THE IRISH GUARDS MIDLANDS BRANCH
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The Midlands Micks meeting venule:
The Old Contemptibles (176 Edmund St, Birmingham B3 2HB), an old Victorian pub. The name honours the First World War heroes, the British Expeditionary Force (including the 1st Battalion Irish Guards) led by General Sir John French, who suffered heavy casualties in holding up the German advance at Mons. Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered his men to exterminate French’s ‘contemptible little army’, leading to the nickname that we now proudly remember. The 1914 Star medal with August – November embossed on it was struck in honour of these that participated in the action, it was also know as The Old Contemptibles’ medal.
The pub is in the financial quarter of Birmingham and there are hundreds of parking spaces and a multi-storey car park’s in the area with disabled bays outside the pub that are easily accessible on a Sunday morning. Snow Hill train station is facing the pub and Birmingham New Street station approximately 600 metres from it. Any members arriving at Digbeth coach station or cannot walk from their or new Street please inform us (Vice Chairman or the secretary), and we will try and organise a lift for you.
Meeting are held there every Second Sunday of the month at 1200 hours.
IRISH GUARDS ASSOCIATION
The Irish Guards Old Comrades Association was formed after the Great War to enable friends to keep in touch with one another and to help members of the Regiment find employment.
The title was later changed to the Irish Guards Association but the aims of fraternity, helping others and encouraging links between past and serving Micks still applies. It is an Association of all ranks, co-ordinated by Regimental Headquarters with Branches in the following areas:
- London
- Republic of Ireland – based in Dublin
- Ulster – based in Belfast
- West Midlands – based in Birmingham
- North of England – based in Liverpool
The Regimental Lieutenant Colonel is Chairman of the Headquarters Committee of the Association, the Regimental Adjutant is Vice Chairman, the Assistant Regimental Adjutant is the Honorary Treasurer and the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant at RHQ is the Honorary Secretary. An annual meeting is held with Branch Secretaries normally representing their Branches. Close links are required to ensure that welfare and other cases requiring assistance are brought to the notice of Regimental Headquarters at the earliest opportunity.
The Branches hold social and other meetings under their own arrangements and serving Officers are strongly encouraged to attend their Annual Dinners. All Officers clear of duty are expected to attend the London Branch of the Association’s Annual Dinner which is normally held on a Friday night in mid-November.
The London Branch organises, as directed, the Annual March to the Guards Memorial (sometimes incorrectly referred to as “Black Sunday March”) at Horse Guards. The Regimental Band lead and a wreath in the form of a Shamrock-covered harp is laid in addition to the normal Regimental star. The wreath is placed under the Irish Guardsman on the Memorial and the Harp under the central figure.