Page 6 - MERCIAN Eagle 2021

Pte Derby XXXII
Cpl Philip Thornton, Ram Major
2021 has yet again been a very strange year for myself and the Ram Orderly, Pte Joe Holmes, and I’m sure for the majority of people once again with everyone slowly going back to work after the lockdown of 2020 and slowly adjusting to life with COVID-19 which is still present with us.
The year began with some very sad news for us. When we picked up Pte Derby XXXII and Notts, his companion, from their annual leave at the Chatsworth Estate, something didn’t seem right with Notts. The next morning, I received a call that I didn’t want to hear. Notts had unfortunately passed away in the early hours of the morning. Rest in Peace Notts.
For the first half of the year, it was very quiet on the Infantry Engagement team with a lot of jobs being cancelled due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic still being a significant issue, but with the rollout of the vaccine programme taking full swing things would slowly start to go back to a normal run of life.
It wasn’t until June when our first job of the year with Pte Derby came along! We took a trip
to Catterick to witness Mercian soldiers passing out and joining their respective battalions; a huge congratulations to all of our new Mercian Warriors!
On June 21st we received some good news; we could pick up the next Notts replacement! Pte Derby seemed very down being on his own; the arrival of Notts II really seemed to perk Derby up! Notts II joined us from Chatsworth and, just like his predecessor, he was a very cheeky chap.
He and Derby have been getting along together very well! We also had the chance to meet Pte Derby’s Twin lambs which he produced during his Christmas visit in 2020 so congratulations to Pte Derby!
In late June Pte Holmes and Pte Bramley deployed to Estonia for Op CABRIT. While in Estonia, Pte Holmes took on the role of Ram Major and Pte Bramley took on the role of Ram Orderly to look after Pte Derby XXXII Bravo and conduct various taskings under 1 MERCIAN. They performed their duties with excellent feedback so
Image: Maddie Hughes.
a massive well done to them both!
In July our annual visit to Crich was
unfortunately cancelled once again due to COVID-19, but we travelled up to Chester to support a charity golf match for the MVRA at the Battleback Tournament.
August was when things started to pick back up again. It saw Derby travelling to Catterick once again and paying numerous visits to the Staffordshire Regiment Museum, as well as supporting Chesterfield FC, and one of our Veterans Oli Barnes. August was also a first for Derby visiting the Queen Elizabeth Barracks
in Strensall, York, witnessing Reserve Soldiers passing out and taking part in the parade.
September was also a busy month with visits to the Arboretum, the Malvern Hills Challenge and also a parade at the Congleton Cenotaph, which Pte Derby completed with great feedback. Pte Holmes and Pte Bramley also flew back from Estonia and went on some well-deserved leave.
October saw Pte Derby once again taking the long trip up to ITC to watch yet more Mercian Soldiers pass out, so once again a massive congratulations to them!
November was a very busy month as it always is and rightly so; remembering the fallen. With trips to Bulford for the 1 MERCIAN Homecoming parade and also a visit to Fylde FC to support
2 MERCIAN for the Remembrance weekend. Remembrance Day saw the IET scattered all
over the Midlands on various different parades and another visit to Strensall Camp was also on the cards yet again, after Pte Derby’s last professional performance.
December then saw Pte Derby taking his
first trip to Weeton Barracks to support the
2 MERCIAN Boxing Night before the IET slow rundown to Christmas leave. Pte Derby and Notts returned to the Chatsworth estate once again for their long-awaited annual leave.
The Ram Orderly and I are looking forward to seeing what 2022 has in store for us and we are hoping for things to continue to gradually get better as they were before COVID-19.
Pte Derby XXXII with his handlers:
Ram Major Cpl Philip Thornton & Ram Orderly Pte Holmes. Image: Maddie Hughes.
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