Latest News

Below are reports of recent events and other news that may be of interest.

Bratton Branch 2010 Annual Dinner 

 

On Saturday the 16 October 2010 the Bratton Branch of the Royal British Legion held their annual dinner in the Jubilee Hall in Bratton. This annual event has become most successful and popular over the years and this year a total 75 members and guests attended.

 The Guest of Honour for 2010 was Mr John Bush OBE CStJ JP, HM Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire who spoke and also replied on behalf of the ladies in the toasts; he was accompanied by his wife.

 

  Other guests included  the Chairman of Wiltshire County RBL, Mike Swabey and his wife Julie our local County Councillor, Marie Nunn MBE who as well as being involved with the Women's Section of the RBL also scrutinises the Branch's annual accounts, and the Reverend Colin Edmondson, the Vicar of Bratton Baptist Church. Andy & Lyn Hobbs of The Duke Inn, who raised £900 for the RBL Bratton Branch, were also most welcome guests.

A most enjoyable evening was had by all. The caterer, Mr Mike Clarke, was new for this year and the change was fully justified as he and his team produced a superb meal. The Raffle raised £211, the Bar a profit of £166, the Poppy Appeal Lions £168, and the Auction a phenomenal £400 for a helicopter ride for 3 persons (this money will also go directly to the Poppy Appeal).

Thanks go to all who helped with this successful dinner and particularly to Peter Sharland who, with his excellent organisational skills, has already booked his place as next year's organiser!

The Duke's Fund Raising Event 

                                               

Most of you will be aware that over the August Bank Holiday weekend Andy and Lyn, the excellent tenants of The Duke ran a series of events to raise funds for the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes. These events included guest bands/singers such as Fat Boy Swing, the Misfits and Bev May, and hog, lamb and chicken roasts along with a beer and cider festival all weekend.

The weekend was most successful and Andy and Lynn raised the phenomenal amounts of £1000 for Help for Heroes and £900 for the Bratton Branch of the Royal British Legion (this will go directly to the Poppy Appeal) and £250 for the Bratton RBL Women's' Section. 

I'm sure you agree that this is a most generous thing they have done on their own initiative. They, along with the pub, are marvellous assets for Bratton.

 Branch Quiz Night and Buffet Supper

On Saturday 28 August 2010 Dick and Eve Bird and helpers arranged yet another most successful Quiz Night and Curry and Lasagne supper in the Jubillee Hall. Despite it being a Bank Holiday weekend, 51 people attended and Dick and Eve were able to donate the princely sum of £297.11 to the Branch funds.

Church Institute 100th Anniversary    

The village celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Church Institute (where the Branch holds its meetings) by holding a series of events. One such event held on Saturday 24 July was a number of stands erected by users of the Institute showing their activities. The Branch erected a small stand illustrating the work of the Legion and examples of Branch activities. The photgraph shows the stand with Dick Bird the Branch Secretary manning it.  

The Branch Stand at the Church Institute Anniversary

 

Village Fete

At the Bratton Village Fete held on the village green on Saturday the 10 July 2010 the Branch had a stand using the RBL county marquee with various posters, information and a slide show illustrating some of the places visited during recent Branch battlefield tours.    

Bratton Village Fete

 

Battlefield Tour to Verdun - May/June 2010

The tour members  standing by a 380mm shell from a  German naval gun located in the woods in front of Spincourt. The gun fired the first symbolic shell on 21 February 1916 signalling the start of the battle for Verdun. From left to right: Don Kilpatrick, Dick Bird, David Tombleson, Mike O'Donoghue and Richard Pollock 

The Bratton RBL annual Battlefield Tour departed on the 30^th of May 2010.   Five members of the branch took part and our driver/guide was Ian Alexander, owner and proprietor of the War Research Society. The chosen destination this year was the French town of Verdun which was the scene of ferocious fighting in 1916.

Our journey from Bratton was uneventful and we duly arrived at our hotel in the centre of town. Day One of the tour took in a number of sites in the area around the town including the Forts of Douamont and Vaux which had formed a vital part of the defences of Verdun but in the event these massive concrete structures proved not as invulnerable as anticipated. We also visited the Ossuary which contains the unidentified remains of 130,000 French and German soldiers.

On Day Two after visiting places of interest in and around Verdun, including the Citadel in the town we concentrated on the American sector to the North West. We stopped at Binarville, site of the "Lost Battalion" before moving on to the memorial to Sgt. Alvin York, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The American Meuse-Argonne Cemetery

The American Meuse-Argonne Cemetery shown above was hugely impressive with its 14,000 headstones and immaculate lawns.

The last stop of the day was the Montfaucon American Memorial which rises 200 feet above the ruins of the former hilltop village.

Our final day commenced with the laying of a wreath on behalf of Bratton RBL at Verdun Military Cemetery before proceeding south east to the St.Mihiel salient. This battlefield was dominated by the Americans in 1918 and was the scene of bitter fighting in September of that year.

The American Montsec Federal Monument

A highlight among a number of significant sites in the area was the Montsec Federal Monument, shown above, situated on a high isolated hill. This commemorates the capture of the St.Mihiel salient by the American First Army.  

Other sites of interest were visited including the St.Mihiel American Cemetery at Thiaucourt which contains over 4000 headstones set in beautiful gardens. After a stop in Pont-a-Mousson situated on the River Mosel we drove to our final destination.

This was the CWGC cemetery at Charmes which proved difficult to find as it is in a rather isolated location. The reason for visit was that one of our group, Richard Pollock, has a relative buried there.

 

Richard Pollock Laying a Cross at his Cousin's Grave at Charmes

The placing of a cross by Richard on this grave was an appropriate conclusion to a very successful and enjoyable trip.

(This article was kindly provided by Don Kilpatrick) 

 

Visit to the National Arboretum

On Saturday 10 April 2010 Branch members, their wives and guests made a very successful visit to the RBL National Arboretum at Lichfield. The visit was organised by Lt Col Tony Hyde and as well as  visiting and viewing all the various memorials,  individuals paid their own personal tributes to individuals and organisations who had lost lives giving valiant service and sacrifice for our freedom. Lt Gen Louis Lilywhite is shown below laying a wreath on behalf of the Branch at the main Armed Forces Memorial.

The Laying of the Wreath at the Aboretum