Page 53 - Journal Compilation

As ever this year has been an extremely busy period for the QM’s Department with the majority of it taken up with the unit move with exercises interspersed. It was all GO GO GO and has put immense pressure on all members of the mighty depart- ment, but nothing it couldn’t handle. The QM, Capt Stott, had to dig deep to rally his troops because of the workload he knew was coming.
The year started with Ex WESSEX STORM which saw the whole Department (bar Sgt Bowman who was ‘busy’ with the unit move) deploying as Real Life Support to Wretham Camp on Thetford Training Area to administer the Regimental ring phase. Cpl Evans took on the roll of Regimental Accommodation NCO with the help of LCpl Pardon leaving Cpl Hume abandoned on the Harrier strip to count more bullets than the Allies used during the war with the help of LCpl Wilson and HQ Sqn SQMS staff. During this period WO2 Simpson took over from WO2 Stone as RQMS. During the next phase of the exercise the Department took control of Westdown Camp on Salisbury Plain Training Area leaving manpower stretched to breaking point. We took on the admin for all exercising troops which included a company of Moroccans, a platoon of Latvians as well as all the civilians who were used for enemy and role playing: this drained our already limited resources.
The next challenge was the organisation and orchestration of the move from Robertson Barracks to Gaza Barracks. It goes without saying that this was no easy task and one we had been dreading for some time. The back of the QM’s hangar became the new regional
y tipping site: with every new item the QM turned greener and greener. As the move gathered pace Sgt Bowman got himself a nice little posting to Warminster and handed over as Regimental Accommodation SNCO to Sgt Costello. This appeared to be a straight one for one (Ironman). After the haulage of more freight than Eddie Stobart shifts we arrived in Gaza Barracks only to nd that we had half the storage space required and there were long days unpacking and sorting stores and equipment (spines were ready to snap). With the guidance and direction of Capt Stott and WO2 Simpson the move was successful and The Light Dragoons are now established in Gaza Barracks, symbolised by the placing of the gate guardians and ultimately the Memorial Garden and stone which has pride of place overlooking the camp entrance. A big thank you must go to the ladies from Ravensworth Nursery for the donation of all the plants and the hard work they along with members of Phoenix House and LD soldiers put in to make it a tting tribute to the fallen.
With the move now completed the pace showed no sign of slowing down with more preparations required for deployments on over- seas exercises in Spain and Morocco. We saw yet another change in RQMS when WO2 Simpson moved on to take over as RSM and WO2 Lawson took the hot seat as RQMS. The year closes at the rapid pace it started; the Department looks forward to the challenges 2016 will bring, the very rst being a Logistic Support Inspection at the beginning of January. We will no doubt hit the ground running after leave and build to a steady sprint...
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Green Fingers: Planting owers at the new home for the Regimental Memorial in Gaza Barracks
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Quartermaster’s Department
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