remembrance ni

St David’s Day celebrations

Soldiers from 1st Battalion Welsh Guards have celebrated St David's Day with a march through Brecon.

The parade follows on from a recent Homecoming Parade in . A service was held at Brecon Cathedral before the parade, led by the Band of the Welsh Guards, marched from the cathedral to the town centre where Cllr Dai Davies,

Page 1 Chairman of Powys County Council, was joined by Lord Lieutenant of Powys, the Hon Mrs Shan Legge-Bourke, Major General Bathurst CBE and the High Sheriff of Powys, Mrs Susan Thompson in handing out leeks to the regiment.

In the Falklands yesterday

Yesterday in the Falkland Islands Veterans of the Welsh Guards, RBL representatives and members of the Falklands Islands community gathered to remember

Gurkas celebrate Meiktila Day

The Royal Gurkha Rifles celebrate Meiktila Day on 1st March each year. In March 1945 units of 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles took part in the great campaign waged by the 14th Army in Burma

Page 2 HMS Stronghold sunk in Battle of Java Sea

In mid 1941 the British naval defence of the Malayan peninsula comprised a small number of old and destroyers, all dating from the end of WW I or shortly afterwards: • Cruisers – HM Ships Durban, Danae and Dauntless (4,850 tons, 6 x 6″ guns, 12 torpedo tubes, 29 knots)

• Destroyers – HM Ships Tenedos and Stronghold, (1000 tons, 3 x 4″ guns, 4 torpedo tubes) and HMS Thanet and HMS Scout (905 tons, 2 x 4″ guns, 2 torpedo tubes, 31 knots), and also refitting in Singapore were HMA Ships Vampire and Vendetta (1,090 tons, 4 x 4″ guns, 6 torpedo tubes and 34 knots).

Page 3 HMS Stronghold was sunk on 02/03/1942 just a few days after HMS Jupiter (See posting for 27 February). Three men from N ireland were losy in Jupiter, and two were lost in Stronghold. They were George Victor Lowry from Bangor, and Patrick Joseph TYRE from Cookstown who had been living in Belfast. See Roll of Honouor for today. HMS Stronghold was an S-Class destroyer ordered from Scotts of Greenock with Emergency 1917-16 Programme (12th Order). The ship was launched on 6th May 1919 and was the first RN warship to carry the name. Soon after entering service she was fitted with a catapult for experimental trials of Folland aircraft.

She was deployed with the Hong Kong Local Flotilla in 1939. She was involved in minelaying and patrolling.

In January 1942 she was deployed on local escort of convoys to Singapore from Australia. On February 2nd she towed HM Destroyer Vendetta to Java from Singapore and on the 11th escorted an evacuation convey from Singapore to Java with HM Durban and HM Destroyer Jupiter.

Stronghold was joined by other evacuation ships and tankers from Palambang. On the 13th they were under attack by Japanese submarines which sank several ships.

On 2nd March Stronghold escorted Dutch SS Zaandam with refugees from TJilatap bound for Fremantle. They became detached from faster merchant ships and were sighted by Japanese aircraft south of Sunda Strait. Stronghold was in action against IJN cruisers Maya, Arashi and Nowaki with two destroyers.

Stronghold sank after gallant fight. Survivors (reportedly 50) were rescued by captured Dutch SS Sigli and were later transferred to IJN cruiser Maya. Exceptionally, they were well treated on board.

Page 4 In the newspapers - March 2

Belfast Newsletter 2nd March 1915 Recruiting in Monaghan

Page 5 During the week-end a recruiting party from the 9th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers, accompanied by a band, visited Monaghan. They arrived on Saturday from Ballybay. The town was gaily decorated with flags and bunting. On Sunday the men attended service at First and Second Monaghan Presbyterian Churches and also at the Parish Church. The officers in charge were Major Pratt, Captain Shiilington, Lieutenant J. G. E. Fitzgerald, Secund-Lieutenant James Strong, and Second-Lieutenant T. Given. The party was also accompanied by a motor ambulance detachment of the R.A.M.C., under the command of Lieutenant Dunlop. Yesterday the soldiers paraded through the town and were followed by large crowds. A number of recruits were obtained. Last night, the visitors were entertained to tea in the Assembly Rooms by the ladies of the district, and afterwards a dance was given in the Orange Hail. The party leaves Monaghan for Castleblayney to-day, and will be entertained en route at Clontibret Rectory grounds by the people of the district. Arrangements have been made in Castleblayney for their reception and entertainment. The officers will be the guests of Lord Francis Hope, while the rank and file will be entertained by the people.

Roll of Honour - March 2 Representing their fallen comrades

1915 +IRWIN, William

North irish Horse. 626. Trooper. Died 02/03/1915. Age 25. Born in Garvary, County Fermanagh, around 1890, son of Margaret Irwin.

Page 6 He enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Tempo in October or November 1911. On 17/08/1914 he embarked for France with A Squadron of the NIH, seeing action in the reareat from Mons and Advance to the Aisne. He died of disease at No.10 Stationery Hospital, St Omer. Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France,

1942

+LOWRY, George Victor RN. Able Seaman. D/SSX 20899. Date of Death: 02/03/1942. Age 22. HMS Stronghold. Son of William and Violet Lowry, Bangor. First Bangor Presbyterian Church WM. Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 65

+TYRE, Patrick Joseph

RN. AB. SD/SSX 26862. Died 02/03/1942 when a Japanese task group consisting of the heavy cruiser Maya and the destroyers Arashi and Nowaki discovered and sank HMS Stronghold as she tried to escape the south of Java for the safer waters of Northern Australia. Maya later took on board 50 survivors from HMS Stronghold. Age 21. Son of Patrick & Elizabeth Tyre, Belfast, formerly of Cookstown. Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 66. Cookstown WM

+CLAYTON, James

RAFR. Corporal. 970707. Died 02/03/1945 aged 28, whilst a prisoner of war. Son of James and Martha Clayton, of Gilford. His death was commemorated on Column 452

Page 7 Changi War Memorial in Singapore, now commemorated on Krangi Cemetery, Singapore. Gilford WM

1945

+COCHRANE, Robert Royal Artillery. Gunner. 6975323. Date of death: 02/03/1945. Age: 37. 1st Maritime Regt. Royal Artillery. Son of James and Elizabeth Cochrane, Antrim. Ballymena Cemetery, Cushendall Road.

+McSPERRIT, Bernard Ignatius

Royal Artillery. Gunner. 7017181. Died 02/03/1945. Aged 28. attd. 4th Bn. The Parachute Regiment, A.A.C. Son of Francis and Maria McSperrit, of Belfast. Rome War Cemetery, Italy

March is Women’s History month 3 million people were deported to Auschwitz. Among some 400,000 people registered as prisoners, there were 131,000 women: 82,000 Jewish, 31,000 Polish, 11,000 Roma as well as Russian, Belorussian, German, French, Czech and Yugoslavian.

On this day - March 2 1896 The first-ever women's international field hockey match was played in Alexandra College, Dublin. Ireland beat England

Page 8 2-0, scoring both goals in the first half. The Ireland team was comprised mainly of players from Alexandra College.

1940 British India liner Domala bombed in English Channel, killing 100 people. 1941 The German Twelfth Army moves into Bulgaria. Great Britain breaks off diplomatic relations with Bulgaria. Germans occupy Bulgaria on way to invade Greece. The RAF launches a heavy raid against Cologne. 1942

Page 9 Churchill declares that the Tirpitz is ‘the most important naval vessel in the situation today’ and believes her destruction would ‘profoundly affect the course of the war’. General Wavell reassumes post as C-in-C India and Burma. Burma is now cut off from the Southwest Pacific. The Dutch take supreme command of all allied forces in Southwest Pacific. In Australia, all adult civilians are liable for compulsory war service. US Army reorganizes into three autonomous commands— Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Services of Supply. The Stage Door Canteen opens on Broadway in 44th St. Theater, where stars entertain and serve servicemen.

1943 Sunderlands and Stirlings built in Belfast

Page 10 1943 The battle of the Bismarck Sea opens Northeast of New Guinea. US Fifth Air Force (SW Pacific) B-25s use skip-bombing to attack a Japanese convoy sinking 12 ships. Germans begin a withdrawal from Tunisia, Africa. The center of Berlin is bombed by the RAF. Some 900 tons of bombs are dropped in a half hour. 1945 US Ninth Army crosses into Germany and reaches the Rhine near Düsseldorf. The U.S. Third Army captures Trier on the Moselle. The RAF launches a heavy attack (300 bombers) against Mannheim, causing a devastating firestorm. After 14 days of fierce fighting, the 503rd Regimental Combat Team – the “Rock Force” – raised the American Flag in the presence of General MacArthur at the Topside Barracks on Corregidor in the Philippines. In the United States, strikes close ten Chrysler and Briggs plants 1946 Ho Chi Minh elected President of North Vietnam

2015

The newest Royal NavyType 45 Destroyer HMS Duncan deployed from HMNB on her maiden Page 11 deployment to the Mediterranean & Middle East. last year she featured in TV show, Warship: Life at sea. She is named after Admiral Adam Duncan victor of Camperdown.

Acknowledgments

remembrance ni

Page 12 The remembrance ni programme is overseen by Very Rev Dr Houston McKelvey OBE, QVRM, TD who served as Chaplain to 102 and 105 Regiments Royal Artillery (TA), as Hon. Chaplain to RNR and as Chaplain to the RBL NI area and the Burma Star Association NI. Dr McKelvey is a Past President of Queen’s University Services Club. He may be contacted at [email protected]

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