AT our meeting on July 9, President Brian Melville reported that he had attended Prince Henry's High School speech day where the Probus Club of Evesham’s Cecil Slocombe memorial prize for modern languages was awarded to Jack Brown. Remarkably, Jack’s grandmother had been a pupil of former teacher Cecil Slocombe.
Our speaker this week was Mick Kippin, a retired ex-Army resident of Cheltenham, who is soon to become a Chelsea Pensioner. Mick told us about the five civilians who had been awarded the Victoria Cross. He explained that the VC was awarded for exceptional bravery under enemy fire and is open to both the armed forces as well as civilians.
He described in detail the acts of bravery of the five, who were William McDonald (of Cheltenham), Ross Mangles, Thomas Henry Kavanagh, William Adams and George Bell Chicken. Four of these VCs were awarded in the Indian Mutiny in 1857-58 and one in Afghanistan in 1879. Incidentally, George Bell Chicken was the last non-Prime Minister resident at No 10 Downing Street. Evesham’s own Private William Jones was awarded the VC for his action at the Battle of Rorke’s drift in January 1879.
Gordon Lashford thanked Mick on our behalf for a very interesting insight into the history of these brave men and commented that he thought it odd that no other civilians had been so awarded more recently. Meanwhile, I understand that Jeff Jones, who inexplicably had not been awarded a VC, declined an offer to do the notes of this meeting.
We shall hear from Bob Young about Les Deux Canards on July 16 and from Katy Bellamy on the Joy of False Memory on July 23.
CHRIS DONOUGH
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here