Scroll down for Reg Tayler, Lewis Collins, Harry Hudson, John Jack, Leonard Cater, Geoffrey Allman, Henry Bennett, Stimmy’s Point, William Scroggie, Jack Marshall, Carmen Reddick & Alex Smith.

Welcome to our Friends Garden

This is a non specific garden with a varied range of memorials that are not necessarily associated with our other gardens.

Regimental Sergeant Major Reginald Tayler SRN MBE

• Memorial Text
• WO1 Regimental Sergeant-Major Reginald Tayler – 1938-2004
• Royal Army Medical Corps and Medical Support & Training Cell of 22 Special Air Service Regiment 1956 to 1976.
• “Sister Reg”, as he was affectionally known, was responsible for training the SAS’s Patrol Medics to a very high standard in Bradbury Lines, Hereford and on many operational tours from the Radfan Mountains of Aden to the secret war in Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman 1970-1976.
• He devised ways of making vital things simple to remember. When faced with a real casualty he taught the SAS Medics to think of: –
• ‘ABC’ – Airway, Breathing & Circulation.
• This simple aide-memoire has been universally adopted and is now used all over the world to help save lives in First Aid Emergencies.
• His humour was legendary and Reg is well remembered in the Barrels Public House, Hereford, where the Landlord, Staff and Customers gave this tree and plaque in memory of their absent friend.
• A kind person “Who Cared and Won”.
• Faithful in Adversity
• Further Information
• https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/tayler-reginald-reg.31177/
• https://www.ramcassociation.org.uk/all-tagger/ramc

Lewis Collins (Bodie) – 10 Para & 21 SAS Regiment

• Memorial Text
• Lewis Collins (Bodie)
• 10th Battalion Parachute Regiment & 21st Special Air Service Regiment.
• 27th May 1946 – 27th November 2013
• Lewis starred in the series “The Professionals” and a film about the Special Air Service called “Who Dares Wins”.
• Lewis completed 21 SAS selection as a civilian volunteer.
• He is remembered here by his wife Michelle and sons Oliver, Elliot and Cameron.
• “The LCFC Team” and many “FANS” kindly gifted this memorial.
• Autumn Blaze Maple Tree – Allied Special Forces Memorial Grove – 27th November 2015.
• Further Information
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Collins
• https://www.parachuteregiment-hsf.org/Lewis_Collins.html
• http://www.lewiscollins.info/
• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/10481069/Lewis-Collins-obituary.html

Harry Hudson – Force 136 Special Operations Executive

• Memorial Text
• Harry Hudson – Force 136 Special Operations Executive
• 9th (Sunderland) Battalion Durham Home Guard
• 31st December1924 – 24th May 2012
• This tree is dedicated to the memory of Harry Hudson by his loving family and friends to celebrate his life and mark the secret work that he carried out with Force 136.
• The details of his work cannot be revealed from the National Archives until 2025.
• However, Force 136 was the cover name for clandestine operations in Japanese held territory in the Far East during World War 2.
• The SOE agents led and trained indigenous local tribesmen to attack and gain vital intelligence.
• … — . 14th September 2013
• Further Information
• https://www.staybehinds.com/soe-force-136
• https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9268
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_136

Major John Jack – Royal Army Ordnance Corps

• Memorial Text
• Major John Alban James Jack – Royal Army Ordnance Corps
• This Yellow Horse Chestnut Tree “Autumn Fire” is dedicated to Major John Jack.
• At the outbreak of World War 2 John volunteered and was enlisted in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
• He escaped from Ostende Belgium three weeks after the British Army was evacuated from Dunkirk.
• He did this by leading three others to a railway siding and stole a steam locomotive to Ostende, got to the fishing harbour, commandeered a trawler and was eventually picked up by Royal Navy Gunboats in the English Channel.
• On D-Day +1 1944, he took over from a Beach Master who had been killed.
• He was one of the first officers to be given the task of providing all supplies to Bergan-Belsen concentration camp.
• A true officer and genuine Christian gentleman.
• “Sue tela tonati” – To the Warrior his Arms – To the Thunderer his thunderbolts.
• Vic and Pauline Smith – 22nd May 2013.
• Further Information
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Army_Ordnance_Corps
• https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/regiment.php?pid=1279
• https://collection.nam.ac.uk/inventory/objects/results.php?shortDescription=&event=&campaign=&associatedName=&unit=Royal%20Army%20Ordnance%20Corps&placeNotes=&productionNotes=&keyword=&flag=2&page=2

Leonard Cater – Royal Army Service Corps

• Memorial Text
• “The Forgotten Fleet Memorial”
• Sergeant Leonard Cater (Waterman) – No 247 Motor Boat Company – Royal Army Service Corps
• 1911-1980
• “In Arduis Fidelis” – Faithful in Adversity
• During World War 2 many small ships and motor launches were requisitioned for service with the Royal Navy and many with their civilian crews.
• The most notable use made of small ships was during the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940.
• However a little known group of intrepid Watermen was formed by the RASC to help ferry soldiers and supplies, but they were also used to deliver agents to Resistance Forces in occupied countries including Yugoslavia on clandestine missions.
• Leonard Cater originally wanted to join the Navy but was sent to the RASC instead where he qualified as a Waterman in No 247 Motor Boat Company.
• During the Dieppe Raid in August 1942 his boat was sunk by enemy fire and he was the only survivor of the 12 men on board. He survived in oil polluted waters of the Channel for a number of hours before being rescued.
• Leonard then went onto take part in “Operation Torch”, the landings in North Africa, as well as numerous operations in the Mediterranean to Sicily, Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia.
• These Watermen have often been referred to as the Forgotten Fleet.
• Not Forgotten in these gardens by Elizabeth, John & Patricia.
• Liquidambar (styraciflua) Tree planted in January 2020.
• Garden 2, Memorial No 20. Allied Special Forces Memorial Grove, National Memorial Arboretum.
• Further Information
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Army_Service_Corps
• https://51hd.co.uk/battalions/royal_army_service_corps
• https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=2004-10-165-84-1
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/33/a3281933.shtml
• https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/279237/

Geoffrey Allman – Force 136 – Special Operations Executive

• Memorial Text
• “Certa Cito” – Swift & Sure
• Geoffrey Colin Allman – “Geoff” Royal Signals
• Force 136 – Special Operations Executive
• Royal Signals – 14th Army – South East Asia Command WW2
• Geoff worked with Force 136 in India and Burma will remain a closely guarded secret.
• He is commemorated here in these gardens with this Oak Tree and is remembered by his family and friends.
• … — . -. … ..-. .. –.
• Further Information
• https://royalsignals.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_136
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Army_(United_Kingdom)
• https://burmastarmemorial.org/archive/membership-records/a/a-151-300/1418037-allman-geoffrey-colin-a25455?

Henry Bennett MM – Royal Marines

• Further Information
• https://www.commandoveterans.org/HenryBennett45RMCommando
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Marines
• https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1506009015

Stimmy’s Point

• Memorial Text
• Stimmy’s Point
• In honour of the Stimpson family and friends who gave their service to the Monarch and country for liberty and freedom in the great wars and other conflicts with courage and devotion to duty so that we may live in a world of peace.
• “We will remember them”

Richards family memories at his Point.

William Scroggie

• Memorial Text
• This tree is dedicated in memory of
• William Alexander Scroggie – 1927-2007
• Bill served with the Home Guard, Gordon Highlanders, 9th Gurkha Rifles and 22nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery during and just after the Second World War.
• He was an avid supporter of the Gurkha Welfare Trust.
• He is remembered here in the Allied Special Forces Grove for his unstinting help of Special Air Service patrols in the Malayan Jungle whilst he worked as a Tea and Rubber Planter during the Malayan Emergency 1950 to 1959.
• Bill is greatly missed by his widow Christine.
• Further Information
• https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/279255/
• https://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/gurkha/9thgurkhas.htm
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/41493770
• https://www.gwt.org.uk/

Jack Marshall – Royal Engineers

• Further Information
• https://jobs.army.mod.uk/roles/royal-engineers/driver-royal-engineers/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Engineers
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7th_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom)

Carmen Russel Stanley Reddick

• Memorial Text
• Carmen Russel Stanley Reddick – 1920 – 1944
• Glengary, Dundas & Glengary Highlanders of Canada.
• On October 9th 1944, Carmen lost his life during the Battle of the Scheldt, near Antwerp, whilst serving with the 1st Canadian Army and is buried at Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Maledgem Belgium.
• He is remembered here by his family and friends in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom.
• “Dileus gu bas” – Faithful until death.
• Further Information
• http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9271
• https://www.canada.ca/en/army/corporate/4-canadian-division/stormont-dundas-and-glengarry-highlanders.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Scheldt

Alex Smith – A Brave little Soldier

Page updated 9th April 2024

“Operation Loyton 1944”

Global Ria Fireman.

We have the best vital, essential universal and lightweight tool that every Firefighter should have and all Police and Security vehicles should carry.

The Ultimate Tool is now available to Fire & Rescue, Police, Ambulance and Military Services.

Contact Tony at https://ria-rescue.com