Page 69 - Mercian Eagle 2016

LCpl Clowes receiving his award of Champion Fusilier from the OC at the St George’s Day Dinner
have been recognised for a second time in his career. Cpl Jones and Cpl Matthews, both stalwarts of the Company, were awarded their Long Service Medal and 2nd bar respectively for their continued service to the Company and the Reserve Forces. Finally, WO2 (Combat Egg) Lee Jones (SPSI) was officially dined out by the Company, and as ever, his thank you speech had everyone in stiches. Lee Jones you could easily have a second
job as a comedian! The Company wishes WO2 Jones all the best in his current role as Master Coach based at the School of Infantry up in Catterick.
Once the awards and speeches were complete, the dinner was treated to an excellent display by the Warwickshire Army Cadet Force Drums Platoon, based in
WO2 Lee Jones giving his goodbye speech at this years’ St George’s Day Dinner
B (Malta) Company
Warwick. Their display included the ultra violet sticks display which went down a storm with the dinner guests. Despite their ages ranging from 13 – 16 their display was very professionally put together and presented.
The final part of the evening prior to dancing the night away were a few bar games, with the main one being an indoor assault course orchestrated and run by WO2 Heywood. It was a simple course including space hoppers, alcohol and broom handles! Teams were pitted against each other including Officers vs Fusiliers, Mercians vs Fusiliers and Men vs Women. Inevitably there were no real winners as the judges couldn’t adjudicate correctly through the tears of laughter from seeing grown men and women try and bounce on space
hoppers around the drill hall. Thankfully the medic on standby was not needed and the event passed off without any injuries apart from aching ribs from the laughter produced by the activities.
Once completed, silver put away and lights dimmed, the dance floor was filled with much prancing, breakdancing,’ twerking’ and stumbling into the wee small hours of the morning.
A great time was had by all and we look forward to next year’s dinner. Personnel recognised for the organisation of the dinner goes to Captain Hopkinson (PSAO), WO2 Heywood (CSM), CSgt Dawson (QPSI), CSgt Henry (CQMS), all the G4 staff and the main stalwarts of the Company.
OC
CSM PSAO Mors PSI
QSPSI
Maj Tony Seager
WO2 John Ward
Capt Robbie Davies
CSgt Russell Weaver/ CSgt Michael Herbert
CSgt Tony Hoey
In keeping with the remainder of the 4TH Battalion, the past twelve months have been busy for B (Malta) Company, playing its part in Bn training activity both at
home and overseas. This year has been no different to any other in that we have been forced to say farewell to friends and colleagues as they move onto pastures new. Spring saw our hard working Mortars PSI (and default SPSI) CSgt Russ Weaver return to the 2nd Bn as Dragon Coy CQMS and in his stead we welcomed CSgt Michael Herbert from the 1st Bn.
We wish Russ well and are grateful for his hard work, Colour Herbert has stepped up admirably as he learns the ins and outs of the Reserves. We have also bid a number of farewells; WO2 Trev Phillips who decided it was time to hang up his boots after a very long career with the Company, WO2 Jones finished his time with us after Christmas; Sgt Marek Musiol has transferred to the Intelligence Corps and Cpl Stacey Trustcott has transferred to the QARANCs. In terms
of additions to the Company we have gone bold, adding not only a new SNCO in the form of Sgt Morton but a new location
with our newly opened Platoon location in Ellesmere Port. Progress is there but it’s not as fast as we hoped despite significant shows of interest. Not new faces as such but a number of members of the Company are proudly sporting shiny new Rank slides. Christmas saw the promotion to CSgt of Sgts Keeble, Harrison and Gregory as well as the promotion to Sgt of Karl Hickman. Not to be left behind David Dickinson (not the orange one) soon joined him in the Sgts Mess. In spring we were pleased to see LCpl Stacey Truscott awarded her substantive Cpl and Joshua Carson Will have definitely felt he had to earn his first stripe finishing third on an arduous cadre in Croatia.
On the training front, the Coy Adventurous training weekend saw us return to Kendal to try our hand at Gorge walking as well as the chance to build and
Cpl Trustcott enjoying some downtime/ STTT/Uganda/Apr 16
paddle our own coracles. Both activities were equally wet which was an unfortunate indicator of the Coy boat building capability. At the end of the summer a number of
the Company deployed with the Bn on
ATX to Croatia; as stated, the then Pte Carson performed well on an arduous
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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