Military Experience Ron started his military service the age of 13 as a cadet with 204 Squadron of the Air Training Corps in Lincoln.  At the age of 17 he joined the Royal Marines where after the completion of basic training was posted to 45 Commando and saw active service in Aden within a fighting Company in the Radfan Mountains and on internal security duties in Crater, Sheik Othman, Little Aden and Steamer Point and included a period of attachment to Naval Security at HMS Sheba. On return from Aden, he joined 41 Commando as part of the Arctic Warfare Commando protecting NATOs Northern flank, where having completed the snow warfare and parachute course became a member of the Commando’s Reconnaissance (Recce) Troop. His next tour was on the amphibious assault ship HMS Intrepid as part of the Royal Marine Detachment working with the landing craft and beach party responsible for getting the embarked troops ashore. The ship was also involved with the relief operations in East Pakistan following the 1970 cyclone disaster. On completion of his Regular service in 1972, he started my own business, but the Falkland’s War in 1982, the military once again attracted his interest and he was commissioned into 2503 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment where he served as a Flight Commander as part of an airfield defence unit. After five years he transferred to the Territorial Army and joined the Royal Pioneer Corps as Company Training Officer and then as Company 2i/c. On the amalgamation brought about by the Logistic Support Review in 1990 the Royal Pioneer Corps became part of the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC). During his time with the Royal Logistic Corps he held the positions of Company Commander and Regimental 2i/c before being promoted Lieutenant Colonel and taking over as the Commanding Officer of 168 Pioneer Regiment. It was during this time that the Strategic Defence Review of 1998 resulted in 168 Pioneer Regiment being tasked to form two additional Squadrons which were to be Independent Squadrons within the Specialist Regiment resulting in the formation of the largest unit in the British Army. These squadrons were to be formed in the North East of England, the responsibility for which fell to Ron as Commanding Officer. The successful achievement of this enabled him to finish his time in uniform ‘on a high’ when, due to age, he was required to retire. Apart from his normal Regimental duties he was Project Officer for the introduction of Distance Learning into RLC Territorial Army Training and the writing of course content material. He was also involved with management and trade training for officers and other ranks and also lectured on the Regular RLC Officer Management Courses and was an assessor on Officer Promotion Courses. In addition, he was involved with the selection of potential recruits and officers and the interviewing and appointment of civilian staff at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham. During his time with the military he underwent specialist training in Jungle, Snow and Amphibious Warfare; and attended courses on Parachuting, Signals, Driving, Security, Tactical Questioning, Movement Control - including the Movement Control Staff Officers Course - as well as numerous courses on management and administration.  Thus, gaining experience that he has been able to pass on to future officers and NCO’s. On completion of his uniform service in 2000, he was to join the Lincolnshire Committee of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA) and maintained his military links and utilised his business links as their Employer Liaison. He was then to become Vice Chair and later the Chairman of the Lincolnshire Committee and Vice Chair of the East Midlands Committee, a position he held for five years. On his retirement as Chairman he remained on the committee as a county member, something that he continues to do.  In addition he personally sponsors the Endeavor Trophy for the Royal Marine Cadets at Lincoln, something that he has done for a number of years. During the Covid pandemic, he was a volunteer delivering food parcels to veterans on behalf of Age UK Lincoln and then took over running zoom meetings for Veteran’s, something that he continue to do as a volunteer. Ron has over four decades of experience with all three military services from the cadets, regulars, and reserves and continues to publicise the benefits of  being with the military from a personal perspective, and to promote the skills that each of these can provide in life.

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