Page 27 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2018

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 25
The Sector 2 Hockey Team which outperformed many major units from across Cyprus
anything. Good communications between these two medical fa- cilities was deemed vital if the need arose where their expertise was needed for an emergency.
The administration of Sector 2 troops fell to Lieutenant Wood- ward as Detachment Commander (Det Comd), Warrant Officer Class II Thornton and their small group of soldiers. The Admin- istrative tasks were persistent and included operational record keeping. It wasn’t all work and no play as the Administration Department did manage to go out and see some interesting parts of the island.
Attached to us as part of The Royal Lancers from the first day of the All Ranks Brief were a Royal Engineer (RE) Section from 21 and 36 Engineer Regiments. This five-man section comprised of Lance Corporal Boyle, Lance Corporal Sellars, Sappers Guest, Brown and Davison. All five were responsible for field engineer- ing tasks within the Buffer Zone. In addition, they were also fully qualified tradesmen and were tasked to carry out emer- gency electrical, plumbing and carpentry tasks within the wider Ledra Palace hotel complex and Wolseley Barracks. Armed with chainsaws, bow saws, axes and strimmers the Royal Engineers’ efforts were quickly seen and the patrol routes became viable to United Nations vehicles once more. The performance of these Royal Engineers was outstanding as I could trust them implic- itly to give me results quickly, be that clearing a fallen tree from a patrol route or stopping the Commanding Officer’s house from flooding (which did happen).
There was time to relax while on Operation TOSCA and the Messes were integral to this. To keep the Messes ‘alive’, a team was detailed to run, account, maintain and dress all three Mess- es. Parties were enjoyed, be that the traditional United Nations cocktail party, karaoke in the Corporal’s Mess or ‘Officers to Sen- iors’ or ‘Seniors to Officers’ games nights. The small team plan- ning and executing these events included Sergeant Rogers, Ser- geant Greenwood, Corporal Chick, Lance Corporal Tittle and Trooper Ridgeway. They were heavily assisted by a small team of locally employed civilians who have seen many regiments come and go throughout the years.
Supply and resourcing the sector fell to myself, Warrant Officer Class II (Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant) Hollis, Corpo- ral Garner and Corporal Gooding. The challenge of supplying logistics to support the sector using a United Nations system and also a United Kingdom system is not for the fainthearted. The Quartermaster’s Department for Operation TOSCA was also busy with larger requests for assistance from areas within Support Company as well as the Operations Company and the Mobile Force Reserve. Felling large trees, installation of a new
Now breathing with wasp’s lungs – Troops from Support Company seen enjoying Adventure Training
Corporal Gooding contributing to the ‘Men of Oar’ charity indoor rowing event
Staff Burnell proving we’ve all done stuff