Association of Harrogate Apprentices

At the Army Apprentices' Arborfield AGM in the middle of 2009, the idea of an Army Apprentice Memorial was raised. Letters were sent out to the Carlisle, Chepstow and Harrogate Apprentice Associations inviting them to join the venture. Over a year ago Chepstow had independently started their own ideas for a Chepstow Army Apprentices Memorial but agreed to join the other schools and put their funds already collected into a central fund.

For those who were at our last AGM you may recall the Arborfield letter was read out and there was an overwhelming agreement to join. A volunteer was nominated to represent AOHA and with representatives from the other Associations formed a Memorial Steering Committee. The first meeting of this committee was held on the 28th October 2009 at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA), Alrewas, Staffordshire. I was elected AOHA Representative and NMA Liaison Officer so we are able to to keep a tab on things.

Also in attendance at this meeting was the NMA Curator who gave invaluable advice concerning the design of the monument, the pitfalls to avoid and what would be likely to obtain the approval of the NMA Trustees who give the final “rubber stamp” for all monuments.

Designing, suitable materials, planning, costings, etc were addressed and the sketched drawing shows the design that has been agreed upon by the Committee. The memorial will consist of a 7m diameter granite base with a slightly raised centre circle. On this centre circle will be engraved the various Corps( RA, RE, RSigs, etc.) with whom apprentices served, on completion of their time at the relevant school/college. A slab of dark granite will form the main memorial stone with the Army Apprentices badge engraved on its face with suitable wording below the badge. Four benches of a lighter shade of granite will be evenly positioned near the edge, each bearing the name and badge of the four Associations.

Around the outer edge of the larger circle will be rings of York stone bricks. These ‘tablets’ will have engraved on them the name, school, intake number and years served and can be purchased by loved ones or friends and installed permanently. A sample of the tablet will be shown at the next re-union. The cost of these tablets will be £75 (£50 for relatives and friends of Apprentices who have passed on) and will include the manufacturing cost of the tablet, the installation, plus an extra amount to be held in a central account (probably by the NMA) to fund the maintenance of the monument in later years.

Having obtained quotes from various monumental masons the overall cost to produce and install the monument will be in the region of £30K. It is hoped that this amount can be raised by kind donations from ex-Apprentices, perhaps Corps represented and fund raising schemes.

There is an urgent need for an AOHA member to join the Steering Committee as the Harrogate Fund Raiser and volunteers should contact Johnny McGahan by email at jmcgahan@talktalk.net.

Early Donations should be made payable to “AOBA No 2 Account (AANM)” and sent to the Fund’s Treasurer, Major Mike J Davis MBE, Rosebank, New Buildings, Sandford, Crediton, Devon, EX17 4PP.