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Cpl Bebbington, CSgt Coulson and CSgt Ainsworth complete their lessons The team enjoy a not-so-relaxing trip down the Nile
and even managed to eat out on the training area, previously unheard of. Whilst the deployment was not
particularly arduous the days were made longer by being woken up on numerous occasions by 1000+ Ugandans singing at full volume as they conducted PT past our camp. Singing became a major theme. Most mornings started by getting the students to sing local songs at full volume. The instructors also got involved but with nowhere near the same level of ability.
After training finished, the team had
two days to relax. For those that went to Jinja for R&R the journey was certainly interesting. The driving would have not
been out of place on a track day and overtaking three cars abreast on a two
lane carriageway, certainly kept all the passengers awake. After a short time by the pool they departed for a cruise down the Nile. Early the next morning the party went back to the Nile for a sobering white water rafting trip over grade five rapids. The
journey back to Entebe was no less eventful during the hours of darkness. Here we met up with the remainder of the STTT who
had had an entertaining time sampling the nightlife of Entebbe.
The deployment proved hugely rewarding for all concerned not only as an opportunity to visit a different country but in terms of instructor student interaction. Undoubtedly the team have saved lives and all are looking to return next year should the opportunity arise.
A Rifleman’s view of Op TOSCA By Capt Gordon Kaye OC UN TRATT
In early 2012 E ‘RIFLES’ Coy 4 MERCIAN was asked once again to mobilise soldiers for operations. Most people hadn’t heard of TOSCA, but it came as a pleasant surprise to find out that TOSCA was a 6 month United Nations (UN) tour of
WOII ‘Effi’ Shaw CSM HQ Coy 2 RIFLES was based at Abercorn Barracks a short stroll away from where the E Coy soldiers were accommodated.
the Green Line in Cyprus. With some soldiers already deployed on HERRICK there weren’t many soldiers available to mobilise for TOSCA.
With some soldiers already deployed on HERRICK there weren’t many soldiers available to mobilise for TOSCA.
Just before mobilisation in February 2013,
the soldiers from E Coy were well versed in public order, the primary role that they would
be used for during Op TOSCA. However there was one exception, that being the author of
this report. I was asked to be the OC of the TOSCA Regimental Adventurous Training Team or TRATT. So what did this mean for me? It meant running my own AT unit away from Sector 2 UNFICYP HQ in Nicosia and being away from Ledra Palace. I was located at Dhekelia Station in the South Eastern part of the island, next
4 MERCIAN formed part of the Sector 2
United Nations Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
The lead regiment being 17 Port and Maritime
Regt RLC. E Coy formed part of the Mobile
Force Reserve which is a TA responsibility based
just outside Nicosia, at the old Nicosia airport
in the UN Buffer Zone. The build up training
for 4 MERCIAN consisted mainly of public
order training with a number of soldiers travelling to ‘Tin City’ in Ballykinler in October 2012 to become public order instructors. A week in Northern Ireland was good to catch up with an old friend.
to the coast. The role for the TRATT was to provide exciting and invigorating AT for the UN soldiers based at Ledra Palace and Blue Beret camp. As such I was responsible for the delivery of sixteen,
THE MERCIAN EAGLE