Page 101 - The Light Dragoon 2024

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Affiliated Regiments
Throughout 2023 the Queen’s Own Yeomanry have been at the forefront of Army Reserve activity. The year was kicked off in earnest with the announcement of the coronation of King Charles III. The QOY, under the guidance of the new RSM Mr Martin, began to prepare a marching contingent and Guidon Party which would take part in the biggest ceremonial event in recent history. After knocking off the parade ground rust and getting a lot of tick-tocking out of their system, the QOY selected 6 soldiers who would accompany the CO, Lt Colonel Neil Potter, in the marching contingent. The Guidon Party would consist of the RSM, the RQMS, WO2 Greenwood with escorts SSgt Speed and SSgt Mcnaught.
The group deployed to Aldershot Garrison and Sandhurst respectively in late April to begin preparations with the rest of the Armed Forces. Two weeks of buffing, polishing and marching would gobybeforesteppingoffonaverywet May morning and delivering what can only be said as a real spectacle in front of thousands of spectators, who travelled to the capital to witness the coronation. The occasion was made all the more memorable by being able to share it with 2 other Light Dragoon RSMs on parade, Mr Richardson the Light Dragoons’ RSM and Mr Fyfe, the RSM of the Scottish and Northern Irish Yeomanry.
After a quick turnaround, the Regiment then began preparations for the first large-scale annual training exercise dubbed the super ADE. The super ADE would see regiments from across the light cavalry reserve cohort take part in a large, combined-courses camp, split over 4 locations. This will facilitate the QOY, SNIY and RY in gaining essential qualifications for readiness in support of operations across the globe. The
light cavalry reserve soldiers would gain qualifications in CAT C driving, heavy machine gun and advanced signals as well as essential career and promotion courses, steered by WO2 Bowman and his training team of PSI’s.
In the interim, we also said goodbye to the XO Maj Nick Lees who would return to Regimental duty at the Light Dragoons as HQ Sqn Leader and also to C Sqn PSI Sgt Widdison who would also return to Regimental duty as Command Troop Sergeant. The QOY would like to thank both, for their commitment and outstanding performance whist at the QOY.
As the summer drew to a close and the darker nights set in, the QOY consoli- dated their success on the annual super ADE by taking part in the Cambrian Patrol Competition in which members of the QOY would join a joint Army Reserve Team who earned a bronze award at the prestigious Military Skills Competition. Soldiers from the QOY also deployed on Ex URBAN FOX; an urban operations exercise at Swynnerton Training Camp which focused on developing skills to operate in the urban environment which emphasised the greater degree in which military operations are being fought in densely populated areas.
Concurrently the QOY had soldiers supporting operations across the globe including 8 members of the Regiment supporting operations on INTERFLEX 5. Sgt Spencer from C Sqn returned from deployment on Op CABRIT 13 where he served alongside the Royal Lancers and was also awarded the Duke of Westminster Medal by the Commanding Officer of the QOY for his outstanding performance in support of UK operations overseas. The winter
term also saw the deployment of our medical SNCO attached to B Sqn, Sgt Johnson. Sgt Johnson Deployed to Kenya in support of the British Army Training Unit (Kenya) as a Combat Medical Technician which saw Sgt Johnson take part in several community outreach projects supporting local charities and groups close to the training area. Sgt Johnson also received an accolade for her outstanding work and was awarded the Martin Medal by the Commanding Officer for her contri- bution to the Regiment.
As the year drew to a close, the QOY took part in a flurry of activity which began by saying goodbye to our Colonel- in-Chief, His Majesty King Charles III and welcoming our new Colonel-in- Chief, HRH the Duchess of Edinburgh. This was marked by six members of the Regiment flying out to Canada to take part in the Duchess of Edinburgh Cup Military Competition. The Competition washostedbytheLincolnandWelland Regiment based in Ontario and saw 9 teams from across Canada and the UK who all share the Duchess of Edinburgh in similar honorary appointments, compete in a military skills compe- tition. This included weapon handling, marksmanship, navigation, casevac and patrol skills. Despite being close to the top of the leader board, the QOY unfor- tunately did not manage to beat the home Canadian teams who put in an outstanding performance.
November’s competitive theme continued, seeing the QOY enter the Cavalry Cup Football competition in which our first-round draw was the reigning champions, the Royal Lancers. The match took place in Imphal Barracks in York on a Saturday morning and even saw the RSM don his double left- footed football boots after unforeseen
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