Page 139 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

Hednesford Branch
Trevor Evans
Another busy year for the Hednesford Branch, starting with our Christmas Dinner held at Wyrley Old Hall. A total of 64 members sat down to dinner, and the day was made more enjoyable as we were joined by four of our widows.
In June, we along with Cannock Chase District Council organised a march to commemorate the start of the Great War. This took place in Cannock and ended with a service at the War Memorial. The same evening, we organised a band concert
at the Prince of Wales Theatre with the band of The West Midlands Fire Service. A great night was had by all the 300 people attending. It goes without saying that the highlight of the year was being granted the Freedom of Cannock, along with The Mercian Regiment.
The branch tour this year went to the battlefields of Flanders and the Somme. 49 branch members spent five days touring the sites, and on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of war, paraded our Standards at the Menin Gate, Ypres. Our Parade Marshal read the exaltation in front of at least 500 people, which was as always, a most moving occasion.
Branch members have again visited schools this year talking to the children about remembrance and the two wars in general. It is always a pleasure to attend these occasions. This year also saw the rededication of the old cap badge from the Drill Hall in Hednesford. This was saved by our Chairman Gordon Taylor from being scrapped, when the Drill Hall was demolished. The badge and coping stones have been re-sited at the Cadets
HQ in Hednesford. The branch attended and played a large part in organising
the parade to dedicate the new WW1 Memorial in Chadsmoor, Cannock. The memorial carries the names of over 140 men from Chadsmoor who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Over 60 of these names were men who served in either the North Staffords or South Staffords. We
were joined on this very special day by Mr Ian Dudson, The Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire.
On the 23 May we attended a service to remember those who died in WW1. The service was held at St. Luke’s Church, Cannock. We were joined by the family
of Lt. C. Loxton, who travelled over from Australia. After the Great War a stained glass window was placed in the church to remember Lt Loxton. The centenary of his death will be on the very day of the service. On 8 May, the branch travelled to Jersey to join locals in the 70th Anniversary of their liberation at the end of WW2.
Association visit jersey may 2015
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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