Page 37 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2015-16

HQ 16 AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE
WO1 (SMI) J W Foreshew RAPTC
35
Phase 1 P Coy
HQ PT
Aboxing event is often thought of by many RAPTCIs as the most stressful and daunting event in the training year’s calendar, but Wimbish Station 2015’s boxing took this to the extreme. Celebrating the anniversary of 75 years of Bomb Disposal we were tasked with putting on a charity show in the legendary York Hall, Bethnal Green in London. A venue famous for its boxing history; a tting site for a show down between the Corps teams of the Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery. The location itself posed a logistical nightmare with no parking, limited set up time and having to be cleared out of the venue by 0100 hrs the next day. Utilising the use of local reserve centres aided us in getting all of cials, fatigue party and equipment in and out of the venue in time.
Adding to the pressure of the event it was a £100 a ticket with also the majority of the British Army’s highest ranking of cers in attendance. Along with the military and sponsors we had Steve Collins, Darren
WO2 (QMSI) Gav Kirk RAPTC Refereeing
Boxing and Rugby Royalty
WIMBISH STATION
“THE BATTLE OF BETHNAL GREEN”
SSgt (SSI) JP Spence RAPTC
Barker, Lloyd Honeyghun, Glen Catley and Zin Zan Brook, 3 Middleweight World Champions a Welter weight World Champion and a New Zealand rugby legend. The evening was a great success with plenty of boxing celebrities to keep any boxing fan star struck for weeks. I was in the unique and privileged position of handing out the trophies with Super- Middleweight World Champion Steve Collins; it took all my resolve not to ask him for a ‘sel e’. The evening saw the Royal Engineers Team storm to a 7 -2 victory with an excellent display of boxing from all, a credit to both teams.
We raised just over £47,000 to be divided between our three chosen charities (Walking with the Wounded, BLESMA and the RE Benevolent Fund). This was
an outstanding effort and combination of team work by all who were involved. Special mention has to go to SSgt (SSI) Trev Speariett for his excellent work assisting in the organisation and stepping up as supervisor for the evening and WO2 (QMSI) Gav Kirk and Capt (MAA) Chris Roberts for their assistance in the refereeing and of ciating. This was truly a night the RAPTC shone bright; doing what it does best putting on a show the only way we know how, the right way, the professional way. The work that went on behind the scenes was enormous and time consuming especially as the Station’s demands are so heavy. Just as the blood pressure has returned to normal the next boxing event is planned for July 2016 at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea for the Royal Artillery to seek their revenge.