The Royal Anglian Regiment Association

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                   ROYAL ANGLIAN NEWS                                            APR 10

3rd BATTALION MEDAL PARADE: SUN 23 MAY 10 IN BURY ST EDMUNDS

The 3rd Battalion will conduct a Medal Parade for 11 and 12 platoons between 1150 and 1300 hrs on Sun 23 May 2010 in Bury St Edmunds.  The Parade will march onto Angel Hill from Abbey Gardens at 1150 hrs; the Mayor of St Edmundsbury and GOC 5 Div will make short speeches and then present the medals; the Parade will then march to St Mary’s Church for a Thanksgiving Service which commences at 1300 hrs and should finish by 1330 hrs.  CO 3rd Battalion, Lt Col Dennis Vincent, has asked the Regimental Family to proudly support his TA soldiers’ return from operations by attending both the Parade and the Church Service; and he also requests that word of this important Regimental event be spread widely.

The Regimental Officer responsible for the Medal Parade, to whom any queries should be directed, is: Capt Sam Devitt, ROSO 3rd Battalion (Tel: 07584 302247; email: 3ANGLIAN-ROSO@mod.uk )

1st BATTALION HOMECOMING PARADES

The 1st Battalion, accompanied by the Minden Band, will conduct Homecoming Parades over the period 14 – 18 Jun 2010. Their programme is as follows:

  1. Mon 14th June: Cambridge (1800 - 1900 hrs). Homecoming Parade and exercise of Freedom of City.

 

 

The Regimental officers responsible for the Homecoming Parades, to whom any queries should be directed, are:

 

These are major Regimental events. CO 1st Battalion, Lt Col James Woodham, is asking that you support The Vikings’ homecoming and encourage others to do likewise. If they are not coming to your town or county, then please make every effort to attend whichever parade is nearest to you. In particular, please pass this message on to your civilian and military contacts.

THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT MEMORIAL DEDICATION CEREMONY: 12 SEP 10

The Royal Anglian Regiment Memorial will be dedicated in a ceremony at the Imperial War Museum Duxford commencing at 1130 Hrs Sun 12 Sep 2010. The Regimental Council met on 7 May 10 and directed that the focus of this important day is to be on our bereaved families, hosted whenever possible by comrades who knew the fallen. Every effort is to be made to establish contact with the families of all 78 soldiers whose names will be on the Memorial’s Wall of Honour. The tone of the day will be solemn and dignified and any media attendance is to be low key and unobtrusive. Regimental guests are to be limited to the Memorial’s major financial donors and the design and construction team.

 

Members of the Regimental Association are encouraged to attend the Memorial Dedication Ceremony in order to demonstrate support for our bereaved families and remember our fallen. However, as space around the Memorial Site is tight, an attendance limit of 4500 persons has been agreed with the Imperial War Museum (the average attendance at the annual Regimental Gathering is 3000). To ensure that control is exercised, the Ceremony will be ticket only and Regimental Headquarters will be promulgating details at the end of May that will ask for ticket bids by mid July. The allocation will then be decided and promulgated by 2 Aug, with consideration given to limiting ticket allocation to two per Regimental Association member in order to be equitable.

The outline Programme for the day will be as follows:

The format of the day will therefore be much the same as the normal Regimental Gathering, except that the parade area will be taken over by an additional marquee to host the bereaved families and major donors. Because of this, there will be no Drumhead Service or March Past, but Regimental Association standard bearers will be requested to attend for part of the Memorial Dedication Ceremony. Bringing picnics will, as always, be strongly encouraged, although snacks and refreshments will be available on site.

APPOINTMENTS
RHQ has been informed of the following appointments:

 

 

BATTALION ACTIVITIES

 

1st Battalion

April marked the return of all of the 1 R ANGLIAN troops from Op HERRICK 11.  As I write this, A and D Company are on some well deserved leave and C Company are conducting administration prior to the Medals Parade on 6 May. Updates from Theatre have hopefully kept you informed of much of the Battalion’s activities, but a brief summary of how the Battalion was deployed and its activities are below.

The Battalion was called up at short notice and, after an excellent and intensive training package, deployed three rifle companies and two fire support groups to support Task Force Helmand.  The three company groups were split across the Task Force battle space:  A (Norfolk) Company were sent to support the Household Cavalry Regiment in the north of Combined Force Musa Qa’leh; C (Essex) Company we deployed to the Southern Patrol Base Line with the Grenadier Guards Battle Group in Combined Force Nad-e’Ali; and D (Cambridgeshire) Company occupied Patrol Base Khah Nikhar in Combined Force Nar-e Saraj (North), working under the command of the Danish Battlegroup.  Later the Battalion Headquarters deployed to take on the task of mentoring the Afghan National Police (ANP) Provincial Headquarters and to expand the Helmand Police Training Centre to pass out 150 new ANP every 3 weeks.  In the last two months of the tour the Battalion Headquarters established Combined Force Lashkar Gah at initial operating capability, taking over part of Combined Force Nad-e’Ali.

This dispersed deployment meant that the Viking fighting power was spread across the Task Force and helped contribute to many of the shaping operations prior to, during and post Op Moshtarak.  Vikings helped set the conditions for the successful anti-climactic steal of northern Nad-e Ali and Luy Dera,  the cutting of the insurgent supply routes on the east bank of the river Helmand in Nar-e Saraj (North), and setting the conditions for an efficient and successful handover of northern Musa Qa’leh to the US Marine Corps.  Throughout the tour Viking soldiers and commanders embraced the principles of courageous restraint in order to win over the population.  They were fully embedded and partnered with the Afghan National Security Forces and, where necessary, took the fight to the enemy with steadfast courage and determination alongside the Afghan Warriors of the ANA and ANP. 

Sadly the Battalion did not return unscathed and 5 Viking soldiers were killed.  Lance Corporal Adam Drane, 23, was killed in action on 7th December 2009 whilst carrying out security duties at Check Point Paraang in Southern Nad-e’Ali.  Private Robert Hayes, 19, was killed in action on 3rd January 2010 whilst conducting a security patrol south of Check Point Paraang in southern Nad-e’Ali.  Captain Martin Driver, 31, was tragically injured by an IED blast whilst on patrol in Musa Qaleh. He died of his wounds in Selly Oak hospital on 15 March 2010.  Lance Corporal Scott Hardy, aged 26, was killed in an IED explosion on 16 March 2010 north of Musa Qaleh; and  Private James Grigg, 21, was also killed on 16 March 2010 in the same IED blast that killed LCpl Hardy, whilst on an operation to the north of Musa Qaleh.  There were also a number of soldiers wounded and they are recovering well at Selly Oak Hospital or at the rehabilitation facility at Headley Court.

The Battalion’s rear party of up to 300 soldiers was not idle either, as they assisted staff at Frimley Park Hospital during the severe snow, conducted training of newly arrived recruits and provided a pool of Battle Casualty Replacements for those deployed.  The Battalion Welfare Team were also very active looking after the families in Pirbright and further afield across East Anglia.

Those who deployed are now on some well earned leave after the Battalion held both its Memorial Service and Medals Parade; they will return in June. Meanwhile, those still at work will support Exercise TALON STRIKE and OMNI FUSION and lay the ground work for the Battalion re-ORBAT in June; and we hope to see you supporting the Homecoming Parades between 14 – 18 June.

2nd Battalion

The beginning of April saw the Battalion enjoy a well deserved two week Easter leave period. For the majority their move home to the UK would prove to be far easier than the return, with the Icelandic volcano disruption ensuring that transport back to Germany was a challenge. The final week of leave also coincided with the British Army Boxing Final held at Aldershot on 15 April; but this did not deter an outstanding attendance, with buses bringing soldiers from as far away as Grimsby to lend their support. The support from the wider Regimental family also helped to ensure that the Poachers’ Boxing Team took to the ring with thunderous applause.

The final saw the Boxing Team eventually lose 6-3, with a number of close matches being decided on points. Wins for Pte Dickson, Pte Sears and Cpl Isaacs, the latter by knock out, were the highpoints in a good team effort. The efforts of the Boxing Team were also recognised by the award of Best Boxer to Pte Dickson and Best Endeavour to Pte Reeve, with Cpl Isaacs, Cpl Rogers, Pte Dickson and Pte Brewer all being selected for British Army Boxing trials.

The return from leave saw the arrival of three new rifle company commanders: Major Rupert Whitham, Major Mark Nicholas and Major Bev Allen, assuming command of A, B and C companies. Immediate deployments for A and B coys on week long exercises and C and D coys’ attendance on the Infantry Field Firing Camp in Sennelager, ensured that all coys were quickly back in the thick of training. Battalion HQ also visited Sennelager on a short Combined Arms Staff Training course, giving the first training opportunity for a number of new Battalion staff officers. Cascade training has continued for all of the coys, with Heavy Machine Gun and Grenade Machine Gun training and a number of driving courses continuing.

Details continue to emerge of the upcoming move to Cyprus, but the weather in Celle is already beginning to acclimatise the Battalion. A month has certainly seen a change, from the remnants of snow in Hohne at the start of April, to soldiers donning shorts and sunglasses at the end. Such conditions will certainly help to make the visit of Bourne RFC an enjoyable event at the end of the month, being the last such meeting for some time due to the move to Cyprus. 

In the coming month the Battalion will continue cascade training in preparation for upcoming exercises in the UK with 16 Brigade from June. D Coy will have attendance on Ex FLYING RHINO in the Czech Republic with the Mortars and field firing will continue for all companies in Sennelager. The families’ attentions will now be turning to the movement of their belongings to Cyprus and their impending departure from our home in Celle.

3rd Battalion

The Battalion celebrated its 4th Anniversary this month with a small lunch at Battalion Headquarters and the safe return of 12 Platoon from Op HERRICK.

12 Platoon continued to patrol in Musa Qalah District Centre and its surroundings after the withdrawal of the majority of the Household Cavalry BG; then handed over to the US Marine Corps on 2nd April.  They had a difficult series of return flights, but all arrived back on 9th April, luckily missing the delays caused by the volcanic ash.  Following de-mobilisation at RTMC, the majority are now on leave until mid-June.  However, most will be in Bury St Edmunds for the Medal Parade on 23rd May.   

As these soldiers were returning, they met at Camp BASTION the 11 Steelbacks under Cpl Roach, deploying with 1 MERCIAN on Op HERRICK 12.  This deployment takes the current total in Afghanistan to 18 men, the others being deployed with Training Teams and as Linguists.  They joined with other TA soldiers, mainly from 2 R IRISH, in forming a new Company within the 1 MERCIAN BG, but their role and location is still uncertain and the Battalion looks forward to hearing exactly where they end up and what tasks they will be performing. 

For a short period in early April the Battalion focused on the new Army Operational Shooting Policy and conducted the Battalion SAAM. This saw all companies take part in extensive zeroing, the Close Quarter Marksmanship Shoot, Live Firing 11 and the new Annual Combat Marksmanship Test (a revised APWT).  The weekend also saw 7 soldiers complete their Phase 1 Training and be issued with their Steelback Flashes from the CO and RSM.  The Officers’ Mess also celebrated the 1945 Battle of Arnhem, with the annual Arnhem Dinner Night in Lincoln on the Saturday evening.  This was the first Steelback Mess function for the new Brigade Commander, Brigadier Andrew Williams, and the Mess also dined out Capt Warwick Izzard, OC LAD.  On Sunday the Honorary Colonel presented the Shooting Shield to A Company, with Cpl Kelson from E Company achieving the best individual score.  He also presented the Champion Company Shield for 2009/10 to C Company.

The COIN Training Period is now firmly under way. In late April the Battalion organised a Train the Trainer weekend for all section commanders and above at STANTA.  This training focused on COIN procedures used on Op HERRICK 11 and incorporated a talk by Lt Rhys Little, OC 11 Platoon, on his recent experiences in Kabul.  The highlight of the weekend for most was the Public Order Training, especially the Petrol Bomb inoculation, which saw CSgt Terry Taylor in his element.  The new Col TA from HQ Inf and Lt Col Steve Brunt visited the Battalion on Saturday and briefed on the latest issues in HQ Infantry; and the Brigade Deputy Commander visited on Sunday for an update.

The Steelbacks won the 5th Division Orienteering TA Championships, for the second year running, at Swynnerton Training Area on 21st April.  Capt Tate picked up the individual prize of Overall Divisional Runner Up and M45 Winner; Maj Beighton won the B Course and WO1 Granfield won the C Course.  Finally, Maj Pook won the M40 prize, with the other team members being Sgt Wallis and LCpl Ehert.

The RSM and a team from A (Norfolk and Suffolk) Company attended a concert given by the Soldiers’ Group at the Marine Theatre in Lowestoft, in order to raise funds for the ABF.  It was a busy night and the team raised £966 for the Charity, which was an outstanding effort.

The main event for May will be the Op HERRICK Medal Parade on 23 May in Bury st Edmunds. It is for the 65 soldiers who have just returned from operations in Afghanistan and we do hope to see you there. On the training front, the Battalion will continue to carry out COIN with cascade training on a weekend in mid-May and on Training Nights.