The Veteran Issue 5
The Quarterly Magazine of the Alicante Branch of the Royal British Legion
The Quarterly Magazine of the Alicante Branch of the Royal British Legion
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December 2021 - February 2022 <strong>Issue</strong> 5<br />
<strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Veteran</strong><br />
Alicante<br />
<strong>The</strong> Quarterly Magazine of <strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch<br />
of <strong>The</strong> Royal British Legion<br />
New Year’s<br />
Honours List 2022<br />
Pamela<br />
Twissell-Cross MBE
TABLE OF<br />
CONTENTS<br />
3 'I Didn't Have a Clue' Chairman John Pratt<br />
5 New Members<br />
6 New Years Honours<br />
8 District Awards<br />
11 New Chairman District North Spain<br />
12 'We Served' <strong>The</strong> Irish Guards<br />
18 Who we Help<br />
21 Alicante Branch News<br />
25 'We Served' South Yorkshire Police<br />
27 'Least we Forget' <strong>The</strong> Fall of Singapore<br />
29 'We Served' 4 Fd Regiment Royal Artillery<br />
31 <strong>The</strong> Video Page<br />
32 Forecast of Events<br />
Contact us<br />
John pratt - Alicante Branch Chairman<br />
Ed Morris - Vice Chairman, Recruiting &<br />
Retention<br />
Mary Kemp - Branch Community Support<br />
Hamish McConnachie - Web Master &<br />
Publicity<br />
Alicante.Chairman@rbl.community<br />
Alicante.Vicechairman@rbl.community<br />
Alicante.BCS@rbl.community<br />
Alicante.Web@rbl.community<br />
2
John Pratt<br />
Alicante Branch<br />
Chairman<br />
'I didn't have a clue'<br />
B<br />
rought up a while after WW11, as was usual dad never spoke of it, the<br />
horrors, where he served, what he saw and was required to do. He was<br />
a ‘red beret’ paratrooper.<br />
Years later we found a diary he had kept; it only detailed his promotion(s) / demotion(s), usually due<br />
to drink, and showing his dates at home.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
Mum and dad worked hard in hard times to give us what they could, we had little, Nan basically<br />
brought us four up while mum/dad worked.<br />
But I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
My memories of those times of helping dad in the garden with the veg patch and mowing the lawn,<br />
(and sticking a bayonet through my leg), taking handfuls of gooseberries from the garden to eat on<br />
the way to school. Short trousers in all weathers, new cardboard in my shoes for school every Sunday<br />
evening. <strong>The</strong> few caravan holidays just outside Margate.<br />
But I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
I was lucky on leaving school I knew what I wanted to do. I only ever wanted to be ‘a boy in blue’ and<br />
had that image in my mind. <strong>The</strong> reality (as usual) was different.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
I got my dream job and the girl to go with it, married, (seemed like a good idea at the time), children,<br />
but, as above, the reality was very different, shift work, working week-ends, Christmas, missing<br />
school performances and anniversaries.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
Wow, what an eye opener as to what went on in the real world at that time. Blimey, cars were for<br />
Senior Ranks, the boxes to make a ‘point’ were the only refuge, no radios or computers, you went to a<br />
job and relied on training, ‘your nose’ and good luck to keep you safe (and of course sometimes that<br />
didn’t work).<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
Fairly oblivious to what went on outside my world, no doubt I became cynical, perhaps inevitable<br />
when your world is dominated by the bad in this world.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
I wore my poppy and made my donation like the good citizen I thought I was, but never really<br />
thought deeper about it, it was just something you did. Back in the day we stopped our patrol car and<br />
removed our hats in respect of those who had probably ‘served’, and given their all, although,<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
My family grew up, Northern Ireland, then Iraq and Afghanistan happened, one of them did their bit<br />
and PTSD was prevalent, we helped but even in my own home.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
3
You don't have to be<br />
ex military to join<br />
<strong>The</strong><br />
Royal British Legion<br />
and make a<br />
difference<br />
I was honoured to represent my Service at the Cenotaph one<br />
Remembrance Sunday, although an honour, it was more of a<br />
ceremony than really understanding what lay behind the event.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
Later in service we didn’t send a representative to Remembrance<br />
Sunday, appalled, I felt it was something ‘we’ (the Police Service)<br />
should do, rather than fully understand the why it was done.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
Branch Chairman John Pratt<br />
carrying out the duties of District<br />
Standard Bearer at the Poppy<br />
Appeal Launch 2020<br />
I survived for more than 30 years (more by luck and good fortune<br />
rather than skill) and took on a new career in law enforcement but<br />
from the other side (trying to keep them out instead of locking them<br />
up).<br />
Still, I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
I retired to Spain, another dream fulfilled, (I think we earned it),<br />
looking for sun and relaxation, and peace from my previous world.<br />
<strong>The</strong> RBL in Spain?<br />
I really didn’t have a clue.<br />
Accosted by a Legion stalwart, (peace was shattered and the<br />
relaxation disappeared), I became a member.<br />
But I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
A talk from District CSO, as to what the legion could offer, prison<br />
visits, practical / financial help, raising funds, telephone buddies.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
Being fitter, (fortunately) than most, ‘can you carry this? they said.<br />
Welcome the new Standard Bearer.<br />
But I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
I thought I might do more, so offered my (practically non-existent) Secretary skills, “thanks”, they<br />
said.<br />
But I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n ‘the big one, Chairman! You are having a laugh I said, but no-one else wanted the job.<br />
I didn’t really have a clue.<br />
“Service not self”<br />
Now I know what that means<br />
But I still don’t really have a clue!<br />
But I am getting there and so could you, join the Branch, get involved even if<br />
You don't really have a clue<br />
4
T<br />
November-February 2022<br />
he Chairman, his Committee and all Members of the Alicante<br />
Branch would like to welcome the following new Members.<br />
Hugh O'Brien<br />
Janice O'Brien<br />
Debbie Routledge<br />
<strong>The</strong> Branch Membership now stands at 225 Members<br />
Become a member of the Alicante<br />
Branch of <strong>The</strong> Royal British Legion<br />
family today and take pride in supporting all<br />
generations of the Armed Forces community.<br />
Membership is only £23 a year and is open to everyone.<br />
Join us today<br />
Click here<br />
Or Contact John Pratt on Alicante.Chairman@rbl.community for further information on<br />
the Alicante Branch<br />
5
Pamela Twissell - Cross with the Mayor of Castalla, Don<br />
Antionio Bernabeu at the unveiling of the Remembrance<br />
Memorial in Castalla International last year<br />
New Years<br />
Honours<br />
Pamela Sheila Twissell-Cross, District<br />
Community Support Coordinator, Royal<br />
British Legion, Spain (District North) and<br />
Alicante Branch Member has been awarded an<br />
MBE for services to British nationals overseas.<br />
Pamela was named in the New Year Honours<br />
List, published on Saturday 1 January 2022.<br />
After retiring to Spain having completed a long<br />
career in the NHS, Pamela Twissell-Cross<br />
became involved with the Royal British Legion<br />
as a welfare volunteer caseworker in 2011,<br />
becoming District Community Support<br />
Coordinator three years later.<br />
Despite being voluntary, the role is almost full<br />
time –coordinating all the welfare work for an<br />
area spanning the France/Spain border right<br />
down to Almeria, including the Balearic Islands.<br />
Pamela works unstintingly to identify potential<br />
beneficiaries, make them aware of the support<br />
that the RBL can provide,<br />
Pamela Twissell-Cross<br />
District Community Support<br />
Coordinator,<br />
Royal British Legion,<br />
Spain (District North)<br />
has been awarded an MBE for<br />
services to British nationals<br />
overseas<br />
and ensure they get the support they need.<br />
In 2020, Pamela and her team assisted 569<br />
people, with 342 receiving advice and<br />
signposting, and the remaining 227<br />
receiving further RBL support.<br />
<strong>The</strong> British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh<br />
Elliott said: “As with most voluntary<br />
organisations, the COVID-19 pandemic has<br />
added to the RBL’s workload and, as their<br />
Patron in Spain, I know how busy Pamela<br />
has been over the past two years,<br />
managing and supporting an increasing<br />
number of calls to the helpline. This honour<br />
is very richly deserved.”<br />
On hearing of the award Pam said: "I feel<br />
very honoured to be nominated for this<br />
honour, let alone chosen. It was a complete<br />
surprise and probably the most wonderful<br />
surprise I have ever had. I do wish my<br />
parents were still here to see it."<br />
6
Awards and decorations of the United Kingdom<br />
Member of the Most Excellent<br />
Order of the British Empire<br />
MBE<br />
<strong>The</strong> Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a<br />
British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the<br />
arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare<br />
organisations, and public service outside the civil service.<br />
It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V and<br />
comprises five classes across both civil and military<br />
divisions,<br />
Standing for Member of the Most Excellent Order of the<br />
British Empire, an MBE is the third highest ranking Order<br />
of the British Empire award (excluding a Knighthood/<br />
Damehood), behind CBE and then OBE.<br />
<strong>The</strong> MBE is awarded for an outstanding achievement or<br />
service to the community which has had a long-term,<br />
significant impact and stands out as an example to others<br />
King George V wished to create an Order to honour many thousands of<br />
those who had served in a variety of non-combatant roles during the First<br />
World War. When first established, the Order had only one division.<br />
However, in December 1918 it was formally divided into Military and Civil<br />
Divisions, <strong>The</strong> Order's motto is<br />
For God and the Empire.
District<br />
Awards<br />
2022<br />
<strong>The</strong> Recruitment Kukri<br />
Alicante Branch Retains<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chairman's Bugle<br />
and<br />
<strong>The</strong> Recruitment Kukri<br />
For the 3rd year<br />
in succession<br />
Branch Chairman John Pratt said in a mail<br />
to all Branch Members:<br />
As a result of everyones hard work<br />
during the past year I am pleased to<br />
anounce that at this mornings District<br />
North Spain's Annual Conference this<br />
Branch was awarded the recruitment<br />
Kukri and the Chairman's Bugle for the<br />
third year in a row.<br />
Well done everyone.<br />
At the District North Spain Annual<br />
conference which was held on the 27th of<br />
January <strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch were again<br />
awarded the Districts two highest Awards for the<br />
third year in succession the Chairman's Bugle is<br />
the Districts top award presented annually to<br />
the Branch that has made the greatest advances<br />
in furthering the aims and objectives of the<br />
Legion.<br />
<strong>The</strong> second award <strong>The</strong> Recruitment Kukri is<br />
presented to the Branch that has achieved the<br />
best Membership percentage increase across<br />
District North Spain within the twelve months<br />
preceding the conference.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chairman's Bugle<br />
8
District awards 2022<br />
Mr Jack Kemp the District<br />
Chairman presented both<br />
awards to the Alicante Branch<br />
chairman, Mr John Pratt at the<br />
Branch Monthly meeting in<br />
February<br />
District Chairman’s Certificate of Appreciation<br />
Jonathan and Mark Knight<br />
On Monday the 21st of February brothers<br />
Jonathan and Mark Knight were presented<br />
with the District Chairman’s Certificate of<br />
Appreciation at Castalla International by the<br />
District Chairman Jack Kemp.<br />
Jonathan completed a cycle challenge by<br />
cycling from Tidworth in the UK to Orihuela<br />
Costa in Spain covering a distance of 1300<br />
miles, his brother Mark accompanied<br />
Jonathon providing safety cover and planning<br />
during this gruelling challenge.<br />
Over £1400 was raised by the brothers for<br />
the 2021 Poppy Appeal. On completion of the<br />
event Jonathan submitted an application in<br />
support of the Alicante Branch for a donation<br />
of £2000 from the Royal Warrant Holders<br />
Association Charity Fund. Jonathan, the<br />
Director and owner of Knights Tailoring<br />
Limited is a holder of the Royal Warrant for<br />
Businesses and the award was approved.<br />
Both Jonathan and Mark are members of the<br />
Alicante Branch and the Orihuela Costa and<br />
District Branch of the Royal British Legion<br />
here in Spain..<br />
I am sure that all Members of Spain District<br />
North will join the District Chairman on<br />
thanking the brothers for raising the sum of<br />
over £3,400 to support our Beneficiaries here<br />
in Spain.<br />
District Chairman’s Certificate of Appreciation<br />
being presented to Jonathan by District Chairman<br />
Jack Kemp<br />
9
District Awards<br />
2022<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chairmans Bugle<br />
Mark receives his Certificate of Appreciation<br />
Jonathon and Mark with proud family members<br />
10
Tchangeover in District Chairmen.<br />
he District North Spain annual<br />
conference held in January saw a<br />
<strong>The</strong> outgoing Chairman Mr Don Cubbon<br />
handed over the baton to Mr Jack Kemp<br />
having completed seven years on the District<br />
Committee, five of those as District<br />
Chairman.<br />
<strong>The</strong> incoming Chairman Mr Jack Kemp the<br />
former Chair of the Alicante Branch<br />
congratulated Don on his successful tenure<br />
and stated that he would be a hard act to<br />
follow.<br />
New<br />
Chairman for<br />
District North<br />
Mr Jack Kemp the new District Chairman with out going<br />
Chairman Mr Don Cubbon.<br />
Spain<br />
<strong>The</strong> new Chairman went on to congratulate<br />
those Branch Members that were recognised<br />
with a District Chairman’s Certificate of<br />
Appreciation.<br />
Christine Walden<br />
Maria Bryant<br />
Geoffrey Thomas<br />
Jean Heald<br />
Malcolm Cavendish<br />
Jonathan Knight<br />
Mark Knight<br />
Anthony Edmunds<br />
Pamela Dawes<br />
Pamela Wilding<br />
Left, Don Cubbon with his presentation from the<br />
Murcia Branch. 11
"We Served"<br />
Irish Guards<br />
Bob Routledge Irish Guards<br />
<strong>The</strong> Irish Guards were formed on 1 April 1900<br />
by order of Queen Victoria to commemorate<br />
the Irish people who fought in the Second<br />
Boer War<br />
<strong>The</strong> Irish Guards' first honorary Colonel-ofthe-Regiment<br />
was Field Marshal Lord<br />
Roberts, known to many troops as "Bobs".<br />
Because of this, the regiment gained the<br />
nickname "Bob's Own" but are now known<br />
affectionately as<br />
"<strong>The</strong> Micks" (although a generally derogatory<br />
term if used in society, this term is not seen as<br />
offensive or derogatory by the regiment.)<br />
Major Richard<br />
Joshua Cooper,<br />
Grenadier Guards,<br />
was appointed the<br />
first Commanding<br />
Officer on 2 May<br />
1900 and 200<br />
Irishmen from the<br />
same regiment<br />
were transferred as<br />
the nucleus of the<br />
new regiment.<br />
Selected members<br />
from other line infantry regiments were also<br />
chosen to fill out the ranks of the new<br />
regiment.<br />
<strong>The</strong> regiment's first Colours were<br />
presented by King Edward VII to the 1st<br />
Battalion on 30 May 1902 at Horse<br />
Guards Parade. A few Irish Guardsmen<br />
saw action as mounted infantry in the final<br />
stages of the Boer War. Otherwise, the<br />
Irish Guards were stationed in the United<br />
Kingdom for the first fourteen years of its<br />
existence, performing ceremonial duties in<br />
London during that time until the beginning<br />
of World War I.One of the most famous<br />
Officers of the Regiment was Jack Kipling,<br />
the only son of Rudyard Kipling, who was<br />
initially rejected from service due to his<br />
poor eyesight. His father pulled strings in<br />
order to allow him to join up with the 2nd<br />
Battalion and he was killed in September<br />
1915 at the Battle of Loos. His body was<br />
never found and his devastated father<br />
wrote the poem ‘My Boy Jack’ which was<br />
also dramatised into a play.<br />
During the First World War, the Irish<br />
Guards were deployed to France and they<br />
remained on the Western Front for the<br />
duration of the war. During the course of<br />
the war, the Regiment was awarded 406<br />
medals 4 of which were Victoria Crosses<br />
and lost over 2,300 officers and men.<br />
12
<strong>The</strong> custom of<br />
receiving ‘royal’<br />
shamrock on St.<br />
Patrick’s Day began in<br />
1901 and has taken<br />
place every year except<br />
where prohibited by<br />
operations<br />
Upon the outbreak of World War II in<br />
September 1939, the Irish Guards were based<br />
in the UK. In April 1940, the 1st Irish Guards<br />
deployed to Norway as part of 24th (Guards)<br />
Brigade. Seeing action at Pothus, holding out<br />
against heavy German attacks for two days<br />
until they were finally forced to withdraw as<br />
their positions were being outflanked. <strong>The</strong><br />
regiment was finally evacuated back to the<br />
UK with the rest of the expeditionary force in<br />
June.<br />
In March 1943 the 1st Irish Guards, who had<br />
been based in the UK since their return from<br />
Norway in 1940, landed in the North African<br />
country of Tunisia. <strong>The</strong> battalion fought in the<br />
Medjez Plain area, seeing heavy action at<br />
Djebel bou Aoukaz, or 'Bou'. Part of the area<br />
was taken on 27 April and further fighting<br />
continued for several days with the Irish<br />
Guards suffering heavy casualties.<br />
<strong>The</strong> battalion took part in the Anzio landings<br />
on 22 January 1944. <strong>The</strong> battalion saw action<br />
at Carroceto where they repulsed several<br />
German attacks. <strong>The</strong> battalion also took part<br />
in the attack on Campoleone, where they<br />
experienced heavy casualties. A German<br />
counterattack was launched several days<br />
later. <strong>The</strong> battalion inflicted heavy casualties<br />
on the Germans, but were surrounded the<br />
following day with little support against<br />
German armour, and were forced to fight their<br />
way through to Allied lines, suffering many<br />
casualties in the process.<br />
In 1941 the 2nd Irish Guards was<br />
reorganised as an armoured regiment,<br />
joining the newly formed Guards<br />
Armoured Division. <strong>The</strong> Holding Battalion<br />
was raised the same year, later becoming<br />
the 3rd Irish Guards. In 1943, the 3rd Irish<br />
Guards joined the Guards Armoured<br />
Division as an infantry battalion.<br />
In 1944 the 2nd and 3rd Irish Guards took<br />
part in the Normandy Campaign. <strong>The</strong><br />
Irish Guards, as part of the Guards<br />
Armoured Division, took part in Operation<br />
Goodwood (18–20 July).<br />
<strong>The</strong> Irish Guards were part of the ground<br />
force of Operation Market Garden,<br />
'Market' being the airborne assault and<br />
'Garden' the ground attack. Operation<br />
Market Garden was the subject of the film<br />
A Bridge Too Far.<br />
Right Michael Caine as Lt Col Joe<br />
Vandeleur, Irish Guards in the film<br />
Irish Guards and the crew of an M4 Sherman tank<br />
Holland.18 September, 1944<br />
13
William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,<br />
celebrate St Patrick’s Day with the Irish Guards<br />
Pipers of the Irish Guards<br />
After the war, the regiment was reduced to a<br />
single battalion. In 1947, the 1st Battalion<br />
deployed to Palestine to perform internal security<br />
duties there. It was then posted to the Suez Canal<br />
Zone in Egypt, remaining there until the British<br />
withdrawal in 1956. <strong>The</strong> regiment continued to<br />
serve in troubled regions such as Cyprus and<br />
Aden throughout the 1950s and 1960s. During this<br />
time they were also part of the British Army of the<br />
Rhine (BAOR) in Germany on a number of<br />
occasions. <strong>The</strong>y also served as the garrison of<br />
Hong Kong from 1970 to 1972.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Irish Guards were one of the few regiments in<br />
the British Army initially exempt from service in<br />
Northern Ireland during <strong>The</strong> Troubles. However, a<br />
Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb<br />
blasted a bus carrying members of the regimental<br />
band to Chelsea Barracks in October 1981. 39<br />
people (23 soldiers and 16 others) were wounded<br />
and two civilians were killed.1992 saw the<br />
regiment finally carry out its first tour-of-duty in<br />
Northern Ireland, based in County Fermanagh.<br />
Left. DOMHNALL (pronounced Donal) means “world leader” in Gaelic. <strong>The</strong><br />
regiment has had an Irish Wolfhound as a mascot since 1902 and he is the<br />
16th.Turlough Mór is the current mascot of the Irish Guards and replaces<br />
Domhnall who retired.<br />
Like the 16 mascots that preceded him, Turlough Mór is also an Irish<br />
Wolfhound and named after an ancient Irish King.<br />
However, on a day-to-day basis, he will be known by his kennel name, Séamus.<br />
14
Bob During his time in the Irish Guards<br />
<strong>The</strong> Irish Guards were involved in the Balkans<br />
Conflicts when they were deployed to<br />
Macedonia and Kosovo in 1999 and were the<br />
first British unit to enter the Kosovan capital<br />
city of Pristina on 12 June. <strong>The</strong> regiment<br />
played a significant role in the initial stages of<br />
the Iraq War as part of the 7th Armoured<br />
Brigade and they led the British advance into<br />
Basra in March 2003.<strong>The</strong> Irish Guards<br />
deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic 10 in<br />
2007. In 2010, the regiment deployed on their<br />
first tour of duty to Afghanistan.<br />
December 2019 saw the Irish Guards deploy<br />
on two operations concurrently. Number 1<br />
Company deployed to South Sudan on<br />
Operation Trenton and the rest of the<br />
Battalion deployed to Iraq on Operation<br />
Shader, training Iraqi Security Forces.<br />
<strong>The</strong> regiment takes its motto, "Quis<br />
Separabit", or "Who shall separate us?"<br />
from the Order of St Patrick 15
In 2021 the centenary year of<br />
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION<br />
To all Branch and<br />
Community<br />
Members<br />
<strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch raised<br />
7675.52 Euros for the Poppy<br />
Appeal<br />
<strong>The</strong> Total for all Branches in<br />
Spain District North was<br />
119835.02 Euros<br />
And every Cent will stay in Spain<br />
16
Alicante Branch<br />
Poppy Appeal<br />
2021<br />
In this the 100th Anniversary year of the Royal<br />
British Legion the Alicante Branch are delighted<br />
to announce that their 2021 Poppy Appeal has<br />
raised the sum of 7675.52 Euros, this is an<br />
increase of 1951.66 Euros on last year.<br />
Fiona Dillon does her bit for the Poppy Appeal on<br />
Remembrance Sunday<br />
<strong>The</strong> final total includes monies raised by<br />
Jonathan and Mark Knight who carried out a<br />
marathon cycle ride from Tidworth in<br />
Hampshire to Campoverde in Spain. Jonathan,<br />
a former soldier with 24 years’ service<br />
supported by his brother Mark driving the<br />
support vehicle undertook this grueling<br />
challenge in aid of the Royal British Legion<br />
Poppy Appeal. <strong>The</strong> brothers reached Castalla<br />
on Thursday 23rd September to be greeted by<br />
members of the Alicante Branch and members<br />
of the Community. <strong>The</strong> brothers rested<br />
overnight before continuing their journey to<br />
their final destination at Campoverde.<br />
Jonathan's route from Tidworth to Castalla<br />
15th -23rd September<br />
John Pratt, the Chairman of the Alicante<br />
Branch and his Committee Members<br />
would like to take this opportunity to<br />
thank all Branch Members and Members<br />
of the Community for their support<br />
during 2021, a fantastic effort which will<br />
go a long way to helping our<br />
benefactors here in Spain.<br />
17
Who we Help<br />
<strong>The</strong> Royal British Legion is here to help members of the Royal Navy,<br />
British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families. Our support<br />
starts after one day of service and continues through life, long after service<br />
is over. We’re dedicated to supporting not only serving and ex-serving<br />
personnel but the whole of the Armed Forces community, including dependants and<br />
carers. This includes:<br />
Serving personnel, or those who have previously served, who have received one day of pay and were<br />
aged 16 or over at the time of service.<br />
Reserve or Auxiliary personnel, or those who have previously served.<br />
Those who have served with the Mercantile Marine afloat in hostile waters.<br />
Current or previous full-time members of Allied Civil Police Forces.<br />
Those entitled to the campaign medal issued to the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force to those<br />
giving them direct support or under their command.<br />
Any member of Voluntary Aid Societies who has served full-time and in uniform in direct support of<br />
the United Kingdom Armed Forces.<br />
Any British subject (by birth or otherwise) who has served one day in the Forces of an Allied nation<br />
during hostilities and received one day of pay from that nation.<br />
Any British subject (by birth or otherwise) who served in a resistance organisation of an Allied nation<br />
during hostilities in which the United Kingdom Armed Forces were engaged.<br />
Any person who served in the Home Guard for at least six months, or in a Bomb and Mine Disposal<br />
Unit for at least three months.<br />
Any person who was awarded the Defence Medal in respect of service in the Home Guard or in a<br />
Bomb and Mine Disposal Unit.<br />
We can also provide support for Commonwealth citizens who are residents in the UK as well as past<br />
and present members of the Brigade of Gurkhas and their families.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Royal British Legion has 87 branches outside the United Kingdom. Just because<br />
you aren't based in the UK doesn't mean we can’t help you. You can use the Royal<br />
British Legion website to search for overseas branches and find one near you.<br />
https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/things-to-do/membership/branches/<br />
overseas-branches<br />
18
<strong>Veteran</strong>s' Gateway<br />
RBL is proud to be part of <strong>Veteran</strong>s' Gateway, helping more people<br />
to get the help they need.<br />
This is the first time a group of charities have come together to deliver a service like<br />
this for the Armed Forces community.<br />
You can find out more about <strong>Veteran</strong>s' Gateway online or you can also find them on<br />
Facebook and Twitter. If you're looking for support or advice, call the <strong>Veteran</strong>'s<br />
Gateway team on (UK) 0808 802 1212. <strong>The</strong>y're there for you 24 hours a day, seven days<br />
a week.<br />
<strong>Veteran</strong>s' Gateway is the first point of contact for veterans seeking support.<br />
With many organisations supporting the Armed Forces community, <strong>Veteran</strong>s’<br />
Gateway makes finding the right support quicker and easier – no matter where you are<br />
or what you need.<br />
<strong>Veteran</strong>s’ Gateway is made up of a consortium of Armed Forces charities including<br />
the Royal British Legion, SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, Poppyscotland and<br />
Combat Stress.<br />
It's also supported by referral partners, allowing <strong>Veteran</strong>s’ Gateway to refer people to<br />
relevant specialist organisations.<br />
https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk<br />
19
If you need the assistance of the Legion, or<br />
know someone who might, please contact<br />
your Branch Community Support (BCS)<br />
Member Mary Lou Kemp -<br />
Alicante.bcs@rbl.community<br />
<strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch have Caseworkers, Hospital &<br />
Home visitors and Telephone Buddies supporting<br />
our Beneficiaries here in Spain.<br />
Many people still don’t know that <strong>The</strong> Royal British<br />
Legion are here and is active and ready to offer<br />
help and support to any beneficiary who qualifies<br />
for help.<br />
Each case is dealt with in full confidentiality on an<br />
individual needs’ basis by the relevantly trained<br />
people, and in most cases, we can offer some help<br />
or support, if we can’t help at Branch level then we<br />
have fantastic support from District who will either<br />
assist or signpost you to another source of support.<br />
If we can’t help we will assess & consider requests<br />
for help for qualifying beneficiaries or family<br />
members, this does not always mean a financial<br />
payment, it could be guidance in where to get<br />
information or how to access social services.<br />
We are often asked about things such as how do<br />
we get a Blue badge, home help, meals on wheels<br />
etc and we can guide people to where they need to<br />
go.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Legion often have liaisons between the<br />
beneficiary and their Regiment, Ship or Unit when<br />
help is delivered. This can be as simple as safety<br />
features in a bathroom, or a mobility scooter, a red<br />
button alarm in the home for peace of mind, a<br />
walking frame or other equipment, the list of things<br />
requested and supplied are endless.<br />
If you think you may need help, then please contact<br />
Mary Lou using the details above. If you think<br />
someone you know may have served and needs<br />
some support encourage them to contact us as we<br />
cannot contact anyone directly without their<br />
permission, and we cannot discuss anyone’s<br />
individual circumstances with a third party until we<br />
have their express permission to do so.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch of <strong>The</strong><br />
Royal British Legion are here to<br />
help, if we can, we will.<br />
Branch Community Support<br />
Every year we help<br />
thousands of people<br />
when they need it<br />
most.<br />
This could include food or<br />
clothing vouchers, funeral costs,<br />
mobility vehicles and aids or<br />
even household appliances and<br />
furniture.<br />
Whatever your situation, please<br />
don’t hesitate to get in touch as<br />
we will consider almost all<br />
requests. However, we are not<br />
able to help with repayment of<br />
business debts, loans, legal<br />
expenses or where state<br />
assistance or statutory services<br />
are available.<br />
Stay Safe, Stay Well.<br />
20
Branch<br />
News<br />
Welcome to 2022<br />
On the 6th of January the Alicante Branch held their first General Meeting of the year at<br />
Amigos in Onil where it was decided that the Branch would send Mr John Pratt, our Chairman<br />
as a representative to the National Conference in London in May. John will be receiving two<br />
major awards on behalf of the Branch, <strong>The</strong> Haig Cup (2021), <strong>The</strong> Haig Cup is awarded for<br />
Efficiency and Progress (Large Branch). <strong>The</strong> second award, <strong>The</strong> McCrae Shield (2021) is<br />
awarded to one of the 87 Overseas Branches for Efficiency and Progress, this is the second<br />
year in succession that the Branch have been awarded the McCrae Shield. <strong>The</strong> Alicante<br />
Branch are extremely proud of this achievement especily as 2021 was the 100th Anniversary of<br />
the Royal British Legion.<br />
New Branch President<br />
Having relinquished the post of Chairman of the<br />
Alicante Branch at the Annual General Meeting<br />
in October 2021 Mr Jack Kemp was nominated<br />
by the Branch Committee to the role of Branch<br />
President. Jack thanked the Committee and<br />
had much pleasure in accepting.<br />
Obituaries<br />
New Committee Member<br />
Janice O’Brien has kindly<br />
volunteered to take up the<br />
post of Branch Secretary. I am<br />
sure that Branch Members will<br />
welcome Janice to her new<br />
post and wish her well in this<br />
vital and demanding role.<br />
Mr John Wingate<br />
Alicante Branch Member<br />
It is with great sadness that we<br />
have to inform you that John<br />
Wingate passed away on 9th<br />
December 2021. John passed away<br />
in hospital after a long illness.<br />
Our deepest sympathy goes to his<br />
wife Maureen.<br />
Least we Forget.<br />
Betty Curran<br />
Alicante Branch Member<br />
We are saddened to inform you of<br />
the passing of one of our<br />
members, Betty Curran passed<br />
away after fighting a long illness<br />
on the 8th February 2022. Betty<br />
will always be remembered for her<br />
happy smile and cheerful nature.<br />
Least we Forget<br />
Kathryn Williams<br />
It's with sad regret that our dear<br />
friend Kath passed away on the<br />
11th February at Alcoi Hospital.<br />
Kath was a stalwart of the<br />
Community and will be sorely<br />
missed. Our thoughts are with<br />
Mick Gary Karen and Michelle.<br />
Least we Forget
We're dedicated<br />
to supporting the<br />
Armed Forces<br />
community –<br />
wherever they<br />
are.<br />
Community<br />
Support<br />
Presentation<br />
At the Alicante Branch Monthly Meeting<br />
on the 3rd of February Pam Twissell –<br />
Cross MBE the District Community<br />
Support Coordinator gave a very<br />
interesting presentation on Community<br />
Support and costs. Pam covered<br />
caseworking stating that nearly 300<br />
calls during the period January to<br />
December 2021 resulted in casework,<br />
visits or help over the phone. Pam also<br />
covered Social Services support here in<br />
Spain in some detail.<br />
Pam finished her presentation by<br />
covering Branch community support,<br />
what you can expect and signposting,<br />
she also emphasized the requirement<br />
for Telephone Buddies and Home and<br />
Hospital visitors.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Beneficiary Costs<br />
for the period January to<br />
December 2021 was<br />
127696.62 Euros<br />
helping<br />
227 beneficiaries here in<br />
Spain<br />
22
Alicante<br />
Branch<br />
Royal British Legion<br />
<strong>The</strong> Branch’s primary aim is to support serving members of the Royal Navy, Royal<br />
Marines, British Army, Royal Air Force, Reservists,<strong>Veteran</strong>s and their families, many<br />
<strong>Veteran</strong>s and their families live within the local area, in addition we also have<br />
Members in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Cyprus.<br />
Branch General meetings are held monthly, on the first Thursday of the month.<br />
Meeting are currently held in Onil at Amigos De Onil, Calle Biar 20, 03430 Onil, Spain.<br />
All Branch General Meetings commence at 12:00pm and are followed by a social lunch.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Branch is always seeking new members, you do not need an Armed Forces<br />
background to become a member. Why not come and see what you can do for TRBL,<br />
and what TRBL could possibly do for you.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch<br />
recruitment area stretches<br />
from the Mediterranean<br />
coast including El Campello<br />
and Alicante City and inland<br />
to Alcoy, Villena Castalla<br />
and Sax.<br />
Branch Website: http://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/alicante<br />
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/665596200880389/<br />
Poppy Appeal: https://gf.me/u/yp5pru<br />
You don't have to be a<br />
resident within the Branch<br />
boundaries to join the<br />
Branch, many of our<br />
members live in the UK, as<br />
well as different regions<br />
within Spain.<br />
For more information contact either John Pratt or Eddie Morris Alicante.Chairman@rbl.community<br />
Alicante.Vicechairman@rbl.community<br />
23
Awards and decorations of the United Kingdom<br />
<strong>The</strong> George<br />
Cross<br />
For Gallantry<br />
<strong>The</strong> George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government<br />
for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In<br />
the UK honours system, the George Cross is equal in stature to the Victoria<br />
Cross, the highest military gallantry award. This has been the case since the<br />
introduction of the award in 1940. It is awarded "for acts of the greatest heroism<br />
or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger", not in the<br />
presence of the enemy, to members of the British armed forces and to British<br />
civilians. Posthumous awards have been allowed since it was instituted. It was<br />
previously awarded to residents of Commonwealth countries (and in one case to<br />
Malta, a colony which subsequently became a Commonwealth country), most of<br />
which have since established their own honours systems and no longer recommend<br />
British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any<br />
service and to civilians including police, emergency services and merchant seamen.<br />
Many of the awards have been personally presented by the British monarch to<br />
recipients or, in the case of posthumous awards, to next of kin. <strong>The</strong>se investitures<br />
are usually held at Buckingham Palace.<br />
On 5 July 2021, on the 73rd anniversary of the NHS, and during the global<br />
COVID-19 pandemic, the Queen awarded the George Cross to the National Health<br />
Service staff of the United Kingdom. <strong>The</strong> Queen wrote in a personal message: "It is<br />
with great pleasure, on behalf of a grateful nation, that I award the George<br />
Cross to the National Health Services of the United Kingdom. This award<br />
recognises all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four<br />
nations. Over more than seven decades, and especially in recent times, you have<br />
supported the people of our country with courage, compassion and dedication,<br />
demonstrating the highest standards of public service. You have our enduring<br />
thanks and heartfelt appreciation. Elizabeth R."<br />
24
'We Served'<br />
<strong>The</strong> force was formed in 1974, as a merger of<br />
the previous Sheffield and Rotherham<br />
Constabulary along with part of the West<br />
Yorkshire Constabulary area (which Barnsley<br />
Borough Police and Doncaster Borough Police<br />
had been merged into on 1 October 1968).<br />
<strong>The</strong> force were involved in<br />
the minors strike, the<br />
Hillsborough disaster and<br />
the raid on the home of Sir<br />
Cliff Richard.<br />
<strong>The</strong> force's roads policing<br />
unit and its helicopter,<br />
Sierra Yankee 99, have<br />
been a feature in three<br />
television series: Traffic<br />
Cops, Sky Cops and Police<br />
Interceptors. <strong>The</strong> helicopter<br />
unit was subsequently<br />
taken over by the National<br />
Police Air Service.<br />
Mark Stubbings<br />
South Yorkshire Police<br />
1989 - 2015<br />
<strong>The</strong> North East Police Training Centre, Aykley Heads, Durham 1989<br />
25
Mark was posted to Rawmarsh Police Station, Rotherham in 1989 and later<br />
transferred to Barnsley Police Station in 1996 where he saw out his service<br />
and retired in 2015 after 26 years as a front line officer.<br />
Flying the Flag in Spain<br />
After retiring to Spain, Mark was approached by a Spanish<br />
teacher friend and she asked if he was interested in giving<br />
some presentations in English to Spanish students about '<strong>The</strong><br />
British Bobby'. Mark approached his previous employer, South<br />
Yorkshire Police for some assistance regarding obsolete<br />
headgear unfortunately they could not help. Not giving up Mark<br />
purchased a Custodian helmet, a flat cap and a female officers<br />
hat to use in his presentation. Mark explained "<strong>The</strong> normal age<br />
groups were from about 8-14 years and the kids were shown<br />
various photos to interact with. <strong>The</strong>y liked the 'panda car' and<br />
'jam sandwich' motorway patrol car. <strong>The</strong>y were then asked to<br />
think of a black and white animal to describe the black and<br />
white vintage police car. <strong>The</strong> favourite answer was cow<br />
followed by penguin. We finally arrive at panda. <strong>The</strong> Spanish<br />
have problems in differentiating and then pronouncing correctly<br />
'ham' and 'jam'. We discussed this and afterwards they soon<br />
realised that the traffic car resembles a 'jam' sandwich' in<br />
profile. <strong>The</strong> highlight of the presentation for them was to have<br />
their photos taken wearing the hats and to bash their friends<br />
with my truncheon'.<br />
Mark with<br />
his potential<br />
new recruits
<strong>The</strong> Fall Of<br />
Singapore<br />
On February 15, 1942, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival<br />
surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese forces led by<br />
Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fall of Singapore was one of the worst military disasters in<br />
modern history and heralded the demise of the British Empire. It<br />
came at the end of a 55 day long campaign in which Japanese<br />
forces swept down the Malayan peninsula, brushing aside or<br />
massacring the opposing British, Indian and Australian forces.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Battle of Singapore, also known as the Fall<br />
of Singapore, was fought in the South East<br />
Asian threatre of the Pacific War when the<br />
Empire of Japan captured the British stronghold<br />
of Singapore nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the<br />
East". Singapore was the foremost British<br />
military base and economic port in South–East<br />
Asia. It was the key to British interwar defence<br />
planning for the region. <strong>The</strong> fighting in<br />
Singapore lasted from 8 to 15 February 1942.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Japanese victory was decisive. It resulted<br />
in the Japanese capture of Singapore and the<br />
largest British surrender in history.<br />
General Tomoyuki Yamashita had led a force of<br />
about 30,000 down the Malayan Peninsula in<br />
the two months leading up to the battle. <strong>The</strong><br />
British had considered the jungle terrain<br />
impassable and had prepared few defences.<br />
Yet the Japanese were experts in jungle<br />
warfare, and raced down the peninsula. Arthur<br />
Percival led the 85,000 British troops, although<br />
many units were understrength, and most units<br />
lacked experience. Despite this, they enjoyed a<br />
significant numerical and positional advantage<br />
on the island of Singapore. In the lead up to the<br />
battle the British destroyed the causeway into<br />
the city, forcing the Japanese to embark on a<br />
naval crossing. <strong>The</strong> island was so important that<br />
Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered<br />
Percival to fight bitterly to the last man.<br />
Some of the British, Australian, Indian and<br />
Chinese forces captured by Japanese forces during<br />
the fall of Singapore<br />
<strong>The</strong> Japanese had a difficult task: the<br />
British outnumbered them three to one.<br />
But superior Japanese leadership and<br />
many failings on the part of the British<br />
allowed the Japanese to establish a<br />
beachhead starting on 8 February.<br />
Percival had grossly misallocated troops<br />
on the island, and the Japanese<br />
attacked the weakest part of the lines.<br />
Percival also failed to reinforce the<br />
attack in a timely fashion, allowing the<br />
Japanese to establish a beachhead.<br />
Communication and leadership failures<br />
beset the British. <strong>The</strong> poor pre-battle<br />
planning left few entrenchments or<br />
reserves near the beachhead.<br />
27
16 February 1942<br />
Japanese forces take control of the<br />
British 'Gibraltar of the East'<br />
As the week pushed on, the<br />
Japanese took more and more<br />
of the island, and the British<br />
supply became critical. By the<br />
15th, some one million<br />
civilians in the city had fled into the remaining<br />
Allied held area, a mere 1% of the island. By<br />
then, Japanese air attacks had bombed the<br />
civilian water supply non-stop; it was expected<br />
to fail within days if the attack did not stop.<br />
Unbeknownst to the British, by the 15th the<br />
Japanese were also at the end of their supplies,<br />
with only hours of shells left. General<br />
Yamashita feared that Percival would discover<br />
the Japanese numerical inferiority, and engage<br />
in costly house-to-house fighting. In a<br />
desperate bluff, Yamashita demanded<br />
unconditional surrender. On the afternoon of<br />
the 15th, Percival ignored orders and<br />
capitulated. About 5,000 British, Indian and<br />
Australian troops were killed in Singapore and<br />
80,000 becoming prisoners of war, joining<br />
50,000 taken by the Japanese in the earlier<br />
Malayan Campaign. Many would die performing<br />
forced labour. About 40,000 mostly Indian<br />
soldiers would join the Indian National Army and<br />
fight alongside the Japanese. Churchill was<br />
shocked, and called it the "worst disaster" in<br />
British military history. It greatly decreased<br />
confidence in the British army, and provided the<br />
Japanese with much needed resources, as well<br />
as an important strategic position. <strong>The</strong> city<br />
would stay in Japanese hands until the end of<br />
the war.<br />
Japanese soldiers cross a partially reconstructed<br />
Causeway to Singapore<br />
General Percival – under a flag of truce – on his<br />
way to the surrender ceremony<br />
Kranji War Cemetery & Singapore Memorial<br />
'Least We Forget'<br />
28
'We Served' A Personal Account Part 2<br />
<strong>The</strong> Royal Regiment<br />
of<br />
Artillery<br />
<strong>The</strong> Royal Regiment of Artillery<br />
Why? Part 2<br />
To continue on from my previous article where I<br />
covered my enlistment as a junior soldier in the<br />
Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Artillery<br />
(JLRRA) I now move on to my first experiences<br />
in a front line unit.<br />
Welcome to<br />
4th Field Regiment Royal<br />
Artillery<br />
As with every soldier joining the Royal Artillery<br />
(RA) you need to start on the Gun Line, I was<br />
initially sent to Gun Troop, and was introduced<br />
to the 105mm Lt Gun, quite a step change from<br />
the Howitzer 25 pounder I had trained on at the<br />
JLRRA. I spent my first six months in the<br />
Regiment on A Sub learning the drills and skills,<br />
most of the time moving 105mm rounds from<br />
the ammo dump to the Gun Line, quickly<br />
learning that you never walk on the Gun<br />
Position, many Exercises followed in the first six<br />
months, but then life for Gunner Kemp was<br />
about to change. I was ordered to report to the<br />
Battery Sergeant Major's (BSM) Office, of<br />
course my initial thought was what have I done<br />
wrong now, I was about to find out,<br />
Article by Jack Kemp<br />
President of the Alicante Branch<br />
I marched into the BSM’s Office, halted at<br />
his desk, the BSM looked up at me and<br />
said, add the following five numbers<br />
together. I was thinking that this was<br />
going to be how many extra duties I was<br />
about to be awarded as a punishment,<br />
punishment for what I thought, anyway, I<br />
quickly calculated the number in my head,<br />
and was shocked when the BSM said well<br />
done, report to Command Troop they are<br />
short of Command Post Signallers, well<br />
that was it, my test to see if I was suitable<br />
to move from Gun Troop to the Command<br />
Troop was adding the five numbers<br />
together, strange but true.<br />
I was soon placed on a Basic Radio Users<br />
Course which was quickly followed by my<br />
Basic Driving Course, I became the driver<br />
for the Signals Sgt, Sgt Robert John<br />
Maxwell.<br />
29
4th Regiment Royal Artillery<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fighting<br />
Fourth<br />
<strong>The</strong> next milestone was my first Operational<br />
Tour of three to Northern Ireland (NI), this was<br />
the first time I was disappointed about being<br />
in Command Troop, as I was a Signals<br />
Operator my role in NI was to man the<br />
Communication Centre along with other<br />
members of the Troop, this role kept me in<br />
Barracks instead of patrolling the streets, the<br />
six month tour soon passed and on return<br />
from NI I made the best and most important<br />
decision of my young life so far,<br />
and I’m happy to<br />
say that when I<br />
asked Mary to<br />
marry me she<br />
accepted. After<br />
the wedding on<br />
5th October 1981<br />
we moved into our<br />
first married<br />
quarter, the first of<br />
14 married<br />
quarters.<br />
Jack and Mary on their<br />
wedding day<br />
I would like to thank Jack<br />
for his second personal<br />
installment for the ' We<br />
Served ' section of the<br />
magazine, unfortunately I<br />
have cut it short on purpose as the<br />
next section of his Military career<br />
covers the Falklands War and would<br />
be more suited for our next edition<br />
in June which covers the 40th<br />
36<br />
Anniversary of the Liberation.<br />
28 May 1939<br />
<strong>The</strong> Regiment was<br />
formed as 4th<br />
Regiment Royal Horse<br />
Artillery (RHA) at<br />
Helmieh, Egypt and<br />
equipped with 25<br />
pound guns.<br />
I am sure that we all look forward to<br />
reading of his experience as well as<br />
celebrating this milestone<br />
Anniversary on the 14th of June.<br />
On a serious note, I was also a<br />
Regimental Signaller and had to<br />
carry out a similar entrance test<br />
however on ours we were not<br />
permitted to use our fingers.
Forecast of Events<br />
Alicante Branch meets at 12:00 pm on the 1st<br />
Thursday of the month:<br />
All meetings are followed by a Social Lunch within the local area.<br />
Our weekly casual 'Meet & Greet' takes place at the No Problem<br />
Bar on Thursdays at 15:00. Come along and meet some of the<br />
members.<br />
March :<br />
April:<br />
May:<br />
June:<br />
3rd March Branch Monthly Meeting, Amigos, Onil followed by lunch.<br />
7th April Branch Monthly Meeting, Brown's Restaurant N332 near El<br />
Campello, followed by lunch .<br />
5th May Branch Monthly Meeting, Amigos, Onil followed by lunch.<br />
2nd June 1:30 Branch Monthly meeting, Black Bull Castalla International.<br />
2nd June 15:00 <strong>The</strong> Queen's Platinum Jubilee tea party, Castalla.<br />
14th June 14:00 40th Anniversary of the liberation of the Falkland Islands<br />
Service and BBQ, Memorial Gardens Castalla International.<br />
25th June Armed Forces Day, location to be confirmed.<br />
Liberation Day is the national day of the Falkland Islands and<br />
commemorates the liberation of the Falkland Islanders from<br />
Argentine military occupation at the end of the Falklands War on<br />
14 June 1982.
<strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch<br />
of the<br />
Royal British Legion<br />
<strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch of the Royal British Legion in conjunction with the Black Bull Bar<br />
will be holding a Tea Party on the occasion of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee on 2nd June<br />
2022. <strong>The</strong> party which will start at 15:00 is open to all Community Members.<br />
Tickets will be available from the Black Bull in May at a cost of 15 Euros<br />
Queen’s Jubilee Tea Party starting at 15:00.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Queen: Short speech and toast to the Queen (Cava) by the Branch<br />
Chairman, followed by the National Anthem<br />
Raffle in aid of the 2022 Poppy Appeal<br />
Royal British Legion Information Stand<br />
Menu<br />
Mixed Sandwiches<br />
Quich (V)<br />
Sausage Rolls<br />
2 Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream<br />
Carrot Cakes<br />
Fairy Cake<br />
Cava (To Toast the Queen)<br />
Unlimited Tea
Branch Christmas<br />
Lunch<br />
It seems ages ago now but the<br />
Alicante Branch held it's Christmas<br />
Lunch on the 2nd of December 2021<br />
at Amigos De Onil where several<br />
members enjoyed the traditional<br />
Christmas fare of turkey and all the<br />
trimmings.
Burns Night<br />
25th January<br />
2022<br />
Several Members of the Alicante Branch of the<br />
Royal British Legion attended a Burn's Supper at<br />
the Black Bull in Castalla on the anniversary of the<br />
bards birth. Mr Ed Morris gave the Selkirk Grace<br />
followed by <strong>The</strong> Master of Ceremonies Mr Hamish<br />
McConnachie addressing the Haggis before the<br />
gathering partook of the traditional fayre of Haggis,<br />
Neeps and Tatties as well as other choice dishes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> end of the meal saw the gathering being<br />
offered Atholl Brose a home made Scottish liqueur<br />
consisting of whiskey, oats, honey and cream.<br />
Robert Burns 1759 - 1796<br />
<strong>The</strong> Raffle of Scottish produce was donated by<br />
Hamish and Sue McConnachie and raised 85<br />
Euros for the 2022 Poppy Appeal.<br />
After a short break to 'Louse a button' the<br />
Immortal Memory, a brief history of the Bards life<br />
was given by Mrs Sue Parkes - McConnachie.<br />
<strong>The</strong> gathering was then treated to some<br />
renditions of the Bards work. <strong>The</strong> Address to the<br />
Lassies was given by Mr Mark Stubbings and the<br />
reply was given by Mrs Joan Mollins.<br />
Special thanks must go to the staff at the Black<br />
Bull for looking after us so well.<br />
Branch Webmaster<br />
and Publicity<br />
Member Hamish<br />
McConnachie<br />
carried out the<br />
duties of Master of<br />
Ceremonies and<br />
addressed the<br />
Haggis<br />
34
Burns 2022<br />
Branch Member Joan Mollins who gave the reply for<br />
the Ladies and Branch Vice Chairman Ed Morris Who<br />
gave the Selkirk Grace.<br />
Branch Member Mark Stubbings front right who gave<br />
the Address to the Lassies<br />
35
During deployment on HMS Queen Elizabeth, there was an<br />
inspection by a visiting admiral.<br />
All Navy and Marine personnel lined up in formation for the<br />
admiral. While walking past several Sailors asking questions<br />
and receiving appropriate answers, the admiral stopped in<br />
front of a Marine and asked, “What’s the first thing you do<br />
after hearing “Man Overboard?” Without hesitation, the<br />
Marine asked, “Officer or Enlisted?”<br />
MILITARY HUMOUR<br />
OFFICER MATERIAL<br />
Private Smith wasn't much good in<br />
the field, but he passed his written<br />
exams with flying colors and,<br />
eventually, received word he was<br />
qualified for officer training at<br />
Sandhurst His sergeant brought<br />
him the news.<br />
"Well, Smith, I hear you're going to<br />
Sandhurst. I'm sure you'll make a<br />
fine officer, and that's the way it<br />
should because you'll never be a<br />
soldier."<br />
THE ENEMY<br />
War was on and the captain was<br />
attempting to rally his troops on the<br />
eve of a big offensive.<br />
"Out there," said the captain, "is your<br />
enemy. <strong>The</strong> man who has made your<br />
life miserable, who is working to<br />
destroy you; the man who has been<br />
trying to kill you day after day<br />
throughout this war."<br />
Private Johnson jumped to his feet.<br />
"My God; the cook's working for the<br />
other side!"<br />
I just saw a Facebook status.........lonely man seeks<br />
wife ......... he had 256 replies, all of them saying"You<br />
can have mine!"<br />
How many Military policemen does it take to throw a<br />
drunk Squaddie down stairs?<br />
None, he fell.<br />
Army rules: If it moves, salute it. If it doesn’t move,<br />
pick it up. If you can’t pick it up, paint it.<br />
A sign posted on the wall of an Army<br />
cookhouse read:<br />
"Don't Waste Food -- Food Will Win the<br />
War."<br />
Beneath these words someone had scrawled:<br />
"That's fine, but how do we get the enemy to<br />
eat here?"
Barry the builder was going through a house he had just built, with the<br />
woman who owned it. She was telling him what colours to paint each<br />
room. <strong>The</strong>y went into the first room and she said, "This room to be a light<br />
blue." <strong>The</strong> builder went to the front door and yelled out "Green side up"<br />
As he went back she said the next room was to be red. <strong>The</strong> builder again<br />
went to the front door and called out "Green side up". Once back with her,<br />
she said "This one to be tan." And again he went to the front door and<br />
yelled "Green side up." <strong>The</strong> lady, very curious, said "I keep telling you<br />
different colours but you always yell "Green side up”.” "What do you say<br />
that for?" "Oh, don't you worry about that," said the builder, "I've got a<br />
couple of Artillery lads laying the turf out front.<br />
My grandfather took down<br />
23 planes in WWII<br />
He was the worst mechanic<br />
in the RAF<br />
How do you keep a Marine<br />
happy in his old age?<br />
Tell him a joke when he’s<br />
young.<br />
Did you know that all<br />
blonde and Army jokes<br />
are interchangeable?<br />
Nobody tells the British Royal Navy what to do... Except the Irish.<br />
IRISH: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South, to avoid a collision.<br />
BRITISH: Recommended you divert your course 15 degrees to the North, to avoid a<br />
collision.<br />
IRISH: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a<br />
collision.<br />
BRITISH: This is the Captain of the British navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.<br />
IRISH: Negative. I say again, you will have to divert YOUR course<br />
BRITISH: This is the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales! <strong>The</strong> second largest ship in the<br />
British Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, and<br />
numerous support vessels. I DEMAND that you change your course 15 degrees North, I<br />
say again, that is 15 degrees North, or counter-measures will be undertaken to ensure the<br />
safety of this ship.<br />
IRISH: We are a lighthouse. Your call.
Poets<br />
Corner<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mansions of the Lord<br />
To fallen soldiers let us sing<br />
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,<br />
Our broken brothers let us bring<br />
To the Mansions of the Lord<br />
No more weeping,<br />
No more fight,<br />
No friends bleeding through the night,<br />
Just Divine embrace,<br />
Eternal light,<br />
In the Mansions of the Lord<br />
Where no mothers cry<br />
And no children weep,<br />
We shall stand and guard<br />
Though the angels sleep,<br />
Oh, through the ages let us keep<br />
In the Mansions of the Lord<br />
<strong>The</strong> Call to Duty<br />
By Kelly Roper<br />
A call to duty is sent out<br />
And the strong and the brave reply.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y do it for love of country,<br />
So there's never a need to ask why.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y leave behind all that they love,<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir families, their homes and their lives,<br />
Because to preserve these precious things<br />
Is the goal for which each soldier strives.<br />
So God bless our troops,<br />
<strong>The</strong> courageous women and men,<br />
Who fight to make sure<br />
<strong>The</strong> bells of freedom peal again.<br />
I was a soldier<br />
I was a soldier of the past<br />
And I know im not the last<br />
I signed up to serve my Queen<br />
Far off lands I have seen<br />
As that soldier I done my best<br />
Losing friends laying them to rest<br />
We fought for what was only right<br />
Giving freedom to others at night<br />
As bullets flew and bombs exploded<br />
My thoughts and mind just imploded<br />
I could not say I wasn't scared<br />
But my vision was not impaired<br />
<strong>The</strong> smell of cordite all around<br />
Waiting for the alarm to sound<br />
<strong>The</strong>n the order of stand fast<br />
Hoping this attack would not last<br />
<strong>The</strong>y come at us with all they have<br />
Rpgs and a Gustav<br />
We hold firm and do not falter<br />
It's not our turn at the alter<br />
Be brave young man I have to shout<br />
As the young man does scream out<br />
I've been hit this is bad<br />
I wish I was with my mum and dad<br />
It's ok you will be fine<br />
It's a promise that is mine<br />
<strong>The</strong> bombardment ends and we look up<br />
Let's sort this out my young pup<br />
Gingerly we give first aid<br />
That is why we get paid<br />
We stretcher him out to the heli pad<br />
In a few days he's with mum and dad<br />
After a while I go to see<br />
That young soldier who layed before me<br />
He's up and about and full of cheer<br />
Winks at me we go for a beer<br />
For those guys that didn't survive<br />
We raise a glass cuddle and cry<br />
For all the new guys on your career<br />
Wish you well I got your rear<br />
Gordon Alexander
<strong>The</strong> Alicante Branch<br />
of the<br />
Royal British Legion<br />
"Service not Self "<br />
Visit our website at<br />
http://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/alicante