Page 46 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2018

44 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
This has been a year full of opportunity and adventure! The squadron has maintained its high spirits in everything it has done this year, from exercise in the middle of the ‘beast from the East’ to an operational tour in Cyprus.
2018 was much anticipated by most of the Regiment who were looking forward to spending the summer in Cyprus. Before we could pack our swimwear, we needed to represent the Regiment on Exercise SPECULAR, this gave the Battle Group Headquar- ter team and Command Troop an opportunity to show off their planning skills acquired on the previous busy training year. The Battle Group Headquarters team did a fantastic job as the Di- visional Recce Battle Group. Major Tom Prideaux and Captain Hugh Richardson cunningly produced a plan that allowed the sabre squadrons to move around the enemy’s rear area without being noticed. The success achieved by the Regiment on Exer- cise SPECULAR had made the Division sit up and rethink how it employs its recce troops in the future. The Royal Lancers sit at the forefront of the Divisional Recce concept moving forward, proving the Regiment remains relevant for the future.
On return from Exercise SPECULAR, the Squadron was sepa- rated in to the Rear Operations Group (ROG) and the Support Company for Operation TOSCA 28. Support Company was based at Ledra Palace in the centre of Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus and the only divided city in Europe. Captain Matt Jones
was the Quartermaster and Officer Commanding for the opera- tion with six departments working for him.
Mechanical Transport Troop was headed up by Sergeant Ward and Corporal Thompson, who were kept busy with trips to the airport for rest & recuperation (R&R) and welfare trips – it was always good to see Corporal Collins with his hankie on his head as he headed out on a welfare trip. Lance Corporal Entwhistle ensured the Commanding Officer could never relax on long trips by keeping him scared to look up at all times.
The gym staff under Staff Sergeant Burnell did a great job of working on the squadron’s beach bodies. Most people hit the gym hard over the tour with some incredible results. The most impressive change was Staff-Sergeant Burnell’s suntan, the Quartermaster had to issue him a tin of pledge to keep his ma- hogany colour polished!
Sergeant-Major Mukungunugwa had the unenvious job of look- ing after Ledra Palace Hotel. This was an important job as the hotel meets none of the modern standard of fire safety, making it one of the biggest risks to the force. Sergeant Major Mukun- gunugwa would relentlessly patrol the halls of the hotel looking for offenders of his fire orders. In-between his patrols, Sergeant- Major Mukungunugwa and the Regimental Sergeant Major would test the Regiment’s fire drills. Impressively, due to train-
Headquarters Squadron