PWSTS Standard Bearer
   Michael Westhead (PWSTS 1961)

                                                                                                                                               /back

Channel Dash 2015 Service to commemorate Op Fuller 12 Feb 1942
Michael Westhead (PWSTS 1961) took over the duties of PWSTS Standard Bearer from Roger Head (PWSTS 1958) in February 2015.

For security reasons only post event details will be published below.

 EVENT   PWSTS standard bearer Michael Westhead

Parades Attended 2017

January 14 HMS Truculent Memorial Chatham
27 Holocaust Memorial Day Imperial War Museum London
February 12 Channel Dash Memorial Ramsgate
March 21 British Sailors Society 199th Anniversary Winchester Cathedral
26 Holy Trinity Church 175th Anniversary Bromley (Standard not paraded but uniform worn)
April 22 Zeebrugge Raid Memorial Dover
May 11 HMT Bedfordshire Memorial/MN Sailor Memorial Buxton North Carolina USA
12 HMT Bedfordshire/Unknown Sailor Memorial Ocracoke North Carolina USA
July 9 09.30 Sea Sunday Bromley
14.30 Battle of Britain Memorial Capel le Ferne Folkestone
13 Sea Sunday Maidstone
15 Belgium Remembrance Day Cenotaph London
August 8 Sweet Pea War Memorial Rettendon Essex
Sept 1 Merchant Navy Day Dover
4 Merchant Navy Memorial Tower Hill London
13 Battle of Britain Day Biggin Hill RAF Chapel
15 Battle of Britain Day Capel le Ferne Folkestone
30 Channel Dash Memorial Dover
October 7 Royal Naval Patrol Service Memorial Parade Lowestoft.                Wreath placed by local Sea Cadets on behalf of Ocracoke USA residents.
21 Trafalgar Day Deal
Nov 3 Festival of Remembrance Winter Gardens Margate
5 Submariners Memorial Embankment London (Standard not paraded but uniform worn)
11 Festival of Remembrance Royal Albert Hall (Standard not paraded but uniform worn)
12 Remembrance Day Parade Trinity Church Bromley
Dec 17 HMS Aldenham Memorial Service Aldenham village Hertfordshire
20 Sailors Society Annual Carol Service All Hallows Church Tower Hill London (Standard not paraded but uniform worn)

Regrettably there were also five funerals attended this year.

RIP

Following the Sailors Society Carol Service at All Hallows to end the year in an appropriate manner I adjourned to the Princess of Prussia where a glass or two was raised to all those that passed through that esteemed establishment, and others like it, in a previous life. Once again, a good year in which I was proud and honoured to parade the Prince of Wales Sea Training School Standard on your behalf to wave the old red duster to remind those that need it that we existed, and still do. Thank you.


 

PWSTS DOVER
original standard

 Roger Head (PWSTS 1958)

Roger Head

 

Original Prince of Wales Sea Training School Standard


In July 2005 the above standard was kindly returned by Mr Tony Thomas, St Helen's Bishopsgate Church Building Manager.

The following inscription is contained on a wooden plaque which is still at St Peter-Upon-Cornhill Church. 'The Prince of Wales Sea Training School. Founded by the British Sailors' Soc 1920. Colour laid up in St Peter-Upon-Cornhill 27th Oct 1975.

This flag was used as the official Prince of Wales Sea Training School Society Standard from 2005 until 2008. Our Standard Bearer for that period was Roger Head (PWSTS 1958).

In 2008, due to the fragility of the standard, we commissioned a new PWSTS Standard which is pictured below. The original heavy cast metal Fluer-de-Lys at the top of the pole was removed for safe keeping. A much lighter weight quality reproduction is now used, much to the relief of the standard bearer (as shown below).

 

2009

Roger Head with
the new standard
 



Picture courtesy of the Merchant Navy Association Tower Hill 2010

 

Efforts are underway to establish the whereabouts of the original silk colours of PWSTH Limehouse.
If you can help please contact the society.

In 1928 HRH the Prince of Wales granted permission for the PWSTH to bear his royal crest.

We are still trying to trace the location of the original silk colours of the Prince of Wales Sea Training Hostel (Limehouse). Tony Towndrow remembers personally taking the PWSTH silk flag, in 1943, to a London company of flag makers called 'Adam, Lane and Neeve'. He recalls that at the time the silk flag was in excellent condition but the hostel required a replica cotton flag for general use. Roger Jennings contacted the PWSTS Society to say that his father was a Director of 'Adam, Lane and Neeve' for many years. He explained that the building was very badly firebombed during the blitz. Most of the contents were lost. It would have been around 1943 so he expects that the flag was destroyed in the fire.

The service of thanks giving for the work of the PWSTS on the occasion of the 'Laying up of the colour' was held at St Peter-upon-Cornhill, London EC3 on Monday 27th October 1975.

PWSTS INGHAM
  

We are extremely grateful to Mr Neil Kent of the Holy Trinity Church of Ingham for allowing us to reproduce these photographs. The flag can be found hanging behind the pulpit.

We believe that the PWSTS Ingham, Stalham flag, shown below is the second (copy) colours of  PWSTH Limehouse. These colours were then transferred to PWSTS Ingham, Stalham in 1940.

click on each image to enlarge           Holy Trinity Church web page