At the Trowbridge Armed Forces & Veterans Weekend

West Wilts Branch
Extracted fr0m 2015 Newsletter

Since 2006 Trowbridge, being the County town of Wiltshire, has observed the last week end week end in July as the Veterans Weekend. In common with the rest of the country that week end’s observation became known in 2009 as the Armed Forces and Veterans Day.

Pete Legg carrying the Branch Standard with Taff Davis, Colin Parfitt, Tery Gerish as escort

Tracy & Leonie Shaw with the Mayor and Town Crier

From the outset in 2006 the County Council had always planned to celebrate, commemorate and honour the Armed Forces and the Veterans over the complete week end and in 2007 it decide to rotated the lead Service year, thus 2007 was the Royal Navy’s turn to lead and provide the main attraction. So it was that 2014 saw it being the Army’s turn to be the lead Service, with the main attraction being the granting of the Freedom of Trowbridge to the Royal Artillery, on the Saturday; whilst the honour of leading the Veteran’s March Past on the Sunday would fall to the West Wiltshire Branch of the Regimental Association.

West Wiltshire Branch of the OCA, under the stewardship of Bill Sherman, has been a stalwart supporter of the event since its inception, raising money for Service Charities and the Museum by its various fund raising activities. Several members of the Branch have benefitted from the excellent work provided by Combat Stress and one of our former Branch members, Tim “Radar” Strong, is remembered in the Park, where the main event is held, by a suitably inscribed wooden bench.

Another is Steve Shaw, a member of Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment wounded in 1974 when the IRA blew up Sandes Home. After leaving the Army having completed his 22 years, Steve, like many others pressed on regardless not realising the impact that awful day was having on his life.

Fortunately Steve is surrounded by a loving family and by approaching Combat Stress they were able to ease some of Steve’s suffering. Steve with his wife Hilary and family for the past 6 years Steve has run a tombola stall and has a friendly competition within the Shaw family to see which generation raises the most money, somehow Steve always declares himself the winner. The money raised by the family’s effort are dived between the Arts Therapy Department of Combat Stress at Leatherhead, whilst the younger Shaw generation under the direction of Steve’s granddaughter Leonie, goes towards the Christmas boxes for the veterans who stay at leatherhead over Christmas. The Shaw family raised over £900.00

Mike Cornwell