Top Gear Star Wears His Wristband with Pride

15th July 2011

Top Gear star Quentin Wilson has been seen in his car wearing his 1 Rifles wristband with pride.  Click on the thumbnail for the full sized photo.  Tell everyone you know and get them wearing their wristbands with pride.

Dallaglio Wears His Wristband with Pride

12th July 2011

Rugby legend and ex England Captain Lawrence Dallaglio was snapped at a recent do wearing his 1 Rifles wristband with pride. Click on the thumbnail for the full sized photo.  Tell everyone you know, ask them to donate and get them wearing their wristbands with pride too....

Sandbags, Tarpaulin and Murky Afghan Water = C Company Paddling Pool!

7th July 2011

2nd July 2011... It’s July and the Helmand summer is now in full swing, the searing heat is almost unbearable for the majority of the day. The tempo of the tour also continues to intensify as the insurgency settles into summer season fighting.   The Riflemen as expected are responding to the demanding environment triumphantly, continuing to show extraordinary levels of commitment and drive.

An Ace Time for B Company watching Wimbledon and The Hayes Fight

7th July 2011

2nd July 2011... We’re all gearing up here to watch the Hayes fight tonight and we’ve been watching the tennis at Wimbledon along with all the twists and turns. The welfare provision is relatively good these days, especially at CP JEKER. All CPs have flat screen TVs with MIDANBAZI and SEKA watching films by plugging in their laptops while PARASHUT and CHAABAK have DVD players. (So if you send out DVDs to your men in those locations I’m sure they will be ever grateful).

A Company Enjoy Speed Eating Ice Cream Competition

7th July 2011

1 Rifles in Surf Action

6th July 2011

1 Rifles' CSjt Hayes and Lcpl Collis were showing off their surfing skills as part of the Army Surf Team at last weeks Ashley Moffat Surf Comp in aid of Surf Action. They were put to the test and set a mark for the other teams to achieve when they were the first to surf in tandem on a wind surf board in their fancy dress! The Surf Action Team naturally won the competition, with guys like James Parry the UK No1 Long Boarder and Rich Emmerson, UK No 1 Style Master part of their team. Alot of fun was had and plenty of money raised! A big thank you to the First and Last Inn, Sennen for their support in helping the boys raise over £250 for 1 Rifles!

Swift and Bold Fundraising efforts by Team Betty Swallacks and Sharon Cartwright

4th July 2011

Fundraisers Sharon Cartwright and Team Betty Swallacks have completed their fundraising challenges. Sharon, wife of Cpl Cartwright currently serving in Afghanistan with C Company has has raised over £300 for a cause very close to her heart! Meanwhile Team Betty Swallacks completed their London to Brighton bike ride in a record time of 4hr 45mins with battle injuries including sore bums and whiplash caused by the extravagant camo head gear they created! They have raised over £1,000 for 1 Rifles and The British Heart Foundation. Well done everyone and thank you! See the Facebook page for more pictures.

New B Company Snaps!

4th July 2011

See the 1 Rifles Swift and Bold Appeal Facebook page for all the new pictures from B Company.

My Career, My Tour

2nd July 2011

Corporal Thomas Bray 1RIFLES, attached to 29 Commando Regiment RA. My name is Thomas Bray and I am 27 years old and a Corporal with The 1^st Battalion The Rifles, currently attached to 29 Commando Regiment RA for Op Herrick 14, a 6 month deployment in Afghanistan.

Hide and Seek beats Scrabble for B Company

1st July 2011

25th June 2011.... An interrupted night as usual with a rude awakening by donkeys braying and dogs barking, a frequent feature of living in rural Afghanistan, especially as a farmer has decided to secure his pair of donkeys fifty metres from the PB. Tethered at night so they can’t escape, they often make a racket which is compounded by the large number of dogs in the area joining in to the cacophony of noise.

Life in CP SHAPARAK With C Company

1st July 2011

25th June 2011... Rfn Hazel reflecting on his first few months in Check Point SHAPARAK mentions some of the things he likes and what annoys him: “Life in the check point is pretty tiring with most of the time spent guarding the base or patrolling the green zone.   Probably the most annoying thing is the being repeatedly asked by the Afghan children for a ‘kallam’ which is a pen.  They must have been given loads by the previous unit in this area as they seem to love them.

Commanding Officer's June Video Update

27th June 2011

The Commanding Officer has sent over his June Update from Afghanistan telling of 1 RIFLES exploits including the new Severn Bridge.  Click here to watch it.

Celebrity Innings!

29th June 2011

English Actor Hugh Grant and England Cricketer Kevin Pietersen were both wearing their 1 Rifles Swift and Bold wristbands with pride at last weeks Flannels for Heroes service charities cricket event at Burton Court, Chelsea. Well done Amy for snapping this one!

Top Gear at Tankfest

27th June 2011

Top Gear co-presenter James May was at Tank Fest in Bovington, Dorset this weekend wearing his 1 Rifles wristband with pride. The boys and girls on the front line will be amazed to see just who is here wishing them well and giving their support. Click the image for a bigger version.

Running with Pride

26th June 2011

Louise Denison has snapped a picture of Olympic medalist and founder of the Great North Run Brendan Foster CBE wearing his wristband with pride. Louise met Brendan at the recent Great North Swim whilst her husband was competing!

Bomb Making Factory Discovered and New 'Severn Bridge' Named in Helmand

23rd June 2011

1 Rifles have discovered the largest and most important find of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's) when they uncovered a bomb making factory 300 metres from a new check point. 81 IED's , 45kg of homemade explosives, 44 pressure plates, ammunition, carbon rods, battery packs and IED components were found. Hear full details on the find and the story of the new Helmand 'Severn Bridge' named after the 1 Rifles Beachley home in the Audioboo Task Force Helmand update by clicking here. Also read The Gloucestershire Echo reports on the find by clicking on the following links; 1 Rifles Discovers Explosives Factory; 1 Rifles' find will stop 80 bombs going off; Good reason for pride in troops.

The Padaka Horseshoe

19th June 2011

16th June.... For COBRA 13B, our visit to Check Point Jaba began on the 1^st of May 2011 when we started our takeover from the Paras. During our initial ground brief from the outgoing troops, the first thing we noticed was how much of the map was crossed out in red pen, indicating the presence of IEDs.  It was clear straight away that route selection through the area was going to be prove difficult for us, due to the limited amount of ways to get out of the Horseshoe (the village is shaped in an upside-down U, which gives it the name).

Multiple Move Update from B Company

19th June 2011

17th June... I write this now in a small break from the daily routine with a severe dust storm buffeting the Nahr-e Saraj. Here in the green zone we are a little more sheltered from the dust but are still heavily affected by the high winds. Though the Check Points (CP)  within the local compounds (MIDANBAZI, PARASHUT, CHAABAK and SEKA) are fairly well sheltered in their thick mud walled buildings, we at CP JEKER are buffeted greatly in our canvas tents.

A Day in the Life - Rfn Francis, 1 Platoon

18th June 2011

Week ending 13th June.... My name is Rifleman Rene Francis, and I serve in Multiple 7 of A Company. I’m currently based in Patrol Base 4, the Company’s main base in the Nahr-e Saraj area, but I’ve also spent some time out in one of the Checkpoints – Patrol Base 4, or PB4, is a lot more comfortable!

Undefeated Boxing World Champion is Wearing His Wristband With Pride

16th June 2011

Britain's only undefeated boxing world champion Joe Calzaghe and his professional dancer partner Kristina Rihanoff are proud to be supporting the Battalion by wearing their wristbands with pride! See the 1 Rifles Swift and Bold Appeal Facebook page for more pictures.

Gloucestershire Cricketers Show Their Support

10th June 2011

Gloucestershire County Cricketers James Fuller, David Wade and David Payne are proud to be supporing 1 RIFLES and wearing their wristbands with pride. Local support for the appeal is forever growing!...

'Raging Bull' is Wearing His Wristband With Pride

10th June 2011

Rugby legend Phil Vickery, (nicknamed 'Raging Bull') has been snapped wearing his 1 Rifles wristband with pride. Phil is proud to be supporting the Battalion with it's close links to Gloucester Rugby Club for whom he played for seven years before moving to London Wasps.

The Duke of Kent Presented With Wristband to Wear With Pride

9th June 2011

The 1 Rifles Royal Colonel, The Duke of Kent visited Beachley Barracks this week to meet the Rear Operations Group and families of soldiers currently serving in afghanistan. During his visit, attended by local radio, tv and newspaper reporters the Duke enjoyed a demonstration of equipment, visted the memorial garden and enjoyed lunch with the wives, children and families of the Battalion before being presented with a 1 Rifles wristband by Major Alex Price. Click the links for newspaper coverage of the day...  Free Press; The Citizen; The Western Daily Press; The Echo

Peter Snow and Major General Lane Are Wearing Their Wristbands With Pride

9th June 2011

The Rifles Office Taunton entertained family and friends of the Regiment at a Rifles lunch at the Bath and West Show recently. 1 RIFLES were represented by OC Rear Operations, Alex Price and wives Hannah Kealy and Charlotte Branston. Among the guests were Major General Lane and BBC television and radio presenter Peter Snow CBE who were proud to show their support for the 1 Rifles appeal. Peter is the grandson of First World War general Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow, and cousin of Jon Snow, the main presenter of Channel 4 News. He also the father of fellow TV presenter Dan Snow.

Soccer Support

7th June 2011

Sjt Gillies met up with Footballer Jimmy Bullard and Soccer Am's Tubes at his Rugby club in London recently and snapped a picture of them both wearing their wristbands with pride before heading out for a night on the town... thanks for the support guys!

Twenty Twenty

7th June 2011

Thanks to our celeb snapper Deborah for these pictures of Sam Halliday, Jack Halliday and Sonny Watson-Lang from the band Twenty Twenty wearing their wristbands with pride! The boys will be performing in the Big Top at this weekend's Isle of Wight Festival and were confirmed last week for the V Festival line up... look out for them wearing their wristbands!

Click 'Read more' to see pictures of all the band members.

Op Mailbag at PB4... A Company Blog

6th June 2011

Week ending 2nd June.... IF YOU have ever wondered what the inside of a busy Post Office looks like in the run-up to Christmas, then look no further than the mail room in Patrol Base 4 after the latest resupply convoy arrived this week.  Our long-suffering Company clerk, Private Kashaya, was confronted with 40 mailbags stuffed with letters and parcels and was working until late in the night to sort them for the waiting troops.

There's no place like CP JEKER.... B Company Blog

6th June 2011

04th June 2011... B Company has now been in charge of our area for just over a month. Most of us have settled pretty well into our checkpoints (CPs). Company HQ along with two multiples are housed within CP JEKER, a small but tidy checkpoint. CP JEKER was built for purpose out of HESCO BASTION and a number of shipping containers so doesn’t look the most outwardly comfortable. Our accommodation is made from standard army canvas tents which, even with sun shades, can be uncomfortably warm during the middle of the day.

England Rugby Sevens Captain and Coach are Wearing Their Wristbands With Pride

4th June 2011

The world’s most eminent Sevens player and all-time record points-scorer England Sevens Captain Ben Gollings is supporting the Battalion and wearing his 1 Rifles wristband with pride. Highly regarded England Rugby Sevens head coach, Ben Ryan is also proud to be wearing his wristband and supporting 1 Rifles...

The Latest B Company Blogs From Theatre

3rd June 2011

21st May 2011..... Officially, we took control of our AO, the village of TORGHAI and its surroundings, near the end of April. The Paratroopers had left us a relatively quiet area with some good checkpoints (CPs). CP JEKER is very comfortable with fresh food in refrigerated containers. The platoon CPs are not quite as lavishly outfitted but the use of locally built mud compounds does bring down the temperature indoors. The B Coy platoon sarjeants have done a great job making the CPs more comfortable. Gradually we've made our way through the area and met the varied and interesting local nationals.