Sandbag – Wincanton RBL Newsletter for September 2014
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Summary
Bert Bentley posthumously awarded
It is so pleasing to know that at last Bert Bentley’s award of the Russian Medal of Ushakov has taken place. The award of the medal by the Russian government is in recognition of the bravery of men of the Royal Navy who took part in the Arctic Convoys during the Second World War. It is somewhat tinged with a little sadness that Bert was not able to receive the medal in his lifetime.
Yet another tree!
During the summer Colonel Michael Goldschmidt and I delivered the chestnut tree sapling I grew from chestnuts picked up at the battlefield of Waterloo. It is being planted at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo next June.
Five years ago I also picked up acorns from oak trees at Tyne Cot British Cemetery on Passchendaele Ridge near Ypres, Belgium. One of the acorns has germinated into a very healthy oak sapling. I would like to donate it to the Memorial Hall,and the Memorial Hall committee have agreed and are looking into a suitable site for the tree.
Passchendaele Oak Tree
The Battleback Centre
At our August branch meeting we discussed our commitment to Legion good causes and internal charity appeals and noted that we have not made any donations of late. I brought up about the “Battleback Centre” in the West Midlands which the RBL run in conjunction with Help for Heroes - the RBL taking the major role. I promised I would get full information about it before our AGM on 3rd November with a view to me proposing we make a donation from branch funds.
In a quiet place in Corton Denham churchyard
In the lovely churchyard of Corton Denham, just a few miles from us, lies a simple grave of an extremely brave man - that of Rear Admiral Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC, CB, CVO, DSC (19th July 1921 – 27th December 1994). Known as Godfrey Place, he was an officer in the Royal Navy and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
It was almost to the day 71 years ago, when he was 22 years old and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 22 September 1943 at Kåfjord, North Norway, Lieutenant Place, commanding Midget Submarine X7, and another lieutenant (Donald Cameron) commanding Midget Submarine X.6, carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz.
Update: 6/11/15 - An interested reader has brought to our attention that a book about the life of Godfrey Place, by Paul Watkins, is available at Amazon: Midget Submarine Commander, The life of Godfrey Place VC.
Amazing medal collection
Sometimes people ask me to help identify military service records, military historical dates and medals of relatives. Often the questions are quite routine and I thought this was the case when Chris and Doug Louth asked me to identify a medal collection belonging to their daughter in law.
They were in a box and when I opened it, I was very excited to see five medals in all. I double blinked because the foremost medal was the Distinguished Conduct Medal which was second only to the Victoria Cross. Pictured - DCM first on left, followed by the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Warzistan Medal last on right.
New cadet affiliation
I am very pleased to say that we will be affiliating with another Cadet group in the very near future. This will be with the Sea Cadets of the T.S Mantle VC based at RNAS Yeovilton.
War Memorial seat damaged
Unfortunately vandals have damaged the seat at the side of the War Memorial. It happened during daylight on Saturday 23rd August. Whilst it is not the responsibility of the branch to fix it we are in the process of getting it repaired and all will be finished by Remembrance Sunday.
Forthcoming branch meetings 7.00 pm at the Wincanton Memorial Hall
3rd November (AGM)
Editor Tony Goddard
01963 824193
Secretary Arthur Pickup
01963 32952
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