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What
was 'Salute the Soldier' Week?
'Salute
the Soldier' Week was a fund
raising scheme to encourage civilians to save their
money in Government accounts, such as War Bonds, Savings
Bonds, Defence Bonds and Savings Certificates. Cash
would be paid into Post Offices or Banks. In much the
same way as War Weapons Week, it would coincide with a
week of parades, exhibitions and other war
paraphernalia.
In 1944 it
was decided the national scheme would be themed around
raising funds to equip an Army that would be good enough
to take on the German Army on their own ground. A
target for the Mildenhall Rural District Council area
was set at £75,000 and it was proposed that Brandon's
contribution to this should be £15,000.
How did
Brandon raise funds?
It
all started, as it had done in previous years, by a
large parade. Five hundred members of the
Services, Civil Defence and Youth organisations started
the parade from Crown Meadow and headed on to the Market
Hill, where the salute was taken by Colonel J.M.
Gawthorpe,C.B.E., T.D., of Cambridge. The parade
was headed by the band of the 5th Battalion
Cambridgeshire Home Guard and among other organisations
taking part were the band of the 392 Squadron A.T.C. of
Newmarket, along with members from the U.S. Army Air
Force, W.A.A.F.s, R.A.F., R.A.A.F, 2nd Cambridgeshire
Home Guard, Army Cadet Force, A.T.C., National Fire
Service, Police, Civil Defence, Youth Movement, G.T.C.,
Girl Guides and Boy Scouts.
After
the parade there was an open air service on the Market
Hill, which was conducted by the Rev. G. Kirkpatrick,
Rector of St. Peter's, Brandon, along with assisted by
the Rev. H. Tyrell Green, Rector of Santon Downham, Rev.
D.H. Bareham, a Baptist Minister. The singing was
led by the massed choirs conducted by Mr. A.E. Chapman,
organist and choirmaster at St. Peter's Church, Brandon.
After
the service the Chairman of the Brandon Savings
Committee, Mr. F.W. Gentle, said that in the past fund
raising efforts Brandon had come out with flying colours
and that he did not think the town would let them
down. He also expressed his appreciation of the
part taken by the Americans in the day's parade.
Colonel
Gawthorpe thanked everyone for the support given in the
past and said that the Salute the Soldier Week had been launched
when resources were most need for an assault on Germany
following D-Day. He had seen the men training and
people should now make sure that the soldiers should not
lack for any equipment and stores. The men had to
have munitions and these had to be paid for and taxation
had reached its limit with money lacking. He even
urged the necessity of the young starting a Savings Bank
account as a means of encouraging thrift!
Major
J.W. Fredericks of the U.S.A.A.F. also spoke and
stressed the need for close co-operation between
the
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