D(DLOY) Years 2007 - 2008

The Mayor of Wigan, Councillor Eunice Smethurst, joins the Wigan Squadron at Holcombe Moor Training Camp

PXR: MAYORS VISIT HOLCOMBE MOOR TRAINING AREA – 14 APRIL 2007

Background

1. D (DLOY) Sqn RMLY hosted a visit the Mayor of Wigan, Councillor Mrs Eunice Smethurst and a number of her fellow councillors at Holcombe Moor training area on the 14^th April 2007.

Aim

2. The aim of the visit was threefold was as follows:

a. Assist the Mayor to raise money for her local charities.

b. Continue to build a strong relationship with the local council, a number of ward councillors with a view to gaining their support in our aspiration of gaining the freedom of the town at some stage in the future.

c. Gain as much publicity for the Sqn as possible from a recruiting perspective by inviting the local media to cover the event and publicise it in local newspapers.

Equipment

3. The Squadron deployed with 2 x landrovers

Attendance

Attendance on the exercise was reasonable. D Squadron put out 2 sabre troops each with 3 vehicles and B Squadron put out 1 sabre troop of 3 vehicles. Each Sqn contributed to the SHQ. There were sufficient personnel for everyone to gain a substantial amount from the training and to make the exercise a realistic squadron level exercise.

Preparation

Preparation of the exercise was of a very high standard. Vehicles were well packed before deployment and troops arrived on the training area in good order. Unlike Exercise Dragon Chase the signals equipment had obviously had some attention as no signal failures were reported (save for the TTV commanded by the undersigned).

Conduct

Conduct by Squadron members was of a high standard but battle field discipline was from excellent at the top of the scale down to poor at the bottom. This is covered in the PXR detail points at Annex A.

a) Basic skills. Navigation and vehicle movement was of a high standard. Voice procedure also showed a substantial improvement from Exercise Dragon Chase as did map preparation.

b) Dress. When tasked out on the areas dress was of a very high standard indeed but bearing in mind that this was a fully tactical exercise dress states slipped at what the Directing Staff believed that the Squadron personnel believed may have been “tactical downtimes”. This is covered in Annex A.

c) Administration in the Field. This in itself was of a high standard but there were the occasional slips. For example, loud crashing and banging of metal on metal and slamming of doors that was not appropriate in the Squadron hide.

Summary

7. In summary this was a first class weekend that provided first class training in a number of crucial areas. The tasks that were undertaken were carried out with great enthusiasm and gaps in training were identified to be addressed by Squadron personnel from top to bottom. A lesson for DS for the future is that it is important to ensure that Squadron personnel are aware that there is a difference between a fully tactical exercise from deployment to return to the TAC, to one that is a learning exercise involving a round robin of stands on a semi tactical or non tactical basis.

8. A table of main PXR points is attached as Annex A.

J Aspinall

Captain