Leading the way

If you see a parade in Wolverhampton that involves standards, veterans, armed forces and cadets, most the time my husband will be leading the way.

He is the Standard Bearer for the Wolverhampton United Ex-service Council and carries the Queen's Colour.

[breakout title="Eileen Ward Birch" align="right"]Eileen Ward Birch is secretary of Wolverhampton United Ex-service Council (WUEC), volunteers for various local groups, and is a member of the local British Legion. Her blog covers the ex-services and her involvement with them, covering their news and taking lots of photos (in which her husband - a standard bearer for the WUEC - often features).[/breakout]

Because of this, he gets to meet many people who would not normally be within his circle of acquaintances, however it does have disadvantages. The Union flag (Queen's Colour) is not allowed to attend services where another Union flag is present. Very often Mick (my husband) is the senior standard and the other has to give way, but at funerals, where the coffin is draped, and services organised to honour other organisations the Union has to stay at home. He does sometimes have offers to carry for other organisations and is quite happy to do so, if he is available, considering an honour to help.

Earlier this year, we missed the Anzac Day service on Cannock Chase because he had no standard and only this weekend he missed out on the annual Korean Veterans Association service at St John's church. We did, however, attend V E Day, the flag raising for Armed Forces Day and Armed Forces Day itself, as well as the 100 year commemoration for the start of the Battle of the Somme.

Our next event will be V J Day, to remember the end of WWII in in the far east. This will be on Monday 8 August 11.00 am at the Burma Star memorial by Wolverhampton Cenotaph. We would like to have as many people as possible taking part in this service of thanks to the 'forgotten army'.

Wolverhampton United Ex-service Council can be found on Facebook or contacted by email at wuec@hotmail.co.uk