Lt Col. Perry Bishop, the commanding officer of the Ripon-based 21 Engineer Regiment of the Royal Engineers, admitted to having an emotional moment when he saw knitted soldiers adorning the bollards in Ripon city centre.
He told a large crowd of civic dignitaries, volunteers, schoolchildren and members of the public, who gattered this morning on the lawns of Ripon Inn for the launch of the city’s D-Day 80th anniversary commemoration and celebration events:
“In my 20 years of army service, I’ve never known a town or city whose people have such a close affinity with the corps of soldiers who are based here.”
Lt. Col Bishop, who is coming to the end of his two-and-a-half year posting in Ripon in the next month, added:
“I must admit, that when I saw the knitted figures of sappers on the bollards around the Market Square, I had tears of pride in my eyes and I could not have a better send off than being here today to unveil this incredible tank made of wool and wood.
“It’s a manifestation of the respect that the people of Ripon have for the Royal Engineers and in return the respect that we have for the citizens of this wonderful city.”
The Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda, along with the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson, were among those present for this morning’s launch
Today’s unveiling of the replica Churchill bunker buster tank signalled the start of D-Day anniversary events in the city
The badge of the Royal Engineers has been faithfully reproduced in wool by the knitters of Ripon Community Project
Community link
For a community proudly wrapped in rich military history, where the Royal Engineers have enjoyed Freedom of the City for 75 years, the countdown to the 80th anniversary, which marks the D-Day landings on five Normandy beaches, have a very special meaning.
On June 6 1944, one in four servicemen involved in Operation Overlord — the code name for the huge military operation that paved the way to the liberation of western Europe — were Royal Engineers, many of whom were trained in Ripon in readiness for their key role in clearing the way for troops who followed on behind them,
Among the weapons at their disposal was the Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) tank which was used with terrifying effect to blast enemy bunkers with huge and uncompromising shells
The life-size replica, which is 24 feet long, nine feet wide and seven feet high, has been created through a collaboration between Ripon Community Poppy Project and the city’s Men’s Shed who worked together in a hangar provided by the Engineers at Claro Barracks.
The tank, is a striking and symbolic centrepiece that will be seen at selected locations around the city between now and June 6, when an anniversary concert will be held at Ripon Cathedral, before Jack Churchill the great-grandson of war-time leader Sir Winston Churchill lights a beacon on the cathedral’s piazza,
Five of the people involved in creating the replica tank are pictured here, from the left: Carol Dunkley, Hazel Barker, Stuart Martin (Ripon Community Poppy Project) and Richard Thomson and Gordon Woods of Ripon Men’s Shed,
Hazel Barker, who was joint-founder of the poppy project with former mayor of Ripon Stuart Martin, told the Stray Ferret,
“We hope that the tank and D–Day anniversary decorations, which have taken tens of thousands of stitches from our tireless team of non-stop knitters, will remind local residents and visitors of the crucial part that the Royal Engineers played in securing allied victory in World War Two.”
Pictured above are some of the knitted servicemen that brought tears to the eyes of Lt Col Bishop, while a silhouette of a lone soldier can be seen below with other displays in Spa Gardens.
The D-Day heroes are remembered in this display (below) on railings in Ripon city centre
Main image: Lt Col Perry Bishop (pictured left) with Hazel Barker and Stuart Martin of Ripon Community Poppy Project
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With the clock ticking down to the 80th anniversary of D-Day, an army of Ripon volunteers has spent thousands of hours engaged in a military-style operation as the city prepares for the landmark celebration and commemoration.
On June 6 and in the weeks running up to it, the fruits of their collective labours over an estimated 100,000 hours, will be seen in one of the largest events to be held anywhere in the UK.
The stunning centrepiece, is a life-size model Churchill AVRE tank, recreated with hundreds of thousands of stitches from the non-stop knitters of Ripon Community Poppy Project, working in collaboration with Richard Thomson and Gordon Woods of Ripon’s Men’s Shed, who have built the wooden frame of the mighty model war machine.
It is 24 feet long, nine feet wide and seven feet high and timber valued at £2,500 was donated for its construction by MKM Building Supplies.
Stuart Martin (centre) and Hazel Barker of Ripon Community Poppy Project are pictured with Richard Thomson of Ripon Men’s Shed on board the replica tank before the turret was fitted.
Known for its bunker busting capabilities, the tank has been painstakingly recreated in wool and wood in a hangar at Claro Barracks, where space was made available by the 21 Engineer Regiment.
Richard, a former Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer who spent part of his army career based at the barracks, said:
“This type of tank struck terror in the hearts of the enemy when it came into sight, because of the size of shell that it fired and the destruction that it brought to those unfortunate enough to get in its way.”
With transportation being provided free of charge by Ripon Farm Services, the giant replica will be moved to a number of locations in the city, starting with the Ripon Inn on April 30 and culminating on June 6, with placement on the piazza at Ripon Cathedral, where Jack Churchill, the great-grandson of wartime leader Sir Winston, will light an 80th anniversary D-Day beacon at 9.15 pm.
D-Day 80th anniversary concert
Before the beacon is lit a concert will be held in the cathedral at 7pm. It will feature Ripon City Band, The Duchy Bells, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and Charlotte Potter.
Proceeds will be shared between Ripon Community Poppy Project and Help the Heroes, the armed forces and veterans charity.
Tickets costing £15 are now on sale online from Eventbrite and from Ripon’s Stuff 4 Offices in Fishergate and the Wakeman’s Cafe on Market Place South.
Alwyn Hartley of Ripon Community Poppy Project working on the huge D-Day 80th anniversary display
Ripon and the Royal Engineers
The anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy that led to the liberation of Europe and, ultimately, the end of World War II, has special significance in Ripon thanks to a long and treasured association with the Royal Engineers, who have had Freedom of the City since 1949.
The Royal Engineers’ annual freedom march through Ripon has taken place since 1949.
The Royal Engineers provided the technical skill and engineering expertise that paved the way to allied victory.
The advance of troops from the beaches of northern France and across Europe was made possible by their construction, among other structures, of Bailey Bridges, using techniques perfected on the training grounds of Ripon barracks.
A Sherman Firefly tank on a Bailey Bridge constructed across the Santerno River river in Italy in April 1945. Picture Wikipedia
The Royal Engineers’ world-leading bomb disposal team in Ripon, which taught the Americans how to deal with unexploded ordnance in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, also proved a fundamental factor in maintaining the military momentum.
Stuart Martin, co-founder with Hazel Barker of the Ripon Community Poppy Project, said:
“The city’s long and deep association with the Royal Engineers makes this year’s commemoration and celebration of D Day extra special.
“By coincidence, this year also sees the 75th anniversary of the Engineers being granted Freedom of the city and the 75th anniversary of 21 Engineer Regiment.”
A military-style operation
The former mayor added:
“In a military-style, meticulously-planned operation that started last year, the Community Poppy Project has asked for and received help from individuals, businesses and organisations across the city and all have given their time, materials, labour and logistical advice free of charge.
“They include Jennyruth Workshops, whose workers have cut materials to size for various displays, Calverts Carpets, which has provided imitation grass for display areas and Tates garden centre which is helping with logistics.
He added:
“It has been a magnificent community-wide project collectively involving almost 100,000 hours of volunteer input and has been made possible because of the generosity of the city’s organisations and businesses.”
Main image: The replica Churchill AVRE tank. Picture Ripon Community Poppy Project.
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Veterans of the Royal Engineers, some of whom served in the Falklands War, will be in Ripon this weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the conflict.
They are former members of 11 Field Squadron, which used to be part of the 38 Engineers Regiment based in the city.
On Sunday, between 10.45am and 11.15am a short wreath laying ceremony will take place at the War Memorial in Ripon Spa Gardens.
No Ripon-based Royal Engineers died in the war, but the event, open to anyone wishing to attend, will give the chance to reflect and remember Royal Engineers from other parts of the UK who lost their lives fighting Argentinian land sea and air forces.
Before then, an informal reunion will be held tomorrow between 2pm and 7pm at Ripon Bowling Club on Bondgate Green.
Those wishing to attend the reunion at the bowling club are asked to contact Stan Darbyshire for further details and to register their attendance. He can be contacted on email at duffbudgie11@outlook.com or by phone on 07878 980630.
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The Royal Engineers have had a long and distinguished presence in Ripon, recognised by the fact that the Regiment was awarded the Freedom of the City in 1949.
This gives them the right to hold an annual Freedom Parade through Ripon.
Last year’s parade was held in September, when more than 200 soldiers took part in the march with a band playing and bayonets fixed, before a service in their honour was held at the cathedral.
Medals parade at Claro barracks
Mayor Sid Hawke meets the medal recipients.
Over 150 individuals from 21 Engineer regiment were issued HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals for serving for over five years.
The medals were presented by Councillor Sid Hawke, the Mayor of Ripon with Major Daryl Murphy, the regimental second-in-command and Major Neil Chalmers, quartermaster, also handing out medals.
With most of the regiment deployed overseas in Poland and Cyprus, it was a greatly reduced medals parade. Those deployed had already received theirs last week.
