History has since informed us why we were crammed on board for what seemed like days and why we had to cross deck in extremely rough seas onto the RFA Sir Galahad. Images - Left - by HQ SOinC(A) - HQ SOinC(A), CC0, Wiki Commons: Right by United Kingdom Government - Royal Engineers Cap Badge.jpg, Public Domain, Wiki Commons Including Royal Corps of Signals. Cdo. It was about this time we were invited to wear red berets but we "politely" declined. It will also cover 59 Indep. 591 Independent Field Squadron Is the only Royal Engineer TA Unit in Northern Ireland. Good luck with it. 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment. 4 Troop 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers Op Corporate, At the beginning of May 5 Infantry Brigade (later 5 Airborne Brigade) deployed to Sennybridge Training Area for a work up exercise with its new battalions (2Scotts Guards and 1Welsh Guards drafted in to replace 2 and 3 PARA which had already deployed south). The remainder of  9 Parachute Squadron  was warned to move shortly after this, therefore in order to bring the Squadron back  to full strength the Commanding Officer 36 Engineer Regiment , Lt Col Field,  9 Parachute Squadron’s ‘parent unit’,  transferred 3 Troop  20 Field Squadron  to 9 Parachute Squadron. We were based in Corruna Barracks and was part of 26 engineer Regiment. Thanks. Sorry to repeat this to those already mentioned . Captain D Foxley RE. The Troop became attached to and under the command d for movements from 1Welsh Guards. All casualties were evacuated to, marked; some unmarked.4 Troop became EOD experts dealing with booby traps and a large amount of ammo and explosives, aided by helicopters flying around the Islands, 22 June – 17 July 1982- 4 Troop employed in and around Port Stanley clearing buildings including Government House, marking minefields, breaching minefields, clearing safe lanes, installing generators in Stanley power station to provide power to the town and lots of other Royal Engineer, 17 July 1982 – 9 Parachute Squadron main body embarked onto the St Edmund for the long journey to, This is a very brief (and inadequate) summary of what was a VERY trying time for all. Let me know if anyone knows where he is , Sqn. Among the highs was the ability to plunder the RQMS for kit exchanges that had in the past been vitually impossible, the insistance of the OC 9 Sqn that we wore our stable belts over our HD pullovers (much to the annoyance of the RSM) and the sudden elevation of our status within the Regiment by all and sundry who were extremely jealous that we were going. Field Company Royal Engineers. He loved being in the British Army and part of the Royal Engineers. 81 Sqn. royal engineers regiment, 54 field squadron kowloon in 1957. written by johnthomasmacaloney. Department of National Defence / National Archives of Canada, PA-169327. 4 Troop were thrust into a most unenviable position, but they made the best of things. Our arrival into Stanley a few days after the cease fire was another shock. I could not release 2 Troop to go home with the Commando Brigade when it left around 21. When 2 PARA departed the UK to join the rest of the Task Force in Operation Corporate on 27 April 1982, it took with it, as is normal, 2 Troop 9 Parachute Squadron as its Royal Engineer ‘Sapper’ support. as well as carrying out fighting patrols with the 1 Welsh Guards as well as coming under attack from Argentine Air force. Got caught having naked raves in tents. We cross decked from the QE2 to the Canberra at Grytviken, South Georgia and eventually came ashore at Blue Beach in San Carlos. On May 24, 1982 in San Carlos Water she was attacked by A-4Bs of the Argentine Air Force (FAA) and was hit by one 1000 pound bomb which did not detonate and strafed in a following wave of attack aircraft. 21 Engineer Base Workshops. The above passage from the Wikipedia is one of the few sources that show any record of our troop being on the Galahad that fateful day 8th June 1982. The Infantry Battalions, 12-25 May 1982 - Training on board the QEII including Physical training, First Aid, Artillery Target indication, Shooting, Mine warfare, Demolition’s, Spanish, Escape and Evasion, Infantry Battle drills etc: it was a frantic time. Our troop in Maidstone during the early part of 1982 was about to undertake NI training in preparation for a tour of the Province later in the year. The mess the Argentine forces had left was not only unbelievable but also disgusting as they seemed to have used every available space as a toilet. RE. Nigel John Bird ? Various tasks including building Dhala Road at Radfan,wadi diverting at Nisab on the Yemen border. 1957 – 26 Field Engineer Regiment – 60 Field Squadron RE – John Bridgwood-Pt.1 Dezember 24, 2016 1961 – 1st Bn The Middlesex Regiment – “B”-Coy Dezember 20, 2016 1996/12/01 – 1996/12/04 – EXERCISE “NEPTUNES FROST” – Official handover of the M3 to the 28 Engineer … Famous quotes containing the words territorial and/or army: Mark Chadwick? Our eventual return was with the Welsh Guards and 9 Sqn on the St. Edmonds Sealink Ferry. The squadron later saw service in World War II and today supports the 21st Engineer Regiment of the new 1st Strike … I was with 25 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers from January 1970 - November 74, they had just moved from Paderborn to Iserlohn, at this time there was HQ Squadron, 5 Squadron & 2 armoured. “Man the lifeboats” was piped and the survivors used ships lifeboats to gain the shore. Firstly they were a ‘Blue Beret’ troop foisted upon a fiercely “Airborne” Squadron. SSgt John Grant (head wound in 1982) Retired From the Royal Engineers Alive and Well. We were also choppered out to many of the settlements out in the camp where we invited the local inhabitants to fill in the huge supply of blank telegrams we carried and to check what supplies they desperately required. Most of the low periods came when we were actually attached to 9 Sqn who treated us with some contempt as "non-paras." Over 2 weeks, they're refurbishing 20 miles of track on the Wensleydale Railway line which is used to bring armoured vehicles to and from Catterick Garrison. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. 27-29 July 1982 – At anchor off Ascension Island, 29 July1982 – Depart Ascension Island by plane RAF VC-10 bound for Brize Norton. Having exercised with the Brigade in the glorious sunshine at Sennybridge in Wales, we joined the QE2 at Southampton. Got miniature spirits send from home. The link is. The Squadron can trace it’s roots back to 1 September 1848 when it was raised as a Service Company in the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners. 4 Troop built and administered a very effective POW cage in the hold of HMS Intrepid using anti-submarine netting and carried out the Searching, guarding, dis-arming, feeding etc of POW’s on board and at Fox Bay. As it happened, I had to boost 2 Troop with Squadron Tradesmen when it was sent off with 2 PARA on 27 April 1982. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. As if this were not enough, it was appalling bad luck that it was 4 Troop on the Galahad when it was bombed. Bldg 108, Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell, Nottingham NG9 5HA 01159 572439. Corps of Royal Engineers British Army. Jake made everybody smile whenever he was there. 100 Field Squadron is part of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia), the only remaining militia unit in the British Army and, as such, is the oldest regiment of the Reserve Forces having appeared as early as 1539 in the Royal Muster of Military units in the United Kingdom. 4 Troop took 700 POW’s on board and transferred them on to the Norland back at San Carlos. those whose names i can remember . 24 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers main base was Anzio camp, upcountry the unit was at Al Milhah most of the time. Although I was never in 20 Sqn a friend asked me if Alec Craigie was ever the OC. The North Queensland Sappers presented a copy of the book to Mrs. Edna Coolburra, widow of Billy Coolburra. 22 June – 17 July 1982- 4 Troop employed in and around Port Stanley clearing buildings including Government House, marking minefields, breaching minefields, clearing safe lanes, installing generators in Stanley power station to provide power to the town and lots of other Royal Engineer  minor tasks,  it was a busy time. Each infantry division contained three field companies, with each company often working closely with one of the three infantry brigades in a division. 3 Troop 20 Field Squadron Royal Engineers served in the Falklands Campaign in 1982 as 4 Troop 9 Independent Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers. They had many casualties and it was eventually established that Cpl McIlvenny and Spr Tarbard were killed in Action and 8 others badly wounded in Action (including the Troop SSgt). I was in 20 from 72-75. I could not release 2 Troop to go home with the Commando Brigade when it left around 21st June but I did release them on 4 July 1982 (they had marched and fought with 3 PARA they deserved to go home with 3 PARA but I could not spare them.) View from Vaucelles of Monty’s Bridge, built in eight days by the 20th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers. Retired From the Royal Engineers Alive and Well. I've now made contact with Jonna Jones after 30 years . Taff Dratwa? Ken, http://www.freewebs.com/20sqnrefalklands/, I have been looking for Gareth Wyn Jones ( Jonah). They had many casualties and it was eventually established that Cpl McIlvenny and Spr Tarbard were killed in Action and 8 others badly wounded in Action (including the Troop SSgt). The shock continued when we were then informed we were to be attached to 9 Para Sqn RE to make up their strength. The ball and chain being associated with the building of the prison in Fremantle, Australia. The option to re-equip and replace lost clothing, weapons, kit etc not available. Diggers Digby? 2-6June 1982 – 4 Troop Dug in to defend an area of San Carlos and Sussex Mountains. Once we had found ourselves a billet in the condemned building that was once a Working Man's Club, we were tasked with a multitude of jobs including reconnecting Stanley's water and electricity supplies along with booby trap clearance on virtually every building in the capital. Tony the chink? Chris collet? Engineer Regiment 2008, due to the high demand for Commando Engineers. 1971-2008, which has a 37 year heritage, before converting to 24 Cdo. Op telic 4. With no equipment except for what we were stood in, the powers that be decided to get us out at dusk and we were airlifted onto HMS Intrepid, as we flew out under cover of darkness a fierce gun battle was taking place below us with tracer bullets firing both ways,  It was here we stayed until the ceasefire. Photo by Ken Bell. Anyone who served in 20 Field Squadron Royal Engineers and not just old boy’s can join the group once you have answered a series of questions and approved by admin. See Casualties of the Battle of Bluff Cove for further details. 9-10 June 1982 – 4 Troop were deployed on HMS Intrepid and spent their time recovering, withstanding more air raids and trying not to get bored. 4 Troop escaped in only the clothes they stood up in and were unfortunately then rendered ‘ineffective as a fighting unit’. For the survivors there was the initial elation when we finally regrouped in the sheep sheds at Fitzroy followed by the utter disbelief and grief when our casualty list was slowly confirmed.