Branch History
A few years ago I logged onto the R.M.A London website and started sending the odd e-mail to and fro. After a while I thought it would be a good idea to form an R.M.A in Arbroath. Due to being on the committee of the Arbroath Royal British Legion Scotland and doing a lot of committee work the task of trying to form an Arbroath Branch of the R.M.A fell by the wayside. After a while I tried getting information and contact numbers but information was short coming. At the end of the day I received a phone number by e-mail but just did not have much spare time at all to organise something. I went and spoke to another former Royal, Del Delgarno who runs the Millgate Bar in Arbroath who put my e-mail in the hands of WO1 R.S. Craig, RSM of 45 Commando R.M. He had the amount of time and resources to get things up and running, within no time at all, meetings were organised within the Arbroath Branch of the R.B.L.S and on the 7th October 2003 the East of Scotland Branch was formed.
Mr. Rocky Farnworth Chairman of the Northern Branch and Mr. Lawrence Audley Treasurer Northern Branch officiated over the forming ceremony. All credit for getting things up and running goes to former RSM Mr. Russ Craig, but its a credit to all the Former Royals up in the Arbroath area who wanted and support the Arbroath East of Scotland Branch. I am sure all the Former Royals in the Arbroath area appreciate and will support the East of Scotland Branch R.M.A for a long time to come. We successfully dedicated our standard at R.M Condor on Saturday 3rd July 2004 in the presence of VIPs Maj Gen A F Whitehead CB DSO and Sherriff Norrie Stein. The branch, which at the time numbered a strength of around 150, welcomed guests to a packed Bewley Hall in Condor and with music provided by the Arbroath Instrumental Band, branch Chaplain the Reverend A M Begg, conducted a moving service which included the hymns Praise My Soul The King of Heaven and Eternal Father. The branch standard was carried by former WO2 Mike (George) Mechin and escorted by the Queens Colour and Branch Standards of the Royal British Legion Scotland (Arbroath Branch) and many R.M.A Standards from the Northern region and other Areas.
Later, by dodging a couple of un-welcome cloud bursts at the critical moment, we enjoyed a superb march past led by a local pipe band and wreaths were laid by Mrs Tiggy Whitehead at the memorial immediately in front of Cdo HQ (Gen Whitehead was CO 45 Cdo during Op Corporate in the Falklands). The CO, Adjt and RSM 45 Cdo were in attendance throughout and the occasion concluded with a splendid lunch, not forgetting lashings of ale. Afterwards we all either went back to the Cairnie Bar or to the Royal British Legion for more stories, ale and food, (not necessarily in that order). We must thank all the other R.M.A Branches who sent their members and Standards to the dedication of our Standard. It was a memorable occasion, Thanking you all for all the spare time you gave to attend.
