september 2021 issue - garatshay.org.uk
TRANSCRIPT
September2021Issue
Y ServicesMemorial
RededicationCeremony
7 September 2021Commemorative
Issue
Photo courtesy Linda Swann
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Y Services MemorialRededication Ceremony
7 September 2021
Branch and Committee NewsA reminder that two members of theBranch Committee are standingdown at the November 2021 oncompletion of their extended periodof office, creating two vacancies. Ifyou are interested please contactBranch Secretary John Swann byemail:[email protected] an informal chat. Any Branchmember can apply, the duties arenot arduous and you will be contrib-uting to what we do and how theBranch is run.
A warm welcome to new Branchmember
David BarrowCurrent Branch Membership total is
438
Our Branch has been raising fundsfor the Poppy Appeal via easyfund-raising for some 3 years now.The scheme provides a way of raisingFREE donations for us every time youshop online. Over 4,000 shops andsites will donate to us when you useeasyfundraising to shop with them –at no extra cost to yourself! Why notjoin the over 80 Branch members whoregularly raise donations? You canfind our easyfundraising page athttps://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/rblyservices/?utm_campaign=raise-more&utm_content=en-e1
A Branch Calendar for 2022Here’s an idea for a practical Christmas gift -A Branch Calendar, 12 pages obviously,each with a pic appropriate to the month andwith some connection to the wonderful worldof Y Services. This venture is being organ-ised by Branch Chairman Jim McDermottwith all proceeds going to the Poppy Appeal.Cost will be £5.00 plus p&p. Expressions ofinterest by email to:[email protected]
If there is sufficient interest,the calendar willbe produced and details of how to pay will benotified at end of October. Calendars will bedelivered in early December 2021.
The 7th September 2021 proved to be one ofthe hottest days of the year, so we had noneed to revert to our wet weather plan, whichwas to hold the event in the NMA Chapel. 70people attended what was a most memora-ble event in bright sunshine, which helped toproduce some great photographs.This September 2021 edition of the BranchNewsletter is devoted almost entirely to therededication of the Y Services Memorial andGarden at the National Memorial Arboretum.Grateful thanks to Les Pickersgill who tookover a hundred photographs, a selection ofwhich appear in this edition. All of the photosLes took will be posted on the Branch Web-site https://garatshay.org.ukIn early October 2021.
Editorial note:Contributions to this monthly Branch Newsletter are always welcome on any topics members think will be of general interest. Weaim to provide uplifting stories and attempt not to duplicate messages already sent from RBL HQ. Copy should be sent by email. tothe editor Jim McDermott at [email protected] format is unformatted MS Word and any photos, cartoons or pictures should be submitted separately as JPEGs.
In most circumstances correspondence should be addressed to the Branch Secretary: [email protected]
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Rededication of theY Services Memorial at the NMABackground to the Event.
Over three years ago the Branch Com-mittee noted comments from the NMARBL Branch that the Y Services sitewas looking a little untidy. Volunteers,led by branch member Graham Barber,made regular visits to the site to pull upweeds, clean the benches and general-ly keep the site looking neat and tidy.It was noted around the same time thatthe site had no entrance sign. The lateJoan Nicholls, who was instrumental insetting up the site had left a legacy inher will expressly for the purpose ofenhancing the site and this helped topay for the creation of an engravedstone sign at the entrance to the plot.Attention then turned to enhancing theY shaped footpath and making it lesslabour intensive to maintain. An onlinefundraising campaign raised close on£9,000 and in June 2021 the existingloose gravel on hard earth with woodensides was ripped out and replaced withsolid edging, a deep foundation and asurface of fine gravel rolled into anemulsion. A rededicationceremony was organised by theBranch Committee and this issue of theBrach Newsletter records the event.
Joan Nichols directing operations in 1997
June 2021
Ripping up the old - June 2021
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Attempting the name cardlanyard challenge
The Rev John and Mrs Bird check in
John and Linda Swannwith Jim & Linda McDermottwelcome guests
Derek and Phyl Hume arrive in styleArt Weaver meets Ian Piears
Arrival
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Setting Up
Branch Vice ChairmanDennis Weir Briefingthe troops before theceremony. Note thatthe wearing of whitestraw hats was entirelycoincidental.
John Swann,Dave Lawrenceand Gill Bennett,discuss the orderof events
Terry Whittles keeps awatchful eye on proceedings
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The Ceremony
BandmasterAntonio Socci,Royal Regimentof FusiliersPlays ‘Fall in’.
The Union Flag andBranch Standard march on parade
Branch President Col(Retd) Eric Sambell de-livers the exhortation
“They shall grow not old”
A warm welcome fromRBL Trustee,Chairman of the NMAand Branch memberLt Col (Retd) DavidWhimpenny
Branch member and formerSpec Op, the Rev John Birdwho officiated throughout,leads the singing of the hymn‘Eternal Father Strong toSave.’
The Ceremony
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Mrs Joyce Long (centre in whitehat) who worked at Beaumanor Hallduring World War Tworecited the Y Services prayer
Branch Secretary JohnSwann read the Lesson
Branch Chairman Jim McDermott delivered the Addressremembering in particular the late Joan Nicholls.
WO1Gill Bennett, RN,recited the RoyalNavy prayer
70 people attended the rededication. It was a moving and memorableservice of rededication at the Y Services Memorial Garden which has grownfrom a muddy field into a haven of peace and remembrance.
Front Cover: World War Two veterans Pat Davies and Joyce Long reminisce
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Lt Col Ian Piears,Royal Signals
recited theRoyal Signals prayer
Lt Col (Retd) Sam Southam,Intelligence Corps
recited theIntelligence Corps prayer
Branch Committee memberLinda McDermott
recited theRoyal Air Force prayer
The Ceremony
Following the prayer readings the Reverend JohnBird recited the Dedication and read out the names ofY Service personnel killed in recent conflicts. MrsPat Davies a World War Two WREN who had workedat Bletchley Park and other Y Service siteslaid a Royal British Legion wreath on the memorialstone ably supported by WO1 Gill Bennett and Lt Col(Retd) Art Weaver.
Finally Col (Retd) Eric Sambell recited theKohima Epitaph:
“When you go home, tell them of us and sayFor your tomorrow we gave our today”
The bugler sounded “Fall Out” and the Union Flagand Branch Standard marched off.
All those attended were presented with a goody bag as a thank you and to mark theoccasion. Key elements of the event were sponsored by members of the BranchCommittee. The RBL Y Services Branch is now responsible for the cost of maintainingthe Y Services Memorial and funds are needed every year to meet this commitment.Full details of how you can contribute can be found on the Branch website:https://garatshay.org.uk
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The Ceremony and after
The goody bags were well received Time to mingle
Friends reunitedPete Gilbert and colleaguegrabbed the last seats
In the NewsThe day began with an earlymorning shout out about ourevent by Sara Cox on the radioand the whole event was tele-vised by ITV for broadcast thatsame evening.
Some words about our honoured guestsMrs Joyce Long who read the Y Services prayer so beautifully was accompanied by two of three proud daughters.Joyce, who served in the ATS and worked at Beaumanor Hall during World War Two, stresses that she was not onthe technical side but, as chief clerk, ensured that all the girls were well fed and watered and, most importantly, gotpaid! While she was at Garats Hay news came through that the war was over. Joyce was selected to go to Londonto join the Victory parade along with several others from her company. She remembers marching in rows of 12 onHorse Guards Parade and being drilled by a Guards Sgt Major. She attended a service in St. Paul’s and that wasthe first time Joyce saw the Queen for real as she was sitting near the aisle as she walked in. In 1946 Joyce wasmarried to Arthur (an RAF navigator) and so sadly, she says, that was the end of her Army career as they did nothave married women then.Mrs Pat Davies recalls that she was sent to have her understanding of German tested: “I was rather alarmed be-cause I thought maybe I’d have to be a spy and jump out of an airplane or something in Europe. I was very relievedwhen I went for the Wrens general training. I was trained to intercept German ships' radio communications.” Patsaid the memory of that time that sticks out most was during the tense hunt for a U-boat that had surfaced to relaycommunications. After the war and a successful academic career at St Andrews, Yale and Oxford, Pat decided tobecome a journalist. She worked for the Daily Mail in Manchester where she began her TV career as scriptwriter andthen trainee producer at the newly formed Granada TV. She moved to the BBC and produced, University Chal-lenge, the Sky at Night, Ask the Family and coverage of the moon landings.
After the ceremony wheneverything had been clearedaway, your hardworkingBranch Committee repairedto a local hostelry to analysethe days events and enjoy adrink or two (at their own ex-pense of course).