The Changing 60’s
As winners of the Battalion P.E. and Drill competitions, in May 1960 the Company took part in a festival organised by the West Midland District and held at New Hall, Sutton Coldfield, the home of Sir Alfred Owen.
At a special Church Parade the following month, David Pardoe and Roger Jukes received their Queen’s Badges.
New Queen’s Colours were presented to the Battalion and dedicated at a Parade Service at Baxter Church in April 1961. The colours were given in memory of Mr. G.S. Chadwick, a founder member of the Kidderminster Battalion. As winners of the Drill competition the 8th provided the colour party.
At the Brigade Council meetings in Southampton a new uniform was introduced. Known
as the “1963 uniform”, for a while it was optional but soon adopted by the company.
Out went jackets/blazers and the field service hat and in came smart deep blue shirts,
matching ties and slightly American style blue hats. Following that came the demise
of the Life Boys and the formation of three Sections:-
In 1964 Godfrey Cooper gained his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. This was presented to him by the Duke at Buckingham Palace the following year.
In the same year Mr. E. Mole resigned as Captain to be succeeded by Mr K. Moule and
a group of young officers. The next three years were ones of decline, eventually
leaving just two boys in the Company Section. Following Mr. K Moule’s resignation
Mr. E. Mole was re-
Then came more changes. The Kidderminster Battalion, by then consisting of only four companies, became the Worcestershire Battalion, covering an area from Hereford in the south, Redditch in the east, through Kidderminster to Halesowen and Dudley in the north. The inaugural parade was held at Worcester Cathedral on 16th November 1969.
With this change the 8th became the 1st Kidderminster Company.
