Alex 'Flits' Flitcroft originally joined 17 Training Regiment and Depot, Royal Artillery on 19 August 1986, and was posted to the Para/Commando Troop, 59 Asten Battery, Colenso.
In December 1986, he formally joined Airborne Forces as part of 7 RHA (later 7 Para RHA), as a Parachute Volunteer. He successfully passed P Company in July 1987, and then his Basic Officers and Soldiers Parachute Course at No1 Parachute Training School, RAF Brize Norton in December 1987.
He left 7 Para RHA in October 1993, and served with 22 SAS at Hereford for two years. He spent a further two years with the Royal Engineers in Cyprus until 1997, where he returned to Aldershot and served with HQ 5 Airborne Brigade. Just four months later, he was promoted to Sergeant and returned to 7 Para RHA.
In 2000, he became a Analyst Programmer and was posted to UNICOM at Winchester before returned to Airborne Headquarters, which by November 2002 had been redesignated HQ 16 Air Assault Brigade. In September 2003 I was then posted to 13 Air Assault Support Regiment RLC, with whom he gained his French Parachute Wings.
In September 2005, he was then posted back to Winchester as a programmer until December 2006, after which he was deployed to Iraq during Op TELIC 9/10 for six months. His final tour of duty was with 27 Regiment RLC as a Warrant Officer Class 2. He left the Army in 2009, following 23 years colour service.
Pictured on exercise at Merryfields Airfield, Dorset, 2005
by Alex Flitcroft
