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April 2024 April 2024
interlude learning to drive tracked vehicles at Bovington, I received my posting to
32 Heavy Regiment at Hildesheim in Germany. The Regiment was part of the FIRST THURSDAY CLUB
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British Army of the Rhine, a component of the NATO forces facing the Soviet Bloc
during the Cold War. (AUTUMN LEAVES)
We were based in a barracks on what had previously been a Luftwaffe airbase
during the 2 World War. Our equipment was the very long barrelled M107 175mm The weather for our March meeting was sunny
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howitzer. This was a US made artillery piece that could hurl a 150lb shell over 20 and over 40 people turned out to hear wildlife
miles. I was given command of a troop of 30 soldiers and 2 of these guns, and officer Daisy Meadowcraft talk about the work
exercised with our NATO allies frequently. We did patrols along the ‘Inner German being done at Wild Woodbury. She explained
Border’ to keep an eye on the ghastly fences, dog runs and minefields of the East that a full audit of the wildlife species had been done when the land was first
German boundary, designed to incarcerate the population of East Germany. purchased the land. Detailed drainage and soil analysis had also been carried
out. The land had been allowed to do its own thing and without all the nitrogen
Leave periods were spent sailing in the Baltic, continuing to keep up my flying skills inputs and agricultural cultivation. Further surveys were being done to see what
at the aero club within our barracks, and even one trip to ski in the Alps. animals and plants colonized the land. Work had also been done to allow the

A year or so into that job, and my regiment was warned for a tour in Northern water to be held back and flood the land by filling in the drainage ditches.
Ireland, at the height of the troubles. I was to be the Intelligence Officer in a patch Domestic animals ponies
of Belfast covering the loyalist Shankill and the nationalist Lower Falls. By now a cattle and pigs are being used
Lieutenant, I had a small team whose task was to try to glean information that to graze the land and the
might be helpful to the forces of law and order, and to disseminate information species surveying continues
that came down from on high as part of operational planning. Whether my efforts and evidence of more birds
were useful or not I shall never know, but it was certainly a gruelling and at times reptiles and mammals was
exciting job. Sadly, whilst we were there, my regiment suffered the first two deaths being observed. It is
of soldiers at the hands of the IRA. I remember those two soldiers clearly to this day, interesting to have a natural
and pay my private respects to them each Remembrance Sunday. wildlife reserve on our
doorstep. Some of our

members were concerned
ADJUTANT about agricultural land being
Northern Ireland tour over, it was back to Germany, where, to my surprise, my taken out of production at a time when world food security was a potential
colonel asked me to become his adjutant. I was just a 2 pip Lieutenant, and problem. Some of our members were born in the time of the last war and
adjutants are normally quite senior captains. I accepted with some reservations, appreciate the need for food produced locally in an uncertain world.
but being promoted to, and being paid, as an Acting Captain at the age of 22 On the subject of the Second World War we are having an event on 6 June to
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was quite an incentive! Nine months as the CO’s staff officer, and the Executive commemorate the 80 Anniversary of D Day. We are looking for any memories
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Officer for the regiment when deployed on exercise, was demanding but fun, but it and photographs people may have of that time and memorabilia relating to the
was soon time for a new challenge. Second World War particularly in and about Bere Regis.

Looking ahead to next month April 4 Julien Lightfoot is giving us a talk on what
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DESERT SERVICE the Bere Regis Explorer scouts got up to in Borneo last year. Maybe we don’t
want to know all of it but they paddled into the jungle on boats met sun bears,
I happened to see an interesting request for volunteers to apply for secondment to various reptiles and experienced another world. (A bit like Simon Reeve). Do
the Sultan of Oman’s Armed Forces (SAF), and in particular to the Oman Artillery.
Oman lies on the corner between the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Oman come along and hear all about it. The talk will be followed by tea. Cost £3.00
and the UK have had friendly relations for many centuries, but since the 1960s a
separatist group had been trying to overthrow the Sultan, who was a very
conservative and autocratic ruler, allowing little or no development in his very
backward sultanate. His son, Sultan Qaboos, who was Sandhurst trained, had

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