series and 2Lt Matt Jones (OC MESSINES)
of articles in national broadsheets. propping up the Mess Bar at ULOTC to
win OCdts over to the TA.
Thanks to our connections with
HQ Foot Guards, the Bn has
Our usual methods, such as leafleting
purchased a new set of recruiting
or the open evening still have their part
stands and stall items. Gone are
to play during the surge, but it must be
11
stressed that the best way to recruit a
civilian into the TA is to engage them
using our best and most charismatic
asset: The TA Soldier.
The aim of the Spring Offensive is to
allow the public as much exposure to
our people as possible.
2Lt Townsend
Ops Officer
A Day on the Downs
This year on the 16 July the D
company Trail Walker team will be
entering the Trail Walker UK event.
This is a 100km race which follows
the South Downs way from
Petersfield to Brighton hosted by
Oxfam and the Ghurkha Welfare
Trust.
On Wednesday the 14 February the
London Irish Rifles Trail Walker
team went on their first training
session in preparation for the Trail
Walker UK event. This consisted of
running a 23 mile leg of the
notorious race.
The day began with an early start
with myself, LCpl Styles, CSgt
Kilpatrick and Captain Bartlett
convening in Connaught House at
0800.
Spirits were high and morale
good as we discussed our hearty
pre-run breakfasts and looked
forward to the day of hill running
ahead.
Not before long we were on the
minibus creeping slowly out of
the morning London traffic onto
the A3 and into the leafy Home
Counties.
The morning had been a gloomy
one and forecasts for the Downs
predicted showers, however the
further we drove south the
weather improved and as we
arrived just south of Petersfield
the skies were clear and the sun
shining.
I woke myself up tired from the
long drive and began the final
preparation.
With laces tied tight and a final
look at the map we were ready to
run, and so we begun running
down the lane a deceptive gentle
down hill to begin the day. It
wasn’t long before I was longing
for another stretch like this. After
about a kilometre we began our
first of many climbs on our way to
the first checkpoint, all still
looking strong keeping a good
pace.
This appeared to be the theme for
the first leg, running up a hill only to
find a steep descent the other side.
Before long we reached the first
checkpoint some 8km away from the
start in a remote car park in the
woods. I was relieved to see the
minibus and an opportunity to
rehydrate and catch my breath.
The second leg began and the hills
got worse. Steeper ascents and
descents and thick mud plagued the
route to Cocking.
The mud was so bad Captain
Bartlett’s bicycle’s breaks were
overwhelmed and he did his best to
keep control coming down the steep
narrow tracks.
The next checkpoint and halfway
point for the day was at Cocking
where we arrived some 2 hours after
our departure, relieved that the worst
was now behind us. The route from
here on out was different. The climbs
shallower, there were long flat
stretches.
Whereas we had spent the last two
hours in the shade of the woods we
were now running alongside farmer’s
fields and could enjoy the sun on our
backs.
As soon as we reached the top of The local wildlife was out in force
and we saw large groups of deer in
the first hill we were plunged
the open fields.
down again losing all the height
we had gained.
There were also pheasants running
for cover as they saw us approach
and a couple sightings of large buzzards.
The mud worsened becoming more
treacherous and making it more and more
difficult to run without falling over as LCpl
Styles found to his peril.
And after a descent through a recently
manured field to the third checkpoint we
realised just how filthy we had become.
The situation with the mud worsened on
the last leg but so close to our goal
determination kept us going.
After a final long climb we began the long
descent into Amberley and the finish to the
days run.
Just over four hours after we had begun
we finally arrived at the minibus for the last
time.
Sufficiently knackered from the days run
we tucked into CSgt Kilpatrick’s hot cross
buns and coffee and began our long
journey back to the city.
Morale was still high on the way back with
the day thoroughly enjoyed by all.
I very much look forward to running from
Amberley to Lewes on the next training
day and recommend any D Company
personnel who are available to come and
join us.
Rgr Beck
D Company (London Irish Rifles)
LONDON SCOTTISH V LONDON SCOTTISH
Press Release
While most of the rugby faithful
headed for the England / France
Rugby International at
Twickenham last Saturday, just
down the road in Richmond, an
all Scottish contest was drawing
a smaller but no less enthusiastic
crowd at the London Scottish
Football Club’s (LSFC) ground.
game against Wharfedale in the XX
Championship League.
Despite a spirited defence a scratch
A Company team proved no match
for the LSFC stalwarts who were
able to launch a series of set plays
with devastating affect that was
reflected in the final score. Team
Captain, WO2 Craig Nimmo said:
“The lads played with passion and
The LSFC has strong links to The enthusiasm but at the end of the
day we just couldn’t break through
London Regiment, the capital’s
the LSFC’s line and the best team
volunteer Infantry Battalion and
invited the Regiment’s A (London won, but we’ll be back for another
crack at them later in the year.”
Scottish) Company to a game,
pitching London Scottish against Members of the Regiment’s Pipes
London Scottish, in advance of
and Drums played throughout the
the club’s 1st XV key mid-season Wharfedale match, spurring the
12
home team to a comprehensive 27-3
victory. Despite a number of
decisions going against them, much
to the annoyance of a spirited crowd,
LSFC kept their composure and
maintained a relentless pressure on
the visitors’ right up to the final
whilstle, making it a satisfying double
victory for the club on home turf.
After the game, players and
spectators headed for the clubhouse
to watch England comfortably beat
France. Judging from the post-match
celebrations and despite the acres of
tartan on display, it would seem
allegiances are a little more “London”
than “Scottish” in this corner of the
capital.
Major Carter and the Commanding Officer at the
London Scottish Rugby Club
London Scottish Pipes and Drums
members helping at a recruitment day
London Regiment on a recruitment day out and loving it!
Recruits now turned into Rangers
under the watchful eye of LCpl Craig
The London Scottish Ruby Club after their usual thrashing
13
Piper Parsons of the London
Scottish Pipes and Drums giving a
solo
Background Information
The London Scottish Football
Club and The London Regiment
have a shared history going
back to 1878 when members of
the London Scottish Regiment
were recruited to play for the
club.
During the war years many club
players also served their
country with distinction under
the London Scottish Regiment
banner and the club proudly
displays a memorial to the
fallen at its ground in
Richmond. A tradition of military
service still exists at the club
today with Darrel Ball the 1st XV
Captain currently serving in
Afghanistan with Geo Troop,
Royal Engineers.
The London Regiment has bases
across Greater London and
forms the Territorial Army reserve
to the five Regiments of Foot
Guards. It has mobilised nearly
400 soldiers to Iraq and
Afghanistan since 2004 and is
recruiting now.
Interested applicants should be
aged between 17½ and 43.
To find out more about The
London Regiment and life in the
Territorial Army visit "http://
www.army.mod.uk/londons"
www.army.mod.uk/londons, email
“[email protected]”
or call 020 7801 2543 for an
informal chat with a member of
the recruiting team.
The Deer Hunter
Once a year at the Hallowe’en
Dinner, the Company Commander
of A Company rewards two Junior
NCOs with a chance to experience
deer stalking. So LCpl Porritt and I
were the lucky two this year. The
weekend is made possible by an
ex-Officer of A Company, Simon
Peters, who allows us to travel up
to the north of Scotland to his
family estate to try and bag
ourselves a deer. It sounds a little
gruesome, but I was assured that if
I didn’t go out and do this, then
they would need to be culled
anyway. So I was doing everyone
a favour really.
confirming their rough positions. The
wonders of modern technology and how
we employ them is brilliant!
We had of course to climb many hills
and carry a lot of stuff up them. After
about 30 mins we spotted a herd of
around 20, so we crawled up to take a
closer look. They were too far away for
us unfortunately so attempted to
outflank them, after more crawling
around we took another look but the
We landed at Inverness airport on
a Friday afternoon in February and
met up with Simon the only other
civie with a military style day sack
on! Then picked up the hire car
and began the two hour drive
north. After a very speedy and
interesting drive through the wind,
rain and darkness we arrived at the
cottage in the middle of nowhere
LCpl Miller and LCpl Porritt
by the sea. We unpacked and
enjoying the hunt
settled down for the night with a
winds had changed and took our scent
few drinks to ease us in for the
and the deer with it. This happened a few
night.
more times and so we planned to
change our route and try elsewhere. We
In the morning after being woken
could see the deer but they were out of
up to the sound of the pipes we
range, teasing us almost. As we left we
had a hearty breakfast and were
walked only 100m and nearly walked
on our way, after check zeroing the
straight into some strays from the herd.
rifles of course. Incidentally the
We doubled back on ourselves as
area we were about to ‘stalk’ on is
silently and quickly as possible to try to
owned by Simon’s parents and is
get into position. Luckily there was dead
very useful for catching/ killing
ground between us and a nice bit of high
game all year round, which is nice.
ground for us to settle upon. Simon
We had a quick scout around from
crawled up to see if we were still on and
the road first to see where the deer
we were! I was up first so readied the
might be and via a text message
rifle and followed up the slope and got
from a neighbouring ‘Stalker’
14
ready to take the shot. Staring down
the sights, 150m to my front, a deer,
grazing peacefully with his mother
and I was there to save them from
themselves. Earlier Simon had
shown us, using his iPhone, the
optimum place to shoot the deer
(just above the front legs 2 thirds
up) so I was clued up. Simon
decided that the mother was the
best shot so I lined her up and
waited for the opportune moment.
Whilst waiting for her to turn side on
then she suddenly starred straight
at me, we froze… like rabbits in the
headlights and she lost interest and
turned side on. BANG!!!
The shot rang out around the hills
and she ran, my first thought was
the unthinkable… I missed… surely
not. No! Moments after taking off
she collapsed and it was done.
The next move was to bleed out
and remove the deer’s insides
which I happily left up to Simon. For
a day out in the Highlands of
‘Bonnie’ Scotland it was a decidedly
warm day and we even had the sun
come out. This had NEVER
occurred in previous outings with
Simon as far as I’m led to believe.
Next was LCpl Porritt’s turn and it
was more of the same playing cat
and mouse with the deer all around
the family grounds. He had an
unlucky miss when a little bit too
much earth came between him and
his dinner. We were running out of
light and time so I was sent to get
the car and meet them on the road
whilst they attempted the final shot
of the day. Whilst retrieving the car I
heard 3 shots ring out and by the
time I found them, Dean was
bloodied and another deer had been
saved!
We hastily returned to the cottage
and collected the ArgaCat, an eight
wheeler that can go ANYWHERE!!
Hills, rivers the lot! We collected our
prize and moved onto the next
phase, the butchering. This was not
for the faint hearted as we removed
everything not edible to get to the
real meat and clean it up ready for
dinner. After a few hours more hard
graft and a nice warm bath, dinner
was on its way and a few well chilled
and deserved beers were served.
Sunday morning resembled a TA
weekend in that we packed up and
cleaned everything in a rush to get
home ASAP. With the added task of
grinding the meat into mince in order
to take back home to our womenfolk
awaiting our return ‘the hunter home
from the hill’. Another speedy and
interesting journey back down the
‘main road’ to Inverness, through a
blizzard and we arrived with about
20mins to spare. Boarded the flight
and were on our way courtesy of the
amazing EasyJet!
weekend. My Missus was also
pretty chuffed as I’d managed to
bring back some venison for her
to get on the stove ready for
evening supper, like a huntergatherer.
Strike Sure!
LCpl ‘Dusty’ Miller
A Coy (London Scotish)
All in all it was a very insightful
weekend into how the other half live
and what they do for fun on a
CRESTA RUN
The accommodation was a lot nicer
than I expected, a relatively
spacious apartment in the middle of
town housing four of us for the
week. We bedded down early to try
and sleep without thinking of the
madness we had set ourselves up
for the following morning. The club
opens at 0645 and all riders have to
sign their names on the run list by
0715. We met the other guys in our
team on the short walk to the run,
and walked through the town as a
bunch of Wacky Racers as we were
wearing our racing outfits, consisting
of goggles, regimental jumper, long
For me, Cresta started as a black and socks and tweed trousers!
white photocopied poster pinned up
The club looked eerily lit-up on it’s
on the notice board at A Company a
own down a slippery path and
year ago just after being attested!
before we knew it we had signed in,
Now a year later I am a Trained
in the packed changing area, and
Soldier. I was eager to find out more
from the poster and within a couple of were putting on our gladiatorial
leather knee and elbow pads, spike
weeks I was accepted as part of the
TA team for the Open Army Junction shoes with protruding toe spikes
and metal-platted hand guards!
Championships.
Now, filled with trepidation we went
upstairs to the club lounge and bar,
It was an early start on 23 January
with helmets under arm, for our
2011 when I set off on the long
briefing. The brief was probably
journey of plane, trains (3!) and
automobiles that eventually got me to longer than we would like, covering
St. Moritz that evening. I was met by the speeds, g-forces and dangers
our team captain, Maj Richard Morgan while all the time staring at a fullof the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, in the size patchwork of x-rays making up
a skeleton with broken bones,
town square and after a briefing and
introduction to the rest of our team we spines, metal pins and plates! After,
went to a local pizzeria to share some we were introduced to our guru for
the morning (the run is only open
wine and a pizza for 30CHF (Swiss
until 12-1pm due to the sun making
Francs) each - about £23! I knew
it too slippery). Our guru, a witty and
then, to survive in this harsh
very likable Maj James Kettler
environment some personal ration
Queens Royal Lancers, whose brief
packs must be sourced asap via the
on how to ride the run was probably
local Co-op.
15
shorter than we would like, as his
thorough instructions to riding the run for
the first time was really summed up by
‘keep your head high, elbows tucked in,
rakes (toe spikes) dug in and enjoy the
ride!
Before we knew it we had worked our
way along the riding order and were
gradually getting close to jumping into
the run, sled in position and awaiting our
name to be called over the tannoy. One
by the one the riders disappeared down
the run. Then we heard the 3 rings of the
start bell. This meant only one thing - the
rider had come out of the run! We were
all too familiar with this possibility from
our early morning brief and it could of
only of happened in one place...
Shuttlecock. The infamous sharp bend,
covered on its rim by hay and red crash
mats.
Time had now come. As I lay on my sled
at Junction, awaiting ‘run clear’ to come
over the radio, and then... ‘Allen.. DING!
(bell)’.
The next 69 seconds were filled with fear
and excitement threefold. Like going on
the latest scary roller coaster with the
exclusion of a seatbelt, track runners or
another passenger for support. As each
of us came through the finish we all
spoke at 100mph with wide-eyes and big
grins…..we’ve got to do that again!
The next run was even more enthralling.
Our Guru instructed us to push the
sliding seat of the sled forward after we
got past Shuttlecock, with head down - a
few inches from the floor - and really
enjoy the ride! We did, and boy did we!
The third run that morning couldn’t
come quick enough and now our first
thoughts of ‘lets just just get down in
one piece’ were now replaced with
‘we’ve got to break 60 second’s’.
The next morning, now feeling
unwisely confident - and curious - I
decided to find out just how bad
Shuttlecock could be?! Well it didn’t
take long to get my answer... DING!
DING! DING!
Without knowing exactly what
happened, my professional rocket
man appearance was now replaced
with a disheveled, hay covered rider
in tweed trousers. I had joined the
famous Shuttlecock Club to which
a pin badge would be purchased to
stamp my lifetime membership.
drenched terrace of the Klum Hotel,
where the Cresta Club was born. The
rest of my trip was spent enjoying the
slopes - this time on a more familiar and
manageable snowboard - the
magnificent views, and the bizarre sight
The next day was competition day
and the nerves were really jumping. of rat-sized dogs in Gucci handbags - it
really exists outside the movies! This
It consisted of 3 runs with any fall
really was a once in a lifetime
resulting in instant elimination. My
first run... disaster! Came out again experience and I would recommend
anyone with a sense of adventure (or a
after a valiant effort and my
bit mad!) to save up and give it a go. You
competition - along with a few
won’t be disappointed.
others was over (the extra cold
weather over night made the run
unexpectedly faster). But we all
Pte Dean Allen
took our 3 runs and enjoyed the
award ceremony on the sun
A Coy
HAND GUN COURSE
After weeks of great anticipation we
finally arrived at the Headquarters of
the Kent Police – Training and
Tactical Firearms Unit, Maidstone.
It was all very exciting for the both of
us. As trained soldiers we were too
aware of the demanding training
schedule that maybe awaiting us in
the coming days, if its anything
close to military run training. We
were nervous, apprehensive,
excited, all rolled into one and to
make matters worse, the joining
instructions had made it clear that
we required to wear our issued
webbing, smock and combat 95s
outfit. Did that mean that the training
would consist of tabbing with full kit
and carrying out drills of great
physical demand? Well, we didn’t
have to worry for too long before all
ten candidates on the course arrived
and suddenly our worries were
replaced by introductions and small
talk.
The day commenced with an
informal introduction by Major
Torbica, through whom this handgun
course has become accessible for
TA and Regulars. A 7 day training
course which is designed to benefit
both the 10 lucky candidates, myself
included, and the Trained Police
Firearms Officers who have already
been going through a 6 week “train
the trainer” course. We were
therefore to be used as part of their
final assessment to encompass the
introduction to the GLOCK 17 SLP,
weapons handling, theory of pistol
shooting, firearms related law,
dealing with conflicts, weapons
retention techniques and best of all
range work. Whilst a soldier’s
primary weapon is the SA80 rifle, a
policeman’s is the GLOCK 17
handgun.
After all the introductions and
formalities were cleared, we were
given our own personal weapons to
use for the 7 day duration. We then
had a brief tour of the ranges
(indoor) where we all got to test
shoot the Glock pistol (first time for
all 10 of us). After cleaning our
weapons followed by a short debrief
the day came to an end. The
classroom lessons consisted of
knowledge of Law relating to the use
of force – Common Law, Criminal
Law, Card ‘A’ and Human Rights
Act.
However, the majority of our time
was spent on the ranges where we
were being egged on and
supervised in refinement of our
marksmanship skills. Our
introduction to the GLOCK 17 has
been a privileged one and we had to
repay with our ability to take in
directions and execute it with an
accurate shot, applying all the
advice being given.
The main advice while on the range
came from the safety officer by your
side for the shoot and the feedback
for improvement consisted of paying
particular attention to one or more
weaknesses. For instance,
concentrating on sight picture
alignment alone, or adding speed of
drawing the weapon from the
holster. Although the test shoot was
scheduled for the last day of the
training calendar, the pre-test shoot
was taken as our official test shoot
16
as the standard of the shooting skills
was exemplary for all ten candidates.
The required pass rate was set at 70%,
however after the pre-test shoot all 10
candidates had achieved the above
average pass marks. I unfortunately got
the lowest mark on the day with 78%,
Pte Reid 96% and Pte Wilkie 98%.
We were awarded with additional
training on personal weapon retention,
unarmed combat and a fun shoot
section the following Friday.
To celebrate our success and the
completion of our training we were to
be hosted by our mentors for the night.
A van was to collect us from our
accommodation at 8pm to join them for
a quiet night of drinks and chat in a one
of many pubs in the Kent countryside.
With this thought in mind, we were not
at all disappointed by our hosts nor
were we surprised to quickly realise
that your average Police Officer is as
every bit an ASBO as your average
drunken lout. This realisation came as
no surprise to any of us. With Pte Reid
in charge of the entertainment, we were
again on the move to the second bar
where the night eventually ended, but
not before the symbolic stop over at the
local kebab take away for some
nourishment.
Many heads were very sore the
following morning to say the least.
However the day must go on and go on
it did, this was the day to have even
more fun. Upon arrival at the indoor
range, we were presented with an
unmarked armoured Volvo. This was
used to simulate firing from a stationery
vehicle, we then went on to practice
shooting at close range and then
shooting straight from the
holster.
The final shoot, consisted of
competing between two teams of
5. In this exercise one team
member had to run from a
distance of 50 metres, assemble
the GLOCK17 SLP when they
reach the target, prove the
weapon safe to the safety officer
before loading two rounds into
the weapon, then fire one round
at one of five small balloons
being used as the target.
After several attempts by both
teams, there were still two target
left for each team. I was next in
line to run to the target and being
aware that I had scored the
lowest mark with 78%, some of
my team members (at least one
person) was reluctant to allow me
my turn. Ignoring their lack of
confidence and armed with
determination, I made the 50
metre dash to the target,
assembled the Glock, showed
safe and then loaded the last to
9mm rounds and quickly made
ready.
This is now my chance to redeem
myself and finish the week on a
high. I calmed my nerves and
with confidence I took aim,
aligned the eye sight and without
anticipation slowly squeezed the
trigger, following through with the
shot then BANG…..BANG…..!
I managed to take out the two
remaining targets by applying all
the training and coaching during
the last 7 days of the course at that
very moment.
In the words of Ken (Police Officer)
I was ‘chilled, like cheese and
wine’. What a great way to end a
great course!
Pte Suronku-Lindsay
A Coy
151 Transport Regiment
However, CO 151 Regt is placing
emphasis on developing a more
flexible RLC soldier within the
current operational climate.
The operational partnership
began in September 2010 with
soldiers from both regiments
training alongside each other
over the two week annual
training period (ATP).
Peninsula Troop of 151
(London) Transport Regiment
RLC (V) is currently training
alongside the London Regiment
(LONDONS), with a view to
deploying alongside them,
supporting a Footguards
Battlegroup, in Afghanistan, on
Operation HERRICK 16 and 17.
This is a rare fusion of two
Regiments offering soldiers with
very different skill sets. Whilst
for the LONDONS infantry skills
are their bread and butter, for
151 Regiment our forte is
driving and the provision of all
manner of transport assets.
This has continued during
weekend training, which takes
place once a month. Operational
preparation training however is
not our only joint enterprise;
Peninsula Troop attended the
LONDONS ‘All-Ranks Ball’ in
January and joined them for their
YPRES Battlefield Study in early
March.
The latter commenced with a 150
strong march through the centre
of YPRES to the Menin Gate,
and culminated with a memorial
service at VIMY Ridge.
The LONDONS have one clear
objective during the training year
2 0 11 / 1 2 , t h e t r a i n i n g a n d
17
mobilisation of 100 soldiers for
operations in 2012.
The Regiments are therefore
working very closely to provide a
wide range of skill sets and
sharing of good practice. The
soldiers from Peninsula Troop
have completed the first of two
phases to ensure that the soldiers
selected to deploy in March 2012
are infantry trained in addition to
their primary trade (trades include
Drivers and Chefs).
Lt Debono-Evans, Peninsula Tp
Commander and Liaison Officer
commented that ‘our involvement
has been interesting and
rewarding from the outset’.
We have been warmly welcomed
into the fold and offered a huge
amount of support.
I believe this is the start of a
successful relationship between
Regiments from different
capbadges and is likely to be
replicated in the future’.
Lt Debono-Evans
RLC
Pictures from the Battle Field Tour.
Taken by LCpl Martin Goodright
B Coy.
London Scottish Pipes and Drums leading
the way to the Menin Gate
The London Regiment marching
towards the Menin Gate
The Memorial at the Menin Gate
The London Regiment marching back
to the town
The London Regiment marching back
to the town
18
LOO’s Cemetary
A restored trench at VIMY Battlefield
Sgt Scott, Lt Townsend, Lt Jones and
Sgt Anderson (left to right) march to
the VIMY Monument ready for the
ceremony
The London Regiment Pipes and
Drums leading the way
The London Regiment ready to follow
the Colours to the VIMY Monument
19
The London Regiment Battlefield Tour
4-6 Mar 11.
Planning for Exercise LONDON’S
RETURN began in summer 2010.
The Commanding Officer’s intent
was to create a Battlefield Tour in
and around YPRES that
encompassed actions at which each
of the four LONDON’S antecedent
Regiments had been involved and to
bring together the widest possible
Regimental Family. The Battalion
would march to the Menin Gate for
the Last Post Ceremony and
conclude the tour with a Drumhead
Service at VIMY Ridge, in the
shadow of the Canadian War
Memorial.
poignant and I will name three of my
own: a chance meeting with the local
farmer; re-visiting the site where WOII
Nimmo’s Grandfather fought and
learning of an Australian soldier’s
exhumation.
We were also introduced to the London
Regiment troops who would be our
guides at each of the sites. An
impressive curry followed and our
appetite to learn more about our
forefathers was suitably whetted.
Tuesday 1 March
Friday 4 March
Following a successful recce the tour
began on Tuesday 1 March (St
David’s Day!) at Horseferry Road with
an introductory evening to present the
aim and outline plan for the
forthcoming long weekend. Lt Colonel
Peter McClelland, a former
On Friday morning in early spring
sunshine troops, Association members
and musicians all departed from
respective TA Centres on coaches and
converged on the Channel Tunnel
railhead at Folkestone, stopping on the
way to pick up our Poppy Travel tour
guides .
The aim of the exercise was to aid
the reintegration and retention of
AMIENS Coy back into the Bn
after H12 in order to assist the
regeneration of the Battalion as it
prepares for Operations in
Afghanistan in 2012. At the same
time it would also help educate
soldiers on the LONDON’S history,
reinforce the Army’s core values
and standards and highlight the
realities of conflict.
In all just short of 200 comprising
of serving troops, members of
Regimental Associations, Tour
Guides, musicians and Regimental
Friends were transported across to
France and Belgium in four
coaches for what turned-out to be
an outstanding event. In terms of
numbers and ambition this was a
significant undertaking for our
German Cemetery at Langemark.
contemporary times – but when
we heard of some of the events
that unfolded during the First
LONDON’S Commanding Officer
World War in order to maintain our
known to many of us, and now a
freedom we felt humbled at our
Battlefield Tour Guide with Poppy
forefather’s sacrifice.
Travel (a division of the Royal British
Legion) gave us an excellent overview
The Tour
of the historical facts. In addition to the
reasons for the start of WWI, Colonel
Peter provided a laydown of our own
This note is to give you a flavour of
troops and for many brought to life the
the Battlefield Tour that I
names of the places we would visit
experienced with A Company. For
the most part coaches of Company which are honours adorning our
Groups and a VIP minibus travelled respective Drill Halls: Messines, Hill
60, Polygon Wood and Loos. In
independently, experiencing the
addition to London Regiment honours
same tour as a round robin. We all
we were also introduced to Pilkem
came together as a Regiment for a
Ridge which is an important Foot
number of key events so each
member of the tour will have his own Guards battlefield and the German
memories of the experience. I found Cemetery at Langemark.
it was the unexpected and personal
moments that were the most
20
After an uneventful crossing we found
our accommodation, got changed into
uniform, managed a quick meal at a
local restaurant and were on parade in
YPRES. We formed-up as a Regiment
adjacent to the impressive Cloth Hall,
beautiful lit in the clear and cold night
air. The Cloth Hall, named for tor the
main industry of the area of Flanders,
was re-built after WWI where the
original medieval Hall was almost
completely destroyed during hostilities.
The Battalion numbered off and was an
impressive sight as we marched
around the corner, lead by the London
Regiment Band, to the Belgian Army
Memorial where the Commanding
Officer laid a wreath before continuing
to the Menin Gate.
The CO laying a wreath on behalf of
The London Regiment
No-one can remain unmoved by the
simple service at the MENIN GATE
where the local Fire Brigade buglers
have sounded the Last Post every
evening at 2000hrs since the end of
WWI. This is as a mark of respect to
the 55,000 whose names are on the
memorial and have no known grave.
It was a privilege to be on parade
that evening.
corrupted to mean “Seldom Reaches
Destination”, as the CQMS team often
plundered the ration.
With Lt Gilmore’s presentation about
the ring of Royal Engineer mines and
their devastating effect on the enemy
ringing in our ears Private Warsap
became very interested in the 155
shell that was at the side of the road,
having been unearthed by the plough.
Later in the town square the Band
The Mortar Platoon from Catford spied
Beat Retreat and drew a respectful
this as a trophy for their famous bar,
and interested crowd. After the
but as Private Warsap is a notable
troops had fallen out, a quick change Afghan IED expert he advised this was
back into civvies, and the local town “about as dangerous as a shell could
was explored. Several took the
be” showing rifling from the barrel
opportunity of the early coach back having been fired, but not having
to Camp – I must admit I was one - detonated.
whilst others took their chance later
sharing a taxi. A few I’m told ran
Via a few nifty navigational twists
back to Camp to get in just before
Colonel Peter was able to navigate us
reveille!
onto the site where 10/11 Highland
Light Infantry (HLI) would have fought
Saturday 5 March
in WWI. This was of particular
Saturday saw an early start to cram
in what was to be an outstanding
day of education, remembrance,
celebration and Regimental history
all drawn together. After a simple but
sustaining breakfast we headed off
to the London Scottish memorial
outside MESSINES. It was a misty
morning and the heavy granite of the
memorial dripped in the mist,
guarded by Yews at each corner of
the plot. Several troops made
personal remembrances.
We moved off to the Island of
Ireland memorial park, an
extremely moving and excellently
conceived site overlooked by a
stone built tower in whose shadows
dark stones commemorate and
celebrate the four counties and all
those from Ireland who served in the
First World War. The poems and
writings on several of the flagstone
particularly poignant as to the futility
of war in Flanders mud.
WOll Nimmo holding his
grandfather’s medals
poignancy to WOII Craig Nimmo who
had brought with him the mounted
accoutrements of his grandfather
“Jock” Nimmo who had fought with the
10th HLI, who merged with 11th HLI to
make one effective Battalion, following
heavy fighting. WOII Nimmo had his
grandfather’s cap badge, medals and
notably a leather bound pocket book
part way through which had passed a
bullet. This had been in his
grandfather’s tunic breast pocket
As we were about to leave Monsieur when the photographs and letters from
Mathieu the farmer of the land
home had stopped the bullet and
adjacent to the park came across to effectively saved his life. WOII Nimmo
say hello and give us a number of
paused at the site and had a
artifacts given up from his ploughed photograph taken for the family who
fields for repatriation back to Britain. have not had the chance to visit.
These included an old bottle,
shrapnel, the top of a German
grenade and two jars that had once Next we were onto HILL 60 where a
team from B Company with Maj
held the rum ration marked SRD
Derrick Harwood, Sgt Hodgkinson and
“Supply Reserve Depot” which
Trevor Pigeon from the Association
Colonel Peter told us was often
21
gave a stirring account of the actions
that took place in a small area in and
around this strategically important hill.
The HILL 60 changed hands a number
of times and several individual actions
were awarded the highest accolade of
the Victoria Cross. The crater left by a
detonated mine over 100 feet across,
whose explosion was heard in
London, was incomprehensible.
From the open area of HILL 60 to the
tight country of POLYGON WOOD.
Here the C Company stand was lead
by CSgt Tester who gave first an
overview from the memorial that had
once been the rifle butts – now
overlooking the Australian and New
Zealand memorials. Sgt Scott and
LCpl Rowe put a clever twist on
relating the 4 phased echeloned
attack by giving an Orders Group in
the modern “Brecon” style with details
from the time – most notably the
administrative elements of “Brodie
helmet and gas capes to be carried”
and so on.
The troops were getting a bit cold and
the schedule fairly tight, but just up
from Polygon Wood I spied a café so
we pulled in for a restorative coffee.
This was a great chance encounter
with the café owner who had met
Harry Patch, the last survivor of the
First War who died at 111 years old.
He showed us the Order of Service
from having attended his service at
Wells Cathedral and a signed rotating
Gun cartridge.
The café owner had been involved in
over a dozen trench excavations and
held our party enthralled as he spoke
and then showed photographs of a
well preserved Australian soldier who
had been exumed and given the burial
with honours that he deserved.
Catching-up with our schedule we
then moved off to the Langemark
Cemetry where a number of the
German First World War dead are
buried. The stark contrast between the
white Commonwealth War Graves and
the sombre, dark flat nameplates is
striking. The Training Major, Guy Lock
contrasted the actions in and around
PILKEM Ridge that overlooked the
site of the now cemetery with those in
Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern
Ireland.
After an afternoon of great poignancy
and interest we all converged at a
restaurant in YPRES to share
stories and camaraderie at a
Battalion smoker. After this troops
went into town to visit the local
cultural sites – again some taking
the sensible early bus with others
pushing the boat out!
training for and deploying to Afghanistan
in 2012.
Sunday 6 March
This was a day of reflection. The
Company Sergeant Major handed
the accommodation back to our
Belgian hosts and after a breakfast
and coffee in the restaurant we
were on the road to LOO’s. A note
for all prospective Battlefield
Tourists – beware over reliance on
the Satellite Navigation System
and trust in your map, time and
distance estimate. There are two
LOO’s very close to one another
(one in France, the other in
Belgium) we went to the other
LOO’s!
VIMY Service taking place
were laid and prayers sent up
through the cold morning air.
From LOO’s we mounted-up and
were off to VIMY Ridge, near
ARRAS, where the Canadian War
Memorial looms into view. It is tall
and clean built from white stone
quarried from Croatia, with a
commanding view overlooking the
battlefield at which nearly 10,000
Canadians lost their lives in a series
of engagements that formed the
modern nation of Canada, then a
Dominion.
Finally, I would like to add my personal
thanks to those from the Regiment to
the Sergeant Major whose planning,
persistence and patience created an
excellent event for all involved. His
assured advice on training, Operations
and Ceremonial matters to two
Commanding Officers is something that
is not widely seen, Exercise LONDON’S
RETURN will remain as a great
testament to his time as Sergeant Major,
LONDON’S. Thank you.
Major Carter
OC A Company
Spotting our mistake we were back
on track relatively quickly and
arrived in glorious sunshine
reflecting off stark white
Ryan our guide, one of a dozen
Commonwealth War Graves
Canadian students on sabbatical at
headstones at the LOO’s cemetery. the memorial, showed us around
the tunnel systems and described
the difficult conditions in which the
Major Crispin Swayne introduced
the setting in 1917 of the battles at men lived and fought during the
First War. Despite the clear blue
LOO’s where the vast expanse of
skies and bright sunshine it was a
open ground was sobering to all
bitterly cold wind on the exposed site Major Jennings taking the Drum Head
those who surveyed it. Jim
Service
McCombie gave a short set of very and under modern thermals and
windproof jackets we wondered of
moving and splendid pipe tunes
the effect on those troops under
that caused all to think of those
who had fought in and around this constant barrage in the mud.
site. A number of personally
inscribed remembrance crosses
Once all parties had been through
the exhibits we changed into
combats and again the Regiment
formed up to march the 300 meters
or so to the memorial at VIMY for a
drumhead service. This was a very
moving service with readings from
several troops and at which Honorary
Colonels from the Toronto Scottish
spoke of their national pride centred
on this memorial to the faith, hope
and charity shared between the
nations of France and Canada.
Jim McCombie playing the
Pipes
It was a poignant way to end an
excellent tour that – as the
Commanding Officer said in his final
address – had achieved its objective
of drawing the Regiment together to
cement the moral component of
Offensive Spirit that will be tested in
22
Part of the VIMY Monument
Photos of CSgt Dixon and Sgt Scott at
the RFCA Awards Ceremony
CSgt Dixon before receiving his
award by Sir David Brewer CMG JP
The President of GL RFCA
Sgt Scott receiving his award also by
Sir David Brewer CMG JP The
President of GL RFCA
CSgt Dixon receives his award
Sgt Scott receives his award
CSgt Dixon enjoying his award
Sgt Scott is happy to have received
his award
23
LONDON REGIMENT FORECAST OF EVENTS
15-17 Apr 11
IRONMONGERS TROPHY Ash/Pirbright
Shooting/Ptls Competition
Conversion Trg (151/71)
13-15 May 11
Ex CAPITAL ATTACK 1
Hankley Common
Section Attacks
21 May 11
GOC Competition
Pirbright
Sports/Mil Skills/SAAM
17-19 Jun 11
Ex CAPITAL ATTACK 2
Barossa (RMAS)
Section Attacks
15-17 Jul 11
Ex CAPITAL ATTACK 3
Aldershot
Platoon Attacks
19-21 Aug
Ex CAPITAL PATROL
STANTA
Rural Patrols
22-28 Aug 11
DIE Catch up
STANTA
Catch up for SC 11 pax
03-17 Sep 11
ATP 2011
TBC
LFTT to Platoon Attack
Dry Coy level Offensive
Ops
14-16 Oct 11
Ex CAPITAL CONCRETE
Longmoor
Urban Offensive Ops
12 Nov 11
Lord Mayor’s Show
TBC
Marching contingent
13 Nov 11
Armistice Day
Cenotaph/ Coy Locs
Marching contingent/
Church service
14 Nov 11
HERRICK 16 Mobilise
RTMC
18-20 Nov 11
Ex CAPITAL CONCRETE 2 Longmoor
Urban Patrols
02-04 Dec 11
Ex CAPITAL JUDGMENT
Theatre TTPs
24
Pirbright