Page 219 - The Bugle 2018

The Rifles London Office
After 127 years and one-month Riflemen finally vacated 56 Davies Street. F Coy moved to 190 Hammersmith Road W6 and is now fully integrated with the London Regt as F(RIFLES) Coy The London Regt. The Rifles (London Office) in two minibuses containing our worldly goods and furnishings and with ‘muscle’ provided by CSjt Baz Street and Sjt John King of F Coy helped us with our required ‘no cost’ move to our new home at 1a Iverna Gardens in Kensington.
Our first commemorative event of 2018 was, as always on 16 January, Evensong in St Paul’s Cathedral commemorating Sir John Moore’s death at the Battle of Corunna. As usual a strong uniformed presence was provided by F Coy and with a healthy participation by KOYLI, LI, OBLI, KRRC and RGJ Assn members. The Dean of St Paul’s very kindly took the Service. This year 5 Buglers of The Buglers Association of The Light Division & Rifles partici- pated and were outstanding. Without rehearsal they sounded Last Post and Reveille at the Sir John Moore Memorial, a notoriously difficult task as the interior of the Cathedral has a 13 second echo. The Dean congratulated them – “not a note was out of place”.
On the 28th of March, and under the auspices of Westminster Council, headed by their Mayor, a VC memorial paving-stone was laid, outside MOD Main Building, in memory of Lt Col Oliver Cyril Spencer WATSON VC, DSO who was KIA on 28 March 1918 at Rossignol Wood, France commanding 5 KOYLI. He started his military career in the Green Howards and then moved from the 1st County of London Yeomanry to command the KOYLI. F Coy again provided a uniformed presence and Brig Rob Thomson, our Defence Attaché in Paris, arriving in the nick of time by Eurostar, headed up the senior Rifles representation in his capacity of the Rifles Colonel Greater London and the South.
Once we were established in Iverna Gardens we organised the Rifles Annual Greater London Army Cadet Force (ACF) meeting. We used to call it “Salamanca Supper” but as most of the kitchens in London Army Reserve Centres are still closed by the H&S “Polizei” and no repair funds seemingly available we had to resort to Marks & Sparks sandwiches. These evenings are designed to meet the adult instructors (AI) of Rifles badged ACF detachments and their chain of command and to see what help we can provide. The ACF are always keen to recruit AIs from Riflemen leaving the service as these service leavers bring a wealth of military experience with them. So – all of you out there who are coming to the end of your service give it a thought – what about joining your local ACF as a AI irrespective of what rank you achieved as a Regular.
A successful “Transition Workshop” was again held in July for Rifles Service leavers from all 8 Bns. We had just over 40 “Students” of all ranks and length of service and over 10 ex Rfn (Officers, Snr & Jnr NCOs and Rfn) who talked about their transition experience from the military to civilian life. Subjects covered were wide and varied and included; My transition story, Intern experience, Starting something new, Infor- mation security, Third Sector (Voluntary & Not-for- Profit work), The Police Service, from Rfn to business man. The next Transition Workshop will be held at 1a Iverna Gdns on Friday 5 July 2019 – book partici-
pation through your unit RCMO.
The Officers Club Salamanca Day Sounding
Retreat and Dinner was again held at Guildhall, City of London on 20 July 2018. The principle guests were Lt Col John Poole-Warren outgoing Regimental Secretary after 12 years in the post and Mr Mike Marr who has been looking after the Rifles Oxford Office for a similar length of time. The Colonel Commandant was in the chair and 156 officers attended and the Band and Bugles were excellent on a very hot early evening on Guildhall Yard.
As the Bugle reporting year ends we have one final WW1 VC ceremony coming up in September in Camden and then prepare for the Remembrance Week events in November namely The Rifles plot on The Field of Remembrance outside Westminster Abbey (Thu 8 Nov), The Rifles Assn participation on the Cenotaph march past (Sun 11 Nov), Rifles participation in the Remembrance Sunday service in Westminster Abbey (Sun 11 Nov) and the laying of Regimental wreaths at the graves of 11 Riflemen of The Rifles KIA (2007-2012) and whose graves are within the area of responsibility of the Rifles (London Office).
J-D v M
ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO ARE COMING TO THE END
OF YOUR SERVICE
GIVE IT A THOUGHT – WHAT ABOUT JOINING YOUR LOCAL ACF
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS 225
The Royal Green Jackets Regimental Association
The RGJ Assn, with its 14 branches covering the country from Yorkshire to Wiltshire and from Liverpool to Felixstowe all enjoy a varying range of social activities ranging from annual dinner nights, BBQs, charitable fundraising events, participation in local and national remembrance events and Battlefield Tours.
Membership numbers are reasonable although there is a discernible ageing process amongst the membership throughout the country. The metropolitan branches of London and Liverpool followed by the Central England and Winchester and District have very healthy membership largely due to those areas having been some of our best recruiting areas for the regiment in days gone by.
The RGJ Officers held their annual dinner at the Cavalry and Guards Club on the 26th April, with 118 seated.
The Winchester and District branch, with a few helpers from other sources, again excelled themselves with the organisation of the 2018 reunion in Sir John Moore Bks on the 14th of July 18. A varied programme of events was offered of which the March Past and the Sounding of Retreat were again the highlight of the day. Over 500had come in through the gate by 6pm when the ticket office closed. Not an insignificant number “crept” in after 6pm to join their fellow Riflemen in the large hospitality tent.
The Operation Banner Annual Commemoration Service on 8 Sept 2018 organised by The Northern Ireland Veterans’ Association at the NAM was well attended by members from throughout the country. The Central England Branch, who are the “guardians” of the RGJ Memorial at the Arboretum, again excelled themselves with helping to look after visiting members of the association. After the main national event participating LI Assn and RGJ Assn members joined to march to the LI and RGJ memorials to jointly pay their respects to those of our respective regiments who did not return from the Northern Ireland conflict. Gen Sir Robert (Bob) Pascoe (late RGJ) took the salute at the main event and the subsequent remembrance at the LI & RGJ memorials. On conclusion of the days events the Central England Branch laid on a “late” lunch for all participants at the RBL in nearby Sutton Coalfield.
As we go to the printers the London Branch are doing the final preparations for the Remembrance Sunday Cenotaph march past for some 180 members of the Association. Because of the increased security requirements, the ticketing for this annual event is increasingly complicated and time consuming and Garry Driscoll, Sec RGJ London Branch, is to be congratulated on always getting members correctly ticketed and to the right place at the right time on Horse Guards to represent the Regiment at this important national event.