18 members were present for the October meeting.

The new branch standard was on view for the first time.
The gift (tankard) for Colonel Longman the outgoing Regimental Colonel was available to view.

The Chairman is not available to carry the Standard at the remembrance day service in Poole Park, so it's going to be me!

The annual Ladies lunch has been set for 25th January 2009

Kev Coughlin will lay a wreath on behalf of the branch at Poole Park on Remembrance Sunday.

The guest speaker was Capt Paul Stitson, Royal Marines.

Paul is the Training Officer for the Landing Craft Sqn at Royal Marines Hamworthy, Poole.

RM Hamworthy consists of 1 Assault Group ( who are due to move to Plymouth within a few years)
148 Bty RA ( these are the chaps who go ashore and direct naval gunfire)

and finally the Special Boat Service who are now the unit in charge of RM Hamworthy. For security reasons nothing more regards the SBS could be disclosed.

Paul then went on to brief us regarding his specialist subject, the Landing craft element of the Royal Marines. There are 27 different jobs in the Marines, two of which are unique to the Corps and not available elswhere in HM Forces, Mountain Leaders & Landing Craft. ( The army at Marchwood Port might float on water in boats but they don't handle landing craft)

A total of 300 Royal Marines from Marine to Lt Col make up the Landing Craft Element.

10 Sqn is based at Poole and deal with all amphibious training, 11 Sqn is at Instow in Devon and is a trials unit and is in fact the Royal Marines equivalent of ATDU.

Royal Marines must first serve in a Commando unit ( 40,42,45,) for a few years and then can apply to specialise.

The 3rd Class course lasts 16 weeks and in army speak is a B3 boat handling course. This is available to all ranks

2nd class course is for Cpl's and is 18 weeks long and is equal to a B1, Gnr/Dvr Mech or Control Signaller Course. They deal with larger boats.

1st class course is for Sgt's, this is much more complex and it is Sgt's who command the 240 ton landing craft that operate from the assault ships and can carry an MBT.

Paul then showed us the craft they use,
The inshore raiding craft, very fast. small and agile, can carry up to 4 men.
Offshore raiding craft, larger can carry 8 men but is also used in the fire support role using GPMG's and .50 Brownings. It has some ballistic protection, Still fast at 25 knts.

Hovercraft, can carry 12 men. 4 based at Plymouth, a brigade asset.

The LCVP the smaller of the traditional Landing craft with the "ramp" can carry men and vehicles.

LCU the larger of the Landing Craft 240 tons and can carry an MBT

LPD or in English the assault ships Albion & Bulwark ( nearly said Fearless & Intrepid and gave my age away )

Each can carry 36 MBT's ( if stowed correctly by an acredited member of the German Railway Authority armed with the regulation tape measure
Paul then showed a number of slides showing heavy armour being brought ashore.
Finally he showed the BARV Beach Armoured Recovery vehicle. He showed the old "Centurion" based vehicle and the new ( looked like a leopard hull) version. The Barv's job is to drag ashore "drowned" vehicles and push grounded boats back out to sea.

Having taken part in the Tank loading excercise at Arish Mell Gap in 1983 when 1 RTR "invaded" HMS Fearless, I found the presentation to be facinating. Everyone else seemed to think so as well.

Fear Naught

Good turmout mate. However more importantly, how many pints was sunk, who threw up on the way home and which Chinkie did you all pile into at the end.

Just a quick follow up on Instow. It does have a nice RM badge on the gate but the only mil aspect is the OC the rest is run and manned by civies with the mean machine showing up when training and trials are going on.

18 members were present for the November meeting. The guest Speaker was Col Longman the Regimental Colonel who is retiring from the post wef 2 Jan 09. The following are the main points of his address to the branch.

Every new troop leader to the Regiment will deploy on an operational tour within his first 2 years. If not with the RTR he will be attached to another unit but on ops he will go.

1 RTR are likely to leave RAF Honington within the next 5 years, either to Warminster or some other famous location on or around the playboy paradise that is Salisbury Plain! The reason is funding, now that the joint CBRN Regt is no longer “joint” it is unlikely that the RAF will continue to pay for an army unit out of their budget.

CO 1 RTR, Ian Gibb is being promoted and will be the youngest full Col in the army.
Maj Gen Gilchrist is leaving the army in February 2009. Gen Leaky the Col Commandant is due to leave in 2010.

Officers are now having to sit !boards! even to be an OC of a Sqn never mind CO of a Regiment. This means the practice of RAC officers commanding regiments other than their own will now filter down to Sqn level.

STANDARDS PARADE

The first quote from Buckingham Palace on the cost for Sandwiches, cake, tea & coffee was £110,000, after dispensing with the sarnies, a more respectable sum of “only” £56k was arrived at. Renting the Marquee for the afternoon was a snip at £20k, no wonder we only do it every 25 years or so!

HM The Queen had quite a busy day it would seem! An investiture in the morning, an audience with Nelson Mandela from 1-2pm, RTR Standards Parade 3-5pm, 5.30 an audience with the Prime Minister then she set off for Preston where she had another standards parade the next day!!

The Tank Museum will have it’s official opening on 11 June 2009.

11 November 2008 (next week) the RAC war memorial is being unveiled. It will name all those killed on operational service since 1946. The RAC benevolent fund has donated £100k to this venture.

Col Longmans address was very well received and the branch presented him with a engraved tankard ( empty, you buy your own beer here) to acknowledge the help and support he has given to the Association.

Remembrance Sunday. The parade and service at the war memorial in Poole Park will see the new branch standard on parade for the first time. Tiny Hart is standing in for the Standard bearer and will carry the standard, while Jeff Lyman will lay the RTR wreath of poppies during the service.

Fear Naught

MARCH 2009

Sadly only 11 members were present for the first meeting of the new year. The February meeting was cancelled due to blizzard conditions, and the March meeting was on a day of very heavy rainfall.

The loyal toast and the toast to the regiment were given. Again there were no additions to the Green Fields Beyond so no reduction branch membership.

Kev Coughlin then presented the branch accounts for the last year. Although we had spent £200 more than we had received, the fact that we had contributed £500 to the Tank Museum 500/500 club and also spent £350 on a new branch standard would suggest that financially we are in rather rude health.

The minutes of the November meeting were then presented. The newsletters of other RTRA branches were available for view as was the latest copy of the "tank times" the Tank Museum newsletter. Also available to view was the brochure on the Army Training Regiment Bassingbourne, where adult recruits of the RAC now do their phase 1 or basic training. In the days when RAC recruits did their training at Catterick, Bassingbourne was where infantry recruits to the Queens Division did their basic training. Bassingbourne is on the Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire border.

Information regarding the 2/3/6 RTR bash in Blackpool in 20011 was given out.

The attendance to the RTR sponsored Church service on Sunday 15 March 2009 was finalized. 8 members of the branch and the Branch standard will be on parade, and at the Officers Mess Bovington for the Curry Lunch afterwards.

The branch donated £40 to the Royal Star and Garter Homes for disabled ex servicemen.

The guest speaker for the April meeting ( diary permitting) will be WO2 Steve Hamer 1 RTR.

The Chairman then closed the meeting and introduced the guest speaker Lt Col (retd) Steve May the new Regimental Colonel. Colonel May served all his time at Regimental level with 4 RTR. He gave a small update on Regimental matters ( Colonel Longman had given an in depth update in November) and then gave a rundown on his army career. He then sat down and drank beer and mingled with the boys!! superb.

We do plan a visit to RHQ RTR and Lt Col May combined with a day in the new Tank Museum during the springtime.

A really good branch meeting spoiled by the unusual and surprising low attendance level. Hiccups do however happen and I'm sure April be see us back to normal levels.

APRIL 2009
16 members were present this month. The bit's and pieces were done and then we had the guest speaker. WO2 Steve Hamer 1 RTR did us proud with a well prepared and very well received presentation.

I asked Steve to tell us what the CBRN role is like from the soldiers point of view, do they like the role, do they all try to get to A Sqn in Warminster or even 2 RTR in Tidworth? What's it like living on an RAF base?

I asked and Steve well and truly delivered. He explained that the "tankie" is alive and well in 1 RTR, they get on with the job whatever it is. They do have to work hard at maintaining both CBRN and RAC skills but it works. The variety of tasks within the CBRN role keeps it interesting. Soldiers from 2 RTR who come over on temporary attachment who at first dread the thought often ask to stay. The long term posting in one place is proving popular with the married soldiers and their wives.

As for living on an RAF base? the "rough" "tankies" are at the far end of the station away from the RAF types. Rumors of an eventual move to Salisbury Plain continue, as do those that suggest that A Sqn might join 2 RTR or that 1 RTR might revert to an armoured Regiment and someone else then take over the CBRN role> they are however just that, rumors, no substance at all. The eventual move to Salisbury Plain might have more credibility than the others though.

Steve did say that the Regiment came together at Castlemarin Ranges for annual firing and it was the first time in 9 years that the whole Regiment was at the ranges together.

He went on to explain that the fact the RTR has diversified is a major benefit for survival. The future of heavy armour is in doubt, fast, light, rapid reaction is the flavour of the month and by not having all our eggs in the heavy armour basket we are in a good position for the future.

The other RAC regiments are also diversifying, deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq (without Challenger 2) are now the norm and the tankie ability to adapt to any type of armoured vehicle will hold us in good stead. Tankies could welll be crewing the Royal Marine Viking vehicles in Afghanistan quite soon.

Overrall he made it clear that the soldiers in 1 RTR are tankies, see themselves as tankies, the tankie culture is alive and well. They just do a different role that's all. Many of us can relate to that, during our recce days we had Assault Troop/Survelance troop, GW troop, 1 RTR had an Air Sqn in Omagh, some qualified as an air observers, not quite the same as a Gnr Mech so we are all used to diversity.

A great presentation by Steve, who made a great impression on the assembled former tankies.

MAY 2009
17 members this month. Not a lot to discuss so it was quickly down to the Guest Speaker.

Richard Smith the director of the Tank Museum very kindly came along and gave us a final update on the Tank Museum rebuild.

HM the Queen will officially open the new Museum on June 11th 2009.

A power-point display showing The Museum during the rebuild and on completion really brought home the staggering changes made. Outside they have made a grass bank to add height so that all people will be able to view the mobile displays not just those at the front. Built in speakers mean that everyone will hear the commentary as well. A Challenger 1 is by the entrance, chosen because it's angular looks complement the modern look of the new buildings

Inside they have resisted the temptation to cram as many tanks in as possible, there is lots of space and it seems it really is a museum for the 21st century. Little Willie is on it's own plinth and so at long last gets it's pride of place as the 1st ever tank.

They are keeping the different sections theme i.e. WW1 WW2 etc but what will please most on this forum is that the "cold" war theme is being expanded and improved to reflect the major part of the tanks history that the cold war represents. Best of all, they plan to allow access to the "Chieftain" so we can all sit in the commanders seat and wallow in nostalgia.

Richard explained that they and Bournemouth University are looking at the problem of preventing the gradual decay of these vehicles with the aim of preserving them for as long as possible. He indicated that the MOD will be interested in the outcome of this as some vehicles ( 432 in particular) will serve in the front line for decades longer than originally intended.

In regards to funding, they are about £600k short but this had been anticipated and will not be a problem. On-line they have over 1 million "hits" on the Tiger 1 web page. James May, Captain Slow of Top Gear fame ( who apparently has a GIRLfriend) is on the TV advertising campaign that will on our goggle boxes.

Unlike the rest of us the museum is hoping for another rain filled summer, wet holiday makers = increased visitor numbers.

Talking of visitors, we are planning a joint RHQ RTR/Tank Museum visit in early July and this presentation has increased the levels of anticipation. The RTR section of the Museum shop is being maintained so we will still be able to spend our money on RTR goodies when we visit.


A very well received presentation.

June 2009

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17 stalwarts for the first meeting of the summer months. Confirmation that next month is the AGM. The main topic is our visit to RHQ RTR and the Tank Museum on 02 July. It is all arranged, RHQ in Stanley barracks at 10am followed by a look at a Viking all terrain vehicle courtesy of the Royal Marines, and then it's off to the Tank Museum for the rest of the day which includes a buffet lunch in the new restaurant.

The meeting then closed and the chairman introduced the guest speakers.

Kevin Browne and Steve Latham are both "friends of the tank museum" Kevin has no military background ( he does own a Mk1 Ferret though ) while Steve did a full 22 year stint in the RE.
The friends of the Tank Museum have been running for 25 years and has a worldwide membership of about 1200. There are about 30 active and 30 semi active members. Membership is £25 a year, benefits include free admission to the tank museum, entry to the archives, annual newsletter and the opportunity to "track bash" if your so inclined.

The friends are important to the tank museum, they funded ( £34k) the turntable that Little Willie now stands on, the Chieftain Tank in the Berlin colour scheme was refurbished totally by the friends. The Panzer 3 was also brought back to life by the friends.

They are now taking exhibits to shows like the Bournemouth Air Show, New Forest Show, Dorset County Show to improve awareness of the museum. The tank fest mobility days could not happen without the friends who supply most of the manpower. One friend even flew from Hong Kong to the UK, spent 24 hours in blighty and then went back to Hong Kong, just so he could see the Tiger 1 on the move on the mobility circuit!

The friends do more than get their hands dirty on the vehicles, they help with guided tours, help in the archive department and lot's of other ways. I suppose they might be thought of as "anoraks" but if it's a choice of being around panzers, train spotting, or doing the washing up I know where I would rather be ! hey who's got my Marigold's

October 2009

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17 members present for the October meeting.
The Loyal toast and toast to the regiment were given
A minutes silence for the 3 members of 2 RTR killed in Afghanistan this year.

The London branch newsletter was available to view.

Members were reminded about the Cenotaph parade in November and the Cambrai lunch in Bovington on 20 November.
Details of the RTR sponsored Church service at Bovington on 10 March 2010 were made available.

Pete Dore was once again asked to organize the Ladies Lunch in January 2010.
Members were reminded that the branch standard would be on parade at the Poole Park service on remembrance Sunday.

The guest speakers were then introduced. Sgt Ferguson 1 RTR and Sgt Plant 2 RTR. Both are instructors at the D&M School.

They talked at first about phase 2 recruit training at Bovington. The recruits arrive from Bassingbourne and then do their car driving theory test and then learn to drive a car. They then do their Signals course. After that 30% do Gunnery at Lulworth and the other 70% go to the D&M wing.
They are taught by civilian instructors.
They begin with learning about the engine and maintenance ( just like we did) and then begin driver training on simulators to get a feel for the vehicle. Part of the simulator training involves driving the tank onto a tank transporter.

They then do X country driving on the Bovington training area. This includes driving closed down, driving at night and driving whilst wearing a Gas mask.
Then it's onto the road for the final part of the course. They get 3 attempts to pass their trade test.

Once they have passed their trade test and tank driving test they go to their regiments.

Those that went to Lulworth for Gunnery will return at some point to do their D & M course but will be taught by Military instructors rather than the civilian VT instructors.

The military instructors take the D&M side of the new Junior Commanders courses ( for L/Cpl's) and the well established Commanders courses, Troop Leaders courses and instructors courses.

They teach CR2, CVR/T, Panther and very soon will be teaching Warthog. The first unit to use Warthog ( the Viking replacement) will be the Royal Dragoon Guards who will replace 1 RTR in Afghanistan next year. 1 RTR will be the last to use Viking in Afghanistan.

Sgt Ferguson also told us that 1 RTR have got their name back!! They are no longer the Joint CBRN Regiment, this is because the RAF Regiment are no longer part of the regiment and there is no "joint" anymore.

Let me confirm they are still in the CBRN role,it's just that they are now officially known as 1 RTR.


They guest speakers were well received and got a well deserved round of applause.

November 2009

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17 members were present for the last meeting of 2009. The loyal toast and toast to the regiment were given and there are no additions to the “green fields”. Confirmation that the dates for the RTR sponsored church service at Bovington have been changed, it is now due to be held on 14 March 2010.

The Bristol branch newsletter was made available for all to read. Details of the Arras battlefield tour in 2010 were made available.

It was confirmed that the Bournemouth, Poole & District Branch Ladies Lunch be held on the 17th January 2010 at the Cottonwood Hotel in Bournemouth. It was proposed and carried that a sum of £50 be made available for the purchase of raffle prizes for the event. It was agreed that the branch invites both the Regimental Colonel and the Regimental Secretary (and spouses) to the Ladies Lunch.

Maurice Bourne was missing from the meeting as he had only just got back from a pilgrimage to El Alamein; we look forward to hearing his account of his trip at the December social. On behalf of the branch, the secretary conveyed our best wishes to Mac McKanny who’s wife is seriously ill in hospital.

We were delighted to acquire a new member at the November meeting. Ken Holland ex 3 RTR. The branch chairman then introduced the guest speaker, Cpl Mark Slade 1 RTR who is serving with the RAC Training Regiment at Bovington. Mark began his career with 2 RTR but transferred to 1 RTR a few years later.

Mark gave a very good account of the phase 2 (trade training) programme at Bovington. Last month the guest speakers gave an overview of phase 2 training and then went into D&M training in detail, this month we got phase 2 training in more detail. The main points (as interpreted by the myself) are as follows, Having arrived from Bassingbourne and phase 1 training the recruits can expect to spend approximately 21 weeks at Bovington although this can vary, especially for recruits who already hold a full driving licence. They start with a 2-week conditioning period that includes Documentation, physical fitness including a PFT and bonding with the instructors. Each training team consists of a Lt, a Sgt. And 3 x Cpl’s who will oversee their batch of recruits.

The next 3 weeks are taken up with learning to drive, (cars not tanks). After the theory test they get handed over to the BSM instructors who will then get them through their tests. At this point it may be prudent to inform residents of Poole to be wary if visiting Tesco’s at Tower Park at lunch time as a swarm of L plate cars descend on said location for refuelling, and I’m talking about the occupants not the cars!

Once they are legal on the road they move on to the CIS school (formerly the RAC Signal School) for Bowman training. It seems that youngsters today find digital technology very easy and they pick up signals training easily. What would they make of Clansman or even Larkspur!
Following signal training they will get a long weekend off. They can then expect a 2-week refresher period to ensure they have not forgotten what they learned at Bassingbourne in Phase 1 training. This period is likely to include adventure training as well.

At this point some recruits will then go onto Gunnery training at Lulworth while others do D&M at Bovington. This will take about 6/7 weeks. Finally the last 2 weeks include fitness tests, first aid training, and Drugs/Alcohol awareness lectures (I nearly spilled my beer at this point)

Mark pointed out that they do PT every day; the wastage rate is low, only about 5% fail to get through. Only a small percentage decides at this point that the army is not for them and PVR. He also mentioned that the age of recruit varies considerably, you would imagine that nearly all recruits are age 17/18, not so, the number in their 20’s is considerable, there are currently two men over age 30 doing their training right now. Mark stated that having 2 recruits who were older than him was a bit weird. You can now enlist up to age 35.

Questions followed and Mark was able to answer everything that was thrown at him. Most interesting for me was to learn that the J/NCOs courses at Bovington have replaced the internal Regimental J/NCO cadre courses.

A great presentation that was well received the ex tankies gathered. Please note that any inaccuracies regarding Mark’s presentation are down to me and not mark! I was trying to listen, write, and drink my beer all at the same time! A bit like an O Group on Soltau really, as mentioned previously.
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23 members for the February meeting including 2 new members. The Guest speaker for February ( Army Air Corps ) was sent to Afghanistan at short notice but is likely to be back for March.

We went through all the admin bits and pieces including confirming the dates of the cenotaph parade in November and confirmed that we would participate in the RTR welfare lapel badges scheme. In this scheme participating branches contribute £50 to create a fund to produce RTR lapel badges. The badges will then be sold to individuals for £3 each, proceeds going to RTR welfare.

It was confirmed that our old branch standard will be laid up and the new standard consecrated at the Garrison Church, Bovington on 14 March 2010, This being the annual RTR sponsored Church Service. A curry lunch at the Garrison Officers Mess follows the service. We are looking at creating our own branch website, nothing like this site, purely information only, with hopefully, my monthly update available so that we can capitalize on the our slow but steady increase in membership.

Future guest speakers are likely to include my new employers "The Westminster Collection," Stamps. coins and other collectibles, They have many Royal Navy & RAF commemoratives but little on the Army. Picking a few RTR brains may help level the playing field a bit.

With the treasurer driving, it meant that I could indulge in the real ale available at the RBL club, 3 pints of winter ale put a real glow in my cheeks, or was it the tranquil calm that is part and parcel of the Bournemouth & Poole Branch that made me so mellow. Who knows? who cares?

Fear Naught