Page 16 - The Light Dragoon 2024

B Squadron – The Guards
There was a point in time that the snatched prospect of an Op tour in Mali could have spelled disaster for the Guards; left to guard Gaza Barracks as the fun was funnelled elsewhere. That could not have been further from the truth for this fine squadron. Between ranges, NATO exercises, and PDT for operations, the Guards have been kept busy in 2023.
Kicking off the year in Castlemartin, as is the fashion, the squadron spent 2 weeks squinting at targets through some of Pembrokeshire’s worst weather since records began, before bouncing straight into the Squadron Patrols Competition at RAF Spadeadam, where we were treated to the similarly grim Cumbrian climate. The fair-weather soldiering of Oman was now a distant memory, yet the troops continued to deliver to a high standard, (almost) always with a smile on their faces, with Cpl Appleby’s section command proving strong enough to secure top section in the competition.
A new quarter brought a new SSM in the form of WO2 Brewer, as we waved fond farewells to (now) RQMS Thompson. We also welcomed a new squadron 2iC in Capt Ellis, having handed his command of 1st troop over to a rather fresh faced 2Lt Ferguson. All new parties were about to be thrown in at the deep end, as the squadron prepared to deploy to Estonia for
a month on Ex Spring Storm. And what an exercise it was too. 14,000 troops spread over northern Estonia, with two NATO brigades going toe to toe, with the Light Dragoons playing the reconnaissance force of the advancing ‘Russian’ enemy. The game was simple: find the enemy, report it, stay alive. As with any good recce task, it was the staying alive part that proved the most difficult. Lts Elkington and Erskine developed an annoying knack for hasty dismounted raids, providing endless enter- tainment for the crews, but causing SHQ quite the headache in tracking casualty rates. No matter, the Sqn pushed through harbour after leaguer after section position towards victory in the West. The further we advanced, the clearer it became that the entire enemy brigade seemed to be centred on our squadron axis; much to the annoyance of A Sqn, with their slim pickings to the south, only adding to the delight of the Guards. As ten days in the field wrapped up, the next phase of the deployment allowed Lt Dan ‘Snow’ Elkington to stretch his tour guide legs for a battlefield study, just a stone’s throw from the Russian border. The final tranche of ‘cultural engagement’ (read personal enrichment) set the squadron across Estonia for a three day AT package sprinkled with the Rakvere night run and Tallinn Mud Run. All in all, a fantastic month in Estonia, packed with oppor- tunity and a job well done across the whole
squadron. The only sadness was that it was SQMS Purvis’ last action with the Guards ahead of taking over as A Sqn SSM- we will miss his smiling, upbeat persona.
From the flat to the full-on hills. July brought the PNCO cadre back to Brecon. Lt Erskine, Sgt Waters, and Cpl Appleby led a B Sqn-heavy training team to see if a select few have what it takes to earn their first stripe. The buy in for the exercise was to climb Pen Y Fan. The iconic peak took the first casualties of the course and set the tone for the next two weeks. Sgt Atkinson and 2Lt Ferguson were dropped in as platoon sergeant and platoon commander to protect the platoon from a gleeful Sgt Waters, armed with dogsticks, and a renewed sense of old-school directing staff mentality. The sleep deprived sections could do nothing to stop a creative LCpl Baker from a truly iconic insurgent-style raid on a blissfully unaware OP towards the latter stages. Tpr Tose should never be allowed to trigger an ambush for fear of the enemy hearing his snoring, and never leave a GPMG unmanned for fear of it being turned against you... A challenging two weeks that saw 7 B Sqn Tprs pass the cadre, leading to later promotions for LCpls Tose, Keaton, Robinson, Porter-Nash, Tobbell, Smith and Tamplin. Well earned by all.
Out of the pan and into the fire. A couple of weeks in camp before the Regiment
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
OC – Maj Rich Glover
2IC – Capt Fraser Ellis
SSM – WO2 Benjamin Brewer
14