Today in the glorious sunshine around 60 people were in attendance for our ‘Belgium Remembers’ annual July ceremony. We welcomed Rudy Peleman from the Royal Federation of Belgian Veterans.

Paul McCue delivered the Individual Remembrance and we remembered Sergeant René Michaux who was a member of the T (Belgian) Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE). He was killed when the aircraft he was in crash landed after developing engine trouble.

Sgt Michaux was to be dropped into occupied Belgium along with two other Belgian agents and one British on the night of 7/8 January 1944. The flight was undertaken by a Halifax aircraft of 138 Squadron from RAF Tempsford in Bedfordshire. The aircraft developed an engine problem and the operational drop of the agents could not be made. On its return to England, struggling to keep the aircraft aloft, the plane flew into Tetworth Hill on the final approach to the runway at RAF Tempsford. Only the British agent survived with the three Belgian agents and six RAF crew killed as the Halifax crashed and burst into flames. Sgt Michaux was 21 years old.

The three Belgian agents were initially buried in Bedford Cemetery. The bodies of two were subsequently repatriated to Belgium after the war, but that of Sgt Michaux, with no immediate family in Belgium was relocated to Brookwood. He is buried in the Belgian plot, plot 26, row D, grave 13.

We had in attendance two people whose parents had been members of the SOE. Peter Doneux’s father was a member of T Section, survived the war, and went on to be a member of the British intelligence service MI6. Yvette Pitt’s mother was a radio officer in F (French) section sending over 400 messages from behind enemy lines in France and survived the war.

We have heard the poem The Belgian Flag before and it was particularly relevant to the ceremony today.

In a last-minute change, a visitor from Australia performed the Last Post and The Rouse for us today. Mrs Selena Courtness was visiting family and was brought along to the ceremony by our Membership Secretary. In a fascinating twist, Selena is the mother of Odette who joined us for the December 2022 ceremony where she spoke eloquently about her relative who was killed in battle during the First World War.

Wreaths were laid by Rudy Peleman on behalf of the Royal Federation of Belgian Veterans and by Peter Doneux on behalf of the Secret World War Two Learning Network.

Alan Lopez was our Standard Bearer and Denis Stewart carried Union Flag. There were a further eight Standards on parade.

The Rev. Peter Hills spoke about the Battle of the Somme and passionately delivered his usual wise words.

We are grateful to the two members of the public that very kindly agreed to say the Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph and they both delivered it very confidently.

The ceremony was video recorded and may be watched by clicking this link.

Afterwards, we retired to The Trench Experience for refreshments and to continue the stories.

Thank you to Paul McCue for the research into Sgt Michaux.

Thank you to Mike Hillman for the photographs and to Alan Meeks for the video.

A cool, overcast ceremony today, the weekend of D-Day.

Our Individual Remembrance today was delivered by Paul McCue and we remembered Canadian Private Joseph Johnston, Service Number D/76413 of the Royal Montreal Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps, 1st Canadian Army.

Private Johnston was born in 1900 and underage, signed up for service during the First World War. He served for two years before his age was discovered and he was discharged. He stayed in civilian life until the outbreak of the Second World War when he again enlisted. He served in the UK and died from an unspecified illness 85 years ago today on 7th June 1941, aged 40. He is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, plot 31, row F, grave 4.

The ceremony was recorded and may be viewed by following this link.

There were eight standards on parade with the Brookwood Last Post standard being carried by Alan Lopez.

Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post and we were joined by a student of Gordon’s School Pipes and Drums and she performed the Lament to a very high standard. This was the first time the student performed the Lament in public. Rob Bennett said the wise words.

The Exhortation was recited by WO Paul Dods RAF (Ret’d) who was visiting from Scotland and the Kohima Epitaph by one of the young cadets from Woking Sea Cadets.

Afterwards we retired to the Trench Experience for refreshments and to continue the stories.

A special thank you to Mike Hillman for the photographs and Alan Meeks for the video.

Today, the weather was not too kind with a little drizzle during the ceremony and that was reflected in the size of the audience.

Our ceremony focussed on British involvement in NATO led wars with the Individual Remembrance being WO1 (RSM) Darren Chant of the 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards.

WO1 Chant along with four other British soldiers died of gunshot wounds in a sustained attack in the Nad e-Ali district, Helmand province, one of the most dangerous front-line areas in Afghanistan. They had been working as mentors and living in a compound at an Afghan National Police (ANP) checkpoint for two weeks. Six British servicemen and two ANP officers were also injured. An Afghan police officer opened fire on the soldiers as they were sitting down to tea or resting after a patrol.

Originally from Walthamstow, but a resident of Camberley at the time of his death, ‘Daz’ Chant had been in the military since 1986 when he completed his basic training at Pirbright, near to Brookwood Military Cemetery. He had previously served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq. He had been a member of the elite Pathfinders Platoon, the Parachute Regiment’s reconnaissance force, before joining the Grenadier Guards. As a colour sergeant and company sergeant major at Sandhurst, WO1 Chant was a major influence on a whole generation of junior and middle ranking officers. As Regimental Sergeant Major of the oldest Guards regiment, his position was a great honour and the pinnacle of his career. On the day he was killed, he was to be told that he had received a commission as an officer.

He is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery and by some extraordinary coincidence, his wife was visiting his grave at the time of the ceremony and was proud to hear him being remembered by the Brookwood Last Post Association.

Alongside WO1 Chant the other soldiers killed in Afghanistan were Sgt Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major of the Grenadier Guards and Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith and Cpl Steven Boote of the Royal Military Police.

There were eight standards on parade with Alan Lopez parading the BLP standard. Paul McCue delivered the Individual Remembrance, Rev Peter Hills said the important words and Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post.

Royal British Legion Camberley Branch Chairman, Patrick Mathe was invited to read a statement from the RBL regarding the involvement of British forces in NATO led wars.

The ceremony was videoed, expertly edited and may be viewed here.

Afterwards, we retired to the Trench Experience to warm up and continue the stories.

Thank you to Paul McCue for his Individual Remembrance research. Mike Hillman for the photographs and Alan Meeks for the video footage of the ceremony.