152 (NORTH IRISH) REGIMENT RLC LOOK BACK ON 2016

152 (North Irish) Regiment Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) is Northern Ireland’s only RLC Regiment and the only Fuel Support Regiment in the British Army – the third role for the Unit in 7 years. The regiment consists of three Task Squadrons and a Headquarter Squadron with an establishment of 398 Reserve and 44 Regular & FTRS personnel.  Regimental Headquarters, 227 (Headquarter) Squadron and 400 Squadron, are co-located in Palace Barracks, Holywood.  220 Squadron is located in Kinnegar, Belfast and 211 Squadron is located in Caw, Londonderry with a sub unit detachment in Coleraine.  

The regiment is under command of 104 Logistic Support Brigade and is cared for within the region by HQ 38 (Irish) Brigade. 

Unit Mission 

152 RLC mission is to recruit and train reserve petroleum operators and bulk fuel vehicle driver operators (Close Support Tanker and Unit Support Tanker drivers), deployable at section strength in order to enable operational success.  We are to provide 10 Petroleum Operators, 10 Close Support Tanker Drivers and 8 Unit Support Tanker Drivers per roule for up to 5 roules.

Op TOSCA – The Unit recently recovered 40 personnel from Op TOSCA 24 where it provided the Mobile Force Reserve (MFR) including all Command and Control, Force Generation and Force Preparation of the sub-unit within 36 Engineer Group.  Normally underemployed, the MFR found themselves extremely busy with a steep rise in tasking throughout the tour compared to previous tours, partly due to the greater reaction between the opposing nations (Greece and Turkey).   A medal parade, fully supported by RFCA (NI) was held for all personnel and their families at Clandeboye Estate on 15 October 2016.  

Somme 100 Anniversary – Commemoration events filled much of the spring and early summer for officers and soldiers from the Regiment with everyone keen to take part in the various parades and events.  The Regiment has strong ties with the battle, tracing its history back to the 36th Ulster Division that was engaged in attacks from the first day and suffered heavy casualties.  The soldiers represented their predecessors well with fine drill throughout the various Services of Remembrance.  In addition 35 members of the Regiment carried out a visit to Collins Barracks, Dublin to gain a better understanding of the sacrifice of soldiers from Ireland during the Great War.  The Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association provided an excellent brief on the sacrifice of the 10th and 16th Irish Divisions during World War I and in the context of Ireland at the turn of the century.  During the brief the sacrifice of 5,000 soldiers was particularly poignant in this year of anniversaries.

  

Pipes and Drums from 152 (NI) Regt RLC lead Somme commemorations in July.

Exercise Ulster Reflection – as part of the Somme 100th anniversary commemoration, 45 members from the Regiment including the Honorary Colonel and Commanding Officer attended a Unit Battlefield Study over 4 days to the Somme and Flanders.  The Regiment retraced the footsteps of the 36th Ulster Division as they were deployed to the Somme visiting the Ulster Tower, Thiepval Wood, the Irish Peace Tower and Menin Gate in Ypres. 

Tower to Tower – over the month of September the Regiment completed the Commanding officer’s ambitious challenge where 60 members from the Regiment cycled and marched the route from Theipval Tower on the Somme to Helen’s Tower at Clandeboye Estate – where the 36th Ulster Division were trained prior to their deployment to the Somme.  The event took 14 days to complete the distance of 450 miles and £5,000 was raised for ABF the Soldiers Charity as part of the Regiments Somme commemorations. 

 

Football – The Regimental Football Team continues to bring home silverware on a regular basis.  Unfortunately the Team lost in the final of the Army Reserve Challenge Cup in Aldershot in April to 71 Engineer Regiment; the second year in a row the Unit had been beaten in the final!  

On a positive note however the Unit is the first team into this year’s quarter-final and have high hopes to regain the Cup they won in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In June they retained the Northern Ireland Football League Championship – a competition played against all Regular and Reserve Units based in Northern Ireland – the fifth year in a row the Unit has won this title.  In August the Unit was successful in winning the Army Reserve National Football 6-a-side Championship and in September also won the RLC Reserve 6-a-side Championship.  The Unit has 4 personnel selected for the Army Reserve National Football Team – the highest representation of any Reserve Unit in the UK; in addition the Unit also provides the coach.  The Unit also provides the Manager and Assistant Manager of both the RLC Reserve Football and 38 (Irish) Brigade Football Teams. 

Shooting – the Unit had another successful year with the Regimental Shooting team having particular success at the Force Troops Command Operational Shooting Competition with 6 of the 8 man team winning individual trophies.  

At the Army Reserve Operational Shooting Competition at Bisley 2016 the Regiment gained its highest ever overall unit placing – 5th overall.   

Potential JNCO Cadre – in March the Regiment ran a residential 8 day Potential JNCO Cadre at Ballykinler with students from the Regiment and the following Units in attendance, 150 Transport Regiment RLC, 154 (Scottish) Transport Regiment RLC, 167 Catering Support Regiment RLC, 383 Commando Petroleum Troop, 207 Field Hospital RAMC, 5 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the Army Training Unit Northern Ireland.   

Nijmegen Marches 2016 – 100th Anniversary – a team of 12 members from the Regiment took part in the largest marching event in the world when the city of Nijmegen in the Netherland hosts approximately 45,000 participants during July. Enduring 34 degrees of heat and 60% humidity the team successfully completed the 4 day event covering a total of 160km despite some severe blisters along the way.  

Pipes and Drums – another busy year for the Pipes and Drums section of the Unit attending many events including the Corps Cocktail Party, Ulster and Somme commemoration parades throughout Northern Ireland, Remembrance Parade Holywood and a variety of Christmas events.  

Community Engagement – Over the past 6 months the Regiment has developed the Op SACRED concept (Student and Community Reserve Engagement Days) with the main target audience focused on Regional Colleges throughout Northern Ireland.  This has led to Gatekeepers awareness rising as well as an audience between 18-35 years of age that may not have previously heard about the Army Reserve. Op SACRED has this year evolved from a humble beginning of just two colleges participating in 2015, to a total of eight colleges involved, with a total of 14 different events being provided.  This is an area that we keep developing and now incorporate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the event. 

Throughout the summer months the Regiment has attended all the main agricultural shows as well as all the large community events throughout the province on a recruiting basis, however the Regiment’s two main Community Engagement events in 2016 were the support delivered to the Belfast Tattoo military guard and the entire chef and G4 support provided to Mourne Mountain Adventure, where the Regiment prepared, provided and served food for 450 youths (and 150 supporting staff) from a variety of community groups from across Northern Ireland.   

Army Cadet Support – The Regiment has supported a significant number of Cadet Camps throughout 2016 including, Campbell and Foyle College CCF Easter Camps with 2 members of the Regiment acting as drivers as well as training support on each exercise – in addition adventure training instructors were also provided.  Throughout the summer months of 2016 the Regiment have supported 1st and 2nd Battalion ACF Camps as well as Foyle Campbell and Royal School Armagh CCF summer Camps.

Charity Fundraising – the Regiment continues to raise significant amounts of money for a number of very deserving charities with £6,000 being raised for Macmillan Cancer Support across a number of collection points in the North west by 211 Squadron, £500 raised by the Regimental Para 10 team, the Football Team raising money for Marie Curie and the Woodland Trust has received practical support for the Northern Ireland WW1 commemorative wood.  All in all a total of £15,000 was raised in total during 2016 by the regiment.