tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26847550224328198012024-03-13T12:12:18.405-07:0054 Cdo Sqn59Sqnhistoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09768184857519574573noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2684755022432819801.post-5690711721579765482010-04-03T03:23:00.000-07:002010-04-03T03:28:34.898-07:00<strong>Commanding Officers</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />May 1959 - Major JE Colbeck<br />May 1961 - Major DJN Genet<br />Aug 1963 - Major JGT Polley<br />July 1965 - Major HWB Macintosh<br />July 1967 - Major PRT Driscoll<br />July 1969 - Major JRE Ward<br />July 1971 - Major RG Osborne<br />Apr 1972 - Major JL Baker<br />Apr 1974 - Major MCS Webb59Sqnhistoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09768184857519574573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2684755022432819801.post-40312703985694586752010-03-02T15:41:00.000-08:002010-04-03T04:47:52.520-07:0054 Squadron Potted History<strong>May 1937 - Motto</strong><br />This was a Golden Springbok with 'LIV' below the head, set on a square background, diagonally divided into Red and Blue.<br /><br /><strong>Jan 1950</strong> .... 54 Field Squadron formed, by re-titling 25 Field Squadron.<br /><br /><strong>Jan 1950 - May 1958</strong> .... Deployed to Hong Kong as part of 24 Field Engineer Regiment.<br /><br /><strong>May 1958</strong> .... Re-titled 54 Indep. Field Squadron.<br /><strong>May 1958 - Oct 1962</strong> .... Hong Kong.<br /><br /><strong>Oct 1962</strong> .... Re-titled 54 Corps Field Park Squadron (absorbing 410 Indep. Plant Troop)<br /><strong>Oct 1962 - Dec 1962</strong> .... Hong Kong.<br /><br /><strong>Dec 1962 - July 1963</strong> .... Borneo: Brunei & Kota Belud.<br /><br /><strong>July 1963 - Dec 1967</strong> .... Singapore.<br /><br /><strong>Jan 1964</strong> .... Op. Crown - Thailand<br /><br /><strong>Nov 1965 - Oct 1966</strong> .... Borneo<br />Composite Stores Workshops and Plant Fitter Troop moved to Borneo.<br /><br /><strong>Dec 1967</strong> .... Re-titled 54 (FARELF) Support Squadron.<br /><strong>Dec 1967 - Jan 1968</strong> .... Hong Kong.<br /><br /><strong>Jan 1968 - Apr 1968</strong> .... Op. Post Crown - Thailand.<br /><br /><strong>Apr 1968 - June 1971</strong> .... Singapore.<br /><br /><strong>March 1968 .... Borneo</strong><br />54 FARELF Support Sqn along with 63 CRE (Construction) were tasked with renovating the Penarek Airfield, for a major UK reinforcement exercise - Bersatu Padu in 1970.<br /><br /><strong>7th Nov 1968</strong> - 54 Sqn came under control of CRE 17th Division/Malaya, along with 11 Indep. Sqn, 59 Field Sqn and 67 Gurkha Field Sqn.<br /><br /><strong>1st Dec 1968 - 31st Jan 1970 .... Bukit Mendi, Malaya</strong><br />This was a MACC Project to construct a main access road, housing for settlers and large Oil-Palm complex.<br /><br /><strong>Feb 1969 .... Hong Kong</strong><br />54 Sq, 11 Sqn, 59 Sqn, 67 Sqn & 68 Sqn involved in the Luk Kong Road project.<br />Built to give access to Starling Inlet in the extreme North of the Territories, the 4 milr route involved considerable cut & fill, culverts and rock blasting. The work continued for 3 years, with heavy Plant supplied by 54 (HK) Support Sqn.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>1969</strong> .... Absorbed FARELF Engineer Park.<br /><br /><strong>Aug 1969 .... Dungun, Malaya</strong><br />The Sqn supplemented by local contracts, began the task of building a 1200 person camp, to house FXHQ, Control Staff, International Press and VIP Guests.<br />Tasks included hard standings for tents, roads and bridging, a 36,000 gallon water treatment per day, showers, electric power and lighting, cold storage and air conditioning.<br /><br /><strong>July 1971</strong> .... Re-titled 54 (Hong Kong) Support Squadron.<br /><strong>July 1971 - Dec 1975</strong> .... Hong Kong.<br /><br /><strong>16th June 1972 .... Hong Kong</strong><br />Severe rain storms had caused massive damage, via landslides.<br />54 Sqn was diverted from other tasks, to help 67 Gurkha Sqn with Heavy Plant.<br />An 18 foot diameter rock had blocked the main road to Stanley, this required 11 bore-hole charges to break it up.<br />Then they moved to Kun Tong, near Kas Tak International Airport, where 10,000 tons of sliding earth had buried 60 people. 54 Sqn supplied Lighting and a 10 ton crane.<br />Then onto Kotewall, where another massive land slide had engulfed a two storey and four storey buildings and both had been swept into a 12 storey building, causing it to topple over, crashing down a hillside into other buildings - pure devastation.<br />Utilising Plant from locally, 54 Sqn managed to rescue 30 buried people.<br /><br /><strong>1973 .... Castle Peak Ranges</strong><br />54 Sqn were tasked with designing the site for an anti-tank weapon moving range, plus carrying out the initial earthworks.<br /><strong>May 1973</strong> ... 67 Gurkha Sqn moved in to complete the range.<br /><br /><strong>15th Dec 1975</strong> .... Disbanded.<br /><br /><strong>Jan 1976</strong> .... Re-titled 54 Junior Leaders 'A' Squadron based at Dover.<br /><strong>Jan 1976 - 1982</strong> .... Junior Leaders.<br /><br /><strong>1982</strong> .... Re-titled 55 Training Squadron - Junior Leaders.<br /><br /><strong>1st April 2008</strong> .... Re-titled 54 Commando HQ & Support Squadron.<br />Based in Chivenor as part of 24 Commando Engineer Regiment.59Sqnhistoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09768184857519574573noreply@blogger.com0