Staff Sergeant Paul Fuller

Paul Fuller joined the British Army as a Junior Leader at Shorncliffe in January 1978.

He later joined The Parachute Regiment, Passing Out of Depot in November 1979 after gaining the nickname ‘Beast’ from Sgt ‘Skelly’ Skelton and Cpl ‘Rooster’ Barber. He was posted to 2 Platoon (Pln), A Company (Coy), 2 PARA in Ballykinler in Northern Ireland.

In order to remain in the Coy on the return to Aldershot in 1981, Pte ‘Beast’ Fuller became the Coy clerk a role he filled until finally released to pursue soldiering full time once again in 1984.

Pte Fuller served as the Coy runner/OC protection party in the Falklands in 1982 and in the same capacity when deployed in the field on exercise and in Belize in 1983.

Pte Fuller was promoted to Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) in 1982 after completion of the Battalion’s (Bn) Drill and Duties cadre.

In 1984, L/Cpl Fuller went to the Patrols Pln and completed his Section Commanders course after Ex Trumpet Dance in the United States. L/Cpl Fuller served as part of the Close Observation Platoon for the 1984/85 tour of Northern Ireland.

Returning to 3 Pln in 1985 L/Cpl Fuller continued to develop his soldiering, completing a successful exercise in Cyprus as an Infantry Instructor for 17 Port and Maritime Regiment RCT. This gave L/Cpl Fuller the incentive to return to Depot Para in the future as an instructor.

On returning from Cyprus, L/Cpl Fuller attended the International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School (ILRRPS) in Weingarten in Germany for the Escape and Evasion course (E & E) being successful in being one of only 2 students not captured.

After promoted to Acting Cpl in 1986, he completed his Platoon Sergeants Battle Course and was promoted Substantive Cpl. Following Brecon the Coy deployed on Ex Red Stripe in Jamaica which was a fulfilling exercise utilising assault boats and the good old truck for insertion into Jamaica’s jungles. Cpl Fuller completed the Jungle Warfare Instructors course in Brunei at the end of 1986.

In 1987 the Bn deployed again to Kenya on exercise prior to moving to Ternhill in Shropshire.

The Bn deployed again to Belize at the end of 1987 for a 6 month tour of Belize with A Coy once again based out of Salamanca Camp. Beast Comments ‘3 Pln due to our unconventional behaviour got the nickname ‘The Penal Platoon’ spending 8 weeks in the trees. This brought the platoon closer together but set back a few careers in the making I dare say.’

On returning to Ternhill in 1988, Cpl Fuller was posted to the Depot as an instructor, which he describes as one of ‘his most satisfying roles in the Regiment’. During his time in Depot Cpl Fuller travelled to Germany three times and completed the Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) Warfare Instructors Course.

In 1990 Cpl Fuller returned to the fold of 2 PARA joining 6 Pln, B Coy as a Section Commander until promoted to Pln Sergeant (Sgt) in 1991.

2 PARA returned again to Northern Ireland in 1992 on Emergency Tour in Belfast. Post tour Sgt Fuller was posted to the Bn Training Wing where he stayed until posted in January 1993 to the Army Training Regiment Lichfield (ATR-L), as the Senior NBC Instructor.

‘Beast’ left the regular army at the end of 1993 after taking voluntary redundancy. In 1994 ‘Beast’ returned the Parachute Regiment fold joining 13 Coy, 4 PARA in Liverpool where he remained until moving to South Wales in 1998.

He re-joined the Territorial Army in Cardiff later that year joining 144 PARA Sqn as an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP).

During his 4 years with 144 PARA Sqn, ‘Beast’ got promoted to Staff SGT (S/Sgt). S/Sgt Fuller deployed to Belize as a Jungle Warfare Instructor with 3 ROYAL REGIMENT OF FUSILIERS (3RRF) which he says ‘was a fantastic opportunity to get back under the trees.’ He also deployed to Bosnia with 16 Close Support Medical Regiment RAMC in 2000 and Kosovo in 2001 where he worked for one of his former recruits who was then a Squadron Commander in 23 Squadron.

‘Beast’s last hurrah with 144 PARA Sqn was an exercise to Georgia in 2002 with members of 4 PARA and the RRF.

'Beast' left the fold in 2002 when emigrating to Australia.

He joined the Royal Australian Army Medical Corp in 2003 as a Sgt where he served in the reformed Parachute Surgical Team, 1 Health Support Battalion (1HSB). He also served at the Australian Army Parachute Training School in Nowra.

After completing 5 years regular service where he also served in the Solomon Islands for 6 months in 2004 and Afghanistan 2007-08, Paul decided to try ‘civvie strasse’ again.

Paul is now in the Australian Reserve Forces, saying ‘old habits do die hard.’