Major Waygood makes a presentation.
tained marvellously and were fed and watered like kings. We were witness to the presentation of a new trumpet and colours to the President’s Bodyguard, met the President of India at a polo match the following day, attended an all ranks party, met the Maharaja of Jaipur, saw an extraordinary ‘horse dance’ and even were party with the President to a forum on the latest Indian fashionwear. In amongst all this activity, we also found ample time to
Riding Master winning the sweepstake.
indulge the local taxi drivers in their favourite hobby, viz. attempting to murder their passengers. One particular Delhi specimen saw fit to drive us one mile down the fast lane of a motorway on the wrong side of the road. Another viewed use of brakes as downright sinful. Another hijacked the journey and virtually marched us at gunpoint into his brother’s carpet emporium. All part of the fun though, and all three of us had the
most fabulous time. The Commandant of the 61st Cavalry in particular stressed his wish that an officer of the regiment go to visit for a couple of months, to jump or play polo, and I would heartily recommend this to any officer of a seriously equestrian bent. They would never regret it. Hopefully this visit will be the start of a really fruitful relationship between ourselves and these two admirable regiments.
Band of The Life Guards CBRN Training n 25th September 2007, having tested our respirators and practised our drills with our Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Instructor, CoH Walsh and Assistant Instructor, TM West, the Band travelled to Winterbourne Gunner to receive training in our role of decontamination in a CBRN environment. We discussed the possibility of such an event occurring and were shown the monitoring equipment and specially constructed ‘tent’ for surgical requirements. We have better knowledge of medical equipment and the kind of time restrictions in which a casualty can be made stable depending on several factors.
O
The most valuable experience was to put into practice various roles we would take on if we had to set up and run a deconta-
mination ‘station’ along with supporting transport, logistical and clerical personnel. We all got to practise (in the respirator testing facility (gas chamber) as well as outside) the ‘cutters’ role in the first stage of decontamination with plenty of fullers earth and trying to cut a person’s suit off without further contaminating anything– this proved more tricky than it looked which was demonstrated when LCoH Carter cut through both the suit and SCpl Goodchild’s combat 95 trousers from bottom to top! The last day and a half were taken up with the complete exercise. Half the Band would design and set up a decontamination station based on the knowledge we’d gained. Then, on seeing a lot of orange smoke simulating a chemical vapour hazard, they donned their respirators for
Maj Pennington is allowed to step over the ‘clean-dirty’ line.
the next three hours which on a very sunny afternoon was a challenge in itself. You have to rethink your methods of communication and make time for regular drinking drills. The other half of the Band provided some extra challenging casualties whether they were very vocal and efficient actors in pretending they were dying or in carrying a teeny bit extra weight for the cutters to carry on their stretchers! All in all The Life Guards Band rose to the challenge and turned what could have been a mundane necessary exercise into a useful one which was a good laugh in the end and strengthened an already close knit team.
Buddy-buddy system as the vapour hazard is prominent!
Household Cavalry News
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