In search of William Garland and the Rotherwas ordnance story
01/22/23 • 30 min
This month's episode finds Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts in the grounds of St Michael's and All Angels' Church, Bodenham at the grave of William Garland, who died on 27th July 1942. Further research shows that, this Great War veteran died in the bombing of the Rotherwas Ordnance Factory, on the south-east outskirts of Hereford.
Our intrepid pair visit the site of the Royal Ordnance Factory, exploring its history during both world wars, including the fatal air raid, and other dangers and accidents faced by the workers there - who came in from many surrounding towns and villages to do their bit in the war effort.
Paul and Andy repair to the Wye Inn just along the "Rotherwas long mile" for a pint, and catch up with DORA... with some sobering facts for our wandering clergyman, and sadly no opportunity to be served beer out of a bath tub as happened there in the past!
Note from the editing suite: the location of the ammunition storage facility that our presenters could not remember was at Callow, south of the city of Hereford!
To find out more about this small solely Territorial unit from Herefordshire, in the Welsh Marches, visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
For more information about the Operation Blackout - last mission of WW2 - at Hereford Town Hall on 17th May 2025 at 6.30pm, click here:
https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/events/op-blackout-presentation/
If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience.
Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.
This month's episode finds Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts in the grounds of St Michael's and All Angels' Church, Bodenham at the grave of William Garland, who died on 27th July 1942. Further research shows that, this Great War veteran died in the bombing of the Rotherwas Ordnance Factory, on the south-east outskirts of Hereford.
Our intrepid pair visit the site of the Royal Ordnance Factory, exploring its history during both world wars, including the fatal air raid, and other dangers and accidents faced by the workers there - who came in from many surrounding towns and villages to do their bit in the war effort.
Paul and Andy repair to the Wye Inn just along the "Rotherwas long mile" for a pint, and catch up with DORA... with some sobering facts for our wandering clergyman, and sadly no opportunity to be served beer out of a bath tub as happened there in the past!
Note from the editing suite: the location of the ammunition storage facility that our presenters could not remember was at Callow, south of the city of Hereford!
To find out more about this small solely Territorial unit from Herefordshire, in the Welsh Marches, visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
For more information about the Operation Blackout - last mission of WW2 - at Hereford Town Hall on 17th May 2025 at 6.30pm, click here:
https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/events/op-blackout-presentation/
If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience.
Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.
Previous Episode
Just a Walk in the Snow with 96 Geese and 825 Mince Pies - Christmas Special
Happy Christmas everyone!
In this special festive edition of the podcast, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts explore different Christmas with the 1/1st and 2/1st Herefordshire Regiment during the Great War and with the Regiment on the River Maas in 1944. They uncover the shopping list for Christmas dinner in 1914, which included 825 oranges and four hundredweight of plum pudding.
In contrast, they explore the 1940 Christmas of Fr John King, former Vicar of All Saints, Hereford, in Oflag VII-C - an officer's prisoner of war camp in Laufen on the German - Austrian border.
To find out more about this small solely Territorial unit from Herefordshire, in the Welsh Marches, visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
For more information about the Operation Blackout - last mission of WW2 - at Hereford Town Hall on 17th May 2025 at 6.30pm, click here:
https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/events/op-blackout-presentation/
If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience.
Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.
Next Episode
Just a Moth-Eaten Rag and other Leominster Stories
This month's episode finds Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts taking a walk around the highways and byways of Herefordshire market town, Leominster. They start at the railway station exploring the story of the breakfast stop over for the a party of the 1st Herefordshire Regiment returning the Regimental Colours to Hereford at the end of the First World War. Enjoy Andy trying (and eventually succeeding) to remember Sir Edmund Hamley's famous poem about Regimental Colours "A Moth-Eaten Rag"; the role colours continue to play in our army and the consecration of unique colours for the Hereford & Worcester Army Cadet Force in 2015.
They then explore Etnam Street and Grange Court - built by the King's Carpenter, John Abel and on the way try to solve the mystery of George Greenhouse's medals. A little bit more walking takes our intrepid pair to New Street, site of the former Borough Gaol, turned Drill Hall and the replacement Drill Hall built in 1962, shortly before the end of the Herefordshire Light Intantry (TA).
Finally, in the surroundings of Leominster Priory, they discuss the wartime service of former Leominster Vicar, Revd Robert Gillenders MC - army chaplain to Wilfred Owen of the 2nd Manchesters and Military Cross winner.
To slake their thirst our duo retire to the Chequers on Etnam Street for a well-deserved pint and a look forward to some of other fascinating stories that Leominster has to tell when they take Just another Walk in the Sun.
(Note from the editing suite - Rev Roberts will one day learn the difference between Kington in Herefordshire and Knighton in Radnorshire... apologies to residents of both places!)
To find out more about this small solely Territorial unit from Herefordshire, in the Welsh Marches, visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a
For more information about the Operation Blackout - last mission of WW2 - at Hereford Town Hall on 17th May 2025 at 6.30pm, click here:
https://herefordshirelightinfantrymuseum.com/events/op-blackout-presentation/
If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience.
Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.
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