Page 51 - Light Dragoons 2023 CREST

between the dying twilight sky and rich mahogany panelling of the humidor. It was under a heavy shade of blue that the coach trundled back down the dusty road to the ever desolate South and the RSV. But there was not time to sit and pout, the next exer- cise was only a few days around the corner. Those beautiful memories of times well spent in Muscat would have to be commit- ted to the vaults. The Guards were going back to the interior.
Khedive ibn Glover strolled regally between his lines of vehicles on the tank park, extolling the work of his people, in particular Emir Ham of the REME whose knowledge of husbandry was second to none and who had enabled the sqn to con- tinue on its mission against all odds.
Ibn Glover is a forward thinking leader and has long sought the enlightenment of Western technology. As he floated down the line, his robe tickling the dust below, he came across an obscure janissary from one of his far-flung provinces. This boy, Raq-uet, of unknown abstraction, had with him a machine of great wonder; an all- seeing eye. This eye was able to track the movements of men, vehicles and blades of grass from up to 20 miles away. Its name: the SPEXER 360 radar. This ‘radar’, believed Ibn Glover, would give him the decisive edge as he made the final leg of his journey to the interior. “This technology will bring us great fortunes”, he declared. But there were those who did not share his liberal enthusiasm...
The packet made haste for the interior, crossing the frontier to the sound of the Scotsmen’s pipes.
The exercise would be a slow and protracted affair, but one which allowed the Guards to flourish and rise to pre-eminence in the BG. The missions were familiar: advance North to South, Screen, be prepared to raid, fall back to the sqn Leaguer, top up the tan. Simple stuff, the bread and hum-
LCpl Fox eyes-up his next car boot display
1st Tp watch on from the fire support position
mus of a Light Cav sqn. But the Guards performed their role with distinction, not simply going through the motions but con- stantly adding value, informing their com- manders decision making and achieving mission success at a lightning rate which blew the Scots away.
The latter days of the exercise would prove slower and as EndEx was called, deliri- ous with sun, the Guards entered a BG leaguer for two final nights of desert camp- ing while a distinguished visitors day took place. Morale was high, the troops by now leaking a golden hue around their beaming white grins. Bonfires were lit, the troops sang, ice cream was served and the relief of EndEx mingled with the anticipation of the future. The smoke, buoyed aloft by optimism, danced amongst a clear-cut dia- mond sky. Show this author a finer sight!
Much confusion and dissent arose in the build up to the Squadron range pack- age, but the storm was weathered and the Guards deployed in good order for their final period in the desert. Revitalised by an ample supply of tahini-laden hummus and with dates streaming from the glove boxes, Ibn Glover led his people one last time into the interior.
The package began well, the Khedive’s range Subaltern, Sheikh Erskine, had worked like a donkey to enable the Sqn and he took over the day to day proceed- ings from there. There was much excite- ment on the second day when the High Explosive rounds arrived. The great heavy date spitters unleashed barrage after bar- rage at the array of mangled and twisted car shells strewn across the range. Khedive Ibn Glover was best pleased with their efficacy, “everyone will spit dates; driver, commander and gunner. We have the resources. Let us use them so long as our machines hold out inshallah”. So it was. Everyone was familiarised with the heavy weapons and praised Ibn Glover in their evening libations for the technology which he had bestowed upon them.
The final round was sent down at 20:00 on the 16th November. Behind, the bustle of concurrent activity was in full swing as Emir ‘jungle-pig’ Waters and his tribesmen fired off the remaining 200 illum Flares and chorley grenades. His hyena’s cackle haunted the moon as the dust and smoke and glare slithered though the pauses in
explosions. The sqn departed early the next morning and returned for the G4 war at the JLSB in preparation for departure. Or so they believed...
Just when the exercise looked to be coming to an end, just when the containers swung open their doors tempting the guards to pack their empty vaults. Just when all eyes were fixed on the sunlit beaches of Muscat and AT, the guards were given one last task: dispose of 16000 rounds of HMG ammunition. A select number of tribes- men under the Khedive’s range subaltern embarked for one last night in the inte- rior, holding down the triggers of the great date-spitters. Rates of fire were rigidly adhered to and the highest level of care for the weapons systems was ensured and in just a few hours, the guards had fired off the monetary equivalent of a 4-bed in Sunderland. With the ammunition thus disposed of, the range subaltern gave a sat- isfied nod and led his people back to the safety of the JLSB and the creamy, nutty warmth of fresh hummus. The Khedive’s people had completed their last excursion in the desert.
The final two weeks of the deployment were a much needed wind-down for the Squadron. A chance to stock their bellies full of dates and hummus in preparation for the great trek North. The first week was set aside for AT where the soldiers were familiarised with catamarans, power boats and kayaks, as well as rock climb- ing. The scenery on the Muscat coastline was truly picturesque with great sharp apexes of rocky mountain banked ten-fold into the horizon, piercing up dramatically from the sea. The squadron were housed at a beach club, in bell tents, ten metres from the waterfront and breakfasted every morning under a perfect yolky sun bal- anced on the pink clouds. Every evening, food was shipped in from a local hotel to allow the squadron to dine on succulent barbecued meats and fresh salads. One felt akin to Shah Pahlavi of Iran, with his
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
The khedive’s range subaltern spots an attractive looking camel
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