Mercian Eagle Vol 1 No 3
The
The Mercian Regiment Incorporating:
The Oak Tree
Firm and Forester The Stafford Knot
All Enquiries:
Tel: 01543 434390 (Mil: 94422 4390)
Email:
MERCIAN-AOAdmin@mod.uk www.army.mod.uk/Mercian
Editorial
As ever, the year has passed quickly and, as ever, we have had many changes. Colonel Stephen Ashworth, who was the driving force behind setting up the new Regiment and Regimental Headquarters prior to Formation, has retired as Regimental Secretary and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Spiby – having handed over command of the 3rd Battalion in July – assumed the post at the end of November. We wish him all the best at the helm. As reported elsewhere in this issue, the Worcester Outstation is about to close: the two clerks, Angela Arthur and Jenny Shenton, have both left and have found Civil Service posts elsewhere: Angela at the Defence Vehicle Depot at Ashchurch and Jenny at Imjin Barracks, Gloucester. Both have given sterling service (Angela for 20 years and Jenny part-time for 13 years) to RHQ WFR and, latterly, to RHQ MERCIAN. Their valuable contribution to the successful and smooth running of RHQ for so many years was marked with a lunch attended by some forty five people and a presentation of cheques, Angela expressing her intention of buying a laptop whilst Jenny was going to hunt for a particular porcelain figurine for her collection. We wish them well for the future in their new posts. We welcome and say farewell to Lieutenant Colonel Seddon who, after a valuable, but brief, contribution to the Nottingham office and to the continued success of the Crich Memorial Tower, has arrived and left and we await the recruitment of his successor in the Nottingham Outstation. Yet again, we rely on Andy Mcdougall and Angela Gutteridge to man the Foresters House fort in their usual gallant and efficient manner but don’t take them for granted – they are not being paid any extra for doing three jobs between them.
Again, as written elsewhere, the Archives and Reserve Collection of The Worcestershire Regiment Museum has now left Norton Barracks for the plush surroundings of Dancox House TA Centre in the centre of Worcester. Dave Sands, the Archivist, worked very hard to mastermind and execute the move and he now faces the task of organising his new empire to his satisfaction. He welcomes regimental visitors but please phone him if you wish to visit! The volunteer researchers have made the transition with few problems and have set up shop very quickly. All of our Museums continue to prosper and those who have not visited any of our five Galleries (Chester, Worcester, Nottingham, Derby and Lichfield) should take time to do so.
EDITORIAL Editor: Maj R S Prophet
Assistant Regimental Secretary The Mercian Regiment Norton Barracks Worcester WR5 2PA
PUBLISHER Maj C E J Mann Newton Mann Ltd
Newton Mann Ltd Fourteen Business Centre, 14 Town Street, Duffield DE56 4EH Tel: 01332 843107 Fax: 0845 009 8871 Email:
admin@newtonmann.co.uk www.newtonmann.co.uk
ADVERTISING Advertisement enquiries
should be addressed to Newton Mann Ltd
Officer Recruiting, a subject close to your Editor’s heart, is going well: we are inundated with good quality Potential Officers of all ages. The requirement is to find 13 new officers per year and we have some 250 active enquirers on the books: competition is fierce. Soldier recruiting is also buoyant and two reasons are given for our popularity: firstly, our friendly, family spirit which stems from all ranks both serving and retired and, secondly, our commendable operational reputation which is enhanced every time soldiers from the Regiment – Regular and Territorial – are deployed on operations. We don’t need a fancy name and we don’t need a PR machine to persuade the outside world how good we are: we are just normal people and we are respected for that. The high esteem in which we are held by the public generally in the Mercian area is reflected not only by the great numbers who turn out for the many Welcome Home and Freedom Parades but by the many Town and Borough Councils who have bestowed – or are in the process of bestowing – the Freedom on the Regiment. We could not ask for more support.
Finally, the Editor reiterates a plea which he has made many times before: do not be shy about writing something for publication in your Regimental Journal. It exists for that very purpose – of recording the Regiment’s activities – and every contribution, be it letter, article or photograph, helps to tell the story of current regimental life, a story which historians of the future will find as fascinating as we now find the stories of our predecessors’ life. You don’t have to have anything approved by your superior: if the Editor likes it, he will decide whether or not to include it.
Having endured a bitterly cold winter and with the prospect of yet more to come, The Editor wishes the Regiment a Happy Hew Year and all success in the future and looks forward to continuing to see the Regiment’s name in lights and to meeting many of you at the various regimental functions during the years ahead.
STAND FIRM, STRIKE HARD! 6 October 2010 The Mercian Eagle
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164