Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance respects begun on Friday when The Aldbury veteran Maurice was invited to Braemar Lodge for a touching service, lunch and to watch a short film made by Colten Care.

To end the celebratory day, ‘The Last Post’ was played, which Maurice raised his arm up in salute and cheer. His wife Marion said, “It was wonderful to be part of this celebration with Maurice, to see him so excited, he loved meeting the other veterans, telling them about his medals. We are both so thankful for going.”

Maurice joined the army as a boy soldier at the age of 15 and was stationed at Newton Abbot where he did his initial training. He then joined the Royal Signals and completed 24 years raising to the rank of WO1 Yeoman of Signals. Maurice was stationed all over the world; Germany/Bahrain/Cyprus/Singapore/ Brunei.

Maurice’s posting to Brunei was to serve with The Royal Brunei Malay Regiment and having to learn the Malay language. The medals Maurice received were Long Service & Good Conduct with Gratuity, Brunei Service Medal. Maurice’s last posting was Blandford Camp completing his service March 1985.

Bill’s daughter Sarah recounted her father’s past. “ Dad joined the Royal Navy at the age of 15 in 1944. He did his initial training in Dale, West Wales, and the Isle of Man. He went to HMS Ganges training school where he was a button boy and told us stories of how he had to climb the 142ft mast, which was 100 years old, and had to stand to attention on a platform at the top. He served on HMS Boxer, HMS Cheviot, (he’s still a ship’s crew member in HMS Cheviot and Vanguard Association). He took the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to South Africa on the biggest destroyer HMS Vanguard, with the King and Queen. There is old news video footage of the young princesses playing tag with the young sailors on board. He saw active service during the formation of Israel after the war controlling the desperate immigration of Jews across the Mediterranean sea, during which he experienced very traumatic events, and was awarded the Palestine Medal. He was a keen sportsman, playing rugby, football, and water polo for the Navy. He led the Plymouth gun crew at navy days and armed forces shows. Dad ended his navy career as an instructor, teaching radar skills to trainee officers at the Royal Navy College in Dartmouth”.

During the days of celebrations, we had lots of reminiscence with residents. Merve Hannon was in the army for a few years. He loved it because it was so organised. He said, “You had to eat your dinner quick because if you turned around, your dinner was gone.”

He did an apprenticeship in vehicle’s and liked being on the defeat wagon which was the pick-up truck that helped collect injured soldiers from the front. Merve said his mother was lucky because out of the five sons, all of them came home.

The celebratory weekend finished with the Cenotaph coverage on BBC1, where we took part in the the two-minute silence. Giving our thanks to all those who fought for us.