Branch Officers
Gareth W Dixon
- Chairman/Treasurer....
Gareth (Ginge) Dixon joined the army as a junior soldier in Winchester in 1966 and after completion of both JR and adult training joined the 1st Battalion in Tidworth in 1969.
Over the course of the next 10 years Gareth undertook various postings in addition to the inevitable Bn postings to Northern Ireland. These included being a training corporal at the Rifle Depot and on promotion as a recruiting Sjt at Oxford, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes. Returning to the battalion who were now stationed in Hong Kong he was soon on the move again this time this time being posted to the Sultanate of Oman.
Returning to 1 RGJ again he was promoted to Csjt then posted away again this time as a PSI with 4 (V) RGJ in Fulham. On completion of the tour of duty with 4 (V) RGJ he returned to 1 RGJ and was promoted to WO2 and posted to B Company. Furhter appointments came his way first at Ossnatres as TQMS ending up as Divisional Serjeant Major Senior Officers Division of what was then Combat Arms Tactics Centre {Warminster}.
Gareth retired from the army in November 1991and has since that date worked as a Cadet Admin Assistant with the Merseyside ACF. He enjoys football refereeing in Liverpool and considers himself privileged to be Chairman of the North West Branch.
Ray Gerrard - Secretary
Ray joined the Royal Green Jackets as a boy soldier in Junior Riflemens Company in Winchester in September 1970. and spent 2 years in Winchester before moving directly to Training Company from JR Company in August 1972. It was in Training Company that he had his first encounter with Ginger Dixon. He was a training corporal in the following training platoon. He passed out from Training Company on 12th Sept 1972.
Being too young to even be posted to a battalion at only 17 years and 3 weeks old so he was placed in the gymnasium where he did some preliminary training as a PTI. Once Ray reached 17 years and 3 months he was posted to the 1st Battalion who were then stationed in Celle. This was because he was still too young to go to my designated 2nd Battalion as they were still in Londonderry.
In January 1973 he was finally posted to Catterick on the advance party of the 2nd Battalion who were to be stationed there for two and a half years.
From Catterick he was posted to Belize, Armagh and Belfast.
In July 1975 the battalion was posted to Gibraltar. Here he completed his NCO’s Cadre and was promoted to Lance Corporal. At the beginning of 1977 he left the army to become a civilian. 6 months after leaving the army he joined 238 squadron Royal Corps of Transport where he became one of their drivers. He stayed with them for about 3 years until work commitments forced him to leave
After a few career changes including a mechanical fitter, hotel and public house manager, sheet metal worker and insurance salesman he eventually took up nursing in 1990.
After working in Accident and Emergency for a number of years he decided to work as a nurse practitioner in a nurse led minor injuries unit. This is where he has worked for the past 9 years.
6 years ago Ray started to work part time for Merseyside Army Cadet Force, where Gareth Dixon worked, as a Nursing Officer which he continues to do today.
It was during his time as Public House Manager in 1986 that he started to get involved with the RGJ Association. After about 12 months he had to relinquish the post as treasurer as he moved away from the area. In the early 1990’s he attended an association meeting where he met for the second time in his life Gareth Dixon. After a few years they both became established in the running of the North West Branch and remain good friends to this day.
Branch Officers
Gareth W Dixon - Chairman/Treasurer....
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Gareth (Ginge) Dixon joined the army as a junior soldier in Winchester in 1966 and after completion of both JR and adult training joined the 1st Battalion in Tidworth in 1969.
Over the course of the next 10 years Gareth undertook various postings in addition to the inevitable Bn postings to Northern Ireland. These included being a training corporal at the Rifle Depot and on promotion as a recruiting Sjt at Oxford, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes. Returning to the battalion who were now stationed in Hong Kong he was soon on the move again this time this time being posted to the Sultanate of Oman.
Returning to 1 RGJ again he was promoted to Csjt then posted away again this time as a PSI with 4 (V) RGJ in Fulham. On completion of the tour of duty with 4 (V) RGJ he returned to 1 RGJ and was promoted to WO2 and posted to B Company. Furhter appointments came his way first at Ossnatres as TQMS ending up as Divisional Serjeant Major Senior Officers Division of what was then Combat Arms Tactics Centre {Warminster}.
Gareth retired from the army in November 1991and has since that date worked as a Cadet Admin Assistant with the Merseyside ACF. He enjoys football refereeing in Liverpool and considers himself privileged to be Chairman of the North West Branch.
Ray Gerrard - Secretary
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Ray joined the Royal Green Jackets as a boy soldier in Junior Riflemens Company in Winchester in September 1970. and spent 2 years in Winchester before moving directly to Training Company from JR Company in August 1972. It was in Training Company that he had his first encounter with Ginger Dixon. He was a training corporal in the following training platoon. He passed out from Training Company on 12th Sept 1972.
Being too young to even be posted to a battalion at only 17 years and 3 weeks old so he was placed in the gymnasium where he did some preliminary training as a PTI. Once Ray reached 17 years and 3 months he was posted to the 1st Battalion who were then stationed in Celle. This was because he was still too young to go to my designated 2nd Battalion as they were still in Londonderry.
In January 1973 he was finally posted to Catterick on the advance party of the 2nd Battalion who were to be stationed there for two and a half years.
From Catterick he was posted to Belize, Armagh and Belfast.
In July 1975 the battalion was posted to Gibraltar. Here he completed his NCO’s Cadre and was promoted to Lance Corporal. At the beginning of 1977 he left the army to become a civilian. 6 months after leaving the army he joined 238 squadron Royal Corps of Transport where he became one of their drivers. He stayed with them for about 3 years until work commitments forced him to leave
After a few career changes including a mechanical fitter, hotel and public house manager, sheet metal worker and insurance salesman he eventually took up nursing in 1990.
After working in Accident and Emergency for a number of years he decided to work as a nurse practitioner in a nurse led minor injuries unit. This is where he has worked for the past 9 years.
6 years ago Ray started to work part time for Merseyside Army Cadet Force, where Gareth Dixon worked, as a Nursing Officer which he continues to do today.
It was during his time as Public House Manager in 1986 that he started to get involved with the RGJ Association. After about 12 months he had to relinquish the post as treasurer as he moved away from the area. In the early 1990’s he attended an association meeting where he met for the second time in his life Gareth Dixon. After a few years they both became established in the running of the North West Branch and remain good friends to this day.
