The Soviet Union My Part in it's Downfall [Part II]
24314100 L/Cpl Stanley MD ' E ' [HSF] Coy; 3 RRW
{24th/41st Foot} retd.
After the less than auspicious debut of 'E' [HSF] Company
on the Sennybridge training area we were largely ignored by the rest of
the battalion .We trained on our own and carried out joint IS exercises
with other HSF units.
Gradually we learnt [or for most of us re learnt] the tricks of searching
vehicles buildings and pedestrians [females excluded!] for explosives
and concealed weapons; to use the radios [What's the second most dangerous
thing in the army? An officer with a radio]; to map read [What's the most
dangerous thing in the army? An officer with a radio and a map!] ; Setting
up road blocks and Vehicle Check Points [VCP's], guarding Key Points [KP's]
and Vulnerable Points [VP's] {I used to know the difference between them
in those far off days!}, the basics of First Aid, and of course the main
task of an infantry soldier, to hit what you aim at. Occasionally we would
get onto the training area and do what all little boys love to do [and
probably the reason most of us joined the TA] Smear on the camo' cream,
stick leaves and branches about our person, put on a tin hat, throw thunder
flashes about and shoot off blanks. In fact play "Cowboys and Indians
"; officially known as Section Attacks.
It became clear that the HSF training commitment of 1 evening per fortnight and 6 days a year was just a minimum. Our company paraded once a week and spent practically every weekend in the field. With so many of our members out of work the pay [at regular army rates for the rank held] was a Godsend.
A year went past since our formation and even our young Regular Army Sgt.
Instructor held a grudging respect for us time expired "Stabs"[Stupid
TA Bas*ards].
We were finally allowed to join the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales,
on their 2-week annual summer camp, which that year was held at Otterburn
in Northumberland.As we had only a 6 day training commitment those of
us in employment were only entitled to 6 days TA leave so we only joined
the battalion for their last week of training. On arrival we were split
up and put into training cadres with members of the other companies; I,
and two other BT employees, landed up in the signals! We spent three arduous
days running D10, the telephone cable used by the army, over the rugged
terrain of the Cheviots. The lines had to be got across streams; bogs
and under culverts. The cable dispensers were carried on the back of one
man whilst the other fixed the cable to posts, trees etc, all at maximum
speed.
I'm not saying that the Battalion Signals Officer tried to make life harder
for us HSF men but he certainly didn't do us any favours. We ended each
day soaking wet, covered in mud and exhausted. It was well known that
he, and many others in the battalion, didn't think we were up to doing
the job to the required standard. However at the end of the training the
Signals Officer was man enough to admit to being wrong.
What we lacked in strength, endurance and speed we made up by using guile and low native cunning, honed through our years of service in HM Forces
This was amply demonstrated when we took part in the battalion exercise
at the end of the annual camp. There are no tactics in place in a 4 rifle
company battalion for a fifth rifle company, so 'E' Coy. was employed
as " the enemy". We had the job of defending a bridge and the
approaches to it.
We went out the evening prior to the exercise start and made a great show
of digging in and fortifying positions, knowing that some of the battalion
would be spying on our preparation and marking the positions for their
subsequent attack. Of course on the day we chose alternative positions.
When the battalion attacked we weren't where they thought we would be.
We cut them to pieces (well we would have if firing live rounds) and the young soldiers of the battalion were taught the valuable lesson of not to judge books by their covers, however tattered, old and worn they may be!
To be continued
