Page 19 - The KRH Year of 2023 (CREST Sharing)

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get physically assaulted by the White Brothers, is definitely worth attending. Tpr Rolandsen applied himself to boxing with extraordinary vigour, booking a place to fight in the RAC Championships at which he was awarded Most Gallant Boxer for his tenacity and grit. He then went on to win a bout at HMS Sultan in front of a Tri-Service audience, for which he earned huge respect.
In and amongst the ‘summer of love’, the usual rhythm of mili- tary activity continued, particularly in support of other units’ training. SSgt Judge was so enthusiastic to deliver a Bulldog to support a training serial that he took a shortcut with it down Ludgershall High Street. When challenged, SSgt Judge’s response was of course the usual - “I’ll punch his beard off!” Tired of A Squadron life and desperate to expose his Gollum- like frame to some sunshine, Lt Palmer-Price absconded to Australia on Ex LONG LOOK, from which he delighted in sending postcards to the Mess depicting his utopian life as we festered on our soggy island. Fortunately we happen to know that immediately upon arrival at his host unit, he called the Adjutant ‘mate’ and was written off as a ‘posh weirdo’, which sounds about right.
Towards the end of the year A Sqn ran a JNCO ALDP exercise (PNCO Cadre for the uninitiated), Ex CRIMSON BAYONET. In moderately challenging weather conditions, Lts Dempsey and Rothwell put the aspiring JNCOs through their paces across deepest, darkest Sussex. Nobody was quite ready for the tidal wave of soldiers suffering from ‘being a bit wet and cold’ and Lt Dempsey narrowly avoided a summons to The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity for the casualty rate. The exercise found itself being compared unfavourably to the legendary trials run by Maj Lambert and Capt Oldfield in the Falklands, before they were banned from PNCO Cadres. However, with the stalwart leadership of Cpl Gill and the other section commanders, all participants extricated themselves from their soggy sleeping bags and trudged to victory. All were grateful to LCpl Bye for husbanding the only generator capable of running a small heater to keep our brave stricken soldiers warm and toasty.
As we closed out the year we were sad to say goodbye to SSgts Feeney and Judge who move on to new jobs. SSgt Feeney went to Warminster to instruct on the crew commanders’ course, where his armoured expertise and teaching ability will be hugely valued. SSgt Judge returns to his spiritual home of Recce Troop, and we will miss his humour, dedication and relentless enthusiasm for soldiering. Lt Palmer-Price, when and if he ever returns from Australia, will move to B Sqn to take over as Sqn 2ic. It’s rumoured that he might actually have to do some real work there – but nobody tell him that! We will receive a replacement (upgrade) Tp Ldr in the form of Lt English who joins us from D Sqn in the new year. We have been fortunate
Cpl Morgan just happy to be in Wales
to welcome some others into the Sqn too; SSgt Duncan comes from MT to replace SSgt Judge as SQMS(T), and SSgt Clegg will be joining from Welfare as SQMS in SSgt Feeney’s place. This will be a great relief to Sgt Rawlings who has valiantly stood in as SQMS (des des) in the interim.
2Lt James Michaux and Sgt Mason both join A Sqn in time for 2024 to assume command of the newly-formed 4th Troop. Lt Dempsey is particularly crushed by James’ arrival, as even he now has to acknowledge he is no longer the best looking Troop Leader in the Sqn (he was never even the best looking Troop Leader in his own Troop). This year we were also delighted to congratulate LCpl Brashill and LCpl White (520) on their well-deserved promotions to Cpl, and we look forward to their bright futures in the Sqn.
The spirit of Nobody’s Own is alive and well going in to 2024. We have an exciting programme of training coming up, and without doubt the finest soldiers in the army to do it, with good humour, enthusiasm and a strong sense of Squadron identity bringing us together.
The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars 19
THP
Turretless variant, new for 2023