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WHAT'S NEW?

WHAT WAS NEW?

Help for families of War Veterans.

Some details have been published by Stephens Scown, Solicitors, giving information on how some families of war veterans could be missing out on large inheritance tax savings, because they're not aware of a little-used tax exemption. If you would like to know more, please click here. It is reproduced with the permission of the Solicitors.

We are having a blitz on Gift Aid Declarations. If you pay tax, you should fill out the form as the Legion can claim back 28 pence in the pound from HMRC. If you cannot remember if you have filled out a form, please complete one again and send it off to the Legion Headquarters. We need to raise our profile in this project so please, fill in a form.

John Clark receives Gold Badge from National Chairman

At the Annual meeting of District Conference, held at Haig House on Saturday 13th February 2010, the District Chairman and Branch member, John Clark, was presented with his Gold Badge by the National Chairman, Peter Cleminson. The citation was read by Branch Chairman, Bob White, after he had proposed John for the award.

	President David Whimpenny presents cheque to National Chairman Peter Cleminson on behalf of the Branch
Vice Chairman Dave Street give thanks to National Chairman Peter Cleminson for giving the Keynote Speech at the Annual Meeting of District Conference on Saturday 13th February at Haig House.

To read the minutes of the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Branch, click here

Free travel for veterans

Disabled war veterans are able to travel for free throughout London.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced that residents and visitors are able to take advantage of the scheme.

They are able to travel for free on buses, the Underground, tram, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground services and trains which run in greater London.

Veterans in receipt of a pension under the War Pensions Scheme or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, including war widows, widowers and dependents are eligible.

Mr Johnson said: "I am pleased that London will be doing its bit in recognising the unflinching contribution that these men and women of the forces have made, by offering free travel throughout the capital for injured veterans."

Full details of the application process will be available on the Transport for London website from this autumn.

AWARD FOR BRANCH MEMBER

It has just been announced that Branch Member, John Neal who is our Membership Secretary, and Head of Membership Services and Development at Pall Mall, has been awarded his Gold Badge by the National Chairman on his retirement from The Legion. All our best wishes are passed to John.

Can you remember AY Nik RSMs?

Ken Carling, who runs the Beaumanor Site has been in touch with me to enquire about RSMs from 9 Signal Regiment/2 Wireless Regiment. If any of you can remember any details, can you please let Ken know. (k.carling@tiscali.co.uk]. Please copy me in on the info. Thanks in advance.

Appeal for Royal Signals Memorial at NMA

The National Memorial Arboretum was established some years ago at Alrewas, near Burton on Trent and the Corps made a small contribution in the form of one tree, amongst the 50,000 which have now been planted there. The major feature of the Memorial Arboretum is the large number of monuments which have been erected to commemorate those who have served their country in a wide range of bodies, military and civilian. Details of the Arboretum can be found at www.friendsofnma.org.uk

The Memorial Arboretum, which is now run by the British Legion, was awarded a major grant towards the cost of establishing a £7M centre piece entitled the Armed Forces Memorial. Inspired by the memorial wall at Arlington, Washington, it will take the form of a large Portland stone faced wall inscribed with the names of all servicemen and women who have died in action since the end of the Second World War. The Memorial will have a royal opening in October this year

In view of the increased profile of the Memorial Arboretum, it has been decided to erect a Royal Signals Memorial in the form of a full size “Jimmy” on a suitable plinth in a prominent position. The cost of this project is estimated at some £30,000 and it was agreed at the AGM of the Royal Signals Association that an appeal would be made to raise £13,000 from the Association. The Corps Committee has subsequently agreed to fund the balance of the cost. The project has already begun and it is intended that the statue will be in place before the end of this year.

All Branches of the Association have been requested to pledge what they can, but of course there are many members of the Association who do not have direct affiliation with any specific Branch. As one of those members, you are invited to make a donation in aid of this appeal – any amount, say a fiver, would be most gratefully received. Cheques, payable to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund, should be sent to: Admin Officer, Royal Signals Association, Blandford Camp, Dorset DT11 8RH.

Please don’t delay in giving your support for this memorial; it is urgently needed if we are to commemorate all those who have served in the Corps since its formation in a fitting way in the Memorial Arboretum, which is becoming very much a national centrepiece.

Yours sincerely,

Nigel Wood
Brigadier
Chairman Royal Signals Association

Would you like to become a Tour Guide?

This is a Special Appeal from

Simon Greenish, Bletchley Park Trust Director

Are you interested in history? Could you bring a secret World War II heritage site to life for groups of up to forty visitors? Bletchley Park Trust is a charity. It receives no public funding and relies heavily on its team of dedicated volunteers. Public interest in the Park continues to grow – and with it the workload!

Many more Volunteer Tour Guides are urgently needed.

Would you be interested in joining the team, playing your part in the future of Bletchley Park? By investing whatever time you can spare, you can help us to preserve this historic site for future generations. Training would be given but you would need to be prepared to take tour groups around the site in all weathers. Tours last about one and a half hours and are aimed at giving our visitors a general synopsis of the crucial work done on the site during World War II. The Trust cannot pay for volunteers’ help but can cover reasonable travel costs if needed. If you are interested in helping out, a few hours or more, PLEASE get in touch. A short meeting can be arranged and we can explain how your time, knowledge and expertise can really make a difference.

For an informal discussion, please call Simon Greenish on 01908 640404 or email sgreenish@bletchleypark.org.uk

For further information; -	visit www.bletchleypark.org.uk
	e-mail info@bletchleypark.org.uk
	call 01908 640404

Bletchley Park Trust, The Mansion, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB

Rare WS10 trailer

The Gold Beach Living History Group has recently been given a rare Wireless Set 10 trailer in need of restoration. Just over 100 of these trailers were built late in WWII, and were used primarily in a chain of Radio Relay stations between 21^st Army Group HQ on the European mainland and London. In this way Montgomery was able to speak directly and securely to Churchill.

The restoration has begun, and help has already been received from Pat Ware (editor of CMV magazine) who gave us contract and vehicle numbers, the Royal Signals museum, who have offered the use of their archives and WS10 equipment for study, and Louis Muelstee, author of the authoritative Wireless for the Warrior books, who has helped with photographs.

How you can help

We need technical literature, photographs, WS10 equipment to buy, loan, or even photograph and measure with a view to reproduction.

Veteran’s reminiscences of working with WS10 would be especially welcome.

Contact us at goldbeach60yearson@yahoo.co.uk or telephone Phil Webb.

Geoff Leese

Secretary

Gold Beach 60 Living History Group

November 2006

Y Services Dinner

On the evening of Friday, 7 April 2006, a dinner was held in the Officers' Mess RAF Digby by kind permission of the Station Commander, Gp Capt A S Corbett MBE. The guest of honour was our own Branch sponsor, General Sir Sam Cowan KCB CBE.

As can be seen from the photograph, some Branch members attended, including the President, David Whimpenny, Chairman, John Clark, and his wife Cathie, the out-going Secretary, Bob White, and his wife Joy, Canon Derek Buxton, Dave Street, Farmer Vaughan, Dennis Weir, Ian Farquharson, Alan Tuck, Chris Lowish, Debbi Lomax, Clive Saunders and Nigel Watton. A pleasant evening was enjoyed by all attending.

WANTED

Articles, photographs, jokes, criticisms - anything at all needed for YOUR newsletter. If you have some small snippet, please send to Skip or to the Webmaster.

*** GIFT AID - A form has now been included on the site whereby the Legion can reclaim tax on your subscriptions and/or donations. 66% of our membership have completed one of these forms. The other 34% are invited to do so in order that the the Legion can benefit from some of the money at present claimed by our Government.