Nijmegen Company
Nijmegen Company, commanded by Major Rupert King Evans, is an independent company which was created when the 2nd Battalion was placed into suspended animation as a result of the 1993 round of defence cuts. Nijmegen Company carries the Colours of the 2nd Battalion and maintains its customs and traditions. The Company is based in Woolwich, London, and it is largely focused on public duties and state ceremonial events. A soldier passing out of basic training will be posted to Nijmegen Company for six to nine months. In this time, the Guardsman's training is built upon so that he is well prepared to take up his life in the 1st Battalion.
Nijmegen Company also undertakes regular training exercises in England and overseas. For example, within the last 18 months, the Company has deployed to Kenya in support of the Irish Guards and to Brecon in support of the Platoon Commanders Battle Course. Recent adventurous training expeditions have included Skiing in France and Germany. The Company also entered a team in the 2010 Army Bobsleigh championships held near Mont Blanc in France.
NIJMEGEN COMPANY
Company Commander: Major R E King Evans
Company Second in Command: Capt A D Rawlins
Company Sergeant Major: WO2 T Bearder
Station: Napier Barracks, Woolwich
Over the last few months the Company has been busy conducting various ceremonial duties, from street lining for the State Opening of Parliament, parading for the President of South Africa on Horse Guards to supporting Founder’s Day at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in June.
Currently the company is in terrific shape, having spent most of May preparing for the 1st Battalion Trooping its Colour on The Queen’s Birthday Parade followed by a hectic June and July conducting various ceremonial duties in London and Windsor. The Company received a very healthy intake from the Infantry Training Centre Catterick and for them in particular The Queen’s Birthday Parade 2010 was their proudest day in the army.
The Queen’s Birthday Parade was the highlight of the last few months. Nijmegen Company had the honour of providing No 5 Guard this year following the 4 Guards provided by the 1st Battalion. The countless hours and endless ‘left forms’ on the well worn drill square of Pirbright and some glorious English summer weather culminated in a faultless parade. The fact that the 1st Battalion had only 8 weeks to prepare for the troop after returning from Afghanistan made the parade particularly poignant.
Despite the hectic Public Duties schedule some members of the Company managed to find some time to go adventure training. Capt Tom Hamilton led a group of Guardsmen on a fantastic Bobsleigh trip to the French Alps, during which all of the Guardsmen managed to gain their Bobsleigh qualifications. Trips like these highlight the benefit that adventure training offers Guardsmen; the chance to gain qualifications, but more importantly the chance to gain confidence and a sense of team cohesion.
We have also been kept busy supporting the training of others, which always provide a varied and valuable means of achieving additional training objectives for the Company. They also provide a welcome and challenging break from the routine of Public Duties. In the Autumn of 2010 the Company will assist the Platoon Commanders Division in Wales, consisting of week long exercises practising ambushes, platoon attacks, river crossings and urban assaults; this helps to keep the fighting skills of the junior Guardsmen sharp before they move on to the 1st Battalion.
Apart from the large turnover in Guardsmen through the Company, there has also been an continuous changeover of officers and NCOs. Company Sergeant Major (CSM) O’Halloran left the Company to become Drill Sergeant and will shortly leave the army to work for an engineering firm in London and we hope he will enjoy the challenges provided by this new job in civilian life. He was followed by CSM Edgehill, who did a fantastic job of preparing the Company for the Troop, keeping the Guardsmen motivated and interested with his unique sense of humour. After The Queen’s Birthday Parade CSM Edgehill moved back to the 1st Battalion to take over as the Drill Sergeant, we wish him every success in this new role.
Those joining the Company are Lt Alex Bayliss, Lt Richard Hutton and Lt Paddy Rice. All three Platoon Commanders commissioned in August 2008 and were with the Battalion for the deployment to Helmand during Herrick 11. The new CSM is WO2 Bearder who took over in June 2010. He has already made a name for himself on the drill square as a hard man to impress with a sharp eye for detail.
The next few months will be very busy as the 1st Battalion gears up for its deployment to Canada in the summer of 2011, and subsequent operational tour in Afghanistan in March 2012. The preparation and training of the Guardsmen who will shortly be joining the Battalion will continue unabated, including the various driver training courses and other competencies so that those who are sent across will be as well prepared as possible for their future activities. Public Duties and State Ceremonial annual events will also continue to keep the Company busy over the forthcoming months.