WRAC Association South & South West Area

Chairman:  Major (Retired) Mack Maskens-McIntyre

Secretary:  Mrs J Ford

Bournemouth Branch

Chairman: Mrs Elizabeth Tucker

Secretary: Ms Val Wright

Bournemouth celebrated Armed Forces Week, starting with a flag-raising ceremony outside the Town Hall, followed by refreshments in the Mayor’s Parlour. There is a draw amongst all the representatives of local military organisations for the person to perform the flag raising. This year our branch member, Merville Pidgeon, was drawn. She duly raised the flag and at the end of the week she was invited to the Town hall to receive the flag to keep.

On 3rd July nine members of the branch enjoyed a most memorable day at the South & South West Area Reunion hosted by Plymouth Branch with guest speaker The Rt Hon Anne Widdecombe. I am sure that this will be covered elsewhere in this issue. Back at home in July Branch members enjoyed a Cream Tea in our regular meeting place, which avoided the problems of minibus travel previously experienced, Merville brought the Armed Forces flag along.

In October we had a visit from WO2 Gail North and Cpl Becky Potts, both AGC, from Blandford. They had transferred from the Royal Corps of Signals to the AGC. They kept us spellbound with their accounts of the life of a woman in the Army today, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as exercises in Canada and Kenya. They were both very interested to hear about how life was in the ATS and the WRAC. Plans are now being made for a group from our branch to visit Blandford Camp next year.

We are now looking forward to our Christmas lunch on 14th December when 25 members will be dining, many overcoming mobility and other problems to be there. By the time this is published we shall be well into 2012 and we wish a very happy and healthy year to all Association members.