Major Paul Davies, Officer Commanding D Company, Fourth Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment:
As a Reservist infantry company commander with Fourth Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment I recently attended the ‘Defence Contribution to Resilience’ course. This, combined with my civilian job as a policeman meant that I was well placed to take on the responsibility of Military Liaison Officer during the recent flooding in the North of England.
On the first night of Storm Desmond I found myself working alongside many other organisations as part of the Tactical Co-ordination Group (TCG) at Lancashire Police HQ. This group was made up of representatives from the Police, Fire and Rescue, Local Council, Electricity, Gas, NHS etc. Out of all of these partner agencies the Environment Agency would normally be the main focus for questions from the group.
I served on Operation SHAKU, the code name that the MOD gave to the military contribution to the flood fighting efforts, throughout the Christmas period. While I was a bit disappointed not to be with my family I felt as though the military presence, both on the ground and in the planning arena, was making a real difference to peoples’ lives at a time when they most needed it. This meant that I was happy to help and felt like I was doing a valuable job.
The response from the public towards the military has been fantastic and I am very proud to have been in a position to assist and see how my contribution affected others. The TCG was even awarded “The Star of the Week” award from a local primary school which was an especially pleasing moment. I have had many positive experiences during my time with the Reserves but helping people from my local community ranks amongst the highest.
