Shrewsbury soldier returns home to help fight coronavirus in the Midlands
Three soldiers have returned home to help in the fight against Covid-19.
Gunner Drew Tudor, age 19, from Shrewsbury, joined other soldiers from 26th Regiment (The West Midlands Gunners) Royal Artillery, managing a mobile testing unit at Stratford-upon-Avon College on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Lance Bombardier Nick Brown, 29, from Birmingham, and Gunner Edward Darby, 27, from Leamington Spa, are also part of the unit.
In Stratford-Upon-Avon, the troops set up a fully functioning test centre, including a tent and stands, within 15 minutes of arriving at the empty college car park each day.
Gunner Tudor, a former Meole Brace School pupil whose parents, sister and grandparents still live in the Springfield area of Shrewsbury, said: "Most people are very supportive and thankful for what we are doing here.
"It’s a bit tough being so close to my family in Shrewsbury and not being able to go home and see them. But that just comes with the job.
"We are here on an important operation and have to focus on that.”
Gunner Darby, who attended Aylesford School in Warwick and joined the British Army aged 25, said: “As we are the ‘West Midlands Gunners’, to come back and help the community we are from during this pandemic is very rewarding.”
The 26th Regiment Royal Artillery (RA) are known as the ‘West Midlands Gunners’ because of their strong links to the region which they recruit a large proportion of soldiers from.
“The most enjoyable part of this role is seeing people quite relieved when you’ve given them the test and helping put their minds at rest because the testing can be a little bit uncomfortable,” Gunner Darby added.
“You feel like you have given something back. It also increases the communication between us and the civilian population who I don’t think ever see us performing duties like this.”
People arriving at the centre who have pre-booked their tests do not need to leave their cars to be tested.
They are first welcomed by the soldiers, who explain how the test will be carried out. The troops, wearing personal protective equipment, hand out test kits to the drivers who then park their car to take the test, involving a nose and throat swab, before driving onto another station where they hand over their test.
The soldiers store the samples in refrigerated cool boxes in a specially kitted out van before they are taken to a laboratory. Results will be returned in one to two days.
Soldiers have helped carry out half a million coronavirus tests across the UK.
The 26th Regiment Royal Artillery currently has 74 soldiers deployed to the West Midlands on Operation RESCRIPT, the name of the military’s contribution to the cross-government fight against the pandemic.
The troops, usually based near Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, are working alongside soldiers from 32nd Regiment RA and 47th Regiment RA to make up a Coronavirus Support Force that has been operating across the West Midlands during the pandemic.
Gunner Darby added: “I joined the Army due to the unique opportunities it brings, something very different to what a normal civilian role would offer, and because I wanted to challenge myself.
“Apart from conventional war fighting, our regiment comes out on counter terrorism operations, we come out to help communities during adverse weather conditions and now to help fight a global pandemic. It’s always different and challenging but it’s always good.”
