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Miro/SLOZD7 4/44 2592 The (Household Cavalry Journal Incorporating The Acorn and The Blue and Royal No.11 2003/4 Editor: Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) JS Olivier, The Blues and Royals.

By \DLmommamet HM (locovet:about same.- orHLnum

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Colonel HPD Massey, The Blues and Royals

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Contents

Preface

Preface by The Commander Household Cavalry ................... 3

By Colonel HPD Massey, The Blues 8: Royals, Commander Household Cavalry

Household Cavalry Regiment

Pages 4-32

Foreword by the Commanding Officer ................... 4 Diary of Events ..................................... 5 A Squadron, The Life Guards .......................... 7 B Squadron, The Life Guards .......................... 9

Headquarters Squadron .............................

Quartermaster’s Department ..........................

Quartermaster Technical’s Department .................

Light Aid Detachment ..............................

C Squadron, The Blues & Royals ...................... 11

W05’ and NCOs’ Mess .............................. 28

D Squadron, The Blues & Royals ...................... 13 Preparing for Op TELIC ............................. 15

The Band of The Blues and Royals ..................... 29 Regimental Recruiting Team ......................... 31

D Sqn in Iraq

23 25 25 27

..................................... 17

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Foreword by the Commanding Officer ..................

Diary of Events ....................................

The Life Guards Squadron ...........................

The Blues and Royals Squadron .......................

33 34 36 37

Headquarters Squadron .............................. 39 W05’ and NCOs’ Mess .............................. 40

Pages 33-52

Musical Ride 2003 .................................. 45 The Band of The Life Guards ......................... 46 Winter Training Troop and Household Division Saddle Club 48 Equitation The Forge

........................................ 49 ........................................ 52

Household Cavalry News Presentation of Standards and Guidon Musical Ride in St Moritz and Zurich

................. 53

Pages 53-80 The Mounted Unit of The King’s Guard

of the Bahrain Defence Force ............................ 68

The Household Cavalry Development Project B Squadron at BATUS 2003 .......................... 60 Time to Fly in Bagdad - the most dangerous city in the world . 61 Remembrance Day in Zandevoorde ....................... 62

The Sovereign’s Mace

Exercise GAULISH .................................... 63 Exercise LONG LOOK 2003 ............................ 64 Peacekeeping in the Horn of Afiica ....................... 65

The Battle of Edgehill Battlefield Tour .................... 73

The Household Cavalry and Hyde Park Barracks

Household Cavalry Sports Round—up

........... 67

.................................. 69

Exercise COCKNEY ROUGH RIDER .................... 69 Exercise IRON HORSE 2003 ............................ 70

Exercise COCKNEY HARZ

............................ 71

Household Cavalry Bands Trade Horses for Skis. ............73 The Household Cavalry and ATR Pirbright ................ 74

News from the Associations

................ 75—80

Pages 81-119

The Life Guards Association Annual Report ............. 81 Minutes of the 69th AGM of The Life Guards Association . .81 The Life Guards Association Charitable Trust Accounts . . . . 82 84 The Life Guards Association Notices 85 The Life Guards Association Area Representatives

Obituaries The Blues and Royals ...................... 90

The Blues and Royals Association ..................... 86 The Blues and Royals Association Accounts ............. 87 Minutes of the AGM of The Blues and Royals Association . 87

Household Cavalry Museum .......................... 89

The Household Cavalry Association North Staffs Branch ................................ 104 Dorset Branch .................................... 106 North East Branch ................................ 107 The Institution ofa new Medal for Service in The Suez Canal Zone - 16 Oct 1951 to 19 Oct 1954 ....... 107

.......................... 90

Features ......................................... 109

The Blues and Royals Association Area Representatives

Obituaries The Life Guards

. . . 88

Nominal Rolls ..................................... 97 Notices for both Regiments .......................... 102

Reunions (l HCR and 2 HCR) ....................... 104 Musical Ride Forcast 2004 .......................... 103

Front Cover: 1 Troop D Squadron, The Blues and Royals, patrolling the Iraq Border.

Guards.

Back Cover: The new Guard of the Queen's Life Guard, crossing Horse

Last year I was able to write of the unreserved praise and admiration of the Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade for D Squadron The Blues and Royals under the command of Major RC Taylor DSO The Life Guards for the courage and competence they had consistently shown on operations

around Basra in Iraq. All wars inflict tragedy and this was no exception with the deeply felt loss of Lieutenant Alexander (Alex) Tweedie RHG/D, LCoH Matthew (Matty) Hull RHG/D and LCpl Karl Shearer RHG/D. I pay tribute to them here on behalfof all ofus in the Household Cavalry. I extend our deepest sympathy to their widows and families, and I believe I speak for us all when I assure them that they are constantly in our thoughts and prayers.

I also pay tribute to the remainder of D Squadron, 25% of whom were Life Guards and all of whom acquitted themselves so well, something which has been graphically illustrated since by the quantity and level of awards made to its members. On behalf of all of us in the Household Cavalry I offer warm congratulations to Trooper Finney GC RHG/D, Major Taylor DSO LG, CoH Flynn CGC RHG/D, and to CoH Gallagher LG and LCoH Telling RHG/D who were Mentioned in Despatches.

D Squadron’s notable success in Iraq is explained in more detail elsewhere in this Journal but it is in no small part owing to the dedication of those in the rest of the Household Cavalry Regiment who prepared them in training before departure, and to the leadership shown by the officers and non—commissioned officers of the squadron during operations.

As I write, a half-squadron under the command of Captain RS Evetts RHG/D is serving as part of lst Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group based in Banja Luka, Bosnia. At home, A and B Squadrons The Life Guards are preparing to deploy to Iraq for 6 months as part of the Multinational Division (SE) Iraq which, from June, will be under the command of Major'General Rollo, formerly RHG/D. Both regiments combined on 21 May to parade on Horse Guards before Her Majesty who graciously presented both regiments with new Standards, and The Blues and Royals with a new Guidon.

We were particularly pleased that ten

members of D Squadron were able to return from Iraq to watch the parade at the end of which they were presented to The Queen and The Duke ofEdinburgh.

The year ended in a remarkable way when Her Majesty paid us an unique compliment by recording her Christmas broadcast to the Commonweath from Combermere Barracks.

The Mounted Regiment has been fully committed during a year that saw the

State Visits of the Presidents of both Russia and the United States of America.

Its programme of mounted State ceremonial coupled with its annual training carried out on Thetford Training Area have shown that the Regiment has recovered its expertise in equitation after the extended inactivity forced by the firemen’s strike early last year.

Nevertheless, we are living in a period of structural uncertainty driven in part by severe financial restraint from the

centre. As the Army explores its future size and structure, our own current conformation is under close scrutiny once again. The planned rebuild of Combermere Barracks has been put back (again) to the second half of next year and there is a refusal at present to plan for accommodation for the fourth squadron.

We seek to maintain our current size and structure. Put simply, four squadrons, not three, at Windsor are essential in order to produce the turnover of manpower necessary at all levels of the Mounted Regiment to be able to continue to meet our mounted State ceremonial commitments.

Therefore we owe much to the energies of Captain Kingston and the Recruiting Team. They have worked hard to recruit our allocation during the year. And we are fortunate to have Captain Archer—Burton at the adult recruit training regiment at Pirbright, and Captain Kitching at the Army Foundation College Harrogate (junior soldiers), who strive so hard to retain trainees’ interest during training.

Preparations for the Museum are now well-advanced and contracts for the beginning of construction work will be let later this year.

The Appeal continues and I am grateful to Mr Simon Corbett, formerly The Blues and Royals, for his unstinting efforts as Chairman to raise the money we still need.

I am also grateful to Major Waterhouse, formerly The Life Guards, for his conscientious work in carrying forward the detailed work involved in the planning, consultation and construction in time for the Museum to open in the autumn of 2005.

The Household Cavalry will spend most of 2004 on operations or training to go on planned operations. They will do this against a background of structural uncertainty over our future organisation. We will continue to carry out our roles to the best of our abilities as Household Cavalrymen and strive to produce further successes in 2004.

Those of 2003 fill the ensuing pages which I commend you.

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment

Household Cavalry Regiment

Diary Of Events 2003 was a characteristically busy year for the Household Cavalry Regiment with soldiers acting in various roles from firemen and airport security to our reconnaissance warfighting role. From leave the regiment was launched straight into preparing D Squadron lor its deployment on OP TELIC (Iraq), Concurrently we continued our commitment to OP FRESCO (Fire Fighting) manning fire stations in the London District area. A short notice call resulted in a further deployment on OP FLAK to Heathrow airport in a secu— rity role. The latter halfof the year has seen Household Cavalry soldiers deploy to Bosnia on OP OCULUS (Bosnia).

Foreword

By Lieutenant Colonel CBB Clee, The Blues and Royals 2003 has been a year of extremes. After an absence of 10 years, ceremonial beck-

oned with the Presentation of Standards and Guidon.

Operationally we have covered the full gamut from aid to the civil authority with OP FRESCO, aid to the civil power with our return to Heathrow during OP FLAK, peace support operations with our (hopefully)

of both worlds”, then we must continue to strive to be the best through commit— ment and hard work, there is no alternative. The corollary is that as Household Cavalrymen, or members of the House— hold Cavalry Regiment, 2003 is a year in which all can take considerable pride.

its commitment to OP FRESCO cover— ing two two-day fire strikes in London District.

May February D Squadron deployed on OP TELIC in the first half of February.

For the remainder a regimental firing package at Lydd and Hythe ranges was organised.

This was well underway when OP

FLAK was called.

so — but in the process performed with great courage and to great effect.

Regimentally, there have been several notable performances during the year’s training. C and B Squadrons performed with some style in support of 1 Mech Brigade and 3 Commando Brigade. A Squadron had an exceptional firing peri— od, and pulled the cat out of the bag on troop tests in January; CoH Gallagher demonstrated to 2Lt Eastwood the value of service in the Pathfinder Platoon in engineering their win in a close fought contest. Our Bosnia contingent took

advantage of the results of some concenShortly after my predecessor wrote his foreword last year, Lieutenant Alex Tweedie succumbed to his injuries. Our thoughts are with his family, and those

trated PT to beat all 6 RGR teams in winning the Banja Luka 21km Bergen march, which resulted in a battalion punishment march the following day.

of LCoH Matty Hull and LCpl Karl Shearer, as we approach the anniversary of their deaths. In addition LCpl Alan Tudball will be discharged to civilian life this year as a result ofthe injuries he received during the conflict. In this

context I know I am not alone in finding the unbalanced and cynical media coverage of Iraq distressing. Simply put; “were we right to act to liberate the people of Iraq and remove the regime of

Saddam Hussein?”.

There can be no

doubt, we were. As a regiment, as $01— diers, our duty requires us to place our-

selves in harms way. D Squadron, along with others, paid a heavy price for doing

Further sad news was received in early April of another accident in Iraq which caused the deaths of LCpl Shearer RHG/D and later of Lieutenant A D Tweedie, RHG/D. C Squadron carried out an OP exercise in Long Valley. Her Majesty The Queen visited Combermere Barracks. After an audience in the War— rant Officer’s mess with families of those injured, she met D Squadron families in the Gym.

Squadron successfully completing annu— al firing tests. The regiment continued

Bosnia, and warfighting in Iraq during OP TELIC. All the while, we have been struggling to cope with the soul-destroy— ing workload imposed by turbulence within the CVR(T) fleet, resulting from the current crisis management; some troops have turned over 5 sets of vehi— cles and tools in the last year. However, if there is a common thread that links this diverse range of commitments, it is that of the excellence with which all ranks continue to perform.

our much—heralded maxim of “the best

April

The return to Combermere Barracks after leave was a sharp reminder that Christmas was well and truly finished.

All hands were engaged in preparing D Squadron for OP TELIC. This began with an exercise in Sennybridge with 3

PARA and finished with the entire

final deployment on OP OCULUS in

Such excellence is not delivered by default; it is the result of the considerable dedication that all ranks have continued to demonstrate in upholding the values of both regiments. It does not happen by accident, nor can we afford to be complacent. If we are to live up to

January

Individually, I congratulate Tpr Finney on his award of the George Cross, CoH Flynn on his Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, Major Taylor on his Distin— guished Service Order, and CsoH Gal« lagher and Telling for being mentioned in dispatches. I would also like to congratulate SSgt Sindall RE, who was involved in the rescue of those attacked

by US A-lOs, for the award of the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for his role in the incident.

Of note, both Distin-

guished Flying Crosses awarded to pilots in the Army Air Corps, were for actions in support ofD Squadron.

We are privileged to been visited by our Colonel in Chief twice. Firstly to meet the families of those deployed on TELIC, and secondly an informal visit

to film her Christmas Address. The lat— ter a fitting climax to a year in which we joined the Mounted Regiment, to form up as Her Majesty’s two regiments of Household Cavalry, for the presentation

of new Standards and Guidon.

So we look forward to 2004. A and B Squadrons deploy to Iraq in April. D Squadron has a busy year supporting 16 Air Assault Brigade. We have to attend to the current backlog of postings between HCR and HCMR; the result of a chaotic 2003. The lack of training for our junior leadership must be tackled, and C Squadron will take on an additional training support role to address the legacy of an unprecedented period of continuous commitment.

I reiterate that we have much to be proud of, but as a consequence we have much to live up to. In looking forward to 2004, in wishing all those who will be deployed on operations god’s speed and a safe return, I can think of no more apt words than those from the cypher of the Royal Dra» goons’: “Spectemur Agendo”, roughly translated; “by our actions we will be judged”. We will be.

The shock of the

news that his carefully planned range package was to be abandoned immediately led to fears that the Training Offi— cer may have to be laid to rest. This was no inconvenience since the O Group at which this was communicated was held in the Hythe morgue. Having been briefed at 1630 the Regiment was back in barracks by 2230 and the first troop left for Heathrow at 0100. Four days of guarding the airport followed, providing 1 Troop B Squadron with the opportuni» ty to cover the front pages of several national newspapers.

Lt Alexandre Bedigis, from the French Army visited the regiment and was treated to a para— chute jump from a C130.

May saw the Presentation of New Stan— dards at Horse Guards. Many early morning rehearsals in the rain were fol— lowed by beautiful weather for the day itself. Her Majesty The Queen presented the new Standards and lunch was held in the Grosvenor House Hotel afterwards. The Regiment was joined

by Captain Tom Smithurst of the Australian Army. His attachment included a deployment to Iraq.

.06 FD 27 %‘é

LCOH Smith RHG/D and Tpr Grime LG at Heathrow.

Squadron meanwhile conducted a TESEX on Salisbury Plain. It was with great relief that the Regiment greeted the news that OP FRESCO ended.

June The Regiment bid farewell to Lieutenant Colonel M C van der Lande OBE LG who handed command to Lieutenant Colonel C B B Clee RHG/D. B

July Lieutenant R] Moger RHG/D led a party of 8 soldiers on a visit to the Regiment’s sister ship, HMS Marlborough.

March March began with a two week dismounted Regimental exercise taking place in Otterburn. This included map reading, OP training and ranges as well as survival training. This was followed immediately by a Regimental CATT in Warminster. Colonel The Blues and Royals, HRH The Princess Royal visit— ed the Regiment and was given the opportunity to act as gunner in one of the simulators being given expert tuition from the Gunnery Officer. Sup— port to OP FRESCO continued. At the end of March the Regiment received with great sadness the news of the death

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of LCoH Hull RHG/D and casualties in an accident in Iraq.

The Queen inspects A Son, The L/‘fe Guards, on the Presentat/on of Standards Parade

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment

All returned with serious tans after sail— ing from Rhodes to Gibraltar.

B Squadron went to the Harz mountains in Germany for two weeks of walking, climbing, abseiling followed by battle— field tours in Ypres and Berlin.

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HOUSEHOLD C'AV‘ALRY REGHT xx. . .

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A Squadron The Life Guards 7

.

3

.

August After an early summer leave B Squadron deployed to Canada to take part in EX

IRON ANVIL. The Canadian weather was remarkably kind and time allowed for more adventure training including

an officers’ fly fishing trip.

September September proved a quiet month for all, particularly after the Regimental Corporal Major broke his collarbone in a dar— ing gymnasium leap. The Commanding Officer visited BATUS at the end of September.

October Captain RS Evetts deployed to BOSNIA on OP OCULUS leading a Squadron («).

Attached to l RGR the tour is expected to be the last deployment of CVR(T) to the Balkans. A Squadron hosted a Troop of French soldiers and shocked them with an exercise in Otterburn. News of

awards from OP TELIC was posted with Household Cavalrymen wining five awards. Regimental Drinks were held to celebrate the Squadron’s efforts.

November Major R R D Griffin LG ended his tour

Lt Col van der Lande OBE escorting Her Majesty from the WOs' and NCOs' Mess. as Regimental Second in Command to move to Glasgow, handing over to Major

S St M Miller RHG/D. Captain MSP Berry was forced to brush up on his drill when he took a party of Household Cavalrymen to Belgium to visit the Household Cavalry battlefield of Zandevoorde and take part in the Zandevoorde town Remembrance Day Service.

Captain Evett’s departure to Bosma for OP OCULUS left the Regiment without his customary impromptu speech at the Summer Ball, delayed until November

in order to ensure that the majority of the Regiment was present. The five hour trip to CAST(N) the following day was a good opportunity for some recov— ery for RHQ and the week proved a suc— cess. C Squadron learned more about

The Marines on a 40 Comd TESEX on Salisbury Plain and Captain CW Wren took a party of 8 to Invercauld on Ex

HAWKEYE MUNRO 2 for some hind stalking.

December Lieutenant TCW Edwards led A Squadron’s return visit to France playing rugby, visiting French battleships and finally forging Anglo-French rela— tionships at a drinks party in a chateau.

Meanwhile HQ and D Squadrons engaged in a firing package at Lydd Ranges. Finally the working year was ended with the annual Christmas cele— brations including the carol service,

Warrant Officers to the Officers Mess and Brickhanging.

he beginning of the year was dominated by strikes by the Fire Brigades Union and the subsequent mil— itary support, Op FRESCO. A Squadron set of yet again with their ancient green goddesses to the Hon— ourable Artillery Company’s Barracks where it had been based throughout the Strikes. The Strike passed unevenfully to begin with, especially for CoH Holden, who was as normal chomping at the bit to actually get his hands on a real fire and thus no longer get classed as a “fire virgin”. Despite all his efforts, going as far as changing shift patterns and even doing back to back shifts to break his duck, it almost didn’t happen. Not until his last shift did he get some action (even though it was only a little bin fire) and then to his delight they came thick and fast. The Fire Brigade’s Union and the government finally solved the crisis, much to the relief of the Squadron.

The Regiment then deployed to Lydd and Hyde Ranges to carry out some much needed small arms training and whilst they were there Op FLAK was called. Captain R S Evetts and Lieutenant N P G van Cutsem, who were both at Windsor and about to make their way down to the coast, received a myste-

rious call from the Squadron Leader.

He told them to pack their kit and be ready to deploy on operations for a min— imum of seven days, with no further information available as to what or where for security reasons. Immediately they began to excitedly imagine deployments to Sierra Leone or the Congo, both of which were experiencing trouble at the time, only to be told that the nearest they were going to be was

Heathrow and to count themselves

lucky

. .

r /ea rng from the front.

thatll Disappointment was huge, but the operation proved very interesting and gave a wonderful opportunity to both appear in the national media (Lieu— tenant N P G van Cutsem was upset to only make an appearance in the Mirror and the Sun) and do a lot of swaggering about in the terminals. Many an eyelid was fluttered at the dashing men of A Squadron as they valiantly guarded the public from the menace of Al Quaeda.

The operation, although short lived, was an interesting experience and gave members of the Squadron an insight into the workings of the Airport.

The Squadron then did a small mounted exercise on Aldershot training area, which was hampered by the size of the area allocated to us.

However the squadron cracked on and achieved some useful low level training, which was much needed due to the large number of new recruits that the Sqn

had just taken on. 4 Tp then began their pre—BATUS build up and preparation with B Sqn, who lacked a Support Troop.

In June A Squadron deployed to Castle— martin for Annual Firing with the rest ofthe Regiment. They spent a very suc~ cessful few weeks producing some outstanding results, bearing in mind the large number of junior soldiers taking part.

Major HRD Fullerton was stumped by the humorous Gunnery Staff, who decided to put up every target on the range at the same time! Firing was not the only activity at Castlemartin and some adventurous training was thrown in for good measure. This took the form of surfing, again led by the gallant Squadron Leader, who was unim— pressed by the lack of enthusiasm from those with him. It may perhaps have been something to do with him being the only man with a wetsuit and the rest

at

.9

A Sqn at Cast/emartr'n M embers 6r 3 Tp D Sqn meeting General Jackson.

Household Cavalry Regiment

Household Cavalry Regiment

possessing only their swimmers in a rather cold Irish Seal!

B Squadron The Life Guards

August saw the command structure of the Squadron and the Support Troop sent to BATUS in order to support B Sqn. Thus the new Sqn Ldr, Major] D A Gaselee LG, arrived to find a much depleted organization, It also did not prevent the Squadron having to support numerous small troop sized commit» Inents and supply 11 men to go to Bosnia with Captain R S Evetts and Lieutenant N G Bacon. During this period the lER Regt de Spahis, a French Formation Reconnaissance unit, visited the Squadron. The visit involved a week in barracks followed by a short exercise

Unremitting slog, yet delivery, are the themes running through B Squadron’s year. All years are always “exceptionally busy”, but 2003 came close to a Balkans tour in terms of hard work — all from the confines (occasionally) of Combermere. FRESCO, FLAK, TELIC for some, supporting TELIC for the rest, Standards Parade rolling into TESEX rolling into the preparation for BATUS rolling into 2% months in BATUS ~ a run-of-the—mill ‘busy’ year.

As this is written we fight off our jet~lag and start to aim off for TELIC IV with a strong sense of ground rush.

in Otterburn.

The Otterburn weather gave the French party some shocks, during one day they experienced snow, sleet, rain and sun, in fact the full gambit of British weather.

The exercise itself was dismounted and climaxed with the French attacking a somewhat dilapidated farmhouse held

by A Squadron. This attack, conducted with much Gallic flair and panache, was obviously a success; although we refused

We started, as did everybody, helping D Squadron out the gate on the first morn— ing back from Christmas leave. 6 vehicles and 12 soldiers were initially loaned, all of whom came back in (mostly) one piece. We also inherited some vehicles and were told to fix them. In all the squadron was to receive something like three times its holdings of vehicles over the next year, usually alas in pretty poor state, and turn them around — a tribute to both the Fitter section and the Junior NCOs and troopers for their uncom— plaining hard work, as the squadron training plan was jettisoned again and again to give priority to something more akin to kwik—fit. CoH Fortune set the record when he stopped counting at 20 vehicles across 1 troop’s books.

to let the French Officers return to their homeland with one ofthe Officer’s Mess Eaglesll The patrol lane at Otterburn also caused much mirth with both Tprs

Willis and Oaks being knocked off a bridge by a sand bag and landing in a

stream. One of the visitors did however achieve one better; whilst moving cautiously forward on his stomach he man—

aged to activate a pressure pad which caused a large bucket of water to be deposited all over him!

Lieutenant T W C Edwards and W02 (SCM) Stevenson led the return visit with 18 other members of the Squadron.

At this point it is necessary to thank the English Rugby Team for their impressive victory over the French in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals. This feat saved the Squadron from the humilia-

tion of being the butt of copious quanti‘ties of Gallic ribbing. The visit was a (great success with the Squadron takiing part in an amphibious exercise iand experiencing the delights of

Tor Allen hard at work,

Valence, the visit is the subject of its own article.

For the remainder of the year the Squadron has been flat out preparing itself for Op TELIC next year. To that

end we have conducted a number of Trade Courses, numerous training days to pass various shooting and fitness tests

and finally preparing our vehicles. The

Sqn is now however ready to embark on our pre Op TELIC training at the begin— ning of next year and is looking forward

to a summer season in Iraq.

Over the year the Squadron has said farewell to Major H R D Fullerton to the MOD; Captain R S Evetts and Lieutenant N G Bacon to Bosnia; and welcomed Major] D A Gaselee; Captain E] Bond; and 2Lt T B Eastwood.

In war nothing is final. So also with industrial disputes. Thus we started the year feeling slightly pleased with ourselves because the threatened 2 week firemens’ strike that would have ruined our Christmas leave had gone away.

Those who might have thought the dis» pute as a whole had therefore gone away were rudely awakened when a snap 24 hr strike was called in mid January. Indeed it was to dribble on ‘til March, and officially until May. The drill was now well known, although asymmetric shifts (matching the availability of crews to the busiest time of day — teatime ‘til midnight) meant less downtime than before.

The most amusing moment involved handing over a fire in midburn, where the fire brigade had no option but to continue using our Green Goddesses as the roads were too narrow

wobbled between extreme secrecy e the warning order was given in the morgue at Lydd without an explanation ofwhere or what — to slight farce a the truth finally came out through a rumour that the Grenadiers were establishing a field kitchen at the airport. At the end of the week we had enjoyed a ring-side seat as the press squabbled over the perceived seriousness of the threat, and the appropriateness of sending ‘tanks’ — quite where that leaves the debate on FRES

and medium forces I am not sure.

Anthrax jabs continued to keep us on our toes. The top prize went to W02 (SCM) O’Connor who nearly collapsed in the Great Park, sweating so much he looked as if he had been in a shower.

The remainder hope that it will never be put to the test, but if it is, that it was worth it.

.

I."

_

Throughout the first half of the year, career courses continued. This exacerbated the lack of manpower to fix the unending stream of vehicles, but was necessary if the otherwise inexperienced squadron was to start rebuilding its base of trade training as we moved towards BATUS and ultimately TELIC IV Field Firing in Otterburn in March marked the beginning of another trend — luck with the weather. It was fine and dry and not too cold, presaging a heat wave that lasted from the Regimental funerals over Easter until the last day of BATUS (the last week in Octo~ ber, quite remarkable for Alber— \,. . . ta.) Pairs and fire-team fire & f": ’13" manoeuvre were followed by . ‘.

3 an enjoyable 48 hours tabbing " -' around the tussocks of

,‘

Otterburn,

in International Pet Rescue to save a beagle from the local hunt, and an amusing evening defending forestry blocks from A and C Squadron, who were most put out when B Squadron did not just roll over but actually moved and fought back. Some valuable lessons were learned, one hopes.

We missed Standards Parade, as Whole Fleet Management made it impossible to roll around Horse Guards and depart for the ranges on consecutive days, but most of the squadron took part somewhere. That proud day is covered

elsewhere.

Thence to Castle-

rnartin Ranges, where we enthusiastically

culminating

Adventure Training along the old Iron Curtain. Harz Mountains ( July 03)

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment

J

Tpr Flogers looking for a good reference pol/72‘ , Adv Try on the Broken ln Harz.

for their red fire engines.

We had managed a single day at Lydd and Hythe ranges before a terrorist threat at Heathrow called the Regiment back to Windsor — indeed the urgency was used to excuse speeding on the M25 for months to come. The situation

.

x / <7 '

shot our way through annual firing under the skillful direction of LCoH Gibson. LCpl Hayes, on loan from C Squadron, was top gun with some remarkable coax shooting, and LCpl Shenton was the best home grown talent from B Sqn. Our month long odyssey continued immediately on Salisbury Plain and a TESEX, where a nameless WOZ in the SQMC’s packet was overtaken by his own land rover trailer! The exercise was between two of the Battle Groups in l Mech Brigade, which made us slightly schizophrenic, as we never knew which side we were on, but over glorious mid—summer weather much was learnt. We bounced from this to preparing the vehicles for Canada. After the foot-and-mouth, the Canadians were suitably sensitive about cleanliness, although references to SARS and BSE were considered undiplomatic. So a pleasant week was spent scrubbing and scraping the CVR(T) to factory or showroom stan~ dards.

Come the day, we set new records for passing the vehicles through the inspection process, although turning up in a timely fashion with day-glo vests may also have swayed the Canadian inspectors that we had scared away any bugs.

Finally, as we approached summer leave, a chance to unwind with adventure training organized by Captain D.S.

Brooks LG in the Harz Mountains. We swung through Ypres, with the Squadron Leader giving a fine resume of the First World War that all the jun— ior troopers understood clearly. For those that remember the Cold War (and the average age of the troopers was 4 when the wall came down!) it was strange to hike up and down the line of the old Inner German Border, and tramp up to the former Russian listening post on the Brocken, now more memorable for its connections to Goethe. We also climbed, canoed and mountain biked our way around the

C Squadron The Blues and Royals 003 has been a very interesting year in which the Squadron has been employed as firemen, provided a deter— rent to terrorists at Heathrow, conduct— ed infantry training in Otterburn, performed on the Presentation of Standards Parade and has been dispersed from Bosnia to BATUS, culminating in a 40 Command TESEX on SPTA in chilly November.

.

A

t

B San on a batt/efle/d tour of Zandv oorde and the Messmes Ridge.

and just the experience of living in the field for 29 days straight. We discov— ered that there was one thing worse than not being talked about in the After—Action-Reviews, and that was being talked about, but as we rarely raised a mention we must have been doing something right.

The stay— behind OP exercise and dismounted skills competition was won by LCpl Smith 19’s section, with Tpr Mayes as best individual.

The Commanding Officer generously extended the squadron’s private TESEX for an extra 24 hours which reminded us again that in war nothing is final, and that it really does take all night and half the day to properly re-org after a battle. And we were lucky with the weather, starting in a heatwave, and missing by one day the biggest snowfall since the last big snow« fall. It will all stand us in good stead

During the year we thrice lost and regained Captain Brooks as 21C, and had Captain Wren’s unbreakable enthu— siasm in BATUS. W02 O’Connor left us after TESEX for Iraq before returning as RCM, and we welcomed W02 Hodder. We also were pleased to have on loan individuals and troops from A

and C Squadron for TESEX and BATUS. We were especially pleased that all came back with D Squadron, although Tpr Brunts endless saga with injury and gunnery continues. We con-

gratulate CoH Telling for MiD in GW Troop in the Gulf.

Looking back over the year again I note the sheer unrelenting hard work, par» ticularly from the SQMC and the Troop C’soH and whatever troops were left to them. As a former 4th Hussar once observed, it was nothing but blood, toil, tears and sweat, yet all should be proud of what we achieved, of where we have got to now, that we always gave of our best, that we always delivered what was

for TELIC IV and whatever else we do collectively and individu— ally in the years to

The year began with the Squadron deployed to Edmonton and Mill Hill to provide fire—strike cover to North London. WOZ (SCM) Gray adopted the role of Chief Fire Officer in a very professional manner, managing during his tour of duty to put out every firemans’ hand warming fire within approximate ly 10 mins of initial combustion. However, the emphasis soon returned to the more conventional role, with a week at Heathrow acting as a deterrent to any terrorist attack on 0p FLAK. Fortu» nately no shots were fired in anger; however, there were worried looking faces emerging from Terminal 3. Major A Lawrence LG was then posted on to HCMR to be replaced be Major RR Philipson—Stow RHG/D and ‘Sven,’ his Swedish styled Harley Davidson.

In March the tempo increased somewhat with a visit to one of the more desirable training areas, going by the name of Otterburn.

This provided unlimited opportunity to “dash, down and crawl” and test the water repelling capability ofCombat 95. A splendid dis— play of sectionlevel fire and manoeuvre

‘3 -

. ‘.

-

t ‘ .

‘

,

-

Two men and a dress — The ceremon/a/ handover of the Son skirt.

was provided by SHQ led by W02 (SCM) Gray. This was closely followed by large scale Nintendo, commonly referred to as the Combined Arms Tacti— cal Trainer. C Squadron personnel clear— ly led the way, demonstrating far too many misspent childhoods and the decline in recreational sport. By the end of the month Captain JEM Howell LG had arrived from ATR(Pirbright), to answer questions on the poor level of recruits turning up to Regimental Duty and to take over the roll of Squadron Second in Command, the fourth one that month!

OP skills, before the departure to some well deserved leave. Then drill, drill and yet more drill, as Standards Parade loomed and the onslaught of Early Morning Rehearsals, which in some cases were very early. Two Troop then disappeared to Castlemartin to show B Squadron “a thing or two” about gun— nery, achieving best troop and gunner.

Continuing the gunnery theme, in mid May SSgt McGlynn arrived to replace SSgt James as the Squadron Tiffy, just before deployment to Gun Camp where he eagerly embraced the drill of dou— bling on the firing point. Annual firing culminated on a high, with Tpr Lutman and Three Troop distinguishing themselves as the top shots and all Crews

April showers deemed a return to low— level training, with a short spell at Long Valley, demonstrating some interesting.

passing the ACT and AST at either level

expected of us and that never allowed

come.

ourselves to let ourselves down.

hills, topped off by a trip to Berlin to wander around the Brandenberg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie.

Thus, after summer leave, we arrived at BATUS for a Brigade level exercise.

Lasting over two months, it was proba— bly the longest exercise that most had done. Alas there was no live firing, but

a mixture of dry shake-out training, R&R, adventure training and TES kept us all occupied. Just getting there and back taught valuable lessons. By the end we had established ourselves as probably the most hard-worked and hardworking sub—unit in the Brigade, although by accident, not design.

Much was learned over 8 TBS missions

\‘

‘

f

.4. "..\./ .-

Breaking c/ean ~ TESEX, Salisbury Plain, Jun 03.

.1

1

4

Sam/tar Turret 7 LCpl Walsh. “/'/n on can)e/'62...Inust /ool< good".

Household Cavalry Regiment 10

Household Cavalry Regiment

five or level six. This was also an oppor-

D Squadron The Blues and Royals

tunity for CoH Burton and LCpl Walsh to trial the new Combat 95 issue skirt, which some found to be too revealing.

Further exercise play during Ex WESSEX WARRIOR, allowed the Squadron to demonstrate its tactical ability, result»

uch of the Squadron’s escapades have been described elsewhere in this publication but the year did not end with our return from Iraq. After enduring a hefty bout of both Summer and Post Tour Leave the Squadron returned (it has to be said somewhat reluctantly) to work and a hectic schedule ofinternal courses, demonstrations and exercises began in earnest.

ing in a very confused enemy thanks to LCoH Adams who achieved the capture of an enemy air defence vehicle, forcing the enemy to shoot themselves and then used their platform as an observation post. This was before destroying half of the OPFOR HQ and deeply annoying

their RSM. BATUS loomed in August, with the deployment of TWO Troop, attached to B Squadron. A swift line switch then fol~ lowed, which converted the OPFOR role into Observer Controller, thus leaving the Squadron Leader and a handful of troopers behind by the end of September.

Furthermore, SCpl Thomas along with ten other Squadron members left for a six month tour in Bosnia.

Resultantly, SCpl Trinick arrived direct from Oxford OTC to take over the SQMC department and WOZ Gray, (aka), Captain Admin, left to cause chaos and confusion in Warminster, to be replaced by W02 Pickford from RMAS. However, by the beginning of November most of the Squadron had returned to Combermere to prepare for the Commando Exercise, which in true RM “wet and dry routine,” proved to be very “threaders” (wet) and unusually “icers,” (cold), but “hoofing” (meaning good, not the removal of a horses hooD never the less.

The Squadron saw a number of changes during Summer Leave. Apart from the rapid expansion of some waist-bands and the even more rapid depletion of bank balances we had a new Squadron Leader, Major Jim Eyre and a new Tiffy, Staff Sergeant Weller. For Major Eyre a CVR(T) refresher was required... front end oftank. . ..back end oftank, that sort of thing!

QI.’

Three men standing in combats. one with hand on helmet.

Dumber. Dumber and we //...

Another addition to the Squadron was Cornet AR Heathcote, newly returned from a Parachuting course, was thrown straight to the lions with l Troop and Corporal of Horse Foster and led the first of what would be several 16 Air Assault Brigade (16AA Bde) exercises.

It was the Squadron’s first opportunity since returning from Iraq to practice Tactical Air Landing Operations (TALO). Several days of rehearsals cul— minated in a demonstration for the NATO Chiefs of Staff showing the capabilities of the Brigade in Rapid Theatre Entry. At the end of the working days it seems there was a fairly regular and rapid entry into the extensive social scene of Ispwich.

16AA Bde did their utmost to keep the Squadron out of mischief with an exten-

Lt Sheers and CoH Foster with 7 Troop In Camp Eag/e. Kuwa/t.

sive programme of exercises on Salis— bury Plain and in North Yorkshire. One of these exercises was Exercise Eagle’s Claw practising the deployment of the Airborne Task Force (ABTF) to which the Squadron has a commitment of Troop and a few extras. We were to rehearse the mounting and rapid entry to a hostile nation, extract UK nationals and stabilise the immediate region.

This scenario could be enacted for real in any number of countries worldwide.

The

Squadron

bade

a

temporary

has by all accounts been up to his old heroics going solo this time and rescuing damsels in distress... Old ladies in the river Vrbas is closer to the truth.

October saw the start of the Squadron’s Gunnery season with the running of an internal B3 Gunnery course in Windsor and then Lulworth, Dorset. All three of the Squadron’s gunnery instructors were involved at some point the end results being that all participants passed with the Topgun awards going to Tpr Greenwood and LCpl Phelan.

farewell to Ct Heathcote, CoH Flynn and Tprs Scollick and Greenwood as they departed for a winter tour of Bosnia (the lengths some will go to for another medal before the year is out is extraordinary). CoH Flynn, not content with endangering the lives of his crew in Iraq,

This year we paraded as a Regiment by Squadrons for Remembrance Sunday.

The parade and service was all the more pertinent as we remembered those who we had lost in Iraq and their families left

behind.

D Son at Camp Eag/e. Dr 7.

C San Adve nture Taming, LCpl Newcombe and the seven dwafs.

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment

Preparing for Op TELIC

by Captain CJL Speers, The Blues and Royals

lv‘i ‘8.

Tpr Scol/ick celebrates his 27$t birthday in Camp Eagle, Kuwait, In early December the Squadron managed to find a small gap in a rapidly nar— rowing timetable to brush up on our small arms skills at the Cinque Port Training Area in Lydd, Kent. The week started quietly as a number of the Squadron remained in Windsor to meet HM the Queen, a great moment for some and for LSgt Force a moment of confu— sion, the words, “Good morning, Sir.... I mean ma’am” will not be easily forgotten. The rest of the week was more suc— cessful. Each member of the Squadron managed to improve their marksman— ship with both the rifle and 9mm pistol.

Activities were not purely confined to shooting, LCpl Trencher proved to be very vocal when dealing with urban

Service of remembrance for LCoH Hull and LCpl Shearer with Padre Christian leading the sen/ice.

patrolling, the Squadron Leader seemed keen to improve his dancing skills and LCoH Santi unleashed a newly found talent for gardening.

undivided attention. LCpl Trencher is hopefully off to the Pathfinder Platoon, we wish him well. CoH Bell and LCpl Scott are swapping spanners for shovels and heading up town. Capt EPW Hayward is off in search of the all together more challenging world of the Woman’s Auxiliary Balloon Corps. Finally LCpl Mayo is moving to Bovington to get in touch with his inner—self as a member of

The Squadron continues to evolve and sadly we bid farewell to a number of stalwart D Squadron members. Major Richard Taylor is currently sweating not in the desert but in the heady world of academia at Shrivenham. SCpl Fisher has now left the Army and can now be found as an AA recovery man some— where on the M40, with my motoring luck we are sure to meet soon. LCoH Toon has also made a break for freedom, perhaps Wolverhampton Wanderers will have a more successful season with his

the Provo Staff.

This has been a year of highs and lows and the Squadron could not have sur— vived without the unfailing back up of the rest of the Regiment and the support from all angles. From us all thank you.

t probably came as no surprise to the Squadron that their Tp Ldrs were all hiding in Switzerland when the call came for D Squadron to go to war. What was slightly off putting was the amount of snow that they managed to bring with them to Castlemartin and Sennybridge.

the 12 February to find that the Kuwaitis had sealed off the Northern half of their country and allocated plots of desert to each formation.

16 Air Assault Bde were forming up in ‘Camp

It was a significantly larger Squadron than usual that paraded on Monday 6th Jan to be told they were preparing for deployment to Kuwait. By Wednesday we were in Castlemartin, by Friday we had passed all Live Firing Exercises (LFX 9) (much to the RGO’s disgust) and by Saturday evening the Squadron had all re—qualified to Field Fire and done the usual ‘round robin’ of military skills. On Sunday we were all bussed off to Sennybridge to enjoy the rigors of dismounted Field Firing. Training for the desert in the snow raised the odd rye smile, but more usually a great deal of swearing as we were launched in pairs and then in Fire Teams up the swollen, icy stream beds by day and by night.

More significantly we started training in conjunction the rest of 16 Air Assault Bde which was to prove invaluable in the future.

Eagle’, which consisted

We returned from Wales to be thrown into an intensive Air Assault package,

followed swiftly by a burst of CATT training — our first desert training! By the end of January it felt like a whirl— wind had hit us. Amidst this there was chaotic action on the tank park, with the rapid handing over of vehicles, and an intensive lecture package that had been put together by the Squadron Zic. The Advance Party departed on 3 Feb— ruary 2003, while the rest of us disap— peared to enjoy a week’s leave, most with a single-minded purpose. It was all over too quickly and we landed in the Gulf on

‘-r '41. «m.

\‘-

. .

. ;.

Capt Tim Cooper RAMC, a clear ear/y leader in the moustache Beware those who incur the wrath of the Titty!

of lots of sand and a few ‘

marquee tents when we

,

arrived.

With the ' Squadron Leader planningwith BdeHQirt the -»

luxury of Camp Rhino, '— the first few days were spent ‘acclimatising’: the Sqn doing their best to develop their tans whenever anyone in . authority, or the 2ic, wasn’t looking or com— ' pleting a package of desert skills and dismounted training. With the return of the Sqn Ldr on 15 Feb, Tpr McWhirter was 7; unleashed on the ._ _ Squadron to conduct , Lt MacEwan and CoH Bell with 2 Tp in Camp Eagle, Kuwait. very early morning PT. To our great relief this was re-scheduled vehicles arrive, and we did our best to after complaints from the rest of the break them with an intensive firing and Bde. exercise package. SCpl MacMillan came out with ARMTAT to help us on the The inload of equipment was utter ranges, but unfortunately resisted all our chaos.

Luckily the Squadron could invitations to stay. count on the underhand determination of Captain Carney, who camped at the The month before invading Iraq was by docks until the ship arrived and comfar the hardest of our whole deployment, mandeered 4 Kuwaiti trucks to deliver but proved to be essential for our survivour equipment. For a week we were the ability during the fighting phase. SSgt only Bde unit with its ISO containers — Howard’s Fitter Section was kept excep— some did not find theirs until May, tionally busy as in under four weeks we including the Royal Irish Pipes and completed nearly two years of track Drums and an ISO full of night vision mileage - everything that could break goggles! It was a blessing to see the did, so by the time we breached the Iraqi

"’7' I I 2 u ‘. fil‘y“ \1‘ \f“V. J MCapt Chris, Morgan and Bombadi’er Denby from 7 (Para) RHA. i

CoH Simpson checks his webbing for Brasso.

growing competition.

14

Household Cavalry Regiment

Household Cavalry Regiment

berm our vehicles were running perfect— ly. It was the most brilliant training ground, vast open desert as far as the eye could see; great for charging across and for finding dead ground, but eating in the frequent sandstorm was a little crunchy.

We practiced the Brigade scheme ofmanoeuvre constantly until it became second nature.

This chiefly comprised countless Bde road moves which the Infantry never seemed capa— ble of mastering and the dreaded North— ern Option. This was an all arms inter— diction operation that had been prac-

5 War R C Taylor— The LifiafiGuards

seems like years ago that we Crossed border into Iraq. After a ' ensive training package111 which the vehicles completed nearly 1000 miles, we had intelligence reports - that the Rumaylah oilfields and Basrah ‘1h d beenxeoently reinforced. We had that our success and decent 1 the opening battles would be the key to the success of the remainder of the campaign. The anticipation was therefore electric as we heard the guns

tised countless times at CAST, but rarely in the field.

It was an open invitation

for CoH Matthews as ‘STIRRUP’ to practise talking to any aircraft that ventured near, but the rest of the Squadron

got a little bored after the 4th exercise directing 3 AAC aviation and 7 RHA fire against random US trucks passing

through the training area!

One cannot talk about the build up for the Gulf War without mentioning the Americans. Everything was bigger and better. Their build up was colossal — by the time they crossed into Iraq they had 99,000 vehicles, which equates to three men per vehicle. At every level from Tp to Corps there was a ROCK drill to explain the plan — for the 1 US Marine

Division ROCK Drill they excavated a model larger than a tennis court and a grandstand for audience. Best of all however was the PX, a slice of America in Kuwait with Pizza Hut and burger bars, which proved a welcome break from the monotonous food in Camp Eagle.

fire on the first night from our assembly

Command Group, W02 (SC ) Rees Capt EHaywoodand Ma/RTaylor on the lraqur- Kuwa/ti Border, D Day the first of many NBC alerts, which was their bedspace and explained how little they could take with them in the vehi— something of a shock as we had no cles. The final attachments were the atropine!

area 20 Km from the Iraqi border. We were not the first British troops into Iraq - that accolade went to 7 RHA, Engi-

neers, Signallers, logisticians and almost every Tac HQ - but we did lead the

growing number of American ANGLI—

Brigade Main Body over the border and CO teams. They were led by Captain Rik Mattoso, who conveniently for the Troop Leaders is an airline pilot in Phoenix, Arizona.

It was about a week before the war start-

mark the route for the Relief in Place

ed that it sunk in that we really were off

with the US 5th Marines. Our first job was to provide security for a new breach

to war. Our final night training culmi-

on the border on MSR DALLAS. nated in a ‘blacked out’ BBQ with alco— The security threat also started to build, and we got more and more Intelligence briefings 0n the enemy and their rein— forcement of the border. The odd Iraq

hol free beer. The final few days were

deserter started to appear and was quiet—

endless checks. We had done our train—

ly told to go home and surrender in about a month. On 26 February we had

ing, we had lots of ammo — all we want-

Despite orders not to move past the Iraqi 'erm, I had to push Lieutenant C J L _l Tp into Iraq so that he could

spent loading the largest pile of ammu— nition I have ever seen and conducting

'

6 security for the breach

7' past the towering m ins: as well, as SCpl .the Bde Commander

ed was to go to war.

Armoured Tac HQ)

pipplng us to the post! Despite the intelligence reports we did not see any Iraqis

the

on that first day in which we had an

Squadron were joined by an assortment

almost contimnus and reassuring pres-

As

the operation

grew

nearer

Gabi: Attack helicopters.

of specialists. First were the F00 party led by Captain Chris Morgan and the brilliant Bdr Denby. They were looked after and driven at breakneck speed by Tpr Cooper. On 12 Mar Captain Tim Hooper arrived on loan from 16 CSMR. A no-nonsense, ‘proper’Army Doctor, Captain Hooper was the practical solu-

_

Lieutenant C J L Speers’ 1

Tp was pushed forward to establish a

North through the Gas/Oil Separation Plants (GOSPs). Nobody lives in the Rumaylah oilfields so we spent an eerie few hours driving up through a landscape scarred by bombing, although the oil infrastructure was largely intact - a couple of oil heads had been set alight to add a dramatic background to photographs. With the Squadron stretched over 60 Km, communications were maintained by Tp rebro on the Sqn Net, but Bde comms were erratic despite a suite of satellite mobile phones, tacsat and HF. The US 5th Marines had taken the oilfields with minimal opposition.

All around our position odd groups of men kept popping out of bunkers in civilian clothes leaving weapons caches and piles of military uniform.

Contact Form with US Marines, whom

i

he fouhd terribly unsavouryl SHQ ‘B’ ioinedhim. later and at first light the Squadron moved up to mark the route

After the swift advance into Iraq, momentum seemed to falter.

The Squadron sat in the middle of nowhere

poised to do a number of options that were cancelled at the last minute. The Northern option was for D Squadron and Pathfinders to exploit deep over the Al Hammar canal and interdict forces moving along the Euphrates river and Highway 6 running parallel to the Shattal -Arab. Despite alternate crossings and the HUSLE option the plan was initially postponed when the Americans blew one end of the North Rumaylah bridge and the Iraqis the other!

Another option was for l PARA to air assault the Qalat Salah airfield to the

West of Al Amarah and use HCR to screen the MEF advance Iraqi lO Armoured Division This was scupered by the resistance in An Nasariyah.

against the to the West. initial stiff So we bided

our time in the Rumaylah oilfields setting up VCPs and detaching flying columns to assist the BGs. One morning,

tion to the dilemma of medical support to Formation Reconnaissance. Much to

our surprise Padre Christiansen tipped up one day. All Army Chaplains with two legs and cross were apparently shipped off to the desert and Padre Christiansen was officially posted to 16 CSMR, but had a velcro DZ Flash so that he could illicitly attach the BlueRed-Blue when no one was looking! On 13 Mar the embedded press arrived —

Audrey Gillan from the Guardian and Bruce Adams from the Daily Mail. The

surprise on the Squadron Leader’s face at having a female journalist was quite a picture; a look of shock almost as great as the look on both the journalist’s faces when LCoH Flynn showed them to

SSgl Howard and the mighty LAD Detalchmont.

B Squadron move into Iraq and prepare for a relief in place.

16

Household Cavalry Regiment

Household Cavalry Regiment

.‘h... .3. we»:

-'

Seim/tar Reece vehicles from D Sqn near Dal/as/ Tampa [unction southern iraq.

‘5' A s A

Troop halt in defensive posture during the relief of 5th MEF Humailah oil fields.

having. chosen a tactical dip 'n the grand to conceal Squadro‘gystart-

e tor'ain - dboy did it I” . It was at point tI saw a str of wath' flow i to the enthouse realized we were ttinggin wadi. Within a minute we had 'vfih outwith LCpl Baxter and the ZIC ' ' ehind the Sultan holding the use! Within 20 minutes it was 10 deep in water. We then spent the next 3 110qu in the Sultan in our boxer

shbrts and body armour praying that the Bde Commander would not choose that moment to visit.

One of our last flying column tasks was

to send GW Tp up to the A1 Hammar canal in the middle of the night to overwatch the withdrawal of a 3 PARA fight— ing patrol. When they got there LCoH Telling and Captain J A M White

RHG/Dwere not amused to find that “We“

they had to pull 9 pinzgauers out of the mud. Their gratitude was expressed when 3 PARA waved them goodbye,

leaving LCoH Telling stuck in the mud with a thrown track. It was another night of horrific storms, the Sqn Ldr and SCM were just cursing their luck in the pelting rain, because C0 3 PARA Tac had not arrived at an RV, when we had to

answer a call for help. Another 3 PARA fighting patrol had rolled down a steep levee North of the Al Hammar canal. As we gingerly drove over the railless engi— neer bridge 50 ft above the water cursing the lack of night vision equipment we did chuckle at the thought that we had beaten the rest of the Sqn to be the first over the bridge.

The Northern Option finally got the go ahead on 26 Mar. I felt a bit like Michael

Caine in A Bridge Too Far when XXX Corps was poised along a levee (embank— ment) waiting to advance north into Holland.

The Squadron were now strung along a levee in the dark waiting to push north over the A1 Hammar canal and break out ofa bridgehead created by 3 PARA — the anticipation was electric as this was our first major advance into Iraqi held territory with 16 Air Assualt

Brigade. The plan was to scout north east, where the Iraqi 6 Armoured Division least expected us to advance, until

we were in a position to interdict Highway 6 — the main route from Baghdad to Basra which ran along the Shatt—al-Arab and over the junction of the Euphrates

and Tigris rivers, the historic ‘Garden of Eden’. This would deny the Iraqis the ability to engage the Rumailah oilfields with their III Corps artillery and would ultimately neutralize three Iraqi Divisions (6 Armd, l4 and 18) in keeping the

1Tp and FAC on Route Spear observing and reporting enemy movement on Highway 6 from Basra to Bagdad.

to a holding area on the edge of a large irrigation ditch. There we spent a very surre-

al day in the sun waiting for the guns to push forward to cover our next bound. The ground ahead was drained marshland intersected by deep irrigation ditches and dusty tracks on large 15 foot levees.

The afternoon was spent motorbike watching. We quickly established that no one with any sense would be driving around an area of dangerous irrigation ditches close to Coalition forces without malicious intent. They were in fact armed artillery observers in civilian clothes working to a number of FOOs in pick up trucks and using Motorola UHF comms to call for fire. Initially Bde orders were to try and make them surrender. This worked for LCoH Stokoe and CoH Matthews who took 3 EPW s in the South~ but 1 Tp were a bit perplexed when they were told that they

route to Basra open.

As first light appeared on 27th March, Lieutenant A K MacEwen’s, 2 Troop led over the A1 Hammar canal — not a canal

by British standards as it is over a kilometre wide! There was a flurry of excitement as 2 Troop was tasked to probe forward in the dense fog to identify a T—SS spotted by 3 PARA. Captain Chris Morgan - the F00 - was under immense pressure from the Battery Commander to push to the front and adjust artillery fire onto it but visibility was down to 400m and the Paras were all around the target area. Luckily my obstinancy in holding him back was justified when 2 Troop reported that the ‘T—55’ was a drainpipe sticking out ofa berm!

51

Pushing ahead of 3 PARA we passed a number of abandoned Iraqi artillery and tank positions and cleared l7kms ahead

1%.:3‘“; I

..

Brigadier Page com/sserates with D

v

.a

D Son in action A viewed through an image intensifying scope.

Seimilar Troop establish a secure position north of Rurnailah Ol/ fields.

‘4

i. fi' .fi ...A"-'

SC/initars with "Striker and PAC Suppon‘ group (MSG) before

ODG, res Ma/ Boner/ll —

advancing north into unknown teriz‘ory along Route Dagger north of Al

Hammar Canal.

Household Cavalry Regiment 18

Household Cavalry Regiment

l9

had to capture a motorcyclist who was ‘dicking’ them 2 Km away over a 5 ft wide irrigation ditch.

. ‘

D Sqn advance north through the Rumailah Oli fiel (ls (southern Iraq).

D Sqn Seunrtars move through Al Ourna to the junction of the Euphrates.’ Tigris before mowng north to Al Amarah

_

a .,

Scrmitars approach the banks of the Euphrates near Al Medina. lraq.

Finally at 0500 hours on 28th March, the 7 RHA guns moved in range.

We advanced as we had practised at CATT and on numerous occasions in the Kuwaiti desert with direct support from 3AAC. Lieutenant A D Tweedie’s, 3 Troop led the advance north with Captain C J L White’s MSG in echelon.

LCoH Goodwin had the first sighting of two civilian white pickups, which we knew from the previous day to be Iraqi FOO parties. The Squadron continued the advance and Lieutenant C J L Speers’s 1 Troop were tasked with out— flanking and stopping the pickups.

Shortly afterwards LCoH Goodwin

received the first of many inc°oming artillery 50m to his left — this had to be identified by COH Simpson as he could not hear it through his ANR headset!

By 1015 hours the Squadron had advanced a total of 44 kms from the Bde Main Body, destroyed a company locaAn exhausted SHQ contemplate the tr gility of life after the tragic ace/dent involving Lt Tweedie and LCpl Shearer

tion of BMPs and mortars with direct fire and close air support (CAS) and had gained eyes on Highway 6 and the date palms of ‘The Garden of Eden’. The Brigade COS was delighted and the Squadron moved to consolidate along a levee nicknamed Route SPEAR. In the process LCoH Goodwin had been admonished by his Gunner Tpr Tansey for attempting to video an engagement with a BMP. At the same time 1 Troop finally trapped the enemy F005 and tried to get them to surrender. The

response was a courageous counter-

Capt Will'ams becomes a To Ldr again.

attack by 5 enemy pick-ups firing rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and small arms.

As Lieutenant C J L Speers destroyed the first pick~up with 30mm, he left the pressel down on his radio so that the Squadron could here the auto matic fire and whoops of ‘target’. 30 mins later all five pick—ups had been destroyed - CoH Heaton destroyed one with Swingfire at great cost to the taxpayer! LCoH Brooks dismounted and took 14 prisoners of war.

Later that afternoon 2 Troop were patrolling up the west side of Route SPEAR, when they were engaged out of the blue by two American A—10 aircraft.

Tragically after the first run LCoH Hull was killed and LCpl Tudball, LCoH Gerrard and Lieutenant A K MacEwan were injured.

Tpr Finney dragged LCpl Tudball out of the turret, placed him in safety and bandaged his wounds. He then went back to the vehicle to send a sitrep on the casualties, as smoke was obscuring the entire scene. Simultane-

ously Sgt Sindall, one of the attached Engineer Reece Sergeants, ordered his vehicle forward to the Scimitars to pick

up the wounded. Just as Finney was carrying Tudball towards the Spartan the second A-lO run came in injuring Finney, Tudball again and Sindall.

Wounded, Sindall dismounted , assessed the situation and called forward his other vehicle. He then threw all his red smoke and recovered the injured. At this point Sindall, Finney and some others tried to climb onto the rear Scimitar to rescue Hull, but were beaten back by the intense heat, smoke and ammunition cooking off. They therefore recovered a bound behind, where Captain Hooper, LSgt Jolley and LSgt Whitley attended to the wounded. Having persuaded the RAF that the HLS was (almost) safe, they were casevaced to the hospital ship Argus.

At exactly the same time as the Friendly Fire incident LCoH Flynn sighted two T—55s, a BMP and a D-30 howitzer. Only his Scimitar and LCoH Telling’s Striker were in position to fight off the Iraqi armour from threatening the casevae 4kms away. Under artillery fire them— selves, SHQ tasked Flynn and Telling to prevent the armour from interfering with the casevae. Coming under intense tank and artillery fire, Telling withdrew to set up a separated sight position for his Swingfire.

For 30mins Flynn endured accurate artillery and tank fire and suppressed the Iraqi armour with 140 rounds of 30mm to protect the extraction of casualties. Telling then destroyed the first T—55 and Flynn’s fir— ing forced the second T~55’s crew to dismount and withdraw. The AAC arrived 20 mins later and with tracer indication from Flynn, the Lynx destroyed the BMP and the D—30. By now it was getting dark. Three vehicles were broken down on Route SPEAR, but were recov— ered within the hour.

The following morning I moved forward to oversee the recovery of the two Scimi— tars from No Man’s Land. We recovered the vehicles two kilometres behind the relative safety of another levee. There we held a short service in memory of Lance Corporal of Horse Hull, before rejoining those left in the line.

Over the next seven days the Squadron remained mobile behind Route SPEAR, observing Highway 6, identifying numerous Iraqi armour and artillery positions and directing artillery, CAS and aviation fire to destroy them. On 30th March Lance Corporal of Horse Flynn had noticed that gaps had been carved in the levees to his front; when joined up they led to several tank posi— tions. Over the course ofthe morning he used this method to find and destroy a company oftanks with artillery and close air support directed by Captain Rik Mat~ tosso’s ‘LIGHTNING 34’ USMC Fire Control Team.

Unbeknown to him,

Flynn had located the main position of the AL HAKIM Tank Battalion. That afternoon they counter~attaeked his position with five T—55s.

The engagement lasted four hours in which both sides jockeyed and fired from behind a series of levees. After half an hour of firing Flynn was joined by Heaton’s Striker and two Lynx helicop« ters. Unfortunately both the Lynx pilots and Heaton had great difficulty identify— ing the enemy tanks. Under artillery and tank fire, Heaton ran over to the Scimitar to get an accurate target indica» tion. The Lynx took a little longer, but over the next hour Heaton destroyed two T—55s and the Lynx two as well. To complete the task Flynn adjusted three Regi~ mental Artillery Fire Missions against the remainder of the tank Battalion and LIGHTNING 34 controlled an A-10 strike against the Corps Ammunition compound and a MRLS Battery. This action rendered the AL HAKIM Tank Battalion ineffective.

Although that was the last we were to hear from the AL HAKIM Tank Battalion, the Squadron were under regular and accurate artillery and even RPG fire.

Even Squadron HQ was targeted much to the amusement of the ZIC, Captain Hayward, as he watched the Squadron Leader bunny hop in his sleeping bag into the back of the Sultan command vehicle when the 152mm fire came a bit close. LSgt Black was less fortunate as he was showered in sand whilst answering a call of nature.

On 3lst Mar the Sqn main effort switched South. As CoH Simpson and LCoH Goodwin were probing South supported by GW Tp, LCoH Goodwin was engaged by RPG and small arms.

CoH Simpson immediately returned fire destroying a motorbike and suppressed the enemy to allow LCoH Goodwin to get back into his vehicle and retire. In that short time Bdr Denby had loaded a battery of guns onto the contact grid and CoH Simpson was able to adjusted fire onto the enemy as they both withdrew North. This had stirred up a bit ofa hor~ net’s nest and both GW and 3 Tp then came under Iraqi arty fire causing them to withdraw further North whilst the Sqn net was being jammed. For once the Anti-jamming drill actually worked and

the Sqn Ldr breathed a sigh of relief as all callsigns answered up 15 mins later!

Our final tragedy was not from enemy fire.

On 1st April Lieutenant A D Tweedie’s Scimitar overturned as it was crossing an irrigation ditch.

LCoH Flynn gave a very hasty radio message before going to recover the vehicle. The Scimitar had rolled, ending up upside down in the five foot deep irrigation

HCR Reece vehicles use CH4 7 Chinooks to move around the battlefield.

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment

ditch. As water was flooding the crew compartment, the driver Trooper White managed to struggle out, but the com— mander and gunner were trapped as the turret was sitting on the ditch bottom.

After winching the vehicle over, LCsoH Flynn, Telling and Sergeant Poirier (from LIGHTNING 36) jumped into the water and scrambled underneath to extract Lieutenant A D Tweedie and Lance Corporal Shearer. For the next 45

minutes they gave both casualties CPR, getting Lieutenant A D Tweedie breathing again after 10 minutes. Tragically Lance Corporal Shearer was pronounced

dead when he landed by helicopter at hospital and Lieutenant A D Tweedie died three weeks later in Edinburgh.

The following evening, with great relief, the Squadron handed over to l PARA and withdrew for refurbishment. With a day’s rest and a Memorial Service conducted by Padre Christiansen formally to bid farewell to our fallen friends, we were

sent back to l PARA and received orders for a clearance operation towards Ad Dayr — the Headquarters of the Iraqi III Corps and 6 Armoured Division. The limit of exploitation was the southern extension of Route SPEAR, which we had by-passed and which overlooked

Qaryat Nasr, three kilometres from Ad

Dayr. After a few artillery rounds the enemy scarpered and we advanced unopposed towards line SPEAR again. Lieu~ tenant C J I, Speers felt a bit exposed overlooking the town, but all was suspi— ciously quiet.

The Iraqi Army had deserted, or so it appeared, as we were invited by the locals into Qaryat Nasr.

from the crowds of ecstatic people, we moved east to secure the Highway 6 bridge over the Euphrates/Tigris rivers.

As we looked across at the Garden of Eden — a ramshackle concrete hotel on the edge of town — we realised that the fighting was finally over.

The scene was almost reminiscent of the

Over the seven days in close contact with the enemy. D Squadron with tremendous economy of force had neutralised three Iraqi divisions north of Basra.

Despite intense artillery fire and two tragic accidents, the Squadron destroyed

advance on Port Stanley as l PARA got up and walked in file down the road escorted by the Squadron and greeted by crowds of cheering locals. There was a rush of emotion and a great sense of purpose as we were welcomed by a hysterically happy people, some of whom bore scars and had some horrific stories to tell.

The next day we marched in a similar fashion into Ad Dayr « devoid of Iraqi military, the barracks brutally scarred by our air and artillery strikes. Leaving Ad Dayr to 1 PARA we drove 40 kms south to link up with 7 Armoured Brigade and an historic handshake with Major Botterill the QDG Squadron Leader. Ten minutes later we were back on the road again to get into a position to lead the l R IRISH advance into A1 Madina on the Euphrates the following morning.

The advance into Al Madina was much the same. Desperately trying to get away

a significant proportion of the III Corps Artillery and 6 Armoured Division tanks — the Squadron adjusted more artillery rounds than the total number of5.56mm rounds that were fired by the Brigade over the whole campaign! The British Army may not have the most modern equipment, but without doubt it has the most professional soldiers in the world.

I am in no doubt that the Household Cavalry’s success in Iraq was largely attributable to the unique fighting spirit, courage, initiative and determination of its junior officers, Non-Commissioned

Officers and men. It is a fitting tribute to every soldier who fought with the Household Cavalry, that the Squadron Group were so highly decorated in the TELIC Honours List.

OPERATIONAL HONOURS

Headquarters Squadron s ever Headquarters Squadron has a busy but disjointed year from training and Op FRESCO, to operational commitments with 16 members of HQ Squadron deploying on Op TELIC with D Sqn. The year started with the Sqn preparing D Squadron for deployment training with 16 AA Bde. This consisted of much of the Sqn being involved in pro— viding training support for Live Firing at Castlemartin and Dismounted training on SENTA. The QM and QM(T) departments were working at full tilt to provide D Squadron with all the resources required prior to departure.

After many late nights and endless transport runs by MT majority of the equipment was assembled in Fort Combermere.

Tne'Heg/menta/ 2/C leads the Armoured Squadrons on Horse Guards.

Much of the year has been spent trans— ferring vehicles from Squadron to

Lydd ranges in February, culminating with a Dismounted exercise and firing package at Otterburn in March. The Regiment duly deployed to Lydd on 9 Feb and embarked on a training extrav— aganza. After day one all the 4 man teams where geared up and ready to finish the day with a night firing package when the Commanding Officer called an 0 Group. Orders had been received to deploy CVR(T) to Heathrow on a security alert. The older members of the regiment looked at each other and the words OP TRUSTEE was mouthed. The Task was now to recover the Regiment from Lydd to Windsor and have a Squadron ready to deploy by 0200hrs the next day.

All the Departments went into overdrive and by 2230hrs 90% of the regiment had returned to Combermere and by 0100hrs the troops were ready to roll on OP FLAK. This was a good exercise in hot planning and execution, however it was frustrating for the training officer that Lydd had to be cancelled.

Squadron, in fact also between regiments due to the shortage of CVR(T) within the Army. This has placed a huge strain on manpower and resources within the Regiment, with two depart« ments being effected the most being the QM(T) and the LAD. The work put in by these departments over the year has been tireless and both departments have managed to keep the regiment functioning over a very frustrating and busy period.

The month of February found the squadron—working split, one half— deploying to Castlemartin to support the firing and the remainder remaining in camp. February and March were the months designated for dismounted, and personnel skills training by the Com— manding Officer. The Training Officer Captain Wren invested a large amount of time and effort in planning a package at

\

-

’

In March we finally got the chance to do some individual training with the regiment deploying to Otterburn for a 10 day live firing and dismounted exercise.

Other than the normal support HQ squadron produced 10 x 4 man teams to participate. All the men and women acquitting them selves more than ade— quately. The most effective team coming from the QM(T) department team members being LCpl Dove , LCpl Beaumont , Tpr Harris and the team leader LCOH Walker. The RAO team excelled on the survival stand, which was run by

Captain RS Evetts RHG/D.

Captain

Evetts being heard to say after the dis~ patching of a chicken, ‘ they seem to have a natural ability to kill things’.

Moving straight from Otterburn the B, C and HQ squadrons deployed to Warminster for a 5 day package on the CATT, the squadron providing support to training other than the command group who spent 5 days in simulators.

‘

icuous Gallantry Cross Distinguished Service

Lance Corporal of Horse Flynn

Order

The Blues and Royals

Major R C Taylor

The Life Guards

George Cross

Mentioned in Despatches

Trooper C Finney

Corporal of Horse R S Gallagher # The Life Guards

The Blues & Royals

Lance Corporal of Horse D J Telling — The Blues and Royals

ra.

22

Household Cavalry Regiment

What’s the pan number of tn/s then Grandad?

LCOH Walker and LCp/ Dove.

4

Capt Terrot/V/ncent br/ngs the bike r/ders back after a day out.

Household Cavalry Regiment

23

Good training value however no substi— tute for field training.

The Quartermaster’s Department

After some well earned leave at Easter, the Regiment started is condensed training package for the Standards Parade.

Every budding iournalist would like The QM(T) dept and LAD working to believe that theirs is the first article every reader turns to, I however, neither see myself as a journalist or believe the Quartermaster’s department article to be the first page readers will turn, except for serving department members, and those personnel that have left the department in the previous year.

over time to ensure we had enough working vehicles after the spray programme. The QMs Dept and the Catering Staff were also heavily involved in a supporting role.

Regimental Gun Camp in June followed

hot on the heals of the Standards Parade.

HQ Squadron deploying in its entirety for a 10 day period. During this time we completed ITD, and dismounted train— ing whilst as always providing support to the firing squadrons. The squadron ‘

also had 60 soldiers take part the in 3

flux ‘

.

.

.

‘

a”).

.

L

1

HQ Son Day Out , SCpl Gardner gives some adwce

day squadron adventure training package, which consisted of rock climbing, top roping, canoeing and mountain bik-

To that end, you the reader should already be more than aware from previous pages of the very busy year the Regiment has had. The only thing that remains for me to say is that whatever the task, wherever the duty the Quarter—

masters Department have been there to lend our support in anyway we can.

At the department level we have managed to conduct a very rewarding department adventure training package in Devon. SCpl Smith organised some very challenging activities to test even the most experienced adventure trainers, and LCoH Couling led coastal walks that would give a mountain goat a nosebleed.

Personnel have changed during the year that has seen a new Quartermaster, Capt Carney take over from Capt Burbidge who left in early August, but his experi-

ence was needed elsewhere. The other personnel to move on during the year are, SCpl Jack Homer, CoH Paddy McCarley, LCoH Lee Cordwell all to civilian street, SCpl Smith to Officers Mess manager and LCoH Geno Watkins to HCMR, we wish them all the best in the future. To fill this vast void, CoH Beaumont, LCoH Jones, LCpl Parr and Tpr Eccleston have been drafted in and CoH Hughes And LCoH Costain have received their much deserved promotions.

We now look forward to a full and frantic year with many changes ahead for the department to overcome.

I t t lt

mg.

From September to November the majority of the squadron less those sup— porting B Squadron remained in Windsor holding the fort, whilst B, C

Squadron deployed to BATUS.

The

Squadron did however get the opportunity to take a days adventure training.

On 29 November 60 members Squadron

took part in Go-Karting, Cross Country Rally Karting and Quad biking. It was wet, cold, adventurous and in some cases bordered on dangerous, but very enjoyable.

In

November

and

December

the

Squadron found itself dealing with the did however get the chance to deploy to Lydd on the lst of December for a 5 day dismounted range package. This was

organised by the Squadron Corporal Major and the small arms instructors in

the Squadron. The main aim was to give individuals who had been warned for OP TELIC the chance to improve their weapon handling skills and gain confi-

The Quartermaster Technical Department

'4” fair MasterChe/‘V‘and the Catering Sta

normal raft of annual inspections. We

improv/sed cooking ski/ls.

dence in returning fire under the guid— ance of the WOZ SCM Kellett, SCPL Foster, CoH McKay, LCoH Adams and LCpl Parker. The Sqn made full use of the excellent facilities at Lydd and Hythe and a good weeks training was achieved.

The Remainder of the month was used for final preparations for the regiments deployment on TESEX on 5 Jan 04.

2003 has been a very busy but satisfying year. We now look forward to the new challenges of 2004.

003 started off as 2002 had ended with the regiment still committed to the firemans strike (Op FRESCO), which at that stage showed no signs of an early conclusion. Almost every spare soldier in the regiment found themselves deployed as either a member of a fire crew or part ofa Tetnporary Service Fire Station (TSFS) administrative or command staff. This commitment had quite an impact on the department as it only

left the QM(T) and the RQMC(T) to man the fort. Due to the fact that the majority of the department held heavy goods licences they were very much in demand to drive the fire engines.

SCpl Foster and SCp/FSm/th look Vrfor Pte Rom.

Household Cavalry Regiment

Pie Roffl' makes it to the top,

Between strikes the regiment went about its normal business and in particular training all Household Cavalry soldiers in the use of the SUSAT (Sight Unit Infantry Trilux). This optical sight for the SA80 rifle that had only previously been on issue to the infantry is now on issue to Formation Reconnaissance Reg-

iments, which makes us a far more affec— tive force when in the dismounted role.

Due to D Squadron being stood by to deploy to Iraq on Op Telic this left a large gap in the Op Fresco orbat, which was filled by different outside units on each strike. This caused an added nightmare for the QM(T) who seemed to spend his entire time handing over and taking over Green Goddess fire engines.

As D Squadron readied itselfto deploy to Iraq as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade (16 AA Bde) the manpower bill became larg— er. As 16 AA Bde had no other track vehicles apart from ours the problem of spares became apparent. There was a definite need for a QM Tech DAF binner and a QM Tech storeman to deploy as part of the Squadron and LCpl Blockley RHG/D drew the short straw. LCpl Blockley was an ex D Squadron man and a veteran of Kosovo so he had no prob lems fitting back in.

Just prior to D Squadron deploying a lot of unnecessary vehicle movement took place. It was decided that they should deploy with the new up armoured Scimitars, which are fitted with Mine Blast Protection (MBP). We received 12 of these vehicles three days before D Squadron was due to load on the ship for Iraq and told to get them ready. The

Squadron worked feverishly transfer» ring all their kit and equipment onto these new vehicles and trying to get them fit to go to war only to be told 24 hours later that they were now to take their original vehicles.

This turn around came as it was realised that with the extra armour now bolted onto the Scimitars they were over the weight limit to be underslung by helicopter or to carry out Tactical Air landing Operations (TALO) by C130 Hercules. As would be expected tempers were slightly frayed but none the less D Squadron deployed on time and in good order on

Household Cavalry Regiment

what proved to be a tour of outstanding achievements for them.

Eventually in July we were given the word that the Fire strike was officially over and that we were to hand back our fire engines and equipment. The regi‘ ment stood to and cleaned and polished their appliances to the satisfaction ofthe QM(T). By the end of the strike we had accumulated a total of twenty five Green Goddesses, four Red Goddesses and an Aerial Water Tower, all of which had to go back to their original owners in a clean and serviceable condition. This was achieved with relatively little fuss and all the equipment we had loaned was accounted for, all except for one fire— mans suit complete with yellow helmet and boots. This appeared anonymously about six weeks later probably after its novelty value had run out as a strip-ogram outfit.

No sooner had D Squadron returned from Op TELIC did the task of getting their vehicles back up to a good standard begin. As you can imagine the war had taken its toll on them and with the added difficulty of acquiring spare parts in theatre they were in need of some serious love and attention. Added to this was the problem oftrying to remove the temporary desert camouflage paint, which was applied to all the vehicles during the war. Although it was applied as a temporary measure it required a certain chemical to be applied to remove it.

Light Aid Detachment 003 has been a very busy year for the LAD. Successful Engineer Support (ES) has been provided for numerous commitments and operations...

The largest commitment was the prepa-

ration of D Squadron for their deploy— ment on OP TELIC with 16 Air Assault Brigade. This committed a lot ofperson-

nel from the LAD and external REME

th/ Buck/8y RHG/D and LSgt The/hath th.

civilian contract to remove the paint and

it took a team of men a week to remove it from our vehicles. This took longer

straight from Iraq and were in a terrible

than they expected as the hot desert sun had baked the paint so hard it took two

manpower to ensure that the Squadron was prepared properly. A 10 man Fitter Section headed up by SSgt Howard completed the pre»deployment training pack-

age and left for Kuwait in February.

Mechanised Brigade. As they were an independent squadron they took a QMT DAF Binner with them along with LCpl Dove LG as the QMT storeman.

The next thing to hit the headlines was that the regiment were to send two squadrons (A and B) to Iraq on OP Telic 4 as part of l Mechanised Brigades deployment in spring 2004. With this news came the order that we were going to give up seventeen of our Scimitars to the Light Dragoons, the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Cheshires and in return receive seventeen MBP Scimitars also fitted with the new Ballistic Protection (BP). This involved a great deal of hard work and lots oflate nights getting the vehicles ready to hand over only to find out the eight of the new

In the end the MOD put into place a

working experience to a Logistic Battalion in New Zealand. A great time was had by all; and he is now paying for his fun by running the Op OCULUS Fitter Section in Bosnia.

Scimitars we were to receive had come state. Unfortunately the lions share of

or three applications of the chemical to remove it.

While all of this was going on B Squadron had deployed to BATUS with V

the work fell on B Squadron as the majority of the vehicles that were moving belonged to them. After more late nights and plenty of teddies being thrown in corners the work was finished and the Squadrons are now ready to begin their pre Op TELIC training in January.

During the year the department has been through a few personality changes starting with the RQMC, W02 Smith RHG/D who moved on promotion to HCMR and with it the appointment of RCM. We wish him all the best in his new job and the challenges that come with it. He was replaced by W02 Gib— bons RHG/D who has moved up from HQ Squadron SCM. Also during the year LCpl Harris LG and Tprs Dixon LG, Smith LG and Blackburn RHG/D have joined the department. We are also saying goodbye to LCpls Bond RHG/D who is moving to A Sqn and LCpl Beau— mont LG who is returning to HCMR. Finally we congratulate CoH Carrington RHG/D on his promotion to SCpl.

On arrival in Kuwait training continued as the squadron started working with the Brigade. This resulted in the Fitter Sec— tion working hard to keep the vehicles on the road as the mileage increased. A theatre wide lack of spares meant that some imaginative sourcing of spares was always necessary!

During this period, the remainder of the LAD was significantly involved in Op

FRESCO as both Fire Crews and ES Staff; and Op FLAK in support of the Squadrons. Other commitments in the Spring included Regimental Dismount— ed Training in Otterburn, where the

LAD

partook

fully

in

the

Sabre

Squadrons training.

May saw the preparation of the vehicles for the Regimental Standards Parade.

The vehicles were re-spayed for the occasion and the Fitter Sections worked through the night to prepare the vehicles for the following day’s rehearsals. Road Wheels were a scarcity; however, our friends form DLO assisted us in locating a local supply.

Sgt Garvie disappeared during this time for Ex LONG LOOK, a four month

.w

D Sqn Adm/h Tp on Op TEL/C

The visit of Mr Wal/y Harris MM

June saw the LAD deployed on a Regimental Firing Package at Castlemartin.

During this period the LAD had the opportunity to look at its own 8015 and to refurbish some of the LAD vehicles.

ITDs were completed and some adventurous training with HQ Squadron.

In the Summer B and C Squadrons completed TESEX and B Squadron deployed to BATUS. The Fitter Section worked hard in support of the Squadrons training and fully integrated their ES in support of the Squadron deployment.

The LAD ent/y for the Grea North Run.

There have been a number of visits to the LAD this year, including Mr W Harris MM, a REME WW2 veteran and the local Beavers Pack. The LAD has supported Ex SOUTHERN CRAFTSMAN, a REME TA exercise and the REME Muse— um Technology Day. On the run up to Christmas, vehicle turn— around has been on the increase and the LAD works hard at preparing the Mine Blast Protected vehicles for Ex ROYAL FLUSH and Op TELIC 4.

This year has been very busy and the LAD has worked to full capacity support— ing the Regiments training. Our successes have included the 4th Fitter Section finally being established in October 2003 and our Second Line ES being returned to OPCON l Mechanized Brigade from 5th January 2004. The strong integration between the Squadrons and the Fitter Sections has paid dividends in providing successful ES both on exercise and on operations.

The LAD Beavers WS/I.

Household Cavalry Regiment 26

Household Cavalry Regiment

The W0s’ and NCOs’ Mess

billed as a special occasion. After a lot of hard work from the RQMC and the committee, the evening was enjoyed by

all until the early hours of the morning.

003 Mess life started with the New Year’s Dinner, 180 Mess Members attended the dinner and to hear the

Fortunately for some Mess Members the champagne breakfast lasted long enough to enable them to keep drinking until the rugby world cup final, which was a fitting way of finishing of an excellent function.

Commanding Officer give the State of the Nation speech. The evening had a highly charged atmosphere; starting with the presentation of the Jubilee Display to the Mess. The Jubilee Display was commissioned by the WOS‘ and NCOs’ Mess members to commemorate the Golden Jubilee. The Royal Coat of Arms was chosen as the design. This was to symbolize The Queen; Gold the gilt for the Golden Jubilee; finally the

This month the Mess steadics itself

ready for the Christmas festivities week, then onto leave. Early February the mess will hold a 22yr Dinner Night for 14 mess members who have completed ZZyrs service; this will bring another full year in the mess to an end. To find out how these function went you will have

Royal Coat ofArms as the badge of rank

for the Household Division for the fourth year. With the final tweaks, to a tried and tested formula, the event past» ed as an outstanding success for the Mess and the Household Division.

July saw the Mess say farewell to a number of the senior Mess Members, it start-

Whilst enjoying the Windsor routine, this allowed the RQMC Darren Carter to start planning for the Mess Ball. Due to commitments, the mess had not been able to hold a large function for all the Mess Members to attend for over 20 months. With the wishes of the Mess Members and guidance from the RCM, plans where made for the Passchendaele Ball 2003. The ball was held in a grand marquee on the main square, which seated 500 people. With the Mess Members in black tie or mess dress, and the female guests in ball gowns, the evening was

The maintenance and development of string capability has always been paramount to the Band’s musical priorities since this gives us full orchestral capaci~ ty. This orchestral capacity was utilized throughout the year, with the first orchestral outing at a Buckingham Palace Investiture Ceremony in Febru~ ary. As always, the biggest challenge to the Orchestra at these Investitures is to play quietly regardless of marks of musical expression — although getting the double bass up the narrow staircases comes a close second!

March lived up to its name with a run (sic!) of marches up Windsor High Street to mount the Guard at Windsor

Castle.

The Band’s string capability

April was a month of great sadness for the whole Regiment, with the funerals of LCoH Hull and LCpl Shearer. It was with heavy hearts that we marched to and from the Garrison Church and played during the two services, but nonetheless we see this as one of our most important duties and one we carried out with great pride. Equally sad occasion was the funeral of Lieutenant Tweedie at Minto, Roxburghshire.

Having mounted up twice in late April and got used to the feel ofthe saddle and the smell of the stables again, May and June provided a hectic riding season with the Major General’s Parade, Stan—

dards Parade, Queen’s Birthday Parade and Beating Retreat. As if to prove its versatility the Band still managed to fit in an orchestral performance at a Garter Ceremony at Windsor Castle before moving on to the bandstands at Royal Ascot. A busy June was completed by a concert at Castle Hill on one of the hottest days of the year, although the extreme temperature and total lack of shade meant that the concert had to be cut short for health and safety reasons, this day later transpired to be the hottest day of the year.

On July 17 we marched the Regiment to the Garrison Church to pay our respects

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and NCOs’ Mess hosting the Derby Day

Household Cavalry Regiment.

anuary proved a relatively quiet month for the Band but Windsor Cas— tle Guard Mounts and a church service in the Guards Chapel got everyone back into marching and concert modes, respectively. As in 2002 the Trumpeters performed at The South Bank Show Awards in the second half of the month, and on the same night, the rest of the band gave a Cabaret Marching Display at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

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In June the RSWO planned the WOS’

After a well desired summer leave most Mess Members settled into the Windsor routine for the first time for over 20 months. This allowed the living in mess members to hold a number of theme nights in the mess.

Sgt Butcher (REME) organised a cowboy night. The stables came to us to supply them with straw bales for the amount we managed to get into the mess dining room. Sgt K Mathieson organised very successful Halloween Night. They managed to

a reflection of all Mess Member’s of the

Band of The Blues and Royals

A

TELIC

By the time you have read your way to this page of the journal you have read some outstanding articles on D Sqn’s actions in Iraq. It is fitting to recognise all of D Sqn Mess Members on their professionalism whilst away. Within the W0s’ and NCOs’ Mess we are proud of what was achieved and know that this is

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who was seriously injured during Op

The Go/deh Jubilee Piece with pocket watches for the Passchehda/e Ba/l 2008.

change the dining room into a Transyl» vanian Castle, the SLIVS (Single Living In Soldiers) had an excellent night.

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best for the future to LCpl Alan Tudball

CoH Adams, LCp/ Smith and W02 (RQMC) El/iot - The Sigma/’5 Gurus. ed with W02 Deano Gray leaving HCav for his first time on posting as the Recce Div W02. Then there was a mass exo— dus of WOZ’s leaving for HCMR, this included W02 Chris Elliott taking over as the RQMC, W02 Nick Stewart to LG Sqn SCM and W02 Jim Parkinson to HQ Sqn SCM. W02 Andy Botwell fin» ished his attachment with the QDG in spectacular form, by transferring with the understanding of becoming their next RSM in early 2004. The final W02 to leave was W02 Tony Smith who was about to take over the appointment of RCM HCMR. All wish them the very best in their new appointments.

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Coffee breaks took on a new light during this time, we made our war plans whilst watching the wide screen TV, and we monitored the progress of the coalition forces and more importantly our friends. During this time it was need— less to say that the qualities of the HCR did one and all proud. With great sadness two Mess members died during the operations; LCoH Matty Hull and LCpl Karl Shearer, both will be missed, yet remembered by all. We wish the very

to get next years journal.

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all mess members aspire to achieve.

After a full regimental dinner held in the gym (due to the numbers sitting down) the C0, RCM and mess members retired to the Mess to continue the movement. The mess members wished all deploying on Op TELIC the best whilst away in the Gulf.

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came into its own again in the shape of another Buckingham Palace Investiture Orchestra, and the hand finished the

month off with a day trip to Liverpool LCp/ Perry LG making a move on LCp/ ANWoods date.

Household Cavalry Regiment

CoH BestW/Ch RHG/D, Sgt Bradley REME, LCp/ Phe/ah LG. LCp/ Levee HHG/D at the Ha/loweeh D/‘hher

for a marching display.

Dom RHG/D lead/ho the combined Household Cavalry Band on the Presentation of Standards parade.

Household Cavalry Regiment

in a Memorial Service to Lieutenant Alex Tweedie, an immensely sad and moving service ended with our return to barracks with heads held high to honour his memory. The Brass Group had pre— viously headed north to the Scottish Borders to participate in his funeral service. July also saw outings for both the Brass Quintet and the Jazz Quartet

air of Scarborough where the band played to an appreciative and sizeable audience at the Spa Complex. Telford was next on our brief tour of England, with another marching display, and the month finished with the short coach journey to Victoria Barracks for another march up to Windsor Castle.

and the month finished with a touch of

October saw less travel for the band, although the trumpets did make it as far as Manchester. A return visit to the Metropolitan Police College, Hendon for their passing out parade made a pleasant change from the Band’s usual duties, and the opening of a new shopping complex in Horsham by Her Majesty the Queen gave us the chance to air offthe state gold coats and cloaks and get jackboots back into shape after the riding season.

glamour as the band appeared at the Guards Polo ground. The month also saw the Band play host to a group of school music students, who had the opportunity to learn from, and play with the Band and, in some cases, decide that a career in army music may be right for them.

August was a fairly quiet month, but the usual duties of Windsor Castle Guard, Guards Chapel and Windsor Castle Hill concerts kept us busy until the summer leave period.

September gave us all plenty of reading/video—watching/‘card-playing time on coaches as the band moved around the country. The month started with a short coach trip to London for a march» ing display at The Royal Horse Guards’ Hotel. The next journey was to the Festival of Speed at Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit where both ears and lungs were bombarded with the sounds and smells of vintage motor sport and fullyleaded fuel. Tired ears and lungs were quickly refreshed by the bracing seaside

November, as always, is dominated by Remembrance weekend and although the trumpeters played a major part in the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Albert Hall, it was the regimental parade and service that, this year in particular, was of most poignancy. The month also saw the brass quintet and trumpeters working hard, including a trip to Zanvoorde.

As the Christmas decorations and advent calendars came out, the jazz quartet and the brass quintet prepared for a busy December, with the jazzers making a well—received visit to Melton Mowbray and both groups working in central London. The full band was busy with a combination of Windsor Castle Guards, Church services, a marching

display at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in

London and carols on the hill at Wind— sor Castle, but the highlight for everyone must surely have been filming for the Queen’s Speech broadcast, which gave us all the opportunity to sit and watch ourselves on television on Christ— mas Day afternoon.

Regimental Recruiting Team W'e’re Up to The Challenge

he recruitment challenge the Regi— No year can pass without reflecting on those band members who have moved on to new challenges, and 2003 saw the departure of four key members, all of whom will be sadly missed. W02 Steve Kitching, a talented multi-instrumental— ist and gifted practical joker, left after 23 years’ service to continue his continuance (sic!) with the Band of the Army Air Corps. WOl Jason Griffiths has taken up a position on the staff of the

Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall. W02 (ABCM) Nick Paine left the band after 23 years service. LCoH Matt Speight is now a Student Bandmaster at Kneller Hall and will be missed not only for his musicianship, but also for the way in which he patiently encouraged and helped new band members to establish themselves. Last and by no means least, the shy, retiring Musn Simon Dodd left us to return to his native South Africa and pursue a career in law (apparently he was attracted by the briefs, wigs and silk!). We wish all of 2003’s leavers and their families all happiness and success for the future. However, we should stress that not all the personnel changes have been departures - the Band continues to recruit actively and successfully with two musicians completing riding school in April 2003 and four more due to complete riding school in 2004. We are also delighted to welcome our new Bandmaster, WOl Richard Watterson who suc— cessfully completed riding school in summer of 2003.

ment will face over the next 5 to 10

years is a fundamental one. We will, if current trends remain the same, need to recruit around 120 people a year for the foreseeable future. This will be in the context of an employment market, which is not working in our favour.

Unemployment levels are low and cur-

rent predictions are that they will stay that way. The number of young people in further education has doubled compared with 10 years ago. The number in the target age group is shrinking: there are fewer 17—18 year-olds today com— pared with 20 years ago and the number

of 16-24 year—olds has also fallen by a sixth in the same period, and is still falling.

Over the last 12 months the Household Cavalry Regimental Recruiting Team has met this challenge head on. For practical reasons, we have aimed our recruiting strategies at the widest possible pool of potential recruits, while at the same time we have concentrated on areas where the return for investment is good, such as the North East of Eng» land. Drawing from the widest pool of potential recruits has also involved increasing the Regiment’s profile across the country. We can no longer rely on young people with Service connections and family traditions to provide the bulk of our recruits. Consequently we have recognised the need to broadcast much more widely the opportunities that the Regiment has to offer.

In order to reach the broadest spectrum of society the recruiting team has quite literally travelled the length and breadth of the country. The team’s year began with a recruiting event in Cornwall.

{

iii

L to H: SCp/ Dear, LCoH Brown, LCpi West, Tpr Grant, Musn Saunders, Capt MEW Kingston with Pip, LCp/ Preston.

The recruiting team was very well received by the local population, although eyebrows were raised when LCoH Brown suggested that riding the surfwas not unlike riding a horse. From Cornwall the recruiting team, now equipped with a brand new caravan and 4x4 pickup, proceeded north to take part in EXPERTECH 03, which is an annual event organised by Commander Regional Recruiting West Midlands. This was an extremely good event where the recruiting team captured the interest of over 100 potential recruits. After this success the recruiting team repacked the vehicles and headed further north into Scotland.

Having completed the 48 hour drive (which included the manda— tory rest periods!) the team arrived at Redford Cavalry Barracks Edinburgh and was met by the Scots Guards recruiting team who very kindly took us under their wing. During our month long stay in Scotland the recruiting team took part in a number of recruiting events, which included the Army Exhibition for Schools Edinburgh, the Stir—

ling Military Show and the Inverness Show. The recruiting team also attend— ed an event on the banks of Loch Ness, much to the delight of the Japanese tourists who’s primary reason for visiting the area was to photograph the ever elusive monster, but who instead turned their cameras on Tpr Killeen dressed in full state kit.

In addition, the recruiting team has supported the Musical Ride at a number of events up and down the country. One such event was the Royal Welsh Show, which is held annually at the Builth Wells Show Ground. This was once again a fantastic opportunity to recruit in an area previously untouched by the Household Cavalry and has resulted in 4 young men enlisting into the Regiment.

One ofthe more colourful events attended by the recruiting team was the Cromer Carnival, which was organised and administered by SCpl Wibberly who is currently posted to the Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO) in Nor-

4

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he Marching Band at Goodwood Motor Circuit 2003.

Capt MEW Kingston, Tpr Kelly, LCoH Brown and Tpr Ashaa with Black Thunder at the Harrow Show.

Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment

wich. The event was well attended, with over 40 000 people visiting the carnival over two days. In contrast to this was

OP LONDON SOLDIER III, which took place in September. The highlight ofthis operation was the three open days held at Chelsea Barracks, where a whole

host of military personnel and equip» ment was assembled. It was a resound— ing success with an attendance in excess of 15,000 of which over a 150 showed interest in a career in the Household Cavalry, 12 of whom have since entered into the recruitment process.

is essential as it provides prospective the last. The recruiting team and those recruits with an opportunity to see what recruiters in offices up and down the the Regiment has to offer. country remain dedicated to the task in hand. We are undoubtedly up to the A steady supply of new recruits will challenge. always be necessary and all the more during these btisy .uid unpredictable If you know of anyone wishing to join, times. Given the negative aspects of the or who would like information regard recruitment market. the Regiment ing the Household Cavalry, the followneeds to use all means at its disposal to ing contacts should be used. Alternav secure sufficient recruits of the right cal» tively they can log onto the Household ibre now and for the foreseeable future. Cavalry website at: www.householdcav» Planning for the forthcoming year is alry.co.uk already underway and will be as busy as

In less than 12 months the recruiting team has travelled in excess of 20,000 miles and attended over 60 events. As a result of this the team has not only raised the profile of the Regiment but has also captured the interest of over 500 potential recruits. This impressive figure is not solely attributable to the recruiting team but is as a result of the recruiting offices’ abilities to identify events in their local areas, which have recruiting potential. In addition to this both the Household Cavalry Regiment and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment have continued to provide support to the recruiting team by facilitating visits and providing vehicles for recruiting events. This type of support

Regimental Recruiting Team OC — Captain Mark Kingston CoH Hemming LCoH Brown

Tel:

CoH Bentley: Oldham

Tel: 01706-710538

01753 755213 CoH Davies: Burton Upon Trent

W02 Kershaw: Online Office: Email-barrackstii easynet.co.uk

Tel: 01283-568172

Tel: 01980-618180 CoH Brown: Sunderland Tel: 0191-5658817

SCpl Wibberly: Norwich Tel: 01603—6246 1 6

CoH Anderson: New Oxford Street (London) Tel: 020 79308603

COH Cox: Croydon

Tel: 020 86887226

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THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY REGIMENT

By Lieutenant Colonel S H Cowen, The Blues and Royals ast year I alluded to two themes: our Lenduring place in the fabric of the nation, and the uncertainty of the world we live in today and our need to be bal-

anced to meet this.

These themes

remain very pertinent when reviewing 2003. It promised to be a complicated

year after the focus, media attention and pace of the Golden Jubilee in 2002. It was tempting to consider it a potential anti—climax but it wasn’t. I would first like to place the year in its context and then, in time honoured military fashion, site the appreciation of its effect. Iraq dominated the military agenda. We continued to be committed to deploying on FRESCO. There was an unclear security environment, with potential terrorism and surprisingly the peace movement impacting on our tasks. The duration of the ceremonial season, especially in the autumn, increased running from 2 May — 26 November.

Finally the Defence White Paper has raised some “well run hares”, which have proved a distraction.

You will read elsewhere in the Journal of D Squadron’s operations in Iraq. At Knightsbridge, our attention to public duties and state ceremonial was regularly distracted by coverage of their opera— tions, and our hearts and minds were rarely away from their actions, triumphs, tragedies and the just recognition of their achievements. It is one ofthe great strengths of the Household Cavalry that we combine both roles and can move seamlessly between them, delivering the highest standards. Since their return, we have welcomed several members of the squadron to mounted duty.

lenge. The Squadron Canter Past earned

0 excellent children’s section

All members of the Regiment and their immediate families are entitled to an automatic 5% loyalty discount

Foreword

However the regiment’s focus remains ceremonial and the season started with the Major General’s Inspection.

Op FRESCO delayed the horses’ return from grass, allowing only 6 weeks prepa— ration for the parade, a significant chal-

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Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

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the Major General’s recognition and will remain one of my highlights of command. The Presentation of Standards and Guidon Parade was the defining day

ofthe year. A Vital event in the life ofthe Household Cavalry, as it is one of the rare times that armoured reconnaissance and mounted regiments parade together.

It is a time when ethos and values are manifested and we re—affirm our unique

ties with our Sovereign. The parade is well covered in the journal and each ofus has memories ofthe day, my abiding one was the great celebration of the spirit of the regiment amongst all ranks and the Associations at the lunch. The Autumn ceremonial was relatively straight for— ward but there was a balance to finesse, in ensuring that the horses were fit enough for the State Opening of Parliament yet remained steady on the foreshortened ceremonial for the State Visit

by President of the United States of America and Mrs Bush. The Musical Ride remains globally recognised and admired; there are requests for performances from Moscow to Detroit, and 0510

to St Moritz.

Our commitment to deliver aid to the Civil Powers and Authorities continues and potentially increases. FRESCO had a huge impact on our year, not in what we were required to do but what it prevented us doing. We are still playing catch up with training and career cours— es. Contingency planning evolves for a 9/11 scenario. Whilst it distracts from our primary role, we are now prepared.

The second parade for the Major Gener» al’s Inspection, using a contingency operations study period, demonstrated the regiment’s flexibility and ability to switch to tactical thought, which was a fine foil to the ceremonial.

The key training event remains regimen» tal training, and this year it was a glorious camp. It produced some excellent equitation training that ensured strong competitions. I genuinely believe that we have strengthened our mounted skills over the last year from the broadest base at the bottom to the gladiators at the top.

We shared Bodney Camp with the Ghurkhas who are still grappling with the intricacies of the Household Cavalry in Bosnia after their baptism through the slowest horse race and pillow polo at camp. This fun was balanced by rigor— ous training. A 36—hour exercise including a series of tactical stands, piqueting horses and patrolling overnight, followed by Ex TRY OUT refreshingly allowed Troop Leaders to lead their troops. The Riding Staff’s Sword Lance and Revolver Battle Run gripped all visitors from the Major General down.

Training has not been restricted to Summer

Training.

Winter Camps were well planned but sadly forfeited for career courses. The Riding Master has introduced piquancy to Thursday morning with Officers’ Rides. NVQ training is

well established and the staff assists in wider distance learning. The regiment also carried out a mounted battlefield tour of Edgehill. Both The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals trace their ori— gins back to the cavalry formations at the battle, and it was fascinating to practice the Swedish and Dutch cavalry manoeuvres used in the battle that form the basis of current cavalry drills.

I remain unabashed in the belief that healthy competition, and success, is at the heart of the regiment and we contin— ue to thrive in sporting endeavour. The Riding Master competes at the highest level, winning the UK National Eventing Championships. CoH Arkley represented the UK, receiving a Bronze Team medal in the International Riding Club Championships, and CoH Weston is World Champion in Pairs Tent Pegging, a sport now recognised by the FBI. The regiment competes effectively in all military equitation competitions with a strong team of riders for 2004. However sporting achievement is not confined there. LCpl Mackenzie prepares for the Olympics in Modern Pentathlon, and Captains Snook and Lipman ride for the army, and Russian tea ladies, on the Cresta. Elsewhere we have made our mark in orienteering, fencing and more lately rugby.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment 32

Household Cavalry Regiment

33

However there are challenges to our way of life. The turbulence generated by service with both regiments needs careful management, especially as the overall strength of the Household Cavalry remains under pressure. This is particu— larly pertinent to the management of our NCOs’ careers. Recruiting is strong but needs to remain so against a backdrop of financial constraint across the army.

Mounted duty training appears increasingly demanding against initial recruit training. Therefore the dedication and diligence of the Training Wing in delivering the quantity and quality of young troopers joining the regiment is com— mendable. The weight of administration and bureaucracy, especially in Health and Safety, increasingly burdens regi—

mental life. We have to contain and balance it, to allow our unfettered pursuit of

excellence in our duties.

However there is a lot to look forward to in 2004. The ceremonial programme is full with potentially two State Visits and reciprocating visits with the Garde Republicaine for the celebrations of the centenary of the Entente Cordiale. The long heralded stables rebuild will coinInence in June, a good achievement in the current economic climate. I close with a reflection on the health of the regiment in this year of the Presentation of Standards and Guidon. The gravity of occasion and atmosphere when the old

Standards and Guidon were marched off was deeply moving.

Her Majesty’s speech reminded us of our unique privi— leges and enduring place in the fabric of the nation. This journal illustrates the great opportunities for the widest spec— trum of service: from operations in these uncertain times, training the next gener» ation of Household Cavalrymen to spe-

cialist trades and sporting endeavour.

We hold a rich tapestry oflife that is the envy ofthe rest of the army. I have mentioned the battlefield tour and believe that understanding our heritage helps weave the fabric of this tapestry. We have an international position of excel— lence in mounted ceremonial that is rarely equalled and we are constantly asked to advise and train others. I contemplated whether 2003 was a unique or

special year for the level ofcommitments in the Household Cavalry.

After research of previous presentation years, my conclusion is that every year is a special year, and it is a privilege to be serving in the Household Cavalry. However, for me, it has been an even greater privilege to command a regiment of the Household Cavalry.

March

January, as ever, proved to be a slow month which was just as well, considering the year ahead. Op FRESCO threatened several times to rear its head again, but thankfully was finally put to rest.

The horses returned from grass after Easter Leave and we started working towards the summer ceremonial season.

Towards the end of the month the regiment held a very successful show jump— ing competition in Windsor, with many soldiers showing off their high level of equitation skills.

The usual post Christmas glut of career courses ensued.

February April February saw a host of rides passing off in various ways: Marne and Nonne Boschen held their Kit Ride Pass Offs

and Passchendaele its Khaki Pass Off. Some fortunate souls escaped to Fremington for some invigorating adventure training.

Again the regiment went through its pre-season regimental checks with horse, band, uniform and kit all being inspected by the Commanding Officer.

Passchendaele Ride Passed Off in Kit and the officers had a gruelling session

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The State Vistt of President Bush.

Parade, the early morning rehearsal for the Garter Ceremony and the actual

.9

parades themselves all seeming to arrive in one go. To cap it all offin fine style, the regiment provided a Sovereign’s Escort, Double Standard, for President Putin. At the end of the month the soldiers were able to take some well earned leave.

July

Diary of Events January

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of Spring Drills to get them in shape for troop and squadron drills.

A relatively quiet month with people away on leave and the squadrons build— ing their horses up in preparation for Regimental Training.

August

May The month started off with the pre« inspections for the Major General’s Inspection, followed by Cavalry Memor— ial Sunday and then the Major General’s Inspection itself.

The second half brought with it our Presentation of Standards and Guidon Parade, and then Beating the Retreat, both on Horse Guards.

We returned from leave in early August and promptly left the noise of London behind to conduct our annual training at Thetford. The first week flew by in a furry of CFTs and training exercises.

After that, the focus shifted to improving our equitation skills, which were then tested by some memorable squadron competitions.

September June June took off where May ended, with rehearsals for the Queen’s Birthday

The regiment returned to London after one ofthe most successful Open Days in

Thetford that we have had in recent memory. Once settled in, those who had not yet had their leave disappeared for three weeks. The month also marked

a}

militia

the arrival of Captain] G Rees—Davies as the Adjutant and W0] Smith as RCM.

October The preparations for the autumn cere—

Regalia Escon‘. State Open/mg of Parliament.

monial season began to take form as the last of the grass horses returned to fill up the squadron lines.

November November proved to be an extremely

busy month again this year, kicking off with the Lord Mayor’s Show with an

Bush were provided with a Sovereign’s Escort for a State Visit, although shorter than usual and with a lot of added secu-

rity. This was followed in quick time by the State Opening of Parliament. The latter two were parades that many said were the best Sovereign’s Escorts for some time.

additional forty riders from Zurich Guilds riding out of Hyde Park Barracks. This was followed by the Ceno-

December

taph Parade and then The President of the United States of America and Mrs

December saw the usual festive celebrations in the run up to Christmas. The

more memorable events including Brickhanging, a slightly different Regimental Carol Service and an excellent, if slightly physical, officers lunch. The Troopers and Lance Corporals were treated to their traditional Christmas lunch and, after complex negations, we able to secure a (thankfully) brief performance from The Three Tenors (Lieutenant Colonel SH Cowen, Captain DL Lipman and W01 (RCM) Smith).

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

34

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

The Life Guards Squadron

The Blues and Royals Squadron

003 has been another very busy year for The Life Guards Squadron prov— ing that the resourcefulness and flexibility of the soldiers stretches beyond solely ceremonial duties.

Refreshed by Christmas leave, the

squadron returned ready for the rigours of2003. But first there was time for the Musical Ride to travel to Zurich for what became the highlight of their

busy season.

The legacy of Op FRESCO was a chal— lenge in preparing the horses for the ceremonial season whilst covering the strikes.

This was effectively accomplished and, after the departure ofMajor JRD Barnard LG to Sierra Leone and replacement by Major A Lawrence LG, the ceremonial season began in earnest.

hospitality of the Swiss to the unbelievable athleticism of the Irish Dancing Girls.

The Major Generals Inspection went well and built towards the real highlight

of the year, The Presentation of Stan» dards and Guidon Parade. After all the practices nearly everything went per-

, F. G Division moi/mg off to escort Her Majesty bn the State Visit of President Putin.

fectly.

Colonel The Blues and Royals

commented on LCpl Forrester’s excel» lent riding when he sat deep to the bucks of Crusader — only losing his helmet! Both The Queens Birthday Parade and Garter Ceremony went well in the midst of the summers searing heat wave.

Troop). In the Inter Squadron Competi— tions, Tpr Sloan scored an amazing win~ ning goal in the Pillow Polo penalty shootout and Tpr Blevins (dressed as Father Christmas) certainly had an interesting Christmas message in The

Regimental Training as always provided a welcome relief after the busy summer.

One Troop set a new record for the

Regimental Training ushered in Major AJL Fox—Pitt as Squadron Leader while Major A Lawrence departed to Shrivenham.

Slowest Horse Race! The final week of

longest pub ride with Captain DL Lipman LG and COH Greensmith leading the way (for six hours in the barl). Two Troop won the squadron inter troop competition and the Regimental Mount— ed Skill at Arms. The highlight for Two Troop was Tpr Smith 36, who is now on his AMEC, riding excellently on Beaufort to win the Open Day show jumping competition.

Three Troop also per—

formed very well with Captain JGK Anderson LG and CoH Beech winning

the Senior Ranks Handy Hunter Com— petition. The Junior Ranks Handy Hunter was also won by a Life Guard combination consisting of LCoH Knaggs (Forge) and LCpl Steadman (One

Despite the cold condi-

tions, everyone had an amazing time and returned from the trip with many memories ranging from the incredible

It was now time for the next ceremonial period that comprised The Lord Mayors Parade, The Cenotaph Parade, The State Visit of President Bush and The State Opening of Parliament.

The use of HCMR horses by the Zurich Guilds pro— vided a lot of entertainments at the Lord

Mayors as an assortment of strange costumes were paraded. The controversial State Visit passed off without incident and the State Opening began in torren— tial rain.

It finished off a year of extremes with parades in scorching heat and driving rain, a year of ceremonial duties, military duties in OP Fresco and relaxed equitation training.

This year has gone very quickly. A huge amount has been accomplished with often—limited resources and tight dead» lines. The squadron has worked very hard to maintain standards and accom— plish all tasks with the consistency and style that is expected.

There has been a considerable turnover within the Squadron. In addition to the two new Squadron Leaders, we have seen Captain DL Lipman take over as second—in-command from Captain P]

Leavey LG who deployed to Eritrea with the UN. WOZ (SCM) Poynter handed over to WOZ (SCM) Stewart.

One Troop welcomed Lieutenant AH James LG and said goodbye to CoH Fearnley who moved to HCR to be replaced by CoH Stokoe on his return from D Squadron in Iraq. In Two Troop CoH Knowles left to become a civilian and was replaced by CoH Farrimond on promotion from Windsor. Captain E] Bond LG left Three Troop to go to Windsor handing over to Captain JGK Anderson.

In February we kept ourselves busy doing our ITDs. Having completed them, the main effort switched to the impending Commanding Officer’s inspections ofthe stables and accommodation. Two Troop excelled themselves and LCpl Game, a carpenter by trade, transformed their troop office into the smartest in the Regiment. Later in the month we were fortunate enough to wit» ness a lecture and demonstration by the world famous Monty Roberts. Having made it all look so easy, we haven’t quite worked out how to transfer the skills we ‘learnt’ to some of the squadron’s prob» lem horses. To end the month in fine style, W02 (SCM) Panter organised an excellent lunch for members of the squadron and a large number of guests from within the regiment and other walks oflife.

Over Easter, the new ‘D’ Registration Remounts started to arrive from Windsor. Potential names were gathered in but thankfully Dopey, Drophead, Druggy and Dangleberry failed to meet the selectors’ eye.

A number of the squadron went to Sandown to support

Tne B ues and

oyais Squadron at the Tnetford Training Area.

It was in April that we realised the ‘silly season’ was well and truly underway.

Troop drills were soon followed by Squadron and then Regimental in preparation for the busy season ahead.

However, we managed to release a few Junior Ranks to attend a Skill at Arms Course down at the Larkhill Saddle Club, run by Captain RT Sturgis. On a sad note, many of us attended the memorial service for LCpl Shearer who, having spent a large proportion of his career at the Mounted Regiment, had many close friends here.

The Major General’s Parade went without a hitch, which is more than can be said for its various rehearsals which will

go down in folklore. Particular high— lights include the cries of‘Man down’ as Captain Heath was deposited in the mud at the first bend in canter and Captain CT Hayward’s call ‘Incoming’ as a loose horse galloped passed a mystified Standard Party and caused carnage amongst

the divisions to the front.

Once again, we supported the Royal Windsor Horse Show. We entered two squadron teams for the show jumping; both of whom were placed in the final line up. The Queen Elizabeth Cup for the Best Turned out Mounted Dutyman, (The Richmond Cup) was won by Tpr Doran RHG/D on Acrobat, second was Tpr Ah-Sam on Waterford with Tp

.. .‘e‘

Captain R T Sturgis in the Grand Mili» tary Cup. Despite another excellent result, he came in second, he has decided to retire from the racing arena after apparently finding a direct link between his weight loss and ability to recruit girl» friends. We are told that his more generous diet has improved his energy levels and, apparently, his stamina.

The horses had not long returned from grass in March when we started preparing them for the various inspections. As usual, the transformation from woolly mammoths to horses ready for parade was both startling and rapid. Congratu—

lations to One Troop for winning the Commanding Officer’s prize for the best presented horses. The Squadron was well represented at the Regiment’s show ~ .

iUmping competition in Windsor with LCpl sniiti’i LG receiving his prize for 7 st place in the Open Day Show

success on both days.

Jumping Competition

36

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

the camp routine with beach rides, showjumping and cross country train— ing. The Squadron Leader, Major AD Dick MBE, ran an unusual exercise that combined picketing the horses out overnight with heliborne patrols, range periods with exotic weapons and pack animals. Most men and horses made it back safely, but not without excitement.

We had great success in all the competitions, and were pleased to recapture the Silver Fox trophy from the Commanding Officer’s team on Open Day.

The Squadron tnade a clean sweep ofthe competition, including the Silver Fox. However, with a string of equestrian successes behind us, we are only too aware that the only way to go now is down, so we will have our work cut out over the next year.

Early in December most of the Squadron Officers competed in the Royal Wessex Yeomanry Race, held at Badminton, followed by a days hunting with the Beaufort Hunt. For some of the Officers it was their first attempt at any kind of race and, unsurprisingly, Cap—

October saw us back into ceremonial mode as we started to prepare for a very busy few weeks in November. This

tain WHAG Snook took the award for the first faller. A reporter from the Horse and Hound alerted the Squadron Leader to Captain Snook’s possible concussion only to be told that he was always like that.

started with the Lord Mayor’s Show, Cedric — a horse for all seasons.

Caulkin on William fourth — almost a clean sweep for the squadron.

The Standards Parade went well and the lunch afterwards gave us all the chance to meet up with old friends. The party continued with the Trooper’s Ball held later that week. With a James Bond theme, Tpr Ghelabhai won the best out— fit prize having come dressed in a complete SCUBA outfit.

where we provided a Mounted Division led by Captain WHAG Snook. The Squadron furnished the Standard for the rank past at Buckingham Palace fore— court for the President of the United States of America, George W Bush.

Christmas arrived with all the festivities that it brings. Having put the horses out to grass, we were able to enjoy the carol service, the Trooper’s Christmas lunch and, of course, Brickhanging.

And so another busy year came to its natural conclusion, and all too quickly we are back again ready for whatever this year may bring.

Soon afterwards, the Squadron fur~ nished the Standard yet again, this time on the State Opening of Parliament.

Despite atrocious weather, the parade was completed without serious drama.

Soon afterwards we competed in the Regimental Show Jumping competition. .

The Queens Birthday Parade and the

Beating the Retreat went off without any hitches despite the heat. The Garter Service took place on possibly one of the hottest days of the summer. A certain Troop Leader, having first instructed his division to discretely remove themselves from the public gaze if they felt in danger of collapse, then shortly afterwards went down having failed to follow his own advice.

Headquarters Squadron cursory glance at the calendar for January and February would give the impression of a quiet period with few major events programmed in, the reality was far different. As ever, the New Year heralded a period of consolidation, when the squadron gathered itself and rebalanced in preparation for the inevitable fury of the summer ceremonial season. Early January was consumed by the second leave period, the recovery from it, and then the launching

of the

Musical

Ride

to

Zurich.

Although the glory went to riders, as always the Vet, Farriers, Saddlers, Rid-

ing Staff and Quartermasters Department all worked hard to ensure that the tour went off smoothly.

There are only two short windows with» in the year when soldiers can get away with relative ease to complete career courses or adventure training, and one of those is in February and early March.

Consequently, the diary over that period rapidly filled up as we endeavoured to get as many as possible. The Regiment booked The Guards Adventure Training Wing in Fremington and we took the opportunity to get some of the squadron away there. The staff ran a challenging package of sailing, sea kayaking and climbing which, with the February weather, was a far cry from the more seductive charms of a SCUBA Diving Trip to the Mediterranean that some may have been hoping for. We also managed to get a couple away skiing on the excel— lent, and very affordable, series ofWinter Warriors exercises held in Bavaria.

The Remounts arrived in March, shortly followed by a number of aches, pains and bruises for the Remount Riding Staff. We also experienced the ritual of the Com— manding Officer’s annual inspections as focus began to switch to the approaching ceremonial season. With Easter leave out of the way, the Regiment started its work up to the Major General’s Review and the Standard’s Parade. The additional burden of the Standard’s Parade meant that all the departments had to work long hours to ensure the Mounted Squadrons were able to turn out the required number of healthy horses with serviceable sad— dlery and smart uniform. CoH Halfhide, the Full Dress Storeman, found himself in a juggling act as legions of Officers and Warrant Officers emerged all requiring kit for the Standards’ Parade. The Stan— dards’ Parade was the last for the Squadron Leader, Major D Pickard LG. He dismounted, handed in his kit and passed the squadron to Major 0 M Bedford RHG/D. Few men knew as much about HCMR as he did, and his departure marked the end of era and the loss of the ‘Font of all Knowledge’. Shortly afterwards, and with the summer season officially over, W02 (SCM) Brockhurst RHG/D handed over to W02 (SCM) Parkinson LG before starting afresh as a civilian.

Summer leave promptly started, along with preparation for Regimental Train~ ing at Bodney Camp. The Quartermas~ ter’s Department escaped for a few days to North Devon for some adventurous training organised by CoH Feet. The

We then prepared for the State Visit of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

The Squadron carried the Secondary Standard on the parade, with the Standard Party escorting the second carriage containing His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and Mrs Purina.

carefully planned schedule of canoeing, sailing and climbing lasted at least 10 minutes before strong winds took hold forcing their cancellation. Instead, they went to visit Exeter...

Regimental Training followed a similar path to previous visits to Bodney Camp.

The preparation went well and the move up smoothly, but then came the CFT. It was a glorious sunny morning and the Commanding Officer joined us for what should have been a pleasant 8 miles around a beautiful training area. With 7 miles or so gone, a few of the veterans started to comment that Bodney Camp still seemed a long way off. Before long the PTI approached the Squadron Leader to confess that there may be a problem, and that he had not brought his map. There was a problem, we were no longer on the route, or even near it!

A number of the squadron competed strongly in the Regimental Competitions. CoH Crighton led the way with victory in the Senior Ranks Show Jump— ing. He also came second in the Open Day Show Jumping with SCpl (SQMC) Welsh finishing behind him in fourth.

LSgt Roberts and LSgt Bennett did extremely well to take second place in the Junior Ranks Handy Hunter. The Squadron Leader and SCM were feeling confident in the Senior Ranks Handy Hunter and looked set for victory right up to first, when the Squadron Leader’s horse refused! Once again the Squadron Tug-of—War Team, dominated by the farriers, won on Open Day. Special thanks

Alu“.‘fl .. 4 ”2“...“ 1.3.54

July saw the Squadron begin the build up to Regimental Training, with a number of equestrian activities and a leave

period for those wanting a break before Regimental Training. We also ran a feed trial in the squadron lines - the intro— duction of Horsehage to the Regiment resulted in a significant and noisy gastric response from the horses, but at

least the dust levels were significantly reduced.

Soon we were back to Bodney, and all

that it entails. The horses were obvious— ly delighted to return and bucked and kicked with delight as they were led off

' 4.

I

A

the horseboxes.

We were quickly into

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Major Dick leading the Escort rank past Her Majesty and Pres/dent Bus/j.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

the Officers’ Mess. The Officers played must go to the Riding Master and his team for the work put into the prepara-

a tactically sound game, electing to bat first in the knowledge that the NCOs would take full advantage ofthe refreshments on offer to quench their thirst during the warm day. Our batsmen struggled in their response, finding it unusually hard to focus on the ball.

tion of the excellent cross—country course and for their organisation of the events, which all went offwithout a hitch.

Most of the departments found time for their own trips out — paintballing and white water rafting to a name a few. The squadron came together for a 3 hours

The mess had an opportunity to even the scores during a games night that saw LCpl Parr pitched against the Commanding Officer in the sumo ring. The match went all the way to the third

‘Le Mans’ Style Go-Karting race. W02 (RQMC) Elliott RHG/D, having finished his take over from W02 Mills, thought this a good opportunity to impress those present. I, for one, was very impressed with the ease with which

round when, with testosterone flying around, the younger and fitter man triumphed. We are grateful to LCpl Parr for keeping the mess’s honour intact, but at what cost to his career? He was posted to Windsor 4 months later!

he rolled his Go-Kart. Better still was the bruising along his shoulders and back. We now understand why he needs the security ofa Landrover Freelanderl Many members of the squadron made a considerable contribution to the plan— ning and preparation of Open Day. The weather gods were kind to us, as were the local people who turned up in their droves — 5000 people in total! They also gave generously to the Regiment’s chosen charities, and we raised £2071 in exit donations on the gate — 3 times as much as the previous year.

As the Regiment returned to Hyde Park Barracks in early September, we said farewell to the Adjutant, Captain M P F Dollar RHG/D, who handed over everything, less poor Cedric, to

Captain J R G Rees-Davies LG. W01 (RCM) Kitching also moved on, but this time as a Commissioned Officer, to take up a post as a Company Secondin-Command at AFC Harrogate. WOl (RCM) Smith is now in the chair.

". ’w «I.

HQ Squadron stretching off after their CH?

A short lull followed, as those still requiring leave escaped, before we start‘ ed to build for the short but very intense autumn ceremonial season. With the mounted squadrons feeling the manpower pinch, Headquarters Squadron was asked to backfill them. Ultimately, we had every junior rank or trooper, and many seniors, either riding on parade, turning someone out or on duty for the

day. The Ride NCOs worked miracles in the Training Wing, turning out a respectable Step-Lining Party for the Houses of Parliament using recruits who had only arrived 10 days earlier! And so we collapsed into Christmas, picking up the loose ends and ready for a break.

The Squadron bids farewell to: Major D Pickard LG, Major I Fryer AGC (SPS), Captain M P F Dollar

RHG/D, WOl (RCM) Kitching LG, W02 (RQMC) Mills, W02 (RAOWO) Gentle AGC (SPS), SCpl Chambers LG, SSgt West RLC, Sgt Goulty AGC (SP8) and LSgt Wray AGC (SPS).

The Squadron welcomes: Major 0 M Bedford RHG/D, Captain J R G Rees-Davies LG, Captain M Sad—

dler AGC (SPS), WOl (RCM) Smith, W02 (RQMC) Elliott RHG/D, W02 (SCM) Parkinson LG, W02 (RAOWO)

Reast AGC (SPS), SCpl Jenkins RHG/D, SSgt Cook RLC, CoH Arkley LG, and Sgt Hunt AGC (SPS).

On the Regiment’s return from summer camp, the Warrant Officers and Non

Commissioned

Officers

mess

said

farewell to W01 (RCM) Kitching by dining him out in good Regimental tra— dition. Mr Kitching has been commis» sioned into The Life Guards and posted to ATR Harrogate as a Company ZIC. We wish him and his family the best of luck.

The RCM invited all the civilian riders in for a ‘meet and greet’ night in November. He made little effort to publicise the drinks, instead hoping for a quiet and discreet evening entertaining all the ladies riders by himself. However, the word quickly got out and before long, every Officer, Warrant Officer and Non—Commissioned Officer in town had packed themselves into his mess. The evening was a great success, with all the civilian riders keen for a reshow.

The wives from Windsor and Knightsbridge came together for a wives club annual Christmas dinner in late Novem-

ber. The Warrant Officers were priv» iliged to wait on the ladies, with a little help from the odd husband. Father Christmas made his customary appearance to present each wife with a gift.

But who was the mysterious bearded marauder?

December saw the mess burst into life with numerous functions and entertainment. The Riding Master organised a Horse Ball Tournament in the Indoor Riding School . The mess senior team consisting of W01 (RCM) Smith, SCpl (SQMC) Gaddes, and C’soH McMullen and Beach were fortunate to reach the final after a lucky win over the Officers’ Mess Senior Team. However, making most of our good luck, we went on to win in the final against the Junior Ranks Team.

Those with experience will know that the Christmas period is normally the time when the barman and mess manager really earn their wages This year was no exception: CoH Callow (mess manag— er) and LCo’sH Hunt and McAuley (mess barmen) worked on no less than 16 functions over the period. Brick hanging, held on the 10th December this year, was as always central to the Christmas celebrations. Many association members turned up, despite the publication of an incorrect date by the LG Association, with some travelling from as far away as New Zealand, Canada, and America ~ this only goes to show what a great tradition the event is. The mess had the honour of inviting Major the Lord Manton (Milo Watson) to hang the brick, which he dutifully did. He made one ofthe best speeches oflate and had the mess members in fits oflaughter throughout. The day and night went off very smoothly and the brick was (eventually) taken down at around 0545 hrs in good fashion by a contingent of four

Eard/y AGC (SP8).

Life Guards: LCpls King, Mason, Thomas, and Williams each held a comer of the brick, ably watched over by a few NCO’s from both Regiments.

Thank you to W02 (SCM) Stewart for all the work he put into organising and running the event.

SENIOR MESS MEMBERS W01 W01 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02 W02

(RCM) T Smith (BM) D L Wolfendale (RQMC) C J Elliott (FCM) S J Newman (SCM) A D Panter (SCM) N M Stewart (SCM) J C Parkinson (SCM) D Dixon (EWO) M A Avison M Goodwin (BCM) T R Francis (ABCM)RM Alien (SQMS) D H Reast (SQMS) G D E Eardley P D Lazenbury

The WOs’ and NCOS’ Mess 003 started with the Commanding Officer addressing the mess with the traditional ‘State of the Nation’ speech.

The mess was in fine form and, as always, looked very impressive with all

its members dressed in mess dress and seated for the dinner. Addressing the mess after a fine dinner is never an easy

task, and this year we made it more dif— ficult by insisiting that the Command—

ing Officer read his speech whilst hold— ing an upturned fireman’s hat (liberated from the recent strikes) filled with

panache that we have become accustomed to.

Valentines day followed and we saw (yet again) why the Warrant Officers and Non Commissioned Officers of the Household Cavalry are in high demand and classed as good catches for any lady.

The mess members were true gentlemen first, and soldiers second on this special day. They danced, drank, entertained, and pampered all the wives and girl-

friends throughout the night.

champagne. As with any Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry, Colonel Cowen carried this tricky

manoeuvre off with all the style and

The mess has dined out many of its members over the past year. We said farewell to the following senior mess

members, to mention a few, and wish them all the best in their new posts or civilian lives: Warrant Officers Brockhurst, Gentle, Mills, Peers, Poynter.

SCpl Musgrave, SSgt West, CsoH Ash» down, Anderton, Barnard, Brown, Boumont, Candlin, Davidson, Fortune, Howie, Jones, Knowles, Reason, and Tennant. This may give you an insight to the turnover of soldiers within the Regiment in these turbulent times.

The Regiment deployed to Norfolk in August for its annual period of Regimental Training where we held a number of different events and activities. We had the traditional cricket match against

Major Lawrence and Capt Derry converse with W02 (SCM) Dixon. COH McMu/len and COH Hooper RHG/D

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

40

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

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Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

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Household Cavalry Mounted Reglment

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The Musical Ride This has been an extraordinarily busy and highly entertaining year for the Musical Ride during which it has changed hands three times: Captain R S I Derry LG handed over to Captain P G Leavey LG in Zurich in February, who

then handed it on to Captain D L Lip— man LG in July.

One for the girls. our Playmate of the Year' COH Hadden MBE

The year started with a fantastic trip to Zurich — see separate article. The Ride was dissolved upon its return before reforming in March to provide a reduced performance at Equis in Lon~ don. The difficult surface and demand— ing crowd made this a baptism offire for the newly formed Ride. Captain Leavey led the Ride through both the Royal Bath and West Show and the Sandringham Driving Trials and before handing over to Captain DL Lipman at the Kempton Park Evening Gala. Thank— fully the display went without a hitch as

8' see was found to be moon/@bt/ng as a stunt/nan,

CoH Wall eased the new Ride Officer into his post.

The Ride spent a week at the Royal Welsh Show at the end of July. The Welsh people could not have been more welcoming or appreciative of our efforts.

The Young Peoples’ Village provided an opportunity for the Musical Ride to return that welcome with interest. A quick pit stop back in London allowed for a change of clothes before the Ride deployed to the Royal Lancashire Show.

The Farmer Major hitching a lift,

,

. . . RV" ‘9 .

This proved to be the most testing show of the season as horrendous weather waterlogged the site and forced the can— cellation ofthe final day.

A few took some leave before continuing the build up to Regimental Training in Bodney Camp.

The remainder performed a Victorian Ride for the English Heritage Show wearing period costumes produced by the Regimental Tailors.

The display was a great success and was very well received by the audience. It is hoped that the Ride can assist National Heritage again in 2005.

One ofthe highlights ofthe year was the European Dressage Championships at Hickstead. The Ride itself performed at its absolute best under the Riding Masters’ watchful but proud eye and was rewarded by being invited ‘en masse’ to the Hickstead Ball, where many of the revellers showed their appreciation.

Thanks must go to Dane Rawlins and his staff for their generosity throughout the week. The greatest compliment for the Ride and for the Riding Master came from the Quadrille Team trainer. He said that he been incredibly impressed that the Musical Ride could perform the display with such precision (riding with one hand, in cuirasses and carrying lances) when his team could not, riding with two hands in comfortable clothing!

We rejoined the Regiment at Bodney Camp and performed on Open Day in September.

Shortly afterwards we moved on to the Blenheim 3 Day Event.

The performance went well and provided the Riding Master with some solace after his misfortunes. A reduced ride performed at the Horse ofthe Year Show before we came together again in preparation for the Oslo Horse Show. We were accommodated and fed courtesy of the Norwegian Army whilst our horses were

.

Ub/ LCoH Sm/‘m RHG/D and Tpr Grime LG

The Mus/ca/ Ride exiting the arena In St Mar/t2.

Heath/ow Dun. Tpr Huntman HHG'D

44

‘ ent House h 0 ld C ava l ry M oun t e d R egim

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

stabled with the Oslo Mounted Police.

This separation made our life more com-

musician of the year competition, and although not placed in the top three, were highly commended and flew the cavalry flag with style and panache. The trumpet team played a grand concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary in the presence of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles.

The event was originally scheduled for the great hall in the palace of Westminster, and was to be the first

plex, particularly as neither men nor horses were located at the show’s venue.

Our hard work paid off and the Musical Ride performed way beyond the expectations of the show organisers and the British Embassy, who had initially requested our presence.

The Musical Ride stood down until after

public concert ever to be staged in this the first Christmas leave period when the Squadrons were once again drained of manpower to staff the Ride. For the first time we were to perform 011 a frozen lake, 7500 feet above sea level in the Swiss Alps during the break in play at the

Cartier Polo on Ice in St Moritz. Such a

‘\ . a. .

novel venue meant that a recce was para— mount and Captain Lipman and Captain

b ‘CoH Ark/ey and Qua/12.

RG Waygood LG were pressed into service. The logistical implications for this

infrastructure before cars, people and

tour were huge and CoH Wall had to work extremely hard to get the show on the road. The main body arrived with

horses are added. The ice is just 30cm thick and creaks worryingly when 24 Cavalry Blacks, a drum horse and a well

the Riding Master without a problem.

fed Ride Officer take to it. The horses

The horses were not so fortunate and were delayed due to horrendous weather and treacherous road conditions. The Regimental Veterinary Officer, Major MCE Morrison LG, proved his dynamic side and quickly drew up a contingency plan enabling overnight stabling for the horses and grooms in Landquart.

had no problem being ridden on the frozen lake and studded shoes allowed for steady going. The Ride gave two strong performances much to the crowd’s obvious delight.

With everyone safely in St Moritz, the time had come to ‘test the ice’. The lake itself already carries 40,000 tonnes of

The event was sponsored by Mr Urs Swarzenbach and the St Moritz Polo Club.

Mr Swarzenbach provided accommodation in his ‘villa’ and a chef.

As a reward for their efforts, ten mem— bers of the Ride were sponsored to ride

the Cresta Run before flying back to England. Many thanks must go to Mr Swarzenbach and his team for their generosity and patience. St Moritz may never be the same again.

The Musical Ride is indebted to many people for their help and support over the last year. Not least of these are the members of the Mounted Regiment that had to work harder to allow the Ride to train and go on tour. This has been a very long and busy season, but in terms of recruitment and the public image of the Regiment it has been invaluable.

The Musical Ride passes on its thanks to all those that continue to support it.

venue.

However, with lumps of the ornate four hundred~year-old ceiling’s woodwork repeatedly dropping into the seating, the venue was switched to Westminster Abbey the day before the concert — a huge logistical task involving large stages, massive television plasma screens, sound support and so on. There were serious problems for the trum— peters too as the Bandmaster opened the event by conducting from the entrance some 100 feet away, and reliant upon a TV monitor.

Shortly afterwards the trumpets were back in the Abbey for the less awkward 50th Anniversary Service to mark the end of the Korean War. With summer leave rapidly approaching, there was just time for IIP reaccredidation and a Buckingham Palace Gar— den Party.

After summer leave we departed on our longest trip to participate in the Kirkudbright Summer Festivities. The trumpeters opened the show, followed by our two marching displays, before finally combining with a local wind band and massed pipes. It was an excellent trip and we thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality

ofthe town. The following week took us to Kneller Hall for the Corps Day, where the Band’s contingent, the largest from the Household Division, led the march past. We then made a whistle stop tour to Bodney Camp to play at Open Day where we particularly enjoyed an entertaining obstacle race that pitched a horse and carriage against a Landrover, a Quad bike and a runner. W02 Lazenbury is adamant that he would have sneaked victory had he been able to enter his aging Volvo estate and caravan.

The autumn flew pass with further concerts and a particularly memorable performance in the chapel at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

WOl Wolfendale seemed more raconteur than Bandmaster as he entertained the audience with more of his ‘true’ stories. All our audi~ ences enjoy the occasional story about the Band, the Regiment and the music, but with the Bandmaster in full flow, the band members concluded that their real purpose was to provide a musical back— drop to his ramblings! We also took the opportunity to combine with other musical ensembles, the first of which was the Lucknow Band of the Prince of Wales’s Division at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. Ably led by their Director of Music, Captain Tim Cooper, a former Bandmaster of The Life Guards, the band entertained

with big dance band numbers and choral support to raise the roof with a stirring renditioning of Walton’s Crown Imperial. The Lord Mayor’s Show followed, combining our four trumpeters with four from the London Symphony Orchestra on the balcony of the Mansion House. Our final combined per— formance ofthe year was a concert in aid of the Army Benevolent Fund in the Falklands Memorial Chapel staged in the presence of the Duke of Gloucester.

We shared the stage with selected soloists from Pangbourne College and the Berkshire Youth Choir. The chal» lenging programme was rounded off with a stunning performance of John Rutter’s Gloria, which combined the magnificent choir with our brass and percussion sections.

The year then closed as it began, with more Windsor Guards, Investitures, the Gold Awards at St James’ Palace and, of course, the annual Christmas festivities.

We bid farewell to LCoH Maher who completed 22 years in army music, the last 12 with the Band of The Life Guards, and LCpl Ashworth who has moved on following 4 years of service.

We wish them both every success with their new careers. We welcomed Musicians Gibbs, Sandford and Welsh, and SCpl Ravenor who comes to us after spending 22 years with the Irish Guards.

2003 has been a challenging, rewarding and prosperous year for us. In addition to everything else, with planned trips to New Zealand and Finland, it is antici— pated that 2004 will be much the same.

The Band of The Life Guards he Band of The Life Guards’ year

started in somewhat uncertain fashion due to the on-going fire dispute and our commitments to Op FRESCO.

However the resolution of the dispute allowed our adventure training exercise to Livigno in Italy in late January to go ahead as planned. With the skiers back to the fold sporting healthy tans and many exciting tales of their exploits, the band undertook the first of many guards at Windsor and also turned its attention to the forthcoming visit by the Inspec-

torate from Kneller Hall. Sadly the visit

by them but also underlined the continuing high standards to which all mem—

bers of the band aspire.

A couple of

Sundays in Guards Chapel were a prel— ude to the orchestra’s contribution to investitures at Buckingham Palace. The

band then looked forward to the first of

TELIC. The Standards Parade present-

a series of twenty concerts spread

ed challenges anew, marching in state kit and combining with the mounted band of The Blues and Royals. It could be argued however that this was simply good practice for the Garter Service in June! We were reunited with our mounts for the Household Division Beating Retreat and finally the Queen’s Birthday Parade itself, mercifully cooler and drier than some of the previous rehearsals. As the finale for the beating retreat was to be the 1812 overture it was decided that it would prove judicious for the mounted band to depart prior to King’s Troop giving it their all.

throughout both the year and the coun— try, ranging from Bolton and Llandudno in the North to Truro and Canterbury in the West and South. They were all suc— cessful and took the band to some outstanding venues.

never went ahead and became a casualty

of Op FRESCO. Early in February two members of the

band passed the ATCL recital diploma, W02 Allen and LCoH Barker taking

advantage of a test centre that was specifically organised for military musicians in Wellington Barracks by the Coldstream Guards. Not only was this a

highly respectable personal achievement

46

cer’s inspection under our belts, Queen’s Life Guards and the Major General’s Parade steeled us for the season. We were on our feet once again though for the Cavalry Memorial Parade, which had reduced band support due to Op

With the first of these concerts safely negotiated thoughts were focussed on other forthcoming matters.

More guards at Windsor plus two pass—off parades in Catterick honed our marching skills, our regular support to the Household Division Easter Choral Concert kept the strings busy, and prepara— tions started for the mounted season.

With a commended Commanding Offi-

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Around this time Musicians Potts and Gray competed in the Household Division

2.” Mm...

The-Band of The L/fe Guards, Marc/7mg Band at We/l/ngton Arc/7

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

47

although I hope he finds a little more speed on the Cresta.

WIIltEI' Training Troop - Time spent in the saddle is seldom wasted he training grounds of the hunting field have been cherished for centuries. Wellington took a pack ofhounds with him on numerous campaigns; yes as pleasure, but also as a valuable train— ing tool in tactical awareness and use of the ground, sound judgement in move— ment across unknown country and the sharp mind to survive upsides thrusters without over committing. The impor~ tance of snap decision making, convic— tion, and commitment to a chosen course of action is just as important today as it was then if the sport is to be enjoyed.

Colonel Toby Browne RHG/‘D, whilst New College Commander at RMAS, addressed my intake on leadership, integrity and other sound qualities

required to become a successful Officer Cadet. His sound advice was to “go night clubbing and hunting” in order to

develop stamina and a keen eye for the ground. What better training for an armoured reconnaissance soldier is there than a night in “Tubes” followed by a day behind the local Leicestershire bitch pack.I We started the 2003/2004 season immedi-

ately after HCMR’s annual period of Regimental Training. With Bodney starting a week later this year, and an early harvest, there was little time to loose if the troop was going to get the large number of young horses settled out autumn hunting: 17 Cavalry Blacks, 2 Household

Division and 3 saddle club horses.

Brigadier BWB White~Spunner RHG/D handed the chairmanship over to Lieu» tenant Colonel SH Cowen RHG/D during the summer following an agreement to drive down the cost of hunting.

Charges would be based on days hunting rather than numbers of horses hunted, The revised price of under £60 per day (including 2 horses turned out, the cap and transport) is in itself an excellent reason to head to high Leicestershire.

Despite a progressively successful season Major OM Bedford RHG/D spent time

The course began with a talk from Kim Smith—Bingham MFH Esq. from the Cottesmore Hunt and included a visit to The Duke of Rutland’s kennels at Belvoir Castle where Mr Martin Thornton (Belvoir Huntsman) gave a down to earth behind the scenes look at this leg— endry old English Foxhound Kennel and stables. The flesh house during the heat of the day tested the stomachs of many of the grooms - Tpr Hawley RHG/D must never be left unattended in the presence of any thing dead without prior permission from his mother.

The final day included a successful morning of cubbing. In a distinct break from the previous day’s cross—country training, all the jockeys returned safely with their horses.

on the ‘biff’ with a broken metatarsal minimus (little toe!) after losing out to a gatepost in a bitterly fought competition.

It is also pleasing to see that the Com— manding Officer is sound again having chipped his ankle with the Beaufort and Albert.

The build up to Christmas leave has seen an increase in interest. Winter Trainers and Retired Officers found themselves edged out by serving officers and other ranks from HCMR and HCR alike.

Melton still has a unique experience to

he CO moments before disaster The Opening Meets were held on the 25th October and brought a sigh of relief. Most of the grooms had by now mastered the art of plaiting; those who had not found new and exciting positions in the feed barn or tack room. A routine was established with regular 11 o’clock meets with the Quorn on Mon— days and Saturdays, and The Belvoir on Wednesdays. As ever, the slightly earlier 1045 hrs start of the Cottesmore hounds caused a few nervous moments as we negotiated our way to the meets on Tues— day mornings.

ford. Captain RSI Derry LG was a key member of the team chase quad, until enduring a rather long walk back to the

start having ‘slipped’ off Osborne in front of his large female fan club. Cap—

tain MPF Dollar RHG/D was a little more successful despite his recent move to HCR and promptly claimed Captain Derry’s share of the champagne at the prize giving. I must thank SCpl Welsh

Capt RS Derry points out his favour/'te part of a Be/vo/r hedge.

The rain finally arrived in early December, just prior to the annual Royal Wessex Yeomanry Cross Country Ride held at Badminton in Gloucestershire. A good turn out provided entertainment for all. Albert finished strongly, and would have placed well if the Commanding Officer had still been on top.

Captain RSI Derry LG was in hot pursuit on Arras, who the Commanding Officer had declined to ride not more than 20mins earlier. Captain DL Lip— man LG also put in an impressive round

caps with some of England’s finest packs, real Melton Pork Pies and the prospect ofa £1 pint in the White Lion, there really is no excuse not to visit with friend or foe - there is after all no rank on the hunting field.

Both WTT and HDSC remain incredi— bly grateful not only to the welcoming nature of the Leicestershire hunts and Masters, but also the generous and ever willing support of the Defence Animal Centre. Without the regular use of their facilities WTT could not exist.

Capt M P F Dot/at

It has been heard said that: ‘For those who do not understand the magic of hunting no explanation is possible, and for those who do, no explanation is necessary’. The spring contains some fan— tastic hunting for the newcomer and those experienced alike.

Introduction/refresher training can be organised if required, but generally all that is need is a sense of adventure, boots, breeches and some balls. The rest can be provided!

(WTT hot line 07717 300 109) RHG/D and FLCpl Ravenscroft LG for their tireless support and enthusiasm at these events, and the endless supply of team shirts.

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY AND HOUSEHOLD DIVISION SADDLE CLUB WINTER TRAINING TROOP STAFF AND HORSES 2003/4 Life Guards

The dry summer had firmly baked the ground and many intentional team Chas» es and Hunter trials had to be cancelled or forgone. However, with the Cavalry Blacks legs hardened from the long summer, 12 pairs and 4 individuals almost completed tidy clear rounds at the Quorn Hunt Supporters Hunter Tri—

Regrettably the ground remained too firm for much jumping before the cavalry element returned to London for Win— ter Ceremonial Duties throughout November. We returned to the DAC after the State Opening of Parliament and the horses quickly settled back into the routine. The extra work given to

als at Six Hills. Later a Team Chase team

them, through the officer rides and

won the Military sections at the Belvoir Hunt Countryside day at Garthrope and the Cotswold Team event at Andovers—

extended canter work in the park, cer— tainly proved an essential part of a trouble free return to the hunting field.

Tug-wwy-iigfl

l

Charisma Churchill Correlli RTU Dalwinnie

LCpl Douglas Trooper Smith Trooper Murphy

Trooper Grant The Blues and Royals Albert Arras Brickhanger Carman

Trooper Hawley Trooper Scholes Trooper Legg

ing competition held at the HCTW in Windsor. The event has grown in recent years and we have started to draw a large and diverse list of entries from across all three services. CoH Arkley marked his recent return from the Defence Animal Centre with victory on Wykham, winning the two main classes , ‘The Open

both human and equine. Sadly, only 4

re Am?" T, Tpr Hawh/ey HHS/D riding Osbourne 7 Tumpost Lane, Quorn.-

Bovington Constable Copenhagan Cottesmore William Zorro

Private Thompson RGBW Osbourne Trogan Saddle Club Horses Billie Ginger Ross

Household Division LSgt King CG Guardsman Plummet IG

Equitation Both horses and riders wintered well and we were soon ready for the busy ceremonial and competition season. The first fixture was the HCMR show jump-

Autumn hunting was available 6 days a week by kind invitation ofthe Masters of the Belvoir, Cottesmore and Quorn Hunts.

A pre—season course was run with intentions of educating CROW foxhunters and refreshing the old hands, Officers were able to attend. A night in Melton’s school of excellence was a sound foundation for the next day’s autumn hunting. On this occasion no extras were given to Captain JRG ReesDavies LG, the Adjutant, for his outra— geously late appearance on the yard.

offer, and with heavily subsidised hunt

Grand Prix’ and ‘The Open Accumulator’. W02 (EWO) Avison and CoH Hackman

won

two

further

classes

between them, with Tpr Killen tasting success in the novice jumping class. The competition proved to be ideal prepara— tion for the forthcoming military shows, and we once again went on to dominate all the major military shows. On a more personal note, I felt the Royal Tournament would be the ideal platform for me to show the young pups that there was still a little life left in the old dog yet.

All went well on the first day, and I secured victory in both my classes.

However, a small celebratory drink and a quick jig at the Melton School of Dancing ( a.k.a.Tubcs) left this old dog feeling

somewhat jaded and feeling its age. Day Two did not go according to plan. For— tunately, my misery was short—lived and I resumed normal business on the final day, winning the major class, ‘The Derby’. Captain D R Boyd RHG/D and SCpl Moore also put in strong performances as members of the winning Army Team in the show jumping and eventng legs of the Inter Services Competition (The Loriners Cup).

Sadly, we didn’t carry the momentum through the season and we failed to convert our early season form into major success at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment 48

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

49

The eventing season also started well with W02 Avison and Burgundy scoring a hat trick of wins at Tweseldown, Larkhill and Melton military pre-novice events. With my credibility restored I

EhE

arranged a voluntary Riding Staff day out, order to attend of course, to watch me compete at Badminton. My unfortunate and very public (5 million BBC

,” NSEHiO ,

viewers) dismount into the lake ensured they had plenty to talk about on the

return journey.

Thankfully, things

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looked up from then on and I went on to complete my most successful season to

date — I placed 5th in the British Open and placed in all the other International three-day events I competed in. I finished the season on a high, winning 2 sections at The Gatcombe Horses Trails, one of which was on HM The Queen’s horse Peter Pan. This left me placed 61st in the rider’s rankings and placed in the global rankings. W02 Weller is really coming on and, rather appropri-

ately, rode in his first 3 star 3-day event at Braham, the family seat of the Lane— Foxes. One more clear round at this level will qualify him for Badminton.

CoH Arkley also had two very good suc— cesses on Wykham, winning the Novice

2 day at Chepstow and the Military Novice at Gatcombe.

The Skill at Arms and Tent pegging

teams have had a very fruitful year and cleaned up at Aldershot, The Royal Tournament and The Royal Armouries.

W02 Avison and CoH Weston were so

successful that I dare not mention it for fear ofbeing upstaged in my own article!

Having conquered mainland Britain, we

set our sights on the USA. Two really gruelling trips within 6 weeks left me

thoroughly drained and begging for a break — it’s a hard life. The team con»

Wyn» ,,

'5 t.“

.

SCp/ {SQ/V18) We/ch in the Open Day Show/umping Final.

Adjutant, Capt MPF Dollar RHG/D, won the tent pegging having recovered from a rather pathetic fall the previous week that he claimed left him feeling like a dizzy blonde - nothing unusual there then.

Captain Haywood has again impressed the dressage judges, winning 3 elemen— tary classes and thus qualifying for the National Indoor Championships. He has also been placed in a number of other classes whilst riding two squadron chargers, Vengeful and Assagi.

We have continued to dabble in some of the more unusual disciplines: horse ball, one in hand chariot rides and stirrup tilting.

We were also privileged to receive a demonstration by Monty Roberts, undertake an exchange with the Irish Army Equestrian Team, and send three NCOs and an officer to the British Racing School — all armed with

aspirations to ride in the Grand Military Gold Cup 2004.

repair,

sharpening, requirements contact:

Without doubt CoH Hackman and Talavera, the Scots Dragoon Guards’ drum horse, secured our greatest triumph whilst performing at the Shire Horse Show.

Talavera bolted, with drums fitted, whilst being lead around in the parade of horses. CoH Hackman, determined not to let go, was dragged around the arena twice on his stomach before exiting the arena and continuing into the countryside.

He eventually returned to the Showground to find that he had been awarded the accolade of ‘Best Ploughing in Hand.’

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Northants, NN14 4BX Tel: 01832 737300 Fax: 01832 737303 www.dodsonand horrell.com

, GD. Golding Next season looks set to be a real stunner with NCOs set to ride in the Grand Military, riders at Badminton and Bramham, trips to America, and Captain Haywood riding at the Indoor Dressage Championships. Watch this space

sisted of Captain DL Lipman LG, W02 Avison, CoH Weston, Tpr’s Abbot, Pud— difoot, Turpie and Wharton. They won both the team competitions at Berrin Springs and Oklahoma and in the indi—

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vidual pegging CoH Weston, W02 (EWO) Avison and Captain DL Lipman LG came first, second and third respec-

tively.

service,

Unit 8,

CoH Weston’s successes caught

Lower Rectory Farm, Great Brickhill, Milton Keynes,

the selector’s eye and he was asked to represent Great Britain at the World Tent Pegging Games in South Africa,

Outstanding performances earned the team a fifth place and CoH Weston a gold medal with the accompanying title of ‘Half Section Pegging World Champion’!

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Summer Camp saw all the usual intersquadron and regimental competitions, climaxing with the Open Day. Tpr Smith 36 won the regimental show

jumping whilst The Blues and Royals dream team (Maior AD Dick RHG/D, Capt C Haywood RHG/D, SCpl Gaddes)

won the Silver Fox Hunt Scurry. The

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Capt HT Sturgis on Car/ysw’l/e alongside Li Alex Muirhead l<FiH

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

The Forge The Presentation of Standards and Guidon to The Household Cavalry

by Her Majesty The Queen on 21 May 2003

he Forge year started in earnest in

February with the Cavalry Pairs Shoeing Competition at Hyde Park Barracks. The competition was a particular success this year with, in addition to military farriers, more than 15 civilian farriers from across the country competing, including several ex—national team farri— ers and some old Regimental farriers.

FLCoH Gammage and FLCpl Dean put in particularly strong performances and won the military pairs class, but top honours on the day went to the civilian pair Sean Chatterton and Tony Wilson.

By Colonel HPD Massey, The Blues and Royals Standards and Guidons have evolved from the banners of knights of the Middle Ages. In those days a Standard or square banner was carried by a knight. A Guidon was an ensign or standard with a tail or point, now swallow-tailed and carried by a (knight) banneret. When a banneret was created a knight, the point of his Guidon was cut off, trans-

Soon after the Cavalry Pairs competition the Forge, boosted by SSgt Watson from the King’s Troop, sent both an apprentice and a senior team to the National shoeing competition at the National Agricultural

,4. , .‘\ CoH MacDonald at work in the Forge,

Centre, Stoneleigh in March. The Army senior team won the shoemaking class for the first time ever, beating the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish teams. With

scores of senior and apprentice teams aggregated, the Forge won a very creditable 4th place overall. Individually, W02 (FM) Newman and SSgt Watson secured equal first place in the shoe-making competition, beating the current world champion into third place.

Buoyed with success at Stoneleigh, the

competition.

During Open Day the Forge held its annual Apprentice Shoe— ing competition. The competition was hotly contested, with FLCpl Hamilton winning Best Apprentice, and FLCpl Roberts winning Most Improved Farrier.

Class 2 Farriery Course and received their Diploma from the Worshipful Company of Farriers, and FCoH Macdonald and FLCoH Ireton have passed their Class 1 and been raised to Associate status within the Worshipful Company.

After Regimental Training the Forge once again provided the bulk of an Army farriery team to compete in the Interna— tional at Stoneleigh. Competing against

There was plenty of change within the Department during 2003, with a new Regimental Veterinary Officer, Major MCE Morrison LG taking over from Major] H Holmes RHG/D, and FLCoH Knaggs and FLCpl Hayden joining at the start of the year. With regret the Forge said farewell to FCoH Carrel and FLCoH Conroy, who retired from the Army in the middle of the year. FLSgt Bennett RAVC also arrived in Knightsbridge in early 2003, to make up a threestrong RAVC contingent within the department.

senior team headed up to Ayrshire in

national teams from twelve different

April to compete in another tough shoe-

countries, the Army team put in a first class performance, and came fourth, beating the American team (which included the current World Champion), and national teams from Ireland, Canada, France and others. Individually, both W02 (FM) Newman and FLSgt Bennett came in the top 15 ofa 60-strong field.

ing competition. FCoH Macdonald did particularly well here, picking up third place in the Hunter shoeing class.

Both summer and autumn ceremonial seasons proved to be remarkably demanding for the Forge.

With the squadrons short of men, the Forge pro-

vided seven mounted farriers for a num— ber of the big parades, in addition to pro—

During the year FLCoH Darlington and FLCpl Roberts have both passed their

viding four for the Veterinary Aid Post.

The Standards and Guidon are the symbols of the spirit of both regiments of Household Cavalry for they bear the battle honours granted because of their gallantry since they were first awarded. (The very first was “Tangier” which was awarded to The Royals). These symbols are regarded with veneration and rightly so, not least because they are consecrated before being taken into use.

It is the practice for each of the two regiments to receive one Sovereign’s Standard and three Squadron (or Union) Stan— dards every 10 years. The first ceremonial presentation of Standards to the Household Cavalry was made by King George V in 1927. After the amalgamation (29 Mar 69) The Blues and Royals received their first Guidon from The Queen on 14 Jul 72 in Windsor Great Park (the day before B Sqn deployed to Londonderry on Op MOTORMAN). It has since been agreed that they receive a new Guidon every 30 years. 21 May 2003 was therefore a rare day and will not be repeated until 2033, although new Standards are likely to be presented next in 2013.

The secret of success of any project lies in the preparation.

This Parade is more than usually complicated because of its unique mix of ancient — horses - and (relatively) modern — CVR(T). Therefore the orders do not follow an obviously natural progression because those on parade carry different weapons, the sword and the SA 80. It was complicated even more because HCMR had to send their horses out to grass over the winter in order to take part in London District’s commitment to stand in for striking firemen. Their horses returned around St Patrick’s Day. The Commanding Officer

therefore had eight weeks to get the horses into condition again and, just as important, to get all ranks riding fit again.

HCR had been similarly tasked to take part in fire-fighting operations. Into the bargain they were preoccupied with supporting, as far as they could, D Squadron The Blues and Royals who had been deployed since February to Iraq. They were also preparing to go to Castlemartin in Pembrokeshire for Annual Firing immediately after the Parade. It therefore took a huge amount of planning, coordination and practice by the Second-in-Command, Major RRD Griffin LG, to bring A Squadron The Life Guards and C Squadron The Blues and Royals up to the required standard of vehicle cleanliness and individual drill.

During Regimental Training in August, the Forge demonstrated that it was a force to be reckoned with, not only in far—

riery, but in a number of other important disciplines. A well—oiled forge team extensively “redecorated” the Household

Division Stables team in the annual paint—balling shoot out, winning this

important contest for the third year in succession, and 2 HQ Squadron team,

consisting mostly of farriers, overwhelmed

The

Blues

and

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

forming it into a Standard.

Royals

Squadron to win the tug of war. The equitation skill of the Forge also came very much to the fore at camp with FLCoH Knaggs making up one half of

, We

i li

the winning pair in the Junior Handy Hunter, and FLSgt Bennett and LSgt

FLCoH Roberts and LSgt Roberts share a joke during Open Day

Roberts taking third place in the same

a! Bodhey Camp,

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

There were days of rehearsal beforehand: officers’ rides in Hyde Park to practice cutting with their swords, troop drills to practice the mounted squadrons riding in formation,

CVR(T) drills to drive past in formation and traverse in exact synchronisation, drills to practice the dismounted Drums, Standards and Guidon Party in their march-on and marchoff, drills to practice the Travelling Escort found by The Life

Colonel Massey, Officers, Warrant Officers, Non—Commissioned Officers and Troopers of the Household Cavalry.

This is always a special moment for me. It is the sixth time Ihave presented new standards to the Household Cavalry and I take great pride in the service you have given during the last fifiy years, as your predecessors have given to Sovereigns since the Restoration. This parade gives me the opportunity to express my gratitude to you and to congratulate you on the excellence oftoday’s ceremonial.

This occasion enables me to express my great admiration for the courage, professionalism and distinction ofall our servicemen and women engaged so successfully in the recent and continuing operations in Iraq. We as a nation are intensely proud of our armed forces and never more so than in recent weeks. Today, at this parade, I mention especially those ofD Squadron, The Blues and Royals, some of whom have very recently returned from Iraq and are with us today. I also express again my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives. Their memory will never be forgotten.

The Household Cavalry’s deployment in Iraq follows a whole range of operational commitments in recent years. Squadrons and individuals from both Regiments have served at the forefront ofthe Army‘s involvement in Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia, as well as Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. These operations are the latest in the long histories of your regiments, represented by the battle honours won by your predecessors, and emblazoned on your Standards and Guidon which Ipresent today, These recent commitments and past battle honours remind us all of your prowess as fighting soldiers, but you are also known the world over for your ceremonial duties. Ten years ago I expressed my wish that my two Regiments of Household Cavalry should maintain their traditional and separate identities. I am pleased to see that you have managed to do this despite the difficulties this has posed.

I have no doubt that the future will present you and your successors with new Challenges to test your courage and determination. I know too that you will be equal to them. As your Colonel-in~Chief I commend these new Standards and Guidon to your safe-keeping as an inspiration to all ofyou in the service ofour country.

a

.

Guards. These came together on the rehearsals: khaki followed by Commander Household Cavalry’s (very wet — warm though, because we were cloaked), followed by the Colonels’ taken by the Colonel The Life Guards.

The great day arrived and we were all blessed with a dry if overcast day. We were all hugely grateful to all those who came to support us by watching; grateful, too, for the help and kind advice we received from so many in Headquarters London District and especially to the Commanding Officer and all ranks of lst Battalion Scots Guards for putting up with an invasion from HCR in Wellington Barracks.

Above all, it was a day of pride to share for all members ofthe Household Cavalry past and present to receive our new Standards and Guidon from our Sovereign, and to hear Her Address which is repro— duced above.

Household Cavalry

The Presentation of Standards and Guidon Parade, 21 May 2003

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Household Cavalry 56

Household Cavalry

57

The Household Cavalry Museum Development Project

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2004

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You have all been written to by the Chairman of the Appeal and many of

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2002

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Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dechan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecEJan Feb Ma' A0: May Jun Jul Aug Sep 0c. No» DeelJan Feb Sim openfions H mm. rm 1 "mm (onunm

___..--.___________._—.——-——. sartopenlm

The Household Cavalry Museum Development Projec1 Programme

Email: appealo} hcav.fsnet.co.uk

___-..2.._’_-_.._..____-___---_-____-_-—___.——-———————-—-—-—-——-————————. l’almll'uhkaenl-M (Data In he agreed)

Tel: 01753-755194 Fax: 01753—755203

HLFIW A m wail-act

In the meantime we have submitted our planning proposals both to the West— minster City Council for Horse Guards and to the Windsor and Maidenhead Council for the Combermere Barracks museum’s refurbishment.

We have

Entrance/Exit

,A__..________.

museum at Horse Guards being open for business at the end of 2005.

Axonornelrlc view or the general arrangement of space

The Appeal Office Household Cavalry Museum Combermere Barracks, Windsor Berkshire SL4 3DN

GMPIaame 9W

and fit out which would lead to the new

You can find out further details regarding ordering a bronze or silver Drum Horse and any other information regarding the Museum development project and Appeal by contacting:

In the meantime our Appeal continues throughout 2004. At the time of writing we have raised (including Lottery fund« ing) £3,149,000 towards an estimated total project cost of £4,183,000 and so you will see that we are three quarters of the way to reaching our target. We will now be individually targeting a host of Grant Making Trusts throughout the year focusing on those with a specific interest in access, education or conserva— tion. We have made approaches to City Livery Companies and companies in the defence sector and we are continually involved in campaigns to attract certain individual potential major donors to the project.

.4 1

move into detailed design and appoint the main build contractor. This phase will take six months during which time during all procurement and supply chains will be established, all detailed drawings completed and guaranteed maximum prices will be fixed. Follow» ing final Lottery authorization of these prices we would let the contract for build in November 2004.

We have allowed 12 months for site operations

119.

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Stage 2 award from the Lottery we will

Gallery 2

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As soon as we receive confirmation of a

Finally your attention is drawn to one last fundraising initiative which is the Mark Coreth Drum Horse. Full details ofthis opportunity can be found on page

HLF sum: 2 Pull .. may Wlmmu plannlna pemhllona

March 2004.

you have been generous with your responses. There is no doubt that the project will definitely go ahead but we still require the outstanding funding to reach our Appeal target. Every donation of whatever size will help get us there and we sincerely hope that those of you who have yet to donate will now consider supporting the project.

_. smumsuozy momma

Stage 2 bid that was duly delivered to the Lottery in September 2003. At the time of writing the Lottery were still assessing the detailed project bid and were due to announce their final award by the end of

recently commissioned the archaeological department of the British Museum to conduct a desk top survey of the impact of our proposals upon archaeo— logical deposits at Horse Guards which has included drilling holes through the building’s foundations and taking soil samples. We keep our fingers crossed that no human remains are found below (apparently a fairly regular occurrence in these parts of Whitehall) as this will inevitably bring the project to a halt whilst a host of interested parties conduct their own further investigations into the skeletal evidence.

-~—e—w~«--—-—--—-—~———-———-——-——-——--—--——--—-——-——————-——-———-. Htrsumrzss

You may recall from last year’s journal notes that in September 2002 the Museum development project received a Stage 1 pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund following its bid for £2 million funding towards the new museum. This allowed the project team to work up their

The new Household Cavalry Museum, Horse Guards

16th October :00:

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Household Cavalry News B Squadron at BATUS 2003

by Lieutenant R 3' Moger, The Blues and Royals y personal preparation for what was then the imminent deployment ofB

Squadron to BATUS at the end of August 2003 was based largely on the optimistic

outlook of others who advised me that “You will enjoy BATUS; it’s either hot or miserably cold in which case you will probably get frostbite. It is also quite a big place which should present you with plenty of opportunities to get lost.” Taking such advice on board, I diligently packed both my prismatic and Silva compasses and also more importantly, several hundred batteries for my personal GPS

system. My collection of warm kit was also rather impressive, although I do feel now upon reflection that the inclusion of two army jumpers, two norwegian shirts, a softie jacket, two sets of thermal under»

wear, a padded waist coat and a rather fetching green scarf was perhaps a little over zealous. Nevertheless I was determined not to deploy under prepared for what would be the main component of B Squadron’s training year as part of 1 (UK) Mechanised Brigade.

Our arrival at Camp Crowfoot slightly preceded that of our vehicles which were still slowly making their way by rail from the Canadian sea port in Montreal to which they had been delivered. This came as no surprise, however what was noticeable was the temperature. Having anticipated falling temperatures as a precursor to the seasonal cold weather that we had anticipated, the weather was posi— tively hot and dry. It was a state that

would persist for the remainder of August and nearly the whole of September, need— less to say much to the delight of every— one. Once the vehicles did arrive, they were worked on relentlessly by both the vehicle crews and also the Light Aid Detachment to ensure that they were ready in time for the exercises that were

soon to follow. Initially individual troops were allowed to conduct their own train— ing which was then incorporated into a

period of squadron level exercises. The major hindrance however was a severe

restriction on the allocation of track mileage, apparently due to an overall shortage resulting from the second Gulf War. Happily however, this limitation seemed to be forgotten by October by which time the squadron was participating in the Brigade exercises.

templates meant that during our initial training, we were shepherded from one zone to another as we dutifully avoided the zones in which live fire was taking place. Two memories that stick in my mind from the first phase on the prairie were the day of the swarming red ants, and also the creation of a rather large prairie fire that may or may not have been our fault. The red ants we discovered one afternoon were typically unpleasant and strangely, seemed completely uninterested in either drivers or gunners but instead focussed all of their stinging attacks on vehicle commanders. Had my own vehi-

Overall the squadron was fortunate not to suffer any severe injuries; nonetheless there were some spectacular incidents.

On one night alone, two scimitars from One Troop drove front first into deep

ditches that had become filled with tumbleweeds and were impossible to both see and stop in time. In another incident,

cle not been engulfed with clouds of the

Lieutenant A. Galloway LG also found himselfin the same predicament but was able to helpfully report on the radio that he was “vertical, unstable and slipping.”

Some timely advice from CoH Reason RHG/D assisted on this occasion.

Inevitably injuries were incurred nonetheless, but none were perhaps so apparently amusing for the mere specta— tor as the suspected spider bite that led to the growth of what the squadron leader sensitively termed a ‘second nose’ on top of the original one belonging to Lieu— tenant R] Moger RHG/D. Returning back to camp at the end ofthis phase, the squadron then enjoyed some time away from the prairie. For the majority of the squadron this was realised in the form of several adventure training expeditions which included themes such as horse rid— ing, parachuting and water related activi— ties. Preceding these activities however was a squadron trip to spend a few days (and nights) in Calgary which provided a

The widespread spates of prairie fires were in themselves dramatic and con— sumed huge swathes of open grassland, transforming them into crunchy black« ened moonscapes. Though a good back— ground against which to camouflage vehi— cles at night, the dust that was thrown up by vehicles moving across these areas was visible from considerable distances and even worse to inhale. The rules advocat» ed that units should attempt to initially tackle any fires that they came across, or indeed possibly have caused themselves, before reporting to higher if they grew out of control.

Having formed into a squadron leaguer early one evening, it was noted that a large red glow on the horizon seemed to be emanating from an area that we had previously been using. A small number of vehicles were sent to investi— gate at first, which was then reinforced by many more as it was realised that quite a big blaze had now begun. Memories of

Op FRESCO came to mind, though on that occasion we had hoses delivering water. This time, the flames were to be

battled with implements that resembled was supposed to ‘brush’ out the fires.

Needless to say that in this case the fire

i

An impressive array of moustaches. Crew Commanders attending an

LCoi-i Close and Tpr

after act/on review.

little pests, I probably would have found the scene rather amusing as controlled cross country ‘movement with one foot on the ground’ quickly became just ‘move— ment’ as individual vehicles attempted to out-run the winged marauders, despite regularly reporting that they had ‘gone firm’. Indeed, so mean were the ants, that I light-heartedly speculated whether it was these that had scared away all of the mosquitoes since I failed to spot a single specimen of the latter throughout the entire exercise.

over—sized fly swatters, with which one Though BATUS is spectacularly vast, the zoning of the training area into a series of

won and the valiant fire fighters were forced to withdraw, returning back to the squadron just in time to accompany it as it moved elsewhere, reporting of course that it had seen a large fire, the cause of which was unknown.

some fast—air controls and also for the squadron to demonstrate its proficiency in requesting artillery support. Such was the shift in emphasis, that the squadron leaders’ warnings about not engaging would— be T808 with our ‘tin cans and pop guns’ seemed like historical rhetoric by the time that the squadron net started to become littered with isolated sighting and contact reports. It was during this period that CoH Irwin LG became self-conscious of the fact that others seemed to think that he enjoyed speaking on the net rather too much. To the immense disappointment of his listeners, he therefore announced that future broadcasting by ‘Radio Irwin’ would be severely restricted. However fans were not to be upset for long and sev— eral minutes later it was evidently busi— ness as usual as the airways were once again awash with some good information being reported by callsign 21.

Strict radio silence was something that became increasingly important as the

Suffield to begin the larger—scale exercises that would culminate our participation of Exercise IRON ANVIL itself.

from a network of highly effective and very well concealed observation posts, to a far more proactive effort to actively go out to find and fix it. This change in outlook gave the FAC team the chance to practice

OPFOR as it established its defences for the final action of the exercise. Essentially the plan was for the infantry and heavy armoured elements of the Brigade to attack this position and to bring about the enemy’s final destruction.

Having worked very hard for the foregoing two

days to provide the accurate and timely information that the Brigade Commander required to develop his plan, it was rather amusing to learn that after the brigade’s challengers had engaged the position, the armoured infantry units arrived too late to find any living enemy. One company did however locate the bivi—shelter of Lieutenant T] Armitage LG who had been ‘tes—killed’ earlier in the evening; by tripping its guy ropes. The fact that they had apparently not seen the striker to which it was attached was perhaps a little concerning.

Overall B Squadron gave a very good account of itself at BATUS. Having never received a mention in the earlier afteraction—reviews, the information that the squadron provided began to draw both the attention and praise that it thoroughly deserved as a result of some very hard work throughout the squadron.

By Major] R Wheeler, The Life Guards Aseries of splashes and irregular ripples was a sure indication that there

was life beneath the surface of the manmade lake that surrounds one ofSaddam

Hussein’s palaces on the outskirts of Unless unfortunate enough to suffer a tamper kill or be shot by elements of the enemy recce units, the forward nature of our role meant that we saw little of the rest of the brigade during many of the exercise battles. Interestingly the focus of our work seemed to shift very apparently during the brigade exercises from initial— ly providing information on the enemy

exercise drew towards its climax and hav— ing been warned to obey this rule at all costs, the final phase had many waiting to see who would contravene this directive first. As the suspension mounted, it was finally Lieutenant NPG van Cutsem LG who broke the deadlock. Having been engaged on another mission during squadron orders, he tried repeatedly to raise a reply on the net, though discipline was again well maintained until an exasperated c/s 40 announced that he knew SHQ could hear him and could he have the grid of the rendezvous point. Eventually his calls were answered and he was able to join in as the squadron developed a very good overall picture for the Brigade on the locations and dispositions of the

Time to Fly in Baghdad ’The Most Dangerous City in the World’

welcome break from the standard of nightlife offered by Medicine Hat. Nonetheless, it was soon time to return to

y enjoy the fine weather CoH Irwin '3 crew depart the Leaguer

Baghdad. Another restless night in ‘the most dangerous city in the world’ had led me to sit outside my lakeside billet, a stripped out luxury chalet used by Sad« dam to host his most loyal henchmen, and ponder. I had been in Iraq for about a month working with the US 5th Corp under General Sanchez. I was starting to get used to the temperatures that often soared into the 150s and the regu-

lar explosions from mortars, and the occasional rocket, that Former Regime Loyalists kept lobbing into the camp. I was also starting to understand the chal-

lenges that the Coalition Forces are fac— ing in Iraq. On an operational tour it is so important to take your mind off the problems of the conflict and I was now looking for a way of breaking up the relentless US ‘battle rhythm’ in Bagh— dad. The prospect of catching fish in these lakes and tributaries of the Tigras was very exciting.

lodged itself in his calf. He, like others, now think twice about hanging around for ‘seconds’ and the cooks are delighted as it cuts down on the amount of food they have to produce and has increased the through»flow!], The sweet corn ground bait was very successful tempting what looked like bass and catfish to the surface.

The next day I used my ration of sweet corn from the cookhouse as ground bait to further investigate the fishing poten— tial. [Incidentally, a rather large US sol— dier was recently tucking in to his sec— ond round of burger and chips in the ‘chow hall’ when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. A bullet had come through the side of the prefabricated building and

Many soldiers pack telescopic rods in their rucksack before deploying on oper— ations or military exercises but it is unusual when rationalizing kit to go to Iraq to include a fishing rod on the packing list.

However, my Sergeant Major, an amateur competition fisherman, did pack some fly tackle and by word of mouth we eventually found a

Household Cavalry News Household Cavalry News

US Infantryman with a rod.

My first Music from Britain, Belgium and India was played (sometimes all at once) in commemoration of the soldiers who played a role in the battle of Ypres. The distinctive sound ofbagpipes is not normally a surprise to a military musician,

excursion was late one evening. I used a size 10 mayfly with foil wrapped around

the base. We used a 5 lb leader with a floating line. With a small amount of ambient light and a torch beam tracking the glistening fly we had quite a lot of interest not only from the fish but also from the numerous American soldiers on their way to bed, wondering quite what these mad Englishman were doing.

but the sight of Indian soldiers playing in full ceremonial dress raised a few eyebrows among the bandsmen.

We had 2 firm bites from catfish that night which was an encouraging sign of things to come. As it turned out the most productive time to fish seemed to be early in the evening when the fish were biting almost as much as the mos— quitoes. The bass visibly patrol the bank of the lake in search of hatching flies. To date we have been catching bass at a rate of about one every 30 minutes.

The catfish still elude us.

Despite my continued success with the fly it was only recently that someone reminded me that the splashes and rip-

ples I had thought to be fish in the lake late at night had actually been falling AK47 shot from excited Iraqis in the centre of Baghdad.

Stories abound as to some of Saddam’s sporting activities within the confines of the large palace and its grounds. Some of the grounds men, who have returned to work at the palace, tell stories of flighting caged duck at the side of the lakes and bear, lion and man hunts with-

in the perimeter walls.

Wherever our absent host, Saddam, may be his few remaining Former Region Loyalist are getting far more sport than

The author (left) and Guhher Ph’ce, 4O Regt RA.

the Coalition. They take every opportunity to take pot shots at the Coalition and any other person who is intent on rebuilding the Country. But despite los— ing on average one soldier a week from about 70 attacks the Americans are determined to succeed. They are still very upbeat and are making a visible difference here. There is no doubt that Iraq is clambering to its feet with the help of the US led coalition of some 21 countries.

The British, who are looking after Southern Iraq, including the second capital Basra, face slightly different challenges to the Forces in Baghdad.

Whilst the security situation appears to

be more stable, organised crime, includ— ing smuggling and piracy on the water-

ways of the South threatens our mission and has strategic consequences if it is allowed to continue unchecked. Much of the crime takes place along the Shat Al Arab waterway which flows into the Gulf. I hope to take my rod South over the next few weeks.

While I am pleased that the bass in Sad— dam’s lakes are not as elusive as he is, the sooner we find this tyrant the sooner we can provide a durable peace for a unified and stable, democratic Iraq. It is only then that we can go home. In the meantime I will have to just take pleasure in stealing some time to catch his fish.

The Household Cavalry Quintet played music at the following day’s Remembrance Service, held in the same church.

This included a very dramatic Last Post from the organ loft played by all four trumpeters. After the service a parade around Zandevoorde was undertaken to the sound ofthe brass quintet. Wreathes were laid at each of the town’s cemeteries and at the Household Cavalry memorial, where a contingent from Germany laid their own wreath. A speech given (in English) by the author at the entrance to the memorial was very well received by his Belgian speaking audience.

Following the Service the Household Cavalry contingent were given a superb lunch and an excellent tour of the local battlefields by the town’s Culture Officer, Mr Franky Bostyn. His overwhelming enthusiasm for his subject eventual— ly led us to the Menin Gate at which the author, still in uniform, and CoH D Robson RHG/D were mistaken for a wreath laying party. Conscious ofa cap— tive audience of some 1500 our “emergency” wreath was deployed and some frantic drill practise was conducted out of view. It was with a great sigh of relief that the successful laying of the wreath was completed.

Blues and Royals Trumpeters a! the memorial.

The chance to take part in the Zandevo— orde Memorial Service was a great priv— ilege and our contingent was extremely well looked after by the Zandevoorde Culture Department. The Household Cavalry Memorial is very well kept. It is an unique part of the Regiment’s history and should not be passed by any House— hold Cavalryman travelling through Flanders.

The discovery of the willow sapling now growing in Combermere Barracks was very well received by the Zandevoorde Culture Department who are planning to have a cutting taken and returned to Zandevoorde. The return trip will offer

a great opportunity for the Regiment and there are already thirteen willing volunteers.

The Household Cavalry Contingent consisted of: Captain M S P Berry Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) S Sibley CoH Robson LCoH Marsh, SCpl (TM) Gough CoH Thomas LCoH Jones LCoH Sparks LCpl Bishop LCpl King LCpl Tulip LCpl Screen Musn Martin

Exercise GAULISH

By Lieutenant T W C Edwards, The Life Guards

Remembrance Day at Zandevoorde

By Captain M S P Berry, The Life Guards andevoorde is an unassuming village of seven hundred tucked away in Flanders. Amidst the many famous and huge war cemeteries of Flanders the

pieces which eventually opened the attack.

The Household Cavalry Squadron was forced to conduct a with— drawal as the Germans overran the

casual visitor could be forgiven for miss ing it offa tour of battlefields. However,

ridge. The message to withdraw did not

for the Household Cavalry Regiment,

reach the right flank Squadrons of lst and 2nd Life Guards and the Machine

this village was the scene of a dramatic

Gun Section of The Blues.

action in the face of overwhelming Ger»

Grosvenor commanded this machine gun post. Realising too late that the remainder of the force had withdrawn, Lt Grosvenor manned his machine gun single handedly as the Germans overran the post, thereby allowing the remainder of his soldiers to withdraw to safety.

man force on 30 October 1914.

The Zandevoorde ridge featured as an important piece of ground in the minds

of both German and British commanders. A force of lst and 2nd Life Guards

Lt Hugh

and The Blues held the ridge for several

days while watching the Germans amass a huge force in preparation for an assault. This included 260 artillery

lst and 2nd Life Guards and The Blues lost a total of 15 officers and 277 men in the action but the Germans were pre-

vented from advancing beyond Zande-

voorde.

Later in the war an officer

returned to Zandevoorde ridge where the only thing living on the ridge was a willow sapling. A cutting was taken from this sapling and now flourishes in Combermere Barracks. In 1924 Field Marshall Haig opened a Household Cav— alry Memorial that stands today.

Squadron were fortunate enough to send a party of twenty across the water to Le Premier Regiment de Spahis for what was the second half of the 2003 French exchange, the French already having spent two weeks at Windsor.

Unfortunately, the trip started inglori— ously when the coach broke down near Reims. After a drawn—out recovery, the party arrived somewhat blearyeeyed in Valence, only to be told that they were

deploying to the Cote d’Azur some two hours later.

The Household Cavalry were invited to attend the Remembrance Day service in Zandevoorde this year.

The author attended with a party of 13 Household Cavalrymen, including a brass quintet of the band of The Blues and Royals.

The celebrations began with a concert in the town church on the 10 November.

On arrival in Hyeres the Squadron were picked up by landing craft and taken to La Foudre (the second largest vessel in the French Navy) under cover of darkness. After a wake-up call from the antiaircraft cannon test firing, we were priv— ileged enough to witness the firing of her Mistral surface to air missiles. A

meeting with some young cadets from the French Naval Academy preceded some instruction in the handling of the Famas (the French rifle). The afternoon was spent observing Premier Escadron practising her landing drills.

The Mounted Exercise sadly only created six vacancies in the loaders’ seats, and as such twelve members of the group, including the author, benefited from the spacious surrounding of the AMX lORC. This proved to be an enlightening experience for all concerned, excepting one boulanger, who found his shop full of black smoke, when one of the vehicles was obliged to stop in the middle of Pierrefeu. Those not involved had a day visiting Toulon with the French Press Officer, before both parties were reunited at the Chateau de la Pas— calette. Having been informed that we

were deploying to the field, A Squadron were preparing to combat the wintry climate of the Cote d’Azur, only to be told that accommodation was being provided for us by a certain Monsieur Claude Jacques. Our host was particularly kind, and the following evening he laid on an exceptional drinks party: a short presen» tation of gifts was followed by an extended Anglo—French relation building session, where LCpl Wyard compared notes with his twin over the excel— lent house rose!

Sore heads were nursed all the way to Frejus the following morning, and lunch was gratefully received at the barracks of 21 RIMA (an elite French Marine Bat— talion). The range package was conducted in the afternoon, with WOZ Stephenson again distinguishing him— self as the most accomplished shot in the

Household Cavalry News 62

Household Cavalry News

63

squadron. An interesting and informa— tive afternoon, the Famas was found to be, both light and accurate, as well as adaptable for 1eft«handersl The squadron were complimented on their high level of competence with an unfamiliar weapon, however certain individ— uals including the author were identified as being unlikely to contest any potential sniper vacancies.

The contingent was happy to return to Valence, because time was given to go shopping, to the cinema and to carry out some personal administration during the Sunday afternoon. The week started the following morning with a bracing jog around Valence, before an interest— ing presentation by Lt Charrue on the structure of the French Army. A tour of the barracks illustrated the extent of the excellent facilities on site in Valence, and a visit to the Regimental Museum revealed that the Spahis once paraded on Horse Guards at the end of World War II! Half a morning was dedicated to the weapons, vehicles and sighting systems, which are in current service in France, and this was to prove extremely interest— ing. Despite the obvious language barrier, both Household Cavalrymen and

Spahis learnt during the course of the two weeks how to make themselves understood; skills which will soon be put to good use with both Squadrons shortly embarking on operational tours.

The French had taken defeat at the hands of the English National team

Section Commander and involved OPs, CTRs and Ambushes. My section consisted of 6 diggers (troopers to me and you) and 3 LCpls, one ofwhom had just come off selection for the Australian

SAS but failed due to injury and 2 who tried last year. They were hugely keen

and those made my life easier. My section was picked to do the longest patrol with an overnight OP and then an ambush, followed by a 5 km tab back to the RV. We were the only ones to finish

in time. Then it was a week in camp get-

..

_ 7

. . "~ ::>"r'~ ' 55‘- ‘ i A San aboard La Foudre museum especially for our visit. After an rather badly, and so were eager to interesting account ofthe action, we were redress the balance of power. A rugby lucky enough to examine some of the match had been arranged in the local extensive memorabilia in the museum. stadium, against the regimental team.

Fortunately, the grudge match was can Le Premier Regiment de Spahis were celled due to a deluge of epic proporwonderful hosts to the Regiment tions. Slightly less fortunate, was the decision to play a game of ‘touch and throughout, and our thanks go to Prehold’ seven—a—side rugby in the gym. mier Escadron Leader for organising The match was fiercely contested with such an enterprising visit.

The the home side running out winners by Squadron was given a fantastic send-off three tries to two. The Squadron having in the Warrant Officers and NCOs Mess, preserved her honour, the participants with mementoes of the exchange being then gathered to conduct a post—match given to all ofthe Seniors. A highly sucanalysis over a few drinks. cessful trip, many relationships were forged during the two weeks, and the The final day was spent visiting the Squadron was fortunate enough to witMaquis museum at Vercours-Vassieux in ness first hand the professional attitude the mountains above Grenoble.

The displayed by our counterparts in French caretaker, who was the son of one of the Formation Reconnaissance. We wish leading resistance fighters from the vilPremier Escadron well on their forthlage, was extremely kind in opening the coming tour of Chad. '

. . "

ting ready for the next step, which was for the section to integrate with the sabre troops. We were to carry out all the OPS and CTRs plus any defile drills for the troop leader we were working with at the time. This is because there are only 24 recon scouts in the Regiment who conduct the majority of the dismounted work, we therefore had to work with each sqn for 4 days with a day off in between. This was all blank firing, but then next time we did the exercise it was “live” with covering fire from 20mins and .50 Cals.

The author with guards:

they would lose the world cup to us!

“There still crying now”.

When we returned it was straight into the last bit of build—up training. This was firing camp and also the first time their health and safety regulations stopped me from commanding their Vehicles. They did however let me fire the GPMG from the ASLAV. All this build-up was for the last exercise of the year, the Keldi Cup was the regimental exercise and ran into their div exercise against the USMC. This was when I said goodbye to the recon scouts and moved to 3 Tp C Sqn. I became the tp Sgt’s gunner for my last 4 weeks. During this time fired the 20mm cannon including a 38km battle run which

After the exercise, the Division was given 2 weeks off. I spent this with my family leaning to surf and sight seeing, I even managed to see the Crocodile hunter. This meant that I finally man— aged to go swimming, you can’t swim in the sea in Darwin because of all of the crocodiles and box jellyfish. I also drove up to the west coast with some of my section, and stayed at some oftheir family houses. I also experienced their love for rugby firsthand, who was to know

included the use of dismounted scouts for clearing defiles and bunkers. This had to be the highlight of the exercise.

After the Keldi Cup it was a weekend of fishing and admin before flying back to Darwin and bidding farewell to 2 Cav Regt. I spent 2 days handing kit in, then it was of to a mates for some snowboard— ing before departing for Sydney for a quick look and then onto England.

This was an amazing experience which I thoroughly enjoyed and even though I was a “Whinging Pom” I was welcomed into 2 Cav Regt as one of their own.

Their hospitality is superb and l have made a number of very good friends. I would recommend Ex LONG LOOK to

anyone.

Peacekeeping in the Horn of Africa Exercise LONG LOOK 2003 LCoH Fitzgerald, The Life Guards was lucky enough to be chosen to visit Australia last year as part of Exercise LONG LOOK; however the trip did not

start auspiciously with the usual compulsory 24hrs at Brize Norton, and another 3 hours of briefing. I finally left for Heathrow to catch the Singapore Airline flight to Australia, with a 40 minutes stopover at Singapore to break up the 22-hour journey. When I eventu— ally got to Sydney I immediately felt at home, there was a huge rainstorm! The baggage was soon reclaimed and I met the reception party and who put me into to the group visiting Darwin. It was then back onto a C130 for another flight, this time only 6 hours! On arrival in Darwin I was met by the duty driver of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Recon), which was to be my new home. I was

ne chilly day in late December 2003 I clumped into the Adjutant’s office

After a quick welcome beer I was told to

get much colder and some form of warm clothing will be required”. I was also briefed on my new Regiment; 2 Cav Regt are the main recce regiment for the Australian Defence Force and is broken down into 4 squadrons A,B,C,SP and RHQ Tp. Each sqn is further divide into 5 troops, 3 sabre troops, SHQ and admin (RAEME, RAOC.) Each sabre troop has 6 ASLAV (Australian Light

be at work at 0730, for a brief on the next 4 months and Darwin itself. I was $0011

Armoured Vehicle) and there are cur— rently 6 ASLAV variants in service with

told that “ as you will find out Australia can be a land ofextremes. You will be in country during the winter, although in Darwin it will be the “Dry Season”, and will be far from cold, as you know it.

Daytime temperatures are generally steady around the 32 — 33 Deg Cel dropping to 24 — 25 at night. Southern states

2 Cav.

deposited at the Guard Room to meet my new troop Sgt, who was a monster of a man called Glenn Armstrong, he was 6ft plus and about 4ft wide and had served 20 years with the unit and still as keen as they come. My troop was the Recon Scouts, who are like our support troop but with army divers (2 per section).

by Captain PG Leavey, The Life Guards

My first week involved small arms train— ing, getting qualified on the section weapons and using the 84mm Karl Gustafso that I could command an anti« tank ambush. I then deployed on a two week dismounted exercise where I was a

dition organised by Major General Eve» lyn Webb Carter.

in Knightsbridge to dismount Queen’s Life Guard. The Adjutant looked at me suspiciously. This made me nervous. I tried to hide a rather tatty pair of cotton whites behind my back. The Adjutant then asked me: ‘What are you doing over New Year?’ This made me very nervous. The Adjutant then smiled.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I dropped my whip. While I tried to pick it up - without showing that my top

cloak button was plugged - he told me that Brigadier James Ellery was offering up a place on a three week holiday in Ethiopia at very short notice. He had been forced to drop out as a result of potential upheavals in Sierra Leone. A week later I found myself riding a 12

hand mule across the Abyssinian Highlands as part ofa hugely enjoyable expe-

This enormous stroke of luck was fol— lowed by a second one about 6 months later. By now my extraordinary equestri— an ability had finally been recognised and I was attempting to run the Household Cavalry Musical Ride. I was summoned to the Commanding Officer’s office. I decided that there was no way he could have heard about the incident with Tpr Blevins on the Big Wheel at the Bath 8: West show. I could not think ofanywhere to hide as I knew that Captain SA Instone LG had reserved the space under his bed for the afternoon. I went.

Two weeks later I found myself in Asmara as the ADC to Major General Robert Gordon CBE who is the Commander of the military force element of the United

Nations Mission to Eritrea and Ethiopia.

I had hoped that my posting arose by virtue of a recommendation from General Evelyn or perhaps my new-found experience of the Horn of Africa. However, Captain Instone said he had heard rumours that the Commanding Officer just wanted me as far away from Knights» bridge as possible.

In 1952 Eritrea was federated to Ethiopia, then ruled by the Emperor Haile Selassie.

Its subsequent annexation as a mere province of Ethiopia sparked a 30-year independence struggle with little support or even interest from the outside world.

However, only 7 years after its successful conclusion a border war erupted. This ended under UN auspices in June 2000.

An international force of 4,500 soldiers now patrol the disputed area. The Genes a1 commands this from his two headquar-

Household Cavalry News

64

Household Cavalry News

65

ters in Asmara and Addis Ababa. I make his coffee. Occasionally I am allowed to

The Household Cavalry and Hyde Park Barracks

use the photocopying machine, but the UN paperwork trail which must precede

By Capt R S I Derry, The Life Guards

this often makes it unfeasible. I spend the majority of my time in Eritrea, with occa— sional trips to Addis Ababa and, roughly once a month, visit Kenya for the Military Coordination Committee meetings.

ydc Park Barracks has been the

The General, late of the Queen’s Royal

Lancers, was previously GOC 2 Division, based in Edinburgh. Asmara is a capital city too, but that is where the similarity ends. It is a beautiful if dilapidated mixture of African, Italian Fascist

and Art Deco architecture left behind by Mussolini’s colonial administrators. Big arabic covered markets sell grain and Discussing the loca/ demin/ng project.

rice, piled up beautifully in great cone shapes. It has occasional power cuts, fuel and water shortages. One evening last week I returned to my apartment block

to find it full of sheep and goats. I was kept up all night by their plaintive bleating. They were slaughtered the next day for a public holiday. There is a year— round temperature similar to a pleasant English summer. The population is uni— formly friendly and many speak excellent English.

The UN is an extraordinary mixture of different nationalities, all with varying degrees of interest in the job in hand.

The Carabinierie live in the 5 star hotel where they lounge around chatting up the Lufthansa airhostesses. The Finns are terribly serious. All the mapping is by done a team of 4 Australians, despite the fact that for 3 of them it is the first time that they have ever left their own country. The demining teams are domi— nated by South Africans. Most impressive, I believe, are the Indians. The current battalion stationed here were sent on this UN tour because they performed so successfully in Kashmir. With a beau— tiful irony, their liason officer to the HQ is from Pakistan. They seem to get on very well.

gun fire. Nobody seems to have any idea why the attack occurred. A number of locals were killed last month by freshly planted mines.

The Ethiopian army

decided to hold a football match in the middle of disputed border area and threatened UN troops who told them to move back into their country.

I have met some extraordinary people out here. Two pretty Dutch girls who teach art to juvenile delinquents in a nunnery while reminiscing wistfully about dance music and recreational drugs. Earnest VSO-types who teach English for

US$100 a month and quite evidently are here to escape major emotional problems back in UK. A UNICEF employee who is half English, half Indian, born in South Africa and brought up in Belfast with a double Cambridge Blue. Two mad Swiss people who travelled to South Africa to get a cheap private pilot’s licence, bought a tiny plane the day they passed their exam and are flying back home to Zurich. They have no back up communications equipment and bits keep falling off the plane. In his words: “Ve know so lie—tle avout fly—in zat ve are never shure if ze bitz are impoor—tant or

not.

Ho! Ho! Ho!”

His girlfriend

seemed less amused by this.

In equine terms the Eritrean President would never use a snaffle where a Port Mouth Reversible Bit (PMR) with curb chain would do. There is no privately owned press. Conscription seems to be run on similar lines to the British Navy’s recruitment policy at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Exit visas are very dif— ficult to get hold of. There are anti—aircraft missiles at the end of the airport.

90% of women are circumcised. The Eritrean government has not trained any doctors for the last 5 years. Even if they start tomorrow there will be a twelve year

gap. Recently two aid workers in the north were ambushed and killed. 3 RPGs were fired at the vehicle, which, after it came to a halt, was sprayed with machine

Three weeks ago the General visited another Italianate town in the north, called Keren. We drove through a countryside dotted with relics of the Italian Empire, including an enormous, very run-down Palazzo. We were in Keren to see a feeding centre for malnourished children. 2 year olds were the same weight as me when I was born. They were being fed through their noses.

Everyone seemed bizarrely cheerful.

They were the lucky ones. We hear sto— ries ofwomen who walk to UN clinics for 3 days along goat tracks to get help. Most of the mothers seemed to be under 20.

Their husbands were all conscripted and so not around to help. NGOs refuse to

make statements about this to the foreign press in case they upset the government.

home of the Household Cavalry for over three hundred years. In 2004 the stables will be rebuilt and the Regiments horses will be temporarily accommodated in Hyde Park in Rattle stabling. This is the first reconstruction of what is the third Barracks to stand on one of the most magnificent and at the same time impractically shaped sites in London. A brieflook at each of the Barracks reveals, three very different buildings, all of which had similar functions, but with very different stories to tell.

The first barracks was completed in In the afternoon we visited the site of a British battlefield in 1942. Our army was trying to wrestle Ethiopia and Eritrea from the Italians. There is one road from the Sudan to Asmara and it had been very heavily cratered. There was no shelter from the sun and no movement allowed during the day because of Italian artillery and snipers.

They were there for 2 months with 2 pints of water a day — for everything. I shave every morning in at least 4 pints of water. The UN allows 9 litres of water to its troops in similar con‘ ditions. Veterans said it was worse than the jungle in Burma. The immaculate War Graves Cemetery is full of 20 year old soldiers from places like Cheshire and Aberdeen.

When we are in Addis Ababa we stay at

the Sheraton. This is the best hotel in Africa. It looks like a Saudi Palace with marble and chandeliers. From my room on the top floor ofthe hotel I can just see over the wall into the shanty town which surrounds it. Recently we rode out on ponies from Haille Selassie’s Imperial Stables. We went up into the hills above the city to see a church built in 300AD, carved down into the rock of the mountain. As we came back we naturally fell into half sections. It was starting to rain and we broke into a trot. I had a strange sense of deja vue. I realised it was rather similar to the Queen’s Life Guard realising it was running a bit late and having to

trot down Constitution Hill. It is these bizarre contrasts which make this job such a happy one.

I must thank Major General Evelyn Webb Carter and Brigadier James Ellery for introducing me to this amazing part of the world and my Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Cowen, for giving me the privilege of working here.

1795, shortly after the French Revolu— tion, and was used to house troops in London to guard against the fear of insurrection at home. The Barracks was designed by James Johnson and thought

to be the first Cavalry Barracks in Britain. It is apparent that the Barracks was not highly regarded, being described in the 1876 journal of the

Household Brigade as ‘the ugly brick structure for so many years prior to its condemnation an eyesore to the habitués of the Row and the inhabitants of Knightsbridge.’ When the Barracks was demolished in 1876, it was dilapi— dated, cramped, with poor sanitation; a change seemed long overdue.

The second Knightsbridge Barracks, designed by the architect, Thomas Henry Wyatt was completed in 1880.

The predominant materials used in the construction of the barracks were Portland stone and red brick. Wyatt’s inclusion of the imposing ornamental facades made this barracks appealing to the eye.

The internal design was that of an archetypal cavalry barracks of the day; a yard in the middle ofthe stable and barrack buildings housing horses below and men above, a detached Officers Mess, riding school and various ancil— lary buildings. The actual functional ability of the barracks, however, did not stand up to the test of time.

The second barracks of 1880 would have struggled to meet the modern day Health and Safety requirements. The single soldiers lived above the stables, from which the heat of the horses provided the central heating system via slats in the floorboards. The Married Quarters were over the stables on the Knightsbridge side, and small children, prams and shopping all had to be hauled up two flights of stairs.

In 1963 the Conservative Government agreed to a rebuild, but with a change of administration, it was a Labour delegation of Ministers, headed by a Miss Jennie Lee who visited the Barracks for an assessment. Allegedly, Miss Lee’s parting remark was, “I hope none of your lads ever goes to prison, as they won’t like returning here!” The Barracks was knocked down in 1965.

Sir Basil Spence was to be the architect of the current Hyde Park Barracks and the requirement brief that he received, meant that from the beginning the barracks was destined to be surrounded in controversy. The greatest challenge for Sir Basil was to incorporate into his design accommodation for over five hundred soldiers, Officers and Warrant Officers with additional housing for One hundred and twenty families. This had to be achieved with no more land on the existing awkwardly shaped site.

Furthermore for health reasons the new Barracks had to keep the men and horse accommodation as separate entities.

In 1965 the Household Cavalry Mount— ed Regiment moved to Wellington Barracks where it would be temporarily housed for five years. All was not lost when the bull-dozers arrived.

Some sculptural elements such as the pediment on the north end of the old riding school were retained. This was agonisingly taken down piece by piece, as were various coats of arms including a previ— ously unnoticed and fine terracotta arms of the House of Hanover From the south elevation of the Officers Mess (possibly from the first barracks), and the Field Marshals and Generals from the north face of the Officers Mess. All of these

were cleaned and restored and ultimate— ly incorporated in the new barracks; the pediment, of course, now surmounts the main entrance from Hyde Park and the Hanoverian arms hangs over the fire— place in the Officers Mess.

Hyde Park Barracks was completed in 1970.

Teething problems were inevitable, the most notable being when a fire at the top of the Tower Block revealed the dreadful truth that there was no water to fight the fire with. This was solved by the expediency of filling a skip full of water and hoisting it by crane to the waiting and angry men of the London Fire Service! Aside from this most problems were minor and easily rectified.

Since construction the Barracks has undergone a number of internal facelifts; most notably including the Soldiers single living accommodation and messing facilities. At the end of June 2004 a seven and a half million pound stables redevelopment will begin.

The horses will be accommodated in Rattle Stabling on Hyde Park for between nine and twelve months. The new stables will have modern drainage, electrical temperature control, dung removal and water supply systems. The stalls will have the facility to revert to loose boxes at the times of year when fewer horses are being stabled. Each Troop will also have its own Horse Solarium and Troop Office with modern computer facilities. All horse feeds will be distributed to troops from a centralised Regimental feeding area. Over all the new stables will provide a brighter, healthier working and living environment for both men and horses.

Household Cavalry News 66

Household Cavalry News

67

The Mounted Unit of The Kings Guard of The Bahrain Defence Force

Exercise COCKNEY ROUGH RIDER The North American International Military Horse Show, Oklahoma, USA September 2003

By Captain C THaywood, The Blues and Royals In the context Ofthe 300 years plus his— tory of the Household Cavalry, a request to transform an empty stable complex in Bahrain into a parallel mounted ceremonial unit of 30 horses ready for service on 4 February was clearly an exciting challenge!

The blue print was quite simply ‘London’: black horses, ceremonial uniform

and full military mounted drill. The only obvious concession to the dramati— cally different climate were the substitution of our metal breastplate and helmet for traditional Arab head-dress and lightweight tunics, and some very envi—

able air-conditioned stabling with good facilities close to the Racecourse at Riffa.

The Commanding Officer had promised his Royal Highness The King of Bahrain that we would help to deliver his wish, and what a challenge and priv— ilege this is proving to be!

As I started to make lists of everything we needed, from a hoof pick to horses and horseboxes, the true scale of the task became apparent. Where apart from Ire— land, where black horses are getting scarce, were the right quantity of appropriate horses to be found? The answer Denmark. Oldenburgs, strong steady and very black! Former Riding master

Major Sandy Sanderson supplied the contact and the project began in earnest.

After an initial September recce to con— firm the suitability of the type, black horses from farmers the length and breadth of Denmark converged on a for— mer chateau in early October for us to show the Bahrain buying commission.

The clear direction that the horses must ‘work well under the saddle’ was appar~ ently lost in translation by the Dutch farmers, and my partner Pippa and I spent the three days leading up to the Buying Commission breaking in no fewer than 8 of the horses from scratch.

Pippa’s unerring eye in selecting the

sharpest horses meant that I hit the deck a great deal more often than her - it took me back to my days as a young Lance Corporal on the Riding Staff under Lt Col Alec Jackson! Amazingly, three days later, having notched up saddle sores and bruises, I was able to escort the Bahrain contingent into the school and ask her to show them in all paces under saddle without incident, though sometimes with more of a grimace than a grin!

excellent quality black horses.

By Captain DL Lipman, The Life Guards While

the vets awaited the results of extensive blood tests required for transit, the horses remained in Denmark growing wool— lier all the while, not ideal for the wait~ ing 30 degrees plus temperatures in Bahrain!

I have visited them twice in Bahrain since their arrival to develop the train— ing programme for implementation by the BDF and their extensive supporting cast, accommodating Ramadan and the groom team’s inevitable unfamiliarity with the caring for and training of this kind of horse. With a further 18 horses still to be sourced, uniforms on order and accoutrements in production the initial target date of early February may now be a triumph of optimism over reality. Yet, regardless of the first “on public show” date, the enthusiasm and commitment of our friends in Bahrain is rewarding and energising. We can be very proud that one of Britain’s finest features, our ceremonial capability, looks set to cross borders and set new precedents in another country, forging even stronger links between Britain and Bahrain in the process.

By the end of an enjoyable and exhaust« ing few days we had selected a short list of 20 and successfully purchased 12

The HCMR SAA Team was lead by Cap— tain DL Lipman LG with L/Cpl Powell LG, Tpr Wharton RHG/D and Tpr Abbot RHG/D all in support. Amongst the other competitors were teams from The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the British Tent Pegging Association and the West Yorkshire Mounted Police.

The Blue Devils Horse Platoon (BDHP) of the United States Army Reserves hosted the event.

The Sovereign’s Mace nlike Regiments in the British Army, The Royal Hospital has no Colour, Standard or Guidon to parade on formal occasions. For this reason, and also to honour Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee, this ceremonial Mace was constructed and Her Majesty graciously presented it to The Royal Hospital at a special parade at Buckingham Palace in July 2003. It is carried by one of the In Pensioners and escorted by two In Pensioners carrying Halberds. The photo-

den, crafted by Master Goldsmith Norman Bassant, it has been generously gifted to The Royal Hospital by Ronald

graph shows WOZ George Kelshall for—

sections, also with Latin inscriptions.

merly The Blues and Royals carrying the Mace.

Historically Maces have developed from

The bulbous ornaments each bear four silver devices — the Royal Cyphers of Her Majesty and King Charles II, and The Royal Hospital badge, acorns and

the primitive club as a form of weapon,

cuirasses. The base of the lower finial is

through mediaeval usage against armour in hand-to hand combat, to Royal and non-Royal service.

The Sovereign’s Mace broadly follows the style and shape of the Royal Maces made for the

shaped like the cascabel end ofa cannon.

Sergeants at Arms in the reign of our Founder, King Charles II. Designed by

Lt Col Charles Webb and Aubrey Bow—

Gerard OBE. The Bowl, with its strongly associated and distinctive theme of oak leaves and acorns, supports the large Edward’s Crown. Within the Crown is a disc bearing the Royal Coat of Arms. Beneath the Brackets is a scroll bearing a Latin dedication. The main shaft is in two

The Sovereign’s Mace can be viewed in The Royal Hospital Museum, resting upon a Woolsack and Table which have been crafted and gifted by the Worshipful Companies of Woolmen and Carpenters respectively.

he North American International Military Horse Show (NAIMHS) was open to military riders from Active, Reserve, Retired Army and civilian Mounted Police units. The show was governed under USA Equestrian Rules for Open Jumping, Hunter and Military Skill at Arm’s (SAA) classes. These are known as Sword, Lance and Revolver (SLR). With a horse at full gallop, com— petitors must pierce targets with their sabres, pick up rings with their lances and fire at targets while jumping. Tent Pegging is another unusual competition.

The sport dates back to the time of British Colonial rule in India, where army camps were set up meticulously with tents in precise rows. Attacking Indian troops would send lancers through enemy camps, collapsing tents by spearing the pegs and pulling them out ofthe ground with their lances. The next wave of horsemen would follow, torching the tents or spearing the struggling soldiers trapped under the canvas.

Today’s competitors no longer have to face a live enemy but must still remove pegs with their lances or sabers while traveling at the gallop.

After an eventful journey that saw the Captain DL Lipman retained for further extensive security checks (something he

"T l m. '

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is quite accustomed to), the team arrived at its hotel in Oklahoma. The following day, we moved to Fort Reno to finally meet up with our horses, a mixed bunch of colts, quarter horses, thoroughbreds and one Irish draught horse called Pickwick, a particular favorite of Captain DL Lipman. Almost all the horses had been trained under European saddles and the classical riding technique. This was for— tunate as the western trained horses did not take to weapons training at all well.

After two days of training, we went on an arranged visit for all the competitors to watch a display at Fort Sill. The fort was founded by General Philip H Sheridan on January 8 1869 during a winter campaign against the South Plains Tribes. The famous “Buffalo Soldiers” of the 10th Cavalry built the post and today it is the home of the Field Artillery School. The US Army Field Artillery School Half Section Gun Team put on an excellent show demonstrating their expert drills and manoeuvres.

The competitions started in earnest on the Friday. Although Captain DL Lip— man had high hopes of success, victory appeared elusive as Mr. Pickles began to feel his age when jumping in the junior class. Fortunately Tpr Abbot saved the day when he came a very creditable sec— ond in the Military Hunter — Lower Class competition. First place went to Constable Tracey Brown of the British Tent Pegging Association.

The second day of competitions saw a much larger crowd at the fort. This had a positive effect and everyone rose to the occasion. We had set our sights on the Team Tent Pegging Competition and felt confident of our chances. Victory was eventually secured after we fought off

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strong challenges from The International Team (2nd) and the King’s Troop RHA (3rd). The only mishap was when

by L/Cpl Powell was knocked unconscious by his horse early in the competition. Tpr Abbott also secured another second place, this time in the Sword, Lance & Revolver with Captain DL Lipman placing fourth.

The final day started with a church serv— ice and another display of pageantry by the NAIMHS. The biggest hit of the day was, however, the Golf Cart Challenge, when competitors exchanged their horses for golf carts before tackling the Skill—at—Arms course.

We would like to thank Gary Vaughn at FedEx and Sue Chambers of American Airlines for their enormous generosity and assistance. We look forward to hosting the Blue Devils Horse Platoon on their return visit to the UK early in 2004.

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Household Cavalry News

68

Household Cavalry News

69

Exercise IRON HORSE 2003 The Household Cavalry Motorcycle Club Annual Battlefield Tour (Ardennes)

By W02 Coleman, The Life Guards It was a bright sunny Wednesday afternoon when the Household Cavalry Motorcycle club members met at

Combermere Barracks for the start of Exercise Iron Horse 2003.

This year’s

tour was to visit the Ardennes, primari— ly following the route of Jochen Piper

and the First SS Panzer Division. W02 Stewart was the last to arrive, his BMW Tourer more than able to carry enough luggage for the 8 day trip. The rest of the club members opted to put their kit

onto the admin truck which left from Knightsbridge under the supervision of COH Hadden.

Unfortunately the Club had its first breakdown before even leaving camp.

Captain (Retd) D Greer did not even manage to make Windsor on his Yama—

ha, breaking down en route and sadly not making the trip at all. On arriving in good spirits at Dover, the Club met up with COH Hadden and the admin truck, which was put on to a freight sailing, meaning the bikes and truck were not on the same boat. Many hours were wasted trying to find the truck, luckily on departing Calais the two rear mem— bers on the slower but more refined Harley Davidson’s spotted it in a lay-by

and they moved on together. The Club was now split into Fast and Slow groups; although, as with previous years the Slow Group invariably made it to the campsites and other rendezvous earlier than their faster brethren, who tended to miss junctions and become ‘misplaced’.

The following morning the Club headed for Malmedy. On arriving at Malmedy, and using the map given to us by the campsite it soon became evident that the

route the owner had marked was completely wrong, the cool head and precise map reading on W02 (RQMS) Mills came to the fore, and the group soon arrived at the site, a very quiet place in the hills above Malmedy off the Malmedy » Baugnez road. Although the camp site had a bar, nothing appeared to be open and so members had to ride into Malmedy, stopping at a Cafe. The owner on seeing W02 Coleman and CsoH Hadden and McKay must have felt a challenge had been thrown down and produced a huge plate of ribs, W02 Stewart could only look on in disgust as there was no surplus lettuce or carrot for his vegan appetite.

The following day the group started the Battlefield Tour with an overview of the battles followed by a more detailed look at the offensive with regard to Piper.

After discussing some road safety and getting lost procedures, the group moved out of the campsite Where they promptly split up and got lost. The first action for the larger members was to pull into local

cafes for breakfast.

Then after some

quick talking on the mobile phones the group rallied, fed and watered. The first stop was the form—up point for lst SS Panzer.

The initial German advance went badly, the road becoming complete—

ly grid locked, Piper had to move his tanks to the front by pushing through the

traffic. In addition, to maintain secrecy no recces were carried out and so the large artillery barrage which started early in the morning on the 16th December 1944 did little damage, there were also no tracks cut through the forestry so it took almost 24 hours for the lst SS Panzer to get moving.

The Club’s next stop was the small town of Bullingen which Piper targeted because of its large fuel dump, before moving back towards Malmedy. The German offensive was in December and the small roads were not meant for large tanks, so the forward elements of Pieper’s tanks became bogged and requiring him to take an alternative route. This small detour brought his battle group into contact with US. Captain Leon Scarbrough, the commanding officer ofB Battery 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion made his way from Malmedy to St Vith. After a small action, 113 Americans were captured and led by the SS into a field to be shot.

The Americans ran to escape the fire and some 46 got away, however 67 died.

There is a memorial to the event set back on the junction. This was to be the last stop of the day and the group dispersed. The camp site had a swimming pool which some members took advan~ tage of, however the bar’s opening times were a bit hit and miss, and although the owner spoke very good English and was

very helpful, the Club decided to take advantage of the local bowling alley followed by an early night.

’— —

ti;

HCMCC Members at the Household Cavalry Memorial at Zandvoorde. L to R: COH Hadden MBE LG. W02 Coleman LG. Sgt G/bbons REME, W02 (RON/C) Mil/s RHG/D. W02 (RQMC) Gibbons RHG/D. W02 (SCM) Stewart LG, COH Makay RHG/D

and took 8 soldiers behind the hotel and shot them. During the offensive, Piper stayed in the town and his men moved on to the heights above Stavelot — the next stop for the club. The bridge at the bottom ofthe hill has an American halftrack and a small memorial to the events of the 18th December 1944. The group stopped for a photo opportunity and moved onto Trois Ponts. During the war Stavlot had a large fuel dump which was set fire to when the advancing Germans columns crossed the bridge, the Germans moved along the river making no attempt to capture the dump, however the burning fuel blocked the road stopping reserves moving into the vil« lage. The Bridges at Trois Ponts were

abandoned his vehicles in Le Gleize making his way back on foot to the Ger— man lines. The Village of Le Gleize has a small museum with a Tiger 2 outside which made for a cheesy photo opportunity. The Club then moved to one of the local cafes that overlook the valley and had lunch — the absence of any McDonalds Restaurants was keenly felt by some; previous Tours had used the chain as a basis for planning and navigation.

The following day the group paid a visit to the town of Bastogne. American sol— diers had held the town during the offensive, and as the Club rode into town we noticed a lot of American flags and visitors.

Everyone in Europe seemed to be out on their motorbikes that day and the town centre was full.

We stopped and had a cup of coffee before moving onto the Museum and Memorial to those who had fought and died there. The memorial was huge and visitors could climb to the top were small metal directions were cut in to the stone. The next day was the move back to Ypres and within an hour it started to

destroyed as the SS moved into the town turning the German column towards its

final destination La Gleize. The Club The following day the group moved off back to the Baugnez crossroads to con— tinue the tour. The first stop was the Hotel du Moulin in the small town of Ligneuville, during the offensive U.S. Brigadier Edward Timberlake had used the Hotel as a headquarters and only just managed to escape as the SS moved into

the town. There was a small fire fight in the town and some 22 soldiers were cap— tured; again the SS showed their brutality

stopped at Cheneux by a bunker 0n the side of the road, this was where the first major air attacks on Piper’s columns took place. Once the bridge at Stavelot was retaken by the Americans it was all over for Piper and on Christmas Eve he

a. , .V , . . man LG at the Hotel du Moulin IN the small town of L/gneuwlle.

rain, in fact it was raining so hard that W02 (Navigator-in—Chief) Coleman had to stop to read the road signs. Having stopped under a bridge for an hour the Club decided to hit the main auto route and move straight back to Ypres to speed up the move. 0n getting into the camp— site the rain was coming down so hard that the campsite officer took pity on the group, putting the heating on and supplying hot drinks. Some members of the Club ventured out to the local area which had more than its fair share of museums.

N0 trip to Ypres would be complete without a visit to the Household Cavalry Memorial in Zandvoorde, which is difficult to find, seemingly being in someone’s back garden. The remainder of the trip passed damply uneventful, with everyone getting home safe and thor— oughly invigorated by their experience.

Motorcycles remain one of the best ways of visiting battlefields and the Club is keen to encourage more young soldiers to attend next year’s trip to Italy for the 60th Anniversary of the Battle for Monte Cassino.

Exercise COCKNEY HARZ B Sqn Adventure Training and Battlefield Tour 7-16 Jul 03

By Captain D S Brooks, The Life Guards or ten days in July the Squadron Fenjoyed an unbroken spell of the most glorious weather, during which it undertook a multi-activity adventure training package of trekking, kayaking, rock-climbing and mountain biking.

HCMCC Members awart/ng the departure of the lorry at Dover

HCMCC Members pose rn front of a Trger 2 tank near Stavlot. L to H' Sgt orb, bone REME, W02 (SC/W Stewart LG. W02 Coleman LG, W02 (HOMO) Grbbons RHG/D W02 (HOMO) Mr/ls HHG/D, CoH Hadden MBE LG, CoH Makay RHG/D

The party of 30 Household Cavalrymen were to take an over—night stop in Ypres en-route to Germany, where a battlefield tour under Major A B Methven LG was conducted. For many ofthe 22 Troopers, this was their first visit to the battlefields of northern Europe, and all were moved by the poignancy of the events described in great colour by their Squadron Leader.

At the Zandvoorde memorial a short cer~ emony was conducted, and wreaths from the Regimental Associations were laid.

In the evening the party paraded at the Menin Gate for the sounding of the last— post, which was preceded by a haunting requiem sung by a youth choir from Yorkshire. Sadly the names of the fallen Household Cavalrymen on the walls of the gate were obscured on this occasion due to restoration work.

Accommodation in Ypres was most acceptable. The excellent hotel, which was booked by the ever—resourceful SCpl BE Rogers LG was a real treat for the

majority of Troopers, used to the single— man’s accommodation in Combermere Barracks. All ranks took advantage of the facilities offered by Ypres, and despite the excesses of the evening all ranks boarded transport after an early breakfast on the next leg of the journey to the Harz Mountains in Germany.

The expedition was accommodated in

Torfhaus Lodge south of Goslar — familiar to a past generation of Household Cavalrymen, and metres from what was once the border with the Soviet Union — a concept seemingly obscure to the majority of Troopers on the expedition.

Household Cavalry News 70

Household Cavalry News

71

The Lodge was basic by British Army standards, but it held one particular

The Battle of Edgehill Battlefield Tour

treasure for the Troopers, which was in

constant~use from the moment the

By Capt S A Instone, The Life Guards power switch was located on our arrival.

To the horror of the Squadron Leader the item in question was a satellite tele— vision, and on it a channel called ‘MTV’.

It is alleged that the ‘M’ in ‘MTV’ stands for ‘music’. This fact is greatly contest~ ed by the Squadron Leader, who does not acknowledge that any Inusic worth

highlight of the summer was the

officers and senior ranks mounted battlefield tour to Edgehill. This was the first major engagement of the Eng-

lish Civil War in 1642 and although not

hearing has been written since the early nineteenth century. The presence of this contraption drove the Squadron Leader to spend every evening on the veranda with the mosquitoes, and captivated the majority of Troopers until the power switch could be found again on our departure.

8 Son on completion of battlefield tour

The adventure training started the next morning.

Three groups of Troopers under the guidance of a select group of JNCOs revolved through the activities, having a stab at each. Early attempts were made to combine the trekking component with a Map Reading course.

performing ‘Eskimo Rolls’. The enthusiasm of the students was ensured throughout by the presence of LCoH P Goddard LG. LCoH Goddard is enthu~ siastic about Canoeing, and it’s a brave man that doesn’t share his enthusiasm for something when he’s told to.

After the first day, when the Squadron Leader’s lengthy and technical explanation concerning the reasons behind magnetic variation were met by blank— looks from his audience, a lot more time walking and a little-less time talking became the running—theme.

In contrast, many of the Troopers took to kayaking like proverbial ‘ducks—to-

water’. Ducks are not famed for their abilities in a canoe of any sort, but they are rather good at jumping-off high out— crops into water. So it is with many troopers, who took advantage of the short breaks between apparently very

tiresome lessons to conduct this feat repeatedly. Undeterred, the Squadron Second—in—command, Captain D S

Brooks LG persisted with the curriculum, and was pleased with the results when at the end of just two days on the reservoir many students were capable of

Rock climbing was conducted under SCpl G Gardner LG, who was on loan from the RAC Training Regiment in Bovington for the duration of the expedition. His activity was obviously also approached with great enthusiasm, as many Troopers seemed incapable of holding their cutlery at the evening meal — or ‘Barbeque’, as they became known, due to apparently strained fore-

arms.

The evenings were spent in the (exces— sively) quiet local towns and villages.

On one evening an unexpected activity was organised by the JNCOs in the party.

Competitions of various sorts

were instigated for the entertainment of observers.

The overall winner, Tpr Hunter narrowly beat Tpr Wilkinson in the ‘grand-final’ and was duly rewarded

for his efforts.

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A day of rest and relaxation was taken in Berlin, where the Squadron was photographed at the Brandenburg Gate, and those who wanted to could pull—up a sandbag and listen to the tales of the older generation who could remember ‘the good old days’ when the Berlin Wall still stood. A pleasant afternoon was spent perusing souvenir stands and visiting Checkpoint Charlie. In search ofa good restaurant the Officers and Senior Ranks covered a lot of ground in the old East-German quarter. The restaurant recommended by the guidebook proved to be closed on arrival, and traditional sausage and chips provided sustenance for the return journey. The minibusjourney there and back was made more pleasurable for the presence of SCpl Rogers’ recording of ‘Berlin’ by Antho— ny Beevor, and left no question of the passengers listening to their dreadful ‘popular music’.

Last year the Squadron enjoyed a week in North Cornwall surfing and relaxing in the sunshine. This year’s trip to Germany was an equally welcome break from the monotony of‘whole~fleet-man— agement’, which otherwise ties our Troopers to the vehicle park every day.

Notably absent from the expedition were almost all ofthe Squadron’s NCOs, who were unable to attend due to the limited space available in the accommodation, they were regrettably left—behind in order to continue their excellent (and never-ending) work on the vehicles in Combermere Barracks. For those who were able to attend the expedition it was an educational and enjoyable experi— ence, made even more enjoyable thanks to the enthusiasm of SCpl B E Rogers LG, who’s organisational abilities and positive attitude ensured that even the Squadron Leader enjoyed the whole expedition, despite six-hours a day of the distant sound of ‘Music’ television and mosquitoes in his dinner.

decisive it set the playing field for the battles that followed. In a quite period between parades the Regiment deployed thirty horses and men to Kineton, an army munitions depot close to the bat— tlefield site in rural Warwickshire. SCpl (SQMC) Benge ably created a tented camp with the horses tied to nearby picket lines.

'x’ gt't.

The first evening started with a series of presentations from Mr Colin Harris and Captain SA Instone LG, with his sup— porting cast, and provided a background to The English Civil War and the lead up

to the battle. This was followed by a lavish barbeque with plenty of refreshments and a mobile cinema showing ‘Band of Brothers’. The night proved interesting with many horses deciding they were adverse to being tied to picket lines whilst under attack from horseflies.

Instead, they prefered to roam free exploring the spacious and lush sports fields of the depot! This proved a challenge to the Troop Leaders and CoHs who stood in on stable night guard and devoted considerable amounts oftime to catching loose horses.

Charge on the Battlefield.

Fortunately the next day was perfect weather and after a short hack the group surveyed the entire battlefield area from the peak ofa hill. Here a very enthusiastic member of The Sealed Knot Soci— ety,,dressed in period attire, gave an expert speech on the events of the battle.

Mounted once more, the opportunity was taken to stretch the horses legs acquainting ourselves with the terrain.

After speedily crossing the battlefield, Captain WHAG Snook RHG/D provid— ed us with a cavalry tactics lecture. Feeling confident, he formed us into line and lead a number of charges, wheels and other more complex maneouvres.

This actually proved very challenging

and demonstrated the difficulties faced by the Royalists and the skills that they must have possessed. Finally, the contingent retired to a very picturesque pub on the crest of Edgehill where Captain DL Lipman LG enthralled us, in partic» ularly the Commanding Officer, with a riveting talk on Royalist and Parliamentary uniforms.

The whole tour provided an excellent insight into one of the major engagements of The Civil War in which both squadrons of HCMR could trace a pred— ecessor. Both horses and men had a thoroughly enjoyable break from London and next years tour is looked forward to with great enthusiasm.

Household Cavalry Bands Trade Horses For Skis

by Major D W Creswell, The Life Guards xercise Cockney Coda was the Com— bined Household Cavalry Bands Ski Expedition. Eighteen band members and two instructors, CoH Beech (3 Tp LG) and LCpl Mitchell (Irish Guards’ Band), gathered on the square at Hyde Park Barracks on a cold wet January morning. But on this occasion it was not the jingle of bright chains or the strike of steel shod hooves on concrete that could be heard, but instead the clat—

ter of ski poles. Before long we were off on a journey to northern Italy and the ski hamlet of Livigno.

We arrived 12 hours later to met by brisk chilly —l7°C temperatures and 2 metres

of snow in the town — no more mutterings about the temperature in Hyde Most of the party Parks Barracks!

Stayed in and settled into the accommodation, but some braver members decid—

L to l? LCpl Klng. LCpl Bishop, Maj Cresswell, CoH Beech (lnstructor), Col—l Wheeler, LCol-l Kent. LCot—l Spa/'kes and W07 Lilo/female.

Household Cavalry News Household Cavalry News

73

ed to investigate the local hospitality houses, sliding along the narrow lanes towards the town. We soon learnt to stay well clear of the roads, as the Italian drivers didn’t seem overly concerned by the snow and ice, or even the pedestri— ans, as they sped along bouncing from

agreed to meet up to compare bruises over dinner.

Both instructors were excellent and all skiers improved signif— icantly over the week. CoH Beech, a veteran Army skier, was a human missile carving his way down the piste and part—

one wall of snow to the other!

We followed his lead, which unfortunately took us off—piste, through trees, down rock faces, over riverbeds and around electricity pylons — not bad for a first day. Fortunately, things improved the next day when we gave him a map.

The next day, however, produced glorious sunshine and the perfect piste con-

ditions that Livigno is famous for. The party split into two groups: the begin— ners went with LCpl Mitchell; the bold

and foolish went with CoH Beech. The hostel we were staying in conveniently backed onto the nursery slopes but still gave access to the main Carosello Gon— dola lift further along the valley. The two groups went their separate ways and

ing all those before him, friend or foe.

The week finished with a ‘Downhill Slalom Race’. Adrenaline was pumping and the air was heavy with the smell of fresh ski wax and Brandy — someone had hidden a bottle in the starting hut for those who needed a little extra courage.

Various techniques were employed with

widely differing results: Musician Joncs

electing for the direct route — the famous missile technique; and Musician Gray employed a variety of styles, none of which can be found in the manuals, and thus won the prize for ‘The most enter— taining skier of the week’.

We returned battered, bruised, worn out, but happy and armed with an array of amusing stories. Surprisingly, nobody suffered any worse than aching muscles and the odd calf strain. LCpl Mitchell was also happy to return us safe and relatively sound — his previous group had two people airlifted from the slopes!

The Household Cavalry and the Army Training Regiment Pirbright

By Captain TfArcher-Burton, The Blues and Royals

The Household Cavalry ethos remains strong at the Army Train— ing Regiment in Pirbright. The majori— ty of our potential recruits are trained in 59 (Asten) Battery, Royal Artillery, and

the Officers and NCOs of the Household Cavalry that work at the former Guards’ Depot ensure that the traditions and standards of the Regiment are upheld.

The integration with the Royal Artillery continues to work well and currently potential Household Cavalry phase one recruits are trained alongside cap badges

such as the RA, REME, and RLC. All our potential recruits are placed in a troop where a Household Cavalry NCO

basic personal administration are undertaken by the recruits and the high quality of current HCR instructors based at Pirbright ensures that the calibre of sol— dier passing out remains of the highest quality.

the staffs’ riding ability.

Retention

weekends are also proving very success— ful, with recruits half way through their training being given the chance to visit Household Cavalry Staff at

ATR Pirbright

There are currently forty—one House» hold Cavalry recruits in training at Pirbright, with eighty-four Troopers now at phase two training from last year’s efforts. This year we expect to train over one hundred potential Household Cav— alry soldiers and the challenge for the instructors remains to ensure that soldiers arrive at the regiment with the core skills and the intangible values that make the Household Cavalry soldier the finest in the British Army.

CoH Newton

The recruits arrive for their phase one training at all deferent levels of maturity and intellect and it is the role of the Troop Staff to ensure that during their twelve week course they all reach the standards required to go forward to the

phase two training. An intensive pro— gram of subjects such as skill at arms, drill, physical training, map reading, adventure training, NBC, first aid and

Well the eagle did soar, even ifit has now gone bald or slightly grey and larger around the midriff! A call from

Captain Maxwell in Windsor in April confirmed that the old Blues and Royals (Eagles) team from the eighties, now allover 40, were gathering in Leeds to play again. I rescued my old boots from the garden shed, wondered for a minute if they were still legal and packed my bag, thinking we would not actually play, just talk about a good game. A small number of us gathered at Heathrow in the bar under the direction ofJohn Dickens. As in the old days, we were missing some players who backed out at the eleventh hour. Never mind, we flew to Leeds talking of old games of Rugby and memorable drinking ses— sions in the cellar in Detmold.

We arrived in a posh Leeds City Centre Hotel, again organised by John and Frances Dickens, to find more players waiting. Team talk on that Friday night carried on quite late, so late in fact that by breakfast on Saturday morning I had forgotten most of the set plays, just like in the old days! We made a head count

never played, was dispatched under guard to a sports store to buy boots, shorts and socks! We made our way to Bramley Rugby Club on the outskirts of Leeds for a midday kick—off. The dress— ing room was very small, or was it that we were that much bigger and did not fit in. Muscles were not so much stretched as willed not to snap. Many lotions and

Knightsbridge Barracks and Horse

with his stories of dare and dash in the

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

had been a fine supporter ofthe club but

LCpl Betts keeps the Stables in an immaculate condition and provides an opportunity for the recruits to spend time learning basic stable management over free weekends, as well as improving

Guards Parade. These visits allow the recruits to glean an insight into the workings of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and what is required of them on phase two training.

Gulf and his passion for ceremonial duties.

By W02 ]A Evans, The Blues and Royals

Trevor Jones, who when in the regiment

is responsible for nurturing them and tory of the Regiment. This is overseen

THE EAGLES SOAR AGAIN!

and discovered we were a few short.

introducing them to the values and hisby the watchful eye of Captain JAM White, RHG/D who entices the recruits

The Household Cavalry Sports Round-up

leapt through the starting gate without her skis and headfirst into the first gate; CoH Redman forgot about the gates,

creams were rubbed in and we gathered in our new tour shirts on a pitch that was very hard due to the dry spring weather. After the team photo, the Ref called for the Captains. John Kilvington was pushed forward, as all of us had played under John at some time and it was a unanimous decision that he should lead us now. The opposition, although meant to be a Vets XV, had a few younger ringers in their ranks. This caused us some problems in the first half as they worked out that we lacked a cer— tain amount of pace around the park. As with any Cavalry team, the pack were winning a fair amount of possession.

The front row of Andy Hastings, John Dickens and the ever young Rick Buckle, were winning good ball. Add to this John Spandley playing at flanker, we won good loose ball throughout the game. In the second row “boiler house” Captain Maxwell and myself were winning some lineout ball. But like Mark Dyche said after the game, “we were leaping like Salmon at the beginning, but by the end were flapping around like kippers”. We made it to halftime just 3 tries to nil down, but with the bad news that Joe (Panzer) Parker had to leave the field with a torn hamstring. Joe was pleased as he had not felt this muscle for some years and was glad that he still had it! Bramley took pity on us and gave us a couple of players for the 2nd half.

Whether it was the beer on the Friday night wearing off, or the extra players, we started the 2nd half with some vigour. Our first try followed some great “up the jumper” mauling by the for— wards, with Neil Smith playing at num-

ber 8 leading the way for a good try by John Spandley. The second try was a great sole try by John Kilvington. Getting the ball with nowhere to go, he sidestepped, jinxed and beat for pace the opposition backs for a great try. The best support the rest of the backs could offer was a call from Mark Dyche of “run John, run like the wind!”

A third try followed after some great work from Ted Heath and the rest of the backs which allowed Captain Maxwell to flop over from about 5 metres. He will try to tell a different story involving his pace, beating opposition backs etc, but nobody should believe him. By the final whistle we had lost by about 10 points, but we were happy with our efforts. We retired to the clubhouse to enjoy some Yorkshire hospitality. The third half went very well into the night in Leeds City Centre where Neal Gaskell, who for some reason could not make the match, joined us. The next day at breakfast it was agreed to try and put a team out in 2004.

Special thanks must go to John and Frances Dickens for all the hard work that they put into the tour, from booking flights and hotels, to providing a strip for the game. Ifany of you old players or supporters are out there and fancy “just one more game” for the Eagles, then you should contact either myself on 01276 412 410 (Sandhurst) or John Dickens on 07715 539 141. The outline dates for the next tour are the weekend of 3rs or 4th

April 2004.

59 (Asten) Bty

Captain TJ Archer-Burton RHG/D Captain JAM White RHG/D LCoH Asten LCoH Galbraith LCoH Ireland LCOH Timms Other Staff at ATR Pirbright SCpl (SQMC) Polley CoH Hodgeson CoH Head LCpl Betts

he Eag/es versiFtugby team Apr/7 2003.

The third half and team tact/cs ta/k.

Household Cavalry News 74

Household Cavalry News

75

Nordic Skiing

By Lieutenant TjArmitage, The Life Guards he Regiment’s uphill ski team, as our Alpine brothers call us, expanded this year to give six soldiers and two officers the chance to train and compete

There is also the chance to partake in other types of skiing during the initial training weeks including telemarking, ski touring and snow blading. It was whilst Tpr Willis’ group was conducting the last activity that the remainder of the resort was treated to a scene reminiscent of a James Bond film as his group whizzed from the top of Ruinettes-Atte— las in one sleek movement accompanied

managed to take maximum advantage of four weeks training in Norway.

Our coach set the training programme; beginning each day with a short run and stretching session, followed by two hours skiing in the morning, a carbohy— drate filled pasta lunch, and a further hour and a half in the afternoon.

Evenings were spent with cooking les— sons and a profound sense of dread

gian. Our time in Norway culminated with a visit to Oslo and novice races against 1 RTR and 2 RTR in which we acquitted ourselves well.

by such cries as, “The Englander is escaping!”

Tpr Shepard and LCp/ MCGUIFS during another miserab/e session in Norway of talent and experience of many of the other regiments, it was a result to be well pleased with. Tpr Hakimi improved his placing throughout the competition finishing as the sixth novice overall, and is to be congratulated for receiving the prize for most improved skier.

to the Divisional Championships. The

The individual results from the RACs selected the A team—Lieutenant Armitage, and Tprs Compton, Hakimi, and Shapland.

Lieutenant Galloway returned to the UK and was replaced by Lieutenant James who headed up the B team alongside LCpls McGuire and Shenton, and Tpr Howard.

After Hochfilzen the quality of competition and organisation at the Divisional Championships was a let down.

Household Cavalry finished eighth out of eighteen teams, and was the fourth RAC regiment. Considering the depth

The team finished consistently between eleventh and fourteenth in a field of

After Christmas the team moved to Austria to compete in the RAC, AAC and RA Championships, which took place on Hochfilzen’s World Cup tracks. The Championships offered some top class racing in a friendly atmosphere, thus providing excellent race training prior

twenty—seven Regular Army teams.

This left us finishing third overall in London District, and much more rewardingly qualifying for the Army Championships.

Sadly due to predeployment training we were unable to attend. The individual results were also very pleasing with Tpr Hakimi finish— ing as the fourth best novice, Tpr Compton as the nineteenth, and LCpls

McGuire and Shenton battling for fortyninth and fifty-first positions, respec-

Skiing in Verbier allows for much enjoyment to be experienced both on and off the piste. The Officers returned one evening to discover they were being seriously outclassed by the troopers who hosted a smart champagne and escargots party for some very pretty chalet girls!

The Regiment also hosted the now infamous New Years Eve cocktails and fireworks party. Captain Lewis insistent on being the RC0, in the absence of Cap— tain Evetts, proceeded to get tremendously overexcited with the net result

By qualifying for the Army Championships in the team’s second season, the Regiment has proved itself to be serious about Nordic skiing. Provided there can be some consistency in the team next year, there is no reason why this success cannot continue to be built on.

blend of youth and experience. Captain RHA Lewis RHG/D and Tpr JJM Willis

LG both veterans oflast year’s Division— al Ski Championships were joined by a battle hardened Lieutenant AK MacEwen RHG/D, Captain CW Wren LG fresh from the rigours of regimental CAST, Lieutenant HJ Floyd RHG/D, LCpl L Walsh RHG/D, LCpl JA Perry LG and Tpr] Griffin LG. After loading

enough skis and food to suffice an entire squadron and most importantly our

Things looked promising from the out— set with our three best skiers being placed in the top group. Our three novices were placed under the watchful eye ofMaurice from the Swiss ski school who has held this unenviable post since

the Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps began training there some twenty years ago. If the snow was far from ideal for our more gifted skiers

course.

Once again due to operational commit— ments a depleted team deployed to the divisional championships this year in Serre Chevalier to partake in what was billed as the last alpine Ex SPARTAN HIKE. The racing was of a very high

Although the team was unable to quali— fy for the Army Championships, Captain Lewis (placed 8th) and Tpr Willis (placed 43rd in his second year skiing) were able to do so as individuals. Tpr Willis immediately met this triumph with disaster by severely injuring his leg and instead he had to exchange his place for the delights of OP TELIC 4 OPTAG instead!

Overall the team had both productive and enjoyable season. Ifwe can improve the consistency of our top skiers and our novices continue to progress in the man— ner they demonstrated this year we should be able to look forward to qualifying for the Army Championships in

2005.

CRE STA 2004

by Captain DL Lipman, The Life Guards here are few things in life that cause a man to return to something that he fears. The Cresta Run is one ofthose few things. Quite how just over a mile of solid ice can give rise to so many emo» tions cannot be easily explained, but this

year Captain Lipman nearly figured it

By Captain C W Wren, The Life Guards chalet girl we undertook the long drive to Verbier or “Werbier” as it seems to be pronounced by the Mayor of the resort.

standard with excellently prepared pistes and efficiently marshalled racing.

Most memorable were Tpr Griffin’s accounts of his efforts to merely survive the various courses set for the racers by the officials. Encouragingly every day he would begin racing determined to defeat the slopes on Monetier which by then had become his nemesis, and after completing each race he would be forced to admit that once more the mountain had been the winner! His spirit however remained undaunted and as a novice this year he is a strong candidate to return to Verbier and race well next year.

tively, out ofa field of one hundred and eighteen.

Alpine Ski Team he Alpine Ski Team departed Combermere this year with a fitting

The team grew ever stronger with the welcome return (on the slopes at least!) of Captain CJL Speers RHG/D. Race week therefore began with all four ofour A team skier’s being seeded in the top thirty racers in the championships.

There were some fine individual per— formances notably Lieutenant MacEwen finishing third in the individ— ual giant slalom and fifth overall. The B team consisting of two novices managed to finish second in the team giant slalom and third overall in the RAC Championships. A cause for concern however was Captain Wren inheriting the late Lieutenant Tweedie’s ability to get lost whilst participating in downhill racing.

It was with disbelief that the assembled racers watched Captain Wren execute a neat carve away from the clearly demarked downhill course and into a treacherous off piste mogul field! After disposing of skis and poles he continued eventually coming to a rather uncivilised halt somehow back on the

amount of moral and physical courage to compete in the speed events (Super G and Downhill).

skier WOZ Cassins ZRTR, the team

and Compton to cook. The weekends provided a chance for downhill skiing and for the fostering of Anglo-Norwe— gian relations, particular credit must go to Second Lieutenant Galloway for his efforts, and to Tpr Compton for his enthusiasm towards learning Norwe-

that many fireworks became ground based, producing spectacular crowd pleasing (and dispersing) results!

(Slalom and Giant Slalom) and a huge

in three different countries. With three veterans from the previous year, and excellent instruction from ex—Olympic

when it was the turn of Tprs Howard

The instruction received by all is first class and most progression is seen in the lower groups. The learning curve is very steep for novices requiring a great deal of effort and determination to participate in the more technical events

with only three runs being open, it allowed the lesser gifted amongst us to focus on our technique and Captain Lewis to wax lyrical about his favourite runs whilst working his ruddy complexion into something resembling a tan.

The package offered to those who train in Verbier is second to none. The first four weeks concentrate on improving skiing techniques in all snow conditions

before focusing on racing. Week five is pole training with a seeding Giant Slalom beginning the racing in week six.

out. For the uninitiated and those too scared to try, the Cresta is something to be ridiculed as a waste of time or derid— ed as nothing more than a “jolly” in the Swiss Alps. It is true that St Moritz is a considerably nicer place to be than down town Basra. The girls are prettier, or so we are told. For those that are true Cresta Riders, those that have put their faith into steel runners and carbon fibre chassis (weighted with lead, covered in foam and held together by duct tape) and travel at speeds in excess of 80mph with their faces 4 inches from the ice, the Cresta is a challenge every time you

This was another excellent season for Regimental Cresta. The season began in early January with an expeditionary week for Captain Lipman to prepare for the arrival ofthe Musical Ride who were to perform on the frozen lake. Captain WHAG Snook RHG/D arrived in plenty oftime to compete against Captain Lip» man in The Inter—Regimental Scots Guards Cup, kindly sponsored by Sir James Cayzer in memory of his brother who was killed in World War 11 whilst serving with the Scots Guards. Captain Snook inevitably beat Captain Lipman to gain second place behind Captain R Rous IG. The prize giving dinner that evening was hosted by Sir James Cayzer in The Palace Hotel where the Musical Ride found the Palace Guard for the night.

The final week of the military season saw ten members of the Musical Ride

take to the ice in Beginners’ School on the Cresta, courtesy oer Urs Swartzenbach. All ten achieved respectable times on their one run. Special note must be made oprr Pope LG who made it down to the charming village of Celerina in only 63 seconds. This quick time was in fact only 2 seconds slower than the Rid— ing Master, who was on his fifth run.

Thankfully, Captain RG Waygood LG was able to reduce his time to a respectable 56 seconds before he departed St Moritz. Good as it was, it was not enough to topple the Commanding Offi-

cer who remains King of the Castle with a time of 54 seconds recorded on his third ride last year.

The Inter Services was a very closely run competition in which the Navy led the Army team by 0.4 seconds through both the first and second courses, with the RAF third. There was a short delay

step in the Run.

Household Cavalry News 76

Household Cavalry News

77

between the second and third course during which an inch of snow fell on the Run, especially in the Upper Banks.

Fortunately, the Army team had previ— ously trained for snow riding and were able to take advantage of the tricky con-

Captain Harrison dedicated his time to help with the running ofthe Association that hosted a visiting American team from the East Coast Circuit. Major FoxPitt provided the back—bone for the CSPA teams during the Rundle Cup week in July playing in all four matches and winning three. Captain MPF Dol— lar RHG/D captained the Army team

ditions, eventually beating the Navy by just over 2 seconds. The RAF came a close third. The end of the race saw the Army win the Prince Phillip Trophy with Captain Snook finishing in third place and therefore placed in the Lord Trenchard Trophy.

Captain Lipman, who came a respectable eighth, was happy to have maintained consistent times throughout the race

against the Navy and Cornet B Vestey RHG/D captained a CSPA team on the RMA Sandhurt Charity Day. Unfortunately there were no overseas tours during the 2003 season; however at the time of writing Captain Harrison is busy organising a CSPA tour to Pak~ istan. The HCR will have a strong representation on the team with Captains Lewis, Dollar and Harrison all making the trip to Pakistan. The biannual tour

The Morgan Cup presented Captain

Lipman with his last opportunity to win Cresta Colours this year. But it was not to be and he left the course in style at Brabazon corner, dislocating four ribs in the process. He returned to London battered but not beaten, and with a good excuse to return in 2005. If at first you don’t succeed...

to the East Coast of the USA later in 2004 will also hopefully see HCR representation.

The future of Regimental polo finds itself in a strong position for the 2004 season and beyond. Both Major JRR Wheeler LG and Captain C Wren LG took advantage of the polo courses at Tidworth increasing the waning number of players in the Regiment. Cornet Vestey, recently out of Sandhurst, brings a wealth of talent and experience to the Regimental team and is by far the best player to be found in any of the three services at the moment. Unfortunately, Lt Col Cowen, Captains Harrison and Dollar are hanging up their boots due to commitments, and Captain Lewis will be absent from the team in 2004 as he leaves for Sierra Leone in April.

Captains NP Harrison and RHA Lewis practising.

The Musical Ride were given the briefest of lessons before launching themselves

down the Cresta.

Golf 2003

By Captain R Hennessy-Walsh, formerly The Life Guards

Regimental Polo

by Captain RHA Lewis, The Blues and Royals he 2003 Polo Season saw mixed success for the Regimental Polo Team.

The Regiment entered two teams in the Inter Regimental Polo Tournament and a single team in the Captains and Subal— terns. Unfortunately both HCR teams were knocked out of the Inter Regimen-

tal; HCR l by RMA Sandhurst, the eventual winners, in the semi final and HCR 2 (generously supported by Martin Young an old Blue & Royal) by the KRH in the first round. Success was however forthcoming in the Captains and Subal-

Captain RHA Lewis RHG/D played most of his polo during the season for Typhoo, a civilian team based at Guards.

The team was successful in two domestic tournaments and reached the final in two further tournaments. Captain NP Harrison RHG/D also played part in the Typhoo team as well as Barbour HCR. Major AJL Fox—Pitt LG continued to have a full programme whilst working at

The Urban Operation Wing LWC and

played for numerous teams in tournaments both at Tidworth and other clubs around the country. He also continued his support to the Tidworth coaching

his has been a diverse year of golf with people freezing in Myrtle Beach in January and boiling in UK in August. The Gulf War obviously had an effect on the Regiment but those who remained in UK still found time to get out and hit that ball.

staff, teaching polo to many beginners both military and civilian throughout the season.

Household Cavalry players were a major part of Combined Services Polo Association teams throughout the 2003 season.

terns with The Regiment beating the

The Household Division Championships Held on a gloriously sunny day in March at Worplesdon. The course was not in good condition and it is a great credit to the Household Cavalry, who provide a high proportion of the entry, to score so well. Some of the results are as follows:

The Colonel-in-Chief’s Cup The ‘A’ team received a bye in the first round by virtue of the seeding system and being the current holders of the Cup. This allowed us to play a few holes before lunch and keep an eye on the ‘B’ Team playing against IG ‘A’. Sadly they lost 8 down, had a nice lunch, and then went out for a game amongst themselves. The A’ Team played IG ‘B’ in the afternoon winning 4 Up after playing against some very low handicappers.

Once again, as with the Household Division Championships, the course was not in good condition.

The semi finals were played on a beauti— ful day in September with the ‘A’ Team having a fairly straightforward win against Coldm ‘B’. The late pull out of Lt Col George Evans, for medical reasons, was sad but unavoidable and W01 Kibble ably replaced him. So the final saw us yet again playing against a strong Scots Gds team many of whom were serving lads. It was a nail—biting affair with the Household Cavalry losing by just 1 hole. And so to 2004....

Semi final scores: Hennessy-Walsh/Kibble Sibley/Dunkley Flynn/Wheeler

4 Up 2 Down 4 Up

KRH in the final. What made the suc-

cess all the more pleasing was seeing Singles Scratch: 2nd Captain Hennessy-Walsh 3rd Mr T Mills

three members of the Regiment, Captain I de St John Price RHG/D, Lieutenants T Armitage LG and T Edwards LG, all playing for the Regiment for the first

Handicap Foursomes:

time and being part ofa successful team.

lst WOl L Kibble/CoH A Short 4th Lt Col Sibley/Captain Hennessy» Walsh

Our sincere thanks must go to Barbour who continued their support to the Reg— iment this year sponsoring a low goal

Mr Gilbey and Mr Mills had the best score from the combined handicap 28 and over category.

team run by Lieutenant Colonel SH Cowen RHG/D. Most members of The Regiment benefited from this support

playing in the Barbour HCR team, which competed in most of the low goal

W01 Kibble and CoH Short won the Captain’s Team Competition (a serving pair) thus keeping the trophies within the Household Cavalry.

domestic competitions at the Guards Polo Club as well as at other clubs,

notably Tidworth and Ansty Polo Clubs Where the team achieved wins in com—

petitive tournaments.

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.

1‘.¢'

The Colonel in Chiefs Cup team. back. WOl Kibble. Mr Brinkley, Lt Col Sibley. tront-Tpt Ma/or Wheeler Capt Hennesy-Walsh. Mr Flynn.

HA Lewis all RHD/D in the pony lines.

Household Cavalry News

78

Household Cavalry News

79

Final: Hennessy—Walsh/Kibble

6 Down

Wheeler/Flynn Sibley/Dunkley

6 Up 1 Down

Sunningdale

by entertaining the Household Cavalry to an enjoyable afternoon‘s golf. We lost 341 points against our 297 but made up for it with a long supper afterwards.

News From The Associations

The Household Cavalry Golf Day

As in previous years we have been fortunate enough to play at Sunningdale twice; April and September. The April fixture was bitterly cold but a bright sunny day. Not surprisingly we lost 178 to our 154 points. Supper was enjoyable as always. Frustratingly the September fixture did not see the tables reversed losing again 187 to 165. It was nice that there were some players who had not gone around Sunningdale before.

Swinley Forest

The Royal Household Golf Club once again played host to the annual Household Cavalry Golf Day. This year there was a full field of 36 serving members and guests. It was a gloriously sunny day and after months ofdry weather the fairways were hard and the greens hard— er still.

The morning was devoted to a fttn 3— club foursomes pairs format that was won by LCpls Ainsley and Bassett with 33 points.

Played in May on the most glorious day

with the intoxicating smell of azaleas following us all around the course. We fielded a lO—man side — two pulling out at the last minute. We only won 1 ofthe 5 matches and so Swinley retain the [to phy. Lawson Bingham arranged supper and a raffle providing prizes to all and

sundry even if they didn‘t want them!

Wimbledon Common Golf Club

Once again Wimbledon Common Golf Club reciprocated our lunch invitation

The main competition, singles stableford, followed after lunch and was won

by LCpl Holmes with 45 points off a decidedly dodgy 24 handicap. CsoH Tennant and Short were 2nd and 3rd with 44 and 40 points respectively.

Prize giving followed in the WOs’ & NCOs’ Mess afterwards when Major Griffin made the presentations. He paid tribute to the wonderful support that Mellon Bank once again provided and in recognition of that presented Mr

The Life Guards Association

Annual Report 2003 Patron Her Majesty The Queen President General the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE Capt Hennessy Walsh receiv/ng the Co/one/i fn—Ch/ef’s competition Runners Up Trophy from Bngac/I'er EU Heywaro’, President of the

Trustees of The Life Guards Charitable Trust Colonel WSG Doughty Major JDA Gaselee Major AJL Fox-Pitt Captain LD Stratford MBE CD Watson Esq

Guards Golfing Soc/91y.

Mike Anderson, Senior Vice President, with a Mounted Household Cavalryman for their new offices in the City.

Committee The Champion Golfer Trophy was presented to LCpl Holmes.

Chairman: Colonel WSG Doughty Vice Chairman: Major JDA Gaselee

LCoH Hughes was awarded with “Competitor of the Day” to mark his rapid progress in the game after only 7 months playing.

Vice Chairman: Major AJL Fox-Pitt Honorary Treasurer: Captain LD Stratford MBE Honorary Secretary: Captain R Hennessy-Walsh

Serving Members Major JS Holbrook Captain WR Lindsay Captain AR Tate Captain MEW Kingston MBE Captain JP Core W02 (RQMC) DS Carter W02 D O’Connor W02 (SCM) DA Rees WOZ (SCM) D Stevenson WOZ (SCM) NM Stewart

Non Serving Members Lieutenant Colonel Sir Seymour Gilbart»Denham KCVO Major NE Hearson OBE JP DL Captain AM Cherrington Captain WAB Henderson Mr CE Dean RVM Mr D Johnson Mr NW Taylor RVM Mr LK Thomas Mr CD Watson Mr AC Etches

Minutes of the 69th Annual General Meeting of The Life Guards Association Held at Windsor on Saturday 14th June 2003 The Chairman, Lieutenant Colonel MC van der Lande OBE, opened the meeting at 1800 hours by welcoming everyone and in particular to Colonel WSG Doughty who had kindly agreed to be the next Chairman. He said that it had been a busy year for the Household Cav~ alry and that The Life Guards had played their part fully.

The Minutes of the 68th Annual General Meeting were published in the current edition of the Household Cavalry Journal. It was proposed by Mr Dean and seconded by Major Lawrence that they were a true record of the proceedings.

The Honorary Treasurer‘s Report

,4!

Major JR Whee/e/ LG and CoH Hughes represent/no the RAC Squash Team.

80

Household Cavalry News

The accounts remain in a very healthy state but there is a need for us to look into ways of increasing our revenue.

The Life Guards Association Fund, as opposed to the Combined Fund, barely keeps in the black due to the ever increasing administration charges, postage, the annual dinner and in particular the cost ofthe Journal. This year the Journal has cost The Life Guards Association £8300.

Members are extremely generous with their donations when ordering Christmas Cards and Dinner tickets and the profit from the sale ofthe Jubilee mug was most helpful — but more needs to be done.

The Chairman has set up a sub committee to research ways of increasing income and the Association Committee will be discussing those recommendations at their meeting in July.

The Honorary Treasurer expressed a view that we should follow the lead set

by the Dorset branch of the Household Cavalry Association and request members to take out a Standing Order 0f£S to £10 per year which would more than cover our needs for the foreseeable future.

It was generally agreed by the AGM that it was a good idea for the Committee to review its methods of increasing revenue. The report was proposed by Major Griffin and seconded by Mr Hitchman.

The Honorary Secretary’s Report The Honorary Secretary began by giving apologies from the following Area Representatives: Messrs Sayers, Prynne, Smith, Turtle, Gook and Pattinson. He continued that it had been yet another busy year for the Home Headquarters.

Broadband telephone lines have now been installed at Headquarters House-

News front the Associations

81

hold Cavalry — Horse Guards — and Home Headquarters in Windsor and the integration of the two databases, by vir— tual private network, is now complete.

Your Committee continue to hold quar— terly meeting to review policy matters and to confirm the decisions made by the financial sub committee.

There has been a slight drop in membership during the year from 2301 last year to 2281 now. Membership of the Household Cavalry Bulletin Board now stands at almost 400 although only a small percentage of that number con— tribute with any regularity.

The Honorary Secretary’s Report was proposed by Mr Jewell and seconded by Mr Etches.

You may recall that I was asked at the last Annual General Meeting to provide an up to date address list for all of our Area Representatives. Because the Ministry of Defence are now being closely monitored by those who control the Data Protection Act this is not going to

be possible. This is not helpful but I’m afraid my hands are tied. Ways to over— come this problem by producing a list of only those members who have given their permission to have their names published will be investigated.

It is hoped a video recording of the recent Presentation of Standards Parade will be available and details of this will be notified in due course.

I regret to announce that a further 14 of our members have passed away since the issue of the Journal.

He said that Stage 1 finance, by the Her~ itage Lottery Fund, had been agreed and

further funding would be subject to certain conditions being met. These concerned access, management and certain other commercial aspects. He concluded by saying that this move would be a great boon to the Household Cavalry.

Grant to BCEI. Regimental Magazine Combined Cavalry Association Grants Newsletter Annual Dinner Miscellaneous Expenses Bank

Election of Committee

In reply to a question about accommo~ daiion in the Barracks for future Annual Dinners Major Griffin explained that 2004 would see the first part of the rebuild programme for Combermere Barracks. With most of the Squadrons possibly being away it was likely that all accommodation blocks would be lev~ elled and rebuilt. Under the circumstances it may not be possible for accommodation to be guaranteed for a couple of years.

In accordance with normal custom the non—serving members of the Committee resign but they all offered themselves for re—election.

Major Griffin suggested that all Life Guard Squadron Leaders should be part

of the Committee and thus when they were elected as a Vice Chairman/Trustee they would have some knowledge of the workings of the Association. This was thought to be a very good idea.

The Chairman then briefed the Annual General Meeting on what D Squadron, commanded by Major Richard Taylor, LG had done during their time in the Gulf.

Any Other Business The Secretary was asked to investigate why leaflet “Discover your Heritage — Museums of the British Army” did not contain details of the Household Caval— ry Museum. It does under the ‘Southern England’ area rather than ‘South East and London Area’.

Bank Charges Bank Balance ((1 31 December Deposit Balance as at 31 December Liabilities Sundry Creditors

INVESTMENTS Investments at current value as at 1 Dec

The Chairman gave a brief outline ofthe situation regarding the Museum Appeal.

years.

70,174

527,247

505,201

NOTES ON THE ACCOUNTS l.

The Chairman then closed the Annual General Meeting by handing over the reins to Colonel WSG Doughty and thanked the Honorary Secretary, Hon— orary Treasurer and the Committee for their assistance over the previous two

83,005

Investments

Cost of shares held on 3lst December 2003:

£ 178,208

Market value of shares held on 31st December 2003:

£ 527,247

The share holdings on 31St December 2003: LG Charitable Trust: Sir Roger Palmer Fund: Helping Hand Fund:

58,903.94 1,081 4,308

THE LIFE GUARDS ASSOCIATION AND CHARITABLE TRUST Value per share on 3lst December 2003:

Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 3lst December 2003

£ 8.20

The Charitable Trust holds 1051 shares on behalf of the Regimental Funds of The Life Guards.

2003

Balances as at lst January

4235

INCOME Household Cavalry Central Charitable Trust (1 Day’s Pay) LG Association Helping Hand Fund/LG Charitable Trust Interest on Deposit Accounts/Bank Interest Dividends from United Services Trustee Grants from Army Benevolent Fund Grant from SAS Benevolent Fund Returned Grants

[heClzifiZléfdfirt/EESSMHtgomeriencmrrington is??? ris mas Jubilee/Standard Parade Mugs The Queen’s Jubilee Trust Kensington Bn Masonic Lodge Captain NP Hearson Total

EXPENDITURE Office Equipment/Misc Expenses

u itors ’ F ee $055486

10,000 2,822 100 1,418 14,620 5,670

Grants 18 grants were made during the year amounting to £20,050 and once again we thank The Army Benevolent FunthBF) and The Royal British Legion (TRBL), and other charities for their donations of£13,369 towards those grants. The annuities are still funded entirely by The Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) and 9 members and widows received birthday and Christmas gifts.

General

I am pleased to report that our investments have increased by £22,000 over the year and we have also invested a further £20,000 in COIF Deposit Fund.

133 2,018 330 2,000 1,000 83,005

I would particularly. like to thank the Kensington Bn Masonic Lodge for their very kind donation of £2,000 and also Captain Hearson for his generous donation of£1,000

SIGNED: CAPTAIN LD STRATFORD, MBE

HONORARY TREASURER

Secretary’s Honorarium Wreaths/Funeral Expenses

News from the Associations News from the Associations

The Life Guards Association Notices

The Life Guards Association Area Reprsentatives

Communication

The following 45 members have kindly agreed to act as Area Representatives. If you have a problem do not hesitate to contact them.

More representatives are requlred across the country. If you are keen to volunteer please register your interest with the Honorary Secretary.

Correspondence for the Association should be addressed to:

Mr BN ANGOVE Fergove Church Road

Mr WD ELSMORE 34 Barkby Road

Mr WA LOFTUS

Mr W SEWELL

2a High Nook Road

Long Itchington Southam

Syston Leicester LE7 2AF 0116 269 5794

Dinnington, Sheffield

11 Rowland Lane Thornton-cleveleys Blackpool Lancashire FY5 2QX

The Honorary Secretary The Life Guards Association Home Headquarters

Warwickshire CV47 9PR 01 926 812011

Household Cavalry Mr RG BARNES 1777 Preston Main Road

Mr K] FRAPE 2015 Cherry Laurel Drive

Windsor, Berkshire

Preston, Tasmania 7315

Columbia South Carolina 29204, USA

SL4 3DN

Australia

frpkth({l aol.c0m

Tel: 01753 755297 (with ansaphone)

rbarnestu southcom.com.au

or 755229 Facsimile: 755161

Mr D BARNFIELD 9 Wickridgc Close

E—Mail for Home HQ is: homethI‘ householdcavalry.co.uk E-Mail for Honorary Secretary is:

Gloucestershire GL5 1$T

13 Korotaha Terrace

Membership

Rothesay Bay Auckland 1311 New Zealand 00649 473 0556 1

Dl :0

Life Membership

the Association may become a Life Member on payment of £15 in the case of Officers and £5 in the case of Other Ranks.

necessary for him to impose a restriction on children accompanying their parents into the Mess unless they are aged 18 or over. Please also note that ladies should NOT attend until after the Dinner.

Regimental Items for Sale Various items with the Regimental Cipher are available from the Household Cavalry Museum at Combermere Barracks. An Order Form can be obtained

from the Curator on 01753 755112.

The Annual General Meeting The 70th Annual General Meeting will be held in Combermere Barracks, Wind— sor on Saturday 12th June 2004 commencing at 1800 hours.

The Annual Association Dinner The 69th Annual Dinner will be held in Combermere Barracks Windsor on Sat— urday 12th June 2004 commencing at 1900 hours. Dress: Lounge suits with medals (not miniatures). Colonel WSG Doughty will be in the Chair.Tickets will not be available at the door and must be obtained through the Honorary Secretary using the proforma enclosed with this Journal. Personal guests will

not be permitted to attend. The Regimental Corporal Major will offer the

hospitality of the WOs’ and NCOs’ Mess to all Association members and their wives after the Dinner. It is however

Christmas Cards Details of the 2004 Christmas card will be announced, as always, in the Newsletter issued in August each year.

In View of the large demand on them members are advised to submit their orders as soon as they receive the order form which will be included with the Newsletter.

The Life Guards Band Comrades Association Any ex member of The Life Guards Band who would like to keep in touch with their contemporaries are urged to contact the Honorary Secretary of the above Association.

A social is held annually and a newsletter is circulated through Home Headquarters, Household Cavalry at Combermere Barracks.

Internet Matters Sites worth visiting are: www.householdcavalry.co.uk which has an Old Comrades Bulletin Board with forums for both Life Guards and Blues and Royals to enter into discussion and a photograph forum.

..

3H:‘J

"has

www.theoldoaktree.net is a very good site run by former TQ Pete Jordan and also includes, amongst many other attractions, a stimulating message board.

Mr P BLAKE 24 Dean Court Copley, Halifax West Yorkshire HX3 OUX

Stourport On Severn

Worcestershire DY13 8XR 01 299 823882

01 362 860928

Mr KH SPRIGG

Mr BE PAGE

9 Clarence Court Station Hill, Maesteg Mid Glamorgan CF34 9AE

Mr A GOOK 17 Moorland Close Mousehold Lane 01 603 484336

19 Parsons Avenue Stoke Gifford,

Mr WH GRAHAM

Bristol BS34 8PN 0117 975 9721

Notification of changes to E—mail addresses is now becoming as important as changes to your postal address. Please keep us informed (by E—mail!) of those changes.

33 Linden Close Huntington

York Y032 9RQ 01 904 766870

Major TW BRIDGES TD

02 392 385806 bill_hendersoth uk.ibm.com Mr GH HITCHMAN

Mr N CLARKSON Calder Park, Calderbridge Seascale Cumbria CA20 1DN 01 946 823404

27 Apple Tree Road Alderholt Fordingbridge

07855 590882 Mr DA TURTLE 15 The Croft

Mr D PATTINSON The Spinney Pelutho, Silloth Wigton

Cumbria CA7 4LT 01 697 332328

Mr RE JEWELL

Beckingham, Doncaster Yorkshire DNlO 4QW

01 427 848551 Mr DH UNDERWOOD Ingledene Beesfleld Lane, Farningham

Mr PS POTTS Wisteria House

Kent DA4 082 01 322 866334

South Eau Bank Gedney Hill, Spalding

dubigdly aol.com

Lincolnshire PE12 OQL 01 945 700199 psth et-idicom

Mr DH VALLANCE 5 Highfield Drive Garforth Leeds

Mr LE PRITCHARD

West Yorkshire L525 1JY 0113 286 462181 fax

4 Hethersett Walk Bucknall, Stoke On Trent

Mr GP WARREN

Dorset SP6 313W

Cornerways, Old Catnon Hill

Mr R] COBB 107 High Street

Carnon Downs, Truro

Neyland, Milford Haven

01 872 863877

As in 2003 (for the first time) Old Comrades who have E-mail addresses will be able to read the Annual Newsletter on— line. Please advise the Honorary Secretary if you do not wish this to happen.

Several members in 2003 did not get the newsletter notification because they failed to notify a change in their e-mail

Dyfed SA73 1TR 01 646 602084

rejewellt’tl hotmailcom

address. This meant they did not get the

Mr] COOPER 40 Rockcliffe Road

Mr RBM JONES Mr GS COLEMAN 12 Wild Avenue Reynella 5161

South Australia

Staffordshire ST2 OPN 01 782 208615

Cornwall TR3 6LE

Newsletter

5 Northmoor Way Wareham

Dorset BH20 4RY 01 929 552304

leonardernestpritchardt1} ntl— world.com

7 Victoria Place, Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6JP

01 395 443375 Mr CD WATSON 2 Steenwood Cottages Steenwood Lane

Mr AT PRYNNE 15 Daffodil Wood Builth Wells Powys LD2 3LE

Admaston Rugeley Staffordshire WS15 3NQ

01 982 552296

01 889 500656

gscolemath ozemail.com.au clivedwatul btopenworldcom

Christmas Card/mug order form.

Linthorpe, Middlesbrough

Area Rep’s Address List

Mr MPG SOUTHERTON 5 Woodbury Road

Norwich NR7 8HD

190 Highbury Grove Cosham Portsmouth Hampshire PO6 2RU

E-Mail Addresses

stu.smith(u btinternet.c0m

Bronze Lodger Nursery Close, Gressenhall Dereham, Norfolk NR20 4TH

01 524 751572

Captain WAB HENDERSON

Alfriston Polegate Sussex BN26 5X8 01 323 870718

01 382 562554

Lancaster LA2 OBY

01 422 351561

Downlands, The Furlongs

594 Perth Road Ninewells Dundee Angus DD2 lQA

Mr MR MITCHESON

jkjbelltu xtra.co.nz Major Hearson being presented with his OBE with 5 ex Life Guards.

L to R: Yeoman John Lloyd Divisional Sergreant Major Newlle Taylor RVM Norman Hearson OBE JP DL, Yeoman Tom Lee. Yeoman Paul Richards MBE and Yeoman Bill Henderson.

”Meadowside", Lees Lane Mottram St Andrew, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4LQ

01 625 829197

01 453 763218 Mr] BELL

Mr S SMITH Mr JW MAXWELL JP

Mr SG GEORGE 3 Pennine Court Tithebarn Hill Glasson Dock

Uplands Stroud

dhwalshi’g householdcavalry.co.uk

In accordance with Rule 4 of the Rules of Membership any Annual Member of

01 253 826577

loftusaliveql aollcom

Combermere Barracks

All members of the Association are requested to introduce the Association to all those eligible for membership under Rule 2 of the Rules of Member— ship.

Yorkshire $25 2PH 01 909 518405

angovebryanttt aol.c0m

Cleveland T35 5DN 01 642 822729

Mr M KNIGHT 37 St Helens Road Abcrgavenny Gwent NP7 5YA 01 873 854460

Mr AW ROWLINSON 21 Gadlas Road Mr LG WEEKES Llysfaen, Colwyn Bay Conwy L129 8td

S Abbots Wood, Headington

01 492 514805

Oxford OX3 8TR 01 865 451318 lenweekest hotmail.com

The Honorary Secretary is conducting an exercise asking the membership whether they object to being added to an address list which in turn is to be passed to all Area Representatives. This will allow those representatives a much clearer picture of members in their area.

It is hoped that by the time you read this the exercise is complete and the address list has been issued to all Area Representatives.

Mr M] CREAGH "casa Mariposa", Rambla Los Pardos Los Lanos De Taberno 04692 Almeria, Spain

Mr 0R LEVET BEM

Mr DI SAVAGE

13 New Road Oundle, Pcterborough

47 Park Lane

Mr DAS WILLIAMS

Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 1LN 01 249 660149

68 Allen Water Drive Fordingbridge Hampshire SP6 IRE

davidiisavageul1mco.com

01 425 652670

Mr D SAYERS BEM

Mr L] YOUNG 1 Priory Gardens Friernhay Street Exeter Devon EX4 3AP

01 392 215768

+34 66000 1793

Cambridgeshire PE8 4LB 01 832 273017

Mr G CUTHBERTSON

Mr PP LEWIS MBE

Northumberland NE30 4QP

1 Bourton Close West Hunsbury Northampton NN4 9YT

0191 2902835

01 604 470017

35 Grange Road Belmont Durham DH1 lAL

plmkcbxtu aolcom

0191 386 6912

cuthytri ldovefreescrvecouk

1 Dove Row

North Shields

News from the Associations News from the Associations

The Blues 8: Royals Association

Income 8: Expenditure account for the year ended 31 December 2003 2003

Annual Report 2003 President

HRH The Princess Royal KG KT GCVO QSO

Chairman

Brigadier AH Parker Bowles OBE

Hon Secretary

Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) SF Sibley MBE

Hon Treasurer

Major (Retd) JG Handley

Hon Legal Advisor

Major (Retd) AT Lawson—Cruttenden TD MA

INCOME One Days Pay Scheme Dividends from Investments Interest on Deposits Subscriptions 8: Donations Annual Dinner Christmas Cards Grant Refunds Adjustments 81 refunds Accommodation fees Army Benevolent Fund Book sales Postage Mug sales Total Income

2002

10,000 18,204 1,712 1,783 3,419 4,598 3

10,000 21,667 1,614 1,790 4,290 3,115 337 4 316 624 25

554 44,336

EXPENDITURE Grants in aid Wreaths 81 Funerals Postage Annual Dinner Christmas cards Regimental Magazine Office Admin costs Honoraria

2002

2003

8,508 818 1,708 5,755 1,760 7,699 269 4,640

15,400 1,287 1,545 4,056 1,979 8,179 570 4,640

Adjustments & refunds

6

Travel Expenses Coach hire Cavalry Sunday

45 730

107

600

Mugs purchased 31,938

Total Expenditure

38,363

Committee Members Mr FG Collingwood

Capt (Retd) Yates Mr HW Hunter Mr WR MacDougall Mr I MacKenzie

Mr D Ellis Lt Col (Retd) WR Marsh Mr AG France Mr KC Hughes

Mr Mr Mr Mr Mr

Mr CE Mogg

M Pinks NG Sergeant WR Steel M] Twinn PT Wilson

All serving Warrant Officers of The Blues and Royals

During the past year the Association has continued to maintain its aims and objectives as laid down in the Constitu— tion and Rules. Specifically, the sum of £15,400 has been distributed from funds to applications for assistance from a total of 45 cases dealt with by the committee.

The Annual Dinner was held at Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge on 10th May 2003, with 243 members attending.

The Annual General Meeting was held prior to the Dinner, and the minutes of

this meeting are set out in the following pages together with the financial state— ment for the year ending 31 December 2003. This report is also published as

part of the Annual regimental magazine - the Household Cavalry Journal.

Changes of Committee members Under Rule 12 of the Constitution & Rules, Major (Retd) BW Lane retired from the committee at the AGM.

Summary of Financial assistance given during the year

Applications received Grants / Donations made

45 34

Applications referred

to other funds

21

Application where no grant was made

11

Grant assistance from the Army Benevolent & other Funds

£2,129

Reasons for assistance The following is a summary of the main

purposes for which grants / donations

were made during the past year. Sums involved ranged from £50 to £750:00.

Rent arrears, Utility Bills, Debt relief.

Home repairs / Improvements Removals /' Relocation expenses Aids to disabled living Clothing & Necessaries Medical expenses Household necessaries etc Adventurous & other training grants

Other

t—‘LIIO\O>—‘O\kll-J>O\

Aims & Objects

Expenditure Expenditure for the period totalled £38,363.

Administrative costs were £6,755 expended as follows:

CASH & BANK Balances at 31 December Cash in hand Current & Deposit accounts Sundry Debtors

NOTES ON THE ACCOUNTS

STOCK ON HAND

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Regimental Histories Mugs

I have examined the Balance Sheet and the Income & Expenditure accounts and report that, in my opinion, these accounts give a true and fair view of the Association’s affairs as at 31 December 2003 and the excess of income over expenditure for the year ended on that date.

LIABILITIES Sundry Creditors Total Fund Value Investments value as at 30.09.03

Stationery, office necessaries, telephone, travel costs: Postage Staff Pay

1 The investments made on behalf of the Association are part of the Household Cavalry Common Investment Fund and cur— The market rently stand at 27.5 % of the total fund value. value of this portion is £505,381as at 30 September 2003

84,549

81,685

505,381

472,869

AT LAWSON — CRUTTENDEN TD MA Solicitor Advocate 10—11 Greys Inn Square, LONDON. WClR 5JD

The Blues and Royals Association Minutes of the 35th Annual General Meeting Held at Hyde Park Barracks on Saturday 10th May 2003

The committee would like to express their gratitude to the volunteer caseworkers of SSAFA Forces Help and The Royal British Legion who, on our behalf, investigate applications for assistance and submit detailed reports in support of applicants, and to the Army Benevolent Fund and others who assisted with grants during the year.

Income to the Association Income to the Association in the period was, £42,814 of which £11,783 was either contributed by serving officers and sol— diers under the ‘ One Days Pay Scheme’ or received from membership subscrip» tions and donations.

Investment income for the period was £18,204, which was a decrease of £3,463 from the previous accounting period. Interest on Bank deposits was £1,712 an increase of £98 over the previous period. The list

of those making donations being too long to list here, the committee would like to take this opportunity to express their appreciation of the generosity shown during the year.

Opening Remarks

Points Arising

The Accounts

The Chairman opened the Meeting at 1830 hrs and welcomed those attending.

He informed the Meeting that he had received apologies from the President, The Princess Royal, and deputy President, the Duke of Wellington, both of whom were unable to attend due to their very busy schedules.

The Honorary Secretary informed the Meeting that the address list that had been proposed was disadvantaged through cost and distribution; however, he said he would explore other ways of producing the address list if we are allowed to do so under the terms of the Data Protection Act. He will report at the next Committee Meeting.

The accounts have also been published in the Household Cavalry Journal as part of the Annual Report; it was pro— posed by Mr Mogg and seconded by Mr Davies that they be approved. Carried.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting/Annual Report The Chairman stated that the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting for 2002 were as published in the Household Cavalry Journal being part of the Association Annual Report, which had been dispatched to all Association Members.

It was then proposed by Mr Mackenzie and seconded by Mr Ellis that the minutes be passed as a true record. This proposal was carried.

The sale of cards last year was excellent and the Chairman pointed out that the card for this year, which appeared in the Daily Mail, will be more successful than last year’s.

The Chairman addressed the Meeting on the subject of regimental ties and informed those present that the Tesco tie was now under control but other organ— isations were using similar ties to ours and not much could be done about it

Any Other Business Lieutenant Colonel Cowen, Command— ing Officer Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, informed the Meeting that there would be a short memorial service for those that were lost in the Hyde Park bombing 1982. This service will take place after the Combined Cavalry Memorial Service.

The Chairman reminded the Meeting that the Presentation of Standards and

Guidon will take place on the let May 2003 and he would like to see as many Association Members as possible in

News from the Associations News from the Associations

attendance; he reminded the Meeting that there were still lunch tickets available.

There being no further business to discuss the Meeting closed at 1851 hrs.

Other Business

Household Cavalry Museum

The Annual Dinner Lieutenant Colonel Cowen, Command»

The

ing Officer Household Cavalry Mounted

Notices

Regiment, updated the Meeting on the casualties that the Regiment had sus— tained during the Gulf War. The Chair— man went on to say, and publicly thank, The Life Guards Association and the Household Cavalry Central Charitable Fund who have indicated that they would like to contribute to any welfare costs that cannot be met from public funds for the families of those who have suffered from deaths or injuries.

Blues

and

Royals

Association

Staff: Lt Col (Retd) SF Sibley MBE (formerly RHG/D), Mr KC Hughes (formerly RHG/D) The 36th Annual Dinner will be held at Combermere Barracks, Windsor on Saturday 8th May 2004 at 1900 hrs. Dress: Lounge Suits, no Medals. Tickets will not be available at the door and must be obtained via Home Headquarters. Tick— ets are restricted to members of the Association and only official guests will be permitted. To assist with security, Members are asked to provide some form of identity on entering barracks.

Ladies may not attend the Dinner, but are welcome in the Mess afterwards by kind permission of the RCM.

All correspondence should be addressed to: The Honorary Secretary The Blues and Royals Association Home HQ Household Cavalry Combermere Barracks Windsor Berkshire SL4 3DN Annual General Meeting

The Chairman informed the meeting that Major Brian Lane had retired from the Committee and, on behalf of all members, thanked him for his loyal contribution to The Blues and Royals Association and, in particular, his work on the National Arboretum Project.

Major Lane has served on the Committee since 1997.

The 36th Annual General Meeting will be held at Combermere Barracks, Windsor on 8th May 2004 commencing at 1800 hrs. The Agenda for the meeting is set out below. Members wishing to put a resolution to the meeting should write to the Honorary Secretary at least six

weeks beforehand.

Mr Collingwood asked the Chairman if AGENDA the names of those who had lost their lives in the Gulf War would be added to the Memorial in Combermere Barracks and if those names that were missing would be added. The Chairman assured Mr Collingwood and the Meeting that this action would be taken in due

course.

Notification Members are kindly requested to notify the Association office of any change of contact details as soon as possible in order that they may continue to receive communications from the Association, in particular the Household Cavalry Journal.

Minutes of the previous meeting The Accounts for the period ending 31 December 2003 Election of Committee members

The Museum The Museum move to Horse Guards is just entering stage 2 of Heritage Lottery Funding and is still on target for a spring 2005 opening date. A separate article in the magazine will bring all our readers up to date with the current situation.

The Museum in Windsor spends most of its time supporting the proposed move to Horse Guards as well as carrying out its normal day to day routine of dealing with visitors, enquiries from the public and shop sales. Enquiries from the public, through the mailing and emailing system, have now become a full time job and, thanks to the tenacity and dedication of Chris Hughes, a very large percentage of all enquiries reach a satisfactory conclusion; no dissenters so far.

As reported in last year’s Journal, the Museum was taking part in two large exhibitions, one called Anthem for Doomed Youth at the Imperial War Museum, London and the other called All The Queen’s Horses, which was held in the International Museum of the Horse, Kentucky Horse Park, USA. I am happy to report that both exhibitions were extremely successful and all the loaned artefacts have now been returned safe and sound.

Blues and Royals Area Representatives Mr CJQ Barrett

Mr CD Day

61 Dan-Y—Cribyn Ynysybwl PONTYPRIDD

Flat 12 Raglan Court

Rhondda,C_vnon,

Taff CF37 3ET Tel No: 01443 791987 E-mail: christopherbarrett m lineone. net

11 Winn Road SOUTHAMPTON $017 IWU Tel No: 02380 550128

Mr JD Bradley Blenheim Butt Park

Stokenham KINGSBRIDGE

Mr] Singer 49 Bradwall Road

Wheatley Hills

SANDBACH Cheshire CW1 1 lGH Tel No: 01270 759358

DONCASTER DNZSND Tel No: 01302 322757 dmmilestu blueyonder.co.uk

Mr GG Hodges

The Oaklands Edgerley

Major DS Barrington-Brown Cockleford Mill Cowley CHELTENHAM Gloucestershire GL53 9NW Tel No: 01242 870266

Mr DM Miles 22 Hillcrest Road

OSWESTRY Shropshire

SY1 0 SEN Tel No: 0 1743 741365

Mr CE Mogg 6 Brynffrwd Close Coychurch BRIDGEND

Mr PD Spencer 9 Buttermere Close NORTHAMPTON NN3ZBG Tel No: 01604 784582

Mid Glamorgan

CF35 SEP Tel No: 01656 668590

Mr DW Swain “Forestside”

Mr D Horsefield 4 Garden Croft

E-mail: colintil cemogg.co.uk

Horsted Lane Isfield

Forest Hall

Mr B] Pyke

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE12 9LT Tel No: 01912 665440 davidtrl horsefield4306rfreeserve.co.uk

52 Cavendish Gardens

UCKFIELD TN22 5TU Tel No: 01825 750478

Beechdale Estate

WALSALL West Midlands

Devon TQ7 ZSH

Mr E Marchington

WSZ 7JN Tel No: 01922 639562

Tel No: 01548 580104

39 Propps Hall Drive Failsworth

E-mail: bipyk<u aol.com

Major JW Clayton Cockmylayne Cottage

MANCHESTER M35 OWB

KIRKNEWTON West Lothian EH27 8DQ Tel No: 01506 883412

Tel No: 01616 816712

Mr NG Sargeant 62 Hopgarden Road TONBRIDGE

E-mail: claudetrr cockmylane.com

The Rev AV Vaughan-Roberts 3624 East Liberty Av Spokane

The Museum shop continues to flourish, although it is becoming much harder to cope because ofthe increase in the activities as mentioned above, but we now have a volunteer to help us run the shop, Mr Trevor Collett, who I’m sure many of you will remember from his service days with The Blues and Royals. We are extremely grateful for his support and time; this means that we can now explore some of the methods within the shop that you all would like to see i.e. producing a catalogue and accepting payments by credit/Debit cards. This will be put to the Museum’s Trustees in the April Meeting and, if agreed, will be implemented as quickly as possible.

Medal Group including MM+bar Awarded to Cpl S Burnard, Royal Dragoons. presented to the Museum by his brother Mr C Burnard.

Medal group including MM + Bar Awarded to Cpl S Burnard, Royal Dragoons Mr C Bumard

Memorabilia SCM Putman South Africa A Putman

Queens South Africa Medal awarded to: Tpr Fisher (completes group previously donated) Mrs M Sprott

Widow of Capt MH Morgan, Royal Dragoons Mrs WS Morgan

Medal group & memorabilia of: IF Richardson LG Mr G Richardson & Mr M Evans Household Battalion badges Shoulder flashes etc DrAM Haints Medal group SCM W Stanley LG Set of silver spoons (shooting prizes) Mrs EV Stanley Memorabilia Cpl Bishop Mrs M Booker Memorabilia Albert Miller Mrs I Miller

Cheque for £250 from estate of:

Memorabilia PW] Pilbeam LG Mrs G Pilbeam 2x caricatures of Capt H Webb Royal Dragoons & 1x acknowledgement letter from: King George V re death of Capt Webb Mrs j‘ Webb Personal diary of Leonard Grice

Boer War 1899 — 1900 & typed transcript of original handwritten diary Mr R Grice Donors names shown in italics.

The following items have been acquired by the Museum over the last year: Acquisition

WA 99217, 6960 USA Email: rts-alanGI msn.com

Munnings Drum Horse Print

Paul/l Birkbeck Mr E] Woodman

Kent

48 Western Drive SHEPPERTON

TN 10 4QT Tel No: 01732 355259

TW178HW

Middlcsex Tel No: 01 932 240495

2x Prints: 1x Royal Dragoons Tercente— nary Parade, London 1961 1x 20 Armour Brigade, Sennelager 1965 C0178 Evans

Hard to believe that they went undetected for eighteen years, L8 8 GCs presented by Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templar 7976 at Detmoid. Name all nine for a star prize.

News from the Associations News from the Associations

Obituaries The Life Guards It is with much regret the Honorary Secretary announces the death ofthe following Old Comrades.

The Life Guards Association offer their sincere condolences to all members oftheirfizmilies. May they Rest in Peace.

296814 Cpl JB Brown Served from 18 June 1943 until 14 March 1952

Died 7 February 2003 aged 77 years

6203200 W02 FD Melville Served from 1938 to 3 October 1962 Died 27 April 2003 aged 82 years

Major EJRMP De Lisle RHG Served from 1 Jul 1950 until 31 Dec 1962 Died 13 Apr 2003 aged 72 years

2396236 Tpr CR Edwards RHG/D Served from 28 Jul 64 until 21 Oct 70 Died 28 Jul 2002 aged 55 yrs

Capt Sir Peter Walker-Okeover Bt RHG/D Served from 1968 until 1977 Died 6 Nov 2003 aged 56 years

14322762 Cle Postlethwaite 1RD Served front 20 Oct 1944 until 13 Aug 1947 Died 19 Apr 2003 aged 79 years

7955710 Tpr PMW Armitage 1RD

305600 W02 AAJ Duck RHG

Served from 1 May 42 until 30 Nov 46

Served from 15 Jul 1940 until 14 Jul 1962 Died 9 Nov 2003 aged 82 years

Died 9 Aug 2003 aged 81 years

19177717 LCle Balderson RHG Served from 5JL1t1 1947 until 14Jun 1969 Died 26 Apr 2003 aged 74 years

306567 SQMC A McLachlan-Kitchen RHG/D Served from 5 Jan 1945 until 5 Jul 1981

Died 17 Aug 2003 aged 76 years

22556026 TprJ Knapper RHG Served from 14 Jul 1952 until 13 Jul 1955 Died 19 Nov 2003 aged 59 years

23215305 Tpr BJ Paul RHG

5575968 Tpr RE Buckley RHG

Served from 20 November 1958 until 3 July

24263340 Tpr MP Pritchard RHG/D Served from 1973 until 1978

1961

Died 2 May 2003 aged 46 years

Served from 1 Apr 1956 until 31 Dec 1961 Died 4 Sep 2003 aged 75 years

Served 12 Aug 1940 until 19 May 1946 Died 2 Dec 2003 aged 80 years

22371965 W02 (SCM) R Acton RHG/D Served from 1 Jan 1950 until 31 Dec 1974 Died 7 Sep 2003 aged 71 years

305190 Tpr TD Lightbown RHG

22268974 Tpr F Ashley 1RD

22205028 Cpl NN Palmer DL RHG/D Served from 1948 until 1970

23215889 Tpr T Shelley

Died April 2003 aged 62 years 22556701 CoH W Johnson

328872 CoH CR Hyde

Served from 24 April 1954 until 23 May 1976

Served from 15 February 1940 until 26 July 1946 Died 11 May 2003 aged 83 years

Died 28 February 2003 aged 67 years

294687 CoH FE Perks 294840 CoH WB Sheppard MBE Served from 23 March 1930 until 31 December 1937 Died 26 February 2003 aged 91 years

22140843 Tpr R0 Pascall 1RD Served from 10 May 1949 until 25 May 1951

295981 CoH WB Casson Served from 1941 until 1947

Died 2 Jun 2003 aged 72 years

Died 12 October 2003 age unknown

Served from 28 January 1928 to 3 December

1953 Died 8 May 2003 aged 89 years

24239271 Tpr SP Mahon

484015 Colonel PB Rogers RHG/D Served from 1967 until 2001 Died 6 Jul 2003 aged 57 years

6140799 Tpr GH Boswell RHG Died 11 October 2003 aged 49 years Served from 13 January 1946 until 14 May 1953

Served from 14 August 1945 until 12 March 1948

Died 3 June 2003 aged 74 years

Died circa 2003 aged 72 years

Served from 1972 to 1975 Served from 15 Mar 1937 until 29 Apr 1946 Died 16 Jul 2002 aged 85 years

296693 LCpl K] Smith 14470918 Cpl REL Crowdy

Served from 11 Jul 1949 until 10 Jul 1954 Died 24 Aug 2002 aged 74 years

Served 1 June 1936 until 30 Nov 1945 Died 7 Dec 2003 aged 90 years

305083 Tpr LD Freeman RHG Served from 1 Jan 1934 until 31 Mar 1946

21026330 LCpl NJ Buckingham RHG

Died 20 Oct 2003 aged 88 years

Died Circa 2003 aged 72 years aprox

Served from 1 Aug 1947 until 30 Sep 1949

296794 Tpr K Appleby

Served from 28 April 1947 until 7 April 1950 Died 2 March 2003 aged 75 years.

420839 MaiorR Fergusofl

2Lt T Slesinger Served from 12 October 1957 until 26 January

Served from 8 February 1952 until 28 November

1989

1968

Died 4 June 2003 aged 64 years

Died 12 July 2003 aged 72 years

Served from 30 May 1985 until 12 July 1994

Major General Sir James Eyre KCVO CBE late The Blues & Royals

Died 13 November 2003 aged 36 years

By Lard Chetwode formerly Royal Horse Guards

24747680 LCpl C Nelson

D'ed17M

1

h2003

m

d7l ..

age

36"“

296288 Lt s Ruthven Served from December 1944 until June 1948

22086797 TP’ PM MCNul‘y Served from 1948 until 1950 Died 18 March 2003 aged 72 years

19130867 Tpr P Mitchell

Died 28 June 2003 aged 76 years Served from 6 February 1947

23215159 LCpl HA Fairchild

to 1 March

1949 Died 2 June 2003 aged 74 years

295071 Cpl PWJ Pilbeam Served from (unknown) until December 1945

Served from 13 December 1955 to 12 December 1962 Died 16 June 2003 aged 65 years

Served from 7 July 1958 until 1 August 1966

Died 2 February 2003 aged 86 years Lord Margadale Served as 2nd Lt James Ian Morrison

From 1949 until 1950 Died 6 April 2003 aged 72 years

23215777 Tpr M McCue

295370 Cpl WE Mann Served from 9 October 1939 to 16 May 1946 Died 13 July 2003 aged 84 years

23215721 W02 P] Reed

Died 5 November 2003 aged 63 years

295113 Tpr H Houghton Served from 22 February 1936 until 21 February 1946

Served from April 1958 until April 1980 Died November 2003 aged 91 years

22205939 SCpl F Fettes Served from March 1962 until March 1975 In addition to two further periods of former

service with LG totalling 15 years Died 26 April 2003 aged 70 years

D' d 14A [2003 d64 ' 1e ugus age years 2nd Lt DMRC Allen Served from 14 March 1957 until 25 January 1959 Died 26 June 2003 aged 65 years

294967 W01 (RCM) JH Jenkins Served from 28 March 1933 until 4 April 1957 Died 14 December 2003 aged 84 years

Major General Sir James Eyre, universally known as Big Jim, has recently died after a long illness. He was unusually educated at Harvard to which he went at the age of sixteen. He emerged with degrees in history and law.

Joining the Blues in 1955 he spent the next three years in Cyprus on active service as a ' Troop Leader and latterly as Intelligence officer 7 in which post he was mentioned in dispatches.

His next posting was to the Household Cavalry Regiment as Adjutant and then to staff college from which he emerged with a Grade 2 appointment. He then commanded a Squadron attached to The Life Guards in Singapore where he was well known for being firm but fair and for his attention to his men and their welfare. Soon after he went to the Joint Services Staff College where it became apparent he was destined for greater things.

After a period as Second in Command of the Regiment he then successfully commanded the now amalgamated Blues and Royals and after a staff job in London became Silver Stick where at one point unexpectedly he found himself commanding a fleet of Green Goddesses for Greater London in the last fireman’s strike from underground in Holborn Kingsway.

The Blues and Royals

On his appointment as Col GS Intelligence in Northern Ireland a

It is with much regret that the Honorary Secretary announces the death of the following Old Comrades. The Blues and Royals Association ofl'er their sincere condolences to all members of their families. May they Rest in Peace.

23861707 LCpl DV Summerfleld 1RD Served from 2 Jan 1962 until 1 Feb 1968 Died 23 Dec 1996 aged 54 years

24125932 CoH A Goodyear RHG/D Served from 1 Oct 1971 until 12 Feb 1993 Died 20 Nov 1997 aged 43 years 22556350 LCpl P Cooney RHG Served from 11 May 1953 until 10 May 1968 Died 12 Oct 2002 aged 67 years

441247 Maj Gen Sir James Eyre KCVO CBE Served from 2 Apr 1955 until 22 Mar 1986 Died 2 Jan 2003 aged 72 years

846937 Tpr JA Jones 1RD Served from 1 Jul 1938 until 1 Dec 1946 Died 1 Mar 2003 aged 82 years

senior General had the temerity to remark “Oh God, a Household

Cavalry officer in Intelligence!” Shortly after, however, he ate his words and said, “He is the cleverest man in the army!”

After his outstanding work he became Secretary to the Chiefs’ of Staff Committee, a post, which required great accuracy in reporting and absolute firmness with his seniors. As the Falklands war took place during this period his responsibilities were especially onerous.

This won him GOC London District and Major General command-

Died 6 Jan 2003 aged 83 years

306847 Cpl JF Brooman RHG Served from 16 Apr 1947 until 6 Oct 1952 Died 22 Mar 2003 aged 74 years

79524140 Cpl ST Manuel 1RD

498859 Capt Livingstone-Learmonth RHG/D

a grcat cotn~ A wonderful sense of humour, a tremendous brain attd

Served from 4 Feb 1942 until 29 Sep 1946 Died 18 Feb 2003 aged 89 years

Served from 1 Jan 1974 until 31 Dcc 1979 Died 31 Mar 2003 aged 49 years

passion for his subordinates personified his achievements; analysis of problems and his ability to reduce them to the bare bones and

Prof Glyn Davies 1RD

Served from 1939 until 1945

ing the Household Division. Of the many who served with him and under him the same tributes repeat themselves.

solve them ignoring the smoke and which usually blinds us, was to him second nature. Perhaps his strong Christianity was the force behind his philosophy; it certainly characterized his actions. Big Jim was an unlikely looking General, not blessed by nature with an athletic frame, he nevertheless succeeded in his youth in doing all things expected of an energetic young officer, one suspects by sheer guts. In his retirement from the army he stewarded at Ascot, Newbury and Windsor and was director of Westminster Associates.

He married Monica Smyth in 1967 who survives him with a son, James, who has followed in his father’s footsteps and a daughter, Annabelle, who works for Ian Duncan-Smith.

Colonel PB Rogers Late The Blues and Royals

by Colonel HPD Massey; The Blues and Royals

Peter Rogers died on 6 July 2003 in Morocco, aged 57. He was educated at Sherborne in Dorset where he was Captain of Swimming.

In 1967 he was the last regular officer to be commissioned into The Royal Dragoons, fol-

lowing in the footsteps of his father and ' grandfather, before the amalgamation with the Royal Horse Guards in 1969. He was also the last Commanding Officer of The Blues and Royals. He was an immensely experienced officer having served as Commander Household Cavalry and extensively with the United Nations in Morocco and Turkey. He wrote and published a book on his impressions of and love for Morocco. He swam the Hellespont.

Peter spent his early years in armour and armoured reconnaissance which included a tour in Sharjah attached to A Sqn The Life Guards, three 4-month tours in Northern Ireland and a posting to the House— hold Cavalry Training Squadron at the Guards Depot, Pirbright. He was unfailingly interested in his soldiers, their problems and aspirations. As a troop leader he soon became the best of us all, the one we sought to emulate. His kindness and sympathetic interest in everyone under his command were repaid with their genuine affection and trust. His officer contemporaries found him invariably amusing company, at times hilariously so. In 1971, when serving with A Sqn The Blues and Royals in Belfast, a fellow troop leader noticed two driving mirrors attached to the lid ofhis Mk II Ferret. Thinking what a sen-

Obituaries

90

Obituaries

91

sible idea it was, he climbed in to see the extent of the field of vision.

Instead, he found that he was looking at himself.

Those senior to him had also noticed the trouble he took with soldiers and his clarity of mind. He became adjutant in 1977 before going to the Staff College at Camberley in 1979. After a tour in the Ministry of Defence he commanded an Armoured Reece squadron in Cyprus and the UK, and then A Squadron on Chieftains in Germany. His Commanding Officer described his handling of his Armoured Reece squadron, consisting of 5 troops each of6 vehicles (Fox), as brilliant and with the lightest of touches. Indeed. if ever he expressed disapproval, he had the rare gift of being able to do so without making the object of it feel bad.

sitive and amusing. During a trip to Morocco to promote sales of his book in July this year, he went for a swim in the sea at Oued Ghalen some 105 kms south of Casablanca and tragically drowned. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and particularly to his mother, Eve.

The Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery late Royal Horse Guards

1939 — 2003

by Lord Patrick Beresford formerly Royal Horse Guards

He was an immensely experienced officer who had the infallible knack of making friends with everyone wherever he went. He spent six months in Zimbabwe on the British Army Training Team before being promoted Lieutenant~Colonel in 1985 when he attended the Joint Services Staff College at Greenwich, after which he served on the NATO Joint Planning Staff where he specialised in plans for deployment to the Baltic Approaches.

Peter had an excellent brain and unusually wide-ranging interests.

In 1989 he attended a post-graduate degree course at Cambridge University where he gained a Master’s Degree in International Rela— tions. This was to stand him in particularly good stead later on, and was something of which he was always rather proud.

From January 1990 to September 1992, he commanded The Blues and Royals who were based at Windsor. He became well-known and liked throughout 5 Airborne Brigade. Before lunching one day with the officers on PARA, he idly mentioned a book he had read called Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche. His description of the reaction of his hosts when they went in to a lunch of quiche was a joy... He devoted much of his time and considerable energies to the well-being of his soldiers, civilian staff and officers alike. He tried always to improve the experience of life and its possibilities for the former.

He sought always to make his officers think about what it meant to be one, how we should be seeking to make life better for our soldiers and, at the same time, not be afraid to enjoy life ourselves. It is not too much to say ~ indeed the Household Cavalry website notice board bears this out — that this compassionate and charismatic man was a much loved and respected Commanding Officer.

On giving up command, he was posted to be Deputy Commander ofthe UN Mission to Western Sahara for eight months. It was here that he acquired his love for Morocco which he was able to explore during his short leave periods. These forays into the interior of Morocco where he was able to study the Moroccan Arab and Berber character and social structure formed the basis of his book Restless for Morocco which he wrote and subsequently published in 1991. As has frequently happened to others in the past, the attrac— tion of the desert and Morocco called him back repeatedly, ultimately tragically.

In the meantime, he returned in July 1993 to serve as Commander Household Cavalry until September 1997, his last regimental appointment. He was also Chairman of the Guards Magazine during the period. His final posting was as the Senior British Officer in the UK Support Unit at Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey. Rather to his surprise, he was moved to HQ AFSOUTH in Naples to be Director of Operations (Kosovo) for a short time in 1999 before returning to Izmir. He made the most of life in Turkey and enjoyed one of his great loves, swimming. He always prided himself on his fitness and his “6-pack stomach”, and at over 50, he followed Byron by swimming the Hellespont, a distance of some 4 miles in 75 minutes (Byron had been 22 and did it in 70 minutes!).

After leaving the Army he chose to continue to live in Turkey, returning frequently to visit his friends all over the UK and his beloved family home near Sevenoaks in Kent. He loved most field sports, including fox—hunting and shooting. People, though, were always his primary interest. He had an exceptionally wide circle of friends transcending national and cultural boundaries, all of whom thought of him as their close friend. He was kind, thoughtful, sen—

Henry Pembroke, or Henry Herbert as he then was, joined his family regiment “The Blues” for National Service in 1958. Five years earlier, whilst at Eton, he had been a

page at the Coronation, for which he had received the Coronation medal. Arriving with other Household Cavalry recruits at the Guards Depot, the solitary ribbon on his battle dress incensed the receiving Sergeant: “Oh! And ‘00 do you think you are’?” he bel~ lowed. “F"**ing Monty?!”

On commissioning, Henry was posted to A Squadron in Cyprus, then serving with 51 Brigade in Famagusta. This close-knit band had the run of the entire eastern end of the island, including the socalled “Terror Triangle” in the south, the violently aggressive EOKA villages of Avgorou, Lysi, Lefkoniko, Trikomo (Grivas’s birthplace) etc in the centre, and the Kyrenia range to the tip of the “Panhan-

Lord Manton late The Life Guards

Rupert Watson, later 3rd Lord Manton, was commissioned into The Life Guards in 1943 and served in Italy, Germany and Egypt before retiring in 1947. Four years later he joined the 7th Hussars and because Adjutant of the Leicestershire Yeomanry.

He lived in Rutland before moving with his wife and five young children — including triplets e to 4 his estate near York. Manton was a passionate man ofthe Turf. In the 1980’s he became one ofthe most successful Stewards that the Jockey Club has had in recent years.

He was a first

class administrator and, moreover, had personal experience ofracing as a jockey, owner and breeder. One of his proudest moments came in 1998 when Silver Stick, ridden by his son Milo, also in The Life Guards, won the Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown. Manton told HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. “I saddled the horse,

I bred the horse and the jockey.”

Manton played an important part in saving the Grand National. He was Deputy Lieutenant for Humberside and variously a member of the Horserace Betting Levy Board, Tattersalls Committee, and Chairman of the York Race Committee, a Steward at Beverly, York and Doneaster racecourses and a Director of Thirsk racecourse. He was also Field Master of the Belvoir Hounds and the Quorn.

married Sue in 1976 and together they had a son and two daughters.

Having retired from polo, he concentrated on cricket and started a cricket school at Dummer, which was a great success.

The last decade ofRonald’s life was tinged with sadness. His daughter Sarah was divorced from The Duke of York, whom she married in 1986. Ronald had to resign from The Life Guards’ Club because of his criticisms of the Royal Family in his autobiography “the Galloping Major”, and in 1996 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Ronald did not think of throwing in the towel. He toured the country helping fellow sufferers and raising funds for the related charities. After initially recovering he became terminally ill in 2001. I saw him in hospital a few days before he died. He was very weak, but regimental reminisees still made him smile, and he was so pleased to hear from the chairman of The Life Guards Club that his membership had been restored.

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York attended his funeral and there was standing room only in the big church where is service of thanksgiving was held.

Major EMJMP de Lisle DL, late Royal Horse Guards (The Blues)

By Major General Sir Desmond Langley KC VO MBE, formerly The Life Guards Everard de Lisle was tragically killed in a car accident with an armoured van on 30 April 2003 at the age of 72. He was driving himself and on his own; there were no other fatalities.

We were comtemporaries and became friends while Troop Leaders at Knightsbridge and have remained in touch ever since.

Major Ronald Ferguson late The Life Guards

By Major N VS Paravz'cim' formerly The Life Guards

dle” in the north. Though they never would have dreamt it then, for

some of the Squadron those sunny days might prove to be the most carefree — even perhaps amongst the happiest — of their lives.

At that time the Regiment had some outstanding troop officers, but none fitted in more readily than Henry: he was a natural leader, highly regarded by all ranks.

Following “demob” in 1960, and three years at Oxford, Henry went into film production, starting in his own word as a “tea boy”, but rising rapidly to management. By now the “Sixties” were in full swing, and when Henry became engaged to the beautiful Claire Pelly, his pre-wedding party, organised by former brother officer Sheridan Dufferin, was a riot of contemporary fashion: even Jean Shrimpton was there, in beads and football boots.

In 1969 however, on the death of his father, Henry inherited the heavy responsibilities ofrunning Wilton, the magnificent house and estate that had been in his family for over 500 years. By sheer dedication he contrived to do this spectacular success, meanwhile continuing to make his mark in films and later television.

A countryman at heart, Henry was a brilliant shot and fisherman, a

keen gardener and conservationist, who knew and loved every inch of Wilton’s broad acres.

In 1981 his first marriage was dissolved, having yielded a son and three daughters. In 1988 he married Miranda Oram, who gave him three more daughters, and it was she who helped nurse him, in the most selfless and devoted manner, through the agonising final years of his illness.

A staunch family man, Henry had many fine qualities, amongst which loyalty, modesty, courage and generosity ranked high. His quiet sense of humour was often indicated by a quizzical smile and a slightly oblique glance.

' Ronald Ferguson joined The Life Guards from Sandhurst in 1952. His father, grandfather and great grandfather had all commanded the Regiment. After serving as a troop leader in Germany and Egypt, he was made Adjutant in 1958. Ronald was then married to his first wife Susie with whom he later had two daughters. He played cricket and polo for the Regiment and had already . become a high goal polo player.

Ronald served with the Regiment in Aden, before being appointed Staff Captain Household Brigade, where he showed his flair for the organisation of ceremonial. He commanded the Mounted Squadron twice and A Squadron in Cyprus during the 1964 emergency.

On the polo field Ronald trained the regimental team for most ofthe “60’s”, and under his inspired captaincy the team won the Inter Regimental and Captains and Subalterns several times as well as the United Services Challenge Cup. In 1968 The Life Guards team was undefeated and appeared on the cover of Horse & Hound.

Ronald had been a most successful and popular squadron leader in London and Cyprus. It had always been his ambition to command the Regiment as his forbears had done, but in order to qualify, he had to pass the written promotion exam. He made every effort, but to no avail. This accomplished administrator and fine leader of men was unable to produce the necessary standard of written work.

So in 1969, having orchestrated a highly successful military tattoo, which he took to New York, Philadelphia and Boston, he retired from the Armv. Ronald spent most ofthe rest ofhis working life in the polo world. He was Deputy Chairman of the Guards Polo Club for 16 years, and turned from a quite small club mainly for officers He was and retired officers into a major international polo centre. also the Prince of Wales's polo manager until 1993. had inheritRonald now lived at Dummer in Hampshire, which'hc

w1fe, he ed from his father. Having been divorced from his first

Everard was born in Warwickshire and brought up in country surroundings with an early introduction to horses. He was at Eton during the last years of the war and joined The Blues as a trooper, as we all then did, and spent his first six months in the Brigade Squad ofpotential officers undergoing basic training at Caterham, Pirbright and Wind» sor, before going to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer cadet and being commissioned in the Royal Horse Guards eighteen months later in July 1950. After a Troop Leaders’ course at Bovington he was posted to the Royal Horse Guards, then an armoured car regiment stationed at Wesendorf in Lower Saxony close to the Russian Border. He brought with him a 1936 Chrysler (new cars being unobtainable) a rarity which nearly disappeared in the docks at Hamburg. He learnt his job as a Troop Leader patrolling in the Harz Mountains with the opportunity of weekends on expeditions to Vienna and Copenhagen, skiing trips and notably the two day Hanover race meeting when girlfriends came over from England for a special weekend.

After less than a year in Germany he was posted to the RHG Mounted Squadron at a younger age than was usual. He was at Knightsbridge at the time of King George VI’s funeral and took part in Lying-in»State. The following year he was Officer of the Queen‘s Life Guard when it turned out in Whitehall to The Queen and the Coronation procession. He had the good fortune to have his troop Corporal of Horse the renowned Charlie Gittings, a pre—war soldier whose horse mastership and stable management were of the highest order. Everard would walk down the yard with his characteristic rolling gait for a chat and we would often sit talking together in the middle of Horse Guards Courtyard on our horses, his Archie and

mine Harry, as the sentries were changed. He was a particulary enthusiastic follower of hounds and took every opportunity of a day’s hunting leave at Melton where for a time he had charge ofthe Household Cavalry stables and helped in the running of the Remount Depot.

He made his name at Knightsbridge and at the end of his tour as a Troop Leader spent only eighteen months back with the Regiment

Obituaries Obituaries

at Windsor before he was selected to be Adjutant of the Mounted Regiment. This was a particularly enjoyable appointment, as well I know, because he took over from me, remaining in the post for three years,

where his performance subsequently earned him selection as the Household Cavalry representative at Sandhurst. Here it was said he taught military history so well that his students thought he must have been present at the battles he described. Two years later he returned to Windsor to command a squadron and was promoted to major. He took this opportunity to marry Mary Rose Peake and when The Blues were due to replace The Life Guards in Germany at the end of 1962

after the land. He had a strong sense of duty and service to others instilled into him, and an awareness of the responsibility which is a major part oflandowning families such as his, for he inherited large estates in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Scotland. He developed a fervent love for the countryside — but especially for Glenmuick in Aberdeenshire. He took huge pride, and great interest in everyone’s activities, and was involved in many local organisations in and around Ashbourne and was a Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire.

He was also a member of the Royal Company of Archers (Queen’s Bodyguard for Scotland).

he concluded that his wife and small children came first, and resigned

his commission.

He became a stockbroker, working in London for some years until in 1978 he moved full time to Stockerston, his parents old home on the Leicestershire-Rutland border. The improvement of the house and grounds became his primary interest and his support of local activities led him to be made High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1974. He was later appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County and subse— quently Vice Lord Lieutenant, a post for which his friendly and cour» teous manner, his interest in others and his quiet sense of humour so very well qualified him.

He remained greatly interested in the fortunes of The Blues and Roy— als and was for some years Secretary of The Blues Officers’ Dining Club. His Memorial Service in Leicester Cathedral was a particularly well conceived and very well attended occasion at which Musician Martin of The Blues and Royals played Last Post and Reveille. The well-earned tributes paid by his friends may have to some extend softened for his family the tragedy of his death.

Sir Peter Walker-Okeover, late The Blues and Royals

By Lieutenant Colonel GTR Birdwood, formerly The Blues and Royals Peter Ralph Leopold Walker—Okeover was born on the 22nd July 1947 into an old and distinguished family descended from Henry VII. On the death of his father, Sir Ian, in 1982 he became the 4th holder of a baronetcy which was created in 1886, something of which he never boasted but was immensely proud.

Peter attended Wellesley House preparatory school where he was to meet many of the lifelong friends who later served along side him in the Household Division. He went on to Eton. On leaving Eton, he attended RMA Sandhurst where he managed to acquire his own personal key to Old College. During those formative years, he developed a keen interest in shooting, and whilst there, Peter (who may have been one of many to instigate naughtiness, but on the premise that one should never be caught) organised a duck flight. There was one minor problem - being that they didn’t have the sporting rights.

Unsurprisingly, Peter and his fellow cadets were spotted by the Range Warden, and having done a runner Peter was apprehended. The culprits were duly hauled up in front of the Commandant and admonished. That Commandant, who had dreamed of a days grousing in Scotland, was generously invited to shoot.

Peter was commissioned into the newly amalgamated Blues & Royals in 1969 where he had a distinguished career. He is known to have said that on joining his regiment, he acquired his best friends overnight, both officers and soldiers alike. During his time in military service, he served in Northern Ireland and in the British Army of the Rhine.

He attended the ‘long riding’ course at Melton Mowbray and hunted regularly with the Quorn and the Meynell — his home pack of which he was in time to become a very effective Chairman. Peter was a brave and stalwart horseman across country — a thruster. In the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, he became Adjutant, and performed his duties with a quiet and fair authority, which came naturally to him.

To the sadness of his fellow soldiers Peter retired early from his regiment to follow in his father’s footsteps and to learn how to look

Peter’s generosity was legend, and he never wanted anything in return except friendship. He entertained so many friends to wonderful parties and superb sport. Many were privileged to be a part of“the magic of Glenmuick” - shooting grouse or on the hill, stalk~ ing or in the woods after a roe, or casting for a fish in the garden pool and he was always thrilled with his guests’ triumphs, enthusiastically listening to every detail of the days stalk or each cast, always keen to make sure everyone was given the best opportunity for success.

Peter, himself, was one of the finest sporting shots with shotgun and rifle in Britain and an extremely elegant fisherman.

this career opportunity, and remained a professional polo player for about fifteen years. He brought many young thoroughbred ponies enormous grin, relaxed manner, and readiness to help other people.

In 1959 he moved to Glasgow to become a lecturer at the Scottish College of Commerce which, a few years later, became part of the new University of Strathclyde; he gained a promotion to senior lecturer. He died on January 6, leaving his wife and three sons and a

For several years he was the official coach at the Guards Polo Club,

daughter, the financial thriller writer Linda Davies.

into the game, and was universally respected and liked — with his

and was able successfully to combine playing quality polo; with making young ponies; with the role ofa competent and professional coach and manager. There is no doubt that his experience in the Regiment — as with all young men — stood him in very good stead and he readily acknowledged all it had taught him. He had a clear analytical brain, was very good at seeing the woods for the trees, had sound values in life, and was always optimistic and enthusiastic about everything he did. Som reserved his competitive nature for the polo ground, the hunting field and racing.

In 1994, Som and Peg Eva 4 who had known each other since Edinburgh University days — were married. Their passion for polo was shared, and they worked together with their hunters and polo ponies for ten very happy years. Sorn was his own man and an individualist who contributed a great deal, and in these days of conformity he was a breath of fresh air — much appreciated and valued by his family and by his many friends of all ages.

Almost 4 years ago Peter met his biggest challenge ever when told that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He met this challenge with dignity, fortitude and most of all ‘bravery’ - he never ever complained through what must have been long periods of considerable

Professor Glyn Davies late Royal Dragoons

pain, for that was the nature of the man. Indeed his resolve became

Extracts from The Daily Telegraph

stronger to live life as if nothing had ever changed and he managed to have more days shooting than ever before! Throughout his illness, he was looked after by his loyal and courageous wife Trisha and by his immediate loving family.

Peter was conscious of God, fearless of death and at peace with his fate. He will be terribly missed by his family, his children and stepchildren and also by the many people for whom it was a privilege to have him as a friend.

Captain Somerville Livingston-Learmonth, late The Blues and Royals

By Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Pitman formerly The Blues and Royals Somerville Livingston-Learmonth joined The Blues and Royals from Sandhurst inl974, after Eton and Edinburgh University. He left the Army having served five years with the Regiment: at Windsor, at Detmold in Germany, and in Northern Ireland. Tragically, he died as a result ofa fall in the Harborough Cross-Country Race in March 2003, aged 49.

Som joined the Regiment at Combermere Barracks, arriving with four polo ponies, and it was his devotion and dedication to the game, which was to characterise and dominate his life. A very intelligent and competent Troop Leader — particularly when this was really required, as in patrolling in Londonderry in the infantry role — Som was not only the best Army polo player of his generation, with a handicap of 4, but put an enormous amount back in to the game and was invariably encouraging to young players.

I had known Som and his family for many years in the Beaufort hunting field — where his dash and expert horsemanship were always apparent — and he took up my suggestion that he should seek to join the Regiment. This decision was one he never regretted, and helped the Regiment remain at the forefront of Army polo in both Germany and England for many years.

Som left the Army at a time when polo patrons were starting to take on professional players to run their teams and manage their very considerable investments in the game. He was one ofthe first to see

Professor Glyn Davies, who had died 83, rose from an impoverished childhood in South Wales to become a leading expert in finance and economics, and the author of a History of Money (1994). Definitive, readable and brimming with illuminating detail, Davies’s book traced the origins of money to its most primitive, commodity forms: cattle, cowrie shells, whales teeth and manillas.

On the outbreak of the Second World War, he immediately enlisted in the Army. Davies served in the Royal Dragoons, part of the 7th Armoured Bridge (the Desert Rats), spending three years in North Africa. At the decisive battle of El Alamein in 1942, both the Germans and Italians thought the armoured cars of the Royals were those of their Axis partners and, taking advantage ofthis confusion, the Royal Dragoons passed within yards of the German artillery, becoming the first troops in the British 8th Army to break through the enemy lines into the open desert.

In Sicily, while on reconnaissance, Davies was fortunate to escape almost unscathed from the wreckage of his armoured car after a direct hit by a shell, which passed straight through the body of the driver sitting next to him. Subsequently, he took part in the invasion ofItaly before the regiment was transferred back to Britain for the Normandy invasion and the campaign in north-west Europe as part of the British 2nd Army. Near Hilvarenbeek in Holland, Davies had another lucky escape when, as he was closing the door of his armoured car, it was knocked shut by a glancing blow from a shell that failed to explode. ‘ .

The Royals later took part in the liberation of Denmark. Among the Germans taken prisoner was Herr von Radowitz, from a prominent Gertnan aristocratic family, and Davies was given the task of escorting him hotne to Germany on his release. Von Radowitz’s mother showed her gratitude by offering him a copy ofMein Kampf, signed

by Hitler himself; the offer was politely declined.

While in Denmark, Davies meta young Danish woman, Anne Margrethe (or Greathe) who, in 1947, became his wife.

Lieutenant A D Tweedie Late The Blues and Royals

By Captain C] L Speer: — The Blues and Royals Alex Tweedie first joined the Regiment in 1979 when he became enrolled in the Combermere Barracks play group, and though he travelled far and wide in his formative years he soon

returned to Windsor to study at Eton College.

After a gap year spent teaching at a blind school in India, Alex returned to England to study History of Art at Newcastle University.

The Royal Military Academy followed soon afterwards and provided an ideal environment for Alex to thrive. He tackled each new challenge with total dedication and enthusiasm, but tempered with a wicked sense of humour that made Sandhurst so much more enjoyable.

Alex arrived at the Regiment in August 2001 and was soon to be found in the thick of things with D Squadron, mostly on Salisbury Plain. After four months on Troop Leaders Course in which the delights of Bournemouth featured highly, Alex returned to D Squadron to take over 3 troop. He soon established himself as a highly professional Troop Leader who would not accept second best, but always put his soldiers first. After distinguishing himself on P—Coy, Alex threw himself into a particularly busy summer. Exercises with 16 Air Assault Bde, gunnery camp, and a month on Salisbury Plain capped by Troop Tests, followed.

After an autumn fighting fires, Alex led the Regimental Ski team to Verbier, where he proved spectacular in his crashes. D Squadrons imminent departure to the Gulf cut his skiing short but he was soon back in the snow, this time on pre-deployment training in Wales.

Alex was one of the first to deploy to Kuwait in February 2003 and started to put his troop through an intensive build up package as soon as they hit the ground. Quick to identify and overcome potential problems, Alex projected an air of confidence that helped to strengthen both his peers and soldiers in the nervous days before the war.

This continued once D Squadron moved into Iraq and 3 troop completed all their missions to the utmost satisfaction.

Alex was often found leading the Squadron into unbroken territory and as such was frequently the first into action. He was calm and level headed in all his engagements, often putting his life in danger to achieve his mission and destroy the enemy. When encountering a whole Iraq armoured division, Alex thought nothing of engaging it, and showed a certain amount of annoyance when prevented from pushing home his attack. During those seven days of near continu-

ous combat Alex’s presence, ability, strength of character inspired not only his troop but the whole squadron.

On April 1st, Alex led his troop forward to conduct a relief in place on the front line. While advancing over a particularly precarious crossing point the ground collapsed underneath his vehicle resulting in it overturning into the adjoining ditch. Alex and LCpl Shearer were trapped underneath in five feet of water. Cpl Shearer was beyond resuscitation, but the medics managed to get Alex breathing again and he continued to fight for his life before passing away three weeks later in Edinburgh Hospital.

When he

returned to Cardiff, he was keen to complete his studies as qutckly as possible so that he could start work. Hence he settled forgan ordi» nary degree (which he took in a year) and then began teaching Economics and French at Canton High School, Cardiff, while taking

honours and masters degrees in Economics as an external student at the University of London.

Alex was one of the most understated men I know. Very strong in both body and mind, he had a strength of character and determina-

tion to carry him through any situation. His sense of humour and ability for fun endeared him to all and resulted in a large circle of friends. He will be missed by all and remembered with great affection. Our thoughts are with his parents and brother.

Obituaries Obituaries

LCoH KR Shearer late The Blues and Royals

LCoH Matty Hull late The Blues and Royals

By LCOHJA Hessian , The Blues and Royal:

by Sgt '1‘ Cross. Royal Logistic Corps

I first met Karl in August of 1996 at summer camp in Thetford. He was a junior trooper in 1 troop Blues and Royals and always was to be the one who would help out when you needed it.

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piers.

Karl grew up in Germany with his Mother Eileen, brother, Ryan and sister Candy as his father Roy was serving in the RAF He was a keen horseman, and always tried his hardest to be competent in whatever he did.

He moved across to D Squadron HCR in January 2001, he quickly adapted to life in the Regiment and soon became a popular member of the Squadron, always keen to help out the younger members of the troop.

He was promoted to Lance Corporal in June 2002, a role that he was perfectly suited as he was highly regarded within his Squadron.

He was tragically killed during operations in Iraq when his Scimitar overturned into a ditch, Karl was his Troop Leader’s (Lt Tweedie) operator who was also severely injured and later lost his own life as a result.

Always the Joker and “one of the boys” yet always a devoted family man Karl will always be in the hearts of everyone he ever met.

As at December 2003

Headquarters Household Cavalry Horse Guards

Windsor

Museum Development Project

, ‘ > tors around him and make what was an average group ofinstructots

, C01 H P D M85833)" (7de H Cav .

L[.C01 (Rctd) J S 011v1er: Regt Ad”

Lt Col (Retd) S F Sibley: Museum Curator Capt (Retd) R Hennessy-Walsh:

PrOICCt Officer Major (Reid) D C Waterhouse

Miss K Allen: Chief Clerk Mrs A Curtis: Admin Assist

W02 (Retd) K C Hughes: Assist Curator

Appeal Chairman

Mr K WhilWOfthi Admin Officer

3 M Corbett

an e\cellent training team

LCpl W P Brown

Mrs N Newell: Admin Assist

Appeal Secretary Mrs D Hennessy-Walsh: Museum

‘ A loving husband to Suzie and a devoted . father to Lauren he was a most remarkable friend who would always make time for his

Ever since the first day I met Matty when we were both instructors in ATR Pirbright “ from the outset I found him to be an inspiring and deeply dedicated soldier. He not only lived the Army but in every way he was the Army. Despite being in a difficult place to work like an Army Trainin Re iment, Matty still oozed a deep confidegnce ign himself and his abilities never failed him This

Nominal Rolls

».

.

He was to me the face ofthe Army, and someone not only the young recruits looked up to but someone people of all levels in the regiment looked up to. Not one person, I ever came across, had anything but good things to say about him regardless of whether it was on a professional level or a personal one.

Matty would make a point ofgoing that extra mile to help me when ever I was struggling, many times he would offer me advice and help well above the 25 years old that he was. I owe a lot of what I am today to that man. Matty was always one to think of other people, never a selfish bloke. One morning on exercise I woke up to find a nice cup of tea waiting for me, poured in my combat assault boot. I will always remember that laugh as he ran away from me.

The Household Cavalry Regiment HQ SQUADRON RHQ Lt Col CBB Clee Mai SSM Miller

W02 Gibbons SF SCpl Carrington PW

COMMAND TROOP Capt WSG Kenyon SCpl Garner AC LCoH Adams PD LCoH Daley DP LCoH Parker S LCoH Salmon P

sberrington@armybenevo/eni‘fund, com

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Regigered weh§:°_

ARMY

BEN EVOLENT , FUND .V SUPPORTING THE BEST 41 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 SHR. (ReflSBUOCi)

CoH Mathtews SR OFFICERS’ MESS SCpl Smith IM

LCpl Harris SA LCpl Wood DM Tpr Blackburn JL Tpr Dixon JC

LCpl Holmes DA LCoH Stay MJ Tpr Clark PW Tpr Ellis ML Tpr Shaw MA

W05‘ 8: NCOs’ MESS SHQ Mai RP Manning

LCoH Mount WH Tpr Stones RJ

W02 Kellet AP

Pte Fletcher RG

LCpl Smith B Tpr Brewis PJ

LAD

Tpr Caplin TWC Tpr Cawley AJ

Capt AL Johnston

Tor Halligan ML

W01 Saward NP

Tpr Hayward PR Tpr Howland JC Tpr Ridge DG

W02 Speakman IM

Tpr Scott CWJ

Sgt Bland ST Sgt Bradley JA Sgt Anderson IC Sgt Isaac TA Sgt Morelli C LSgt Doyle MH

Tpr Smith WG

Capt SR Miller Capt NC Turnbull W02 Taylor LA W02 Comerford JG Sgt Mathieson K Sgt Painter BJ Sgt Stephens CJ Sgt Walker A

TAH Giffard Musgrave RA McGuire P Dear AM Fermor DA

SCpl Foster]

LCpl Quickfall MD

Tpr Szkudlapski S

Capt SCpl SCpl SCpl SCpl

CoH Walker NK LCpl Beaumont AM LCpl Blockley 0G

LCpl Mitchinson DJ

Tpr Warren GS Tpr Wolfenden KF

ADMIN

Capt TM Carpenter

SCpl Rogers BE LSgt Greenhalgh EJ LCpl Broxholme DT Tpr Mellors WD

LCpl Lickfold PM

020 7591 2054

LCpl Parr MH Tpr Eccleston CR

Capt MSP Berry

Capt CW Wren W01 Kibble LJ

TRG WING

LCpl Goodsman AD

QM(T) DEPT

LCpl Allwood SJ LCpI Buckingham JW LCpl Johnson CW

he Army Benevolent Fund helps soldiers, ex— soldiers and their families in times of real need. Legacies enable us to be there for the homeless, elderly, disabled, mentally ill and the unemployed.

We appeal to you to consider the Army Benevolent Fund in your Will.

LCoH Jones WP

Capt MPF Dollar Capt RHA Lewis Capt AM Harris Capt DS Brooks Capt RS Evetts

One thing that will stick with me forever is Germany last year for the RLC ski Championship’s when Matty and JC (LCoH Moses RHG/D) were sat in nothing but underpants and ski helmets in the front room of the accommodation we were living in. They were playing “Worms” on the playstation and every time they moved onto another level they would scream and laugh and head butt each other. A superb man, superb soldier and a superb friend. Matty you may be gone from this world mate but you will never be gone from the lives of the people that know, admire, respect and love you.

-

LCoH Wyard SM LCpl Riley GR Sug—Mai JH Lewin

LCpl Roffi K

Sgt Jolly GR

Tpr Butler JM Tpr Kheirabadi PA

LSgt Adams LM LSgt Aitchinson S LSgt Carter SD LCpl Newcombe AC LCpl Thompson MT Pte Wilson D

Sgt Armstrong AJ

Tpr Miah L

Tpr O’Carroll LS Tpr Shaw JC Pte Benoit NB

DENTAL CENTRE

1 TROOP

Lt Col EA Bamber Cpl Catney SR

ZLt TB Eastwood CoH Gallagher RS

GUARDROOM

LCpl Preston LA LCpl Benson RJ LCpl Partridge MJ Tpr Alsop MT Tpr Erskine BR Tpr Kelly SP

LCoH Griffiths NL

CoH Hagan JC

Cfn Thomas MG

LCoH Swinburne RG LCpl Jackson JS

LCoH Hopkins L

COOKHOUSE

LCoH Pcttiphcr AP LCoH Yeomans M LCpl Lindsay MK

W02 Green DL Sgt Owens DC

Tpr Compton MR

Sgt Manley P

Tpr Gill MD

LSgt Ashburner SJ LSgt Moore A LSgt Tremayne MJ LCpl Hodgson CA

Tpr Oaks DG GYM Tpr Spence KR Tpr Tayali G Sgt Moore W

Tpr Willis JGM

FAMILIES

2 TROOP

Capt PG Maxwell

Lt A Galloway CoH Fearnley IM LCoH Fitzgerald]

CoH Gray IM

LCpl Lee DJ

LCpl Perrct LS Capt RJ Carney W02 Carter DS CoH Hughes AB LCoI—l Cosrain M0 LCoH Couling M

Tpr Loftus K

SSgt Longstaff GB

W02 Goodwin SJ CoH Beaumont MN

QM DEPT

Mai JDA Gaselee Capt EJ Bond Capt ES Lane Fox W02 Stevenson D CoH Lochrane JL

CoH Martin W

LSgt Parson DR] Cfn Cowan JPB

Tpr Watts W

A SQUADRON SHQ

MEDICAL CENTRE

MT TROOP

Tpr Jones MA

Pte Payne I

Pte Pte Pte Pte Pte

Btish TJ Kororyadi MV Valegatu L Williams AI Xibcrras PJ

RECRUITING TEAM

LCpl Griffiths RJ LCpl Jones CA

Capt MEW Kingston Col-I Hemming NG

Tpr Allen GJ Tpr Bryant JD Tpr Furnish AF

LCoH Goodwin RA

Nominal Rolls Obituaries

Tpr Harely SE Tpr Mills C Tpr Quinn CL Tpr Wilkinson NJ 3 TROOP (C SQN) Lt H] Floyd CoH Brown W LCoH Hartshorn DE LCpl Bodycoat M LCpl Cassidy F] LCpl North CD LCpl Salmon D

LCpl Walsh LJ Tpr Clark PW Tpr Evans MA Tpr Gregory LM Tpr Owens LA

1 TROOP (C SQN)

LAD

LAD

2Lt NK Twamasi-Ankrah CoH Blackburn IP LCoH Park G]

SSgt Willshire DP Sgt Butcher DA

Sgt Garvie A

LCpl Heyes MR LCpl McGuire M

Tpr Nicholson CR Tpr Payne SL

LSgt LCpl LCpl LCpl

Tpr Privett MS Tpr Robinson MA Tpr Simkins CL]

c SQUADRON SHQ

D SQUADRON SHQ

Mai RR Philipson-Stow Capt JEM Howell Lt NPG Van Cutsem Lt LOD McCallum W02 Pickford SR CoH Anderson L] CoH Robson DH LCpl Akhtar S LCpl Ainsley DP LCpl Keep AM LCpl Radford

Maj JP Eyre

2 TROOP ZLt RMP Bavister CoH Irwin JS LCoH Moses JTX

SP TROOP

LCoH Newby PD

Lt TCW Edwards

LCpl Dunnicliffe AP LCpl Grime DP LCpl Slowly AG

LCoH Marsh A LCpl Davies AN

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Bennett HC Duggan SB Foster SD Graham JA Griffiths WL Rosario—Tulloch A

GW TROOP

Tpr Good T] Tpr Bentley JA Tpr Mathis DP Tpr Purcell G]

LCoH Forsdick JR LCpl Bond DL

Tpr Cole R] Tpr Edward—Beech GT Tpr Ori Orison SL Tpr Pagan LA

Tpr Edmond DJ

3 TROOP

Tpr Francis RA Pte Patterson CA

ZLt SP Deverell CoH Smith D LCoH Goater SM

LCpl Cox DN

LCoH Bennett]

LCoH Chinn SL LCpl Cowen G] LCpl Waites SD Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Corbett GP Gardner MI Hakimi A Pule

SP TROOP

Capt P] Williams Lt AK MacEwen

WOZ Rees DA CoH Anderton A CoH Flynn M] LCpl Mayo L]

LCpl Martin JI LCpl Phelan A] LCpl Scott AD LCpl Sedgwick IA

Tpr Greenwood LA 1 TROOP

CoH Foster WE LCoH Santi MA LCoH Plant SA LCpl Harris PD LCpl McWhirter PR LCpl Lerwill DJ LCpl Trencher C]

Tpr Gallagher PS Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

McDonnell CJ Merritt LF Sampson EG White W

2 TROOP

LCoH Flood MPN LCoH Close JS

CoH Jones GE

ZLt AR Heathcote

Tpr Light JA Tpr Thornton PE

LCpl Shenton M] LCpl Weyman DW Tpr Benn CD Tpr Galer CC Tpr Goodman PM

LCoH Eulert CA LCoH Taylor BN LCpl Hollis B]

LAD

Tpr Pay D]

SSgt Bailey DJR Sgt Davey A

Tpr Spackman RD Tpr Wycherley PA

Tpr Nevitt ME

THE LIFE GUARDS SQUADRON

Tpr Norman S Tpr Ramsey LA Tpr Rose AP

SHQ

Tpr Sloan KR Tpr Smith CE Tpr Smith A]

Maj AJL Fox Pitt Capt DL Lipman

Tpr Thoman GL

W02 Stewart NM SPpL Holden TI LCoH Stafford DD LCoH Woods M]

3 TROOP

Brown DC Elmes JF Fouric DP Grant CT

Capt JGK Anderson

CoH Beech AG CoH Wall SM

LCpl Mackenzie AH

LCoH Amos LJ LCoH Mccauley JS

l TROOP

LCpl Armstrong SJ LCpl Eames DA

Lt AH James

Tpr Adams S

Coh Greensmith MR

LCpl Steadman J

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

LCpl Thomas PM

Tpr Mace G

Tpr Backhouse GP Tpr Blevins I Tpr Bradbury J]

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

LCoH Jaworski MT

LCoH Newell KS LCpl De—Bruin AL LCpl Mason AL

Tpr Buick JG

CoH Simpson DJ LCoH Gerrard SJ LCpl Cooper EJ LCpl Richardson GA LCpl McWhirter SM

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Capp B Common AR Davies BL Douglass RA Elliot DP

Tpr Hawkshaw PPM

Tpr McCann JM Tpr Mounsey K]

Tpr Hurley O Tpr Langford TM Tpr Tansey SR

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

ADMIN

Tpr Shickle DE

SCpl Heaton LC LCpl Clee JAC LCpl Carlson S LCpl Lever M Tpr Bullock M

Tpr Smith K Tpr Smith SF Tpr Stubbs N Tpr Whittington SA CoH Stokoe AL

B SQUADRON SHQ

CoH Elliott CM LCoH Spink SC LCpl Dowsett GK LCpl Haith BD Tpr Allen NS Tpr Farmer CG Tpr Griffin JP

Maj AB Methven

Tpr Watts Tpr Howard J

Capt WRG Kenyon

Tpr Knight A

W02 Hodder S]

Tpr Raines S Tpr Snoxell DD

LCpl Dallimer DP LCpl Ramsden CD LCpl Smith KJ Tpr Nixon P

ECH

Tpr Tuinaqalitoka SK

Tpr Hurdus M] Lt T] Armitage Tpr McMullan M

Tpr Morgan 0L

Tpr Hodges CC Tpr Jary GW Tpr Lidgitt CJ

Tpr Scollick BR GW TROOP Lt JCRP Viney CoH Telling DJ LCoH Ansell DW

Tpr Fitzpatrick Tpr Cooper AAS Tpr Leask J Tpr Lewis G Tpr Shapland A

SCpl Fortune K LCoH Brook AJ LCpl Skingley A] LCpl Dove JR

ECH

LCpl Evans IG LCpl Mehrban K

LCoH Oliver DA

Tpr Batbet AJ Tpr Brunt PRS Tpr Knoch LS

LCpl Claydcn AM

SCpl Trinick CJ LCoH Moffat JA LCoH Stables M] LCpl Dugmore Tpr Goodman PM Tpr Smith MA

SSgt Weller R] LSgt Black RC LSgt Jenkinson GD LSgt McBain B LCpl Horton T LCpl 0 Hare PL LCpl Shaw G] (jfn Knotts PR Cfn Warden JP

Hazlewood WA] Hounsome MT Jani SN King MJW Lacey CH Lindsay DA Mackenzie AA Mccabe C Parker BL Penney DJ Robinson JP

Tpr Smith PG Tpr Stanford M Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Street DJ Turpie BR Wade JW Waisele IKR Walker LA

Tpr Mackle P Mcluskie M] Murphy SJ Pope CS Puddifoot T] Rincon RC

Tpr Keen D

LAD

Tpr Mayes M

Tpr Dunn S

Tpr McCabe MA

LCpl McElroy F

CoH Pearse T CoH MacKay SH LCoH Goddard P LCoH Young DP LSgt Buchanan D] LCpl Perry JA LCpl Wilkinson A] Tpr Cartwright RS Tpr Chaney TW Tpr Hall A Tpr Hakimi A Tpr Hunter JR Tpr Uddin R Pte Mills NG

Tpr Linsdell RTJ Tpr Lorey GK Tpr Lowrance DA

Tpr Conlon AS Tpr Finney C GC

GW TROOP

Cfn Southon A

Sgt Bowie N LCpl Garnell P0 Tpr Buick JG

LCpl Townsend P] Tpr Barnes G Tpr Biddlestone T Tpr Clarke ML Tpr Leedham JR

LSgt Bircham A LSgt Tucker DB LCpl Herschell AE LCpl Patrick KA

Tpr Holland C Tpr Lepla CA

LSgt Endersby M]

W02 Thomas P] SCpl Pass J

LCoH Mathieson JG LCoH Vost PA LCpl Hanson AG LCpl Thompson K]

Capt JG Rees — Davies W01 Smith T

Lt Col SII Cowcn

LSgt Forse SH

Tpr Woodgate JM

Lt R] Moger CoH Fry SK

Capt JP Core

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Capt EPW Hayward

BOSNIA TROOP ECH TROOP

RHQ

Ct B] Vestey

LCoH Smith S] Tpr Ashcroft GD Tpr Doyle ELD Tpr Raiwale SV Tpr Reeves CK Tpr Rogers DF Tpr Tirimaidoka AS

Sicminski CA Croy DS Edwards JI Snowden AM

I TROOP Ct BCDN Bishop CoH Brown TE LCoH Abbott DB

Tpr Saurara AT

Tpr Spence KR

LCpl Stables P]

Tpr Aveling KB

Tpr Youngman JW

LCoH Hadley JR

SCpl Overton TL CoH Tennant GA

LSgt Bootc RJ LSgt Blackic P

LSgt Watson

LCpl Murray AD LCpl Coombs MS Cfn Wenn MJ Cfn Devers MF

Tpr Buttress AM Tpr Elliott JW

Tpr Rogers WA

CoH Jukes S LCoH Edisbury D

LSgt Creighton SG LSgt Skinner A

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

SSgt McGlynn S

2 TROOP Capt SA Instone CoH Farrimond SP CoH Hoggarth JS LCoH Hunt NJM LCoH Stevenson VC LCpl Blakcway LG LCpl Forrester JA LCpl King JA LCpl Nelson JL

LCpl Williams MR Tpr Armstrong GS Tpr Bowyer SP Tpr BremnerJ

RHG/D SHQ

Tpr Doran MB

Tpr Hannaford RA

Tpr Ellis NM Tpr Goddard MT

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Tpr Griffiths MP Tpr Kirk GA

Tpr Logan TC Tpr Mainwaring KD Tpr Monger JA Tpr Nardini PDS Tpr Probert SA Tpr Scholes KJ Tpr Swift MA Tpr Taylor MD Tpr Van-Wyk W Tpr Wenham AR

Mai 0M Bedford W02 Parkinson JC SCpl Welsh S Pte Calder E

RAO

Capt RT Sturgis CoH Mardon AD CoH Mcmullen SD LCoH Faires PM LCoH Ireland PG LCoH Salina SA

Capt MB Sadler W02 Eardley GDE

Sgt Broom GS Sgt Hunt CM LCpl Preston AS Pte Ngugi JN

LCpl Brown Gi LCpl Crossley Gd

VETERINARY

LCpl Game Sa LCpl O’connor-Forbes DD

Maj MCE Morrison

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Appleton KR Baird DJ Caulkin GJ Cochrane DM Corbett JMD Davies»Moore A Doran KP Ghelabhai M Houston CJ Kuruduadua RR Legge M] Mann M Martin MA Mckay SA Meades JR Newstead GJ Rayner RG Rennock EA Smit K Smith DJL Tuffs RD

3 TROOP

W02 AD Panter SCpl Gaddes AR]

Capt RAGibbs

LSgt Solomon N Tpr Richardson EC

CoH Barnard R

1 TROOP

LCpl Blake SJ

Capt WHAG Snook CoH Hockings CGC

LCpl Fletcher N LCpl Green GA LCpl Martin SD

CoH Hooper MA

Tpr Abbott DM

LCoH Mcthune PJ LCpl Banham PD LCpl Carmichael JR LCpl Horton TA LCpl Killcen RS LCpl Queen EC LCpl Wters K Tpr Ackerman SJ Tpr Ali-Sam HM Tpr Allen AD Tpr Cooper G

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Tpr Davison CE

HQ SQUADRON

2 TROOP

Mai AD Dick Capt CT Haywood

Tpr Daley CJ

Hawley JF Nicol CS Saunders CC Skelhorn CC Staniland NJ Wharton J Wilson JC

CoHSharpe R LCoH Burton IP

Barnott GC Bateman E Butchard IRG Camaibau M Capes AR Chaplin D Clement CP Davies SM Eade CJ Ellis JA Fisher MT Haley MW Hall CA

LCpl Speer AL FORGE W02 Newman SJ CoH McDonald FA LSgt Bennett DJ LCoH Darlington L

LCoH Freeman WC LCoH Gammage SD LCoH Knaggs JDK LCoH Roberts JL LCpl Dean PD LCpl Hamilton NM LCpl Hayden

LCpl Hill MR LCpl Ravenscroft DJ LCpl Sherlock N

MED CENTRE Mai J Hammond LCoH Royston DL LCpl Short DJ Tpr Beddar PV

RIDING STAFF Capt RG Waygood WOZ Avison MA SCpl Jenkins DA SCpl Moore GP CoH Arkley JD CoH Bye CE CoH Payne DJ CoH Weston CAS

CoH Wills DC LCpl Hume DR LCpl Norris LM LCpl Powell DR

LCpl Waddell SF

QMs DEPT Capt VP Maher

WOZ Elliott C]

Nominal Rolls Nominal Rolls

CoH Hadden M] CoH Halfhide P]

Tpr Bowyer SP

Tpr Bremner ] Tpr Comtnon AR Tpr Ellis NM Tpr Ghelabhai M Tpr Hannaford RA Tpr Hounsome MT Tpr SmithSO DJL

LCOH Darby CG LCoH Lewis CK]

LCOH Plimmer WA LCOH Saunders N LCOH Venables PD LCpl Beaumont AM

LCpl Camp IG LCpl Frampton DA LCpl Stafford AD Tpr Walton K Pte Hewitt SR

WOZ Dixon D SCpl Carr ]B CoH Beulah M CoH McNamara K LCoH Catterall NT LCoI'I Hall NB

Tpr Medd TR

Tpr Otty S Tpr Phelps GP Tpr Roberts C

LCoH Kendle DHB

Tpr Ross GK LCpl Royston DR Tpr Rossi ]L] LCpl Finn N

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

WOS & NCOS MESS PHASE 2 TRAINING CoH Callow GUARDROOM

SADDLERS SHOP CoH ]ohnson RM

W02 Goodwin M CoH Scovell AM CoH Twyman LCOH Walker CA LCpl Tingley GHL LCpl Waite N

LCoH Downing T] LCpl Ashaa

LCpl Gladish DM LCpl Horne P]

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Allaird ]F Archibald GC Bailey TR Baksh T Bass SH Brown AR

LCpl Mowatt D]

LCpl Tiffoney

Tpr Chambers ]A

Tpr Viljoen]

RECRUITING

MT TROOP

H DIV STABLES

Tpr Collins ]M

Tpr Cutler S

CoH Peet MD LCoH Watkins GA LCpl Crawford J ARMOURER

CoH Crighton CD LCOH Holloway DL LCpl Rogers B LCpl Wharton C

Sgt Gibbons

Tpr Allcock ]SH Tpr Ashford GM

MASTER CHEF

Tpr Hogg MA Tpr Murgatroyd DL

COH W02 W01 W02 LCPL COH COH COH SCPL COH COH COH LCOH COH COH SCPL

ARMCEN ARMTAT ADTU

W02 SCPL W01 LCPL COH COH LCPL LCOH LCOH LCOH LCOH LCOH LCOH SCPL W02 W02 LCPL LCPL SCPL SCPL W02 SCPL LCOH COH W01 W02

Tpr Deavall GM Tpr Dunn SA

Tpr Harris LP

Tpr Pickles ]E

Tpr Hill MWH

Pte Thomson N

SSgt Cook PRP

Tpr Waugh S]

Tpr Hiscott ]A

OFFICERS MESS

TRAINING WING

Tpr Kleinhans P

Capt RSI Derry Capt PG Leavey

Tpr Littleboy SDP Tpr Mansi LL] Tpr McIntyre D

Tpr Elvin CS Tpr Faulkner M]] Tpr Fergusson G]D

Tpr Gray ]A Tpr Harris ]S

SICK LINES

Tpr Kirk BW

ATR LITCHFIELD ATR PIRBRIGHT

ATR PIRBRIGHT (RSC) ATR WINCHESTER BATUS (2B) BOWTAT

LCpl Eames65 RPM Tpr Daley C]

Tpr Smith32

C SQN RY CIS SCHOOL

CLM BOVINGTON

Officers at ERE The Life Guards Major] R D Barnard Major H C B Briscoe Major] B C Butah

Royal Yeomanry MOD (Regents Park)

Colonel W S G Doughty

LWC Warminster 12 CTT CATT Warminster HQ LAND

Colonel P S W F Falkner

HQ Londist

Major H R D Fullerton Captain ] R Greany Major R R D Griffin Major] S Holbrook Major P R L Hunter Captain M R Kitching Major A Lawrence

MOD (London) Beaconsfield

Captain ] P Core Lieutenant Colonel A P de Ritter

Captain W R Lindsay Major] T Lodge Major R A H Peasgood Lieutenant Colonel N M A Ridley Lieutenant Colonel H S] Scott

APC (Glasgow) MOD (London) MOD (London) AFC (Harrogate)

RMC Shrivenham HQ ARRC Bovington 2 PARA (Colchester) MOD (London)

PSIZ(A) HQ LAND

Lieutenant Colonel E A Smyth-Osbourne Lieutenant Colonel G G E Stibbe Major R C Taylor Captain] P Thomson

Banja Luka RMC Shrivenham

Major T E Thorneycroft Captain C] Trietline Lieutenant Colonel M C van der Lande

ATR (Winchester)

ATR Pirbright Defence Academy

Major M Whatley

MA to the Minister ofState HQ ARRC

Lieutenant Colonel] R Wheeler

Defence Academy

Captain D R Boyd Colonel W T Browne Captain A Burbidge

BOVINGTON TRG REGT D (NH) SQN QOY DAC MELTON

Snell B ]enkins M

Reid D

DEF ANIMAL CENTRE

Davidson BW

EPISKOPI SP BN FLYING WING SAAVN GSM CATTERICK HQ ARMOUR CENTRE HQ AG HQ BELFAST HQ NI

Ashdown CN Roberts M]

Irving R Davies S Bentley RM Brown S

Chell R] Lochrane ]L

Cornock 0 Galvin A] COH Hitchings D]

IRAQ LWTC OXFORD UOTC PATHFINDER PL

McKechnie P] McMillian F]

Grantham SM

PEC PSLT RAC CENTRE QDG QOY YORK QOY AYR

Bridges KR Pickard S] Newton Kay R Aston TP Ireland MR Walker CA

COH(RR) Weston CAS Farmer AP WOl LCOH (RR) Broom ]R

QRH

Galbraith CS Timms MP Hodgson SH Hayes MT Freeman MA

RAC CENTRE RMAS

Mills S] Howell RG Laverty RA

RY SP Bn ARRC STOKE (E1) TDT ARMCEN TDT DRAC UOTC NEWCASTLE WARMINSTER SP UNIT

Shields ] Byrne ]] Flanagan TLF Bryne ]] Carrington P] Taylor SB Poynter K] Benge S

Doga M LCOH Curson AD W02 Arkley ]D LCOH (RR) Weller ]R W02 Ireton ]K LOCH (RR) Gray B] LCPL (RR) Basset GS LCPL Tate RMM LCOH Douglas W VVOI Flanagan T]F VVOZ Hession ]A LCPL Norris LM LCPL Chambers RI SCPL Osborne RH TPR O’Connor RD VVOl Burton WA SCPL Gray DP VVOZ Trinick C] SCPL Amos RD LCOH Brooks M] COH Gallagher RS COH

SCPL COH COH LCPL LCPL SCPL SCPL COH COH LCPL LCPL COH COH COH SCPL W02 W02 COH

RMA Sandhurst Staff College (France) DAC Melton Mowbray

DW Cresswell Wolfendale

COH

Kirk

AK

Musn

LCOH

D’Arcy

P

Musn

Rockey

Francis

Barker Eccles

C

Musn

]ones

Allen

LCoH LCOH

E]N

Musn

Sills

Captain] S Fisher Major M P Goodwin-Hudson

Lazenbury

LCOH

West

TS

Musn

Potts

MOD (London)

Pearson

LCOH

Carter

DRM

Musn

Kennedy

Lieutenant Colonel M A Harding

PJHQ

Goodchild

LCpl

Hinehliffe

Musn

Gibbs

Captain N P Harrison Captain M] Heath Major D E Hughes Major C A Lockhart

HQ London District

Ravenor

LCpl

Musn

Welsh

OTC Cambridge University RMC Shrivenham HQ 5 Div

Wheeler

LCpl

Crabb

Musn

Snell

Whyb row Semkin

LCpl LCpl

Sanders Gray

Musn

San dford

MOD (London)

Major General W R Rollo

DAG Upavon QOY Newcastle

Captain C] L Speers Major P F Stretton Lieutenant Colonel P] Tabor Major S C Tomes

Captain P B A Townley Captain] A M White

Brigadier B W B White—Spunner Major G V de la F Woyka

Auid GD Collier PA

Golder LE Gardener GC Goodhall DA Nicholls SRA Stainsby PI Dewitt Paylor KS Hemming NG Glasgow KF Bassett AT Reason ]] Sykes ]A Tovell ADW

Short ADW

Patterson

Oman HQ NI Bovington

Lieutenant Colonel F G S Lukas Captain M] Norris

Hepple C James DHS

The Band of The Life Guards

Blues and Royals Major W Bartlev]ones Major P A Bedford

Adams CA l’ostance ]C

COH Gibson BK

Sgt Kincaid M

LSgt King OHA Gdsm Braithwaite SM Gdsm George BDB Gdsm Griffiths MP Gdsm Harrison M Gdsm Lamsdon PA Gdsm Plummer DA

SCpl Lowe ]M LCOH Clare

1 D&D l RECCE BDE l4 CTT 16 SIG REGT 3 PARA 4CTT 7 CTT 617 TACP A SQN (QOY) ACIO BURTON ACIO OLDHAM ACO NEWCASTLE AFC HARROGATE AFCO SUNDERLAND AFV D&M SCHOOL AFV GNRY SCHOOL

SCpl Wibberley MA CoH Cox DW

Tpr Clarke M]

TAILORS SHOP

Rutt PIC Sherman DS Smith33 CA Smith77 ]P Stiens MRT Trowsdale D

Tpr Bullingham N

Tpr Catton ]PR Tpr Chalkin DC]

Other Ranks at ERE

Tpr Medler DC Tpr Oakes ]W

Isherwood

DL

RL

MP

Recruiting (London)

The Band of The Blues and Royals

BFPO 4O CAST Warminster MOD (London) CAST (N Yorks)

ATR Pirbright PJHQ 9/12 L BFPO 30

Major

DD Robertson

WOI (BM) WOII (BCM) SCpl (TM) SCpl (SQMC)

Wattersori Howe Gough Redman

COH COH COH

Purnell Marsh Thomas

COH LCOH

Whitfield Groves

RH RB RL M PI S GB A

A]

LCOH LCOH

]oncs Sparks

LCOH

Kent

LCpl LCpl LCpl LCpl LCpl LCpl LCpl

King Tulip Bishop Witter Screen Kinsler North

Musn Musn Musn Musn Musn Musn Musn Musn Musn Musn

Smith

DM

Peters Martin March Stringfellow Wooten

A] S EM R L]

SunimerfieldIM Barratt Lockwood

ER ]S

Crofts

L

Nominal Rolls Nominal Rolls

Notices Information for members of both The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals Associations The Queen’s Birthday Parade and Review

The Queen’s Birthday Parade will be held on Saturday 12th June 2004 with the Colonels’ Review on 5th June and the Major General’s Review on 29th

Cavalry, of any change in their address.

Every year both Associations lose touch with a number of members who have failed to notify us of their change of address. Any correspondence returned will result in that member being placed

May. A limited number of tickets for

in the non—effective part ofthe database.

the Inner Line of Sentries (standing only) will be available for members

E-Mail Addresses

through the Honorary Secretary of their respective Association. Tickets cannot be purchased through Headquarters Household Cavalry.

Notification of changes to your E-mail address is now becoming as important as changes to your postal address. Please keep Home Headquarters informed (by E-mail!) of those changes.

Household Division Beating Retreat

2004

Internet Matters

The Massed Bands of the Household

The Household Cavalry Web Site can be found at www.householdcavalry.co.uk.

The E—Mail address is as follows: homethI householdcavalry.co.uk

Division with Beat Retreat on Horse Guards on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 June 2004. Performances commence at 7pm and last approximately one hour.

Ticket prices are £10 and £7 (all reserved seating). There is a 10% discount for groups of 10 or more. No refund can be given if the event is cancelled for reasons beyond our control.

Tickets

requests should be made as follows: A: Cheques/Postal Orders, made payable to “Household Division Funds”, will be accepted at anytime but tickets will not be despatched before April. Cheques (in sterling only) should be sent to The Treasurer, Household Division Funds, Horse Guards, Whitehall, London SW1A 2AX, together with a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

B: The credit card booking line (020

7839 5323) will be open from 1 April.

There will be a £1 extra charge for each credit card booking.

Combined Cavalry Parade and Service

The 80th Combined Cavalry Old Com— rades Parade and Service will be held in Hyde Park on Sunday 9th May 2004.

Members of each Association should assemble in Broad Walk at 1030 hrs on the grass

behind

Marker Board.

their

Regimental

Dress will be lounge

suits and medals (not miniatures). Due to the security arrangements members should give themselves plenty of time to get to the Assembly area. Members are

invited to Hyde Park Barracks after the parade but admission will only be by ticket from your respective Honorary Secretary.

Change of Address All members are requested to inform their respective Honorary Secretary, through Home Headquarters Household

News from the Associations

The Web Site now incorporates a Bulletin Board with forums for both LG

and RHG/D giving Old Comrades the opportunity to discuss topics ofinterest.

There is also now a photograph forum.

Also on this site is a notification of deaths section.

The Veterans Agency

year. Training is given (2 days), and outof—pocket expenses are paid. Job satis~ faction is guaranteed. If you can spare a little time for a ‘comrade’ please contact:

SSAFA Forces Help - Recruitment SSAFA Forces Help need more volunteers from each Association to be Case— work Supporters who are visitors, treasurers, administrators and fund-raisers.

SSAFA Forces Help volunteers are there to provide practical help, advice and friendship to all serving and ex—serving men, women and their families. More than 85,000 call on the charity every

Officers’ Association (0A) and 0A, Scotland

who can put you in touch with your

Helps ex— officers in financial distress, provides homes for disabled officers and families, and operates a residential home in Devon. It also assists ex»Officers to find suitable employment after leaving the Service. They can be contacted in England on 020 7389 5219 and in Scot-

nearest team.

land on 0131 557 2782

Educational Grants from the Royal Caledonian Schools Trust

The Royal British Legion (TRBL)

Anne Needle Branch Recruitment Office 19 Queen Elizabeth Street London SE1 2LP Telephone: 020 7463 9223

The Royal Caledonian Schools, affectionately known as the Caley, was established in 1815 to help with the education of the sons and daughters of Scottish service personnel, past and present and to those of poor Scots living in Greater London. Since 1996 the Caley has awarded educational grants of over half a million pounds and the Trustees like to consider as laterally as possible the best way of helping potential clients.

The Chief Executive, John Horsfield would be happy to discuss appropriate situations with parents or those wishing

to refer a family. For further informa— The Veterans Agency (VA), formerly the War Pensions Agency, is available to assist all former members of the Armed Forces, such as veterans of the World Wars, Korea, National Service, the Falk» lands or GulfCampaigns, peacetime regulars or volunteer reservists, and their dependants. The VA is a telephone help line, which will advise individuals on where, and how to obtain expert help. It is staffed by fully trained personnel aware ofthe needs of Veterans no matter when they served or in which Service. It is open Monday — Thurs (0815 — 1715) and Friday (0815 — 1630) and has an answer phone service when closed. No matter what your problem, the VA is there to provide advice. Give them a call (at local call rates) on 0800 169 2277.

They can also be contacted by e-mail as follows: helpGIveteransagency.mod.uk.

They also have a Web site whose address is: www.veteransagency.mod.uk

out the country including private and other charitable homes.

Their telephone help linc is: 020 7839 4466 or you may write to them at PO Box 31096 London SW1Y SZR. You may also visit their web site at www.cshra.com.

tion please contact: The Royal Caledonian Schools, 80A High Street, Bushey,

WD23 3HD. Tel/fax 020 8421 8845 or e-

TRBL is the UK’s largest ex-service organisation with some 570,000 members. One ofits objects is to promote the relief of need and to promote the education of all those who are eligible, their spouses, children and dependants. If you need help, you can contact the local TRBL branch near you (number in the local phone book), or the national Legion help line on 08457 725 725 or visit their web site at www.britishle— gion.org.uk SSAFA Forces Help It exists to help, according to need, all men and women serving, or who have served at any time, in the Armed Forces of the Crown, their families and depen—

dants. Local branches of SSAFA Forces Help can be found in the local phone book or from the Citizens’ Advice Bureau or contact the Central Office at: 020 7403 8783 or visit their web site at www.ssafa.org.uk.

The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress) For nearly 80 years it has been the only organization specialising in the care of men and women of all ranks discharged from the Armed Services who suffer from injury of the mind. The Society has 3 short stay treatment centres that specialise in providing treatment for those who need help in coping with their psychological problems. For more information and full contact details for regional offices telephone the Head Office on 01372 841600 or visit their web site at www.combatstress.com.

The British Limbless Ex-Servicemen‘s Association (BLESMA) The objects of the Association is to promote the welfare of all those who have lost a limb or limbs, or use of limbs, or one or both eyes as a result of their service in the Forces and to assist needy dependants of such Service limbless. It will also help those Ex»Service men who lose a leg after Service. For more details contact them on 020 8590 1124 or visit their web site at www.blesma.org.

St Dunstan’s St Dunstan’s cares for Ex—Servicemen who have lost their sight for any reason (even after leaving the Service). For more information contact 020 7723 50210r visit their web site at www.stdunstans.org.uk.

Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA) contact no is 020 7321 2011 Ex - Service Fellowship Centres (EFC) The aim ofthe EFC is to relieve distress among ex—servicemen of all ranks and their widows or widowers who, at the time of application for assistance, are unemployed, homeless or for reasonable cause in need. They can be contacted at

020 7828 2468 SSAFA Forces Help Housing Advice Service Provides housing information and advice to Ex-Service personnel and their dependants. For further information contact them at 01722 436400 Haig Homes Haig Homes have some 1100 homes throughout the country for letting exclusively to ex-regulars and their families on assured tenancies. For details of where properties are located and application forms contact them at:

020 8648 0335.

mail rcstta nildram.co.uk Helpful Contacts The following is a list of organisations which members may find useful for future reference: Royal Windsor Visitors Information Bureau Enquiries: 01753 743900 Accommodation: 01753 743907 E-mail: windsor.accommodation@rbwm.gov.uk

Household Cavalry Musical Rides Shows For 2004

Ex-Service Homes Referral Agency (ESHRA) ESHRA provides information and advice on nursing; residential, convalescent and respite care homes owned by Service and ex-Service charities. Information is also available on 19,000 nurs— ing and residential care homes through-

London W1] 7PX

2004 Ride Forms

05 April

Windsor Horse Show

13—16

May Windsor 3 Day Show Rotterdam Horse Show

The Cavaliy and Guards Club has one of the finest Edwardian building: in London with stunning views of Green Park that is ideal for:

30 May

Weddings

16 — 22

Receptions

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission They have an excellent website which can be searched using basic details, for information about the final resting place ofwar dead at home and overseas. Their site can be found at www.cwgc.org

valry and Guards Club 127 Piccadilly

June Kempton Park RAC HQ Bovington Tattoo Gatcombe Park

14 July 21 July 06 — 08

August Shrcwsbury Flower Show

12 e 15 August

September Regimental Training Open Day

05 September

Dinner Parties Business Meetings Other Personal Occasions Forfurther details and infimnation please contact our Banqueting Co—ordinator on:

Telephone: 020 7659 0905 Fax: 020 7495 5956

October Horse of the Year Show

Email: functions@cavgds.co.uk 06 — 10 October

www.cavgds.co.uk

News from the Associations

lst Household Cavalry Regiment Annual Reunion he 57th Annual Reunion of the lst Household Cavalry Regiment was held on Thursday 16th October in the WOs’ and NCOs’ Mess at Hyde Park Barracks by kind permission of the

RCM Mr T Smith.

In the absence of the President, His Grace The Duke of Wellington, Colonel W H Gerard Leigh presided and a total

of 55 members and their guests enjoyed an excellent lunch, at which we were also delighted to welcome Silver Stick, Colonel H P D Massey and Lieutenant Colonel S H Cowen, the Commanding Officer at Knightsbridge.

On a proposition put by Colonel Gerard Leigh it was unanimously agreed to invite all members of 2 HCR Lunch

Club to join us for all future reunions which it is hoped will continue to be held at Hyde Park Barracks.

The date for our 2004 reunion has been arranged for Thursday 14th October 2004 and we look forward to welcoming as many members as possible from both

Regiments. Invitations will be sent out

t is deeply regretted that the 57th Club, which was to be held on the 26th October 2003, had to be cancelled because the number of members and guests wishing to attend was too small to cover the costs involved. The Clubs members suffered particulary heavy

depletion’s this year due to deaths and disability. Even such stalwarts as Major Tommy Thompson and Major General Tabor, our own life President, suc— cumbed to heath problems and had to decline the invitation. As it seems that

we will face similar difficulties next year,

the club will be wound up and the small financial surplus held will be donated to The Blues and Royals Association and The Life Guards Association.

Both Captain Malcolm Fraser, Secretary of the lst HCR Lunch Club and John Triggs, BEM. Secretary of the House— hold Cavalry Assn., Dorset, have issued a cordial invitation to former members of 2 HCR to attend their functions, where they will receive a warm welcome.

1 HCR hold their lunch at Knightsbridge in October each year, please con— tact Captain Fraser for details at South

Bank House, Lacock Road, Corsham, Wilts SNl3 9HS. Dorset Squadron, will be well known to members living in the

South.

For the benefit of those in

northern climbs, Dorset Squadron hold functions every quarter in Bournemouth, which are very popular, contact John Triggs at Household Caval— ry Association — Dorset, 4 Shelley Road, Poole, Dorset BH12 ZDE. I hope that 2 HCR members still fit to travel will avail themselves of these two invitations.

Morris Midgley, Hon Secretary,

2 HCR Lunch Club

The Household Cavalry Association North Staffs Branch President: Lt Col J S Olivier, The Blues and Royals Chairman: Mr Barry Lewis, formerly Royal Horse

Guards Secretary:

Mr Ian Taylor, formerly Royal Horse Guards Treasurer: Mr Harry Withington, formerly The Life Guards Before our first meeting in January 2003, we heard the sad news of the death

of Mrs Valerie Daly. Several members were able to attend the funeral on 14th January, as were members of the North East Branch and a measure of her popu— larity was evident from the huge congregation. Valerie was a great friend and

supporter of our Branch and will be

tle earlier than usual. An extra meeting at Endon Riding School planned to arrange the sponsored walk/ride. It was suggested that the Association had some Roll of Honour to the memory of past branch members.

ciation Dinner on 10th May and a coach with members, wives and friends on llth May for the Combined Cavalry Service. Several members were in London again on let for the Presentation of Standards, a memorable occasion.

At our AGM in March, chaired by Mr P R V Thellusson, Vice President, the serving officers were reelected. Several members and wives travelled to the North East for their Annual Dinner.

Our first duty in June was the Mayor’s Parade in Newcastle under Lyme with a good turnout and fine weather. Later in the month, several Life Guard members made the trip down to London for the Trooping and The Life Guards Associa— tion Annual Dinner.

The National Memorial Arboretum is fast becoming well known and several members attended a service there on 22nd June to dedicate a memorial in honour of National Servicemen.

The Secretary had made enquiries regarding a memo— rial to past members and we hoped to confirm something during the month.

We lost member Mr Ron Pascall early in the month and several members travelled down to Tamworth for his funeral.

As in previous years, April is the first of our social evenings for members and their wives to enjoy a relaxed evening at

the local Comfort Inn, always with the obligatory raffle to raise a shilling or two for the Association funds.

On 28th April, our meeting at Endon Riding

School confirmed the date and order for the sponsored Walk/Ride. Our secondary charity would again be the Donna Louise Trust (a local children’s hospice).

sadly missed.

By February, the date for our Annual Dinner Dance had been confirmed, a lit—

May was a busy month with several members travelling down to Hyde park Barracks for The Blues and Royals Asso-

Early in August our fundraising event in July took an unexpected turn. We were joined by other sponsors to raise enough

as usual during August.

2 HCR Lunch Club

Annual Reunion ofthe 2 HCR Lunch

ning at the Riding School we were delivered in groups to a further point to walk back to the school. The walk included the Holly Bush Inn as our midway watering hole. As usual, the afternoon finished with a Barbie and a disco. On the 23rd July we had our second social evening of the year.

money for the Donna Louise Trust to purchase two, much needed, lawn mow» ers for the grounds of Treetops Children’s Hospice. On 16th August, we held our own dedication service at the National Memorial Arboretum, commencing with a moving service in the Millennium Chapel taken by our Padre, PrebendaryJ G Ridyard. Then on to the site of our bench seat to hold a short service to dedicate it in memory of past members.

Members and wives then returned to the home of the Padre in Lichfield for an excellent buffet provided as always by Norma Ridyard, a per-

feet end to a full and rewarding day.

Several members were at the NMA yet again on 23rd September for a high profile dedication service for the Ulster Ash Grove. A large an impressive memorial plot to commemorate all those who lost their lives as a result of the troubles in Northern Ireland, either military, police or prison officers. After the service we were able to find the trees planted in memory ofthe Blues and Royals and our local Life Guard, Leonard Durber. The weekend of the 27th September was our Annual Dinner Dance. There was an

chefs»

,.w..-;

3‘

Presentation of lawnmowers to the Donna Louise Trust Chi/drens Hospice.

abundance ofraffle prizes, the star prize of a weekend’s accommodation in Oxford pledged by member John Hawley, and redeemed by our Chairman, Barry Lewis and his wife.

Many thanks, John. The evening was great success as usual, the guest speaker being Major Richard Taylor, recently returned from Iraq. He gave us an interesting and sobering account oflife at the sharp end.

November found us at St Giles Church in Newcastle under Lyme for the annu« al Remembrance Day Service and, after— wards, again at Tunstall Ceremony to remember Life Guard, Len Durber.

Our last get together ofthe year was the Christmas dinner 10th December where a large number of us enjoyed a festive time together.

During the year we were all aware of the war in Iraq, knowing our serving col— leagues are out there putting their train— ing to good use and providing, if proof were needed, that we represent the finest in the British Army, we are proud of them. The Branch send their congratulations to those awarded for their work and bravery in Iraq and our support to those still working out there. We do not know how long the conflict will last but we know that our boys will maintain the high standards of the Household Caval» ry in brining peace to the area.

So ends another successful year, where the Household Cavalry has again been in the public eye, giving to the commu« nity and upholding the traditions. We look forward to next year.

a.“ \ oswfie u:i

19th July found us on our sponsored Walk/Ride. This time instead of begin-

Dedication of a memorial bench seat at the National Memorial Al.)oretum.

News from the Associations News from the Associations

arrival of 138 members and guests on the Friday, followed by a further 75 the next day. At the Annual Dinner the

Dorset Branch

President introduced the Guest of Hon-

www.householdcatialiyassociatimzdorset.org

our, Lt Col (Retd) D Daly, who gave a very informative speech about the Royal Hospital where he had served for 15 years. It was then time to move to the Imperial Ballroom and enjoy the music of the ‘Take One Disco Roadshow’ until 2am, only punctuated by the raffle at midnight. We were very pleased to see Lt C01 and Mrs Clee join us for the dinner and an overnight with us.

President The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Normanton

Chairman Raymond D Peck, formerly The Life Guards Secretary and Treasurer John Triggs BEM, formerly The Blues and Royals The year started quietly with our Quar— terly Meeting at the end of January which was preceded by the ‘Dorset Squadron’ newsletter, this lit the blue touch paper for 2003, inviting us to attend the Spring Dinner and Dance in February. This took place at The Savoy Hotel, Bournemouth and with 165 members and guests attending a week— end of fun, fine food, and a lot of remi— niscing, not to mention the money taken by the bar. Time was taken to remember Phil Lythe, who is severely disabled following a tragic traffic accident while serving with The Life Guards in Canada. We raising £500 to help improve his

quality oflife and can report Phil is now established in care near to his home in

Disley, Cheshire April saw W011 (SCM) Andy Panter organise a St George’s Day Dinner at Knightsbridge with 73 members and guests attending. Following an excellent meal our Chairman, Ray Peck, made a presentation on behalf of the Association to the Mess, of a statuette depicting St. George slaying the dragon, which was warmly received by WOI (RCM) M Kitching LG. The presentation was in appreciation of the support given to our Association by members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regi— ment over the years.

To further raise funds for our charity, a magnificent grandmother clock had been made in Norway by George Collett.

Ray Wilson must have thought that his Fairy Godmother had arrived when he won the first prize of the clock. All those present admired the clock and other prizes donated by George over the Top Tab/e 22nd Annual Dinner.

Standing: Lt Col M Harding RHG/D, RD Peck LG (Chairman), Lord Nonnenton {President},

To round off what has been a very rewarding year for the Association, a Christmas Luncheon was held at The Savoy Hotel on Sunday 14th December with nearly 60 members attending.

After one standard load offine foods all eyes turned to the Annual Draw and the Chairman started off the event. Congratulations to Mrs Shelia Brown for winning the £300 first prize, Eric Lane for the second prize of £200 and Mrs Jean MacDonald for the final prize of £100 ~ again our thanks to all who took part, especially Tony Prynne in Wales who sold over £100 worth ofticket — well done Sir!

Presentation to the WOs' and NCOs’ Mess, HCMR, at the St George’s Day Dinner L to R: Mr Ray Peck (Chairman), W07 (ROM)

M Kitching LG, W02 (SCM) A Panter RHG/D. We move into 2004 as a strong and happy Association, looking to maintain the standard. It has been a year of

sadness and elation in the Household Cavalry and we look to support it in any way that we can again in 2004.

the turn out was good and our represen— tatives were looked after first rate.

to look into the possibility making the visit at a later date

Catterick Camp

North East AGM meeting will be on the Thursday April 29th at the Ramside Hotel Durham 730-8pm all welcome to attend we look forward to seeing more ex Cavalry members.

Lt Col {Retdi D Daiy. Lt Col CBS Clee RHG/D. Sitting: Mrs A Harding, Mrs P Peck. Miss Roz Nott, Mrs S Clee.

This was our sponsored charity for 2003 and the total amount raised in 2003 by raffles, trumpeting and by giving talks on their experiences in the Household Cavalry totalled over £1600.

We had hardly got our shoes polished when six days later we were off to the ‘Ellingham Show’ in the New Forest, and thanks to Colonel Massey, COH Les Brown and the Regimental Recruiting

Caravan from Windsor supported us. It was in the middle of the heat wave but smack on 0815 hrs the fatigue party of ‘Old & Bold’ responded to the Hon Sec— retaries order “Crews Dismount” and tumbled out of their cars, some with their wives, to erect the tentage and the stand, and one hour later we were ready for business. Our President, The Earl of Normanton, paid a visit at lunchtime accompanied by a television crew from the BBC for a programme to be broadcast in August 2004. Never one to miss

an opportunity, the Chairman, Ray Peck, gave the President one ofour prize teddy bears, which was captured on film and we hope that it will not be edited out. It was a pleasure to meet old com~ rades from the Association, some as far back as 1948, and chat over times gone bv.

Whilst the rest of us relaxed, the Com— mittee were very busy organising the Balloon Race, The furthest recorded balloon found within the specified time scale was located on Berry Head, near Paignton, and carried a label endorsed “The Marsh Kids”. Pete Marsh gladly received a cheque from our President for £150 at the

Annual Dinner on behalf of the family.

Our thanks to the President, Lord Normanton, for again sponsoring the whole event and underwriting the expenses.

Come October and the 22nd Annual Dinner weekend was upon us with the

May was an active month with the many members attending both Cavalry weekend and the presentation of new Standards and Guidon. On separate occasions, both Brian Worthy and Derek

Idle attended the Menin Gate and to lay a wreath on behalf of the Association.

R & R was the order of the day for the next two months, apart from the Committee who were still beavering away quietly behind the scenes and the Quarterly meeting in July. Wally Pitt ~ our

charity rep. was organising our involvement with the East Holton Driving Cen— tre (Riding for the Disabled) at their Open Day on Sunday 3rd August 2003.

weekend and our sincere thanks George for your generosity, time and skill.

u.

‘ Gent/amen Trtimpeters at Hilton Lee. Messrs: Dodson, Wi/son, Haynes and Welt/2y.

North East Branch Dinner Dance 2004 The Dinner/Dance this year we will be held at the Crossways Hotel, Dunhelm Road, Thornley, in Durham on Saturday 13th March 2004.

Remembrance Parade Both Regiments were very well represented at this years parade. As usual

Arrangements had be made to visit the Yeomanry at Catterick Camp in August but unfortunately due to other commitments abroad we had to cancel this arrangement, hopefully we will be able

The Institution of a New Medal For Service in The Suez Canal Zone -16 October 1951 to 19 October 1954 As announced by the Prime Minister on 11th June 2003, the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals has had under consideration the case for recognition of service in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954, with special regard to the hardships and dangers which accompanied duty there.

Their recommendations have been duly submitted to The Queen who has gra— ciously approved the award of the Naval General Service Medal, instituted in 1915, and the General Service Medal (Army and Royal Air Force), instituted in 1918, with clasp ‘canal Zone’ for specified service as described below. The qualifying criteria have been published in a Command Paper which has been seen and approved by The Queen and laid before Parliament. The Ministry of Defence’s medal offices can now issue medals. Applications from veterans and their families are welcomed at the

addresses detailed below. All claims will be checked against official records held by the Department to confirm eligibility to the medal, or as instructed by the individual medal office.

The following categories of personnel will be eligible for the award of the appropriate General Service Medal with clasp: Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army or Royal Air Force personnel and equivalent Reserve Forces based in the Suez Canal Zone (Described at Schedule 1), Civilians who served full time with the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force during the qualifying period provided that they wore the approved uniform of their organisation. (See Schedule 2).

Military personnel of Commonwealth or Colonial forces, subject to the approval of their respective governments.

Persons of foreign nationality properly enlisted or enrolled in any of the quali» fying categories described above.

Qualifying service for each of these categories will be thirty days or more con tinuous service in the Suez Canal Zone between 16 October 1951 and 19 October 1954.

Service at sea will not count towards the qualifying period. Nor will time spent in the Suez Canal Zone on official visits, inspections etc by personnel based elsewhere.

If qualifying service was brought to an end before the completion of the speci— fied qualification period on account of death, woundng or other disability due to operational service, the reduced peri— od of service will be sufficient qualifica-

tion for the award of the appropriate General Service Medal with Clasp. The

News from the Associations News from the Associations

of

grant ofa British Honour, Decoration or Medal of the status of the British Empire Medal or above, or a Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct, for service in the Suez Canal Zone between 16 October 1951 and 19 October 1954 will also qualify the recipient for the appropriate General Service Medal with

Schedule 1 Geographical boundaries of the Suez Canal Zone Northern boundary: The northern boundary of the area is the Mediterranean coast at Port Said between

322 15‘ E and 329 20’ E.

be made as soon as possible to qualified applicants. Veterans of the Canal Zone, or the next of kin of those who have

died, will need to apply in writing to the appropriate medal office, giving full name, date ofbirth and Service number.

The next of kin of those who served will be required to supply supporting documentation. The addresses of the medal offices are, as follows: Royal Naval Medal Office,

Room

1068,

Centurion

Building,

Grange Road, Gosport, Hampshire P01

3 9XA Royal Marines Medal Office, Room 038, Centurion Building, Grange Road, Gosport, Hampshire P01 3 9XA Army Medal Office, Government Buildings, Worcester Road, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire

Western boundary: This follows the urban boundary of Port Said, then southwards to EI~Tina forming a narrow corridor along the western Canal bank.

This corridor is approximately one mile wide at most points but incorporates the ‘Treaty‘ and ‘Canal’ roads and all camps along these routes. The boundary then follows the ‘Erskine line’ running directly west from EI-Tina to the Bar el Baqar Drain and then SW along this Drain and the Drain Diversion to the edge of the cultivated area of the Nile Delta (near Faqus) continuing as far as El Tawila. From there it runs south to El Abbasa between El Qurein and El Isdiya. From El Abbasa the boundary runs south by east to El Ribeiqi then due south to the 30th parallel.

Liberating Denmark British Forces Broadcasting Services Combined Service Entertainment Forces Help-Society Hibbert Houses Malcolm Clubs Mission to Mediterranean Garrisons Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes Royal Fleet Auxiliary St John’s Ambulance Brigade Salvation Army Soldiers’and Airmen’s Scripture Readers Association Soldiers’, Sailors’, and Airmen’s Families Association Women’s Voluntary Service Young Men’s Christian Association Young Women’s Christian Association

Members of other similar bodies which

southern

provided full time service in support of the Armed Forces in the Canal Zone during the relevant period will also be eligible for the medal (provided that they wore the approved uniform of the organisation concerned). They, or their next of kin, should submit supporting

boundary runs east along the 30th paral—

documentation when they apply for the

Southern

boundary:

The

lel to the edge of the Gebel Ataqa and along the line of the escarpment to Ras Umm Mughera. It then follows the coastline northward through Ras el Adabya and Suez to Port Taufiq.

medal, including evidence oftheir membership of the organisation and proof of their service in the Canal Zone between the dates specified in the Command Paper and detailed above.

Eastern boundary: From Port Taufiq the boundary follows the line of the eastern bank of the Canal to the urban boundary

Applications should be submitted as appropriate to:

WR9 8AU Royal Air Force Medal Office, Room 6, Building 248A, RAF PMA, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester,

Gloucestershire GL3 1 E2.

In

common

with

other

campaign

medals, all applications will be dealt with strictly in the order that they are

Features

By MajorjA Dimond, MC, Formerly The Royal Dragoons

British Red Cross Society Church Army

Clasp.

The award of the Medals and Clasps will

A full list of those civilian units which served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 is no longer available.

The following bodies may have been involved:

of Port Fouad on the Mediterranean coast. This boundary incorporates installations along the east bank including the Marine quarantine station near Port Taufiq and the transit camp at Port Fouad.

Civilian Honours Unit Room 462, St Giles Court 1-13 St Giles High Street London. WC2H 8LD Royal Fleet Auxiliary Medal Office

received. Claims will be acknowledged

Schedule 2

on receipt, and medals will be issued as quickly as possible.

Civilian Units which served in the Suez Canal Zone

803 RFA CSl A Room F11, Lancelot Building PP29, HM. Naval Base Portsmouth, Hampshire. P01 3NH

PLEASE GIVE TO THOSE WHO GAVE

Donations and information: BLESMA, Frank/and Moore House, 185 - 187 High Road, Chad/eigh Heath, Essex RM6 6NA.

On 5th May 1945 the surrender of Germany was signed on Luneburg Heath, effectively ending the war in Europe. At that time the Royal Dragoons were in fact near Luneburg Heath, dispersed by squadrons. Among British troops everywhere there was an air of flatness and anti—climax as operations wound down.

Suddenly word came through that the Regiment was to provide the major ground—force for the liberation of Denmark — to our north (see map). Field Marshall Montgomery, commanding 21st Army Group, had chosen a wheeled armoured car regiment because of its mobility and excellent communications. Airborne troops were to occupy the airport at Copenhagen, and the Royal Navy were to secure Copenhagen harbour.

Like Cesar’s Gaul, Denmark is in three parts. On the left the tall feature ofJut— land extends 250 miles northwards from the German border. In the centre the small island of Fyn (pronounced Foon) includes the second city, Odense. On the right the larger island of Sjaeland (pronounced Seeland) contains the capital. There are numerous smaller islands and away towards the Artic circle the huge colony of Greenland. The most interesting island at that time was Born-

holm 100 miles east of Copenhagen off the Swedish coast. Borholm had been occupied, not by Germany, but by our eastern ally Russia. The question was: would Russia now hand Bornholm back to Denmark? We understood that there was a certain amount of diplomatic per— suasion at a high level and after a week or so Bornholm returned to Denmark.

Like the UK, Denmark is a monarchy.

Its total land is roughly the size of Scot— land and with similar population of 6.5 million. Its main industries are agriculture and fishing, and its main exports of dairy products and bacon are well known.

The Regiment moved in the afternoon of 6th May, B Squadron leading. After a few miles we were surprised to see, on a mossy bank, Field Marshall Montgomery himself, accompanied by our Colonel, Tony Pepys DSO. As the light faded my squadron leader came on the air and asked me to try to find a leaguer

for the night.

One of my scout cars,

moving untactically ahead, discovered

3 Mia“

the impressive schloss (castle) at PlOn, bordering a large and beautiful lake. It had a hard—standing frontage sufficient for all the squadron vehicles and inside were over 100 assembled iron beds. We thought that it was a reserve German hospital.

Next morning we rejoined the Regimental convoy, A Squadron now leading. In fine weather we passed through Kiel and Flensburg and approached the Danish frontier. The frontier post itself was remarkably simple — a small control building and a single barrier, now raised. The sight beyond the barrier was one of excited rapturous welcome, crowds six deep cheering and waving miniature Danish flags, this being the scene all the way to Copenhagen.

B Squadron was the last to enter Den~ mark and my troop was the last troop.

Hence whilst others were enjoying the continuing welcome in the interior I was stuck on the frontier. This however was full of interest. As the last port of call for German troops marching out of Denmark many commanders surrendered to me rather than to the Danish.

The Danish Resistance Movement were a great help. In no time we had filled a large field with arms, ammunition, staff cars with their distinctive camouflage, motorcycles, cycles, map cases, binoculars and of all things, accordions.

My troop was billeted in a small hotel overlooking the Flensburg fiord.

A short distance away another troop lead-

ing was receiving the freedom of Sonderburg, an honour he acknowledged from the balcony of the Town Hall. Reg— imental dispositions at that time were:A and B Squadrons in Jutland, C Squadron in the citadel in Copenhagen, D, HQ Squadrons and the LAD in Fyn in or near Odense, RHQ also in Fyn at Juelsburg, the home of the King’s hunt—

master.

The next day was VE day but business as usual for us. In the evening we learnt that a battalion in a wood west of Krusaa was refusing to surrender and threaten» ing to break out over the frontier. We were to investigate. Glad of some move» ment, we entered the wood with full headlights. We were met by the commander and his adiutant. They assured

Features News from the Associations

us that they would march out the next morning, which in fact they did. The

The Sandhurst Foundation

west shoreline of Jutland consists of

rough sand for its full length of 200 Is Sandhurst the best military leadership training academy in the world?

It is certainly one of the most famous and is world renowned for its exemplary

miles, and there is a fierce undertow.

Nevertheless many Danes have built fully equipped summer cabins in the dunes. The port of Esbjerg serves Har— wich and Newcastle and nowadays the airport of Billund is second to Copenhagen. We returned to our hotel and cel—

standards. The Royal Military Academy is taking steps to ensure it remains at the forefront of world leadership thinking and training with the help ofa new private charitable organisation called “The Sandhurst Foundation”.

ebrated VE Day with the staff.

A few days later I was “ordered” to go on leave to England. This was easier said than done, as there were as yet no formal travel arrangements out of Denmark.

Instead I went by jeep to Copenhagen

airport, allowing me to see more of the country. We drove through the historic town of Kolding, then into Fyn by the bridge at Middlefart, then on to Odense, birthplace of Hans Anderson the chil-

The Royal Dragoons return to Copenhagen in 7995 to mark the 50th Anniversary of Liberation.

Here also we were honoured by a visit from The Queen of Denmark.

dren’s writer. The ferry-point at Nyborg (pronounced Newborg) was controlled

by D Squadron for the 13—mile trip to Korsor on Sjaeland. Today the ferry is replaced by a tunnel and bridge, the sec» ond longest in the world.

Kastrup, Copenhagen’s airport, resembles the deck of an aircraft carrier and you take offover the sea. I managed to hitch a lift with a couple of American pilots who were flying a Dakota t0 Grantham in Lincolnshire.

On my return to Denmark I found that

Once during our 6 month tour we were granted 48 hours leave in Copenhagen.

This had all the attractions ofa big city, including a visit a short distance to Helsingor, - scene of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The city itself excelled in opera and ballet, the Tivoli Gardens for orchestras, jazz and fireworks. Other attractions included the Royal Palace,

Copenhagen’s emblem — the statue of a little mermaid on a rock, Turkish baths, department stores and restaurants — of which our favourite was Le Coq D’Or.

B Squadron had moved north to Alborg

six years of Nazi occupation, Denmark was regaining her feet and it was no sur— prise that in October we were ordered back to the British Zone of Germany.

This for some was a considerable wrench, since nearly 90 Royal Dragoons had become engaged to Danish Girls. B Squadron held a farewell dance at Hindsgaul, after which we moved down to a large barracks at Eutin in northern Germany. This was the first time in over 3 years that the whole Regiment was under one roof (Syria-Western Desert-Italy-England—Normandy—NW Europe—Denmark) and an opportunity for all five squadrons to get to know each other.

Shortly, however, we had to reduce to only three squadrons as demobilisation impaired out strength. After a few weeks I returned to Denmark with the Quartermaster to buy food for sol-

and were stationed in police barracks.

Alborg produces excellent schnapps, a prelude to equally fine lager. The town sits astride the Lim Ford, with oyster beds and clear water en route to the North Sea. Bordering the fiord magnificent houses stand back, their lawns

From Arhus we moved south to Hindsgaul, a country hotel with several buildings. It was just inside Fyn, near the shore of Little Belt — a waterway which separates Fyn from Jutland.

Under arrangements made by RHQ two War-

sweeping down to the water’s edge. By

arrived at Hindsgaul to re-educate us in foot drill. At the same time some of us

same time we heard that the Commanding Officer had been awarded the Order of the Elephant ~ one of Denmark’s most prestigious honours and a fitting

attended officers’ riding school in Kold»

recognition of the Regiment’s efforts in

ing. It was increasingly clear that, after

liberating Denmark.

night the whole scene is floodlight, pro» ducing an aura of fairy~like magic.

rant Officers from the Grenadier Guards

How you can help the Brooke

through. On the coast itself we found several high-calibre guns on concrete

You can too easily find half crippled, malnourished working animals in the East today.

A few weeks later we replaced A Squadron at Arhus on the East Coast, a trading port and Denmark’s third city.

Here during the war the RAF had ‘taken out’ a Gestapo HQ, in the centre of terraced houses, with little collateral damage, a masterpiece of precision bombing.

The Foundation is for all serving offi» cers past and present, offering a free roving e—mail address plus address book that will provide an immediate means of communications to all those who choose to join the Association. This means we can keep everyone informed of progress, along with all the reunions and other

A roving e-mail address at www.sandhurstfoundationorg which means you can remain in contact world wide and have access to a “closed” e-mail address list of all others members.

Organised reunions at the Academy at discounted rates; probably based on reunions S, 15, 30 and 50 years after commissioning.

Preferential rates for receptions (including weddings and christenings) Discounted prices on a variety of commercial and professional services.

A free annual magazine focused on leadership and the Academy, both on line and a hard copy.

Access to the Academy grounds on request and guided tours of the Sandhurst Collection at reduced rates Priority applications for battlefield

tours.

Priority applications and free access to selected Seminars and Symposia

5 searches per calendar year for information in the Sandhurst Library One very special offer at present is a FREE Five Course Dinner at Old College with a champagne reception, fine wines and vintage port to the first 3 intakes that can get together 50 or more members.

One of the first projects to be sponsored by the Sandhurst Foundation is the refurbishment of the Roman Catholic Chapel of Christ the King at the Royal Military Academy; a task which reflects the Foundation’s commitment to the promotion and development of leadership and fellowship. Spiritual growth — a concept fostered and nurtured by the chapel - is a key part of the leadership training that future officers receive and a cornerstone of both the Academy and the Foundation’s philosophy.

The Sandhurst Foundation has been set up for the benefit of all past and present officers and we would be very interested to hear your views. More details and membership forms can be found on the website www.sandhurstfopundationorg

Passing Out Parade - Combermere Barracks, Feb 1944

diers’ Christmas Dinner. At about the

One day I was asked to “Show the flag” on the north—west coast leading up to Skagen (pronounced Skayen) at the top of Jutland. As we approached the coast we encountered a series of roadblocks which the Daimlers just squeezed

platforms, clearly a defence against inva— sion. Although it was now a month since VE day, the villages in this remote area showed us the usual enthusiastic welcome.

Its purpose is to provide an independent focus for the improved understanding and development of leadership in its broadest sense, both in a military and civilian context across all sectors of soci— ety worldwide. This will include commerce and industry, academia, other national and international defence academies or simply individuals with an interest in the concept ofleadership.

benefits which are available to members.

Already the Association offers:

Hospital for Animals

Every week we give free treatment to thousands of suffering horses and donkeys and save many more from years of cruel labour.

For £25 we can provide up to 5 days of life saving hospital care. Just £2 will enable us to give an all important preventive treatment.

We know how to get the best value from every penny Please help. Send what you can by cheque or credit card to:

a -3»

From Mr D Williams, formerly The Life Guards

, , ‘ RHG. Dudley ?‘ 9,. Jimmy ' Howard JG, Tern/ Osborne LG LG. Chris Wol/aid Back,. Tprs Len Walker

Richard Searight, Brooke Hospital for Animals, Dept GHCSG, Broadmead House, 21 Planton Street, London SW1 4DR or call us on 0207 930 0210

John Wheeler RHG. Prof Williams. HHG Centre: Tp rs 7‘ ? Joe Flood LG. Derek Williams LG, Charles Graves LG, Dave Moss RHG. V ' Ray Ltiniinis LG, Simpson R HG, Jainieson RHG, CoH Beck/ey RHG. Ray SKoy/es LG, ? 7, Alben Halsey LG Front: \ Tprs Can anyone fill the gaps

Features 110

Features

Major Joe Thornburrow

anecdotal evidence of past times in the Royal Horse Guards Band and to let them see the photographs that still exist today.

Former Director of Music, Band of The Royal Horse Guards

By Major D D Robertson — Director of Music, Band of The Blues and Royals

Tuesday the 5th of August 2003 was a most memorable day in many respects but ultimately I hope for the family of Major Thornburrow. The Band performed at Windsor Castle with his family present accompanied by former mem— bers who knew and had worked with Major Thornburrow. Then back in the Barracks in which he had served a reception was held in his honour where much ofthe anecdotal evidence I had so hoped for did surface, enlightening all present as to Band life in those times under his command.

liilst attending the 2003 annual reunion of the Royal Horse Guards Band in the Warrant Officers’

and NCOs’ Mess at Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge I entered into discussion with a former ‘Blue’ whom, whilst dis— cussing past Directors’ of Music informed me that Major Joe Thornbur— row, Director of Music to the Royal Horse Guards Band had died in 1947 whilst still serving He added that Major Thornburrow was buried locally in the Windsor area not too far from the Barracks but regrettably with the passage of time he was unable to remember

To further mark the day, his family and Band Members past and present laid a wreath in his honour at the grave where he lies with his wife, now deceased.

the exact location of the grave site.

Given this information I found in me a desire to ascertain the exact whereabouts of Major Thornburrow’s grave and to further research his background .

I move forward in time to last year’s Royal Ascot where on a between the races break from the Gold Ring Bandstand I was approached by a young lady who enquired as to my connection with the Band of The Blues and Royals. Having established that I was the current Director of Music she duly informed me that she was the grandaughter of Major Joe Thornburrow, a former Director of Music who had died whilst serving in

r

Ma/or Thornburrow's headstone displaying

Trumpet Major Robert Gough sounding the

the Royal Horse Guards Crest

Last Post to close the day’s proceedings.

Later that evening as the sun was setting, Trumpet Major Robert Gough paraded at the graveside in order to sound the cavalry last post, a fitting and

poignant salute to a man whom, had he lived, would have realised his 100th birthday in 2003.

>8. ’-

,- dt-M‘ .

‘» , , ., t ..» .uv . it . .

Major Thornburrow s family. with the present and former Band members, gather at his gravesrde having laid a wreath to honour his memory.

Windsor and was buried close to the Barracks of the Household Cavalry Reg— iment based at Combermere Barracks, Windsor.

This provided, by sheer chance, the key that was needed to unlock the door to the very person I was trying to research, namely, Major ].A,Thornburrow. Mus— Bac, LRAM, ARCM,psm, Director of Music to The Royal Horse Guards Band from 1935 until his untimely death in

.

After further discussions with Major Thornburrow’s grandaughter Simone and various e-mails, a day was arranged where she with her husband Stewart, and her mother and father would visit the Band of The Blues and Royals to meet us and a cross section of former members whom had served under the baton of Major Thornburrow. My hope was that even after such a protracted period of time we would still be able to provide the Thornburrow family with

A Bridge Never Too far

by Trevor Bougourd, formerly Life Guards Band ike so many that knows Major ].E. Thirtle, it came as a very pleasant surprise to me that the people of

Castletown in the Isle of Man named their main bridge after him in November 2003. Tommy as he prefers to be called is indeed quite an exceptional individual.

Having joined the army as a boy bandsman, Tommy was of the breed of musicians that many (including me) hold in the highest regard. His obvious natural talent saw him graduate as a Bandmaster W01 from the Military

School of Music at Knellar Hall dur-

After the war, Tommy’s career continued a pace, culminating in him becoming Director of Music of The Blues retired in the early 1960’s. Even to this day some of his original works can be found in the music library ofthe Band ofThe Blues & Royals. It was during one visit to the Isle of Man that Tommy fell in love with the Island. He moved to the Isle ofMan with his much missed late wife, and has been a pillar of the community ever since.

It was because of his outstanding contribution to the town of Castletown that the Town Commissioners felt it apt that the main bridge in to the town he named Thirtle Bridge. When the announcement was made Tommy shook his head in dis—belief, demonstrating the modesty ofthe remarkable man that is Major J.E. “Tommy the Bridge” Thirtlel

Although he celebrated his 90th birthday in April 2003, Tommy still trains and conducts the Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band twice a week in the winter and on too many occasions to count dur— ing ‘the season’.

"A. T

TBIRTLE BRIDGE 2003

The Band of The Blues and Royals marching the dismounted Windsor Castle Guard back to Victoria Barracks playing Major Thornburrow's march composrtion ’The Windsor/an '.

Features 112

Features

113

World War I Battleground Tour May 2003

”49 Year Reunion”

By Derek Idle, Honorary Member of The Household Cavalry Association — Dorset

by Ian Swain

Iwas always curious about the places where my Grandfather served as 3 Sergeant Chief Clerk to General Sir William Robertson in the 1914-1918 War, and having reached a certain age, I decided to book places for my wife and myself on a World War I battlefield tour taking place in May 2003.

Our tour started in the area of the world famous town of Ypres, where we visited

Tyne Cot Cemetery which is believed to be the largest British Military Cemetery in the world, and it was hard to appreciate that over 250,000 men perished in

the battles around there. We then visited the trenches at Sanctuary Wood, Hill 62, Messines Ridge, Spanbroekmolen

mine crater and Ploegsteert Wood, not to mention the Hooge Crater Cafe for refreshments and a visit to their superb museum. I am privileged to be an Hon-

orary member of the Household Cavalry Association — Dorset Branch and was very proud and honoured to be asked, on behalf of the Association, to lay a wreath of poppies at the evening service at the Menin Gate in Ypres. It was a very moving ceremony!

missing Royal Fusiliers whose bodies were found on the battlefields some 80 years later.

e were all NCO’s in A Squadron, The Life Guards, at Balaklava Camp in Fanara, part of the Fayid garri~ son, in the Canal Zone in the 1954. The last time that we were together was at Christmas/New year 1954, as I left for release in the first week in January 1955.

After hearing the announcement of the belated award of a GSM for those who served in the Canal Zone between Octo— ber 15th 1951 and October 19th 1954. I rang Derrick Pattinson who is listed in The Journal as an area rep for the LG Assn. Derrick lives near Workington in Cumbria, he contacted Harry Brown who lives in Carlisle. These two had had previous contact.

The final day of our tour took us to a

battlefield which most of us have heard of, The Somme, sometimes referred to as ‘The Killing Ground’ of Kitcheners Army in 1916. We began by visiting the hospital museum at Peronne, and then moved to where the fighting began at Albert La Boiselle. The finale to the day was a visit to Lochnagar to see the largest mine crater ofthe Western Front, and one marvels at the feat of mining engineering at that time which went undetected until the plunger was pressed. Film clips of the detonation have been shown on television but the size of the lake that now fills the crater, has to be seen not to be believed.

Derek ldle laying a wreath on the Men/n Gate on behalf of the Household Cavalry

Dorset Branch.

The War Graves Commission are to be complimented on their maintenance of the military cemeteries.

When we entered it felt that we had moved into another world with only the sound of the wildlife to keep us company, and it made us think about the great numbers

After an early breakfast next morning, we were on our way to Vimy Ridge

who gave their lives in the service of their country particularly those members ofthe Household Cavalry, to whom

we paid our respects.

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Three old Lifeguasrd waiting for their Canal Zone Medal.

Harry Brown. Ian Swain and Derrick Part/neon.

An extremely moving and emotional experience and very worthwhile.

Change Over gomg The two photographs shown below were sent in by Major] H Eaton—Hall and show 3 Troop C Squadron The Life Guards smaller to London passing The Blues on their way to Windsor, 12th October 1938. (CoH Mansey, LCpl Ball and Cpl G111). The picture shows Horse Lines during last maneuvers before the 1939—45 war.

MESSINES : THE MINES

where we were impressed with the Canadian War Memorial to their fallen and with the way that some trenches had been preserved after nearly ninety years.

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and related story of the ‘Hull Pals’ who

A meeting was suggested, and I live at Fleetwood on the Lancashire coast, the obvious place was in The Lake District.

We met, with our wives, for lunch at The Kings Head Hotel at Thirlspot on Thursday 20th November, 49 years since the three of us were last together. The lunch went exceedingly well, and we are hoping to all meet again before long.

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fell in the area of Oppy Wood in 1917,

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Features Features

117

Lord Mayor’s Show - 1948

By A W Rowlinson The whole of the 1948 Lord Mayor’s Show was made up ofthe many uniforms of the TA and old voluntary regiments. I

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think you will find that 1948 had been

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Her Majesty The Queen

The Life Guards were dressed as a num— ber of Yeomanry regiments, we in the khaki were dressed as “City Imperial Vol—

unteers”. The photo was taken returning through the park to the barracks.

City Imperial Vo/t/nteels.

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Spot the men clockwise SCM Beswick, Saluting Captain Ingram Clark, Barrack Guard getting ready to parade. CoH Phaskett, Sitting on horse by gate, ' ' the centre CoH Noakes.

The then Lord Blandford (three o’clock), Two Lancers at bottom Mclean and Ealmg and finally in

The Presentation of Standards Poster, shown abme, \x 111 shortl) be on sa e a a - , F01a more Wmformauon " The Household Cavalry Museum, (,ombcrmcre 3611de, Windsor. te 1 ep hme0175375112. t

Household Cavalry Features

119

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