Page 17 - MERCIAN Eagle 2021

5 Platoon
Pl Comd Pl Sgt Wr Sgt
Lt George Fossey Sgt Mikey Carroll Sgt Brett Fellows
It has been fiercely busy 2021 for both
B Coy and 5 Platoon (the Blades). With a swiftly cancelled deployment to Afghanistan, a deployment to Estonia on Op CABRIT firmly landed in the lap of 5 Platoon not long after. Plans therefore were quickly drawn
up for pre-deployment training (PDT) in Germany and no more than three weeks later, 5 Platoon found themselves hurtling down live ranges deep in a very cold and misty Sennelager Training Area.
A young, inexperienced, and yet mightily talented platoon of young men (and LCpl Biddle) began moulding together and becoming a well-oiled machine; one in which eighteen year old Private Cotton would later describe as “the best platoon he has ever seen in his whole career”.
The intense range package, endless days on CATT and blisteringly cold exercises meant ‘the Blades’ were fast becoming wholly competent and ready to tackle the challenges which Estonia would no doubt present. The culmination of Germany’s PDT was Ex TALLINN DAWN and this is where
5 Platoon cemented their name in history. With CSM Sumner, 4 and 6 Platoon all claiming it was too cold to go on exercise (a significant COVID outbreak may have also played a small role) 5 Platoon had to go
it alone; and go it alone they did. Fighting off constant waves of attacks from the Yorkshire Regiment with a platoon minus strength, we put up a strong fight. Even stand-in OC Major Fulford got stuck in, having a Colonel H. Jones moment and charging an enemy Warrior with one of our two NLAWs. He missed of course, but you
Lt Fossey and Sgt Carroll in Tapa, Summer 2021
could not fault his enthusiasm.
5 Platoon, now being the most
experienced and competent platoon in
B Coy, were ready to deploy on Op CABRIT and being team players, were prepared to teach 4 and 6 Platoon everything we knew.
After a short stint of leave, we were in Estonia. A quick and efficient handover/ takeover of vehicles by Sgt Fellows set the platoon up for success in the early stages of the deployment. An ‘alert exercise’ was called almost immediately and to our credit, the Estonian’s described it as the best one they had ever seen. The 5 Platoon view
is that this positive result was more than likely owed to Lt Woodward, OC 4 Platoon, being stuck in COVID isolation again. As the weather started to improve and 5 Platoon began working together more and more, exercises became more enjoyable and there was nothing we enjoyed better than ruining
an Estonian-led exercise through, frankly, being a damn sight better than them. This might also have explained their inability
to engage in conversation or make eye contact with us in barracks.
We culminated Op CABRIT with a week- long multinational exercise: Ex SPRING STORM. B Coy and 5 Platoon, by no surprise, displayed excellent knowledge and skills, working well alongside their foreign counterparts. Managing to achieve all our objectives, a firm precedence of our tactical ability was set, and we were now ready to face the challenges that lay ahead.
With what seemed an insurmountable task to begin with, 5 Platoon went from being what LCpl Clarke would describe as a “red-bum platoon” to a reliable, highly competent and confident platoon; a role model in every respect for 4 and 6 Platoon.
Warrior c/s 22V on Ex BOLD EAGLE in Tapa, April 2021
5 Platoon on Ex MALTESE MARKSMAN in Nursipalu, April 2021
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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