The following article is taken from the latest issue of the Globe & Laurel magazine.
Click the button below to discover more.

Tyneside Branch

Members at our 31 March meeting at HMS Calliope had the immense pleasure of welcoming back to his old stomping ground a truly illustrious ‘Old Boy.’ Brig Andy Muddiman ADC, Royal Navy Regional Commander for Scotland and Northern Ireland (NRCSNI) was with us on behalf of the outgoing Commandant General, Lt Gen Rob Magowan CB CBE, to present the RMA President’s Commendation to our superlative Secretary, Ray Alexander.

Brig Muddiman came to Tyneside to begin three years at university in 1991, the year in which he also began training at RMR Tyne, before joining his YO batch at CTCRM following university graduation.

He told our members he felt both intensely privileged and proud to return to Tyneside as an old boy from his Edinburgh base to present this prestigious award, especially to someone so deserving as Ray Alexander who, he said, had served the Corps Family with dedication and consummate efficiency for 57 years.

CGRM’s commendation presented to Ray Alexander

The Brigadier said he remembered Ray well from those bygone days and marvelled at the breadth of his service and the extent of the courses he had consistently excelled at during his 29 years of service in RMR Tyne until he retired in 1994 at the rank of WO2.

Also attending the presentation were members of the RMA Membership team headed by Phil Gilby, Op Director, RMA HQ. After the ceremony the team newsletter described Ray as ‘a true gentleman and the epitome of a Royal Marine.’

The President’s Commendation stated ‘Ray’s tireless work ethic and determination repeatedly proved instrumental in ensuring that many young reservists successfully passed the Commando course, enabling the Unit to fulfil its quota of trained ranks to reinforce 3 Commando Brigade. He was extended to perform HQ duties, including modernising and computerising the Unit’s recruiting system. His contribution to the RMR over 29 years was exceptional and worthy of recognition in its own right.’

It added that when Ray retired, it was a natural transition for him to join RMA Tyneside, becoming Secretary 12 years ago. ‘Under his steadying hand, RMA Tyneside is, without doubt, one of the most efficient and effective of our 90 branches. Ray Alexander is now 75 years old. His steadfast, loyal and devoted service to the Corps Family exemplify his total devotion to duty. Transforming the lives of hundreds of RMR recruits and dozens of RMA members, he is a credit to his Branch, his former unit and the Royal Marines.’

After presenting Ray with his Commendation, Brig Muddiman was pleasantly surprised to find himself on the receiving end of no fewer than four presentations which were:

A Geordie passport from David Robinson, BEM;

A 50th birthday card from John Crawford QGM, signed by Branch members;

A bottle of Alnwick gin (full of the flavours of Northumberland’s hedgerows), from our Chairman, the Rev Geoff Driver;

And an Honorary membership of the Tyneside Branch granted and presented by our President, Lt Col Jack Ashman.

All the evening’s speechifying and congratulations led to many throats becoming somewhat parched. Fortunately, there was sufficient lubrication on hand for the night to end in finest lamp-swinging style!

Our members were also pleased that evening to be able to commemorate the addition of another illustrious date in Royal Marines history. Twenty years after they stormed the sands of Iraq the assault on the Al-Faw Peninsula by 40 Cdo RM on 20 March 2003, has been designated as the Corps’ eleventh ‘memorable date.’ To commemorate this occasion the Branch celebrated with a can of 1664 lager, and a Geordie supper, after Ray’s presentation.

I am extremely pleased to report that member John O’Hara, who collapsed and was taken to hospital by ambulance, delaying the start of the meeting, is home once more after nine days in hospital and is making an excellent recovery. The Branch sends all our best wishes to John.

On a more sombre note, we had three funerals in March. The first was on 2 March, at South Shields Crematorium, for John Holman, who served in Tyne RMR before going on to become an instructor in RM Cadets. The other two were both on 8 March but were so far apart we could only attend that of RM22719 John Hall, at Tynemouth Crematorium.

John joined the Royal Marines at Deal with 806 Squad in 1964. On completion of training, he was drafted to 43 Cdo and 45 Cdo, and served in the Aden Conflict. His career in the Corps ended after a serious vehicle accident while on exercise in Norway. He remained a staunch supporter of the Corps and was also a member of the Exeter Branch.

The third funeral was that of Christopher (Woody) Wood at Kirkleatham Crematorium, Yearby. Christopher served in the Royal Marines for 15 years, completing two tours of Afghanistan with 40 Cdo.

We may well have one or two new officials and/or committee members after our forthcoming AGM as some of our extremely hard-working officers are beginning to feel a little long in the tooth and would like to pass on the baton to younger members. One of the prestige posts available is that of Standard Bearer and the Branch will offer training to the candidate fortunate enough to be selected to take over this honour.

Onwards and upwards.

Read more from the Journal of the Royal Marines

For more information, and to read similar stories, visit: Globe & Laurel – RMA – The Royal Marines Charity (rma-trmc.org)