Page 22 - QDG Volume 9 No. 2 2021

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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
Don’t worry, I’m also not in the REME
everyone adapted ways of mitigating against the unrelenting heat, including the use of sunshades, umbrellas and water in a damp sock. This operation coincided with the Football European Cup and therefore inevitably meant we missed most of the games. However, Sergeant Brocklehurst managed to tune the HF radio to enable the Squadron to listen to the final few games from the back of a Jackal. A seriously impressive bit of radio magic; a shame the football team couldn’t also deliver. After 17 days on the ground, the Squadron returned to Camp Bagnold in Gao to be welcomed back with a cold can of coke and a beef burger. This was a real treat after weeks on a ration pack diet. After this first major Operation, the Squadron took part in Talavera day, a day which marks the anniversary of a famous battle honour for one of the antecedent Regiments of the Royal Anglian Regiment. This cele- bration included an Olympic style sports competition, with table tennis, volley- ball and weightlifting being among the competitions. C Squadron, thankfully,
Just another day on the A1075
were the overall winners, with Sergeant Humphreys winning the weightlifting competition. In the evening, the Officers and Warrant Officers hosted their UN partners in an operational dinner night.
As the Squadron progressed into August, the intrigue built as this month was associated with being the wettest month of the year. Preparations for the patrol included working out how best to waterproof the vehicles, our equip- ment and ourselves. This second major operation, Operation MAKARA 2, was focussed on the towns and villages along the prominent road in Mali, where the Squadron would speak to the resi- dents to understand their issues and
concerns. We would also have a physical presence to provide them with security. C Squadron had considerable freedoms and visited difficult to reach villages, utilising our off-road capability to its fullest extent. On one of the days we were fortunate enough to visit a forested area which not only provided an opportunity to put ‘UN Berets in remote locations,’ but also allowed the soldiers and officers to appreciate another beautiful part of Mali. The forest was a large expanse of lush vegetation around a natural water feature, with some not wanting to leave this tranquil part of Mali! As the opera- tion progressed, we provided support to civilian agencies working on behalf
And that’s how you swear at the French