Murder Mystery at the QATC - Guest Dinner Night. By Jan Westbury

Well, what a dinner night on Saturday 28th November 2020!

Forty-three of us gathered for yet another virtual QARANC Association Jurassic Branch gathering during this Covid 19 pandemic. Here we are, all in lockdown, but it was not going to deter us from having some fun, even if we cannot meet after all these months of restrictions. Merrill Bate drives our weekly programme and tasked with coming up with creative ideas the Branch decided on a regimental style Zoom dinner with a twist. Wondering if this could be a strange affair, all sitting in front of each other just eating and all trying to talk, we needed to do something. Cue our renowned author Wendy H. Jones who wrote a murder mystery just for us, based on dining at the Queen Alexandra’s Training Centre, which most of us had attended in the ‘old days'.

                Wendy H Jones

Pat McKay and Marjorie Bandy preparing for the night.

The Jurassic Branch, being ambitious, invited our QARANC Association Chair, Col John Quinn and our Colonel Commandants; Col Carol Kefford and Col Kevin Davies with their respective guests. We were amazed they accepted and then panicked as it could have been a big damp squib. Would the IT work?

By the way, selfies are old hat now – screen shot pictures are all the rage in 2020.

The night kicked off with pre-dinner drinks and our Chair, Marjorie Bandy, welcomed everyone before an introduction to the night by Wendy and our usual fundraiser, a raffle held by our treasurer Dot Ritchie. Following the format and etiquette of a regimental dinner our secretary, Pat McKay, rang the dinner bell – when SUDDENLY, Brig Dame SG, looking like Cruella de Vil, was murdered! In came the local constabulary, Detective Inspector Karen Melling and Detective Sergeant Vivien Maiden, and it was time for the first course and more drinks.

And so, after Grace by Col The Very Reverent Terrence Fitzgibbon, the mystery unfolds. As the revelations continue it is apparent the QA’s serving and retired have been up to no good. The local constabulary could not solve the murder, so Chief Constable Wendy H Jones from the Scottish police had to be called in to reveal that Lt Col Merrill Bate was the murderer. This was a shock to us all, as Merrill was always seen as an upstanding QARANC officer with the highest integrity. Just goes to show!

The Murderer…….

Dame Sally was not all sweetness and light and it did not take us long before we moved on with the loyal toasts and speeches by the real Col John Quinn and Marjorie Bandy.

Well, it worked. It was a fun night, and everyone had made an effort to dress up and set the table mess dining style, but of course with a pc, keyboard and mouse on the table to be able to join in the virtual event.

Sadly, we had to cook our own food:

Pate with melba toast
Chicken/vegetarian casserole with vegetables
Lemon tart
Cheese and biscuits
Coffee and mince pies

Yes we had all cooked the same menu!

Of course no waiting staff, no mess sergeant to take control of the dinner; but Pat McKay did an amazing job of keeping us to the planned timings. No band either, but we did manage CD music at the right time: The Roast Beef of Old England at the call to dinner; the National Anthem for the loyal toasts to our Queen and our Colonel in Chief; finally the Corps March, Grey and Scarlett, over coffee and mince pies.

Well just like a mess dinner, after coffee everyone relaxed and the fun began. Although I can never remember everyone’s dogs suddenly joining us at the table in the mess! It was then most revealing to find that many of the guests had dressed in the zoom tradition, perfect from the waist up and rather relaxed from the waist down.

Yes slippers at dinner!

Who would have thought that three senior officers between them were wearing shorts and jeans, with two of them dressed in mess kit from the waist up. Still, no names here because as with all post mess dinners it was time to let our hair down. So, after an hour of reminiscing, time to leave Zoom and let our Zoom host, Kay Foster, go to bed. Phew, she did not have too many IT glitches.

List of Actors and Ranks for the Night (with a few promotions and demotions):
SG                                   Brig Dame SG
Wendy H Jones               Chief Constable Wendy H Jones
Terry Scriven                  Col The Very Reverent Terrence Fitzgibbon
Jan Westbury                  Lt Col Jan Westbury
Merrill Bate                    Lt Col Merrill Bate
Len Bate                        Wing Commander
Mike Kefford                  Brig Mike Kefford
Carol Kefford                 Col Carol Kefford
Domini Barrett              Major Domini Barrett
David Barrett                 Brig David Barrett
Vivien Maiden               Detective Sergeant Vivien Maiden
Karen Melling               Detective Inspector Karen Melling
Sue Shrimpton               Major Sue Shrimpton
Richard Shrimpton        Major Richard Shrimpton
Moira Dixon                  Major Moira Dixon
Judy Evans                    Col Judy Evans

Screen shot below of some of the actors and guests, many looking like they could have been the murderer!

At least with selfies one has the opportunity to smile.

On a personal note I would like to say that although our social lives have been severely restricted during this pandemic, Covid 19 has brought us closer together. Col John spoke about volunteering and how we are all volunteers and indeed as usual we were fundraising with our raffle. I felt as though I had a really good night out. Thank you to the Jurassic Branch and our guests.

Capt (Rtd) Jan Westbury on behalf of the QARANC Association Jurassic Coast Branch, known locally as The Dynamic Dinosaurs.

Why Jurassic Coast? - by Marjorie Bandy and Pat McKay

On the South Coast originally was the Bournemouth Branch which after many years had run its course eventually leading to branch closure. Three of the members who were left, Marjorie, Pat and Dot decided to explore the possibility of forming a new branch. We contacted everyone we know in the area and this contact list was boosted by the enthusiasm of the late Pauline Nowak who seemed to be in contact with everyone! Consequently a “tester” meeting and fish and chips lunch was held at the Lobster Pot besides the Portland Bill lighthouse. We were delighted to welcome 17 ex QA’s including Mary Gardiner and Eveline Duff both well into their 90’s.

At the lunch everyone agreed that it was worth going forward with our plan. The name of the new branch was obvious as we were sitting right on the Jurassic Coast. Pat immediately christened us the Old Fossils!! Pauline came back straight away with Dynamic Dinosaurs. Boosted by this success we applied to RHQ to open a new branch. The inaugural meeting took place on 21st January 2012 at the Red Lion Salisbury. As this was the first new branch in a very long time the then Director Colonel Peter Childerley joined us for lunch.

Our philosophy has always been “you join an association not just a branch” and to that end we have welcomed members from branches across the UK to our various events. We have also welcomed partners and friends to join us on our jollies.

Since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic the branch has enthusiastically embraced a new kind of drinks party thanks to Zoom, [ we previously thought that this was the first line of a children’s nursery rhyme.] On Saturday evenings we have been enthralled by the variety of adventures that some of our Dynamic Dinosaurs have undertaken. This has led to our perceived need for a Branch BLOG. Few of us keep diaries these days and experiences since the end of WW2 are likely to go unrecorded. This is your platform fellow association members, to record all those seemingly ordinary events during your service, which civilians could not comprehend as “an ordinary day.” We look forward to reading your stories.



Lt Col [Retd] Marjorie Bandy RRC Branch Chairman Served 1975 – 2003

Major [Retd] Pat McKay ARRC Branch Secretary Served 1976 - 1996