OSNABRUK


	DERR

1st Bn Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment

(Berkshire and Wiltshire)

Osnabruck

End of August 1978 saw the Battalion firmly ensconced once again on German soil in the pleasant Stadt of Osnabruck. The exercise season soon started and September 78 saw the Battalion deployed and working up in its new fully Mechanized role as part of 2 Armoured Division. During the Battalion tour exercises were the theme of the day with the highlight being Exercise Crusader the largest since World War two. The Battalion also visited and trained in Canada at Company and Battalion group level as part of the Exercise Medicine Man series at Batus Suffield this being live firing exercises with supporting arms in direct support. Visitors abounded, the highlight being two visits by HRH The Prince Phillip one in November 1978 and the other in November 1982. 1979 saw the Battalion back in Northern Ireland for a Roulement tour of duty in Londonderry. Throughout the Osnabruck tour the Battalion took a keen interest in all sporting activities, excelling at Boxing, Judo, Small bore shooting and latterly football. Another serious recreational Sport/Military activity is Exercise Snow Queen which is the B.A.O.R winter Ski-training exercise, this enabled a large number of the Battalion to learn to ski. This may have contributed to our Ski team which enjoyed success in the Army Championships. Having been told our next move would bee to Canterbury in 1982/83 in an Air portable role the ground work for yet another move was put into operation.

OSNABRUCK TIMELINE
EVENT	TIME/DATE
Bn forms Mercer Barracks, Osnabruck	August/September 1978
Band & Drums beat retreat Mercer Bks	8th September 1978
Maiwand Day Celebrations	9th September 1978
Bn on Exercise 'Simple Duke' at Soltau	18th - 28th Sept 1978
Bn umpires Exercise 'Keystone'	5th - 13th October 1978
Visit by Colonel in Chief	24th October 1978
Bn to Sennelager in Coys for Skill at arms	5th - 17th November 1978
Bn party represents UK at Frances Remembrance parade ,Compiegne	November 1978
Bn to Sennelager (Ten days)	20th November 1978
D Coy to Munster North site	13th Dec 1978 for 1 week
Ferozeshah Parade	21st December 1978
C.O.s Reece Londonderry	January 1979
Main Reece to Northern Ireland	April 1979
Visit from HMS Vernon	June 1979
Bn assumes responsibility of West of the Foyle, Londonderry	10.00am, 9th July 1979
First patrol under fire	2.00am 9th July 1979
Sustained Rioting	9th - 11th August 1979
Bn hands over to 3rd Bn Royal Regt of Fusiliers	8th November 1979
Bn on block leave	November 1979
Bn to Canada for Exercise 'Medicine Man'	20th May 1980
Garrison Open day	28th June 1980
Visit to HMS Vernon	3rd July 1980
Maiwand, visit of Colonel in Chief and Old Comrades	17th - 20th July 1980
Exercise 'Spearpoint'	September 1980
Bn to Canada for 2nd Visit	April 1981
B Coy to US Army training centre at Hohenfels	May/June 1981
A Coy to Berlin	June 1981
Corps of Drums to Berlin tattoo	18th Sept -5th Oct 1981
Bands Quinquennial Kneller hall inspection	14th May 1982
Exercise 'Quarter final'	October 1982
Colonel in Chiefs visit to Bn	28th -29th November 1982
Ferozeshah Parade	18th December 1982
Hand over to 1st Bn Green Howards	January 1983