Potteries & District - REME Association

Scribe Maurice Hope, Photo’s John Hubbert

Unfortunately, the month started on a sad note with the passing of our branch Vice President (23503879 Cpl) Malcolm Caddick. His Obituary is in this edition of the Craftsman. He passed away on Wednesday July 6th in the Haywood Hospital in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, aged 86.

His health had slowly declined following a stroke several years ago, and recently with widespread cancer.

Malcolm served in the Corps from September 1957 until January 1960, in the trade of Recovery Mechanic, and served his entire National Service with the 4th Guards Brigade at Wuppertal in British Army On the Rhine (BAOR). He had been a very valued and strong member of the branch since 2002 making him the longest serving branch member, who in his time had held most of the Branch Committee posts.

His funeral took place at the Carmountside Crematorium on Wednesday 27th of July, with a much larger than expected turnout from the branch members and their other halves. Members lined the Chapel entrance and paid their final respects to one of our own.

By far the busiest member of the branch in the past few weeks has been our Standard Bearer Gil Mould who has paraded our Standard far and wide. On Tuesday 14th of June he attended the Cenotaph service in Stoke to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, at which a wreath from the Branch was also laid.

On Saturday 25th of June he was at the nearby Borough of Newcastle under Lyme to celebrate Armed Forces Day. The following day Sunday 26th he was at the City of Stoke Armed Forces Day with the remainder of the Branch. On Saturday the 9th of July he represented the Corps at the annual Parade and Drumhead service at the National Memorial Arboretum for the Arborfield Old Boys Association (Army Apprentices).

Tuesday 14th of June saw the

Branch members at the Stoke Armed Forces Day Branch wreath in Corps Colours

Saluting - Last respects to one of our own

Branch monthly lunch goers enjoy their pre-booked lunch at The Ship in Teanford near Cheadle in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Our lunch venue for July was held on Tuesday 12th at a new venue for the Branch, “Charlie Bassetts” pub and restaurant in the country village of Dilhorne, again a Moorlands venue which can be thoroughly recommended to anyone visiting the nearby Alton Towers theme park.

With a full four months to go, the Branch is looking forward to our annual Christmas Dinner, which we will again be holding in the Bentley Room of the Double Tree by Hilton, Festival Park, Etruria, the building which was originally the home of the Master Potter Josiah Wedgwood, and what is now the premium hotel in the City.