The History of Dover Castle

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May 102020
 

The History of Dover Castle

Secret Wartime Tunnels

Spitfire flying over the White Cliff’s of Dover

Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the “Key to England” due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some sources say it is the largest castle in England, a title also claimed by Windsor Castle.

Iron age

This site may have been fortified with earthworks in the Iron Age or earlier, before the Romans invaded in AD 43. This is suggested on the basis of the unusual pattern of the earthworks which does not seem to be a perfect fit for the medieval castle. Excavations have provided evidence of Iron Age occupation within the locality of the castle, but it is not certain whether this is associated with the hillfort.

Roman era

The site also contains one of Dover’s two Roman lighthouses (or pharoses), one of only three surviving Roman-era lighthouses in the world, and the tallest and most complete standing Roman structure in England. It is also claimed to be Britain’s oldest standing building. Built in the early 2nd century, the 5-level 8-sided tower was made of layers of tufa, Kentish ragstone, and red bricks.The castle lighthouse survived after being converted into a belfry in the Saxon era (c.1000), having a new upper layer added (c.1430), and was partially renovated in 1913-1915. The remains of the other are located on the opposing Western Heights, across the town of Dover.

Saxon and early Norman

After the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, William the Conqueror and his forces marched to Westminster Abbey for his coronation. They took a roundabout route via Romney, Dover and Canterbury. From the Cinque Ports foundation in 1050, Dover has always been a chief member—it may also have been this that first attracted William’s attention, and got Kent the motto of Invicta. In the words of William of Poitiers:

Then he marched to Dover, which had been reported impregnable and held by a large force. The English, stricken with fear at his approach had confidence neither in their ramparts nor in the numbers of their troops … While the inhabitants were preparing to surrender unconditionally, (the Normans), greedy for money, set the castle on fire and the great part of it was soon enveloped in flames…(William then paid for the repair and) having taken possession of the castle, the Duke spent eight days adding new fortifications to it’. The Castle was first built, entirely out of clay. It collapsed to the ground and the clay was then used as the flooring for many of the ground-floor rooms.

In 1088, eight knights were appointed under tenures to guard Dover Castle, their names were: William d’Albrincis; Fulberl de Dover, William d’Arsic; Geoffrey Peverell; William Maminot; Robert du Port; Hugh Crevecoeur; and Adam Fitzwilliam.

Henry II to early modern times

It was during the reign of Henry II that the castle began to take recognisable shape. The inner and outer baileys and the great keep belong to this time. Maurice the Engineer was responsible for building the keep. From 1179 to 1188, the King spent over £6,500 on the castle, an enormous sum, considering that his annual revenue was likely around £10,000.

In 1216, during the First Barons’ War, a group of rebel barons invited the future Louis VIII of France to come and take the English crown. He had some success breaching the walls, but was ultimately unable to take the castle. The vulnerable north gate that had been breached in the siege was converted into an underground forward-defence complex (including St John’s Tower), and new gates built into the outer curtain wall on the western (Fitzwilliam’s Gate) and eastern (Constable’s Gate) sides. During the siege, the English defenders tunnelled outwards and attacked the French.

During the time of Stephen de Pencester, a windmill was erected on Tower 22, which was later known as the Mill Tower. By the Tudor age, the defences themselves had been superseded by gunpowder. They were improved by Henry VIII, who made a personal visit, and added to it with the Moat Bulwark.

During the English Civil War it was held for the king but then taken by supporters of the Parliamentarians in 1642 without a shot being fired. Knowing the castle was lightly guarded, a local merchant Richard Dawkes accompanied by 10 men scaled the cliffs and attacked the porter’s lodge, obtaining the keys and entering the castle before the garrison was summoned.

Dover Castle was a crucial observation point for the cross-channel sightings of the Anglo-French Survey, which used trigonometric calculations to link the Royal Greenwich Observatory with the Paris Observatory. This work was overseen by General William Roy.

Napoleonic

Massive rebuilding took place at the end of the 18th century during the Napoleonic Wars. William Twiss, the Commanding Engineer of the Southern District, as part of his brief to improve the town’s defences, completed the remodelling of the outer defences of Dover Castle adding the huge Horseshoe, Hudson’s, East Arrow and East Demi-Bastions to provide extra gun positions on the eastern side, and constructing the Constable’s Bastion for additional protection on the west. Twiss further strengthened the Spur at the northern end of the castle, adding a redan, or raised gun platform. By taking the roof off the keep and replacing it with massive brick vaults he was able to mount heavy artillery on the top. Twiss also constructed Canon’s Gateway to link the defences of the castle with those of the town.

With Dover becoming a garrison town, there was a need for barracks and storerooms for the additional troops and their equipment. The solution adopted by Twiss and the Royal Engineers was to create a complex of barracks tunnels about 15 metres below the cliff top and the first troops were accommodated in 1803. The windmill on the Mill Tower was demolished during the Anglo-American War of the orders of the Ordnance Board. It was said that the sale of materials from the demolished mill did not cover the cost of the demolition. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the tunnels were partly converted and used by the Coast Blockade Service to combat smuggling. This was a short-term endeavour though, and in 1827 the headquarters were moved closer to shore. The tunnels then remained abandoned for more than a century.

Second World War

The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 saw the tunnels converted first into an air-raid shelter and then later into a military command centre and underground hospital. In May 1940, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey directed the evacuation of French and British soldiers from Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo, from his headquarters in the cliff tunnels. A military telephone exchange was installed in 1941 and served the underground headquarters. The switchboards were constantly in use and had to have a new tunnel created alongside it to house the batteries and chargers necessary to keep them functioning. A statue of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay stands outside the tunnels in honour of his work on the Dunkirk evacuation and protecting Dover during the Second World War.

Post-war

After the war the tunnels were used as a shelter for the Regional Seats of Government in the event of a nuclear attack. This plan was abandoned for various reasons, including the realisation that the chalk of the cliffs would not provide significant protection from radiation, and because of the inconvenient form of the tunnels and their generally poor condition. Tunnel levels are denoted as A – Annexe, B – Bastion, C – Casemate, D – Dumpy and E – Esplanade. Annexe and Casemate levels are open to the public, Bastion is ‘lost’ but investigations continue to gain access, Dumpy (converted from Second World War use to serve as a Regional Seat of Government in event of an atomic war) is closed, as is Esplanade (last used as an air raid shelter in the Second World War).

Between 2007 and 2009, English Heritage spent £2.45 million on recreating the castle’s interior.[24] According to figures released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, 365,462 people visited Dover Castle in 2018. The Queen’s & Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Regimental Museum is located in the castle.

Dover Castle remains a Scheduled Monument, which means it is a “nationally important” historic building and archaeological site that has been given protection against unauthorised change. It is also a Grade I listed building, and recognised as an internationally important structure. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is officially head of the castle, in his conjoint position of Constable of Dover Castle, and the Deputy Constable has his residence in Constable’s Gate.

Sourced from You Tube

Wikipedia 

Spitfire Picture from Facebook

Victory in Europe Day Anniversary – 80 Years On

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May 042020
 

80th Anniversary 

Victory in Europe Day

 

Sir Winston Churchill and General Dwight Eisenhower

addressing troops at the Rifle Depot (Peninsula Barrack)  

The Rifle Depot housed the 60th Infantry Regiment of the 9th (US) Infantry Division, who were preparing to take part in the 1944 D Day Landings in Normandy (Operation Over Lord). The Rifle Brigade recruits were trained at near York during this period.

The surrender of German forces

Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery receiving the surrender of the German forces at his tactical Headquarters,

21st Army Group, Luneburg Heath on 4th May 1945.

This was the beginning of the end as the War was not officially over.

May 8th 1945 – 8th May 2025

Hampshire County Council 

This year, 80 years of peace and our collective resilience and unity will be celebrated by communities across Hampshire as we also pay tribute to those who fought for the freedom we all enjoy today.

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Hampshire Archives has organised a free exhibition, running until 25 June, which explores the role of The King`s Royal Rifle Corps and The Rifle Brigade, both the antecedent Regiments to The Royal Green Jackets and both historically based in Winchester, in the lead up to VE Day, highlighting soldiers’ experiences during the final days of World War II in Europe.

On Saturday 3 May and Sunday 11 May, a free guided tour of the Netley Military Cemetery, Royal Victoria Country Park will mark VE Day and War Gave Week.

(Sourced from HCC ).

The Tribute and Memory Chairs / Benches 

Commissioned by MEMORIAL AT PENINSULA LTD

Both can be seen at the former Peninsula Barracks, Romsey Road Winchester

Victory in Europe day, May 8th 1945, was a time of great celebration for Britain; as Churchill walked to a Service of Thanksgiving at St Margaret’s, Westminster, he was engulfed by an ecstatic, cheering crowd, all wanting to shake his hand and pour out their relief and gratitude. Even the two princesses, both teenagers at the time, got in on the act according to the Reader’s Digest’s ‘The World at Arms’. For once in a way their father the King allowed them to venture out mingle with the crowds, and wrote later in his diary, ‘Poor darlings, they have never had any fun yet.’

However, there were those who found it hard to get into the swing of things. Many young men and women would not be coming home, among them the 383,786 military dead from Britain, not to mention over 67,000 citizens on the Home Front – and that was without accounting for the Commonwealth casualties. The war with Japan raged on, and perhaps Churchill’s rather subdued announcement of the German surrender reflected his knowledge of what lay ahead for the unfortunate Japanese people if they didn’t lay down their arms soon. Nellie Last, whose diary is quoted in Juliet Gardiner’s ‘The 1940s House’, found it hard to move her thoughts beyond the tragedies of the present, but said to herself on hearing the announcement of a national holiday to celebrate the war’s end, “Well dash it, we must celebrate somehow – I’ll open this tin of pears.” This she duly did.

Many felt similarly shaky about the future, but as lights all over London blazed forth on the evening of VE Day, having been dark for almost 6 long years, not to mention bonfires and fireworks, floodlights and searchlights, the children’s eyes shone with excitement. Surely few people could have resisted cracking a smile at that glorious sight!

Below is the text of the broadcast in which, at 3pm British Double Summer Time on May 8, 1945, Mr. Winston Churchill announced the end of the fighting in Europe. Later the same day, H.M. the King broadcast his own message of thanksgiving, which is also reproduced. Both appear in our Historic Documents archive as part of ‘The Second Great War, Volume 8’, edited by Sir John Hammerton.

Yesterday morning at 2.41 a.m. at headquarters, General Jodl, the representative of the German High Command, and Grand Admiral Dönitz, the designated head of the German State, signed the act of unconditional surrender of all German land, sea, and air forces in Europe to the Allied Expeditionary Force, and simultaneously to the Soviet High Command.

General Bedell Smith, Chief of Staff of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General Fran?ois Sevez signed the document on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General Susloparov signed on behalf of the Russian High Command.

Today this agreement will be ratified and confirmed at Berlin, where Air Chief Marshal Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General de Lattre de Tassigny will sign on behalf of General Eisenhower. Marshal Zhukov will sign on behalf of the Soviet High Command. The German representative will be Field-Marshal Keitel, Chief of the High Command, and the Commanders-in-Chief of the German Army, Navy, and Air Forces.

Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight (Tuesday, May 8), but in the interests of saving lives the “Cease Fire” began yesterday to be sounded all along the front, and our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today.

The Germans are still in places resisting the Russian troops, but should they continue to do so after midnight they will, of course, deprive themselves of the protection of the laws of war, and will be attacked from all quarters by the Allied troops. It is not surprising that on such long fronts and in the existing disorder of the enemy the commands of the German High Command should not in every case be obeyed immediately. This does not, in our opinion, with the best military advice at our disposal, constitute any reason for withholding from the nation the facts communicated to us by General Eisenhower of the unconditional surrender already signed at Rheims, nor should it prevent us from celebrating today and tomorrow (Wednesday) as Victory in Europe days.

Today, perhaps we shall think mostly of ourselves. Tomorrow, we shall pay a particular tribute to our Russian comrades, whose prowess in the field has been one of the grand contributions to the general victory.

The German war is therefore at an end. After years of intense preparation, Germany hurled herself on Poland at the beginning of September 1939; and, in pursuance of our guarantee to Poland and in agreement with the French Republic, Great Britain, and the British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations, declared war upon this foul aggression. After gallant France had been struck down we, from this island and from our united Empire, maintained the struggle single-handedly for a whole year until we were joined by the military might of Soviet Russia and later by the overwhelming power and resources of the United States of America.

Two small girls waving their flags in the rubble of Battersea,

snapped by an anonymous American photographer. © IWM.

Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. Our gratitude to our splendid Allies goes forth from all our hearts in this island and throughout the British Empire.

We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued. The injury she has inflicted on Great Britain, the United States, and other countries, and her detestable cruelties, call for justice and retribution. We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!

King George VI Queen Elizabeth Princesses Winston Churchill greet crowds Buckingham Palace Balcony VE Day
Message from H.M. the King to his peoples broadcast on May 8th, 1945:

Today we give thanks to Almighty God for a great deliverance.

Speaking from our Empire’s oldest capital city, war-battered but never for one moment daunted or dismayed – speaking from London, I ask you to join with me in that act of thanksgiving.

Germany, the enemy who drove all Europe into war, has finally been overcome. In the Far East we have yet to deal with the Japanese, a determined and cruel foe. To this we shall turn with the utmost resolve and with all our resources. But at this hour, when the dreadful shadow of war has passed from our hearts and homes in these islands, we may at last make one pause for thanksgiving and then turn our thoughts to the tasks all over the world which peace in Europe brings with it.

Let us remember those who will not come back, their constancy and courage in battle, their sacrifice and endurance in the face of a merciless enemy; let us remember the men in all the Services and the women in all the Services who have laid down their lives. We have come to the end of our tribulation, and they are not with us at the moment of rejoicing.

Then let us salute in proud gratitude the great host of the living who have brought us to victory. I cannot praise them to the measure of each one’s service, for in a total war the efforts of all rise to the same noble height and all are devoted to the common purpose. Armed or unarmed, men and women, you have fought, striven and endured to your utmost. No one knows that better than I do; and as your King I thank with a full heart those who bore arms so valiantly on land and sea, or in the air; and all civilians who, shouldering their many burdens, have carried them unflinchingly without complaint.

With those memories in our minds, let us think what it was that has upheld us through nearly six years of suffering and peril. The knowledge that everything was at stake: our freedom, our independence, our very existence as a people; but the knowledge also that in defending ourselves we were defending the liberties of the whole world; that our cause was the cause not of this nation only, not of this Empire and Commonwealth only, but of every land where freedom is cherished and law and liberty go hand in hand. In the darkest hours we knew that the enslaved and isolated peoples of Europe looked to us; their hopes were our hopes; their confidence confirmed our faith. We knew that, if we failed, the last remaining barrier against a world-wide tyranny would have fallen in ruins. But we did not fall. We kept our faith with ourselves and with one another; we kept faith and unity with our great allies. That faith and unity have carried us to victory through dangers which at times seemed overwhelming.

So let us resolve to bring to the tasks which lie ahead the same high confidence in our mission. Much hard work awaits us, both in the restoration of our own country after the ravages of war and in helping to restore peace and sanity to a shattered world…

There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please God, for ever. We shall have failed, and the blood of our dearest will have flowed in vain if the victory which they died to win does not lead to a lasting peace, founded on justice and established in good will. To that, then, let us turn our thoughts on this day of just triumph and proud sorrow and then take up our work again, resolved as people to do nothing unworthy of those who have died for us and to make the world such a world as they would have desired, for their children and for ours…

VE DAY VICTORY STREET PARTY IN LONDON, 1945

Women and children, gathered round a table in the middle of the road in Albacore Crescent, Lewisham SE13. Copyright: © IWM

Sir Winston Churchill Speech Sourced from You Tube

King George`s Victory Speech sourced from You Tube

Sourced from Forces War Records

Pictures from Google

Picture Credited to RGJ Museum

Sir Tom Moore

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Apr 292020
 

Sir Tom Moore

Arise Sir Tom

“Captain Tom” Moore, the war veteran who raised almost £33 million for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) by taking laps of his backyard, is to receive a knighthood after a special nomination from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The World War II veteran, who celebrated his 100th birthday in April, raised a record amount for the NHS in its battle against the coronavirus by walking around his garden in Bedfordshire, southeast England, with the help of a frame.

Moore, who rose to the rank of Captain during his military career, was recently promoted to honorary Colonel in recognition for his efforts.
Johnson personally recommended to Queen Elizabeth that Moore should be exceptionally honored, according to a Downing Street press release.
“Colonel Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus,” said Boris Johnson in the release.

Veteran Tom Moore, who turned 100 last month, has been approved to receive a knighthood from the Queen.
“On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you. He’s a true national treasure.”
The Queen has approved the honor, which will be formally announced on Wednesday 20th May 2020.

The UK has been hit hard by the coronavirus — with a death toll of more than 35,000 — the highest number outside of the US and the largest in Europe, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The country’s government is also set to give further details on plans for how “frontline heroes” who have been working to help the nation during the pandemic will be honored in the coming months and how the public will be able to play their part.
A government spokesperson said: “We know there is huge appetite to say thank you to all those supporting the nation during this emergency and doing incredible things day in, day out, up and down the country.”

Moore received more than 125,000 birthday cards last month, with volunteers enlisted to help open them all. He had originally set a target of raising £1,000 by his 100th birthday.

Report by CNN

We wish you a happy 100th Birthday Captain Tom Moore.

Made Honorary Colonel

The Nation Salutes you.

Happy Birthday Colonel Tom Moore

The Card M.A.P sent to Colonel Tom 

100

30th April 2020

 

100

100 

We as a Nation Salute you Sir

Happy 100th Birthday 

Colonel Tom Moore

CAPTAIN TOM MOORE

THE NATION THANK`S YOU SIR.

Pictures sourced from google

The Metro

What is a Chelsea Pensioner

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Apr 262020
 

Colin Thackeray

Britons Got Talent Semi Finals

Sourced From You Tube

(Credits to Britons Got Talent)

A Chelsea Pensioner, or In-Pensioner, is a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London. The Royal Hospital Chelsea is home to some 300 retired British soldiers, male and female (the latter since 2009), and is located on Royal Hospital Road. Historically, the phrase “Chelsea Pensioner” applied more widely, referring to both In-Pensioners and Out-Pensioners who live elsewhere.

The Royal Hospital was founded by King Charles II in 1682 as a retreat for veterans. The provision of a hostel rather than the payment of pensions was inspired by Les Invalides in Paris.

During the reign of King William III and Queen Mary II, the Royal Hospital was still under construction so they introduced a system for distribution of army pensions in 1689. The pension was to be made available to all former soldiers who had been injured in service, or who had served for more than 20 years.

By the time the Royal Hospital was completed, there were more pensioners than places available in the Royal Hospital. Eligible ex-soldiers who could not be housed in the Hospital were termed Out-Pensioners, receiving their pension from the Royal Hospital but living outside it. In-Pensioners, by contrast, surrender their army pension and live within the Royal Hospital. A number of veterans were incorporated into the Corps of Invalids from 1688 to 1802, receiving the equivalent of the out-pension in exchange for performing garrison duty.

In 1703 there were 51 Out-Pensioners. By 1815 this had risen to 36,757.

In-and Out-Pensioners

The Royal Hospital remained responsible for distributing army pensions until 1955, following which the phrase “Out-Pensioner” became less common, and “Chelsea Pensioner” was used largely to refer to “In-Pensioners”.

Conditions for admission as an In-Pensioner

To be eligible for admission as a Chelsea Pensioner a candidate must be a former soldier or non-commissioned officer of the British Army (including National Service) or a former officer of the British Army who served in the ranks for at least 12 years or was awarded a disablement pension while serving in the ranks. They must be over 65 years of age, be able to live independently on the Long Wards on arrival to the Royal Hospital Chelsea and be free of any financial obligation to support a spouse or family.

Life of In-Pensioners

Applicants for the Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) are invited for a four-day stay during which they get a taste of what life is like for a Chelsea Pensioner. If they enjoy their stay and it is felt that they will fit in they are invited to become a Chelsea Pensioner. Upon arrival at the Royal Hospital, each In-Pensioner is measured up for their Blues (day-to-day uniform) and Scarlets (the famous uniform that they wear on parade). They are given their own room, or “berth” in a ward, and are allocated to a Company. Up until refurbishment works carried out in the 1950s, these rooms measured 6 x 6 feet. Work completed in 2015 has ensured that all In-Pensioner berths include en suite facilities, a writing desk, and natural light.

On entry, In-Pensioners surrender their army pension, in return receiving board, lodging, clothing and full medical care.
In-Pensioners also have their own club with a bar, lounges and restaurant; there are allotments for those who enjoy gardening and facilities for lawn bowls. If an In-Pensioner becomes unwell they are moved into the Infirmary, which is a care home with nursing and a G.P. medical centre. The Royal Hospital Burial Ground is at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey.

Admission of women

Until 2009, only male candidates were admitted. It was announced in 2007 that female ex-service personnel would be admitted on the completion of modernisation of the long wards. In March 2009 the first women in the Hospital’s 317-year history were admitted as In-Pensioners: Dorothy Hughes (aged 85) and Winifred Phillips (aged 82).

Winifred Phillips (1926-2016) trained as a nurse and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1948 and enlisted in the Women’s Royal Army Corps in 1949 while serving in Egypt. For the next 22 years she served in Singapore, Cyprus and Egypt reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. She wrote two books about becoming one of the first female Chelsea Pensioners: My Journey to Becoming the First Lady Chelsea Pensioner (2010), and Mum’s Army: Love and Adventure from the NAAFI to Civvy Street (2013). She never married.

Dorothy Hughes joined the British Army in 1941, later working as part of 450 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery in the London Division. In 1945 the Battery was deployed near Dover to defend against V-1 flying bomb attacks. She later worked with the Army Operational Research Group developing fuses in shells used against V-2 rockets and was discharged from the Army in 1946 with the rank of Sergeant

The records at Royal Hospital show that another woman, Christian Davies, was admitted to Chelsea Hospital circa 1717, and was awarded a pension for her service in the army and the wounds she received in the service of the King. She died in 1739 and was buried in the Royal Hospital Chelsea with full military honours.

Chelsea Pensioners are entitled to come and go from the Royal Hospital as they please, and are permitted to wear civilian clothing wherever they travel. However, within the Hospital, and in the surrounding area, they are encouraged to wear a blue uniform. If they travel further from the Royal Hospital, they should wear the distinctive scarlet coats instead of the blue uniform. The scarlet coats are also worn for ceremonial occasions, accompanied by tricorne hats. At other times a peaked hat, known as a shako, is generally worn.

Clothing

In uniform, the pensioners wear their medal ribbons and the insignia of the rank they reached while serving in the armed forces. They may also wear other insignia they earned during their service and this has included parachute jump wings and SAS jump wings.

Men In Scarlet album

Seven Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea released an album on 8th November 2010 in order to raise money for the Chelsea Pensioners’ Appeal. Featuring Dame Vera Lynn, Katherine Jenkins, The Soldiers and Janey Cutler, the album is full of well known wartime songs and includes their traditional march, “The Old Brigade”.

Chelsea Football Club

Nearby Chelsea Football Club has been affiliated with the Chelsea Pensioners for many years; the club’s first nickname was the Pensioners and until the 1950s the club crest featured a Chelsea pensioner. Residents of the Hospital can be seen attending Chelsea’s home games at Stamford Bridge.

When Chelsea won the Premier League title in 2005, Chelsea Pensioners formed a guard of honour as the players and management came out for the trophy presentation. This was repeated when Chelsea won the title in 2010. In tribute to the trademark scarlet coats worn by the pensioners, Chelsea’s kit for the 2010-11 season featured a red trim on the collars.

 

Sourced from Wikipedia 

Picture from Google credited to inchelsea 

Sharpes Reunion (Interview) Part One

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Apr 262020
 

Jason Salkey and Sean Bean 

The Podcast interview is at the base of this page (Enjoy)

We are very lucky to be able to share with you the recent recording which is now available for you to hear.

This was recorded by History hack as a Podcast, keeping everyone safe whilst on the 2020 lockdown.

No members of this Podcast were put at risk during this recording, all those present recorded from their own comfort of their own homes.

Joining the podcast was our own Rifleman Harris, he’s the educated one and his boss who rose up through the ranks none other than Major Sharpe.

So in this podcast you will hear the tones of Sheffield born Sean Bean and Londoner Jason Salkey.

Sean or (Beanie) to his friends was not the first choice to play Sharpe. In this informal friendly chat called this, because of the warmth of the interviewers and the comradeship, banter exchanged throughout between the two from the 95th the behind the scenes reality unfolds.

Along with Napoleonic historian Zak White, this is a rich tapestry of fact (history) and fiction (the series)which portrays Bernard Cornwell`s book series Sharpe.

One can not help but smile whilst listening to the Actors, and gasp at the revelations of history.

Some of the history revelations do not sit right, although correct, those who succeeded the Ancestral Regiments some 150 years on, might not agree with Mr White, due to the Battle honours worn on the Regimental Cap badge of The Royal Green Jackets, earned by some of the 95th.

This some would say is “Sharpes` honour.”

The Regiments` that succeeded The Royal Green Jackets and amalgamated into one successor Regiment, have gone full circle and are now known as, The Rifles, thus meaning history has gone full circle, “Once a Rifleman always a Rifleman,” fixed swords at the ready, we will leave you with Major Sharpe and Rifleman Harris for the reunion, which was Sharpe to unfold, as there is a story to unfold.

Mr White has really taken the hot seat, is he now Napoleon and are these two from the 95th about to have their Waterloo?

Enjoy everyone, whilst listening to the truthful, frank stories, unfold a story to be retold.

This truly is Sharpes’ Gold.

Author Julie Ann Rosser 

Daniel Hagman and Sweet William

 

The Rifles (Bugle Winner)

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Apr 262020
 

Cadet CSjt Amy North

Congratulations

The Winner, for The Rifles, In This Together Bugler Competition is Cadet CSjt Amy North

A huge thank you to all that took part, You really have made this an amazing competition.

The Result

1st CSjt Amy North

2nd Bugle Major (WO2) Damon Farnell

3rd Rfn Anthony Chantrell

I am so proud to say “I Am A Rifleman” we are all “Riflemen”

one family, one Regiment

Thank you to all that voted and watched.

The Rifles

One Family

Rifles in The Dessert War (1941)

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Apr 152020
 

The Long Hard Road to Victory

Rifles in the Desert War 1941 in North Africa

Battalions of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and the Rifle Brigade fought alongside each other in the North African desert campaign. Initially their opponents were the Italians whose forces, by 1941, had been all but beaten forcing Hitler to send German troops led by Erwin Rommel – one of the finest generals of the war – to North Africa to restore the situation.

In March 1941, Rommel attacked the Allies in Libya and by May 1941, they had been pushed back into Egypt; only Tobruk held out against the “Desert Fox”. In June 1941, General Wavell started “Operation Battleaxe” to help Tobruk. It failed as the Allied force was too small to defeat the Afrika Korps. Churchill sacked Wavell and replaced him with General Claude Auchinleck. He planned an attack on Rommel for November 1941 with the same aspiration of helping Tobruk. The attack succeeded and Rommel was forced into a retreat.

Dr Niall Barr FRHistS is a Reader in Military History at the Defence Studies Department, based at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. Educated at the University of St Andrews, he has previously taught at St Andrews and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He joined the Staff College in 2000, where he teaches on a wide range of military courses, including the Higher Command and Staff Course. His main research interest concerns the fighting methods of the British Army in the Twentieth Century.

Talk by Doctor Niall Barr 20th September 2016.

A Talk at The Royal Green Jackets Museum

Credited to Doctor Niall Barr 

Sourced from You Tube from William Wright.

The Long Hard Road to Victory (1918)

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Apr 152020
 

The Long Hard Road to Victory (1918)

The Royal Tank Corps 1918

Talk by Geoffrey Vesey Holt

The development of tanks in World War 1 was a response to the stalemate that had developed on the Western Front. The first battle in which tanks made a great impact was the battle of Cambrai in 1917. They made an unprecedented breakthrough but, as ever on the Western front, the opportunity was not exploited. Ironically, it was the soon-to-be-supplanted horse cavalry that had been assigned the task of following up the motorised tank attack. In July 1918, the French used 480 tanks at the Battle of Soissons, and there were even larger assaults planned for the next year. In “Plan 1919” it was planned to commit over 30,000 tanks to battle in that year.

Geoffrey Vesey Holt was a regular officer in the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) and a graduate of Durham University in Modern History and of the French Staff College. He served in 1 RTR and then specialised in the Weapons Acquisitions Stream and, not surprisingly, the acquisition of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). He is currently working on RTR’s communications of the 100th anniversary of World War 1 (the first tanks were used in 1916 and the first tank to action was in 1918). He is writing a two volume history of the Tank Corps covering 1918, running pro bono battlefield tours and lectures.

Sourced from You Tube

Credited to William Wright

The Battle of Cambrai 1917

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Apr 152020
 

The Battle of Cambrai 1917

Talk by by Lt Col Geoffrey Vesey-Holt

In less that two years between January 1916 and November 1917 British tanks went from the first tank “Mother”, through their first modest support to the infantry at the Battle of Flers in September 1916, the disaster of Bullecourt in April 1917 and the mud of Flanders in the summer and autumn 1917 to, arguably, the first modern battle of history, the Battle of Cambrai.

Third Army, employing a combination of tanks, artillery, and infantry including six battalions of the KRRC and Rifle Brigade, with aircraft in support smashed their way through the formidable defences of the Hindenburg Line on the morning of 20th November 1917.
Geoffrey Vesey-Holt was a regular officer in the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) and a graduate of Durham University in Modern History and of the French Staff College. He served in 1 RTR and then specialised in the Weapons Acquisition Stream. He is currently working on the RTR’s commemorations of the 100th anniversary of World War 1.

Sourced from You Tube

Credited to William Wright

Gentlemen …. The Queen

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Apr 082020
 

Gentlemen The Queen

How often have we heard that toast and how little have we thought of its origin, development and variations. In fact, why do we drink a toast at all, and in doing so what significance has it? Let us then attempt to briefly trace its origin, development and variations through the years. It was the custom in Ancient Greece and Rome to drink libations to the gods and later when mortals qualified for this honour a toast “This to thee” was proposed and the cup handed to the person so honoured. This is probably the origin of our custom of raising the wine glass when drinking a toast. “Health drinking” was a great and favoured pleasure of the Saxons and later when the habit was turned, by monks, into more or less of a religious custom, the wussail bowl became known as the poculum caritatis or loving cup. In some parts of England, and particularly Scotland, it is still known as the “grace cup”. This term was given to a bowl of wine passed around by the hostess to induce guests to remain seated until grace was said after the meal.

In the 17th Century when loyalty to the Sovereign was somewhat divided, officers were ordered to drink the King’s health as a sign and token of their devotion. To salve their consciences, the Jacobites and their sympathizers used to place their glasses over their finger bowls and so drink “To the King over the water”, meaning, of course, the exiled House of Stewart. To avoid this insult, and up until the reign of Edward VII, finger bowls were not permitted in Officers’ Messes. It might be interesting to add at this point that George IV, when he was Prince Regent, introduced the Regent’s allowance to assist poorer officers in meeting their wine and liquor bills. This custom held good until 1919 when the Pay and Allowance Regulations for the British Army were revised. There are many ways in which the Queen’s health is, and may be, drunk. Once they were drunk on bended knee, and, in Scotland, with one foot on the table and one on the chair. In some messes this may still be seen, particularly Highland messes, and the custom is referred to as Highland honours.

The usual procedure, however, is to have the wine passed around the table to the right left and the last glass to be filled is that of the Commanding Officer. This is done so that he will know that every officer has got his glass filled and is ready for the toast. The Commanding Officer then gives the signal and the Mess President rises, saying “Mr. Vice – The Queen”. The “Vice”, who is generally the most junior officer in the Mess and who is seated at the foot of the table, rises and seconds the toast, saying “Gentlemen – The Queen”. All officers then stand, raise their glasses, and respond. The toast is drunk, and after a slight pause, taking the time from the President, the officers sit down. If the Regimental band is in attendance, the officers stand while the first six bars of the National Anthem are played, holding their glasses in the meantime. The toast is then drunk after the band has finished playing. It is at this point that I would like to point out the variations and customs that have crept into the toast. In some Regiments all officers respond to the toast by saying “The Queen, God bless her”; in others only field officers may respond, and in a few the officers remain silent. In some messes the custom is to drink “no heel taps”, that is, a bumper glass (brim full) drained at one swallow. The expression “heel tap” came from the reference to one thickness of leather making up the heel of the old boots. Some Regiments do not drink the toast at all and others drink it only on special occasions; some – and indeed most Regiments stand for the toast, some remain seated, only the President and Vice President standing, and others remain seated throughout.

I will, a little later on, give examples of these various deviations from the normal and quote, if possible, the incident that gave rise to the custom. However, before doing so I would like to state that as far as the Canadian Army is concerned any deviation from the normal method of toasting the sovereign is a result of affiliation with a British Army unit that observes some custom. However, many Canadian Regiments observe special days of remembrances and it is possible that some custom has been carried on that as a result of usage has become a tradition of the Regiment. The following are some examples of the deviations by Regiments of the British Army, together with the reason for the custom which has now become tradition. The Royal Navy and Royal Marine Regiments remain seated during the toast while they are afloat. This custom arose from the fact that years ago wardroom ceilings were so low that it became quite a game to avoid hitting the beams and to avoid a loss of dignity inherent with the dodging and darting, officers were permitted to remain seated.

Some line Regiments of the British Army have during their period of existence served as Marine regiments and to commemorate the occasion remain seated during the toast. The Rifle Brigade remain seated because their loyalty has never been questioned. The King’s Own Shropshire Light Infantry do not drink the toast and this arose from an incident in Brighton in 1821. During the course of a Regimental dinner, at which King George IV was a guest, he declared that, as a result of the actions of the officers in dispersing some rioters who threatened him while he was attending the theatre in Brighton “Such loyal gentlemen as these need never drink the King’s health or stand while the anthem is being played”. During the reign of Victoria, the Scots Guards remained seated during the toast, except for the President and Mr. Vice. Those seated drank the toast in silence. In the Royal Tank Regiment the toast is drunk in the normal manner however, the words “God Bless her” are optional to everyone. On guest nights the Gordon Highlanders drink the toast in silence. Unless a member of the Royal family is present the 17/21st Lancers do not drink the toast, and in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry it was the sentiment that “it was wrong and unregimental to parade loyalty; a thing to be taken for granted”. Consequently the toast is not drunk. The list is almost endless and it is safe to say that no two regiments do the honours in precisely the same manner. Like life, where variety is the spice, so tradition and custom make mess life unusual and interesting. What a grasp tradition and custom have become, how rigid and persistent.

Letters to the Editor — Toasts and Traditions
Canadian Army Journal; Vol. 6, No. 3, July 1952

Editor, Canadian Army Journal.

The article “Gentlemen – the Queen!” in the May 1952 edition of the Journal contains some points which invite comment. The author refers more than once to the “usual procedure” but one is left in some doubt as to just what this procedure is. He states “the wine is passed around the table to the right and the last glass to be filled is that of the Commanding Officer.” Many variations in the procedure for the loyal toast do exist among the regiments of the British Common wealth, but I venture to believe that in no mess is the wine passed “around the table to the right”.

Further, it is a rare occasion when the Commanding Officer is the last officer to fill his glass. The most common procedure is for the Commanding Officer to be seated in the centre of the table on the side nearest the main entrance to the dining room, with the President at the right and the Vice at the left end, respectively. Actually, the President can be seated anywhere, i.e. from where he can best supervise the table and the service. The wine decanters are placed in front of both the President and the Vice and on a signal from the former both taste it to “assure those present that it is fit to drink”. The wine is then passed “to the left” and the Commanding Officer fills his glass in turn. In large messes where two or more tables may be in use, some local variations of this procedure undoubtedly will exist, but the general form remains the same. For example, the Commanding Officer rather than the President may propose the toast, and at extra long tables decanters may have to start being passed from several points, but these are just more of those deviations mentioned in the article.

The author also infers that Canadian regiments or units allied to British take on the traditions of the latter. This is a misconception prevalent among Canadians and devoutly to be discouraged. No Canadian regiment would consider adopting the battle honours of its allied British regiment, yet regimental traditions, customs or quiffs are usually honours won long ago on the field of battle or distinctions awarded by a reigning sovereign or other high personage. The person who granted the tradition in the first instance is now hardly in a position to permit its delegation to another regiment. To request authority to adopt one or more of these “honours” may prove embarrassing to the British regiment and to adopt without sanction would be Regimental Marched even more embarrassing to the Canadian regiment. In essence, therefore, Canadian regiments should earn their own traditions.

Lieut.-Col. R.H. Webb, Army Headquarters.

Sourced and Credited from the Regimental Rogue

Arish Turle

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Jan 112020
 

Arish Turle

Temperamental SAS squadron commander and kidnap response expert who won an MC after a hair-raising firefight
Seeking adventure during the six-week summer break from Sandhurst, Arish Turle acquired a Foreign Legion uniform in Paris and joined a draft destined for Algeria. Challenged by an officer who did not recognise him, Turle gave his name. When asked, “Any relation to Rear-Admiral Turle?” he replied: “Ah, oui, mon commandant, he is my father.” It turned out that the commandant had been torpedoed during the Second World War and rescued by a Royal Navy ship that Turle’s father had commanded. A celebratory drink concluded the matter.
When he returned to Sandhurst to complete his officer training, contemporaries thought Turle so confrontational that they were surprised when he survived the course.

Commissioned in 1959 into the Rifle Brigade, a regiment that welcomed strong-minded officers of talent, Turle then qualified for the Special Air Service and served first as adjutant of 21 SAS, one of the two Army Reserve units, before joining the regular 22 SAS.
Described by a comrade as having a “Cromwellian complex”, Turle was highly professional in his approach to soldiering. Yet, like Cromwell’s alleged amusement before winning the Battle of Naseby, Turle could be found laughing when facing a dangerous situation. Once, when Turle and one of his SAS troop leaders were pinned down in a shallow-fire scrape in the Dhofar mountains with “green trace coming at them from 180 and 90 degrees simultaneously”, Turle burst out laughing and muttered: “Maybe this is the end.”

He was confident and well-reasoned about anything he faced, yet would react hotly if challenged, a habit that contributed to a growing reputation as a temperamental subordinate. Attending the staff college in 1970-71 appeared uncharacteristic to his friends because it was an “establishment” sort of thing to do, an approach he ridiculed.

Recalled to 22 SAS before the end of the staff course, Turle took command of a squadron in Oman, where the regiment was engaged with the Sultan of Oman’s armed forces in suppressing and eventually defeating the rebellion of the hill tribes in the southern Dhofar province. Armed and encouraged by the Marxist regime in adjacent South Yemen, the rebels had the advantage of a mountain range behind the coastal plain in which to take refuge.

The campaign appeared unwinnable until the adoption of a policy of persuading the rebels to change sides. The technique of persuasion began with digging wells for the hill tribes’ cattle and teaching animal husbandry. Progress was slow, but some groups switched allegiance and were formed into “firqats”, militia units that would defend the tribes against the Adoo, as the rebels were known.

Tribal rivalry and blood feuds occasionally led to confrontation between firqats. As the SAS squadron commander responsible for overseeing several of them, Turle once flew into the hills and stood between two firqats facing each other with safety catches off. He held them apart with calming words for two hours, when one stray shot would have unleashed mayhem.

The “green trace” incident occurred after Turle feigned a withdrawal of his forces to lure in the Adoo. He stayed behind with a small, concealed party to bring down mortar fire when the Adoo advanced. Unfortunately, the Adoo sent forward a patrol to where the party was concealed and a vicious firefight began in which Turle was critically outnumbered. By the sheer ferocity of his retaliation, Turle was able to hold the rebels off until air support, then ground troops, could be brought to his assistance. He was awarded the Military Cross for his fearless leadership.

Arish Richard Turle was the son of Rear-Admiral Charles and Jane Turle, who gave him the unusual name of Arish after the Arish Mell Gap, the striking hill feature close to the family farm in Dorset. In 1964 Turle met Sue de Witt Brown at a London party and, despite her resolution not to marry anyone in the armed forces because of the long separations involved, they wed two years later. They had a daughter, Serena, who owns and runs a chain of butcher’s shops, and a son, Edward, who works in the jewellery business. All survive him.

In 1974 Turle was posted to HQ Northern Ireland as an intelligence staff officer with special responsibility for liaising with local and more broadly-based intelligence agencies. This was a job ideally suited to his original way of thinking, but the potential for confrontation with colleagues was ever-present owing to the sensitive relationships between the various agencies pursuing much the same objective. Details of what happened towards the end of this assignment are obscure but led him to look for something better to do.

Turle left the army in 1977 to join Simon Adamsdale, his former Royal Green Jackets and SAS comrade, at Control Risks, a security consultancy company. At the time the company was owned by Hogg Robinson, a Lloyd’s of London insurance broker. Julian Radcliffe, a Hogg employee, suggested that a service could be supplied to kidnap victims who had taken out kidnap and ransom insurance from their syndicate.

The company responded to the kidnap of a US citizen in October 1976 in Bogota, Colombia, and Turle joined halfway through the case. The victim was released after seven months when a reduced ransom was paid. Control Risks co-operated with the authorities throughout the negotiations, but to safeguard the hostage it arranged payment of the ransom without police involvement. Something close to military law was in operation in Colombia and a military judge ordered that Turle, Adamsdale and Jim Raisbeck, a prominent lawyer in Bogota, be detained and charged them with breaching counter-kidnapping regulations. After 71 days in the Modelo prison they were released for the civil court to review their case. A further six weeks on bail followed before Control Risks employees were declared innocent, free to leave Colombia and welcome to return. The Hollywood film Proof of Life (2000), starring Russell Crowe as a former SAS officer, was based on these events.

Control Risks established an office in Bogota in 1985. During their time in Modelo, Turle and Adamsdale wrote the company’s standard operational procedures for responding to kidnap, devised new Control Risks services and drafted the outline of a book on Kidnap and Ransom: The Response published by Richard Clutterbuck, a noted authority on political risks and violence. They also decided to initiate a management buyout of Control Risks, which was completed in 1982. The company has been independent ever since.

Turle was the managing director of Control Risks from 1978 to 1987, before joining Kroll Security International, an intelligence advisory company. His work for the firm led him to be based in Hong Kong and New York. In 1997 he started the Risk Advisory Group in London, retiring as chairman in 2004.

He bought a 90-acre farm in Somerset and raised alpacas there until last year, when the farm was sold. Despite these varied and demanding commitments, he maintained a close connection with former regimental comrades. Early last month Turle called one of his former troop leaders from Dhofar to say: “The doctor has given me a week to live, so I am calling to say goodbye.”

Arish Turle, MC, special forces soldier, security operator and executive, was born on April 4, 1939. He died of cancer on December 13, 2019, aged 80.

Credited to The Times

Wed 8th Jan 2020

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