Page 146 - Mercian Eagle 2014

Nottingham City Branch
by Beryl Richards
The Branch attended the raising of the Red Jacket at Nottingham Castle on Sunday 6th April 2014, Badajoz Day, the hard work of hauling on the string being performed
by Maj Doug Hallam. The photo shows Lt Macpherson’s great, great nephew and family members at the ceremony. We are proud to say that our President, Mick Murry, was 93 years young in September 2014. Mick enlisted in 1939 and joined 1st Battalion The Sherwood Foresters
at Normanton Barracks, Derby. His war service included Cyprus and Egypt but the battalion was captured in Tobruk 1942. They were sent to various Italian POW
The Branch Standard and Lt Macpherson’s family
camps and, finally, Mick was sent to Poland to work in the mines until the end of the war. Apart from illness, he has never missed the Crich Pilgrimage.
Mick Murry
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Worcester Branch
by Maurice Smith
In June this year, we attended the Dedication of a new War Memorial at Pensax and Stockton where records show that the Parish Council could not afford a memorial in the years immediately after WW1.
The local branch of Royal British Legion and a number of volunteer villagers raised the cash and, on Monday 2nd June, the memorial was unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, Lt Col Patrick Holcroft LVO OBE, and dedicated by the local Vicar, Revd Louise Grace. The Blessing was given by the Right Reverend Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester.
The WFRA Reunion was held at Worcester Warriors Rugby Club on Saturday 7th June with a good attendance on a fine, sunny day. It did have one hiccup – a fire in the kitchen causing the immediate evacuation from the Bars whilst the Fire Service, who turned out
in force, extinguished the fire in the chip pan! The March Past and Drumhead Service – conducted by Canon Paul Tongue – were accompanied by the Tenbury and Bewdley Concert Band, founded by an ex Woofer and still with former WFR Band musicians. Then, on Monday 23rd June, Branch members paraded with Standards outside the Guildhall, Worcester, for a short Service and the raising of the Flag to signal the start of Armed Forces Week. On Saturday 19th July, members attended a WWI event at Crowle village but
Evesham Burma Star. The three Worcester Branch Standards on the left
violent wind and torrential rain spoilt the demonstration and a strategic withdrawal was made.
August has been a busy month starting with the Branch and Standards attending the Tenbury Wells RBL County Gala on Sunday 3rd. Much interest was shown in the display of uniforms and kit laid out on a bed by Cyril Davis. The day finished with a Drumhead Service at the Garden of Remembrance where there were crosses with posters and cap badges of local men who fell
in WWI. On Monday 4th, the Centenary of the start of WWI in 1914, the Branch paraded with Standards at Pershore for a short Service commencing at 1330 hrs; the names of the 101 fallen Pershore men were read aloud during a very moving Service. After the parade, the congregation was invited to the Pershore Royal Naval Association HQ for drinks and refreshment: special thanks to them. Later that day, Members and Standards joined the Mayor of Worcester and 214 Bty RA at the Army Reserve Centre in a Service to commemorate the outbreak of WWI. The Service included the speech on the Declaration of War and the ‘lights going out over Europe’ by Lord Grey in 1914. The Last Post was sounded by
the Branch Chairman, Harold Massam, on the bugle at 2300 hrs followed by a rifle volley. The Two Minutes’ Silence was followed by
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