Page 164 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Light Division and
RIFLES Buglers’ Association
2017 continued to be a very busy and demanding year for the Buglers’ Association of the Light Davison and the Ri es building on the success of 2016. Our membership continues to grow embracing our former Light Division Regiments, retired buglers from the Ri es and now former cadet buglers. To date they have attended well over 500 events around the country since the formation of the Association, being used exten- sively across the Regimental family and beyond. Sadly the mainstay of our work remains attendance at funerals: however this brings great pride to the Association Buglers involved, because they know how much it means to the families to have a bugler sound the Last Post for their loved one. Our regimental reunions and gatherings continue to be the highlights of the year and this year was no exception. Once again we played a major part in both Shrewsbury and Winchester events, but this year we also had the honour of joining The Ri es for their Freedom Parade, where we sounded the opening fanfare as well as a mass Last Post & Reveille in memory of the fallen from both the RGJ and Ri es Regiments. To mark the major events of the Great War in 1917 veteran buglers have supported battle eld tours to Passchendaele (KOYLI Association) and to Ypres and the Menin Gate (SLI Association). In September, Association Buglers will once again be leading the Light Division contingent at the Northern Ireland Memorial Service at the National Memorial Arboretum and in
THIS YEAR WE ALSO HAD THE HONOUR OF JOINING THE RIFLES FOR THEIR FREEDOM PARADE, WHERE WE SOUNDED THE OPENING FANFARE AS WELL AS A MASS LAST POST & REVEILLE IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN
October, an Association Bugle Concentration will be held at Abingdon in advance of a very busy two weeks in November for the various Remembrance events that Association buglers will be involved in around the country. Following the purchase of 3 new professional sound systems, the Association has been providing concerts around the country, at regimental events and dinners from Durham to Cornwall. This has proved to be very popular and regimental members are encouraged to make use of this in the future. (www.buglers.co.uk)
The Association continues to be supported nancially by county associations and other benefactors, most recently by the RGJ Associ- ation, and with the provision of bugles, recently through the generous loan of a further eleven bugles from the Trustees of the DERR Association and the Salisbury of ce. Therefore, on behalf of the Chairmen and Of cers of the Association we thank you all for your generosity and support and look forward to supporting you in the year ahead..
Concurrent to the success of the Buglers’ Association, the Light Division and Ri es Band Association has begun to emerge as a viable musical entity. Currently there are 20 veteran bandsmen from across the former regiments. A band concentration is planned for 24th September 2017 to be held in the 6 RIFLES Reserve Centre, Shrewsbury, accompanied by veteran buglers. It is intended to develop an association consti- tution and structure for this Band Association. Any former Light Division or Ri es bandsmen who wish to join should contact:
Colin Cranswick
Ri es – Light Infantry - KOYLI Regimental Associ- ation Secretary (Yorkshire)
Of ce: 01977 703181 Mob: 07778663925
E-mail: assnsecyorkshire@the-ri es.co.uk Website: ri es-li-koyli-assn.wix.com/assn
Any nancial support or provision of instru- ments will also be very welcome. We wish the Association all success in its formation.
DHR STEPHENSON CBE
President
162 THE BAND AND BUGLES OF THE RIFLES
THE RIFLES