Page 124 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

Exercise Solent Retreat Exercise Tiger Shark 18

– Sub Aqua
By Second Lieutenant Edward Brock

On 20 August 2018, eleven courageous and strong
hearted crew embarked on Exercise Solent Retreat. By Staff Sergeant Craig O’Hara

In March, ten members of 160 Provost Company, 4th Regiment Royal
Military Police embarked on Exercise Tiger Shark 18, a 10-day Sub Aqua
expedition to Cyprus.

Crew from
both vessels

Sailing in the Solent

The exercise consisted primarily of members of 10 Army
Education Centre Group, as well as Major Charlie Walsh
from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the
excellent Corporal Stuart Henley. Three less experienced
crew were fortunate enough to complete the Royal Yacht
Association Competent Crew qualification in the months

leading up to the exercise to give us the basic skills to aid
with the sailing, which included another week of sailing in
the Solent.
Crew and Yachts
The eleven crew members included two experienced
skippers, Captain Matt Jarvis and Corporal Stuart Henley The team
and three competent crewmembers, Captain Keith enjoying some
Bullock, Lieutenant Esther Caddy and myself, to sail the pre dive sun
two excellent ‘Hallberg-Rassy’ yachts. The remaining
crew had a range of experience, resulting in a ship full of

experienced seamen. Qualifications Company over the past three years. The expedition was
supported throughout by the Joint Services Adventurous
Weather and Itinerary Those who deployed gained a myriad of dive Training Wing Cyprus. Corporal Joseph Radley and

qualifications, including three British Sub Aqua Club Corporal Daniel Holden earn solid praise for their hard
We experienced a mix of weather conditions, from 20-knot Sports Diver, British Sub Aqua Club Wreck Appreciation work in organising another successful expedition. The

winds to ‘millpond’. Loading up of Pochard IX and Skua IX qualifications, one British Sub Aqua Club Dive Leader expedition took beginner Sub Aqua divers out of their
we left glamorous Gosport and set sail for the high seas Keith Bullock and Stuart Henley on a very qualification and progression to British Sub Aqua Club natural comfort zones and allowed them to learn new

wet morning leaving Buckler’s Hard
of the Solent. Over the course of four days we weighed Advanced Diver. A further three worked towards their skills. It also proved that whilst the Company may be at
anchor at a number of locations on the Isle of Wight and British Sub Aqua Club Dive Leader qualification. readiness, time will be made to facilitate white space.

the mainland, including Cowes, Yarmouth, Lymington, a variety of meals in the small galley kitchens, based on
Buckler’s Hard (Beaulieu), Osborne Bay and Gunwharf diligently created meals plans. Highlights included falling New Skills It is hoped that a planned expedition in 2019 will
Quays (Portsmouth). This included some memorable trips in, getting hideously sunburnt and seasick. Overall the trip be attended by more novice divers and provide the
ashore, notably at Buckler’s Hard where two of the female was thoroughly enjoyed by all and I am sure sparked a Exercise Tiger Shark 18 is a continuation of Sub Aqua opportunity for others to progress further in their
complement caught crabs. Throughout the trip we cooked love of sailing in a number of the crew. training that has been conducted within 160 Provost qualifi cations.

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