November 2014 THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION CAMBRIDGESHIRE & HUNTINGDONSHIRE NEWSLETTER EDITOR’s NOTE: 2014 has been a noteable and busy year in many respects, WWI Centenary Commemorations, D- Day 70 Anniversary and of course the normal everday activities of the Royal British Legion. 2015 will bring more WWI Commemorations & Remembrance more specific to Battles. There will also be 70th Anniversary Celebrations for VE day and VJ day. Over the Next few months I will try to pass on as much information as possible so that Members are aware of what is happening. However for those of you who have not visited the Legion website, there many items of information and news available on the site www.britishlegion.org.uk I will continue to provide this Newsletter, but I do need help from you with contributions towards the publication. For it to be a success then I need articles, news, stories and details of events from Branch level and Members. Cambridgeshire Festival of Remembrance 2014 Cambridgeshire County Committee I would like to say a huge thank you to all who supported the County Festival of Remembrance at The Robert James Hall, Comberton, on 25th October 2014. Hall Manager Richard Brown and his team (who are all students of the college), nothing was too much trouble and they did so much towards making the evening run smoothly. The venue and the facilities are wonderful The RAF Wyton Area Voluntary Band under the leadership of Graham Sheldon and the Military Wives Choir were superb. Our Legion, Association and Cadet Standard Bearers, as always, did us proud, 1 Major Martin Whybrow – our County Padre, for conducting the Drumhead Service . the Poppy Drop was amazing! Andrea and her sister under their mum’s direction kept the Band and workers fed and watered during the afternoon set‐up; Squadron Leader Mark Williamson of the Beds & Cambs Wing ATC – many thanks for sorting the drums, and to Commanding Officer Andy Freestone, Cambridge Sea Cadet Unit, many thanks to you both for bringing along cadets and your Standards for the evening; they are a credit to you Michael Lewis, 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment, a pleasure to meet you and your family and we send our best wishes to you in your new job with the Legion as Community Fundraiser And a very special thanks to all those who bought tickets and attended the evening. After wrestling with the decision of whether the event should go ahead, due to the low numbers of advance ticket sales, we are so glad we did. The attendees on the night, though not as full as we had hoped, were very complimentary, we had so many positive comments from people after the event about the venue, the content and the running of the evening it was definitely all worthwhile. World War 1 Victoria Cross Recipients ‐ OCTOBER 1914 Pte Henry May VC ‐ On 22 October 1914 in action at La Boutillerie France, May rescued the then Lieutenant (who later achieved rank of Major General), Douglas Alexander Graham. May dragged him 300 yards whilst under fire. Earlier in the same day May had voluntarily attempted a rescue of a heavily wounded man, who died before May could reach him. Drum Major William Kenny VC ‐ On 23 October 1914 near Ypres, Belgium, Drummer Kenny rescued wounded men on five occasions under very heavy fire. Twice previously he had saved machine‐guns by carrying them out of action, and on numerous occasions he conveyed urgent messages under very dangerous circumstances over fire‐swept ground 2 Sergeant John Hogan VC Captain James Edgar Leach VC Hogan was 30 years old, and a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment. Leach was 22 years old, and a Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment, British Army On 29 October 1914 near Festubert, France they performed their deed. Their citation reads: "For conspicuous bravery near Festubert on 29 October, when, after their trench had been taken by the Germans, and after two attempts at recapture had failed, they voluntarily decided on the afternoon of the same day to recover the trench themselves, and, working from traverse to traverse at close quarters with great bravery, they gradually succeeded in regaining possession, killing eight of the enemy, wounding two, and making sixteen prisoners Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Martin‐Leake VC & Bar Martin‐Leake was the first of only three men to be awarded the VC twice. He was 27 years old, and a surgeon captain in the South African Constabulary attached to the 5th Field Ambulance during the Second Boer War on 8 February 1902, at Vlakfontein when he won his first VC. He won his second VC, aged 40 years, during the period 29 October to 8 November 1914 near Zonnebeke, Belgium whilst serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps. For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty throughout the campaign, especially during the period 29th October to 8th November, 1914, near Zonnebeke, in rescuing, whilst exposed to constant fire, a large number of the wounded who were lying close to the enemy's trenches Captain James Anson Otho Brooke VC ‐ Brooke was a 30‐year‐old lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, at the First Battle of Ypres for which he was awarded the VC. On 29 October 1914 near Gheluvelt, Belgium, Lieutenant Brooke led two attacks on the German trenches under heavy rifle and machine‐gun fire, regaining a lost trench at a very critical moment. By his marked coolness Lieutenant Brooke prevented the enemy from breaking through the British line at a time when a general counter‐attack could not have been organised. Having regained the lost trench, he went back to bring up supports, and while doing so, was killed. Lieutenant Brooke was posthumously promoted to captain, effective to September 1914 Khudadad Khan, VC - Khudadad Khan was a Sepoy in the 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis, The battalion formed part of the Indian Corps. In what came to be known as the First Battle of Ypres, the newly arrived 129th Baluchis were rushed to the frontline to support the hard‐pressed British troops. On 31 October, two companies of the Baluchis bore the brunt of the main German attack near the village of Gheluvelt in Hollebeke Sector. The out‐numbered Baluchis fought gallantly but were overwhelmed after suffering heavy casualties. Sepoy Khudadad Khan’s machine‐gun team, along with one other, kept their guns in action throughout the day; preventing the Germans from making the final breakthrough. The other gun was disabled by a shell and eventually Khudadad Khan’s own team was overrun. All the men were killed by bullets or bayonets except Khudadad Khan who, despite being badly wounded, had continued working his gun. He was left for dead by the enemy but despite his wounds he managed to crawl back to his regiment during the night. Thanks to his bravery, and that of his fellow Baluchis, the Germans were held up just long enough for Indian and British reinforcements to arrive. They strengthened the line, and prevented the German Army from reaching the vital ports. For his matchless feat of courage and gallantry, Sepoy Khudadad Khan was awarded the Victoria Cross 3 Colours of the 31st Foot (Huntingdonshire Regiment) “The Young Buffs” Brought “Home” by Colonel D H Bristow OBE DL ‐ President Huntingdonshire Royal British Legion. The Colours were presented by Prince George the Duke of Cambridge in Dublin on the 19th May 1848 and were hung in St Mary’s Church in 1867 because they constituted one of the few links with the County of Huntingdon whose name was added to the Regimental Line Number in 1782. All regimental Colours had been taken down during redecoration of the church in the 1970s and it was not intended to have them hung again. Fortunately CSM Paddy Ryan of the 1st Queens Regiment visited the church and removed, restored and framed the Colours giving them pride of place in the Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess. The Queens Regiment was eventually succeeded by the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment and the Colours are now in their custody. I made contact with the PWRR and they agreed to loan the Colours to Huntingdon whilst the Regiment was deployed to Cyprus. The custodians would be Huntingdon Town Council who offered to display the Colours in the reception of the Town Hall on the Market Square Huntingdon together with several other artefacts of the 31st Foot loaned from the Regimental and local museums. The 31st Foot arrived in the Crimea in May 1855 and the Colours were carried into action at the first battle of Sebastopol a month later. The Regiment also served in the Mediterranean, South Africa and India and saw action in the fighting leading up to the capture of the Taku Forts in China in 1860 and against the Taiping rebels in 1862. They were retired in 1864. The Colours have the centrepiece “Huntingdonshire” and many famous battle honours some of which have local connections. Aliwal is one such example. It was at Aliwal that General Sir Harry Smith, born in Whittlesey distinguished himself. King George at the battle of Dettigen mistook the 31st for the 3rd Regiment of foot (The Buffs) because of the buff facings on their uniform and he cried “Bravo the Buffs Bravo” When his mistake was pointed out he cried “Bravo the Young Buffs Bravo” and the name stuck with the 31st. The Colours have attracted great interest and many people have visited the Town Hall to see them. On the 17th September HRH The Duke of Gloucester visited the Town Hall to view the Colours.