THE SIRMOOR PISCATORIAL SOCIETY REPORT FOR 2024

The Teffont Fishing Club was kind enough to have us again on their water on the upper Nadder and to allow our picnickers to gather for lunch by the river on Tuesday 18 June. So, although it had poured with rain first thing in the morning, God again looked after His Own, as it stopped by 0900hrs and was a glorious English day by the time everyone arrived for a picnic at midday. There were 20 of us in total of whom 7 opted to fish as well. See the table below for who did what & when.

Next day, Wednesday, was supposed to be a serious fishing day fortified by lunch at the Compass Inn, but although 6 of us fished in the morning there were only 3 takers for the afternoon so it seems that the two half days are the most popular with the picnic lunch on the first day bringing most of us together. There is a table below of who opted for what. It was a particular pleasure to have Elizabeth Parkes with us continuing in John’s tradition with their daughter Emma and son-in-law Henry Coxe who caught his first Nadder trout – a decent one of 8” and here is the picture of a delighted Henry to prove it.

In fact, nearly everyone caught something as you will see from the table but nobly returned them all. Like a number of other clubs, the Teffont Club is trying to encourage wild fish in their river that are far more feisty to catch so we are encouraged to put back the smaller ones if undamaged.

Looking back, I have now been organising Sirmoor fishing for 27 years. Although it is hard to believe that we first started in 1997 when Andrew and Anne Johnston arranged 2 miles fishing on the Coln and gave us all a wonderful week-end package in their splendid Bibury Court Hotel. We learnt the basics of fly tying and casting on the front lawn of the hotel, and for 9 years it was our fishing highlight of the year.  Then when they retired and the hotel was sold Christopher Bullock was instrumental in getting us on to the Meon in 2007 where we fished and picnicked for the next 12 years. I also organised fishing in Wales using the Wye and Usk passport system which was a great pleasure and John Urquhart with tremendous initiative got us fishing and shooting on the Isle of Lewis in 2021. Then in 2020 thanks to William Shutttlewood, we changed our regular venue from the Meon to the upper Nadder where we are now. William is a member of the Teffont club and has volunteered to take over so I am handing the arrangements over to him from next year onwards.

Do please make a note of the tentative dates for your diary that will be from Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 19 June 2025. Joanna and I will look forward to seeing you all there again if not before.

DAVID THOMAS

29 September 2024

 

SIRMOOR NADDER FISHING & PICNIC 2024 – SUMMARY.
	DAY 1. TUESDAY 18 JUNE			DAY 2. WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE
TFC Picnic & Fishing	0r Picnic Only in italics
		DAY 1			DAY 2
Details follow same pattern as last year	0900hrs RV at TFC field for Morning  Fishing and Picnic	1200hrs RV at TFC field for Picnic & PM/EVE Fishing	RV at the TFC field as before	0930hrs RV for AM Fishing	1300hrs RV at Compass for Lunch	1430hrs RV for PM/EVE Fishing	Number & Size of Fish Caught & Returned.
David Thomas	0	1	David and Joanna Thomas	1	2	0	1×4″
Christopher Bullock	0	1	Christopher Bullock	1	1	0	2×8″
Nick Hinton	0	1		0	0	0	0
David Santa-Olalla	0	1	David and Jo Santa Olalla	1	2	0	1×10″ grayling
Henry Coxe	0	1		0	0	0	1×8″
Nigel Haynes	0	1	Nigel Haynes	1	1	1	1×5″, 1×7″grayling
			Gavin Edgerley-Harris	1	1	1	0
William Shuttlewood	0	1	William Shuttlewood	1	1	1	1×6″
			Bruce and Carol Jackman	0	2	0	N/A
Total Fishing	0	7	Totals	6	10	3
Picnic Only			Regrets
Joanna Thomas		1	Chris and Griselda Lavender – Opening the London Peninsular!
Caryn Hall		1	Dan Huntington – Fishing burns in Colonsay.
Bruce and Carol Jackman		2	Michael Willis – Away with friends
Charles and Caroline Ward		2	Tony and Sally Berry – In London
Jo Santa-Olalla		1	John and Val Urquhart – John has a broken femur. Will recover but slowly.
David and Franziska Scotson		2	Accomodation:
Elizabeth Parkes & Emma Coxe		2	1. Royal Oak, Swallowcliffe
Norman and Alison Corbett		2	David and Joanna Thomas 17/6 &18/6
Total Picnicing		13	2. Lamb Inn, Hindon
Total Party		20	Bruce & Carol Jackman  18 Jun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SGS has enjoyed another excellent year of golf and associated activities. As the years pass there is a subtle shift in emphasis amongst members from the thrill of the physical challenge in trying to destroy a golf course at all costs, to the more esoteric enjoyment of companionship in adversity – that being the long rough! But with some 70 or so names on the Calling Notices (we are a broad church) there is amongst many an abundance of enthusiasm for whatever membership of the SGS might bring them.

In 2025 the Society’s programme began with the Championship Competition, held at East Berkshire. Although this followed promptly on the heels of the Centenary Championship at Royal Winchester late last year some 26 members turned out to compete for the coveted trophy, now 101 years old. The result was not known until the last group came in with David Santa Olalla (playing with the Society’s President) just edging the win from last year’s winner, Bijay Rawat. Kim Parsons (ex QG SIGNALS) won the Non-Sirmoori prize.

A victorious David Santa-Olalla

A return to Royal Wimbledon (RW) followed, under Mark Pettigrew’s excellent arrangements where we play with a cohort of fellow Club members. The sun always shines in Wimbledon, royal or not, the course is outstanding and the fish and chips at the end are the very best in London. Twelve SGS members participated and as is often the case when enjoyment is the key ambition there was confusion over which team had actually won. In the end we felt Christopher Lavender and David Harrison with their RW Member had just pipped the rest of the field.

We played Brokenhurst Manor in early September. This is a hugely popular venue where the day begins with breakfast with members (outstanding sausages!) followed by a round of golf on one of the country’s best courses where the greens a like silk and the rough accommodating. Twenty-five members attended with Richard Baxter (solicitor from Warminster) , Jonathan Howard (ex RH) and Jonathan Kemmis-Betty (son of) the winners. The tea at the end of the day was worth waiting for!

And finally, the Society broke new ground in late September at the Leckford Golf Club, part of the John Lewis Estate near Stockbridge. It is a world class nine hole course set in outstanding countryside. Fifteen members attended, expecting an outstanding day of golf. It began well in bright sunshine but sadly the storm moved in with increasing intensity to envelope us all by the time we reached the 15th hole. The day was rescued by an outstanding curry in the adjacent John Lewis Abbas hotel. We will return next year.

In sum, a very good season with something for everyone. Until 2025. Salaams.

WS

THREE MEN IN AN AUDI

‘East and west on fields forgotten….
None that go return again.’

                                                                              A E Housman A Shropshire Lad

After the Delhi Day celebrations held at Shorncliffe ; Nigel Haynes ,William Shuttlewood and John Harrop armed with a copy of Regimental History Volume II slipped under the Channel to make for the flat and dreary country that surrounds the village of Neuve Chapelle.  The aim of the excursion was to visit the site of the 2nd Battalion action at Neuve Chapelle in 1915, the Indian Memorial plus other cemeteries with the
graves of regimental casualties as well as attend the Menin Gate ceremony and to visit cemeteries located around Ypres.

The 2nd Battalion’s contribution in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 was discussed as features referred to in the text and contemporary maps were identified and salutary deductions made.  The impressive and dignified Indian Memorial is located close by and respects were made to those 2nd Goorkhas named on the circular wall – which shares the same acoustic properties found in the Whispering Gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle

John Harrop and Nigel Haynes examining the names on the Indian Memorial

The Menin Gate was shrouded in scaffolding as part of a restoration project which made it impossible to identify most of the 54,000 names (including those from 1GR and 4GR), but the Last Post ceremony was extremely well attended.  A day was spent visiting the Commonwealth cemetery at Tyne Cot for the Battle of Passchendaele and for comparison the German cemetery at Langemark as well as the fascinating museum at Hill 62.

The grave of 3424 Rifleman Ranu Thapa, 2nd Battalion 2nd KEO Gurkha Rifles, at Rue du Bacquerot No.1 Military Cemetery.  He was killed on 20 December 1914 in the battles that took place from 10-21 December at La Quinque Rue in which one British Officer and 29 other ranks were killed, 40 were wounded and 62 missing and a further 24 evacuated with frostbite.

The tranquillity of every Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery and the simple gravestones with their defunct cap badges of those who made the final sacrifice in such horrific and unimaginable circumstances never fail to give cause for reflection.

JRH

Nigel Haynes in a thoughtful Churchillian pose at Tyne Cot

The article below describes my visit to North-East India in February 2024. It was a most interesting and enjoyable trip and I learned a great deal.

Download (DOCX, 25KB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The attached article appeared in The Sirmooree in the winter 1996/7 edition.

Brian Davies was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School and Balliol College Oxford. He served with the 2nd Goorkhas from August 1943 to September 1945. Initially attached to the 5th Battalion of the 1st Gurkha Rifles, he joined the 4th Battalion of the 2nd Goorkhas on the North West Frontier where he was Station Staff Officer and Mechanical Transport Officer. He was appointed OC A Company and in that role went with the Battalion to Burma, taking part in the attack on Tanbingon in March 1945. Recommended for an immediate Military Cross, he was instead mentioned in dispatches. After leaving the Army he read medicine at Oxford and served as a surgeon before joining general practice in Radnorshire. He was married and had two sons. He died in 2009.

Davies 4

The attached article by Captain Edward Dillon was published in The Sirmooree in January 1996.

Edward Dillon was educated at Marlborough College and (after his wartime service) Clare College Cambridge. He served with the 2nd Goorkhas from 6 August 1944 to 15 April 1947. He was initially posted to the training battalion, the 29th Gurkha Rifles, at Saharanpur before joining Force 136 in Ceylon in March 1945. He commander a group in B Battalion. They were to take part in the invasion of Malaya (which was eventually called off) but after parachute training he developed pneumonia and was in hospital from June to November 1945. Afterwards he returned to the Regimental Centre and from August 1946 served as a company commander in the 5th Battalion at Razmak. When it was disbanded in January 1947 he went as an instructor to the Officer Training School at Bangalore until he was demobbed. He subsequently became a schoolmaster and was headmaster of King’s School Tynemouth. He was married with three children. A staunch supported of the Sirmoor Club, he died in 2013.

Dillon article 4

The following report was submitted by Christopher Lavender on 30 August 2024:

Sirmoor croquet 2024

The obituary below, written by Harold James, appeared in the 1991 Sirmooree and is reproduced here as a reminder of the extraordinary bravery and suffering experienced by Machorton, James and others during the First Chindit Expedition.

Ian Machorton joined the 8th Gurkha Rifles in 1942 and was seconded to the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Goorkhas for the Chindit Expedition in January 1943. He served as OC Mortars and Medium Machine Guns in No 2 Column. Ambushed near Yindaik the Column dispersed, and Machorton and some colleagues eventually joined No 1 Column. Badly wounded in the thigh he was left behind to die, but survived thanks to local villagers and after an epic journey made his way back to India. He subsequently served with 3/8GR in Burma and was again wounded. After the war he served with the Cameronians, retiring from the Army in 1957 because of his wounds. He was a prolific author, including his autobiography ‘Safer than a Known Way’. He died in 1990.

Machorton obit

Major Arthur Stamberg, known as ‘Boy’ in the Regiment, read modern languages at Exeter College, Oxford, before serving with the 1st Battalion in Dehra Dun and on the North West Frontier from 1929-1934. He contracted a debilitating illness and resigned his commission in 1935. He subsequently became a Clerk, and later Chief Clerk, at Buckingham Palace, serving four successive monarchs and being awarded the LVO in 1958. He was a fluent French and German speaker and during the Second World War was employed on intelligence duties in the UK, Egypt and Mauritius. He retired from royal service in 1961 and worked in the Aliens Office in Jersey. His autobiography, ‘Footsteps on a Winding Road’ was published in 1998. He died in 2001.

The article below with his reminiscences of life on the North West Frontier appeared in ‘The Sirmooree’ in Summer 1998.

Stamberg article

The attached article about Dickie Clarke, written by Denis Wood, appeared in the August 2024 edition of the Military Historical Society Bulletin.

Dickie had a most varied and exciting career. As a young officer he took part in the first Chindit operation in Burma with the 3rd Battalion. He subsequently commanded a company in the Arakan and at the Battle of Tamandu. He commanded A Company of the 2nd Battalion in Malaya. Transferring to the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry he fought as a company second-in-command in Korea. Later he served on operations as a Ground Liaison Officer with the RAF in Cyprus and Aden, and as a company commander in 1 KSLI in Germany. No less impressive than his record of operational service was the fact that he and his wife Edda had eight children!
Dicky Clarke article by Denis Wood Aug 2024