Pipes and Drums Update

SUPPORT HUB UPDATE

INTRODUCING THE NEW WELFARE OFFICER

Capt Dwain Tucker joined the Army in 2001 and began his career with the King’s Regiment, now the 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (2 LANCS) before moving onto the Small Arms School Corps (SASC). He has deployed on multiple operations and has travelled the world with the Army. He is married to Keisha and has three children, Keira, Keigan and Keiran.

When asked what it meant to join the RTR, Capt Tucker said, “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to serve within such a professional and iconic Regiment, after commissioning from the Small Arms School Corps (SASC) which, like the RTR, can trace some of its heritage back to the Machine Gun Corps. I am very much looking forward to my journey with the RTR and I bring steadfast commitment, strong Christian values, and integrity to the role.”

THE SUPPORT HUB

COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented period of uncertainty for the nation. The Support Hub has sought to be a source of reliable information and assistance for soldiers and their families during this period. During lockdown we adjusted our operations and relied heavily on the Families Facebook page to pass on useful and sometimes critical information to our community. Support to service personnel and their families continued throughout, despite many routine services being disrupted. We have tried to remained flexible and continue to adapt our operations as the restrictions evolve!

We have refrained from planning large trips or outings. Instead we focus on single family and small group outings. The Support Hub continues to offer day tickets to:

• Cholderton Charlie’s • Finkley Down • Atmosphere trampoline park.

If you would like to take part in a visit to any of the venues, please call the Support Hub on 01980 656057. We’ve increased the number of family grouping outings by adding 40 family tickets for Hollywood Bowling and another 40 family tickets to the IRON SIGHT, a multiple activities venue offering events such as paint balling, airsoft, laser quest, zorbing and splat mat.

With the Regiment now back in work, several indoor sky diving tickets at the Ifly Indoor Skydiving in Basingstoke were also purchased for members of the Squadrons, hopefully offering them the opportunity to try something different.

On another note, I believe it is only fitting to say a huge thanks to SSgt Davies. The start of September saw us saying goodbye to SSgt Davies as the Welfare SNCO and welcoming Sgt Pople to the role. Throughout the last few years SSgt Davies has done a brilliant job serving the community. His calm temperament and hard work helped countless soldiers and their families access the support they needed to continue to serve. He has been promoted to SSgt and taken up his new post as AJAX SQMS.

Going forward, we want to thank the families for their support and for abiding by the restrictions and regulations. We can assure you that the team will continue to develop and adapt to Government restrictions and guidelines and will always strive to maintain the highest level of support to the Regiment and wider community.

Pig racing

PIPES AND DRUMS UPDATE

Sergeant J Willoughby (Pipe Major)

This has been a very busy and somewhat challenging year for the Pipes and Drums.

We pick up from the end of last year where Troopers Allerton, Archibald, Gregory and Thomson successfully passed their Class 3 pipers’ course at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Dance (ASBM&HD) gaining high praise from the Director and Chief Instructor. Tpr Archibald gained the ‘most improved’ award. This is the third consecutive RTR piper who has been awarded this trophy, demonstrating the quality of soldiers we have in the band and their determination to strive for success.

The Pipe Major and Drum Major played in London at the Cavalry & Guards Club for the Officers’ Cambrai Dinner, getting the opportunity to catch up with the officers of days gone by. After a night staying in the Union Jack Club, we were off across London to meet the rest of the band for the Cenotaph parade. This was the first time a formed band had played at the Cenotaph for at least 9 years. We had a picture opportunity at 10 Downing Street but unfortunately couldn’t get the whole band in. I think maybe the Prime Minister was nervous that we were sent by Nicola Sturgeon to take over! Later that week, the 2019 Cambrai parade was the first time that the Pipes and Drums led the Regiment since the amalgamation parade. It was an excellent experience, not only for our new members to show off, but also for the Regiment to be proud of their Pipes and Drums and march behind them, an inch taller and with a lot of swagger in their step.

The Pipe Major and Tpr Pearson-Delemar packed their kit, grabbed their passports and boarded the plane bound for India as guests of the Colonel Commandant, Brigadier Thompson. While there, they played at a few events set up by the Brigadier, including the turning on of the Christmas lights for the staff and showing off their dance moves afterwards. On the last day they played at the Brigadier’s residence where the Pipe Major wore the Brigadier’s pipe banner and played the pipe tune composed for him by the Pipe Major when he was the CO of 1 RTR. It wasn’t all work, they managed to travel to Agra on their day off to visit the Taj Mahal and learn of its amazing history as well as the ‘Black Taj Mahal’. Tpr Pearson-Delemar became more of an attraction than the Taj Mahal with the local kids due to his tattoos or maybe it was his intense knowledge of the game ‘Fallout’. After some severe haggling from the Pipe Major at the local shops (expect nothing less from a Jock) they left with the usual armful of souvenirs.

L-R: Tprs Allerton, Archibald (most improved student), Thomson and Gregory at the Class 3 pipers’ course pass off parade at the ASBM&HD in Edinburgh The full band at the Cenotaph for the first time in over nine years

After a quick unpack and repack of uniform, the Pipe Major and Tpr Pearson-Delemar were again grabbing their passports. This time they were accompanied by the Drum Major as well as Tprs Bowtell, Clarke, Harding, Allitt and Skelton and headed to Jamaica as guests of Lt Col Gash OBE, Defence Attaché for the Caribbean. We were over as part of the UK-Jamaican interrelations fair and while there took part in a few outreach projects including playing at the local school. The kids loved seeing and hearing the Pipes and Drums and enjoyed watching Tpr Pearson-Delemar displaying his dancing skills. The guys embraced the accommodation and made full use of the swimming pool for daily PT. As we were in Kingston, visiting the Bob Marley museum was a must and an excellent experience, highly recommended to anyone visiting Jamaica. The band played at the fair combined with the Jamaican Defence Force military band on the stage to a very enthusiastic crowd. Despite the rain, it was a fantastic day made better when the Drum Major found a huge TV screen showing the Liverpool game.

Many other engagements were on the cards for the remainder of the year, including the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which would have seen the band fully manned with serving soldiers for the first time since 2009. However, due to COVID-19 they were all cancelled. This had a huge impact on the band with them