Post by aghart on May 3, 2023 10:26:51 GMT
25 people sat down with another 14 on Zoom for the May 2023 branch meeting
Minutes of the April branch meeting were available to view. The recap of activity included the Lt Col Willis remembrance service at Lulworth, ANZAC Day at Weymouth and the Exercise Tiger remembrance service at Slapton Sands. Members were informed of the Regimental update on Zoom, to be given by the CO at 1900hrs Wednesday 17th May 2023. Logging on details will be sent to branch members by e-mail.
Upcoming events were announced, Stephen Ford Memorial Service at Constitution Hill, Poole on Sunday 21st May then afterwards at the North Road Social Club. Stephen Ford (from Poole) was killed in action onboard HMS Ardent during the Falklands war. Although not RTR related the branch is represented each year as a show of support to the Poole branch RBL. Friday 26th May is the 105th anniversary of the death of Pte Harry Ward Tank Corps. A wreath will be placed on his grave at Oakdale (Poole) to commemorate the day. Prior to that I'm sure the headstone will be "mysteriously" cleaned and in tip top condition.
US Memorial Day at Weymouth on Bank Holiday Monday 29th May 2023. This to commemorate the US forces who embarked at Weymouth before heading to the beaches of Normandy in June 1944. The event is held on this day as it is very close to the D Day anniversary and US Memorial day is the day the USA falls silent and remembers it's servicemen and women. Veterans Associations are well represented at this ceremony but the Bournemouth & Poole branch standard is historically the only army association standard on parade. So as well as representing the Regiment & the Association we are, by default, representing the British Army. Tuesday 6th June 2023 will see the wreath laying service at the D Day memorial on Poole Quay, the Bournemouth & Poole branch will then do the same again at the US Coastguard D Day memorial again on Poole Quay.
Tuesday 6th June is also the next Bournemouth, Poole & District branch meeting. It was announced that the guest speaker will be General Leakey giving a presentation about his time as "Black Rod" at Westminster. The branch committee went to Sherborne to listen to this presentation last year, and can confirm that it is a very interesting and highly amusing event. The branch chairman suggested that this presentation is one that the girls would also enjoy and suggested that members should seriously think about bringing the other half to the June branch meeting.
The committe informed everybody that our application for a lottery grant to fund a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum was rejected. The branch committee thanked our member Reg Fox for a very generous financial donation to branch funds. This has nothing to do with the committee's upcoming "fact finding" visit to Monte Carlo, Only joking, were actually going to the Cayman Islands!! (in our dreams).
With no further business the meeting closed and the guest speaker was introduced.
Stephen Harrison is a former RTR officer and he gave an outstanding presentation on his tour with BRIXMIS in East Germany. Those who served in BAOR will remember SOXMIS? this was our equivalent of SOXMIS. Totally enthralling and completely fascinating, what adventures he had. I will tell you one aspect of his work, they used to visit Soviet exercise locations after the troops had moved on. The Soviet soldiers were not issued with toilet paper and so used any paper they could find, maps, orders, documents, training manuals, personal letters, anything. They did not bury the articles afterwards but left the scene looking like the day after Glastonbury. Stephen and his collegues used to gather and bag the poo stained evidence so that some poor sod in Intelligence could sift through the mess and gather information and very likely various nasty diseases!
This was a truly brilliant presentation and next month's is going to be just as good. If you are close enough to Poole then you really ought to do yourself a favour and come along. If you can't, make sure you join via Zoom.
Minutes of the April branch meeting were available to view. The recap of activity included the Lt Col Willis remembrance service at Lulworth, ANZAC Day at Weymouth and the Exercise Tiger remembrance service at Slapton Sands. Members were informed of the Regimental update on Zoom, to be given by the CO at 1900hrs Wednesday 17th May 2023. Logging on details will be sent to branch members by e-mail.
Upcoming events were announced, Stephen Ford Memorial Service at Constitution Hill, Poole on Sunday 21st May then afterwards at the North Road Social Club. Stephen Ford (from Poole) was killed in action onboard HMS Ardent during the Falklands war. Although not RTR related the branch is represented each year as a show of support to the Poole branch RBL. Friday 26th May is the 105th anniversary of the death of Pte Harry Ward Tank Corps. A wreath will be placed on his grave at Oakdale (Poole) to commemorate the day. Prior to that I'm sure the headstone will be "mysteriously" cleaned and in tip top condition.
US Memorial Day at Weymouth on Bank Holiday Monday 29th May 2023. This to commemorate the US forces who embarked at Weymouth before heading to the beaches of Normandy in June 1944. The event is held on this day as it is very close to the D Day anniversary and US Memorial day is the day the USA falls silent and remembers it's servicemen and women. Veterans Associations are well represented at this ceremony but the Bournemouth & Poole branch standard is historically the only army association standard on parade. So as well as representing the Regiment & the Association we are, by default, representing the British Army. Tuesday 6th June 2023 will see the wreath laying service at the D Day memorial on Poole Quay, the Bournemouth & Poole branch will then do the same again at the US Coastguard D Day memorial again on Poole Quay.
Tuesday 6th June is also the next Bournemouth, Poole & District branch meeting. It was announced that the guest speaker will be General Leakey giving a presentation about his time as "Black Rod" at Westminster. The branch committee went to Sherborne to listen to this presentation last year, and can confirm that it is a very interesting and highly amusing event. The branch chairman suggested that this presentation is one that the girls would also enjoy and suggested that members should seriously think about bringing the other half to the June branch meeting.
The committe informed everybody that our application for a lottery grant to fund a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum was rejected. The branch committee thanked our member Reg Fox for a very generous financial donation to branch funds. This has nothing to do with the committee's upcoming "fact finding" visit to Monte Carlo, Only joking, were actually going to the Cayman Islands!! (in our dreams).
With no further business the meeting closed and the guest speaker was introduced.
Stephen Harrison is a former RTR officer and he gave an outstanding presentation on his tour with BRIXMIS in East Germany. Those who served in BAOR will remember SOXMIS? this was our equivalent of SOXMIS. Totally enthralling and completely fascinating, what adventures he had. I will tell you one aspect of his work, they used to visit Soviet exercise locations after the troops had moved on. The Soviet soldiers were not issued with toilet paper and so used any paper they could find, maps, orders, documents, training manuals, personal letters, anything. They did not bury the articles afterwards but left the scene looking like the day after Glastonbury. Stephen and his collegues used to gather and bag the poo stained evidence so that some poor sod in Intelligence could sift through the mess and gather information and very likely various nasty diseases!
This was a truly brilliant presentation and next month's is going to be just as good. If you are close enough to Poole then you really ought to do yourself a favour and come along. If you can't, make sure you join via Zoom.