Page 73 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

Crewe Platoon
by 2Lt Matt Styles
The TA Centre in Crewe, the HQ location for D company 4 MERCIAN, is a turn of the 20th century building, and feels like it! It has been a Coy location for the Mercian Volunteers, then the Cheshire Regiment, and now is the main location for D Company 4 MERCIAN.
It has been a very busy year for the Crewe contingent. We have seen a considerable number of trained soldiers mobilise on Op HERRICK 12. There have also been promotions throughout the ranks, and we are now benefiting from a recruiting surge. This
has been led at company level by Pte Evans, who has arranged numerous recruiting activities through the 4 MERCIAN Recruiting team and has also conducted solo recruiting events at colleges, fairs, fetes and even at the train station. His success is reflected in the numbers and qualities of the new recruits we are now getting to grips with.
On the training front, D Company moved back to basics with an exercise on the Leek training area under the former SPSI, WO2 Ben Cox, who was eager to see how much he could test D Coy. The weekend also allowed the new Platoon Commander from Stoke, 2Lt Rawji, to command a platoon in the field for the first time, an opportunity that was not lost on the permanent staff! The message for the weekend was you are riflemen and infantryman first and foremost; this was notably etched on LCpl Nott’s mind as the company clerk when running through one attack, not that he can remember.
Annual camp 2010 was held at STANTA, with 1 week of live firing, followed by a Contemporary Operating Environment week working out of the Afghan Village. The focus for the Company was very much the preparation of soldiers about to deploy to Afghanistan, and the camp proved to be a great success for the company. CSgt Seabuhr had a run-out as CSM, and managed to curb his natural instincts to take the mickey whilst doing a sterling job of herding the troops from one event and parade to another.
As for the mobilized members of D Coy.....Sgt Smith joined the Afghan Training Team in Kabul and LCpl Nott found employment as a clerk within Camp Bastion. LCpl Hancock and LCpl Holmes were embedded within 3 MERCIAN, serving as section 2ICs. Pte Noakes mobilised with 4 SCOTS as part of its Recce Platoon, and Pte Gaunt joined the 9th/12th Lancers. So, a really mixed bag all round.
Meanwhile for those soldiers who have remained behind, the tempo of training has increased. Many more have expressed an interest in deploying on a future HERRICK
tour. D company has been training hard
of soldiers keen to mobilise and keen to compete on behalf of the battalion at the highest levels, be it at Bisley or Brecon. With a steady stream of recruits being taken through the recruit process, it is clear that whatever happens post-review the Crewe contingent will continue to play a key role.
for the Cambrian Patrol Competition,
which was my first weekend as Crewe’s Platoon Commander. This was a testing
but enjoyable weekend on the Leek training area. Perhaps the most notable event was the recce patrol that I planned, although in my defence I only conducted a map recce and cannot be held responsible for the exact route that the patrol commander elected
to follow! Despite the 7km taking most
of the night, all ranks demonstrated great determination and resolve. It was great to see the recently trained soldiers come out
of their shell and turn into fledgling combat infantry soldiers.
As we draw towards the end of the year, D Company has a lot to look forward to. We anticipate the safe return of all mobilised soldiers, and a warm welcome party is planned for the end of November. Cambrian Patrol training will no doubt culminate with
at least a silver medal for the team, as 2Lt Rawji has been told in no uncertain terms!
The future of the TA centre in Crewe remains unclear under the FR2020 review. However, Crewe is in a stronger position than it has been before, with a high standard
Members of D Coy on field training
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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