Page 40 - QDG Volume 9 No. 5

Partners Dinner Night
Officers’ Mess
At the turn of the year A Sqn found them-
selves in Poland while the rest of the
Officers’ Mess went on the annual Mess
Shoot, kindly hosted by the Keiths on
the ground around Robertson Barracks.
While B Sqn prepared for operations, C
Sqn Officers embarked on a trip to the
Officers’ Ball in Vienna. This, while A Sqn
were in the sub-zero temperatures of
Poland, securing NATO’s border against
the ‘Great Satan’, was all in January. They
don’t tell you when you join that experi-
ences may differ!
Being a Welsh Mess, a big part of the
year is St David’s Day, and the Cavalry
and Guards Club in London certainly
knew about it once a busload of subal-
terns descended for supper. It is good to
see the 23-year-old Operations Officer
is mature! While jesting, Felix has finally
moved out of A Sqn after being there
since joining the QDG at age 12.
Of course, no year would be complete
without the Cavalry Memorial Parade.
This year was a gloriously sunny day, as
usual, a fine start to the summer. A Sqn
gladly back on home soil, B Sqn in Poland,
and C Sqn on Ex DIAMONDBACK, the
summer was at full steam ahead and
the next big venture was Waterloo! The
Warrant Officers and Seniors may have
lost count, but once again it was a white-
wash (if I’m still allowed to say that) for
the Officers’ Mess. The Captain and
Adjutant E C C Cooper and just Captain
T W Wills carried this victory on the
crease, with a century and half-century
respectively. Oh, what a day that was!
The blazing sun of the summer also
shone upon several notable weddings.
Firstly, Captain James Brockless, who
got married to the ever-patient Veronika
in Germany under the auspicious eye of
the online-ordained Captain Zaki Misan
Ali Yusuf Hasan Al-Khamiri. Needless to
say, the wedding followed no particular
faith. Apart from a wool outfit in the
Bavarian sun, the locals were amazed to
see how the QDG were the life and soul
of the party, as they always are. Captain
Zoe Spicer and her very real and not
made-up boyfriend Simon got hitched,
as did the otherwise decent fellow Lieu-
tenant [audible dismay] George Webster
with the delightful Jess.
Another staple of the summer, the ball
did have a minor setback in its running
this year, due to operational necessity.
Proof that the Mess and its inhabitants
are business first! Operation INTERFLEX,
the training of Ukrainian recruits, was to
be the task of the QDG for the latter half
of 2024. This did empty the Mess out
a little, but did lead to periodic hosting
of Norwegian, Dutch, and Ukrainian
Officers at Robertson Barracks.
In the autumn the delayed Summer
Ball was expertly ran by Lt I MacKenzie
and her team. ‘Deutschland 1983’ (and
not a year before) went smoothly, with
the Mess being transformed into a
scene of Cold War Berlin. Thankfully, not
everyone turned up in lederhosen.
It has been a ■■■ year for the QDG,
and the Mess has remained a welcoming
and warm home for its Officers when
finally in camp. This is all thanks to the
tireless work of Jade and the Mess staff
– most notably Jo, Coralie, Debbie, and
Ann-Marie, who tirelessly look after us
and deal with last minute changes.
ZAK
‘What was after 5 again...’
A very smart boyband!
Interflex Dinner Night
‘Big man or small bottle...’