Page 26 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2017

24 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) B Squadron
After a manic year of providing troops as OPFOR in BATUS and to other Random Army Administrational Taskings (RAAT) around the UK, B Squadron was looking forward to the structure and predictability of a training year in 2017. All roads should have led to Exercise PRAIRIE STORM 3 in Canada, but as the rumours of cut backs in training events gathered pace, it became obvious we would be in for a little more unpredictability than expected!
The year began with a fast and furious preparation period lead- ing to a squadron mounted range package on the windy West Wales coast. By now, word was coming through that our future deployment to BATUS was under threat and that a slightly more unconventional training year may ensue.
As the summer months came around the Squadron’s vehicles were back on low loaders and making their way down to Salis- bury Plain: a successful exercise in the sun was enjoyed by all. A mention must go to Trooper Everitt, hero to all bovine type Salisbury Plain residents, who heroically came to the rescue of a stricken calf that had escaped from its pen. Without his help, the calf would almost certainly have died. Not all heroes wear capes.
With summer leave done and dusted, focus switched to Exer- cise NORTHERN LANCER and getting the Squadron out and about on the roads in Land Rovers. Whilst intensive vehicle preparation was taking place, the Squadron leader and Squadron Second-in-Command set about downloading the game ‘Ballz’ on their phones – intense competition would be a feature through- out the exercise, with Lieutenant Paterson claiming to see the game in his dreams.
It did not take long for the exercise related entertainment to get under way, with the Fitter Section managing to cause the first ever traffic jam within Kielder Forest. By parking their Troop Carrying Vehicle (TCV) in a ditch, then getting the Land Rover, with which they tried to pull the TCV out with (don’t tell the EME), also stuck, the road was totally blocked. As an enormous logging truck came around the corner they thought they were in for a shouting match, only to find that the driver had his girl- friend in the cab and was quite happy to spend the night parked in the middle of the forest nearby...night vision goggles certain- ly did not run out of batteries on ‘stag’ that night.
Captain Kellard took advantage of his future parents-in-law liv- ing in the Scottish borders and took his Troop round for tea and cake. Upon departing their house, his Troop somehow managed to stumble into a village hall library club serving all-you-could- eat and drink tea and cakes for £2. Not many rations were con- sumed that day. Despite the occasional brush with game keepers, farmer’s dogs and large bulls in fields, the Squadron managed to shine throughout the exercise and all came back in one piece.
And so another year has passed in the fast paced life of B Squadron, and with it another Officer Commanding departs. Major Will Grieg took command in May 2016 and leaves the Army for the next chapter of his life in the South West of Eng- land [Ed. or not ...]. Also we said farewell to Captain Malcolm Barnes as Second-in-Command and WO2 Champkins as Squad- ron Sergeant Major. 2018 will see most of the Squadron deploy- ing on Operation TOSCA and beyond that a new Officer Com- manding and whatever 2019 holds. We wait with baited breadth from Regimental Headquarters and hope Carrier manning does not bite on the budgeting cycle. We shall see.
WAOK
2nd Troop show Sergeant Underwood how to be British
Community engagement - Captain Kellard takes his troop to meet the (to be) in-laws