We are a recently formed Veterans group in Blaenau Gwent and our primary goal is to support one another and bring back the camaraderie we shared when we were serving in the forces, to support members who maybe going through a tough time and suffering from PTSD and generally enjoy each other’s company. We also want to have a positive impact in the communities we live and work which includes working with other organisations to build an understanding of the Armed Forces and what they can provide and help organise and support events and charities within the local area.

To help commemorate The Battle of Ladysmith which displayed how brilliantly the Armed Forces work together, the Veterans group are going to run from St David’s in Pembrokeshire to Brynmawr in Gwent, this distance is approximately 119 miles which represents a mile for every day our troops were under siege from the Boer Fighters in the town of Ladysmith.

The event will start at the War Memorial in St David’s on Thursday 2nd September and finish at the War Memorial in Brynmawr on Saturday 4th September. On our arrival in Brynmawr there will be events being conducted on the square including live music. If in the unfortunate event we cannot locate a Limber we will carry a dummy casualty.

The Battle of Ladysmith

During the the Second Boer War in 1899, and in particular the epic 119-day Siege of Ladysmith. The British Army was besieged by Boer fighters in the garrison town of Ladysmith, Natal, the Royal Navy landed guns from HM Ships Terrible and Powerful to help in the relief of the siege. Special carriages and mountings for these guns had been improvised by Percy Scott, before the Naval Brigade manhandled six field guns each weighing nearly half a metric tonne over rough terrain to assist their opposite numbers of the British Army.

The gallant defenders were helped enormously by the arrival at the last minute, of Captain the Hon Hedworth Lambton of the Naval Brigade with his 280 Blue-Jackets, four 12 pounders and two 4.7 inch guns. After the siege of Ladysmith was finally lifted on 28 Feb 1900, Her Majesty Queen Victoria I sent a telegram: ‘Pray express to the Naval Brigade my deep appreciation of the valuable services they have rendered with their guns'’. Displays of this magnificent feat began in London that year.

Each year since 1907, this teamwork, leadership, and moral and physical courage has been commemorated in the form of annual Field Gun competitions. In June 1907, what was to become the Inter-Command Competition began in Olympia, between Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham.

During the Pandemic all charities and organisations are going through an extremely tough time and whilst it would be good to support them all, we have chosen The Royal British Legion who are celebrating 100 years of supporting the Armed Forces community and which is obviously close to our hearts, and the Hospice of the Valleys who supports people in Blaenau Gwent during some tough and emotional times.

Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. They are the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, with 180,000 members, 110,000 volunteers and a network of partners and charities; helping us give support wherever and whenever it’s needed. Their support starts on day one of service and is life long and continues even when the service has ended. Providing expert advice and guidance, to recovery and rehabilitation, through to transitioning to civilian life – we can be by their side every step of the way. And it’s not just members of the Armed Forces but their families too.

The Hospice of the Valleys.

The Hospice of the Valleys is a Blaenau Gwent Hospice caring for over 600 people every year with a team of specialist palliative care professionals, dedicated to providing hospice care. Available 24hrs a day all year round, it is completely free to all patients and their families in the community. This year the hospice has celebrated it's 30th Anniversary of being there to support patients and the ones they love the most