Sandbag - Wincanton & District RBL Newsletter: April 2013
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Summary
A Warm Welcome To Castle Cary RBL
A warm welcome is extended from the Wincanton Branch of the Royal British
Legion to our recent additional members from the Castle Cary Branch. Castle Cary has joined Wincanton as a Sub Branch and it will remain under Wincanton's wing until it can find new officers to run the branch.
Castle Cary Remembrance Parade, November 2012
The group, having lost three key members, was in a desperate position. It was feared that poppy sales and the remembrance parade in Castle Cary could become a thing of the past. However it overcame it's immediate problems by becoming a partner with Wincanton Branch. We would like to thank all the kind people of Castle Cary who donated generously this year. Also we must give many thanks for the help given by a few long-standing supporters, who this year distributed the Poppies throughout the town.
And many thanks for the support given by Edward Thring, the Castle Cary branch president, local organisations and cadets, who made the parade on the 11th November a great success.
We are now looking for a couple of new supporters to help us carry the good work forward.
So to anyone out there who would like to help, please contact Sue Potepa, County Poppy Appeal Org (telephone 07768 794939 or 01278 442067). Remember that the need for a service record has long gone. We need only that you are keen to help the cause of the Legion.
First youth member - Brecon Lee
Brecon, Steve Lee's son, became the first youth member of Wincanton RBL. The teenager became eligible recently, when he turned 13 years old, the minimum age to join. Brecon joined his father and his granddad, Roy Glennister, to become a member of our branch.
Brecon Lee at the Tank Museum, Bovington, with Wincanton branch members, including his dad and grandad
To commemorate the occasion Brecon was presented with a certificate and his Legion badge at the "Boys Day Out" on 23rd March when we visited the Tank Museum, Bovington.
Brecon with some of our members, including his dad and grandad
Royal Navy 'Junglies' Re-Trace Their Roots in Malaysia
17 members of 845 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) have returned to their base at RNAS Yeovilton after an exhilarating 12 day trip to Malaysia. The aim of the visit was to retrace the footsteps of their former comrades and to honour those heroic individuals who gave their lives in this distant part of the world during the incursion of Communist forces from Indonesia in the early 1960s.
Members of 845 Squadron NAS at Naga Ga'at Memorial
The team were joined by two former naval aviators, Lt Neil Burns-Thomson RN (Rtd) (74) from Bungay, Suffolk and Lt Mike Thompson RN (Rtd) (71) both veteran 'Junglie' pilots and survivors of helicopter crashes in the hazardous jungle environment.
Soon after arriving the team were invited to the home of the local MP Alex Linggi who had grown up in Nanga Ga'at. Welcoming the team the MP added, "Your visit is significant because this year Sarawak is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Malaysia. Words are not enough to describe how much 845 Naval Air Squadron has done for us in Kapit and Sarawak."
The team were also joined by a third veteran, Cyril Goodhand, who served with 42 Cdo during the insurgency.
Lt Aaron Cross laid a wreath at the Nanga Ga'at memorial to their 'Junglie' forbearers accompanied by the British veterans, a group of Malaysian military veterans and VIPs.
Editor Tony Goddard
01963-824193
Secretary Arthur Pickup
01963-32952
Next branch meeting 20th May 7 p.m. at the Wincanton Memorial Hall.
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