Grenadier Gazette 2013 the REGIMENTAL JOURNAL of the GRENADIER GUARDS
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ARDS U A G S S R O E I C 100 I D A A T I N YEARSO E N R G The Grenadier Gazette 2013 THE REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE GRENADIER GUARDS Issue No 36 Price £5.25 IN MEMORIAM Gdsm Michael Roland Gdsm Michael Roland died on Friday 27th April 2012 as the result of a gun shot wound sustained in Afghanistan whilst serving with the Queen’s Company in the Nahr-e-Saraj District, Helmand. He suffered the wounds whilst on a three day operation to push the insurgents away from the city of Gereshk and provide greater safety for the local people. Born on 5th August 1989 in Worthing, Sussex, Gdsm Roland was a sparky and diligent soldier with a bright future ahead of him. Respected and liked by all, he was a model Grenadier to which all Guardsmen should aspire. Gdsm Jamie Shadrake Gdsm Jamie Shadrake of the Reconnaissance Platoon, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died on the 17th of August 2012, of gun shot wounds sustained when his checkpoint was attacked by insurgents in the Nahr-e-Saraj District of Helmand Province. Gdsm Shadrake was born on the 14th of Aug 1992. He was an impressive soldier with a huge number of friends. Full of energy, enthusiasm and possessing a great sense of humour, he was a key ingredient in his tight knit unit. On the door-step of becoming a JNCO, he was a truly talented soldier with an abundance of passion and ability. Gdsm Karl Whittle Gdsm Karl Whittle of the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards died on the 7th of September 2012 in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, of gun shot wounds sustained when his checkpoint was attacked by insurgents in the Nahr-e-Saraj District of Helmand Province. Gdsm Whittle was born on the 26th of January 1990. One of the leading lights of his Company, he was compassionate, selfless and, despite his comparative inexperience, a figure others would turn to in the face of adversity. Gdsm Whittle was a soldier whose presence inspired confidence in all who were fortunate enough to know and work with him. LCpl James Ashworth LCpl James Ashworth died on the 13th of June 2012 as a result of small arms fire and a grenade explosion whilst on a deliberate operation with the Reconnaissance Platoon of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, in the Nahr-e-Saraj District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Born on the 26th of May 1989 in Corby, Northamptonshire, he died leading his soldiers from the front and showing extraordinary courage against a determined enemy. His utter professionalism under pressure and selfless commitment marked him as an exemplary junior leader. LCpl Duane Groom LCpl Duane Groom of The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards was killed in action on the 14th September 2012 by an improvised explosive device in the Nahr-e-Saraj District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Deployed on his second tour of Afghanistan he gave his life whilst protecting his Afghan and British colleagues as they extracted from a successful operation. Born in Suva City, Fiji, on the 7th of April 1980; he joined the British Army in 2007 and quickly established himself as an excellent soldier in every respect. He was tough, keen, and unflappable; always willing to help others, he possessed a great sense of humour and always had a smile on his face. Never forgotten 25514 Grenadier Gazette 2013_v7_Grenadier Gazette 2011_v26 05/03/2013 11:52 Page 1 GrTHEenadier C EL RS Gazette 2013 EBRATING 100 YEA THE REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE GRENADIER GUARDS CONTENTS PAGE THE BATTALION’S REGIMENTAL NEWS LAST TOUR IN Regimental Headquarters . 4 AFGHANISTAN Sergeants’ (Past and Present) Club . 6 Regimental Band . 8 Page 13 14th Company . 11 1st Battalion . 13 Nijmegen Company . 21 OTC COMMAND FEATURES CO QUEEN’S Horse Guards News . 24 UOTC IN BELFAST OTC Command CO Queen’s UOTC in Belfast . 26 by Lieutenant Colonel With the Army in Ireland . 28 Richard Maundrell Brigade Advisory Group . 30 Page 26 Guards Parachute Platoon 2011–2012 . 31 ABF – The Soldiers’ Charity . 33 Exercise Frosted Blade . 33 A Tragedy in Tunisia . 34 WITH THE ARMY Great Grenadiers – General Sir Charles Fergusson IN IRELAND – Scourge of field marshals . 37 by Capt JM Lindley Grenadier Names from the First World War . 39 Page 28 People . 41 THE REGIMENT – Regimental Rolls . 46 OBITUARIES . 54 GRENADIER GUARDS ASSOCIATION 61 A TRAGEDY IN News from the Dining Club . 66 TUNISIA Association Focus . 67 by Major PAJ Wright OBE Branch Notes . 83 Page 34 Who, What, When, Where? . 132 DIARY OF EVENTS . Inside Back Cover Back cover photo: The 1st Battalion in Aldershot courtesy of Tempest Photography. The GRENADIER GAZETTE is published annually in March. EDITORS: Colonel DJC Russell Parsons and Major A. J. Green, c/o Regimental Headquarters, Grenadier Guards Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London SW1E 6HQ (Tel: 0207-414 3225). All contributions to Regimental Treasurer. Email: [email protected] The opinions expressed in the articles of this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views, official or otherwise, of the Regiment or the MOD. This publication contains official information. It should be treated with discretion by the recipient. © Crown Copyright Member of the Association of Service Journals Printed by Healeys Print Group, Ipswich 1 25514 Grenadier Gazette 2013_v7_Grenadier Gazette 2011_v26 26/02/2013 09:17 Page 2 EDITORIAL have become familiar with over the last decade; second, Foreword a force capable of delivering the sort of overseas engagement and ‘capacity building’ that our by the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel grandfathers would have recognised; and third, a force designed to fulfil the demands of UK engagement, hat a year 2012 has been. As is well covered within standing commitments (which include Public Duties) and Wthis year’s excellent Gazette, the First Battalion homeland resilience. The concept envisages a structure completed a long, hard but satisfyingly productive tour of based on ‘Reaction’ forces designed to operate at high Afghanistan, which saw them back in the Upper Gereshk readiness, and ‘Adaptable’ forces to meet the challenges Valley for between 6 and 9 months, realising a level of of upstream capacity building (which in simple terms Afghan governance and security that was little more means training and supporting armies overseas), follow- than a dream when it operated over the same ground in on peace-keeping, and national resilience. 2007. The focus of this latest tour (which is probably The Household Division will play a full part in this their last, at least for this campaign ...) was the gradual new structure and will continue to look much as it does and continued transition of security responsibility to the now, with the Household Cavalry Regiment and the Afghan forces, and there is a legitimate expectation that Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment; the five the Afghans will be in a position to assume this mantle Regiments of Foot Guards; and three Public Duties in Helmand by the end of 2014. The First Battalion has Incremental Companies remaining on the Army’s order good reason to be proud of a job well done, but I know of battle. The Foot Guards will have two battalions and that Grenadiers far and wide are conscious of the three incremental companies committed to public sacrifice that has been made in its fulfilment. Thanks to duties, balanced by three battalions with an operational the work of many, not least that of Lieutenant Colonel focus based in barracks to the south west of London. Patrick Holcroft, whose selfless efforts were recognised While the detail of the basing plan is still to be by the appointment of LVO in the New Year’s Honours announced, the Army Command Group’s vision is for the List, the Colonel’s Fund is well placed to support five Foot Guards battalions to rotate through roles and Grenadiers and their families in the months and years to barracks, with the families quartered between them so come; to that end I would draw your attention to the as to minimise disruption for our families. So we have ‘Wellington Barracks to Waterloo’ sponsored bicycle ride, much to be pleased about, both as a Regiment and as a which will take place in September and needs your Division, but we should not under-estimate the pain support, whether on or off a bicycle. involved in reducing the Army by 20%, and be quite Back at home, Nijmegen Company and the Regimental clear that we will bear the pain of this reduction as Band have played a central part in Her Majesty The much as any other part of the Army, even if structurally Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and continued we will remain largely unaltered. That pain not with to ‘show the movement’ in one capacity or another standing, the model we have been given as part of ‘Army throughout the startlingly successful Olympic and 2020’ appears to deliver two essential elements which Paralympic Games which dominated life in London for are fundamental to us as Guardsmen: first, our dual role the latter part of the summer. Looking forward, the First as operational and Household troops is secure. And Battalion resumes the role of State Ceremonial and second, against the odds we have maintained our Public Duties in the summer when, I have no doubt, we uniquely homogenous ‘blue-red-blue’ federation. With all will witness a similar display of excellence on the parade of the above in mind, I judge that we are well set up to ground to that so unequivocally demonstrated in develop and adapt into the future, and that the Helmand over three successive tours.