Ripon project uncovers 'treasure trove' of war veterans' stories as curtain falls on city's last military barracks

As Ripon’s long association with the armed forces is due to end soon with the planned closure of the last barracks in the city, a project to record military memories is being stepped up.

Thanks to a grant from North Yorkshire Council which enabled the Ripon Military Heritage Trust (RMHT) to buy recording equipment, volunteers have been interviewing veterans who were based in Ripon after the Second World War, unearthing a treasure trove of memories.

Andrew Coles, leader of the oral history project, said: "Talking to those with memories of serving in Ripon and from Ripon is a privilege.

"As the military history of Ripon approaches a key moment, with the winding down of operations at the military camp, now is the time to capture the experiences of the men and women who not only worked and trained at the camps, but also were impacted by their presence in Ripon over the years.”

The stories included:

The army padre who carried out an exorcism at the scene of a Bosnian massacre to calm the nerves of British peacekeeping troops.

The officer who heard an astonishing admission from the Argentinian commander in the Falklands shortly after surrendering.

The Royal Engineer who discovered en route to the Falklands that the heavy military equipment he loaded on to the doomed container ship the Atlantic Conveyor couldn’t be unloaded and holes were cut in the deck to try and get the vital stores off.

Keith Punshon, a retired Ripon Cathedral Canon, was an army padre who went to Bosnia with the Ripon-based Royal Engineers in 1997 and 1998.

He recalled one strange evening at a factory where they were based.

He said: “Hundreds of young people had apparently been acid bathed after being murdered in the factory.

‘"The young soldiers got a bit upset about it and things were going bump in the night.

"So off I went and met the lads and got to know them.”

Armed with his clerical kit, including a few candles, the clergyman decided the problem needed “commanding theatricality."

"I went to the soldiers and said “right lads I’m going to have an exorcism.”

Another memorable military anecdote came from Falklands veteran Tony Douglas, 72.

A captain in the Royal Engineers, he recalled the day the Argentine invaders surrendered.

He said: "Suddenly two Royal Marines arrived and they were escorting General Menendez, the Argentinian commander who had just signed the surrender document.

"In the ward room, a naval officer who spoke Spanish started chatting to the General who said: “Gentlemen, first of all I never thought you would come south. Secondly when you did I thought our navy would scare you away and then I hoped our air force would.

"Even though as an army commander I had 10 times the numbers you did, once neither of them worked I knew I’d lost.”

The RMHT still hopes to speak to many more people who once trained in Ripon or had some connection to the military in the city, particularly those who served in more recent conflicts such as the Iraq wars, the Troubles in Northern Ireland and more.

More information: https://riponmht.org/