Page 26 - KRH Regimental Journal 2022

24 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
B (XIV) Squadron
“A spectre is haunting B Sqn, the spectre of.... REORBAT”
2022 started with a winter of relative discontent for the 14th, with the writing on the wall for the close-knit group of friends that formed what was, by popular assent, the happiest Squadron in the King’s Royal Hussars. B Sqn reacted with its typical cheery approach, taking opportunities to acquire as much XIVH memo- rabilia and tattooage as possible before moving on to fill the pas- senger seats of SVs in the luxuriously appointed SQMS packets of C, A, and HQ Squadrons for the oncoming Op CABRIT. And with an impending change of command from Maj James Hollas to Maj Joe Williamson fast approaching the troop leaders had to prepare to transition to a life without the reassuring presence of a kindred spirit in the office. We will miss Timber the Labrador very much.
Morale was maintained in the Sqn by the cunning plan to employ the annual navigation MATT as a pub crawl around the New Forest’s finest cozy country pubs. This scheme almost fell apart when the Sqn PTIs first attempt at a recce of the area failed to find to even find the New Forest, let alone the right pubs, and instead spent the day invading the back gardens of suburban housing on the outskirts of Southampton. The next day a reshow following a degree of navigational instruction saw the plan go back on rails and the Sqn was able to achieve an annual training requirement in the nicest way possible, and proved useful for Ex FOURTEENTH RETURN a month later....
Lt Skrine organised a week in CATT purely to name an activity Ex EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE, and B Sqn went head-to-head with D Sqn on the flickering virtual battlefield. Sgt Murphy’s “delta callsigns are human shields” tactic and Lt Hill’s coura- geous “thunder runs” sadly gave the upper hand in the opening duels to D Sqn, but after some encouragement to employ the tac- tics in which they had been trained the 14th gained the field in an impressive display which saw LCpl Derbyshire defeat several trained crew commanders and earned some bragging rights from the guys who moved over to D Sqn.
It was time for the handover of command and the beginning of the Rear Ops Group (ROG) structure for B Sqn in advance of impeding CABRIT. Maj Hollas handed over to Maj Williamson; SSM Plant high-ficed with WO2 Green; Captain Maddison rode
Sgt Murphy encourages SSM Plant to somewhere – anywhere – else
his motorcycle off into the civilian sunset; Lieutenants Skrine and Hill departed to D Sqn; and altogether the Sqn office grew rather quiet. SSgts Rymer and Hannon followed to D as well, tak- ing Sgt Duncan with them and leaving Sgt Murphy as the true B Sqn stalwart alone to cover all their jobs by himself! The senior NCOs didn’t quite escape quickly enough, however, to miss the lads driving a tank through the shut doors of the brand-new tank park, right behind the dais from which the Princess Royal was to give the opening speech the following week. All in all a 25% showing of timing, skill, patronage and luck (or variously lack thereof).
It has often been said that B Sqn are the smart and handsome Sqn in the KRH; this is clearly why we were selected to take part in a roadshow of recruitment events across the country including Bournemouth Air Show and the Devon County Show. The stands proved to be incredibly popular and rewarding for the soldiers and spinning a tank up and down the Bournemouth beach in the sun was a particular highlight... apparently the HET couldn’t collect in the same place it dropped off, or so the story goes.
As we limped into the summer months B Sqn were the Atlas of the Regt, we held the rest aloft – and despite our severely depleted state we were clearly still the best Sqn beating everyone else on the Jubilee competition; a round robin of sport and physical events, all in a day’s work for the champions of the Regt.
When the BG left for CABRIT in September we were officially transformed into the ROG. With the two LEs of Capt Unwin and Oldfield remaining constant, bystanders observed the OC roll- ing from trawl to exercise to ‘RAC Skiing’ (“It’s really not a holi- day”) and a veritable merry-go-round of SSMs in the next-door office. Mr Green moved to D Sqn to top up his tan in Cyprus, Mr Harrison couldn’t handle the pace of life and banged out in short order to CABRIT, and Mr Oakes’ lifestyle really did finally catch up with him, to be seen for a few weeks and the very front and centre of the REHAB parade.
And so B Sqn became the unofficial RAP of the BG and concen- trated on physical development and the rehabilitation of those that moved to us from other Sqns or returned from the cold east. A vitally important part of the ROGs duties with the high attri- tion rate of the BG on their tour in Eastern Europe, and frankly a pleasant distraction from fighting off the endless trawls ...
Despite the constant change in our people B Sqn remained cheer- ful and as we look into 2023 the phoenix will rise from the ashes and spectre of REORBAT will no longer send a shiver down the spines of the fine 14th Hussars.
Devon County Show
GS / BU / JW