The Royal Green Jackets Association
E-zine Volume 7 Issue 1
Sir John Colborne’s statue outside the RGJ (Rifles) Museum. Page 24.
June 2015
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The Royal Green Jackets Association
E-zine Volume 7 Issue 1
June 2015
FOREWORD by Brigadier Hugh Willing CBE Chairman of the RGJ Association Much of importance has been happening in the background since the last issue of E-zine in October. We now have a new Association Management Plan, which was issued on 1st May under the signature of our President, Major General Balfour. If you haven’t done so already, do look at the Association Website, which has a copy of the Plan and the updated Rules for the Association, but also an explanatory note from General Balfour about the reasons for the changes to the management of your Association. You will also see that the Website contains much more information for Members and so you will know that we are hard at work planning the 50th Anniversary Veterans’ Day Gathering in Winchester which will take place at Sir John Moore Barracks, on 9th July 2016. This is planned to be a spectacular event with possibly three Bands and Bugles taking part, and a large number of activities to entertain all the family, as well as the usual opportunities to meet up with your old colleagues and friends from over the years. Do put the date in your diaries and we do encourage you all to come along to make it a truly special day. And whilst you are planning your Regimental activities don’t forget that this year’s Veterans’ Day takes place at Winchester on Saturday 18th July. We have The Rifles Band and Bugles booked and a host of stands and stalls, as well as the extra-large beer tent, to keep you entertained throughout the day and late into the night. We and your old friends would like to see you there. Do look at the Forecast of Events for this year because there are a lot of other activities taking place which are designed for you to join in and take part. Next summer on the evenings of 2nd & 3rd June The Rifles and Gurkha massed bands will perform a Sounding Retreat on Horse Guards Parade in central London. Tickets will go on sale through a civilian agency later this year and details will be passed on to you in the next edition of E-zine, but make a note now. I am also very pleased to report that the Waterloo Bicentenary Exhibition at the RGJ (Rifles) Museum opened on schedule on 25th March. Not only is this a superb Exhibition of the Regiment’s important role in the battle but it marks the end of the successful appeal to raise £150,000 for the refurbishment of the top floor of the Museum to which many of you contributed. Thank you. And lastly two appeals. A recent analysis of the Association database shows that we can and should do more to bring in new members. There are 3,225 names on the database (with emails) made up of former Riflemen whose membership has lapsed, or known individuals who have opted not to join the Association. The best recruiter to the Association is you. If you know of anyone who should be a member, like you, then please encourage them to join. It is only £10 for the year for all the benefits and there will be a Branch near you that is waiting to welcome them back into the fold. And secondly we are looking for a new Treasurer for the Association. It is important to find the right person to replace Mike Marr who will be handing over by the end of 2016. Mike has done an excellent job for us over the last ten years and his replacement needs to be recruited by December 2015 in order to shadow Mike through 2016. The job may grow in due course to take on the responsibility for updating the Website and does not need to be filled necessarily by a former RGJ person, although of course this would be ideal especially if they live near Winchester. Capability, reliability, commitment and enthusiasm are more important as well as experience in running an account. Given the workload it is intended that the job will be remunerated. If there is anyone out there who wishes to put themselves forward then please get in touch with me or any other member of the Committee and we will take it from there. So, enjoy the summer and we hope to see you at as many of our events and activities as you can make. Best wishes to all fellow Riflemen. Hugh Willing E-Zine 2015
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VETERANS’ DAY
SATURDAY 18TH JULY 2015 at Sir John Moore Barracks, Andover Road, Winchester, SO22 6NO. Members who are camping or caravanning for Veterans’ Day will not be able to enter SJMB before 1200hrs on Friday 17th July. ONCE A RIFLEMAN - ALWAYS A RIFLEMAN
Timings 1400 hrs 1400-1730 hrs 1745 hrs 1830-1930 hrs 1930-0100 hrs 0100 hrs
Gates open at Sir John Moore Barracks Bar Open / Static Displays Move to Garden of Remembrance / Main Square President`s Address / March Past and Sounding Retreat Bar and Restaurant Open Bar Closes
Association members will be charged £5 entrance fee. £10 will be charged for non-members.
The Oxford Branch Reunion The Oxford Branch Reunion will take place on Saturday 7th November 2015 at Edward Brooks Barracks, Cholswell Road, Shippon, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 6HW. 1900hrs 1945hrs 2030hrs 2100hrs 0030hrs 0100hrs
Bar opens Waterloo Band & Bugles of the Rifles commence playing Public Address Curry supper on payment Bar closes EBB closes
All Association members and their guests welcome. Non-members are charged £5 admission.
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Contents Page Title 3. Foreword 4. Veteran’s Day 18th July 2015 The Oxford Branch Reunion 5. An Update on the 50th RGJ Anniversary Members Database Applica ons and Renewal of RGJ Associa on Annual Subscrip ons 6. RGJA Contacts 7. From the Editor RGJ E-mail Addresses 8. Regimental Number Plates 9. 2B or NOT 2B – An RGJ plate is much be er 10. RGJ Associa on Branch and Photographic Websites 11. RGJA Branches Aylesbury Branch 12. Central England Branch 14. East Midland Branch 15. North East Branch 16. North West Branch 18. Wiltshire Branch 20. The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum 22. The Rout of the French Imperial Guard at Waterloo 18 June 1815 24. Sir John Colborne 26. 2015 - Year of Anniversaries 29. 2 Lt SC Woodroffe VC, The Rifle Brigade 30. The 75th Anniversary of the Defence of Calais 34. The Bermuda Regiment 36. Rifleman Denzil Haenow 38. Swi and Bold 2014 - CorrecƟons and ClarificaƟons 39. General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter 40. Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO) Looking Forward 20152016 41. 4RGJ fire team in Belize Who Would Have Thought? 43. Fire up the Mercedes Viano! 47 A ‘Haka’ in Honour of Donald Charles Nairn 48. The Lt Div Memorial Garden SJM Barracks Winchester 49. In Memoriam Editor: Kevin Stevens Copyright 2015 © RGJA
Update on the 50th RGJ Anniversary on Saturday 9th July 2016 I thought a brief update, without giving away too many secrets at this early stage, of how the Sub Committee is progressing with arrangements for this very special event next year. Your Sub Committee has so far met three times this year with the next meeting scheduled for late August after 2015 Veterans’ Day. All ideas and suggestions presented to us have been considered and debated including an RAF Fly Past and book signing by well known suitable authors for example. We have approached this event with the following ideals in mind: • To be a wholly Regimental and family orientated day as far as possible • A fun day with activities for children • Plenty of music and a short Service of Remembrance • A march past by Battalions in smart dress order including medals, if desired • A special anniversary Booklet and memorabilia to be produced • Advance publicity on our RGJ website, Facebook and with local TV and papers to be involved. • Entrance will be free to members of the RGJA, otherwise £5 entrance fee The days events will start at 1100 hrs in Winchester Cathedral with Turning of Pages. Gates open at Sir John Moore Barracks at 1100 hrs and the bar will close at 0100 hrs. There will be plenty of music with 4 Bands playing including The Rifles Band and Bugles (awaiting MOD confirmation), a ‘Green Jacket look alike’ Band and Bugles band from Germany as well as 2 other bands. Various Re-enactments will take place on the main Square. A Bouncy castle and face painting for the children will be available. In addition there will be plenty of display stands ranging from military vehicles, classic cars and including vehicles with RGJ number plates/GJ livery (with prior notification to the Sub Committee). The Museum will provide their usual display items and clothing on sale plus a weapons display and a Care 4 Casualties stand assisted by SSAFA Hampshire who will be in attendance. Further refinements are ongoing but this , in outline, is what we are planning for you. So there will be much to see and with the usual outlets of food and drink a special and enjoyable day is in store. Make sure you put this date in your dairies NOW, spread the word and come and see your old mates again after all these years since you all served together together with your family. We are open to any suggestions which will be considered within the limitations of available space and restrictions imposed on us by MOD and Sir John Moore Barracks. Simon Booth-Mason Chairman 50th RGJ Anniversary Sub Committee
Members Database It is important that information held on the Database is accurate and up to date. Therefore, would all members go to the Database and check / amend their details.Those requiring assistance, please contact Roy Baillie at: membersdatabase@rgjassociation.co.uk
Applications and Renewal of RGJ Association Annual Subscriptions available by Card Payments. E-Zine 2015
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Royal Green Jackets Association Contacts Contact list as at 31 May 2015 President
Maj Gen Jamie Balfour CBE
01962 828524
admin@rgjassocia on.info
Chairman
Brig HGC Willing CBE
01962 828524
admin@rgjassocia on.info
Vice Chairman
Lt Simon Booth-Mason
01438 724703
admin@rgjassocia on.info
Secretary
Lt Col J-D von Merveldt
0207 492 4936
london@the-rifles.co.uk
Treasurer & Members Secretary
Mr Mike Marr
01235 548018
oxford@the-rifles.co.uk
Editor
Mr Kevin Stevens
01865 452813
admin@rgjassocia on.info
Webmaster, AssociaƟon
Capt William Shipton
01256 895719
bill.shipton@b nternet.com
In Memoriam Board Manager
Mr Mark Adams
01442 380713
mark.adams@rgjassocia on.info
Webmaster RGJ Photographic Site
Mr Seamus P Lyons
01279 723908
Seamus.lyons@rgjassocia on.info
Database Manager
Mr Roy Baillie
01488 658681
membersdatabase@rgjassocia on.co.uk
Mr Tony Williamson
01273 945429
tonytjw2@aol.com
Branches Australian
Maj Gen Andrew Pringle CB CBE
Mr Chris McDonald
+61 (0)408 937 165 cvmcdonald@bigpond.com
Aylesbury
•
Mr Alan Grant
01296 426765 alanrgrant@aol.com
Band and Bugles
David Timms
Mr David Timms
01304 820910 secretary@rgjband.com
Central England
Major Michael Leeming
Mr Peter Page
01922 694733 petepage71@hotmail.com
East Midlands
•
Mr Mar n Coates
01623 747817 mar nswi andbold@yahoo.co.uk
Gosport & District
•
•
•
London
Col GF Smythe OBE
Mr Gary Driscoll
01708 442662 rgjldn@ntlworld.com
Milton Keynes
Brig MR Koe OBE
Mr Gary Brewer
01908 218715 g_brewer@b nternet.com
North East
Brig NM Prideaux
Mr John Snell
01915 238472 johnsnellsilksworth@hotmail.co.uk
North West
Brig David Innes
Mr Mark Lydiat
0151 2830391 secretarynwbranchrgjassocia on@outlook.com
Oxfordshire
Brig Nigel Mogg DL
Mr Mike Marr
01235 548018 oxford@the-rifles.co.uk
Suffolk
Maj RD Cassidy MBE
Mr Gordon Pilcher
01394 215925 gordonpilcherrgj@yahoo.co.uk
South East Kent
Brig James Plastow MBE
Mr Glenn Ternent
07598 706557 geordie_t@b nternet.com
Wiltshire
Brig G dv W Hayes CBE
Mr Gary Byrne
01985 211279 gchabyrne@aol.com
Winchester
Capt John Fritz-Domeney
Mr John Harper
0773 3215810 johnharper1rgj@hotmail.co.uk
Yorkshire
Brig PJ Lyddon MBE
Mr Stuart Anderson
01757 618081 valerieanderson41@outlook.com
Notes: Any amendments to the above contact informa on should be sent to Seamus Lyons. • Indicates that a Branch President has not been appointed. 6 | Volume 7 Issue 1
E-Zine 2015
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From the Editor Welcome to the summer edition of the E-zine where once again we have a wide variety of subjects covered in our articles. May I first start by congratulating Arne Bergsand on being elected an honorary member of our association. Although never a Green Jacket Arne compiles both Swift & Bold and the E-zine for me and is an extremely important part of my team. Although Arne spent a considerable part of his life in the UK he is in fact Swedish but to talk with him on the telephone you wouldn’t realise it. The museum appeal has been an outstanding success and you can read about it in the article by Lt Gen Sir Christopher Wallace. The painting paid for by the London Branch is magnificent hanging in the new Kincaid Gallery. Our congratulations go to the London Branch on raising the £10,000 required to commission this. One of the pleasures of being responsible for both S&B and the E-zine as well as the admin email address is being able to put people back in touch sometimes when they have not seen each other for 30 or 40 years. Sometimes it is a person who has served as attached personnel or perhaps they lived next door to each other but served in different units. I am always pleased to assist in this way and have put several people back in touch with each other over the winter. Please remember that the reunion in Winchester this year is a week later than normal, if you turn up a week early you may find yourself a little lonely but on the plus side there should be hardly any queue to get served in the Bakers! Apart from our reunion in July there is also Greenstock to look forward to, the details of which are covered in this edition, please support this event which is organised by the Central England branch. My thanks go to the editorial team who help me compile this E-zine, Arne Bergsand, Mark Adams, Seamus Lyons, and Ron Cassidy. Look out for the winter edition when more details of our 50th anniversary gathering will be published. In the meantime have happy and sunny summer, Best wishes
Kevin Stevens
RGJ E-mail Addresses They look like: your.name@rgjassociation.info
We currently have just under 1000 RGJ e-mail addresses available to paid up members of the association. E-Zine 2015
If you would like one of these which come with full instructions on how to add it to your own e-mail client please email: admin@rgjassociation.info with your name and your regimental number (which will be used for the password) and I will send you your own RGJ email address within 48 hours. Kevin Stevens Volume 7 Issue 1 | 7
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Regimental Number Plates
Iconic regimental paintings from the forming regiments of The Royal Green Jackets such as The Rearguard and Fording The Alma encapsulates perfectly the quite distinctive esprit de corps of Riflemen who have served with pride within our unique regiment since its formation in 1966. So much so that even after retirement a number of ex members of the regiment being proud of having been a Rifleman and recognising the value of those same admirable and free thinking qualities have taken and used them in both their social and professional civilian lives. For example how many do you know whose private car now displays RGJ vehicle registration numbers or whose trade or business name has a direct or associated connection with the regimental title and livery? Quite a number we are sure you will agree. With this in mind therefore we would like to invite as many ex Rifleman as possible who have such a VRN plate on their private car or associated advertising livery on their business vehicle to bring them along to a quite unique photoshoot to be held on the 9th July 2016 at the regiments Anniversary Reunion at SJM Barracks. The resultant image might not contain quite the same drama as our favourite regimental paintings but in this modern electronic world it will undoubtedly be: Old it! Flash Bang Wallop, What a Picture – What a Picture, What a Photograph! (Apologies to Tommy Steele and Half a Sixpence) Please contact John Fritz-Domeney ( johnfd@o2.co.uk ) for further information.
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2B or NOT 2B – An RGJ plate is much better
Private registration plates were once considered a tacky accessory for the footballers and the taste-less, however with new car sales soaring year after year so have cherished plate sales. Some people love them, some people hate them.
on an official vehicle register, and to carry number plates. The Act was passed in order that vehicles could be easily traced in the event of an accident or contravention of the law. 101 years later the number plate has changed its layout, gained additional letters and changed colour.
The Motor Car Act 1903, which came into force on 1 January 1904, required all motor vehicles to be entered
Kevin Stevens K 20 RGJ
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RGJ Association Branch and Photographic Websites
What’s that, I hear you ask? Well, on 21st April Google changed their search algorithms to reflect the change in browsing habits and the shift from using Computers and Laptops to mobile devices to browse the web. Google has always favoured sites with good usability in its rankings, but now the importance of mobileusability will be markedly increased as Google expand their use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. An online statement from Google revealed that “this change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.” So, if a website cannot be viewed correctly in all Browser sizes down-to and including Mobile Phones then it goes to the back of the rankings! What did this mean to me? A lot of hard work and many more hours on this computer! I maintain
eleven Branch sites and the Photographic site. I’m happy to report that all the Branch sites are now fully ‘Responsive’ as shown by the photo. That leaves the Photographic site to sort out. You can imagine the work involved with over 38,000 photo’s and 1586 pages. At the time of writing this article, I have just started to completely overhaul it but I think it will take me three months or more to complete. At this moment then, it’s not Responsive but can still be viewed on your Computers and Laptops. This will also give me the chance to enhance many of the photo’s that were previously installed. I receive many emails with regards to it. Two of the most notable are the little boy who thanked me for ‘putting Granddad’s photo on the page. I thought he was telling me fibs, but I can now see him with his rifle fighting those naughty men in the jungle”, and the other from a military vehicle collector in California who was in possession of a 2 RGJ FV701 Daimler Ferret Scout Car and wanted to know the correct paint colours of it!
Seamus Lyons 10 | Volume 7 Issue 1
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RGJA Branches AYLESBURY BRANCH The branch is still alive and well despite the lack of numbers. We currently have 20 paid up members although only about half of those support the branch on a regular basis. Recruiting has proven challenging over the years and efforts are ongoing to improve the situation. The early part of 2015 saw the sad passing of two of our Buckinghamshire Battalion Old Comrades.
Derek Hawes
Derek aged 94 was a bugler with the 2nd Bucks Battalion. He was with the battalion during the defence of Hazebrouck in France where 59 soldiers lost their lives. He was captured and spent the remaining years of the war as a POW. He was a very modest man and will be missed by everyone who knew him. The branch was represented at the funeral which was greatly appreciated by the family.
Raymond “Tich” Rayner
“Tich” aged 95 was a well-respected and very popular person in the Aylesbury area. He joined the Buckinghamshire Battalion in 1935 and at the outbreak of World War 2 the Battalion formed part of the BEF and “Tich” was sent to France. He was subsequently evacuated from Dunkirk. On his return from France he joined 2nd Ox & Bucks LI and in 1944 he was part of the glider force sent to secure Pegasus Bridge. “Tich” was a true gentleman and will be missed by all. His funeral was attended by upwards of 250 people including several senior officers. The branch formed a guard of honour ably supported by the Milton Keynes and Oxford Branches. The branch held the annual Copenhagen Dinner in April. With the support of the RBL and other local military associations we managed to seat 68 people for the evening which was a great success. It is hoped that the branch will be well represented at the Veteran’s Day at Winchester in July. E-Zine 2015
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CENTRAL ENGLAND BRANCH It seems only five minutes since compiling our write up for Swift and Bold, yet here we are again writing for the June RGJ E-zine. Nonetheless, we have a fair bit going on within the Central England Branch. On the social side, since our last entry we have had two fairly successful fundraising events. Both with the aim to raise revenue for Greenstock 2015 (21– 23 August 2015). At the beginning of February, The Top Star public house at Tipton in the Black Country, played host to yet another enjoyable event. Organsied by Branch Member ‘Ray Gaffney’, this is becoming an annual gathering just after New Year. The day was busy with around 40 members plus guests passing through at varying periods. Money was raised through raffle draws, football cards and an auction with around £900 going into the Greenstock pot. Entertainment was provided with two male vocalists accompanied by accoustic guitars and a disco. By mid evening the pub was packed to the rafters following a visit from the Birmingham Mystery Pub Bus which usually moves off after a pint. Due to the excellent ambience they ended up staying over for the remainder of the evening. The overall event was made more enjoyable by virtue of the number of Veterans that travelled to support it, some coming many miles up A34/M40 from Gosport/ Portsmouth (Art Hayward, Bryan ‘Banger’ Harvey picking up Clint Hill en route). Tony North from Warrington and UKIP Party Official ‘Dickie Bird’ from Oxford all helping to make the occasion so enjoyable. Hats off to Ray Gaffney, he always puts great effort into ensuring that everyone is welcome and that proceeding run without fuss. A quiet period was had between February and April with planning and prepping for Greenstock, Armed Forces Day and our first, planned Christmas Event (2015) keeping the Committee busy and the bi-annual visit to Peninsula Barracks by the Chairman and myself for the RGJA Spring Meeting last week of April. As usual Branch Chairman and NMA LO ‘Mark Picken’ continues to act as the conduit between the RGJ Council and the staff at Alrewas coupled with corresponding with the Stone Mason whom is about to commence the lifting of our Memorial. Hopefully a comprehensive update of works will be published once this has been achieved. Speaking of the NMA at Alrewas, more details regarding future events including the Northern Ireland Veterans Parade (Sept 15) which we will be heavily involved again will be announced on our Facebook page in addition to the CEBRGJRA Webpage. Please note that due to the advanced planning of our FOE, we will not be part-taking of the AFD at NMA. Instead we will continue to support Birmingham Central as we have done so for the past 3 years. Anyone wishing to visit that location during AFD should note that it gets heavily congested with parking limited therefore, you should aim off with travel timings and parking. On the 9th May The Cock Inn, Bartley Green, Birmingham 12 | Volume 7 Issue 1
staged the second fundraiser for Greenstock. Landlady ‘Emma’ and Branch Property Member Gary Collins did us proud with the RGJ décor. Fine ale and entertainment for younger familiy members were enjoyed culminating with a disco later in the evening. The fundraising was a resounding success (various Raffle prizes, Auction and Football Cards) thanks to the tenacity of Emma and guile of Gary contributing to a great occasion. The one downside being that it clashed with Army v Navy Rugby and numbers present were less than expected (20 – 25). This however, did little to dampen the enjoyment or hamper the amount raised (£1050). A massive thanks goes out to Gary and Emma and all those that helped to facilitate the occasion. As we approach the mid-year point, our next gathering will be the weekend of 5th, 6th and 7th June 2015 at Peny-Fan, Brecon. A team of 10 individuals and a couple of support staff will travel up to North Wales where they will attempt to do the Fan Dance. Organised by John J Jones, this will be the last Greenstock fundraising event prior to the Festival itself taking place in August. More on this later once the blisters fade!! Before I finish our piece, I would like to express our gratitude to Brigadier (Retired) Hugh Willing Chairman of the RGJA Committee who through his intervention was able to secure a grant of £5k to guarantee that all infrastructure costs for Greenstock would be covered. The Planning Council agreed the grant and thus allows us to put on better facilities for this years’ Festival. A mention also goes out to Roy Stanger (Winchester Branch) for expressing his support with our application. On behalf of CEBRGJRA, we salute and thank you. Finally, tickets for Greenstock are still available at £20 per person for the weekend (Camping, Live Music, Cheap Ale, Food, Exoctic Coffee, Merchandise, Bouncy Castle, Jousting and Tattooist) under 16s free, dogs also welcome. Methods of payment are: Paypal at CentralEnglandBranch@hotmail.com or by arrangement with Treasurer ‘Guy Mynett’ or myself – ring for details or message via Facebook plusmynettlag@hotmail.co.uk or petepage71@hotmail.com ‘To our fellow Officers and Riflemen across the globe, we wish you all well. If you have not already done so, go visit the Waterloo Diorama within our Museum, it is looking extremely impressive. Saw it last week and well impressed, you will be too. Swift and Bold Pete Page Secretary E-Zine 2015
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EAST MIDLAND BRANCH For the past 40 years the Fellowship of Veterans has organised and run the Remembrance parade at Sutton in Ashfield which is in North Nottinghamshire.
by the Royal Green Jacket Association East Midlands branch. Many thanks go to Mr Roy Harrison who has worked so hard to make this happen.
Numbers on parade has increased each year and now consists at present of approx. 200.
On the 29th of May some of our members attended a Rifles passing out parade at Rimy barracks, Catterick and although the weather wasn’t very good we all had a great time, special thanks to our host Sgt White, we then had lunch in the Sgts Mess where we were warmly welcomed and reminisced of our own passing out parades and times past.
Unfortunately as attendance has increased, Fellowship members have fallen to about 6.As this parade relies on the local council to make a donation, the Fellowship had to find an alternative group with more than 13 members, so they approached our Welfare Officer Mr Roy Harrison, who raised the question of our Branch taking on the responsibility. We have attended this parade for the past 2 years, and received many positive comments about our turnout, so we put the question to the vote and all members agreed we should take this on. Therefore all future Remembrance Parades at Sutton in Ashfield will be organised and run
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I close on a sad note having recently lost one of our branch members Danny Tucker formerly of 3RGJ, who sadly passed away on 30th Apr 2015. He will be missed by family and friends alike. Swift and Bold Len Dooley, Chairman
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NORTH EAST BRANCH The Branch has been busy for the first half of this year. We have already had two Meetings with a good turnout for each one. The Annual General Meeting was held on 17th April during which important changes to the management of the Branch were discussed and voted on. It was agreed that new blood was needed to build on the success of the last seven years. David Nicol was voted in as the Vice Chairman until such time as he has completed his takeover as Chairman from Jake Cheetham. John Snell became the new Secretary, Jackie Richardson the Treasurer and John Toolin remains as Entertainments Manager. The Branch is enormously grateful to Jake Cheetham(and his family), Naomi Loftus and John Kelly for their dedication and hard work as Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. Our President, Brigadier Nicholas Prideaux, will also be standing down after the Remembrance Day Weekend and Colonel James Ramsbotham was unanimously elected as his replacement. In view of the importance of next year’s 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Regiment, Kenneth Richardson was appointed as the Branch Representative on the organizing Committee based in Winchester. He has already attended his first meeting.
Plans for the Remembrance Day Weekend (6th-8th November 2015) will be discussed at our next Meeting on 26th June. The Chairman designate is planning to start the Weekend with a Veterans Golf Competition. Further details will be posted later. In June, Geordie Oates, John Toolin and Tony Robinson attended the annual Pegasus Bridge Remembrance Day celebrations. The 43rd and 52nd Flag was much in evidence as the photos show. All Association Members are invited to attend a Ceremony at the War Memorial in Mowbray Park, Sunderland to place a VC Paving Stone to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the award of the Victoria Cross to Captain George Maling RAMC who was serving with the 12th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade. More details will be posted soon. All Members are looking forward to seeing fellow Riflemen in Winchester next month, up here in Sunderland in November and most of all in 2016 as we all celebrate the Association’s 50th Birthday. Swift and Bold, The North East Team
LeŌ to right: Roy Rrower MBE, Kev Fury, Bob Beesley , Geordie Oates and Tony Robinson. Back row: Derek Hunter and John Toolin. E-Zine 2015
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NORTH WEST BRANCH Dear Fellow Riflemen The past 9 months here at the NW Branch has seen a massive transition. Should you not have already heard that our Chairman, since the early 1990’s, Gareth Dixon died after a short illness in Fazakerly Hospital Liverpool on 2nd November 2014. The branch and the RGJ family will miss him a great deal. His funeral was held at Anfield Crematorium where approximately 300 people from all over the country attended. The service was relayed outside as not everybody was able to get into the crematorium. His sister sends this message to all his friends and acquaintances: To all the friends of Gareth Dixon
so that the new committee were guided through the processes of the association. When Gareth died Ray agreed to become treasurer of the branch and with his experience in the running of the branch to liaise with the rest of the committee and pass on this knowledge. Following our appeal for donations to provided Peter Uden a permanent memorial, I can now announce that due to generous donations from members of the North West Branch, some members of other branches and even from abroad, we managed to raise all the funds necessary to provide Peter with a memorial stone. The balance was made up by an anonymous benefactor who we all extend our most sincere gratitude. I also must mention that without the generosity of the J C Langford and Sons, Monumental Masons in Fareham, who reduced the cost of the memorial by a significant amount, this project would have taken a lot longer to complete. A special thanks go to Ken Newman who authorised the
I would like to thank all of Gareth’s friends in the Green Jacket family and beyond for not only a wonderful send off for him but also for raising a total of £510 for Help 4 Hero’s. He would be proud of you all. Ruth Dixon The Remembrance Parade in Liverpool was held on 9th November 2014. About 50 people attend the parade. After the parade we then formed up at the rear in St John's Gardens where we laid a wreath at our NI Memorial Stone. After the laying of the wreath we lined up for a photo shoot then we made our way to a local watering hole for a few light refreshments. The branch AGM was held on 23rd January 2015 at the Thistle Hotel Liverpool. 24 members attended. A copy of the minutes has been posted on the NW Branch Website. The main issue was to elect a new committee following the death of Gareth and Ray resigning from his post as secretary due to work commitments 5 days prior to Gareths death. The committee elect is as follows President: Brigadier David Innes. Chairman: Tom Fairclough Assistant Chairman: Jimmy Matthews. Secretary: Mark Lydiat. Treasurer: Ray Gerrard. Rifles Liaison Officer: WO2 Dave Crossley. Entertainments/Social Events Sub Committee: Tom Fairclough Steve Donoghue Arthur Toleman When Ray Gerrard resigned as secretary, Gareth asked him to oversee the running of the branch for 12 months 16| Volume 7 Issue 1
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reduced cost and to Kelly who made all the arrangements and liaised with Ray Gerrard, who felt obliged to finish Gareth Dixon’s final legacy. Joyce, Peters widow, would like to thank everybody involved with this project and the North West Branch would like to thank all those people who donated. Again the generosity of the Royal Green Jackets has once again shone through.
Our Entertainments committee has arranged our Summer Ball which is to be held this year at the Atlantic Thistle Hotel Liverpool on Saturday 20th June 2015. A detailed account of the evening will be produced in the next E-zine. We are expecting a good turnout for the Northern Ireland memorial day usually held on fathers day and also armed forces day on 27th June 2015. (To be con nued on next page)
Members of the North West Branch on Veterans day 2014.
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Day in Winchester on 18th July 2015.
Prior to Gareth’s departure he asked a ‘fellow Brother’ David, in his Masonic Lodge to do him a favour and to always look after the Northern Ireland memorial stone. David, true to his word, after Gareth passed away, went down to St Johns Gardens in his professional capacity as a stone mason cleaned it up, repaired and repainted the gold lettering. This is something David has said he will always do as long as he is able. Our thanks go out to him and as we knew he collected regimental plaques a RGJ wall plaque was presented to him for the service he has given us.
The Rifleman’s Dinner is to be held on 3rd October 2015. Applications will be sent out to all NW Branch Members sometime after the Summer Ball.
Once again this year we are trying to arrange a coach to transport some of our member to Winchester for Veterans’
A report of all these events will be made in the next edition. Until next time, yours in green from all the committee of the NW Branch Mark Lydiat Secretary melydiat@yahoo.co.uk 0151 283 0391 or 07415 092193
WILTSHIRE BRANCH Halfway through another year already! where does all the time go, we have been enjoying ourselves in Wiltshire, starting the year with our AGM in January, as reported in the Swift and Bold, committee remains the same this can be viewed on our Branch website. In February we gathered at the Hunters Moon for our Ladies dinner night, we have been away from the Hunters for a couple of years as it was up for sale, but this is now off the cards so we gave it another go, a very good evening was had with well over forty sitting down, one of our best attended functions for some time. Then in April we went for something new and had a Thai Buffett Lunch on Sunday the 7th, this was held in the Thai Rice restaurant, Warminster due to numbers the owners closed to the public so we could hold a private lunch, and very good it was, as much as you could eat, one I hope we can repeat next year, well done Phil and Val for the organisation of both these functions Last month saw us along with The Royal British Legion Warminster Branch, on Sunday 24th in Heytsbury Village manning the water point on the fifth and final day of The Forces Charity run / March, retracing the route that 2nd Bn Ox & Bucks took in 1942 Devon to Bulford total distance of 135 ish miles the oldest runner a lady over 70 years who has taken part in over 250 marathons looked fresher than some of us handing out water! Dutch Holland came through in a Project 65 tee shirt bearing L/Sjt Tich Rayner’s name, Dutch was not the only face that was known to us, but was the only one running, all the others were on the safety team, although our Branch may have an entry next year “watch this space”. We had moved our location this year to the Red Lion which gave us more space, and once the water point closed sixteen of us sat down to a very good Sunday roast. True to say the event doesn’t need as many of us that turn out, but it is always a good excuse to “swing the lamp” and just get together with wives, partners. 18 | Volume 7 Issue 1
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Events coming along: August: A Mexican BBQ, October: Our 17th Annual dinner, Cabaret / dance, November: Remembrance weekend, and Skittles with a fish and chip supper, December: Christmas Eve drinks. We will have members at both Veterans Day, and Greenstock.
Branch meetings: July 16th, September 3rd, and December 10th all are Thursdays, held in the Warminster Conservative Club, commencing at 20:00 hours, One piece of bad news as I write this our Webmaster Lee Massey is in Bournemouth hospital after having a leg amputated above the knee, this is the second time the other leg was amputated below the knee a while back, Lee is now under going tests for a heart condition, our thoughts are with both Lee and Gwyneth at this time.
Dutch Holland.
Brian Darvill Branch Chairman brian.darvill@live.co.uk
Relaxing a er seeing the runners on their way to Bulford. E-Zine 2015
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THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS (RIFLES) MUSEUM
It was somewhat of a relief but not, I am glad to report, an anti-climax when the long-heralded ‘With the Rifles to Waterloo’ Bicentenary Exhibition was declared open by the Duke of Wellington on 25 March 2015. During the previous 18 months the Exhibition Project Steering Group had laboured hard to meet the deadline originally set when the Museum submitted its £100,000 grant application to the Heritage Lottery Fund. There were moments when it looked as if the little green man, Murphy, would have the better of us and, if things could go wrong, they would, but in the end and, as it sometimes felt, against the odds, we were able to host 90 invited guests at the opening. The exhibition opening was remarkable not just because it marked the launch of our Waterloo exhibition, but because it was the day on which Colonel George Smythe, President of the London Branch of the Association, unveiled Jason Askew’s painting of ‘The Rout of the French Imperial Guard at Waterloo’ featuring the flanking attack of the 52nd Light Infantry, supported by the 2nd/95th Rifles. The Branch, under the inspirational leadership of its Chairman, Gary Driscoll, who was also present at the unveiling, raised the challenging sum of £10,000 to pay for the commissioning of the artist. I was always worried thereafter that the membership might not like it as new paintings are notorious for failing to please everyone. This one, however, seems to have been particularly well received by nearly all who have seen it
hanging in the Museum’s new Kincaid Gallery. (You have to see it ‘in the flesh’ to appreciate its size (6’ x 4’) and the detail.) Professional photography of the painting has just been completed and it is hoped to have prints available for sale in the Museum shop and on-line very soon.
The Duke of Wellington and General Wallace discuss the Museum’s Waterloo diorama.
Readers of previous E-zines will know that the Museum was heavily dependent upon an Appeal to raise the funds to part-fund the exhibition. The initial target of £100,000 was steadily raised, for one reason and another, to £200,000. As recorded in the most recent edition of the Association Journal Swift and Bold published at the beginning of March, the £200,000 target was successfully achieved thanks to the generosity of around 200 individuals, a dozen trusts and grant from regimental funds.
Colonel George Smythe, President of the London Branch of the Associa on, unveils Jason Askew’s pain ng of the rout of the French Imperial Guard. 20 | Volume 7 Issue 1
Since the exhibition opened, the Museum has been running a full events programme of talks, seminars and (To be con nued on next page) E-Zine 2015
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children’s activity days which will continue through to 30 September. The word has also got around that the exhibition is a ‘must see’. Nearly every visitor seems to think it is ‘marvellous’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘not to be missed’ with some returning days afterwards to visit again, usually bringing someone new with them. As a result the Museum has enjoyed a 45% increase in visitor numbers in April and May, breaking all previous records for each of these months. ‘Overthe-counter’ shop sales have Winchester College CCF with their Colours march on at the start of the garlanding of Sir John Colborne’s statue outside the Museum on 3 June. also increased by over 100%. If the current momentum is the gallant Colonel 200 years on by placing a garland of maintained through to the end of the year, there is every laurels around his neck. prospect that the Museum will meet its declared target of 15,000 visitors in 2015, which, too, will be a record. And, on that happy note, and if you have not already got the message, let me assure you that the exhibition Readers familiar with the Museum will know that outside is proving a winner. If you have not yet seen it, I strongly the Museum there is a statue of John Colborne, 1st recommend that you do and that you bring your wives, Baron Seaton, who commanded the 52nd Light Infantry girlfriends, mums, dads, grandparents, in-laws, aunts, at Waterloo and initiated the flank attack that routed the uncles, nephews, nieces and friends with you! French Imperial Guard. He was educated at Winchester College and on 3 June the Headmaster and a contingent Lt-Gen Sir Christopher Wallace from the College CCF, together with their Colours, Chairman, RGJ (Rifles) Museum Trustees paraded in front of the Museum to pay a fitting tribute to
The Duke of Wellington on his arrival for the exhibi on opening on 25 March meets a guard of honour provided by the 2nd/95th Rifles Re-enactment Society . E-Zine 2015
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The Rout of the French Imperial Guard at Waterloo 18 June 1815
The Rout of the French Imperial Guard at Waterloo 18 June 1815 Paing by Jason Askew (b.1966). Oil on canvas 130 x 206. This painting by the South African-born artist, Jason Askew, was commissioned by The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum to mark the Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo. It is 7.50 p.m. on Sunday, 18th June 1815. A column of the French Imperial Guard has just been repulsed by the 1st Foot Guards of Major-General Maitland’s brigade (top left, red uniforms, colours flying). The final column of advancing chasseurs (centre, middle ground) is about to be attacked in the flank by the 52nd Light Infantry of MajorGeneral Adam’s brigade (bottom right). Colonel Sir John Colborne, commanding the 52nd, who, on his own initiative, ordered his Regiment to move forward and attack the Imperial Guard in the flank, is shown on his horse with his sword raised (bottom right). Ensign William Leeke, aged 17, who survived and wrote a vivid account about the manoeuvre, is to his left carrying the 52nd’s Regimental Colour. (Ensign Nettles carrying the King’s Colour was killed earlier in the day and the Colour was not recovered until the following day.) The 2nd/95th Rifles (bottom left), commanded by Captain Logan, on foot carrying a sword, are providing fire support for the 52nd with their Baker rifles. The 4th Chasseurs of the French Imperial Guard, with an Eagle and Tricolour prominent in the centre of the painting, are facing outwards to oppose the 52nd. On the hill (top left) the Duke of Wellington on horseback is surveying the scene, accompanied by Baron Tripp, 60th Regiment, aide-de-camp to HRH The Prince of Orange. Within minutes the Imperial Guard is routed under the sudden impact of the 52nd’s musketry and a battalion charge, bayonets fixed. Wellington then orders his army to advance and the Allied victory at Waterloo soon follows.
This painting was generously funded and presented to the Museum by the London Branch of The Royal Green Jackets Regimental Association. 22 | Volume 7 Issue 1
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To contact the Museum, telephone or e-mail the Curator, Christine Pullen. Tel: 01962 828549 or e-mail: curator@rgjmuseum.co.uk To purchase items from the Museum Shop, for information about forthcoming events, and to read interesting articles about the Museum, visit www.rgjmuseum.co.uk
E -zine The next issue of E-zine will be published on 30 November 2015. E-Zine 2015
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Sir John Colborne Later Field Marshal, 1st Baron Seaton, GCB, GCMG, GCH (1778-1863)
Colonel Sir John Colborne, 1821, by Jan Willem Pieneman (1779-1853). © Apsley House, The Wellington Collec on.
Colborne was born at Lyndhurst in Hampshire and was a pupil at Winchester College from 1789-94. On leaving school at the age of 16, he joined the Army, transferring to the 52nd Light Infantry in 1811. He commanded the Regiment in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. On 18th June 1815, when the last column of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard advanced on the right flank of Wellington’s army at around 7:30 p.m., Colbome, on his own initiative, wheeled his battalion into a position to attack the Imperial Guard in their left flank. The effect was immediate. The French were routed, with Colbome, urged on by Wellington, leading his battalion in pursuit Victory at Waterloo soon followed. Colbome was knighted in January 1815 and created Baron Seaton in 1839. He was promoted field marshal in 1860. He died at Torquay in Devon in 1863.
BICENTENARY OF THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO GARLANDING OF SIR JOHN COLBORNE
The garlanding of the statue of John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton, outside The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 3rd June 2015, in the presence of the Headmaster and members of Winchester College Combined Cadet Force, recognises the pivotal part played by Colbome and the 52nd Light Infantry in the rout of the French Imperial Guard at the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June 1815. In conducting this ceremony, we honour an exemplary soldier; a man who was an inspiration and example to those with whom he served; a man in whom his subordinates had the greatest confidence and who was much loved and respected by them; and a man in whom those at Winchester College and The Rifles today may very properly take great pride. 24 | Volume 7 Issue 1
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2015 - Year of Anniversaries
2015 marks a year of some significant anniversaries; the signing of Magna Carta, Agincourt, Waterloo, the end of WWII, Gallipoli and in early May Penny and I attended two historic commemoration ceremonies of The Rifles’ Allied Regiments. The first in London for the Gurkhas 200th Anniversary of Service to the Crown and the second in Ypres for the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry’s 100th anniversary of their first great battle honour at nearby Frezenberg. For the Gurkha commemoration, to which a large contingent with the band had marched down the Mall, we assembled in the special enclosure beside the Gurkha memorial in front of the MoD main entrance in Whitehall Place. There followed a moving service and wreath laying ceremony before attending a talk and reception at the Royal United Services Institute. There was much fellow feeling as it was only days after the massive earthquake, which had devastated Nepal. On both occasions we caught up with a number of old friends including Field Marshal Sir John Chapple, from whom I had taken over command of the Gurkha Field Force in Hong Kong thirty-seven years ago. Also there were Lt General Sir Peter Duffel, Brigadier Sir Miles Hunt-Davis and Brigadier Bruce Jackman, all of whom, at the time, had commanded their Gurkha battalions in the Field Force, which also included the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets. Having fifty-seven years ago been the first post war, and the second ever, Rifle Brigade exchange officer with the PPCLI, I was invited to attend several commemorative events, the first of which was a reception at the Canadian High Commission. The Guest of honour was ninety one year old Patricia Countess Mountbatten, who had taken over from Princess Patricia as Colonel in Chief and, despite her IRA bomb injuries, was in great form and her active presence was very much appreciated. Penny and I then drove to Ypres via Calais to stay in the charming Ariane Hotel, which we had frequented on a previous trip. Also staying in the Hotel were Major Ron and Shirley Cassidy. Ron had been my company sergeant major in Borneo fifty years ago. He was there in his role as Chairman of The Rifle Brigade Association, of which I am President. On the car ferry we had also met another family group of three couples staying in our hotel for the Patricia commemorations. We introduced ourselves to one another as we got out of the cars as one of them was wearing the VP regimental cypher on his blazer. When names were exchanged it emerged that two of the three brothers, the de Courcy-Ireland’s, had overlapped at Radley with me rising seventy years 26 | Volume 7 Issue 1
ago. More remarkably they were the great nephews of Brigadier Andrew Hamilton-Gault, the revered founder of the Patricia’s, who I had the privilege of meeting on arrival in Montreal and subsequently had been an honorary pall bearer in his funeral procession. At the Patricia ‘meet and greet’ on the first evening I had a delightful reunion with Ida Schjelderup, whose late (To be con nued on next page) E-Zine 2015
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husband Roger had been my outstanding and highly decorated commanding officer in 2 PPCLI in Edmonton. There were a number of Patricia’s there who had been young subalterns when I had served with the 1st and 2nd Battalions including General John de Chastelain who uniquely was twice Chief of the Canadian Defence Staff, Ambassador to the USA and then on retirement became Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in Northern Ireland.
The ceremonies included a very moving service and wreath laying at the Patricia’s memorial at Frezenberg, sited in open agricultural land, attended by a large number of people in temporary stands; two companies and the Commanding Officer of 2 PPCLI, the Edmonton Police Band, the Commander of the Canadian Army, the Colonel-in-Chief, the Regimental Colonel and various senior Canadian and Belgian officers and the Canadian Ambassador. I was privileged to be one of the speechmakers, laid a Rifles’ wreath and was accorded a ‘general salute’ on formal arrival and departure in a smart Mercedes hire car, ably driven by Sergeant Cameron PPCLI. I was escorted by Lt Colonel Dick Ovey, a serving and uniformed Rifles officer, who has also been an exchange officer with the Patricia’s. The event was all the more moving as my father, then a regular subaltern in the King’s Dragoon Guards, had been seriously wounded only a few days after the Patricia’s battle just a few hundred yards along the ridge at Hooge where some of the trenches still remain. We then went on to have lunch, and in due course dinner, with the Colonel-in-Chief, The Rt Hon Madame Adrienne Clarkson, until recently the Governor-General of Canada. A most remarkable person and the first female, first oriental and first refugee Governor-General having escaped from the Japanese with her Chinese parents from Hong Kong as a small child in 1942. It was pleasing to share with her the links with the Patricias, Hong Kong and that my four greats grand father, General Sir Guy Carleton, had been the first GovernorGeneral of Canada 1786-1796. The evening included the Patricia contingent exercising their rights of the Freedom of Ypres to march E-Zine 2015
round the town, followed by the traditional Last Post Ceremony at the packed Menin Gate. The whole Patricia series of centennial events that we attended in Ypres and Frezenberg had been marvellously well organised and we felt very proud of our Allied Regiment.
We returned to the Menin Gate with the Cassidys the next day to lay a wreath below the panels with the 1394 Rifle Brigade names with no known graves in the Ypres salient.
Penny and I also re-visited cemeteries including the vast Tyne Cot and Voormezele to lay a wreath at the gravestone of Lt Colonel Hugh Buller, The Rifle Brigade (To be con nued on next page) Volume 7 Issue 1 | 27
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and first adjutant and second commanding officer of the PPCLI. He had been ADC to Princess Patricia’s father, The Duke of Connaught, Governor General and Colonel Commandant of The Rifle Brigade, when Hamilton-Gault raised the Regiment in August 1914. On returning via Calais Penny and I laid a wreath at the imposing Green Jacket memorial at the pier head at which we normally attend an annual service in late May. Three Green Jacket battalions had been sent there to protect the southern flank of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940.
There was to be no evacuation for them. In September 1944 it was a young bloodied and dishevelled Captain Roger Schjelderup, then in the Canadian Scottish, who took the surrender of one of the forts in Calais from a very reluctant German commander. Thus passed a memorable ten days in May 2015 encompassing historic, regimental, family and personal anniversaries, commemorations, reunions, reminiscences and coincidences. Of such is the fabric of life made good. Major General Sir Michael Carleton-Smith, CBE DL
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2 Lt SC Woodroffe VC, The Rifle Brigade
Woodroffe was awarded the VC for most conspicuous bravery on the 30th July 1915, at Hooge, Belgium. As part of the WW1 commemorations a memorial paving stone will be laid in his town of birth Lewes in East Sussex at 11am on Thursday 30 July 2015. The location of the ceremony is at Lewes Library, Styles Field, BN7 2LZ This is a public event and lasts for about 30 minutes. The Rifle Brigade Assn will be represented. Members of the RGJ Assn from the local area may wish to attend.
Hooge, near Ypres, Belgium 30 July 1915 On 30 July 1915 at Hooge, east of Ypres, 8th Battalion The Rifle Brigade had just taken over a section of trenches when at about 3.15am the Germans attacked. A two- or three-minute bombardment was followed by the Germans deploying 'liquid fire', their first use of flamethrowers. Under cover of the flames and smoke German bombers then stormed the British line. Second Lieutenant S C Woodroffe's platoon had been unaffected by the flame throwers and fought off the attempts of the bombers. However they were almost cut off by the German advance and Woodroffe managed to withdraw the platoon to British lines by wayof the Menin Road. At 2.45pm the British mounted a major counter-attack but the preceding bombardment had made little impression on the enemy and Woodroffe was among the many attackers to be killed, shot while cutting through enemy barbed wire. Sidney Clayton WOODROFFE VC Second Lieutenant, 8th Battalion The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), 41st Brigade, 14th Division War Office, 6th September, 1915. Second Lieutenant Sidney Clayton Woodroffe, late 8th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own) CITATION: For most conspicuous bravery on the .30th july, 1915, at Hooge. The enemy having broken through the centre of our front trenches, consequent on the,use of burning liquids, this Officer’s position was heavily attacked with bombs from the flank and subsequently from the rear, but he managed to defend his post until all his bombs were exhausted, and then skilfully withdrew his remaining men. This very gallant Officer immediately led his party forward in a counter-attack under an intense rifle and machine-gun fire, and was killed whilst in the act of cutting the wire obstacles in the open. (Third Supplement to The London GazeƩe of 3 September 1915. 6 September 1915, Nunib. 29286, p. 8839) E-Zine 2015
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The 75th Anniversary of the Defence of Calais
Early morning: The Green Jacket Memorial in Calais on 26 of May 2015, with from the le the French tricolour, the flags of, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, The Rifle Brigade, the Royal Tank Regiment, the Queen’s Victoria Rifles and the Union Flag. On a clear day the white cliffs of Dover can be seen from the area of the memorial. An early riser has already laid a wreath in memory to those who fought, also the too many that had died in the Defence of Calais
The 26th of May was the date chosen for this year’s Commemoration Service at Calais, why 26th? That was the date that the three Green Jacket battalions, also the RTR and so many others, not least the French surrendered to the Germans. They had gallantly diverted the German tanks from Dunkirk The lists of casualties were huge for such a short time-span; more were to die en-route to the Prisoner of War (POW) camps. The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill said: “Only thirty survivors were brought off by the Navy and we do not know the fate of their comrades. Their sacrifice was not, however in vain. At least two armoured divisions which otherwise would have been turned against the Bri sh Expedi onary force had to be sent for to overcome them. They have added another page to the glories of the Light Division” Mr Winston S Churchill The House of Commons 4th JUNE 1940 Prior to the Commemoration Service all attendees had lunch and Norman Hummerstone of the Queen’s Victoria Rifle Association paid tribute to those who had come for the service; he singled out various people and paid tribute to them. 30 | Volume 7 Issue 1
Major Ron Cassidy then said (though abbreviated at the time, for time was short):. Fellow guests please can I have your attention. I would just like to say a few words about Norman Hummerstone the Secretary of the Queen’s Victoria Rifles Association and his constant ability to annually get us all on parade, here in Calais. He and latterly with the help of Richard Frost have achieved what many would find too hard to do, or because they are too busy to do so. I believe I have been coming here since about 1983, always encouraged by Norman and meeting here for lunch at the Cercle Maritime with its views over some of the last positions that fell to the Hun on the 26th May 1940. On the 27th of July, 1943 the Dean of ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL said at a service for Calais: “We are met together in the heart of this great City and Empire to render thanks unto Almighty God for the wide mercies vouchsafed to us and to all mankind through the devotion and self sacrifice of those who in May, 1940, held Calais against the enemy-to commemorate before Him (To be con nued on next page) E-Zine 2015
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Norman Hummerstone, Esq., MBE, Chairman, Queen Victoria's Rifles Regimental Association.
Please convey my warm thanks to the Representative Members of the Regimental Associations of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, The Rifle Brigade, The Queen Victoria’s Rifles, the Royal Tank Regiment, the Royal Corps of Signals and the Royal Green Jackets, together with Members of The Rifles, for their loyal greetings sent on the occasion of the Remembrance at the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Defence of Calais which is being held today. I much appreciate your thoughtfulness in writing as you did and, in return, send my best wishes to all concerned for a most memorable and Lunch and Service. ELIZABETH R.
26th May, 2015.
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dedication over so many years. Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask you to be upstanding and let us toast Norman for all he has done not just for us, but those who fought at Calais and those that have remained permanently on the continent. The toast is NORMAN.
Norman Hummerstone and Richard Frost on the Memorial. Norman reads part of the Service
those of the garrison who fell in battle or who have since died in captivity.” The Dean would not have known then but our fallen on that day and later during the march to the POW camps and whilst in them, have graves and memorials in places such as: Boulogne, Calais, Colditz, Cracow, Dunkirk, Esquelbeco, Estaples, Guemps, Les Baraques, Lille, Pihen-les Guines, Malbork, Marck, Poznan, St Omer, and in the UK. Those with no graves are remembered by name on the Dunkirk Memorial and other places. Norman our thanks for your perseverance and
If a tyrants hand descends upon England, a conqueror with his armies, let none think to escape. None, say I. Is there one of English blood who while he lives will feel the joy as heretofore of primroses in spring, the scent of summer meadows, the carolling of birds, the good fellowship of market day? The very laughter of our children will be hollow. We shall be a different people. Mr Speaker, we are not of different fibre from our forebears. William Pi (1803) A few days after the outbreak of war in September, 1939, The Times began to publish a series of quotations under the Heading “Old and True”. The title was derived from Shakespeare’s “There’s a saying very old and true”, and the Object, as The Times put it in a leading article, was” to find a passage old and true that could high the heart and fortify the mind during each day of trial, no matter how long the trial may be”. The trial proved very long indeed, but the pledge was honoured, and the series continued until May 15, 1945, a week after VE Day. The quote shown here was published in late May1940 when the battle in Calais was at its fiercest.
Last Post is sounded and the Service, brilliantly conducted by the Reverend Colin Fox T.D. draws to the end. 32 | Volume 7 Issue 1
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THE BERMUDA REGIMENT
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory 7 hours from the UK in the North Atlantic, at the same latitude as South Carolina, but with a sub tropical climate. It is 21 Square miles, has a population of 63,000 and was founded in 1609. The history of Bermuda is inextricably bound up with that of the military, as evident by the more than 90 forts and bases built over 400 years – equating to four every mile. Amongst the first stone buildings were forts manned by the civilian population (reminiscent of our current citizen soldiers) and the strategic importance of the Island became such that in due course thousands of soldiers and sailors were based in what was known at the ‘Gibraltar of the West’. The Bermuda Regiment are the successors of that history, which includes the sacrifice of those Bermudians who served with distinction in both world wars, 80 or whom died in the Great War, whose 100th anniversary is this year. The Regiment is just over 450 strong, with a mixture of full-time staff, part-time soldiers, volunteers and conscripts. It is based around a reserve light role infantry battalion, but has specialist capabilities including a police focused Operational Support Unit (OSU), Boat troop, Assault Pioneers, a cadet organisation and a Band. The Regiment’s mission is: to support the Civil Authority with the security of Bermuda, its people, property, livelihood and interests in order to maintain normality. This in turn is broken down into four main roles: 1. Disaster relief (natural & man made), state ceremonial activity and specialist support to the Bermuda Police Service; 2. Internal security (riot control and key point defence); 3. Social cohesion; and 4. Regional and international support. It has deployed locally and regionally on operational ‘embodiment’ on average every 2 years since its formation in its current guise in 1965. The Regiment is the only military force in Bermuda and is affiliated to, but not part of, the British Army. Operationally, our Commander-in-Chief is His Excellency the Governor, who has the constitutional responsibility for Security, but the funding of the Regiment comes through the Ministry of National Security (budget currently $6.9M). The Regiment, has very close links with the British Army, and follows British military doctrine, dress, ceremonial drill and other areas of best practice. 34 | Volume 7 Issue 1
It received the ‘Corps Warrant’ in 2000 and a number of key posts are held by former British military personnel, and unusually the current CO is a serving British Army Officer. The majority of our career training courses take place in the United Kingdom, including officer training at RMAS and the Regiment retains a historic link with the Royal Anglian Regiment, which dates back to WW1 and the Lincolnshire Regiment. It has had an affiliation with HQ LONDON DISTRICT since Dec 14. The Regiment has recently been the beneficiary of the close interest of the former CGS and the current ACGS, partly as a result of the particular circumstances of the appointment of the present CO. Routine engagement currently takes place through the British Defence Staff in Washington, who have a formal role as advisors to His Excellency the Governor, or direct with the R ANGLIAN Regiment. Last year there were a number of examples of UK and Bermuda Regiment Defence Engagement: in September three commanders were attached to 1 WG for EXERCISE ASKARI THUNDER 14 in Kenya and a four man Musical Short Term Training Team from the Army School of Music supported our Band’s on-Island Camp. October saw ACGS visit and two SASC instructors supported Range Management courses. In November the Army Masters Rugby Team took part in the Bermuda Rugby Classic and in December we supported an RMAS diving expedition. Whilst at the beginning of this year during our annual recruit camp, we hosted 3 overseas instructors, one from the UK. In May 15 we deployed on our annual overseas training exercise, this year to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and with an Internal Security Theme, and were joined by 3 UK Instructors. 2014 was a successful year, with the recruiting of volunteers increasing (now over half the annual intake), forming a joint EOD capability with the Police and our Overseas Exercise to Canada. Whilst in Oct of 2014 the Regiment was embodied (mobilised) in response to back-to-back hurricanes: FAY and GONZALO which caused widespread damage across the island. Elements from the Regiment’s main body and Immediate Response Teams (IRTs) were deployed to assist the Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) in returning the island to a state of normality. During the 10 day embodiment over 2140 man-days were committed (To be con nued on next page) E-Zine 2015
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Service; emergency distribution of critical stores; weatherproofing damaged homes; marine reassurance patrols; liaison for EMO; enabling the deployment of HS ARGYLL; and logistic support and assistance to other government departments. In the wake of the storms the Premier Michael Dunkley stated of the Regiment’s response: “The Bermuda Regiment is owed a debt of gratitude that cannot be paid.”
The Regiment Colours on Parade.
to hurricane and disaster relief, with tasks including: clearance of key arterial routes to allow emergency vehicle access, joint patrols with the Bermuda Police
This year, on 01 Sep 15, the Regiment will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in its current guise. A series of ‘BR50’ events are planned throughout the year in celebration, culminating in a tattoo in the old Royal Naval Dockyard in Oct 15 which will include the visit of our Royal Colonel, HRH the Duchess of Gloucester. To date, these have included a concert at Government House, the award and exercising of the Freedom of St George, a Regiment themed first day cover stamp issue, and a military float in the Bermuda Day parade. For those that are interested more information about the Regiment is on-line at our website http://www.bermudaregiment.bm/.
Ex ISLAND WARRIOR, Camp Lejeune, May 2015.
The Bermuda Regiment The Bermuda Regiment is the home defence unit of the Bri sh Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is a single territorial infantry ba alion that was formed by the amalgama on in 1965 of two originally voluntary units, the all white Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC) and the mostly black Bermuda Mili a Ar llery (BMA). E-Zine 2015
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Rifleman Denzil Haenow Danny Heanow joined the Green Jackets Brigade in 1965, did his training at Peninsular Barracks with a platoon of 68 recruits, only 19 of whom ‘passed out’. The training was tough even way back then and no doubt a lot tougher now as the Rifles seem to be in continual action. Danny Haenow writes: I was posted to Berlin in 1966 with the, by then, 1st Bn Royal Green Jackets. A really great posting, in a fantastic City. Below, 9 Platoon, in Berlin 1966, after the Drill Competition. Front rank left to right - Rfn Haenow, Rfn Rose, Cpl Heyman, 2nd Lt the Right Honourable P Smith, Sgt Jones, L/Cpl Passing out parade shot of Danny Greenhaugh. Back Haenow 1965. rank left to right, Riflemen: Biddle, Tucker, Rowley, Clements, Oxford. Holmes, Tunmore, Underwood, Rfn ? and Rfn Larkin. To the right, visiting the 1st Royal Green Jackets in West Berlin, the Commander-in Chief, BAOR, General
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Sir John Hackett, KCB, CBE, D SO, MC, gets some on-the-spot facts about sub-zero soldering from 19 year old Rifleman Denzil ‘Danny’ Haenow. May Day Parade 1966. C Coy 1 RGJ, Maj Colville at the head, Lt Rimmer nearest saluting base, then 2nd Lt Smith in the middle and then Lt Chamberlain.( Rfn Haenow, me, 9th man in the main body of the company nearest to the saluting base approaching the TV camera). We were still in the Cold War so patrols were mounted along the East / West border. We also stood guard at Spandau Prison where Hess was incarcerated. Lots of exercises in the Grunewald, however the French and American forces stationed in West Berlin were not (To be con nued on next page)
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I left the Royal Green Jackets in 1968 and took some of the RSM’s advice and got my GCE’s in 1971 However, by then I had developed into a different person and felt that the army, much as I loved it, was probably not the right place for me. I had had other advice from various people who thought I should become a lawyer or teacher. I subsequently went to Furzedown College, University of London and trained as an Art teacher qualifying with a Distinction, one of 3 awarded to the art students.
May Day Parade in Berlin 1966.
willing to play with us in the RGJ – they felt we took things too seriously and were a bit too enthusiastic in our assaults. Could be that was why we were successful in Malaya and they weren’t in Vietnam.
I taught Art and later Design and Technology for 30 years in all sorts of schools, some very tough ones where the teachers and the pupils were really some of the worst specimens of humanity and some extremely good ones where the teachers and pupils were an absolute delight to be with. I finished up as a Head of Department, occasionally stepping into the role of assisting the Deputy Head of the various schools.
From Berlin, all glitter and glamour to Tidworth in 1967 – one pub, one bowling alley and little else. The only highlight was the official parade to mark the change from the Green Jackets Brigade to the Royal Green Jackets and inspected by the Queen at St Cross. The other significant happening was that 9 platoon C company said goodbye to Lieutenant, the Honourable, Phillip Smith and a very nervous hello to 2nd Lieutenant Andrew Pringle. He was the sword of honour cadet at Sandhurst and full of vim and vigour to get us to be the best platoon in the battalion whether we were is doubtful, but he did provide us with a sense of being good at what we did. As we all now know he left the army as a Major General after a very successful career. Our life at Tidworth was interrupted by a posting to Cyprus with UNFICYP (United Nations Force in Cyprus) and the award of a UN medal to yours truly – ironic, I joined the army to be a warrior and was awarded for being a peacekeeper, still it’s a very pretty little medal I have to say. While on Cyprus I was hauled up to Company HQ and told that I had been selected for Officer training. After a few questions it was quickly established that I was too young to qualify and that I did not have any qualifications ie; GCE’s, which might have been discovered by a quick check of my records. However it did give me some insight into the character of the RSM. He was most generous and sympathetic at my disappointment of having been raised up and then let down with a bump. He advised me to leave the army, get qualified and “come back and join us as an Officer”. E-Zine 2015
Denzil (Danny) Haenow in 2015.
After leaving teaching for retirement I found that I really needed to either continue to teach occasionally to top up my pension or go somewhere where the pension (To be con nued on next page) Volume 7 Issue 1 | 37
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was worth a lot more. So my wife Kari, who is a South African by birth, and I decided to give South Africa a shot and we now live in Fish Hoek. It is a delightful town in a valley between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, where we often see Whales close to the shore on the Indian Ocean side. Since coming here I have started painting again, mainly portrait work and now belong to the South African Society of Artists. I have exhibited my work in various locations and sold a lot of it too. Most recently my work was one of 40 out of 125 selected for display at the Hermanus Fyn Arts Exhibition. I should also mention that I did a portrait of Colonel John Hayter, late of the Royal Green Jackets and he has said he’d get it hung in Davis Street. The next Green Jacket portrait I’d very much like to do would be of Maj Gen ARD Pringle – so if you are reading this General Pringle, please get in touch Sir. Denzil (Danny) Haenow Ex-1RGJ denzilhaenow@aol.com
Portrait of Col Hayter in the Uniform of Dep Lord Lt of London.
Swift and Bold 2014 - Corrections and Clarifications North East Branch (page 17
Honouring Our Heroes (page 62)
The caption should have read John Kelly and Wife Allison and not ‘Kayley’. Our apologies for any embarrasement caused.
‘Kayley’ (pictured above) is the neice of Douglas Bond. She sang tunes of the war time era, dressing and performing them perfectly. 38 | Volume 7 Issue 1
This photo is not of Major John Howard’s cousin Derek Chivers but of Sam Langford, a D-Day veteran and one of the Oxford branch’s oldest but most enthusiastic members. E-Zine 2015
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Chief of the General Staff
General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen Commander Land Forces in November 2013 and was appointed Chief of the General Staff in September 2014.
Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is the professional head of the Army, with responsibility for developing and generating military capability from an integrated Army (Regular and Reserve) and for maintaining the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Service.
General Sir Nicholas Carter commissioned into The Royal Green Jackets in 1978. At Regimental Duty he has served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Bosnia and Kosovo and commanded 2nd Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets, from 1998 to 2000. He attended Army Staff College, the Higher Command and Staff Course and the Royal College of Defence Studies. At staff he has been Military Assistant to the Assistant Chief of the General Staff, Colonel Army Personnel Strategy, spent a year at HQ Land Command writing the Collective Training Study, and was Director of Army Resources and Plans. He also served as Director of Plans within the US-led Combined Joint Task Force 180 in Afghanistan and spent three months in the Cross Government Iraq Planning Unit prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. General Carter commanded 20th Armoured Brigade in Iraq in 2004 and 6th Division in Afghanistan in 2009/10. He was then the Director General Land Warfare before becoming the Army 2020 Team Leader. He served as DCOM ISAF from October 2012 to August 2013, became
The CGS reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and, as a Service COS, has a right of direct access to the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister. The CGS is a member of the Defence Council and the Army Board, the Armed Forces Committee, the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Senior Appointments Committee.
Responsibilities The Chief of the General Staff: • maintains the institutional health of the Army by exercising Full Command responsibility for all Army personnel • ensures the efficient and effective governance of the service • chairs the Executive Committee of the Army Board and the Army Command Group • contributes to the conduct of defence higher level business, with a particular responsibility for providing specialist advice on Army matters • develops future Army capability within the context of Defence strategic direction and resource allocation • leads the senior management team of the British Army h ps://www.gov.uk/government/people/
www.riflespropertyservices.co.uk
e-mail: rickmillward@btinternet.com
E-Zine 2015
Soldier Magazine on Line Click Here Volume 7 Issue 1 | 39
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Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO) Looking Forward 2015-2016 Now the museum has opened its doors to the public, our main focus will be to review and improve the visitor experience, from the littlest tot, with under-fives storytelling sessions to family fun events which can also showcase our research facility with its unique archive of the two county regiments, The Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars and the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. To mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War, SOFO is pleased to announce free entry to the museum for Second World War veterans through 2015. The free entrance to the museum is offered to anyone who served between 1939-45 in the Army, Royal Navy, RAF, ATS, WRNS, WAAF and members of organisations that supported the war effort including the Merchant Navy, Women’s Land Army, Civil Defence, Bevin Boys and others. The museum is also carrying out a project to record the memories of Oxfordshire residents who lived through the Second World War - both veterans and civilians. Any veterans who visit the museum will be encouraged to share their memories, and the Museum would like to hear from any residents of Oxfordshire who are interested in having their memories recorded for posterity. The Museum is also interested in receiving copies of written memoirs or personal stories relating to experiences during the Second World War. Recent interviewees have shared their recollections of service with the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, as a navigator flying with Bomber Command, a schoolgirl in Oxford during the war, and a seaman serving on Royal Navy ships in the Mediterranean. Find out more at www.sofo.org.uk/ oralhistory Our volunteer team continues to grow and with training provided for support to create and curate on-line exhibitions, the Museum’s programme will expand even more with their research and enthusiasm reaching our on-line visitors. SOFO is increasingly busy behind the scenes as we plan for temporary exhibitions and provide opportunities for independent researchers and guest curators. 40 | Volume 7 Issue 1
In keeping with the modern museum experience, SOFO has introduced various inter actives as fundraising efforts have been focused on improving the visitor experience by capturing all visitors attention using innovative and immersive exhibits. Our first foray into this was when the local Oxfordshire cadet force offered to recreate a Great War Trench, complete with film, sound, rations and rats! With the arrival of the Afghan Alley, cleverly designed and installed by the ,Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search (DEMS) Training Regiment (Oxfordshire’s newest regiment), we now offer two totally different views of life on the front line as visitors can use our detectors to look for replica IED’s and hear recorded instructions through specially designed helmets. Within our ‘Battles’ area we have a recreated section of a Horsa Glider where visitors can watch film extracts depicting D Day and listen to an interview with Major Howard as he recounts the experiences of the airborne regiment. Next door to the glider we continue to recount the experiences for Oxfordshire during the Second World War with ‘Secret War’ where film depicts the training around being an SOE and hands on activities around code breaking and sending messages. ‘Above the Dreaming Spires’ Oxfordshire’s Great War Aviation Story will open in September 2015 and is being curated by Peter Dye, from RAF Museum Hendon and gives SOFO a unique opportunity to showcase objects and stories never before seen by the public. A public appeal has again led to many fascinating and personal family histories being bought to SOFO for us to develop into an intriguing look into the heroic and glamorous pilots who fought above the trenches.‘Crossing The Line’, a short film, not widely distributed, by Sir Peter Jackson will be shown throughout the exhibition, providing an evocative backdrop to our county’s flying story during a remarkable period of aviation history. Our education and outreach programme has been launched fantastically by Vicki Wood, our Education Officer and this work will continue to increase as we learn more about the collection and how it can be (To be con nued on next page) E-Zine 2015
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used for both formal and informal learning activities. SOFO is often now out and about with talks, hands on session and workshops for all types of audiences and is developing its handling collection and activities all the time as we focus on some of the key stories, from the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen to the lifelong connection Winston Churchill had with the Queen’s Own Oxfordshire
Hussars. Contact education@sofo.org.uk for further details of how to book our talks and activities. Both county regiments will be pleased to see their timelines in the Garden Gallery, due to open during the summer of 2015 and this promises to be an innovative and engaging display area which will clearly underline the importance of the stories of ‘Conflict and County’.
4RGJ fire team in Belize
A photograph from Capin taken in February 1997. Left to right: Stone, Fender, Anderson and Connell. Happy Days, Swift & Bold!!!
Who Would Have Thought?
Chris Louca and Chris Androlia.
Quite recently I was at a campsite with 2 other couples who I served in the Fire Service with in Birmingham. One of the couples was talking about going to visit the war cemeteries and in particular the airborne landings in Germany. I got out my Swift and Bold journal 2014 and showed them the article on Operational Varsity. Chris Androlia the other friend looked at the article and the plan of the area and then left my motorhome. He returned a few minutes later. He had a laptop and opened up a file and started to read from it. “Sgt Androlia was firing his machine gun when it developed a stoppage. He cleared it and began to fire the gun again. However, within a short burst, it stopped again, Sgt Androlia reported the stoppage and then waited several minutes for the gun to cool down, He started to strip the gun down and on removing the barrel there was an explosion which blew Androlia to the ground. He received severe injuries and he was casavacked from the front line. He was then flown to England for medical attention.” “Sgt Androlia who was with the Canadian Army Lost his right eye and was totally blind in the left eye. He had steel plates put into his head and both his hands were disfigured. ”Sgt Androlia sustained his injuries on 24th March 1945 at Rue. Who Would have Thought? Chris Louca, ex 1RGJ. E-Zine 2015
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Fire up the Mercedes Viano! By Tiny Adams (With apologies to the Audi Quattro, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes)
Well it might have been a blagger’s bullet that sent DS Sam Tyler back to 1973 there to eventually meet his nemesis in the form of DCI Gene Hunt but in my case it was a Westclox alarm rattling my brains awake at 0415 hours in the morning which sent me back even further in time. Let me explain. It’s Monday 1st June and after calming my racing heart from that damned alarm clock I fall out of bed and wash, shave and because I laid out my gear the night before I dress in the no time - old habits die hard don’t they? 05.00hrs (what the hell am I doing up at this naffing time?) I fire up the old Mercedes Viano but not for work this time. Oh no - on this day of days it’s going to be a bit ‘me’ time and I have a train to catch so onwards Germanic steed to Leper (Ypres) and all the battlefields of Northern France. On route at Eastleigh I pick up the first two of my travelling companions Lyndon Harper (a Rifleman in his previous life) and Ian Mason a copper from the midlands whose knowledge of the battlefields is second to none and finally onto Basingstoke for Pat Low and Derek Randall both Riflemen in every sense of the word. From there it’s nonstop to the Channel Tunnel for a full English and a rest before parking up on the train where it’s hand brake on, engine off, and away we go! Now at Calais and to the squawking strains of a typical French accordion its full speed ahead out of the tunnel whilst avoiding the migrants and trying to remember to keep to the right. Oh yes and driving straight onto roundabouts but giving way to other drivers coming on to them! Talk about daft – but then this is France.C'est la vie! First stop is the CWGC Military Cemetery at Lijssenthoek. The sight for first time visitors can be a bit of a shock simply because of the numbers involved. So many graves – it is really hard to get your head around it. The first one we saw (1A) was for 2Lt Henriques KRRC aged only 20. Although he was the first we saw from our antecedent regiments he was far from the last. But then Riflemen love a good scrap don’t they? This was also the final resting place of Staff Nurse Spindler (the only woman in the cemetery). A short drive away was the town of Poperinge where we visited the Café de Ranke, the Condemned Cells and Execution Post. The post was a bit strange as it had been moved from its original position and was now made of steel. Not sure what’s been going on there but a bit odd to say the least - but then that’s symbolism for you I suppose. Finally on to Talbot House and Museum (Toc H) which all troops used for R&R regardless of their rank. Another short drive away is Poperinge and Brandhoek New Military Cemeteries the latter being the final resting E-Zine 2015
place of Capt Noel Chavasse VC & Bar, MC. Again so many graves but all maintained to perfection. Day 1 drawing to a close so it’s off to our hotel (The Ariane) in Ypres to settle in and have a few drinks then off to the Het Moment restaurant for some scoff and a chat about old times and the days events. Bed by 21.00? Not! Day 2 Up early(ish) and RV for breakfast at 08.00 where my companions and I again selected another healthy breakfast option - Anglais Complet! Well we need the fuel we can get as today we are off to Mons. Our first stop is at a place called Nimy Canal Bridge where the first VC’s of the war were awarded to Lt MJ Dease and Pte SF Godley of the 4th Bn Royal Fusiliers who defended the bridge and town of Mons from the German advance for a while with machine guns. Just a short distance away along the canal was a swing bridge which had been left open by the British to slow the enemies approach but a lone German soldier (Oskar Niemeyer) had swam to the centre of the canal and opened it under a hail of fire. Sadly he was killed. However it does go toshow that no nation has the monopoly on courage. Although this location was a devil to get to (anything larger than a car would have got stuck) it was well worth the effort to do so. Onward now to the roadside memorial dedicated to the very first shot fired in WW1. This was also the location where the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards charged down the hill on horses with swords extended ready to kick seven bells out of the Germans. Foolhardy but it must have been an impressive sight nevertheless. A quick life and death run across the busy road now takes us to the very spot where the 116th Canadian Infantry Battalion stopped upon the final ceasefire on the 11th November 1918. Back into the Merc now and off to Obourg Railway Station where the Middlesex Regiment fired the first shots of the battle of Mons and where an unidentified British soldier paid the supreme sacrifice by covering the retreat of his comrades. Can’t help it but it does tend to bring a tear to the eye and make the chest swell with pride. However mustn’t dwell on it too long as another cemetery awaits us. Eventually we arrive at St Symphorian Cemetery which is the resting place of Pte J Parr who is believed to be the first Commonwealth soldier to be killed by enemy fire in WW1. Spookily it is also the resting place of Pte G Ellison 5th Lancers who was killed 90 minutes before the armistice came into effect on the 11th Nov 1918 - poor (To be con nued on next page) Volume 7 Issue 1 | 43
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unlucky devil – RIP. This particular cemetery was built and maintained by the German Army during the 1st WW and contains 284 German and 229 Commonwealth graves. It also has a monument built by the Germans in honour of the ‘The Royal’ Middlesex Regiment - only they weren’t ‘Royal’. However the Germans saw them fighting so well they thought they had to be royal troops and added the ‘Royal’ bit themselves. Our next port of call is Dud Corner Cemetery and the excellent viewing platform of the Loos battlefield. Yet again so many white headstones of Commonwealth soldiers killed at the Battle of Loos. In fact out of the 1,800 buried there only 684 were ever identified. The other 1,116 are simply missing presumed dead. We don’t linger too long here as the ground is so flat and exposed and with the wind whipping up and freezing us to death we decide to visit (Wait for it!) Guards Cemetery Windy Corner. This cemetery was started by the Guards
in Guinchy with 2,700 graves. But even here we didn’t let the Guards have it all their own way because one of the first graves you see is of a Rifleman. Le Touret Memorial and Military Cemetery is our next port of call with so many more graves it beggars belief that anyone won this war at all. Our last stop of the day is at Hyde Park Corner. No not the one in London but the one at Ploegsteert (Plug Street Wood). This was yet again another cemetery started by an individual regiment. In this case it was the Royal Berkshire Regiment and even here we found the final resting place of another Rifleman - Rfn Albert Edward French KRRC who was killed on the 15th June 1916 who was only 16 years old and clearly under age but still someone who wanted to do ‘his bit’ for his country. RIP. Having covered some 200 miles throughout the day and seen so many graves to last us a lifetime we decide enough is enough and head our back to our hotel. After a quick refresh we head out for a meal at Captain Cooks (no idea) in Ypres and then hit the sack for some well earned rest.
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Day 3 The sun is out and the sky is blue and not a cloud to spoil the view!Its 08.00 hours and we muster in the cookhouse (well the hotel restaurant actually) where this morning our scoff looks like to scrapings from the bottom of a birdcage and the only drink is a cup of dandelion tea! We believe it’s called a ‘continental’ breakfast. Anyway being ex Rifleman we give that the big elbow and hunt out a local café which surprisingly does a far healthier Anglais Complet which together with a few cups of coffee really sets us up for the day ahead. Today we stay local. First stop Ypres Town Cemetery which is the final resting place of Prince Maurice of Battenberg. No not the square coloured cake bakery magnate but the youngest grandson of Queen Victoria! And – here’s the cruncher – he was KRRC no less! As I said before we seem to find Riflemen everywhere – does this mean that somewhere down my ancestral line there is the possibility I could be royalty too? I DON’T THINK! Anyway whilst there we have a chat with a guy restoring one of the gravestones who was clearly very happy in his work. Thank God for him and all the others who keep the gardens up to scratch and looking so good. Onward to Essex Farm Cemetery now where 5,750 Commonwealth soldiers (To be con nued on next page)
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the left is a Capt Brooks OBLI, in the centre Rfn Connell KRRC and on the right WO2 Cheeseman RB. United in death but still sharing a regimental bond of togetherness. Sadly however they also share the site with 3,589 others of which 2,425 are unidentified (22 from WW2). RIP all of you. On route to our next destination we drive down a small pot holed track and stop for a while at a small memorial stone on the bank of the Steenbeck (brook) in the Melkweg (Street) in Langermark. The memorial was gifted and laid by Harry Patch the last of WW1’s ‘Tommies’ to his fallen comrades. Harry died in 2009 aged 109. Just a short distance away in Langemark we stop again at another cemetery. This time however it is a German grave site which in truth doesn’t look as well cared for as others we had visited although some renovation work was underway. Of course it contained numerous individual graves including a ‘Comrades Grave or Pit’ containing over 24,000 souls. In all the cemetery is said to hold 44,296 dead including 1 British Soldier. Let’s hope they do a good job in sorting that place out - it’s the least they deserve regardless of nationality.
Rfn WM Brellisford KRRC.
are buried including Rfn VJ Studwick RB (aged 15). Clearly there was really a strong sense of duty in those days. Much has already been said about this particular cemetery and it is also full of grockles (tourists) so we don’t stay too long. Didn’t they know Riflemen were visiting? A short drive away is the excavated site of the Yorkshire Trench and Dug Out in Boezinge. This is positioned close to a modern industrial site. Perhaps I should say that the other way around because the trench was there long before anything else.During the excavations of these trenches and dug out, the remains of 155 British, French and Germans were only recently found.All were reburied with full military honours in adjacent cemeteries.On a beautiful day such as this it is hard to imagine the filth and death these guys must have suffered. Goodness knows what still lies in all the other undiscovered trenches which abound the region. Next we stop at yet another ‘new 2014’ roadside memorial. This is the Welsh Memorial on Pilkem Ridgein memory of over 40,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen who died in the Great War. Just staggering! No time to dwell as we now move off to Cement House Cemetery where we are confronted with a sight that brings home the contribution our antecedent regiments gave to the war effort. Three headstones all in a line; On E-Zine 2015
Poelcapelle British Cemetery is our next stop but even here we are again knocked back by finding the grave of Pte J Condon Royal Irish Regiment who died on the 14th May 1915 aged 14! However there is some ongoing dispute about both his age and whether it is actually him who is buried there. The cemetery was constructed after the Armistice when the dead were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and smaller graveyards. Tyne Cot is our next stop with 11,956 Commonwealth graves of which 8,369 are unidentified (4 German). Its memorial contains over 35,000 names of the dead yet to be found. In the Visitor Centre there is a touching epitaph from a soldier’s fiancé. It reads ‘The thought that Jack died for his country is no comfort to me – his memory is all I have to love’. Once back on the battle-bus we head off round Polygon Wood to Nonne Bosschen to hear of the outstanding counter attack made by 2nd OBLI on the 11th Nov 1914. We now travel via Gheluvelt to the north side of the Menin Road, east of Hooge (Bellewaerde) and stop at a lone memorial to the officers and men of the KRRC. Pity however that it is just at the entrance of a theme park. In a typical soldier like way it is comforting and amusing to think that the souls of our fellow Riflemen go over to the theme park at night and enjoy some of the fun their shortened lives had missed. Leaving this memorial we now head for the Hooge Crater Cemetery where we hear a vivid description of a flame thrower attack by the Germans on 8th RB on the night of 30th July 1915. As the name of the cemetery suggests it is on the site of a huge crater 120’ wide and 20’ deep made by the 175th Tunnelling Company which has now been (To be con nued on next page) Volume 7 Issue 1 |45
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& Bar a distinguished and accomplished combat commander who was both an original thinker and popular with his men. Look him up the internet – an interesting man who was way ahead of his brother commanders at that time. Sadly brought short by a German sniper. Finally with a little time left before we begin to head for home we make a quick visit to St George’s Memorial Church (The British Church) which was built to commemorate the 500,000 British and Commonwealth troops who died in the three battles for the Ypres salient. Everything in the church including the stained glass windows, banners, plaques, furniture and even kneeling cushions are dedicated to the memory of someone who gave his or her life for freedomand oppression from tyranny. A good and peaceful place to sit and contemplate the ultimate sacrifice they all had made.
Three headstones all in a line. On the le is a Capt Brooks OBLI, in the centre Rfn Connell KRRC and on the right WO2 Cheeseman RB.
filled in but symbolically represented by a stone faced circular depression at the entrance of the cemetery. The cemetery itself contains the remains of 5,923 soldiers of which 3,579 are unknown. Finally and at the end of a long and tiring day we now make our way to the peaceful and tranquil setting of Sanctuary Wood Cemetery which is situated in a private estate. In Plot 1 we find the grave of Lt GWL Talbot in whose memory Talbot House in Poperinge was established in 1915 (R&R House). Back on the road again we head for Voormezeele Enclosure and hear the fascinating story linking Peter Pan and the KRRC (look up George Llewyn Davies on the internet and see for yourselves).It’s been a long day what with stopping and starting but without doubt it has been worth it. Sobering but worth it. So now we go back to the hotel and don our best regimental regalia to attend the Menin Gate ceremony and pay our respects to the fallen with hundreds of others and a small detachment ofthe Royal Anglian Regiment. After which it is back to the hotel for a most welcome drink and to toast the regiment. Goodnight day 3. Day 4 Can’t sleep unfortunately so the final day for me starts early at 06.30 with a bit of a clean-up of the old Mercedes whilst the others continue dozing until breakfast. That done and everything packed away we then take a short walk to visit our last cemetery Ypres Reservoir. Again like all the others the numbers are absolutely staggering with 2,613 dead of which 1,034 are unidentified. The highest rank buried in this cemetery is that of Brig Gen Francis Aylmer Maxwell VC, CSI, DSO 46 | Volume 7 Issue 1
No time to waste now so it’s a case of buying that last box of Belgium chocolates and a coffee before returning to our chariot of Teutonic steel and fire it up for a fast run back to Calais to catch the train. On arrival in Calais we decide that as it was lunch time and we still had a bit time we would go for a quick meal. Everything was going so well until the fire alarms went off - but in true regimental style we did nothing until we were politely asked to leave. They should have known Green Jackets are always the last to retreat. As we drive on the train we all now feel a little guilty of doing what millions of holiday makers now take for granted – taking a short hop under the channel back home. A simple thing in this day and age but something so many poor souls from both wars never had the chance to do. However we are going home much wiser and more understanding of the great sacrifice so many made on our behalf. Thank you my travelling companions, the staff at the Ariane Hotel, and the Belgium people - but most of all thank you to all those Commonwealth heroes who lie at rest in a foreign field.
LeŌ to right: Ian Mason, Derek Randell, Pat Low, Lyndon Harper and Tiny Adams. E-Zine 2015
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A ‘Haka’ in Honour of Donald Charles Nairn As a 26-year old major, Don was commanding ‘C’ Company when on 9th May 1979 he was killed in action on the Jebel Aram in Dhofar in the follow-up to a highly successful operation during which his soldiers had shot dead three enemy ‘adoo’ fighters. A fourth ‘adoo’ fighter had holed up in one of a complex of escarpment caves and as Don sought to identify exactly which cave to assault he was fatally wounded. His death in action was to be the last by a member of the Sultan’s army, coming as it did over three years after the official declaration in December 1975 that the counter-insurgency was over.
Don Nairn in Dhofar in 1977.
On 9th March this year a remarkable honour was granted to a former Royal Green Jackets officer who did a SSC with 1 RGJ, Donald Charles Nairn, when all the boys of Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand’s North Island performed a special ‘haka’ in his memory. This was the highlight of a ceremony at which a beautifully framed duplicate set of his medals was presented by his sister, Mrs Bea Rockel, to the Headmaster. As a prelude to this I had given a short presentation about Don’s career in 1RGJ in Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Hong Kong during the early 1970s and his subsequent service from December 1976 as a ‘contract officer’ in the Frontier Force, a Baluch battalion in the Sultan of Oman’s Army.
Don was buried in the Christian Cemetery near Muscat in Northern Oman. In the autumn of 1979 Don’s parents visited Dhofar and were looked after by his Frontier Force brother officers and met his ‘C’ Company soldiers. They then moved to Muscat where they were hosted by the Commander of the Sultan of Oman’s Army and received the Sultan’s Bravery Medal. Don had been awarded this posthumously for the successful operation during which he had so tragically lost his life. Don’s memory is treasured in New Zealand by his family, friends and fellow Wanganui Collegiate School pupils and alumni and his framed medals, along with many documents, maps and photographs recalling his military service, are being safeguarded in the School Museum. Maj Gen Peter Williams CMG OBE Frontier Force 1976-1978
The ceremonial ‘haka’ to honour Don’s memory. E-Zine 2015
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The Lt Div Memorial Garden SJM Barracks Winchester One of the many quotes of Benjamin Franklin is ‘If you want something done use a busy person’; A truism that perfectly applies to Pat and May Low of the Winchester branch RGJA. Readers will undoubtedly remember a few years ago when a certain ex member of the regiment at the annual reunion in SJM Barracks grabbed the parade microphone and in mixture of fluent Geordiese, Slidex and *&$3**** described how upset he was at the condition of the Light Division Memorial Garden. Of course he had a very valid point and since then the Winchester branch has happily taken on the management and development of the garden. It was either that or suffer another colourful sermon at future reunions. Anyway as I was saying Pat and May being a very busy (although retired) couple, decided they had the skill, knowledge and just simple ‘get up and go’ to again put the garden back to its rightful and respectful condition. So for them to find the long and tiring hours to work on the garden is no small feat, particularly when you consider that Pat is now in his 76th year and May is (ahem) much much younger. Even so with both having a social and professional background that can only be described as diverse and fulfilled; their enthusiasm and unselfish support of the regiment in doing what they both love and enjoy continues unabated. A dictionary definition of busy is ‘fully occupied or
actively employed’. Something which Pat and May really have been and still are. For example Pat with a carpentry/ engineering background was called up for National Service with the OBLI in 1958 and demobilised in 1960. He then went on to a full career in the aircraft industry with spells at Smiths Aircraft Instruments, DanAir and finally SagitAir flying documents to Geneva. In amongst all of this he still managed to find time for his other love, beside May of course, and that was his motorcycles and classic cars which he still continues to show and race to this day, a selection of which will be on display at the 50th Anniversary Reunion in 2016. May on the other hand, as well as keeping Pat in check over the last 56 years and bringing up their two children (boy and a girl) also had an equally diverse life and CV - mainly in rural affairs and gardening. She has been a Head Gardener and still is a motorcycling enthusiast too, the latter unsurprisingly as the sidecar passenger for Pat at various race meetings and as the Clerk of the Course at Silverstone motorcycle race meetings. Yes that old adage of using ‘a busy person’ really does apply to this couple. There is no doubt that their accumulated skills; experience and dedicationin maintaining and nurturing our Memorial Garden have been an absolute asset to the regiment which we hope will continue well into the future. On behalf of all Riflemen everywhere we thank you both! John Fritz-Domeney
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In Memoriam 2014 Phillip T Pearson Revd Jonathan Peel MC Geoffrey Clark
2/4 RGJ RB OBLI
22 Mar 11 Dec 27 Dec
2015 Pat Walsh Sgt Graham R Morris Derek Mellish Col RS Stewart-Wilson MC Brian Southion Tom (Dinger) Bell Steven George Gulliver Major TN (Noel) Thistlewayte Major JC Green-Wilkinson MBE MC Ron Petch Bob Restall Ben Curtis Bryan 'Taffy' Rowlands Cpl RW Dunbar CFR Barclay CMG P M Reynolds L/Sgt Raymond (Tich) Rayner Arthur (Jim) Davis Capt HBS Gunn Leslie H Fuller Capt Bob Ferrand Paul W Finch George S R Colman-Wood Bert Darby Bugle Major Steve Chapman Major Gerald Royle Windybank Carter Hugh McColl
1RGJ OBLI 1GJ RB/Staffs RB RGJ 3RGJ KRRC/Para/GJ&RGJ RB 6 OBLI 2RGJ KRRC 1RGJ RB RB OBLI OBLI RB KRRC OBLI KRRC OBLI KRRC 1 OBLI 1GJ/1RGJ RB/3GJ/3RGJ 1RGJ
19 Jan
2 Feb 14 Feb 24 25 6 12
Feb Feb Mar Mar
13 14 15 20
Mar Mar Mar Mar
2 Apr 14 Apr 25 14 16 18
Apr May May May
22 May 28 May
Rest in Peace LEST WE FORGET “They shall grow not old, As we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn; At the going down of the sun and in the morning; We will remember them.” E-Zine 2015
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