I vow to thee my country
I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,
And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,
I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
The ROYAL TANK REGIMENT is the very proud descendant of the TANK CORPS & former HBMGC. The famous BROWN, RED & GREEN flag still flies proudly above the Regiments tanks, vehicles and barracks today, wherever they may be.
Only last year, HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II, presented the Regiment with it's new COLOURS at BUCKINGHAM PALACE as shown in the photograph above.
The Royal Tank Regiment Association
on parade.
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The 1st Royal Tank Regiment
in Poelkapelle, Belgium 2009
The standards of the Royal Tank Regiment Associations, British Torch Of Remembrance Belgium Branch and the Royal British Legion Ypres Branch surrounded by floral tributes and wreaths during the Memorial Inauguration Ceremony, whilst Captain Ian Thompson of 1 RTR keeps an eye on the proceedings.
The Grandsons and family members of Section Commander, Captain D H Richardson MC, CdG pay their respects and visit the action site of their Grandfather's tank F41 Fray Bentos. He would also crew F41 and win his MC here. Members of the public, the Regimental Colonel Stephen May and soldiers from the 1st Royal Tank Regiment accompanied them. Wreaths were placed by the family and by 1 RTR to commemorate the fallen and to remember the brave men of F41 Fray Bentos. Just as we thought it could not become more appropriate, the Regimental piper appeared on a distant ridge and played a lament. Tissues appeared and turned away faces confirmed the impact of the moment. Stuart, you did the family, the men and the members of the public proud. You did yourself likewise. Thank you.
* Please see first page for more information and photos on Captain Richardson MC, CdG.
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LEST WE FORGET!
Apart from the Great War Tank Crewmen commemorated on the Tank Memorial Ypres Salient. We also wish to commemorate & remember the Royal Tank Regiment soldiers who have been killed in action or died on ops since WW2 and are still falling on the fields of battle today. *To include all other WW1 and WW2 tank crewmen by name likewise is simply not possible on this small web site due to numbers, so we salute them accordingly.
In date of death order:
SGT S B Streather 7 RTR 18/02/1951.
TPR L Heath 7 RTR 28/03/1951.
TPR R W Sheridan 7 RTR 01/04/1951.
TPR M C Sayers 2 RTR 11/04/1951.
LT J A Hibbs RTR 11/11/1951.
TPR P G Dixon 1 RTR 12/06/1953.
TPR P A Griffin 1 RTR 04/04/1954.
LCPL J Symington 1 RTR 30/08/1954.
2 LT A G Grieve RTR 27/08/1955.
WO2 C F Martin 4 RTR 01/11/1956.
SGT B Kizlo 3 RTR 06/11/1956.
TPR D J Lucking 4 RTR 02/05/1957.
CAPT T G Ralph RTR 28/04/1961.
TPR A Napier 4 RTR 28/08/1965.
CAPT D E N Robertson-Fox RTR 15/01/1966.
TPR JJ Warnock RTR 04/09/1971.
TPR J P Mills RTR 18/09/1977.
TPR J J Nowosad RTR 03/03/1978.
CPL S J Norsworthy 3 RTR 28/12/1987.
CPL S Smith 2 RTR 02/07/1989.
SGT S M Roberts 2 RTR 24/03/2003.
CPL J A Cartwright 2 RTR 17/06/2007.
CPL S J Edwards 2 RTR 31/07/2007.
TPR J P W Hammond 2 RTR 01/07/2009.
CPL L M Scott 2 RTR 10/07/2009.
TPR B Hall 2 RTR 16/09/2009.
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
LEST WE FORGET.
Please have a look at the below link. This charity is doing some wonderful stuf on behalf of our guys of today and yesterday who have given up so much on our behalf.
The soldiers LP aint half bad, so get those wallets out and give them a helping hand!
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Armistice Day 11/11.2009.
The Tank Memorial Ypres Salient Committee, are most pleased to have been able to officially publicly remember and commemorate the fallen tank crewmen listed on the Tank Memorial Ypres Salient and on its accompanying web site roll of honour.
The Memorial's very first Armistice day ceremony, quickly followed on the heels of the Memorial Inauguration Ceremony.
The following photos were taken before and after the ceremony;
The Tank Corps/RTR Tricolour is raised on the morning of the 11/11/2009 and lowered at Sunset.
The Garden of Remembrance, the Village floral tribute and the Tank Memorial Ypres Salient Committee wreath, complete with message of remembrance are likewise put into place.
Above left: Milena, Johan, Dirk and Eric give the Memorial a once over and make sure all is well before greeting new visitors and waving farewell to old friends.
Above right: Chris reflects on achieving his goal.
Above left: After 92 years, the Tank Corps and RTR tricolour once again flies proud in Belgium. It was a long wait, but better late than never.
Above right: The working Tank Memorial Ypres Salient receives its visitors and the process continues.....
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
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On the 4/11/2009, Mr Chris Lock, Coordinator and Sponsor for the newly inaugurated Tank Memorial Ypres Salient and his committee, were delighted to accept an official invitation and attend a special reception at the British Ambassadors residency in Brussels. In front of many guests and dignitaries, the Ambassador personally thanked Chris and the committee most graciously for their great achievements, on behalf of the men listed on that Memorial. Her offered text is re printed below;
TANK MEMORIAL YPRES SALIENT
During the Great War in Flanders, the Ypres Salient almost saw the destruction of the newly formed British Tank Corps. These early pioneering days of tank warfare, saw British tanks and their unfortunate crews being asked to take part in totally un realistic and un achievable missions time after time. By the time the tanks arrived in Belgium, the battlefield had been shelled into a gigantic quagmire, into which these men and their machines sank into and were then shelled to destruction. The Ypres Salient was known as the Tank Graveyard by the end of the Great War.
These men achieved no great break outs or victories yet time and time again, they offered terrific bravery and suffered appallingly in this dreadful quagmire. These men fought not only the enemy, but the very battlefield itself!
Since the end of the Great War, these men received not one single Ypres Salient Memorial to commemorate their losses or to remember their suffering yet in France there are two Memorials, one on the Somme and another at Cambrai.
Today this has now been rectified for these men now have their very own public Memorial. It is situated in the Village of Poelkapelle in Belgium and commemorates all fallen tank crews from the entire Ypres Salient.
This Tank Memorial became a reality after former 3rd Royal Tank Regiment tank crewman, Mr Chris Lock moved to Ypres in Belgium, along with his wife Milena to run the Lille Gate Guest House. Chris's parents recently passed away together and left Chris some inheritance. Chris used this money to pay for the construction of this Memorial in its entirety. Chris also created the Tank Memorial Ypres Salient Committee and with their assistance, a plot of land was provided by the Flemish Government and the Burgermeesters Office of Langemark-Poelkapelle. This committee then over a period of almost a year, achieved the provision, construction and Inauguration of the only much needed Great War Tank Memorial in Belgium.
Apart from Chris who is the only Englishman involved in Belgium, the committee is made up of Belgians and a Czech. None of whom have any official connection with Great Britain, so their enthusiasm and dedication offered so freely on behalf of the men commemorated on this Tank Memorial is even the more remarkable. They are simply a credit to themselves, their own Country and most of all to Great Britain itself. Thank you.
Dr Rachel Aron
Her Majesty’s Britannic Ambassador to Belgium
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The Tank Memorial Ypres Salient committee;
Wish you all the very best for 2010 and we look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new in the new year.
The Tank Memorial Ypres Salient illuminated by the Market Square's festive lighting.
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To contact the Tank Memorial Ypres Salient Committee;
Mr Chris Lock, Coordinator/Sponsor
Mr Johan Vanbeselaere, Belgium Representative
Mr Dirk Vinck, Construction Coordinator
Mr Luc Vanbeselaere Committee member
Ms Milena Kolarikova Committee member
Mr Lieven Vanbelleghem committee member
Mrs Cindy Timperman committee member
UK/RTR Assistants
Mr Dai Marsh UK Representative
Ssgt David Lomax RTR Representative.
Please send your request or message stating who for via the auto message link below and your message will be forwarded onto them.
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Chris Lock.
Coordinator/Sponsor. Tank Memorial Ypres Salient.
LINKS
Johan Vanbeselaere
P1917A.
Dirk Vinck.
Tank Memorial Ypres Salient Plan drawings and construction coordinator.
Cindy Timperman/Lieven Vanbelleghem
Langemark-Poelkapelle Bugermeesters Office.
RBL Ypres Branch BR No 34522
The Tank Memorial now has it's very own piper! He is Eric Remy of the Ypres Surrey Pipes & Drums. He is also the Official Piper for the Last Post Association. Eric will be playing at the Tank Memorial Inauguration Ceremony and at future tank ceremonies. We are indeed privilaged to have such talent included amongst the Tank Memorial team.
Eric Remy
TANK MEMORIAL YPRES SALIENT
Piper.
THE REGIMENTAL COLLECT
Almighty God, whose perfect love casteth out fear, mercifully grant that thy servants of the Royal Tank Regiment may FEAR NAUGHT but to fall from thy favour, for his sake in whom thou art well pleased Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord.
TO THE ROYAL TANK REGIMENT TODAY.
The Tank Memorial team would like to offer you our very best wishes and we also wish you the very best of luck! Whether at home or deployed, you are always in our thoughts!
FEAR NAUGHT!
Camp Bastion
Afghanistan 2010.
Links;
