Page 125 - QDG 2022

at a 45-degree angle on the back of a low-loader as part of the Battle Casualty Replacement organisa- tion. Whilst in his crew’s shelter one night, Botty felt something slimy in the bottom of his sleeping bag, leaping out he beat it to death with his SMG, and then discovered that it had been his jar of Nivea. Every night from then until the vehicles were loaded for home, there was a different item left at the bottom of Botty’s bag (grenades, magazines etc) to ward off those killer snakes.
he had an amazing ability to survive for days on end
on a diet of cigarettes and Pringles
He then had the fortune to command A Squadron (by now back in the recce role) all over again and lead it on operations in the 2nd Gulf War. Botty insisted on attending the 7 Brigade Orders Group without a cover on his helmet. At one point he was given a desert helmet cover by one of the brigade staff and on returning to the Sqn it was passed on to the troops. The following Orders Group Botty was asked quietly where his helmet cover was, his response was something along the lines of I will wear one when all my soldiers have them. It may not have sat well with the Bde staff but A Sqn did get an issue of desert kit soon after that. Few members of the Squadron will forget his motiva- tional speech on the eve of the invasion that would rival Tim Collins but was not recorded for posterity. Nor will they forget the well-conceived, metic- ulously rehearsed and impressively controlled
Next was Northern Ireland with ‘Y’ Squadron in
1991 When SHQ were forced to dig in with the rest
of the Squadron. Botty selected a trench position
just off a road junction with tremendous views and
perfect for triggering a very quick VCP if required.
After some hours of manual shovel work, the troop
discovered the old road beneath and then preceded
to pick its way through layers of rock and hardcore. Eventually, the last in the Squadron to complete the task, the Troop went around the cordon to view other positions, several of which had been dug by a helpful digger owner in just a few minutes.
(with Botty leading from the front) squadron dismounted attack across a canal against a key defensive position, which turned out to be long-since abandoned by the enemy. It was also noted at this time that he had an amazing ability to survive for days on end on a diet of cigarettes and Pringles.
After Staff College, Botty filled a key Commitments appoint- ment in HQ Land for which he was awarded an MBE and then returned in 2007 as 2IC QDG which included acting as an excep- tionally capable Battlegroup Chief of Staff in Garmsir, Helmand
Province, Afghanistan 2008/09. Staff roles in Wilton and Warminster followed before he assumed command of the Royal Mercian Lancastrian Yeomanry (RMLY) 2012-14, which was a challenging time as Army Reserve restructuring required him to dismantle his command and raise a new Scottish and Northern Irish Yeomanry. Despite this turmoil, and suffering a stroke, his selfless leadership was rewarded by
elevation to OBE.
With the exception of a tour commanding the
British Military Advisory and Training Team in Nigeria, the latter part of Botty’s career focussed on require- ments and acquisition and he had three roles in DE&S which saw him rise to the Chief of Staff Land Domain as a Brigadier 2020-22. To see someone so humble, self-deprecating, and scruffy make
it to senior rank is most refreshing. Having developed expertise in procurement and some excellent contacts, Botty soon attracted offers of employment and he and Maria moved to Qatar to pursue new opportunities. We thank them both for such loyal service to QDG (and legendary hospitality) and wish them luck in their new
adventure.
A long deployment to Norway in 1992 with C Squadron (then the recce unit for NATO’s Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land)) followed, which included one test of survival and resourcefulness when he missed the Squadron coach pick up (by falling asleep in the warmth of Trondheim bus station) and decided to walk the 150 km back to camp – fortu- nately some Norwegians came to his rescue before
he became hypothermic. Then, converted to Chal-
lenger, he continued as Troop Leader of 1st Troop C
Squadron in Sennelager and BATUS. During one
range period at Hohne, he was on an overnight
excursion to Hamburg and returned to his car at
5am to find it surrounded by an entire fish market
and, after being harangued by irate German fish-
wives, only secured its release by handing over his remaining Deutsche Marks.
After a stint with the British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) in Mozam- bique, Botty accomplished his finest achievement by marrying Maria in
1994, who has been the most loyal support throughout his career and produced a ‘fire-team’ of 4 boys who in due course would excel in setting up illegal vehicle check points
on their married patch – woe betide those drivers they stopped who didn’t know the password!
Following a tour with the Regiment as the G5 Officer in Bosnia, Botty left the
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards 123
Brigadier Matthew Botsford OBE
Matthew “Botty” Botsford started his career as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1990 in Wolfenbüttel and ended it as a Brigadier at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) at Abbey Wood in 2022. In itself this rise to One-Star would be impressive, but a two-year career break and a stroke make it truly remarkable.
Botty had an excellent foundation, spending more than three years as a Troop Leader and, unusually for Cold War cavalry officers, earned himself two campaign medals within his first 18 months. The first was for commanding a platoon from 6 UDR in Omagh, where he was lauded for the most significant find for a while, a GPMP and 200 rounds - discovered by one of his soldiers who happened to select that particular bush (and cache) to pee on. The second was for the Gulf where he spent most of the 1st Gulf War, sat in a Scorpion perched
Army in 1996 to pursue his fortune outside. It was greatly to the benefit of the Regiment that he returned 2 years later, and he re-launched himself into all aspects of Regimental life (having already tried his hand at most things, including polo, bobsleigh, sailing and sky-diving). Playing catch-up after breaking your service for 2 years is a significant challenge but after a stint as an SO3 at the ARMCEN D&M School, he had a lucky break and was able to take command of A Squadron, which was midway through a tour in Kosovo, where his leadership as an Acting Major shone through and contributed to his selection to a crunchy stint as SO3 O&D at 20 Armd Bde, which included a return to Kosovo (2000-01) and a well-deserved award of a QCVS. It was becoming clear that Botty was catching up fast.