Page 25 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2017

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 23
Dodgy shots at Chez Morrisey
had contributed enough to future battles, and allowed the other squadrons to win the rest of the Regimental Sports to ensure spoils were shared equally. Unfortunately, the other squadrons were not so good natured and we basked in the moral victory that fifth place always brings.
Our ecological credentials have also been demonstrated this year. 2017 saw the deployment of the green-fingered on Exer- cise COPPICE LANCER; our efforts to help with the conser- vation of ancient woodland near Catterick. A highlight of the Regimental social media account, the Squadron’s reputation for horticulture had clearly reached the highest levels in January 2018 when they were asked to plant ‘Lancer Spinney’, a new woodland installation for Her Majesty the Queen at Sandring- ham House in Norfolk.
Sergeant Mann and crew
Turning to the future and 2018, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, came as less of a surprise, than the announcement that the Regiment will be deploying on Operation TOSCA (the Unit- ed Kingdom’s commitment to UNFICYP) in 2018. A Squadron are soon to re-orbat to form the Mobile Force Reserve (MFR) for UNFICYP on Operation TOSCA in Cyprus. The MFR will form the Force Commander’s reserve, ready to reinforce the UN mission throughout the entire island (including the rest of the Regiment based in Nicosia as well as the South American and Eastern European Sectors). Our focus is now on public or- der training and peacekeeping – we are soon to lay our Motto’s aside for 6 months and take on the blue beret of the UN, thereby following our antecedent regiments in attempting to preserve ‘peace’ on that sunny island.
DJC
The Squadron certainly did not have a smoker