Here are my views on the issue, this is just my view and not necessarily that of the association or indeed the Royal Sussex Regimental Association Limited (RSRAL). I have no formal standing in the association but I am the Welfare Director of RSRAL and although RSRAL has not yet taken over responsibility for the association, I am advising on welfare issues be it connected with our comrades who need support now or producing some of the policies and procedures that are needed to make the welfare process fit for purpose as we move into the future.
The constant comments about the wearing of regalia is starting to have an impact on members who are on both sides of the fence and so as the future Welfare Director I see it as my job to try and bring both sides together and hopefully come to an agreement but as it stands, I don’t think we will be able to please everyone so if we are to move forward, there has to be some ‘give & take’.
My personal stance on the regalia issue is that non served members should not wear berets or march with a body of veterans and that is the way I voted. Save for one exception, and that is non-served branch standard bearers should wear the beret and badge. I don’t see badged members queuing up to perform this very important function.
I do not have a problem with non-served members wearing our tie (in my view it is a regimental tie and not an association tie) and them displaying a RSX blazer badge at branch meetings and formal events. These guys are the future of the association and they perform key roles in branches and personally I’m not aware of anyone who just wants to wear the regalia for any other purpose except being proud to be part of an association that celebrates the great history of our regiment. That said, I do not agree to them wearing the tie and badge outside of branch meetings and formal events.
That brings me on to the issue of Les Deacon’s post where he displayed a photograph of one of our non-served branch standard bearers and said he was an impostor. That he is not, he is fully entitled to wear the regalia under the rules of the association drawn up in 2018 and signed off by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee consists of the Trustees of the association and two representatives from each branch. You will see that the branch members outnumber the Trustees and could have opposed the wearing of regalia but chose not to do so. Presumably, their views reflected that of their branch.
In my view, the accusation that Les made against the standard bearer was unwarranted, unfair and unacceptable and I made my views known to the President and hierarchy. I don’t mind admitting that the ‘cease & desist’ letter was my idea and it was accepted that we should respond in this way. In fact when you read Les’s ‘Rules of Engagement’’ on his website, he was in breach of them. I’m very pleased that Les removed the offending photo and associated comments and respect him for doing that.
Both Les’s and the Royal Sussex-3 Queens website perform valuable roles but some of the comments posted are really unacceptable and need moderating. It is starting to tear the heart out of the association and I’m sure all of us who served do not wish to see it dissolved.
Personally, the way things are going, I’m very close to resigning from the association and joining my local Queens Regiment Branch in Surrey.