The Blythe Sappers

58^th Management Meeting

1300hrs Tuesday 1^st June 2010

The Army & Navy Club, London

Those Present:

Sapper John Moore-Bick Chairman

Sapper Brian Pearce Vice Chairman

Sapper Idris Pearce Chairman Designate 2011

Sapper Roy Wilsher Honorary Treasurer

Sapper John Wilks Honorary Auditor

Sapper Stuart Sinclair Link Member

Sapper John McLennan Honorary Secretary

1. Item 1 Introduction. The Chairman welcomed all those in attendance.

2. Item 2 Apologies for Absence. Apologies had been received from Colonel Sean Harris, Regt Col and Sapper Charles Holman

3. Item 3 Minutes of the Previous Meeting. The Minutes of the 57^th Meeting of the Blythe Sappers Management Committee had been published on the BS website for a month. The Minutes of the previous meeting were signed.

4. Item 4. Matters Arising. The Chairman raised the following points:

· Historical Notes -- The Secretary was asked to press on with the production of the 10^th edition.

· Derby Day Draw -- the procedures were discussed.

·

5. Item 5. Finance. Sapper Roy Wilsher referred to the Blythe Sappers Budget sheet and the BS Trial balance -- these are attached at Annex A.

Points to note are:

1. The Budget sheet had been reviewed and some nominal’s had been altered in accordance with the committee’s desire.

2. The SOFA has not changed but will be shown to the BS Council.

3. The Honorary Treasurer went through the accounts.

4. Membership has been reviewed and there are a couple who have yet to send in their Bank Standing Orders. Those who have not paid their dues by the AGM would be considered to have decided to withdarw their membership.

5. The Hon Treasurer said that the total elected and paid up is 307 (312 with seven non-payers). The Hon Tres will check with Sapper Holman.

6. The Hon Tres informed the meeting that the BS has paid out to three Adventure & Challenging Pursuits Fund. £4,200 is held by RECCT.

6. Item 6. Corps & TA Report

There was no report at this meeting.

7 Item 7. Casualties Since Last Meeting

Deceased. Nil

Resigned: Nil

8 Item 8. Nominations for New Members

Nomination	Sponsor	Seconder
Dr David Wright	Sapper George Cooper	Sapper Brian Pearce
Major Joe Fossey	Sapper John Fitzmaurice	Sapper John McLennan
Lt Col Frank Green	Sapper John McLennan	Sapper Andy Mantell
Major Jeremy Blades	Sapper Richard Elvidge	Sapper Aidan Smyth

All Approved

9. Item 9 Attendance & Arrangements for Today’s Luncheon

Principle Guest: Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO

Britain in Afganistan

Total number Attending 85

Number of Guests 17

Those to Rise 2 (Sapper Barry Le Grys, Sapper Joe Fossey

10. Any Other Business

Sat 7 Aug 10 BS Guest Night RE HQ Mess Chatham

Tue 28 Sep 10 Lunch & AGM Very Rev N Frayling.

Dean of Chichester

Reconciliation in Northern Island

Thu 9 Dec 10 Christmas Lunch Robert Rogers Esq.

Director of the Chamber

11. Date of Next Meeting 1100hrs on Tuesday 28^th Sept 2010 under the Chairmanship of Sapper John Moore-Bick. This meeting will be followed by the Blythe Sappers Annual General Meeting after the lunch.

Sapper John Moore-Bick Chairman The Blythe Sappers	Sapper John R McLennan Honorary Secretary The Blythe Sappers
June 2010	Sept 2010

Annex A

The Blythe Sappers Proposed Budget 2010

Annex B

Corps Report

BS Management Minutes Jun 10

RE CORPS REPORT

BLYTHE SAPPERS’ LUNCHEON 2 JUNE 10

INTRODUCTION

This year, the Corps has withdrawn in good order from Iraq and is concentrating fully on Afghanistan. We are building on a number of fronts; Counter Improvised Explosive Device Task Force, combat support, infrastructure development, reconstruction and development. There is tangible progress throughout. Our ability to design, resource and construct in any number of realms is valued greatly by military commanders and civilian directors throughout. Our great worth seems to be our skill in thinking from first principles, cognisant of the local environment and its people, and then persevering on site until the job is done.

Tempo in the Corps has remained significantly high again this past year and some of the activities will be covered in outline later. We have done all we have been asked to do and more. It has come at a cost in life and limb. The Corps has suffered fatalities and many of our young soldiers have incurred life changing injuries both prior to the latest surge and certainly since it commenced – their resilience, determination and positive outlook is genuinely humbling.

OPERATIONS

Afghanistan (Operation HERRICK)

The tempo of operations in Afghanistan remains extremely high, with significant tactical gains having been achieved over a particularly demanding summer. The most significant structural change has been the creation of the Op HERRICK Counter-IED Task Force (C-IED TF) which formally stood up in September 2009. Currently built upon a small HQ from 11 EOD Regiment RLC, this Task Force now commands the Engineer EOD Squadron as well as RLC IED Disposal teams, Weapons Intelligence elements and Force Protection specialists.

Northern Ireland.  The Corps retains a commitment to Operation HELVETIC in the form of forward-based search assets from 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) and a rear-based public order support capability maintained by 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group; the latter will be reviewed this year with a view to the Police Service of Northern Ireland taking on this role themselves in due course.

TA. Individual TA mobilisations have remained at a steady state, with approximately 70 RE TA personnel currently mobilised and a further 55 on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) engagements.

Great Britain.  Both the Technical Response Force (TRF) and 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) continues to provide operational support within the UK.

CORPS STRUCTURES – REGULAR

Long term structures – FAS(NS). Driven by a revision in Defence Strategic Guidance, FAS(NS) seeks to deliver an Army better focused on the “most likely” scenario and in particular on brigade-level stabilisation operations of the type being experienced in Afghanistan.

Short term structures – Increased EOD, Infrastructure & Civil Effect capabilities. To sustain the increased level of capability required on operations, the Corps has delivered three significant uplifts in capability: EOD (and the creation of a new hybrid regular regiment in 101), Infrastructure (delivery of an 8^th STRE) and Civil Effect (with the formation of MSSG).

CAPABILITY – SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUIPMENT

Deployable Engineer Workshop (DEW). The Corps deployed one of our 4 new systems to Afghanistan in the autumn.

Future Rapid Effects System (FRES). FRES is the Army’s key armoured vehicle replacement programme for obsolescent AFV 430 and CVR(T) vehicles over the next 15 years. The Corps has a Manoeuvre Support element including FRES AVRE, FRES AVLB and Armoured Engineer Tractor. TERRIER will fulfil the latter role.

TROJAN AND TITAN (T2). T2 represent a step-change in our speed of manoeuvre and our obstacle breaching and gap-crossing capability over the old Chieftain AVREs and AVLBs. Batch testing of production vehicles continues with Batch 5 in late 2009 or early 2010 followed by all 66 vehicles reaching their final acceptance in late 2011. TROJAN was used for the first time in anger last month breeching 3 lanes through an IED field in AFG. Likewise, PYTHON (son of VIPER) was used in route clearance.

TERRIER. The Corps has a requirement for an armoured highly mobile General Support Engineer Vehicle optimised for battlefield preparation in any operation. TERRIER remains on track to meet this requirement with a current in service date of April 2013.

REGIMENTAL AFFAIRS

Overview. This year has sadly seen a number of funerals including those of Sapper Mark Quincey and Sapper Patrick Azimkar who died as a result of a terrorist attack in Northern Ireland and Sapper Jordan Rossi and Capt Ben Babington-Brown who died whilst on operations in Afghanistan. We are now starting the process of presenting the Elizabeth Cross and the intent is to offer the Corps Memorial Weekend as an opportunity for these to be presented in future. We are in the process of contacting the families of those who have died on operations to inform them. We also have to report the death of Maj Gen Hamish Rollo who died, quite suddenly, of natural causes shortly before he was due to retire from the Army, and Maj Nathan Arnison who died, very unexpectedly, shortly after leaving his post as Officer Commanding 13 Geographic Squadron.

Corps Memorials. During the 65th Anniversary of D Day we opened a new Corps memorial at Arromanches. We are currently in the process of creating a memorial of remembrance for the Corps in Rochester Cathedral in partnership with the Bishop of Rochester.

RE Museum Library and Archive (REMLA).

· Events. The REMLA has maintained a busy programme of special events and seen nearly a 150% growth in visits by school children.  Overall visitor numbers, researchers, website users and income for its various facilities remained as buoyant as in 2008 which was itself a record year.  Potential research projects have also begun to emerge with the War Studies department of the local university and other scientific faculties interested in exploring the riches of our Library and Archive for the first time.

ROYAL ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION (REA)

The REA continues to be the focus for those former Sappers and their families who are in need of benevolence help and we have assisted over 1,000 applicants at a cost of more than £0.5 million. In addition, over 900 Special Christmas Grants have been issued for those being treated for Combat Stress, in Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Residential Homes and widows living alone. Major grants have been authorised by the Trustees to the ABF, SSAFA Forces Help, Combat Stress and Veterans Aid for the work they do for the wider services community for which many Sappers benefit and for which we are very grateful.

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS

Professional Registration is taking off and last year (our first full year with a license) we recorded the second highest registration in the country by any Institution, of Engineering Technicians. It is a fantastic achievement which underpins and highlights not only the talent we have available in the Corps but the decision to go down this route. There are a further 3000+ members of the Corps who are qualified and could apply for registration now.

RE BAND

The Band has had another extremely busy and varied schedule this year including a 2 month detachment to RMAS, support to British Forces on Ascension Island, a brief visit to Abu Dhabi in support of the Poppy Appeal in addition to the continued support across all Units of the Corps. Other high profile events included performances at the Epsom Derby, Hickstead and the Shrewsbury Flower Show where the band received great praise for its versatility and professionalism.

RE HEADQUARTER OFFICERS MESS

The RE HQ Officers’ Mess has continued to lay on a number of quality events for the Corps whilst also developing the Mess aesthetically. Two Cuneo paintings that have been on long loan to the Royal Logistic Corps have been returned and the Sudan Centrepiece has been restored to its full former glory complete with palm fronds. The Mess has commissioned a major painting to commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the Peninsular Campaign which will depict the work of the sappers in creating the Lines of Torres Vedras (which proved to be the high tide mark of the French invasion of the Peninsular and decisive turning point of the campaign). Finally, a port vintage year has been declared for 2007 and the Corps will be laying down a supply for the youngsters to enjoy in a few decades time!

SPORT

The Corps has had plenty of sporting successes this year. In particular:

· Rugby Union. The Corps has retained, for the third consecutive year, the Army Inter-Corps championship, this time defeating REME 28 – 8.

· Canoeing. In the Devizes to Westminster Race the Corps ‘A’ team won the Services Trophy and the ‘B’ team were runners-up.

· Hockey. The Corps has enjoyed another hugely successful season and has dominated at Corps, Army Major and Minor Unit level.

· Windsurfing. Maj Baker became the Forces and Army Individual Champion and Slalom Champion whilst Maj Jones became the Forces Wave Champion.

· Boxing. Corps boxing is now under stewardship from Tidworth and continues to prosper. Sapper Whitfield of 26 Engineer Regiment has competed at International level at fly-weight, twice representing England and is also the ABA flyweight champion. He was the Army’s nomination for the Combined Services Sportsman of the Year Award 2009.

· Parachuting. Cpl D Smith represented GB at the World Canopy championship in South Africa and was awarded the BPA skydiver of the Year Award.

· Swimming and Water-Polo. The sport has slumbered for many years but is now showing itself again. In December it won the Inter-Corps men’s team championship and was second in the Ladies event.

· Fencing. A “Cinderella” sport compared with some and seldom mentioned, but this has been the best year for some time. LCpl Parks of 28 Engineer Regiment became Army Champion at Arms, effectively making him the best overall swordsman in the British Army. The Corps team is now challenging for the Army title.

· Golf. The Sapper team of Churchill, Over, Nicholson, Cowley and Marshall triumphed over the REME in the final of a tournament, held at Saunton Sands, that has been dominated for several years by the RLC.

CONCLUSION

The Corps is in good order. We continue to fight in AFG at an intensity not seen since Korea. We should not be distracted by media pressure or the cries of those stating that it is too much for the Army to bear. We are soldiers and should not and must not cry foul when the Spartans come to Call!