Royal connections for Ballygowan cadet unit

Royal connections for Ballygowan cadet unit

5 April 2017

THIRTY five army cadets from the Ballygowan Detachment recently took part in an action packed weekend of adventure and reflection during a world wind tour of London, France and Belgium. 

The Exercise Shamrock Venture saw the cadets travel to London to visit the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for their Saint Patricks Day Parade on March 17 when the Ballygowan Detachment had the privilege of forming up and watching as the Battalion paraded to receive their shamrock from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Having won the annual Irish Guards cadet competition last September, members of the Ballygowan team had the honour of meeting both the Duke and Duchess who congratulated them on their achievements. 

After the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the cadets packed up to move to the next phase of their trip, a two-day battlefield tour of France and Belgium. 

After an early start on Saturday morning, the group arrived at the Guards Cemetery in Lesboeufs in France where the cadets had a very special job to carry out. 

In the cemetery are the graves of 42 Irish Guardsmen killed in the Battle of the Somme, with each cadet and adult instructor laying a wooden poppy cross on the grave of a soldier they had researched prior to the visit.

The event was made all the more poignant when a couple arrived at the cemetery and asked if the Ballygowan cadets could help find the grave of the man’s great uncle. Happy to assist, the group soon discovered the man’s great uncle was an Irish Guard — Guardsman P Lyons killed in September 1916 on the Somme where Cadet Sergeant Gemma Pollock was about to place a poppy cross on his grave.

The man and his wife were truly humbled that on a cold wet day the Ballygowan cadets had taken the time to remember Guardsman Lyons and his comrades who fell on the Somme.

Later that evening, the cadets had the honour of paying their respects at the Menin Gate in the town of Ypres in Belgium. Forming a guard of honour, the cadets fell silent with the town at Ypres and hundreds of bystanders as the Last Post sounded at 8pm as it has done each night since 1928.  A wreath was laid on behalf of the group as cadet piper Lance Corporal Dylan Coyle had the honour of playing the Lament.

On Sunday, the Ballygowan cadets were up early once again to visit the Flanders region. Stopping at the Essex farm cemetery, they learnt about the boy soldiers including Rifleman Valentine Strudwick who died in Flanders at the age of only 15 – younger than most of the cadets on the trip.  At the next stop, the Ballygowan group saw the war from another perspective at the German cemetery in Langemark.

The trip concluded with a final visit to Tyne Cot cemetery where the group held a short personal act of remembrance once again placing a wreath as piper Dylan Coyle played a final lament.

Exercise Shamrock Venture was a great experience for all the cadets and adult instructors who were lucky to take part in it.  After a great time spent with the Irish Guards for Saint Patricks Day, the battlefield tour has left all with a greater sense on the importance of remembrance.  

All involved are very grateful to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Beds and Herts ACF and to the Royal British Legion for the assistance in making the trip possible.