1995 - Commemoration of VE Day, 50 Years On
A VE Day Celebration and Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of VE Day took place in the village on 7/8 May 1995. It comprised a service in St Mary's Church and an exhibition in the village hall
On Sunday 7 May 1995 an interdenominational National service was held at St Mary’s Church. Representatives of the Thurlow and Bradley branch of the British Legion, led by Standard Bearer, Mrs Pat Cook, were present. A wreath of poppies was hung in me Church, which was full for occasion. The Revd. Edmund Betts led the moving service. Ken Ireland, the organist, played the hymns at a fair pace and the congregation responded by singing gustily. It was a perfect sunny, warm May day, and the congregation was invited afterwards by Mr and Mrs Stephen Ryder for snacks and drinks in the garden of Great Bradley Hall. As if by design, Red Arrows flew overhead at the same time
THANKSGIVING FOR VICTORY
Order of Service 1945
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM - God save our gracious King
THE BIDDING
Brethren, we are met together on this day to pour out our hearts in fervent thanksgiving to the God and
Father of us all, and to dedicate ourselves afresh to the service of his Kingdom. We desire to thank him
for deliverance from the hand of our enemies; for the devotion, even to death, of those who for the five
years past have stood between us and slavery; and for the hopes of a better world for all his people. I
bid you, therefore, lift up your hearts that you may tell the praises of our God, and pray that his
wisdom may lead us, and his Spirit strengthen us, in the days that are to come.
HYMN - "Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven"
50th ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAY
Order of Service - Sunday 7th May 1995
HYMN - "Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven" '
THE BIDDING ;
We meet to give thanks to God, rejoicing that his thanksgiving is not ours alone, but shared by men and
women of goodwill across Europe, many of whom are sharing now in services like our own, some of
whom are gathered with our Queen in St Paul's Cathedral for the national service of Reconciliation,
Thanksgiving and Hope.
One of the greatest architects of victory. Sir Winston Churchill, said "In war, resolution; in defeat,
magnanimity; and in peace, goodwill." The last of these is predominant in our minds today.
Fifty years on, we who survived the War and those of us who are too young to remember, join together
in giving praise to God for what was achieved half-a-century ago. No-one can take that away from us.
There was blood and suffering, but there was glory too. This is now history. As a result, Europe has
had the matchless blessings of peace for fifty years.
So, our first motive for coming here today is one of thanksgiving. Devoutly and sincerely, we give
thanks to God for what was achieved. It ill behoves us simply to look backwards. We must look for
peace on earth for all people.
Our proclamation today is that we have a message of reconciliation for the whole world. Swords can
be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks and the worst of enemies can become the
firmest of friends. That is the situation as we see it in many parts of the world and in Europe in
particular. But we must not rest here: we go on in hope for the future.
Order of Service 1945
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM - God save our gracious King
THE BIDDING
Brethren, we are met together on this day to pour out our hearts in fervent thanksgiving to the God and
Father of us all, and to dedicate ourselves afresh to the service of his Kingdom. We desire to thank him
for deliverance from the hand of our enemies; for the devotion, even to death, of those who for the five
years past have stood between us and slavery; and for the hopes of a better world for all his people. I
bid you, therefore, lift up your hearts that you may tell the praises of our God, and pray that his
wisdom may lead us, and his Spirit strengthen us, in the days that are to come.
HYMN - "Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven"
50th ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAY
Order of Service - Sunday 7th May 1995
HYMN - "Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven" '
THE BIDDING ;
We meet to give thanks to God, rejoicing that his thanksgiving is not ours alone, but shared by men and
women of goodwill across Europe, many of whom are sharing now in services like our own, some of
whom are gathered with our Queen in St Paul's Cathedral for the national service of Reconciliation,
Thanksgiving and Hope.
One of the greatest architects of victory. Sir Winston Churchill, said "In war, resolution; in defeat,
magnanimity; and in peace, goodwill." The last of these is predominant in our minds today.
Fifty years on, we who survived the War and those of us who are too young to remember, join together
in giving praise to God for what was achieved half-a-century ago. No-one can take that away from us.
There was blood and suffering, but there was glory too. This is now history. As a result, Europe has
had the matchless blessings of peace for fifty years.
So, our first motive for coming here today is one of thanksgiving. Devoutly and sincerely, we give
thanks to God for what was achieved. It ill behoves us simply to look backwards. We must look for
peace on earth for all people.
Our proclamation today is that we have a message of reconciliation for the whole world. Swords can
be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks and the worst of enemies can become the
firmest of friends. That is the situation as we see it in many parts of the world and in Europe in
particular. But we must not rest here: we go on in hope for the future.
Stephen Ryder, of Great Bradley Manor cuts the cake
VJ Day (15 August) was commemorated in Great Bradley Village Hall on Sunday 20 August 1995 with a tea party from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm, when commemorative mugs were issued free to all children aged 16 and under and delivered afterwards to those not attending. It turned out to be one of the hottest days of all during this driest and hottest August since records began in 1727. There were plentiful supplies of sandwiches, savouries and cakes available but most of the 50 people present were more interested in quenching their thirst with gallons of tea and orange juice. This second tea party marked the end of the village's VE/VJ day 50th Commemoration
THE DAY
The Exhibition
The Exhibition from 10.00 am on the Bank Holiday Monday 8 May, with a tea party from 4-5 pm. A commemorative cake would be cut at 5.00 pm and wine would be provided later in the evening. The Parish Council agreed that anyone over the age of 16 would be able to purchase the mugs at cost price (£2.50). The mugs were to be presented at a tea party in the Village Hall on the Sunday of the VJ Day (50 years on).
Monday, 8 May 1995 was a Public Holiday, and so the B1061 road through the village was much quieter than usual. But on the hill at East Green, something was stirring that would make the VE Day Anniversary Exhibition memorable for the whole village. Murray Heam, of Bramblemere Farm, East Green, had some months before bought a Chieftain Battle Tank to play with in his spare time. Murray had agreed to bring the Chieftain down to the Village Hall as part of the Exhibition. Suffolk Police had been contacted by Tim Knight (a Special Constable), and were quite happy to allow Tim and another Special Constable to control the traffic on the main road for the few minutes that it would take to get the Tank from East Green to the Village Hall. Thus, at about 7.30 am, the peace of the village was shattered by the passage of the Chieftain from East Green, past the Church, then down the main road from the old Fox pub and round the comer by Rose Cottage. The sight and sound was impressive, and drew crowds out of the houses to watch as it thundered by.
Unfortunately, the sound it made as it rounded the bend before the Village Hall was immediately recognisable to anyone with mechanical knowledge as being that of a vehicle in neutral gear. Much to the embarrassment of Murray, and to the consternation of Tim Knight (who would have to report to his superiors at Police HQ), the transmission had broken, resulting in the main road being totally blocked when the Chieftain ground to a steadfast halt! The width of the machine was such that a small bicycle could just about get past, but anything else was totally out of the question. Whilst various people were engaged in getting the by now considerable queues of traffic turned round, Murray conducted an examination of the transmission and found that several huge bolts had sheared where the drive is taken from the engine to the gearbox, and concluded that there were two options - try to weld together the two plates where the bolts should have been, or call out the Royal Engineers from Waterbeach with their tank recovery equipment.
The Exhibition
The Exhibition from 10.00 am on the Bank Holiday Monday 8 May, with a tea party from 4-5 pm. A commemorative cake would be cut at 5.00 pm and wine would be provided later in the evening. The Parish Council agreed that anyone over the age of 16 would be able to purchase the mugs at cost price (£2.50). The mugs were to be presented at a tea party in the Village Hall on the Sunday of the VJ Day (50 years on).
Monday, 8 May 1995 was a Public Holiday, and so the B1061 road through the village was much quieter than usual. But on the hill at East Green, something was stirring that would make the VE Day Anniversary Exhibition memorable for the whole village. Murray Heam, of Bramblemere Farm, East Green, had some months before bought a Chieftain Battle Tank to play with in his spare time. Murray had agreed to bring the Chieftain down to the Village Hall as part of the Exhibition. Suffolk Police had been contacted by Tim Knight (a Special Constable), and were quite happy to allow Tim and another Special Constable to control the traffic on the main road for the few minutes that it would take to get the Tank from East Green to the Village Hall. Thus, at about 7.30 am, the peace of the village was shattered by the passage of the Chieftain from East Green, past the Church, then down the main road from the old Fox pub and round the comer by Rose Cottage. The sight and sound was impressive, and drew crowds out of the houses to watch as it thundered by.
Unfortunately, the sound it made as it rounded the bend before the Village Hall was immediately recognisable to anyone with mechanical knowledge as being that of a vehicle in neutral gear. Much to the embarrassment of Murray, and to the consternation of Tim Knight (who would have to report to his superiors at Police HQ), the transmission had broken, resulting in the main road being totally blocked when the Chieftain ground to a steadfast halt! The width of the machine was such that a small bicycle could just about get past, but anything else was totally out of the question. Whilst various people were engaged in getting the by now considerable queues of traffic turned round, Murray conducted an examination of the transmission and found that several huge bolts had sheared where the drive is taken from the engine to the gearbox, and concluded that there were two options - try to weld together the two plates where the bolts should have been, or call out the Royal Engineers from Waterbeach with their tank recovery equipment.
While the Heam brothers went back to East Green to get their mobile welding generator, a 150 hp tractor arrived courtesy of C.G. Read & Sons of Carlton and was attached to the front of the Chieftain with the view of towing it to a wider part of the road and thus allowing traffic past. Although there was a lot of revving and tyre smoke from the tractor, the tank moved not an inch. A second 150 hp tractor arrived courtesy of Thurlow Estate and, at last, with both tractors exerting maximum effort, the tank started to move - to the manifest relief of all concerned. One of the first vehicles to get past happened to be an RAC Recovery van, the driver of which resolutely looked the other way lest he be asked if he could be of assistance! Not withstanding that diesel fuel was leaking all around them, Murray and Barry Heam lay under the hull of the tank and managed to apply six beads of weld around the drive flange. With great trepidation, the engine was restarted, a gear was selected, and the tank. started to move. To great cheers from the assembled throng, the Chieftain was parked in the field gateway opposite Rose Cottage, as by common consent it was felt too much of a risk to try to get it into the Village Hall car park as originally planned. Throughout the rest of the day, Murray played host to the many visitors who wanted to look inside it, and there were many little boys and girls (of all ages) who dreamt that night that they were driving it. Although no-one would have wished for it to break down, the fact that it did certainly meant that the day will be remembered so much more by all the village. Luckily, the Heams' excellent welding allowed the main road to be clear by 10.30 am, in time for me start of the Exhibition, and the village was very grateful to Murray and his brothers for their efforts in bringing it for all to a successful conclusion
SOME OF THE EXHIBITORS AND HELPERS
Caroline Bennett
In 1940, when people were raiding things in short supply and resorting to using parachute silk for wedding dresses, Caroline was an apprentice fashion designer to Mr Ward of Edmund Place, Cheapside, who made clothes for the stars of Covent Garden. As material was naturally more readily available to the trade, Caroline was able to use pure silk and linen for her three indenture pieces, two of which were included in the Exhibition. Visitors were able to marvel at the exquisite stitching on a fully-lined, handmade blue silk evening dress. Every seam edge was oversown by hand, every single thread picked up with a minute stitch. The slip had French seams, all sown completely by hand, with a border of lace, invisibly joined. The third piece, an unlined green linen suit, also entirely
handmade, with each seam bound with narrow strips of silk lining material, has also survived to this day and is a further testament to extremely high standards of expertise.
Albert Carter (late uncle of Carol Durant)
Bom in Waltham Cross, Albert joined the army at me outbreak of War. He was in the Royal Artillery and was in Monty's Eighth Army, seeing active service in North Africa and in Italy. He was demobbed in 1945. Among the effects supplied by Carol were his medals which were still in the original cellophane packets. Also on display were his paybook, record of army service and a letter from Monty which was sent to all soldiers involved at El Alamein.
Don Coote
Don was in the Territorial Army for one year before War broke out, and he joined the regulars in 1939. In the Royal Artillery, he was based at Sudbury for three weeks and then Aldershot, Woolwich and Shoeburyness. Posted to coastal defence in Dover, he was active in a 9.2 inch gun crew. For the last two years of the War, he was in Gibraltar in the Governor's Guard, and was involved in searching people entering from Spain. Don's paybook, kitbag and various
photographs were on display at the Exhibition.
Ivy Coote
Ivy joined me ATS in 1943. After training in Leicester, she served as a radar range-finder tracking aircraft. She was part of a team on a rota covering 24 hour observation. Information from the radar screens was passed on to plotters who liaised with gunnery positions. Ivy tells of one incident during which a target was tracked and, after some excitement eventually turned out to be a balloon - it wasn't shot down!
Ted Coote (Joyce Potter's cousin) Ted was living in Great Bradley and joined the army in 1928 at the age of 16. In the Suffolk Regiment he did two months' training at the barracks in Bury St Edmunds, was transferred to the Wiltshire Regiment and sent to India in 1930. He returned home in 1931 when his father died and was then posted to Palestine. He was demobbed in 1936 and placed on reserve. Having married Margaret in 1939, he was called up and posted to India. In 1942, he was transferred to the Indian Army, was promoted to Sergeant and then posted to Burma where he served until VJ Day. He experienced release of prisoners from PoW camps. His brother Jack, also a Bradley boy, was a Japanese prisoner-of-war. Ted was demobbed after VJ Day, having served for 17 years. Ted's kitbag and several items of his uniform featured in the Exhibition.
Caroline Bennett
In 1940, when people were raiding things in short supply and resorting to using parachute silk for wedding dresses, Caroline was an apprentice fashion designer to Mr Ward of Edmund Place, Cheapside, who made clothes for the stars of Covent Garden. As material was naturally more readily available to the trade, Caroline was able to use pure silk and linen for her three indenture pieces, two of which were included in the Exhibition. Visitors were able to marvel at the exquisite stitching on a fully-lined, handmade blue silk evening dress. Every seam edge was oversown by hand, every single thread picked up with a minute stitch. The slip had French seams, all sown completely by hand, with a border of lace, invisibly joined. The third piece, an unlined green linen suit, also entirely
handmade, with each seam bound with narrow strips of silk lining material, has also survived to this day and is a further testament to extremely high standards of expertise.
Albert Carter (late uncle of Carol Durant)
Bom in Waltham Cross, Albert joined the army at me outbreak of War. He was in the Royal Artillery and was in Monty's Eighth Army, seeing active service in North Africa and in Italy. He was demobbed in 1945. Among the effects supplied by Carol were his medals which were still in the original cellophane packets. Also on display were his paybook, record of army service and a letter from Monty which was sent to all soldiers involved at El Alamein.
Don Coote
Don was in the Territorial Army for one year before War broke out, and he joined the regulars in 1939. In the Royal Artillery, he was based at Sudbury for three weeks and then Aldershot, Woolwich and Shoeburyness. Posted to coastal defence in Dover, he was active in a 9.2 inch gun crew. For the last two years of the War, he was in Gibraltar in the Governor's Guard, and was involved in searching people entering from Spain. Don's paybook, kitbag and various
photographs were on display at the Exhibition.
Ivy Coote
Ivy joined me ATS in 1943. After training in Leicester, she served as a radar range-finder tracking aircraft. She was part of a team on a rota covering 24 hour observation. Information from the radar screens was passed on to plotters who liaised with gunnery positions. Ivy tells of one incident during which a target was tracked and, after some excitement eventually turned out to be a balloon - it wasn't shot down!
Ted Coote (Joyce Potter's cousin) Ted was living in Great Bradley and joined the army in 1928 at the age of 16. In the Suffolk Regiment he did two months' training at the barracks in Bury St Edmunds, was transferred to the Wiltshire Regiment and sent to India in 1930. He returned home in 1931 when his father died and was then posted to Palestine. He was demobbed in 1936 and placed on reserve. Having married Margaret in 1939, he was called up and posted to India. In 1942, he was transferred to the Indian Army, was promoted to Sergeant and then posted to Burma where he served until VJ Day. He experienced release of prisoners from PoW camps. His brother Jack, also a Bradley boy, was a Japanese prisoner-of-war. Ted was demobbed after VJ Day, having served for 17 years. Ted's kitbag and several items of his uniform featured in the Exhibition.
Bill Cowans
Bill was called up into the Royal Air Force in September 1945 and returned to East Green to join his father in fanning after being demobbed in May 1948. He retired from the farm in October 1987 and was still living at East Green whilst this booklet was being compiled. He was first asked to contribute the article on Prisoners of War, but proved to be so good at the job that he was asked to write a "bit more", then "just a bit more", which he did uncomplainingly. He retired
from the Parish Council in 1995 after s pending 40 years in serving the community as a Councillor.
Les Keech (Marie Knight's father)
Les was an engineer at the outbreak of War and, as a result, his application to join the aimed forces was turned down. Subsequently, he joined the Special Constabulary and rose to the rank of inspector, continuing to serve in this capacity until the mid-1950's. For the VE Day Exhibition, he provided some of his own memorabilia, namely his handcuffs, truncheon, service medals and arm-band.
Tim Knight
Tim had various pieces of military memorabilia on display. He provided an extensive range of posters which were copies of those in common use during the War. These were displayed all around the Village Hall, adding to the overall impact of the Exhibition. Tim was also responsible for accurately labelling many of the dozens of exhibits. Following the Exhibition, Tim was accepted as a Police Constable with the Bedfordshire Constabulary, so perhaps his experience with
the Tank stood him in good stead after all!
Alan Wingfield
Alan is Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, and thanks are due to him for taking the superb black-and-white photographs of the Exhibition which are shown on the front cover and as a single page collage in the booklet. He also helped in setting up the exhibits, and will be long remembered for the struggle he had and the embarrassment he suffered before the Exhibition opened, when attempting to display Caroline Benett's slip and Aggie Beavis's wedding dress on the dummy female models
Bill was called up into the Royal Air Force in September 1945 and returned to East Green to join his father in fanning after being demobbed in May 1948. He retired from the farm in October 1987 and was still living at East Green whilst this booklet was being compiled. He was first asked to contribute the article on Prisoners of War, but proved to be so good at the job that he was asked to write a "bit more", then "just a bit more", which he did uncomplainingly. He retired
from the Parish Council in 1995 after s pending 40 years in serving the community as a Councillor.
Les Keech (Marie Knight's father)
Les was an engineer at the outbreak of War and, as a result, his application to join the aimed forces was turned down. Subsequently, he joined the Special Constabulary and rose to the rank of inspector, continuing to serve in this capacity until the mid-1950's. For the VE Day Exhibition, he provided some of his own memorabilia, namely his handcuffs, truncheon, service medals and arm-band.
Tim Knight
Tim had various pieces of military memorabilia on display. He provided an extensive range of posters which were copies of those in common use during the War. These were displayed all around the Village Hall, adding to the overall impact of the Exhibition. Tim was also responsible for accurately labelling many of the dozens of exhibits. Following the Exhibition, Tim was accepted as a Police Constable with the Bedfordshire Constabulary, so perhaps his experience with
the Tank stood him in good stead after all!
Alan Wingfield
Alan is Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, and thanks are due to him for taking the superb black-and-white photographs of the Exhibition which are shown on the front cover and as a single page collage in the booklet. He also helped in setting up the exhibits, and will be long remembered for the struggle he had and the embarrassment he suffered before the Exhibition opened, when attempting to display Caroline Benett's slip and Aggie Beavis's wedding dress on the dummy female models
Ron Pearson
Ron, who lives in Haverhill, provided an extensive exhibition of photographs of RAF Wratting Common, a local airfield which was operational from 1943 to 1946. Among the units operating from Wratting Common were 90 Squadron, flying Stirling bombers; 1651 Squadron, concerned with conversion training; and, finally, in October 1944, the newly-formed 195 Squadron, flying Lancaster bombers. There were many photographs of the aircraft with their flying crews. His exhibition also included a cut-out of a wooden soldier which had an interesting history. The soldier was given to a Belgian boy by a British soldier during the liberation of Belgium. Ron met the boy, now a priest, who presented him with the soldier during the recent 50th Anniversary of the Liberation held in Belgium. Other items included medals, copies of official documents issued during the War and other items of war-time memorabilia.
Queenie Rowlinson (nee Mills)
Queenie worked for Mr Custerson on the farm of Great Bradley Hall when she left school during the War, and worked alongside the Women's Land Army. At about age 15, she was transferred to general building construction work for the War Ministry at the Royal Air Force base at Wratting Common. One other most painful duties was to clear the personal effects from the living quarters of the men who did not return from bombing raids over Germany. After the War,
Queenie returned to work on the farm and married in 1955. She has lived in Great Bradley all her life, and was one of the people who was able to identify many of the Home Guard members.
Margaret Ryder
Mrs Ryder initially served in the No.l Scottish Motor Company (Glasgow), driving ambulances and staff cars, and continued driving ambulances for the Military Hospital at Dry-men - Buchanan Casue. She was then posted to the Motor Transport Training Centre (MTTC) at Camberley, Surrey as an instructor. A photograph in the Exhibition showed Mrs Ryder and others riding motor cycles. This picture was actually posed for "Picture Post" who were publishing an article on the Training Centre. The Centre, being a 'showpiece', was frequently visited by senior officers, and Mrs Ryder remembers visits by Field Marshalls Montgomery and Alexander, as well as Mary, the Princess Royal. As Princess Elizabeth, the Queen undertook a training course at Camberley but this was after Mrs Ryder had been posted to a new MTTC at Edinburgh. At this time, Mrs Ryder was a Company Sergeant Major. On the move again, she was posted to an Officer Cadet Training Unit. On completion of training she was posted to an Inverness unit which supplied an ambulance service to the Commander Training School at Achnacoury. Now Captain, she was posted to Ayr as Company Commander. Eventually, she was posted to the Middle East Training Centre at Gaza where she was the only British woman officer, the others being Jewish. At Gaza, she met a certain Major R S Ryder for the first time.
Stephen Ryder
Mr Ryder served in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and was assigned as Officer-in-Charge of the Middle East Training Centre at Gaza, Palestine. The Training Centre was concerned with courses in chemical warfare and flamethrowers, for senior officers. A photograph in the Exhibition showed Major Ryder, surrounded by high-ranking Officers, watching a demonstration in the desert. Presumably secrecy prevented the subject of the demonstration being shown.
Ron, who lives in Haverhill, provided an extensive exhibition of photographs of RAF Wratting Common, a local airfield which was operational from 1943 to 1946. Among the units operating from Wratting Common were 90 Squadron, flying Stirling bombers; 1651 Squadron, concerned with conversion training; and, finally, in October 1944, the newly-formed 195 Squadron, flying Lancaster bombers. There were many photographs of the aircraft with their flying crews. His exhibition also included a cut-out of a wooden soldier which had an interesting history. The soldier was given to a Belgian boy by a British soldier during the liberation of Belgium. Ron met the boy, now a priest, who presented him with the soldier during the recent 50th Anniversary of the Liberation held in Belgium. Other items included medals, copies of official documents issued during the War and other items of war-time memorabilia.
Queenie Rowlinson (nee Mills)
Queenie worked for Mr Custerson on the farm of Great Bradley Hall when she left school during the War, and worked alongside the Women's Land Army. At about age 15, she was transferred to general building construction work for the War Ministry at the Royal Air Force base at Wratting Common. One other most painful duties was to clear the personal effects from the living quarters of the men who did not return from bombing raids over Germany. After the War,
Queenie returned to work on the farm and married in 1955. She has lived in Great Bradley all her life, and was one of the people who was able to identify many of the Home Guard members.
Margaret Ryder
Mrs Ryder initially served in the No.l Scottish Motor Company (Glasgow), driving ambulances and staff cars, and continued driving ambulances for the Military Hospital at Dry-men - Buchanan Casue. She was then posted to the Motor Transport Training Centre (MTTC) at Camberley, Surrey as an instructor. A photograph in the Exhibition showed Mrs Ryder and others riding motor cycles. This picture was actually posed for "Picture Post" who were publishing an article on the Training Centre. The Centre, being a 'showpiece', was frequently visited by senior officers, and Mrs Ryder remembers visits by Field Marshalls Montgomery and Alexander, as well as Mary, the Princess Royal. As Princess Elizabeth, the Queen undertook a training course at Camberley but this was after Mrs Ryder had been posted to a new MTTC at Edinburgh. At this time, Mrs Ryder was a Company Sergeant Major. On the move again, she was posted to an Officer Cadet Training Unit. On completion of training she was posted to an Inverness unit which supplied an ambulance service to the Commander Training School at Achnacoury. Now Captain, she was posted to Ayr as Company Commander. Eventually, she was posted to the Middle East Training Centre at Gaza where she was the only British woman officer, the others being Jewish. At Gaza, she met a certain Major R S Ryder for the first time.
Stephen Ryder
Mr Ryder served in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and was assigned as Officer-in-Charge of the Middle East Training Centre at Gaza, Palestine. The Training Centre was concerned with courses in chemical warfare and flamethrowers, for senior officers. A photograph in the Exhibition showed Major Ryder, surrounded by high-ranking Officers, watching a demonstration in the desert. Presumably secrecy prevented the subject of the demonstration being shown.