August 2014
wire
THE
www.royalsignals.mod.uk
The Magazine of The Royal Corps of Signals
Meet the Corps RSM
WARRANT OFFICER CLASS ONE R J B LUKE ROYAL SIGNALS
CORPS REGIMENTAL SERGEANT MAJOR
Warrant Officer Class One (Corps Regimental Sergeant Major) Luke joined
the Army in October 1991 and completed his basic training at 11 Signal
Regiment in Catterick aged 18. After graduating from 8 Signal Regiment as a
Telecommunication Operator (Radio Relay) he was sent to 1 (United
Kingdom) Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment (Herford).
During this posting he was employed as a crewman and then detachment
commander on various Ptarmigan detachments within 201 Signal Squadron.
In 1994 he completed his first operational tour in West Belfast, Northern
Ireland and was promoted to Lance Corporal. In 1995 he saw operational
experience under the IFOR banner in Bosnia and Former Republic of
Yugoslavia as a Site Commander on a remote communications site.
Successfully completing the Royal Signals Corporals Course and Class One in
trade he was posted to 3 (United Kingdom) Armoured Division Headquarters
and Signal Regiment as a detachment commander within 222 Signal Squadron.
An eight month deployment to BATUS in Canada saw him promoted to
Corporal and subsequently moving to 7 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and
Signal Squadron (207) in Hohne, Germany. Whilst serving with 207 he was
employed as the Troop Corporal and an armoured Radio Relay Detachment
Commander for Bravo Troop. During this tour he enjoyed two successful
deployments to Kosovo to provide communications in support of KFOR and
successfully completed the All Arms Skill at Arms Course.
In 2002 he was promoted to Sergeant and posted to 16 Signal Regiment in
Elmpt where he was employed as a reconnaissance sergeant for 230 Signal
Squadron. In 2005 and after 6 years in Germany he was to return once again to 3 (UK) Div HQ & Sig Regt and 222
Signal Squadron as a reconnaissance sergeant. After 2 years in post and a raft of military courses he was promoted to
Staff Sergeant and moved 222 Signal Squadron to the newly reformed 22 Signal Regiment in Stafford.
After a detachment to the Falkland Islands as the Unit Sergeant Major of Joint Communications Unit Falkland Islands,
he was posted to 11 (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment and assumed the position of Squadron Sergeant Major,
3 (Harrogate) Squadron. In 2011 and following a rewarding and successful assignment, he was assigned to 20
Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200) as the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. During this
time he was deployed on Op HERRICK 15 and provided key life support to Task Force Helmand Headquarters within
Main Operating Base Lashkar Gah. After only 7 months in post he was selected for promotion to Warrant Officer Class
One and then appointed as the Regimental Sergeant Major for 3 (UK) Div HQ & Sig Regt. A highlight of this tour was
to deploy with the Regiment and its personnel on Op HERRICK 18.
After successful selection on the Late Entry Commissioning Board in 2013, WO1 Luke was commissioned on 1 April 2014
and assumed the prestigious position of Corps Regimental Sergeant Major.
WO1 (CRSM) Luke is 39 and is married to Polly. They have three children, Harrison (13), Poppy (8) and Daisy (3
months). A proud Cornishman he enjoys sailing, running, cycling and all things automotive.
The Magazine of the Royal Corps of Signals
AUGUST 2014 Vol. 68 No: 4
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CONTENTS
Page
News from Operations
News from Blandford
News from Training
News from Formations
News from Regiments
News from Squadrons
Other Units
Sport
2
7
11
20
23
82
90
Reunions
Last Post
Obituaries
110
110
111
FRONT COVER
2 (Catterick) Sqn, 11 (RSS) Sig Regt
deploying into Copehill Down village on
Ex CATTERICK CULMINATION
99
August Edition
Exercise CATTERICK CULMINATION
Page 18
Race the Sun
Page 56
RSA Reunion Weekend
Page 102
BACK COVER
The Master with RHC IPs during the RSA
Reunion Weekend
Authors alone are responsible for the
content of their articles. The opinions expressed in the articles of this
publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views, official or otherwise, of the Royal Corps of
Signals or the Ministry of Defence. All articles and submissions are published at the discretion of the Editor.
This publication may contain official information. It should be treated with discretion by the recipient.
THE WIRE, AUGUST
2014by Holbrook Printers Ltd, Norway Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth © Crown Copyright
Printed
1
NEWS FROM OPERATIONS
1st (UNITED KINGDOM) ARMOURED DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT
JOINT FORCE CIS HQ
KABUL COMMUNICATIONS UNIT
COMD
RSM
OC
Col J Hill
WO1 (RSM) Mears
Commander’s Foreword
The Regiment has carried out a successful RiP with 21 Signal
Regiment to make up the bulk of JFCIS(A). The standard of
the handover, at all levels, has been extremely high and I
would like to thank those outgoing soldiers for their efforts
on what was, for many, an extended tour. They have left us
in a strong position to see out the operation effectively.
Meanwhile it is clear that MST and PDT are paying dividends
and that the Regiment has already integrated fully with
soldiers and airmen from other units to form a truly joint
organisation. We remain spread to all corners of the UK
effort in Afghanistan, continuing to support a mix of staff and
force elements on the ground. Austerity is beginning to ‘bite’,
conditions are less comfortable, and the drive to redeploy
means we are managing a less resilient network with slower
response times. There is plenty to do, and the impact of ICS
on operations remains as clear as ever. Our Corps’ reputation
on operations remains high.
Maj N Pryce Jones
Settling In – by Lt Catherine Dawes, KBL ICS Tp OC
Kabul Communications Unit is a fearless band of J6 ninjas
(and officers) working tirelessly to support UK comms across
the chaotic capital. Whilst Bastion packs, the KCU are
preparing for the possibility of enduring points of presence,
supporting infrastructure in areas such as Quarga, dubbed
‘Sandhurst in the Sand’. After an emotional journey delayed
by a total of 6 days, the last troops arrived safely just in time
for the national elections and an earthquake in the Hindu
Kush – both mercifully less eventful than anticipated.
There are four detachments led by four strong characters. HQ
ISAF is headed by SSgt Wayne Topping who, aside from being
the self-proclaimed ‘MOSS God’, navigates his way through
the dozens of starred staff officers on site by spinning dits
about ‘that time in Northern Ireland’. It may be busy, but
there’s ice cream and no stag! Quarga is the choice for the
more adventurous Signaller. Sgt Dolan and his team balance
rapid fault fixing with ranges, sangar casualty drills and living
with Australians. Sgt Hamilton too has had his fair share of
stag duty, sharing his spot with the Boss, Maj Nick PryceJones, and his team of dubious experts and their bright ideas
club- the NOC. Finally, at everyone’s favourite airport stop –
KAIA – lives Sgt Copland and his crew whose will-power is
challenged daily by the choice of Ben and Jerrys at three well
stocked DFACs. Disciplinarian and coord-mastermind SSgt
Tony ‘half a tour’ Richard arrived late after suspected man flu
and has had his working area hazard-taped accordingly!
The outlook is full of unknowns as we watch the drawdown
of Op HERRICK, but fuelled with 48 core fibre, enthusiasm
and ice cream.
We look forward to an interesting and challenging tour.
Watch this space.
Lowering of the 21 Signal Regiment Flag
Sig Cardwell raises the 1ADSR flag over JFCIS(A) HQ
2
The KCU team
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
HELMAND ICS SIGNAL SQUARDON
OC
SSM
Maj A Stannard
WO2 (SSM) Scarcliff
CIS Troop – by LCpl Gardiner, Eng Sect
Following 9 months of STA courses and support to MST
exercises, 1 (UK) ADSR finally deployed to Afghanistan for
HERRICK 20 on 26 May. They suffered a long journey – buses
broke down, ferries were missed and planes diverted. None
the less, they finally got to a position where the Regiment
was ready for the handover from 21 Signal Regiment. The first
tour for the majority, the first week was a steep learning
curve as the crews learned the quirks and common faults of
their networks.
We all look forward to what will be a challenging and dynamic
tour.
draw down was truly in full swing! The next few days were
taken up by the RSOI programme; it was an introduction to
Afghanistan with the latest up to date SOPS and TTPs.
Instead of two days I can sum it up in about two minutes.
The Law of Armed Conflict: “We all have the right to
defend ourselves!”
Padres' Introduction: “We don’t do marriages!”
Local Culture Brief: “No Farting!”
Prisoner Handling: “No Selfies!”
Environmental health: “There are no known cures
for Rabies!”, “Camel Spiders are fast, don’t try and
out run them!”
The second morning was titled ‘Acclimatisation PT’ and
involved a 1.7 mile walk in 30 minutes which doesn’t sound
too much but in 38° humid sunny weather in full PPE: Helmet,
Sunglasses, Gloves and Body Armour people became very
sweaty, very quickly. The rest of the day involved grouping
and zeroing on the 25m range and a few more power points
after which we were finally issued our ‘Op Ammo’ and were
free to roam Camp Bastion and start our HOTOs.
As we begin settling into our new roles we look forward to
working with the variety of different cap badges and
nationalities here in Bastion.
Sig Roberts on the RSOI ranges
The TacCIS team
Op PROMIC – by Sig Pratap Rai
Capt Thorburn nailing two mags through the same hole!
Close Support Troop – by Sig Lee
It was midday at RAF Brize-Norton when we embarked on the
new RAF Voyager Aircraft. Shortly after takeoff lunch was
served in a Tupperware box consisting of braised streak and
vegetables – not bad for Army scoff! After watching a few
straight-to-DVD films, I had a look outside and I was met by a
view I’ve never seen before, it was a vast range of grey and
jagged mountains with rivers.
Due to a minor runway issue 30 minutes away from Bastion,
the plane was then rerouted to the United Arab Emirates
which meant a 2 hour delay and a 10 hour aircraft turnaround
time. Always trying to think of the positives, at least I could
tick off more countries I have visited before I die.
When we finally arrived in Camp Bastion, my first impression
was that the camp seemed somewhat desolate; clearly the
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
As part of the withdrawal of UKFEs from Op HERRICK there is
a requirement to recover all Operational data from
throughout the Theatre AOR. In order to complete this
mandate a team was stood up under the Op PROMIC banner.
On 4 Mar 2014, an eleven man PROMIC team arrived in Camp
Bastion to commence this task. Most of the team were
deploying to Afghanistan for the first time and this was
therefore a new experience for us. We were therefore rather
excited and curious about the new environment but also
looking forward to completing this task which had not been
tackled since the drawdown of UKFEs from Op TELIC. As
expected the hot weather and sandy surroundings were an
environment that we would have to get used to very quickly.
The whole team volunteered for this assignment and were
made up of different trades from varied units throughout the
Corps. We were all looking forward to a successful tour and
were very optimistic from the off.
As soon as we finished RSOI we were allocated a working
area where we set up the PROMIC office and workshop. This
was a baptism of fire for most of us and the first few weeks
gave us some invaluable experience. We were introduced
into the PROMIC requirement by the JFCIS(A) team and for
the first couple of weeks we conducted as much training as
we could to bring us all up to speed. Prior to arriving we did
not fully understand the complexity of the task we were
going to have to deal with but after our initial training we
realised how busy we were going to be. As part of the
3
PROMIC mandate we were tasked with the destruction of
most OpCIS eqpt throughout Theatre. This can be extremely
mundane work but is vital in ensuring that this eqpt does not
fall into the wrong hands. The Team, led by Capt Neil Pollitt,
have been extremely proactive in ensuring that we complete
our designated mandate correctly and faultlessly. The
Engineering Team, made up of varied elements from 16SR,
2SR and 21SR, with Cpl Frank Martinson as the lead engineer,
have been the backbone behind this. The rest of the team,
made up of LCpl Paul Renton, LCpl Will Younger and Sig
Pratap Rai are responsible for all the destruction and data
recovery elements of the Op PROMIC process. LCpl Ryan
Carlyle took on the responsibility of all the crypto recovery
and Sig Penny Pennington and Sig ‘Deano’ O’Hara have led
the PROMIC assurance element, ensuring that all Units are
fully aware of what we do within Theatre. As the Op PROMIC
process is extremely vital for the redeployment of Op
HERRICK operational information assets, we must leave no
stone unturned to ensure that we gather every bit of
information and secure it for future assurance purposes.
Besides being busy in our daily jobs, we have also been
involved in several sporting and military activities. The
PROMIC team have been a key part of all the JFCIS(A) and
HICSSS football and volleyball tournaments that have taken
part over the past 4 months and have proven to be a force to
be reckoned with. The team have also been successful in the
March & Shoot competition, the CLSR 10km road race and the
Bastion Marathon. Capt Pollitt, regardless of being the oldest
in the team still managed to beat all the young PROMIC team
on the 10km road race with a time of 41:14 mins! Recently the
team had the opportunity to visit the Joint Aviation Group
(JAG) where we got the chance to have a close look at the
Apache helicopters and also got some photos taken in the
cockpit. This has been an extremely successful and enjoyable
tour so far in which we have gained a vast wealth of
experience. We look forward to finishing off this tour at the
beginning of September having completed a job well done.
Team PROMIC!
7 ARMOURED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND
SIGNAL SQUADRON (207)
Main Troop – Capt Rich Miller
Brigade Reconnaissance Force - by Cpl Ash Spooner
News From Operations – Capt Rich Miller
Firstly I would like to start by saying congratulations to A/Sgt
‘Viking’ Aanes for getting promoted to Sgt.
A lot has happened over the last few weeks as we draw ever
closer to the arrival of 1 ADSR. The closure of Task Force
Helmand was a significant milestone in our tour and led to a
very busy period for Main Troop. Whilst continuing our
support for TFH in their last two weeks, we also had to
provide a full comms suite to RC(SW) Main and Alt, in
preparation for the re-subordination of UK force elements
(regardless of some interesting weather!)
A Mobile Communications Unit was sited in the RC(SW)
compound (upsetting the Americans, as they no longer had
the tallest mast in RC(SW)) and Cpl Josh Page took his shift to
join Capt Katie Apps over in Leatherneck. As soon as the
RC(SW) shift had settled in, TFH closed down, resulting in us
having to say goodbye to a number of 207 Sig Sqn and of
course, the 7 Bde Staff who we had been working closely
with for 7 months. Sterga 2 was the last outstation to close
with LCpl Stones being one of the last men out.
We still have a number of 207 personnel in a plethora of roles.
Aside from the Operators, Engineers and Electricians of Main
Tp, we also have detached personnel with the Theatre ES
Battalion, Bastion QMs and Joint Force Support. Recently Cpl
Ubi Rai completed a very successful tour as the S6 mentor in
Shorabak with the ANA. But now we find ourselves with days
to push, and some of our replacements are already part of
the way through the RSOI sausage machine. Despite a long 9
month tour for many, our sense of humor has been retained.
A great deal has been achieved and I believe all 7ABSS Troops
can be very happy with the contribution they have made to
the Op HERRICK 19 effort.
4
Since our last set of wire notes the winter has been and gone
and therefore we are now experiencing the crops and poppy
growing at a rapid rate which has sometimes hampered Ops
slightly, as one week the crops were knee height then the
next week at head height.
Operation tempo has remained at a steady pace for the last
couple of months; our commitments within the BRF have
contained handover to Herrick 20 and preparing for the
closure of ISAF forces and logistics in BSN. We have also been
tasked as a unit to train and execute Vehicle Interdict
Operations to handover to the QDG in June. This has included
planning, training and proving that we have the skill and
resources to complete the task. Our biggest challenge is
BRF HAF Infill
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
About five minutes before the “brownout”
getting our skills and drills slick in the short period that we
have been given to train in.
Sgt ‘Viking’ Aanes in action
We have now moved into transit accommodation which was
seen as a start to the end. Our replacements are finally on the
way, which I’m sure will be welcomed with open arms. After
the 6 days mandatory RSOI we will start the handover. Once
the accounts are handed over we will take them on “on the
ground” for a hand over Op then it's big smiles all the way
to Cyprus and finally home. After being away from our loved
ones for 9 Months, POL is going to be VERY welcomed.
communications support to the Manoeuvre Battle Group.
Significant efforts were placed on the remaining FOBs and
getting them closed and return all personnel and equipment
to BSN safely. This gave Cpl Bri ‘The Black Viking’ Woods
adequate time to improve his already immaculate tan while
providing Bowman support to BGHQ, not to mention 10 days
of sandstorms and bad weather along the way. Instrumental
to the mission’s success, he returned to BSN with the Danish
Tank Platoon to a heroes welcome by the entire Danish
contingent here in Camp Bastion waving miniature Danish
flags and even showing off the reason most men like
Denmark. A fitting farewell for the Danes as they bid the
Afghan deserts farewell, and soon Afghanistan as a whole.
Meanwhile back in the luxury of his sub zero, well air
conditioned tent with fitted bed, not a camp cot like the rest
of us, Sgt Matt ‘Joneys Jr’ Baker resides. Together with the
rest of the HQ staff, holding the fort back in BGHQ on watch
keeper duties. Occasionally he gets up to fill the radios and
even manages to change the Bowman fills. There are some
malicious rumours of him changing the RRB legs and also
some dodgy typing skills on T-Chat, however these have not
been verified. In between his various man dates and leisurely
PT sessions, watching “Breaking Bad” on his iPad while
cycling, Sgt Baker has indeed found the time to be at work
and pull off some rather short 12 hours shifts. With such a
rushed schedule, he still finds time to be the palest man to sit
in the sun for hours everyday.
The HOTO period is soon upon us and with signs of 20 Bde
flashes walking around, it’s even more obvious it’s almost
home time. Sgt Baker makes it his mission to reinforce his
troops (just one) that the end is near and to keep going.
Main Troop FRT – by LCpl Ramsahye
Another exciting month on OP Herrick has passed and we find
ourselves only 4 weeks away from the end of tour. April was
yet another busy month for the FRT with over 1500 pieces of
Bowman kit passing through our workshop.
The BRF Elite J6 Team
Manoeuvre Battle Group RLD – by Cpl Woods
As we draw close to the end of our tour, there is still some
work to be done for the RLDs, as we continue to provide
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
A/Cpl ‘Face time’ Bryan began the month by organising a BBQ
to say farewell to those members of 207 that would be
leaving us and also to help bring HICSS and TACCIS together
outside of work. This was a very successful event and a good
time was had by all.
We now say goodbye to A/Cpl Bryan amongst others and the
FRT finds itself down to 4 techs with most of us now
concentrating on handover/takeover in preparation for our
replacements arriving at the end of May.
5
With 4 weeks to go all eyes are focussed on making the most
of the 35 degree plus weather and are getting in some good
tanning practice for Cyprus.
MVR BG RLS – by LCpl McDermott and LCpl McLoughlin
After the closure of TFH in April, Cpl Hunt, LCpl ‘Gaz’
McDermott and LCpl ‘Paddy’ Mcloughlin moved across to
take up residence with Manoeuvre Battle Group. Working
under the guidance of 4 Scots has been an extremely
enjoyable experience. It’s been great to have a new challenge
and work with some new faces. The 4 Scots guys have been
great to work with, always up for a laugh and plenty of banter
to boot!
LCpl McDermott took up a
new role as Military Line
Manager over a team of five
LECs, employing them on
various taskings required by
the QM. LCpl McLoughlin
continued his role providing
RLS support to the battle
group and keeping a
watchful eye over all the
happenings within the Battle
Group's accommodation. Cpl
Hunt took over as Fleet
Manager, a pretty hard core
tasking, but knowing Cpl
‘MTB’ Hunt as I do, he is
more than capable of
providing exactly what is
required.
Following them hotly out of Theatre 24 hours later is Sig
Rabar and myself. We have enjoyed our time with the
Company and have forged some long lasting friendships
which we hope to make use of again whether on exercise or
on operations, or hopefully in the bars of Tallinn!
Sterga 2 – by LCpl Stones
The last FOB in Helmand “OP Sterga 2” was situated 18km
south east of Camp Bastion. One of the main roles of the
base was to provide ISTAR coverage to allow other bases to
draw down and provide over watch for the voting in the
Afghan elections. The base was equipped with green eyes
and a ‘PTDS balloon’. The base also had two Rebro’s set up in
the MDOR; one for the ‘Manoeuvre Battle Group’ command
net and another for the ‘UK FE’ command net which was used
by the ‘Brigade Advisory Team.
After the voting finished in early April the effort to close the
final Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan began. There
were only around four weeks to have the base closed by the
scheduled date of May 12 and over the following three weeks
life in Sterga 2 became more basic. It began with flooring,
furniture, the welfare tent and lighting/power in the tents
being removed. Soon after the tents themselves, running
water, the cookhouse and gym were all gone. In an
Operational sense, changes in these three weeks were very
limited. The only real change over this time was that the
Med-Centre was removed and was now simply a Mastiff.
Sig Guy pretending he knows
what to do with a FEPS
Over the past 6 weeks we
have made some good
mates, with the promise of many a night out in Fallingbostel
awaiting us once HERRICK 19 has concluded where no doubt
the banter will reach epic levels!
EST Coy – by Cpl French and Sig Rabar
On 9 May we saw the Estonian Company, 16 Scouts Battalion
leave Theatre, bringing an end to their Operations as a Force
Element role in Afghanistan. They finished with a lowering of
the flag ceremony and a VIP visit from RCSW members and
their own Chief of Defence in attendance.
Herrick 19 has been very successful for the Company playing a
major role in the BRACT process of handing over MOB Price
and various American PBs and FOBs in the Sangin area. I
know their contribution has been highly valued by 4 Scots, of
105mm gun leaving Sturga 2
6
whom they fall under in the Manoeuvre Battle Group.
Thankfully no serious casualties were sustained while on Ops.
With around one week remaining everyone in Sterga 2 was
living out of their day sacks and under our ponchos. All nonessential equipment had already been sent back to Bastion.
In the final five days the alternative Ops Room was set up and
MMS was now used for our VOIP phone and e-mail means.
The base's MCU was lowered and the Kestrel and green eyes
feeds were removed. The base's "105mm light gun" and
MAMBA (Mobile Artillery and Mortar Based Radar) detection
vehicle were also removed. The PTDS' balloon was also
lowered and packed away, though two base ISTAR cameras
remained.
On May 10 the MDOR and alternative Ops Room were torn
down and packed away. The only communications that
remained were VHF and Tac-Sat from a Husky. Later that day
the last flights and the CLP arrived at ‘Sterga 2’ and the
remaining men and equipment were taken back to Bastion.
The last remaining British ‘Forward Operating Base’ in
Afghanistan was now closed.
Helmand river looking from the East wall
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
NEWS FROM BLANDFORD
HEADQUARTERS ROYAL SIGNALS
THINKING OF COMMISSIONING FROM THE RANKS?
HQ R SIGNALS will be running an Officer Selection Board 20-24 October 2014 in Blandford. All applicants must be recommended by
their Chain of Command.
The opportunity to commission from the ranks is open to all soldiers who are eligible and are recommended as having the potential
to become an officer.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or over and normally no older than 28 years and 6 months in order to ensure attendance at
Sandhurst before their 29th birthday.
Serving soldiers will be required to meet the minimum standard of 5 GCSE passes or equivalent in 5 subjects, including English
Language and Maths at Grade C (or above) or SNVQ 2 or GNVQ (incorporating Key Skills) at intermediate level.
The OSB will assess the soldier’s potential for commissioning into the Army, rather than just R SIGNALS. All soldiers will be
assessed in a similar manner using the following methods:
(1) Command Tasks. (5) Presentations. (2) Interview. (6) Planning Exercise. (3) Essay. (7) General Knowledge. (4) Group Discussion.
(8) Physical.
For further information please see Policy Directive 23 or contact Vikki Carpenter on 94371 2957.
CIS TRIALS AND DEVELOPMENT UNIT
Charge ECM System Upgrade Trial - by LCpl Longman
It has been a busy period for the members of Trials Troop
with various trials happening back to back. On Sunday 6 April
the members of 543 ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) team
consisting of SSgt Dave Nix, Cpl Geordie Allen, LCpl Alex
Reid, Sig Claire West and LCpl
Mikey Longman, plus a couple of
scientists from DSTL, set off for
another week of trials on Pershore
Airfield.
use, such as the standing and kneeling. Due to the fact we
were on an uneven, gravelly, concrete surface we found from
previous trials that even with knee and elbow pads the
surface soon took its toll due to the numerous times we had
to change positions. Luckily for us, someone came up with
the genius idea of bringing old PT foam mats from the gym
which worked a treat for the rest
of the trial!
The journey got off to a shaky start
with the SatNav almost taking the
7.5 tonne DAF down some
extremely skinny streets, but
luckily due to the author’s ‘tekkers’
driving skills the team managed to
find an alternative route despite
the constant nagging of the SatNav
to ‘Do a U turn’. Eventually LCpl
Longman and Sig Claire West
arrived at the accommodation and
met up with the rest of the team
and a very smug Cpl Geordie Allen,
who for the remainder of the trial
kept gloating about the Jacuzzi
bath in his room.
With Charge ECM being a man pack
piece of equipment, it meant that
we had to trial it in the positions
that it could find itself in when in
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Sig West on ECM Trial
We weren’t the only ones to be
using the airfield that week as
LCpl Reid found out! We were
also joined by around 8 fully
marked police fast response
vehicles who were practising
their drills and manoeuvres at
high speed. It seemed that LCpl
Reid had forgotten his glasses
that day because he didn’t notice
the 8 loud, bright police cars
heading towards him, causing
them to abandon their
manoeuvre half way through and
drive over to us. We were hoping
LCpl Reid was going to be
arrested but there was no such
luck!
During the Trial we managed to
achieve some good results using
Charge ECM, so overall a very
successful trial.
7
Bowman VHF Data Upgrade Experimentation - by Sig Lee
The VHF Data Upgrade evaluation was conducted between 24
February and 14 March 2014, although preparation had started
many months previously. The aim of the event was to
evaluate upcoming upgrades to the Bowman VHF Data
Service to address performance aspects as part of the general
BCIP 5.5 upgrade. This included an improvement in situational
awareness consistency within a VHF network with various
configurations of situational awareness being experimented
with by Trials Troop.
The trial ran without a hitch, except for the odd Bowman plan
failing, with great organisation from the trial leader and
seniors involved. The trial would not have been successful
without support from RAAT troops taken mainly from units
within 3(UK) Division; they provided vital manning and
vehicles, which enabled us to complete the evaluation. Using
the upgraded software, we achieved the results necessary for
our Bowman data services to be improved in various ways
and improve the overall situation awareness of commanders.
Shortly after 0900 we arrived at Hyde Park Barracks just in
time to see the guard mount inspection. After being shown
our accommodation we headed out onto the streets in search
of the underground. We headed to Westminster and the
Jewel Tower for our first visit of the day. On arrival we
received an informative talk about the history of the building
and its architecture. This is where imperial measurements
such as the pint were stored securely. We then made our way
over to The Houses of Parliament and were given an exclusive
guided tour up to the summit of the Queen Elizabeth Tower
and Big Ben. We had to climb 334 stairs to witness Big Ben
and see how the clock mechanisms worked. We then climbed
even further up to listen to the world famous Westminster
chimes. Once we had descended from the top of Big Ben, we
headed over to the MoD Main building where we were given
another guided tour, this time into the Henry VIII Wine Cellar
where we also took in some lunch. A look around the rest of
the building followed, including a sneaky little look into a
serving Ministers office!
Project VIRTUS - by LCpl McColl
On 28 April 2014 CIS TDU began trialling Project VIRTUS. This
trial was designed to test potential new solutions to Personal
Load Carrying Equipement (PLCE) which includes bergans, day
sacks, body armour, helmets and all other types of PPE used
in operational theatres. The main tests were donning, doffing
and overall performance (weight, comfort) whilst performing
tasks such as setting up and tearing down of detachments as
well as entering, exiting and driving vehicles.
There were 4 different variants of kit to be trialled, each with
their own individual styles. The layout of the 2 week trial was
split into 3 parts consisting of Bowman trial, Falcon trial and
Seer trial. For the duration of the different trials we had
attachments from 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare),
LCpl Harrison and LCpl Coats, who brought their own Seer
equipment to aid us in trialling the different variants. We also
had attachments from 11 Signal Regiment Falcon Troop under
Cpl Fearnie, who were tasked to set up a Falcon detachment
whilst wearing each individual variant of VIRTUS equipment.
We started by donning the first set of equipment and driving
out to various locations whilst monitoring how comfortable
and flexible the equipment was to drive in a Land Rover FFR.
We then proceeded to set up a Bowman detachment
including cam net, tent and mast in order to observe the
previously described factors. After tearing down the
detachment and returning to base location we then filled in a
survey expressing our opinions.
In the second week we were joined by the 14 Sig Regt (EW)
Seer detachment who set off on foot patrols and simulating
coming under enemy contact with the bergans packed as they
would be as part of a LEWT detachment.
Maj Hill, LCpl McColl, Sig Keating, Sig West, LCpl Longman, Cpl
Venables, LCpl Hughes, WO2(YofS) Webster and Sgt Lamkin at
the Jewel Tower, London
Once our tours had finished we headed back to Hyde Park
Barracks to be shown all the Regiment’s current dress
uniform for ceremonial duties. On this tour we learnt that 2.5
kilograms of bees wax is used on each boot to make it shine.
We were shown the Regiments solid silver marching drums
that were presented to them by King George III in 1805.
After a quick change parade we made our way via dinner, to
The Top Secret Comedy Club. After seeing the stand up acts
we started heading back to camp when we stumbled upon
Joel Dommett from Impractical Jokers, where a quick photo
with him had to be taken.
All in all, a very good and informative trip was had by the
Troop. Trials Troop would like to thank WO2 (YofS) Chris
Webster for an excellent day out and a break from trials.
The final 3 days of the trial consisted of testing the variants
whilst setting up a Falcon detachment mirroring the Bowman
set ups but on a larger scale. Overall, we successfully trialled
the different types of equipment that would be suitable for
introduction into specialist roles. It was good to see the
different types of new kit being designed and to be given the
opportunity to give feedback on what we thought.
Exercise LONDON TRIAL - by Sig Keating
On 14 May 2014, CIS TDU travelled to London to visit various
iconic British landmarks and learn a little about how the MoD
and Houses of Parliament interact. As timings were critical
we had to set off at 0600 hrs to avoid getting stuck in the
London traffic.
8
CIS TDU climb the Queen Elizabeth Tower to see Big Ben
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team are recruiting
Open to all Regular and Reserve Royal Signals personnel and QGS
No previous motorbike experience necessary
Must be MFD and a Class 2
THE NEXT SELECTION BOARD IS
16 SEPTEMBER 2014
For further information see PD 159
or contact D Soldiers at HQ R SIGNALS on 94371 2957
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
9
HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO REPRESENT
THE CORPS AROUND THE UK?
The R SIGNALS need bright, enthusiastic individuals to join their recruiters all across the UK. Here are the types of
recruiting posts available to Royal Signals soldiers:
Corps Recruiting Team (CRT): Based in HQ R Signals, Blandford Camp. This team visit various schools, college
career fairs and events throughout the country to promote and raise awareness of the career opportunities within the
Royal Corps of Signals. They also support AT exercises overseas.
Outreach Team (O/T): These teams are multi cap badged and undertake a range of activities with potential recruits
such as Insight Courses, visits to schools and colleges, Career Fairs and Personal Development Activity Days.
Army Career Centre (ACC): ACCs are located in towns across the UK. Their primary function is to advise potential
recruits about the best career for them within the Army. These recruiters also have responsibilities to recruit for the
Corps.
National Recruiting Centre (NRC) Upavon: This individual is responsible for ensuring potential recruits move through
the recruiting process effectively. This is an office based role working alongside all cap badges and our civilian
partners.
Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team (RSMDT): Known as The White Helmets and are based in Blandford Camp.
The team are known all over the world for their exciting, well planned and executed motorcycle displays. The RSMDT
perform at various military and community engagement events and contribute to the Corps overall recruiting effort.
No motorcycle experience required. The team are likely to show in SWEDEN next year and USA in 2016.
Below is a list of the posts available over the coming 12 months:
LOCATION
CRT Blandford
RANK
DATE REQUIRED
2 x Sig
January 2015
Cpl
June 2015
O/T Wethersfield
Sgt
March 2015
O/T Inverness
LCpl
May 2015
O/T Aldershot
LCpl
March 2015
O/T Exeter
LCpl
2 x Sig
May 2015
O/T York
2 x Sig
June 2015
O/T Preston
Sig
April 2015
O/T Glasgow
Sig
August 2015
O/T Chilwell
Sig
April 2015
O/T Stafford
Sig
August 2015
O/T Woolwich
2 x Sig
Jan, May 2015
O/T Brecon
2 x Sig
May, July 2015
ACC Chatham
Cpl
January 2015
ACC Bournemouth
Cpl
March 2015
ACC Chelmsford
Cpl
June 2015
NRC Upavon
LCpl
November 2015
RSMDT
8 x Sig - Cpl
January 2015
HQ R SIGNALS will be running a PD18 selection board in Blandford on 16 September 2014 to select for the posts above.
Further information can be obtained from your CoC, Policy Directive 18, Policy Directive 159 (for RSMDT) or by
contacting Vikki Carpenter on 94371 2957.
10
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
NEWS FROM TRAINING
B SQUADRON
Army training REGIMENT
WINCHESTER
OC
SSM
Maj Elizabeth Roberts
WO2 (SSM) Whitmore
The Phase One training machine has continued at a pace since
the last submission, over 300 Recruits having passed out onto
Phase 2 training; a privileged 25 of whom are heading to
sunny Blandford to join our illustrious Corps. The Regiment
recently had the privilege of the Corps Colonel presiding over
a pass off parade which was commanded by the Officer
Commanding B Squadron, Maj Elizabeth Roberts. The Colonel
was impressed by the turnout and standard of drill of the
recruits and permanent staff. Following the parade, he met
the various prize winners before retiring to the Officers’ Mess
for the commissioning lunch.
The latest turn of the posting handle has seen a number of
comings and goings on the officer front. Capt Elizabeth
Eldridge has joined us from 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic
Warfare) after returning from Op HERRICK 19. Capt Will
Easton is heading in the opposite direction to take up post as
Officer Commanding Signals Wing at the Afghan National
Army Officer Academy in Kabul. We are confident the cadets
will benefit greatly from his eccentricity and extensive
exercise experience in Kenya. Joking aside, we hope he has a
rewarding tour and we look forward to his safe return in eight
months time.
At the other side of the spectrum, Capts Barry Rowson and
John Triddon are heading to pastures new in 1 (UK) Civ Div.
The Officers’ Mess has been considerably quieter since their
departures, John’s (a closet Alan Titmarsh) project garden is
now resembling a scene from the Sahara and an admin vortex
long suspected to be Barry’s has disappeared from A
Squadron HQ. We wish them both the best with their new
careers and hope to see them around London sometime
soon. We have also seen the departure of Cpl Bolding, who
returned to 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) on
promotion to Sergeant.
Members of the Corps have made a valued contribution to
the Regiment’s sporting success, most notably WO2 Murphy,
Sgt Carter and Cpls Brereton, Rabbett and Bolding who have
featured heavily for the Regimental football team, the recent
winners of the Minor Units Southern Cup. This author has
competed for the Regiment in several Army Triathlon events
and finished first in the Regiment’s Inter-Sqn Off Road
Triathlon. Cpl Brereton has raced for the Regimental team in
the Rat Race 20 miler, which as the name suggests covered a
distance of 20 miles and crossing numerous obstacles - a
gruelling feat which he completed in a time of just over 4hrs.
Finally a mixed cap badge team headed up to York to take
part in Race the Sun - more to follow on that shortly.
Over the next couple of months we look forward to a
battlefield tour to Portugal (it had originally been scheduled
to be a staff ride to the Crimea, until recent events forced
something of a re-think) to follow the Peninsular Campaign.
There is also an Adventure Training expedition heading out to
California in September, which will comprise of trekking in the
Yosemite National Park followed by Mountain Biking in the
Cottonwood Valley.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
ATR Winchester Football Season 2013/14 – by Cpl Brereton
We started off with a few pre-season fixtures to acquire
interest and see if the Regiment would be capable of fielding
a strong side on a regular basis. The tempo of Phase 1
training, with each training Sqn being on a different
programme makes this particularly challenging. Each player
would have to commit their own time to training with very
little opportunity being available during working hours. Pre
season kicked off with a tour to Belgium, the purpose of this
was to instil team cohesion and rally interest in the team. It
consisted of 3 games against opposing sides FC Bergan, SC
Ommerod and VFM Ouddorp. All three teams were tough
and well organised, proving very difficult to break down. The
Corps was represented by Cpl ‘Cat’ Brereton and Sgt ‘Leg
Breaker’ Carter. The outcome of the tour: won one, drew
one and lost one. It was considered a success and triggered
further interest in the team.
The team started the season with a squad of over 20 players,
it was decided the main effort for the team was the Minor
Unit’s Southern Cup, using the league fixtures to trial tactics
and team rotation. The team played against RMAS, 25 Trg
Regt, 17 P&M RLC, 11 Trg Bat REME and 1 Gren Guards,
finishing comfortably in second place. Sgt Boyle, Cpl
‘Hamstring’ Bold, Cpl ‘Cat’ Brereton and WO2 Mike Murphy
were regulars in the team throughout the season. With the
League taking the back burner to the Minor Unit's Southern
Cup, the team pushed hard during midweek games.
Playing hard and working together the team found
themselves in the final of the Cup against the holders, 1 RTR.
Taking to the field to represent the Corps for ATR Winchester
were Cpl Brereton, Cpl Bold, Sgt Boyle and WO2 Murphy - all
of whom had major parts to play in the game ahead. We
came out on top with both teams throwing everything they
had at each other. The referee blew the final whistle and ATR
Winchester were crowned the Minor Unit Champions. A great
achievement which the team will look to build upon ahead of
their title defence next season.
Race the Sun – by Sgt Callaghan
On Tuesday 28 May 2014 a group of keen volunteers from ATR
Winchester, led by the ever enthusiastic Cpl Ewan Portwain,
met at the Gymnasium for a motivational speech by the team
captain. They then embarked on the five hour drive to York
to take part in this year’s Race the Sun competition.
It was to be an early start for most competitors as the event
began with a Kayak event that left Cpl ‘Tommo’ Thomas with
numb arms after an hour and a half of paddling. The next leg
was a 12km River Run undertaken by Cpl ‘Riz’ Rizvi who
managed to drag himself out of Monday night’s disco gear to
put in a solid performance.
A few events on, the team were going strong and up stepped
Cpl ‘Noodles’ Hodskinson to put in an excellent performance
and finish first on the moor run, clawing back some valuable
time. Leg 7 was the gruelling Half Marathon, Cpl Hannah
Whittingham blitzed the hilly course in an impressive one
hour and thirty nine minutes.
11
By leg 9 We were in a strong position and it was the turn of
Cpl Sian Peters to put in another sterling performance on the
fell run, making up even more time. There had been much
nervous anticipation for leg 10 as Sgt ‘Boydy’ Boyd of ATR
Winchester Gymnasium was doing the orienteering. Although
he struggles to navigate to the camp gates most mornings, he
managed to blag his way round the course by latching onto
the team ahead, gaining all the stamps required in a very
respectable time.
The race was coming to an end. Two strong individual
performances from LCpl Hannah Tomes in the open water
swim and Cpl Nick Northall in the bike-run events, saw the
team in strong standing in the overall positions.
The event finished with a stretcher race around Imphal
Barracks and although all competitors on ATR Winchester's
stretcher already had at least one event under their belts,
they finished in fourth place securing our place as runners up
in Race the Sun 2014. Well done team.
Rat Race The Dirty Weekender, Burghley House 10 MAY 14
– by Cpl Brereton
Ten members of permanent staff volunteered to put their
bodies on the line and complete the 20 mile assault course
including 200 obstacles in the grounds of 16th century
Elizabethan Burghley House in Lincolnshire. The group set off
for the Rat Race at 0540 on the morning of the event, the
journey took a little over 4 hours until they arrived in the
grounds and started to absorb the atmosphere of the longest
obstacle course in the world.
Moving to registration the team could see other competitors
making their way through the gruelling course. Being
warmed up by civilians in morph suits it was all the guys could
do not to laugh at guys wearing tight PTI shirts in the crowd.
The team set off at a good pace passing people with ease.
Problems started half way through after completing a water
obstacle and then standing at a bottle neck for 25 minutes.
The team soon started to tighten up and lose muscle power.
With people lining the tracks being stretchered off and pulling
up with cramp, the ATR Winchester team powered through,
passing check point after check point. Contending with
obstacles such as 200m monkey bars, 100m lake swim, 10m
high dive, hay bale pyramids, hill reps and water slide, the
team went through several dark moments along the way.
They fought through, staying together all the way. Upon
reaching the 18 mile point they hit a wall, legs were seizing
and arms were like concrete; the team had to dig deep to find
the energy just to carry on. As the hours passed all the team
could think about was the burger awaiting at the finish point.
The last obstacle came and the team soon clambered over the
three 12 foot walls. The finish line was there and the team
were together, a great result. Whilst exchanging timing chips
for medals, the guys found themselves auto piloted into the
beer tent for a well deserved cold one.
11th (ROYAL SCHOOL OF SIGNALS)
SIGNAL REGIMENT
BLANDFORD
CO
RSM
Lt Col M C Brookes
WO1 (RSM) C Hoggard
2 (CATTERICK) SQUADRON
OC SSM
Maj G Wills
WO2 (SSM) Umney
2 (Catterick) Squadron Brewery Trip 12 Jun 14
On Thursday 12 June members of 2 Sqn took part in a tour of
the Badger Brewery in Blandford, the tour was organised
primarily as a leaving function to say goodbye to Sgt Steve
Sanders on completion of 22 years service and Cpl Tony
Crawford on posting to 2 Sig Regt.
It turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. It was also
educational with SSgt (YofS) Chris Brown finding out that
Fosters lager was not the only alcoholic drink in existence. It
was also discovered that we, as a Sqn with the proper use of
Sqn funds could begin to brew our own ale at a small cost,
with the Chief Instructor, Capt Gethin Thomas, especially
keen on having this introduced into his own training plan.
And so it was on to the speeches with the task of summing up
Sgt Sanders’ 22 years in the Army falling to WO1 Ian Wells, a
seemingly impossible task with Sgt Sanders being so
apparently squeaky clean, but if you dig deep enough you will
always find dirt. With Mr Wells in full swing I think everyone
was surprised to hear of Sgt Sanders’ multiple
misdemeanours including some stints in MCTC. My personal
highlight however was hearing that on his first day in his first
unit he was sent to the gym to collect a menstrual cycle and
duly endeavoured to complete his task!
12
Sgt Sanders will be a sad loss to all who worked with him
throughout his career, a genuinely nice guy who would give
up his own time without question to help anyone. Good luck
in the future Steve from all in 2 Sqn.
3 (HARROGATE) SQUADRON
OC SSM
Maj R Jacques
WO2 (SSM) Kemp
SHQ Notes – by SSgt Chivers
With the new OC Sqn having settled in, 3 Sqn SHQ took the
opportunity to conduct a team building activity, walking along
the beautiful Jurassic Coast. The sun was shining and the
views were incredible as we walked from Lulworth Cove
along the coastline to Durdle Door. A quick photo stop was
taken before taking the short cut across from Scratchy
Bottom (it is really called that) to traverse the more rural
SHQ Living the Dream
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
scenery back to Lulworth Cove for a spot of lunch. It was all
over too soon as work commitments beckoned, but a good
day was had by all. I think Andy Fulton’s dogs were glad to
get out of the sunshine and have a rest following all that
exercise!
Military Support Section – by Sgt Slade
It has been a particularly busy month for Military Support
Section both in and out of work. Over the last five weeks the
section has been employed on Ex AQUILA STAR, Ex RISING
STAR, Ex KEY DEVELOPMENT 4 and attending a Microsoft
Exchange 2010 course. In addition, there has also been a
complete redesign and rebuild of the Network Infrastructure
at Piddlehinton Camp. Members of the team are also active
supporting weekend MATT training for the Regiment.
It hasn’t been ‘all work and no play’ as members of the
section have been able to participate in sporting activities,
such as Inter Corp Hockey and Race the Sun as well as charity
events for Rally for Heroes.
On a final note, many congratulations go to Sgt Smith on
becoming a father.
Engineer Graduations – by Sgt ‘Razor’ Gillett
The Regimental graduation on 30 May 14 saw OC 3 Sqn, Maj
Jacques present CEUR 13/003 with their certificates for
completing their Class 1 CS Engineer course. Well done to
LCpl Bipendra Gurung who received the Top Student award.
A farewell also goes to CEBR 13/002 from Battleaxe Tp and
CEBR 13/003 from Lightning Tp. With both courses
successfully completed, Sig Easter and Sig Morgan
respectively were awarded the Top Student awards which
was thoroughly deserved. CEBR 13/002’s graduation will be
remembered for Sig Chidgey’s drill where he tick-tocked up to
the OC Sqn. CEBR 13/003’s graduation will be remembered
for the shock on students' faces as Sig Morgan was
announced as a great hockey player. Both courses are posted
across the wider Corps community and have received a firm
foundation to their future careers.
Recent arrivals include, CEBR 14-001, CEBR 14-002 and the
Phase 3 soldiers returning to Blandford on CEUR 14-001.
BATTLEAXE TROOP
OC SSgt Capt Kedar Rai
SSgt Gerard
Phase 2 Soldiers Volunteer for a Charity Event
- by Sig Dulson, CEBR 13/010
On Saturday 7 June 2014 a total of seven Phase 2 soldiers, led
by Capt Kedar Rai, took part in a charity event in support of
Filling bags n’ raising cash
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Sig Morgan: “Show me the money”
‘Help for Heroes’. The purpose of the event was to raise
awareness of the organisation whilst raising money for the
charity. We took a great pride in representing such a
worthwhile charity. Not only did we collect money on the
door of the Tesco supermarket in Bournemouth, we also
helped the public pack their shopping. We managed to
collect a total of £763.00 for the charity.
All agreed that the experience was both fulfilling and
rewarding, knowing that the public gave such a huge amount
of money in such a short period of time. Some of us willingly
volunteered for the following day on Sunday 8 June to collect
money in the same manner. The event was led by Debbie
Hogg, who has been the co-ordinator for Help for Heroes in
Dorset. We would like to thank her for letting us participate
in such a meaningful event.
Exercise HARROGATE RUNNER - by Sig Moya
A thirteen-and-a-bit mile run in the New Forest promised to be
a little different from what you might expect from a normal
Sunday exercise. It might be physically tiring, but it would
also be an easily recognisable milestone to brag about and
feel proud of. Of course, after a season of rain, flooding, and
chilly grey skies, we expected our half marathon, Exercise
HARROGATE RUNNER, to be a cold and muddy affair.
The sun rose, however, warm and encouraging. There were
no rainclouds and the wind was hardly stronger than a cool
breeze. By the time we all met in the museum car park to
confirm who was able to run and who had disappeared with a
last minute alibi, we were more worried about sunburn than
wind chill. Most of the exercise’s participants had never
attempted running such a distance. Attitudes were a mix of
anticipation and apprehension. The half marathon veterans
amongst us took this opportunity to reassure the less
experienced runners… by wildly exaggerating accounts of
fatigue and muscle soreness, or by suggesting the local
hospital as a post-exercise rendezvous point.
When we arrived at Brockenhurst College, the admin venue,
the weather felt more like May than March. We picked up our
race numbers, eyed the t-shirts and goodie bags that would
go to race finishers, and tried to find unoccupied toilets or
port-a-loos, before following the human herd that was making
its way to the start line. We gathered in a loose huddle near
the starting line, speculating on our personal performances to
come. A few seconds later, the starting gun went off and we
were soon separated by our individual efforts. “There go the
lunatics,” someone shouted as the keen runners among us
headed off to fill gaps closer to the front.
13
It took a few miles for everyone to set their paces and find
the speeds they could endure over the distance to come. The
route was reputed to be fairly flat, but we were running over
small hills and uneven ground right from the off. The worst of
the inclines was not so bad, and there were more flat sections
than slopes.
There were water stations (complete with tubs of free jelly
babies) every three or four miles. These were greatly
appreciated as the weather warmed towards midday and
showed no signs of cooling down as the afternoon
approached. Some of the marshalling was performed by
Army cadets under the direction of a captain bearing a Royal
Signals TRF. Runners were met with encouragement from
every marshal they ran past and the inspiration really helped
drive us on through the walls of fatigue to come. There were
also horses and ponies standing in nearby fields and woods,
but they seemed largely uninterested in the race and not one
of them clapped or cheered.
Part of the run had been re-routed to avoid particularly deep
puddles. As it was our first time on the course, this made
little difference to us as we were not familiar with the old
route. That was, however, until the finish was “just around
the next corner” for the sixth corner in a row. Some mix-up
with measurements meant that the mileage markers had
been placed too close together earlier on. As a result, we had
to make up the remaining distance at the end of the race.
What was intended to be a hundred-metre sprint turned out
to be a half-mile gallop to the finish.
Finally, with equal parts elation and relief on our salt-stained
faces, we limped with the other sore-legged runners back to
the administration venue. Everyone had taken something
positive away from the event and we had raised £425 for
Oakhaven Hospice Trust. Those who were familiar with the
distance had improved on their best time, and those who had
never attempted a half marathon had seen that it was far
from impossible – something to be tried again, and a good
measure of mental and physical stamina. Finally, as we were
stretching off our gradually-stiffening legs in the car park, the
event was concluded by a mildly concerned voice saying, “I
think I’ve got a PFA in the morning…”
In Ulster Troop, the Section Commanders’ were nominated a
team to mentor and the responsibility fell to us to get the
section ready for the event as we saw fit. There were some
common lessons provided for all, to revise basic skills, but it
was clear that the performance of the section was going to
reflect a lot on the Sect Comd. Most members of my section
responded by showing really good leadership and high
potential to be leaders in the future, although the effort
overall was second to none. Such events should encourage
the Phase 2 trainees and other members of Regiment to
participate and show their potential.
The event itself took place over what seemed to be a very
long Saturday, and the sun decided to make an appearance
just as we donned our CBRN gear. It then beat down on us
throughout the obstacle course stand, and seemed to get
hotter during the rapid replenishment phase. The bayonet
stand was our last stand, and they had managed to get
together a very good battle effects package, which really
helped when crawling through the trench. The benefit of
doing it last was that the mud had mostly dried out, whereas
some of the other sections had to spend the whole day caked
in the stuff.
It seemed to me that all soldiers across the board were
putting a huge amount of effort into the day, and my section
was rewarded in the end, as we won the Best Section award.
We only dropped three points over the whole day; however,
the section that we beat into second place was only one point
behind us. It is clear that there were plenty of people
performing to a high level.
Gordon’s Cup - Best Section
4 (MILITARY TRAINING) SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj E Mortimore
WO2 (SSM) B Sherwin
Welcomes and Farewells
The exhausted but happy runners
ULSTER TROOP
OC
SSgt Lt McGraw
SSgt McCreadie
Gordon’s Cup - by Cpl Rai
The 9 separate stands that formed this event were
comprehensive and well planned. It has tested a number of
aspects needed to succeed on the battlefield including
leadership, physical endurance and determination.
14
The Squadron has seen plenty of changes in personalities in
the past few weeks. Firstly we welcome our new members of
4 (Mil Trg) Sqn permanent staff; Capt Steve Spink joins us as
the new 2IC, Capt Lee Crompton joins us as the new MAA.
As always with new arrivals, come our farewells. We say
farewell to: Capt Mick Brown and Capt Rab Lundie. A big
thank you to both for the hard work and commitment they
have shown during their time at 4 (Mil Trg) Sqn.
As ever, the Squadron has been busy delivering CLM and
PNCO courses to the wider Corps. Additionally the men and
women of 4 (Mil Trg) Sqn have found time to represent the
Corps and Regt at sport. A successful Gordon’s Cup was also
delivered by SSgt Gopal Saru, more on that later.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
611 (Comms Trg) Troop – by Cpl Jamieson
The last few months have flown by for 611 Tp as we have
maintained our frantic pace of fulfilling the training
requirements from ‘the School’. With the usual exercise
commitments of taking out the Tp Comds cse, YofS Cse, FofS
Cse, FofS (IS) Cse, EW Op Cse, and Ph 2 CS Op Courses (did I
forget any?) – keeping us busy, we thought things might ease
up towards the end of the year, but we were wrong! We are
in fact going to become even busier as the CS Op Upgrader
course has been extended from one month to seven!
It hasn’t been all exercises and detachment maintenance
though. LCpl ‘ETL’ Chapman recently organised a Tp function
to the Poole Greyhound Stadium. This was enjoyed by all,
especially Cpl Pete Allen who collected some big winnings
(ssshh, don’t tell the Mrs!) LCpl Rob Owen organised a BBQ
which was well attended by Tp members and their families –
and our Tp Staffy, SSgt Stevie Ware received his Joint Forces
Commander’s Commendation for his deployment last year on
Op HERRICK 18 (just a 3* Commendation to go with your 2*
and 1* hey Staff – but still no LSGC???).
degree to which we can consistently achieve high standards
and measure the strategic value.
Sadly it is time to say goodbye to SSgt Stu Welton who has
taken over the responsibility of SSI PNCO training team.
Gordon’s Cup Competition - 31 May 14
The Gordon’s Cup Competition (GCC) is a bi-annual military
skills competition predominately designed for Phase 2 soldiers
which is held twice (once in summer and once in winter) in
the training year. Coordinated by SSgt (SSI) Gopal and the
event Senior Planning Officer, OC 4 (Military Training)
Squadron, it was a great pleasure to host this year’s GCC on
Saturday, 31 May 2014 on behalf of the Commanding Officer.
Phase 2 soldiers led by section commanders (JNCOs mainly
from Tp Cpl and Upgrader courses) represented 2 and 3
Squadrons and vigorously competed with an each other
throughout the day.
The aim of this competition is to provide soldiers from the
Regiment an exciting and challenging military skills exercise,
to enhance their leadership, teamwork, physical robustness
and confidence.
The event was comprised of 9 different military training
stands which were divided into 3 control points (3 stands
were grouped to a control point that was manned by a
control point IC) to ensure that section rotation was carried
out effectively), testing participants on various basic
soldiering skills. 27 sections were released from a control
point to see various stand ICs where sections were given a
maximum of 1 hour to complete each task. The day was run
as an inter-section competition, with all sections being
awarded points throughout. The Squadron with the highest
average point score won the overall competition.
SSgt Ware receiving his Commendation
The Troop has had a lot of departures recently and with it has
gone a lot of heavy relied upon expertise. We say goodbye to
Cpl Stu Jones who by now should be on the BATUS plains, Cpl
‘Big’ Bruce who popped to the other side of camp to 15 Sig
Regt and LCpl Jay Usher to 21 Sig Regt. Last but not least, we
say a farewell to Capt Martin Gauntlet who has moved on to
become the RSO for 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards – good
luck with that Boss!
SCTT - by SSgt Gopal Saru
A total of 234 soldiers took part in the event and were split
into 27 sections, each section consisting of 1 x JNCO and 9 x
phase 2 soldiers. In addition to this competition there were
various visitors from the Squadrons as well as external
agencies throughout the day. A total numbers of 400
personnel were present for the event which comprised of
directing staff, visitors, participants and team medics.
Accompanied by the Regtl 2IC the chief visitor of the day from
The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists was
immensely impressed to see the professionalism, dedication
and teamwork that our soldiers were demonstrating.
All of the lads and girls were in very good spirits throughout
the day, and showed considerable grit, determination and
enthusiasm in approaching the competition. Collectively
working as a team or section all soldiers involved in the
competition had the mind set to do well and win.
Senior Command Training Team (SCTT) has had another
extremely busy but hugely successful year by delivering 6
Regular and 2 Reserve Royal Signals Senior CLM courses.
SCTT has significantly developed the ‘’best practice military
instructor” ensuring that students are fully mentored,
coached and guided at all times. 4 (Mil Trg) Sqn has adopted
RMAS agile instructor methodology to place students in the
centre of training and create the best environment for
success. It is evident that the student pass rates have
significantly increased and as a result 144 Cpls have passed
and have been awarded substantive promotion to Sgt.
The competition was considered to be well organised and run
as safely as reasonably practicable. On completion of all
activities WO1 (RSM) C Hoggard took the parade for the
Regiment to carry out the presentations. The CO, Lt Col
Brookes, presented the following awards:
The current SMI, WO2 ‘O Kill’ Kelly, who is known as ‘’the
policy man’’ has been the main driver to employ the agile
instructor model and also making sure that the CLM courses
we deliver adhere to the policies and are evaluated correctly.
Effective evaluation improves the quality of what we do,
increases the efficiency in how we do it, determines the
After the presentations, a curry was served by SSgt (SQMS)
Stratton and his team. The bar was manned by SSgt Stewart
and his team. After a long day enduring non stop activity,
soldiers were notably exhausted and ready to go home.
Having received positive feedback from all participants and
visitors it was evident that this year’s GCC event was
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
* Best shot of the day - Sig Philpott.
* Best Section – 11 Section (3 (Harrogate) Sqn), led
by Cpl Rai.
* Best Troop - Beaufighter Tp, 2 (Catterick) Sqn.
* Champion Squadron - 2 (Catterick) Sqn.
15
national groups using the German decision making process,
the best solution was chosen and briefed via VTC to our
counterparts in Blandford and Rennes.
The Wednesday featured a DCCT-like shooting simulator in the
morning, where the British contingent dominated, followed
by a hike/climb up a 500m tall, near-vertical mountain in
Oberammergau. The evening activities included a surprise
magic show at a restaurant and more sampling of the Bavarian
beverages.
Gordon’s Cup Best Shot – Sig Philpott
Thursday saw the second planning exercise, a continuation
of Tuesday’s exercise. This time the aim being to figure out a
way for two German battalions, a French battalion and a
British battle group to operate in the same AO and share
information about the battle space. Again, this culminated
in a VTC in which each signal school presented their solution
to the other two. Maj Brisgen gave a back brief at the end
thanking us for our hard work and stating that he was very
pleased with the outcome of the week. Friday arrived and
after a few hours spent enjoying the sights of Munich, we
said our goodbyes and thanked our hosts and the French
delegation for an excellent week of practicing interoperability.
French Contingent - by 2Lt Cantell
Gordon’s Cup Best Section – 11 Sect
unquestionably a great success. May I take this opportunity
to thank everyone (Squadron Commanders, Stand ICs,
internal and external agencies) for their support and kind
assistance in making this event a memorable one.
5 (MARESFIELD) SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj C Lewin
WO2 (SSM) M Ellis
Exercise TRIODE: 18 - 23 May
Germany Contingent - by 2Lt Lumby
Sunday 18 May saw a delegation from the Troop Commanders’
Course travel to France and Germany to begin Ex TRIODE, a
week-long international exchange between the Army Signal
Schools from Britain, France and Germany.
The delegation to Feldafing was greeted on the Sunday
night by their German host, Maj Brisgen, who possessed
a surprisingly dry sense of humour which rivalled even 2Lt
Sumner’s.
Monday was a day of briefs from each of the nations on the
structure and general capabilities of their armies and their
signal corps. After this rather serious day we took a cultural
visit to the monastery of Andechs which also had a traditional
Bavarian beer garden. Here, the international relations work
began as we got to know the German and French delegations
before the planning exercise the next day.
The main focus of the exercise was comms planning,
interoperability and the problems that arise from it. On
Tuesday the first problem was issued to us: deploy two
German battalions into a troubled area of Kosovo in such a
way that we could provide the best communications coverage
of the AO. After tackling the problem in three smaller multi-
16
The week in France followed the same timetable as those for
Blandford and Feldafing with presentations and planning
exercises, but on the Wednesday everybody got a taste of PT,
French style, with a 14km coastal run. Whilst the views on the
run were spectacular it was the end of this long PT session
which will stay in everybody’s memory for a long time... A
cool down comprising of white wine and oysters is something
to be considered for many runs in the future and perhaps at
the end of all PT sessions back in Blandford!
At yet another PT session, a showcase of rugby talent was
displayed by Lt D Brent who knowingly or otherwise confused
the opposition adding to the intimidation instilled by our very
own Kiwi, 2Lt L Kuizinas, who performed an impeccable
rendition of the Haka.
The week was both enjoyable and enlightening, particularly
towards the challenges of communications interoperability.
Much was gained from all contingents with a lot to take away
and develop in years to come including some good
international friendships.
UK Contingent - by 2Lt Walker
Meanwhile in Blandford, it fell to the remaining Officers of
TCC88, from Kuwait, Oman and the UK, to host visitors from
Feldafing and Rennes for the week in Blandford. Monday was
devoted to presentations from each of the countries, an
interesting opportunity to discover the similarities and
differences between the constructs and capabilities. Tuesday
morning started with an incredible display of German
efficiency in marking up maps in preparation for the comms
planning exercise phase! Eventually a workable plan was
reached and presented that afternoon via VTC to the other
contingents in France and Germany. The evening was a more
relaxed affair with dinner at the Crown Hotel in Blandford
town hosted by the Commandant, Col M Fensom.
Wednesday morning at the DCCT range proved the French to
be better shots overall. Whereas in the afternoon a quick
volleyball tournament was used to decide the Nation’s best
athletes; the Germans being the eventual victors.
Thursday was the second portion of the planning exercise.
Immediately problems were highlighted in terms of the
interoperability of equipment and the differing approaches in
how communications are facilitated at these levels.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Eventually a solution was put forward using a combination of
equipment that would provide a reliable comms network.
The plans were briefed over VTC to France and Germany
where different solutions were produced. The evening’s
entertainments started with a BBQ before moving on to
Bournemouth to show everyone what the town has to offer.
Meanwhile crossing borders into Germany, 2Lt Kuizinas had
made the arduous journey from Rennes, France to Oberstorf.
After an even more arduous journey through the beer
gardens of Munich, 2Lt Sumner also arrived in Oberstorf for
the start of a week-long Rock Climbing Single Pitch
Foundation (RSF) course at ATC Bavaria.
Come Friday the group took a trip to Portsmouth and a more
relaxed morning giving the French and Germans the
opportunity to shop and look around the waterfront.
Exercise TRIODE 14 offered an excellent opportunity to work
with the French and German Signal Corps and gave us our
first opportunity to work in a multinational environment.
The course consisted
of an introduction to
climbing techniques
and rope work
developing into
leading and gear
placement towards
the end of the week.
Situated in the
German Alps,
climbers are spoiled
for choice of crag.
Unfortunately 2Lt
Sumner and 2Lt
Kuizinas were also
2Lt Sumner and 2Lt Kuizinas
spoiled for choice of
coffee at the indoor
climbing walls due to bad weather. All the group enjoyed
success at improving their climbing grade from day one,
culminating in a final day of hard lead climbing, with 2Lt
Kuizinas pushing hard and demonstrating the safety gear with
a dramatic fall from the final move of a tough overhanging
route, saved by the attentive belayer 2Lt Sumner. Both are
now looking forward to developing their skills and returning
to complete Rock Climbing Leader Training (RLT).
Exercise TIGER DOWNHILL - Adventure Training: 26 - 30 May
- by 2Lt Lumby
Ex TIGER DOWNHILL was a week of mountain biking in south
Wales. On Monday 26 May we arrived at the very quiet
Maindy Barracks in Cardiff, home to a number of reserve units
including 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh and Cardiff University
Officer Training Corps.
2Lt Gillespie
Tuesday morning
we went to collect,
fit and test out our
bikes. This first
day we split into
2Lt Lumby
two groups and
headed in
opposite directions along the river
from the trail centre to meet
approximately 7km away at another
centre. From here we tackled a mild
but lengthy climb to the top of a very
windy blue route called Blue Scar. This
route brushed away the cobwebs
ready for day two’s routes.
Wednesday saw the groups tackle different routes, White’s
Level and Y Wal. 2Lt Wood’s group tackled White’s Level and
within 10 minutes of starting the steep climb 2Lt Patterson
had snapped his chain. 2Lt Gillespie put in a heroic effort and
freewheeled down to the bike shop, exchanged the broken
chain and caught the group again before the rest had reached
the top. This difficult climb led to an equally difficult but
infinitely more enjoyable downhill trail. 2Lt Wood showed off
her skills by trying to steer in mid air after a jump, only to end
up with cuts and bruises up her leg after she fell off her bike.
Everyone enjoyed this route and showed vast improvement
from day one, especially 2Lt Walker who hadn’t ridden a bike
for 10 years prior to the exercise.
The other group, lead by 2Lt Miskelly, tackled Y Wal with no
injuries and also enjoyed the long flowing single track
downhill section of their route. On Thursday the groups
swapped routes and again, 10 minutes into the climb up
White’s Level a chain snapped forcing 2Lt Macaulay to go
back to the shop and up the mountain again. After a total of
three days biking, saddle sores galore, 10200 calories burned
and 72km covered, every person on the exercise had
improved their mountain biking skills, thoroughly relishing in
the challenge of getting up the mountains and surviving the
rapid descents!
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Football Course - by 2Lt Cantell
Also moving towards qualifications 2Lt Cantell developed his
football coaching experiences and education in Devon where
a number of new drills and tactics were learned.
Being an avid England supporter it was a great end to the
week on Friday evening being able to visit Wembley in the
final home friendly before the World Cup 2014. Whilst the
football was enjoyable it was the paper planes flying through
the stadium which caught the eye of most people watching
the game, including that of a Peruvian player on the pitch
who received a paper plane to the face. With a recognition
that the modern game is not only about football itself, there
was an introduction during the week to on and off pitch
essentials such as health and safety guidelines, emergency
first aid and avoiding and recognising injuries. The week was
both educational and enjoyable.
Race The Sun - by 2Lt Ciborowski
On 29 May 2Lt Ciborowski participated in the Race the Sun
competition held at 2 Signal Regiment, York, representing the
HQ Royal Signals and CD Info team. Competing in both the
Run/Bike and Cycle Orienteering events, the day proved to be
a long and wet one. Setting off last in the Run/Bike leg, the
only way was up as 2Lt Ciborowski ran the 7km then battled
up the A19 on bike against a howling headwind trying to make
up as much time as possible.
His work was all but complete as he had to transfer over to
the start of the cycle orienteering event. Again, starting last
only this time due to having the last number in a staggered
start, he started well by correctly taking the right instead of
the left which left other competitors in a pickle later on. The
checkpoints included finding the name of a pub, the
telephone number in a phone box and the name of a church.
Finishing well under 1 hour, it was time well gained for the
overall team time where they finished 9th overall, despite
their minor unit status.
17
Ex CATTERICK CU
16 - 18 May
Sig Cullen-Harrison
practising “fast-roping”
down buildings
In the fast and furious trade environment of 11 (Royals School of Signals) Signal Regiment, the
CATTERICK CULMINATION exercise series provides the Communications Systems Operators of 2
(Catterick) Squadron with the opportunity to deploy into the field on their first large scale exercise.
Designed as a versatile training vehicle to develop agility and leadership through the application of military
skills, it follows a flexible format in order to introduce the Phase 2 soldiers to military training they would
not normally experience in the initial training environment.
This iteration of the exercise was chosen to be an introduction to FIBUA. The exercise consisted of over
200 Phase 2 soldiers, led by Phase 3 soldiers and members of the Troop Commander’s Course operating in
the FIBUA environment of Copehill Down Village (CDV), Salisbury Plain Training Area.
Travelling out by Chinook, the exercise provided a day and a half in which to train the soldiers in an excellent urban environment at
CDV before consolidating them with a Squadron level Battle Exercise. The training stands were led by members of 2 Sqn’s
Directing Staff, consisting of ground sign awareness, room clearances, a Defended house demo, explosive method of entry,
manual methods of entry, fast-roping, urban CASEVACs, vehicle anti-ambush drills, a Molotov
cocktail range and an Urban Confidence Course.
The Signaller’s Perspective - by Sig Savage and Sig Martindale – Rhino Troop
The round robin of stands began with ground sign awareness, where the emphasis on being
here to learn and improve our skills started to settle in. Instruction on how to spot
inconspicuous marks on the ground and the information that can be garnered from them
combining acute observation tips was different and interesting. Moving onto BCD/CASEVAC
Deploying into Copehill Down Village
which we believed may entail some form of battle PT was really rewarding making us think on
our feet creating a realism factor when trying to extract a casualty from a FIBUA house. Just
because you can climb in through a window doesn’t mean you can carry someone else out of it!
The defended house stand was like “Home Alone” on steroids; it would be nightmare to attack a building and gave us greater
appreciation on how difficult FIBUA can be, especially if someone with an evil mind had had time to prepare it first.
The first chance we got to fire our weapons was on the vehicle anti-ambush drills stand with SSgt Gaz ‘SC’ Stewart, which was
very challenging. We all gained valuable experience we can use to build upon our personal contact drills. Keeping with an
exhausting yet rewarding culture we moved onto the Manual Entry “Rhino rig” stand where we are proud to say Sig McCallum
achieved the fastest time within the company to smash though the house. These timings ranged
from 2 to 8 minutes, as the challenge of breaking down doors, even with rams and
sledgehammers was much more difficult than anyone thought. Hollywood has clearly been lying
to us every time they make a movie. The house clearance stand gave us a fair appreciation of
how skilled you have to be to fight in the 360 FIBUA environment, and how hard it is to maintain
command and control as our IC Sig Martindale experienced.
Sgt Booth overseeing manual
entry drills.
Broadening our experience further we moved onto the Molotov cocktail range, where we found
out Sig Sidwell is missing a throwing arm as he couldn’t even hit the tank, a mere 10 metres
away. The confidence course, which was basically a hardcore PT session running though
buildings, tunnel systems and climbing over roofs had been playing in the back of our minds since
we first saw it. Sig Harrison found he was petrified of heights and needed 20 minutes to cross
the set of beams between two houses with the OC Sqn right behind him.
Pushing though the day we moved onto the explosive entry stand, even though we have all seen various videos/movies you
cannot appreciate the noise and blast unless you witness it in real life. It was a good experience being moved closer to the blast
after each charge until we were within 8ft and Sig ‘Demolition’ Doyle had the honour of clacking off the charge. Last but not least
we moved to the abseiling stand which Sig Harrison was not particularly looking forward to due to his fear of heights, he was
however very courageous, demonstrating the values of the British Army soldier.
Sig James leading room clearance drills
18
The first chalk boarding
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
ULMINATION III
y 2014
The Section Commander’s Perspective - by LCpl Ennis – Beaufighter Troop
This was the first time on an exercise where I was put in-charge of a group of soldiers as the section
commander. It was good experience for when I get to my field unit as I could see the responsibilities and
duties of a section commander, and appreciate the difficulties concerned. It was also great experience to be
able to receive a brief and then hand the orders down to the guys in my section.
Sig Reynolds escorting a
captured Cpl Milburn
In particular it showed that I needed to be able to lead a section of men, not just from the front, but also
from the middle and the rear. The confidence course was a huge challenge, and really pushed the
boundaries of people’s comfort zones. Some soldiers found out that they were claustrophobic during the underground tunnel
obstacles so I found I needed to stay with them and ensure they got through, which
forced me to adapt my leadership style in order to assist them.
Working with the other section commanders as well was good experience as I could
see how they ran their sections, especially the ones who had participated in more
“green” exercises and training than I had. This was especially important with the
preparation for the main FIBUA assault on the final day.
Having received a set of Quick Battle Orders and moved round to the FUP, we were
held there by WO1 Wells who called in support fires and smoke. The Demolition
Safety Officer helpfully provided these with plastic explosive and smoke grenades,
which really set the scene for the assault and provided brilliant realism as we crossed
the Line of Departure.
Baseline during urban veh antiambush drills.
During the assault, it was quite difficult at first as I was told that as the section
commander I couldn’t get into the actual fighting part but had to step back and give
orders while the section proceeded through the building. It was confusing at times as
there were orders being shouted and spoken over the comms, SITREPs being sent
back and of course shooting and explosions going on around; it all got overwhelming
but after a while it got easier to know what to do.
When our section was tasked to make entry into the third building and clear the
bottom floor of the third building we decided that we were able to carry on and
cleared the whole building. When one of our guys went ‘man-down’ we then had to
also cope with a casualty, getting him out of the building but still moving through the
house.
The anticipation of a section
stacked up ready to assault a building
All in all this demonstrated just how challenging it would be to operate in a FIBUA
environment, the casualty rates and
the sheer difficulties of command
and control mean that it would be a
major challenge for anyone.
Although only an introduction it was
all really good experience and the
section enjoyed themselves as well
throughout the weekend.
Sig Rooney bouncing casualties
off trees
Chinooks at FOB Thorpe
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Sig Gurung defeating an armoured
veh with a Molotov cocktail
Rehearsing Explosive Methods Of Entry on enemy compounds
19
NEWS FROM FORMATIONS
11 SIGNAL BRIGADE
Comd Brig Greg Wilson
COS
Lt Col Jamie Balfour
Comd Sgt Maj
WO1 Mason
Preparations for the formation of Headquarters 11 Signal and
West Midlands Brigade continue apace with the issue of the
Implementation Order enabling DIO and others to really up
their game from ‘somewhat indifferent’ and ‘slower than
glacial’ to the more positive ‘surprised that there is a larger
HQ expected to be in Donnington before 2015’ and
suggestions about perhaps some sort of sponsored car wash
to raise the funds required. Thankfully the West Midlands
RFCA have been much more proactive and involved and have
agreed to assist with our temporary solution while DIO look
for their one sock. The new FTRS structures for the combined
HQ have been agreed while the civil service posts are being
mapped across over the summer. These, with the help of
APC, have started seeing the new HQ establishment getting
populated with the HQ’s overall head count increasing 3 fold
to almost 140 including our Reservist staff.
Arrivals and departures continue as part of these changes.
Capt Dave Smith departs to be an OC HQ Coy shortly, while
the BEME, Capt Simon Holmes, leaves for DE&S to be
replaced by HQ 143’s BEME, Maj Gary Feek, as part of our new
regional and Bde ES Branch. Capt Charly McNelis, SO3 G1,
leaves for Corsham and will be replaced by a number of civil
servants.
Normandy 70 - by Capt Gareth Davies
‘Veterans first’.
On 6 June 1944 some 156,000 allied personnel invaded Nazi
occupied France. Whilst the action of that day did not end
WWII, it did serve to precipitate the ending of the war. It is
estimated that some 4,000 allies died in the opening day of
the invasion and each year, those veterans who are able,
return to remember their fallen friends and colleagues.
Seventy years on and with numbers of veterans dwindling,
the Normandy Veterans Association has announced that they
will be disbanding later this year after retiring their standard.
The significance of this year’s programme of commemorative
events was therefore given a greater weight and the profile
of the events could not have been higher with the attendance
of several members of the Royal family including Her Majesty
the Queen.
11 Sig Bde was charged with the responsibility of providing the
communications to the UK military participation in the
Normandy 70 events enabling GOC FTC to exercise command
Members of the New Forest Branch of the Normandy Veterans Association at Bayeux Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery
20
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Two generations of communicators - SSgt (YofS) Law with a R SIGNALS veteran
and control over nearly 2000 UK military personnel deployed
to France over the period. In addition, they were to provide
an event planning team for the international event at Sword
beach. These tasks were delegated to 2 Sig Regt who, to
nobody’s surprise, ably stepped up to the mark and delivered
very successfully on both counts.
The communications plan utilised the French mobile phone
network to enable a Skype™ chat-room to be employed giving
a ‘J-Chat esque’ capability that ensured teams at all events
were able to see the wider picture and understand issues in
near real time. This system further provided the supported
commander with the ability to conduct conference calls with
all outstations in order to receive feedback and provide
direction. This solution proved to be very successful and
Army HQ is seeking to refine and develop it for future use in
contingent operations. The team (Team Burdus) led by Maj
Anthea Burdus worked very hard to overcome some
significant procurement issues to provide a top service to the
user community.
6 Jun 14 saw the 70th anniversary of D-Day and was
commemorated with a series of events. The day started in
Bayeux with a service in the Cathedral before another within
the Commonwealth War Grave Commission cemetery. Focus
then shifted to Sword beach where an international ceremony
took place led by President Hollande and attended by
numerous world leaders and heads of state. The day ended
with a further commemorative event at Arromanches-lesBains.
A team from 2 Sig Regt deployed to the beach front at Sword
beach and following some delicate negotiations with the
French Gendarmerie (including at least one threat of arrest!)
we were allowed to assist the veterans in entering through
the tight security and moving from the road to the stadium
that had been constructed on the beach. Whilst the sun beat
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
down and the levels of international diplomacy rocketed – led
by WO1 John ‘Franglaise’ Attwell and using the linguistic
talents of Lt Josh ‘LT’ Ingold the veterans began to arrive. It
was inspiring to meet the veterans who regaled us with their
stories from 70 years prior and were interested in our own
modern experiences; it was great to be able to assist them.
Having ensured that all of the UK veterans who were
expected, had made their way into the event, more
negotiation with the French authorities ensued which allowed
us to occupy some spare seating at the back of the event. We
were therefore able to witness the event live which was
thoroughly enjoyed by all. On completion of the event and
having ensured that all the veterans returned to their correct
bus and departed for the correct destination, the team
returned, exhausted, to Caen.
It was fantastic to play a small part in the 70th anniversary of
D-Day and to meet and assist some of the veterans of that
seminal moment in history. The team pulled together and
ensured that both the commander and the veterans received
the required support throughout the period of
commemorative events.
Exercise ROMAN MATHETE - by Capt Rich Tudhope
Ex ROMAN MATHETE was an HQ 11 Sig Bde conceptual study
event held in London on 13 – 14 May 14. The aim of the event,
in line with GOC FTC’s priorities to ‘be a learning organisation’,
was to develop HQ Staff through the delivery of an
intellectually stimulating debate and briefings at the House of
Commons, and a guided tour of a variety of pre-20th Century
artworks at the National Gallery.
With the merger of HQ 11 Sig Bde and HQ 143 (WM) Bde
looming, the visit of HQ staff to Parliament to meet Daniel
Kawczynski (MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham) was intended
to recalibrate the focus of the Bde staff from solely
21
operations to also encompass military engagement,
recruitment and the host of activities for which we will now
be held responsible. A group of HQ staff met with Mr
Kawczynski and were able to discuss the future relationship
of HQ 11 Sig Bde and how we can provide influence at the
grass roots and political level to the community. His aides
were able to provide an informal but intriguing guided tour of
Westminster before allowing us access to the Commons
Chamber where we were able to spectate during an
interesting debate on education reform.
The following day, HQ staff visited the National Gallery for an
informative guided tour of a number of artworks on display.
Of note, we were enlightened to the many facets of FrancoisHubert Drouais’ ‘Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour
Frame’ and John Constable’s ‘The Hay Wain’, an idyllic
landscape scene portraying far more than meets the eye!
Overall, the 2 days were an excellent opportunity to indulge in
both personal and professional development and enjoy the
sights of London.
Race The Sun - by Capt Roy Davies
The day started with the usual early start ready for the first
leg of the day and this year it was another new guy in the
boat with Capt Gareth Davies who, by all accounts, could do
with some lessons in how to steer his kayak. After
successfully completing his event it was then time for the new
Bde YofS, WO1 (YofS) Dave Carter, who only started work on
the Tuesday and on the Wednesday was told he was not only
doing the orienteering but then was told he was down for the
stretcher race and then before setting off was told you're
now doing the river run. On the plus side at least the YofS
didn’t get lost on the river run like the 2 Sig Gp FofS last year.
Capt Sam Smith was then up next for the Run-Bike and after a
good change over managed to pick up a few places on the
run before he got to the transition point where his Pit Crew of
Cpl Nowell and Sig Luckwell got him on his way in under 2
minutes. Onto the busy A19 he went, managing to reel in a
couple of the competitors before handing over to SSgt Vinod
Shrestha for the hill run. By all accounts the next couple of
team members put in a good effort with Cpl John Savage
putting in a good shift on the forced march and Sig Freke
putting in a strong performance on the moor run before
missing his transport for his swim.
Again this year the COS put himself down for the Half
Marathon in the hopes of completing it without injuring
himself like last year and this year managed a better time.
This improvement in performance was all down to Cpl Nowell
waiting at the bottom of the last hill with a refreshing energy
drink to help him with the final push up the hill.
Sig Luckwell then got onto his bike to tackle the next
mammoth leg in the 24km MTB through the nice bit of North
Yorkshire countryside with the weather not knowing what it
wanted to do. It meant the track was a bit sticky all the way
round before finishing with the nice little climb up to the
change over for Capt Roy Davies to set off and tackle the fell
run. The team continued to put some good legs from Maj Ian
Flannery and WO1 (YofS) Dave Carter on his second event on
the forest run and the orienteering before Capt Dave Smith
endured the cycle orienteering before the dreaded swim.
The swim was the event that Sig Freke was least looking
forward to with no one in the team having seen him since
before the moor run. Maj Kirk was worried he might have to
do an event. Sig Freke managed to get to the start after the
organisers managed to sort his transport issues just so he
could endure the delights of an open water swim. Having
decided to do it just in a pair of Speedos, someone took pity
on him and gave him a swim cap which didn’t really do much
22
when the lake was a tad chilly, but credit where it’s due he
managed to complete the swim and earned himself a well
earned rest after the gruelling swim.
Capt Miller was up next for the Bike Run to get back to
Imphal Barracks from Castle Howard. There were some nice
cheeky hills but he managed to get to the transition point to
then get of the bike and cramp up on the side of the road
before managing to run it off a bit and get back to camp.
The last event of the day was the Stretcher Race and the
Brigade team looked more like a veterans’ team with an
average age of over 40, but Capt Roy Davies volunteered
himself for the 2 lap to start with and then get on the
stretcher and give the team a good start and then the long 2
laps round Imphal Barracks with the stretcher with the team
coming in ahead of a couple of the Major Units. With only 11
members of the team for the whole day it was a good effort
by everyone involved resulting in coming in the middle of the
Minor Units.
Exercise HORSESHOE BUZZARD
– by Capts Sam Smith and Paul Ukpai
With 2 Signal Group (UK Ops) getting prepared for a busy
summer period of UK Ops including the Commonwealth
Games, NATO Summit and the Invictus Warrior Games, Ex
HORSESHOE BUZZARD 14 was designed to get the whole
group together for a planning exercise. Focussing on the ICS
Estimate and then operating as an Information Services
Operations Centre (ISOC), the exercise looked to prepare
Regimental ISOC teams for future Ops and exercises.
Regimental ISOC syndicates were formed from 37, 39, and
71(Y) Signal Regiments with 32 Signal Regiment
simultaneously planning and rehearsing in Glasgow ready to
deliver on Operation COMET. With over 60 Officers and
Soldiers arriving on Saturday 7 June including Regular
mentors, enablers and floorwalkers, it proved a good turnout.
With a wide range of ability and experience levels within the
syndicates, the teams worked together to both teach and
involve less experienced members and deliver timely output.
This is key in preparing the group to be agile and intelligent
when planning and preparing for UK Operations in the future,
teaching key fundamental skills to the Reserve Staff.
With a busy day of ICS estimate training complete, QM 37
Signal Regiment and his staff laid on an absolutely
magnificent curry supper. Their life support for the weekend
was much appreciated. As a result, at close of training, the
troops were able to relax and reflect on lessons learnt while
cheering the ‘3 Lions’ to victory in the pre-world cup friendly
match against Honduras.
Early doors Sunday 8 June, the ISOC teams formed in the
syndicate rooms to play out their plan from the previous day.
With the training phase complete, a consolidation exercise
tested the robustness of the plan and the team in dealing
with a series of simulated events.
Post exercise, a review of key lessons was conducted by SO1
UK Ops, with a lively panel discussion focussing on some of
the challenges faced by Regiments transitioning to Army
2020. The wide-ranging session provided the transition team
with useful insights into the effects of the transition
programme at both the personal level in terms of individual
career aspirations and on the often-unintended consequences
for readiness and capability.
Ex HORSESHOE BUZZARD proved to be an extremely
worthwhile training opportunity for Comd 2 Signal Group to
train, develop, share best practice and gather some useful
feedback on progress made with transition programme.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
NEWS FROM REGIMENTS
1st (UNITED KINGDOM) ARMOURED DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT
HERFORD
CO
RSM
Lt Col JG Hill
WO1 (RSM) DJ Mears
200 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
RSM
Maj N Pryce-Jones
WO1 (RSM) G Revell
24 Hour Charity Squash Event – by Sig Jones
On 7 May myself and 7 others (Sgt Shone, Sgt Gore-Rowe, Cpl
Rudkins, Cpl Denton, Sig Jones, Sig Kent, Sig Cawthorne and
Sig John-Teye) took part in a 24 hour squash event starting, at
7am. The competition took place in Normandy Barracks
Squash courts.
The aim of the event was to play squash continuously for 24
hours and raise as much money as possible for Royal British
Legion, in total we raised close to €800. Squash is a fast
paced game and can very easily leave you exhausted after just
a few games.
Between the eight of us there was a variety of skill sets, there
were a couple of players who had little experience and then
there was Sgt Gore-Rowe who was unbeatable, not losing a
single game. We all played around 100 games each in total.
The OC and RSM of 200 Signal Squadron came to visit us and
joined in for a couple of games and for our efforts, or more
taking pity on us, the OC treated us all to pizza to lift morale.
By the time the event finished there were 8 physically
exhausted men who were looking forward to their beds.
There was a trophy for 1st place, but we all knew who had
already won that.... Sgt Gore-Rowe. So the competition was
to see who was going to be 2nd and 3rd. Cpl Rudkins took
2nd place by his skill of drop shots (tapping the ball gently
when your opponent is too far away to return the shot). Sgt
Shone and I were in fierce competition for 3rd place and we
would often have banter off the courts about who’s going to
win. By 4am I was sitting in 3rd with quite a lead and poor Sgt
Shone just didn’t have it in him to keep playing. We all put
everything we had into the event and it was a great success.
Being stood down the following day and missing the RSM’s
inspection was also an added bonus.
SSAFA Charity Day - by Sig Cairns
On 9 April 2014 200 Signal Squadron held a SSAFA Charity day.
The day was broken down firstly into a Sqn parade in the bar
where Triona Kemp and friends sold tea, coffee and
homemade cakes. This was also a good opportunity to sell
raffle tickets for a long list of prizes that Triona had sourced
from different organisations.
Following that the Sqn had planned a range of sports to keep
the morale going but the weather decided to halt the
proceedings, which meant normal work for the remainder of
the afternoon. However the SSAFA Charity day had a second
wind and everyone was back in the Bar by 1600 (just as the
sun came out) where the drinks started to flow nicely in time
for the Bingo which kicked off at 1700.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
With the local Fish & Chip van strategically placed just outside
the camp gates, a change from the usual BBQ went down a
treat. The turn of the weather meant the bouncy castle could
now be inflated, and with the children occupied the evening
could finally get into full swing. After the Bingo and a few
more shandys the charity auction went ahead with a
tremendous result. There were many items to be auctioned
including a day off, a late start, and a get you out of PT chit!
However the big thanks goes to LCpl ‘Gaz’ Ewen who paid
€185 for the privilege of being the RSM for a day. A task that
I’m sure he will be successful.
With the evening coming to an end and only the die hard
party goers remaining, such as WO1 (RSM) Revell, the OC,
SSgt Cairns and a few others, the quiz came out which
covered just about every TV programme known to mankind.
Apart from the weather being unpredictable as usual the
mood of the day was never dampened. Overall it was a fun
day with family members attending. A big thanks to Trion
Kemp, SSgt Cairns and all that assisted with the set up of
what turned out to be a fantastic day.
BA(G) Athletics 2014 - by Lt Mason
On 11 June, 1 (UK) ADSR proudly hosted the BA(G) Athletics
tournament at their local athletics facility, Ludwig-Jahn
Stadium, kindly lent to us by the local authorities of Herford.
The athletics team consisted of 24 participants who gave it
their all, in an attempt to qualify for the Army Championships
at Aldershot – which despite both male and female teams
qualifying, we were unable to attend due to a busy FOE and
having personnel currently deployed on Herrick 20.
Our female team put in an extremely strong effort coming in
first place, beating all other teams from the Logistics and
Artillery. Special mentions go to: Cpl Jones (REME) for
having a third lung and having endless stamina; LCpl Turnbull
for successfully representing as team captain and
participating in loads of events and Sig Farrell for displaying
true determination in the 400m relay after having suffered a
fall on the 100m sprint.
23
tournament consisted of 8 different NATO nations, and over
30 teams taking part. The competition tests various military
skills comprising of shooting, marching, navigation and
general military knowledge to name a few.
The team consisted of Lt Archambeau, LCpl De Main, Sig
Matthews and Sig Musgrave, who rose early for a 0700 start
time, which was tough for some after an eventful night
watching the Holland v Spain game with a Dutch and
American team.
BA(G) female athletics champions
The male A team also put in a strong performance, finishing
fourth overall with Sig Taylor putting in an impressive long
distance running effort beating all those he went up against;
Sig Jammeh being the fastest sprinter of the day in all the
events he competed in and Sgt Winfield (REME) displaying an
impressive ability to throw heavy stuff a long way coming
second in most of his events.
As for the male B team, last place was a consolation prize for
having taken part and getting a day out of the garages! I
personally think this could have been turned around, had I
been able to lead this glorious team to victory!
Our favourite stand required us to control civilians passing
through whilst there was an IED threat. The scenario was
controlled well with LCpl De Main and Sig Matthews keeping
the agitated crowd at bay, whilst Lt Archambeau and Sig
Musgrave provided over watch and the searching of civilians
one at a time. With only one British team having conducted it
quicker than ourselves, which the Germans were happy with,
however their tactics would’ve made front page news!
All in all we had a fantastic time, being afforded the
opportunity to beat 16 Signal Regiment for best British Team
and converse with other nation’s armed forces from reserve
to active personnel. There are more German military run
events happening later this year, and more information can
be found by contacting: 1adsr-211sigsqn-tactp-comd@mod.uk.
201 SIGNAL SQUADRON (ROG)
Maj Stannard
Capt Davidson
OC
2IC
Herrick 20 Deployment Party
Sig Randall, Sig Goulding, LCpl Nevison and Sig Davis of 201
Signal Squadron, were tasked as a works party under 211
Signal Squadron's SSgt (YofS) Simpson. The task; to set up
for the Regimental Party on Friday 16 May. We had to set up
the Parade Square for a humungous event prior to troops
deploying on Op Herrick 20.
The first couple of days were hard graft for us. It took 3 hours
to set up 2 marquees, then the hard part of setting up 7 18x24
tents (which included stitching 12x12s). Wednesday and
Thursday our efforts were spent fine tuning, in order to be
ready for the Party, decorating the tables –in the Corps
colours of course, finishing off the stage with Union flags and
lining the tents with decorations. On the big day the weather
was perfect. Warm, but not too warm. Entertainment was
laid on for all of the Regiment’s soldiers and families. This
included dodgems, a live band, a DJ provided by BFBS, beer
tents and children’s entertainment. The day lasted long into
the evening –as did the warm weather- and everyone enjoyed
themselves. The CO in particular enjoyed the dodgems!
It was the perfect send off for the deploying troops, and
great for the rest of the Regiment to let our hair down.
211 Signal Squadron
OC
2IC
Exercise BATTLEAXE SKILLS 2 – by Lt Johnston
Deploying on Sunday and bank holidays has become the norm
for 211 Signal Squadron as we prepped our range kit and
signed out our rifles and GPMGs to head down to Haltern
Training Area.
The week started with a static zero range and quickly
progressed onto conducting ACMTs. Once everyone had
successfully qualified their static ranges, they were able to
progress onto more complex LFTT shoots involving fire and
movement with each other in separate lanes – under the
watchful eyes of our experienced NCOs. These consisted of a
Close Quarter Battle lane where Sig Hopley and Sig Matthews
impressed Sgt Buckle with their quick reaction times and
good use of cover; as well as an IBSR package which had
section commanders re-enforcing troops in stage 3 trenches
with their man power and controlling the fire of supporting
weapons such as the GPMG with Fire Control Orders whilst
attempting to repel an encroaching enemy attack.
An excellent week away from the Regiment, Sig Matthews
walked away with the prize for Best Shot and LCpl
McLaughlin with the prize for Best Soldier.
Maj Swift
Capt Loots
NATO International Mönchengladbach Military Competition
2014 – by Lt Archambeau
On 14 June, 211 Sig Sqn submitted a team of four personnel to
participate in the International Mönchengladbach Military
Competition organised by German military reservists. The
24
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
2nd SIGNAL REGIMENT
YORK
CO
RSM
assisting 17 Port and Maritime
Regiment with their RLS
despite having little sleep from
the night before.
Lt Col Hargreaves
WO1 (RSM) Stephenson
Normandy 70 – by WO2 (SSM) Gibney
The Headquarters was fully
established by 4 Jun and the
communications detachments
were deployed to Ranville,
Bayeux and Arromanches.
Sigs Gopal and Robin where
attached to HMS Bulwark
which was heading for the
Normandy coast to ensure a
reliable network across the
region.
Pre Deployment:
Its seems so long ago when 4 members of the Regiment
deployed on the first Recce for what affectionately became
know as “Op UNCERTAINTY” in Caen France to support the
Normandy 70 celebrations. The technical team included WO1
(Regt FofS) Landregan, SSgt (YofS) Si Law, SSgt Jase
Sheehan and this was headed up by OC Support Squadron,
Maj Anthea Burdus. They considered all manners of
communication systems but settled on a purely commercial
system using Skype as a mock J Chat to provide an all
informed chat room. This was not the usual HQ build, as
officers were presented with Apple iPads and smart phones
to use as their primary means of communication, a far cry
from the usual big green radios they were used to seeing.
With the communications plan in place, all that remained to
be done was to book accommodation for 70 soldiers, drive to
France in 9 vehicles and collect a rogue Padre and an
Interpreter on the way. Not forgetting our most important
task, which was to assist British Veterans during the
International Ceremony at Sword beach. The RQMS and Sp
Sqn SSM where given this task; assisted by MT’s SSgt
Molyneux. After a lot of head scratching, phone calls, emails
and the use of Sgt Wilkes’ ‘limitless’ GPC card; the plan was
afoot.
Deployment:
The advance party declined the limited speed of a 55mph 8
hour drive to Portsmouth and took the easier option of flying
to France, leaving the RQMS and SSM to bring out the main
body of communicators. It seemed that NATO Travel Orders,
ID cards and Passports weren’t good enough for the Brittany
Ferries staff so the GPC card was deployed yet again as Sgt
Wilkes led negotiations. We screeched onto the ferry with
minutes to spare, resembling a scene from the Italian Job.
Concurrently to our movements, a communications
detachment from 246 (QGS) Sig Sqn were preparing to head
down to Portsmouth to board HMS Bulwark where they
would remain for the duration.
Communications:
Once we arrived in Caen, the real work commenced and the
Command team set to work establishing the Headquarters
and installing the communications. This was completed at
lightning pace and by the end of the first day, DII, Sky TV and
telephones were all in and working with the primary
communications network starting to take shape. Members of
246 Sig Sqn deserve a special mention for their efforts in
2 Signal Regiment at Normandy 70
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The chat room worked
incredibly well providing every
user with real time situational
awareness. The system was
incredibly robust, the only
issue at the main International Event when certain Heads of
State showed up with their ECM equipment switched on. Our
operators had already planned for this and were able to keep
communicating throughout, a testament to their hard work
and professionalism. Much to the surprise of SSgt Jase
Sheehan who had configured and issued 45 smart phones, 23
iPads and 15 Laptops, all the equipment was returned on time
and undamaged at the end of the deployment.
Capt Bryant at the Maj John
Howard Memorial
International Event – Sword Beach
The second phase of 2 Signal Regiments’ involvement at
Normandy was the task of assisting British Veterans during
the International Ceremony on Sword Beach. This was a
French led VVIP event with many of the worlds Heads of State
in attendance.
The RQMS was the lead for this event and ‘Mr Beach’ was his
assumed pseudonym for the day. Members of the Regiment
were eagerly waiting for the 6 Jun to arrive with one key
message in their minds - ‘Veterans First’. It was a slow start to
the day which grew hotter by the minute, with soldiers
positioned along the coach reception area hoping for lots of
British Veterans to arrive from the Cathedral service in
Bayeux. Once the coaches started to arrive and things began
to get frantic, it was time for the CO and RSM to head to the
VIP tent. On occasion tempers flared and Lt Josh Ingold
stepped in on more than one occasion to save the day as the
resident interpreter. His ‘Allo Allo’ style half French, half
English approach to communicating was a welcome delight to
the by now tired but high spirited soldiers and with the Padre
not too far behind carrying his satchel of morale, they truly
where the dream team. The Veterans made it in time to see
the Queen and President Obama arriving and as an added
bonus, members of the Regiment managed to sneak in to
watch the ceremony which ended with a spectacular
fireworks display.
With the ceremony over it was time to leap back into action
and ensure the Veterans were returned to their transport.
Chaos reigned as the coaches arrived in a haphazard fashion
and even the French didn’t appear to know what was going
on! Thankfully Cpl Sorley-Wilkinson was on hand to take
charge of the situation and began to organise things on the
25
ground. Members of the Regiment worked tirelessly until
every British Veteran had been reunited with their respective
coach. I lost count of the number of grateful family members
that thanked us for the assistance of 2 Signal Regiment and 32
Signal Regiment personnel, who conducted themselves
impeccably and were a credit to their Cap Badge.
in Caen. With our kit unloaded, the taskings began. The first
two days involved setting up the FTC HQ, after that we
deployed to respective tasking locations where the events
were going to be held. Having been issued our comms kit,
our aim was now to provide information updates back to the
HQ. These updates included VVIP arrival time, event starting
time, VVIP disposal time as well as aiding the Veterans and
supporters welfare. During the event there were only a few
difficulties with the communications, this was due to poor
signal strength. However, we were able to overcome this
problem and provide the necessary information.
The RSM meets D-Day Veterans
We barely had time to catch our breath before the RQMS
scooped us all back out for a Battlefield tour. We took in the
sites of Pegasus Bridge and learned of how Maj John
Howard’s audacious assault with the men of the Oxfordshire
and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was key to the success of
D-Day. We also visited Le Grand Bunker – a German
stronghold where the enemy were able to direct heavy
artillery onto Sword Beach from the Merville Battery. The
complexity of the plan for the D-Day landings soon became
apparent when trying to fit all these intricate pieces of the
puzzle together. We would have liked to spend longer taking
in the Battlefields of Normandy but time caught up with us
and it was soon time to head for the Ferry home and some
well earned sleep!
Overall Normandy 70 was a resounding success, only made
possible by the hard work and determination of all those
involved. The Normandy Veterans Association will lay down
their standards later this year due to many of its members
being too frail to travel. Normandy 70 was the last official act
of remembrance; a sad but fitting way to remember all those
who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and it was
an absolute privilege to be part of it.
Normandy 70 - by LCpl Tshring Dhandu Sherpa
D-Day, an operational name that in itself strikes up numerous
emotions; from sadness to fear, pride and respect, loss and
triumph. We remember the courage and sacrifice our
brothers in arms showed on that day on the 6 Jun each year.
This year’s remembrance was a particularly special day as it
was the 70th anniversary of D-Day. To mark this occasion
many leaders from across the world gathered in Normandy,
France with special events planned to commemorate the
occasion. A small team from 2 Sig Regt had the honour to be
the part of celebration.
Sgt Wilkes meets a D-Day Veteran
It was inspirational to see the number of veterans and
supporters that made the journey to France. With locals and
school children cheering and waving their country's flag with
huge pride, supporting the veterans and remembering the
fallen. We could clearly see how much they respected what
our veterans had done for them. The crowd looked in awe to
see freefall and Para jumps as well as fireworks displays at
Ranville, Sword beach, Bayeux and Arromanches.
On 7 Jun most of the events had finished and we started to
withdraw to Caen to prepare for returning back to UK. Prior
to leaving France, we quickly dismantled all the Comms links,
packed up and paid our last respects, visiting various
battlefields. Although it was a short tour to Normandy to
support the event, it opened our eyes to what our veterans
have sacrificed for this country and its people.
The battles our veterans fought are engraved in our hearts,
never to fade away. The history they wrote will always be
there with us, to remember the sacrifices they made. If we
turn back the pages of history, we will never miss the war in
Normandy, the D-Day. It proved the saying “obstacles do not
exist to be surrendered to, but only to be broken”.
To celebrate this anniversary there were series of events in
and around Sword beach, Bayeux, Arromanches, Ranville,
Benouville, Pegasus Bridge and Caen. The Regiment's
contingent were mainly there to provide communication and
information updates to the FTC HQ based in Caen. Primary
means was Skype data network using iPads, with a secondary
means of Tetrapol radio and the tertiary being satellite phone.
We deployed to Normandy on 31 May via Portsmouth
harbour. After about six hours we reached our base located
26
Sword Beach Commemorations
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
3rd (UNITED KINGDOM) DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT
BULFORD
CO
RSM
Lt Col P R Griffiths
WO1 (RSM) M Stowell
This has been a busy period for the Regiment with focus on
two key events; Exercise ROCHAMBEAU and Normandy 70
commemorations.
Exercise ROCHAMBEAU – by WO1 (FofS) Moore
Exercise ROCHAMBEAU was the culmination of testing and
experimentation between France and the UK, initially in
Blandford, and then in Besancon, France using BCIP, SICF and
the Tactical Network Gateway (TNG). The main effort for 3
(UK) Div HQ and Sig Regt was to successfully introduce a full
range of interoperability between UK and French systems.
This entailed the passing of email, formal messaging, chat,
collaborative working and the current operating picture
between UK and French CIS systems.
Cleared communication sites became very congested with
both RITA (FR), Falcon and Bowman nodes co-locating.
Overall the integration of UK and FR personnel was better
than anticipated with the FR being gracious hosts.
Interoperability
The interoperability on Ex ROCHAMBEAU was the culmination
of two interoperability trials conducted in Jan 14 at the LSRC
and the second in EMF 1 camp Besancon, France. The LSRC
trial was led by CD Info with contractor support in contrast to
the EMF 1 trial which relied heavily on the Regiment.
Interoperability achieved with SICF was email with
attachment, J-Chat, SharePoint and Shared Situation
Awareness (via MIP).
The solution
Ex ROCHAMBEAU was the first opportunity to deploy the
entire Regiments Falcon fleet in a Wide Area Network (WAN).
The WAN provided by 206 Signal Squadron connected the 2*
CJEF LC HQ with the subordinate Bi-National Support Group
(FR/UK) and 12th (Mechanised) Brigade across 70km using
DLOS BIV radios, Bowman HCDR, a FR provided E1 and
Satcom between CJEF and 12th (Mechanised) Brigade.
Ex ROCHAMBEAU Interoperability
Ex ROCHAMBEAU Wide Area
Deploying a WAN in a contingency environment, overseas,
with a coalition partner, provided some unique challenges.
Bowman planning proved complex in a dynamic environment
with unknown requirements. We quickly learnt that flexibility
and growth capacity needs to be included in the plan at
conception, as once implemented in a wide area it becomes
significantly more difficult to update.
Falcon proved far more adaptable to plan but suffered from a
lack of nodes available to the Regiment. Due to terrain
constraints all WASPs had to be deployed in order to form a
mesh otherwise we would have little redundancy and no
flexibility to move the network once deployed. The French
used Satcom and civilian infrastructure to overcome the
terrain, only using their trunk system to connect local units.
To aid C2 and sustainment Falcon nodes were co-located with
Radio Rebroadcast detachments. This proved to be very
useful and reduced the strain on the Bowman crews who
were operating on 12-hour shifts for nearly 5 weeks.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Central to the interoperability plan was the TNG. The TNG
enabled interoperability between BCIP 5.5 and SICF (FR
OpsCIS). In addition 206 Signal Squadron enabled BCIP data
tunnelled over Falcon. The ability to interconnect puddles of
Bowman with the high capacity Falcon network and
interconnected bearers proved to be fundamental to the
success of Ex ROCHMABEAU. This interoperability could help
by overcoming the range constraints of Bowman data until
eHCDR is fielded, and enables Bowman over Satcom, a vital
capability depending on the operational theatre.
The key limitation on interoperability was cultural, not
technical. The staff were unable to fully exploit the technical
solution due to unawareness or inability to articulate their
requirements. Staff CIS/ICS training and IM processes are
central to successful interoperability and will be key in any
future deployment.
206 Signal Squadron, based in Mouremelon – by Lt Tom Eaton
206 Signal Squadron deployed in full supporting a 30% inject
of UK staff into a French divisional headquarters. This
involved the deployment of Bowman, Falcon, Reacher,
Housekeeper, DII(LD)S and a UK SECRET VTC.
The Squadron had over thirty five vehicles in support of the
exercise in order to both support the main headquarters and
provide Bowman and Falcon wide area communications down
to 12th (Mechanised) Brigade. We deployed five Falcon
WASPs and seven Bowman RRBs to provide communications
27
across an area of over 3,200 sq km, including a full HCDR
network. This is the longest length of time many of the
soldiers have spent deployed out on hilltop sites which has
been a significant learning experience for them all. SSgt Jim
Allen and Lt Meg French spent a lot of time driving from
detachment to detachment ensuring people knew their jobs
and got their mail!
While the Headquarters deployed in vehicles, Maj David
Spencer, OC 206 Sig Sqn, and Maj Brian Jeffery, OC 228 Sig
Sqn, chose to travel in a less conventional way by cycling the
entire 430 mile route. This took five days through British and
French countryside with plenty of stops to sample the French
cuisine and hospitality. Both were looking quite tired by the
time they arrived at Mourmelon!
It wasn’t all work though as we managed to conduct a
cultural visit to the battlefields of Verdun, where we visited
Fort De Douaumont, trench systems, and the destroyed
village of Fleury. Later on in the local town we all had some
food and a few drinks.
We ended our cultural experience weekend with a visit to a
champagne house in Epernay, where we were shown around
the distillery which was underground in a cave. It was good
to get out for the weekend but we knew we would be back to
the grindstone on Monday.
Working with the French was an interesting and enjoyable
experience. While presenting a number of technical and
procedural challenges the time spent in France has
demonstrated how ready and willing both nations are to
achieve success. The soldiers enjoyed the challenge
immensely and many of them are looking forward to working
in a coalition environment again.
228 Signal Squadron, based in Mailley-Le-Camp
– by LCpl Laurie Brown
Deploying in usual Army fashion - at the crack of dawn - over
80 vehicles of different variations from the Regiment set off
for France. The journey to Dover was long but well executed
and the fears of looking like Dad’s Army on the move were
put to bed with only one of our vehicles breaking down
(although that vehicle did break down twice!). On the ferry
the soldiers were told they could spend their CILOR allowance
on food, some were under the impression that meant only
sweets and chocolate.
Arriving finally at Mailly Le Camp we proved we could deploy
our kit and equipment and successfully establish an armoured
HQ overseas. This is the first time 3 (UK) Div HQ and Sig Regt
has done this in about 10 years. With 12th (Mechanised)
Brigade HQ’s primary communications system being Bowman
we also integrated Falcon and Housekeeper along with the
French equivalents to provide a much richer service to
Brigade Staff for the first time. This was linked to the
scenario which was designed to imitate us being in a location
or theatre for a prolonged period.
As per usual our chefs provided us with excellent food, even
offering a Man Vs Food challenge, which consisted of a tray of
ribs, chips, coleslaw and onions. Sadly the only person to
complete the challenge was a French soldier, his prize was to
be the first man in the dinner queue for each meal.
228 Sig Sqn’s new Forward HQ
As the staff settled in all personnel involved gained an
excellent working relationship and shared their knowledge
and experiences with the French. Making the most of our
time here we set up a new forward HQ concept under
armour. Unexpectedly this was used by some of the staff
officers in addition to the main HQ so they could enhance the
training value of everyone deployed.
Support Squadron, based in Mailly Le Camp
– by SSgt Henry REME
Prior to deployment 228 Signal Squadron fitter section
became the proud owners of a Fitter Section in a Box (FSiAB)
courtesy of Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group Ltd. This
was to be the first use of FSiAB in a peacetime environment,
and our home for the next six weeks.
The FSiAB took only 2 hours to fully deploy and was soon put
to test both inside and out with the onset of ever changing
continental weather. The facility incorporates many features
such as onboard compressor complete with air tools, pillar
drill, grinding wheel, air conditioning and lighting, all run of its
own built in Huntington generator making us completely self
sufficient. A REME home from home!
Running concurrently with the setup phase of Ex
ROCHAMBEAU 3 (UK) Div HQ and Sig Regt were utilised by
the Trials & Development Unit to aid in a Recovery
Interoperability Trial (RIT). The purpose of this trial was to
develop and share understanding of both nations recovery
equipment with a view to future deployments together. Our
recovery crew were tasked with providing SVR support for
the RIT which was to be held in Mourmelon-le-Grande France.
As Cpl Clayton and LCpl Richardson were both Class 1
Recovery Mechanics their combined experience and
knowledge was vital to the success of the trial. The trial was
split into four different areas:
228 Sig Sqn personnel on a battlefield tour
28
1.
Compatibility - would our UK recovery
equipment be able to recover French assets for
normal towing, route clearance and in an
emergency?
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
3.
Emergency crew evacuation - locations of
all emergency hatches and correct emergency
vehicle entry.
We spent the first few days on a battlefield tour following the
3rd Infantry Division’s progress on D-Day. We began the tour
with the prelims of D-Day at Merville Gun Battery, then onto
Pegasus Bridge, the objective of the 6th Airborne Division.
We visited and ordered a coffee from Madame Gondree, who
runs the café by Pegasus Bridge. She was a small girl when
the bridge was taken, and has remained here to run the
family’s café “Café Gondree” ever since.
4.
Basic vehicle familiarisation - would the
recovery crew be able to stow equipment such as
cranes and winches if no French assistance was
available.
Moving on to Sword beach, we followed the 3rd Infantry
Division step-by-step, inland towards the Hillman site in
Colleville-Montgomery, which put up fierce resistance, but
was eventually taken; with Caen liberated some months later.
2.
Mobilisation - what mechanical
components would be required to be removed or
adjusted to facilitate the recovery without further
damage to the vehicle?
The trial tested eight B vehicle platforms and two A vehicle
platforms, all with varied results. The trial as a whole was a
great success with many of the French assets compatible with
our own equipment.
Exercise IRON TRIBUTE, Normandy 70
– by LCpl Ansell and Sig Parkinson
Friday 6 June 2014 marked the 70th anniversary of the D-Day
landings in Normandy. On 2 June 2014 a group of soldiers
from 3 (UK) Division Headquarters & Signal Regiment left
Bulford and travelled to Portsmouth, where we caught the
ferry to Ouistreham to take part in memorial services and
commemorations, staying in the historic city of Caen. This
was the main D-Day objective of the 3rd Infantry Division,
which had been tasked as the assault division to land on
Sword Beach.
We were accommodated at the University of Caen’s campus
for the week in their halls of residence. Being only a short
walk from the town centre meant we were able to enjoy the
facilities and amenities in the local town. We took a great
deal of pleasure in sampling the local cuisine and beverages
on offer
during our
down time,
discovering
some
fantastic
restaurants
and bars! The
atmosphere
with the
general public
was
extremely
friendly and
there were
many other
Allied Army
The British Garden of Remembrance, Caen
units visiting
the town to
socialise with and share stories. The weather was a bit
temperamental at first, completely drenching us a couple of
times during one of our battlefield tours, but thankfully it
cleared up and was warm and sunny for the parades.
202 Girls with one of the 3DSR veterans
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
We finished the battlefield tour by looking around some of
the heavily fortified German defences at Point du Hoc. It was
amazing to see the huge numbers of craters left from the
bombs dropped by the allied forces are still there today. The
tour was eye opening, enjoyable for all and enthusiastically
delivered by SSgt Daz Clough and Capt Jens Gronn, putting
into perspective the herculean task that the 3rd Infantry
Division had been given.
The fascinating days were followed by some excellent nights
out in Caen, and some not so excellent Karaoke by Sgt Alex
Mitchell! More importantly it gave us a chance to meet some
of the D-Day veterans and their families, who had travelled to
commemorate their achievements and those of their fallen
comrades. Perhaps for some of the veterans it would be their
last visit so we all felt very privileged that we had the
opportunity the meet them and hear their stories.
As the anniversary grew closer our work began. The first
parade was at the British Garden of Remembrance, Caen,
during which members of the Regiment laid a rose in front of
the memorials to the 15 British Divisions that took part in the
Normandy Campaign. This was followed by a colourful
Beating the Retreat attended by the Normandy veterans.
The second parade was a ceremony in front of the sculpture
to the 3rd Infantry Division outside the castle walls in the
centre of Caen whilst the piper played from the castle
ramparts.
On D-Day itself we attended the memorial service in front of
the 3rd Infantry Division Memorial at La Brêche (Sword
Beach) followed by a march inland to the village
of Hermanville, where French schoolchildren sung the French
and British national anthems before laying flowers at the feet
of headstones in the British cemetery. On our last day in Normandy we had two final parades to
attend, both of which were disrupted, first by a Spitfire flying
overhead and the second by a Lancaster! After the last
parade it was a quick dash to the port for our ferry home.
It was a real honour to be a part of the 70th anniversary
proceedings and I’m sure that next year we would all be
delighted if we could do it again.
The recreation of Swifty Ashore
The final parade in Periers sur le Dan
29
10th SIGNAL REGIMENT
CORSHAM
Exercise BRUNO KNOWLEDGE 1
– by Sgt Connor (243) and LCpl Whittaker (225)
and forth as he stated how they will be fine as long as you
don’t tinker with them or KICK them. Clearly not conducive
with MATT 9! The remainder of the morning was spent
looking round excavated trenches and going through normal
working routine in the trenches.
10 Signal Regiment recently organised and executed Ex
BRUNO KNOWLEDGE over the period of 31 Mar to 3 Apr 2014,
with the purpose of commemorating the beginning of World
War One and also looking at the leadership challenges which
were faced by the Officers and Soldiers of the war, by
partaking in Battlefield studies and a wreath laying ceremony
on the final day at the Thiepval memorial. The CO, Lt Col
Dallyn MBE, and WO2 (RQMS) Heathcote, along with other
Officers, SNCOs and JNCOs were also in attendance, from
different Squadrons within the Regiment. The afternoon was spent looking at the battle of Mesen 1917,
where magnificently long tunnels were dug to lay tons of
explosives under the German lines. No easy feat in the clay
fields of Ypres as our guide further elaborated. The Battle of
Mesen was also where the Germans first used gas, to some
success, though after both sides had had some own goals.
On visiting Hill 60, the opportunity was taken to make
members of the Regiment adorn various gas personal
protection equipment as the development of the gas was
explained using various exhibits.
The first stage was to get from Corsham to Calais via the Euro
Shuttle. Once we had arrived in Calais we set out for our first
Battlefield Tour of the week around the Ypres Salient which
was called First Shots and 8 Brigades battles. This consisted
of our Military Historian, Maj (Retd) Tim Saunders MBE,
guiding our Tour of the Battle of Mons, where we were
briefed at several different battlefields about the events of 23
Aug 1914. This covered information from the Units on the
ground fighting that day to the Soldiers and Officers who
were awarded various Military awards for their actions. The
day was rounded off by a visit to the St Symphorian
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery where the
UK government will hold a centenary commemoration of
World War One on 4 Aug this year.
After this we briefly stopped at the Ljzer-Leper canel at Essex
Farm, where Lt Col John McRae wrote In Flanders Fields.
With this poem in our minds, we moved to the nearby
Commonwealth Cemetery where a 15 year old Rifleman,
Valetine Sturdwick is buried. His story is quite outstanding,
after being injured for a first time he returned to France to
fight again, at 15 and knowing what he was going back to;
brave just doesn’t seem enough to describe him. From the
looks on the faces of the school kids we shared the cemetery
with for that hour, they too must have been deep in
contemplation over this. We then moved to the Passchendale
museum where outfits were adorned with those of the
Tommy and the Hun, weapon systems were handled and
bayonets and entrenchment tools were swung with vigour.
There is something to be said about a Gurkha soldier dressed
as a German soldier complete with “spikey” hat and all.
CO
RSM
Lt Col EA Dallyn MBE
WO1 (RSM) JA Garner
On day 2 we travelled to Ypres, where many famous battles
took place and the one we focused on was the Battle of
Gheluvelt, where The 2nd Worcestershire Battalion had
broken the German offensive by using bayonet offensive
tactics, even though the they were massively out numbered.
Later we also visited different memorials such as the
memorial for The London Scottish (TA) Regiment situated just
outside of Messines. Another site was the memorial for the
Christmas Truce (Treve de Noel) where the Allies and
Opposition called a cease fire for Christmas day which is
widely regarded as a symbol of peace and humanity amongst
such terrible acts of war. We also saw the area in which
Winston Churchill commanded the 6 Royal Scottish Fusiliers
during his time in the War.
After the day's events the final stop was to visit The Irish
Peace Tower. The site was built in 1998 to commemorate the
fallen, wounded and missing Irish Soldiers of both World
Wars. The first two days had built a basic knowledge of the
early events of World War One while building up to following
events in a chronological order.
Day three started with the OC 243, Maj Nick Wood, dragging
his bags up to reception to check out, only to be told he was
24 hours early. A belated April fools joke on reception? On
boarding the coach we moved onwards to our first stop of
the day, the Barvian wood, more precisely White Sheets
Ridge, where the Germans held the high ground for much of
the war and a one Korporal Adolf Hitler won his first Iron
Cross. Still, all this was soon put out of our minds as we
departed the bus to calls from our guide to mind the traffic
and gather round two World War One UXOs lying next to the
side of the road. A few glares of concern were shared back
30
The long day was brought to a close at 2000 hrs with the last
post ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres and the laying of the
wreath by members of the Regiment, followed by some
children from New Zealand on a school trip performing the
Hakka to the 1000 or more onlookers.
Day four started with shameless calls of “OC Sir, can I carry
your bags to the bus”, by SSM 243, WO2 (SSM) Tony Raby,
shame on you. The day was spent around various battlefields
on the Somme discussing attacks and counter attacks,
successes and failures. We stopped at Ulster Tower Moreland
and took time to reflect on Rifleman Billy McFadden who won
the VC diving on two hand grenades to save his comrades.
Both the day and the tour concluded with a group photo and
the wreath laying and a few quite moments of reflection at
the Thiepval Memorial where names of 72,000
Commonwealth soldiers are listed, whose graves are
unknown on the battle fields of the Somme.
225 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj G Johnston
WO2 (SSM) MJ Hepworth
10 Sig Regt CO’s Rugby 7s & Sportsman’s Dinner
– by Cpl A Hilton
The Rugby 7s team from 225 Sig Sqn (ECM(FP)) was selected
from the vast abundance of experienced and available
personnel within the Sqn. As a result the team ended up
consisting of a few relatively inexperienced youngsters mixed
in with more experienced old farts!
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Arriving in Aldershot the night before the event, we were
treated to 5* accommodation - camp cots! On our arrival at
the Rugby pitches the following morning it became apparent
that we had brought the legendary NI weather with us, as we
chuckled watching an 18x24 get blown across the pitches.
After a somewhat heated and emotional 7’s tournament the
results were in, we managed a humbling 3rd place out of 4, at
least we weren’t last! Not a bad effort for a team of new
players and pensioners! However the tournament wasn’t
without its dramas, with an injury (weakness) preventing SSgt
(FofS) Roger from even attending due to a broken nose! Cpl
Frost was flattened in the first game following a brilliant try
down the right wing, which left him with a large egg shaped
swelling above his eye and LCpl Ryley suffered a fat lip from a
well placed tackle. It wasn’t just the junior ranks that took a
beating though, with SSgt (YofS) Falinski managing to get
laid out for a good sixty seconds. WO2 (SSM) Hepworth
would not allow me to submit these notes without a mention
of his hat-trick of tries in the final game, rounded off by an
80m sprint for the try line (Dad run!).
After a couple of hours of “admin” (drinking) we boarded the
transport to take us to the Emirates Stadium. A delightful
drive through London at rush hour was a rare gift! As
someone that has no interest in football at all, it was a tedious
and unfortunately dry sixty minute tour of the Stadium; I was
however assured from keen football followers that it was a
pretty big deal! Following the tour we were free to attack the
buffet which as you can imagine, was rapidly destroyed! Next
up was the Sportsman’s Dinner Awards Ceremony that saw
several sets of Sports Colours being awarded to our Sqn.
These included: Capt Allen, Capt Dixon and Cpl McGlade.
The ceremony included a guest speaker, an old Arsenal player
called Charlie George who certainly had a way with words! At
00:30 hours the bar was unfortunately closed and we boarded
the transport back to Aldershot. All in all a decent
experience, and one which was educational too. I had no idea
that the Corps took part in so many sports.
Bletchley Park - by Sgt Beesley
On the cold morning of Tues 25 Mar 14 the four person strong
contingent from 225 Sig Sqn (ECM(FP)) witnessed the famous
Northern Irish Sunrise in order to catch the ‘red eye’ flight
back to the mainland for the 10 Sig Regt management day at
Bletchley Park.
Sgt Gunn and SSgt Parker enjoy ‘A good porking’
After an uneventful journey we met the rest of the Regiment
in the grand foyer of Bletchley Park and began our tour of the
grounds which, luckily, started outside where we were
thanked for bringing the wonderful Irish rain. After getting a
little damp we entered the museum to see some hidden gems
of the amazing work that transpired some 70 years earlier,
with SSgt Parker and Sgt Jones seeming to have a ‘tech off’
trying to get their heads around one of the full scale replicas
of the Turing Bombe, which was a huge electromechanical
device about the size of an old Ptarmigan Truck used by
British cryptologists to help decipher German Enigma machine
encrypted secret messages during World War Two.
Having worked less than a mile from Bletchley Park for over
five years and now seeing some of the great history so easily
accessible, it’s highly recommended and was a great place to
bring together the whole unit.
Horse Riding - by Sgt Al Beesley
10SR Football Corp ‘Plate’ Semi Finals – by Cpl Harker
After a seven year absence from the Province my first
Wednesday in work was, well not strictly in work; horse riding
in the lovely countryside of Ballymoney to say farewell to our
beloved 2IC, Capt Emma Allen, who would be departing for
the beautiful grounds of Cambridge OTC. With a great
turnout from the Sqn and the arrival of the CO, Lt Col Dallyn,
and WO1 (RSM) Garner we headed on our merry way chasing
the rare Northern Ireland sunshine. On arrival we were issued
our fetching velvet helmets and riding boots then put into
groups of riding ability where we were matched up with our
horses and, for some, ‘beasts of doom’. After a warm up ride
through the gorgeous fields to shake out and overcome
nerves we were all placed into teams for a spot of horse play
in the paddock.
With the Regiment being knocked out of the main
competition we were entered into the Plate. We were drawn
away against 16 Signal Regiment, which meant Road Trip.
It became quickly apparent that even though the RSM was in
the novice group he had found his inner cowboy, trotting
away without a care in the world and almost bringing his
team to victory, with a bit of rule bending. To decide the
winning team Sgt Kelly Tweedie and Sgt ‘Bennie’ Hill had a
break-dance saddle off, to which one was left eating dirt and
the other performing like a ballerina in record breaking time.
After a great day out and feeling a little saddle sore all the
seniors were invited back to Maj Johnston's house for a slap
up curry and the worlds hottest chilli accompanied by copious
amounts of cake and a beer or two. After getting smoked out
over the garden fire pit, it was time to say farewell to Capt
Emma Allen who will be sorely missed but will always part of
the Ghostbusters.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Players assembled at Azimghur Barracks (21 SR) on the
morning of Tuesday 27 May for the long drive to Elmpt via
Aldershot to pick up the rest of the squad. Once the team
was complete we headed off for the Eurotunnel for the epic
drive across Europe and with some bad music pumping out of
the speakers from Sgt Matthew Campbell, it made the
journey even more painful. We arrived in the early evening
and once accommodation was sorted we headed out for food
and then Shannon’s bar for some light refreshment, but not
too many as it was a big game the next day.
Match day arrived and we had a light training session on the
morning just to shake out the travel from the previous day
and also for the management to get his final starting 11.
Kick off arrived and with a rousing speech from the manager
(SSgt Richie Partridge) in the changing room, we headed out
onto the pitch. The game was end to end with some amazing
saves from the new addition to the team in the form of Cpl
Andy Harker. The match ended 1-1 and extra time was
required. Extra time came and went and with some shocking
defending the score ended 3-3. Penalties loomed.
Toss of the coin meant 10 Sig Regt were taking their penalty
first. In it went 1-0. Up stepped 16SR. Shot taken and hit the
post, still 1-0. 10SR then made it 2-0. 16SR came again for
31
their 2nd penalty – SAVED by Cpl Harker. 10SR up again, 3-0.
16SR finally hit the back of the net to make it 3-1. Decisive
penalty now for 10SR and up stepped Cpl Harker straight out
of goal and Boom 4-,1 game over. The team then decided to
play “all pile on” and nearly crushed Cpl Harker, who was at
the bottom of the pile.
Everyone then showered and changed and into the Wall and
Willow for some exceptional hosting by 16 Sig Regt and a well
deserved beverage for all. Once the evening activities had
ceased and everyone had a good night’s sleep it was time for
the long drive back to UK and with some sore heads aboard,
the journey was pretty quiet with nearly everyone asleep for
the whole duration.
10SR Corps Rugby 7s – by Cpl Harker
On a lovely May morning members from the Regiment
descended upon Cardiff for the annual Corps 7s Rugby
Tournament. With members of the Regiment here, there and
everywhere the morning of the tournament was the first time
that most people had actually met each other.
The groups were drawn and 10 SR were against 22 SR, 14 SR
and 21SR (B) teams respectively. The games were going to be
7 minutes per half with a one minute half time. There were 4
magnificent trophies on offer for the day. As only 8 teams
had entered, half were going to end the day with a trophy.
Our first game was against 22 Sig Regt which was a hard
fought game as both teams were fresh and ready to go, but
the outcome was only going to go one way, which was a
victory for ourselves. So first game down and nerves were
slightly settled. The next game was even harder as we were
up against 14 Sig Regt. Even with the buzz of winning the first
game we succumbed to a defeat to the Tournaments eventual
champions. The final game in the group was against 21 Sig
Regt B. This was a must win game so that we could progress
into the Plate Final. With defeat not an option we didn’t give
the 21 SR team a chance and we were running in try after try.
weeks before the Force Troops Command Operational
Shooting Competition (OSC) in Sennybridge Camp, but
started slowly due to the minibus taking an unplanned detour
en route from Colerne…
Once the firing got under way the task facing the training
team (SSgt Kenny Campbell and Sgt Jim Wright) became
apparent. It was safe to say the standard was well below
what was needed to compete in the competition! However,
through hard work and sheer determination, the whole team
zeroed to their weapon and shooting began to improve.
Day 2 saw running introduced ias well as shooting (just to
make life easier) as the competitions involved movement as
well as fire. The initial run ended with Cpl Connarty falling
over and, due to the competitive streak of other members of
the team, no one stopped to help, leaving him with a few cuts
and bruises! As the week wore on a vast improvement was
seen with the shooting of the whole team, and due to some
outside commitments only 12 people were left available for
the team and as that was number needed for the
competition, no one could be kept in reserve.
We moved back to Colerne after the training in Sennybridge
was complete to focus on learning the shoots that would be
involved in the competition. This gave us a chance to enjoy a
team bonding night, so we went for a meal and a few social
drinks. However, Sgt Jim Wright failed to mention that
running was involved the next day and there were some less
than happy people!
Lunch time arrived and the scores tallied up the results and
the fixtures for the afternoon games were announced. 10 Sig
Regt had landed 18 Sig Regt as both teams finished 2nd in
their respective groups. This was for the Plate.
The final game was upon us and sadly for the Regiment it was
one game too many, with 18 SR running in 4 tries to our 1.
The overall outcome was that we came 4th on the day, which
is not bad considering most had never seen each other let
alone, trained together before.
241 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj HC Cairns
WO2 (SSM) C Deal
Squadron Update
With the upcoming move to Bicester Garrison, 241 Sig Sqn has
focused its efforts on preparing its people and equipment.
Paired with this Unit move is the Squadron's continued focus
on Ops and overseas tasks, as well as support to a variety of
other units exercises in preparation for deployment. Despite
all this, most are looking forward to the move to Bicester and
a future home for the Installation Technician trade.
Exercise BRUNO HOTSHOT and the Operational Shooting
Competition - by LCpl John
241 Signal Squadron deployed with a team of 15 willing
volunteers on Ex BRUNO HOTSHOT which was renamed
(unofficially) to “KENNY’S GUN CLUB”! Training began 2
32
The team converting rounds to empty brass…
The Friday before the OSC the team travelled up to Pirbright
to try a few of the ranges that would be used and finally put
practice into action. The shooting that we had worked on so
much seemed to revert to pre-training standards, as the
scores were nowhere near the scores attained in Sennybridge.
Monday came and with it the start of the OSC. Excitement
and nerves had built within the team. Initially scores were
lower than hoped, but as time went on scores improved
vastly and confidence within the team grew. Wednesday
came and like the day before scores improved further and our
standing within the Corps teams rose sharply.
The most important shoots came on the Thursday with the
obstacle shoot and the falling plates shoot in the afternoon.
Once again, nerves set in as over 400 competitors were
watching both shoots. 10SR Team A were first to tackle the
obstacle shoot and managed to get through unscathed and in
a good time. 10SR Team B were next to go and a lack of
confidence left Cpl Rodgers kneeling upon the floor but none
of the other team members were using him as a bunk over
the obstacles. However, 10SR Team C were to bring the
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The team setting off on a movement element of the OSC
biggest laugh to all spectators. The first two obstacles
weren’t a problem for Team C, but once Cpl Dave ‘Gimley’
Taylor reached the high wall, cries of laughter were heard
from the crowd when he couldn’t quite make it.
Unfortunately for Team C this cost and they timed out.
Following the obstacle shoot it was time for the falling plate
and first up were Teams A and B. Unfortunately both teams
were knocked out, with Team A just being edged out on the
final plate. All was not lost as during the presentations that
night Cpl ‘Sunny’ Sunnawar walked away with best pistol
shot. Despite not winning overall, the team developed well
over the course of the competition and look forward to next
year's challenge!
FA Cup - by SSgt Sherratt
It came as a great surprise to me to be invited to do this
presentation job as those who know me know my level of
sporting knowledge isn’t vast. In fact when I was asked to do
some football thing I very nearly turned it down. After
checking the internet I discovered it was football match
between Hull (which I am told by Sgt Craig Larkins is “The
Mighty ULL”) and Arsenal (who I am told by Capt John
Thompson play in Red) at Wembley (which Capt Jim Roberts
informed me is in London).
As it turned out a lot of people got quite excited by this and
for the entire day my phone didn’t stop going off with texts
all reading “Don’t drop it”; so thanks all, especially Capt Alex
Mitchell for reminding me of this from his first text at about
0800 to his last one at about 2200.
My big job for the day was to hang around the tunnel in
uniform “guarding” the cup and base, followed by taking the
base off the engraver at the end and carrying it up to the
royal box for “Wills” to hand over to the winners.
The day started with bacon butties and a Costa coffee,
followed by a quick extra rehearsal carrying the gear out into
the Royal Box, like walking is hard. After the 4th rehearsal I
had pretty much mastered walking. We were then shown to
our changing room which was right between the Arsenal
changing room and Leona Lewis’. It was nice, proper fridges
filled with bottled water, sandwiches, crisps, cake, chocybars
and fruit, enough even to get rid of SSgt ‘Alfie’ Garnetts
munchies and certainly better than a normal Army death box.
Unfortunately we then had to leave our phones and cameras
in the changing rooms so my plan of getting snap happy went
out of the window, sorry SSM Chris Deal, no photos of
footballers for you, but I’m sure you can find photos of
sweaty men rolling around with each other on the “net”.
During the match build up there were 6 or 7 guys in suits who
came for a bit of a chat in the tunnel, as it turns out they were
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
quite famous footballers. I
was told some of their
names but I can only
remember Ginola, Mark
Wright and I think it was ???
Dixon's names, like I said
I’m not really a football fan,
I’m sure if SSgt Dave Keen
had been there he could
have named them all. There
were then other people I’ve
seen on the tele who kept
popping over to say hi,
wanting to take selfies of
me, the cup and them. I
don’t get the whole selfie
thing, perhaps SSgt Sharon
Keen can explain it to me
sometime, not that I was
complaining when some
girls band wanted in on the
action.
Once the ground started filling up the atmosphere and
tension in the tunnel started building up too. The players
looked a bit nervy as they filled past us (I was quite surprised
how short a lot of them were, I suppose its only to be
expected because when I think of the likes of SSgt Micky
Partridge and SSgt Chris Sankey, who are my only good
footballing buddies as they are virtually dwarfs too).
I have to say that the noise when they went out was
impressive and when the national anthem was sung it was
pretty inspiring and Leona Lewis looked “gooooood”. I’m not
going to do a match commentary but some blokes scored
some goals and it dragged on into extra time which meant
even longer standing around waiting to take the cup
“upstairs”. Once it finished and Arsenal won, I whipped off
the old Hull ribbons from the cup, some bloke in a suit
pointed out to me that it was the red and white ones which
needed to stay on and the black and orange ones that had to
come off, which could have been embarrassing. I stuffed the
ribbons in my pocket, grabbed the stuff and bombed up the
stairs and boy were there a lot! I was blowing by the time I
got to the top, so more phys required eh SSgt Kenny
Campbell. There was time for a quick deep breath and then
stampy stampy marchy marchy, not quite up to your standard
WO1 ‘Red’ Davies (a Mech attempting drill, never a pretty
site), then out onto the Royal Walk with a TV camera right in
my face trying not to laugh.
We then headed back down the tunnel. Some of the sweaty
footballers skulked off into one of the dressing rooms, some
of the other sweaty footballers were jumping around spraying
champagne and singing with all the associated hangers on.
So I got changed back into my civis and headed home,
stopping for another Costa on the way (other coffee brands
are available eh Capt Chris Swann, the next brew is on you).
Brunei Garrison Infrastructure Surge Task - by Cpl St-Pierre
In early April 2014, a group of men from 10 Signal Regiment
deployed to Brunei on a two week surge task. The team was
headed by Cpl St-Pierre from Hotel (Bruggen) Troop. The
main tasks to be completed were the fibre backbone cable
replacements, totalling six. These fibre optic cables were the
backbone links for the DII cross site connection between the
Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess and Medicina Lines, as
well as Turker Lines. A total of 3.5 km of multi-mode fibre
optic cables were installed between the various departments.
The task ahead was extremely challenging as the majority of
the work was to be outdoors in extremely hot and humid
33
The tail-end of the team had made up good time and finally
we hit Gloucester. Sgt Andy Poole physically hit Gloucester,
falling over at a round-about onto the bike of FofS(IS) Rich
Vernon (repaying the favour from earlier). A quick group
picture and a bite to eat saw the cycle back to Bristol
continue. Unfortunately the afternoon session proved more
difficult on the legs and morale than that of the morning
session. The sun relentlessly continued to beat down and the
conversation had slowed to the odd game of eye spy and
numerous shouts of ‘are we there yet’. With more hills taking
their toll on tired legs the last 30 miles seemed to take forever
with the final 10 miles taking even longer.
Cpl St-Pierre (241) and LCpl Williams (81) showcasing Regular/
Reserve integration
weather conditions and as a result extensive health and safety
briefs (the joys!) were given to each team member and local
instruction was provided prior to the project commencing.
Due to health and safety concerns, a minimum team size of 2
was specified in exceptional circumstances, nevertheless the
team members mostly worked in two main groups. There
was a maximum surge size of 5 during the initial phase of the
project but subsequently that number was increased to 7 as
we were later joined by two additional team members from
our sister reserve Sqn, 81 Sig Sqn.
Heads were down and teeth were grinding with every turn of
the wheel. Turning left at a junction with a sign saying 8 miles
to Bristol resulted in the teams morale disappear with sheer
determination taking over. Riding up the last hill and turning
into the stadium the team was greeted with applause and
cheers; we had made it with no injuries or punctures. Seeing
the early starters already changed, there was time for a quick
team photo and the handing out of BRUNO BEAR BIKERS
T-shirts. Realising that Maj Nick Wood had the wrong size
T-shirt, it came to light that Sgt Andy Poole had completed
the event with Maj Woods’ Large’ T-shirt on. This was happily
swapped for a nice fresh clean top and thankfully it was then
time to pack up and head home. Money continues to roll in
and hopefully our efforts will be rewarded with a reasonable
donation to both charities.
The overall performance of the team was a success through
hard work and determination. The task was completed within
time and to a very high standard. Despite the challenges, we
were able to persevere as we were a highly motivated team.
243 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj N Wood
WO2 (SSM) A Raby
Exercise BRUNO BEAR BIKERS
- by SSgt (FofS(IS)) Melanie Vernon
It was a bright and early start on Sunday 1 June 14 and the
BRUNO BEAR Riders were packing their cars and vans with
bikes, gel supplements and donning on their cycle tops, ready
to make the long journey to Bristol Memorial Rugby Club
hoping to raising money for the ABF and the Rugby club. The
team of six were participating in a 105 mile charity cycle from
Bristol with a round route through Bath and Gloucester. With
the sun shining down on the stadium the team split with the
CO, Maj Wood and Capt Sillito taking the lead whilst Sgt
Poole and both the FofS(IS) Vernons still travelling from
Andover. With registration complete, it was time for the
stragglers to make up some ground.
Morale was high as the team rolled happily along clocking up
the miles at a leisurely pace through some enjoyable flat cycle
paths, incorporating an old railway line which we all agreed
would be an ideal place to ‘train’. Cycling out of Bath had led
us to the bottom of the hill from hell! Faced with our first
mammoth ascent that seemed to carry on forever, getting
steeper after every corner, it was head down, grit the teeth
and feel the burn. We were finally relieved to see a group of
cyclists at the top taking a well deserved break. Thankfully
there was also a mobile maintenance van, as clumsily FofS(IS)
Rich Vernon decided to take this opportunity to fall onto Sgt
Poole's bike, bending the spokes on his back wheel! The cycle
to Gloucester saw us stop only to replenish water bottles and
grab a handful of morale in the form of Haribos. This much
needed rush of sugar kept us re-fuelled for our journey.
34
Exercise JOINT WARRIOR - by Cpl Paul Abbott
It was a cold wet Friday morning when we departed Army
Headquarters for Plymouth and the boarding of HMS
Bulwark, the Navy's flagship for Ex JOINT WARRIOR 2014.
Commander UK Task Group embarked in HMS Bulwark,
commanding the UK Responsive Task Force Group (RFTG),
For context , the RFTG is the United Kingdom's high readiness
maritime force, comprising ships, submarines, aircraft and a
landing force of Royal Marines, at short notice to act in
response to any contingency tasking if required. In total,
Exercise JOINT WARRIOR was to involve circa 34 naval units
(31 ships and 3 submarines) from the UK, US, Netherlands,
France, Denmark, Turkey and Norway.
My journey started alongside 3 members of Fleet Electronic
Warfare Support Group (FEWSG) Petty Officer (PO) Jonny
Fallon, Able Seaman (AB) Alice Hebditch and AB ‘Scouse’ Hill.
The four of us took comfortable seat in our Navy issued Ford
Fiesta with two weeks of personal kit and equipment for a
two hour drive down the A303 to Plymouth.
Upon arrival at Plymouth we were ready to commence the
boarding process. We quickly discovered that HMS Bulwark
had already set sail to complete a series of sea trials for a
newly fitted component. We were informed that we would
be joining the ship later in the day along with CO 3 Cdo Bde
and the Fleet Commander via Landing Craft Personnel (LCP).
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
After a very long leg stretch around RMB Stonehouse, we
made our way down to the jetty where we met the fifth
member of our little team, LCpl Jimmy Large, a Royal Marine
Commando from Arbroath who had driven down to Plymouth
to meet the ship.
Once on board we were shown to our mess. This turned out
to be the transit mess at the back of the ship, shared with the
rest of 3 Cdo Bde. They took great pleasure in showing a land
lubber such as me the ropes on board. This included bed bags
(a stuff sack to store bedding in the event of hot racking (the
sharing of a bed during action stations)), rounds and anti flash
drills (the donning of fire retardant IPE during action stations
to prevent flash burns in the event short duration flame
exposure and heat). The ship hadn’t even slipped its anchor
and I wanted to get off! However, as the only Corp
representative on board I decided to make the best of it
carving out a little corner of the mess where I could wedge
myself to avoid falling over if we were hit by a rogue wave.
We pulled into Faslane to take on G4 supplies including LCpl
Large's equipment. From this point we would be sailing at
action stations, this meant 12 hour shifts with all non essential
equipment lashed down. PO Fallon was on shift in the comms
room, AB Hebditch and LCpl Large were working in the J2 cell
and with the departure of AB Hill due to family issues, it fell
to me to learn how to use the inhibiting equipment.
After several abortive attempts and a few RF burns I managed
to figure it out… Don’t cross the streams! My days were
then spent perfecting the process and tweaking the kit to its
optimum working level. During this ‘trial and error’ period
Capt ‘Chesney’ Johnson decided that it may be a good idea to
play deceptive messages to the enemy at the point of landing.
He then locked himself in his office for 3 days and came up
with 2 messages that were to be played over the equipment
as the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) hit the beach. We loaded
the messages and sat back pleased with our work keenly
waiting H hour.
Due to everybody else finding flimsy excuses, I was chosen
from a cast of one to be the operator aboard the first wave
LCU. With 36 hours worth of kit and a heavy heart I boarded
LCU 7. This lead LCU allowed me to control the other 4
inhibiting equipments lashed to the other LCUs. With the sea
‘pitching and rolling’ the flat bottomed LCU left HMS Bulwark
to RV with the rest of the landing party 10 miles off the
Scottish coastline. We RV’d with the other landing craft at the
FUP without incident but our luck stopped there. I was
informed over the radio that the messages we had created
had been rejected by a higher authority so I was not to play
them. This meant that I had to quickly rewrite the plan so
that the Inhibiting equipment didn’t play the messages and
only played the barrages at certain times. With this done I sat
back in the wheel house to watch the show unfold.
The first landing craft hit the beach on cue with the initial
serial coming to life. My joy was short-lived as the Tactical
Radio reported the Dutch LCU had been a little over zealous
in its approach and had beached itself. This meant we were
now less an LCU until high tide could re-float it. This was
compounded by the second Dutch LCU disappearing from the
radar screen presenting a significant problem. Fortunately we
found it 2 minutes later; unfortunately it was greeted with an
almighty lurch and screech of metal as LCU 7 collided with the
Dutch LCU. SSgt ‘Tug’ Gibbs, the LCU 7 pilot, quickly
deployed the engineer to assess the damage as he
manoeuvred away. The initial report was not good. We had
badly damaged the front ramp and were taking on water fast.
With the report on the bleak side it was decided that we
would make our run to the beach next to get everybody
ashore before disaster struck.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Once the Marines had been landed it was time to investigate
the front ramp further. A technical fix was required and with
the help of a 6lb sledge hammer and an oversized spanner,
the ramp was lifted enough to prevent further water ingress
and we turned for home. On returning to HMS Bulwark and
now out of darkness, the full extent of the damage to LCU
could be seen. It was immediately declared U/S until a new
ramp could be fitted.
So, to summarize; my 36 hour adventure on the high seas
turned out to be a 6 hour nightmare. Because of the rapid
advance of the Cdo group it was decided by Y Sqn RM (EW)
that the Inhibiting had done its job and was no longer
required. My job over the next 36 hours was to remove the
equipment from the LCUs when they refuelled, in preparation
for extraction back to HMS Collingwood.
The next day it was announced over the intercom that HMS
Bulwark would be returning early to Plymouth due to a
problem with the propulsion system which was still under
support contract. It was pointed out to everybody aboard
that we would still continue to support Ex JOINT WARRIOR
from dock side in Plymouth. This meant that anti flash drills,
fire drills, anti aircraft and vessel drills would continue at the
same pace but they would be notional instead of live.
Over the next few days you could feel the whole ship slowly
relax a little. This probably had something to do with the fact
that the galley and gym were not heaving with Cdo’s, allowing
a little more space for everybody aboard.
With Ex JOINT WARRIOR complete, we were allowed down
the gangway onto dry land. I felt a little melancholy; I had
made new friends and experienced new things I had never
done before. Despite all of the ups and downs I had really
enjoyed my time aboard… Not enough to consider a service
transfer but enough that I would volunteer for next year’s
JOINT WARRIOR if given the opportunity.
251 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj G Darke
WO2 (SSM) M Cope
Squadron Update – by Capt Benjy Brown
Having settled into Sqn life with apparent ease, Maj Darke has
been focussing on getting his ceremonial dress into shape,
taking bulling and polishing lessons from OC 3 (London)
Troop, Lt Chris Gammond. WO2 (SSM) Cope has had no such
problems with this side of life and has been ensuring the Sqn
maintain a balanced approach to both the ceremonial and
military training.
The Sqn has been focussed on the build up to the spring/
summer ceremonial season, working at a number of the
Queen’s Garden Parties and culminating in the State Opening
of Parliament and the Trooping of the Colour, high profile
events that the soldiers take pride in attending.
Hot on the heels of the ceremonial season are a number of
exercises in support of the Technical Response Force, and
significant preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth
Games, and support to the Invictus Games, an event where
injured soldiers from a number of nations have the chance to
compete against one another in a variety of disciplines.
Inter-Unit Triathlon – by Lt David Seaton
On 21 May a crack team of multi-discipline athletes assembled
at 251 Signal Squadron to represent 10 Signal Regiment at the
Royal Signals Triathlon Championships in Colerne. Despite the
early start and last minute team changes, Sgt ‘Lymes’ Patrick
35
home for the next two days, and the females were put up in
the squash courts, but found out later that they actually had
hot showers, so we think there was some sort of conspiracy
on 2 Signal Regiment's behalf by trying to make our living
conditions as uncomfortable as possible to give their team
some advantage.
Cpl Pinnington and Sgt
Patrick making some last
minute technical adjustments
2Lt Robins in transition from
the swim to the cycle
managed to cajole four other members of the Squadron and
acquired sufficient equipment to participate - Lt Seaton
obtained FofS Cadogan's fetching pink road bike which
disappointingly lacked handlebar tassels or spoke beads.
Arriving in good time at 21SR’s home ground, the group set up
at the transition station, undertook some last minute
adjustments and waited for the day to begin by getting some
facetime with the sunshine.
Following the opening brief and short warm-up the even
shorter 2Lt Robins set off in the first wave. Fortunately she
had managed to procure a tri suit, but unfortunately this
meant that the rest of the event participants were deprived
of witnessing the 50m dash from the pool to the transition
station in her bikini. Thirty minutes later the latest attached
officer at 251, Lt ‘Lance Attachee’ Seaton, set off for the first
triathlon he was thoughtfully volunteered for. Sgt Patrick
and Cpl ‘Wings’ Pinnington donned their swim caps and
began in the 5th wave and Capt ‘Tango’ Brown joined the
professionals in the subsequent wave. After 16 lengths of the
25m pool, a 21km road cycle and an unpleasant transition to a
5km run, all competitors crossed the finish line in varying
states of athletic show. Capt Brown managed to beat Cpl
Pinnington, despite not having a set of wings embroidered on
his shorts, and achieved the best time from the unit.
Happily all competitors, including the previously reluctant
novices, from the 10 Signal Regiment team have been
encouraged to attempt further triathlons in the coming
months, improve their times further and bring some
silverware home for the Regiment.
10 Signal Regiment Race the Sun 2014 – by Sgt Evans
On 29 May 2014, 2 Signal Regiment hosted this years Race the
Sun, held in the sunny Dales of good old North Yorkshire with
a record of 29 teams entering.
After being handed the task of OIC picking the Regimental
team in April 2014, my work was cut out to get a 30 man team
from across the Regiment to partake in a 15 Stage sporting
event from running, cycling, marching, swimming and
kayaking over 182 miles of North Yorkshire’s most scenic
roads, forests and lakes between sunrise and sunset.
Having chosen my admin team of SSgt (FofS) Bev Cadogan,
Cpl Col Marten and LCpl Luke Bailey, I knew things would run
smoothly and that the team would be well looked after.
As most people are probably aware, we are quite a diverse
Regiment with Sqns in Northern Ireland, Aldershot, Andover,
Colerne and our RHQ in Corsham, so trying to get our team
together took a lot of phone calls and begging emails to
release manpower and the last minute dropouts due to injury
that make our Regiment unique.
So on arrival in York, the males were introduced to the
delights of 2 Signal Regiment's gym which we would call
36
Then the morning of the race arrived, and it was a 0500hrs
start for our budding Kayaker Sgt Andy Poole. SSgt (FofS)
Cadogan, Capt Benjy Brown and I made sure we were there
at the start to see him off on his 500m dash to the river
followed by 6km paddle along the River Ouse. There was
then a mad dash in the car to try and meet Sgt Poole at the
finish line. On arrival, 2 competitors had already finished in
record time. Sig Jimmy Baker was already warming up ready
for handover for the arduous river run of 12km along the river
bank. Sgt Poole arrived at the finish line shortly after us, to
then hand over to Sig Baker. On the team brief the night
before, it was made quite clear that there was a rather large
bull in the field prior to the finish line, and the advice given
was either run around him or take a chance and run past him.
I know what I would have done!!
SSgt Torode, SSgt (FofS) Cadogan and Capt Brown looking
happy at 0500hrs!!
Again it was a mad dash to the end of the leg, with some
superb navigating by SSgt (FofS) Cadogan, and some safe
driving by me to make it to the start of the next leg, where
Cpl Luke Christian and LCpl Ray Dowson were waiting with
anticipation for their leg consisting of a 7km run and 27km
cycle. Sig Baker arrived at the end of his leg to handover
covered head to toe in mud, and kindly explaining that the
ground was very muddy and slippery, hence why it took so
long to get to the finish!! Cpl Christian flew out of the blocks
as we knew we had a bit of catching up to do. At this stage,
we were sat in about 10th place overall. The admin team
moved forward to the transition area to pick up any loose kit
that might be left behind after they changed to their bikes.
Cpl Christian made up about 4 places on the run, with LCpl
Dowson not too far behind.
On arrival at the start of Leg 4, a 5km hill run, LCpl Jake Gual
and Sig Brad Avery were taking cover in a 9x9 trying to keep
warm and stay out of the rain which was slowly descending
on North Yorkshire. We arrived just before Cpl Christian
powered over the line on his bike to handover to LCpl Gual
and Sig Avery. This was going to be a cheeky little run up
quite a steep incline, a 1 in 5 hill….rather them than me!! We
were unable to see the handover to Leg 5 where Sig Dean
Cripps was waiting for his forced march to start over 12.5kms
carrying a load of 15Kgs. Again this was going to a test of his
willpower considering who he was going to have to chase
down. He completed it in just over 90mins, and handed over
to Sgt Lee Wilbor to take on the 10km moor run across the
Rievaulx Moor.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
While this was going on, there was a mass start for the Half
Marathon and we had high hopes with SSgt Brenden Torode
being a Corps cross country runner and finishing well in the
recent Fleet Half Marathon. However his hamstring was to
give up on him, thus making him stop and wait for the safety
vehicle to pick him up and take him to the finish line.
Unbeknown to SSgt Torode, he was only 2 miles from the
finish line and could have walked it allowing us not to pick up
a 15min penalty along with registering the slowest person’s
times….manadin all round we think!! (PS Make sure you hand
back your RTS14 T-shirt).
This had a knock on effect with WO2 (SSM) Marty Cope and
Sgt John Connor waiting in the wings to start their 24km
mountain bike ride. The admin team had covered some
serious miles by this point; this was increased further by some
poor navigating and listening to the SatNav!! However we did
make it with time to spare to see many a mountain biker go
past us with words of encouragement of ‘Not far to go’ and
‘It’s just around the corner’. As we approached the final steep
climb to see if we could see our team members, we noticed
someone at the bottom of the hill pushing their bike up…and
as SSgt (FofS) Cadogan approached them, we noticed it was
WO2 (SSM) Cope not looking very happy, and it was only as
he got closer we noticed he had suffered a front wheel
blowout and had made the schoolboy error of relying on
someone else having a bike pump. As he got to the brow of
the hill, we decided to jog in which can only be described as
probably the longest 2 miles he has ever run. Sgt Connor
brought up the rear in the safety vehicle after also suffering a
blowout and being knocked off his bike into a ditch.
Then it was onto the fell run of 10km, where Lt Col Dallyn
MBE and LCpl Katie Constable were waiting to be released
and hopefully make up some lost time. The admin team then
had to move forward to the lake swim to drop off Capt
Brown and meet up with SSgt (FofS IS) Mel Vernon.
This was our chance to grab a break and some lunch in the
process, which consisted of a quick trip to Morrisons. The
admin team then set up base at the finish of the swim and the
start of the cycle/run leg, where WO2 (YofS) Dai Jones and
SSgt (FofS IS) ‘Vern’ Vernon were being briefed prior to the
start of their leg. The swim was a mass start, and all we could
see was flailing arms and lots of splashing. Whilst waiting for
the swimmers to finish, a message came across the radio
saying that the forest run had been cancelled due to the TAC
signs being incorrectly positioned, much to the relief of SSgt
Lou Underwood and Sgt Winfield Harvey.
As the swimmers approached, there was a 200m dash to
handover to the next leg, and as the first competitor
appeared from behind the bushes, we noticed it was Capt
Brown powering towards the finish line, giving us our first leg
win of the day, with SSgt (FofS IS) Mel Vernon not to far
behind. WO2 (YofS) Jones was so hyped up that he only
performed what can only be described as a controlled wheel
spin, while SSgt (FofS IS) Vernon was still trying to clip his
shoes into his pedals!!
WO2 (YofS) Jones and SSgt (FofS IS)
Vernon making a break from the
starting line
As good as an admin
team that we were, it
was not possible to
get to visit all the legs,
so a big shout out
goes to Capt Richard
Dixon and Cpl Martin
Connarty for
performing well in the
orienteering leg and
Capt Jon Sillito,
having a good leg in
the cycle orienteering.
The finish line for Leg
14 was back on camp, so the admin team moved forward to
be at the line to cheer in the final competitors. As they
started to come in, we soon realised that WO2 (YofS) Jones
and SSgt (FofS IS) Vernon had been caught by what can only
be described as the elite Army tri-athletes, but in all honesty
they only just finished in front, so a good showing all round.
Then came the final leg, a 3km stretcher race on Imphal
Barracks. This consisted of a six man team led by Cpl
Christian. The teams were lined up on the football pitch and
one team member had to do a lap and a half of the pitch,
then pick up the team and stretcher and complete 2 laps of
camp. This was going to be a challenge in itself as the team
had all competed during the day and there was going to be
some tired legs. The team started well, but we faded towards
the end, but it was a good effort all round by the team who
romped home in the middle third.
The presentation came and went with only the top 3 teams
from the Major and Minor units being read out by the 11 Signal
Brigade Commander. Then onto the evenings entertainment
in the style of a BBQ, beer and downtown York!! After
another successful and entertaining Race the Sun 2014, we
are going to be better prepared for next year with new unit
t-shirts and tracksuits to give us that cutting edge over the
other teams!!! 10 Signal Regiment finished 8th out of 13 Major
units and 12th overall out of the 29 teams who entered.
81 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
PSAO
Maj M Arscott
Capt T Rai
81 Sig Sqn shooting team had a great success in the Force
Troops Operational Shooting Competition (FTOSC) held at
Pirbright Ranges on 17 and 18 May. They won the trophy for
the Minor Unit, team A finished 4th out of 10 and team B
finished 8th. LCpl Loughran came second in the Machine Gun
match, which was excellent considering the limited practice
he had, and Sig Wright also put in a very decent performance
in the same match and was very close to a top 3. Sig Carlisle,
who was our G4 support stepped in to deputise for Team B in
the falling plate when Sgt Tomblin had to drop out. Team A
made it to the semi -finals (Royal Signals) in the falling plate
competition.
WO2 (SSM) Cope receiving words of encouragement from SSgt
(FofS) Cadogan!!
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
37
14th SIGNAL REGIMENT
(ELECTRONIC WARFARE)
HAVERFORDWEST
CO
RSM
Lt Col Mark Purves
WO1 (RSM) Gaz Rhoades
223 SIGNAL SQUADRON (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)
OC
SSM
Maj Miles Nettleship
WO2 (SSM) Dave Corcoran
Force Troops Command Operational Shooting Competition
– by Lt James Cook INT CORPS
Having had a brief introduction to the art of long range
marksmanship on Barry Buddon Training Area, the 14 SR(EW)
OSC team headed off to Brunswick Camp on the Sunday prior
to the competition. Armed with enthusiasm, self-assurance
and a sense of humour, the entire team was confident that
they would put in a good account of themselves and they did
not disappoint.
Day 1 began with a last minute change of personnel in the
team, which saw attached officer 2Lt Jenny Dornan take the
reins as Captain a little earlier than expected. This was
followed by a long wait to get onto the practice/zero range fortunately, the fine weather ensured that nobody really
minded the wait too much. In fact, the only complaint
registered was the lack of an ice-cream van! Once the backlog
had cleared, 14SR(EW)’s 8 chosen warriors stepped up to the
point to begin check zeroing and managed to put in some
impressively small groupings in the process. The afternoon
brought the first competition shoot and the realisation that
there was some pretty punchy PT to be done prior to a
number of the shoots. The highlight of the afternoon was
definitely Cpl Ben Demain’s 2nd place in the Machine Gun
Match, a first-rate achievement. Following such a successful
afternoon, the team retired to a local meeting venue in order
to focus on the mechanics of the somewhat complex shoots
that faced us the following day.
Having been woken
unnecessarily early by the
apparently nocturnal Gunners
that the team shared a room
with, Tuesday got off to an
excellent start in so far as the
weather was far more suited
to running around in a combat
smock and Osprey! Following
on from the previous day, the
team continued to succeed at
every shoot with individual
team members clocking up
some impressive scores.
Following a few less impressive
scores the on Monday
Cpl Demain’s Silver in the
afternoon, Tuesday began with
Machine Gun Match
a check-zero session as
recommended by the team 2IC,
who promptly discovered that his less than perfect score at
the end of the day was nothing to do with a poor zero. Cue
endless mocking! Of the 4 matches that day, the highlight
seemed to be the incredibly complex Urban Contact Match
which involved engaging various targets at various ranges
with both rifle and pistol. After the first team had gone
through, Sig Robertson emerged with a huge grin on his face.
The author assumed that he had clearly scored well, however,
38
once within audible range, Sig Robertson confirmed that he
was smiling because he had no idea what he was doing during
the shoot! Despite this, he managed to put in a credible score
along with the rest of the team!
Over the coming 3 days, the shoots got progressively more
difficult with individuals firing SA80s out to 500m on Century
Range at the National Shooting Centre, Bisley, and the
intensity of the physical aspect increasing. Indeed one of the
shoots was preceded by a CASEVAC and another by an ACFT1!
By the end of the week the team had made a good account of
itself, especially considering the limited training available in
the run up to the competition. Cpl Demain was awarded
Silver for his efforts in the Machine Gun Shoot, to rapturous
applause from the Ghurkhas present as they had dominated
almost every other competition. The team overall came third
in the Machine Gun competition and were around mid-table
amongst their fellow Royal Signals teams. Above all, they
were much better marksmen after the FTC OSC and were able
to return to Brawdy in the very firm knowledge from that
moment on, every ACMT would be ’Buckers’!
LCpl Tarling passing on some expert marksmanship advice
226 SIGNAL SQUADRON (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)
OC
SSM
Capt Alex Cave
WO2 (SSM) Baz Harvey
The last month or so has seen a huge amount of change take
place within the Squadron set against a busy schedule of
exercises, sport and normal Squadron routine. Not only has
the Squadron experienced the usual postings in and out, but
we have also been lucky enough to welcome to our ranks a
large number of personnel already within the Regiment.
Following Op Herrick 19 and their return from Theatre, 236
Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare) disbanded as part of the
Regiments restructuring, with all personnel re-orbatted to
other Squadrons. For the Squadron, this has meant that over
20 personnel from 236 Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare)
have now bolstered our ranks, bringing with them swathes of
operational experience and plenty of new faces. Of course,
we welcome them and look forward to the (very busy) future
together.
The main event during this period was Ex WESENDORF
BAYONET, a range camp organised by WO2 (SSM) Baz
Harvey. You could almost hear the Squadron groan when
they were informed that they were to spend two weeks
based out of Barry Buddon Training Camp, Scotland; thoughts
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
of midges and incessant rain sprang to the minds of most.
However, after a twelve hour journey to ‘bonnie Scotland’, we
were greeted by blue skies and uncharacteristic sunshine,
conditions which were to continue (with the odd exception)
for the entire time we were there! Progressing from
‘Grouping and Zeroing’ and the ACMT through pistol ranges
and CQB shoots, the camp culminated in a Section LFTT which
everyone really enjoyed. As well as giving the opportunity to
improve personal weapon handling, a significant number of
MATTs were also completed in the evenings. More
importantly however, the SSM’s insistence on maximum
attendance ensured that this was an ideal opportunity for
everyone to really get to know each other, all the way from
Squadron HQ to the newest of signallers.
As well as Ex WESENDORF BAYONET, Sqn personnel from 640
Troop have spent recent weeks preparing for deployment on
Ex LISTENING LION, a multinational EW exercise organised by
Y Squadron Royal Marines. The exercise is ongoing, so wait
out for an update in the near future!
Sporting success continues to be an ever-present feature of
Squadron life. Leading form the front, Lt Luke Facey and
WO2 (SSM) Baz Harvey were cornerstones of the Regiment’s
entry into Race the Sun. With both Tp Comd and the Sqn SSM
involved, Squadron personnel had nowhere to hide and 10
individuals found themselves either in the team or supporting
in some fashion! In other sports, certain individuals deserve
special mention. In only his first season, LCpl Holt has gone
from strength to strength and after several months of hard
training, has shown himself to be a stalwart of the Regimental
Boxing Team. Similarly, the Squadrons captive-greyhounddisguised-as-a-soldier LCpl Lodowski has also surpassed
himself. Racing at the Army Individual and Inter Corps
Championships, LCpl Lodowski achieved 1st place in the
Individual 400m hurdles (he is now Army Champion!); 3rd
place in the Individual 200m; and helped the Royal Corps of
Signals team achieve an outstanding 2nd place overall! As a
result, he has been selected to race at the Combined Services
and Army Inter Services Championships. No wonder no one
can catch him on a PFA...!
As previously mentioned, the Squadron has undergone a huge
turnover in personnel in recent weeks. Firstly, the Squadron
must welcome all new arrivals, namely Capt Paul Chester,
WO2 (YofS(EW)) Stu Gray and all personnel from 236 Signal
Squadron (Electronic Warfare) as well as those personnel
recently posted in. You have arrived at a busy and exciting
time in the Squadron's history! The Squadron also bids
farewell and thank you to an equally large number of
personnel, including: Maj Issy Bangurah for whom the lure of
civvy street proved too great (good luck!); Capt Ed Gutierrez
who has literally ‘run to the hills’; and WO1 (YofS(EW)) Stu
Fenton who moves across to the Regt Trg Wing. To all those
who have left the Squadron recently (not only those named
here) thank you for your efforts and we wish you well for the
future!
237 SIGNAL SQUADRON (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)
OC
SSM
Maj Jane Ellis
WO2 (SSM) Bruce Morrison
Exercise UNIFIED VISION, Norway – by LCpl Coates
After a short stop in Amsterdam our flight from Birmingham
Airport to Trondheim was done, but the overall journey from
Cawdor Barracks in south Wales to our final destination
Orland Air Station in northern Norway was still a few hours
drive away. We passed through the spectacular fjords and
mountainous passes northern Norway has to offer far too
knackered to appreciate the views and bed was the only
thought on our minds.
Upon arrival our group, including Capt ‘Springsteen’
Matthews, WO2 ‘Ring the Bell’ Hemming, LCpl ‘Half a Job’
Harrison, LCpl ‘Rory’ Brown, Sig ‘Copey’ Cope and myself
settled into our new accommodation, equipped with the
latest in Scandinavian design (cheap Ikea beds that squeaked
at the slightest move). But after a patchy six hour sleep it
was time to get up for breakfast and, more importantly, meet
our civilian colleagues who would then give us clearer
direction on how the next three weeks would pan out.
The ‘exercise’ was to be much more an ISTAR equipment trial
than it was a military exercise. It involved at least a dozen
NATO partners, and the latest air and ground ISTAR assets
available including UAVs and AWACs. Our main aim was to
help trial a new DSTL software called CESMO that aimed to
allow information and intelligence to be shared instantly
across a NATO-wide network, ultimately enabling NATO to
work more efficiently in the future.
We were joined by members of QinetiQ, creators of MEWS (a
range of EW platforms) and a couple of guys from Chemring
(formerly of Roke Manor and creators of Resolve, another EW
platform). By working alongside these Defence Research
companies we could help operate the equipment they had
brought and also identify problems with the CESMO network.
Before the exercise kicked off in full we were able to enjoy
the Norwegian National Day, a day they celebrate their
independence from Sweden and which everyone uses as an
excuse to start drinking at nine in the morning and partying
through to the early hours the next day. When deciding on
having a night out in Norway, be prepared to remortgage
your Mum’s house or sell your grandmother’s jewellery
because at 94Kroner (£9.40) a pint' you can appreciate how
much richer everyone in Norway really is.
The prices in the bar on camp were a more modest 40Kroner
a pint and after a few to settle the nerves, Andy Butler (one
of the guys from Chemring) performed a karaoke rendition of
Elvis Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’ which will stay with me for
life; a complete karaoke masterclass. Besides the prices,
another thing we had all noticed upon arrival to Norway was
how beautiful all the women are. Yes, all the stereotypes are
true! And yes, I did fall in love, about thirty times before the
exercise was over.
There was also an ‘International Night’ where all the nations
put up a stall offering the best their country had to offer for
food and drinks. For the Royal Marines manning the British
stall, it was G&Ts with strawberries and cream. For the
Italians it was pasta and red wine but the show was truly
stolen by the Canadians and their horrible yet popular ‘Moose
Milk’ which can only be described as a s*** mix.
During the day we would man the EW sensors positioned on
the vantage points surrounding the air station, with stunning
views overlooking the fjords. Using the MEWS and Chemring
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
39
equipment we could intercept enemy transmissions and pass
back vital information to the HQ on the air station. After a
long day of intercepting enemy communications and creating
enemy activity reports, there was nothing better than hitting
the gym for an hour and then enjoying the delights of the
on-site sauna. However some of our NATO allies (especially
the Germans) just loved coming into the sauna in their
birthday suits swinging their German sausages about as if the
sauna wasn’t only nine feet by nine feet and full of sweaty
men. But hey, all part of the bonding process and the ‘closer
cohesion’ that NATO needs if it is to function as a fighting
force in the future.
Exercise FOXES CLEAR UP – by LCpl Brown
On 9 and 10 June, 237 Sig Sqn (EW) took part on Ex FOXES
CLEAR UP. This was an initiative working alongside the
National Trust in Pembrokeshire to help renovate a plot of
land which had stood derelict for years. When we arrived we
were greeted by a shell of a house (which had recently been
made safe), a half collapsed barn and dense trees and
scrubland around the main building.
Under the direction of WO2 (SSM) Morrison we were split
into 3 groups: one to clear the vegetation, one to provide
vehicle access to the site and one to salvage stone and rebuild
the barn using the original material. As all tasks looked to be
physically tough, LCpl Coates was very quick to jump on the
dumper and was more than happy to shuttle gravel to and
from the site whilst the rest of the Sqn cracked on with their
respective jobs. The tree clearers started strongly and quickly
set about felling the biggest tree they could find, which they
did so successfully. Early into the task they lost accomplished
woodsman Sig Cope to a sliced leg. LCpl Brown replaced the
injured Sig Cope and quickly established himself as top
lumberjack and earned the title, “biggest chopper”.
As the exercise went on, the tree clearers gained more
experience with the axe and competition for best lumberjack
became fierce, SSgt Dale favouring the saw whilst the rest of
us preferred swinging axes. This also proved an invaluable
exercise in regards to team building. As a group we were able
to bring junior woodsman LCpl Harrison on leaps and bounds.
As the first day drew to an end, everybody at the site came
away sore, excluding digger driver LCpl Coates. We arrived at
our tent village to be greeted by some sort of range stew
affair and a questionable rice pudding; just what we all
wanted.
The second day started with reveille in the form of the SSM
and a Land Rover horn. Tuesday was scheduled for heavy rain
but thankfully it was another day of good weather so
everyone went back to their jobs, already thinking about
returning to camp. By the end of the day, lots of progress
had been made: the barn was relatively structurally safe,
there was vehicle access and the vegetation had been
transformed into a clearing. Eagerly, the group made our way
down to the coach to head back to camp but in true Army
style the coach wouldn’t budge, which left the majority of the
group stranded. After waiting for 5 ½ hours and exhausting
the resources of the breakdown recovery, a rescue convoy of
men including the previously injured Sig Cope came to the
rescue, drawing a line under Ex FOXES CLEAR UP.
14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) Rugby Team Report
The 2013/14 season was extremely triumphant for the Brawdy
Brumbies. Thanks to the ever-present effort of manager Capt
Billy Morris to corral support from the Regiment, and the
tactics of coach Sgt Chris Selby, the team have gone from
strength to strength this year.
Momentum started late in the 2013 season when Clwb Rygbi
40
Brawdy won the plate at the Int Corps Sharon Elliott 7s
competition. After a busy pre season programme where the
team played teams such as Pembroke Dock and St Davids
from the local community, they came back from summer
leave to win the Royal Signals Collins Cup 10s competition in
September 2013.
Having entered the Army Rugby Union Community Cup, the
Brawdy Brumbies were placed against some formidable
teams from outside the Corps as well as some familiar faces.
Though trounced in the first game by 1 RIFLES (the eventual
ARU Cup winners) 80+ points to nil, the team managed to
take the few positives away from this game and went on an
unbeaten run in the group stages, beating 11 Signal Regiment,
21 Signal Regiment and HQ ARRC Sp. Clwb Rygbi Brawdy then
went on to beat 28 Engr Regt in the quarter final and, in a
very tight game, came from behind to defeat the Queen’s
Royal Hussars in the semi final in Newbury. Another tough
game ensued in the final against ATR Pirbright but again
Brawdy Brumbies RFC with Cpl Nick ‘Lloydy’ Lloyd as captain,
came out on top to win 24 – 20.
Next came the Royal Signals 7 s competition which saw teams
coming close to, but never stopping the unbeaten run (full
report below).
The Hall Cup finals day in Blandford on 21 May saw the
culmination of the Royal Signals rugby season being played
with 11 Signal Regiment beating 21 Signal Regiment to win the
Bowl while 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) met 3 DSR
in the Cup final. A tight game was played with the forwards
seeing most of the ball in the first half. The sides were very
evenly matched with Brawdy going in at half time up by only
one point. Another slog of a match kicked off in the second
half with more scrums being contested than I care to
remember. However Brawdy’s training kicked in and some
late pressure with only 14 players on the pitch saw Sgt John
Vatu cross the line to win the game by 8 points.
After hosting a French 7s team in the Royal Signals 7s
competition last season, Clwb Rygbi Brawdy were rewarded
with an invite to the French Signals 7s competition held in
Thionville, France. Although the team from Wales beat all 5
teams in the round robin on day 1, they were defeated in the
final where the opposition had too much depth for Brawdy to
cope with. However the team were hosted very well and
made some friends both on the pitch and in the local town of
Metz.
A huge thanks goes out to Capt Billy Morris and Sgt Chris
Selby for all their hard work this season and of course the CO,
Lt Col Mark Purves, for giving his support to the team and
enabling the squad to go out and play rugby. Having won all
of the Royal Signals competitions as well as the Army Rugby
Union Community Bowl, the team have a lot to live up to in
the coming season but look forward to the challenge.
Army Rugby Union Bowl Final – Aldershot, 16 April 2014
- by: 2Lt John Rose
14 Sig Regt (EW) 24 v ATR Pirbright 20
After much hard work from Rugby Officer Capt Billy Morris,
and a number of impressive wins in the previous rounds, 14
Sig Regt (EW) had reached this year’s Rugby Bowl Final held
at Aldershot. The Regiment would meet ATR Pirbright after a
spirited comeback against the Queen’s Royal Hussars in the
Semi Final.
In true 14 Sig Regt (EW) fashion the inevitable 4 or 5 hour
journey towards civilisation the day before the match ensued.
This allowed us to be fresh prior to a relatively early 1100hrs
kick off. After trawling the Regiment for any man who had
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
ever held rugby ball
a strong squad was
available for
selection, including
Sgt John Vatu who
had turned up at 14
Sig Regt (EW) that
same day.
After getting our
heads down at the
salubrious ATR
Pirbright transit
accommodation, an
early start and a
Tesco’s sandwich
for breakfast, the
team was fit and
raring to go. After
a rousing speech
Another lineout won
from Team Captain
Cpl ‘Lloydy’ Lloyd
the team were up
for the challenge and were determined to bring some
silverware home for the Regiment and the Corps.
possession for Brawdy Brumbies RFC. LCpl Charlie Berry was
causing all sorts of problems for the opposition three
quarters, with mazy runs that cut open the opposition’s
defence. An excellent break followed by an inspired sidestep
allowed him to cross the white wash under the posts, giving
14SR a lifeline to hold on to.
With the bit between the teeth, a sense of urgency gripped 14
SR. The comeback was on! An outstanding team
performance with displays of grit, determination and the will
to win shown by all. After some onlookers had given up hope
Brawdy defied the odds with LCpl ‘Jacko’ Jackson crossing
the line from 5 yards out, this pushed 14 Sig Regt (EW) into
the lead for first time since the opening minutes. The score
was now 21-20. With a few minutes remaining it was crucial to
keep ATR Pirbright off the score board.
In the dying minutes an opportunity for 3 points allowed LCpl
‘Macca’ Mackay to seal the deal. A passionate display from a
relatively inexperienced side meant that 14 Sig Regt (EW) are
the 2014 Army Rugby Bowl Winners. The final score: 24 - 20.
Again in true 14 Sig Regt (EW) style an extended late night
‘service station’ break in Swansea city centre took place to
ensure no cramping or ceasing up occurred on PT at 0730.
1100hrs came and Aldershot had unusually provided us with a
perfect spring morning, excellent conditions for expansive
running rugby, which our props could capitalise upon. The
opening period saw a sustained barrage of pressure in which
14 Sig Regt (EW) converted a number of penalty attempts by
the accurate boot of LCpl ‘Macca’ Mackay. This was topped
off with an early try from Cpl Vuli. An all round positive start.
Early on our utility forward Lt Chris ‘Hop-along’ Collier went
down with what seemed, initially, a minor injury. On further
inspection by Cpl Vuli the shape of Chris’s leg was somewhat
at an angle, his foot pointing in one direction and a bone-like
object pointing in the other. As all good coaches do, Sgt Chris
‘Mumbles’ Selby proceeded to enter the field of play and
spray Lt Collier’s leg with deep heat, but on this occasion the
injury sustained was just a tad too severe!
After play continued the momentum seemed to be with the
opposition. A more solid platform was available for a period
in which ATR Pirbright were able to utilise their quick set of
backs. After a few scores, ATR Pirbright began to pull away.
As the half time whistle was blown the opposition were
sitting on a comfortable lead.
The beginning of the second half would signify the start of
another 14 Sig Regt (EW) epic fight back! An excellent
defensive display from the entire team afforded ATR Pirbright
very little time on the ball, forcing errors and resulting in
Army Bowl Winners
Royal Signals 7s Competition – Cardiff, 7 May 2014
- by 2Lt Ben Spowage
There were ominous signs of rain on the journey to Llandaff
North RFC where the Royal Corps of Signals Rugby Inter-Unit
Sevens competition was held. However, this relented for
most of the day allowing for respectable playing conditions.
The tournament comprised of two pools of four teams. Our
first two matches were against 21 Sig Regt B team and 10 Sig
Regt which were won relatively easily. We kept the play
flowing freely and refused to get sucked into a forward's
game which created overlaps on the outside wings. The tries
were scored after going through multiple hands in a
concerted team effort with Cpl Joey Jones, Capt Ed Gutierrez,
Sig Beardy Beard and 2Lt Ben Spowage amongst others
finishing the plays.
Our third game against 22 Sig Regt saw 14 Sig Regt (EW) falter
from previous form. We stopped playing running rugby and
got sucked into a much more stagnant game. Luckily, our
structure was revitalised in the second half and some solid
defence saw 14 Sig Regt (EW) winning a very closely fought
match putting us in the final having won all the games within
our group.
Jacko scores the first try in the Army Bowl final
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The final was against 21 Sig Regt A team. The initial minutes
were very closely fought with solid play demonstrated by
both sides. However, 14 Sig Regt (EW) after a period of
unyielding defence forced a dropped ball which Cpl Joey
41
French Sergeant Major and sending him flying. Nevertheless
after a hard fought game they were overcome. After the
game the duck had disappeared off the halfway line, which
left the team less than happy and a duck hunt went
underway. After 10 minutes, more than a few curse words
and a suggestion of invading France, Beardy turned up with
the duck and had had it all along
Royal Signals 7's Winners
Jones promptly nutmegged through Cpl Mikey Harrison’s
legs, then collected it to score the first try of the game. Not
content to stop there Cpl Jones cut 21 Sig Regt defence to
pieces scoring another three tries in quick succession and
then Sgt John Vatu crashed through the defence to score the
fifth try to put the nail in the coffin. The final ended with 14
Sig Regt (EW) the victors having won a respectable 29-7. All
that was left was to receive the very large trophy and take
the meandering journey back to Brawdy. Everyone from the
Regt who played thoroughly enjoyed the tournament.
Rugby 7s Thionville France, 26-29 May 14 - by Sig Crutchley
The Rugby 7s trip started on the 26 May 14, the whole team
(including the team’s mascot, a ceramic duck acquired on
previous endeavours) was in good spirits. We set off at 0800
and had a long way to drive, 16 hours, lots of monster energy
and a ferry journey later we were in Thionville France.
Day one of the competition started with an early rise of 0600
for breakfast and a short drive to the pitch. When we arrived
at the pitch we inspected it to find that the French had
shortened the playing field, this cheered the team up as a day
of travelling and no sleep to follow had left us all very tired,
so at least we had less running to do. We then dropped our
kit in the allocated tent and had a walk around the other
teams to see what we were up against.
Our first game was against 41 Regiment De Transmissions,
with the Duck placed on the halfway line the game started.
This was a hard fought game against a good team. It became
apparent pretty quickly that the ref had no idea what he was
doing with some rather dubious decisions, nevertheless the
team fought hard and overcame the opposition with six tries,
With 2Lt Ben Spowage being the star player of the game
including more than one hero run.
After a short break the second game was against 40
Regiment De Transmissions. After the first game the team
was in good spirits and was confident they would win. The
duck was placed on the halfway line and the game kicked off.
This was a hard game against a team with a solid defence,
never the less team broke through and again overcame the
opposition with 4 tries and more than one brutal tackle by our
resident Fijian Sgt John Vatu.
The fifth and final game was against 21 Regiment De
Transmissions. After a whole day playing against some very
good teams we went into this game tired aching and covered
head to toe in deep heat. The game kicked off and was a very
fast paced game with Ben doing more than one hero run
through the whole French team. With adrenaline running
high and the ref playing a guessing game with the rules, more
than one scuffle broke out between us and the French. This
was a close game and came down to conversion kicks to
decide the winner, which left us nervous as our kicks had
been a little hit and miss all day,
The second day was the semi finals and the finals. We had
two games to play and if we won we were going home with
the trophy. The first game was against 21 Regiment De
Transmissions. We knew this would be a hard game but we
also knew we could beat them. The game kicked off and
straight away we realised they were not prepared to go down
without a fight. The game was pretty even but we come out
on top with a straight win.
The last game was the final; it was us versus 28 Regiment De
Transmissions. We were apprehensive about this game as this
was the best French team at the tournament and they had
more subs than us and the game went from 7 minutes each
way to 15. The game kicked off and straight away both teams
were giving it their all. The pace was quick and the tackles
were hard, especially for one of the French players who got
tackled by Sgt John ‘The Mallet’ Vatu who needed medical
attention.
One or two miss-timed throws led to a few missed tries, but a
break in their defence led to 2Lt Ben Spowage doing a
blinding run for our first try. The French team kept up the
pace and scored two tries in quick succession. After half time
the team started off well with renewed determination
managing to get another try thanks to some well timed
passes. The French, however, did not take this sitting down
and scored a try thanks to a break in our defence and some
good pace. The lack of subs on our side was starting to wear
the team out which was the chink in the armour. With a few
minutes left of the game the French scored another try and
secured their victory.
The competition was over and we came second. We were
happy with the outcome as we had played well and fought
hard for every try. We were a bit disappointed that we didn’t
win the last game but we had to admit they played well. We
left the tournament knowing we did our best and had enjoyed
the whole trip, all we had left was a long journey home.
The third game was against 48 Regiment de Transmissions.
This was a difficult game against a team that was full of larger
players. This was a problem as it was taking 2/3 players to
take one of them down, but our quicker pace managed to
keep the score pretty even and eventually win.
The fourth game was against 28 Regiment De Transmissions.
This was the hardest game as it was against the best French
team there. They had good pace and a solid defence and
presented a challenge. The highlight of the match was
Mackay missing a tackle on the edge of the pitch and hitting a
42
Hall Cup Final Winners
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
16th SIGNAL REGIMENT
ELMPT
CO
RSM
Lt Col SW Whittley
WO1 (RSM) T Woodall
230 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC SSM
Maj J Higginson
WO2 (SSM) Orr
Exercise MALAYAN SOLDIER – by Sig Keyworth
Ex MALAYAN SOLDIER was a 4 day troop level exercise run by
Lts Mahoney and Budden to revise our Bowman knowledge,
push and develop our infantry skills and most importantly test
our deployability. Tornado Tp of 230 Sqn were primarily
focused on infantry skills with a day of comms. Deploying on
Tuesday ExCon was established and all available Troop assets
deployed into the field.
The Bowman phase was our opportunity to monitor the det
commanders’ ability to suitably site and run through the drills
of setting up a Bowman detachment. Sig Driver and I crewed
for one of the Bowman dets. Given a location, we chose our
suitable place of deployment, using terrain, buildings and
natural cover. We were placed off the beaten track with
plenty of cover but still able to successfully set up and
maintain comms. Our position was only given away due to
the not so tactical nature of the LFG chugging away.
Once the det was built and comms established, it was time to
get some personal admin time. After only moments of
warming myself up in the ever functional issued dos bag we
received a 30 minutes NTM. I set to work on tearing down
the 9x9 and erecting a poncho. After only seconds of being
outside, the heavens opened and put me to the test. The
ground sodden, the cam pegs (I’ve seen longer toothpicks)
were no longer holding and started slipping out. So cam net,
we meet again! After what seemed like an eternity I managed
to double peg the cam net and get back everything ready for
the 30 minutes NTM. Pleased with myself, I climbed into my
basha and as soon as my second boot was off: 15 minutes
NTM. Here we go again!
After a brief night of thrashing on det drills we regrouped on
the Wednesday morning to finish the Bowman phase and
progress on to the infantry phase of the exercise. Whilst the
ExCon crew set off to deploy at their new location to support
exercise scenarios, the three sections of the platoon began
some basic revision.
SSgt Maclaren took the troops through the six section battle
drills and section attack lessons, refreshing their skills and
drills before moving onto section attacks. Cpl Donaldson and
Cpl Mears had set up a stand as well for covering section
attacks into further detail. Lt Budden then ran a lesson
explaining how a section attack scales up to a platoon attack.
catching and cooking your own food can save your life, at
which point Wallace was strung upside down and in one swift
cut, off popped his head, the body wiggling around and blood
pouring from the neck.
As always, it was now the troops turn to practice. LCpl Allen
stepped up for the next go; he may be able to take 3 AFTs in 3
days but his “head lopping off” abilities were seriously
lacking. Taking multiple attempts to remove Wallace’s friends
head, it then appeared he had not secured the feet, as the
headless chicken managed to get free and run about flapping,
much like some of the Signallers. Congratulations Sig Hughes,
for your birthday it was now your turn. Without hesitation
the chicken was upside down and headless with no remorse
on Sig Hughes’ part. To conclude the stand, SSgt Clarke
showed us how to pluck and gut Wallace, removing the
feathers and skin, before removing all the chickens’ insides,
leaving us with two exquisite breasts suitable for any Sunday
roast. Again the troops had a go too; LCpl Gale seemed to
enjoy having his hand inside the chicken a little bit too much.
SSgt Clarke and Wallace
It was now time to step up our game, taking in turns to run
through multiple scenarios we could face out in Theatre.
Three scenarios faced the troops: an extraction under enemy
fire, a close target recce and a section quick attack.
On the section attack most were successful, with many
appreciating the need for increased aggression. All engaged
and killed the enemy and recovered the intelligence held by
Sgt Fogg, who performed the most theatrical death since a
Shakespeare play – modelled on the epic film “Platoon”?
As the evening closed in, a platoon harbour was formed at Hill
60, but the day was not over and all exercising troops were
summoned to SSgt Clarke’s survival stand. At first it seemed
like any other lesson, building up on our recent SERE training,
explaining how to get water from plants using just a plastic
bag and some string.
Early Friday morning was our dawn platoon attack. Lt Budden
was the platoon commander to lead the troops in the early
hours. As designated “war correspondent” I came off stag at
0300 and met up with the platoon at 0500. The week’s
lessons and practice all culminated in this final attack. As the
platoon patrolled down through the woods, the only light
was from the flash of my camera, it may have been an
exercise but the troops were fully focused on the task in
hand. As the first section made contact with the enemy, the
cut off group flanked left for an uphill assault on the enemy
depth position. Making quick work, Sig Freeman searched
the bodies before position clear could be called.
However, before long it became apparent this was no
ordinary lesson as SSgt Clarke emerged with Wallace, his new
friend, a feisty chicken. He proceeded to explain how
To his enjoyment LCpl Haase was taken as a casualty and the
platoon regrouped and began the long extraction. It was
from this point it appeared that my coordination decided to
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
43
abandon me as I not so gracefully tumbled on multiple
occasions as I tried to stay out of the way of the platoon but
close enough for some exciting shots.
One last thing to go before we could turn around our kit and
thoroughly enjoy EndEx in the bar, was the range package put
on by Cpl Newton. This was a great chance for the Sqn to get
on the live ranges and zero their weapons for the future.
All told it was an enjoyable and eventful week for the
members of Tornado and Vampire Troops; hopefully one that
will not be forgotten in a hurry.
map and compass. Luckily it was a straightforward (but
physically demanding) route. The final day was upon us and
we headed across the Austrian border again to do some white
water rafting, which was absolutely fantastic. We went over
some huge rapids and somehow managed not to tip every
raft over. The highlight of that day was seeing us manage to
fit 12 people and a Sgt ‘Foggy’ Fogg on a raft designed or just
3 people, a tremendous achievement for 230 Sig Sqn.
255 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC SSM
Maj A Biggs
WO2 (SSM) Steers
The Mohnesee March
After a well deserved Easter leave the Regiment deployed a
team of willing volunteers to enter the 6th International
Mohnesee March. This event is an international marching
competition hosted by the local German military located by
the Möhne dam. It is a race of four distances 9Km, 12Km,
21Km and 30Km with the best time of each distance added
together to make a overall team time.
Patrol Skills
Exercise MALAYA MOUNTAIN – by LCpl Joe ‘Woody’ Wood
As the 230 Sig Sqn convoy arrived at the Shonblick lodge in
Bavaria for our AT exped, we were quickly greeted by the
lodge staff who showed us to our rooms and then called us in
for a brief on the ground rules of the lodge. Following tea we
were told which activities we would be doing on the first
week and my group had been gifted with kayaking. Before
we knew it, day two was upon us and we had signed for our
kayaking gear and met our instructor, Dejan.
We then set off to a nearby lake and learned the basics of
kayaking, lucky for us it was tipping it down and the water
was freezing. Naturally Dejan thought it would be a great
idea to finish the day off with capsizing drills. Day three saw
us ready to hit the rivers, where the water was even colder as
LCpl Luke ‘Worm’ Walmsley found out on many occasions.
The biggest disappointment of the day was that LCpl Steven
‘Mackem’ Haase and Sig Jim ‘Robin’ Driver didn’t go in,
however this wasn’t the case on day four when LCpl Haase
couldn’t stop going over, and it was by far the coldest day
and when we were pelted with hailstones it just made it all
the more entertaining. Day 5 was near enough the same
except it seemed we had really all started to develop our
kayaking skills, much to the delight of Dejan.
To round the K2F Kayaking qualification off on day six we
were treated to a day kayaking on the Austrian rapids and we
finally got to see Sig Driver empty water out of his kayak. The
next day we swapped activities and went hill walking, led by
the tenacious Cpl Barry ‘Shouts at children’ Mears. We saw
some beautiful sights and despite the red hot weather
actually found snow at the top of the mountain. The next day
we were divided into two groups and we were again led by
Cpl Mears who took us along mountain ridges which scared
the hell out of LCpl Graham ‘BDG’ Gibb.
LCpl Jake ‘Noodle arms’ Allen saw his phone plummet to a
horrible death that day (RIP). The next day saw the us climb
over 2000m up the Nebelhorn which was led by the world’s
greatest MLT LCpl Richard ‘The Wizard’ Kerr who forgot his
44
The 2 teams travelled down to Mohnesee the evening before
the event in order to seize the opportunity to eat lots of
bratwurst and meet the competitors that had travelled from
all around Europe to compete. Certain 16 Sig Regt teams
decided that running 30Km without being social the night
before would just not be British and joined in the festivities.
This was until it was calculated that running the 18 mile main
event was actually nearly 2/3rds of a marathon in kit and could
be a slight challenge with a hangover.
The morning of the race started bright and early with a
traditional European breakfast. After lots of ham, cheese and
coffee the event started with a traditional German military
parade in order to explain the day's event, this explanation
confused the team a little and meant that most of the parade
was spent asking, what just happened? And when do we
start? After much deliberation and a bit of follow my leader,
the teams gathered and those running the first of the four
distances were called forward, unfortunately SSgt Craven
decided this call gave him ample time to go the toilet and
subsequently missed the start of his race. Each distance had a
10 minute separation to start, up next was the 21km race
entered by SSgt (FofS IS) Egerton and Sgt ‘Falcon’ Brown,
both of who thought the turtle and the hare tactic would win
the race. This was until the first check point revealed 6 other
competitors were not using this theory and were firmly
ahead. The two smaller distance events were entered by a
further 5 team members with Sig ‘I’m not just the driver’
Simpson deciding he would take on the event, much to the
dislike of the registration clerk who was frantically trying to
change names in order to make the numbers match. As the
day went on the rain set in and it became ever more difficult
to decipher the chalk markings on the road with each bridge
having to be counted just to make sure you were only
completing the required distance. With a barrage of fruit and
ice tea at each check point the 16 Sig Regt teams pushed
around each route, often the only glimpse of the other team
members was the rush of air that passed when Lt Urey came
speeding through. As each race finished it started to show
that each team member had done well and the team was in
with a chance of beating last years winner, the so called
“Danish Dynamite”. Sig ‘9 Km funny man’ Edwards deciding
it apt to point out how a certain team member completing
the longer distances looked like “run fat boy run” from afar,
this confirmed his name for next year's 30Km!
In the end all the waiting and hard work came to a fantastic
end and the 16 Sig Regt team were triumphant in beating the
“Danish Dynamite” by 2 minutes, going on to win 2 individual
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
placements, a 30Km route record and the overall fastest team
march time, taking home the worlds biggest trophy and a firm
place in next year's event.
the exercise we visited the sights a number of locations in and
around the areas of Somme and Ypres.
On the first day we visited battlefield cemeteries and
memorial plots from one of the main battles of the Somme.
In this battlefield there were cemeteries every 500m from
where the men had fallen during the offensive advance
toward the German Enemy. We learnt about the brave men
who climbed over the trenches under heavy artillery fire into
‘No Mans Land’ and advanced towards the Germans.
We then visited Vimy Ridge museum to look at the role played
by Canadian, Australian and New Zealand soldiers during the
war. Here we listened to individual soldiers heroic accounts
against the Germans. It was whilst here that the huge
sacrifice made by so many men sunk in and that we have so
much to thank for their actions.
The Mohnesee March Team
Exercise JAVELIN SCHOLAR – bySig Harrison
Over the period 12 – 14 May 2014 members of 16 Signal
Regiment went on a Battlefield tour to France and Belgium as
part of the anniversary of the start of ‘The Great War’. During
To finish the exercise we went to the Menin Gate ceremony in
Ypres, Belgium. This ceremony has taken place every night
since ‘The Great War’ and it was fitting to be apart of it and
remember the 54,000 brave men who died at Ypres Salient
and have no known grave. I would encourage anyone to visit
the Ypres during the next four years to commemorate the
sacrifice made by the millions of young men.
21st SIGNAL REGIMENT
COLERNE
CO
RSM
Lt Col A E A Corkery
WO1 (RSM) G Tiplady
SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC SSM
Capt D Taylor
WO2 (SSM) A Stephen
With the impending return of our HERRICK 19 personnel, the
Squadron is looking forward to welcoming everybody home
and has been busy preparing to ensure the normalisation
process runs smoothly. The Regimental homecoming
function and medal parade is currently top of the agenda.
In order to further enhance the large biceps of Op Massive
personnel, the RSM has introduced a smaller Beaufighter
badge to be worn on shirts, and the resulting rush on PCS
patches and tailoring services from the QM’s Dept can only be
likened to a Boxing Day Sales rush. Other “stuff” is always on
the agenda and members of Sp Sqn attended an excellent
LFTT package, organised by 214 Sig Sqn, conducted on
Sennybridge Training Area. FALCON has arrived and the Sqn
has been busy working out who is responsible for the
servicing and inspection of all the various parts - we know Sgt
‘Mac’ McCall is good, but he can’t do it all!
We have said a sad farewell to the outgoing Quartermaster,
Maj Richie Bell, who leaves us for Stafford, and in his place
welcomed Maj Karl Overton. We have also said farewell to
WO2 (SSM) Stedman who has moved back to 14 Sig Regt
(EW) on appointment as the RQMS, and in his place, we have
welcomed WO2 (SSM) Stephen, fresh from RMAS.
Haile Marathon – by SSgt Dougie Hamilton MPGS
I have always been a keen runner and an avid reader of
Runners World, so when I saw an advert a year ago for a
‘mystery marathon’ that could take place anywhere in the
world, I signed up to the mailing list straight away. A couple
of months later an email announced the inaugural Haile
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Marathon, sponsored and organised by the great man
himself, Haile Gabreselassie, the first marathon of its kind in
Ethiopia. Known as the home of running and having
produced some of the greatest distance runners in the world,
including Gabreselassie and Derartu Tulu, there was no
question in our minds and my wife and I signed up straight
away. What followed was an exciting whirlwind of
organising flights and the decision of which travel package we
would take part in. We decided on a 6 day runners package
which involved four days of training with top Ethiopian
runners and culminated in the marathon weekend. We flew
out via Cairo on Mon 14 Oct 2013 and arrived in Addis Ababa
early in the morning.
We were transferred to YaYa Athletes Village, high in the
Mount Entoto range and had two days of high altitude
training, coached by some of the best up and coming local
athletes in Ethiopia. During down time, we also visited the
ethnographic museum in Addis, giving us a great insight into
the local culture.
On Wed 17 Oct, we were driven to the Arsi region for lunch
and a meet and greet with Derartu Tulu himself. We went on
to the National athletics stadium, built within the last two
years, and watched some of the local up-and-coming athletes
display their skills in a series of races.
Thu 18 Oct began with our last training run before the race, a
couple of miles through the small village of Asella. We were
taken to a local school where we were able to observe the
classes and enjoy a game of football at break time. We then
had a long drive to Hawassa for the marathon.
The race weekend kicked off with the 5km and childrens’
races, followed by a race briefing with British runner Richard
Nerurkar. After a short relaxation period, we then collected
our race numbers and tour t-shirts and enjoyed a pasta party
in the evening, hosted by Haile Gabreselassie himself, who
gave an inspirational pre-race brief and the opportunity for
autographs and photographs.
45
Race day dawned early with some breakfast and a short bus
journey to the start point. We started after the elite men and
women in a fairly small group of 300 runners. Before the
nerves and anticipation could build too much, the gun
sounded and we were off.
for the female team and SSgt Deans and Cpl Derham for the
male team. The Triathlon team now look forward to taking
teams forward to compete in the Army Championships.
The course was fairly flat consisting of two laps through the
roads of Hawassa in about 26o of heat. The race was amazing
with locals lining the route in support, many running sections
of the course with me. The last two miles were tough and I
ran down the finishing straight dodging Tuk-Tuks, herds of
livestock, and accompanied by a large group of local children.
The sense of euphoria at the finish, especially when I was met
by Haile Gabreselassie was unbelievable. I completed the full
marathon distance in a time of 05:11:00.
The post race BBQ held in the evening was our chance to
celebrate, with local wine and beer, and to share both our
stories and war wounds. The following day there were many
sore legs as we all prepared to leave on our various flights, my
wife and I having a final night in a hotel near the airport
before departing to Heathrow early the following morning.
From the moment we landed in Ethiopia the whole
experience was unforgettable. The atmosphere was
incredible, with a warm welcome from local people wherever
we went. I met an amazing crowd of people and left with a
new group of friends. There aren’t many times in your life
when you meet so many people from all over the world,
ranging from Leeds to Malaysia, all together for a common
love; running.
Minor Unit Male and Female Winners
214 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj S Bennett
WO2 (SSM) McDiarmid
Race the Sun 2014 – by Sig Hart
On 28 May 2014, 15 of the finest, fittest soldiers, who had
been hand selected to take part in one of the biggest Royal
Signals events of the year gathered at the Regimental
Gymnasium. Race the Sun is an annual event held at 2 Signal
Regiment, consisting of a 15 leg multi activity relay event.
Included in this is, kayaking, tabbing, running, biking,
orienteering and even a stretcher race acting as the cherry on
the cake. Working to a tight schedule, the vans were packed
with kayaks, racing bikes, mountain bikes and weighted
bergans, each with a specific task for the following day.
On arrival at 2 Sig Regt the atmosphere in the mini bus
changed. We all knew it was ‘game time’ and a high calibre
performance was required if we were to stand a chance at
taking silverware back for the already overcrowded
Regimental Trophy cabinet.
One of these people is a World Champion…
21 Signal Regiment Corps Triathlon – by SSgt Lee Green
The 2014 Royal Signals Sprint Triathlon championships were
held at 21 Signal Regiment on Wed 21 May 14. The Sprint
Triathlon consisted of a 400m swim in the pool, 21km on the
bike and a 5km run. Attendance this year nearly doubled
from the previous year with 121 competitors and it is great to
see the sport of triathlon growing in popularity. Luck was on
our side with the weather as glorious sunshine held for the
day, creating some dodgy lycra tan lines but certainly
improving everybody’s mood. The standard of competition
this year was very high with 30 Signal Regiment winning both
the male and female Major Unit trophies and 21 Signal
Regiment ROG winning both the male and female Minor Unit
trophies. The Other Organisation's (non-R SIGNALS units)
winner this year was the Defence Academy and the quickest
time of the day was Maj Biddulph, who completed the course
in an impressive 1hr 51secs.
At 0300hrs, race day was upon us and SSgt Walsh was
preparing himself for an up-stream battle, hoping all those
bicep curls would see him right paddling his rickety old kayak
up the river. He didn’t get off to the best start, with an
unexpected tumble on the riverbank (which he deftly turned
into a shoulder roll) even before he had got his feet wet.
The race was spread over a large area of York, so keeping
track of positions was difficult, but every so often news would
be leaked on the RTS Twitter site and speculations as to who
would be glorious that day started to grow. The grand finale
consisted of a gruelling weighted stretcher race over 3km.
Every step closer to the finish line, competitors’ legs grew
heavier and heavier. Faces dripping with sweat, hands
blistered from the stretcher, sun beating down and still they
From 21 Signal Regiment there were some outstanding
individual performances from Sig Newey and Capt Sargeant
46
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
marched on! The team left nothing, giving their all, stretcher
changes were ‘swift and sure’ every time, perfectly as we had
rehearsed. Crossing the finish line the team dropped down to
their knees, each taking a brief moment to reflect on the
mammoth achievement that had been endured that day.
The overall results backed the efforts of the 21 Signal
Regiment soldiers that day, and we finished in proud second
place, just minutes away from victory. Already talking of
training for next year’s event, the soldiers held their heads
high as they left 2 Signal Regiment for the long journey home.
Exercise TIGER BEAUFIGHTER CLIMBER – by Lt Dale
Ex TIGER BEAUFIGHTER CLIMBER began in the early hours of
Thu 10 Apr 14. Nine members of 21 Sig Regt plus three
seasoned instructors climbed onto the transport to East
Midlands Airport. Despite being given a generous 15kg hold
luggage allowance for a one week trip, LCpl Heavey and Sig
Hart needed to re-distribute the majority of their kit in order
to accommodate the vast quantities of protein they had
packed! The next challenge came courtesy of Ryanair checkin when Cpl Mehar, our Gurkha instructor, tried to get
through with a NATO Travel Order. After calling over every
Ryanair employee for discussions, they were satisfied and Cpl
Mehar boarded the plane with moments to spare! Finally we
were off to sunny Spain, and the rocks of El Chorro.
The rest of our journey was flawless and at the other end we
quickly found our bags and boarded our train to Alora. Here
we met up with the owner of our guest house, and he drove
us all to El Chorro. The Olive Branch was a friendly and well
placed house within walking distance of more climbs than we
knew what to do with. We had an apartment to ourselves
with twelve bed spaces, a bathroom and a kitchen. The Olive
Branch also boasted a common room, an honesty bar selling
wine and beer, free WiFi, a swimming pool and plenty of
camping space outside (cheaper alternatives to the
apartments). We were more than happy with our home for
the week. There was no time to relax as Chief Instructor Capt
‘Mad Mike’ Kearney wasn’t about to let the remaining
daylight go to waste. All the kit came out and we walked
200m up the road for our first lesson. Our instructors taught
us well and we all quickly got our first bit of climbing and
belaying done before heading back for the evening.
The next day, Capt Kearney took the two best climbers out
for a spot of
multi- pitch,
while the rest
of us spent
the day
improving our
skills with
WO2 Miller
and Cpl
Mehar. We all
started well
and quickly
climbed the
three top
ropes which
had been set
up before
lunch. In the
baking sun of
the afternoon
we then
moved on to
completing
our first lead
climbs.
The rocks of El Chorro
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Though the route
was only a 4+
which we had all
climbed with
ease that
morning, the
prospect of
having the rope
below you as
opposed to
above was
enough to make
the climb that
much more
unnerving. We all
got through it
however, and
under our
instructor's
guidance we got
our first glimpse
of real climbing.
Our first climb
Each day after
that, two people
would head off with Mike to try some multi-pitch, whilst the
rest improved their leading and overall climbing ability.
Sunday however saw a slight change of pace, and we decided
to tackle the El Camino Del Rai. This ancient walkway lead us
on a path through the rocks, and though we were clipped in
at all times our nerves were tested when we were required to
walk over a steel bar 300m up from the valley floor! We soon
reached the comfort of solid ground on the other side and
were rewarded with a crystal blue lake for a quick swim.
For the rest of the week we climbed to the point of
exhaustion, all of us conquering our fears and leading some
tough (for beginners) climbs. On day six we returned to the
area we went to on our first day and proved how far we had
come by each leading the climbs which we had struggled to
top rope at the beginning. That night we packed our bags
and headed to Torremolinos in order to spend a day of R+R
on the beach. We had a great final day and all had a meal out
to celebrate a great trip before our return home for what
appeared to be a glimpse of British summer.
Top Roping
Operation PITCHPOLE – by Cpl Bishoprick
On 21 Feb 2014, three members of 214 Sqn volunteered to go
on Op PITCHPOLE. This was the tri-service task to help the
Environment Agency (EA) evaluate 150,000 flood defences
over a six week period. On 23 Feb, LCpl Lane, LCpl Learmonth
and I went down to Grantham to conduct a two day training
course. Expecting a one or two man accommodation room,
we turned out to be sharing a 24 man room which came as a
bit of a shock to all of us!
47
On the first day of training we were told what to look for
when checking a flood defence asset and how to grade each
asset. We were then told that we’d be taking a test – every
soldier’s nightmare – and that if we did not pass we would be
taking no further part in Op PITCHPOLE. Luckily 98% of the
soldiers passed, which included the three of us.
The second day turned out to be just as interesting; we
learned how to use the gucci equipment issued to us; this
included an iPad 4; a Windows Surfer 2; a pair of wellies; a
TomTom satnav; a life jacket and a Nokia mobile phone (top
of the range kit). It was like Christmas come early and
everyone couldn’t wait to get their hands on the shiny new
equipment. Finally we got to sign for all the kit and our hire
cars which we would keep for six weeks. Some people were
lucky and got a Ford Galaxy, others less so and ended up with
a Fiat 500 or a Nissan Note. We were one of the luckier ones.
We then went to our respective EA centres to start work.
Myself and LCpl Lane were working in the Yorkshire area and
LCpl Learmonth was working in the North West area. When
LCpl Lane and I arrived at the EA centre in Riccall, York, we
were made very welcome by the EA staff who would be
working very closely with us over the coming weeks.
firma after jumping off the 60ft power fan plummet, we had a
quick change of harnesses and onto the 106ft power fan
plummet towering above the treetops. The climb to the top
required stamina and there was barely a minute to catch your
breath before clipping in, counting to three and jump! Finally
the groups had a quick 15 minutes to change our soiled pants
and get geared up for the 80ft giant swing in which a
nominated group member was responsible for releasing the
latch and sending the group plummeting to the ground, then
shooting 80ft into the sky. It was a truly exhilarating
experience and smiles were ear to ear all round.
Another activity taking place was trekking in which Cpl Neil
Cooper tirelessly led groups to the peak of Snowdon
alternating his routes each day. On reaching the peak each
day Cpl Cooper would take a ‘selfie’ on his mobile and it
appeared he had aged 10 years by day four! The routes to the
top did get tricky in places and the views were incredible, at
the peak there was a café and a chance to take in the
breathtaking clouds! Many a group did try to convince Cpl
Cooper to take the train back down but nobody succeeded,
the route down led to Padarn Lake where we joined the
Kayaking group.
Over the next 5½ weeks we reported back to the EA centre
where we were given 2 to 3 days work at a time. Some days
were challenging, walking miles on end over rough terrain just
to inspect a few assets. Some days were not as bad walking a
few miles on pavement within nice towns. During this time
we ended up experiencing some random things which we
wouldn’t have expected, like being chased by angry swans
and having full on debates with farmers about their land.
On 3 Apr 14 we all went back down to Grantham and
reluctantly handed back all the shiny kit. We were then given
a certificate for the course we had passed earlier in training.
Phil Younge, the Project Executive in the EA, then passed on
his praise and gratitude to us for all our hard work over the
last six weeks. Overall, Op PITCHPOLE was an enjoyable
experience; a highlight of mine was having the opportunity to
work closely with civilians.
The climb up Snowdon
Sgt Marc Del-Valle was the kayak instructor on Padarn Lake.
Many of us had never kayaked before but were soon taking
turns leading a mini expedition around the canal sections and
out into the open water, before playing a few games. Sgt
Del-Valle’s favourite was Takeshi’s Castle, in which the kayaks
were tied together and we ran across as many as we could
before crashing into the water! This was of course very
amusing for the trekking group, who were by this time, down
at the lake watching.
LCpl Lane assessing bridges
Exercise BEAUFIGHTER TIGER – by Cpl Hale
Sun 27 Apr 14 saw the beginning of Exercise BEAUFIGHTER
TIGER, and members of 214 Sqn departed Imphal Barracks in
York for the village of Capel Curig in the foothills of
Snowdonia, Wales for what was sure to be a great week.
Split into four groups, the Sqn rotated through four activities,
one of which was Tree Top Adventures, a personal favourite
of mine. Each group had to negotiate a high ropes course in
the treetops. Once the group had safely made it back to terra
48
Kayaking on Padarn lake
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Mountain biking was at Coed-y-Brennin with Cpl Craig Duckett
and LCpl Chris Roberts as instructors. After a quick check of
bikes and equipment the groups mounted and set off around
the trails. Everyone in the group then took on a skills course
and even competed in a time trial of which LCpl Lee Chilton
took 1st place, winning a case of Strongbow, which happened
to be Cpl Duckett’s and LCpl Chris Roberts’ favourite, what
are the chances?! Of course it wouldn’t be a real day’s biking
if we didn’t have someone falling off, so LCpl Shaun Lane
took the title, naturally this was a bike fault and in no way
rider error.
The Regimental teams worked hard and were rewarded with
first place in both the male and female minor unit
competition. In addition, Sig Newey was selected to attend
Army Triathlon training.
Tri Service Throw Down Competition 2014 - by Sgt Murphy
A female team consisting of Sig Gill, LCpl Smythe and Sgt
Murphy from 220 Signal Squadron left Colerne at 0545 and
headed to the Tri Service Thrown Down Competition 2014,
which is the annual Cross Fit competition help at the AAPTI
school in Aldershot.
Arriving for registration at 0830hrs, we were quickly briefed
on our first exercise (or WOD in Cross Fit terms). Each team
member had four minutes to complete a set of Burpees and
Dead Lift which increased incrementally; LCpl Smythe was the
best out of the team getting an impressive set of 9. The
whole team did well however and gave us a good foundation
for our next WOD.
Mountain biking at Coed-y-Brennin
On Thursday the groups came together and enjoyed a BBQ.
The CO, RSM and SSM, who had taken part in trekking that
day, visited the troops and joined in with the festivities. Sgt
John Norton made light work of the BBQ feeding everyone in
record time.
On the final day the groups and instructors came together
and took part in caving. Sgt Marc Del-Valle led the way with a
very tired Cpl Neil Cooper taking up the rear! Once in the
mines it was a long walk down a corridor section before
boarding an inflatable raft across a rock pool. We explored
the disused mines in which we walked, zip lined, abseiled and
climbed to the surface and the dazzling sunlight. It was a
great way to finish the week as a collective and everybody
took away some great experiences.
220 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj P Stowell MBE
WO2 (SSM) Robertson
LCpl Smythe lifting the world
The second WOD consisted of a set of 60 Squat Cleans, 60
Thrusters and 60 Kettle bell swings, each with 3 rope climbs
between them, twice round. Not for the faint hearted!
However the female teams attacked the WOD with
enthusiasm, managing to get to the second set of exercises
within the time limit.
Now slightly exhausted, bruised and some showing a few
rope burns on various parts of the body, we were informed of
the results. The female team had made the cut and were
through to the next round.
Corps Triathlon - by Sig Marsh
The event, hosted by 21 Sig Regt, gave novices such as Sig Gill
and myself a taste for the sport and, for seasoned athletes
such as SSgt Green and Sig Newey, the course did a great job
of putting them through their paces. I remember leaving the
pool with a fast time and my first thoughts were along the
lines of “I don’t know what all the fuss is about” however it
was upon departing on the cycle phase I realized that I must
have left my lungs back in the pool, and for good measure,
my legs started to scream at me. I decided that maybe I had
bitten off more than I could chew but I battled on and kept
peddling!
It was about 100m into the run that two angry stitches
appeared, joining forces with my still screaming legs. I figured
they were probably upset about losing the lungs but didn’t
dwell on it as I wasn’t done yet, so declared war on my body.
The next few kilometres were an interesting feeling of pain
combined with an unmistakable feeling of calm. This sport is
like nothing I have ever come across before and was a truly
amazing experience.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
All the way up Sgt Murphy!!
49
The semi finals were made up of an 800m sprint as a team
followed shortly by a Clean and Jerk ladder with incremental
weights. Sgt Murphy and Sig Gill managed 45Kg however our
strong woman of the day, LCpl Smythe, managed 50Kg.
All in all the team put in a sterling effort in what was a very
demanding competition. We all went away slightly battered
and bruised but with a sense of pride knowing we taken part
and proved ourselves in one of the toughest competitions
within the Tri Service Cross Fit community.
Exercise SCORPION BEGINNER 1 - by Sig Hillman
We deployed on the PACEX phase of Ex SCORPION BEGINNER
on Mon 2 Jun for a four day shake out to get the members of
Bowman Troop back into movement routines, re-siting each
detachment an average of three times each day.
Morale was initially high due to nice sunny weather, however
our luck soon ran out as for the rest of the week it was typical
exercise weather (cold, wet and windy). This was the first
time most people had done training like this since our days in
Blandford; it came back to most of us fairly quickly and the
week soon passed.
Sig Pattison was one of the troops to raise the morale factor
of the PACEX by initially running his generator on kerosene.
When his Det Commander, Cpl Scotty Britton, asked him what
his jerry cans were used for, Sig Pattison confidently replied,
“Diesel for the Rover and Kero for the Gene”.
The following week (9 – 13 Jun), we deployed on the Exercise
Phase. The main adjustment for some of the Troop was that
we would be on Exercise for four days straight, on camp. We
were all looking forward to this to get us out of the hangar
and let us test our personal and det admin. Throughout the
week we manned our dets 24 hours per day and had a couple
of visits from the Squadron and Regimental hierarchy.
Every detachment completed at least one night move which
reminded us how much more difficult it is to tear down and
set up at night, but everyone managed to hang on to all their
kit, which was good news. The daytime moves were much
easier and we got faster and better at them with each
movement. Bring on Ex SCORPION BEGINNER 2 next month!
Life at ATC Castlemartin - by Sig Beaumont
The Adventurous Training Centre at Castlemartin is set in the
Pembrokeshire National Park and offers a range of supervised
training ranging from climbing the slabs along the coastline to
various levels of yachting and much more in between. The
centre gives units the chance to loan young soldiers to them
with the aim of producing high quality AT instructors.
After being selected from a cast of thousands, I attended the
UATL (Unit Adventurous Training Leader) course to become
an instructor at Castlemartin AT Centre. I received 4 months
of concentrated training at the Joint Service Mountain
Training Centre Indefatigable, where I gained qualifications
including Rock Leader Training (RLT), Mountain Bike Leader
(MBL), Mountain Leader Training (MLT), canoe and kayak
instructor (O2N, K2N) and finally a civilian first aid course.
Since joining the AT Centre I recognise that I have matured
professionally, not only as an instructor but also as a soldier.
Every week we take students from all parts of the Army and I
have taught groups of private soldiers up to colonels.
Confidence in yourself and your own ability is key; at the end
of the day you are in charge, no matter the rank. I have
gained so much more than my AT qualifications; I’ve gained
leadership qualities and to coin a phrase, “what makes a good
soldier is a good leader of men”.
Cpl Jepson on his first Bowman Ex since Blandford
This is an excellent opportunity for any junior soldier I would
highly recommend it for the right motivated individual. One
of my best experiences so far has been the sea kayak
expedition I went on. It was a gleaming day and we caught
plenty of fish and cooked it on the BBQ on the beach and
even had a sneaky pint at the pub, but the best part was
seeing Sig Ash Prior’s face when we told him a shark was
behind his kayak, priceless!
22nd SIGNAL REGIMENT
STAFFORD
217 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj KM Biggins
WO2 (SSM) S Hopkins
Exercise CENTAUR HOPTON 2 - by Sig Butler
The Sqn left bright and early on Sunday morning for a live
firing exercise in Otterburn. We headed north, with some
miserable faces on the coach, but a quick stop at Burger King
raised the flagging spirits. We arrived at Otterburn at 1800hrs
to find the weather cold and wet, as expected in the north.
SSgt Graham was on hand to show us our accommodation,
which was better than first expected. The sections got
50
together and prepared for the next day’s activities which
were an 0600 PFA, followed by an ACMT. The next morning
was bright, and after a cold shower we went straight into the
PFA which all the Sqn passed and many managed to shave
time off the run. The scoff house was a walk away but when
SSgt Dunn was on time, he was providing shuttle runs for the
lads, although it only happened once in the whole week!
It was then a quick shower and straight out on ranges for
grouping and the ACMT. It rained all day, however Cpl Russell
was on hand with the admin team to handout weak coffee
and wet sandwiches. It was a long day and the lads were
happy to be back in the block with a hot shower and rest
before an early start on the second day.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The second day consisted of fire and movement training
within the section. We finished the range day with some
weapon cleaning and MATTs lessons from Lt Owens which,
given the time of day, meant there was some tired faces and
eyes struggling to stay open. Wednesday quickly arrived and
a few seniors left for a football match including SSM
Stephenson who was finding life a struggle in the field. The
day included section attacks, everyone carried out the drills
fine apart from Cpl Magee who got a below average score!
As well as carrying out section attacks Cpl Crosfield also put
on a BCD lesson for the Sqn, which everyone passed. The lads
returned to camp from a long day to some hot scoff and a trip
to the bar to watch SSM Stephensons beloved football team
get beaten by Tottenham which was good to see.
selected to rescue the other detachment, one obvious choice
being Sig Rogerson after the heroics displayed the previous
day. After a few hours of trying in vain, the REME was tasked
to come and rescue the Det and turnaround was completed.
The fourth day into the exercise and everyone was thinking
about getting through the last day and returning to camp, but
an AFT and section in defence exercise was to be finished
first. All sections set off for the AFT at different times to a
fast pace and a hard climb up the hills in Otterburn, but all
was well, as we finished to some cold soup provided by Cpl
Russell. After a quick water break the sections went straight
into the last activity of the day. One last weapon clean and
time to pack up before a ‘Smoker’ to look back on the week
and play some section games including Sig Connelly
competing in the strength test which LCpl McInnes was
worried about, but just managed to pinch the win.
The lads enjoyed a few beers while Cpl Magee enjoyed a few
shots of Sambuca, which sent him to bed. There were a few
sore heads in the morning with the Sqn leaving early for the
trip back to Beacon Barracks. The bus was quiet and the slow
moving traffic delayed our time back to camp, however a
highlight was when we had a quick stop at the services only
to meet the famous Susan Boyle resulting in LCpl Glasgow
being star struck. We finally arrived at 1500hrs to hand rifles
back into the armoury and the Sqn left for a well deserved
bank holiday weekend.
The day started with us arriving at the lake. I was rather
apprehensive as I do not like water and all the kit was far too
large. After an initial brief from Lt ‘Big Dave’ Irons I
attempted to get into the Kayak, however my spray deck was
too tight and every time I pulled it forward the back would
come off or it would spring up and hit me. Thankfully, LCpl
Griffiths was on hand to help me out and whilst I held the
back, he used all his strength to pull it over the front rim. We
started with a quick race to get our sea legs, unfortunately for
Sig ‘Death’ Minors he immediately capsized and went into a
world of panic, flooding the Kayak and attempting to climb on
top whilst the rest of us looked on in great amusement. After
lunch, we were shown how to do a team rescue and LCpl
Griffiths was the first to do a demonstration. He went under
the water and was supposed to spin round as shown,
however the momentum was too great and he ended back
under the water. Afterwards we played Marco Polo, but Sig
Minors was cheating, as he was not saying Polo so he was
never discovered and ended up winning the game. We then
started a game of tag with a miniature rugby ball, attempting
to throw the ball at each other but LCpl ‘Max’ Payne
managed to land a peach of a shot on Lt Irons’ face and
knocked him into the water.
Exercise CENTAUR BEACON 1 - by Sig Bennett
Climbing - by LCpl ‘Max’ Payne
On 19 May, 217 Sqn deployed on Ex CENTAUR BEACON 1, a
Bowman Exercise designed to help Class 3 and 2 Signallers get
their workbooks signed off. The week started off with
antenna and propagation lessons. The group deployed to the
area, splitting into pairs to practice setting up a couple of
antennas, including the droopy dipole and horizontal dipole,
all being dictated by potential Yeoman Cpl Crossfield.
Due to the bad weather, we started on the indoor climbing
wall. We were shown how to put on all the equipment and
how to belay each other, in case they fell off. After we were
shown different climbing techniques and what to do in certain
situations. We then had a bouldering competition, during
which we were only allowed to use certain coloured holds to
get round. The winner was Sig ‘Death’ Minors demonstrating
excellent ability by getting past the hardest point, which
everyone else failed to do. Then we completed some basic
climbs and nobody had any problems. Afterwards we
progressed onto climbs that involved overhangs and things
started to get interesting! Whilst I was completing an
overhang, I struggled right at the very top, was unable to
reach the final bit, and slipped. After attempting this several
times, I threw my teddy out the pram and gave up. As
punishment, my instructor Capt Matt Woodman, left me
hanging for some time in order to think about how I could
improve my climbing next time. Then Sig ‘Jason Bradley’
Taylor tried a different but harder climb and only managed to
get two metres off the ground before giving up. After lunch,
we had another competition where we went around the
whole room, Sig Taylor won straight away as he was the only
one to finish and then we were unable to leave until I reached
a certain point, which I eventually was able to do.
The next day started with the lads back in 217 garages for
trailer packing and an LFG recap lesson. Sig Neary was tasked
to write an SOP on trailer packing and deliver the lesson to
the Sqn, which was carried out well. LCpl Tularam then gave
an in depth lesson on LFGs, which the Sqn found very
informative, especially Sig ‘SSM’ Topham, who was very
passionate about the lesson.
As the week progressed the lads rolled into the PACEX, each
detachment was tasked to set up in location and gain comms
with 0. The PACEX ran smoothly with no problems.
The weather had been good all week, but as the troops
deployed onto the area for the Comms Ex, the weather soon
changed. Setting off at 10 minute intervals each detachment
was required to set up in specified locations and gain comms
with 0. Once all detachments had achieved this feat, YofS
Howard decided to move two detachments. This
unexpectedly caused chaos. Due to the weather conditions
on the exercise area and LCpl ‘I know best’ Cooper's decision
making, the two detachments got stuck. Eventually heroics
by Sig ‘Bear Grylls’ Rogerson managed to free one of the
detachments, leaving one Det literally stuck in the mud.
Day 5 was exercise turnaround except for the lucky few
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
All in all the Ex proved to be a very beneficial and interesting
week for all.
222 Signal Squadron
OC
SSM
Maj H Frost
WO2 (SSM) J Roberts
Kayaking - by LCpl Duffy
Mountain Biking - by Sig ‘Jonesy’ Jones
The day of mountain biking began with the usual kit issue and
demonstration. After getting the bikes off the rack, we had a
safety and tips brief off Cpl Suman. Sig Fieldon began
bragging that he was able to pull a good wheelie, however
when asked to demonstrate this he immediately fell over and
51
nearly hit the side of the car. We then set off onto the warm
up trail, which consisted of lots of little humps and ramps that
allowed us to practise our skills and get a feel for the bikes.
Then we cycled to the start of the blue uphill track. This took
us a while as it was steep in parts and very windy. The second
half of this route was very steep and therefore fast downhill.
Sig Fieldon set off immediately and we did not see him until
we got to the bottom. We then went up a slight up hill to get
to the main road. After crossing the road we went onto a
very long green route that had some beautiful coastal views.
Then we set off down the road and onto a blue track, Sig
Fieldon started at the back and attempted to overtake Cpl
Hamilton. In doing so, he cut off a massive section but failed
to notice the large log and ended up going over his
handlebars landing head first in the dirt. Once we got to the
bottom we went back to the jumps section, again Sig Fieldon
stated that he could catch some air but in doing so he missed
the track and went straight into a ditch. After lunch we drove
to a red route which had lots of different obstacles to test the
skills we had learnt in the morning. It had lots of hard uphills
and the downhill parts did not seem long enough to justify
the effort required to get to the top. Everybody had an
excellent day mountain biking including Sig Fieldon despite
crashing four times.
that they were not tired enough and went for an 800 metre
swim in the lake, whilst the rest of us looked on in disbelief.
Sgt Simpson glad to be at the top of the hill
248 Gurkha Signal Squadron
OC SSM
Maj S Smith
WO2 (SSM) L Rana
248 GSS Educational Visit to the Houses of Parliament
– by Sig Deephang Limbu
I am proud to have been in the Brigade of Gurkhas for over
five years now but the fact is I am still ignorant about certain
aspects of this country and the people I am serving. I am
unaware of a lot of British history, being untouched by British
politics and its policies. I often struggle to laugh along at the
British humour, and am still improving my spoken and written
English. This is a challenge many Gurkhas face.
Sig Jones enjoying his cycling
Hill Walking - by LCpl Max Payne
Before we set off SSgt Jay Jennings briefed us on the route
that we were going to take that day. Sig ‘Death’ Minors was
given the task of leading us on the initial leg and navigated us
perfectly to the next checkpoint. The weather was hot and
we took plenty of water breaks. The walks were not bad at
first but then we hit the first hill! When we got to the top of
the first hill we were shown how to estimate travel time using
Naismith’s rule. Unfortunately we ended up walking more
quickly than we had estimated as LCpl Griffiths and Sig
Minors were powering it up the hills. The hills just seemed to
get bigger and bigger as the day wore on.
We stopped for lunch on the second peak and admired some
wonderful scenery. It was windy at the top and when LCpl
Griffiths opened his coffee it blew all over LCpl Max Payne.
Before setting off for the final peak we estimated that it
would take us 45 minutes to get to the top and LCpl Payne
was shocked by this and claimed to be able to complete it in
half the time. Once we started hitting the steep section, he
started running up to the top but shortly after stepping off
had to take a break once he realised how steep it was. On
beginning the descent we were told there was a café on the
way, so we set off with added vigour, looking forward to the
ice cream that we would soon be eating. Upon our arrival
everyone treated themselves to an ice cream and a cold drink
and SSgt Jennings regaled us with stories of Champagne
flavour Magnums that he had been eating in Cyprus. Despite
the hot 10-mile walk, SSgt Jennings and LCpl Griffiths decided
52
Outside the Houses of Parliament
Thus, with an aim to educate soldiers from 248 Gurkha Signal
Squadron about British history and British politics, and more
specifically to give an insight into the way that British
parliament operates, an educational visit to the Houses of
Parliament was organised and led by LCpl Santa Gurung.
There were nineteen soldiers taking part on this visit. The
plan was to visit the Houses of Parliament in the morning and
then the Science Museum in the afternoon. Around 0615, one
minibus and a car headed to London. It took three hours to
reach Kensington Barracks where we parked our vehicles
before walking to the Houses of Parliament. By the time we
reached our destination there was a long queue waiting to
get through the security check. Around 1045 we were
standing in the main hall of the Houses of Parliament where
our guide was waiting to welcome us. After the welcome, she
started to give some architectural history about the building.
The building was originally a palace, and the guide recalled
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
the moments when Nelson Mandela, President Obama and
the Queen gave their speeches from the same steps we were
climbing. It felt like we were touching British history. She led
us to different chambers where the Queen and other British
royalty had spent time on different occasions. It was tragic to
hear our guide mention a fire that destroyed most of the
original architecture of the Houses of Parliament. The interior
design, brickwork, stonemasonry, paintings and the walls with
magnificently sculpted artwork were really interesting and
unlike anything I have seen before. I was amazed with the
standard of architecture and designs within the building.
and compass but found it tough to find the first checkpoint
itself as the visibility was very poor due to the immense fog.
However I managed to get all the checkpoints within the time
frame, as did the others. The distance roughly covered was
about 6km. Sig Bhuwan completed the course with an
impressive time of 75 minutes which earned him the reward.
Nevertheless it was a very good opportunity to practice and
hone our orienteering skills and most importantly I learnt how
to stay calm and not panic in a foggy weather.
After the tour we were ushered to the hall where a
Conservative MP from Staffordshire was waiting for us. His
name was Jeremy Lefroy and he took us to one of the rooms
where we discussed current issues and topics such as the
hospital, the university and local roads. Around 1315, we
finished our discussions with the MP and headed towards
Kensington Barracks to pick up our vehicle so that we could
visit the Science Museum.
Listening intently to Cpl Paras...
With Staffordshire Conservative MP Jeremy Lefroy
Around 1415 we drove to the National History Museum. On
the way we passed the Royal Albert Hall and the London
School of Business and Music. We were given one hour to
explore the museum on our own. The museum was mostly
filled with displays about biology, meteors, the eco-system,
marine biology, rocks and diamonds. The best part for me
was the Kohinoor Diamond which was magnificently shining
with its flawless cuts and edges. Around 1530, we finally
finished our educational tour and headed back to Stafford.
Overall, the educational visit was inspiring and certainly
widened our knowledge about British culture and its political
history.
In the afternoon it was time for mountain biking which I
looked forward to the most. To our surprise the day turned
out to be pleasant and sunny which was not expected.
Mountain biking was a thrilling experience with challenging
terrain and different routes taken by the instructor, Sig
Bhuwan. The majority of the group had previous mountain
biking experience, but a few of us, like me, were novices. I
was dreading the steep, undulating terrain and sharp turns on
the route. This made me reluctant and slower in the group.
However after guidance from the instructor and imitating the
other riders, I gathered up the courage and was eventually
riding and keeping up with the others in a matter of time. The
adrenalin rush going downhill and near misses in sharp turns
was insanely exhilarating. Thankfully there were no accidents
and everyone got back in one piece with stiff and tired
muscles but with smiles on everyone’s faces. Eventually after
an exhausting day we returned to Stafford and to boost our
morale we had some Gurkha messing and prepared for the
next day.
Exercise OSCAR KHUKURI – by Sig Uday Limbu
After a series of exercises and a busy schedule, some outdoor
activities were needed outside camp for a change of scene.
Realising this, LCpl Raj organised a series of activities over
two days which began on 12 Mar 14. They involved
orienteering, mountain biking, bell boating and fishing in
Cannock Chase and Stoke-on-Trent.
Early morning on 12 Mar 14, the enthusiastic participants were
fully geared up and gathered in the Troop lines to be briefed
about the next 48 hours. Two mini buses set off at 0900 from
Stafford towards Cannock Chase. Upon arrival, Cpl Paras
(orienteering instructor) immediately split us into two groups
and briefed us about the orienteering event. We were
provided with a map and a compass. The objective was to
find a series of checkpoints within a two hour time frame
using one’s map reading and orienteering skills. To add some
excitement to the activity there was a reward for the person
who completed the course with all the checkpoints and in the
shortest time. Hopeful of the reward, I set off with my map
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Before the Bell Boating!
The following morning, we set off for Rudyard Lake, Stoke-onTrent. Upon arrival, we met the bell boating instructor, Ray,
who briefed us on the day’s event, safety points and a brief
history about the place. Regardless of the weather, the
scenery, historical castles and swans in the lake were
picturesque. We were split into two groups. Initially we were
familiarised with the boat and were taught different
techniques and how to operate the boat. As soon as we got
the gist about how to run it, everyone wanted to have a race
immediately! It was a good laugh and my group was
victorious most times. Concurrently, others interested in
fishing were also engrossed in the hope of catching big fish.
Nonetheless by the end of their session they managed to
catch about 15 mini fish (sidra) which we showed to the local
53
fishermen. After the lunch break, Ray decided to introduce a
tug of war competition between the two boats to add some
extra fun which also turned out to be a ‘man test’. Again my
team was triumphant. Once that had finished, our OC Saheb
Capt Surendra thanked and presented funds raised for the
Rudyard Lake Trust Charity to our instructor. Finally, we
finished the day in a local pub where the losing team bought
the winning team a round of drinks.
Suren Saheb presenting money raised for the Rudyard Lake
Trust Charity
and the track events, including myself winning the 100 and
200m sprint; that helped boost morale; in fact our team
performed extraordinarily on both the field and track events
even without our best long distance runners namely SSgt Tim
Cooke and SSgt Dan Peake.
A week later, Lt Dave Irons selected a fantastic team from all
the Squadrons to represent the Regiment to compete in the
UK Midlands Athletics at RAF Cosford. This time around SSgt
Tim Cooke from 252 Signal Squadron was present. Upon
arriving at the stadium we were shocked to see that almost all
the Regiments competing were in their tracksuit outfits
showing how professional they were. In fact, our morale
went down drastically but luckily SSgt Tim Cooke and Lt Dave
Irons won their track events, so that boosted morale. SSgt
Cooke then displayed his talent again to win the 5000m and
10000m. The result was finalised and surprisingly 22 Signal
Regiment were crowned as the 2014 Major Unit champions
for the very first time. That gives me another medal to add to
my catalogue. Hooray!
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the two days. All of the
activities gave us the opportunity to build team cohesion,
coordination, trust, courage, leadership, good communication
skills and team bonding. I look forward to more events like
this in the future.
252 Signal Squadron
OC SSM
Maj AB Arthurton
WO2 (SSM) S Middleton
Athletics - by LCpl Assoun
In the early hours of Thursday 8 May 2014, 252 Signal
Squadron headed out for the usual annual Regimental
Athletics Competition in Stafford. This is one of the few
opportunities for us to move out from our comfort zone to
show our athletic talent. Our journey from Innsworth was
very smooth and we arrived in good time. Upon arrival it
started raining heavily and we thought the whole event might
be postponed, but it stopped raining 40 minutes later. As
usual we all gathered and had a bit of socialization before the
event brief by the captains.
Due to work related commitments our Squadron was missing
most of its famous athletes so it was very hard for Sgt Terry
Barnaby to pull together a full team. He eventually made up a
wonderful team with new faces which included Capt Chris
McGrath, Sgt Gareth Thomas, Sgt Dean Forsyth, and Cpl
Michael Purcell. With the support and the presence of our
seniors at the stadium we started winning most of the field
Team 252
54
LCpl Assoun receiving his trophy
252 Management Education Day - by Sgt McGinn
With ARRC Headquarters receiving an extended bank holiday,
Maj Andy Arthurton decided it was a good opportunity to
implement a management study day. This consisted of
discussing the different styles of leadership including Adair’s
theory. With audience participation blossoming, it was time
for Mr Paul McCarter, guest speaker, to address the
auditorium.
Paul served as a Royal Signals Officer for 12 years and is now
an Executive General Manager for a communications
company. He opened with an icebreaker; sharing his life to
date and expressing moments which projected him into the
entrepreneurial director and business leader that he is today.
His wealth of knowledge and experience was evident to us all
after just hearing a few words. We partook in some activities
that homed in the importance of group contribution and
benefits of asking for input rather than demanding a narrow
command. He also offered £10 to anyone that could explain
Borneo Troop utilising all their finesse
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
why he had the bottom button of his waistcoat undone; a
trait started by Edward VII but as nobody knew the £10 went
back into his pocket.
The second phase was a short journey to Gloucester Rowing
Club. There we split into groups of unquestionably mixed
abilities. It was not a warm day and just looking into the dark
brown murky water of the River Severn, you could tell that
the water was going to be freezing. WO2 (SSM) Sean
Middleton decided on wearing a bright orange t-shirt with the
word ‘COACH’ written of the back; an observation that he
chose not to illustrate to us on the river. Sgt Elf Watson
made it known that he was a weak swimmer and that he
would require a lifejacket before assuming the responsibility
of ‘Stroke’ on the three man boat. Within seconds, Sgt
Watson was in the water clinging to the boat for dear life and
almost took Maj Arthurton with him. Team Borneo Troop
were easily the sprightliest on the water; I put this down to
the high expectations of the civilian coach and the fact that
he didn’t stop shouting at them the whole session.
The final part of the day was a garden party at the OC’s
house. The food was incredible and the drink was plentiful. I
particularly enjoyed the venison steaks. All in all it was a well
prepared and enjoyable day.
Juniors Paintballing - by LCpl Sean Hunt
While the Seniors and Officers were being educated, a small
group of juniors took advantage of this and went paintballing.
The day started off with a rigorous kit check, which LCpl
Christopher ‘Evo’ Evans failed spectacularly, sporting a pair of
shorts much to his regret later. We mounted the bus and
went straight to McDonalds for a nutritious breakfast. Having
consumed the majority of our recommended calories for the
week, we arrived at the battlefield. Split into two teams with
very imaginative names: Team Red and Team Blue, the
civilians attached to the Blue team had no idea what they had
let themselves in for!
The first two games were capture the flag. The Reds took the
early high-ground and captured the Blues flag; something that
was repeated in the second match, thanks to some disregard
to the rules by the Reds. Cpl Michael ‘Percy’ Purcell made a
heroic defence of the red flag, securing the victory. The
subsequent two games were defending balloons scattered
around the battlefield. Once again the Reds dominated the
battlefield. The day was concluded with a BBQ. The day
fostered a good team ethic and the competitive spirit of the
Squadron shone through.
Royal Signals Rounders Tournament: a 22 Signal Regiment
Perspective - by LCpl Sarah Wheeler
the coin flip, with 30 Sig Regt winning and electing to field
first.
Despite LCpl Sarah ‘Gringo’ Wheeler scoring her first rounder
22 Sig Regt could only manage 4 rounders. 30 Sig Regt took
the bats after a mini war dance. The first hit was strong and
high into the sky. Sig ‘Lexi’ Ray executed a perfect combat
roll and emerged with the ball safely in one hand, much to the
delight of Capt Taft. The big hits kept coming from the 30 Sig
Regt team and at the final standing they emerged victorious,
winning 7 – 4.
The competition was enjoyed by all, despite the atrocious
weather, and many thanks go to Capt Taft of 252 Signal
Squadron for all her hard work bringing the Corps together
for this event.
SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj J Renshaw
WO2 (SSM) N Marshall
This last period has been business as normal for Sp Sqn with
the usual pace of life lifting slightly to allow the Sqn to get in
some hard earned leave. Once back after Easter the Sqn
found time to invest in our junior soldiers with a cultural trip
to the National Memorial Arboretum as well as conducting
MATTs training, pre-CLM and preparation for the Regimental
Battle Camp in July. We now have a 2 week AT package to
look forward to which will push our soldiers outside of their
comfort zones as well as provide a great opportunity to do
activities they would never normally undertake.
The Sqn has also managed to get off to a flying start in the
CO’s Competition with 2 wins in quick succession, firming up
our status as being the team to beat. We now need to
capitalise on our success and increase our lead over a very
competitive field. On on!
National Memorial Arboretum – by Sig Cook
On 20 May 14, 23 soldiers from Sp Sqn visited the National
Memorial Arboretum. After we received our brief for the day
we left camp with everyone looking forward to the day ahead
as we had heard many good things about the memorial, with
only a few having visited before. As we arrived we boarded a
small train that would take us around the arboretum with a
recorded tour guide being played giving us an insight into a
large number of memorials. It was the best way to see the
site as no walking was involved and it enabled us to learn
about all the different organisations represented at the
memorial and we covered a lot of ground in quick time.
Capt Abbie Taft organised a Corps wide Rounders
competition taking place on 8 May. The competition kicked
off at 0900hrs at Imjin Barracks, the home of the mighty 252
Signal Squadron, with teams from 30 Sig Regt, 2 Sig Regt,
3DSR, 14 Sig Regt and 22 Sig Regt.
During the 30 Sig Regt v 22 Sig Regt match, Sig ‘Lexi’ Ray hit a
number of blinders and scored three rounders which won the
match for 22 Sig Regt. Cpl Emma ‘Gilpig’ Gilbert scored a
rounder against 3 DSR, along with Sig ‘Franbo’ Gallagher who
stormed past fourth base. Throughout the competition Capt
Taft was supporting heartily from the sidelines. At the end of
the round robin, 22 Signal Regiment stood at the top, having
emerged victorious in all 6 matches.
After the rainy lunch break it was decided that the top two
teams would face off for the Cup. Cpl Amie ‘Jelmo’ Jelf for 22
Sig Regt and Sgt ‘the Max’ Lomax for 30 Sig Regt faced off at
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
We will remember them
Continued on page 58
55
Race th
And they’re off! Race The Sun 2014 begins at 0500 with the
Canoe / Kayak race
21 Signal Regiment approaching the end of Leg 1
2 Signal Regiments annual Race The Sun event was once again a
resounding success, featuring 29 teams from across the Armed
Forces and a foreign contingent of Dutch Marines, a total of
approximately 550 competitors. In spite of its longevity within
the Corps, the event remains a significant logistical challenge
for all involved, as competitors and their equipment are
transported around North Yorkshire to different
checkpoints marking the fifteen legs of the course.
As with so many events of magnitude, the day in
question often appears as a tiny dot on a far-flung
horizon until, seemingly by surprise, it is all too near
and looming large. On 28 May competitors descended
on Imphal Barracks, filling the gymnasium and vehicle
garages with camp beds and the lively sound of
excited anticipation for the following day. With the
Team Captains’ brief delivered, T-shirts distributed,
and last-minute questions taken care of (‘No, 299
Signal Squadron, I do not know where a spare canoe
can be found eight hours before the race starts’),
there remained very little to do but get what part of a
good night’s sleep remained.
Before long Imphal Barracks was the proverbial hive of
activity as generators kicked into life, vehicle engines
hummed, and the first wave of competitors approached the Start line (complete with BAE Systems banners, for which many
thanks!). With a final brief from LCpl Williams, and Regimental Photographer Cpl Johnston in position, there remained only
seconds before Brig Wilson, air-horn in hand, unleashed canoeists and Race The Sun 2014 was underway. With a removal of
previous years’ restrictions on the type of boat allowed, there followed a sterling performance by Maj Jim King of 30 Signal
Regiment, who knocked twelve minutes off his time in 2013 to finish Leg 1 in just under thirty-six minutes and giving his team-mate
a three minute lead in the River Run.
However, just an hour later all bets were off as 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiments entry overtook the man from 30 Signal Regiment, making
up a five minute gap and finishing the run a full minute ahead of the next competitor. This leapfrogging continued for the duration of
Stage One (Legs 1 to 6), and although neither team routinely had the very fastest individual runner on each leg their overall lead was
unsurpassable. Unseen in the throes of the day, some really impressive times were being achieved by competitors on individual legs; of
note were the entry in the River Run by AFC Harrogate (whose time at forty-seven minutes surpassed even that of the winning SF
runner), the Hill Run by ITC Catterick, who finished in under twenty minutes, and the blistering speed on the Forced March set by 22
Signal Regiment with a time of under 72 minutes. By mid-morning however, 18(UKSF) Signal Regiment had a strong ten-minute edge
over 30 Signal Regiment with 3 Divisional Signal Regiment only trailing a few minutes and the competition looking set to become a
three-team endeavour. Of the Minor Units, 21 Signal Regiment, AFC Harrogate and the HQ N6 RNLMC were all very close at the end
of this Stage.
RCMO on the loose; 2 Signal Regiments Capt
Liam Tosh transitioning onto his bike for Leg 3,
ably assisted by Cpl Cook
56
The second Stage (Legs 7 to 12) was released at 0900 hours from Cliff Stud near
Helmsley; thanks must go to Mr Jake Duncombe for the use of his land, and his
children for being out of bed in the school holidays to sound the horn and set the
Half Marathon in motion. Odds were reset as 22 Signal Regiment sped over the
finish line in the staggering time of 1hr 21mins 27secs, providing a ninety second
lead in this stage. This minute and a half was quickly recovered by 30 Signal
Regiment who stormed through the mountain biking, but 22 Signal Regiment
were hot on their heels and beat them to Dalby Forest over the fell run. At the
same time, HQ 2 Medical Brigade were making exceptional progress; having
finished 13th of the minor units in the Half-Marathon, they made significant
gains on the mountain biking and ran third into Dalby Forest, narrowly behind
HQ N6 RNLMC and 4 YORKS. Orienteering (Leg 10) was given a makeover for
this year, bringing it into the 21st Century with the use of Corps-owned electronic
equipment (sourced and organised by Maj Sally Calland and Capt Kirsty DaviesWalters), eliminating doubt over times and streamlining the competition. SSgt
Jamie Ranson of 3 Divisional Signal Regiment tore through the course in under
40 minutes to put his unit back in the lead but the indomitable 30 Signal
Regiment closed the gap and clawed back an impressive time over the Cycle
Orienteering (Leg 12). It was a great shame that tampering by members of the
public with signage in the forest resulted in a number of runners getting
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
he Sun
temporarily geographically confused (we would never say “lost”), and
the sensible decision was made to cancel all times from the Forest
Run (Leg 11).
by Lt H L Joseph, 2IC Race The Sun
Photographs by Cpl R Johnston (SPS)
Meanwhile, the crowds were gathering at Castle Howard for the
beginning of the Lake Swim (Leg 13), another massed start,
leading into the Bike / Run (Leg 14) back into camp. The first
three competitors out of the water (10 Signal Regiment, 1
Close Support Battalion (REME), and 32 Signal Regiment)
exited in a twenty second window and all under seventeen
minutes, which is no mean feat. HQ R Signals was
incredibly close behind, with Lt Col Coatsworth but 21
Signal Regiment, whose swimmer exited fifth, pipped
them all to the post as the first team to have a runner
back onto Imphal Barracks.
The event finale, the Stretcher Race, commenced at 1700
hours and saw teams battling one another in a course
around Imphal Barracks, determined to beat the
bottlenecks and avoid crashing into each other with their
60kg loads. AFC Harrogate was the runaway winner of
this event, finishing in under fourteen minutes, followed
closely by ITC Catterick. However, these scores alone were
not sufficient to displace other teams in the Minor Units
event, and for the Major Units even after coming fourth in
the Stretcher Race, 30 Signal Regiment remained on top
across the day. Times for the winning three teams from each
category are published below and the timing spreadsheet from
across the day has been released to Team Captains for the benefit
of curious parties.
Believed to have started in 1990, Race The Sun’s next iteration will mark 25
years annual sporting competition – a fantastic achievement for all
involved. It remains only for 2 Signal Regiment to thank those who took
part for their effort, enthusiasm and their patience; the unit looks forward
to hosting what will surely be another excellent day and especially
anticipates the return of the defending champion units, both Major and
Minor.
22 Signal Regiment en route to a comfortable win in
the Half Marathon
HQ 2 Med Bde giving it their all on the Stretcher Race
Results
Winning Major Units
1st 30 Signal Regiment - 12:23:05
2nd 3 Divisional Signal Regiment - 12:37:05
3rd 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment - 12:49:44
Winning Minor Units
Brig Wilson presents 30 Signal Regiment with the
prize for winning Major Unit
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
1st HQ N6 RNLMC Dutch Marines - 13:35:32
2nd 21 Signal Regiment - 13:44:22
3rd ATR Winchester - 14:02:57
57
After our tour finished we revisited some of the memorials
where members of the group gave short presentations on a
number of different cap badges and organisations that make
up Sp Sqn or have been utilised by members of the Sqn in
difficult times. The final memorial we covered was the Armed
Forces Memorial which is truly impressive. After the
presentation for this memorial we were given a few minutes
to spend reflecting on our thoughts and paying our respects
before we laid our wreath to honour those fallen.
our minds we started dropping targets. The team scored 311
points out of a possible 400; a commendable score as this put
us in the lead with only 2 teams remaining.
The day was a resounding success and greatly enjoyed by all
who attended. It was uplifting to see that as a nation we are
eternally grateful to all those who have sacrificed so much to
give the rest of us our freedom. We will remember them!
Inter Sqn Athletics
CO’s Competition – March and Shoot
The CO’s competition is a great opportunity for the Regiment
to get together and instil a competitive spirit amongst the
soldiers. The opening event to this year’s competition was
the March and Shoot, an event that we won last year by a
whisker so were keen to put some distance between us and
the field Sqns. The event is a 5 ½ mile march carrying 15Kg
PLCE with the last half mile having the added burden of an
80Kg stretcher. We knew what we had to do and with a Para
trained SSM on the team we knew we were going to be quick.
With a time of 51mins 58secs we had bettered our previous
time by nearly 2 minutes.
It was with great pleasure that Sp Sqn retained the title,
beating our competition by over 2 minutes on the march and
2 points on the shoot. With bragging rights confirmed the
team set about the Regt with an air of arrogance and a spring
in their step. Get in!
The day after the March and Shoot saw the Inter Sqn Athletics
take place at a local sports stadium, SSgt Karl Hannah taking
the lead for Sp Sqn. With the final team decided track side,
they set about what seemed an impossible task of winning
yet another trophy, however, with the 3 wins out of a
possible 3 for the team captain, the rest of the team began to
realise that an overall win might be on the cards.
Having destroyed the competition in most field events the
attention switched to the track. We had some commendable
efforts by all team members, particularly Pte Atta Kruffie who
ran the 1500m back to back with the 5000m, enough said!
With 3 events left the overall winner was still undecided. The
team put their top runners forward to race the relays where
everything can go either very right or very wrong. With some
further outstanding performances the team did enough to
secure the title and add to the Sqn’s winning total of 2 events
out of 2. We now look to the driving competition and
extending our winning prowess over the rest of the
Regiment.
WO2 SSM Marshall scoring well!
With barely enough time to fit ear defenders we went straight
into the range for the shoot. Scoring rings had been marked
on the targets and with the marksmanship principles fresh in
The winning team
30th SIGNAL REGIMENT
BRAMCOTE
CO
RSM
Lt Col NM Stokoe OBE
WO1 (RSM) K Dade
SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj G Greaves
WO2 (SSM) R Widdison
Support Squadron continues to support all deployments and
exercises, as well as preparing for ECI inspections and MATTs
and military training opportunities. Departments have been
encouraged to take advantage of a healthy Sp Sqn Fund and
the Squadron 2IC Capt Dougie Icke has been inundated with
requests for ‘team-building days out’ – with go-karting being
he clear winner followed by horse racing!
58
We say farewell to Capt Dougie Icke who leaves us to become
Quartermaster Technical at 21 Signal Regiment, and is
replaced by Capt Tony McBean who joins us from sunny
Catterick. Capt James Harryman and WO2 Andy Naylor both
depart the Training Wing, with Capt James Harryman’s
posting to Brunei being applauded by all. The OC LAD Capt
Neil Allcock MBE leaves us to join the ECI Team in Aldershot
and takes his annoying ‘airborne’ answer phone message and
music with him – he will be dearly missed. Both WO1 (ASM)
Mark Carberry and WO2 (SSM) Jim Womble leave us to join
Civvy Street and we wish them both the best of luck for the
future. Capt Al Fraser joins us on commissioning and takes up
his appointment as UWO and OC PRI to the delight of Capt
Dougie Icke who at the time of writing is enjoying the
experience of one job for his remaining month in post. Lastly,
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
congratulations to SSgt Ritchie Widdison who has been given
local WO2 rank and selected to stand in as Sp Sqn SSM.
Exercise DARING DYER – by LCpl Anderson
Systems Engineer Troop is split into two very distinct
workforces; the Day-Walkers of the R&I and Installation
section and the Dark-Knights of MSPGH DII engineers. Once
in a while they get together for some much needed social
interaction and team bonding, otherwise known as a “geeky
love-in.” Ex DARING DYER was such a day and on 29 Apr 14
SE Troop set off for the National Memorial Arboretum as the
first part of the team-building exercise as organised by Cpl
Max Sila and Cpl Mohammed Hassan-King. Once we had
reformed and received our marching orders we made straight
for the Royal Signals memorial. Our most junior member, Sig
Josh Smith, laid a wreath and gave the following passage:
“We are gathered here today to pay our respects to fallen
soldiers throughout the years and to make sure they are never
forgotten and are always remembered for their courage and
commitment,” followed by the Ode of Remembrance.
We then observed a solemn two minute silence. Upon
completion we were encouraged to explore the picturesque
gardens and contemplate the sacrifice and camaraderie
experienced by our predecessors.
Whose idea was it to give command tasks to CS Engineers?
scenery for words which help you obtain a code to submit for
prizes. It was rather tricky and a couple of groups came
together to figure out a clue, others instead threw in ‘red
herrings’. At one point all the groups were stuck in the
churchyard, searching for a gate which may or may not exist.
Thereafter we regrouped and made our way to Whitemoor
Lakes adventure centre for some aerial antics. Once
harnessed to the massive climbing frames, we were told not
to race, so naturally every man jack of us left scorch marks as
we rocketed into the stratosphere. Even the petrified Sig
Mike Horton put on a brave face as he defied gravity by
travelling in an upwards direction.
Jumping and Falling also took place as the especially brave
attacked the Leap of Faith. LCpl Mohammed Hassan-King
wasn’t content with one successful attempt. He (or someone
speaking for him) demanded the bar be moved as far as it
could go. Needless to say he didn’t make it. LCpl Nathanial
Bramham-Exley leapt too far, bounced off of the bar he was
supposed to catch and spun off like a Catharine wheel.
There was also a seesaw in midair with room for two; those
two would invariably face each other in combat, LCpl James
Anderson was paired with Cpl Max Sila, a friendly Fijian with a
thirst for blood who was deaf to cries for mercy. The play
ended with a box stacking competition that played more like
Jenga, except you were actually on the tower when it fell.
The Leap of Faith as demonstrated by LCpl Ben Allison
But there could only be one winning team and they were: Sgt
Brian Edwards, Sgt Brian Milne and Sgt Lee McClarence
(*Fix!*) who were the last group to leave and the first to
return, with the correct code too.
Finally we withdrew in good order to the George and Dragon
pub for some hot scoff and chilled drinks.
Exercise APHRODITE ENDURO 14 – by SSgt Anthony Ingoe
On 13 May 14, I joined the recently posted 30 Sig Regt RQMS
WO1 Scott Tomblin and SSgt Steve Taylor on Ex APHRODITE
ENDURO 14 - an Army Gravity Enduro training camp in Cyprus.
The camp was to include a number of riding days to help
acclimatise and gain some training in the Gravity Enduro
discipline, and then the team would also take place in the
‘Mountain 2 Sea’ race.
SE Tp and MSPGH gather to pay respect to our fallen soldiers
The last phase was a treasure hunt through the village of
Alrewas, sourced by WO1 (FofS (IS)) Jeff Sigston. Like
orienteering but with clues which have you searching the local
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
On the first day of training we were all eager to get the bikes
assembled and get out on the trails around Troodos and
Mount Olympus, where the team were located for the week.
As we were all a little over excited as to what was ahead, WO1
Tomblin and his Canyon were to become the first in a long list
of ‘Bike Faults’. Unfortunately he noticed when we were only
8kms into the ride that he had lost a ‘Chain Ring Bolt’. In fact
he had forgot to tighten them all up and very nearly lost his
59
front crank. As he could not carry on we had to find a local
bike shop in order to get the problem fixed. It was here that
we met Socrates, the shop owner and also a fellow
competitor in the race. He agreed to meet up with us later
that afternoon and take us riding. When we met him and his
team in Troodos square he informed us that we would be
doing the full race route. A perfect opportunity to get a full
recce of the route done and gain some local knowledge.
Socrates and his team then preceded to beast us around the
60km route with very few stops and very little shade. A little
under prepared for this we all seemed to suffer in some way,
except for WO1 Tomblin who rode strong. SSgt Taylor spent
the majority of this ride keeping one of the locals company,
Jason Hercules, as they plodded up the hills.
This then caused the wheel to dislodge from the bike. At this
point he knew that the bearings were completely seized and
he had to retire from the race. WO1 Tomblin and I decided to
crack on with the race and set a time even though we would
be disqualified for not finishing with all team members. We
kept on passing teams and knew that we were flying. We had
passed all teams that were in front of us except the first 3
that had started, and then it was my turn with the problems.
In the final 5km I got a puncture. This cost us 5 to 6 minutes
on our final time. Once it was fixed we managed to cross the
line in 2hrs 45mins, a time good enough for 4th place if we
hadn’t been disqualified. The only teams to beat us were the
Cypriot National Triathlon team, BMC racing team and a team
from one of the local units.
The next day of riding saw the team take on the ‘Atalante
Trail’ around the top of the mountain. The day was to be
hampered by more bike faults and the first was with Steve
Taylor and his almost new YT Industries. His rear brake was
not playing well and required bleeding to sharpen it up. After
quite a few attempts we quickly realised that something was
not right. When trying to put the brake back together Steve
managed to drop the ’Bleed port screw’, a small screw that
seals in all of the brake fluid. We all then spent a good 30
minutes trying to locate the small screw that had fallen into
an overgrown abyss. After a few hours and YouTube videos
we managed to get the brake working properly and could
head out. Once on the trail the problems kept on rolling. We
managed to break spokes, acquire 10 punctures and also
broke a Reverb suspension seat post. This meant a trip back
down to the shop, and the opportunity for the locals to once
again take all of our money to sort the problems.
As all of the bikes were in need of a lot of attention no more
riding could be done. This sadly meant that we had to retire
to the beach and work on our tans.
The day before the race we then took the time to look over
the bikes and to ensure they were fully working. This was
then to be the start of SSgt Taylor’s demise and the start of
the end for the YT. We had discovered that the rear wheel
bearings had completely seized, and no matter what we did
we could not get them to run smoothly.
3 men and a wheel
Support to Exercise JUBILEE CHALLENGE
– by WO2 (RQMS) McDougall
3 men and their bikes
Race day, and the team’s morale was a little low as we didn’t
know if we could start with a full team due to the offending
rear wheel. After all the briefs were conducted and people
were preparing to start, SSgt Taylor decided to try his best
and start the race, even though he knew the bike could
potentially not make it the whole way round. The race was a
60km route from Troodos, down and through the valleys to
Lemmings Beach in Happy Valley. There were 36 teams in
total that competed, all made up of three team members. We
were the 17th team to set off. We knew we would have a
slight advantage after doing the recce on the Wednesday so
we threw caution to the wind during the first decent. By the
time we were 10km into the race we had over taken 5 teams.
We managed to keep the pace going and covered the first
20km in just less than 50 minutes. This pace soon dropped as
the hills got a lot steeper to climb. At the 27km point the
offending wheel reared its head again and managed to
unwind the axel from SSgt Taylor’s bike.
60
Over the period 9 - 10 May 14, WO2 (RQMS) Paul McDougall
deployed south to Dartmoor to assist with Ex JUBILEE
CHALLENGE (EX JC). The Exercise is part of the 43 (Wessex)
Bde Ex Ten Tors that is attended by thousands of competitors
between the ages of 13 – 19 competing in teams to navigate
and survive 48hrs on Dartmoor over various distances.
Ex JC is run by Exeter University Officer Training Corps
(EUOTC), so apart from the small Regular Training Team the
event is run by Reservists and University students from the
OTC, giving up their time to allow the event to happen.
Ex JC is special as it allows competitors with learning and
physical disabilities to take part in the Ten Tors event with
competitors split into ability groups capable of walking routes
of 7½, 8½, 11 and 15 miles over the moors. EX JC Competitors
race to complete their course on foot, in walking frames and
rough terrain wheel chairs assisted by carers and OTC
Students. This year there were over 250 children taking part
in some typically horrible Dartmoor weather.
WO2 McDougall was used (believe it or not) for his comms
skills in the EX JC Ops room, using Airwave and Bowman radio
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Royal Signals Inter Unit 7s Competition – by Sgt Le May
The Regimental Rugby team has spent a good few months
trying to find its feet with structured training for the lads.
What with the high workload throughout the Squadrons and
trying to get guys released for games, getting the continuity
for training was never going to be an easy task.
The time of year for the Inter Unit Rugby 7s tournament was
soon upon us and the hope of returning to the Unit with
some silverware was top priority.
A squad of 12 guys from the Regiment with skill varying from
Corps players to absolute beginners was put together and
deployed on 7 May 14 in the early hours of the morning to
arrive at Cardiff, where the competition would be hosted.
With no training prior to travelling the thought of silverware
seemed distant, which turned the focus of the tournament to
ensuring everyone had an enjoyable experience.
WO2 (RQMS) Paul McDougall taking time out during Ex JUBILEE
CHALLENGE on Dartmoor with one of the young competitors
nets. These were used for monitoring group progress
through manned check points, controlling support and safety
vehicles as well as real time casualty extractions by the Navy
helicopters used to provide safety pick ups for all Ten Tors
activity.
It was great to be asked to go back and assist EUOTC with the
exercise but its easy to say yes when you see what an effect
taking part and finishing has on the young competitors. Very
few don’t finish, and it’s humbling to see the determination
and effort shown.
If you want more information on the event it can be found at
www.tentors.org.uk and R SIGNALS volunteers are always
welcome.
With mixed weather on the journey to Cardiff and the clouds
looking grey everyone knew that the playing conditions were
going to be awkward and would result in a very, very muddy
day out. After the initial brief of how the tournament was
going to play out we didn’t have long until our first game. In
fact once we had parked up and the lads had tied their boots
it was playtime. 7 players were thrown on to the pitch with
not even a ball through the hands to play against 21 Sig Regt
who we knew had game experience on their side and had
brought 2 teams. With only 7 minutes each way the intensity
of the game was high and for the lads with no experience it
was a steep learning curve as there was nowhere to hide. All
the players stepped up to the mark and held their own but
unfortunately this was not enough to lose our first game 4
tries to 1, Sgt Brian Edwards scoring our only try. Considering
the odds were against us this was not a bad margin to lose by
and this proved a good warm up match for our second game
of the pool stages where we played against 37 Sig Regt which
we won, 4 tries to 0. Cfn Ben Mather scoring 2 tries, one of
which was a superb individual effort, from our own half, LCpl
Ryan Ashby and Sig Dan Aspinal with the other two.
Exercise SWAN STABLES – by LCpl Collin Gilling
On 12 May 14 Support Squadron Personnel departed to
Lingfield Park Racecourse. The Exercise was designed to
boost morale and promote team bonding within the varying
departments of the Squadron. Not long after departing
Gamecock Bks we realised Sig Shane Holliman had decided to
make his own route card which in turn resulted in him putting
an hour onto the ETA.
Once we reached our destination the first port of call was the
bar to which we were amazed at the prices at £5 a pint which
resulted in some of the guys requesting a pint of council pop
instead, much to the bar tenders amazement. As the first
race was underway LCpl Lee Branham-Exley was jumping for
joy that he had a winner, not realising they had another lap to
go. Second lap round his horse was still in front at a price of
16 to 1, only for him to place 50p on it.
Sig Everton Clarke-Duncan and Sig Jake Baron remained busy
throughout the day comforting each other inside the warmth
of the bar area complaining they were too cold to go outside.
Cpl Kev Daley however seemed to pick every horse but the
winner and Cpl Ryan Simpson managed to do the opposite
and walk away with all the profit. Cfn Ben Mathers and LCpl
Luther James were more interested in the ‘fillies’ than they
were about getting winners, which didn’t do them any
favours. As a whole, the day turned out to be a success and
one that I would be only too happy to organise again!
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
30 Sig Regt Rugby team competing in the Royal Signals Inter
Unit 7s competition
Sitting joint second in the pool stages our last game with 18
Sig Regt would dictate what silverware we would play for in
the final. It was a close fought match where we lacked the
experience to hold out for a win. 18 Sig Regt took the win 3
tries to 2, Cfn Ben Mather getting his hat trick of the
tournament and Sig Dan Aspinal ploughing over for his
second of the tournament. This meant we would play 22 Sig
Regt in the final for the Bowl.
The pressure was on to win the final not only because we had
made it this far but a game with 22 Sig Regt was like playing a
local derby. Unfortunately it was not meant to be and we fell
61
short 2 tries for 22 Sig Regt to take the win 4 tries to 2. Sgt
Brian Edwards scoring his second try of the tournament and
Sig Josh Padgett giving us the second. Everyone was
disheartened by the result but with the positive feedback of
the whole day from the lads we have given ourselves
something to build on and will be back throwing the egg for
30 Sig Regt in the inter Unit 10’s tournament in June.
Race the Sun 2014 – by SSgt Ingoe
On a cloudy Wednesday afternoon the team from 30 Signal
Regiment set off in anticipation to Imphal Barracks, the
hosting venue of Race the Sun. Upon our arrival we were
steered into our make shift accommodation and shown to our
‘pen’ where we would set up camp.
Maj Jim King was our first competitor. Like a man possessed
he paddled us into an early lead, leaving all others standing.
LCpl Ledger was next and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Maj
King so that he could get his leg underway. In front of him
was a gruelling 10km river run. WO1 (RSM) Dade and I were
nervously pacing up and down at the beginning of our leg
waiting to start. After 18 (UKSF) Sig Regt had overtaken us
on the previous leg we both knew that we would have to
chase hard to close the gap and potentially regain the lead.
chase hard and put the Regiment firmly back in the lead. Sig
Kishan and SSgt Subarna were lined up ready for the fell run.
Although this is one of the shorter legs, it is also one of the
steeper.
Next was the orienteering leg which was run by SSgt Hem
and WO2 (RQMS) Sim. At this point we were unsure of
where the team ranked in the standings. Leg 11 turned out to
be a bit of an unscheduled training session for LCpl Moore.
The tac signs were unfortunately pointing in the wrong
direction and all but one team completed this leg. Therefore
the leg was neutralised. The time then came for the second
of the orienteering legs, this time on bikes. Cpl Calladine and
Cpl Gibson teamed up for this one in order to get round in the
fastest time possible.
Another mass start was waiting to go, SSgt Chilvers and Sig
Williams waited at the side of Lake Castle Howard. As the
horn sounded all of the competitors ran towards the freezing
cold lake. Sig Williams was perhaps the surprise of the day as
she swam like a majestic swan skimming over the lake. Now
we had the penultimate leg and this would see Capt Tom
Collins and WO2 (YofS) Williams tackle the 24km bike and
5km run. The last and probably hardest leg of the day was
the gruelling stretcher race. Sig Watson was our man to do
the streaming run and got round the pitch as fast as he could.
LCpl Donnelly was a quiet but strong character on the
stretcher, always willing to lead the charge towards the next
team. Sgt Allan was another solid performer who tried his
hardest to get us round. As we started the last lap of the
stretcher race Sgt McClarence took a tumble and almost took
out a few spectators.
30 Sig Regt Stretcher Race Team – all the way to the line!
SSgt Ingoe powering out of transition
WO2 (FofS (IS)) Kay was on the start line for the hill run and
was completely focused. As he set off he set a thundering
pace along the first part of the route. Cpl McCran and Sig
John were next to tackle the Forced March leg. This leg
played into the hands of 18 (UKSF) Sig Regt and their
competitor absolutely flew round the course. The moor run
was next and for this we had our secret weapon, Sig Ani, who
was raring to go and as soon as he was released shot off like a
bat out of hell. Next was the massed start for the half
marathon. Running for us was the machine known as Cpl
Parr from 244 Sig Sqn (AS). Not one to shout about his
talents he simply volunteered for this leg and let his form do
the talking.
The mountain bike leg saw SSgt (FofS) Fox and Cpl Ganga
tackle the 24km course in slightly damp conditions. With only
one team in front of them they both knew that they could
62
That was the end. All we could do now was wait for the
results to be tallied up. “And the winners are………” we
were all listening attentively, “30 Signal Regiment”. We had
done it. After two years of trying we had finally won Race the
Sun once again.
Race The Sun Champions 2014 – The Mighty 30
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
244 SIGNAL SQUADRON (Air Support)
OC
SSM
Maj J Snelgrove
WO2 (SSM) D Seymour
Exercise CARIBBEAN WINGS - by Lt N Keddie
Having got up in the cold and driven to the Gatwick Airport
Hilton in the rain I was bristling with excitement when I
met the rest of the crew of Ex CARIBBEAN WINGS Leg 10 in
February. We were an eclectic mix of individuals ready to
fly to St Lucia in order to begin our 2 week voyage upon the
HMSTC DISCOVERER, a Challenge 67 Sail Training Craft. This
tri-service expedition sets sail from Gosport and travels to the
Caribbean via the Canary Islands. The yacht remains there for
the majority of the exercise before returning to British waters
via St Thomas, Miami and New York.
Leg 10 was crewed by members of all three services with a
vast range of sailing experience. Previously, I had completed
the Competent Crew course at JSASTC and had a week on
board a yacht in the Mediterranean. The transition to sailing a
much larger vessel, capable of crossing the most treacherous
waters on the globe, was a learning curve the skipper and
mate were excellent at catering for. I was taken to the limits
of my ability and am now a much better yachtsman with
valuable experience.
On the first day we were introduced to the boat and began
our tuition in sailing terminology; a new and daunting tongue
to some of the party. The training was progressive and our
first passage, to Union Island, was a chance for us to put the
theory into practice. We tacked and gybed successfully to
Chatham Bay where we were instructed to drop the anchor
and get comfortable for the night. However, no exercise is
complete without a stag rota and anchor watch had to be
staffed. It was here that the inter-service banter really kicked
off; apparently it takes an AT package to educate the RAF that
moving objects make poor reference points!
meant swimming amongst beautifully coloured fish was
a regular occurrence. We were able to swim with turtles
and manta rays in the nature reserve of Tobago Quays in
the Grenadines. It was a common hope that we would see
dolphins whilst there but having them swim alongside the
boat, jumping through the bow wave was more than we could
have anticipated.
The overnight stops at different islands permitted us to
explore them briefly, exposing us to the unique nature of each
of them and their history. On some islands English was the
primary language and East Caribbean dollars the currency, on
others French and Euros were the norm. Some parts of these
islands are only accessible by boat; we were afforded sights
few are lucky enough to have experienced. An afternoon in
Tobago Quays meant we could taste the wonderful beach
BBQ with all the local creole flavours and a stop in Antigua saw
us moored up in Nelsons historic dockyard; a fantastic insight
into the history of the British empire. We spent the evening at
Shirley Heights, the historic artillery look out, which is now put
to use for steel bands, local food and rum punch on a Saturday
night. Our final stop before returning to St. Lucia was
Dominica where we experienced a true assault to the senses;
music and dancing everywhere with multicoloured costumes
and BBQs in the street.
Having returned to St Lucia, the final day was spent
conducting essential maintenance in the yacht before the
next crew arrived. The novices completed the final training
objectives to achieve their competent crew qualification
and the rest of us logged the miles we had completed in
preparation for further sailing qualifications. Travel to the
Caribbean is expensive and this exercise should be considered
a unique opportunity to be grasped wholeheartedly. Grants
were provided by the Adventurous Training Group (Army)
and there are numerous other sources applicants can apply
to in order to bring the cost down to a bargain price. I was
fortunate to have received funding from the Corps AT fund
and paid less than £500 for this experience. I would like to
express my thanks for the grant and a final encouragement to
apply for a place on Exercise CARIBBEAN WINGS.
SBMA – Support to Op HERRICK – by Sig Hewitt
A posting to Tampa Bay is not as “cushy” as one may assume.
Early morning parades are a regular and gruelling occasion,
some lasting 30 minutes waiting to be inspected by our rigid
SSgt Sophie Morris. Although this morning it was far more
significant, and due to its importance we were instructed
carefully for a more than punctual arrival. After a nice early
morning we arrived at out location at 0545hrs in true Signals
preparation for the start of the parade an hour later.
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and
New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and
New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts,
Experiencing some of the colourful Caribbean culture at a
carnival on the island of Dominica
As our sea legs grew more stable we began to increase the
length of the passages. The longest was in excess of 150
nautical miles and took 24hrs to complete. Being split into
watches meant that everyone had a role and getting into
routine was essential. Sailing at night can be a dangerous
pastime but it proved to be among the most enjoyable aspects
of an excellent expedition. The blackness that surrounded
the boat was absolute as we sailed across a rolling ocean that
was entirely invisible, except for the trail of luminescence
behind the yacht. On clear nights the stars were glorious
and navigating by them was a pleasure. The Caribbean is
breathtakingly beautiful and in daylight the clear blue waters
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
SBMA and his staff with 244 Signal Squadron personnel
63
and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and
suffering of all those who have served.” Originally 25 April
every year was to honor the members of the Australian and
New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in
the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Anzac Day is also
observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, and
Tonga. It is no longer observed as a national holiday in Papua
New Guinea or Samoa.
The day is very similar to our remembrance, although things
are done slightly differently. In true Aussie and Kiwi fashion,
considerably more alcohol is involved. This is something I
think we as a nation should seek to imitate on future
Remembrance parades.
The morning started with a Remembrance parade similar to
our own, consisting of the Last Post, laying of wreathes and
paying our respects to fallen heroes. The parade took place
on the beautiful golden shores of MacDill AFB, Tampa, in the
early hours of the morning just as the sun came up. At this
time of day in sunny Florida there is a tendency to become a
human buffet for mosquitoes, and everyone left with small
red marks all over their neck and arms. Shortly after the
parade we proceeded to consume our weight in Anzac
cookies, several bacon sandwiches, and a couple of early
morning glasses of rum, the norm when working in this tough
tri service environment.
250 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj J Malcolm
WO2 (SSM) Sureshkumar Limbu
Exercise PLATINUM LEADER - by LCpl Mahesh Rai
On 28 April 2014, members of 250 Gurkha Signal Squadron
deployed to Sennybridge Training Area on the 5 day long Ex
PLATINUM LEADER organised and run by SSgt (SQMS)
Gyanendra Rai. Straight after the 3 week long Ester break, an
exercise was the last thing on the mind for many of the
soldiers, including me. The main aim of the Ex was to go
away from the camp and complete MATTS where there isn’t
any distraction. But also to practice BCCS and leadership
aspects, which in my view is essential for junior soldiers to
develop their leadership skills as well as build confidence.
LCpl Santosh covering his arcs after clearing an enemy position
Advance to Contact and Casualty Extraction under Fire. As
the day drew to the end the newly formed Platoon came
together at Dixie’s Corner and started the Insertion Tab. The
occupation of harbour took rather longer than expected but
we managed to get into routine just before last light. After
last light, Night Navigation started. It was almost midnight
when everybody finished this activity. The following day was
the Day Navigation competition. It was individual effort, so
there was ample opportunity for losing your bearing. Day 4
was the section competition day. Sections have to travel
almost 12km navigating through the checkpoints and
completing the task on every checkpoint. Physical Stand and
Military Stand were two of the six checkpoints. The rainy
weather even added more value to the training. After the
event the result was announced and declared that 2 Section
was the winning section by some distance. On day 5, all the
bags were packed and loaded onto the trucks and we left the
camp for the final activity, AFT. Everybody was a little
apprehensive for this AFT because we were doing the same
AFT route as candidates on SFC selection have to complete.
But it wasn’t so bad after all. Finish point of the AFT route
marked the end of Exercise PLATINUM LEADER, and we safely
made our way back to Bramcote Barracks.
Looking back at the Exercise, I believe many of the soldiers
developed their Leadership Skills, revised their rusty BCCS
skills and while doing so finished most of the MATTs for this
year. Very big thanks go to the Ex Directing Staffs, especially
the SQMS for organising such a valuable and enjoyable
exercise package.
Sqn personnel completing the AFT at the end of Ex
Sig Shante leading the platoon towards a harbour location
We jumped straight into the lessons as there were lots of
activities to be done within the short period of time. On the
afternoon of first day we covered most of the theory lesson
on Navigation, CBRN and Harbour Drill by SSgt (SQMS)
Gyanendra Rai. Harbour Drill lesson was the most interesting
because most of us has almost forgotten the theory and skill.
Day 2 started early. During day 2 we managed to do lots of
practical lessons, namely; BCD, CBRN Practical, Section
64
The Royal Corps of Signals Individual Boxing Championships
- by Sig Yuwaraj Pun
From 28 April – 1 May 2014, 30 Signal Regiment hosted the
second Royal Corps of Signals Individual Boxing
Championships at Gamecock Barracks' Bramcote. Around 21
boxers from 6 different units took part in the event.
The boxers from the Regt had been preparing for the event
from early January. The individuals had done an average of 4
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
sessions a day, 5 days a week, for 13 weeks. Personally for me
the hardest part was not the physical sessions that we
suffered each day; it was the dieting I had to go through to
get my weight down to weight category. Honestly, being a
Gurkha and missing curry every single day is a huge sacrifice
to make. Even though the training camp was not easy, our
coaches (Sgt Al Mousley and Michael Blackburn) had a sound
knowledge ensuring that morale also plays a vital role in our
training; we had rest planned when team morale was below
the ground level. The team consisted of boxers having no
previous fighting experience to some having fought 5 times
before. The coaches made an arrangement to go to a civilian
boxing gym and spar with civilian boxers. This was really
beneficial for both the new boxers as well as the experienced
ones. Having participated in the 1 Sig Bde boxing
competitions, the boxers had gained more experience and it
really made a difference.
The 1st of May, as anticipated, was an intense day from the
moment we woke up for the weigh ins, all the way to the final
bout on the night. There were in total 9 bouts in different
weight categories including female bouts. There were 5
boxers from the unit which included myself in the welter
weight category. The previous few months spent on training
and developing our boxing skills was all going to boil down to
this night. Mixed emotions were flying around, mainly
nervousness, but everyone was raring to get into the ring and
do the business. Confidence plays a big part in boxing, and
for me personally, my confidence was at an all time high.
from the various personalities around what is 30 Sig Regt, I
was informed I would be deploying on Exercise B-RAM on
Wednesday 14 May 2014. B-RAM is a Troop level CT1 exercise
designed to teach, remind and revise members of the Troop
on the set up and procedures within the Operations Liaison
Response Team (OLRT). The OLRT is responsible for
providing a small Ops room and J6 capabilities to JFHQ staff
to allow staff to provide real time feedback to JFTHQ and
recommendations for future deployments.
The Troop deployed under the guidance of SSgt Osborne and
his DS team to Beckingham, East Midlands Training Area at
0655 Wed 14 May 2014. After a quick check of kit we were
off. I was IC OLRT 2, with LCpl ‘Ski’ Perkowski, Sig Harling
and Sig McKeague. My team had a wealth of experience
which varied from your usual Bowman training to
deployments with this new equipment to places like Ghana. I
was in safe hands, knowing I hadn’t got a clue as to what half
of it did! During the drive to Beckingham, I was treated to
some DIT spinning from LCpl Perkowski and a rock CD found
in the garage the morning we departed. Once in location at
Beckingham the Troop were treated to a site brief from Cpl
‘Dixie’ Dixon and a run down of the Exercise and scenario.
The teams were deployed to various buildings within
Beckingham, EMTA, to set up an Ops room and establish
communications. During the first set up I watched as these
guys worked and achieved comms rapidly. While standing
back and taking note, I made an observation to make life
simple to understand. What we do quite simply is similar to
what we would do if deployed on a Bowman detachment.
You take comms kit, place it into your comms ops area and
ensure you provide space for a staff working area. The team,
once set up, took me through it all so I could get up to speed
and be more of a team asset for the next set up.
At the end of day one we were briefed on the events for the
following day. OLRT 2 was to deploy to RAF Digby in order to
recce a potential Ops room and provide a presentation on our
findings that evening. Timings were given and on READBACK,
Sig ‘Skedaddle’ Smith stated we were to skedaddle away
from Beckingham at 0800.
The Regt boxing team with the coach (Sgt Mousley), CO, RSM
and QMSI
As the night progressed, everyone could see that this year’s
Corps Championships had brought out many talented boxers.
Overall, the 30 Sigs boxing team managed to win 3 bouts out
of the 5. Sig Yuwaraj Pun was awarded the Best Boxer of the
night and LCpl Blackburn was the most Gallant Fighter. These
were both judged by the VIPs that were invited to the event,
Frankie Gavin who is an undefeated British professional boxer
and Tom Chaney. For me personally, it was an honour and a
privilege to not only box in front of one of the best boxers in
the world today, but also to be awarded best boxer on the
night by himself.
OLRT 2 deployed to RAF Digby, JSSU (D) HQ, Conference
Room, to recce its potential as an Ops room. Well, safe to say
the conference room was far more comfortable than any 9x9
or 12x12 I have ever been in! With brew facilities and DII on
tap, it was by far the most comfortable of sites to set up in!
During the set up process I put my new found knowledge to
the test and helped with the Dial Up JOCS, TACSAT 117F and
HPW getting comms in to EXCON back in Beckingham.
Despite all our frustrations the only item not to work was
secure voice over BRENT (BGAN). This was tested throughout
the day and still refused to drop in for us. At one point it was
so bad that LCpl Perkowski, a broken man at this point from
his attempts to try to get it working, nearly lost it when Sig
McKeague accidentally knocked the power off of the BRENT!
Altogether this year’s Corps Championships was a great
success and I am looking forward to competing next year.
256 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj J King
WO2 (SSM) J McMahon
Welcome to Bravo Troop, 256 Sig Sqn – by Cpl Gains
Where to start… I arrived into Bravo Troop on 12 May 2014
with a bit of a whimper, not knowing what was to come from
a Unit and Troop that I have never been to or have much
knowledge of their role. However, with a quick arrival brief
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Cpl Gains and LCpl Perkowski set up their Ops room
65
Sig Harling and I had to take our laughter outside.
That evening we had to deliver presentations on our recce for
the Troop OC, Lt Will Thorogood. This is to simulate giving a
briefing to officers from JTFHQ on J6 considerations and
recommendations. Once complete we departed to the DS
bunk for a debrief where Cpl Dixon and Cpl ‘Walt’ Walton
entertained the Troop with a series of “knock, knock” jokes
which went down a treat (they were awful - re show is
needed). Bravo Troop departed Beckingham, EMTA, at 0800
to return to Bramcote ready for the weekend. After the usual
turn around procedures the Troop knocked off for a well
earned break for the weekend.
The stand out candidates were: Cpl Potts who scored a goal
at Stamford Bridge, Sig Adams who sang with a band on
Radio Derby and LCpl Doyle who ended up in St Ives. LCpl
Mackie thought out of the box to catch a fish, went to the
local chip shop and Cpl Brown wisely got his head down in an
ASDA disabled toilet. A mention must also go to Sig Noble
and Sig Cutler who barely managed 24hrs between them
before using the emergency number and returning to camp.
This was a real eye opener into what my job will be for the
next three years and safe to say, I’m looking forward to it all!!!
Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 14 – by LCpl Rajesh
Easter time has arrived again and for Support Troop 256
Signal Squadron this meant one thing, 6 glorious weeks in
RAF Halton, supporting JTFHQ ON Ex JOINT WARRIOR.
As the Squadron had just completed Ex SECOND RUN in
exactly the same location, the forecast was good for a trouble
free Exercise, considering the Headquarters was left built in
preparation for JOINT WARRIOR. This opportunity was most
welcomed by the busy power team to prepare their kit for a
little bit of OJT while preparing to welcome the expected
onslaught from the soon to arrive from the JTFHQ Staff
Officers. Little did we know what was to come next!
All good plans fail first contact as Sig Mickey Williams proved
when he decided to use an electric fire as a coffee table. The
locations RSEs bomb bursting in all directions after the power
tripped in full panic mode only confirmed how bad this idea
was. Joking apart, a successful exercise was had by all, while
fully supporting the staff in their power requirements. Sig
Williams achieved his Class 2 while demonstrating effectively
to the newly arrived Class 3 signallers that electricity and
coffee do not mix. FACT!
As an RSE deployed on the exercise, from my perspective it
was a huge success and I am constantly being shown that
nothing should be taken for granted. I understand the
austerity measures being taken throughout the world but
even I did not expect to pay for my food while on Exercise.
As all married soldiers know, going on Exercise is the chance
for free food and the chance to steal a few proverbial beans.
As the Easter Exercise season draws to an end, 256 Sig Sqn
MT and power section is firmly focused on the upcoming trip
to Ghana on Ex EAGLE STAR, I for one can’t wait.
Exercise RAM CHARIOT – by LCpl Mackie
Before leave 20 lucky soldiers from 30 Signal Regiment were
told that they had being selected for a navigation competition
in Snowdonia. When we arrived for the exercise we were told
the good news from OC 256 Maj King, that we were actually
told a harmless white lie. Stripped of personal possessions
except for our MOD 90 and an envelope containing an
emergency phone number and an emergency £20, we were
released on the general public on Ex RAM CHARIOT. The aim
of the exercise was to test our leadership and initiative
abilities under unusual and somewhat extreme conditions.
After the initial shock we were dropped off individually at
different points across the Midlands with a list of 50 tasks to
be completed over a three day period. These ranged from
scoring a goal in a Premier League stadium, staying in a five
star hotel and to appear on TV or radio, just to list a few.
66
LCpl Mackie lives the high life in an R8
To finish the exercise off on the Thursday we had to deliver a
five minute presentation to the Regiment with the SSM and
SQMS deciding on the Troop who had gained the most
experiences and put the most effort into the three days. The
mighty MT emerged victorious even though they could not
switch the projector on.
It was a refreshing experience had by all, this reminded us
that the majority of the public are still 100% behind the British
Army even though we are withdrawing from Afghanistan.
The kindness and warmth was felt by all.
258 SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj L Kelly
WO2 (SSM) S Watson
A busy period for the Squadron which has seen us deploy on
our CT1 exercise under its new A2020 designation as Early
Entry Headquarters Squadron (EEHQ). One further
restructure is due in September, which will increase the
Squadron’s OLRT capability from 6 to 12; putting the entire
Regiment’s specialised capability under a single Troop. The
Squadron's role will endure, allowing us to progress through
the CT levels, and develop expertise.
A new Squadron 2IC joins the team during this period;
welcome to Capt Abbie Roberts. The Squadron is also looking
forward to two periods of Adventure Training in the coming
month; Ex FLOATING BEAR sails to Greece and Ex TIGER BEAR
walks the route of Hadrian’s Wall.
DELTA TROOP
OC
SSgt
2Lt J Willden
SSgt S Lewis
The past couple of months have been extremely busy for
Delta Troop but at the same time, it has been an exciting
period. We have carried out CT1 training, achieving
communications and military training objectives on Ex BLUNT
BEAR; a two week exercise on Swynnerton training area. The
Troop has also taken over the EEHQ responsibilities and
equipment from Alpha Troop, 256 Signal Squadron and
started our six month rotation at high readiness.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
For myself, the Troop Commander, it has been a particularly
challenging time, only being posted in fresh from the Troop
Commanders’ Course at the end of March. New arrivals also
include Cpl Chris Hunter and Sig Blain Francis from Support
Troop, Sig Michael Forrest from 256 Signal Squadron and Sig
Tom Banks who has arrived having just completed his Phase 2
training at Blandford.
Further exciting times are still to come for us with Ex
FLOATING BEAR; an offshore sailing expedition to Greece;
going ahead at the start of July. Also with Ex WINDERMERE
CHALLENGE, where members of the Troop will be putting in
many hours in the pool to get them up to standard for the
10.5 mile swim across Lake Windermere.
All in all, this current period of change has injected a new
lease of life into the Troop and left everyone relishing the
chance of deploying the EEHQ in a foreign environment.
ECHO TROOP
OC
SSgt
Lt S Dunster
SSgt T Fairbairn
Echo Troop have had a busy few months, with Dets away on
various uplifts and courses over Easter leave, and the OLRT
Cadre run by the Training Wing testing and training the
troops. Ex BLUNT BEAR saw us deploy on CT1 training, an
action packed two weeks involving military skills and
deploying Dets to various locations across the country.
With LCpl Chris McMahon arriving and six new soldiers
arriving in the Troop from 256 Signal Squadron soon, the
Troop will be well prepared for taking on the Regiment’s
OLRT capability in September.
OLRT Cadre – by LCpl Finch
We have had a vigorous few months in Echo Troop, we have
been tested on a range of different equipment which will help
us in our roles as OLRT operators. In January we deployed on
Ex SWAN CONNECTION 14, which was our first exercise as a
Troop and highlighted our lack of knowledge and experience
with the kit. Since then, the Troop has come a long way,
spending all their time and effort learning about how to
operate the Dets.
Straight after a well deserved Easter leave Echo Troop and
Bravo Troop from 256 Signal Squadron went on a cadre. The
cadre was split into two weeks, the first was classroom based,
and the second was about testing us. The first week we got
lessons about the job role, recce reports, spot mapping and
setting up Ops rooms. We also learned how to use the Dial
Up JOCs, Ash and TacSat.
The second week came and we deployed to Swynnerton
Camp in teams of four where our training could be put to the
test. A Det Commander was appointed for each team, and
the command appointments were changed after each set of
tests to give everyone the experience. Once we were set up,
and had sent our arrival reports and SITREPs, a member of
the DS came to act as a Staff Officer to test our procedures
and briefing, and once they were happy we were given a grid,
told who the next Det Commander was and told to tear
down.
As each new Det Commander came in we worked on the
problems found each time, and got better and better.
Everyone on the course worked hard for the whole two
weeks and we came on loads in our understanding of the kit
and the job. Echo Troop now can look forward to future
deployments around the world, and have proved we have
come a long way since Ex SWAN CONNECTION!
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
FOXTROT TROOP
OC
SSgt
Lt D Lenehan
SSgt G Bufton
Foxtrot Troop have just welcomed two new soldiers, Sig Mike
Grigson and Sig Dan Simms straight from 11 Signal Regiment
and they have embraced the challenge of being in a busy
troop at their first unit. We unfortunately have to say
goodbye to one of our top Lance Corporals, LCpl Mike Perfect
as he is moving on to 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and we
would like to wish him the best of luck.
In our new role as EEHQ1, Foxtrot Tp deployed on Ex BLUNT
BEAR in order to conduct CT1 (Tp level) Training. The training
was split into two phases: one being military skills and the
other a communications setup phase. The military phase was
organised and run by SSgt (SQMS) Wes O’Connor and the
communications phase was controlled by Lt David Lenehan
and SSgt Guy Bufton under the watchful eye of NETCEN.
Exercise BLUNT BEAR - by LCpl Walker and Sig Grigson
Phase one of the exercise started with two joyful days of
ranges. The first day was spent zeroing rifles and carrying out
practise shoots, and as you can expect the weather was at its
finest… chucking it down with rain! Luckily the next day for
the ACMT, the weather brightened up, improved morale and
nearly everyone achieved marksman.
That night the Troop moved to Swynnerton Training Area and
into the field. Once in location we set up the harbour area
and got a good night’s sleep ready for the rest of the week.
Unsurprisingly, the weather didn’t stay nice for long.
The next day, after fire and manoeuvre lessons had taken
place, the Troop did some rehearsals before going through
the attacks in quick time. It was a wet afternoon as the
section commander decided the river was the best route for
flanking the enemy.
Thursday morning came bright and early with reveille at 0500,
patrolling techniques and orders were the lesson choices of
the day. After orders were given that afternoon the Troop
patrolled to their new harbour area and set themselves up.
With the Troop on edge all evening waiting for an attack, the
harbour area contacted at last light and patrols were sent out.
We crashed out the harbour area early Friday morning and set
out on a competition between the two sections: a command
task stall, a re-supply which turned into a casualty scenario
and a quick-fire questions battle. It was all good fun and the
competitive spirit was shining through. The exercise
culminated in a troop attack testing everything they had
learnt through the week. The hard work paid off and ENDEX
was called, the Troop headed back to camp to prepare for the
comms phase.
Phase two of the Exercise was the first time the Troop had set
up as EEHQ. It was all new to most of the Troop so this made
for some teething problems with the erection of the tents
and setup of comms kit. The NER was a stressful environment
for some Det Commanders, LCpl Joe Moxon in charge of the
MAGPIE and Sig Nicole Cotgrave taking the lead on the
Falcon, as they tried to get MAGPIE to actually connect to
Falcon. Seeing as this had only been done 3 times before and
not by anyone on the exercise this provided plenty of “ooohsaaaa” moments.
DII (LD) went straight into Falcon and we achieved a link to
DII (F) very early on, although this was after deploying both
SWE Dishes and having believed there were faults on both.
Two SKYLARK maintainers failed to find the cause and it took
two of the old and bold Troop Sgts to realise the motor cable
67
was not correctly screwed on! The Housekeeper and DII kept
their Det Commanders on their toes, providing numerous
issues with integration and printing. We may have
experienced less printing issues if all of the printers had been
rolled out on time... Wednesday saw the arrival of the CO and
OC Squadron, however this was pre-empted by the Troop as
we could all smell the curry they had brought over! After
being on rations all week, this was warmly welcomed by all.
Staff Assurance Checks were conducted upon the arrival of
the Squadron Ops team on Thursday and they just couldn’t
fault us, which led to the dreaded “stand to” being called to
make sure our security was on the ball. ENDEX was called
immediately after they had left and the NER and SWE were
torn down in record time with the whole Troop working
faster than they had all exercise. Somehow the Troop
Sergeants managed to sneak out and buy us all pizzas,
sausages and chips for all our hard work, but their “surprise”
was short lived as Sig Bryony Ormsby smelt it straight away.
After a full belly and a full night’s sleep morale was high for
the drive back to camp, with the promise of a 1200 knock
off… which was just as short lived as the surprise!
32nd SIGNAL REGIMENT
GLASGOW
CO
RSM
Lt Col J Knight MBE
WO1 (RSM) W King
The North Irish Horse 70th 1944 celebrations weekend in
Londonderry
The annual dinner hosted by the North Irish Horse, North
West Branch Association and attended by Col Denis Desmond
CBE Lord Lieutenant, County Londonderry, Col Marv
Makulowich, Canadian Military Attaché, London and Colonel,
The Lord Denis Rogan of Lower Iveagh, The North Irish Horse
Association members and 40 (NIH) Signal Squadron members.
The dinner was well attended including a survivor of this
battle, who had flown in from Arizona, USA. He is Sgt Gerry
Chester, who is 91 years of age and remains fit as a fiddle. At
the dinner he received on behalf of the North Irish Horse
Association, a personal framed letter from the current
General Officer Commanding of the reformed 1st Canadian
Division in Canada, Maj Gen JR Herron. This was presented to
Sgt Chester by Col Makulowich. Sgt Chester returned the
compliment by producing a copy of the factual events and
North Irish Horse history and presented them to Col
Makulowich, who stated that he was delighted to receive the
North Irish Horse history and would pass them onto the
Canadian Military Archive Division and museum in Canada.
The 70th Anniversary for the breaching of the “Hitler Line” in
Italy in May was held on Sunday 25th at Caw Camp in
Londonderry. The Church service was conducted by Canon
Sam McVeigh MBE TD DL. In attendance was the inspecting
officer Dr Angela Garvey, Lord Lieutenant of the City of
Londonderry. Col Denis Desmond CBE, Lord Lieutenant
County Londonderry. We were also delighted to have the
Sqn’s Hon Col, Lord Denis Rogan of Lower Iveagh and Lord
Alan Lapsley QVRM TD DL Hon Col 32 Sig Regt as guests at
this occasion who both delivered a reading in the church
service. This year’s church collection was in aid of the Erb’s
Palsey Group which raised a total of £338.00.
The parade followed on from the church service where Dr
Garvey inspected the parade with number one guard, 40
(NIH) Sig Sqn, number two guard, North Irish Horse, North
West Branch Association and 152 Transport Regiment RLC,
Pipe Band were participating. Dr Garvey presented LCpl
Barry Kelly with his VRM and also presented the winning
team with the Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell Cup for this
year’s shooting competition. It was received by Cpl John
Colgan of 866 Signal Troop. Dr Garvey then took pleasure in
being introduced to Sgt Chester, our veteran who survived
the Hitler Line battle. Afterwards former members met in the
mess where along with guests for lunch were able to
reminisce over stories from the past.
2 (CITY OF DUNDEE) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj I Crockett
WO2 (SSM) Honeyman
Over the last few months the Squadron has been getting to
know and work alongside our new colleagues in 32 Signal
Regiment after a successful transition earlier this year.
The first Regimental Training Weekend saw members of the
Squadron deploying to Thiepval Barracks Lisburn, which for
some was their first trip across the water and for others was
nice to go and have a look at an old stomping ground.
The weekend was an inter Squadron sports weekend
involving swimming, basketball, football and tug of war as the
competing sports. We faired with varying degrees of
40 Sqn and guests at Hitler Line Parade
68
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The afternoon saw the return to the accommodation where
the climbing wall had been erected, allowing for some
practice and climbing skills to be homed. This was short lived
as the rain stopped play to some disappointment, although
LCpl Jason Clarke was glad to get his tight harness off as he
was the subject of fits of laughter from the females. The rain
had pushed our planned BBQ indoors, however LCpl Flo
Conlane our Sqn chef along with the help of Sgt Wendy Cush
did wonders in the kitchen by putting on a sizeable spread
and creating a feast to be proud of.
The BBQ was short lived as Sgt Kris Wilson had planned a few
bar games. LCpl Matt Holmes and Sig Emily Thompson
competing in the maggot race in sleeping bags making their
way over constructed obstacles was a sorry sight. However
LCpl Holmes was not good enough for a very competitive Sig
Thompson, whom went on to win several other games.
Capt Irvine and Sgt Chester
successes but note to self, make sure we bring boots for the
ToW next time!
Exercise HIGHLAND CHALLENGE – Regimental Lanyard
Training
Utilising the Invercauld Estate, which is set in excellent
scenery on the River Dee opposite Balmoral Castle, the
Regimental Lanyard Trophy team was tested on its physical
endurance and micro navigation skills. The troops took it in
turn to navigate legs along the route under the watchful eyes
of the unit MLTs SSgt George Cowan and Sgt Lesley Bayne.
One thing we forgot to put on the kit list was sun cream,
which is a rare requirement when walking in the Cairngorms.
The weather was spot on and we all managed to top up our
“Squaddie Tans” and after a good 12 mile walk, a well
deserved beer in Ballater.
Sunday took everyone to the local AT activity centre on the
Lough shore. Here expert AT instructors put the Sqn through
arduous rock climbing, using the onsite facilities. This time it
was time for Cpl Artie Holland to shine and proved to be the
old TV show ‘Gladiator’ as other Sqn members could not catch
him to pull him off the walls. Next was a spot of archery
where the Sqn split into two teams. Cpl Jackie McKeown
secured the highest single points taking her to win the 1st
round. However WO2 (SSM) Glenn Campbell made sure her
fame was short lived as he scored the highest score leading
his team to win the overall competition. The last endeavour,
orienteering saw three teams run the shore line of the Lough
Marina looking for specific marker tallies while trying to read
the features without maps. LCpl Robert Browne’s team made
this more difficult by hiding the markers in hedges, which led
to them winning the event.
The weekend proved to be a great success maintaining
morale and enthusiasm into a new training year. Well done to
Sgt Kris Wilson for organising the event and he would like to
thank all those who helped make the weekend possible and a
weekend to be remember.
One of the challenges for the Army Reserve to compete at
the Lanyard Trophy is the limited time available to get the
team together. This was an excellent chance for a bit of team
bonding and to find out who the most competent is with a
map and compass…. The jury is still out on that one!
OC
SSM
40 (NORTH IRISH HORSE) SIGNAL SQUADRON
50 Signal Squadron Freedom Parade
OC
SSM
50 Signal Squadron exercised its right to the Freedom of the
Borough of Darlington on the afternoon of Saturday 26 April,
marching through the town to the Market Square with
“drums beating, bayonets fixed and swords drawn” for the
first time since June 1977.
Maj Gordon Stevenson
WO2 (SSM) Glenn Campbell
Exercise LAKESIDE FINN 3
The low lands of County Fermanagh situated beside Lough
Erne, the old garrison town of Enniskillen played host to the
Squadron's end of year AT weekend.
After a busy and successful training year, Saturday saw an
early start with a quick 15 minute drive to a local outdoor Go
Karting complex. No team work here, it was everyone out for
themselves with a competitive grand prix race. Starting off
with morning dew still on the grass and the wide track still
damp from the evening before, it was a quick learning
experience by all as the carts and their slick tyres did not
respond well to the excessive power and tight corners during
the warm up laps. The heats allowed everyone to race
against each other at some stage towards the final. This
brought out the competitiveness more so in some, especially
with the REME lads, Sgt Roy Johnston refusing to let his
JNCOs get the better of him resulting in him being shown the
black and white flag.
As the heats progressed, the circuit track and tyres became
hot, which enabled for much faster lap times. LCpl Kyle Carse
had a habit of jumping the starting flag which saw him in the
top six, but he was soon at the peril of five team mates who
had just learned of his antics from the remainder of the
cheering Squadron bystanders. Taking Pole position was LCpl
Matt Holmes, his light frame and fearless attitude saw him
maintain the lead throughout, achieving the fastest lap and
winning the final.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
50 SIGNAL SQUADRON
Maj Brad Hogg
WO2 (SSM) David Ross
Planning for the event had started in the cold dark winter
months, but for the final couple of weeks in April leading up
to the event it seemed to take over the lives of all personnel
involved! The last week saw a major effort with drill, the ARC
being opened up every night for two hour sessions on the
square, so much so that the SSM started to worry about
losing his voice for the big day itself. By the Friday night all
had started to come together, the troops were marching in
time with the band and the officers finally knew where to be
in relation to the squad!
Saturday dawned and after some last minute rehearsals all
got into their best “bib and tucker” and boarded the
transport to the start point. The march through the town
went flawlessly and the parade arrived on the Market Square
to receive the Freedom of the Borough of Darlington from His
Worship the Mayor, even the much predicted rain held off
and after an inspection that seemed to last for ever to those
carrying rifles we were given permission to march off, to
much applause from the gathered crowd.
After the event most, apart from a few who had to give TV
and radio interviews, went back to the Mayor's Parlour for
official signings and then off to the ARC for a families day and
social, with members of the RSA and RBL plus invited
dignitaries all joining approx 200 guests for drinks and an
excellent buffet provided by the Master Chef.
69
All in all a grand day out, thanks to all Squadron members,
both marching and enabling, for giving so much time to
making the day the success it was and special thanks must go
to our paired unit 2SR for providing us some extra marching
Troops. Some brave souls were still out celebrating until the
wee small hours, but the least said about that, or the SSMs
“braces induced injuries” the better!
CBRN training
The Mayor of Darlington inspects the Freedom Parade
Exercise TEES TEST
Soldiers from 50 Signal Squadron conducted the first planned
MATTs weekend of the Training Year overseen by SPSI SSgt
Mark Reay. IC for the weekend, Sgt Rob Allinson, started the
weekend with a bang by having Cpl Andy Barrett lead the 8
mile AFT around Darlington. On completion of the AFT there
was no time to compare blisters before boarding the
transport (albeit with one or two sore feet) for sunny Warcop.
Although rain was forecast for the weekend, following
breakfast, the Saturday morning parade was bathed in
sunshine, which boded well for the days activities of Live Fire
3, Battlefield Casualty Drills and Chemical Biological
Radiological Nuclear training. Sgt Andy Mason cleared
everyone onto the range, and then the four groups
commenced a round robin of activities with the resounding
background thump of 50 calibre from the Light Dragoon
Guards on various ranges across the Training Area.
SSgt Dave Riches tested the groups on their navigation skills
in the Cumbrian fresh air, whilst Cpl Liddle tested the groups
on CBRN, which included the CS filled, not so fresh, air in the
testing facility. SSgt Fletch Fletcher and LCpl Tom Poole split
the training of BCD and BLS, whilst Sgt Andy Mason (RCO),
Sgt Keith Elsdon and Sgt Neil Malloy (with the added
assistance of WO1 (SVWO) Paul Standing, provided invaluable
coaching on the range where required.
Another sunny morning parade on Sunday, before returning
to Darlington. Following kit turnaround Sgt Riches delivered
an interesting CIED package, with Capt Barry Hunter and Capt
Dave Carr delivering MATT 6 and 7 concluding the weekend’s
activities.
Overall a successful weekend with positive feedback,
undoubtedly aided by the weather.
51 (SCOTTISH) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj Penny Mell
WO2 (SSM) David Mackenzie
Exercise NORTHERN LEADER
Ex NORTHERN LEADER was a fantastic weekend with great
weather and scenery thrown in to boot. It was hard work but
thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding. We started off on Friday
evening with weapon issue, then we packed our kit into our
Wolf 4x4 vehicles. We finished Friday by receiving our formal
exercise orders.
Saturday started early with a 0500 reveille to begin our
journey north to Stirling. On arrival at the form up point
(FUP) we were guided to our individual detachment areas
which involved a rather tricky and exciting cross country
journey. After setting up the detachment and establishing
communications it was down to business. The scenario gave
us an opportunity to practice and perfect not just our
communication skills, but a whole range of soldiering skills,
including dealing with and working through a chemical attack
not to mention dealing with some lunatic and his accomplice
trying to disrupt the scenario. At midnight radio listening
watch was mounted and the rest of us went off to bed. On
Sunday we were up at 0700, breakfast was made and we
packed up for a controlled move back to our respective Army
Reserve Centres (ARCs).
The 25 meter range
After a successful day on the range Sqn members assembled
for a briefing by the OC, Maj Brad Hogg, before heading off
for refreshments to watch the Froch v Groves boxing bout.
70
LCpl Bird and Sig Dodds
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
You can’t beat it, life in the Army Reserve as part of the best
Squadron in the Regiment. Fun, excitement, superb food
(Compo), cross country driving, great weather, amazing
friends and that’s only in one weekend, all free and you get
paid to do it
52 SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj Jim McNaught
WO2 (SSM) Sam Parke
Exercise NORTHERN DRIVER
The aim of the weekend was to conduct on/off road refresher
training on all green fleet held within the Sqn. The four main
points covered were driver induction course, MT safety,
vehicle maintenance and documentation and road safety
training. This began on Friday evening which covered an
initial brief, a lesson on the completion of FMT 109 and several
DVDs including “Nasty Business,” “A risk too far,” Vehicle
Loading & Restraint” and “Cross Country Driving Training.”
Saturday morning kicked-off with breakfast at 0630hrs then
onto the first lesson, completing an FMT1000, followed by a
lesson on completing driver’s hours. Before the vehicles
could move onto the road a refresher on how to carry out
first works, last works and halt parades was covered. The
road drive saw us head for Cambusbarren training area. The
packet arrived a little later than planned after the lead driver
(who seemed to be the only person who knew where the
training area was) shot off from the vehicle behind him. Nice
one Sgt Alfie Adens.
Once the rest of the packet finally arrived we received a
lesson on how to prep your vehicle for off road use then stuck
into offroading straight away with students and instructors in
Land Rovers and 6 tonne Man SV’s. After a few laps of the
course it was time for lunch provided by the 52 Sp Sqn Chefs.
Cpl McCormack arrived with some tasty pasta and meatballs
along with new Army issue bowls, also known as paper cups.
In the afternoon everyone received a lesson by Cpl ‘Stevie
Jnr’ Williams and LCpl McLennan on the Turfer winch before
moving onto the scenario of recovering a bogged in
Landrover. Sig Sennet was tasked as the section commander
whilst everyone else was not allowed to speak, creating an
extra challenge to the recovery process. A good effort was
put in by all but in the end the scenario turned into a proper
recovery by the LAD after our very own MTWO WO2 ‘Jock’
Heaney, managed to bog the vehicle in a little too well.
Another road drive saw us head back to the ARC for some
dinner then onto a convoy night drive were all vehicles were
broken down into three packets. At the end of the night drive
we were treated to a tasty egg banjo, perhaps to make up for
the forgotten bowls at lunchtime earlier.
Sunday morning we were back in early for breakfast then
onto two lessons covering wheel changing and load restraints
which covered most of the day. Before the training weekend
could be wrapped up all vehicles had to be POL’d and washed
down. Last thing on the agenda was a debrief and an update
on driver training records. A good weekend enjoyed by all
students and a great effort put in by the instructors resulted
in great refresher training being achieved.
37th SIGNAL REGIMENT
REDDITCH
CO
RSM
Lt Col Cairns TD
WO1 (RSM) Moore
The Regiment has had another busy period with ongoing
support to UK Ops in particular and mobilisation of personnel
on Herrick 20 in support of 1 ADSR. A number of unit
Exercises have taken place, focusing on Comms training in the
build up to ADE in France later this year. The Regt welcomes
Capt Ash Ingham as QM at RHQ & Sp Sqn in Redditch. On the
sporting front, personnel have been involved in a host of
activities ranging from chess to sea kayaking and a variety of
other sporting activities in between. Well done to all those
who took part in the “Race the Sun” event and
congratulations to the Rugby 7s players for their showing at
the Corps 7s competition.
going into the hall of the mountain king and well worth
seeing. The camp site was probably the best campsite I have
ever been in (and I’ve been to quite a few), the toilets,
showers are in individual rooms and there is a lounge, kitchen
and washing room, all are clean and modern.
From the camp site, we went on various day trips paddling
round the Isle of Shapinsay and along the north and west
coasts of Orkney. Then a trip to Scapa Bay to visit the
memorial of HMS Royal Oak, which was made even more
memorable because of the force 4-5 winds and the fight
across the bay, battling the wind and current along the south
coast. Each day we were impressed by the huge cliffs dotted
Sea Kayak Concentration Scotland 4-16 May 2014
- by SSgt Tim Abbot (RHQ)
Although an ageing kayak instructor now, I was fortunate to
be loaded onto the sea kayak concentration which was held
at Ballachulish, which is on the west coast of Scotland near
Fort William. The group was made up of Navy/Army/Airforce
paddlers and we were split into groups according to the level
of our kayaking skills. The instructors were brilliant and we all
looked forward to getting some decent paddling in the days
ahead. We spent two days in the Ballachulish area learning
about tides and navigation, but each day we were also on the
water and paddled round Shona Island (where the castle that
Monty Python and the Search of the Holy Grail was filmed
“Go away you stupid English fetches la vache”). Then it was
off to the Orkney Islands where we set up camp at Kirkwall,
the capital city, only 500m away from Tesco and the pubs and
restaurants. The Orkney Islands have amazing historic sites to
visit and if you are ever there, go to the cathedral, it’s like
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The Orkney coastline
71
with lines of Puffin and Kittywakes, who would straf over
your kayak; seals were as common as cats in a town. On one
of the days we entered a sea cave about 200m long, where
the swell of the Atlantic meant you had to go in backwards; as
the swell rose you paddled up the slope the relaxed as the
walls of the cave shot past you, then, another swell would
come along so you paddled again. On one cave, a seal was
between us and the back of the cave, its strange when you
have your head torch on and see a pair of eyes looking at you
from the depth of the cave!
33 (NORTH WEST) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj R Paterson
WO2 (SSM) Jolliffe
Race The Sun - by SSgt K Roberts (SPSI 33 Sig Sqn)
The whole team, or what we thought was the whole team,
arrived at York the evening prior to the race and got ready to
go. In fitting of the race numbers, it became apparent that
we were missing an individual to do the 900m lake swim.
Lucky for us Sgt Rob Smith, who was competing in the Moor
Run, was identified as a secret “fish” and with a little push, he
stepped up to the mark.
0500hrs and the race began with SSgt Abbot running down
to the lakeside in his not so comfy shoes; after taking his time
getting his skirt on, he was one of the last to enter the water,
but 6km of paddling later and with “guns” the size of a
house, he exited in 8th place and handed over to Sig Bartlett
who started out on the 12km river run.
Expecting to find himself completing 12km on a path that ran
along side the river, he was more than shocked to find that he
was running through grass up to his waist and spent more
time in mud on his backside than he did on his feet. After a
fantastic run though, he handed over to SSgt Coley to
complete the run/bike leg.
The view from the sea cave
We then went on an overnight exped down the west coast
and across to the Isle of Hoy where we camped close to a
café that sold beer! We visited the Museum at Lyness, which
covers the history of Scapa Bay in WW1 and WW2. There’s
too much to tell you about how brilliant this Sea Kayak
Concentration was; it was probably one of the best times in
my life and most memorable in my lengthy career to date!
If this has sparked your interest, put down your Xbox and
look at the Adv Trg site at www.atga@mod.uk or on the
Army net click on Adv Trg. Concentrations for Kayaking,
Skiing, Climbing etc etc are all available for anyone who has
completed a foundation course in the respective sport.
Combined Services Chess Championships
– by SSgt Chwieseni (53 Sig Sqn)
This year’s Combined Services Chess Championships was held
at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham. It was organised by
Maj Francis Pearce, who also played in the tournament. Open
to all serving and retired members of the armed forces and
MoD civil servants, it incorporates the single service
championships for Army, Navy, RAF and MOD. All
competitors play seven games over five days with each game
taking up to four hours to complete.
SSgt (FofS) Dave ‘for one Knight’ Onley from 16 Sig Regt
retained his Combined Services and Army trophies from last
year, once again pushing SSgt Ed Chwieseni into the runner
up slot of both those titles and completing a Royal Signals
one, two. SSgt Onley was unable to fare so well in the Blitz
(chess in 5 minutes!) where he was eliminated in the group
stage. SSgt Chwieseni was pushed out in the first semi final
by the eventual winner, retired veteran Kevin Thurlow.
All three Royal Signals players qualified for the Combined
Services Team who will play in the NATO Chess Championships
in Quebec, Canada in September. For more info about chess
in the forces, go to serviceschess.co.uk or natochess.com
72
Sig Bartlett on Leg 2 – the 12km river run
It may be known to many that SSgt Coley is not what you
would call the running type, but he did extremely well on the
run before setting off on his bike. Completing his leg in great
time he handed over to Cpl McGarry who was to complete
the hill run for the 4th year running. He swears that this year
the organisers had extended the hill and in true Cpl McGarry
style, we did not hear the end of it for the rest of the day.
Leg 5 was the 8km bergan tab, this really should be renamed
the bergan sprint. Sgt Gilbert completed it in a great time
and managed to pick up an almighty blister, which is not what
you need when you have the stretcher race to complete later!
Sgt R Smith completed leg 6 (Moor Run) who said the
following “Everyone was huddled in a 9x9 tent, and as the leg
marshals shouted that someone was coming in, everyone in the
tent poked their heads out like Meer kats. I was discussing with
another competitor how it would be great if our leg would be
last to come in, so we would not have time to get to the swim
start, ‘22’ was called and off I ran into what can only be
described as a jungle. 10km later I was finished and there
waiting was the car to speed me back to camp in time for my
next leg, no rest for the wicked”
Leg 7 (half marathon) was completed by WO2 Brooks in a
time of 1hr 39mins. Recalling the event he said ”The first km
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
of the leg was down hill which allowed the race to stretch out
rapidly. The next 8 miles saw the runners go alongside the A170,
which is very undulating. This allowed me to pick off some of
the runners as they began to tire”. With a 1.5 mile climb and a
teaser of a little down hill stretch, followed by a further and
now much steeper climb to the village, WO2 Brooks’ legs
could only be described as on fire and they were very much
trashed at the 12 mile point when he saw the final hill. The
last mile felt like 5 for him, but this did not stop him from
having a sprint finish with a fellow competitor.
it” As the only person to have a smile on his face at the end
of their leg, I think next year he should enter at least 2 legs.
Leg 8 saw SSgt James complete the mountain bike event;
covered in mud and with sore quads, he said at the end of the
leg “NEVER AGAIN” although after he recovered he couldn’t
wait to find out the dates for next year.
A great all-round effort and well done to those who took part
this year. We look forward to competing again next year with
some fresh blood from the Regt – bring it on!
Leg 9 (10Km Fell run) was completed by SSgt (FofS) Johnston
he said “Poised and anxious to run, I awaited SSgt James to
complete the mountain bike leg. As he arrived I went off like a
freight train down the hill to start the 10km, only to encounter
a large stubborn cow (could be a ram) with horns blocking the
path. With the decisions of crossing him via his horns or going
past his hoofs I decided on the British approach and stopped
and waited for him to cross, which gave me chance to get my
breath back after starting fast with the crowds watching”!
Leg 10 (orienteering) was completed by SSgt Abbott,
followed by leg 11, the 10km forest run. Lucky for Sig Dicker
this leg was cancelled as the first few runners ended up
running round the forest in circles for a minimum of 20km,
thanks to someone changing the position of the Tac signs!
Leg 12(cycle orienteering) was completed by SSgt Greaves.
He said the event was “Due to the 2 min interval start the
event turned into what can only be described as a time trial. I
found the event stimulating and fully appreciated the numerous
false summits on the last mountain I had to climb”.
Next was Leg 13 the 900m lake swim and as mentioned
previously, Sgt R Smith had stepped in to save the day by
completing this leg as well as Leg 6. After listening to his
encounter of the event I can see why no one was jumping at
the chance to complete this leg. Sgt Smith said “I entered the
water amidst the screams from other participants that were
already in and spent 10 mins trying to warm up in freezing cold
water. I could not believe that some competitors were just in
swimming costumes, but fair play to them. The Horn sounded
and we were off; as people were zig zagging across the lake, it
was difficult trying to adjust course without crashing into
somebody else. What a relief it was to climb out of the water
and run across the road to the finish line. Those without swim/
wetsuits collapsed with near hyperthermia and had to be seen
quickly by the medics”
Leg 14 (20km cycle/10km run) was completed by WO2
Reynolds. He crossed the finish line with a huge smile on his
face and when asked how he found it he said ”I really enjoyed
The 37 Sig Regt Race the Sun Team
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The last event of the day was the gruelling stretcher race.
This was a 2 mile loop of the camp carrying a stretcher loaded
with 40kg. One person had to complete a lap of the field
prior to the team setting off. Sig Dicker completed this lap
and to his credit put the team in a good position. After a very
painful 2 miles the team crossed the finish line stopping the
clock for the team.
48 (CITY OF BIRMINGHAM) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj S Cherry
WO2 (SSM) Potts
The first period of training for 14/15 is already behind us and
we have some notable gains for the Squadron. Ex GLOBAL
MATTS was well attended by those keen to MATTs qualify
early and GLOBAL TROT saw the Sqn deploy to Nescliffe for
some much needed EC training; with a programme expertly
put together and executed by Capt Sandy Hennis and the Sqn
Ops Team (full brownie points due for engineering the OC’s
team winning the quiz night!).
The previous period has seen the arrival of SSgt Jack
Backhouse from 36 Sig Sqn, making a smooth transition from
TOWIE to Benefit Street whilst we lose SSgt ‘Coops’ Cooper,
moving in the opposite direction; only time will tell who will
emerge the winner in this transaction! SSgt Phil Shawcross
leaves us soon for Civvy Street; 48 Sig Sqn wish him good luck
and best wishes for his future. LCpls Bailey and MarstonRydings have now mobilised for deployment with 1(UK) ADSR
on Op HERRICK 20; good luck to both and we look forward to
your safe return in the New Year! April saw a new influx of
trained soldiers into the Sqn with 5 passing their TSC (B)
course. These were Sigs Blake, Dicker, Hall and Lynch.
Congratulations go out to them and also OCdt Wilson, who
also passed her TSC (B) followed by her AOSB not long after.
On the sporting front, LCpls Riley, Willets and OCdt Wilson
formed part of the 2nd placed Regt rounders team at the R
SIGNALS inter unit competition. Capt Hennis won her
category at the Army Novice Canoe Slalom Championships
and Sig Dicker stepped in late as a replacement for the Regt
“Race the Sun” team. Last but not least, Sig Sanderson has
been in action for the Corps Hockey team and has been
selected for the Army U25 team, well done!
Exercise GLOBAL MATTS 1 - by Sig Dcaccia (48 Sig Sqn)
25-27 April saw the Regt come together for the first chance to
achieve their MATTs and also to meet “the Scousers” aka 33
Sig Sqn; the new addition to the Regt, based in Liverpool with
a Tp in Manchester. Football based jokes met with a mixed
reception dependent on the recipients' loyalties!
Gamecock Barracks, home of 30 Sig Regt proved a perfect
compact base for our requirements and provided unusually
luxurious accommodation, as well as a tasty out-of-hours
pizza service! MATT 1 was conducted in the DCCT under WO2
(SSM) Evans and this setting allowed for instant feedback and
coaching, along with the chance to conduct a fire team
“scenario shoot” afterwards. It was noted that LCpl Wong
was a little trigger happy on this phase! Sgt Phillips
conducted MATT 5, navigation, and we all appreciated the
chance to get out of the classroom and relate our maps to the
features that were visible out on the ground.
73
trailer training and familiarisation, further advancing the
capability of the Squadron. An excellent back-to-basics
Comms Ex, with all involved taking the most out of the
training available.
Exercise GLOBAL CANTER 1 – by LCpl Abrahams 53 Sig Sqn
Exercise Global MATTs AFT
On Sunday we covered CIED and tackled the 6 mile AFT; for
the latter, we completed 2 laps of the “Windbreaks” which
was quite demanding due to the uneven ground, followed by
a lap of camp. LCpl Johnson was notable in his extreme
determination to stay the course. In fact the only glitch in
what was an extremely well planned and executed Ex from
SSgt Kent and his Sp Sqn team, was the lack of coffee in the
cookhouse on Saturday morning (33 Sqn denied all
responsibility). Luckily the ever resourceful Sp Sqn supplied a
Burco boiler and brew stand in the Training Wing, and was on
hand to provide the Regt with a caffeine fix so that training
could commence! All the Sqns returned safely to their
respective locations and bucking stereotypes, 48 Sqn were
the only ones to return with more than they set out with, in
the form of a bicycle that Sig Mweta had acquired after
spotting an advert in the camp shop!
53 (WALES & WESTERN) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj G Smith
WO2 (SSM) Knock
Exercise SQUADRON TROT 3 - by LCpl Glover (53 Sig Sqn)
53 Sig Sqn arrived at Nescliffe Training Camp for a Regimental
comms PACEX. They were ready to get back to what they do
best after a training year focussed primarily on mil skills. The
main effort for the Ex was the validation of the Sqn and the
Regt’s ability to deploy and maintain Bowman and ICS
capability in a UK Ops scenario. The validation was being
carried out by 2 Sig Gp.
Day 1 started out well - 53 Sqn deployed the CST detachment
to a building of opportunity and quickly established restricted
and secure Voice as well as DII services via the BGAN satellite.
The validation team visited and quizzed the CST Det
commander LCpl Iles and her crew on the training objectives.
The visit went well – everything was going to plan and then
the wind and rain arrived… Not even the valiant efforts of Sig
Simms, climbing up onto the building’s roof in an attempt to
maintain the BGAN in the face of the storm, succeeded in
restoring data capability. However, the PACEX and validation
objectives had nevertheless being successfully achieved.
Day 2 saw the deployment of the Bowman assets in much
more favourable weather conditions. HF and VHF comms
were established, giving the Class 3 operators a chance to
dust off their voice procedure whilst the Det commanders
took the opportunity to review the state of the Dets; carrying
out IMI checks and recording faults.
The journey back to Cardiff Army Reserve Centre allowed the
opportunity for LCpl MacDonald to carry out some Penman
74
During GLOBAL CANTER all the Squadrons of 37 Sig Regt
deployed to meet our new addition to the Regiment, 33 Sig
Sqn in Liverpool. The weekend saw us deploying our
Bowman vehicles and WO2 (YofS) Wilson showed us how to
initialise and run up our UDTs and UCDs, in preparation for
ADE14 which is to France in September. Apart from the
weather being absolutely beautiful, everyone got stuck in to
the task and we were able to get hands on experience with
the equipment, setting up as well as integrating with our new
Squadron. We had an incident where LCpl Jason Gardener
injured himself within an hour of using the Bowman and had
quite a nasty slice in his leg, sure to say he should be awarded
the wooden spoon!!
Bowman Training at 33 Sig Sqn
The night time social proved to be an enjoyable evening with
different games set up for teams of 6 from each unit; the
games ranged from dance offs on the Xbox, to car races, a
slight electric shock as well as ending the night with a few
sociable drinks and networking. Someone had the bright idea
of PT at 0630hrs on a Sunday morning which caused a few
moans, however, once it started it turned out to be an
enjoyable hard working session which everyone enjoyed
including all the officers who took part in it. This weekend
enabled us to be prepared for the next training session in
July, as we build up to Regt deployment to France.
Corps 7s Rugby Tournament – by Sig Sims (53 Sig Sqn)
The day started off pretty bad, with rain coming down heavily
before the games had started. While all the other teams were
waking up, 37 Sig Regt got out onto the cold wet pitches and
got ourselves warmed up and ready to play; with Sig Rogers
teaching us some basic tactics and setting everyone’s
positions. The first match was against 18 (UKSF) Sig Regt A
team, which could have been better; we were younger, more
awake and had all the enthusiasm, but just could not fight
them off, ending with not a single try on the board. After
picking ourselves up and with help from SSgt James and his
freshly cut oranges, we got back onto the pitch for our
second game against 21 Sig Regt which again ended in a loss
for 37, but once again we just could not get a try in. We came
very close, just not close enough, but for a team that only
started playing rugby together that day it wasn’t a bad at all.
The last match would decide which trophy we would be
fighting for and it was against 30 Sig Regt, which is where we
finally got it together and really played some good rugby. We
even got a try past them to make it our first try of the
tournament, but not our last thank goodness.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Throughout the tournament we put up a good fight and
finally we got to prove what the only reserve Regiment there
could do, when we were put against 18 (UKSF) Sig Regt B
team for the shield final and from the word go you could see
that 37 weren’t going home empty handed. Putting try after
try down, pulling off all the tactics we practiced that morning
and with the crowds cheering for us right to the end, we
came away with a win and some silverware to take back. A
good showing from us and well done to all who took part.
Members of 37 Signal Regiment after the Corps Triathlon
Competition – Sgt Morgan and SSgt Kent (pictured front) with
medals
on Ex GRIFFIN SPANNER and did very well to come third in
the Reserve Competition in the Turner Shield.
37 Sig Regt Rugby 7’s Shield Winners
54 (WORCESTERSHIRE) SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
Maj C Quincey
WO2 (SSM) M Evans
Another very busy period for Support Sqn, with seemingly
continuous events and activities available, providing everyone
an opportunity to participate in something of interest to
them. A significant number of the Sqn attended the first
MATT weekend of the Training Year organised by SSgt Jase
Kent in Bramcote, courtesy of support from 30 Sig Regt. SSgt
Kent also led a team of 10 triathletes in the annual Royal
Signals Sprint Triathlon. Sgt Morgan Gilbert came first in the
novice category and SSgt Kent came third; well done to them
and everyone else who participated. Sig Adam Lock took part
in the Army Indoor Climbing championship and gained some
valuable experience that he will hopefully build on in the
months and years ahead. The LAD put in a solid performance
Cpl (now Sgt) Russ Taylor has had a good time of it recently.
In addition to his richly deserved promotion, he was awarded
top student and top field student on his SCLM. Along with
LCpl Andy Hemming he has now mobilised on H20 as part of 1
ADSR – we wish you both an enjoyable, rewarding and safe
tour. Capt Paul Blythe returned from another 6 month tour in
Cyprus and immediately took on an FTRS role as RAO with 159
Supply Regiment.
RHQ and Sp Sqn co-ordinated the Bde BSS Part 2 Weekend
under the watchful eye of Sgt Gilbert. The training took place
over the period 25 – 27 Apr 14 at RHQ 37 Sig Regt, Redditch.
In total, 12 students attended (2 from 54 Sp Sqn, 7 from 48 Sig
Sqn, 3 from 33 Sig Sqn). WO2 YofS Wilson, Sgt Hadley and
LCpl Hathaway were the course instructors. Subjects covered
included: Military Abbreviations, Orders Extraction, Civil
Emergency Comms, C2 Applications and Voice Procedures
At the time of writing LCpl Ralph Curtiss is part of a team
providing REME support to the British Army Training Unit on
Ex AFRICA STORM – more details to follow in the next edition.
Congratulations to Sig (now LCpl) Wayne Harris on his well
deserved promotion; let’s hope the celebrations have now
run their course and you can start to enjoy your new rank!
39th (SKINNERS) SIGNAL REGIMENT
BRISTOL
56 SIGNAL SQUADRON - EASTBOURNE
OC
Maj S L Trevelion
56 Signal Squadron Farewell
In July 2013, 56 Signal Squadron received the order that we
are to be disbanded and replaced in the Eastbourne Army
Reserve Centre by a Platoon from 3 PWRR. Work to ensure a
swift handover of the site and transfer of all personnel to
their new Units has been ongoing ever since and the 2 July
Flag Day is fast approaching. The Command Team’s main
effort over the last year has been to ensure that as many
soldiers as possible continue to serve in the Army Reserve and
I am delighted that so many have indeed chosen to do so,
albeit in other Corps. Whilst the majority of the junior soldiers
are transferring to 3 PWRR, we have also transferred a good
deal of the Squadron to 71 Signal Regiment, 101 Engineer
Regiment (EOD), 6 AAC, RWxY, 151 Regiment RLC and 103
Battalion REME. This is clearly an indication of how strongly
our soldiers desire to serve in the Army Reserve and I hope it
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
bodes well for their future careers. In the past year, some 25%
of the Squadron have been promoted – this is a testament to
their commitment and enthusiasm as Reservists. They have
refused to allow their energies to be dampened and have
been determined to soldier on regardless. It gave me great
pleasure to promote SSgt Jo Reader on her last night in
uniform. I am sad that she has chosen to hang up her boots,
but very pleased that she was able to do so as a SSgt!
The past year seems to have flown by, beginning with the
Squadron Freedom Parade back in January 2014. Our focus
since the Freedom Parade has been on ensuring that the
Squadron property is returned to its rightful owners and I
must thank the PSAO, Capt Gary Jennion, for his hard work
and diligence in ensuring that this process has run so
smoothly. One of our last duties as a Squadron was the
auction to dispose of the final items of Squadron memorabilia.
The auction was expertly managed by the Squadron 2IC, Capt
Steph Barron, and YofS, WO2 Tim Still (both now off to join
the RE!) and an amusing day was had by all, raising some
£2,500. It was definitely a morale boost for all to see a
75
potentially sad occasion turn into a fun event. I was pleased
to have 3 former OCs in attendance on the day, Col Ray
Wilkinson, Maj Dutch Holland and Maj Keiron Francis; our
thanks go out to each of you for all your support while the
Squadron has gone through its recent transformation. Most
of the soldiers managed to walk away with a piece of
Squadron history, though I have no idea where Sig Ben
Carson is going to put his fruit machine or what Sig Harry
Holding is going to do with a lecturn!!
Our last remaining function as a Squadron will be our final
BBQ and party on Sat 14 Jun, complete with bouncy castle,
although I am not sure whether this will be for the benefit of
the families or for the 2IC! We are looking forward to hosting
both the CO, Lt Col Marcus Cosgrove and the Squadron
Honorary Colonel, Maj Gen (Retd) John Moore-Bick and
hoping to see as many of the wider Squadron family as
possible on the day.
Whilst our days as a Squadron are now running short, I know
that the spirit of 56 will live on in all our soldiers, wherever
they continue to serve. From a personal perspective, I would
like to thank all the people who have supported us over the
past year; we have very much appreciated your guidance and
assistance. It is good to know that the Squadron has so many
friends across the Corps. A big thank you should also go to
my Command Team, who have performed so well under such
testing circumstances. As the Jimmy is lowered in Eastbourne
for the last time on 2 July, I know that we will all feel very sad,
but also a great deal of pride at having served in such a fine
Squadron. CERTO CITO.
93 (NORTH SOMERSET YEOMANRY) SUPPORT SQN (LOG SP
TROOP)
When the Troop Commander issues sun cream prior to an
Exercise in which it barely stops raining, some may take that
as an omen that things may not entirely go to plan…And so
the scene was set! Exercise LYNX CANTER (6 – 8 June 2014)
was the second of a series of Sqn level exercises in which the
main focus of activity was to test the Bowman TACCIS of the
Regiment in a fully ‘green’ and tactical scenario on Salisbury
Plain. The experience built-up during our earlier exercises
proved good preparation, but we still found the process of
getting communications in from the Dets to the Regimental
Command Post (RCP) a challenging business at times. The
undulating nature of the terrain around the Ex location
ensured that we had to use a number of different Comms
configurations in order to achieve the aims of the Exercise.
Additional challenges were provided by the differently
configured Bowman platforms brought into play by our newly
acquired colleagues from 43 (City of Bristol) Signal Squadron.
our training, particularly as we were operating without the
benefit of artificial lighting. The highlights of the weekend
were, in no particular order, the amazing ability of the chefs
to produce highly presentable, tasty meals from 10 man ration
packs; the periodic appearance of the sun and last but by no
means least, the securing of regular and reliable Comms.
All in all, a good weekend with a fair amount of knowledge
and confidence gained all round. We look forward to the next
Ex where we will deploy in more of a UK Ops style role,
utilising the other CIS used within the Regiment such as
Command Support Terminals (CST) and REEBOK.
Royal Windsor Horse Show - by Cpl Turner
I was very excited to be asked to represent the RLC in
competition at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. My Regiment
was also very proud of my achievement, and supportive of
this opportunity to compete at such a high level. As an Army
Reservist this was a new and exciting opportunity for me, for
which I was honoured and truly grateful.
I arrived the day before the start of the show as we had an
early start the following morning. I thought I was prepared
for the scale of the show but once I arrived it was clear that it
was going to be an experience of a lifetime. I would be
competing in the same ring as some of the best known riders
in Britain; in a stadium that I have only ever dreamt of
performing in.
The evening before the show the team met up, and we all
went to watch the Grand Prix Freestyle to music, the highlight
being the display from the Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery.
I still couldn’t imagine myself competing in this ring the next
day, as I found it all very overwhelming, but the support from
the rest of the team was amazing and kept me grounded.
On competition day we all got up and had breakfast and went
to prepare our horses to compete. Again this was new to me
as the club had organised a groom for me to prepare my
horse, which left me time to concentrate on walking the
course and dealing with my nerves!
The night moves out onto the Training Area brought home a
real sense of isolation, and necessitated us drawing heavily on
Briefing in Woodland setting
76
Lt Lambert was first in the ring and started the team off
beautifully with only one pole down. Next in the ring was
Capt Edwards who rode an excellent round but unfortunately
her horse didn’t pick his toes up on the day which lead to
having a few poles down. Last in the ring was myself; I don’t
remember much of my round, only the first and last jump. I
do remember half way round telling myself to calm down and
take a breath, and this had the desired effect. After this, it
was obvious that the team as a whole had collectively
composed, as we all rode well in the second half of the
competition. Overall this was an amazing event, with all three
team members making it round with no stops and we ended
up finishing in 19th position. I am now looking forward to
consolidating my own experience, and with further practice
our ambition as a team is to be in the top ten nationwide.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Op Pitchpole
well as being the initial point of contact for G6 within the
Brigade. She spent a busy first 24 hours at 39 Signal
Regiment, being briefed on current operations, tasks and
familiarization of the MOSS site; reports, returns and battle
rhythm. She then deployed to Aldershot for two weeks in
support of the Commander. Capt Saunders commented:
“This gave me an invaluable insight into the importance of our
role and the ability to provide rapid, reliable and secure
communications across the Brigade enabling the recovery
effort. It also gave me experience working side by side with
Regular, Reserve and Civilian staff from all services, emphasizing
the importance of alignment across the Brigade of current and
future tasks, including planning and recovery.”
The Squadron played a key role in providing Staff and CSS
support to Op PITCHPOLE, the Operation to provide relief to
communities affected by the recent severe flooding. Maj
Justin Harris deployed to 43 Bde and Capt Dawn Saunders
acted as a G6 Liaison Officer. Capt Saunders’ role involved
liaising between 145 Brigade, 39 Signal Regiment and JFCIS as
Nine of the Squadron were deployed locally as
Communication Support Teams providing reliable
telecommunications to the key sites involved in coordinating
the response to the flooding. It was excellent for the
Squadron to perform its role on a real operation and support
the local community.
94 SIGNAL SQUADRION
It has been a busy few months for the Berkshire Yeomanry,
with the usual mix of communications exercises, Recruiting
and Military training. We have said goodbye to the SSM,
Jimmy Hearn, after more than 20 years with the Squadron
and we welcome WO2 Colin Anderson as his replacement.
We are also very pleased to see the safe return of LCpls
Tackley and Mays from their deployment on Op HERRICK with
21 Signal Regt. We have also welcomed back Capt Ruth Allen
(nee Woodwood) from her deployment at RHQ.
71st (CITY OF LONDON) YEOMANRY SIGNAL REGIMENT
BEXLEYHEATH
CO
RSM Lt Col JM Picton QC
WO1 (RSM) M Whitfield MBE
The Regiment would like to bid farewell to our departing Ops
Maj, Maj Ros Brown, who we wish well in her new post in
Corsham and hope that she settles well in to the new house!
In her place we welcome Maj ‘Scotty’ Scott.
The 2014 FTC Operational Shooting Competition
– by Sgt Halmet Jules
This year’s OSC took place in May as opposed the usual April
slot and was split between Pirbright and Bisley Century range
instead of Ash ranges. I hadn’t shot on Bisley range since the
last century and it certainly brought back memories of having
to watch your footing while running down that range! We
entered A and B teams with the remainder shooting as
individuals. In a first for us, we went on to win the R SIGNALS
Falling Plate competition (but got knocked out in the inter
Corps competition – it was close). We came 3rd in the Pistol
and 5th in the Rifle with the OC, Maj Alex Orr, coming 5th
individually in the Corps - he had no problems reminding us
about later on – repeatedly. We also picked up Best Female,
Sig Macintyre Barnes from 31 Sig Sqn, and LCpl Noble from
68 Sig Sqn who came 8th overall, an excellent effort.
I was not 3rd time lucky in winning the Other Arms Cup this
year but that’s competition for you – we have the makings of
good new team and will see what the next season brings.
31 (MIDDLESEX YEOMANRY AND PRINCESS LOUISE
KENSINGTON) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
SPSI
Maj Mike Curtis-Rouse
WO2 (SSM) Simon May
SSgt Paul Tinsley
News from the Squadron – by Capt Amanda Washbrook
The last two months have been busy for all members of 31
(Middlesex Yeomanry and Princess Louise’s Kensington)
Signal Squadron, newly-formed from the merger of 47
(Middlesex Yeomanry) in Uxbridge and 41 (Princess Louise’s
Kensington) Signal Squadron in Coulsdon. Both were part of
31 Signal Regiment in recent times, so the newness and the
new name have a comfortable and familiar feel about them.
After months of foggy anticipation, in the end the merger
happened quickly and the collision of sub-units is already
receding into the past. Soldiers are cheerfully working
together and there’s a new liveliness about evening socials
which has come from the welcome increase in numbers
training together. It is testimony to the efforts of all
members that the overriding flavour of the transition has
been a positive, forward-looking one.
One of the effects of newness is to encourage self-reflection,
throwing into relief the similarities and differences between
the two former units. As someone who served in 41 before
transferring to 47 a few months prior to the merger, I’ve been
pleased to see the way that my old and new friends have
stepped up to the challenge and put on their best show for
the new OC. Even the old and bold seem revitalised, with the
skills from each former Squadron filling gaps in the other.
The Regiment’s shooting team has been galvanised with
members from 41 and 47 and Cpl Goring proudly remarked to
me that he and his colleagues from what was 41 have ‘already
integrated with not just the Sqn but the Regt.’ The team took
home the Falling Plate trophy at the Corps OSC (and threequarters of the team were from 31) and came third overall in
the inter-Corps competition, while Sig Macintyre Barnes, also
ex-41, won best female rifle in the Corps.
The Regiment’s Shooting Team
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The first test of 31 Sig Sqn was during Ex PHOENIX CANTER,
25-27 April, a comms exercise with a CPX that tested soldiers
77
and officers at all levels. Everyone pulled together to haul
countless vehicles out of the mud, which (if one overlooks the
failings which necessitated this) was as encouraging as it was
entertaining.
Since then we have also held a very successful Maintenance
Weekend, 30 May – 1 Jun, which, thanks to the superb efforts
of our chef Pte Burbridge, had the feel of a prolonged
banquet (albeit one oddly interspersed with earnest
equipment care). Everyone was a little weighed-down during
Sunday morning’s hilarious baseball match, but the
imaginative umpiring of Sgt North ironed out any differences
in performance between the two (random) teams.
So overall, and apart from the fact that most people are still
trying to remember what our full name is, things are going
very well in our new Squadron. Our thrusting MT LCpl (ex-41),
who has brought her characteristic ‘zing’ (her words) to
Uxbridge, bounced into my office this evening to tell me that
from a juniors’ perspective, things are thriving.
36 (ESSEX YEOMANRY) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
SPSI
Maj Kirk Humphries
WO2 (SSM) Kevin Elliot
SSgt Dave Moore
The move from 37 Signal Regiment to 71 (City of London)
Yeomanry Signal Regiment has started in earnest and the
majority of activities have been completed during April and
May 14, and the integration of 907 Troop at Chelmsford is
moving forward at a pace.
Capsize Drills
The first weekend consists of learning the basic skills required
in both the kayak and the open boat, such as the health and
safety of carrying the equipment, manoeuvring on the water
and the different paddle strokes as well as the safety skills
needed to rescue yourself and others while on the water. The
river journey is done on the River Chelmer, the course did well
this year with the weather helping to keep spirits high as all
those involved had a dunk in the water. As the assisting
instructor, I had the pleasure of demonstrating all rescue
techniques so spent a great deal of the time jumping out of
the open boat and capsizing the kayak all in the aid of “watch
in for a demonstration”.
The first Regimental Exercise, Ex PHOENIX GALLOP, was
attended by the soldiers and officers of 36 (EY) Sig Sqn in
May; this saw the Sqn deploy to SPTA to undertake further
Bowman training in the field. For most it was the first time
that they had deployed to the field and used cam nets. A lot
was learnt at all levels within the Sqn, with Capt Raj Sherchan,
SSgt (FofS) Trevor Webb and SSgt Rob Aldridge running the
Sqn CP in the field. Other than the rain, and the long journey
to SPTA, an enjoyable weekend which achieved a lot for the
integration of the Sqn into the Regiment.
Congratulations to Sgt Adam and Cpl Elaine Witcomb on the
recent birth of their son.
Well done to LCpl Michelle Hughes on completing her JNCO
CLM in March 14 and to Sigs Fox and Chilton on completing
and passing their TSC(B). Cpl Crumpton-Taylor also
successfully completed his Intermediate PTIs course.
Cpl Maggie Kelly has recently deployed with 1 ADSR on
HERRICK 20 and the Sqn wishes her the best of luck and look
forward to her returning later this year.
A welcome goes to Rcts Mead-Searle, Linsell and Lawlor and
the first Regular to transfer directly into the Reserves, Sgt
Mann, who have all recently attested and joined the Sqn.
Working with the Essex ACF for Kayaking
- by LCpl Michelle Hughes
From 18 - 20 April and 6 - 8 June, I assisted Essex ACF for the
second year with their 2 star paddle award course and
Foundation Training Rescue and Safety. The course consisted
of two weekends, the second being the assessment and a
day’s river journey.
The course is held at Lydd Camp and the lake at range 39.
Again the ACF invited personnel from a range of units, from
the Essex and Kent ACF and 36 (EY) Sig Sqn, this year Sig
Richard Gibbs also completed the course.
78
All present were taught the basics of kayaking and open
boating and how to apply it to lessons, as this course is the
pre requisite to go onto becoming a BCU Level 1 coach.
Everyone got the opportunity to try out all instructors
personal kayaks as a taster to buying their own boats. I was
invited to assist them for part of their Ex ITCHY FOOT from 24
- 26 May 14, which is their Adventure Training week. Sig
Richard Gibbs was also invited to come along to allow an
opportunity to practice his new found paddle skills in a
different location.
The location was Carsington Waters, near Stoke, where we
took two groups of cadets out each day for paddle fun, from
playing rafting games and tag to bulldog, all received a good
soaking and lots of fun. After the weekend of paddling Sig
Gibbs and I returned home while the reminder of cadets and
instructors took part in climbing, abseiling, ranger work, hill
walking and finishing with a day at Go Ape.
LONDIST Inaugural Sprint Triathlon Dorney Lake
– by Sgt Ross Nugent
71 Signal Regiment’s first team entrance into the world of
Triathlon was given a good start by WO2 ‘Ade’ Keeble and
LCpl David Backhouse from RHQ and Sgt Ross Nugent from
36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron on 20 May 14 at Dorney
Lake.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The team nervously arrived at the prestigious boating lake
used during the Olympics and had plenty of time to sort
through borrowed wetsuits and bikes and watch other
obviously experienced triathletes prepare.
After an hour and a half delayed start where we got
progressively more nervous about every part of the race, we
were finally given the command to enter the water for the
400m lake swim. Soon after an air horn signalled the start
and we were hurled into a washing machine of swimmers, all
fighting to get the shortest line to the first turn. After a very
short swim it was onto the bike for 4 laps totalling 20km,
where there was some good encouragement between the
team members; this was especially helpful on the out leg
which was into a light headwind. After the bike it was
straight into the 5km run to the finish line where every
member of Regiment’s team put in maximum effort. We
were all pleased with finishing and look forward to perhaps
nurturing a larger team for future events.
Overall Times:
Sgt Nugent:- Senior 22nd with a time of 1:07:39
LCpl Backhouse:- Senior 23rd with a time of 1:08:38
WO2 Keeble:- V40 35th with a time of 1:14:38
busy time when all preparations are gearing up for the First
World War commemorations at Berkhamsted, annual
deployment to Sennelager in September and then the Lord
Mayors Show and Remembrance Sunday in November. Being
based in the centre of London and having more and more
involvement with the Royal Signals means that there is always
the added bonus of carrying out various ceremonial tasks on
behalf of the Corps. Members of the Sqn have carried out
Lance Guard duties at the Savoy prior to the Corps Dinner in
May.
Much focus over the recent months has been geared towards
the 70th Anniversary of D Day in Normandy. The Inns of Court
Regiment on which the basis of the Sqn is formed, liberated a
number of villages on D Day. A separate report on the trip is
shown below. Attention then moves to the commemorative
parade at Berkhamsted in July. The Regiment trained over
10,000 troops prior to the start of the First World War and as
it is the centenary this year we will be marking it with a
memorial service and parade with the council and people of
Berkhamsted. The memorial to the Regiment sits proudly on
the edge of the third fairway of Berkhamsted golf course
which needs inspecting at least once a month by the PSAO!!
Annual deployment will see the Sqn deploy for a two weeks
to. Sennelager will host the ADE and should be a good test of
the Sqn’s comms and military skills taught to date.
Our SQMS, SSgt Mick Goodwin, received a GOC London
District's Commendation in recognition for his outstanding
performance as the Casualty Visiting Officer following the
death of a soldier in Northern Ireland after a road traffic
accident. His stint as the CVO has lasted for over a year.
Finally, several members of the Sqn took part in the
Operational Shooting Competition and had excellent results,
winning the Falling Plate competition and some individuals
achieving superb results overall.
Overall another busy period for the Sqn, but one that is
relished by all those who serve in the IC&CY!
L – R: WO2 Keeble, Sgt Nugent, LCpl Backhouse
68 (INNS OF COURT & CITY YEOMANRY) SIGNAL SQUADRON
OC
SSM
SPSI
Maj Alex Orr
WO2 (SSM) James Paton
SSgt Jay Beattie
News From The Squadron - by Capt John Donaldson
The past few months have witnessed a major change in the
dynamics of 68 Sig Sqn. The restructuring of the Regiment
and gaining of a new Sqn at Colchester has meant that our
907 Troop based at Chelmsford has moved across now to
become part of 36 Sig Sqn. This now leaves the Sqn with 2
locations to deploy from – Lincolns Inn, which is the SHQ, and
Whipps Cross which is the main site for all of our vehicles and
SQMS location. With only having a Troop in each location, our
main effort is to recruit a third Troop into Whipps Cross which
in turn will enable us to carry out our primary role within
London District. Recruiting is going well and under the
guidance of Sgt Steve Warren and his team, LCpl Pete Fox
and Sig James Garrard, we should start to see the rise in
deployable personnel from both locations.
In July we see the arrival of the new OC of the Sqn. Maj Alex
Orr will finish his interim period of command and hand over
to Maj Sarah Trevellion who is arriving from her previous
command appointment at Eastbourne. She arrives at a very
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Exercise DEVILS RETURN – D Day Celebrations in Normandy
– by Capt John Donaldson
This year with it being the 70th Anniversary of the D Day
landings, and with the Inns of Court Regiment heavily
involved in those landings in 1944 at Juno Beach, 68 (IC&CY)
Sig Sqn organised and conducted a battlefield study over the
weekend of the 05 -08 June.
We left amid bright sunshine from the Sqn HQ at Lincolns Inn
and took a steady drive down to the Eurotunnel in our luxury
coach. We felt that we needed to travel in style being as it
was quite a significant event that we were attending. An
earlier train meant that we were ahead of schedule which
worked in our favour, as we approached our destination of
Graye sur Mer the security cordon for the main events on the
Friday was already in place. A nod and a wink to the
Gendarmes meant that a painless transit through was
accomplished.
We were staying at La Ruche, a fairly basic campsite with
three outbuildings of various states of repair and comfort.
However we made best use of the facilities and settled in
well. A quick ground brief and then it was off into Courselles
for a much needed meal and a refreshing drink! Early morning
PT was started at 0630 and the Sqn members enjoyed their
run down onto Juno Beach on what was the 06 June.
Somehow I think it would all have been a bit different 70
years previous that particular morning! The OC, Maj Alex Orr,
even managed to strip down and get into the sea for a swim!
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The SSM, WO2 (SSM) James Paton, and the PSAO, Capt John
Donaldson were required to conduct a series of rehearsals
with the various dignitaries who had organised proceedings
for the following day which was to be our main day for the
memorials service. We were joined by leading elements from
the Royal Engineer Squadron who were also staying at La
Ruche. Once complete both the SSM and PSAO headed into
Courselles to meet up with the remainder of the Sqn who had
been conducting a study of the landings at Juno Beach. The
atmosphere around the whole of Normandy was fantastic and
on route we managed to chat to a couple of Canadian D Day
veterans outside the Juno Beach Centre.
separate civic receptions. The first in Chouain and then by the
Mayor of Conde in his village. The welcome we received at
both was overwhelming.
Next stop was back to our own war memorial situated just up
from the beach at Juno. By this stage we had managed to
have the services of the Royal Yeomanry band which provided
the musical essence required for such occasions. Hundreds of
locals turned out for the services and after another 6 services
at various memorials around the Juno Beach and Graye sur
Mer areas, we finally made it back to La Ruche for the final
civic reception by the Mayor and villagers from Graye.
Lunch provided by the RE at La Ruche before we set off to
visit Arronmanches. What greeted us when we arrived was
incredible. The town was electric as they were in full
preparations for the Royal visit and service at 1800hrs that
evening. We were able to watch what was happening all over
the rest of Normandy, and in particular the international
service at Sword Beach attended by Her Majesty and other
Heads of State. The tide was out so the whole beach was
awash with various WW2 vehicles and re-enactment groups
who were fully dressed as per 1944 dress regulations! The
Royal Marines had a series of landing craft ashore which
provided a great backdrop along with ‘Willys’ jeeps and other
vehicles whizzing up and down the beach.
That evening we held a dinner in the Chateau des Vaux, which
also doubled up as a mental institution, so great care was
taken to ensure that some of our serving personnel were not
mistaken for patients, and likewise we didn’t grow in numbers
as we left! Mind you, the patients may have performed better
than some of our own!! The dinner was attended by all three
Mayors of the villages that we were there to commemorate,
along with various other dignitaries from the local community.
The Regimental Association of the Inns of Court used a
bequest from Sgt John Bright to pay for the event. A superb
gesture and one that he would of approved of.
The Graye sur Mer memorial after the ceremony on 7 June
The final event of the historic day was an open air concert
played by the Royal Yeomanry band. They were superb and
thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Pat Moore, a D Day
veteran himself at the age of 94, was also on stage playing his
guitar to entertain the large crowd that had gathered! A truly
awesome evening.
A final pack up of the campsite at La Ruche on the Sunday
morning, and we were on the coach back to London. Overall
a truly remarkable few days to commemorate those who paid
the ultimate sacrifice 70 years ago on the beaches of
Normandy. It was an honour to meet the D Day veterans and
listen to their tales of what it was like all those years ago.
Sadly for some it may well be their last big event to attend,
but for them at least they will know that their memory will
live on with the current troops of toady and all those that
succeed them.
Memebers of the Sqn including the Sqn Hon Col, Sir Robert Finch
KT, with D Day veteran, Mr Ken Robinson, who landed with the
Inns of Court Regiment
After the glorious sunshine from the previous two days,
Saturday morning was greeted with grey skies and eventually
heavy rain. This could have proved to be a real dampener on
our proceedings as we had several memorial services to
conduct that day. However the sun broke through before the
start of the first one and shone brilliantly for the remainder of
the day. The initial 2 services were held at Jerusalem
Crossroads where 5 members and 5 civilians were killed on 7
June 1944 by a ‘blue on blue’ incident involving an American
fighter plane, and at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetry
at Chouain. A truly moving moment when the children of the
village laid red roses on each of the war graves within the
cemetery. After the services we were then greeted to two
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PSAO, Capt John Donaldson, with Mr Ken Robinson, a D Day
veteran
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
265 (KENT AND COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY
(SHARPSHOOTERS)) SUPPORT SQUADRON
OC
SSM
SPSI
Maj Keith Wrate
SSgt (A/SSM) Leigh Griffiths
SSgt Carl Shackleton
News from the Squadron – by Maj Keith Wrate
As the only Squadron within the Regiment not to undergo a
major restructure as part of A2020, our focus has been purely
on training and, as usual, it’s been a busy period with a varied
programme of Adventure Training, Equipment Care, Sports,
Communications and MATTS to keep us on our toes.
Sometimes I wonder at how we fit it all in. This has seen us
deploy all over the SE of England – Folkestone and Salisbury
Plain for the Regimental Communications Exercises, Isle of
Wight for some adventurous sailing and ATE Lydd for some
shooting.
For my own part, this has been added to by training for the
Nijmegen March and so I should start by recognising the
efforts of A/SSM SSgt Leigh Griffiths for leading the Squadron
on a couple of exercises whilst I’ve been ‘off walking’.
Equipment Care, the new ECI regime has been a big part of
the programme this year and we have done well, although
some improvements are still needed. Over the past few
weeks, the parts played by SSgts ‘Shacks’ Shackleton, ‘Daz’
Lane and Paul Thwaite cannot be underestimated. Under
their watchful eye, the members of the Log Sp Troop headed
up by SSgt Dave Haskell have polished, counted, checked,
oiled, stacked and restacked to ensure everything is in order.
Having achieved that, the trick now is to keep it at that state
of readiness. Our efforts appear to already be rewarded as
we have taken delivery of two more Bowman detachments
(where do they all come from?) and re-configured into a
Comms Troop and Log Support.
The sailing was well attended. We put two boats into the
Devils Own Regatta at Seaview on the Isle of Wight. Expertly
skippered by SSgt Leigh Griffiths and Sgt Roy Carpenter
everyone had a fun and challenging experience. For Sig
Danny Wilsher it was his first such experience on the water.
We are looking forward to the event next year, even if it is
only for Sgt Carpenter to return the prize of the Rusty
Shackle!
The MATTS/Shooting weekend Ex PHOENIX SHOT saw us
deploy to the wilds of Lydd Camp on the Kent coast and once
again we were able to meet up an old Sqn member Cpl
Graham French (now MPGS) and his dog that form part of the
team that keeps us safe whilst we sleep. The weather was
glorious and so one of the main hazards was once again the
sun. The 265 team under the watchful eye of SSgt ‘Shacks’
Shackleton had two main roles – The new LF 4 on the
Saturday with the GPMG introduction on the Sunday. Ably
assisted by the newly promoted Sgt Jim Sutton who, despite
the lofty heights of his new position was consigned to the
back of the vehicle, SSgt Leigh Griffiths and the OC
determined to keep using his range qualification, we deployed
to the ranges only to find that they were the wrong ones.
After a morning travelling to and fro, we finally agreed it was
not going to be our day and so we left the firing that day to
those with the correct ranges whilst we honed our skills on
GPMG dry training for the afternoon.
On the personnel side, I could not finish without recognising
the achievements of two members of the Squadron whose
efforts have lead to their promotion. Maj Sean Wardle and
Sgt Jim Sutton, both very well deserved. We also say
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
goodbye for the time being to the Squadron 2IC Capt Kerry
Corrigan who is now on the un-posted list following a change
in her civilian career.
With the hard work behind us, our eye is now focussed firmly
on the ADE, which will see us deploy to Sennelager in
Germany. This is an old stamping ground for some of the
Squadron but a brand new experience for others. As the
Squadron AO, Bev! Simmons, collects passports, insurance
and medical information, the A/SSM chases for attendance
sheets and SSgt Daz Lane updates driving records, it brought
the inevitable response of ‘I bet they didn’t need all this 70
years ago when we went to Germany’.
Nijmegen Qualifying – by SSgt ‘Shacks’ Shackleton (SPSI)
April saw the coming of the eagerly anticipated 71 Sig Regt
Nijmegen Qualifying at RAF Cosford.
The team travelled over night on Friday 25th, arriving at RAF
Cosford at 0100hrs to find there was no more space in the
tent the RAF had kindly given the Army as accommodation.
With very little rest we were all soon lined on the square in
our teams for 0700hrs only for the RAF in true fashion to
delay the start by 45mins due to technical difficulties (No
Ambulance).
We were, all 2000 of us, soon on our way and with the
weather looking like it may hold out, it seemed set to be a
good day, that was until the cadets started to sing their
songs, which there are only four different types. With Maj
Sean Wardle “Naving” and Cpl ‘What did you say’ Paul
Broardbent taking the pace we where soon making good
time. By half way the team was still in high spirits but that
was not to last as the concert was taking its toll on the feet
and the weather changing for the worst.
With the help of LCpl ‘Crazy’ Crane’s life story’s the team
managed to limp round the last 6 miles with the last mile
being round RAF Cosford, another nice gift by the RAF. Day
one was over with the team looking forward to a nice shower,
hot food and a nights sleep. After waiting for one of the ten
showers and then having to walk to the other side of camp
for some food the team had a much needed drink in the bar
waiting for the team Capt’s brief, but by 2100hrs everyone in
the team was in bed ready for day two.
After a lay in we were all back on the square ready for the
0745hrs start but the RAF stayed true to their form by yet
another technical difficulty and a delay of 30mins, with better
weather and a good nights sleep the team was in good form
for day two and we were all on our way. After making good
time we came to the only hill on the course, as we came to
the crest of the hill Cpl ‘Hero’ Sutton sprang to the aid of a
cadet that had been clearly singing to much and had
collapsed, The two medics in the team then sprang into
action, Maj Sean Wardle checking all the vital signs and LCpl
Andy Turner with good bed side manner, holding his hand
telling him he will be fine.
After this 45min stop and the ambulance taking the cadet to
the Med Centre, we were back on our way and with no other
incidents finished the qualifier within the time. Once the final
team was in the prize giving parade took place and to our
surprise 71 Sig Regt won the Best Army Team, with Maj ‘Now
Pte’ Wardle collecting the prize on behalf of the team and
also collecting a port fine once the qualifying was done.
We would like to thank the Admin team Cpl ‘GPS’ Myers and
Sgt ‘Sat Nav’ Bontoft for all their support to the team, all in all
everyone in the team enjoyed the weekend and are now
looking forward to a week in Holland in July for Nijmegen
itself.
81
NEWS FROM SQUADRONS
7 ARMOURED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND
SIGNAL SQUADRON (207)
BERGEN - HOHNE
OC
Maj J Davies
OC ROG Capt G Middleton
RSM
WO1 (RSM) S Wedge
The Sqn that remains in Hohne still find themselves running at
a hundred miles an hour as we support a number of exercises
and events to celebrate the Bde’s success on Op HERRICK 19.
We now have the majority of our soldiers back and it is great
to see them here, safe and sound in sunny Hohne. The Sqn
will now start looking to our re-subordination on 1 Aug 14 to
16 Signal Regiment, however between now and then there is
a lot of effort and work to be done before we hand over and
close our accounts.
Exercise RED RAT POWDER MOUNTAIN – by Sig Eccles
Ex RED RAT POWDER MOUNTAIN was a skiing based exercise
carried out in Oberstdorf, south west Germany, to enable
participants to learn the fundamentals of skiing with the aim
of achieving their Ski Foundation Level 1 (SF1) qualification.
Early hours of Sunday 6 April we set off on our gruelling 8
hour drive, eventually reaching our destination of the ALPINE
DREAMS lodge – although I don’t think that WO2 Trott and
Cpl Danny Muhl remember much of the journey due to how
much fun they were having (being fast asleep for 8 hours).
Skiing commenced on the Monday and it is fair to say that skill
levels all around were pretty much rubbish, including Sgt Jim
Green who had spent the entire previous week skiing/falling
with style. We did however manage to brighten up the day
for our numerous onlookers as we fell on our faces numerous
times. By the end of day 1 we were all fairly comfortable with
how to stop and turn….with the exception of Sgt Green.
Day 2 and Sig ‘Bald Head’ Sharp earned himself the nick name
‘Speed Demon’ because he was fast in a straight line,
however completely forgot the lessons of the previous day,
struggling to turn or stop and usually resulting in a wipe out.
After a few days everyone was moving around the slopes with
a fair amount of confidence (Sgt Green had retired to a Café
somewhere we think). Sig ‘Captain Slow’ Lippitt was the last
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to gather his confidence, however I am sure he just felt bad
leaving Sgt Green behind.
The evening gave everyone time to recover from their injuries
and time was made for swimming, saunas, and a BBQ
provided by our brilliant chef, Cpl Rai. One particular evening
we spent at the Irish bar participating in the weekly quiz
where Cpl Muhl’s secret life as an avid bird watcher came in
very helpful.
Overall a very good experience and our instructor Cpl Machin
made everyone realise their actual potential as a skier…. After
all he spent just as much time on the floor as everyone else.
SF1 gained by all, and remedial Skiing for Sgt Green. Well
worth it.
Paintballing – by Sig Eccles
On 9 May the Squadron undertook a day of paintballing
organised by LCpl Connon to mark the leaving of WO2
(RQMS) Williams. After the lengthy 5 minute journey down
the range road we arrived at the training area just in time for
the organised rainfall to start and really set the mood for a
gruelling day. A quick safety brief on the weapons and target
identification of the RQ in his custom made, target
emblazoned, outfit and everyone was ready to begin.
Sig ‘Cheat’ Eccles and Sig ‘Olly’ Lippitt were selected to be
team captains, and then came the opportunity to pick teams.
Fortunately our Troop Staffy SSgt ‘No Mates’ Lowes was
there to ensure no one felt left out by being the last picked,
as he was a dead cert for the position.
There were many games played, and not many rules were
abided by, with the winning team usually being the one which
could cheat the best.
The blue team prevailed thanks to some exemplary displays of
valour/stupidity with several members bearing the brunt of
sustained fire from the entire red team in an attempt to rush
the enemy position. Having WO1 (RSM) ‘The Biggest Cheat’
Wedge on their team also helped a lot.
All in all a good day was had by all, and also farewell to WO2
(RQMS) Williams and his family.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Exercise RED RAT SCHOLAR – by Sig Parkinson and Sig Witter
This was a Morality of War and educational visit held at The
Church House of Lubecke, night which was an old Hitler youth
establishment. This also included a formal dinner, an
overnight stay and a trip to Wewelsburg Castle.
So we will start at the beginning. It starts off with the troops
falling asleep until we arrive at Lubecke. On our arrival we
made our way up a large hill which led to Church House and
its neighbouring building the Crossed Keys House. We were
greeted at the entrance by the Padre of the house, who led us
on a tour of the surrounding area. But first a quick health and
safety brief was to be endured, this was delivered by the
house Sgt.
After the brief, the tour of the house began. Firstly we were
showed the exterior surroundings in which we walked to the
Crossed Keys House over the hill. It was explained to us that
in 1934 Herr August Blasé, who was a cigar factory owner, had
commissioned the building. It is said that he was good friends
with a man called Herr Mayer, who had built the Taurus house
in Hiddenbasen near Herford, which is now the residence of
the General Officer Commanding of the 1st UK Armoured
Division. Herr Blase was so impressed with this house that he
built his own bigger version which was so magnificent Herr
Mayer was furious and decided to never speak to him again.
Unsurprisingly Herr Blase was not the only admirer of the
villa. Because of his connections he became a prominent Nazi
and gained this reputation by leaving the cigar industry
behind to make ammunition for the Nazis. The house then
became a lavish hotspot for “Hitler’s brown shirts” the early
makings of the infamous SS. It is said that both Himmler and
Goering stayed at the residence.
We were then invited into the Church House, or back then
known as The Schulubngsburg training centre. The house’s
main features evolved around a ship themed interior as Adolf
Hitler wanted his “Hitler Youth” to recognise and adapt to
this style. Its purpose was to ideologically train mentally and
physically the young boys into future leaders of Nazi
Germany. Teaching activities began officially in June 1939.
The building's architecture was designed in such a way that
the Hitler youth were inspired by the Nazi ideals, an example
of this is the parade square which was designed to resemble
the German eagle. Whoever was to be standing in the centre
of the eagle represented the leader of their country.
The building was also plastered with swastikas and was seen
to be the basic training ground.
Dinner time then approached and we all gathered around the
old officer's table to enjoy a 3 course feast, which for us was
one of the finest meals we have all had to date (excluding the
officers). Sig Cooper started the meal off by kindly saying
grace before we all went overboard on the self service scoff.
Beforehand there was a rumour that they were serving canal
pike and chips which Sig Dinsdale was not impressed with
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
and would not leave the subject alone. Funnily enough when
fish and chips were on display, he was left to panic. Luckily it
was the most delicious cod he had eaten. We were
encouraged to leave no food or wine on the table, which lead
tipsily onto the night's events at the cheapest bar in NATO.
The highlight of the night was, with 20 minutes left until bar
closure, we were challenged by Capt Middleton to each buy a
round of drinks totalling 14 of the finest spiced rums. For the
sake of our own “health” we only made it to 9.
In the morning we met for breakfast before setting off to
Wewelsburg. The first thing we did there was have a tour of
the town and were shown key areas relating to the Nazi era.
Among those shown were the original guard room of the
concentration camp which was known as Niederhagen
Concentration Camp, in which 1285 people’s lives were sadly
taken. Another feature shown was the chimney that was
used to release the fumes of the burned prisoners, which still
stands to this day and is now used as part of a tiling factory.
We then made our way to the castle which was one of Hitler’s
projects led by his trusted associate Himmler. His plans for
this place would be to make it the centre of the new world if
they had won the war. Inside currently there is a museum
which details the SS plan and various cafés and bars. We
were led through the castle to the underground vault which
was fascinating, this was due to the room being designed and
constructed in such a way that it is perfectly symmetrical.
This meant that if you were to stand in the centre of the room
and speak it sounded like you was speaking to yourself.
Overall we felt the trip was very insightful and good two days
experience. We would recommend this to anyone currently
serving or staying in Germany and we think that it is very
much related to the role we do. We would personally like to
thank the Padre and the Church house for providing us with
accommodation, food and an excellent tour guide.
Nijmegen Qualifiers – by Sig McAlister
0615hrs on Wednesday 30 April outside the RHA scoff house
stood 15 guys waiting to embark on 2 days of hell. The
Nijmegen qualifiers consist of 2 days tabbing for 26 miles
carrying 10 kilograms. The Nijmegen march itself is 100 miles
over a 4 day period in the middle of July in Holland.
83
After a quick breakfast we made sure that there was enough
zinc oxide tape on our feet to get us through the day then we
were on our way. The route was simple, 13 miles up the range
road and back again, not the most scenic of routes but it had
to do. There were 2 resting points, one 6 miles near a big
comms tower which became our visual rendezvous and the
other at the half way mark where we had lunch (range stew).
Towards the end of the tab my feet were in agony but not as
much as Sig Witter who was walking like he had an accident
in his pants. The finish line seemed to evade us until the sight
of the Brigadier's house then we knew we weren’t that far.
Day 1 completed, and we had lost 4 guys to the gruelling pain
of consistently walking on tarmac. The 11 remaining people
met up at the same time as the previous day. Our feet
covered in blisters, our shoulders numb from the weight we
carried the day before but we had enough Ibuprofen to keep
us going for a whole year. This aside we were halfway to the
finishing point and there was no going back.
Tabbing for a longer distance than we were used to we found
hotspots on our feet and ached in muscles we didn’t know we
had. After another half a roll of zinc tape wrapped around
our feet and 2 Ibuprofen we were ready to go. The second
day wasn’t as hard as the first as we knew what to expect.
52 miles done and the qualifier was over, but the day wasn’t
quite finished as me being the new “sprog” in the Squadron I
had my ‘welcoming drinks’. My day was then complete when
I watched a dehydrated Sig Parkinson vomit all over himself
out the back of the Sqn bar after drinking “water” too fast.
Race the Sun – by Sig Cuffe
Race the Sun is an annual running/cycling/swimming event
held at 2 Sig Regt in York. This year's race was the 24th
anniversary and especially important for 207 Sig Sqn due to
the fact that it will be their last event together before
merging with 16 Sig Regt.
The team entered consisted of Maj Davies, Lt Painter, WO1
(RSM) Wedge, WO2 (FofS) Trott, SSgt Caplis, SSgt Hemming,
Sgt Best, Sgt Thorburn, Cpl McQueen, Cpl Barron, Cpl Wood,
LCpl Watts, Sig Croxon, Sig Cuffe and Sig Smith. It was an
early start for Sig Smith who was entering the chilly waters
for the first event – a kayak race. He wasn’t too happy about
having to be ready for 0400hrs, but I’m sure he was even
unhappier when his race eventually didn’t start until 0500hrs.
The last event and arguably the most gruelling was the team
stretcher race. The team consisted of 6 members, which
were Lt Painter, WO1 (RSM) Wedge, Sgt Best, Cpl Wood, LCpl
Watts and Sig Smith. The start of this event was signalled by
a chosen member of the team sprinting approximately 400m
before the stretcher could be moved, two laps around the
camp was then the challenge ahead with many of the on
lookers clapping and cheering throughout.
As a team, the effort given was 110%, but unfortunately one or
two members managed to get lost; whether or not that was
due to missing a tac sign, or perhaps a civilian playing a
practical joke which led to many annoyed competitors.
Unfortunately as a team we couldn’t manage a podium spot
for some silverware but we left York knowing we gave it our
all, especially Sig Smith who deposited the contents of his
stomach during our team photograph, which made for a
fantastic momento.
Next years Race will be the 25th anniversary. Hopefully the
record for the most teams entered (29) will be broken.
These 2 days were a great experience and are a good insight
of what it is to come on the Nijmegen march in July.
16 AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND
SIGNAL SQUADRON (216)
COLCHESTER
A Troop Overview – by LCpl Laval-Chesterton
A ‘relaxing’ time in store for Alpha Troop as we move from
Ops Troop to MST Troop…!
In our final months as Ops Tp we deployed on CAST (N),
where we set up the Main HQ whilst a few lucky assets stayed
behind (no mention of names; LCpl ‘Youngbag’ Young). We
established and maintained vital communications for the
Brigade Staff giving the men of Alpha Troop a chance to learn
and revise different types of communication systems. This
was all closely monitored by the watchful eye of SSgt Gaz
‘OCD’ Allan. On return from Catterick we had exercise
84
turnaround and a chance to let our hair down ‘slightly’ after a
successful deployment.
With A Tp (Ops) handing over to B Tp (MST) becoming the
next big thing on the never ending list of jobs; the whole
Troop spent weeks locating and checking kit, equipment and
serial numbers, which proved slightly stressful for the likes of
Sig ‘Cassandra Trotter’ Barfield who was relieved when
everything was done and dusted. During this time a few
members of the Troop deployed on Ex JOINT WARRIOR
including LCpl Marcus ‘Laurent’ Baker who was assigned to 3
PARA as a Rear Link Detachment Signaller on CO’s TAC.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
At the beginning of this month we had new arrivals start from
the factory including Sig Cooper, Sig Williams, Sig O’Donnell
and Sig Thornton. Not forgetting our new instrumental Cpl,
Dava ‘Mickey Pearce’ Harmison. Since being on MST Troop
we have had two Basic Parachute Course completions; LCpl
‘Lizard Jonny Tight Face’ Laval-Chesterton and Sig Barfield.
In the coming months Alpha Troop are looking forward to CT1
and LFTT packages, more parachuting, career courses and
maybe some leave…
BRAVO TROOP
OC
SSgt
Lt Mapplebeck
SSgt Wear
It has been a busy period in Bravo Troop with the Troop
having to re-roll as the ‘Squadron Operations Troop’. This led
to the Squadron deploying on Ex JOINT WARRIOR, with
members of the Troop filling various roles from the Main
Brigade HQ down to Rear Link Detachment (RLD) roles within
the Parachute Regiment. Prior to this the Troop was able to
embark upon adventurous training, various courses and Troop
sports activities.
The Troop has also welcomed 2Lt Tippett and 2Lt Mason from
RMAS, welcome back to Sgt Summerfield returning from C
Troop and Sig Mitchell fresh from Phase 2 training at
Blandford. The Troop has also said farewell to Sig Gannon,
Sig Greasley and Cpl Clarke, all of whom were influential
members of the Troop and will surely be missed. Further
departures from the Troop are Lt Mapplebeck who has been
whisked away from us to Sqn Ops to prepare him for his next
posting to ATR Pirbright. We also say goodbye to SSgt Wear
who is leaving us for 7 Battalion REME at Wattersham.
Exercise ROLING EAGLE – by Sig Wookie
Ex ROLLING EAGLE was a great opportunity for Bravo Troop
to relax after a busy start to the year. It also assisted in the
gelling of the Troop prior to their deployment on Ex JOINT
WARRIOR and for the newer members of the Troop to come
out of their shells. It all started at 0800hrs on Friday 14 March
at the Cpl Budd VC gymnasium for a day of zorb football
organised by Cpl Farley. Once the lads saw the zorb footballs
there was a palpable sense of excitement for what was to
come. The event originally started as a football game but
quickly descended into a mass royal rumble; this carried on
for the whole 2 hours. Replacements were required thick and
fast due to the tiring nature of the activity. LCpl McComb
stopped after his first session in the balls due to the constant
battering he received.
Detachments. This task proved there was no wrong answer
as both groups could justify their sighting of the MAIN HQ.
The solutions involved using imagination, common sense and
the groups provided good arguments to back up their
selections. For the next period of instruction the Troop were
provided with VHF and HF man-pack radios. The Troop then
went through setting up the radios from filling the set, to
giving a radio check and voice procedure to build confidence
when on the net.
Wednesday saw the Troop get their hands on the OLRT. LCpl
Micklethwaite taught the standard set up, logging on and
basic fault finding procedures. It was good to see the newer
lads fresh from Blandford get stuck into learning the new
equipment. Thursday included lessons on electronic warfare,
117F Tac-Sat and voice procedure. The 117F Tac-Sat lesson was
a highlight especially for the newer lads, as 117F Tac-Sat is the
primary communications system used within the Brigade. The
final written test took place on Friday and was given to the
Troop to see what improvements had been made over the
week. There was a significant improvement in knowledge and
confidence. The entire Troop agreed the week was very
productive and readied them for Ex JOINT WARRIOR.
Exercise EAGLES AID – by Sig Carter
Ex EAGLES AID was a medical cadre organised by Cpl Tucker
which took place within Bravo Troop at the start of the year.
The cadre involved lessons on the BCDT aide memoire,
concentrating on the master drill, care under fire, and casevac
procedures along with Basic Life Support.
The beginning of the week was classroom based and looked
into the theory of BCDT. These theories would be put in
practice later in the week. After gathering the BCDT booklets
from Cpl Brown, Bravo Troop went to Friday Woods to put
into practice care under fire within various scenarios.
After setting up a linear harbour in a wood line the group was
divided in two and took part in a lesson on carrying/moving
casualties taken by LCpl Winson. Once the teaching period
was over we practiced section attacks under the watchful eye
of SSgt Wear. Whilst completing these attacks the Troop had
to carry out casevacs on various members of the Troop. To
conclude, our general skills and drills were improved and the
Troop now has a higher level of competence in BCDT. The
Troop is fully competent on the roles and responsibilities of
Section Commanders, 2ICs and Signallers within the sections
when it comes to care under fire.
Exercise JOINT WARRIOR - Main HQ – by Sig MacLellan
Exercise EAGLES CALLING – by LCpl Winson
For the Brigade HQ, Ex JOINT WARRIOR began on 28 March
in Merville Barracks Colchester. The Troop drove to the Joint
Air Movement Control Centre in South Cerney to complete
a Dangerous Air Cargo (DAC) check prior to their move to
West Freugh airfield. Cpl Cox and Cpl Tucker had a team of
8 emperors behind them to facilitate setting up the much
anticipated re-rolled Brigade HQ. The Brigade HQ was built
within a building of opportunity on West Freugh airfield. It
was then populated with new communication systems, which
replaced the BOWMAN data network.
With Ex JOINT WARRIOR on the horizon the Bravo Troop
Corporals, Cpl Cox and Cpl Farley, put on a communications
cadre for the rest of the Troop. This cadre was designed for
the troops to gain confidence and negate any skill fade on the
kit and equipment. The Monday morning saw the Troop
complete a written test, to gauge everyone’s base
knowledge. There were a few good scores with Sig Farminer
and Sig Brewster achieving the top scores. After the written
test we split into two groups and as with the Class One course
we were given the task of sighting a MAIN HQ and its
The new communication systems that were to be tried and
tested were: MANTIS MSAT which provides SSS phones and
DII secret capability. MAGPIE OLRT providing a collaborative
working environment consisting of 4 UADs with Microsoft
(MS) Office, allowing full interoperability with Project Magpie.
117F Integrated Waveform (IW) was used for voice, this turns
one TACSAT channel into fourteen allowing many more users.
This concept is rarely utilised however Sig Iatsenko showed
great aptitude when setting up this system and keeping it
operational. These new systems helped the Bde HQ run more
The troop really enjoyed Ex ROLLING EAGLE with prizes given
to Sig Burns for most skilled player, for his ability to be
knocked over and yet still land on his feet. Other awards
went to Cpl Tucker for best endeavour due to his inability to
stay on his feet throughout the activity. Overall this activity
was a great success bringing the Troop together ready to
confront the challenges of Ex JOINT WARRIOR.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
85
efficiently by providing the staff with familiar MS programs
such as MS Lync and Outlook. They also gave the Bde a real
time picture of events as they unfolded during the exercise.
As with all these new systems there were some teething
issues throughout the exercise, however these were quickly
rectified. The new systems were a great success with the
Squadron now weaning itself off Bowman data. The move
towards a more modular system assures the smooth running
of Brigade HQ on future exercises.
Ex JOINT WARRIOR flew by and before we knew it ENDEX was
called. A mass tear down ensued, followed by an epic road
move from West Freugh back to Colchester.
Exercise JOINT WARRIOR - Rear Link Detachment
– by LCpl Billingham
216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron provides a rear link
detachment (RLD) for the Main Battle Group, which this year
is 3 Parachute Regiment. The Squadron provides within this
detachment: 4 CS Operators, 1 Royal Signals CS Engineer and 1
Royal Signals Electrician, all of whom have passed P Company.
Before deploying to Scotland the whole Battle Group met
MCCP at South Cerney to have their vehicles checked over by
the Royal Air Force. Once cleared through, the Battle Group
was set off in packets making the gruelling 10 hour drive to the
sunny shore of West Freugh.
Arriving at the airfield the Companies were briefed up on
possible future tasks and began rehearsals using Chinooks,
Apaches, Lynxs and a C-130. Attached to B Company was Sig
Clifford and to C Company Sig Burns.
Orders were given for both B and C Company to carry out an
air assault with the objective being the capture of an enemy
airfield (RAF Kinloss). During this time A Company were on
call back in West Freugh. Whilst B and C Companies were
assaulting the airfield LCpl Billingham alongside an element of
2 Platoon A Company were called out to secure the perimeter
of a ‘NO DUFF’ situation. This turned out to be a downed
Apache. The tasking was improved when locals arrived
providing bacon rolls and eggs which were much appreciated.
The Platoon was replaced at the downed Apache by the Army
Air Corps and were flown back to West Freugh. They were
subsequently re-tasked and deployed on to the ground in time
for a Battle Group attack.
CHARLIE TROOP
OC
SSgt
Lt Dodson
SSgt Richardson
Troop Overview – by Sig Stark
A steadily busy couple of months saw Charlie Troop
committed to 2 large scale Squadron deployments. CAST (N)
presented the first challenge to which the Troop was to rise,
providing many of those deployed with their first look at the
reworked Bde Main HQ. Ex JOINT WARRIOR, in ‘sunny’
Scotland, soon followed with all deployed members of the
Troop performing to the highest of standards as expected of
an Airborne/Air Assault Signaller. Each and every man directly
contributed to an all round successful exercise. With exercise
turnaround relatively painless, the subsequent Sqn BBQ (and
the meat of the non-ration pack variety available) presented
the perfect setting to unwind prior to departing on Easter
Leave.
Large scale changes in the Troop see the us say farewell to
former Tp Comd Lt Pete ‘Did you know I won the Agar
Memorial Prize’ Stradling, and welcome new Tp Comd Lt
86
John ‘Signaller’ Dodson. Further changes to the hierarchy
also see Sgt Corbett depart for pastures new in Bongo Troop,
as we welcome newly posted in Sgt Nelson. A large scale
influx of Signallers from Blandford and other Units means that
they will have to wait until they pass P Coy to earn their
mention in The Wire, however the final farewell is reserved for
Sig Dale ‘Paco’ Fulton. Loaded onto BPC immediately prior to
his posting to 2 Signal Regiment, the Squadron were pleased
to see him leave with a set of wings on his shoulder.
Support Troop – by Sig Scullion
After a very busy New Year 216 (Para) Signal Squadron
Quartermaster’s Department finally got the chance for a little
down time and a little team bonding.
On Wednesday 12 March, WO2 (RQMS) ‘Nipper’ Sherlock
arranged a range day with the new Glock pistol. I know what
you're thinking rather have a sporty! The weather was
perfect, not a cloud in the sky, we arrived at the armoury to
get our hands on the newly fielded Glock 17 9mm pistol. The
new sidearm is lighter and more accurate than its
predecessor, the Browning, which has previously been used
for over 40 years.
On completion of the requisite weapon training and
subsequent completion of the weapon handling test, we
made our way to the 25m range a short walk away. We were
all extremely eager to fire these new sidearm. After some
addition SAA training delivered by the RCO, WO2 (RQMS)
Sherlock, we were finally ready to start shooting, which
started with grouping at various distances. Following lunch in
a brown bag, the real competition started and following
various shoots the scores where rallied up.
No one could catch the QM, Capt Kev Read, who was on fire
hardly missing a shot with small group sizes. His eyesight is
good considering his seniority in age. His closest contender
for “Top Shot” was the SQMS, SSgt ‘Coops’ Cooper, but even
he didn’t get a sniff at the title!! He did, however, achieve the
smallest group size; not a bad consolation despite coming
second. The favourite for “Top Shot” on the day following
her form during a previous shooting competition was Sgt
Sarah Smyth. The pressure was clearly on and she simply
didn’t deliver!!
At 1700hrs everyone thanked the RQMS for what was a
fantastic and well deserved day out of the office. Finally, we
cleaned the pistols ready for another shoot and of course in
preparation for the forthcoming ECI!!
MT/LAD TROOP
OC SSgt Capt Oliver
SSgt Conley
Sandhurst Triathlon – by Sgt Coatsworth
Sgt Bobby Coatsworth and Cpl Thomas ‘Wiggins’ Gibbons
represented a 5 man Sqn team at the Army Sprint Triathlon
Championships which was held at the Royal Military Academy
Sandhurst. With this being Cpl Gibbons’ first ever triathlon
event, the day couldn’t have started any better. Firstly, test
riding his loaned road bike around the car park prior to the
race starting, Cpl Gibbons forgot that his feet were actually
attached to the pedals and he couldn’t release them prior to
creaming into an officer at the side of the minibus!!.
Secondly, minutes after finally releasing his feet from the
bike, he realised that he had forgotten his running trainers,
resulting in him completing the 5km run phase in his flat Nike
(big tongued) street shoes. Sgt Coatsworth managed to
coach Cpl ‘Novice’ Gibbons around the course, resulting in 216
being crowned Army Minor Unit Sprint Triathlon champions.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Arrivals and Departures
May 2014 has seen the departure of Cpl Carl ‘Wally’ Wallis,
shortly to be replaced by LCpl Luke Dyer in early June. The
Troop would like to bid ‘Wally’ a final farewell and wish him all
the very best for the future. Early June will also see the
arrival of Sig Cargoe and LCpl ‘Kristofer’ Monaghan who will
be replacing LCpl Adam Hanson who is still firmly holding
onto the door fighting an inevitable posting out of the Sqn.
Super Tom Competition - by Cpl Milson
The 216 (Para) Sig Sqn Super Tom Competition 2014 was a
physically and mentally arduous event designed to test
Signallers and Craftsmen of the Sqn in a number of military
and leadership orientated tasks.
Sgt Coatsworth and Cpl Gibbons
Football – by Cpl Thomas
This month's football has been coming thick and fast for the
Sqn, with four members from the Troop in the starting 11. Cfn
Euan ‘Pizza Face’ Graham in between the sticks, Sgt John
‘Grounds Keeper Willy’ Buchan on the right wing, Sgt Bobby
‘Miaggi’ Coatsworth and Cpl Bryn ‘Rat’ Thomas up front.
Most notable event this month was our only loss in four
games, to 1 (UK) ADSR in the semi final of the Signals Cup .
The game was a hard fought contest with 1 Div stealing the
win in the last 5 minutes, after intense pressure from 216.
Festival of Sport - by SSgt Beaman
49 Bde held a festival of sport day with the Sqn entering
teams in, Badminton, X country, Basketball and Football. The
MT/LAD was fortunate enough to have 5 individuals chosen to
represent the Sqn in three of the events. SSgt Craig Beaman
competed in the X country event which consisted of a 6 mile
run over arduous terrain, he came 16th out of 70, finishing in a
very respectable time of 36 minutes. Sig ‘Evo’ Evans was
selected to represent the Sqn’s Basketball team, who came
away winners of the Minor Unit Basketball competition,
however, after watching the final I can safely say that Sig
Evans was obviously chosen for his height!!!. Like the
Basketball team, the football team consisting of Sgt Bobby
‘Charlton’ Coatsworth, Cpl Bryn ‘toey’ Thomas and Cfn Euan
‘David Seaman’ Graham, won (smashed) the Minor Unit
Football competition, winning all 5 games, scoring ONLY 22
goals. After all the events had finished 216 (Para) Sig Sqn
were crowned Minor Unit winners. A fantastic day was had
by all competitors and we thoroughly look forward to the
next event.
At 0730hrs on 1 May 14, the 21 competitors paraded at the Cpl
Brian Budd VC Gymnasium to receive an opening brief and a
thorough kit check. Once the DS were satisfied that everyone
was prepared for the day’s events, the competitors were told
to prepare their equipment for flotation and a Combat
Military Swim Test.
Frenzied packing ensued and a whole range of canoe sacks
and bergan liners were wrapped around daysacks in a
desperate bid to aid buoyancy. Fortunately, on contact with
the water in the swimming pool, everyone managed to stay
afloat, even Sig Tranter who for unknown reasons decided to
carry out the test in his smock!
On completion of the swim, the competitors raced outside to
receive their information packs and maps and were set loose
into the Friday Woods Training Area. The following nine hours
saw the individuals moving between 14 challenging stands
including a very wet and muddy BCDT scenario, a physical
challenge which utilized a number of jerry cans, tyres, ammo
boxes and the obstacle course, several written tests and a
couple of command tasks. At the end of a very long day, the
competitors moved to a centralised location where they were
given their final task – A 1.5 mile run with equipment to Alpha
Troop Garages.
Adrenalin kicked in one last time as the men moved as quickly
as possible to the finish line and in a superb effort, Sig Malin
crossed the line first in under 10 minutes. It didn’t take long
for the remaining competitors to cross the line and once all
had done so, they were given chance to shower before
receiving a well deserved curry. The results were quickly
processed and the Officer Commanding, Maj Clarke declared
the winner to be Sig (now LCpl) Dylan Farminer who had
consistently scored high throughout the day. Congratulations
to him and all who took part in the competition. All to play
for next year, even you Sig Tranter.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
87
Exercise EAGLES ENIGMA - by Cpl Black and Cpl Milson
On 6 May 14, 15 individuals from 216 (Parachute) Signal
Squadron deployed on Exercise EAGLES ENIGMA 1 to Fort
Bragg, North Carolina, USA. Split into two teams with very
different roles; Interoperability and Adventure Training Recce.
Following a dreadful flight in which various parts of the plane
were fixed with duct tape by air hostesses, we arrived in the
state capital, Raleigh and were hit with a temperature of 92°
F, much to the dismay of Cpl ‘Hannibal Wreckhead’ McCoy.
We picked up our rental cars and made our way to Fort Bragg,
home of the 82nd Airborne Division. As the two teams would
be splitting up the following day, we headed straight to the
local steakhouse and enjoyed a few beers together.
Unfortunately there were no 32oz steaks left, but due to the
American sized portions, no one was left hungry.
The next morning saw the Adventure Training Recce Team
depart for Ashville, a small mountain town four hours northwest of Fort Bragg. The team spent two busy days in and
around the town collecting information on various activities
such as kayaking, mountain biking, and zip lining. As part of
the recce, the team found time to climb North Carolina’s
highest peak, Mount Mitchell. Although there are many well
trodden trails on the route, the climb wasn’t easy and
surprisingly, considering the trail is in the heart of bear
country, no bears were spotted! From Ashville the team
moved on to Charlotte and continued with their task. The
White Water Centre, situated 30 minutes from the city was
the main attraction and saw the team take part in many
activities from paddle boarding and white water rafting to
mountain biking and zip lining. Unfortunately during the
mountain biking, SSgt Gaz Allan’s over confidence found him
departing his bicycle and ending up in hospital with seven
stitches in his hand!
Meanwhile, the Interoperability team were introduced to
their 82nd Airborne Division counterparts and received a
number of demonstrations on their new Future Soldier
Radios. Lighter, more workable and a lot more modern, they
were extremely envious of what they were shown.
Relying on DHL to deliver our OLRT and radio equipment was
clearly a mistake as we found ourselves with a week to fill, so
it was off to the beach. The interoperability team found
themselves taking an early R&R to ‘The Redneck Riviera’ or
Myrtle Beach as it is otherwise known. Within the hour Sig
‘Greedy Bugger’ Barton and Cpl ‘Blackzilla’ Black found
themselves stranded like castaways after a short romantic
walk down the beach. Four hours of looking, with no phone,
money, hotel key, t shirts or footwear they stumbled across
the remainder of the team having the ‘best day ever’ in a local
bar. After a few heavy nights working on international
relations and a few disappearances the men packed up the
hotel rooms and took a drive north to Fort Bragg.
After a week of waiting the equipment finally arrived and the
Interoperability trial could begin. With the Engineers and
Operators splitting into two teams, YofS Risley and FofS
‘Boot-Polish Kev’ Spinks having previously set out all testing
requirements the teams got straight to it. Battling against the
severe heat the teams managed to make great progress and
once it was time for the equipment to be freighted, all
involved were happy with the end product.
Interoperability testing eventually starts
The AT Recce Team at the top of Mount Mitchell…
…then on to Mounain Biking!
88
Unfortunately on this occasion we did not manage to get an
American jump, much to our disappointment. The Squadron
now look forward to the 82nd Airborne Div G6 visiting us here
in Colchester.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
299 SIGNAL SQUADRON (SC)
BLETCHLEY
Foreword – by Capt Neil Taylor
Life continues at pace in the Squadron, with positive and
progressive change taking the centre stage. I am pleased to
announce on behalf of the Officer Commanding, Maj Sarah
Clifford, that the Squadron has “grown” a Troop, making
supporting our OGD partners on distant shores a much more
structured business. The remaining Squadron structure has
been bolstered to support the new Troop, so there is no
better time to look into PD206 and put your application in.
As I type, the majority of the Sqn is travelling to Blandford for
Corps Week. We have fielded a full athletics squad and tug of
war team – proof that it’s not all work! Post the competition,
all attention is focused on preparing for the upcoming Special
Communications Assessment, the last hurdle before potential
Special Communications Operators are loaded onto the
Special Communications Course in September.
Operations remain thick and fast, the pace of life even more
so, but we have found time in the calendar for our 2 budding
REME chefs, Cpl Ronnie Routledge and Cpl Stu McCarville, to
cook up a Families Day BBQ under the watchful eye of L/SSgt
‘Gordon Ramsey’ Paul Neve AGC(SPS). The last thing to do is
welcome the newly qualified Special Communications
Operators, post an arduous 7 month course – good luck!
Special Communications Course Graduation Evening
- by Cpl Danny Younge
24 April saw the latest Special Communications Course (SCC
01/13) Graduation, an annual event that is always eagerly
awaited, not just by the new trained SC Operators, but the
Squadron as a whole. Before the formalities of the evening
function, the honoured tradition of the ‘Paddy Green’
Memorial Football Match took place. The teams were Current
Squadron versus Special Communications Course with the
match umpired by the 2IC, Capt Neil Taylor. The match was
hotly contested for the first thirty minutes before the
Squadron team were found lacking (due to the best players
being deployed), and an embarrassing 9-0 defeat ensued.
The Graduation evening is a black tie function, attended by all
available serving members of 299 Signal Squadron (SC),
members of the Foreign Commonwealth Office, Officers of
the Metropolitan Police Force and any other outside agency
that has assisted with training during the 7 month course.
The newest SC Operators are as follows: Sgt Fitzsimmons, Sgt
Pardoe, Sgt Taylor, Cpl Crozier, Cpl Whitmore, Cpl Marshall,
Cpl Turner, LCpl Bugge, LCpl Butler and Sig Anthony
During the evening the OC had the pleasure of welcoming the
newest SC Operators to the Squadron, before announcing
that Cpl Jonny Whitmore had won the Top Student award.
After receiving the Royal Signals Institute Coin in recognition
of the accolade, Cpl Whitmore showcased a mix of charisma,
humour and confidence in delivering an amusing acceptance
speech: all aforementioned traits will see him in good stead
for his SC career. Further speeches were provided by the
Master Skinner, Mrs Dudley Buchanan, of the Worshipful
Company of Skinners, before the conclusion by a senior
member of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, who
reiterated the importance of our work. A fantastic function
enjoyed by all, with the celebrations continuing well through
the evening!
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
NHS Ambulance Military Co-Responding Scheme
- by Capt Steve Spink
Background: The RAF has an established Ambulance/Military
Co-Responding scheme with the South Central Ambulance
Service (SCAS). In early 2013, members of 299 Sig Sqn (SC)
met with the SCAS Training Officer and, with the blessing of
the OC Sqn, the unit agreed to join the scheme. The prerequisites to join the scheme involve interviews, a DBS
(formerly CRB) check and participating in observer shifts, with
the current scheme’s Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs), before
conducting medical training with the NHS.
The scheme requires volunteers who are willing to work in
their free time to; not only train and conduct shifts, but also
raise funds for the ‘League of Friends’ charity, who in turn
purchase the equipment the RRVs require. This includes both
evening and weekend time, with a minimum of 4 shifts a
month. It is not a short cut into driving on blue lights;
typically, a volunteer will have to complete twelve months of
shifts, before being selected to attend a three-week
emergency response driving course.
Formation: The first eight selected candidates attended an
NHS delivered First Person on the Scene (FPoS) course in
March 2013. The four-day course provides basic life-saving
skills and other procedures for responders to assist NHS front
line crews in emergency situations. On successful completion,
three observing shifts were conducted with ambulance crews
from Milton Keynes Ambulance Station, to gain experience
and an insight into the crew's operating procedures. As a
fledgling scheme, Cpl Ben Gallagher was fast tracked onto a
blue light driving course to allow the scheme to go live. An
opportunity also arose to add two RAF Co-Responders from
RAF Henlow to join our ranks, and with both being
experienced drivers, and mentor trained with a few years of
experience between them; this added capacity to the
Bletchley scheme.
On 7 August 2013 the Bletchley RRV was signed for, and went
operational. With Capt Steve Spink and Cpl Ben Gallagher
attending four ‘999’ red calls. We are now six months into
the scheme and NF806 (Vehicle’s callsign) has already
attended many red and amber ‘999’ calls, dealing with a
variety of presenting complaints from traumatic injuries and
anaphylactic shock to cardiac arrests. A second FPoS course
has qualified more volunteers conducting training and
observer shifts. Capt Spink and Cpl Wilson have also qualified
as emergency response drivers. With time, the scheme
should become more successful and provide additional
emergency cover, where required, in the SCAS areas of
operations.
Future: The scheme details have been passed to other units
within the SCAS region and, with time, they may become
sufficiently trained and manned to assist in covering their
respective areas. 251 Signal Squadron, 10 Signal Regiment are
in the developing stages of this process, with WO2 (SSM)
Watts laying the foundation before his retirement from the
military. Not only is it a chance for individuals to learn life
skills and gain medical experience, but it’s also an opportunity
to help the local community and support the NHS. Other
schemes exist in the country, you could contact your regional
ambulance service and find out if a military co-responding
scheme is running and if not suggest one starts.
89
OTHER UNITS
HEADQUARTERS
BRITISH FORCES SOUTH ATLANTIC ISLANDS - J6
ACOS J6 Sqn Ldr John Coles
SO3 J6 Capt (Tfc) Clarke Fatchett
YofS SSgt (YofS) Adam Philpotts
- by Sig McLelland
Introduction
British Forces South Atlantic Islands BFSAI (Falklands) is a
Joint and integrated command formed of personnel from all
three services charged with delivering a very real operational
effect; the deterrence of any aggression towards the South
Atlantic Islands and reassurance to the local population.
RADCON is the Tactical Communication section and are
responsible for the provision of secure and insecure tactical
reach back communications enabling Command and Control
to support HQBFSAI activities. These communications take
the form of rapidly deployable Immediate Response
Operators and Crash-Out Detachments (COD).
Arrivals and Farewells
Welcome to Capt ‘Stu’ Bailes who has recently commissioned
and taken over from Capt Clarke Fatchett as SO3 J6. Capt
Clarke Fatchett moves on to pastures new in 30 SigRegt.
Good luck!
Recreational Activities
RADCON arranged a visit to the memorial at Pleasant Peak
(most misleading name in the Falklands!) on 8 Mar 14 for the
staff visitors from 2 Signal Regiment, York. Maj Mark Barratt
and Capt (TOT) John Ford arrived for a recce in the islands
where 246 (Gurkha) Sig Sqn is taking over the RADCON and
part of ISS roles later in the year. A hill-walking activity was
arranged to the Pleasant Peak memorial where the members
of the 205 Sig Sqn lost their lives during the 1982 Falkland
conflict.
communications were provided by the rising star of RADCON
Sig Ross McLelland manning the safety net, Coy Comd net
and communication with aircraft overhead for CAS serials. Sig
Ross McLelland was surprised that the concussion of mortar
blasts could be felt over a mile away inside a BV vehicle and
learned potentially how important his role was as safety
operator, as a lot can go very wrong with live firing exercises.
Ex CAPE BAYONET 2/14 commenced during 23 – 28 Mar 14
involving A Coy from 1st Bn The Mercians who were the
Roulement Infantry Company at that time. LCpl ‘Rosie’ Rose
and LCpl ‘Shacks’ Shekhar were deployed to the range tasked
with setting up the safety operations room and establishing
comms back to the JOC at MPC. Sig Ross McLelland was
provided as the safety comms operator to work along side
Marvin Clarke, the Range Safety Officer (RSO).
LCpl Rose and LCpl Shekar manned the Ops room monitoring
the HF safety net, VHF Coy Command net and the ICOM safety
net whilst Sig McLelland was assigned the task of being the
RSO’s safety operator inside the BV, providing a link back to
the Ops room and a voice link to the fixed wing aircraft taking
part in the exercise. The 3 operators felt they had done a
good job managing and maintaining the nets during the
exercise and were buoyed on when the YofS informed them
that this was the first time he was able to speak to all call
signs on the HF net during an exercise at Onion Range and
asked them to “keep up the good work”.
Ex JOINT GUARDIAN1/14 is a biannual exercise designed to
test BFSAI’s capability to deal with a major threat and/or
incident. On 16 Apr 14, LCpl ‘Davo’ Davison and LCpl Shekar
in COD1 and LCpl ‘Robbo’ Robertson and LCpl ‘AJ’ Arjun in
COD2 were crashed out to respond to a simulated mid-air
collision between two aircraft. With trailers attached and
enough rations to sustain themselves for at least 3 days, they
journeyed at least 20 miles on non metalled roads in convoy
with elements of the Joint Service Police and the Theatre
Reserve Platoons to two areas west of the Goose Green
settlement where the aircraft were believed to have crashed.
Later on both CODs arrived at their AOs an immediately
established a link back to the JOC.
After some near mythical comms skills by both detachments,
a link was indeed established, but data was becoming an
increasingly difficult issue due to range. Cpl Sam Wignall and
LCpl Rose were dispatched and established a rebro in order to
provide a data comms link between the JOC and the CODs.
With this link now established the decision was made to make
VHF the primary voice net as the voice quality is better than
its HF counter part. The detachments could now continue
with their task.
Capt Fatchett and LCpl Arjun cleaning the memorial at Mount
Pleasant
Exercise/Activities
Ex SOUTHERN WARRIOR 2/14 was a live firing exercise that
involved X Coy of the 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of
Fusiliers during 2 – 7 Mar 14 at Onion range. Safety
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At Crash Site ‘Alpha’, COD1 had to wait for the Location
Commander to determine the safety range as the aircraft
wreckage still had ‘live’ ordinance. After approximately 60
minutes the safety range was determined and the crew of
COD1 were allowed to proceed with setting up their
detachment. The recovery of the ‘downed’ pilot proceeded
rather quickly and the Theatre Reserve set up a cordon to
prevent sight seers photographing the crash site. After many
hours of real time and Ex play scenarios, the heavenly word of
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
“Endex” was passed amongst the teams at site ‘Alpha’. After
all sections had closed down their living quarters, a convoy
proceeded to form to begin the journey back to MPC. More
no play messages followed.
At crash site ‘Charlie’, COD2 started to set up their
detachment whilst the Theatre Reserve Platoon proceeded to
set up their tents. Once the Det was set up, the detachment
crew arranged radio shifts. Little had happened throughout
the night as the Reserve Platoon waited until morning to
begin their search for the downed aircraft. Activity
commenced at 0730hrs when the Reserve sent sections out in
various directions looking for evidence of wreckage. The JOC
informed the fact that a dog walker had seen a notional
‘body’ in a near by lake. The message was passed to the OC
and one of the sections was dispatched to investigate which
turned out to be that of the second pilot. Once given
permission to tear down, COD 2 was given the orders to move
location. ‘No Play’ messages due to the difficult and
challenging conditions. Reserve personnel began making
their way back to MPC where they were greeted by a late
dinner of two humongous steaks each.
1st NATO SIGNAL BATTALION
CO RSM
Lt Col Hunke (DEU)
CWO Sully (CAN)
1st NATO Signal Battalion (1NSB) provides Deployable CIS
support to the NATO Response Forces and participates in
nearly all NATO exercises. On top of that, 1NSB continues to
provide manpower to operations in Afghanistan and on
Operation ACTIVE FENCE, providing CIS Support to German
Patriot Batteries along the Turkish – Syrian border. Both
operations are expected to continue after the draw down
from Op HERRICK. The Battalion’s present strength is 470, 20
percent British and the remainder from 9 other nations.
The Battalion has 6 Deployable Communications Modules
(Squadron equivalent), comprising of three German, one
Danish, one Croatian and last but not least DCM D which is
commonly known as 628 Signal Troop and is 100% British
manned. We also have 24 available slots for the British (18 of
which are already manned) spread throughout Battalion HQ
and Maintenance and Support Company (M&S Coy). The
Battalion was glad to welcome the new Deputy Commander
Maj Bob Pye, who also doubles up as the Senior National
Representative for the British contingent.
Goodbyes. Firstly, the Battalion offers a Laurel, and Hardy
handshake to our new Company Sergeant Major (CSM) WO2
‘Gez’ Tierney who joins us from BATUS, Canada. He will hope
to fill the hole left by outgoing CSM WO2 Bri Mclean who has
finally fled the nest over the water to his native Northern
Ireland. As ever, the Company commander instructed the
boys to put WO2 Tierney ‘In the Bath’ (as he likes to put it)
and no doubt his learning curve of NATO life so far will have
been as steep as ever.
Also welcomed with open arms is Maj Bob Pye who, at long
last, has filled the long overdue post of Battalion Deputy
Commander. Finally a Brit back up on the command corridor.
Touching down with legs running is SSgt (YofS) Neil Donaghy
coming in from 2 Signal Regiment, replacing WO2 (YofS) Bri
Rawlings who will not only be leaving the Unit and the
service, but will also be leaving behind a legacy of bad jokes
and controversial banter. We wish him the absolute best.
We would like to bid our farewells to Sgt ‘SAC Si’ Goddard
who has been turned by the dark side and has transferred to
the RAF and LCpl Jimmy ‘Cup Of Tea’ Campbell who is leaving
the service to fulfil his dream as a Corgi registered plumber.
As if these goodbyes were not enough, the Battalion is also
losing two fine specimens of Corps Technicians. SSgt (FofS)
Brett Doyle and Sgt Andy Wedge have been turned by the
dark side and will return to work in 2014 as that illusive breed
of “NATO Civilian”.
Full Throttle – by Sgt Hill
Ex COBALT CLOUD 14 is the Battalion’s annual beat up
exercise and sees all its Deployable Communication Modules
(DCMs) gather in Wesel for three hard weeks of Interoperability testing of all its communication assets, team
building events, cross training and a bit of fun.
The 1 NSB Structure
MAINTENANCE & SUPPORT COMPANY
OC
CSM
Comdt H Hollebosch (BEL)
WO2 (CSM) G Tierney
Welcome and Farewell – by Sgt Hill
The Battalion is now well into 2014 with another full and a
busy calendar. We are saying a number of Hello’s and
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Cpl Morrison happy to help a damsel in distress
91
As part and tradition of the COBALT CLOUD exercises, one
day is always set aside for a spot of ‘friendly competition’
between our international colleagues. This year saw small
teams of mixed nationalities competing for first place, being
put through their paces on a ‘round-robin’ style day of a
mixture of tasks both physical and mental. I even heard that
a few people had taken the CO’s name in order to brand the
event “The ‘Hunke’ Games” (Get it!).
From lorry pulls to a NATO History quiz and from the assault
course to playing hoopla in the dark wearing Night Vision
Goggles, fun was definitely had by everyone and the day
ended with a very sociable BBQ.
Spotting a gap in the rainy weather, Maintenance and
Support Company found the time to play with its latest
deployable toy, the Mobile HF det. Attending a short course
generously provided by a specialist civilian team from Kabul
who found the time to visit Wesel, a selection of Battalion
personnel were put through their paces both in the classroom
and outside with the masts and hammers.
Sgt Hill with the HF Presentation
Lisbon. An elite team of 3 led by Sgt Bobby Hill finally had
their arm twisted to spend a week in the Portuguese sun and
overall the training went down with huge success with JFC
Lisbon receiving their own first TLK later in the year. (Of
course, we will need to pop back over there to check that
they are confident with the kit and that it is not over-heating
in the sun!).
The rest of year looks busy for the Battalion, with its ongoing
commitment to Active Fence Turkey, various deployments in
ISAF and its continued support to NATO REACTION FORCE
(NRF) commitments. Current and planned Exercises will
ensure that all our assets are readily deployable and that skill
fade does not creep in.
So may we finish off with the Commanding Officer's newly
adopted motto for the Battalion.... “We Go! We Stay! We
Win!”.
DEPLOYED COMMUNICATIONS MODULE D (628 SIGNAL
TROOP)
OC
SSgt
Capt E.A. Moore
SSgt P Grills
Who We Are
Known in NATO as DCM D 1 NSB, the Troop of 56 Brits is
based in Elmpt Station, Germany but due to move the UK in
2015.
What We Do
Sgt Catt putting a pizza order in
Despite the comical clashes of international voice procedure
over the net, I beg to differ with anyone who wasn’t
impressed to find that we could actually establish comms with
Brunssum just by connecting the HF radio to the perimeter
fence! Following a rehearsal with Maj Gen Franz, the
Battalion’s HF capability was then demonstrated alongside
several other assets to an audience of over 100 NATO Staff
Officers during a presentation at Joint Forces Command (JFC)
Brunssum. We look onwards now to testing the systems
capabilities in its full operational role on our next NATO
exercise.
Every now and then comes a tasking order that not even
Ebenezer Scrooge could grumble at, and this time, M&S Coy’s
SATCOM section were tasked with providing a Theatre Liaison
Kit (TLK) training programme for NATO STRIKE FORCE in
92
As part of the NATO CIS Group, we deploy under the
command of NATO to provide secure, robust satellite
communications and its associated information systems
support for a deployed NATO Headquarters. Aside from that,
we have some enduring commitments to the Kandahar Signal
Support Group and Operation Active Fence Turkey;
countering the threat of cross border incursions from Syria.
Similarly we have been busy providing support and training to
our Eastern European counterparts in a multitude of
multinational exercises.
Overall we are prepared to deploy to any NATO or Partners
for Peace country to assist as required by NATO.
The DCM has had its fair share of arrivals and departures:
Welcomes – Sgt Dunn, Cpl MacDonald, Cpl Qasavakatini, Cpl
Newton, Cpl Banthar Magar, LCpl Holmes, LCpl Flintoff, LCpl
Harkness, LCpl Hurlock, LCpl Shrestha, LCpl Tullett, LCpl Tape
and Miss Jess Flemming. Farewells - SSgt Nick Trethewey,
Sgt Dave Langley, LCpl James Clarke, Sig ‘Mac’ MacLaughlin,
Cpl ‘Wrong Fill’ Rigby AGC SPS, LCpl Tom Gill, Sig Dan ‘the
bicycle dealer’ Marshall and LCpl ‘J’ Nielan.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Winners of the German Army Reserves Shooting Competition
–by LCpl Tullet
Shortly before our latest deployment to Afghanistan, 4
members of the DCM travelled to Emmerich, Germany to take
part in the local Reservist Shooting Competition. The team
included SSgt ‘Paddy’ Grills, Sgt Akash Sunuwar, Cpl Martyn
Nunns and Sig Tom Robinson. Participants had the chance of
trying various weapons from other NATO members, such as
the MG3, HK G3, and the Estonian IMI Galil. Our team took
the challenge in its stride displaying some good
marksmanship, which culminated in them being awarded the
Winners’ Sword and an invitation to shoot again in 2015.
News To and From the Frontlines – by SSgt ‘Paddy’ Grills
Late last year we were putting the finishing touches to our
deployment preparations, in readiness for our deployment to
Afghanistan and Turkey. The final phase of preparation was
to Pirbright and Ash Ranges for 2 weeks of live firing and
marksmanship training, as well as the final elements of our
mandated MATTs. We had the pleasure of welcoming 5
German augments from DCM B, under OberLeutnant
(Lieutenant) Achterkamp. It was imperative that they learn
the British TTPs and weapon systems; which they duly did and
enjoyed. The range packages were put together on the whole
by Cpl Alex Atkinson. Having the German soldiers with us
provided the perfect opportunity for the DCM to go back to
basics in our weapon handling. This in turn helped to get rid
of any bad habits or refresh on any forgotten skills. The work
of Sgt Rich Beasley, Sgt Chau Gurung, Cpl Atkinson and SSgt
Grills certainly paid off as all British members passed all
weapon assessments with near to, or maximum scores, as
well as all 5 of our Deutsches Kameraden qualifying as
marksman.
Sig Tom Robinson being coached on the by a German
Fallschirmjager
British and German troops training together
The bulk of DCM D deployed to Afghanistan as Kandahar
Signals Support Group, while Cpl Martyn Nunns and Sig Chris
Whitehouse deployed to Turkey on Active Fence. Leaving
what little we had left of the Troop under the capable hands
of SSgt Carl ‘Dinger’ Bell AGC (SPS) and SSgt Ian Shaw REME;
over-watched by WO2 (FofS) ‘Pat’ Paterson.
Upon deploying to our Operational Base Location in
Kandahar, we conducted the HO/TO from DCM E, our Danish
counterparts.
Sgt Akash Sunuwar recieves instruction on the MG3 from a
German Weapons instructor
Sgt Sunuwar, SSgt Grills, Sig Robinson and Cpl Nunns
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Cpl Hynes and Kev Fawcett on the cable pull
93
The Line Section under Sgt Beasley and Cpl Paul Heeney had
a very hectic deployment, with the new Headquarters build,
combined with a multitude of repair and or replace projects.
This involved laying dozens of kilometres of new fibre
(assisted by as many volunteers as they could muster), not
only in flooded tunnel systems but saw the Section having to
run the gauntlet with a steady flow of US armoured vehicles
that think nothing of running equipment over!
At every available opportunity Cpl ‘The Toe’ Heeney gave up
his time to be our resident Chef for all things barbeque-able,
using his old man leather gloves; which he eventually buried
in KAF. In future, during a ‘Time Team’ style dig of Kandahar
in 1000 years time, I have no doubt at all that those gloves will
still be there, dripping with grease and charred meat remains.
Sgt Richie Beasley, Cpl Frank Hynes and the OC in the
background trying to unglue his ever present mobile phone
from his ear
The lone soldier, Cpl Will Hillyard, deployed to be the sole
military member of the SysAdmin team in KAFSSGs’ deepest
darkest cellar. Cpl Hillyard was the archetypal invisible man,
only surfacing for the Monday evening quiz sessions. That
said he also had a very busy, productive tour. Impressing his
civilian counterparts and manager, definitely a sound
ambassador for the Corps.
Cpl Will Hillyard on one of his rare trips into sunshine doing his 2
hours for MacMillan
Technical Support was provided by Hauptfeldwebel Jay
Jachmanovszki, Cpl Frank Hynes, under the watchful
supervision of Sgt Simon Vickers (when he could be prised
away from online “dating” sites) who were later joined by
Stabsfeldwebel Michael Reimann. The largest task for Tech
Supt on the deployment was the move of the COMKAF
Headquarters into the new, purpose built HQ building. This
involved the relocation and maintenance of each Staff cell
94
and their respective subsidiaries. As well as the constant flow
of RAF/Task Force/US assets, all requiring their technical
expertise throughout.
Cpl Hynes also took the lead on the organisation and running
of several charity events for MacMillan Cancer Support. We
took part in a static cycle equal to the distance of Lands End
to John O’Groats. Each member of KAFSSG, military and
civilian, doing their part by cycling between 1 and 3 hours
each. Cpl Hynes also organised the Kandahar 5km Road Race
with all proceeds going to MacMillan. In support of these
efforts, other members of KAFSSG gave up their time to assist
Cpl Hynes, most notably Sgt Alex Atkinson who organised a
weekly quiz night with the proceeds at the end of the
deployment being added to the combined total for
MacMillan. The winners of the quiz, despite an absolutely
blatant attempt to cheat every single week by Tech Support
(allegedly), were Cpl ‘Boufant’ Beavens’ team (who didn’t
cheat). Altogether Cpl Hynes raised well in excess of $4000.
A fantastic effort, I’m sure you will agree.
The Quiz Winners Rogues Gallery: Robert Niesi, Nige Puttock,
Cpl Beaven, Cpl Hillyard
Cpl Victor Sambou took the lead of the BME/PABX section,
along with Cpl Bhai Rai, Cpl Austin Beaven (It’s all about the
bouf Sir, all about the bouf), Sig Pete Bradley and
Hauptfeldwebel Andre Kiessling. Again, a very busy section
throughout with their continued assistance to COMKAF and
Kandahar Airfield
Cpl Vic Sambou and Sig Pete Bradley looking remarkably high
spirited, despite being on Guardian Angel at 5 in the morning
SatCom section certainly had a challenging tour out of the
whole KSSG as it was their task with maintaining the existing
Sat Links. The section was initially led by Sgt Will Wilkes with
Cpl ‘Gaz’ Tweddle, Stabsgefreiter Kino Eihausen, Sgt Neil
Gritt, and Sgt Alex Atkinson. The lead was rotated
throughout the tour due to various family emergencies, and
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Sgts Gritt and Atkinson were rotated through Deployable CIS
where they held I/C positions of the Combat Support Teams.
Both SatCom and CSTs’ were supervised by SSgt Steve ‘The
man who collects eyeballs’ Hudspeth.
Under Sgt Akash Sunuwar, the Service desk consisted of LCpl
James Clarke, LCpls Lewis Joseph and Sig Tom Robinson.
They served at the forefront of all things Staff related within
COMKAF HQ. They had to deal with all maintenance and
service requests in an extremely busy HQ day in, day out.
Sig ‘Sproggo Robbo’ Robinson organised a very successful St
Georges Day celebration. This included the story of St George
and the Dragon; traditional English parlour games, followed
by a hot buffet. Despite the lack of beer, it was very
enjoyable afternoon all round. At the end of the tour, in
recognition for their outstanding work, Sgt Sunuwar, LCpl
Clarke and Sig Robinson received COMKAF Commendations,
which no doubt will be remembered in the bar at our first
Troop function upon our return home.
WO2 Grills
Sgt Gurung
Cpl Hynes
Also visiting Kandahar SSG was the General Manager of the
NATO Communications and Information Agency, MGen (Retd)
Gijbers. During his visit he presented a Commendation Coin
to Sgt Sunuwar, in recognition of his sections hard work.
The whole of Kandahar SSG would have been a massive
amount worse off, if it wasn’t for Sgt Chau Gurung. His work
behind the scenes, with all the civilian agencies and the
various military departments around the whole of the
Kandahar Airfield, definitely made our lives so much easier.
The OC – Maj Elliot Moore
OC Maj Elliot Moore and the CIS Supervisor WO2 Adam
Stares took the lead of a very busy KSSG. They were not only
kept busy in Kandahar and Airfix, but on several occasions
made visits to Kabul, the Belgian NSE, and the Dutch NSE, to
name but a few. Despite this, they still managed to keep up
with their cycling proficiency;
Sgt Chau Gurung
All the while, as we were gallivanting around Kandahar, back
in Elmpt 3 of the wives stepped forward and volunteered to
take the lead with organising our Welcome Home function.
They were Mrs Gritt, Mrs Beasley and Mrs Heeney. Despite
coming up against nearly every obstacle that they could
encounter, they still managed to arrange an absolutely
fantastic function for us to come home to. Thank you all very
much for everything you achieved while we were away.
The Supe - WO2 Adam Stares
The Group had visits from our Commander, Maj Gen Franz
DEU AF who presented The Commander’s Commendations
and coins to:
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628 Signal Troop – Heroes and Villains
95
38 (Irish) Brigade Signal Troop
LISBURN
OC
YofS
FofS
Capt (TOT) Gordon Tibbetts
WO2 (YofS) Stevie Johnston
A/WO2 (FofS) Emily Potter
Troop Update – by WO2 (YofS) Stevie Johnston
The Troop has had an exceptionally busy period supporting
the Brigade as it transitions to adopt an Adaptive Force (AF)
footing; this has involved major unit moves in and out of the
provincial AOR. The Troop has also seen its fair share of staff
churn, saying farewell to LCpl Andy Anderson who has left
the Army, Cpl ‘DJ’ Hamilton assigned to 22SR, Cpl ‘Linc’ Sims
leaving us on promotion also to 22SR, Cpl Patrick Crosbourne
on transfer to QARANC and Sgt ‘Ski’ Milevsky who is off to
the Falklands very soon. The new Yeoman of Signals arrived
just before Christmas, WO2 (YofS) Stevie Johnston, on
promotion from CAST (N), Cpl Frankie Lyness arrives fresh
from his Class 1 CS Eng course, Cpl Linda Gough on
promotion, LCpl Greg Smith from 22SR and LCpl Leigh
Powney from NI Ops Group.
Sgt Carl Stephenson Memorial on Slieve Donard
– by Sgt ‘Ski’ Milevsky
Sgt Carl Stephenson, 29, formerly of 8 Infantry Brigade
Headquarters and Signal Squadron (218) died suddenly whilst
conducting mountain leader training. His body was
discovered at the peak of Slieve Donard on 6 Apr 2006 having
been fatally struck by lightning. A plaque was erected by
38(Irish) Brigade Signals Troop in 2008 at the summit of the
The Troop is distilled from a rich and varied lineage harking
back to Op BANNER; 15SR pre 2007, 10SR post Op BANNER
and since the restructure in 2010 it has been an independent
Signal Troop with its own mission agreed between
Commander 38X and GOC Sp Comd. There is more change
planned…
The Troop has been working hard to impress the new
Commander and his Chief of Staff by streamlining our battle
rhythm with the aim of increasing efficiency and better
understanding the staff’s needs. This has seen us trying to
get to know the staff better by fully integrating on Bde staff
PT sessions, staff training serials and attending the plethora
of Branch co-ord meetings. This has proven to be extremely
valuable when it comes to involvement at the core of decision
making, particularly in the early planning rounds to ensure
‘we’ can take on the AF role in our stride (or a running
stumbling regain!) in 2015.
Summit Memorial of Sgt Carl Stephenson
Arguably, the Bde Sig Tp is one of the most diverse
assignments in mainstream signalling and as such somewhere
that any R.SIGNALS NCO should come if they want to
immerse themselves in a small close knit unit who are
employed and wholly engaged in all aspects of signalling. The
Troop’s most recent employment ranges from the expansion
of the UK Coast Guard land based VHF radio safety network
(involving all 3 trade branches working in concert to scope,
plan and deliver a solution), the move of the Northern Ireland
Operations Group which is essentially the planning and
delivery of a national MACP control facility to entirely the
other end of the spectrum with our Inst Tech and CS Eng
running the training and equipment management of the
JACAMAR network in province.
Adding the third dimension to our activities; the Troop has
also taken part in police public order training in preparation
for the marching season in Province. Make no mistake work
in the soon to be named ‘606 Signals Troop’ will continue to
be diverse and alongside our core functions, this Troop is a
microcosm of the wider Corps, with a stalwart few who
persistently ‘dig in’ to all things signalling regardless of our
own individual specialisms.
96
Labour of love, the troop restores the Memorial in the harsh
conditions at altitude
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
mountain in Memorial. During recent adventurous training
the Troop took the opportunity to polish and restore the
plaque which has endured harsh mountain conditions for
some years, to its former glory. “We will remember them”.
The ‘Battle of Ballykinler’ - Public Order Training
- by LCpl Chris Laidler
38X Sig Tp all congregated at 0745 on 20 May 14 before
travelling to Ballykinler Training Centre (a journey of around
45 minutes). However in our excitement at the day’s planned
activity, it became apparent that many of us had forgotten
some personal essentials such as MOD 90 ID cards! Essential
to ensure our authorised return onto camp! This was of
course much to the dismay of the YofS who was keen to do
battle with the PSNI at the earliest opportunity.
We arrived (eventually) around 0900hrs and were met by
members of the PSNI Directing Staff who informed us that
their admin was just as bad as our own. This left us with an
hour to ‘hang around’, which we used to discuss the most
effective public ‘disorder’ tactics we were hoping to employ.
Following our safety briefing for the exercise we learned that
not only would there be a dog unit deployed in the first phase
of the exercise, but when events escalated the PSNI would
have a water cannon to call upon. This created some tension
in the group with LCpl Greg Smith panicking about the
potential for collateral damage to his quiff!
We advanced from a mock football stadium and comfortably
began to verbally confront the police gathered at the end of
the road. This then prompted the dog unit to be released to
move us back. This resulted in more than a few cries of ‘RUN
AWAY’ as the dogs, Alsatians (Al Geht Yeez) were significantly
bigger and meaner than we had expected, though thankfully
muzzled.
Once the dogs had tired of terrifying us they were replaced by
riot police carrying shields and the odd length of plastic piping
(in lieu of batons). We were granted permission to gather
rubber spent baton rounds from our ammo cache (wheelie
bins) and begin pelting the police line. Naturally we complied
enthusiastically! This quickly and deliberately descended into
a running battle where the police would advance a short
distance pushing us back, then regrouping and pushing again,
all the time under a hail of rubber baton rounds and verbal
abuse. It was around this point we all noticed just how
factually and geopolitically accurate Cpl Neil Rowan’s taunts
were.
The escalation in violence allowed the PSNI to call forth their
‘Death Star’ weapon, the Water Cannon. This aside from
being ominous was very effective at forcing us back a
Cpl Frankie Lyness leads from the front, taking cover behind the
smallest female member of DS he could find to hurl abuse and
batons from
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
considerable distance. Sgt ‘Ski’ Milevsky came close to
becoming our first casualty. Whilst attempting to close with
the police lines to score some good hits on them, he was
knocked from his feet and sent rolling like tumble weed by
the water cannon. To increase the tempo even further the
PSNI Directing Staff spiced things up with ‘Molotov Cocktails’
and encouraged us to drive closer towards the lines. This was
when Cpl ‘Frankie’ Lyness learned why the Directing Staff
were keen for us not to get too close to the police. The
‘pretend’ batons weren’t quite as soft as they looked and he
took a few swift cracks to his back-side and was sent packing.
The final whistle blew and end-ex was called. Massaging sore
shoulders from throwing in excess of a thousand rounds each
we made our way back for lunch. The size and quality of PSNI
packed lunches clearly being the reason that you don’t see
many skinny police officers!
Sport Relief 2014 Swimmathon - by Cpl Francis Lyness
As the most recent addition to the Troop I was given the
honour of organising a low level charity event. To maximise
participation and hopefully raise some funds at the same time
I decided to strongly encourage as many of the Senior
members of the Troop into swimming 5 kilometres for Sport
Relief; which support youth sporting development initiatives
both locally and overseas.
After a very long week of badgering the Troop at NAFFI
break, lunch and knock off parades I enlisted the support of
WO2 (YofS) Stevie Johnston, Cpl Mike Kervell, Cpl ‘DJ’
Hamilton and LCpl Chris Laidler. After the team was
assembled I hit them with a daily training programme lasting
three weeks. This included 6am and 3pm swims to ensure
that all team members would complete the event.
Unfortunately (depends how you look at it!?!?) Cpl Hamilton
managed to escape all but one session because of persistent
moaning. In the absence of WO2 (YofS) Johnston the
remaining members of the team agreed to give themselves
the team name ‘Fat Fish’. Before the Yeoman found out I
rushed off and registered the team, you can say he was less
than impressed when he found out!!!
The young and ‘trusty’ life guard Tracey helped Fat Fish during
the team training sessions through her direct words of
encouragement and supervision on behalf of the
Swimmathon event organiser Pauline.
During the event it became apparent very quickly that LCpl
Laidler was starting to struggle after 6 lengths, in a manner
not unlike an OAP non swimmer. Cpl Hamilton, Cpl Kervell
and WO2 Johnston completed their lengths comfortably
making up for the time lost; which was a surprise when you
consider WO2 Johnston and Cpl Kervells' physiques. I was
Not so FAT, FAT FISH, no man left behind
97
sadly not to make it through unscathed, panicking Tracey
slightly when I tried to pick up the pace and sputtered in the
deep end just like the scene from Jaws when someone is
getting dragged under by the shark. After recovering at the
deep end very red faced while the audience’s faces wet with
tears of laughter, I still managed to finish a bit quicker than
LCpl Laidler.
After completion the Fat Fish team members were awarded
medals for completing the 5 kilometre swim. As a bonus WO2
Johnston received a kiss from Pauline, followed by me making
her all wet (having just got out the pool). Fat Fish completed
the Swimmathon in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 24 Seconds and
raised in excess of £100 for our chosen charity.
BRUNEI SIGNAL TROOP
Brunei Signal Troop Study Week - by LCpl Sagar Gurung
While the Residential Battalion was stood down for the Easter
leave before deploying on Ex PACIFIC KHUKURI to NewZealand, Brunei Signal Troop grabbed the opportunity to
organize a study week from the 1st to the 4th of April 2014.
The main aim of this study week was to give an opportunity
to the Junior NCOs to develop and broaden their military
knowledge as well as leadership and communication skills. It
also encompassed a team bonding activity in a form of Bukit
Teraja hiking and War Memorial visit at Labuan, Malaysia.
The first two days of the study week was based on classroom
activities. Day one consisted of icebreaker to start-with,
followed by series of presentations on following topics:
defence writing, AGAI process, preparation for Managerial
checks, organising AT and expedition and essay writing
techniques. The presentations were given by Tp OC, Capt
Shankar Gurung, SSgt Indra Bahadur Thapa and Sgt Sudesh
Gurung. Day two began with essay writing by the students
on a given topic followed by group discussion and
presentation in pairs for the rest of the day. Without a doubt
writing an essay and delivering a presentation was a nerveracking experience for most of us. After an each presentation
we were debriefed by OC and Tp Staff on various strong and
weak points, and areas for improvement.
2327421 CQMS V. Plowman
98
The third day of the study week kick started with command
tasks, in which participants were divided into two groups.
There were total four different stands, all were with different
scenarios. Sgt Pikendra and Sgt Judbir were the Directing
Staffs (DS) who constantly assessed the team leader and the
team members on the given task. On completion of each task
we were debriefed by the DS followed by the Staff and the
OC. After finishing the command task we quickly got changed
and headed towards Bukit Shah Bandar area for troop hiking.
The BST had a company of a few members from TTB boat
section and QOGLR detachment for the final part of the study
week – hiking and war memorial visit - exploring the natural
beauties of the Bukit Teraja and strengthening interdepartment bonding. All participants headed toward Maura
ferry terminal after descended from the hill to travel to
Labuan, Malaysia.
On the fourth and final day, we headed towards Labuan War
Memorial where Cpl Suman gave a short briefing about the
war memorial and the history of the war. The moment of
visiting the cemetery was quiet emotional as some of the
graves belonged to Gurkha and Royal Signals soldiers who
died during the Borneo conflict. We grabbed a moment to
get together and pay our respect to them as a group. After
taking some pictures at the war memorial we made our way
towards the ferry terminal and safely recovered back to the
camp. The BST study week was officially concluded with OC’s
debrief highlighting the aim, individual and team
performance, and areas to improve.
The study week was indeed a success as we had a rare
opportunity to learn new things as well as polishing rusty
skills that would affect us directly or indirectly in our army
career. It took us to a next level where we have to perform
as a competent Junior NCO, supervise juniors and make
ourselves efficient towards our seniors. Without a shadow of
doubt the team bonding amongst the Troop members is at its
pinnacle and we promise to keep it at its current state. We
look forward to next Troop Study Day in the near future.
Jai BST, Jai QG SIGNALS!
2336787 Sig W.F. Howes
810792 Sig W.C Smith
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The Army Women’s Football Team
by Cpl Sarah Jaffe
The journey to Spain for the Army Women’s Football Team began with an
early rise on 8 May, the players all eager to add to their 2014 victory in the
Inter-Services. As they set off to compete in the Mallorca 5-a-side
tournament spirits were high, only to be heightened by the sight of their
competitors at the opening ceremony, with teams spanning from Italy,
Norway, Luxembourg, Slovenia and beyond.
The tournament kicked off on the first day with the majority of games
being played. The Army as ever came prepared entering an A and B team,
however were quick to discover that they faced some deceivingly stiff
competition, keeping the coach, SSgt ‘Mags’ Mcateer (AAC) very busy.
The A team was captained by SSgt Chrissie Wright (AGC, RMP), and
despite valiant efforts from everyone goals were hard to secure. The B
team, captained by LCpl Jess Treharne (RLC) put in some great
performances, leaving them to rely on the results of a few games as to
whether they were proceeding through to the Semi-Finals. Points were
close, meaning the fate of the B team was not known until the Sunday.
Off the pitch the Army players were not slow to take advantage of what
LCpl Amanda Turnbull, Sig Bex Wells, Cpl Sarah Jaffe
Mallorca had to offer, relaxing at the beach, limbering up by the pool,
and even testing the odd Jet-Ski. Sunday came around quickly and the A
team played their last match of the group stages, easily securing a win. The stiff competition however made the success not
enough to progress to the next stages, resulting in an over all 5th place, enabling the B Team to advance through and play Norway.
Norway proved to be a strong side beating the Army and going on to win the tournament.
Third place however was still up for grabs and team B went head to head against Luxembourg. Early on the Army went 1-0 down,
though some close chances and quick passes kept morale high. Patience and perseverance paid off when Cpl Ed Taylor-Koff (RE)
scored a blinding goal to equalize and put the pressure back on Luxembourg. Just before the final whistle blew, a hard tackle from
Luxembourg resulted in a well timed penalty. A quick substitution and Sig Bex Wells (R SIGNALS) stepped up to take a successful
penalty placing the B Team in an admirable overall 3rd place.
All the players had put in an amazing effort and had deserved to let their hair down at the Pirate themed closing ceremony. In true
British style, they showed off their dancing skills to the other teams from around the world, putting in a sterling performance of
the Macarena, rounding off a very successful tournament with both teams producing a good performance and fantastic results.
The Army Women’s Football Team
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
99
EXERCISE SO ca
the red bull
The last 2 weeks of May saw the 2 Sig Regt Adjutant, Capt Harrison let
out of the office to travel with the Army Surf Team to California on a
sports tour. The culmination of the tour was to compete in the Red
Bull Rivals International Surf contest against the US Military West Coast
Combined Services, for boards and bragging rights. While the team
didn’t come home with the boards, they at least had something to brag
about – a great tan!
With over 800 miles of coastline California is a Mecca for the world’s surfing community. The Southern California coastline is home
to the USMC 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (1 MEF) located on Camp Pendleton; a 37 mile long costal base located between San
Clemente and Ocean Side. This was a far cry from the grey skies and cold sea of the Yorkshire coastline. 1 MEF would play host to
Ex SO CAL RIDER 14.
Having spent day 1 bedding in and finding our sea legs after the 11 hour flight, the team were taken to meet the Red Bull Event
Organisers and learn about the Red Bull Rivals competition in which we were competing. It also gave us an opportunity to meet
our opposing team. The West Coast Combined Services team had surfers from the Navy, Coastguard, Marines and Air-Force, the
majority of whom seemed to originate from Hawaii. The team were up at 0430 most days to be in the water for 0530 to make the
most of the conditions before the wind picked up. Surfing for up to 8 hours a day for 14 days took its toll on both mind and body,
but with near perfect conditions for the first 10 days, and with the added pressure from our opposite numbers, everyone was keen
to train for as long and as hard as possible.
One of the most popular breaks in California is Trestles. Out of bounds during the 1960s as part of the
USMC real estate and home to President Nixon, surfers risked having their boards confiscated and
being placed under arrest for surfing here. Now the various breaks that make up Trestles are teeming
with people before the sun has even breached the horizon. To the south lies Old Mans’, a right and
left A-Frame that peels for hundreds of meters and is popular with long-boarders. Further north lies
Churches, so called thanks to the take off spot being directly in front of the large wooden cross that
marks where a church used to be. This is a rocky right hand point break which is popular with all
riders. Yet further north lie Uppers and Lowers. Lowers is an A-Frame that breaks with the mechanical
consistency of a man made wave machine. Braking left and right in perfect section-less rides it is a
dream wave for both regular and goofy foot riders alike. Lowers
is easily one of the most competitive breaks in California, with as
many as 40 people waiting for the peak from before dawn until
well after dark. It is a real test of nerve and skill and many of our
surfers showed great improvement from having surfed under
that kind of pressure.
Trestles Barrel.
100
On days when the wind was too strong or conditions were
unfavourable at Trestles, the team travelled north to Dana Point
and surfed and break named Salt Creek. Dana Point was famous
by the 1990s movie, Point Break and was about as popular as
Gidget. It remains, however, unspoilt and when the wind was
southerly it was sheltered enough to create some very
challenging waves. With a broken sandbar, peaks would appear
as if from nowhere and would create a very steep drop with fast
lefts and rights, and creating exhilarating rides. In the afternoon
as the tide pushed, these waves became very fast and very
hollow beach breaks. With near vertical drops in only few feet
of water it was a true test of nerve and skill but a worthwhile
adrenaline rush should you survive the drop. There were many
broken boards and people but it was a good reminder of how
physically demanding the sport can be.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
cal rider 14
l challenge
- by Capt Harrison, 2 Signal Regiment
With training going well we took some time to challenge the Camp Pendleton Athletics Association at a
game of touch rugby. Rugby is still a fledgling sport in the States though they have some good
players and a real love of the game. While there were a few downfield passes and off the ball
tackles, they have had some good training in matches against the Royal Marines and RMAS. The
team were honoured to be invited to surf with the Wounded Warriors, an organisation set up
to assist the sick and injured in their rehabilitation and recovery. This mobile team of both
serving personnel and local volunteers meet every Thursday to run surfing, body boarding
and body surfing coaching. There was a mixture of patients taking part, from those
suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to double amputees stand up surfing on
prosthetic limbs. All were happy to speak about their experiences and cited the Wounded
Warriors as essential to their recovery as it does not just test the physical elements of
their recovery but aids in the mental recovery too. The team shared some great waves
and their love of surfing with some truly humbling individuals. This was a priceless
experience and served to remind the team how lucky they were and focus on who they
were representing.
On the Friday before the competition we met with our American counterparts for a Red
Bull sponsored afternoon of fun. Both teams were collected by, of all things, a London
bus plastered in Red Bull advertising, and driven to the Red Bull Wave House in San Diego
for a final bit of PR. The media coverage for the event had been enormous. Websites
such as Surfline.com and the San Diego Newspapers all ran stories on the event and some
team members featuring on Fox 5 News. The final event was both teams trying their hand
at the Red Bull wave machine. These jets of water create an over head barrel on which
riders use a small skateboard deck to try and get as deep in the barrel as possible before
inevitably being flipped into orbit and out of the tank. The British team were convinced this
was a plan to injure us the day before the competition.
Competition day brought big crowds and better than expected swell conditions. Teams were split
into two smaller teams of 5 with each team surfing 2 heats and a bodyboarding heat consisting of the
remaining 2 from each team. Each team had a coach on the beach and one in the water with a radio to
deliver instructions. Teams had 1 minute to paddle out with each heat lasting 12 minutes. Each rider needed to score with their
highest score adding to the team’s total. Tactics were as key as wave selection, with 4, 2 minute ‘timeouts’ allowed per team in the
event of a lull in the swell. The judging panel comprised of some high profile surfers including Red Bull Rider Kolohe Andio, a San
Clemente local, who recently came second in the Red Bull Pro in Brazil.
The score remained close throughout the competition with members of the team demonstrating some stylish cross stepping and
some aggressive back side hacks bumping up the scores.
Sadly as the heats drew on, the Americans racked up some
high scores with some impressive waves, adding 10 points to
their total on one wave. With a final score of 95 points to 81
our American counterparts won the day. They set the bar
high and gave the team a standard to aspire to before next
year's event. Following the prize giving both teams enjoyed
a final surf before having a BBQ on the beach to celebrate
the event and Memorial weekend.
The sports tour was a huge success for all those involved and
everyone benefited from surfing some of the worlds' best
waves. If you are interested in learning to surf or getting
involved with Army surfing please contact Capt Harrison,
Adjutant 2 Signal Regiment or visit the Army Surfing home
page on the Defence Intranet (search Army Surfing).
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
The US team with their new surfboards.
101
RSA Reunio
21/22 Ju
The 2014 Royal Signals Association Reunion was blessed with sunshine for the
whole weekend. In the beautiful weather Blandford Camp looked at its
brightest and welcomed in the region of 650 Association members and their
guests. Amongst this number we were very pleased to see six important
attendees from the Royal Hospital Chelsea who were, I understand, fittingly
hosted by members of the Sgts’ Mess.
For the second year, the HQ Royal Signals organizing team was lead by Maj
(Retd) Mark Tivey, Asst Regt Sec. Our team was given unstinting help from
large parts of Blandford Garrison and we would not be able to achieve very
much without their support and enthusiasm. As every year, our thanks are
extended to everyone who helped towards the delivery of the weekend. The
camp site looked wonderful. This year, for the first time, we were very
pleased to be able to host a concert in the cinema by the RSA Pipes & Drums
Assn.
As we hoped last year, we were able enlarge the number of static displays of
equipment and soldiers from current units. For this invaluable support we
are very much in the debt of all those currently serving who took the time to
come and enlighten us. Although it must be said that the basics seem, to me
at least, to be recognisable from days of yore! We also are in the debt of The
Vintage Vehicle display (Mr Dave Lancaster), the Christchurch Cruisers
Motorcycle Group (Mr Terry Inman), Warsaw Pact Radio Equipment (Mr Tony
Helm), and Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society RSARS (Mr Jim Heck) who
all provided displays. I am very grateful for the outstanding support from
the reception team (supplied by 11 SR) who volunteered to give up their
weekend to help.
As we have come to expect, the Princes Royal Day Parade (PRD) on Hawke
Square was a great display of drill and it was good to see that virtually
everyone from 11 (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment on parade
managed to withstand the extreme heat. The inspecting officer was Lt Gen N
A W Pope CBE, The Master of Signals.
Following on from the parade, the Corps RSM, WO1 Rob Luke, conducted the
Standard Bearers’ Preliminary Competition. This year five of the competitors
went forward into the final. These were: Graham Christian (Liverpool
Branch), Norman Pearce (West London), Bill McNamara (Glasgow), Keith
102
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
on
Weekend
une 2014
Bates (Rotherham) and Bill May (Edinburgh). The competition was overseen
by the CRSM assisted by WO1 (GSM) Matt Darby, WO1 (RSM) Chris Hoggard,
Mr Barry Moody from Scarborough Branch and Mr John Mumford from
Reading Branch. The final took place as part of the afternoon programme of
events on the square. The Master of Signals presented the prizes to: 3rd - Bill
McNamara, 2nd - Bill May and 1st – Norman Pearce. Thank you to all the
Branch Standard Bearers who took part in the competition this year. As agreed
last year, each competitor was given a briefing on their score in the
competition to inform their drill before their preparation for next year’s
competition.
The afternoon programme began at 1500hrs and featured music provided by
bands of the Royal Corps of Signals and the Corps Pipes and Drums both
individually and massed. The Signals Motorcycle Display Team ‘The White
Helmets’ gave a virtuoso performance (as we have come to expect) and caused
some younger members of the audience to jump very loudly when they lit the
straw prior to their finale! The afternoon ended with The Sunset Retreat
Ceremony which as always was a fitting end to the official displays.
During the evening, many of us gathered in the 11 (RSS) Sig Regt WOs’ and
Sgts’ Mess (courtesy of the Presiding Member WO1 (RSM) Chris Hoggard) to
enjoy a curry supper, libations and catching up with old friends. We are very
grateful to all Mess Members and Staff for hosting this very important part of
the weekend.
On Sunday morning at 1030 hrs we met on Hawke Square for the Drumhead
Service. The RSA Honorary Chaplain, the Rev Peter Clemett, the Rev Frances
Canham and The Padre of 11 (RSS) Sig Regt, the Rev Stephen Lodwick,
conducted the service. Mr Tony Hull, from Beverley Ex-Boys Assn, turned the
page of the Memorial Book. The collection during the service raised £447.73
for the RSBF.
Finally, following the service, members were invited by the Corps RSM to form
up for the march past on the square. The contingent was made up of: RSA
Standard Bearers; Beverley Ex-Boys Assn, Colonels Commandant, led by the
Chairman RSA; Retired Officers; In-Pensioners from the Royal Hospital Chelsea;
RSA Members and EPV users at the rear. The Master of Signals took the salute,
thus ending the 2014 RSA Reunion.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
103
Patron: HRH The Princess Royal
President: The Master of Signals
Chairman: Brig DA Hargreaves
Col (Retd) Terry Canham
Tel: 01258 482081
Maj (Retd) Mark Tivey
Tel: 01258 482082
Association Office
RHQ Royal Signals
Blandford Camp
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8RH
www.royalsignlalsassociation.co.uk
Welfare Secretary
Tel (mil) (9)4371 2089
Tel (civ) 01258 48 2089
Email: welfare@royalsignalsassociation.co.uk
Membership Secretary
Tel (mil) (9)4371 2090
Tel (civ) 01258 482090
Email: admin@royalsignalsassociation.co.uk
General Secretary and Treasurer: Col (Retd) T Canham
Assistant General Secretary: Maj (Retd) M Tivey
Welfare Secretary: Mrs L Sizeland
Membership Secretary: Mrs C Addison
Mrs Linda Sizeland
Tel: 01258 482089
Mrs Caroline Addison
Tel: 01258 482090
The 2014 Reunion took place at Blandford over the weekend of 21/22 June. The report can be found in this edition of The Wire and
on the RSA website. Looking ahead, the Opening of the Field of Remembrance will take place at Westminster Abbey on Thursday
6 November and the Cenotaph Parade on Sunday 9 November. If any Association member would like a chance to attend either,
please get in touch with me, on admin@royalsignalsassociation.co.uk
New Life Members. A warm welcome to the following members, enrolled since the last issue of The Wire;
Cpl John Aldridge
SSgt Stephen Anderson
SSgt Ian Blacklock
LCpl Kris Blundell
LCpl Gareth Botman
LCpl Mark Bougourd
Sig Keith Boynton
SSgt Kevin Brack
Sgt Ian Branes
Sgt Mark Carlisle
Sig Victor Cass
Cpl Chris Clarke
WO2 Michael Constable
Sgt Nigel Cross
Sgt Kevin Dale
WO2 Paul Davis
LCpl Jason Durkin
Cpl Teresa Earle
LCpl Mark Edwards
Sgt Jackie Gibbons
Cpl David Hay
LCpl Mary Hillcoat
LCpl Brian Hillson
LCpl John Hooton
Sig David Jennings
Sig Derek Johnston
Sig Alexander Kelley
Cpl David Laing
Sig Victoria Lewis
SSgt R Lodge
Sgt Jeffrey Masters
Sig Iain McCormack
LCpl Michele Mitchell
Cpl Godfrey Mumford
Sgt Brett Myerscough
104
1966-89
1988-12
1991-13
1996-07
2000-04
1979-88
1963-70
1985-13
1976-90
1991-13
1957-59
1988-96
1991-date
2000-09
1976-88
1981-14
1988-96
1969-72
1983-87
1983-93
1975-93
1943-46
1991-00
1957-68
1982-97
1988-94
2004-05
1998-date
1997-01
2003-08
1981-00
1983-85
1992-97
1964-77
1989-12
Cpl Bruce Noble
Sgt Peter Old
Cpl Layla Patton
Sgt David Peper
Cpl Linda Pepper
Cpl William Porter
Sgt Mick Raine
Cpl Phil Rainer
LCpl Dominic Rowe
Sig Jonathan Sampson
WO2 Mark Sherwood
Sig Malcolm Sidebottom
Sig Chris Smart
Sig Paul Starr
Sgt Derrick Steed
Cpl Jim Stowers
LCpl Elaine Strefford
LCpl Harry Strong
Sig Gareth Thomas-Jones
Cpl Eric Turner
LCpl Mark Underhill
Cpl Geoffrey Underwood
LCpl Stephen Vose
Sgt Paul Watts
LCpl Thomas Weaver
Cpl Graeme Whitehead
LCpl Dawn Williams
SSgt Keith Williams
Sgt William Wishart
Cpl Adrian Woollon
Sig Christian Wrightson
SSgt Stephen Wylie
Sgt George Young
Cpl Leigh Young
1997-12
1975-89
1990-14
1971-86
1975-99
1985-98
1990-14
1964-73
1991-99
2014-date
1981-05
1964-67
1982-88
1979-83
1967-79
1951-63
1973-77
1959-61
1996-98
1996-75
2004-10
1970-93
1997-date
1978-93
1980-88
1981-91
1989-95
1985-98
1992-06
1989-96
1990-00
1992-date
1969-92
1996-08
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
CARDIFF BRANCH
President
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Jim Lister
Selwyn Williams
Mike Peterson
Bill Davies
Alan Cole
The year began with the Branch Annual General Meeting held
in January at the Earl Haigh Club, Whitchurch, Cardiff. The
Branch Officers from 2013 were elected en-bloc; meaning
Chairman Selwyn Williams and Secretary Bill Davies would
continue to lead the Branch with Alan Cole (Treasurer),
Gordon Baker (Branch Visitor), Darren Perkins (Branch Web
Manager) and Esme Aviet (Standard Bearer) continuing in
their roles.
We are now looking forward to our next event which will be
our Supper Dance on Saturday 1 November which this year
will be at the Ilford Golf Club where we had our Annual Dinner
last year.
We always welcome new members so if you are an ex or
serving signaller living in east London, south and east Essex
area and would like to join us then why not come along to
one of our meetings which are held in the Army Reserve
Centre, Gordon Road, Ilford at 7:30pm on the 4th Thursday of
each month (except December). Email: alanj.turner@
ntlworld.com for more details.
The Branch was represented at the AGM of the RSA by the
Chairman, Selwyn Williams and Secretary, Bill Davies.
At our May Branch meeting we welcomed members of the
West Wales Branch of the RSA. Our guest speaker was Dan
Paterson, who is a war artist. Dan has spent some time in
Afghanistan with the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, producing a
variety of paintings and drawings. We were able to gain an
insight into life at the sharp end through seeing his work. A
well-stocked buffet rounded off an enjoyable evening. We
hope to organise a few more social events over the summer
and in November we will be holding our annual dinner.
The East London Branch AGM - 24 April, 2014
EDINBURGH BRANCH
On the membership front we welcomed John Donne and
Geoffrey Palmer to the Branch.
Our monthly meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the
month at the Earl Haigh Club, Whitchurch, Cardiff.
EAST LONDON BRANCH
Chairman
Secretary
Neill Keen
Alan Turner
We held our Branch AGM in April and there were no changes
in the line-up of Committee who were all voted back into
office. Reports were given by all the committee on the
previous year including Chairman, Neill Keen, who reflected,
that at the time he had felt like David Moyes taking over from
Sir Alec Fergusson when he took over the Chairmanship from
Paul Burton and he noted that he had at least lasted longer in
the position. After the formal meeting was concluded,
everybody was gathered together, as is our custom, for the
group photo and with our usual photographer, Brian Streetly
being unavailable, both our Chairman, Neill Keen and Vice
Chairman, Reggie Cullumbine both setting the timers of their
cameras to ensure that we did capture all attending. After
the photo everybody then dug into the buffet meal organised
by Secretary, Alan Turner and relaxed with a few drinks and
much socialising before the end of the evening.
Paul Burton is coordinating the plans for our joint service for
the laying up of our old Standard and dedication of the new
Standard service in St Mary’s Church, Wanstead on
Wednesday 8 April, 2015. Paul has just announced that a
glass and wood case to frame the Standard and pin it to the
wall of the church is now being constructed by a local firm.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
President
Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Mr Ian Green
Mr Jeff Jephcote
Maj Helen Jephcote
Mrs Babs Gowan
The Edinburgh Branch decided to change the format of our
monthly meeting; to be one month a formal meeting and the
next being a social/quiz night. These have been extremely
successful with members who have been arranging various
types of quizzes; plus the fact that spouses are welcome to
attend. To find out more information and which month is a
meeting or a social visit our site on the RSA webpages. The
Branch continues to strive to organise functions for our
members and families and new ideas are always welcome.
Some of the events have passed and some are still to come!
Afternoon tea, al fresco
105
June: Some of our Branch members attended this year's RSA
reunion down at Blandford. Yet again a most enjoyable and
successful weekend. A big “thank you”, goes to all who
organised this year's event. It was a very close competition
for the standard bearers; our congratulations go out to all the
entrants and especially to our own Branch Standard bearer
Bill May who came second in the competition.
July: A sightseeing tour was organised on The Royal Yacht
Britannia, which is berthed in Leith Docks Edinburgh. This was
followed by afternoon tea at the Edinburgh Botanical
Gardens. It was a great day out and thoroughly enjoyable by
those attending.
Upcoming Events:
August
September
October
November
December
51 Signal Squadron BBQ.
Chairmans Quiz night.
6 day Battlefield tour of Normandy.
October meeting cancelled.
Quiz night.
(Proposed trip to Liverpool for their
Christmas Carol night)
Christmas function at Airth Castle.
Afternoon tea Holyrood Palace Edinburgh.
The 2 members who were to received their well deserved and
well merited 50 Year Badge and certificate were Andy Riddell
(our current President and ex Vice Chairman) and David Geere
( a previous Vice Chairman and Chairman).
It was a most enjoyable and well attended evening. For so
many members to attend showed just how much our two
recipients justifiably deserved their awards.
Planning now is moving towards the annual dinner and dance.
Members chose to pick an earlier date than in previous years;
the 22nd of November 2014. It will also be a new location.
Longcliffe Golf Club have offered excellent facilities, and we
have opted to take advantage of this. Tickets are available via
the Secretary, so should anyone wish to join use, then let Bob
White know, preferably before the beginning of November.
You can be assured of a great time.
We are always looking for new members to join our Branch so
please contact the branch on RSAEdinburgh@hotmail.co.uk
LOUGHBOROUGH BRANCH
President
Chairman
Secretary/Treasurer
Andy Riddell
Gerry Kane
Bob White
Our April 2014 meeting necessitated a change of venue. As
this was to be an important event, we had to look for
somewhere which would provide a substantial, relatively
private area to undetake two presentations.
We therefore moved from our regular location of the Beacon
Public House, to the larger Priory Public House on the edge of
Loughborough. We did this because the Priory were able to
offer us a private room (mainly half of the restaurant) to hold
our meeting. More importantly it gave us an excellent venue
to undertake two more 50 Year Badge presentations. April
1st was not to be fools day, but a special day to two of our
most distinguished and stalwart members of the Branch. In
great surroundings we were able to host our monthly
meeting, make the presentations and enjoy a very sociable
meal together afterwards.
Branch Chairman Gerry Kane presents 50 Year Badge to Andy
Riddell and Dave Geere
106
Branch members gather together with the two recipients, prior
to the meal
shEFFIELD BRANCH
by David Wing
Don Ford, a
former member
of the Royal
Corps of
Signals, will be
100 years old in
August.
Don was born
on 23 August
1914 at 6
Thomas Street,
Parkgate, near
Rotherham. His
father was a
miner at
Aldwarke Main
Colliery. Don
was educated
at Parkgate
National School,
but from the age of 4 to 10½ years attended very little
schooling as he contracted “Spanish Flu”, which caused a
pandemic, killing about forty million worldwide.
During the Great War Don’s father served in the York and
Lancaster Regiment, rising to the rank of Sgt. Post war he
joined the Royal Field Artillery TA, based at Somme Barracks in
Sheffield. When the Battery went on (tented) camps Don
accompanied his father, and has memories of sleeping in Bell
tents. He is certain that his exposure to fresh air improved his
health and speeded recovery from the influenza.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
On leaving school at the age of fourteen Don spent two years
working in a local Brass Foundry. When he was 16 he gained
employment at Parkgate Iron and Steel, but two years later
he was unemployed due to the effects of the Depression, and
decided to join the Army.
In September 1932 Don joined the Royal Signals at Catterick
Camp. When he started his basic training he was allocated to
the trade Driver (Horse Transport). After two months he
transferred to become an OWL (Operator Wireless and Line).
He gained his Army Certificate of Education Class 3, and won a
prize for his essay on the book “The Thirty Nine Steps”.
On completion of Basic and Trade Training Don was posted to
5th Division Signals stationed at Burniston Barracks,
Scarborough where he served for the next three years.
During this time he gained his Class 2 in Education and
qualified as a B2 tradesman.
Don’s father was killed in an underground accident at
Aldwarke Main Colliery in January 1933, leaving a widow with
a four year old child. In 1935 Don applied for, and was
granted, a Compassionate Discharge so he could be at home
and help his mother. He remained on the Army Reserve.
The next two years were spent lorry driving, and in January
1938 Don joined Sheffield City Police. One of his first duties as
”a rookie Bobby” (his description) was Point Duty near the
Sheffield Wednesday Football Ground on a match Saturday.
His comment on it – “It were chaos”
On the outbreak of the Second World War Reservists in the
Police and Fire Services were not recalled immediately to the
Colours, but on 1 December 1939 Don returned to Catterick.
Until his Army pay rose to match his Police Salary his earnings
were toped up by Sheffield Corporation.
After a month Don was posted to 2nd Training Battalion R
SIGNALS at Whitby, being promoted to LCpl, as an instructor
in Morse by key and flag. Whilst with the Battalion he was
again promoted, eventually to Sgt.
On 1 January 1940 Don had married his fiancée, Rose Senior,
and she moved to Whitby. 2nd Training Battalion remained in
Whitby until after the Dunkirk evacuation, when the camp
was used to accommodate front line units for the defence of
the coast. The Battalion moved to Huddersfield, and Don and
Rose then lived there.
After some time Don requested a posting, and was posted to
43rd (Wessex) Divisional Signals. He was employed in 130
Brigade Signals Office. The Division was stationed in the Kent/
Sussex area, and one of his memories is the number of
casualties (including several fatalities) in night exercises, due
to Despatch Riders running into the rear of unlit vehicles on
blacked out roads.
presented with a Commander-in-Chief’s Commendation by
Field Marshall Montgomery.
The Division ended the War stationed in Celle, and Don
remembers seeing the victims of the Belsen Concentration
Camp, and the efforts made by the troops to help them.
As Don was in the Police before Mobilisation, he was
Demobilised before many others, at Thirsk Racecourse, and
returned to duty with Sheffield City Police. Don served in
Sheffield City Police and its successor, Sheffield and
Rotherham Constabulary until retirement in 1968, rising to the
rank of Inspector. The last eighteen years were spent in the
Road Traffic Department, and he was responsible for setting
up the Police Driving School.
After retiring from the Police Force, Don worked in the Stone
Quarrying Industry in North Derbyshire in various capacities
involved with heavy road transport. Jobs included HGV
Driving instructor and Transport Manager.
I first realised Don had served in the Royal Corps of Signals
when he came to Church a couple of years ago wearing a
Corps tie. We started talking, and he told me he had been on
holiday with his family. and they had taken him to the
Museum at Blandford. Whilst there he sat at the Morse Key
and went straight through the alphabet with no problems – in
his late nineties, some 55 years or so after he last used Morse!
Of course – he patronised the shop and bought a Corps tie!
Don and Rose now live in Ecclesfield, Sheffield, and are
looking forward to his 100th Birthday in August this year, and
their 75th Wedding Anniversary next January. They have a
daughter and son, 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
south london BRANCH
One of our members, Fred Hermon of Bexhill, celebrated his
100th birthday recently at the Bexhill RBL Branch where he
has been a member for a number of years. Part of the
celebration was a “Jimmy” birthday cake.
Fred was President, Vice President and Secretary of the
Bexhill Branch of the RBL over a period of years. Before that
in the 1950s he was Secretary and President of the
Whyteleafe Branch in Croydon for over 25 years. He became
Chairman of the Tonbridge group and elected as a member of
the Surrey Council of the British Legion, later becoming vicePresident. He joined the South London Branch Royal Signals
Association when it was resurrected in 2000.
After about a year Don was moved into the Divisional HQ
Signal Office, where he remained during the training for the
D-Day landings and the push through Europe as part of 30
Corps.
43rd Division landed in the Arromanches/Courseulles area
after the Great Storm. Don has vivid memories of the
conditions on board ship during the storm – mainly a cycle of
“get up; eat; sea-sickness; return to bed” until the storm
subsided sufficiently to allow landing.
Don has many memories of the move through NW Europe;
like many serving he saw time of intense activity, interspersed
with periods of very little activity. One of his outstanding
memories is being told to report in his best uniform. When he
did this (in some trepidation) he found himself being
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
107
SWINDON BRANCH
President
Chairman
Secretary
AFSA, and we were joined by members of the community
including some who had relatives on the ship.
Lt Col (Retd) David Gent
Peter Howells
Rod Ashman
0800hrs on June 21 2014 saw 12 members of the Swindon
Branch RSA boarding a mini bus, destination Blandford.
Spirits were high (not the drinking kind – too early) all
looking forward to a great day out, and we were not
disappointed. The Band and The White Helmets were, as
usual, great, and everyone had a great day out.
The Branch would like to thank everyone who contributed to
the running of the reunion. We are all looking forward to
next year
Members of the AFSA in front of Glossop War Memorial
After a two-minute silence a wreath was laid by AFSA member
Philip Tice (96) who had been driven from his home in
Eastbourne for the occasion. His wreath commemorated the
six men who had perished. Further wreaths were laid in
memory of Cpl WG Bamforth and those members of his
section that had survived and a third by AFSA member Capt
John Alletson on behalf of the Glossop and District Royal
Signals Old Comrades Association.
AIR FORMATION SIGNALS associaton
President
Vice-President
Chairman
Secretary
Lt Col AEA Corkery, CO 21 Signal Regiment
Maj J Snelgrove, OC 244 Signal Squadron
Dr AD Vickers
Capt (Retd) CJP Dennis
Members of the AFSA met for their annual reunion at the
Britannia Hotel, Bramhope, Leeds, over the weekend 25 - 27
April. On Friday evening we enjoyed a buffet supper followed
by entertainment by our own little nightingale, Miss Emma
James, who treated us to one of her usual energetic and
ebullient performances. The following morning we set off,
with windscreen wipers working furiously, by coach to
Glossop where, at the George Hotel, we were revived with
coffee and biscuits. We met the Mayor of High Peak,
Councillor Tony Kemp, the Vicar of All Saints Church, Glossop,
Rev Ian Stubbs and members of the Glossop branch of the
Royal British Legion. By this time Glossop was bathed in
brilliant sunshine!
At 10.30am, led by Daniel Millan, bearing the AFSA Standard,
we proceeded to the war memorial, situated in a small square
off the main roads, and held a short Act of Remembrance in
memory of six members of 2nd Air Formation Signals, all from
Glossop, who perished when the troopship HMT Lancastria
was sunk off St Nazaire on June 17th, 1940. The service was
led by Rev Ian Stubbs and Rev Jim McManus, Chaplain to the
108
Philip Tice lays his wreath. The Rev Jim McManus looks on
The photographs were taken by Mr David Jones, editor of the
Glossop Chronicle, who wrote a full page article in that paper.
He was commended for getting all his facts right and it is by
his kind permission that we can reproduce the images here.
He was very helpful in publishing articles beforehand to
publicise our event, an event that attracted visitors and
contacts from as far away as Angelesey. After a sumptuous
buffet lunch at the hotel we had an hour to explore Glossop
before returning to Bramhope.
Other members of the Association joined us together with Cpl
Smissen, a serving member of 244 Sqn, and his fiancée. At
the AGM Mrs Flo Dennis persuaded her husband to volunteer
his services as General Secretary and he was voted in with
alacrity! The Chairman reported that, with the imminent
move of 244 Sqn from Colerne to Bramcote, he had invited
Maj James Snelgrove, OC Sqn, to become Vice-President. He
had been pleased to accept.
The evening concluded with a formal dinner.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
Trip to the Netherlands 2nd ‑ 6th May 2014
Member Len Brace, who is also a member of the East London
Branch of the RSA, was invited by the London Taxi Benevolent
Association to go to Arnheim for a service of remembrance at
Arnheim Oosterbeek War Cemetery on Sunday 4 May , the
69th anniversary of the surrender of German troops in
Holland, Denmark and NE Germany. He and Ron Batchelor,
also of the East London Branch, were picked up by London
taxi from their homes and taken to Harwich. Len writes:
“I was lucky enough, once again, to be taken on a trip to the
Netherlands by the London Taxi Benevolent Association. We
travelled over‑night from Harwich to the Hook of Holland,
breakfasting on the ferry before a trip to the National War
Museum at Overloom and booking in to the Papendal Hotel,
Arnheim. The weather was really good and remained so for the
rest of our stay in the Netherlands. On the Sunday, after
breakfast, we attended the British Military Service at
Oosterbreak CWGC cemetery hosted by the Holland Branch of
the Royal British Legion. This was a very moving service with
1,800 Paratroopers buried in the cemetery and it brought back
so many memories. Now ninety, with knees that have done a
lot of service, it took me back to my late teens when I visited
Holland in very different times.
Following the service we went to Arnhem and boarded a cruise
ship for a trip down the Rhine. The ship was moored at
Nijmegen Bridge when a Lancaster bomber made two passes
overhead followed by a flypast of more modern aircraft. As we
cruised the Rhine we were entertained by a jazz band and
barber shop singers and enjoyed a Buffet Lunch. Drink and food
was free! On Monday we attended Dutch Liberation
Celebrations and Parade at Wageningen. 120 war veterans, in 3
double‑decker buses, were given a police escort and we were
saluted by marching bands. There followed a Military Show
with a parachute demonstration. We were given a very warm
reception by the Dutch people with all the children showing
great interest and enthusiasm.
the team’s performance from his shack at home! Peter
Fletcher and Chris Dennis were joined by John Dixon who
rode from Boston with his radio on the back of his motorbike.
David Vickers, a Short Wave Listener, also attended.
Propagation conditions were not ideal - the adjective
‘abysmal’ was used by Peter - but over 500 contacts were
made. Many of these were to RSARS, RAFARS, RNARS
members and to D-Day stations in France and Belgium.
Twenty-two contacts were made on CW, the rest on voice.
One long distant contact was made to Australia and others to
such places as Gozo, Luxemburg and a Maritime Mobile
somewhere in the North Sea.
Denis (aka Johnny) Egan
Denis Egan was a founder-member of the AFSA and for
twenty years General Secretary and Treasurer. He also
master-minded the annual Amateur Radio Special Event
stations that were regular events at Colerne since the move
of 21 Signal Regiment to this country from Germany. Now
nearer 90 than 80 - much nearer! - he resigned as General
Secretary in 2013 and as Treasurer this year. The AFSA, under
its various names, was very much his baby and he took an
active interest in all aspects of the Association’s operations.
To mark his retirement he was presented with a framed print
of ‘The Longest Camp’. The print shows a Dispatch Rider,
mounted on a Norton 16H, delivering a message to the CO of
a TA Signal Unit at summer camp in August 1939, a message
from the War Office ordering his unit to mobilise. Very
appropriate as Dennis was a DR.
David Vickers and Chris Dennis took time off from the
Amateur Radio station at Colerne to visit Dennis at his home
where this photograph was taken of David presenting the
print to Dennis on Friday 6 June. Chris took the photograph
In the evening we returned to the Papendal Hotel for dinner and
a talent show which included a Frank Sinatra impersonator who
gave a rousing rendition of My Way. On the last day, Tuesday 6
May, as we checked out of our hotel we had a group
photograph of the Veterans. We headed back to sea where our
last Act of Remembrance was a service and wreath‑laying as we
crossed the English Channel. Once again I was returning home
from Europe with comrades, ex‑soldiers and veterans, having
re‑lived the unique relationship and history between ourselves
and the Dutch people.”
Dennis Egan admires the print presented to him by David
Vickers, Chairman of the AFSA
associaton OF HARROGATE
APPRENTICES
Len Brace en-route to Wageningen
Amateur Radio Special Event Station
During the week 2 – 8 June amateur radio enthusiasts
descended on Training Wing, 21 Signal Regiment, at Colerne
and set up shop using call sign GB4RSA. The station was
master-minded, as usual by Dennis Egan who, sadly, was
unable to join in this year due to ill health - but he monitored
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
New Association of Harrogate Apprentices Standard
By Johnny McGahan (59a)
The 4 Associations were represented by 120 members at the
Army Apprentice national Memorial, Alrewas for the
ceremony of the Blessing of the new AOHA Standard. Two
pipers and a drummer played an introduction followed by the
welcoming address by patron, Maj Gen GB Berringham CB (ex
Arborfield).
109
After a Thanksgiving Prayer and the reading of a poem, the
Standard was presented by our ultra-smart Bearer, Mike
Crooke (58a) to Rev Gary Kelly (ex Arborfield), who blessed
the furled Standard which was then unfurled.
Following the blessing the Act of Remembrance included The
Army Apptrentice School lament specially written and played
by Piper Alex Burt and the Last Post played by a Royal Marine.
Hymns were sung accompanied by a 14-piece brass band from
the Salvation Army and the ceremony finished with closing
Prayers, Blessings and the National Anthem.
Throughout it all the rain stayed away – obviously Rev Kelly
has friends in high places!
Standard bearer Mike Crooke with the new AOHA Standard
The Standard and equipment have now been paid for with
some cash to spare.
REUNIONS
Reunion of Scott Squadron, Army
Apprentices College Harrogate
Following on from the previous two successful (and highly
enjoyable) events, the next Scott Squadron Reunion is to take
place on 21 March 2015 at the Cedar Court Hotel Harrogate.
The reunion is open to any personnel who were in or attached
to Scott Squadron (ATs and PS) and wives/partners will be
most welcome.
For details please contact either:
Paul Moscardini at pjmoscardini@aol.com or phone
07778167332.
or
Nigel Cory at zen48621@zen.co.uk or phone 07970 016567.
Information will also be posted on the Scott Squadron
Reunion page on FaceBook (http://www.facebook.com/home.
php?sk=group_194983517193766&notif_t=group_activity).
Attention All members of intake 84C
Army Apprentices College Harrogate
From: Simon Jenner (Bradley Sqn)
To: All Members of 84C AAC Harrogate.
It will be 30 years this September since we all arrived at the
train station at Harrogate and started that 2 year stay at the
hands of various characters.
A reunion is planned for the weekend of the 6th/7th
September 2014. Full details are available at the facebook
Group:
84C AAC Harrogate 30year Reunion (Penny Pot P#ss Up)
Or
Contact me direct at Simonj28@aol.com
It would be good to catch up with anyone that can make it.
LAST POST
AF Andrews
LCpl HJ Asher
Sig AG Atkins
Sig T Bell
Sig J Bin Nangah
Sig KH Brown
WO1 C Cooke
LCpl K Cowlishaw
Sig C Crockett
Capt JA Esson
WO2 K Fenwick-Beadle
LCpl JP Flynn
Capt BM Freeman
WO2 JR Fryer
Sig A Gandey
Cpl Gibbons
Sig DP Hall
Maj PJ Handibode
Capt D Hanks
Maj G Harrison
Capt G Hayes
Sig DG Hibbs
Sgt CH Houghton
110
1954/57
1941/46
1955/57
1955/58
1951/70
1942/47
1946-69
1943-47
1939-42
1946/95
1946-67
1955/81
1951/63
1949/80
939/46
1955/67
1941/46
1970/05
1939/47
1937/78
1966/74
1939-46
1944/48
16-Jun-14
05-Apr-14
??-Jan-2014
??-Jan-2014
??/06/2014
19-May-14
05-Jul-14
17-Mar-14
28-May-14
15-Jun-14
28-Jun-14
21-Jun-14
20-May-14
27-May-14
??-??-2014
04-Feb-14
13-May-14
07-May-14
23-May-14
19-Jun-14
27-May-14
19-May-14
21-Jun-14
WO2 RW Howard Sig RF Howlett
WO1 RV Huxtable
Sgt JWH Jarman
WO1 W Lawson
Cpl M Mallinson
Cpl J McCann
RJ McFarland BEM
Sig JA Munday
Sgt T Parton
Sig MIL Pluchino Sig DL Rackham
Cpl B Rees
Lt Col HSDE Rogers
Sig M Rose
Lt Col S Scofield
Brig WE Sherratt
Capt M Skilleter
Cpl D Thomasson
Sgt O Weir
Sig D Wiseman
Sgt W Wood
SSgt RL Woodfine
1935-61
1939/46
1959/82
1942/47
19??-??
1965/87
1944/48
1954-??
1941/42
1942-46
1958-60
1950/55
1961/86
1953/87
1983/87
1940/63
1943/74
1939-46
1965/75
1959/63
1960/70
1947/70
1973/95
09-Jul-14
08-May-14
17-Jun-14
30-Jun-14
29-Jun-14
23-Apr-14
15-Apr-14
09-Jun-14
30-May-14
01-Jul-14
26-Jun-14
12-Jun-14
14-May-14
26-Jun-14
29-Jun-14
11-May-14
12-May-14
15-Mar-14
10-May-14
19-Jun-14
30-Apr-14
08-Jun-14
25-Jun-14
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
OBITUARIES
MULHOLLAND - Archie Mulholland died 28 February 2014
Archie Mulholland was born on 7 February 1936
and grew up in Paisley, Scotland. His father
left when he was a child and his mother died
of TB when Archie was 15 years old. He then
left school and joined 6 (Boys) Training
Regiment, Royal Signals, at Beverley. After
he joined Man Service he served in Aden,
Suez Canal Zone, Cyprus and Germany. He
wanted to remain in the Army but he was
invalided out with a stomach ulcer. Archie
returned to Paisley and went to work at
Scottish Cables where he met his wife, Wilma, to
whom he was married for almost 52 years. They had
two children, Stuart, born in 1963 and Denise born in 1967.
He eventually went to work for Ciba Geigy in Paisley where he
spent the remainder of his working life, retiring at the age of
55. He and Wilma then ran the Gateside Guest House for a
number of years until they moved with their Son and his
family to Glenshee in December 2002.
Archie joined the Beverley Ex-Boys Association in 2000 and
attended a number of their Reunions. Wilma was,
unfortunately, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010 and Archie
became her full time carer until she was taken into residential
care in December 2013. Archie was diagnosed with cancer
early in February 2014 and died peacefully with his close family
in attendance at Blairgowrie Cottage Hospital on 28 February
2014. His funeral was held at Woodside Crematorium, Paisley,
on 7 March 2014 and was attended by John Sinclair from
Edinburgh to represent the Beverley Ex-Boys. We send our
deepest sympathy to all his family.
EADY – WOII MG (Mick) Eady – died 21 November 2013
Born in February 1951 in Nottingham Mick was
one of three children. He always wanted to
become a ‘soldier’ and on leaving school in
1968 he immediately joined the Army and
became a Royal Signals Junior Leader in
Denbury.
Mick served with the Corps around the
world and met his wife Paula whilst serving
with 4 ADSR in Herford. He completed his
service as the RQMS General at 9 Signal
Regiment and throughout his service he was
dedicated and professional.
Having enjoyed a full career in the Corps Mick joined
Porcelanosa in 1991 and rose meteorologically through the
management ranks to become a company director and having
relocated to Peterborough in 1993 he joined the RSA and
subsequently went on to become a consultant in his own
right, a local parish councillor and a county magistrate.
Mick was a man who gave his all to everything and lived his
life to the full. He died unexpectedly on 21 November 2013
and he leaves behind his wife Paula, son Raymond, daughter
Nikki and grandchildren Cameron, Eleanor, Connor and Jake.
His passing will be mourned by those whose lives he touched
and his funeral in Peterborough was attended by his family
and friends plus representatives of the RSA, Porcelanosa, the
Magistrates service and the local community.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
A farewell is necessary before you meet again, and meeting
again, after moments or life times apart, is certain for those
who are friends.
COULTISH - John David Coultish died 4 May 2014.
Born in Selby John enlisted in York in 1961 and
joined the Corps as a boy solider at Harrogate as
part of 61C. It was here that his training as a
radio telegraphist began and his pride in his
trade continued until his death. At an RSA
meeting when old Morse keys were handed
round John was still able to bash out a
conversation at a decent speed, a skill once
learnt seldom forgotten.
Leaving Harrogate in 1963 he was posted to BAOR
and from there in January 1966 to South Yemen, a curious 3
month gap in Swaziland occurred in July 66, then back to the
Yemen, R&R was a lot better in those days?
Sadly Johns AFB108 simply records Home, Northern Ireland
or BAOR with no actual units mentioned but Helen has been
able to piece together some of his postings as 22 Sigs, 7 Sigs,
22 for a second tour and 1 Div, then in Verden Germany.
In 1974 John decided he would try for Yeoman of Signals so
spent a greater part of that year in Catterick undertaking his
SSgts course and his cypher course as it was then known it
was during this time he met his second wife Helen. His SSgts
course could not have been as hard as he would have you
believe as the course photo shows him clearly grinning like a
Cheshire cat.
In 1980 he turns up as an NRPI at 32 (Northern Irish Horse)
Signal Regiment in Londonderry Northern Ireland for 3 years,
a difficult job at the best of times Sgt Coultish cut a fine dash
in his glengarry. In 1981 he found himself on an All Arms
RQMS Course in Farnborough but he was in good company
as there were 5 other Royal Signals SNCOs on the same
course.
In 1984 he completed his elementary sailing course and his
competent crew course but it was not until George Winson
(Ex Welsh Guards) lured him from the Mess with the promise
of a “Herfy handbag” did he gain his day skippers ticket in
1986, and his love of sailing took off so to speak. George and
Sarah remained lifelong friends of John and Helen, who left
Catterick in August 2009 to set up home in Spain near to
them. It was only when John started to become ill did they
return home.
On discharge in 10 August 1996 he left his job as a Recruiting
and Liaison Officer where he had served with Gus Vigas and
Bill Price. He tried his hand at a few jobs such as working on
the oil rigs for 13 years, eventually working as a storeman at 9
Regt AAC in Dishforth. Well his job title was storeman but
typical of him he had a finger in as many pies as he could and
would often be sent home with a van so that he could be on
the road to BAD Longtown early in the morning to collect
ammunition. He would sneak into the cookhouse and help
himself to breakfast before loading up and being on the road
back before 9am. It didn’t matter to John that he didn’t have
a HAZMAT licence, he would cross that bridge when he broke
down on it.
111
It was his can do attitude that endured him to many and the
letters and cards of condolence that Helen is receiving are still
growing. With his old friend Roger Harris he would often be
found holding O Groups in the Bay Horse in Catterick village
or on the golf course. Even though there is no record of him
achieving a hole in one he loved aiming at rabbits and
watching the targets fall when hit.
based in Bexleyheath. Here he played a major part in turning
265 from the Regiments HQ and Sig Sqn into a fully fledged
Radio Sqn. As well as regular exercises, trips to Germany to
play the local German teams were also considered a highlight
of the TA calendar. His hard work and his many years’ service
for the Corps were recognised by the award of the MBE in
1981. An achievement he was highly proud of.
Another of his friends, Martin Greaves, gave a very moving
eulogy at the funeral held in Catterick Village on 15 May 2014
and touched on his many exploits, onc of which is worth
retelling here. One evening John and I went to see a concert
of Ghurkha’s singing and dancing. When we got there John
headed to the bar, I guess that’s no surprise to everyone and
Martin bought some raffle tickets. There was a long queue at
the bar so by the time he got back with the beer it was almost
time to go in, thus not giving him time to get himself raffle
tickets. Martin said you got the beers I will share the raffle
tickets, so John took one strip of tickets and left me with the
other. The first prize was a very beautiful and ornate kukri
that now hangs on his dining room wall. Only John could win
a raffle without buying a ticket.
Jim loved his Corps and was proud to be a member of 254 Old
Boys Association. His total service to the Corps was 49 years
6 months. During this time he met and remained friends with
some remarkable colleagues.
With John it was not “what you know” it was” who you
know” and the local RSA Branch will sorely miss his unique
talents; we have lost a very good QM.
ESSON – Capt James Esson MBE – died 15 June 2014
Jim Esson, a retired Capt in the Royal Corps of Signals, passed
away peacefully on Sunday 15 June 2014 after a long illness of
kidney failure at the Hillside Rehabilitation Centre with his
family with him. His family were grateful for the care he
received from the staff, who genuinely cared. Jim had
suffered kidney failure for the last few years and was under
the care of the CAPD medical staff at QE Birmingham, many
of whom had become friends of the family.
With the death of Jim, over 80 years of family connection
with the Corps came to an end. His Army career started when
his father caught him playing truant from college and said
“continue college or join the Army”. How hard could the
Army be thought Jim, so he joined the Royal Signals in 1946,
when only 16 years of age! He was trained in Boy Service as
an Operator Wireless and Keyboard.
Jim’s father, Sig ‘Jock’ Esson, had joined the Corps on its
formation in 1920, transferring from the Gordon Highlanders,
and was one of those who marched into Maresfield Camp, the
Corps’ first home, something Jim was always proud of.
He was born in Belfast and met his wife Joyce, then a Leading
WREN, and they married in 1953. Joyce had confessed that
she once had to pawn her wristwatch at the end of their
honeymoon to pay for Jims ticket back to Barracks. They had
a wonderful life, being posted to various destinations, which
included Singapore, Paris, Germany and Belgium. During this
time they had two children, Lesley and Michael, and have
three grandchildren.
Jim served with the following; SHAPE (Paris/Belgium Live
Oak), 38 Sig Regt, 18 Sig Regt FARELF, 1 Div and 265 (KCLY)
Sig Sqn. Jim also attended No7 Yeoman of Signals Course in
1964.
When Jim left the Regular Army in 1977 as a Traffic Officer, he
joined 71 Sig Sqn as PSAO, serving with 265 (KCLY) Sig Sqn,
112
On leaving the Territorial Army, they moved to Hereford to be
near their daughter Lesley. Here he met many new friends
and lived life to the full. Last year was Jim and Joyce’s 60th
wedding anniversary and Jim was so proud of his card from
“his” Queen.
There are many stories that his colleagues remember him by,
but the most famous of these was “Danny Boy”. Jim always
took things in his stride but on one occasion he was slightly
worried. At RAF St Mawgan when moving into a bunker at
the end of the runway Jim decided to boost morale, as he
often did, and decided to serenade everyone over the tannoy
in the bunker with his favourite song, Danny Boy. A
colleague at the time said “Jim, don’t think you should play
with things, you don’t know where it is going”.
A few minutes later the RAF Police stormed in. “OK, where is
Val Doonican?” Jim was told to report to the Base
Commander at 0900 the next morning as he had been
broadcasting across the National Alert Network. By now Jim
was looking a bit pale.
As Jim’s colleagues showed them out, the police said “Sir, it is
in fact only going to our Police Incident Room, but do try and
keep the lads under control”. Jim was not told the truth until
the next morning!
Jim touched the lives of many people and a few of the
tributes:
•
•
•
•
Jim was in the top three most respected, liked and
helpful soldiering colleagues of my lifetime and I am
hugely proud to have spent many happy and
worthwhile times with him.
He was a very special person, the like of which one
seldom meets more than once in a lifetime.
It was he who put the heart and soul into 256 “back
in the day”, and created a Squadron that inspired
the pride, loyalty and happy memories still evident
amongst its veterans today.
I cannot think of anyone else who, after having left
the Squadron 17 years previously, would still warrant
a standing ovation by way of welcome to the
disbandment dinner. Jim Esson is a legend.
Jim had a lovely send off on 27 June 2014 and will be sorely
missed by all his family and Army friends from all over the
country. Attending the funeral were eight ex Squadron
Commanders spanning around 24 years from 1983 to 2007,
two of whom went on to become Colonels, plus four ex
Sergeant Majors and a smattering of other officers, SNCOs
and JNCOs.
Jim was respected by everyone who new him, was a special
person with a wonderful sense of humour and was always
smiling.
THE WIRE, AUGUST 2014
THE ROYAL SIGNALS
BENEVOLENT FUND
Registered Charity 284923
Supporting Signallers, past and present
and their families during times of
hardship or when in distress.
www.royalsignals.org/rsbf
Donations – Thank You All! We would like to publically thank all of our supporters for their kind donations. In
compliance with data protection policy we will no longer be naming our valued and generous donors however be assured that
we remain ever grateful.
Gift in Your Will. The RSBF relies upon donations in order
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distress or need. A gift in your will would be a fantastic
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Please consider us as you plan for the future!
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Thank you all.
The Ever Faithful - Our RSA Branches
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