france3
1st Bn Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment
(Berkshire and Wiltshire)
EXERCISE BEECHNUT - LA COURTINE, FRANCE
Between the 23rd July and the 6th August 1972 the 1st Battalion Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment were selected to train in the French Army Training Area of La Courtine in France. The area in situated about half way between Bordeaux and Lyon on the northern edge of Massif Centrale. The training area was at a height of 2,400 feet.
Postcard from 1972 Puy de Dome
Puy de Dome, Clermont Ferrand
The last time a British Battalion trained on this area was in 1949. The Battalion training was split into three phrases, FIELD FIRING, DRY TRAINING and ADVENTURE TRAINING. The field firing areas were sufficient to allow the rifle companies to work up from section firing to the full scale company attacks using support weapons. For Adventure training the companies were flown by helicopter to the local beauty spot Mont Dore.
The following photographs, many unidentified are placed here in conjunction with the Regiment Museum at Salisbury. These are just a few of many photographs discovered at the museum which are now being processed through the system. The remainder of the photographs will in the passage of time appear on the Regimental Museum Website. If any soldier who served at the time can identify any of the unidentified photographs below, please let us know and we will pass it on to the museum.
Memories of La Courtine
Sgt VENUS 1 DERR
Pte Lenny Grainger live firing Ex
Sgt John VENUS, 1 DERR laying down on the job. He later became the Regimental Sgt Major of the 1st Bn DERR Pte Lenny GRAINGER, 1 DERR taking an early bath during a live firing exercise.
Unidentified 1 DERR GPMG Gunner
1 DERR GPMG Gunner advances
An Unidentified 1 DERR General Purpose Machine gunner pauses during the advance. Who is he ?
