Contents / Editorial
The Royal Green Jackets Association
Swift and Bold 2020
Editorial
Contents ‘Back to the Future’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Old Friends Reunited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Bogside Tattoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Green Jacket Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62-63 The Longest two year posting ever 1980 – 1986 . . . . . . . 64-67 SOFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68-69 The real hero of the Cold War – Wolfgang . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 1A Iverna Gardns, Kensington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 A Scrubbing Brush and a Poppy! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72-73 French Leave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Remembrance Sunday 8th November 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Lord Lieutenant’s Award for Major (Retd) Roy Stanger . . . 76-77 Who remembers Op Casement? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The Bloody gun battle for the bakery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 The curious case of the 9mm automatic carrier bag . . . . . . . 79 Newry Road Bomb 77/78 Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 What Makes a Hero? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-82 One’s Final Parade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Simon Tonybee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84-85 Veterans Retreat Northern Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86-87 Major Ron Cassidy MBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Drummuckavall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89-91 Riflemen in the far north . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92-93 Veterans’ Reunion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94-95 Italian in the Black Mafia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96-97 Lawrence of Arabia RGJ Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Loan Service Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98-101 The Royal British Legion marks Centenary year . . . . . . 102-104 Battle Honours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Dhofar Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106-107 Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108-112
At the meeting in November when this edition was discussed I said that if I couldn’t make 48 pages I would do only a PDF version this time around, I also thought I might have to write most of it myself but, as I finalise S&B for this year, it is a few more pages than that! I would therefore like to thank all of you who have either contributed articles or have donated towards the costs of production itself either through corporate sponsorship or personal donations. I would also like to thank Nick Parker of the Print Guru, without whom I would never have got this completed by the end of March deadline. Nick’s energy, enthusiasm and ideas can be clearly seen throughout. Thank you to my proof readers Mike and Janet Gleeson and Trevor Anderson who have done a sterling job once more and given the size of S&B I also invited David Muir to join the team. I first met Dave when he joined the RGJ PDT as team Sgt. All that remains now is for me to wish you all a happier 2021 than that which we have all experienced so far and look forward to the next reunion either at the NIVA meeting, Greenstock or possibly the Oxford reunion in Abingdon in November. One final thank you goes to the person who will remain anonymous for all the jokes etc. on WhatsApp that have kept me amused in the last 12 months. No names no pack drill but George Berry you know who you are...
The Royal Green Jackets Association
Forward
Foreword by
Colonel Carron Snagge OBE DL Chairman The Royal Green Jackets Association
There is not much I can say about the last year and our current situation that has not already been said. It has been an extraordinary year but there is now light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly it has been decided to cancel The Royal Green Jacket Association Reunion planned for July in Sir John Moore Barracks. But we are confident that the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Association Commemoration and Parade on 11 September 2021 at the National Memorial Arboretum will go ahead. It is great event with an afternoon reception nearby, hosted by the RGJA Central England Branch. The event usually attracts a good turnout of Riflemen, so please make the effort to attend. In the meantime, plans are afoot for an extra-special Reunion in July 2022 in Sir John Moore Barracks, so stand by for more detail in due course. Usually this magazine includes articles from most Branches, reporting on their activities over the past year. Our editor has had to put his thinking cap on to find ways to make an interesting magazine in a year when there has been virtually no activity! This magazine is therefore a collection of articles written by or about Riflemen and we have been almost overwhelmed by the number of contributors. There is even a story from me! Swift and Bold this year has turned out to be a bumper edition, with something in it for everyone. As usual I also wrote to Association Members asking for financial contributions to help cover the magazine’s production costs. The response to my appeal has been better than ever, which all goes to show what a marvellous regiment we are. On behalf of all members of the Royal Green Jacket Association I would like to acknowledge and thank all those who support, contribute, edit and produce this magazine. To all those in the Association’s Branch Committees, the RGJ Officers Club and the RGJ Council, who give up so much time and energy to make our Association as successful as it is – THANK YOU.
Swift and Bold
Kevin Stevens Editor
In Memoriam 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113-114 2
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