REMEMBERING REMEMBRANCE
There are 4 of us from the QEMH who will be joined by 4 QAs from the Louise Margaret Maternity and Cambridge Military Hospitals. Unfortunately, I didn’t know anybody who had been part of ‘The Muster’ but I did know that my marching skills needed some serious practice. I hadn’t marched anywhere since my Passing Out Parade in June 1980. Help!
Assistance came from the RSM who soon had the 4 of us marching everywhere. He was determined that we would not let the QAs down. Every day for a week the RSM had us marching up and down the car park, through the hospital and up the stairs, along the corridor (goodness knows what the patients coming back from lunch in the Patients Dining Room thought) and back down the stairs. Again, and again. “Left, right, left right”. “Don’t look down when you are coming down the stairs”. “Look up”. “Keep in Step” were words that rang in my ears every day.
Uniforms were inspected. A new grey ward dress was ordered and my best Tippet dry cleaned. My best white veil was starched with copious amounts of Dip and carefully pressed before being stored flat. My shoes were polished by one of the RAMC Nurse Tutors so they looked like mirrors and just in case many pairs of ‘pearl grey’ tights were purchased from M&S!
The Thursday before the ‘big day’ we were joined by the “Aldershot 4” and the RSM really began to work us hard. He had 1 day to whip us into shape as a squad – forget teaching or nursing duties - every hour was spent rehearsing.
Friday saw us at the Royal Albert Hall for rehearsals. We quickly realised that although we were very accomplished at marching down the stairs at the QEMH the steps at the Albert Hall were completely different.
So, to the amusement of many we practised marching along the circular corridor outside the main auditorium, up and down stairs. Friday: practice, practice, rehearsal 1. Saturday: practice, practice, dress rehearsal and then…...
As the last of the Royal Navy contingent make their way down the steps into the auditorium the heartbeat quickens. We begin to march on the spot remembering that the London District RSM said this was a good way to ensure we didn’t falter on the first step. Left, right, left, right, keeping in time to the music. We inch forward slowly. We are standing in formation lining the corridor behind the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards and the Gurkha’s.
We are nearly ‘on’. Help! There’s no going back now. Must not let the Corps down.
Raymond Baxter announces “The Army”.
We’re on!
…… and we did it. In step all the way down the stairs, across the auditorium floor
and up the stairs again taking our places beside the Gurkha’s.
A sigh of relief and a quick look up at the box where my parents were seated. My mother was dabbing her eyes with a tissue and my father, a WW2 veteran, well I think you can imagine how proud he was!
“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, not the tears condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them” (L.Binyon)
What an honour and privilege and a memory which will stay with me forever.
Afternote: there is a recording of the QAs contribution to the 1984 Festival of Remembrance available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN8mzNqIwaw
Lt Col (Retd) Merrill Bate ARRC 1980-2002: Served for 22 years in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.
Nursing Officer 1980-1982
Clinical Nurse Teacher 1982-1985
Nurse Tutor 1986-1990
Senior Nurse Tutor 1990-1996
Head of Army Nurse Education 1996-1999
Head of School of Healthcare Studies, Royal Defence Medical College 1999-2002
NHS Leadership and Talent Management Consultant 2003 -2016
The marching really made me smile. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I joined the TA, I spent the whole of a James Bond film (with adverts) bulling, but only managing to get one shoe finished.
When Sean Connery died recently, it reminded me of the film and bulling.
This made me laugh. I could picture it all so perfectly, especially QEMH. It Brough back some good memories
ReplyDelete