Year Book Wellington College 2011 | Page 121

the wellington college year book 2010/2011 121 dispatches I n the last edition of the Wellington Year Book, 2009/2010, we published a long list of the extraordinary dynamic activities of ows attending to the modern-day version the ‘Mespot’ (Iraq) campaign and a replay of the deadly ‘great game’ in Afghanistan. Some 60 ows had been identified in carrying on the Wellington tradition of public service in the military. A few had been overlooked, including David Taylor [A 1994–1999] who served on op telic 8, Iraq, with the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, a stronghold of ows. He has now retired and contributes to the dynamics of the financial services with Ernst and Young. Writing from Helmand Province, Afghani­ stan in March 2011, Major Edmund Wilson [S 1985–1989], served in the Irish Guards during four tours in Northern Ireland from platoon commander to company commander. He then commanded an Irish Guards company on telic 10 in Iraq in 2007. ‘We are having significant success’, he writes from his position as Chief of Staff, 1st Bn The Royal Irish Regiment in the Nad-e Ali District, Helmand. ‘In the chain of command my 3-up (above my co and Brigade Commander) is Rear Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt [O 1971–1976]’. Tony, who was mentioned in last year’s ow dispatches, takes up his appointment as Defence Attaché at hm Embassy, Washington in late 2011. Colonel Andrew Cuthbert [Hg 1974– 1979], is a veteran of the First Gulf war 1990?–1991 during which his regiment, the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars, spearheaded the British 1st Armoured Division’s attack for the relief of Kuwait. Andrew commanded the amalgamated Queen’s Royal Hussars on op telic mainly in Basra, Iraq during 2003–2004. In 2010 he assumed command of the British Military Advisory Training Team in the Czech Republic. James Scott [T 1997–2000], son of Terence Scott [T 1959?–1964], is a Captain in the King’s Royal Hussars. A former rma Sandhurst and Royal Armoured Corps Super Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Army Slopestyle Snowboarding Champion for 2011 and tv Total Wipe-out National Champion for 2009, James is due to deploy to Afghanistan with the King’s Royal Hussars in April 2012. His sister Alana deserves a mention. She was at Gordonstoun and is a Captain in the Royal Engineers, National Biathlon Champion 2009– 2010 and World Class Triathlete. She is due for her second deployment to Afghanistan in September 2011. Simon White [S 1984– 1989], another Sapper, has served for the past eighteen years in various appointments, including commanding 52 Armoured Engineer Squadron, working in Defence Intelligence and now serving on Engineer-in Chief’s staff where he is responsible for operations and plans and ‘future capability’. Finally with breaking news as we go to press. Julian Brazier mp [Hl 1967–1971] has now seen tabled in Parliament the report he has been working on for over a year? reflecting his passion for the —? Territorial Army, with which he has long been associated. With further Defence Cuts and reductions in the Regular Army, Julian has recommended that the ratio of Reservists to Regular members of the Armed Forces should be raised from currently about 17 to 30 per cent. For College leavers there will thus be more opportunities to serve in the ever-more integrated Armed Forces as their careers progress.