My Name is Alan 'Mac' McClinton and together with Eddie Shinton we have started a new association for ex soldiers and serving soldiers who were, in the now disbanded, 'Army Dog Unit Northern Ireland'(ADUNI)

The aim of this new website is to re-establish contact between ex-dog handlers and put them back in touch with each other - without the payment of a fee! So many of us served in the ADU NI from the early 1970's onwards, which makes some of us roundabout 60 years of age, and more! Now has to be the time to do this, or it will be lost forever.

We want to build a successful Association which, in future years, can be administered by our younger colleagues who served in the later years of the Unit's involvement in NI.

The ADU used hundreds of handlers from all branches of the services and this is part of our history which we should not allow to fade away. It was a unique situation and we have some wonderful memories of those times.

Please get in touch - stay in touch - and help us build the first Army Dog Unit (Northern Ireland) Association. No subscription required!

We look forward to hearing from all who served in the unit - send us your photos (then and now!) for inclusion on the website, and share you memories with us too - they will make good reading for everyone. Tell us about your ADU NI tours, and what you are doing now - always interesting to former colleagues!

Whether you were a Guard Dog Handler Tracker Handler or AES Handler. you were the guys who made it so special for more information go to http://www.armydogunit-ni.co.uk

Yours Sincerely

Alan 'Mac' McClinton Ex ADU NI 3brigade 8Brigade and 39Brigade

(1975-1982) with a little holiday in the middle

Palestine Veterans Day, which will be held on the 18th October 2003 at Eden Camp, Malton, Yorks.  This annual event is open to all servicemen, Army, Navy, Airforce and Palestine Police who served in Palestine during the troubles and all veterans and their partners are admitted free of charge. 

As I served with the 3rd Bn during the troubles  I am particularly concerned to attract as many ex 3 Paras  and I have added a page to my website to advertise the event but -  with the number of veterans dwindling year by year - it can't get too much publicity this year.

For more information go to Palestine Veterans's Day 

Yours sincerely
Bill Watts
ex Sgt 3 Para  

Traffic Warden John Power is gaining a reputation for extreme PWC events. In May this year John, 49 from Cheshire, set a record time for a Lands End to John O Groats run. In 7 days John and the Voyager Jetski Team travelled 780 miles. The team raised over £3226 for the British Heart Foundation.

In 2002, John and the team are planning to circumnavigate The Falkland Islands to raise money for SAMA 82 (South Atlantic Medals Association) and The British Heart Foundation. In 2002, it will be 20 years since the invasion and subsequent repatriation of the Islands and money raised will go towards helping the veterans of the conflict. Progress with the planning and reports of previous expeditions can be seen on the Team's website at: http://www.TheMedWeb.co.uk/jetski

The following resolution that was proposed by me was passed by Sheffield  City Council yesterday with all party support by a unanimous vote:-

"That this Council:-
recognises the role played by servicemen and women of the United Kingdom  since the end of the Second World War and calls upon the Lord Mayor of this  City, to use his offices to contact all Lord Mayors and Mayors, etc. across  the U.K. proposing that consideration be given to the setting up of a  national appeal for the establishment of a national memorial to those  service personnel who have given their lives in wars and conflicts since  1945."

Trefor Morgan

I had the great honour of being invited to the Royal British Legion's Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall London on Sunday the 11th November 2002. I was taken by Peter J Randall MBE GM the National Assistant Secretary and Chairman of the Leicester Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association along with the Branch Secretary Mr Alan Atkins. We arrived at Horse Guards Parade at 9.00am and after being checked in we found our numbered marker board. By 10.00am the parade ground was filled with men and women who were members and ex members of HM Forces who had come to pay tribute to the fallen comrades of two world wars and the many conflicts since. By then the atmosphere was terrific,so friendly with everyone talking to one another and with many of the old comrades meeting up for this annual service. The great moment came when the columns of 6 abreast started to move off through the Horse guards Archway and turn right down into Whitehall towards the Cenotaph. As we were in column "F" a few others had proceeded us, but as we marched down towards the Cenotaph we were greeted by constant hand clapping from the spectators on each side of the road and from the columns already in position. By the time that the last column arrived that completely filled the top end of Whitehall the hand clapping by all was thunderous and must have brought a lump to many throats and a tear to the eye. The National Malaya & Borneo Veterans (including 3 Gurkhas)were well to the front of the Column and we  were in line with the gates at Downing Street.

On the first stroke of 11.00 from Big Ben the whole area of over 10,000 people became totally silent and remained that way till the Royal Marine Buglers played the Last Post During the two minutes silence this gave us time to remember those who had made the great sacrifice during the two world wars and those that have given there lives in the services of their country in the many other conflicts since and hoping that we may be worthy of the sacrifice made on our behalf. I won,t go into detail about the service as it was carried out in the normal precise ceremonial manner with the Queen laying the wreath for the Nation.After The Rouse by the bugles of the Royal Air Force and the National Anthems played by the Massed Bands of the Guards Division and sung by all present. When all the dignitary had left ,the area was cleared for the columns to march past the Cenotaph and lay there wreaths. Once the Guards Bands were lined up to the columns we were of to a sharp pace and in step (a bit difficult for some of us after so many years) Once again the large crowds of people showed there appreciation by hand clapping all the way from the Cenotaph down Whitehall turning right into Parliament Square on to the start of Birdcage Walk then right into the direction of Horse Guards where the Duke of Kent and Lt General Sir Roderick Cordy Simson KBE CB President of The Royal British Legion was waiting to take the Salute.

After the parade we stayed on Horse Guards for sometime meeting many people and taking photographs Though I have watched this service on television for many years you could not capture the great friendly atmosphere and the pride that you get by being there.
Later we strolled down Whitehall past the Cenotaph and onto the Garden of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey another moving occasion to see the large poppy wreath laid by the Queen Mother and to see all the poppy crosses, in the various areas laid out for all the regiments that took part in the wars and conflicts along with the many associations A Truly Memorable Day.  Both Alan Atkins and myself wish to thank Peter Randall for kindness introducing us to this service and for taking us along with him not forgetting his daughter Pauline who drove us there and back.

George Tullis

This is  the New National Standard of the N.M.B.V.A. It was recently Dedicated at the Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving held in Leicester on Sunday the 7th October 2002 The service was conducted by the Rev. Paul Whitehead (CF4V) Chaplain to the East of England Regiments & NMBVA.

Holding the standard is our National Standard Bearer is: Mr Mike Weller City of London Btn.Royal Fusiliers (SAS) He Paraded the Standard along with the many others of the Royal British Legion at the Festival of Remembrance held in the Royal Albert Hall London on the 10th of November 2002