Page 38 - The Bugle 2018

Public Duties Reinforcement Company, London
C COMPANY
WERE READY
TO TAKE
OVER ROYAL
DUTIES
AND SHOW
LONDON
WHAT IT
MEANT TO
HAVE SOME
RIFLES SWAGGER
AND PANACHE
C Company, 2 RIFLES had the honour of being the first Rifles Company to take on the role of Public Duties Reinforcement Company in London. We were required to provide guards at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, The Tower of London and Windsor Castle for two months in summer 2018. The role required every Rifleman to look pristine in Number 1’s, finesse their light drill, and learn and perfect heavy drill; something which doesn’t always come naturally to the Chosen Men!
C Company started their training in Thiepval Barracks for two weeks with Guards Division Drill Instructors teaching us the intricacies of all the different duties and parades. Under the watchful eyes of Company Serjeant Major Bannon, the company started marching up and down the square, and thankfully our two Guards Drill Instructors were pleasantly surprised by what they saw. Even the Officers’ drill was on point, most of the time. The toughest challenge was learning heavy drill, something that is mandatory when parading directly opposite the Guards and whilst on duty in the guard boxes. All in all, we were lucky as we got to do about 80% Light Drill and only 20% heavy drill.
In mid-April C Company did the long coach ride down to Woolwich Barracks in London; which we would call home for the next two and a half months. No time was wasted as the Company got straight out on the Parade Square at Woolwich and continued rehearsing. Everything had to be top notch for the ‘Fit For Role’ inspection by the London District Brigade Major and Garrison Sergeant Major in Wellington Barracks in two weeks. All the Riflemen of C Company worked incredibly hard and the parade went very well with the Company received a glowing review from both the inspecting officers. We were even told that we were better than some Companies whose main job it is to do this... ...no names.
C Company were ready to take over Royal Duties and show London what it meant to have some Rifles swagger and panache. First up was Windsor Castle, with 10 Platoon taking the honour reinforced by The Rifles Band and Bugles. The crowds were treated
to a great sight as the men in green marched up to the castle at 140 paces a minute showing some top class Light Drill. It went down a storm with the tourists and locals alike and it only went from strength to strength. It was not long before it was time for a Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace. This was a great spectacle with the Band leading the way from Wellington Barracks into Buckingham Palace forecourt. The Irish Guards were certainly not used to Light Drill as we arrived far quicker than they are used to, and nearly caught them off guard. The first parade went exceptionally well with the Commanding Officer and Regimental Serjeant Major taking the lead, as is the tradition for the first parade. The crowd loved this new unusual look of men in green and black charging around the London streets; particularly when The Advance was called to the Bugle Major!
The time on duty was very busy with the Riflemen excelling at every role, receiving praise from everyone including the public, members of the Household Division and most importantly several members of the Royal Family, including Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. Time on duty is of mixed enjoyment and experiences, with the guard at St James’s staring at a brick wall, while the Buckingham Palace boxes got to watch all the well-dressed ladies entering a garden party; in The Tower of London or Windsor Castle you had to be willing to let your photo be taken with every tourist. Even though there are times of boredom everyone has to stay switched on as you can have a member of the Royal family come out of nowhere and you must be ready to pay the correct compliment. This can be tricky as one Rifleman presented arms to an old land rover which sped past only to be asked why he saluted the Windsor gardener! He took the sensible view, better to go for it than not. All the members of the Royal Household also came out to see the Chosen Men on Duty: our own Royal Colonel, His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, walked past one of the Riflemen on the box saying “stand easy Rifleman” as he passed with a nod and a smile.
After 116 days of public duties across the four THE RIFLES
44 SECOND BATTALION
C Company arriving to mount guard at Buckingham Palace
The crowds look on in wonder