Page 31 - KRH Regimental Journal 2022

The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars 29
Headquarter’s (XXVI) Squadron
The year started with the tried and tested team starting its second year in post; Maj Mark Black, Capt Alec Walton and Sgt Maj Joel Thorpe holding the reigns in SHQ as it marched towards an action-packed year with many of HQ Sqn’s person- alities spread to the four winds. As the year started it witnessed Recce Tp Leader, Capt Will Barrell, and his merry men undertake Warrior conversion as the CVR(T) Scimitar was resigned to the history books. Concurrently SHQ deployed on recces to Poland and Estonia prior to Ex DEFENDER 22 and Op CABRIT 11.
The recce to Poland, namely Drawsko Pormorskie Training Area (DPTA), was one of austerity as the accommodation and size of the training area meant the exercise would be a logistical chal- lenge to say the least. The accommodation akin to Knook camp, the water a nice shade of rusty orange with a smell not for the faint hearted and to add insult to injury BGLO, QM(T) and Ops had a nice cosy room to share! A bizarre experience! Equally, the less than accommodating US forces showed signs of things to come and history dictates it was very much, what turned out to be, an expeditionary endeavour.
A recce to Estonia soon followed, with the experience being the opposite end of the scale: a valuable trip to Tapa and a very nice hotel in Tallinn. RTR proved to be very accommodating, recount- ing tales of their numerous adventures and NFCIs. It is fair to say not a lot had changed and memories of CABRIT 4 came flooding back! As spring came to an end, mini-CAST [dawned as BGHQ key players embarked on Ex CRIMSON TWILIGHT for what proved to be another planning session to which the team were very accustomed.
A big changed happened towards the end of the first quarter as we bid farewell to Capt Jason Mawhinney, who, as the outgoing QM, departed for the training world in sunny Bovington and handed over his responsibilities as QM to Capt Chris Pople. April wit- nessed the arrival of a newly commissioned Capt Mike ‘Goose’ Oldfield as he became the new Training Officer.
After Easter leave it was BG CATT and the preparation for Ex DEFENDER EUROPE in May/June. This was a seismic affair seeing the troops deploy all over the UK and Germany to activate equipment for the multi-modal move to Poland. The Germany fleet was assembled under the watchful gaze of QM(T) Capt Simon Hudson and the UK fleet assembled by the remaining few, with notable input from WO2 RQMS(T) Chris Brown and SSgt Neil Gainford. The long journey to Poland followed for a few chosen men (Maj Mark Black, Capt Alec Walton, SSM Joel Thorpe, WO2 RQMS(T) Chris Brown and WO2 Neale Malone), who embarked on the road to set conditions for the BG’s arrival on the sandy DPTA.
On our arrival in Poland, we soon realised that it would be no easy feat to sustain the BG at reach. However, after some bribery, LE magic, negotiating skills and the realisation we had to fend for ourselves meant we set about our task of receipting over 1000 troops and putting the mechanisms in place to provide RLS. The work from the Unit Catering Manager, SSgt St. Jean, organising the catering contract and moving a mountain of rations across Europe was nothing short of outstanding. Throughout the entire exercise his team of chefs were first class, providing a huge variety of food to the masses over the month-long deployment. As the exercise came and went, we were soon trying to ‘get out of dodge’ and move equipment back to Germany and the UK. This meant a spread of troops across Europe, facilitating a mammoth force recovery task and some notable work from those who ‘closed the
LEs showing the soldiers how to shoot! Not a pair of spectacles or hearing aids in sight!
door’ in Poland. Namely, WO2s Chris Brown and Joel Thorpe, and LCpl Manners.
As the memories of Poland subsided the Sqn’s gaze shifted to Estonia. However, before then we still had time to squeeze in an Officers’ mess ball, close out some of the outstanding deployment requirements and be issued the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. A welcome sight for many, for who it was their first medal. Also, HQ Sqn welcomed a new Command Tp Leader/RSO, Nathan Turner, as outgoing Tp Ldr/RSO George H-J hastily departed for a new career with Amazon. Summer leave passed in the flash of an eye, and we were soon galloping towards the port in Marchwood and setting sail for Estonia with the BG’s fleet of CR2, Warrior and MRW onboard; the Port Task Group being superbly executed by HQ Sqn’s SSM Joel Thorpe. A few flights later and the entire BG were out in Estonia bouncing straight into RSOI, G&Z and Estonian Bde integration.
The first few months in Estonia passed quickly as we set about understanding our part in the plan and setting the conditions for the cold weather. Some good news was announced in November/ December as Capt Simon Hudson was selected for ICSC(L), WO1(RSM) Carl Donald was selected for LE commission and WO2 RQMS(T) Chris Brown was promoted to WO1 and selected as the next KRH RSM. A frantic period of exercises and back- ground activity had HQ Sqn facilitating numerous activities and Capt Alec Walton doing some fantastic work delivering exercises on Estonian islands and a rehearsal of the war plan projection towards the Estonian/Russian border. As we have just tipped over the half-way point Christmas in Estonia has been a quieter period with some welcome moments of relaxation, the odd beer, and cel- ebrated festivities... the best it can be while deployed. Also, it witnessed the change of appointment of SSM as WO2 Michael Plant took over from WO2 Joel Thorpe and WO2 Adam Mossop came into the Sqn as Op B/RQMS(T) des.
Finally, a note to the sterling job that has been undertaken from ROG. Captains Chris Pople, Damian Baines, Mike Oldfield, and Dutch Holland amongst many unsung heroes keeping the home fires burning as the deployed element of the Sqn look forward to returning and taking some well-deserved POTL in April/May 23. There will be no rest for the wicked after POTL as it will see Maj Mark Black move on, to DCOS 51X, Maj Chris Dunn return from ATR Pirbright to take over the helm of OC HQ and a huge turn round of LE appointments. Undoubtedly, the Sqn will continue to thrive under Maj Chris Dunn’s command as it looks forward to an action packed 2023.
MB MBE