THE LIFE GUARDS SQUADRON he last year has been one of the busiest in living tnernory at Knightsbridgc. State Visits. Standards Parades. Birthday Parades and Garter Services have all come and gone orchestrated by a cast largely new to mounted duty. However. despite the hectic pace and the relative inexperience of the participants. the year has generated enormous enthusiasm and it is a telling statistic that not one single soldier of any rank signed off to leave the Anny. The Autumn season was marked by the State Visit of The Sultan of Brunei. The Life Guards were responsible for finding the Standard. which was carried by W02 (SCM) Pickard. with Major Robertson as
the Field Officer and Capt Dwerryhouse as Escort Commander. The Escort itself took place on a wonderfully sunny autumn day and proved. as always. to be a marvellous spectacle. Indeed the photograph of the Squadron in The Mall has been the set piece of Brunei Airways advertising ever since. The Lord Mayor's Show soon followed. with Lt Rees—Davies in command of the usual division escorting the corporation milkfloat. However. the rain soon intervened and it was a slightly sorry looking division. band and Inns of Court and City Yeomanry Detachment that returned afterwards to Hyde Park BarTacks. Soon. though, the ceremonial kit was put away as the troops. in rotation. left for winter camp. Held at Melbury House. the home of The Hon Mrs Charlotte Morrison. this proved to be a great success and all the troops managed to fit in a day's hunting
LCpl C/rumlrcr's rent/nagging on Kerry.
during their stay. This was the prelude to an exciting week before Christmas marked by a Squadron Beach Party. This extravaganza. organised by Tpr Saunders. proved to be an excellent tonic at the end of the year and a suitable prelude to Christmas leave. On return in January the Squadron used the quiet period of the year to get as many people away as possible on courses. LCpls Wyard and Egginton and Tpr McDowell all passed their PTl course over the period and CoH Douglas tackled his drill course with such enthusiasm that he returned an addicted
T/u' Smmlardx Palm/r.
pace-sticker. The squadron LCsoH all rotated through their EPC courses with LCsoH Gray. I-Iodder. Stewart and Gandar all performing particularly creditably. LCpl Allum. Tpr Mount and Tpr Jenkin all departed for their Equitation Instructors Course and the Squadron provided many of the hockey players who represented the Regiment with such distinction both in Jersey and in the London District Competition. Over this period Capt Dwerryhottsc. Lt Gaselee. Lt Earl. W02 Pickard. SCpl Margan. CoH Tierney. and CoH Lanahan left the Squadron and we welcomed Capt Davies. Lt E H J Hamilton— Russell. Lt Marshall. W02 Evans. SCpl Bellringer. CoH Barry and CoH Dixon itt their place. The summer season started with a Squadron dinner night in the WOs‘ and NCOs' Mess at which the guest speaker was Col J W M Ellery. After a memorable after dinner speech the festivities continued long into the night and resulted in CoH Barry and LCoH Rees forming a body new to Knightsbridge named The Welsh Equine School! The April State Visit of the President of Portugal saw the Squadron providing two divisions and the second Standard although Capt Davies commanded the Captain‘s Escort on the following day with Lt Rees-Davies and W02 Evans alongside. The period up to the Standards Parade was marked by many drills and early morning starts and the reintroduction to mounted duty of Lt Col Falkner and WOl Ritchie to accompany WOI Carter. W028 Pickard. Gilbert. Evans. Whatley and McDerrnolt and SCpl Margan. More good news came when Tpr McCauley won The Richmond Cup for the best turned out
Tpr Hmlgt' im’crn’rl.
Trooper and collected the prize from the Queen at Windsor. He and Tprs Garton. Knaggs and Bassett (the other Life Guard contestants) thus formed The Retintre Section for the Queen‘s Birthday Parade. [1 was the third successive year that a Life Guard had won the competition. Both the Standards Parade and The Queen‘s Birthday Parade. commanded by Maj Robertson with Capt Davies as Escort Commander and W02 Pickard carrying the standard for an unprecedented second time passed off without a hitch and the busiest summer for sortie time came to an end with an extremely damp Garter Service.
After leave W02 Hickman took over from W02 Pickard as SCM and attention turned to Summer Camp. This proved to be a remarkable success both for the Squadron and the Regiment and everybody returned from Thetford with morale at an all time high. The Jttnior Ranks Cross Country. with The Colonel of the Regiment in attendance. was won by Tprs Knaggs and McDowell who narrowly squeezed Tprs Leggett and Royston into second place. The Squadron also bagged fourth. fifth and sixth positions. The Junior Ranks Showjurnping was a similar success with Tpr Bassett just pipping Tpr Knaggs to win the trophy. Lt Marshall
Tpr Birtst‘l/ tI/I Humility/nu l‘t‘t'l‘f\’(’.\' [/10 Junior Run/(x Slit”(fruit/ting prucfl'nm I’ll“ C (MINIMUM/HIM 0/]!(‘1’11
THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MOL‘N ‘ED REGIMEN’I‘
and Cell Grantham won the Senior Ranks Cross Country with Lt Rees~Davies, CoH Douglas and most surprisineg the Squadron Leader and SCM also in the prizes. Capt Fullerton took the showjumping trophy. Senior and Junior Ranks nights out provided the social backbone and all the troops managed to sample the delights of a day out at the seaside in Great Yarmouth. On return to Knightsbridge. the Squadron's adventure training expedition led by Lt Rees-Davies and CoH Douglas departed for ten days Paragliding in Bavaria encouraged by The Chairman of Army Paragliding. Col Ellery. who flew out to inspect progress on one of the week-ends. The party of twelve returned via Garmisch (for some more adventure training), Heidelberg attd Epernay and everybody, particularly the younger members of the party such as Tprs Bassett. Knaggs and Feet. had a trip to remember. As October came along. the pace quickened again with Squadron drill parades and Full Dress Inspections and the start of this year’s autumn season now beckons. Thus. 1993 has proved to be an unusually busy year for the Squadron but one in which much has been achieved. The high turnover of manpower has led to an approach more closely aligned to that of a squadron in the Regiment and thus the distinction between armoured and mounted soldiers has largely been removed. The Squadron is. therefore. particularly happy and well motivated at present and looks forward to the November State Visit and State Opening of Parliament with eager anticipation.
Darius. LC/r/ Fi/migtm. LCpl Eggiltgmn. Coll Doug/us. Tpr Russell. LCpl [)0ng and T/tr McDowell.
THIC HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MOUNTED REGIMENT