FERRET Invasion

[Diana and Jackie]

Bottom of Page Left

 

http://www.greenflash.org.uk/gallery/BSQN3.html

 

Diana

[AlienFTM]

Bottom of Page Left

 

http://www.greenflash.org.uk/gallery/BSQN3.html

 

Diana

 

I drove one of those Ferrets. In fact, looking at the date, I am almost certainly IN that picture (somewhere). Since it's entitled "B Sqn United Nations Tour 1977", I assume it's B Sqn 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars, who did UNFICYP Force Reserve Squadron September 1976 - March 1977. The only other End of Tour medal parade that year would have been our own A Sqn (who took over from us in March) in September. I don't know who took over from our A Sqn, but their medal parade would have been in 1978. Besides, there is clearly grass growing: by September it was burnt off.

 

That is evidently the runway at Nicosia Airport (closed to air traffic since the invasion in 1974) looking west (midday sun from the south). There were only two occasions when we gathered like that, the Medal Ceremony very close to End of Tour in March and the rehearsal. Since collars are clearly not fastened, I suggest (it looks like) they are all wearing green woolly pullies and so it must be the rehearsal. No 2s were worn on the day.

 

I'll surmise that the picture is taken by 1st Troop sergeant (second Ferret from the left in the pic; second from the right as we drove) which means we are looking at 2nd, 3rd, 4th 5th and 6th Troops, which adds up. Which in turn means that I am driving the third Ferret from the front in the left-hand file as we look at it, 4th Troop leader.

 

Pretty sure the front left Ferret, c/s 22 is commanded by a certain Sergeant (whose name escapes me) and next to him, c/s 22A, a Corporal whose name I know but Persec precludes me from telling you. Implies that the Troop Leader had left early, probably to attend a course.

 

Sadly the pic is just too small to identify anyone else for certain (and it's 36 years ago), but the man commanding what must be mine does indeed look like Rommel (not his real name: he had a penchant for wearing goggles up on top of his beret) and what must be 24B does look like our Troop Corporal. Looking again, commander of 24A (behind 23A, leaning to one side) does indeed look like our Troop Sergeant.

 

So, it went like this. On the right (and back down the runway behind the camera: this looks like the end of the runway) is the airport terminal. Between runway and terminal building was a grandstand and saluting base.

 

On the day, commanders did not wear (Larkspur: C42 / B47 or C13 / B47: there weren't enough C42s to go round) headsets. Instead of working on IC, drivers were on VHF on standby. The frequency iirc was 48.000MHz. The Squadron Sergeant Major was on the airport terminal roof out of sight of everyone except us who knew where to look. He controlled the squadron as one vehicle.

 

The actual parade comprised the OC (Major) in the SSM's Mark 1 followed by six troops of four. We drove on and parked up on the southern edge of the runway facing the terminal in sequence (from the right): 29, 21, A, B, C 22, A, B, C ... 26, A, B, C. 1 times Mark 1 and 24 times Mark 2. Iirc we had our placings marked a bit like a simple starting grid. We drove on in single file from the east along the north edge of the runway, in front of the terminal, swung through 360 to where we are now (but still in single file, not when this pic was taken) then drove eastward along the runway and turned left into our own grid position in a single line facing the terminal. Because we had radios on, I suspect we didn't turn off the engines until just before the parade: we needed every Ferret to start on the first turn of the starter. No doubt Tankie (the SSM, c/s 29C) gave the drivers a radio check before it all happened. I suspect we were sat there a while while the guests took up positions, then Britcon (an infantry company which might have been B Coy of one of the Para battalions but it was hard to tell when we all wore UN kit) marched on and took up position.

 

The VIP taking the salute drove on and took his place last, then the parade could start. A fairly typical parade. The VIP inspected the infantry, who then marched past. If memory serves (Bazz might remember), the infantry left before we moved. Our Commanders were stood to attention in the turret for quite some time (luckily, being March, while sunny it was not unduly hot. We drivers just had to sit fairly still (no motion to be observed from afar but that was unlikely) and listen for our cue. Istr just watching Tankie on the roof.

 

Tankie gave a warning order, which was a cue to tap my commander's leg so he knew we were about to happen. On his word of command we started up the Ferrets (they all started!). Then he got us rolling. We all turned right into the formation shown in the picture with 29 front and centre. We simply drove round in column of troops, commanders saluted as they passed the VIP (I think Tankie might have called the salutes by troop. Did commanders elevate the Brownings as per the pic? Cannot remember: maybe) and drivers just concentrated on staying in line and column. Drove back to where we'd started (see pic) then drove straight off and back to camp.

 

I think we left Cyprus about 18 March 1977, so this would be sometime about 13-15 March 77.

[AlienFTM]

Been looking again at that. The website and the watermark suggests this website is B Sqn 3 RTR (who wore a green flash). Since 3RTR lived two barracks down from us in 1977, it's quite possible that their B Sqn took over from our A Sqn in September 1977 and maybe, just maybe, I am completely wrong and my identifications have been driven by wishful thinking. But if that is not Barry in 22A, I'd say it's his brother. Except that his brother Pete was driving 29 and a week later I took over as 29's driver.

 

If I am wrong, it must be B Sqn 3RTR about September 1977 (but the grass is wrong because it's there) and they took a photo just because they could, presumably a day or so after arrival and before scattering the length of the Green Line.

 

The other possibility is that the man who stuck the picture on the website identified the picture as RAF Nicosia and, finding it attributed to B Sqn, got the year wrong and assumed it was B Sqn 3RTR.

 

But then again, I think if I dig out Armoured Farmer by Malcolm Cleverley (a friend of mine who served in 3RTR over the same period I served next door in 15/19H: he had a stall at Tankfest at the weekend. Did you buy a mug or a tank print? That was him) and check, I am sure his narrative stated that they did their UNFICYP tour around a four-troop Orbat. Because we had had six-troop squadrons in Omagh 74 - 76, We took a five-troop plus GW Troop Orbat in Tidworth allowing us to retain the six-troop orbat for UNFICYP.

Edited July 5, 2013 by AlienFTM

[john fox]

it is very tempting to read the VRN on the one on the right of the second row as 00DA57.....