ANDREW WILKINSON joined the TA in September, 1979 after reading an advertisement in the Evening Echo for Bomb Disposal Officers. He applied, was accepted and commenced training as an officer cadet with 6/7 The Queen's Regiment. Taking officer cadets direct from Civvy Street was something of an experiment in some units then, and the young Wilkinson was able to avoid having to serve an apprenticeship in the ranks beforehand. But he was no stranger to Army life, having joined the CCF whilst at Seaford College, Petworth, in Sussex. It was here that he learnt all the basic disciplines, and used all kinds of exciting kit such as 'Clansman' radios. He also had an opportunity to attend a fortnight's course with 29 Commando Artillery, and an NCO Cadre run by the Royal Military Police at Chichester Barracks. By the time he had done his 'A' levels he had reached the dizzy heights of Corporal, and the stage seemed set for some kind of military career.

Andrew's family background helped to stimulate his interest in military life. His father was a Squadron Leader in the RAF, until he retired in 1973, and since his early childhood, home had been any number of Air Force bases from the far north of Scotland to Germany, and even as far away as Kenya. His paternal grandfather had been in the USAF, and his maternal grandfather a Sgt in the Royal Warwicks. Though suspected as coming from Lowland stock, the Wilkinsons claim descent from the infamous MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles, a particularly rowdy and warlike lot, who, when they weren't fighting each other, usually took on rival clans, such as the Stewarts, at 'Red Harlaw'. In spite of such goings-on, Andrew is proud to claim such blood, but unlike his supposed ancestors, his respect for established authority appears beyond question!

Any aspirations that Andrew may have had for a military career were short-circuited early after leaving school. Having decided to follow his father's profession, he applied for a commission in the RAF, at the Officer Aircrew Selection Centre, but as he was under-age, was politely told to reapply in two years time. To a young man with ambitions, two years is a long time to wait, so Andrew decided to get a job of some sort while awaiting developments. The list reads rather like a 'Local boy made good' story. He started off as an £18 a week gardener in Newick, Sussex, the village where he lived, and after a time moved up to become the village postman at £59 a week, a job that was particularly attractive as a shiny red bicycle went with it.

Time passed; he lost interest in the RAF, and decided instead to look for a real job, with big money and lots of perks. His first was as a Trainee Manager for a Seed Merchant in Uckfield. Then three months later he obtained a position as an Assistant Project Officer with International Military Services Ltd., in London, and is now absolutely raking the shekels in. Having let the prospect of some sort of military career pass him by, it was a perfectly natural alternative to join the Territorial Army, and when his new job with IMS took him away from 6/7 Queen's territory, it was perfectly natural too, that he should transfer to the London Scottish.

His eighteen months with 6/7Queen'swerenotentirelywasted however. During his time with that unit he attended an exciting camp at Sennybridge 'Health Farm', and on another occasion paid a visit with other members of his unit to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where among other things he learnt to use the superior firepower of the MI6 Armalite rifle, the GPMG M60 and other prize pieces of the American infantryman's armoury. He would also like it recorded that he was made an Honorary Colonel of the Oklahoma National Guard, and an honorary citizen of' the State of Oklahoma. Jeez!

Early in 1980 he passed the SE District Officer Selection Board, and it seemed that his wish to become an officer of some sort would eventually be realised. But when his new job took him from seed cataloguing to arms dealing, and to the London Scottish, he was informed that there were no vacancies for officer cadets at 'G' Coy. In any case, it was explained to him that he would have to re-sit the Selection Board with London District, even if the Coy had accepted him as an officer cadet. The only alternative was to transfer as Pte Wilkinson. So Pte Wilkinson he became. To date he has been with 'G' Coy just over a year, in which time he has attended Camp with the unit in Germany, competed in the Military Skills Competition, made himself very useful on a number of occasions, and generally he has found life here very interesting and enjoyable. Not quite what he first had in mind, but all good experience nevertheless.

Despite the supercilious grin that he usually wears, and a reputation for enjoying wild nights out with the lads, Andrew is a quiet and serious minded soldier with a growing sense of commitment to the TA. Although he has been with' G' Coy only a short time, he is proud to belong to a unit with such fine traditions that in some ways differ to and place it above other TA units. Though it is not always visible there is, he feels, a sense of belonging, of a 'second home that one can rarely find elsewhere. Such a unit, he thinks is worthy of a man's best efforts. But he is convinced that the London Scottish Coy could be a far better unit than it is. He sees a hard core of apathy which angers him at times. Like the numerous soldiers who seem to exist only on paper, who rarely turn up for training, but about whom nobody seems to mind. Or the drinking members who never miss a social event, but pay only lip service to the essential training demands of an efficient fighting unit'. How, he asks himself, can any unit be effective if only two sections out of the whole Coy turn up for a weekend exercise? Which does happen, not just now and then, but all too often nowadays. "Maybe it doesn't matter about the people that you never see" he says. "But it's damn' hard for the few that you do!"

Having never been an officer or NCO he doesn't care to know the reasons why. But one thing is abundantly clear to him -that training must combine teamwork with imagination and fun. He recalls one of his past Coy Commanders (not one of ours) who said: "That if the human race had discovered the TA before sex, then it would have died out long ago". Fun activities usually

happen because they're well organised and well led. Fun is doing something well as a team, or doing it better than someone else's team. It is doing something that at times tests you both physically and mentally to the limits. Fun in training is variety and imagination coupled with the will to succeed.

Such is one of the simple views of Andrew Wilkinson, the team-man. He gets the most satisfaction when his platoon turns out as a platoon, does things together and wins things. He drew a good deal of personal satisfaction when the Coy won the Battalion Military Skills Competition last year, not because any efforts of his assured us of victory, but because he and his mates worked as a team. He rather wishes things were like that all the time.

In his spare time Andrew plays football occasionally, enjoys a social drink whenever he can and reads books on ballistics. His favourite beverage is a hideous concoction of lager, cider, blackcurrant syrup and vodka, called 'Snakebite' (not recommended for use as an anti-venom). Should you visit the Canteen at any time, he will be delighted to demonstrate.

Many interesting tasks have passed his way as a Project Officer with the IMS. He once acted as an escort to Syrian General Staff Officers on visits to the Military Vehicle Experimental Establishment, and other Engineer units. He has made two visits to Abu Dhabi to set up displays of engineer equipment and to sell his company's services.

He was promoted recently, and now works in the Saudi section. Having at last found his feet in the big, wide world, Andrew is now intent upon doing the same in the TA, starting from the bottom and working patiently upward.

He still aspires to be an officer in the London Scottish; he knows that he can make the grade, and hopes that events will occur to that end without him having to force his attentions on the 'Powers'. But patience and determination alone will not get him there. It is unfortunate that the TA so often fails to identify its potential leaders and develop them before it is too late. Whether or not he has the right qualities is for the Selection Boards to decide. Even so, Andrew will have to do a lot of shouting from the roof tops to get even that far.