|
Post by aghart on Mar 18, 2013 18:57:48 GMT
Advance notice to all armoured farmers. The guest speaker for April is Lt Col Dick Taylor, he apparently knows something about gunnery or so I've been told.
3 RTR to the core, I do know that!
April 2nd 2013, 8pm Ex Servicemen's Club, 66 North Road, Parkstone, Poole, BH14 0LY.
|
|
|
Post by aghart on Apr 5, 2013 20:18:33 GMT
17 members were present for the April 2013 meeting. A minutes silence was given for Sammy Blues, ex 4 RTR who recently died. Not a member of our branch but he was living in Bere Regis so was local. The final call for names to go the Nottingham branch Arboretum service was given. It was agreed to provide £25 from branch funds to assist in fuel costs for the 3 members likely to go. More details of the Burton (Christchurch, Dorset) armed forces and veterans day in June were made available. The branch will be represented on the day, and our standard will be present. Details of the "Not Forgotten Association" garden party at Buckingham Palace were given. The RTR Association has been given 10 places. Suprisingly, we will be sending a nil return. Our branch relationship with the "Not Forgotten Association" is however still alive, and we have been allocated 6 places on a boat trip along the solent on 19th May. Six names have been submitted. Members were informed of the Medway branch's communication regarding personalised RTR name badges. Cost is £5 each and a number of branch members have shown an interest. There being no further business, the chairman closed the meeting and introduced the guest speaker. Lt Col Dick Taylor joined the Junior Leaders Regiment RAC in the 1970's, he went to 3 RTR, went through the ranks and went into the gunnery world, (Mick Everton took him on his Gunnery Instructors course). The subject of his presentation was his 6 month tour with "UNMISS" United Nations Mission in South Sudan. South Sudan, which is the world's newest country is about the size of France and has successfully seperated from the rest of Sudan. UNMISS has been in place for 2 years and are not "peacekeepers" they are "peace enforcers", they have the authority to use force to ensure that the fragile peace between South Sudan and Sudan is maintained. The can shoot first!. except it seems they don't. UNMISS is 7000 strong and the main units come from India, Nepal and Mongolia. The UN hospital is Cambodian where no English is spoken, there are odds and sods from various countries, the UK provides just 4 soldiers. The force includes a significant number of civilians. So why are they there? After about 20 years of civil war, South Sudan gained it's independance from the rest of Sudan, the population are best described as "black african" whilst the population of Sudan proper are of Arab origin which sort of explains in just a few words why there is conflict. The fly in the ointment is the oil and minerals in the border (mainly South Sudan) area. It's always about oil isn't it? The former rebels are now the regular army of South Sudan. Dick explained the frustration he experienced as the UN are the world's best at having meetings and not making any decisions. Nobody will make a decision. Mobility is a real problem in the wet season and he spent a great deal of time trying to get a "Riverine" boat unit (similar to what the US had in Vietnam) based there to make use of the rivers as a means communication and transport, it's still being considered a year later. The ground troops, spread thin in a huge country, largely avoid confrontation with the militants of both sides. There are only 17 helicopters for the UN mission, none are military, they are leased and crewed by civilians. Dick said more, explained a lot, in what was a serious, graphic, yet entertaining and often very funny presentation. He did not hold back and told it how he saw it, which captivated the audience. The trouble for me and my notes is that a lot of what was said, I feel, cannot be put in writing! sorry folks but that's your lot. You do get a break for a month though. I will miss the May meeting due to a holiday in Italy. So Caio baby!
|
|