Page 25 - KRH Year of 2021 CREST

The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars 23
D (XRH) Squadron
As the calendar flipped its final page of 2020 and a new year dawned, D Sqn were ready and raring to hit the ground run- ning for their return to training. Forged in the fires of Brecon, Pippingford Park and Pontins Holiday Camp the year before, the Sqn were hungry to rev up their tanks and get stuck into armoured soldiering once more.
The prime minister, however, had a different agenda and before one could say so much as ‘new year hangover’ The Tenth were dispatched to Kent for COVID testing duties, swabbing hauli- ers as they queued for the channel crossing. Despite the seem- ingly endless nightshifts, sleet, snow and rain the troops’ morale remained unwavering thanks to the free burger van provided by the local council. Rumour has it that to this day they still serve a special order called ‘The Tpr Roberts’!
Finally, back on tanks; it was time to head over to Wales to prove our worth on ranges. Cpl Bennett, who had set up a tempo- rary residence in the gunnery wing for the previous two weeks, breathed a deep sigh of relief to be out of the drills trainer and into the sunlight. D Sqn didn’t miss the opportunity to impress; the gunners had a field day destroying targets under the watchful eyes of Cpls Bennett and Bulbeck. The prize for the least watchful eye however went to Lt Corne who had a contact lens stolen by a passing fly! Or perhaps it went to the SSM who couldn’t quite understand why he was always one vent tube short of a full batch. These probably pale though to Maj Bridge’s inclination to leave a different laser key fitted in each tank he visited.
The range package marked some important firsts for D Sqn too. It was the first week for 2Lt Watts in the Sqn who immediately, if quite unknowingly, asserted herself on her troop as the toughest troop leader in the Regiment. It was LCpl Robinson’s first out- ing in the gunner’s seat which turned out to be a match made in heaven as he blasted the range to pieces, grinning from ear to ear. Tpr Askins had his first pint and LCpl Pearson was the first man to be heard singing in the SQMS tent in CMR from Tenby. LCpl Parry proved his worth in the operator’s seat with some of the fastest and most effective loading ever seen in a CR2. Meanwhile LCpl Gregg ‘bag charge’ Border was left scratching his head as to why he had more charges than projectiles left in his turret and why the last round didn’t go off...
The range package ended rather abruptly as an unfortunate safety notice halted all firing just as the Sqn were about to attempt their
Comrade Corne and his heavies stage a coup
On the eve of battle
annual crew tests. Maj Bridges was so outraged when he heard the news the range tower resembled that famous scene from the film Downfall as he railed against the policy makers for ruining his range package... pens and pencils flew, laser keys showered from smock pockets, whilst junior officers stared unblinking at their shoes.
Following a changing of the guard with 2IC Lt Corne stepping up as OC and SSM Oakes actually in command, Ex Crimson Thunder was the first opportunity for D Sqn to prove themselves as a fighting Sqn – taking on the role of OpFor against the KRH Battlegroup. It is often said that history is written by the win- ners and in this case that is certainly true as the Sqn battered the Battlegroup into submission on several occasions. The dis- mounted platoon under 2Lt Ambrose (AAC attached) played a valiant part as Tpr Mitton channelled his inner killer-koala by hugging the top of a tree with his binoculars reporting enemy movement, much to the delight of Cpl Peckham far below. Tpr Chammings too gave the enemy a good run for their money – quite literally as they chased him through the woods attempting to take him prisoner! Meanwhile LCpl Robinson once again sat- isfied his natural lust to destroy the enemy by killing off an entire company of Royal Welsh infanteers from his GPMG nest.
The mounted troops faired even better with 2Lt Watts halting an entire armoured assault with her tank, with Tpr Clarke expertly manoeuvring 62 tons of metal through tight gaps in the wood line and boggy terrain and all on his first exercise! Elsewhere Tpr Brinkler proved to be a most cunning driver by sneaking Lt Corne’s CVR(T) around the blind side of the enemy and over their own bridging site. Corne’s glee was intense as he dispatched the Engineer recce, artillery support and even the Det Commander in the rear echelons with an RPG out of the commander’s hatch. Sadly, Tpr Zoubritskiy Operating down below had no such fun as he grimly held two pieces of a radio together all day but in doing so kept the entire Sqn’s comms plan alive.
The exercise culminated in an almighty cavalry charge as the Sqn exploited a gap in the Battlegroup’s defence. OC OpFor chan- nelled Lord Cardigan himself and dramatically drove the Sqn at full speed through the enemy front line, leaving them flounder- ing behind. Lt Thompson caught the Regimental 2IC napping and destroyed his tank before routing BGHQ in their Bulldogs while 2Lt Watts chased down the Commanding Officer. The final sting from Sgt Judge was an astounding flank attack in another