Page 125 - The Bugle 2018

Company personnel and forebears since the 1800s; the Royal Green Jackets, the Queen’s Westminsters and the Queen’s Victoria Rifles to name a few, and not forgetting also our linkages with the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and The London Rifle Brigade. Whilst sad to move, “Hammer-strasser” is fantastically located and with a bit of RIFLE-isation will become a first-rate Army Reserves Centre. It’s technical and domestic accommodation includes a range, sports hall and an all ranks mess that is a fitting successor to Davies Street’s Riflemen’s Bar and Officers’ Mess combined. Modern enough to attract forward thinking Riflemen, but with enough history to remind us of our unique heritage and traditions. I fully expect it will help F Company’s continued success, whilst also attracting and sending high numbers of Riflemen to Regular and Reserve Commissioning courses, and in turn be an attractive proposition for ex Regulars settling in London.
Engagement
Hammersmith’s positioning and strong transport links will help ensure F Company continues to play our traditional part in civic and community engagement events around the City of London and Westminster, while building new relationships in West London. We will continue to deliver our standing honour guards at Lloyds and the Lord Mayors Banquet and will foster even stronger ties with other stakeholders, not least our paired livery company, the Haberdashers. It will be good to see F Company’s annual cricket match with them widen to a “RIFLES in London” event. Potentially with other stakeholders, including the London Rifles
Volunteer Trust, the Just RIFLES charity, and same cap-badged Chelsea Pensioners and Cadets.
In summary, despite slipping down AR2020(R) and Op MOLTON snakes, F Company continues to find and climb ladders and grow in quality, (through progressive training and deployed tasks), and in quantity, (through the hard-work of F Coy’s recruiting and recruit mentoring training teams). We continue to grow a learning culture and foster a climate of humility where each Rifleman plays to his strengths and supports others’ weaknesses. Our ‘all in it together’ mentality to training irrespective of rank and role are underpinned by our consistent training battle rhythm and cohesive SOIs. There is competition in everything we do, and fitness, fitness, fitness. With manpower, best practice or just a can-do attitude, we continue to release a little of the F Company genie from the bottle to support those around us – whatever cap-badge, unit or stake- holder requests it.
Major Peter Bull
Officer Commanding
F (RIFLES) Company, LONDONS
THERE IS COMPETITION IN EVERYTHING WE DO, AND FITNESS, FITNESS, FITNESS
THE RIFLES
SEVENTH BATTALION 131
Rfn Baseulouss utilises his Arabic Skills on Ex AFRICAN LION 18
Our new location in Hammersmith