december 2013 - royal corps of signals · 202 signal squadron has been dispersed throughout helmand...

The Magazine of The Royal Corps of Signals

THE

December 2013

www.royalsignals.mod.uk

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A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER OF SIGNALSLieutenant General Robert Baxter CBE DSc FBCS CITP FIET

When I wrote last year we were about to start the hard work of making Army 2020 a reality and embark on the significant process of transition in Afghanistan as well as getting our heads back around contingent operations. We now know the shape and size of our Reserve component and have embarked on the challenge of making it work - I look to all of us supporting Commander 2 Signal Group who has the lead. The Army Reserve will in the future comprise around one third of our strength.

On operations there have again been fine examples of just what ‘close support’ signalling means – clear evidence of the Corps as soldiers and engineers. In the Cyber field the very highest levels of professional competence have been demonstrated in full measure. As ever you have all shown high degrees of determination and innovation in overcoming difficulty and adversity, living up to the example of Corporal Waters MM depicted in the Corps painting ‘Go For It’. Your achievements on the sports field are no less worthy of note as you are now inter Corps champions in over 7 sports and

with remarkable individual results as well.

Accompanying our Royal Colonel, the Princess Royal, on her visits to you has been a real pleasure. She enjoys the visits and hearing what you have to say for yourselves (which is always plenty) even when the weather is that Dartmoor special of horizontal rain. I too have valued meeting as many of you as possible and I am always so struck by your enthusiasm and ready humour – you are impressive!

The year ahead shows that it will be equally busy with the need to examine the lessons learned and capabilities developed in over a decade of intense operations and to apply them to the future. It is obvious that a major theme will be interoperability with other nations as well as air/land/sea. I am certain that you will tackle this resolutely, with imagination and technical flair

This will be my last Christmas message to you. It has been a honour, pleasure and privilege to be your Master – you are an easy Corps to be proud of. All the very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from Gwynedd and myself to you, your families and loved ones. And at this time of year our thoughts are especially with those deployed on operations around the world.

Swift and Sure

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM THE CORPS COLONELColonel GR Norton

As we look forward to Christmas I am reminded that we have still have some 300+ soldiers from across the Corps deployed in Afghanistan from 21 Sig Regt, 14 Sig Regt (EW), 10 Sig Regt, 15 Sig Regt (IS), 30 Sig Regt and 7 Armd Bde HQ and Sig Sqn (207). We remain immensely proud of their achievements and quite rightly our thoughts should be with them, and all those that are away from their families over the festive period.

The last year has seen the start of a period of significant change for the Corps and the Army. I am pleased to report that we are well positioned to grapple with these challenges. Most notably work on the future structure of the Corps has continued apace over the last year, and we now have a clear vision of our future Reserve Structure complimenting the announcement made on Army 2020 last year. While a good deal of additional work is still required, we now know that our Reserves will be made up of 4 regiments plus our specialists in the Land Information Assurance and Land Information Communication Services Groups. The Regiments have now joined 10 and 15 Sig Regts in the newly formed 2 Signal Group as part of 11 Signal Brigade.

Personnel: We are also facing considerable personnel challenges as we move towards our future structures, not least the recruiting of both Regular and Reserve. A major contributing factor to the difficult recruiting environment is undoubtedly the Army’s continuing redundancy programme and just over 400 soldiers from R SIGNALS and QGS were selected for Tranche 3 redundancy this summer. That said I am pleased to report that despite these difficulties the quality of the young men and women joining the Corps remains at an all time high and we will work hard to maintain this through 2014.

You will also be aware of the recent announcement regarding the future of Army Music. For the Corps Band it will mean a significant change, and they will leave Blandford for a new location in the West Midlands in 2014. In the short term this will mean some loss of capability as the reorganisation takes place, but from a cap badge perspective the longer term outcome of our own band, located within the Corps’ future Centre of Gravity, under command of 11 Signal Brigade is strongly endorsed and will reap huge benefits.

Sport: Once again the Corps has excelled in its sporting endeavours and as I write we are the Inter Corps champions in orienteering, golf, football, snow boarding, ladies basketball, water polo, canoe sprinting and open water swimming. Across the Corps sport and adventurous training continue to play a huge part in building our first class team ethos, and I am sure you will join me in congratulating all our sports men and women for all of their outstanding achievements.

Veterans: Our Veterans remain in great spirits and although some of our Branch membership may not be as healthy as we would wish, our virtual community, as befits our Corps, continues to attract significant interest (http://www.facebook.com/groups/royalsignalsassociation/). This year’s RSA weekend was very well attended and I would encourage all members of the Corps, both serving and retired, to join us for next year’s gathering in June.

Looking Ahead: While restructuring will doubtless continue be the drumbeat for 2014, I am confident that we are well placed to deal with these and the future challenges of contingency. As ever our officers and soldiers continue to perform exceptionally be it on operations, in barracks, on the sports field or on adventurous training. We have every right to be particularly proud of their achievements and look forward with anticipation to 2014.

Merry Christmas.

1

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FRONT COVERAlf Lane from the Guernsey Branch of the RSA celebrates his 75th birthday!!!picture courtesy of The Guernsey Press

DECEMBER 2013 Vol. 67 No: 6

All correspondence and material for publication in The Wire should be addressed to:

The Wire, RHQ Royal Signals,Blandford Camp,

Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 8RH Email: [email protected]

The WireEditor

Mr Keith PritchardTel: 01258 482817

Accounts / Subscriptions

Mrs Jess LawsonTel: 01258 482087

ContributorsDeadline for The Wire : 15th February for publication in the April. 15th April for publication in the June. 15th June for publication in the August. 15th August for publication in the October. 15th October for publication in the December. 10th December for publication in the February.

To see The Wire on line or to refer to Guidelines for Contributors, go to: http://www.army.mod.uk/signals/25070.aspxSubscribersAll enquiries regarding subscriptions and changes of address of The Wire should be made to: 01258 482087 or 94371 2087 (mil) or [email protected]. Remittances should be made payable to Royal Signals Benevolent Fund

BACK COVER216 (Para) Sig Sqn Squadron photograph

News from Training 15

Royal Signals Association 100

News from Regiments 22

Reunions 108Remembrance 109

News from Blandford 12News from Operations 2

News from Squadrons 79

CONTENTS Page

Find us on

Other Units 94Sport 95

News from Formations 20

EDITORIALAs 2013 draws to an end it is only appropriate that I thank everyone who has contributed to The Wire over the past 12 months, without your contribution there would be no magazine. I would also like to take this opportunity to say sorry to those of who submitted articles but did not get them published. This in no way reflects on the quality submission but the fact that we are receiving so many good articles, something has to give. Let us hope it continues next year.

My Christmas message to all who contribute: can you please try and meet the publishing dates but if you are in doubt over deadlines please give the office a call. If we know about a late entry then there is a better chance of us being able to accommodate it. Secondly try to include quality photographs with your articles with any required caption and an indication of where in the article you would like them to appear. Please try and send photographs separately as .jpg rather than embedded in the text. This may mean you sending more e-mails, but it does give a superior image to use and publish. Also, if you want the front cover, then a high quality, portrait image will put you in the frame (but no promises).

Finally, on behalf of all The Wire office and the members of RHQ staff associated with the subscriptions, publication and delivery of each edition, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. For those of you fortunate enough to spend the festive period at home with family and friends please spare a thought for those still on ops; may you stay safe and well.

Last Post 109Obituaries 109

NEWS FROM OPERATIONS

3rd (UNITED KINGDOM) DIVISION HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT

HONOURS AND AWARDSWe congratulate the following Royal Signals personnel who received honours and awards in the Operational Honours list

recognising service on operations in Afghanistan for the period between September 2012 and April 2013.

Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service

Capt P CEASERLt Col CM VAUDIN

CO Lt Col GriffithsRSM WO1 (RSM) Luke

Throughout the summer the Regiment has been split between various locations within Afghanistan and the UK. 202 Signal Squadron has been dispersed throughout Helmand Province, predominantly in Camp Bastion. The majority of 258 Signal Squadron has recently returned to the UK from Kabul where they were providing Souter Force Protection. They do, however, leave behind a small contingent as the ICS Support in Kabul.

HELMAND ICS SIGNAL SQUADRON (202 SIGNAL SQUADRON)

OC Maj DixonSSM WO2 (SSM) Brown

Op HERRICK 18

As we enter the final phase of Op HERRICK 18 and start to set up for our successors it is perhaps time to reflect on some of the key achievements the Squadron has been involved in during the tour. The move of the Task Force Helmand (TFH) Headquarters from Lashkar Gah was a well documented success and cited as the largest operational HQ move since the Second World War, we have built several Battle Group headquarters, survived the upgrade of mission secret under Op JANA, closed Patrol Base 2, Attal, Sparta, Folad, Shawqat

and remediated large swathes of MOBs Lashkar Gah, Price and Bastion. Recently, Helmand ICS Signal Squadron and Task Force Helmand Signal Squadron merged to form a single Communications Signal Squadron responsible for all UK communications in Helmand. This huge remit covers close-command support to TFH Headquarters, tactical communications to TFH force elements, as well as Operational CIS ranging from inter-theatre satellite hubs and mobile mission secret terminals, to federated Overtask and headquarters infrastructure. The Squadron was, for a short time, the largest deployed Signal Squadron in the history of Op HERRICK. The Helmand Signal Squadron is now made up of 202 Signal Squadron as the backbone with elements of 207 Signal Squadron, 10 Signal Regiment and 90 Signal Unit TCW personnel. All of whom are doing a fantastic job of delivering and maintaining communications across Helmand Province. TFH Headquarters Move - by Sgt Purvis, Sgt Stewart and LCpl Burton

The concept of moving TFH Headquarters, with over 200 users, from Lashkar Gah to Camp Bastion sounded simple. The truth however was far from it. Undoubtedly this was the most complex and high profile job undertaken during the tour. Starting with a near blank canvas we were presented with a building which was previously the home of HICSSS and JFCIS(A) until the middle of Op HERRICK 17. The lead Installation Technician was Communications Planning Office (CPO) Liaison Officer SSgt Sherratt. He was responsible for all aspects of the passive infrastructure and ensuring that the whole build was completed to JSP 480 and where applicable JSP 440 and SDIP 29 standards. SSgt Sherratt brought together the UK Works Group Royal Engineers, ISS and other MOD agencies with the build being done by Installation Techs from 10 Signals Regiment, DE&S- IST and when work commitments allowed, the Theatre Infrastructure (Line) Section assisted.

From the initial concept and meetings in March to the implementation phase late in June, the design and layout of the users and their unique requirements went through 78 design changes. These ranged from desk reconfigures to whole new sections of the HQ being added and removed at a very late stage. This continual change to the plan had a knock on effect to the Installation Techs, the Royal Engineers, and the contractors (Pro-Log) who were building the complex. This was hardly surprising in light of this extremely high profile Headquarters move of an operational brigade. The

Maj Dixon and WO2 (SSM) Brown

2 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2013

original plan asked for 200 outlets to be available for the TFH connectivity but there were close to 450 when it went live at the end of the project. This was barely enough as extra had to be installed late in order to meet more equipment demands from the users.

The first phase of the build was establishing the Network Equipment Room (NER) that had to be completed within the secure compound in only four days. The lead on this was Line Section, ably assisted by Projects Section's own Cpl Thomas, the objective was to build 3 main man-size cabinets, and one solid steel mounted cabinet for the secure items. Although the main backbone link was fed from another NER only 50m away, the number of cables, combined with those underneath the flooring of the new room, added up to a several kilometres worth of cabling; this was no mean feat by any standard. All of this was conducted throughout the night to minimise the disruption to the other services that pass through the NER and involved some outstanding commitment from the lads. The four day timeline was tight; however, never one to shirk a challenge, the first objective was achieved.

Since the Line Section had the most experience in working on one of (if not) the biggest MOD network in an operational environment, we took on all the cross site backbone network links bringing in all the services the users had initially requested to the TFH NER. There was the usual myriad of red, blue and black services to install, only this time on a much grander scale. Once the services were in the NER we then passed them over to the HICSSS Projects Section, led by Sgt Purvis, to deliver them to the correct desk top-user area.

These services included; OTUK MS, RLI, JOCs, DMOC commercial internet, MARS, all ISTAR assets, Geo Mapping and Data Man to name but a few.

The majority of work was complete, barring a little bit of titivating here and there, tidying up the thousands of patch leads, sorting out minor configuration errors and more or less tidying the place up making it fit for royalty, or at least 1* Officers.

215 Signal Squadron as the TFH Signal Squadron played an equally important part during the build as they were the lead for the physical move and looking after the staff officers and other HQ personnel. We had to liaise closely with them to ensure they could brief the information hungry HQ on the progress and plans. Their OC, Maj Byfield ,was driving the activity from their end ensuring every ‘i’ was dotted and every ‘t’ was crossed and ensured the move itself ran smoothly on the day.

Meanwhile the ICS detachment in Lashkar Gah was busy tearing out the old TFH HQ and backloading well over 2000 items of equipment and many kilometres of fibre and copper cabling. Also taking on the role of the local Service Desk for the MOB and responsibility of recovering and accounting for ten years worth of equipment and preparing it for the move back to BSN. After recovering the ICS equipment, the small party tasked with the removal of the CAT 5 and Fibre resulting in 40 plus MFO boxes ready for transport. The Troop cracked on with the TFH forward build and inevitable arrival of Op JANA the OVERTASK Federation project. What we thought would be a smooth transition turned out to be quite the headache with numerous password resets and helping people find their files they were told to save before the ‘JANA rization’ but hadn’t. After the roll out of federated terminals and the long list of faults quickly shifted through, the team cracked on with the MOB remediation in preparation for HOTO for Op HERRICK 19.

All involved in the project put in massive amounts of effort and it was only the various departments pulling it ‘out of the bag’ and putting in the hours that ensured the largest operational headquarters move since the Second World War was such a success and completed. Certa Cito.

MOB PCE – by LCpl Hughes

Well into the final third of Op HERRICK 18, the Information Communications Services (ICS) Detachment at Main Operating Base (MOB) Price (PCE), had seen their workload increase. Many Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) and Patrol Bases within Helmand Province had now closed down. MOB PCE is staying open – well, at least for the time being. At first

The former HQ TFH building being stripped of internal cabling

LCpl Creber prepares the TNG for the TFH HQ move Kestral and VSAT Communications

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2013 3

we thought that would mean a nice ‘unwind’ during our final few months on tour – we were wrong!

There were complex plans for MOB PCE. The Danish Army, which had their HQ here (and several hundred soldiers) left and we were briefed on the downscaling which was to happen. From having 3 camps with the MOB, the resident units were now getting ‘squeezed’ into one. Needless to say, the ICS Det were definitely not about to unwind. We were sent out a new Detachment Commander to oversee the remediation. Sgt Ware arrived fresh from closing down FOB Shawqat and immediately ‘shook up the place’ like only he could!

The two SATCOM Reacher Detachments got dismantled with data traffic getting re-routed more efficiently over a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT). IC Reacher, LCpl Benjamin fully enjoying the repeated CES and accounting checks. Miles of fibre infrastructure and copper wire got pulled in (enough to fill an ISO container) along with data access switches scattered around site.

With fewer IT users based in PCE, Mission Secret (MS) User Access Devices (UADs), printers, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones were collected in, accounted for and re-conditioned ready to be sent back. Some departments got moved within site so we had to install new fibre optic cable lays and Cat 5e infrastructure. This provided the users with the full range of services we were capable of offering, including: secure voice and data over the Mission Secret and Restricted Large Area Network Interface systems and all of the applications on the systems, of course.

With detachments still relocating to Bastion and moving around PCE the ICS Det will not be short of tasks until our handover to 21 Signal Regiment in November. With the majority of equipment collected in now, it will be a case of accounting for it all, re-conditioning it and then getting it all back to Camp Bastion.

Housekeeper Section – by LCpl Davies

Despite the occasional bouts of chaos around us, the Housekeeper Section has been mostly business as usual. Some days we are overrun, and other days we have no faults to complete. On top of our usual work, there are frequent visits and inspections to keep us on our toes. During August and September we have been bombarded with EC Inspections, Troop Commanders Inspections, Board of Officers checks and Sub-Unit Inspections.

Sgt Purvis from the Projects Team pulled a nice fastball on us to build 9 UADs in 5 hours (just before knocking off). We were not impressed to say the least. Getting 7 UADs off to Kabul in a day was also another task we won’t touch too much on. But the Housekeeper Team consisting of 2 Army and 3 TCW personnel are coping well, with our comms working strong all the time.

The Housekeeper Team took on a challenge of a task last week pushing out Internet Explorer 8 and Java updates, remoting to over 2000 UAD’s was not the most joyful way to spend our Friday night out here, but pizza did help. Op HERRICK is drawing down slowly but we can see it all around HICSSS. Kit is being brought back from all departments including Housekeeper. With FOB Shawqat closing down, we’ve had kit come back on a Combat Logistics Patrol (CLP) and had to turn it around quickly so it was ready to assist the Role 3 Hospital. This ran very smoothly for us with it hardly affecting our daily routine. If we can keep our fault stack as it is at the moment then the rest of the tour should fly by. We’ve managed to handle Task Force Helmand moving to Bastion from Lashkar Gah. If we can handle that, I’m sure we can handle a lot more. On the bright side it makes the time go quicker and our handover/takeover notes have already been written and the end is in sight.

KBL ICS TROOP – by Sgt S Walsh

With the bulk of the R&R period almost over and the thought of the end of tour a slightly larger light on the horizon you would have thought the Troop would have settled into a good routine. I can assure you that is not the case. The establishment of a new Detachment at Qargha, headed up by Sgt Lee ‘One tone’ Staniforth has caused numerous headaches and the constant list of faults and random requests from Staff Officers has kept us on our toes.

Reacher Dets at MOB Price

Sgt Steward and Sig Garnett – Meching

Reliable VSAT links

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 20134

HQ ISAF

The Detachment in HQ ISAF has been keeping busy while running on minimum manning and the return of Cpl Niomi ‘fix my internet’ Buck, LCpl Karl ‘Eyebrows’ Miller, Cpl Pete ‘Quiet Kid’ Fremantle, Sig Ryan ‘every day’s a chest day’ Jones and Cpl Chelle ‘Mother Hen’ Watson has served to give morale a much needed boost. Outside of normal work the Detachment put on a volleyball tournament and BBQ for all UK personnel which was a great success. Cpl Buck and LCpl Steven ‘Jacko’ Jackson, who’d taken precious time out of his intensive gym schedule, took the plaudits for organising the event but couldn’t produce a winning team from the Detachment. Cpl Buck and Lt Stu ‘Running Man’ Keenan competed in the HQ ISAF 10Km and half marathon respectively enduring up to 22 laps of the small camp!

CAMP SOUTER

There was some concern with the Scots DG taking over the camp that it would be all change in Souter but aside from some minor alterations it has been running as normal for the Detachment. Plenty of work has been completed to facilitate the move of the UK NOC and with a number of courses and R&R reducing manning significantly, there hasn’t been much time to play FIFA 13. The Det also looked on enviously as the Souter Force Protection & Transport Company element of 258 Sig Sqn returned to the UK, but solace was taken knowing they will be enjoying some Christmas guards while KBL ICS Tp are on POTL.

The ICS Det fantasy football league is proving to be a good source of morale with Cpl Shaun “the’tinckerman’ Hanes having a torrid time. This is surprising considering the amount of time he spends selecting his team and the claims he came out with at the beginning of the season. LCpl Rob ‘Space Invader’ Price is enjoying great success despite picking his team on which names he liked the most.

KAIA

Being the smallest Det means when both LCpl Piers ‘the whinger man’ Barnett and Sgt Sasha ‘AMNOC no Det’ Atkinson-Nyame are away on R&R, cover had to be provided from Souter. LCpl Joe ‘Moxy’ Moxon and LCpl Price have described it as Afghanistan’s No.1 party destination; the only thing missing is a can of beer stronger than 0%. A disco twice a week plus karaoke, salsa and band night have given them R&R part 2. The recent comms issues have done nothing to dampen the spirit and they are both dreading going back to Souter.

Qargha

Having arrived as an uplift to the Troop in early September, the Det has been working non stop to establish services. The endless stream of random requests and comms issues haven’t left Sig Lee ‘The Pro’ Flindall much time to maintain his golf swing. On the plus side the new welfare cabins have arrived, although having been placed in an unworkable area they aren’t pushing out much of a service and with some heavily reinforced buildings the only areas that will actually receive the Wifi just happens to be the ICS compound and the coffee shop.

JFCIS (A) QM DEPARTMENT - by LCpl ‘T-Bone’ Titus

Now two-thirds of the way through our tour we recognise there has been a significant amount of work, events and long days over the past 4 months with much achieved. We’ve had a number of personalities change over within the department since our arrival. Our token RAF accountant swapped out with the arrival of Cpl Tracey ‘Old Lady’ Hanlon, who took over from Phil ‘Old Man’ Metcalf, which went down in the record book as the fastest hand over take over ever. It took approximately 30 minutes followed by the fastest end of tour; while everyone else was getting delayed Phil was on a plane 2 hours after handing over. It was only after he had gone that we realised that there was some minor details missing from the HO/TO, for example the need for Tracey to be able to open an ISO container and also the height requirement to be able to reach the top rack in the armoury.

Sig Davies and LCpl Waller Rigging

Vital Reacher Comms LCpl Lee Johnson waiting for Cpl Gooch to finish on ranges


With everyone on R&R, the QMs department was a bit thin on the ground, especially with Cpl Craig ‘War Hero’ Gooch single handily mopping up the rest of the insurgency providing top covering with his pistol. ‘War Hero’ Gooch had to go on a recce for the close down of PB’s Sparta and Folad, coming back to Bastion giving us all this his war stories. Chuck Norris has nothing on our ‘Goochy’! However judging from his previous performance on the range, I highly doubt spending 4 hours on a zeroing range he could not hit anything at 100m.

After patiently waiting for the War Hero to hit the target at 25m, LCpl Lee ‘Lugs’ Johnson was able to get his sun tan on almost falling asleep it took that long. Also we’ve have the pleasure of celebrating the QM’s 92nd birthday and one must say he doesn’t look a day over 44. We did have a surprise cake which I must say LCpl Luke ‘Col’ Holmes wasted no time in “smashing”, in his words a little piece. More time needed in the gym me-thinks……..especially as I have most of the female population of both Bastion and Leatherneck swooning when I cut my moves at the weekly “jive” at the Blue Café.

We recently had a successful pre-LSI, results of which were swiftly reclassified as a full LSI relieving some of the pressure during a very busy September. This made the QM very happy and we got a few ‘early’ 1945hrs knock offs. We have seen our Department transform from struggling with minimum

The QMs 92nd birthday!

A day out on the flightline

manning to having more than we bargained for. This is due to the incorporation of two teams which have been drafted into the QMs. These are the Astrium and BRAC (T) teams. The Astrium team is led by WO2 (RQMS) ’80s’ Williams, who is twice as old as the QM. Their main role is to codify all the Astrium equipment and bring them onto account, however due to flight restrictions; they spend most of their time doing menial jobs in the QMs Dept, jobs which they do so gracefully without any complaint or whining, one might even say they enjoy it very much. The other new team is the BRAC(T), now their role is a bit different. The team consist of two smaller teams, one team of Operators and Technicians the other of CLSs. While the Operators and Techs sunbathe and watch TV all day, the other half of the team, which now works solely within the QM; spend their time clearing out ISOs in the QMs. The team is led by Cpl ‘Chez’ Williams; she ensures that the guys under her command are working every minute of the day. The role this team play is to ensure that kit that is returning from the FOBs and PBs is in the state which allows it to be able brought on account and be re-issued if needed. Along with Chez the team of CLS consist of LCpl’s ‘Cleetus’ Ray, Sundip and recently joined even though he was a few weeks late, LCpl ‘The Reverend’ Clarke.

Now after a successful LSI we are now looking forward to Board of Officers (BOO) which will be a success. It’s been a great tour so far had a lot fun and laughs plus knowing that we all have worked really hard, only a few more weeks until our replacements get here and we can pass the torch.

Army v Navy RugbyThe Babcock Trophy at Twickenham

Saturday 3rd May 2014Bar and Match tickets for the Royal Corps of Signals Tent go on sale from 1st December 2013 at

royalsignalsrugby.co.uk


Background

On 5 Jul 12 the Secretary of State for Defence announced the outcome of the study conducted into Army 2020. The study determined that the future Army will consist of around 82,000 regular personnel and around 30,000 trained reservists i.e. an integrated Army of around 112,000. This change involved restructuring both Regular and Reserve R SIGNALS Units.

New R SIGNALS Structure

The Corps is principally organised around 2 x Sig Bdes (see diagram):

1st Sig Bde delivers ICS to the ARRC, JRRF and JHC.

HQ 11th Sig Bde and HQ West Midlands comprises of 2 x Sig Gps:

2nd (Specialist ICS & UK Resilience) Sig Gp. It provides UK Resilience and Specialist ICS. The UK resilience is provided by the Reserve. The Specialist ICS consists of ECM(FP), Level 3 technical support, HQ server, infrastructure and ICS services support.

7th (Reaction Force) Sig Gp. This group will comprise five Multi-Role Signal Regiments (MRSRs) to deliver ICS information rich services (Network, Data and Application services) to the Reaction Force.

In addition the Bde will provide the HQ Regional Point of Command West Midlands. This will deliver an administrative function to all units including regular, reserve and cadets within the West Midlands area.

ICS and EW support to the Adaptive Force. No dedicated ICS or EW assets reside within the Adaptive Force to support the maintenance of Institutional Resilience; however, capacity within the MRSRs should allow for some support to be made available if Collective Training to maintain Institutional Resilience is properly programmed. The force generation mechanism for an enduring operation will need to take account of the lean availability of expeditionary ICS and EW force elements. Support to the AF, in homeland roles, will be found principally from the R SIGNALS Reserve.

R SIGNALS AND ARMY 2020 / FUTURE RESERVE 20

DG Cap

Comd FDT Comd Land Forces JHC

Force Tps Command

Army HQ

HQ 1 Sig Bde

22 Sig Regt 30 Sig Regt ARRC Sp Bn 299 Sig Sqn (SC)

1 Sig Bde

2 Sig Gp

HQ 11 Sig Bde & HQ WM

HQ 2 Sig Gp

10 Sig Regt (81 Sig Sqn) 15 Sig Regt (IS) (LICSG) 32 Sig Regt 37 Sig Regt 39 Sig Regt 71 Sig Regt

HQ 7 Sig Gp 1 Sig Regt 2 Sig Regt 3 Sig Regt 16 Sig Regt 21 Sig Regt

16 AA Bde HQ & Sig Sqn

Future Royal Signals Order Of Battle

Detached Troops 628 (GBR DCM A) Sig Tp (1st NATO Sig Bn) 660 Sig Tp (11 EOD Regt RLC, 33 & 101 Engr Regt) Gps/Ind throughout Army HQ / Divs / Bdes / RF-AF-FTC oArms units

JSSO JSSU Cyprus JSSU Digby JSSU Cheltenham JSSU FI JSSU (V)

DSF 18 (UKSF) Sig Regt + 63 (SAS) Sig Sqn

22 Gp RAF HQ DSCIS/BGSU - 11 (RSS) Sig Regt

DE&S DGISS (AE) ISS BFSAI

ARTD - Training establishments

Cap Info

RPoC 7 Sig Gp

CVHQ

Int & Surv Bde 14 Sig Regt (EW)

JFC - JCU(R) (LIAG)


Summary of A2020 Changes to R SIGNALS UnitsCurrent Title New Title Role Current Sub units New Sub units Location Key information

1st (UK) Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment

1 Signal Regiment CS MRSR. Principally aligned with the AI Bdes that form the formations within the Reaction Forces. The MRSRs deliver Small, Medium and Large Points of Presence providing tactical and operational communications. The MRSR does NOT provide RLS to the Bdes.

201 Sig Sqn211 Sig Sqn212 Sig Sqn


• Herford moving to Stafford (Beacon Barracks) in Summer 15.• 200 Sig Sqn will remain in Sennelager until Summer 15 when it will move with the rest of the Regt to Stafford.

• Structurally changes to a MRSR by Jul 15.• Deploys on Op HERRICK 20.• Will deliver Comd Sp to 20 Armd Inf Bde.

2 Signal Regiment No change GS MRSR. Provides ICS support to the Reaction Force Div HQ plus the Reaction Force Log Bde. Each MRSR has a broad balance of network assets providing flexibility as required. The MRSR does NOT provide RLS to either of the Divs.

219246

214219246

• York – No change. • 214 re-subordinates from 21SR as at Aug 14. Unit already based in York.

3rd (UK) Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment

3 Signal Regiment GS MRSR. Provides ICS support to the Reaction Force Div HQ plus the Reaction Force Log Bde. Each MRSR has a broad balance of network assets providing flexibility as required. The MRSR does NOT provide RLS to either of the Divs.

202206258

202206228

• Bulford – No change. • 228 re-subordinates from 12 Armd Bde to 3SR Dec 13.• 258 re-subordinates to 30SR Dec 13.• 3SR restructures to MRSR Aug 14.• OPCOM 11 Sig Bde by Aug 14.

10 Signal Regiment No change High readiness ICS, IM and specialist expertise to UK and Expeditionary Ops including ECM (FP).

225241243251

22524124325181

• No change with the exception of 241 Sig Sqn which will move from Colerne to Bicester (Summer 14).

• 81 Sig Sqn re-subordinated to 10SR Apr 13.

11 (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment

No change Administers and commands all phase 2 and 3 R SIGNALS soldiers and officers undergoing trade, military and educational training in Blandford; it also conducts numerous All Arms and Joint CIS courses. It is part of the Defence School of CIS (DSCIS).

12345

1234

• Blandford – No change. • Internal restructuring has taken place to reduce from 5 Sqns to 4.

14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare)

No change Provides EW capability when required for operations. OPCOM 1 Intelligence and Surveillance Bde.

223226236237245

223226237245JESC Tp

• Brawdy (Cawdor Barracks) moving to St Athan not before 2018.• JESC Tp will be located in RAF Digby from Apr 14.

• JESC Tp established and meets IOC Apr 14.• Regt restructures to 4 x field sqns by Aug 14.• Regt re-subordinates to 1 I&S Bde.• Final liability savings (mainly G4) taken by Mar 16.• Unit move NB 2018.

15 Signal Regiment (Information Support)

No change Level 3 support for delivered and assured deployable ICS. GCNGISLSST

233259262LICSG

CorshamBlandfordBicesterCorsham

• LICSG re-subordinated Apr 13.• Restructures by Mar 14.• Larkhill closes.• Elements remain in Germany until Summer 15.

16 Signal Regiment No change CS MRSR. Principally aligned with the AI Bdes that form the formations within the Reaction Forces. The MRSRs deliver Small, Medium and Large Points of Presence providing tactical and operational communications. The MRSR does NOT provide RLS to the Bdes.

230255

207230255

• Regt based in Elmpt (Javelin Barracks) moving to Stafford (Beacon Barracks) Summer 15.• 207 Sig Sqn will remain in Hohne and move to Stafford in Summer 15.

• 207 re-subordinates from 7 Armd Bde to 16SR (Aug 14).• Restructures to MRSR by Jul 15.• Delivers Close Support to 12 Armd Inf Bde.

18 Signal Regiment No change Close and general support communications to UKSF. No change No change Hereford – No change. • Small reduction in liability.

21 Signal Regiment (Air Support)


21422024443

204215220

• Regt remains based in Colerne• 215 Sig Sqn moves from Tidworth to Colerne (Summer 14 (TBC))

• 244 Sig Sqn re-subordinated to 30SR (Jul 13). Sqn needs to move out of Colerne by Summer 14 to Bramcote.• Regt re-subordinates from JHC to 11 Sig Bde (Aug 13).• 215 Sig Sqn re-subordinates from 1 Mech Bde.• 214 Sig Sqn re-subordinated to 2SR (Jul 14).• 204 Sig Sqn starts forming from Aug 14.• Provides Close Support to 1 Armd Inf Bde.


Summary of A2020 Changes to R SIGNALS UnitsCurrent Title New Title Role Current Sub units New Sub units Location Key information

1st (UK) Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment




• Herford moving to Stafford (Beacon Barracks) in Summer 15.• 200 Sig Sqn will remain in Sennelager until Summer 15 when it will move with the rest of the Regt to Stafford.

• Structurally changes to a MRSR by Jul 15.• Deploys on Op HERRICK 20.• Will deliver Comd Sp to 20 Armd Inf Bde.

2 Signal Regiment No change GS MRSR. Provides ICS support to the Reaction Force Div HQ plus the Reaction Force Log Bde. Each MRSR has a broad balance of network assets providing flexibility as required. The MRSR does NOT provide RLS to either of the Divs.

219246

214219246

• York – No change. • 214 re-subordinates from 21SR as at Aug 14. Unit already based in York.

3rd (UK) Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment

3 Signal Regiment GS MRSR. Provides ICS support to the Reaction Force Div HQ plus the Reaction Force Log Bde. Each MRSR has a broad balance of network assets providing flexibility as required. The MRSR does NOT provide RLS to either of the Divs.

202206258

202206228

• Bulford – No change. • 228 re-subordinates from 12 Armd Bde to 3SR Dec 13.• 258 re-subordinates to 30SR Dec 13.• 3SR restructures to MRSR Aug 14.• OPCOM 11 Sig Bde by Aug 14.

10 Signal Regiment No change High readiness ICS, IM and specialist expertise to UK and Expeditionary Ops including ECM (FP).

225241243251

22524124325181

• No change with the exception of 241 Sig Sqn which will move from Colerne to Bicester (Summer 14).

• 81 Sig Sqn re-subordinated to 10SR Apr 13.

11 (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment

No change Administers and commands all phase 2 and 3 R SIGNALS soldiers and officers undergoing trade, military and educational training in Blandford; it also conducts numerous All Arms and Joint CIS courses. It is part of the Defence School of CIS (DSCIS).

12345

1234

• Blandford – No change. • Internal restructuring has taken place to reduce from 5 Sqns to 4.

14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare)

No change Provides EW capability when required for operations. OPCOM 1 Intelligence and Surveillance Bde.

223226236237245

223226237245JESC Tp

• Brawdy (Cawdor Barracks) moving to St Athan not before 2018.• JESC Tp will be located in RAF Digby from Apr 14.

• JESC Tp established and meets IOC Apr 14.• Regt restructures to 4 x field sqns by Aug 14.• Regt re-subordinates to 1 I&S Bde.• Final liability savings (mainly G4) taken by Mar 16.• Unit move NB 2018.

15 Signal Regiment (Information Support)

No change Level 3 support for delivered and assured deployable ICS. GCNGISLSST

233259262LICSG

CorshamBlandfordBicesterCorsham

• LICSG re-subordinated Apr 13.• Restructures by Mar 14.• Larkhill closes.• Elements remain in Germany until Summer 15.

16 Signal Regiment No change CS MRSR. Principally aligned with the AI Bdes that form the formations within the Reaction Forces. The MRSRs deliver Small, Medium and Large Points of Presence providing tactical and operational communications. The MRSR does NOT provide RLS to the Bdes.

230255

207230255

• Regt based in Elmpt (Javelin Barracks) moving to Stafford (Beacon Barracks) Summer 15.• 207 Sig Sqn will remain in Hohne and move to Stafford in Summer 15.

• 207 re-subordinates from 7 Armd Bde to 16SR (Aug 14).• Restructures to MRSR by Jul 15.• Delivers Close Support to 12 Armd Inf Bde.

18 Signal Regiment No change Close and general support communications to UKSF. No change No change Hereford – No change. • Small reduction in liability.

21 Signal Regiment (Air Support)


21422024443

204215220

• Regt remains based in Colerne• 215 Sig Sqn moves from Tidworth to Colerne (Summer 14 (TBC))

• 244 Sig Sqn re-subordinated to 30SR (Jul 13). Sqn needs to move out of Colerne by Summer 14 to Bramcote.• Regt re-subordinates from JHC to 11 Sig Bde (Aug 13).• 215 Sig Sqn re-subordinates from 1 Mech Bde.• 214 Sig Sqn re-subordinated to 2SR (Jul 14).• 204 Sig Sqn starts forming from Aug 14.• Provides Close Support to 1 Armd Inf Bde.

9THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2013

Current Title New Title Role Current Sub units New Sub units Location Key information

22 Signal Regiment No change Provides a combination of network, data and application services to the ARRC. Infrastructure and RLS is delivered by the ARRC Sp Bn.

217222248252

No change • Regt based in Stafford, less 252 which is based in Innsworth.

• Regt restructured by Apr 14.

30 Signal Regiment No change Mixed Role. 1 Sqn supporting the ARRC with 22 Sig Regt. The AS Sqn provides communications support to the Joint Support Helicopter Force. Two high readiness CS Sqns provide strategic and operational communications and HQ infrastructure to the deployable JRRF HQ, such as the JTFHQ.

250256

244250256258

• Regt remains based in Bramcote.• 244 Sig Sqn currently based in Colerne but will move to Bramcote by Summer 14 (TBC).

• 244 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 30SR from 21SR by Jul 13.• 258 Sig Sqn re-subordinates from 3SR by Dec 13.

216 PARA Sig Sqn No change Independent CS Sig Sqn provides communications and HQ infrastructure for 16 AA Bde. Only R SIGNALS unit which continues to deliver RLS to a HQ.

No change No change • Colchester – No change. • Small reduction in liability.

32 Signal Regiment 32 Signal Regiment Delivers UK wide ICS capability. 3350515269

2515269

• RHQ – Glasgow• 2 Sig Sqn – Dundee / Aberdeen (LFFB)• 51 Sig Sqn – Edinburgh / East Kilbride• 52 Sp Sqn – Glasgow• 69 Sig Sqn – Belfast / Londonderry

• 33 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 37 Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14.• 50 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 37 Sig Regt by 31 Dec 14.• Request for 69 Sig Sqn to be renamed 40 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron submitted to AHDC for endorsement.• Hartlepool to close with opportunities to transfer to RLC.• Restructure 2 Sig Regt by Nov 14


3348505464

• RHQ – Redditch• 33 Sig Sqn – Liverpool / Manchester• 48 Sig Sqn – Birmingham / Coventry • 50 Sig Sqn – Darlington / Leeds• 54 Sp Sqn – Redditch• 64 Sig Sqn – Sheffield / Nottingham

• 36 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 71 Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14.• 53 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 39 Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14.• Cambridge to close with opportunities to transfer to Int Corps.• Restructure 37 Sig Regt by Jul 15.

38 Signal Regiment 38 Signal Regiment RHQ and 46 Sp Sqn to be disbanded 124164

• 1 Sig Sqn to close with opportunities to transfer to RLC / Int Corps / AAC.• 2 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 32 Sig Regt by 31 Jan 14.• 41 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 71 (Y) Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14; The Sqn will be based in Coulsdon. Kingston to close with opportunities to transfer to RAMC.64 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 37 Sig Regt by Jan 15.


43539394

• RHQ - Bristol• 43 Sig Sqn – Bristol / Bath (43 Sig Sqn merged with 57 Sig Sqn)• 53 Sig Sqn – Cardiff / Gloucester• 94 Sig Sqn – Windsor

• Aylesbury to close by Dec 14 with opportunities to transfer to INF / RLC.• 56 Sig Sqn (Eastbourne) closes Jul 14 with opportunities to transfer to PWRR.• Brighton TAC closes.• 57 Sig Sqn merges with 43 Sig Sqn by Jun 15.• Restructure 39 Sig Regt by Nov 15.


364768265

• RHQ – Bexleyheath• 265 Sp Sqn – Bexleyheath• 68 Sig Sqn – Lincolns Inn / Whipps Cross• 47 Sig Sqn – Uxbridge / Coulsdon (47 Sig Sqn merged with 41 Sig Sqn)• 36 Sig Sqn Colchester / Chelmsford

• Request for 47 Sig Sqn to be renamed 31 (Middlesex Yeomanry and Princess Louise’s Kensington) Signal Squadron submitted to AHDC for endorsement.• Southfields to close with opportunities to transfer to the Royal Marines.• Restructure 71 (Y) Sig Regt by Dec 15.

LIAG No Change Specialist ICS capability as part of the wider Joint Cyber Unit (Reserve)

N/A N/A • HQ based in Corsham, but unit recruits nationally • Uplift in liability• Unit is re-subordinated to JFC (OPCOM) in Apr 15.

Note: Other units within the R SIGNALS ORBAT e.g. 299 Sig Sqn that are not directly impacted by A2020/FR20 measures and are not shown.


Current Title New Title Role Current Sub units New Sub units Location Key information

22 Signal Regiment No change Provides a combination of network, data and application services to the ARRC. Infrastructure and RLS is delivered by the ARRC Sp Bn.

217222248252

No change • Regt based in Stafford, less 252 which is based in Innsworth.

• Regt restructured by Apr 14.

30 Signal Regiment No change Mixed Role. 1 Sqn supporting the ARRC with 22 Sig Regt. The AS Sqn provides communications support to the Joint Support Helicopter Force. Two high readiness CS Sqns provide strategic and operational communications and HQ infrastructure to the deployable JRRF HQ, such as the JTFHQ.

250256

244250256258

• Regt remains based in Bramcote.• 244 Sig Sqn currently based in Colerne but will move to Bramcote by Summer 14 (TBC).

• 244 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 30SR from 21SR by Jul 13.• 258 Sig Sqn re-subordinates from 3SR by Dec 13.

216 PARA Sig Sqn No change Independent CS Sig Sqn provides communications and HQ infrastructure for 16 AA Bde. Only R SIGNALS unit which continues to deliver RLS to a HQ.

No change No change • Colchester – No change. • Small reduction in liability.


2515269

• RHQ – Glasgow• 2 Sig Sqn – Dundee / Aberdeen (LFFB)• 51 Sig Sqn – Edinburgh / East Kilbride• 52 Sp Sqn – Glasgow• 69 Sig Sqn – Belfast / Londonderry

• 33 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 37 Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14.• 50 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 37 Sig Regt by 31 Dec 14.• Request for 69 Sig Sqn to be renamed 40 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron submitted to AHDC for endorsement.• Hartlepool to close with opportunities to transfer to RLC.• Restructure 2 Sig Regt by Nov 14


3348505464

• RHQ – Redditch• 33 Sig Sqn – Liverpool / Manchester• 48 Sig Sqn – Birmingham / Coventry • 50 Sig Sqn – Darlington / Leeds• 54 Sp Sqn – Redditch• 64 Sig Sqn – Sheffield / Nottingham

• 36 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 71 Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14.• 53 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 39 Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14.• Cambridge to close with opportunities to transfer to Int Corps.• Restructure 37 Sig Regt by Jul 15.

38 Signal Regiment 38 Signal Regiment RHQ and 46 Sp Sqn to be disbanded 124164

• 1 Sig Sqn to close with opportunities to transfer to RLC / Int Corps / AAC.• 2 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 32 Sig Regt by 31 Jan 14.• 41 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 71 (Y) Sig Regt by 31 Mar 14; The Sqn will be based in Coulsdon. Kingston to close with opportunities to transfer to RAMC.64 Sig Sqn re-subordinates to 37 Sig Regt by Jan 15.


43539394

• RHQ - Bristol• 43 Sig Sqn – Bristol / Bath (43 Sig Sqn merged with 57 Sig Sqn)• 53 Sig Sqn – Cardiff / Gloucester• 94 Sig Sqn – Windsor

• Aylesbury to close by Dec 14 with opportunities to transfer to INF / RLC.• 56 Sig Sqn (Eastbourne) closes Jul 14 with opportunities to transfer to PWRR.• Brighton TAC closes.• 57 Sig Sqn merges with 43 Sig Sqn by Jun 15.• Restructure 39 Sig Regt by Nov 15.


364768265

• RHQ – Bexleyheath• 265 Sp Sqn – Bexleyheath• 68 Sig Sqn – Lincolns Inn / Whipps Cross• 47 Sig Sqn – Uxbridge / Coulsdon (47 Sig Sqn merged with 41 Sig Sqn)• 36 Sig Sqn Colchester / Chelmsford

• Request for 47 Sig Sqn to be renamed 31 (Middlesex Yeomanry and Princess Louise’s Kensington) Signal Squadron submitted to AHDC for endorsement.• Southfields to close with opportunities to transfer to the Royal Marines.• Restructure 71 (Y) Sig Regt by Dec 15.

LIAG No Change Specialist ICS capability as part of the wider Joint Cyber Unit (Reserve)

N/A N/A • HQ based in Corsham, but unit recruits nationally • Uplift in liability• Unit is re-subordinated to JFC (OPCOM) in Apr 15.

Note: Other units within the R SIGNALS ORBAT e.g. 299 Sig Sqn that are not directly impacted by A2020/FR20 measures and are not shown.


NEWS FROM BLANDFORD

HEADQUARTERS ROYAL SIGNALS

R SIGNALS RECRUITERS REQUIREDThe face of Army recruiting has changed. In March 2013, The Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP) was implemented with Capita as the contract provider.

The implementation of RPP greatly reduced the number of military manpower in recruiting posts. Therefore the suitability and proficiency of R Signals recruiters is even more important as we have a smaller representation across recruiting. We as a Corps need to attract, identify, select and prepare the ‘right’ individuals for this demanding role

Types of recruiting post available are:

Outreach Team (O/T): These teams are multi cap badge and undertake a range of activities with the target recruiting population such as Insight Courses, visits to schools and colleges, Career Fairs and Personal Development Activity Days.

Army Careers Centres (ACC): ACC 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.

Below is a list of recruiting posts available over the coming months:

LOCATION RANK DATE AVAILABLE

O/T York 2 x Sig July 14

O/T Preston Sig April 14

O/T Glasgow Sig May 14

O/T Belfast LCpl March 14

O/T Chilwell Sig April 14

O/T Stafford Sig April 14

O/T Aldershot Sgt January 14

O/T Exeter 2 x Sig May 14, March 14

O/T Woolwich 2 x Sig January 14, March 14

O/T Brecon 2 x Sig May 14

ACC Southampton Cpl January 14

ACC Derby Cpl April 14

HQ R SIGNALS will be running a recruiting selection board in Blandford on 28 January 14 to select for the posts above. Further information can be obtained from your CofC, Policy Directive 18, or by contacting Vikki Carpenter on 94371 2957


CIS TRIALS AND DEVELOPMENT UNIT

ECM Trials - by LCpl Longman

Mid July saw the members of 543 (ECM) Trials Team deploy to Wales once again. The team consisted of Sgt Matt King, Cpl Paul Heywood, Cpl ‘Geordie’ Allen, Sig Gav Lee and myself LCpl ‘Mikey’ Longman. With the thought of another 2 week trial ahead, morale wasn’t at its highest, but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to find it was sunny and boiling hot, which only meant one thing… Shorts, T-Shirts and LOTS of tanning oil!

The trial period was 2 weeks to complete 3 trials, BUSHMASTER and FOXHOUND vehicles plus LEVITY, which is personal ECM. The first week was spent trialling BUSHMASTER - a Special Forces platform and the second week trialling an upgrade to the new FOXHOUND vehicle. The weekend was set aside to trial LEVITY.

On the first day we arrived at the airfield and carried out our usual Monday morning tasks, setting up the vehicle, configuring the equipment and setting up the trial site. With a working weekend on the cards the trial got off to a flying start and we quickly ticked off the threats as the team got into its trialling stride. With the sun beating down Sgt King, LCpl Longman and Cpl Allen made the most of the weather! Their joy was short lived though when it was time to trial LEVITY (a new personnel role electronic counter measure). This meant swapping shorts for full kit, boots, helmet, Osprey body armour, weapon and day sack.

The sun intensified for the next couple of days, making trials in all the kit a little hot and sweaty. To cheer the team up LCpl Longman managed to make a friend on the trial! One of the biggest, ugliest and grumpy/angry Yaks anyone had ever seen, it came complete to CES with massive, sharp horns and followed ‘Mikey’ everywhere…well chased him!!!

With the first week complete, we had to vacate Penally training camp where we had been staying, due to

cadets turning up in force on their summer training camp. But this only meant we could upgrade to a Travelodge for the remaining week, such a shame. Unfortunately scoff wasn’t provided at the Travelodge, but the McDonald’s across the road quickly solved that problem with LCpl Longman giving the lads a crash course on how to make a double chicken-nugget-chips-cheese burger! The second week also saw the arrival of SSgt Dave Nix, who came down to lend a hand. Momentum still remained from the first week so we got off to another fast start and the weather was still on our side.

With the sun still beating down this caused for some drastic thinking, which brought around the genius idea of making a makeshift swimming pool in the back of our trial support HILUX! With a sheet of tarpaulin and several jerry cans of water the pool was created which saw SSgt Nix, Sgt King and LCpl Longman all strip down to their pants and go for a dip.

Exercise CANPADDLE - by Cpl Seymour

Ex CANPADDLE is a 2 week joint service canoeing symposium in Canada run by the JSMTC. It is open to anyone with 3 star or above qualification in open canoeing. It aims to give joint service canoeists the opportunity to develop their skills and also offers qualifications from 4 star training through to 5 star. Everyone on the symposium completed the British Canoe Union White Water Safety and Rescue course and those who required it were awarded their certificate.

We tackled grade 2 to 4 rapids on 4 day river trips whilst witnessing some of the most beautiful Canadian landscape imaginable. The water in Canada is glacier fed, deep blue in colour and can be high in volume offering a different paddling experience to that on offer in the UK. By night we camped out around the fire and had a sing along. We were joined by some Canadian veterans amongst who was Rick, an elite special operations operative who we thank greatly for his hospitality, refreshments and unarmed combat training.

Ex CANPADDLE was an excellent experience and opportunity, I would like to personally thank all the organising staff from JSMTC.

Canada lends itself to Canoeing with its warmer summer weather and long high volume river stretches. I think I achieved in 2 weeks in Canada what would have taken months in the UK, my paddling skills have definitely come on a great deal and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to further their canoeing skills.


12 NODE Enhanced HCDR Narrowband Trial – by Sig Maggs

Enhanced HCDR (EnHCDR) is an upgrade to the current BCIP5.4 HCDR with new waveforms and improved performance. The CIS TDU has conducted several trials alongside General Dynamics (UK) and ITT Exelis ranging from initial engineering drops to production standard radios using wideband mode of the radio.

The 12 Node EnHCDR Narrowband (NB) trial was the fifth trial conducted on EnHCDR and the first trial using the new NB mode. Trials Troop conducted the 12 node EnHCDR NB trial over the period 10 – 19 July and found a few minor issues with some aspects of the radios and operators (Call sign B40!!). B40, or Sig Edwards was one of the RAAT troops from 21 Signal Regiment; nearly every day he had an issue/problem and he always denied it was his fault, but it did seem a bit of a coincidence that it was always his Det! Sig Edwards was swapped from this call sign to a mobile detachment because not even he could drive round a one and half hour route in three hours like Sig Collins (also from 21SR) did.

Joking aside, without the RAAT vehicles and manning provided by 21 Signal Regiment, 14 Signal Regiment and 204 Signal Squadron, the trial would not have been such a success. CIS TDU would like to thank you for the continued support.

The EnHCDR provided just the same capability if not more in the new improved NB mode. We also found that the EnHCDR worked well in NB mode using the increased channel capacity using VoIP telephony.

Land Systems Reference Centre (LSRC) - by Cpl Dan ‘I didn’t write this’ Pearson

The Land Systems Reference Centre (LSRC) is the MOD’s vital test and reference facility working to ensure the efficacy of military communications and information systems enabling military operations across the globe. The LSRC’s objective is to ensure the reliability, interoperability and performance of Land Environment Communications and Information Systems. Although this facility is staffed in the most part by civilian staff, it does have a small military contingent.

The day to day work for the military team within the LSRC continues with all members working hard towards the goal of assuring that applications and equipment destined for the field army are fit for purpose. Examples of the various work we do are: UK/FR interoperability; assistance to 15 Sig Regt (IS) with Housekeeper system updates; Falcon testing with 90 SU, and the extensive testing of various applications for both Army and Air command customers. This important work is not as dull as it sounds and the team sometimes manage to escape the prison like confines of the LSRC.

Over the last couple of months members of the team have escaped for fun filled activities, such as; Ex TOLLARD RIDE, a CIS TDU organised 20 mile mountain bike excursion which left SSgt Louise ‘money bags’ Rigby and Cpl Dan ‘why is my bike the heaviest’ Pearson a little saddle sore, and a day’s golfing at Sturminster Marshall for Cpl Damian ‘where’s my balls’ Laws. On the domestic front it was the LSRCs turn to provide food for the monthly cake and coffee morning hosted by CIS TDU. It was a roaring success with WO2 (FofS) Ian ‘Mary Berry’ Howard leading from the front with a dangerous combination of coffee and toffee cake. However, the most recent highlight was when Cpl Damian ‘it wasn’t me’ Laws and Cpl Dan ‘nor me’ Pearson organised command tasks for the local scout troop. The scouts took to the tasks with great enthusiasm and completed them well under the time allocated for each task; putting even 4 (Mil Trg) Sqn to shame some would argue.

As with all units there is always a change of personnel and we would like to say farewell to Sgt Andy ‘it’s better up north’ Adam who is leaving the Army after 22 years and Sgt Jay ‘10101011’ Bates who has moved on to 600 Sig Tp in Corsham on promotion to SSgt. We would also like to welcome Maj (ToT (IS)) Pete ‘I am the daddy’ Stockell who has swapped one gripping post for another (LSRC SO2 vice Special Projects Capability Branch), Sgt Dan ‘this isn’t CIS TDU’ Lamkin, previously from 204 Sig Sqn and Sgt Kym ‘Cricket, Badminton…’ Homewood who joined us from 3 Sqn, 11 Sig Regt, to provide us with his vast and expansive knowledge of Falcon.

SSgt Louse Rigby and Cpl Dan Pearson pose for a photo on Ex TOLLARD RIDE


NEWS FROM TRAINING 11th (ROYAL SCHOOL OF SIGNALS) SIGNAL REGIMENT BLANDFORD

CO Lt Col M C BrookesRSM WO1 (RSM) C Hoggard

2 (CATTERICK) SQUADRON

OC Maj G M A WillsSSM WO2 (SSM) K Umney

Exercise GABRIEL’S CHALLENGE – by Capt Matt Bennett

After receiving a rather dubious invite to participate in what was dubbed the “French Race the Sun”, a small team of three from 11 (RSS) Signal Regiment was stood up to take on the challenge. Over the course of the two weeks leading up to the event, the team were in receipt of loosely translated instructions for the event itself, titled Ex GABRIEL’S CHALLENGE, a commemorative endurance event held by the French Corps of Signals. The instructions suggested a mix of mountain biking, running, kayaking, orienteering along with some more spurious events such as pea-shooting, archery and high-ropes. Intrigued, the team, comprising of Cpl Paul ‘Doris’ Day, Cpl Mikey Milburn and led by Capt Matt Bennett, set off on what would be an interesting adventure.

After overcoming the initial challenge of passing the European Driving Theory Test, the team took the ferry to Caen, arriving at the Ecole de Transmissions in Rennes later on Tue 1 Oct. On arrival the team was presented with a sizeable rulebook, all of which was in French. Despite Lt Col Steve France’s best efforts to translate (and much interpretive gesturing from the French PTIs) much of the rules and instructions would remain a mystery, adding an interesting element to the already considerable challenges facing us in the days ahead! Despite this, we pressed on, linking up with the 2 Signal Regiment team before undertaking the first test to filter the teams; an indoor 4km team rowing sprint. Embracing the true spirit of the Corps, we cranked the rowing machine up to its highest setting and came an overall fifth out of 32 participating teams.

Day two kick-started with a 3 x 1050m relay around a scenic lake and straight into a 17km mountain biking dash, with the cyclists, Cpls Day and Milburn, required to navigate. A few oversights on the sports questionnaire at the checkpoint was rewarded with a 400m tyre-pull treat, much to the enjoyment of the team. Following that, a series of 15 to 20km cycle and running events (complete with navigation and orienteering elements) took place, each transitioning seamlessly into the next, with the option of trading one of the two team members at each checkpoint. The day culminated in a ‘biathlon’, which turned out to be a burdened assault course run followed by a rifle shoot. To top off the exhausting day, a night navigation exercise was thrown in for good measure before being allowed to bivvy-up in a local campsite for the night.

At 0645 the team was awoken by French bagpipers, although the sounds were soon drowned out by a thunderstorm and sideways rain; the perfect compliment to the first 10km trail running event. After a little trouble navigating a further 45km of French countryside on a mixture of bikes, kayaks and

standard issue feet, the penultimate event was upon us. This required 10km of urban navigation through the streets of Rennes, collecting orienteering markers all the way back into the Ecole de Transmissions. Once arrived, the team finally found a challenge they could excel at, much to the excitement of Cpls Day and Milburn; heaves, press-ups and rope climbs. Providing no obstacle, the team blitzed the challenge, triggering a mad dash around the camp to collect answers to a quiz using an orienteering map, finishing the day with huge relief that it was all over.

The exercise was hugely different to what was expected and the mapping provided for navigation was often cut down or in an unfamiliar format, making it just as much a thinking-mans event as a physical challenge. The additional language barrier added an interesting aspect, but overall, the team gave it their full effort from the very start, proudly representing the Royal Corps of Signals. A respectable middle-third finish and second of the six foreign teams was well-deserved.

Gordon’s Cup Competition – by LCpl Bipendra and Sig Rickard, Rhino Tp, 2 Squadron

The Gordon’s Cup is a bi-annual military skills competition organised by 4 (Mil Trg) Sqn. The aim of this competition is to achieve maximum participation of Phase 2 soldiers, enhancing and developing their skills and ethos in a challenging team competition. In addition, it also provides an opportunity for the JNCOs to demonstrate levels of their leadership skills as a Section Commander.

Sat 28 Sep saw the second Gordon’s Cup competition for 2013. A total of 26 sections took part in the arduous competition, each comprising of 8 Phase 2 soldiers and 1 Section Commander. Despite the rainy and cloudy forecast of the weather report, the spirit of the teams looked very upbeat and everyone looked set to face an exciting and challenging day. Like every Gordon’s Cup event, the day comprised of a mixture of military and physical stands

Capt Bennett, Cpl Day and Cpl Milburn


designed to both challenge and test the Phase 2 trainees. There were 9 different stands which all the sections had to rotate through in turn, with 3 sections competing against each other at every stand. The stands involved all kinds of scenarios such as Rapid Replen, Observation, DCCT, Skill at Arms, Bayonet Range, Stalk, Navigation, BCDT and Obstacle Course.

Everyone in the sections looked physically and mentally determined and prepared to face the gruelling and arduous challenges that lay ahead. As the day progressed, the competition was becoming more and more fierce with each stand posing severe and serious challenges both physically and mentally. The level of our adrenaline increased dramatically when we learnt that Cpl Green’s section of Rhino Troop, 2 Sqn completed the Rapid Replen in the best time. The BCDT stand was extremely realistic with casualty simulation services provided by Trauma FX Company. This was a completely new experience for the Phase 2 soldiers as they had never come across or even treated such casualties before. The ten long gruelling hours of the event did not pass by without injury as Sig Bamforth is testament to, with 7 stitches to his thigh from the bayonet range.

Finally, it was time for prize giving to mark some of the outstanding performances in the competition. The best shot was awarded to Sig Rickard from Rhino Tp, 2 Sqn. The Top section was awarded to 1 Section led by Cpl MacDonald from Iron Tp, 2 Sqn. Overall, 3 Squadron bagged the Champions trophy with the average of 28.0 points. The CO, Lt Col Brookes closed the day by thanking those involved in the successful running of the event and reminding everyone of the importance of competitions like the Gordon’s Cup, which displays amazing creativities in the spirit of our soldiers.

All in all, the event was successful with tremendous amount of efforts put in by all the soldiers involved throughout the day. At last, a big thank you goes to the Worshipful Company of Information Technologist and Trauma FX Company for their support in making this event intriguing and interesting with a successful outcome. The whole event taught us how significance a spirit of teamwork can play in the outcome of a positive result.

3 (HARROGATE) SQUADRON

OC Maj J C WilsonSSM WO2 (SSM) P Kemp

Jurassic Coast Walk – by Sgt Pham, FofS Course 83

FofS Course 83 conducted a 30 mile coastal walk along the Jurassic coast of South West England on Wed 14 Aug 13. This event was organised to raise money that would be equally distributed between the Army Benevolent Fund and a local charity called Poole District Cancer Fund. The trail began at Lyme Regis and followed through the sheer cliff faces, eroded rock formations and many coastal features before ending at Exmouth. We had only gone 50 meters before Sgt ‘Daz’ Upton realised that we were missing one person as Sgt Walton hadn’t returned from the toilet, and it must have been around half a mile later when Sgt Aaron Russell had to make an executive decision; Sturdy path or boggy puddle. He took the latter and got wet.

When we got to our second check point our safety driver SSgt ‘Stu’ Yates was there holding the fort. It was nice to see him fed, suited and booted in all the best outdoor clothing and rested well. The same couldn’t be said for Sgt Andy Burton who couldn’t decide if he was going on Tour, playing football or going to the Mess!! SSgt Richie Hill took on the role of Granddad and looked after everyone’s needs, giving out advice as well as energy sweets – we thank him for that.

The terrain and weather was quite varied as the first 4 miles was forest and very humid, but later on the mist closed in on the hill tops. Soon, the heavens decided to open, making the walk more difficult and unpleasant. Despite of the unwelcoming weather, we kept going and remained in good spirits all the way, however, Sgt Padam Dalarmi had to quit at the 24 mile point due to bad knees. He didn’t get any abuse off the rest of the course though. As we neared the end, the signposts pointing to Exmouth started to play games with us, as the first one said 2 ½ miles, a mile further on it said 3 miles, then down to ¾ mile before going back to 2 ½ miles. Thirteen men finished the walk in exactly 10 hours with a mixed feeling of intense pain and a sense of achievement both for completing the walk and raising money for such worthy causes.

Exercise HARROGATE INITIATIVE – by Sig Abby Dobson, Ulster Tp

Ex HARROGATE INITIATIVE is a 36 hour Phase 2/3 initiative exercise. The training troops were split into teams of 3, made up of two Phase 2 soldiers and a Phase 3 Team Leader. The brief we were given before deployment detailed that groups would be dropped off in different areas and given a list of tasks to complete, such as finding somewhere to stay for the night and get photographs taken in different locations, such as a police cell. We were also told that no money, bank cards, mobile phones, etc were allowed to be taken.

Our team was dropped off on the Saturday morning in Bath. First stop was McDonalds where we managed to acquire a workers hat. The rest of the day we spent going round Bath completing the tasks, some of which were impossible to complete without a bit of imagination, such as feeding a lion. We used statues of lions in a local park and photographed team members feeding these. The other two team members had the most fun in the fire station we went to in the afternoon. The fire service were very friendly and gave us a lot of their time, showing us all their equipment and let the boys have a go. Finally, we had a full demonstration and got to practice on a real life fire pole.

Sunday morning was the trickiest part as we had to find our way back to Salisbury station for the transport to pick us up to take us back to camp, but I think every team managed to bribe their way back. Overall it was a very good weekend, and we had a really good laugh. It was a really productive exercise as it builds self-confidence and team working skills.

Support Command (UK South) Inter Unit Netball Championships – by Sgt Helen Jones

The Support Command (UK South) Inter Unit Netball Championships took place at the Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre (AGSC) on Wed 9 Oct 13.

FofS Course 83 on the Jurassic Coastline


The aim of the Championships was to select the top four teams to progress to the Army Inter-Unit Netball Championships to be held on 24-25 Oct 13. The Championships also provide an opportunity for units to promote netball and encourage participation.

11 (RSS) Signal Regiment is a very busy environment, but with the dedication of head coach Sgt Kara Rokovada and assistant Sgt Helen Jones we managed to get a team together. We had only a few training sessions before the competition but the team was full of enthusiasm and looking forward to a day of hard competition.

The competition took the form of two leagues, each with five teams. We were drawn alongside Southampton UOTC, Army HQ, 32 Regt RA and 22 Field Hospital. We had youth and gusto on our side but the other more mature and experienced teams were too much for us and we failed to make it to the semi finals. Sig Skeet and Sig Chapman scored some amazing goals. Sig Gask and Sig Whitecross did a courageous job running on the wings and Sig Topping and Sig Piazza ran up and down the court relentlessly. The defence was Sig Watmore’s domain and she put in a valiant effort.

The final was an amazing game between 9 Regt RLC and Army HQ. In the end Army HQ were triumphant.

Deployable Systems Troop Falcon 6.1 Uplift – by Cpl Kris Fairnie

It has been a challenging couple of months for Deployable Systems Troop (DST). The uplift started on 26 August and was lead by FofS ‘Lucozade man’ Tillman. The uplift was scheduled to last 6 weeks but due to the hard work and commitment of DST we were able to finish a week early and get ahead of the game. As we were the first Regiment in the Corps to start the uplift we had all eyes watching us and wanting updates every 5 minutes. Each department had its own job to do, whether it was preparing computers for updates or dealing with priority tasks that needed to happen NOW! As the central Falcon focus of the Corps we had numerous civilian companies helping us, Babcock who conduct Falcon instruction in Blandford, BAE Systems that built the Falcon network and equipment and Thales who deal with the complex secure equipment that Falcon utilises.

As the uplift began, the long hours commenced. Myself and 3

others (Cpl Kris ‘coco’ Cocozza, Cpl Craig ‘warhammer’ Shell and LCpl Chris ‘Stephen Hawkins’ Dawkins) started working on the maintainer laptops, which took a week to complete working day and night. When the laptops were complete, Thales and BAE started the MOD 2 uplift on the two palletised detachments. Sgt ‘Georgie’ Mary Lodge, Sgt Paul Moran, Cpl Andy Dean, Cpl ‘Gok’ Rai and LCpl ‘Charles’ Maz with the help of Babcock engineers went to work on both the FMS (Falcon Management System) detachments starting with the flashcards then the hard drives. It took a week to complete the palletised detachments. The next 3 weeks began with the uplift of the 12 vehicles within DST. Every vehicle went through the same process, uplifting the FMS, checking all secure equipment was complete and making sure each computer terminal was singing off the same song sheet. This was a long process. After all detachments were uplifted the Set To Work phase began, taking a few weeks to complete. Set To Work confirms that each terminal is working within the Falcon network. Each morning the Foreman and SSgt Mike ‘lycra man leading from the front’ Wilson would give us an up to date brief on how far we were progressing, and what to expect in the forthcoming weeks. During the uplift Babcock and BAE were extremely helpful in all aspects.

The last week couldn’t come any quicker. Cpl Craig Shell leading the way and all detachment commanders started an IBDP (In Barracks Data Prep). Cpl Shell being the FMI (Falcon Management Instillation) detachment commander sent out the plan and then every detachment would connect making sure all kit worked. As a Troop we headed up to the airfield to carry out the connectivity confirmation using antennas for the final few days. For all our hard work we were rewarded with a Troop sports day, playing American Flag football which the Foreman and SSgt Wilson took the lead with, LCpl ‘anti tank’ Milan’s (the underdog) team smashing the rest of the teams with a victorious result of 50 points.

Finally we say hello to Sgt John Pritchard and goodbye to Sgt Lodge and Cpl Cocozza, both posted on promotion and we wish them both best of luck in their new assignments.

4 (MILITARY TRAINING) SQUADRON

OC Maj E A MortimoreSSM WO2 (SSM) B Sherwin

The 4 Sqn HQ is back to full manning with the return of Maj Liz Mortimore and the arrival of a new Training Officer, WO1 Bob Hoskins, who made the short move from the Regimental Training Wing. Over the past month or so the Sqn has been kept busy delivering Senior, Junior and PNCO CLM courses as well as BCCS training for Phase 2 soldiers prior to their assignments to the Field Army. The Sqn’s 611 (Comms Trg) Troop has also been extremely busy delivering numerous communications training exercises for the various trades within the Regt.

Senior Command Training Team – by WO2 (SMI) Steve Kelly

SCTT has seen a large turnover of directing staff over the autumn period, with SSgt Welton becoming a permanent fixture and SSgts Sinclair and Howells moving across from Junior Command Training Team on promotion. Sadly we must say goodbye to SSgt Deepak who leaves on promotion to take up an RQMS appointment at 2 Signal Regiment, however, the QG Signals post will endure in the Seniors team and has been taken up by SSgt Gopal.

Gordon’s Cup Competition – by SSgt Sinclair

Well, the second of the biannual competitions for this year got underway on Sat 28 Sep with nine demanding military stands and 26 sections competing. The first of these stands

11 (RSS) Signal Regiment Netball TeamRear – Sig Gask, Sig Skeet, Sgt Jones, Sig Topping

Front – Sig Whitecross, Sig Chapman, Sig Watmore, Sig Piazza


was the stomach churning battlefield casualty stand run by SSgt Collins, with injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises, to more serious catastrophic amputations. The overarching scenario for the stand was a convoy RTA with devastating consequences. The realistic nature of the injuries provided by Trauma FX and their make up artists (of whom we owe a big thank you) was fantastic and after the initial shock it was well received by the troops. After such heart pounding action, things were brought down to a more familiar level with Stand 2 being a DCCT shoot with moving targets. The third being the skill at arms stand with a rifle weapon handling test and some ingenious twists devised by WO2 Kelly, SSgt Welton and SSgt Deepak.

The remainder of the day was back outside, starting with a well devised and constructed bayonet lane from Sgt Whitehouse and Cpl Hall. This provided a lot of work place training for the duty medic LCpl Pocock, with the most serious of injuries requiring a stitch or two but nothing more. Once the red mist had subsided, these steely eyed dealers of death then moved onto the stalk stand run by SSgt Howells. This required the soldiers to demonstrate their cunning in stealth, by approaching a target of interest and his sentry and accurately identifying the code word on the chest of the targets, demonstrating a shot and hit of the target gaining maximum points for the individual. After a nice slow stand it was back to the heart pounding stuff but this time in the guise of an obstacle course, the first of two run by the gym staff. This required the three sections to complete the course with various items of equipment in the quickest time.

Two of the last 3 stands were more skill based and thought provoking, with the first being the basic skills of observation. The stand devised by Cpl O’Brien, entailed a small patrol trace which including a 100m stretch of trench system, with various items and insurgent activity to be observed. Once they finished they were then presented with a table of contents similar to the one at the start of the stand, but this time a few choice items missing, they had to rely on memory and observation in order to decide what these items were.

On to Cpl Burns’ map reading stand, although constrained by real estate he made excellent use of the space providing a challenging micro navigation exercise relying on the soldier’s ability to take a bearing and pace a distance accurately in order to finish the course and reach the end point within an acceptable distance. The final stand was LCpl Mills’ opportunity to get the soldiers heart racing in what was a very demanding resupply stand. This was based from FOB Thorpe with a Patrol Base (PB) 500 meters to the north, as the soldiers based at the FOB were giving first line support to the nearby PB it was down to them to carryout the resupply request that had been submitted, as the PB had been under sustained attack for some time. All three sections were set off in unison having to prioritise which equipment needed to go first. After this had been delivered, and in good old gym fashion, the last leg was a casualty extraction. Once the stretcher race had finished, it was back to Gordon’s Cup Control to submit scores and await the results.

To say it was a close competition throughout the day would be an understatement, with the lead passing to and fro with each event. However, it was 3 Sqn that came out victors with a marginal 2 point lead over their rivals 2 Sqn. All in all, an enjoyable event by all who attended, but it goes without saying that this simply would not of been the case if it not for the efforts put in all those involved and with that my thanks.

SCLM Course 13/004 – by Sgt Legg

Day one began with the textbook streaming run where we all ran from the gym down Sgts’ Mess hill and up to Engineers Corner, of course at full pelt all the way, a quick 2 mins then

do it in reverse finishing off running up Sgts’ Mess hill. This enabled us to split into sections of mixed ability and begin the bonding process, as we knew over the upcoming weeks we would all need to pull together to get through the course. This was followed on day two by the AFT, a standard AFT like any other, where you are tested to see if you are at the minimum required level to complete the remainder of the course. Some clearly found this more challenging than others and unfortunately we lost our first three people from the course.

Next we moved into the Battle PT periods which we all know involve the normal stretchers, logs and ammo cans. However, the leopard crawl warm ups were my personal favourite right alongside the casualty drags. Throughout this period we were instructed in all manner of subjects that you as a SNCO are required to be aware of including defence orders which finished with a set being delivered to each of the section's Directing Staff. It was clear that we all thought that by shouting our way through our orders we would be also demonstrating our confidence at the same time, which ended up with 3 sections battling over each other to be heard. A clear dominator in the loud voice competition was A/Sgt ‘Titch’ Taylor with his small man but massive voice technique.

SCLM also qualifies you for your M qualification which enables you to test your soldiers with their battle skills. To achieve this you must first demonstrate your skills and then test a section at theirs utilising battle simulations. As each section contained 10 men we soon became very conversant with the exercise area. Next we moved onto a mini-exercise where we practiced living under the stars for an entire night and ensuring everyone knew how to administrate themselves correctly, which although as low level as it sounds was a good reminder of under practiced techniques and allowed us to progress onwards in our training with a set standard behind us.

Finally we moved into our Ex FINAL ENCOUNTER where we got to put into practice all the skills we had learnt during the course and demonstrate our command and leadership qualities whilst being deprived of sleep and under quite a lot of pressure. The training area was of course sand interspersed with hills and the moment we stepped off the coach the downpour began. However, this was short lived (thank God!) and we all moved on our way to our new home in the trees. The exercise culminated with a final attack where A/Sgt ‘Aki’ Akinson led the way as Platoon Commander. I was fortunate enough to land a 2IC appointment during this phase and had the opportunity to distribute ammunition to the men when required and assist in the removal of casualties when they occurred.

In conclusion, the SCLM course was challenging both physically and mentally, however, it is completely achievable and there are no hidden surprises or unachievable expectations; all it requires is determination and a normal level of fitness that any soldier should have. I would like to thank those on the course with me and also the DS: WO2 Kelly, SSgt Deepak, SSgt Welton, SSgt Sinclair and SSgt Howells.

PNCO CLM Cse 13/004 – by LCpl Murray

I think everybody was dreading PNCO before we started as we had heard many duty horror stories about how bad and impossible it was to complete successfully. Therefore the nerves were seriously kicking in on Sunday night.

Day one we had our opening address and everybody seemed to be a lot calmer about everything as it didn’t seem as if it was going to be as bad as people had previously made out. The first week consisted of classroom work alongside work in


the field. On Tuesday we had our first Battle PT session and it was hard but I really enjoyed it even though I was absolutely “hanging” afterwards. My section made the mistake of picking up the heavier burdens first which we later regretted but we still managed to come first which was a bonus. Wednesday was our navigational exercise which I was most nervous about, however I managed to get all 5 checkpoints and sprinted all the way up a hill to make it in on time which was a killer! Thursday was the second Battle PT session which was even worse than Tuesday’s, the log was heavier and there was even the assault course to conquer. I was well and truly knackered, however, my section came first again! We then had the shakeout exercise which gave us a taster of week two and night navigation. I really enjoyed them both and it was good to get back into the field mentality. That weekend rest was well deserved by everyone.

Week two was the exercise phase and it was such a change to be back out in the field rather than being stuck in a classroom, as I had been for the past year. I really enjoyed the exercise and I loved doing all the kinetic scenarios and command appointments. I didn’t realise how much responsibility a 2IC had to take on and it was challenging to manage not only your own but the section's admin as well. Come Thursday I was so worn out all I wanted to do was have a nice hot shower!

I am so delighted that I passed and even happier that I was awarded the top student, I totally didn’t expect it. I am now looking forward to progressing on further with my career. Everyone put max effort in and totally deserved their promotion.

Well done!

611 (COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING) TROOP – by Sgt Jones

The Troop has been busy with the BCIP 5.5 uplift, exercises and various other taskings. We are also in the process of a manning reshuffle going from 4 teams into 3.

On Wed 9 Oct, LCpl Lee arranged a Tp day out to visit the Imperial War Museum in London. As the Tp has been extremely busy it was good opportunity for the Tp to relax and welcome Cpl Hillis, Cpl Lamb and Capt Gauntlett into the fold.

The morning began at 0720 hrs with everyone meeting at the Tp to begin the journey into the centre of London. Once Cpl ‘Big Nav’ Naivalu had arrived a little later than everyone else we were able to depart. Once we arrived at the Imperial War Museum, the majority of the group went to the museum while Capt Gauntlett and Cpl Naivalu went to park the coach.

Although the museum was undergoing major refurbishment there were still a few exhibits open including one which somehow had some Bowman braid on display. Everyone had a good look around and then headed to the nearest watering hole to partake in a few refreshments. The newly promoted Sgt ‘OB’ O’Brien unfortunately didn’t take the opportunity to buy his promotion drinks as the London prices were apparently a bit steep for his tight budget.

The group all gathered and made the short walk to Wetherspoons to have some lunch. The day ended after a monumental walk to the coach which was apparently only 2 miles away? We arrived back at Blandford mid evening to meet up with members of the Tp who unfortunately could not make the Trip and to say goodbye to LCpl Jase Bird and LCpl ‘Chewbacca’ Gooder who are shortly leaving the Corps due to redundancy to join Civ Div. We all wish them the very best in their future careers.

COMMAND INSTRUCTION WING

OC Capt S J RiceSSM WO2 (SSM) M Ellis

Exercise MARESFIELD MOUNTAINEER – by Sgt Beavan RM

Ex MARESFIELD MOUNTAINEER would have been more aptly named Ex THE FIRST AND LAST, as it was the first ever AT package for 5 Sqn permanent staff and will definitely be the last due to the disbanding of the Sqn at the end of August.

Sunday 4 August saw a Fire Team minus, deploy on an AT package of Fell Walking to Ambleside in the Lake District to Peak bag some of the highest Wainwrights. The three arrived in Ambleside early evening and having taken over the 20 man accommodation in the Army AT Hut, maps and Wainwrights guides in hand, headed for a brief on the following day's activity in the Pub.

The following day saw an early start to get to the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in the Langdale Valley where we had high calorie cooked breakfast (courtesy of the COPF) to sustain us for a day in the mountains. The weather was fitting for the wettest place in the UK and visibility was down to 50m in the clag as we scaled our first three Wainwrights; Loft Crag, Pick of Stickle and Harrison Stickle.

Tuesday was the man test day, Scafell Pike (the highest mountain in England) the long way! After another hearty breakfast we set off from the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and straight up to Bowfell 903m above sea level over 1.5km. The weather was perfect and we could see opposite what we had scaled the day before. On top of Bowfell the panorama of the day's route unfolded revealing the 4 more Wainwrights to be bagged; Bowfell, Esk Pike, Scafell Pike and Rossett Pike. After having a quick wets stop (brew to the majority) and Capt Vanandel’s Brioche on Esk Pike, WO1(YofS) ‘Bill Oddy’ MacDonnell drew our attention to an Eagle which having squawked on cue was at the very best a Crow Eagle and at the worst just a Crow. On we pushed to the Summit of Scafell Pike where Corps Cross of the two cap badges taking part were placed on the War Memorial and an all conquering 10ft Royal Marines flag was flown. Then the return saw us drop down a knee crunching decent back to the hotel were a quick game of spoof decided who was the duty driver.

Tired legs were stretched off for a third day and into the Coniston fells we climbed; Coniston Old Man and Swirl How, two more Wainwrights. A white knuckle ride up to the car park blew the cobwebs away and off we climbed followed by a host of civvies which luckily couldn’t keep up with our mountain pace. Once on the high ridge between the two

peaks we were able to push the pace even more ending back at the car park, having scaled 803m and walked/scrambled 12km in just over 4hrs.

The last day, just an easy bimble over one Wainwright, Wansfell and then back to Ambleside to square away the accommodation before forcing ourselves to real ale.

A very successful week away and 10 Wainwights in the bag if only for the three of us.


NEWS FROM FORMATIONS

11 SIGNAL BRIGADE

Comd Brig Greg WilsonCOS Maj Jamie Balfour

The end of the summer posting cycle has seen a number of notable changes in the HQ, primarily the formation of 2 Signal Group and a further increase in the HQ’s Labrador contingent. Col Simon Hutchinson now commands 2 Signal Group with a focus on UK Operations and our Specialist Signal Regiments with the original small UK Ops team slowly growing with the arrival of Capt Dusty Miller from 22 Sig Regt as the Group heads towards FOC and assumption of their wider responsibilities. The summer migration patterns between Stafford and Donnington are developed further with the departure of Maj Simon Ing and the arrival of Maj Steve Jones brandishing kukhris and phulmalas and revelling in a return to Staff. In the Ops room, our fourth Davies has arrived to be SO3 EW/Cts (Gareth from 16 Sig Regt) and further confuse the Post Room.

SSAFA Big Brew

For this year’s HQ 11 Sig Bde’s Big Brew it was decided there would be a slight twist; not only would there be the traditional cups of tea for sale there would also be a Great British Bake Off style competition! Several budding bakers were ‘invited’ to enter and there was a flurry of excitement as people argued who would produce the best slice of Battenberg or portion of carrot cake…the competitive dads were out in force.

There were several fantastic entrants; Capt Roy Davis with a wonderful big brew themed cake (although it is rumoured that his better-half, Philippa, made him sit on a kitchen chair whilst the creation occurred), Capt Des McGuckian provided a lemon drizzle cake AND some real soda bread while Flt Lt Asda’s chocolate tray was just as popular though somewhat not in the spirit of the competition. Mrs Helen Balfour’s courgette and lime cake proved to be very popular although Maj Jamie Balfour was disappointed that he didn’t win a prize!

The HQ didn’t have Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood available to judge the entries so the Bde Comd, Brig Greg Wilson, took on the challenge of checking for soggy bottoms and chose the best cake. It was a difficult choice but he went for the cake shaped like an armoured vehicle, complete with sugar cam nets; well done Capt Marc Dunbavand…the bell is in the corner of the bar!

Exercise ROMAN PASHTUN 13/02

Ex ROMAN PASHTUN is a Collective Training Competency Level 4 (CTC 4) exercise conducted twice a year in order to prepare the deploying Joint Force Communications and Information Systems (Afghanistan) (JFCIS(A)) staff ready for Op HERRICK. The staff for the JFCIS(A) are made up of the deploying CSR and a number of Individual Augmentees (IAs) from across the Armed Services, both regular and reserve personnel.

Ex ROMAN PASHTUN 13/02 took place at CAST(S) in Warminster exercising staff from 21 Signal Regiment as the deploying CSR, RAF, 15 Sig Regt, 90 SU (TCW), DE&S ISS, the Royal Navy and 200 Sig Sqn. Arriving on Sunday night, everyone was accommodated in transit accommodation and fed in a field kitchen at the back of CAST(S); everyone agreed that the quality and quantity of food provided by the military chefs from 21 Sig Regt was spot on from the start.

The exercise comprised 2 phases; a briefing phase and an exercise phase. The briefings provided updates on any organisations the JFCIS(A) staff may work with whilst deployed, in addition to this the briefs included a Theatre reality and update brief. These were delivered by SMEs from across defence and included personnel who had flown back from Theatre to mentor the exercise. Ex ROMAN PASHTUN 13/02 was exceedingly lucky to have LTC Salcido USMC, the RC(SW) C6 arrive in the UK to participate in the Ex. LTC Salcido came to brief and discuss comms considerations from a US standpoint and kick-start the working relationship with the new JFCIS(A) staff prior to their arrival in Theatre.

The second phase was the exercise itself. This is where the staff work in a replica floorplate of the current JFCIS(A) and respond to serials injected by the DS. The serials were written in Theatre by the deployed JFCIS(A) and were then skilfully crafted into an exercise scenario during the writing week, the week before the exercise, by the DS and writing team. The writing team consists of previously deployed JFCIS(A) personnel (preferably from the last Op HERRICK tour) and SMEs from the major HQs. Special thanks are given to those members of the DS who attended at short notice to fill places resulting from people summoned elsewhere.

Wednesday was the VIP visit day. This was attended by a number of 1* officers from across the wider Defence J6 community including PJHQ ACOS J6 and HQ AIR AO A6. Briefings on the Ex construct and running preceded and opportunity to visit and see the exercising staff as well as EXCON and concluding the visit with a J6 deep dive session including briefings and discussions with LTC Salcido, which proved to be an extremely valuable opportunity.And the winner is… Brig Wilson and Capt Dunbavand’s entry to

the SSAFA Big Brew Bake Off



The pace of the exercise increased each day, with the mentors also being on hand to assist with expert and practical advice, often over a well earned brew. Over the course of the week 126 serials of varying complexity were injected with the final output being received on Friday morning. The final briefing from Comd 11 Sig Bde confirmed that the Op HERRICK 19 JFCIS(A) were fit to be declared at CTC 4 standard.

Race the Sun

The journey up to York from Donnington was a long and arduous precursor to Race the Sun, but more so for Capt Marcus Bailey, who had Maj Alex ‘he can talk’ Stanger as co-driver of the minibus. On arrival everyone piled into the gym to establish themselves in a prime location on the crash mats, though not as prime as the officer contingent who had managed to blag rooms in the Mess after a fortunate course cancellation by the AEC leaving 2 multi-rooms vacant! Some of the team deployed to York, with DCOS, Maj Ben ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ White kindly offering to drive us to a suitably posh Italian in town, he also treated us to multiple angled views of the riverside as he conducted a 12 point turn to get parked!

The event started with quite a few of us going to the river to help Capt Bailey into his Kayak after the short run from the camp down to the river. Not happy with just getting Capt Bailey into his Kayak, one member of the team offered his services around to other units competitors. Capt ‘Fancy a Push’ Flannery helped one individual, who was unable to move himself off the bank into the river, but in the process capsized him. He turned round to see his efforts being watched by various members of the organising committee and was heard to utter the words ‘It wasn’t me’ as they shook their heads while others laughed theirs off.

After Capt Bailey had got the team into a good position it was then the turn of WO1 (FofS) ‘Navigationally Challenged’ Waring who decided that he wasn’t happy doing just the 11km route, so he decided to add on an extra 8km - much to the delight of the then Bde Comd, Brig Jon Cole, who was waiting around at the start of Leg 3 for 40mins before he was allowed to set off. From that point on it was catch up for the team…

From then on, with every member busting a gut to try and claw back some time from the teams in front, including a couple of members injuring themselves for the cause, it was an uphill struggle. The morning events ended with the Half Marathon and then the 26km Mountain Bike.

The afternoon was far from straight forward; sandwiched between the Cycle Orienteering and the Bike/Run race was the dreaded Lake Swim up at Castle Howard. Sgt Neil Burnett and Maj Alex ‘Aquaman’ Stanger did themselves proud by finishing in the middle of the pack, with Maj Stanger managing to get the upper hand on the exit of the Lake as Sgt Burnett slipped whilst bowing to the applause from Brig Cole.

On the Cycle/Run Capt Roy Davies made up ground and a good change over saw him out onto the road to catch up the runners towards the front of the pack on his way back through the streets of York to Imphal Barracks. Then came the mass start of the Stretcher Race. Sig Lawrence sprinted off at the front for the first lap of the football pitch setting up a good position for the team to then attack the 2 laps of camp. At the end of the race all members were exhausted and were ready for some well earned refreshments at the post-race BBQ. As ever; a great day put on by 2 Sig Regt - we hope to improve upon our 6th place result next year.

Want a fight?

Everyone has an opinion on boxing and boxing matches; only those with sufficient mental and physical courage step through

the ropes…

Royal Signals Boxing

(find us on facebook) Sec: Capt Liam Tosh 94777 2218, Mgr/Coach: SSgt Nate Dorrian 94371 3177, Coach: Sgt Al Mousley 94423 2392 2SR-RHQ-RCMO 11SR-4Sqn-JCTT-SSI 30SR-SP-SETP-INSTTECH-SNCO


NEWS FROM REGIMENTS1st (UNITED KINGDOM) ARMOURED DIVISION

HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENTHERFORD

CO Lt Col J G HillRSM WO1 (RSM) D J Mears

The previous few months have delivered much change in 1 (UK) ADSR. The words “Have you informed 200 Signal Squadron?” are now prominently displayed in various locations around the Regiment as the Paderborn-based unit has become part of the Regiment. Meanwhile, 212 Sig Sqn drew the short straw and the number retired after a 201/212 Sig Sqn amalgamation of those who are to deploy on Op HERRICK next year. The changes have also meant 211 Sig Sqn has established itself as a varied comms empire carrying Bowman, Falcon and Cormorant.

The Regiment have recently deployed on Ex PREMIER KUSH, the first time the Regiment has deployed on exercise as a whole in a long time. It proved extremely successful for all involved and allowed 201 Sig Sqn to receive their all important green light to move into MST2.

Various sports seasons have now begun – the cross country team in particular has started strongly and aim to continue to do so. The Regimental alpine skiing and biathlon teams are raring to go and do well later on in the year!

Lister School Day – by Sig Wallington

On 13 September 1 (UK) ADSR had an army insight day, displaying different career options in the British Army. This was held at Lister school in Herford which local forces children attend. Members of the Regiment had a variety of different stands which were provided by a mixture of both internal Regimental departments and external units offering everything from demonstrations (and tasting) of ORP to photographs in a helicopter provided by 1AAC.

Members of Main Tp Sigs Mason and Wallington had the task of setting up a communications detachment to show off Bowman. We decided to go for the intercom approach - Sig Mason would sit in the front of the detachment and the children could talk on the intercom using the headset and

pressel in the rear. With the plan of action and the detachment set up to a good standard we waited for our first customers. To our left, there was a REME recovery stand which was pulling in a lot of interest and engaging the children by making the craftsmen do press ups. To our front, Sgt Richard had set up a counter IED lane treasure hunt with Valons to search for hidden treasure! To our right, the Provo Cpl, Cpl Wilde was drilling the children up and down and thrilling them by making their military escorts mark time. Children were going across the field to all other stands except ours. Could it be that the camouflage was so good they couldn’t see it? One class of young children finally decided to have a look at the detachment, where they thoroughly enjoyed communicating with Sig Mason but seemed to struggle with the operation of a pressel. That was the only class of the day. We did have a visit from SSgt Simmonds who claimed he couldn’t spot the detachment. I don’t know if that was down to the good work of the camouflage or his eye sight. With that being our only class of the day the decision was that we would help out with the much busier Lynx helicopter stand.

Despite the lack of visitors to our Bowman det, the day was great fun for the children of service families in Herford, and it highlighted the variety in the role of supporting the Divisional Headquarters in Germany.

BA (G) Cross Country League Race 1 – Wed 18 Sep, Paderborn – by Lt Haley

After a strong showing in the 2012/13 season which led to silverware for both teams, 1 (UK) ADSR’s hopes were high coming into the first race of the new season. This enthusiasm seemed to have spread through the entire Regiment, leading to the highly unusual situation of having more people wanting to run than spaces available. It seemed a shame to put a dampener on such a positive attitude, and so it was a probably record-breaking 17-strong male team and 6-strong female team that made their way to Barker Barracks, Paderborn to kick off the BA (G) league.

The course was a deceptively tricky one; though fairly flat, the combination of a long, slow gradual uphill and uneven ground made for an energy-sapping first kilometre. Further into the race was the clay phase, which led to several wondering why their legs were dragging before looking down and realising that half a field of mud was stuck to each trainer.

The female race concluded first, with 1ADSR taking a decisive win in the shape of 2Lt Hall, who demolished 3/4 of the male field, along with their morale, on her way to victory. She had solid support from newcomer Capt Dowdell in 5th, in front of cross country stalwarts Sig Royals, Sig Page and Pte Stevens. All 3 were in good form, finishing in the top 12.

In a highly competitive male race it was Sig Taylor who was first home for the team, finishing an excellent 7th in his first outing; LCpl Maosa was not far behind, also making the top 10. They were backed up by LCpl Healing and Sig Willis in 26th and 27th, with Sig Jones and Sig Colquhoun also performing well.Sigs Mason and Wallington await customers at Lister School day


All in all it was a very positive showing for the team, with several new talents being unearthed, and we look forward to the next race in the slightly more undulating Hameln. Joining forces with 200 Sig Sqn should make us a force to be reckoned with over the country this winter!

HEADQUARTER SQUADRON

OC Maj L CrossingSSM WO2 (SSM) B Anderson

The last few weeks have seen the 1 (UK) ADSR Training Wing go through a significant period of change; sadly we said a fond farewell Training Officer, Capt ‘Oz’ Faramus, who has left to seek new challenges in 1st Civ Div. The Wing also welcomes back Sgt Sam ‘Best endeavour’ Wilkinson from his all expenses paid holiday in the Ascension Islands.

Exercise PREMIER SKILLS – by Cpl Horton

EX PREMIER SKILLS was a BCCS exercise conducted at Sennelager training area, prior to the build-up training for OP HERRICK 20. The morning of deployment came round and as usual consisted of a silly o’clock start to pick up weapons, ammunition and students from the various camps in Herford. Once cleared onto the area it was evident that the main objective of the exercise was the passage and retention of information to the troops and not the ‘worst case scenario’

they had feared as a result of the inevitable rumour mill. The training commenced with a busy yet achievable training plan put together by Sgt Tony ‘SMI’ Richard with Sgt Sam Wilkinson and Cpl James ‘A to Z’ Sidorowicz assisting him with the delivery of lessons.

The first lessons of the day were to be more of a refresher to most and consisted of the basics needed to deploy a section into the field. Following this was basic patrolling techniques and a brief casualty extraction serial. After a break for lunch training

continued with a number of battle lessons to refresh and in some cases teach the students any updated training objectives.

Day one’s training had nearly finished, and all that was left was to put some of the day’s lessons into practice. The exercising troops took over and moved into their harbour area for the night to administrate themselves and prepare for the night’s final serial. This was to be a stalk/patrol as a section. Most points from the day's training had been absorbed and the night’s serial went well, with all students returning safely.

Day two started at first light, training began with various battle lessons that would prove useful for the final effort in the afternoon. This consisted of a patrol, contact and extraction of a casualty under fire. After the two days training this looked less ‘Dad’s Army’ and more like a group of professional soldiers.

On finishing the exercise the general consensus of the students was very positive with most if not all taking away something. Exercise PREMIER SKILLS is shaping up to be a semi regular BCCS exercise providing much needed low-level military training for the Regiment. We now look forward to the next PREMIER SKILLS and also PREMIER RANGE in the coming months.

REGIMENTAL TRAINING WING

Trg Offr Lt C MillerRTWO WO2 R Savage

Exercise PREMIER KUSH – by Sgt Wilkinson

Ex PREMIER KUSH was the first Regimental exercise carried out by 1 (UK) ADSR since the re-organisation of the squadrons. Held on Sennelager Training area, it was a mixture of trade training, communications and a BCCS phase for the lucky people of HQ Squadron. As 211 and 201 Squadron’s main effort was the establishment and maintenance of communications, this meant that we could concentrate our efforts on HQ Squadron. For the first couple of days myself and SSgt Winter had the pleasure of taking members of HQ through ARTS, while Sgt Richard began running serials for 201, who in a static location built a mock HICSS along with members of Regimental Ops with a room for JFCIS.

On the Tuesday it was the turn of the LAD to have a day of BCCS. Following the establishment of their harbour they were soon contacted and forced to ‘bug out’ to the ERV. Thinking it couldn’t get any worse, a typical ‘out of the frying pan into the fire’ situation ensued when they came under more fire and proceeded to get the second vehicle in the packet bogged in. In doing so Sgt Smyth forged himself a new nickname; Sgt ‘Bogged in Bernie’ Smyth which will definitely stay with him for the foreseeable future!

The Illustrious 1 (UK) ADSR Cross Country Competitors

GRENADE! HQ Sqn building clearence Back to basics practicing Sanger Drills


On the Wednesday and Thursday HQ then became tactical in the luxury of UDTA and manned a FOB for 36 hours. This meant plenty of sanger drills and stand to’s, along with patrolling in the immediate vicinity. This gave OC LAD Capt ‘Birdwatcher’ Swift the opportunity to get all ‘Rambo’ on us, wanting to give the juniors of HQ Squadron a sleepless night, however with SSgt ‘Task Force’ Jolly running the FOB they gave as good as they got!

It finished on the Thursday afternoon with the CO watching HQ carry out a final attack, their objective to take back 3 buildings. With SSgt ‘Task Force’ Jolly barking orders at the juniors the attack was carried out at pace, and the serial completed in no time. With the enemy unloading 2 GPMGs on to the attacking troops the first 2 minutes could have been compared to Saving Private Ryan, but their numbers were too great and the enemy was overrun within 30 minute.

Overall the exercise was a great success with each Squadron completing their objectives. Lessons were learnt along the way, whether it was trade related or BCCS, but it was a good starter for ten in preparation for Ex PREMIER KUSH 2 which is scheduled for early 2014. A big well done to all those involved.

201 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj A StannardSSM WO2 (SSM) R Scarcliff

The era of ‘New 201’ has begun. After a Regimental re-ORBAT, existing deployable Sqn 212 gained ‘old’ 201’s Anzio Troop and its illustrious Sqn OC, all reassembled under the mighty 201 Sig Sqn red stag. So it’s been all change on Harewood Barracks as we signed away Falcon, claimed Bowman and Reacher detachments and booted Tp Comds out

of their offices, all under the all-seeing eye of new SSM WO2 ‘Kiwi’ Scarcliff.

We hit the ground running after summer leave with a flurry of re-ORBAT-ing activity and a stack of STA courses which have restarted in earnest. Our first test as a Squadron was Ex PREMIER KUSH, which encompassed all R SIGNALS communication systems within the Regiment focussing on 201’s OTES capability. This was a hugely beneficial ‘fight for comms’ effort which saw some creative engineering solutions from Sgt Justin Copland’s FRT team, numerous PoP moves and plenty of education on the new kit. Alongside this, the SSM and Training Wing ran a series of military skills packages including GPMGs and the best sangar in Sennelager.

This month we sadly say goodbye to Sig ‘Taf’ Evans and Sig Chris Monnington who both migrate closer towards their Welsh homes as they prepare to start new careers as civilians. We wish you all the very best. In addition to the SSM, we welcome SSgt Paul Pierrepont and SSgt ‘Jonno’ Johnson.

Race the Sun (Regimental Team) – by Lt Baynes

This year 1(UK) ADSR entered two teams into the annual Race the Sun event. The major entry consisted of competitors from across the Regiment while the minor entry drew competitors from 211 Signal Squadron. In all a total of 35 competitors were put forward to compete in the event.

The event started early on the Thursday morning with an upstream kayak paddle along the River Ouse. From the off competitive spirit was high amongst the two ADSR teams and at the end of the first leg the Regimental team was ahead after a superb paddle from Sig Newton. 211 however were not willing to let this lead extend, as demonstrated by Sig Graham who closed the gap.

Leg 3 began with only a few seconds separating the two ADSR teams. Lt Mason drew on his triathlon experience to push the 211 team into the lead. Leg 4, the 5km hill run saw a regain from the Regt team after a fast time from Sig Gubb; however the 211 team was still ahead leading into the 12.5km forced march. The first of the three relay legs ended with 211 only just in the lead.

The second mass start of the event was Leg 7, the half marathon. LCpl Healing secured an admirable time, widening the gap between the two teams. Legs 8 and 9 saw a considerable regain by the Regt team; after two outstanding performances by Sig Crooke in the 10km fell run and Cpl Howells in the 24km mountain bike ride, they were back in the lead.

HQ Sqn leave the safety of the FOB on patrol

Cpl Abbot and Sig De Costa receive their medals for bravery on Ex PREMIER KUSH

Competitors line up at the start of the stretcher run on Race The Sun


The orienteering leg proved to be the crucial leg for all teams involved. Time could easily be gained or lost during this event and a first-rate effort from Sig Smith pushed the 211 team back into the lead. The next leg saw the best individual performance from the ADSR teams with LCpl Maosa coming 2nd overall in the 10km forest run. Cfn Arthur competed well in the Cycle Orienteering leg for the Regt team, tightening the gap between the ADSR competitors. The penultimate mass start of the race was the 900m open water lake swim. Both teams entered strong swimmers with ADSR competitors coming 5th & 7th overall.

The final leg of the race was the stretcher run around the perimeter of Imphal Barracks. By this point the winning team had already been decided; however that did not stop both ADSR entries fielding two strong stretcher teams. With SSgt Conley at the helm, the Regt team was first to finish from the ADSR teams; however 211 managed to secure the fastest overall time. The event was enjoyed by all competitors and many are eager to compete again next year.

211 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj T MoranSSM WO2 (SSM) M Tiplady

After a relatively relaxed summer break the Sqn is once again firing on all cylinders; following another reshuffle we have now welcomed Falcon Tp into the fold, complete with some new faces and several familiar ones. The recent deployment on Ex PREMIER KUSH provided an opportunity for many to reacquaint themselves with living in the field and, most importantly, how to put up really big tents (and camouflage them in the case of Tac Tp). The exercise was a good shake-out and the Sqn performed well throughout.

The Sig to LCpl board was a successful one for the Sqn – many congratulations to Sigs Brown, Evans, Fidler, Hacking, Jenkinson, Lea, Offord, Parnell, Smith and Sym on their selection for promotion. New arrivals include WO2 (SSM) Mike Tiplady, 2Lt Brett Johnston, who takes command of Falcon Tp, Cpl Rose, Sig Mould and Sig Willis. Meanwhile, we said goodbye to SSgt Brady, Cpl Zimmerman and Cpl Bramley, all of whom are taking the leap into civilian life, and LCpl Cash who has been posted to 10 Sig Regt. We wish them the best of luck for the future.

Exercise RUBBER RHINO – by Sig Rennie

On 3 August 2013, members of 211 Sig Sqn deployed on Ex RUBBER RHINO. The exercise was held in the lakes of Mohnesee, the home of the Dam Busters movie. In no time at all upon arriving at the sailing centre the troops were split

into groups for the duration of the Ex. Raring to go everyone was quick to get into the wetsuits provided.

Both groups got handed paddleboards and oars, and all were eager to show off our skills; these however proved to be horrendous providing much entertainment for all involved. A lunch break consisting of lasagne gave us back some of the energy we needed to commence with the afternoon activities. Both groups proceeded to try out wind surfing in the baking hot sun, however after 2 hours, we realised none of us were good at this either. It was therefore back to mastering the paddleboards for the remainder of the day. 4 o’clock came, and after more food and a few beers overlooking the lake, it was time for the evening’s activities consisting of table tennis and pool. The strenuous day however proved too much for the troops who quickly fell asleep around 2230!

Day 2 and the chance to board the dinghys. This proved eventful for LCpl ‘Shacks’ Shackleton’s dizzying height of 6”4 which, when combined with the constant swinging of the mast, meant he was ducking throughout. In the afternoon it was time for some competitive raft building. With the rafts built in a measly 10 minutes allotted time, they were never going to be sturdy vessels. Unfortunately the group consisting of myself Sig ‘Scouse’ Willis, Sig ‘Barksy’ Barks, Cfn Sam Barrett, Cfn ‘Ginge’ Arthur, Cfn ‘Mojo’ Morris and Sig ‘Nerd’ Barnard lost. As a result a forfeit was required. Following a quick nomination and myself being the unlucky individual it was required that I squeeze into a woman’s bathing suit and swim 50 metres to a buoy and back, luckily there were no cameras at this point!

The 2 days were great fun and all who participated learnt a huge amount. The main thing to come from the exercise was some good examples of teamwork and squadron cohesion. A big thank you goes to the British Army Sailing Centre Mohnesee for a brilliant 2 days.

Race the Sun (211 Sig Sqn Team) – by Lt Archambeau

Sept 5 2013 will forever be the day that 1 (UK) ADSR was conquered by the comparatively ‘minor’ 211 Signal Squadron in a fiercely competitive Race the Sun. The ‘Mighty’ 211 was led into battle by Lt Archambeau, a diminutive yet highly capable and athletic leader of men, in a classic David vs Goliath showdown of epic proportions. Cfn Lawler started well in the canoe leg before Sig Graham made up plenty of time during the river run on a wandering Sig Blythe, who was intent on exploring the locals’ back gardens. Both headed into transition shoulder to shoulder, leaving the battle well open for the remainder of the competition.

Former Lanyard brethren, SSgt Conley and Sig Colquhoun, went head to head on a gruelling forced march, with the latter schooling his former master by 3 minutes over 12.5km. The Regimental and 211 teams used mountain bikes on the cycle orienteering, drawing a few interesting looks from others loading their road bikes onto the wagons. Several strong performances followed throughout the day, particularly Sig Smith who beat 2Lt Parsons (of the enemy) by an impressive 30 minutes during the orienteering! Sig Phillips sympathetically allowed Sig McQuade (of the enemy) to gain a marginal victory of 1 minute over the moor run, enough to give them a glimpse of hope in beating their lower formation.

It all came down to a head-to-head battle on the final event, a 3km stretcher race, and true to form the ‘Mighty’ 211 once again overpowered the Regimental team. Both teams competed admirably, but in the end the ‘Mighty’ 211 defeated the Regimental team by a well earned 6 minutes, finally raising the battleaxe in victory. Lt Baynes will surely be wondering where it all went wrong and whether next May will bring redemption.

1 (UK) ADSR Race The Sun teams pose following the stretcher race


2nd SIGNAL REGIMENTYORK

CO Lt Col HargreavesRSM WO1 (SSM) Mason

219 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj RoseSSM WO2 (SSM) Blowes

CivPop Support to 22 SAS – by LCpl Carwardine

So as the green and keen members of 2 Signal Regiment get ready to deploy as ‘CivPop’ for a SAS pre-deployment training exercise, there is much speculation about what the week will entail. Luxury accommodation and Gucci serials; being rugby tackled from moving trains was the word on the grapevine. This was all a lie.

Although the accommodation was a ‘pretend church’ and everyone was squashed together on camp-cots, the week turned out to be quite comfortable. Maybe not so much for the people being shot at with paint bullets or those wearing costume dress for extended periods of time, but that’s all part of the fun!

We had 2 birthday girls during the week, Sig Georgie Watton and Sgt Marie Thomas, whom received a lovely birthday cake and a humiliating breakfast in the makeshift scoffhouse with the whole of 1 UK Civ Div singing Happy Birthday!

So all in all it was a quiet week, enjoyed by all, playing dressing up and being shot at by our finest SAS and generally getting amongst it.”

MATT Week - by LCpl Hedges

The week that every soldier looks forward to had finally arrived for 219 Signal Squadron – MATTS week. Organised by Cpls Cole and Rodway, I am sure I can speak for everyone in the Squadron when I say a chance to brush up on our basic soldiering skills was a tantalising treat.

Things got off to an early start at 0700 on Monday, with a PFA testing everyone after the weekends' excesses. From there we moved on to a whirlwind of PowerPoint presentations on MATT 6 – Values and Standards. Lt Ingold gave a virtuoso performance from the podium, earning the rapt attention of the audience. That, or everyone was fearfully contemplating tomorrow's CBRN lessons. Things began innocuously enough, with Cpl Ireson running through the skills and drills like the consummately professional instructor he is – professional enough to have confirmed that one can, in fact, sleep in the GSR. After a few attempts at getting the new GSR onto our ‘fizz ogs’ (that’s face... I think) we were well prepared for the horrors of the chamber. The fact that actual CS gas was going to be used brought tears to a few eyes even before they stepped inside. Rumours abound that Cpl Ireson may have inhaled some gas... When he stops coughing we will ask him about that.

Next up was another early start at the ranges, where Sig Kasper was to distinguish himself with some frantic reading of the score monitor, where he was ably assisted by Lt Noone. Most were able to pass the ACMT with the most minor of hiccups, but Sig Pecks’ insistence of shooting from the hip held him back from passing the 300 metre shoot for some time. If anyone happens to be passing Strensall ranges please bring him home, we are starting to worry about him.

The week was rounded off with navigation, excellently taught by SSgt Smith, as well as perhaps the most efficient Operation Law lesson ever taught by Lt Noone. It was a good week and it is always good to make sure that the basic soldiering skills that underpin all the work we do are up to scratch. The instructors, organisers and soldiers in attendance all put in a fantastic effort, and hopefully the Squadron will reap the rewards as we look forward to our upcoming military exercises.

246 GURKHA SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj M BarrattSSM WO2 (SSM) Suresh Gurung

The preceding 12 months have been defined by the Pre-Deployment Training and subsequent deployment on Op HERRICK 17. 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron deployed to man and run the HICSSS in September 2012 for a period of 6 months. During this deployment the Squadron we achieved a 99.5% availability of Communication Information Services throughout Helmand and successfully conducted 13 Base Closures setting the conditions for the upcoming withdrawal. The Squadron also completed 9 major projects and 281 Requests for Changes.

Our involvement on operations continues and we currently have two soldiers deployed in Afghanistan on HERRICK 18.

Since returning to the UK in May, 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron has conducted multi-activity Adventure Training in Wales and

Sig ‘Goffy’ Gough holding an AK-47


trekking in the USA. The Squadron has also supported Race the Sun, the Lanyard Trophy and was the Regimental lead for Trailwalker.

246 Gurkha Signal Squadron is now re-rolling from a Campaign Signal Regiment to a Multi Role Signal Regiment (MRSR) and is starting Hybrid Foundation Training to prepare for worldwide deployments as an MRSR from December 2014. A number of personalities have changed within the Squadron; Maj Orr has been replaced by Major Barratt as the OC, WO2 Durga has been replaced by WO2 Suresh Gurung as the SSM.

Sek-Kong Troop Development Day - by LCpl Ishwor Pun

On 4 Sep 13, 23 members of Sek-Kong Troop participated on the Troop Development day. The main aim of the day was to build team cohesion and improve the relationship between Troop personnel as well as to enhance the organisational skills of the Troop’s JNCOs and potential JNCOs.

In the midst of our hectic work schedule I was given this wonderful opportunity to organise this fun filled event. Outdoor go karting and a tour of the local Brewery were the main highlights of the day.

On the day we assembled at 0830hrs in front of the Troop lines. After a short briefing about the day we embarked on our journey to outdoor go karting at Tockwith, which was highly anticipated by our participants. As a bonus the weather was warm and sunny and favoured us throughout the day. The go kart track is about 800m long with a best recorded lap time of 39 seconds so far. We agreed to go for the 90 minute session which included a 15 minute qualifying round followed by 75 minutes of racing. There were seven teams of three and one team of two racers. The race initially began with fun banter but quickly ended up being quite competitive, which was of course expected as a group of soldiers. After 75 minutes of a fairly tough competition, group five (Cpl Johnson, LCpl Lewis and Sig Yam) emerged as winners and bagged the trophies. We tried hard to beat the track record yet the closest we came was 44 seconds set by LCpl Lewis.

The second phase was a visit to the local Brewery at Micklegate, York. Established in May 1996 inside the historic Micklegate Bar Walls, York Brewery is both a traditional working brewery and a major tourist attraction providing customers locally and around the country with the first real ales from within the walls of York for over 40 years. One of the representatives from the Brewery gave us an educational tour around the plant. As we are no strangers to drinking beer and ale it was a good experience getting to know how it actually gets prepared. The tour ended with drinking the finest ale locally brewed.

Overall, it was a wonderful day to remember. As my first experience to organise an event, it was not that difficult however definitely not as easy as I thought it would be. As the organiser it was a proud moment for me to receive all the positive feedback from the participants.

Operation JANA (Op HERRICK 18) - by Sig Rajan Thapa

Op JANA is a joint operation in Afghanistan consisting of the Army, RAF and Civilians. The sole purpose of Op JANA is to upgrade the operating system on the Mission Secret Computers throughout the whole of Helmand Province. We deployed on 7 April 2013. 2 Signal Regiment contributed 9 personnel of which 6 were from 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron. Upon our arrival in Afghanistan, we conducted RSOI, which was 5 days of training to bring everyone up to speed on the current TTPs in Theatre.

After RSOI the JANA team were shown to their workplace in Bastion 1. It was a small compound behind the Role 3 Hospital, where we would be spending not far off every single hour of our tour. Most of the time is spent in the 18x24 tent where the factory is. The factory is where we receive the legacy computers and then upgrade them in a factory line process.

We were divided into three different teams with each having its own role. The ‘Build’ team, ‘Rollout’ team and ‘Floorwalking’ team. The role of the ‘Build’ team was to upgrade the computers to Windows 7 and install the software applications. The build process was lengthy and would take up a lot of time during the day, so we had to split the team into two sections. One section would build during the day, while the other group would build during the night. After the build process, the computers were ‘Rolled Out’ to various sites around Helmand Province. The ‘Rollout Team’ worked throughout the night installing the new computers in place of the old ones. This is a lengthy process because of the testing that has to be done on the new network to ensure that everything is working correctly. When the ‘Rollout Team’ have completed their shift, the ‘Floor Walking team’ turn up at the site during normal working hours and assist users who have problems either using the new operating system or have network problems.

The operation is scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2013. By that time we would have been on tour for four and a half months. We are now currently into the last month of the tour and everything seems to be going as planned. By the end of the operation, we would have upgraded around 2000 Mission Secret computers. We are looking forward to our decompression in Cyprus, where a good rest is long due.

Sek-Kong Tp Go-Karting

The Troop trying to organise the proverbial in a brewery


Welcoming of the Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas and the Commanding Officer of 2 Signal Regiment - by SSgt Sanjeev Rai

11 September 2013 was a tremendous night to host Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas Col J G Robinson and welcome the new CO 2 Signal Regiment, Lt Col I Hargreaves. It was also our honour to welcome OC 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron, Maj M Barratt, into the QG Signals family.

It was an exciting night due to our interesting and important guests, each of whom came from differing backgrounds and varying experiences with Gurkhas. This was the first time that the CO and OC were exposed to a Gurkha community and both enjoyed themselves, particularly the ‘Utyo Basyo’ dancing. Sqn 2IC, Capt Lok Bahadur Gurung grabbed this perfect moment to handover a charity cheque to the Col BG for the Gurkha Welfare Trust. The money was raised by 246 GSS during the Squadron's operational tour in Afghanistan. He also presented a few mementoes from Afghanistan to the Gurkha Museum on behalf of the Squadron.

The Venue was lively as always with families and children, beautiful music and cultural programme adding an extra flavour. The night was a combination of traditional values with a modern touch. A lot of effort was put in by all Squadron members to make it happen despite everyone’s very busy schedules. A big thank goes to Sgt Navinkaji for his leadership and dedication to making this function a valuable and enjoyable one.

Jai 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron!

SUPPORT SQUADRON

OC Maj BurdusSSM WO2 (SSM) Gleave

QM (T) Department

Well those who imagined for one second that 2 Sig Regt was going to be quiet on the return from POTL were made to think again!! Sp Sqn has hit the ground running since return from leave spearheading the successful implementation of FALCON and the logistical nightmare that is ‘Race the Sun’. Justified in the result though! Over a two week period in July a period of Adventure Trg in the stunning scenery of Capel Curig North Wales, organised by QMSI WO2 ‘Dusty’ Miller and his team, a welcome change from the usual PT lessons!! With plenty of options to whet the appetite such as kayaking, mountain biking and hill walking, the 100 plus participants thoroughly enjoyed it. More MATT 5 navigation training required for those small few that think getting lost is funny!! You know who you are!!!

The QM Dept has seen a complete turn around of personnel with QM, Capt Paul Haughton, leaving for sunnier climates starting in the Australian Army. Tranche 3 of redundancies also had its casualties with the RQMS, WO2 Lee Francis and Cpl Sy Flynn both opting for voluntary release. The Sqn wishes the both well on all future endeavours.

New arrivals: QM, Capt Paul Buckley, RQMS, WO2 John Atwell, Sgt Dave Bates and Cpl Kerry Jordison are welcomed into the Dept, a busy period of preparation lies ahead with “MJDI” being a crocodile biting the end of the boat.

Regimental MT

The MT section of 2 Signal Regiment had a busy period organising the transport for the annual Race the Sun competition, a challenging event for even the fittest of athletes. A special mention goes to Sgt ‘Paddy’ McCrum for marshalling the vast amounts of mini buses and cars needed to transport competitors around North Yorkshire where the race takes place, and to the drivers who took them there. The day went off without a hitch and also saw another Race the Sun victory for 2 Signal Regiment. The day’s events were brought to an end with a BBQ for those who had taken part and helped organise the race, the party continued long into the night.

With FALCON arriving into the Regiment and the treat that is ECI just round the corner, the MT is gearing up for an eventful few months.

L – R: Capt Lok, Maj Barratt, Col Robinson, Lt Col Hargreaves and WO2 Suresh

3rd (UNITED KINGDOM) DIVISION HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL REGIMENT

BULFORD

206 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj SpencerSSM WO2 (SSM) Harrison

Exercise FLEDGLING RHINO - by Sig E Stevenson

We deployed to Otterburn where the first two days were spent doing weapon handling tests for the personal weapon and the GPMG and doing lessons ready to deploy onto the FTX phase. Deploying on to the exercise area we started with an insertion tab. What went from a 2 - 3 mile tab turned into

LCpl Tannock breaking himself on the first day of the exercise.

Once we settled into our new home in the woods we started doing further lessons. When we finished lessons we got straight into the thick of it doing many recce and clearance patrols. We jumped into our first Platoon attack which went off without a hitch. Shortly after, LCpl ‘Gunny’ Dearden had a fight with a tree and lost when she got poked in the eye by a branch. We moved onto the ambush where Sig ‘Harbour Area’ Strangward stayed back to guard Sig ‘Admin’ Peck’s underwear which was left drying in the trees. On the ambush Lt ‘the tall one’ Eaton was ‘killed’ making Cpl Barley step up


until Lt ‘the short one’ Eaton replaced him. Sgt ‘I can go anywhere in a Man Truck’ Swales got stuck in the mud twice, even the LAD got stuck trying to rescue him.

At the end of the week we moved on to the final attack. The first position was at the top of the biggest hill in Christendom. After making it up to the top there were a further three positions and as usual we got casualties carrying them over terrain that even a mountain goat would turn his nose up at. Once we got to the hard standing, the exercise finished and we had a Squadron photo.

Week 2 was the live range phase starting with a weapon handling test for the Browning pistol and the personal weapon. We moved on to the CQB range where Sig ‘Stevo’ Stevenson tied himself up with his own weapon sling. After that we moved on to the steady climb from individual fire and movement to full section attacks on some of the hilliest ranges in the world. All in all we had a good exercise ready for a well deserved three week summer leave.

Exercise IRON RESOLVE - by LCpl K Middleton

On Monday 2 Sep, 206 SIG SQN deployed to Barton Stacey Training Area (BSTA) to begin the build of a Div HQ. The plan was to build a Main HQ, a Forward HQ and a TAC HQ.

The first two weeks consisted of building the HQ; this consisted of 5 J Tents and approximately 50 DRASh tents along with razor wire perimeter, sleeps tents and a field kitchen. Meanwhile another troop were building the forward HQ, This consisted of 6 DRASh tents, sleeps tents and razor wire perimeter all under a large Cam Net. A small group of soldiers from the Royal Ghurkha Rifles set up the TAC HQ which consisted of two 9x9 tents and two Bowman detachments.

The third week was the comms build. As a Sqn we provided over 200 MAGPIE workstations and phones, approximately 50 Bowman COMBAT terminals and approximately 50 Falcon VoIP phones. During this week the Mercian Regiment arrived to provide RLS. They quickly put up sleeps tents for all the Div staff and set up a super kitchen. The food was outstanding, always a large choice of quality food. They also took over guard of the training area leaving us free to prepare for the exercise.

The following week was dedicated to testing all the comms equipment and final titivation in preparation for Div staff to occupy the HQ. On the Thursday morning we had discovered disaster had struck. During the night a J tent had collapsed due to heavy rain. Everybody worked together helping to

empty the J tent of all the comms equipment in order to re-erect it and be ready for the staff’s arrival. Due to many hands and a lot of hard work the J tent was re-erected and all equipment put back in, all in time for the exercise to begin

After the staff arrived the following week was busy. We had few faults with the equipment and the exercise ran smoothly. Any faults we had were quickly sorted by our 1st and 2nd line support teams. The staff consisted of all ranks from Private to Major General over numerous nationalities and a large amount of professionalism was shown by everyone.

After a successful Exercise the div staff left the area leaving us to tidy up and prepare for visits from a large range of people from many nationalities, mainly ranking Major and above. Stands were set up for the officers to walk around and get an idea of how things are done, not just across the Royal Signals but wider too. Members of the Royal Artillery arrived and set up their own stand demonstrating many different systems from their beloved AS90 (which promptly ran over the water supply pipe) to ISTAR.

Thursday 10 October saw the end of the last visit and the much welcomed start of teardown. However we had to tear down in a specific way in order to pack the kit properly into ISO containers as it was being transported to Cornwall for another exercise only 2 weeks later.

Magpie - by Sig Cummings

206 Signal Squadron deployed with Magpie ICS for the first time on EX IRON RESOLVE 13. We were very fortunate to have support from 22 Signal Regiment, who have been working with Magpie longer than us, making the new experience that little bit easier. We also had support from 16 Signal Regiment who provided us with responders and Service Desk personnel, meaning we were free to focus on the management of the network and applications.

3 section at FLEDGLING RHINO ENDEX

Lt Eaton briefs in the MAIN HQ Ex IRON RESOLVE


30

The Squadron deployed two Magpie nodes. The small node was deployed within FORWARD HQ and was responsible for providing phones and terminals to 10 users. The medium node was deployed within MAIN HQ, where the node was responsible for providing phones and terminals to over 300 users. As the medium node is designed for 48 users on all three domains, we had to scale up the system and utilise some commercial civilian kit to bring it up to task, which was provided by the contractor.

As with most systems, when introducing the staff we were rectifying problems from the offset, at times they seemed to be coming in faster than we could rectify them. One user in particular seemed to forget his password and needed his account unlocking every 30 minutes! But this was benefiting ourselves as it was giving us more time to get hands on the kit, which was still so new to the unit and ourselves. As previously mentioned we had the knowledge of troops from 22 Signal Regiment to draw on. They shadowed us from the build all the way through to the tear down, ready to help us when we came across something we hadn’t experienced before. The knowledge given from their past experience from the kit made the exercise run more smoothly. They were also happy to give us a lot of on the job training which was invaluable for our development with Magpie. We are extremely thankful to both 22 Signal Regiment and 16 Signal Regiment for their patience and support.

During the ex, to further help ourselves we were also making our own list of SOPs for future deployments to ensure efficient and robust service for the upcoming exercise down in St Mawgan and for the next 6 weeks! Roll on Christmas!

Reacher – by LCpl Trask, Sig Bindley and Sig Humberstone

The 206 Signal Squadron Reacher detachment deployed on Ex IRON RESOLVE in support of the Main HQ to allow the Divisional Staff Officers the ability to use communications systems such as Magpie , Falcon and Housekeeper.

Reacher is a satellite communications system that is used as a bearer for other systems to move information to their relevant servers. This allows them use of phones and data via laptops on Mission Secret (MS), NATO Secret (NS) and NATO Unclassified (NU).

On 10 September we deployed to Barton Stacey training area in preparation for the arrival of up to 300 staff officers two weeks later. The initial set up should have taken around 3

hours but because of problems we had to call Sgt Swales, the subject matter expert, and even with his help it still took around 24 hours.

Once up and running the detachment was reliable and successfully allowed the officers to use their phones and laptops to communicate outside of the headquarters to Forward and Excon.

Once the Divisional Exercise had finished we had to move the detachment in preparation for the Land Component Power Demonstration visit. Once set up again Sig Bindley, Sig Stubbs and Sgt Swales then had to give presentations to visiting officers, giving them a slight insight to this system.

The first fault we had to contend with was the solid state power amp (SSPA) that short circuited. It is a major piece of equipment that sits on the antennae. When it tripped the back up circuit kicked in and recorded a fault on the staff users laptops. When we contacted Paradigm, the contractors for Reacher, we were told the SSPA would have 24 hours to live and we needed to order a new one ASAP.

The other fault that occurred was the trailer generator needed to be changed, so again we had to call Paradigm, who said we could have a new one that day if we could drive the det there. However Sgt Swales, the only Reacher driver on the exercise, was not around the area and the detachment was still providing the link which meant we couldn’t get the generator that day. Therefore we called them back and got it delivered to the exercise area the next day.

The exercise as a whole was 6 weeks long with 2 weeks setting up, a week for the officers to train, a week exercise for them followed by the Staff College Visit then tear down.

The exercise was good as it taught us how to work as a team. Sig Humberstone, Sig Stubbs and LCpl Trask are new to working with Reacher in a field environment and were great additions to the crew.

During the 6 weeks we were sleeping in tents that where also set up by 1 Mercian, who provided RLS for the exercise and a superb field kitchen.

We are now back from Ex IRON RESOLVE and are now preparing to deploy to RAF St Mawgan on Ex IRON TRIANGLE, again supporting the Divisional Headquarters and this will take us up to Chrismas leave, which we are all looking forward to!

14th SIGNAL REGIMENT(ELECTRONIC WARFARE)

HAVERFORDWEST

CO Lt Col Mark PurvesRSM WO1 (RSM) Michael Taylor

Royal Signals Airborne Reunion Caythorpe – by Sig Robertson

As part of the re-emerging Parachute LEWT Capability held within 14 Sig Regt (EW), I and other qualified officers and soldiers visited Caythorpe village near Lincoln for the annual Airborne Signals reunion. The weekend and its location originate from 1st and 6th Airborne Division, Divisional Signals training locally in preparation for Operation MARKET GARDEN. After the war a few survivors started visiting the village on the anniversary of Arnhem. They would visit the Church and remember lost Comrades. As time passed by the event became officially recognised and is now hosted by 216

(Parachute) Signal Squadron. The Squadron also leads with the memorial service for all comrades lost in Arnhem and other conflicts to date. In addition it has created a Book of Remembrance with each operational death of an airborne signaller recorded.

On the Friday we travelled up to Caythorpe village arriving at 1700hrs and within an hour we had met Soldiers from 216 in the RV know as the Wagon and Horses. The atmosphere was great, it was a lot more welcoming than I had expected with the ethos and tight knit bond being something I had never seen before.

The Saturday morning we had recovered quite well from the night before and were back into the festivities by noon.


During the afternoon a village fete was on going which included lots of activities from charity stalls, the 216 PRI shop and the annual football match between Caythorpe and 216 Signal Squadron, which 216 won 1-0. The evening saw us continue to socialise with current and ex serving airborne signallers, enjoying another outstanding night.

On the Sunday we donned blazer kit and attended the memorial service which was held at the Church of St Vincent. Here Veterans and serving soldiers from all around the country turned up to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Looking back I really enjoyed the weekend, the soldiers from 216 were really accepting of us and inquisitive towards 14 Sig Regt's Para LEWT. I also learned to appreciate the history behind what I have recently become, an Airborne Signaller.

CO’s Mystery Event - by Sig Catracchia

Thursday 26 September saw members of each Sqn take part in the Mystery Event of the CO’s cup competition. There were 5 Sqns taking part; Sp, 245, 237, 223 and 236. The event itself took place from Newgale Beach, along the sand and back up to the gymnasium along a set route.

The teams were lined up at the start point on Newgale Beach, the tide slowly creeping in. The QMSI armed with his megaphone set them off on their way not knowing what arduous activities were ahead of them. Five minutes in across the beach the teams were greeted by 5 strapping young PTIs stood next to a stretcher, the fun was about to begin!

After a Km of constant encouragement from the PTIs they were finally relieved of their stretcher duties and onto the next gruelling section of the Mystery event. The teams were to traverse through 100 metres of waist high water before an uphill climb, the gradient of which matched that of some of the Himalayan Mountains. Once at the top they then had to make their way down the opposite side known as the ‘Steps of Woe’. At the bottom they then had to make their way up Penycwm Hill also known as ‘The Travelator’ because it is a never ending hill of around 800m.

The next phase was a dash to crash gate 21 where they had to pick up 3 Land Rover tyres and carry them a Km to the gym where the spectators were waiting to cheer their Sqn on through the next phase of the event. Once they had reached the gym it was a sprint finish of a 5Km bike and 2Km row.

Finally after being pushed to their physical limits the last phase of the event was a test of their grey matter with a military orientated general knowledge quiz. This was where the teams could have won or lost the event. For every question they got right the teams knocked a whole minute off their overall time.

As the panting subsided the CO commended all those that participated and with some nervous faces the QMSI revealed the results.

5th place with a time of 1hr 10min 55secs were 236 Sqn. 4th place with a time of 1hr 5min 45secs were 223 Sqn. 3rd place with a time of 1hr 2min 14secs were Sp Sqn. 2nd place with a time of 59mins 55secs were 237 Sqn.

And the winner of the CO’s Mystery event 2013 with an overall time of 59mins 47secs, were 245 Sqn.

223 SIGNAL SQUADRON (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)

OC Maj Miles NettleshipSSM WO2 (SSM) David Cocoran

Exercise OP MARKET GARDEN 2013 – by Sig Corden

Op MARKET GARDEN took place over the period 17 – 25 September 1944 in and around the area of Arnhem, Holland. Members of the 1st Airborne Divisional Signals deployed on what is said to be the greatest airborne operation of all time. Each year this operation is commemorated by soldiers from each country involved in Op MARKET GARDEN, with an anniversary parachute jump onto one of the drop zones used in World War Two. In the early hours of Thursday 19 September SSgt Wildman and I arrived at 16 Brigade’s Merville Barracks in Colchester. Met with three coach loads of 16X personnel of varying cap badges and a dreaded horror bag for breakfast we departed on a 10 hour coach journey to Harskamp, Holland. We arrived in the early evening and there was little else for us to do but visit the NAFFI and introduce ourselves to our Dutch, German and American counterparts over a few beverages. The following morning we were to find out which of the four aircraft we were going to be jumping from, the British C160, the American C160 or one of the two German C160 aircraft. We were informed that we would be jumping the second wave in a German C160. This meant that with German air dispatchers and T10 parachutes we would qualify as German Fallschemjagers earning our German wings. After a full day of ground training and familiarisation of the T10 parachute we got an early night for the early start on Saturday.

The next morning we loaded our bergans onto the coaches and set off on a 90 minute journey to Eindhoven airport. We arrived to see two Dakotas firing up and the remaining aircraft lined up ready to go. There was an air of excitement as we collected our parachutes and carried out our compulsory checks ready to emplane. A couple of hours went by whilst we waited for the first wave to drop and the aircraft to return. Finally it was time to emplane, SSgt Wildman made sure he was going to be first out followed by myself. We approached the drop zone and got ready to jump but we were delayed at the last minute by the dispatcher as two German parachutists had pulled their reserve. We circled round and approached the DZ again, this time the sirens sounded and we were out the door. As soon as I had landed I packed my chute away and took my phone out of my pocket to film the last aircraft. We tabbed off the DZ and dropped our chute and kit off at the HGVs. We were met by hundreds of people stood watching and walking around the various stalls that had been set up for the day. We headed back to Harskamp for the wings parade where everybody who took part received the relevant wings they had qualified for that

And they’re off! 14SR (EW) competitors at the start line


day. The evening’s entertainment was an awesome night out in a bustling Arnhem town centre, we were told to dress in full kit which seemed to attract a fair amount of free alcohol from all directions. All in all the entire weekend was brilliant. Fingers crossed the Unit gets allocated parachutes for next years 70th anniversary. Airborne!!


OC Maj Kelly BurmanSSM WO2 (SSM) Gary Lawson

White Water Rafting and Social in Cardiff – by LCpl Sevenoaks

On Wednesday 14 August 2013 236 Signal Squadron (EW) assembled outside the lines ready to depart for an experience that would prove to be a couple of steps left of the normal. White water rafting, not on a turbulent stretch of river surrounded by nature’s bounty but in the middle of Cardiff, adjacent to a busy road.

The Squadron duly piled onto a coach driven by the intrepid LCpl Nick Rutherford and headed off down the M4 for a day of rafting followed by an evening meal in the Welsh capital.

As the coach wound through the centre of the city many members of the Squadron were expressing a mixture of hope (for a good day), and anxiety (rafting in the middle of a city, still a strange prospect). But upon arrival at the large building located next to a swimming pool things started looking up.

A quick brief from the safety team at the complex (don’t drown) followed by the signing of some waivers and distribution of wetsuits and we were off!

The Squadron members were broken down into groups of 8 and taken under the wing of one of the local instructors. They were then thrown into a raft and taught the basic skills and drills that would hopefully prevent capsize later in the morning. Once each raft had honed its synchronisation and teamwork they subsequently spent the best part of 2 hours navigating the rapids around the UK’s only on-demand white water rafting centre.

The course was, surprisingly, fantastic, and despite LCpl Gareth Walker’s best attempts to capsize as many rafts as possible in our limited time, he only succeeded in capsizing himself...

As our allocated time at the rafting centre drew to an all too soon closure, the Squadron’s dedicated photographers Cpl Tex Walker, LCpl Neil Dawson and LCpl Gav Austin were on

hand to take shots of the troops peeling themselves out of wetsuits before retiring for a well earned brew.

Post rafting we jumped back on the coach and straight to the world class accommodation of Maindy Barracks in central(ish) Cardiff and after a quick brief from the SSM, WO2 Lawson, about the dangers of irritating the Heddlu (no idea either...), it was onwards to dinner and a great chance to sample the delights of Cardiff before the Squadron’s deployment on Op HERRICK 19.


OC Maj Jane EllisSSM WO2 (SSM) Bruce Morrison

Exercise FOXES WARRIOR – by LCpl Harrison and Sig Mitchell

237 Signal Squadron deployed on Ex FOXES WARRIOR for ten days in order to develop our core military skills and improve our cohesion as a unit. The exercise took place on the Lulworth and Caerwent training areas.

The first phase began at Lulworth training area. We deployed to FOB George and settled in to a non-tactical routine. The next few days were about teaching and developing our skills, not about being trashed across the area. That came later. Our initial lessons were the very basic skills that we all think we know, but this proved to not quite be the case. Cam and concealment, reaction to effective enemy fire and CASEVACs were amongst our initial lessons, all carried out dry and with plenty of practice and instruction given by the exercise DS. However, not all of us found this to be a simple refresher, and some basic mistakes were made i.e. facing the wrong way in a firefight, or running across a friendly base of fire.

We also completed a night NavEx, and practiced giving orders. The NavEx went smoothly, with only a couple of teams coming in over time, and the orders process, which had been almost completely alien to some of us before, was now something the majority of us could be comfortable with, regardless of rank or appointment.

The second phase of the exercise was still on Lulworth training area, but instead of the non-tactical routine we had been enjoying in FOB George, we deployed out in to the field and in to a harbour area. After patrolling from the FOB to the harbour with all of our kit, we set about our harbour drills which we had been rehearsing the previous day. Although we had practiced what we needed to do, it was evident that some work was still required.

SSgt Wildman and Sig Corden pre jump

Members of 236 Sig Sqn (EW) navigate the rapids of Cardiff International White Water


Luck would have it that our first night in the harbour would go undisturbed. We all managed to get a decent sleep, even with our stag commitments, and were ready to continue our training the following day. We went through section attacks, obstacle drills, and interacted with the exercise CivPop.

Our second night in the harbour once again went peaceably, but it was not to last. After morning stand down we experienced simulated IDF and had to quickly bug out of that area to our ERV. We extracted to the ERV and then made our way back to FOB George, ready to get some well deserved rest before deploying to the next phase of the exercise.

The third phase of the exercise began with our deployment from Lulworth to Caerwent training area. As soon as we entered the training area, the excellent play from the exercise CivPop could be seen; burning pallets, transport pelted with rubbish, and they even tried to get in to some of the vehicles!

We deployed to the ‘UN Compound’, which would serve as our safe area throughout the final phase of the exercise. We received our orders from the Platoon Commander and deployed from the compound out on the area, ready to occupy another harbour. Much to our surprise however, we were contacted by the enemy whilst carrying all of our kit for the harbour. The initial confusion of being contacted whilst carrying a bergan was soon countered by our section commanders and the platoon commander organising an attack on the enemy position, and leading us through an assault on a further two positions. The last position was captured solely by Cpl Hamill and LCpl Tregent without platoon support. A brave, but perhaps unwise, move.

We deployed in to our harbour area and began our routine; patrols, stag and rest. Our mission was to ensure that the MSR in this area remained open, and out of the government’s or rebel’s hands. After our first night in the harbour, we returned to the UN Compound and were briefed that we would be deploying to an OP. The OP went smoothly at first, until our compromise by enemy forces, at which point we bugged out back to the compound to snatch a couple of hours rest before our final attack.

Before first light on the final day, we set out from the UN Compound and deployed out with a mandate to finally put a stop to the rebel activities. After a quick recce by Platoon HQ, we advanced to contact with a series of enemy positions. We quickly and effectively pushed through these positions, and managed to clear them through effective soldiering, leadership, and communication.

In comparison to how we started this exercise, we now seemed to possess much more than just the basic knowledge of conventional warfare a soldier achieves after initial training. We could now look and act the part, and work effectively as a unit to achieve our aims. The training value of such an exercise cannot be overstated, and it is my firm belief that all who attended feel that they have benefited as individuals and as a team from completing Ex FOXES WARRIOR.

We were welcomed back at camp by a barbecue and beer, a fitting end to what had been for most, an arduous, yet enjoyable, exercise.


OC Maj Jim BarberSSM WO2 (SSM) Zoe Dolan

Exercise MOUFLON’S NERVE – by LCpl Luke Muchmore

MOUFLON’S NERVE started like every other exercise… on a Sunday with a long drive at a restricted 62 mph. We were treated to top notch accommodation at Hotel De Blandford. Zulu Troop, part of the mighty 245 Sig Sqn (EW) was split into two groups for the first two days. One group had a leisurely day ahead of them where the plan was to go Go Karting; however this was closed so they resorted to laser questing where the whole group got owned by two 15 year old lads who were on work experience.

The other group travelled down to Yeovilton where they under took the Helicopter Training Simulator. One particular individual who shall not be named (LCpl ‘Jono’ Murray) found it all a bit much when the simulator went under the water. He panicked, went for the emergency exit and face planted the railing, resulting in him floating to the surface, barely conscious, sporting two black eyes and a nose like Pinocchio, to then be rescued by a female diver.

The whole troop then moved to Gravesend in Kent where we conducted two days of public order training with the Met Police where we took part in a comparison PT lesson and the police tried to put us to our limits but failed. It was then 3-4hrs of public order training using riot shields, enforcers and learning how to control large crowds. As it got dark they gave us a petrol bomb demonstration. One of which being a 5ltr container dropped from a 3 storey building, then asking us to walk through the flames for a ‘confidence’ test.

The following day we were given a self defence lesson which consisted of less than practical uses for police enforcement but more than practical for using in our own time. Four of us were then chosen to plan a rapid entry raid and deliver a brief (similar to our orders process) before the audience then chose the plan they wanted to carry out. Luckily for LCpl Gregory and I they chose our plan. This worked out well due to the fact we hadn’t listened to the other plan because we were too busy watching SO19 practice their drills below us and hadn’t a clue what was going on.

Once the orders were delivered we moved outside to conduct the raid. Upon entry the ‘suspects’ were found upstairs and although having been on a lesson to do with restraining, LCpl ‘Big Scouse’ Wilkes took it upon himself to detain him by laying on him due to the victim being known amongst his Sgt Dale delivering a set of orders


Police colleagues as ‘the freak’ and it would have taken roughly three of us to take him down. All in all it was an extremely enjoyable few days and gave us a great insight into how the Police operate.

SUPPORT SQUADRON (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)

OC Maj K SturmanSSM WO2 (SSM) KG Welch

There have been some significant movements within Sp Sqn over the last 3 months which have seen WO2 ‘Jenks’ Jenkins move from SSM to RQMS (G), WO2 ‘Gaz’ Welch move from MTWO to SSM and WO2 ‘Kez’ Greenham move into the MT and WO2 Sam Lingwood take over the Gym!

The Squadron has been extremely busy with the MT having a successful LSI and Fuel Inspection, a Force Health Protection Audit stealthily passed and the ongoing preparation for the ECI in Nov. That aside the LAD under Cpl Leaker were able to get out and do a charity tyre flip for 15 miles raising over £350.00 for ABF and several AT exercises run by the MTO Capt Ken Smith and Sgt Perry Mason to Croatia and Scotland.

Support Squadron Sergeants Education Day - by Sgt Horsfall

Chapel Bay Fort was built in 1891 as a Coast Defence Battery defending Pembroke Dock but by 1920 the guns were dismounted and the fort fell into disrepair. The site was eventually purchased by George Geear with a view to being turned into a museum and over the years has played host to many units for training and education. A perfect opportunity for 14SR(EW) Support Sqn Sgts to have an education day, especially with a healthy portion of Community Engagement (read heavy lifting and elbow grease) thrown in.

With the weather exceptionally hot and clear in contrast to the usual Pembrokeshire drizzle, the day got off to a great start with Lt Booth tasking the assembled seniors with a 7 questions TEWT using the Fort environment. With the Sp Sqn Sgts, made up of R SIGNALS, REME, RLC, Int Corps, RAF and having to defend the Fort with an Armoured Platoon, a variety of experience and knowledge to draw from promised some diverse viewpoints as well as the odd blank look.

The arrival of the LAD was a welcome distraction for a few, returning a Ferret armoured car and a 25lb gun which the unit had borrowed for the Regimental Open Day. George himself drove the Ferret up, it being completely road legal, and the

25lb gun was towed up to the Fort with pedestrian onlookers snapping away with camera phones.

By midday most had finished the TEWT, but with lunch and the Chef being geographically misplaced, the CE element of the day kicked in early. Work on the Fort is constant and concurrent so George is always looking for willing volunteers (or pressed men) to assist with whatever they can. This day's tasking was moving stores, essentially a mundane and laborious task. However no day on the Fort is mundane and the stores requiring moving consisted of dozens of heavy support weapons and their associated munitions and ancillaries. To give an idea of the scale each room which was empty from the beginning was soon filled, with the rooms starting at Artillery then Ordnance, Heavy Machine Guns and lastly Machine Guns! Suffice to say it’s no surprise that George has the second largest private collection in Britain.

Lunch found its way to us eventually, George even let us use his Aga instead of the barbeques. Credit to Sgts Pike and Whitfield, the spread was amazing and more than made up for the wait. The only down side was trying to motivate overfed Seniors on one of the hottest days of the year.

Luckily the awe inspiring spectacle of the LAD moving a FV434 across the Fort’s bridge was enough to draw a crowd with Capt Booth assessing the bridge and giving the go-ahead. With the bridge being the only access to the Fort on account of a 30ft deep ditch, watching it inch across slowly left a few holding their breath but eventually it made it across with no damage to the vehicle and the bridge structurally intact. While the 434 and LAD trundled to the other side of the Fort for their tasking, the assembled seniors and RHQ gathered round for George to give the grand tour. George is a walking encyclopaedia on military history and equipment, the tours are informative without being boring and the Fort has equipment from World War I onwards, everything having a story from development to being taken out of service. His passion for the Fort is more than apparent and if all goes well he hopes to open it to the public as a museum next March.

The concurrent activity to the tour was the LAD moving a 12lb gun onto one of the permanent Battery positions (Chapel Bay was one of the first Forts to be constructed from concrete) using the 434 and guided by Cpl Laundon. The gun in place, a quick photo for the local paper and the day finished, a success for both the Fort and those taking part in this unique day, with all leaving happy, well fed and a little bit wiser.

15th SIGNAL REGIMENT (INFORMATION SUPPORT)BLANDFORD

CO Lt Col P Pearce 2IC Maj T BarryRSM WO1 (RSM) Collins

OP HERRICK Update - by WO1 (FofS) Clarke

On 4 September 2013, 6 members of 15 Signal Regiment (IS) were making their final preparations to deploy on Op Herrick that evening. The team consisted of WO1 (FofS) Marcus Clarke, WO2 Jason Pascoe, Sgt Jonathan Lynn, Sgt Waine Meeds, Sgt Emma Marlow and Sgt Ian Taylor. Their job was to take over from the current members of Regiment serving in Afghanistan who were providing 3rd line support for Tactical Network Gateway, Bowman Systems, Housekeeper and all the associated LOG IS equipment.

For some members of the team this was the first time they had met due to the Regimental footprint at multiple locations (Blandford, Bicester, Corsham, and Germany) and the first HERRICK deployment. After introductions and the final mandatory briefs from Regimental Ops, the team departed for Brize Norton for what they hoped would be (if not a little cynical, a comfortable and expeditious) flight.

In the early hours of 6 September, the team finally touched down in Camp Bastion and after a swift brief from the RSOI team, they were ushered into the transit accommodation for what would be their first night in Afghanistan.

In the Morning the team were greeted by the somewhat over excited faces of the outgoing team and taken to the accommodation of what would be their home for the next 3


½ months, this was a vast improvement from the transit accommodation and it was clear that previous teams had made it a home from home with various luxuries they had acquired over time.

With RSOI to be conducted as well as desk level briefs with the relevant team leaders, the following few days were busy and on 10 September we bade farewell to WO1 (YofS) Stewart, SSgt Del May, Sgt Oscar Smith, Sgt Kirsty Wint, Cpl Tony Cross and Cpl Yubs Gurung, as they boarded a plane inbound for the UK via Cyprus. The only members to remain were WO2 ‘Davs’ Davenport who was to remain until his replacement arrived six weeks later and Cpl Frankie Ndegwa who decided a 3 month tour was not long enough to learn the role.

Almost a month into the tour, the team have settled in and have concentrated on the task in hand. With the Housekeeper team reduced in numbers, the hours in the day are just not enough and the System Analysts always out of the ground visiting sites and repairing systems, this is a busy

period for 15 Signal Regiment (IS) Service Support Team. WO1 Marcus Clarke (SO3 SST) is keeping the Regiment back in the UK up to date and keeping the rest of the team in check with an email every 15 minutes (without fail) with the Subject – “give me an update”

However it’s not all “work, work, work”

Members of the team have taken part in a variety of charity events such as the Dancon March (a 25km loaded march) and the monthly Pedro fun runs.

Sgt Jonathan Lynn keeps the team entertained with his movie nights using his vast collection of movies. WO1 Marcus Clarke runs a gruelling CrossFit session on an evening with his sidekick/ guinea pig Sgt Ian Taylor and anyone who wants to join in. Sgt Waine Meeds entertains everyone with his magic tricks by managing to lock himself in the office. And WO2 (Davs) Davenport still maintains he doesn’t know the location of the kettle when it comes to making a brew despite being in theatre for nearly 5 months.

All in all a good team for what is proving to be a challenging and rewarding tour.

The Royal Signals Basketball Championships 2013 Southern Heat - by LCpl Nabin Gurung

The Royal Signals Basketball Championships 2013 Southern Heat was held at Azimghur Barracks in Colerne on 11 Sep 2013. This involved all the units that are based to the South of M4. The aim of the competition was to promote sport, encourage participation and identify potential players for the Corps team.

With very little practice, SSgt (FofS) Bikal Gurung quickly formed a team that had never played together. To make the numbers up, Sgt ‘Spud’ Williams recruited 3 players from Corsham too; but we were amazed how successful we were in the event. After some close run games, 15 Sig Regt (IS) finished a very commendable second place. This qualified us

The Service Support Team

At the end of the DANCON March

Shooting practice


for the Inter-Unit Finals to be held on 9 Oct 2013 and a semi-final tie against the defending champions, 30 Sig Regt, who were also the winners of the Northern Heats.

The team has done really well and are very eager to cause an upset by beating the champions and reaching the finals. There will be another Wire note opportunity if we reach the finals.

Corps Inter Unit Swimming competition 2013 - by 2Lt Lumby

On Wednesday 9 October a team of 4 elite athletes, Capt McGrane, Sgt Barnard, Cpl Smith and I departed Blandford camp to represent 15 Signal Regiment (IS) in the Royal Signals Inter Unit Swimming Competition. There was an air of nervous apprehension on the drive to RNAS Yeovilton as this was a big moment for Regiment to step into the limelight.

As we were one of the first units to arrive, we began sizing up the opposition as they filtered into the café for the team captains briefing. It did not look good, our competition, 11 (RSS) Sig Regt and 14 Sig Regt (EW), far outnumbered us.

After a quick headcount and briefing, we donned speedos, spat in our goggles and went poolside for a ‘gentle’ warm up led by Lt Col Healey. After the warm up and the good news that the dreaded 50m butterfly had been axed from the events list, we had a stirring speech from the Adjt, Capt McGrane, “I woke up this morning just wanting to get out the office, have a swim and a laugh. Now I’m here I just want to win!”

We put in solid performances in the individual events coming away with a third place, three second places and a first place. A highlight, the nail biting fight for second in the individual medley, swam by Capt McGrane, who came storming from behind in the last length to secure the place by a hands length. By the time of the first relay event we had found our feet. Now, however, was the real challenge as every man in the team would have to compete in all three relay events back to back. After some stellar starts from Sgt Barnard and

Cpl Smith trying to dive over the pool flags, we secured three second places and 15 Signal Regiment (IS) were crowned runners up in the Royal Signals Major Units swimming competition. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and the team are already in training to fight for first place next year.

233 (GLOBAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj (TOT) Martin FlatherSSM SSgt Marc BeckettOC Net Ops Tp Capt (TOT) Bob PaceOC Net Sp Tp Capt (TOT) Paddy FergusonRSIT FofS WO1 (FofS) Carl Gaber

We extend warm welcomes to Maj (TOT) Martin Flather who took over the reigns as OC in June, Capt Tom Howley as Sqn 2IC, Capt (TOT) Paddy Ferguson as OC Net Sp Tp, the new SSM WO2 Jules Dolan, WO1 (FofS) Marcus Clarke and WO2 (YofS) Lee Shackleton into Sqn Ops, WO1 (FofS) Carl Gaber as the new RSIT FofS, WO2 (FofS) Farrington and SSgt (YofS) Heathcote into Net Ops Tp and SSgt (FofS) O’Donovan and SSgt Bates into Net Sp Tp.

Exercise MAU SPIKE – Inter Squadron Volleyball Competition - by LCpl Joe Adams

After weeks of constant training to the detriment of Operations and work (OC Sqn Maj ‘Jumps like a Salmon’ Flather’s direction), Sgt ‘Spud’ Williams finally had the 233 (GCN) Sig Sqn volleyball team selected. Extra duties were threatened if we, as the hosts, did not win.

The day arrived, MOD Corsham gym was prepped, the trophy polished, it just needed the rest of the Regt to turn up to be beaten. By 09:50 RHQ, 259 (GIS) Sig Sqn and 262 (LSS) Sig Sqn had all arrived, everyone was briefed and introduced to the unbiased local referee (obviously!). I was on hand to assist in scoring and ensuring that the event ran smoothly.

The first game was the mighty 233 against RHQ; the team was a bit anxious going up against the Regtl 2IC, Maj ‘Stretch’ Barry, the RSM and the rest of the near pensionable opposition. This feeling quickly evaporated when the game started; before the smell of Deepheat had dissipated the Sqn had won 2 games to nil. It became apparent that the Sqn was not going to get any extra duties this day.

The rest of the Regt fought out the minor places while 233 (GCN) Sig Sqn maintained their dominance throughout. The team even managed to come back from 12-3 down to win a game 15-12 due to the serving prowess of SSgt Oly ‘Howitzer’ Neeve.

The Adjutant remembering why he retired from the Individual medley

Neck and Neck Relay Swap The winning team………….athletes hydrating


The final results showed; 233 (GCN) Sig Sqn winning followed by RHQ & 262 (LSS) Sig Sqn (in joint second place) and lastly 259(GIS) Sig Sqn. It was decided to award RHQ second place due to their ‘Games won total’ with the direction of WO1 (RSM) Collins (definitely a bit of RHIP).

After the physical exertions it was time for the presentations. I was given the honour of announcing the final standing, unfortunately, this ended with me giving out the wrong results, and a few jeers later I managed to compose myself and reveal the correct result (crate for me).

Our hosting skills then kicked in. Mrs Sandra Hayes and LCpl Dan ‘Goat Eyes’ Barber were our chefs for the day. Beers and a fantastic BBQ; everyone there will remember the fried eggs and fish fingers (a Northern delicacy apparently)!! As the rest of the defeated Regt slowly departed with their heads hung low, it was left to 233 (GCN) Sig Sqn to carry on celebrating the win in the lovely Georgian city of Bath. Bring on the Basketball competition!

Exercise MAU DRAGON – Regimental Adventure Training - by SSgt Marc Beckett

All the normal problems with transport and numbers were finally sorted and the exercising troops deployed from their Sqn lines on Sun 8 Sep 13 to Penally Training Camp in South Wales. Each packet had to overcome their first command task: IRONMAN was being held in Tenby so there were numerous road closures, navigating to Penally was now not so straightforward.

First through the gates were 262 (LSS) Sig Sqn based out of Bicester, followed shortly by 233 (GCN) Sig Sqn based out of Corsham, and finally the 259 (GIS) Sig Sqn and RHQ based out of Blandford. After settling in, the Troops met up in the Tri-Bar for the mandatory briefs by SSgt Marc ‘Karate Kick’ Beckett followed by a Pub Quiz hosted by Sgts Al Gaw and Si Kidd. Best round: guessing the movie theme tune……..from only hearing the first note – well done RSIT!!

The actual AT started on the Monday, the troops were broken down into 4 groups and rotated daily through mountain

biking, sea kayaking, rock climbing and coastal walking. The activities were conducted in conjunction with the AT instructors from ATC Castlemartin, a big thanks to Steve and Pablo for their help.

Throughout the 4 days the weather held out and the only people getting wet were the kayakers. A big shout out must go to WO2 Kev Rowden, Sgts Paul Parsons, Si Kidd and ‘Spud’ Williams for getting sea sick and feeding the fishes.

There were crashes, bruises, cuts and tears (mostly from the Admin Party) but everyone enjoyed the activities which culminated in the compulsory BBQ. Burgers, baps and beer were the order of the day before saying goodbye to the “3 Mariners” in Tenby. Overall it was a brilliant week away from work, with the whole Regt training and socialising together; a rare opportunity due to the dispersed nature of the Regiment.

LAND INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES GROUP

OC Lt Col A QuinnOC (Des) Lt Col K Bell

Tasking to Germany: SCE Service Children’s Education – by Capt M Poussa

A small LICSG team, consisting of three captains was despatched to Germany to help and advise British Forces Germany (BFG) Service Children’s Education (SCE) on various elements of their network topology and design. Capt Stokes went as Team Lead, Capt Anderson as Solutions Consultant and Capt Poussa as Technical Lead.

LICSG is a specialist unit within the Royal Signals, under 15 Sig Regt (IS), which consists of technical professionals within the IT industry. Their remit: to add value and save costs to the MoD.

The feeding of the five thousand – any more fish fingers?

On a cold morning in Wales, though someone seems to have lost something in their Ronhills


The LICSG team journey began by scrambling into the smallest jet plane available at Bristol airport. The plane was so small that even the sandwiches served by the steward were cut into strips rather than the usual triangles, and the passengers were strapped in tighter than peas in a pod.

Capt Poussa, with his enormously long and shapely legs, bagsied an emergency exit seat and managed to cope. The in-flight food trolley was so tiny that it had only one wheel and the entire plane bounced and bounded madly about the sky with every gust of wind, especially when coming in to land at Hannover. The team rediscovered the thrill and novelty of aviation, some may have found God as well, but it was much, oh so much better than other, reputably cheap airlines!

After landing, customs, meeting our designated driver from the Regiment’s Germany based Troop, the shock of capture, and the ride to Sennelager, the team began to get down to business. The biggest hurdle the team faced was simply survival in the hostile, alien environment of Germany.

On the first day, the team were tasked with passing their British Forces Germany (BFG) full driving test (not something anticipated!), in order to drive a duty vehicle to get to our work location.

Driving on the continent is a unique experience; with mirror-image cars, shifting with the right hand, mind-boggling junction and priority route rules, and a vague constant fear of hurtling iron death on the Autobahn. The team managed to get lost in the outskirts of Paderborn when initially trusting the spiteful and evil Army-issue satnav that lies to you and upsets you by blurting out wrong information at every turn you make.

Driving duties were shared and works tickets filled by the two driving team members (Capt Stokes, cheeks of steel and Capt Poussa, brains of custard) and the single passenger (Capt Anderson, with his Zen-like calm).

After a couple of days, the team started to get used to the driving and the periodic sights of carnage on the autobahn. Driving at a speed limit of infinity is appealing, even when you only have a vague idea of what you are doing, but a few Hail Mary’s and a Certa Cito got us there each day.

The remit of the task (in summary), was to assist the SCE ICT Team in re-designing the schools' network in order to improve security and efficiency.

The team lived in transit accommodation in Sennelager camp and commuted to Bielefeld and Gutersloh to visit various schools and the SCE HQ.

Capt Poussa took on WLAN reorganisation at the BFG schools, while Capts Stokes and Anderson concentrated on a review of network security and design practises at the schools and wrote a technical scope of requirements document for a planned firewall refresh.

Much midnight oil was burned and shoe-leather worn out in walking around schools, chatting to staff, scrambling through networking cabs and cable jungles and writing long reports.

The success of the task hinged on getting a grasp of technical challenges facing the schools, building a relationship with the IT staff at SCE and the schools, imparting knowledge of industry best practise and assisting SCE in negotiating a complicated tender document for a firewall refresh.

To sum up, the team made a positive contribution to the BFG SCE IT department and helped improve the education and security given to the children. We transferred skills and

industry knowledge, and came away with a invite back for follow-on tasks identified during the initial visit. All in all, a 100% successful trip.

Germany was good to the team too; who put on weight drinking beer in the Officers’ Mess and stopping at every possible Imbiss they could find for Currywurst and Frikadellen, whatever they were. Roll on 2014!

259 (GLOBAL INFORMATION SUPPORT) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj T Woods RASSM W02 A Humes RA

We extend warm welcomes to WO2 (SSM) Scott Bowles who has taken over the SSM reigns, and SSgt (YofS) Geoff Rotherham-Bone as Ops YofS, fresh of his Yeoman of Signals Course.

262 (LOGISTICS SYSTEM SUPPORT) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Flt Lt J Foster RAFSSM WO1 I Cochrane RLC

Inter Services Cycling Road Race Championships 2013 – by SSgt Rob Jones

The Inter Services Cycling Road Race is the most high profile military cycle race on the calendar and is hosted by each Service in turn. This season, it fell to the Army (and therefore me as Army Cycling Road Secretary) to organise the event with a view to making it bigger and better than before.

“Let’s run the Inter Services Road Race at Sandhurst. You can’t get much bigger than that...”

At first glance a great idea; running the Inter Services at the Royal Military Academy with the Old Academy building providing a fantastic backdrop opposite the finishing line, however it quickly became apparent that organising an event like this within the Academy grounds would bring many challenges that would have to be carefully managed. The race circuit would be forced to take place on roads that would be open to traffic around the Academy and the numerous roads joining the circuit ensured that there would be a high requirement for marshals to control these points. The race

L - R: Capt Anderson, M. Hope (SCE Schools), Capt Poussa, C Sweeney (King’s School), Capt Stokes


would take place on the first week of a new term with large numbers of brand new officer cadets learning to march as a squad. Amongst all this would be the best cyclists the Services have to offer hitting upwards of 40mph on some sections.

A couple of test events used the venue in the run up to the Inter Services to prove the suitability of the course and coincidently to provide the Army team with an opportunity to thoroughly familiarise themselves with the course. To ensure the safety of the riders, a number of junctions were closed off or heavily marshalled, a one way system was put in place to ensure that the Academy traffic and the race would not interfere with each other and even the stables were asked not to take out the horses! This was followed up by the Army Road Race championships, which used this course a week out from the main event and allowed me to identify and iron out any final problems before the big day. Thankfully, this went well and after a couple of small adjustments, it was all systems go.

Race day arrived which meant an early start to get down to Sandhurst and set up the event in plenty of time. The race HQ was set up at the Academy Gym and the warning signs placed out around the race route. The 26 marshals who were kindly provided to me by both REME Phase 2 training schools were briefed up and assigned to their positions.

By now the anticipation was building as the riders arrived to sign on for their races, the teams were sizing each other up and formulating their race plans. The Army teams went into the championships full of confidence from a successful season where all the selected riders had made tangible improvements to their fitness and race experience. The riders knew they had a strong team and had dominated the championships over the last couple of years so were sure this could be repeated once again.

The event began with a Men’s support race and the Ladies Championships. I had stipulated that teams would consist of 20 riders and 10 riders per Service for each race respectively, however the other services struggled to submit full fields for these races, which put the Army in a commanding position before a pedal had been turned. The riders capitalised on this opportunity and remorselessly attacked and isolated their rivals to a point where Army riders only contested the final battles for podium positions in both races. In the end, 2Lt

Ejay Harris (RAMC) dominated the Ladies championships whilst WO1 Kev Sheppard (RLC) took the honours in the support race.

Next up the Men’s championships: The Army went into this race with two protected riders and immediately looked to break up the teams of the other Services with a flurry of early attacks. This tactic paid off and by half way the Army had riders strongly represented in the breakaway group and every other member of the team marking any move in the main bunch. Gradually the elastic snapped, as the opposition riders were isolated. Two of the Army team were able to break away in the end with Capt Ryan Perry (REME) taking the win from Maj Dan Guest (Inf). Although the RAF managed to take 3rd place the Army took the overall team prize by a clear margin; their domination evident by the fact that not one member of the team was dropped from the main bunch!

Although the Inter Services races are the pinnacle of the sport within Army Cycling, a massive amount of this success can be attributed to the development of Corps level cycling which provides a footstep into the sport for newcomers. The Royal Signals Cycling & Triathlon club was one of the first to adopt this approach to developing riders towards Army level and beyond. If this is something that you feel you would like to try, please jump on board and contact WO2 Kez Greenham (14 Sig Regt EW) as plans are afoot to make 2014 bigger and better at all levels of the sport.

SSgt Jones leading from the front

16th SIGNAL REGIMENTELMPT

CO Lt Col SW WhittleyRSM WO1 (RSM) Woodall

Race the Sun – by WO2 (RQMS) Pullen

Race the Sun is a 15 stage team race across North Yorkshire, designed to test soldiers’ fitness, resolve and navigational skills. The course involves sections of canoeing, cycling, swimming and running amongst others culminating in an arduous stretcher race. The event begins at 0600hrs with the canoe race before ending at the going down of the sun back at Imphal Barracks, 2 Signal Regiment. The event is open to all cap badges and is one of the most demanding and varied physical events run within the Army calendar.

This year the event took place later than usual due to 2 Sig Regt’s deployment which meant a slightly delayed start due


The 16 Sig Regt Team

to sunset timings. Cpl Dave Ryan got the Regiment’s team up and running with a great 1st leg despite the two 360 degree turns at the start. Lt Matt Hollingsworth took up the chase of the front runners on the river run leg handing over to the flu-riddled Capt Jack Stokes who, despite his medical condition, produced an outstanding time over the 34km run and bike leg. The hilly areas of the Yorkshire Dales proved the team’s nemesis and despite some great efforts by Cfn Daryl Benson on the hill run leg and Sgt ‘Kitch’ Kitchen on the force march, the team slowly slipped away from the lead runners.

Another two respectable runs by Sig ‘Simmo’ Simpson on the moor run and Sig Ed Starey on the half marathon kept us in contention, but an unfortunate puncture to WO2 Daz Pullen’s mountain bike dropped us slightly back. Three good legs by Sig Dan Fleming (fell run), Capt Neil Pollitt (orienteering) and WO1 (RSM) Woodhall (forest run) brought the overall time down but by now the team was at least an hour behind the top teams; an unassailable time to claw back. Lt Matt Hollingsworth recovered from his earlier leg to race in the bike orienteering and handed over to SSgt Matt Lee who had

an excellent swim over the 900m course. This just left Cfn Deutsch to finish off with a final 30km bike and run leg.

The race culminated with the stretcher race which took place on Imphal Barracks. The 6-man team led by Lt Chris Urey put their heart and soul into it and came over the finish line after the gruelling 3km course in 7th place. After a nervous wait the final results were announced and the Regiment were placed 8th out of the 12 Major Unit teams. Considering that all but three of those who took part had never experienced this event, it was an excellent effort all round. The Commanding Officer, Lt Col SW Whittley, having just assumed command of 16 Signal Regiment, followed his team around the course throughout the day, giving them much needed support. Of note must be WO2 (RQMS) Pullen’s total ignorance of who the CO was after collapsing at the end of his leg, and the RSM in bringing the CO to the starting event an hour and a half before the race actually started at 0430hrs! This did not dampen anyone’s spirits and after a successful day the team retired to the city centre of York for some well deserved refreshments to celebrate a successful day!

BA(G) Orienteering Sprint Championships – by Capt Neil Pollitt

The British Army (Germany) Orienteering Sprint Championships took place at the end of August 2013 and proved an overwhelming success for runners from 16 Signal Regiment. The Championships were split into two individual sprint races, an urban race based on Normandy Barracks, Sennelager Training Centre (STC) and a rural race held on the Training area of STC.

This annual event is the pre-season warm up prior to the start of the league and is a good indication of the strength of Unit teams. The Regiment entered 8 runners into this event with 4 of those complete novices. The urban event took place around Normandy Barracks and was a fast and technically easy course. This meant that the fitter runners amongst the competitors would set the pace for the course but also gave the novices a chance to develop their skills and entice them into further events. In a close fought match with the lead runner from 1LSR, Capt Neil Pollitt took the lead over the first race with a time of 16:00. This only gave him a 9 second lead over his nearest competitor going into the second race which was not much of a breathing space. Keeping up with the top guns, Lt Matt Hollingsworth took 6th spot with a respectable 17:29 to keep his hopes alive with Cpl Mark Newton coming home in 9th place with a time of 19:03.

The competitors then moved out en mass onto the training area to compete in the second race of the day, the rural course. This comprised of a slightly more technical course to test even the novice runners amongst the teams. With the pressure clearly on, Capt Neil Pollitt tried to capitalise on the


SSgt Lee in a splendid blue swimming cap

Cfn Deutsch strikes a pose

WO1 (RSM) Woodall cheers on the Stretcher Race team

The Stretcher Race team recover

morning run and came home with a time of 21:25. However, the orienteering gods were not with him that day as he was finally pushed into 2nd spot overall by the 1LSR runner who completed the course in 21:15, 10 seconds ahead. This pushed him into 2nd place in the Mens Open Category with a 1 second margin, but the result gave him the 1st spot M40 category. Another impressive result by Lt Matt Hollingsworth saw him take 4th spot overall and 2nd overall M21 category with Cpl Mark Newton claiming 8th spot overall.

16 Signal Regiment and 37 Signal Regiment Joint Annual Camp – by Cpl Robinson

September saw the visit of 37 Signal Regiment personnel to Javelin Barracks to conduct their annual battle camp. Members of 16 Signal Regiment also took part in order to foster the growing relationship between the regular and reserve forces, and provide mentoring from within the sections and platoons

The first week started off with weapon handling tests, navigation, battlefield casualty drills, PT and patrolling skills building up to platoon level attacks towards the end of the week. Whilst some skills and drills were in need of a little polish there was certainly no shortage of enthusiasm from anyone. Pte Brown’s smoke grenade skills were certainly improved when he stopped putting active ones down his smock and actually threw them. Maj Longcake was also able to update his VP Skills after starting off the very short lived habit of asking people to “repeat” over a radio net. The ‘green phase’ of the exercise concluded with a 3 day exercise at Haltern training area. Each of the three platoons had the chance to show off what they had learnt during the week as well as develop their field craft. While camouflage ranged from LCpl Wong‘s “far, far too much” to SSgt Hall’s ‘bit of green will do’ while other skills and drills were carried out to a high standard. The weapon handling skills within 3 Platoon were a particular high point.

The second week was more of a relaxed atmosphere after a week of screaming and shooting in the field. Activities ranged from a BBQ to a sports day, and the 16 Signal Regiment team playing tour guide to various locations near Javelin Barracks. The annual camp culminated in a battlefield tour to Arnhem

where certain individuals proved that the 7 P’s should be adhered to if you are going to be briefing on the events that took place there. This was certainly driven home by Cfn Scott who delivered a brief that was nothing short of well-polished. Our fellow signallers from 37 Signal Regiment provided an excellent example of the standards to be expected from the Army Reserves and the exercise provided a valuable opportunity to develop further integration of the regular and reserve forces.

230 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj J HigginsonSSM WO2 (SSM) Orr

The last two months have been an educational experience for many in 230 Signal Squadron. Project HORROCKS has consumed the majority of our Squadron in order to support 3 Div and Ex IRON RESOLVE. The opportunity to deploy with a fully operational Div headquarters is a rare experience and 230 Signal Squadron rose to the occasion and did not disappoint. We are now entering another season of training, with communications and military skills events planned in the run up to the Squadron battle camp next year. Also on the horizon is Op FORTIFY, an Army Reserves recruitment drive which will be a chance for us to help build the Army of the future.

230 Signal Squadron welcomes WO2 (FofS) Anderson and SSgt (YofS) McDuff to the Squadron Ops team. Also joining us is SSgt (SQMS) McLaren as our new Quartermaster. Welcome to the team!

SUPPORT SQUADRON

OC Maj P WilliamsSSM WO2 (SSM) Dunnachie

Support Squadron MATTS/BCCS Week

Earlier this year Support Squadron deployed to Sennelager Training Area to conduct their Annual MATT training with some BCCS training thrown in for good measure. On arrival under the watchful eye of the DS, led by SSgt (RTWO) Chris Craven, the soldiers were briefed on the week’s events and left to prepare themselves.

Monday began with a PFA around the running track before continuing with everyone’s favourite CBRN theory. The lesson was taken by SSgt (SQMS) Ali Sabiston and with the temperature rising it was a relief for some that they weren’t in their “Noddy” suits! Day one finished with Navigation (thankfully nobody got lost) and Weapon Handling Tests.

Tuesday dawned bright and clear, perfect shooting weather… or so we thought. Under direction from the RCO, Sgt (SI) Steve Mackay, we began with some of the guys firing with iron sights for the first time since before the Regiment’s PDT. Even hitting a barn door was proving to be a struggle, however after some adjustments everybody successfully completed their ACMT.

BCCS day on Wednesday arrived. Armed with ORP and Haribo the guys deployed into the field for what was a long but enjoyable day. Having scoffed whatever delights were in their ration packs the lessons began. With the training returning to a more conventional style it was back to basics. The soldiers were taken through the duties of a sentry, delivered by Cpl Al Keenan, followed by target indication, judging distance and fire control orders delivered by LCpl Thomas. After a short break they then moved onto patrol harbour drills taken by the Training Wing SQMS Sgt Nikki Horton. After lunch and under instruction from the RTWO and SQMS Support Sqn, the group 3 Platoon pulling to victory


split down into sections and went through a remind and revise on the six section battle drills culminating with section attacks. Also covered in the afternoon by Power Section Troop SSgt Matt Lee, was casualty extraction. Having worked hard and definitely taking something away from the day, everybody returned to Cavalry Barracks.

Thursday’s training consisted of CBRN practical assessment which of course meant that the sun was out with a

vengeance. After a gentle warm up each group was put through the practical drills and were assessed. Unfortunately some struggled with the canister changing drill and couldn’t quite grasp that if you continue to breathe and have your eyes open you will feel the effects of CS. Hot and sweaty, the last group exited the CTF just in time to receive a visit from the OC Maj Williams and SSM WO2 Dunnachie. The group then moved onto CIED in the afternoon, with an AFT to look forward to the following day.

On Friday the soldiers carried out the AFT, which to the delight of those attending was in glorious sunshine and containing approximately two miles of the course over sand! It was then time to pack up and move back to Elmpt with some soldiers going to adventure training and for others, returning to work. The second week continued in much the same vein but at the end of the two weeks it was deemed a success. I’m sure everybody at some point enjoyed themselves but more importantly had learned something new or had been revised in their skills and drills.

Exercise JOINT CATERER 2013 – by LCpl Kotze

Ex JOINT CATERER is a fantastic event for young chefs looking for an exciting challenge. It is also an excellent opportunity for chefs to be recognized and to represent their units at Combined Service level. Prior to travelling to the competition at Worthy Down, I met up with the 1 (UK) Armoured Division team at the Sennelager Training Centre for a week of training and preparation. I was the team mentor along with the team captain Sgt Hitchcock and we spent the week perfecting the dishes to a competitive level. Our aim was to provide the competitors the best advice and training in order to give the RAF and Navy the toughest competition possible.

It was amazing to watch the progress the chefs made and how confident they had become throughout the week. By the time we arrived at the competition the chefs were confident with their dishes and ready for the “cook offs”. We worked together as a team and helped each other wherever possible. All of our chefs got through the “cook offs”, so the last few days before the competition spent making small changes and perfecting the dishes had definitely been worth the long hours that had been put in.

In the final week the nerves start to creep in as the final competition starts. This year RAF day was on the 24 September, Army day 25 September, and Navy day 26 September. This competition is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in previous years. I was so proud to see how far the chefs came on and we were delighted to come back to Germany with 7 gold medals, 5 silvers, 4 bronzes and 2 Certificates of Merit. The Army won overall this year which is a great feeling. It’s such a proud moment going back to your unit with some form of medal or certificate because you’ve produced something that was the best out of all the forces. This fantastic result is such a great form of

LCpl Kotze on Ex JOINT CATERER


encouragement to our fellow chefs. We will be looking forward to next year.

255 Signal Squadron

OC Maj A BiggsSSM WO2 (SSM) Steers

Exercise BAHRAIN ADVENTURE – by Sig Hammett

On Monday 2 September, the soldiers and officers of 255 Sig Sqn left Javelin Barracks for the sunny mountains of Bavaria for a spot of adventurous training (AT). The AT was split into two packages, 10 members of the Squadron spent the whole two weeks in Bavaria attending a foundation course to enable them to gain a base qualification in either rock climbing or kayaking. For the majority of the Squadron it was spent on either the first or second AT package enjoying the various multi-activities.

The training started with a gruelling 7 hour journey form Javelin Barracks to what would be our home for AT, Drei Muhlen multi-activity lodge, Wertach, Bavaria. Upon arrival we were greeted by Sgt Ali ‘Kitbag’ Kirby who gave us our arrival brief on safety, lodge rules and the run down on the activities that we would be doing for that week including kayaking, rock climbing, hill walking and the optional white water rafting.

The first day of AT for my group, consisted of rock climbing which was led by instructor Lt ‘Cliffhanger’ Levens , ably assisted by LCpl Jake Miller, who had recently completed his rock climbing foundation course. The day was very simple to begin with, first we were shown how to belay our climbing partner and then we were set to climb the cliff face. We were allowed to climb any of the routes within our own ability and if we wanted to change our climbing course, we had to follow a route previously charted by one of the instructors. The highlight of the day was observing the competitive natures of Lt Levens and LCpl Miller showing off as they attempted to climb some of the more arduous walls.

The second day of AT comprised of kayaking lead by SSgt Paul Fitzmaurice. Unfortunately the weather not as great as the first week and could only be described as “a wet weekend in Scarborough, but with bratties”. My group at first sat looking out of the minibus windows but decided to buck up the courage, get changed into our wet suits and hit the water.

After getting over the initial fear of capsizing and periods of near drowning, everything settled down and we got on with the day. Due to the weather the lake was a little bit choppy and resulted in a slight current making paddling against it that more eventful in terms of unscheduled capsizing drills. Once we honed our technique to stay in the kayak and paddle forward the rest of the day flew by. By the end of the day we got to practice a few life saving techniques and a game of kayak football. Overall the day was great fun and a real experience. I thoroughly recommend it if you ever get a chance to do it.

On the final day the AT students were given the choice of either white water rafting or another day hill walking. Anybody who chose to do hill walking missed out on a great day. I and 9 others chose the rafting and we were split into two rafts, each with its own instructor. After the initial safety brief and lesson on how to steer and paddle as a team, SSgt Fitzmaurice got the people on his raft to walk into the river to get used to the feeling of how cold it actually was. Once that ordeal was over for the other raft we set off down the river. The day was really fun, going in and out of the rapids and messing around on the raft by standing on the edge and trying to balance or standing in the raft with just our feet holding us in. It got even better once people started pushing and tackling each other into the river, but throughout the day one raft managed to not get into the water at all. Once we had passed the rapids we decided it was time for them to go in. After we finished rafting we headed to a local ski slope which was also home to a downhill track complete with sledges. The sledges were ridiculously good fun especially when you didn’t use the brakes.

After an excellent week of AT, the time came to say farewell to the Staff of Drei Muhlen Lodge, that had taken care of us so well. Once we had turned around our kit, returned it to the stores and had our rooms checked for cleanliness, it was time to load up the minibuses and head back to Javelin Barracks.

21st SIGNAL REGIMENT (AIR SUPPORT) COLERNE

CO Lt Col A E A CorkeryRSM WO1 (RSM) Brown

The Regiment welcomes the new Commanding Officer, Lt Col A E A Corkery and his family to Colerne. The Regiment has lost its Air Support Role as we evolve to a MRSR and as of 30 Aug 13 re-subordinated from JHC to 11 Signal Brigade. It has been a busy few months with the Regiment going through its intense final stages of MST. After a hectic year of training and preparation, those deploying are now having a well earned rest before deploying on an 8 month tour on HERRICK 19. The ROG is now established under the leadership of Maj Carl Budding. Despite all these events, members of the Regiment continue to get away on AT and successfully compete in sporting and military competitions.

SUPPORT SQUADRON

OC Maj C BuddingSSM WO2 (SSM) D Stedman

Colerne Station Families Day 14 Sep 13 – by Capt P Jenkinson

On Saturday 14 Sept 21 Signal Regiment hosted the annual Colerne Station Families Day. The event was overseen by the UWO Capt Jenkinson, who was ably assisted by, WO2 (SSM) Steadman, Sgt Case and LCpl Zoe Cairney. Due to various commitments and exercises, WO2 Steadman was able to muster together a band of “willing” volunteers to assist with the build. After a week of hard work and long hours, the site was ready and all fingers were crossed for good weather.

On the day of the event Colerne was bathed in glorious albeit


unseasonable sunshine. Over 650 personnel attend from across the station and the local community of Colerne. Attractions ranged from classic car displays, paint balling and the obligatory “bouncy castle”. One of the most popular displays was in the main arena where spectators, including children, were able to watch and handle various types of raptors. Along with the falconry display the Corps' Pipes and Drums, headed up by WO2 (CPM) Scott were also in attendance to entertain the crowds. Various stalls, stands and ice cream vans surrounded the main arena with SSgt Kendal and OGRI sponsoring the bar.

The day culminated with LCpl Pechy winning the strong man event and a fly over by a 1949 T20 Sea Fury. The event was extremely successful with over £1300 being raised for the ABF

and SSAFA. Our thanks go out to Capt Jenkinson, WO2 (SSM) Steadman and his team for the organisation and pulling the whole day together. Also of note was the generosity shown by various local companies and organisations who donated some very generous prizes for the raffle.

The Squadron has also had the ebb and flow of arrivals and departures. A warm welcome is extended to the new CO, Lt Col Corkery and his wife Kerry, OC LAD Capt Heaney and Sgt Allen. The Squadron has said farewell to Capt Mansfield, SSgt Denham, Cpl Gaylard and Sig Prior. We wish them all the best in their new posts.

Exercise BEAUFIGHTER BIKE RIDE – by Capt J Corns

Lt Col Andrew Williams, General Service Corps and chairman of the Royal British Legion, Colerne Branch invited his Abbey Wood work colleagues and 21 Signal Regiment to join him on a charity bike ride for the Legion. His plan was to cycle from Azimghur Barracks, Wiltshire to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. He had done the event last year and his plan was to not only beat the previous year’s time of eight hours but raise more funds this year.

Three fool hardy soles volunteered to join Colonel Andy for the cycling challenge: Adjt Capt James Corns, Cpl Wayne Derham (LAD) of 21 Signal Regiment and Mike Batty, an MOD Civil Servant from the local community. There was no training or build up, just some collective fund raising and a ‘can do’ attitude on the day. Colonel Andy made a bold claim that if we raised more than £800 he would not only ride the 120 miles to the Arboretum but would ride back as well! He is a very strong cyclist with legs only Sir Chris Hoy could beat. I think the rest of us knew what a “leisurely” pace would actually mean!

The event took place on Sat 5 Oct 13 and our team was supported by LCpl Durham, LCpl Jackson of 21 SR LAD and Wayne’s wife Jennifer Derham. By this point we estimated we had raised at least £1200 for the British Legion. We convened at the front gate of camp at 0445 and set off in the pitch back at 0500. The route took us over the undulating hills of Wiltshire, along the A46 to the hills of Stroud.

Riding in the dark was a novel and exciting experience, we somehow managed to avoid pot holes with less than a split second to react. Despite the cold early morning start the group quickly warmed up with some good hills to get the blood pumping. What started as a “leisurely” ride with plenty of banter quickly turned into a cycling snake, with us all trying hard enough to catch our breath and keep pace with Colonel

The Corp’s Pipes and Drums on parade

MT with style!

T20 Sea Fury Fly pass – The UWO thinks of everything

At the finish! L - R: Cpl Wayne Derham, Lt Col Andy Williams, members of the Colerne Branch of The Royal British Legion,

Mike Batty and Capt James Corns


Andy. After an hour we got into a good rhythm, each taking turns to lead the pack, take the wind and push the pace. We were very lucky with the weather for the whole day and the views were a pleasure to take in.

The support crew, all volunteers were fantastic and were a welcome sight along the route for some well needed flap jacks and carb powder pit stops. They tracked us using a GPS and were always on hand to offer support and provide well needed rest stops.

All was going well and we were on to complete the journey in a cracking time of 7 hours. That was, until we hit Evesham. There were unexpected road works and diversions. We decided to follow the more direct road, using Google Maps as our guide. We forgot about relief and we paid the price. Our diversion took us on a 7 mile detour over every hill around Evesham and killed our time. I tried to keep things positive, but my comment of “At least we got to see some nice villages” fell on deaf ears.

Back on our intended route we then did our best to make up time with some slick team drafting drills, with the road flattening out, we were clawing back the minutes. The undulating scenic countryside was far behind us and we then approached the Birmingham ring road. Our pace was killed off as we started to battle for survival in and amongst the heavy traffic. By this point the team were getting ahead of the support crew who languished in the congestion. Coming out alive on the north side of Birmingham was a relief.

The support crew had caught us up and we were on the home straight of the journey. About 15 miles out, there was a police van parked across the A38 dual carriageway and a policeman was waving us down, we all thought he was going to tell us to get off the road. When we stopped he informed us that we needed to watch ourselves as thousands of bikers were heading this way to the Arboretum. We thanked him for the warning and carried on, thinking he was exaggerating.

The next moment literally 1000 motorbikes drove past us. This was an absolute sight to behold. There were all sorts of bikes; Harley Davidsons, sports bikes, scooters all revving their engines, beeping their horns and then us cycling alongside them. The atmosphere was surreal being “part” of this whole precession. Lots of people were lining the streets, waving flags and applauding. Waves of bikers kept flying past and the whole road was full of bikes as far as you could see and the roar of all their engines was deafening. This was a great way to distract us all from our tired legs and was a really enjoyable way to finish our last few miles.

As we approached the Arboretum we were extremely lucky to see a Spitfire Flypast. We finished in a time of 7hrs 40mins. We were clapped in by members of the Colerne Royal British

Legion. It was a pleasure to meet them all and we appreciated them for making the effort to make the journey to support us. On investigation we found that the event for the bikers was called Ride to the Wall, an annual event that none of us were aware was taking place that day. It was estimated that over 20,000 bikers from all over UK convened at the Arboretum that day. We were very lucky to see the event and it was a great reward for our efforts. During the day we were witness to the Red Devils Parachute Display team and a very touching memorial service.

Colonel Andy, being a man of his word, set off to cycle back to Colerne. He asked the three of us if anyone wanted to join him on his return leg but we all declined, knowing we’d only hold him back and waved him off, in awe of what he was about to undertake. As Colonel Andy cycled back home, the rest of us followed in the “jack wagon” in full praise of the Colonel.

The Colonel made it back late in the day in the pitch black that we had all started from. He was greeted by the team and the Colerne community in the Fox & Hounds Pub. He was rewarded with a standing ovation and a well deserved pint. The whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable and not only helped raise money for the British Legion but helped strengthen the bond between 21 Signal Regiment and the local community. None of this would have been possible without the help of the support crew. On the whole, a great day out!

SSAFA Big Brew - 4 Oct 13 – by LCpl Zoe Cairney

On Friday 4 Oct, the Regiment held a Big Brew run by SSAFA. The day started with Rev Judith Harries (OCM) carrying out a quick sermon and a speech by the 2IC Regt. Regimental PT was a bit of a welcome change from the norm, with aerobics which was conducted by Ali, the Regiments Physio, who we sadly said farewell to as she leaves us, again! PT seemed to

On the move. L - R Lt Col Andy Williams, Cpl Wayne Derham, Capt James Corns and Mike Batty

A well deserved pint! Lt Col Andy Williams after 240 miles cycling

The Colerne SSAFA Big Brew Team– A great success!


be well enjoyed by the guys, equally as amusing for those watching some of the somewhat odd moves being carried out on the floor! Some of the boys however, looked far too in their element to mention!

From there it was on to the Big Brew itself, some of the Regiment's wives squared away the cakes and the Chefs took care of the butties and the brews, all obviously in exchange for a fixed donation to SSAFA. The event ended with a raffle with various prizes and results show the day raised an impressive £428.02p. A massive thank you and a big well done to every single person who took part, the day was a huge success.

Recovery Exercise – by LCpl Smith REME

During September 2013 the LAD from 21 Signal Regiment undertook an arduous Recovery Training package on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA). Under the instruction of LCpl Smith (Recovery Mechanic) the LAD was put through its paces in the theory and practical side of basic recovery techniques. This should have been a simple task, however the LAD being a slightly motley crew of Vehicle Mechanics, they found this a demanding experience. Even more so under the watchful eye of our new OC, Capt Heaney.

It all started with a theory package on the Monday afternoon including a brutal SPTA safety video which everybody seemed to enjoy. The next morning it was an early start for the lads first parading and making sure their vehicles were ready to depart. Despite a few hiccups with Cpl Evans having to change a spare wheel on his land rover that he had inspected only a few days prior, we were ready to go with Cfn Seruvatu leading the packet.

Once on the area things were going well with a lesson on how to recover vehicles using the Tirfor winch, and with Cfn Gilley’s extensive knowledge on how to roll Land Rovers we were in a good position. The only thing slowing down the exercise was Sgt Ramsey’s ability to hammer anchor spikes into the ground. (Apparently it was his gloves!) After this exercise we moved onto some driver training, with the aim being to get the Man SV stuck in order to create another recovery scenario. With LCpl Deans at the wheel of the Man SV, this occurred sooner than expected. He made the mistake of trying to follow the SV(R) through a dry lake bed and found himself bogged in a deep clay/water mixture. LCpls Wagstaff, Gould and Cpl Derham were quickly to the scene and proceeded to recover the SV. This real life scenario led to the team having to go deeper into the water and mud than they had originally hoped, much to the delight of the Recovery Mechanic.

With all the vehicles back onto hard standing there was just time for a quick wash down before back on the road to

Colerne. With a drama free return, passing the completely oblivious Cpl Davis on the way back, we were home in time for tea and medals. Not only was this an enjoyable couple of days out for the LAD, it covered all the basics of recovery required to ensure that future breakdowns and recovery tasks will run as smoothly as possible.

220 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj P F StowellSSM WO2 (SSM) P Robertson

Exercise PASHTUN PANTHER 20 May – 09 Aug 13 – by Capt Laura Yaxley

220 Sig Sqn rolled out onto the 12 week CFX on STANTA training area in May, the first of 3 PASHTUN exercises. The Sqn deployed a robust OTES network across the area in order to support the rolling BGs through a week of beasting by OPTAG. Sgt ‘Windy’ Winzar coordinated the communications whilst Capt ‘Sandy’ Yaxley ensured haircuts were short and boots were bulled, amongst trying to find jerry cans and 8 tonnes of sand for the MCU ballast. Lt ‘Haribo’ McLelland kept up morale through bags of sweets and boxes of doughnuts whilst coordinating morning sessions of ‘Insanity’ so as to not feel too guilty.

The soldiers enjoyed their 4 week rotation in a cold, dusty room normally sited just above the BG Ops Room. Their server stacks kept them warm at night with constant pinging back to site zero at Bodney Camp 24/7. There were a large number of engineering challenges that saw troops out till 0400hrs carefully moving dishes left and right. In particular, SSgt ‘Blondie’ Knight enjoyed spending hours up on the Artillery Tower, the hub of the network, 50m in the air, wobbling about in the wind. Sgt ‘ Windy’ Winzar’s pretend fall at 50m on top of Arty Tower was enough to send SSgt ‘Blondie’ Knight into shock, much to the soldiers' delight. Everyone worked extremely hard to maintain the HeATS and GrATS over Niris, the JChat across TNG, the normal VoIP, TiGR, CIDNE, Sharepoint and Remedy whilst pulling the mapping across the JMNIAN link. This was a very successful exercise with plenty of hands on experience in preparation for the Sqn’s deployment on H19 as part of HICSSS.

Exercise PASHTUN HORIZON – by Sig McSharry

On 3 June a small contingent from Bastion Troop, 220 Signal Squadron deployed to the CATT building in Warminster to provide a service desk capability to the exercising troops during Ex PASHTUN HORIZON I and II.

In addition to the knowledge and experience, we also deployed with a REACHER Medium, a JOCS node, and a HOUSEKEEPER node. The first week was our setup week, with the JOCS and HOUSEKEEPER being engineered straight in. The REACHER link was established with minimal complications after a few hours of hard work and some phone calls to Paradigm. The detachment was fully established by that evening, although we still couldn’t leave until LCpl Ben Seru, (Our Class 1 ED), had finally finished electrocuting himself and had just about finished wiring a plug!

The following week brought about new challenges, as many of the Staff had no, or incorrect, log ons. This turned the service desk into a bustling hive of activity. We had support from the 1 (UK) Div App Specs, but instead chose to employ our very own, with Cpl Matt Bibby dealing with many of the 2nd line faults.

A routine was soon established and cross training was conducted in order to allow every trade to assist on the


service desk. This in itself brought about new comedy gems; with our two attached Installation Techs both jumping at the chance to win the coveted Golden Blanket.

We even found some spare time for PT, (of course!!), with the squad running along the range roads back to Knook Camp, some very hilly 7.5 miles away. Mention must go to Cpl Andy Yeomans in setting the record in a very respectable 46 mins.

All in all it was a very productive exercise, with many arriving with next to no knowledge of OTES, and leaving as wizards! This exercise bought the Troop closer to deployment on OP HERRICK 19 and massively prepared them for further exercises in the summer.

Exercise PASHTUN DAWN (FTX) – by SSgt FofS (IS) Smith Ex PASHTUN DAWN (FTX) was a Field Training Unit (FTU) delivered exercise which took place over the period 29 Jul – 6 Sep 13. It was the final HERRICK 19 training event which provided the opportunity to exercise most of Task Force Helmand (TFH) against its operational TASKORG. Controlled by a full HICON based in West Down Camp (WDC) the exercise was conducted on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA). 21 Sig Regt (220 Sig Sqn) as the Campaign Signal Regiment (CSR) deploying on H19 provided CIS support to 7 Bde during the FTX.

The exercise was broken down into 3 phases; OPLOC, RSOI then an Operational Training Phase. Unlike previous FTXs, H19 FTX ran for a single 10 day period with BG and Coy HQs occupying both FOB and PB locations across SPTA. A combination of MOB, FOB and PB locations allowed the incumbent Sub-Units to consolidate framework, ground holding and partnering ops extending from the Confirmation Field Exercise (CFX) series of events previously held in Stanford Training Area (STANTA), however the main training serial was based around Base Reallocation and Closure (BRAC) activity.

220 Sig Sqn provided representative Theatre Communication Information Systems (CIS) for the 7 Bde FTX to ensure force elements were fully exposed to and could train on the full suite of Theatre applications and services prior to their H19 deployment. This was delivered across SPTA using the OverTask Emulation System (OTES) and the SANDPIPER (SP) bearer network.

The FTX for 220 Sig Sqn started with In Barrack Data Prep (IBDP) and a PACEX conducted at WDC. The team was headed up by Sgt Keith ‘The Boy’ Hart who was stepping into his pseudo FofS (IS) shoes in preparation for his course that starts later in the year. There were a number of teething issues with the build including a “tomb stoning” problem. Although sounding like the task of building a large computer network bored everyone to death, it was in fact the images used to build the servers had not communicated with each other for over 90 days resulting in them effectively dying and refusing to work (like most good soldiers and their equipment!). This was rectified over a number of days by “cheating death” and rolling the date of the servers back and kidding them into thinking they were younger than they were and then rolling the date forward month by month. Once all of the Points of Presence (PoPs) were built and tested, they were deployed out and engineered in by the various PoP commanders. Some of the PoPs (such as STURGA commanded by Cpl Franco ‘Danny’ Francis and New Zealand Farm commanded by LCpl Stuart ‘Briefcase’ Warren) were at very austere locations with gale force winds, no toilets, food or any other facilities to speak of (according to them…).

The FTX moved into the sustain phase which was headed up by Sgt Nat ‘The Rat’ Lewis. Her team consisted of Sgt Bruce ‘H2O’ Horozsko and Cpl Briss ‘Flaps’ Brissett, amongst others. The team manned a Service Desk, Forward Repair Team (FRT) and carried out 1st and 2nd line functions. Many of the incidents (ITIL buzz word of the Ex) were results of user error, such as requiring the Service Desk to unlock terminals, reset passwords and un-mute phones to name a few. Other sustaining activities that were carried out in the “Tech C.A.V.E (Communications Augmented in the Virtual Environment)” were; Candy Crush, DOTS and taking photos on other people’s unattended iPhones with 750 being the record!The Ex was an overall success from a Comms point of view with services being provided to the end users uninterrupted

Capt ‘The Rabbit’ Yaxley, what were you thinking!!

Sgt Hart multi tasking


for the duration. Once endex was called the scurrying of Squaddies evacuating from SPTA was akin to that of rats escaping a sinking ship! The recovery and turn around of the exercise area and equipment was carried out in good order (except the small issue of a hole left in the perimeter fence by a run-away MCU!) and left an open long weekend for the troops to recover and turn themselves around before commencing with the final Military Exercises left to complete.

Exercise SCORPION SPARTAN - by Sig Weatherall

On 23 September, 220 Signal Squadron BSN Troop and a few other supporting elements paraded at the armoury of 0730, to start what was to be known as Exercise SCORPION SPARTAN. This well thought up and planned exercise was not only designed to evaluate and demonstrate our basic soldiering skills, but also to make sure that 220 Signal Squadron were up to the required theatre entry standards for their upcoming tour of Afghanistan in November 2013. The exercise was also a good idea to see how a Royal Signals soldier coped in an outdoor infantry styled environment, when so many had become accustomed to the warmth and safety of the workshops with a weapon or an exercise area nowhere in sight.

After the delights of an early breakfast and after the weapons had been drawn, the soldiers boarded their fierce fighting vehicles (busses to the trained eye) and used the time to carefully construct their war faces, whilst many used the two hour drive to Longmoor to get their heads down in what no doubt was going to be a long week.

Once we arrived at Longmoor, a delightful one and half hours late (no thanks to our incompetent bus driver and his

determination to visit every service station en route, much to the delight of LCpl Jeffery), ammunition was collected and very quickly distributed and then the company was formed up and began the 2.8 mile insertion march to the FOB location. Although this tab was easy for some, others struggled on it with the weight in excess of 30kg, but this tab did however show two things; A) soldiers overcoming mental doubt when faced with a physical challenge and B) soldiers working together and helping one another out when under pressure.

When the soldiers had finally arrived at the location of the FOB (after one or two water breaks along the way), they were met and welcomed by the SSM Robertson who quickly got rid of any of the soldiers' ideas that they were in Longmoor for a jolly boys outing. No sooner had we been allocated our accommodation (ISO containers) the different platoons were allocated their jobs in the FOB, which included patrolling, QRF and every soldier’s favourite; camp security (stagging on with our mags on). These three vital FOB jobs were subject to a rotational change between platoons every eight hours.

Overall the exercise, was a great success, although challenging to some, more than others, it was safe to say that everyone regardless of rank had got something out the exercise that had culminated the Squadron’s preparations for deployment

Exercise SCORPION FEAST - by Sig Bamford

After an intense year involving several battle camps, MATTs packages and thousands of STA courses, 220 Signal Squadron finally had chance to let their hair down for there pre-deployment dinner. With SSgt Miller, Lt Maas, Lt Goodman,

Orders to the Spartans

IED strike!

The Squadron Photo ‘wet weather plan’


the Padre, Capt Pain, WO2 (SSM) Robertson, Maj Stowell, WO1 (RSM) Brown and Capt Yaxley heading the top table, the atmosphere in the room was set for a great night.

The night started by everyone socialising in the bar, then onto a 3 course meal. During the meal Sig Weatherall made a great effort at being Mr Vice and entertained everybody with quips and the challenge of an inter-trade boat race. Five lucky Signallers were invited to sit at the top table for the final course due to having being promoted that morning. Sigs BZ, Bamford, Clark, Weatherall and Morgan embraced the invite and took full advantage of being at the top table.

All in all the night was a great success, SSgt Miller and his team did an absolutely fantastic job and there was definitely many sore heads the following morning. The night was a celebration of the achievements of the Sqn in the year and we will look forward to the homecoming dinner in June 14.

214 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj S BennettSSM WO2 (SSM) N J McDiarmid

Exercise CHIMERA STRIKE 3 - by 2Lt Kandola and Sig Price

On 30 Sept 13, 214 Signal Squadron deployed on Ex CHIMERA STRIKE 3, which lasted only three days, so it was a hard and fast exercise with minimal rest. The purpose of the training was to test and refresh basic military skills in preparation for the Squadron’s upcoming deployment on Op HERRICK 19.

The Squadron was organised into two platoons, in a conventional formation consisting of three sections per platoon. Once at Swynnerton Training Area, the first exercise serial was to locate and secure FOB Amen. This enabled the troops to practice and improve basic military skills such as patrolling, as well as the more advanced skills of operating Valon metal detectors. Once FOB Amen had been secured, the Squadron adopted a patrol shift routine providing sentries in the FOB, the QRF and patrols in the local vicinity.

Although the training area was small, the Troops were still challenged with numerous exercise serials. The enemy regularly attacked the FOB at close range, by using the dead ground to their advantage. The part was played particularly well by SSgt Carr and Sgt Dibbert, who proved to be great adversaries with relentless and imaginative attacks, ranging from small arms fire to grenades and IDF. The exercise allowed for several members of the Squadron to show their leadership skills, those worthy of mention were Cpl Lawton, Cpl Fox and Cpl Cooper, who continuously demonstrated their high standards of professionalism.

The final day of the exercise culminated in a joint attack by both platoons. 2 Platoon took the lead on the attack, and were faced with three enemy positions in quick succession, which was dealt with swiftly and conventionally. 1 Platoon soon followed with a building clearance. Newly posted Troop Commanders 2Lt Kandola and 2Lt Dale demonstrated their command prowess and made sure only minimal casualties were sustained. Unfortunately, as is quite often the case the heaviest men in each platoon were injured and required an immediate CASEVAC to the nearest HLS, which was 2 km away.

Other notable performances throughout the exercise included Sig Noble, who had a focused and calm attitude and Sig Hart, who was always willing to get stuck in and lead from the front (as well as performing the best left flanking manoeuvre from the right flank).

With the casualties safely extracted, Endex was called and a final pre-tour photograph taken. The exercise was enjoyed by all and was a fantastic opportunity for members of the Squadron to brush off the cobwebs.

Exercise MERCURY WINDY TRAILS - by 2Lt Kandola

Ex MERCURY WINDY TRAILS was a sailing training week, run by the Royal Signals Yacht Club (RSYC) and conducted at the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre in Gosport. The week was a fantastic opportunity for those who had never sailed before to gain formal Royal Yachting Association qualifications. Due to our previous sailing experience, Competent Crew was the main qualification on offer, which led to a thoroughly enjoyable and challenging week.

We set off from York on Sunday afternoon, picking up our 220 Sig Sqn counterparts from Colerne along the way, for a much-anticipated week on the Solent. The Monday morning was quite a casual affair, consisting of dividing the students into groups of four or five for each yacht, safety briefs and kit issue. After a decent lunch in the Yacht Club, each crew was sent to the local supermarket to get enough food to last us at least a couple of days. The crew for our yacht, named Fimbria, consisted of Sig Freke, Sig Ray, Sig Mainwaring (10

Sig Hart single handedly defends the FOB from enemy attack

Cpl Cooper leading his Section out of harms way


SR) and myself. It was skippered by Brig Griffiths, a very experienced and knowledgeable sailor, who told us at the very outset that we would be doing far more sailing with him than with any of the other instructors. To his credit he was as good as his word.

On the first afternoon, after learning some basic knots, as well as some key manoeuvers on the boat, we were off on our first trip. Our destination was Cowes on the Isle of Wight. At around 2000hrs we arrived at the harbour and after dinner everyone agreed that an early night was best. The next day we set off for Lymington, where we were given a bit more responsibility, as Brig Griffiths let us steer the 34 foot yacht as he navigated us through the sea. That day we learnt man-overboard drills as well as ‘tacking’ (turning the boat using the foresail) and various other drills to control the boat. The third day was, in my opinion, the most challenging of the week. We sailed to Poole, a journey that turned out to be quite a choppy one. The wind was blowing relentlessly against our sails and our sea legs were definitely tested. Nonetheless, Brig Griffiths continued to supply us with endless amounts of coffee and tea, despite the boat being almost completely on its side. Despite the arduous conditions, our spirits were raised when a large group of dolphins began swimming beside us.

After we left Poole, we sailed to the beautiful town of Beaulieu and then on to Southampton. In Southampton we regrouped our yachts and attended the RSYC AGM, where we had a brilliant three-course meal to cap off a thoroughly enjoyable week. On Yacht Fimbria, Sig Freke improved a considerable amount throughout the week, with Sig Ray and Sig Mainwaring providing steady hands due to their previous experience sailing dinghies.

I would recommended and encourage anyone to try out sailing, be it in a yacht or a dinghy, or even kite surfing (which has just been taken on by the RSYC). The next sail training week will be taking place sometime between March and April 2014 and I implore you to come along and take part.

Race the Sun 2013 - by WO2 (SSM) McDiarmid

With the remaining team members arriving from Colerne to join 214 Sig Sqn in York, 21 Signal Regiment’s RTS team was finally formed and on paper it seemed reasonable to suggest we had a strong chance of winning. All that remained was to set the alarm and ensure we arrived bright and breezy for a 0530hrs start!

On Thursday 5 September the horn sounded, Sig Collins raced some 500m from the camp gates to the river’s edge to start the 6km kayak race along the River Ouse. On arrival at the river, carnage ensued as competitors frantically tried to cast their kayaks into the river without capsizing. Sig Collins had no such problems and made a clean get away. After the first leg Sig Collins put 21 Signal Regiment into a very respectable 4th position.

Sig Hart and Cpl Cooper then ran off along the river’s edge to try and gain ground on the 3 teams in front of us. Both put in a fantastic run and ended up passing 2 competitors to gain 2nd position, which was no mean feat as we were already 10 minutes adrift of the front

Sig Freke takes control at the helm while Sig Mainwaring has a brew

Sig Ray looks on as we arrive into Beaulieu

Sig Collins after the Kayak Race

Sig Hart and Cpl Cooper after the River Run


runners. This enabled SSgt Deans to get a good start on the run and bike leg, which consisted of a 7/27km split respectively. As most will know it’s hard enough running 7km as fast as you can, without then getting on a bike and racing for 27kms. Anyway SSgt Deans kept us in the running by putting in a blistering second leg and keeping us firmly in the top 3.

All was looking good as LCpl Lawrence and Cpl Bird set off towards the incredibly steep incline, to complete the very short but

SSgt Deans after Run & Bike Race

challenging fourth leg, the hill run. Both competitors put in a sterling effort before handing over to Capt Corns and LCpl Pickard for the very demanding, unrelenting, 12.5km forced march. By the end of the forced march we were still in a very respectable 4th position, although we were a good 6-7 minutes behind 3rd place.

LCpl Dickson and SSgt Walsh followed the forced march, competing in the 10km cross country moor run. Both competitors did really well, with SSgt Walsh making a 5 minute gain on our nearest rivals, 18 Signal Regiment. After 6 legs, we were still competing for 3rd place.

At 1000hrs, leg 7, the second of the mass starts, had already got underway, probably the hardest of the legs, the half marathon. Sig Smith and LCpl Pechey were our entries for the team. Sig Smith ending up in 3rd place overall, very well done considering he does next to no training, especially at that distance! The next 2 legs consisted of a 24km mountain bike race and 10km fell run, all four of our competitors pushed their skills and fitness to the very limit. At this point it was hard to tell our current position, especially as there were multiple legs racing simultaneously.

Leg 10 consisted of a 7km orienteering race in and around Dalby Forest. This leg was always going to meet with a certain amount of controversy, as some teams had been out weeks in advance conducting recces on all 30 checkpoints. In preparation, 2Lt Kandola and Sig Freke had visited Dalby forest a week before to familiarise themselves with the checkpoints. Historically, this leg has always been the difference between first and second place. The Competitors did very well, neither of them got lost and both kept us in the running.

The next 2 legs, the forest run and cycle orienteering covered some 40km. All four of our competitors; LCpl Heavey, Cpl Hale, LCpl Barker and Capt Mansfield gave their all. Again at this stage of the race it was impossible to tell our current position, but it was safe to say we weren’t in first place. However, this did not deter us from trying to stay in the top three.

The third of the mass starts, the lake swim, had already started Capt Corns after the Forced March

2Lt Kandola after the Orienteering Race


52

22nd SIGNAL REGIMENT STAFFORD

before the end of the cycle orienteering leg. Both our competitors, LCpl Davies and SSgt Durrans, looked like bog monsters as they exited the water, but again both did extremely well. They handed over the notional baton to the last competitor, Cpl Derham, bringing it home for the team in the bike and run leg.

With only one more leg left to complete before the end of RTS 2013, all our hopes of winning hinged on the final leg, the stretcher race, everyone’s favourite and the event that all team members wanted to participate in. Unfortunately we couldn’t utilise all 25 team members, as only 6 were allowed to enter. We picked our best six, or at least the ones still left with enough energy. We

started off very well, storming straight into first place, and staying there for more than half the race. However, slowly but surely a few teams started to overtake. We battled and battled until there was nothing left in the tank and we ended up finishing in a very reputable 4th position.

Overall the team did extremely well, they worked their socks off and continually grappled with every point. We finished in 4th position, just behind 18 Signal Regiment. All team members and supporting staff should be very proud of the team’s achievement. Bring on 2014, when 21 Signal Regiment will enter as a minor unit.

RTS 21 Signal Regiment Team Photograph

CO Lt Col LC WestermanRSM WO1 (RSM) A Fraser

217 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj N SchurmannSSM WO2 (SSM) J Stephenson

Squadron Overview - by Lt Owens

The past months for 217 Sig Sqn have been predominately spent in preparation for Ex ARRCADE WARRIOR, ARRCADE CHARGER and ARRCADE FUSION. This series of exercises all take place within RAF St. Mawgan, near Newquay and are the certification exercises for the ARRC. 217 Sig Sqn are providing EXCON throughout, a daunting task which sees the Sqn providing a 650 seat HQ, and working alongside Divisions from several different countries. Due to the size of this task the Sqn has reorganised into 2 Troops. B Tp, supported by members of C Tp and A Tp, became EXCON Tp, whilst A Tp was bolstered with manpower from C Tp to become ROG Tp.

SSgt Graham and YofS Howard deployed ahead of the main body to coordinate the build at the end of August. The main body deployed on 9 Sep 13, supported by Installation Techs from 222 Sig Sqn and a member of ES Tp, and over the course of 3 weeks built EXCON ahead of staff arrival for Ex ARACADE WARRIOR13. Once the staff arrived for the week long ex 217 Sig Sqn had to quickly focus on Ex ARRCADE CHARGER, which was to start 24hrs after Ex ARRCADE WARRIOR ended. A very busy period ensued as the Sqn had to simultaneously support the staff during Ex ARRCADE WARRIOR and had to create and conduct testing ahead of Ex ARRCADE CHARGER. This was followed by a rapid turnaround of the building before the staff arrived.

The main focus of the Sqn over the majority of October has been the creation of accounts for Ex ARRCADE FUSION, a considerably larger task than the Sqn has previously taken on. Constant training for all personnel has been paramount to

ensure the Sqn can deal with the volume of staff requests over the next 2 months. Under the direction of Sgt Cunington the Service Desk has been drilled in service provision and has built upon the lessons learned during Ex ARRCADE WARRIOR and Ex ARRCADE CHARGER likewise the NER has cross-trained several CS Ops to become competent on the NER servers.

Throughout this period the Sqn has also been busy back in Stafford, ROG Tp have been involved in a myriad of tasks and activities. The focus of the Tp has been supporting those on exercise but also maintaining all of the Sqn’s vehicle and detachments, with a lot of preparation being conducted ahead of the Regt’l conversion to MJDI.

Several members of the Sqn have been involved in HOSPEX, where some of the Sqn’s soldiers role played casualties for an exercise run at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. Personnel have also represented the Regt in the opening of the Stafford Crown Court by the High Sheriff of Stafford and have taken part in Bergathon and the Corps Badminton Championships. Additionally, the Gurkha Signal soldiers of A Tp have celebrated a well deserved Dashain festival during the reset phase between Ex ARRCADE CHARGER and Ex ARRCADE FUSION.

Exercise ARRCADE WARRIOR/ARRCADE CHARGER through the Eyes of the NER – by LCpl Todd and Sig Murphy

After the long journey south down the M5 to RAF St Mawgan in rural Cornwall, we could have been forgiven for thinking that we were going on a late summer holiday. Unfortunately, there was no such luck on this occasion as there were more pressing matters at hand; the smooth delivery and execution of the annual ARRC exercise - Ex ARRCADE WARRIOR/CHARGER.

217 Sig Sqn were back on familiar territory, on top of the hill at EXCON. Some of the Sqn members were here last year and they knew what to expect. First things first, under the trusty


guidance of Det Cmdr Sgt Ingwahang we had to get our Magpie Node off the trucks and in place within our designated room inside the old industrial building. Once the collection of servers, switches and UPSs were in place it was time to fire up the nerve centre of the operation.

The team in the NER were like a team of ants, everybody knew their roles; this was their bread and butter afterall. Within a few hours the Node was up and running, the links up to Innsworth were in and everything was running relatively smoothly. Voice and data communications were achieved within our own time period and we were well on schedule to a very successful start to the exercise.

The next big task was to create the user accounts for the many officers that would be using various applications within our network. The task of ensuring that these accounts would be ready and up to the high standards that were set was imperative. A few creases needed to be ironed out, whether by ourselves or our support at SCP Innsworth, but these things will always occur within a complicated deployment of sophisticated equipment. The Magpie node would be supporting over 100 users for the first 2 exercises, all of which would have UADs and phones of varying classifications. Once the configurations were in place we could start testing and thinking about the upcoming staff readiness checks (SRCs).

On the day of the SRCs we had to undergo a thorough inspection and testing of all of the services we were providing. These included VTCs, telephones, UADs and applications such as J-Chat, Lync and Outlook to name but a few. Once the powers that be were happy we could now look forward to the exercise proper to start. However, this was not an opportunity to take our eyes off the ball; there was still a long way to go.

The start of Ex ARRCADE WARRIOR soon came around and the multi-national staff officers from ARRC started to arrive. We had to carry on from our success of last year’s ex and make a good impression; we certainly didn’t want to tarnish the reputations of 22SR and of 217 Sig Sqn in particular. The atmosphere within the NER during the first real test of the network we provided was calm and professional throughout, under the watchful eyes of Cpl Dilip and LCpl Robinson.

Up next was Ex ARRCADE CHARGER and even though the number of users had decreased, there was still a job to be done and to let our standards slip now would be frustrating to say the least. However, there were no such problems of real value and the exercise went as smooth as we had hoped it would. It is without doubt down to the professional manner in which all members of 217 Sig Sqn carried out their duties. But as usual, it’s not time to rest on our laurels. Next on the agenda is Ex ARRCADE FUSION, this is the by far the biggest test on this year’s deployment to St Mawgan….

Stafford Crown Court Opening, 3 Oct 13 – by Sgt Grix

Eleven members of 22 Sig Regt and 2 JNCOs from RAF Tactical Supply Wing (TSW) under the direction of Sgt Grix formed a combined contingent from MOD Stafford. This contingent was to become part of the Route Lining Party for the High Sheriff of Staffordshire which also consisted of a detachment of Police cadets, on the occasion of the formal opening of Stafford Crown Court for the High Court term.

The lining of the route for the High Sheriff is a ceremonial responsibility for the station, although only a small portion of the route is lined. The Sheriff was escorted by a party from the Police force and the Fire and Rescue service, carrying halberds. The route started at the County building, via St Mary’s Collegiate Church and then to the court house where the formal opening took place. The contingent from MOD

Stafford lined the route from this point, providing a guard as the procession passed. The Procession included members of the Staffordshire Police, the Mayoralty, the County Council, Court Clerks and the Judiciary. The parade was a great opportunity for members of the Sqn to represent the Regt and the RAF in the public eye, but also gave the soldiers a useful insight into the workings of the court.

222 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj H FrostSSM SSgt Finn

Exercise ARRCADE CHARGER

Since the previous edition the Squadron has been mostly occupied with the build up to the exercise period down in St Mawgan. We came back off summer leave (with some having a slightly longer summer leave than others), ready to tackle all the problems that PACEX and Ex ARRCADE CHARGER could throw at us. 222 arrived in St Mawgan to discover that ARRC support had yet to finish building the tent and there was, as of yet, no power. As the area was still considered a building site everyone was required to wear high-vis jackets, much to the amusement of us all. With no power and very little to do the Squadron decided to take the day and see what could be achieved in the morning. The following four weeks proceeded much as planned. Laptops were disrupted and cable laid to provide connectivity. All was topped and tailed, ready for the staff readiness checks. Despite a few difficulties the Squadron again performed spectacularly well.

The Squadron also welcomes the new 2IC Capt Sam McEvoy, who has come across from 248 Squadron to provide his reassuring hand before the new 2IC takes over in October. Sgt Coole is also freshly back from Afghanistan and is clearly eager to distil his knowledge onto the younger Installation Technicians in the Regiment.

MOD Stafford Visit to JCB - by Lt Malan

The Commanding Officer of 22 Signal Regiment led a group from MOD Stafford on a visit to the JCB HQ in Uttoxeter. When we arrived we were warmly met and were surprised to discover that a number of employees at JCB were ex-servicemen. After coffee we were given a short presentation on all the different types of machinery that the company makes, including one designed for the military costing over a million pounds each. Designed completely from the ground up they clearly offer a well rounded package despite the price tag. They have been involved in four IED incidents and each time the driver has walked away. The first one to be IED’d did not realise that he had in fact just been blown up. Following the presentation we went on a tour through the museum; this tracked the interesting development of JCB from its humble beginnings in a small shed, to the global brand that it is today. Starting with just a

The Team from MOD STAFFORD at JCB HQ, Uttoxeter


trailer that could tip (which he sold for £40,) the brand evolved and innovated to make bigger and more impressive machines, including the world’s fastest diesel engine. Afterwards we went around one of the six massive plants here in the UK and watched how raw sheets of steel are then transformed into the indistinguishable yellow machines that are so often seen at construction sites throughout the world. All of the group were impressed to see how a small company that went from selling trailers has grown into an immediately identifiable brand, while yet still managing to maintain a very family feel. RAF St Mawgan Build – by Sig McPhillips

The day began with a typical Monday morning ‘enthusiasm’, as Cpl ‘Chalky’ White rounded up his team of Installation Technicians for a brief prior to our departure for St Mawgan. Things were starting to pick up - not much traffic on the M6, vehicles all started first time without dramas, then…… we stop off at the services to find that there were no burgers or fries at McDonalds, brilliant! All fuelled up from the luscious salad, that everyone wants to eat when they stop for a Macky D’s, we continued with our journey and eventually arrived at our exotic destination. On the first day of pulling we discovered that we had to divert our cable route through a pit and duct system situated on a field that would later be known as ‘Cow Pat Hill’, which was also on a fairly steep gradient, nice.

Cpl ‘LEPG’ Gooding along with Sig Taylor, Sig Fearn and Sig Cooper got the ball rolling with the fibre runs while Cpl White and his elite squad of Sig McPhillips, Sig Wadkin and Sgt Mosely set up ready to roll with the copper runs. With the 50 pair ‘beasts’ and the terrain proving a difficult task, the two teams merged and dug deep to lay a combination of fibre and copper runs with a distance each of around 24 Kilometres. With the unanticipated complications of the task we were granted an extra 6 helpers from the Regiment to lend a hand,

all of whom deserve a worthy mention, unfortunately I do not remember their names.


OC Maj S SmithSSM WO2 (SSM) Autar

Farewell to OC and 2IC - by Sig Pratikcha Chamling Rai

On 6 Sep 13, 248 Gurkha Signal Squadron bid a fond farewell to the Squadron’s key members; OC Maj Steve Jones and 2IC Capt Tesharjang Gurung.

The weather was cold and as the rain closed in more and more people decided to move inside to avoid the bad weather; if I was to become a philosopher for a moment, I would say that the weather was reflecting the mood of all those in attendance. The Sqn had thoroughly enjoyed the command and direction provided by Maj Jones and Capt Teshar and it was a solemn occasion to finally say farewell.

As always, all the Squadron members were in their best attire and the behind the scenes preparation had been completed. The officers, seniors and families dressed outside the Fraggers club, in order to welcome the OC and 2IC Saheb and their families. Tipan-Tapan was served followed by the main meal which everyone agreed was delicious. As the whiskey pani began to flow and everyone relaxed it was decided it was time for the main event. The new Squadron 2IC, Capt Amrit Gurung, presented the outgoing OC and 2IC with a token of appreciation and best wishes. OC Saheb stuck to his reputation as a man of few words whilst the 2IC highlighted his length of service in the Army when his speech lasted longer than most of the junior soldiers’ careers! However the speeches by both Sahebs clearly demonstrated how much

Sig Cooper takes the dangers of copper wire very seriously

Inst Techs get to work

A fond farewell to Maj Jones and Capt Tesh


they had enjoyed their time serving with the Squadron and how much they were going to miss the Pariwar.

The night was followed by a brilliant musical show, where the entertainment by both the soldiers in the Sqn and their families astounded all those who were present, and refreshing khusi ko Nach at the end. It was a wonderful evening and as a Sqn we would like to pass on our best wishes to Maj Jones in his new role as SO2 Force Development in 11 Sig Bde and also to Capt Tesharjang Gurung in his future life outside of the Army.

We would also like to welcome Maj Simon Smith as the new OC and also to Capt Amrit Gurung as the new 2IC (although it is more of a welcome back after his short stint away in York).

Jai 248 GSS

Exercise KHUKURI DRAGON - by Cpl Khemchandra Gurung

Ex KHUKURI DRAGON was a Level 2 adventure training exercise undertaken by 248 GSS personnel over the period 16 – 23 Aug 13. The aim of the AT was to enhance leadership skills, physical robustness and team spirit through exposure to varied adventure sports in an unfamiliar and arduous geographical terrain. The event was co-ordinated by 248 SQMS, SSgt Subaraj, with assistance from instructors within 22 Signal Regiment.

The exercise was executed in two phases. Phase One included the deployment of AT instructors to the Lake District area on 16 Aug 13 in order to carry out a recce of the AT sites and preparation of their respective activities. Two days later, Phase Two started when 18 personnel from 248 GSS arrived at the Ambleside Hut in the Lake District.

On arrival, the Admin IC, Cpl Tejman, gave a short brief on admin and the itinerary of the ex. With self-catering provision at the hut, the thought of tasting a succulent Gurkha messing at the end of each day loomed across everyone’s mind.

On 19 Aug 13 the first AT activity started with hill walking which provided opportunities to brush up the navigation skills as well as acquire a QMD for those keeping a mountaineering log book. After the initial safety brief by the MLT instructors (WO2 Autar, SSgt Subaraj, Sgt Kiran and Cpl Sanjoyhang), the team was split into two groups of ten and each had a separate route to the summit of Scafell Pike. In Group 1, WO2 Autar and Cpl Khem inspired mountaineering knowledge with short briefs about doldrums and lichen respectively. Meanwhile in Group 2, Cpl Mohansingh singlehandedly took a wrong turn adding extra distance to the route. Having enjoyed the scenic beauty of the lakes and panoramic views on the 22km route, the day concluded with very sore feet and tired legs.

The second day was a multi-discipline day consisting of rock climbing and kayaking. Led by Cpl Tejman, the kayaking on Derwent Lake started with introduction to the dreaded ‘capsize drill’ followed by an epic kayak hike around mini-islands. On the way back, the team hustled together for a game of kayak water polo where the losing team was greeted with a deliberate capsize as the prize. Super-enthusiastic WO2 (SSM) Autar managed to hold the dual record for the day as the fastest kayaker and the most capsizes. As soon as the group got ashore, the round-robin began and we were greeted by LCpl Kaji at Mill Brow Crag for rock climbing. Safety instruction about helmets was emphasised due to the occurrence of incidents where the ‘helmetless’ Sgt Ramesh managed to sneak half way up the wall. With 3 technically varied ascents, the competitiveness to conquer all climbs kicked in. At the end, the fierce battle concluded with the title of Spiderman awarded to Sig Mohan after his featherweight physique enabled easy-looking ascents on each climb.

The following morning the group was presented with an opportunity to visit Keswick town centre which provided opportunity to re-stock essential outdoor gear. Sig Sandeep made the most out of it by buying a whole new set from head to toe, whereas some took time off to chill with a ‘Cuppa’ at the Bali Café and wait for the afternoon activity. This penultimate activity was the ghyll scrambling, led by Keswick Adventure Centre instructors. For this, everyone changed into wetsuits and helmets and all participants were escorted to the Stoneycroft Ghyll. After a quick safety brief, the scrambling started with jumps into depths and sliding down the cracks. With laughter and no ‘man up’ required the scrambling course, consisting of various ‘deep looking’ dives, was completed in such a record time that the instructors were baffled with the undeterred ‘josh’ of the group. At the end, the title of Superman was awarded to Sig Ganesh when his ‘belly’ dive nearly drained the stream.

Finally the last activity was the mountain biking led by Cpl Khem and Cpl Mohansingh at Grizedale forest, famous for its notorious ascents. With a history of falls in previous MTB leads, the instructors advised of safety issues especially when applying front brakes and control while speeding. Group One, led by Cpl Khem, managed to experience all incidents possible from flat tyres by LCpl ‘why is it so hard to pedal’ Surya to falls by Cpl Barun when he decided to face-plant the floor and cushion his landing with his elbow. Group Two, led by Cpl Mohansingh, was fortunate to come out of the forest with just a knee patch. Nevertheless, everyone got back in one piece with stiff and tired muscles but still smiles on faces, even the ones with bruises.

The exercise ended with the successful recovery of equipment and personnel to Stafford on 23 Aug 13. Big thanks to 248 2IC saheb for devising such an inspirational

248 GSS adventurers eager for hill walking on Ex KHUKURI DRAGON

Auditions for ‘Superman’ during Ghyll Scrambling

continued on page 5855THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2013


June

21 - 22 RSA Reunion Weekend - Blandford21 Colonels Commandant Dinner - Blandford22 Corps Luncheon - Blandford23 - 27 Corps Week - Blandford26 - 27 CAGE - Blandford28 Armed Forces Day 2012

February

7 TA Honorary Colonels Briefing - Blandford17 - 19 Ex LIGHTNING STRIKE - Blandford28 - 4 MarEx ROLLING THUNDER (Cadet Ex)

April

1 Deane-Drummond Prize Essay 2014 – Launch3 Royal Signals Trustees Ltd Meeting - Blandford23 - 24 Corps Spring Golf Meet - Blandford25 QGS Command Group & Dinner - Bramcote26 Corps Opening Show - Blandford 28 - 2 May Foreman Selection Board - Blandford30 Corps Inter-Unit Rugby Finals

May

3 Army v Navy Rugby – Twickenham (Corps Tent) 7 Corps Rugby 7's - Cardiff12 - 13 Officer Familiarisation Visit - Blandford13 - 18 Corps Operational Shooting Competition - Pirbright30 Race the Sun - York

March

2 - 15 Ex MERCURY SNOWRIDER - Austria 6 Corps Guest Night - Blandford10 - 13 Officer Selection Board - Blandford14 RSA Executive Committee Meeting - London15 RSA AGM - London25 WCIT Dinner Night - Blandford26 WCIT Employment Panel - Blandford31 - 1 Apr Officer Familiarisation Visit - Blandford

January

13-14 Officer Familiarisation Visit - Blandford22 Corps X-Country Championships - Bulford

ROYAL SIGNALS CORPS CALENDAR 2014


November

3 - 4 Officer Familiarisation Visit - Blandford6 Field of Rembrance Service - London20 Corps Council Meeting - London20 RSI Lecture and Dinner - London29 Project NOEL - Liverpool

August

Nil

December

12 QGS Attestation Parade - Bramcote

September

3 - 4 Corps Autumn Golf Meet - Blandford 7 Corps Luncheon in the North - Catterick8 - 9 Officer Familiarisation Visit - Blandford20 Lanyard Trophy20 QGS Comd Gp / Birthday Parade QGSA Dinner - Bramcote 21 - 26 YofS/YofS (EW) Selection

October

1 Royal Signals Trustees Ltd Meeting - Blandford2 Corps Guest Night - Blandford2 QG SIGNALS Dashain Celebration5-10 LECB 2014 - Blandford6 - 7 Officer Familiarisation Visit - Blandford20 - 23 Officer Selection Board24 The Scottish Dinner - Glasgow 30 RSA Central Committee Meeting - London

July

1 RSI Award Citations to - RSI Sec7 - 8 Officer Familiarisation Visit - Blandford10 RSI Lecture and Dinner - London14 - 17 Corps Clay Target Shooting Championships - Colerne18 - 28 Royal Signals Kiel Sailing Regatta25 - 27 Ex TRAILWALKER 2014 - South Downs29 Corps Cycle to NMA and Service

ROYAL SIGNALS CORPS CALENDAR 2014

event and SSgt Subaraj for the co-ordination. It has certainly helped to ease off the steam built up whilst sustaining the Squadron main mission of support to the ARRC. We now look forward to the annual culminating ARRC exercise, Ex ARRCADE WARRIOR CHARGER FUSION with rejuvenated mind and bodies.

Jai 248 GSS!

Exercise IRON RESOLVE (HORROCKS-2) - by Sig Uday

Ex IRON RESOLVE was a HQ 3 (UK) Div exercise held over the period 3 Sep - 7 Oct 13 in Barton Stacey. 206 Signal Squadron and Support Squadron of 3 (UK) DSR had the main role of providing the ICS and establishing the headquarters. Also supporting the exercise was manpower from 16 Sig Regt and 3 Mercian Regiment who undertook the role of Real Life Support. Our role was to deliver and support the full capability of the Magpie Communication System, whilst training and mentoring personnel from 3 (UK) DSR.

After a good Regimental summer stand down period, personnel seemed refreshed and ready to work. In the early hours of 3 September, eight of us of varying ranks from 248 Gurkha Sig Sqn deployed to Barton Stacey for Ex IRON RESOLVE. Capt Surendra Gurung being the overall IC led the team of SMEs. Each SME had their own role to play in their respective field. Sgt Narantak had direct liaison with 206 Sqn Ops, NER IC and Service Desk manager for planning and conducting the MAGPIE detachment before and during the exercise. Cpl Parasmani took charge of the NER department with Sig Uday and LCpl Ealash. LCpl Sanjeep dealt with the applications on the system. Cpl Bishwa dealt with the service desk express manager. Sig Bir, Sig Jiwan and Sig Jaganath dealt with the Responder’s role within the complex. Our overarching role was to deliver, assist, administer, guide and conduct training when required to the 3 (UK) DSR personnel in the exercise so that by the end of the exercise they were confident enough with the job to deploy on the next phase of training Ex IRON TRIANGLE alongside HQ ARRC.

Upon arriving at the location, the process of establishing the headquarters was well underway. Cpl Parasmani and LCpl Sanjeep were waiting for us as they had already been involved on a week long PACEX in Bulford prior to the move to the exercise area. The communication systems deployed on the exercise were a Magpie small PoP, Magpie medium PoP, Reacher medium, CCT120, Falcon, Bowman and Housekeeper.

The exercise was challenging for all of the SMEs and the personnel in the NER. However, after undergoing several fault finding investigations all issues were resolved and the services were all up and running for the Staff Readiness Check. As the exercise proceeded the Staff users gradually got more involved and more confident in operating the

multiple applications that we provided. Staff users swelled to more than 300 and the HQ complex became a hive of activity. The exercise phase ran smoothly with the communications remaining solid for the full duration. We also had some good news as LCpl Bir and LCpl Ealash were promoted halfway through the exercise.

Despite the new challenges and adversities that we came across, the exercise worked well and as a team we overcame all that was thrown at us. By the end of the exercise the 3 (UK) DSR personnel were taking everything under their control with total independence. We achieved our aim and learnt a great deal throughout this demanding exercise.

QG Signals 64th Birthday and Commander’s Welcome

“Once a Gurkha, always a Gurkha”. Having served in the Regiment before as the Troop OC, Lt Col J C Stokoe took over from Lt Col JB Watts as the new Commander Queens Gurkha Signals. The Regiment got together on 20 September 2013 to welcome him back to where he belonged. He was welcomed by GM Saheb, Maj Yam Bahadur Rana, and his wife on behalf of all the Regimental personnel. Commander Saheb addressed the whole crowd and expressed how delighted he was to be back as the Commander QG Signals. The evening was concluded with very delicious dinner being served followed by cultural program and khusiko nach.

The following day all personnel of Queens Gurkha Signals serving in various units within the United Kingdom gathered in Gamecock barracks for the 64th Regimental Birthday celebrations and despite Unit's busy schedules, the turnout was impressive. The day has its own historic value since the day Her Majesty the Queen assigned the Gurkha Royal Signals to use their own Regimental Cap Badge at Lamjung Camp (Malaya) on 23 Sept 1954. The Regimental Birthday is a proud day for not just the serving members but also for ex-members of QG Signals and their families. It is also celebrated in Brunei and Nepal.

The weather was not pleasant in the morning but it improved as the day progressed. Everyone paraded at 1030hrs including family members and ex-members of the Regiment. QGS Adjutant, Capt Ganesh, briefed everyone about the sequence of events. At 1100hrs Commander QG Signals and Memsahib, the chief guests for the event arrived. Citations were read by GM Saheb in Nepali and OC 250 in English about the importance and significance of the Regimental Birthday followed by Commander Saheb's address. Subsequently the cake party brought the birthday cake on to the parade square. On completion of reciting mantra by Pandit baje, Commander Saheb and Memsahib had the honour of cutting the cake helped by GM Saheb. Shortly after the cake cutting ceremony the Regiment rewarded some individuals who had some 248 GSS detachment with CO 22 Sig Regt Lt Col R Westerman

Commander and his wife with Gurkha Major and his wife


outstanding achievements throughout the year. Our very own Sig Deephang Limbu was presented with the most hard working solider’s award for his immense accomplishment. He passed the AAPTI course and did countless charity events for the Regiment. Most impressive of all he passed his All Arms Commando course and earned the coveted green beret. More good news for the Squadron followed soon after with LCpl Pratikshya Chamling Rai awarded the sports’ person of the year award for his immeasurable contribution for the Regiment, Corps and the Army in boxing and X-country.

The afternoon saw the start of the Sports Competition. All personnel from 2 Sigs, 22 Sigs, 30 Sigs and RSS Blandford were competing across four main events for the males and one fun sports event for the families. 22 Sig Regt were crowned champions in the basketball after a tight final against Blandford. The final sports activity for the day was tug-of-war. 2 Sigs and 30 Sigs locked their horns in the finals beating RSS Blandford and 22 Sigs respectively. After a vigorous effort from both sides to bag the winners trophy, mixed with hooting from supporters at both ends 2 Sigs ultimately won the tug-of-war. 2 Sigs, with a strong team performance in every event, were champions earning them the famous “sungur”.

This year's Queens Gurkha Signals 64th birthday was a huge success. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event and it was good to see everyone come together as a family and celebrate this proud day. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the work party and the nominated ICs so this would be an ideal time to thank them all for their effort. Another year has passed, another milestone made but the legacy and history that the Regiment remains unchanged.

Jai Queens Gurkha Signals!!!

252 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj AB ArthurtonSSM WO2 (SSM) AP Williams

The Sqn has been extremely busy over the past few months in a number of areas. Along with it’s daily provision of close ICS support to ARRC HQ, it has been heavily involved in the delivery schedule and acceptance testing of Magpie nodes to defence which has been a great opportunity for the Sqn to develop its technical skills. The autumn exercise commitments have proved to be challenging with a number of high profile exercises requiring attention including Exs JOINT WARRIOR 13:2, IRON RESOLVE, ARRCADE WARRIOR, ARRCADE CHARGER leading onto Exs IRON TRIANGLE, JOINT VISION 13 and ARRCADE FUSION 13.

Trailwalker 2013 252 Sig Sqn Team by Cpl Withers

The 252 Sig Sqn team consisted of SSgt Dan Peake (organiser and 4th time runner), SSgt ‘Cookie’ Cooke, Lt Chris Darling and Cpl ‘Cramp’ Withers. We arrived the day before to register and get a good pasta meal in us for the big challenge! Accommodation was located at Bordon but our admin team of Cpl ‘Sat Nav’ Donoghue and LCpl ‘Dono’ Donoghue decided to take us to a place called Borden, thanks to putting the wrong spelling into Google Maps! That night was an early one, plenty of rest for our 8am start the next day.

Race day – it was a warm start and the sun was shining, which was going to make the 100km that bit harder. We started strong, stayed near the front and came into the first checkpoint in 2nd place. There was lots of encouragement from other teams that has set off earlier. We didn’t stop to admin at CP1 and by the time we reached CP2, we were in 1st place and looking to set a record time. Our pace started to slow, due to the heat and a big hill or two. Longer breaks at CPs made it hard to get going again. By the time we reached CP4, the heat had got the best of Lt Darling; he was about to go man down!

Four became 3 and shortly after leaving Lt Darling, Cpl Withers started to cramp up. So, for the next 37 miles, all that the other team members could hear was the sound of groaning pain. The pace slowed throughout the day due to cramp and tired legs but because of determination to finish, and the admin team’s top efforts, the end was near. The weather turned once more towards the end, giving us thunderstorms and lightning across the darkening skies. A very tired team finished in a very respectable 12hr 44mins, with individual places of 35th, 36th and 37th – all of whom said they will never do it again!

Trailwalker 2013 22 Sig Regt Vets Team - by Capt Turner

A big thank-you goes out to Centerprise International who matched the size of their cheque with a generous donation to Oxfam along with their provision of a team kit for the 22 Sig

Commander, memsaheb and Gurkha Major cutting the Regimental Birthday Cake

Team 252

Centerprise International support remains strong!!


Regt Trailwalker 2013 Veterans team. Unfortunately even Centerprise’s comprehensive support policy couldn’t manage to repair Maj ‘What Car’ McCreath who had to retire with ‘injury’ in the week before the event! The team consisted of Capt (Tfc) Si Barker (absent on duty) along with Capt Daz Turner and WO2 (SSM) Andy Williams seen here displaying the Centerprise contribution.

Exercise HONG KONG PALACE - by LCpl Adeoti

On Wednesday 21 August 2013, members of 252 Signal Squadron were privileged to have an educational visit to Buckingham Palace, London. This visit took a lot of planning and preparation as the Palace only accepted visitors at a certain time of the year and fitting time into the Squadron busy Ex schedule was quite a task! It was an early start to the day due to the distance we had to travel and the very high possibility of getting stuck in traffic. After our breakfast, we set off at 6 am and after a few hours arrived in central London.

We arrived at the entrance of the Palace and had to go through ‘airport style’ security and got issued an audio guide for the tour. As we walked along each room and corridor, you could see and admire the beauty and the extravagance of the designs. Each room has its own history and unique design. The rooms were named according to what function they served in the Palace and some rooms were named after the colours they were decorated in. The visit ended at the Palace Gardens and we all sat down for some coffee and everyone had a chat about what we had learned. We also took time to admire the beautiful garden and as usual everyone got their phones out to take pictures.

After the Palace visit, we all set out for lunch and had a walk down to the Victoria and Albert museum. The museum holds a collection of ancient and modern arts and we were spoilt for choice. Their collection ranges from jewellery to sculpture and portraits which kept everyone busy and entertained for the rest of the day. We headed back for Innsworth feeling quite pleased as the day has been educating as well as fun.

SUPPORT SQUADRON

OC Maj J RenshawSSM WO2 (SSM) N Marshall

The last quarter has seen Sp Sqn focus on providing support to the Regiment in the run up to, and subsequent deployment onto the series of ARRCADE exercises running from August through to December. It was vital in the run up to the exercise period that we put some “fun” back into Army life, something which can all too often be forgotten. The Sqn has enjoyed some quality AT, team bonding and Mil Training prior to commencing the ARRC exercises. It is important to strike a work/life balance that enables our soldiers to perform when required and also get rewarded for their efforts. We now

focus on enabling the Regiment to deliver the impressive array of G6 capability the unit has to offer, and look forward to meeting the needs of the ever demanding environment of the ARRC deployed HQ. On, on!

PNCO

The Regimental Training Wing deployed to Nesscliff Training Area to deliver this year's 2 week PNCO CLM course. All the staff were geared up for deployment as Sgt ‘NEBOSH’ Clifton had spent the best part of the year putting together his last of about a dozen or so PNCO courses together, this was going to be his swan song, his last chance to deliver quality training in the field.

The first week was a relatively relaxed teaching phase of the mandated CLM lessons. Too much classroom work can become mundane so Sgt ‘Winchester’ Cunnington had a plan. She devised a narrated lesson in the field to demonstrate the role of the section 2IC within a fire team……and who better to give a near perfect demonstration than the Regimental Training Team. They were all geared up to grab some of the limelight but the enthusiasm soon diminished after 3 hours of rehearsal through the same stagnant river and nettle beds, much to the amusement of Sgt ‘Gut Rot’ White watching us unravel from behind his GPMG.

The two weeks training provided evidence of Command, Leadership and Management from everyone involved but there can only be one top soldier. This was warded to ALCpl “Hereford bloke” Cook who also achived top field soldier status. Well done to all.

MT - L/Rover GS Conversion Course – by LCpl Mechan

On Monday 2 Sept 2013 and after many weeks of planning, the L/Rover GS conversion package was ready to commence. The first day was dedicated to the dreaded death by PowerPoint, with such lessons like driver’s hours and accident procedures to name a few. The second day allowed the students to get a lot more hands on the platforms they would be driving, with wheel changing practical and driver operator maintenance. The students were then eager to test their knowledge of reading a route card with a road move to Nuneaton. Later that afternoon they were able to do the fun stuff with driver training, and get on the cross country circuit at Sywnnerton training area. Having had typical British weather there was plenty of water and mud, perfect conditions for some challenging cross country driving. However practice didn’t quite make perfect for one student, LCpl Spain, who managed to ascend a hill and almost turn the vehicle sideways and get it stuck. Unfortunately self recovery of this vehicle was not possible, so the recovery mechanics were called in, much to the embarrassment of the student’s instructor, Cpl ‘Stotty’ Stott.

Group picture at Buckingham Palace

Errrr, help!


Having completed module 1 it was time to move onto module 2 where we learned and practiced convoy procedures, cam/concealment, convoy driving at night and occupying a tactical location. On the final night of the course the students arrived at Swynnerton training area, putting the vehicles onto convoy lights and driving around the area in pitch black conditions.

The course was highly educational and enjoyed by all, particularly the off road driving circuit. The students now have a greater driving awareness and the roads are that little bit safer for us all.

AT in Cyprus 27 Jul – 03 Aug – by Sgt Rizza

When I was originally offered Adventure Training back in March; my two options were Wales or Cyprus, you can guess which one I went for! So at 05:30 on the 27 July we were all assembled and raring to go, apart from one Mr Buckley, the civilian duty driver who clearly was not as happy as we were. The flight over was pleasant, we could not ask for nicer food and drink and the civilian air hostesses were easy on the eye.

The first event in the sequence of arduous adventures was sea kayaking. With a warm welcome into Cyprus with temperatures hitting the 40o mark we were off to cool ourselves in the world famous clear waters of Aiya Napa where tourists flocked from all over. After collecting all equipment from the sub aqua wing in Dhekelia it was off to Nissi Beach. The beach lived up to its hype with the fluffy white sands and sparkling crystal clear waters. Sitting in the middle of the ocean in the kayak looking down below became a wonderful pleasure as we gazed at the marine life in its most natural form.

Onto the serious business of training for our Skydive the following day. I have never seen a group concentrate so much when we were learning how to deal with nuisances, hazards, malfunctions and landing. Any wind speed over 15 knots and we would not be able to jump. I think the thought of not jumping would have been a relief for some team members judging by the look on their faces.

The following morning we woke up to the news that there was no wind and the conditions were perfect for jumping. On

arrival we quickly practiced our drills one more time to refresh from the day before, then it was kit on and before we knew it we were in the plane climbing to our destination of 4500ft. Sig Scullion was the fist man out followed by Sgt Rizza who yelped yabaadabadoo as he left the plane, clearly enjoying the moment. Happily all that attended carried out the jump apart from LCpl Roman who will never be able to live it down after asking for his mummy when he was asked to jump.

The last activity that we participated in was Scuba Diving which surprisingly was met with the same anxiety as the Skydive. We had a couple of lessons in the classroom before we got hands on and sized up for the kit. The activity lasted about an hour swimming around the harbour taking in the joys of the bottom of the ocean.

All that attended would like to give a massive thank you to Sgt Rizza for taking the time to organise the trip and to CJSATC for hosting us and providing an excellent week. It is clearly a week that we will all look back on in years to come as one of the highlights of our careers.

Sp Sqn Summer Families BBQ - by SSgt Karl Hannah

It was decided that with most of the Squadron deploying on exercise for the best part of four months, we should have a “Sqn get-together”. SSgt Karl Hannah from ES Tp was nominated to head up the function. The committee came from every corner of the Sqn and it was decided that a village fete style function would take place in the MT compound on 28 August. The committee took advantage of the female eye for detail and ability to make a bland environment look like something that would not go amiss at a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding! A “Well Done” should go to LCpl Chrissie Todd and Pte Jody Gaunt for setting the scene and adding some “Bling” to the arena. Favours were pulled in from the RAF Tactical Supply Wing for the use of their Dunk Tank and the Outreach boys on Site 4 for the inflatable assault course.

As usual at any Sqn type BBQ the chefs pulled it out the basket so to speak (actually I believe it was Asda) and a huge thank you goes to Sgt Ollie Oliver and his team for producing an astronomical amount of food only equalled by the Messiah and the feeding of the 5000! Sgt Steve White from the LAD took on the role of the “Pub Landlord” and all drinks were a “paaand” (to be spoken like a cockney geezer). A total of 150 guests were fed and entertained with bouncy castles, apple bobbing and SSgt Hannah’s 12,000 song iPod.

The main event was undoubtedly the Dunk Tank. Various members of SHQ and departments took it in turn to be dunked by firstly their own children and then by members of the Sqn. I don’t think the victims realised just how cold you can make water during the summer months! Keeping in line with the good old Health & Safety Executive, it must have been the first time that drowning ever appeared on a Sqn BBQ Risk Assessment! A good time was had by all.With the green light warning order received, up we go

Checking out the marine life at Nissi Beach


30th SIGNAL REGIMENTBRAMCOTE

CO Lt Col NM StokoeRSM WO1 (RSM) A Setchfield

The Regiment remains busy with its commitment to contingency operations, exercises and the run up to Christmas! Now that 244 Sig Sqn are settled into 30 Sig Regt we look forward to welcoming 258 Sig Sqn back into the fold. We hope that the transition from Triangles into Swans will be enjoyable! The ‘8005’ manning project is in good hands according to the new Adjutant, Capt Tom Collins who replaces Maj Matt Cox who has now departed for a well earned rest on ICSC(L). In Regt’l Ops we welcome the new Regt Ops Officer, Maj Dave Orr and the new TOT, Capt Jim Healey.

244 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj J SnelgroveSSM WO2 (SSM) D Seymour

Exercise RED WARRIOR 2013 – by Sig Britnell

In June 2013, Charlie and India Troops from 244 Signal Squadron deployed to Bramley Training Area in Berkshire. When we arrived we were given our kit, equipment and the mandatory safety brief then made our way to the FOB, our new home for the next 5 days. Shortly after arrival the serials started, ranging from mass casualties to the FOB being peppered with grenades or even water bombs. LCpl Thomas arrived back from the first patrol feeling violated and perturbed. The patrol was supposed to be a hearts and minds operation in the local national village but he must have found the local Oliver Twist or left his webbing pouches open and had everything pick-pocketed. Typical Technician.

During a later patrol we had to put our CPERS training in to use. The Section Commander for this operation was LCpl Fletcher, he must have been watching Emmerdale instead of Ross Kemp because he decided to put the captives in positions that represented farm animals and forced them to “Moo” like a cow. Throughout the exercise the 2 Troops took turns to be on guard or on patrol. Towards the end when the FOB came under attack, India Troop took responsibility of the guard and covered the defensive positions, doubled up the sangars and mounted the walls. Whilst this was going on Charlie Troop, who were resting, took over the QRF role and quickly got themselves together ready to be launched at a seconds notice. To try and keep the enemy at bay, LCpl

Graham decided she wanted to be the next recipient of the Victoria Cross and ordered her section to break cover, form a base line and then conduct a full frontal attack across a field. At the time she thought this was a good idea until she lost Sig Coton who was struggling to get her 4ft carcuss over the tree stumps. Once GI Jane and her band of merry men returned to the location the best 3 words echoed around the FOB; “STOP STOP STOP” was music to our ears and marked the end of a long, tiring but really good and enjoyable exercise. That was until somebody decided to mix the GPMG Link with the Brass in numerous sandbags, forcing SSgt Tuck to empty every sandbag across the floor.

INDIA TROOP

Op HERRICK - TF JAG – by Sig Hann

After 4 months of fast-paced PDT, India Tp has been in Theatre for 6 weeks and are firmly set in a working routine. The pace has been fairly steady with busy injections of deliberate ops, VHR and TRKY shouts, all with their own challenges. Members of the Tp have decided to take full advantage of the on-hand gym to participate in “Op Massive” especially Sig Williams, who has taken it upon himself to bulk up and has coined a phrase “I’m bulking” for almost everything!

Due to the arrival of new Lynx and Chinook crews the Immediate Response Operator has had to deploy alongside a MAOT (Mobile Air Operations Team) north of BSN to set up desert landing boxes and conduct black illume training. For the junior signallers this has been an excellent opportunity to get-their-teeth into deployed ground-to-air (G2A) communications on operations, which can be a challenge.


OC Maj J MalcolmSSM WO2 (SSM) Sureshkumar Limbu

The Squadron returned from well deserved summer leave and straight away, all three Troops deployed to CT1 exercises. September has been packed with Regimental battle camp in Scotland which included LFTT and MATTS, QG SIGNALS Regimental birthday, Commander QG SIGNALS welcome function and receiving and training on Magpie equipment into Cpl Jones and LCpl Graham on Ex RED WARRIOR 2013

India Troop on Op HERRICK


the Squadron. Few personnel left the Squadron on posting and few new members have arrived which includes 2Lt Paul Walker who joined X Ray Troop on his 6 months long attachment. SSgt Laxmanbabu Rana took over X Ray Tp SSgt as SSgt Gyanendra Rai moved across to take over eagerly awaited SQMS job from SSgt Gopal Saru who moved to 4 Sqn in Blandford. 2Lt Josh Woulfe left for his Tp Comd course on completion of a 6 month attachment, FofS (IS) James Smith has just joined the Sqn on completion of his course. Dashain celebration in the SUMA turned out to be a huge success and the Squadron looks forward to Tihar and series of Tp and Sqn level exercises prior to Christmas leave.

Queen’s Gurkha Signals 64th Birthday Celebration and Association Dinner Night – Saturday, 21 September 2013 – by SSgt (SQMS) Gyanendra Rai

Queen’s Gurkha Signals, with a historic lineage beginning from Malaya, celebrated its 64th Regimental Birthday on Saturday 21 September 2013 at Gamecock Barracks, the home of Queen’s Gurkha Signals.

As in previous years, the Regiment formed up at the main parade square under Gurkha Adjutant, Capt Ganesh Gurung. Families, Association Members and guests were also present to celebrate the special occasion. In the absence of the Colonel of the Regiment, Maj Gen N A W Pope CBE, Commander QG SIGNALS, Lt Col N M Stokoe took the parade.The birthday speech, “By your badge men shall know you. By your loyalty, by your behaviour, and by your technical skill, they will judge you as men, and measure your efficiency as soldiers..…” which was read by the then Major General Brigade of Gurkhas, Maj Gen Perowne CB, CBE on the occasion of Cap Badging Ceremony, was read out in English and Nepali by OC 250 Gurkha Sig Sqn, Maj J Malcolm and GM QG SIGNALS, Maj Yambahadur Rana respectively. This was followed by the cake cutting ceremony and the Regimental annual awards. The following awards were then presented to the proud recipients in recognition of their outstanding performances throughout the year:

Best All Round Performance of the Year - Sig Deephang LimbuBest Sportsman of the Year - Sig Pratikcha RaiBest Shot of the Year - Sig Pradeep GurungBest Piper of the Year - LCpl Omprakash LimbuBest Trainee of the Year - Sig Radin Rai

The whole parade concluded with a fascinating display from the Regimental Pipes and Drums and an inspiring speech by Commander QG SIGNALS highlighting the major achievements of the Regiment over the past months, the importance of maintaining our ‘Kaida’ and the challenges that lie ahead for the Regiment.

The second phase of the day was even more eventful as the soldiers and their families took part in various sporting activities that included Inter-Squadron Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Tug of War competition and potted sports for the ladies and children. It was a very intense and exciting competition where the Champion Squadron was only decided by the final pull of Tug of War. After a gruelling and pulsating match, 246 Gurkha Sig Sqn came out victorious as the Champion Squadron for 2013. This was followed by medals and Champion Trophy presentation to the winning teams.

Later in the evening, the Queen’s Gurkha Signals Association Dinner was held in the Officers’ Mess in the presence of the Colonel of the Regiment, Maj Gen N A W Pope CBE. It was a splendid evening to meet and greet so many ‘buros’ (retired members) still enthusiastic about the Regiment and eager to meet their old and new friends. Their dedication and loyalty is a perfect example for all to see which has never faded with time. The evening also included yet more awards presentations; the Manning WO, WO2 Madan Rai was presented with GOC Sp Comd Commendation for his outstanding work as an Assistant Welfare Officer during his last post in HQ BG Nepal and Sgt Jagatram Rai was awarded with the very first ‘Best All Round Performance WOs and SNCOs Award’ (Verdon & Carter Trophy) for his outstanding contribution to the Regiment throughout the year.

As a whole, it was a very successful day where the serving and retired members and the families of the Regiment appeared to be even more committed with stronger dedication to move ahead together for the benefit and betterment of the Regt and the Brigade as a whole. Long may this continue!

‘Jai QG SIGNALS’

Comd and GM QG SIGNALS assisting Mrs Stokoe in cutting the Regimental 64th Birthday cake

Maj (Retd) KB Kent, “That is me at the centre”

Inter Sqn Sports, 250 Gurkha Sig Sqn Tug of War Team giving their best!


256 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj J KingSSM WO2 (SSM) M Lane

Since the last edition of The Wire, 256 Signal Squadron, part of 30 Signal Regiment has been incredibly busy. As a Squadron we have continued to fulfil our operational requirements and we have and are currently deployed on exercise. The Squadron still has personnel deployed on Op NEWCOME, Op VOCATE, SBMA, Op HONEYSUCKLE and Op GRATUS. Clearly, with the Squadron having so many deployment requirements, it is difficult to find time for exercise, sport and Squadron level training.

However, we did just that and have recently run a 2 week LFTT package in Scotland which was a huge success and consisted of an initial range package to get people through their ACMT and then the subsequent live ranges as part of LFTT. Another exercise the Squadron are currently deployed on is Ex JOINT VISION in Cyprus. The purpose of this is to exercise all three components of the Squadron. Firstly the Early Entry HQ provided by Alpha Troop, the Operation Reconnaissance Liaison Teams, provided by Bravo Troop and finally Charlie Troop who are our HQ 1 capability.

Prior to deploying to Cyprus on exercise, Lt Laurence Brind also managed to organise and head up a X-Country development week. This saw those who took part conducting a range of physical training consisting of two sessions a day to specifically target various aspects of the individual’s fitness. I’m led to believe the week was tough, however rewarding and saw some of the fitter members of the Squadron improve to the next level to allow them to better compete in such events as ‘Keswick Runner’ a 4 day long X-Country event in the hills of Cumbria.

With so many operational requirements to fulfil, the Squadron is incredibly busy. 258 Signal Squadron is due to be a sister squadron of 256 and directly mirror all of our capabilities. Once they have finalised their transition to Bramcote, this should ease the work load and increase the training capability of the two squadrons as each should have more time available to them with the workload shared across the two. To that end 256 Signal Squadron look forward to the arrival of 258 Signal Squadron to Bramcote and we look forward to the increased capability that is offered by their arrival.

2Lt on Attachment – by 2Lt M McCabe

On 9 August I walked up the steps of Old College RMAS for the very last time. It was a moment that will never leave my memory for many reasons. It marks the start to the rest of my life and most definitely at that point, an end to frequent, long and sweaty drill rehearsals. Looking back, however, at my time at RMAS, maybe with slightly rose tinted glasses, I had a fantastic time. The camaraderie and friendships within the platoons at RMAS make the experience unforgettable. However, needless to say, I was thoroughly excited to start the next chapter and say goodbye to the establishment.

For me, this began with a 6 month attachment at 30 Signal Regiment. After a couple of phone calls with OC B Tp (who had sacrificed his role for the hardships of a 6 month posting to SBMA Tampa, Florida), I realised the scope and size of what I was undertaking. This meant that I would be picking up the metaphorical rains and guiding the Troop in his absence. This news developed into a mixture of feelings, initially, jealousy of the outgoing Tp OC in Florida, then into nervousness, as the scale and responsibility of what I was being asked to do rapidly dawned one me.

However, after receiving a comprehensive hand over/take

over from OC B Tp the nervousness soon slipped away and was replaced by excitement. I arrived at the Regiment on 9 Sep 13, ready to take on the tasks at hand. After the initial requisite wind ups from the seniors in the Troop, which naturally I saw through straight away, the work came in thick and fast. With an excellent OC Sqn, Maj Jim King, who if sold on ebay would be listed as ‘Genuine Issue British Army SAS SBS’, who believed massively in mission command, I really was expected to command the troop as any other troop commander would. The Tp SSgt was very competent, and this allowed me time to settle in and observe how things work in a unit outside the realms of Sandhurst. I took my time with this, as I thought it was an important necessity for any new Tp commander, especially as I had little, to no experience in this role.

After a short period, I felt ready to start acting my role. I was still massively testing and adjusting, but I felt like I knew enough about the day to day workings, at least at troop level, to start having some input. It also felt like the Tp SSgt was allowing me a bit more of the reins as each week went by. During these 2 weeks I also attended my first Sqn O Gp. This turned out to be an eye opening experience. The amount of three letter acronyms and unusual names for various pieces of kit being bounded around the table, including ‘snowballs’ which baffled me for the entire talk, was astonishing. It came to a point where I was actually questioning the reality of what they were saying, ‘snowballs, falcons, magpies and tunnels’ all seemed a bit too much. Not less the consummate professional, I simply nodded and noted, so I could find out what they meant on the sly after the O Gp. At this point I realised how fundamentally important it was going to be for me to get around the kit and find out what it does and how it works.

It’s going to be a weird transition back in the training environment after having 6 months experience of the job I’ll be fulfilling once my Troop Commanders course has been completed. On one hand I’m looking forward to another chapter down, and down some more in Blandford, on the other I’m sad to be leaving B Tp, both for the people I work with, but also the job that the Troop fulfils.

Op NEWCOMBE – by Sig Harling

On 20 Mar 13, I deployed to Mali on Op NEWCOMBE as part of an Operational Liaison Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) from Bravo Troop, 256 Signal Squadron. This deployment saw me working alongside 10 staff officers from Joint Forces Logistics Team (JFLOGC), who are the High Readiness Logistics Team (HRLT) at Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ).

Our role in Mali was to provide J6 CIS support to JFLOGC. The kit we used out there was 2 dial-up Joint Operations Command System (JOCS) terminals, one Ash terminal, several insecure laptops, a sheepdip and 6 Staff Officer Laptops. The deployment started in January with 2 Signallers from Bravo Troop, who were on the 4 hour notice to move detachment at the time. LCpl Randall and I then spent from mid-March to the end of May in Mali.

Whilst on the deployment there was an opportunity for me to organise an event to raise money for an orphanage. The three strong team consisted of WO2 Lawrence of JFLOGC, Sgt Chief Jacquline of the French Air Force and myself. We worked alongside each other to ensure that the work was a success and that it would generate much needed money for the orphanage.

The main difficulty we faced whilst organising this event was the timescale, we were allocated approximately a week, which as with all timescales given the British Army, was significantly shorter then we would have liked. Although, we


had full support from our British team leader, Gp Capt Warwick, we would also need to seek permission from the French Base Commander to hold the event. The other big problem was the language barrier as not many of the French soldiers spoke English. After utilising our best English in French accents, we conceded defeat and sought out help from our French linguist who, much to our appreciation assisted with writing up some posters in French to put up around the base.

The format of the charity event I implemented was an inter nation five a-side football and poker tournament followed by a BBQ. The tournament was a huge success and we managed to raise £1000 for an Orphanage in Sanankoroba and a local school situated just outside Bamako airport. Due to the success, the coincidental visiting French senior officer who took a great liking to the event, a French press team came and covered what was going on, which later appeared on French national TV along with other parts of the French mission Op SERVAL.

Everyone certainly appreciated their 15 minutes of fame. The money we raised was spent on cleaning products, clothes and sports equipment for the school, for the orphanage we spent the money on stationary and sports equipment.

The football tournament had approximately 60 people participating and the poker tournament had around 120 people participating from several different nations, once a variation of rules was finally decided the tournament could begin. After the tournaments, we were sufficiently hungry so we broke bread with a BBQ, which many of the Senior Officers from the nations also attended. Naturally, the British team won the football tournament, comprised of all services and was also a mixed gender team. Unfortunately however, a French Soldier won the poker tournament with myself finishing around 20th.

The following week, after the event, I was to return to the UK due to the team downscaling to only 2 Staff Officers and 1 Signaller, from there I moved from Mali to Senegal to escort the equipment which we then handed over to the RAF Sentinel team, who would bring it back when they return home. Finally, on 19 May 13 I touched down on UK soil, several days after actually leaving Mali.

So to finish off, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the deployment and learnt a considerable amount. After 2 ½ months in Mali I can say that I had an excellent time, and to be given the opportunity to raise money for such a good cause, on such a tri service and joint platform was fantastic.

SUPPORT SQUADRON

OC Maj G GreavesSSM WO2 (SSM) J Womble

Since the last edition of The Wire, Sp Sqn has deployed to the Island of Alderney on Ex RAMPANT LION, supported ongoing exercises and deployments as well as the normal ECI, LSI, SPSI preparation that keeps us busy. Members of the Sp Sqn remain committed to supporting the Regiment by organising extra-curricular events such as the recent Halloween Party organised by Pte Nicky Batson, who took time out of her busy MPGS duties to organise a well attended party for soldiers, dependants and kids. As Bonfire Night approaches, Sgt Ratna Tamang and his MT gang can be seen building crates, pallets and anything not nailed down into a large, impressive wooden pyramid! That is when the RSM, WO1 (RSM) Setchfield, WO2 (RQMS) Scott Tomblin and SSgt (FofS) Paul Fox stop ‘borrowing’ crates to build ramps for their mountain bike stunt gang! Sgt Mark Barclay and LCpl Michelle Russell continue to organise community events, including the annual Station Kids Christmas Party, and the UWO, Capt Dougie Icke, is already dusting down his Father Christmas suit!

Welfare and Community Department – by Captain Dougie Icke

The Welfare and Community Department are working hard! No day is the same and there is always something to help out with, information to find out, events to organise and a PRI shop to run. Actually there is a contact house, a bouncy castle, allotments, a skate park, an indoor children’s play area, a Bus Stop café, a hairdressing salon, coffee mornings and a plethora of other community facilities to keep on top off in addition to welfare and community events – but we love it and we do our best to keep our soldiers, dependants and kids happy in an environment of contingency operations, exercises and high-readiness.

SSgt Dambar Phago has made his mark as the Department 2IC and Office Manager and has the complete confidence of the team and all visitors to our department due to his professionalism, forward-thinking and leadership – we are lucky to have him! Sgt Mark Barclay has left behind his previous life in Hereford after we made him remove his black jump suit and stopped him sneaking around the place looking for people to ‘take out’ and is now looking forward to attending his Unit Welfare Officer Part 1 course (rumoured to be harder than ‘selection’) and is busy organising welfare and community events. A highlight of his tour so far was when his able assistant, LCpl Michelle Russell forgot the password (3 times) to the memory stick which contained all previous Newsletters, Admin Instructions and anything that would make his life easy going forward – and subsequently completely erased it! Cpl Neil Dickinson has been busy with resettlement courses prior to his gardening leave starting post Christmas leave. This causes him noticeable excitement in his casual Geordie manner – it also results in him speaking faster, which leaves the team, especially our Nepalese colleagues, shrugging our shoulders and looking at each other with raised eyebrows and confused looks after bursts of Geordie dialogue that needs a crypto setting to understand. Our Gurkha Support Worker once nicknamed him as ‘50%’ owing to her efforts and ability to glean up to 50% of his wise words (if she really concentrated) – this figure sometimes peaks up in the 80-90% bracket! We love him really! Cpl Kharun Rai remains focussed on his many supporting tasks to the Welfare Department, with the majority of his time spent in the PRI shop attempting to ‘sell, sell, sell’. Lastly our brilliant Welfare Clerk – Mrs Corris Cooper and our Hive Officer – Mrs Karen Thwaites who, along with our Gurkha Support Worker – Mrs Shova Gurung keep the Welfare and Community Department operating at peak performance whilst reaching out to the community and helping others.

LCpl Randall and Sig Harling in Mali


The Grand Opening of Bramcote Station Indoor Children’s Play Area

On 13 Sep 13, the Regimental 2IC Maj Dave Rook opened the Bramcote Station Children’s Indoor Play Area after some successful bidding for Libor Funding for a number of community projects by UWO, Capt Dougie Icke, came good. Located in the new Hub Community room (the next project) we now have a facility for toddlers and young children that is open to families every day to use at their leasure.

The Grand Opening of Bramcote Station Skatepark

The CO opened the eagerly awaited Bramcote Station Skatepark on 21 Sep 13. Funded by the Libor Fund and AWGC and SCWGC grants to the tune of £47k, the result is a lot of happy young people who now have somewhere to ‘hang out’ with BMXs, scooters, skateboards and roller-skates being the top selling items in Nuneaton’s retail district.

Bramcote Station Community Circus Skills Day – by LCpl Russell

New into the role of Welfare and Community JNCO, I was tasked with running a ‘Circus Skills’ day following my HOTO with LCpl Kirsty Abel. The plan was to run 2 sessions for kids and parents with the aim being to learn as many ‘circus skills’

as possible. Kids (and parents) were taught to juggle, walk on stilts, spin plates (The Regt’l 2IC Maj Rook and UWO Capt Dougie Icke were heard telling the instructor that there was nothing they could be taught in this skill owing to already being experts) and much more. After a demonstration on how to use each apparatus there was the opportunity to have a go at everything and then at the end of the session the chance to demonstrate your prowess with your favorite equipment. A fun day was had by all and there is a rumour that SSgt Dambar Phago has already sold one of his children to the circus.

Bramcote Station Halloween Party

This year’s Station Halloween Party was once again organized by the MPGS Dept’s very own Pte Becky Batson. The impressive attendance by children and their families was testament to the hard work and organization she put into the event and the costumes, games and spooky goings on made for a superb Halloween party for our young ones. Later on in the evening there was a live band and further Halloween events for the older community with soldiers and dependants partying till midnight and beyond!

Exercise SWAN RANGE – by Capt James Harryman

The Regimental Training Wing’s advance party plus instructors from within the Regiment deployed to Barry Buddon Ranges on 11 September to set up for SWAN RANGE. In line with the CO’s training directive, members of the Regiment were taken through all the basic soldering skills required to work in a contempory environment, ranging from the mandated shooting tests all the way up to live section attacks.

Regimental 2IC Maj Dave Rook opens the Children’s Indoor Play Area – this is the moment he went off-track slightly and told the

kids that they needed to ‘keep low and move fast’ and that if they wanted to be ‘Commando Trained’ they needed to make themselves known at the end of the brief. The concerned look

of one child suggests she won’t be volunteering!

The Bramcote Station BMX and Scooter Club unleashed! Future White Helmets maybe?

Parents and children posing with some of their favorite circus apparatus during the morning ‘Circus Skills’ session


To add competitiveness to the gruelling 6 day package, each Squadron was broken down into sections with points awarded for each day's training. These scores were then taken into the final event, the assault course followed by a march a shoot competition.

On arrival the Squadrons were shown around the camp by the ‘Camp’ SQMS, Sgt Richie Allen. He gave them the initial brief on various locations in and around the camp and the do’s and don’ts of the accommodation. This was then followed by the delicious evening meal served by a real Scottish pirate before they went into the evening activities. Once evening meal had finished the troops were then directed into the Training Wing where they got the overall briefs from the Training Officer, Capt James Harryman and SSgt Andy Naylor. From this brief the sections were then split into various activities that ranged from a pistol weapon handling test with Sgt ‘Gaz’ Lower and SSgt Ashley Jackson to rifle weapon handling tests with Cpl Carla Evans, Cpl Steve Durham and Cpl Al Godley. While all the weapon handling tests were going on, the sections that weren’t involved were collecting their body armour and relevant stores that they would need for the week from the SQMS (who was now insisting on being called the ‘exercise’ SQMS).

Day 2 consisted of a training rotation to get everyone up to the required standard required for the rest of the week's training. This consisted of the marksmanship principles with various instructors followed by Cpl Richie Calledine refreshing on the grouping and zeroing principles, CBRN with Sgt Lee Bruin, ACMT, CPERS, and finally BLS lesson with Cpl Lyds Donoghue. A pyro demo was also conducted by SSgt Naylor to finish off the day's training.

Day 3 started with a bang, the sections got to hone their 6 section battle drills with Cpl Durham with the assistance of LCpl Dan Coward. There was also a CBRN shoot run by Cpl Kishan and the full pistol APWT run by Sgt Lower aided by SSgt ‘Fitz’ Fittons. The final activity of the day was an introduction to the assault course and in particular the monkey bars (which would make several people very wet later on in the week) taken by LCpl Ridesh. With as much being crammed in as possible the evening lesson consisted of BLS testing by Cpl Donoghue.

Day 4 really ramped up with some tired bodies being taken onto the IBSR range where they honed their skills in pairs fire manoeuvre. The second half of the day consisted of a navigation refresher before putting these skills into practice with both a day and night timed exercise ran by Cpl Kishan. (On appeal it was decided that hiding cylumes in river beds might be a little too taxing).

Day 5 was the culmination of the training with assessed stands including live section attacks, CBRN, Casevac and CIED scenarios. To allow for a late night defensive shoot the troops were taken through of a limit of night vision shoot with Sgt Lower. From here they were taken directly to the “embassy perimeter” which had been breached. Briefed by SSgt Fittons as to the situation, the individual sections then took up defensive positions in the trenches of field firing north range to halt the attacking force. With para-illumination filling the Scottish night sky, it was clear that everyone had worked tirelessly to put on an interesting and challenging week of training.

Sgt ‘Gaz’ Lower puts 250 Sig Sqn through their paces on the pistol range, whilst SSgt ‘Action’ Jackson tests his pocket

warmers

37th SIGNAL REGIMENT (VOLUNTEERS) REDDITCH

CO Lt Col CairnsRSM WO1 (RSM) Moore

The Regt has had an extremely busy period since the summer with the Annual Deployment Exercise (ADE) to Elmpt, support to a number of UK Ops (Exercises and Operations) and ongoing planning ahead of FR20 rebasing for the Reserves. Attention is currently focused on Op FORTIFY activity and we welcome Lt Urey and 14 soldiers from 16 Sig Regt who have deployed to the UK to support recruiting surge periods either side of Christmas. We say farewell to LCpl Kennerley (CO Dvr), SSgt Taylor (Tiffy), SSgt Thompson (at the end of his colour service – returning as a Reservist, so welcome back) FofS Walker, Maj Lyn Mayell (OC 48 Sqn) who departs to take up post as SO2 G7 at 11 Sig Bde after ADE13 and OC 53 Sqn who leaves shortly for a posting to Blandford. We welcome SSgt Coley as IS Engr, SSgt Cooper to 48 Sqn as the SPSI, SSgt Forsyth as the new Tiffy and SSgt Johnson as the new FofS.

Exercise GLOBAL TROT – Annual Deployment Exercise 2013 - by Capt Humphries OC 36 Sqn

Following the deployment of 15 personnel from 37 Sig Regt on HERRICK 16 with our paired Sig Regt, there was a determination to continue the building of relationships and friendships with 16 Sig Regt based in Elmpt, Germany. As a result, Lt Col Dominique Cairns, CO 37 Sig Regt set the task for the Regt Ops team to provide a robust and challenging exercise to take place in Elmpt, with participation from 16 Sig Regt on Annual Deployment Exercise (ADE) 2013.

Following completion of the build-up training and considerable planning by the Ops Maj (Mark Rouse) and his Regular and Army Reserve Ops team; a total of 115 Officers and Soldiers deployed to Elmpt, to participate in a Company level exercise with an ICS phase for ADE 2013. In addition 21 soldiers were attached from 16 Sig Regt to participate in both phases.


After a relatively uneventful but long journey time which involved coaches and chunnel crossing, all personnel arrived late on the evening of Sat 7 Sept 13. On arrival we were met by the QM (Maj John Riley) and his G4 team to be allocated our accommodation and secure weapons for the night. On Sun 8th following an introduction by the CO and further briefs by the Ops Maj, QM, Regt Trg Officer (Capt Lucy Sewell), RSM

(WO1 (RSM) Moore) and YofS (WO2 (YofS) ‘Scouse’ Lloyd); everyone dispersed and the final build up training started for those in the Infantry Company under the command of OC 53 Sig Sqn (Maj Matt Longcake) and the ICS Platoon (Maj Dave Fraley (TOT)).

With the officers and soldiers of 37 and soldiers from 16 integrated at all levels, refresher and continuation training was provided over the period Mon 9th through to Fri 13th Sept by both Regular SPSI and Army Reserve personnel from the Regt. The training went well and prepared all participants for the deployment of the Infantry Company and ICS Platoon to Haltern Training Area for the final phase of the Exercise.

The BOWMAN HF and VHF platforms for use during the Exercise were provided by 16 and under the guidance of Maj Dave Fraley and WO2 (YofS) ‘Scouse’ Lloyd, the BOWMAN plan was executed.

37 Sig Regt Annual Deployment Exercise 2013

BCDT Casualty Simulation Training 37 and 16 Sig Regt COs and RSMs


Fri 13th saw the Regiment deploy to Haltern Training Area where the training completed prior to and during ADE13 was put into practice. Under the command of Maj Matt Longcake, the three platoons were deployed to dominate the ground and undertook a series of recces and ambushes before the final attack on Monday morning which brought to a close the first phase of ADE13. During this phase all orders were passed using BOWMAN Voice and Data in the form of COMBAT. The use of COMBAT and BOWMAN data, with its situational awareness is something that the Regt had not practised prior to ADE13, however after successfully using the system it will now become part of routine training in the future. As well as BOWMAN PRR, 37 were provided with Selex Elsag PRR equipment as part of a trial for this new equipment.

Ex Phase - The perspective of LCpl Hughes, 36 (E) Sig Sqn:

Bergens packed, Friday was spent with our platoons, being issued with the reminder of kit and orders for the task ahead. 20:00hrs we boarded the coaches for the trip to Halten and we arrive at around 22:30hrs. Ammo is issued and radios filled with crypto before the Coy sent out on patrol to the HQ location.

At HQ more orders are given out and platoons patrol to their harbour areas. We get into our harbour area and quickly settle into the harbour drills routine; digging shell scraps, admin and patrols. Each section goes out onto the patrols, leaving the remainder to defend the harbour; this evening as radio operator I joined the patrol for an ambush attack.

Sunday morning, the command appointments changed slightly; I became the Sect Comd of 1 Sect. Same harbour routines for today, I took my Sect out on patrol for a hasty ambush, to take out the enemy we had been informed were in our area.

This evening, we receive orders that will take us out through the night ready to attack before first light. Around 02:00hrs the Coy all meet up and patrol to our location in order to prepare to attack; the lack of light and with varying terrain, the patrol out was challenging. At just before first light and with the aid of shamules we cross the open field heading towards the location of the enemy. The various Plts split to their attack positions and at around 07:30hrs the enemy has been defeated. We patrol to the pick up point.

Before we depart the training area we have a container breakfast meal and our Coy photo taken.

On completion of Phase 1, everyone returned for a quick turnaround of personnel and equipment and the Regt prepared for Phase 2. The Regt held a BBQ on Mon evening, which was well organised by the QM and the Master Chef (WO2 Holland) and his team. Presentations by the Hon Col and CO saw the following awards:

Best Soldier – LCpl KennerleyBest Field Soldier – LCpl Taylor, 54 Sp SqnBest Endeavour – LCpl Hughes, 36 Sig Sqn

Further turnaround of equipment was completed before the Regt went on R&R for a day, with individuals going to the local area, Dusseldorf, or further afield; however everyone returned safely and without incident on Wed 18th ready for the Regt Sports Competition, ably organised by Capt Phil Hall, 53 Sig Sqn.

Thurs 19th saw the Regt deploy to Arnhem for a battlefield study of Op MARKET GARDEN, where the landing zones, Arnhem Bridge and Hartenstein Hotel were some of the places visited. OC 48 Sig Sqn (Maj Lyn Mayell) put together a comprehensive and informative pack covering all aspects of Operation MARKET GARDEN and members of the Regt were tasked to provide a brief on the key phases of the operation as they were visited. As part of this activity, the Regt visited the Oosterbeek Cemetery, where the Padre (Maj Vic VanDenBergh) held a service and a wreath was laid in commemoration of those who have given their lives previously. Early Fri 20th saw the Regt depart Elmpt to return to respective Army Reserve Centres where the equipment was turned around prior to departure to loved ones and normal day jobs on the Sat morning.

In between all the training, the Officers and SNCOs held a games night with their counterparts from 16 Sig Regt as well as a Regimental dinner night; both events went down well and thanks are passed on to WO1 (RSM) Moore and WO1 (SVWO) Proffitt. During the course of ADE 13, the Regt hosted Col (Retd) Stamford Cartwright (Chairman WM RFCA), Brig O’Leary (AComd FTC), Col Edwards (AComd 11X UK Ops), Brig Wilson (Comd 11X) and Maj Gen Crackett (Hon Col 37 Sig Regt).

A big thank you to everyone who was involved in the planning and execution of ADE13, without their hard work it would not have been the success it was; to name a few, Sgt Walton, all the SPSIs and SPSI Techs from each Sqn, Capt Dan Wall and the Ops team, Maj Carl Quincey and Maj Lyn Mayell who

Members of 37 and 16 Sig Regt on Exercise at Haltern Trg Area


departs 48 Sig Sqn to take up post as SO2 G7 at 2 Sig Gp (11 Sig Bde) after ADE13. Overall an excellent ADE which built further on the relationship with 16 Sig Regt and challenged everyone at all levels. CO, Ops Offr and all members of 16 Sig Regt are thanked for hosting the Regt in Elmpt and we look forward to continuing the paired relationship.

36 (EASTERN) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj K HumphriesSSM WO2 (SSM) WO2 K Elliott

A busy period for the Sqn in the build up and attendance on ADE13 in Elmpt and now routine training has resumed with the focus switching back to comms, as well as the preparation for FR20 changes; this will see the loss of the Tp at Cambridge and subsequent re-subordination of the Sqn to 71 (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment as 36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron.

Congratulations to Cpls ‘C-T’ Crumpton-Taylor and ‘Maggs’ Kelly on their successful completion of their Class 1 Communication Operators course. Cpl Kelly also found time prior to ADE13 to compete in the Army Cycling Championships at Sandhurst in Sept, but did not bring home any silverware this time…

The Sqn sadly says goodbye to Sgt Marcus Morley who leaves us to return to Aldershot; everyone at 36 Sig Sqn passes on their thanks to him, who despite only a short time with us has provided a significant amount of support to the Sqn particularly through his catering skills. We wish him all the best for the future.

49 Bde CAST September 2013 – by LCpl Hughes

Straight after returning from ADE13 in Elmpt, members of 37 Sig Regt deployed in support of 49X CAST to Chilwell. The requirement was to provide REEBOK in support of this exercise, led by Capt Sarah Earl (Ops Offr 36 (E) Sig Sqn); a mixed selection of personnel from 36 and 48 Sig Sqn deployed the REEBOK in a dismounted role,

This was the main exercise for 49 Bde in support of UK Ops, supported by HQ SJC (UK), HQ Sp Comd, FORF, Army formations/units, HQ Air and civil responders such as the police, fire service and ambulance service; they were evaluated by the CAST (Command And Staff Training) team throughout.

The aim was to test and prove procedures in the event that the UK came under serious flooding, where large parts of

the country were placed under water. If heavy rain and meteorological events came together to cause these severe events, resulting in towns being flooded, people and animals homeless or worse dead, what would we do? The 49X CAST allowed for this scenario to be played out and with the aid of multi–agency support, the how’s of providing sandbags, aid and recovery of people was inacted.

As part of the REEBOK detachment, we provided the comms for the Force element teams to enable them to complete their tasks within this exercise. To this end, we provided the RESTRICTED user laptops, Dii connectivity, telephone extensions and assisted users with any issues that arose with equipment during the exercise.

48 (CITY OF BIRMINGHAM) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj L MayellSSM WO2 (SSM) Potts

The Sqn have been extremely busy in the last Qtr, with support to UK Ops CAST Exercises, strong representation on ADE to Elmpt and real life support to a variety of ongoing UK Ops. In addition, recruiting has maintained a pace and with the addition of Regimental Support Teams (RSTs) from 16 Sig Regt, the Sqn has been extremely active in the past month, raising its profile in the local AOR and supporting a larger recruiting event in the form of Army Reserve Live 2. This RG Flagship event started with a series of smaller Mobile Army Recruiting Sugres (MARS) events in and around TACS in Birmingham AOR and culminated with a large Equipment and

Maj Gen Crackett (Hon Col 37 Sig Regt) visiting ADE 13 49 Bde Ops Room during CAST Exercise

Army Reserve Live 2 Inside the Bullring (Birmingham City Centre)


Display stand in the Bullring shopping centre in the heart of Birmingham on a busy Saturday.

The event was led by ACC Birmingham and supported by a number of local Reserve units. 37 Sig Regt and 48 Sqn had a large display outside the centre that attracted considerable numbers throughout the day, whilst inside and throughout the city, members of the RST moved around the crowds armed with BOWMAN Man Pack radios.

Overall it was a successful event with considerable interest registered on the day as well as adding to the bigger picture that the Army Reserve is recruiting. In recent months the Sqn have started to see some Ex-Regulars transferring to the Reserve as they settle in the Midlands area and if anybody out there is looking to start civilian life in the Midlands, get in touch and continue to serve with us. Call the Sqn on 0121 7727869 or the RCMO on 01527 599328; its easier to transfer than you think and quicker if you initiate it whilst serving through your own RCMO.

53 (WALES & WESTERN) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj M LongcakeSSM WO2 (SSM) Cash

Squadron Update - by SSgt James SPSI

53 (W&W) Signal Squadron have had a busy period with most members deploying to 16 Sig Regt, Elmpt station to conduct their two week Annual Deployment Exercise and conduct paired training alongside our regular Signals Unit. The Exercise was conducted in two phases, week 1 was a dry training phase and FTX, which saw Sgt Phillips from 867 Tp

deployed as the Company CQMS; even though he could not count past 30 which made his ammo states very amusing.

Alongside the standard Mil Skills, a troop of ICS support was deployed; Capt Webb seemed to enjoy the whole communication experience by getting his head down in the back of the FFR for the majority of the training exercise. The second week was R&R phase and a trip to a bridge too far!!

On return to the UK, the Squadron have turned their focus to Op FORTIFY recruiting activity and the upcoming Regt Global Trot 04 Exercise; which will be the last training weekend for the OC Maj Longcake, as he is posted on to Blandford at the end November, he will be missed as the mighty 53s’ OC and we wish him well for the future.

54 (WORCESTERSHIRE) SUPPORT SQUADRON (V)

OC Maj C QuinceySSM WO2 (SSM) M Evans

Since the last issue, Sp Sqn has prepared for and successfully completed Annual Deployment in Germany. We sent a dozen soldiers on the exercise and only suffered two injuries, both of which miraculously healed as soon as the rain ended! The junior ranks excelled themselves under harsh conditions and should all be proud of their achievements.

In addition to this, the Sqn has also deployed a large cohort of junior soldiers on their PNCO cadre.

The Sqn recruiting team has mentored two more soldiers through Phase 1 training, with more fresh faces arriving every month. Op FORTIFY is currently monopolising our recruiters' time as members of 16 Sig Regt have been attached to the unit and are training with us for the Autumn recruiting drive. We anticipate a steady increase in recruits in the coming months.

Members of 48 Sqn and 16 Sig Regt RST outside the Bullring

ADE 13 Battle PT

ADE 13 SSgt Hall having another close shave


In other news, the summer barbeque was a welcome opportunity for us to share quality time in a social environment with our families and the Sqn football team is growing in strength thanks to the efforts of Sig Darren Roland and Sgt Morgan Gilbert.

Exercise GLOBAL LEADER - by Capt Christine Cherry

Officer Training Weekend 17 - 18 Aug 2013 - The Officers of the Regt were deployed to the RAF Museum, Cosford to continue with their training and understanding of British Military Doctrine and to revise the Regiments role within UK OPS C2.

This was achieved through an excellent presentation by Capt Steve Cherry (although he does say so himself) followed by some syndicate work within the Cold War Museum annex, along with discussions relating to contemporary doctrine.

Capt Adrian Sharman presented and led a discussion relating to UK Contingency Operations, which again led to healthy discussions within the groups. The facilities at The RAF Museum were superb and added to the strength of the debate, with some of the exhibits being familiar to some of our more mature officers! The day's training was followed by an excellent supper that was hosted by the Honorary Colonel and his wife Claire, where further debates followed (lubricated by the Generals generous hosting).

The Sunday morning dawned bright and early where we all took part in geriatric PT carefully orchestrated by Capt Phil Hall. The training was rounded off with a presentation by the Commanding Officer regarding FR20 and the future of the Regiment. Overall, an excellent weekend's training that enhanced our professional development and brought the Officers Mess together in a different setting.

39th (SKINNERS) SIGNAL REGIMENT (VOLUNTEERS)BRISTOL

CO Lt Col M Cosgrove MBERSM WO1 (RSM) W Scarrott

56 SIGNAL SQUADRON – EASTBOURNE

OC Maj S TrevelionSSM WO2 (SSM) R Vincent

Squadron Re-Role

Following the recent direction from above concerning the Sqn’s imminent “re-role”, 2IC Capt Steph Barron has been busy arranging presentations for Sqn personnel by other Units within the locality and from slightly further afield. The first of these involved the PWRR putting on an impressive display of the weaponry with which they ply their trade. This was followed by one from the Royal Engineers (EOD) who demonstrated an array of mine detection equipment whilst hosting the Sqn during a ship searching exercise in Tilbury docks. Over the coming weeks, presentations are due from the AAC, who are in the process of creating a new reserve unit to be based in Portsmouth, followed by a briefing from the Medical Unit based in New Brighton.

Annual Camp

The Sqn. deployed to the sunny locations of STANTA (East Anglia) and Okehampton (Devon) for this years Regimental Annual Camp; a joint deployment between 39 and 71 Signal Regiments. The first week consisted of a 3 day range package

in which the soldiers got to grips with pistols, HE Grenade and GPMG, with SPSI SSgt ‘Taff’ Langley notably in his element whilst explaining the finer points of “The General” to the troops coming through his stand. The second part of the first week included the AT package, through which the troops were able to try their hands at mountain biking, coasteering and surfing on the renowned Fistral beach in Newquay.

Prior to the Exercise phase the Sqn spent a couple of hours honing their 4x4 skills on the local quad bike track. The very fetching red jump suits came in handy during the end of camp fancy dress party for Capt Steve Hall, who used his as a FDIT (“Fancy Dress Inspection Team”) uniform!

The second week consisted of a brief three day exercise back on the STANTA Training Area, followed by the much anticipated Royal visit from HRH The Princess Royal at Okehampton Camp.

Squadron Business

A number of hardworking soldiers from the Sqn have seen their efforts rewarded through promotion from Signaller to Lance Corporal in recent weeks, these being Chris Platt, Chester Sage, Ian Sussex and Jake Cole, with the latter receiving his promotion notification whilst on a back packing trip down under in Australia. Other Sig to LCpl promotions are still in the pipeline, awaiting the final green light from Glasgow. Keep an eye on this space! Finally, a pat on the back is most certainly due to SSgt Pete Mills on his promotion Bring on the surf!

Members of the Sqn suited and booted and ready for the quad bike track


to WO2. We were also pleased to see the long awaited marriage of Sgt Paul Hawes to Laura in recent weeks. Paul and Laura met whilst serving in the TA around 10 years ago whilst Laura was serving as a Signaller. With the changes in the Sqn occurring over the next few months we have to bid farewell to some key members who are moving on to other units to continue their Reserve Forces careers. WO2 Pete Mills, SSgt Eric Gardyne, Sgt Jo Reader and Cpl Ben Bracken are all moving to join our former OC, Maj Keiron Francis, at the New Brighton UOTC, part of Southampton University OTC. On a poignant note, the wider Sqn family will be coming together for the Sqn Freedom Parade, which has been confirmed for Saturday 18 January 2014. A former OC, Lt Col Anthony Lamb is due to host the evening function with ex Sqn PSAO Capt (Rtd) Ian Murray attempting to contact the many hundreds of past members and friends now scattered both near and far. Our current OC, Maj Sarah Trevelion and PSAO Capt Gary Jennion are making the necessary arrangements with the Corps Band, and are talking to local councillors regarding the necessary road closures and security detail for the event. The Sqn hopes to make this poignant gathering an occasion that will live on in the collective local memory for many years to come.

The CO, Lt Col Marcus Cosgrove MBE paid a visit to the Sqn in September to meet with the soldiers and to give a presentation on the Sqn’s future. He explained some of the finer detail underpinning the planned change over to the PWRR and sought to answer the various queries raised by members of the Sqn.

Clay Target Championships

Sig Adam Wilmshurst, our resident clay pigeon shooting expert, was recently head hunted by the Corps to represent their team at the Army Clay Target Championships. This was a two day event, with the first day held on the Bramley Training Area, and the second day’s shooting being held on Pirbright ranges. Whilst not only playing a hand in helping the Corps team win the Inter Corps Championship, he was also awarded the prize for best Individual Reserve competitor with a score of 156/200. Well done Sig Wilmshurst.

57 (City and County of Bristol) Signal Squadron

OC Maj Paul RodenhurstSSM WO2 (SSM) Richard Vise

Personnel Update

The main thrust of the Sqn’s seasonal battle rhythm has once again been preparation for the Regiment’s annual

deployment exercise. Our preparation has been aided by the arrival of a few new faces, including Cpl Mike Cunningham, who has returned to duties following a period of leave from the TA due to work and family commitments. Additionally, two new potential officers have joined the Sqn from their respective OTCs; Sig Emily Griffiths, late BUOTC and Sig Daniel Stoner, late SUOTC. From the existing Sqn personnel count, congratulations are due to the following soldiers on achieving promotion to LCpl: Alan Bowe, Ollie Camm, Jamie McDonald and Alex Saunders, and to newly promoted Cpls: Emma Dempsey, Josh Seller and Brad Sluz. Support to operations and exercises by individuals serving within the Sqn continues as ever. LCpl Ollie Camm has now mobilised and is undergoing pre deployment training in support of OP HERRICK. Sgt ‘Herbie’ Hyde and Cpl Paul Allaway both supported the RNR on Ex CAMBRIAN TRADER in September. And finally, on the Personnel front, mention must go to our SPSI SSgt Glen Moffat and his wife Karen on the recent birth of their daughter, Maggie.

Annual Deployment Exercise – by Sig Paul Gazzard

When I woke up on the Saturday morning for my first annual deployment exercise I was apprehensive as to what it might entail and arrived for duty both nervous and excited at the same time. For the first few days I was in the group for ranges, where we fired weapons that we wouldn’t normally get to lay our hands on. First was the pistol which was interesting to say the least (don’t think I’ll ever watch the movie Bad Boys in the same way again!), and afterwards I had a go on the GPMG followed by the shotgun with which it turns out I am a much better shot than with a rifle! Finally we had the chance to use frag grenades; which really do produce some effective blast!

Following the range packages we had our AT package, with my first taste of it being coastering. Here I felt in my element - jumping off cliffs, and on occasion, cutting myself on barnacles when scrambling up the cliff faces - what’s not to like about that!

The next day saw us heading for the sea in search of some good surf. With the initial discomfort and, in some cases humiliation, of trying to squeeze into an undersized wetsuit out of the way, we proceeded to hit the waves with widespread enjoyment and exhilaration being very much the order of the day. Whilst we cannot claim to have produced many contenders for bit parts in the sequel to “Point Break”, full marks for effort must be due to all who participated.

Our final day of AT was taken up with mountain biking and orienteering. My initial scepticism around the biking was quashed when I realised it was a lot harder than I expected and the expectancy of a sudden tumble kept the adrenaline levels high all the way down.

The second week was about what we’re paid to do at the end of the day, with that being the Comm’s phase. Being a little rusty comms wise, I was already a little nervous about this part of the Exercise and when I was told that I would be Zero my nervousness only intensified. With hindsight, being chucked in at the deep end was all the stimulus I needed, and within 10 minutes I had the radios set up, and with a bit of help from Sgt Wellings had the masts up shortly afterwards. After that, everything just sort of fell into place, and with the aid of Cpl Cooper’s BOWMAN experience, we had reliable comm’s and two efficient Dets up and running for the duration.

Reflecting on this annual deployment, I can now appreciate what a success it all was, and without a doubt I am looking forward to doing it all over again.

Sig Wilmshurst in action at the clay shoot


Exercise NORTHERN ALTURA - by Cpl Emma Dempsey

The aim of the expedition was to provide a high altitude and alpine development opportunity for less experienced mountaineer members of the Army Mountaineering Association (AMA). We also hoped that we would be able to summit a 6000m peak within the Cordillera Blanca range which is part of the Peruvian Andes.

Following a long and tedious flight from the UK to Lima (via Madrid), we faced an arduous 8 hour coach journey up to Huaraz, high up in the hills at around 3000m. We all expected to feel the effects of altitude sickness whilst ascending from sea level up to 3000m in an 8 hour period. The bus journey turned out to be much like a party bus however, and we had Latin American style bingo (even though we didn’t really understand it) and music all the way. Arriving in Huaraz at 9 pm we were met by Alfredo, who was to be our mountain guide.

For the next few days we conducted a few day treks followed by 3 nights trekking and camping in the mountains. All of this was to ensure that we were fully acclimatised before starting our alpine mountaineering adventure for real. On our second day of the main expedition, two of the group were already starting to feel the effects of altitude up at 4450m. However, after a day’s rest it was back to the grind, and time to resume the challenge that hardcore alpine mountaineering in difficult conditions presents. Most of team had previous experience of trekking in alpine conditions. However, a number of the group, myself included, lacked experience in these conditions. So, it was time to get onto the glacier and have a good training session ready for our summit attempt at Maparaju at 5326m. An early morning start was needed as we had a 3-4 hour walk in to the foot of the glacier. Adrenaline was very much pumping. We were split down into 4 rope teams for this summit bid. My rope team was guided by a Peruvian guide who rather un-sportingly decided to make us climb a rock face whilst the other groups went around the back. When we were half way into our climb Cpl Simon Hall started feeling the effects of altitude again, complaining of an excruciating headache. Capt Alex Dow and the Peruvian guide decided it was time to go down again to ensure Cpl Hall’s symptoms did not get worse. The rest of the rope teams managed to summit Maparaju claiming their first summit of the expedition.

After a day to turn our kit around it was back out to the mountains again. This time our aim was to summit Ischinca at 5530m. We were all determined to make it this time. We set off in 3 rope teams this time, with everyone willing each other to make the summit. On the glacier leading up to the start of the ascent proper, I found myself having to stop every 30 steps or so, due to sheer exhaustion. WO1 Si Naylor was our rope team leader and ensured we all made it to the top, even with a 30 metre near vertical climb to reach the summit. We were all elated to reach the summit, especially as all of the expedition members had made it to the top without incident.

With our hopes to attempt an ascent on Copa Nevada at 6188m dashed due to weather conditions, we settled for an attempt at the gentler Pisco peak at 5752m. The ascent began with a gentle walk up to our first campsite. With the local porters and chefs excelling in support again, WO1 Si Naylor was our expedition leader and this time we had fitness fanatic Capt Trish Patterson as a welcome addition to our team. WO1 Naylor was helping me with mountaineering techniques, and I found myself gaining much valuable experience and knowledge on this summit bid. It was truly amazing to reach the top. Now we had only the

long walk back to low camp to negotiate. Morale was high but energy was low. We spent a night at low camp then trekked back down to get our coach back to Huaraz.The expedition was drawing to a close. This had been an amazing 4 weeks. Now we had the gruelling journey back to the UK, starting with an 8 hour bus journey followed by the 12 hour flight to Madrid, and another 2 and a half hours back to London. But all in all we achieved as much as we could, making this a very successful expedition for the AMA.

Recruiting Update

The Sqn’s recruiting efforts were boosted recently with a visit by the Recruiting Team to the Bristol Rovers FC Fun Day at the Memorial Ground in Horfield.

With a potential audience of around 5,000 Rovers fans, together with members of the first team squad and the club cheerleaders, the Sqn recruiting trailer was rolled out into action once again, whilst an FFR Landrover and 93 (NSY) Sp Sqn’s recovery vehicle were positioned alongside to give members of the public a flavour of the Regt’s MT assets. Also in attendance on the day were the outreach team from 43 Bde whose weapons demonstration proved to be a big hit with the public. Whilst the best endeavours of Lt Martin Crilly and Sig White ensured the raising of the Sqn’s profile within the local community, it must be related that to date none of the Rover’s first team squad or the Rovers Cheerleaders have been recruited into the Sqn!

Members of the Recruiting team together with Bristol Rovers FC Officials

A few young un’s for the future perhaps…?


71st (CITY OF LONDON) YEOMANRY SIGNAL REGIMENTBEXLEYHEATH

CO Lt Col J Picton QCRSM WO1 (RSM) M Whitfield

This has been a busy period for the Regiment as it continues to plan towards the changes directed in FR2020, as well as the planning and delivery of this year's Annual Deployment, Exercise HORSESHOE FOCUS (South), to Oakhampton alongside 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment.

The Regiment would like to welcome WO2 (YofS) O’Hanlon as the new Regimental Yeoman and say farewell to WO2 (YofS) Constable who leaves on posting to join 11 (RSS) Signal Regiment.

The Regiment would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Capt Steve Slaney and SSgt Rob Marshall, who were both recently awarded the VRSM.

HRH Visit to Annual Deployment

It was at very short notice and with very little preparation time that we learnt that we and 39 Sig Regt had been successful in our bid to host Her Royal Highness Princess Anne during our Annual Deployment in Oakhampton. After much frantic effort, particularly on the part of the RCMOs, Capt Dave Curry and Capt John Robinson, the camp was set and everything in place for the visit. Everything but the weather! Being Dartmoor, the bad weather was exceptionally bad and meant that the Helicopter could not land, queue plan B and a frantic dash to collect her at Exeter Airport. After

some slight ‘on the go’ amendments to the programme she arrived and thankfully everything else went without a hitch!

Overall it was an excellent experience for the Officers and Soldiers of both Regiments and a rare opportunity to meet and in the majority of cases speak with a member of the Royal Family and one that will not soon be forgotten.

47 (MIDDLESEX YEOMANRY) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj Mike Curtis-RouseSSM SSgt Claire GoodwinSPSI SSgt Paul Tinsley

Squadron Overview – by Maj Mike Curtis-Rouse

The focus for this summer has been the deployment of the Squadron on Annual Camp, this year based at Okehampton Camp, on Dartmoor. Split into three phases covering Adventurous Training, ranges and a four day communication exercise on Salisbury Plain Training Area, the camp additionally saw HRH Princess Royal visit. As the first camp following the London 2012 Olympics and the subsequent merger of 2 Signal Brigade into 11 Signal Brigade and the formation of 2 Signal Group, the camp this year was conducted jointly with 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment.

Adventurous training took the form of coasteering, surfing and mountain biking, and the Squadron seemingly got off light in terms of injuries vs. training, unlike some of the other Squadrons, with the possible exception of LCpl Andy Roberts who had an unfortunate rear encounter with a rock whilst travelling at an elevated velocity having unwillingly left the comfort of the seat of his mountain bike. However, the rest of his group consider it a significant highlight of their week....Ranges were led by 39 Signal Regiment and featured a range of weapon systems including Glock pistols to HE grenade throwing. The Squadron as ever engaged with gusto though the Squadron 2IC, Capt Alex Orr, who is soon to depart the unit, was observed conserving his energy in a yoga like trance

The Annual Camp OC’s day was conducted in conjunction with 56 Signal Squadron from Eastbourne. Over a long drive to the distant province of Barnstaple, during which once again it was demonstrated that officers should not be allowed to navigate regardless of their protests that satellite navigation systems are simple to operate, the combined unit arrived at the quad

Regimental Ops meeting HRH in the CP

Capt Steve Slaney Receiving his VRSM from HRH


biking centre. Much hilarity ensured after the necessary PPE measures were donned, with OC 47, Maj Mike Curtis-Rouse trying to conduct an improvised version of YMCA amongst the newly suited troops. OC 56, Maj Sarah Trevelion, declined to participate, citing that her Squadron were much more serious and sensible. Newly promoted Capt Tim Roberts led the way on the quad bikes, attaching a plethora of cameras from his civilian media broadcast company to his ride. The comments about blinging his bike up resulted in protests that this was about recruiting and capturing the activities of the reserves, willing or not. His riding, which mostly consisted of his bike bouncing up and down in the puddles accompanied by loud whoops, which would put the war cries of a North American Indian to shame, didn’t unfortunately produce any footage of note. On reviewing the video footage it didn’t seem much different to Capt Roberts singing wildly in a particularly steamy shower. Much hilarity was also found in Sig James ‘Churchy’ Parish and Sig Bozina ‘Zigzag’ Dziedzak being “volun-told” into a Zorb by OC 47 (the Squadron 2IC was originally scheduled to participate but his mass issues apparently would have voided the safety margin). However, once the sphere started its descent down the slope, the echoes of “99 Green Bottles” implied that the two victims were quite content to roll to their fate.

The Communications phase of the camp was orchestrated by 71 Signal Regiment and involved a particularly exciting scenario involving the city-state of Wessexstan experiencing

power supply challenges due to the dastardly actions of France in raising electricity rates.

The Squadron deployed as a combined entity, merging 47 and 56 Squadrons under the command of Capt Alex Orr and 2IC Capt Steve Hall (56 Sqn). With the Regiments scattered out over the training areas of Dartmoor and SPTA, detachments were despatched on a variety of tasks, but first and foremost to provide robust ICS using the BOWMAN system over voice and data.

Elements of the Squadron were also left back at EXCON, at Oakhampton Training Camp and deployed to the respective Ech Main and Ech Forward locations. For junior members of the Squadron, this represented the first time that they had been involved in a full scale communications exercise and was an opportunity to demonstrate the full capability of the Royal Signals Army Reserve in training. Highlights of the exercise including members of the Squadron involved in Air to Ground with a pair of Tornadoes providing tactical support as part of 43 Signal Squadron’s AS role.

The camp provided a demanding and challenging environment for all ranks and has started to build the enthusiasm for Annual Camp 2014, which see a Regimental deployment to Denmark and longer BOWMAN based communications exercise.

68 (INNS OF COURT & CITY AND ESSEX YEOMANRY) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj Alex DowningSSM WO2 (SSM) James PatonSPSI SSgt Jay Beattie

Squadron Overview – by Capt John Donaldson

The Sqn has had a very busy time over the last few months. Along with all the normal training weekends that have taken place, members of the unit have participated in a myriad of other activities. LCpl Pete Fox and Sig James Garrard worked at the Bournemouth Air Festival, running a CST detachment with their naval counterparts, (see separate report), and the main effort for the Sqn has been the annual deployment to Okehampton, with training taking place by means of a shooting package at Warminster ranges and an adventure training package at Newquay.

Annual Deployment was a great success. The Sqn worked well in the field during the comms phase and we able to establish and maintain comms to all locations well within the allocated timings. The range package that was put in place was enjoyed immensely by everyone who undertook it as they were able to fire weapon systems that they were not familiar with and also had the opportunity to test their accuracy with a L2 HE grenade. The adventure training was well attended and once again a great deal of training value was gained by all. It certainly tested the nerves of some of our more timid soldiers!!

The Sqn now enters into a very busy period of activity. First up is the annual Lord Mayor's Show where the Sqn provides the riding detachment. Training has commenced already and the next few weekends are taken up with equestrian training courtesy of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment at Knightsbridge. Being the only Royal Signals ceremonial troops in London allows the unit to show off during what is a very high profile parade. This event is directly followed by the Remembrance Parade. This year we have members from the Sqn actually taking part in the main Cenotaph event, as well as the service and parade here at Lincolns Inn.

A number of senior members from the Sqn have been made

Capt Alex Orr indulging in some Yoga

Preparing to deploy on the Comms Phase of Annual Deployment


‘Freemen of the City of London’. Maj Dave Cornick, Capts Jim Swain, Sean Olohan, John Donaldson and WO2 (SSM) James Paton all became members on 28 August. The swearing in service took place at the Guildhall in the City of London and was witnessed by Sir Robert Finch, the Sqn Honorary Colonel and former Lord Mayor of London. We are all now looking for a date that we can ‘drive a flock of sheep over London Bridge’ as part of our remit as Freemen!!

Finally, LCpl Jo Giles and Sig Danny Ashton will have returned from Op HERRICK later this month. They have been working hard within the Brigade Ops Room at Camp Bastion. We are looking forward to having them back and listening to tales of daring do!!

Bournemouth Air Festival - by LCpl Pete Fox

Between Thursday 29 August and Sunday 1 September 71 Sig Regt deployed a CST detachment in support of the Royal Navy at the Bournemouth Air Festival 2013. The detachment deployed was maintained by SSgt Claire Goodwin (47 Sqn), LCpl Peter Fox and Sig James Garrard (68 Sqn) and was assisted by Leading Hand (CIS) Rosina Hearn and Able Rating (CIS) James Love (HMS Eaglet) naval communicators from the RN Reserve.

The festival was attended by over 1.3 million people, Saturday alone saw an attendance of 40,000 spectators and over 100 small boats crowding Bournemouth harbour to enjoy this free event. The naval presence included the coordination and support of publicity and recruitment events on the mainland as well as RN Reserve and Cadet training on ships anchored in the harbour. To this end the CST was deployed in most of its

full role – including secure email, secure voice to ground units and ship to shore video teleconferencing via satellite – establishing a trustworthy communications network in support of these efforts.

Further to this, the Air Festival proved an excellent opportunity for training on the CST, by means of deploying into a real life scenario. A great few days was had by all.

265 (KENT AND COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY (SHARPSHOOTERS)) SUPPORT SQUADRON

OC Maj Keith WrateSSM SSgt Leigh GriffithsSPSI SSgt Carl Shackleton

Squadron Overview - by Capt Steve Slaney

The squadron must say a sad farewell to a newly promoted Maj Paul Ukpai (ex Sqn 2 i/c) to 11 Signal Brigade, 2 Signal Group. Congratulations on your promotion and best wishes go out to you from all ranks of the Squadron and we will hopefully see you back soon. WO2 (SSM) ‘Ade’ Keeble and Sgt ‘Caz’ Castro are busy into their last stages of their tour with 3 DSR. They should be back early November, stay safe lads and we look forward to your safe return and the inevitable. “war stories”. Additional congratulations must go out to the newly promoted WO1 (FofS) ‘Chip’ Lewis on his recent well deserved promotion to WO1. A warm welcome goes out to the newly recruited SSgt Dave Haskell who has recently jumped from the regulars into the reserves. Also from the ranks of the NRPS SSgt Rob Marshall, from the Regimental Training Wing to the deeper end of the pool with the Squadron. Welcome to the both of you and we hope you have successful careers. A special mention must go to our resident Squadron Clerk, Miss Bev Simmons, for her continued hard work and support to the Squadron in all aspects of the administration role which she is so apt at. Lastly congratulations go out to Capt Steve Slaney and SSgt Rob Marshall on being presented their Volunteer Reserve Service Medal (VRSM) by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal on Annual Deployment at Okehampton. A thoroughly wonderful day was had by all members of the squadron.

Exercise PHOENIX TROT and PREP

It has been a very busy summer period for members of the Squadron with the main focus on trade and military skills with a splash of equipment care thrown in for good measures. The Squadron has been heavily involved in the pre Annual Deployment exercises, EX PHOENIX TROT / PREP where all

The new ‘Freemen of the City of London’. Pictured along with Sir Robert Finch on the left, receiving their scrolls to say that all have been sworn in as Freemen, L - R: Capt John Donaldson, Capt Jim Swain, SSM James Paton, Maj Dave Cornick and Capt Sean Olohan

Working with the Naval Reserve – LCpl Fox, (on the right), and Sig James Garrad with their Naval counterparts at the

Bournemouth Air Festival


three of the Squadron communications assets were set up fully both in urban and rural environments. The operators were pushed to their limits and produced some first rate comms. Not to be out done by the operators, the ED’s provided a variety of power for all scenarios and utilised the new lighting and power system the Regiment had procured.

The main aim for the Squadron on EX PHOENIX TROT was to establish, maintain and operate from an echelon base on Salisbury Plain and provide support for the remaining communications assets transiting though the location. Once 47 and 68 Sqns had deployed it was all business as usual, the SQMS, SSgt Paul Thwaite had the G4 squared away. The Radio detachment was manned by Cpl Paul Broadbent, Sig ‘Booty’ Harrild, Sig ‘Jacko’ Jackson, Sig ‘Robbo’ Roberts and Sig Danni Wilsher and had established communications and were well into their normal routine. The only other main asset was the Squadron operations tent. Under the Command of Maj Keith Wrate, the 2IC, Capt (now Maj) Paul Ukpai, and ably assisted by Capt Khush Cooper it was squared away and ready for business working alongside the Regimental Operations Tent. To add to the excitement the Bde Cmdr visited the Regiment in the field and met members of the Squadron at Ech. After a full briefing by the Ops team led by the Ops Maj, Maj Ros Brown, the Bde Cmdr visited the BOWMAN detachment, Sqn Ops and the LAD detachment. After the Bde Cmdr had departed it was back into a strict

routine monitoring the nets and providing the G4 support. Sunday morning came and 47 and 68 Sqn communications assets were recalled through echelon for a thorough turn around and back to the TAC locations. On returning to the TACs each Squadron went through a vigorous turn around concentrating on equipment care and Squadron/Troop Commander inspections.

Sig’s Jacko Jackson and Paul Harrild manning the Ech BOWMAN Det

The Re-Branding of the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund

We felt it was necessary to re-brand the RSBF in November and I’ll tell you why. This was more than a bit of graphical Botox and literary Lipo’, this was about the RSBF making itself fit for the 21st Century.

We have been the Corps’ best kept secret for too long and that needs to change. The RSBF has provided £252k in grants in respect of 534 cases this year alone, and that’s a serious operation that significantly impacts on the lives of Signallers, past and present, often at a time where they have nowhere else to turn.

I briefed a group of young, healthy and upwardly mobile SNCOs recently and tried to sell them the virtues of the RSBF. It took time but I think I got there; it’s all about looking after those who, for reasons very often out of their control, have found themselves desperately requiring our help. I hope that you never need to cash in on your insurance policy, but if you do, then the RSBF will be there.

And lastly a very big “thank you” to those who took part in our logo and strapline competition. The joint winners were Mr Adam Forty and Mrs Sue Leyland. Winning logo appears top left.

For more information visit us at www.royalsignals.org/rsbf or contact: [email protected]


NEWS FROM SQUADRONS20 ARMOURED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND

SIGNAL SQUADRON (200)PADERBORN

rewarding. Part way through the tour we have now found ourselves relocated to MOB PRICE to assist in the closure of various departments within the base. Other tasks we have been involved in include removing cabling from the Hesco walls and lifting manhole covers to remove redundant cabling.

Welfare facilities at the aptly named ‘Nice Price’ are reliable and freely available and made all the better by the occasional Danish woman to please the eye! Our quarters are of a generally high standard with air conditioning throughout. Sig ‘Eyebrow’ Maynard is proving to be a fan of the scoff house here and it is a continual battle trying to monitor his appalling diet. That being said we need the energy to help us get the job done here in MOB Price allowing us to keep moving ahead of schedule.

So far we have enjoyed ourselves out here, and welcome the challenges that come our way.

BFSAI Trawl – by LCpl McKee

As a CS Engr currently serving at 20 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200) I wished to broaden my spectrum of knowledge and experience. As luck would have it a trawl requesting a CS Engr in BFSAI (British Forces South Atlantic Islands) presented me with the perfect opportunity to work in yet another challenging and diverse environment away from my parent unit.

Landing at MPA (Mount Pleasant Airport) in the Falklands I was unsure of what to expect. I knew that I had come to South America but at first glance it looked similar to the rolling countryside of the United Kingdom. The journey involved two flights totalling nearly 16 hours, however on landing there was no rest for the wicked. I located the individual that I was replacing and he was keen to begin the Handover/Takeover promptly. Unusually this began with instruction on how to strip, clean and reassemble.....a paintball gun, not top of a CS Engr Class 2 training but apparently fundamental to the smooth running of the Island.

OC Maj H J StoyRSM WO1 (RSM) G Revell

20 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200)

On 16 September 2013 20 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200) re-subordinated to 1 (United Kingdom) Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment. The change of command took place as a consequence of A2020 decisions. A dinner night was held to commemorate the occasion and the CO visited the Squadron on “re-subordination day” in order to address his newest asset!

In reality for the short-term this has very little effect on the day to day running of the Squadron, which remains geographically separated from the Regiment and retains (for the immediate future) key posts such as the RSM and QM.

200 Signal Squadron is not adverse to change and history has shown that moving locations and changes of names and command states has never affected its cohesion, esprit de corps and reputation as “The Senior Signal Squadron.”

Our focus is very much on the road ahead – preparation for Op HERRICK 20, realistic and challenging training and enjoying everything that being based in Germany has to offer…..before it is too late.

BRACT Trawl – by Sig Hampton

It was on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, whilst conducting the unenviable task of sweeping the garages, that Sig Maynard and I were informed of the opportunity to deploy to Afghanistan. With the draw down in Theatre now in full swing, the task would involve assisting with Base closures within Helmand Province. We were tasked as part of the Base Reallocation and Closure Team (BRAC), and found ourselves working alongside Corp personnel serving at 2 Signal Regiment and 30 Signal Regiment.

Upon completion of our individual reinforcements brief at Chilwell Barracks, it was time to commence the journey to Camp Bastion. On arrival we discovered that we were no longer required to carry out the role of BRAC and were re-tasked. Instead we had been given the opportunity to work alongside Helmand Information and Communication Service Signal Squadron (HICSSS). As part of HICSSS we would be located at Camp Bastion and form part of the Request for Change section. Operators by trade, this has proved to be a steep learning curve for us both as we have had to quickly get to grips with the fundamentals of a Technician’s role.

Our deployment has allowed us to venture out to numerous locations around Bastion, giving us a unique insight into the range of jobs that are required in order to facilitate the smooth transition to ANSF control. At times it has been frustrating due to the fact we have had to learn an entirely new set of skills, however on the whole it has been extremely

Sig Hampton hard at work


As part of the FRT (Forward Repair Team) my day job was not going to involve extensive paintball sessions. Our small section were directly responsible for the Realitis telephone exchange across both East and West Falklands as well as the LAMBETH radar link from the three Mountain sites (Mount Kent, Mount Alice and Byron Heights) to the radar control centre in MPA. Each of the mountain sites were manned by seven RAF personnel and one Royal Signals CS Engr. With all of the Airmen or Soldiers requiring rest and recuperation, it provided an excellent opportunity for the junior technicians in the FRT to experience life up in the mountains; a job normally undertaken by a Class 1 Sgt, which was a challenging yet worthwhile experience.

On top of all this, there were also monthly BFSAI Cup competitions for Units to compete in. During my tenure in the Falklands we had the opportunity to play Volleyball, Football, Uni-hockey, Bowling and Dodge ball. The competitive spirit did not end there, for many inter-department competitions were also organised. The most memorable was a swimming competition, ending with each department showing off their artistic skills in a synchronised swimming display.

Socialising in BFSAI was another favourite pastime, and I spent many an evening dressed up as a ‘local’; my time spent in such attire would award me the title of ‘LCpl Penguin McKee’. All in all the six months spent in the Falkland Islands has flown by, and, if given the chance to deploy again in the future, I would most certainly grab it with both ’wings!’

Attached Troop Commander – by 2Lt Blee

Coming back to Sennelager, home to 5 years of my youth as a “pad brat”, was an exciting prospect. I arrived at the Squadron in time to attend the conceptual studies tour with the rest of the Officers. The tour included a visit to PJHQ and a tour of the Army Museum. Both of which were insightful and helped broaden my knowledge and experience as a junior officer. I was also able to attend my first Corps Dinner Night in London at the Savoy hotel which gave me a chance to catch up with my peers and trade stories on what we had been up to on our attachments.

Day to day I have spent time with both Comms troops as they prepared to deploy to Kenya, Canada and Bavaria. This gave me an insight into the intensity of life in a Brigade Signal Squadron. Working on the armour was a good chance to gain some knowledge of the equipment prior to the Troop Commanders Course and time in the LAD offered me a chance to be more hands on and gain confidence in inspecting vehicles.

The training plan for the Troop has been varied over recent months and has included a cultural visit to Bergen Belsen, as well as time completing judgemental training in the local DCCT. All of this gives something different for the troops to do from day to day garage work and has given me plenty of ideas to take to my first Troop. With so much going on in the way of exercises, events such as Lanyard, Range Weeks and the Royal Signals Corps Day, my attachment has been a really worthwhile experience. I now look forward to putting what I have learnt into practice following my Troop Commanders’ Course.

Re-Subordination Dinner Night – by LCpl Innes

On 10 Sep 13 all ranks were invited to the NATO Officers’ Mess, Sennelager for an re-subordination dinner night to mark the occasion of 20 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signals Squadron (200) re-subordinating to 1 (United Kingdom) Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment on 16 Sep 13. Our guest of honour for the evening was the Brigade Commander of 20 Armoured Brigade, Brig J F P Swift OBE.

For many of the junior ranks this was their first time in the Officers’ Mess and something to aspire to when progressing up the ranks. The evening started with the Sqn 2IC, Capt C P Goslin, giving an opening speech on the standards and etiquette expected of everyone during the evening. Once he

First view of BFSAI

The Squadron formed up for dinner


had finished the Squadron was formed up and a photo was taken to mark this illustrious occasion. Once all the pleasantries had been completed the Squadron was moved into the Mess area where pre-dinner drinks were served. Shortly afterwards we moved to the dining room and stood by our seats, waiting for the top table and an amusing grace by 2Lt Blee. The Senior ranks then proceeded to remove name cards leaving many confused as to what was going on. Once the top table had been seated the Squadron followed suit and the band of the Parachute Regiment burst into life with a cascade of well known songs. The music during the dinner night was outstanding and the band put on a superb show.

The food was exceptional. A starter of steamed sea bass was followed by pork steak. The dessert was a chocolate fondant with a side of ice cream and liquored cherries, followed by cheese and biscuits with grapes that OC Euphrates Troop, Lt Thorburn, enjoyed as if it he hadn’t eaten the previous three courses.

The Squadron was in high spirits and having a great time with banter filling the room. The Brigade Commander gave a speech about the Squadron’s great relationship and successful history with the Brigade. He then handed over to Maj H J Stoy who proceeded to read comments made by the Seniors on name place cards. It then dawned on the Squadron why these cards were being hidden at the beginning of the meal.

When everything had been concluded the top table made their way into the bar quickly followed by the rest of the Squadron. At this point drinks were flowing and chatter was loud and full of laughter. A very entertaining evening was ended with the Squadron parting ways from the Officers’ Mess and making their way safely home. The following morning was a very well received late start with many nursing sore heads and memories of a wonderful evening.

Royal Signals Badminton Championships – by Sig Allen

On 24 Sep 13 a team of eight players gathered together to play in the ‘The Royal Signals Badminton Championships’ held at 21 Signal Regiment (Air Support). The Championships included various categories such as inter-unit doubles, men’s

open doubles, novice singles and men’s open singles. Unfortunately the team had very little time to prepare with only one practice session prior to the event. However we would not give up without a fight.

The Inter-Division doubles were held on the first day. The Regiment registered three doubles teams to compete in a group with 15 Signal Regiment and 30 Signal Regiment, the defending champions. The stand out team from the Regiment was SSgt (FofS) Gurung and Sig Powell who won the most games. Day two started with players registering for the men’s open singles, men’s novice singles, and men’s open doubles. Initial practice sessions filled the team with confidence and gave everyone time to enhance their skills. We were hopeful that we could challenge other competitors for a title. The day progressed well as Lt Thorburn and Cpl Gore-Rowe performed well in both open doubles and singles events with Lt Thorburn coming second in the novice singles. SSgt (FofS) Gurung also performed well again coming second in the veteran’s doubles. The final day saw SSgt (FofS) Gurung and Cpl Gore-Rowe team up and progress to the semi finals before being beaten by the eventual winners.

Overall everyone involved had a great time and have significantly improved their Badminton skills.

SSgt (FofS) Gurung accepts his prize

4 MECHANIZED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (204)

CATTERICK

OC Capt McBeanRSM WO2 (RQ) Dade

4 Mechanized Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (204) Disbandment Parade – by Lt David Cummings

It was towards the end of Op HERRICK 17 where the Officers and Soldiers of 204 Signal Squadron would find out that the Squadron was to be disbanded as part of Army 2020. The news received seemed almost unbelievable, considering all the Squadron had achieved within the last year of preparing and subsequently deploying to Afghanistan. With that however, there could seem to be no better way to go out, other than the whole Squadron returning home safely from Operations, finishing on one last ultimate high.

This move is nothing short of historic. The Royal Corps of Signals has had a presence in Catterick Garrison since 1924, with many considering it being the actual home of the Corps.

With the home being lost, the name will live on. The unit remains as a well renowned Squadron within the British Army. It can trace its roots back to part of the Mobile Division Egypt in response to the Munich crisis of 1938. In 2015, 204 Signal Squadron will reform as part of 21 (AS) Signal Regiment.

Have no doubt that the last month in 204 has been nothing short of hectic. Preparations have been underway to backload all kit and equipment to other Regiments and Squadrons. For the Soldiers there has been a lot of uncertainty, not knowing when their assignment order would come, nevermind to where. However, it has been all hands to the pump. With drill a regular appearance on the daily battle rhythm for the Squadron, soldiers have been extremely busy with practicing and ensuring their FADs were up to scratch.

The actual Disbandment Parade came on 9 August where the weather seemed to be finally onside with the occasion. It seemed like fate when WO1 (RSM) Darren Kidd would march


the Squadron on to Drill Square on his final day in the Army, 26 years after passing out from basic training on the same square. However, due to an injury, WO1 (RQMS) Kev Dade took over as the ‘Master of Ceremonies,’ ensuring a very swift, precise and well drilled Parade was had. With emotions high, 204 Signal Squadron marched on to the Helles Barracks Parade Square, formed up in open order and waited to get inspected by the Corps Colonel, Col Norton. It was a very

pertinent occasion for Col Norton as he was a former OC of the Squadron. He was accompanied by the Corps RSM, WO1 (CRSM) McMullan and the Mayor of Richmond, Robert White. It was a day for everyone. The crowd boasted members of the Royal Signal Associaition (RSA), some of which were in the old 204 Signal Squadron, the local Army Cadets and probably most importantly the families of the Officers and Soldiers of 204 Signal Squadron. Their support and dedication really have been unquestionable over the last few years.

Mayor White said, “It is a great honour as Mayor of Richmond to represent people of the town in the parade today. It is very sad for me personally as I am a former Royal Signals and I have paraded on this square many times before. This was the last Royal Signals unit march from this square after being based here since 1924.”

In a move that will see the Royal Corps of Signals now vacate Catterick Garrison after 90 years of a presence, work is now underway to fully disband the unit by the 31 December.

The OC, Maj Jamie Balfour, said, “To all those members of the Corps and civilians who have served in 4 Mechanized Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron or the previous 204 Signal Squadron - thank you. Your loyalty, dedication and professionalism have left a lasting legacy.”

The Corps Colonel inspects the soldiers of 204 Signal Squadron

Maj Balfour marches 204 Signal Squadron past the Dais and finally off the Parade Square

The last Squadron photograph of 204 Signal Squadron


Race the Sun – by LCpl Bellamy and Sig Harvey

We left for York on Wednesday 4th at 1500hrs and made the short drive to Imphal Barracks. Once there we found our accommodation, the gym on cam cots, with a few hundred other people. Within the first couple of hours of being in the gym, it stank of feet. After a few briefs we all went out to get food. We went back to camp for an early night looking forward to the next day’s events.

The first event started just after 0500hrs which was a 500m run and 6km kayak completed by Sig Tomsett. He had a good start in the 500m run, however; upon entering the water, he capsized with a few other competitors. He quickly righted himself and continued the race. Sig Simpson was next with leg 2, a gruelling 12km river run. He completed this in a good time, although he did fall in cow poo, much to the amusement of his team mates. Cpl Christian was on leg 3; a 7km run/27km cycle combo. He was excited about the cycle until he was told he couldn’t have stabilisers on his bike and then got slightly worried. Leg 4 was completed by Sig Ronald which was a 5km hill run. Leg 5 was smashed by Sig Lowes who ran the 12.5km forced march in a very good time. Leg 6 was a 10km moor run which Sig Lane completed. Until leg 7, where Sig Kennedy ran a half marathon, we were holding a good place in the overall table. However, from here, things started to take a downward turn. Once Sig Kennedy reached the finish point Sig Harvey set off on leg 8, a 24km mountain bike ride on the worst bike in the event. This would later break, throwing him off, ending his participation in the event and making him tab to the nearest check point. This didn’t help our overall time. The fell run was one of the hardest events of the day completed by Sig Hunter. Leg 10 which was one of the last events, was 7km orienteering. This would be LCpl Bellamy’s event, which proved troublesome because of his lack of map reading skills. He got lost for a time and decided to make his way North in the hope he would find the finish

point. Leg 11 was completed by Lt Cummings. He thought it was a 10km forest run, which turned out to be 12.5km. LCpl Campbell was the last of the individual starts with leg 12. He was a late edition to the team and completed a 30km cycle orienteering circuit. Leg 13 was a 900m open water swim which was completed by LCpl Holden. Capt McBean, leading by example, completed leg 14; a 24km cycle and a 6km run. Leg 15 was the stretcher race. This would be the hardest event of the day and was completed by Cpl Christian, Sigs Lane, Lowes, Simpson, Ronald and Hickey. A good effort all around, accumulating in the team captain, Cpl Cornfield, getting doused with a jerry can of water.

Overall we came 11th place in the Minor Unit section. After the presentation we enjoyed the BBQ and a few cans. We would later complete the last event of the day; a ‘quiet’ night out in York, before returning to Catterick in the mid morning.

The finest Race the Sun team in the Corps

16 AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (216)

COLCHESTER

OC Maj GJ Clarke RSM WO1(RSM) P Henderson

CHARLIE TROOP

OC 2Lt StradlingSSgt SSgt RichardsonSgt Sgt Summerfield

It has been a hectic first couple of months for the newly formed re-born Charlie Troop and the dust is finally beginning to settle after the re-orbat of the Squadron for Army 2020.

Life has ‘settled’ into the frantic pace expected of the Royal Corps’ most elite Squadron, with the newly established Charlie Troop ready to write a new chapter in the history of 216.

Further to the in-camp administration required (jobs dished out, tasks detailed and detachments signed for) some members of the Troop have been spread to the four winds deploying on Exercises: EAGLES ENSIGN, EAGLES CALL and FOLGORE, with other members of the Troop preparing to deploy on Exercise ASKARI STORM in Kenya.

Congratulations must go to Sig Oostuizen for passing P Company, and rapidly getting his hands on a smock to parade in!

A few new faces have joined us fresh from Blandford, including Sigs Honeyman, Clifford and Patterson, the latter two have been welcomed with a swift hello and loaded straight onto P Company! Farewells go to Cpls Smart and Qualtrough, LCpls Britton, Kenyon and Hartland, Sigs Foster and Lonorgan.

SUPPORT TROOP

OC/QM Capt Kev ReadTp Sgt Sgt Matt Gill

After returning from summer leave, Support Troop have been heavily involved with everything that could possibly be undertaken by such a small group, everything from personnel deploying on exercises to conducting acceptance trials for new IS capabilities. Recently Cpl ‘The Kraken’ McCoy deployed on Ex ACTIVE EAGLE in support of a 2 PARA exercise on which he has quite rightly earned a solid reputation after single handily solving faults; everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong! Cpl Kev Ellis and LCpl ‘Cakes’ Eccles have also recently deployed on the Squadron Field Skills exercise, which, everyone was surprised to find, included helicopter extraction back to Colchester at ENDEX.

Although there is plenty of time away there is also plenty of time to organise celebrations of arrivals, promotions and say our goodbyes. A Troop function involving a day out shooting


at The Royal Hospital School followed by a comedy night at the Weston Homes Community Stadium (home of Colchester United) were two such events. Sgt Sarah Smyth ended up “Top Shot”, luckily NO children were injured during this outing. The epic Friday PT that the OC has now insisted upon was not made any easier by the Sp Tp Sore Heads.

Leaving us we have LCpl ‘The Fish’ Dodd posted to 225 Signal Squadron in Northern Ireland and Cpl Max Tyson posted to 200 Signal Squadron in Germany. Also we have said goodbye to Capt Fensom (QM) who has disappeared to 1 ADSR.

It’s not all bad news with Alex O’Brien, Dan ‘The Kraken’ McCoy and Max Tyson all selected for promotion to Cpl.

Support Troop welcome the new QM/Troop Commander, Capt Kev Read, into the hot seat (he was here when Centurion was a rank, not a tank), Sgt Matt Devlin, who arrives on promotion from 4 Sqn, and Sig Dane Scullion just in from 22 Sig Regt.

Red On…. Go!!!

After the drought of recent years Para is truly back on for the Squadron. In the last few months the Basic Para Course has been completing more P Coy qualified ‘Penguins’ than ever and lads are getting the opportunity to earn foreign wings. Currently in the Squadron we have blokes wearing Australian, French, Italian, Polish and Omani wings, in the last month 3 more lads have qualified for German and Belgium wings.

Exercise MARKET GARDEN 2013 - by Cpl Milson

On 17 September 1944 thousands of paratroopers descended from the sky behind enemy lines as part of the largest ever Allied Airborne invasion, codenamed Operation MARKET GARDEN. Their mission was to secure bridges over the rivers of Holland in order to liberate the country from the Nazi regime and allow Allied Forces access to Germany. The British 1st Airborne Division were tasked with securing bridges in the towns of Arnhem and Oosterbeek, with the capture of Arnhem road bridge being vital to the Operation’s success. Unfortunately the British troops were met by heavy resistance and only 740 made it to Arnhem Bridge. Cut off from reinforcements and with only limited supplies, those brave men held the bridge for four days against a well trained and equipped enemy of much greater numbers before being captured.

September 2013 was the 69th anniversary of The Battle of Arnhem and Sig ‘H&M’ Halle Mullen and I were fortunate enough to secure places on the anniversary jump. So, at 0500hrs on Thur 19 Sep 13, we met with almost 250 other Paratroopers on the drill square, boarded coaches and set off for Harskamp, a Dutch Army transit camp close to the original DZ. On arrival, some 12 hours later, we were given a quick brief on the upcoming weekend’s activities before being left to recce the camp bar. The next morning, with headaches in tow, we paraded alongside the remainder of the Brigade and saw for the first time the scale of the exercise. Hundreds of troops from a whole host of nations were to be jumping onto the same DZ from foreign aircraft using foreign equipment. We were soon told all British Forces were going to be jumping from German Aircraft. This news led into a few hours of familiarisation training with the German equipment which involved a lot of men shouting “Achtung” in chorus and regular confirmation that “everything will be okay” from the German PJIs. For obvious reasons there was a drinking ban on camp that evening and everyone was gated so we got an early night in preparation for the following day’s activities.

Saturday began with an 0400hrs reveille, our breakfast bag consisting of four sandwiches and a carton of milk, we

boarded coaches to Eindhoven Airport to be met by a number of aircraft and a lot of excited faces. Gearing up didn’t take long, partially due to the slightly more relaxed attitude towards parachuting shown by the Germans, and before long we had boarded our aircraft. The plane taxied for what seemed like an eternity but eventually took off and we were soon in receipt of the first few “Achtungs”; commands to remove seatbelts, stand up and fold up seats. The red light came on shortly afterwards followed by the green light and a barrage of men rushed forwards and exited the plane. Being the second to last man in the final stick, I was forced to wait until the third pass over the Ginkel Heide DZ before being able to exit the aircraft. When the time came, I jumped forcefully into the slipstream and began shouting the compulsory count, hoping I wouldn’t have to pull my reserve as I wasn’t entirely confident in the German’s 6 step reserve drill! All was well though and by the time I’d reached the count of 4000, a canopy had formed overhead and I was left to enjoy an aerial view of the celebrations going on below. A soft landing into heathland completed my once in a lifetime experience of jumping into Arnhem, and I could not have been happier during my long walk from the DZ. On leaving the DZ, we were given the opportunity to enjoy a few of hours watching the remaining airborne troops jumping and have a beer or two before heading back to Harskamp for a short medal ceremony. The evening was our own and everyone headed into Arnhem to sample the nightlife. Although the price of drinks was high, the airborne spirit was higher and we all had a great night, including those of us who didn’t remember too much of it! The weekend concluded with a long drive back to Colchester which, aside from a misplaced passport by Sig Halle Mullen, went without incident. All in all Exercise MARKET GARDEN was an incredible event and one which I would to take part in again.

If you would like to volunteer for P Coy and onwards service at 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron have a read of PD 206 or speak to your RCMO. Alternatively the Sqn Trg WO can be contacted on the following:

WO2 (TWO) Lancaster

E: 216SigSqn-Trg-WO T: 94660 5506 216SigSqn-Trg-WO (Lancaster, Graham WO2)

Cpl Milson and Sig Hale-Mullen in Arnhem


St Michaels Day and Belgium Para Course – by LCpl Baker

I was lucky enough to be selected to represent the Sqn at the St Michael’s day in Schaffen, Belgium. For those who are not aware, St Michael is the patron saint of paratroopers, this event was organised by the Belgium Paras who invite their airborne brothers from around the world to come and celebrate the occasion together.

After a long drive we arrived on Sunday evening to be immediately taken out to the local town for drinks. The following morning we carried out ground training to prepare us for the first of four balloon jumps. Belgium and South Korea are the only nations that still carry out balloon descents and to say some people were nervous would be an understatement; a number of the foreign soldiers present refused to jump. It was certainly different to the rigidly controlled and practiced parachuting we carry out in the British airborne. After two descents we were again hosted for the evening but this time we were taken a little further afield to Diest. The following morning we received a demonstration from the Belgium version of the Path Finders prior to carrying out a further two balloon jumps. We then watched a HALO demonstration before there were more drinks at a BBQ attended by many Belgium veterans. It was a fantastic, if tiring event to attend, myself and the four other members of the Brigade were hosted in great style by our Belgian counterparts and I managed to add to my collection of foreign wings.

Parachuting is on the up at the Squadron. The number of lads now qualified in both British and foreign wings is getting greater by the week - great news for all concerned.

Inter Unit Swimming and Water Polo Championships – 216 (Para) Sig Sqn – by 2Lt Stradling

Yes, unknown to many, the Squadron do have a Swimming team! On 9 Oct, nine members of the Sqn made the trek to RNAS Heron to compete in the Corps Inter-Unit Swimming and Water Polo Championships, seven of these individuals came from the MT/LAD plus Cpl Bowden and myself.

First up was a group warm up in an extremely packed pool involving a few near misses and first affects of loose-fitting

goggles. Competing in the minor units, the Squadron excelled, with a particularly strong performance from Cpl Coatsworth in the 100m freestyle. SSgt Beaman then ran away with the 100m individual medley. With three out of the five individual races in the bag, the competition moved on to the relays. Two out of three victories saw the Squadron home as Minor Unit Corps Champions, cemented by a commanding victory in the 4 x 50m Medley.

Waterpolo up next and enthusiasm was high from our earlier successes. Led by LCpl Hanson the team swept all before them. Commanding wins against 215 Sig Sqn and 21 Sig Regt set us up nicely against a strong looking team from 11 (RSS) Sig Regt. A tough encounter resulted in a victory for the Sqn, noted most by SSgt Dunn’s inability to tread water in the shallow end due to his 6’ 4” plus frame! A final match and outstanding work from Cpl Sear and the title was ours. Back on the bus, a celebratory feast on the M3 and the delights of PT the following morning; a good day’s work.

The Caythorpe Weekend – by Lt John Dodson

On 17 September 1944, in the midst of World War 2, the largest Airborne Operation in military history was launched, Operation Market Garden. The tactical objective of the operation was to secure a series of bridges crossing the main rivers of German occupied Netherlands. This objective was to be achieved through a rapid advance of Airborne Forces on a scale never seen before. The plan was that by securing these bridges the allied advance could cross the Rhine, the last major natural barrier to an advance into Germany. Heavily involved, the Airborne Signals launched their part in the offensive from the small Lincolnshire village of Caythorpe.

Operation Market Garden was not to be a success however, immensely proud in the part they and their fallen comrades had played in the operation, a small group of surviving Airborne Signallers returned to Caythorpe Village some years later. They returned to show respect for those who had lost their lives in the skies of France and in the battles that followed. This show of respect and unison amongst the Airborne Signals fraternity developed, and today the Airborne Signallers proudly call Caythorpe Village their ‘spiritual home’. Proud to be Airborne Signallers, 216 (Para) Sig Sqn embrace this, returning to our spiritual home on the first weekend of September annually.

Firmly engrained on the Squadron’s calendar, recent years have seen the Saturday’s annual fete on the Caythorpe Village cricket ground become a key event. The fete allows members of the Airborne Signals, past and present, to meet with local villagers and enjoy a series of stands in the build-up to the weekend’s main events. This year’s stands included an air rifle stand where young rifle enthusiasts as young as 10 could hone their skills, as well as the MT’s ‘Crazy Crane’ which proved to live up to its name whilst providing laughs all round. A barbeque in the later part of the afternoon followed and an enthralling football match between Caythorpe Village FC and 216 (Para) Sig Sqn. This annual tradition saw 216 (Para) Sig Sqn victorious, on penalties, after a 1-1 draw. Too close for comfort for many members of 216 (Para) Sig Sqn, not least Troop Commander Lt John Dodson who whilst taking the first penalty of the shootout saw his dismal effort fall wide of the mark.

On the evening of the Saturday members of the Airborne Signals Association (ASA) are hosted by all ranks of 216 (Para) Sig Sqn at a meal in the village hall. Mess kit and blazer kit donned, the night allows past and present members of the Airborne Signals to get to know each other whilst the old and bold recount tales of daring, from Arnhem and Suez to Iraq and Afghanistan. This dinner is but one highlight of the weekend; there was not a member of the Squadron who did

LCpl Baker grateful not to have to pay more tailoring bills


not say how humbled they were by the experiences of those who served before them. After some top class cuisine, (it was hard to believe it was cooked in a field kitchen!), this year’s Saturday was finished off with a raffle before the majority of those involved retired to the talismanic Wagon and Horses pub.

The events of the Saturday serve well to lead into the main event on the Sunday of Caythorpe weekend. As is tradition this year saw 216 (Para) Sig Sqn formed up to march through the village led by the OC Maj G J Clarke, from the ‘Wagon and Horses’ to the village church. Fell in behind, the Sqn followed the ASA. The streets were lined with villagers clapping and cheering as though the Sqn had just returned from tour. This year’s church service, as always, was a fitting tribute to those

who have lost their lives whilst serving as Airborne Signallers. Prayers were read, hymns were sung, and the names of the fallen read by old comrades, the poignancy of the words said in the church would have been lost on no one.

After the laying of wreaths at the memorials outside Caythorpe Village church, there was no better way to say goodbye to friends old and new than to have a lunch back at the village hall. The vast majority of those involved this year will endeavour to return, and to those who cannot we send our best wishes. The Squadron now look forward to their next opportunity to return to their spiritual home of Caythorpe.

“They are, in fact, men apart, every man an emperor…”

12 MECHANIZED BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (228) BULFORD

OC Maj B JefferyRSM WO1 (RSM) D Windsor

228 Signal Squadron deployment to BATUS – by Cpl Simon Cox

The Prairie is an open, rolling expanse of very little – except the odd herd of elk. As you drive out of the Range Control complex and down the Rattlesnake road, you’re suddenly struck by a rather out of place hill, with a huge building complex and radio mast sprouting out of the top of it. If you still struggle to picture it, for those who have been to Afghan think of a FOB overlooking a large area, not unlike FOB Oulette, which is just as imposing over the surrounding terrain.

Inside it’s like a prison with numerous doors and even more combination codes to remember than you would actually care to. We were all braced for a beast of a job but when faced with the tasks at hand it wasn’t as bad as we first feared or as grave a task as those who conducted the recce stated.

Cpl Staples, along with the YofS, WO2 Si Law, carried out a slight amendment to the radio room layout as the requirements changed slightly to what had previously been asked for. So the team then got in amongst it climbing and clamouring underneath the floorboards trying to lay out all the cables in the correct areas. Between Cpl Cox and Sig Firman we managed to lay out the cables in our area but the

job was made harder by the fact our shoulders (or was it bellies) were larger than the spaces we had to fit through. Eventually through grit, determination and a few cries of “Help, I’m stuck!”, later the cabling was completed. We were all covered in that much dust we could all be mistaken for being the illusive ‘grey man’.

Amongst other tasks we had to manage the RLS build

Cpl Middlecoate and LCpl Rennick working on HICON

SSgt Stowell, LCpl Gurung and Cpl Chadwick working on the Bde model


Things didn’t all go to plan and we had some difficulties with the BOWMAN hardrives, which caused us a few headaches, not to mention the fact we had to wait a week extra to receive our freight thanks to the RAF removing it last minute!

I returned to HICON towards the end of the exercise. As independent Signal Squadrons will soon be a thing of the past and as those of you who have served in one will testify, you always have to expect the unexpected tasks. So on top of our usual tasks of managing the comms for HICON we also received the task of building and designing a Bde model for the Bde Comd’s Rehearsal of Concept drill. This wasn’t just any model; it was bigger than HICON and the size of a basketball court.

After a few sighs from the lads and a disgruntled Staffie, Lt Higgins said it will all be fine, maybe even fun… 3 days later and a lot of digging and building in the scorching sun, the biggest model anyone in HICON (which consisted of a variety of cap badges) had seen was completed. 228 Sig Sqn had delivered and delivered on tasks that we normally do not get involved with. However the fun didn’t end there as Lt Higgins soon discovered as the OC Sqn, Maj Brian Jeffery, had the joy of telling him he was to brief the Brigadier and all the COs on the description of the model: Not much pressure when over 50 brigade officers would be in attendance!

Exercise TIGER SHARK Sub-Aqua Diving AT – by Lt Will Higgins

Ex TIGER-SHARK was a sub-Aqua diving adventure training package set up by members of 228 Signal Squadron. Eight people including 2 instructors deployed out to the Cyprus Joint Service Adventurous Training Centre (CJSATC) Dhekelia, Cyprus over the summer period. The training took part over the local areas of Dhekelia, Larnaca and Agia Napa.

We went with the aim of getting 4 total novices from ‘zero to hero’ by the end of the expedition with the rest of the people increasing their experience. So after arriving in the strong summer sun we sorted our admin out and collected our diving kit which was our responsibility for the duration of the AT.

WO2 Karl Stenning and WO2 Paul Hampson proceeded to give us a brief on the dangers of diving and the pitfalls to watch out for and it was only then that it dawned on some of us (myself included) what the hell were we doing there putting ourselves in danger. For LCpl Barton it was even worse as she had a total dislike of fish!!!

We started off doing confidence dives around the Dhekelia jetty; learning and practicing the vital drills you need to be able to progress to deeper water. The dive sites were all

Lt Will Higgins briefing the model

Underwater statues at Green Bay

Sgt Craig Brown and Lt Will Higgins – Cave diving

Diving on the Zenobia

LCpl Jemma Barton returning from a dive


progressive in nature but also all very different and beautiful in their own right. We managed to dive with sunken statues and around caves looking out to the vast open spaces of the Mediterranean Sea. Disappointingly there was very little fish life thanks to the locals’ methods of fishing. They have moved on from the simple fishing rod or nets, to using a simpler but highly effective method of fishing, using explosives! As a result they have depleted nearly every type of native fish to their coastline.

On our fourth day we moved on to diving from a boat with Ian McMurray our Skipper. From this boat we dived on several wrecks most notably the world famous Zenobia. The water was that clear you could see the wreck 16 metres below the boat. This was everyone’s real highlight and the culmination of lots of long days not only diving but lessons on theory back in camp which enabled us to be able to dive to the necessary depths.

For our last day we were required to have 24hrs no diving before flying home to the UK. We therefore spent the day visiting Larnaca’s historical sites. Firstly we managed to see the third holiest mosque in Islam by the dried salt lake finishing in Larnaca Fort and seeing the location where people were hanged and punished from the Ottoman Empire era to the more recent British Empire.

This expedition would not have been as successful as it ended up being were it not for the dedication of the instructors, YofS Hampson and WO2 Stenning as well as the application and commitment of the students. In the end we had 4 novice divers who went from no experience to Sports Divers, one Ocean Diver progressed to Sports Diver and one Sports Diver

YoS Paul Hampson teaching theory lessons

progressed to Dive Leader (Sgt Craig Brown) which was a tremendous achievement.

Mountain Biking AT – TEC Canada

It always nice to know what’s going on when you’re on exercise, it ain’t such a bad surprise when you get told when rocking up to stag that you’re going on a week's Adventurous Training package, so smiling away to myself I went back to my block, packed and went to sleep!

So myself and Sig Dave Mather boarded the bus on Tuesday 17 September to travel to Trails End Camp (TEC). It’s always nice to be greeted by a friendly face when arriving at a new location, but unfortunately we were met by Sgt ‘Mo’ Morrision and Cpl ‘Daz’ Read!!! After our greeting we got separated into our AT groups; for us it was a foundation course in mountain biking. After our evening meal we moved to Sundance Camp, where we would spend the remainder of our time camping out under the stars.

On the first night at TEC we were woken by a bear walking through the camp, thankfully he left minimal damage. If we

Cultural day - visiting Larnaca Fort

The AT gang

Sig Mather


had come in contact with the bear we were all fully prepared because previously we all had the pleasure of watching ‘The Bear’ DVD and we knew what to say: “woo bear”!

On the first full day of biking the weather was challenging and against us to say the least. We experienced freezing temperatures and constant rain. We all were used to an ever changing schedule so it was no surprise that due to the

LCpl Middlecoate before falling off

weather the course was rearranged. The new plan, smash out the 95% of the theory on day one and then we were left with 4 days of practical, no complaints there! Derrick our instructor taught us all the basics, like bike mechanics, body positions and what kit to pack when biking in the mountains.

After completing our first ride it was clear my bike wasn’t up to the task, well that was my excuse for my poor displays. When we were cycling along an abandoned golf course, we saw the aftermath of the floods that had hit the town of Canmor in the previous months, and it brought home the destruction the locals endured and went through.

The following day we cycled to the Nordic Olympic Centre, where the 2008 Winter Olympic Games were held. We got to ride the trails up and around the centre, surrounded by mountain tops and blue skies. What more could you ask for?

On the third day we returned to the Nordic centre, where we completed the longest ride of the week; 26km in total which consisted of public paths, beginner and intermediate level trails.

On the final day we all decided to do as much downhill riding as possible. That meant climbing - a lot of climbing. After cycling uphill for what seemed an eternity we eventually reached the top of the cycle trail, and we all looked forward to the decent. After about 5 minutes into the decent I managed to fall off my bike, being over cocky I was going too fast which resulted in me being flung over my handlebars with my bike quickly following me. Consequently the bike was damaged: the front wheel buckled, handlebars twisted 90 degrees and the front forks having taken a massive hit. That was the end of my cycling for that day as the route was unsafe to ride. I had the joys of pushing the mangled bike back down to the bottom, however I did keep up with the group for the remainder of the 7km on the intermediate level trail.

After a well-deserved lunch we returned to Sundance Camp, where our transport back to Suffield was waiting and the joys of returning to exercise.

299 SIGNAL SQUADRON (SC)BLETCHLEY

OC Maj Sarah Clifford

Introduction – by Capt Liam Crane

With the autumn season upon us, and the new hierarchy now fully embedded into the Sqn, it is a good time to reflect on a successful summer, both operationally and within the Corps. I would like to take the opportunity to welcome the new OC, Maj Sarah Clifford and 2IC, Capt Neil Taylor to the Sqn. Maj Clifford is currently steering a period of change for the unit, formalising the Sqn Orbat, restructuring the Special Communications Operators (SC Op) training model and reviewing the ever-increasing operational demand for SC Operators. This is certainly an exciting time to be at one of two future independent Sqns in the Corps. When operational commitments have allowed, the unit has been heavily involved in Corps activities. The crowning moment was winning the Race the Sun Minor Units title in York, as you can see in the article below.

To mark the shift in recruitment a short article details some minor changes that will come into effect with the new publication of PD206. A desert SERE article also highlights the

unique training opportunities afforded when serving at the Sqn. The majority of the work conducted by an SC Op goes un-noticed in the wider Corps by the very nature of the employment and the OGDs the unit supports, however Cpl Greene’s achievements have been recognised, with a Commander Land Forces Commendation. I would like to take this opportunity to say many congratulations from the Sqn.

Special Communications Recruitment 2014 – by Cpl Chadwick

299 Sig Sqn (SC) is a specialist volunteer unit and the only Special Communications (SC) unit in the British Army. Its mission is to work in union with, and in support of, Other Government Departments (OGD) in the provision of Special Communications and specialist intelligence gathering skills.

It is essential that the right calibre of candidate is selected to serve as a Special Communicator within the unit, achieved through a process of selection. Initially potential candidates apply to attend a Special Communications Briefing Course (SCBC), as per PD 206. If successful, the candidates will be loaded onto the 6 month Special Communications Course (SCC).


Eligibility to become a Special Communicator is open to any trade and gender, from Sig – Cpl, regular or reserve. A candidate must be Fully Employable (FE) and have a recommendation from their Officer Commanding when submitting their PD 206. Throughout the SCBC, candidates will be assessed on their aptitude, navigational skills, technical ability, presentation skills and general military knowledge. The briefing courses are not overwhelming and are designed to assess a candidate’s suitability, as well as providing an opportunity for the soldier to have an insight into the unit.

Successful Special Communicators will experience unrivalled travel and work opportunities within the British Army, working independently in all corners of the world. Your efforts are rewarded with specialist pay, improved living conditions and incomparable job satisfaction.

For those who wish to serve with the unit, but not as a Special Communicator, there are RSE, CLS and CSE posting opportunities. These are fantastic opportunities for support trades to be employed in a specialist environment, working in civilian attire and with unique travel opportunities. CSEs posted into the unit will have the opportunity to support OGDs on short term tasks in various locations around the world, working on technical civilian communications systems and networks.

The recruitment team strive to visit all Royal Signals units, both regular and reserve, to promote wider awareness in the Corps. The recruitment team is flexible and are constantly looking for time and cost-effective methods to promote 299 Sig Sqn (SC). The team seek to capture the largest possible audience of potential SC Operators by delivering formal unit presentations. This can be best achieved through the appreciated support of the Regimental / Unit Trg Wng and CoC.

To find out more about applying for service as a Special Communicator, or to be posted in trade, please contact the current Recruitment NCO, Cpl Dave Chadwick.

Mil Number: 94240 8517 Dii: 299SigSqn-SP-TRG-Recruiting [email protected]

SCBC dates 2014:

SCBC 1/14: 3 – 6 FebruarySCBC 2/14: 10 – 13 MarchSCBC 3/14: 19 – 22 MaySCBC 4/14: 9 – 12 June

Desert SERE Course September 2013

Desert SERE is designed to develop individuals with SERE level C experience as Unit SERE Instructors (USI) in the desert environment. As well as Personal Recovery (PR), the course covered lesson delivery and advanced survival and evasion training, culminating in a final four day escape and evasion exercise across differing desert environments within the Mojave Desert, Nevada. In order to develop the Squadron’s SERE credentials and enhance training during PDT, three members attended and successfully completed the course, returning as unit level Desert SERE instructors.

Arriving late on Saturday evening at Las Vegas airport, there was no room for a social as we were straight into our routine of arrivals and refresher training. The two day classroom instruction consisted of acclimatisation training, briefs on PR, and operational pre-deployment administration, followed by more revision training with a desert spin, to add to our SERE level C experience. The USAF were fantastic hosts, and a special thanks goes out to the Guardian Angel Squadron, whose specific role is Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR). The

Pararescuemen (PJs), Combat Recovery Officers (CROs), and the A-10, HH-60 and UAV pilots gave us fascinating briefs and demos on their capabilities prior to the exercise phase, and we also got some hands on training with the attack dogs to practise some Personal Protection techniques.

The static phase consisted of constructing a shelter under the 45-50°C heat and receiving lessons out in the desert environment. In brief, we covered the priorities of protection, location, water and food. All areas were covered in huge detail over three of the four days, including a trip out to a food and animal reserve in the surrounding area where we got eyes on the venomous reptiles and plants that we would encounter on our evasion phase. Suffice to say that this came in handy at a later stage of the course. The final day of this phase was used to assess us as USI’s by delivering various desert survival lessons.

Completing the static phase and slightly deprived of food, we had a two hour turnaround period prior to the evasion exercise. The final exercise made SERE level C look like a walk in the park. Evading long legs over four days, over mountainous, sandy and salt rock terrain with no food and limited water tested all members of the course, especially lying up all day under the intense heat. Over the full period we had a trained tracking force following our routes, comprised from the Pathfinder Platoon, 4/73 (Spec OP) Battery and a member of 299 Sig Sqn (SC), Sgt Ben Heath. Our call sign consisted of one member from the Pathfinder Platoon and three from 299 Sig Sqn (SC). We managed to successfully evade capture, with only a few close encounters with the hunter force and rattle snakes, successfully calling in a HH-60 Blackhawk onto our location on the final evening to be winched by the PJs out of the desert to a “safe location”. Following debriefs we had a much deserved end of course social, and 24 hours in the city that never sleeps.

Cpl Chadwick

Cpl Chadwick, Cpl Bell and Sgt Richardson in the Mojave Desert, Nevada


Race the Sun

The Sqn team captain, Cpl Ben Gallager, selected a squad from the elite members of 299 Sig Sqn (SC). During a period of conflicting Sqn demands, including the operational HOTO of the various world-wide detachments, and the commencement of the 2013 Special Communications Course, the Sqn was still able to field an impressive squad.

At the crack of dawn, after a good night’s sleep in a Travelodge, Sgt Rob Frost set the 299 Sig Sqn team off to a good start on the run/canoe leg, despite having to work extra hard in the last few hundred metres due to a snapped paddle! He completed a successful hand-over with Cpl Dee Carlton, who ran an excellent leg on the river run, finishing 3rd; this leg had the potential to cause problems, as several teams lost their bearings and accumulated large time penalties.

Cpl Ray Richardson was up next on the run/bike leg, he got off to a good start with only two people to hunt down. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ put in a sterling effort throughout the leg, coming close to his own personal best time. He wound in his competitors like a skilled fisherman, managing to overtake the two rivals to secure 1st in the leg for the minor unit competition.

As the day progressed it was difficult to assess the placement of the team due to technical errors, but this all added to the anticipation of the events! Cpl Adi Hankin, despite a niggling injury, strapped on his Bergen and powered his way through the forced march, putting in an impressive time of 1hr 19min. He too finished first in the minor units which continued the strong lead that the team was beginning to build.

During the next three legs the team continued to finish in first place with Cpl Kris Bell running well along the moors, maintaining his position handing over to SSM Si Gibney who then powered away on the half marathon. Despite not feeling his best on the run, he still managed to not only maintain the lead but also gain a couple more points to hand over to the Tp OC, Capt Liam Crane, and his shiny new mountain bike. Putting his bike through its paces Liam managed to overtake a couple of Army mountain bikers, which was all he needed to justify the cost.

Cpl BP found an interesting way of catching up some places on the swim, unexpectedly he realised that the water was shallow enough to stand-up in and run! Closing in on the leaders, and sprinting to the bank to handover to the final leg.

Cpl Ben Gallager finished off the competition for 299, wearing his Army triathlon suit, gaining the fastest time for the minor units. The event was superbly organised and enjoyed by all. After finishing 2nd in 2012 it was a great achievement to finish 1st in the minor units this year and we look forward to defending the title next year.

COMARC Visit

With the arrival of the new Commander ARRC, Lt Gen Evans, 1 Signal Brigade held a Brigade demonstration to display the impressive Capability at the COMARRC’s disposal. The 299 Sig Sqn (SC) stand provided him with a snap shot of the Squadron role and technical capabilities.

The stand was structured to deliver information on the lifecycle of the SC Operator, including selection, training and deployment. The brief informed the commander of the qualities needed to be successfully selected as an Operator and the significant quantity of specialist training an SC Operator undertakes. Sgt Frost and Cpl Carlton created an example of a typical Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) and explained the unique roles and responsibilities of an SC Operator on deployment. The stand was finished off with a vignette from Cpl Ryan Greene about his recent deployment, he then received a Commander Land Forces Commendation presented by the General.

Exercise RETURNING LYNX - 26 September 2013

The Returning Lynx function is held every 6 months to celebrate the safe return of 299 Sig Sqn (SC) Operators following their independent deployments around the world. The event in September was well-supported by a large gathering of Sqn members, wives, partners and children. To keep the children amused, the bouncy castle was set up in drill hall and proved popular, as did the Nintendo Wii, which the children had to compete for alongside the junior officers.

Later in the evening, the huge pizza order arrived in style and was quickly demolished, irrelevant of how many pieces of chocolate cake we had all just devoured. A big thank you to Cpl Curtis Sharpe AGC SPS for organising the event and making it a special occasion for the returning SC Operators. Running concurrently as part of RETURNING LYNX, the Sqn took part in the annual Macmillan coffee and cake sale with an impressive display of home made cakes; it seems baking is a core skill of SC Operators. There was plenty of choice and with such an impressive display the cakes were soon cleared out with £125 being raised for the charity. Race the Sun leg timings

Cpl Greene receiving the Commander Land Forces Commendation


HQ 101 LOGISTICS BRIGADE & SIGNAL TROOP (661)ALDERSHOT

81 SIGNAL SQUADRON (VOLUNTEERS)CORSHAM

OC Capt J AlgerRQMS WO2 (RQMS) M Turner

661 SIGNAL TROOP DISBANDMENT

On 31 Dec 13 661 Sig Tp will formally disband and conclude the Royal Signals Close Support that the Corps has provided to HQ 101 Log Bde and HQ 11 Lt Bde during the last 14 years.

HQ 101 Log Bde formed up on 1 Jun 99 in Buller Barracks, Aldershot when it took over the logistical responsibilities formally provided by HQ CSSG (UK). At the same time 261 Sig Sqn was re-inserted into the R SIGNALS ORBAT in the form of 101 Log Bde HQ & Sig Sqn (261), in order to provide Communications and Real Life Support to the HQ. In doing so it replaced 604 Sig Tp who had previously provided the same support to the former Logistic organisation.

The association that has existed between the Squadron and the HQ was extremely close and friendly, whilst always maintaining a professional working relationship. They worked hard together on exercises and operations, took part in many physical and sporting activities and socialised together.

In 2001 the Squadron deployed to Oman on Ex SAIF SAREEA II for 8 months in support of HQ 102 Log Bde who deployed in a HQ JFLogC role whilst they were still waiting for 262 Sig Sqn to form up. It provided 261 Sig Sqn with a valuable learning experience and an insight to the service that they should expect to provide to HQ 101 Log Bde in the future; precious knowledge that was put to extensive use in 2003 during the HQ 101 Log Bde deployment to Um Qasar in Iraq on Op TELIC.

In Nov 07 261 Sig Sqn re-subordinated to 11 Lt Bde in order to prepare for, deploy on and recover from Op HERRICK. The deployment was a great success from a Royal Signals

perspective. It was a demanding tour for everyone concerned, providing a majority of them with valuable operational experience never encountered by many within the Corps. During this period HQ 101 Log Bde continued to receive communications support from the SO2 G6 and the Application Specialists assigned onto the HQ’s establishment.

On the disbandment of HQ 11 Lt Bde in Jun 10 the Sig Sqn re-established its relationship with HQ 101 Log Bde, however this was to be a short lived occurrence as the Corps reduced its commitment to the 101 and 102 Log Bde HQs under Project KITCHENER. When 261 Sig Sqn disbanded in Nov 10, 661 Sig Tp was established as its replacement. Some of the Squadron's personalities remained in 661 Sig Tp providing initial continuity to the HQ until they were naturally replaced. The quality of service provided to the HQ did not diminish with the reduced establishment level. The Bde Comd and his staff have always been extremely appreciative for that. The loss of the R SIGNALS support will be hard felt by the HQ.

Tp personnel have been assigning out of the unit since the summer and the last few (mainly support staff) will move in mid Dec 13. The unit’s holdings have been greatly reduced with a majority of the stores and equipment being backloaded or re-distributed elsewhere.

R SIGNALS personnel will still continue to support the HQ in the form of SO2 G6 and the Application Specialists. There will also be a small contingent of G4 ‘Scaleys’ within the Real Life Support Brick that replaces 661 Sig Tp.

Many former members of the unit are still serving in the Corps. They should feel extremely proud of the service that they have provided in the history of the R SIGNALS.

Certa Cito

OC Maj Mark ArscottSSM WO2 (SSM) Matt Ticehurst

Another busy period for the Squadron. Recruiting continues to be a big focus and we are starting to see a growth in the number of people interested in joining. This follows the Army Reserve’s national campaign and a large push in BT Openreach. SHQ are working to understand the impact on the Sqn following the Future Reserves 2020 paper and are adjusting accordingly. The three articles below demonstrate how the unit continues to deliver for the MOD and gives an insight into how we maintain a great esprit de corps.

Partnership improves safety in the Corsham Underground Last year we highlighted the unique challenge that faces DE&S’ Information Systems and Services Operating Centre in Corsham with the vast expanse of Wiltshire estate that lies underground. To further improve the safety aspect across this maze of tunnels and mines, ISS has been working in partnership with Land Forces to install a new communications network across the underground.

The Corsham Underground is a vast area (well over 250 acres) and the original provision for communications consisted of only eight telephone handsets. This was considered wholly inadequate, especially as some of these handsets were positioned in isolated and potentially dangerous locations. The inadequacies of this communications network had been noted in earlier, routine inspections of the underground by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Mines, with the remedial action forming part of ISS’ ongoing and extensive Mines Improvement and Management Plan. In order to tackle this particular issue, ISS’ Head of Establishment Mines Management team approached a Royal Signals unit for advice. Project planning was supplied by the Communications Planning Office in the form of SSgt ‘Giz’ Carr, an experienced electrical engineer who acted as the planning officer for this project. Working from this plan, 81 Signal Squadron (V), a territorial Squadron based at Corsham worked underground for around nine months to install a vastly superior communications network. There is now a new telephone exchange and 41


telephone handsets across the underground, all positioned on the safe access routes and across the wider mine area. In addition a connection point has been installed for a ‘roving phone’ to increase the capability. To complete this impressive installation 2500 eye bolts fixed over 6 kilometres of catenary, with the actual cabling secured by over 31,000 tie wraps.

This solution proved to be a win-win for both ISS and Land Forces as it provided a unique opportunity for members of the Squadron to practice and implement their skills and it allowed ISS to further improve the underground environment at minimal cost. Special thanks go to members of 81 Signal Squadron (V) for completing this installation, in particular to SSgt Alistair Rosser and Cpl Robin Sanderson who spent the most time underground! This work has now been completed, with a recent inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Electrical Engineering in Mines stating that “…the new telephone system installation has been planned and executed to a high standard, which should serve to provide much needed reliable communications throughout the mine.”

Annual Ball In September the Squadron held its Annual Ball in Cheltenham with the theme this year being ‘Ladies and Partners’. The Ball was open to all the family and friends of the Squadron and the ‘Old and Bold’, to say a big thank you for all the help and support the Squadron receive at home whilst on operations and training. Without this valued backing and encouragement from our loved ones the Squadron would be less effective and the high standards being achieved may well be hampered. The night saw OC Sqn Maj Mark Arscott congratulate promotions within the Sqn including ‘Mr Vice’ Cpl John. SSgt Rosser was presented with an award for his management of the Corsham Tunnels Project and mentions were made of the successes of the recent Adventure Training, Sqn Football Team and Fleet Half Marathon efforts. The event was a resounding success and a good time was had by all. Over 70 people attended the event and a big thank you to all those behind the scenes for their support, particular thanks go to the members of Gloucestershire ACF Corps of Drums (The Rifles).

Squadron Adventure Training – by SSgt King MBE

This year we again used the tried and tested challenging environment of St Mawgan and the surrounding Cornish countryside, building on the skills learned last year.

Coastal walking consisting groups of 8 chaps from 81 Sig Sqn set off from the Lighthouse ably led by SSgt King MBE PSI

(Mountain Goat King). The weather took a sharp turn during the first 5 miles almost leading to the walk being cancelled, driving rain, cool temps and sodden flooded paths soon had the group thinking of a hot bath. It was tough going, feet squelched in our footwear thus you didn’t care about going around a foot deep puddle, and you just went through it. Morale was an all time low until we rounded the corner, left the sandy bay after being pebble dashed by the sand to come across a small oasis in the form of a shop selling pasties, hot sausage rolls and tea /coffee. Still the call of Wetherspoons at the end of the hike really motivated the Sqn.

Mountain biking certainly was more challenging and incorporated two wheeled acrobatics for most. YouTube will be the best forum to review and discuss these, but most found that “faster is better”. A few of spectacular

dismounts (SSgt Blatcher, LCpl Brittain). Fortunately nobody sustained any serious injuries (em well except Sgt Tomblin who scuffed his knees).

Rock climbing/abseiling for us came as the biggest challenge. The deadly 100m abseil. That is 100m straight down into the cove at Penhale camp, the plea of a Squadron objector fell on deaf ears. This was blatant cowardice and refusal to soldier until the Squadron’s newest recruit and only female took the lead and went for it, needless to say the rest followed.

Sqn Sports Day began early after a full English then onto the baseball field. Actually, finding the field of play without satnav at the rear of St Mawgans accommodation proved difficult enough, resolved by a few mobile phone calls. Sgt Tomblin (PTI) chose the two teams in order of age and ability, but this led to elderly folk running long distances after the big hitting batsmen smashed the white hard ball great distances. The baseball led to many dropped catches as it hurt when managing to wrap your hands around it. A close fought contest resulted in lots of banter thoroughly enjoyed by both teams. After a quick rest then it was off to the enclosed all

weather 5 aside pitch for the usual over the top tackling, diving and all the shanagans associated with football.

Overall, the time in Newquay was fantastic and I look forward to the future adventure training packages that we have planned.


OTHER UNITSHEADQUARTERS

BRITISH FORCES SOUTH ATLANTIC ISLANDS - J6

SO2 J6 Sqn Ldr John Coles RAFSO3 J6 Capt (Tfc) Clarke FatchettYofS SSgt (YofS) Mat Burton

- by LCpls Pranesh and Rajen

Introduction

HQ BFSAI is a joint and integrated command, incorporating personnel from all three services. The combined forces are principally charged with delivering operational effectiveness, which is achieved through the deterrence of any military aggression against the South Atlantic Territories.

RADCON within J6 is an integral asset providing secure strategic and tactical Bowman communication enabling the smooth running of the Joint Operations and exercises in Theatre. This is achieved through permanently established Ops Room and rapidly deployable assets in the form of the Bowman Crash Out Detachment (COD) and Immediate Response Operator (IRO) equipped with a HF Manpack.

Exercise/Activities

Our time in Theatre so far has seen us deploy in various exercises, including Ex CAPE BAYONET, a live firing exercise carried out by the Roulement Infantry Company every six weeks. The first of our Ex CAPE BAYONET came in June with 3 PARA. RADCON assets were deployed to provide safety comms via an Ops Room. The section also holds BV All Terrain Vehicles fitted with Bowman and was used by the Range Safety Officer as a ground safety asset with the help of an operator. The ex was very lively as we had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of various events such as a Hercules drop, a Typhoon fly over, Navy Gunship fire and mortar shoot.

The most recent exercise was in August involving 5 SCOTS and the week's weather turned to the worst, it made comms very difficult. A real time MEDEVAC had to be implemented and once again our well placed comms plan helped swift evacuation. The exercise encompassed a complex routine of coordinating ground, air and sea assets. Challenging it may seem, the exercise also gave us the rare opportunity to enjoy, and actively support an amphibious training exercise. There have also been few instances where the active participation of RADCON has seen COD and IRO being deployed in very short notice in support of the Major Incident Plan (MIP).

RADCON is also charged with the responsibility of teaching the Ground Defence Force basic Voice Procedures, ICOM radios and different reports during Ex-CAPE PETREL (yes it is spelt that way) organised almost every fortnight. This was a good opportunity for the young signallers to improve skills and build confidence. So far the signallers are still gathering confidence in the classroom corners (next to the radiators), while the JNCOs are giving out the lessons. The huge plan for data traffic improvement task prompted by SSgt (YofS) Mat SSgt Burton has seen the introduction of HCDR in Theatre over the year. We have also recently completed a number of successful data trials in the East Falklands accumulating vital stats. This will further assist the J6 with any decision making with regards to any future data improvements scheme.

Recreational Activities

Away from the day to day peril of RF hazard supposedly frying us deep inside, BFSAI also provides us with the chance to explore a unique and fascinating environment full of diverse wildlife such as the Flying Penguins. While venturing out on a data trail day, LCpl Raj Rajen and Sig Kieran Johnstone came across what they thought were the penguins. After having made an optimistic run across the beach the penguins took off only for the disheartened boys to find out later they were in fact Rock Cormorants. However, there is a provision of a helicopter trip to Volunteer Point if you wish to see the real penguins. Memorial sites are dotted all over the island from the 1982 conflict, museums and places of interest in the Capital Stanley can also be accessed via MT vehicles.

The wide range of welfare and recreational facilities includes fully equipped gym with pool, 3D cinema, bowling alley, internet suite, shops and cafes. RADCON as a small section enjoys numerous trips and outings. A Go-Karting event was organized in August and LCpl Steve Dickson “with extra pair of eyes” turned out to be the outright winner. The most recent activity saw RADCON compete in a paintballing competition, where we narrowly missed out on fifth.

Not content with waiting for ‘Movember’, the RADCON ‘tash’ growing competition is in full swing with some specimens better than others. LCpls Steve Dickson and Andy Keith’s ‘tash’ have a tinge of ginger which is probably some throwback from the Vikings. LCpl Nevin Hack lost his bottle when he shaved it off for R&R!

The huge task of delivering Bowman comms is demanding and to some extent the carefully thought out welfare and recreational facilities does the checks and balances. In the end, as inspired by the quote “Teamwork is Dreamwork” by Sgt Vicki Gurung, the teamwork within the section is what brings about the real stability and operational effectiveness.

Welcomes and Farewells

Following a large turnover of personnel we welcome LCpls Steve Dickson, Nevin Hack and Andy Keith, also Sigs Nathan Crowe, Pavel Iatsenko and Kieran Johnston. A fond farewell to the outgoing guys. Thanks for the good work and we wish you all the best for the future.

LCpl Andy Keith fixing his Playstation during work time


SPORT

Royal Signals Soldiers and Officers are playing a significant role in the resurgence of football being played in the Army at the weekends. More Football was played in the TA last season than in the previous five and with the change of name to the Army Reserve (AR) this upward trend is set to continue.

37 Sig Regt and 81 Sig Sqn have both entered teams in the Army Reserve Challenge Cup and at the time of writing are due to meet each other in the second round of the competition guaranteeing a unit from the Corps will be in the final eight. Sig Brooks and Sig Duxbury, who serve with 81 Sig Sqn, Cpl Seery from 32 Sig Regt and Sig Roland at 37 Sig Regt are all members of the AR Representative side, where Maj Dave Manners, serving at 39 Sig Regt is part of the Coach Team. The team enjoyed a successful tour in Germany in May and are planning their next trip for Spring 2014.

Looking to the future there are some great opportunities to get involved. The AR Royal Signals Corps side will play its first ever fixture in the New Year against the long established RLC team. This initiative is being driven by 37 Sig Regt’s RSM, WO1 Chris Moore, with the support of the AR Regt’s and Sqn’s. For units that struggle to get enough players to take part in the 11-a-side AR Challenge Cup but would like to play as a unit there is some good news. The plans are coming together to run a National 6-a-side competition, qualifying days will be held across the country in May/June, with the finals planned for August.

We also have a Royal Signals AR soldier playing in the Army Side. Cpl Wells has been part of the Army Woman’s setup for a number of seasons, both as a very accomplished player and now using her coaching skills supporting the side.

AR football is going from strength to strength. If you would like to know more about the competitions, the Corps and National sides, or interested in being involved with in Woman’s football, then please email [email protected] for more information.

ARMY REsERvE footbAll - Maj Steve Clout, Secretary Army Reserve Football

The AR team before their match with the RAF Officers, Icarus, at the Military Stadium in Aldershot


The Training Day - by Sig Dan Newton

The older orienteers amongst us; WOI (FofS) Steve ‘TOPCAR’ Read, Maj Tarquin ‘I leave in Dec’ Shipley and SSgt Steve ‘I have a Corps top – Jack’ Mallison provided training for the new guys; Sig Dan ‘Isaac’ Newton, Cpl Jason Carr, Sig Matt Peart, Sig Anna Muir and LCpl Steph White. Having never orienteered at this level before we were thrown into a fast course of challenging orienteering routes and terrains with whole new map symbols to deal with. After learning the basics of compass bearings, map reading, and TOPCAR, Sig Dan ‘Isaac’ Newton forgot we were orienteering and thought it would be nice to take a stroll along the beach! Feeling left out Sig Matt Peart and LCpl Steph White decided to take a dip.

Day 1 – Lossiemouth

The Scottish weather came out in full force with torrential rain. The anticipation of the first competition was starting to set in. Our first competitor was Cpl Steph ‘this is easy’ White, the more confident one of the team, but after 45mins of her trekking around the beautiful land, we lost hope of seeing her come across the finish line and the rest of us decided to set off.

After a nervous start I began to get my bearings around the intricate sand dunes. Determined to not be beaten by the younger generation who were already running past me, I set off with compass and map in hand, running around the unforgiving terrain. The sand dunes were arduous to say the least and navigation was key to success. As I crossed the finish line (in quite a respectful time for a newbie), I met my fellow team mates to find out that Cpl Steph White had spent 4 mins looking for 1 control and Sig Matt Peart added an extra half mile onto his course! On a whole, an enjoyable and good effort from the newbies.

A quiet start to the competition from the more experienced orienteers saw no blunders.

LCpl S White and Sig Peart

Sig Daniel ‘Isaac’ Newton preparing to race

Day 2 – Carse of Ardersier by Cpl Steph White and Sig Anna Muir Day 3 of Ex MERCURY COMPASS 7, day 2 of Moray 2013, RAF accommodation, RAF medium rare steaks and the sun is out in force, morale was high!! We set off from RAF Kinloss on a 45min drive to the Carse of Ardersier, near Inverness, the landscape was picturesque. Sig Anna Muir - After a good first day I was determined to work on faster times between legs. This however was not the case as I ended up lost on a relatively easy leg. In the end I had to admit defeat asking for my location from a mum running with her young son! My head became hot and I felt my face turning red after she replied “Simon, could you tell this man where we are on the map”! After this I was back on track and managed to hit the last 3 controls straight on. Cpl Steph White was determined to put day 1 behind her. This was hard however, as she now had to wear a bright fluorescent yellow Tutu all day for a 45 minute leg error on day 1! LCpl Chatti Ijam managed to save Cpl Steph White from a second day of humiliation by punching the wrong control, thus earning the privilege of the tutu wearer the next day! Sig Matt ‘speedy Gonzalez’ Peart had an amazing day and managed to storm through all the legs in a super human time of 29:14 (very well done for a novice). Possibly one to watch for the future Corps team member.

Meanwhile in the background, the more experienced orienteers were having a quiet time. Races were all going well and no shockers had yet been identified. In fact, things were going so well that Maj Tarquin ‘I love ice cream’ Shipley managed to squeeze in an ice cream prior to his run! - and the older members of the team were able to catch up on their sleep!

Very tired – even before the race!


exercise mercury compass 7the 6 days of scotland orienteering competition

exercise mercury compass 7the 6 days of scotland orienteering competition

Day 3 – Culbin - by Sig Adam Lister

We were graced with a sunny day for the start of day 3 of the Scottish 6 days. We had an early start as it was quite a distance to travel. We set off and arrived at Culbin which is near Brodie castle.

As I stepped up to a green course I still had a punching start so decided to start the event early. I had a distance of about 4.4kms to cover, which after the event turned out to be about 5-6kms instead! I started the course finding the first control in only a few minutes but was plagued with misfortune with controls 2 and 3.

The rest of the course was steady going until I decided to cut across a recently felled area of woodland; needless to say I was going at a slow pace. Just after I checked in at control 6 I ran into Cpl Jason Carr who started after me, this spurred me on to complete the remainder of the control points without him overtaking me. With a couple more Kms completed through dense and wet woodland, I made it to the final control making it a sprint finish to the line. After waiting for Cpl Jason Carr to finish we walked back to the event site discussing our different route choices and working on ways we could improve in the future days. Still NTR for the experienced guys!

As the next day was a rest day a couple of us decided to go to the local cinema in Elgin to watch the recently released film ‘The Wolverine’ the main surprise being that they sold beer in a cinema was a rather nice one!!

Sgt Dave Riches had a steady week and his run in was evidence of this.

Rest Day Fortunately for us all, after 3 days of hard orienteering we had a day off! Most of us just wanted to chill out and recover ready for the second half of the competition, but not Lt Col Eric ‘I am a machine’ Heritage who decided rest day equalled Mountain Bike Orienteering in Lossiemouth with Cpl Jason Carr and Cpl Chatti Ijam.

Phew!

Lt Col Heritage showing the young ones how it is done!

Day 4 – Loch of Boath

So, the week thus far had been extremely uneventful for the more experienced orienteers. Things were about to change!! Cpl Stu Taylor set off first out of us all, with a spread of about one hour between start times. All was well and individuals began trickling in, buzzing with their race experiences.

After about 30mins of everyone (less Cpl Stu Taylor) being back and changed and ready to go, having dropped both tents, there was still no sign of Stu. Bearing in mind the average length of the course (which 3 other teams members, including a GIRL had completed) was about 70mins, concern was starting to grow for Cpl Stu Taylor who had not returned after 3 hours!! Sgt Andy ’Adonis’ McNally and Maj Sally ’I am not team mum’ Calland decided to go on the hunt for him.....After checking in with the St Johns’ Ambulance and the organisers Cpl Stu ‘exhausted’ Taylor crept over the line like a broken man!!! Over 3 hours to complete 6.2km!!!

I quite like this Tutu!!


Day 5 – Roseisle

Tutu awarded to WOI Steve Read.

Day 5 saw the R SIGNALS team assist the organisers of the event with the security of the Kinloss camp. Everyone was allocated just 2 hours throughout the day to help out. We were given punching starts allowing us flexibility. No shockers fell out of the day’s racing, but legs were heavy and getting tired after running through the sand dunes.

Day 6 – Coulmony and Belivat - by WOI Steve Read

With bags packed and tired legs we arrived on the last day very early and reluctantly ready to go. It had been a great week, the newcomers had developed well, had their early over confidence dashed in their advancement through to harder courses and the more experienced had the chance to coach, both to the newbies but also ourselves.

A long walk in to the start (much to Maj Tarquin Shipley’s disgust) “Can’t we just climb over that wall?” Followed by “don’t fight the pink” rattled around the car. The start was the earliest of the week for us, a mere 4 minutes after the courses opened and we were due to be off.

I expected a quiet start but was surprised to find myself 10 abreast in an 8 foot wide start lane, it was bedlam although I always enjoy the bustle of a big competition. I had an up and down week, trying hard to stay within 5 minutes of Sgt Andy McNally and was determined that today I was going to end on a high....how wrong I was.

The run to control 1 was good, I gambled on a marshy shortcut and it paid off being not too soft. Then it all went wrong. I left control 1 in the right direction but became quickly confused and spent 10 painful minutes relocating on a road and running back into the wood to find control 2. Shouting at myself did no good, I could hear myself coaching the novices each night after evening meal and I had ignored all my good advice today!

That was it, my week was over and I decided to kick back and enjoy the rest of the run, safe in the knowledge that my time today would not be one of my best 4 to count for my competition place. The terrain was hard and my legs were tiring quick, 6 days hard orienteering was taking its toll and today was not only the longest course, but also the hilliest, with almost 500m of ascent over the 10 km race. I got caught twice by a rogue branch hiding in the deep bracken, falling hard both times. My smile remained however, as even a hard day orienteering still beats a day in the office.

Again and again I caught SSgt Steve Mallison who was plodding round on an injured leg. I tried to take different routes so as not to follow him but his slower pace resulted in more accurate navigation, my haste resulted in comical errors and the famous tortoise and the hare story was re-enacted!

Final Words from Team Mum – Ex MERCURY COMPASS was once again a huge success with 21 members of the Corps taking advantage of some beautiful terrain and arduous orienteering in Scotland.

The running was hard and challenging, but everyone developed the key skills required to orienteer and came away from the exercise more hill fit!!

The exercise runs every year and is open to all Corps members, both regular and reserve, with or without experience. If anyone would like more information about orienteering within the Corps please contact Maj Sally Calland on 94371 2168.

A final mention must go to Sgt Lewis ‘my wife has 4 weeks until she is due’ Wright who managed to attend the training the day before having to depart to be with his wife and new baby girl Lily!!

I look cool guarding the camp in this tutu!

Sgt Wright


Frank Underhill showing his First World War poppy to the Duke of Edinburgh

Frank Underhill, Maj (Retd) Mark Tivey and I/P Les Perrier

General Secretary and Treasurer: Col (Retd) T CanhamAssistant General Secretary: Maj (Retd) M Tivey

Welfare Secretary: Mrs L SizelandMembership Secretary: Mrs C Addison

Patron: HRH The Princess RoyalPresident: The Master of Signals

Chairman: Brig DA Hargreaves

Association OfficeRHQ Royal SignalsBlandford CampBlandford ForumDorset DT11 8RHwww.royalsignlalsassociation.co.uk

Welfare SecretaryTel (mil) (9)4371 2089

Tel (civ) 01258 48 2089Email: [email protected]

Membership SecretaryTel (mil) (9)4371 2090Tel (civ) 01258 482090

Email: [email protected]

Col (Retd) Terry Canham Tel: 01258 482081

Maj (Retd) Mark TiveyTel: 01258 482082

Mrs Caroline Addison Tel: 01258 482090

Mrs Linda SizelandTel: 01258 482089

ROYAL SIGNALS ASSOCIATION

The RSA membership applications have been flowing in since the Facebook Association group has worked its magic! If you haven’t yet visited this group, you can find it by searching for Royal Signals Association on Facebook. There are also other signals groups with their own information, including some branches, so I think that you will find that the whole site is worth a look. To become a member of the Association group you need to ask as it is closed.

Applications to become a member of the Association (which is separate from your membership of the Facebook group) can be made via the Association website under the Join Us tab, as can requests for new membership cards.

I am not sure where the year has gone, because it doesn’t seem that long ago that it was Christmas last year! Since the last Wire notes, I have visited the Tayside & Fife Branch in Scotland and was given a very warm welcome at their dinner. I would like to send many thanks to all the members in Dundee and I hope that they enjoyed the evening as much as I did. My weekend north of the border was completed by private visits to Edinburgh Castle and Linlithgow Palace, both of which were only slightly marred by a lost earring. If anyone finds one in Edinburgh, near the Castle, it is mine!!

The focus of the Area 2 Branches and many members of the RSA is now, at the time of writing, focused on the Project Noel Nine Lessons and Carols in Liverpool Cathedral (29/30 Nov). I hope that by the time this is published this event helped to enrich those who attended and got them in the mood for the festive season.

Recent official events in the calendar were, on 7 Nov 13 the Opening of the Field of Remembrance by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Prince Henry of Wales. The RSA was as usual well represented and the first photograph shows Mr Frank Underhill, our representative at the front of the plot, showing his First World War poppy to the Duke of Edinburgh. The second photograph shows Mr Underhill, Maj Tivey and I/P Les Perrier.


If you would like a chance to attend this very moving ceremony (next year on 6 Nov 14) please email me ([email protected]) and I will add your name to the list which is held in RHQ. A ballot for tickets will take place should there be less tickets allocated than applicants.

The culmination of Remembrance Sunday for many people is the Cenotaph Parade and Wreath Laying. This year the Royal Signals Association contingent was again ably organized by Jim Gwinnell (my thanks to Jim for his time and trouble in doing this for us) and included two members of RHQ staff. The photograph shows Mr Benn, oops no sorry, Maj (Retd) John Fradley and Maj (Retd) Mark Tivey both looking very smart before the contingent formed up on Horseguards Parade. Again, if you would like to take part next year (9 Nov 14) contact me so that your name can be included on the list for tickets. Sadly the North London Branch has now closed and the Standard will be laid up locally in due course. The Royal Signals Pipes & Drums Affiliated Association is a new group whose formation has been confirmed at the recent Central Committee Meeting and I look forward to hearing them play in the future.

Finally, I would like to wish all members of the Association a very Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year.

New Life Members. A warm welcome to the following members, enrolled since the last issue of The Wire:

Cpl Amanda Aitchison 1993-06Sig David Anderson 1984-96LCpl Ian Aspinall 1974-98Cpl John Bairstow 1969-84Sgt Darren Barker 1996-11Cpl Dawson Barry 1970-77LCpl David Bates 1976-83Cpl Victoria Bates 1999-dateSig Eric Beckett 1953-55LCpl Michael Bell 1984-91Sgt Michael Bell 1966-91Cpl Anthony Blackburn 1996-dateSgt Jimmy Blair 1979-89SSgt Tony Booth 1983-05WO1 (RSM) Roy Boulton 1974-98Maj James Boyel 1975-dateSig James Bradley 1999-12SSgt John Brennan 1987-12Capt Samuel Brinkworth 2008-dateCpl Trevor Broome 1979-92LCpl Simon Brown 1983-94WO1 (RSM) Stephen Brown 1991-dateSig Douglas Bryant 1957-59Sig Matthew Burford 2013-dateSgt Michael Burton 1996-dateSig Lee Carpenter 1992-98Sig James Carr 1999-04Sig James Carrigan 1995-97Sgt Clive Chapman 1984-96Sig Ellis Charles 1988-98Sig Paul Charlton 1978-85Sgt Stephen Christopher 1984-02Sig Christopher Cliff 1980-85Cpl Paul Colling 2002-dateWO2 (FofS) John Collins 1986-08WO2 Malcolm Collins 1966-88SSgt John Conlon 1979-13Cpl Chris Cook 2003-daetSgt James Coombs 1987-99Sig John Cooper 1975-78SSgt Christin Cooper 1979-13Cpl Colin Cootes 1971-86SSgt Jim Cowan 2000-dateSig Michael Cox 1989-1998Sig Gail Croft 1998-03SSgt Jason Crossley 1992-dateWO1 Peter Curtis 1985-07Sig Geoffrey Dancey 1988-97

LCpl Wayne Davies 1984-95Sig Mark Davis 1990-94Sig Ross de Freitas 2006-08Cpl Scott Devenay 1989-dateLCpl Kathleen Docherty 1989-93Sgt Stuart Dodge 1996-11Cpl Stuart Dott 1998-13LCpl Kevin Downes 1994-11SSgt Andrew Doyle 1992-dateSSgt Alan Doyle 1992-08LCpl Sean Dulson 1982-95Sgt Grant Duncan 1983-05LCpl Martin Dyer 1976-87Sig Rex Eastwood 1950-52LCpl Carolyn Elson 1987-92Cpl Steph Evans 1997-09LCpl Nick Evans 1986-95Sgt David Evans 1980-04SSgt Jeff Farnes 1989-13LCpl Gemma Ferguson 2004-12Sgt Karl Flannagan 1991-13Cpl Chris Flounders 1985-00Cpl Peter Floyd 1963-71Sig Peter Flynn 1969-70Cpl Grant Fowler 1982-98Maj Kevin Fowler 1981-dateSig Jason Fowler 1989-95Sgt Simon Fox-Jones 1978-92LCpl Keith Fraser 2006-13LCpl Garry Froggatt 1977-86Sgt Raymond Frost 1969-80Cpl Barry Fullerton 1986-09LCpl Bob Gallagher 1976-80Cpl Antony Gannon 1979-85Cpl Anthony Gardner 1989-97Sig Chris Gautrey 1979-82LCpl Ivan Gibson 1977-89Cpl Jonathan Ginn 1984-94Capt Darren GoodenoughSig Stephen Gourley 1986-95Maj John Greenwood 1981-dateCpl Michael Gregoire 1986-00SSgt Owen Gudge 1991-dateCpl Paul Gunn 1980-94Sig James Hall 1970-73Sig Andrew Hancock 1988-99LCpl Brian Hancock 1981-89Cpl Mark Harland 1984-98


LCpl Stephen Harper 1981-94LCpl Kevin Harris 1984-93Cpl Scott Hawkes 1999-dateSgt Colin Hawkins 1974-85SSgt Jason Hawksworth 1985-08LCpl James Hawksworth 1988-96SSft (YofS) John Haytree 1963-79Sig Christopher Hesketh 2001-05LCpl Lee Hilligenn 2000-03Cpl Robin Hodder 1972-80WO2 John Hogan 1978-03WO1 (RSM) Chris Hoggard 1991-dateLCpl Robert Holland 1983-94Sig Andrew Hope 1980-86Sgt Michael Hope-Jefferson 1985-01LCpl Grahame Howard 1969-75Sig Anthony Hunter 1998-06SSgt Nicholas Ions 1987-11Sig Derek Ironside 1991-94Cpl Robert James 1982-00Sig David Jelbert 1980-85Sig Alan Jenkins 1968-82Cpl Reuben Johnson 1999-dateCpl Michael Johnson 1965-89Cpl Gary Jones 1980-93Sgt Kevin Joyce 1981-05Sig William Kaye 1985-91Cpl Mark Keech 1992-13Sig David Keelan 1988-97Cpl David Keen 1998-dateLCpl Robert Keep 1989-00Cpl Peter Kennedy 1947-50LCpl Lee Kerridge 1981-88Cpl Melvyn Kershaw 1971-83WO2 Vince Kimber 1977-13WO2 Simon King 1991-dateSig Martin Klaassen 1988-01Sgt Barry Knightley 1992-02LCpl Tim Knowles 1981-93Cpl William Knox 1981-95Sgt Jeffrey Land 1981-92Sgt John Lathbury 1973-87Sgt Graham Lathbury 1974-87Sig Allan Lennie 1985-90WO2 John Lester 1985-10Sgt Malcolm Light 1955-1970Sig David MacSween 1967-73Cpl Tony Maggi 1988-96

LCpl Leanne Maguire 2006-11LCpl Robert Mallinson 1998-05Cpl David Mann 1981-90Cpl Gary Manningham 1995-13SSgt David Mason 1960-78Sig John Matley 1972-82Sgt TIm McArdle 1987-00Sgt David McCallum 1987-10Sgt Brian McCracken 1987-05Sig Norman McKenzie 2003-dateLCpl Paul McMenamin 1984-96Capt Mark McMullan 1990-dateSgt Julian McTavish 1983-07LCpl Derek McVety 1983-90Sgt Edwin Mee 2001-dateSig Neil Messenger 2002-08Sig Robert Miller 1990-95WO2 Vincent Miller 1981-03Sgt Jim Moody 1977-93Maj Graham Moody 1981-dateLCpl David Morgan 1979-93Cpl Steven Morgan 2003-10Sgt David Morley 1973-96Cpl Graham Morris 1972-84Cpl Damien Morris 1978-84Sig John Morrison 1954-76LCpl Paul Murray 1987-97Sgt Colin Nealey 1989-dateSgt Keith Nevitt 1985-00LCpl Sarah Nevitt 1987-95Sgt Alistair Newman 1989-00SSgt Stefan Newton 1981-03Sig Eamon O’Donnell 1969-75LCpl Marylyn Offord 1963-65Sig John Oliver 1971-77LCpl Stefan Owen 1997-02Sig Scott Palmer 2006-10Sig Geoffrey Palmer 1964-74Cpl Emma Pardoe 2003-dateSig Michael Parry 1990-94

Cpl Paul Patterson 1975-89Cpl Neil Phillips 1992-dateCpl James Pickering 1966-78Cpl David Pinder 1979-84LCpl Andrew Porter 1986-95Sig Barry Puckey 1980-87LCpl Seta Raikoso 2004-dateSSgt Peter Ramejkis 1986-13Sig Richard Ramsey 2004-06LCpl Neil Ratcliffe 1987-98WO1 (YofS) Ben Redstone 1986-10Sig David Rees 2001-03LCpl Kevin Reynolds 1987-96Sgt Simon Reynolds 1991-09LCpl John Ridgley 1981-89Cpl Simon Riley 1985-00Cpl Michael Roberts 1996-dateLCpl Grant Robertson 1996-05Cpl John Robinson 1998-dateSSgt David Robinson 1982-06Cpl Barry Robson 1980-90Cpl David Rogers 1982-05WO2 Simon Rowe 1981-07Sig Peter Scott 1990-95Cpl Michael Sear 2006-dateCpl Duncan Shelley 1985-94Maj David Shipley 1989-dateCapt John Simpson Sgt Lee Slingsby 1998-13Sgt David Smith 1963-85Sgt James Smith 1973-87Sgt Andrew Smith 1964-89SSgt Gair Sorley 1984-08LCpl Peter Southern 1985-91Cpl Alan Sparling 1980-92Sig Richard Steele 1992-04Sig James Stephen 2007-10LCpl David Styles 1988-00Sgt Martin Sutcliffe 1978-93

DONATIONS

The RSBF would like to thank the following individuals and fundraisers:

Individuals:

Mr T Harvey MayMr R Waldron Mr D ShelleyMr J WardMr T BroomeMr DJ MurphyMr R FirmanMr MG EvansMs S BotterillMr A HarriganMr G Lathbury

Mr D MorrisMr A WoodhouseMr D MannMr G SorleyMr P CharltonThe late Reverend John Lorne McKellar The Late Maj Robert Arthur WarrenThe Late Mr Jim Griffin

Organisations:

Blandford Garrison Support Unit

RSA York BranchRSA Leeds Branch56 Div OCAWO and Sgts Mess 21 Signal Regiment

Fundraisers:

Mr Ishworprasad GurungMrs Lucie BarnesMr David DinnenMr Andrew OsborneMr David Tuck


Cpl John Taylor 1985-97Sig Jamie Thompson 2004-08Sig David Thompson 2000-04LCpl Dennis Thompson 1985-95Cpl Paul Thomson 1996-dateSSgt Steven Tonks 1990-13SSgt David Tribbeck 1983-05Cpl Colin Tucker 1998-dateSgt Lloyd Turner 1985-08WO2 Christopher Vickers 1991-13Sgt David Walker 1995-09Sig Stephen Walker 1990-95Sig Marc Wall 1979-80LCpl Michael Wallace 1980-84Cpl Nicholas Wallace 1986-00Sgt John Walton 1980-93Sig Murray Warburton 1977-84Sig Helen Warwick 1992-96Cpl William Waters 1992-dateCpl Michael Watkinson 1989-04SSgt Jeffrey Watts 1976-93Cpl Mark Whitehead 1986-97SSgt Geoff Wildman 1987-11LCpl Gavin Williams 1996-04Cpl David Williams 1978-87SSgt Darren Wilson 1990-dateWO1 (YofS) Donald Wilson 1966-92SSgt Anthony Wise 1966-91WO2 Neil Wood 2004-12Sgt Stephen Woodford 1972-92Cpl Andrew Woodhouse 1978-93Cpl Mark Woodhouse 1984-00Cpl Graham Woods 1965-75LCpl Stephen Worthington 1996-03Sig Neil Wrench 1986-94Sig Andrew Wright 1974-85Sig Daniel Wright 1995-98LCpl Ian Wright 1984-92Cpl Paul Young 1998-08

BLACKPOOL BRANCH

Our featured Fundraiser for this month is Mr Andrew Osborne who is completing the Winter Fan Dance for the RSBF

For more information visit Andrew and our other fundraisers at www.royalsignals.org/rsbf

The Branch was the brainwave of Ernie Howe, an ex Royal Signals NCO. Ernie is also the Director of Supporting Our Brave and can be seen in the shop in Blackpool. Many ex Royal Signals pass through the Blackpool shop and enquire about the Signals Cap Badge. Ernie was asked many times if there was a club in Blackpool.

Our first meeting was in the Wainwright Club on Tuesday 9 October 2012. Eight ex Royal Signals members met to discuss the possibility of started a Branch in Blackpool; Ernie Howe, Graham Jones, Fred Winton, Brian Fisher, Karl Hardy, Howard Barlow, George Swarbrick and Brian Halligan. Our aim was to get 12 life members so that we could officially become a Branch of the RSA.

Our next meeting took place on 13 November 2012, our membership had grown to 11. It was decided then that we wanted our own Standard to parade with.

Each month we grew and by the December meeting our figures had grown to 16. We voted in a committee. We had 9 life members and decided it was time to start raising funds so we started with a monthly subscription charge.

We found an ex Royal Signals Soldier, Matthew Japp, who was 98 yrs young. Our Branch Committee was hard at work recruiting more members. Ernie was our Chairman, Graham was our Secretary, Debbie Gent became our Treasurer and Fred Winton was nominated Standard Bearer. We spoke about how we could raise money for our Standard.

February and we were up to 23 members, we passed figures for Association and applied to the RSA for consideration at the March meeting. We had our own Branch Badges and approached other people for contributions and sponsorships.

In March we all ordered our berets and badges and we reached 17 life members. Our balance was £138 in the accounts. Things were looking up and getting somewhat serious now.

In May our Secretary moved, leaving the post open and I was voted in (Fred Winton) or should I say I volunteered. Our funds were getting near to that required to purchase the

Standard. The June meeting saw me in post. A new broom as the saying goes. My first meeting took forever and saw 13 entries. We had the local press there and our photo appeared in the Gazette and The Wire. We were raising money and sending applications for funding to everyone. The Duke of Lancaster Association, Fleetwood were our first contributors. New systems for subs were introduced, rule books came into effect and we produced our own stationary and begging letters. Our Standard Fund was growing nicely and the General Fund was supporting our day to day needs. We opened up our Bank Account and contacted Col Ian Thompson, the Regional Secretary, for some guidance. Ian and Caroline from RSA HQ helped and guided us through the system.

We were now up to Armed Forces Week. We had a fantastic time watching shows, joining in parades and a dinner night. Rather more wine flowed than maybe should have but no one was driving so the taxis made sure we all got home safely. Some of us learnt more about the night the next morning, but the less said on that subject the better.

At the July meeting we had 24 members, donations were coming in and we placed the order for our Standard. We nominated, or should I say John Clark volunteered for the post of Standard Bearer. That month we lost a few members due to work commitments and ill health making it difficult for them to attend, however some still wish us well which is nice. The members that stayed became more positive on what we wanted to achieve.

September was probably our most important meeting. Fred and Ernie started to look for a more suitable venue for our meetings and it was decided by the members that we should move to The Cricket Club, Stanley Park and we now have our private room for meetings and an excellent bar down stairs to relax and chat afterwards. We started to make plans to get the Standard Dedication Ceremony sorted. Marton Church and Stanley Primary School opposite allowed us to use the areas for rehearsals. John spent hours dipping and carrying, assisted by our 2 escorts, Trevor and Howard.

We dedicated our Standard on 29 September 2013. A fantastic day was had by all. I am sure Marton have never seen such a smart body of men marching through the streets. Many photos were taken and they have been put on DVD for members to reflect on the day. The Reverend Daniel Cheyne carried out our Service of Dedication, who was the proudest us or Daniel?. I think it was probably equal. We all had a great day and finished up in the Cricket Club after tea coffee


EAST LONDON BRANCH

Chairman Neill KeenSecretary Alan Turner

In a change to our normal format for a monthly meeting, for our June gathering the committee decided to organise a Games Evening along with a Fish and Chip Supper. Our Treasurer, Mick O’Brien, volunteered to organise all the games and with carpet bowls, quizzes, raffles and horse racing, it went down very well with 28 attending and all taking part in at least some of the games.

Mick had made some enquiries about getting some horses for people to bet on and one of his RE friends had said he had just the thing. Mick was a little taken back when on the night he arrived with six My Little Ponies to put on the race track. However, he did not need to worry as everybody thought it was a great idea. Afterwards, as the games evening had been a success, it was decided that the event be repeated twice a

and cake at the church. There is a rumour that the takings were pretty good on the day.

Our sponsors were Duke of Lancaster (Fleetwood), Fylde Liaison, Supporting Our Brave, J and J Decorators, William Eccles Flooring, BAe Systems, Babcock and private donations. Without these sponsors it would not have been possible for all this to take place. We now look forward to Remembrance Sunday where our Standard will be proudly displayed. On a lighter note we are organising our Christmas Function where our guest of honour will be Col and Mrs Ian Thompson. Sir,

RSA Blackpool Rear: Mick Grievson, Andy Anderson, Karl Hardy, David Emmess, Frank Higham, Fred Deacon

Middle: Carol/Keith Kimberly, Ron Clay, William Morris, Wally Mooney, Brian Fisher, Mike Leeming, Dorothy Howe, Pat HoltenFront: John Clark, Howard Barlow, Paul Unsworth, Ernie Howe, Matthew Japp, Fred Winton, Debbie Gent, Trevor Holten

Standard Bearer Escort Entertainments Chairman Secretary Treasurer Escort

we hope you enjoy our company and hospitality.

If you are living in the Blackpool area and would like to join or just want to come as a visitor you will be made more than welcome. We meet at the Cricket Club, Stanley Park, on the second Tuesday of the month. We start the meeting at 1930hrs and then retire to the downstairs lounge for a catch up. We look forward to seeing you, we have about 25 members on a regular basis. If you would like to contact us please do so via [email protected]

Is Matthew the oldest life member of the Royal Signals Association at 99? 2347617 Matthew Japp joined the army in 1940 at Trowbridge Barracks and was discharged in York in 1946. We are very proud to have him as a member of our Blackpool Branch.

Matthew Japp


GUERNSEY BRANCH

Member Alf Lane chose to spend his 75th birthday swooping through the Guernsey skies paragliding. Alf, who qualified in 1996 and now heads the Guernsey Paragliding Club achieved his dream of flying on his birthday after a delay due to windy conditions. He has flown all over the world and has no intention of giving up the hobby soon. His worry, not if you will get down, but how you will get down.

picture courtesy of The Guernsey Press

year with the November meeting being earmarked for the next occasion.

A few days after about a dozen of our members formed up outside Ilford Town Hall for the Armed Forces Day Parade. To keep us all in step, we had The Honourable Artillery Company Band leading the parade. After the parade, all the participants were invited into the Town Hall for refreshments. The previous AFD parades in Ilford had not been very well organised but this year, much more effort had gone into it and having a first class band really made a big difference.

At the time of writing we are very much looking forward to our Fish and Chip Supper and Disco being held in Ilford Army Reserve Centre on 19 October.

We always welcome more members and encourage any potential members living in East London, South and East Essex area to join us. Our meetings are held in the TA Centre, Gordon Road, Ilford at 7:30pm on the 4th Thursday of each month (except December). Email: [email protected] for more details.

NEWCASTLE BRANCH

Three of our Newcastle Branch members travelled to Belgium to visit war grave cemeteries after our reunion in June, with the highlight taking the salute at the Menin Gate .Ypres Salient in Flanders.

L – R: Guy Turnbull, Standard Bearer Derek Thorpe, Harry Duncan

SALISBURY BRANCH

Chairman Maj (Retd) Dick OffordSecretary John Bryant

The Salisbury Branch has continued to flourish with membership increasing for the third successive year. We were very pleased when Lt Col (Retd) Dick and Weche Smith and Maj (Retd) Andy and June Harkins decided to join us recently. Currently membership in the Branch has grown to the point that new members now have a good chance on arrival of finding old friends and colleagues amongst the existing membership. Whilst by no means necessary, this is helpful in enabling new members to quickly feel that they are amongst friends.

The informal Spring Sunday lunch held at the local Grasmere Hotel was very well attended and enjoyed by the membership. The main event of the year however was the Autumn Lunch when some forty members and their guests attended the annual lunch at the Legacy Rose and Crown Hotel at Harnham in early November.

Marilyn Offord, the Branch Social Member, had created a theme for the lunch based on the 60th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation. In addition to decorating the room and tables in a patriotic and regal way, she produced a display based on the Coronation year of 1953 which included original photographs and memorabilia from the time including photographs of some of the members themselves, many of whom were children at the time and a display of sweets which she had found to be still available 60 years later. It was noticeable by its size that the ‘gobstopper’ had been clearly well named all those years ago.

Salisbury RSA Lunch 3 Nov 2013

Sweets from 1953


TAMESIDE BRANCH

Guest of honour Maj Gen (Retd) John Stokoe made an informative speech updating those present on the serving Corps. The Chairman of the Branch Maj (Retd) Dick Offord reported that the raffle at the event had raised £191 for the Royal British Legion. This was the fifth year in succession that raffle takings for charity had increased. It provides the Branch a benevolent challenge for future years and an altruistic benefit of membership such that not only are members improving their social lives they are also helping others through their membership.

Chairman Derek FisherSecretary Wilfred PiddingtonTreasurer Wilfrid BuddStandard Bearer Alex Shaw

Derek Fisher formed this Branch on 5 June 2011 and we were officially recognised by the Association at a meeting in London on 13 October 2011.

On Sunday 13 October 2013 we had our new Standard dedicated at Christ Church, Denton, Manchester. The service was conducted by the Rev Roger Dixon and a congregation of upwards of 200 attended, including the Worshipful the Civic Mayor of Tameside and his Lady Mayoress and Andrew Gwynne MP, our local MP for Denton, and Mr Ian Thomson, our Area Rep, along with members of the Sale and Southport Branches who bought their Standards.

We had the newly formed Sapphire Blue Choir which was formed by a friend of mine, Mrs Christina Howerd, to raise funds for SSAFFA and the Denton Brass Band with soloists Miss Iona Fisher ( No relation ) and Sheila G White who really did us proud. We also had the Royal Lancashire Fusiliers Cadets from our local Academy who acted as ushers.

After the service we provided refreshments at the Independent Social Club, Denton were we normally have our meetings first Sunday in the month at 1200 hours. Most of the “goodies” were provided by our local Asda, Sainsbury’s and Hill, our local biscuit manufacturer. We had a collection for the church which raised £117.52 and one for the Benevolent Fund which raised £148 86.

Altogether a most rewarding day which was enjoyed by all.

Anyone wishing to join our Branch ring 0161 285 7352 or email [email protected]

254 OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION

Ten boys who joined Royal Signals in Catterick as 14 year-old boy soldiers 70 years ago in 1943 were guests of honour at the recent annual three day 254 OBA Reunion at the Mickleover Court Hotel near Derby in early October. The ancient but very sprightly squad consisted of Jim Braid, Don Capon, Les Churchill, Noel Clark, Peter Clarke, Ray Evans, Bill Graham, Harry Hawke, Ken Lloyd and Don Nutkins – Lou Munday was due to be one of them but had to lately cry off because of a travelling problem.

The training of their boy soldier forebears in the pre-war F

Company had had to be ceased in 1940 as the training system was to be wholly dedicated to train the huge numbers of men joining the Corps at the start of the war. This decision was reversed in 1942 when boy entrants into R SIGNALS were again training at Catterick in the new Boys Training Company, part of 1 Trade Training Battalion. When the Corps later resumed its cavalry identity the sub unit became Boys Training Squadron, part of 1 Trade Training Regiment. Boys’ training carried on in this form at Catterick until it was ceased in 1948 when the boys, still in training, transferred to the newly formed Army Apprentice School (later College) in Harrogate. Almost all the boys of this Catterick system, in company with apprentices in Arborfield and Chepstow, had a seven figure army number beginning with 2547, 2548 and 2549. Hence the name of our association, affiliated to the Royal Signals Association. We were formed in 1990 at a special dinner on the eve of the Catterick Royal Signals Reunion Weekend and this year celebrated our 23rd reunion.

The reunion advance party arriving on Thursday 3 October comprised of Toby Seymour (our Chairman for the past eight years), David Abercrombie, Mike Bayliss, Wally Brown, Les Churchill, Casey Cole, Rusty Davis, Ray Evans, Brian Fisher, Dennis Harrison, Brian Huxley-Duggan, Malcolm Peplow from USA, Nat Preece, Terry Reeves, Ron Shuttleworth and Pat Soward together with wives and partners. All in time for a quite wonderful evening meal when the conversations ranged from shared medical experiences and histories to that very distant time as teenagers (although that particular title was not in vogue in the years 1942 to 1948 – the teenage market appeared to have been invented during the late fifties with a market for their clothes and fashions – we, like most adolescents at the time, went from boys directly to men wearing the same sort of clothes as our dads!).

The main party arrived on Friday, numbering 40 with 22 of our OBA members. Again there was another splendid evening meal which was followed by an extraordinary general meeting when nominations were sought to succeed Toby Seymour as chairman for 2014. Three volunteered to be considered, Ray Evans, Val Forster and Ann Fox-Roberts. The Association resisted the idea of a ballot by electing all three to be joint-chairmen for 2014 onwards. Toby Seymour was then elevated to become the OBA President (titular, he hoped!).

The reunion was already deemed to be the best yet with much more to follow. Saturday morning saw our reunion coach travelling to the National Arboretum at Alrewas. In 1997 we were one of the first Royal Signals groups to have our own bench and memorial tree in a great easy-access location looking directly across to the mighty Armed Forces Memorial edifice, commemorating all the armed forces deaths on active service since World War Two. Our visit was on the same day as about 15,000 leather clad bikers attended the arboretum site.

Like the time two years before, our coach was accompanied into the Staffordshire area by about a thousand outriders – perhaps a hundred times more than that afforded to the travelling President of the United States! As before, we warmed to the bikers who are all ex-military or are dedicated fans of UK armed forces. They were absolutely wonderful company and they treated us all with great kindness and respect. Each year they raise a lot of funds for the Arboretum so they are always very welcome there.

We were able to take our time touring around the huge and impressive site taking in, of course, our own Corps memorial with its splendid Jimmy together with other memorials we were especially interested because of our past service - like smaller Corps memorials, the Korean War Veterans, the Nuclear Test Veterans Association, the newish Army Apprentice College site with its memorial dedicated to the


BEVERLEY EX BOYS ASSOCIATION

former apprentices at Harrogate, Arborfield, Chepstow and Carlisle. Toby Seymour and Dennis Woodward were fortuitously invited to tour the whole site in a golf buggy for 90 minutes by the main Arboretum guide and mentor, Mr Ken Maynard – it was impressive, very informative and also very revealing about some of the history relating to very interesting memorials.

Back to the hotel in time for a little rest before the main Saturday evening events. We had been joined by a dozen more members and their wives and partners. The first was our usual pre-dinner champagne reception together our usual orchid corsages, specially air-flown from Singapore, presented to our ladies. There was a huge anniversary cake, with its super Jimmy and our OBA emblem, dedicated to those who became boy soldiers in our Corps 70 years ago in 1943.

Our sword-bearer, Pat Soward, repeated last year’s format by ceremonially handing a much smaller sword (!) to the senior 1943 entrant Les Churchill to make the first cut. Les was in fact much junior to our putative new Chairman, Ray Evans, who graciously let the more junior boy have the spotlight. The cake was then whisked away to be cut into 90 portions for immediate consumption.

The main reunion dinner followed. It was a great feast and the chef’s team had really excelled themselves. Rising, David Abercrombie proposed a toast to the memory of the long list of sixteen comrades who had left us for that final posting since our last reunion, including Pat Fox-Roberts and Norman Webb of Brisbane, who had sadly departed recently. He went on to propose a toast to our ladies present and to absent chums. Toby Seymour, for his last speech as Chairman, gave a brief resume of 254 matters and events of the past year and thanked everyone present for their support. Toby then went on to present bouquets to each of the seven widows who had graced our reunion – Margaret Severs (widow of George our association founder), Auriol Bussell (David), Maureen Bresloff (Steve), Val Forster (Dickie), Ann Fox-Roberts (Pat), Sheila Leech (Bill) and Jane Thompson (Clive). Toby then presented each of the present 1943 entrants with Royal Signals cuff links in specially engraved caskets. Finally, he commended the ever-smiling and helpful young hotel staff for looking after us so well and he observed the special rapport between the very young staff of the Mickleover Hotel and the rather ancient 254 members had always been super during every one of the previous nine reunions at the hotel. He likened that rapport as that seen between grandparents and grandchildren – even great grandchildren! He hoped we could return in 2014 with the new team in charge.

Chairman John HillBranch Secretary Tony Hull

Report On BEBA’s 2013 Reunion

There were 40 of our members who checked into the Staverton Park Hotel, Daventry, on Friday, 20 September 2013, for the start of our Annual Reunion. Beryl Hull started greeting people from 2 pm but as a Committee Meeting had to be held at 3 pm, our Treasurer’s Wife, Wendy Smith, took over the task. Dinner was served in a specially reserved area of the restaurant that evening.

On Saturday 21 September various people went out to places such as Leamington Spa for the day. Unfortunately Jack Quigg, who had been driven down from Beverley on Friday by his friend, Ian Shepherd, was taken ill and had to return home. During the afternoon our Guest of Honour, Brig Nigel Wood arrived with Beverley. Everyone assembled in the bar between 6 and 7 pm ready for Dinner at 7 o’clock.

The usual raffle was held with tickets being sold by Mary Wardle and Gillian Broadbent. When our President, Alan Davies, gave his speech after dinner, he had the difficult task of telling everyone present that next year would be our last Reunion and that the Beverley Ex-Boys Association would be

The 2013 254 OBA Reunion Cake - celebrating the 70th anniversary of the 1943 intake

Stuart & John Sinclair, Dorren & Ken Rennie

Brig. Nigel Wood & Beverley, Tony Hull


BIRGELEN VETERANS ASSOCIATION

disbanding at the end of 2014. This was met with a great deal of sadness on everyone’s part. However, Brig Nigel Wood gave a humorous speech, which helped to lighten the atmosphere and this was followed by our Chairman, John Hill, reciting one of Pam Ayres’ poems together with a number of jokes, so everybody finished the evening in a jovial mood.

We were very pleased to have Ken and Doreen Rennie with us for the weekend, as they had travelled all the way from Australia for the third year running to attend the Reunion. It was also very good to see John Sinclair with his son, Stuart, who had come down from Edinburgh. At the end of the evening everyone’s opinion was that this had been one of the best Reunions ever.

The Birgelen Veterans Association (BVA) has over 530 members who have settled into civilian life in a broad community around the world. Regular contact is maintained through a central web site, group email and, annual re-unions.

The Association is dedicated to bringing together and sustaining contact with the professional men and women of all Corps and Agencies who served with: 1 Wireless Regiment Munster, 13 Signal Regiment Birgelen, or any of their sub-units, and is working to uphold the family spirit of those units

Its other priority is to maintain and to sustain its nominated charity in the former Regimental areas. This is currently the ‘Hilfe fur Krebskranke Kinder’ (Help for Children suffering from Cancer) in Ophoven. Germany. This particular charity was selected to enable the Association to:

• Maintain an important link to the local community.• Foster the Anglo/German friendships formed over

the 40 year life of the Regiment in Germany.• Support a very worthy cause.

We offer a warm welcome to regimental veterans, including wives and children, who have had the privilege of working and living at these memorable locations

We extend a welcome to Allan George Cox, aka George, Intelligence Corps, who served with the Regiment on 3 occasions between1963 and 1976. Brian Frank Haines, aka ‘Geordie’, Royal Signals, who served at the 1965-1969, and Mike Tucker, Royal Signals, who was at the Regiment between 1975 and 1978,

The association was created in the year 2000 by the Chairman Fred Searle. He was joined shortly thereafter by Cyril ‘Taff’ Harding who volunteered to become the Secretary and Treasurer. They were the founding members and have put years of their time into creating the special family of veterans and family members that we are today. After 13 years of dedicated and selfless duty, they both decided not to put their names forward for re-election at the Annual General Meeting held at The Cavendish Hotel in Torquay on 6 October 2013. Messages of thanks continue to pour into our members area and they have received many sessions of applause for their outstanding service during our re-union weekend in Torquay. They will now be able to relax and continue to enjoy the benefits of the organisation they created.

It will be a challenge to replace the experience and knowledge that has been built up over those 13 years, but two willing souls were chosen to take the BVA forward and to build on those solid foundations. Our new Chairman is Keith

Clarke and the Secretary and Treasurer is Mick Morby. They both look forward to serving the BVA family.

There are many other hard working BVA committee members who will continue to give their time and efforts to keep the association going. Maj Gen Peter Baldwin is our President and George Shearer the Vice President, Pat Hickman our Charity Representative, Gwen Sangster our Widows Representative, and the Re-union Committee: Jeff Jephcote, Natalie Hickman and Lorraine Bone. They work tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that the re-union weekend is a success and to ensure that our charitable support is able to continue. A big thank you to them all.

The 2014 BVA Re-union will be held at The Cavendish Hotel in Torquay between 26-29 September. There are options for members to stay between 1 and 4 nights. It’s great value for money and judging by the comments received, everyone has a really good time. We can also accommodate you if you just want to come to the Gala Evening on Saturday and/or the AGM on Sunday whilst staying in another hotel. For further details visit our website. For details please contact the Secretary: Michael Morby: [email protected] or join us via our website http://www.birgelenvets.org where you will be made most welcome.

REUNIONS17 ENTRY, WELBECK COLLEGE, SEMI-CENNTENIAL REUNION

In September 1961, 48 young boys joined 17 Entry at Welbeck College, Nr Worksop. Two years later 47 young men graduated from the College and went to RMA Sandhurst to embark on their military careers. Of these, 21 were destined to join Royal Signals. Maybe the influence of Capt Tom Wheawell R SIGNALS (later Brigadier), our Welbeck Adjutant, was the reason why such a high percentage joined the Corps.

The College was originally established in 1953, in the grounds of Welbeck Abbey, to fill the gap in potential officer recruits qualified for the technical Corps of the Army. This continued until 2005 when the College moved to a purpose built location on the site of the old 14 Signal Regiment barracks in Woodhouse, Near Loughborough. The new Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC) was established as a tri-service and MOD College for 150 students each year. It was to this establishment that 34 members of the original 17 Entry came for their reunion on 17 October.

Our tour of the new DSFC was brief but it is evident that it is a state of the art educational establishment which matches anything in the country. Current students gave us a guided tour and there is no doubt that the living conditions, sporting facilities and educational resources are a world apart from what existed in 1961. There was a very poignant brief service conducted by John Fitzgerald at the Welbeck Memorial where the lives of Maj Mike Forge R SIGNALS and Lt Jim Barry R SIGNALS (both Welbexians), killed in action in the Falklands, are Commemorated. We also held silence in memory of Jock Campbell (REME), Len Oliver (REME) and Peter Smith (R SIGNALS), all from our intake.

The intervening 50 years seems to have flown by and old friendships were soon re-established. Maj (Retd) Paul White R SIGNALS showed that his organisational skills were still as sharp as ever to get so many of us to the reunion. The gathering included 10 of those who had been commissioned into the Corps in July 1965, and between them they had amassed over 230 years service.


LAST POST

OBITUARIES

Members of the Corps who were not at the reunion: Craig Treeby, Sam Saunders, Dave Hetreed, Mike Backhurst, Bill Bowen, Helior Exon, Pat Green, John Hayes, Derek McLean, Charles Kemp and Peter Smith (deceased).

Left to Right: Maj (Retd) John Fitzgerald, Capt (Retd) Ian Carruthers, Maj (Retd) John Stuart, Lt Col (Retd) John Fisher, Col

(Retd)Cliff Walters, Maj (Retd) Paul White, Maj (Retd) Johnathan Ingram, Maj (Retd) Ivor Oddie, Maj (Retd) John

Reed. Maj (Retd) Gus Vigurs absent for the photograph

REMEMBRANCECrete Armistice Service at Souda Bay Cemetery, Greece

- by Maj David Kells MBE, Armistice Memorial Coordinator

On Sunday the 10 November at 1100hrs we held our Armistice service at Souda bay Crete . The weather was 26o with clear skys and brilliant sunshine.

The Souda cemetery was in perfect condition as always, kept that way by the Commonwealth Graves Commission Team. We paid tribute to the 1500 soldiers that are buried there at rest in the Cemetery which over looks the stunning Souda Bay Harbour.

It was the largest turn out of people I have seen in my four years in Crete with over 25 wreaths being laid, including wreaths from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Canada. The United States and Greek Armed Services laid wreaths along with most United Kingdom Units.

LCpl S Allen 1961/86 ??-Sep-13Cpl WJ Anderson 1945/48 20-Sep-13Sig RV Baughan 1940/46 03-Nov-13Sgt J Berry 1962/86 02-Nov-13LCpl JW Booth 1963/73 23-Oct-13Brig RH Borthwick 1941/73 31-Oct-13Sig GM Brownie 1955/57 13-Sep-13LCpl M Burgess 1960/62 06-Sep-13WO2 R Cairns 1961/84 ??-Oct-13WO2 P Cooper 1965/date 12-Oct-13Sig NT Cross 1955/57 14-Aug-13 Sgt JH Donaldson 1952/76 14-May-13Sig K Finnerty 1959/69 25-Jun-13Sig AP Frost 1939/46 28-Jun-13Lt Col KL Goldie-Morrison 1940/63 26-Oct-13Cpl HP Greaves 1939/46 30-Sep-13Sgt JH Hyde 1960/80 27-Sep-13WO2 RJ Jones 1967/87 02-Oct-13Sgt AGL Kennard 1950/72 07-Nov-13Sig WGJ Kidson 1942/47 14-Sep-13Sgt MG Kilvington 1964/86 12-Jul-13LCpl T Lawson ??-Oct-13H McQuoid 1941/46 ??-Sep-13Lt Col J Mills MBE 1956/85 13-Oct-13Sig DJ Murphy 1989/92 07-Sep-13Sig JR Parker 1957/59 13-Oct-13Sig F Powell 1941/46 15-Sep-13Sig P Quinn 1945/49 01-Oct-13Sig TM Rogan 1985/89 ??-Sep-13Capt MS Skeet 1995/date 01-Oct-13Cpl MP Smart 1956/73 28-Sep-13Capt RL Stark 1954/84 16-Aug-13LCpl JE Thompson 1961/78 26-Oct-13Sig MF Treharne 1984/94 ??-Oct-13Maj TPF Unwin 1943/64 07-Nov-13Cpl JW Wakefield 1950/67 17-Sep-13SSgt JE Walker 1951/75 20-Mar-10Maj RA Warren 1937/60 04-Apr-13Sgt L Wood 1951/81 27-Oct-13

POWELL – Sergeant Fred Powell died 7 September 2013

Fred Powell, president of Sheffield Joint Council of Ex Service Associations, died at the Northern General Hospital on 7 September 2013. Fred, aged 92 was also the joint founder and chairman of both the local Burma Star Association and of Sheffield Royal Signals Association. Since 1989 Fred has led the ex-servicemen as the Sheffield’s annual Remembrance Day service.

Fred served in the Corps during the Second World War in the 14th Army, serving in India and Burma. He was involved in the Battle of Kohima – a British victory in 1944 viewed as a turning point against Japan. Following the war Fred joined the Police force and was later a well respected, no nonsense magistrate. He was also a youth leader, a keen ball-room dancer, professional organist and accordionist. He was a TA Sergeant in 38 Signal Regiment for many years and was a much admired member of the Mess, entertaining everyone with his musical prowess.


SHELDON - Maj Robert James Sheldon - died 18 July 2013

Bob joined the Corps at the All Arms Junior Leaders Regiment at Tonfanua, North Wales in 1962. A keen boxer he became an Army Junior Boxing Champion. After training as a Staff Operator, at 24 Signal Regiment in Catterick he was posted to Singapore and in 1969 promoted to Sgt Chief Clerk at Rheindalen. Further promotion followed becoming SSgt serving in Bristol then Soest and WO2 at Krefeld in BAOR. In 1978 he was promoted WO1 Chief Clerk, one of only 16 in the Corps, serving in Blandford and the MOD before being commissioned in 1984 and serving in the Falklands, Glasgow and Loughborough before retiring as a Major in 1992 under “Options for Change”. He missed service life and having served as Chief Clerk at the TAC in Bristol and QM with 32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment (V) in Glasgow he was ideally suited to become the PSAO of 5 (Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars) Signal Squadron in Banbury in 1994 shortly before 39 (City of London) Signal Regiment (Special Communications) (V) lost their SC role.

Bob was an ace administrator and every task he undertook he did well above what might have been expected of him. He quickly became immersed as Secretary of the Oxfordshire Yeomanry Association (OYA) and Welfare Officer for the Oxfordshire Yeomanry Trust. On behalf of the OYA he administered the bi-monthly Ceremony of the Books of Remembrance held in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford where names of those killed in the two World Wars from the Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars and Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry are read and pages turned. He was an intrepid skier and instituted many 5 Squadron skiing exercises. On retirement as PSAO in 2005 he acted as Facilities Manager for a local school three days a week and for the remainder in a similar capacity for the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum.

Earlier this year he underwent a bone marrow transplant. Part of the procedure requires suppressing the body’s immune system. Unfortunately he later developed an infection, and in spite of the valiant efforts of the medical team at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, was finally overwhelmed.

His funeral was held at Christ Church, Oxford on 25 July. It was attended by over 200 including members of the Oxfordshire Yeomanry Association , the Special Communications (TA) Association, the Royal British Legion and former members of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets, now The Rifles.

His coffin draped in the Union Flag was followed into the Cathedral by former SSgt Robbie Robinson in Corps beret and blazer bearing the OYA Standard. The Lesson was read by Col Tim May, CBE, TD, DL, President of the OYA and the Tribute given by Col John Bridgeman, CBE TD, DL, Chairman of the OYA. The Last Post was sounded by a bugler from the Oxfordshire ACF. Following a short service at the Oxfordshire Crematorium a wake was held at the Headington Branch of the Royal British Legion.

With his permission I reproduce Maj Tom McMahon’s entry in the On-Line Memorial Book:

“Bob and I were Chief Clerks in the 1970s He was Chief Clerk at

At his funeral old soldiers formed a guard of honour to give him a final send off. Some of his own words which he had written were read out. He described himself as ‘quite a lucky man to have lived and felt the warmth and love I have had at all times.’

16 Signal Regiment in Krefeld and I was Staff Assistant at HQ BAOR 1976-80. Our careers followed similar paths and we both served 30 years from 1962-92. Bob was a highly thought of administrator and he was deservedly commissioned in the early 1980s. He served as QM 32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment in the late 80s and I was in Glasgow at the same time at Royal Signals MCM Division (former RSMRO). Bob was a complete professional and would always go the extra mile for those who were fortunate enough to serve with him. He will be sadly missed.”

GRAVES - Sgt Robert Austin (Aussie) Graves died 19 January 2013

Aussie was born at 13 MacQueen Street, Old Swan, Liverpool on Boxing Day 1919, the eldest of 13 children. He had a poor but very happy childhood and had many tales to tell about his parents, siblings, grandparents and life as it was in his early years.

He left school at 14 and worked as a grocer’s delivery boy. He then worked at the Goodlass Walls paint factory and during this time he joined the Territorial Army, Royal Cops of Signals on 13 April 1939. As a consequence, when war broke out the following month, he was one of the first to be signed up for the regular Army. This began a period of his life that provided him with many stories of his experiences, both good and not so good, for the rest of his days.

Before he was posted to Burma he married Mona in October 1942. The marriage was to last 63 years until Mona’s death in 2006. In Burma he witnessed many amazing things apart from the horrors of war. He visited amazing places and met fascinating people. A working class boy from Old Swan would not have had such opportunities had it not been for the war.

By the end of the war he had been promoted to Sergeant and had been awarded six medals: the 1939 Star, the Burma Star, the Defence Medal, the Victory Medal, the Territorial Good Conduct Medal and the Long Service Medal.

At the end of the War Aussie returned home to Mona and they picked up the threads of their life. Thanks to the training and skills he had acquired in the Royal Signals he was able to join the then GPO as a telephone engineer.

Aussie and Mona had three children and he was a good and devoted Dad to them. His family grew and over the years he had nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; he loved them dearly and they were all devoted to him.

Throughout his later life he kept in contact with his Army friends and until his dying day was a staunch member of the Royal Signals Association and Burma Star Association, attending many events despite his failing health.

In 2004 he was fortunate enough to be able to return to Burma. It was a sentimental journey; visiting the places he had seen during the war and laying a wreath at the beautifully-kept War Cemetery in Rangoon.

Aussie felt an enormous amount of pride and honour in 2008 when he was presented to HRH the Princess Royal, Colonel in Chief, Royal Signals at the National Arboretum for the blessing and dedication of the Royal Signals’ memorial.

Aussie died on 19 January 2013 after a brief illness and is greatly missed by his many friends and comrades. To quote one of his very dear friends: “Aussie, your duty is done, you can do no more. Stand easy. RIP”


MILLS – Lt Col John Mills died 13 October 2013

Born in 1936 to what he called (rather nostalgically) the green and pleasant land of Romford, John was the youngest of three children in a very happy family. Donald was a bit of a hero figure in John’s eyes, whilst Mary, only a couple of years older, delighted in pushing him around in her dolls pram. John remembered that he and his sister tended to be sent on activities together, such as the time he was to have his tonsils out, just because Mary needed to. Even all the ice cream wasn’t much recompense! However, it was different with piano lessons - when Mary decided that piano wasn’t really her “thing” John took them over and so began his love and involvement in music. When his father went off to war in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he told John to be sure to practice, “Clair de Lune” for when he came back.

When his father did get back, John took it a few steps further playing him the full score with great glee! And music continued to be one of his many skills and pleasures throughout his life.

When John got to The Royal Liberty Grammar School in Romford, he was fascinated to learn that his was the first school in the country to own a computer! And this is where his love of gadgets began, something that never diminished. He also excelled in gymnastics, and would proudly recount that he used to be the top of the triangle of six! (Later, when he first met his mother-in-law, Tineka, he took delight in walking down the hall on his hands!) During these school years his parents were posted abroad and John lived with his newly married brother and sister-in-law Vi. He sampled all her experimental cooking, a source of much teasing for many years. But he enjoyed the time and remained close to his brother and Vi ever after.

On leaving school in 1954, John wanted to see the world, so being very fit and also gadget minded, he decided to join the Army. On passing out from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned as a 2Lt into the Royal Signals and he excitedly awaited his first posting! …..It was Catterick, in Yorkshire, in the winter! He used to visit his parents in Croydon, where, after this long trek south, his father had to prize his frozen fingers off the handlebars of his motorbike.

Army postings did get better. The next was to Paris for three years, where he acquired a good grasp of somewhat military French, and thoroughly enjoyed the delights of Paris, and from there, a glamorous Army tent for three years on the top of Mount Troodos in Cyprus during the EOKA troubles. He often said if you can live in a tent in the freezing cold and the boiling heat, you could live anywhere on the planet.

Then to Germany, where for three years, as well as being in the Army, he worked with the British Forces Broadcasting Services, doing things like 2-way Family Favourites with Michael Aspel, and where he also ran his mobile discotheque.

It was during the 1960’s that he became a seasoned broadcaster, and enjoyed the pleasure of interviewing visiting artists. These included Jimi Hendrix, the Bee Gees, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and many others. This was a useful dinner party topic for many years to come!! The disco earned him more money than the Army did, and therefore he was able to drive from Germany to his next posting, Malta, in a new white BMW stuffed with not much more than 2,000 top hit singles!

Once in Malta he continued to work for the radio and became better known around the island for his programmes than for his real job of being ADC to the Army Commander. In this role he socialized a great deal and organized parties and receptions. It was at one of these that he met Lynn, who was there with a more junior 2Lt ……. so as a Capt he pulled rank, played a romantic love song on the disco and asked her out.

They were married in Malta in 1971 and the entire family flew out to be there. John and Lynn began their married life in an idyllic Army house overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean, a wonderful start to married life. They wondered where they would be going next.

Next posting turned out to be Middlesbrough, in winter – an Army quarter with no heating! Here they enjoyed the wonderful surrounding countryside, and in June 1973 the great joy of the arrival of Ashley, their first child. John then went to Ireland for six months while the troubles were on, leaving Lynn and baby in Twickenham. The next posting in 1976 sent the family to Germany again. This time in a family estate car with baby bath, dog and no records!!

They moved into an Army quarter where almost the whole street became life-long friends, and remain so. Christopher was born in March 1976, the first of many babies born on that street, many of whom are still in contact. John’s communication skills were put to good use in setting up cables to houses across the street for baby monitors.

Then it was back to Northern Ireland in 1978 on Active Service again , this time with two children and a wife in tow. Here John was Senior Public Relations advisor to the Army commander and Army spokesman to the media, for which in 1980 he was awarded the MBE. He was proud to have received it directly from the Queen. Wilton was his final posting, as Senior Military PR advisor to the Headquarters of UKLF with the rank of Lt Col. During this time the Falklands war occurred, and John was sent as PR advisor to Sir Rex Hunt, the then Governor. During this time he played the organ at the Thanksgiving Service at Port Stanley. He later returned to escort the grieving relatives attending the memorial services held on the Islands. A very compassionate man, this was a difficult job that he did well.

He was soon head hunted from the Army by the Order of St John, and St John Ambulance and since John and Lynn had bought a nice house in this lovely village, he decided to embark on another career altogether and began commuting to London. This new job was equally interesting, involving marketing, public communications, fund raising and travelling to Canada, Malaysia, Bermuda and the West Indies, amongst others. Every day on coming home he spoke of another interesting person he had met, or another project he was involved in, frequently involving the Royal Family, television personalities and film stars. There was an amusing moment when he had to introduce himself to Hayley Mills.

John was a member of the Institute of Public Relations and was awarded their highest honour, the Institute’s Sword of Excellence. He also received the Order of St John. All through his life John was an excellent communicator, always keeping up with the latest means of reaching others. By this time the family were cozily settled in Coombe Bissett. He and Lynn were readily welcomed into the village and came to take such an active part in village life where he loved to play the organ in the church, as well as the piano for the village pantomimes and the village school.


They enjoyed countless holidays in the magical house in the South of France, where Tineka, Lynn’s energetic and much loved mother, lived. And there they swam, canoed and explored together. After ten years of the London commute, John set up his own consultancy, helping many different charities and other organizations with their fund raising and public relations. Amongst these was to reprise his role as a broadcaster at the local hospital on Radio Odstock. He continued his work as governor of The Royal High School of Bath and became a valued member of the model railway club.

He also took delight in being Father Christmas at many different venues. It was of course not for this, but his other activities that John was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

John preferred nothing better than being at home with his family. He was so proud of his two sons, Ashley and Christopher, always excited and enthusiastic about their achievements. He was a devoted father who was really pleased to see them excel in their fields. He was also delighted to see them marry two wonderful girls, Mary and Mercedes.

In his final difficult years, he lived to see three grandchildren in Harry, Poppy and Daisy.

Not only will he leave a huge hole in the hearts of Lynn, Ashley and Christopher, but also in the hearts of all who knew him.

ANDERSON - Dr Margaret Anderson, wife of Maj Gen Alistair Anderson CB

Dr Margaret Anderson was born in Glasgow in 1931 and brought up in colonial Sudan where her father, John A Smith, was a shipping agent based in Khartoum. Her mother, a former hospital matron, boldly took Margaret and her sister from summer leave in England back to Sudan during the phoney war period of 1939. As Mussolini threatened the small British forces in Sudan, Margaret and her sister along with their redoutable Scottish nanny were evacuated first to Rhodesia and then to Cape Town, South Africa. Her family

were reunited at the end of the war and settled in leafy Wimbledon.

Margaret (known then as Judy, but later as Maggie) was among the first women to be admitted to study medicine at Bart’s Hospital, London, qualifiying in 1954. By this time she had met and married (in 1953) Alistair Anderson, then a captain in the Royal Signals. She worked first in general practice in Surrey but soon followed Alistair’s career to Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore, working as a GP for Army and RAF families. She took a Diploma in Public Health at the University of Singapore in 1969, and on returning to the UK, specialised in paediatric community medicine, first in Surrey when Alistair worked at the MOD. and then in Dorset, when he was appointed Commandant, School of Signals at Blandford Camp.

In 1975 Maggie was appointed Senior Clinical Medical Officer for the West Dorset Health District, covering a large rural patch. She delighted in describing her job as “preventing child health in Dorset”. She was also adept in medical politics and was elected to the BMA Central Committe for Commnuity Medicine and Community Health from 1981 to 87, and served on the BMA Council between 1982 and 86. She helped to win specialist status for her colleagues and protect the important services they provided for schools and the under-fives. She was made a Fellow of the Faculty of Community Medicine in 1984, and of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine in 1989.

Alistair retired from the Army as Signal Officer in Chief in 1980 and spent 5 years at GCHQ Cheltenham as DCESG. They then both retired to Edinburgh in 1989, where they enjoyed theatre, culture and more leisurely travel than Army life had allowed. They moved to Shrewsbury in 2002 to be nearer their youngest daughter and granddaughters.

Maggie suffered from poor health in her last years, but enjoyed reading, radio and TV and keeping up with friends and family. She and Alistair celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in May this year, complete with a telegram of congratulations from Her Majesty the Queen. She is survived by Alistair, their children David, Fiona and Katy, their six grandchildren, Malcolm, Douglas, Anna, Carol, Alexandra and Andrew, who served with the 3rd Parachute Regiment for four years. Maggie was delighted to become a great grandmother with the birth of Malcolm’s sons, Karl, now 3, and ‘Stig’ Andrew, born in February this year.

Your Legacy can help us ……..Did you ever benefit from a welfare grant from Corps Funds or maybe one of your mates received help with a welfare problem where the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund stepped in to help him or her in their time of need? There has been a long-standing say-ing that the “Corps looks after its own” and Royal Signals has a proud history of care for its people, supported by the one day’s pay scheme and generous donations from serving and retired Signallers.

…. help others in their time of needThat work continues today and every year we help hundreds of those who have fallen on hard times whether it be a serving Signaller who has been injured on operations, the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, members of the Corps who need help with specialist medical care for their children or veterans who need help in maintaining their mobility and independence.

We don’t distinguish between Regular and TA, National Service, ex-ATS or WRAC who served with the Corps, officer or soldier and their dependants; any case brought to us will be considered with expert support from SSAFA, The Royal British Legion and the Army Benevolent Fund. We will help whenever we can …. and you can help too, by leaving a legacy in your will. Its simple to do and can make all the difference to someone who has worn the same capbadge and who may not have been as lucky as you. If you would like to make a difference, please contact the Association who will tell you how to leave a legacy so that others from the Corps might benefit from your generosity.

The Royal Signals Associationand

The Royal Signals Benevolent Fund

Swift and Sure Help for Signallers in NeedRoyal Signals Association – ‘phone 01258 482090 or e-mail [email protected]


Due to storage constraints the HQ WOs' & Sgts' Mess Blandford is thinning down its property holdings and during this process the Mess has uncovered the following presentation items.

Goblet - Blandford Garrison Sgts Mess – WO1 (FofS) Connor June 84 Goblet - Presented By WO1 (FofS) PC Smurthwaite June 83 Goblet - Presented By SSgt O J McGuinness BEM Goblet - Presented By SSgt Demain 1985 Goblet - Presented the Sgts Mess, Blandford Garrison by F of S course 61 Goblet - Presented By WO1 (FofS) G Rothwell MBE July 83 Goblet - From WO1 (FofS) and Mrs J R Jasiok Goblet - Presented by RQMS and Mrs OS Miller Goblet - Presented by RQMS and Mrs OS Miller Goblet - Presented By WO2 T Hornby 1986 Goblet - From WO2 (FofS) JP Rees Goblet - Presented By WO1 (FofS) AC Mockford 1986 Quache - Presented to the Sgts Mess from SSgt Stuart Bromidge 24 Oct 90 Cigerette Box - Donated By 44 FOS June 1981 Cigerette Box - To Blandford Garrison Sgts Mess from 30 Yeomans of Signals Cigerette Box - Presented by Bruin Sqn 1967 Cigerette Box - Presented By RSSSC 149 March 1979 Trophy - Assam Valley Light Horse Camp Jorhat 1925 - Riding and Jumping 2nd Prize permanent staff - RQMS E Cantwell Gavel Base - Presented to the Wos and SGTs Mess from No 44 YofS Course - Sept 1991 to May 1992 Ash Tray - Presented By SSgt Hunter 1978 Small Tray - From 50 FOS Small Tray - Presented By WO1 Fred Schwarzer ACC 27 June 87 - 26 June 92 Large Tray - Presented to the Royal Signals Headquarters Sgts Mess by Yeomans of Signal Cse No 45 - On the 9th July 93 Large Tray - Presented By WO1 (RSM) AD Davies - April 1980 Large Tray - Grenadier Guards Association - Yorkshire Plate

The HQ WOs' & Sgts' mess would like to give those who presented the items or family members an opportunity to claim the item back; this is sadly on a collect only basis from Blandford. Any item unclaimed after 3 months will be then be auctioned off/sold and the proceeds will be donated to the Royal Signal Benevolent Fund.

For more details Contact Sgt Dale Thompson on:

Tel: 01258 482187 E-Mail: [email protected]

COULD YOU KEEP THE HAC ON AIR? The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), the City of London’s Army Reserve Regiment, is looking for signals professionals to maintain its communications expertise.

If you are leaving regular service, looking to work in or around London and wish to remain part of the Army then we want to hear from you.

The HAC’s role of STA patrols communicating over long distances means that signals have been key to our training and success. We were the first Reserve Regiment to convert to Bowman and now, as our Regimental role evolves, we want to attract high-calibre professionals in the fields of technology and communications to ensure we stay ahead.

The HAC is based in the City of London and is the oldest Regiment in the British Army. It aims to attract successful individuals from the professions and anyone that seeks rewarding challenges. Beyond soldiering we offer an unparalleled mix of sporting and social opportunities in the heart of the capital and look forward to hearing from you. For more information contact the Recruiting Office: T: 020 7448 0703 E: [email protected]

HEADQUARTERS ROYAL SIGNALS SERGEANTS' MESS

december 2013 - royal corps of signals · 202 signal squadron has been dispersed throughout helmand...

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