Federation of Old Cornwall Societies
Redruth Old Cornwall Society
Founded: 1922
Colours: Yellow & Black
Officers
President: Mrs Vanessa Moyle 01209 211469
Treasurer: Mr Andrew Beard
Hon. Recorder: Linda Beskeen
Hon. Membership Secretaries: Mrs Joan Andrew
We regret that, due to current restrictions our planned bonfire and crying the neck ceremonies due to take place on 19th September have been cancelled until further notice.
November 2020 Newsletter - please click here
Wesley Memorial Hall, Wesley Street, Redruth, usually at 7:30pm (execpt AGMs)
Please note that our 2020/2021 Programme has been suspended until further notice
COACHES: Any coaches required for events will leave from TESCO bus stop, REDRUTH at 9.30.a.m. unless stated otherwise
Photo: Terry Knight
Remembrance Day 2020
To watch a short film about the exhibition, please click here
Redruth Old Cornwall Society has worked with the congregation of St Andrew's Redruth, to produce an exhibit for Remembrance Day 2020
Artefacts from the ROCS Museum Collection have been placed on display, along with exhibition material. This year we have focussed on the link with HMS Shikari and the work of 'Warship Week'. HMS Shikari was adopted by the Camborne-Redruth & Stithians area during World War 2 and the area contributed the highest amount raised in Cornwall for Warship Week, 1942.
Shikari was the last ship to leave Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force, 80 years ago in 1940. Amongst those rescued was the only soldier to receive the DSO from the operation at Dunkirk, Harold Marcus Erskine-Andrews. After the war he settled in Cornwall, where he worked as a pig farmer and played a prominent role in the Bodmin branch and Cornwall Executive of the Royal British Legion. He died at Gorran on March 30th 1995, aged 83.
Shikari was also employed in escort and anti-submarine duties in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1939-1940, the longest battle of the Second World War, and one of constant danger.
The Shikari plaque, donated to the Camborne-Redruth area by the Admiralty in recognition of their efforts to support the war, is in the collection of the Redruth Old Cornwall Museum. It is on display, with the ship's emblem, a turbaned Indian Shikari, the Urdu word for 'hunter' or 'a hunt'. This links to the long connection of the British with India and the Indian Army, which provided 1.7 million combatants and labourers in World War 1 and 2.5 million volunteers in World War Two, the largest volunteer army in history.
Admiral Thesiger, when he came to present the plaque, expressed his gratitude to the people of the area and in particular the recognition that the sums of money placed into war saving stamps and certificates came from a large number of small donations, an impressive effort from so many people in an area who worked together and gave generously.
