Page 41 - 4RA Regimental Journal 2019-2020

4th Regiment Royal Artillery
Workshop REME
Having taken over the Workshop as Officer Commanding in July 2020 from Capt Pete Bell, it was
clear from the outset that I was taking over a highly capable and well-moti- vated team.
It was evident that the Workshop has had another busy two years and con- tinues to support 4th Regiment Royal Artillery and 1 Artillery Brigade across the world. The opportunity for individ-
Capt HC Midgley MSc IEng MIET
ual training, courses, sport, adventur- ous training, and exercises has seen soldiers deploy across both Europe and Africa.
The Workshop takes great pride in its mission, and by virtue of training, com- petency and sheer force of will, we will always go the extra mile to keep the guns firing. This has been even more challenging due to COVID-19, but the tradespeople of the Workshop have
adapted remarkably and come up with innovative ways to “get the job done”.
This has seen in one hand high equip- ment availability enabling the Regiment to continue to achieve its mission to the other hand supplementing the Regi- ment in very short notice tasks such as providing COVID-19 testing teams in Liverpool. Arte et Marte.
Officer Commanding’s Foreword
OP MOONSHOT
Cpl Garlick
On the 2nd Nov 2020, 88 and 329 BTYs from 4th Regiment Royal Artillery were given the order to
pack their bags and prep to move to Liver- pool for two weeks to help the fight against COVID. At 0300hrs on Thursday 4th November those going were on parade in their relevant Batteries, given orders in one hand and a bacon butty in the other, then we were on our way.
On arrival to our new home in Pontins, Southport we were divvied up into the 4-man accommodation rooms. After given a short period to dump our kit we were taken into the main entertainment halls, keeping social distancing we were then given instructions on what we will be doing whilst there and how to conduct the Lateral Flow Test (LFT).
We were informed that Liverpool was at the UKs highest tier group for COVID 19 and our mission was to conduct
750,000 tests within the next two weeks to tryandslowtherateofinfection.Wewere shown how to conduct the LFT so every- one had to test themselves to make sure they were not carrying the virus which was unpleasant, but necessary.
Each Battery/Platoon were given two sites to cover, 3/29 were given Garston and Austin Rawlinson lifestyle centres. On our first day at Garston, the first task was try- ing to organise the public into an orderly fashion. Armed with iPads and a smile we worked through the public to get them registered on the COVID website prior to a test. Leaving the younger generation to complete the online registration them- selves, the not so tech savvy generation were helped through the process. Once given their barcodes they were ready for their test.
Once at the main hall (where the test was conducted), the customers were
directed into booths that were pre-made by the Royal Engineers. Service Personnel were on the other side of the booth win- dow handing them the swab and explain- ing how to self-administer the test.
Once the swab was handed back, we placed it into a tube with solution in it, after a few seconds we discarded the swab and placed the lid on the tube. Two drops went onto the LFT and then a 30-minute wait for the results. Everyone that got tested got there results that day!
We were deployed to help the fight against COVID in Liverpool, this has had a direct effect on the city as from the 2nd of December they will drop down to tier 2 allowing more freedom to the population.
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