Page 134 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

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The Lichfield Branch Secretary pays his respects on laying The Regimental Wreath
start. After the ceremony the public thanked us and it was like being back in ‘Blighty’, we met people from all over the UK. The next morning before moving on to Arnhem we stopped at Tyne Cot Cemetery and
laid a wreath in memory of all the Staffords lost in the Ypres salient. Once in Arnhem, members settled into the hotel, which is by the river Rhine and opposite the St. Elizabeth Hospital, where some of the heaviest fighting took place against the SS Divisions. The Friday morning was our
had struggled to get across the river. On Sunday the Branch members accompanied by our guests attended the cemetery for the remembrance service. A Bugler from the Arnhem Airborne Forces Association played the last post and reveille; it was
an emotional time for some of the guests. The wreath was laid in remembrance of
all the 2nd South Stafford’s who were
killed during the Arnhem battle. During the service, names of soldiers from Stafford,
by kind invitation of our president, Mr Stafford Northcote in August. This was the second year members attended with their families and a great evening ensued. A long weekend camping excursion took place in July, at Shell Island. Camping and fishing is a nice relaxing combination, however, there was a distinct lack of fish to be caught and the blame was put on the weather. It was said that after three casts, they all gave up trying to catch supper and headed for the Pub!!! Early next morning everyone was woken by a loud scream of “Hunter was that you?” Andy Fletcher and his tent were bombarded by all the sea gulls in the area, thanks to Kev Hunter spreading loaves of bread around Andy’s tent.
The Branch does have its characters to name a couple: ‘Tell us a story’ Al; ‘Wind up’ Kev; ‘Instigate and stand back’ Rich. However, we have a happy crew who all look forward to the meetings. My thanks go out to all members, because without them there would be no Stafford Branch. May we continue long into the future.
The Branch would like to thank the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, who took time out visiting us when they were on R & R from Afghanistan.
On the support front, Stafford Branch
held a “buy your local soldier a drink” day
at the chambers in Stafford, prior to the Battalion deploying to Afghanistan. The event was opened by the Mayor and Mayoress
of Stafford. Other local dignitaries and celebrities, including Treyc Chohen gave
their support. There was an auction and raffle; the proceeds were divided between
3 Mercian Welfare fund and BLESMA. This was followed after the troops had deployed to Afghanistan, with the Shoe Box Appeal, run in collaboration with the local media.
We asked the public of Stafford to donate a shoebox of treats for the troops. Once again, this was a success; we sent 280 shoeboxes to the soldiers of the 3 Mercian. The Branch has assisted with a donation to the Military Wing Brocton Ward, St Georges, Stafford. A Regimental plaque was also presented.
We look ahead to a good reunion this year. Wishing you all good health.
David Lovell, Chairman, Stafford Branch
start of the battlefield
tours, beginning with
Landing Zone Sierra
and working our way
through the surrounding
areas of Oosterbeek,
taking lunch at the
restaurant Schoonoord.
A wreath was laid at the
Baskeyfield tree and a
‘thank you’ bouquet was given to the owners of the property, Elly and Will Henf. A floral tribute was laid at the Lonsdale church in honour of Major Cain VC and the day ended with refreshments.
Day two covered the withdrawal route taken by the 2nd Battalion, The South Stafford’s, from St. Elizabeth’s hospital to Lonsdale Church RV and the path leading to the river. The coach then took us to the village of Driel, which was the main assembly point for the troops that
who fought and died
at Arnhem, were read out. The morning over, we headed for the hotel and started to pack, ready for home, before attending the now customary group photograph at our adopted HQ at the café Rijnpoort.
to the landlord and
It was said that after three casts, they all gave up trying to catch supper and headed for the Pub!!!
The Memorial Stone and members of the Lichfield Branch
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
Our many thanks
landlady for their hospitality during our visit and many thanks to their locals for making us welcome.
The Branch has now established three annual events to which we invite our loved ones.
• The Dinner Dance of which we have
already spoken.
• Bar-B-Que.
• Camping experience.
The Bar-B-Que is held at Bishton Hall,