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1 November 2018

RHQ RRF, HM Tower of London, EC3N 4AB v 020 3166 6909 v www.thefusiliers.org

Contents – 1 November 2018

Ø EX PROMETHEUS HACKLE ........................................ 2

Ø Our Fusilier logo for 2019 and beyond ........................ 4

Ø Warwickshire ACF Annual Officer’s Mess Dinner ........... 5

Ø Former Cadet Shaun Bailey tries for London Mayor ...... 7

Ø Fusiliers Museum (Alnwick) volunteers win award ........ 7

Ø Former Fusilier Craig Douglass helps Combat Stress .... 9

Ø Vote for the Fusilier Museum (Bury) for an Aviva grant11

Ø RRF Corps of Drums (London) in France ................... 12

Ø People & Places ..................................................... 13

Ø Fusilier Cadets help tidy Wellington Barracks Memorial 17

Ø Women in Ground Close Combat (WGCC). ................ 18

Ø Col Lisa Keetley to help our Servicewomen Focus ...... 19

Ø 18 Victoria Crosses united for the first time .............. 20

Ø The first 6 RRF female Fusilier cycling for charity ....... 21

Ø Notices ................................................................ 22

Ø How to contribute ................................................. 22

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EX PROMETHEUS HACKLE By LCpl Simon Rigby, 1st Fusiliers

“EX PROMETHEUS HACKLE is now the 1st Fusiliers annual battlefield tour of Belgium for our new/potential JNCOs. It is designed to educate the soldiers on our Regimental history and further highlight the qualities of leadership that may one day be expected of them.

This year’s exercise was particularly special due to the multi-national attendance of the exercise. As well as members of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers we were joined by soldiers from:

• Australia (The Royal Victoria Regiment and The Royal Australian Regiment),

• Canada (Royal Westminster Rifles)

• And other British units including the Kings Royal Hussars and the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers.

The exercise began with lessons and discussions in the 1st Fusiliers Sergeants Mess, applying the “LEADERS” code to the actions of the 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (4 RF) at the Battle of Mons; and more specifically to the deeds of Private Godley VC and Lt Dease VC (the first VC recipients of the First World War) at Nimy Bridge. The Commanding Officer, Lt Col J Lamb MC, talked about modern leadership, the relevance of the examples our forebears gave us, and how we could be expected to live up to their actions. Furthermore, we discussed the tactical capabilities of the British Expeditionary Force of 1914, including their weapon systems and the training of the individual troops.

We left early the next day on our route to Belgium and our first stop: Mons. Here we followed a very similar route to 4 RF as this was an assembly point before the Battalion headed to secure Vimy Ridge. We saw the town square, discussed the logistics of such a movement from the UK to Belgium and sampled the local culture…Belgian beer.

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We then headed to Vimy Ridge itself, aiming to gain more appreciation of the ground, putting ourselves in the minds of the men present at the Battle of Mons and then moving on to how one would defend the Ridge in the modern day.

Afterwards, we visited Saint-Symphorien cemetery and paid our respects to the dead at the site, including Lt Maurice Dease VC, his heroic actions earning him the posthumous Victoria Cross.

The next day we visited the Hooge Crater where we viewed the museum, discussed tunnel warfare, explored a recreated trench system and handled period weapons systems, before walking along the route of the front line. En route, we discussed the tactics used, life inside a trench system and the tactical significance of the geography of the area.

The next stop was St Julien Memorial, which was particularly poignant for our Canadian colleagues, since

it is a memorial to the Canadian First Division soldiers killed in the Second Battle of Ypres. They fought in the face of the first poison gas attacks of the Western Front. That night our entire contingent assembled in rank at the Menin Gate along with the many visitors to witness the Last Post ceremony and to show an act of Remembrance. Representatives from our foreign colleagues and our own Fusiliers were selected to lay wreaths during the ceremony as we stood to attention.

On the last day we visited Messin Ridge and discussed the tactical vantage point it provided and the difficulties the Allied forces would have encountered in attempting to seize such a fortified location. Our final stops were a visit to a German cemetery, Langermark, which seems more like mass grave when compared to the Commonwealth Graves Tyne Cot Cemetery. This is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world and upon seeing its grandeur and expanse it is very easy to see how. The sheer number of tombstones and plaques was a very sobering reminder of the volume and cost of the First World War. As a group we assembled around the centrally placed “Sword of Sacrifice”, bowed our heads and recited the Remembrance exhortation:

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“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them”

We then held a moment of silence and reflection at the sacrifice and the fine example of our forebears, before laying wreaths from the Battalion and our guests.

The entire experience was hugely worthwhile as it brought forth the lessons learned from both the First World War and more recent campaigns (provided by the more senior members of the trip) into the modern day and applied it directly to us as future leaders. Furthermore, the exercise brought our colleagues from other Regiments and nations even closer through socialising and a shared heritage of hardship and sacrifice.”

Our Fusilier logo for 2019 and beyond The Regimental Council has approved a new logo for the Regiment for use from November 2018. The one used thoroughout this Fusilier 50 year, together with its associated branding, was regarded as a great success, giving the Regiment a unified brand.

Points to note about the new logo are:

• It is a natural progression from this year’s branding into 2019 and beyond

• It is for external engagement for our civic supporters, cadets, and recruiting

• It was refined, approved and liked by a 1st Fusiliers focus group drawn from all ranks.

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• The focus is on ‘FUSILIERS’ and our USP, the hackle.

• RHQ will still use the cypher / crest for formal correspondence

Our physical cap badge and hackle remain unchanged. They are recognisable throughout the Army, particularly the hackle which is our ‘USP’. All understand its significance and our reputation.

However, our external audiences don’t always relate to a traditional cap badge. Therefore, the updated logo is primarily for our non-military, external target audience, giving the Fusiliers a modern, eye-catching look to compete for attention against today’s brands and logos.

As well as the Regimental version, for the first time there are 1st Fusiliers and 5th Fusiliers versions for use on Battalion specific literature and social media.

The logos come in a variety of formats for use on all kinds of signage, stationery and social media. Full guidelines and formats will be issued by RHQ.

Warwickshire ACF Annual Officer’s Mess Dinner Another busy month for the ACF, with cadets parading at a number of civilian events to promote the work they do supporting local communities. However, there was still time to stop and reflect on why the Cadet Force Adult Volunteers do what they do and to thank those of our community who are moving on.

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The Officer’s Mess annual dinner was a special event with a sterling performance by the Corps of Drums who are growing in strength each month, so much so that their calendar has become quite busy with bookings – look forward to them performing at Birmingham City football ground and at the Ricoh arena for Wasps.

The County were honoured to have a number of very senior guests attend the dinner with Col of the Regt, Major General PAE Nanson CBE as guest speaker and senior rank present. Other notable Officers present included people who had served with 5 RRF (V) such

as Brigadier RJ Carter, Col RJ Carruthers OBE TD, Col RL Carris MBE TD DL, Major TA Nugent, Major J Lam, Capt JA Dutton and Capt RB Smith. Other guests included former Commandants, Deputy Commandants and members of the Warwickshire Area Regimental Council.

The event had special significance for members of the mess, for as well as celebrating the progress of the county and a number of spotlight successes by members of the ACF, it was the dining out meal for Lt Col RS Gale TD as he reaches the end of his engagement as the County Deputy Commandant.

Major General Nanson spoke eloquently about the importance of the Cadet Force, commenting on the significant percentage of entrants to RMAS where he is currently Commandant who have previously been cadets and the positive impact this had on their lives and their subsequent decision to serve. The General also reflected on how, although this generation of young people interact with the world differently than previous generations they are in his experience no less committed to serving their communities and able to stand up and be counted. His remarks struck a chord with those present who work with cadets closely and observe these qualities regularly.

Maj Gen Nanson also took time to speak about our own Lt Col Gale covering his service as a young adult, through 5 RRF (V) and on as a Cadet Officer and Deputy Commandant. Col Gale is a passionate Fusilier and a great advocate for the Regiment, speaking with conviction to our young people about the benefits of serving in such a distinguished organisation.

The Colonel and Lt Col Richard Gale in earnest discussion

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We wish Col Gale great success in his onward career as he continues his work with the Warwickshire Area Regimental Council.

Former Cadet Shaun Bailey tries for London Mayor Shaun Bailey was a Cadet in the Greater London ACF and Is now the Honorary Colonel for Fusilier Cadets in London. He has now been nominated as the Conservative candidate for London Mayor in the elections on 7 May 2020.

Shauns’ family moved to London from Jamaica and he was raised by his mother in North Kensington after his parents split when he was a child. He was a youth worker in Ladbroke Grove and

entered politics through charity work as co-founder of My Generation, an organisation to help disadvantaged families.

A paper he wrote for the Centre for Policy Studies in 2007 was picked up by the Conservative party and he was introduced to David Cameron by his aide, Steve Hilton. After a spell as a special adviser to the Prime Minister on youth and crime, he moved to the Cabinet Office to work on the national Citizen Service scheme.

He won a seat on the London Assembly in 2015 and ran for the Tories in Lewisham West at the 2017 General Election, losing to Labour’s Ellie Reeves.

He lives in Romford with wife Ellie, a history teacher, and their two children.

The Col of the Regt and all Fusiliers send our congratulations to Shaun on his nomination.

Fusiliers Museum (Alnwick) volunteers win award Three dedicated volunteers, Chris Jackson, David Smith and Steve Simpson have been awarded the prestigious North East regional prize of the “British Museum Marsh Christian Trust Award for Learning Volunteers in Museums”.

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On behalf of the Learning and Outreach Volunteer team at the Fusiliers Museum (Alnwick), Chris Jackson attended a ceremony at the British Museum on 24 September to accept the award and a cheque for £500.

The Fusiliers Museum at Alnwick Castle tells the story of the soldiers and families of the 'Fighting Fifth', from the Regiment's origins in 1674 to the present day. Thanks to a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and with the help of benefactors, Friends and volunteers, the Museum opened a special exhibition to mark the centenary of the First World War in 2014, and then renewed all the rest of the displays last year.

These are supported by the volunteer team's valuable contribution to learning and outreach that brings the collection to life. Chris, David and Steve present their hugely popular Object Handling Sessions to museum visitors and also participate at a range of off-site events to represent the Museum.

Joanna Mackle, Deputy Director of the British Museum said:

“It is hugely exciting that this year’s award ceremony marks a ten-year partnership between the British Museum and the Marsh Christian Trust. Museums across the UK rely on the dedication of volunteers to reach and inspire as many people as possible. The Marsh Awards recognise the commitment and enthusiasm of volunteers in museums and we are very grateful to the Marsh Christian Trust for acknowledging this work.”

The Fusiliers Museum (Alnwick) is open daily from Easter to the end of October.

www.northumberlandfusiliers.org.uk.

Chris Jackson with some of objects

available for handling

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Former Fusilier Craig Douglass helps Combat Stress This article first appeared in the oniine Newcastle Chronicle on 13 Oct 18

Craig Douglass is from North Shields and a former Fusilier WO2, serving 28 years as a regular and reservist. He has been to some of the most dangerous places on Earth and given all he has to the armed forces. But the fight which has come to dominate his life is the one to take control of his own mental wellbeing.

Craig's struggles with PTSD and depression started over 20 years ago and it took him almost as long to get help. Now he shared his story for Mental Health Awareness Week to send out a simple message to others fighting similar struggles alone: talk to someone.

Craig's first overseas deployment was a tour of Belize between 1992 and 1993, when the army was deployed to disrupt the drugs and mahogany trade in the Central American republic. But it was a few years later and 6,000 miles away when his life would change forever. In 1995, Craig was sent to Bosnia during a period when the region had descended into war following the breakup of Yugoslavia. Battle-hardened Afghan mujahideen, who cut their teeth fighting the Soviet army in the 1980s, flooded into Bosnia as volunteers and mercenaries. Any British soldier caught by the fighters faced kidnap, death or both. But it wasn't a foreign enemy who triggered Craig's PTSD - it was one of his own.

Craig remembers:

“They were incredibly tense times", , "when you knew there were people out there who would kill you first chance they got. One night I had the unglamorous task of guarding some vehicles through the night out in the middle of nowhere. Someone crept up behind me, put a knife to my throat, pulled me to the floor and dragged me along the ground.

In that moment I thought my life was over, I was certain I was about to be killed. I could feel the blade against my throat. But it wasn't an enemy combatant - it was another of our soldiers, one who was senior to me. He saw it as a prank, it was supposed to be funny. But it wasn't to me. I went into a

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state of shock because I had genuinely believed I was about to be murdered. Everything changed for me after that."

The incident was the straw that broke the camel's back for Craig. All the pent-up anxiety and stress of operating under the constant threat of death had turned into a full-blown crisis. The incident was reported, and Craig was moved to another unit while it was investigated. But a few weeks later he was involved in a serious road accident, the aftermath of which put further strain on his mental health.

He said:

"It was already a very tough time so ending up stuck in a field hospital in Croatia with bad injuries to my head, neck and knee was hard. It couldn't have come at a worse time and I hit a real low. After a few weeks I was flown back home for more treatment but by this stage my physical injuries were only half of the story. I was discharged and my mental health deteriorated quickly. I wasn't eating, I was drinking excessively, personal relationships broke down, I was having bouts of depression and turbulent mood swings. At one point I ended up in A&E with severe anxiety and my parents had to literally drag me to see a GP. They were dark times. I was accessing some treatment for my mental state but I wasn't fully engaging. It took me far too long to do that."

A couple of years after Bosnia, he reapplied for the Army and, to his surprise, was accepted back as a reservist with 5th Fusiliers, despite his PTSD diagnosis and in 2003 he served in Iraq.

He moved through the ranks to WO2 and started to love his career in the Army again, but his struggles with mental health persisted. Two years ago, almost 20 years after first being diagnosed with PTSD, Craig accepted he needed help.

"I didn't feel ready until 2016 even though I knew I wasn't well. It wasn't the first time I had seen a doctor about it or taken medication, but it was the first time I fully engaged and realised if I didn't talk about it I would never overcome it".

Craig is now an advocate for mental health treatment and works with other veterans like himself. He is heavily involved with the charity Combat Stress and runs a support group for other soldiers with PTSD.

“Anybody with mental health problems needs to understand there is always someone out there they can talk to about it. I know that sometimes you might not feel ready to go and see a doctor but you should talk to some, whether it's a friend, a parent, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a support group. My message to anyone - but especially to men who are still tied to that idea of stubborn masculine pride -

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is there is absolutely no shame in getting help. It took me 20 years to accept that I couldn't deal with this alone and I wish I had realised that sooner."

Sue Freeth, Chief Executive of Combat Stress, said:

“For nearly a century, Combat Stress has supported former servicemen and women with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. “We’ve seen a staggering 97% increase in referrals over the last decade so it’s vital we’re able to raise enough funds to continue providing our life-changing treatment. It’s so important that veterans feel able to seek mental health support.

Any veteran who needs support for mental health can call the Combat Stress 24-hour Helpline on 0800 138 1619 for confidential advice; or visit www.combatstress.org.uk

Vote for the Fusilier Museum (Bury) for an Aviva grant The Fusilier Museum needs your votes to win an AVIVA Community Grant. Currently the Fusilier Museum has an excellent exhibition of the 18 Victoria Crosses won by the Lancashire Fusiliers during the Great War on display in the Museum. As part of the commemoration, the Museum has commissioned a memorial stone sculpture to the recipients and has also

commissioned 18 oil paintings of them. These will be unveiled on the 1st December and 9th November respectively. The Museum has already collected some of the funds for the memorial and the paintings.

The good news is that the Museum has been shortlisted for an Aviva Community Fund to the value of £20K. This will help fund both the memorial stone sculpture, which is to be erected in the Gallipoli Garden and the portraits.

Voting opened on the 23rd October and all votes have to be cast by 20th November at midday. Everybody who registers gets 10 votes. Your votes can be cast towards one project or spread across multiples - the choice is yours, but obviously the more votes the Museum receives the better chance they have of winning an award.

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To vote you need to click on the link below, register and then and search for the project entitled ‘For Valour – We shall Remember Them’ or put in the location Bury in the search box. The process takes no more than 5 minutes.

https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/4-1480

Please vote and please also share this with as many of your friends and relatives as you can so the Fusilier Museum, Bury can receive enough votes to win the £20K grant.

RRF Corps of Drums (London) in France On 15th-16th September, the RRF Association Corps of Drums (London) visited Ypres and Somme Remembrance parades

The Corps of Drums set off with a full contingent of 16, including Drum Major, Drummers, Flautists, Buglers, Cymbols plus PR + Photographer and this year the welcome addition of a bagpiper.

The itinerary started with a parade at the Menin Gate where our buglers were again granted the honour of playing alongside the Fire Brigade buglers. The Corps did a splendid march past complete with counter march and Association members then paid their respects and laid a wreath. The haunting sound of our lone piper’s lament at the Menin Gate gave everyone goose-bumps.

The Corps then made the journey across to France, where the plan was to reverse the order of the parades to allow each of the villages to host. This year the first stage was held in Longueval where many locals came to watch and enjoy the parade. Stage two took us to the Highwood cemetery and the commemoration at the 47th London Memorial. Then came stage three at Martinpuich where the local mayor welcomed us to a reception following the parade and a static display.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Armistice and these two villages in conjunction with others across the region are holding a special event on Saturday 10th November to remember the fallen. The local residents and school children are planning a lighting

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ceremony to place a candle on each war grave. Some of the Corps of Drums are planning to attend, before returning for the Remembrance Parade at Holborn on the Sunday.

The RRF Association Corps of Drums already has a busy schedule of performances for the 2018/19 season, so please let them know soon if you require their attendance at your Fusilier event.

People & Places Fusilier 50 Medals presented in Gibralter

Stewart Kenyon (1RRF), John Doolan (3RRF), Graham Goodchild (1RRF), Dave Connor (3RRF), David Seed (1RRF),

Frank Rawlinson (1RRF), Barry Hope (1RRF) His Excellency the Governor, Ivan Easter (3RRF), Malcolm Graham (1RRF)

Nine Fusilier veterans in Gibralter were presented with their Commemorative Medals in a ceremony held on Tuesday 9th October in the Convent, the residence of His Excellency the Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant General Edward Davis CB CBE KStJ.

In a ceremony which included awards to other members of Gibraltar’s Essential Services, the Governor praised the work of all recipients and the support provided by family members throughout their service.

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All nine had served in Gibraltar with either the 3rd Battalion (‘69-‘71) or with the 1st Battalion (‘71 – ‘73). The Governor had agreed to present medals on receiving a request from Barry Hope, formerly the driver to the Governors of Gibraltar.

Congratulations to Maj Shamus Kelly on promotion to Lt Col

The Colonel of the Regiment and all Fusiliers congratulate Major Shamus Kelly on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel wef September 2018. Lt Col Kelly has been appointed to the Joint Helicopter Command as the SO1 Command Plans.

Update on the Blyth Memorials

Both the Ridley Park and Cowpen War Memorials have now been completed, with many thanks to the Elswick (Blyth) All Arms Association who raised over £10,000 to complete the work. The contractor, Kevin Tilmouth and his project team of Stephen Aldus and Shaun Oliver, are all former 1st Fusiliers.

The Duke of Gloucester and the Lord Lieutenant, the Duchess of Northumberland, unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit to the memorials. A guard of honour was made up of members of the Elswick (Blyth) All Arms Association who were presented to the Duke and Duchess during the visit.

Charlie Solomon’s visit to WW1 battlefields

Former 3 RRF Capt Charlie Solomon recently visited some WW1 battlefields. He writes:

“Friday pm was spent orientating ourselves, walking round Ypres and attending the Last Post. This was really well attended, probably because of the presence of the Fusilier Corps & Drums and London Branch members. Fortunately I had my beret and hackle. There was a Fusilier bagpiper there with three Fusilier buglers standing beside the Ypres Fire Brigade buglers. They were excellent.

On Saturday, we drove to Vimy Ridge and Thiepval Memorials. We took our time in both areas and the numbers of Commonwealth Grave cemeteries we passed spoke volumes.

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Sunday was spent at the Flanders Field museum in Ypres and the Passchendaele cemetery.

Our visit really gave a sense of the scale of the area fought over and the terrain. I had never really appreciated quite how long the front line was and the amount of organisation needed to keep the armies suppiled.

Being at the Menin Gate with the Fusilier presence made me very proud to be part of the Regiment”.

The Himalayan Adventurers set off...

On 24 October the intrepid adventurers, Col (Retd) Brian Gorski and Lt Col Simon Coatsworth, have already reached a height of 50ft above sea level at RHQ before they depart for their fund raising trip (no oxygen was needed).

http://mydonate.bt.com/events/himalayastrek2018/473195

to trek to the Everest Base Camp at 17,600ft. They will be guided by former Fusilier Simon Ledsom. Only 17,550 ft to go...

North West Ambulance Service Activity Day

NWAS team had great afternoon with the Fusiliers’ Regimental Recruiting & Mentoring Team on the assault course. Run by Cpl Wilde 1st Fusiliers, the ambulance teams are now much more aware of their physical robustness and ability to compete as a team over arduous terrain. Their commitment, effort & team spirit certainly paid off.

LCpl Rowland (PTI) From MG Pl X Coy 5th Fusiliers supervising one of the NWAS Team over the Inflatable assault course

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Dedicating the Long Itchington War Memorial

A good turnout from the Fusilier Association (Warwickshire) for the Dedication Service of the Long Itchington War Memorial on Saturday 27 October.

The Memorial shows 39 names of those that lost their lives in both World Wars, of which 12 were Royal Warwickshire Regiment and one Royal Fusilier.

The Fusilier Aid Society and the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Trust Fund both generously contributed fund raising for the Memorial.

Elevenses at RHQ

A remarkable shot of the Regt Sec, notable for two reasons:

1. He is offering to make the coffee.

2. No cake is involved.

Cpl Walsh and Cpl Wilde 1st Fusiliers ensuring that NWAS staff don’t cut

any corners when it comes to commitment...

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Fusilier Cadets help tidy Wellington Barracks Memorial In the run up to Remembrance Day, cadets from Heywood and Bury Detachments, No. 1 (Minden) Coy, gave up their Sunday morning to help with the tidying up of the Fusilier Memorial Gardens at the site of Wellington Barracks in Bury.

For over 120 years, thousands of Fusiliers were stationed at Wellington Barracks and after closure in 1961, the Administration Block was used as the Regimental Museum. In recent years it has been converted to commercial units,

but it retains many links to the Lancashire Fusiliers. As part of the conversion, a memorial garden was built, and within this space is the final resting place for several ex-Fusiliers.

On the first day of World War One, almost 1,500 reservists reported to Wellington Barracks. Throughout the war, tens of thousands of more young men answered their country’s call and began their Fusilier careers on this site.

As the 100th Anniversary of the end of the First World War approaches it was an ideal time for local cadets to ensure that the Memorial Garden was clean and tidy and a fitting final resting place for those interred, and as a haven of tranquillity for people to pay their respects.

Cadets Bailey, Quinn and Renshaw, accompanied by Cadet Lance Corporal Bailey gave up their Sunday morning to pick up litter and to participate in removal of some weeds. A couple of hours and several rubbish sacks later the task was completed.

Following the completion of the cleaning and weeding it was time to pay respects to the those commemorated here. Amongst them is Lance Corporal John Brady (1948- 2018, ex 2nd Battalion LF and 1RRF), the father of one of 1 (Minden) Company’s Instructors. Sadly, PI Andrew Brady was unable to be present on the day, but a single rose was laid by Cadet LCpl Bailey in honour of LCpl Brady on behalf

The Motto of the Lancashire Fusiliers still

adorns the building

Cadet LCpl Bailey pays his respects at the

memorial to LCpl John Brady

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of the whole Company. For those present it was an extra insight into being part of the Fusilier Family.

Over the next few weeks other cadets from the Company will be taking part in similar events at local memorials including Gallipoli Gardens in Bury, home of the Fusilier Museum. For the cadets it is not only a chance to progress in their citizenship star levels but to continue to pay respects to those who are commemorated locally.

Women in Ground Close Combat (WGCC). On 8 July 2016, the Prime Minister announced that the Government was to lift the exclusion on women serving in Ground Close Combat (GCC) roles.

Royal Armoured Corps units were opened to Regiment in September 2017.

Since November 2016, the British Army has around 35 women either serving in the Royal Armoured Corps or being trained to join. Some of these women have deployed in role overseas to Estonia and Oman.

Infantry units will be open to serving female personnel who wish to transfer from other parts of the Army. New recruits will be able to join in early 2019. Further details will be subject to a formal announcement.

Please note the following about Women in Ground Close Combat roles:

• All roles in the Army are now open to women, including the Infantry.

• The opportunities available to women in the Army are the same as the opportunities to men.

• It’s about the opportunity, not about the numbers.

• Women have been in combat facing roles for decades, opening the Infantry to women is a natural progression.

• In an age of constant global competition, it is the quality and diversity of our people that gives the British Army its unique edge.

• The British Army is a fine example of an equal opportunities employer.

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Col Lisa Keetley to help our Servicewomen Focus As many of you will be aware, the Army has formally adopted a policy of opening all remaining excluded roles to women. This long overdue decision means that from next year women will be able to serve within the Infantry; the initiative is called Women in Ground Close Combat (WGCC).

For those who serve or who have served in the Regiment, working alongside female colleagues is of course not a new experience. Both Regular and

Reserves have worked closely with supporting arms for years both in barracks, on training and deployed on operations around the world.

As a Regiment, we have an ethos of being inclusive, embracing diversity and accepting people for who they are. Women, we hope, will want to join the Fusilier Regimental family, not because they are women but because they want to soldier in a fine infantry regiment and most importantly, they want to be Fusiliers.

As is the Fusilier way, we do not wish to over plan the arrival of women as serving Fusiliers. However, we also want to ensure that women feel naturally welcome to the Regiment be they serving as soldiers or officers, regular or reserve. To that end, Col Lisa Keetley, Commander Leadership & Individual Development Group, ARITC and chair of Servicewomen Focus, has offered her services to support the Regiment as it prepares to absorb the first women into its ranks, possibly in 2019. Lisa will bring her considerable expertise in working with a significant number of females from across the Army, to ensure that the Regiment integrates female Fusiliers into the family.

Welcome Lisa

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18 Victoria Crosses united for the first time A special exhibition to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War opened at The Fusilier Museum (Bury) on Friday 5 October.

The exhibition – “ 18 for 18” – tells the extraordinary stories of the eighteen Lancashire Fusiliers who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War. It will be the first

time ever that 17 of the 18 VCs has been on display in one place. The Lancashire Fusiliers’ 18 Victoria Crosses are the most won by any British infantry regiment.

Sadly the 18th medal which belonged to Bertram Best-Dunkley is still missing despite an international search to try and locate it earlier in the year. It is believed to still be in the UK, probably in private ownership following a private sale through Spinks Auction House, London in 1986 but its exact location hasn’t been confirmed.

The sources of the 17 are:

• The Museum has five of the VCs in its collection

• a further eight have been kindly loaned to the museum from Lord Ashcroft’s private collection, the largest collection of its kind in the world.

• Three more belong to the families of the VC winners and are being privately loaned to the Museum for the duration of the exhibition

• The Marshall VC is loaned from The Guards Museum in London.

18 for 18 will include all eighteen stories and a replica set of medals will be in place for Best-Dunkley until the missing VC is found. It will also include the famous “6 VCs before Breakfast” which were won by the Lancashire Fusiliers as part of the Gallipoli campaign on the 25th April 1915.

Col Brian Gorski, Chairman of The Fusilier Museum (Bury), said:

“We are delighted to open this exhibition to commemorate the 100 year anniversary since the end of the First World War. It will be the first time ever that all of the Lancashire Fusilier VCs have been together in one place, so it’s a really important moment of history for the Museum and the town of

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Bury. Of course we are disappointed that we haven’t managed to locate the missing 18th medal but we remain determined to reunite it with the others in this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition.”

The exhibition opened to the general public from Saturday 6 October and will run till 13 December 2018. During October, the Museum will also be open on Sundays to ensure everyone who would like to visit has every opportunity to do so.

The first 6 RRF female Fusilier cycling for charity Amid the recent heatwave, Evesham Cadet Force officer 58 year old Ann Lyon took on both the weather and mileage with a sponsored bike ride for

two Service charities: the Fusiliers Aid Society and the Army Benevolent Fund.

Ann, a recently retired university law lecturer, decided to cycle across England to visit the regional offices of her former Regiment, the Fusiliers, in a zig –zag route from Evesham to Northumberland via Greater Manchester and the Midlands, before finishing up at RHQ at the Tower of London. Ann said:

“As a young student in 1983 I was the first woman ever to serve with the Reserve Fusiliers in Northumberland, so I thought now was the time to set a record with my bike in Fusilier 50 year”.

Ann is currently serving as a part –time officer with the RAF Section of Welbeck Defence 6th Form Academy in Leicestershire which prepares sixth formers for specialist degrees at university and then for careers in the three Services. After five days on the road and staying at Travelodges, Ann reached RHQ and a warm welcome and an ice cold flute of champagne. The Regimental Secretary, Colonel James Denny, said:

“Ann has done us proud. We believe she has made a bit of Regimental history as the first lady and first solo cyclist ever to visit all our Regimental Offices and to complete her journey at the Tower of London - a distance close to Lands’ End to Aberdeen, and at one point doing a climb of 7047 feet over the 47 miles between Warwick and Bury”.

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Ann is still collecting money for both the Fusiliers and the Army Benevolent Fund and is already planning her next charity challenge for 2019.

Notices Fusilier cycling tops available

Malcolm Johnston (former 3RRF) had some cycling tops designed and made for his recent sponsored cycling trip with Asst Regt Sec Andy Harris and has some more available that he is offering to Fusiliers past and present. He has various sizes available from M to 2XL and the photos show the design – back and front. They are good quality full zip shirts with a zipped pocket on the rear as well as the standard 3 open pockets and are in the correct Regimental colours. They are

£35 each incl P&P (UK) and, for each shirt sold he will donate £10 to FAS.

Please email Malcolm at [email protected] for a sizing chart and orders. (PS: not RHQ....)

How to contribute Contributions are welcome from anywhere in the Fusilier Family. Articles should be no more than 150 words, ideally with a good photo and caption. Get them to [email protected] by the 25th of each month.

Archive copies are held in the Regiment’s Dropbox account.

Please note that the Editor and RHQ make every effort to ensure factual accuracy and whilst we might edit articles for reasons of space, we do not censor them. Any mistakes are purely accidental and no harm or slander is ever intended.

Photos

The Editor accepts photographs for publication on the understanding that those submitting them have, where required by data protection legislation, obtained consent to publication from those depicted. Anyone who believes this is not the case or has a DPA related concern should contact the Editor.