Page 36 - The Chapka 2016
P. 36

34 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
   Corporal Walker just read Trooper Lowe’s love letter Definitely not the OC’s vehicle
C Squadron: a good year to die hard
“Bugger” – Commanding Officer 1 PWRR after his first night of battle
In a comedy sketch familiar to the Regiment, the comedians, Mitchell and Webb, question whether having a skull on your hat makes you a ‘Baddie.’ They decide it does and for half of 2016, C Squadron were too, playing professional ‘baddies’ as a large contingent of the Opposing Force troops on Exercise PRAIRIE STORM 1 and 2 (PS1/2). Deploying as the Recon- naissance (Recce) Company and mounted on a variety of vehi- cles, many of which were modified to look like Russian vehicles in order to provide realistic training, the Squadron was eager to pit themselves against our foes, in this case 5 Rifles BG and 1 PWRR BG. For those who suffer constant confusion at the Army’s jargon, PS1 & 2 are the Army’s opportunity to test their high-readiness units and The Royal Lancers were playing the opposing force (OPFOR) to enable that training. Each exercise is approximately 20 days long and is one of the world’s larger games of LaserQuest. Rifles, vehicles and soldiers are fitted with lasers and sensors that allow them to ‘kill’ and be ‘killed’ to rep- licate the battlefield as realistically as possible.
After the usual comedy flight arrangements from the RAF, the Squadron arrived in Canada to be confronted with 2 inches of snow, which made some question their decision to only bring a summer sleeping bag. Despite this, most of the Squadron imme- diately went off to do some Adventurous Training where mem- bers of the Squadron canoed, climbed, biked, walked, rode and
ice-axed their way through the Rockies, both learning new skills and gaining some new Facebook profile pictures.
After the delights of the Rockies, it was time for war. Despite being a Recce Company and lightly armed and armoured, the Company went toe-to-toe with Challenger 2 tanks, Warriors and Bulldogs, punching way above their size and firepower. The opening day of PS2 saw the total destruction of the 1PWRR’s own reconnaissance element in the opening hours. Constantly out-thinking, out-fighting and out-manoeuvring the Enemy, the Recce Company also made a name for themselves during the 1st night battle in which they destroyed so many of the training Bat- tle group that it was forced to re-do the mission the following evening. Particular highlights included: the assassination of the 5 Rifles Commanding Officer on day 1 by the sniper platoon; a troop leader driving into a lake whilst trying to take a short cut; and, 1st Troop’s last-stand holding up an entire Battlegroup armed with only their rifles, NLAW and some cunningly placed cam nets.
In the midst of this bullying of Infantry Battalions, the Com- pany found some time for some local leave and Lancers played rugby in Texas, road-tripped through Canada and the USA, lost money in Las Vegas and, for one Trooper, found himself a girl- friend in Colorado whose subsequent love letter to him brought tears to eyes during maintenance days when back on the prairie.
  Not all of us found BATUS thrilling...
Solider of the BAOR; German Porn star; no, Corporal Pipe
























































































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