The 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, 'The Poachers', is a Light Role Infantry Battalion based in Celle, North Germany. The Battalion provide specialist dismounted infantry support to 7th Armoured Brigade, the Desert Rats, and have recently returned from their second operational tour of Iraq. The Poachers recruit from the counties of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Rutland, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and are proud of our strong links back to these counties.

Light Role Battalions need to be fit, versatile and fast moving. We fight on our feet, in light vehicles or from helicopters. We can be deployed anywhere at short notice and must be capable of operating in all types of terrain. In 2009 the Battalion will train all over the world with major exercises in the Falklands and Kenya and smaller exercises as far away as Australia. In summer 2010 the Battalion will move to Cyprus for 2 years from where we will immediately deploy on our next operation, this time to Afghanistan.

Life in The Poachers is not all about work. Celle, a town the size of Lincoln or Stevenage, is a great place to live. It is also close to the larger cities of Hannover and Hamburg, both of which can be reached easily by road or train. There are plenty of opportunities to go adventure training and in 2009 Poachers have been skiing and climbing in the Alps, sailing in Greece and parachuting in Germany. The Poachers have a long tradition as a boxing Battalion and in late 2009 will enter a team into the Army Boxing competition, an event which we have won numerous times in the past. In Cyprus the Battalion will be based in Dhekalia where opportunities for adventure training and travel are even better.

Photographs by Corporal Kelly Williams, RLC,