Page 36 - QARANC Vol 15 No 2 2017

34 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Northern Ireland Branch
The ‘Not Forgotten Association’, Royal Garden Party
My name is Linda Reed; I was formally a Lance Corporal in the Queen Alexandra Nursing Corps from 1980 to 1984.
In 1991 I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and have since been living with the ever-debilitating and crippling disease. This year I hope to have total knee replacement surgery.
As many veterans know, living with a disease or an injury, whether acquired during service or not, has one benefit that many civilians wouldn’t understand; this benefit is the incredible support from the people and friends we made during our service years.
It was due to this amazing support plus the reigniting of old friendships through Facebook that I have forged ongoing contact with many of the people I served with.
Early in April I was contacted by my QARANC Association Secretary Maj Kerry McFadden-Newman who asked if I would mind if she put my name forward to attend The Not Forgotten Association, Royal Garden Party hosted by HRH Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 30 May 2017.
I was delighted to have been nominated and whether I received the invitation or not I already felt very
privileged at being considered. So it was actually with a bit of a shock that I did receive my invitation and to be honest I felt a mixture of feelings; I felt proud, nervous and excited all at once.
I was escorted to the Palace by my son, Daniel. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. I not only got to meet many veterans from World War 2 and the Korean War but many celebrity guests and saw (at very close quarters) His Royal Highness Prince Harry.
The day spent at the Royal Garden Party was truly amazing; everyone was so helpful and friendly, the sun shone; it was a perfect and memorable day.
The Not Forgotten Association is a small, unique and highly personalised
Not Forgotten Association Garden Party hosted by HRH Prince Harry
tri-service charity. Their role is to provide entertainment and recreation for the benefit of the serving wounded, injured or sick and for veterans who suffer from a disability or illness.
The events and activities are open to serving and ex-service men and women of all ages, whether they served in the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy or Merchant Navy, in Regular or Reserve forces, whenever and wherever they served and whether their physical or mental injury, disability or illness is attributable to their time in service or occurred subsequently.
Linda Reed
Not Forgotten Association Garden Party NI Branch Member Linda Reed accompanied by her son
The Annual Ceremony of Remembrance and Wreath Laying
The Annual Ceremony of Remembrance and Wreath Laying organised by The Royal British Legion (Republic of Ireland) took place on 8 July 2017 at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Dublin.
The event continues to be well attended and remembers with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives in World Wars and conflicts past and present have been given and taken away in the cause of justice and freedom.
The service included a poem written by Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917) who was an Irishman, soldier and poet and served in the 1st Bn.The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in Gallipoli, Serbia & the Western Front. He was killed on 31 July 1917, the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele.
I share his poem:
A Soldier’s Grave
Then in the lull of midnight, gentle arms Lifted him slowly down the slopes of death
Lest he should hear again the mad alarms
Of battle, dying moans and painful breath.
And where the earth was soft for flowers we made A grave for him that he might better rest
So, Spring shall come and leave it sweet arrayed And there the lark shall turn her dewy nest.
Lt Col (Retd) Ruth Smith OBE TD laying a wreath on behalf
of the QARANC Association NI Branch at the Annual Ceremony of Remembrance at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Dublin