NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2017

Newsletter for Branch meeting on 20^th December 2017 - Please note any information for the newsletter to be passed on to Jan Bridle by the last Saturday before the next meeting; also if anybody has changed their email address or set up a new one could they please let Jan know.

Branch subs  Thanks to all as most of this years’ subs have now been paid. 2018 subs remain at £15 and are due to be paid to the treasurer from 1^st January 2018. Please send any cheques, made out to REA Bournemouth, to the above address for John Cusack.

17^th January 2018 meeting   This will be a quiz night.

Monthly Informal Lunches

As usual held on the first Tuesday, menu lists on the table at evening meetings. Contact John Cusack for any information or to book/choose from menu if not at meeting. The Christmas Lunch on 5^th December was attended by 20 members who enjoyed a lovely dinner and great company. Thanks go to John Cusack and Zoe at the British Legion for organising all our monthly lunches.

John Scammell

  Sadly John died on 27^th November 2017 aged 93. He joined the branch in 1982 just after its’ formation.  After wartime commissioned service in the Corps he worked for many years at MEXE in Christchurch, and was the last in the branch with a ‘MEXE’ connection. We would like to pass sincere condolences to his wife and family. The funeral will be held on Friday 29^th December at 3pm at the Hinton Park Woodland Burial Ground, Walkford, Christchurch.

Albert Hicks Award to Spr Cox
Peter Piggott and John Griffiths went to Tidworth on 14^th December to present the Albert Hicks Award to Sapper Cox. They were treated very well with cars to take them to and from the meeting and ‘breakfast’ with the CO in the mess afterwards. The presentation was combined with the CO’s closing down meeting and was attended by the whole regiment in a new large new meeting hall in Tidworth Town. Peter did the presentation which, as you can imagine, was quite daunting considering the size of the venue but everything went as planned and Spr Cox received his award.

Birthdays of Note 
This month we wish a very happy birthday to Douglas Randall who will be 75 on the 28^th December, and also to Bob Hucklesby, our most senior member, who will be 97 on 3^rd of January.

Memories from David Watts

  Most of my regular Army career in the early 1950s was spent sunning myself along the banks of the Suez Canal ‘protecting’ Britain’s gateway to its’ fast declining empire. For 18 months I was based at the vast R.E. depot at Fanara and for a year I was on detachment (all eight of us) in the docks of Port Said where we dealt with incoming and outgoing R.E. stores ranging from small boxes of spares to cranes and bulldozers. During my sojourn at Port Said I saw and, at times, boarded all manner of shipping – Troopships, Cargo Vessels, Tankers, Warships and Passenger Liners including the new P&O Iberia on her maiden voyage to Australia.

   All good things must, of course, come to an end and, as demob was fast approaching, I returned back down the Canal to H.Q to await repatriation and resist the attempts to persuade me to sign on. Unfortunately there were no aircraft available to fly us home which was probably a blessing in disguise as the troop carrying Avro York had a habit of falling out of the sky on occasions. Troopships were also at a premium so we were carted back to Port Said where we embarked on a landing craft. As no Troopships were available we were somewhat apprehensive at our present mode of transport as it’s a long way back to the U.K. on a flat bottomed boat. Our fears were soon dispelled when we found ourselves alongside the Iberia on its way back from ‘Down Under’.  As we climbed aboard we were greeted by a large number of young members of the opposite sex, a welcome sight for we young lads after two and a half years of black garbed Egyptian ‘bints’, a rare glimpse of a well-built member of the WRAC and the occasional belly dancer.

  And so we sail off to ‘Blighty’. Two berth cabins, (sheer luxury after 4 ‘berth’ tents), stewards to wake us each morning with tea and biscuits ( a change from the once a year visit from the hierarchy at Xmas with a mug of what passed for tea laced with a liberal amount of rum). We also enjoyed the luxury of fine dining with the paying passengers (I’ve still got the Gala Menu) and plenty of John Collins in the cocktail lounge.  A great way to finish one’s Army Service and a fitting reward for all I had done for her Majesty, and, believe it or not, I’m still cruising with P&O and even called into Port Said on a recent trip!

  A small anecdote:- During my sojourn at base depot in Fanara I worked in  a ‘Yard Office’ (I wasn’t a real Engineer) and on our stockholding was an extremely large packing case containing the M.E.L.F. gallows.  Lo and behold while talking over old times with Bert Martin, who was stationed just down the road from the depot, it transpired that, by coincidence, he was required to make a replacement part for the said gallows. It’s a small world.

Forecast of National Events 2018

26^th May                    Trooping the Colour – Major General’s Review

2^nd June                      Trooping the Colour – Colonel’s Review

6^th-7th June               Beating Retreat, London

7^th June                      Royal Hospital Chelsea Founder’s Day Parade

9^th June                      Queen’s Birthday Parade

22^nd-24^th June           Chillwell Weekend

27^th-29^th July             Minley Weekend

14^th-16^th September Corps Memorial Weekend

13^th October              REA AGM and Annual Dinner

14^th October              Sapper Sunday at Royal Hospital Chelsea

8^th November                        Field of Remembrance, Westminster Abbey

11^th November          Remembrance Sunday