RGJ E-Zine Dec 2011 by RGJ Association

The Royal Green Jackets Regimental Association

Ezine NEWSLETTER

15 December 2011 Ezine Page Summary Page 1.

Title

Fore word Forecast of Events

News from A Coy 4 Rifles PJM Can now be worn

1 Rifles Afghan Op Report

Free Ring Tones Sendiod and Big Files West Midlands is Recruiting! Dinner Party Supports C4C

Andy McNab supports C4C Calais 1940 Blog details The Rifles Shop Bletchley Park Code Centre

The East Midlands Branch The North East Branch

The North West Branch The Wiltshire Branch

The Rifles `E-Bugle` N/Letter Return to West Belfast 2008 Tree Fest C4C Support

Care for Casualties Portable Applications.com

Welcome to the 9th edition of the RGJRA Ezine Newsletter published on 15th December 2011. To ensure that you get future copies always make sure you keep your email address up to date & empty your mailbox frequently. Current distribution for this issue is 3046 of 5912 users.

FOREWORD Nearly another year over and the older we get, inevitably, the faster they seem to go! Hopefully by the time you read this some of you will either have received an email from the President or if you do not have the Internet a letter will be in the pipeline requesting you to support the Association by becoming a full member. A recent review of our membership status has given cause for concern because although there are currently 5912 records on our database only 529 officers and 1097 other ranks are paying members. The rest contribute nothing towards the Association at all. There are of course other considerations that reduce the users available for membership on the database, such as those still serving, life members,

11. Police Horse Alamien The Duke and Duchess Visit 12. The RGJ (Rifles) Museum Regimental Mugs on Sale 13. Support your RGJ Shop Minutes and Accounts Guy Harris Supporting C4C 14. Pension Increase Rates Obituary List

Dec

Officers Club Christmas Dinner Concert

King`s Royal Rifle Corps Regimental Birthday

Newburgh Priory shoot

Jan 16

A Thank You.

Soldier Magazine Click HERE

23 25

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Event

15 16

Feb 1 18

SPACES

Honorary members, Overseas members and those deceased but there still remains over 2300 potential paying members who do not support us. Of these a total of 725 were formerly full members who have allowed their membership to lapse! Of even more concern is the fact that after only 5 years of being a former regiment our total supporting membership does not equal that of The Kings Royal Rifle Corps and the Rifle Brigade Associations combined and they have been in existence for 53 years without the assistance of the Internet, email and other aids which we take for granted! We are currently in the process of setting up on line payments in an effort to make becoming a full member easier but without your support and willingness to become full members no amount of convenience will

increase the membership and ensure that the RGJRA is still functioning 50 years from now even though every effort is being made to make the process as easy as possible. The plans to make the payment of membership and renewal fees on line with the use of a personal credit or debit card will, I hope, encourage more of you to spend what after all is a very small amount of money per year. £10! Thats less than 3 pence per day, to ensure that we have a Regimental Association in the future. Alright, I have had my moan but please seriously think about this membership issue. To end I would like to extend my best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you and your families and ask you, not for the first time, to keep supporting C4C with your sponsored events. They need all the help we can give. Ken

Forecast Of Events DECEMBER 2011 - mARCH 2012

10. A Word About Retirement 4v RGJ Reunion 18 Feb 2012

Volume 3 Issue 3

Location

Contact

Davies Street Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street.

0207 491 4936

North Yorkshire

07711698819

Anniversary of the death of Sir John Moore. St Paul’s Cathedral Wreath laying at Evensong Service Fifth Anniversary of The Rifles Formation 4RGJ Reunion commencing at 18.30- Tickets The Cedars Drill Hall £10

c4c@the-rifles. co.uk

London Office

donna3224@ hotmail.com 56 Davies St, London. KRRC Office Band Concert. Rifles Race Day, in aid of Care for Casualties. Chepstow Race Course, c4c@the-rifles. co.uk

NEWS FROM A Company, 4 Rifles – bY THE OC, Major B R Hope Hall 4 RIFLES based in Ward Barracks, Bulford are currently on extremely high readiness as the Spearhead Land Element (SLE) BG. We were warned off for this commitment in Nov 11 after a period of recuperation from the Coy deployments to Op HERRICK in 2009/10. Whilst unexpected, SLE has proved extremely welcome, giving us an operational focus early in the FORM Cycle, albeit with an inevitable compression in our programme as well as additional training activities. This has included the BCIP 5.4 Bowman Radio upgrade (Feb to Mar 11); conversion to new sighting systems as part of Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) and the receipt of new heavy wpns for S Coy (GMG and HMG) as part of Dismounted Close Combat Consolidation (DC3). The only Bn currently so equipped. The new equipment proved a game-changer in Kenya on Ex ASKARI THUNDER (Ex AT) from May to Jun 11 (brought forward from Feb 12) where the BG was awarded CTC3 as a result of a demanding but rewarding 6 weeks in Africa from which we returned ready to carry out SLE specific training. Much was learnt, but the Bn performed well and exerts from the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) and Post Exercise Report from Comd BATUK included: 4 RIFLES BG arrived in BATUK uncommonly well prepared…

with an extremely positive and determined approach to training which has served them well …The BG exploited D-TES more thoroughly than many others have in the past and was a selfcritical, learning organisation… Again, the BG attitude was faultless with clear evidence that lessons learned were being shared and applied across the BG. On several occasions during this phase, the conduct of 4 RIFLES sub units was recorded as the best seen in BATUK for several exercises, or, held up as best practice…They maintained high standards of conduct in all that they did and should be congratulated on their ability to maintain combat power… It has been an absolute pleasure to exercise with 4 RIFLES. I have absolutely no hesitation in supporting the award of CTC3 across the Battlegroup. In addition to Kenya and SLE, 2 coys have deployed to the Falkland Islands as the Falkland Islands Roulement Infantry Company (FIRIC); all coys have deployed on Battle Camps and been heavily committed with RAAT tasks; and the Bn completed our annual inter-platoon competition the TARLETON TROPHY in Galloway (1-5 Nov 10). We also entered 3 teams into the 2010 CAMBRIAN Patrol, and were delighted that the team from R Coy won a Gold Medal. This year we entered 4 teams all of which won

Silver medals. SLE aside, our current focus is the ongoing PJNCO and Support Weapon Cadres after which we will have a period of BG continuation and pre-HERRICK 18 (we deploy in Mar 13) individual course training. After SLE the priority will switch to supporting the Bde in BATUS (Canada) from May–Jul 12, with the rifle coys and support weapons deploying with 1 RRF and 2 RTR BGs. In Barracks we have moved from Kiwi Barracks to Ward Barracks and we have kept up our sporting success, winning the 1X Festival of Sport (twice), reaching the finals of the Army Boxing Championship, winning the GOC’s Trophy, and in Football winning the Army West Division league and the 4 Div Major Unit Cup. On the home front we have exercised three Freedoms, and continue to support those Rfn wounded on operations as well as the families of those killed in action (6 were killed during OP HERRICK, 9 received life changing injuries, and 49 were wounded) – many of the injured have now integrated successfully back into the Battalion; for others we are fully engaged in the Army Recovery Capability which we support fully.

“In Barracks we have moved from Kiwi Barracks to Ward Barracks and we have kept up our sporting success, winning the 1X Festival of Sport (twice), reaching the finals of the Army Boxing Championship, winning the GOC’s Trophy, and in Football winning the Army West Division league and the 4 Div Major Unit Cup”.

A Company on Simba Rock Kenya, Ex Askari Thunder

R Company during a live firing attack – Falkland Islands

************** The new FIST night vision sights during training in Kenya

Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal now officially approved Please note that the authority as indicated below has now been approved for the wearing of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal for those entitled to it. The Pingat Jasa Malaysia can now be worn unrestricted on all occasions with HM the Queen’s permission - as it was for the first time during the 2011 Remembrance Day Services and Parades. Defence Secretary Philip Hamond said: “I am delighted that Her Majesty The Queen has given approval for veterans to formally wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal in recognition

of service given in the difficult years leading up to and following Malaysian independence. This timely decision is particularly welcome for veterans who will, for the first time, be able to wear this medal with pride on Remembrance Sunday.” Lord Ramsbotham who with others was responsible for achieving this when asked where one places the medal, replied: “My understanding, and where I will put it, is that it comes after all UK and UN medals and also recent campaigns. In other words left of the line!”

The PDF application for the medal can be download HERE. Approval is not normally given for foreign medals to be accepted if British recognition for a campaign has already been presented but It has now been agreed that veterans can both accept and wear the PJM. People seeking their Service records for the application will find it a straightforward process. To receive a copy of your own Service record, click HERE. To receive copies of Service records relating to a deceased Service person, click HERE.

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OP REPORT 1 RIFLES BY LT COL James de Labilliere DSO, MBE - eDITED

With the passing of the tenth anniversary of the intervention into Afghanistan and the political direction to drawdown UK’s combat forces by the end of 2014, the understandable strategic questions are: is this too soon? has enough been done? has it been worth it? History will be best positioned to provide the answers, but as 1RIFLES comes to the twilight of its six and a half month summer tour in Helmand it can offer a unique tactical perspective from one of the less well known, remote, and contested areas. On the dawn of 26 May 2011, three and a half weeks into the tour, over 1250 members of the Afghan Uniform Police (AUP), Afghan National Army (ANA) and 1RIFLES Battlegroup deployed into the most dangerous part of *NES(S) , in a joint operation called OMID HAFT. The mission was to secure, clear, hold and build governance in an area called KOPAK, codenamed Objective GOLD. Just eight days previously this area had been witness to some of the most intensive fighting of the tour. At that time a coordinated insurgent counterattack was launched against A Company’s disruption operation, resulting in a protracted fire-fight for over 9 hours. It was brutal, but expected, and in their response the insurgents unwittingly exposed their numbers, structures and fragility of their re-supply, information that was vital to the planning of Op OMID HAFT. On the day of the main operation, not a shot was fired. Overmatch was achieved, and the insurgent declined to fight. But as the checkpoints were established he changed his tactic to a most vicious and invisible IED fight, which played out over a period of 3 months. Holding such ground is well understood to be the most difficult part of a Counter-Insurgency (COIN) operation, for it is over this time we compete in a highly sensitive and sophisticated game to win the hearts and minds of the local nationals. The large 1RIFLES contribution to OMID HAFT was significant but arguably not where we want to be. The requirement is, of course, to work ourselves out of a job by encouraging the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) do this work on their own. 1RIFLES inherited a partnership with the Afghan National Army’s 6th Kandak [Battalion], with the Afghan

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Uniformed Police and with the Afghan intelligence service (NDS). Some time after OMID HAFT a further operation was proposed, this time by the police commander for an area called Zangal, near the Helmand River. In a planning meeting it was the NDS, not ISAF, who provided the intelligence and the Afghan Army and Police discussed their joint tactics – police to search the compounds, ANA to provide the outer cordons. Requests for ISAF helicopter support were gently turned off, on the basis that this was to be done the ANSF way, not the ISAF way. Calculated risk had to be taken, and in so doing the Battlegroup’s tactical overwatch patrols (providing the insurance policy if things went wrong) had to insert with their partners over dangerous IED infested ground rather than insert in the relative safety of a helicopter. The ANSF conducted the operation simply, quickly and effectively over a period of three days. It was a tactical success but from it came a wholly more important development. The ANSF realised they had no need to always be dependant on us. With this, the catalogue of truly independent ANSF patrolling and operations in the area has now started to increase markedly. Our thinking Riflemen have adjusted their approach to helping promote Afghan Development and Governance. Previously ISAF spent huge quantities of money on community projects, but the time had come to reduce this level of spending to something more sustainable. When minor projects (such as a village well) were offered, the Riflemen and the Stabilisation Team did so by giving the money to the trusted elected District Community Council (DCC) members so they could make the offer to the people rather than the Battlegroup making the offer. This had an effect of delivering more than just the project. It empowered the DCC members, encouraged them out of their city homes to visit their constituents in the rural area and made them accountable to the people. The total RIFLES spend on projects over the tour has therefore dropped markedly, indeed it the total has been less than one company’s spend in one month in the previous tour. But the insurgent has a vote in this progress. His initial sum-

mer offensive (called Op Badr) was expected, but was deemed a flop after just 24hours. His second attempt was more coordinated and focussed, particularly in the B Company and C Company area of operations, which has only recently been secured. It centred on an IED campaign using quantity over quality, with devices laid indiscriminately in fields, paths, ditch crossing points and by buildings. It attempted to fix the patrols in the most exposed southern checkpoints of the Battlegroup area. The Riflemen, Marines and Gurkhas of the Battlegroup faced the threat with magnificent courage, innovation and discipline, their actions not only taking the energy out of the offensive and destroying insurgent devices and teams as they met them, but doing so in a way that maintained the support of the local nationals. Indeed both the poor quality of the insurgent explosives and the indiscriminate nature of their campaign (locals were being ‘fined’ if a family member or their livestock set off a device) indicated both a lack of resources and a completely corrupt narrative. This was not lost on the local population, who now, with insurgent activity levels drawing down, are increasingly demonstrating their resilience to insurgent intimidation and rejecting requests from ‘out of area’ fighters for refuge and respite in their compounds. The Rifleman’s response to such a complex and high risk operation has been of dogged and determined infantry resolve. Over 60% of the Battalion have conducted operations in Afghanistan before, and so many are qualified to comment on progress made over time. For the others this will have been their first bloody taste of combat. All will have been subjected to an extreme range of emotions; of fear, loss, fatigue, friendship, excitement and the adrenaline pumping exhilaration experienced only after a near-miss or contact. The conditions have been austere, for some subjected to 6 months on ration packs alone and the 50 degree heat, at times intolerable. But the morale and determination to succeed has inspired nothing but awe. Motivation for a young Rifleman on the front line comes from many sources, the mission, his mates, his regiment, his family, but most of all from his individ-

ual determination to succeed: there is no lack of moral and physical courage in this young generation of Riflemen. The endgame of the Afghanistan combat operation will be delivered with transfer of security authority to ANSF forces. The timeline has been set to the end of 2014, but it may well be accelerated. As 1RIFLES prepares its handover to its sister Battalion 5RIFLES on 01 November it reflects on our losses and our injured, the heavy price paid for such advancement. But it also reflects on the work done. Over 6100 patrols conducted on a precisely calibrated tempo, nearly 200 company and Battlegroup level operations, each with its own story, the friendships and frustrations experienced with working with the Afghan locals and ANSF. All this done by over 550 Riflemen and 21 other capbadges in the Battlegroup including Amboor Company from 2RGR and Kilo and Lima Company (half of 42 Commando) from the Royal Marines, 1300 servicemen and women in all. So what of those strategic questions mentioned earlier. Is it happening too soon? Has enough been done? Has it been worth it? Well, the ANSF are stepping up to the plate, in fact they have taken the lead for security in some places in our area already. Realistic levels of ambition have been set. The governance and development structures are maturing. And the Afghan enthusiasm for transfer is growing. The insurgency in this area is withering fast, and the 5RIFLES team are arriving hungry to continue the momentum. So the signs here at least are positive. One can only hope that the strategic and operational plan across the country can share a similar optimism. We look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you for your unerring support. James de Labilliere. Swift and Bold * Nahr-e-Saraj (South), the name given to the 1RIFLES Battlegroup area of operations. It actually includes parts of three Helmandi Districts: Nahr-e-Saraj, Nad-e-Ali and Lashkar-gah.

Free regimental and civilian ring tones on request For those of you who are not aware there is now available to you a selection of regimental music that has been converted to mobile phone ring tones. Anyone wishing to obtain one or more of these free ring tones should email me at rgjringtones@rgjassociation. info with your preferred choice of the fourteen regimental tones created or any of the civilian options which also listed are listed below. On receipt of your email I will reply by forwarding full instructions for testing your phones suitability to accept the ring tones together with the tones of your choice attached. Should you require further copies of a tone when you update your phone you will need to contact me again so please keep a note of the above dedicated email address. You will need to have a phone which is able to store and play Real Music Ring Tones. (This is standard on most up to date

mobile phones). Once you have the tones on your computer you will need to transfer them to your mobile via cable, Blue tooth (wireless) or infrared links or, it should be possible for a friend to send you the ring tones via Blue tooth at close range if they have previously downloaded them to their own mobile. IN YOUR E-MAIL PLEASE CLEARLY INDICATE THE TONES YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE The following Regimental Ring Tones are available free of charge to all former members of the regiment as well as their wives and partners. Tones are restricted to between 20 and 30 seconds in length in order to conform to required file size and meet copyright restrictions. Ox & Bucks March Reveille RGJ March Sounds of Battle KRRC March Rifle Brigade March

Over the Hills No More Parades Rogues March Road to the Isles The Keel Row High on a Hill Last Post Mechanised Infantry In addition I have also created ring tones from the following civilian melodies. Pink Panther Theme Message to You - BGees The Ride Of The Valkyries 1812 Oveture Radetzky March Trumpet Voluntary Piano Concerto No1 Spring From The 4 Seasons Night on the Bare Mountain The William Tell Oveture Fanfare For The Common Man Marche Militaire Land of Hope and Glory Fur Elise Liebestraume I look forward to hearing from you. Ken A

Finally, Sharing Big Files Isn’t A Huge Pain When it comes to files, we love to share. No, we need to share and thanks to the massive capacities of Gmail and other email services, it’s become remarkably easy to share files. Of course, most email services limit the size of the file you can share. Gmail’s, for example, is 25 megabytes. But if you want to share a larger file or multiple files — and even want a little privacy in doing so — you have to go elsewhere. Unfortunately, most file transfer services tend not to be particularly user friendly and can be difficult for the uninitiated to maneuver, test your patience with wait times, employ capture guards, and can require sender and receiver to download the same software. There are plenty of apps out there that work towards finding a way around these problems so, launched recently, is Sendoid, a Y Combinatorbacked startup that is aiming to become the last file transfer service you’ll ever use. Besides BitTorrent, of course. Sendoid is a peer-to-peer and

browser-based service, so the startup is betting that peer-topeer sharing will mean faster transfer times than if you were to use a service that transfers via a central server — and that being browser-based will make you happy because there’s no software to install. The in-browser sharing works by opening a 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encrypted pipe directly between the sending and receiving machines. Sendoid handles the connection to a peer introduction service, but all the data flows direct. When it comes to sharing videos, music files, or photos, many people simply take to sharing links. Sendoid recognizes this trend and makes it so that, if you want to send a file, all you have to do is go to http://sendoid.com/ and select the file you want to transfer from your computer. It will then provide you with a URL, which you can send to the recipient to download. As long as the recipient is online, he or she can then open the link and begin download. Now, when I said that Sen-

doid doesn’t require you to download any software, that’s not totally true. Within the inbrowser experience, Sendoid limits file size based on system resources (generally somewhere between 600MB to 1GB depending on the user’s configuration). If you exceed these limits, you will be prompted to download and use its desktop app. Sendoid remains free and speedy once you download the app, and you no longer have any limitations on the size of file you can transfer. Because Sendoid is a linkbased service, your files are only passed directly between parties, so you won’t have to worry about who’s touching the data on its way. So, if you’re sending a large file to someone on a machine 5 feet away from you on the same network, you’re going to get much faster transfer speeds. According to Sendoid Co-Founder John Egan, Sendoid can transfer a 100MB file in approximately 35 seconds, versus the 25 to 30 minutes it might take a server-based servKCA ice.

Mark Adams of Teal Photography goes out of his way to support the Association by supplying the London branch with excellent pictures of all its events. He has also been responsible for helping with Association publications. The front cover picture on the 2009 Journal came from Mark. If you need a pro photographer contact Mark. Tel:0208 786 8880, Mob:07973 293795, Email info@tealphoto.co.uk or visit www.tealphoto.co.uk

Anyone wishing to contact the Webmaster, Kevin Stevens, may do so at webmaster@rgjassociation.info

Dinner Party Raises £605 for C4C A charity dinner party in support of Care for Casualties recently raised a total of £605. The event was organised by Bev and Fred Strick and took place in their village pub, The North Inn, at Pendeen, Cornwall by kind permission of the Landlord, Mr John Coak. Personal donations and the raffle generated a sum of £605 which has been forwarded to Care for Casualties, Fred tells me that other local people in the village have shown an interest and therefore he is considering holding a further dinner party in early 2012. Former WO2 Fred is picture below in the inn`s dining room

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Andy McNab: I owe everything to the military education system

Defence of Calais May 1940 Blog

Carole McEntee-Taylor, Author of The Weekend Trippers, is writing a daily blog on The Defence of Calais 1940. Please log on to www.carolemctbooks.info/blog to read about the events as they happened in real time. For more information on Carole`s books please visit www.carolemctbooks.info

THE REGIMENTAL SHOP OF THE RIFLES We can Provide RGJRA Members with OBLI/KRRC/RB/RGJ Cap Badges, Cufflinks, Tie Slides, Lapel Pins, Ties, Umbrellas, Rifle Green Berets, RGJ Hat Ribbon, RGJ Plaques, Blazers, Book ‘Swift & Bold’ telephone order to 0845 6434584 or view online at: www.riflesdirect.com

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On Tuesday, 29 November at a secret location in the East End, Andy McNab addressed the London branch of the Royal Green Jackets Association, the body representing former members of the Rifles Regiment. McNab, a decorated Rifleman before he entered SAS folklore on the botched Bravo Two Zero mission, was drumming up support at a private bash for Care for Casualties, the regiment’s appeal to care for the families of its wounded and dead. The building was packed and donations flowed as if these were times of plenty. Care for Casualties has raised more than £1.5 million in the last two years. Such generosity is necessary. Since the regiment was reformed in 2007, 61 Riflemen have been killed in action, leaving more than 40 wives or long-term girlfriends and 31 dependant children. In that same period, 314 men have been seriously wounded and further 40 to 50 display the onset of post-traumatic stress syndrome. The donations support the families of the dead and permanently incapacitated, and allow those wounded to rebuild their lives. It is an extraordinary testament to the bond between comrades and the profound sense of duty among servicemen, even as these ageing men necked lager and traded insults. McNab spoke about his latest book, Dead Centre, which is based on his experience extracting kidnap hostages from Somalia. I spoke to him before he went on stage and, having

got over the shock of how diminutive this macho legend actually is (I can’t say more because McNab is famously cautious about revealing his identity), asked him when he first found the impulse to write. ‘From my time in the army,’ he replied. McNab joined the army aged 16 with a reading age of 11 and what teachers once described as an “unsteady hand”. The military educated him, as it does countless others. ‘Education is a central part of army life; it gives a second chance for bright people who were failed by the state system.’ McNab explained how teenage infantry recruits are sent to Catterick for basic training, where they take written exams in maths and English comprehension. Recruits who fail that test are then sent to Dartmouth for intensive remedial education courses, which they must pass to become professional soldiers. Education continues throughout an army career, and promotion is dependent on further educational attainment. ‘You can be the best infantryman in the world,’ he says, ‘but if you don’t succeed in the classroom you don’t advance [up the ranks].’ McNab recalls having compulsory lessons once or twice a week, a practice that continues to this day. What begins as basic comprehension exercises become detailed programmes in improving sentence structure, paragraphing, mental arithmetic and so forth. These skills are vital both to soldiers fighting sophisticated wars and

to old soldiers seeking success outside the forces. The Royal British Legion funds training grants for veterans, while the MoD subsidises active servicemen all the way to post-graduate level. McNab took advantage of many of these courses, and admits that he and many of his contemporaries came to view the army as a route to self-betterment, or rather a source of further education. His passion for learning did not dim in Civvy Street. He is wildly enthusiastic about new media and digital publishing, believing it will transform the personal development of deprived children. “The Internet and ebooks are a massive source of moving information and it begs children to engage and explore.” McNab is honest about his books’ literary credentials, but he insists that “anything that gets people reading” is inherently good. This is because the habit of reading breeds the habit of inquiry. McNab, who can amiably bore for Britain about the possibilities of technology and social mobility, embodies that belief. The government is encouraging retired servicemen to become teachers. McNab’s concern about his identity, not to mention the strange allure of Mogadishu, precludes him from such a career move. But there were ranks of others like him present last night who could express the value of education to those who need it most; although their attitude to boozing on a school night might have to change.

Bletchley Park - Exhibition Centre 01908 640404

Opened in June 2004 by HRH The Duke of Kent this exhibition centre, housed within one of the original wartime buildings, tells the ‘Complete Bletchley Park Story’. The museum depicts the incredibly complex processes of interception, decryption, translation, interpretation and analysis that were needed to produce the vital intelligence that proved so important in ending the war. It also houses some private displays and collections, just some details of which are shown below. A truly fascinating collection of Churchill memorablia captures the spirit of the great man. Churchill had significant links with Bletchley Park and

famously said of the workers at the Park ‘The geese that laid the golden eggs - but never cackled’. This privately-owned collection has many rare and interesting pieces and is definitely not to be missed. Open every weekend and during the week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 12pm- 4pm. Enigma is perhaps the best known cipher machine of all time - but it was not alone. From 1920 onwards, several companies and countries developed mechanical cipher systems for commercial, military and diplomatic use. Mechanical systems promised more complex ciphers, greater security and speed in use. This extensive private collec-

tion, owned by John Alexander and David White, allows Bletchley Park to show many more machines that were contemporaries of the Enigma. 6th June 1944 - It was men from the local county regiment, the Oxf & Bucks Light Infantry, who were the guardians of Bletchley Park during the early days of the war until 1942. The Regiment’s most famous action during WWII, its ‘coup de main’ assault and capture of Pegasus Bridge on D-Day, 6 June 1944 at 00.16 hours, is brought alive here by this thoroughly researched display of artefacts, documents, memorabilia, models and maps of this historic day. Now located in B Block. Click Here to view photographs.

The EAST MIDLANDS branch is recruiting by Len Dooley The East Midlands branch meets in Mansfield on the last Sunday of each month, at the Mansfield’s Gas, Sports and Social Club which located is at Lime Tree Place Mansfield Nottinghamshire NG18 2HX There they plan their calendar for the forthcoming year which can involve anything from social outings to official engagements. They are currently on a re-

cruiting drive, so anyone living within the catchment area of Derbyshire,Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire or Rutland wishing to come along and see what they are about will be made more than welcome in the usual Green Jacket fashion. The Branch Chairman is Leonard Dooley and you can contact him on 01623 607117 or e-mail lennie_max_123@ hotmail.co.uk. Please note that if contacting him by telephone he is a night worker and would appreciate it if you did not call before 2pm.

Alternatively the Branch Secretary, Martin Coates, can be found on 01623 747817 or on e-mail martinswiftandbold@ yahoo.co.uk. It is has been established as a result of a recent search of the RGJRA database that within the catchment area there are up to 200 potential branch members out there and Len andd his lads would like to see them all at the next branch meeting! Please get in touch with Len or Martin and come back to the family. You will not regret it! Swift and Bold Len Dooley

North East Branch news - (Abridged version) by Malcolm Donnison The North East Branch welcomes you to our E-zine article. We have had a very busy schedule during the month of November leading up to and after the Remembrance weekend. On Thursday 10th November 2011 four members and their wives attended an Army v North East Select Charity Boxing Dinner Night in aid of Care for Casualties held at the Mayfair, Hartlepool. Colonel James Ramsbotham sponsored our table and the event raised over £2,000 on the night. The Army lost 4 - 2. A great evening was had by all. On Friday 11th November 2011, as the Country fell silent at 11am to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, a group of families who have lost loved ones took part in a poignant ceremony. The long-awaited ‘Brothers in Arms War’ Memorial Wall in Mowbray Park, Sunderland, was officially unveiled as part of the dedication ceremony. In addition to a good turnout of RGJ Riflemen and a Regimental Bugler there was a large military presence and attendance from other Veteran Associations. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Sunderland, Mrs Norma Wright, as well as the City’s religious representatives and VIPs who led the service of Remembrance. The Two Minutes Silence was brilliantly supported across the City. It was a very emotional but fitting finale to the service.

Money was raised for the Wall by the Brothers in Arms Charity formed by the relatives who have lost loved ones during conflict or training.

On the Friday evening,11th November 2011, the Brother in Arms Charity held a formal Black tie Dinner at the Stadium of Light, which was very well attended by the North East Branch. Our members had three tables and everyone enjoyed a three course meal, live entertainment, disco and dancing until the early hours. A number of local celebrities attended. Our President Brigadier Nicholas and Amanda Prideaux travelled from Winchester and a party of five came from Dover

Our third Remembrance Buffet/Dance evening was held on Saturday Night, 12th November 2011 at the Pullman Lodge. The Evening commenced at 18.30 hours with a very smart

contingent of Buglers from Durham Army Cadet Force Borneo Band Bugle Section sounding a selection of Regimental Calls. It was very well attended by 180 Riflemen and families from all over the Country and from Europe. The Trower and the Hunter families came from France. The evening was a huge success and our President, Brigadier Nicholas Prideaux, thanked all the Committee for their hard work and for the generosity and support we received. He presented Liz Cheetham with a huge bouquet of flowers in recognition of her fundraising and organisational skills during the past year. On Sunday 13th November 2011, 85 Riflemen from our Branch augmented by those from the Milton Keynes and Midlands Branches paraded outside Sunderland Civic Centre. We were by far the largest Veteran detachment to march, along with all the other Veterans Associations and the military representatives.

from the North East Branch of the Royal Green Jackets Association, which she was very grateful to receive and promised it would remain in the Mayor’s Parlour for all to see.

The following comments are taken from letters of thanks addressed to the North East Chairman from visiting Branches “Can you please pass on my sincere thanks to the membership of your branch both for their hospitality to us southeners and to the immense organisation of the parade and march past. To say I was impressed would be an understatement, it simply blew my mind. M Thompson Milton Keynes.

“On behalf of the Midlands Branch, I would like to say a big thank you to you and your Branch for yet another great weekend. The Parade was bigger than we expected, the food, the beer and the company of old friends and new was great. We are looking forward to the We all then returned to the next time we all get together. Pullman for lunch, where we Len Dooley East Midlands were joined by the Mayor Mrs Norma Wright. Our President N.B. The unabridged version then presented her with an of this report will appear in RGJ mounted badge, inscribed Swift and Bold 2011, published March 2012

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NORTH WEST BRANCH An Abridged version By Ray Gerrard

It has been a quiet year this year but nevertheless our membership stays steady at about 38 paid up members, with correspondence through mailing lists and country members coming to 56 branch members. The annual Remembrance parade in Liverpool this year was attended by 30 plus Royal Green Jackets who marched in the parade and a poppy wreath was placed on the cenotaph as well as the Liverpool Northern Ireland memorial in St Johns Gardens. Members from other branches also attended. Fred Hawkins from Felixstowe and Ricky Tyson from Winchester are but two. Ricky Tyson was invited to lay the wreath on the Northern Ireland memorial and found himself on the Granada Reports TV, programme the next day. The annual dinner this year attracted 37 members and guests. It was held on Satur4th June 2011, Andy leaves Liverpool day 26th November 2011 at for Spion Kop in South Africa. the Royal Hotel, Marine Terrace, Waterloo, Liverpool. It was held in the Waterloo Suite and as the name suggests the room is themed around the Battle of Waterloo. This is the same venue where we held it last year and judging by the feedback we have had this year we will probably hold it there again next year. This year we did not have a guest speaker as our intention was to allow Andy Norris to say Gareth Dixon`s 60th Birthday bash a few words about his mara5 November 2011 thon trek. On June 4th this year Andy Norris set off on his bike ride to raise money for various mili-

“Andy spoke about his adventures in brief. Like the time he had his shoes and socks stolen and when he set his sleeping bag on fire not to mention the threat of being eaten by lions and being left in the middle of the desert by his police escort in Egypt with no more than one bottle of water and an old out of date map”.

tary charities including Care for Casualties by riding his bike from outside the Spion Kop, Liverpool FC to the Spion Kop in South Africa. His target was to raise £6000. On the 7th November 2011, I received a phone call from him to say he had arrived. The following day there was a ceremony at the battle site to commemorate the war dead and to celebrate his achievement that was being attended by the local mayor and dignitaries in South Africa. At the dinner Andy spoke about his adventures in brief. Like the time he had his shoes and socks stolen and when he set his sleeping bag on fire not to mention the threat of being eaten by lions and being left in the middle of the desert by his police escort in Egypt with no more than one bottle of water and an old out of date map. When at the Spion Kop Battle site Andy found the grave of a KRRC officer. This gave Andy an idea and he purchased a piece of marble that he wants to have made into a memorial on behalf of the Royal Green Jackets and the North West Branch . Once the wording has been finalized this memorial will be placed at the battle site by friends he made there mainly the Spion Kop Lodge owner Raymond Heron. Andy would like to thank Mr Heron for his kindness by presenting him with a Royal Green Jacket wall plaque that the branch will purchase for him to send to South Africa. The winner of the £25 prize to guess the nearest to Andy’s

cycled millage was a Mr Phil Pethick of Kent who guessed his millage would be 6050 miles. His actual millage was 6087 miles. To read about his adventure and to see what he has achieved log onto www.kop2kop.blogspot.com Donations for his sponsorship have come into the North West branch and to date we hold £1300 from people all around the country with money still trickling in. To help raise money his sister and many of her friends put together a calendar girls type calendar for 2012. They sold over 1000 calendars through various outlets in the Midlands and through the North West Branch. We have not totalled up the exact amount yet but we feel that this will has taken Andy past his target or very close to it. One of these calendars has even gone to auction at the London Branch night so good luck Gary Driscoll in raising as much money as you can. Should you wish to still donate the North West Branch are still taking donations until at least the end of the year. November the 5th saw many old and bold descend on Liverpool to attend the 60th Birthday of our chairman Gareth Dixon. Generous as he is, Gareth did not want any presents but decided to raise money for Care for Casualties and Help for Heroes. Gareth raised £400 to be split between these 2 charities. Here is hoping you all have a healthy and wealthy 2012.

wILTSHIRE bRANCH news By Brian Darvill

Member of the Wiltshire branch at their skittle evening 25 November

The Branch has been ticking along in our own way, in October we held our 13th annual dinner at the “Hunters Moon”, Warminster with about 40 members and guests in attendance, much the same format as other dinners, with a first class meal and very good raffle, highlight of the event was Lee and Gwyneth Massey sitting down with us, it was good to see Lee out

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and about, but he is still some way from full health. November saw many members out in Regimental dress for remembrance in Warminster, with chairman Brian Darvill, Kev Chambers and Gary Peacock attending the short service at the garden of remembrance at 11:00 hours on the 11th, Kev dressed in his Royal British Legion leathers, with a very expensive looking motor bike, he had just got back to town from Swindon, and Westminster Abbey, where along with RBL Biker Branch members he had helped to place 145,000 poppy crosses , and then managed to have his own piece with photo in the Warminster Journal. Gary had just returned from his tour in Afghanistan with 1 Rifles it was good to see him back looking fit and well, after the service these 3 spent an hour with a poppy tray collecting in the town. Then on

Remembrance Sunday the Branch had a very good turn out at the town service, followed by a warming Irish stew in the Conservative Club, our Chairman was absent this weekend as along with his wife Blanche he attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, and then Paraded with the London Branch at the Cenotaph. Friday the 25th saw us holding another very informal game of “killer” in the skittle ally at the “Organ Inn” mixed in with a fish and chip supper, not sure who the winner was, but then we had a combination of Gary Byrne, Bill Tyson and Dave J Smith, running the order of play and score board! The aim was achieved we had a very good night out This event is one of our best and gets bigger each year, thanks to Phil and Val Ashby who work tirelessly to arrange and run our

entertainments December will see our last meeting of the year on the 1st, and then on the 8th we are helping out at a charity carol concert at the “Hunters Moon”. Then to finish our social events for 2011 we will gather in the conservative club on Christmas eve for a few drinks. Another good year for the Branch, although one of our founder members, past Chairman and now life vice President Maj (retd) Danny Hunt along with his wife Jan, moved to Northumberland, so a Wiltshire Branch rugby shirt may be sighted north of the M4. Our AGM 2012 will be held at 20:00 hours, Thursday 5th January, at the Conservative Club, Warminster. Brian Darvill

The RIFLES E-Bugle - a new electronic NEWSLETTER Rifles RHQ have recently launched a new electronic newsletter which from now on will be sent out to you through our own Association mailing system. The previous issue published in November was only forwarded to selected members because at that time our mailing sytem was not working correctly but if you now click on the graphic to the right of this article the link will provide you with a PDF copy of the December issue. ln future issues of The Rifles EBugle will be sent out separately to all those RGJR Association members with email who wish to receive it. This new electronic magazine

is designed to keep the retired regimental family up to date with what is going on in all areas of activity including battalion exploits, sports fixtures, fundraising activity by C4C and Swift and Bold and any other information that may be of interest. The E-Bugle will mainly work by drawing attention through links to material which has been published on the web. However it will also contain other information that should not to be circulated outside the regimental family for security reasons such as forecasts of events so please do not forward these restricted items to members of the the press or

non regimental forums. Nor should you republish any items on the web from this or subsequent newsletters. If you have a story such as Association Branch News that you think the rest of the regiment would enjoy reading please send it or a link to where it resides on the web to aregsec2@ the-rifles.co.uk but take into account that such items will also be very welcome within our own RGJRA publications. The newsletter is published on a monthly basis but at the bottom of the last page of the newsletter is an `Unsubscribe` link which you can use to prevent further ssues being sent to your email address.

Please click anywhere on the image above to access

A RETURN TO WEST BELFAST nOVEMBER 2008 By Ken Wharton

In November 2008, I re-visited Belfast for the first time in over 30 years and found myself with a King’s Regiment comrade on Stewartstown Road, Woodbourne just off the B102 in south western Belfast. It was and still is a Republican area and one in which, would have presented intense and imminent danger to myself if I was still a soldier. I walked around the former RUC station, now still an active unit but rebadged PSNI (Police Service Northern Ireland) and was surprised to see that it was still well fortified with strategically placed bricks to prevent car bomb attacks, with high, reinforced steel walls to repel all potential terrorist activity. As I gazed at the high, metal walls, I remembered it was here, one warm summer’s evening in 1979 that a crazed soldier had shot a comrade dead before being killed himself by his grieving comrades. RIP Eddie Maggs and John Tucker. Woodbourne is one of the 5 major Nationalist areas in West Belfast and sits below Ballymurphy, Turf lodge and Andersonstown and above Poleglass

and is still a hotbed of Republican opinion, if no longer one of violence. I stood alone whilst soldier ‘A’ - who, all these years on, still does not wish to be identified - parked the car over in Ringford Crescent, across from the busy B102. I reflected on what it must have been like for a lone, late night drinker, staggering home from a few ‘sherberts’ as we somewhat euphemistically referred to beer in my native Yorkshire, back in those dark, dark days of sectarianism. I imagined what it would be like for a lone man wandering down Stewartstown Road, an obvious Catholic in a Catholic area, with predatory murderers such as Lenny Murphy of the’ Shankill Butchers’ on the rampage and it totally unnerved me. After a while, I crossed the road onto a newish, certainly post war housing estate with its red brick Council houses and well kept gardens and spotted our hire car and hurried towards it. I thought, silently to myself, that the last time I had been in an area like this in Belfast, I was a wellarmed, flak-jacketed soldier and, although permanently

on edge, knew at least that I had equally well-armed comrades at my side. This time, in 2008, I was alone and as I entered Ringford Crescent on a cold, grey and miserable late Autumn afternoon, a man, wrapped up against the cold, seemed to rush toward me as though to confront me. I was, after all, a stranger on a Republican estate, where memories of nightly sectarian murder are still etched in the psyche. Lenny Murphy and his mad dog, Loyalist killers were active in West Belfast not that many years ago and memories die hard. Did I use the word ‘confront’? Perhaps it was much more prosaic than that and he was just rushing for a bus or to get out of that icy, biting cold. Anyway, I muttered ‘What about ye?’ in the best Belfast brogue that I could muster and thought: ‘What a crap undercover soldier you would have made!’ The man ignored my pathetically inadequate attempts to ‘blend in’ and hurried past me. I breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to the car.

See anywhere you know?

“I thought, silently to myself, that the last time I had been in an area like this in Belfast, I was a well-armed, flakjacketed soldier and, although permanently on edge, knew at least that I had equally wellarmed comrades at my side. This time, in 2008, I was alone...............”

The Falls Road

Fund Raising for C4C at the August Tree fest

Over last August Bank Holiday weekend Peter Collins who creates pieces from natural wood used his trade stand at the Gloucestershire Tree Fest to support the C4C charity. The weather was rather

changeable and sadly there did not seem to be as many people as there as there had been in previous years. However many people did visit his stand and were very pleased to put donations in the

available collection boxes. Over the course of the Tree Fest event £117.71 was raised for C4C. Peter Collins lives in Tetbury, Gloucestershire and can be contacted on 07790 774 298.

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The Rifles’ Care for Casualties Appeal By Rebecca Maciejewska Since my last update, very sadly, two more Riflemen, Lance Cpl Peter Eustace and Rifleman Sheldon Steel, have lost their lives in Afghanistan. As always, our thoughts are with their grieving families and friends. With this in mind, you will not be surprised to hear that the number of those injured has also increased. We are so proud of all of our Riflemen, particularly those from the 2nd, 5th and 7th Battalions who are currently deployed keeping in mind their families and as Christmas approaches LCpl Peter Eustace was killed our thoughts are particularly on Wed 16 November 2011. with them. 2011 has been an incredible year for the appeal. When I was asked to take it on I had no idea where the support would come from but I knew that there were many who wanted to do what they could to help the regiment provide the family care and support that is needed for all our casualties. How right I was. Our total is now up to just over £1.6 million and it continues to rise. Rfn Sheldon Steel, was killed So far, in 2011 we have spent on Sunday 27 November 2011. over £110,000 on our casual-

ties from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. When this is compared to the amount we have raised it probably doesn’t sound like much, however we are looking ahead and anticipating many years during which help and support will continue to be needed for these members of our regimental family. We are also acutely aware that it is highly likely that there will be a manifestation of mental health concerns which we will pick up as the years progress. For this reason, we need to be sure that we will have the funds available to support wherever and however we can. Historically the regiments that made up The Rifles have always looked after their family – old and young - and it is on this foundation that The Rifles’ desire to continue to help those in need is based. We are continuing to spend the money on the same types of things, anything that enhances the quality of life of a casualty. Here are some examples: added extras for adaptations to accommodate the extra needs of a soldier who has lost a limb, helping

with the cost of living for the mother dedicated to being at her son’s bedside and supporting him as he undergoes a series of complicated operations in hospital, paying towards the costs of giving the daughter of a soldier who lost his life whilst serving in Afghanistan a very special weekend in London after she was chosen to present a posy to Her Majesty The Queen at The British Military Tournament. 2012 has already got lots to look forward to if you are keen to support fundraising events for Care for Casualties. The list so far is available on the events page of the website www.careforcasualties.org. uk, but I will mention particularly now the 25th February, which will see The Rifles Race Day at Chepstow Races. We are very grateful to Chepstow Racecourse for giving us such a wonderful opportunity to both have fun and to raise money for Care for Casualties. If you would like further information, a flyer will be emailed out next month, or, if you can’t wait that long, please do contact me, Rebecca, at c4c@the-rifles.co.uk

FREE PORTABLE APPLICATIONS FROM WWW.PORTABLEAPPS.COM PortableApps.com is the world’s most popular portable software solution allowing you to take your favorite software with you. A fully open source and free platform, it works on any portable storage device (USB flash drive, iPod, memory card, portable hard drive, etc). With millions of users all over the world and a full collection of open source software as well as compatible freeware and commercial software and partners in the software and hardware industry, PortableApps.com is the most complete The Portable Applications interface solution for life on the move. which is available to you on any Win- The built-in Portable App Didows PC from your portable device rectory app store allows users to find, download and install

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new applications including web browsers, games, utilities, educational tools, office suites, image editors and chat applications. Users who only want open source apps can tick the “Show Only Open Source Apps” box under the Advanced tab in Options. All of the 100 million portable apps served from PortableApps.com were of open source software which runs on our open source, free, open platform that runs from any removable drive. With no vendor lock-in, users are free to use the software anywhere, on the devices they want, the way they want. The tools used by PortableApps.com to create portable applications are to be

made available to both freeware and commercial software publishers. This milestone comes after an application from PortableApps. com was named as the four billionth application to be downloaded from SourceForge.net, the largest online open source hosting site, and after PortableApps.com won four out of twelve categories at this years SourceForge Community Choice Awards. Out of over 47,000 nominations, PortableApps.com was selected as this years Best Commercial Open Source Project, Best Visual Design, Best Project and as the site Most Likely to Change the Way You Do Everything!

A WORD ABOUT RETIREMENT - food for thought The one precious thing that most people work hard for all of their lives is the day they retire. Same daily work routine and off to the drudgery of labour of varied kinds, but it’s a wage packet! On average, a man or women for that matter, works 50 years and when retirement does arrive it is like being born again only with a few more aches and pains. That is how I thought of it! The days of no more “yes sir” and “no sir” have arrived and you are now a free agent. Sounds great doesn’t it? But you, my friend, are not free. After the first few weeks, you are the sad sack sat in the corner of the local, hating the world, lonely, feeling unwanted and once you have caught up with all the DIY bored stiff. Widowed, single, divorced or otherwise, the future looks dim and many at this stage do not have any relatives who could give a dam. Well! read on my fellow Green Jacket’s read on, I have the answer. It is simple, get out of that rut, meaning GB, move, to Cyprus France Spain, Portugal, Thailand, Malaya. Philippines the list goes on. You are a purse for the government to help themselves to and you are subject to abuse from anybody who wants to give it to you whether it’s the yobbo’s, graffiti, drugs, crime, of just plain deterioration of the country that you gave a part of your life for and it is getting worse. Then you get somebody like me, normal standard education, never had a rank except Rifleman, done my bit and got married dozens of kids, divorced, in other words SOP. Before I knew it retirement was shouting in my ear, I remarried, lived in Weybridge for another

ten years and slowly got fed up with the rules of the nanny state I lived in. Do this, do that, pay this or that. I started to consider where I could move to and I picked Thailand. For the very good reason that we owe them our lives. We got caught in that Tsunami in Thailand. It was the behaviour of the Thais who pulled us both out of the water, that made up my mind where I wanted to retire to and who I wanted to live among. We moved here a year later. We sold a two up and two down terraced cottage in Weybridge for £250,000 and we had one built in Thailand that over in the U.K. would be worth a million if not more. Three bedrooms massive pool. Hey, all of a sudden my life looked good. We also bought a condominium. Our plan was to rent the condo out for an income. All out of the 250,000! The things that irritated me back home all disappeared. The politics of a country going to war, yobbos getting away with anything, the drugs, hospitals schooling the list is endless and it’s the pensioners who feel it mostly. For god’s sake it is that bad they have to give pensioners extra pennies to keep warm! A lot of these guys fought for their country and now they have to rely upon handouts to keep warm. Here, crime is next to nothing. We go out and have not had to lock our doors once since we came here. The penalties we pay for living here are minor inconveniences; mainly the language barrier which I might add is improving daily now that they are being taught English in the schools, and somtimes the ignorance or logic of the less educated locals can be frustrating but

the cheap cost of housing and living and a fantastic social life more than compensate. Some things are funny like once we joined a DVD club and they wanted our blood group, why? Don’t ask because you go with the flow. The locals wear this permanent smile even if you have had a motor accident with one of them it is always backed up by a smiling face. You find yourself reacting the same way as well! Thailand is unbeatable as far as my retirement goes. My pension is paid directly over here, and you do not have to have a rich person’s income to survive well. Singers, Penang, Hong Kong ,Vietnam are all on the doorstep if you still have the travel bug, I see many a retiree, walking along the road hand in hand with a young maybe twenty two year old, I don’t care about the stupidity of this at all, or as some would, find it disgusting, but I do see a happy bunny, not wasting what time he has left. A bit better that sitting alone in that bar waiting for the rain to stop, so you can go outside and have a fag, before getting a taxi home because you have had one pint too many. I have an offer for you. I own a Condo as I said. Don’t believe a word that I have said although this is a “no Duff message” for all of you Try it on your next holiday! it is cheaper than living in that place where they keep wanting to take a bigger whack of your pension. Look it up on www. holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/ hua-hin/162159. Or just contact me for more information. If I can find the time from being retired I will try to reply. Formerly 23910593 Rfn Trevor Towers. 3 Platoon A, COY 2nd RGJ

Views of Thailand

Condo Swimming Pool

4V Battalion RGJ Reunion at the Ceders Drill hall FEBUARY 18 It’s that time of year again. We had a huge turnout at the last reunion so let’s try and make this one even bigger, Tickets are on sale now for the 4 RGJ Reunion.We have tried to make it easier for you to purchase tickets this year so there are now 3 ways to pay for your tickets. 1. By cheque made out to Miss D West address below 2. Barclays bank. Sort code 2069-17 acc 60734543 Miss D

West 3. popping in to TAC to buy them. Once you have made payment to either of the first 2 options please email or text Donna to let her know your tickets have been paid for and she will ask the names and addresses of person’s the tickets are for so they can be sent out to them. E-mail address for Donna is donna3224@hotmail.com and her mobile is 07950872026 Venue address is :

G Company The Cedars Portway West Ham E15 3QN The Time: 18.30hrs The Date: Sat 18th Feb 2012 Dress: Smart casual. Tickets cost £10.00 If anyone has any questions please contact Donna or Tony on landline 0208 4720140 or by e-mail or mobile as given.

“......there are now 3 ways to pay for your tickets. 1, By cheque made out to Miss D West address below 2. Barclays bank. Sort code 20-69-17 acc 60734543 Miss D West 3. popping in to TAC to buy them”. Page 10

POLICE HORSE ALAMIEN AND CRIME PREVENTION By PC PAUL Looker

Alamien on duty

“Alamien finest effort again have come in the face of adversity and violence that blighted London streets again this year as he was on stand by for the terrible riots that took hold of the whole country. He was at the front of the recent student demonstration where he was pelted with various objects”.

Having been passed the mantle from Sgt Jon Taylor for this posting about Alamiens antics, I would like to say hello to you all and hope my column is as interesting and informative as my predecessor. I may change my name to Mary though as being a former Household Cavalry man there are people who would have me marking time writing for the Infantry. Regarding your mascot Alamien , the old warrior has had another stellar and very demanding year. Nearing the end of his career and at the grand old age of 17 he still cuts around as if in his prime. His area of patrol is still Westminster and he has become a thorn in the side of illegal street traders and gamblers, on a regular basis putting many before the courts and disrupting their efforts, which has positive impact as all are part of Eastern European gangs that are exploiting tourists and residents alike. They have to keep an eye out as he trots into view and dribbles on their hotdogs.

He continues his daily duties at the Buckingham Palace guard change which is OK ish, but excel’s and pumps his chest out as he escorts the Life Guards of the Household cavalry in all their finery to Horse Guards.. He took part in the Trooping the Colour again, playing a very high profile roll in the security of it and excelled himself as escort to the GUIDON which is the police standard on the Lord mayors Show this year which was a hugely successful event again. Alamien finest effort again have come in the face of adversity and violence that blighted London streets again this year as he was on standby for the terrible riots that took hold of the whole country. He was at the front of the recent student demonstration where he was pelted with various objects. One peculiar one that hit an officer was a potato! He helped prevent the financial markets being taken over and has also been in numerous football disturbancea and he was one of

only six horses that stopped and contained 8000 angry Ghanaian fans and was in the thick of it when Millwall and Crystal Palace fans pelted horses with coins, smoke grenades and flash bangs. He never wavered but there was definitely a lot more manure on the streets during those days. Finally in addition he continues to help escort young horses around London passing on his worldly wisdom. As Christmas looms please take care over the festive season and be aware of burglars, if you have presents under the tree shut the curtains at night when the lights are on and don’t leave keys of any sort near the letter box where they can be hooked out with a stick. If out and about making purchases put them all in the boot between stops Never leave anything on display in a car. Enjoy Christmas and the New Year from Alamein and the Metropolitan Police mounted branch.

The Duke and Duchess of cambridge visit HM bODY gUARD RGJRA Ezine-Editor Notes Tel: 01296 711967 or email ken.ambrose1@btinternet.com

Please remember that this publication is only intended for on screen viewing and that attempts to print out these pages are not likely to be successful. We aim to draw the attention of all former members of the regiment to forthcoming events on a quarterly basis covering not only the main Association annual forecast but also news at officer club and branch level. To make this Ezine a success all branches and individuals are asked to contribute whenever possible. Please send articles for inclusion to the email address above before the 1st of the publication month.

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“Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently visited Her Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms to receive their wedding present. The Honourable Corps consists of 4 Officer appointments, 2

of whom are currently former Green Jackets (Peter Chamberlin and Michael Robertson), with a further 27 Gentlemen, of whom 2 (Peter Browne and Jeremy Russell) are also former Green Jackets. During the visit the Harbinger (Michael Robertson - right in

picture) briefed Their Royal Highnesses on the 1909 Standard which was produced in that year to celebrate the Corps’ 400th birthday. The King, Edward VIIth, had noticed that the Corps had a Standard Bearer but had not had a Standard since the Battle of Edgehill in 1642 when it was lost during a heroic defence of King Charles Ist. He therefore directed that one be produced, and so it was, at short notice, by the wives and widows of former Captains of the Corps. Loved by all for its unique provenance but delightful irregularity it was replaced by a more correct version in 1937, but still hangs proudly in the Mess in St James’s Palace. The Lieutenant (Peter Chamberlin - centre) appears to have heard it all before! With thanks to Peter Chamberlin

The Royal Green JACKETS (RIFLES) MUSEUM WINCHESTER As 2011 draws to a close, the Museum is heading to exceed 13,000 visitors during the year for the first time since 2001. This is most encouraging although it will present a formidable challenge sustaining, indeed improving on, that number in 2012 and beyond. Much will depend on laying on exhibitions and activities that appeal to visitors of all ages and backgrounds and promoting them through good marketing. To this end the Museum has recently introduced a new brochure (top right) which we hope will help. Those reading this report can also assist by recommending the Museum to their friends and family, as word of mouth recommendation is often quoted as the prime reason for visiting. During the past three months the Museum has continued to update its displays and introduce new ones. The latest is a smart new welcoming display to greet visitors with information about the origins of the Regiment and of the term ‘Green Jackets’, including a family tree linking the past to the present, and to The Rifles. This has overtaken the re-

quirement to update The Royal Green Jackets section of the Museum, covering the period 1966-2007, which will now be tackled during the early part of 2012. The only limiting factor to the Trustees’ grand plans is funding, which requires priorities to be set and adhered to in order to ensure that there is enough money for all that we want to do. The Museum continues to be donated a welcome number of objects, including medals, and archival material. On 26 November we were especially pleased to acquire the medals of Colonel R.A. Flower OBE MC. Dick Flower is especially well remembered for his bold leadership as a carrier platoon commander during 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade’s action at ‘Snipe’ on 26/27 October 1942 during the Battle of El Alamein. There is more about what he did in a News Entry on the Museum website at www. rgjmuseum.co.uk Those interested in Regimental history, who are not regularly visiting the Museum website to view the latest News, Object or Photo of the Month and other historical information, are miss-

ing out on a source of information available free to all who care to access it. There is also a ‘What’s On’ page with details about forthcoming events. The programme extends through to summer 2012 and includes a talk in the Guildhall, Winchester, on the evening of Monday 2 April by Field Marshal Lord Bramall reflecting on the Falklands War, 30 years on. The last Ezine included a brief tribute to Colonel Ian McCausland, a former Trustee of the Museum, who died on 16 August. Sadly, his death was followed shortly afterwards by news of the death of MajorGeneral Giles Mills on 12 September, aged 89. General Mills was the chief architect of the creation of the Museum in its present form and was Chairman of the Museum from its opening in 1989 to 1995. He also knew all there was to know about the early history of the 60th Royal Americans and was the author of the final two volumes of the Annals of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps covering the years 1919-65. We will miss his sage advice.

Front page of the new Museum brochure

CBQ Wallace

To contact the Museum, telephone or e-mail the Curator, Christine Pullen. Tel: 01962 828549 or e-mail: curator@rgjmuseum.co.uk

Presentation of Dick Flower’s medals by members of the family on 26 November

www.rgjmuseum.co.uk

Regimental history on a Mug from the qm`s locker

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SUPPORT your ROYAL GREEN JACKETS MUSEUM SHOP

Guy HARRIS TO TAKE PART IN POWERMAN 2012 IN SUPPORT OF c4c Supporting

The Rifles Charities

Minutes and Accounts The Minutes of the RGJR Association meeting held at Winchester on 18 November with Accounts from the last period are now available to all full members of the Association by clicking

HERE This file is in PDF format but regardless E-Zine readers who are not paying members of the Association will be unable to access these Minute or Account files. Page 13

Guy Harris will be taking part in Powerman 2012 in the Netherlands, on 29th April, in Horst, and is doing so to raise funds for ‘Care for Casualties’. The race itself consists of a 15km run, followed by a 60km cycle, finished off with a 7.5km run. Although this will be his first Powerman, Guy has some family history with the race, having watched his sister, Michelle Lee, compete and win the 2008 event. Some of you may remember that Guy completed the ‘Maratona dles Dolomites’ in 2010, and in doing so raised £1185, despite only starting fundraising a few weeks before the race. This time, in order to maximise the amount raised, he is starting the process a few months earlier, and getting in better shape at the same time! Originally, Guy had planned to compete in the Marathon des Sables for C4C, but his pregnant wife was none-too-impressed with the idea of him jetting off

to the Sahara 4 weeks before their second child is due, so he had to find an alternative event, and Powerman fits the bill perfectly. Guy says, “it’s going to be a major challenge for me to get in sufficiently good shape to be able to complete the course in a decent time, having to do my training through the winter and still running my busy entertainment company. But it will be worth it; there are lots of good causes in the world, but C4C is one of the best. When I did the Maratona in 2010, it was the single hardest day of effort in my life, but I had my 1RIFLES wristband on, and it really motivated me. This time, my goal is not just completion of the course, which will be hard enough, but I want to put in a good time. My potential donors are all regular givers, so they need to be impressed, rather than just being ‘touched up’ every few months: they want to see my blood and sweat!”

Guy adds, “I really like the fact that C4C treats both the casualty and the dependents creatively. It’s easier to get donors onboard with C4C, because of the way they operate; the connection with RGJ is personal, and they see the trickle of news about the sacrifices the guys are making for our country, and then see what C4C does back in the UK, on the ground. The website is an excellent tool, as it gives donors a much better feel for what’s happening with their money than is sometimes the case with other charities.” Guy will be posting regular training updates on the JustGiving page, so please spread the word and help him generate funds for C4C! The website for Powerman 2012 is here: http://www. powerman.nl Guy`s JustGiving site is here: http://www.justgiving.com/ powerman2012

Public & Private Pension Increases - changeS

Many workers in the Public and Private Sector have contributed to their pensions on the understanding that on retirement these Pensions would be increased each April by the preceding September’s Retail Price Index (RPI) rate. From April 2011 the Government has transferred these increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure which in the Treasury’s own words “... is designed to take account of the fact that consumers tend to shop around, switching to

cheaper alternatives when prices of similar goods change.” This change, which has been introduced in most cases without any prior consultation, will mean a steady reduction in spending power for pensioners as they progress into their retirement. Given the promises that have previously been made, the RPI measure should be reintroduced without delay to ensure that the spending power of these Public and Private pensioners is maintained. In order to force a government

debate on this issue the petition at http://epetitions.direct. gov.uk/petitions/1535 must achieve 100,000 signatures. Currently the petition is showing 93,462 with the closing date being 8 May 2012. It is in the interests of mose people to get the increase rate on our pensions changed back to the RPI calculation so if you have not yet signed the on line petition please do so as soon as possible.

KCA

The Single persons Accommodation CENTRE The Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex Services, SPACES, is designed to help single ex-regulars find appropriate accommodation when they leave the services. Through this service the project reduces the likelihood of ex-service personnel becoming homeless or sleeping rough after discharge. SPACES is a project based within the Resettlement/Welfare complex at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. It provides an accommodation placement service for single personnel being discharged from all three services. The overall aims and objec-

tives of the project are to assist single Service Leavers to secure appropriate accommodation as they leave the Armed Forces. In so doing we will be reducing the likelihood of them becoming homeless or rough sleepers. Single service leavers can be vulnerable to homelessness as a result of a combination of factors: having no home to return to after service, little understanding of how to secure rented accommodation and current legislation, little or no experience of budgeting and setting up home. SPACES is managed by housing association ECHG, part of Riverside, working with the Joint

Service Housing Advice Office. Please contact the SPACES office on Tel 01748 833797 or 01748 872940 or 01748 830191 Postal address: The Beacon SPACES Office Marne Road Catterick Garrison Catterick North Yorkshire DL9 3AU Email: spaces@echg.org.uk

THANK YOU FROM Carole Mcentee-taylor

Obituary Notices

Please click on name to view obituary entry Babins Rob, 2RGJ

Sep

Lovick Capt T

Sep

L/Cpl JJ McKinlay KIA

Sep

Shanahan Sean 3RGJ

Sep

Rainey Lt HB 52nd LI

Sep

Nankivell, Maj EH

Oct

Brown Paul (Tich)

Oct

Grindley Maj M

Oct

Conway, Ann w/o DE

Oct

Fowler, Ray (Chick)

Oct

Stephenson, Denys

Oct

Massingham Fred

Oct

Hill, Capt PJM

Oct

Watts, John OBLI

Nov

Trekilis, Peter

Nov

Duncan, Maj Don

Nov

Renton, James

Nov

Kent, Roy

Nov

L/Cpl P Eustace KIA

Nov

Grainger, Ross

Nov

Leslie, John

Nov

Jones, Capt Frank P

Nov

Brown, Gordon MM

Nov

Rfn SLJ Steel KIA

Nov

Janes, Ron KRRC

Nov

Davey, Capt Peter F

Nov

Rest in Peace

Important Notice Anyone who has Association membership issues in regard to initial application or renewals should contact Mike Marr at The Rifles Abingdon office. He can be telephoned MonFri on 01235 548018 on most days between 10am and 4pm or email your query to

oxford@the-rifles.co.uk

For problems related to database and Association As previously advertised in the Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum, below and Carole would like to web site access please last issue the launch for Car- Winchester. thank them and all concerned contact Ken Ambrose ole`s new book, The Weekend The launch was also attended at the RGJ (Rifles) Museum for 01296 711967 or email Trippers, was held on Satur- by The Rifles Living History making the day such a success. day 29th October at the Royal Group seen in the photograph

ken.ambrose1@btinternet.com

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