Each year at the time of Armistice the Defence Policing College holds a short remembrance parade in commemoration of those who have given their lives in the service of their country as members of the armed forces. It is held in the quadrangle outside of The Service Police Memorial Church in Southwick Park, just along the road from our Association Museum, and wreaths are laid at each respective service memorial cenotaph. For the last five years I have had the honour of parading the Association Standard at this event with the appropriate ceremonial responses to the last post and reveille, and this year was no exception.
The Association wreath which is ordinarily laid by our President David Lodrick was this year laid by our Association Patron Vice Admiral Sir Alan Massey and it was an honour to have him with us on this occasion, for which we are grateful. On completion we took the opportunity to host him to lunch in the Officers mess, along with representatives of the Camp Commandant and the other two service police forces.
Thanks to the efforts of Willie Dick, our Museum Curator, David Lodrick our Association President, and Lieutenant Commander Michelle Thompson RN, the College Executive Officer and Senior Naval Police Officer on site, we have forged an excellent and very cooperative relationship with the College which benefits all ends of our spectrum from the newly trained Leading Hands (Police) through to veterans support through the Museums’ role in protecting our legacy. The Association is truly grateful to all involved.
The picture captures the event on the day, and features Admiral Massey, Lieutenant Commander Thompson, David Lodrick, Willie Dick, and me.
Nigel J Carpenter
Chairman, RB&RNP Association
