Page 9 - Mercian Eagle 2013

1 Platoon as part of Ex SECUREX received the unusual mission of breaking into the Clyde Naval Base, the home of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. After double checking that this really was an official tasking, the Platoon put together a nine man team led by 2Lt Anderson to attempt this feat. The Clyde Naval Base proved to be a formidable objective, boasting a highly sophisticated perimeter defence system as well as two Companies of Royal Marines and several units of armed police. To cap
it off, the base is located in a protected mountainous loch which makes movement off roads and tracks very difficult. The first mission was to place an IED next to a facility where the nuclear warheads were stored. After a brief period of reconnaissance, the team reported that the task was a suicide mission. Unperturbed, and as darkness
fell the men moved to their start locations, waiting for when the Royals would all drag their fists along the ground to the gym.
The first team successfully penetrated the outer and inner perimeter fence triggering the fence alarm. The Marines reluctantly
left the gym and the armed police swarmed onto the site with cries of how they were going to bag themselves a “couple of
kills”. Meanwhile the elite two man team
of LCpl Harry and Pte William started an assault on the front gate, handed the guard commander an IED and then dispatched four armed police in a fire fight before
being ‘killed’ themselves. Despite none of the missions being achieved (fortunately),
1 Platoon can say with a certain amount of pride that they acquitted themselves well and such an experience will stick with them for the rest of their careers. 1 Platoon also managed to take in the local scenery with
a few runs up the nearby 800m peaks. The men, despite initial reluctance to lose their summer beach bodies, enjoyed the taste of “fell running” leaving other mountaineering teams in their dust as they raced to the summits.
A Company said goodbye to WO2 Peckitt who has moved to 4 MERCIAN,
and bided farewell to CSgt Fowles who is flying the MERCIAN flag at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from September.
Sgt Barry has been posted to the Infantry Training Centre as a Platoon Sergeant, although the rumour is he plays football most of the time.
The Company welcomed Maj Chris Somers as the new OC in August, with
the arrival of 2Lt Chris Parry as the new
3 Platoon Commander finalising the changes to the hierarchy. The future has
1 Platoon under 2Lt Anderson and Sgt McCabe deploying to Northern Ireland and then supporting 2 MERCIAN on Ex ASKARI STORM. 3 Platoon under 2Lt Parry and Sgt Buckley will support exercises in France and Cyprus prior to Christmas stand down. This demanding training activity in the winter of 2013 will see a physically and mentally prepared Company ready for the Falklands Islands deployment in February 2014.
1 Platoon, FOB SQT
Lt Brierley delivering instructions with Pte Edwards giving him his undivided attention
Members of A Company who were tasked with breaking in to Clyde Naval base
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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