Page 31 - QARANC Vol 16 No 1 2018

THE GAZETTE QARANC 29
Millbank Branch
City of London Remembrance Service
Three members of Millbank branch were privileged to participate as standard bearer and escorts at the Lord Mayor’s City of London Remembrance service on Sunday 12 November at St Paul’s Cathedral followed by a wreath- laying ceremony at the London Troops Memorial. Janet Watson was our standard bearer escorted by Gwin Foley and Barbara Johnson. Brigid Kelly and Janette Parkins joined to march with the parade from St Paul’s, culminating at The Mansion House for a splendid curry lunch and champagne, courtesy of the new Lord Mayor, Mr Charles Bowman.
The Millbank Branch of the QARANC Association is honoured to be part of The Federation of Old Comrades Associations which was founded in 1933 to consolidate the spirit of comradeship and uphold the regimental traditions of London’s Territorial and Auxiliary Units. Once again, the parade was led by the Honorary Artillery Company as the senior Territorial unit and we were honoured to have Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael of Kent in attendance at St Paul’s, at the wreath-laying and at the lunch.
After a moving and thoughtful remembrance service and on a lovely crisp autumn day, the parade set off led by the Band of the Honourable Artillery Company followed by the standard bearers and current and retired members of the London units. Precedence this year was given to the Merchant Navy, their wreath being laid by a splendid 90 year old veteran who marched with the parade all the way from St Paul’s to the Mansion House. We were proud and privileged to be a part of it all.
Barbara Johnson
Millbank members Adele Rutledge, Gwin Foley (standard bearer) and Jane Carey-Harris at the Step Short Parade, Folkestone
Step Short Parade, Folkestone
6 August 2017
Folkestone developed as a port because of its transport links. With France visible across the Strait of Dover, the town became an important transit point in WW1 for soldiers including nurses leaving for the battlefields of the Western Front. From August 1914 until the end of the war, approximately 10 million men passed through the port to France. Others were returning on leave or who were wounded requiring hospital treatment in the UK.
Embarkation was from the Leas, the cliffs above the harbour, and men marched down a steep hill to the boats that would take them to France. The word of command given to the marching men was, ‘step short’ that is – to reduce the length of stride from 30 to 12 inches, therefore reducing the impact on joints and preventing the column of marching men from speeding up on the descent downhill. The Step Short Parade at the War Memorial Arch situated on the Leas honours all those who fought and gave their lives in WW1. Col (Retd) Jane Carey-Harris, Maj (Retd) Adele Rutledge and Maj (Retd) Gwin Foley as standard bearer, paraded for Millbank Branch of QARANC.
Gwin Foley
beamed onto the side of the Cloth Hall and it was spectacular to watch and really added to the reflective mood of the evening.
The following morning, we travelled to Tyne Cot Cemetery for a traditional military service of Remembrance. It was here that I read the passage by Sister Jean Calder describing the shocking condition of the patients that she cared for at the Remy Sidings Casualty Clearing station. Jean Calder joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service in January 1917, aged 20 (although she told them she was 24!).
It is so important to remember the many stories of bravery and of human endurance during the fighting in the bleakest of conditions. I am especially proud of the contribution that our nurses made, providing comfort and care to the wounded and being the trail blazers for military nursing.
Captain Amelia Cummings