IO
THE
jOURNAL
OF
THE
ROYAL
DRAGOONS
THE JOURNAL or Lieut. Hanmer and Sgt. Horsfield who have taken over from Lieut. Soltan, who has
gone to ‘A’ Squadron, and Sgt. \Vood, who left us to go to the Fife and Forfar Yeo— manry. We wish them both luck in their new jobs. We also said " au revoir " to Cpl. Fearn who has gone to ‘ B ’ Squadron. From the D. & M. \Ving Lieut. Evans left to go on a 6 months course in England where we feel sure he will do extremely well. In his place we welcome Lieut. Ferrand. Capt. \Vinstanley left us recently to go to H.Q. Squadron, and we welcome Capt. Miles in his place. We have also said a reluctant ‘ good-bye ' to many who have left us to sample the “ joys ” of civilian life, among them being Cpl. Dore, L./Cpl. Pattenden, Tprs. Yates, Coombes, Ashton, Andrews and many others. We would like to wish them much happiness and prosperity. (Cripps willing l) in their future careers. By the time these notes appear in print,
Cpl. Watson will probably have joined them as he is, I understand, negotiating his release even now. We wish him also the best of luck in his new venture. In the realms of sport the Squadron has made its mark on the Regiment as Lieut. Evans has captained the Hockey team to many important victories, and the Squadron was well represented in the boxing team with seven of the team. We offer our congratulations to Major Starkey and Capt. McKelvie on their recent marriages, and wish them all happiness for the future. As I write, the news has come through of the tragic death of Trooper Appleby in a driving accident during training, and we would like to extend our sympathy to his mother on her great loss. Finally, we would like to give a welcome to all those arriving during the coming year, and wish them the best of luck.
go. SQUADRON u
HE Royals it’s us ” as Napoleon might have said. Anyway we had 318 men in the Squadron in January and would no doubt have had more if there had been any left in the kitty. However we are back to normal again now and are struggling along with a mere 200 or so. ”A” Squadron relieved us of several features we had thought permanent, amongst them Sngt. Douglas, Sgt. Bowen and Finch and Cpls. Clarke and Brett. , Cpl. Hards went off to
the Fife and Forfar and Cpl. Powell, L,‘Cpl. Quaife and Bandsman Hughes could stand it no longer and bought themselves out. “ It was a nuisance ” to lose Capt. Bachrach who went off to the U.K., but we welcome Capt Church in his place. Capt. CarrEllison left the army to become a man of leisure and Capt. Houstoun took his place
as Tech. Adjt. for the same reason.
Capt.
Miles went to “C” Squadron and Capt. \Vinstanley is now Squadron 2 i/c. Q.M.S.I. McNally has gone to Hanover and S/Sgt. Taylor joined in his place. Cpl. Colson will be much missed in our football and cricket team, and Sgt. Raynor is a great loss to our boxing team. S.Q.M.S. Spreadbury went on Python a11d’S.Q.M.S. Palmer
now has the Q. Stores in which to keep his fishing tackle. We understand that he recently had on charge a fish, 3 lbs., alive, large which he kept at home in the bath.
He said he had to keep it there as Capt. Winstanley disapproved of anything fishy in the stores. We are however reliably informed that Mrs. Palmer insisted on the fish being returned to base and that a 1033 was accordingly made out and acted upon. We had a white Christmas which we certainly did not pray for as it was quite cold enough without snow. The Bandmaster organized a first class Pantomime in the Gymnasium which deservedly played to full houses. Tech. Group made the scenery and Cinderella’s coach was a masterpiece. Stanley Holloway did some excellent impersonations of Lt. Davies—Cooke, the band performed with their usual per— fection and S.S.M, Bayliss’s daughter Joan sang charmingly. The Squadron Boxing team won the Regimental Inter Squadron Competition beating “ B ” Squadron in the semi—finals and ”C” Squadron in the finals. Our novices were beaten by 3 points by “ B” Squadron in the finals of the novices. Dur—
ing these competitions there was some very keen boxing and the teams are to be con— gratulated on the progress they made culminating in winning the Inter Squadron Competition. Our .22 shooting team has met with no small success. They were runners up in the Brigade League and in November won the prize for the highest score in the month. At football we continue to supply most of the Regimental Team to wit~~S.I. Taylor, Cpls. Lawrence, L/Cpls. Wesley and Shipton, Tprs. Grcaves, Goldie, Gleunen, Baker and
at hockey T.Q.M.S. Hill, Sgt. Slade and Cpl. Old represented us in the Regimental Team. ,
Spring came and went one day in April which was excuse enough for Capt. Hodgson to declare the cricket season open. We expect to have a really good cricket team this summer chosen from the large number of enthusiasts in the Squadron. The turn of the year also sent Cpl. Welton off in pursuit of fish to catch a 3-;- lbs. trout and four fish total weight of 8% lbs. the same day. The C0. and the Squadron Leader who flog the water for hours without reward should consider taking piscatory instructions from the Post Cpl. The Old Comrades rally was attended by the Q.M., R.S.M., R.Q.M.S. and Sgts. Evans D.C.M., Perry Mantle, Colyer, Cpl. Dover, . L/Cpl. Sheppard, Tprs. Plumbley and Tarry from the Squadron. They took with them our best wishes to all members of the Squad— ron past and present wherever they may be.
THE
ROYAL
DRAGOONS
II
football team. However we expect to do well in the coming cricket season. we thank the Signal Troop for the loan of Drivers Kath and Seel. They were rather confused at first and so were the MT. clerks who found that they had been driving the wrong vehicles on the wrong work tickets. To overcome this difficulty we thought of giving one a jeep and the other a 3 tonncr so that they could tell the difference between their vehicles more easily. M.T. office's dream is a gift of nine Volkswagons for use of the Married Fam— ilies. We tender our sincerest apologies to all those families who, on indenting for a staff car, have ended up in a 3 tonner. We do our best. ' Lt. Morris is leaving us and we wish him luck in his new job while we welcome Capt. Davies—Cooke in his place. We congratulate Cpl. Lynd, L/Cpl. Luff, Tprs. Blake, Burnett and Cooke on the big part they played in helping H.Q. Squadron to win the Inter Squadron Boxing Competition and Tpr. McCairn on his part in training them in our elaborate, private gymnasium above M.T. Block. The Troop has not yet succeeded in driving 50,000 miles without an accident to qualify for the prize. Someone always runs into something in the last few miles so we suppose the nervous strain is to blame. We shall continue to persevere and Heaven help the next man who has to use his A.F.A. 3676 when we are on the 45,000 mile mark I
M. T. Troop Notes
QM. Group
The M.T.O. and MT. Sgts. are at times not too certain whether they run a Trans— port Troop or a Transit Camp as the number of men who pass through our garage doors are innumerable. We mean this literally as the new doors recently presented so grac— iously to the Troop by the QM. appear to some to be invisible, judging by the number of drivers who sail through them when they are closed. During the winter most drivers carried out coal duties at one time or another and we hope that no radiators or family quarters felt the cold through lack of exertion on our part, even though our education may have suffered thereby. A number of good drivers have left us recently leaving gaps hard to fill in our
UNDER the present conditions of service it is inevitable that there should be some changes among the staff. Though these have been quite numerous there are still some of the “ old stalwarts ” left. Tprs. Copeman and Baldwin having been demobbed, we wish them the best of luck.
Sgt. Finch left the Ration Stores to join "A” Squadron in Berlin and Sgt. Bailey has been appointed i/c. The Palace of Plenty. Cpl. Hamilton vacated his position in the clothing store for more strenous work in the “ Field of Duty," and the group is now able to continue its work unaccompanied by the strains of some barbarous piece of music 1 On the promotion of Sgt. Goring and his transfer to the Sergeants' Mess, L/c. Sheppard took over the Cobblers' and Tailors’ shops.