MILITARY veterans have welcomed a new group where they can socialise and access support.
The veterans hub or ‘Breakfast and Banter’ group, meets weekly on Wednesday mornings from 9am-11.30am at TASS, Tavistock Area Support Services charity HQ next to the town’s bus station on Plymouth Road.
In its first week, the hub attracted 30 people and at its second meeting last week (March 12) there were about half this number, but it was a sociable gathering with plenty of laughter, chatter and interest in returning regularly.
Anyone who has served in the RAF, Army or Royal Navy is welcome and also those who work in the emergency uniformed services, such as police and fire. They are offered a relaxed environment with hot drinks and bacon roll.
Enjoying the gathering was Yorkie Malone, an ex-Royal Marines drill instructor, of Lamerton, who said: “It’s a good idea to have this event. It’s a place where servicemen and women can get together. I’ll come again. There aren’t many places where ex-service personnel can meet others who have been through the same careers. It’s good to chat about shared experiences.”
Tony Wakeham, of Tavistock, is an ex-army engineer from the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers who has served worldwide servicing and repairing vehicles as an electrical engineer.
He has previously worked an electrician and caretaker and said: “This is a special group because service personnel are different from most of the public because of our jobs. It’s a way of life as well as a career. So, we have a different way of expressing ourselves and have experiences that only others who have served can understand.
“We can’t talk about our careers to anyone who hasn’t served because they can’t understand and can’t talk about doing the same things. There’s no where else to go to meet like-minded people in the area, so I’ll come again.”
John Wall, ex-Army catering corps, chatted to Yorkie and Tony. He has served in Singapore, Aden, Germany and Belize before leaving the army and catering in the Middle East for oil companies, and said: “My army experience was valued by the oil companies for their corporate events.
“So, I feel the same here at the hub, because the other veterans all understand each other and speak the same language about shared experiences that the average person won’t ever know about. There’s definitely a need for ex-service colleagues to come to the hub and experience the camaraderie they probably miss.”
Norman Paramor, of Tavistock, served in the ‘forgotten’ Burmese conflict with the former First Battalion the Dorsets. He said: “I’ve met some good chaps here, we can talk about serving.’’
Former Royal Navy sailor for 12 years Mick Pease, of Tavistock, served in three warships, Gibraltar, Northern Ireland, Aden and the Far East.
He said: “It’s a great morning out of the house for me. For some lads it reduces isolation and they can feel as if they belong more to society and make new friends. There’s a special bond between all of us who have served.”
