Remembrance Sunday

Interviews

Douglas Radcliffe MBE

Douglas is Secretary of the Bomber Command Association based at the RAF Museum in Hendon, North London. During the second world war, Douglas was a wireless operator and air gunner in Bomber Command, taking part in missions over North Africa. He has taken an active role in the three-year campaign for a memorial to the 55,573 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives in World War II. The memorial, currently under construction, will be situated in London’s Green Park.

For more information about Bomber Command, see links section.

Kate Whittaker

Kate Whittaker plays saxophone and guitar with the Band of The Parachute Regiment, based in Colchester. She auditioned for the Corps of Army Music three weeks before her brother, Private Joe Whittaker, was killed in Afghanistan, in June 2008. Joe was with the 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment when he was killed by an improvised explosive device while serving in Helmand as part of the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment Battle Group. Joe had encouraged Kate to join the Band of the Parachute Regiment and Kate felt strongly, after his death, that it would be the right thing to do so. Very soon after joining, the Band went to Afghanistan – a meaningful experience for Kate. While she was there, she visited the memorial Joe’s colleagues had built in his memory.

For more information about the Band of The Parachute Regiment see links section.

The song, which Kate composed for her brother’s funeral, is on the CD of The Band of The Parachute Regiment.
When Poppies Fall: A Service of Remembrance

Available from - see links section.


16 Air Assault Brigade, Colchester.
Private Karl Clutton, Sgt Jay Healey, Lance Corp Dave Goth and Lance Corp Beth Boydon took part in recent tours of Afghanistan with the 16 Air Assault Brigade. The four men spoke of their faith, which had sustained them during the tour. 16 Air Assault Brigade is the British Army’s rapid reaction force, combining the speed and agility of airborne and air assault troops with the potency of Apache attack helicopters. Its name is derived from the 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions, which saw distinguished service during the Second World War. The brigade, which has its headquarters in Colchester, is the British Army’s largest brigade with 8,000 soldiers. As Task Force Helmand, 16 Air Assault Brigade deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan between October 2010 and April 2011 on Op HERRICK 13. During the tour 22 soldiers were killed, including 3 Danish soldiers serving with the brigade.

Royal British Legion – 90th Anniversary
The Royal British Legion was formed on 15 May 1921 bringing together four national organisations of ex-servicemen that had established themselves after the Great War of 1914-1918, in response to the needs of ex servicemen and their families. The main purpose of the Legion was to care for those who had suffered as a result of service in the Armed Forces in the Great War. Many men found that they were no longer able to earn a living as a result of being wounded in the war, and many war widows struggled to provide for their families. These four national organizations were brought together by Tom Lister and Field Marshall Earl Douglas Haig, who were moved by the suffering they saw. Eventually, out of these four organizations, in 1921, the Royal British Legion was born.

For more information about the Royal British Legion, see the links section.

Kirianne Curley
Kirianne’s husband Steve was a Royal Marine who was killed in 2010 in Afghanistan, leaving Kirianne with a 17 weeks old baby. Since Steve’s death, Kirianne has been supported in numerous ways by her local branch of the Royal British Legion. She and her son have been sent on a much-needed holiday, which the Legion paid for, and Kirianne has been given support and legal help during the inquest into Steve’s death. Kirianne feels strongly that people need to know that the Royal British Legion is an organisation which provides practical support to the war wounded and war widows of today’s conflicts, and not just those affected by the Second world war. She is now an active campaigner for the British Legion!