The QGEA Committee

I have been a QGEA committee member and Trustee of the Regimental Trust for over 20 years, and Honorary Secretary of the Association since 2018.

My first contact with The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers was as a school boy, as I used to see the boys running up Chatham Hill on morning PT as I travelled to school. I then periodically heard about the Regiment as a Royal Engineers bursar, and was lucky enough to be selected to join the Regiment from my Troop Commanders’ Course.

Whilst serving, I completed all my regimental duty with QGE; always serving with 69 Gurkha Field Squadron. This obviously led to deployments across the globe, both with the Squadron and independently. Particular highlights were: commanding the South Georgia detachment; commanding 69 Gurkha Field Squadron on Op Herrick 12; planning the Queen’s visit to the Regiment in 2011, and an overseas construction tour in Kenya. I was also lucky enough to complete staff jobs whilst still proudly wearing my QGE cap badge, flying the flag across the Combat Engineer School, Battlefield Engineer Wing and Recruiting Group.

Since leaving the Army in 2014, the QGEA has been a great link for me to stay engaged in the Regiment’s and community’s activities. I feel blessed to have been welcomed into the family, and hope to keep serving you as your Secretary for a few more years.

Andy has been editing the Regimental Journal since 2009 and is also a Trustee of the Regimental Trust.

Having first visited Nepal in 1999 prior to Sandhurst, at the time I had no idea a unit called The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers even existed. When I promised myself I would return to Nepal following the 6 weeks I spent there I had no idea the profound impact the country would have on my career. After a busy 2 ½ years as a Troop Commander in Ripon I was privileged to be posted to Nepal for my first tour with the Brigade of Gurkhas as the Assistant Brigade Welfare Officer (Community Aid). Working for the Gurkha Welfare Scheme and based in Pokhara the role saw me travel extensively across the country. I was able to visit all 26 Area Welfare Centres at least once, despite the ongoing insurgency and this further cemented my love for the country and it’s people. Returning to Maidstone first to 20 Field Squadron and then as Second-in-Command of 69 Squadron I deployed with them to Belize on Ex SAILFISH for an idyllic tour in Central America before being sent back to Nepal for a short stint to cover the gapped post of Deputy Recruiting Officer (DRO). Staff jobs and staff training then took me away from the Regiment before returning as OC 69 Sqn in August 2011 as the Sqn re-rolled to become an Advanced Search Sqn and part of the Op HERRICK 17 EOD & Search Task Force for which I was also the COS. As well as postings in Nepal and Duty Treks I have also taken part in and organised numerous AT expeditions there, often with the help of ex-members of Regiment to run the in-country support. Having left the Army in 2019 I am still linked to the Royal Engineers as I work on the PPP Contract that supports the Royal School of Military Engineering.

Having seen first-hand on numerous occasions how well received the Journal is in Nepal and across the wider Veteran community in the UK I hope to keep editing for some years to come as I feel passionate about helping each other stay in touch with friends from QGE both in the UK and Nepal. While a young family is currently keeping me busy at home, I hope one day to take my wife back to Nepal and introduce our three young children to the country and people that mean so much to a lot of us.