Military

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

Bideford’s waterfront on the River Torridge

seldom fails to offer something of interest to see, and this week it has been more than usually interesting with a visit by the Army hovercraft on three weeks of exercised in the Bristol Channel area.

Our photograph show its first visit at the weekend, with one of the helicopters of RAF Chivenor doing its own kind of hovering overhead.

This is the first time an Army hovercraft has operated in the Bristol Channel, and exercises will extend across to South Wales.

The craft is 39ft by 24ft, has a top speed of 60 knots and a four-hour cruising range. It is powered by a Bristol-Siddely Gnome gas turbine of 900 shaft-horse power, and has radar and radio.

Arrangements were made for representatives of local authorities to be taken for trips around the Taw and Torridge estuary on the hovercraft.

Gazette article dated 13 October 1967

Westward Ho! man takes part in demonstration

Taking part in a recent training demonstration

by the Royal Artillery in Germany was 30 year old L/Bdr David Yelland, ‘Glenlea’, Beach Road, Westward Ho!

L/Bdr Yelland, a Ministry of Aviation police constable before joining the Regular Army in 1960, is now a surveyor and is serving in BAOR with 21 Regiment RA.

The training demonstration was staged to show the important role played by the Royal Artillery and its method of operation. Some of the latest radar and locating equipment was used. In the picture L/Bdr Yelland is seen operating a tellurometer – a distance measuring instrument.

An ex-pupil of Bideford Grammar School, L/Bdr Yelland served in the Territorial Army with 296 Field Regiment RA and was also a member of the Church Lads’ Brigade.

Gazette article 13 September 1963

Langtree Man Wins DSM

Recently receiving the Distinguished Service Medal at an investiture at Buckingham Palace

was Petty Officer (Engineman) Richard Bray, RNVR, of Wayside Garage, Langtree. The award was for services aboard of one HM minesweepers.

Prior to volunteering for service at the outbreak of war, Petty Officer Bray, who is a native of Braunton, was an agricultural engineer in business at Langtree.

For some years he was the engineer aboard the MV Lerina which ran from Instow to Lundy Island and was commanded by the late Capt Fred Dark, of Instow.Petty Officer Bray has had almost a lift-time's association with the sea.

He was accompanied at the investiture by his wife and sister-in-law.

Gazette article 15 December 1942