Sporting Record and Military Achievements

The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment

1959-1961

1959

With the amalgamation of The Queen's Royal Regiment and The East Surrey Regiment into The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment on 14^th October 1959, it was not long before sporting elements made themselves felt. The boxing team headed the list of achievements. In the Eastern Command semi-final against The King's Shropshire Light Infantry at Colchester the 1^st Battalion team had a convincing win by 9 bouts to 2. Competing against the Irish Guards at Victoria Barracks, Windsor on 7^th January 1960, the team again emerged victorious by 18 points to 15.After the contest the Irish Guards Regimental Band and the Pipes and Drums of the 1^st Battalion Beat the Retreat.

After winning the Eastern Command Competition the team had to fight the winners of Western Command. They crossed by sea to Northern Ireland on 23^rd January, while a Hermes aircraft, chartered from Skyways, transported 69 spectators and four attractive hostesses to Belfast. It was no disgrace to lose by 7 bouts to 4 against hard hitting opponents and the creditable performance of the team owed much to their trainer CSM Skilton.

1960

The cross-country team had a good season. By winning the Eastern Command Championships they qualified for the Army final. They also won the East Anglican District Competition on 15^th December 1959. Throughout various competitions Pte Gillett was a superb runner, his position as leader of the field being unassailable. On 30^th January he ran for the Army and was placed fourth. It was a sad loss to Battalion athletics when he left the Army in March.

Trophies won by 1 Queen's Surreys 1959-1960 East Anglian District Safe-Driving Shield, East Anglian Cross Counrty Running Cup, Eastern Command Boxing Cup, Eastern Command Cross-Country Running Cup, Eastern Command Basketball Runners-up Cup, East Anglian District Boxing Shield, East Anglian District Basketball Shield, East Anglian District Hockey Shield

The Battalion hockey team were showing well in the Army Cup. ln the third round against the Depot Regiment RE at Chatham they won 4-1. On 24^th February 1960, they played 12^th School of Mechanical Engineering Regiment RE in the Eastern Command semi-final at Burton Court and won 2-1. Of 13 matches played they lost only one, scoring a total of 45 goals with only 13 against.Capt Doyle was the indefatigable captain and he was supported both on and off the field by RSM Oram.

The comparatively new sport of basket-ball was popular in the Battalion. They won all their matches with local units of the Army and RAF and were well on their way to winning two championships, the Norfolk League and the Eastern Command.

In the sphere of weaponry the MMG Platoon had trained hard since amalgamation and won the 19^th Infantry Brigade concentration in November 1959 by an overwhelming margin. S/Sgt Todd REME was a great help in the way he prepared the guns before competitions. Among Territorial Units the 23^rd London Regiment (TA) had been gaining laurels. They won the London Territorial Challenge Cup for tug-of-war in the 56^th (London) Divisional Sports. They also won the 56^th (London) Division Medium Machine-Gun Cup at the annual Divisional Small Arms Meeting in May 1959, before the amalgamation. Both the tug-of-war teams and the MMG team had been trained and coached by CSM D Coughlan.
The 6^th Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment (TA) had not been idle either. In the Eastern Command (TA) Championships they won the 44^th Infantry Divisional Cup for the fifth year in succession. The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Journal of May 1960, obviously with pleasure, summarised the sporting successes of the 1^st Battalion since amalgamation as follows: Eastern Command Inter-Unit Boxing Trophy, Eastern Command Inter-Unit Cross Country Cup, Eastern Command Inter-Unit Basketball Runner-up, East Anglian District Hockey Shield, East Anglian District Boxing Cup, East Anglian District Cross Country Cup, East Anglian District Safe Driving Shield, East Anglian District Basketball Shield, Norfolk and District Basketball Cup.

At the Depot Lt Anderson had been playing hockey for Eastern Command and, on one occasion, for the Army. The Battalion's participation in the Army cross-country finals took place at Crookham Downs in Hampshire and provided an excellent day's sport. The team gained 4^th place. An outstanding performance was put up by Pte Gillet.

The hard-playing hockey team lost their last hold on the Army Cup when they were defeated in the Eastern Command final by the War Office 7-3, however, a few days later the team won the East Anglian District Major Unit Trophy by defeating 36 Guided Weapons Regiment RA 3-0. In the Army Swimming Championships at Caterham the Battalion team lost to the Welsh Guards despite the encouragement of a coachload of supporters who had travelled from Colchester.

The Battalion shooting team, for the second year in succession, won the East Anglian District Falling Plate.

L/Cp/ G Will holding the Arrmy Golf Championship Cup which he won in 1959 and 1960 (Click to enlarge)

After the annual Inter-Company Athletics Match Maj G G Strong started the selection and training of the Battalion team. He must have chosen well for in June 1960, for the third year running, they won the East Anglian District Athletic Trophy after a fierce contest with 1^st Duke of Wellingtons Regiment. Heartened by their success the team set off for Chatham for an attack on the Command Trophy. Pte Amos did well in the polevault reaching a height of 10ft 6ins. Capt H G Greenwood and Sgt Gardener missed the Army record in the hammer by only 9 inches. The three-mile team, consisting of Maj G G Strong, 2ILt GTH Kemp and Ptes Randall and Flahey proved invincible. But despite these successes, victory finally went to the 1^st Battalion Irish Guards.

There was celebration at the Brigade Depot on 30^th May 1960, when the health was drunk in champagne of Cpl G Will who had won the Army Golf Championship for the second year running. In 1959 he had won with 75 and 73 at St Andrews and he repeated the performance in 1960 by his performance of 75 and 73 at Sandwich.

Territorials were maintaining good shooting standards. The 6^th Battalion (TA) were runners-up in the Divisional team championships and were defeated by only one point in the China Cup Shoot.

Although a team was not entered for the Nijmegen Marches in 1960, CSM Henman, C/Sgt Hodgin and Pte Lemon entered as individuals and completed the course, which was 35 miles a day for four days-a very creditable and spirited performance.

At the Brigade Golf Meeting the Queen's Royal Surreys captured the Regimental Cup while Capt David Froud of the Regiment secured the best Scratch score and best Handicap score prizes.

1961

The 5^th Battalion (TA) football team suffered defeat by the 8^th Bn The Middlesex Regiment in the 44^th (He) Divisional Football Championships in a muddy game at Mill Hill where even the lines became obliterated in the quagmire. The final score was 6-5. However, the Battalion team won the 44^th Division Cross-Country Championship at Richmond Park on 19^th February 1961 and came third in the Eastern Command Championship. Cpl Cleverley won the Divisional Competition and was third in the Eastern Command. A promising "shot for the future" was Cadet D Smith of the 1^st Cadet Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment who was third in the Cadet hundred and won the Rifle Brigade trophy and became Champion Shot of the Army Cadet Force.

Cricket in 1961 was mediocre, of 16 matches played by the Battalion, eight were won and eight were lost although victory was gained by 3 runs over the Royal Navy in the "Glorious First of June" match. Pte Price was found to be a batsman of many strokes, scoring an average of 70 in four matches, Playing regularly for the Battalion was the Commanding Officer, Maj G Mason.

C/Sgt Ray Gardner, Battalion, Middle East and Far Eastern Heavy weight boxing champion and field eventer. An all round who did so much for sport in the Queens Surreys. (Click to enlarge)

Congratulations were due to Capt Hare on being appointed Command Boxing Officer and to Pte Brazier on becoming holder of the Army ISBA and ABA titles and who represented England in the European Championships at Belgrade where he was unfortunately outpointed by Ljubisa Mehovic of Yugoslavia.

With a team drawn from their three parent units, the 3^rd Battalion (TA) won the Home Counties Divisional Cross Country Championship. Not content with this success alone, they went on to win the Home Counties Divisional First Aid Competition at Shorncliffe, following it up by winning the Inter-Unit Championship at the Home Counties Divisional Rifle Meeting on 1^st May 1961. Maj P G Collyer and CSM Guest were 1^st and 2^nd respectively in the Parker Hale competition. More successes were to follow. At the 47^th Brigade Weapons Meeting and at the Surrey Rifle Association Meeting, the Battalion won the Bellhaven Team Championship, CSM Guest won the Centenary Tankard and the Watney Cup, and in the Officers' Challenge Cup Maj Saunders was the winner with Maj Collyer, Capt Brookes and Lt Dorey all tying for second place.

At the TA Athletic Championships L/Cpl J Herd won the Hop, Step and Jump, breaking his own record, and was second in the Long Jump, the 120 yards Hurdles and the High Jump.

The 4^th Battalion (TA) team again competed in the Njimegen March in 1961 and successfully completed the course, having been strenuously trained by RSM Bartrip. The total number of marchers, both military and civilian, from 18 countries was 13, 551 (meaning a total of over 27,000 feet pounding the Dutch highways and by-ways).

The Battalion boxing team which had been formed in the summer of 1961 was showing talent by the end of the year. On 21^st December the Middle East Command Individual Preliminaries were held with teams entered from various Army and RAF units. The Battalion entered nine boxers of whom eight reached the finals to secure five Command titles and three runners-up. In the Light Weight division Pte McLean, who came from Jamaica, lost by a very narrow margin to Tpr Edwards of the 17^th/21^st Lancers. (Only two weeks later McLean fractured Edward's jaw in two places while training for a contest in Kenya).

L/Cpl B Brazier, the Army Imperial Services and Amateur Boxing Association Light-Welter Weight champion, continued his successful boxing career. He represented the Army v Scotland, Ireland, Wales the RAF and London; Great Britain v America; England v Scotland and America and London v South Poland in six months to February 1962, winning seven of these contests and losing two on points.

In rugby football in the 1961-62 season the Regiment could boast two of its members among the Army xv. Capt H G Greatwood, Adjutant Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion, Oswestry led the XV through the season and Capt T C Rogerson, Home Counties Brigade Depot, was selected as a travelling reserve. When Army commitments permitted, Capt Rogerson played in several games including for the Canterbury Garrison xv.

Members of the Regiment represented the Depot and the Garrison in many sporting activities. The basketball team, which included Capt Rogerson, Lt Bing and Cpl Winfield, won the District Championship Cup and reached the Eastern Command semi-finals where they lost 29-26 to 2^nd Regiment RA.

The 1^st Battalion sailed for Aden in the same year and soon entered the sporting field.

A team of thirteen boxers selected to represent Aden against the Kenya ABA at Nairobi on 27^th January 1962, included seven from the Queen's Surreys. The competition resulted in a win for Kenya by 18 points to 12 but this was no adverse reflection on the boxing which was of a very high standard.

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Hockey Team.
Back row: Bandmaster Dougy Snowden (Umpire); Pte Fernandez; Ssge Morre REME (the Bn Armourer Ssgt);
Lt Chris Reeves; Cpl Story from the Drums Pl.
Front row: Capt Stewart Anderson; Capt Dennis Burton; Capt John Jessop; Lt Col Mike Lowry; Major Toby Sewell;
Lt Johnny Weston; Lt Stephen Petzing.

The Battalion hockey team had a successful season, entering two leagues and looking set to finish highly placed in both of them. They had been represented in the Army (Aden) team by Capt M J Doyle, 2/Lt C G Reeves and SSI Riley. In a total of 29 matches 21 had been won, 3 drawn and 5 lost. 87 goals had been scored with 26 against.

Basketball, like other sports, suffered from lack of pitches in the shifting Aden sands but eventually difficulties were overcome and the team, captained in turns by Lt Ridger and C/Sgt Dunkeld, were winning every match played in the Brigade League. A short but successful swimming season was enjoyed by the Battalion while in Aden. In the Army Individual Championships held on 27^th and 28^th September 1961 Individual winners L/Cpl lng, Pte Jillings, Dmr Jenner and Pte Diles. In the Army Team Championships (Aden) on 29^th September the Battalion swimmers capped their successes with a convincing win over very stiff opposition. Eleven of the battalion team later formed part of an Army team which on 18^th and 19^th October was just beaten by a very strong RAF team. An interesting commitment undertaken by the Battalion in Aden was the running of the Joint Services Saddle Club. Under the direction of L/Cpl Aston as head groom, assisted by Cpl Brenner and Ptes McGrath and Boxall, a string of some 14 ponies (later increased to 19) was maintained. Racing was one of the club's more thrilling aspects and the only two cups awarded during the season were both won by the Regiment. Pte McGrath became one of the leading jockeys in Aden with several notable victories to his credit.

Several members of the Battalion played polo with the Union Khormaksar Club gaining much valuable, though sometimes painful, experience.

1962

Of the 3^rd Battalion (TA) the May 1962 issue of the Regimental Journal reported proudly "The Battalion's football team has been achieving greater success than any other TA team in the South of England for many years". In the preceding October they defeated l35^th Surrey Regiment RE (TA) by 5 goals to 2. On 10^th December at Stoughton, the team won the 44^th Home Counties Divisional Championship by defeating the 4/5^th Royal Sussex by 9 goals to 2. The star of the game was the centre-forward, Cpl Collyer of D Company, who scored six of the goals including three in five minutes. The other scorers were Ptes Gardner, Stanbridge and D'Mello, all of A Company. A temporary set back occurred on 18^th February 1962, when the team lost 7-4 to the 4^th Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire LI (TA) in the quarter-final of the TA Challenge Cup at Cowley. But form was dramatically regained on Sunday 25^th February when the team met the Honourable Artillery Company team in the final of the Eastern Command TA Football Championship at Finsbury Park. Victory was secured 5-0, the scorers being RSM Hesler, Cpls Collyer and Herd and Pte Hill. The RSM's goal was described as a "perfect gem". In all these games the Battalion had scored a total of 23 goals with 11 against.

Equally successful at cross-country running, the Battalion won the Home Counties Divisional Cross Country Championship for the seventh year in succession. They also came second in the concurrent Eastern Command Championship Cpl J Blakeby of D Company won the Divisional Individual title, with Cp1 Nugent of B Company the runner-up.

An outstanding shot was Pte S J Dafforn D Company, holder of the Humphrey Ouin Tankard, who was selected to represent the Territorial Army in the British Inter-Service Small Bore Competition 1962. The boxing L/Cpl Brazier retained his title of Light Welter-Weight Boxing Champion of the Army on 23^rd March 1962. Also holder of the championship titles of the Inter-Services Boxing Association and the Amateur Boxing Association he was obviously not a man to be tangled with in the matter of fisticuffs.

In Hong Kong the 1^st Battalion soon entered a programme of social and sporting life.Maintaining Naval traditions and connections, there were mutually enjoyable occasions with HM Ships Lincoln, Hartland Point and Bulwark and the Naval shore station HMS Tamar. Becoming imbued with the nautical touch the Officers' Mess joined the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and through the generosity of the Regimental Committee acquired a local (L) class boat.(Back home in England the Royal Navy were also strengthening their Regimental links. The officers of HMS Excellent, in process of re-building a new yacht for themselves, decided, with Regimental approval, to name it "Braganza"). To mark the "Glorious First of June", a cricket match was played against HMS Hartland Point.

The Battalion scored 99 for 9 declared, of which Sgt Hopkins, scored 30, and the sailors were all out for 75. The football team entered for the Caldbeck Cup and held The Royal Engineers to a 4 all draw, after extra time, in the first game but lost in the replay after a very good match. L/Cpl McKenna, Pte Cook and Pte McKinnon all played for the Army (Hong Kong).

Major Geoffrey Strong, An outstanding athlete. The Surreys and Queen's Surreys triumphs and successes on the athletic field, are as direct result of his own prowess and skills and the ability to train younger athletes.

The hockey team, finding the season almost over on their arrival in Hong Kong, managed to enter the Army six-a-side end of season tournament in May and won the cup against very strong opposition. Battalion boxers, fresh from success in the Middle East Command Championships, entered for the Colony Championships in Hong Kong. Opposition was mixed, both in standards and performance. In the Light Welter-Weight class in the finals L/Cpl Hardy beat the Chinese boxer, Wong Pak Wing who had been the previous Light Welter-Weight Champion for two years. Cpl Chambers became the Colony Welter-Weight Champion and Pte McMullen became the Light Middle-Weight Champion. After a very successful evening, out of ten weights contested, the Battalion Boxing Team came away with seven of the titles.

The Far East Land Forces Individual Championships took place in Singapore on 27^th April 1962. Stiff opposition and high standards of boxing were encountered in all events but Sgt Gardner and L/Cpl Hardy secured two of the titles, Cpl Chambers fought well but had to retire with a cut eye in the second round and Pte Holness lost narrowly on points.

Competing in the Hong Kong Major Units Championships, the Battalion swimming team made a good start. In their first match they inflicted heavy defeat on 4^th Regiment Royal Artillery by winning every event. The Battalion inter-Company Swimming Match in July was won by "HQ"Company (White) with B Company coming second. These two teams then entered for the Garrison Minor Units Competition in which they came second and third respectively.

CSM Brian Brazier, One of the finest boxers of his day. In 1980 "Boxing News" the national boxing paper, adjudged him to be the best Light-Welter weight for the previous twenty five years. He will be remembered in 1 Queen's days as training the boxing team which won the Army Open Boxing Championship three years in succession, 1977-78-79.

At the Home Counties Brigade Depot the iron-fisted L/Cpl Brazier maintained his boxing record by retaining the Army, Imperial Services and Amateur Boxing Association titles for the second year running. He was selected as the England Light Welter-Weight for the forthcoming Empire Games at Perth, Australia in November.
In Regimental cricket the team defeated HMS Excellent by 8 wickets and the Royal Marines by 2 runs in the last over. Cpl Waters, who scored 42 not out, must have been popular with the motoring fraternity as it is recorded that he "hit two consecutive balls for six on the same car".

The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Golf Society held their Spring Meeting at Sudbrook Park on 1^st and 2^nd May 1962. An interesting result was that of the President, Capt Alec Mason, who won the Challenge Cup with the best gross return in the Medal Round - the first time this had been accomplished by a President of the Society while in office. A match against the Royal Marines at Deal on 29^th May was lost 5-7.

In Hong Kong the Athletics team had a full and varied programme during winter months and put up good performances although not achieving many wins. In crosscountry running they found themselves at a disadvantage against the Ghurkas who, by birth and experience, were better suited to the steep, rugged and rocky terrain of the courses. At the 48 Brigade Khud Race at Sek Kong the Battalion won the shield for the first British Unit home.

The Rugby team had mixed results. After defeating 42 Commando they went down 8-0 to a strong Police Xv. In a hard game against HMS Quiberon the Battalion lost 8-6. A more successful result was obtained against HMS Hartland Point.

In a successful season the hockey team won the Major Units Knock Out Cup by defeating 2/6^th Ghurka Rifles 6-0 and won the Colony Championships 4-0 against 50 Command Workshops.

The cricket team met with moderate success. Defeating the RASC and the Command Pay Office, they drew with the "Yamsingers" (British American Tobacco Company) , lost a further match against the Yamsingers and suffered other defeats against Hong Kong Cricket Club, HMS Ark Royal, RAF Kai Tak and 4^th Regiment RA. In local cricket Maj Sewell, Lt Allanson and Pte Price represented the Army XI regularly in the Senior league and Pte Crawford the Army 2^nd XI in the Junior. Boxing suffered to a degree through lack of competition but in the inter-Unit finals the 1^st Battalion obtained a 7-4 victory. In a short-lived bout Pte McLean knocked out his opponent very quickly. A powerful fighter, Pte McLean became winner of the Land Forces Light Welter Weight Trophy.

At basketball the team reached the semi-final of the Land Forces Championships when they defeated 2/2^nd Ghurkas 3231, giving rise to great expectations for the forthcoming final.

The Regimental Journal of May 1963 reported the emergence of a new sporting sphere, the Land Forces Tetrathlon 1962. Originally intended to be a Pentathlon (five events) the status had to be reduced owing to difficulties in obtaining horses for riding events. The resulting four contests were therefore swimming, running, fencing and pistol shooting. Winners were 252 Signals Sqn "A" with 7, 280 points with the Queen's Surreys coming second with 6, 548.

At the Home Counties Brigade Depot in England the boxing L/Cpl Brazier represented the Army v RAF when he defeated SAC Jury, the referee stopping the fight. Selected by the ABA to fight for England v Ireland at the Royal Albert Hall he was unable to do so because of flu. Representing England v Denmark at Copenhagen in February 1963, he lost on points to P Rasmussen but three days later he defeated B Petersen on points at Aalborg. At the end of the month, at Wolverhampton, he lost on points to Dick McTaggart, a Sergeant in the TA, who was the Olympic, Empire and European Light Weight Champion. Boxing further from home, Brazier had earlier won a Bronze Medal at the Commonwealth and Empire Games in Perth, Australia in November 1962.

Summer in Hong Kong in 1963 produced difficulties for the 1^st Battalion in the form of a water shortage due to the non-arrival of expected rains. One sport which naturally suffered was swimming, the pools having been closed for most of the summer. Things were brighter at athletics, however, where the Battalion took both the Garrison and Land Forces titles and also set up a new Land Forces record in the 120 yards hurdles shuttle relay.

At cross country running Lt A F S Ling finished second in the Colony Championships on 3^rd February 1963.

An outstanding honour was the fact that Lt A F S Ling had been chosen by the Hong Kong AAA as the Colony Athlete of the year. With the ending of the water shortage, and consequent reintroduction of swimming, the Battalion came second to the Hong Kong Military Service Corps in the Garrison Minor Units Competition. Dmr Miles won both the Battalion and Garrison Diving Championships. At football, where the season ended in May 1963, the team came third in the Major Units League. Cpl Winfield and L/Cpl McKenna played for the Army. The services and skills of the latter were eventually lost, however, when he went home for demobilisation. Cpl Jackson, returning from a coaches and referees' course in Singapore, became the team's trainer.

A strong Athletics team developed within the Battalion with the result that at the Hong Kong and Kowloon Garrison InterUnit Team Championships, held on 18^th and 19^th April 1963, all events were won except the Shot and the Javelin in which the team came second.

At the Land Forces Individual Championships five titles were taken out of thirteen namely:- 120 yards hurdles Lt Reeves Shot, Pte Whitehurst, 880 yards, Lt Ling, 1 mile, Lt Ling, 3 miles, Lt Ling.

On 10^th May the Battalion won the Land Forces Team Championships with 115 points, well ahead of the 1^st Royal Leicesters who came second.

At the Home Counties Brigade Depot the outstanding sportsman was still the boxer L/Cpl Brazier. From 1^st March to 7^th June 1963, when he left the Regiment to turn professional, he retained the Army Senior Championship and the Imperial Services Championship, both for the third consecutive year. He failed to complete the third hat trick when he was outpointed by an old adversary, McTaggart, in the Amateur Boxing Association Championship. He won his fight in the Royal Navy v Army match but lost a very close fight to Mechovich of Jugoslavia when representing England in the European Boxing Championships in Moscow.

An unusual win was accomplished by Maj G Mason who, driving in his Ford Anglia, took first place in a driving test competition organised by the Forces Motoring Club (Kent and Sussex group) at the Depot, Royal Marines, Deal.

The 3^rd Battalion (TA) demonstrated their shooting prowess at the 44^th Divisional Rifle Meeting where they won the Major Unit Championship, the Rifle Competition, the China Cup practice Competition, the Falling Plate Competition and the Brittania Competition. Additionally, Maj R C H Saunders won the Individual Championship at Arms title for the fourth time in his career, while the Battalion's teams further gained third place in the Sub-Machine Carbine Competition and fifth place in the LMG Competition. All this merited a long paragraph in "The Times" headed "One way traffic for shooting trophies".

The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Golf Society met the Royal Marines in a match at Sudbrook Park on 22^nd May 1963 under the society's new captain, Lt Col Abbott and were victorious by 7 matches to 5.

When the 1^st Battalion returned to England in November 1963, two enterprising private soldiers, D Rathbone and B Hassan, obtained permission to make the journey under their own arrangements. They accomplished the journey in a little less than two months. Hitch-hiking for most of the way, their itinerary included travel by air, ship, train, bus and goat-wagon, taking them through the countries of Saigon, Malaya, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, Persia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Austria, Germany and Belgium. Summing up their venture they commented, "Our trip had not been full of wonderful adventures of any kind, but it was one which took us through many countries that we had never seen before and gave us both a broader outlook on the way the rest of the world lives and carries on from day to day". Their spirit of enterprise, initiative and physical toughness were certainly worthy of congratulation and commendation.

Before leaving Hong Kong the Battalion Hockey Team won the Major Units Hockey Final, the Major Units Knockout Cup, the Army Championships and the six-a-side tournament. The Water Polo Team also won the Land Forces Water Polo Competition, beating the RAF, Kai Tak 6-3.

1964

Having won a number of prestigious events in Hong Kong and collected a formidable array of trophies, the Battalion departed to the United Kingdom and BAOR determined on further successes. The 3^rd Battalion (TA) showed themselves still to be fleet of foot when they won the 44^th (Home Counties) Division Cross Country Championship for the ninth successive year. The race was held in Richmond Park on 1^st March 1964, over a course of approximately six miles, concurrently with the Championship of Eastern Command.

Pte John Hassell became the new 44^th Division Champion. On the "Glorious First of June" the 1^st Battalion cricket team played HMS Excellent members (arriving by courtesy of the RAF) at Munster in an enjoyable match when victory went to the sailors by 49 runs.

In the Courage Trophy Competition, over a gruelling course in adverse weather conditions, the 3^rd Battalion B Company Team gained second place out of the fifty teams competing. Each member received a well deserved tankard and the personal congratulations of Field Marshall Alexander of Tunis who presented the prizes.

In the Nijmegen March, Cpl Taylor, 4^th Battalion (TA) entered as an individual and completed the course to win his fourth Nijmegen Medal.

The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Golf Society held their Spring Meeting on April 28^th and 29^th at Sudbrook Park, Petersham and managed to play despite atrocious weather conditions. A proposed match against Royal Marines on 20^th May 1964, had to be cancelled at the last moment due to the Marines' exigencies of public service. A remarkable shooting record was established at Bisley when for the first time a Junior Leader qualified for the Army Hundred. Pte Richard Silk, of the Queen's Surreys, serving in the Infantry Junior Leaders' Battalion at Oswestry was the competitor and to have become one of the Army's best shots before reaching his eighteenth birthday was an outstanding achievement.

Capt Hugh Greatwood with the Colchester Garrison Cup (Click image to enlarge)

1965

The May 1965 issue of the Regimental Journal regretfully reported of the 1^st Battalion that "Our achievements in the sporting world have not been spectacular". But some successes had been obtained. The football teams, enthusiastically led by S I Kasai were both in the top half of the MUnster Garrison League and the boxing team were through to the final of the 2^nd Division Boxing Plate after winning 17-16 in a most exciting match against 4/7^th Royal Dragoon Guards. In the individual championship there were five BAOR finalists, Scott, Conway, Geraghty and L/Cpls Ballard and McMullen. Results were eagerly anticipated and awaited.

The cross-country team, captained by Lt Ling started the season with a resounding victory in the Brigade Championships at Munster. Lt Ling came first with Sgt Maloney (Drums) second. All the team's runners finished in the first eleven places. The Divisional Championships provided stiff opposition in the form of The Royal Canadian Regiment to whom the Battalion team came second. The team, however, went on to the BAOR finals at Munster where they only came sixth out of seven but not disgraced. Winners were The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry.

During training in Camp Gagetown, Canada the 1^st Bn competed in the 3^rd Canadian Infantry Brigade Annual Sports Day and obtained top honours in the eight team meet in Swimming, Cross Country, Jeep Rally and took second place in Tug-of-War, Truck and Field events to compile an aggregate of 115 points. The 1^st Bn Royal 22e Regiment finished behind the battalion with 80 points.

Pte Thomas Patrick 'Paddy' Rundle coming fourth in the two mile walk (Click image to enlarge)

The 3^rd Battalion, proud of their cross-country records, won the 44^th (Home Counties) Division Championship for the tenth consecutive year, a truly remarkable achievement. Not content with this they also won, for the first time in their history, the Eastern Command Championship which was run concurrently. They beat the Honourable Artillery Company and the double victory provided the Battalion with a memorable St Valentine's Day. Cpl Hassell, as first home of the teams from the 44^th Division retained the Divisional title which he had won the previous year.

There were obviously some good shots in the 4^th Battalion (TA), in the County stage of the Army small-bore Rifle Match A Company obtained the best score in Surrey with C Company coming third.ln the Wandsworth Borough Shooting Competition the Wands worth Trophy remained in the hands of the Battalion with C Company winning it in place of B's previous success.

For the fifth year running the Battalion's Sgt W Taylor took part in the annual Nijmegen March of 1965 and completed the course, despite severe weather conditions, to qualify for a silver medal. He was accompanied by Pte J Griffin who was competing for the first time.

1966

Cross-country successes continued in the 1^st Battalion serving in BAOR. The May 1966 Journal reported, that led by the "veteran" Maj Geoffrey Strong, the 6 Inf Bde Championship had been won, Maj Strong corning in an easy first. In the 2^nd Division Championship he was again first although the team had to be content with second place.

The Battalion Boxing Team was unfortunate to be knocked out of the Army Inter-Unit Boxing Championships by the 1^st Bn the Royal Fusiliers, the final score being 17-13. However, in the 2^nd Division Championships Ptes Woolgrove and Scott managed to gain the Feather Weight and Light Heavy Weight titles respectively.

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Battalion Boxing Team 1962

Interest was aroused in ski-ing and throughout the winter parties of soldiers learnt the art at 6 Inf Bde Ski Hut at Thalkirchdorf in Bavaria and at Silberhutte in the Harz mountains. It was intended to enter a team for the next year's Army Ski Championships. Having twice made his own way from the Far East to England, Pte Bakar Bin Hassan passed through the Depot again at the end of 1965 going in the opposite direction. In order to get from Germany to Hong Kong he transferred to the 1^st Bn The Queen's Own Buffs. In September 1965, the 3^rd Battalion (TA) Rifle Team went to Lydd for the 44^th (Home Counties) Division Rifle Meeting and returned well loaded with silver. Teams from the Battalion won outright four of the eight competitions and were well placed in the others. Four members, Capt Dorey (Capt) , Sgt Nugent, Cpl Odell and Pte Phillips were in the GOC's Twenty - the twenty best shots in the Division.

The Courage Trophy, otherwise known as the TA Marathon took place in April. Teams from 3^rd and 4^th Battalions were entered with B Company, 3^rd Bn eventually emerging the triumphant winners.

At the 44 (Home Counties) Rifle Meeting in October 1965, both the 3^rd and 4^th Battalions entered. The 4^th took second place, being two points behind the 4/5^th Royal Sussex and two ahead of the 3^rd Battalion.

In the 6^th Infantry Brigade Championships held in the Senntrupper Hone Stadium on 18^th June 1966, the 1^st Battalion Athletics Team were victorious, defeating 2 Field Regiment RA by nine points. Unfortunately they were not so successful at the 2^nd Division Championship on 4^th July when they came third, being beaten by 2 Division REME and 1^st Bn The Queen's Own Highlanders.

The Battalion Cricket Team reached the finals of the Divisional Knock-Out Competition at Bunde on 2^nd August 1966, where they were defeated by the 1^st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regiment. The final result was IDWR 132 for 6 - 1 Queen's Surreys 52 all out. At swimming the Battalion team competed in the BAOR Final at Berlin where the winners were 1^st Royal Greenjackets setting three new BAOR records.

In the Divisional Boxing Championships both Ptes Woolgrove and Scott won their bouts thus qualifying for the BAOR Championships held at Berlin on 14^th February 1966. Both reached the finals where Pte Woolgrove was narrowly defeated on points. Pte Scott then went forward to the Army Championships and reached the finals at Aldershot where he was unlucky to lose on points after having put his opponent down three times in the second round.

 

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Trophies won by 1^st Battalion The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, Hong Kong, 1962-1963
Back row: Land Forces Water Polo Championship
L to R row 3: FARELF Light-Welterweight Boxing Championship (UCpl Hardy),
Land Forces Six-a-side Hockey Championship, Land Forces Major Units Swimming Championship,
48 Gurkha Brigade Khud Race (British Units), Land Forces Inter-Unit Hockey Championship.
Row 2: HKASB Inter-Unit Boxing Championship.
Front row: HKASB Athletic Championship, Hong Kong and Kowloon Garrison Athletic Championship,
Land Forces Inter-Unit Rugby Challenge Cup,
FARELF Heavyweight Boxing Championship (Sgt R Gardner), Army Hockey Association Championship Cup.

But one non-sporting activity could not be held at bay and defeated - amalgamation. The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, already the product of the amalgamation of two famous County Regiments, were to be subject of further mergers and changes of titles in succeeding years, beginning in the near future. But the sporting and competitive spirits were to live on with fresh victories and results being obtained under different Colours.

Whatever was Lost - honour remained.

PRISTINAE VIRTUTIS MEMOR

 

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