Wednesday 30 October 2013

Chalk at RAF Shawbury Assault Glider Trust Pt 2

Following on from our display at RAF Shawbury on Friday 26th July, I'd like to share with you a photograph of a very special visitor taken by Richard Head of the Assault Glider Trust.

We were fortunate enough to spend some time with 6th Airborne veteran Godfrey Yardley. Godfrey was with 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and took part in Operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945. He was great to talk to and was able to tell us all about his time with 6th Airborne and how the operation went for him, in return we were able to show him some of our weapons and equipment!

Chalk members Andy and Matt with Godfrey and the AGT Horsa in the background. July 2013.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Glider Pilot Regiment Memorial Dedication Service - 11th September 2013

Wednesday 11th September 2013 saw the Memorial Dedication Service for at the National Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire.

The memorial itself is a stone from the people of Renkum in Holland to mark the sacrifice the Glider Pilot Regiment made as part of Operation Market Garden in September 1944.

The service went without a hitch with many veterans and families attending.

Prior to the service I'd been asked by the GPRA to design an advert, invite and order of service for the event, something I was honoured to do and as I was unable to attend the service in person it was a nice way of still being involved.

The designs we prepared for the Memorial Service.
Photo courtesy of Steve Wright - The Glider Pilot Regiment Facebook page. 2013.
Maj. Steve Elsey, project organiser. Photo courtesy of Steve Wright - The Glider Pilot Regiment Facebook page. 2013.
Photo courtesy of Steve Wright - The Glider Pilot Regiment Facebook page. 2013.
Photo courtesy of Steve Wright - The Glider Pilot Regiment Facebook page. 2013.
Photo courtesy of Steve Wright - The Glider Pilot Regiment Facebook page. 2013.

Thursday 17 October 2013

Glider Pilot Regiment Association Annual Reunion - October 2013

On Friday 11th of October I represented Chalk and commenced the long drive down to Bournemouth for the Annual Reunion of the Glider Pilot Regiment Association in my capacity as a 'Friend of the Eagle'. I'd agreed to take down a selection of weapons, uniforms and kit to display on for Saturday evenings dinner.

Poor weather and traffic turned a long journey in to a nightmare but by 18.30hrs I was on site to meet up with Steve Wright and by 18.45hrs I was sipping a pint and in deep conversation with the daughter of a former Glider Pilot who had attended in order to find out more information about her father. I was then introduced (by Steve, a true godsend) to several veterans before taking dinner in the main dining room of the hotel followed by a good chin wag before sloping off to bed only to find that my excitement (and below par matress) prevented much sleep!

After breakfast on the Saturday morning, Steve showed my around some of Bournemouths sights, the most outstanding of which was the Russell Cotes museum, simply a superb way to spend the morning.

Then a quick lunch back at the hotel, accompanied by more chatting and 'interviews' of the veterans, all the time pinching myself; as I chat to Hugh Martin about his involvement in Operation Dingson over his shoulder is Arthur Shackleton cracking jokes and in the corner is Peter Clarke and so on and so on... marvellous stuff.

At 18.30 I started to set up the display in the main dining room, the tables already set with GPRA menus and a large pair of Glider Pilot wings are positioned above the top table. The hotel staff are helpful and intrigued by my collection in equal measure, a few of them posing for photographs with the Sten and Colt .45!

At 7.30 dinner begins and I find myself sat with Peter Clarke, Des Page, Steve Wright and Associate guests. Good food and better conversation followed, I even won a box of Swiss chocolates in the raffle. After eating I dashed over to man the display which went down very well amongst all the guests so my journey was not wasted.

However, the absolute highlight of the weekend has to be that my membership position of 'Friend of the Eagle' has been promoted to Associate Member (a position normally reserved for family members of former Glider Pilots), I'm absolutely over the moon with this and drove home with a real smile on my face! I can only hope that Chalk's association with the GPRA can grow and that we can always do them and the Regiment justice.

Thank you.

The top table (photo courtesy of Steve Wright).
The Glider Pilot Wings (photo courtesy of Steve Wright).
A relaxed Jim Hooper, ex B Squadron, 20 Flight (photo courtesy of Steve Wright).
A Tug and Glider Pilot still attached 69 years later! Flight Lieutenant Doug Coxell ex 296 Squadron RAF with Laurie Weeden of 14 Flight F Squadron. Both were at Arnhem with Doug flying his Albemarle from Manston on the 17 September (photo courtesy of Steve Wright).
The Chalk display (and raffle prizes).