4 Issue No. 43 In late November early December 1985 II Sqn deployed to Germany to conduct our annual field firing and scorpion range work at Bergan Hohne Ranges followed by a Harrier Force Exercise and then a joint 1 Sqn, II Sqn and 1 Royal Scots exercise call Exercise Gazelle Arabian 85 on the Saltau Luneburg trg area. Once we completed the Harrier Force phase, we went into a free manoeuvre phase with both Sqns defending against an enemy onslaught provided by the 1 Royal Scots. II Sqn dug into defensive positions whilst 1 Sqn provided a recce screen forward of II Sqn. During the Exercise I was in the Sqn HQ in the Sultan command vehicle. Along with the Air Adjutant, Jules, the two of us ran the Sqn HQ Flight on a day to day basis. One of our tasks was manning the radio net. It was during this phase that 1 Sqn lost comms with its Sqn HQ. I cannot remember if it was an exercise inject or the 1 Sqn Sultan had become inoperable. The upshot was that we, in the II Sqn HQ, ended up having to manage both Sqn’s radio communications. It is difficult enough managing the comms requirements of a single Sqn during an ongoing battle, it is another level altogether running two and having to relay all of 1 Sqns comms downstream and up the chain of command. I was gibbering by the time they got it sorted out. It was during this phase that we had a bit of stability, and we were able to develop a routine in place and make a few creature Recollections of Exercise Gazelle Arabian 1985 comforts. Out of saplings we made several chairs and a very nice rustic table on which we could put our washing bowls for our morning ablutions and have a comfy seat for when you were not on stag. As the 1 Scots advanced 1 Sqn was forced to withdraw through II Sqn’s positions. The weather was very cold with snow and frozen ground everywhere which just added to the misery and sleep deprivation. Once 1 Sqn moved through our position, they were to move at speed to take up a defensive stance at a reserve demolition of a vital bridge (tank bridge over the main autobahn to Hamburg) they believed that we would then conduct a delaying action against the 1 Royal Scots. We were about to conduct the first British forces to jump from a Chinook. The concept had been trialled, but no airborne unit had yet jumped operationally from the Chinook to this date. It would also be the first time for the aircrew and dispatchers of 18 Sqn Chinooks. We were to be the first and as such the BBC had sent a camera team and photojournalists to record the jump for posterity. Unknown to 1 Sqn was that II Sqn were not coming to provide an extra Sqn to defend the bridge, but we scurried off to re-role in the parachute role so we could carry out an airborne assault on the bridge with the 1 Royal Scots in support. The weather at this stage was bitterly cold with snow on the ground and the training area surface was frozen solid. None of us were looking forward to jumping in those conditions considering we were going to be jumping into Schneverdingen DZ which was an area churned up by all forms of tracked vehicle and there were frozen ditches several feet deep all over the DZ. It was feared that under the current frozen conditions on the DZ that there would be a high rate of injuries. Hundreds of poles marking the plantation areas also had to be removed by trg area staff before the jumps could take place. By this stage of the exercise, we were all exhausted and after setting up the leaguer the Sqn Officers and key SNCOs gathered at the back door to the Sultan so that the Boss could give us our orders for the airborne assault. We were all huddled around the Sultan. As normal we were all in CEFO and with our personal weapons, either the SLR or the SMG. Because of the way we were going to be jumping, light scales with no equipment, we had to adapt how we were going to jump with our SLRs. Normally they would be in a weapon pack strapped to the side of your equipment. As we were not jumping with equipment, we decided to use para cord attached to the sling swivel with a loop at the butt to attach to the reserve chute D ring and the barrel would be strapped to your thigh by some webbing. Very Heath Robinson, but it worked. We did not normally use slings on the SLR apart from in Northern Ireland. Each stick also had one gunner who had full equipment to carry radios and GPMG ammunition. After the O Group, and remembering we were very sleep deprived, I looked around for my rifle and could not find it. Panic set in and I was effing and blinding over where my rifle was and who had taken it only to be tapped on the shoulder by one the blokes to point out that it was slung over my shoulder using the para cord. I was that knackered I hadn’t realised I had slung my rifle and could not feel it was I spun around looking for where I thought I might have left it. I was ribbed for that one for years after.
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