The Royal Green Jackets Associa on
(Con nued from previous page)
at NMA Alrewas for the Northern Ireland Veterans Association Parade. Once again the weather played it’s part making the occasion enjoyable for all. This year there were additional marching contingents with representation for the UDR, R IRISH our comrades in The Light Infantry but out-numbered, out-smarted and out-marched by The Royal Green Jackets. The parade was supplemented by friends and colleagues at the Winchester and North-West Branch plus elements from London. We also managed to recruit 4 new members into the Central England Branch with: Glynn Holtham, Stewart Bull, Iain Ballantyne and Peter Pattison. Following the parade, we moved en masse to The Boathouse P/H local hostelry of Branch Member John Ball and myself in Rushall, Walsall. The food was excellent and free which helped make our guests feel at home in Midlands. Our annual Rifleman of the Year Award was presented to Gary Collins for his contribution to the Branch and Committee. Well deserved too! Next on the horizon is Remembrance Sunday (8th November 2015) usually organised and marshalledby Treasurer Guy Mynett. However, in light of Guy’s input with Greenstock and our Christmas Ball 2015,
Rifleman of the Year Award presented to Gary Collins.
branch member Craig Robbins has kindly volunteered to take that on and this year will be our 4th on Parade in Birmingham City Centre. Anyone wishing to take part is to contact me via the usual means. Well that is it for now. In the meantime, we wish our friends and colleagues across the globe the best of wishes. Pete Page Secretary
NORTH EAST BRANCH Hello once again to all RGJ members, The North East Branch continues to remain active throughout the North East of the UK during the second half of this year, which has seen members of the Branch attending various events throughout the United Kingdom. Some of these events are as follows: • RGJA Veterans day in Winchester • Waterloo Celebrations • Victory in Japan Day Sunderland parade • Walking with the Wounded and Military wives concert at the Sage Gateshead • The laying of the Memorial Stone for George Maling’s VC in Sunderland • North East Branch Reunion Remembrance Weekend In June, we held a Branch meeting at the Royal British Legion in Sunderland which was well attended by our members, who, it is fair to say, were in high spirits. During the meeting we discussed a range of items from the upcoming RGJA Veterans Day in Winchester, Armed Forces Celebrations being held in Sunderland to the planning for the annual Remembrance Reunion Weekend. The members held a raffle raising a marvellous £138.00 to go towards the charity fund. In July, many of us made the annual pilgrimage to attend E-Zine 2015
Veterans Day at Winchester and again this year, there was a really good turnout for the Parade and March Past. This event continues to allow all our members and other Branches to rekindle friendships with old and new acquaintances. This cannot be understated for the value it brings to all past and present Riflemen. Many thanks are due to the Winchester Branch for all its hard work in making this day a special one. In September, members travelled to the annual Service of the Northern Ireland Association at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire where, joining with other Branches, they paid their respects to those who died in the Northern Ireland conflict. Also in September, the North East Branch attended the War Memorial and Brother in Arms Wall in Sunderland for unveiling of the Memorial VC Paving Stone for George Maling. The Memorial was well attended by representatives from George Maling’s family, Branch Members together with Kenneth Richardson bearing our Standard. George Maling – A Sunderland First War Hero George Maling was the only person from Sunderland to receive the Victoria Cross during the First World War. George was born in Carlton House, Mowbray Road, Sunderland in 1888, the son of a general practitioner. (To be con nued on next page) Volume 7 Issue 2 | 13
