Post by aghart on Jun 3, 2015 21:09:08 GMT
June 2015
16 souls were present for the June 2015 meeting. This number was swelled by an additional 10 members of "Cyclops" our affiliated Sqn in the Regiment. During the meeting the branch was very pleased to receive a Sqn plaque from Cyclops fo formalise our affiliation.
The Loyal Toast/The Regiment went ahead OK including "My Boy Willie" on CD, things went wrong when my top quality Tesco "value" CD player would not play the Belgian National Anthem (in respect to our guest speaker) and the attempt was abandoned. A number of former "Schools Instructors" made strange comment's about "Regimental Instructors" I'm not sure what all that was about. After all, Schools Instructors are 10 a penny whilst trade training instructors at JLR RAC are members of a small and very exclusive "club"
The Chairman gave a description of the Dinner Night hosted by Cyclops, where he and Dave Roberts represented the branch. Members were reminded that the AGM is in July and anyone wishing to stand for the comittee will need to put their name down.
The Chairman then closed the meeting and introduced the Guest speaker. Frans Janssens is a former Sgt in the Belgian Armoured Corps and as a child witnessed the Nazi invasion of Belgium and the subsequent period of occupation. As Frans prepared to speak, everyone stood up as the Belgian National Anthem blasted out from the CD player. The "Regimental" Gunnery Instructor had come to the rescue? Bravo !!
Frans described how his family fled as refugee's in front of the German attack but were halted at the French border where they were refused entry. They hid in a cellar when the allies bombed their location (after dropping warning leaflets) and had to be dug out afterwards. Rounded up by the Germans they were sent to Brussels and then made to walk back (60km) back to their abandoned home. The family home had been looted and ransacked while they were fleeing towards France. He made everyone laugh when he described how he stole a hand grenade from a German ammunition dump and then pulled the pin and threw it into a river, and then collected the floating fish! how many of us have always wanted to do that? He described the local Belgian Gestapo man who he said dressed just like Herr Flick in Allo Allo. This man who Frans described as "evil" promised people rare items like sugar and meat if they became informers for him. He was responsible for a number of Belgian locals disappearing and he himself disppeared at the end of the war although it appears this was intentional and the man escaped justice. Frans had members of his family who were part of the resistance, two were arrested, one returned home the other did not.
Frans described a local detention/interragation centre where a drainage channel ran red with blood and screams of pain could be heard by passers by. Very close to the end of the war even Belgian children as young as 11 were being forced to join the German Army and Frans described how when out cutting tree's for firewood, his uncle hid him under a pile of branches to protect him from a Gestapo officer looking for the young kids he knew lived in the area.
Following the war Frans joined the Belgian Army and served on Tanks, M26 Pershings and M47 Tanks. I just loved my tanks he told the audience! we could all relate to that.
After the guest speaker, we had the raffle and the talking/drinking began in ernest. The lads from Cyclops did well in the raffle and quickly began to consume their prizes (just why are 90% of raffle prizes bottles of booze?) as well as the drinks from the bar. They are about to depart for BATUS so it was bonus for us that they found the time to come and visit us. A couple bought branch Polo shirts and they genuinely seemed to really enjoy the evening. We certainly enjoyed having them present. They along with Dave Orman and myself were the last to leave.
To CO, RTR stated that the Regiment was determined to re- establish links with the Association and began this process with affiliating the Squadron's with the regional branches. They say that action speaks louder than words! well in a short time this branch has seen a lot of action from Cyclops, it's looking good folks.
Fear Naught
16 souls were present for the June 2015 meeting. This number was swelled by an additional 10 members of "Cyclops" our affiliated Sqn in the Regiment. During the meeting the branch was very pleased to receive a Sqn plaque from Cyclops fo formalise our affiliation.
The Loyal Toast/The Regiment went ahead OK including "My Boy Willie" on CD, things went wrong when my top quality Tesco "value" CD player would not play the Belgian National Anthem (in respect to our guest speaker) and the attempt was abandoned. A number of former "Schools Instructors" made strange comment's about "Regimental Instructors" I'm not sure what all that was about. After all, Schools Instructors are 10 a penny whilst trade training instructors at JLR RAC are members of a small and very exclusive "club"
The Chairman gave a description of the Dinner Night hosted by Cyclops, where he and Dave Roberts represented the branch. Members were reminded that the AGM is in July and anyone wishing to stand for the comittee will need to put their name down.
The Chairman then closed the meeting and introduced the Guest speaker. Frans Janssens is a former Sgt in the Belgian Armoured Corps and as a child witnessed the Nazi invasion of Belgium and the subsequent period of occupation. As Frans prepared to speak, everyone stood up as the Belgian National Anthem blasted out from the CD player. The "Regimental" Gunnery Instructor had come to the rescue? Bravo !!
Frans described how his family fled as refugee's in front of the German attack but were halted at the French border where they were refused entry. They hid in a cellar when the allies bombed their location (after dropping warning leaflets) and had to be dug out afterwards. Rounded up by the Germans they were sent to Brussels and then made to walk back (60km) back to their abandoned home. The family home had been looted and ransacked while they were fleeing towards France. He made everyone laugh when he described how he stole a hand grenade from a German ammunition dump and then pulled the pin and threw it into a river, and then collected the floating fish! how many of us have always wanted to do that? He described the local Belgian Gestapo man who he said dressed just like Herr Flick in Allo Allo. This man who Frans described as "evil" promised people rare items like sugar and meat if they became informers for him. He was responsible for a number of Belgian locals disappearing and he himself disppeared at the end of the war although it appears this was intentional and the man escaped justice. Frans had members of his family who were part of the resistance, two were arrested, one returned home the other did not.
Frans described a local detention/interragation centre where a drainage channel ran red with blood and screams of pain could be heard by passers by. Very close to the end of the war even Belgian children as young as 11 were being forced to join the German Army and Frans described how when out cutting tree's for firewood, his uncle hid him under a pile of branches to protect him from a Gestapo officer looking for the young kids he knew lived in the area.
Following the war Frans joined the Belgian Army and served on Tanks, M26 Pershings and M47 Tanks. I just loved my tanks he told the audience! we could all relate to that.
After the guest speaker, we had the raffle and the talking/drinking began in ernest. The lads from Cyclops did well in the raffle and quickly began to consume their prizes (just why are 90% of raffle prizes bottles of booze?) as well as the drinks from the bar. They are about to depart for BATUS so it was bonus for us that they found the time to come and visit us. A couple bought branch Polo shirts and they genuinely seemed to really enjoy the evening. We certainly enjoyed having them present. They along with Dave Orman and myself were the last to leave.
To CO, RTR stated that the Regiment was determined to re- establish links with the Association and began this process with affiliating the Squadron's with the regional branches. They say that action speaks louder than words! well in a short time this branch has seen a lot of action from Cyclops, it's looking good folks.
Fear Naught