Page 81 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Riflemen in contact during the Deliberate Attack
with very few casualties. So much so,
in fact, that the Recce Platoon decided
to take advantage of the good going
and patrolled an extra 6 km, albeit in the wrong direction. This extra leg meant the platoon had to bypass the Observation Post stand. The response from the Platoon Commander (CSjt Ross Jones) was that check navigators are over-rated and why would the Recce Platoon need to do the Observation Post stand.
At the end of phase one the platoons
got to a lay up point where they received orders for phase two, which was to be a platoon insertion for a deliberate attack. The platoon commander would meet a Recce Platoon soldier who had eyes on target
and had built a detailed model and gave them a number of options to think about. The Platoon Commanders and Platoon Serjeants carried out their estimate and battle preparation, to include orders, to
the Riflemen. Platoons would then move through the night approximately 20 km over the more testing ground of north Dartmoor.
After meeting their guides the platoons then moved off to their forming up point
to carry out the attack. The attack was a three position platoon attack, allowing the sections to echelon through one another. At the end was a casualty serial during which Amputees in Action were used. The amputees allowed for good realistic training and provided a shock factor for the already tired and, in some cases, near-broken Rifleman.
battalion. Things were tight at the top, with just one point between each of first, second, third and fourth places. Fourth place went to Mortar Platoon, with Sjt Clarke just hydrated enough to march out to collect the prize, much to the dismay of the man who had actually taken the platoon around. 1 Platoon were awarded third place before the CO
Platoon Commanders and Serjeants received a quick debrief at the end while the Riflemen enjoyed a 10 minute respite before the final hurdle.
the final 700m around camp was the sting in the tail which will be remembered by all
introduced the second placed team as “the top rifle platoon,” confirming the remainder’s fears that Recce had topped the competition. Nonetheless, 11 Platoon under Sjt Sanson with Cpl
The casualty evacuation was the last hurdle of a demanding contest.
6 Platoon model brief in preparation for the Deliberate Attack
The final part of the
exercise was a 3 km stretcher and burden race into camp. This really tested the platoons and sorted the men from the boys. Many performed to an excellent standard and grafted on the stretcher, however the final 700m around camp was the sting in the tail which will be remembered by all.
With all recovered to Bulford on Friday morning, the Commanding Officer announced the anticipated result to an eager
Holder as Platoon Serjeant were second. But the plaudits went to Recce Platoon, commanded by CSjt Ross ‘SatNav’ Jones with Sjt “Check Nav” Hood as Platoon Serjeant, having come either first or second on every stand (minus the one they missed by getting lost). Requests for a stewards’ enquiry fell on deaf ears, and there was no doubt Reece Platoon had won.
WO1 (RSM) Pat Hyde
THE RIFLES
FOURTH BATTALION 79