Issue 87 - NWRFCA - Northwest Reserve Forces & Cadets Association

156 tpt regt
Time for adventure for 156
by Maj Tony MCFARLANE
Ordinarily August is the time of year when
permanent staff block leave occurs and TA
adventurous training (AT) is undertaken and
for 156 Tpt Regt this year was to be no different.
With the Regiment’s 4 Sqns deployed across
the country, literally, it was arduous enough
just keeping up with them. The two Liverpoolbased
Sqns had opted for the serenity of the
Lake District, travelling up on the Friday
evening; 235 Sqn were accommodated at the
Ambleside AT centre, whilst 238 Sqn had opted
for the native canvas borne surrounds of a
nearby campsite.
Saturday saw both Sqns busy with a variety
of AT activities, including mountain biking,
hill walking and for the equestrians within the
unit, horse riding. Amongst the latter group
were SSgt Dave Knight and Cpl Barbara Cross
who both have horses of their own which they
ride regularly back home. They were joined by
the recently married LCpl Katy Lawson (nee
Hamilton) whose new husband LCpl Chris
Lawson was away with the mountain bikers,
under the instruction of SSgt Pete Argent and
LCpl Eddie Gibney.
After bidding farewell to the lakes and
the Liverpool Sqns, it was time to visit 234
(Birkenhead) and 236 (Manchester) Sqns who
had opted for Wales and Anglesey as their
preferred AT locations.
234 Sqn had set up base camp at HMS
INDEFATIGABLE whilst 236 Sqn had opted for
the opposite side of the Menai Straits and Capel
Curig as their home for the weekend, at least
for the Saturday.
Joining 236 Sqn late on the Saturday
afternoon, it was clearly evident that the
soldiers had enjoyed themselves across a
SSgt Dave Knight, LCpl Katy Lawson and Cpl Barbara Cross
variety of activities and with
many of them being new
soldiers to the Regiment
it was encouraging to see
that their spirits were high
and that they were clearly
enthusiastic for whatever
Sunday’s activities held in
store for them. Even the wet
weather could not dampen
their spirits and an al fresco,
albeit undercover, BBQ was
followed by a rapid-fire,
spontaneous quiz led by the
OC, Maj Steve Cotter and the
SSM WO2 Neil Law.
Daybreak on Sunday and
the weather appeared to LCpl Eddie Gibney
be far more favorable than
it had on Saturday and
following breakfast, it was over to Sgt Mark
Webber for the days AT briefing.
Sgt Webber, a very experienced diver and
diving instructor, had very kindly brought
along his dive club’s rigid hull inflatable boat
or RHIB (rib) as they are more commonly
known; the dive boat ‘Poseidon’, sporting what
appeared to be a rather healthy outboard
motor, was to be the main attraction for the
Manchester-based soldiers for the day.
However, it became quickly evident that
the day might not go as smoothly as planned
when Sgt Webber referred to the ‘Port’ side of
the RHIB as the ‘Starboard’ side. Now, for the
uninitiated, in maritime terms the left side
of a vessel is known as the ‘Port’ side and the
right side as the ‘Starboard’; in other words Sgt
Webber had clearly confused his left with his
right!!
Things did not go much smoother with
Anyone
interested in a
career with 156
TPT Regt RLC can
contact us on
telephone 0151
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www.armyjobs.
mod.uk.
the RHIB on the slipway
at the Menai Straits;
the apparently healthy
outboard motor refused to
start and after numerous
efforts the decision was
taken to swap the fuel
container in an attempt to
start the outboard motor.
Although the engine
eventually sprang into
life it did not sound too
healthy and appeared to be
drawing in air; nonetheless
Sgt Webber was confident
that as soon as we “got her
underway” the engine’s
problems would desist.
With the Poseidon’s
motor eventually turning,
the RHIB, crewed by Sgt Webber and Pte
Graham left the slipway to collect the soldiers
from 236 Sqn who were waiting patiently at the
jetty for their fun-filled trip down the straits.
Now as a diver and boat-handler myself I
appreciate the importance of communications
whilst at sea, as does Sgt Webber, but when
the request to carry out a radio check with the
coastguard was met with the response that
the radio was a bit “hit and miss” I have to
admit that my confidence cup was not exactly
brimming over.
Having collected the waiting soldiers from
the jetty we set out for what was intended to
be an enjoyable jaunt up and down the Menai
Straits, allowing the soldiers the opportunity
to take the helm themselves and thereby
experience something that the average ‘Joe’
doesn’t get to do; it didn’t happen.
About 10 minutes into the trip the engine
started to misfire and it was clear from the fuel
bowl that the engine was drawing in far too
much air; eventually the engine stalled and
would not re-start, cue the opportunity to check
comms with the lifeboat station!
Sgt Webber promptly called the coastguard;
“Anglesey coastguard, Anglesey coastguard,
this is the dive boat Poseidon”; by this time the
RHIB had started to drift and the anchor was
deployed.
In what could only have been a matter of
minutes, the RNLI rescue boat appeared on the
horizon; very much a state-of-the-art vessel,
she was with us in seconds and with the
passengers and myself cross-loaded, Sgt Webber
and his stricken RHIB were towed back to the
safety of the Menai slipway where the dive boat
Poseidon was winched back onto her trailer and
headed for the garage and no doubt some much
needed remedial work.
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