Page 9 - QDG 2023

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards 7
Captain and Editor
Please accept my most sincere apologies that the publication of this journal has been so markedly delayed. I will not rehash the peren- nial, and frankly tired, excuse that it is because “this has been another incredibly busy year.” Although readers will appreciate, as they flip
lenting tempo of operations that all dragoons; past, present, and future will identify with the very special character of our regiment that does beam off these pages.
Before releasing you to begin your individual quests to find a photograph of yourself I would like to extend some quick thanks
to some key contribu- tors. The first to Jayne at Crest Publications for her unfaltering patience with my numerous corrections and last-minute alter- ations. The second, and most important, is to everyone that has contributed time, effort, and articles, you truly have played a role in the preservation of our
history.
I hope you enjoy this years edition
and should I be the lucky editor for a second year running, I promise to
through the pages of journal that it has indeed been incredibly busy.
Members of the
regiment have been
deployed on exer-
cises and operations
in Poland, Germany,
Norway, Israel, Kenya,
New Zealand, Australia,
Canada, the USA,
Kuwait, Denmark, and
Italy. Their accounts of
those adventures are
lovingly compiled on the pages within. As ever we have sought to gather contributions from across all ranks and to capture the full spectrum of regimental activity. My hope is that despite the unre-
this year’s
The tempo is also highly likely to continue rising
hit the deadlines!
RFW
Montenegro. I would like to say that our regimental winter sports jumpers remain the pick of the bunch in St Moritz, but I’m not convinced we’ve had much success at the Cresta in the last few years.
Amongst these adventures and endeavours, the most moving, memo- rable and significant were His Majesty’s Coronation in early May, and the inau- gural visit to regimental duty by our new Colonel-in-Chief, the Princess of Wales, in November. I hope in the melee of regalia you had the chance to catch our white cross belts and shining Hapsburg eagles, as we led the Army Division in the military procession from Westminster to Buckingham Palace. Needless to say, while only a short visit, our new Colonel- in-Chief was hugely impressed by our soldiers and their families in Swanton Morley, and that HRH looks forward to meeting many more of you in the coming years.
In closing, I would hope that my message to you is a cogent one: the Regiment remains in rude health, is deeply involved in the pick of the Army’s missions and tasks, and continues to attract and retain incredible people. Some of you will, I hope, draw succour from the fact that so little seems to have changed in our nature since our formation, nearly 65 years ago on a frosty parade ground in Perham Down. Moreover, that there remains much in the QDG of the behaviours and traditions of our forebears from much further back; the Gothic Line, Tobruk, the Somme, Waterloo and Oudenarde. The common thread of course is our people, those happy few who have chosen across the ages and in far-off places to hone their comradeship in the crucible of our some- times dull, dirty and dangerous toil. We should, I think, be more conscious of our history and of those whose feats have shown recognisable heroism, grit, tact and diplomacy. Above all, I find the resil- ience of our forebears inspiring, and an aspect of our character as a regiment that I see reflected robustly in our current rank and file (despite the cries of social media gloomsters to the contrary). In my time in command I could have asked for little more from our people, they have surpassed expectations and continue to draw my praise for their selfless dedica- tion, professional focus, and cheerfulness in adversity. I find it fitting then to end by echoing the words of Gen Sir Ricard McCreery, who commanded the KDG for the duration of the Italian campaign as part of the 8th Army: ‘I always knew that whatever was asked of them, they would do their best, cheerfully and well.’
Pro Rege et Patria.