Page 107 - Mercian Eagle 2016

numerous duties, which are too many to mention in full, the members enjoyed a skittles night and a families’ coach trip to the RAF Museum at Cosford. In July, a party of eight members of the Branch went to Normandy to follow the route taken by The Worcestershire Regiment between June and August 1944, as well as seeing other interesting battle sites of the Allied Forces, visiting the Memorial Museum and the village of Berjou: a Monsieur Brisset met the branch members and took them to the start line where the Worcesters waded across the river Noireau avoiding the bridges that the Germans had zeroed in on. The party then followed M Brisset to the village of Berjou
and its own Museum where they were shown all the items which had been recovered from the battlefield and handed in by the local people where a presentation of a framed, embroidered badge of the Worcestershire Regiment with an inscribed brass plaque was made to the Curator. Later, a small parade with three Standards and bugle from Worcester Branch was held at the War Memorial outside the Village Church with the laying of a wreath and planting of crosses. Sadly since this article was written, the Chairman Harold Massam has passed away and Nigel Fish will take up the post and we know he will do an admirable job.
Worksop Branch Mark Butcher, Secretary
Photocall Berjou. L to R: Nigel Fish, Harry Massam, Allan Poyner, John Walters, Alan Fish, Mick Leeming, Richard Fox
Since its re-birth just over 3 years ago, Worksop now has 26 paid-up members and an average turn-out at meetings of around 16 people; we are a consistently strong branch and continue to pick up new members so the future is very positive for us. We aim to keep the branch fun
and interesting for members and in 2016 members have had a guided tour of the Thoresby Yeomanry Museum, raised a bit of money for charity at our annual St George’s Day dinner night and enjoyed
a day at the Crich Tramway Museum 1940’s weekend. Also, we have been honoured to have two days of shooting with the South Yorkshire Police Rifle & Pistol Club. Our lads and lasses got to fire a host of different weapons, including .22 semi-automatic rifles, black powder pistols, 5.56mm & .303 rifles and even a Martini-Henry rifle. The bruised shoulders the next day were a reminder for the older guys of what it was like to fire some larger calibre weapons again. We also had a games night at Chesterfield branch, two 50th birthday parties, Christmas dinner and of course, Remembrance Day parade
Kidderminster Branch
Peter Dunn
By a happy coincidence, the daughter of our Branch Chaplain (Revd Canon Paul Brothwell), Lt Col Jane Hunter of the Adjutant General’s Corps (Education and Training Services) gave us a fascinating talk on the Battle of Kohima, having visited the Kohima War Cemetery where she met Naga tribesmen and relatives and listened to their accounts The Burma Star Association
hold an annual Remembrance Service at Bromsgrove on the Saturday nearest to the anniversary of VJ Day (15 Aug) at the
Branch AGM March 2016
followed by Sunday lunch for the members and families. A number of the branch members attended the Worksop ‘Wings Over Worksop’ service parade for Sqn Ldr Nowak, who was the first Polish pilot to shoot down a German plane at night. This was followed by a Polish cultural event at the town hall, where the branch presented a WFR plaque to the daughter of the Sqn Ldr. She was very moved by the presentation and this certainly helped raise our profile with the local council. Ian Middleton, our reserve Standard Bearer, has represented the branch with the Standard at numerous events and dedication ceremonies. Our
site of the National Burma Star Association Memorial. There is a plinth at the Memorial in Bromsgrove commemorating The Worcestershire Regiment in Assam and Burma at which representatives of the Regimental Association lay a wreath annually. Additionally, Kidderminster Branch annually have a ‘Posy of Poppies with foliage’ (all that is allowed by the Indian Government) to be placed on the 2nd Division Memorial at Kohima on 15th August. The Branch also lays a wreath
Some of the members and families at one of the shooting days
welfare officer, Stuart Gullen, and Dave Swan, branch chairman, have also visited a couple of ex-WFR members who have had some difficulties this year. This brought some much needed cheer to those persons and reminded them that there is still a Regimental family out there, with comradeship and support where needed and a branch which continues
to thrive and provides members with fun events that help maintain the friendships built through military service. After all, isn’t that what the Association is all about? www.worksopbranchwfra.co.uk
on the granite Memorial Stone in the churchyard of St Mary and All Saints in Kidderminster commemorating the 7th Battalion, on Remembrance Sunday as well as at the Town’s Memorial. The branch were also involved and attended the dedication of a plaque in the Waiting Room at Bewdley Severn Valley Railway Station; the plaque commemorates Trooper Alfred Rowland Crew of the Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars (QOWH) who was killed on 23rd April 1916 - St George’s Day.
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