The Bugle Journals

Fascinating reading, brought to life by Eric Gilbert KOYLI and David Fill KOYLI they scanned thousands of pages of the journals a mammoth https://koyli.wordpress.com/category/koyli-bugle-journals-1947-68/

please click on the image below below which will take you to my older blog, when there you can click on any of the links in the heading, the Bugle journals are very interesting indeed

The troops in Northern Ireland as we were the 2 LI from 69 onwards several tours

Tim Humphries sent me this link, of our troops in Northern Ireland from 69 onwards Tim Sent me this link, bringing back our memories good or bad in Northern ireland

A letter from Major Charlesworth

I thank Major Charlesworth and tim Humphreys for allowing this transcript and images from one veteran to an other, it shows the warmth shown from Tims Platoon commander


Thank you sir

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Dear Tim,

 Many thanks for your e-mail and kind thoughts. We’re fine down here and I hope you too and your family are in good order.

I do congratulate you on your efforts and I think the idea of a memorial is great. It’s a bit difficult to get involved at this distance from Ponte but I’m with you in spirit. Do please keep me up to speed.

You may be interested in something to do with the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo and about which I’ve already told a few regimental chums. A friend of ours, wife of a retired AAC officer, was commissioned to create a memorial sculpture to be placed at Hougoumont Farm.

It commemorates the critical moment when the back gates to the farm complex were forced shut against the French and consists of two halves of a representative gate, each with a soldier, complete with shako and musket, pushing the gates shut.





At the top of the right hand gate, an inscription has been placed. The actual inscription is taken from Wellington’s dispatch. However, the original proposal was for a quotation from Pte William Wheeler, who, with the 51st, was positioned behind and above the farm, from which he had a grandstand view of that part of the battle. We saw the original maquette (life sized model) with William Wheeler’s quotation clearly visible on it, but Jane Wellesley, a descendant of the great Duke, apparentlyobjected to a quotation from a soldier in a regiment that was not actually involved in the battle for the farm, so it was changed. We was robbed! but I can understand the reasons. I enclose photos of both themaquette and the actual sculpture which had just been unveiled by Prince Charles.

I shall see it when I go on a Rifles battlefield tour of Waterloo next month.

Thanks again Tim. Look forward to hearing from you again.


Best regards,