ROYAL ENGINEERS - Key Persons
Ana Lavekau is a truly delightful and unique woman.
Job Titles:
- British Army Clinical Psychologist
In the interview below, recorded before social distancing was put in place, Capt Collins talks about the mental health support services available to all army personnel, and more in depth about some of her work in clinical psychology. Becky is also obviously aware of the importance of maintaining her own mental wellbeing and tells us about some of the skills and techniques she uses to ensure this.
Darren Mills joined the Army like so many kids, as an alternative to ending up in serious trouble. He worked in supply in the RLC, providing essential equipment to soldiers on the front line. After two tours of Iraq he decided to try his hand at something else, and after working for other people in a variety of jobs, he opened his tattoo studio in Chippenham, 11 years later opened his second tattoo studio in Malmesbury. Four years on that is where we met and chatted to Darren.
His first ever inking job which was a Jiu-jitsu symbol; literally, Jiu-jitsu means "gentle art". Darren was very struck by this felt a connection with the idea of something apparently violent and invasive having such a surprisingly peaceful meaning, and so the business was named.
Darren told us, "the Army gave me many things, but most of all it gave me discipline. Basics for running a business, such as punctuality and professionalism, but also my studio is clinically clean, as it has to be in this industry." He believes he has come to the industry at just the right time, saying, "Tattoos are more mainstream now. There wasn't a studio for miles when I came to Malmesbury so people are pleased they don't have to travel so far.
Many of my customers are my old Army buddies, and this is a great way of staying in touch." Darren specialises in tattoo cover ups as well, "TV shows like Tattoo Fixers have made this more popular where some people used to just regret old tattoos or look to laser treatment to get rid of them, now we are more likely to discuss ways of doing something which represents who they are today."
Dave was 16 and doing a GCSE in music; he lived in Lancashire and knew he didn't want to go to work in a factory, he wanted a full-time music career, and his uncle had shown him how to do it. Once he'd got through training, he found himself playing in the Royal Engineers band at Chatham House.
Dave enjoyed 16 years of travelling the world, playing the flute and piano in all sorts of extraordinary places and in front of all kinds of people, ranging from soldiers to royalty. After 16 years, Dave decided to come back to Kneller Hall and give something back to the Army Music community, so he became an instructor and was eventually appointed Drum Major, like his uncle before him.
After 22 years, Dave left the Army to pursue his dream of becoming a professional singer and musician in the entertainment business, and has since appeared on The Voice, mentored by Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs.
Fast forward to February 2020, at 33 weeks pregnant, Dave's fiancée Dawn was rushed to hospital with complications. Following an emergency caesarean, their beautiful baby daughter was born. Dawn, who had previously served in the Royal Army Medical Corps before transferring to the Queens Alexandra's Nursing Corps where she gained her nursing degree, is now a Ward Sister at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Job Titles:
- Captain
- Captain Sir Tom Moore
Captain Sir Tom Moore barely needs any introduction. Thomas Moore (born 30 April 1920), popularly known as Captain Tom, is a former British Army officer known for his efforts to raise money for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Moore served in India and the Burma campaign during the Second World War. He later became an instructor in armoured warfare. After the war, he worked his way up to managing director of a concrete company, and also was an avid motorcycle racer.
On 6 April 2020, at the age of 99, he began to walk around his garden in aid of NHS Charities Together during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of raising £1,000 by his hundredth birthday. By the time of writing he had raised in excess of £30m. In doing so, he made many media appearances and became a popular household name in the United Kingdom generating much interest in his life story and earned a number of accolades. Soon after the walk, he featured in a cover version of the song "You'll Never Walk Alone", with proceeds going to the same charity. The single topped the UK music charts and made him the oldest person to ever achieve a UK number one.
Captain Tom said: "When we started off with this exercise, we didn't anticipate we'd get anything near that sort of money. It's really amazing. All of them, from top to bottom, in the National Health Service, they deserve everything that we can possibly put in their place. They're all so brave. Because every morning or every night they're putting themselves into harm's way, and I think you've got to give them full marks for that effort. We're a little bit like having a war at the moment. But the doctors and the nurses, they're all on the front line, and all of us behind, we've got to supply them and keep them going with everything that they need, so that they can do their jobs even better than they're doing now."