Page 32 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2019

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Lancers parade alongside our NATO allies
a French Lt Col at the ability of the French Army to educate its officers at such a small establishment, he was informed that the Saint Cyr military academy – the French (slightly inferior) equivalent of Sandhurst – was to be found in Brittany. Saint Cyr l’École is a high school. Well done, Tajiman, an excellent start.
Expecting a buckshee week of schmoozing and partying, the team were dismayed to learn that every day would involve sev- eral hours of rehearsals of the parade in the baking Parisian sun. Worse still, several days involved 4am starts to allow a full re- hearsal on the Champs-Elysées as it would be on the day. Hav- ing dismissed walking 300m in a straight line followed by an “Eyes Right!” while wheeling to the left as ‘easy’, the team dis- tinguished itself on the first rehearsal by ending up 100m behind the other invited nations, completely out of step. No less than five helpful French attachés were quick to point out our “too sig- nificant” distance. Having quickly reminded ourselves of how to
La Mort ou la Gloire
march, the next rehearsals thankfully passed without a hitch or hint of Gallic despair at the antics of ‘les rosbifs’.
Other notable events included the team trying some excellent local French food (sushi), Lt Buchanan trying to get the team to try some actual French food (they would have preferred a curry), the young officers demonstrating excellent OPSEC and attracting almost as much attention as President Macron at his national address made from the residence of the Minister of the Armed Forces by allowing an untold number of adoring fans to take their picture next to the boys in blues, and RQMS Hobson helping the French Colonel who was looking after us identify “Waterloo” on the Guidon (a real public relations coup, unfortu- nately not captured for posterity).
The team performed sublimely on the day, at the head of the parade, behind our affiliated regiment, the 1st Regiment of Ma- rine Infantry, along with 8,800 soldiers, 360 vehicles, 240 horses and more than 80 planes and helicopters. The biggest regular military parade in Western Europe, it was watched by more than 35,000 spectators, and several million television viewers, and brought the image of The Royal Lancers to an international stage.
REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
Last Night of the Proms – Harrogate
Contribution to our wider local community is a key aspect of life in Catterick – and in October a team of Lancers volun- teered their time to assist the charity Marie Curie in their fund- raising efforts for those suffering from cancer. They were hold-
The Royal Hall, Harrogate
ing their annual ‘Last Night of the Proms’ and had focused an element of the show to the contribution of veterans. Alongside this, they wanted to feature serving soldiers as a link to the pre- sent and had invited the Regiment to participate.
In the magnificent setting of The Royal Hall, Harrogate and alongside the world-renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band (of Brassed Off fame), the team from Catterick spent the pre-concert drinks charming, cajoling and persuading donations from con- certgoers, working alongside Marie Curie to ensure the patrons were in as charitable a mood as possible.
As the concert began, we were treated to an extraordinary perfor- mance from both Grimethorpe Colliery Band and the assorted musicians – I doubt there was a dry eye in the house during a rendition of Vera Lynn’s ‘There’ll be Bluebirds Over the White Cliffs of Dover’.
After a first half of varied music from both the band and the singers, it was as the audience participation began to ramp up in the second where the hall truly came alive. From wartime fa-
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