Airborne Forces Riders Chairman’s Address to the AGM – April 2025
Welcome to the 2025 PRA Riders Branch AGM and thank you all for taking the time and effort to come and get involved.
This time last year was the second AGM of the Airborne Forces Riders Branch of The Parachute Regimental Association. As people started to gather about 10 minutes before the meeting, Phil Hannah grabbed me by the elbow and explained to me that I would be getting proposed for appointment as the Chairman of the Branch, so with an equal mixture of pride at being “asked” and trepidation of not really knowing what that meant, I found myself appointed.
It is fair to say that the past year has been a period of learning and development, for myself and the other committee members as we continue to check groupings, then test and adjust our positions accordingly. Whilst applying the necessary rigour of the ‘Constitution’ which is the framework for our Trustees, we have looked to evolve as we see fit, recognising that we are not a regional branch as our members live internationally. We are clear of the need to represent the members to the best of our ability and professionally but are mindful that we all have jobs and other commitments, thereby making sure that we keep our structure and administrative overhead as simple as possible. We have developed a set of rules, that will be voted on tonight for adoption. The rules set out the aims of the branch, membership types and criteria, committee appointments and their duties and other areas of governance.
There have been a few changes to the committee through various circumstances: Jasper has stepped down from his role as treasurer, having just embarked on a tour of ‘The Stans’ on his bike with Nige Barnett and Rick Clayton. For the last year and a bit, he has worked tirelessly setting up a bank account, bookkeeping and ensuring there is transparency on the funds held. Jasper will continue as Deputy Treasurer, and I would like to record my personal thanks along with those of the entire branch to Jasper for his commitment and dedication in undertaking his duties as Treasurer to date. In his place we are fortunate to have been able to enlist Alex Brownhill, who is ex Pay Corps and AGC. Whilst serving, he instructed for many years on accounting and service funds and as a Warrant Officer was the SME advising the SIB on fraud. For the last 10 years Alex has audited the books of the Rifles Museum, and his reports are submitted to the Charities Commission. I think it’s fair to say we are in safe hands.
Martin McGill having done the hard yards setting up the branch as Secretary, liaising with the Charities Commission and establishing the necessary protocols, has also stepped down. A thankless task again I would like to record my appreciation of his efforts during his tenure as Branch Secretary. You will have had to have been living in a deep cave not to have noticed that he has been replaced with considerable energy and commitment by Al Pearson. Al has already had a huge impact on reconciling our membership list. Al will talk about membership shortly.
Reminiscent of the Greatest Showman, Phil Hannah as ring master and multi-talented performer, having at one time been president, run the memberships, created stash, selling T-shirts, snoods, patches etc at cost and paying for postage out of his own pocket, creating and maintaining the website and Facebook page, organising events and thinking of a myriad of fundraising initiatives, at the spritely age of 75, he is surprisingly running out of puff! Phil has slowly released the reins across his portfolio and one such area is the appointment of Webmaster, where we have recruited Andy Rennison. Along with Paul Moore, Phil has been and will continue to be, a willing mentor to me, providing sound counsel. Again, I would like to recognise and thank Phil for his remarkable selfless contribution to Airborne Forces Riders.
Lastly, in order to remove any suggestion that the AFR Branch has a shop, which attracts a heavy and considerable number of mandatory requirements to meet Charity Commission compliance, we have decided to remove the committee appointment of Quartermaster. He is not cast aside; This leaves Ziggy free to run the merchandise with autonomy and continue to be our preferred supplier of stash. There is unanimous agreement that the kit he supplies, and his creative talent is of the highest standards. This year has seen the completion of The Airborne Forces Riders Branch Standard. I believe this is the only PRA standard to bare the King’s Crown and was unveiled and used for the first time in Arnhem for the 80th Anniversary in front of dignitaries including The Princess Royal. We will continue to signpost AFR Merchandise with a link to Ziggy’s webpage on our website. I would like us to show our gratitude and appreciation for the work Ziggy does for us as riders.
Moving on to the more pleasurable subject of riding…
After the AGM last April many of us faced long rides home through biblical weather – luckily the year got better!
June was the SAMA Rides of respect and although not strictly an AFR event, coordinated by Paul Moore it will remain an important ride in our annual calendar and one we will continue to support as it is dear to our hearts. For a second year these rides saw regional rides with leaders spread across the country and is understood to be SAMA’s biggest annual fund raiser.
In July, 12 of us attended the Regimental Day at Merville Barracks. This was predominantly a family’s day event, so a bunch of middle-aged men in leather waistcoats queuing for ice creams with the kids, was viewed with a few raised eyebrows from the boys of the Reg! Quote of the day was from one of Ackers muckers who he hadn’t seen since training in the 70s: “Bloody hell Ackers! How are ya? … What’s with the leather waistcoat? … I told you you wuz gay!”
It would be remiss not to mention that one of those riders that attended was Alan Bell, one of our founding members. This turned out to be Alan’s final ride with AFR as he sadly passed away earlier this year and many of us will be attending his memorial service next Friday to pay our respects to him, his wife Mary and family. Charlie will be giving a toast in a short while, so I won’t steal his thunder.
Over the weekend 7th/8th September several of us attended the evening commemorative service at Borough on the Hill to pay respect to the men of 10 PARA who were obliterated as a Battalion in the Battle of Arnhem. On the 17th September 1944 604 men parachuted into Arnhem. 2 weeks later 37 returned with the remainder either killed, wounded, taken PoW or starting on a long escape and evasion journey. After a social evening on the Saturday, Sunday saw us fall in at the rear of the parade to march behind the pipes and drums, through Somerby to All Saints church to participate in a packed service of remembrance. Very very moving. It is worth mentioning that later in the year Mel Waring presented a ‘Roll of Honour’ book to Somerby school on our behalf, which will record the names of the flower children who lay flowers at the Borough Hill memorial.
10 days later many of us were in Arnhem to join in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the battle. I am always in awe of the reception the Dutch afford us and find different things more poignant on every trip. The rides of respect were, as always, one of the highlights and we are ever grateful to Frans and his team for escorting us around the outlying graves to pay our respects. The trip to Ginkel Heath was well attended and it was again humbling to be met by and looked after by Fred and our Dutch counterparts; The Red Beret Riders, providing us with words of friendship, securing and guarding our bikes and also giving us a generous haverbag. We will look for ways to further strengthen our relationship and ideas to do so will be gratefully received. Paul handed over the appointment of President of the Riders to me on the DZ. The appointment of President and Chairman of the PRA Branch will be combined from this point forward. The service at the Engineer Memorial near Driel was well attended and Frans Ammerlaan MBE was extremely grateful to be told that we had voted across £800 towards the restoration of the memorial, our first significant charitable donation as a branch of the PRA and fitting that it should be made in Arnhem, the birthplace of AFR. The numbers on Sunday at Oosterbeek Cemetery was incredible. As previously mentioned, our standard was paraded for the first time and Ron Webster looked 10 feet tall as he marched alongside other PRA branches in the presence of royalty, many dignitaries, soldiers, veterans and the people of Arnhem. It was spectacular and a very special day.
The following weekend the standard was carried by David Raes at the Cromwell Lock memorial service to pay respects to the memory of 10 sappers from 131 Para Sqn RE(V) who sadly lost their lives in 1975. The next day the standard was carried at Donnington Lines at a memorial service to remember members of 1 PARA Sqn RE who lost their lives during WW2.
As always, the first Saturday in October was the Ride to the Wall and again the weather gods looked down on us. This saw record numbers of an estimated 12,000 attendees (riders and pillions), the downside of which meant huge traffic jams on the approach to the NMA. 44 AFR bikes formed up in Whittington Barracks alongside several other military riders’ associations.
The final significant ride of the year was held in the Falklands and you may have read about it in the Times. ‘The Long Way Round’ was a ride to all four compass points of the Islands by our members who live down South. They raised funds for Liberty Lodge, which provides accommodation for visiting veterans. Chapeaux gentlemen!
In February Paul Moore carried the Wreath of Respect at the Birmingham International Tattoo and Ron paraded the AFR PRA Standard at the same event. Paul is looking into the feasibility for Airborne Forces Riders to participate in the Tattoo in 2026.
Riding wise, the coming year will have a similar cadence to the year just passed and events will be published on events page on Facebook, so please keep your eyes open for these.
I talk regularly with our patron, General Sir John Lorimer, who is in his last 2 years as Governor on the Isle of Man. We are fortunate to have a patron who is so well placed as the Chairman of the PRAFC and a Regimental Elder. General John and has kindly invited us over to the IoM this year and we will visit 24 – 27 July for our summer rally. 4Bears and the Moddey Dhoo MCC will again host us and an itinerary is being developed. With coastal roads, mountain passes and no speed limit, it is a biker’s paradise, and we urge you to support it.
We will also be looking to support the Double Hills memorial service in Somerset again this year, to remember the 21 sappers and 2 pilots who lost their lives and became the first casualties of Operation Market Garden. Dates have yet to be publicised, and it is likely that we will split our energies between Somerby and Double Hills. Riders can of course choose which to support, and details will be forth coming when known. In 2025 we will also look to support Santa Rides that occur nationwide. Riders are encouraged to add rides to the calendar and publicise them on the FB events page through Steve or Barbara Bone.
Before I close, I think it would be remiss not to mention the marriage of Ron Webster to Linda. A very happy man and wonderful that Linda doesn’t appear to mind Ron still taking his Mistress out for a ride occasionally. If you know you know.
David Lang
Chairman Parachute Regimental Association, Airborne Forces Riders Branch and President Airborne Forces Riders