Page 20 - Mercian Eagle Year of 2023

B (Malta) Company
B (Malta) Company has had a rapid fire year. Emerging from the amalgamation of
1 and 2 MERCIAN, the Company rebuilt its armoured infantry competency in the latter part of 2022 and hit the ground running
in January 2023, completing ranges up
to Annual Crew Test in Lulworth. Whilst
the crews were ripping targets apart with 30mm cannons, the dismounts undertook navigation training in snowy Snowdonia and ‘Ex MALTESE MARAUDER,’ an arduous section patrols competition in bleak Leek, where despite some heroics from other sections (Pte Cato’s terrifying effort down the bayonet lane springs to mind), Cpl Cox’s section were ultimately victorious.
This crew and section training set the stage for B (Malta) Company’s first big task of 2023 – providing enemy (‘TF HANNIBAL’) to the Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup (RTR BG) on Ex IRON FIRE in Sennelager, Germany. Despite having not operated as
a Company under armour since Op CABRIT in 2021, the Company developed at pace due to the significant knowledge of our Platoon/Warrior Sergeants and Section Commanders. More worryingly, it was
my first exercise under armour – though fortunately the risk I posed to all those around me from my turret was thoroughly mitigated by WO2 (WSM) Goodwin’s position with me in the turret as my gunner and Pte ‘Battle-Pig’ Higgs as a steady
hand in the driver’s seat. We were pitched against an RTR BG fresh from operations
in Estonia and well trained as a fighting Unit. The odds were in not our favour. And yet a few moments stood out to me... (1) Cpl Stead correctly identifying the RTR
BG’s engineer RV as they tried to carry
out an obstacle crossing and destroying it with artillery, (2) Lt Pete Millward and the mighty 5 Platoon stopping the battle group in their tracks almost single handed for 5
B (Malta) Company’s big hitters
(L-R in increasing manging-ness) Sgt ‘Bear’ Doyle,
Sgt ‘Munch’ Angus, Sgt ‘Harry’ Whitaker, Sgt ‘Jevs’ Jeavons
hours, and most impressively (3) Lt Tom Jarrett developing his electronic warfare capabilities by somehow getting on the RTR BG radio net and playing the entirety of Bob Marley’s “We’re Jammin” as Commanding Officer RTR attempted to give orders. All of these moments seemed to deeply upset CO RTR (much to my satisfaction), so it’s fair
to say we fulfilled our role of providing an aggressive and challenging enemy.
Our second big task – only 3 weeks
after returning from Germany – was to deploy the Company (including an entirely separate fleet of WARRIOR) to Sweden on Ex AURORA 23. This exercise was huge – 26,000 troops operating across all domains and throughout Sweden and the Baltic Sea, in a scenario whereby the baddies had
invaded from the East. We were to work within a Finnish Battlegroup equipped with PATRIA 360 mechanised infantry vehicles (wheels), which in turn was within a Swedish Brigade. During the exercise
we worked with Swedish ribbon and self- laying bridging, Swedish and Danish heavy equipment transporters (low-loaders) and had intimate tactical support from Finnish rifle companies and artillery observers. However, I fear that WO2 Goodwin’s memories of the exercise will centre on the amount of times I got our vehicle bogged in (thank you SSgt Gregson for recovering us), and I worry that Sgt Angus will focus a little too much on the 10-15 km he had to lead his Platoon through horrendous terrain while conducting FIWAF (Fighting in Woods and
OC Maj Tom Onion 2IC Capt Barney
Blackstone
CSM WO2 Shaun Coates
WSM WO2 Martin Goodwin CQMS(M) CSgt Robert Davis CQMS(T) CSgt Brett Hopley
Sgt Angus moves on to the next objective having realised his new Finnish friend doesn’t have any cigarettes
B (Malta) Company somehow find time to polish their boots and march through Chester on Armed Forces Day
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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