Military Talks

 

Ron started his military service at the age of 13 when he became a cadet with the Air Training Corps. At the age of 17 he joined the Royal Marines where after the completion of his basic training he 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 his snow warfare and parachute course he 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 he was commissioned into the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment where he served as a Flight Commander as part of an airfield defence unit. Transferring to the Territorial Army he 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 Ron 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 in the Royal Logistic Corps. 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. The successful achievement of this enabled him to finish his time in uniform ‘on a high’.

Apart from his normal Regimental duties Ron was Project Officer for the introduction of Distance Learning into RLC Territorial Army Training and was 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.

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.

On completion of his uniform service he joined the Lincolnshire Committee of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA) and maintained his military links as their Employer Liaison and  the Chairman of the Lincolnshire Committee and Vice Chair of the East Midlands Committee.

Having over three decades of experience with all three military services from the cadets, regulars and reserves Ron is available to deliver talks related to a number of military topics. His talks are intersperses with his own experiences and anecdotes which provide an overview of the historic background to the forces and events, but where applicable, are from a personal perspective.

The talks available are:
 

 

 

  Site Map