Page 18 - The KRH Year of 2023 (CREST Sharing)

18 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
A REME wet dream
soldiers on the plain, the Squadron met up with the Ukrainians to allow them to get a closer look at the tanks, and to share some stories and experiences. As the UK was at that time in the process of delivering a CR2 Sqn to the UAF, this was of great interest to both sides and threw into sharp relief the stark reality of modern warfare. As the exercise escalated into bat- tlegroup context, the activities got more complex and the pres- sure greater. Nevertheless, even in the final mission, the A Sqn and A Coy 1 MERCIAN vs C Sqn match off, by hook, crook and flagrant cheating the Squadron prevailed. The OC chewed up almost everything in the turret traverse and set fire to the tank’s engine while, due to an unfortunate miscommunication with Tpr Herbert his driver, doing flamboyant doughnuts on the enemy position.
The SSM nearly drowned his driver Tpr Culi by driving into a reservoir at top speed, while Lt Rothwell and Sgt Barnett bravely discovered the extent of the minefield by driving directly into it (nothing has been heard of Lt Rothwell since, and it is believed she’s still somewhere on the plain, probably bogged in again). Lt Dempsey led his troop through an artil- lery gun position, but the collection of pretty wildflowers he’d accrued in his body armour led them to believe it was a peace protest. As we progressed to night operations things became still more tricky, particularly for Capt Trowbridge and Tpr Sigward who used their well-honed elite tank fighting skills to blow up Sgt Rawlings at long range.
Tempers frayed; LCpl White felt the rough edge of the OC’s tongue after not waking him up in time for orders, though LCpl White was too polite to point out that Sgt Neary hadn’t in fact instructed him to do so at all. There was a continuous titanic battle of wills between Sgt Elliot and SSM Harrison over whether the CRARRV would have to cam up or not; a com- promise was reached in which Sgt Elliot and the Reccy Mechs responded to convenient (imaginary) emergency recovery
Cfn Smith taking some me time
serials just as the Squadron went into routine every evening. Cpl Kay found himself faced with a man waving a clipboard as he advanced into position, clearly indicating another exer- cising unit; he reported this on the net, and it was unfortunate that the OC’s terse instruction to “just co-ax him!” was heard by the observer-mentor team, recorded, and played repeat- edly in the AAR: machine-gunning civilians is apparently to be frowned upon. As the exercise closed, the Squadron seized a break in the weather to get together in an out-of-the way cor- ner of the training area for a barbecue and a photo, which was a fitting way to wind down and mark a successful period of training. And a final chance for SSgt Feeney to demonstrate his hot-dogging skills.
With IRON CYCLONE in the rearview mirror, we jumped headlong into the promised “Summer of Love”, the aim of which was to give the soldiers as much chance to experience the things that make the army fun, such as sport and adven- ture training. Expectations were high in the Squadron as the OC, as OIC Sport and Adventure Training had promised that the Squadron would reap the dividend of his appointment.
Some members of the Squadron competed in the Combat Arms Sailing Regatta, and it is believed that the members of the Seaview Yacht Club are still recovering from the sight of Tpr Barbour in full Scottish-mode, sporting enormous neon sunglasses and skinny jeans and dual-wielding lagers through their hallowed halls. Many more soldiers attended AT courses around the country and abroad, from parachuting in Netheravon, to windsurfing in Thorney Island; mountain biking in the Harz Mountains in Germany, to the dubiously named ‘summer’ mountaineering in Scotland in waist-deep snow. Some took part in the army Combatives course, in which a Jason Bourne parody introduced us to hand-to-hand fight- ing techniques. Any course which culminates in watching the OC get punched directly in the face for several minutes then
Right, everyone try and look warry