FUSILIER NEWS
Regimental Headquarters The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers HM Tower of London London EC3N 4AB
RH!/RRF/1363 4 January 200
1. A Happy New Year to all who receive this Fusilier News in this the 40th anniversary of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The Colonel of the Regiment exhorts you all to attend at least one Regimental function this year, to ring up a colleague to get him (or her) to come along also, so look up your contact list to see who you served with and might like to meet up with again and celebrate this anniversary:
16 March – Regimental Church Service in the Tower of London. (Advise RHQ beforehand – all are welcome, curry lunch afterwards.)
18-20 April - St George’s Day Celebrations in Newcastle
23 April – Officers’ Regimental Dinner on St George’s Day in Mercers’ Hall, London
26/27 April – Gallipoli Day Celebrations in Bury
20/21 September – The Fusilier Gathering in London
23 September – Freedom Parade through London
25 September – Freedom Parade through Birmingham
Try to make it to at least one of these events.
2. New Year’s Honours
Our congratulations go to the following on receiving Honours in the New Year’s Honours List:
A knighthood to General Sir John McColl KCB CBE DSO who is Colonel Commandant of our Queen’s Division.
As an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Major Paul Lincoln OBE, who is the Company Commander of C (City of London Fusiliers) Company, the London Regiment.
As a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Major Gareth Boyd MBE, who commanded Fire Support Company in 2RRF for 3 years as an acting major, taking his company to Iraq on an independant command.
As a Member of the Order of the British Empire Warrant Officer Class 2 R Greaves MBE, who was CSM A Company 2RRF during the time spent in NowZad.
(No doubt the Regimental Secretary will be advised if there are any other members of the wider Regimental family whose awards he might have missed.)
As background:
Paul Lincoln’s award will doubtless have been in recognition of his time as the Political Advisor to the Senior British Commander in Baghdad. His home address is in the officers address book (post code E1 5AT) or try paul.lincoln@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Maj G J Boyd MBE was OC Fire Support Company initially as acting major (sub on 31 Jul 07) and took his company to Iraq for perhaps a less glamorous tour than those in Afghanistan but no less exacting with the suicide bomber threat last year. He did almost 3 years as a company commander. He is now a student at RMCS Shrivenham.
Home address:
84 Bower Green, Watchfield, Swindon, Wilts, SN6 8TX
WO2 R Greaves MBE was CSM A Coy (Maj Swift's coy during Now Zad) and before this he was A Coy CQMS. He will take over as RQMS in March. His address is WO2 R Greaves MBE, HQ Coy, 2RRF, Alexander Barracks, BFPO 58
3. BRITISH FORCES BROADCASTING VIDEO REPEATS
To see quality BFBS recordings all those with access to the internet are advised to go to
www.ssvc.com/bfbs/ or Google BFBS TV
At the top of the screen Click on BFBS Television
On left of the screen click on BFBS Reports
Click on Watch BFBS Reports
On left of screen click on BFBS Reports Archive
Then go to 10 December's selection and look at the one entitled:
Adj Gen on Decompression. There is an excellent coverage of 2RRF in Cyprus with interviews with Maj Jon Swift, with Cpl Buckley and Capt Nick Groves.
See also on Wed 12 December the report on Fus Barlow GM receiving his medal from Her Majesty The Queen. This report also includes an interview with the Colonel, Brigadier Trevor Minter.
4. OFFICER MENTORING
Brig Philip Mostyn has kindly volunteered to be available to give advice to any officer on career or MS matters when he feels that he would like a second opinion on advice he will already have received or requested from APC Glasgow. This is not to suggest that such advice may not always be in the individual’s best interest, but it might be a reassurance to have a Regimental perspective.This offer is made to all officers but is not appropriate for those serving at Regimental Duty who are to seek the advice of their own Commanding Officers.
5. Death of Major A H Haycock
Sadly I have to record the death on 28th December of Maj Jack Haycock. He was a former Area Secretary in Warwick and had been ill for some time. Our sympathy goes to his wife, Marianne. The funeral will be at St Davids Church, Meidrim, Carmarthen on the 8th of January 2008 at 1.30pm.
Fus Andrew Barlow GM
Fus Barlow received his George Medal from Her Majesty The Queen at an Investiture at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 11 December. He and his family stayed the previous night in the Guoman Tower Hotel where the management generously gave them complementary dinners in their Carvery Restaurant and made no charge for their breakfast. After the Investiture the Colonel of the Regiment and Mrs Minter hosted a lunch in RHQ for the family. (Fus Barlow was especially pleased to have met Mr Ryan Giggs the Manchester United footballer at the Investiture!)
WO1 Appointments
The following warrant officers who have been selected for promotion to Warrant Officer Class One in Financial Year 2008/09 have been warned for the appointments as RSM as follows;
WO2 (RQMS) Bland RRF to be RSM 2 RRF
WO2 (RQMS) Goldsmith RRF to be RSM 5 RRF
WO2 (RQMS) Murphy RRF to be RSM Northumberland University OTC
Archive Research Task Completed.
On 17 February 2003, Maj (Retd) Malcolm Ross-Thomas kindly volunteered to sort out the RRF Archive Room in the Regimental Headquarters at the Tower of London. He has come in for one day a week on most weeks thereafter and today has completed his magnus opus after shredding reams of paper and religiously recording documents of value and interest, some dating back to 1962. All documents are now filed in box files, the contents of which have been religiously recorded in word documents, safely stored on CDs and on several computer hard drives within the RHQ. Many thanks indeed.
Commissioning
On Friday 14 December, Brig David Paterson, Colonel Warwickshire will represent the Colonel of the Regiment at the Sovereign’s Parade at RMAS where the following are to be commissioned into the Regiment and posted as follows (after attending their Platoon Commanders Battle Course at Brecon):
Mr ME Williams 2RRF
Mr TL Phillips 1RRF
Mr K Renyard 1RRF
Mr LL Rowbottom 1RRF
Promotions to substantive Major
The following have been selected for promotion to the substantive rank of Major as at 31 July 2008:
Capt N Anabtawi 16 Air Assault Brigade
Capt B Walters 1RRF
Capt BN Weston CGS staff MoD
Capt M McCarthy 2RRF
Fusilier Journals
The bulk copies for Battalions and RHQ have now been received; individual copies will be dropping through letter boxes at the end of this week or during next week.
Fusilier wins Gold Medal
Fus Ahiavor from First Fusiliers won a gold medal at the Combined Services Judo Championships last week-end. Congratulations. (Remember not to argue with this one!)
Fast Tracking for Veterans within the NHS
An initiative by Chris Long, former Adjt 3RRF, who is the Chief Executive of the Hull Primary Care Trust has been successful in persuading the Government to give veterans whose illnesses can be related to their military service priority for treatment within the NHS.
Derek Twigg, Veterans Minister, recorded that Hull PCT has recently extended priority to all veterans whose conditions are suspected of being service-related. This represents best practice and the Health Secretary has decided that it should be extended across the whole of England. The Department of Health will be issuing guidance to remind clinicians about the current priority treatment provisions for war pensioners and to extend the Hull initiative to veterans everywhere in the country.
Book Promotion
Capt (Retd) Greg Waggett, who served for 7 years in the Regiment, has written a book “ In my blood” that is reviewed in the December edition of The Fusilier Journal. Orders for the book can be placed on his email address gww2468@hotmail.com or send a cheque £14 (£11 + £3 p&p) to
Greg Waggett, 1 Backwoods Lane, LINDFIELD, West Sussex, RH16 2EB with your address on the back so he knows where to send the book.
The book is essentially a biography from the time after he has left the Army and his failed Real Estate business and concentrates on his adventures overseas in Africa, Kuwait, Iraq and Libya.
The Oldham Branch 11th Annual Christmas Dinner
Many people put in considerable effort to ensure that members of the Regimental Association Branches are able to attend worthwhile functions especially around the times of our Regimental Days and at Christmas time. Thanks go to you all.
I must mention in particular the Oldham Branch’s Dinner Dance held on 1 December in Stockport (no venue large enough or suitable west of Manchester) to which the Colonel of the Regiment and Mrs Minter were invited. Over 260 sat down for dinner and almost all had seen service in today’s Regiment. Some had travelled from Plymouth, some from Northumberland and others from the South East. The RRF Lancashire Association Band and Corps of Drums entertained us in style. It was a terrific Regimental occasion, very much appreciated by everyone there. Many thanks to Ron Owen, Alan Noble and the team for all their hard work.
Commissioning
The following Warrant Officers have been selected for commission in 2008;
WO1 (RSM) SM Barnett currently RSM 2RRF
WO1 (RSM) SM Bateman currently RSM 5RRF
WO1 (RSM) MR Webster currently RSM Northumbrian UOTC
WO2 J Shaw currently working in the Ministry of Defence on procurement.
The congratulations of all Fusiliers are extended to the above. Very well done.
FUSILIER GATHERING.
2RRF hosted a most successful Fusilier Gathering in Alexander Barracks, Cyprus this week. The sun shone and some 180 members of the Association who had come to Cyprus specifically for the Gathering had a most excellent 24hours. Both Brigadier Trevor Minter, Colonel of the Regiment, and Col James Aldous, Chairman of the Association, went out of their way to thank the Commanding Officer 2nd Fusiliers and his staff, and in particular Quartermaster Maj Mick McCarthy, for all that they had done to make it such a worthwhile event. The success was all the more remarkable given that the whole Battalion, less a few members on the rear party, are currently deployed on Exercise Saffron Sands in Jordan and key members of the Battalion staff had to fly back to Cyprus for 72hrs in order to host the Gathering. Highlights included the presence at the Gathering of many of the soldiers who had been injured either by accident or during their operations in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last 2 years. Also in Cyprus were the families and parents of the late Capt Speakman, Fus Manning and Fus Meade to witness the unveiling at a moving Church service in the Garrison Chapel of a very splendid stained glass window dedicated to the memory of members of 2nd Fusiliers who had recently lost their lives. Photographs of the window and of the Gathering will feature in the December edition of The Fusilier Journal which will be distributed early in December.
CAMBRIAN PATROL SUCCESS.
5RRF have again had success in the Cambrian Patrol Team competition and what was particularly remarkable was that their team, headed up by the newly promoted WO2 Stewart, had only one weekend’s training together and the team comprised of six trained soldiers and two soldiers who have yet to attend the Combat Infantryman Course. It was therefore a great credit to the whole team and their sound management skills and determination that they have gained a silver award. The team consisted of WO2 Stewart, O/Cdt Marcon, Cpl Tulley, Fus Farr and Fus Thompson (Ex B Company 2RRF) all from Z Company, and Cpl Hogg, Fus Cross and Fus King from X Company. Many Congratulations.
RECRUITING
All recipients of this Fusilier News and all members of the regimental family should by now be well aware that recruiting for our Regiment must be uppermost in their minds. Everybody can help in some way. For the information of those not directly involved in the main recruiting effort you might like to be aware that a new regimental DVD is being produced, the regimental website will be revamped, our TA Battalion, 5RRF, is playing a leading role in driving forward our recruiting efforts, and they are looking at the practicalities of employing a Consultant or an Agency to assist us in recruiting. Today each of our Regular Battalions are some 80 under strength which impacts on operations and morale.
Retention of serving soldiers is addressed by our Commanding Officers, and there are generous cash grants available for those who commit and extend their service, and for those who re-engage from civilian life.
CUTLERS’ SWORD WINNER AWARDED THIS SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER
L/Cpl Prosperini, of 2RRF Corps of Drums has won the Cutlers’ Sword Award for 2007. This is an award given by the Cutlers’ Livery Company to the most promising young Drummer in the Army and the sword was presented to the recipient at the Lord Mayor of London’s Show, outside in the Mansion House on 10 November during the Lord Mayor's Show.
L/Cpl Prosperini and his family were guests of the Cutlers’ Company for the day. He was the unanimous winner of this year’s competition, Cpl Whyley from 1RRF was also a contender.
OP BANNER
For those who may not have seen it the message from Brigadier Trevor Minter recognising the sacrifices made by the Regiment in Northern Ireland is repeated in the Notices Section on this website.
A poignant reminder of the ultimate sacrifices made by members of the Regiment is illustrated by a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire where each member of the Regiment who lost his life in Ulster or was killed by IRA terrorists on the mainland is remembered by having a tree planted in his name. Beside each of our Regimental trees in the Ulster Grove is a metal stake with a red disc on it showing the Regimental Crest, the soldier's name, details and a personal tribute chosen by his widow or family. Only the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has ensured that every one of its soldiers has his own permanent memorial disc. As a consequence it is easy to identify our Fusiliers if you visit the Arboretum. The Colonel of the Regiment and Regimental Secretary visited on Sunday 2 December. It is very moving and most worthwhile. You can also see the five trees planted to homour those who have died while serving with our four antecedent regiments and the RRF tree planted by Brig Roy Wilde in 2002.
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
W J Willans
Lieutenant Colonel (Retd)
Regimental Secretary
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