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ADRIAN WOOD
Chippie was born April 1964 in Nottingham Firs Maternity Hospital, Nottinghamshire. At the age of 3 a donkey ran off with Chippie at Blackpool pleasure beach!! He was raised in the small village of Ruddington home of SPR Racing. Chippie underwent secondary school education at The West Bridgford Comprehensive School, West Bridgford and gained 3 ‘O’ Levels and 6 CSE’s. He played merry hell with the teachers and competed at Rugby, Football and Cricket for the school first teams.
The day of completing his last exam and already having been to the Army Careers office, Chippie got the train to join the Army at the Army Apprentice’s College Arborfield, near Reading, on the 5th May 1980. After seven weeks basic training he was awarded a trophy for being the Best Military Recruit after which he completed a 2 year motor vehicle apprenticeship, which was rewarded by gaining City and Guilds in Light Vehicle Mechanics and a National Craft Certificate. In the process he was awarded the BP Trophy for the highest marks in practical trade testing and was presented The Award of Honour by HRH Prince Philip for being the best Soldier, Leader, and Tradesman in 1982. His sporting achievements whilst at the college were for Rugby where he captained the College team and represented the Junior Army.
After completing an Armoured Vehicle equipment course at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Bordon in Hampshire, in late 1982, Chippie was posted to Munster in West Germany to The 17th/21st Lancers who had Chieftain Tanks. During his first posting as an “A” Vehicle mechanic Chippie was involved in major exercises in Canada and full scale Field Training Exercises across the German countryside. He continued to play Rugby for the Regiment and the REME Corps winning the 3rd Divisional Championship and the Hamburg Sevens.
1985 saw Chippie posted to 4th Amoured Workshop at Detmold, on a Junior Military Cadre he was awarded top student and promoted to Lance Corporal and completed various courses to enable him to become a Vehicle Mechanic 1st Class. A year latter Chippie was promoted to Corporal and took up the post of vehicle commander of Forward Repair Group 11. At this posting the rugby career continued winning the McGill Sevens, the Ellis Cup 3 times and the Cathedral Cup, he was also runner up in the Hong Kong Tens in 1988, still having time to take
In 1989 Chippie was then posted to The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment at Fallingbostal who after a year were replaced by The Queens Royal Irish Hussars working on Challenger 1 battle tanks. During this posting Chippie was deployed deployed on the first Gulf War Op Granby supporting Recce troop, the Regimental First Aid Post and A1 echelon. On return from the Gulf Chippie was promoted to Sergeant and again deploy to Canada for Battle Group Training after which he became the Regimental Kayak and Canoe Instructor whilst in the Rockies. During this time he continued his sporting life representing the Regiment, the Corps and the Army Germany (BAOR) at Rugby, during this time he also became a White-water Kayak Instructor.
1992 saw Chippie start an 18 month artificer training course at Bordon to complete a HNC in Mechanical Engineering. Whilst on this course Chippie continued to play rugby for the school and for the REME Corps UK. At the end of the course he was promoted to Staff Sergeant.
April 1994 he was posted to Catterick with The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on his first posting as an Artificer Vehicles, after six months in post he was then sent to Belfast, Northern Ireland Op Banner with the 1st Parachute Regiment as Artificer the Belfast Roulement Battalion. On return to the UK The Queen’s Royal Hussars replaced the Scots DG, the Regiment where due to go to Bosnia on a UN tour but this was quickly changed to a NATO Operation due to the pressure on UN forces. This saw the Regiment deploy Challerger 1 Battle Tanks to Bosnia Op Grapple to enforce peace!
The next posting for Chippie was as a Permanent Staff Instructor with the Territorial Army and served with the only Armoured TA Regiment with an amazing history. B Squadron The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry based in Carlton, Nottingham. It was during this time that he became the Captain of the REME Corps Rugby team and who happened to be the first REME to win a trophy out of the UK or Germany, the Loule 15’s in Portugal.
On promotion to Artificer Quartermaster Sergeant Major (AQMS), Chippie moved back up to Catterick to serve with 5 Battalion REME firstly as the Vehicle Platoon Warrant Officer and then as the Forward Platoon Warrant Officer, responsible for the day to day running of the Forward Repair Teams supporting units on exercises and operations. During this time Chippie was again deployed to Bosnia on Op Grapple 4 this time in Sipovo. Even during this period Chippie managed to play for both the REME and the Army Veterans sides playing in Canada, Bermuda, Portugal and at the Dubai International 10’s
In 2001 Chippie was promoted to Artificer Sergeant Major (ASM) and posted to The King’s Royal Hussars based in Tidworth, Hampshire. Here he had the most prestigious job available to a REME WO1, responsibility for the maintenance and repair of 50 Challenger Main Battle Tanks and the welfare of 100 soldiers. Here he again went to Canada as the The King’s Royal Hussars Battle Group ASM on the largest exercise ever conducted in BATUS.
