Page 66 - Bugle Issue 16 Autumn 2020

Royal Colonel-in-Chief
lays RIFLES wreath
ROYAL COLONEL-IN- CHIEF LAYS RIFLES WREATH ON VJ DAY
The newly appointed Royal Colonel- in-Chief of The Rifles, Her Royal
Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, expressed a wish to lay a wreath at the
National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas
on VJ Day in memory of the antecedent regiments of The Rifles that fought in the Far East theatre between 1942 and 1945 (10 x battalions in total). As there is not yet a RIFLES memorial at the NMA, it was decided that she would lay it at the RGJ Memorial
(the LI, D and D and RGBW memorials being some distance away from her route).
At the RGJ memorial she was met by Gen Sir Patrick Sanders (Col Comdt RIFLES) and introduced to Maj Gen (Retd) Jamie Gordon (President RGJ Association), Lt Col (Retd) Andrew Trelawny (RIFLES Regional Secretary Midlands), Maj (Retd) Michael Leeming (RGJ Association Central England) and WO2 (Retd) Colin Cranswick (RIFLES/LI/KOYLI Association Yorkshire). She then laid a RIFLES wreath and Maj Gen Gordon laid a RGJ wreath on behalf of the Ox and Bucks LI.
Prior to the Royal Colonel-in-Chief’s arrival, Gen Sir Patrick Sanders laid a DLI wreath at the DLI memorial and a KOYLI wreath at the LI Memorial.
Ballygawley Memorial
– Shrewsbury
The Duchess
of Cornwall, expressed a wish to lay
a wreath at the National Memorial Arboretum
Midlands overview
Activity in the Midlands Region during the spring and summer of 2020 has been significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant restrictions on assembly and movement. The most high-profile casualty was the Light Infantry and Rifles Reunion, due to be held in Shrewsbury on Sat 20 Jun, which was cancelled well in advance, but many other smaller events including meetings, commemorations and military funerals were also affected.
Just before the lockdown began, some 60 representatives of Shropshire’s local government and business, the NHS and the emergency services and all five pillars of The Rifles gathered in Shrewsbury
for a Networking Breakfast in the Army Reserve Centre at Copthorne Barracks. Those attending enjoyed presentations
by 2 RIFLES, 8 RIFLES and Shropshire ACF before sitting down to a full Army breakfast laid on by Capt Vaz Vazquez and CSjt Decca Winter, PSAO and QPSI respectively of E Coy 8 RIFLES. The Regional Colonel North and Midlands, Brig Tom Bewick hosted, amongst others, HM Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff of Shropshire, the MP for Ludlow, the Chairman of Shropshire Council and the Mayors of Shrewsbury and Telford.
Lt Col Andrew Trelawny has handed over the second Regional Secretary hat that he was wearing in the South West and is now focused entirely on the Midlands. As well as maintaining the historical
links with the Regimental homelands of Shropshire, Birmingham and Merseyside, he and Mrs Heather Morgan look after the interests of Riflemen (that is, those who served in The Rifles or any of the Forming and Antecedent Regiments) in most of the Midlands, the North West, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. Please feel free to drop in at the office for a chat at any time, but let us know in advance.
The Rifles Office (Midlands) remains grateful for the support of E Coy 8 RIFLES, the County Colonels (Lt Col Nick Jenkins
in Shropshire, Col Marius Coulon in Birmingham and Lt Col Sean McEvoy in Merseyside), the Light Infantry and Rifles Association branches in Shropshire, the RGJ Association branches in Central England and the North West and the Light Infantry and Rifles Buglers Association. We very much look forward to renewing full contact with our regulars, reservists, cadets, associations and communities once the “All Clear” is sounded, whenever that may be! Lt Col Andrew Trelawny
and Mrs Heather Morgan
66 RIFLES The Bugle