Minden Day Remembered

By Margaret Sheard

Earlier in the year I wrote an article about the memories of Cyprus by a British ex-serviceman, the information was supplied to me by Derek Chilvers who came to Cyprus with the Suffolk Regiment in 1958/59. To see this story and the many wonderful photographs, click here The article also includes some lovely pieces of music, one of which is Minden Rose which was written for the Suffolk Regiment by Wes Cardy.  To hear this very moving song click here

Derek supplied so much interesting material for this story, amongst which was the following reference to the Battle of Minden. This was a battle fought against the French on 1st August 1759.

“The Battle of Minden is one of the battles fought by the Suffolk Regiment and as the troops went into battle they crossed a field of flowers which were Red and Yellow and they picked the flowers and put them on their clothing and so the colours became the colours of the regiment to honour those who died and every year on the last Sunday of July at the old barracks at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, where Derek did his training, a Minden Day celebration is held and all the old and young comrades from way back and their families all get together for the day. The Old Soldiers do a march past and a service is held much the same as in Kyrenia.”

Despite the fact that Derek’s wife is extremely ill, he managed to attend the annual reunion this year and had the opportunity of meeting up with some of his old buddies who served with him in Cyprus. What a lovely occasion this must be when you think of the years which have passed since they first met and enjoyed their time together in Cyprus and here they are 50+ years later, still good friends with so much to recall of their lives then and now.