Page 92 - QDG Year of 2022 CREST

90 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
British Forces South Atlantic Islands
In late September 2022, a newly gazetted Captain of 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards was loaded onto an Air Tanker flight and flown for 18-hours down to the Falkland Islands. This self-proclaimed hefty half-Arab was to be in the role of Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI), and the extra gold of the aiguil- lette really does add a certain je ne sais quoi (I don’t know what that means) to the QDG uniforms... If I do say so myself.
As the history buffs amongst you will be aware, 2022 was the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, in which 255 British Servicemen lost their lives, the focus of my first 3 months in post have been visits to do with the Remembrance period in this 40th year. In
early November, 136 veterans
and next-of-kin flew down accompanied by UK media
and the Minister for Defence
People Veterans and Service
Families. Mid-November
saw a group of parliamentar-
ians, and SAS/SBS veterans.
Late November BFSAI
hosted HRH The Princess
Royal and Vice Admiral Sir
Timothy Laurence. Finally,
in December former Royal Marines who were based here when the Argentinians invaded came down.
These visits were all very special, in
At the top of Two Sisters with HRH Princess Anne
their own way. The most notable parts were meeting someone who was minus 3 months when their father was killed,
and getting all of those who will listen into the way of being ‘jolly smart.’ Thanks to Eds Dillon and Carter I have taken up fly fishing, and I am familiar with the penguins that are found here. The only real downside to being here is the lack of fellow QDG soldiers or Officers.
As stated, it has been a bizarre first few months amongst the fast-jets, sky-sabre battery, navy warship, and penguins. The most surreal was HRH Princess Anne stating her “shock” at seeing a QDG, then asking “what are you doing here?”. A question I ask myself a lot down here, all with a smile on my face. 3 Cheers for Brig Dan Duff late QDG for getting good postings and taking young officers with him!
ZAK
3 Cheers for Brig Dan Duff late QDG
chatting to the senior Officers from the Conflict on why and how they decided what they did, going on a walk of the battlefields with HRH, and finally getting shown photos from the last stand made in the Governor’s house back in 1982 by people who were genuinely there. There have been many experiences that I never thought I’d be having when I turned up to Sand-
hurst in January 2019.
In the margins, I have filled my time
ridiculing the RAF personnel stationed here for having next to zero militarism,
On parade between the current CBF, Cdre J Lett RN, and the CO of the Falkland Island Defence Force