Page 54 - MERCIAN Eagle 2020

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D (Dragon) Company
Maj Will Rose, Officer Commanding
A very varied year for D Coy with personnel deploying overseas (Op TORAL & Op TOSCA), on Op RESCRIPT (over half the company deployed with the remainder finding their civilian jobs with Severn Trent, BT, farming suddenly making them key workers), completing a battlefield tour
to Israel, conducting distributed remote training and then resuming training with a focus on the urban operations.
Cpl Sam Holmes, LCpl Declan O’Rourke, Ptes Tim Robinson, Ed Williams and Matthew Parkhurst completed an OP TORAL tour with 4 SCOTS; Pte Ed Williams enjoying it so much he has transferred to 4 SCOTS. Cpl Michael Neal completed an Op TOSCA tour and welcomed the birth of his son mid tour! Sgt Tommy Birks is currently away on Op CABRIT with 5 RIFLES having squeezed in getting married prior to deploying.
Lord Lieutenant Certificates were awarded to LCpl Josh Grant (who has been at the heart of virtually every exercise, captained the Battalion Rugby Team and was a key member of the Cambrian Patrol team that won a Silver Medal on its first attempt), LCpl Liam Hulkes (who came in the top 5 on a Regular JNCO Cadre and was part of the same Silver Medal winning Cambrian Patrol team) and Pte Rob Corlett (who built a skills house at Burton and this after 30 years of dedicated service during
which he achieved a Certificate of Efficiency in every year, serving with 3 STAFFS,
then the West Midlands Regt and now
4 MERCIAN; he has just re-badged to RLC to continue serving as a chef).
D Company turnover of personnel has seen us say goodbye to Maj Ian Nellins, WO2 (CSM) Simon Coulson and Cpl Wayne Dyche (to HQ Company), 2Lt Sam Russon, Lt Jack McCormack and LCpl Liam
Hulkes (to Regular RMAS) and welcomes Capt Rich Peacock, OCdt Sam Dulson,
Cpl Sid Chambers, LCpl Thomas Wood, Ptes Kyle Barley, Simon Boyes, Jo Boote, Thomas Edgington, Spencer Latham, Alex Mcquade, Alex Payne, and Matthew Shea.
CSgt Rich Shaw handed over the PSI mantle at Burton to CSgt Mark Harris and Sgt Shawn Mills continues as the PSI at Stoke (he now finds himself the senior PSI in 4 MERCIAN and managed, in his spare time, to come 2nd in the Peak District Challenge 100km endurance event). CSgt Paul Spilsbury was promoted to WO2 and takes over the appointment of CSM.
As the year draws to a close normal training is resuming and LCpl Wayne Adams and LCpl Danny Britton are preparing for the challenge of the Section Commanders Battle Course in January 21 whilst Pte
Ross Dawson is mobilising at short notice to provide AGC support to a Quarantine Facility as COVID-19 rumbles on.
LCpl Josh Grant from Crewe
receives his Lord Lieutenant Certificate from CO 4 MERCIAN
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
Pte Rob Corlett from Worcester receives his Lord Lieutenant Certificate from CO 4 MERCIAN
LCpl Liam Hulkes from Newcastle Under Lyme astride hulk of a Centurian tank on Golan Heights