We still meet regularly at the White Lion
Hotel, Bury on the second Tuesday of the month at 2 p.m.
It is with sadness that we record
the death on 12 December 2007 of Mary Howarth. I have written about Mary in
earlier Lioness magazines. She joined the ATS in 1939 at Bury
Barracks, the home of the Lancashire Fusiliers and throughout her life had
been a stalwart supporter and worker for that Regiment. She had the honour
of being permitted to march with them on their final parade in Whitehall.
She was the only woman to do so and was presented with a hat and hackle.
They held her in great esteem and they formed a Guard of Honour at her
funeral. Her coffin was draped with their colours and her hat and hackle
will be placed on display at the new Lancashire Fusiliers Museum which is
being moved to the centre of Bury.
Another of our
members, Betty Navin née Drummond, joined the ATS in 1948. After service in
Guildford and Salisbury she was posted to the
Cameron Highlands, Malaya. It was a very
dangerous time and everyone had to travel in convoy because of bandits. It
took three days to do the round trip to collect supplies, a distance of 260
miles. Betty helped in an Army school and had to wear civilian clothes and
also had to be accompanied to and from school by an armed guard. She was
billeted in the Eastern Hotel, Tapa. When she was returning to the UK by
boat in 1955, she was informed that, as Sgt EB Navin WRAC, she had been
“mentioned in a Despatch for distinguished service” as a Quartermaster
Sergeant in Malaya. Her Malayan Medal with its purple/green/purple ribbon
together with the oak leaves is very impressive. Betty met her husband, an
ex-paratrooper, while he was serving as a Lieutenant with the Malayan
Police.
In May, two of our
members attended the Royal Artillery Re-union in Blackpool and gave us a
hilarious report of having a fire alarm at 4 a.m. and using the fire escape
– not bad for 80+ year olds.
We were also
welcomed recently by Wilmslow Branch for an ATS 70th Birthday Celebration.
We also had a small celebration of our own in Bury. Our Secretary will be
attending the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in July and we look forward
to hearing her report.
