Captain Gary Sumner

Gary Sumner's military career in his own words :

In early 1971, I attended a Wednesday afternoon and a full weekend at Junior Para as part of a Schools/Army partnership arrangement  - and I was hooked!

I then went to Interview at Guildford Army Recruiting Office and was 'conned' into joining RAOC as an Apprentice Ammunition Technician which was interesting, but because I was in an Army family and had moved around a lot, my education and poor exam achievement had suffered, so I only last 6 months then transferred to the RAOC Apprentices College where I spent 2 great years achieving Junior Sargent.

On graduation, as a RAOC Staff Clerk, I was posted to Germany for 3 years to 12 OFP and finally, after numerous requests achieved my dream of a posting to HQ 16 Parachute Brigade working in A/Q Branch and then G Ops Branch. 

During this time I passed 'P' Company achieving great results.

I went onto Brize Norton, where during our training we were used as 'crash test dummies' by the staff, due to Prince Charles following us on the next course and 'just in case' he had any form of accident, we had already tested that situation. 

My Commanders in the Bde were Brigadier Howlett and Brigadier Gray 

My BM's were  Major Farrar-Hockley, and Maj Pike, - both went onto amazing careers 

I later caught up with Major Farrar-Hockley when we both served in S.H.A.P.E. Belgium.

Sadly, the Brigade was  disbanded and I finished my stay in Aldershot in HQ 6th Field Force.

May 78-80. My next posting was to Int & Sy Gp NI/14 Int Coy for 2 years.

Commanded by Lt Col ('Biffo) Cartwright and Lt Col Lee.

OC 14 Int Coy - Maj Tony Ball (sadly he later died in a vehicle car crash on his way to a civilian middle Eastern security contract)

Very Interesting, challenging, sad sometimes (I lost a couple of really good friends) and happy sometimes (a bit of payback!).

Then to London for 2 years, on promotion to Sergeant to Project Wavell Military Team, a C3 Project, that hoped to, not just use within the British Army but sell to foreign friendly nations.

The CO was in Saudi Arabia on a sales conference once, and almost couldn't get out due to Ramadan.

The then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher's advisors tried to get rid of the Project to save money during the moratorium,  but we survived due to the involvement with many commercial companies and the immense contract cancellation costs.

From there to S.H.A.P.E working in a number branches, one of which was commanded by Colonel Hunter-Choat (legend within the Special Forces World, and an ex, very experienced French Foreign Legionnaire!), who was an utterly amazing leader and human being.

From there, on promotion to SSgt, back to field force units, in the form of 12 Ordnance Company, Chief Clerk. 

What a weird feeling because I started my adult career in the very same office as a young inexperienced Private soldier, to a person now, who had amassed so much experience.

18 months later, I was heading back to Northern Ireland on promotion to WO2 and an appointment in G Branch HQNI.

As an interesting point, I had to be briefed on 14 Int activities by a very supercilious young chief clerk from the Coy, and he made himself out to be so special, almost operators status, until I shot him down in flames with my past knowledge of the Coy, and my forthright comments, such as "remember, you are ONLY the Chief Clerk nothing else!")

After a very quick 18 months.

I was selected for a Late Entry Commission in the RAOC, and after my course at Deepcut was posted to HQ British Forces Falkland Islands as an Acting Captain,  SO3 G3 Resources. 

What an amazing job that was so varied and challenging, from trying to provide a working toilet on the top of Mount Alice, to removing an ISO container full of human waste (and hundreds of buried bags of the same!) from the same location, with the worry of the container breaking up due to it's age, and with the very real risk of an explosion due to the potential fume accumulation of methane.

The task was supporting the successful coordination of the RAF and RN working together. What a win on the later task but a sad and frustrating fail on the former.

From there after 5 months, I was posting back to Germany as Admin Officer 11 Ord Coy. During that time we deployed on Op Granby and I was promoted to Coy 2IC, and everyone returned home safely.

I was then posted to COD Bicester as an Assistant Planning Officer and finally retired from the British Army in April 1993 after 22 years.

I then bought a local village post office in East Lothian, but only lasted 14 months and sold it due to boredom Subsequently, I signed onto a College HND course in Sports Coaching with Sports Development. 

I passed this with Distinction and was offered part-time work teaching my specialist sport, hockey (at the time I was working with the Scottish Hockey Union as a Team Manager and Assistant Coach of their U16 National Men's squad  

Also coaching the Scottish Eastern U15 and U17 Men's squads, as well as my own club's 1st team and trying to find time to play in the seconds. 

Ultimately, I achieved my Teaching Degree, taught for 23 years in the Sports and Fitness Department,  specialising in running the college's Army Preparation Course, which involved me liaising with all the local regular and reserve units, even the RM Recruiting Team. This involved liaising with them to provide support, experiences and a residential camp for the young students, which enabled them to prepare themselves for Recruit Selection and their preferred service cap badge.

I absolutely loved my job.

But with every up has to be a down, and I had to retire due to Cancer, which I survived only by the skills of the surgeons.

I am now classed as disabled due to the extensive treatment and operations that I had to endure.

But, I'm still here!