Page 88 - Journal Compilation

12 EAGLE AND CARBINE
unexpected areas. However, the squadron triumphed as before (and as before, probably drank one more red pump than is utterly necessary).
Post exercise the squadron seized the opportunity to pass as many people through their Military Annual Training Tests (MATTs) whilst we were all in one place and then set off on a challenging cohesion event and battle eld tour to Cologne. The realities and issues of the World War Two’s bombing campaign were dis- cussed, the beautiful Cathedral was visited and many new friends were made. The squadron managed to reassemble after a particularly heavy night of syndicate work and group discussions to visit the Möhne Dam and appreciate the complexities of the aptly named Op Chastise.
With the initial burst of conversion completed and the squadron in good spirits, B Squadron set about the next big task, closing down Fallingbostel and mov- ing to Leuchars. Detail is provided elsewhere, but of note is that the newly arrived Squadron Leader was given an upturned MFO box as a desk as his had been packed along with all the other squadron furni- ture. This meant his rst squadron conference was akin to an Afghan shura with the squadron hierarchy all sitting on the oor to discuss the points from the Colonel’s Command Group. It is also hard to maintain the requisite level of dignity the situation warrants when charging a soldier from behind a box.
Mr Braizer (far left) heads up the Regt’l Cycling Team
The period of the move was one of disjointed com- plexity as soldiers moved at different times and com- pleted different roles often for different chains of command. B Squadron provided 23 soldiers to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and 6 to the Rear Operations Group that stayed behind in Fallingbostel after the Regiment had moved, in order to hand the camp back in good order. With summer leave thrown in for good measure it was September before the squad- ron was fully assembled in Leuchars.
September proved to be a particularly busy month. The squadron hierarchy looked for DII terminals, plugged in phones and found desks (the Squadron Leader was particularly happy to be reunited with his, complete with Brian Cullen’s old Royal Stewart desk covering). The soldiers found their rooms, unpacked their bags, painted rather too many things red and paused for breath. We were immediately put on a notice to move to help with UK operations if required; sent a troop away on exercise with the SNIY; prepared for the Colonel in Chief ’s visit and a Beating to Quarters; sent a 30-strong marching detachment to Dundee; red the whole squadron through the ri e Annual Combat Marksmanship Test; prepared a team for Cambrian Patrol and even found time to send 9 sol- diers away on adventurous training and 5 to a Rugby World Cup match. This was all conducted by a new team that included the incoming Squadron Second- in-Command, Captain Oliver Von Der Heyde, the new
Cpl Naga & Tpr Pratt in the WW2 section of the Cologne Museum