Our Annual Northumberland Hussars Newsletter

Northumberland Hussars - Queen's Own Yeomanry

2024 Newsletter

Honorary Colonel's Musings

Colonel Nigel Wyrley-Birch

It has been a successful year all round for the serving Squadron. I was present at an RFCA event recently where D (NH) Squadron QOY were held up as an example of how to recruit, retain and achieve near full strength, which made me very proud. Well deserved comments too from the Lord Lieutenant to the Squadron at the recent certificate awards ceremony at Tynemouth. So, congratulations are due to all the Officers, Senior Ranks and soldiers of D Squadron for their achievements this past year.

I cannot believe that five years could pass so quickly, which means that it is time for me to hand the reigns over to my successor. It is just a matter of formality before Col Tom Fairfax is gazetted and I know that he is looking forward to serving the Squadron and Old Comrades as your Honorary Colonel. For me, I have enjoyed immensely the past five years, and it has been an honour for me to represent D Squadron and The Northumberland Hussars in the role of Honorary Colonel.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the forthcoming annual dinner, it promises to be an enjoyable event as ever.

Association Report

Mr Peter Bates

As I sit and put some words to paper, I think about how much has changed, especially in the Military from my days as boy soldier in 1965 (yes, I was young once), to joining the QOY in 1979. But one thing that remains constant is that the friendships you make during your career are for life.

That's why the Association is still a vital part of the Regiment, both for ex-serving and current serving members.

The NH Association is still in good health. I read recently that, in general, Regimental Associations are struggling to survive, with less people leaving the service and choosing to join their association. We, on the other hand, are lucky that the majority of our members are in the North East, and we tend to have a hard core of attendees at functions. But we must not become complacent. I know the Squadron are big supporters of the association and, whenever possible, encourage serving members to attend functions, and also send out invites to the association for any functions that they hold.

Over the past year we have held the following functions. C Sqn socials on 22nd March and 11th October 2023 and 27th March 2024. Thanks to Alan Norman for organising these. Sadly, the numbers are getting less and less. But still good to see people making the effort to attend. We still celebrate Yeomanry Day. I try to arrange this on the closest Saturday to the 1st of April.

I, along with a few from the Association attended a very interesting and informative talk about the NH in Crete. Dave is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the Regiment.

July 2023 saw us hold our annual association dinner; we sat down about 50 members. An excellent dinner was provided and thanks to the Squadron for helping to set. I know there have been a few issues regarding the dinner. Unfortunately, we now have to rely on outside caterers and no longer have the luxury of utilising the Squadron chefs. That, unfortunately, is why the cost of the dinner has risen.

Our last surviving Second World War veteran, Bill Siddle, passed away on 15th January 2024. The last of that extraordinary group of individuals who served the Regiment so well, creating a reputation and a legacy that was, to quote a very famous man “second to none”. His funeral, on 1st February at Leitholm Kirk, was attended by a considerable number of family and friends and a number of members of the Regimental Association.

I would finally like to thank the Squadron for their help and support. As with all associations, they would not function without the committee. I am very lucky in having a very supportive one. In particular, I thank the Honorary Colonel, Nigel Wyrley Birch, for his advice and guidance and Dave Weatherstone, the secretary, who does an outstanding job. Thanks to everyone who assists in ensuring that the committee runs smoothly. Alan Lindsley, a long serving member, has stepped down from the committee and I would like to thank Alan for his support and advice. Another long serving member, Ricky Kirkcaldy has also stepped down after finding it increasingly hard to attend meetings. My thanks to Ricky for his support. In their place we have three new members, Shaun Pearson, Darren Murray and Chris Scudder. Welcome to the committee. Ramsay Ord has now handed over the PRI account to Andrew Short. Thanks to Ramsay for running the PRI for some considerable time.

Looking forward to our next annual dinner on the 6th of July. Hope to see a good turnout.

D (Northumberland Hussars) Squadron - Queen's Own Yeomanry

Major Martyn West

This year has seen the Queen's Own Yeomanry (QOY) work towards our commitment to the Warfighting Increment (WFI) in line with the current direction of Future Soldier. This effort has not been carried out in isolation and thanks must be given to the other members of the Army Reserve Light Cavalry family for their assistance. Concentrating on becoming qualified for role has not detracted from the usual stuff you would expect the Yeomanry to be involved in and below will give you a taste of what 2023 has been like for the QOY.

Although it felt like the whole of the Armed Forces were part of GOLDEN ORB, for the QOY it was special. HM The King has a long affiliation with the QOY, having been our Royal Honorary Colonel until the latest round of changes this year, when the Duchess of Edinburgh took over.

This year has been predominantly about qualifying for role. As a Light Cavalry soldier that role involves Dismounted as well as Mounted Close Combat skills. In the spring the QOY utilised the ability to train on private land to organise a Dismounted Close Combat exercise in the area surrounding Bamborugh castle in Northumbria. The weekend involved rehersals of basic skills followed by orders for a raid to be carried out in the vicinity of the castle. This involved an incursion march, recce of the targets followed by a dawn attack.

A number of issues outside the control of the Regiment often hamper the ability to train on JACKAL. The virtual environment ensures that Mounted Close Combat training can continue. The virtual environment this year has been delivered through our own organic Virtual Battle Suite 2 (VBS2) and iCAVS, a virtual solution delivered by Elbit Systems through an MOD contract.

In September the QOY assisted the Scottish and Northern Irish Yeomanry (SNIY) with a large scale courses camp designed to improve trade qualifications. All the courses attracted maximum participation with the net result being a marked improvement on deployability statistics.

The Nicholson Cup was presented to Trooper Zach Thompson before he left the Sqn to join the 1st Royal Tank Regiment.

Over a long weekend from the 13th to 16th October 2023, D Sqn (Northumberland Hussars), Queens Own Yeomanry set off to Normandy with the aim of following the exploits of the Northumberland Hussars during the D-Day Campaigns, along with other RAC units. Prior to departure, the Sqn were briefed by Dave Weatherstone on the Hussars leading up to this stage of the war. Their participation in the North Africa campaign, and for many, their capture in Crete. Dave's presentation was nothing less than outstanding with his attention to detail being something many of the troops talked about during the time in France.

Discovery Museum Charge! - The Story of England's Northern Cavalry

David Weatherstone

It has been a busy year at the Charge! gallery, with a full and varied programme of events. On June 6th 2023 we were honoured to host a visit from the French Deputy Consul General to the UK, M. Jean-Charles Ledot. He was given a short presentation on the 13th/18th Hussars and their Duplex Drive tanks and then toured the gallery. In saying a few words, he expressed the gratitude of the French people to those who gave, and those who risked their lives in the cause of freedom.

The Light Dragoons invited our small team of volunteers to Catterick in June, where we met some soldiers, toured the camp and were treated to a splendid lunch in the Officer's Mess. To round the day off we were shown some of the wonderful historic artefacts on show in the Mess. It was a really special day, and we are extremely grateful to the Regiment for the invitation. We returned the hospitality and were pleased to welcome a number of groups from the Light Dragoons to the museum over the next six months or so.

As a prelude to the Squadron Battlefield Tour to Normandy I delivered a presentation at Fenham on the Regiment's fine Second World War record. It was a real pleasure for me to be able to give this talk to serving members. I was delighted by their interest in the subject. By all accounts the tour was a huge success, and there were certainly a number of great photographs posted on the Group Facebook page.

As I write this, the exciting news for this year is that, to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D Day, the temporary exhibition space in the gallery will feature the Northumberland Hussars. With a working title of “Alamein to the Rhine”, the exhibition will run until October, and feature stories, individuals and artefacts from 1939-1945.

It is always a great pleasure for me to meet members of the public who have had fathers and grandfathers serve in the Regiment, and I get a real kick out of being able to tell them something of their relative's service. Invariably there is something that I learn from them, which makes it a win-win situation. In particular, it is always great to get copies of photos where the individuals are named, as we have so many where this is not the case.

There are a number of people to thank for their help over the past year. Maj Maling-Dunn, the Squadron Leader, and Tom Moran, the SSM, have been instrumental in encouraging closer ties between the Squadron and the museum, and I thank them sincerely for that. We wish the Squadron Leader the very best for the future as he hands over the reins this year. In the museum, my thanks as always to Alisdair Wilson and Bobbi, the curator for their help and guidance, and last, but by no means least, to my follow volunteers Stephen, Alan and, a welcome newcomer to the team, Richard. Richard is a sword expert, which has come in very useful when trying to give the impression that I know what I'm talking about. Alan, who many of you will know, has not been in the best of health lately, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Finally, as always, if you have any comments or questions do not hesitate to contact me at weatherstoned101@gmail.com

Exercise Normandy Noodle October 2023

Sgt. Ben Stobbs

Over a long weekend 13th to 16th October 2023. D Sqn (Northumberland Hussars), Queens Own Yeomanry set off to Normandy with the aim to follow the exploits of the Northumberland Hussars during the D-Day Campaigns along with other RAC units.

Prior to departure the Sqn were briefed by Dave Wetherstone on the Hussars leading up to this stage of the war. Their participation in the North Africa campaign and for many their capture in Crete. Dave's presentation was nothing less than outstanding with his attention to detail being something many of the troops talked about during the time in France.

On the 13th of October the Sqn met at Fenham Barracks whereas always Bev still failed to be on time. The Sqn set off for Portsmouth for the overnight ferry to Caen. Once onboard as good recce soldiers always do we found the bar and got settled for the evening. At 0530 the Sqn was woken in preparation to depart.

The first stop on the trip was Sword Beach. Although not part of NHs Normandy campaign it provided a great stop and a time to set the scene. We arrived before dawn and the troops conducted their briefing about the action that happened on D-Day. As the briefing happened the sun rose and gave the troops a real time to reflect on what it must have been like to be both on the British and German side as the largest flotilla in history appeared on the horizon and unleashed the power of their guns, followed by the assaulting troops.

From here we moved towards Horner and Pegasus bridge where were spent time talking about some of the pre-action needed to enable troops to get off the beach and stop any form of counter offensive on the eastern flank. We paused for a moment to reflect on the first death on D-Day, a Lieutenant Herbert Denham Brotheridge who was killed during the landing of gliders.

The next stop was onto Merville Battery under the umbrella of pre-action. Merville Battery was a heavily fortified position that could easily reach both the beaches and the ships at sea with its 150mm guns. The assault on Merville was conducted by the 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment who set off with 750 men and only arrived at their target with 150 men to assault the battery. The fighting was heavy and reduced the survivors down to 75 when finally taken and put out of action.

Final stop for the first day was St Pierre. Thanks to Dave Weatherstones knowledge we were able to take the troops to Point 103 where the NH were involved in some heavy fighting and in many ways stood the ground while their infantry counterparts lost their heads. We paid our respects at the Cemetry close by which had NH troops buried there. Some of which had been written up due to their acts of heroism up until that point.

The following day we set of for Arromache where we were briefed by the troops on the importance of the town, the mulberry harbour and the role it played pushed the troops deeper into France on their way to Berlin.

As part of the visit to Arromache the troops were able to visit the new memorial to the British and had a chance to see

Finally we dedicated some time to the efforts of the americans on D-Day. We visited Omaha, some of the fortifications that still exist. While along that part of the coast we visited the American Cemetry to compare it to that of the British and Commonwealth War Graves. Its pristine and exact in how its laid out and allows a real chance to see the numbers sacrificed in Normandy.

Second to last stop was Pointe Du Hoc. This was the American's pre-action. Whereas we took Merville Battery their Rangers were tasked with taking Pointe Du Hoc to give their troops and ships a chance of getting to the beaches. The rangers very much like the Paras ran into numerous issues and their cliff face assault proved more difficult than expected. Losing numerous men and finding out the guns had been moved and meant that the mission had to adapt and push in a different direction.

finally the normandy trip was rounded off with a visit to the Bayeaux War Graves and a chance to pay our final respects before the recovery back to the UK that night.

In Memoriam 2023-2024

Since the last newsletter we have been notified of the deaths of the following members. We extend our deepest sympathy to the relatives and friends of:

Joe Thackray, Charles Barton, Ms G E Rose, Stephen Pickard, Stephen Best, Maj Geoffrey Barkes TD, Ronald Brown, Maj Alan Bulman, Capt Nigel Pease, John Hendry, Bill Siddle, Capt Mark Scott.

Obituary - Joseph William 'Bill' Siddle

Joseph William 'Bill' Siddle was born in Jarrow on 15 April 1920, to parents Robert and Sarah. Robert, a licensee, served in the Northumberland Hussars in the Great War and was wounded in the 1st Battle of Ypres in October 1914 and invalided home.

Leaving school at 15, Bill combined an apprenticeship at Reyrolle, Hebburn with membership of the Northumberland Hussars boy's regiment as a bugler. He joined the NH proper in 1937. On the outbreak of war, he volunteered immediately despite being in a reserved occupation.

April 1941 saw the Northumberland Hussars in Greece, as part of the British and Commonwealth forces sent to assist the Greek troops in the defense of their homeland. As the situation started to deteriorate, they suffered a long and costly rearguard action. On 26th April on Rafina Beach near Athens, along with the rest of 1st Armoured Brigade, they waited to be evacuated. Early the following morning they were taken off the beach by the Destroyer, HMS Havoc.

As Bill Siddle clambered up a scramble net onto HMS Havoc in the early hours of 28th April 1941, a sailor suggested he might find it a bit easier if he threw his precious Bren gun away, saying “You won't need that”

“If you throw that over, you'll follow it!” was Bill's reply.

It was to prove a futile gesture as the subsequent battle for Crete depended upon more than a solitary Bren gun. Muddled tactics and poor communication contributed to the Allied failure to consolidate a promising start to the campaign, and the situation deteriorated quickly. The result was a shambolic retreat to the south of the island and capitulation by over 12,000 troops, including 215 Northumberland Hussars.

The debacles of Greece and Crete resulted in four years of captivity in a small work camp that was part of Stalag IVA, north east of Dresden in Germany. Bill worked in a coal mine, which ensured that at least one of the two great ordeals of captivity, hunger and boredom, was avoided. As the tide of war turned and the Russians approached from the east the prisoners were told to start packing, and, on waking one morning, the guards had gone. The prisoners started to walk westwards, until a Russian truck picked them up and delivered them to an American Army base, from where they were very quickly sent home.

Before the war Bill had met Margaret Leonard, and they were married in August 1945. Brian, their only son, was born in December 1946. He rejoined the Regiment in 1947 and served until 1963, when he retired as SSM ‘B' Sqn. He was part of the escort when the Duke of Northumberland presented the Regiment with its new Guidon on September 30th 1961.

Bill retired from Reyrolle's in 1980 and he and Margaret moved up to Leitholm, in the borders, to be near Brian and his family. An extremely proud Noodle, he continued to keep in touch with the Regiment, attending ‘C' Sqn events in Ashington, annual dinners in Fenham Barracks, and Remembrance Day parades.

Our last surviving Second World War veteran, Bill passed away on 15th January 2024. The last of that extraordinary group of individuals who served the Regiment so well, creating a reputation and a legacy that was, to quote a very famous man “second to none”. His funeral, on 1st February at Leitholm Kirk, was attended by a considerable number of family and friends and a number of members of the Regimental Association.

I am indebted to Bill's son, Brian, for his help in compiling this tribute. Brian has been a great friend of the Regiment for many years, which I have no doubt will continue in the future.

Bill (left), at the Presentation of the Regimental Guidon in 1961

Remembrance Sunday 2023

May 2024