Page 195 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Devon and Dorset
The Rifles Office, Exeter
Devon members of the Regimental Association gather for lunch
The people of Dorset and Devon have shown their support for the Regiment in many ways throughout the year. The first
to do so was Steve Keane, an ex-WO2 in the Devon and Dorsets who walked the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path from Poole to Minehead in August to raise funds for charities including C4C. What was remarkable is that in 2007 Steve completed the walk in the opposite direction. This time he said he was “going back to get my car!” He was cheered off at Poole by a group including regimental standard bearers and was supported by numerous well-wishers along the way.
In October the Gillingham Branch of the Regimental Association held their annual dinner during which a cheque for £2,000 was presented to C4C. The money came from a number of fund-raising events
held throughout the year. Making the presentation was the Branch President, Lt
Col Andrew Edwards, who double-hats as the Rifles Colonel for Dorset. Receiving the cheque on behalf of the charity was his son, Captain Jamie Edwards, who was serving as Adjutant 1 RIFLES at the time.
The heart of the Association remains the numerous meetings
and social functions
organised by the
with veterans of the former and forming regiments. On this occasion, after an excellent lunch, those who are currently serving inevitably came in for a barrage of questions about what it’s like in the Army now and there was considerable banter
as experiences were discussed.
Twelve Dorset
towns have granted their freedom to the Regiment – significantly more than any other county. During the past seven years ceremonies
have been held in most of these towns and on 21st October one was held to celebrate the Freedom of Sherborne. Colonel Malachy Doran, Deputy Colonel for the South West, received a Freedom Scroll from the Mayor and presented a Silver Bugle in return. Sherborne, with its school which has
separate Branches
and the less formal
Focal Points. In Exeter,
for instance, former
members of the
Devonshire Regiment,
many of whom had served together in
the 1950s during the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya, gather for a lunch each autumn. In the same vein April witnessed the first of what it is hoped will become regular Rifles lunches in Exeter where local regular and reserve Riflemen get together informally
The heart of the Association remains the numerous meetings and social functions
Col Malachy Doran presents a Silver Bugle to the Mayor of Sherborne
Association Standards on parade at the Tirah memorial in Dorchester
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION NEWS 193