A YOUNG soldier from Redditch has joined her Regiment as they rolled onto the frozen landscape of the Northumberland hills for an impressive display of their firepower.
Gunner Shelby Jones, aged 18, from Batchley, joined 350 soldiers from 26 Regiment Royal Artillery, known as the ‘West Midlands Gunners’ who have been taking part in Exercise Mansergh Sabre at the Army’s Otterburn Training area, the second largest firing range in the country after Salisbury Plain.
Gunner Jones, a former pupil of Trinity High School, Redditch, was taking part in her very first Regimental exercise since joining the Army just over a year ago.
The young soldier, who is nicknamed ‘Mustang’ joined the Army straight after leaving school and said she signed up for the challenges that military life has to offer.
“I wanted to do something different from everyone else at home, I didn’t want to end up doing hair and beauty and wanted a challenge,” said Shelby.
“And I wanted to join the Royal Artillery as it was the closest I could get to the action as a female.”
Gunner Jones, who also attended Harrogate Army Training Regiment, helped manage her battery’s command and control as part of the exercise – and is also hoping to win a place in the Regimental football team.
During the training exercise she also worked with the Motor Transport section sorting out ammunition and transporting it to the guns.
Battling extreme weather including wind and freezing temperatures, the soldiers were practising their drills and skills firing the Army’s self-propelled 155mm artillery and largest artillery system – which has a range of 24.5 kilometeres and is capable of delivering high explosive shells to enemy positions.
For only the second time since the Regiment restructured in February last year, firing alongside the guns were the precision guided missile launchers of 132 Battery (The Bengal Rocket Troop).
Used extensively in recent operations in Afghanistan, the missile’s long range (over 70km) and accuracy makes it a proven battle winner.
The training exercise, which is preparing the Regiment for potential future operations as part of Nato’s high readiness forces, is a pre-cursor to Exercise Steel Sabre, the artillery focal point of the year for the British Army, due to run until March 13.
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Karl Harris RA, said his troops had risen to the challenges of the exercise which saw both men and women test not only their artillery skills but also take part in a patrol challenge involving a 25km march over 18 hours across the training area carrying 40kg weight.
“I am very proud of every one of the Midlands Gunners who gave their very best; individuals and the Regiment as a whole will be tougher and even more professional as a result,” he added.
The unit’s soldiers have recently deployed as individuals in support of operations in Iraq and Sierra Leone and were also called in from their Christmas holidays to be prepared to support the military’s efforts defending homes against the floods in the UK last Christmas.
As part of military exercises and other training, over the last year its troops have also deployed to southern Germany, Latvia, the US, Spain, and Italy.
This year the unit will also deploy sub-units to Kenya, Canada, the US, Spain, Corsica and Georgia.
The Regiment, which has been based in Mansergh Barracks, Gutersloh, Germany, for the last 26 years, is due to move back to the UK in 2019 as part of Project Borona, and will be one of the last British units to draw down its troops from Germany.
