The Association Chairmans Page

Bringing the old and new Together
Colonel Paul Bibbey MBE

Our new chairman
Colonel Paul Bibbey MBE is taking over from Colonel James Aldous OBE as Association Chairman at the next Regimental Council meeting in early April. He spent his early years in the Second Battalion in Watchet, Borneo, Berlin, Catterick and Paderborn before moving to the Third Battalion as a company commander during their resident tour in Belfast. He also served in Hong Kong, SHAPE and Zimbabwe and commanded the Second Battalion.
Since leaving the Army, he worked in independent schools both as a bursar and then running his own company providing business services to schools. He is currently the Chief Executive of a Charitable Foundation. He has been an enthusiastic micro light owner and otherwise occupies his time as the chairman of his local branch of the British Legion.
He has been delighted to see that many of the leading lights in his service with the Regiment are active in the Association, and he looks forward very much to meeting them again.

All Members of The Fusiliers Association

Now that I have handed over the Chairmanship of The Fusiliers Association to Colonel Paul Bibbey, I would like to express my thanks to all the many members of The Association who have contributed so much to events and development during the last five years.

Apart from some excellent social events, the greatest strength of The Association was demonstrated in the support given to the Regiment in the bad times of 2009 when seven Fusiliers were killed in Afghanistan. The presence of our Association Standards and so many members at the seven funerals was inspirational at a time of such great loss. The Association set the bar high then and so it will remain.

The main development has been the launch of this website which is transforming communications. This has been almost entirely the work of Dennis Laverick, our webmaster, and it is no accident that his is the only name mentioned in my closing message. Without his patience and skill we would not have this great facility, in which, I am sure, many more improvements will be made.

I thank everyone for their support and make a final exhortation for the recruitment of more paid-up branch members, the lifeblood of our branches. I know that you will give Colonel Paul Bibbey you fullest support and I wish him every success as Chairman.

With very best wishes to all members of The Fusiliers Association,


Colonel James Aldous OBE

Past Chairman



Colonel James Aldous OBE

The Association Chairmans Page

All Members of The Fusiliers Association


I very much regret that it has been necessary to cancel the 2011 Fusilier Gathering which was to have been hosted by the 1st Battalion at Tidworth. Both an explanation and a look ahead are necessary. At the beginning of June there were only 90 firm applicants, including some wives, a total that would not have amounted to a viable occasion. Consideration was given to holding on for more applicants, but the imminence of a cut-off date for cancellation charges prompted an urgent decision. After considerable discussion, which included the Colonel of The Regiment, the decision to cancel was taken.

It seems likely that costs and travelling time have led to a loss of support for the Gathering which, with a format that is not easy to change, has become stale as an annual event. Recent Gatherings have included some special events: two popular overseas visits, Celle in 2006 and Cyprus in2007; the 40th Anniversary of the Regiment in London in 2008; and the Lancashire Museum Opening in 2009. However, attendance figures show that numbers in 2009 and at the Warwickshire Gathering in 2010 were swelled by the local Associations and that numbers travelling from other Areas were dwindling. The Gathering has been in decline for a while.

Against this background, it has also been decided to consider the future of Association events over the next few years at the next meeting of the Regimental Council in November. Discussion is likely to centre on making the most of the Regimental funds that can be allocated to support Association events. In the current financial climate, there appear to be strong arguments for supporting Area Association events that offer members good value without the addition of travel and overnight costs. Of course, the Association is very much about members from all Areas maintaining and renewing friendships and I have no doubt that organisers will use this website to open suitable events to members from other Areas.

It will, of course, be possible to re-instate the Fusilier Gathering at any time if there is a genuine demand. In the next few years, there are several events at which Association members from all Areas are likely to assemble, including overseas pilgrimages which are popular. The likely date for the Dedication of the new Fusilier Memorial at the National Arboretum is 2013. During 2014 - 2018, there will be a number of Centenary events for World War I battles at which Area Associations will probably want be represented and a Regimental approach might offer the best value. 2018 will mark both the Centenary of the Armistice in 1918, a very special Remembrance Day, and also the 50th Anniversary of the Regiment.

While the decision not to hold a Gathering this year may seem drastic, I am sure that it is the right decision in the circumstances of low numbers and high costs. We must all accept that cherished events are subject to market forces and run their course. The strength of our Regiment lies in its Areas, our heartlands, and it would be entirely appropriate if Fusiliers Association events were to be concentrated locally for the next few years.

Above all, it is essential that The Fusiliers Association provides the events that members want and find good value. Therefore, if you have a view - particularly a constructive suggestion - please tell your Area or Branch Chairman so that your idea can be discussed.

With very best wishes to all Members,


Chairman
The Fusiliers Association




I welcome you to the new Fusiliers Association website, which provides a focus for all retired Fusiliers who want to find out what is happening in the Regiment and, in particular, in a Branch near their home. You will have seen the Mission Statement of The Association on the Home Page; I re-state it here:

The Fusiliers Association is to foster the spirit, comradeship and traditions of the Regiment among all ranks, past and present, in order to promote the Regiment's good name in every way by maintaining an active organisation for Fusilier veterans in each Regimental Area.

The key message is that we operate very actively in the Regimental Areas. Within each Area, Branches provide a full programme of events throughout the year. This website provides links or contact details to all the Branches in each Area. In this way, the website serves three special needs:

  • For existing Branch members, it will provide an easy link to your Branch details and the programme of forthcoming events as well as to news, reports and photographs. You can help to reduce Branch costs by making the website a first port of call for information, saving postage and telephone charges.

  • For retired Fusiliers seeking to re-establish contact with the Regiment, we warmly welcome you to the site where you will find all the contact details of the nearest Branch to your home, as well as a range of Regimental news and events. We hope that you will contact a Branch Secretary for more details about The Association and become a Branch member.

  • For serving Fusiliers, to advertise The Fusiliers Association, to show you what The Association is about and to encourage you to join while you are still serving and certainly on leaving the Armed Forces.

In conclusion , I want to thank the webmaster and his team for all the work that has gone into developing the website and for their commitment to the long haul of making it an enduring part of The Fusiliers Association - and it is the long haul and constant improvement that will make this website work as the focus of all Association information. Therefore, Branch Secretaries - please make sure that your news and events are sent in; Association members - if you've got a good photograph or a good story to tell, let's see it here.

With very best wishes to all readers,

Chairman
The Fusiliers Association