Page 50 - Mercian Eagle 2013

CIS PLATOON
Since the last edition of the Mercian
Eagle the CIS Platoon has undergone a period of significant change, in particular personnel where there has been a great deal of movement both in and out. All of these changes have taken place against a backdrop of frenetic activity and have tested the Platoons flexibility to the maximum. During the year members of the Platoon have found themselves in far flung places such as South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, as well as members deploying to Afghanistan with C Company as part of the wider RSOI team. In addition the hungry beast that is BOWMAN has continued to take up a lot of our time with the burden of continual courses and updates.
We now have a new RSO Capt Vosper who still has ‘the rabbit in the headlights’
look he has had since arriving! The old RSO Capt Brigham has moved on and is now the Adjt, we wish him well and hope that he does not forget us come posting time. Tranche 3 redundancies have hit the Platoon hard and we are to loose some real characters and good friends, these losses will inevitably mean that we will have to “man up” a bit more but we wish all those leaving the very best and hope they will not become strangers. On the reverse of the redundancies we have received an influx
of new Soldiers from Catterick, who have already injected much needed life in to
the Platoon. Ptes Clayton, Jones, Weaver, Webster and Willock are settling in well and some of them have already attended and passed the demanding Regimental Signaller’s (RS) course at SWS Warminster.
RSO: RSWO: CQMS:
Capt Vosper WO2 Saunders CSgt Pointon
Congratulations must go out to Cpls Barringham, Rees and Deacon who have all been selected to promote to Sgt over the last year. Sgt Rees has recently returned from a demanding posting at 19 Bde and Sgt Deacon is now at SWS Warminster, where he is passing on his experience to junior soldiers on the RS wing. We have also seen the return of Sgt Bloor from a very successful posting at OPTAG. Having completed CAST and other preparatory exercises the Platoon will deploy to Kenya late 2013 where I expect we will be tested and it is my hope that the mixture of old heads and new young blood will see us through.
48
Headquarter Company
Falkland Islands by WO2 SAUNDERS.
The word “remote” in terms of geography is used a lot in these times of easy travel and cheap flights, however I am of the opinion that
it is perhaps overused and that there are few places that deserve the title of truly remote. January 2013 found the 2 MERCIAN B Coy group on an 18+ hour flight via the Ascension islands to the Falkland Islands, themselves a worthy contender for the
and nothing was too much trouble for my hosts. Having never been on anything longer than a days fishing excursion, it was with a small degree of trepidation that I saw land slip away and give the horizon to a cold iron grey sea.
The trip out was to take four or five days conditions dependant and this time was filled with sea drills including
“remote” moniker. However as luck would have it during the FIRIC Tour I was given the opportunity to sail on board HMS Clyde a fishery protection vessel to South Georgia. Before the opportunity arose I was somewhat unaware of how far from anywhere South Georgia is. As it is known as
Before the opportunity
arose I was somewhat unaware of how far from anywhere South Georgia is.
the dreaded “man overboard” drill which is definitely something I would wish to avoid in real time.
After an eventful few days we arrived at Grytviken Bay which is the location of a disused whaling station and the final resting place of the great British explorer Ernest Shackleton. Having read his memoirs and other recollections of his exploits I was privileged to pay my respects.
the gateway to the Antarctic I assumed correctly
that the likelihood was very far. After a brief tour
of the ship I was warned in some detail that due
to the weather and route our journey was predicted to be somewhat rough! This proved to be an understatement and it was divine intervention or sheer luck that I do not suffer from sea sickness.
Having completed a long day’s sight seeing, I enjoyed a cocktail on board made even sweeter by using ice cut from a local glacier.
The return voyage was somewhat calmer which in turn enabled me to train elements of the crew on their newly fitted and integrated BOWMAN system. Soon enough I was back in the Falklands and on terra firma. Overall this was an opportunity not to be missed and I would recommend any voyage with the “senior service” as it may be rough but rarely boring.
The Clyde is one of a number of vessels that provide routine security and protection for the Falkland Islands and all Sovereign territories in the South Atlantic. While their ship Company is small it more than made up for numbers by the way in which it treats its guests. From the outset I was treated with the upmost hospitality
The author on a mountain over looking the harbour and old whaling station in South Georgia
THE MERCIAN EAGLE