SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
OFFICER
Being a Yorkshire Regiment officer is not
something you do, it is something you are
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
CONTENTS
04
300 Years of Operational Service
06
The Yorkshire Regiment
08
The Privilege of Leadership
10
The Challenge of Command
12
Sporting Excellence
16
Officer Profile 1 YORKS
18
Officer Profile 2 YORKS
20
Officer Profile 4 YORKS
22
Your Leadership Challenge
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
14Brotherhood
03
300
YEARS OF
OPERATIONAL SERVICE
Welcome to the Yorkshire Regiment, the finest county
infantry Regiment in the British Army. Its officers and
soldiers have been serving with bravery and distinction
on operations for over 300 years. The Regiment has been
awarded 382 battle honours from Namur (1685) to Iraq,
serving in both World Wars, Korea and the Gulf, as well as
completing seven tours of Afghanistan and most recently
deploying again to northern Iraq in 2014 to train the
Peshmerga.
Our 300 year history is exemplified by numerous examples
of heroism and commitment on operations. 38 men of the
Regiment have been awarded the Victoria Cross and eight
presented with the George Cross. These traditions are
honoured, valued and continue in today’s Regiment.
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
04
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
Our officers come from across the country, not just from
Yorkshire. We require men of high professional stature, at
the top of their peer group; but we also look beyond this
– to men who value our strong family Regiment ethos and
have the potential to meet the leadership challenges
of commanding Yorkshire soldiers.
Our soldiers are fiercely proud of who they are, where they
are from, and the deeds of those who have marched before
them. The centuries of infantry tradition in the towns
and villages of Yorkshire binds us into one of the finest
fighting regiments in the world.
1918: 2Lt Huffam
VC - Duke of
Wellington’s
Regiment
1917: 2Lt Harrison
VC MC - East
Yorkshire Regiment
1918: 2Lt Beal VC Green Howards
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
Fortune Favours
the Brave
05
THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT
The Yorkshire Regiment consists of three battalions
of 600 soldiers and each fulfils a different role:
The 1st Battalion
• Armoured Infantry, equipped with the latest
WarriorArmoured Fighting Vehicle.
• Leading edge of the UK’s armoured rapid-reaction
capability.
• Ready and able to deploy anywhere in the world to
counter major threats to our national security.
The 2nd Battalion
• Light Role Infantry, operates everywhere; jungles,
deserts, mountains and urban areas.
The 4th Battalion
• Light Role Infantry, Army Reserve that supports
Regular forces on operations.
• Opportunities to train and deploy with Regular infantry
battalions as well as independent training missions
across the globe.
• Detachments located across Yorkshire and Teesside.
Kings Division
• Opportunity to lead and command across six battalions.
• Equipped with the very latest all-terrain
protected vehicles.
• Ready and able to deploy on short-term operations to
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
06
provide security, stability and humanitarian support.
MAIN: Yorkshire
Regiment soldiers
engaging enemy
during live fire
training in Wales
INSET:
Commanding
Officer leading his
battalion
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
The qualities we seek in our officers are:
•Strength of character, robustness,
intellectual agility and a good sense of
humour
•Relentless in the pursuit of excellence
in the profession of arms
• Professionally capable as a leader on
operations
• Strong sense of duty and loyalty to your
men, fellow officers and the Regiment,
putting your men first in all things
• Tenacity in adversity and humility in
success
• An enjoyment of sport at any level
•Uphold the moral standards of the
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
British Army 07
THE PRIVILEGE OF
LEADERSHIP
In addition to the bonds, universal in the infantry, and of a
common understanding built on experience and adversity,
the men of the Regiment are straightforward, plain
speaking and robust Yorkshiremen. Leading Yorkshire
infantrymen is an unrivalled privilege.
“A leader does not have to be the point man at the front,
but must be prepared to grab a situation and assume that
position when times get tough. The greatest rewards as
a junior officer come when those you lead are enjoying
themselves and are proud of their achievements.
As soon as I arrived from the Platoon Commanders’ Battle
Course I deployed to Afghanistan. This was extremely
daunting at the time, but it has become the best few months
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
08
I have spent in the Army so far. Living with a platoon
in a small, relatively isolated checkpoint is every young
officer’s dream”. Capt Tim Glover.
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
“I was fortunate to be part of a Brigade Reconnaissance
Force, formed from 130 personnel, to conduct helicopter-
borneraidoperationsbehindenemylinestofind,capture
anddestroyenemyequipment,suppliesandbombmaking
factories,andtoarrestenemypersonnelinvolvedinthe
supplyofweaponsandmanufactureofIEDs”.
PlatoonCommanderbriefinghismenbefore
anoperationinAfghanistan
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
Capt Jon Kume-Davy.
09
THE CHALLENGE
OF COMMAND
All infantry officers are required to be robust, confident,
fit and intelligent, in order to lead by example. Command
of Yorkshire Infantrymen requires these qualities in
abundance. Well commanded, these men can achieve
extraordinary things.
“When you have to ask men to risk their lives to achieve a
goal, you need to give the men confidence that your plan
will succeed, and when the enemy acts to combat your
plan, your men will look to you for direction. You have
to rapidly adapt to make sure you maintain control of the
situation in order to win the fight and bring your men home to
fight again the next day”. Capt Jon Kume-Davy.
“When it comes to tactical decisions, I always have the
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
10
advantage of the experience of my Corporals and Sergeants
to offer their advice but, in the end, the decision, risk and
responsibility is mine”. Lt David Fletcher.
Platoon Commander giving quick battle
orders during an operation in
Afghanistan
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
“On a day to day basis my job entails overseeing the
will run the Platoon alongside his Platoon Sergeant, who
force that they can be. I am also ultimately responsible
have completed several operational tours.
for the care and wellbeing of every soldier under my
will normally have around eight years of experience and
command, working as a Platoon Commander within the
I enjoy working with officers who join the Yorkshire
Company Sergeant Major, Company 2IC and OC who all
infantry, but they are also more down to earth and
Company structure enables you to be supported by the
act as voices of experience and ensure that you are carrying
out your job to its full capacity”. Lt Ian Hodgson
The Platoon Sergeant’s Perspective
When a Platoon Commander first arrives at Battalion, he
Regiment as they are some of the best that join the
approachable than some I have worked with in the
Army. Through your time together you develop a lasting
unspoken friendship and loyalty, although your Platoon
Sergeant would never admit to it.
Colour Sergeant Sean Pears
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
training of my Platoon to be the most efficient fighting
11
SPORTING
EXCELLENCE
Competitive sport and challenging adventurous training
helps cement relationships across the ranks and promote
physical and mental robustness and, therefore sport plays
a central role in the life of a young officer. As well as
leading men on exercise and on operations, officers
are encouraged to take the lead on the sports field.
The Regiment has an enviable reputation for competition
at the highest levels of rugby, football, boxing, crosscountry, cricket, cycling and skiing.
Young officers are also expected to take their men away
on challenging adventurous training expeditions.
“I have been fortunate enough to spend a week
mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies, where we had
excellent instructors and top of the range kit supplied.
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
12
We were taught how to use ropes, place ice screws
and snow anchors to climb cliffs of ice and pull people
from a crevasse. We then put it into practice, climbing
the face of a glacier and then scaling a number of
peaks, all surrounded by absolutely breath-taking
2nd Battalion Inter-Company
boxing contest in Cyprus
scenery. To this day it is one of the best experiences
I have ever had. Capt Jon Kume-Davy.
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
I am a member of the 1st Battalion Rugby Union 1st XV
and when I joined earlier in the year I played in the Army
Rugby Union 7s competition which 1 YORKS won. It
was a fantastic way to start life in the Battalion. Prior to
joining the Army I played Rugby for Durham County,
England U16 Group, Northumbria University 1st XV and
Darlington Mowden Park. I was also fortunate enough
to have the honour of Captaining the Royal Military
to repeating our huge rugby successes of with the aim of
winning the Army cup again”. Lt Ian Hodgson.
1st Battalion Rugby Union 1st Team displaying the season’s spoils, including trophies
for winning three of the four Army Championships
4th Battalion compete in Infantry
Downhill Skiing Championship
in France
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
Academy Sandhurst 1st XV. 1 YORKS now look forward
13
BROTHERHOOD
The Yorkshire Regiment is a strong family. The Officers’
Mess is your home and your brother officers will become
friends for life. The close professional bond between the
Officers and the Warrant Officer and Sergeants’ Mess is a
common strength within the battalions and is the bedrock
for the achievement of operational excellence.
“I wanted to join an infantry regiment that had a strong family
based ethos. After looking at several other regiments, I visited
the 2nd Battalion in Cyprus. The welcoming atmosphere of the
Battalion along with the close relationships that the soldiers,
officers and NCOs all shared, made me feel that the YORKS
was a Regiment I could easily find myself at home in. Being
an officer in the Yorkshire Regiment offers me the privilege
to work with some of the most dedicated, professional
and spirited soldiers and NCOs I have encountered”.
Lt David Fletcher.
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
14
Platoon Commanders
flanked by their
Platoon Sergeants
whilst deployed on
operations
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
“TheYorkshireRegimentOfficerswerepeopleIwanted
“IjoinedTheYorkshireRegimentbecauseIhadalong-
decentguysthatIwouldbeproudtolead.Withinthe
timeasaCadet.Myfavouritethingaboutbeinganofficerin
toworkwithandthesoldiersseemedhonestandgenerally
Officers’Messwearenotonlycolleaguesbutveryclose
friends.Ifeelproudtobeanofficerintheinfantryandwork
andleadsoldierswhosejobistobeacknowledgedexperts
standingrelationshipwiththeRegimentdatingbacktomy
theRegimentisspendingtimeinthefieldwithoursoldiers”.
Capt Chris Beaumont
inclosecombat…wehaveaparticularlystrongrelationship
betweenourOfficers,WarrantOfficersandSergeantsand
thereisalwaysfriendlybanterflyingaround.Thesoldiers
arealsogreattoworkwith.BeingtypicalYorkshiremen
theywillgiveittoyouhonestlyandenjoyalaugh,but
willalwaysrespectthechainofcommand.Allinall,itis
asupportiveenvironmentwhereeveryonegetsalongand
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
thingsgetdone”.Capt Tim Glover
15
OFFICER PROFILE 1 YORKS
Name: Lieutenant Tom Burnham
Hometown: Bromley, Kent
University: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Current Assignment: Platoon Commander,
Corunna Company,
1 YORKS
Why I joined the Yorkshire Regiment:
“Some people do at first think that to join the Regiment as an officer,
you have to have some connection to Yorkshire. This is not always
true, although some of us have family connections, went to University
or grew up there that does not apply to everyone! I was attracted
to the Regiment so that I would be able to lead Yorkshire soldiers
in the Armoured Infantry role, but the Regiment’s emphasis on the
importance of sport was another particular attraction for me.
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
16
We have a particularly strong
tradition of boxing, we have
won the Infantry and Army
Championships in football,
and won the Army Cup in
Rugby more times than any
other Battalion.
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
A Sporting Perspective
What next?
ethos, and most Wednesdays are
deploying and delivering success on
designated as sports afternoons, where
an officer leads any sport, from cycling
to climbing, squash to kick-boxing
and many more. At the end of the
afternoon, the Battalion meets to have a
drink together, so it is a great physical
The Battalion’s recent focus was
a major Brigade armoured exercise
in Canada in the summer, the most
demanding armoured exercise in the
British Army. Focussing on our rugby
campaign to win the Army Cup again
to add to our recent Army Tens and
and social part of the working week.
Army Rugby League titles is a priority,
of boxing, we have won the Infantry
resources needed to prepare for that
We have a particularly strong tradition
and Army Championships in football,
and won the Army Cup in Rugby more
times than any other Battalion.
I currently captain the Battalion rugby
team, which trains twice every day,
and contains many officers as well
a selection of NCOs and soldiers. It
is a fantastic opportunity to get to
know more about the soldiers and
we all share a huge sense of pride in
representing the Regiment. In 2013
we had a month long rugby tour to
Australia, where we followed the
British and Irish Lions across the
country and played our own matches
against regional sides.
so we are all given all the time and
challenge. After Platoon Command
(which normally last for eighteen
months), I will stay in Battalion as
Company Second in Command. There
are a great variety of job opportunities,
and I have options to join Sniper,
Assault Pioneer, Mortar, Anti-tank
or Reconnaissance Platoon, or be
posted to the Infantry Training Centre,
Catterick, to train soldiers.”
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
The Regiment has a keen sporting
17
OFFICER PROFILE 2 YORKS
Name: Capt Ash Pendlebury
Hometown: Stoke-on-Trent
University: Durham
Current Assignment: Anti-Tank
Platoon Commander, 2 YORKS
Operations
“After a few weeks of being on 12 hours’ notice to move,
a small team of my Platoon were stood to late one evening
and were ordered to prepare for a deployment to Erbil,
Kurdistan. Our mission was to train the Peshmerga in a
bid to assist them in their fight against ISIL using gifted
weapons supplied by the UK Government. This was a
different mission to what we usually expected, working
with other elements of the armed forces to conduct
reconnaissance of Peshmerga training locations and liaise
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
18
with high-ranking Peshmerga officials - an experience
I will never forget. A small team of 2 YORKS soldiers
deployed to conduct Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) training
in Iraq, successfully training 125 Peshmerga soldiers in
three weeks.
Weapon training with
the Peshmerga
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
Training
Light Role Infantry
THUNDER 5 in Kenya. This was Light Role Battle Group
men and the kit on your back to worry about. You have the
training at its extreme, with many hours spent on the
Kenyan savannah. The exercises were tough and much
more demanding than anything I had encountered in
training, but it was a great way to bond with the Platoon,
as we were all going through the difficult times together.
Mission Specific Training in Cyprus allowed us to assume
the role as the high readiness, Theatre Reserve Battalion
(TRB), which was very different soldiering from what we
Being Light Role infantry is fantastic. You have only your
ability to go anywhere and achieve almost any task.
We will soon transition into a Light Mechanised Battle
Group, equipped with the latest vehicles to give us even
more freedom of action on the battlefield. We will be able
to carry more equipment, cover greater distances and
require less support from those behind us. It also opens
the doors to new training opportunities for everyone
within the Platoon.
experienced in Kenya. Afghan Ops are very deliberate and
The people I work with daily in the Yorkshire Regiment
ground and my Platoon had to learn new skills, but we
camaraderie is second to none and you are never short of
ranks from those with previous operational experiences.
The experiences I have had so far have all been memorable
calculated as the risks are much higher to soldiers on the
were helped by the wealth of experience we had within the
MST culminated in several large UK-based exercises,
where Air Mobility (deploying using helicopters) was
introduced to our repertoire – it certainly beats sitting
behind a desk for a days work!
make sure that my days are never dull and boring. The
someone to go and grab a brew and make small talk with.
and exciting, and the longer I serve, the more I appreciate
the phrase that being in the Army is ‘a lifestyle not a job’
and I truly believe this and, Being an Infanteer is not
something you do, it’s what you are.”
The longer I serve, the more I appreciate the phrase
that being in the Army is ‘a lifestyle not a job’
and I truly believe this, and being an Infanteer
is not something you do, it’s what you are.
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
Prior to this operation, I deployed on Exercise ASKARI
19
OFFICER PROFILE 4 YORKS
Name: Second Lieutenant
Sam Dower
Hometown: Orpington, Kent
University: York
Current Assignment:
Platoon Commander, 4 YORKS
“Joining the Army Reserve was without a doubt the best
decision I made whilst studying at university. The two
complement each other perfectly. I have been able to pursue
and enhance my academic skills during the week, and on
the weekends practice my leadership and military skills. The
balance of these commitments led me to gaining the Queen’s
Commission in the summer of my second year, allowing me
to fulfil the role of a Reserve Platoon Commander, whilst at
the same time completing my university studies.
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
20
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
Joining 4YORKS has also given me far more opportunities
In November I will be going on our annual Deployment
to Germany and Cyprus on exercise during holidays, and
Battle School, at Brecon in Wales, in February and
also to Uganda on a short-term training team to train the
Ugandan Peoples’ Defence Force. Without doubt I can say
that if I hadn’t joined the Army Reserve I would not have
Exercise; attend the Platoon Tactics Course at the Infantry
hopefully deploy on Ex ASKARI STORM to Kenya in
March.
had a chance to travel as much as I have.
I would wholly recommend anyone who is thinking of
There are also countless opportunities for sport and
other organisation that allows you to make an actual
adventurous training; diving trips, mountain biking
and sailing to name but a few, along with relay races
around North Yorkshire and inter-unit football on the
sport side. What makes things better is that it is not only
heavily subsidised, we even get paid to take part! Similar
expeditions or events would have cost a fortune through
university societies, so the Army Reserves really do have
it all to offer.
4 YORKS officer
instructing Ugandan
Army soldiers as part
of the UK military
training mission
joining to get involved straightaway; there really is no
difference in the world, travel, have fun and get paid while
doing it all!”
Without doubt I can say
that if I hadn’t
joined the Army Reserve I
would not have had
a chance to travel as
much as I have.
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
to travel than my university colleagues. I managed to get
21
YOUR LEADERSHIP
CHALLENGE
Our officers come to us from across the country, not just
through shared experiences in training, on operations
at the top of their peer group; but we also look beyond this
understanding between our officers and our Yorkshire
from Yorkshire. We want men of high professional stature,
– to men who value our strong family regimental ethos and
who have the potential to meet the leadership challenges of
and on the sports field to achieve a mutual trust and
soldiers that is special, even within the British Army.
commanding Yorkshire soldiers. They respond to officers
with character and competence to lead with integrity and
selfless example.
Our soldiers are straight-forward, plain-speaking men
who get on with the job, whatever the conditions or risks,
with the quiet unflappable determination that has been
the hallmark of Yorkshire soldiers for generations. They
are fiercely proud of their Regiment and their county.
They look to their officers for the strong, open, natural
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
22
leadership which will make the most of their qualities
and create the unique bonds of trust that are essential in
the rigours of today’s battlefield. They are bonds forged
YORKS soldiers
attacking an enemy
position during live
firing training in Wales
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
Our officers have a reputation for working hard and playing
Combine the leadership qualities of our officers with the
and we aim to ensure all our young officers gain operational
our reputation for operational excellence and our strength as a
experience within their first two years of service. Thereafter,
we continue to provide you with a full career founded on
robustness of our soldiers and you have the foundations of
Regiment. We are a Regiment that will do any job it is given
anywhere in the world, will stick at it with vigour and tenacity
variety, excitement, challenge and professional opportunity.
until successful and, come what may, we will do it well and
Competitive sport and challenging adventure training
about the Regiment, understand what being a leader means
continue to hold a key role in strengthening our ability as
teams and their ability to prevail on today’s battlefields. They
bring to us men with the physical and mental robustness
needed to succeed on operations as well as to make the most
of all that the Army has to offer in its widest sense.
with style. We need officers who value their soldiers, care
and can be relied upon to deliver – whatever the conditions.
Are you up to this
challenge?
YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OFFICER
hard. Today the Regiment continues to excel on operations
23
Fortune Favours
the Brave
Where will it take you?
Contact
Colonel (Retd) Mark Lodge
YORKS Officer Recruiting
RHQ, The Yorkshire Regiment
York, YO1 9SB
Telephone 01904 461013
Regimental Headquarters
RHQ Yorks, 3 Tower Street, York YO1 9SB
E-mail [email protected] | Tel: 01904 461014 www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/23987.aspx
YORKS_Regt
YORKSRegt