Sandbag - Wincanton RBL Newsletter August 2013
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Summary
Dennis Thomas
One of our longstanding and loyal members Dennis Thomas has passed away. His funeral will be at Cucklington Church at 2.00p.m. on Thursday 29th August. Dennis was at the Para assault on the Merville Battery on D-Day. Full Legion honours will be observed, please attend.
Donation of a new American flag
Daniel Peters, a representative of the National Museum of the Eight Army Air Force, was in Wincanton this month to present the Wincanton branch with a new American flag in time for the 70th anniversary commemoration next year of the crash of the American Flying Fortress, "Old Faithful".
Daniel Peters hands over the "Stars & Stripes"
Aden
The Colony of Aden was a British Crown Colony from 1937 to 1963. In 1963, the colony was reconstituted as the State of Aden within the new Federation of South Arabia. The Aden Emergency was an insurgency against the British Crown forces in the British controlled territories of South Arabia.
In 1967, British forces withdrew and the independent People's Republic of South Yemen was proclaimed. But our member Les Crompton served in Aden prior to the emergency and end of colonial rule, and here is his reminisces.
"A" for Aden & Arabia by Les Crompton
Serving with "A" Squadron 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars in Malaya in 1957, we were informed we would be sent to Aden for operations in Arabia. Only "A" Squadron was to deploy.
In Arabia the main vehicle used was changed to Ferret Scout Car. 1st Troop (my own Troop) and 2nd Troop were deployed in Khormaksar, Aden. Operations carried out included the protection of the Dhala Convoy, starting at midnight from Khormaksar to Dhala: a village and camp approximately 100 miles north of Aden.
Problems experienced whilst on convoy included being stoned by the Sheikh Othman population, shot at by dissidents on the Wadi sides and at the Khoraiba Pass and also the midnight start!
We continued on several Dhala convoys all similar to the one described.
On one of the convoys we experience a flash flood caused by a monsoon. We were instructed by radio to make for high ground - all managed to do so apart from Sgt. "Bomber" Harris and Trooper Marshall's Ferret. A wall of water swept through the Wadi and receded almost as quickly as it had risen. The Ferret was carried many meters along the Wadi bed, buried in sand, rocks and gravel.
After spending ten months in Arabia "A" Squadron we sailed back to the U.K. on the troopship "Oxfordshire" and I, with 1st Troop, rejoined the Regiment in Northern Ireland.
Normandy revisited
Six years ago ten members of the branch visited the Normandy Beaches and battlefields. Since that time sadly some of those who took part have passed away. The trip in 2007 focused on the three veterans, Paddy Smyth MM, Ron Peet and Fenton Rutter, all of whom actually took part in the D-Day Landings.
Paddy described how his friend and tank crew member John Hogg was killed on the beach and he also told of his friends, Nat Turner and Bobby Aird, being shot by enemy snipers. All three soldiers are buried side by side in the Bayeux British Cemetery and I placed a wreath and crosses at their grave on Paddy's behalf.
To my great surprise I also found that three rows immediately in front of their graves was the grave of Captain Terrence Cousins of 47 Royal Marine Commando, hero of the assault on the bunker at Port en Bassin. I took the opportunity not only to visit the bunker but having found his grave, placed crosses at both places.
The bunker at Port en Bassin
Next branch meeting 16th September 7.00pm at the Wincanton Memorial Hall
Editor Tony Goddard
01963-824193
Secretary Arthur Pickup
01963-32952
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