Anyone able to help ID the unit/taskforce of these guys?

[aesop081]

1 RCR took over from my mob with 1PPCLI in 94 - mission was still UNPROFOR, therefore they'd have been wearing blue. 

I was on the Roto that replaced you guys. I was with 1 RCR Cbt Support Coy. We were indeed wearing UN blue at the time.

  1 RCR then returned augmented by 2 RCR K Coy? in 94/95. 

1 RCR deployed to OP HARMONY roto 5 in 94/95 ( myself included) and did not include a company from 2 RCR. We had Charles Coy, Bravo Coy, Duke's Coy, Cbt Sup Coy, Admin Coy and Bn HQ.

As far as i recall, of course.

 

[Cdnleaf]

1 RCR took over from my mob with 1PPCLI in 94 - mission was still UNPROFOR, therefore they'd have been wearing blue.  The Warrior behind them is also not in UN white - so would have to be post UN at the least.

On a bit of a tangent, weird, being that they are Royals, they deployed into an operational area with beards intact - when I was with the Patricias in 94, the RSM was adamant that even people with a chit for a beard were to shave them off, including the Pioneers.  Who said the PPCLI weren't anal  ;D?
MM

Took another look at the photo / indeed no blue.  Thanks to Cdn Aviator and yourself for pointing that out.  Swear I recall seeing similar pics of pioneers during that time (blue ball caps) OP CAVALIER R/0 and OP HARMONY R/5.  The RSMs were CWO Irvine and CWO Bentley respectively.  WRT the shaving, I'm staying out of the crossfire on that. 

 

[aesop081]

CWO Bentley

"All tigers, no donkeys"

 

[Cdnleaf]

"All tigers, no donkeys"

Yeah, that just got me just laughing  ;D thanks.  Saw him in Halifax in 05; Capt Bentley.  No detachments from the 2nd to the 1 RCR BG / apologies, my memory completely sucks.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Wasn't there some flack that came down, about the beards, after their pictures hit the wire?

 

[Journeyman]

The picture of the 1 RCR BG Pioneers was taken when they were sent north to augment the French contingent at Mitrovica. The Pioneers were part of the "final backstop" holding the bridge dividing the ethnically Serbian north from the Kosovar south. That was around March 2000.

The CO had authorized the Pioneers to grow their beards out during the tour up until the media coverage of the Mitrovica riots. At that point, some mission-focused staff officer in NDHQ directed that the Pioneers had to trim their beards.

1 RCR AO was centred on Glogovac, south of Mitrovica and west of Pristina. KFOR Roto 1 had nothing to do with Bosnia, UNPROFOR or blue berets. And whoever posted that the Pnr Pl Comd had an "equally fine beard".....well, maybe it just seemed like a full beard because he only weighed about 120 lbs

 

[Expedition]

I don't really have any two cents as to the date it was taken but the CADPAT helmet could help with a rough year possibly?
But thanks for the answers, I've always wondered about the story behind that photo. I was pretty sure it had something to do with Pioneer platoons though.

 

[Franko]

I don't really have any two cents as to the date it was taken but the CADPAT helmet could help with a rough year possibly?
But thanks for the answers, I've always wondered about the story behind that photo. I was pretty sure it had something to do with Pioneer platoons though.

CADPAT helmets were being dished out in '97.

Regards

 

[vonGarvin]

Enough of the speculation.  Journeyman posted all the details on this incident and the photo.  I know the two men in the photo personally, and no hints or anything else required: Journeyman already posted the history behind the photo.

 

[aesop081]

I don't really have any two cents as to the date it was taken but the CADPAT helmet could help with a rough year possibly?

The time the picture was taken was already established a few times. Have you read the thread ?

 

[Sprinting Thistle]

For those that are interested.  Yes those are the 1 RCR BG Pioneers in March 2000 at the Austerlitz Bridge in Mitrovica, Kosovo.

Recce Platoon with their integral sniper section were actually the first to deploy in February 2000 to work with A Coy, 2 RGJ to secure Austerlitz Bridge.  The bridge was a flash point for confrontations between the Serbs and the Kosovars.  Riots had occurred with gunfire being exchanged previously.  The Brit Coy needed help.  The rest of 2 RGJ were responsible for Pristina in the South so the Multi-National Bde Comd tasked the 1 RCR BG to provide assistance.  The French contingent were responsible for Mitrovica but they were seen as pro-Serb by the Kosovars.  Thus the Brit Coy secured the actual bridge.  In fact the troops surrounding the bridge were a mixed bag indeed.  There was a French Marine Coy in a building on the South embankment with a French regular infantry platoon attached to the Brit Coy on the bridge.  French patrolled the North and the Brits were not permitted North of the bridge.  Enter the Canadian Recce Platoon.

Recce conducted surveillance and reconnaissance tasks to provide early warning and overwatch for A Coy.  Recce had Coyotes at the time so the surveillance suite came in quite useful.  The sniper section conducted counter-sniper tasks and trained Brit marksmen. After a period of two weeks conducting ops in the North warnings and posters were promulgated indicating a panned march from Pristina North to Mitrovica with an endstate of crossing the Austerlitz bridge.  As the expected size of the impending march swelled in numbers, more forces were positioned in the city.  The CO of 2 RGJ and S Coy deployed to take on greater responsibility for the area surrounding the bridge.  The CO incidentally was then LCol Nick Carter, the same Gen Carter in Afghanistan now.  1 RCR  was asked to supply more troops so the Pioneer Platoon was deployed as well as a Troop from the RCD Recce Sqn.  Expected numbers for the riot sat at 150 000 people. 

When the riot hit the bridge, members of Recce Pl, the RCD Troop and Pioneer Pl were all involved in the battle that day (including a medic, EME techs, Signallers - there was no distinction that day).  Point to note -from the Canadian chain of command, the Canadians had been told that they were not permitted to engage in riot activities.  Funny how things work out.

All three sub sub units received a commendation that day from the Multi-National Brigade Commander for their actions.

 

[TN2IC]

"All tigers, no donkeys"

I remember him!!!!  And him giving us the riot act on the parade square. Small world eh?

AATC Aldershot 00-01ish.

IIRC he was the Base RSM. My memory is a bit rusty.

Regards,
TN2IC



Cancel my last.. it was MWO Sheppard that did the riot act with that speech.

 

[dapaterson]

And whoever posted that the Pnr Pl Comd had an "equally fine beard".....well, maybe it just seemed like a full beard because he only weighed about 120 lbs

I recall seeing a picture of the pl comd; as I remember it, his beard was more of a "Nice try" - pl WOs can be very good at humouring pl comds on such things...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

And with Journeyman and Sprinting Thistle's explanations, the question(s) have been answered in full.

Milnet.ca Staff