Please Take Note Our
next meeting will take place at 1300 hrs. on Sunday 17 March 2019, at the Royal British Legion, Central Branch, 33 Rodney Street, Edinburgh.
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Cummings Joseph (Kim)
Panton 28 May 1943 - 27 December 2018.
Cummings Joseph (Kim) Panton was born in Cowie
near Bannockburn on 28 May 1943. His father Charles was a Police Officer
in Crieff. He was later transferred to Edinburgh and along with the
family moved to the Police Station at Torphichen Place, Edinburgh. His
father also played the pipes with Edinburgh Police Pipe Band.
When Kim left school he began work as a trainee
cartographer producing maps at John Bartholomew & Son, Edinburgh.
In 1963 he met Rose and on 21 December that same
year they were married. During their long marriage Rose would give birth
to two daughters and a son.
In 1964 Kim joined 2 Troop 300 Parachute Squadron
Royal Engineers TA in Edinburgh and after the reorganisation of the
Territorial Army in 1967, he carried on with his service with 131
Independent Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers (v) in Grangemouth. Kim
later enlisted in C. Company 15 Battalion the Parachute Regiment TA.
In 1968, Kim was made redundant and in 1969 he
joined the Scottish Prison Service and started his career in Edinburgh.
During his career he was transferred to Cortonvale, Glenochil and
Polmont. That followed a move back to Edinburgh. In 1973 Kim volunteered
to serve on detached duties to the Maze Prison, Northern Ireland. In
1995 Kim retired from the Scottish Prison Service. He later secured
employment with Standard Life Assurance Company, the Royal Infirmary
Edinburgh and latterly Edinburgh University.
In 1998, Kim attended the inaugural meeting of the
Airborne Engineers Association, Edinburgh Branch, later Scottish Branch,
and was a regular and valued member until his cancer returned. Kim died
peacefully at home surrounded by his family.
Kim's funeral took place on 8 January at
Mortonhall Crematorium, Edinburgh where members of the Airborne
Engineers Association (Scotland) and members of the Lothian Branch,
Parachute Regimental Association, including their standard, paraded at
the crematorium.
Kim's coffin, which was covered by 300 Parachute
Squadron Royal Engineers flag, with his beret atop, was accompanied
by members into the chapel.
Kim will be sadly missed by his family and
friends, but will never be forgotten
============================================================.
Major General Michael Lawrence Riddell-Webster CBE DSO Governor of
Edinburgh Castle, presenting former Captain Eoghann maclaclainn with the
General Sevice Medal with Clasp South Arabia, at Edinburgh Castle on 16
December 2018.
Captain Eoghann maclachlainn was deployed to
Aden on 1 April 1965 as part of 131 Parachute Engineer Regiment (TA),
tasked with making road improvements to the main supply route running
from Aden to Dhala in the North. Captain maclachlainn was serving in 300
Para Sqn RE (the Scottish Squadron), numbering around 90 strong at this
time.
In the early hours of Monday 12 April 1965, while based in a
camp near the village of Al Milah, along with 24 Field Sqn, Royal
Engineers, 300 and 24 Sqns came under prolonged and accurate small arms
and mortar fire from a nearby ridge.
The dissidents were eventually
driven off by a combination of browning machine guns mounted on Ferret
armoured cars and by individuals firing from the camp sangars. During
this firefight, Sergeant Major John Lonergan of 300 Para. Sqn and
Sergeant Atfield, Royal Army Pay Corps attached to 24 Sqn, were killed.
Captain maclachlainn and Sergeant George Gibson Earl, both from 300 Para
Sqn, were among 5 others seriously wounded.
Whilst those serving in
131 Parachute Engineer Regiment were not in theatre long enough to be
awarded the GSM with South Arabia clasp, Captain maclachlainn’s injury
under these circumstances means he qualifies to be presented with the
medal, as has now been recognised by the MOD Medal Office.
ADC/GofEC
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General Service Medal 62 with Clasp
South Arabia
On 16
September 2016, an e-mail was received from the Army Medal Office saying
that those killed and wounded in Aden in 1965 would be entitled to the
GSM as set out in Special Army Orders of 25 July 1966.
On January
2017 a letter was received from Major General Nitsch CBE to the effect
that the men of 300 Para Sqn RE could not be awarded the GSM
because they had not served 30 days in theatre. However, he went on the
say that the casualties of 300 Para Sqn RE had already received the GSM,
which according to him, was always the case if killed or wounded in
action. No medals had been awarded.
A letter dated 31 May 2018 from
Lord Howe stated that members of 300 Para Sqn RE could not be awarded the
GSM because they had not served 30 days in theatre.
On Monday 18 June 2018 a
letter was received from the Army Medal Office intimating that the GSM
would not be awarded to the casualties of 300 Para Sqn RE because the
squadron was training in Aden/Radfan. It is a pity no one told the enemy
that. This is the first time in all the
letters received from the MoD that the word training has been used. They
must have scraped the bottom of the barrel to find that loophole. They
are now using any excuse not to award the casualties of 300 Para Sqn RE
the GSM. The people in the Ministry of Defence who made this
decision should hang their heads in shame.
1 September
2018.
The latest excuse from the MOD is, because we were not on
the attached strengh of any unit we are not entitled to medallic
recognition. 300 Para Sqn RE was attached to 24 Field Squadron Royal
Engineers whilst at Al Milah but it seems no one told the MOD. Also,
they are making further enquires into the death and woundings of 300
Para Sqn RE personnel. They are again reaching into their barrel
of excuses to find one that will cancel medallic recognition to which
they are entitled under Special Army Orders 1966.
2 November 2018
On 2 November 2018 a letter from Lord Howe to Angus MacNeil MP
apologised for the length of time it has taken to resolve this case and
went to say that his officials have investigated the circumstances and
can now confirm that although previously stated that members of 131
Parachute Engineer Regiment TA do not qualify for the award - they were
not there long enough to meet the qualifying criteria - for the General
Service Medal with Clasp South Arabia, those who were killed or injured
ought to receive the award. This would be the case for any other
individual whose service on a medal earning campaign was brought to an
early end under such circumstances. Instructions therefore will be given
to the Ministry of Defence Medal Office to issue the medal to the family of
Warrant Officer Lonergan and to Captain maclachlainn and Sergeant Earl.
Sergeant
George Gibson
Earl died on 4 November 2004. His family will now receive his General
Service Medal with Clasp South Arabia.
Why on earth did it
take so long?
Special Army Orders of 25 July 1966, opened the door for the
casualties of 300 Para Fld Sqn RE and others to receive the General
Service Medal 62 with Clasp South Arabia so why has it taken 52 years
for them to receive the award. I am certain the reason is that 131
Parachute Engineer Regiment was an embarrassment to the government of
1965, and to the present day government and they wanted to bury it. I am
sure that had I not enlisted the help of Angus MacNeil MP the casualties
of 300 Para Fld Sqn RE would never have received the award. Angus
MacNeil MP has agreed to carry on the fight for the rest of the squadron
to receive the medallic recognition they deserve.
South Atlantic Medal.
A change has been
made to the awarding of the South Atlantic medal. The medal with rosette
was awarded for one day's service within 35° and 60° South latitude or
for at least one operational sortie south of Ascension Island, between 2
April and 14 June 1982 (April 2 being the date of the Argentine
invasion, June 14 being the date of Argentine surrender). This,
generally, denoted service in the combat zone.
Double
Standards.
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Reaper Drone Pilots. Operation Shader.
Reaper drone pilots
who bombed and targeted Islamic State (IS) will be awarded military
medals for their work as part of Operation Shader, the Defence Secretary
has announced, even though they never stepped foot in enemy territory
and were never in any danger. Double Standards.
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Medallic Recognition for Animals.
The MOD award General Service Medals to pony mascots. If medallic
recognition is good enough for animals, then why will the government not
award the General Service Medal with Clasp South Arabia to the officers
and men of 300 Parachute Field Squadron Royal Engineers, 131 Parachute
Engineer Regiment who fought at Al Milah, Radfan in 1965, where two men
were killed in action and 5 others were wounded.
Double
Standards.
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Renaming
Ceremony Kingsbury ARC to "Lonergan Lines"
12 April 2016.
Please click the link to view all photographs
http://mod.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4223c93d7a2d2a26bb3e084f4&id=de603cab27&e=bb52c688e6
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The Birth and Early Years
2 Troop 300 Airborne Squadron R.E.
"The Edinburgh Troop".
By D. H. Thomas.
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The History of 131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers
1947 to
Present Day
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