Page 8 - Chiron Calling Spring 2017

6 CHIRON CALLING
On 4 July 16,102 Military Working Dog Squadron (102 MWD Sqn) set off to France to take part in Exercise CHIRON TONGA. The Battle eld Study, lead by Major McIntosh (Of cer Commanding 102 MWD Sqn), took place over three days and aimed to study the events of D-Day, 6 June 1944 (Operation OVERLORD) and follow the story of two MWDs who took part in the Operation.
Day 1
Following a hearty breakfast at JB’s we hopped aboard the mini buses, headed out of Normandy Barracks and onto the open road in convoy fashion; of sorts. The journey, although long, was broken up with rest stops, the odd wrong turn and the odd joke. While our bus went directly to the camp site; the other bus made a small diversion to collect the Commanding Of cer, Lieutenant Colonel Foreman, from the airport. We arrived at the campsite mid-afternoon and were pleasantly surprised at the accommodation we were going to be staying in for the next few nights. The caravans were large, modern and had all the amenities needed to keep drinks cold and food hot.
The rst day of the study started early and after we had breakfast, we headed off to Pegasus Bridge. After studying the successful assault of the Allied forces on the bridge, we spent some time discussing how dogs could have been utilised during assault. We came to the decision that they could have utilised an Infantry Patrol Dog or a Protection Dog once the Bridge had been taken, to alert the Allied troops to potential enemy forces encroaching on their position.
On the afternoon of day 1 we visited the Ranville Drop Zone, where Captain Young delivered a brief on two of the Principles of War; surprise and concentration of force. This opened up a discussion on how to nd the balance between the two and, more importantly, was this achieved on D-Day and to what effect?
We then drove to see the Merville Battery and the attached museum. On arriving at the Merville Battery, apart from the size of the area, it was hard to imagine it at its most ferocious back in the summer of 1944; however in its prime the Merville Battery was a formidable obstacle. With the story of the men from the 9th Battalion and Royal Engineers from the 591st Parachute Squadron in our minds, the walk back to the minibus was slightly
SSgt Turnbull lecturing at Gold Beach – Arromanch
more solemn than the walk through the entry gate. The journey back to the accommodation was also that little bit quieter than normal.
Day 2
Day 2 incorporated visits to La Cambe Cemetery, Pont Du Hoc, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach and Sword Beach. At Pont Du Hoc, Warrant Of cer Class 2 Jobling gave a brief on two kinds of defence; area and mobile. This lead onto a discussion of the types used and the effect it had on the Allies ordered to assault the location. The scaling of the 30m (98ft) cliffs with grappling hooks, ropes and ladders to destroy the coastal gun battery located at the top, must have been a formidable task; unforgiving to even the most experienced climber when carrying no equipment, let alone full ghting order. Even the Sqn PTIs would have found it dif cult.
102 at Sword Beach
Exercise CHIRON TONGA
By Pte Phillips – 102 MWD Sqn