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London Branch News (Chairman: Lt Col M S Rawlinson) We have had some excellent social gatherings this year. Back in the newly refurbished London District Sergeants Mess, our quarterly meetings have seen some good attendances, often over 40, with some new members each time. Long may this continue! But we would be very pleased to see more Regular and ex- Regular members of the Association, there are many of you in London! Those of you who have been unable to make the meetings recently we send kind regards.
This year there was another record turnout for our annual Act of Remembrance
held at the Field of Following the Act of Remembrance, which was conducted in bright but chilly weather, we made our way quickly to the London District Sergeants’ Mess in Wellington Barracks. 66 members, families and friends, including 28 Schneller Orphans, sat down to an excellent meal. The Loyal Toast was proposed by John Prior and the chairman proposed a toast to The Schneller Orphans. In his address, Mike Rawlinson paid tribute to the Orphans having reached their 50th anniversary and gave a short history of their origins from the ranks of the 90th Battalion RAPC in Jerusalem during the period 1939 to 1948. He said that it was a wonderful tribute to the spirit of those times that so many of them were present at this re-union (it was established later in the proceedings that the oldest Orphan present was Norman Gunby at the grand age of 90). Norman Dannatt, in his response, gave an account of his time in the orphanage in Jerusalem where he met Marjorie his wife, before joining ENSA! He told us of meetings of the Orphans in the “Ship and Shovel” near Charing Cross, and that the membership of the Orphans included many nationalities. Sadly, he said it was time for him and Marjorie to step down as joint secretaries and if there was no volunteer to take the Orphans forward then perhaps it was time to “call it a day” as far as the organisation was concerned! It was evident that those present did not want that to happen. The branch chairman, Mike Rawlinson, expressed thanks to Norman and Marjorie and indeed to all those who had enabled the Orphans to meet regularly over the years. He referred particularly to Gerald Buckley and his successor as treasurer, Donald Inkster. He said he understood Norman’s desire to stand down but it was surely not the end of the organisation. He said that London branch would always be there to sponsor an event enabling the Orphans to meet, particularly at Remembrance, so long as the Orphans desired to meet. The Toast to the Royal Army Pay Corps was proposed by the chairman and a cake, made for the 50th re-union of the Orphans, was cut by Norman and Marjorie. Many thanks are due to Steve Innes for providing the secretariat for the branch and for arranging such excellent functions throughout the year and thanks are also due to the Garrison Sergeant Major WO1(GSM) W Mott for the use of his mess and, of course, the mess staff.WO1 (SSM) Steve Innes who acts as branch secretary may be contacted on 0207 414 2366. Meetings are held quarterly on a Thursday evening commencing at 5.00pm. The dates for 2005 are 3 March, 2 June, 1 September, and 1 December. Everyone is welcome!
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