News Letter

TO BE UPDATED.......

News Letter July 2013

Members Welfare

Thankfully I have had no reports to date of any further health problems affecting our members.

If members are however aware at any time of any serving or former Royal or their families in the Nottingham Area experiencing ill health or other difficulties, please advise our Secretary David Thompson or Mick Wills.

Branch Activities

Armed Forces Day in Nottingham 29^th June 2013

Armed Forces Day in Nottingham went with a big bang from the Castle with a blast on the big guns from Percy. Jonathan Greentree carried the Branch Standard and Mick Wills joined Derby branch on the Parade from the Castle to the Council House. It was an astounding attendance with the RM Band at front and centre leading the parade (as it should be of course), locally based Regiments, the Nottingham RMR, Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans and Cadets including our RM Cadets and a few Mounted Cavalry (which kindly laid a dodgy path for the Vets that followed.

The public turnout and welcome was quite staggering. The Embankment was an excellent venue for the events that followed, with Royal entertaining the public with an assault from boats on the Trent and plenty of rounds laid down in the process.

The new Viking was present and what a corker of a machine it is. The lads on the display were over the moon with the major improvements it had gone through and gave us an in- depth brief on its capabilities. The Nottingham Detachment of the RMR was in attendance and we met up with Major Al Edgar C/O and Captain Chris Buckland to cement our relations with the Reserve and look forward to an invite to their new accommodation at Chilwell Barracks at the end of the year.

All in all a great day had by all.

The Not Forgotten Association Buckingham PalaceGarden Party

Three members and their escorts attended the Not Forgotten Garden Party on the 2^nd July at Buckingham Palace. It was a great event with very military orientated presence. Princess Anne was the attending Royal and spent an enormous amount of time talking to the Vets and Serving alike. A number of celebrities were in attendance and circulated, mixing with everybody (plenty of photo opportunities available).

The Lunch was an excellent plate of finger food followed by strawberries and cream.

If you have a healthy appetite tough it was necesary to revisit three or so times to get your fill. It was great to meet up again with C/Sgt Ash and his Rehabilitation team from CTC who were being presented to the Princess. We also met a young boot neck from Haslar Company who is recovering from a serious wound obtained in Afghan, he lives in Mansfield so he now knows where we are and that he won’t be short of ale if he comesdown to the Branch meetings when he is home on leave.

If embers are interested in attending next year’s Garden Party I am sure the Not Forgotten Association will be sending us an invite, so let David Thompson or Mick Wills know and they will keep you in mind.

Nottingham Branch Website

Jonathan Greentree who is the son of Jim Greentree our former Standard Bearer and Vice Chair who we lost over the bar on the 7^th April, has been working hard in getting the branch set up as a web site and a face book page. We have been inundatedwith ‘friends requests’. The RMA Notingham web site is still being finalised but as soon as we are fully live I will advise all. Hopefully this will reach many of the elusive retired and serving booties we have in Nottingham area and help to increase our numbers. Thanks Jonathan a great job.

Donation

In July 2012 Jim Greentree our Vice Chair and Standard Bearer and Mick our Chair attended the funeral of Jack Carter former RM from Gotham following a request from his family. The funeral was held at Wilford Crematorium. As I am sure you are all aware it is Branch practice that we give support and a good send off to all former Royals regardless of whether they were Branch/RMA members or not. It was then a very pleasant surprise to be advised that the Branch had been awarded a donation from Jack’s estate of £500. It is intended to vote on the use of this donation at our July meeting. It is proposed by our Chair that the money be donated to the Royal Marines Association. As a number of members will be aware the RMA either funds or heavily subsidises many of the events we enjoy and in view of the very heavy commitment from branches in supporting the RMCTF in fundraising drive, the RMA funds are diminishing and require a reasonable finncial level of support to continue supporting our events.

Sunday 21^st July—William Billinge Service and Parade

Followed by Lunch in the Cheshire Cheese at Longnor Staffs

Last chance to book in for a meal at the Cheshire Cheese after the memorial service. Notify Mick Wills..

Items taken from the RMA Network email

The Great North Run

A Request from Martin Powell

My name is Martin Powell member of Hanworth RMA I have been lucky enough to secure a place in the Great North Run. I am running for the RMCTF and Help for Heroes. My sponsorship page is www.virginmoney.com/martinpowell2.all donations welcome. I will be staying at Cresswell Towers Druridge Bay and I need info on best way to get from there to start at Newcastle, then from finish at South Shields back by public transport. This all happens on 15^th September.

I can be contacted at martinpowell2@blueyonder.co.uk Thanks Martin Powell

RMA Operations Needs Your Support

RMA Ops is advancing with its operations and getting a number of the injured and ill ranks from Haslar Company involved in the business. We have recently had a slight setback with our web shop being taken off-line, but turning a negative into a positive, South West Communications have very generously sponsored a new site to be made, which we will be able to power in-house and therefore not rely on external parties. It promises to be a lot better than what we were using before and will be stocked with a fantastic range of new merchandise. It will be ready for launch by the end of July. Watch this space for further details. We have been fantastically supported by our local RMA’s so far this Summer as we have started with some local shows. Attached is a list of all of the shows that we are supporting and the POC’s. There is only so much we can support at one time, but if your branch of RMA has an event you would like us to provide merchandise for , from mid August onwards let Joe Lane the Operations Manager know.

Website http://shop.rma-operations.com/

Branch Newsletter

This is your newsletter and as such members are encouraged to put forward articles or information that may be of interest to the Branch Members. The National RMA network email produced by Ritchie Puttock, Operations Manager at Central Office is also available to all members and an excellent means of contacting individuals and former oppos or advertising events etc. If you are an email user and not subscribed to these then please advise David Thompson or Mick Wills who will arrange to have you included on the email distribution list. If not a user of email and you wish to have something included in the network email then once again please advise David or Mick.

Royal Marine Operations / Notable Events in the month of July

The Capture of the Rock of Gibraltar—24^th July 1704

This attack took place in conjunction with Dutch Marines (and 3 Commando Brigade retains a strong link to the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps to this day). A total force of 2300 marines (1900 British) took the Rock and defended it during the 9 month siege that followed. This is the only battle honour to display on the colours and crest.

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News Letter June 2013

Members Welfare

Wally Pare is improving, but his mobility is not yet up to getting out and about just yet. Jean is on his case and ensuring the rum and whiskey rations are kept well stocked up.

Bernard Johnson our Vice President is keeping as well as possible and managing to still chat up the ladies. Mick Wills called around to see him and found him in his summerhouse with a young lady keeping him company. He never changes.

Well done Bernard.

Reuben Carlisle our second Vice President has reached the grand old age of 98. He must be the oldest surviving RMA member as he and Bernard were in the first group of members when the RMA was formed. He is still driving during daylight hours but avoids going out in the evening, hence the reason for his not getting to the meetings. Congratulations Reuben, keep looking forward to the big 100 and the Royal telegram.

Branch Activities

The annual Midlands Region RMA service and Parade at the NMA at Alrewas on the 26^th May was an excellent day both in terms of weather and turnout. Six of us from the Branch attended and were fortunate to have the Band from CTC which makes a huge difference to the parade. Our Guest of Honour for the occasion was the new President of the RMA and former Major General, David Wilson CB CBE. As it was a Bank Holiday there was an influx of Civvies, who were made up by the entertainment of the HM RM Band and a load of aged ex bootnecks with green lids taking over the facilities. Anyone who has not yet been to the NMA then it is recommended that you get to see the Arboretum. Plan to come next year for the service and parade (once again we will have the Bands support and it is the Corps Birthday year) it is an excellent venue with a magnificent layout of memorial tributes. The Lunch in the Marquee is subsidised by Central Office and will be even better next year (especially the pudding—Fred)

We welcomed Ritchie Puttock RMA Ops Manager to our May meeting; he gave us a full sit rep of the Central Office position and a few ideas about increasing the membership. He was pleased and surprised that our meeting format was very formal and more directed to having a good crack.

Three members and their escorts have now received their invitations to Buckingham Palace Garden Party in July. If anyone who has not been to this event and would like to go next year please advise Mick Wills, and upon receipt of information from the Not Forgotten Association you will be contacted. Free Parking on the day is available close to Buckingham Palace, but travel and accommodation is down to those attending.

For those of you who have received their Globe and Laurel this month you will find a report (and photo) in ‘Around the Messes’ of our members visit to CTC in March. The good looking one on the left is our Chair, Mick Wills. Our Branch report for the Association News section missed the deadline by a day, so it will be published in the next edition.

Nottingham Branch Website

One of our members Jonathan Greentree, is in the process of building a website for the Branch. A number of issues need to be finalised, but the basic format is ready to be uploaded. One of the issues associated with this being in the public domain is that of security in relation to members. We will be asking if members are happy to put their names and service details in the site, but no addresses or contact numbers. I am hoping we can set up a Branch email where any request for information about members from former squaddies etc can be channelled through the site and then forwarded to the individual accordingly.

News Letter May 2013

Our Honourable Branch member David Grindell a local Borough and Town councillor who always supports the Parker Day had been quietly fundraising for us and produced a cheque to the value of £300.03. Thanks for your efforts David and for you and your Combined Services Lads for helping us out with support duties at the event.

Zeebrugge Night Dinner

On 20^th April six of our members accepted the kind invitation of the Derby Branch to a Zeebrugge Dinner in the Masonic Hall in Belper. An excellent evening in great company thanks to Ralph Eales, Roger Simkins and the Derby lads and lasses. Nott’s attendees did not on this occasion walk away with the majority of the raffle prizes.

Fundraising

We have not to date undertaken any of our usual fundraising activities, but hopefully that will be addressed later in the year. The majority of fundraising has been aimed at the RMCTF from around the country and the RMA has received little fundraising support and is now in need of a bit of a cash injection. It has been agreed that the RMA and the Branch and where necessary the Midlands Region will benefit from any funds raised.

Midlands Region AGM—13^th April

The Midlands Region AGM took place at the Ivyleaf Club Birmingham.

Our President Colonel MHH Evans OBE presided and existing committee members agreed to stand for re-election. No other expressions of interests received and the meeting duly proposed and seconded the committee appointments with Ralph Eales continuing as Chair and Tom Hartley expressing a wish to remain as Secretary for just one more year. Looking for a new Secretary next year.

The minutes of the trustees meeting have been circulated to all members on e-mail and those who are not using this means of communication please advise Mick Wills if they wish to view a copy.

Armed Forces Day—Nottingham 29^th June 2013

A very comprehensive event to be hosted by Nottingham City includes 45 Commando providing both waterborne activity on the Trent and Helicopter abseiling. The Parade forms up at the Castle and Mick has booked a minimum of four places on the Parade commencing at 10am. If interested please advise him at your earliest convenience. Be aware that the Parade takes a fairly lengthy route around Nottingham with a stop at the Council House for a 20 minute service.Transport arrangements from Parade finish to Embankment to be confirmed. For more details:

http://nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=21844

RMA Reunion 28/29th September2013

Those Branch members who intend going down to Lympstone for this event and require tickets for the Band Concert, Meals in camp Car Passes for the camp (disabled) , raffle tickets, or wish to enter for individual or team competition shooting on the 25 metre Range, or the Inter Branch Quiz, need to let Mick know by the end of june at the latest. Mick will in the interim circulate a pro-forma before the next meeting. Please also advise if you wish to attend the AGM on the Saturday morning. Acommodation is available in the Imperial Hotel Exmouth at the same rate as that booked through Tracey and Brian Fox from the Midlands Region last year. If you wish to take advantage of this you will need to book your own accommodation. Some of our Branch members are also staying at the Grand Hotel Exmouth.

Sunday 21^st July William Billinge Service and Parade at Longnor

This is a Derby Branch event and members who wish to attend please let me know, so that I can advise Derby of numbers for Lunch (the Cheshire Cheese). It is in a lovely part of the dales and a well attended event, meeting up with bootnecks from a number of Branches.

Message from David Chapman Major RM (former Branch President now living in Australia)

‘I am glad the trip to CTCRM was a success and I couldn’t be more pleased that the cross stitch has gone to a very “good home” (and a bit proud). Yes it took me a long time as didn’t have a pattern and just had a copy of the original to follow so it wasn’t painstaking only it was somewhat painful as I made too many mistakes which had to be altered. I still do cross stitch in front of the TV in the evening so it keeps me awake!! It was ITCRM where I joined the Corps on 4^thDec 1950 and did all my basic training ...so part of me has gone “full circle” so to speak. Thank the Branch for organising the presentation’.

Members Welfare

Wally Pare expressed his and Jean’s apologies for non-attendance, but he is still not at all good on his legs after his fall and subsequent hospitalisation. Hopefully we will see him at the meetings as both he and the weather improve.

Lindsey Scorer our former Chair and President has not been well enough to attend a Branch meeting for an extended period.He is not at all well but was determined to make it to Jim’s Funeral where Fred kindly provided transport.

It was great to see Peter Fawcett Jones make it down from Huddersfield for Jim’s funeral and the Parker Commemoration. Peter’s health and mobility have not been good but thanks to his mate and ex Royal, Darren Lee, he could not be kept away.

Phil Hague, our Leeds member has had problems with a fractured leg and a plaster pot and a gammy hip, but with Angela at the wheel has made the journey down to be with us.

Our Southwell members, Derek Harrison and Jim Moore have not been for some time, but Derek has been in touch and although they are not able to see to drive over to meetings they are both as well as age allows.

Branch Activities

Firstly my apologies for the omission of two monthly newsletters. Most of the members are aware of the reasons for this but for those who are not, we have had a tragic end to 2012 and start to 2013, losing three members over the bar and others suffering with debilitating illnesses. Our final loss and one that we have all had the hardest time accepting was that of Jim Greentree. Jim, our outstanding Standard Bearer, Vice Chair and extremely active branch member, passed away on the 7^thApril after a very long and hard fought fight with cancer. It is always hard to lose an oppo and life is rarely fair, but Jim was one of the last that deserved to go at such a comparatively young age. He was first diagnosed with cancer in December 2009 and we all thought that he had beaten it after his first operation. He was always very

positive through this and bounced back again, in remission, to his old self . Sadly that was not to continue and it once again took hold and despite further surgery and a very hard fight, supported magnificently by Heather his wife and his three sons, he did not make it. The funeral took place on the 24^th April and was a clear indicator of how numerous people from all walks of his life had held him in high esteem. Our previous Branch Padre Christine Brown who now lives in Dudley also travelled over. The service was packed, his son Jonathan carried the Branch Standard (a very brave tribute to his Dad) and I had the privilege with Nat Temple to carry Jim, along with his other two sons, daughter-in-law and nephew into the service. Geoffrey Halliday our Branch Padre presided over the service and gave a very fitting tribute to Jim’s life.

I can only finalise on this by saying ‘he will be sorely missed by all’

In March we were invited down by CTC to Lympstone to tour the new Parker VC Rehabilitation facility. Four of the Branch travelled down, it was an excellent two days. We took the opportunity of presenting the framed RM insignia Cross Stitch to the CTC Parker Rehab Unit that David Chapman had made and given to the Branch

Permission was sought from David over in Oz, who was overjoyed that his hard work would be displayed in such a prominent location and if you read the Globe and Laurel there is a more informative report on this visit.The Corps will also be putting something in relation to this in the next G&L as well.

It was the AGM in April with aa excellent turnout and it was good to see Heather and two of her sons at the meeting and also

Note from M W—the framed cross stitch has now been installed with a brass plate detailing the presentation and who made it.

Phil and Angela Hague from Leeds.

Branch member David Thompson put himself forward for committee. Hence the outcome was that Mick Wills remained as Chair and Treasurer, David Thompson took on the Secretary’s role, Fred Thompson our President and Funeral Co-ordinator with Heather Greentree continuing as Newsletter Editor.

Thanks also to Baz Myland for looking after the Countrywide members.

The Faulklands Trophy which is awarded annually to the Branch member who has been recognised as going above and beyond the call of duty in supporting Branch activities, was to be awarded to Jim and Heather Greentree, but in the circumstances this has been held off until the May meeting when it will be presented to Heather.

We held our Annual Walter Parker VC Commemoration in Stapleford on the 28^th April, where our special guest was Colonel MHH Evans RM OBE and his wife Sue who had travelled over from Staffordshire. It was an excellent and well supported day and enjoyed by all, with representativesfrom the RMR Nottingham Detachment, Captain Al Edgar, the Australian Army (ANZAC) guest Lt Colonel Ron Armstrong, the local Combined Services organisation and the Lord Mayors and Council Leaders of the town and Borough. We also had among our local Branch members and supporters from Stapleford and district a number of loyal countrywide Branch members who once again made the trip from the south and abroad(Isle of Wight) to be with us, these were Nat and Avril Temple, Barry and Lesley Myland and Peter Fawcett Jones and Darren Lee from Huddersfield. Royal Marine and Royal Naval cadets from Derby under Captain Andy Fuller RMR were also present and immaculate on parade to support us as they have done for many years.

Pages

News Letter

TO BE UPDATED.......

News Letter July 2013

News Letter June 2013

News Letter May 2013

RMA Reunion 28/29th September2013

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