THE BLYTHE SAPPERS
HISTORICAL NOTE
TENTH
EDITION
1945-2010
THE BLYTHE SAPPERS
HISTORICAL NOTE
TENTH EDITION 2010
Who
are the Blythe Sappers?
This
unique society has flourished since its formation at the end of the Second
World War. Its membership is limited.
Qualification
is, by custom, commissioned service in any past or present constituent part of
the Royal Engineers: Regular, Territorial Army, Supplementary Reserve, Army
Emergency Reserve, National Service or Engineer and Logistic Staff Corps. All rank and titles are suppressed, each
member being known as “Sapper...”
The
purpose of the Society has always been to foster good comradeship amongst
Sappers, serving or retired, by providing opportunities for getting together
and to promote the Esprit de Corps of the Royal Engineers. It has established a tradition of making
regular donations to Royal Engineers benevolence and good causes, and in its
early days members helped fellow Sappers to find employment on demobilisation.
Origins:
In
a difficult period of the Second World War at the Devonshire Club, in whose
premises the Public Schools Club was also accommodated, a number of members in
the bar were seen to be wearing the Royal Engineers tie. When they found that they had all served in
the Corps during the First World War, they decided to meet for lunch together
about once a month and continued to do so up to the end of the war.
They
became known as the “Sapper Set”, and from them the Blythe Sappers Society has
evolved. The Minute Book shows that the
first recorded meeting of the Sappers was held at a luncheon party arranged by Mr.
J. Coventon Moth at the Devonshire Club on Thursday, 15th February 1945, and
amongst those present was Mr. Ormond Alfred Blyth (Chairman of the Devonshire
Club from 1941 to 1946).
At
that meeting it was unanimously agreed that Ormond Blyth, who was happy to
accept the invitation, should be President of the Society, and that its
Headquarters should be at the Devonshire Club.
Coventon Moth agreed to act as Secretary from his office at
At
a subsequent meeting of the “Committee of the Sapper Set” held on the 1st March
1945, Sapper Fryer was elected as the first Chairman, to be followed by Sapper
Coventon Moth, and “thereafter in rotation alphabetically”. Sapper Rosborough was appointed Joint
Secretary with Sapper Coventon Moth, Sapper Grierson-Carr was appointed Mess
President, and it was decided that a letter of invitation should be sent out to
“a selected number of potential members” to attend an inaugural luncheon to be
held at the Devonshire Club on 24th March 1945.
Among
other decisions taken at this meeting were that Ormond Blyth was to be asked to
preside at the Inaugural Luncheon and at all future luncheons of the Society;
that the Joint Secretaries should also act as Treasurers; that the Committee
create a form of Guarantee Fund to defray expenses and any deficit which might
arise; that the five original members be Founder Members of the Society, namely
Sappers Fryer, Grierson-Carr, Rosborough, Coventon Moth and Westlake; and that
the numbers be limited to 50 with an additional 10 per cent of honorary
members.
At
this same meeting the title chosen for the Society was
THE BLYTHE SAPPERS, in
recognition of the kindness and consideration that members received from their
President, Ormond Blyth. The “fostering
of good comradeship” was declared to be the general purpose of the Blythe
Sappers. On 10th July 1945 the
Provisional Committee voted donations to the Old Comrades’ Association and the
Royal Engineers’ Benevolent Society; the first of many such donations.
Management
of the Society:
The
Blythe Sappers' affairs are supervised by the Council, consisting of the
Chairman, all past Chairmen, the Chairman Designate, the Honorary Treasurer,
the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Auditor and, by invitation, retiring
Secretaries/Treasurers The Council must
meet once a year, but can meet more often if required. It selects and appoints a member of the
Society to serve as Chairman for each year; by custom established in the 1960s,
Non-Regular (‘Gentlemen’)
and Regular (‘Player’) Sappers have alternated as Chairmen, when willing and available.
The
day to day business of the Society is conducted by a small Management
Committee, which meets before each luncheon.
This Management Committee currently consists of the Chairman, the Vice
Chairman (immediate past Chairman), the Chairman Designate, the Council Link
Member, the Corps Link Member (the Regimental Colonel), the Territorial Army Link
Member, the Engineer & Logistic Staff Corps Link Member, the Honorary
Treasurer, the Honorary Membership Secretary and the Honorary Secretary.
The
Honorary Dinner Secretary, who organises the annual dinner, the Honorary
Auditor and the Honorary Archivist may be invited to attend certain Management
Committee meetings.
Functions:
The
pattern of functions, which has evolved, takes
the form of four luncheons a year, to
which members may invite personal guests, whilst the Chairman invites a
Principal Guest. The latter is invited
to give a talk about his or her own forte; formalities are kept to a minimum.
Members
are expected to wear a Corps tie, and “Hurrah for the CRE” is sung as a finale,
under the direction of the Musical Director.
Guests often express astonishment at the spirited rendering of this
anthem!
In the early years these luncheon meetings were held in a
variety of places, mostly at the Devonshire Club; then, between 1954 and 2001, at
the Charing Cross Hotel. Since March 2002, we have been made most welcome by the
Army & Navy Club at 36 Pall Mall, who have set aside a bar before lunch for
our use and whose
From 1969 until 1994, the summer meeting was
held each year on Derby Day - always a Wednesday - and was followed by the draw
of a sweepstake on the race, the profits going to charity. Those members able to stay at the end of the
function watched the race on a television in the luncheon room. From 1995, the
A
new departure, in 1982, added an additional function to our annual programme,
in the shape of
a formal dinner in the Royal Engineers Headquarter Mess at Brompton Barracks,
Chatham with orchestral
accompaniment and Corps silver glittering on candlelit tables. Personal guests may be invited to this
cheerful and most popular occasion, now termed “The Blythe Sappers Guest Night”
at which, by tradition, there are no speeches.
Badge
of Office:
The
late Sapper Coventon Moth produced the Chairman’s first badge of Office in the
early days of the Society. It comprised
a red velvet medallion bearing the Royal Engineers Cap Badge (King George VI)
and the word “UBIQUE” richly
embroidered in gold thread. The
medallion was supported by a collar of Royal Engineers ribbon and carried on an
additional loose collar of “chain, brass, WC cisterns,
for the use of”. It was proudly worn by
the Chairman at all functions. After
some 100 public appearances, when it had begun to show its age, it was
gratefully accepted in 1970 by the
Meanwhile,
a handsome new badge was designed and made by Sapper Kirkland and approved by
the Society, consisting of a modified Royal Engineers motor car badge, gilded
and with a gilt plate fixed below bearing the words “THE BLYTHE SAPPERS Founded
1945”. This badge is supported by a
simple collar of Sapper ribbon, and has been further embellished recently.
In
1994 the then Chairman, Sapper Realf, donated a gavel for the Chairman’s
use. The gavel had originally been
presented to him at the end of his attachment to the Royal Swedish Engineer
Corps in 1954. An anvil for it was made
by the Royal School of Military Engineering from wood found in its archives
that had, nearly 100 years before, been part of the original pedestal for the “Chinese Dragon” - a famous
piece of Corps silver.
Honorary
and Associate Members:
In the course of 60 years, a small number of
gentlemen have been elected as honorary or
associate members. However in recent
years it has been found preferable from every point of view to offer ordinary
membership to a very few friends of the Society, whether Royal Engineers or
not, who have the interests and the welfare of the Corps at heart and to confer
upon them the distinction of “Blythe Sapper”.
Blythe Sappers Challenge Cup:
In
1946 the Society presented the Corps with an inscribed Challenge Cup for
Association Football. In the course of
time and because of military circumstances it became the trophy for the
Benevolence:
In
earlier times, the Society made gifts of cash to the Royal Engineers Benevolent
Fund, and, occasionally, for other charitable purposes. With the institution of the
Several gifts have been made to the
The
Fund was set up in late 1991 using some of the Society’s accumulated moneys
which the Committee decided were in excess of day to day requirements. In its first fourteen years of operation
over £21,000 has been placed into the fund from which individual grants are
made on the recommendation of the Regimental Colonel Royal Engineers and the
current Chairman of the Blythe Sappers.
Whilst the main intention is to encourage young men and women serving on
Regular Royal Engineers engagements, officers and members of the Royal
Engineers Territorial Army and of The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers are not precluded;
several grants have already been made to them.
Expeditions receiving sponsorship from the Fund have been made to
Special
Anniversaries:
To
mark the Blythe Sappers’ Fiftieth Year a special Anniversary Luncheon was held
at the Charing Cross Hotel on Thursday 9th March 1995. The Principal Guest was the then Chief Royal
Engineer, Sapper Stibbon. A Corps
Trumpeter sounded the call to luncheon and later a fanfare as a prelude to the
Chief Royal’s address. 119 members and
their guests were present, which called for a fair bit of Sapper improvisation
to fit everybody in but the occasion was an enjoyable and memorable one. A special Draw was held in aid of the Fund
for Adventurous and Challenging Pursuits, to which those who attended, and many
who could not, contributed most generously; an
extra donation of £400 was made to the Fund.
The
Millennium was marked by a Celebration Luncheon held at Old Hall,
Personalities:
Ormond Blyth, a nephew of the first Baron Blyth
of Blythwood, though very well disposed towards the Royal Engineers, never
served in the Corps; it is sad to relate that he was able to take little part
in the affairs of his Society. In 1946
he resigned from Chairmanship of the Devonshire Club, and in March 1947 from
the Presidency of the Blythe Sappers, when it was agreed that the appointment
of future Presidents should be left open.
He died on 16 June of the same year at the age of 67, having devoted
much of his life to manifold charitable causes. For the record,
the reader will notice that the title for the Society has a different spelling
of Blythe from the founding President’s surname. This was caused by a spelling error of the
latter carried forward over the years and only noticed by the Honorary
Archivist in 2004.
After
serving as Chairman in 1946-47, Sapper Coventon Moth became Honorary Treasurer
and held that office until he resigned at the end of 1956. He remained a Life Member until his death in
1963. Members had presented him with a
small piece of antique silver in 1958 as a token of gratitude for his unique
services to the Society.
The
‘roll call’ of Chairmen of the Society is shown at the end of the booklet.
The Honorary
Treasurers were: J Coventon Moth
Esq 1947 - 1956
Lt
Lt
Brig
J. Constant 1971 -
1974
Capt
P.F. Martin 1974 -
1982
I.A.R.
Stewart Esq 1982 - 1986
Capt
G.G. Fordyce 1986 - 1990
In
1990, when Capt Fordyce stood down, the duties were split between a Secretary
and a Treasurer.
Honorary Secretaries Honorary Treasurers
Lt. Col. D.O. Vaughan 1990 - 1993 Lt. Col. F.R. Howell
1990 - 1995
Maj. W.F. Howard-Jones 1994 - 1996 Col.
J.C. Peacey 1996 - 2004
S.G.H. Sinclair Esq. 1997 - 2004 Lt. Col. R.F. Wilsher 2005 -
Lt. Col. J.R. McLennan 2005 -
Following approval by Council in October
2004 of a new post of Honorary Membership Secretary, the ‘membership’
duties of the Honorary Secretary were taken over by Lt. Col. D.N. Hamilton.
In the early days the Honorary Treasurer had a
lady, not a member of the Society, to assist him in his secretarial duties as
Honorary Secretary. These were Miss
Joyce Ross, 1947 - 1979; Miss Evelyn Steers, 1979 - 1983; and Mrs Janet Hoe
from 1984 to 1986, when the post was discontinued. Throughout the existence of the Blythe
Sappers three ladies have been Assistant Honorary Secretaries: Miss Marjorie
Barnes (later Mrs A.J. Lyddon) from 1947 to 1984, Mrs Carol Parrott from 1984
to 2004.
The
other officers of the Society are the Auditor, the Musical Director, the Chatham
Dinner Secretary and the Archivist, all of whom are honorary. These posts have been held by:
Auditor Musical Director
R
Parry Esq 1946 - 1961 Col. W.A. Turner 1946 - 1960
Maj. Gen. B.K. Young 1961 - 1967 [No Musical Director] 1961
- 1968
Lt. Col. G.W. Kirkland 1968 - 1974 Maj. Gen. Sir Gerald Duke 1969
- 1976
Maj. C. Weiss 1975 - 1982 Maj. R.G. Covell 1977 - 1987
Capt. K. Severn 1983 - 1991 Col. J.I.G. Capadose 1988 - 1998
Col. J.C. Peacey 1992 - 1995 Lt. Col. H.T. Realf 1998 - 2006
Lt.
Col. F.R. Howell 1996 - 2003 Major E Keeley 2006 -
Lt. Col. R.F. Wilsher, 2004
- 2004
Col J.C. Peacey 2005 – 2008
Brig
JB Wilks CBE 2008 -
Maj.
Gen. G.B. Sinclair 1982 - 1989 Maj. W.F. Howard-Jones 1997 - 2003
Col. G.W.A. Napier 1990 - 1994 Capt. R.A. Lloyd-Owen 2004 -
Lt.
Col. J.N. Cormack 1995 - 1997
Maj. R. L. Smallman 1998 – 2001 Membership Secretary
Lt.
Col. D.N. Hamilton 2001 – 2004 Lt
Col C Holman 2008 -
Lt.
Col. L.S.I. Inge 2005
-
Bringing
the Blythe Sappers up to Date:
Whilst its purpose is not quite as precise as
Sapper tradition dictates, the Society has flourished for some 60 years. The world has moved on during that time; the
Corps of Royal Engineers has been significantly reduced in recent years and
there are now female Royal Engineers officers serving in both the Regular and
Reserve Forces. Furthermore all members
who saw service in World War 2 are over 80 years of age and the youngest of
those who held National Service Commissions over 65. (The last member who saw service in World
War 1, Sapper “Tubby” Broomhall, Chairman in 1974, died in 1995.) To
meet this challenge, in 1995 the Society charged a Review Committee under the
Chairmanship of Sapper “Gus” Sinclair to examine the structure of the Society
and to recommend how to take account of the major changes in the Royal
Engineers.
The comprehensive recommendations of the
Sinclair Committee were accepted and have been incorporated into the running of
the Society and in this booklet. From
members' point of view possibly the most momentous decision was that women who
qualify under our rules might be elected to the Society. It was also decided that members could bring
a female guest to a lunch, provided that their guest had an associated professional
interest with the Society. The
appropriate function for wives (or husbands) or friends of either gender will
remain the annual Guest and Ladies Night.
By 1966, as few members were aware of the
Society’s origins or membership, "A Short History of the Blythe
Sappers" was published and further editions were produced at about 5
yearly intervals. This Tenth Edition is
being published in our 60th Year and like its predecessors inevitably leaves
out a great deal of the activities of the Society and the services of
individual members. However much can be
found in the well-kept sets of Minute Books held in the safekeeping of our
Honorary Archivist, Sapper Lloyd Owen.
Election
to the Blythe Sappers:
All
candidates, other than those officers (regular and TA) currently serving, must
have a proposer (who should be either a member of Council or of the Management
Committee) and a seconder, who know the candidate personally, and who, between
them, are aware of his or her service with the Corps and the individual’s present
activities. The proposer and seconder
should be prepared to answer the following questions:-
1. Will
the candidate take an interest in the Blythe Sappers objectives and interests?
2. Will other members enjoy his or her
company at these activities?
The procedure should begin with the candidate
being invited to lunch by the proposer or seconder and should be introduced to
at least two members of the Management Committee. A nomination form should then be submitted
to the Honorary Membership Secretary.
The candidate’s application will in due course be considered at the next
meeting of the Management Committee and, if recommended for election, the
candidate will be informed. Council members will be informed at their next
meeting.
A
meeting was held at Minley Manor in October 2003, at which ways of
strengthening membership of the Blythe Sappers were discussed, possibly by
encouraging more serving officers (regular and TA) to be elected Blythe Sappers.
Proposals were drafted, which were subsequently
amended slightly by the Management Committee. Accepting
that it was necessary for the wellbeing of the Society to ensure that a steady
stream of serving officers be elected members, whilst still preserving the
traditional balance between “Gentlemen” and “Player” members, Council approved the
following proposals in May 2004:
1.
The total number of Blythe Sappers should be
limited to 300, subject to this number being
regularly reviewed by the Management Committee;
2.
The Society should remain ‘closed’, but all
serving officers in the Corps should be encouraged to consider membership of the
Blythe Sappers on attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel or reaching the age
of 40; whichever occurred first,
3.
Those who were interested should be given the
opportunity to attend a lunch, at their own expense or hosted by a Blythe
Sapper, where they should meet a member of the Management Committee before
seeking membership;
4.
Such candidates would need to be proposed by a
member of the Management Committee as part of the nomination procedure; but
that each nomination would need to be considered at a subsequent Management
Committee meeting to confirm that there was a vacancy; and
5.
The current “dining-in” requirement, nomination
and election procedure would be retained for all other candidates for election,
in effect all those not currently serving.
Council
also agreed that the Society should elect a Membership Secretary with close
connections to the Royal Engineers to ensure that the new procedure was
implemented; and that he should write to all serving officers who had attained
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or reached the age of 40, providing information
on the Blythe Sappers, together with information on how to go about attending a
luncheon and seeking election as a Blythe Sapper.
It is believed that the revised rules will
allow the Blythe Sappers to remain as cheerful as the merry Coventon Moth would
have wished. The only subject that they
take seriously to heart is the well being of the Corps of Royal Engineers.
September
2010
"HURRAH FOR THE CRE"
The words of the anthem
to be sung by the Blythe Sappers
GOOD MORNING MR.
STEVENS AND WINDY NOTCHY KNIGHT,
HURRAH FOR THE CRE
WE’RE WORKING VERY HARD
DOWN AT UPNOR HARD,
HURRAH FOR THE CRE
YOU MAKE FAST, I MAKE
FAST, MAKE FAST THE DINGHY,
MAKE FAST THE DINGHY,
MAKE FAST THE DINGHY,
YOU MAKE FAST, I MAKE
FAST, MAKE FAST THE DINGHY,
MAKE FAST THE DINGHY
PONTOON.
FOR WE’RE MARCHING ON
TO LAFFAN’S PLAIN,
TO LAFFAN’S PLAIN, TO
LAFFAN’S PLAIN,
YES, WE’RE MARCHING ON
TO LAFFAN’S PLAIN,
WHERE THEY DON’T KNOW
MUD FROM CLAY.
AH, AH, AH, AH, AH, AH,
AH, AH.
OSHTA, OSHTA, OSHTA,
OSHTA,
IKONA MALEE, PICANINNY
SKOFF,
MA-NINGA SABENZA,
HERE’S ANOTHER OFF.
OOLUM-DA CRIED MATABELE
OOLUM-DA, AWAY WE GO,
AH, AH, AH, AH, AH, AH,
AH.
SHUSH..........WHOOW!
Chairmen
Of
The
Blythe Sappers 1945 - 2011
E H. Fryer Esq. (Founder Chairman) 1945
J Coventon Moth Esq. 1946
Brig.
A. G. Bonn CBE MC 1947
Maj.
Gen. Sir Covington Cole KBE CB 1949
Maj.
Gen. G. S. Szlumper CBE 1950
Maj.
Gen. Sir Drummond Inglis KBE CB MC 1951
Maj.
Gen. B. K. Young CBE MC 1952/53
Brig. L. G. Robertson CBE 1955
Lt.
Gen. Sir John Whiteley GBE KCB MC 1957
Capt. A. K. Dodds MC 1958
Maj.
Gen Sir Douglas Campbell KBE CB DSO MC 1959
Gen. Sir Nevil Brownjohn GBE KCB CMG MC ADC 1960/61
Maj.
Gen. G. N. Russell CB CBE 1965
Maj.
Gen. Sir Gerald Duke KBE CB DSO 1967
Brig. C. C. Parkman CBE ERD TD 1970
Maj.
Gen. T. H. F. Foulkes CB OBE 1972
Maj.
Gen. W. M. Broomhall CB DSO OBE 1974
Maj. R. G. Covell 1975
Gen. Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC 1976
Brig. J. Constant 1980
Maj. J. F. Rusted 1981
Maj.
Gen. J. C. Woollett CBE MC 1982
Capt. P. F. Martin 1983
Maj.
Gen. R. W. T. Britten CB MC 1984
Maj.
Gen. G. B. Sinclair CB CBE 1986
Maj. J. C. A. Roseveare DSO 1987
Maj. Sir Eric Yarrow MBE DL 1989
Brig. J. W. Walker OBE 1990
Brig. P. F. Aylwin-Foster 1992
G.
C. H. Osborne Esq. DL 1993
Capt. G. G. Fordyce 1995
Maj.
Gen. P. C. Shapland CB MBE 1996
D.
Dennington Esq. 1997
Brig.
F. G. Barton CBE 1998
J.
G. Charlesworth Esq. 2001
Brig. W. E. Shackell CBE 2002
Maj. D. F. James 2003
Capt. M. H. S. Muller 2005
Prof.
J. D. Lewins 2006
S.G.
H. Sinclair Esq. 2007
Capt.
J. H. Fitzmaurice 2008
B.
H. Pearce CBE DL 2009
Maj.
Gen. J. D. Moore-Bick CBE DL 2010
Sir Idris Pearce CBE TD DL 2011