Bury Cadets on Parade

By SI James Hutton, 1 (Minden) Company, GMACF

On Sunday 17^th April, over 80 Cadets from No 1 (Minden) Company came together with many other members of the Fusilier family both serving and veterans, alongside the Sea Cadet Corps and representatives from the Turkish Government and community to parade through Bury town centre to commemorate the Gallipoli landings of 1915.

For the last 100 years Bury has been the focal point of the community coming together to commemorate the heroism and sacrifice by local men, drawn from the towns and villages around Bury. Nowadays Bury retains its proud links with the men of the Fusiliers – being home to the Fusilier Museum, a Fusilier-badged Army Reserve Infantry platoon and GMACF’s Bury Detachment.

Arriving at the imposing Castle Armoury, Cadets were grateful for the bright sunshine even if it was still cold. Paperwork was swiftly completed, making sure that parental consents and contact details were correct, and then it was time to “size off” the Cadets and divide them into two separate contingents.

Cadets were then able to take a short break and observe the other participants in the parade forming up and taking their places. After this, several long service awards were made to members of the Fusilier Band.

For some Cadets, this was their first experience of a Gallipoli Parade, for others coming to the end of their Cadet careers it was their last as a cadet. Cadet CSM Megan Kirby was overseeing her final parade, but she is able to look back with pride at all the hard work and effort put in by her fellow Cadets to make it such a success.

The traditional Gallipoli Citation was read out by a member of the Machine Gun Platoon – reminding those present of General Sir Ian Hamilton’s words. Describing the landing by the Lancashire Fusiliers, he recorded in his official dispatches,

“So strong were the defences of W Beach that the Turks may have considered them impregnable and it is my firm conviction that no finer feat of arms has ever been achieved by the British soldier than the storming of the trenches from open boats and it was to the complete lack of the sense of danger or of fear of this daring battalion that we owed our astonishing success.”

Soon it was time to take the short march from the Castle Armoury to Bury Parish Church, in days gone by the Lancashire Fusilier’s garrison church and to participate in the church service, presided over by the Rector of Bury, the Reverend John Findon. This year members of the Turkish community and the Turkish High Commissioner were present to demonstrate the spirit of reconciliation between former enemies. The choir sang a traditional Turkish lament, Çanakkale türküsü, which was roundly applauded by all present.

Following the service, the parade formed up outside the Church ready to march through the streets of Bury.  The Fusilier band led off, playing rousing music, followed by the Regulars and Reserves, then the veterans’ associations and as rear-guard, the Cadets, all marching proudly whilst many hundreds of spectators lined the streets.

The salute was taken by Mr. Warren Smith, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester at the Gallipoli Gardens outside the Fusilier Museum. Accompanying him were several other dignitaries including local Mayors.

All too soon it was time to return to the Castle Armoury where Cadets were met by their proud parents. Time perhaps to reflect on how Gallipoli is still relevant to our community.

Do you have what it takes to serve with GMACF, either as an Adult Volunteer or as a Cadet? Are you looking for an opportunity to work hard and develop new skills? If so, why not contact GMACF County HQ on 01204 512600.

 

Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force can also be found in other locations on the Internet 

… at our official ACF Web Page at:

https://armycadets.com/county/greater-manchester-acf/

… on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/GreaterManchesterACF

… on Twitter at:

https://twitter.com/gmanacf

on YouTube at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxPYwSoMWLE8hN8CBkdim0Q

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Gallipoli Parade 2013

By Major Peter Hilton, County HQ, GMACF

On Sunday 28^th April, 1 (Minden) Company of Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force took part in Buy’s civic commemoration of the 98^th Anniversary of the Allied landings at Gallipoli. They paraded alongside the Fusilier-badged Machine Gun Platoon of the 4^th Bn the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, veterans (many proudly wearing the Primrose hackles of the Lancashire Fusiliers), members of the Sea Cadet Corps and members of the Great War Society dressed in the uniforms worn by British Infantry in the Great War.

The town of Bury, now part of Greater Manchester pays so much attention to this battle, because it was once the Regimental Depot of the Lancashire Fusiliers and from its proud gateway, men of the town and surrounding districts marched off to fight in both World Wars in the defence of Freedom. Many did not return.

The landing on W Beach on the Gallipoli Peninsula was an especially bloody affair in a war replete with battles which turned into bloodbaths. On the 25^th April 1915, men from the 1^st Lancashire Fusiliers came ashore from His Majesty’s Ships Implacable and Euryalus. In an age before specialised landing craft, they were packed into ship’s cutters, their objective being a beach only 300m long and about 40m deep. Though it was thinly defended by a mere company of the Ottoman Army, the defenders had the advantage of high ground, machine guns and easy targets, who had to wade ashore through mines and wire. The carnage was horrific.

Despite this, the Fusiliers did establish a beach-head – it cost them 533 casualties, about half the battalion. The British commander of the expedition, General Sir Ian Hamilton later ordered that the beach be renamed Lancashire Landing in honour of the Fusiliers and wrote later to the Secretary of State for War –

 “So strong, in fact, were the defences of ‘W’ Beach that the Ottomans may well have considered them impregnable, and it is my firm conviction that no finer feat of arms has ever been achieved by the British Soldier – or any other soldier – than the storming of these beaches from open boats on the morning of 25 April.”

In honour of this action, six Victoria Crosses were awarded to the Battalion – the nation’s highest award for gallantry. These brave men were:

• Captain Cuthbert Bromley – killed months later when a transport ship he was in was torpedoed by UB-14
• Corporal John Grimshaw – who survived the war, went on to be commissioned before retiring as a Lieutenant-Colonel
• Private William Keneally – later promoted to Lance-Sergeant, died of wounds in June 1915
• Sergeant Alfred Richards – wounded later in the campaign and lost a leg. Despite this, he served in the Home Guard in the Second World War
• Sergeant Frank Stubbs – killed in action on 25^th April 1915
• Captain Richard Willis – had joined the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1897; survived the war

Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force can also be found on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/GreaterManchesterACF

 

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Holding a Knife is not Worth a Life

By Major Peter Hilton, County HQ, GMACF

In November 2012, Fusilier David Collins of 2 RRF was killed in Cyprus. He was 24 hours away from his first operational deployment to Afghanistan. A former Cadet with the Stretford Detachment of GMACF, he had matured into a promising young soldier filled with enthusiasm for his role. By all accounts he had a glowing career ahead of him. All of this was ended in a pointless brawl.

His family, and especially his mother Lisa, have been devastated by his loss, but supported by friends and family – including the larger Army family which includes GMACF and the RRF, she is fighting back and  has dedicated herself to persuading young people that knife-crime is brutal and pointless. She has formed a “STOP KNIFE CRIME CAMPAIGN” (which can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HAKINWAL?fref=ts ) and recently organised a fund-raising Charity Auction Night. Amongst the items up for sale were boxing gloves signed by local sporting heroes Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan – hard men who can make their point without resorting to knives.

POEM FOR DAVID

Why did you do it? Why did you not care?

Don’y you understand the consequences, the

loss and the despair?

In a split instant, you pulled out that knife.

With no regard for the victim you just took

their life. You left a family mourning,

distraught beyond belief. A family now lost in

such horrible grief.

How could you do such a terrible thing?

For the rest of your life you’ll live with those

thoughts.

As you stand in the courtroom, as you sit in

your cell,

Ask yourself this:

Why did I do it? Why did I not care?

Why did I not think about the consequences,

the loss and despair?

You’ve taken a life and lost your own!

If only you’d thought. If only you’d known.

Holding a knife is not worth a life.

Anonymous

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February Training at Holcombe Moor

By Major Peter Hilton, County HQ, GMACF

Despite the February chill and a less than optimistic forecast of snow, the GMACF County Training Centre at Holcombe Moor was a hive of activity over the weekend of 9th-10th February.

County HQ held one of its regular briefing sessions for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, which included the swearing-in of a group of new Adult Volunteers and a visit by the family of Fusilier David Collins, tragically killed in Cyprus last year, who began his military career with the Stretford Detachment of GMACF.

Meanwhile, 3 (Somme) Company concentrated on training in the field with a series of activities including Camouflage and Concealment and Movement, and a stirring demonstration of the Company’s ability to form square in order to repel French Cuirassiers – albeit 200 years late, but good fun anyway.

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Fusilier David Collins, 2RRF

Fusilier David Collins, who died in Cyprus on 4th November will be buried tomorrow, Friday 23rd November.

The funeral service will be held at St John’s Roman Catholic Church, High Lane, Chorlton at 1300, followed by interment later in Manchester Southern Cemetery.

Serving and past Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and Cadets are invited to attend.

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In Proud and Loving Memory of Fusilier David Collins 2RRF

Fusilier David Collins of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was killed in Cyprus on Sunday, 4th November, 2012.

Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force joins with the rest of the Regimental Family in extending its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and comrades in 2 RRF.

Fusilier Collins was a former Cadet in GMACF, where he served with 4 Company’s Stretford detachment; it was here that he first donned the Fusilier hackle, of which he and all presently-serving and past Cadets in the Detachment are so very proud.

His passing was marked by an evening vigil at the Cadet Hut on Wednesday, 8th November, and a short service led by one of our County Padres, Father Gerard Fieldhouse-Byrne who delivered a moving service. In attendance were the County Commandant, Colonel Mike Glover (who is also Secretary for the RRF), a number of Cadet Adult Volunteers and over 50 present and past members of the Detachment, including some who had travelled a considerable distance.

Fusilier Collins is fondly remembered by his Company Sergeant Major, his Detachment Commander and his fellow Cadets; summed up – think of a latter-day Artful Dodger – cheerful, hard-working, mischievous but (usually) respectful of authority, who, when promoted, developed rapidly into a resourceful and energetic jnco. To his Detachment leaders, both former Regular soldiers, it was soon clear that he was a born infantry soldier and he will be missed by those with whom he came into contact.

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