Page 59 - Bugle Autumn 2024

NORTH
80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE D-DAY LANDINGS
Major (Retd) David Jarratt with his wife Pauline and former WO1 Regimental Serjeant Major Adrian Waites with his
wife Ann travelled to Normandy for the commemoration of the 80th anniversary
of the D-Day landings. While in Normandy, Adrian laid a KOYLI wreath at Bayeux Military Cemetery. David and Pauline travelled to visit Cristot Church and Fontenay le Pesnel Cemetery, where Pauline laid a KOYLI wreath on behalf of our association’s oldest member, aged 104, and D-Day veteran, Mr Fred Adamson, at the grave of his dear friend Ronnie McGrath from Doncaster, killed in action on the 26th of June 1944 aged 17. Fred last visited Ronnie’s grave in 2022 but is sadly too frail to travel now.
On the 6th of June in Wakefield Cathedral, Lt Colonel (Retd) Robin Smith MBE the RIFLES County Colonel West Yorkshire, Major Ben Clar the OC Y Coy 8 RIFLES, KOYLI Standard Bearer Colin Cranswick, and members of the Wakefield branch joined The Lord Lieutenant
of West Yorkshire Ed Anderson CBE, the Mayor of Wakefield and civic dignitaries in a service of remembrance and afterwards the lighting of a beacon as part of the National beacon lighting.
Once a KOYLI Always a KOYLI
The chance meeting of former King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) Mr Philip Watkins, an In-Patient at the Royal Hospital Chelsea during the Founders Parade confirmed that the KOYLI Association strapline of ‘Once A KOYLI Always A KOYLI’ is as true in 2024, as it was in 1912 when the Association was formed!
Attendance by the Association Secretary Colin Cranswick at the Founders Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea brought about the chance meeting with Philip, who served with 1 KOYLI in Aden and Berlin. Philip has been an In-Patient since 2022, and lost contact with the Association after he left the Army. Following the parade Colin and arranged for Philip to chat on the phone with Ronnie Barrow and
Russ Snood, former KOYLI’s and
old friends he had not spoken
with in decades.
Philip is now back in the Association, and
with plans to travel
to Doncaster for
the Association’s Minden Day Celebrations and a reunion with more KOYLI’s he has not seen in decades.
Family tribute to former KOYLI Bandsman
Remembered by surviving family members a former KOYLI Bandsman Cpl Gosz ‘Chez’ Czeslaw has had a granite flagstone bearing his name unveiled in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on the town’s Veterans Walkway.
Of Polish decent, ‘Chez’ settled in Barnsley and was proud to call the town his home. Percy Potts, Pete Bates, and Russ Snood who all served with Chez were present along with other local former Light Infantrymen to witness the unveiling by the Mayor of Barnsley as
part of the town’s Armed Forces Day event. Chez’s flagstone joins those of other former KOYLI’s and Light Infantrymen, and the three
flagstones laid by the Association and 8 RIFLES for all former KOYLI’s, Light Infantrymen and Riflemen.
ARMED FORCES DAY WAKEFIELD & PONTEFRACT
The Rifles County Colonel West Yorkshire, Lt Col (Retd) Robin Smith MBE and three of the RIFLES Pillars (Reserves, Association, and Cadets) involved at the Armed Forces Day event ensured the ‘Bugle’ was seen and heard in the community thanks to The Minden House Buglers. During the afternoon, The Minden House Buglers gave an excellent performance in the arena.
RIFLES The Bugle 59