The Royal Artillery Officers’ Association and 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment RA hold their traditional annual dinner

The Royal Artillery Officers’ Association and 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment RA held their traditional annual St Barbara’s Dinner at Brigadier Philip Toosey Army Reserve Centre, Aigburth, Liverpool.

Lt Gen Professor Sir Edmund Burton presided and the principal guests included Lt Gen Richard Applegate, who proposed the traditional toast ‘St Barbara and the Royal Regiment.’ St Barbara is the patroln saint of gunners. Other guests included Mark Blundell, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mr Paul Griffiths, Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, and Col David Harrington, assistant commander of 1 Artillery Brigade.

The Regiment had a special guest – Mr Colin Gourley from Australia. His uncle, Sergeant Cyril Edward Gourley had won the Victoria Cross 100 years ago, serving with D Battery, 276th Royal Field Artillery Regiment. A specially commissioned painting of Sergeant Gourley’s gun in action was on show for the first time as part of the Regiment’s Golden Jubilee celebration.