THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COUNTY NEWSLETTER MARCH ‘Coming together is a beginning. APRIL Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.’ 2014 (Henry Ford) COUNTY NOTICES & EVENTS

COUNTY WELFARE FUND GROUP & BRANCH DONATIONS SINCE 1 JULY 2013

DUNMOW BRANCH £ 200 BRANCH £ 120 WICKHAM BISHOPS BRANCH £ 1200 The concert at the Charter Hall on Friday CHADWELL St MARY BRANCH £ 227 6th June is THE MAJOR EVENT in the Royal British DANBURY BRANCH £20000 BRENTWOOD BRANCH £ 79 Legion calendar in Essex for 2014. COGGESHALL BRANCH £ 100 KELVEDON BRANCH £ 1000 This is a truly huge event and it is essential that all COPFORD BRANCH £ 250 LITTLE WALTHAM BRANCH £ 900 Legion members support it: The reputation of the BRANCH £ 500 Legion, especially in Essex, depends on a big show of B GROUP £ 50 BURNHAM BRANCH £ 50 support. WICKHAM BISHOPS BRANCH £ 500 TAKELY BRANCH £ 500 The performers are showing their support by BRANCH £ 150 HEDINGHAMS BRANCH £ 500 performing free of charge, enabling the ticket price to BRANCH £ 300 be kept to a nominal £12. COLCHESTER BRANCH £ 1484 GREAT WALTHAM BRANCH £ 200 ALL PROFITS TO THE COUNTY WELFARE FUND DEBDEN BRANCH £ 108 RBL CHINGFIELD £ 200 Details of the concert are at the end of this newsletter. HIGHLIGHTED TEXT + DONATIONS RECEIVED SINCE LAST Please display this page on your Branch/Club NEWSLETTER notice board

The Charter Hall is easy to get to and has ample free BRANCH ACCOUNTS parking.

THE FOLLOWING BRANCH ACCOUNTS ARE OUTSTANDING FROM THE YEAR ENDING 30 JUNE. THESE SHOULD NOW POPPY APPEAL BE SUBMITTED WITHOUT DELAY. TOTAL FOR ESSEX TO DATE: £1,077,861 NATIONAL TO DATE: £35,437,422

A CALENDER OF EVENTS FOR THIS YEAR IS HELD ON THE DEBDEN BRANCH ESSEX LEGION WEBSITE. ANY REQUESTS FOR THE INCLUSION OF EVENTS/ACTIVITIES TO BE ADDED, PLEASE CONTACT TRACY WINNERS OF THE LISTER CUP HALL OR THE COUNTY SECRETARY.

DEBDEN BRANCH HAS WON THE LISTER CUP WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED IT IS BECOMING INCREAINGLY HARD TO RECRUIT NEW PAO’s TO THEM AT THIS YEARS NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN TORQUAY. THE SO ANY HELP FROM BRANCHES AND MEMBERS WILL BE AWARD OF THIS NATIONAL AWARD WILL ENTITLE THE BRANCH TO GRATEFULLY RECEIVED DISPLAY THE LISTER CUP SCROLL ON THE BRANCH STANDARD. OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BRANCH.

BRANCH FUND INITIATIVE 2% PAGE 1 GENERAL INFORMATION

. NEW APPOINTMENT THIS EDITION

COUNTY DEPUTY TREASURER Attached to this edition are information posters/layouts for display on Branch/Club notice boards at your discretion. One concerns CONCERT 2014, as outlined on Page 1. The second is a LONG TERM EVENTS PROGRAM for Essex and the third identifies the BMI Hospital in Southend for LASER EYE SURGERY. A donation covering this attachment has been received.

Appeal to find families of war heroes

Anglia Ruskin to re-erect plaque At the County Committee Meeting held on commemorating students who died in First Saturday, 29 March 2014, Mr Dudley Nasland, of World War the & Laindon Branch was appointed to be the Deputy County Treasurer. His duties will Anglia Ruskin University is re-erecting a plaque include assisting and deputising for the County commemorating ten former students who died in the First Treasurer when required. World War, and is appealing for relatives of the students to get in touch.

The plaque was originally erected at the Frederick Chancellor Building, on Victoria Road South in , to commemorate the ten students, who were at the Chelmsford School of Science and Art, a forerunner institution of Anglia NEWMARKET RACE DAY Ruskin.

Advance discounted tickets are available for Newmarket The ten students commemorated on the plaque are: Race Day on Saturday 9th August to RBL members. For Eric Bainbridge (Royal Flying Corps) tickets please contact the box office on 0844 5793010, Hugh Brown (Scottish Rifles) quote RBL14 Robert Hodgson (Royal Fusiliers) Alick Horsnell (Suffolk Regiment Harry Mann (Royal Artillery) Prices Frank Newell (Civil Service Rifles) Premier Enclosure is £14.50 (£25 normal price) Charles Taylor (Royal Fusiliers) Grandstand & Paddock is £10.50 (normal price £16) Cyril Thompson (London Irish) Frederick G Thompson (Royal Engineers) Please note that booking closes on THURSDAY 31ST JULY Robert Turnell (Royal Flying Corps) therefore tickets must be booked before this time. Steve Bennett, Secretary and Clerk of Anglia Ruskin, said: “The ten were at the Chelmsford School of Science and Art and many of them would have been on student apprenticeships to prepare them for a career at the Hoffman BRANCH or Marconi factories. CHAIRMAN & SECRETARIES “We are planning to re-erect and rededicate the plaque on our DAY new campus next year, the 100th anniversary of the start of Will be held on the 14th June 2014 at Branch the First World War, and we would like to invite any relatives premises. Start time is at 10am with a finish time of approx. of those who died to get in touch with us, so they can join us 12.45. A buffet will be provided and ALL BRANCH at the rededication ceremony.” The ceremony will be held on CHAIRMAN AND SECRETARIES are requested to attend. Tuesday 4th November.

County Handbooks have now been printed and will be Relatives who would like to attend the ceremony should call collected by Group Secretaries for distribution to all Rachel Moss on01245 68 4723 or email Branches. [email protected]

PAGE 2 0BITUARIES

THOMAS RIVIERE BLAND MC “DEBDEN MOURNS THE LOSS OF ANOTHER WW2 DEBDEN BRANCH ROYAL BRITISH LEGION HERO”

Less than six weeks from the sad death of Tom Bland who won a The funeral service of Tom Bland MC took place at Debden Parish Military Cross (MC) whilst serving in Italy with the Scots Guards in th Church on Tuesday 18 February 2014. Thomas Riviere Bland was born WW2, Debden is in mourning for passing of another WW2 hero. th at Debden, NW Essex on 8 February 1921. Educated at Eton College, Alfred Newton Taylor, known by all as Bob, was born at Tom spent a spell of service with the Inns of Court Yeomanry before Easingwold, Yorkshire, on 13th March 1923. He was educated at being commissioned into the Scots Guards at the outbreak of World War Easingwold Grammar School and worked initially at Rowntree of nd Two. He served with 2 Battalion Scots Guards as part of 201 York. At the outbreak of WW2 Bob joined the local Home Guard th Independent Guards Brigade in the 8 Army in North Africa. After fighting but on 15th November 1941 he enlisted in the Royal Naval Air through to Tunis and after the surrender of the German Afrika Korps, his Service, the Fleet Air Arm, and trained as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Battalion was then re-deployed to Italy and was involved in the heavy (TAG) in Fairey Swordfish Torpedo Bombers. fighting around Monte Cassino.

2nd Battalion Scots Guards were advancing against the Germans north of He served with 818 Squadron RNAS on board the aircraft carrier Florence shortly after the Salerno landings when, on 25th July 1944, his HMS Unicorn, providing air cover in Swordfish aircraft throughout Company was ordered to attack the town of Monte San Michele with 1942 for convoys en route for Gibraltar. On 9th September 1943, Lieutenant Bland commanding the leading platoon. Coming under heavy HMS Unicorn and 818 Squadron supported the allied landings at machine gun and mortar fire, Lieutenant Bland fell with severe wounds to Salerno, Italy, before being redeployed to Ceylon in 1944 to join the the chest, arms and face. Pinned down by enemy fire, his platoon which Eastern Fleet. In late 1944 Bob transferred to 849 Squadron RNAS had taken a number of casualties, were unable to extricate him and get equipped with Grumman Avenger Torpedo Bombers on board the him medical attention. Even when this became possible, Lieutenant aircraft carrier HMS Victorious as part of the British Pacific Fleet. Bland refused to be evacuated and continued to command and exhort his He took part in the raid on the Japanese oil refineries at men for a further 7 hours until the objective had been secured. For his Palembang, Sumatra on 29th January 1945 for which he was actions during this engagement Tom Bland was awarded the Military awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for gallantry. Cross. Having recovered from his wounds Tom Bland rejoined his battalion and continued to serve with them until the end of the war. After the war Bob returned to work for Rowntree at York but after moving to Southport Lancashire in 1955 he married his wife Joan After the war, Tom left the Army and worked as a Broker at Lloyds in and joined BP. He travelled extensively and at times lived in London. He became a Freeman of The City of London and a Liveryman Australia, Nigeria and South Africa. In 1976 he joined Lonhro in at the Merchant Taylors Company. A member of the British Legion like London and settled in Debden. In retirement Bob enjoyed golf and his father before him, Tom actively supported the Debden Branch RBL for walking his dog. He was a long-serving member of Debden Branch 68 years. In his latter years Tom delighted in tending his garden and RBL. His funeral took place at Debden Parish Church on 3 April looking after his children and grandchildren. He will be sadly missed by 2014 He will be sadly missed by his family, colleagues, friends and his family, friends, business colleagues and fellow members of Debden fellow members of Debden Branch RBL. Branch RBL.

PAGE 3 EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

Received from Albert J Clack May I ask you to be kind enough, please, to draw the attention of Essex Royal British Legion members to my late father's book? The title is 'My WALTON & DISTRICT BRANCH Underground War'. It is his memoirs of the five years he spent as a POPPY APPEAL RECOGNITION AWARDS! prisoner-of-war during WWII. He typed them in the 1970s, and they FEBRUARY 17TH 2014! subsequently vanished into a storage box, which came to me after he AT THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION WALTON ON THE NAZE CLUB! ! died. I recently edited and published them. On the evening of 17th February 2014, the Walton & District Branch held a The first half of the book covers his capture near Dunkirk in 1940 and presentation evening at their local club in recognition of the hard work and his experiences in the Stalag VIIIB PoW camp. For most of this time he dedication of members, local businesses and public bodies. The evening endured forced labour and was organised by John Halls MBE and attended by many of the occasional beatings in a coal mine. exceptionally hard working and worthy recipients. The second half deals with his Special thanks are given to Tracey Hall, Community Fundraiser for Essex escape from the ‘Death March’ and who made the journey to Walton to present the awards. his liberation by the Red Army.

This is a gripping yarn of capture, resistance, and liberation, revealing for the first time how he and a close-knit group of chums carried on the war despite their imprisonment, and even got away with killing a couple of Nazi guards who had ruthlessly bullied frail prisoners. It has initially received excellent reviews.

The relatively short book is Trevor Smith – Branch Chairman Trevor Smith available exclusively from Amazon.co.uk as either a Kindle download or John Hall MBE – Branch President 20 Year Award a slim paperback. Below are links to the pages on Amazon for the Kindle and paperback versions.

MERSEA ISLAND ROYAL BRITISH APOLOGIES I have experienced some LEGION difficulty in downloading and REMEMBERS WW1 positioning some of the pictures Mersea Island School 26 July 2014 of this event. I will attempt to resolve the problem and print the The Mersea Island Royal British Legion and Woman's Section will remainder in the next edition be holding a "Remember WW1" event. The event will begin at 1200 noon with a short Church service where Standards are Editor invited to Parade. The County Recruiting trailer is booked and it is hoped that a Brass band will be present. There will be a local Holly Thurgood singing group Vocalise, an Exhibition from Mersea Museum, a Corporate Organisers Award Children's display, and Charity stalls. Refreshments will be Walton Primary School available. The main theme is to recognise the sacrifice made by all who took part in this conflict. We hope to provide an opportunity for people who wish to help the community by giving them a chance to contact and volunteer to one or more of the local Community groups that do so much here on the island. Any profits made on the day will be donated to The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Standard Bearers who wish to attend please contact Terry Walker on 01206 383640 or 07762490496 or [email protected] for further information.

Mrs Maureen Ambrose Mrs Ursula Capel 15 Year Ladies Brooch 30 Year Long Service Medal Brooch

PAGE 4 FORTHCOMING EVENT

EXTRACT FROM THE COUNTY COMMITTEE MINUTES 5 JANUARY 1946

CAR MILEAGE ALLOWANCE FOR COUNTY SECRETARY. The Secretary pointed out that the allowance to the County Secretary of 3d (old pence) per mile for the use of his private car did not adequately cover the cost and asked that this amount be reconsidered. After discussion it was agreed that the allowance be 51/2d per mile for three months when it would again be reconsidered.

TIMES WAS HARD IN THEM THERE DAYS!

The newsletter is edited by the County Treasurer –who may be contacted on any EXTRACT FROM THE COUNTY matter concerning this and future COMMITTEE MINUTES newsletters including suggestions for improvement, layout, or what have you! 7 SEPTEMBER 1957 You may send contributions for inclusion in the newsletter direct to the Email “The County Conference: Members were address shown below. It would be helpful if asked to try and stimulate more interest in all contributions are Ariel 9 point font. this years Conference and endeavour to [email protected] obtain Resolutions from the branches in their respective districts.” Please always make your subject on an email ‘NEWSLETTER’. SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE!

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PAGE 5 FORTHCOMING EVENTS IN ESSEX COUNTY

27th -31st May Bravo 2 Companies –‘ Two Worlds of Charlie F’ tour – Mercury Theatre Colchester Friday 6th June RBL Essex Concert – Charter Hall, Colchester

Saturday 7th June Annie Fennymore (Blind artist) Exhibtion at Beth Chatto Garden nr

Saturday 14th June Rayleigh branches Variety Night at Fitzwimarc School Rayleigh – All welcome to participate or watch. Please contact Margaret Read, Rayleigh PAO on email: [email protected]

Saturday 14th June Chappel & , Womens Section – Summer Sale at Chappel & Wakes Colne Village Hall 10.30am – 2pm. Tea & cakes, soup & a roll, various stalls & stands.

Saturday 28th June Chelmsford Armed Forces Day Event – for more details please contact Harry Hudson on mob: 07976945418 or email: [email protected]

Sunday 6th July Epping Town Show – Epping branch stall at event.

Sunday 6th July ‘The Songs That Won the War’ show at Westcliff Theatre, Clacton. Clacton branch stall and bucket collection. For tickets to the show please contact:- The Box Office on 01255 433344

Monday 7th July Tour De France riding through Finchingfield Village and Epping Town – both branches will be supporting the riders as they pass through.

Friday 11th July BAE Systems Chelmsford – Annual 60 mile Bike Ride through the Essex countryside

Sunday 20th July Hockley Fete 1pm – 5pm. Hockley branch/PAO stall at event. Please contact Len James (PAO) for details, Email:[email protected]

Saturday 26th July Epping Festival – Centenary Event – Epping branch to be represented at the event. Contact branch for more details:- 01992 613162

Saturday 26th July Mersea Island Centenary Event – Mersea Island branch to be represented at the event. Contact branch for more details:- 01206 383640

Sunday 27th July St John’s church Epping – Centenary Service

Sunday 3rd August Great Leigh’s WW1 Tea Party – Details TBC

Monday 4th August (Evening) A Million Candles to Remember – Lighting a candle on every War Memorial in the country. Individual also to light a candle at a dedicated time on the same evening – More details to follow

Monday 4th August Littlebury Centenary Church Service – time TBC

Monday 4th August St. Osyth Centenary Church Service followed by a Tea Party – details TBC

Sunday 10th August Hockley branch/club – 1914-2014 Night featuring the ‘Starlight Amateur Dramatic Co. 7pm – 9.30pm. Contact Hockley Club tel: 01702 201028

Saturday 1st November Poppy Concert – Leigh Branch – West Leigh Baptist Church Concert in the Charter Hall Colchester Friday 6th June 2014 Commencing 8.00pm Featuring Soprano Tinuke Olafimihan

The RBL Harwich Brass Band

The Chelmsford Male Voice Choir

The Colchester and District Pipes and Drums

All proceeds to the Royal British Legion County Welfare Fund. Tickets £12 from the Charter Hall Box Office Or Telephone 01206 282020 Or www.charter-hall.co.uk

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