Page 20 - QDG 2022

18
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
As the Task Group withdrew piecemeal from Mali and started their return home after a long tour, each flight stopped in Gibraltar for some well, earned decom- pression and relaxation. The Unit Welfare Officer Captain Gaz Pearce (HCR) and his team organised a fantastic decom- pression cycle for the troops spread out over a couple of days, focused mainly around Gibraltar Harbour and water sports. After six months in the desert a day on paddle boards, power boats and swimming in the bay followed by a BBQ with actual alcoholic beer was welcomed by all and set everyone up in a positive mindset to come home to our families.
July saw the Regiment deploy to our recruiting ground to conduct Ex HOMECOMING EAGLE. Parades were scheduled to take place in Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Hereford, exer- cising the Regiment’s freedom of the city in all of those key hometowns. There was then to be an additional parade in Cardiff to celebrate the Regiment’s return and present operational medals to those who deployed on Op NEWCOMBE 3.
Following weeks of drill practice with the RSM, the Squadron was running like a well-oiled drill machine ready to show off its skills as not only experts in recce but also masters of drill. Unfortu- nately, however Lance Corporal Hopkins’ body decided early on that it just wasn’t made for drill and would make this clear by performing a series of movements not found in the RSMs drill manual and certainly not to the timings prescribed. Regardless of the odd inopportune drill mistake, the parades went off without a hitch the Squadron once again proving that they can turn their hands to any task put before them.
Whilst any parade is special, and the tour of our home turf was certainly special to all who wear the Hapsburg eagle, the Cardiff parade proved to be a highlight for the Regiment. The then Prince of Wales, our Colonel in Chief was in attendance, a very proud day for all involved and His Majesty’s final military appointment as Prince of Wales. Corporal Rees and Sergeant Griffiths had the additional pleasure of being awarded their OP NEWCOMBE medals by His Majesty, a day they will most definitely remember. I would like to thank all the
Bonny the dog - walking morale
Motar Fire
families and friends of both my soldiers and those other QDGs on parade for taking the time to attend these events and for cheering on your soldiers.
With well-earned leave falling over August it was not until September that most of the Squadron returned to duty. There was change in the air, and a full regimental reorbat meant the break-up of many well-established Troops, crews and friendships and the effective end of the Op NEWCOMBE A Squadron. It was sad to see such an effective, resilient and successful team dispersed but as we all know it’s easy come, easy go in the QDG and “we’ll always have Bagnold”.
It was all change in the Squadron Headquarters. Along with Captain Felix Holland’s mid-tour appointment as Squadron Second-in-Command, following the departure of Captain James Brockless to 6XX HQ, Major Duncan Wiggins, who deployed for half of Op NEWCOMBE with Task Group HQ assumed command of A Squadron on the departure of Major James Curry. After a hugely busy and extremely successful time in command, carried off with char- acteristic vim, energy and enthusiasm James departs RD to a job at the Army Headquarters in Andover. The Squadron wish him, El and their family all the best in the new posting. SSM was handed over from the redoubtable Mr Hopkins to Mr Fisher, Mr Hopkins staying at RD for now and moving to cover the post of Motor Transport Officer as a Warrant Officer before he is commissioned in 2023 (hearty congratulations to him). The stores were handed over from SQMS Ewbank, who moves to the Quartermas- ter’s department, to the newly promoted Sergeant Major Chater. Sergeant Wilkins left the Sqn on promotion to Sergeant Major to become C Sqn SQMS, Sergeant Warner moved and subsequently promoted to Sergeant Major to become Operations Warrant Officer in RHQ’s much vaunted “Top Corridor”.
Alongside the movements in Squadron HQ, there was a fair amount of movement amongst the Troops, including the loss of
Lieutenant Ed Carter to RHQ as Regi- mental Signals Officer and of Lieutenant Zaki Al-Khamiri to the Falkland Islands as Aide-De-Camp to Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands. Sergeant Speed departed to the Quartermas- ter’s Department, and Sergeant Griffiths 188 moved across to C Squadron. We gained three new Officers, Lieutenant Felix Maddison who almost immediately deployed on the arduous Jungle Warfare Instructors Course in Brunei, and Second Lieutenants George Webster and Louise Gamman who departed on their Troop Leaders course, although not before George had led a scratch team to a Silver Medal on the gruelling Cambrian Patrol competition. We also gained three new Sergeants with Sergeant Pugh arriving from C Sqn, Sergeant Howells returned from ATR Winchester and Sergeant Mwamulima returning from a stint with the Royal Yeomanry. This new group of commanders will form the core of the Squadron that will deploy to Poland in October 2023, and we are extremely excited to begin building our team together.
For many however some post-tour adventurous training (AT) allowed a slower paced more relaxed return to life in barracks, with mountain biking or kayaking in Slovenia (Ex EAGLE’S PADDLE) or Offshore Sailing from the Royal Naval College Dartmouth (Ex TRIDENT EAGLE) as well as number of individual courses aimed at gaining AT qualifications.
Ex EAGLES PADDLE was a two-week expedition to Lake Bled in Slovenia that planned to give a dozen people the Inland Kayak Foundation course, as well as build up quality days for two dozen people on mountain bikes following the Regimental Trustees’ generous invest- ment in 5 high-end mountain bikes. Though the long drive to Slovenia was a slog for the instructors and expedi- tion leader, Lieutenant Al-Khamiri, the stunning views of Lake Bled and the surrounding areas made it all worth it. After a few grazed knees, some capsizing