Page 252 - The Rifles Bugle Autumn 2019
P. 252

    Branch Members at the lunch
    Branch Members Line up for a ‘beauty’ parade
A View from the Severn (or a year in the life of a Branch Regimental Association) July to December 2018
Branch Members, Guests and Widows
     THE 66TH WERE HUGELY OUT- NUMBERED BY 25,000 AFGHANS AND LOST OVER 286 MEN KILLED AND 32 WOUNDED
Gloucester Severn Branch have members from nearly all the antecedent regiments, the exception being the DERR, which make up the Rifles Regimental Association. The branch has an active events program and members also enjoy each other’s company at regular branch meetings which are very informal affairs conducted over a pint or two. Below is a brief summary of the life of the branch over the period July 2018 to end of June 2019.
10 members of the branch attended the annual Maiwand Remembrance Parade at Brock Barracks Reading on July 27th with Branch members staying overnight as usual on Saturday 26th. The Maiwand parade is in remembrance of members of the 66th Regt forerunners of the Royal Berkshires who fought in Afghanistan on July 27th, 1880. The 66th were hugely outnumbered by 25,000 Afghans and lost over 286 men killed and 32 wounded during the battle which they fought alone after the Indian Regiments left the field of battle so the 66th were overwhelmed, defeated and the survivors were forced to withdraw to Kandahar.
August is very much a time for holidays, so the branch is not that active during the month, but planning was already underway for the major events taking place for the remainder of the year with Remembrance 2018 taking pride of place
Before all of this there was the little matter of the Winchester Reunion in September with 15 branch members attending the lunch.
One of the highlights of is the ceremonial parading of the SWEDE around the venue which is to symbolise the “Farmers Boys” background of several of the regiments now combined into the Rifles and RGBW Regimental Association. As we all know Regimental History is a strange and wonderful thing and it is important for all present and indeed future members to maintain these quirky (from the outside) traditions.
Branch member Ian Jones attended the annual Marne Battle Remembrance in September. The weekend is a run as Remembrance occasion for Serving and ex-members of the Fusiliers Associ- ation who invited members of the Severn Branch to attend several years ago. Ian was the only branch member able to attend the event this year.
Remembrance 2018 had an added significance, coinciding as it did with the 100th Anniversary of the end of hostilities in World War 1 with the branch represented at 2 services of Remembrance within Gloucester. At the main service at Gloucester War Memorial the Branch Standard was carried by Branch Secretary, Roger Smith and Crete Veterans Standard was paraded by Stephan Tierney (or
   250 RIFLES OFFICES AND ASSOCIATIONS
THE RIFLES





















































































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