D DAY VETERANS WEEKEND OCT 05
What a weekend! On the Fri, at the Maid’s Head Hotel, members of the 1st Bn D-Day Veterans Assocn welcomed Veterans staying there.
A grand exhibition of paintings, prints, uniforms and all types of memorabilia was put on display courtesy of the Veterans at the TA Centre in Norwich on the Saturday, open to the public. Someone had even brought a Dispatch Riders Motorbike and an American Jeep. There were many exhibit tables and in excess of two hundred people crossed the threshold to wonder around and chat to the old veterans themselves.
An excellent meat and salad buffet was produced by Gwyneth Bisset (ex A Coy Chef) and all the veterans and a few others tucked into a delicious lunch. Lunch was served in the big garage in the hope that it would bring back a few memories of eating wherever one could during the D Day Landings. On the Sunday there was a visit to the Muckleburgh Collection.

 
From left: Bill Holden MBE, ?,? and Capt John Lincoln MC by a WW2 Dispatch Riders Motorbike; ? and Bob Moy; ? and ? in original kit

The Norfolk Editor was honoured to be invited to the ‘Grand Farewell Dinner’ on Sun 2 Oct 05, at the TA Centre, Norwich, to mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of WW2 and the granting by the City of Norwich on 3 Oct 1945: ‘conferring on the R Norfolk Regt the privilege, honour and distinction of marching through the City on all ceremonial occasions with bayonets fixed, colours flying and bands playing’. Masterminded by Bill Holden MBE and Capt John Lincoln MC, many civic and military notables were among the 100 present, including: Maj Gen John Sutherell CB CBE; The Rt Hon Dr Ian Gibson MP; The Lord Mayor of Norwich Cllr Michael Banham; The Revd Canon Bill Sayer; Maj Bob Rogers OC A (Norfolk and Suffolk) Coy, EER; Ms Kate Claxton; Steve Snelling; Thieu Vincent (Helmond Vrienden) and Mme Leparquier (Normandy). Nigel Bird presided; Capt Tam Steele PSAO A (Norfolk and Suffolk) Coy, EER, was MC; A Coy The East of England Regt manned the bar and ‘2 Plus One’ provided entertainment with nostalgic songs of WW2. Gen John gave an update on the R Anglian Regt, adding ‘Today’s Regular and TA Bns carry on with your traditions. We try to live up to what you achieved. 250 TA soldiers from the East of England Regt served on operations in the last 2 years.’ Two on the 1945 Freedom Parade were present, Stan Wiseman and Capt John Lincoln MC, who carried the Regimental Colour - right.
[B&C 105]

 
The invitation and the Freedom text (and see B&C 85 Dec 95

From left: George Hall 2nd Bn, Ron Needham 6th Bn and George Osborne 1st and 2nd Bns; Kate Thaxton and Bob Moy; Lord Mayor and Nigel Bird;
Bob Moy and Capt John Lincoln MC, Bill Holden MBE and Steve Snelling; Lucy Best and Nevil Griffin

From left: Revd Canon Bill Sayer, Mrs Jean and Capt John Lincoln MC; George Osborne 1st and 2nd Bns and Rosie;
Maj Gen John Sutherell CB CBE, The Rt Hon Dr Ian Gibson MP and The Lady Mayoress Mrs Carolyn Fenn;
Capt Tam Steele, Mrs Ann and Maj Bob Rogers; Vrienden; Table 6