GrenadierThe Gazette 2011 THE REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE GRENADIER GUARDS Issue No 34 Price £5.00 GrenadierTHE Gazette 2011 THE REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE GRENADIER GUARDS CONTENTS Page 1ST BATTALION REGIMENTAL NEWS UPDATE Regimental Headquarters . 4 Sergeants’ (Past and Present) Club . 7 page 14 Regimental Band . 8 14th Company . 12 1st Battalion . 14 Nijmegen Company . 21 AALTEN – 65TH FEATURES ANNIVERSARY by Horse Guards News . 24 Major General Sir People . 26 Evelyn Webb-Carter The 65th Anniversary of the Liberation at Aalten 32 US Command and General Staff Course . 34 page 32 Bobsleigh– a review . 35 Devotion to duty in charge of a Lewis gun . 37 US COMMAND Fight to the Finish . 38 A Crimean Christmas Dinner . 40 AND GENERAL General ‘Boy’ Browning . 41 STAFF COURSE by Major James THE REGIMENT – Regimental Rolls . 44 Greaves page 34 OBITUARIES . 52 GRENADIER GUARDS ASSOCIATION 61 DEVOTION TO Association Focus . 66 Grenadier Cadets . 67 DUTY IN CHARGE News from the Dining Club . 68 OF A LEWIS GUN Branch Notes . 85 Who, What, When, Where? . 130 page 37 DIARY OF EVENTS . 132 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). 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 EDITORIAL Welsh Guards, they will rotate on a two yearly basis Foreword between Lille and Cavalry Barracks Hounslow as by the Regimental Lieutenant they swap between 12 Brigade and London District. Their departure from Wellington will mark the end Colonel of the Army having a formed Battalion based in London. Nijmegen Company will join the other two Whereas last year was dominated by the 1st Battalion’s independent companies and all five Foot Guards bands highly successful tour in Afghanistan, this year has been in Wellington. It will be a great relief to have Nijmegen one where the whole Army has been braced for the back in central London after a less than satisfactory outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. period in Woolwich. While the Regiment has emerged from the autumn You will hear on a number of fronts of the continuing announce ments unscathed, and rightly so given the work that is being done by the President of the prominence of the infantry and the Foot Guards in Association and many other willing hands to shape the particular in the increasingly effective operations in Association for the future. I have been very clear that the Afghanistan, we remain alert for any emerging threats current Association branch structure will continue for as as the MOD continues to shape Defence to meet the long as its many devoted members wish it to. In parallel future demands of operations within what is affordable. we are establishing how the Association will be able to be It has been heartening to hear the Chief of the General relevant to the current and next generation, recog nising Staff re-affirm to the Army the value of ceremonial to the that while the central purpose of the Association will Monarchy and the Nation. Our twin role is thus properly remain to enable Grenadiers to keep in touch with each acknowledged. other and to provide support to those who need it, the During this year all key elements of the serving way that this is done will almost certainly change to Regiment will move to the barracks envisaged by the meet the needs of this generation and the next. I am London basing plan developed by London District. The grateful for all those who have engaged so positively in 1st Battalion will move out of Wellington to Lille this important work and I anticipate implementation of Barracks in Aldershot. Thereafter, paired with the the first strands during the year. EDITORIAL NOTES What a year this has been. This journal needs more pages. The Battalion has contributed both to operations in Afghanistan up to April last year, as well as then being at the heart of public and ceremonial duty in London. And for those who were there, who will not remember the presentation of New Colours on a bright if chilly day both at Buckingham Palace and Wellington Barracks – a remarkable parade from a battalion which had so recently returned from Helmand, and which then went on to the Trooping in such style? It has probably set the benchmark at how much can be achieved so soon after a gruelling tour, just as they start preparing their thoughts to go back to that now familiar part of the world in 2012. We are mindful of the cost of that 2009-2010 tour, 5 Grenadiers killed in action, with many more wounded, but also congratulate those singled out in the latest list for their gallantry: a Distinguished Service Order, a Military Cross, 5 Mentioned in Despatches (one of which was posthumous for Sgt Greenhalgh), as well as 2 Queen’s Commendations for Valuable Service – quite a list in all considering that the threshold for formal 2 E D I T O R I A L recognition is so high these days that so many other year. Limited space has meant that some have been feats and such an amount of enduring leadership do not edited a little. As ever, all Grenadiers, serving and receive formal recognition. Capt Stumpy Keeley was retired, should know that they can write in at any time then honoured with an MBE in the New Year’s List with ([email protected]). everything he achieved at home as Welfare Officer with the Battalion in Afghanistan. Grenadiers are competing well across every field. Many, many congratulations go to both Majors Andrew James and Chips Broughton in last week’s announcement on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel against such fierce competition across the Army, and on a list with such a drastic reduction in numbers. This follows the considerable success with commissioning, as well as such a talented crop of Grenadier WO1s going to influential jobs – you will read all about the individuals later in this edition. Defence Meanwhile it would be equally important to acknowledge the very considerable contributions made by other collective parts of the Regiment in 2010-2011. Readers will know about the headlines of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, and Defence having to take some very, very painful decisions into this year and beyond. Change programmes, early release It has been interesting to take stock of the Grenadier schemes and redundancy all point to a very different Survey (1185 responses received up to mid February) as Army after both this review and the latest planning a wonderful piece of free market research thank you to round. Some of the original figures may be unafford- Robin Reames and team, and note the general feedback able still. This all has very uncomfortable downstream on the Gazette. It seems that a ‘where are they now’ implications for Regimental business – a Regimental item would be particularly popular. Current thinking Headquarters under more pressure with less staff, with the Adjutant and in the Headquarters is that this more asked of more people with less, as well as some could be achieved by a closed section of the Regimental very uncomfortable changes and increases to the website as a ‘Linked-In’ forum for retired Grenadiers. activity levels of the band. This is all difficult and the Some type of summary could then be produced for the leadership challenges are considerable, especially when annual journal. That said, the Gazette would be benefit faced with a tsunami of information from different from any volunteer keen to offer more on this front – sources on change and drawdown. Those at the heart of your ideas would be very welcome on how best to get both organisations deserve real acknowledgement for more news out on the success and whereabouts of how traditional standards are being maintained individuals since they have left the Regiment. Your despite such pressures. journal does need someone with a good handle on the myriad of different careers that Grenadiers are now Future of Gazette embarked on. This edition of our journal contains a real mixture of Adieu articles from both the serving and retired elements of our Regiment. I continue to be hugely grateful to After so many years of being the stalwart Treasurer everyone giving up their time in submitting articles and and co-editor of this journal, we say goodbye to Trevor all other contributions. The result is a rich reflection of Rolfe. On your behalf, we would wish him every success current and historical information, spiced up by some in his retirement and huge gratitude for his hours of superb photographs and illustrations. There are one or diligence and care on all the Association sections of the two new contributors this year – thank you – and every Gazette. The Regiment is enormously grateful for his submission has been carefully read. Readers will find a stewardship in this regard which sees the journal, and growing total of serving guardsmen contributing this the Who, What, Where, When section, in fine fettle. 3 REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS Wellington Barracks, London Battalion’s deployment. Regimental Headquarters Regimental Headquarters worked tirelessly in support of the 1st Battalion where it was needed to provide as much support as we could Despite best efforts, the faces in Regimental Head - to the families of those who were away and especially to quarters have remained almost constant in 2011.