Preface
By Colonel S H Cowen, The Blues and Royals Commander Household Cavalry
I
t is always good to welcome home the Regiment from an operational tour, but I was especially grateful to hear Lt Col Jim Eyre report that all members of the Regiment were safely back at Combermere Barracks on 25th November 2013 after their last deployment in the current operational cycle. This was sadly tempered by the loss of LCpl Brynin R SIGNALS who was killed in action whilst attached to the Battle Group’s Brigade Reconnaissance Force on one of their last operations of a very busy tour. It was difficult then, or at the following excellent Medal Parade exercising the Regiments’ Freedom of Windsor, to understand fully the extent of their endeavours on HERRICK 18. However, the publication of the Operational Honours and Awards List clearly reflected the esteem in which they were held. The list appears below. However, it is not only recognition of the individual deeds but also all the Battle Group and the operational success of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, and the outstanding leadership of Jim Eyre both in training and on deployment. It is reassuring to see this recognition of the fighting capability of the Household Cavalry as we approach the commemoration of two of our most acknowledged Battle Honours: the centenary of Zandvoorde and the bicentenary of Waterloo. Our roles may have changed and adapted. There is also a difference in scale of action and certainly there is a huge difference in the public and political tolerance for casualties, but what resonates through the centuries is the quality of our soldiers and their steadfast actions in the face of the enemy. It is also clear that the Household Cavalry remains a family, and from The Marquis of Granby to the present Operational Casualties Fund (OCF) we seek to care for our own, our casualties and their dependants. I am sure, like me, you will read with interest and a little awe, how committed the Regiments are and what they have achieved in the last year. The trite words ‘It has been a busy year’ have appeared on these pages before but they are entirely relevant in 2013. Sadly, the uncertainty also has not changed. I had hoped that after the Strategic Defence and Security Review there may have been some breathing space in which to reconstitute, but the future of Hyde Park Barracks is being reviewed with a lot of press speculation and the Future of Army Music appears to be distancing
Col SH Cowen on Integrity after the Major General’s Inspection
the relationship between our Regiments and their Bands, which is very sad. The Army’s focus is moving from operations to contingency and the permanent relationship that D Squadron has had with 16 Air Assault Brigade will also sadly be broken after 25 years. However, Defence Engagement, how our forces can influence British interest overseas, is seeing a resurgence. As we celebrate Burnaby Night, our subalterns will be turning the pages of A Road to Khiva some 125 years after it was written to draw inspiration on influence and engagement. However, this Defence Engagement will not only be at Windsor but also Knightsbridge, as the Mounted Regiment is also tasked with missions to the Gulf, Far East and North Africa. I am sure Danny Alexander will rue his simplistic statistics of tanks and horses; each have their place and value. Frustratingly, the most debilitating uncertainty is the voracious appetite the Army Staff have for change in the human agenda with reviews of recruiting, terms and conditions of
service, manning and career structures, whilst not always taking account of the effect it has on our men. During my tenure as Commander Household Cavalry, I have always been deeply impressed by the quality of our officers and soldiers, and always touched by the times that senior officers and others, unsolicited, have told vignettes of events highlighting their qualities and standards. These pages again eloquently illustrate that acceptance of challenge, excelling in training and operations, and joie de vivre, as seen in the articles on Adventure Training, OCF sailing and Spruce Meadows. Many of these expeditions have only been possible with outside support. I remain exceptionally grateful to those who have supported these activities through the creation of the Household Cavalry Foundation. I have been conscious of scepticism for creating this from serving and retired in the last two years, which is right and healthy as we should justify change. However, it has allowed us to
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