Page 29 - QDG Year of 2020

bilisation of the Reserve element and reintegration of the personnel to their various regular and reserve regiments there is a long way yet to go before we can call it a true success. Critically it is the legacy which Cassino Troop hopes to leave that is most important helping pull the RY and QDG closer together for future mutual benefit through integration.
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Tpr ‘Veg’ Williams trying not to think about food
Turkey Bowl – Tpr Hellyar-Jones receiver
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
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Command Troop
The year began early for Command Troop driving Land Rovers to Germany for CSTTX. In the cold German winter, the DRASH only went up once, which was a relief to everyone involved, but this only gave more time for building models for the ROC drills, which were soon destroyed by torrential downpours. Sgt Maj Hamilton kindly went home to get a spare TV he had for BGHQ, which lasted a couple of days into WESSEX STORM until the Adj dropped it. On the way back from Germany, only one of the Land Rovers had to be rolled off the train at Folkestone and recovered to camp.
On returning from Germany, there was more driving to be done as several shuttle runs of Land Rovers went between Westdown Camp and RBSM to ferry all the trailers needed for WESSEX STORM. Sgt Hazelwood only thought he would have to manage
a few vehicles as Comd Tp Sgt but was shocked to find BGHQ bulging at 49 personnel and 22 vehicles by the final training exercise.
Vehicles came from all over the country to support the behemoth that was BGHQ. A panicked search for radios on one of the LTF vehicles required us to wake up our sleeper cell of LCpl M and Tpr Y in RBSM. After a diligent but unsuccessful search, Sgt Hazelwood was forced to return to camp and found them in five minutes. Amid numerous instances of vehicles breaking down, switching crews and getting stuck in the mud, Comd Tp pulled it out the bag and delivered BGHQ in frankly horrendous condi- tions on Salisbury Plain on the first battlegroup exercise for seven years. After a lot of work getting the vehicles back up to scratch, they were sent back to Norfolk by train and the year
finally settled down a little.
After what had been almost back-
to-back exercises since April, Comd Tp did not know what to do with itself when faced with a quiet spring and summer. The incoming Sgt Welfoot and his cage of justice soon put an end to this, and spring cleaning began for every corner of the compound. The RSO’s weekly stables parades paid off when the QM(T) dropped a four-Pan- ther CO’s stables parade at short notice and the Troop pulled it out of the bag.
After support to Warcop ranges and summer leave, the pace ramped up again as Comd Tp became masters of EXCON for CASSINO Tp’s MRX, Mullens Cup and SERE, playing enemy and sitting on top of mountains when required to supervise Officer Cadets.
After driving SVs and playing computer games for a few weeks on Ex CERBERUS, Comd Tp finally got a well-earned day out after countless failed attempts. Exercise SPLATTED EAGLE finally gave the Troop a chance to give Sgt Welfoot a taste of his own medicine by pelting him with paint- balls. LCpl Phillips proved himself as a terminator and LCpl Matthews received a suitable pelting to send him on his way in civvy street.
The Troop finished the year with some great achievements under its belt and with a clearer battle rhythm and structure. A challenging 2021 will be another great opportunity for Comd Tp to prove itself in supporting the Regiment behind the scenes in its essential work.
It made a change from Airsoft
ADC