| Canterbury
- United Kingdom |
January February 1983
saw the Battalion resettled into Howe Barracks Canterbury, a very pleasant
part of England, however the Battalion had two years of extremely hard and
varied operations, duties and exercises ahead of it. Training for Northern
Ireland had already started whilst the Battalion was in Osnabruck and this
continued apace ready for deployment to South Armagh, May - September
1983. The Local Terrorist organizations were soon probing us and carrying
out the odd mortar attack, but this was a successful tour for the
Battalion.
The next year was extremely
busy with Public duties at Buckingham Palace, Route lining and culminating
in the Presentation of new colours to the Battalion by H.R.H. The Prince
Phillip on the 8th June 1984. The old colours were cased and laid up in
a chapel in Salisbury Cathedral.
This of
course with a short tour guarding nuclear weapon's sites and exercises was
a demanding period. Within days of receiving the Colours the Battalion was
on the move again, this time to Camp Wainwright Canada for Exercise POND
JUMP WEST a live firing exercise and adventure training period of 5 - 6
weeks.
December 1984 and on
the move again , this time to Cyprus as part of the United Nations Force
in Cyprus (UNFICYP), this meant the Battalion being split in two with
Tactical H.Q. plus two companies being based on St David's Camp, Nicosia
with a small administrative back up. Their role being to monitor some 20
miles of border between Greek Cypriot and Turkish forces from Nicosia
westwards. The other half of the Battalion being based at Dhekelia in the
Eastern Sovereign Base area with the task of preserving the integrity of
the Base and the enclave of Ayios Nikolies. During the tour the majority
of the Battalion swapped roles, and thus saw most of the Island.
June 1985 saw the
Battalion back in Canterbury and straight into training for a two year
tour of duty in Northern Ireland. The Battalion left Canterbury on a very
high note, earn't through its excellent disciplinary record and a 'Finale'
of beating retreat.
|
