The blue and royal the blue and royal 1983

Page 23

vehicles pulled forward and we began to fire as best we could onto the enemy positions. This involved the invention of new techniques, untaught at Gunnery School. LCsoH Ward and Meiklejohn used the previously unheard of ‘30mm HE at 4000m Technique‘ and CoH Stretton the ‘76mm Indirect Night Shoot’. 1 corrected fall of shot from the outside of the vehicles and awarded A grades to all. The battered patrol reappeared. most of them wounded. and were flown back. We settled down for the remainder of the night. An Engineer came forward next morning. in a 25m radius around the crater he cleared 57 anti-tank mines. Having discovered that the Welsh Guards were now advancing I took over 243 and, leaving A and C to help the Scots Guards pick up their dead, set off in pursuit.

vehicles with us. but most important we had not lost any men. The journey north was relaxing but long. The sun shone. we saw porporses. we read books, wrote accounts. and prepared vehicles for our return to England. The

The following members of the Regiment were involved in OPERATION CORPORATE

MAJ H. St. J. HOLCROFT

Watchkeeper, C-in-C Land Forces Operations Centre, Northwood, England

CAPT R. A. K. FIELD ..

Watchkeeper, 5 Inf Brigade

4 Troop, ‘B’ Squadron

3 Troop, ‘B’ Squadron

Lt M. R. Coreth CoH P. F. Stret’ton LCOH S. S. Meiklejohn LCOH S. A. Ward LCpl G. Farmer

Lt Lord Robin lnnes-Ker CoH St. Thomson

Tpr M. J. Flynn

LCpl M. D. Mitchell

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr Tpr

LCOH M. G. Dunkley LCOH J. C. Fisher

LCOH M. Brown

P. R. Fugatt T. G. Maxwell E. C. Tucker D. C. Voyce A. R. Widdowson

LC0H Fisher and crew on the Drive Past in Combermere Barracks on their return to Windsor

G. W. Birch H. Ford C. K. Hastings J. Holdsworth S. J. Round J. W. Pilchowski

LAD

.

.

_ »

5;}

.

;

.

.

LCpIs Brown and Mitchell talking to the Colonel of the Regiment

at Portsmouth on their return

men rediscovered the joys of doing fatigues. The reception at Portsmouth was mind—blowing. Our families were there to meet us. also the hierarchy ofthe Regiment. But little could surpass the more personal welcome that Windsor put on for us. The crowds were almost covering our route and their banners were aimed at us alone. The Regiment seemed to overflow with champagne and relief. We were home at last.

The columns of men marching hell for leather up that road were an amazing sight. We found the Colonel who said that he believed the White Flag was flying but wanted me to recce forward to confirm it. We pushed on past endless articles of abandoned equipment: artillery pieces, and dead. Finally. we arrived on top of Sapper Hill. the key to Stanley. The war really was over. We were elated. Elation turned to dismay when we were ordered back to the mudhole that was Fitzroy. I and LCoH Meicklejohn stayed with my vehicle whilst the others went back to make a camp. Whilst we waited the minefield was marked with the help of the Argentinians who had layed it. The crew had to be restrained from strangling them. After two days the Chinook helicopter appeared and removed the vehicle with considerable ease. We went to our gypsy encampment at Fitzroy. Capt Field returned from 3 Troop in Stanley to the dull routine of Brigade watchkeeping. From him we learnt of the other Troop’s house with bath and hot water; it rained on us, we had no hot water. That, coupled with the anticlimax. lowered morale. Then the mail and cigarettes arrived. we would survive. News

’30

LSgt A. E. Watts LCpl A. Lamblein

From Flanders to the Falklands-

help us help them all

.mmROYOI _

came, we were to move to Stanley and board Fearless.

This we did, taking along with us two captured Panhard Armoured Cars. It was incredible to see Fearless again. we were even given good accommodation. On 24 June we kissed the Falklands goodbye, we had all our

Sgt S. C. Reid LSgt A. Gill

Bnhsh Legion 48 PALL MALL, LONDON SW1Y 5JY Secretary of State for Defence talking to wives and families of those in the Falklands. The RCM and Mrs Hamilton-Russell stand behind

/\ limit-VII in \ l Cl L H ‘7'.


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.