News Update            Catch up on the latest 2009 news items below ...........                                                

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   Latest News  2010 

14th January                                   Historian Seeks Memoirs By Forgotten Heroes Of The Battle Of The Somme

Historian Hugh Sebag-Montefiore is looking for accounts by soldiers who served in the Durham Light Infantry, or any other regiment, during the July-November 1916 battle of the Somme or during the 1914 battles at the beginning of the First World War which took place before the commencement of the more static battles in the trenches.

This is in connection with a book on the fighting on the Somme commissioned by Penguin which he is researching.

The book will focus on the capture or attempted capture of the chain of Somme villages and strongpoints which had to be overcome if the German line was to be broken and will cover actions involving the 1st/6th, 1st/8th, 1st/9th, 10th, 12th, 13th and 18th battalions of the DLI. 

By way of illustration only the actions covered will include 1/6 and 1/8 DLI’s 15/9/1916 valiant advance to Prue Trench and the Starfish Line,  12 and 13 DLI’s 7/10/1916 capture of Le Sars; and 18 DLI’s 1/7/1916 advance to Pendant Copse.

Contact Hugh Sebag-Montefiore on 0207-435-1035 or at sebags@hsmontefiore.com

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2nd November 2009                                                                       The Steel of the DLI

A new book by local author John Sheen was published on 14th October by Pen and Sword Books.

The Steel of the DLI - The 2nd Battalion of The Durham Light Infantry at War 1914 - 1918 is the first of two books which it is hoped will tell the story of the 2nd Bn DLI.

The 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry was one of only two battalions of the Regiment that did not have its wartime history published in some form after The Great War, the other being the 1/7th (Territorial) Battalion. 

With the writing of this new book, Durham author John Sheen has filled this gap using unpublished diary entries and letters from the Regimental archives, as well as many original photographs from the regimental collection and battalion war time diaries.

For further information click on this Books link.

28th October                                                                       The Bren-Gunner Statuette

It is expected that the first 25 bronze images of The Bren-Gunner will be delivered to The Rifles Durham Office on Wednesday 28 October 2009.  

Members who have made an application to purchase one of the limited edition (250) statuettes will be contacted to confirm their availability.

The Bren-Gunner is the second bronze statuette commissioned by the DLI Association and created by the northern sculptor, Paul Edward Dunn.

It has been designed to honour the infantrymen of World War II, particularly those of the 6th, 8th & and 9th Battalions in the 151 (Durham) Brigade of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division.

22nd July                                                                             Death of Angela Fleming

News has just been received at The Rifles Durham Office of the death of Angela Fleming, wife of Lt Col RS (Bob) Fleming, former CO of 7th Bn Light Infantry.

It is understood that her funeral will be held at 11.30am at St Clare’s Church Newton Aycliffe on Friday 24th July.

22nd June                                                                                Armed Forces Week 

                                                                                                                              Raising of the Flag

Representatives of all three services, Army Navy and Royal Air Force, were in attendance at the DLI Museum on Monday 22 June for the ‘Raising of the Flag’ ceremony, to celebrate the beginning of Armed Forces Week. Saturday, 27th June will be Armed Forces Day.

This ceremony was repeated all over the country and is a successor to the Veterans Day event which began in 2006.

The Chairman of the County Council, Councillor Brian Myers and the Mayor of Durham, Councillor Dennis Southwell were also in attendance as was the MP for Durham Roberta Blackman-Woods, members of the DLI Association and officers from the County Council.

The ceremony was opened with a short speech from the Veterans Minister, Kevan Jones, in which he praised the way that the County Council, DLI Association and the Museum were keeping the memory and traditions of the armed forces alive in the County.

He also paid tribute to the Veterans past and present and the families of those who had made the supreme sacrifice for the security of this country.

They all retired to the Museum for refreshments and afterwards there was also a fly past of a solitary aircraft over the Museum to commemorate the event.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    report submitted by Ralph Harrison

27th May                                                               Death of Col. Harry Sell OBE. MC, TD, DL

Col. Harry Sell died peacefully on Friday 22 May 2009 at 2020 hrs. 

The burial  Service will take place at St. Mary’s Church in Lesbury, Alnwick on Wednesday 3 June 2009 at 1400 hrs. 

The church is small and DLI Association members wishing to attend should assemble at 1330 hrs with as many Standards as possible.

3rd  May                                                                       The British Cyprus Memorial 2009

To mark the 50th anniversary of the ending of the Cyprus Emergency, The British Memorial is to be erected in Cyprus in the old British cemetery in Kyrenia, to be unveiled on Remembrance Day 2009.  

On it will be inscribed the names of 371 British servicemen, 28 members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, 274 British Army, and 69 Royal Air Force - who died there on active service 1955-1959.  

Any DLI Association member wishing to be present at the unveiling of the memorial on November 8 2009 should contact Legion Travel Direct - the official RBL travel agents - which is organising travel plans for the ceremony.   They are fully bonded so your money will be secure.   Please quote THE BRITISH CYPRUS MEMORIAL when contacting them by telephone, email or letter:

Legion Travel Direct,

Packwood House,

Guild Street,

Stratford-upon-Avon,

Warks

CV37 6RP

Telephone 01789 263263 or Fax 01789 261113 or email: suek@completeworld.com

31st January                                                                                  Death of Lt Col Bill Weightman

Lt Col Bill Weightman, formerly 2 DLI,  husband of Valerie, died on Jan 29 after a long fight against cancer.

The funeral service will be at the Holy Family RC Church, Cockerton, Darlington on Thur 5 Feb 09 at 11.00am.  Private cremation will follow.

Family flowers only.

Donations if desired to Herriot Hospice Homecare, c/o John Blenkiron & Sons Ltd, Funeral Directors, Victoria House, Queens Road, Richmond DL10 4AJ.

4th November                                                                     New website for John Attle

All who are interested in John Attle's photographs - particularly those of DLI interest - will need to visit his new website at ImagesbyJA Blog in future. John has changed his web address and is featuring his work in a new web environment.

His latest pictures include photographs taken at the DLI Museum on Sunday 2nd November when the annual Victoria Cross Stone Ceremony organised by 'The Faithful' Inkerman Dinner Club was again held.

24th October                                                                      Durham Light Infantry Medals

Lieutenant-Colonel JW Jeffreys -----   URGENT !

The medals of Lt-Col Jeffreys, 1876 -1962, which include a Distinguished Service Order, as well as Boer War and First World War medals, are currently being auctioned (Auction ends at midnight on 31st October 2008).

For the Durham Light Infantry Museum to be able to acquire this significant collection, which is in very fine condition, additional funds need to be found in the remaining seven days from donations. The Reserve price is £3,250 but it is likely that a larger amount will be needed to secure the collection.

If you are able to help in any way please contact the The Rifles Durham Office on 0191 3865496 as soon as possible.

24th October                                                                     Durham Light Infantry Medals

Major Kirby

The medals of the late Major Maurice Kirby have been acquired for the Durham Light Infantry Museum.

Major Kirby was a colourful character who led 'C' Company 6 DLI ashore on D-Day. The regiment and his wartime experiences shaped the rest of his life which ended when, aged 74, he carried out his planned suicide in Hamsterley Forest in 1989.

It is intended that his story, and further details about his medals, will be told in a future issue of The Durham Bugle.

There are still copies left !!

This book, written by Vivienne Lowe and Jim Merrington, has been produced by Peter Cargill on behalf of the Brancepeth Community Association and the Durham Light Infantry Association.  The limited edition (350) production was financed by an Award For All grant.

Though it is not able to be sold (Lottery grant rules), copies may be obtained from The Rifles Durham Office should you care to make a voluntary donation (min. £2.50).  Proceeds will go towards current projects including the restoration of the Primosole Bridge memorial.

14 January 2010