In 1948 it was decided that, with Kent being such a large county, the existing Kent Branch of the Grenadier Guards Association should be divided into two and thus the East Kent and West Kent Branches were born.
As the result of an idea suggested by Sergeant Michael Burke, the Grenadier Recruiting Sergeant in Chatham, a number of Medway Towns based members of the West Kent Branch decided to establish a local sub-branch of the Association for the benefit of those members and former members of the Regiment living in that area.
Having obtained a grant of £25 from the Association, the inaugural meeting of the Medway Branch of the Grenadier Guards Association took place on 1st July 1976 at 'The Globe' public house in Medway Street, Chatham.
Captain Peter Parry | General Secretary of the Association |
Sgt Michael Burke | Regimental Recruiter ACIO Chatham |
Mr Nigel Bird | Mr Barry Last |
Mr Cyril Merry | |
Mr Tony Russell | |
Mr Allen Simmons |
Mr Tony Russell | Chairman & Secretary |
Sgt Michael Burke | Treasurer |
Mr Allen Simmons | Entertainments |
General Sir Rodney Moore GCVO, KCB, CBE, DSO accepted the invitation to be President of the Branch, an appointment he held until the end of 1980.
Meetings were held at 'The Chequered Flag' public house, High Street, Chatham before moving to the Prison Officers Club (the Rochwood Club) serving HM Prisons Rochester and Cookham Wood.
The Branch gained independence and became a full branch of the Association in 1978.
1981 - Colonel T F C Winnington MBE succeeded General Sir Rodney Moore as President of the Medway Branch and was in turn followed by Major the Hon Philip Sidney MBE in 1982. Major Sidney (now Viscount De Lisle) was invited to return to his home area and take over as President of the West Kent Branch in 1988 and Major J F C Rodwell replaced him until his work took him away from the area and he was forced to resign from the post.
1992 - The Lord Lieutenant of Kent, The Rt Hon Robin Leigh-Pemberton took time out from his duties as Governor of the Bank of England to become the 5th President of the Medway Branch. In 1993 he retired from the Bank of England and was elevated to the peerage to become Lord Kingsdown. The following year he was created a Knight of the Garter.
1994 - The Medway Branch set up its own shooting club which meets once a month at a TA Centre in central Maidstone. The shooting practice has more than paid off as the Branch won the Regimental shooting trophy, the Boyton Cup, in 1996, 1999 and successfully defended it in its Silver Jubilee Year 2001. There was no tournament in 2000). In 2002 we shared the honours with the Lincoln Branch and then, in 2003 and 2004, decided to allow other branches to take the glory for a change.
1999-2001 - The branch hosted the first of the annual get-togethers for the three Kent branches. The President and Lady Kingsdown kindly opened their gardens at Torry Hill for the event. The following year we all went to Penshurst Place, the home of Viscount De Lisle, President of the West Kent Branch and enjoyed a day in and around the house. In 2001 the East Kent Branch took us to the Hop Farm at Beltring where we had the freedom of the estate. In 2002 we returned to Torry Hill to start the cycle once again.