Page 55 - Mercian Eagle 2014

Photo: Div Trg Team and the Students of
AtheGInCfantrSy SPecSt 2Di/ceCotuarsce.hment Sgt S Clark AGC(SPS)
2013/2014 has been another very busy period for the detachment with the merger of three Mercian Battalions into two, seeing all the 2 MERCIAN soldiers we grew to know leaving for other battalions and meeting the new faces from the other two battalions. As you can imagine there was quite the G1 fallout!
To test the detachment a little more the battalion simultaneously went through a unit move; this meant all hands to the pump getting all the docs ready but also boxing up BHQ and all the Coy offices
to move to The Dale Barracks. This was all achieved with a big turnover of the management team with Capt Thomas McEvoy leaving to join PATW at Worthy Down, replaced by Capt Cerianne Duce from the Household Cavalry Regiment; an new Detachment commander in Capt Iain McDonald, formerly at 17 Port & Maritime Regt RLC, the RAWO WO2 Will Martin retired from the services to be replaced by WO2 ‘Eddy’ Edwards from the Royal Welsh, the FSA SSgt Hodge moved to the SCOTS in Edinburgh replaced by SSgt Vincent from Worthy Down (a familiar face for the Privates after teaching the SIPAC course). WO2 Edwards was not alone in coming from the Royal Welsh; as Sgt Richmond, Cpl Alek Dargie, Cpl Tanya Evans, LCpl Hayley Gilbert and Pte Rhianne Cooper all posted
in too, giving the rest of the detachment a reassuring feeling that Chester must be a good location to cling onto!
As the detachment got into Dale barracks working routine,
there was a lot to start getting to grips with, what with the new accommodation and the offices to rebuild, back to what they needed to start work. Like busy little bees, they all started to slowly get their companies stores from shipping and began moving and tracking all the soldiers into Chester.
The Detachment now had to get their companies sorted in manning and start preparing for the deployment of the regiment to Op TOSCA, being responsible for getting the battalion out of the door in a good G1 state while completing their own MATTS and keeping up with the Battalion and Coy training and pace. It is no small feat to get all this completed and still do your everyday duties, but everyone has worked hard to achieve it.
On the sport front, Cpl Masters has been training for the Northern Ireland Netball Team getting ready for the 2014 Commonwealth
Games, and at the time of going to press has just played her first match in Glasgow at the games. The FSA, SSgt Hodge, found that the majority of his time was taken up with the Northern Ireland Taekwondo squad and chasing personal glory in Belarus and then emailing blow by blow accounts to the CO and RSM.
The Detachment attended various adventurous training packages with their Coys; of note Capt McEvoy, Capt McDonald and LCpl Coton attended Ex SNOWY RAM, getting two overnight ferries and driving from Belfast through Scotland, England, Holland, Germany and Austria to reach the Austrian army ski facility at Walgau Kaserne 40 minutes from the slopes at St Anton. The variety of pistes through the St Anton ma Arlberg valley ensured that all members of the group were pushed to the limit. Capt McDonald found himself
at his limit after stating that “he had never seen anyone fall into the nets under the ski lifts” found himself caught in one after falling off the ski lift; for further detail see the RSM. A great time was had by all including a great final day with a massive dump of snow. Capt McEvoy and LCpl Coton achieved Ski Foundation 1 and Captain McDonald qualified for Ski Foundation 2.
A Walk on the Welfare side – Captain J Peach, UWO.
During the last year the Unit Welfare Office has had a change in personalities, location and seen the merger of Regiment bring together the families from the 3 different Battalions. After saying goodbye to the
old UWO, Captain Pete Lewis (who has departed to a sunnier climate in Kenya) the UWO has been involved in a Royal visit, a Unit relocation to Chester and the preparation for an operational tour on the
UN line in Cyprus. Jill Houlbrook, the then Lord Mayor of Chester, commented that
it would be a difficult job to bring together families from 3 different Battalions but I have to say that this task has happened seamlessly and without too many problems.
The Royal visit to Belfast by HRH, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall was
a great success. You can imagine the expression on my face when I was told
by the Commanding Officer that I was to run an Easter Egg Hunt for all the families involving HRH Duchess of Cornwall and
to include a 6ft rabbit! After looking to the internet for guidance, 106 Easter eggs were kindly donated by the ‘Crazy Gun Club’ in Ireland, 200 laminated pictures of rabbits were hidden all over the Welfare Community Centre and an adult rabbit costume was obtained. I was set and ready to go but have to admit that being nervous was an understatement. Hosting Royalty along with children chasing a large rabbit, filled me with fear but with the help from all the families
on camp, the day went off without a hitch.
CO, UWO and members of 2 MERCIAN and the R & A Captain outside the R & A members’ marquee. Former 2 LANCS Soldier Chris Wells holding the Claret Cup
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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