NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2023

Newsletter for  August 2023   Please note any news or information for the newsletter to be passed on to Jan Bridle anytime; also if anyone has changed their email address or set up any new addresses could they please let Jan know. 

 

Branch subs    Subscriptions for 2023 remain at £17 and are due now. Please support the branch by paying the £17 either by internet banking or cheque made out to REA Bournemouth.  For bank account details please contact John Cusack by phone or by email, numbers above. 

 

Branch monthly Lunches and Brunches  

These are informal, social meetings where any news etc. can be passed on to those attending, and added to the newsletter for others to read. 

The brunches are now held at the Barrington Centre Café in Penny's Walk, Ferndown BH22 9TH - Wives and children and guests are also very welcome. You can park in Tesco’s car park free and the centre is just past Tesco’s on the other side of Penny’s Walk, and this month it is on Saturday the 12^th August 

The lunch will be on Tuesday the22nd August. As with the brunches, wives and children and guests also welcome. We do not have the lunch menu at this time but I will email this out to you all as soon as it is available.  Please contact John Cusack to book your place and advise him of your menu choices.   Those with posted newsletters will be able to ring John Cusack for the menu details later on.

 

Birthdays of Note  - Major Philip Webster 90

This month we wish a very happy 90^th birthday to Phil Webster who has been with the branch for many years. 

 He joined boy service in 1948 at Taunton then Harrogate, and after Basic training at No 1 Training Regt, Malvern he was posted to Singapore. He served in Singapore twice where he did survey air photography for the RAF, once as a single man and once again with wife Anne and their two children. During his time in Singapore he also made surveys in Borneo and Malaysia. He also served in Episkopi, Cyprus and at the BAOR Map Depot near Dusseldorf, Germany.

After being commissioned he was posted to13 Sqn in Barton Stacey where he was the troop officer. Next was 42 Survey Engineer Group at Hermitage where he was OC.  In between postings abroad he served as a military surveyor and instructor in many UK postings including Newbury, Harrogate and Chepstow, finishing his service near Guilford still surveying in 1986.  (apologies to Phil if I got any of this wrong!!)

It was in 1997 that he met 2 REA members on the ferry back from a holiday in Guernsey and they persuaded him to not only join Bournemouth branch REA, but also to sign on as minutes-secretary.

He went on to be secretary, vice -chairman, and chairman and finally President of the branch.   We all hope he has a lovely day on his birthday.

 

Branch News from Maurice Pearson

Weekend of the 22nd-23 July the Chairman and his wife represented the Branch at the REA Weekend Meeting at Minley, 3 RSME Regt, Gibraltar Barracks, Blackwater.

All the 30 (approx.) representatives assembled at 0900hrs in the cinema to coffee and breakfast baps and a welcomed by the RSM and the CO. The CO gave a talk about the present role of the Training Regiment and the role of the RE’s in the army followed by a Q&A session. Questions were asked about what the present Sapper thought of the REA and what was being done and the CO laid out the work being done to inform in detail the importance of the REA. They also mentioned that every Sapper passing out of training was presented with a RE stable belt from the REA.

Following on from the CO, Nick Gunnell from HQ REA Chatham then led an open discussion about the way ahead of the REA. Top of the discussion was the problem of Branch Membership, and the perception the serving Sapper has of the REA Branches. HQ wish to have our feedback and thoughts about having fellow ex-service people becoming ‘Friend Members’ but their numbers would be limited in each Branch and they would not be entitled to RE benefits. The attendance at the weekend was very low, previous weekends have had as many as 130. The thoughts were that the lack of onsite accommodation and the meeting on the Friday night was cancelled were perhaps the reason for the poor support. Lack of numbers also meant that the grant from HQ covered everything including a free bar on Saturday evening, all food and transport to and from hotels. The afternoon was spent looking around the displays that were put on for Families Weekend and talking to the Sappers about the REA. Unfortunately, the afternoon was spoiled by the rain, which was a shame, as the effort to put an event on these days at the weekend is very difficult, as the Army is now Monday to Friday midday.  Almost all go home for the weekend or commute. Saturday evening was a social in the bar with the traditional curry supper. A great evening was had by all, especially enjoyable was the talk by the crew of the Sapper boat purchased by the REA which they rowed across the Atlantic.

A hearty brunch was laid on in the WO,s & Sgts. Mess followed by a church service with the REA standards being paraded. Thanks were given to the RSM and SSgt Julian Coombes for the arrangements and welcome we received. We all left with lots of thoughts and slightly embarrassed by the poor attendance and hoping next year will be better.

 

National Events 2023

15-17 September Corps Freedom of Medway and Memorial Parade (Chatham Weekend)  

10 November Field of Remembrance, Westminster Abbey 

13 November Remembrance Sunday 

26 November Chilwell Winter Ball 

06 December REA Benevolence Meeting