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Press Releases – May 2001 |
JDF COAST GUARD ON SEARCH MISSION The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard assisted in a search and rescue operation in St Mary recently, in a bid to rescue two persons who were washed away by the Rio Nuevo River in that parish. This resulted from a spate of turbulent weather on the North Eastern side of the Island with widespread flooding in the parish. The operations were a joint effort by the police, the military, the Jamaica Fire Brigade and citizens of the affected communities. The reports suggested that the victims, an adult female and her niece from Huddersfield, St Mary were washing clothes in the river when they were swept away by the floodwaters. The two were among a group of about twelve members of the community who went to the river which was the only source of domestic water supply. The others were rescued by residents who threw ropes to them in the swelling waters and pulled them to safety. The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard provided divers and other personnel in support of the search. The continuous bad weather impacted negatively on the search, which continued for days without success as the hopes of the loved ones, dwindled with each passing moment. Senior Canadian Officer visits Caribbean Military Course The Canadian Forces Director General for International Security in the Canadian National Defence Headquarters, Major General Cameron Ross, will be delivering the main address at the graduation of the eight serial of the Caribbean Junior Command and Staff Course on 24 May 2001. General Ross will arrive Jamaica on 23 May 2001 and depart the following day. During his visit, the General will be making a courtesy call on the Chief of Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force and the Canadian High Commissioner. He will also be given a drive-through tour of important sites in Jamaica’s capital city, Kingston. The staff course caters for military and government officers in the region is hosted by the Jamaica Defence Force at its Training Depot at the famed Newcastle station in the hills of St Andrew. The staff course is jointly sponsored by the Canadian Forces with support from the British as well as the other military forces in the Caribbean. British Soldiers on Training in Jamaica A contingent of 120 British soldiers from the First Battalion the Prince of Wales Own Regiment, stationed in Chester Yorkshire, England, is presently training in Portland, Jamaica. The British soldiers are being supported by a platoon of soldiers from the Jamaica Defence Force to complement their training curriculum. The British troops are undergoing field training exercises in the Titchfield area and in the semi-jungle environs located in the Cambridge Backlands of Portland. The area also affords the soldiers the opportunity to practice live firing on the Sherwood Forrest Range. The School of Hope in the parish capital, Port Antonio, is benefiting from the presence of the British soldiers who are carrying out community service at the institution. The British contingent arrived in Jamaica on 06 May and is scheduled to depart on 03 June 2001. Their training is part of an annual exchange programme between the British Armed Forces and the Jamaica Defence Force, code-named ‘Exercise Red Stripe/Calypso Hop.
The Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Right Honourable P J Patterson will be joining the serving and retired members of the Jamaica Defence Force in commemorating the service of two West Indian soldiers who were decorated with the Victoria Cross for their bravery in battle. A formal dinner and church service will be held to honour their memory. The Victoria Cross Dinner will be held at the Jamaica Officers’ Club at Up Park Camp on Friday 25 May 01 at 8:00 p.m. The Prime Minister will be delivering the main address at the dinner. The Victoria Cross Church Service will be held at the Garrison Church of the Ascension in Up Park Camp on Sunday 27 May 01 at 9:00 a.m. The national religious station LOVE 101 FM will be providing live coverage of the service. The Victoria Cross celebration honours Sergeant William Gordon of Jamaica and Private Samuel Hodge of the Virgin Islands, who made history by being the first non-Europeans to be awarded the Victoria Cross. They were decorated with the Victoria Cross for their great bravery on the battlefield during the 19th Century campaigns of West Africa, whilst serving in the West India Regiment. The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded by the British Army. The recipient of this prestigious award is cited for outstanding acts of bravery in an operational setting. The bronze cross bearing the Lion of England over the Crown, and the words "For Valour" ranks higher than all other British Orders and Decorations. To qualify a fighting man must render service in the face of enemy action, over and above the call of duty. In 1856, Queen Victoria, as the name implies, started the award. The JDF has no living recipients of the Victoria Cross, but honours as part of its inheritance, these two West Indian soldiers who were decorated with the Victoria Cross for their bravery in battle. The Victoria Cross is celebrated annually by the Jamaican military and this year will mark the 35th commemoration. |
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