Page 4 - Light Dragoons 2023 CREST

The Light Dragoon
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Vol. 8 No. 2 2023 Catterick Garrison
Editor: Major R Glover • Association Editor: Capt Mick Reed MBE
This installment of The Light Dragoon will look suspiciously similar to many previous installments that you will have read over the years. The running order is much the same, the running theme of ‘busiest year since records began’ remains firm, but most importantly, the running assumption that the Light Dragoons is the finest regiment in the British Army, remains central to a vast majority of the articles that follow. So what I hope you will get from the next 130 odd pages is a heart warmingly familiar account of Light Dragoons being Light Dragoons, in the best way we know how.
That is not say that 2022 has been an unremarkable year. The regiment has had collective success on the battlefield on Ex Wessex Storm, numerous individual suc- cesses in the form of honours and awards and sporting accolades, sent two squad- rons on two separate overseas exercises, organised sports tours and AT expeds and played a significant role in the first wave of training Ukrainian soldiers in the UK, as part of Defence’s main effort. All of that before you consider that 2022 was the 30th year since we amalgamated into this proud
Editorial ................................................................................. 2 Foreword by Colonel Commandant Royal Armoured Corps....................................................................................... 4 Foreword by the Colonel of the Regiment.......................... 5 Introduction by the Commanding Officer.......................... 6 Regimental Notes by the Adjutant ...................................... 8 Honours and Awards ............................................................ 9 A Squadron – The Empire ................................................. 10 B Squadron – The Guards.................................................. 14 C Squadron – The Legion .................................................. 17 HQ Squadron....................................................................... 22 Light Aid Detachment ...................................................... 25 Command Troop.................................................................. 26 Regimental Admin Office .................................................. 28 Quartermaster Technical’s Department............................ 30 Quartermaster’s Department ............................................ 30 Welfare Department............................................................ 31 Training Wing .................................................................... 32 Motor Transport Department ............................................ 32 Regimental Aid Post ........................................................... 34 Padre’s Corner ..................................................................... 34 Regimental Duty Staff ........................................................ 35 The Gymnasium.................................................................. 35 Regimental Careers Management Office........................... 36 Catering Department .......................................................... 36
Operations and Exercises ................................................. 38
Ops Overview 2022 ............................................................. 38 Sniper STTT, Oman. June 2022. ....................................... 41 Cambrian Patrol .................................................................. 43 Exercise Defender 22 .......................................................... 45 Land Regional Hub – Oman.............................................. 48 Ex Galloping Dragoon........................................................ 51
Regimental Sport ............................................................... 52
Alpine skiing ....................................................................... 52 Nordic Skiing ...................................................................... 54 Light Dragoons Regimental Football Team .................... 56 Rugby ................................................................................... 57 Golf ....................................................................................... 58
Editorial
regiment, marked by a fantastic day in the summer and a persistent undercurrent to all of the activity that you will read about herein. Indeed, there is plenty to be proud of as a Light Dragoon looking back on another year of ‘job well done’, and it has been an honour to serve as editor for this chapter of regimental history.
My thanks go to the usual team, for bring- ing the account of these regimental feats to life, in such a way as to do them justice. Dicky and the HHQ team for reigning me in when required; Jodie, Jayne and the full team at Crest for your eternal patience and unmatched wisdom, without which, this journal would simply not exist; and my reluctant team of subbies who prevented me going blind by helping with all the proof reading (all minor errors spotted are entirely their fault). It is no mean feat pull- ing together the journal, but it is something that I am as proud about as I hope reading it will make all Light Dragoons feel.
So, the fact that the journal will look and feel very similar to previous years should serve as a heart warming reminder of the Regiment’s continual ability to flourish,
Contents
Cricket .................................................................................. 58 The Light Dragoons Cricket Tour – Spain....................... 59 Boxing .................................................................................. 61 Devizes and beyond ............................................................ 61 Angling................................................................................. 62 Ex RAC Ironman ................................................................ 63 Sailing................................................................................... 64 Adventurous Training ........................................................ 65 Orienteering and Cross-Country ...................................... 65 Ex Gauntlet Rise ................................................................. 66
Extra Curricular ................................................................. 69
Exercise Normandy Dragoon, Battlefield Study.............. 69 LD 30 ................................................................................... 70 A visit to The Worshipful Company of Gunmakers ........ 73 Ex Chasseurs Dragoon ....................................................... 74
The Messes.........................................................................75
Officers’ Mess ...................................................................... 75 Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess ............................. 77 Corporals’ Mess .................................................................. 78
Extra Regimental Employment........................................79
Being a Military Assistant at the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy (NRDC-ITA) ................................................ 79 SO2 Armour and XO Land Warfare Centre ..................... 81 PJHQ, SO2 Land ................................................................ 81 The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry (SNIY)............. 82 Quartermaster Technical –
Mission Ready Training Centre (MRTC) ......................... 83 RMAS Platoon Command.................................................. 84 Combat Readiness Training Centre – SO2 Combat ......... 85 Operations Officer – British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) ................................................................ 86 Platoon Commander ATR – Grantham ........................... 87 MA to COS SJFHQ............................................................. 87 Back to Baghdad: A Light Dragoon in Iraq ..................... 88 A Light Dragoon and a PhD: From the Family Perspective ........................................................................... 89 The Combat Manoeuvre Centre – An engine for change 90 RQMS, Op TOSCA............................................................. 91
no matter how much the world changes around it. The real reading pleasure how- ever can be found in the detail of each arti- cle, where you will discover the indelible Light Dragoon spirit accompanied by new and exciting opportunities to push limits and boundaries in equal measure. My aim has simply been to ensure that this volume remains a worthy reflection of another great year for our fine regiment.
VIRET IN AETURNUM MEREBIMUR
Affiliated Regiments..........................................................92
The Queen’s Own Yeomanry.............................................. 92 HMS NORTHUMBERLAND.......................................... 94
Valete.................................................................................... 96
Association........................................................................ 102
Home Headquarters and Regimental Association News102 The Light Dragoons’ Charitable Trust ........................... 103 Cavalry Memorial Parade 2022 ........................................ 104 Field of Remembrance...................................................... 104 Officers’ Dinner................................................................. 105 Notices................................................................................ 105 Museum.............................................................................. 106 Southern Commitee .......................................................... 107 Barnsley Branch ............................................................... 108 North East Branch ............................................................ 109 North West Branch ........................................................... 110
Association Golf...............................................................110
Barnsley Branch ................................................................ 110 North East Branch ........................................................... 111
Historical........................................................................... 112
‘Balaclava Ned’ ................................................................. 112 Cenotaph 2022 ................................................................... 113 Lilywhite Lunch June 8th 2022....................................... 114 15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars Centenary Lunch114 Royal Hospital Chelsea..................................................... 115 Obituaries 13/18H ............................................................. 116 Obituaries 15/19H ............................................................. 120 Obituaries LD ................................................................... 124
Valete.................................................................................. 127 Regimental Gazette ......................................................... 128
Marriages .........................................................................130 Births.................................................................................. 130
Officers at ERE.................................................................131 Soldiers at ERE ................................................................ 132
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