Page 118 - KRH Regimental Journal 2022

116 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
Anthony was a past Chairman of the Crowcombe Parish Council, a Governor of the village school, Chairman of the Quantock Commoners Association, and had been Chairman of the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Joint Advisory Committee since 2001. He was Vice Chairman of the Somerset Committee of the CLA. If this was not enough, he immersed him- self in local government. He worked tirelessly to help and sup- port the people of Somerset, and in particular, West Somerset. He was a County Councillor for 10 years, standing down in 2013. He was probably more interested in West Somerset District affairs, and in 2011 was elected to West Somerset District Council, and elected as leader 4 years later. This office he held until the council was disbanded. He then served on the new Somerset West and Taunton Council until his death. He was immensely liked and respected by colleagues. His knowledge of, and love for the area, made him a true champion of the Quantocks. He boldly spoke up for the interests of local families on countless occasions.
The high regard in which he was held, was demonstrated by the turnout of over 650 people at his funeral in Crowcombe. He is deeply missed by Annabel, his wife of thirty two years, their two daughters, Emma and Harriet, and all those who had the good fortune to know him.
in considerable luxury in the hotel owned by the Hawaii team captain, but gave little thought to his return journey. At the end of the week, dressed in uniform, he boarded a US military plane bound for Guam from where he hoped to fly directly to Hong Kong. His hopes were dashed on being told that the plane was bound for Saigon. As Britain had no involvement in the Vietnam War, he was whisked off the plane on arrival and handed over to two Australian sergeant majors who changed his uniform for something a little less conspicuous and showed him round the night life of Saigon. He eventually arrived back in Hong Kong two days late with a lot of explaining to do, not least that he had borrowed the money for his flight to Hong Kong from the British Military Attaché in Saigon. He was promptly awarded one week’s extra Orderly Officer but felt that it had all been well worth it.
After cutting his teeth in B Squadron, his career took a more tech- nical path. Attendance on the Regimental Gunnery Instructor course was followed by a two year posting to the Guided Weapons (Swingfire) Wing at Lulworth as an instructor. He went on to attend the Long Armoured Course from which he graduated with merit and which served to influence all of his future staff appoint- ments. Feeling that he needed a break from the heavy metal of the RAC, he was selected to attend the Long Equitation Course at Saumur, an opportunity to further improve his well honed equestrian skills, and his French. On return to the Regiment in Hohne, he was first posted as 2IC A Squadron and then, when training started for another tour in Northern Ireland, he moved across as 2IC B Squadron. Just prior to deployment he deftly caught the selectors eye for inclusion in the Combined Services Polo Team to play in the US, returning just in time to deploy with the Squadron and proudly clutching a signed photograph of him- self and President Bush in the Oval Office. Staff training followed at Shrivenham and the Army Staff Course at Camberley. On grad- uation his first posting was to Operational Requirements in the MoD responsible for all armoured vehicles. Here he continued to demonstrate his deep technical understanding enabling him to contribute significantly. On return to the Regiment in 1984 to command A Squadron he discovered that his sabre troops had been dished out to the other squadrons as part of a manning and organisational trial. He was not a happy bunny with only Recce and GW troops to command. With little to do whilst training at BATUS in Canada, he returned to Hohne to play polo – another example of both seeing and grasping an opportunity. The move of the Regiment to Catterick as RAC Training Regiment in 1985 saw his squadron take on the role of Vehicle Squadron, supply- ing and maintaining 100 different vehicle types for training and administration; Mike was, once again, in his element. Following a 2 year tour as RAC Tactics Instructor at the Royal School of Artillery, Larkhill (an appointment he always referred to as Cultural Attaché to the Gunners, and a period that he loved), he spent 1988 in the USA at the Armed Forces Staff College before returning to the MoD as SO1 Challenger 2.
Unquestionably his biggest break came when he was selected to command 14/20H in late 1989. Perhaps a little unexpected, he had no idea of the scope that his period of command would encom- pass – a war and an amalgamation. However, his quiet style of leadership suited the circumstances well. Thoroughly conversant with equipment husbandry, its management and technology, and having secured a strong command and support team around him, the huge demands placed on him to strip his own tank fleet to bring 7 Armd Bde up to full war strength were carried out effi- ciently; and when informed that 4 Armd Bde was being stood up too and the whole process was to be repeated to restore 14/20H to full strength, this too was completed equally effectively. Mike believed firmly in those under his command, regimental or attached, ensured that their training was both relevant and thor- ough, and was determined that the vehicles be properly prepared for desert operations to guarantee the highest level of availability by G-Day. This he did, and the 14/20H battlegroup that crossed
Colonel MJH Vickery OBE
14th/20th King’s Hussars 1968 – 1992 The King’s Royal Hussars 1992 - 1996
Mike Vickery was the first 14th/20th King’s Hussars Commanding Officer since April 1945 to command his Regimental Battle Group on wartime opera- tions. When he assumed command in November 1989 little did he know that he would take his Regiment to war and then, on return, immediately start planning its amalgamation. That he did both so effectively says everything about his quiet but strong leader- ship, his trust in those under his command, his intelligence and sense of humour, and his love for his Regiment.
Mike was commissioned from RMA Sandhurst into 14/20H in December 1968, thereby following in the footsteps of his elder brother Peter who had joined some three years earlier. The Regiment was stationed in Paderborn and he was posted to B Squadron. He often spoke of his happy memories of those care- free days as a young troop leader, learning the ropes, relishing the responsibility of getting to know, manage and look after his men, and taking advantage of all that life in BAOR had to offer, particu- larly on the polo field. As a child he had been well schooled and encouraged in all matters equestrian, and as a member of the New Forest Pony Club had learnt how to handle himself confidently in the saddle. It was at this young age that he was introduced to polo, a game that he loved and which gave him so much pleasure throughout his life. When he moved with his squadron to Hong Kong, polo again featured prominently. When a school friend of Mike’s wrote to say that he would be passing through Hong Kong with his father, an Air Chief Marshal, on a round-the-world trip via Hawaii and the USA, Mike remembered that the touring Hawaiin polo team had recently left Hong Kong with an open invitation to ‘come play in Hawaii’. Mike asked his Squadron Leader Dan de Beaujeu for a week’s leave, fixed his US visa and flew with the Air Marshal to Hawaii where he played polo, lived
JRDK