Royal Naval Association Bexhill Branch

The chairman shipmate Eric Woodhouse opened the meeting at eight bells, rung on our own ship's bell. In his address the chairman gave details of the parades for the Battle of Britain, Trafalgar and Remembrance Day, he asked shipmates to attend if at all possible. Due to the age and infirmities of our shipmates we are unable to provide a squad to march from Devonshire Square on Remembrance Day so shipmates will muster at the Cenotaph. At the recent committee meeting the committee accepted a proposal that our retired secretary Phil Humphries should be asked to accept the post of honorary president of the Bexhill branch, in recognition of his service to the branch over the past years. Phil has said that he is happy to accept the post.

After our customary stand easy to refill glasses the chairman welcomed our speaker Wing Commander Patrick Coulcher, RAF (Retd). In his talk entitled 'In the Footsteps of Scott and Shackleton (South Pole)' , Patrick gave an insight into the early lives of these two great Antarctic explorers. Supported by many slides he gave details of Scott's Discovery expedition of 1901 on which Shackleton joined Scott, Shackleton's Nimrod expedition 1907 and the Endurance expedition 1914-1916. Many of the slides were of photos taken at the time by the expedition photographer Frank Hurley and showed Endurance trapped and sunk by the ice.

He concluded his very interesting and informative talk with details and slides of the modest semi-detached Edwardian house in Eastbourne which was for some years the home of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his family.

The meeting ended with the result of the ship identification quiz and the monthly raffle. Our next meeting is on Monday, September 22 when Malcolm Pratt will give a talk on Early Winchelsea.

If you have had any Naval connections, Royal or Merchant, why not consider joining the Bexhill branch of the Royal Naval Association for the camaraderie and fellowship that it provides. Please telephone 01424 219035 for details.