The Veteran - 28 Sept 17

The Veteran
28th September 2017
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DEEPCUT PTE SEAN BENTON INQUIRY
ARMY TO BE INVESTIGATED OVER BULLYING CLAIMS
An inquest investigating the death of Private
Sean Benton at Deepcut Army Barracks
in 1995 will probe the Army over
allegations of bullying and abuse by NCO
Instructors.
Pte Benton died from five gunshot wounds
at the base and an inquest recorded a verdict
of suicide. However, a fresh inquest
due to take place in January 2018 will also
consider bullying claims by training instructors.
The tragedy was one of four deaths between
1995 and 2002 that has caused many questions
to be asked over the treatment of recruits
at the base. While the army has said
that all four deaths were suicide, an open
verdict has been
recorded on three of the four recruits
According to BBC News. there are allegations
of bullying against two of Pte Benton’s
instructors but at a pre-inquest hearing, it
was said that focus would not just be on the
two instructors.
Despite the verdict of suicide, independent
ballistics expert Frank Swann, who investigated
the deaths initially for the police and
later the families, said it was impossible for
Pte Benton to have killed himself. He suggested
he had been shot four times from a
distance and only once from close range.
He also made a statement about Cheryl
James. He said that it was "highly unlikely"
Pte James shot herself and that "she was
probably trying to push the gun barrel away
from her face when she was shot, accidentally
or deliberately". Her family said it suspected
a cover-up after the bullet, removed during a
post-mortem and which would have been a
vital piece of evidence, went missing.
The third recruit to die, Pte Gray, was found
with two gunshot wounds to his head while
on guard duty in 2001
The Army said he killed himself but, once
again, an inquest returned an open verdict.
Some aspects of his death seem mysterious,
including reports that a figure was seen
running away from the area and suggestions
his body was moved shortly after his
death.
Again, Frank Swann said it was "highly unlikely"
Pte Gray killed himself. Pte Gray’s
parents also added that he was very happy,
loving life and had absolutely no reason to
kill himself. Again, the army ruled an open
verdict on his death.
A year later, 17 year old James Collinson
was found with a single gunshot wound to
his chin, again, while on guard duty.
Once again, the Army said he had killed
himself and an inquest returned an open
verdict.
His parents insist he was a happy, cheerful
young man, full of pride at being a soldier
and making plans for his future, and had no
reason to take his life.
Frank Swann said it was "unlikely" bullet
wounds to the underside of Pte Collinson's
chin and head were self-inflicted, but it was
possible they were the result of an accident.
Pte Collinson's mother, Yvonne Heath, said:
"I don't believe that my son pulled that trigger
but at the same point I don't believe anyone
wished him dead. I think in the regime
at Deepcut at the time there was very little
supervision. I think some silly prank went
terribly wrong."
All four recruits died while on guard duty at
the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, Surrey.
All four deaths have had unexplained
circumstances and evidence has gone missing.
But despite irregularities and a review
by Devon & Cornwall police which stated
that the Surrey Police Investigation had
failed on certain issues including the pursuit
of the ‘unknown, white male’ seen running
from the scene, the government still refuses
to hold a public inquest over the four deaths.
Pte Benton’s brother ans sister, Tony and
Tracy, applied to the high court for a new
hearing last year which has now been
granted. Justice Collins said fresh evidence
had "come to light which casts some doubt
upon the correctness" of the original decision.
The full inquest, expected to be held in January
without a jury, is set to hear from about
150 witnesses.
The SBT Says...
This whole thing stinks to be brutally honest.
There are a few details which are
screaming out to me, probably to everyone
else too. Firstly, a ballistic forensics
expert reported that It was impossible for
Pte Benton to have shot himself. Further
more four rounds were fired from a distance.
Am I being unfair when I say this
nothing short of murder. We have been
told by an expert in these matters that it
was not Sean who killed himself. Could it
have been an accident? Very highly unlikely.
If it was one round, fair enough.
An accident or prank going wrong could
be considered but four rounds at distance?
Come on, we are not that stupid.
All four were on Guard when they died,
does anybody else think that very
strange? Vital evidence has gone missing
including the round that killed Cheryl
James. What is being covered up here?
Why is the government refusing a public
inquest? All I know is this is not going to
go away. People want answers.

The Sandbag Times 28 September 2017
Invictus Games 2017
Launched in Toronto
The Invictus Games 2017 was
launched on Sunday in Toronto
with a keen eye being kept on proceedings
by SBT’s Canada Calling
journalist Albert ‘Robby’
McRobb.
The teams arrived over the past few
days and took up residence at the Invictus
Village at the Sheraton Centre
Toronto Hotel. Prince Harry founder
of the Invictus Games gave the
opening speech last evening, ahead
of a Gala Show of Entertainment for
all. Bravo Zulu Prince Harry
The only event held on Saturday in
blazing sunshine, was the Jaguar
Driving course. This event has become
the start of all the games at Invictus.
The Gold being taken by the
Netherlands, Silver going to Army
Sgt Gareth Paterson and former RAF
Sgt Olaf Jones from Team GB and
Denmark taking the Bronze.
Sunday began with a preliminary
round of wheelchair tennis at Nathan
Phillips Square, and launched
straight into athletic heats and finals
at the York Lions Stadium. Team
Canada’s co-captain is three-time Invictus
Games medallist Natacha
Dupuis, who won two gold in athletics
at the previous Games in
Orlando, Fla. In 2016, the retired
master corporal and Canadian Army
veteran won gold in the IT7 100m
and 200m. (She won a third medal in
weightlifting.) Lindsay Chapman
flew to victory in the IT5 100m final
- she was paralysed from the chest
down by a road traffic accident almost
10 years ago. "Invictus gives
me a goal and a purpose," she said
afterwards. Andrew Bracey - nicknamed
'mad dog' - took silver in the
IT4 100m final. Andrew has rods
and screws in his lower back and has
also had post-traumatic stress disorder.
And Jen Warren claimed bronze
in the IT4 100m final. She was
beaten by gold medallist Kelly Elmlinger
and silver winner Gabby
Graves-Wake, both of the USA.
The United States were the dominant
force on the second and final day of
athletics action at the 2017 Invictus
Games in Canadian city Toronto,
winning 12 of the 32 finals contested.
The Americans’ gold medals
were split evenly between track and
field with six in each at the York
Lions Stadium. Among the winners
on the track was Adam Popp, who
won the men’s IT2 1,500 metres
event in 5 min 24.27sec. Great
Britain’s Scott Meenagh was the runner-up
in 5:46.97, while Popp’s compatriot
William Reynolds came third
in 6:00.71.
Other US track successes included
those for Kelly Elmlinger in the
women’s IT4/IT5 1,500m in 4:22.77,
Ivan Sears in the men’s IT4 1,500m
in 3:44.94 and Nate Dewalt in the
men’s IT5 1,500m in 5:29.52.
There were also wins for Sean Johnson
in the men’s IT6 1,500m and
Ben Seekell in the men’s IT1 400m
in 1:02.14. Out in the field, Anthony
Pone claimed the US’ first gold
medal of the day with victory in the
men’s IF5 discus with a throw of
30.86m. Estonia’s Egerd Erreline
was the silver medallist with
27.60m, while Germany’s Thomas
Heinecke rounded out the podium
with 26.96m. Stephanie Morris led
an American one-two-three in the
women’s IF5/IF6/IF7 discus with a
throw of 16.57m. She was joined on
the podium by Gabby Graves-Wake
and Tiana Lopez, who registered
15.81m and 14.58m respectively.
Sarah Rudder won the women’s
IF1/IF2 shot put with a throw of
8.51m and there were also American
victories for Michael SousaDo-
Carmo in the men’s IF1 discus, Dorian
Gardner in the men’s IF3 shot
put and Sean Hook in the men’s IF4
discus. SousaDoCarmo’s winning
mark was 35.12m, while Gardner’s
was 12.38m and Hook’s was
41.02m. The wheelchair tennis competition
also concluded today at the
Nathan Phillips Square with
Britain’s Kevin Drake and Alexander
Krol beating New Zealand’s Glenn
Barnes and Aaron Gibbs 6-4 in the
open doubles final. In the bronze
medal match, Britain’s Kirk Hughes
and Cornelia Oosthuizen defeated
Australia’s Sean Lawler and Stewart
Sherman. In powerlifting, the four
gold medals were split between as
many nations at the Mattamy Athletics
Centre. American Lopez won the
women’s lightweight category with a
result of 72 kilograms. This came
prior to New Zealand’s Vanessa
Bawden-Pere triumphing in the
women’s midweight division with
64kg.Other winners were home
favourite Krista Seguin in the
women’s heavyweight category and
Jordan’s Omar Alshboul in the men’s
lightweight. Seguin won on bodyweight
with 85kg, while Alshboul
prevailed with 110kg.
Royal Marines could
be cut by a further
1,000 in next budget
The Royal Marines are facing further cuts
in the next budget to offset the manning
needed to keep the Royal Navy operational.
Although there are other options on the table,
the commandos seem to be in the firing line as
the government look for more money saving
options in the defence budget. Other options
include scrapping a number of amphibious
assault craft, reducing the ageing C130
Hurcules fleet and even slowing down the
purchaces of the new Joint Strike Fighter, F35.
These cuts come shortly after the dwindling
British Forces was branded as a joke.
Recruiting numbers are currently at their
lowest for many years with the British Army
now almost 4,000 troops under strength with
the RAF coming close to matching the falling
figures.The Royal Navy was recently called a
‘laughing stock’ after it’s incredibly slow
response to the Hurricane Irma relief operation.
A military source said that the Royal Navy is
currently unable to send 13 of its 19 ship fleet
to sea due to a lack of supplies, staff and fuel
thanks to defence budget cuts. This has
severely delayed Britain’s response to
Hurricane Irma and has left the Royal Navy a
“laughing stock” while France and Holland
have already sent aid and troops to help with
the disaster. Julian Lewis, the chairman of the
House of Commons defence committee
claimed: “Defence is far too far down the scale
of our national priorities.” The downfall of the
Royal Navy was plunged further into dismay
after the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security
Review saw over 4,000 staff dropped from the
once esteemed naval warfare force. An area
that has been a significant part of Britain’s
heritage is now being questioned by military
sources, one of which claimed: “The Armed
Forces have now been reduced to a level where
they struggle to protect British citizens.”
Senior sources fear this isn’t the end of cuts
with the incoming budget announcement in
November expected to create further
bottlenecks in the Royal Navy’s service. “It is
about affordability,” a defence source involved
in the process said. The Ministry of Defence
must find up to £3 billion a year in savings to
fund a ten-year plan for the shape and size of
the armed forces that was unveiled in 2015.
Sir Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, has
said that he does not recognise claims of a £30
billion hole in his budget. He maintains that his
department’s ambitions laid out in the strategic
defence and security review will be paid for in
part by “efficiencies”. Senior military officers
and civil servants privately say that this is not
possible. “Give us more money or else we have
to cut capability,” a second defence source
said. The MoD is due to submit a final set of
options to Mark Sedwill, the national security
adviser in charge of the mini defence review,
on November 28. He is expected to finish his
work by the middle of December but his
conclusions are unlikely to be published before
January. A reduction in the size of the 6,640-
strong Marines would free up cash for the rest
of the navy, which is managing an annual
shortfall of at least £300 million, sources said.
A cut of 1,000 Marines equates to about “£50
million a year”. Another source thought that
the figure was closer to £100 million if all
training and kit was included. Remaining
Marines could be ordered to focus more on
Arctic, cold-weather security; being based
again on all Royal Navy ships; and operating
as specialised units, instead of retaining the
ability to deploy at scale on to land from sea.
Two former Marine generals and more former
officers said that the government would be mad
to tamper with one of the military’s most elite
units, which provides about half of the
manpower to Britain’s special forces. The
Marines are shrinking by 200 this year so that
the navy can hire more sailors to man the fleet.
They have also seen overseas training cut. The
latest casualty was Exercise Black Alligator in
the Mojave Desert in California in which 1,000
Marines were due to take part. A
spokeswoman for the MoD said: “In the face of
ever-changing threats, we are contributing to
the review of national security capabilities and
looking at how we best spend our rising
defence budget to support that.”
The SBT Says...
What on earth is happening to our forces? The
government claim that this is a time where we
can afford to reduce the size of our forces for a
more ‘efficient’ defence plan. What a load of
rubbish! Are they blind to North Korea, The
Baltics, increasing troop numbers back into
Afghanistan or the relief operations that seem
to be never ending? The Military are warning
the government constantly that we are about to
lose operational capabilty due to a lack of
defence spending. Threats are still very real
and instability in the world is still worrying.
2
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The Sandbag Times
OFF THE GRID
With the Sandbag Times Patron Matt Neal
British Touring Car Championship
Round 9: Silverstone
Victory At Silverstone! SBT
Reports From Trackside.
Great Qualifying, Perfect
Last Race. Bring on Brands!
Silverstone proved to be a very
tough weekend for our two Honda
boys. Qualifying was good for
Matt getting his car on to the 2nd
row with Flash a few rows behind.
Matt started well and was soon on
the hunt until an incident relegated
him to 14th place, he gained a
place back before the race ended
early under a red flag after a
serious incident.
Race two wasn’t much better with
Matt remaining in 13th for the start
of the last however Flash had got
himself into third place for the final
start.
The Sandbag Times Veterans
Magazine was trackside on Sunday
to witness the action. Editor, Pablo
and SBT Photographer, Vince
Ballard met up with Matt before
the days racing to have a chat. Matt
said to the boys that he felt the car
wasn't up to the pace for the fastest
parts of the track despite a cracking
4th place qualifying session.
Pablo was lucky enough to get in to
Matt's Halfords Yuasa Honda Civic
R and have a bit of a guided tour of
how they work.
To add to the fun of the weekend,
Photo: Vince Ballard
Matt had an incredible start to the
last race moving from 13th to 9th
by the second corner. The next lap
saw him move to 8th with the
Honda Civic R performing out of
it’s skin. Another crash saw the
safety car come out for 4 laps
closing the feild up tightly. Once
released Matt attacked the field and
soon found himself in 5th when
Flash spun off the track giving
Matt the chance to pounce further.
A few laps later Matt was in 2nd
and challenging for the lead. Matt
stuck closely to the boot of
Vauxhall’s Rob Huff until Rob ran
slightly wide at Maggots corner
giving Matt just enough room to
slip down the inside. Once in front
he pulled away and kept the lead
until the chequred flag.
Photo: Vince Ballard
Matt Neal slips down the inside
of Rob Huff to take 1st place
Pablo admits to having a small
accident climbing into the car in
which an item of clothing ripped in
the process. Something which he
says brought Matt good luck.
The BTCC season concludes at
Brands Hatch next weekend. Matt
admits the title is now well and
truly out of his grasp for this year
but the win was a nice reward for
the efforts of the whole team. The
SBT says that he will be a major
force to be reckoned with in 2018
going by his last performance.
Maybe we should get Pablo to sit
in Matt's car before every race!
Look out for the SBT report on the
final race of the season from
Brands Hatch on 1st October 2017.
Matt Neal on Silverstone
“All’s well that ends well! We
laid down the groundwork for
the weekend in qualifying, but
the first two races didn’t exactly
go to plan as we seemed to get
repeatedly shuffled out. Mat and
I just got locked together in race
one, and then we were on the
harder tyres in race two. In race
three, I was on the right tyres
with no weight and I grabbed
that opportunity with both
hands. The Civic Type R felt
great – to the extent where I almost
got on the radio early on
and said to the boys, ‘I think we
can win this one’, before telling
BTCC 2017 Standings
Driver Standings
Ashley Sutton 338
Colin Turkington 328
Gordon Shedden 272
Tom Ingram 271
Rob Collard 256
Jack Goff 215
Matt Neal 214
Andrew Jordan 200
Adam Morgan 180
myself, ‘don’t be ridiculous!’ Our
car is really strong through the
quick stuff, so I knew where I
had to attack Huffy but after trying
it two or three times, he
seemed to have it covered.
Then he ran about half-a-metre
wide and I got my nose up the
inside and thought, ‘gotcha!’
The title may be gone for me,
but it’s always satisfying to get a
win – especially after such a
tough weekend – and I’m
chuffed to bits for Honda, Halfords
and Yuasa. It was a result
that we really didn’t expect here
– and just the fillip we all
needed.”
Matt
Team Standings
Team BMW 573
Halfords Yuasa Racing 480
Adrian Flux Subaru 479
Speedworks Motorsport 267
Eurotech Racing 252
BMW Pirtek Racing 197
Team Shredded Wheat 196
Ciceley Motorsport 184
Power Maxed Racing 168
Constructors
BMW/WSR 724
Subaru/BMR 678
Honda Dynamics 638
Vauxhall/PMR 515
MG/888 326
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3

The Sandbag Times 28 September 2017
Certa Cito
A Tribute to The White Helmets
By Peter Macey, SBT Historian.
Saturday 16th September saw the last public performance
of the Royal Signals Display Team, commonly
known as the White Helmets. They will be formally disbanded
on 27th September marking 90 years since they
were formed.
The early formation came out of the fact that one of the methods
of signalling has always been through the use of dispatch
riders. And it was seen as a good recruiting tool, particularly
in the late 1920s when most had not forgotten the last war.
The idea was to form a team that would tour the Country and
perform complex moves. Of course the early team display involved
a mixture of motorbikes and horses rather than just
the motorcycles of today.
The Team have gone through a number of guises in their
time, originally called the Red Devils before the Parachute
Regiment Team existed, then the Mad Signals which was
based on the poor breaking of the motorcycles used than the
fact they were Royal Signals soldiers. Then in 1963 the Team
became the White Helmets and from that point wore the tailored
blue uniforms and pristine white open faced crash helmets,
whilst performing carefully choreographed and often
acrobatic stunts. They rode the powerful Triumph TR7V Tiger
motorcycle which was adopted in the mid 1970s and remained
in use until their last performance The team were famous
at shows such as the Royal Tournament and various
other show grounds around the UK and Europe where they
demonstrated team work discipline as well as determination
and discipline. But like any displays, particularly when Triumph
motorcycles are being used at speed, it wasn't all plain
sailing and fun. It involved lots of hard work, crashing bikes,
painful injuries and at times broken bones. But when the
chips were down and riders were in pain having crashed,
they got back up, gritted their teeth, and got back on the
bikes.
During my research of the White Helmets I discovered, quite
by chance that a friend of mine, Ed Lewis had served with the
White Helmets and I asked him to share some of his experiences
with our readers.
Ed joined the Team from in Nov 1999 selection as a young
LCpl and served 6 years as a rider, bus driver, MT and finance
NCO until 2006. He returned in 2009 and took the
Team Cpl mantle. This also found him riding displays, driving
the team truck, booking accommodation and conducting site
meetings both in the UK and Europe. The team comprised of
28 members but in later years was reduced to 21, which included
one officer.
While Ed didn't want to bore our readers with technicalities of
team tricks and the admin workings he did point out it was
self-funding and a great recruitment tool not just for the Royal
Signals but the Army too.
In Ed's own words a few highlights were having the opportunity
to work at some huge military displays, working with Ant
& Dec, riding as Winston Churchill's dispatch rider through
London on the Lord Mayor’s Parade, working for the first time
ever with the Purple Helmets and going on a Special Ops
mission in Hereford!
All in all a great team and a great 'family'.
The reasoning behind the disbandment appears to have been
that signalling over the years has changed and while these
days in a digital age there is no longer a need for dispatch
riders, therefore the team can no longer be justified.
I personally think that it is a shame and that they are removing
what was a very effective recruitment tool and very popular
with all that saw them performing.
Thank you from the SBT to Ed and all the teams over the
years for some great shows and inspiring displays.
The White Helmets will be missed.
2 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

28 September 2017 The Sandbag Times
J URNEY’S
END
BY R.C. SHERRIFF
10 OCTOBER - 12 NOVEMBER 2017
KRUITMAGAZIJN, YPRES, BELGIUM
WWW.MESHTHEATRE.COM/TICKETS
‘Journey’s End’ is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
3

The Sandbag Times 28 September 2017
Combat Stress Forced into More
Cuts Despite Refferals Up By 143%
About 13 per cent of the charity's
300-strong workforce will either
lose their jobs or have their roles
changed under plans to save
£1.6m a year according to Third
Sector.
The veterans mental health charity
Combat Stress is to undertake a
second round of job losses this
year as part of plans to save £1.6m
a year. The charity shed 12 jobs in
January when it decided to focus
solely on providing mental health
services to ex-servicemen and
women rather than general welfare
support as well. Now an estimated
13 per cent of the organisation's
300-strong workforce will either
lose their jobs or see their roles
changed as part of a five-year strategy
announced to staff yesterday.
Sue Freeth, who became chief executive
in January last year, said
the existing business model was
not sustainable and the new strategy
would help the charity to break
even. According to documents filed
with the Charity Commission, Combat
Stress had a deficit of £3.6m in
the financial year ending 31 March
2016, generating £13m and spending
£16.6m. Four years earlier the
charity had income of £15.8m and
expenditure of £12.3m. "These
changes have got to get us back
into the black and, more importantly,
we have to make sure we
have a model of delivery that meets
the increase in demand for services,"
Freeth told Third Sector. The
charity used £6m of reserves to
fund its previous five-year plan.
"We can't do that again," said
Freeth. Reserves stand at £5.2m,
which represents five-and-a-half
months' budgeted unrestricted expenditure.
The charity's reserves
policy is to have six months. Services
at the charity's treatment centres
in Ayr, Shropshire and Surrey
will be integrated and streamlined
as part of the bid to save money.
Freeth said that in addition to the
charity's existing six-week programmes
it would run some shorter
schemes lasting one or two weeks.
The proposals will be put to the organisation's
employee forum. A
final decision is expected in the
week commencing 20 November.
Freeth said the charity was "open
to listening to alternative suggestions",
but added: "We are confident
that what we are proposing
makes sense and will get our organisation
to where we want.
"These changes are in response to
what veterans and commissioners
in the NHS want to see and will
help us develop a model we can
sustain. At the moment our model
of delivery is not sustainable. We
need to be more flexible and agile."
Combat Stress, which was founded
in 1919 as the Ex-Servicemen's
Welfare Society, is due to unveil a
£45,000 brand refresh today as
part of its five-year plan. Freeth
described the old brand as "cold"
and said the new look, created by
the agency Texture, gave the charity
a warmer, more authentic feel.
Referrals for the charity's services
have increased by 143 per cent
over the past 10 years, partly due
to recent military conflicts in
Afghanistan and Iraq and also because
veterans are more willing to
seek help.
The Employer Toolkit
This toolkit has been designed
to provide information and advice
for employers who are recruiting
and supporting
wounded, injured or sick veterans
in work.
The Poppy Factory helps
wounded, injured and sick veterans
across England, Wales and
Northern Ireland back into paid,
meaningful employment. The
disability experienced by the individual
may have been acquired
during their time in the Armed
Forces or it may be the result of
sickness or injury since they
have left.
By recognising the benefits that
these individuals bring to your organisation
and by being serious
and proactive about inclusivity,
you will be helping to create a
world in which every workplace
values disabled veterans.
There are many reasons why organisations
may wish to recruit
individuals who have served in
the Armed Forces.
For some organisations, it may
be because of a sense of patriotism
and an appreciation that
these individuals have served
their Queen and country. For others,
it is in recognition of the
training, work ethic and goal-orientated
attitude that ex-Service
personnel bring. Of course, all individuals
are different, but there
are some traits that seem more
prevalent in people who have
served in HM Armed Forces.
The Poppy Factory’s employability
experts can help you understand
the employment practices
outlined in this toolkit. Furthermore,
by employing a Poppy
Factory veteran, you receive 12
months of in-work support from
one of our Employability Consultants.
Learn more about our full
(and free!) employability service .
For more information on the Employer
Toolkit please follow this
link.
4 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

28 September 2017 The Sandbag Times
Nick Dunn #Chennai6 does his own Great
North Run in chennai central prison
On the same day that the brother and sister
of Nick Dunn completed a world-famous
half marathon, the Ashington sailor ran the
same distance in laps around an Indian
prison compound.
FIFA Lifts Ban on Players Wearing
Poppies During Matches
Nick was among six British sailors –
dubbed the Chennai Six – making up a
crew of 35 arrested by Indian authorities in
October 2013 for allegedly carrying unlicensed
weapons in Indian waters. They
were later charged and when a court eventually
quashed these charges in April 2014,
they had been detained for six months. But
the nightmare continued as Indian police
appealed the decision and refused to return
all the passports and documents, which
meant the crew had to stay in the Asian
country.
And they were then sentenced to five years
in prison at a court hearing in January
2016. They are still waiting for the appeal
judgement. This hearing ended in November.
Nick’s brother and sister, Paul and Lisa
Dunn, ran the Great North Run, Newcastle
to South Shields, on Sunday. They were
raising awareness of the situation and
money for an online fund-raising campaign
to support the men – set-up by Yvonne
MacHugh, fiancée of one of the Chennai
Six, working with The Mission to Seafarers
– which says they are ‘in prison for a crime
they did not and could not commit’.
In his most recent letter to his sister, Nick
said he had arranged to run the 13.1-mile
RAF Veteran Killed in Motorcycle
Crash Near Oxford
The rider killed in a motorbike crash near
Oxford on Friday has been named locally as
RAF veteran Mike Dobbin. Police confirmed
on Saturday that a 72-year-old man from
Warwickshire had died after the crash on
the A420, just before the Botley Interchange.
He was pronounced dead at the scene after
he collided with a stationary van, fell off his
bike and was hit by another biker. Tributes
have been posted on social media to Mr
Dobbin, who is thought to have lived in Shipton-on-Stour,
close to the Oxfordshire
boundary. Several people said he had been
travelling back from a funeral when the
crash happened. Thames Valley Police has
not yet officially confirmed an identity.
According to the touching tributes, Mr Dobbin
was a well-loved RAF veteran who was
secretary of his local branch of the Royal
distance on Sunday at the compound,
which she says shows his ‘great strength of
character’.
Lisa is among those who feature in short
awareness videos made for the campaign.
You can see them at www.youtube.com –
search Jordan Wylie and click on the name
with a photo next to it to bring up the
videos. She has also written a family impact
statement for the charity Human
Rights at Sea that is raising awareness of
the Chennai Six’s plight and gave a couple
of speeches at the London International
Shipping Week event on Tuesday. To
make a donation to the online fund-raising
campaign, click this link
Read more Here
British Legion. Posting on the Royal British
Legion Shipston on Stour Facebook page,
Richard Adams wrote: "It is with great sadness
and shock that the death of Mike Dobbin
is announced. "He was well known and
liked throughout Shipston...His comrades
greatly mourn his passing. He leaves a gap
in our lives and the Legion's activities."
Writing on the Biker Escorts UK Facebook
page, Paul Skulls described Mr Dobbin as 'a
great man' whose death was 'tragic'.
Another posted online hailing him as 'a fine
example of an Royal British Legion Rider',
and said Mr Dobbin had been returning paying
his respects at a fellow veteran's funeral.
Posting to the Veterans Honoured group,
Robin Patrick Ellwood wrote: "With a very
sad heart, I inform our brothers, RAF Veteran,
72yr old Mike Dobbin, was killed on
Friday in a motorcycle accident, having attended
the funeral of a another British Legion
member.
Home nation football teams will be
able to wear poppies on their shirts
during international matches after
FIFA backed down.
Football's world governing body told
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland
and Wales that they were not allowed
to incorporate it into their kits during
World Cup qualifiers last year. They
said the remembrance symbol was
political and banned under FIFA rules
that forbid personal, political or religious
slogans. FIFA's stance resulted
in widespread condemnation in
Britain, with Prime Minister Theresa
May calling it "utterly outrageous".
When England and Scotland defied
the ruling, by wearing a black armbands
with poppy during their match
on 11 November, they ended up being
fined. But now, 10 months later, FIFA
has sent new guidance that appears
to allow symbols and slogans that
could be interpreted as political, so
long as they are not related to political
parties or governments. A FIFA document
describing the rule change says
certain "initiatives" may appear on
players' kits, along with the usual
name, number, and team crest. The
document, which discusses the FIFA
rule known as law four, does not provide
much clarity on what the "initiatives"
might be, but says they cannot
breach law 12, which refers to foul
play and abusive language. It also restates
law four's existing criteria which
prohibit wearing "personal" or "religious...
slogans, statements or images".
The document says political
slogans are "less clear", adding:
"When commemorating a significant
national or international event, the
sensibilities of the opposing team (including
its supporters) and the general
public should be carefully
considered." It means that England,
or any other team that wants to wear
poppies on their shirts, will be able to
do so, providing they get their opponents'
permission and inform the organisers
of the match. England are
due to play two World Cup qualifiers
in early October and then may play
Germany in a friendly at Wembley in
November and it is understood the
German FA has given permission for
the wearing of poppies. The £35,000
fine that England received was never
paid and now never will be. It is understood
that the smaller fines imposed
on the other home football
associations will now also not be paid.
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3

The Sandbag Times 28 September 2017
In Remembrance
Lieutenant-Colonel Angus Douglas-
Hamilton VC
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
26th September 1915
On this day in 1915, Lieutenant-
Colonel Angus Douglas-Hamilton VC,
of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders,
was killed in action at the
Battle of Loos in France.
Read More
Lieutenant Gordon Hughes Hewitt,
2nd Battalion, The Price of Wales' Volunteers
(South Lancashire Regiment)
24th September 1914
On this day in 1914, Lieutenant Gordon
Hughes Hewitt, 2nd Battalion,
The Prince of Wales’ Volunteers
(South Lancashire Regiment), was
killed in action on the Western Front.
Read More
Marine David Fairbrother,
42 Commando Royal Marines
19th September 2011
On this day in 2011 Marine David
Fairbrother, 42 Commando Royal
Marines, was fatally wounded in an
engagement with the enemy.
Read More
Second Lieutenant David Moore
Riddell,
16th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool
Regiment)
23rd September 1917
On this day in 1917, Second Lieutenant
David Moore Riddell, of 16th
Battalion, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment),
died in consequence of
wounds received over two years earlier
on the Western Front.
Read More
Sergeant Mark Stansfield,
32 Close Support Squadron, RLC
21st September 2007
on this day in 2007, Sergeant Mark
Stansfield, serving with 32 Close Support
Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps,
based in the Contingency Operating
Base at Basra Air Station, died from
injuries sustained in Iraq the previous
week.
Read More
Mirrors
Mirrors can be very scary things. They
show all of the wrinles, grey heairs, worry
lines and all the extra good living that we
try to ignore and cover with clothes and
make up. yep, we can find ourselves
avoiding them unless absolutely necessary.
Of course I am talking about myself
here (Not that I wear make up) but when I
look in the mirror these days I find myself
trying to see the good looking, young lad
I once was but instead I see the ageing
face, platinum tinted hair and ever expanding
waist line that is now the reality of
my lot. And do you know what, I’m happy
with it. being content in my outer appearance
has brought a lot of peace and has
somewhat slowed the process down a little.
At least that’s what I like to tell myself.
Mirrors can also reflect the truth of oneself
just by looking in to the eyes. Consider
how we can sometimes judge others for
their wrongs. The next time you feel the
need to do this, firstly go to your mirror
and look into it for a few moments at the
person staring back at you and judge
them for what they have done wrong in
the past. If you can truly do this withought
feeling like the hypocryte then go
ahead and judge others.
I know that this is something I couldn’t do,
come to think of it I don’t know anyone
else that could either. Mirrors show the
truth, nothing else. Sometimes the truth is
uncomfortable but only by facing it can
we truly be the people we strive to be.
Mirrors don’t just uncover the bad things,
they also reveal the beauty of life. Last
year I wrote a passage called puddles
where I looked in to a puddle on the road
which reflected everything above me.
There was the wonders of a beautiful sky
and heaven beyond in a reflection. With
that in mind next time you look in to the
mirror look at the beauty staring back at
you. yes, it may be a little weathered but
it will also be full of love. It may have a
few lines here and there but it will also be
capable of smiling back at you.
you are not only looking at yourself but at
God’s creation, how cool is that. If you
believe that God lives within us, then you
are also staring at God. The reflection will
always be there for you to see. It will remain
with you for the rest of your life. Just
like God, he won’t leave you ever but like
the reflection in the mirror he is the only
one who is qualified to judge you. Only
you and God knows what’s going on in
the life of your reflection. Only you know
what the reflection has been through to
cause all those worry lines. If that is the
case how can we possibly judge others
regardless of what they have done.
1 Corinthians 13: 12 For now we see in a
mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I
know in part; then I shall know fully, even
as I have been fully known.
No matter the cost
As I wander through the fields
I think back on a friend
It was not so long ago
When he had come to an end
I remember his last breath
The look in his eyes
His final wishes
As he said his goodbyes
It had been nearly two years
Together by his side
The longest years recorded
In my mind, I cannot hide
It has now been over twenty
Since we buried him in the ground
In hopes that someday soon
His shallow grave would be found
We hung his dog tags from the stone
Tried to carve in his name
But the only stone we could find
Was too hard, we were ashamed
We could not take him with us
We needed to run away
For fear of the same
To fight another day
I promised him I would return
Someday and take him home
I would search on forever
I would find that lonely stone
Three years had past and the war was
won
It took some time, for me to carry on
When I was able, I started my search
Both far and wide, but there was no perch
No tallest tree
No highest hill
Showed me the way
you are hidden still
I will continue to search
As long as I am able
But for now my friend
I must return to my table
My family gathers
As I begin to pray
Dear lord help me discover
My friend someday
Help me to search
Open my eyes
Allow me to find
The stone that does hide
The one with no name
A good man buried below
I wish to bring him home
So his family will know
Their son died a hero
No longer nameless and lost
Please help me find him
No matter the cost
Darren Therrien -
September 22, 2017
Finish this poem
Armed to the teeth
I can fire all night
I can kill my enemy
Because they said it is right
I can hide in the shadows
They are unaware
I can end their time here
There is no one who cares
Am I right in my opinion
Or am I hardened like steel
Have I lost my emotions
My ability to feel
Anything other than pain
To laugh at a joke
To smile at a child
I sit here and smoke
The ember burns bright
yet I fear not the sight
I want my enemy to see me
To come here and fight
It is all I know
All I remember
Nothing retained
Of a love so tender
The love of a woman
My special little one
My father, my mother
As I sit and stroke my gun
I wipe off the dust
Add spit to the rust
Although it no longer shines
It is all that is mine
If I ever get to leave here
I know not what to do
Without the smell of certain death
The thought of seeing you
I am afraid of no man
No bullets I fear
It would be better one day
If I just wasn't here
The day your eyes meet mine
I will be a different man
Though I am sure you will love me
Not sure if I can
Be there as a father
A husband so strong
I will be like a wornout record
A skip in every song
So I rush from my foxhole
Head on to the abys
I fire my weapon
And I never miss
Should I aim at nothing
And wait for the day
That another shoots true
And takes this away
Why do I win
When I really want to lose
Just one well placed bullet
And I am out of these shoes
Perhaps my desire
Is not to go away
But instead to return a victor
Hold you again one sunny day
See the smile on your face
Hold my daughter in my arms
Embrace the love there for me
Fall again for your charms
Then I feel the intrusion
Something burning in my chest
I lay flat on the ground
I just need to rest
It gets darker and darker
My pain fades away
I will have to finish this poem
On another ...
Darren Therrien
September 19, 2017
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