The Veteran Issue 5

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 'I Didn't Have a Clue' Chairman John Pratt 5 New Members 6 New Years Honours 8 District Awards 11 New Chairman District North Spain 12 'We Served' The Irish Guards 18 Who we Help 21 Alicante Branch News 25 'We Served' South Yorkshire Police 27 'Least we Forget' The Fall of Singapore 29 'We Served' 4 Fd Regiment Royal Artillery 31 The Video Page 32 Forecast of Events Contact us John pratt - Alicante Branch Chairman Ed Morris - Vice Chairman, Recruiting & Retention Mary Kemp - Branch Community Support Hamish McConnachie - Web Master & Publicity Alicante.Chairman@rbl.community Alicante.Vicechairman@rbl.community Alicante.BCS@rbl.community Alicante.Web@rbl.community 2
John Pratt Alicante Branch Chairman 'I didn't have a clue' B rought up a while after WW11, as was usual dad never spoke of it, the horrors, where he served, what he saw and was required to do. He was a ‘red beret’ paratrooper. Years later we found a diary he had kept; it only detailed his promotion(s) / demotion(s), usually due to drink, and showing his dates at home. I didn’t really have a clue. Mum and dad worked hard in hard times to give us what they could, we had little, Nan basically brought us four up while mum/dad worked. But I didn’t really have a clue. My memories of those times of helping dad in the garden with the veg patch and mowing the lawn, (and sticking a bayonet through my leg), taking handfuls of gooseberries from the garden to eat on the way to school. Short trousers in all weathers, new cardboard in my shoes for school every Sunday evening. The few caravan holidays just outside Margate. But I didn’t really have a clue. I was lucky on leaving school I knew what I wanted to do. I only ever wanted to be ‘a boy in blue’ and had that image in my mind. The reality (as usual) was different. I didn’t really have a clue. I got my dream job and the girl to go with it, married, (seemed like a good idea at the time), children, but, as above, the reality was very different, shift work, working week-ends, Christmas, missing school performances and anniversaries. I didn’t really have a clue. Wow, what an eye opener as to what went on in the real world at that time. Blimey, cars were for Senior Ranks, the boxes to make a ‘point’ were the only refuge, no radios or computers, you went to a job and relied on training, ‘your nose’ and good luck to keep you safe (and of course sometimes that didn’t work). I didn’t really have a clue. Fairly oblivious to what went on outside my world, no doubt I became cynical, perhaps inevitable when your world is dominated by the bad in this world. I didn’t really have a clue. I wore my poppy and made my donation like the good citizen I thought I was, but never really thought deeper about it, it was just something you did. Back in the day we stopped our patrol car and removed our hats in respect of those who had probably ‘served’, and given their all, although, I didn’t really have a clue. My family grew up, Northern Ireland, then Iraq and Afghanistan happened, one of them did their bit and PTSD was prevalent, we helped but even in my own home. I didn’t really have a clue. 3
Page 1: December 2021 - February 2022 Issue
Page 5 and 6: T November-February 2022 he Chairma
Page 7 and 8: Awards and decorations of the Unite
Page 9 and 10: District awards 2022 Mr Jack Kemp t
Page 11 and 12: Tchangeover in District Chairmen. h
Page 13 and 14: The custom of receiving ‘royal’
Page 15 and 16: Bob During his time in the Irish Gu
Page 17 and 18: Alicante Branch Poppy Appeal 2021 I
Page 19 and 20: Veterans' Gateway RBL is proud to b
Page 21 and 22: Branch News Welcome to 2022 On the
Page 23 and 24: Alicante Branch Royal British Legio
Page 25 and 26: 'We Served' The force was formed in
Page 27 and 28: The Fall Of Singapore On February 1
Page 29 and 30: 'We Served' A Personal Account Part
Page 31 and 32: Forecast of Events Alicante Branch
Page 33 and 34: Branch Christmas Lunch It seems age
Page 35 and 36: Burns 2022 Branch Member Joan Molli
Page 37 and 38: Barry the builder was going through
Page 39: The Alicante Branch of the Royal Br

The Veteran Issue 5

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