PAUL – ‘Drags’ – PRICKETT: 28^th Intake Army Apprentice - Electrical Mechanic - Delta Company

Paul Prickett is the son of a former British Army Warrant Officer. He was born in 1957 in Ghana, West Africa, while his father was seconded to the Ghana Defence Force. He grew up and attended schools in Perth Western Australia.

Enlisting into the Army as an Apprentice tradesman in January 1973, with his very good friend Steve ‘Ocker’ Arcus. He completed a four-year apprenticeship as an electrical mechanic. On enlistment Paul was just 4 feet 10 inches tall and thus gained the name ‘Drags’ immediately from the 27^th intake ‘seniors’. He graduated from Balcombe in December 1974 and was allocated to RAE as a Sapper.

Sapper Drags completed initial employment training as a combat field engineer at the Apprentice Squadron, SME, from January to April 1975. He was then detached to a civilian electrical contractor, David Weir, in Liverpool for a twelve-month period. Here he confronted the dangers of riding a motor cycle in and around the Sydney area. Some of these confrontations proved quite spectacular. From April to November 1976 Drags was further detached to the Chief Engineer Workshop at RMC, DUNTROON. Here he learnt what a scam it could be to become a commissioned officer. He also had some further ‘motor cycle’ confrontations.

Officer Cadet Drags attended the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in 1977 graduating as a Second Lieutenant to RAE. He returned to SME in January 1978, for six-months, for further retraining. He was often referred to as the ‘Kid Officer’. While he’d reached the dizzy height of 5 foot 7 inches he retained those child-like looks that melted women’s hearts (mothers). Second Lieutenant Drags was posted as an Engineer troop commander at 22 Construction Squadron, Perth, from July 1978 to June 1980. He was then posted as a recruit training platoon commander at Kapooka from July 1980 to November 1981. During this time he attended training with the Special Air Service Regt in shallow water diving, underwater demolitions, officer selection and patrol techniques. He also met his future bride, Clare. In 1982 Lieutenant Drags transferred from RAE to RAINF and was posted as a rifle platoon commander to 1RAR in Townsville. He married Clare in April 1982, driving her to the church in his 1958 FC Holden utility. Two days later he was in the field on exercise.

He was posted to 11 Field Force Group as Captain Drags in January 1984. His daughter Amy, named after Ron Morley’s Mum, was born in June that year. He was later posted to 2/4RAR as a rifle company second in command from January 1985 to December 1986. From January 1987 to December 1988 he served as the Adjutant of 8/7RVR based in Ballarat, Victoria. He then served as a company commander at the Army Apprentices School, Bonegilla (full circle), from January 1989 to December 1990. During this four-year period he attended training in static line parachuting and unconventional/guerrilla warfare with the 1^st Cdo Regt.

As a Major, Drags has served in the following appointments and locations:

·          January 1991 to December 1993. Squadron Commander, North West Mobile Force (NORFORCE), Kimberley Region of Western Australia.

·          January 1994 to December 1996. Deputy Director Army Reserve Recruiting, Directorate of Army Recruiting, Canberra.

·          January 1997 to December 1999. Operations Officer, 51^st Battalion FNQR, Cairns.

·          December 1999 to November 2001. Officer Commanding - Land Command Liaison Section, Butterworth, MALAYSIA.

·          December 2001 to December 2004. Executive Officer, 3RAR (Para), Holsworthy, Sydney.

·          From March 2005. Deputy Commandant, Regional Training Centre, Perth.

Major Drags has the following awards and medals:

·          Defence Force Service Medal, with three clasps.

·          Australian Active Service Medal – East Timor, 2002.

·          UN Medal for UNMISET – East Timor, 2002.

·          Infantry Combat Badge – East Timor, 2002.

·          Chief of Army Commendation – Nov 2004.

Drags has served overseas in PNG, Bougainville, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor (where he celebrated his 20^th wedding anniversary), and the USA. He has served continuously for over 32 years. He is still married to Clare. They have a daughter Amy and a grandson Toby. All of who reside in the Perth area. His interests outside of the Army include loud blues music, water-sports, bush walking and camping, and classic Holden cars. He is still driving a 1958 FC Holden utility. He and Clare have trekked in Nepal, Sabai, and parts of Australia. When he grows up he wants to back-pack through Europe.