the craftsman · 100 and still going strong ... any transaction between the reader and the ......

January 2018

Magazine of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

THE CRAFTSMAN

2 [email protected]

ContentsFEATURES

New Year’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

British Forces - Somalia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Excellence in REME Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The Journey of a Regular Class 2 Technician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

100 and Still Going Strong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

A Year in Review at DSEME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

A March to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

British Trans-Americas Expedition 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Advising the UN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Museum Exhibitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Remembrance 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Future Accommodation Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

REGULARS

REME Association Surrey Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Death Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

London Gazette; January 2018 Postings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

The REME Charity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Corps Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

SPORT

REME Triathalon and Duathalon Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Ex REME DYNAMIC RUNNER 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Ex TIGER FIRST REACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Ex DRAGON MOUNTAIN 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

OPERATIONS AND EXERCISES

Ex PRAIRIE STORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Op SHADER 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

JANUARY 2018 Volume 74 No. 1

Corps Formation: 1 October 1942

Corps Motto: Arte et Marte

Corps Patron Saint: St Eligius

(Celebrated 1st Sunday in December)

Editor: Dan Horne+ Corporate Publications Editor,RHQ REME, The Prince Philip Barracks, Lyneham, CHIPPENHAM, SN15 4XX [email protected] (preferred method) (Mil: 95481 4529 Civ: 01249 894529

SUBMITTING ARTICLES TEXT: should be submitted in MS Word and namesaved as per the article. No formatting, columns, powerpoint etc. Articles to be cleared by CO/OC/EME orappropriate REME CoC, or nominated substitute andshould be submitted as soon as possible.PHOTOGRAPHS: MUST be: submitted separately, injpeg format and be at least 500kb preferably 1mb ormore. Only photos over 3mb can be considered for thefront/back covers and please remember captions.FILESHARE: websites, such as dropbox are ideal forsubmitting larger files.EMAIL: The ONLY email address which should be usedis: [email protected]. Not DII. Pleaseuse the article title not ‘Craftsman Article’ as the emailtitle.TIMINGS: The latest submission date is the first day ofthe month prior to publication. This does not guaranteethe article will be published in that specific edition.

Births, Engagements, Marriages and Deaths:These will be inserted free to all past and presentmembers of the Corps.

Contents:The contents of The Craftsman are strictly copyright andall rights are expressly reserved. The views expressedherein do not necessarily reflect the policy and views,official or otherwise, of the Editor, the Corps or theMOD, therefore no responsibility for these will beaccepted. Whilst including an advertisement we are notnecessarily endorsing the product and as a result, thepublisher and its agents do not accept responsibility forany transaction between the reader and the advertiser.Whilst we take all precautions with regard toadvertising, readers are advised to take professionaladvice before entering into any commitments.Letters concerning reproduction, contributions or anyother matter should be addressed to the Editor.

© Published by The REME Charitywww.remecharity.org.

Advertising All communications regarding commercialadvertising rates should be made direct to the Editor.

Sustainably produced by an EMAS and ISO14001accredited printer. Greenhouse Graphics Limited,Hampshire. ( 01256 880770.www.greenhousegraphics.co.uk

© Crown CopyrightAnnual Subscription Rates:UK: £24.00 2nd class post paid.Overseas: £30.00 surface post paid.Airmail rates on applicationCheques should be made payableto The REME Charity. Credit/debit card payments also now accepted by telephone or email.

General Handling:This publication contains official information andshould be treated with discretion.

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Front CoverWO2 (CSM) King REME – Somali

National Army Support Team -Full article on page 6.

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Before submitting an article you are requested to read the guidelines on the inside front cover 3

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24FamilyAccommodationModel(FAM)

9Excellence in

REME Interview

204New Year’sMessage

that the Corps of REME offers us all unique and diverseopportunities to experience the world and developprofessionally and socially. I encourage you all tocontinue to grasp every opportunity available to you.

The more I learn about the Corps and as I look forwardto the challenges of 2018, the more it is clear to me thatthe strength of the REME Family is our presence acrossevery walk of life, whether in our battalions and LADs oramongst our veteran community. During my first year asyour Corps Colonel, I have met so many of our amazingserving soldiers and officers and our veterans who nowrepresent us in industry and across the REME Association.The strength of our bond is our shared experience andour shared professional engineering expertise. It fills mewith great pride that no matter your rank or background,if you ever need help, someone from the Corps willalways be there to support you. Whether your aims for2018 are to develop professionally, to improve youradventure training skills, to compete at higher sportinglevels or simply to enjoy your retirement, please alwaysremember that the Corps is here to support you in goodtimes and in bad.

I wish you all the best of good fortune for 2018, the Yearof the Engineer, and I look forward to seeing and workingwith you all in pursuit of our ever consistent goal ofkeeping operationally fit equipment in the hands of theuser.

Arte et Marte.

During 2017 the Corps has seen great successon operations, on exercise, through ourengineering achievements, in our sportingtriumphs, during many adventurous training

activities, through our charitable fundraising, in ourREME75 celebrations and in the reinvigoration of theREME Association. In all that we do, it is the delivery ofexcellence with style and passion in every one of thosespheres which stands us apart from our peers. 2017 alsoprovided an opportunity to reinforce and further improveLyneham as our Home of Corps – as our facilities andinfrastructure continue to develop, attendance levels atmess functions, seminars and conferences and sportingevents such as the REME SportsFest17 is unprecedented.

None of these things could possibly happen withoutour resourceful, determined people who operate behindthe scenes to put in place the plans and to provide theorganisation that are so critical for an event to remain inthe memory for years to come. Whatever your part inthose successes, whether you are the participant or theorganiser (or both!), I would like to thank you mostsincerely for all your energy and enthusiasm combinedwith your commitment and resolve.

Whatever role you have in the Corps, whether regularor reserve, whether in the UK or abroad on operations,exercise, adventure training or sport, I am incrediblyproud of the professional, adaptable and capable mannerwith which you all represent the Corps. We are fortunate

4 [email protected]

New Year’s Message 2018


Congratulations to all ranks of 105 Battalion REME who have contributed to theaward of The Gardiner Trophy which was presented to the CO by Colonel REMEReserves, Colonel Mark Simpson. In July 1985, The Craftsman Magazine reportedthe sad death of Col Derek Gardiner, aged 56. He was a man who had been veryactive in REME Reserve Army for most of his life, eventually reaching theappointment of Colonel REME TA. He was highly regarded for the contributionthat he made to the TA and for his unfailing sense of humour. Mrs Norma Gardinerprovided a magnificent silver cup to REME TA in memory of her late husband, withinstructions that it should be presented each year to ‘the best REME TA Unit in theUnited Kingdom (Craftsmen of the Army, Vol 2). The award of the trophy to 105Battalion REME recognises the success of all members of the battalion towardsachieving their mission whilst championing the Corps and strengthening localengagement relationships.

The Gardiner Trophy

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AMISOM MissionSupport Team

2IC and Logistics Advisor - Maj Ed WigmoreREME

The African Union Mission (AMISOM) in Somaliais a force of over 22,000 military and policeforces from across the African nations (mainlyKenya, Uganda, Eth iopia , Burundi andEthiopia). It deployed into Somalia in 2007 tofight al-Shabaab and create the conditions forreform of Somalia’s federal government andsecurity sector. The three-star Force Headquar-ters is based in Mogadishu International Airportand the mission area is divided into six sectors.The AMISOM Mission Support Team consists ofseven British advisors embedded within AMI-SOM across the command, intelligence, opera-tions, logistics, engineering, surveillance andstabilisation functions. As the logistics advisor Iwas faced with an interesting challenge. TheAMISOM logistic concept is complicated. Whilstsupplies are plentiful, logistic enablers andinfrastructure are limited. The roads are long,

HeadquartersDeputy Chief of Staff - Maj Paul Taylor REME

Somalia sits on Africa’s East coast, straddlingthe Equator and sharing borders with Djibouti,Ethiopia and Kenya. The country has beenwrestling with a host of issues for many yearsincluding piracy, drought, famine, clan vio-lence and civil war. In recent years it has beenhost to a bloody fight against al-Shabaab, anAl-Qaeda aligned jihadist fundamentalistgroup. Somalia’s population is 12 million, it is alittle smaller than France and is synonymouswith the f i lm ‘Black Hawk Down’ whichrecounts the 1993 battle of Mogadishu.Mogadishu is Somalia’s capital where most ofBritish Forces Somalia are based. The 75-strong mission in Somalia is one of securitycapacity building and defence engagement.The UK seeks to build a more stable, peacefuland prosperous Somalia in an unstable regionwhere any deterioration could impact on arange of the UK’s political, security and com-mercial interests. The UK plays a unique role ingalvanising the international community insupport of Somalia. The UK element con-sists of a nine-strong headquarter elementcommanded by Col John Wakelin (lateRIFLES), ten soldiers and officers focussedon training the Somali National Army;seven advisors embedded within theAfrican Union Mission in Somalia; and a UNField Mission of 41. Finally, there is staff offi-cer support to the UN Political Mission andthe European Union Training Mission inSomalia. Of these 75 officers and soldiers,roughly ten are REME cap-badged fromLieutenant Colonel to Lance Corporal andare spread throughout the missions.

Somalia is onAfrica’s

eastern coast

Headquarters British Forces Somalia is based within Mogadishu’s International Airport

WO2(CSM) KingREME – SomaliNational ArmySupport Team

in a poor state and there are frequent IED strikes and ambushes onlogistic convoys. There are only five support helicopters to sustain theforce across an area over four times the size of Helmand Province(with fewer troops and an enemy twice the size). Equipment supportis almost completely lacking and the fleet is extremely diverse andtired. Faced with what appeared to be an impossible task, I focussedmy efforts on developing basic staff skills whilst encouraging the staffto employ the logistic principles of foresight, agility, co-operation,efficiency and simplicity. Advising and mentoring an African Multina-tional Headquarters is hugely frustrating and fraught with complica-tions and issues. It is however a hugely rewarding appointment. Thestaff are extremely receptive to support and hold great respect forBritish soldiers and officers. I had no prior experience in defenceengagement but I have found it very enjoyable and learnt a lot. Iwould encourage anyone seeking a new challenge to explore one ofthe many small capacity building operations such as this.

British Forces Somalia


approximately 1000. This was mainly due to a lack of accurate equip-ment availability reports from AMISOM sectors and no real UN fleetmanagement accountability and serviceability system. Where isJAMES when you need it? The 75 per cent availability goal seemed along way off.Nonetheless, in just six months headway was made, although pro-

gression was glacial. Approval was then gained for the main SAABworkshop in Mogadishu to be extended. Con-struction work got underway for the newimproved facility and was completed just beforeI left Somalia. This increased the workshopcapacity and enabled more complex repairs.New first and last parade procedures wereimplemented and taught by the 6 Armd CS BnTraining Team. They also delivered some basicdriver safety and preventative maintenancetraining. Equipment in Somalia is subjected toterr ibly corrosive condit ions. The a ir i sextremely humid and all moisture comes fromthe sea. Many vehicles presented for mainte-nance are already beyond repair and are imme-diately cast; disposal is another issue entirely!I wasn’t just confined to the manic lifestyle of

Mogadishu. The ES training team and I managedto deploy into the city as part of an armouredconvoy to visit the Burundian contingent at theirAcademy base. Here we provided assistance ontheir more complex US-donated wheeledarmoured fleet. I was also fortunate to visit sev-eral other sectors such as Kismaayo, Baidoa,Beletweyne and Jowahar where I assisted with

Capt Copelandassisting an

inspection team

varied fleet, harsh climatic conditions and major training deficiencieswere going to test me. The day-to-day job involved working closelywith UN civilians, liaising with the maintenance contractor SAAB(some of whom are former REME) and of course the AMISOM soldiersand officers. SAAB were contracted and tasked by UNSOS to deliverall levels of equipment support to both UN and AMISOM vehicles. Theexact size of that dependency is unknown but is estimated to be

UN Field MissionSO3 Equipment Support - Capt Gary

Copeland REMEThe UN Field Mission is the UK’s contingent thatprovides support to the United Nations SupportOffice in Somalia (UNSOS). The UN has had a largepresence in Somalia for many years now and hassince undergone several resolution and mandatechanges, yet the task has remained the same:provide support to AMISOM (the African UnionMission in Somalia), the Somali National Army(SNA) and the Somali Police Force (SPF) on jointoperations. This includes, most importantly forme, providing equipment maintenance supportthroughout the mission so that vehicle fleets aremaintained at at least 75 per cent operationalreadiness. This was certainly easier to write in amandate than achieve, so where do we start… AsSO3 ES, I placed myself in the UNSOS vehicles,plant and equipment maintenance section(VPEMS) in Mogadishu Airport. After a short time,it became clear that the complexity of a wide and

The AMISOM MissionSupport Team –

embedded advisorsin African

peacekeeping force

The Somali National Army SupportTeam training new recruits

WO2 King inspects theSomali Sanger positions

8 [email protected]

to deploy as SO3 G4, which was clearly an opportunity to make aname for myself in an unfamiliar role that would normally be filled bya Captain. The catch was that I had only a month to complete all ofmy PDT and take as much leave as I could fit in. I arrived in theatre inApril and it became clear straight away that my job was going to bebetter than I had anticipated as I was also going to be the 2IC of a six-man training team operating in Baidoa, which also happened to bethe British main effort in Somalia!Our task was to deliver infantry training to

the Somali National Army (SNA) and mentorthe staff of 60 (SNA) Division. I also had to over-see the build of a training camp and the reno-vation of the Division Headquarters. Thebudget would run into millions and I wouldmainly be using civilian contractors to do all ofthe work. This job was a perfect match for aREME Technical Support Specialist who wasexperienced in both G7 and G4 matters. I wassometimes required to learn on the job but itwas nothing I couldn’t work out with a littlehelp!I am currently six months through and I can

honestly say that it has been a brilliant tour. Ihave been part of an excellent team headed upby a QDG Captain with two infantry Sergeantsand an Intelligence Officer. When we deliver

environmental health inspections ofAMSIOM and UN workshops and recon-noitred future facilities.It has been a very challenging and

demanding role and the opportunities toget stuck into some real engineering andhave an effect are limitless. The UN is alarge and complex organisation, vastly dif-ferent to anything I expected and therehave been some other great highlightssuch as Touch Rugby games with locals,Tug of War tournaments and beach run-ning. I can certainly recommend a deploy-ment to Somalia if you are given theopportunity.

Somali National ArmySupport TeamSO3 Logistics and 2IC

Training Team - WO2 (CSM) Luke King REME

A phone call on a Friday afternoon frommy OC led to my eight-month deploymentto Somalia. He was offering me a chance

platoon size courses and bigger we are aug-mented by a training team from 1 SCOTS whohave proven to be vital in supporting us and keento demonstrate the expertise offered by a Specialist Infantry Battalion.Notable achievements during my tour range

from the opening of a brand-new purpose-builtHeadquarters, through to delivering infantrytraining to a platoon of specially selected Soma-lis tasked with defending the camp. We have alsobuilt Sangers and improved the field defences inorder to enhance our own force protection.Everything has been done in stages, we firsttrained a section, then a platoon and when Ileave the first company will be well into theirtraining. The future plan is to train two infantrycompanies concurrently. Coupled with trainingwe are delivering capability, including radios,uniform, webbing and vehicles as well as staffofficer training. The aim is for 60 Division to be acapable force which can take over regional secu-rity and continue the fight against al-Shabaab.There are few negatives, even if the limited

food choices offer an opportunity to lose a few pounds, howeverthese do little to detract from what has been an absolutely fantastictour. I have rarely encountered mission command executed so liber-ally but I have seen what this approach can deliver. I would recom-mend a tour of Somalia to any REME soldier looking for something topush them out of their comfort zone and who are keen to experiencethe kind of job satisfaction you don’t always get.

WO2 King delivers alesson to Somali recruits

Another APC arrives for ‘repair’

REME soldiersinstructingAMISOM

soldiers in basicvehicle

maintenance

mentality within the Corps. I‘ve always enjoyed organising AdventureTraining and the opportunities it has given me; it was definitely part ofmy reason for asking for a Training Battalion Company Command. Soamongst the chaos of moving to Lyneham, I considered it important toensure soldiers went skiing to Austria and France, setting up a mountainbike club to take on an expedition to Iceland, getting the climbing wallfunctioning and establishing Corps Canoeing in Wiltshire.

5. How does Maj Logie MBE differ from the Mr Logie whofirst came to the Army and Corps? I joined the Army and REME as it was easier than getting a proper job.I’ve always agreed with the values and standards of the Army, I don’tthink I’ve ever struggled to meet them. If I hadn’t joined the Army would Ibe that different as a person? Probably not. But I don’t think I’d havefound myself in half the situations I’ve found myself in (good and bad),nor would I have been as lucky to work with so many like-mindedindividuals.

6. What is different about life in the Corps and what makesyou happy?I happily admit that I cannot do what our soldiers do. As such I have hadto trust those around me in order to get things done. I can happily saythat in 90 per cent of cases, this trust has been rewarded by successfuloutcomes. The respect shown to the Corps from within the Army isamazing; we have some hugely capable individuals who repeatedly workbeyond their rank and experience.Having just returned from instructing on Ex Supreme Glacier, the

Corps is the envy of the Army. We managed to get over 1000 members ofthe Corps onto the slopes of Stubai over a four week period. Individualsranging from Colonel to Lance Corporal volunteered to instruct andskiers from across the Corps managed the financial restrictions to ensureattendance. Concurrently we have people deployed across the world onevery military operation being conducted by the United Kingdom ArmedForces.7. What are your goals for 2018 as a REME Officer and inwider life?I normally decide on my goals when I’m filling in the gaps on my OJARprior to sending it to my 1RO. I currently work within the Officer Team at

RHQ REME (Officer recruiting in old terms). Thereare some real challenges based on who goes toRMAS, what the REME require from their officersand how we meet the quantity required formanning balance. I’ve been really keen onopening the Corps perspective beyond thestandard engineering graduate officer, and thereare some really exciting young officers comingthrough. I’m due assignment in 2018, so havingmuddied what the Corps has known since 1942 Inow need to tidy up the staff work such that wedon’t regress.8. What advice would you give tomembers of the Corps who want tochase down their own success?If you come up with a feasible plan, it is very rarefor anyone to say no. You must consider when,where and how to present it! However, you quicklylose your reputation if you fail to deliver.9. What advice would you have forpeople in the civilian world who havenot considered a career in the REME?Why not?10. If you could sum up your life nowhow would you do it? Happy!

1. What made you join the Army? I earned a place at the University of Sheffield to read MechanicalEngineering and a friend advised that I look into opportunities within theArmy. At the time there was an engineering bursary available whicheffectively paid my rent; plus joining the OTC provided me withadditional income! Having graduated, I found myself stood on a beach inCosta Rica considering whether I should honour my bursary condition tojoin the Army. On the toss of a coin, I walked away from my job as a raftguide/safety kayaker and got on a flight to the UK. Whilst in the OTC I had a number of opportunities. The most

significant was a two month deployment with the Duke of WellingtonRegiment (now The Yorkshire Regiment) conducting light role live firingin Canada. This made me realise I enjoyed soldiering, but I wanted more.With my Mechanical Engineering degree I identified a wide range of roleswithin REME which I liked the look of; it became the obvious choice.

2. Are you happy you made the right decision? I’ve been in the fortunate position of enjoying all of my jobs. My careerhas not followed any standard pathway and I’ve had the diversity ofroles which I was promised on recruitment. The offer to young officers in REME has changed from when I joined.

The last 15 years have seen the majority of us being tested where thecost of failure is significant and the political screwdriver continues toreach the tactical level. This has seen the fat within the system being cutaway and mission command being reined back significantly. The productis that the young men and women commissioning into REME today are alot more professionally focussed and driven than I was!

3. What have been the highlights of your career so far?The highlight of my career has been its diversity. I’ve spent three yearswith the infantry and two years with the Royal Marines. I spent £18mdelivering a WARRIOR Urgent Operational Requirement which saw usidentify a concept and bring it to the operational fleet over 12 months. Ihave commanded a group of tri-service SNCOs delivering resistance tointerrogation training, an Armoured Infantry Platoon and a BattlegroupLAD on operations, a Logistics Task Group in Africa and formed andmoved a 450 strong Company from Arborfield and Bordon to Lyneham.

4. You were awarded the MBE for your work moving intoLyneham, what were the driving forces inyour success in that role? I was lucky to be given the opportunity; if I’m honest Ivolunteered for it! I was given six weeks to move 500soldiers from two locations to a site that had beenclosed for three years and a building site for twoyears. Training had to commence on time or it wouldtake us years to make the regain. I had control ofaround 10 per cent of the activities which affectedmy end state of starting training on 12 October 2015,the remaining 90 per cent was wrapped up inmultiple contracts and projects none of whichidentified me as a stakeholder. When I worked in worked in DE&S a civil servant

advised me that the important people have moneyand the rest have opinions; always follow the money!As such, we had to carefully select the priorities andwhen reasonable arguments failed, annoy the hellout of the relevant stakeholder such that they didwhat we wanted. Some battles were not worth theeffort to have, and some battles you would concedein order to set the conditions for you to win the battleyou wanted to win. The plan would change daily, andnotepad and phone were the only forms ofcommunication. I joined the Army to have fun and it only takes a

flick through the articles within The CraftsmanMagazine to identify a “work hard and have fun”

EXCELLENCE IN REME: Maj Paul Logie

The Excellence in REME interview this month is with Maj Paul Logie for his great achievement in receiving an MBE (Memberof the Order of the British Empire) in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services in defence. Currently Maj Logieworks in RHQ REME as SO2 Personnel Operations (Officers)

9

Night shoot from the tower

Lined up ready for firing

The Journey of a Regular Class 2Technician at Royal Tank Regiment LAD

OC: Capt V Gadsby Scribe: LCpl Stevens

I arrived at RTR in December 2016. Once I had booked into the regiment andsettled in, it was time to start undertaking the objectives set by my Class 3 –2 TPDB. On first look at the tasks required to achieve my Class 2, the wholesituation seemed quite overwhelming. I soon realised that a lot of thetargets would be completed during the course of my day to day job ofrepairing the fleet of Challenger 2 MBTs.

By the time I had been given my Health and Safety induction, the ball wasclearly already rolling and at pace. I managed to get some of my tasks signedrelatively quickly, and made good headway during fault diagnosis and LRUreplacement. Some tasks were more difficult than others, such as cablerepair. I needed to wait for the opportunity to arise but luckily enough, adriver’s night sight cable needed repairing during a Squadron CT1 exercise.‘Brilliant’ I thought. Quickly my joy turned to despair; I soon realised thatsoldering on your back, in the driver’s compartment of a Challenger 2 MBTwasn’t as easy as it was in a clean, well-lit and spacious classroom. With onlya few tasks left to complete and be assured, BADGER Sqn complete withFitter Section, deployed to Castlemartin Ranges. As the Fitter SectionWarrior 512 driver, I deployed with the Advance Party and had the pleasureof an 11-hour journey from Tidworth in the back of a HET.

Upon arrival we headed to our room for the night, ready for range set upthe following day.

Cr2 in action

Working on Cr2

10 [email protected]

Badger fitters

The next morning myself and Cpl Foyle’s first task was to laser align all ninetanks that deployed. Having only talked about this in training I was glad to beable to apply the theory and gain valuable hands on experience. Once we hadcompleted the laser alignment, we took the opportunity to have another lookdown the line for any new faults that may have occurred; unfortunately thisincluded three negative earth faults, meaning we had our work cut out to getthem ready to fire. Luckily for us, two of the negative earth faults were relativelyeasy to rectify, however the third turned out to be a compound negative earthwith three separate faults which ended up taking two days to diagnose. Withthose out of the way, we began to work our way through theremaining faults. The majority of which were issues with theCommander’s sights and thermal imaging. For the first week, thefaults came in thick and fast which meant we were consistentlybusy, but by the second week this had eased off and the technicianfaults trickled in at a more subdued pace. The last and arguablymost difficult challenge was to deliver my Class 3-2 presentation tomy chain of command.

This included the EME (Capt Gadsby), ASM (WO1 Parry) andvarious other members of the LAD hierarchy. My given subjectwas Light Amplified by Stimulated Emission of Radiation orLASERs to VM’s and lesser educated folk! The presentation itselfwent very well and after a grilling from the top corridor aboutsubjects like Corps History, Army structure and unit procedures, Iwas finally deemed competent and presented my Class 2. Bydeploying to Castlemartin Ranges prior to my presentation, Imanaged to gain a wealth of knowledge and experience whichwill no doubt be invaluable throughout the rest of my time notonly with The Royal Tank Regiment, but my career as a whole.


Card with a special message from MG REME and signed by key Corpspersonalities.

That was of course eclipsed by the Telegram (only just!) from HerMajesty the Queen, which arrived during the visit. George, who stilllives very much independently was going out for lunch with hisextended family later that day. Col Mark and Maj Hunt then went onto pay a visit to the Royal British Legion poppy sellers from the REMEAssociation busy at work in Doncaster town centre.

On 1 November 2017, George Catonfrom Doncaster received a fewadditional surprise guests, as

friends and family gathered to celebratehis 100th Birthday. These were The Mayorof Doncaster, Cllr George Derx and theLady Mayoress. Accompanying them wererepresentatives from the Corps, Col MarkSimpson, Colonel REME Reserves, MajorAdrian Hunt, 2IC 102 Bn REME and IanTilson from Doncaster Branch of the REMEAssociation. George was born in 1917, justas the Battle of Passchendaele was ending!Sadly George never knew his Dad who waskilled in the trenches on the Western Frontsome months earlier, whilst serving withthe Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

Col Mark said ‘I am delighted to be heretoday. Visiting George is more poignantthan ever this year given we arecelebrating REME 75, and George is one ofour founder members’. Col Mark andAdrian were personally keen to make this visit, given they are bothoriginally from Doncaster, where they started their careers, Col Markwith the Territorial Army and Maj Hunt with the Royal Tank Regiment(he later clearly saw the light!). Col Mark and Adrian arrived with afew presents from the Corps to help George celebrate, includingVolume 1 of Craftsmen of the Army, (that covered the time Georgeserved), a new Corps tie and Corps socks… all wrapped up in REMEwrapping paper. They also gave him a special 100th REME Birthday

100 and Still Going Strong!

Pictured L-R: Lady Mayoress and the Mayor, George Caton, Colonel Mark Simpson, Ian Tilson, Major Adrian Hunt


When I took up the role of Chief of Staff last August I was ofcourse already aware of DSEME’s reputation for trainingexcellence. A product of the REME training process –

Apprentice, Vehicle Mechanic, Artificer and Officer, a career spanning36 years – it was good to return to an establishment that I know well,albeit in a different location. I am passionate about training the nextgeneration of electronic, mechanical and specialist tradesmen, tech-nical leaders and engineering managers and delivering them back tothe front-line commands – fit for purpose.

My previous and most recent assignments – BEME 1 MechanisedBrigade, Company Commander and at Staff within the REME Man-ning Brick, Army HQ – have allowed me to understand the demandsof manning the Corps with the right number, training and qualifica-tions. I consider it a huge privilege to be in this dynamic role support-ing DSEME, its staff and trainees.

Looking forward to future developments here, the introduction ofAJAX to the Field Army will place a significant challenge on DSEME,specifically with building new infrastructure to deliver training, whileconcurrently training our trainers to deliver courses. Secondly, plan-ning the arrival of 5 FS Bn REME in spring 2019 presents both a chal-lenge and a significant opportunity for the Corps.

In 2017, DSEME had a notably active year – its second at MOD Lyne-ham, the home of REME – as it successfully bedded in at this superbtraining location. I would like to take this opportunity to look backand share some of the main events of 2017 with you.

Wiltshire Armed Forces CovenantOn 9 March, Wiltshire Council and numerous firms and organisationsin the county committed themselves to supporting the Armed Forcescovenant in a ceremony at MOD Lyneham, hosted by Head of Estab-lishment and Commandant DSEME, Col Ed Heal OBE.

The covenant commits Wiltshire Council, businesses and organisa-tions to use their expertise to provide help and advice to members ofthe Armed Forces Community.

It also promotes activities that encourage integration with civilianlife. The ceremony was a reaffirmation of Wiltshire’s commitment tothe Armed Force Covenant, which the council originally signed in2011.

The Defence School of Electronicand Mechanical Engineering

A Year in Review

Lt Col Gary Connolly reflectson his first five months as Chief of Staff at the Defence School of Electronic andMechanical Engineering (DSEME), and looks back at some of the school’s highlightsfrom 2017. It will include No 4School of Technical Training at StAthan, which is integral to DSEME:One School – One Team.

Wiltshire Armed Forces Covenant The Commandant addresses guests on 9 March at the Wiltshire

Armed Forces Covenant signing event. The Covenant was signed byCol Heal, Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Leader of Wiltshire Council) and

members of the county’s business community.

No 4 SoTT designs and builds RAF100 Baton for relay

In April, 4 SoTT was tasked with designing and building the baton forthe RAF100 Baton Relay event, which aims to visit every RAF stationduring 2018. Trainees were given the task of designing batons for theRAF100 event. As a result of the competition the winning design waschosen by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir StephenHillier KCB, CBE, DFC, ADC in a Dragon’s Den-style event in October.

No 4 SoTT is now working to manufacture the baton in time for theevent, which will run from April to July 2018.

RAF Baton Presentation of No 4 School SoTT’s winning design for RAF100 RelayBaton with the Chief of the Air Staff at his office, HQ Air Comd, RAF

High Wycombe.[L-R]: AC Jack Richardson, AC Luke Marston, ACM Sir Stephen Hillier,

AC Wame ‘Q’ Qalobulawasikabara, AC Tristan Gower

DSEME Warrant Officers honoured for their service

In June, two DSEME Warrant Officers, WO1 (RSM) ChristopherKipling and WO1 (ASM) Kevin Watson, were awarded the Merito-rious Service Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

The MSM was instituted in 1845 by Queen Victoria. It recognisesmeritorious service by non-commissioned officers who are of irre-proachable character with at least 20 years of service and whoalready hold the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.


DSEME welcomes Commander Field Army Lt Gen Patrick Sanders CBE DSO, Commander Field Army, speaking to

soldiers on exercise at MOD Lyneham’s Forward Operating Base. Lt GenSanders was visiting DSEME in his role as a Col Comdt REME.

Photographer: Guy Butler/Babcock, for DSEME.

STEM workshop for Army Cadets Army Cadets learn how to fix an electrical fault during REME

Vehicle Mechanic training, part of their STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) open day visit to MOD

Lyneham on 25 October 2017

REME75 Open Day, MOD LynehamOn 17 June the Corps celebrated its 75th anniversary year with a public open

day and party in the park at MOD Lyneham. The event featured a fullmilitary parade by the corps. The picture shows Lt Col Daryl Hirst, CO of 8 Trg Bn REME, leading the march past during the parade.

Banging the drum for charityFor the sheer volume of its fundraising activities on behalf of ABF TheSoldiers’ Charity, 8 Trg Bn REME was awarded the prestigious Carring-ton Drum trophy in June.

The annual Carrington Drum is open to all units and sub-units ofthe Army and Army Reserve. Units must present a detailed record oftheir charity activities – and 8 Trg Bn REME’s fundraising has beenremarkable, raising more than £44,000 for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.

The list of activities included: 24 events and 12 cyclathons; thou-sands of miles ran; 89 cakes baked; 102 cars washed; and more than50,000 miles cycled – including an epic 2,500-mile Route 66 ride inthe US.

REME75 – Sharing the birthday celebrationsThe REME75 Lyneham Open Day and Party in the Park took placein brilliant sunshine and under clear blue skies on 17 June. Theevent was to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the foundation ofthe Corps.

An estimated 10,000 people – REME Officers, Soldiers and Vet-erans, DSEME trainees and staff and civilians from the local com-munity – attended the spectacular free event at REME’s MODLyneham home. The event celebrated 75 years of dedicated serv-ice to the nation and continuing support for UK military unitsaround the world.

There was a funfair, displays, an evening concert and spectacu-lar fireworks, but the heart of the day was a military parade infront of the REME Master General, Lt Gen Paul Jaques CBE and ledby the Colonel REME, Col Clare Phillips ADC. Officers and Soldiersfrom 8 Trg Bn REME formed the core of the 500-strong parade.

STEM Day: Operation Science in ActionArmy Cadets from across the UK visited MOD Lyneham on 25 October tolearn about the central role that science, technology, engineering and maths(STEM) subjects play in REME’s eight trades.

REME Craftsman and Babcock instructors from DSEME challenged the 160cadets, aged from 13 to 17 years, through a programme of hands-on tasksfeaturing four of REME’s trades: Recovery Mechanics; Avionics; VehicleMechanics; and Armourer.

The cadets, taking part in Operation Science in Action, a week-long STEMvisit to technical military units across the UK, tried their hands at recoveringdamaged Land Rovers using pulleys, chains, maths and physics; balancinghelicopter rotors using vibration-testing models; solving vehicle electronicsproblems; and stripping and adjusting the firing pins of sniper rifles.

DSEME welcomes Commander Field ArmyLieutenant General Patrick Sanders CBE DSO, Commander Field Army,visited DSEME on 10 October in his role as Colonel CommandantREME.

Hosted by the Commandant DSEME, Lt Gen Sanders met Phase 2Electronics Technicians, who demonstrated their laser mini-shootingrange; toured the Protected Mobility hangar, where REME Phase 3junior NCOs are exploiting the Virtual Learning Environment facilitiesused there; and talked with soldiers attending a military cadre atMOD Lyneham’s Forward Operating Base.

The six Colonels Commandant REME are collectively responsible forall matters of regimental interest, for guarding Corps traditions andfostering esprit-de-corps.


Commanding Officers hand over for 8 Trg Bn REMECol Matt Horn (pictured left) takes over from Lt Col Daryl Hirst (right)as CO, 8 Trg Bn REME during a battalion parade at MOD Lyneham on

27 October.

Visit to DSEME by Officers of the Royal Army of OmanCommandant DSEME, Colonel Ed Heal OBE, welcomes Colonel

Sulaiman Al Namani, Commanding Officer of the Electrical andMechanical Engineers (EME) School, Royal Army of Oman.

Remembrance Day ceremoniesOfficers and Soldiers from 8 Trg Bn REME attended Remem-brance Day events in Royal Wootton Bassett, Calne andLyneham on 12 November. At Royal Wootton Bassett, theCommandant took the salute from soldiers of Basra Com-pany, 8 Trg Bn REME, and a Royal Marines Detachment atthe Remembrance Parade. At Calne, 32 members of Hel-mand Company took part in the town’s event, while sol-diers from Alamein Company attended the LynehamParish Church service.

After three years as CO of 8 Trg Bn REME, Lt Col Daryl Hirst left hisrole on 27 October to take up a new post at MOD Abbey Wood, asDeputy Team Leader of a project procuring a new robotbomb disposal system.

He has been replaced as CO by Lt Col Matt Horn, whoassumed command following a posting at the British

Embassy in Washington DC, where he was SO1 Land Systems.Following a battalion parade to mark the hand-over, Lt Col Hirst

was ceremonially led out of MOD Lyneham in a RoyalMarines Viking armoured vehicle, pulled by the Battalion’sOfficers along a route lined with 8 Trg Bn REME Soldiers. LtCol Hirst was the founding CO of 8 Trg Bn REME.

Change of command at 8 Training Battalion REME

Omani Army visitThe Commanding Officer of the Royal Army of Oman’s Electrical andMechanical Engineers (EME) School visited DSEME on 6 November as

part of a fact-finding mission to see how REME Soldiers aretaught Land System technical training.

The CO, Colonel Sulaiman Al Namani, was accompaniedby members of his staff, including the REME adviser in theEME School, Maj Andy Peters.

During their four-day visit, the EME team observedDSEME technical training and course design at close handand received a series of detailed briefings on DSEME’smethods.

Air Marshal Reynolds visits DSEMEThe Air Member for Personnel and Capability, Air Marshal SeanReynolds CBE DFC RAF, visited DSEME on 8 November to furtherdevelop his understanding of the School and its training pro-grammes.

During his visit, which was hosted by the Commandant, Colonel EdHeal OBE,, Air Marshal Reynolds heard about trainer training, watchedRecovery Mechanic training and saw the Metalsmith virtual weldingsimulation in action.

The visit closed with presentations on future developments atDSEME, including Trailblazer apprenticeships and AJAX armouredfighting vehicle training.

Remembrance Day 2017Soldiers from 8 Trg Bn REME and MOD Lyneham’s Royal Marines Detachment march

past the Commandant, the Mayor of Royal Wootton Bassett, Councillor SteveBucknell, and civic dignitaries, during the town’s Remembrance Day parade.

Air Marshal Reynolds visits DSEME Air Marshal Sean Reynolds CBE DFC RAF (pictured right, front), the Air

Member for Personnel and Capability, speaks with Lt Col Matt Horn(left) CO of 8 Trg Bn REME during his fact-finding visit to DSEME.


Simon Brown and Tim White marched shoulderto shoulder at the Cenotaph in November 2017almost eleven years after Tim, Simon’s ASM, was

notified that Simon had been critically injured by asniper bullet in Iraq.

The pair marched as part of the Blind Veterans UKcontingent, a charity that has supported Simon sincehis injury. Simon now works for the charity, whichsupports all veterans regardless of when they servedor how they lost their sight.

‘It was my tenth year at the Remembrancecommemorations in London and it meant a lot tohave Tim by my side,’ says Simon. ‘He was my ASM at2 LANCS LAD and when I was injured he was the onewho accompanied my family to Selly Oak Hospital.Times have changed a lot since then, but this year westill joked about the lilac apron and gloves he had towear in the critical care ward when he visited me.’

Simon joined REME in 1997 and served in Germany,Kosovo, Poland, Canada and Iraq. It was in Iraq,eleven years ago, that he wasblinded.

On the day of his injury,Simon had successfullyrecovered six of his colleaguesafter their vehicle had brokendown in Basra. As he waswithdrawing from the area, hewas hit by sniper fire. A bulletentered his left cheek andexited through his right cheek,shattering both cheekbones,destroying his left eye andseverely damaging his righteye.

Tim was back in the UK onleave but quickly agreed tostep in as a Family LiaisonOfficer when he was told aboutSimon’s injury.

‘I would have done the same thing for any of mylads and I knew it was important that Simon’s parentswere with someone who knew him,’ says Tim. ‘Thatwas a really difficult time, which is why marchingtogether all these years later at the Cenotaph meantso much.’

Now retired from the Army after 22 years withREME, November was the first time that Tim markedRemembrance at the Cenotaph in London. Despitehaving marched before with Blind Veterans UK, theevent was no less memorable for Simon.

‘The atmosphere at Horse Guards is very jovialbecause everyone is meeting up with old friends orbantering with one another, but once the marchstarts it’s completely different,’ says Simon.

Tim agreed: ‘The claps and cheers from the crowdswere amazing. It was a fantastic day and an honourto meet other staff and veterans from Blind VeteransUK. I know it’s a charity that has been a real supportfor Simon.’

A March to Remember

To find out more about Blind Veterans UK please visit blindveterans.org.uk


Major Servicing carried out in Panama.Bikes were stored at a building sitebehind a local Motorcycle shop

blow to the team, whose planning had focused on this section of thejourney, it illustrated the importance of flexibility.

Although the expedition was deprived of its highlight and a worldrecord, it has fulfilled the ambitions of the military. After 77 days, 13countries and 22,814 kms we reached the finish line on the shores ofthe Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay over 200 miles north of the ArcticCircle.

On 13 March 2017, the British Trans-AmericasExpedition, consisting of a team of sixservicemen left Brize Norton and headed south

to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of SouthAmerica on a 20,000-mile motorcycle journey toPrudhoe Bay on the northern coast of Alaska. The routewould include 15 countries and a crossing of theinfamous Darien Gap. If successful, the team would seta world record to become the first motorcyclists to ride,in one continuous journey unsupported, the entirelength of the world’s longest road, the Pan-AmericanHighway.

British Trans-AmericasEXPEDITION 2017

REME Perspective

The Team at the Finish Line. Prudoe Bay, 200 miles North of the Arctic Circle

Challenging terrain in Bolivia at 4000m

The aims of the expedition were to demonstrate thebenefits of motorised adventure as a means ofmilitarytraining and develop areas such asleadership, vehicle movement, fieldcraft, equipmentcare and navigation. Secondly, it was to promote theopportunities a career in the British Military canprovide. Thirdly, it offered a chance to achieve aworld record.

During our transit through Peru, we heard that our request totransit through Ecuador had been denied. At the same time, we wereinformed that the security situation in the Darien Region haddeteriorated and that we were not going to be granted permissionto enter the region in the immediate future. As an official Britishmilitary expedition we had to adhere to the direction given and sowere faced with having to airlift the team and equipment overEcuador to either Colombia or Panama. The former may haveallowed us to wait until the opportunity to enter the Darien Gapbecame available, but with short timeframe to reach the finish line inAlaska we were forced to make the difficult choice to fly directly toPanama. This was always a possibility and even though it was a major

SSgt Tony Cotty 5 Bn REME.

The story of this trip is impossible to squeeze in to onesmall article, but as the only tradesman within the teamon an unsupported crack at a World Record, I realizedvery quickly during planning that the success of theexpedition would fall to REME. In terms of planning Ineeded a drill square to fit the mind map on.

We were using bikes from Bolton based British


Northern Alaska next to a glacial lake.

Bikes prepped and ready to be collected for their 36 dayjourney to Southern Chile

The main fault I faced on a daily basis was wiring breaking. The conditions of theroads and subsequent vibration were taking its toll on the connectors and fuseboxes. I had a big end bearing go, a wood ruff key snapped, wiring burn out and anumber of small faults that were less challenging. One of the lads also kindly droveinto an iron bridge.

Prior planning, preparation and robust daily maintenance are the reasons wemanaged to get all six bikes to the finish. If you would like to hear more about howthe team are doing, there is a presentation at the British Army MotorsportsAssociation (BAMA) AGM in Tidworth on 11 January between 1500-1700 hrs. If youwould like any information regarding the presentation or the trip, please contact SSgt Cotty5REME-15Fd-Recy-OR7-1 or you can follow our trials and tribulations on the team’s Facebookpage.

The fact that we were unsupported meant that everything we might needwould have to be carried on our bikes, so there wasn’t an option to carrymasses of spares. Careful consideration had the final spares pack fit in a 20litrecanoe bag. The pack focused largely on spares that I thought would beimpossible to obtain in remote parts of the countries we were going to passthrough. Due to the distance we were travelling, I planned two minor servicesand one major service in the trip. I prepositioned one major and one minorspares pack in the Colombian Embassy. Due to the change in our planned routewe had to have the service pack in Colombia flown to Panama. It was cheaperto get someone to fly with excess baggage, stay in a hotel overnight then flyback than it was to freight! We carried the first service pack with us. It alsoturned out that regular oil changes were necessary in the hotter countries nearthe Equator. I decided that we should carry two sets of tools and carry them onseparate bikes in case we had a problem with theft. I made the tool roles assmall as possible by stripping my bike in relation to the spares I was carrying. Imade a note of each task and tools required adding each new tool as it wasneeded. This was crucial to keeping weight down.

company CCM. There was great synergy going for a British recordwith a British bike, however the bike was less than three years old,this made data and common problems very difficult to getinformation on. Knowing that the funding for the trip might notcome for a further four months I made the decision to buy my ownCCM. This gave me much needed time to understand the bike. I alsospent a few days at the factory with the head mechanic, whichproved invaluable.

Repairs carried out in Cucso in Peru

The UN Mission in Somalia is in support of African Union troopsdeployed to defeat Al Shabaab and support the burgeoningSomali Security Forces as the country attempts to get back on

its feet. My role was to act as a Military Advisor and Logistics Officerfor the Chief of Service Delivery (equivalent to a Brigadier).

UNSOS provides logistical support to 22,500 African Union troops(known as AMISOM - African Union Mission in Somalia), made up offorces from Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi and Uganda, 10,900Somali National Army, numerous African Union formed Police Unitsand 1500 UN personnel and contractors, operating in an area the sizeof France but without the luxury of a decent road or rail network. Thevariety of contributing nations, each with their own agenda andpriorities, meant that support and cooperation could be difficult. Ioften found myself making polite conversation in up to five

Scribe: Maj Lisa Wilde

Meeting Burundi officers and soldiers to plan the hand-back of the University to the Federal Government of Somalia

Scribe: Maj Simon LanghamProfile: Maj Lisa Wilde is a REME Reserve Officer and busy motherof four. Her career has spanned offshore mechanical engineering,kart racing, paediatric nursing and for long periods she hasserved with the Army on Op Tours or full-time contracts as an

engineer and as a CulturalSpecialist and Pashto linguist.She is currently assigned to 77

Brigade as SO2 ES andCapacity Building. Last year,Lisa volunteered for an OCEtour and was selected todeploy to Mogadishu,

Somalia as a Logistics MilitaryAdvisor to the UN. It was a ninemonth deployment that earnedher the UN medal and UK GSM

for East Africa. She workedfor the UN Support Office

in Somalia (UNSOS),living and working inthe UN base at

MogadishuInternational Airport

(MIA).

languages every day and an ability to learn basic phrases in severallanguages was incredibly useful in developing relationships.

I was involved in the management and coordination of severalprojects, a key one being the introduction of a concept calledMission Enabling Units, which essentially created CLPs consisting ofengineering, logistics and security enabling (convoy FP) elements,which helped AMISOM to clear and improve the freedom ofmovement along MSRs.

I was responsible for the allocation of equipment, which includedUN and UK donated kit; I spent four million pounds in one day onequipment – a novel feeling! I was also tasked by the AssistantSecretary General (a 3* General) to draft the UNSOS Drought Plan forone of our locations that was particularly badly hit by drought(Somalia has been hit badly by drought and cholera which hasbrought with it refugees and numerous health crises). I had to devisea range of measures to mitigate against water shortages and had tothink completely outside the box; solutions that we take for grantedare often not viable in a UN mission, for example suggesting ship



shower routines to conserve water was met with bemusementand looks of horror!

The frequency of VBIEDs in Mogadishu meant that it was apotentially hostile place, so imagine my delight when one of ourvehicles broke down en route in the middle of the city! TheSomalis around the convoy seemed to be curious rather thanhostile (a blonde, blue eyed woman in military uniform was anunusual sight) but it was an uncomfortable 15 minutes while theFrench speaking crew got the AFV going again.

Working for the UN was at first bewildering, often frustrating,always challenging, but also hugely rewarding. The situation inSomalia is volatile and we were always under threat, indeed therewere several large explosions close to MIA while I was deployedand on occasion I was forced to dive for cover in a bunker.However, the UN do not do ‘austere’ very well so the food wasgood, it is not dry and MIA is situated on the coast, so mymorning runs were along the beach as the sun came up over theIndian Ocean.

For anyone considering their next move, or doing somethingdifferent, I can thoroughly recommend a tour with the UN. Yourhorizon will be hugely expanded, your diplomatic skills arebound to improve and you will meet many new and interestingpeople from different cultures and backgrounds. I felt professionallyfulfilled and personally proud that my input made a difference, and Iknow that the UN recognised my work ethic and valued mycontribution.

Following a successful six months since opening in June 2017,the REME Museum is looking forward to the projects andexhibitions of 2018.

In July, we will be opening a new temporary exhibition looking attattooing within the military. Tattooing has always been a part ofmilitary culture and as it continues to increase in popularity, so arethe number of military men and women deciding to go under theneedle.

We’re interested in hearing from serving and former REME officersand soldiers who have tattoos with REME significance, militarysignificance, remembrance associations, tattoos which were donewhilst on operations, ones which are associated with family or anythat have a good story behind them, even if they are not necessarilya work of art…

Tattooed?

In January, the Museum will be opening its new temporaryexhibition ‘RAF100: A History of RAF Lyneham’ to tie in withthe 100 years anniversary of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 2018.RAF Lyneham played a vital role in both humanitarian andmilitary operations and the exhibition will provide an overviewof some of the work carried out.

There will be a series of evening talks as part of the exhibition

looking at the history of the RAF, Repatriations, and the closingof the base. There will also be family activities associated withthe RAF theme. For those interested in the history of the site,this is a great opportunity to find out more from the peoplewho lived and worked here.

The exhibition will open on 16 January and run until the endof June.

The exhibition will run for six months and will becomplemented with evening talks and the

chance to speak with local tattooists. If you would be happy to share and talkabout your tattoos, please get in touch

with Jennifer Allison, Curator, by [email protected]

As I left theatre, my UNSOS boss asked if I would consider goingback as a civilian contractor, so now I am back in Somalia as anInternational Contractor to the UN, in exactly the same role as when Ideployed.

REME Field of Remembrance 2017 - Unit, Association Branches and individual crosses on the Field of Remembrance. A personal message.

WO1(ASM) Roy Duffin explains his idea about the ‘75’layout scheme to Col REME, Col Clare Phillips, ADC.

The Corps Padre, Revd Stephen Thatcher, leads the REME contingent in prayer.

Under the watchful eyes of WO2 (Sgt Maj)‘Dusty’ Miller CGC and SSgt Andrew Bodman,soldiers of 8 Trg Bn REME view the Crosses of

Remembrance on the REME Plot.

On arrival at Westminster Abbey, I found the REME Plot 245,and met up with other REME Association members, RHQREME staff, including Col REME, Col Clare Phillips ADC and

soldiers from 8 Trg Bn REME. WO1(ASM) Roy Duffin suggested the ‘75’layout scheme for our plot, and it was very well received on the day.

A few minutes before ‘The Silence’, the Corps Padre, Revd StephenThatcher, gathered us altogether and conducted a short service ofprayer; it was that poignant time for us to reflect why we were allthere; ‘We will remember them’.

His Royal Highness, Prince Henry of Wales, laid a personal Cross ofRemembrance and after the ‘Last Post’, Exhortation, Silence and‘Reveille’, opened the Field of Remembrance for 2017 by reviewingthe many plots.

After the Act of Remembrance, the REME contingent,led by our former Master General, Lt Gen Andrew FigguresCB, CBE, then gathered at the Guards Museum for

Field of Remembrance 2017atWestminster Abbey

By Lt Col (Retd) John Edwards OBE

In my guise as President of the Arborfield and District Branch of the REMEAssociation, I was fortunate enough, lucky enough, to be able to attend on

Thursday 9 November, the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey;thank you RHQ REME for allocating me a ticket.

refreshment. During lunch, Col REME took the opportunity to say afew well-chosen words and given her audience, emphasised theREME family from the youngest craftsman to the oldest veteranthere; as I told her afterwards, I considered myself to be somewherein the middle of those present.

This is a popular event and with space at a premium, attendance islimited. Association Branches are, therefore, restricted to two ticketsonly. If you have the chance to go to the Field of Remembrance onthe actual day, grab it - just ask Mrs Hayley Bodman, REMEAssociation Assistant Secretary at RHQ REME for tickets, you toomight be lucky!


Our remembrance weekend commenced on Armistice Day whenseven members paraded and joined other veterans, families and thegeneral public in the Intu Potteries Shopping Centre in Hanley Towncentre, for an annual service. This has always been supported by theBranch. The service was conducted by a local Salvation Army Officer,with music provided by a Brass Band from the Salvation Army. Hymnsand prayers were followed by two minutes silence and the shower ofpoppy petals from above, with the Last Post and Reveille played whilethe Exhortation to the Dead and the Kohima Epitaph were spoken byBranch President, Maurice Hope.

Even though it was a busy shopping day, there was a total shutdown of business during the two minutes silence, observedthroughout by all those present in the stores. It was a bitterly coldSunday morning, with members of the Branch dispersed all around

the six towns that make up the City and further afield, to take part inservices of remembrance. The Branch Standard was paraded by GilMould, this year at Longton, following the invite from our HQ hosts atthe Meir & Longton RBL. The Branch poppy wreath was laid at StokeCenotaph by Major (Retd) Gordon Bonner. Following the shortoutdoor service and laying of wreaths, by many differentorganisations, which also included the legend that is Gordon Banks,who laid his customary wreath on behalf of the Stoke City Old Boys. Aservice of remembrance was conducted in Stoke Minster prior to amarch past and salute taken by this year’s elected Lord Mayor,Councillor Ross Irving. Branch Secretary, Brian Billings and membersRhys Evans and Ray Whale, represented the Branch at the Londonmarch past at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, Brian with the Army AirCorps detachment and Rhys and Ray with the REME group.

R E M E A S S O C I A T I O NPotteries and District Branch

It is often easy to forget the past, to forget the convictions withwhich generations before fought and died as we navigate ourdaily lives in a technologically-laden globalised society. Whilstthis adds a new dimension to negotiations for ensuring peaceful

cooperation between nation states, it further highlights the debtthat we owe to those who came before us; to even have the capacityand fortune to decide democratically on the course of our country,to make personal life choices unshackled by the burdens oftechnology or fear rests on the shoulders of generations past. TheField of Remembrance and Remembrance Sunday rightly serve as atime for the nation, and more inclusively the Corps Family, to cometogether and give thanks to these men and women, without whomthe civil liberties that we often take for granted may not exist. It wasa privilege to be afforded the opportunity to attend The Field ofRemembrance on 9 November 2017 in London. For many this maywell be a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend and from themoment we boarded the coach, it was apparent that this was notlost on those in attendance; from Craftsmen to Colonel there was anair of excitement, however the provenance of the day’s events wereclear to see as everyone paid the utmost respect throughout the day,clearly eager to take everything in and play their part in the annualhomage.

Upon arrival in London we queued amongst the numerous otherguests. Even here the diverse nature of the attendees was evident;young men and women from all over the world, military and civilianwere joined by their veteran counterparts, each bringing their ownunique perspectives and respect. As we entered into The Field ofRemembrance the gothic structures of Westminster Abbey loomedabove as we crowded around the REME plot. REME75 has been amassive focal point within the Corps this year and this themecontinued here with the poppy emblems beautifully laid out tocreate the number seventy-five. Each of these were adorned with thenames of REME personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice. Evenbefore the proceedings began, the plots alone evoked amultifaceted response from those fortunate enough to be there;some were moved to tears, others saluted and some remained still,but fundamentally the foundations of each were embedded intaking the time to show our gratitude and respect.

A poignant theme throughout the day was community, whetherthat be amongst your family, your Corps, your country orinternationally, everyone came together, forgetting theircontemporary issues to reflect on the past. The REME contingentwere gathered and led in a service of prayer by Corps Padre, RevdStephen Thatcher, who eloquently highlighted this theme when hestated, “Let us keep a respectful silence for our own war dead whohave laid down their lives in the service of Queen and country inmany conflicts, and whose capbadge of the Royal Electrical andMechanical Engineers define them uniquely as our own military

family”. Pondering the egregious conditions that these fallen soldiersencountered to many is unimaginable, but for some the stark realityof war is all too apparent; yet in spite of these dark realities it is clearthat many can find solace in a connection that this enables them todraw between themselves and those who went before them. Even indeath, the souls of fallen soldiers remain ingrained in the legacy ofCorps, the wider military and the country as a whole; these familiesare founded upon the creeds and actions of the men and womenthat created those legacies and it is for these reasons that it remainsso pertinent to honour their memories and sacrifice.

At 1100hrs, after the playing of The Last Post, London fell silent fora minute that was almost immaculately observed. The memory ofthis moment will stick with many for a long time to come and itseems fitting that in the often hectic contemporary world, that inthat minute, people take the time to consider how fortunate we, as asociety are and the sacrifice upon which those fortunes are built. TheField of Remembrance was officially opened for 2017 by His RoyalHighness Prince Henry of Wales after he laid a personal Cross ofRemembrance. Walking down the galleys he took in as many plots ashe could, talking to many of the selected Corps representatives. CfnHannah Tipper and Cfn Elizabeth Beardmore had a moment toremember when Prince Harry reached the end of the plots, as heapproached them for a quick chat; an experience that will likelyprove to live long in the memory.

As the crowds dispersed, the REME personnel made their annualpilgrimage to the Guards Museum. Led by Colonel REME, Col ClarePhillips ADC and former Master General, Lt Gen Andrew Figgures CB,CBE, we gathered for some food and drinks. It was here perhapswhere the diversity of the Corps family was best illustrated asAssociation members from across the country mingled with servingsoldiers and officers of all ages; a point not lost on Col REME who inan articulate speech pointed out that from the youngest Craftsmanto the oldest veteran, everyone played a role in the perpetuallyevolving legacy of the Corps.

As the day came to a close, only the journey home remained.However, everyone who had made the trip came away withsomething new, whether that be a new appreciation of the sacrificesmade by others, meeting Prince Harry or simply the memories ofattending an event which many are not fortunate enough toexperience. Ultimately, Remembrance in all its forms remains aspertinent as ever, not only to pay homage to generations past butalso to reassert the convictions and ethics with which we conductourselves socially and professionally. Peace is never easy, now orthen, but no matter our contemporary challenges this epoch is heldup by the sacrifices of those that came before. In the Corps Familyand beyond, their legacy continues to shape our future. Lest weforget.

Field of RemembranceScribe: Daniel Horne


Prince Harry talks to Cfn Hannah Tipperand Cfn Elizabeth Beardmore The REME plot at The Field of Remembrance

Members of the REME leg of Exercise Pacific Longbow hold aRemembrance Service led by Lt Col Andrew Mould (flags L-R: King

Royal Hussars (KRH), REME, Royal Signals)

Soldiers and officers of RHQ REME and 8 Trg Bn REMEin attendance at The Field of Remembrance.

7 Avn Sp Bn REME remembrance parade in Wattisham


Serving soldiers and veterans observe a minute’s silence

REME FC vs RA FC players at the centre circle paying their respects before kick-off

REME Association and the Aborfield Old Boys Association contingents are joined by Col REME and the Corps ASM after the Cenotaph march past

Wreath laying at Royal Wootton Bassett Col Ed Heal, Comdt DSEME and WO1 (RSM) Chris Kipling at Royal

Wootton Bassett remembrance parade.


THE FUTURE ACCOMMODATION MODELUPDATE TWO

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tion and freedom of lifestyle choice); attractiveness to MOD (recruitment and retention, operational e�ective-ness and future �exibility) and also for a�ordability. A 3 Star decision confer-ence in July down selected to three options (Options D, E and F) for further work. These options are distinguished largely by the balance of SFA versus private rental accom-modation that would be available to SP. Under Option D there would be maximum choice available to Service Personnel (which is likely to result in a relatively large quantity of retained SFA); Option E allows for a quantity of SFA to be retained where it is economically sensible to do so while Option F reduces to the minimum amount of SFA required in remote locations where private rental is not a viable option. An interim approval business case has been produced for

agreement in the Autumn propos-ing that the three options proceed to the Design phase of the project for further development.

FAM PilotThe Design phase will run from October 2017 to December 2018 and will see development of the support-ing policy, structures and processes for the pilot. The conclusion of the Assessment Phase means that resource can now be moved to support development of the FAM pilot as detail is scant at the moment and must now be developed at pace. The current proposal is to introduce FAM at upto ten sites in the UK from Dec 18; it is not yet clear how many of these sites will be Army locations as the other Services are keen for some of their bases to be at the forefront of FAM for a variety of reasons. Similarly,

Tenets of FAMThe key aspects of FAM have not changed since the last update. The project aims to expand eligibility to subsidised accommodation and continue to support both mobility and stability. Assessment Phase The project has now completed its Assessment Phase. Through Spring this year, six di�erent options were developed for FAM; they ranged from building more SFA to meet the increased demand resulting from wider eligibility through to an option which sees reduction of the SFA estate to the viable minimum. The options were evaluated by a wide range of stakeholders, including the front line commands, for: attractive-ness to Service Personnel (factors such as satisfaction with accommoda-

F A MWhat is FAM

Is change needed?

FAM stands for the Future Accommodation Model. The project will be looking at how the MOD provides you with housing over the next 50+ years.

Yes. The current system doesn’t support how personnel want to live - we need a system that o�ers greater choice to personnel. As well as this, the current model only supports those who are married or in a civil partner-ship. Changing social values mean this may no longer be the best way of supporting personnel. Lastly, the existing system is expensive - the MOD currently spends around £800m to provide an accommodation subsidy of £450m to personnel.

What’s happening now?FAM is developing options for how housing could be provided in the future. Your Service chiefs will have a say in what FAM will look like. No decisions have been taken yet, but we should be able to tell you more later this year.

Under all these options, the MOD will continue to provide Single Living Accommodation (SLA). Options are being developed other accommodation (e.g. Service Family Accommodation)

These range from options which look something like the current system, through to o�ering you allowances to rent or buy in the private market.

OPTIONS A & B OPTIONS C & D OPTIONS E & F

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MODATION MODELU

selected, the expansion could also allow single Service Personnel to house share with fellow soldiers or civilian friends. b. Use of the private market through the introduction of an accommodation allowance. The cost of providing Service Personnel with an allowance to subsidise renting accommodation in the private market needs to be tested to ensure that the allowances are su�cient and can be administered e�ectively. The pilots will also determine how well the local property market can meet demand and assess the impact on units. c. Financial support for home ownership. FAM aims to enhance the opportunity for home ownership through supplementing the Forces Help to Buy scheme with a core accommodation allowance for home owners. Who will be eligible for this

allowance during the pilot is yet to be determined.

FAM is a project of considerable complexity which will change the way the Army lives for generations. There are opportunities and risks; some known and others which will only become apparent during the pilot phase. We will continue to work closely with the project team on its development. I hope that you have found this information useful; I will issue further updates as the project develops. In the meantime, I remain wiling to answer queries and / or come and brief selected groups as you deem appropriate. More informa-tion is available on the FAM website www.gov.uk/futureaccommoda-tionmodel.

the full scope of the pilot has yet to be de�ned, and it is possible that the pilot itself will be phased, introducing aspects of FAM incrementally. The pilots will enable the opportunities and impacts of FAM to be assessed over a three to �ve year period before extending implementation further; we have made it an Army condition of engaging in the pilot that it will include no irreversible decisions. The following are likely to feature in the pilot. a. Expanding the entitlement for subsidised accommodation to more Service Personnel. This will extend the accommodation o�er to SP who are unmarried but who wish to live with a partner. Equally, unmar-ried SP might be able to live in SFA, subject to agreement on re-de�ning eligibility rules for retained SFA. Depending on the FAM option

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What do I need to know?

12

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The total amount of subsidy personnel as a whole receive for accommodation will not be cut - but changes to entitlement mean that individuals may receive more or less, depending on their need

FAM is looking at providing you with a level of accommodation subsidy according to need, not based on rank or marriage

FAM will continue to support you to remain mobile, but also aims to support those who want greater stability for themselves and/or their family

FAM will provide you with other support (e.g. training, �nding a home) to enable you to live and work where the MOD needs you

Whether you are in SFA or rent near work, you will not be expected to pay more for the home you need if you are assigned to a more expensive location - the MOD will pick up the extra cost.

Whichever option is chosen, the key things FAM aims to achieve are:

When will it happen?FAM is still in consultation stage - no decisions have been taken, but we should be able to tell you more later this year.

FAM won’t happen overnight, and developing a new accommodation system is a complex project. It will take time to undertake full consultation and make all the key decisions.

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our cans of white death. With one SV(R) breaking a prop andnumerous smaller problems creating a host of winch andcrane dramas. One of the most emotional tasks was therecovery of a Warrior that had driven straight through a drylake bed and became bogged in. Never shying from achallenge, we dispatched two CRARRVs to deal with the task.In order to recover the Warrior, both CRARRVs had tosacrifice themselves and became bogged in as well, thusrequiring the assistance of an SV(R), which also got stuck inthe process! After hours of digging and attempted self-recovery, the Rec Pl were eventually out of their stickysituation and the Observer Mentors described the event as an‘impressive and textbook recovery’.

Perhaps the most notable moment for thewider ES community was achieving an ‘18Tank moment’, keeping CR2 availability atone hundred per cent for some of the finalTactical Effects Simulator (TES) serials; a featthat we were told is not often achieved. Notenough praise can be given to all of thesoldiers across the Battlegroup and BrigadeSupport Group (BSG) who grafted awaydoing ridiculous hours in order to achievethis. After the BG’s final attack, the ‘end ofphase’ was called. This was when all of thedeployed forces formed up in a Free fromExplosives leaguer for a seven hours restperiod before deploying back into Camp tostart handing over vehicles to the next BG.At this point the recovery plan kicked in andall Brigade recovery assets were under the

Sunshine, rain, dust, thunderstorms, hand injuries, mosquitosthe size of dragons and lots and lots of work. I think it sumsup 9 Armd Coy’s deployment to BATUS on Ex PRAIRIESTORM 1. Deploying, not as a standard Armoured Companybut instead taking elements from across the Battalion, we leftthe UK looking rather like a mini Armoured Battalion.Consisting of 9 Armd Coy for the most part with its HQelement, two Fwd Pls and Recy Pl, we also acquired slices of17 Fd Coy and RLC Stores Tp to enhance the capability thatthe OC, Maj Round-Turner wanted to provide.

When the ES Coy arrived in BATUS it was a hectic weekprepping vehicles ready for deployment. We deployed on D-4(everyone questioned why it wasn’t called D-Day) to conducta new BATUS serial, the Systems Performance Check (SPC) toensure all vehicles can shoot, move and communicate (orshoot, scoot and shout). During this initial period some of theguys managed to get onto a live fire package, conducting avariety of shoots culminating in a convoy serial to bringtogether all the previous elements: engaging 3D targets fromall sides whilst on the move, dismounting to attack positionsand dealing with Indirect Fire and RPGs through the use ofsome impressive BatSims. With many of the more juniorsoldiers never having conducted any sort of Live Fire TacticalTraining before, the feedback was really positive. In thisperiod there were some opportunities for members of the ESCoy to do some AT, during which a young Cfn Bellis lostcontrol of his horse and careered straight into a tree! Thisresulted in him being put on an Aeromed flight back to theUK with a badly lacerated hand before he even had thechance to deploy on the area. But don’t worry his poorly handis on the mend!

Deploying 2 CRARRV and 4 SV(R)s for the exercise inaddition to the battlegroup recovery assets, we felt like wehad recovery in the bag. It was at this point that our wagonsstarted dropping like the mosquitos that came within range of

Scribes: Lt Matt Forster and 2Lt George Curtis (Rec Pl Comd)

9 Armd ES Coy on ExPRAIRIE STORM 1 and 2 in BATUS


Commander BATUS on many points, for example at one pointin the exercise we had helped to provide the highest vehicleavailability ever seen on an Ex PRAIRIE STORM. The way weran our ECCPs and ECPs was also commended and is now thestandard for the BSG Fwd; until the next exercise anyway!

For me the exercise went really well and I learned a lot. Iwas lucky to command a great FRT(A) crew who togethersmashed our tasks out in great, and sometimes in recordtimes. Our ECCP was run by Lt Webber and WO2 Purves, whowith the help of those under them earned the reputation ofbeing one of the best bunches of tradesmen the CO and RSMof the BSG (Fwd) had ever worked with.’

TACOM of ES Coy’s Rec Pl Comd for the recovery of allstricken vehicles back to camp.

After the 1 R WELSH BG redeployment back to camp, that’swhen the mayhem started. It was a commotion of LCH’s (EStask requests) for equipment to be made taskworthy again, thearrival of the 1 YORKS BG and the BSG (Fwd) headed up by 4Regt RLC, handover-takeovers of vehicles and the arrival ofsome new faces to the ES Coy mix. This commotion lasted thefull two and a half weeks, minus a few days of downtime forthe soldiers and some more opportunities for AT, before theBG and BSG prepared to deploy back out onto the area on ExPRAIRIE STORM 2.

Take Two - Ex PRAIRIE STORM 2Ex PRAIRIE STORM 2 echoed a lot of what happened in theprevious exercise, which was a massive benefit for the ES Coyas we could use our previous but recent experience to ouradvantage when planning and preparing for the exercise athand. However, the way I would describe this exercise wouldbe: Cam nets, digging, battlefield discipline, NLAWS and tenfigure grid references for shell scrapes. This is because ExPRAIRIE STORM 2 was not only assessing the teeth arm BGbut also the BSG for being awarded their Collective Traininglevel 4 (CT4) tick in the box.

Some words of how the exercise went from a recoveryperspective from Cfn Palmer, Class 2 Recovery Mechanic. ‘ExPRAIRIE STORM 2 got off to a steady start for 9 Armd Rec Plbecause the fleet was in good order. As the exerciseprogressed however, we found ourselves a lot busier asrecovery taskings started flowing in thick and fast. Due to therate that the taskings were coming in, we had to work longhours which resulted in tiredness and some minor injurieslike a stubbed toe (Cfn Edmonds). As a whole the Rec Plperformed to a high standard which was noticed by the CO ofthe BSG who rewarded our very own Cpl Steele with a CO’scoin for outstanding leadership! Overall the exercise was longand strenuous, but never too difficult for members of God’strade! #RollOnEstonia #TeamOfTeams’.

In order for 9 Armd Coy and the rest of the BSG to gain theiraward of CT4, it was assessed that both the 1 YORKS BG andthe BSG Fwd were going to face the most challenging enemyever faced on the Prairie. This involved a peer plusconventional enemy with fast air, GMLRS Arty, Heavy A andLight Inf capabilities as well as the complex threat of twodifferent insurgent groups, along with somevery upset French speaking InternallyDisplaced Personnel (IDP). This complexenemy threat was a new challenge and meantpeople of all ranks and levels of experiencehad to step up to the mark in order for us tosucceed. A few notable people would be CfnHeath with his cunning linguistic skills whendealing with the IDPs, Sgt Hunter who wasrewarded a CO’s coin for being a ‘wizard’ attrade, and his trusty side-kick LCpl Quinnwho together worked long hours conductingbattle damage repairs to keep the fleettaskworthy. Not forgetting the hero of thehour, Lt Charles Webber for his braveattempts to knock some passing jets out of thesky with his Ridgeback mounted GPMG.

Final words from Cpl Perry, Class 1 VehicleMechanic. ‘Post-exercise, we as a Companywere praised by the CO of the BSG Fwd and



As the only Armourer within the BG, I am responsiblefor covering all BG locations which means a lot of travel-ling to carry out inspections and repairs. The journey toBesmaya is the easiest as it’s an hour flight on either a USBlack Hawk or Chinook. Travelling to Erbil however, is adifferent case entirely as you need to plan to be gone forup to two weeks. Getting there is fairly straight forward,however the return journey isn’t; having to go via Cyprusas this is the only route that the RAF uses to access Erbil.It’s fair to say that I was always happy to see Taji againwhen trip was over.

Along with my own role, I have also helped the Class 1VM with various tasks on the Foxhound fleet, from repairsto maintenance, as the Fitter Section here is only twostrong. The general feel is that, due to the pace of thetraining conducted from Taji, our Foxhounds have beenworked that bit harder than originally expected, whichhas presented a number of issues along the way. Conse-quently, as Sgt ‘OB’ O’Brien is the sole VM in Taji, responsi-ble for the seven FHDs, he has had his work cut out buthas thoroughly enjoyed his time in ‘The Sun’.

Overall, it’s been a quick six months and I definitely feelthat, having been to all the other locations, if you get sentto Taji then you’re in luck. The facilities here are second tonone in theatre and there are ample things to do during

Camp Taji is a large base consisting of various nations, with the Aus-tralian and New Zealand Army (ANZAC) in command, although the USArmy makes up the largest contingent of personnel. There are alsoSpanish and Polish troops on the camp working as part of Op InherentResolve. The advantages of the US Army being based here quicklybecame apparent, as we all know the Americans love their food. TheDFAC (cookhouse) in Taji is one of the best I have eaten in during mycareer. You will leave satisfied every time, it’s nothing like a Sodexocookhouse. A personal favourite of mine has to be Steak and Crab nighton a Friday, with the ice cream bar to round off the meal. The secondadvantage is the gym, it reminds me of the one in Bordon when I waslast there; well-equipped allowing you to get the most out of every ses-sion. There is also is a running track (which is a favourite with the PTIs atthe minute), volleyball, football and basketball facilities. There were alsomonthly fitness competitions, with all nations competing against oneanother. The UK contingent always perform very well, holding theirown and winning a good proportion of the events.

EME: Capt Chris Cornes IC LAD: WO2 (AQMS) Danny Jackson

LCpl McLinden figuring out that left is loose & right is tight.

2 MERCIAN LAD

UKTrainingTeam(Centre)

Op SHADER is conducted by two Infantry Battlegroups split across the West andthe Centre of Iraq. 2 MERCIAN took over from 2 LANCS on Op SHADER 5 for theperiod June – December 2017 as the lead Battlegroup for the UK Training

Team Centre, UKTT(C). The Battlegroup is split over four separate locations, with theLAD at three of these. Taji & Besmaya are located around Baghdad and the remainingtwo, Erbil and Menilla, are in the Kurdistan region to the north.

Due to two other Op commitments the BG was also supporting, the LAD was forcedto trawl for manpower in order to bolster the seven strong LAD. Each of our threesmall sub-unit Fitter Sections consists of two to three tradesmen who are providedwith support and a big ‘cuddle’ by the AQMS, who is primarily located in BG HQ, Erbil.The Iraq-based Fitter Sections predominantly deal with the Foxhound fleet, whilst theKurdish based Fitter Section work with Civilian Armoured Vehicles (CAV).

Taji (TAJ)Scribe: Cpl ‘Oz’ Osgood

Cpl Burton celebrating REME 75 with the Spanish VMs


Sgt O’Brien celebrating REME 75 with the RAEME

Besmaya (BES)Scribe: LCpl ‘Toes’ McLinden

Erbil (ERB)Scribe: Cpl ‘JP’ Partenheimer

Cpl Dave ‘Pringles’ Burton and I arrived at FOB Gran Capitan, Besmaya on 16June 2017. Besmaya is a Spanish-run camp on the eastern edge of Baghdad.The UK Training Team is predominantly made up of Royal Engineers from 29EOD Regt who are providing Explosive Hazardous Awareness Training (EHAT),with 2 MERCIAN providing Force Protection.

There are only two REME VMs based here which is really all you need, asBesmaya holds a small fleet with only four Foxhounds and ten Toyota Hilux’sto repair and maintain. However, that said, sometimes carrying out the big-ger tasks can prove quite difficult due to the lack of facilities and infrastruc-ture, with only an ISO Container to work from. Although the ISO is wellequipped with air conditioning, electrics and lighting, thanks to the handywork of those from SHADER 4, it can only be used for storing equipment andtools as it lacks the size and height required for a Foxhound. This means wehave to work outside in 50 degrees heat in the summer and freezing temper-atures in the winter. Fortunately, the Spanish Mecanicos (mechanics) are fairlygenerous with their tools and facilities and are also quite interested in ourFoxhounds, so there is usually always a one of them knocking around askingquestions or lending a helping hand from time to time. With any luck SHADER6 should benefit from our requests to get our own sheltered working area,which should be inbound soon.

The camp itself is well known for not being as well equipped as the othercamps dotted around Iraq and pales in comparison to the bigger bases likeTaji (‘Taj-Vegas’).

It’s a small camp with verybasic facilities, a prison gymand poor toilet facilities. Thefood doesn’t have the best rep-utation either with only twochoices – eat or starve, as yourmeals are pre-plated and notthe style of dish that UK troopsare used too. There is also anLEC hired solely to ensure youonly take one piece of fruit andone can of ‘pop’ from the fridge,this man is famous in Bes and isk n o w n a s t h e ‘ Fr i d g e Pi g’.Although the reputation thatthe camp holds isn’t great com-pared to the other locations, Ih a v e n o t i c e d t h a t i t h a simproved massively since I firstarrived in June and I’m fairlyconfident it will continue toimprove over future rotations.Come Op SHADER 7 I think itwill be the place to be.

After a five week delay, due to visa issues, I finally departed Cat-terick in the early hours on 15 July. Unfortunately, I had to spend24hrs in Cyprus on my way to Theatre, so the day was spentrelaxing by the pool. I arrived in JOB ZORBASH (Erbil) on 17 July,which was my birthday – what a great present that was. As LCpl‘Whytey’ Whyte had already been in location for the last fiveweeks on his own, everyone was quick to tell me how hard hehad been working.

After a day or two I was up to speed on the state of the fleetwhich consists of eight armoured Toyota land cruisers (CAV) and24 white fleet vehicles. I arrived just in time for the new work-shop to open, which is a purpose-built hanger that comfortablyhouses two CAV inside. It has the best air-conditioning on campand has BFBS, which is great on the weekend when productionstops and the football starts.

We are currently five months into our deployment and wehave carried out a variety of jobs on the fleet from replacing the

ballistic glass to renewing major assemblies, as well asroutine inspections and maintenance. A highlight waswhen one of our hired Ford F150 was stolen; it had beeneight days since I reported the breakdown to the contrac-tor before they attempted to recover the vehicle so, let’sbe honest, the result was inevitable.

As well as our routine tasks, LCpl Whyte and I havebecome quite adept at making pallet furniture and otheritems for various occasions, like the podium that wasmade for the Secretary of State visit (which he failed touse, but was still well worth the seven hours it took tomake). The facilities in JOB ZORBASH are pretty basic, how-ever the WIFI has just been upgraded, which means keep-ing in touch with family and friends back home is easier.The US Gym is only a short walk from the UK compoundand has become a firm favourite with all the gym queens,LCpl Whyte included. There are also several coffee shops/restaurants in the different coalition camps that are wellworth a visit – I highly recommend a visit to the Germanrestaurant (although we aren’t allowed to enjoy the beerthat they serve).

Overall it has been an enjoyable tour, albeit completelydifferent to the previous tours of Afghanistan which wehave become accustomed to over recent years.Cpl Burton putting his imaginary gym sessions to use

Any excusefor LCpl

Whyte to liftsome

weights


end, in 2018 we will be adding the following: standard event prizesat the inter-corps, a super sprint relay at the REME Festival of Sportand an AGM at the last race of the series open to all athletes. For2019 we are looking at organising a training camp to the schedule.Special thanks go to Capt Tom Crofts (5 Bn REME) and WO1 (ASM)Clark (29 Cdo Regt RA Wksp) for their continued support to both theassociation and the athletes. It takes a significant amount of time toorganise these events and assist in providing support to theassociation and its members.

Before I talk about the over-view of how the REME Triathlon andDuathlon Association is organised I thought it would bepertinent to introduce the committee:

Chairman: Col Ed Heal OBE (Comdt DSEME – Lyneham)Manager: Maj John TuckerSecretary: Capt Tom CroftsEvent Coordinator: WO1 (ASM) Paul ClarkMission: The REME Duathlon and Triathlon Association is to supportand develop REME triathletes at all levels to enable competition inmilitary and civilian events whilst fostering Esprit de Corps.Objectives:1) Promote the sport at all levels with a concerted effort to

encourage newcomers to the sport and stimulate Esprit de Corps.2) Provide a platform to develop athletes.3) Feed the Army set up.4) Support established athletes.

How do we do this?The Novice Sprint Triathlon Series: The triathlon series has beenrunning since 2011 and has taken several iterations and a lot of hardwork to get it to its current standard. The series enables new athletesto try the sport. As you can see from the vignettes below not onlydoes this provide the opportunity for individuals to betterthemselves or strive to meet personal goals, it provides a platformfor leadership and team work.Funding: Funding is broken down into three areas: Support to themore established athletes (Iron Man, international events etc),support to the Triathlon Series (including prizes and timing facilities)and REME branding.What we do this with: REME Charity Grant, manpower, event feesand sponsorship. Of course, the REME Triathlon and Duathlon Seriescould not happen without the help of the REME community.Therefore, the Chairman and his team would like to thank 4, 5 and 6Bn REME for supplying critical manpower at the events. Further tothis, a big thank you to Mr Allan Thomson from Apsire for his kindsponsorship.Vision: Looking to the future we need to ensure we meet ourobjectives. To do this we must test and adjust accordingly. To that

Scribe: Maj J Tucker

REME Triathlon andDuathlon Association

SSgt Wainwright (Male Champion) Capt D'Inverno (Female Champion) SSgt Anderson (Novice Champion)

4 RIFLES (Minor Unit Champions)


REME TRIATHLON RACE SERIES 2017Scribe: WO1(ASM) P ClarkPrior to the start of my second season as the organiser for theREME Triathlon Race Series, the decision was made that theemphasis should continue to be placed on ensuring the racesare ‘user friendly’ to novice athletes who wish to participate.With Army Triathlon having a successful series of races that canaccommodate the more seasoned athlete, the REME serieswould be tailored to bring ‘new blood’ into the sport. Thiswould ensure we continue to have a strong representation as aCorps at Army level and higher.

The season was a three-race series consisting of two Sprint Triathlonsand one Sprint Duathlon. With a majority of the entries throughout theseason being that of the ‘novice’ category our pre-season planning seemedeffective. All personnel who participated showed great enthusiasm andcomments only seemed positive from an enjoyment perspective.Hopefully the 2018 season will be as successful with plenty of new athletestrying their hand at the sport.

Transition during Race 2.

FUTURE EVENTS:2018 REME Race Series:Wed 18 April - Sprint Duathlon, LynehamWed 16 May - Sprint Triathlon, TidworthWed 13 June - Sprint Triathlon, Tidworth18-19 (Specific date TBC) July – Super Sprint Duathlon Relay,Lyneham (to be part of the Festival of Sport)TBC, Army Standard (Inter-Corps) – this will be the first timewe will be presenting REME prizes.

I came up with the idea of setting up a 4 RIFLES Battalion TriathlonClub after swimming in open water in April and feeling like Ineeded to become a better swimmer. I was not new to Triathlonbut had never had great success. I had always been a good cross-country runner but had started to enjoy cycling more; I thoughtwhy not combine the three disciplines and rally the troops at thesame time.

The team consisted of experienced cyclists mostly from the LAD,who had also competed in the Army Sports South Cross CountryLeague. However, although I believed that we were hopefullyhalfway there, for most, it was swimming that was the main hurdle.

Training was set to four early mornings a week (0530hrs!) with amix of running on the track, swimming and Wattbike sessions. Ipromised those team members who elected to remain as part ofthe team that I was committed to getting them fitter and to workon whatever strengths and weaknesses they had.

As I mentioned swimming was the biggest challenge. We werevery fortunate to have a former Army Swimming Championcoaching us. It felt like we were learning to walk again!

As time went by the results of the training were really beginningto show, especially in swimming with everybody starting to glidethrough the water with half the effort. In the course of the trainingprogramme, my improvements were huge, particularly on thebike, and my swimming technique was coming along nicely too.

The first race was a Duathlon on the airfield at Abingdon. All theteam members were novices apart from me, but we all did

exceptionally well and came very close to winning medals.The second race was a Sprint Triathlon at Tidworth. The

swimming component was in a pool and we saw vastimprovements, with everybody getting good times in alldisciplines. Despite having a stomach bug, I competed to ensure Idid not let the team down (being Team Captain), however my pacewas definitely affected. Sgt Davies and Captain Sarah D'Inverno,who were always consistent walked away with medals. Those whodid not win medals, yet again only missed out by a place or two.The whole team enjoyed it apart from myself (clearly).

The final race was another Sprint Triathlon back at Tidworth. Wehad all been on great form in our training sessions and werefeeling confident and were motivated to beat our previous times.It turned out to be a very successful race, with everybody beatingtheir previous times by large margins just as I knew we were allcapable of. It was an outstanding race for Sgt Burnett and I beatingour previous times by 17 and eight minutes respectively.

The team walked away as series Minor Unit Champions. Theindividual season achievements were, Female Champion CaptainD'Inverno, Male Champion SSgt Wainwright and 3rd Male SgtDavies, with other team members just off medal placings.

We all walked away with a big sense of achievement. As a result,the challenge for next year’s series has already been set. I am stillrunning the club with the hope that we will start with a strongerteam than we finished with this season and finally be able toovertake the youngsters in the swimming pool!

MALE CHAMPION PERSPECTIVEScribe: SSgt A Wainwright

Male Champion - SSgt A Wainwright, 4 RIFLES LADFemale Champion - Capt S D'Inverno, 4 RIFLES LADNovice Champion - SSgt N Anderson, 16 Medical Regt WkspMale Vet Champion - Maj S Cope, Warminster Garrison Major Unit Champions - 8 Fd Coy (PARA)WkspMinor Unit Champions - 4 RIFLES LAD

2017 SEASON PRIZE WINNERS

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Anyone requiring info on REME Triathlon should contact: WO1 Clark: [email protected]

NOVICE CHAMPION PERSPECTIVE Scribe: SSgt N Anderson

16 Medical Regt LAD entered the REME/RLC/AGC Triathlon series which started on 26 April 2017; ablustery day which proved to make the event more challenging than we had all originallyanticipated. The Duathlon event hosted in Abingdon included a 5km run followed by a 21.5kmcycle and a final 2.5km run. As a team we finished 2nd Minor Unit and I personally finished the firstrace 28th out of the 70 competitors, which I was determined to improve on in the next event.

The next event was to be hosted in Tidworth; a Sprint distance Triathlon. As a team we were allkeen to improve our performances, therefore we chose to focus our training on improving ourswimming and transition times. This specific training facilitated massive improvements across theteam. The unit finished 2nd again in the Minor Unit competition and I personally finished 15th; amarked improvement.

The final race of the series was hosted in Tidworth on 19 Jul 2017. Havingcompleted the previous races all team members were eager to improve ontheir prior performances. The event was another huge success, with 16Medical Regt LAD finishing the season as Minor Unit Runner’s Up. Ipersonally managed to win the Novice Champion category with Sgt Judgefinishing in third.

All members of the LAD thoroughly enjoyed the challenge each racebrought and the professional manner in which they were hosted; as a teamwe are looking forward to next year’s competition in hope of bringing homesome silverware.There is no ‘right way’ in T1.

Sprint Duathlon 2017 start line.

30-31 January 2018

Book your space with one of the POCs below:MTI Champion – Maj Pip Lines REME OC Corunna Coy ATR (Winchester)

email ATR [email protected] Mil 94275 4241 Civ 01962 888241Course Lead – Lt Jilly Tovey REME 8 Pl Comd ATR Winchester

email [email protected] Mil 94275 4223 Civ 01962 888223

Ex REME DYNAMIC RUNNER 17Exercise Leader: Lt Col A J Hampshire Chairman REME Orienteering: Col E R B Heal OBE

Ex REME DYNAMIC RUNNER 17 was an orienteeringtraining exercise in the Cairngorms in Scotlandcomprising of seven races in seven days. It wasconducted in some of the most physically andtechnically demanding orienteering terrain in the UKand allowed over 3200 civilian and military orienteersto compete against an international field from 33countries. Our REME team consisted of ten personnelfrom Cfn to Col with widely different levels ofexperience.

Day 1: Glen Tanar

Day 3: Birsemore Hill

Scribe: LCpl Honey 2 CS Bn REMEHaving never seriously doneorienteering before, the first daywas always going to be a massivelearning curve for me. After takingthe bus from our campsite wearrived at the race arena where Iwas shocked by the large numberof very serious looking competitorsand tents with flags proudlyshowing which club or countrythey belonged to. As my allocatedstart time drew near it was time tohead to the start - a PT session initself, as the 2.9km walk finishedwith a very steep incline andproved challenging in the heat.Having reached the start, I decidedto try and talk to other competitorsin order to get some insideinformation and ease my growinganxiety. This, however, didn’t work because every time I toldsomeone what course I was on and how much orienteering I haddone they just replied ‘oh no’ or ‘oh dear’. Undeterred, I startedand made my way to the first control. It took me a while to find itbut my confidence grew until the final control when I gotcompletely lost. Needing help, I spotted a friendly face and askedwhere it was. Hanging out at this point I punched the control theyhad pointed to and then ran to the finish. Unfortunately I had notchecked the number on the final control and was thereforedisqualified for punching the wrong control!

Scribe: Lt Churcher 2 CS Bn REMEHaving built up my confidenceand experience during the firsttwo days, I felt suitablyequipped to achieve a goodtime for the third day. Uponstarting the course I instantlypicked a difficult route to thefirst control through densewoodland and across a ravine.Thoroughly scratched andbitten, I resolved in future toselect easier yet longer routes.This tactic paid off immenselyand I managed to pick up thepace for the rest of the race. Itwas a great feeling to finally hitthe last control afterscrambling through the hills,marshes and varied woodlandand an even greater sense ofsatisfaction when I found out Ihad come 17th out of the 56competitors in my class.

Day 2: Balfour ForestScribe: Cfn Saul 2 CS Bn REMEMy previous experience of orienteering was at the REMEOrienteering Championships in 2016, although the course thenwas at a much easier level. On the first day I therefore took mytime to understand how much more difficult running a bluecourse was to a green course. This meant, although the terrainwas similar, I ran at a much faster pace through a variety of hillsand forests dotted with marshland and thick shrubbery on thesecond day. I also found the Day two course had a lot more legsfrom one control to the next, some of which were a lot shorterthan others I had ran before and this meant I had to be verycareful not to over-shoot the control I was looking for. Luckilythere were a few fences, stone walls and fire breaks between thetrees which I used to check my navigation and plan an easier andmost likely quicker route between controls. I would recommendthis sport to everyone, as I think it is much more exciting thancross country running due to the ability to choose your own routeacross the terrain combined with the challenge of hunting for thecontrols.


Day 4: Creag Choinnich

Day 5 Glen Feardar

Day 6 Glen Feardar

Scribe: Sgt Leonard 8 Trg Bn REMEI was looking forward to the final day aftermaking a major mistake on Day 5. No mistakesand a good, competitive time was my aim. Onpicking up the map at the start I deliberately didnot rush and, after cautiously approaching thefirst control, found it quickly with accuratenavigation skills that had improved dramaticallythroughout the week. This boosted my confidenceso much that I took a quick bearing to the nextcontrol and as a result ran off 180 degrees in thewrong direction! Fortunately, after only running acouple of hundred metres across unforgivingterrain, I realised nothing seemed to correspondwith the map and after a few expletives set off inthe correct direction. Luckily this mistake onlycost me ten minutes and I completed theremainder of the course, after double-checking allof my bearings, in a respectable time. Overall Ifound the week to be a fantastic opportunity togain fitness and enhance my micro navigationskills whilst competing with the best in the sport.

Scribe: WO2 (AQMS) Nolan QRH LADI welcomed the next day where, despite fatigued legs, I foundmyself able to quickly identify complex contour features, retainheight where applicable and plan on the move. With genuineconfidence in my compass work I delivered a competitive timeand was very happy to achieve my best result. Although I finishedin the latter half of the league (but not last!) I found some solacein a comment from another orienteer who kindly told me that Iwas effectively ‘Pub League’ competing against ‘Real Madrid’.What other sport allows you to do this!?

Scribe: WO2 (AQMS) Nolan QRH LADOn day four the course was close to BalmoralCastle and back to normal jogging in the forestand knees to chest in the heather. The terrain hadsome very steep slopes peaking at 700m and thismade it extremely tough underfoot. Fortunatelythere were a few stone walls to aid with navigationbut, as I had learnt over the previous four races,concentrating on the contours and trusting thecompass was the only way to complete my coursecompetitively. Although I was one of the moreexperienced orienteers in the team, I found myorienteering skills had significantly improved sincethe first day and I was gaining more and moreconfidence. The maps and mountains had startedto become less formidable and more familiar.

The following dates will be of use to anyone interested in developing their orienteering skills and wanting to represent REME at Orienteering:

2 - 3 December 2017 – Army Inter Corps Orienteering ChampionshipSummer 2018 – Overseas REME Orienteering Training Exercise

Further information can be found on the REME Orienteering Facebook page or from Lt Michelle Scott(Secretary REME Orienteering) on [email protected] or 95481 4548.

Sprint Event (or Rest Day!): BallaterScribe: Cfn Darling 2 CS Bn REMEI didn’t know what to expect when I was told the sprint eventwould be on urban terrain but it turned out to be much simplerand fast paced than the previous three days. As the terrain wasrelatively flat and the controls very close together it only took mea minute or two to get from one control to the other. Thedownside of this was I had a lot less time to navigate and plan myroute to the next control. Also the weather down in the valley wasa lot hotter and energy sapping than in the forest. Due to this Iquickly got tired during the sprint, which made it hard to keep upa fast pace. Overall I found the urban sprint to be a very adifferent style of orienteering experience and I amlooking forward to the relative comfort of runningthrough the more technical demanding hills andvalleys and outstanding views during days four tosix.



Maj Fergus Sullivan DE&SAfter the crew had assembled on the first morning at the ArmyOffshore Sailing Centre in Gosport we quickly got kit stowed, theboat victualled and completed the essential safety briefs and wereready to go. As all of us (Lt Col Adrian Norton, Capt Wayne Ellis, SSgtEmmet Watson and LCpl Rob King) were all relatively experienced itwas pretty easy, however as we were heading across the Channel, Iwanted somebody to go through my passage plan and check all ofmy calculations and assumptions. Once thoroughly checked (all fourof my crew mates took turns to check and critique my work) and theweather forecast taken down we slipped from Fort Block House andheaded for Guernsey via the Alderney Race.

Our first decision was whether to sail east or west around the Isleof Wight. The eastern route is marginally shorter, however if you sailalong the Solent and then through the Needles Channel, when youturn south to head to France you get a better wind angle from the

Capt Greg Howard 5 FS Bn REME

During my 23 years’ service to dateI have been fortunate to havebeen given the opportunity to

participate in a diverse range ofAdventurous Training activities such astrekking, skiing, kayaking, rock climbingand yet more trekking. However, it wasonly recently that I had the opportunityto sail and am very glad that I did eventhough my childhood was spent on the coast, I had never set foot ona sailing vessel and a ferry to France is the closest I got, so theexperience was a completely new one. Once I had survived the initialtwo days on the Solent, which was incredibly pleasant with sunburnbeing the only negative, I was sold and sought to build on this initialexposure and begin attaining some formal qualifications; this iswhere Ex TIGER FIRST REACH begins.

The Corps, with regards to sailing, is incredibly fortunate. We owntwo high quality sailing boats, which have a permanent mooring inGosport with the Army Sailing Association. These are maintained bythe Corps Boson, Sgt Delaney, on a permanent basis and they arespotless. Craftsman and Sea Horse were used to facilitate the coursewhich took ten complete novices and over five days would see themall qualified as Competent Crew. As a civilian this would cost £600but for the military it is a bargain at £15.

Each boat visited a number of locations in the Solent such asCowes, Yarmouth and the River Hamble and covered thebasic knowledge needed to be a constructive memberof a future crew. Subjects such as navigation, knot tying,general sailing theory as well as plenty of practice sailingthe actual boat were covered, and whilst technically easythere was a large amount to absorb. It was a learningexperience for some in other unexpected areas as well.There is no rank structure on the boat, you have theSkipper and the First Mate and you all muck in as a teamwhich includes the cooking and cleaning. For some,cooking a complete meal was a completely new thingand I found myself teaching some of the younger crewmembers how to boil a kettle, make toast, chop anonion and also plan a full meal. Whilst this may soundrelatively easy, doing it in a small galley (on shore itwould be called a kitchenette), whilst everything isrocking, is a real art.

Sailing, for me, has been the one AT discipline that hasresonated and one that I intend to develop on. For mostof the crew they felt the same and with sailing being lesswidely appreciated through the Corps our chances arevery good. When you pair this with the available facilitiesat the Joint Services Adventurous Sailing Centre which isin the same location, anyone wishing to develop theirsailing abilities for very little cost can do so rapidly. Iabsolutely recommend you to do so.

REME Yacht Club Sail Training ExerciseEx TIGER FIRST REACH

Novice sailors who gained their RYA Competent Crew

In September 2017, the REME Yacht Club ran twoone-week long sail training weeks. Week 1 was forcomplete novices. The Corps’ two Halberg Rassey342 yachts cruised around the Solent as Maj (Retd)Steve Taylor and Sgt Brad Delaney took tensoldiers and officers through the Royal YachtingAssociation (RYA) Competent Crew syllabus. Thesecond week was for more experienced personnel;with one boat sailing from Gosport to France viaGuernsey.

Cruising past the Needles making slow but noisy progress hoping for some wind to fill our sails (from left: Capt Wayne Ellis, LCpl Rob King,

Lt Col Adrian Norton and Maj Fergus Sullivan).


Tuesday, we moored up in Guernsey.We all rested for a few hours and then went off to stretch our legs

exploring St Peter Port. Our afternoon was spent producing passageand pilotage plans for our leg to Cherbourg.

Early on Wednesday morning we slipped, motored out of theharbour and hoisted our sails; luckily this would be thelast time that we would use our engine until we wereinside the outer breakwater at Cherbourg Harbour.What a difference a day makes, we had fair wind andtide all the way; our maths again turned out to becorrect and we arrived at the Alderney Race onschedule being carried along on the favourable currenttaking us NE. It was so good that we had to spendabout an hour tacking to get back to the coast wherethe currents and eddies were more favourable for ourapproach into Cherbourg Harbour. Because we hadhad to motor so much the previous day, we decided totry and sail as much as possible, only switching theengine on when we were ½ a mile from our mooring. Itwas a great day on the water, the sun shone for most ofit and we were lucky enough to be joined by severalpods of dolphins (the biggest group travelling with usfrom the entrance to St Peter Port to half way up theeastern side of Herm). As many of us are family menand eating out usually involves a greasy burger in asoft play area, we took the opportunity to eat out andhave a civilised beer in Cherbourg town.

The weather early on Thursday, turned out to be very

prevailing South-Westerlies. This latter route will alsogive a crew the opportunity to remember and revisesailing skills before reaching open water. We decidedto go via the Needles, hoping for fair winds. As itturned out we got virtually no wind and had to motorfor long sections of the crossing!

When the Atlantic Ocean travels along the northcoast of France it hits the Cherbourg Peninsular andchanges direction by 90o. Simultaneously, it isfunnelled through the bottleneck created between theChannel Islands and the European mainland. Themassive mass of water ends up speeding up andsurging through any gap that it can, including theAlderney Race; at times it can run through the 15 mileswide gap at 13 knots (13 nautical miles an hour – ouryacht can only do a maximum of seven knots). Thestrength, direction and time of these currents havebeen studied and recorded, so it is pretty easy tocalculate when they will be fair or foul (depending onyour direction of travel) and when you need to getthere in order to get through. Our window ofopportunity opened at 0300hrs and closed six hourslater. This meant that we had a schedule to adhere toand because the wind was fluky and very light our sailing expeditionturned into a motoring one! We quickly cruised past Cowes,Yarmouth and the Needles, making slow but noisy progress hopingfor some wind to fill our sails. Before nightfall we ate our eveningmeal, organised ourselves into our two watches and established our

Leaving St Peter Port, Guernsey at dawn (from left – Lt Col Adrian Norton, SSgt Emmet Watson (pretending that his thermal cup is a pirate’s telescope),

Capt Wayne Ellis and Maj Fergus Sullivan).

Goodbye France.

One of the many dolphins who kept Craftsman company on her journey from Guernsey to Cherbourg.

routine. As skipper, I ended up straddling the twowatches, checking our progress on the chart, tryingto cat nap and jumping up at any change in boatnoise, wind angle or crew. In the middle of theEnglish Channel, for safety there is a trafficseparation scheme with all the east going trafficusing one area and the west bound vessels another.As we were going almost due south, we had to crossstraight through these in the middle of the night,trying to work out what the bigger ships were doingand adjusting our course accordingly. Once throughthis zone, we started to make out lights on bothAlderney and the Cherbourg Peninsular and aimedfor the gap in the middle. Our speed, time anddistance calculations had been correct and wearrived at the Alderney Race with a fair tide. SoonCraftsman had doubled her speed and was racingthrough the water at 11 knots. As I had been awakefor 20 hours by this time I grabbed an hour’s sleepwhilst Wayne and Emmet kept us heading towards StPeters Port in Guernsey; however, I was up in time topilot us through all the rocks that lurk outside theharbour’s entrance. As dawn was breaking on


If you are a novice or experienced sailor and would like to knowmore about of fshore sa i l ing with REME, p lease v is i thttp://remeyachtclub.com/. In 2018 there will be a varied calen-dar of events including training, racing and expeditions. All ofthese of are open to serving Regular and Reserve personnel andmany are open to retired personnel as well as dependants.

similar to that of Monday and Tuesday; without wind. However,because we had to get the boat back to Gosport we were left withonly one choice, so we put the engine on and chugged our waynorth. Because crossing the traffic separation scheme had been sointeresting in the darkness we deliberately timed it so that we wouldcross it in the daylight. This was just as interesting, as ships sped up,slowed down and then performed 90o turns and crossed across thefront of each other. We stayed out of the way and went through itsafely. Shortly after this, as the sun was setting, the wind filled in, sowe hoisted our sails and turned off the engine. Soon we were racingalong making better speed than we had done with the engine on. Asdarkness enveloped us, we reefed down to reduce our sail area,however this did not have a significant impact on the boat’s speed.The ‘on watch’ picked up the lights on the Isle of Wight and pressedon towards the Needles Channel, taking us safely back into theSolent. This was a first for many of the crew; first time under canvaspast the Needles and also the first time in the dark. The wind heldand helped by a fair tide we were pushed down the Solent, acrossthe top of the Isle of Wight and back to Gosport as dawn wasbreaking. We tied up at Fort Block House, grabbed some kip beforecleaning the boat and handing it back to the Corps Bosun.

Although I have sailed across the Channel several times, I hadalways done so as the mate or crew. This was the first time I hadbeen in charge. It was exciting and scary at the same time. I am veryglad that I did it and had such a good crew to support me. I wouldlike to thank Capt Wayne Ellis and Capt Greg Howard; the former didso much to source crew for the training exercise whilst Greg acted asthe UATO and helped with the essential paperwork.

Lunch-time Music atSt Eligius ChurchArbor�eld Green

A New Series of Concerts

in 2018

All Concerts are on a Wednesday and start at 1230hrs

17 January Guy Murgatroyd, Piano 14 February The Wokingham Rock Choir Glen Harvey, Leader 14 March Margaret Bolt & Susan Frost, Piano Duo

11 April Students The Sixth Form College, Farnborough 16 May Rebecca White, Soprano

Admission is free, to include a bu�et lunch

in support of St Eligius

Church

To book your lunch, please,

contact Rita Le Var

01252 372320 [email protected]

St Eligius Church, Tope Road, Arbor�eld Green, Reading, Berkshire RG2 9NB

Manager:SSgt Yassin 94342335 [email protected] [email protected] SSgt Pugh

£35Entrance Fee

REME CRAFTSMAN CUP CRICKET 2018

THE CRAFTSMAN CUPApril - July

Open to all Regular and Reserve Units

REME Major & Minor CompA Plate 6 CompCup Final


Entertainm

ent w

ill be provided

by the RE

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all hou

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The closing da

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tact

WO2 Jay Hop

kinson

on (

95481 4096 or 0

1249 89 4096 or

jason.ho

pkinson3

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.uk

Prior to the Co

rps Dinn

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e Co

rps Warrant Officers’ &

Sergean

ts’ M

ess meetin

g will ta

ke place at 1

500h

rs on the 20 April 2018.

Please can

all pe

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the PM

C.

The

Corp

s W

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ffic

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Ser

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18 S

prin

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Will be he

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The Harris MM Warrant Officers’ and

Sergean

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at The

Prince Ph

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20th Ap

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All serving

and

eligible re

tired

WOs a

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attend

wha

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be an

excellent evening

.

LCpl Chapman getting someair on the skills track

Scribe: LCpl Smalley

Our instructors, Sgt Brown (1 Regt AAC) and Cpl Wrigglesworthflying the flag after a three miles climb

Team photo after completing the downhill day

During 16-20 October 2017, members of 4 Regiment AACWorkshop took to the hills of North Wales on what was tobe a fantastic week of mountain biking. Within the group

was a vast spectrum of talent, ranging from experiencedinstructors to people who had never even sat on a mountainbike before. Rookie mistakes were quickly ironed out by theinstructors, which saw one of the riders insisting on wearinggrip-less sealskin overshoes and a neoprene padded seat.

Before leaving Capel Curig Training Camp each morning, the‘M-Check’ was conducted on every bike. This is a thorough safetycheck of all the bikes’ mechanics. After seeing the damage andrepairs required after each day’s ride, it was clear to see whysuch attention should be paid inthis area.

Wasting no time, we set offon Monday for some ‘ease in’familiarisation training onthe Cyflym Coch trail. Well,that’s what we thought itwould be. After a few hoursof practicing on berms andpump tracks and only a fewbusted shins later, everyoneseemed to pick up the basics. From here it was onwards andupwards... and upwards some more!

Building on our skills from day one, the next two days (CoedLlandegla trail – Day 2 and The Marin trail – Day 3) incorporatedsome intermediate level red and even advanced level blackroutes which included jumps, drop offs and northshores. All ofwhich tested the bikes and riders to their limits. These routesoffered two completely different styles of mountain biking, onebeing natural, as on the Marin Trail which is a dense forest trailwith naturally occurring obstacles; the other being man-made,with purposely placed obstacles to maximise the ratio of speedto skill, with one of our experienced riders reaching50km/h! Unfortunately we did take a casualty when LCplPatterson took a rough landing from a drop off and managed to

Ex MOUNTAINDRAGON 17

656 ES Avn Pl 4 Regt AAC Wksp

‘One more hill!’Possibly the mostcommon phrase

heard throughoutthe entire week!


Sealskin overshoes will keepmy feet dry’ - Cpl Farres

land shoulder first into the nearest ditch, resulting in anexcruciating shoulder dislocation.

Both styles of biking saw for some serious uphill pushes withheart rate monitors reaching their max. All of this wascompletely worth it for the incredible views and scenery of theNorth Wales mountain ranges. But within the first three days,we’d already had some equipment casualties and were onto oursecond reserve bikes. Not to worry though, in true REME fashionthe broken bikes were quickly repaired at the end of the day,with plenty of time left over for the pub.

With a completed fleet of repaired bikes and a team ofconfident riders, we were ready to tackle the much talked about‘Downhill Day’ on our final day’s riding. On arrival to AnturStiniog, we were greeted by fully armoured riders with bikesworth more than your average car. Feeling a bit underdressedwearing only helmets and PT kit, we made our way to the frontof the queue to be in the first wave of riders to come down the‘Jymper’ trail. This trail centre strapped the bike to a trailer andtook you up to the top of the hill in a minibus without any needto ride uphill.

After four consecutive runs we were shaving minutes off ourpersonal best times with each run. We were however starting tofeel the effects of the constant bombardment of jumps, dropoffs and some fairly spectacular rider dismounts captured onGoPro, so felt it was time for some lunch and a chance tocompare our wounds.

The weather continued to get worse but this did not dampenour spirits, it only dampened the Welsh slate and brought forsome new challenges, with some riders even taking on the morechallenging ‘Scrubadub’ and ‘Drafft’ routes. It was fair to say thatall levels of riders felt pushed outside their comfort zones,gaining incredible experience and sparking some new passionsfor the sport of mountain biking.

Mid-trail BDR to fix the rear mech cable

A team photo at the end of a hard hill climb



diers were executed at Poperinghe and buried close by in PoperingheNew Military Cemetery.

Other notable visits included respectful stops at the graves of CaptChivas RAMC double Victoria Cross and Military Cross winner and 15-year old Rifleman Valentine Joe Strudwick from Dorking, Surrey.

In Zonnebeke’s Memorial Museum, the history of the Ypres Salientis brought to life with many exhibits of trench warfare from weaponsto gas masks and flame-throwers.

Close by, the church was rebuilt shortly after WWI but 30-odd footbeneath it, the Belgians uncovered a large, deep concrete bunker

containing several cavernousmedical treatment, storage andaccommodation cells. However,this underground complex hadlong been water-filled whichactually helped to preserve it.Last summer, in recognition ofthe 100 years anniversary of theBattle of Passchendaele it hadbeen drained, thus allowing vis-i t o r s w h i c h h a v e r e c e n t l yincluded Prince Charles, PrinceWilliam and the Belgian Royals,to descend and experience thedank, difficult conditions below.

The bunker is now closed and flooded once again to preserve the site,when it will be open to the public again no one knows.

There was just enough time left tocall in at Passchendaele’s New BritishCemetery to look over the 2,101graves there, three quarters of themmarked ‘Known unto God’ these arethe last resting places of some of theunknown soldiers who lost their livesin this terrible battle in truly horren-dous conditions. After this verypoignant visit we headed off to catchour train.

Having settled into our seats, wepondered on the ease of moderntravel compared with the strenuousand perilous journeys those bravesoldiers of 100 years ago made whenthere was the ever-present fear of itbeing just a one-way trip.

A truly emotive and enriching visit.

Visit to Ypres

Asmall party from the branch made a weekend journey, on 7 and8 October to Passchendaele to visit several WW1 cemetery’s.The highlight of the trip was attending the daily ceremony of

remembrance in Ypres at the packed evening parade at the MeninGate, beneath the memorial’s archways.

Conducted by the Last Post Association in Belgium, wreathes werelaid during the ceremony with the exhortation following the sound-ing of the Last Post.

However, the chilling cold rain and wind left us in urgent need ofnourishment and rehydration and we found this in abundance at theYellow Trumpet restaurant in the old town square. Our top choice ofrations for the night was very rare and tasty Belgian Blue steak andchips washed down with some highly refreshing local brew.

During our tour we managed a visit to Essex Farm just north ofYpres, where the Advanced DressingStation was located. Here too, the 49thWest Riding Division is commemorated,as is the Canadian Field Artillery ’sfamous son John McCrae. He is famousfor penning the highly emotive poem‘In Flanders Fields the poppies blow…‘

There was a short stop at the ‘DeathCell Memorial’ in Poperinghe (a namefamiliar to many an old REME soldier),where a number of soldiers were exe-cuted. The execution pole is still stand-ing outside the prison cell’s where thelast messages and thoughts of lovedones are scratched into the brickwork; itis a chilling reminder of the war’s darker chapters. Of over 3,000 deathsentences handed down, 306 were actually carried out and 17 sol-

Scribe: Michaela Reay

SURREY BRANCHR E M E A S S O C I A T I O N

Branch Annual Dinner

On 26 May last year the Branch held the Annual Dinner atThe Bridge House Hotel in Reigate. The dinner was verywell attended and on this occasion the Guest of Honour

was Col Ingrid Rolland, Assistant Head of Army Research Capabil-ity at HQ Army Personnel Research Centre (soon to be Brig IngridRolland, Head of Personnel Strategy within the Directorate of Per-sonnel). Many congratulations to her on her promotion. She wasaccompanied by her husband, Capt Stuart Tribelnig the PSAO 150Recovery Company REME.

Surrey Branch Information

The Branch is keen to welcome new and prospective membersto our ranks, in particular it will be good to see those who arecurrently serving or recently left the service, who can both

enhance existing links to the Corps and Branch and bring freshideas on how to develop and maintain the relevancy of the Asso-ciation to successive generations of REME Soldiers. For more infor-mation please contact Mr Robin Needham (Branch Secretary), Tel.07599 971839 or email to [email protected]. Branchmeetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month located at theArmy Reserve Centre in Croydon, Surrey.


Conditions at the Base were very hard and Capt Guckian tookan active role in promoting the living conditions for the soldierson the Base. This was most vividly shown in his enthusiastic pro-motion of sport. He took great pride in managing the Workshopfootball team to the Indian Command Final in 1946. Morale at the Workshop had never been high due to the condi-

tions and with rising resentment at the perceived slow pace ofdemobilisation, dissent increased. This came to a head when BrigGrieves (the Sub-Area Commander) visited the Workshop andaddressed the men with Col Apps. On receiving a list of demandsfrom a committee representing the soldiers, Col Apps read theMutiny Act to them. The committee requested that an Officerrepresent them in future discussions and nominated Capt Guck-ian. This request was immediately refused by Col Apps, buthighlights the regard with which he was held by his men. The sit-uation was deemed so serious at 10 Base Wksp, that a Junior Min-ister from the War Ministry was sent to India to directly addressthe soldiers. Ultimately, the situation was resolved with the natural dis-

bandment of the Workshop. Capt Guckian remained as QM andcompleted the successful disbandment of the Workshop with theclose assistance of Sgt Davies and Sgt Erskine. On the completionof this task he was transferred to the Indian Electrical andMechanical Engineers. His final posting was as OC of BelgaumWorkshops IEME before returning to the UK on Indian Inde-pendence. He was discharged from the Army on 28 August 1947.After briefly working in London he subsequently moved to

Dublin and gained employment with the Irish Office of PublicWorks as a Fisheries Harbours Engineer. The first harbour hedesigned was at Greencastle, County Donegal which continues tobe a thriving port to this day. He repeated this success across theRepublic of Ireland before being recruited to the United Nationsin 1966 as the Chief Engineer of the Fishery Harbours Section ofthe Food and Agricultural Organisation based in Rome. He trav-elled throughout the world in this role building harbours in aneffort to stimulate local economies in predominantly ThirdWorld countries.He retired in 1984 and enjoyed spending time in the UK, Italy

and Ireland. He was a keen fly fisherman, golfer and sports fan.He maintained a keen interest in world politics, military affairsand, in particular, REME matters. Col Apps remained a goodfriend throughout his life. He attended the annual REME RetiredOfficers’ dinner into his late 80s. Indeed, he was particularlypleased to discover one year that a fellow WW2 veteran, CaptBeasley, regularly fished the same beat on the River Deveron inScotland which he visited annually. A solid silver elephant wasbought by the Officers of 10 Base Wksp on the unit’s disband-ment and was presented to the REME HQ Officers’ Mess whereit still resides.A man of deep religious faith, Capt (Ret’d) Guckian died peace-

fully in his sleep surrounded by family in Mt Saint Joseph’s CareHome in Leeds. He married Joan Kelly in 1947. She predeceased him. They are

survived by four sons, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Capt (Ret’d) William Joseph Guckian, who has died on 14 August2017, aged 95 years old, served with the Corps during the SecondWorld War and was involved in the preparations for both theNormandy Landings and the planned invasion of the Japaneseoccupied territories.He was born in Claudy, County Londonderry in April 1922.

His father was a Sgt in the Royal Irish Constabulary and on dis-bandment of the RIC, the family, who were Roman Catholic,moved to Derry City, where he joined the family tailoring busi-ness. As a boy he excelled academically and he won a scholarshipto study at St Columb’s College. He subsequently gained a placeat Queen’s University in 1940 to study Civil Engineering. Whilstat University he enlisted with the OCTU and served as a CadetNCO with both the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Royal Engineers.It was during this period that he assisted with the civil contin-gency response to the Luftwaffe’s Blitz on Belfast in 1941 in hisrole as a Bomb Census Officer. In July 1943 he was selected for a commission in REME and in

September 1943 he attended training at Foremarke Hall, Der-byshire. He was commissioned in January 1944 and was postedto Scotland, based initially at the Command Workshop in Stirlingand subsequently at Lanarkwhere he was attached to 1Royal Scots. He was injuredduring this period when,whilst supervising training ona firing range, a soldier’s stengun misfired hitting him inthe leg leaving a cartridgefragment embedded there forthe rest of his life. In April 1944 he was posted

to the REME sub workshop atNewport on the Isle of Wight.They were tasked with thepreparation of specialist unitsfor Operation Overlord - theimpending beach landings inNormandy. After D-Day, focus on the

preparations for the invasionof Japan gained impetus. Heattended the Military School of Intelligence in early 1945 andcompleted the Far Eastern Warfare and Equipment Course. InApril 1945 he embarked on HMT Orion and sailed in convoy viathe Atlantic and Mediterranean to India. He arrived in Bombayon 6 May 1945 and immediately entrained to Avadi to join 10Base Workshop. This unit, led at that time by Col Phelps and sub-sequently by Col Apps, had been formed in 1944. It was the basefor all REME activities related to the proposed major advancesinto the Japanese occupied territories in South East Asia. Opera-tion Zipper, the planned invasion of Malaya and Singapore, wasplanned for August or September 1945.10 Base Workshop was composed of an RHQ and three techni-

cal sub-units (Tanks, Vehicles and Armaments). Its complimentwas over 2,500 Officers and other ranks. Operation Zipper was to involve beach landings on the

Malayan Coast close to Port Swettenham. He worked in a varietyof posts in his first few months; OC of the Foundry Workshop,Adjt of the Vehicle Workshop and in the RHQ as the QM.As the preparations reached their zenith, over half of the Work-

shop personnel were moved forward to Madras for the finalpreparation and examination of the vehicles to be used in the firstwaves of the invasion. Despite the Japanese surrender in August1945, Operation Zipper was proceeded with due to the uncer-tainty as to whether the Imperial Japanese Army would obeytheir orders to surrender. Indeed, the sheer scale of occupying theJapanese held territories ensured that work continued on 10 Baseat the pre-invasion pace until early 1946.

Capt (Ret’d) William Joseph Guckian

OBITUARIES

Former Cpl Walter (Wally) BoltonScribe: Graham A Matthews

It is with great sadness that I report the death of Wally Bolton amember of the Lincolnshire Branch, who passed away peacefullyat home on 13 October 2017 aged 93, after a short battle with can-cer.Wally was born in Boston on 25 October 1924, one of seven chil-

dren, two of whom died in infancy. He attended Carlton RoadSchool, leaving at the age of fourteen in 1938 to train as a Tool-maker for Fisher Clark, a label-making firm in Boston. Soon afterthe outbreak of the Second World War, the company moved toMacclesfield where he continued his apprenticeship. In 1940 helost his father when HMS Forfar was sunk in the Atlantic off theIrish coast. On his eighteenth birthday, in October 1942 he volun-


teered and enlisted, completing his basic training at Leicester. Hethen joined the newly formed REME and completed trade train-ing and in January 1943, he sailed with his unit to Algeria. Formuch of this time he was attached to the Royal Welch Regimentand after the Africa campaign he was in the Allied invasion andadvance though Italy. He specialised in field guns, 25 poundersin particular but also maintained Bren gun carriers. He also sawaction in Naples where he was in support of the advancingtroops at Anzio. One of his abiding memories was the piles ofbodies he witnessed at Cassino and the waterlogged burial sitesbelow the monastery. As the war progressed he also had fondmemories of R&R around Lake Garda. After VE day he spenttime de-commissioning ordnance in Southern Italy and escortingprisoners to a POW camp in Yugoslavia. He also helped roundup rogue Hitler youth groups in Austria.He finished his Army service in Scotland and returned to the

Fisher Clark factory a far different person from the one who left asan 18 year old. He was awarded the Africa Star, The Italy Star,The 1939-1945 Star, The 1939-1945 War Medal and the DefenceMedal.Wally remained at Fisher Clark as an engineer and then man-

ager, until his retirement.In 1952 he married Jean his wife of 64 years, they had two chil-

dren, Keith and Janice, threegrandchi ldren and two greatgrandchildren, after the death ofJean he was a widower for sixteenmonths.Wally, until his illness, was a reg-

ular supporter of the LincolnshireBranch, always cheerful and witty.He l o ved c h a t t i n g w i t h t h eyounger members and as the ill-ne s s c augh t up wi th h im heshowed admirable stoicism and hiswarmth and wit never diminished.Throughout his final ordeal hemaintained his courage and forti-tude. He led a full life and hadserved our Corps with honour andpride; he will be missed but never forgotten.A service of remembrance and committal for the cremation

was attended by many friends and family on Thursday 2 Novem-ber 2017 at St Guthlacs Church in Fishtoft, Boston. The BranchStandard was paraded with an Escort and Honour Guard madeup of Branch Members.The Last Post was played and the Branch paid final respects to

our fallen comrade.Wally is survived by his son Keith, daughter Janice and his

grandchildren and great grandchildren, our thoughts are withthem.

Sarra. They well recall following their dad’s antics on the fieldwith the eponymous cucumber sandwich teas afterwards. Hewas probably unique in that he was awarded both RAF andArmy colours for Cricket.1979 saw ‘Sgt Mac’ with yet another sunshine posting, 48

Comd Wksp as a military trainer having spent time at the Depotas DS for regimental duty courses. Many of the SRD and RDQstudents will remember him, having benefited from his adviceand friendship. In Cyprus, the Command Workshop ran most ofthe ranges and military training, for all units stationed atAkrotiri, including for other Army units and the RAF. Many dayswere spent together on the ranges and training for Comd Maint’sMilitary Skills Competition. My fortune was at Mac’s misfortune, when as a student on his

RDQ course, disaster struck and a severe injury to his kneeresulted in him withdrawing. His knee did not recover and hewas unable to return to the course.In my opinion, a loss to REME, asI believe he would have gone on tobecome RSM and probably a LEcommission. From 1981 and promoted to

Staff Sergeant, he was attached tothe Scots Guards based at ChelseaBks in London, which eventuallytook him on the QE2 to the SouthAtlantic during the Falklands cam-paign. Again, his military trainingwas put to good use during thejourney South. With insufficientGPMGs to go around, the LMGwas brought back into use. Macended up training Gurkhas onboard in the use of a weapon manyof them had not experienced.Mind you it may have been thearoma of curry coming from theGurkha ’ s ga l l ey tha t r ea l l yattracted him!Mac was a true family man hap-

piest when surrounded by his chil-dren, grandchildren, his dogs andmany other animals. He will besorely missed.

Former SSgt Rowland (Mac) McDowellScribes: Bill Jordan and Sarra Lane

I regret to inform the Corps of the death of Former SSgt “Mac”McDowell who passed away on 28 October 2017 after a long andhard battle against cancer. A Humanist ceremony was held atNorthampton Crematorium on 17 November 2017 with a verylarge turnout, an indication of how well Mac was liked.Mac was born, 5 April 1939 in New Delhi, India and after early

schooling in Shimla he was shipped off, quite literally, back toEngland to attend Gordon Boy’s School in Surrey. His military career consisted of two parts. In 1956 he joined the

RAF and trained as a Weapons Engineer, where alongside histrade he excelled at most sports. Playing Cricket, Hockey andBadminton for the RAF; he won many championships. With a bitof boxing and darts, on the side, he certainly had his sporting fin-gers in many pies! Either on posting or sporting events he trav-elled extensively throughout Ceylon, Singapore, Hong Kong andMalaysia. In 1972, as a result of trade restructuring, Mac decidedto leave the RAF.However, in 1974, after a couple of years in ‘Civvy Street’, a

very alien environment for him, he joined the Army and REMEto train as an Armourer. At this time in his career, when notworking, his love of Cricket really came to fruition. By this timehe was married to Lesley, with a wonderful family, Paul, Tim and

CASS – Former SSgt Gordon James Cass, passed away 18 Octo-ber 2017, aged 72. Dates of Service 1959 – 1994.COLLINGS – Former WO1 Brian Richard Collings, passed away11 November 2017, aged 91. Dates of Service 1953 – 1970.GUCKIAN – Capt (Re’td) William Joseph Guckian, passed away14 August 2017, aged 95. Dates of Service 1943 – 1947.HEWITT – Maj (Ret’d) Graham (Reg) Hewitt, passed away 27February 2017, aged 87. Dates of Service 1946 – 1976.LAMB – Maj (Ret’d) John Sedman Lamb, passed away 5 May2017, aged 83. Dates of Service 1951 – 1971. TRASK – Former Cpl Brian Trask, passed away 3 December2017, aged 71. WHITE – Capt (Re’td) Christopher White, passed away 8November 2017, aged 60. Dates of Service 1975 – 2002.

Death Notices

Death Notice RequirementsIn order to publish a death notice we require the followinginformation:Surname, first name, rank, full date of death, ages and dates

of service. An obituary with additional career and life information is

welcome. To inform us of the death, please contact Ms Bev Bate,

Co r p s We l f a r e Manage r on ( 01249 894523 o r [email protected]


Second Lieutenant T. M. WARNER 30222880 to be Lieutenant 13August 2017

ARMY RESERVEGroup ASecond Lieutenant (on probation) G. D. LEWIS 25233879 is con-firmed as Second Lieutenant 9 January 2015 (Belated Entry)

28 November 2017ARMY RESERVE

Group A Major P. M. STUART TD 509793 retires 13 March 2017

REGULAR ARMYThe following personnel have been awarded the 1st Clasp tothe Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Military)WO2, J. W. CRAGG, REME, 24822074CPL, T. G. SERUVATU, REME, 25157477The following personnel have been awarded the Long Serviceand Good Conduct Medal (Military)SGT J. W. ALLEN, REME, 25153320SSGT, W. T. BALL, REME, 25157658SSGT, B. FLOWERS, REME, 25140966SGT, J. L. HAMPSON, REME, 25140946SSGT, L. A. ILLINGWORTH, REME, 25139379CPL, D. I. LEITCH, REME, 25159594SGT, S. G. LOCKE, REME, 25148520SGT, B. P. McDANIEL, REME, 25153416SGT, D. NICOLL, REME, 25151008SSGT, M. T. SKELTON, REME, 25156212

7 November 2017REGULAR ARMY

Colonel M. J. PURNELL OBE 521687 retires 1 November 2017Intermediate Regular Commissions (Late Entry)Warrant Officer Class 2 (Acting Warrant Officer Class 1) GaryRITCHIE 25083254 to be Captain 4 September 2017The following personnel have been awarded the Long Serviceand Good Conduct Medal (Military)WO2, K. A. CHALMERS, REME, 25067104SGT, T. P. HOLDING, REME, 25157291CPL, S. L. JONES, REME, 25157643SSGT, M. R. JOPSON, REME, 25051285CPL, S. P. KENNY, REME, 25151224WO2, C. J. SAYER, REME, 25038162SGT, B. C. SCOTSON, REME, 25139500SGT, A. J. VERNON, REME, 25112162


Short Service CommissionsLieutenant J. C. DYKES 30089174 to be Captain 9 August 2017Lieutenant S. A. J. TOOTH 30089140 to be Captain 9 August 2017Lieutenant D. R. G. CHAYTOR 30089585 to be Captain 17 August2017Warrant Officer Class 1 Sean Mark HUNTER 25088258 to be Cap-tain 4 September 2017

ARMY RESERVEThe following officers have been awarded the 2nd Clasp to theVolunteer Reserves Service MedalMAJ, E. D. WILSON, REME, 548757The following officers have been awarded the 1st Clasp to theVolunteer Reserves Service MedalMAJ, E. D. WILSON, REME, 548757The following soldier has been awarded the 4th Clasp to theVolunteer Reserves Service MedalWO1, C. P. EVANS, REME, 24732721The following soldiers have been awarded the 3rd Clasp to theVolunteer Reserves Service MedalWO2, A. J. McCREADY, REME, 24880390The following soldiers have been awarded the 2nd Clasp to theVolunteer Reserves Service MedalSGT, J. D. BOUSKILL, REME, 24714290 SGT, A. J. CLEVELAND, REME, 24653267SSGT, N. J. EVES, REME, 24638664WO2, W. C. MERCER, REME, 24638757CPL, A. M. THOMAS, REME, 24873068LCPL, S. TISCHLER, REME, 24963232The following soldiers have been awarded the 1st Clasp to theVolunteer Reserves Service MedalCPL, D. C. DONNELLY, REME, 25158408SGT, K. J. LATIMER, REME, 25158761SSGT, P. G. ROGERS, REME, 24916144CPL, D. A. SCHOFIELD, REME, 25150724The following soldiers have been awarded the Volunteer Re-serves Service MedalCFN, E. F. C. GIBNEY, REME, 25232394LCPL, K. M. LETSON, REME, 30036665LCPL, S. L. ORTON, REME, W1044998SSGT, C. SHANKLAND, REME, 24929986


Intermediate Regular Commissions (Late Entry)Captain (Acting Major) W. K. BURNARD MBE 25016905 to beMajor 26 August 2017Short Service CommissionsLieutenant L. E. BARR 30124630 to be Captain 9 August 2017Lieutenant A. S. BROWNLIE 30123258 to be Captain 9 August2017Second Lieutenant A. G. POTTOW 30190183 to be Lieutenant 13August 2017

Extracts from theLondon Gazette

JANUARY 2018Lieutenant ColonelM J Edwards Def Adv BHC Uganda 15-Jan-18A R Elliott CO 5 FS Bn REME 15-Jan-18T J Stratton-Brown SO1 INFRA Del B, Army HQ DB&I 01-Jan-18C Sweeting Des Puma Gazelle Depth Mgr 29-Jan-18MajorM S Bagshaw ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18S J Bass ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18C M Broad ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18D S Burchell ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18R L Catchpole ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18M D Cope SO2A CSS HQ SEG 05-Jan-18A J M Davidson ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18C M Hazel ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18C W Jones ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18P S Jordon ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18O D Larsen ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18J A McHugh ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18R A McMahon ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18J M Murley 2IC 4 Armd CS Bn REME 08-Jan-18W Naylor SO2 Trg Req HQ DCTT 08-Jan-18S D Nel ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18C J Postlethwaite ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18J M Reed ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18R K Shandall-Wood ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18A P J Ward ICSC 14B Defence Academy 02-Jan-18CaptainP G Douthwaite Adjt 104 Bn REME 15-Jan-18A K Harrison-Wolff 2IC 10 Armd Coy 4 Armd CS Bn REME 08-Jan-18D N Middleton OC 32 Engr Regt LAD 08-Jan-18Second LieutenantE Baker Pl Comd 3 Armd CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18J Capel-Shyu Pl Comd 3 Armd CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18J A Chapman Pl Comd 6 Armd CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18L A Cox Pl Comd 5 FS Bn REME 22-Jan-18M J Edwards Fwd Tp Comd ES Sqn Cdo Log Regt 22-Jan-18D W Horsburgh Pl Comd 6 Armd CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18K J Jutsum Pl Comd 4 Armd CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18G M McKenna Pl Comd 2 CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18L R G M Mottley Pl Comd 1 CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18F Parker Pl Comd 4 Armd CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18J K Shenfield Pl Comd 8 Para Fd Coy 22-Jan-18L R Taylor Pl Comd 5 FS Bn REME 22-Jan-18N J Weaver Pl Comd 1 CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18J P GF Webb Pl Comd 2 CS Bn REME 22-Jan-18

Officer Assignments


The Trustees of The REME Charity acknowledge with sincerethanks the donations received during the month of November2017. They also wish to acknowledgethe regular subscriptions received fromthe Officers and Soldiers of the Corpsand retired members of the REME Insti-tution:

DonationsEdinburgh Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£1,000.00In Memory of Mr Joseph Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£212.90I L Tilson - Poppy Pin Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£125.00In Memory of Mr Peter Alwyn Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£117.89Lt Col (Retd) I Fountaine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£100.00In Memory of Sgt A Ellicott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£100.00In Memory of Mr Malcolm John Tanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£95.00In Memory of Major (Retd) Herbert Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£60.00REME 75 Poppy sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£50.00In Memory of Gerry Walters from A & D Branch . . . . . . . . . . . .£50.00Virgin Money Giving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£42.92In Memory of Geoffrey Edgar Boorman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£40.00C and C Nobbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£15.00Payroll giving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£14.44Robert Davies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£10.00Total Donations in November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£2,113.15

Donations/Grants made in 1 Jan - Nov 30 Total £’s paid in Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£188,150.30No. Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .374Average Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£503.07

If you would like to see how your money is spent, we welcomeone or two observers at The REME Charity meetings. The meet-ings are held midweek, approximately every three weeks. If youwould like to observe a meeting, please contact The REMECharity Secretary on ( Mil: 95481 4527 or Civ: 01249 894527 inthe first instance.

Anyone wishing to leave a legacy to The REME Charity, which is exempt from inheritance tax, can add a

codicil to their will. Our registered charity number is 1165868

The REME Charity

The Broxhead ClubThe Broxhead Club will be holding its Annual Dinner at thePrincess Marina Officers’ Mess (PMOM) Lyneham, Chippenham,SN15 4XX on the evening of Friday 6 April 2018, followed by theAGM on Saturday morning 7 April. It is intended that a Club visitwill be made to the REME Museum. Members, plus spouses orpartners are invited to attend. All inquiries to the Broxhead ClubSecretary, Major (Retd) Peter Benger TD REME Tel 01264 889313 oremail [email protected]. New members are especiallywelcome.

The Broxhead Club is affiliated to the REME Association. Mem-bership is open to Serving and Retired Officers of the REMEReserve, formerly REME TA and to officers of other Corps whohave had a connection with the REME Reserve Army. Membershipcosts £10 and includes a club tie (free for ladies). There are noannual subscriptions.

Newly Commissioned OfficersOn Saturday 25 November 2017, 2Lt Thomas Lord, 2Lt MatthewRoberts and 2Lt Tristan Blurton commissioned into the Corps ofRoyal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. As Gap Year Commis-sion Officers they will take up appointments at 2 Close SupportBattalion REME, 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion REME and 3Armoured Close Support Battalion REME for a year before going toUniversity to read degrees.

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The Craftsman is YOUR magazine,air YOUR views, share YOUR news

Corps Calendar 2017/2018February

7-22 REME75 REME Cricket Tour of New Zealand

20 The REME Charity Finance and Investment Committee

March

8 REME75 Corps Officers’ Mess Regimental Guest Night(subject to Royal Reception confirmation)

8 REME Charity Grants Committee

13 REME75 Institution Royal Reception(subject to confirmation)

TBC REME Association Executive Committee

15 Colonels’ Commandant Dinner

20 Museum Policy Committee Meeting

22 The REME Charity Trustees Workshop

29 HQ Officers Mess and REME Institution ExecutiveCommittee

April

6 The Broxhead Club Dinner

10 REME Soldiers’ Conference North – Tidworth

11 REME Aviation Soldiers’ Conference – Wattisham

12 REME Soldiers’ Conference South – Catterick

17 REME Soldiers’ Conference BF(G) – Paderborn

20 REME Warrant Officers’ Seminar – Lyneham

20 Corps WOs’ and Sgts’ Mess Spring Dinner Night

20-23 REME Association Weekend

24 REME75 Corps Athletics Championships

26 The REME Charity Trustees Meeting

26 Corps Officers’ Mess Spring Guest Night

27 Corps Council Meeting

28 Reserves Management Board

May

3 REME Young Officers’ Seminar and Dinner

7-18 Ex GRIFFIN SPANNER

10 REME Colonels’ Command Group

10 ES Executive Board

10 Corps Officers’ Mess Dinner Night

17 NMA Memorial Service

June

10 Colonel in Chief’s Birthday

21 REME Institution Beating Retreat and Cocktail Party

23 Armed Forces Day

26 REME Institution and HQ Officers’ Mess AGMs

July

15 Regimental Sunday Royal Hospital Chelsea

18 REME Craftsman Cup Cricket Competition

18-19 Sportsfest 18 (TBC)

19 REME Sports Awards Dinner


September

2-3 REME Reserves Conference - Lyneham

6 REME Colonels’ Command Group

6 ES Executive Board

6 Corps Officers’ Mess Dinner Night

11 REME Association Executive Committee Meeting

13 Senior Officers’ Conference Lyneham

14 Retired Officers’ Dinner

25 HQ Officers’ Mess & REME Institution Executive Committee

27 The REME Charity Finance and Investment Committee

29 Corps WOs’ & Sgts’ Mess Autumn Partners’ Dinner Night

October

5 Corps Officers’ Mess QMs’ Dinner

9 The REME Charity Grants Commitee

11 Orienteering REME Individual and Unit Championships

12 Orienteering REME Score Championships

12 Corps Conference, Tidworth

25 The REME Charity Trustees Meeting

25 Corps Officers’ Mess Autumn Guest Dinner Night

26 Corps Council Meeting


November

8 Field of Remembrance, Westminster

11 Remembrance Sunday

11 REME Association Cenotaph March Past

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