Following the NI post-tour and summer leave in 2000, we got ourselves back into the swing of things with a week's adventure training based at Kinmel Park in July. What was then the four Platoons of Mortars, Recce, Anti-Tank and Signals had a spirited time in the sea, tracks, hills and on the rock-faces of North Wales - and very spirited evenings in Rhyl. Thanks go to QMSI Winterbottom for showing us how things should be done (no photos by request).

The Company was also able to grab the opportunity to deploy for some specialist support weapon dry training on exercise in Otterburn in August. We were lucky to get away on this valuable low-level refresher and few then would have realised just how lucky: things did not stop for the next twelve months. Unknown to us it was Capt Wolfenden's swan song; on return he was plucked kicking and screaming and sent on posting as an acting Major to Catterick.

Events then stepped up a gear and amongst other things the RAAT taskings seemed to multiply from just enough to more than enough. We participated in the Battalion SAAM at Altcar, and UKSB duties popped up to rehearse our packing and unpacking drills. Ex HIGHLAND STALLION, the first Battalion FTX for a long time, took place in Garelochead but only really tested Recce Pl under Cpl Bower and elements of Signal Pl under the then CSgt Price. Company HQ, Mortars and Anti-Tanks provided the enemy for the truly fantastic assaults from the rifle companies. As a reminder of the long lead-times for residential NI tours, WO2 Paxton and CSgt Smith had already been extracted from the Company for their COP controllers' course.

We returned from Scotland wiser and damper, to be told that Company HQ, Mortar Platoon and the bulk of all JNCOs upwards would be drying out in West Africa. Op BASILICA, or Op SILKMAN as it came to be, was assistance to the Government of Sierra Leone; providing military training support to its less than fully polished Army. After some hurried training in Otterburn and Altcar we set off for Africa courtesy of the RAF. Enough said. The 58 trainers the Battalion provided were based around Support Company HQ. Around 20 Support Company personnel (including several as local LCpls) were involved in the training of over 1350 African troops on low-level Infantry skills and tactics during the eight-week tour. A rifle section also deployed from the Anti-Tank Platoon to assist C Coy in their security duties and was based in the rear with the RFA and its ice-cubes. Under Sgt Cocker and the then Cpl Jennings, Mortar Platoon deployed a full section, which actually fired operationally during the tour; a bit of a change from SPTA and Ex SANTA BARBARA.

Back in the UK just before Christmas, we started the New Year with warnings of large-scale closures of training areas - the foot and mouth disease started to take hold and courses closed down all over the country. Mortar Platoon managed to escape to the Oman with C Coy on Ex ROCKY LANCE for six weeks. Anti-Tank Platoon squeezed in a two-week 15 Bde exercise which had some of its own mid-tour weekend entertainment and then ran a Milan cadre in the barracks and a later training package using some by-now-redundant instructors from the Anti-Tank Wing at Warminster, which had closed to guests. Company HQ concentrated on developing and then tearing up plans for the training of a Jamaican Defence Force Company in STANTA - they cancelled when they heard about the foot and mouth (or saw the weather forecast). CSgt Stothard had to change his profit spreadsheet for the Company canteen.

In March Recce Platoon folded for two years and became the Close Observation Platoon (COP) under Capt Lord, WO2 Paxton and CSgt Smith. This freed up the recently returned WO2 Morton to move from Anti-Tank Platoon to Company HQ and CSM. The extra 50 or so COP troopers boosted the numbers of the Company to about 50% of all fighting troops in the Battalion (but only 18% of the ones that got caught). A distraction came as the foot and mouth situation flared up in Cumbria. The OC, a large Signals detachment, and a succession of NCO Liaison Officers deployed with HQ 42 (NW) Bde to Carlisle as part of Op SLUBBER, which was rapidly renamed Op PENINSULAR as soon as the press became involved. There was a real crisis at this stage, with all the associated confusion and stress at all levels. Many truly good deeds were done and all those involved should be proud of the part they played.

Back in Chester, the COP deployed half its force to Jamaica with A Coy on Ex RED STRIPE. By now the whole Battalion's focus was switching to NI issues although RAAT commitments continued, especially Ex GLOBE TROT and assistance to COTT. The Company provided many personnel for the later Op PENINSULAR involvement; the situation was much quieter and there was time for liaison in all senses of the word. The last act of the specialist support platoons before adopting a Patrols Company orbat was to deploy on exercise to Sennybridge for live firing of Mortar Platoon and Anti-Tank Platoon, jointly with the EWRR annual camp. The mortars continued to add to their tally of rounds fired (likely to be the most in any Infantry Battalion this year) and the anti-tanks fired two years worth of missiles with some excellent results; 23 hits from 24 missiles in what were appalling conditions (or so says Pte Tomlinson).

On return from Wales, the new orbat saw the departure of COP and Signal Platoon, and the arrival of several C Coy escapees. We struggled on through the Victor Ludorum competition, winning the only contest that was not won by the huge HQ Coy and departed for leave in good form.

During the year the Company did very well on the promotions front: congratulations to LCpls Clark, Clarkson, Dillon, Henderson, Jobling, Kaye, Radford, Shawe, Shirt, Stiff; Cpls Brook, Lane and Murphy; Sgts Jennings, Liversidge, Mitchell and Weldrand and WO2 Price.

We welcome many new recruits from Catterick and Harrogate: Ptes Barber, Bedford, Cowgill, Cross, Drennan, Duddy, Durkin, Fletcher, Holdsworth, Kendall, Providence, Speight and Webb. Now all know where the cookhouse is (and a few the gym, a few the ironing rooms and a few others the detention centre). Pte Clegg joins Mortar Platoon from EWRR. The Battalion reorganisation saw LCpls Brisbane and Gordon, Ptes Barber, Bateson, Booker, Cross, Hunter, Jones, Pisarkiewicz, Rawlings, Scott, Tindall and Wood move across from other companies with Lt Dyson: welcome to these as well. Maj McNicholas came from MOD London and leaves to head south again in search of better weather; WO2 Morton returned from another posting away with the EWRR and stays to dispense guidance and justice to all.

Posted from the Company were Pte Middleton and Cpl Bower to ITC Glencorse, Pte Turner to 1 KORBR, Sgt Robson and Sgt Robson to the EWRR Mortar and Anti-tank Platoons respectively, just to keep it easy for TA name-recognition. Sgt Wright also went to EWRR Signal Platoon and Sgt Wyrill and Sgt Moffit to recruiting jobs at York and Bradford AFCOs. Internally, Cpl Lister left for B Coy and LCpl Henderson moved across on promotion to the Regimental Police. Ptes Fegan, Priestley, Rainton and LCpl Crowther are doing their best to be intelligent, Pte Taylor is driving for the MT, Pte Hardwick is now muscle-busting in the gym and Pte Anderson is mending muscles in the medical centre, a place he saw a lot of after Sierra Leone. Ptes Hall and Leach will be working with the dog section. Ptes Hoe, Horton, Ryton, Shardlow and Williamson did their bit on attachment with the recruiting team, and LCpls Williams and Colley put in some serious eating duties during separate, three-month attachments, to BATUS.

In its new structure, and with Major Ratcliffe as a brand new OC, Support Company is ready for deployment to Omagh and whatever the first operational cycle will bring.