Colonel and Gold Stick; Admiral of the Fleet The Earl Mountbatt-en 01 Burma, K.G., P.C., G.C.B., O.M., G.C.S.I.,
G.C.l.E., G.C.V.O., D.S.O., F.R.S.
Commanding Officer; L,jeutenant Colonel H. D. A. Langley, M.B.E.
THE ACORN is printed and published by Service Publications Limited, Caxton House, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, for The Life Guards and The Life Guards' Association.
Editor: Captain G. R. Petherick. The Cover Depicts: A Saracen of "B" Squadron leading a patrol through the debris in Shankill Road, Belfast, Oct., 1969 Photograph reproduced by courtesy of The Press Association Ltd., London.
Lieutenant-Colonel H. D. A. Langley, M.B.E.
Commanding Officer, May 1969
The Acorn was started at the beginning o{ the Regimenes tour in the Far East in 1966 and was pUblished at four monthly intervals
with the aim 01 keeping those members of The Life Guards serving away from us in touch with the activities of those in the Far East. Five editions were published out there and when we returned to England in November, 1968, it was decid·ed that the magazine would in future be published annually. Probably the most important feature of the new Acorn is that it will incorporate the Annual Report of The Life Guards Association which has hitherto been issued to all members under a separate cover. This, it is hoped, will produce a more comprehensive report for Association members and also 10ster closer harmony between serving and past members 01 the Regiment. Comments are invited and letters to the Editor about the Regiment, whether from past or present members, will be welcomed.
We returned to Windsor in November, 1968, after an extremely successful tour 01 the Far East, during which the Regiment was stationed in Borneo, Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong. Many members of the Regiment managed to acquaint themselves with various other countries in the area, and the fleshpots o,f Bangkok proved a favourite hunting ground. Several members of the Regiment went to Australia, two pilots went to Mauritius during the emergency, and the Commanding Officer had a very hair-raising trip to Bali in his single eng ined Cessna, "nine mike alpha mike rome·o". He was extremely well known for his aeronautical antics and eventually flew his aeroplane home in three weeks during October, 1968. The fact that his whole trip went exactly according to plan is no mean tribute to his forethought and planning. Among others who returned home in unorthodox ways were Corporal of Horse Hales and Sergeant Parnell, who returned home overland on two old B.S.A motor bikes, a trip which they accomplished in nine weeks and with hardly any breakdowns.
We re-assembled at Windsor on the 18th of November, 1968, and it was the first time the Regiment had been together in one barracks since June, 1966. The hopes we all had of a peaceful three years among the steaming pipes of Combermere were soon shattered, for after a brief two months together before Christmas we were soon dispersed again all over the world. First to go were half of "B" Squadron, under Captain S. V. Gilbart-Denham, who spent their time from the middle of January until the middle of March on a Mediterranean cruise aboard H. M.S. Fearless. Considerably co·lder were our next overseas adventurers, "C" Squadron, who, as part of the AC.E. Mobile Force, went to Norway during February for a period of ski and winter warfare training. Major W. T. V. Loyd and "A" Squadron wasted no time in following them and spent three weeks in Denmark and Germany on Exercise "Bold Adventure": they claim that they were in just as cold a place as the airportable squadron but that they did not have the benefit of proper clothes to keep them warm. No cases of frostbite occurred and the Regiment re-assembled for a short period together during April, during which we were visited by the Colonel of the Regiment and were tested on Salisbury Plain by the Commander Royal Armoured Corps, 3rd Division. We also had an inspection by the Major-General Commanding the Household Division. At the beginning of May Lieutenant Colonel I. B. Baillie gave up command atter two-and-a-half years. We were particularly sad to see the departure of Colonel lan who saw us through our tour in the Far East and who has been such a great Life Guard always. We are very pleased that he is not far away and still see much of him in his present job of Regimental Lieutenant Colonel. We are delighted to be able to welcome as his successor, Lieutenant Colonel H. D. A. Langley, M.BE, who returned to us after a brief spell away at the Joint Services Staff College. He straightaway took the Regiment (less the AC.E. Mobile Force Squadron under Major J. B. Emson, who went to Greece instead) to Castle martin Ranges in Pembrokeshire where we performed our annual tiring. On our return to Windsor at the end of the month Combermere Barracks quickly emptied again for "B" Squadron went oft to Norway on Exercise "William Grace". Ascot Week (our Regimental "days") soon followed and Major Loyd then took his squadron to Norfolk for a week, where they prepared for their tour in Sharjah by drinking the local pub dry. An N.C.O.'s Cadre Course and Page 7
(Stop Press: Many congratulations to Major T. R. S. Gooch on being awarded the M.B.E. in the New Year Honours for his sterling wor,k over the Blues and Royals amalgamation).
varfous trade training courses weicomed the squadrons back at the end of June, and then the majority of us went on a block leave period during the end of July and beginning of August.
The AC.E. Mobile Force rear-ed its ugly head once more on our return and Regimental Headquarters and "C" Squadron were in the throes of preparing for Exercise "Golden Arrow" on the Stantord Practical Training area when we sUddenly received the signal that we were to put "8" Squadron on seventy-two hours notice for Northern Ireland. Forty-eight hours later they departed in the L.S.L. Sir Percivale from Marchwood, and just about the same time Regimental Headquarters and "C" Squadron trundled up to Stanford in their armoured cars. Exercise "Golden Arrow" was designed as a work-up exercise for Exercise "Green Express", wh,ich took place in Denmark during the last three weeks of September and which is the subject of a separate article later in the magazine. "8" Squadron meanwhile had arrived in Northern Ireland where they were stationed in a Dritl Hall in Holywood, just outside Belfast Life to them there was very busy and they wer'e employed ·in a variety of roles, including flag marches, patrols, guarding vulnerable points, road blocks and check pOints. At one point the whole squadron was dismounted tor about a week due to an apparent shortage ot infantry, but probably t.he highlight of th'eir tour was the events of the week-end of the 11th and 12th of October when our armoured cars led the infantry down the Shankill Road against a large mob (see the cover photograph). We are glad to say that they all returned safely in early December. For "A" Squadron, meanwhile, the problems of Europe are a thing of the past and they departed for Sharjah at the end of September. Much news has percolated back from the sandy wastes where they are stationed, most of it under the rather dubious heading of a publication called "The Desert Rose".
What of the future? "C" Squadron will be in the Arctic Circle when this magazine is pub.lished and their role in the AC.E. Mobite Force is likely to continue this year, culminating in an exercise in Turkey during October. "A" Squadron return to the fold in July and "B" Squadron will be by then enjoying six months of sun in the holiday island of Cyprus. (Stop Press-they won't for "Cyprus" read "England"!)
We have said many sad farewells during the past year which are regrettably far too numerous to mention in these pages. Those N.C.O.s who have left are shown elsewhere in the Magazine and it is one's job here to mention those of/icers to whom we must say goodbye. They are numerous indeed and asld up to the seemingly vast total of thirteen. The last to leave but surely the first to be mentioned must be Arthur Thomson who retired as a Major on the 2nd of September. He joined in 1939 and received rapid promotion to the rank of Warrant Officer Class 11 which he reached in 1941. He was commissioned !In 1957 and remained with us until t.he end of the Regiment's tour in the Far East last year. His technical advice and -expertise was unparalleled as was his loyalty and devotion to the Regiment.
Major C. W. Wordsworth departed in March after fifteen years in the Regiment he was Re.gimental Adjutant during his service and retired as Second-in-Command. Major R. I. Ferguson preceded him by some tive months and left from the Mounted Squadron in November, 1968: he had been a Lite Guard 10r sixteen years and was Adjutant from 1957 until 1959. His encouragement of Regimental Polo will long be remembe-red, and under his leadership we won the Inter Regimental Cup in 1963 and 1968. Another member 01 both these teams has also left; Major N. V. S. Paravicini. He joined us in 1957 and was Adjutant from 1963 until 1966. Major M. A. L Young departed on the 31 st of March after fifteen years' service in The Life Guards and Captain R. G. Sheffield left us in January after a three-year short service commission prior to which he had been Reg,imental Corporal Major. Captain V. R. A S. Law, Lieutel'lant N. Percy Davis, Lieutenant S. T. C. Hanbury and Lieutenant S. P. left after extended Short Service Commissions and a whole hqst of campaign medals and countries visited and finally three Second Lieutenants, E. G. Thompson, J. G. McAllister and R. S. Gucewicz-Baillie retired alter three years' service, most of which had been spent in the Far East. To all these officers we say farewell and wish them the best of good fortune in civi,lian life.
A SqlJAIJBON
When the last article was written for Acorn, we were swelterJing in Singapore. We are now sweltering in Sharjah, after a year in which we have floundered in the mud on Salisbury Plain, frozen in the -20"C plains of Denmark in winter and basked in the cultured atmosphere of Great Yarmouth in June.
After a well-deserved slice of leave in November, we reformed in Comberme're (roadworks still in progress, and steam rising from the ground like hot springs) and took over our vehicles and equipment just in time to rug them up before going on Christmas leave. We said goodbye at this stage to Trooper Patrick Doyle who is still on extended (unpaid) furlough. His next posting is believed to be Colchester.
Exercise "Brass Monkey" in January gave us the fi rst taste of cold. The L.AD. procured a half track, mainly to provide an enclosed dormitory for the section, but th'is almost defeated its object in that it required a tow start from the Scammel most mornings. Corporals Alien and Rowley tried acrobatics in a Ferret (not a success): Corporal Le·ivers managed to get bogged off the training area, and bog the half track, and the two beer bars ran dry, necessitating a raid on the Blues at Perham Down.
Exercise "Bold Adventure" was a N.A.T.O. exercise in Denmark and Germany. "A" Squadron set off by sea in mid February, and after a time of regrouping in a Danish Barracks, .went off to war in support of 24 Brigade, to repel German landings in the Kiel a·rea. The initial advance was picturesque as the squadron convoy met a clover-leaf flyover, and promptly scattered. However, soon this was recNfied (the C11 in A.C.V. 1 blew a few fuses) and we were at war for the next few days. Corporal Leivers became stuck between two Ferrets which sl,ightly reduced his senior figure, 1 Troop captured a hig.hly secret bit of equipment that was nothing to do with the Exercise, and Fred, the non-English speaking Danish driver of our Danish La, only appeared from his heated jeep on occasions to restock with schnapps and lager.
The issue rum scarcely kept out the cold (we had none of the equipment issued to "C" Squadron for cold weather). However Squadron Corporal Major Turtle had found a oentrally-heated school for us during the non-tactical phases (the bill is sUII under discussion) so we avoided the frostbite and exposure which the luckless Infantry suHered.
After a further ten days we embarked at Esberg (many fond farewells there) on the Sir Percivale and returned to Marchwood.
The Squadron had been most adaptable during the period, in particular Corporal Harry Jenkins who carried out the duties of Squadron Clerk, commanding A.C.V. II (briefly), commanded an A.P.C. (brie·fly), and was a member of an assault section. Corporal Goldby had put aside the pay books for the duration, and was most useful as assistant cook in S.H.a., as well as refreshing himself on infantry tact,jcs.
The Spring passed quickly enough with the odd regimental exercises, recruiting drives, annual firing and drill parades. Summer was soon upon us, and in June we went to East Angli'a where we were guests of Lord Somerleyton for a week, ending with a short exercise with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.
Corporal of Horse Rhodes met his match in Great Yarmouth when explaining his "hands across the sea" pol,icy to an American oil r·igger, Corporal Mounttord tried a victory roll with Howard in a Ferret, the roads between Windsor and Norwich were Ntt-ered with crumpled civiJ,ian cars, and the pub at SI. Olaves was drunk dry.
Desert Hawk. a.c. N.A. T.a. Shock Troops, Kaid Shariah Soouts, Silver Stick (Gu!ij, sometimes known as the "A" Sqaadron Leader
LEFTBogged again! Exercise "Bold Adventure" RIGHTTrooper Wearing and LanceCorporal Kelly on Exercise "Bold Adventure"
N.A.A.F.I. Break
Lance-Corporal Birch and Squadron Corporal-Major Stratford reading about a girl Irom Old Windsor
Corporal Ooyle and Corporal Daniels at Baggage Train?
Somerleyton Hall
August saw us on Salisbury Plain once more-thls time it represented the desert, and at times the map reading problems seemed as great as they do out here. "Arab" terror,ists under Sheik Stratford were "zapped" with regularity, Wadis and Jebel alike were sprayed with indirect fire and troops would return parched in the evening to camp in the Beeches Barn oasis, slake their thirst at the beer bar and listen to Corporals Bishop and Davies trying to cap each others stories.
Finally the day of reckoning came. After an excellent Squadron dance, which many people will have cause to remember for many months, and a spot of leave, the main pa'rty arrived in Sharjah on the 9th of October, with more men than we have had for some time. The advance party (Phillips, Rowley and one or two others) had already taken over the equipment, so all er a week of settlijng in, we were off on exerCise "First Chicks", four days of Squadron trai,ning.
Owing to the great age of the vehicles, the heat and certain navigational problems, the Squadron only covered thirty-six miles in the first twenty-four hours, and at the end of that period Staff Hulley and his team had repaired some dozen vehicles. After three days of roughing it with scorpions, camels, goats, locals, sand-
storms, mirages and Tigers, we were in slightly beller shape, and made the journey back in seven hours.
At the time 01 writing we are just off to Buraimi to fire the main armament, Insh'allah, and have quite a lot of training planned.
The changes in the Squadron, although numerous, have left us with many of the same laces who were with us in Singapore. We have lost Squadron Corporal Major Turtle, to whom we wish every success in civilian life, Harry, to sort out the Household Cavalry Regiment, Corporals of Horse Hunt, WaterwoHh, Venn and Rhodes and ma,ny others.
We have gained Captains Harcourt--$mith, Boy!, Lieutenants Fletcher, Imbert-Terry, Rogers (on loan from The Blues a,nd Royals), 2nd Lieutenants Howletl and Schotter. Squadron Quart'ermasler Corporal Bentley joined us from "B" Squadron, whilst Staff Sergeant Hulley, Corporals of Horse Henderson, Osgood, Friend, Tonkings, Wardell and Lance-Corporal of Horse Hodg,son and numerous others arrived from all corners of the country dlJring the past year. Corporal of Horse Tonkings has had the d'oubtful pleasure of serving in Sharjah before, when he and Corporal Davis were in "A" Squadron in 1958/59.
Corporal of Horse Feltes and Trooper James on Exercise "Bold Adventure"
The Squadron Leader's charger
Lance-Corpora! Carlwright and Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Juleff in Acting A.G. V.1
B SqUADBON
After returning from our rugged tour 01 duty in Hong Kong in October, 1966, we all departed our respective ways for four weeks well earned home leave.
We returned for duty in November with the ,impression that we were destined lor an unexciting year of soldiering at Windsor. Little did we know that before the year was up soldiers of "B" Squadron would have visited Gibraltar, Sardinia, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, Nigeria, Norway and Northern Ireland.
On the 13th of January two Armoured Car Troops, a small squadron headquarters and L.AD. Section embarked on H.M.S. Fearless as part of 45 Commando Royal Marine Group for a two-and'a-half month tour in the Mediterranean.
We set sail from Devonport faT Gibraltar early on the 15th at January and very soon struck bad weather. Most of us succumbed to sea si.ckness especial,ly Corporal of Horse Perkins whom we soon discovered did not go a bundle on sailing. We eventually altered course alter a Marine fell down a vehicle ramp and broke his back on one of our Armoured cars.
We called in at Gibraltar very briefly on the 18th of January where we stretched our legs and viewed the loc'al talent in a very pleasant 70°F. In the evening we set sail for Sardinia where we were due to take part in an amphibious landing on the south coast followed by a five-day exercise in the ltal ian Armoured Training Centre.
We were ordered to waterproof our vehicles for the beach landing and even though most of us had been on waterproofing courses we still lound roath,er 'irksome, especially as it had to be done on a hea",ing deck with very little elbow room.
On the 21st of January we arrived off the Southern point of Sardinia and I reproduce a page out of my diary to cover events:
Bill and Ben!! Colonel Bowitz, commandant of Trandum Cavalry School saying goodbye to Major J. W. F. Fuller at the end of the Norwegian exercise. Looking on-S.C.M. York and Captain S. V. Gilbart-Oenham
"Up at 0400 hrs. Ship to Assault Stations at 0545 hrs. Troops stood to L.C.M.s at 0600 hrs. and launched from Fearless at 0620 hrs. Landing by L.C.M.s presented no problem as we got in closer than expected. All our efforts at wa:erproofing were virtually wasted as we drove off into two inches of water. Exercise lasted eight hours and appeared to go well. Our tasks were first to help secure the beach-head and then to lead the advance inland to the obiective.
Plenty of cross country driving and Armoured Car/ Marine Co-operation which ended with a Saladin pulling the Marine Commanding Officer's Land Rover out of a bog."
The remaining four days in Sardinia were of great training value and we managed to fire the Brownings, S.M.G.s, S.L.R.s and White Phosphorus. We also practised camouflage/O.P. procedure and a helicopter took all the soldiers up to see -if they could spot their vehicles from the air.
On the 25th of January we re-embarked in H.M.S. Fearless and set sail for Gibraltar Where we arrived two days later. We stayed three days, during which time all soldiers went on a guided tour in and around the Rock After a considerable amount of trOUble we managed to obtain clearance to disembark a troop of armoured cars to go on a flag-waving trip around the Colony and up to the frontier. This must be the only time Saladins have ever been seen in Gibraltar.
On Friday, 31st of January, we said good-bye to Gibraltar and headed for Taranto in the heel of Italy, where we arrived on 4th of February. We entered Taranto Naval Base, passing on the way in an Italian military band p}'aying (surprisingly well) the National Anthem.
"B" Squadron letting Bellast know what armour looks like CoH. Reed. Tpr. Oif/on and Tpr. Scales (Driver) Lenee' Belia:"t
We sent several parties of soldiers on sight-seeing trips to the second largest caves in the world at Castellana, and another party to Bari on the Adriatic Coast, where we were ente·rtained by 22nd Commando Di Zona, Bari. The soldiers were all given one.and-a-hall bottles 01 wine each for lunch which resulted in a British v Italian soccer match being an easy victory for the Italians.
On the 6th 01 February we sent a Land Rover, commanded by Mr. Grandy, Irom Taranto to Genoa stopping en route at Salerno, Pompei, Naples, Cassino, Rome and Pisa.
On the 8th of February we set sail for Genoa and on the way prepared for two guards of honour. It was very 'fnteresting watching Corporal 01 Horse Perkins drilling everyone on the heaving flight deck.
On the 10th of February we arrived in Genoa where we duly performed our guards of honour in Arctic condiHons. A lew hours later Mr. Grandy materialised having driven up Italy without incident and having, I am told, given a fascinating historical resume of the Battle of Cassino on the way.
On the 11th of Februa·ry a party of us had an interesting day visiting Pisa and Florence. The leaning tower seemed to be 0'1 more interest than the art galleries. However, we all enjoyed ourselves in our various ways.
On the 13th of February we sailed for Cyprus. On the 14th we launched one of our Wessex helicopters off Malta to collect a new Saladin Transfer Box. This was later fitted to a Saladin by Corporal Voce and (now) Lance-Corporal Dawdry in a rough sea, having first removed the engine and gearbox with the overhead gantry crane. Th'is was a very difficult operation under diHicult conditions and it was very much to their credit that the vehicle was able to drive ashore under its own power three days later.
On the 17th of February we landed at Dhekelia for fourteen days' training. The Life Guards parted company with the rest 01 the embarked lorce and drove up to Pergamo'S to stay with "A" Squadron, 3rd Dragoon Guards. Major Barclay and his squadron looked after us Page 14
CoH. Alderson, Tpr. Powell Tpr. Crosby (Driver) and LlCpl. Howlelt about to re-embark at Gibraltar
superbly: it was unfortunate that our visit also coincided with the announcement of the amalgamation of 3rd Dragoon Guards and Royal Scots Greys.
We had a very interesting training cycle in Cyprus which included most aspects of training-even a foot map reading exercise!
On Sunday, the 23rd of February, we hired a coach for the day and v·isited Nicosia, Bellapais Abbey and Kyrenia. Whilst in Nicosia we stopped off at the war cemetery and paid our respects to the Household Cavalrymen who now rest there.
On the 24th we drove to Ziyyi where we spent the day with a squadron of the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment. Th·is brought back happy memories for a few of us older soldiers who were last there in 1964 when in the Uni,ted Nations' peace-keeping force.
We re-embarked on H.M.S. Fearless on the 28th of February and three days later arrived in Malta.
We obtained clearance to land all our Armoured cars and for fourteen days we were to be seen driving round
Tpr. Brammer recruiting in Norway
Duri,ng May the squadron drove tD Castlemartin with "A" and Headquarters Squadrons for the annual shoot. All crews were subjected to the battle run a'nd all other types at shoots including night shooting, The only drama occurred on the battle run when a 76mm shell narrowly missed a range radar set (or was it the 300,000 ton tanker in Millord Haven!).
Our advance party tor Norway left on the 24th of May tram Newcastle and the main party left Windsor five days later. The main party stayed at Colchester where we saw some very worried faces as the sh'ipp'lng company initi'ally refused to carry our duty free drink. Having eventually loaded the vehicles and drink on to a civilian car terry at Felixstowe, we left them in the capable hands of Corporal of Horse Johnson who guarded them with his life to Oslo. On the following day th·e main p·arty plus Craftsman Sissons with a Scammel prop shaft embarked aboard the "SS Black Prince" (the flag ship of the Fred Ohlson Line). As usual we dra,nk the ship dry even finishing a supply ot diabetic beer!
On arrival in KrisHansand we travelled Oslo by train. Next moming an interesting and drive from Oslo docks to the Norwegian Cavalry school at Trandum about thirty miles north of Oslo,
We had one lucky escape when a wheel fe,1I off a Ferret rolled 'half way down a mountain side. Trooper Coulson had ·the misfortune 01 being hit i·n the face by a brick thrown up by a passing lorry while he was driving an armoured car, Then later on, during Exercise "Harda''', Trooper Pride received a blow on the head when his Ferret caused a farm track to collapse. Bes'ides these accidents we had two amusing battles against the Norwegian recce squadron and tank squadron. Between these two exercises every troop completed a dry baWe run against R.H.Q. troop, commanded by Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Lumb, who made an excellent enemy.
We I·ived j,n Norwegian army tents, complete with stoves, and every evening when the heat of the day died down our camp resembled something out 01 "Hiawatha".
Royal Irish Rangers in Gibraltar being baffled by Cpl. (now CoH.) Alderson
As the weather got warmer swimming, water ski-ing and canoeing became popular. From scratch twenty soldiers passed their basic canoe test and twelve men made a 50-kilometre trek along lakes and rivers under the expert gU'idance of Mr. Thompson and Corporal Townsend. Thanks to the kindness 01 the Norwegian Army the squadron visited Oslo to see the Kon-Tiki raft, VilQing ships and th€ Holmenk·ollen Ski Jump as well as visiting some of the local student bars and night clubs.
Hitch-hiking became quite a craze with one R.E.M.E. party under Se-rgeant Newby, covering 792 kilometres over a week-end and two other teams, under Corporal Pearson and Corporal Doehren, hitched from Bardufoss (in the Arctic Circle), a total distance of 1,500 kilometres in three days.
Blessed with good weather a most successful .squadron dance was held in the open air which was eagerly attended by many local girls.
The journey back to England on the 27th of June was similar to the journey oul with the vehicles leaving Oslo and the passenger party leaving Kristiansand, the only difference being that moSo\ ot the squadron travelled back 1st class· in the ship. We managed to consume a vast quantity of smoked salmon and caviar, especially the Chief Clerk. Two weeks' work cleaning all the Trandum dust off our kit, then three weeks' leave.
The months of August and September were going to be busy, starting off with a Reg'imenta I C.P.X.; two days off; Exercise "Golden Arrow" on Stanlord Training area; four days off then the long drive to Lar,ac in the south at France on exercise Pilgrims Progress. But our hopes of September in France were soon shattered when the squadron was warned off tor an emergency tour in Northern Ireland on Friday, the 15th of August. Luckily quite a large proportion of our stores were ready packed for the French exercise but we still had our problems as we wondered what to do with hundreds of French maps, yellow head lamp filters and Mk 4 Ferrets. On Saturday evening the message arrived 'ordering us to be at Marchwood (Southamp\on) by mid-day on Sunday. On the drive down Trooper Jones managed to blow up the squadron leader's Saracen only one mile from the
A waterproofed LlCpl. Townsend in Sardinia
barrack gate, five troop got bogged only half a mile from the docks, and the echelon went swanning round the shopping centre of Southampton. As usual the bow doors of the L.S.L. jammed so the loading took longer than expected, having first 'dropped the gangplank into the sea. We set sail at one o'clock in the morning. Tuesday lunch time we found ourselves i'n Londo,nderry being escorted paS'! Bogside on our way to Omagh. Our first s·ight of Ireland consisted of burnt ou,t pubs; boarded up shop windows, armed soldiers patrolling the streets, barbed wire and sandbagged positions and Scout cars guarding the bridges. A very comfortable nighl was then spent with the 17th/21 $I Lancers in their ultra-modern barracks. The next day the squadron completed a flag march through Ulster, eventually ending up ,in Holywood, a small town three miles east of Belfast, where we took over a small T.A drill hall. We were attached to 39th Infantry Br'igade and were given the tasks of patrolling Counties Antrim and Down and helping out the hard-pressed Infantry Battalion in Belfast
In the meantime Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Lumb trained up the newly-formed six troop borrowed from Headquarters Squadron, and owing to their eager· ness they soon found themselves patrolling vulnerable poi,nts in the Mourne mountains and operating vehicle check points in Belfast
When the barricades started to come down the army had to produce more troops on the streets to prevent the two factions from starting any fresh rims. This meant dismounting fjfty crewmen from the squadron and sending them into Belfast to patrol the streets and search civil'ians and vehicles for arms and ammunition. It soon became quite a familiar sight to see Corporal of Horse Mitcheson's troop and C-orporal of Horse Hutchings' troop manning key points round No Go Land (a Catholic area in Belfast).
It was at th·js time that there was a very unfortunate accident in which Lieutenant Grandy was shot in the stomach and received serious injuries and Trooper Ryder was shot in the arm with a Sterling machi,ne gun.
We wish Lieutenant Grandy a 'speedy recovery and hope to see him out of hospital soon.
After a hard exercise "the bathfng belles" of battfing "8" take the sun (L. to R.) Cpl. Nicklin, L/Cpl. Finney, LlCpl. Daraz, Tpr. Craig, Tpr. Marshall, Tpr. Churcher, Cpl. Voce and Sgt. Newby
Tpr. (Joe Ninety) Churcher exhfDiting weapon to Narwelgian children
On Saturday night of the 11th of October the Shankill battle started at about 11.30 p.m. when a large crowd of Protestants set out to attack a block of Catholic flats. The squadron produced three Saracen personnel carriers, commanded by Corporals of Horse Alderson, Hollinrake and Rhodes, when a company of the 3rd Light Infantry came under fire from the Protestants for lour hours. These vehicles were used as. an armoured screen behind which the infantry advanCed. On this occasion several of our soldiers had their first experience of coming under fire and having petrol bombs thrown at their vehicles. A number of infantry were wounded, including Corporal of Horse Alderson who received a flesh wound in h is arm.
The following morning the Saracens returned to camp reeking of cordite and tear gas and with the odd bullet mark indenting the armour.
On Sunday, the 12th of October, half the squadron. under Captain S. V. Gilbart-Denham, took part in a cordon and search operation north of the Shankill Road, which is a particularly grotty slummy area of Belfast. This operation was highly successful as we managed to capture two petrol bomb factories and an illegal pirate radio station and an assortment of Offensive weapons.
For the weeks following we had Armoure·d Car troops and Saracens detached with a number of Infant·ry Battalions in Belf·ast. Troops on these occasions lived in disused factories or tents. This was a particularly frustrating form of sol dieri'l19 , sitting fn Belfast just waiting day after day in case of trouble.
To brighten up our lives Squadron Corpo-ral-Major York and the Senior N.C.O.s organised a most excellent dance just before we departed to which a number of locals were invited, including several nurses from Mr. Grandy's hospiial.
On Friday, the 28th of November, after three-and-ahalf months in Ulster we departed on L.S.L. Sir Tristram and two days later the squadron arrived back in Windsor.
We are now enjoying a very well-earned rest after what we thought was going to be an 'inactive year at Windsor.
S.C.M. York checking the security o( the Squadron Camp in Belfast
A cordon and search operation north of the Shankill Road on Sunday, 12th October
c SqlJABBON
Late September (1968) saw the return of the Squadron to the United Kingdom after three years ,in th,e Far East. Back ,in Wind50r everything was pla·nned for a ch·ange. The Squadron now air portab't,e with Ferrets had a new task in the recently created A,C,E. Mobile Force, Major Emson, who Ihad just taken ov,e,r command, with Captain D'Oyly as 2nd oi'n Command, had the job of re-o,rgan1ising th'e manpower end get1:,iong the training under way 'in pr'epara,tion for future exeroises.
October and November were fully t'aken up with troop training and squadron training of which we were all found to be in need. Our first exercise and trai,ning with the A.M.F. was soheduled for Norway in early February. So before Christmas we drew up the 'curious Arctic kit wh'ich we were going to come to know and appreciate 'in the coming months. I, personally, remember with some amusement the trouble Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Young had in obtaining 'a pair of fourteen-and-a-half sized over-shoes. There was one story, which has subsequently been completely discredited, that the Navy were tendering for the contract to build them, Laler a party under 2nd Lieutenant "Spanners" Imbert-Terry went to Pirbright for a two week Driving and Maintenance Course on the Volvo Snocat. With him. were Corporal , Westcar, Trooper Moody, Lance-Corporals Turner and Laverty, the latter two coming from the L.A.D. Th,is team was the basis from which our knowledge of the maintenance and servicing of the Volvos in Norway was drawn.
Christmas was a well-deserved holiday. For most of the Squadron it was their first in the United Kingdom for three years. In January our orientahon towards Arctic training intensified, and Mr. Raynsford who is, f might add, a leading United Kingdom expert on "apres-aki" took a party to Folda House in Scotland for ski instruction. The group with Corporals of Horse !'lales, Reynolds, Corporals Whyte, Westcar and many o·thers numbered twen,ty-six, and despite th·e surprisIng I,ack of Corporal Whyte in Denmark deep snow in early January a lot of training was done. Trooper Moody unfortunately broke his ankle and had to come home, while the others, particularly Corporal Westcar and Trooper Cameron-Wilson, in a very short time, became quite proficient skiers.
The main .party left Marchwood for Exercise "Hardfall Ill" in Norway on the 6th of February, and arrived two days later in a frozen snowcovered Bergen. It was on this occasion that the Squadron Leader, who admits to not being muc·h of a sailor, made his first and last journey by L.S.L, What must have depressed him most was feeli,ng ill before we even cast off from Marchwood, though at times I think he thought we were in mj·d-AUantic. Norway made few concessions to those with poor circulation; the ever-present cold was very hard to get used to. However, before long most of the Squadron had adapted themselves to this way of I ife and some were becoming quite proficient sk:iers. People tended to divide themselves very quickly into two camps, either the skiers or the non-sk:iers. A couple of days of being perpetually upturned in a snow drift usually decided many of the non-skiers of their future vocation. However, some oomplete beg·inners, such as Corporal Maxwe-ll, Lance-Corporals Park, Dibden, Dearden, Darby, Trooper Tinkler and Craftsman Watters, proved to be very promising skiers. Even Private "Vicar" Smith, A.C.C., forsook the Squadron Headquarters' stew-pot for a turn at driving one of the Volvo Snocats. The training culminated in a final exercise, after which we quit thankfully packed our bags and headed home.
We arrived home in early March hoping for a short pause to recover from "post-operative" shock. Unfortuna'tely th'is was not to be, as preparations for a C.P.X., a Regimental exercise, and the MaJor General's
Corporal of Horse Reynolds in Denmark with map of Greece
Inspection were in the pipeline. The test exercise for the Regiment was a short twenty-four hour task which took us down to Salisbury Plain.
In early. April we were paid an info·rmal visit by our Colonel who saw what was on in the Re;;Jimenl.
Late during the month the Regiment and the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at Victoria Barracks combin€d to help run the Windsor Horse Trials in the Park. A troop of Ferrets driven by Lance-Corporal Kitching, Troopers Long. Lee and Perry provided the neoessary radio control for the' cross-country event, and Corporal of Horse Gibbs ran the stabling. Mr. Lewis, who had a large part in the organisation, d,isappeared on the morning with enough badges attached to his suit to ensure admittance to everything including, we think, even the I·adies· lavatory!
The rest of the month was quiet with us the only tenants of Combermere, the remainder of the Regiment having gone to Castlemartin. During this period The Life Guards team In the L.D.RA. distinguished themselves, Corporal of Horse Hales comi·ng second in the pistol, Sergeant Frow, RE.M.E., and Corporal of Horse Shergold shooting consistently well throughout the competition. Sergeant Frow, then went on to the RE.M.E. annual shoot and ended up in the Army hundred for rifle.
Iln early June the Squadron moved to Greece to take part in Exercise "Olympic Express"-the first big A.M.F. exeroi,se. ThouQih the area, North of Salonioa, was fairly scrubby, the exercise was very realistic and good fun. Our time there was not without its share of excitement and drama: our Greek enemy often found it hard to understand the exercise principle of being or knocked out and on one occasion I remember, Squadron Corporal Major Miller had to explain it to them in more practical terms! We had two rather unfortunate accidents, one in which Lance-Corporal Darby broke a leg and the other in which Mr. Imbert-Terry and Trooper McGuire severely dented a taxi. Out there driving was very difficult and one was hard pressed to decide whe1her it was the Greeks or their roads which were more hazardous. The really high drama was provided by Lance-Corporal Thoms who managed to lead the echelon behind the enemy lines, and for a while many of us had resigned ourselves to beg, borrow or steal our next few days' supplies. I am sure many of us learnt a lot in the three weeks we were there. On our return to the United Kingdom, sun-tanned and tired, we found to our bewilderment Windsor deserted and void of l'ife. The answer was quickly provided that evening when the first arrivals from Ascot appeared. After Ascot and P<llo week were Henley and Wimbledon by which time everyone had' a well-earned three weeks' leave.
The first thing that happened on our return from leave was "B" Squadron being sem to Northern Ireland. The ranks at this time were thinning fast as "A" Squadron was preparing to go to Sharjah and Major Loyd was looking about fo'r likely campaigners to join him in his desert crusade. W€, however, managed to escape to Stanf<lrd P.T.A. for a workup exerc'ise for Denmark with the 1st 8-attalion Cold stream Guards. Here once again, our enemy, "Ies T.A. paras" proved to be extremely tiresome. They succeeded in capturing Squadron Headquarters; Capta'in O'Oy,ly and LaJ1'C'e' Corporal Smith who managed to escape in a la'st second dash from the "jaws of death" in a rover were the only two to get away. The Squadron Corporal Major and h,js staff together with 2 Troop were detained and subjected to unspeakable atrocities for the next few hours! Trooper Page 20
TOP:Trooper line to Greece
Daniels shooting a some Germans in
CENTRE:
Lieutenant Atkinson on Guard Car on exercise "Golden Arrow"
BOTTOM:Corporal of Horse Gibbs and and Danish soldier resolving the language problem with a joke
Daniels who had been captured beforehand did extremely well ,in esoaping by n.ight, and finding his way barefoot back to Squadron Headquarters.
The Squadron embarked for Denmark, our first complete air move, and our second big A.M.F. exeroise. The exercise, "Green Express", was interesting and ag'ai-n very demanding on a reconnaissance squadron. A more humorous angle was -provided by the Ital'ian Bat1alion who were our allies. They seemed to operate a principle of "if it moves shoot it, and if it speaks salute it". Needless to say everyone in the Squadron was saluted or shot at least four or five times during the exeroise. At the end, some members of the Squadron had time to make a cursory inspection of Copenhagen night-life.
Back. in the United Kingdom in early October saw us preparing for U.E.1. and sendi'ng off a troop, run by Mr. Atkinson and Corporal of Horse Gibbs, on a K.A.P.E. tour. Th,e troo,p, consisti,ng also of Corporal
Ward, Lance-Corporals Dibden, Smith, Moody, Troopers Gal,e, Reece, Trench and Mills took a "big wheeled Ferret", a Sa-Iadin and a Volvo Snocat. For over three-anda-half weeks they visi1ed Birmi·ngham, Leicester, NolNngham and Leeds, setbi!ng up a stand at a differ-ent location every day. The trip was great fun for the recruiters and I am sure in the long run will yield a lot of recruits. Corporal of Horse Gibbs tried to realise a slightly quicker return on our recruiting prospects by soliciting a troupe of danoing girls into joining up. It fell through when the-/ found they couldn't join The Life Guards. Lastly, we will shortly be loosing Squadron Corporal Major Miller, whose stentorian voice has oft time ramed us to superhuman feats, i.e., pushj'ng out the beer truck when it was bogged! At this moment all ranks are preparing thei'r stomachs for a Squadron dance when many of the events of the last very full year will be exhumed and discLlssed to our amusement.
I don't give a what you think-I reckon we're here. CoH. Shergold and L/Cpl. Stay on Exercise "Olympic Express".
Rommel Lewis with his troops in Greece
Ski Training
HQ SqlJABBON
The Master Cook, W.O.1/ Howard, adding
Is it nearly a year since we came back from the ardours of the Far East? The thought bubble in all Heads of Departments must have been, " 'Ah, Windsor, now we can settle down in our comfortable offices and administer the Regiment without fear of distracNon."
The forecast of events appeared ominous, but surely that was for the sabre squadrons, nothing to do with us. On reflection we seriously believe there is a case for reactivating "D" Squadron. To prove the point our bold brave signwriters, equipment repairers, mess staff, clerks, etc., have served as assault troopers, drivers, signallers, from the Arctic Circle to the borders of the Caspian.
Only twice in the year has the squadron been out as an entity. The Regimental Test Exercise in March where our demon map reading found us at one stage forming the advance guard of the Regiment, which proved quite handy for refuelling.
Again we were out in force at Castlemartin firing small arms, including Carl Gustav, orienteering (Yes, Corporal Whelan did take part) and organising a Regimental Ral·ly. M.T. Troop proved so adapt at camouflag'ing themselves the Squadron Leader and Corporal-Major Lumb tabbed five miles in the "ulu" on a fruitless search, much to the amusement of the rest o,f the squadron.
Six Troop "B" Squadron who were in Northern Ireland was manned entirely by Headquarters Squadron personnel and ,returned this month aner a very exacting time. Soldiers have served in Greece, Norway and Denmark, and a further ten are going with "C" Squadron on Exercise "Arctic Express" in the New Year.
We said goodbye to Corporal Major Stratford in May, who has gone to get his knees brown with "A" Squadron; our grateful thanks. In his place we welcome Corporal-Major Casey-talk about the short and the tall! He sports a Basset hound which unfortunately had a nasty accident the other day. We all hope and pray the old saying, "like dog, like master" does not come true.
ORDERLY ROOM
The bumph road is still acute; mutterings heard in the holy of hol,ies is that most of the work load is concentrated on trying to get the Squadron Leader out of the Army.
At Castlemar,tin the Orderly Room surpassed themselves. Orderly Room Quartermaster-Corporal Charters-Rowe, Corporal White and Trooper O'Brien were second in the orienteering competition, and the Ohief Clerk came second in the reg:imental road rally: Corporal Cherrington was fourth.
Corporal Henderson went to Norway with "C" Squadron. Trooper Starling served in Northern Ireland and Corporal of Horse Henderson is in Sharjah with "A" Squadron. Lastly, Corporal of Horse Cherrington is congratulated on his promotion and Lance-Corporal of Horse Englishby on passing his Russian Linguist Examination.
QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT
Pretty static real,ly. We have managed to fight off demands f,or key personnel to be Whipped off to places far removed from boots and socks, although Lance-Corporal J ewe 11 , Troopers Burvill and Ryder are serving in 6 Troop "B" Squadron.
'the Quartermaster was prized off his chair to umpire 3rd Royal Tank Reg:iment test exeroise and actually came back saying he enjoyed it. The Regiment Quartermaster Corporal has been out a lot; he really should not wear that SAS. flash, he'll get conned for everything; Corporal of Horse MHlaris congratulated ,on his promotion to Squadron Quartermaster Corporal.
QM(E) DEPARTMENT
Do not be fooled by the title, it still means Nuls and Bolts, although you will be told at great length by those kinky members of the staff who wear overalls that the pressure of work is doubled with this new accounting system. Troopers Chandler, Faulds, Roxburgh and Mansell all served in Ireland so perhaps there is some justification on pleas of overwork, but they are all right now! Lance-Corporal Bourne is congratulated on his promotion.
MT
Many congratulations to Lieutenant Charles on gaining his commission, Under his watchful eye the troop have carried out the inevitable arduous tasks asked of them, During t,he year members of M.T. have served with all of the squadrons. Persons and places are shown below for interest:
It has been a busy year and there have been many changes in the Mess, Squadron Quartermaster Corporal York handed over to Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Walley on becoming Squadron Corporal-Major Qf "B" Squadron, Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Walley then handed over to Squadron Quartermaster Corporal (Master Stitch) Taylor on his promotion to Squadron CorporalMajor and posting to the Gunnery School at Lulworth. Congratulations on promotion and thank you for running such an efficient mess. Lance-Corporal Barnes is also to be congratulated on his promotion.
Corporal Scott and Trooper Kirby served in Northern Ireland. Kirby was considered a good choice as he had already proved himself in sticky internal security situations whilst serving in the Mounted Regiment in London.
The King's Troop arrived in September and we welcome Bombardier Culley, Gunner Holland and Gunner Tradwell. We thought those yellow cords they wore were for attaching corkscrews to.
LAD
Headquarters LAD. has undergone considerable changes since the return to Windsor. Captain Sharman has gone to M.O.D. and A.S.M. Ailes went down to Weyhill. In their places are Captain le Quesne and A.S.M. Greer. Gone too are "Q" Carew and Sergeant Parnell and the latter's motor bike. They are replaced by Staff Sergeant Lennox and Corporal Tomlinson. In addition, Artificers (Tels). Recovery Sergeant, Metalsmiths, Clerk, Drivers, Electrician, Fitters (Gun and Turner) and Vehicle Mechanics have all changed. To those who have gone, "Goodbye". To those who have arrived, "Welcome".
Castlemartin 69 provided Headquarters LAD. wHh their only major taste of scheming this year. It seems they helped other people as much as the Regiment: a tank belonging to 10,H. fell off its transporter and had to be recovered.
When "B" Squadron rushed off to Northern Ireland their LAD. section went well briefed by the A.S.M. who hails from Belfast. He advised them on several local resources, not all concerned with work! Headquarters LAD. resources are of.ten tapped to supplement squadron sections when necessary. Consequently, one or two of them found themselves en route for the sand, the heat and the flies, with "A" Squadron in Sharjah. (We have not forgotten about you!) "B" Squadron pinched a couple for Northern Ireland. Fortunately "C" Squadron have not got room to take any more!
We just missed a U,E,E. thanks to "B" Squadron's rapid departure, so we now have that to look forward to (not with longing, however,) as our first major task in 1970.
COOKHOUSE
The cooks have done "stirring" work throughout the year. Apart from working at strange hours, the wonderful way they have prepared such delicious food for the various parties is much appreciated by all.
We say a very warm hallo to the Master Cook, W.O.II Howard, who joined the Regiment in May and has quickly establ'ished himself as a figurehead.
Lan<:e-Corporals Maddox and Barrell served in Northern Ireland along wit'h Privates Deacon, Lamond and Cameron. In Sharjah Corporal Blake, Lance-Corporal Brindley and Privates Meechan and Cape produce exotic Oriental delicacies for "A" Squadron. It's all food for thought.
S.G,M. Gasey and his dog beside one of our more up-to-date vehicles
the BAND
Once again much has happened since the last Band 'otes were written.
We had an early start to the 1968 season with a ,'leek in BOUffi€mouth. Normally we go to Bournemouth September, so it was a change to see the Pine Walk Bandstand in the Spring.
On Whit Monday four mounted trumpeters and the ounted drummer took part in the Surrey Show at Guildford.
It was the turn of the "Blues" Band for the Queen's Birthday Parade, but Capt-ain Jeanes unfortunately fell ill and was unable to lead his Band. However, Major Jackson took his plaC€ and was seen leading the B'and in which he started his career.
Following t·he Queen's Birthday Parade came the '3arter Ceremony at Windsor Castle for wh·;ch we :.rovided the Trumpeters in SI. George's Chapel and the Jrchestra for the Luncheon. The remainder of the week has spent at Royal Ascot in the Bandstand and the '011 owing week the Mounted Band did a "cabaret act"
between races at the Greyhound Derby, White City. Shortly after t·his the "Blues" Band and ourselves divid€d and formed two Household Cavalry Bands. One w-as stationed at W,i,ndsor under Captain Jeanes ·and the other staNoned at Welliington Barracks to rehearS€ for th·e loo{l awaited tni·p to the U.S.A.
Those of us who were left behind found that life went on much as usual. We had a bUsy time in St. James's Park, Shrewsbury, Bournemouth and Victoria Embankment Gardens.
FollOWing the return of the Tattoo from America our first duty was to provide eight mounted trumpeters for the Lord Mayor's Show. The next week the Band returned to Windsor to join the Regiment on their return from the Far East.
The year finished quietly with a "Friday Night is Music Night" broadcast and recording sessions for Liberty Records. The Band really enjoyed making th,is record. it was a pl'easant ch.ange from the standard military b-and repertoire.
The Life Guards Band in front of the Brandenberg Gate
Watering Order?
The Band in Berlin
The first few months of 1969 were also quiet, the odd broadcast and trumpet engagements being the few functions carried out. Then our first major duty was the Amalgamation Parade at Well ington Barracks of the Blues and Royals. Later that week we were privileged to have Lord Mountbatten visit us in our practice room. The following week ended with our annual Administrative Inspection by the Major-General Commanding the Household Division.
During April we started our Windsor Castle duties playing on the East Terrace and also attended the State Visit of the President of Italy as a mounted band. "Hector" made a spectacular debut in the Quadrangle.
On consecutive Sundays we led the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides from the Castle Mews into the Castle.
The Band performed at the Windsor Horse Show where we enjoyed the company of Corporal Bob McAII ister of the Band of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who was acting as liaison between the "Mounties" and the band for their Musical Ride. Following the Windsor Horse Show we attended the l'idworth Tattoo where we gained a lot of experience at slow marching in six inches of mUd. We were now approaching the "silly season" with the Trooping, Beat'ing Retreat and the Garter Ceremony ahead.
An innovation this ye'ar was a Military Band Pageant at Wembley Stadium. We took part as a Mounted Band: we al'so supplied eight dismounted trumpeters.
We supplied four trumpeters with four of the Blues and Royals for the Investiture of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at Caernarvon. We were on duty at the of the Eagle Tower in Caernarvon Castle and we had the best view of a once in a I iletime ceremony. ',':hilst stationed at Vayno! Camp the Gold Stick caught :':5 with our trousers down-literally- we were sunning ourselves on the grass when he and the Silver Stick appeared and asked if they could hear the tanfares lJlat had been specially composed for the Investiture. T e sight of eight trumpeters in swimming costumes and ,',it': 5'lirts and vests flapping in the breeze must have
proved too much for the Gold Stick because he didn't stay very long.
Dur,ing the summer we played at Harrogate, Shrewsbury and Bournemouth. In September we once again attended the Berlin Tattoo, this time as a mounted Band. On our way over we lost Lance-Corporal Legge, he had wandered off to get some food at Wildenrath and it wasn't until the remainder of the Band were airborne we noticed he was missing. A very busy time was had by all those who took part ·in the Tattoo with plenty of rehearsals and the Mounted Band in Full Dress al the Brandenberg Gate. The Tattoo was a great success, th·e Berliners love military music and the mounted band was very popular. We flew back from Berl·in and so missed the stormy sea voyage in which four of our horses died.
Since the Berlin Tattoo we have been quite bUSy. Two more records have been mad,e, a Band record of marches by Amer,ican composer Karl King and the othe,r a record at twelve fanfares.
The period since the last "Acorn" has seen a lot of changes in the Band. Trumpet Major Madden, Corporals of Horse McDonald and Chessman and Musician J'ohn Spencer have all left and we wish them well in their new occupations. Several young musicians are at present undergoing Equitation Training at Wellington Barracks and should join us in Already 1970 looks as though it will be a bUSy year with engagements confirmed at Bournemouth, Shrewsbury and the National Rose Show. The Wembley Musical Pag,eant was such a great success in 1969 that it is be1in(l r,epeated on the 27th of June, 1970.
In "Jne, 1970, Major Jackson our Director of Music wi-Il be retiring Irom the Army and he will be handing over the baton to Captain Richards, at present serving with the Royal Tank Regiment (Alamein) Band. Major Jackson has been with us now for just over ten years and li·t hardly seemes likely that he is soon to the years have certainly flown by. Much has happened during that decade and the Band -have travelled far and wide under his Directorship.
WOs and NCOs MESS
The writer of this article was lucky enough to be on the Advance Party from the Far East to Windsor, and imagined that we were all set for t'he steady life of Windsor and Polo fatigues. How wrong this was proved to be as you wi'll find when you read on.
The Reg·imental Corporal-Major of the Blues took great care of us on the Advance Party and gave us the hospitality we have grown to expect from The Blues. Of course, he did have to keep dashing off to rehearse his mess photograph for the Queen's visil.
Once everyone had returned from leave we soon met many old friends, and settled down to Windsor mess life. The brick hanging was one of the best ever and Colonel Baillie handed the brick, which he had hung for the past two years, over to ex-Regimental CorporalMajor Eason who hung it with all the reverence it deserves. In attendance were three other ex-brick hangers, Colonel F. F. B. St. George, Colonel A. MeredithHardy and Colonel W. H. Gerard Le'igh. As usual the festivities went on jnto the evening.
We had an excellent New Year's Eve dance wh'ich was very well attended and Corporal of Horse Crawford and his staff excelled themselves with the buffet.
The year 1969 was welcomed i'n by ex-pipe major Alec McDonald of the Scots Guards, who was also until recently the Queen's Piper.
It seemed very far away when 'in the Far East we decided to combine with The Blues and Household Cavalry Regiment to have a combined ball in London. However, by early January we were in the thick of it and after many meetings in London, Windsor and Perham Down, the project was under way. The Lyceum fn the Strand was chosen for the venue and at last the great night arrived. It would be wrong to say anything other than that it was a great success and everyone really enjoyed themselves. It was a wonderful siglht to see so many people in mess kil.
In March, after a very successful tour as Regimental Corporal-Major, Mr. Charles was commissioned as Motor Transport Officer and Mr. Rodger took over. Mr. Charles
well and truly hung
was dined out from the mess in great style and I am sure -it was a night he will not forgel. We wish him and Betty all the best for the future.
Of course, by now squadrons were drifting off to all corners of the world on exercises, leaving quite a few blank spaces at the bar. During the summer we were Oflceag,a:i'n nosts to the Roy.al Canadian Mounted Police and of the previous ride only Staff Sergeant Ralph Cave remained; ·througlhout thei'r tour they were excellent company, and towards the end of their tour we had a cocktail party and dance in their honour, which was attended by tile Mayors and Mayoresses of Windsor and Slough, and it was noticed that the cocktails got qUite a few non dancers on their feet. During the evening Regimental Corporal-Major Rodger presented the Mounties with an inscribed cigarette box, and was presented with two coloured pictures of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ride.
The regimental dinner was held in barracks for the first time and was without any doubt the best ever. The mess had a bar in the gymnasium and both this and the mess itself were a g-reat success, and all the usual old battles were fought and re-fought.
I must menti'on the annual firing at Castlemartin which the Regiment, less "C" Squadron, took part in. The journey involved an overnight stop at the Parachute Reg'iment Battle School at Brecon, where we were given first-class 'hosp-itality by the Regimental Sergeant-Major and his members, an(l also a demonstration of cider drinking which went slightly wrong as he had not really gauged our members capacity for drink,ing any known alcohol and I think the battle school was off the road for a few days. Tihe remainder of the trip was of great value militarily and hearts and minds wise.
At the time of writing we have just said farewell to "A" Squadron, Squadron Corporal-Major Stratford and his merry men are now in Sharjah and retrying Tiger beer. We have also said welcome to Regimental SergeantMajor Pearson and The King's Troop Royal Horse Arl'illery, and we hope they will have a happy stay with us.
The brick is
Pipe Major McDonald toasts the New Year
Cs.o/H. Mitcheson and Reed with their wives at the Lyceum
S.C.M. Level,B.E.M., Brady, S.C.M. Casey, Fincken, S.Q.M.C.
and Mrs. Dean
Musician Bending with Gus
Bending enlisted as a Bandboy in the Northumber;!nd Fusiliers in 1936 and was sent abroad with his i'legiment to Egypt. Whilst serving there he took part .'1 the Middle East Command Boxing Championships: he "ilached the finals of the Bantamweight Class in 1937 a d was injured in winning his bout.
At the outbreak of war he became a stretcher bearer: -" took part in the Battle of Tobruk in 1941 and in _ ember of the same year was taken pri'soner by the -' a Corps just outside Tobruk. He was taken to :;;nghazi where he embarked on an Italian ship which ,'_5 eventually mined off an island near Greece. From : e:e he again travelled by sea and road to a p.a.w. ca 0 near Rome and towards the end of 1943 he was "ak:e. by train to Stalag 8B in Germany: whilst there he ,'.-as made to work down coal mines on the Polish
When the Russian Army advanced towards Germany he was forced to march on foot to Albestadt near Hanover, a journey of considerable distance" which took months to complete. Early in 1945 he was released by British troops and was taken to Beaconsfield for conval escence.
SERVING PERSONALITY
In 1946 and 1947 Bending served in Japan and Singapore. Two stories are told of him there. Whilst in Japan he went out one evening, had a few drinks
Musician Bending
of loc"al brew and went to bed to sleep it off. In the middle of the night he was aroused, feeling dozey, and thinking that he was being woken up by an N.C.a., he soon came to and realised that it was in fact an earthquake taking place. It was a frightening experience at the time but one he laughs at now. Another tale is told of him-in Singapore where one day he was doing some individual clarinet practice some way from his quarters in a clearing. Suddenly he heard a rustle in the undergrowth and stood petrified for a moment as a huge snake moved towards him. He dropped his clarinet and fled back to the Band Block just ·in time to see the Band all ready to move off for an engagement. What happened to his clarinet is not related.
In 1947 he came back to the United Kingdom and stayed until 1948 when he moved to Gibraltar. He left Gibraltar at the end of 1950 for the United Kingdom. In 1951 he transferr-ed to The Life Guards.
During his service with the Band of The Life Guards he has travelled far and wide and has attended all parades and engagements. Known as "Geordie" throughout the Regiment, he has always been a great character and is rarely seen without his Welsh Springer "Gus", whom he acquired in 1962. He now has seven long service stripes on his arm and first made the senior Trooper's speech at Christmas lunch in 1951.
MOUNTED SQUADRON
The LAte Guards Mounted Squadron has been placed on a surer footing now that our stable yard has been re-concreted. Apart from this there have been few physical changes in the past year to our temporary home at Wellington Barracks. But this stabiHty of structure has certainly left us with no illusion of endless time. Faces have changed as always do and horses that were dear to us are no more. Bloodshot was shot, Ocean died at sea and Alexander is great now only in memory. Also vetemns like Guard Royal and Empress are sad'ly missed' by many. Remounts have replaced them and their vices have yet to be learnt, but Tim, Tigress and Troilus have already proved promising. Now in training are remounts whose names begin with the letter "U" as well as the new drum horse, Cicero.
Soldiers will always say they are bUsy but it is true that this has been the busiest year for the two Mounted Squadrons in memory. I am sure the of the remaining paragraphs will convince you of this as they almost read like Jennifer's Diary.
In April the State Visit took place at Windsor for the President of Italy and his daughter. This is the first time since the King and Queen of Sweden visited England in 1908 that one has been held at Windsor. Obviousl;y the change in location involved a lot of extra effort planning the operation and moving all the horses and equipment to Combermere Barracks. The riding school there had to be converted, with the use of metal scaffolding, to contain stalls and in these the horses were accommodated. In between raking the peat in the riding school, polishing and gr,ooming, our week at Windsor was spent going for rides in the Great Park. But as we had had several Regimental Drill mornings in Hyde Park beforehand we only h.ad one early morning rehearsal in Windsor. Any more rehearsals would have been superfluous as was proved by the success of the escort.
On Saturday, the 12th of May, most of the Regiment travelled to Edinburgh to take part in the escort for the Queen's Opening of the General Assembly. The departure by train from Olympia Station was highlighted by Sambo's gallop down Kensington High Street in the morning rush hour in a bid for freedom. Eventually he was recaptured by a retired muleteer on a motorbike and a breathless Squadron Leader. Sambo had the last laugh as he was allowed to remain in London to do Guards. In Edinburgh the Squadron stayed in Redford Cavalry Barracks that had just been modified and was more comfortable WelHngton Barracks. The actual Sovereign's Escort was done on the 20th of May. It was commanded by Major H. A. M. Pyman and it a hack of six miles to Holyrood Palace. From there the Queen was escorted to St. Giles' Cathedral followed by Assembl'y Hall and back to Holyrood Palace via Princes Street. We spent six hours in the saddle on that day.
The Queen's Birthday Parade was held on the 14th of June on a very hot Saturday. Foot Guards were seen tumbling down at frequent intervals and this certainly provided interest for us as we sat on our horses in the
background. The walk and trot past went quit,e well and was done to the rather spirited tones of Corporal of Horse Bate's trumpet.
We were at Windsor again, but this time without our horses, for th.e Garter Ceremony on the 16th of June. As usual there was a staircase party outside the west end of SI. George's Chapel and the route was lined with detachments commanded by Lieutenant J. J. Astor and Lieut,enant V. A. L. Goo<:lh-ew. It poured with rain during the service but fortunately this was the only wet parade of the year apart from slight drizzle during the service of the Investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarvon.
Our Welsh "holiday" this summer is itself the subject of an Acorn articl,e and so I will not dwell on the events that happened there.
The Summer Camp at Pirbright, although generally unpopular with the wives, gave the Squadron at the end of July and beginning of August a change from stable routine and plenty of outdoor activity. We had wonderful weather for the two week period apart from the day of the gymkhana, the handy hunter competition and the
If you don't give me a free ride on your bus 1'1/ knock your block off Reproduced by courtesy of Daily Mirror Syndication International (Kenneth Smith)
night 01 the Squadron Party and even on those occasions did not destroy the 01 those taking ",art in the events. Lance-Corporal Palmer achieved r:oaximum distinction by winning the show jumping :ompetilion on Pavlova while Troopers Cox and Uttley :ame second and third. Lance-Corporal Fisher and Trooper Leishman, to no-one's surprise, came first and second in the mounted wrestl-ing, their total weig.ht adding up to no less than thirty-three stone! Trooper Pratt betrayed his londness lor down by winning the musical chairs. But the real comedy was provided by the lancy dress competi-t,ion which was won by Queen Boadicea in a chariot (Trooper Upton) attended to by a yokel in sackcloth (Trooper Polts). There were other imaginative entries such as Trooper Morris's "First Household Cavalry Rocket to the Moon" and Trooper Hutsby's "Mary Irom the Dairy". The handy hunter competition, in which competitors entered as pairs, was taken most seriously and ended up almost as a Point. Troopers Utl-ey and Cox on Rebecca and Quadrille, in spite 01 the slippery conditions, set such a last pace that even Lance-Corporal Palmer and Trooper Swain and Lance-Corporal Henderson and Trooper Walshe, achieving last times without laults, were unable to beat them. They were all watched by the Major General who came down specially to visit us that day. We tried hard to get him to compete in the Ollicers and S/N.C.O.s competition but perhaps rather wisely ,he declined thus enabling Lieutenant V. A. L. Goodhew and Corporal 01 Horse Miles to win this event, Iractionally beating Lieutenant J. M. B. Greenaway and Corporal 01 Horse Bate. Major H. A. M. pyman redeemed his reputation two days later by winning the Ollicers and S/N.C.O.s show jumping, but as he had "commandeered" the horse that had won the junior ranks show jumping this was not altogether unexpected! It 'is -hard to say who was the best perlormer at the Squadron party but most had style rather cramped by the rain. There is no doubt though that the occasion was more conventional the party he-Id by one troop a few nights later 'hich was very wel-I attended by the W.R.A.C. I think a -ew 01 them regretted our return to London.
The President 01 Fi-nland ar-rived in England on the -S h 01 July and we escorted him Ira m Victoria Station : the conventional route to Buckingham Palace via ,', es:minster and Tralalgar Square. Two days later .:;ap:ain M. A. McCormick commanded our only Captain's ,,-:: rt 01 the season which entailed escor\i.ng the :>-esident Irom Bucking-ham Palace to St. James's Palace. _ elurned to barracks so qUickly that we hardly had - -e :e> gloat over the misfortune of those who had been ::,,:.z lor the task. These Finnish escorts finished - mer escort season. Only the Opening 01 =::- a em remained to be done and this we have just e:ed without any drama.
.,.".,,, year's diary is by no means complete without " of some 01 the many sUbsid·iary act·ivities -=-" e::>1 members 01 the Squadron so bUSy. For instance ::---: the Queen's State Visit to Austri-a three men Irom -: 50 adron were sent under Corporal Vincent to form =- _:<;', ase Party at the Ambassador's Residence in ",,- -" On September 12th Squadron Corporal-Major -", ::: Squadron Quatermaster Corporal Fincken and : Williams went to Brussels to take part in the : :--e- - to commemorate the 25th Anniversary 01 its - Also in the middle of September lorty-two - :"3e;; ""i twenty-eight men to look alter them and the -=::;6 ;'J
members 01 the band went to Berlin for two weeks to take part in the military tattoo there. This was a tremendous success apart Irom the tragedy on the return sea journey when lour horses died III a sudden storm_
Tpr. M. R. Manella, receiving a £10 award from Mr.
Peedle, London Transport Area Chief of Police, in
appreciation for his assistance in saving the life of
Constable B. Nixon (centre)
Re,;)ularly this year ,parties have gone to man the staircase at Buckingham Palace during InvesHtures. Others have taken part in the Horse 01 the Year Show at Wembley, acting as lIag bearers, or in fi-Im making with Tommy in Bermondsey. Some went with Corporal 01 Horse Batey and the ten horses he took to T,idworth lor the amalg,amation parade 01 The Royal Hussars whlle yet others have competed in various horsey events. The Regiment distinguished itsell at the Army Hunter Tr'ials at Larkhill by coming second, third and lourth ,in the individual event and by winning and coming second in the pairs. The winning pair was the Squadron Leader riding Tigress with Captain G. R. Petherick Irom Windsor ridi'ng Roupo. At Earls Court we had more competitors than usual taking part in t·he Royal Tournament. They put in a lot 01 effort getting their ·horses lit and consequently did very well in the prel·iminary rounds 01 the show jumping. The Riding Master, Captafn A. Jackson, was eventually second in the Prince 01 Wales Cup and t-hir-d in the King's Cup. In non equine sporting events the Squadron is never particularly successlul because there is never sullicient time availabl"e lor training.
Next October we hope to move back into Hyde Park Barrac, "Md the change in location will u"oooubtedly allect he char"acter 01 the Squadron Let us hope we can adap;t· ourselves to the contemporary surroundings that will be such a contrast to our pr,esent home.
Trooper Utley hunting with the Old Surrey and
Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Fincken and Corporal of Horse Bate; "I'm afraid I'll have to book you Corporal-Major"
Plaister in the porridge
To The Earl of Harrington. Barrack Office. 25th February, 1800. My Lord, It appeared on a recent inspection of the state of the Barracks at Hyde Park, made by Ma.:or Barberie, Inspector of Barracks, and the Architect of this Office, that the Plaistering of the Ceilings of the Soldier's Mess Rooms was considerably broken and damaged, principally owing to the practise of drilling Recruits in the Rooms immediately above them The expence of making good the Damage, ought under the King's Warrant to have been demanded by the Barrack Master and charged against the Troops occuping the Barracks
From N.C.O.'s Mess Minute Book 1st Life Guards
Regents Park Barracks. 16th November, 1898. Proposed by P. M. C. Rowntree, seconded by S.Q.M.C. Yeatman, that the old piano be exchanged for a new one, the Mess paying a difference in value viz. £16 10s. Od. Carried.
Hyde Park Barracks. 6th November, 1908. Proposed by S.C.M. Baker seconded by Q.C.M. Phipos. that t;he Commandinq Officer be asked to sancHon SACRED SUNDAY EVENING CONCERTS, to which ladi·es may be invited Carried unanimously.
(Under this orosition the Adjutant added the remark: "AS AN EXPERIMENT")
Hyde Park Barracks.
9th June, 1908.
Proposed by S.Q.M.C. Smith seconded by S.C M. Bly
that the price of minerals be reduced from 1!d. to 1 d.
Page 31
Burstow
HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY TRAINING SQUADRON
Recruiting has not improved during 1969, indeed it has been marginally worse than last year. However, Lance Corporal of Horse Slater was fortunate in being able to form a complete Household Cavalry Troop recently. This was the first time for at least twelve months that we have not had to amalgamate with one of the Regimental Companies. Although .amalgamated troops have proved a great success they do suffer from living apart in different barrack rooms.
The Squadron moved ·into 'its new accommodation in Alexander Barracks on the 13th of August. This COJ1oSi'sts of a tower, Anglesey Block, for the perm'cl<l1-ent staff and a two-stor·ey block in the shape of a star for recruits. The latter building is shared with the Scots Guards Company in which we each possess two twentyfour-man barrack rooms. We have,if anything, more than our share of the new lJ.arracks. When it was originally planned the Squadron was still at Windsor and the Junior Guardsmen's Company about one-third its present size. The impossible task faced by the Commandant in trying to squeeze this latter day quart into a pint pot can be imagined. It was finaMy ·agreed that the Junior Guardsmen should have all they requir-ed, since they spent much longer at the Depot than a recruit, the Coldstream Company would move into the nearest wooden huts and the Ifish Guards and Welsh Guards Companies would fi,t ·in wherever a room could be found. Other than the problems created by the size of the Depot there were none of the disasters that normally attend the occupation of new building1l. The blocks themselves are first class and because many mature trees remain sH well in their surroundings. The new barracks ·even boasts the luxury of its own swimming pool. An official Opening Ceremony took place on the 25th of September when the barracks were named by The Countess AI·exander o·f Tunis, D.B.E Alamein Day was celebrated on the 23rd of October. A magnificent lunch was served in the new Mess Room and was attended by both the Silver Stick and the Commandant. In the afternoon the Mounted Band of The Life Guarrjs repeated the performance they had given at t'le 8erlin Tattoo. This was a most impressive
display which took place in briHiant sunshine. The Band are to be congratulated on having made it such a success since eight horses never arrived; a civilian box having been involved 'in an accident. The Riding Master sterling work sorting out the ghastly problems this created. After the Mounted performance recruits were able to inspect a static display of armoured vehicles provided by The Life Guards and F.V.R.D.E., Chobham. Colonel H. S. Hopkinson, M.B.E., inspected the Squadron on the 10th of JUly. This must have been his last official engagement before handing over as Silver Stick. We have also had visits from Lieutenant Colonel M. A. Q. Darley, Lieutenant Colonel H. D. A. Loangley, M.B.E., and Lieutenant Colonel R. M. H. Vickers, M.V.O., M.B.E. Unfortunately very few of our visitors have yet seen our new accommodatJon. The Squadron would like as many peopl·e as possible to come, par·ticularly recru·iters. The ma}ority will be agreeably surprised at the splendid environment in which recruits now live and work.
Despite our size we have continued to do well in the sporting field. We have not been able to repeoat the splendid achievement of our cricket XI in the summer of 1968 who won the Trotter Shield and the Hancock Cup. However, we won the Crayshaw Cup for Rugby during 1968/69 season. Several members of the Squadron are players for the Guards Depot XV. These include Lieutenant T. K. Brennan, Squadron CorporalMajor Morris, Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Ellis, Corporal of Horse Holt, Lance-Corporal of Horse McGloughlin and Recruits Meyrick and Vaughan.
There have been numerous changes in the staff since the last issue, indeed some, such as Lieutenant W. Grandy, have completed their full tour in the interval. .include Major N. S. Lawson, Lance-Corporal of Horse Slater -and Lance-Corporal of Horse Morgan. We have said goodbye to Major N. V. S. Paravicini, who has retired to civilian life, Lieutenant R. S.· Thompson and Corporal of Horse Osgood who have returned to The Life Guards and Corporal of Horse Fitzgeral·d and LanceCorporal of Horse McGloughl·in who have been posted to the Mounted Squadron.
Household Cavalry personnel at The Guards Depot, Pirbright, November, 1969
COLONEL 1. B. BAILLIE
Commanding Officer The Life Guards 1966-1969
Colonel lan Baillie handed over command of the Regiment on the 6th of May, 1969, alter a tour of duty of two-and-a-half years, all but the last six m<Jnths of which was in the Far East. Operational necessity caused the Regiment to be deployed by squadrons in Singapore, Malaya and Hong Kong, and thus the whole Regiment was never able to function or to live together, an obvious disappointment to its Commanding Officer.
Col,onel lan was, and is, "par excellence" a regimental soldier. As the son of a much revered equitation officer of The Life Guards in the twenties, he grew up with th-e Reg,iment, and its life, tradli,N'ons and customs, and above all its soldiers, have always been his first affection. In the special circumstances in the Far East no Commanding Officer could have been better qualified to hold the Regiment together, discourage the d'evelopment of pr·ivate armies, and remind everyone that they were Life Guards first and foremost. His remarkable memory for names, faces an<J case histories ensured that member of the Beg,iment was employed in the oost p:ac-e to his best capaoity, and his sympathetic ear for people's problems was a g·reat encouragement to all his
Surely the most mob·ile of soldiers, it is rumoured that Mrs. Baillie was responsible for his giving up motor raoing after thei-r marriage. However, the familiar voice echoing "Alfa Mike Romeo" through the above jungle canopy, and the crowd round Seremban International Airport when the Cessna was about to lanD, were witness to his new-found enthusiasm. Thoug'h the Orderly Room may have groaned at the extra files they had to open, his arrival at Gatwick on his fl'ight back from Singapore, on the day and hour was proof of the efficiency with which he undertook it.
Alter twenty-three years of service in, and to, The Life Guards, Colonel lan will continue to watoh our interests as Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Household Cavalry and Silver Stick-ip-Wailing. We cO\lld not be in better hands.
Prince of Wales escort 'in the foreground with The Sovereign's escort to the right
It is difficult to write of The Investiture now, after it is all over, and after it has received such world-wide coverage in the press, on television and on the screen. To say that it was quite unlike any other State Occasion in which the Household Oaval.ry might participate may appear trite-and yet the atmosphere, the friendliness and the interest that the Household Cavalry appeared to arouse can never be forgott€n by those who took part.
Early in what can only be described as the preliminary negotiat.ions about the Investiture, it had been asked whether the Household Cavalry would be able 10 provide a Sovereign's Escort, a Prince of Wales Escort, and still leave enough people behind in London to do the daily Queen's Life Guard. The answer, an immediate yes, came very close indeed t6 being wrong! In all eighty-eight mounted men were required that day, and there were hardly any spare men for emergencies. The Field Officer of the Escort, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir James Sco-tt. had as hi,s gfOom Saddler Corporal of Horse Richards, a job he had last done more than ten years ago when he was the then Lieutenant T. R. S. Gooch's groom at Knightsbridge! In the early part of the year there had been a staff ride at Well.ington Barracks, and all sorts of peculiar people emerged from various comfortable chairs to be put through their paces by the Riding Master. Although they naturally did a great deal of angry moaning, it says much for their spirit that all of them were involved on the parade, and that they all played their part with such distinction!
The trip to Wales was made by train, from Olympia to Bangor. There were three train parties of forty-five horses each, and each train arrived at Bangor at about 4.30 p.m. The reception that we got there was amazingafter six hours in the train neither men nor horses looked quite their sparkling best and it can only be hoped that suitable allowances were macie by the spectators.
North Wales was by this time pretty packeo--hotel accommodation was scarce and as we rode from Bangor Stat.ion to Vaynol Park, vast numbers of tourists waved and shouted. There was a large crowd of ladies of rather mature years, who were clearly employed as
Investiture of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
by Major H. A. M. Pyman
washer women at the Bangor Steam Laundry and who voiced theifadmi.raNon of Th'e Blues' and Royals' Squadron Corporal Major. Even he was daunted by the sight of them.
Vaynol Park was the home of the Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvon, Sir Michael Duff Bt. His father had been in the 2nd Life Guards, and was killed in France in ttie First World War. His kindness to all while we were there was amazing-h€ didn't seem to mind where the horses went, and the rides through his estate, with their wonderful views over the Menai Straits, were a feature of our time there. The Medical Officer who became an ardent equestrian while he was there (he probably had nothing better to do) visited almo-st ever) corner of the estate, most of it involuntarily as clearly he and his horse were not at one!
We lived in a tented camp and except for the first day, the weather was mild and pleasant. The Royal Mews and some Foot Guard horses, and the Greys of the Metropolitan Mounted Police also camped there, and although the Field was far from level, it drained well and was well sheltered from the wind by woods on all sides.
There was only one rehearsal, and that was a khaki one, and it took place so early in the morning that Reveille was at 2 a.m.! As the "parade ground" was on a steep slope and there were a considerable number of guy ropes in the area, and it was a dark night, it was really very surprising that everyone arrived o-n the scene at all. The language was bad, and tempers were fairly short!
Of the day itself, there is little that can be said that has not already been said and seen. Suffice it to say that in all it was a six-and-a-half-hour parade, with a short break for a cup of tea while the Investifure itself took place. The escort went without incident, except Ihat the Field Officer had an egg thrown at him!
Such, then, was a very pleasant week in Wales. An enormous amount of work was done on our behalf and a great deal of hospitality extended. It was a memorable and unique parade ar,d the highlight of a very busy year.
The FI., ._j -Surgeon Major J. Stewart on his·'
EXERCISE 11 WilliQI11 (JrQce"
THE NON-COMBATANT SIDE
by Corporal J. w. G. Berryman
Clatter, clatter, clatter, HEUK!!! FLUSH, GURGLE, gurgle. Similar sounds were heard on the morning of the 2nd of June, 1969. The previous night had been one of laughter, drinking and generally "whooping it up". Now, at ten in the morning, everything was hushed aboard the "Black Prince". The steady roll of the ship was having an unpleasant effect upon the previous night's revellers. The feeling seemed to be infectious and most of the passengers, although admitting that "B" Squadron, The LHe Gua-rds, h'ad given them a rl'ight to remember, regretted having participated.
Excitement mounted as everyone gravitated towards the main gangway hatch. Corporal H. advised everyone that, "Arms would be issued to The Life Guards ONL Yi!" This information seemed to disappoint several Arabs who were queuing at the arsenal. The gangway was lowered. "Instant Fiancees" of the previous evening were parted from their Life Guards as civilians and soldiers went their own ways. Promises of written communications were made. (Surprising how many "York's" and "Gilbart-Denham's" there were in the Squadron, almost as many as there were "Fuller's").
Kristiansand was dead. The party made various recces, but I found but closed shops, qu·iel streets and the occasional drunk, who took his poison from a Cola bottle. Everyone was glad to board the train for the five hour journey to Oslo (City of Sin, Fleshpot of the West.) Munching their boiled eggs, all were struck by the beauty of the scenery through which their train passed, and the Beauties which passed through their train. Fir trees and firm figures respectively. From Oslo (Vice City of a Thousand Del,ights), "Nogg'in" trucks ploughed through the pouring rain with their cargo of cold Life Guards, to the base camp at Trandum.
The camp was a ten-ted one. Each tent afforded room for eig,ht soldiers and their kit. The tents were heated by a fire box attached to the pole/chimney in the middle. This box was used as a wash-boiler (oil-drum) heater, brew-up point and mosquito repellant. There were three marquees, one for each mess. The kitchen was equipped wi.th the necessary facilities for producing boiled chops, boiled potatoes, boiled stew, boiled chicken, boiled socks, or anything else you care to name, providing that it was to be boiled. Being fair to the Master Chef, you could get a breakfast of boiled eggs, boiled sausages and a cornflake or two (wit,h boiled milk of course).
After the initial rush of moving in and sorting out all the kit, attention was focussed on the training programme, the most necessary part being the distribution of "hooch" to the three messes. On most days training seemed to consist of "burning up" the "Noggin" tanks on the training area, testing the efficiency of local police, causing consternation among the local female population Who looks the prettiest? and, even more, among their parents.
(L. to R.) Cp/. Richards,
The lake became a haven for most. Nig·htly, members L/Cpl. Doehren, Mr. Thompson of the squadron would trail down there, dressed in and Tpr. Rogan
strangely clanking combat (no matter wha1 the temperature), and reeling back at ·all hours of the night. To the uninitiated this aotivity might have seemed peculiar, but, if he had been down to see the lake-side activities, all would have become clear. Blonde bronzed nymphs gathered around the Whitbread swilling so-Idiers. Curiosity attracted the maidens as much as the Troopers' fatal charm. A heal1hy outdoor attitude was being developed, as well as their decidedly libidinous ones. We must now leave this location as any further elaboration may invoke the Censor's wrath.
Oslo (decadent city of lust and ribaldry) turned out to be a bit of a flop, in fact, Windsor in mid-winter would have had more to offer. Saturday saw shops closed early in ,the afternoon, even in the tourist season. Cinemas were in short supply, severe drinking laws made it difficul1 to find anywhere for a good "slurp up", and night clubs were difficult, if not impossible to get in to. However, some managed a trip to Frognor Park, which is packed with undraped statues, and almost equally poorly-dressed sun-bathers, the latter not being at all reticent about oompeting with the surrounding Bronzes. However, like the proverbial "Bunny Girl", it was "look, but do not touch".
Nearing the 'end of the month, .an all ranks' ball was held in one of the "Noggin" para-training structures. Females from mfles around got to know about it. Cam' nets, with coloured paper intertwined, were rigged up around the "ballroom", a stage was erected, electricity was laid on, and two bars were built. A group was hired at enormous expense, but it was discovered, during the evening, that we had a far more appealing talent among our own ranks. The s·awdust floor was packed with enthusiastic admirers of the impromptu combo, much to the chagrin of the professionals, who were allowed to play their own instruments at odd intervals. In the early hours of the morning, when the sun was high, no-one was left but the stragglers who were so greatly moved by the occasion that they could not be woken.
Pay parade was once a week, this was the time for the wringing of hands; the troops wrung their hands at the thought of the beer to be bought; the barmen wrung their hands at the thought of the rise in takings; the Squadron Quarterm!,!ster-Corporal wrung his hands at the thought of reduoing his enormous beer stockpile (the balance of which had to be returned to the United Kingdom); and the Squadron Leader wrung his hands at the thought of the profits being poured into the Squadron Fund. (No wonder the Pay Clerk ended up with a ringing in his ears).
The weather for the most part was scorohing, and UII advantage was taken of this by all. When not : aining, the camp could be seen to be littered with ;Hone bodies soaking up the sunlight. On these quiet a":ernoons, across the encampment could be heard the • ice of "Two" calling to one of his missing "children", on troop training. The latter would be annoyed _ his concentration had been broken whilst completing e- F.M.T.3 (Revised), (complete with "Noggin" tear off and would ignore the call for a Radio Check. "Two" would become impatient, and more inous calls would shatter the peace of the afternoon. was life in camp on exercise "William Grace", all sweat, little time for leisure, stern disciplinarians '-:- :.erseers, in fact a very good time was had by all.
A spot of R. and R. (L. to R.) Tpr. Harrison, Cp\. Nicklin, Tpr. Pride, Tpr. Meldrum, Cpl. Newens
If anyone had said to me five years ago that today I would be a qualified pilot, I would have scoffed at them as anyone in the same position as I would have. Yet today I have qual,ified as a pilot and am gathering the "fruits", as it were, of a good dea'l of time spent learningan<:l a considerable amount of financial outlay.
I have on many occasions been asked by various people how I, a Lance-Corporal in The Life Guards, have manageD to become a pilot. It is because of this and other factors that I am wr,iting this article, but have some reservations about doing so because, even if I say so myself, I am rather modest and averse to pUblicity.
It all really began when I was on active service in Borneo. Previously I had saved quite a substantial amount of money for, coupled with th€ fact that I held a h'ighly remunerative position in civilian life and at the same time had the Scots functional regard for mon€y, I adde<:l to my savings by drawing only a small proportion of my army pay.
So, at the end of hostiHti€s I founD myself heading back to Malaya and civilisation with a nicely swollen bank account. Many of my comrades in arms had saved quite a lot as w€lI, but on returning to Malaya they had either boozed, gambled or otherwise left their money "on the grass" for want of a better phrase. I had decided long before that I would not do this and took a seemingly miser's attitude and looked around for a way to profit from my capital rather than indulge myself in a series of hangovers.
I had always, since joining the army, had a pipedream about becoming a helicopter pilot so I thought I would give myself a "flying" start and go to a flying club and see if I had the aptitude to learn to fly. In January, 1967, therefore, with my application very kindly seconded by the Commanding Officer, I joined th€ Kuala Lumpur Flying Club as a flying member and went about the business of learning to fly.
When learning to fly, the average layman is under the misapprehension that all one does is climb into an aircraft in flying helmet, goggles and silk scarf and roar away into the blue yonder. Alas, this is not the case. For every hour spent flying it can safely be said one spends three hours on the ground learning the why's. wherefore's. do's and dont's of f'lying. The
pre-requisites of flying come under five separate headings; Meteorology, Navigation, Airframes, Engines and Air Law. Also, on top of all this, it is necessary to stUdy for a restr'icted R/T licence, so that an aircraft's radio (if fitted) can leg,ally be operated whilst in flight. As can be seen, it stretches the "grey matter" to some degr€e. After a while, and considerable practice, everything readily falls into place and perspective.
My first flight was on the 28th of January, 1967, and lasted for thirty minutes. From the moment I got into the aircraft, a Cessna 150, I was completely sold on flying. lit is difficult to describe accurately the feeling one gets when flying. It is one closely akin to driving a fast car very fast but perhaps twice as good as far as I am concerned.
My flying was rather restricted at first due to my prior commitment with the army so it was not until April, 1968, that I could really get stuck into my flying.
I was eventually rewarded for my persistence when at 1830 hrs. on Saturday, the 29th of June, 1968, my instructor, Mr. Yone Sieu Fun got out of the a'ircraft after a couple of circuits with me and said "O.K. Jock, you can go solo now, don't kill yourself", and nonchalantly walked off. I, shall remember that "€pic" flight for the rest of my life. I thought I had done marvellously and my head was already swel1ling as I turned back to my instructor aftsr a seemingly perfect Hight. Suddenly I received a call over the R.T. from the Control Tower enquir,ing casually and somewhat sarcastically H I was still In the land of the living. My elation was dampened for I then realised that I had forgotten to use the radio and to make the mandatory radio calls. So it was with a red face that I reported back to my instructor. Still, if nothing else, the day's events were an excuse for a booze-up in the Clubhouse that evening.
The rest of my training proceeded as near normal as possible, for I seemed to have a far greater number of adventures than anyone else. Whether it was for the good or ill is still a matter of speculation. Indeed, I had mixed feelings when an instructor friend of mine told me that my flying was pretty good, especially my actions when finding I was lost, but it was unfortunate that I always seemed to get lost in the first place!
Flying solo, after approximately ten hours dual instruction one begins to learn the finer points of handling an aircraft. One progresses to forced landings, landings out of wind, take off out of wind, engine failure on take-off, etc. Cross country flying comes next. At first it is rather harrowing to r·ealise that apart from flying the aircraft one had to map read, maintain a radio watch, keep accurate timings in the log, keep a sharp lookout for other aircraft and put up with an instructor who keeps bawling at you and asking silly questions like "Why are we going round in circles?"
After managing two solo flights of one hour's duration without damaging the aircraft or yourself, the instructor sets you off on a cross country course including two landings which must be fifty miles apart. This course has to be completed in order to gain the basic experience required by the Board of Trade before they issue a Pilot's Licence. After this long distance feat, one returns feeling like a successor to Charles D. Lindbergh. I then started brushing up in readiness for my flying test which I took on the 25th of August, 1968, and fortunately passed first time.
Aerobatics do not figure a lot in aero training except for perhaps stall turns and spinning, etc., which cannot really be called aerobatics but are fun just the same. It is difficult to imagine, but when on finally obtaining a private pilot's licence, life changes overnight. It can best be explained by comparing a journey that the average man would take on a Sunday to the coast or a ramble in the country. To me, planning a trip of the same duration would ·include the possibility of visiti·ng Pa'r,ios,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your leUer, enclosing one from Hardy and in reply to acquaint you for the of His Grace the Commander ·in Chief, ,that Henry Hardy was enlisted in the 1st Life Guards at the age of eleven years and eig'ht months "u,nder very speci'al circumstances". His Father, who had served in the Regiment upwards of 18 years,h·aving previously served ten years in the 15th Hussa,rs, was dea,d; his elder brother was servinq as a Musioian 'in th,e Reg1iment, on whom th·e boy, Henry Hardy. was entirely dependent for support and at whose des'ire he was enl'ist,ed a,t that early age. A young·er was subsequently enl'isted, and they are at present al,1 ser",iflg in the Band.
(1st Life Guards Letter Book No. 95)
"The thirst after righteousness"
Hyde Park Barracks. 1st September, 1845. Sir,
In consequence of its having come to ·my knowledge, that Divine Service on Sunday the 24th Ultimo, some of the Troopers of the 1st Life Guards. who had quilted the Military Chapel on pretence of necessity, were allowed to remain in the Canteen and were served with Beer and Spirituous Liqors. I have the honour to request that you will represent the circumstances to the Board of Ordnance
(Letter from O.C. 1st Life Guards to O.C. 1st Baltalion Grenadier Guards, Wellington Barracks. The Military Chapel is the Guards Chapel)
Antwerp or even Spain if I decided to have the whole day out. So in fact a whole new world has been opened to me, and of course, one is never short of female company.
The cost of flying is substantial and it is worth thinking about before embarking on any scheme you might have. I was rather fortunate in as much that I learnt to fly in the Far East. There, I had fantastic facilities and a very reasonably priced aircraft. In fact the f1yin;J rates at the R.S.F.C. when I left were $40 per hour for a Cessna 150 (two seater) and $45 for a Cessna 172 (four seater). In England, to rent e·ither of the above aircraft would cost at least £10 per hour as well as having to pay instructor's fees, etc. Taking these prices into consideration and allowing for about forty hours' instruction, to obtain a licence can cost a considerable amount of money. Of course, should the would-be pilot be a member of the Guards Division, he would be entitled to join the Guards Flying ClUb, which operates a Jodell Ambassador from White Wait-ham. White Waltham is situated about six miles from Windsor, so it is quite easy to get to. Charges for the Jodell are £4 10s. per hour plus instruction fees. There are excellent facilities and the W.L.A.C. to which the club is affiliated are very helpful indeed.
If anything was to stop me making a career of flying I would still fly just for the pleasure and satisfaction I get. There is nothing to fear in a light aircraft; they are quite as safe as a large jet aircraft. I could land a Jodell Ambassador in a field with ease, although I would hate to attempt to land a VC 10 in a field, t'hat's for sure!
The Virgin Soldiers
Meet Sharp-End Soldiers
by Major W. T. V. Lloyd
Early ·the summer before last rumours started to circulate Sellarang about a film company, very pushed for extras, who wanted to make a film of Leslie Thomas's book, "The Virgin Soldiers". Added weigllt was given to th,ese rumours by -an announcement in the "Strafts Times" confirming the rumours and stating that the Chinese actress Tsal Chin was to take the star role as Juicy Lucy. This pro;ect was altogether too much for the Headquarte·rs Squadron Leader w.ho, with his eye on the main chance. immediately started trying to put the clock back by judicious panic tanning and the use of facial preparations so that he could play the part of twenty-year-old Private Brigg, the anti-hero. Less aspiring thespians spent long periods d,n tront of the looki-ng-glass trying to find their least unattractive profile, or by super·human efforts of wil'lpower t-rying to conceal their T.ig-er-Iaden stomachs. Alas, the army authorities, who had agreed before reading the script that Columbia could use army property, then read the script which strangely distorted the book. It was unlikely to be a recruiting film, they found, so no soldiers or vehicles could take part.
playing respectively Private Brigg, efficient Sergeant Driscoll and the bogus Sergeant Wellbeloved, were sweating not only under the tropical sun but also under the glare of numerous arc-lights and reflectors.
The "Straits Times" made much of the so-called "Royal Family" of British stage, the Redgraves. Lynn Redgrave (many of the ex-Knightsbridge soldiers banged on about starring with her sister Vanessa in Woodf-all Pilms' production of "The ChargIe of the L:igllt Brigade") played the Regimental Sergeant Major's daughter, Phillipa, whilst her mother Lady Redgrave (Rachel Kempson) played her neurotic mother. The latter was somewhat nonplJssed when Major Fuller remarked how well she was cast, but not quite as disconcerted as was Hywell Bennet when Major Loyd asked him if he was looking forward to getting back to proper acting on the stage.
Shooting was hel:d up several times; 5 Troop "A" Squadron ran over the tea bucket which features prominently in the early stages of the film, thereby causing a delay of some hours until a replacement could be found; the dog "Killer", who had a walk-on part, tended to go to sleep on set until the film company discovered that the only way to get him moving was a well applied boot; and the filming of an early morning rainy scene had to be Interrupted every ten minutes so that the set could be sprayed with a fire hose (Corporal of Horse Johnson is still ditty a stand pipe)_
Although obeying the letter of the law about army participation (apart from non-constructive criticism about the so-called military adviser) members of the reg'imentsoon found a loophole. Women and children were needed for several scenes (rates: wives $30 per day, children $15) so Staff Sergeant Weeks and Corporals of Horse Poynter and Fettes quickly cornered the market, whether by a massive programme of kidnapping, bigamy or instant procreation is not known.
Virgin Soldiers drill on Sharp End Soldiers' Square
In September the team finally arrived in Singapore where, unlike sharp-end soldiers, they were put up in the luxurious Goodwood Hotel. Co-producer Ned Sherrin, usually dressed in white shorts and an American sailor's hat, was "on set" most days keeping an eye on bearded Director John Dexter with his hard-working subordina,tes Claude and Nicholas. Under an umbrella to the side would be Mr. MeAllister telling Jean, the P.R.O., some of ,his jungle stopiies. Meanwh:ile, Hywell Bennet, stair of "The Family Way", Nigel Davenport and Jack Sheppard,
Eventually shooting ended and the team returned to England. Several famil-ies were richer, bar profits in all the messes were up and we had all been interested and amused. Whether in fact we are all masochists, as diminutive Wayne Sleep, on loan from the Royal Ballet Company, playing gay Sidney Villiers, suggested to the Regimental Corporal-Major, or whether the basically anti-army Columbia team developed by example a form of mi,l,ibary d,isoipl1ine to cope with ,bh-ei·r aClor-sold'iers, remain to be seen. After hearing the Director's language when a scene was required to be re-taken for the tenth time, the latter seems most probable.
Sharp End Soldiers gives Virgin Soldiers some a(1vice: Corporal Knowles with Hywell Bennet and Nigel Davenport
Northern Ireland with an area of 5,238 squire miles is about one sixth of the total land area of Ireland, and its population of about one-and-a-half million is about one third of the whole. It consists of the six counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. The population of Belfast is about 500,000. The climate is distin<:tly wet. The surface is hilly; the three main mountain/hill ranges are the Sperrin, Antrim, and Mourne. It is said, "if you can't see the Mournes, it is raining, and if you can see them it's about to rain".
There is a large central inland lake-Lough Neagh, into which it is said one could fit the Island of Malta.
northern ireland
general background
by Captain S. V. Gilbert·Denham
GOVERNMENT
Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and returns twelve members to Westminster. Under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 it has its own Parliament which is not empowered to legislate on certain matters reserved to Westminster. The Northern Ireland Parliament consists of the Sovereign, a Senate (twenty-six members), and a House of Commons (fifty-1wO members). Procedure in each is similar to the Parliament at Westminster. The executive power is vested in a Governor on behailf of the Sov,erelign and lis exercised through Ministers responsible to Parliament. The Government seat is at Stormont in the suburbs of Belfast.
POLITICS
There are several parties represented in the House of Commons; the main ones are:
a. Unionist (thirty-six seats), mainly formed from Protestant, Conservative elements.
b. Nationalist (S'ix S'eats) , now the 'official opposition party and supported generally by Roman Catholics and Socialists.
c. Northern Ireland Labour (two seats), affmated to British Labour Party and draws support from both religious factions.
RELIGION
The Ohurch of Ireland and the Presbyterians outnumber the Roman Catholics by about two to one in Ulster. Although they are intermingled, they form two distinct communities.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Prior to 1920 all Ireland, with England, Wales and Scotland, formed a political unity known as the United Kingdom. In Ireland there were two main parties: one of whliah desi,red "H·ome Rule" and aHempted a complete separat·ion from the rest of the United Kingdom. The second were the Unionists who desired to mainta,in the union with Great Britain: the home rulers were largely Roman Catholic and the Unionists Protestant.
The 1920 Government of Ireland Act laid down two legislation areas known as Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Northern Ireland consisted of the six Counties
here the Unionists held the overall majority. The Act, a compromise by the British Government, failed because :-e Home Rulers demanded a complete breakaway from e United Kingdom for the whole island.
The Northern Ireland Parliament was duly established 1921 but the Home Ru lers reh.Jsed to accept it and :ellberately set out to destroy it. In 1922 two hundred " d thirty-two people, including a number of the new ?arliament, were killed and about one thousand more ere wounded before some semblance of law and order ,','2S restored.
POLICE
Meanwhile, in the South the Home Rulers continued :heir struggle for more concessions and in 1922 were :-ranted dominion status as the Irish Free State ratified -he border in an agreement signed with the North and :he British Government. In 1937 the Free State changed :ts name to Eire (i.e. Ireland) and claimed "the National :erritory consists of the whole island of Ireland, its islands and territorial seas".
The Police force of Northern Ireland Is the Royal Ulster Constabulary. It was formed in June, 1922, when Northern Ireland and Eire became separate countries. The present strength is just over three thousand.
The force is eighty per cent Protestant. They were armed until October, 1969. There was also a voluntary body enrolled to assist the regular police in the maintenance of law and order. This was called the Ulster Special Constabul·ary which consisted of about eleven thousand "part-timers". They were predominantly Protestant and were mainly used to guard key points such as pipe-lines, pylons, power stations, etc. When necessary they were armed. They have recently been reorganised into the Ulster Defence Regiment.
INTERNAL SECURITY BACKGROUND
THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY
In 1922 a militant illegal body calling itself the I.R.A. was formed. It was based in Eire but had splinter groups in the North. The declared object of the organisation was, and still is, to replace the Government and State of Eire by one embracing Northern Ireland as well, to drive out by force of arms the British Armed Services from the North, and to sever all links with Great Britain.
In 1922 they established a virtual reign of terror in the North which resulted in many deaths.
Since then the I.RA have always lurked in the background, hitting the headlines from time to time by stepping up their campaign or with a spectacular outrage.
In 1939 the campaign of lawlessness and violence was again renewed with Army Barracks and R.U.C. Stations being attacked, ammunition stolen, policemen murdered, Ulster's war efforts sabotaged.
After the war little was heard of the I.RA until 1951 when the same pattern started all over again. Eventually in 1956 both Northern and Southern Governments rounded up internal members of the I.R.A. and imposed heavy penalties by Speci,al Criminal Courts. I.R.A. arms and explosives were captured and the Northern authorities closed all but fourteen of the one hundred and seventy-two roads across the three hundred mile border. This brought I.RA activity to a stop until 1964 when isolated incidents started all over again with the occasional murder or tarring and feathering of informers.
The I.R.A. are now believed to be obtaining money, arms and ammunition and attempting to· gain popular support prior to re-embarking on a further campaign of violence. This is their declared aim.
C.R.A. AND PEOPLE'S DEMOCRACY
In October, 1968, a completely new menace appeared on the Northern Ireland scene"-the Civil Rights Association. This consisted mostly of discontented Catholics who wanted specific reforms, the main ones being universal suffrage for local elections, and a fair system of allocating Council houses.
The movement escalated with the setting up of the People's Democracy, one of the ringleaders being Bernadette Devlin (she is now M.P. for Mid Ulster).
Monster marches were org,anised by the C.R.A. and P.D. with counter demonstrations by Paisley's extreme militant Protestants.
Tpr. Crombie guarding the Royal Greenjackets Company Headquarters
Mr. Lewis passing a burnt-out bus in Belfast
A typical scene in the Shanki" Road
GENERAL
From here on the state of Northern Ireland became worse with the extremists on both sides stirring ;rouble up in a big way.
In April, 1969, there were several cases of sabotage "I.'hich resulted in army units being called in to guard key points.
28 April Major Chichester Clark becomes Prime Minister.
May Riots and demonstrations continue.
June Reasonably quiet.
July Incidents increase with violence in several towns and serious disturbances in Londonderry.
August Violence in Londonderry and Belfast with police using tear gas for the first lime. Several people shot dead and many wounded. Fierce clashes between Protestants and Catholics. Many houses in Bellast were damaged or destroyed. The Army eventually called in to restore law and order.
September Strength of the Army increased to eight thousand. Serious clashes continue between rival factions. Many barricades in Londonderry and Belfast continue to disrupt life.
October Hunt report pUblished which criticised amongst other things the structure of the police force in Ulster. This resulted in the disarming of the force and the reorganisation of the Ulster Special Constabulary Into the Ulster Defence Regiment. Shankill riots on night of 11th/12th October. They were worst riots in Ulster in recent years, which resulted in two civmans and one policeman being shot dead and a number of soldiers and civilians being wounded.
November Uneasy peace throughout Ulster with much friction just below the surface. Arms smuggling predominant.
THE COST SO FAR
Thirteen people have died-at least one thousand seven hundred have been injured, including eight hundred policemen. One hundred and seventy houses have been completely destroyed by petrol bombs in Belfast alone and three hundred and seventy more damaged. Sixteen fadories have been destroyed employing one thousand five hundred people.
And, clouding it all, is the shame of seeing Belfast as the only major city in the world where Christian is separated from Christian by a waH of iron, barbed wire and troops.
A burn-up down the Shankilf
Photo: HNews Lcuer u DcJfast
EXERCISE GREEN EXPRESS
by 2nd Lieutenant R. W. Raynsford
With a great bellow of power the giant Belfast transport surged down the main runway at Brize Norton military airfield and staggered up into the chill grey dawn. On board were two armoured troops of "e" Squadron, the crack reconnaissance unit of The Life Guards bound for Denmark.
As we climbed up through several thousand feet of turgid cloud, I turned to the quiet dark young man next to me, immaculate in the full combat kit of a Cavalry Captain: I was talking to Captain "Dick" Morrissey-Paine who, with a massive automatic strapped to his thigh, introduced himself as the squadron's liaison officer. With a few terse well-chosen words the captain put me rapidly in the picture. The five Ferret Scout Cars which loomed darkly beneath us in the belly of the BeHast were the last elements of a tactical deployment to Denmark, where the rest of the squadron was already taking its place in the international line of The Allied Mobile Force; N.A.T.O.'s "blitzkrieg", fire-fighting spearhead, now ranged throughout Denmark's easternmost islands. These islands guard the only passage to the Nor,th Seas from the Russia,n Bailic. The Allied Mobile Force would be exercising for ten days; rigorously practising the deadly deterrent techniques that one day might prevent a world armageddon escalating into a nuclear holocaust.
Ar'ound me the troops sprawled, grabbing a last couple of hours precious sleep. Everyone of them was a seasoned veteran of two previous Allied Mobile Force campaigns and they knew that in the ten rugged days that lay ahead sleep would be at a heavy premium. For the officers, however, there was little time for sleep. They had been told that when they arrived at Verlose, just outside Copenhagen, they must disembark their troops in three minutes, and drive immediately eighty miles south to "C" Squadron Headquarters. In the feeble glimmer of the cargo lamps I watched their faces, tense and concentrated as hey pored over their maps, codes
"A tall, rangy, wild-eyed officer testooned about with smoke bombs and thunder flashes"
and route instructions. One of them was learning off by heart a few Danish phrases which he thought might come in useful from a little yellow book, such as "Where are your b,londes" and "How much is ." etc. At my request Captain Morrissey-Paine introduced me.
"It helps enormously with the locals if one can mouth a few words"; the linguistic officer grinned reflectively. "In Greece it really made quite a difference". This was Second lieutenant Richard Raynsford, the most recently commissioned officer in the unit. Next to him Second Lieutenant Richard Atkinson, a raw-boned young man looked up briefly from the weird hieroglyphics that he was drawing on to his map and cheerfully held out a large hand. These two officers commanded 4 and 5' troops and had soldiered together throughout the previous year in a variety of pllaces ranging from the steamy equatorial rain-forests of Malaya to the twilit arctic wastes of northern Norway.
In the last two hours, we had left behind us the tearing icy sleet of England and were descending towards Verlose airfield in bright autumn sunshine. Beneath, the flat brown fields of rich agricultural Denmark slid past and suddenly we were there.
"The
reflectively"
With a hiss of hydraulics the rear doors sighed open. Feverishly the soldiers struggled to unbuckle the cargo chains. Before the plane had finally come to '8. halt, the first Ferret roared out on to the tarmac fol,lowed in quick succession by the rest. A television crew and a motor cycle escort of military police were waiting outside, the police immediately forming up at the head of the column to lead the troops out of the airport complex to the main road south. It took some time for me to find my Press jeep but within an hour I was rushing sou,th down the N6 in hot pursuit. I caught up t'he column in Naestvaed, an attractive town on the west coast of the island of Falster: The strange looking scout cars with the union
linguistic officer grinned
A.M.F. (L) Headquarters
jacks were causing much excitement but alas there was no time to linger on the inviting smiles and waves of the handsome Danish women. We sped on south until we met up with an armoured p·icket at an obscure turning off the main road. Here we picked up the gUide who would lead us to where "C" Squadron Headquarters had been tactically established. Soon we found ourselves in the middle of a dark wood and quickly and skilfully the vehioles in front of me were guided into perfectly concealed positions prep'ared for them under the trees. From close by I could hear the whine and crackle of static on the radio links. I was led off to the command vehicle. In spite of a guide, I did not see the camouflaged land rover until I had almost walked into it. I pushed open the nap of the tent attaohed to it and went in.
I blinked in the bright ligU Huge cellophane-encased maps, dotted with coloured pins and scored heavily with vividly lurid crayon, covered the walls of the tent. At one end two powerful radio sets were emitting strange foreign voices. The air was thick with smoke and the babble of urgent orders. In quick succession I was intr'oduced to the headquarters officers, all hardened regulars whose job it was to operate, around the clock, this nervecentre of the squadron.
First Major James Emson, the commander, a toughened regular of eleven years' service with the Parachute regiment. Second, Captain Christopher D'Oyly, an incredibly broad shouldered young man who besides being second in command of the Page
unit was also an accomplished lawyer, pilot, oarsman and athlete, bringing to the squadron a wealth of experience from six years with a Conqueror Tank Squadron in Germany. Third, Captain Charles "Fightin" Harcourt-Smith, the squadron's battle captain and imel,ligence officer. He also was a pilot and an immensely powerfully-built officer wi,th forearms as th,ick as a normal men's th:ighs and an expert knowledge on communications and men survival. This then was the engine room of the English reconnaissance squadron which during the last year had won such immediate and spontaneous admiration from the international shock troops of the A.M.F.
The exercise, it was explained, was divided into three distinct phases. An advance to contact, a planned withdrawal, and a final advance t,o "victory". The advance phase was to begin at 0200 hours the next morning with reports of enemy landings on t,he southernmost islands of Man and LoHand. "C" Squadron would be thrown out as a screen before the A.M.F.'s massed armour an{! infantry to report on t'he strength and direction of the enemy thrust. At 2300 the wood was filled with the mutC'd whine and roar of the Ferret troops preparing to move out to take up their positions. I was invited to accompany Second Lieutenant Imberl-Terry; a tall rangy wild-eyed officer who was festooned about with smoke bombs and thunderflashes, flares protruding from every pocket. He reminded me faintly of pictures I had seen of Che Guevera. At 2315 I was sitting in my jeep, following with straining eyes the barely
perceptible glimmer of a convoy light as I carefully crawled behind 2 Troop out of the wood back to the main road. Two -hours later saw us skilfully hidden in an Observation Post overlooking a long desolate 'stretch of the southern coast of Lolland. Sand dunes and wind-swept stunted scrub rolled down to where the wild pounding surf expl·oded on the shore. We had been there for only a few hours when suddenly a fleet of transport planes appeared low on the horizon and flew in almDst over 'our heads. They were several miles inl,and when strings of little black specks spewed out of their tails and quickly blossomed into billowing parachutes. Lieutenant ImbertTerry was already reaching for his microphone. We were immediately withdrawn, since Major Emson very wisely did not wish us to be cut off, and despatched to SUppDr! a company of Italian Bersaglieri Alpini. We found them under the command of a fiery black-bearded captain prepared to foace the worst that a Danish autumn could manage, dressed in full arctic combat. mountain warfare parkas and ski-boots. They seemed a IHtle upset th-at the terrain was as flat as a billiard table.
We spent the next week constantly on the move, observing, reporting and then moving on. Sometimes supporting a company of infantry; acting as a radio relay station or a bridge demolition guard. We snatched sleep when we could and swallowed hastily-made snacks of bully beef and hard tack biscuits. We drank t'he hot sweet tea which was brewed under the personal supervision of Corporal of Horse ("Ginger to his chums) Gibbs, L·ieutenant Imbert-Terry's burly troop
"The enemy"
N.C.C. of eighteen years' service whose Birmingham brand of humour never deserted him even when the troop received orders ·to move at 0300 in the middle of a torrential downpour. There was no respite for the exhausted troops. The most anticipated momerrt of the day was when the provision truck rendezvoused with us and everyone received their mail and duty-tree ration of beer and cigarettes. The responsibility for refuelling and provisioning the sabre troops was that of Corporal-Major Young, a giant of a man who seemed to possess supernatural assistance in finding the troop positions on the scantiest information. AMer several days of frantic aotivity 2 troop was recalled to Squadron Headquarters for a briefing on the next phase of the exercise.
Withdrawal is sometimes a euphemism for the harsher word retreat. Whereas the latter word is full of implications of disorganized rout, the former is meant to imply planned and orderly regression to prepared positions from where one is easily able to turn the tide of the enemy's advance. In "C" Squadron's case it meant performing the same duties as before but intensified. Keeping the enemy advance under constant surveillance, providing the principal and most reliable means of communication for the whole AM.F. and at the same time manoeuvering themselves in such a way as to prevent being cut off. An astonishing number of tasks to undertake efficiently at t'he same time.
Without a wasted word, Major Emson put his assembled officers in the picture. The AM.F. was to withdraw completely from the southern islands, blowing the bridges as they went and finally to assemble on a fortified line some twenty miles to the north. This time I was assigned to Lieutenant Hexel K. Lewis' troop. The Lieutenant, a colourful figure with hair cut en brosse after the style of Marlon Brando, was always to be seen in a fighter pil·ot's jump suit w.ith ,a I'arge polka dotted scarf fluttering at his throat. We were to support the Canadian Guards. The next few days were spent on the road covering the withdrawal of their Headquarters. The indefatigable Lieutenant Lewis rarely slept. "Ten minutes in my turret is enough for me" was one of his legendary phrases and white rings began to appear around his eyes from frequent use of the binnoculars. We had a few excitements. We captured an enemy rubbish truck, investigated a
report of a communist spy said to be perched atop a telegraph pole taking Minox pictures of Danish Tanks and accidently ambushed the Danish minister of defence and his motor cycle escort when they suddenly appeared without warning. We finally arrived with the Canadians intact on their Formin;) Up Point, in the inevitable wood, wet and strained. The rain had poured down ceaselessly and a bitter wind had risen, moaning in the small hours of the morning and which now howled dolefully through the trees. The order came to dig in and there we stayed for two days acting as a vital emergency relay station between the Canadians and the Americans.
I then gathered from an itinemnt Danish umpire that the word for the attack was imminent. I prepared to hurry off to "C" Squadron Headquarters thanking Lieutenant Lewis for his hospitality on the way. He waved a casual arm, covered to the elbow in grease, fOl' he had instant,ly seized this brief pause not to eat or sleep but to maintain his vehic·les. Everyone of his soldiers was toiling on his armoured car, helped by the squadron's flying Light Aid Detachment of the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers. This is a highly mobile force of expert mechanics and fitters (unofficial moctto "Keep 'em rolling") under an indomitable Sergeant Bluitt, who was later to cover himself in sporting laurels by being the first of the English detachment home in the interna,tional cross country run of five body-baUering, gruelling miles.
I arrived at Squadron Headquarters to find the Headquarters' tent a hubbub of excitement and activity. Major Emson managed a smile of welcome and with a weary gesture offered me a generous glass of whisky. "We attack at dawn tomorrow", he said, pointing to the glistening celluloid maps and thek armies of coloured pins and flags. He explained to me how the AM.F. was now poised for a gigantic thrusting aHack south which would roll back the enemy hordes into the icy Baltic. He invited me to accompany h·im in his personal helicopter as he conduoted his scattered squadron into battle from the air.
At 0400 we were airborne. Above the whirr and clatter of our helicopter we could hear the sinister rumbling of a thousand guns simUlating a pulverising barrage. By now Major Emson's sabre troops were in action. The contact reports crackled sharply over the ether. Quickly and accurately the
grid references were plotted. A picture began to emerge. The troops pushing down the western flank were coming up against powerful pockets of enemy whereas those advancing down the eastern flank along little used farm tracks and B roads, had encountered only token opposition. This was immediately radioed to AM.F. Headquarters. It appeared that the enemy had been concentrating on moving their forces as quickly as possible along the main arterial roads sacrificing caution for speed. The roads beneath us were pulsating like black conger-eels as the tank squadrons followed up by the A.P.C.s and infantry trucks raced south to press home the attack. Away on our right I watched a flight of jet fighters scream in at ground zero and saw the puff of their rockets blasting some target skilfully directed by Captain "Fightin" Harcourt-Smith over the V.H.F., himself an experienced gunship pilot of the bitter Borneo campaigns. Suddenly we were over a troop position. We dropped like a stone on to a ploughed field to be me-t by a highly excitable Lieutenant ImbertTerry who had claimed eigh·t kills since dawn. Around us the tide of battle ebbed and flowed. Vividly coloured smoke swirled and eddied and the muddied sky was brilliant with the flash and glare of signal flares and schimules. The crack and thump of thunderflashes and the harsh wild raHle of several Browning .30s punctured through the murk as 2 Troop g·ave the enemy everything they had. This was quite a considerable amount since the Technical Corporal-Major was using this opportunity to blow off all his surplus ammunition.
By lunch time the attack had been successfully executed and the enemy had turned. A race for the sea now began. The AM.F., however, superbly supported, was well aware of the old military maxim that the moment of greatest danger is immediately after a successful attack and every effort had been made to keep the front lines replenished. Enemy troops now began to surrender in droves. Mounds of equipment and stores were captured. The AM.F. had once again given warning to all those who might threaten world peace by showing the vicious sting in its tail. "C" Squadron was the point of this tail, the first in and the last out. Men and vehicles had taken a tremendous pounding but as Major Emson nonchalant·ly remarked when he learnt that the day now belonged to the AM.F., "It's all in a day's work".
OBITUARIES
TROOPER P. D. JOHNSON
1947-1969
Trooper Peter Johnson was killed tragically in a Ferret Scout Car accident on 24th February, 1969. He was born one of a large family in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, on 19th June, 1947, and joined up nearly years later in February, 1966. After his initial training at the Guards Depot he was posted to "C" Squadron in the Far East, where he saw active service at the end of the 30rneo campaign. On the squadron's return to Seremban, Malaysia, he continued in ,the same employment for a short while before transferring voluntari'ly to the Air Squadron, ' here he became a competent observer and saw service in Seremban and in Singapore. On the Regiment's to England in October, 1968, he joined R.H.a. :roop an<:! it was only four months aft.er our return to ::ngland that his tragic death occurred.
Peter Johnson was a quiet, loyal and efficient soldier always loved his Regiment and the Army life. His : .eeriulness and good sense of humour was reflected in 'act that he had so many friends both in and outside • - Regiment. His untimely death came as a bitter blow ::> us all and our deepest sympathy goes out to his parents :: his family.
EX-R.C.M. L. G. THOMAS
1927-1969
I was one of the many who had the privilege of serving with Les Thomas.
To me Les was not only a fine comrade in the Regiment, he was a truly reliable friend.
We shared for many years the running of the Regimental Soccer and Cricket teams. and one always found Les a wonderful sportsman in victory and defeat. It was his great love for his Regiment, his pride In it, and that great spirit of comradeship and helpfulness which he extended to all, which earned for him a firm place in the affections of those who had the privilege of his fniendship. If one did need anything to bring Les to mind, one could always picture him sitting on the banks o·f the T'hames a1 Pangbourne throwing in his ground bait.
A truly great sportsman and fine friend, one I sadly miss. T.S.
EX-CORPORAL OF HORSE C. SHARPE
1891-1969
The passing of Charlie Sharpe (popularly known to ilis old friends as Lizzy) was a very great shock to us all and is mourned by a very broad section of his old Comrades and also of the present members of the Regiment.
Charlie enlisted in the 2nd Life Guards in 1908 at Windsor and served the Regiment well for 21 years, being discharged to pension in 1929. He went to France with :he Regiment in the First World War in October, 1914, and · as wounded in the severe fighting at Kleine Zillibeke during the same month, which necessitated his return :0 England. He again joined the Regiment in France and Belgium for a short while in 1916 and finally was posted to the Guards Machine Gun Regiment where he ileld the rank of Acting W.O.II.
He will be remembered during the mid 1920s as a Corporal of Horse dressed very spick and span in Blues driving the Horsed Regimental Van in London and Windsor ·.vhich was admired by aM who saw it. After his discharge Charlie was employed for some years by a Private Coach Company at Windsor where he made his home and very much in contact with the Regiment. This :o:npany was eventually taken over by the London Transport when Charlie turned his thoughts to the Licenced Trade and took over the tenancy of a Public ouse quite near the Barracks in Windsor, which he held 'or some years before he retired for a more quiet life, Much more recently he had been employed as a c;vilian in Combermere Barracks where he had become ','ery popular with the members of the Regiment.
It will be seen that from joining in 1908 and until the present day his contact with the Regiment had been quite continuous, and his great figure and pleasing Page 50
appearance will be missed by all. Our sincere sympathy goes out to his family.
299423 CANDOW, D. V.
54 Westbrooke Crescent. Welling, Kent.
Joined 19.2.1920. Re-enlisted RAC. 4.9.41.
Died 5.8.67.
Lt.-Col. FENWICK-PALMER, C.B.E RODERIC GEORGE Cefn Park, Wrexham, N. Wales.
Joined 2 L.G. 1913. Wounded 25th June, 1917,. Retired 1919. Rejoined 1939 (War Service). Commanded 8th and 31 st Bns. Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Died 17.10.68.
Captain SIR JOHN WILSON, Bart. Peppers Farm, Burton Lazars, Melton Mowbray, Leics. 2 L.G.
Died 22.10.68.
2591 Trooper BRUTY, F. W. 20 Albert Street, Windsor, Berks. Joined 29.7.1907. Transferred to Gds. M.G. Ragt. 10.5.1918.
Died 14.3.69.
294423 L/Cpl. CARTER, G. 16 Woodman Road, Chigwell, Essex. Joined 9.5.19. Discharged 8.5.27 Kettle Drummer. Died 8.4.69.
2629 WELLER, W.
37 Fellowes Road, Carshalton, Surrey.
Joined 2 L.G. 30.6.1908.
Transferred to R.G.A. 20.12.1917.
Died 17.4.69.
2942 Corporal DOYLE, H. C.
381 a Richmond Road, East Twickenham, Middlesex.
Joined 3.3.1913. Discharged 2.3.1921.
CoH. Hooper, A.C.I.O., Manchester
A/CoB. Venn, A.A. College .'.
A/CoH. Nicole, A.C.LO., Bimungham
A/CoH. Digney, A.C.LO., Liverpool
Cpl. (L/CoH.) Dulton, R.A.C. Trg. Regt.
Cpl. Turner, H.Q. I Div.
Cpl. (L/CoH.) Engllshby.l. Berlin
Cpl. Galloway, F.V.R.D.l>. (A)
Cpl. B1ake, London District
Cpl. Dugdale, R.A.C. 3 Div.
Cpl. Goodyear, RA.C. Trg. Regt.
Round the world in 119 days
Reg·ants Park Barr·acks. 2nd September, 1842.
(extract from letter to the Adjutant General) Sub. Ueut. Henry, Marquis of Worcester.
"I have the honour to request you will be pleased to obtain the approval of th,e General Comm-and+ngin Chief for the Officer named ·in the margin to have leave of absence 31 st Day of Decemb·er next, to enable ,him t·o remain abroad on his tr-avels." (The Marquis had been commissioned 7th August, 1842) (1 st Life Guards Letter Book 95)
Captain C. 1'<. H. .Boolh, School of .\rm:' ."'v· <ion 2 Lt. C. A. Jo ll, Orl 1.'ninrsity 2 Lt. H. S. A.. bridge University
Cpl. Mclvor, I (B. > Corps. Cpl. Knowles, Rh' Garrison Cpl. Skclly, 1 (B.R.) Carp•. Cpl. Baxter, 13 At. .-\_ c. L/Cpl. Boolh, 13 Ht. A -\.C. Tpr. Barwick, I .R.) eo",s. Tpr. Bell, No. I (G=cI.J:) Indep. Coy, Para Regt. Tpr. Christensen, H.Q. 4 0;, Tpr. Cl ark, "G" Sq 22 S S. Regt. Tpr. Cusick, Bilire:n G=riscn Tpr. GoodaU, 1 (B.R•• Tpr. Green, 12 ."'\'D. H. Tpr. Laid, "G" Sq;n. Z% S_ S. Regt. Tpr. Mills, Rheinc!..i.b.!:aa. Gnrison Tpr. Reeve, -1 Gd.s. Bc!e. Tpr. Slater, Rh' Garrison Tpr. SneU, Rhein<b!aten Garrison
"Those were the days" s Park Barracks. 25:, ece;nber, 1839.
"Trooper Riohard Stone, havi 9 of two Good Conduct Badges since 24 '" has been disoharged wi reg1istered for a d,eferred pension of (1st Life Guards Letter Book 95)
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