February sapper mag:Layout 1 21/1/09 16:11 Page 9
Sue Owen, Master of the worshipful Company of Water Conservators pre-
senting LCpl Niblock the award for best student on behalf of LCpl Tabuna
while Col McIlroy, Comd 170 Engr Gp looks on. 60 Secs with Brig Tickell
Brig Tickell
is currently
Commander
8 Force
Engineer
Brigade.
Previous
service has
seen him as
OC 9 Para
Sqn and CO
23 Engr Regt. The Brigadier is married to Fiona and
they have two young girls.
Water !
What sports do you play? Swimming and cycling
Who is your sporting hero? Any para-olympian
What type of music do you enjoy?
I have an eclectic taste
What was your last music download? Last month –
T
By: Major Bernard Whishaw Amy Winehouse
What’s the best assignment you’ve had?
he Worshipful Company of Water Conservators, estab- Commanding 8 Brigade
lished in 1988, is one of the youngest and most junior of What’s the worst assignment you’ve had? Hmmm!
the 108 Livery Companies in the City of London, some of whose What is your favourite TV show? Foyle’s War.
origins are set in medieval times. The most senior Company is of the What is the best book you’ve read? A Soldier’s Way –
Mercers (Merchants), which was incorporated under Royal Charter in Colin Powell’s Autobiography
1394. The Companies are mainly altruistic and charitable in nature, What is your favourite film?
but the associations do assist in keeping in touch with key players in A Bridge Too Far (of course!)
the different trades and industries. The aim of the Company of Water What make of car do you drive? Audi
Conservators is to promote and spread awareness of the science of What make of car would you like to drive? Audi
water and environmental management. Do you have any hobbies? Like most Airborne guys I
The Corps has long since maintained professional and social rela- like to moon walk in front of the mirror when I get
tions with a number of Livery Companies all of which recognise the home from work.
achievements of our tradesmen and junior military commanders. The What type of food do you miss most when you’re on
Worshipful Company of Water Conservators recognises the activities Operations? My wife’s cooking
of 521 STRE (Water Development) and recently presented an award What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever
to WO2 Phil Moffitt, Clerk of Works (M) in 521 STRE for his work in received? Be yourself
Contingency Operating Base (COB) Basra in 2007. WO2 Moffitt was What would you have done if you had not been in
responsible for the technical aspects, quality control and much of the the military? Farming
management of possibly the largest water supply and distribution What’s the best piece of military kit there is?
system the Royal Engineers have constructed since World War 2. The My driver – LCpl Savage!
project provided 7000 personnel with 1000 cubic metres of potable What’s your favourite Sunday Roast? Lamb
water each day in order to remove the dependency on water being Red or White Wine? Red
trucked into the base. WO2 Moffitt’s part was essential insofar as he How much was your last mobile phone bill? £60
recovered pumps and fittings from a dismantled camp and reused Jodie Marsh or Jordan? Neither, I much prefer
them in the Basra water installations. Much innovation was required, Esther Rantzen!
as well as a thorough understanding of the pressures and processes Is there anybody outside the military whom you
that the raw water from the canal had to go through to become really admire? Anyone who overcomes adversity
potable. In addition, he managed and organised not only a team of What is your most embarrassing memory?
Royal Engineers but also a posse of local contractors. His would have Ask Mick Wallace
been a complex and formidable task in the UK, before taking into What advice do you wish you’d had as an 18 yr old?
account the indirect fire hazard experienced in the COB at the time. Have confidence in your own ability
More recently, the Company presented an award to LCpl Tabuna as What is your normal PFT time? Too slow nowadays
the best student on the last Class One drillers’ course in Chilwell. How many nights have you spent out of bed in the
LCpl Tabuna will soon be using his skills on Op Herrick and next year in last 12 months? In my wife’s words ‘too many’
parts of Africa. The well-drillers’ course includes training in water quali- What band of LSA are you on?
ty, geology, hydrology and drilling techniques including using water, air, Pass – I’m in the car and can’t check
mud and other mixes as drilling fluid as well as operating, maintaining If I gave you £1000 to spend today what would you
and repairing the drilling equipment and managing a drilling task. spend it on? My mortgage!
LCpl Tabuna was one of eight new drillers trained each year in Chilwell.
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