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PROUD END TO A MEMBER'S MILITARY SERVICE
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Richard on leave in Zagreb in 1992. Note his injured hand.
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One of CFIVAs founding members is Young Richard Hanton, a quiet and inoffensive man whose remarkable military career has recently concluded, allowing us for the first time to give him the praise he richly deserves. Aged just twenty-one and angered by the destruction of civilian lives and property being wrought at the hands of armed criminal gangs and the Yugoslav Army, Young Richard travelled to Croatia in 1991, seeing action with 109. Brigade ZNG-RH in the fierce fighting at Vinkovci and Nustar. Over Christmas he was assaulted and injured by a Serb whilst on leave in Paris but undaunted returned to the fighting at Nustar, Sisak and Karlovac, as well as visiting other front line areas and staying with Croatian friends. He even appeared in a book about the war, pictured delivering ammunition up to the front line by bicycle! At that time Richard saw more of the war in Croatia and met more international volunteers than most people. By the summer of 1992 he was serving in 105 (Bjelovar) Brigade, HV. Upon demobilization he transferred into the Bosnian-Croat army the HVO, seeing action again in the Posavina pocket, northern Bosnia until returning to Britain that Autumn. Richard had never previously served in any armed forces and now determined upon a path that would both formalise and reinforce the military skills he had already learned the hard way. At that time, bias towards the Serbs was growing in prevalence throughout the British Army and so Richard tactfully kept silent about his combat experience in Croatia and BiH when he joined a Territorial unit of the Medical Corps. This was a specialist airborne unit and it is to Richards credit that when he seriously injured himself on his first parachute jump he nevertheless returned to complete the entire programme, including 'P' Company, all over again to obtain the coveted parachute wings and red beret, as well as passing his exams as a Combat Medical Technician. He quickly volunteered for an operational tour with SFOR where Richard found himself based at Sanski Most, one of the few Muslim populated areas within British SFORs responsibility. He also participated in a vaccination programme with the British Army in Kenya. With three years service under his belt and still not satisfied, at the ripe old age of twenty-nine Young Richard was accepted into the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, a first class infantry unit with a proud, three hundred year old history. During training he was advised that he would not be allowed to wear his red beret or parachute wings, as this would incur the jealousy of other soldiers and attract unwanted attention. Again, he successfully completed the full training programme before serving with his battalion in Northern Ireland for two years and again during the fire fighters strike, as well as further short periods of civil unrest. There were also military exercises in the Falkland Islands and an operational tour of Kosova whilst being based in London. His time in Britains capital saw Richard achieve the honour of standing guard at Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London as well as anti-terrorist duties at Heathrow Airport. In 2005 he also completed a tour in Afghanistan, in which two of his comrades lost their lives. After six years regular service Richard decided there was more that the world had to offer him and he left the British Army with an exemplary record of service. He was awarded the SFOR Medal, the General Service Medal with clasp Northern Ireland, the KFOR Medal and the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan. He now plans to travel around the world and continue playing an active part in the Associations social life and public engagements. We are very proud of Richard and wish him well for the future.
CFIVA
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